The Fools in Town Are on Our Side

Average customer rating:

Ross Thomas dazzles as always

Very engaging, dripping with cynicism.

Riveting!!!

Simply Marvelous

One of the books that made Ross Thomas' reputation

The Fools in Town Are on Our Side
Ross Thomas
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0312315821

Book Description

A background of espionage and betrayal makes Lucifer Dye the perfect person to team up with an ex-call girl, a devious chief of police, and other sleazy partners in crime to corrupt a mid-sized Gulf Coast city and deliver it into the hands of evil. The Fools in Town are on Our Side is a masterwork of passion and power in a small Southern town, a solid blockbuster which rips open the secret lusts of men and women as no other novel of our time.

Customer Reviews:

Ross Thomas dazzles as always.......2007-05-30

As a mystery writer myself, I have a list of my own favorites from whom I learn. No one does it better than Ross Thomas -- a writer's writer.

Very engaging, dripping with cynicism........2006-12-08

Victor Orcutt of Victor Orcutt Associates has discovered an ingenious way of earning large amounts of money. If a community becomes disgusted with rampant corruption in the ranks of its civic leaders, Victor will come in and clean things up. But Victor has found that before bad government can be reformed it has to first become even more corrupt. When the good citizens of Swankerton, a southern gulfcoast city, hire his firm to rid them of their thoroughly corrupt municipal government, he in turn hires Lucifer Dye to carry out the task of making the corruption worse.

Who is Lucifer Dye? Why he's the novel's protagonist and first person narrator. Born in Montana and raised in Japanese occupied Shanghai, Lucifer's biography is an exceedingly interesting one. For the past decade he has been a spy stationed in Hong Kong.
When the ultra-secretive intelligence agency he works for abruptly hands him his walking papers, Victor Orcutt is right there to provide employment for him on the Swankerton project.

Lucifer's much anticipated work in Swankerton really doesn't get underway until the second half of The Fools in Town Are on Our Side. The first half of the book is largely about Lucifer's early life and his later tenure as an intelligence agent. Subjects which are both amazingly interesting to read about.

This book deserves a 5 star rating for a number of reasons. The narrative is extremely compelling and substantial. There's lots of action including several instances of sudden, shocking violence. As in all Ross Thomas novels, almost all of the characters are imbued with cynical attitudes that are finely honed. In fact, the degree of cynicism found in the pages of this novel is a delight to behold and is probably its most engaging characteristic.

The Fools in Town Are on Our Side is one of the author's best efforts. Highly recommended.

Riveting!!!.......2005-08-15

At eight years of age, Lucifer Dye could "shill a crap game, pimp for a whore house, speak six or seven languages, roll drunks, and hustle the rubes," but could neither read nor write.

Dye is the central character in "The Fools in Town Are on Our Side" (1970) by Ross Thomas.

It is a complex, unique, compulsively entertaining small town corruption novel.

After Dye completes his education on a "scholarship" granted by a clandestine government agency he is employed by the agency, Section Two. And, he is told, "There is no Section One."

After being unceremoniously dumped by the outfit, he is hired by Victor Orcutt to corrupt the corrupt in a Gulf Coast city.

Myriad scalawags abound, chicanery is the order of the day and abundant deceptions are trump cards, as a cast of sharp, unforgettable characters are manipulated by Dye, Orcutt and two associates.

There is never a dull moment in the absorbing narrative.

The "heroes" are tarnished and shady, and not much better than their adversaries.

The novels of Ross Thomas are fascinating and impossible to put down.

Out of print for nearly a decade, several of his works are being reissued by St. Martin's Press. Do yourself a favor---pick one up and enjoy the ride.

Simply Marvelous.......2005-05-05

I just finished this, my first Ross Thomas book. It is just incredible. His writing is evocative of character, place, complexity and conflict, in as few words as possible. I found myself rereading lines in order to grasp their full impact. The underlying clear vision of the writer is impressive as well.
All with an underlying passion and self-deprecating humor. I loved every single moment of it.

