Rage: An Alex Delaware Novel (Alex Delaware Novels)

Book Description

In a host of consecutive bestsellers, Jonathan Kellerman has kept readers spellbound with the intense, psychologically acute adventures of Dr. Alex Delaware–and with excursions through the raw underside of L.A. and the coldest alleys of the criminal mind. Rage offers a powerful new case in point, as Delaware and LAPD homicide detective Milo Sturgis revisit a horrifying crime from the past that has taken on shocking and deadly new dimensions.

Troy Turner and Rand Duchay were barely teenagers when they kidnapped and murdered a younger child. Troy, a remorseless sociopath, died violently behind bars. But the hulking, slow-witted Rand managed to survive his stretch. Now, at age twenty-one, he’s emerged a haunted, rootless young man with a pressing need: to talk–once again–with psychologist Alex Delaware. But the young killer comes to a brutal end, that conversation never takes place.

Has karma caught up with Rand? Or has someone waited for eight patient years to dine on ice-cold revenge? Both seem strong possibilities to Sturgis, but Delaware’s suspicions run deeper . . . and darker. Because fear in the voice of the grownup Rand Duchay–and his eerie final words to Alex: “I’m not a bad person”–betray untold secrets. Buried revelations so horrendous, and so damning, they’re worth killing for.

As Delaware and Sturgis retrace their steps through a grisly murder case that devastated a community, they discover a chilling legacy of madness, suicide, and multiple killings left in its wake–and even uglier truths waiting to be unearthed. And the nearer they come to understanding an unspeakable crime, the more harrowingly close they get to unmasking a monster hiding in plain sight.

Rage finds Jonathan Kellerman in phenomenal form–orchestrating a relentlessly suspenseful, devilishly unpredictable plot to a finale as stunning and thought-provoking as it is satisfying.

From the Hardcover edition.

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PRAISE FOR JONATHAN KELLERMAN

THERAPY

“Labyrinthine twists, excellent pacing, and hard-boiled, swaggering dialogue.”
–The Washington Post

“Immensely enjoyable . . . there’s even a shocking surprise.”
–Associated Press

“A tight, engaging . . . brainteaser.”
–New York Daily News

THE CONSPIRACY CLUB

“An unnerving, highly cinematic plot . . . [Kellerman has] headed off into different terrain . . . with striking success.”
–JANET MASLIN, The New York Times

“[Kellerman] keeps the creepiness coming until the big-twist finish.”
–People

“Turn the page and you’re hooked.”
–The New York Times Book Review

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Typical Kellerman, interesting, too long, enjoyable.......2007-09-17

Rage is another novel by Jonathan Kellerman featuring psychologist Alex Deleware and police detective Milo Sturgis. Eight years ago, Deleware consulted on a case where two young boys, barely teenagers, brutally murdered a two year old toddler. Delaware has long forgotten about the case until recently, when one of the killers, now 20 and out of prison, calls Delaware and asks for a meeting. The boy doesn't show up for the meeting and Delaware thinks nothing of it, until the boy is found murdered. Now, Delaware joins with Sturgis and they both try and get to the bottom of the case. Delaware, acting as a police consultant, along with Milo first figure the murdered girl's father had done the killing as revenge. Then their trail leas them to a couple of former seminary students who now take in up to 8 foster children at a time.

I listened to the book on CD and found it highly enjoyable. The Kellerman formula is predictable. Milo and Delaware talk back and forth forever about possible theories. This is the way characters are developed and the action is given. Actually, this novel had little action or suspense. The novel consists of interview after interview with different characters. Fans of Kellerman will enjoy rage. New readers might be turned off by his style. This is an average effort from Kellerman.

Really Bad.......2007-09-03

My 2nd book by Kellerman and I can't remember the plot of the first, thankfully. This one does it for me. I thought it was terrible and don't understand how someone could get away with what the perp did for so many years. Wake up people.

I agree with many others, the ending needed finishing. What happened? Where did everyone go?

Skip this one in my opinion.

A bewildering conglomeration of psycho-babble!.......2007-08-04

Troy Turner and Rand Duchay were barely teenagers, little more than children themselves, when they kidnapped and murdered a young child. Troy, clearly the instigator and an evil sociopath lasts mere weeks in prison and receives his just desserts shanked by a fellow inmate. Rand, a somewhat more pathetic slow-witted dysfunctional creature who appears to have been relentlessly drawn into the deed of kidnapping by bad company somehow survives his incarceration. Upon his release he seeks to talk with psychologist, Alex Delaware, whom he encountered briefly during his trial for the murder eight years earlier. Delaware, who only reluctantly agrees to talk with him, is shocked to find Duchay murdered mere minutes before the planned conversation can take place.

"'Rage", an aptly titled psychological thriller, place Delaware and his police colleague, Milo Sturgis, into a complex battle of hide and seek with a brutal, psychopathic serial killer.

