Bad Chili

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Hap and Leonard find more trouble

This Chili's an acquired taste

Nature Gone Wild

Good Ole Hap and Leonard

Perfect entertainment!

Bad Chili
Joe R. Lansdale
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Series | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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Two Bear Mambo

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Mucho Mojo

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Sunset and Sawdust

ASIN: 0446606022

Amazon.com

After Hap checks himself out of the hospital and finds Leonard hiding in his bed, the fourth novel in this series kicks into high gear--or what passes for high gear in Lansdale's deceptively laid-back storytelling style. Pretty soon, they've stumbled onto a conspiracy involving gaybasher pornography, and Leonard's ready to exact some vigilante justice over Hap's protestations: "There's few people think a roach exterminator is a murderer. I'm not talkin' about beatin' up and rapin' innocent people who are lookin' for love in all the wrong places. I'm talkin' about stampin' out a plague, man.... I've heard you rave about the horrors of the child sex trade in Thailand, the poor, the plight of blacks and women and gays, and all the stuff you gripe about, but me, I'm gonna do somethin'."

Add in a budding romance between Hap and Brett Sawyer, the nurse who tells him on their first date about how she set her abusive husband on fire--which impresses him much more than it scares him--and you've got the makings of another classic Lansdale thriller. --Ron Hogan

Book Description

Hap Collins is in a LaBorde, Texas, hospital recuperating from an attackby a rabid squirrel and wondering why his best friend, Leonard Pine, hasn't been by to visit. Turns out that Leonard was upset enough about his boyfriend Raul leaving him for another guy that he went down to the biker bar this guy hangs out at and beats him with a broom handle. When the biker turns up dead later that night, it doesn't take long to guess who the primary suspect is--especially with Leonard nowhere to be found.After Hap checks himself out of the hospital and finds Leonard hiding in his bed, the fourth novel in this series kicks into high gear--or what passes for high gear in Lansdale's deceptively laid-back storytelling style. Pretty soon, they've stumbled onto a conspiracy involving gaybasher pornography, and Leonard's ready to exact some vigilante justice over Hap's protestations: "There's few people think a roach exterminator is a murderer. I'm not talkin' about beatin' up and rapin' innocent people who are lookin' for love in all the wrong places. I'm talkin' about stampin' out a plague, man.... I've heard you rave about the horrors of the child sex trade in Thailand, the poor, the plight of blacks and women and gays, and all the stuff you gripe about, but me, I'm gonna do somethin'."Add in a budding romance between Hap and Brett Sawyer, the nurse who tells him on their first date about how she set her abusive husband on fire--which impresses him much more than it scares him--and you've got the makings of another classic Lansdale thriller. --Ron Hogan

Download Description

A leather-jacketed, hog-riding biker is dead. Leonard Pine is the suspect. To help his partner in the case of one murdered lowlife, Hap Collins won't be bending the law, he'll be stomping the hell out of it. Spicing the mix will be LaBorde's own Chili King, a woman in white with a dark past, an actual tornado, several dead bodies in unwelcome places, and an unpleasant experience involving blocks of ice and car batteries. Not to mention the matter of one rabid squirrel.

Customer Reviews:

Hap and Leonard find more trouble.......2007-10-04

Long time friends Leonard Pine and Hap Collins are out in the woods, taking target practice and talking about an unfortunate turn in Leonard's love life (his lover, Raul, dumped him for another man, "Horse D**k" McNee). Without warning, a rabid squirrel explodes from the trees and attacks, zeroing in on Hap. The squirrel bites Hap on the right forearm before Leonard can kill it with his car. Hap, hospitalized for insurance reasons, starts treatment to prevent the onset of rabies.

Hap makes the best of his hospital stay, but is puzzled by Leonard's failure to visit. A friend on the police force explains why: shortly after Hap checked in, Leonard invaded a biker bar, beat the crap out of Horse D**k McNee, and fled. Unfortunately, Horse Dick later turned up dead, making Leonard a prime suspect. Hap, ignoring his doctor's wishes, and foregoing the chance to flirt with sexy nurse Brett Sawyer, checks out of the hospital to find his friend and clear his name.

Leonard does not remain a suspect for long, as he and Hap hook up and do what they do best, by which I mean they stir up trouble. They discover that Horse Dick was an undercover cop who apparently was investigating the producers of a series of stalk and rape movies in which gangs terrorize, then sodomize, unsuspecting gay men. Their investigations turn up Raul's corpse, and lead them to Charles Arthur, the self described "Chili King", who appears to be behind the movies and the killings.

Proving that a deck can have as many as three wild cards, Lansdale involves private detective Jim Bob Luke (who first appeared in Lansdale's brutal novel Cold in July) in the action. Investigating the case from another angle, Luke rescues Hap from an extremely tight spot (Hap's privates are wired up to a car battery at the time), and joins the pair as they close in on the lowlife behind all the mayhem. Luke adds a comic and savage element to the novel, helping propel it to a harrowing and surprising climax.

If you are a horror/suspense fan, I hardly need to sing Lansdale's praises--his distinctive voice and powerful storytelling are evident on every page. Like previous entries in this series (Savage Season, Mucho Mojo and The Two Bear Mambo), Lansdale uses Hap and Leonard's antics to counter the grim events occurring around them. Two of mystery fiction's more memorable characters, Hap and Leonard have a great talent for finding, then evading, trouble. An East Texas version of Travis McGee and Meyer, their philosophical discussions and wiseass humor will keep you laughing.