One of the books that made Ross Thomas' reputation.......2001-01-05

It's been said that what Elmore Leonard ("Freaky Deaky," "Get Shorty," etc.) did for crime novels in urban environments, Ross Thomas did for crime novels in suburban environments. Thomas' novels aren't so much gritty as they are witty, and less about openly violent crimes as about deep corruption beneath the veneer of civilization.

"The Fools in Town Are On Our Side" is one of the best Thomas novels. It's really about three or four stories all wrapped together. The stories all happen to be about the narrator, Lucifer C. Dye. Dye was born in Montana, but spent his childhood in Shanghai, China, before and during World War II. Story No. 1 is about how he came to be raised by a Russian-born madam running Shanghai's top brothel. Story No. 2 is about how Dye came to be the youngest Sergeant Major in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, largely on the strength of his perfectly fluent Mandarin (Chinese), and his subsequent recruitment into a government intelligence program. Story No. 3 is about how he got booted out of the program. And Story No. 4 is the main story, wherein he is offered $50,000 (it was worth a lot more back in 1970 when the book was written) to help "corrupt" a town, the idea being that in order to get the townspeople to vote for a reform slate, they have to be really fed up with corruption. That requires making things far worse so people see how bad the corruption is.

Of course, Thomas does not tell the stories in that sequence. Instead, they're all mixed together, which ordinarily I find annoying, but each story is so interesting that the technique works here.

There's a little bit of violence, but for the most part, the book is really about intrigue, double-dealings, and so forth. If you've never read anything by Ross Thomas, this is a great introduction.

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3 Titles By Ross Thomas : The Fools in Town Are On Our Side Chinaman's Chance Twilight at Mac's Place
Ross Thomas
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000PDHKIM

Product Description

three mmpb books. 3 Titles By Ross Thomas : The Fools in Town Are On Our Side Chinaman's Chance Twilight at Mac's Place

Average customer rating:

The Fools In Town Are On Our Side
Ross Thomas
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KH9EL4

Average customer rating:

The fools in town are on our side

Manufacturer: William Morrow & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000EOJ71A

Fools in Town Are on Our Side 1ST Edition

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Fools in Town Are on Our Side 1ST Edition
Ross Thomas
Manufacturer: WILLIAM MORROW & COMPANY INC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PZP500

Average customer rating:

Fools in Town Our Side

Manufacturer: Avon Books (Mm)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0380599643

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THE FOOLS IN TOWN ARE ON OUR SIDE

Manufacturer: Mysterious Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GQMSCG

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The Fools in Town Are on Our Side
Ross Thomas
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTKVBK

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The Fools in Town are On Our Side
Ross THOMAS
Manufacturer: Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OPF1U0

Book Description

The Silver Night has fallen upon Atheos, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance. The Silver Crescent rises in the east, while turmoil distracts the nations of the west. Lives will be changed, and lives will be lost, but will the light be consumed by the darkness?

So continues the saga of The Silver Night ProphecyÂ…

Customer Reviews:

Can't wait for the conclusion!.......2004-01-08

This book picks up right where the last one left off: with fast-paced action, great characters, and an intricate world that unfolds with every page. Koonce has his characters weaving through several competing storylines, but I didn't find myself losing interest with any of them. The history of the world gets fleshed out a bit more, but I hope and expect that book 3 will answer my lingering questions. There were so many new story developments in this book... I can't wait for the conclusion!

Average customer rating:

Teach Me to Do It Myself

Fun

Probably the best home Montessori book for preschool age

We love this book!

parent-friendly and great for kids

Teach Me to Do It Myself: Montessori Activities for You and Your Child
Maja Pitamic
Manufacturer: Barron's Educational Series
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0764127896

Book Description

Based on the key Montessori principle that children learn best through active experience, Teach Me to Do It Myself presents simple activities through which children explore and develop their skills. These skill areas include sensory perceptions, body coordination, language, understanding of numbers, and movement. This practical, color-illustrated parenting book is filled with activities and instructions for overseeing children as they carry out a variety of learning activities. Most activities will seem simple to parents, because once mastered, adults perform them automatically. However, toddlers experience a sense of accomplishment and self-worth when they learn to perform them independently. The many activities start with dressing and personal hygiene, then go on to include . . .