In marked, almost stark contrast with some of his current best-selling colleagues such as James Patterson, Jonathan Kellerman has chosen to focus his novels on the psychological aspects of crime - motive, character, deviance, emotion, passion - and "Rage" takes this approach to story-telling to levels beyond any he has previously attempted. So much so, in fact, that the thrill of the story is mostly buried in a web of convoluted, puzzling dialogue between Sturgis and Delaware in which they simply feed off one another in a stacked series of "what-ifs". One dysfunctional misfit after another is introduced, anaylyzed and set up as the possible mastermind of a series of brutal, evil killings. The conversation becomes so dense and the analysis becomes so complex that ultimately the evil devolves into something almost banal and the story is lost in a thicket of psycho-babble.

"Rage" is far from Kellerman's best efforts and ranks as almost boring beside such phenomenal successes as "The Murder Book".

Paul Weiss

Too vague.......2007-08-04

One of the "rules" of the standard mystery novel is that the murder victim has to be someone of importance--as does the killer. One homeless person murdering another homeless person, for example, is sad but not worthy of a mystery novel plot. In the case of this book, none of the victims is of importance, and the killer... There's not much to give away with respect to the denouement, but I'll refrain just the same. Mr. Kellerman does break the "rule" and gets away with it to some degree. I'll give him that.

The problems with the plot are of a different nature. Dr. Delaware and his police detective friend speculate endlessly about what might have happened--and then somehow turn these unsubstantiated speculations into fact. In addition, there are all sorts of "it just so happened that" incidents. Finally, there is no hard evidence that would have convicted anyone, nothing that could stand up in court against vigorous cross examination. As a result, the plot just sort of dribbles down to nothing, and I'm not at all certain who did what and to whom.

The characters are nothing remarkable. The dialogue is good for the most part, but when learning disabled girls talk, they seem much too articulate and introspective. The atmosphere is nothing remarkable, either. There are lots of details, but they do not add up, somehow, to something that grabs the reader's interest. Driving directions, attire, and botany are not, per se, atmosphere.

In summary, this is a book with a vague plot, with a vague ending, one that will not long remain in a reader's psyche.

Really Good.......2007-05-18

Keeps you going to get to the end. Another great mystery from Jonathan Kellerman. Although not his very best, it still has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. I recommend to any mystery buff.

4 Book Set; Alex Delaware Novels; Rage; Gone; Therapy; a Cold Heart By Jonathan Kellerman

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4 Book Set; Alex Delaware Novels; Rage; Gone; Therapy; a Cold Heart By Jonathan Kellerman
Jonathan Kellerman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VK7XHM

Product Description

4 Book Set; Alex Delaware Novels; Rage; Gone; Therapy; a Cold Heart By Jonathan Kellerman.

Average customer rating:

Rage: An Alex Delaware Novel
Jonathan Kellerman
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000O8QTYE

Amazon.com

Hunted by the local gods, burdened by the faith of his friends, and driven relentlessly by his conscience to do the best he can for those who depend on him, Edward is drawn into a local war on Nextdoor. When he finally returns home, he is still wanted for murder and must go into hiding before he enlists, but a dodge through Nextdoor en route to New Zealand shows that he cannot simply walk away from the prophecy of the Filoby Testament. Will public-school notions of honor and duty suffice to save a world?

Book Description

A masterful world-builder and award-winning fantasist nonpareil, DAVE DUNCAN carries us through the hidden portals that link two war-wounded worlds...into a miraculous realm where mortals become gods.

THE GREAT GAME IS AFOOT!

In the midst of the horror of the first World War, a stranger falls from nowhere into the mud and death of the Flanders battlefield--bruised, babbling, and stark naked...with a remarkable story to tell.

Wrongly accused murderer Edward Exeter has reappeared on this Earth hearing scars and secrets. From somewhere he calls next door--a place old godly intrigues and an ancient prophecy that he wants no part of. But powerful forces on both sides of a mystical border have other plans for the young fugitive. And now, in the company of loyal comrades, he must flee murderous pursuers from two separate worlds. But there is no escape from his destiny. For Exeter has obligations to the past and the future that must be met...if myriad civilizations are to survive.

A masterful world-builder and award-winning fantasistnonpareil, DAVE DUNCAN carries us through the hidden portals that link two war-wounded worlds...into a miraculous realm where mortals become gods.

THE GREAT GAME IS AFOOT!

