Resorts Books

This book is great!It's about a girl who keeps running into this boy she thinks is a snob because he's rich. She makes him think that her dad is the rich owner of the resort they're at (Her dad only works there and she happens to have the same last name as the resort owner). Then she gets to know him and finds out he's not a snob. But I'm not going to tell what happens when he finds out who she really is

As if that would happen! A stuck-up, defensive girl works at a horse stable and keeps on running into a rich, handsome guy. Literally. He can't quite help from causing her all types of problems. The worst part is that I can't see why he would be interested in that kind of girl

I've hated this book. It makes fun of the poor downtrodden souls,it laughs at the helpless struggle of poor unfortunate men and women waiting hopelessly to exhale. Cruel and uncharming.

Connolly disects the British class system with a hilarious examination of snobbery, greed and jealousy wrapped into a farcial summer holiday. This is laugh out loud funny made all the better because I read it on a beach in Tahitit - about as far removed from the British coastal holiday described in the book as you can get.

I think Patterson could have done without the help. I like Patterson's style and move-along plots. This plot however, with the autopsy on Peter's body getting passed off as a drowning-suicide, was a disappointment. The rich buy the courts, but not with the kinds of evidence the coroner presented. The ending really frosts the cake when they have their "Kangaroo Court" in the abandoned Beach house over a two-day span. Since it wasn't terrible, I can only give three stars.

J. P. Landry, author of Hazard 666

I could not put this book down. I especially enjoyed Patterson's reference to real life scenarios and applaud his accounts in multicultural writings and versatility from music references to basketball. The book will keep you on your toes. I wish there could have been a better ending as I really liked 'Tom'. Definitely recommend it especially for the not so serious reader, like myself. I thoroughly enjoyed it and you will too.

I just never got into this book. I'm an avid fan of James Patterson's books... I've purchased so many at airports across the country it is almost comical.

But this one never really drew my in like most others. There just wasn't enough depth to any of the characters and their relationships to each other were missing something. And the ending just did not make sense. I didn't feel there were enough clues to lead me to say "aha" at the end.

Short story - I was disappointed. I won't quit reading... just disappointed in this yarn.

I loved this book! I read it in a day and a half, couldnt put it down. Loved the plot-people taking the law into their own hands. highly recommend!

This is a great story and keeps your interest from beginning to end. Typical excellence from James Patterson.

A family on holiday in a rural county northeast of London is so self-absorbed that they don't realize that they've let a complete stranger into their home. This is the premise of Ali Smith's 2005 novel, The Accidental. The first chapter begins in the first person voice of Amber MacDonald, the stranger; she is the only first person voice in the story. Each of the three sections of the book allows the voice of Amber and each of the four people in the family a stream-of-consciousness narration of their thoughts during a stretch of time. The family: Astrid Smart, the twelve year-old daughter who strives to record all of her life on a camcorder; Magnus Smart, the seventeen year-old son haunted by the suicide of a classmate; Eve Smart, the mother and egotistical author of bad fiction; and Dr. Michael Smart, the step-father and philandering professor; relate their lives in a polyglossic net of third person, present tense episodes. The book moves through time completely within the thoughts of these characters; a modern use of language and structure elements creates a striking, vivid picture of each of their personal crises.
At first look, the characters seem flat, almost stock characters, floating around, too self-centered to notice each other. Astrid's prepubescent musings are whimsical but hardly philosophical; Magnus's depressive, obsessive repetitions are tiresome. Enter Amber. Almost immediately, she saves Magnus from bathroom suicide, becomes the singular obsession of Michael, and gains the trust of Astrid. Amber is the center of conflict in the novel, and the catalyst for the change of each of the family members. While she drives the conflict, however, it would be difficult to say that she is the book's main character--each of the characters brings their own unraveling story to the book, and amazingly, Smith does justice to each of them. Michael, the cliché of the philandering professor, even seems to become self-aware--losing his egoism in the realization that his life is a stereotype. In the only break from stream-of-consciousness style writing in the text, this realization is related in sonnet, free verse, aabb and abab poetry form in the words of Michael.
Because the narration is almost exclusively the stream-of-consciousness presentation of the thoughts of each individual character, the narration does little for exposition beyond what is apparent to the characters. When the characters return home from their vacation at the end of the novel, their house has been stripped entirely empty of everything except the answering machine. It is never discovered what actually transpired to cause this, but Eve suspects that it is Amber's doing. This and other intentional ambiguities add to the mystery of the novel. As epiphanies are reached and characters change their perspectives, the reader must choose which perspective to take on the turn of events, based on the different realities of each of the characters.
One of my favorite elements of the text is the relation of current events to the lives of the characters. At one point, toward the end of the book, Eve is reflecting on some disturbing images recently released from Abu Gharib prison in Baghdad. The picture is a familiar one to the minds of most contemporary Americans, and the description of her reflection on the pictures is probably similar to a fairly recent experience many readers have had. It remains to be told whether this will simply make the book seem outdated in later years, but having snippets of what is still a current situation throughout the text creates a solid sense of a modern setting.
Conventions of devices and structure exist to promote unity and harmony in a text. The Accidental lacks the conventions of dialogue, capitalization, sentence structure, character structure (antagonist vs. protagonist), exposition, punctuation, and use of a single narrator. All these things aside, however, the book still exists as a unified text. The ending of the book is (without being a spoiler) very satisfactory, the text seems harmonized and even one further--believable. There is very little extraneous material, sans one piece: the first person musings of Amber. Amber seems to ramble about little connected with the action of the novel, and her first person narration is completely false. Amber claims to be everything she isn't, and gives absolutely no insight into her character. This is not to say that the book would be any better if the reader knew what Amber was thinking; in fact, it would definitely detract from the intended ambiguity and mystery of the text. However, her parts were rambling, nonsensical, and the author might have done us one better by simply leaving them out. Fortunately, Amber's input is short and the development of the other characters makes up for her extraneous babble.
The unconventional style of Smith's novel is quite successful in telling the story of a pivotal year in the life of the Smart family. The modern structure creates ease of understanding of the characters and their surroundings, and allows the author, in a relatively short text, to relate not one, but four complete stories.