Pouring activities
Threading and sewing activities
Peg activities
Cutting with scissors
Sorting activities by touch
A color matching game
Making musical scales with bottles and water
Using alphabet tiles to make words
Growing things in a window box
Making finger puppets

Activities are described in detail and include checklists of needed items, as well as variations and related activities for children to try.

Customer Reviews:

Teach Me to Do It Myself.......2007-08-18

I would recomend this book as it is really very handy!
It shows you how to teach your child to do practical things in life herself without all the hassel. It also gives you ideas of how you could do it, as all children are different. I think the templates are also great, this book saves you from spending extra money for material.

Fun.......2007-02-17

It is a fun book to have and do things with kids. Specially if they attend a Montessori school. Many of the activities shown are exactly what they do in school.

Probably the best home Montessori book for preschool age.......2007-01-29

I also have _Montessori Play & Learn_ and _Teaching Montessori in the Home: The Preschool Years_. This one contains the same type of activities, but somehow makes it seem simpler than the others, and seems to require less complicated special equipment to be bought or made. If you're only going to buy one Montessori book to use with your preschooler, I would recommend this one.

We love this book!.......2005-12-21

A great find, so many fun and challenging activities - it's a wonderful book for rainy days, babysitters, and grandparents.

parent-friendly and great for kids.......2005-03-22

I checked this out of our local library and found it easy to follow, bright and fun to look at with color photos, and full of resources like pages to photocopy in the back. Also, the activities made me really excited about Montessori methods. The math section was especially nice. I am online today to order my own copy because three weeks to borrow it was not long enough!

Average customer rating:

Easy, quick chapters separating dressings by vinaigrettes

Salad Dressings 101

Manufacturer: Whitecap Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Sauces, Salsa & Garnishes | Cooking by Ingredient | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1552855244

Book Description

Over 101 fresh and delicious ideas.

The best salad dressing recipes from three dozen chefs and cooks are now available in one great collection, Salad Dressing 101.

Chef Nathan Hyam has personally selected over 101 recipes for vinaigrettes, creamy dressings, low-fat dressings, Caesar dressings, and potato and pasta salads dressings.

The introduction provides an overview of the simple ingredients and techniques that make a perfect dressing and demonstrates easy ways to adapt dressing to any salad.

Along with classics that belong in any cook's repertoire, there are innovative dressings with international flavors. Symbols throughout the book provide guidance on which dressings go with which salads.

Discover delicious recipes such as:

Basic Vinaigrette
Green Goddess Dressing
Classic Caesar Dressing
Basil Balsamic Dressing
Thai Coconut and Roasted Garlic Dressing
Miso Gari Vinaigrette.

Salad Dressing 101 is a cookbook for everyone who loves fresh food with flavor that can't be topped.

Customer Reviews:

Easy, quick chapters separating dressings by vinaigrettes.......2004-11-11

Finally: a guide to salad dressing which provides easy, quick chapters separating dressings by vinaigrettes, creamy and low-fat dressings and which packs in a wide variety of toppings, from the classic Blue Cheese and Caesar to Maple Thyme Vinaigrette and Creamy Lemon Yogurt. No color photos in Salad Dressing 101, but these very simple dressing recipes don't really need anything more than a blender for 2-minute productions that would enhance any salad dining occasion.

