Barranca: An Eddie Caminetti Novel

Average customer rating:

Deep into the rough with no hope of redemption

Excellent, on all counts

Troon goes "off-tackle" to create a huge winner

Fourth book a quadruple bogey!

Where's the golf?

Barranca: An Eddie Caminetti Novel
Troon Mcallister
Manufacturer: Rugged Land
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Scratch Scratch

The Foursome: A Novel

The Green

Slim and None

The Greatest Course That Never Was: A Novel

ASIN: 1590710444
Release Date: 2005-03-15

Book Description

Legendary curmudgeon and hustler extraordinaire Eddie Caminetti has taken on the Ryder Cup (The Green), unrepentant sinners (The Fourseome), and the entire golf equipment industry (Scratch). But enough with the small stuff: In Barranaca, Eddie is called upon by the U.S. government to go after a South American economic terrorist threatening the only commodity capable of destabilizing the entire Western Hemisphere.

Yes, Manuel Villa Lobos de Barranca is out to corner the market on coffee.

When a grande (medium) cup of Starbucks hits $20, riots break out in cities and towns all over America, worker productivity plummets, and the very fabric of society begins unraveling. But there's nothing the government can do about it because the scrupulously honest and upright de Barranca (Standford, '96) is running his revolution without firing a shot or breaking any laws, which makes him the most dangerous subversive since Gandhi.

But he's nuts about golf, positively fanatic about betting, and that's where Eddie Caminetti comes in. Armed with only fourteen weapons of mass destruction (the most you're allowed to carry in your bag), he sets up a match against de Barranca on which hangs the very fate of Western civilization.

In the hands of master storyteller Troon McAllister, impending doom has never been more fun.

Customer Reviews:

Deep into the rough with no hope of redemption.......2006-05-07

I have followed this series with passion. I have loved the three previous books. Each was cleaver, funny and deeply entertaining. For this book I had to struggle to keep reading it and had to put it down on several occassions. I have yet to finish the book! I have read about 80% of it and could not go further. Although some of the commentary about society and corporate sponsoring is amusing, the book was conspicuously lacking enough of Caminetti. I read the books because of HIM. If you want to write social commentary send an editorial to the newspaper or go on Larry King. I paid to read about Eddie and escape the issues of society. I hope that the next (if there is one) is stongly focused around eddie and his adventures. The earlier books were such good efforts that this was a HUGH disappointment.

Excellent, on all counts.......2005-04-09

I'm not enough of a critic to comment in detail, I just love to read and this book got to me in a big way, not the least of which was the number of my "hot buttons" that MacAllister was able to express a lot better than I could. It's a great story, filled with characters you hate to leave (even the bad guys), and just when you think you know what's really going on, you really don't. I'm going to read all of his other novels as soon as possible, with fingers crossed that they're as good as this one.

Troon goes "off-tackle" to create a huge winner.......2005-04-02

I always grimace a little when picking up a sequel to a favorite book (or, in this case, bookS.) The strain to punch out cookie-cutter copies of a winner invariably goes south. But McAllister socks us with a hugely satisfying surprise by forgoing "just another golf novel." He has wisely chosen to stray a little from the links (although there's still plenty of terrifically clever golf action) and take us on a bitingly satirical ride all over the western hemisphere, with my favorite character in all of literature, Eddie Caminetti, flexing his considerable hustle-muscle in remarkable new ways. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, not just for diehard Eddie fans but the general read who loves intricate plotting and dizzyingly creative writing.

Fourth book a quadruple bogey!.......2005-03-17

Troon McAllister, beloved by many for creating Eddie Caminetti and using him so wisely in his first three books, The Green, The Foursome and Scratch, completely missed the ball in Barranca. This book has less than 1/4 of it's pages dedicated to the man we love to see hustle, Eddie. The rest is filled with half-developed characters who we really have no interest in. We spend more time hearing about Mona Bertram's hair care than Eddie's golf hustle with the coffee revolutionary Barranca. While revisiting characters can be difficult the cover says " An Eddie Caminetti Novel" I don't think it was and wish I had followed the advice of other reviewers who suggested avoiding this one. Hope Troon finds the fairway with his next book.

Where's the golf?.......2005-02-24

Sorry Troon, but you put a snowman up on this one. What a big disappointment. I loved the other Eddie C. books... I always tried to read one as spring approached to get me in the golfing mood. But this ain't no golf book... and barely and Eddie C. book. I feel like I was duped. For others considering this as their next followup to The Green, The Foursome, and Scratch.... don't.