The highlight of the book is Jim Bob Luke, who gives new meaning to the phrase "larger than life." Luke steals every scene he's in (and some he isn't), leading me to speculate that Lansdale might inaugurate a new series featuring the hard boiled private eye. I, for one, would welcome it--hell, I'd welcome anything that puts more Lansdale books in my sweaty little hands.

This Chili's an acquired taste.......2006-10-15

Reading the "first sentence" and "statistically improbable phrases" above may just tell you all you need to know about whether or not this book is for you. This is, if I've got it right, the fourth in the Hap/Leonard series, and while the characters still manage some surprises, they haven't advanced much; Lansdale has to rachet up the action a bit to keep our interest.

But plot is secondary to characterization here, and these characters are stock Lansdale: leather-tough, casually obscene and unabashedly hard-boiled, but with generous dollops of self-doubt and existential angst beneath their battle-scarred exteriors.

Not quite as much fun as Mucho Mojo, the prior entry in the series, this tale requires a bit more suspension of disbelief and tolerance for brutality. But experienced Lansdale readers will find this a worthy effort.

Nature Gone Wild.......2005-12-09

I only recently re-read this book after a few years and was struck by how FUNNY it is! Arguably the funniest in the Hap/Leonard series, its also pretty dark in many ways, and quite gory as well. Rabies plays a key role in both the beginning and conclusion to this story, in a weird - and oddly satisfying - circular construct. The plot involves Hap's quest to clear Leonard of possible murder charges. There's also what seems to be an underlying theme - with vivid descriptions of torture, gay-bashing for entertainment, mad animals and a violent storm - of nature, in all of its forms, gone wild. Joe Lansdale is somehow able to convey humor even while proving once again that HUMAN nature is still the baddest mf on the block (okay, that storm is pretty bad. But human nature runs a very close second here, trust me!). A must-read.

Good Ole Hap and Leonard.......2005-11-08

Man, I just love the Hap and Leonard series. Lansdale's dialogue is hysterical, and somehow the situations these characters keep finding themselves in doesn't feel forced at all. They're the greatest losers that ever lived (on page anyway).

Once again, our heores must solve a mystery surrounding the death of Leonard's boyfriend, and eek out the source of some gay bashing videos that have been circulating at local video stores. Along the way we deal with a self proclaimed Chili King, an ex wrestler who likes to hook people testicles up to car batteries, a nurse with a penchant for lighting people on fire, a particularly rabid squirrel, and then some.

Perhpas my favorite part of this novel is the introduction of Joe Bob, a gun totin', gun slingin' private Detective who accompanies Hap and Leonard on their quest. I hope he returns in the next novel becuase he's just a great character.

My only gripe about this particular book in the series is that the end falls a little flat. Lansdale goes for reality more than cliche'd entertainment..but you know what, I would have preferred the cliche at the end.

Still, it's a terrif book , and fast paced enough to read in a single day. Lansdale is truly the king of Mojo.

Perfect entertainment!.......2005-08-01

I love Joe R. Lansdale; I think he is the best writer ever to put words on paper. He should be knighted or something. The Hap and Leonard series is pure joy from start to finish. I love both of them, their beautiful friendship, their humor and the outrageous situations they manage to get themselves into. As always, this novel has incredibly well-written prose, hilarious lines and situations and wonderful suspense and action. You really care about the good guys--I always want to hug them!--and yell yee-haw when the bad guys get their asses kicked. The best thing about these books, is that there is also a serious, sometimes wistful tone underneath it all. Sometimes you cry a little. Sometimes you want to hide from the evil of the bad guys. But mostly you just laugh! Perfect!

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Bad Chili

Manufacturer: Mojo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HKMSW6

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Flight to Savage Empire
Jean Lorrah , and Howlett
Manufacturer: Roc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0451141695

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Flight to the Savage Empire
Jean and Howlett, Winston H. Lorrah
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GRA4SU

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SAVAGE EMPIRE: Book (1) One: Savage Empire; Book (2) Two: Dragon Lord; Book (3) Three: Captives; Book (4) Four: Flight to; Book (5) Five: Sorcerers of the Frozen Isles; Book (6) Six: Wulfston's Odyssey; Book (7) Seven: Empress Unborn
Jean (with Winston A. Howlett on two titles) Lorrah
Manufacturer: Berkley Books; Signet Books; Playboy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NRS07K

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Staying Healthy With Nutrition

LOADS of info....

Good book

Good book

Excellent Reference Book

Staying Healthy With Nutrition, 21st Century Edition: The Complete Guide to Diet & Nutritional Medicine
Elson M. Haas , and Buck Levin
Manufacturer: Celestial Arts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Diets | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Weight Loss | Diets | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Nutrition | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Accessories:

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 1587611791

Book Description

A thorough and intensive discussion of nutritional medicine, STAYING HEALTHY WITH NUTRITION compiles decades of practical experience and scientific research into one encyclopedic volume. In this revised and updated twenty-first century edition, Dr. Elson Haas and Dr. Buck Levin present the most current health and nutrition information available. STAYING HEALTHY WITH NUTRITION features newly expanded chapters on special supplements, lifestyle programs, and groundbreaking medical treatment programs for conditions including fatigue, viral illnesses, and weight management. This comprehensive guide to good health is jam-packed with facts presented in a friendly and engaging tone. Easy to read and accessible for experts and novices alike, STAYING HEALTHY WITH NUTRITION is the ultimate handbook to maximum health, longevity, and general well-being.

