Average customer rating:
- Quick, light, entertaining read
- No dept
- Jim Lehrer's Purple Dots
- Purple Dots are amusing!
- I thought it was a witty, insightful political novel
|
Purple Dots: A Novel
Jim Lehrer
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 United States
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Similar Items:
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White Widow
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The Franklin Affair: A Novel
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The Special Prisoner
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Flying Crows: A Novel
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The Last Debate
ASIN: 0679452370
Release Date: 1998-09-22 |
Amazon.com
Charlie Henderson's favorite poet is Po Chu-i, a 9th-century Chinese who wrote, when he hit 60, "I have put behind me Love and Greed. I have done with Profit and Fame. I am still short of illness and decay and far from decrepit age." But Mary Jane, Charlie's wife, "sometimes saw Charlie's fondness for the words less a belief in a poetic creed than as proof that he had simply moved into his second childhood. Charlie claimed he had been lucky enough never to have had to end his first, having gone directly from high school to college to the U.S. Navy and then to the Central Intelligence Agency without missing a beat or being forced to do anything other than little-boy work." Charlie now helps his wife run a small, upscale West Virginia hotel where for $450 a night guests get to eat turtle soup amontillado and hear about how George Washington once had a meal in the same room. He's also one of the two narrators of veteran PBS newsman Jim Lehrer's sly and satisfying new political thriller. The other is a much tougher and more ambitious young Republican senatorial assistant named Marty Madigan, who works for a New Mexico conservative bent on keeping Henderson's best friend Josh Bennett from becoming the new CIA director.
Lehrer mostly plays fair with both sides, poking fun at Washington/Langley treats and privileges--such as the purple dots on license plates, which warn off police tow trucks. But you might come away thinking he's more sympathetic to Charlie and his gang of past and present spooks, who cluster in the lovely country towns around Washington and run antique toy stores or restore old dairy trucks while hatching plans to make sure Bennett gets the top job. Purple Dots is a richly detailed, highly amusing, and even occasionally suspenseful story from the author of Crown Oklahoma, Kick the Can, The Sooner Spy, and White Widow. --Dick Adler
Book Description
Washington, D.C., is a town full of powerful people with powerful, often conflicting agendas, and no one knows this better than Jim Lehrer, the preeminent capital newscaster and novelist. His new book is a witty, provocative political mystery about power play and favor swapping at the highest levels of government, written with his own unique blend of political savvy and irreverent humor.
Joshua Bennett has just been nominated by the president to be the new director of the CIA. He's the ideal candidate, and everyone agrees his confirmation hearing should be a mere formality. But this is Washington, where nothing as straightforward as choosing the most qualified person for a crucial job can be counted upon. Unfortunately for Bennett, someone's political agenda hinges on his confirmation being vetoed, but he's damned if he can find out whose. In need of good covert help he can trust, Bennett turns to a little known but highly efficient cadre of former CIA spies living in semiretirement in nearby West Virginia. This odd team of sixty-plus-year-old spooks, boasting a combined array of exceptional if eccentric and largely illegal talents, embarks upon a wildly unorthodox Washington power struggle that is no less earnest for being conducted in absolute secrecy. And most secret of all is the highly coveted purple dot--the ultimate national perk.
Following the enormous breakout success of Lehrer's bestselling previous novel, White Widow,
Purple Dots will fascinate and amuse even more readers, while confirming their worst fears about how our government really operates.
Customer Reviews:
Quick, light, entertaining read.......2004-03-14
This was the 1st of Jim Lehrer's books I've read. In fact, until I came across this book in the store, I had no idea Mr. Lehrer had authored any books. The story line was pretty good - interesting to read about all the different agendas each of the players in Washington had that affected their behavior. No character was all bad or all good but a product of their own experiences much as life really shapes all of us in different ways. The trades involved were not too unbelievable and makes you feel you are behind the scenes as you read about them. The end of the story is not too plausible and the dialogues and monologues toward the end begin to drone on and on but aside from those things it was an enjoyable read overall. Not serious straight-forward news worthy content as I would've expected from Jim Lehrer (due to his PBS show) but a quirky satirical story. A little too light in some areas but then if you aren't looking for anything too involved or in depth, you'll enjoy this short escape. I was amazed that he managed to fill over 200 pages with a story that could've been told in about 8, but then we wouldn't have the knowledge of each player's motivations and the characters involved much less see the collaborations evolve. So take it for what it is. A short story with a simple plot not to be taken too seriously. Enjoy!