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

A little unexpected, but he wasn't going to stay gone forever. It was handled quite well, and made Hawkman a more interesting character, who I started following. Thus, it certainly did what it set out to do, in that it made me want to read Hawkman again afer such a long time.

Great story........2005-04-08

I have never been much of a JSA fan, or of any of the older character's like Alan Scott (formely known as Green Lantern, now known as Sentinel), Jay Garrick (the first Flash), or Sandy Hawkins (originally Sandy the Golden Boy, now Sand). Then I picked up this book just cause it had been written by David Goyer (who wrote the three "Blade" movies) and my whole perspective of the JSA changed forever. The story was excellent, the character's are incredible (especially the reformed Black Adam), and the artwork is amazing. This has to be one of my top 10 favorite comic stories (Marvel and DC put together) of all time, and I highly recommend this book to any comic lover.

Awe-Inspiring Return of Hawkman.......2003-10-10

DC went crazy in the 1990s. Thinking that all their characters have become too archaic for the cutting-edged tastes of today's readers, they systematically set out to eliminate all their "old" characters and replace them with "new" characters. Thus we have all the big "events" of the 1990s - the "death" of Superman (to be replaced by FOUR Supermen - and finally the original returned with long hair), the "maiming" of Batman (to be replaced by a psychotic, badly-drawn Jean Paul Valley), the "defeat" of Wonder Woman and the "amputation" of Aquaman.

And there were the "events". Underworld Unleashed. Zero Hour. Final Night. Day of Judgment. Our Worlds At War. Joker's Last Laugh. etc. etc. Mega-crossovers that involve a million titles.

Here in this book, we have DC doing what DC should have been doing. Silver-Age storytelling with a modern sense of the epic. Goyer and Johns here stick to the "comic-characters-as-absurd-heroic-visions" view of past-writers like John Broome and Gardner Fox. There are no attempts here to force the characters to become unneccessarily "adult" ala' the pretentious Vertigo attempts. The characters here dress and talk like comic characters. And that's what they should always have been. And finally, no crossovers. The whole saga happened within ONE title - JSA.

Of course, as the title implies, Hawkman returns. And what an awe-inspiring scene that was. I still get that familiar tingle down my spine looking at that full-page blast of Carter Hall resurrected and proclaiming, "Arise, my once and future love!" And his return was just in time too. As the JSA then rush off to face Onimarr Synn.

Finally, there is that JSA meeting at the end of the story. Hawkman is back. And they do a little re-examination of what the JSA stands for - "Young Justice and the Titans, they look up to the Justice League. But the Justice League... they look up to US!" That's what the JSA is all about - LEGACY, what with being the original super-team in human history.

GET THIS BOOK! THEN GET THE HAWKMAN : ENDLESS FLIGHT TPB ALSO!

Astounding.......2003-03-29

Hawkman has always come across as a rather boring character and I initially passed on this collection. That was a mistake on my part that I realized when I finally picked it up and read it.

The writers of this excellent series have smartly chosen to keep story arcs fairly brief lasting about five issues. This allows each trade paperback to contain two arcs. The two in this volume are excellent.

The first arc finds the JSA being attacked by the Injustice Society and Johnny Sorrow. The Flash winds up accidently travelling back in time to ancient Egypt in his efforts to defeat Sorrow. (Time travel isn't something treated lightly like in Dr. Who.) This ties the two arcs together nicely and also relates the origins of three legends: Dr. Fate, Captain Marvel and Hawkman.

Other surprises wait as Black Adam joins the JSA and the exploration of Hawkman and Hawkgirl's relationship deepens. Kendra discovers she's really Hawk's wife reincarnated, but everything isn't peachy keen. All in all, it's well written and art is top notch. Enjoy!

JSA & Hawkman, without pre-Crisis confusion.......2003-02-22

Perhaps the title is misleading. There IS some pre-Crisis confusion, but now it's all locked away in Carter's head. Hawkman is a great character and the conflict between Hawkman and Hawkgirl has been played out really well in the pages of HAWKMAN. I recommend this book to everyone. JSA is the original superteam--and they have characters from Alan Scott to the Sand to the new Hawkgirl. It is appealling to all.

Customer Reviews:

Like watching a train wreck..........2007-08-31

I felt like reading something light one evening, and selected this from Baen's online library. At every plot twist, I read on raptly aghast, until somewhere in the second half I tossed it away.

I demand that a novelist grasp the subject matter he describes, have interesting characters, and be skilled with language. Dalmas does none of these.

The world is strained, and what the characters accomplish even moreso. The characters are intriguing for the first dozen pages, then are squashed into two dimensional vehicles for the skills and situations the author wants to write about.