i loved this novel of a mysterious woman who arrives at the vacation house of a british academic family and with ingenuity and bravery challenges and heals the broken life of each of her dysfunctional hosts. the book is loosely based on the pier paolo pasolini's 1968 film "teorama"; but where pasolini is allegoric, over-stated, almost exploitative in his sexuality, smith seems to have learned complexity and subtlety from the 4 decades since pasolini filmed. she is phenomenological, heartfelt, caring. less sex and more eros. whereas pasolini alludes to jesus, smith paints a samurai vision of taking charge of one's life and acting to help those around you. i am reminded of "ghost dog" and "zatoichi."

More of a technically impressive book than an enjoyable one. The characters are with quirks that are fun to write -- the hyperintellectual daughter always using "i.e" in her monologues, the son experiencing the world as a math equation -- but that make them feel more like vessels for glitzy prose than actual individuals. The story is weighed down by the writing, and I found myself scanning whole pages to get to the next graf where something, anything, would actually happen.

In one of the few impressive passages of Ali Smith's novel "The Accidental," a 17 year old boy named Magnus, the son of Eve Smart and stepson of her husband Michael Smart, reflects upon Plato's allegory of the cave:

"A group of men were chained inside a cave, and all they saw, all they could see and all they'd ever seen of the world was the shadows their own fire made on the walls. They watched the shadows all the time. They spent their days watching them. They believed that's what life was. But then one of them was forced out of the cave and into the real world. When he came back into the cave and told the others about sunlight, they didn't believe him." (p. 249)

Plato' allegory has a timeless quality that captures, in its provocative way, something essential about the human condition. People tend to flounder in their lives, to be unsure of what they want, and to pursue things that will not bring them happiness. It is the part of wisdom to leave the cave and see reality clearly. For those who take Plato's allegory seriously, philosophy and spirituality (religion) tend to be the paths that can lead out of the cave.

Smith's book seems to be a meditiation on how people continue to be caught in Plato's cave and in its world of illusions. The chief characters in the book are the members of a disfunctional family, the Smarts. Michael Smart, 42, is a womanizing professor of English and a poet. His wife Eve, 42, is a writer of historical fiction. Magnus, Eve's son, has adolescent sexuality and a dark secret on his mind. Astrid, 12, a budding adolescent, spends a great deal of time with photography and with an expensive camera her parents have given her.

On a summer holiday in Norfolk, the Smart's meet -- or do they -- a 30ish woman named Amber who changes their lives. She throws away Astrid's camera, has sex with Magnus, insults Eve, and doesn't sleep with Michael. Amber, or the idea of Amber, changes the life of the family and each of its four members, irrevocably when they return from their holiday.