Customer Reviews:

The Great Game - Interesting Fantasy Series.......2006-05-13

This is an unconventional and imaginative fantasy/parallel world series. Duncan develops a parallel Earth with rather different astronomy, geography, and history. Some forms of magic allow talented individuals to move back and forth from our Earth to the Earth of the Vales, the society next door. The key feature is that strangers, people from our Earth on Valia or Valians in our universe, can acquire substantial magic powers through the accumulation of 'mana' stemming from acts of worship or sacrifice by the natives of that world. On Valia, this results in a society dominated by 'strangers' who have set themselves up as deities. The Great Game series describes a complex challenge to one of these deities in the form of the actions of the Earth born protagonist of this series, an idealistic Edwardian youth. Duncan's parallel universe is constructed well and his writing is solid. In several of his books, he has dealt with issues of duty and sacrifice, and this is no exception. There is a particularly nice use of the confrontation of youthful Edwardian idealism with harsh political realities. The plotting is clever as well, making creative use not only of the magical themes but also of the great influenza pandemic of 1917-18.

Rather disappointing.......1999-12-11

After a great start, this 2nd book is a major disappointment. Most of the interesting parts are given past tense, and basically dont hold any interest.... Sorry Dave, you didnt reach your usual standards on this one...

Great!.......1999-03-07

IMO, this is the best book of the Great Game. D'ward is perfectly balanced between human and hero. Wondefully characterized, this book was one I couldn't put down.

Not quite as interesting.......1998-12-28

I had trouble getting into this one but it was worth it! Now, on to Round 3!!!

Next one please, and hurry up!.......1998-08-11

I waited for this book for quite a while and I was not disappointed by it when I finally got hold of it. The complexity of Nextdoor and Home and the other worlds as well as the gods and and their Human pawns is very entertaining. I also enjoy a good "destiny" story like this one with cryptic references to a future that will come true no matter what you do to prevent it from happening, and usually in a very surprising way as well.

Present Tense - Round Two of The Great Game

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Present Tense - Round Two of The Great Game

Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HJX9XE

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Present Tense - Round Two of The Great Game

Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HKFK0I

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A SEEMINGLY NEVERENDING EVENT!

Pure science fiction action/adventure role gaming fun.

Vor: The Playback War (Vor: The Maelstrom)
Lisa Smedman
Manufacturer: Aspect
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Series | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Island of Power (Vor: The Maelstrom)

ASIN: 0446604895

Book Description

TIME OUT! Alexi keeps getting killed. A Neo-Soviet soldier fighting Union troops and Maelstrom predators, Corporal Alexi Minsk is suddenly reliving battles--even ones he hasn't yet been in--over and over, as if he's trapped in a warped video game. For the realities of Then, Soon, and Now have come unglued, while an enigmatic Zykhee alien keeps trying to warn Alexi that all humanity is doomed. And unless Alexi can fight his way through the temporal madness, Earth will be destroyed-for all time. . . .

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Customer Reviews:

A SEEMINGLY NEVERENDING EVENT!.......2000-09-16

i TRIED TO GET INTO THIS STORY BUT IT WAS ONE SCENARIO AFER ANOTHER AND i JUST GOT TIRED OF READING ABOUT THE SAME OLD BATTLE WITH JUST SLIGHT DIFFERENCES.

Pure science fiction action/adventure role gaming fun........2000-02-04

The Maelstrom is a cosmic vortex of vast proportions, a realm where the laws of physics are warped and twisted into an obscene parody of reality. It exists only to consumer worlds. Engulfed in a swirling storm of chaos, planets are ripped asunder or fused into strange, alien landscapes. It is here where powerful forces clash in a never-ending fight to avoid extinction. Growlers, hulking beasts of pure aggression, thrive in this hostile environment. The mysterious Zykhee meld technology and supernatural power into the deadliest of martial arts. The Union forces of Earth rely on high-tech weaponry and well-trained soldiers, while their Neo-Soviet rivals send fierce hordes of infantry and genetic mutations against their foes. The inhabitants of these doomed worlds fight for a single goal -- survival. VOR: The Maelstrom is a game players delight featuring a fast-playing, detailed miniatures combat system; flexible mechanics allowing play with 6 to 100 figures per side; conversion rules for using any miniatures; profiles for nine of the most important races in the Maelstrom; basic force listings; and plastic templates.

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No Title

Don't get fooled by the title - buy the book!

Great Book For Those New to Indian Cooking

The best Indian coobook I have ever used.

Fantastic book for everyone!

Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking
Betty Crocker Editors
Manufacturer: Betty Crocker
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Asian | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Indian | Asian | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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Betty Crocker's Italian Cooking

ASIN: 0764563157

Book Description

This unique cookbook takes you on a culinary journey of India -- the land of fragrant spices and savory dishes. Working in collaboration with Raghavan Iyer, a noted Indian culinary expert, Betty Crocker takes the mystery out of Indian cooking while keeping every dish authentic and truly satisfying.

The book includes delicious regional recipes from every area of India -- from hearty breads to spicy sauces, succulent main courses to sumptuous desserts -- all served up in Betty Crocker's signature style. It clearly explains the staples of the Indian kitchen, and offers buying tips as well as substitutions for hard-to-find ingredients.