Customer Reviews:

Staying Healthy With Nutrition.......2007-09-30

This author's books have proven practicle and invaluable over the years.
This was my first and most recent purchase.
I shared and then gave the earlier volume to a friend.
You may gain as wide or narrow insight as your demands dictate.
How and why do things work and how your needs may be met.

LOADS of info...........2007-07-30

This is an EXCELLENT source book for any nutrition question you could ever ponder! Amazing collection of info here! Everyone should own this book. GLAD I found it!

Good book.......2007-05-13

One of the few books I know of that speaks about every food separetely. Very useful. I love it and use it a lot.

Kira Levy
Naturopath

Good book.......2006-11-05

I'm finding this book quite interesting. It offers new ideas on health and holistic nutrition that conventional medicine hasn't explored. On the other hand, I felt it needed to include more scientific research and back up more of his comments and eliminate the "I think" ones - somehow one's feelings seem more appropriate to express in humanities subjects and not on nutrition.

Excellent Reference Book.......2006-06-25

I've been experimenting with orthomolecular nutrition for several years, and found Dr. Haas' book to be an invaluable resource. He gives ample information about each vitamin, mineral, etc. including deficiency and toxicity symptoms. It has been a very useful book.

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Two Fat Ladies Ride Again

This cookbook is the most fun of any I've come across!

forget dieting

The Two Fat Ladies Ride Again
Clarissa Dickson Wright , and Jennifer Paterson
Manufacturer: Clarkson Potter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
English, Scottish & Welsh | European | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0609603795
Release Date: 1998-10-13

Amazon.com

Streets are shaking and buildings are trembling! This can mean only one thing: the two fat ladies, those disciples of all foods good and forbidden, have returned! No thin stomach is safe from the pleasures of Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright's 130 titillating new recipes. Even the names ooze joy, wonderment, and yearning--Mrs. Anne Bearley's Rhubarb Whim Wham and Fried Eggs on Puffball Mushrooms, to name but two of these delectable dishes. As in the style of the fat ladies' previous (and wondrous) creation, Cooking with the Two Fat Ladies, witty anecdotes and a uniquely British brand of humor make The Two Fat Ladies Ride Again much more than just a list of recipes. When speaking of pudding (that's dessert to any nonroyal subject), Clarissa writes, "A pudding should be unequivocally a pudding ... at your next dinner party, try serving two puddings, one in my style with cream and meringue and delicious things, and one soi-disant healthy variety, and see which you are left with to carry back to the kitchen." How right she is--foods ooze with richness and high taste. Rigo Jancis Chocolate Slices require not only bittersweet chocolate, but also cocoa powder, eggs, sugar, and heavy, stiffly whipped cream. There are no low-fat yogurt substitutes here!

Recipes are neatly and simply categorized as appetizers, main dishes, puddings, and picnic foods--divinely illustrated with full-color photographs. Also included are chapters on the three best times of the day--breakfast time, teatime, and cocktail hour! Meat, game, and fish feature heavily--Beef with Chestnuts, Pears, and Almonds is a particularly succulent Catalonian dish, combining a tasty, tangy fresh sauce to accompany roast beef or steak. These beautiful creations do require a degree of cooking experience, and cannot be whipped up in the microwave. But the rewards are high--delicious, pleasing foods that will nurture the soul. --Naomi Gesinger

Book Description

They're eccentric, they're outspoken--and they're back, ready for more delicious adventures! Clarissa Dickson Wright and Jennifer Paterson, stars of Food Network's and PBS's hit series The Two Fat Ladies, once again take to their motorcycle and sidecar and serve up rich, delectable dishes in the tradition of their first book, Cooking with the Two Fat Ladies.

Their irreverent wit and pure, old-fashioned enjoyment of food has won them a devoted audience on both sides of the Atlantic. But they are much more than entertainers, as The Two Fat Ladies Ride Again reaffirms. Packed with more than 120 recipes, from Light Dishes, Starters, and Savories to Picnics, Ride Again rises to the standard set by the Ladies' best-selling first collection.

Breakfast has never been so lavish as with their Aniseed Waffles, Bread and Butter Pudding, and Red Flannel Hash. Feast on Devilled Fish Sandwiches and Scottish Seed Cake, then wash it all down with a Royal Bombay Yacht Club Cocktail ("As drunk by the very drunk at the Royal Bombay Yacht Club"). The Ladies laugh in the face of the fat-fearing fanatic and are proud to share such decadent gems as Spare Ribs and Whisky Chocolate Pie.

Sprinkled throughout are whimsical personal anecdotes and snapshots of the Ladies, inviting all to experience their world of devilish fun and feast. Dickson Wright and Paterson eat and live indulgently and encourage others to do the same, giving readers license to partake in their full-flavored food--and enjoy every delicious moment.