Average customer rating:

A must have book for the serious collector

IT FINALLY ARRIVED AND BOY AND I HAPPY!

simply the best i've ever seen

Nice Photos, Little else

Many pictures-little information

Collector's Encyclopedia of Electric Christmas Lighting: Identification & Values (Collector's Encyclopedia)
Cindy Chipps , and Greg Olson
Manufacturer: Collector Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 157432408X

Book Description

This unique collaboration between authors Cindy Chipps and Greg Olson has resulted in the largest, best, and most comprehensive study ever undertaken in the field of collectible Christmas lighting. Collector's Encyclopedia of Electric Christmas Lighting is a double-size volume that showcases the transition of Christmas lighting from the 1890s into the 1960s -- everything from the first hand-blown lights used by an associate of Thomas Edison right up through the heyday of the Christmas lighting industry of the 1950s, when many companies were competing for an ever-growing post-war market. Shown are the unique design graphics used on the lighting set boxes of the 1920s and 1930s. Rare and unique figural lights are displayed. A vast representation of window candelabras and door wreaths is portrayed. The transition of wall hangings from the early plaster Santa heads of the 1920s to the intricate vinylite pieces of the 1950s is shown. Bubble lights and matchless stars are portrayed in their full glory. The wonders of Christmas motion lamps and other odd and unique Christmas lighting pieces are explored. This book makes a great Christmas gift, but is also the ideal present year-round for Christmas lighting lovers everywhere. 2005 values.

Customer Reviews:

A must have book for the serious collector.......2004-12-27

This book represents a major effort in the field of Christmas lighting collecting and research. Great pictures, perhaps a bit haphazard in the way they are laid out (no chronological order) but this will be many people's only way to see some very rare and unique items. A wonderful coffee table book!

IT FINALLY ARRIVED AND BOY AND I HAPPY!.......2004-12-16

It was really worth the wait. this book on Christmas lighting is more than I ever dreamed of. Wow, all those color photos. the information is great, gives the maker, country of origin, date made, and the most realistic values of any of the collector type books I've seen. Just can't get over all those items. The part in the back that gives the information for the companies is something I never expected to see. With this information I can date, value, and know more about my items than I ever thought possible. My hats off to the authors, A Christmas Book worth buying!

simply the best i've ever seen.......2004-12-15

i own every book available on christmas, especially those to do with christmas lighting. this book has it all. not a lot of boring details but thousands of great color photos. one picture is worth a thousand words! i own mr johnson's and mr brenner's books. boring details and just the junk of the christmas lighting. this book treats the lighting with top billing and just not a filler as in the other books. highly recommend. happen to know that these two authors only sell their junk items on ebay. most collectors who know anything are also dealers!!!

Nice Photos, Little else.......2004-11-26

I agree with George's review. A multitude of photos in this book, but no history of the items is shared with the Reader; just photos and arbitrary values in a very general (and I mean general) organization. I was hoping for more history of Christmas Lighting and decorations in this country. How America's tastes changed through the decades, how technology changed manufacturing lights and decorations over the years. Information that's missing from current collector book marketplace. Well, we still didn't get it.

In my opinion it appears that these two "collector" authors collected to amass huge collections just so they could photograph them for this book. This can be proven because one of the authors is currently dumping their "photographed for this book" collection via online auctions. It's unfortunate they did not collect because they loved vintage Christmas items like so many of us, and wanted to share their knowledge and collections with other collectors.

There are other books out there I'd recommend before this one. Namely George Johnson's books.

Many pictures-little information.......2004-11-23

I was somewhat disappointed after receiving this book. Although there are a huge amount of pictures of various Christmas lighting sets, the organization was poor and there was precious little information about the history of electric Christmas lighting. According to the bios of the authors, they reportedly amassed a great deal of knowledge in their field of collecting, but precious little of that knowledge has been shared with the reader.