But this is more than just a cookbook. Fascinating photos and information about Indian traditions, as well as Chef Iyer's own memories of life in India, immerse you in the richness of India's land and culture -- and make this a book to savor.

Customer Reviews:

No Title.......2007-09-18

I received this book from Amazon after reviewing it at a Barnes and Noble because I wanted to know about it before I purchased from Amazon. I am happy with the book and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in authentic Indian food. I haven't made my first dish yet but I have marked the dishes that I plan to make based on how simple they are and there are quite a bit of dishes that I chose. I look forward to reaping the rewards of my culinary ability.

Don't get fooled by the title - buy the book!.......2007-06-18

I was very skeptical that this book would be any good especially for Indian cooking. But after rave reviews from some of my friends and the reviewers on Amazon I bought it and could not have been happier.

Even for someone who grew up in India and is very familiar with Indian cooking, it is an awesome book. Here is what I liked:
- starts with the basics
- gives great suggestions on where to buy items including online stores
- explains the 'why' not just the 'how' which is very interesting and useful
- gives plenty of alternatives for hard-to-find ingredients or equipment
- covers a wide range of dishes from all over India - and covers the exotic as well as the daily fare

I have not found a better book for Indian cooking, so go get it!

Great Book For Those New to Indian Cooking.......2007-05-13

I highly recommend this book for folks who are new to Indian cooking. The recipes are authentic (it passed the muster with my husband, who is from the subcontinent), easy to follow with very few items that are so specialize you would need a trip to an Indian grocer, and the photographs leap out at you. The mint shrimp, aviyal, and the fish poached in coconut milk (this one is actually a fairly accurate Kerala styled fish curry) are our favorites. I have already bought this book and given it to friends. It is one of my favorites.

The best Indian coobook I have ever used........2007-02-23

I have been through quite a number of Indian cookbooks. I discovered Indian food and fell in love with it in college. The recipes from other books I tried just did not taste the same. Searching online for recipes didn't always work either- especially for those not in the know about cooking techniques and the names of ingredients.

I am currently living in Dubai(huge Indian population here) and eating a lot of great Indian food. I have to say that almost all of the recipes I have tried from this book taste almost as good as the yummy stuff I find in restaurants here - and any deviation is purely due to my own error.

I agree with the reviewer below that you do need to have a good read through this book first. I also advise those who might be overwhelmed by a long list of spices to measure them all out in advance so you don't have to waste time fumbling at a critical moment.

So Bravo Betty Crocker!

Fantastic book for everyone!.......2007-01-22

I was looking for a book to help me cook authentic Indian food for my Indian husband, who just came here from Delhi about 4 years ago. He was so unimpressed with most "American" or European foods, and longed for good, spicy Indian meals- but he didn't know how to cook them for himself.

After looking at tons of Indian cookbooks, I decided upon this one. It seemed to be the one with the most background information, and the easiest-to-follow instructions. And hubby recognized a lot of the recipes, so I figured I'd go for it. What fantastic results!

The first thing to do (for a beginner, or, dare I say, even for a semi-experienced Indian person) is sit down and actually READ all of the information about the regions of India, the cookware, the spices, the lentils, the vegetables, etc. Then, pick a few recipes and you're on your way. I will admit that it was a bit of slow going at first, but once you get used to the basics of Indian cooking, you will be zipping through dishes in no time flat. It's also a bit expensive at first, buying all the spices, but 1) buy them at an INDIAN grocery- they are MUCH cheaper!, and 2) once you get your basics covered, you won't need to buy much for a long time.

I disagree with those reviewers who said the taste of these dishes was not right. My husband has absolutely loved every dish I've made, and has commented that it is all very authentic. The recipes may taste different from what some people had at home because Indian cooking is soooo versatile and malleable that whoever cooks for their family has spent years fine-tuning their recipes to suit the particular tastes of those family members. So, one person's experience of channa masala or chicken biryani may be vastly different from the next person's.

In sum, this is an excellent book! The only thing I'd recommend would be more suggestions on "what goes with what." For instance, "Serve dry dishes with rotis, not rice- only serve rice when you are serving at least one dish with lots of gravy, or when you are serving dal." Raghavan is usually pretty good at offering suggestions, but I don't think he touched upon this little tip.

Book Description

Paul Kunkel, who toilet-trained his first cat while in college and who has continued to train his own and his friends' cats ever since, presents a foolproof, 21-Day-Program for teaching any litter-trained cat between the ages of 6 months and 10 years to use a toilet instead of a litter box. (Older cats can still be trained, but the process will probably take longer.) Requiring nothing more than magazines and/or newspapers, masking tape, heavy-duty plastic wrap, and a supply of fresh litter, the plan begins with you placing the box next to the toilet and, after gradually raising it to the height of the seat, ends with the cat--well, using it like any other member of the family. For life.