Customer Reviews:

Two Fat Ladies Ride Again.......2004-08-20

Being a true fan of Clarissa Dickson Wright and the late Jennifer Paterson's TV Series, I was delighted to discover their book, Two Fat Ladies Ride Again. I do hope the series is available on DVD. The recipes are always unusual, well written and I'm sure, judging from the TV series, absolutely delicious. The book is worth reading for the anecdotes alone. I can't wait to acquire other books in the series or written by either of the two women.

This cookbook is the most fun of any I've come across!.......1999-01-01

This cookbook is wonderful! A joy to read, even if not cooking or looking up a recipe. A few of the items are a tad difficult to come by in my part of the world (Pickled Walnuts & Gentlemens Relish for example), but most of them are accessable, and I've made many of these recipes with great success. I highly recommend "Devils on Horseback" which gave me quite a reputation at work. Thanks Jennifer & Clarissa!

forget dieting.......1998-09-04

Stop with worring about food and start enjoing it. Just reading the book rises your cholesterol level but who cares. It's great to see these ladies enyoy cooking and enyoing life. A great gift for anyone who can't stick to his/her diet and feels misserable about it.

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TWO FAT LADIES RIDE AGAIN
JENNIFER PATTERSON
Manufacturer: EBURY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000S66ZVY

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TWO FAT LADIES RIDE AGAIN
Unknown
Manufacturer: EBURY PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SAHH44

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Two Fat Ladies Ride Again
Jennifer; Wright, Clarissa Dickson Paterson
Manufacturer: Ebury Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0091854148

TWO FAT LADIES RIDE AGAIN Excellent Recipes from Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright

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TWO FAT LADIES RIDE AGAIN Excellent Recipes from Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright
Jennifer; WRIGHT, Clarissa Dickson PATERSON
Manufacturer: Elan Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1551441926

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The Two Fat Ladies Ride Again
Jennifer & Clariss Dickson Wright Paterson
Manufacturer: Clarkson Potter Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O0514G

Customer Reviews:

My Pet died (Let's Make A Book About It).......2000-01-17

As a parent of a 5 year old, I found this book to be an excellent tool for both my daughter and myself. When our dog died, the book gave my daughter an outlet for her feelings; ie. the book offered open-ended questions and she could draw pictures in response to the questions. Her work in the book reassured me that her grief was taking a natural course, easing my own "parent pain" for my daughter. I highly recommend this book for preschoolers and up.

This book helped me get all my feelings out when my dog died.......1999-06-02

Parents, you should buy this book if your pet or your children's pet dies because it will help your child get all his or her feelings out. If you (the child) do not want to share it with anyone, you don't have to - you can just keep it to yourself. The book is organized like a journal where you answer different questions on different pages about your feelings. You don't have to write it all at once; in fact, the book encourages you to come back and answer some questions later on. You can also paste pictures of your pet in the book or draw pictures of it or try to express how you are feeling in a drawing. by Robin Berger, age 11

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My Pet Frisky Died Yesterday
Gerald Gillespie
Manufacturer: Todd & Honeywell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0899628400

Book Description

20 color postcards feature some of New England's most beautiful and celebrated covered bridges.

Customer Reviews:

Historical postcards.......2007-01-10

My grandson is interested in poatcards of covered bridges so I bought this for him as a Christmas gift. He was delighted with it. The pictures are excellent and has many bridges with which we are familiar having lived in New England for most of our lives.

Book Description

Devoted entirely to the flowering trees most recommended for home and urban landscapes, this handy encyclopedia discusses the basics—horticultural terms, botanic names, hardiness zones, and native versus exotic species—as well as each tree’s unique characteristics, such as height, spread, flower color and size, flowering period, fruit, and seeds. Entries are supplemented with pertinent growing tips regarding pests and diseases, as well as the benefits of exceptional varieties and cultivars. A second section discusses siting and caring for trees, including the importance of proper soil, nutrition, light, and pruning instructions. Special care is given to detail the process of integrated pest management, which uses natural and organic treatments when possible. The volume concludes with a glossary of terms, resources for finding trees, a list of public gardens worth visiting, and a selection of the author’s favorite trees.

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Great Flowering Landscape Shrubs

Great Flowering Landscape Shrubs
Vincent A. Simeone
Manufacturer: Ball Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Ornamental Plants | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Shrubs | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1883052424

Book Description

With stunning color photos throughout, this gardening guide describes more than 50 types of the best flowering shrubs and details their use in home landscaping. Shrubs are arranged by genus, separated into deciduous flowering and notable evergreen shrubs, and listed with the common name; size and shape; foliage color, shape, and texture; flower and fruit (if any); soil, nutrient, and light needs; pruning needs for maximum growth and/or flower; and USDA Hardiness Zones. Details of specific species, cultivars, and varieties that lead to exceptional size, color, flower, hardiness, and durability are also included. Helpful hints on soil types, watering, pest control, and pruning explore how best to plant and care for any shrub. The appendix includes lists of nurseries, web sites for further information, and an extensive index and bibliography.

Customer Reviews:

Great Flowering Landscape Shrubs.......2005-09-26

Great book in great condition. Prompt shipping and packed very very well. Thanks very much for the book and being so thorough.