The language is half slang, half anachronism. Dalmas lavishes ill-organized detail on random objects or events, then rushes through stilted dialogue at crucial story junctures.

For example, chapter 33, entitled 'An introspective morning at the zoo,' begins with a page or so about two characters going to the zoo. Compare the following two sentences, the first from 'The Lion of Farside,' and the second from the beginning of chapter 9 of Tolstoy's 'Anna Karenina.'

"The Emporor's Animal Park had a foot of wet granular snowon the ground, but the morning was calm and sunny, and before noon already somewhat above freezing." (Dalmas)

"At four o'clock, conscious of his throbbing heart, Levin stepped out of a hired sledge at the Zoological Gardens, and turned along the path to the frozen mounds and the skating ground, knowing
that he would certainly find her there, as he had seen the Shtcherbatskys' carriage at the entrance." (Tolstoy)

Dalmas then lavishes pages on listings of animals, and never lapses into a description less superficial than a pair of adjectives. There follow several pages of political background, inserted with minimal connection to the story at hand, and the chapter closes by listing a couple more animals.

At the end, a reader familiar Jane Austen's rendering of Elisabeth Bennet's introspective moods scratches his head and looks once more for any introspection of the part of the characters.
I don't demand much of fantasy and science fiction. James White's hospital station books or Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan saga are pleasant diversions for a slow evening. They share a quality the Lion of Farside lacks: they don't hurt to read.

Lion of Farside a good read, but could have been better........2003-05-27

Just finished the book. A decent idea, decently executed, but lacking a few touches that would have set it apart. Dalmas is somewhat guilty of a mistake many fantasy authors make, plopping the reader into a fully-formed world without proper background. While exposition is often discarded in favor of action in fantasy, the world of Yuulith (sp?) suffers from the "D&D syndrome" -- elves, dwarves, even hobbits under other names. While Dalmas hints at the background that would make this story feel more complete (history, evolution of politics, etc) he leaves most of the background blank. The motivations and history of the Sisterhood, for example, are lacking to the point where they are almost stereotypical. He does a better job capturing the spirit of a medieval world, and his Curtis character is quite likable, if a little simple. All in all a good read, but I couldn't help wondering how good it would have been with a little more depth.

A good read, hard to put down.......2002-12-21

This book kept me anxiously coming back for more throughout. The plot isn't the most believable: a man forming vast alliances and launching a major war, just because his wife may be in the enemy's country? Despite that, I loved the book. Very original, good character development, positive, lots of gratuitous sex, ... By the way, it can be downloaded free from Baen's website as a teaser to the whole series. It got me hooked.

A fine fantasy novel.......2001-10-25

As these kind of stories go, I found it intelligent and original. Our young hero falls in love with a beautiful woman sometime before W.W.I. They marry and everything seems to go fine. But this woman actually comes from another world, one in which magic is common and wars are fought with bows and swords (a medieval land) connected to our own Earth through dimensional gates.
It all turns sour when his wife is kidnapped, while he's away, and taken to such world. He must follow and try to save her...
Curtis Macurdy will have to overcome many problems in his quest, while learning the ways of a different world.
The plot was good and thoughtful. I found most interesting the progression and growth of the characters. Though ultimately sad I'm very anxious to read the sequels.

My only complaint is that the sisterhood shared some similarities to Herbert's Bene Gesserit, and no book can survive any comparison (even a minor one) to Dune.

Enjoyable, escapist entertainment........1999-07-01

I was given this book by a friend, and was immediately put off by the cover (which, it seems, has nothing to do with the book itself!). In fact, until I ran out of other books, this sat on my shelf. Well, I must admit that it captured me within the first chapter! It's a nice escapist novel with strong characters, positive messages, and a story which keeps you riveted and wanting more. In fact, I, too, am back on Amazon.com looking for a sequel!

Average customer rating:

THE LION OF FARSIDE
JOHN DALMAS
Manufacturer: BAEN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000S5ZS6S

Average customer rating:

The Lion Of Farside
John Dalmas
Manufacturer: Baen Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000S9IUU0

Customer Reviews:

mixed.......2005-04-12

I will put forward my impression of SOtS, perhaps at the risk of appearing somewhat of a devils advocate. I am of two minds about this book - there can be no doubt about the sincerity of Keeney's experiences, the depth of his insights, or the beauty and magic of the life that he has chosen for himself and that he describes in SOtS. I will leave these to be pointed out by other reviewers. However, beyond the most mundane clichés, I see very little connection between Keeney's experiences and psychotherapy as we know it or ecology.