Smith's writing style is a major problem with this book. While she does try to develop her characters, the writing is choppy and mannered. The writing calls attention to itself, shows no real inner feeling, and is, in general, unsuited to a serious theme. It failed to hold my interest after only a few pages.

I didn't find the book took Plato or his cave seriously. The book has an aura of importance to it which is belied by its mannerism and its triviality. Smith and her character Amber may want to call the reader's attention to how the Smarts, and most people remain imprisoned in Plato's cave. But the writing itself, and Amber's antics, did not inspire confidence in me. The story of the book and the characters did not persuade me that anyone was understanding or escaping from a cave. Rather, the characters, the author, and the story itself, seem caught in their cave. The characters and their problems seemed stereotyped and predictable, and the manner of the telling was irritating. There was little insightful in the problems of the characters, in Amber's impact upon them, or in the resolution.

The theme of a mysterious stranger, generally a woman, who descends upon a family and brings the voice of imagination or hope into their lives is not unusual in fiction. A much better, though less heralded novel in which the theme is well explored is "The Illuminated Soul" by Aryeh Stollman. That book explains the effect of a woman visitor of uncertain origins on the imagination and life of a brooding, highly intelligent adolescent boy who has lost his father and on his family. The story is told much more seriously and reflectively than is the case in this novel.
Readers who are interested in Smith's theme will find it much better realized in Stollman's fine book.

Plato's allegory of the cave remains an archetype of human experience, the stuff of which novels are made. But I am afraid "The Accidental" is flip, stilted, and pretentious. It remains caught in its own morass.

Robin Friedman

It's no secret that writers, especially the literary kind, are known for wearing their works like masks, slipping their hands puppet-like into characters and mugging for their audience: they may not be as smart, attractive, or popular as their characters, but the authors certainly share the same opinions.

In "The Accidental," it's not hard to figure out who author Ali Smith wants to be (or is). She's Amber, a sort of stochastic herbal essence, an earth-flavored, barefoot, dandelion wine of a woman who flounces in a figurative free-fall into the core of the book, twirls about with mad abandon and reckless sexiness, and disappears with just as much speed and consequence. She puts dirty thighs on Heisneberg's uncertainty principle and drops the drawers of chaos theory, manhandling the nuts and bolts inside.

Okay, I'm sorry, I'll be less poetic, even I think Smith herself would appreciate such an out-of-the-lines description. Smith's writing is equally unfettered, and for people who like the idea of meandering through prose the way you might meander through a lovely (and creepy) forest, "The Accidental" is something to cuddle up to. The whole novel reads like one long word game, and even if that means the seriousness of its import is sometimes smeared aside, it also means that for people who love the English language, well, there's plenty here to enjoy.

But that import. Let me not forget the import.

The story is about the family Smarts. Eve is a struggling writer, Michael is an oversexed professor, Magnus is a tortured teen with a secret, and Astrid is a identity-challenged female (one of those thirteen-year-old daughters that cannot accurately be called either girl, woman, or even young lady). Their problems aren't particularly astounding or new, and in many cases, it's hard to sympathize with them, since their troubles are self-brewed and administered (or, in the case of Astrid, normal enough to be boring).

Amber doesn't sympathize with them either. She appears one day at their summer cottage and their lives begin to change. She manipulates and motivates them in the same way any good author drives and directs her characters. The only difference here is that the characters are aware of the manipulation. Step aside, Priandello. Smith's gonna show you a thing or two.

It works in fits and starts (much in the same way that the metaphorical character names are simultaneously profound and heavy-handed), depending on who you sympathize with. I found myself most closely drawn to the adolescent Astrid, but only because her pre-teen angsts were so accurately set up and then so cleanly knocked down. Magnus's shackles of misery and his subsequent liberation I found clever but overdrawn. Eve's self-doubts and dramatics were powerfully done, but ultimately watered down. And Michael, well, the man may well have not existed in the book. As an English professor, some of his sections manage to have the most interesting writing and yet still say the least out of anyone's. Perhaps that's the point.

The book shows us the same things in four different ways, and it's entertaining in the way of jugglers and Rubik's Cubes. It's ultimately the point of the novel that gets in the way, its drive to be something serious. Eve's section ends with a sort-of back-loop to what started the novel, and it's far too cute for the book's own good. She tries to learn and emulate Amber, the novel's catalyst, and although Smith suggests it leads to redemption, I have my doubts.