Along the way, concerned owners learn why toilet-trained cats may be happier and healthier cats. In well-researched, fact-filled text, Kunkel traces the history and behavior of this barely domesticated animal and proves why the box is bad for cats; why many cats equate the smell of a litter box with danger; and why the fragrances, deodorants, dyes, and disinfectants found in most litters are detrimental to your pet's well-being.

Customer Reviews:

Great Idea.......2006-11-03

The book was very clear and the steps are easy. My cats started off following right along, However I didn't follow the directions exactly & did have a set back. I'm looking forward to trying again & hopefull that it will work this time. I would advise anyone trying this method to make sure the rest of their house is clean though. If your cat does hit a point where they decide to resist the training, that fresh pile of clean laundry seems to be a favorite site for them to express their irritation at the new change to their lives.

It worked for us.......2006-03-12

Most of the book contains information about how to litter train a kitten, but the last 20ish pages are the key. Our cat, Fenway, was not successful in just 21 days and required the alternate method. But, we are litter free now and have been for about two weeks. Plus, we really didn't need to buy anything new for this book. We had everything on hand. It was a bit annoying at the plastic wrap time as we had to leave our apartment to find another toilet. It would be nice if it had other chapters such as "Adding a second cat to your house" and "Moving to a new home." Check out this blog for photos of our Fenway in action--baggypantsandbravado.blogspot.c0m.

Get a Citikitty Instead!.......2006-01-27

I bought this book recently after being fed up with cleaning the cat box, stepping on litter that had fallen out, and lugging a ginormous amount of litter up stairs.
The majority (2/3) of this book is about cat behavior, even to what your cat's meows mean. In essence, why cats do what they do and how they have the potential to be toilet trained.
I did more research on the internet before I began Kunkel's method. His method, for me at least, would involve more money being spent than I was inclined to spend (new box that fit the size specifications, undeoderized litter to wean my cats off of the deoderized kind, etc.). Plus, his last few steps involve saran wrap and tape that goes over the bowl of the toilet. In other words, I feel there is a lot of potential for psychological damage for the cat - and maybe the owner, too!
Instead, I purchased a CITIKITTY (www.citikitty.com). My cats used it immediately - 20 minutes out of the box - and I am highly satisfied with the results so far. It is filled with litter and fits over the bowl of the toilet, under the seat. It is durable enough that the cats can stand in it and it is easy enough to take off when I need to use the toilet (no adhesives or other mess). A hole is made in the center that gradually gets larger so that the cat is forced to stand on the seat itself.
Toilet training your cat is an exercise in classical conditioning, whatever methodology you use. Go slow and with the pace of your cat. Good luck!

this book needs about 21 more chapters..........2005-07-19

Well, the book got made, and I bought it. Maybe I'm the dumb one!

We are still (months later) trying, as we really want to eliminate the litter, but have had to research other books and the internet for more, MUCH more info. This author doesn't even offer info for more questions. It's as if he's covered every possible scenario in the world, now it's up to you, the reader, to do it.

All you have to do is read the other reviews of this book to see that he's left out A LOT of possibilities. The reader is left to his own devices to fill in the numerous blanks. And as much time and energy as it takes, I find it almost impossible to believe the author has spent time training his friends' cats, too. It is time consuming, messy, and so far, extremely frustrating for both me and my cat.

We have followed, word for word, every instruction in the book, and have still been unsuccessful. The Saran Wrap? Bad idea - the cat falls through, every time (even with heavy duty wrap & very light Siamese cat ) which causes MUCH consternation on the part of the cat. We finally rig it so he can go again - he'll go, but doesn't like it. He has to be contained in the bathroom, and even still, will go on the floor rather than in the pot.

The pace of the training is entirely too fast, and offers no other options. Note to publisher: if you reprint this book, it needs some serious revisions.

Helpful for Beginning..........2005-01-19

Kunkel has lots of fascinating information about cats' elimination behavior and toilet training. Especially liked his point that it is no more normal or natural for a cat to go in the same LB over and over than to use the toilet. Cats often prefer a clean place each time they eliminate. Kunkel explains that an outdoor domestic cat may range around a mile from home in its daily travels-giving it a lot of real estate to use as its LB. Teaching an indoor cat to use the toilet gives it a clean place to use each time-which may be more natural for a cat than using a small LB.

While the book is helpful in getting started, many trainers need to discuss their training experiences with other trainers & get suggestions to overcome their initial cats' resistance-because cats are creatures of habit. Look for the group Cats' T-Training.