In this book Keeney describes his journeys around the world. Perhaps my greatest reservation with this book is that the man is like a butterfly - he constantly flits from one shaman to the next, never learning a tradition or a ceremony, never learning anything, really. His shamanic practice basically consists of a mediumship, where his body/mind is taken over by assorted "spirits", accompanied with shaking, speaking in tongues and total loss of conscious control. This, as one can imagine, can lead to humorous situation in a Native American sweat lodge, one of which Keeney was unceremoniously expelled following his antics, but is received with great affection and respect in different African traditions, including those of the Zulu, Bushmen and African-Americans. The descriptions of his meetings with Bushmen were particularly poignant and beautiful. The downside of mediumship is, I suppose, that one never really learns a technology of working with the alternate reality (whatever it is), or with energy. Moreover, this has nothing to do with psychotherapy, which strives for conscious control (rather, letting go) and understanding of subconscious complexes and contractions. The psychotherapeutic theory in the book is, at best, rather simplistic; K is simply not interested in it. Given his experiences, I can see why.

Although Keeney is very good at playing the humility game, he can't help mentioning throughout the book how assorted indigenous people called him "a very holy man, indeed". Heh... yeah! There are many photographs in the book of the medicine people he met and perhaps 70% include the humble holy man Keeney himself.

These comments notwithstanding, here is a man with the guts to meet all kinds of interesting people and to talk about his innermost sacred experiences to the whole world. This in itself, I believe, something worthy of respect.

GLOBAL SHAMANISM, GLOBAL HEALING !.......2001-01-22

A fantastic story about one person's journey into spirit! Bradford has been guided by his waking and sleeping dreams and visions, to journey to sacred teachers in the United States,North, South, and Central America,Africa, and Japan. The message is one of global healing and love, through shamanic and universal eyes. May your life be as magical and full. This book will be a catalyst to your spiritual journey. One of my top 10 favorite books. Inspiring, exciting,transformational. It knocked my socks off and knitted me another pair. :) In Spirit, Sakanta Running Wolf, Th'e Chupe ke ya ka Pah, Walks in Freedom

A Westerner's immersion into the world of indigenous healing.......1998-10-22

Dr. Keeney, a well-known author and teacher in psychotherapy, writes a moving story of his own journey in and through the shamanic circles. His lifetime of call to know the people, ideas, and experiences of the spiritual realm lead him from the sweat lodges of the Lakotah to the Kalahari Desert bushmen, from the healers of South America to the wisdom-keepers of Japan. This book will frighten some, enlighten most, and expand the possible for all -- I highly recommend you read this as both anthropology and autobiography. Frank Thomas, PhD

Customer Reviews:

Excellent resource.......2005-12-20

I have owned this book for several years (maybe 10 years?) and I use it over & over. The blends are thoughtful and exciting. The book is titled "skinny spices" but please don't wait until you're on a diet to try them. They are wonderful blends and dry rubs for vegetables & meats. We all need a little more spice in our lives!

Book Description

The rich colors of Fiestaware . . . the translucent beauty of Waterford crystal . . . nothing adds personality to a celebration like the right tableware. But beyond their appeal to all who want to entertain in style, and their value as collectibles, china and glass wares mirror the profound cultural and economic shifts in 20th-century America and provide a unique vantage point from which to view our society.

Illustrated with more than 200 photographs of enticing glass and ceramic objects, this luxurious volume-which accompanies an exhibit organized by the Dallas Museum of Art-is the first to take a comprehensive look at the modern tableware used in American homes, treating its cultural and business history as well as its design. From table settings for turn-of-the-century ladies' luncheons to trendy accessories for suburban barbecues in the post-World War II years to the tinfoil trays invented for TV dinners, this fascinating book has it all.

250 illustrations, 200 in full color, 10 line drawings, 9 x 12"

CHARLES L. VENABLE, prize-winning author of Abrams' highly successful Silver in America, is deputy director and chief curator at the Dallas Museum of Art. KATHERINE C. GRIER, a professor at the University of South Carolina, has written extensively on ceramic history and material culture. ELLEN P. DENKER is a museum consultant and a scholar in ceramics and cultural history.

STEPHEN G. HARRISON is an emerging scholar in the field of material culture and assistant curator at the Dallas Museum of

EXHIBITION SCHEDULE The Newark Museum, New JerseyMar. 15-June 18, 2000 Dallas Museum of ArtJuly 23, 2000-Jan. 7, 2001

Book Description

Enchanting full-color portraits of lovely ladies in a splendid array of 19th-century attire: riding and hunting outfits, hoop skirts under ruffled and lace-trimmed gowns, elegant evening apparel, and charming traveling dresses. Delightful Currier and Ives backgrounds enhance each portrait.