Because, although Amber is certainly an intriguing character, she is ultimately a marionette with about four strings too many. The book is occasionally punctuated with brief Amber vignettes; related primarily to movies, they are supposed to give us a glimpse into Amber's genesis and upbringing in a world of celluloid and Act 3 miracles, to show us where her free-spirited anarchy found its first birth, and to explain -- in some small measure -- why (or how) this strange woman alters the lives along her seemingly uncharted path. It's Smith's way of bear-hugging the character, of petting her fondly by the fire of her soul.

It's a little patronizing, but it's also understandable. Amber is any author's dream -- something mysterious and sexy, a controlled explosion. Smith wants to use her to teach us something, and even if I didn't feel particularly educated after her exposure (can you guess if the Smarts get smarter?), I did enjoy myself. That part probably wasn't an accident.

Martha Grimes has great gifts of characterization and rich, convincing dialogue. She is such a good writer it's a shame she wanders through Belle Ruin with a missing plot. She tells us she's got one, but the book has no narrative drive or suspense, and the solution is anti-climatic. She introduces distracting rafts of minor, insignificant characters in almost every scene, way more red herrings than six books would need. Her 12-year-old heroine, Emma, is excellent; and reminds a reader of Scout in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. But there was just no tension or real story-telling in Belle Ruin. This reader also didn't buy the idea that a 12-year-old girl would be safe taking taxis and bouncing around the countryside alone even in the rural South, or even as long ago as the 1950's--as far as my memory extends. Abductions and murders of young girls even in the small-town and rural South are frequently in the news today, and have been since the 1950s. What kind of mother would allow it? Even if Emma tried to keep it a secret from her mother, small town gossip would soon inform the mother. Such a girl would just be bait for a sexual predator, and having her doing the things she does seems surreal because of it.

The next thing I knew I was at the end of the book and looking for more pages. The story just ends, like falling off a cliff and not landing. I loved Hotel Paradise and Cold Flat Junction, so was excited to know Emma was again up to her adolescent tricks in Belle Ruin. I still think the characters are delightful and fun, but Martha, I want a story WITH an ending. Please!

I was looking for something to listen to during my long commutes, and thought I'd give this book a try, as I had liked Martha Grimes earlier Jury mysteries.

The best thing about the audio version is the wonderful talent of the narrator, which helps some with the poorly edited prose. Near the end of the whole story Emma says something when she's trying to write along the lines of "that sounds good, I'm sure I'll be able to use it somewhere" and it seems that is the same approach is what Ms. Grimes did - and repeatedly. Do I really need the exact same description of Vera as many times as she put it in? or the waitresses? or any other times she lifted the exact same language sans editing and used it repeatedly and unnecessarily? Why would the hummers still be confused at the end of the third time performing of where to go (and said with the exact same wording as the first time they were confused)? The book could have used some serious editing.

I also had a hard time with Emma's character at times - mean to an old lady, not nice to many many people, and yet people seem to like her. I found the attempt to catch a different time interesting and sometimes succesful.

I do like the variety of characters (although in this book there certainly are more charicatures than characters), the at time lyrical descriptions, and some of the humor. The premise of the "mystery" is rather weak, but on the other hand it is believable as something Emma would latch onto and worry and wonder about until she has (or thinks she has) it solved.

I had not read (or heard) the two previous books with Emma, and while this did mean that I was not in the "know" at the beginning of listening to this, don't worry, Ms. Grimes repeats things enough that you can catch up.

I've read other Martha Grimes books and enjoyed them somewhat, and I suffered through the first two "Emma Graham" books (don't ask me why I read the first one, not to mention the second, because I really don't know -- maybe temporary insanity), so I thought (very much against my better judgement) that I'd give Belle Ruin a try. I found Emma Graham annoying in the first two books, but in this latest she seems to have gone into self-absorbed brat overdrive. Perhaps it is that I'm older now myself, but I just couldn't stand her mean-spirited antics or her constant griping about how horrible everyone was (except herself, of course; she seems to think she's just wonderful). Then again, considering the group of freaks and creeps (for the most part) with whom she comes into contact, maybe she's not all wrong to be so nasty about everyone.