Collector Books.(Field Guide To Fishing Lures)(Encyclopedia Of Barbie Doll Exclusives 1972-2004)(Encyclopedia Of Vogue Dolls)(Doll Directory)(Electric ... Review): An article from: Library Bookwatch

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Collector Books.(Field Guide To Fishing Lures)(Encyclopedia Of Barbie Doll Exclusives 1972-2004)(Encyclopedia Of Vogue Dolls)(Doll Directory)(Electric ... Review): An article from: Library Bookwatch
Gale Reference Team
Manufacturer: Midwest Book Review
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Library Bookwatch, published by Thomson Gale on February 1, 2005. The length of the article is 506 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Collector Books.(Field Guide to Fishing Lures)(Encyclopedia of Barbie Doll Exclusives 1972-2004)(Encyclopedia of Vogue Dolls)(Doll Directory)(Electric Christmas Lighting Identification and Values Guide)(Antique & Conte Porary Advertising Memorabilia)(Guide to Coca Cola)(Fenton Art Glass Colorsa and Hand-Decorated Patterns 1939-1980)(Encyclopedia of Early American Sewing Machines) (Book review)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Library Bookwatch (Newsletter)
Date: February 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: NA

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

COLLECTOR'S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ELECTRIC CHRISTMAS LIGHTING, IDENTIFICATION & VALUES

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COLLECTOR'S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ELECTRIC CHRISTMAS LIGHTING, IDENTIFICATION & VALUES
Cindy; and Greg Olson Chipps
Manufacturer: Collector Books Paducah, KY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Antiques & Collectibles | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000IWKR6C

Book Description

The sheer number of choices among Hydrangea species, hybrids, and cultivated varieties can be overwhelming even for the most advanced gardeners. How to choose from among the hundreds of mopheads, climbers, lacecaps, and oakleafs, to name just a few? And how to care for hydrangeas in American gardens, when nearly all the books offering advice about them come from England and Europe? Respected plantsman Michael A. Dirr comes to the rescue in this refreshingly forthright and practical guide to these distinctive shrubs and climbers.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Journal of the American Oriental Society, published by American Oriental Society on July 1, 1996. The length of the article is 523 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Book of Judges: The Art of Editing. (book reviews)
Author: Daniel Grossberg
Publication: The Journal of the American Oriental Society (Refereed)
Date: July 1, 1996
Publisher: American Oriental Society
Volume: v116 Issue: n3 Page: p545(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Tech journalist Pamela Pfiffner explores the rich history behind the modern publishing revolution, as seen through the lens of one of its most important players. In the past 20 years, Adobe Systems has become synonymous with great design tools, and the company's impact on how we work in publishing, graphic arts, and on the Web is unmatched. Join Pfiffner on a colorful journey from the roots of the desktop publishing revolution through the rise of the Web and interactive design. Along the way, you'll witness the birth and evolution of PostScript, the explosion of the Photoshop market, the realization of the paperless office, and other events that have shaped the way we communicate.

Inside the Publishing Revolution is not one of those dull historical tomes you know and loathe from high school. Pfiffner packs its pages with lively, insightful interviews with world-class designers and illustrators, as well as personal insights and recollections from John Warnock, Chuck Geschke, Jonathan Seybold, and other publishing luminaries. Richly illustrated and beautifully designed, the book features galleries of historically significant work by leading artists and rare photographs from the Adobe archives. For added perspective, Pfiffner walks you through an illustrated timeline of the publishing revolution. As with history, the final chapter of the Adobe story remains to be written, so the book ends with an eye toward the future: an exclusive overview of the company's vision of publishing in the next decade.

Book Description

Is the prison system cost effective with an eightyfive percent recidivism rate? What is the relationship between alcohol and the reservation, drugs and the Black community? Earl exposes the hype and offers solutions.

Customer Reviews:

A fresh perspective on Black on Black Crime.......2002-10-15

Dr. Hutchinson give an insight on the historical basis on crime, race and law enforcement. He shows what has worked and what has not. Finally, he proposes some solutions to the problems that are plaguing many American cities.

Average customer rating:

The Mugging of Black America -
Earl Hutchinson -
Manufacturer: African American Images Publishing-
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OMR43K

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