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Review Date: 11/22/2012
This is really a dictionary of basic terms used to discuss economics, a good introduction to the subject made entertaining by cartoons illustrating some of the concepts.
Review Date: 3/17/2014
Len Deighton offers a well-paced thriller full of spies, conspiracies and plots within plots. Hearing it all on tape is even more of a treat than reading it. The story keeps you guessing until the end.
Review Date: 11/22/2012
A very funny book with cartoon illustrations of those words and phrases which are likely to confuse a newcomer to Cajun country. My father used to pole a pirogue to school, where everybody talked French except the teacher, and he would have loved this book. A cultural classic.
Review Date: 11/22/2012
This is a very short book with durable, easy-to-turn pages for any small tot who likes big engines. The pictures are colorful and appealing, with the crane looking happy to help set up the circus. The text is a rhyme that is easily memorized. A good starter book.
Review Date: 3/17/2014
If you missed this series on the BBC, this is a must-read for anyone who appreciates political satire. Who knew that the mild-mannered members of the civil service could be so diabolically manipulative?
You don't need a background in politics to enjoy this book, just a dry sense of humor.
You don't need a background in politics to enjoy this book, just a dry sense of humor.
Review Date: 3/30/2013
Issac Asimov is the patriarch of the Golden Age of Science Fiction. You have to go back to H.G. Wells and Jules Vernes to find anyone comparable before he started writing. His early publications even predate the ISBN system. Few writers (if any) have turned out both science fiction and popular science in such profusion.
His most famous long work is The Foundation Trilogy, an oldie but goodie in the SF genre.
His most famous long work is The Foundation Trilogy, an oldie but goodie in the SF genre.
Review Date: 4/27/2014
If you are a film buff and have never read Kaminsky's Toby Peters series, you are in for a treat. Toby is a mild-mannered private detective who ends up being hired by various film personalities. He is helped in his cases by his best friend (who is a little person), his landlord (an ex-wrestler and poet), and a myopic dentist. Kaminsky mangages to make all the oddball characters in his books believable. Most of them are likeable, too.
The references to movie stars and directors are well researched, and the atmosphere of Hollywood in its heyday and of everyday life at the onset of war is the next best thing to a time machine.
The references to movie stars and directors are well researched, and the atmosphere of Hollywood in its heyday and of everyday life at the onset of war is the next best thing to a time machine.
Review Date: 3/30/2013
This has to be one of the most inspirational and skillfully written accounts of missionary work. It reads like an adventure story, without being preachy or sentimental, but nevertheless raises insightful questions about what it means to lead a Christian life.
Although the main character is a Catholic, based on a real person, the appeal of the story transcends any particular system of belief. A great read, especially for Christmas or Easter.
Although the main character is a Catholic, based on a real person, the appeal of the story transcends any particular system of belief. A great read, especially for Christmas or Easter.
Review Date: 5/14/2014
The narrator for this unabridged audio book, Richard Brown, is an ideal choice. Like many of Eric Ambler's protagonists, this anti-hero finds himself drawn into events over which he has almost no control. Told in the first person, the story manages to convey the personal qualms and self-delusional thinking of the middle-aged petty crook who is no match for either the Secret Service or a gang of professional villains, both of whom he must try to satisfy. The movie "Topkapi" was based on this plot, but does not fully do justice to one of the best works by the first and foremost master of the spy novel.
Review Date: 11/22/2012
The great appeal of this book lies in its charming illustrations by Maurice Sendak. It is completely in Spanish, however, so if you are not a native speaker, you may want to have your dictionary handy.
Review Date: 11/22/2012
Like most of the children's books published by Scholastic, this one is a winner. The colorful cartoon illustrations showing how people might react to dinosaurs add humor and interest to the subject. With only a few lines of text per page, this is a good book to read aloud to 4-year-olds, provoking questions and comments.
Review Date: 11/27/2018
A delightful adventure story which gets into the minds and motivations of a wide range of characters: young, old, innocent, guilty, and just plain oddball. A fun cassette book.
Mrs. Pollifax and the Whirling Dervish (Mrs Pollifax, Bk 9) (Audio Cassette) (Abridged)
Author:
Book Type: Audio Cassette
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Author:
Book Type: Audio Cassette
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Review Date: 3/30/2013
Even an abridged version of Mrs. Pollifax should get 5 stars, simply because its heroine is such a hoot! In the books, Mrs. Pollifax finds life pointless and depressingly unsatisfying after her children have left home. Hoping to counteract this malaise, she tries the improbable remedy of offering her services to the CIA. Miss Marple never had so much fun!
In real life, the author began the series for a similar reason and painstakingly researched the geography and politics of all the countries where Mrs. Pollifax works as a spy, even visiting these obscure hot spots herself. Nothing brightens up a gray day like reading Dorthy Gilman, and Mrs. Pollifax is simply a delight.
In real life, the author began the series for a similar reason and painstakingly researched the geography and politics of all the countries where Mrs. Pollifax works as a spy, even visiting these obscure hot spots herself. Nothing brightens up a gray day like reading Dorthy Gilman, and Mrs. Pollifax is simply a delight.
Review Date: 3/15/2016
Simon Brett is better known for his lighter works, especially the Charles Paris series, which has spawned some BBC radio shows.
"Singled Out" shows comparable intricate plot twists, but with a female protagonist and an emphasis on her psychological orientation, which in the fashion of ancient Greek dramatists, is both her strength and her undoing. It is a real page turner. Don't start reading late at night if you have to get up early in the morning!
"Singled Out" shows comparable intricate plot twists, but with a female protagonist and an emphasis on her psychological orientation, which in the fashion of ancient Greek dramatists, is both her strength and her undoing. It is a real page turner. Don't start reading late at night if you have to get up early in the morning!
Review Date: 11/27/2018
This book has historic significance for Wodehouse fans, as is explained in the prologue. It is classic Wodehouse, just emerging from the egg, embarking on the type of writing which would see him through to the end of his career as one of the foremost humorists in the English language.
Review Date: 11/4/2015
This is not a normal Wodehouse story. It is more for the scholar than for the casual reader. This is the last novel he wrote, and it is unfinished.
Its value lies in the insight it gives into how he wrote. The stories, so easy to read, were not so easy to write. They were the result of detailed preparation and painstaking outlines of potential plots. His original notes for the end of "Sunset at Blandings" are included after the text.
I give it 5 stars, not for readability, but because it is unique.
Its value lies in the insight it gives into how he wrote. The stories, so easy to read, were not so easy to write. They were the result of detailed preparation and painstaking outlines of potential plots. His original notes for the end of "Sunset at Blandings" are included after the text.
I give it 5 stars, not for readability, but because it is unique.
Review Date: 11/22/2012
A good book for a very young reader, who can memorize the rhyming test and turn the hard board pages without destroying them. Two birds accompany the bus on its travels, adding to the interest and humor of the illustrations.
Review Date: 12/2/2019
This collection contains the short story "Filthy with Things," one of the most relevant bits of literature I have run across for our today's culture. Boyle's humor is sharp and sardonic and may not be to everyone's taste, but all of his work is well-written. If it doesn't come up with any definite answers, it at least spotlights various problems in our society in an entertaining way.
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