Another problem I have with the book is that, besides being extremely irritating, the Emma Graham character is often unbelievable. So many of her musings seem not to be those of a twelve-year-old, no matter how supposedly precocious she is, but those of an older woman pretending to write as a twelve-year-old.

There are other things that get on my last nerve about this book. If it's supposed to be set in New York (at least, I think that's where it's supposed to be), then why the heck is it so unrelentingly Southern gothic? All the "quirky" characters, including icky Emma, just seem really strained to me, and not at all believable. For that matter, the plot (what there is of it) is contrived and drawn-out and, frankly, just downright boring. All this girl does is get driven around in taxis, visit diners and go to the houses of strangers to lie her way into finding out "clues" to her big mystery, torment an elderly hotel guest every chance she gets, argue with people and think horrible things about them, and in general just make a nuisance of her rotten self.

If you like stories about pretentious, annoying, mean-spirited young people who think they are "writers," you might enjoy this one. Otherwise, don't bother.

If a writer has a contract with the reader...well, you know what I mean...it's not honored in this book which reads more like the writer has a contract on the reader.
Like other reviewers, I found little to like about Emma, even though she didn't seem real. The lack of any resolution was offensive. It might have been okay if the reader had been left with a choice of two endings, sort of "Lady or the Tiger" fashion. Instead, it's as if the writer simply forgot what the story was about.
But the real problem for me was the repeated destruction of verisimilitude, initially through the songs on the jukebox: Patsy Cline never recorded "Now and Then, There's a Fool Such As I;" Nobody referred to Patience and Prudence as "Patience and Pru," nor would "Tonight You Belong to Me" have appeared on a jukebox simultaneously with the Everly Brothers." It gets worse: A Three Musketeers bar does not have three different flavor layers - on and on. It's little stuff, I grant, but it demonstrates some truly careless writing which leads to the colossal error near the end where the night of the fire is actually confused by the writer with the night of the kidnapping.
In the past I've spent many happy hours with Martha Grimes books. This one about made up for all the rest.

Having read the book, as well as knowing Lisa, I can assure you Lisa was not a good salesperson, therefore neither is the book. The question at hand really is......Do I want to vacation and is it important to yourself and family. If you want to vacation, it can be a good deal, if u use it, as an owner for over 20 years. On the other hand if u need to subsidize the cost of your vacations by taking tours for a gift, ownership is not within your realm. Simply don't take a tour, easy solution. People in the timeshare business are like any business, most are a good lot, if u have an open mind and can afford the product, look at it. If u can't supply those conditions stay away and save yourself the aggravation. Like any informed buyer, determine what you need, condos, hotels, length of stay, location etc. Be an informed buyer.

Fantastic resource for anyone interested in purchasing a timeshare. Good information (although a bit dated) and excellent resources are listed for more up-to-date info.

I've read several For Dummies books in the past and found them useful, but I think the editors got "taken in" by the author of this very misleading book. What purports to be a book benefiting the consumer is, in fact, a thinly veiled advancement of the very worst self-interested ideas of resort developers and retail timeshare salespeople (of which the author of this book is one). Her conflict of interest jumps out all over the place. Let me give you two specific examples to show why this book must be avoided by anyone thinking of buying a timeshare intelligently.

First, savvy timeshare owners know that you should virtually never buy a timeshare new, as they trade at discounts of 60 per cent or more in the (large) resale market. Nowhere in the book does the author mention that as much as 60 per cent of the cost of a "new" timeshare interval is the developer's marketing costs (all those free theme park tickets, etc.), so if you sell your timeshare you stand to lose a lot of money. Whenever this author mentions resales, it's usually to say something negative. Instead, she offers this howler from page 181: "Timeshares can and do increase in value," she writes, "however, but inflation may negate any gains you make."

Second (and this is not an innocent mistake on the part of the author), on page 135 she tells readers that if they buy at a "standard" resort they can't ever exchange into a more upscale (five-star, gold crown, etc.) resort. "You can always trade down," she writes, "but you cannot trade up." Say what? That is a complete falsehood, and is just what sleazy salespeople say to get people to overpay for fancy timeshares. I own two weeks at "standard" resorts and exchange them all the time into top-rated 5-star places like Sheraton's Vistana or the Star Island resort in Orlando.

The For Dummies people have accomplished nothing with this book other than to allow this timeshare salesperson and consultant to appear more credible by becoming a published author. Readers should run, not walk, from this misleading effort.