No dept.......2001-06-12
I expected something of a mystery with plot development. Wow, the plot never got higher than 6"s off the ground. The story was weak without any mystery and it had no development of charaters. The dialogue seemed to be at a 6th grade level because the story's character seemed to behave as 6th graders. If you read, Ludlum, Clancy, DeMille, Follet don't spend time opening this book. For those reviewers who thought this book had great insights into behind the scenes work of the government, you need to expand your reading list. The idea of the purple dots could have been a great story, but it never got off the launch pad. Most people have more excitement driving to work than what this story provided.
Jim Lehrer's Purple Dots.......2001-05-14
Jim Lehrer, in Purple Dots, puts us in the confirmation hearings of veteran CIA agent, Josh Bennett, as the new agency director. Josh finds himself, not only in a fishbowl, but the key to the advancement of a secret political agenda. Can his loyal friend and retired co-worker, Charlie, prevent damage to Josh's reputation? The author develops two symbolic themes. First, the cleansing properties of water and its ability to sustain life are shown in the need for Josh to restore honor and professionalism to CIA operations. Second, the symbiotic nature of fish propagation parallels how politics works in Washington. Lehrer's mystery describes how much camaraderie men can experience without actually building a treehouse. The humor and action flow as though you are watching Purple Dots "the movie."
Purple Dots are amusing!.......2000-09-03
I didn't know Jim Lehrer wrote novels - amusing, articulate & suspenseful political thrillers. A rather telling expose of how a nomination can be torpedoed before it gets out of the bay & the bargaining that goes on behind the scenes. Both Charlie & Marty are likable rogues - one because he's seen it all & the other because he can't believe all he's seeing. One has an enduring marriage, likes his creature comforts & has a cadre of loyal retired spooks still active in the old bomb-the-opposition game. The other because he's so green & full of self-righteous perfect dreams. When the two of them clash the fun begins. & those purple dots? Ah, how petty are the things with which we barter. I enjoyed the romp. For my full review do check out [my website].
I thought it was a witty, insightful political novel.......1999-03-06
I thoroughly enjoyed this, the first Jim Lehrer novel I've read. I found it to be a witty, insightful probe into the complicated inner sanctum of our nation's capital. The two main characters were quite realistic, both with foibles and strengths. I particularly enjoyed the details regarding restaurants and hotels and such, being a frequent visitor (and soon to be resident) of the fabulous amalgam that is Washington. Although I felt that the subplot of the fish hatchery scheme was a stretch, it did contribute to the conclusion in an interesting way. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys political thrillers with a satiristic subtext--plus, I read it in 2 evenings! I'll certainly read more of Lehrer's earlier offerings.
Book Description
A bilingual edition and first-time English translation of outrageous and hilarious phantasmagorias by the Argentine genius (or madman) that inspired the acclaimed film "The Dark Side of the Heart" (1994, directed by Eliseo Subiela).
"Scarecrow" is indescribable. It is so spectacularly original that even though alerted by advance notice, the reader will still be surprised by it more than anything else he or she might have ever read. Also included are "Invitation to Vomit," "It's all Drool," and "Lunarlude."
Consuming all of the most fantastic symbolist, futurist, cubist, surrealist, expressionist, anarchist, dadaist, existentialist, post-modernist and every other -ist compositions that can be had, Girondo's "Scarecrow" stands alone as a one-of-a-kind, bug-eyed creation.
Customer Reviews:
The Scarecrow does, in fact, Stand Alone ..........2007-07-18
This collection is a true literary feat of inspiration, awareness, and understanding - truly mind-blowing. I was completely stunned by this little book of, well, not stories actually, even though they had all the common themes: love, death, suffering - all the divine comedies of life. But this book is so much more. It is a magnificent collection of musings, poetry, and little philosophical tidbits, written with a passion and a mind-altering precision, and most of all, written with a very deep understanding of what it means to be human: From falling in love, to the disdainful duty of being a relative, to how one might long to embrace one's shadow. And the Poetry: From an invitation to vomit at the hypocrisy of humanity - its dogma and its self-pity, to poems that portray the incomprehensible beauty of the twilight hours. And lastly, the darkly humorous morsels of genuinely good advice: Don't Floss your Teeth with Pubic Hair.