Book Description

Go inside the intriguing world of interior design to find out the latest secrets for home decorating. This volume gives readers a chance to look at what other designers are doing at the moment and also lets them in on the secrets behind their great designs. Up to date information and beautiful photographs illustrate this book, and readers will be happy to add this to their collection.

Bay Area by Design: An Insider's Guide to a San Francisco Decorator's Secret Sources

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Bay Area by Design: An Insider's Guide to a San Francisco Decorator's Secret Sources

Bay Area by Design: An Insider's Guide to a San Francisco Decorator's Secret Sources
Kay Evans
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1580087469

Book Description

After 30 years in the business, Bay Area interior designer Kay Evans shares her tried-and-true contacts so that everyone can be an insider when tackling home projects. Instead of the frustrating hit-or-miss phone book approach, BAY AREA BY DESIGN offers direct access to qualified experts with whom the author has had firsthand working relationships.

Customer Reviews:

Bay Area by Design: An Insider's Guide to a San Francisco Decorator's Secret Sources.......2006-05-07

Kay Evans has really done her homework with this book. New comers and long time residents will find this an invaluable resource guide. This book covers alot of ground and it's great to have a personal reference when looking for services.

Shirley Anderson
MinnaStreetCreations.Com

Bright Ideas: Professional Lighting Secrets for Your Home

Average customer rating:

Attention Tokyo Billionaires - This is the book for you!

Bright Ideas: Professional Lighting Secrets for Your Home
Sharon McFarlane
Manufacturer: Rotovision
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Household Hints | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

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ASIN: 288046756X

Book Description

Homeowners everywhere admire and envy the fabulous results that professional lighting designers achieve, but remain frustrated about their ability to apply them in their own home to a modest budget. This book reveals the secrets of professional lighting designers, enabling the creative homeowner to bring stunning lighting effects into the modern home. Containing inspirational, full-color photographs and crammed with practical advise, the book guides readers through the steps, tricks and techniques needed to create a multitude of lighting atmospheres and unique decorative features for both interior and exterior spaces.

The book also features and extended glossary a definitive guide to the terminology of the craft, the different types of light fittings and materials.

Customer Reviews:

Attention Tokyo Billionaires - This is the book for you!.......2007-01-16

I feel that this book is mis-categorized and inappropriatley titled. The description alleges that this book will provide "practical advise, the book guides readers through the steps, tricks and techniques needed to create a multitude of lighting atmospheres and unique decorative features for both interior and exterior spaces." This is not at all true. Unless you are a millionaire, Japanese boutique hotel designer, or avant-garde eccentric this book is not for you.

The first section provides examples of lighting schemes that are in no way practical - i.e. fancy built-ins from the homes of the very-well-to-do, a bathroom drenched in harsh neon-red light (I thought bathrooms were supposed to be soothing, not rage-inducing). The next section is basically a list of resumes from lighting design firms that would cost more to hire than the cost of my home.
This is followed by what amounts to a shopping cataolg of extremely over-priced, unavailable lighting pieces.

I was looking for ways to improve the lighting in my home, not by flying over some London-based designer, or spending $8000 on a chandelier the size of my couch. In addition to being inexcusably impractical, the book is poorly edited and produced. There are numerous descriptions for which there are no accompanying photos or illustrations; many descriptions accompany the wrong photo; and in one instance a sentence was cut off right in the middle, no punctutation or completion of thought.

If you cant read, but want to see pretty pictures of expensive stuff, buy this book.

Customer Reviews:

Derek Jarman in book form.......2005-05-24

If you can't get enough of Jarmen's films, you may love this book. It's hodgepodge: half autobiography/half manifesto. It reminds me of much output by ACT-UP and Q Nation members. (I guess it's called Outrage! in Britain.) Because the West has become less AIDS-phobic and gay-friendly, this book may feel incredibly dated. Because it is true to life, parts may make you uncomfortable. For example, Jarmen retells how he rejected a man once and I felt soooo bad for the guy. This book also mentions public lice, black and white female impersonators fighting and other stuff. This is not easy reading. Still, for those who love Paul Monette, Tony Kushner, Robert Ferro, or their kind, this will be a book that you may want to have or read.

Average customer rating:

At Your Own Risk. A Saint's Testament
Derek. Jarman
Manufacturer: The Overlook Press.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JD51RU

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