This is a very good reference, although it is biased in favor of timeshares because the author sells timeshares. If anyone wants to learn about timeshares outside of a sales presentation, this is a good way to do it.

It always fascinates me to see how interpretations of the same literature can vary so radically. I too have purchase and read this "Dummies" book. I must emphasize "Dummies" book. In my opinion, Ms Schreier has done exactly what you might expect. She has offered a basic, statistical observation of timeshare that is easily understood by the novice. Lots of information and a thorough explanation of pros and cons of the industry. In fact, I might also add that in my opinion, she has spoken from both sides of the table.....from the salesperson's perspective and equally so from the purchaser's perspective. Hats off to Lisa Anne....a job well done.....nothing boring or dry, just an honest quick reading piece of research that all should benefit from.

For those that are looking for a more in depth study on the subject, this may not be for you however for the rest of us this is a great read.

As for the fellow that seems to be promoting himself and boasting his 25 years of experience in the business....what can be said? Rather than telling publishers of your greatness and using this book as your platform as how not to do it, perhaps you should find a better source of promotion like direct contact and aggressiveness in that direction.

Knowing Lisa and having read the book, there are a few misconceptions. First off is , someone does not offer a gift for nothing........the trade off is, you want the gift , you give up the time, basic economics. So really you do not have to survive anything. Why go, unless you have interest, or you need to underwrite the vacation cost. If you have interest determine ahead of time what you need. If you need to subsidize the cost of your vacation with tours, you probably should not be on vacation in the first place. So...to survive simply admit you have no money. Very simple. Not I left my check book.. I need to move money around, call my financial advisor, lawyer etc. The fact is you have no money. Period. No problem

I got this for my niece to help her feel more informed and empowered before going to a timeshare pitch. Since the author makes many points about why a timeshare is a good deal, the reader almost feels they are getting the sales pitch in the book. She does give some questions to ask and explains the general concept of timeshares.
She also gives some of the standard excuses that prospects give to wiggle out of making a deal. Then she shoots those down. I guess reading those gives you the opportunity to come up with better excuses before you go to the sales presentation. Often people are sitting through the pitch because they got some free deal. She reminds you that you are obligated to listen in that case and not to abuse the sales person.

The title of the book is wrong. It is not fair to the readers. Those who buy this book are likely seeking some "insightful" information to an industry they are not familiar with, but are about to step in with a major investment. Beware, there are many traps! ... This book is nothing more than a misleading sales presentation. Obviously the numbers were carefully manipulated, and purposefully misrepresented.

In one section, the author calculated the cost of vacation over a 40 year period. When she did the math for hotel, she put in a 10% annual inflation in calculation. On the same page when she calculated for timeshare, however, she assumed zero inflation for annual fees. Common sense will tell you both rates are at extreme, and indeed shall subject to the same in calculation. Once you factor this number in. Her conclusion does not stand.

When she mentioned rental, the author sited a rental of $1500 for a one bedroom unit. I am not sure the author ever tested the rental market. It is way off!

There is also no mention of resale, whereas timeshares are traded at more than 50% discount!

Typical to a sales presentation, there is also no mention how you should plan for your future vacations. If any thing happens, can you change your schedule?

...and if you fail to take the author's advice with a grain of salt, you will get plucked. You don't need to go much farther than Ms. Schreier's own webiste, Timeshare Insights, to get a bead on how she views the timeshare consumer. Check out the FAQ on that site, specifically "The Timeshare Consumer and Timeshare Salesperson Mutual Bill of Rights". I particularly like #7:" The consumer has the right to not purchase anything at any time during the presentation IF AND ONLY IF the decision is make on solid information and not on some 'pact' that was made prior to walking into the sales center."

Pact, shmact. The #1 grievance with the timeshare industry is the do-or-die get-them-to-sign-NOW hardball tactics of their sales force. How are you going to make a decision on "solid information" if you can't review the contracts and literature at your leisure and outside of the salesperson's domain? I have a "pact" with myself that I don't even buy a $400 refrigerator without shopping around, but somehow prospective timeshare customers don't deserve the same courtesy of being able to "cool off" before they decide, as oppossed to later fighting for their "cool off period" rights (assuming they are doing business in a state that affords such consumer protections).

You don't have to work too hard to scratch the surface of this book's consumer "helpfulness".