Average customer rating:
The graphics of communication: Typography, layout, design, production
Arthur T Turnbull
Manufacturer: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Typography | Graphic Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Desktop Publishing | Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
General | Publishing & Books | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0030216664

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The Graphics of Communication Typography Layout Design Production
Russell N Baird
Manufacturer: Thomson Learning
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OABBQS

Book Description

During the dark days of the Great Depression, thousands of weary souls escaped their bleak lives for a week of paradise aboard the Ward Line's glamorous cruise ship, the Morro Castle. It was the most famous passenger liner of its day, lightning fast, elegantly appointed. It was also a ticking time bomb.

It was the summer of 1934. Two sailors joined the Morro Castle crew, one a teenager on his first job away from home, the other a dangerous psychopath. Within two months, they would witness the end of the party in a single night of death, killer storms, and catastrophic fire. And that was only the beginning of a twenty-year-long story.

In When the Dancing Stopped, we too walk up the gangplank to that art-deco liner and, at first, enjoy the glamour and the sultry Havana nights. With mounting suspense, we also witness the launch of a mystery that mesmerized the nation and then, in the midst of troubled times, faded away. Award-winning author Brian Hicks, using newly declassified FBI files, thousands of pages of investigation notes, testimony, and new interviews, takes the reader on a mid-century cruise through history, revealing a cold-case file that had been, until now, left unsolved for history. And, as he relates in this work of masterful storytelling, it all began with the last cruise of the Morro Castle.

One of those two men, Thomas Torresson Jr., first sailed on the cruise ship as a high school senior recovering from serious illness and soon found a love that would endure his entire life. Within months, he would join the crew. For George Rogers, a gifted radio operator with a secret past, the ship was merely the latest in a long line of jobs. Their paths would cross several times on the way to their destiny, and the disaster would affect the two in very different ways: one would become famous, the other scarred forever.

In the grand tradition of The Devil in the White City, Hicks details a desperate investigation and the search for what may be the modern era's first serial killer through the tragic backdrop of a country suffering through depression and a buildup to war. With cameos by J. Edgar Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Ernest Hemingway, When the Dancing Stopped is the captivating true story of two men irrevocably bound by history -- a true American hero and a dangerous killer masquerading as one. More than that, there is the larger cast of characters: crew members and passengers, investigators, scoundrels, and, yes, additional victims. For the story that began on that storm-tossed night off the coast of New Jersey continued, as we now learn, for decades to come.

Customer Reviews:

Riveting Retelling of a Classic American Mystery.......2007-08-30

The strange story of the cruise liner S.S. Morro Castle is truly one of history's most intriguing "stranger than fiction" mysteries. The Depression-era Morro Castle sailed regularly between New York and a then pre-Communist Cuba. But even though old Havana was a prized tourist destination in those days, the political turmoil of the island in and of itself infected the Morro Castle with intrigues. The Morro Castle's cargo business involved it in what can only be called gun running, and the repressive "banana republic" governance found in Cuba lead to political agitation amongst her crew. Labor unrest in general seemed to be a constant since the liner's owners seemed a bit too ready to take advantage of the desperation of the crew for jobs while the Depression raged. And as the troubled liner plied her trade, her captain, Robert Willmott, himself became more and more troubled. Mysterious fires broke out on the ship during her runs. Stories reached the captain about explosives and toxic chemicals being smuggled aboard to either sabotage the ship or injure him personally. On the Morro Castle's last voyage, Willmott had become so paranoid that he had nearly cutoff all contact with passengers and crew.

On that last voyage on the last night of the cruise, the beleaguered captain dropped dead under circumstances that can only be called mysterious in the light of subsequent events. The exhausted up-since-dawn first mate, William Warms, has to take charge only to find himself piloting the ship through the most bizarre weather imaginable. A hurricane is traveling up the East Coast from the south while simultaneously a Nor'easter is traveling south - trapping the Morro Castle between the two and leaving her no escape from gale force winds. Three A.M. sees the ultimate horror when a fire breaks out amidships in one of the few rooms aboard that is not fitted with smoke detectors or sprinklers. In minutes the fire burns out of control and cuts nearly everyone off from lifeboats. Most of the passengers and crew find themselves forced to decide whether to burn to death or jump into storm tossed seas. Over a hundred die from the fire or in the water off of the New Jersey coast and in an eerie coda, the burned out liner herself drifts ashore at Asbury Park and draws gawkers to watch her smolder for weeks on end. The sequence of events that night was so bizarre that speculation began immediately that the suspicious fire wasn't accidental but was purposely set.

The story didn't end there, however. It became even more disturbing. One of the ship's officers - one of the few that ended that night being lauded for his heroism - proved in subsequent years to be a homicidal sociopath. It was discovered that he had a criminal history prior to his time aboard the Morro Castle. Not only was he convicted for robbery, but he was strongly suspected of having committed arson to hide his burglaries. After his time on the Morro Castle, he attempted to murder a co-worker with a homemade bomb, was suspected of poisoning a water cooler at his place of work, and finally was sent to prison for life for the gruesome murder of his elderly neighbors. Although this proves nothing about the events of that awful September morning, the path of devastation this man wrought in his life can't help but fuel speculation as to whether he had a role in the death and destruction that took place on Morro Castle's last voyage.