Book Description

If you grew up in the 1940s, '50s or '60s, you will surely recognize the delightful toys and figures that spring from these pages. Made of colorful, durable polystyrene plastic, these novelties were originally found in five and dime stores, hardware stores, and department store catalogs. Cheerful, inexpensive, and often holiday related, these are the things that dreams were made of. Today, these same nostalgic and charming figures are eagerly sought by adult collectors at antique shows, flea markets, and online auctions. In this enjoyable and informative book, Jean Rossi gives readers a tour of the major companies that produced these plastic delights, including E. Rosen, Irwin, Knickerbocker, and Union Products. Hundreds of color photos showcase chubby Santas on skis and snowshoes, bunnies pushing carriages and wheelbarrows, roosters that rattle, Valentine hearts and figures, Halloween pumpkins, beguiling witches on motorcycles, and more -- all guaranteed to evoke warm childhood memories. Background information on the development of plastic, tips on evaluating and caring for your collection, and current values all are included.

Customer Reviews:

A Fun and Informative Read.......2002-09-11

Jean Rossi's book is a very fun book to read. All of the Schiffer Publishing books are wonderful. It's loaded with large color photographs of very good examples of each collectible. I have many reference books. This is one of my favorites. Rossi puts the item's maker, year, size (in inches), and price range directly next to the photo. There's no flipping pages and searching for the price! Every single example has a large photo with it. Her chapters include information on polystyrene, caring for hard plastic novelties, Rosbro, Irwin Cohn, the Knickerbocker Plastic Co., Union Products, and manuf. of electrical novelties. This book is definitely one I'd recommend to collectors of holiday related plastic novelties (Christmas, Halloween, Easter, and some Valentine).

Average customer rating:

Best book for teddy bear making instructions

The Encyclopedia of Teddy-Bear Making Techniques: A Comprehensive Visual Guide to Traditional and Contemporary Techniques
Alicia Merrett , and Ann Stephens
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Stuffed Animals | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Veterinary | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books
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The ABC's of Making Teddy Bears

ASIN: 1402703937

Book Description

There's an easy way to own a traditionally styled teddy bear: make it yourself! It's not difficult at all; with basic sewing skills, and this encyclopedia at your side, you're ready to begin. Materials lists explain what to use for children's and collectors' bears. Information on the best tools and equipment will help you do the job well. Work from a pattern, or see how to design your own; follow detailed instructions on fabric layout, marking, and cutting; and stitch it up, piece by piece. Get the "bear bones" on inserting joints and stuffing. Add expressive facial features, antique or distress the animal to give it a much-loved look, and make miniatures and garments. You'll cherish these bears for a lifetime.

Customer Reviews:

Best book for teddy bear making instructions.......2007-01-05

This is the best technical book that I've found for teddy bear making instructions. All the photographs throughout the book are in color with several to a page. Every single step is clearly photographed along with a sidebar that gives the equipment that is used for that step.

Tools and equipment are photographed together on a page to show the real life size differences. Stitches are diagrammed and photographed as they are being done. Materials are photographed side by side so that the reader can see the differences. Stuffing is discussed with photos and the pros and cons of each type such as polyester, plastic pellets, kapok, steel shot, and wood wool.

Assembling and jointing techniques are taught and all varieties are photographed step by step. Teddy features such as eyes and nose placement are taught and photos of the different varieties are shown as well as tips for successful teddy bear faces.

There is a section on making miniature bears and the differences between miniature bears and larger bears that need to be taken into account. Teddy bear clothes, hats and accessories are shown with patterns to use.

At the end of the book is a 27 page inspirational gallery of work from some of the leading teddy bear artists today. There are also three bear patterns and a miniature bear pattern that can be copied on a machine and printed out to use.

This book is a delight to use. The photos are great and the bears are charming. I highly recommend it!

Woodturning Traditional Folk Toys (Woodturning)

Average customer rating:

Unique woodturned folk toys, most are multiple turned pieces

Woodturning Traditional Folk Toys (Woodturning)

Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Decorative Arts | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Toymaking | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Unique woodturned folk toys, most are multiple turned pieces.......1999-07-01

15 projects all folk toys. Very complete with scale drawings. Most toys require some assembly, for example "Dutch Doll with jointed limbs" is made from 10 turned pieces. Black & white with lots of text and pictures. Color gallery is of each completed project with suggested painting. The instructions and pictures are well done, easy to follow with enough detail to do each project. Short, helpful intro on tools/techniques. Projects: Baby Doll, Lady Doll Shaker, Jumping Jack, Baby's Rattle with Rings, Dutch Doll with Jointed Limbs, Set of Clown Skittles and Two Balls, Bilboquet Game, Stand-up Tumble Doll, Pull-string spinning top, German Nutcracker Soldier, Round-about, Czechoslovakian Trumpet, Pull-along acrobats, Rocking Horse and Rider, Farm Tractor and Trailer.

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Making Traditional Teddy Bears
Brian Gibbs , and Donna Gibbs
Manufacturer: David & Charles Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Stuffed Animals | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0715311999

Book Description

Here's the opportunity to create an heirloom bear to cherish, from this collection of 12 fully-jointed teddies featuring all the classic characteristics. Each step-by-step project gives complete guidance, from choosing fabrics through cutting to assembly and jointing.