This book was written by someone who has spent a short amount of time in the business and probably did a fair but not large amount of sales. I am surprised she says she is a sales manager. In her mathematical example (20% of purchase price), she couldn't even get the answer correct. Having been in the business for 20 years, I found it very weak with substance and it appears to have been written by someone who thinks she is a trainer but isn't. Sorry. It was a waste of my money.

I'm a recent fan of Richard Matheson, and this my recent Matheson discovery. This story is about a couple trying to re-ignite the flame of their marriage by revisiting their original honeymoon. A bizarre story quickly unfolds at that point, with some suspense and twists/turns.

I do agree with some of the criticism of this book - it was short, it wasn't as "depthy" as some of his other work. And this is understandable - not a lot of people realize this, but this book started out as a short story written very early in Matheson's career, over 25 years ago. But Matheson revisted it, added to it, and the final product is still a great story with some unique twists. Besides, sometimes I prefer reading "leisurely", and being able to tackle the whole thing in just a day or two. (Call it a guilty pleasure?)

I'm not rating this based on a comparison of his other books, rather, I'm just giving a rating based on how much I enjoyed reading it. Be warned - it does have some erotic moments.

Who would I recommend this book to? I suspect you would like this if you like Matheson's other books/movies, or if you like the TV shows Fallen, New Amsterdam, Moonlight, Heroes, etc.

Earthbound was originally published in 1982 under the pen name Logan Swanson. That Earthbound version was more edited than this 1989 re-release under his own name.

Earthbound is certainly no where near the masterpiece league level of Matheson's classics I Am Legend, The Shrinking Man or Duel but it is still an enjoyable read.

Richard Matheson is the master of the normal guy suddenly plunged into a terrifying situation thriller and we certainly have that with the main character, husband David who is trying to rekindle his marriage to wife Ellen by revisiting their same original honeymoon destination, Logan Beach. The story isn't as well written as in the above mentioned masterpieces but through David's eyes we do get to experience his changing emotions including everything from lust to fear. Nor are there any twists in Earthbound, pretty much what you think is going on is and what you think is going to happen does.

So the basic plot is a troubled in marriage couple revisit the spot of their honeymoon in the hope of rekindling the flame of their marriage. David is determined to do this however when his wife goes out walking one night and he decides to surprise her with a cosy fire in the living room or their rental property he is surprised when another woman is standing in the doorway. Her name is Marianna and she is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, she tells him she mistook him for a former renter but shows him the renter's paintings, and also a secret room. David knows he shouldn't but has strong lust towards this strange woman and when he has an argument with his wife who goes to sulk in the bedroom and Marianna reappears he doesn't object to sleeping with her in the secret room. The affair continues as David debates if he should be doing it in his mind or leaving the house and returning early with Ellen to their home. David also seems to be losing more energy and becoming very tired all the time. The old lady down the road also tells him something terrifying about his new mistress which surely David thinks can't be true. Can he escape the lure of the earthbound Marianna before its too late?

So although good enough to pass the time I wouldn't buy Earthbound for someone to introduce them to Matheson's work. However if they've read all his classics, it's worth picking up.

About: A visitor to a vacation cabin isn't what she seems

Pros: Well written, not very long, big font

Cons: Slow, uninteresting, not scary enough horror story.

Grade: C-

This is most definately not Richard Matheson's best work. It's an OK read but it wasn't quite what I would expect from him. It simply seemed to be lacking the depth of a typical Matheson novel. If you're like me you're going to buy it anyways because you love Richard Matheson's work; but don't be surprised when you place it on the shelf never to read again.

earthbound is a okay book, but it is not up to par with his other novels. in fact, you would be better off to think of it as a novella. the character development (or lack thereof) is very poor and the characters are pretty one sided. It takes an interesting concept, but even Matheson's immense skill for writing couldn't save this one. If you are new to his work, try Hell House or I am Legend instead. This one is definitely for the die hard fans of his writing and it just didnt work for me...

I OWN A HOTEL IN MEXICO, THIS WAS A REALLY HELPFULL GUIDE TO VIEW THE HOTELS FROM THE SIDE OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING MORE THAN JUST PAYING THE ROOM AND STAYING THERE. GOOD TIPS, BUT SOME STORIES ARE NOT CREDIBLE

I have worked in the hotel industry for 17 years in the Front Office and Housekeeping. I cannot believe the crock of baloney that this man is dishing out. I have had to deal with "know-it-alls" in the travel industry before and that is why I had to read this book. He states to get the best rate is to call the Manager on Duty, Director of Sales or the General Manager. Good luck in finding them! The manager on duty is too busy dealing with all the people that booked cheap rooms but are demanding the Presidential Suite. If you don't pay for it you are not getting it! This man has only added gasoline to the fire. Save your money-Try being nice to the Front Desk person and they will go out of their way for you. Demand the world and get the worst room in the world!