I have the distinction of having read every book written about that terrible fire at sea, although that's not that impressive an accomplishment given the fact that Hicks' is only the fourth. Since I read the other three so long ago, however, I don't feel it fair to compare this newer book too directly to those others. There is admittedly not too much new here to those who also may have read a prior book about the Morro Castle. What Hicks' narrative has, however, is a tremendous driving energy that pulls you as deeply into the events of that night as possible. Even though I knew exactly what was due to come next, I still found myself seized with a tremendous foreboding with the recounting of each new ominous turn in the story. In fact, I think that this masterful narrative drive is actually Hicks' biggest contribution to the historical record as well. As well acquainted as I was with the story, I still never realized just how bad the hand William Warms was dealt that night. Up since dawn, finding a respected friend dead in the middle of the night, and having to assume command in the middle of not one but two tropical storms, he must have been a nervous wreck well before the fire started. One can always argue that a different man might have better risen to the occasion that morning, but past accounts of this tragedy have tended to paint the poor man as an incompetent bungler - a portrait that seems grossly unfair in light of the mounting series of problems he faced.

What also becomes clear from Hicks' account is how thin the line was between nuisance and outright disaster. In fact, it's not even clear that the fire wasn't already out of control the moment it was discovered. When one thinks of maritime disasters, one inevitably recalls the Titanic. But the Titanic sank over the course of four hours, giving plenty of time for all aboard to react in the best manner possible. The Morro Castle fire was more in the nature of an engine falling off an airplane wing - the pilot has one split-second decision to make that determines whether the plane crashes or lands safely. In some ways the situation aboard the Morro Castle was even worse in that successfully fighting the fire or saving as many people as possible would have entailed a series of split-second decisions by scores of crew members located all over the ship. Once the fire had spread out of control, the lifeboats were already essentially inaccessible by the passengers. This left the crew with little they could do to save lives. The fire also quickly spread to the engine room and knocked out the ship's engines. This left no way for the bridge to control the ship and left the ship's acting captain helpless to do much to save passengers. Crew incompetence is a big part of earlier recitations of this story but even though there were some incidents of undeniable cowardice on the part of the crew, it's not easy to see how the crew could have lessened the disaster in a substantial way once the fire spread out of control.

I think Hicks has also improved on earlier accounts in his handling of the testimony of the enormously unlucky radio operator George Alagna. Past accounts of the Morro Castle's last days have tended to treat Alagna's tale as gospel. Frankly, I think this is because his testimony casts everyone aboard in the worst light possible. Hicks, however, demonstrates that Alagna was a bit of a hothead and troublemaker. This doesn't totally discredit his account by any means, but does imply that one should subject it to the same skepticism accorded to the testimony of any of the other officers onboard. Keeping Alagna's testimony at arm's length actually makes the story of that morning richer and more human. I'm sure that the Morro Castle's officers where good men who, had things not progressed to disaster so quickly, might have pulled together to salvage what they could of the situation. The fire, however, left them all in a hopeless situation. And what can be expected from men in a hopeless situation? Ego-clashes. Finger-pointing. Self-pity. None of these are pretty, but they are completely understandable. Hicks has done a great service here I think by humanizing these poor men while other books have tended to paint them to a man as hapless failures.

As I grow older I find myself less and less inclined to believe the sensational. It's entirely possible that the sequence of disasters that overtook the Morro Castle that night were nothing but bad luck. On that awful night in September in 1934, the fates may just have collided over the waters of New Jersey to make the Morro Castle the worst possible place on the planet to be. Certainly, no human agency is to blame for the freakish weather which in and of itself claimed the most lives that morning. Willmott's death - while suspicious - was not unambiguously murder. The man wasn't found stabbed or shot, and he had earlier complained of things like chest pains that point to the very real possibility of a heart attack. And just because there was a wicked man aboard that night capable of committing arson, it doesn't mean that the fire was definitely set. The biggest criticism I have of Hicks' account is his failure to mention a very real possibility as to the cause of the blaze. The writing room locker in which the fire was initially discovered was backed by the ship's funnel. It's certainly possible that this funnel was malfunctioning and running hot - not only sparking a fire in the writing room locker but also super-heating its surrounding walls on several decks. This would also explain why the fire so quickly spread as deck after deck could have been heated to ignition temperatures over the course of the evening by the hot stack. And yet, while I think a lack of discussion of this possibility is a real problem with Hicks' telling, I still absolutely loved this book and strongly recommend it. The strange tale of the Morro Castle is a fascinating part of American history, and I devoutly wish that Hicks' wonderful telling acquaints or reacquaints as many people as possible with it.

Mystery solved?.......2007-03-19

Having grown up only minutes from Asbury Park I have seen the many photos of the Morro Castle beached in front of Convention Hall for years, but never knew the details of the fateful voyage until reading this excellent book. Unfortunately too much remians unknown about the ships true fate, and many years have passed. The author does an excellent job of trying to solve the mystery, but the ultimate explanation will never be known. Nonetheless "When the Dancing Stopped" is a well written, suspenseful book; a worthy read for anyone interested in maritime history or the history of New Jersey.