Making and Dressing Traditional Teddy Bears

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Making and Dressing Traditional Teddy Bears
Brian Gibbs , and Donna Gibbs
Manufacturer: David & Charles
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Decorative Arts | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Stuffed Animals | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0715309706

Book Description

Teddy bears have a place in the hearts of children of all ages, and with these patterns for precious miniatures, it's easy to make one (or many!) yourself. Dress it up for any occasion--there's a costume for every month of the year! Try special bears for Christmas, weddings, summer and fall, and even for Valentine's Day, Halloween, and New Year's. From pocket-sized Bartholomew to tiny Baby Bear, you'll want to give each one a cuddle. A Selection of BOMC's Crafters Book Club.

Making Traditional Pull-Along Toys in Wood

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Making Traditional Pull-Along Toys in Wood
Alan Bridgewater , and Gill Bridgewater
Manufacturer: Sterling Pub Co Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Decorative Arts | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Making Traditional Teddy Bears: Featuring 12 Collectible Designs

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Complete, easy to follow instructions, great patterns.

Making Traditional Teddy Bears: Featuring 12 Collectible Designs
Brian Gibbs , and Donna Gibbs
Manufacturer: David & Charles
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Decorative Arts | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Stuffed Animals | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Make Your Own Teddy Bears: Instructions and Full-Size Patterns for Jointed and Unjointed Bears and Their Clothing (Dover Needlework Series)

ASIN: 0715304313

Customer Reviews:

Complete, easy to follow instructions, great patterns........1998-07-21

One of the best book I've seen on the subject. Interesting for novices and experts. Great pictures and drawings. A bit expensive, but worth the money.

The Book of Doll Making: A Comprehensive Project Book Reference to Making Traditional and Innovative Dolls

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Everything you need to know from basic to advanced

The Book of Doll Making: A Comprehensive Project Book Reference to Making Traditional and Innovative Dolls
Alicia Merrett
Manufacturer: Book Sales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Toymaking | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0785808876

Customer Reviews:

Everything you need to know from basic to advanced.......2000-06-01

This book is an exceptional reference for anyone interested in making dolls. It includes some very basic patterns and techiques and progresses to some very advanced. There are many patterns, and instructions on how to personalize these for your own use. I loved the variety that was covered including needle-sculpting, fabric covered faces (molded, marking faces, and a lot of different body types. I am so glad I have this book, and expect to use it a lot as I branch out into new doll making techniques. the instructions are clear enough that I feel confident about trying new things.

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Making Traditional Teddy Bears
Brian and Donna Gibbs
Manufacturer: RD Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O8CZQU

Book Description

Liverpool, birthplace of the Beatles, is known the world over for its pop music heritage. The continuing popularity of dance and club culture in the city sets the scene for Tate Liverpool's exhibition Remix, which explores the cultural collision between art and music. This book, which accompanies the exhibition, examines the fusion of popular music and art over the past two decades. The influence of music on the work of visual artists has been extensive, often providing inspiration for new forms of visual culture created through experiments that blur the boundaries of both art forms. Many of the groups and musicians in this exhibition have themselves been visual artists and have a direct involvement with the visual culture-album covers, videos, performance projections, etc.-connected to marketing and performing music.

Book Description

Suffused with longing, this rueful, passionate memoir about an adopted woman's search for her birth parents explores themes of race and family.

Catherine McKinley was one of only a few thousand African American and bi-racial children adopted by white couples in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Raised in a small, white New England town, she had a persistent longing for the more diverse community that would better understand and encompass her. In an era shaped by the rhetoric of Black Power and Black Pride, McKinley's coming of age entailed her own detailed investigation into her birth history, a search complicated by the terms of a closed adoption that denied her all knowledge of the circumstances of her birth.

The Book of Sarahs traces McKinley's own time of revelations: after a five-year period marked by dead ends and disappointments, she finds her birth mother and a half-sister named Sarah, the name that was originally given to her. When she locates her birth father and meets several of his eleven other children she begins to see the whole mosaic of her parentage--African American, WASP, Jewish, Native American--and then is confronted with a final revelation that threatens to destabilize all she has uncovered.

At the center of the narrative is McKinley's angry passion for her two mothers and her quest for self-acceptance in a world in which she seems to herself to be always outside the bounds of social legitimacy. In telling of her struggles both to fit into and to defy social conventions, McKinley challenges us to rethink our own preconceptions about race, identity, kinship, loyalty, and love.