Girondo stretches the imagination and exercises the mind. His writing is stunning, poetic, fluently disturbing, and yet, so full of truth. This is a must read for anyone who longs for understanding and for those who adore the though-provoking surrealistic style (well, that is if you can confine Girondo to a style). This is a collection of genius, lovingly translated, preserving all of Girondo's ambiguities and subtle nuances. And as a bonus, this collection includes the original Spanish text.
This is definately one of those books you will return to over and over again.
Average customer rating:
- A Brilliant, Touching Adventure
- One of Pike's better books
- My favourite!
- A speactacular Book
- best yet
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The TACHYON WEB
Christopher Pike
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Teens
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Pike, Christopher
| ( P )
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
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General
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The Listeners
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ASIN: 0671690604 |
Customer Reviews:
A Brilliant, Touching Adventure.......2005-11-14
I read this book in one day, and thought it flawless. I've read and loved Christopher Pike's books since the late 1980's, but had never gotten to The Tachyon Web for some reason. I think it's important that you be a fan of science fiction, although as usual Pike blends in deeper, more symbolic (and sociological) elements that transcend such labeling of genre if you so wish to read between the lines. I definitely noted the influence of other science fiction writers, but simultaneously perceived a very unique storyline. I especially liked the way Pike went against the grain of the usual sci-fi fare by portraying the alien civilization as weaker and less technologically advanced than ourselves. I was impressed to find out that this was one of his first published works, if not the first. In sum, The Tachyon Web is a quick, light, yet meaningful read that I highly recommend.
One of Pike's better books.......2002-04-04
I've read a good number of Pike's books, and I think this is one of his better ones. Most of his other books deal with life, afterlife and undead life down here on the ground, so it was nice
to take a trip outside the atmosphere. The mood-clothes were a nice touch. Yup, Tachyon Web is one of my favorites from Pike, along with the Final Friends trilogy.
My favourite!.......2001-07-14
I have read over 70 books by Christopher Pike, and this one is the best. Christopher Pike has outdone himself. Trust me, this is an excellent read(despite what a few readers might think). Don't listen to anyone who says this book is trash - i've read them all, and you can believe me when i say this one is better than the rest(except maybe for the Last Vampire series). The characters are well developed, and it brought tears to my eyes(i'm not usually emotional) near the end when...nevermind,i don't want to spoil it for you. Let's just say it's a great novel, one that i'll always treasure. I couldn't ask for anything better. Congratulations to Mr.Pike on another masterpiece!
A speactacular Book.......2000-07-21
This book was one of the best book I have ever read. A gripping tale of fantasy, romance, and sci-fi. If you like any of his other novels this one will keep you glued to your seat.
best yet.......1999-10-24
this is pike's best book yet. i read it over and over again. pike is an excellent writer and i have all of his books, but i'd pick the tachyon web as my favorite.
Amazon.com
Marion Cunningham, editor of the revised The Fanny Farmer Cookbook, is also the author of The Supper Book and The Breakfast Book, two gems of American home-style cooking. This simple but delicious fare is once again onstage in Lost Recipes, a collection of almost 150 easy formulas for largely forgotten American classics. These recipes, which include the likes of Chicken and Dumpling Soup, Fresh Tomato Gratin Stew, and Salmon or Tuna Loaf might, in other hands, seem dated; here, they're just what the doctor ordered. Why? Cunningham has devised exemplary versions, which eschew bastardizations like convenience ingredients that have compromised--or replaced--the originals over time. (Her creamed corn, for example, requires fresh corn and real cream.)