Newly declassified files help to shed light on a 70 year old mystery.......2006-11-23

Every so often I come across a book that grabs my attention in the opening pages and keeps me fixated right until the very end. "When The Dancing Stopped" is just such a book. Author Brian Hicks relates the incredible tale of the cruise ship Morro Castle and fantastic events that led to its untimely demise in September 1934 off the New Jersey Coast. The Morro Castle, flagship of the steamship company known as the Ward Line, carried all of the mail between New York and Cuba. It was a lucrative government contract worth more than $750,000 per year. The ship was also outfitted to carry hundreds of passengers on its weekly jaunts to Havana.
None of the passengers or crew members of the Morro Castle could possibly have anticipated the bizarre and deadly events would unfold on that fateful evening of September 8, 1934. Within just a few short hours the ships captain Robert Willmott would be found dead in his quarters and a deadly fire would break out on board the Morro Castle. To make matters worse a tropical storm was rapidly approaching the disabled vessel from the South while a massive Nor'easter was bearing down from the North. All the ingredients were in place for a major catastrophe!
What makes all of this so disturbing is that there was ample evidence to suggest that Captain Willmotte just might have been murdered and that the fire was indeed no accident. What could possibly motivate an individual or group of people to perpertate such dastardly deeds? This is what "When The Dancing Stopped" is all about. You will meet the members of the crew and learn how they reacted during this tragedy. You will be appalled to learn why so many of the lifeboats on board were never even used. You will also learn the identity of the individual who many suspect may have been motivated to set these horrible events in motion. Brian Hicks does a splendid job in researching this book. Hicks also makes use of recently declassified government documents that shed new light on this 70 year old mystery. But the story does not end with the Morro Castle. The individual suspected of planning and executing the events on that fateful night would continue to wreak havoc for another 20 years. It turns out that this portion of the book is every bit as compelling as the story of the disaster itself. Whether you are a fan of disaster books like I am or enjoy murder mysteries I suspect that "When The Dancing Stopped" is a book you will certainly enjoy. Highly recommended!

A great read! Highly recommended! .......2006-11-06

I highly recommend this book. It gives a poignant overview of the tragedy and a compelling overview of the man behind it. The author has gone to great lengths to research the disaster and it shows-- in a very readable way. An enjoyable read!

No new info .......2006-10-27

The book, When the Dancing Stopped, purports to put a new spin the story of the mysterious Morro Castle of 1934. The author reaches startlingly unoriginal conclusions about the fires origin- basically the same as found in the book, Morro Castle by Hal Burton.

Some of the FBI files that the author used were actually blocked for many years until authors Bob McDonnell and Fred Rasmussen fought to get them. Yet, the files that appear to be used only seem to pertain to George Rogers. Many FBI files (and important testimony) exist that do not pertain to George Rogers, but these were not used. There is nothing said about the empty B Deck suites that were soaked with gasoline, causing the fire to accelerate; Nothing about the ship's unlucky history regarding the potential to be destroyed by revolutionaries; and not much about the Ward Line's unlucky history and their history of suspicious ship fires.

The author also claims that he wanted to write this for Tom Torresson, and to try and set the record straight about the crew. This thread seems to be dropped in the book and not much is said in defense of the crew or to condemn the crew. The two stories Hicks uses (Doris Wacker and Tom Torresson) have been used before, so again, not much new info.

I cannot really think of anything exceptional about the book and unfortunately, cannot recommend it.

The TurnKey Investor's Deadly Sins of Real Estate Investing (The Audio Program): The Stupid & Foolish Things Investors Do To Kill Their Careers & Destroy Their Portfolios!

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A hard hitting, straight to the point audio course.

The TurnKey Investor's Deadly Sins of Real Estate Investing (The Audio Program): The Stupid & Foolish Things Investors Do To Kill Their Careers & Destroy Their Portfolios!
Matthew S. Chan
Manufacturer: Ascend Beyond Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1933723114
Release Date: 2007-02-01

Product Description

AVOID THE DEADLY SINS REAL ESTATE INVESTORS COMMIT THAT KILL THEIR CAREERS! For every successful real estate investor, there lies countless losers and casualties of an investment career gone terribly wrong. No matter how much success they may have had, these investors commit deadly (and sometimes unforgivable) investing sins that end their careers and ultimately destroy the very investment portfolios they were building and holding. Real estate is often forgiving of minor mistakes investors occasionally make. However, there is a difference between making mistakes and committing the Deadly Sins of Real Estate Investing. Whether you are a beginning or experienced real estate investor, you must know the deadly investing sins to absolutely avoid. Too many real estate investors have learned these tough life lessons by becoming a financial casualty. DON'T BECOME A FINANCIAL CASUALTY! It does not have to happen to you if you know where the lethal pitfalls are! This Audio Program will give you a jump-start to avoid committing the deadly sins that have crippled and destroyed the investment careers and portfolios of countless beginning and experienced investors.

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A hard hitting, straight to the point audio course........2007-02-12

In his audio course Matthew Chan claims that the main reasons many beginning and experienced investors fail is because they make the deadly sins of real estate investing, which every investor needs to avoid. Chan makes the claim that these Sins can destroy an investor's career and even their portfolio within a matter of time.

Matthew touches on a wide array of "sins" that I haven't seen addressed in many books or courses. Each chapter is full of information that can benefit any level of investor. It's funny because instead of someone telling us what to do to be successful. Matthew is telling us what not to do to become successful. That is what makes this program so special. Matthew Chan has basically given everyone a road map to success. One of the main reasons that most investors fail is because they end up performing one or more of the deadly sins. Matthew has told you what they are and how to avoid them. So just make sure to avoid them.