Customer Reviews:

Searching for Reality.......2005-01-08

Catherine went searching for the truth and she found it. It was reality and not a made up story with a happy ending. I believe that she was very self serving in telling the story. I felt she did not really appreciate the parents who raised her, until the very end. I wondered how they felt after reading this book. She certainly laid out all her complaints about them. I personally could relate to her mother, who was doing the very best she could for a rather unappreciative daughter.
On the other hand, I think I gained some insight to what it was like to grow up black in a white world, not easy at all. I'm glad she was able to tell this story with as much depth and clarity as she did.
This story also brings to light the plight of the children of a middle class woman who had several children and didn't choose to acknowledge or care for them. What about birth control? Yes, she was mentally ill, but I wonder if we can excuse her for that.

In the last several years I have done the research that reunited my husband (in his 60's) with the birth mother who gave him up. The search was very interesting and it was a miracle how it all came together. The story has a bittersweet ending, since his birth mother passed away within a year of their reunion.

This is a great story and I couldn't put it down.

One from the heart........2004-06-18

It can be hard enough to come to terms with family and identity when one is not adopted. Imagine growing up the transracial adoptee of a white family in a tiny working class town in rural Massachusetts (read: all white). Moreover, you are biracial and subject to putdowns and jibes by "full-blooded" members of your race. This background makes up the first part of Catherine McKinley's compulsively readable memoir. The second part is her search for her roots, and her reckoning when she finds those roots and they are not quite what she expected.

McKinley has a superb ear for dialogue and mood. Moreover, The Book of Sarahs is so full of suprises that sometimes it's like reading a thriller. McKinley starts out by giving us her fantasy of her birth mother that carried her through her youth (most adoptees have one)...and part of the fun of the book is seeing just how different reality is from her fantasy, again and again. McKinley also writes with wonderful humor and subtle characterizations that make it difficult to dislike anyone in her book despite their foibles. Finally, I can't agree with other reviewers that McKinley was cruel to her adoptive family. Her adoptive parents clearly understood her journey, and by the end of the book she intimated that she had resolved her issues with them.

Don't miss this one...one of the best I've read this year!

Eye-opening.......2004-01-08

This book tells the tale of Catherine McKinley's search for her birth parents. McKinley, who is biracial, was adopted at birth. Brought up in a White family, she found herself drawn towards African American culture in her search for building her own identity. As an adult, questions about who she was and how she came to be gradually took over the focus of her life. In this book, she details how she searched for her birth parents and eventually found them, as well as other family members.

From reading the blurb on the back cover of the book, I had expected the book to focus more on McKinley's experiences of growing up as an adopted biracial child. I have very little experience myself with issues relating to adoption, and I had no idea how consuming the questions of identity and family can be for an adopted child. Prospective adoptive parents might learn quite a bit from this book about how adopted children may have an unquenchable thirst for knowing their birth parents, a thirst that can taint relationships between them and their adopted family members if not handled appropriately. Adoptees, on the other hand, may be quite interested to read how McKinley proceeded in her search, and how the results of her search compared with her dreams. The emotional issues concerning adoption are never easy to reconcile; after all, every adoption starts with a tragedy that has resulted in parents having to give up their children. The children and all of their parents, both adopted and birth, must spend the remainder of their lives putting the pieces back together.

An Honest, Candid Memoir.......2003-07-08

I beg to differ with some of the other customer reviews posted for The Book of Sarahs. Reality is messy. Members of the adoption triad--birthparents, adoptees, and adoptive parents--share a complicated, emotionally charged relationship from the moment the adoptee is born. There are one thousand and one reasons why birthmothers feel that relinquishment is the best possible choice for their child; there are just as many reasons why adoptive parents choose to raise a non-biological child. But the adoptee has the most to gain or lose. In my twenty-six years as a birthmother, I am continually amazed by the infinite variety of paths triad members have traveled, yet we're all connected by the same feelings of uncertainty, wistfulness, and longing for what might have been. Thankfully, adoption today is much more open, kinder, gentler; many studies have documented the impact of adoption on all triad members, and there are fewer black holes than there were a generation or more ago. Catherine McKinley's personal story of life as an adopted Black child raised in a white family and predominately white community will captivate readers. One does not have to a member of the adoption community to appreciate her search for self. Ms. McKinley's prose is a pleasure to read, a beautifully, richly written story of relationships that readers will find hard to put down.

Spoiled little girl with a sense of entitlement.......2003-05-20

The first part of this book depicts a spoiled little girl with a sense of entitlement who didn't (and still doesn't) know how good she had it! The couple who adopted her were fabulous parents. They were good to her beyond all measure and loved her unconditionally. Unfortunately, Sarah has never been able to accept that love, let alone return any of it. The story she tells, however, of the search for her birth parents becomes more and more fascinating as the pages turn..... It is quite a story, and by the end of the book I felt that she had come to terms with who these people were and are, but the adoptive parents are still out there someplace, wondering what happened to the little girl they adopted and loved. Sad story.

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The Book of Sarah's A Family in Parts

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0965491617

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