Among the soup-to-nuts chapters, "Yesterday's Side Dishes--Today's Vegetarian Centerpiece," scores with main-dishes like First-Prize Onion Casserole and Welsh Rarebit. "Real Salads and Dandy Dressings" offers equally revivable fare like Brown Derby Cobb Salad and Green Goddess Dressing, while chapters on breads and sweets present the "nostalgic" likes of Monkey Bread, Lazy Daisy Cake, and Dainty Pralines. (Readers should know that other versions of some recipes have appeared in previous Cunningham works.) Illustrated, and with pithy excerpts on food and dining from writers ranging from Brillat-Savarin to Eric Schlosser, the book is another Cunningham treasure. --Arthur Boehm
Book Description
From:Marion Cunningham
To:The American home cook
Subject (URGENT):The family table
We need to lure our families, friends, and neighbors back to the table, to sit down and eat together. It is important that we be in charge again of our cooking, working with fresh, unadulterated ingredients. Enclosed you will find many simple-to-make, good-tasting, inexpensive dishes from the past that taste better than ever today. I urge you to try them.
· Good soups—satisfying one-dish meals that can be made ahead
· Dishes that can be made with what’s on hand—First-Prize Onion Casserole, Shepherd’s Pie, Salmon or Tuna Loaf
· Vegetables baked and ready for the table
· Real salads, substantial enough for lunch or supper, with snappy dressings
· Breads and cookies, puddings and cakes that you loved as a child
PS: There is nothing like the satisfaction of sharing with others something you have cooked yourself
Customer Reviews:
Really Enjoyed.......2007-03-11
Thank goodness I read all the reviews and not just the one from "Reader" since I would have missed out on a wonderful cookbook. I also appreciate the ability to peruse all that particular "readers other reviews" since "Reader" had nothing positive to say about anything they reviewed. I also loved the beef stroganoff as did my family. I have cooked many of the recipes for other guests and the response is always the same...what a treat!
Just lovely.......2006-12-19
What a lovely book and wonderful collection of recipes. This reminds me of all the things I have been meaning to cook for my family - but updated recipies to make it easier and healthier than my Mom's versions.
Try the beef stroganoff - a real winner!
Note to review with the binding problem - use a cook book holder - keeps special books like this clean and it will solve your problem. Personally, I think the book is a beautiful presentation and I have already tucked a few clippings into the recipe pocket.
Wonderful Book.......2006-08-10
I really enjoyed reading this book. I bought it because I was looking for a recipe of chow-chow, something my Grandmother used to make. There are great bits and pieces of information and wonderful recipes. I want to buy more of her books.
Lost Recipes.......2006-03-22
This is a good read. The critics who talk about the recipes not really being lost miss the premise of the book. What Marion Cunningham is telling us is that these old family-style recipes aren't in use much anymore, because only 30%-40% of people cook at home these days. Mrs. Cunningham was a food maven in the San Francisco Bay Area for years, and I always enjoyed her column in the San Francisco Chronicle for her wit and common sense approach. Alas, I heard from her daughter, Catherine, that Marion (in her 80s now) is failing. This is probably her last book.
The Best Cookbook I've Used In A Long Time!.......2006-03-08
Every recipe I have used so far has been wonderful! I highly recommend it to everyone!
Book Description
The first and only guide to this popular collectible category, this irresistibly illustrated volume offers inspiration and information for both first-time collectors and serious dog devotees. Readers will also be delighted by Go Fetch, a comprehensive resource guide of the best shops, websites, flea markets, and antiques malls nationwide.
Customer Reviews:
doggone great!.......2005-11-06
Such a fun and witty little treasure. If you love dog collectibles and vintage treats, this is the book for
you. I received it as a gift, and have been giving it
as a gift to all of my fido friends ever since.
Flea Market Fidos: The Dish on Dog Junk & Canine Collectibles.......2005-09-23
This book explored the 'types' of canine collectibles one might find in the marketplace, but it didn't address the 'value' of these collectibles, which would have been much more insightful. The content was purely fluff with little substance to offer a true collector.
My Other "Best Friend".......2003-07-27
I just purchased this magical book. I couldn't put it down. The photos were amazing and the writing was so clever and unique. Each page brought a new smile and warm feeling. I am going to order one for each of my friends and family. I can't think of a nicer gift to send someone than this special book. In my home, it's my other "best friend ".
Dog junk and canine collectibles.......2002-12-10
Dog junk and canine collectibles haven't received their own collectibles guidebook before: enter Flea Market Fidos, a unique guide to canine collectibles which covers everything from dog drawings, to crafts and stuffed animals. Besides history and values, Flea Market Fidos also covers the best shops, flea markets, and web sites for locating canine valuables.