Peter Greenberg is the only person regularly writing about travel who actually does research and investigative reporting. As he points out at the beginning of the book, he talks about travel as news on the NBC-TV "Today Show" and writes about travel as news in his books. There are lots of travel writers out there who give wonderful descriptions of ballooning through Burgundy or climbing the pyramids. But Peter writes about the nuts & bolts of travel. I make twenty-five or thirty trips each year to locations all over the world and I thought I knew a lot about dealing with airlines until I read his "Flight Crew Confidential." Now, I am experiencing the same sense of amazement as I read this new book about hotels. Suddenly, I am staying in better rooms and paying less money! The level of detail he offers is amazing. Every traveler I know complains about the hotel telephone charges, and he gives you a half dozen ways to beat them. I followed his advice about doing internet research and then negotiating with the hotel directly. Last week I stayed in a suite in Paris for less than it had cost me for just a room last year. If you are a nervous traveler, don't read his chapter on hotel security: the lax handling of everything from terrorism to towel theft is scary. Greenberg is both informative and entertaining in this book. If you follow his advice, you will easily save more than the cost of the book on your first trip.

So many travel writers tell you where to go, what to see and at what price. Greenberg takes a new tack - he tells you who is really in charge (within hotels: concierge, bellhop, doorman, etc.), why hotels do what they do (hotel ratings, bolting down remote controls, etc.) and, most importantly, what to avoid. The chapter that considers housekeeping is worth the book alone. This section on hotel sanitation and cleanliness is not for the squeamish.

I travel extensively and found that Greenberg's book is not only an enjoyable read, but a helpful read. I took away tips for travel that I will definitely use in the future. It would have been helpful if Greenberg had broken down the franchise hotel chains that exist today and highlighted those that he found outstanding. Yes, he does promote a philosophy that is "consumer aggressive" and demanding, but, as we all know, it has become a jungle out there and those that speak up get the best treatment and, in the hotel industry, the best rooms. Highly recommended

Greenberg's self promotion would have you think of him as the legendary "Peter the Great." Well that's not the case. This book is a bland and boring read that reuses his old and tried tips from past books.
There's nothing new in this book accept for another chance for Greenberg to flex his ego.

At last a well informed decision can be made on where to travel with my canine friends. Each of the inns are ranked according to amenities, and I particularly like the pen and ink sketches of the listed properties. This book has inspired me to travel.

Okay, We stayed at two places last week that were listed. The first, "Inn at Lake Joseph" was fine excepting for our reservation was changed from a light second-floor place to an extremely dark first floor room, this after an emailed confirmation for the nicer room (which was over $200 a night). The second place was "The Harbour Inne and Cottage" in Mystic. Well, this Inne is on the water but right next to the sewage treatment plant and behind the train tracks. The cottage cost $250 a night and is basically an old Quonset Hut with cedar artfully applied in a hippie manner, but we all had fun anyway. It would be good for the Kathleen and Robert Fish to go wherefore they write. We stand reluctant go anywhere listed in the book without further checking.

While the resort we chose was lovely, the ammenities listed were not offered and never had been according to the owner. Where did they obtain their information? We love to travel with our pet. Why is it impossible to find a book written by people who have actually visited these places and have an honest opinion of them?

I bought the book; however, when I checked the "reviews" I found them essentially to be excerpts from each accommodation's web site or brochure. The authors make it appear as though they have seen the places, but I found their descriptions to be even less helpful than the individual web sites I visited. I've been a loyal reader of the On the Road Again with Man's Best Friend series for many years, where the authors visit all of the places they review. I will happily return to the Habgoods and their series to get inside information on dog-friendly accommodations.

We planned our 2,000 mile honeymoon with this book because we were picking up a puppy during the first leg of our trip. We stayed at the Stacey Mansion in Tecumseh, MI and at the Victorian Loft in Clearfield, PA. Both were wonderful stays, and welcomed our 8 week old puppy. Highly recommend this book to anyone traveling with or without a pet.