Each chapter is more of a lesson in what NOT TO DO to make sure you have a long and profitable career. This course is no fluff and no garbage and gets straight to the point. Matthew holds nothing back and I have to admit I enjoy his very upfront approach. In a nutshell, this course is a guidebook on what to avoid so that you won't fall into the same pit as many others. I personally loved this audio course and look forward to a Part 2, if it is ever created. P.S. You may be surprised at what the sins are. I have to admit that I have made a sin or two. At least now I know what they are and how to avoid them.

Employment Law: The Seven Deadly Sins - An Interactive Discussion Of Real Workplace Problems And Real Solutions in Nevada

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Employment Law: The Seven Deadly Sins - An Interactive Discussion Of Real Workplace Problems And Real Solutions in Nevada
Esq. Thomas R. Davies , Esq. Joshua L. Harmon , and Esq. Lori N. Nacht
Manufacturer: Lorman Education Services
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

Workplace | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000TCRXFE

Product Description

This manual will focus on some of the real life mistakes that employers make in dealing with employment matters and discuss the appropriate way to handle these issues.

MIKE SHAYNE MYSTERY - Volume 45, number 12 - December Dec 1981: Death in the Dailies; The Santa Claus Killer; The Next One's for Real; The Bun Man; A Real Phony; Deadly Dancer; A Mother's Heart; Fu Manchu

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MIKE SHAYNE MYSTERY - Volume 45, number 12 - December Dec 1981: Death in the Dailies; The Santa Claus Killer; The Next One's for Real; The Bun Man; A Real Phony; Deadly Dancer; A Mother's Heart; Fu Manchu
Charles E. (editor) (Brett Halliday; Mel D. James; Michael Scott Cain; Lee Duigon; Dov Ben Galil; William Stetson; Talmage Powell; Michael Avallone) Fritch
Manufacturer: Renown Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UR9C5C

Police Law: Top Legal Issues Affecting Law Enforcement in Colorado

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Police Law: Top Legal Issues Affecting Law Enforcement in Colorado
Thomas J. Lyons , Andrew J. Fisher , J. Andrew Nathan , Bernard Woessner , and Thomas Sullivan Rice
Manufacturer: Lorman Education Services
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
ASIN: B000NI7DRC

Product Description

Working between the public and the court system, law enforcement officials must have a practical knowledge of major legal requirements and liabilities in order to best perform duties and have confidence in daily decisions. This manual will provide readers with a working knowledge of laws which directly affect their job every day.

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Real Deadly
Ruby Langford Ginibi
Manufacturer: Louis Braille Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

African-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0732022673

REAL WESTERN STORIES - Volume 22, number 3 - October Oct 1956: Trouble Town; Suspended Animation; The Red Man's Story; The Master Gunman; The Battle of the Buffaloes; Short Sail to Trouble; John Brown's Colt; Vengeance is a Long Shot; Dynamite is Deadly

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REAL WESTERN STORIES - Volume 22, number 3 - October Oct 1956: Trouble Town; Suspended Animation; The Red Man's Story; The Master Gunman; The Battle of the Buffaloes; Short Sail to Trouble; John Brown's Colt; Vengeance is a Long Shot; Dynamite is Deadly
Robert W. (editor) (Warner Austin; Lon Williams; White Eagle; Jim Brewer; Edward Garner; Harold Gluck; Lee Priestly; Carl Breihan; Michael Avallone; Lee Thomas; Mark Miller; Alfred C. McGarry; Royal Boone; Lloyd Kevin; W. F. Bragg) Lowndes
Manufacturer: Columbia Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IA84Q4

Deadly bee syndrome strikes hives in Arkansas; nationwide Colony Collapse Disorder threatens production of variety of crops.(Upscale Real Estate): An article from: Arkansas Business

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Deadly bee syndrome strikes hives in Arkansas; nationwide Colony Collapse Disorder threatens production of variety of crops.(Upscale Real Estate): An article from: Arkansas Business
Jan Cottingham
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Arkansas Business, published by Thomson Gale on June 18, 2007. The length of the article is 2132 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: Deadly bee syndrome strikes hives in Arkansas; nationwide Colony Collapse Disorder threatens production of variety of crops.(Upscale Real Estate)
Author: Jan Cottingham
Publication: Arkansas Business (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 18, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 24 Issue: 24 Page: 1(3)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

The deadly effects of tobacco addiction.(HEADS UP: REAL NEWS ABOUT DRUGS AND YOUR BODY): An article from: New York Times Upfront

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The deadly effects of tobacco addiction.(HEADS UP: REAL NEWS ABOUT DRUGS AND YOUR BODY): An article from: New York Times Upfront
Gale Reference Team
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Smoking | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000MGV0MO
Release Date: 2007-01-09

Book Description

This digital document is an article from New York Times Upfront, published by Thomson Gale on November 27, 2006. The length of the article is 940 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 deadly effects of tobacco addiction.(HEADS UP: REAL NEWS ABOUT DRUGS AND YOUR BODY)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: New York Times Upfront (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 27, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 139 Issue: 6 Page: 16(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Real Kids Real Adventures: A Powerful Tornado! a Deadly Riptide (Real Kids Real Adventures, 3)

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Real Kids Real Adventures: A Powerful Tornado! a Deadly Riptide (Real Kids Real Adventures, 3)
Deborah Morris
Manufacturer: Perfection Learning Prebound
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0780775805

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