Fido is fabulous!.......2002-10-02
What an adorable book! I received it as a gift yesterday and I just couldn't put it down. The photos are great, the writing is comical and its a real feel-good book!
Book Description
By popular demand! A terrific sequel to BOYS' TOYS, featuring full-sized authorized page reproductions from the great Montgomery Ward Christmas catalogs, 1950-1969. Organized by year, this thick book is jammed with thousands of illustrations and original prices of favorite toys like Marx playsets, Lionel and American Flyer trains, Davy Crockett and Lone Ranger cowboy toys, bikes, board games and more. A must for any collector or just for happy memories.
Customer Reviews:
The toy that got away...........2002-03-24
It is amazing the memories that this book, and it's companion volume on Sear's Wishbooks, can stir up. So many other childhood memories of family, friends, school, neigborhoods come flooding back- all triggered by some favorite toy that you either owned or dreamed of owning. Everying from Marx playsets, Remco greats like the Big Caesar Roman Galley and the Barracuda Sub, Ideal classics like Robot Commando.... And let us not forget Hopalong Cassidy, Tom Corbett, Lone Ranger, Batman, etc. merchandise. Be careful though, or you'll end up on EBAY with this book in one hand searching the listings for that favorite toy that got away (it is amazing how many are available at reasonable prices....)
Product Description
This is a guide for participating tourists in the Holly Tour.
Book Description
That's My Point is a story about family and the impact families can have in rearing children and grandchildren. Sometimes serious and sometimes humorous, this account represents an honest journey into what it was like growing up in the 1970s and 1980s in an Irish-American, Catholic family in the blue-collar, industrial neighborhood of Locust Point. Author Joe Kelly reflects on the events and people that made him laugh, cry, and ultimately grow up on the sometimes-tumultuous streets of South Baltimore's little jewel—home of “The Star Spangled Banner.” Whether eluding arrest and the “curse of the Irish” or discovering life's triumphs and epiphanies, this memoir examines the human experience through the eyes of a kid born to parents and grandparents who cared. What began as a recollection of memories and lessons expanded into this memoir. Enjoy the ride.
Customer Reviews:
That's MY Point.......2005-11-10
This was a fun, easy reading book that not only takes you through the author's life and experiences, but also makes you reflect on your own past experiences growing up. Some of the situations described in this book such as Christmas, school or really many of simple things, such as the smell of burgers on the grill at a relative's pool, immediately took me back to my childhood. I was not only reliving the author's life but I was remembering a great number of things from my past that I had completely forgotten about. Even though it may not have been the exact same setting it still triggered past events that have been lying dormant in my head for a very long time. I am sure it will have the same effect on others readying the book. It just takes you back to simpler time and space that may people have completely forgotten about.
Average customer rating:
- Myths are considered and realities profiled
|
Ike Turner: King of Rhythm
John Collis
Manufacturer: Do-Not Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Rhythm & Blues
| Composers & Musicians
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Rock
| Composers & Musicians
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
African-American & Black
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
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General
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
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Rock
| Musical Genres
| Music
| Entertainment
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Soul
| Musical Genres
| Music
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Similar Items:
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Takin' Back My Name: The Confessions of Ike Turner
-
I, Tina
ASIN: 1904316247 |
Customer Reviews:
Myths are considered and realities profiled.......2004-06-04
When soul musician Ike Turner was nineteen, his band traveled to Memphis and predated Chuck Berry's auto songs with the winning Rocket 88. His musical achievements and life sky-rocketed afterwards, and John Collins tracks Turner's evolution and achievement in his fine biography Ike Turner: King Of Rhythm. Myths are considered and realities profiled in an excellent presentation.
Books:
- Red Ivy, Green Earth Mother
- Reliquiae Trotcosienses: or, The Gabions of the Late Jonathan Oldbuck, Esq. of Monkbarns
- Ripley Bogle (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
- River With No Bridge (Tuttle Classics of Japanese Literature)
- Robinson R22: A Pilot's Guide (ASA Reference Books)
- Searching For UnMediated Truth
- Selected Poetry And Prose Of Shelley (Wordsworth Poetry Library) (Wordsworth Poetry Library)
- Shamara and Other Stories (Writings from an Unbound Europe)
- Shooting Dr. Jack: A Novel
- Silent Duchess
Books Index
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