The Genera Sapotaceae

Book Description

This classic guide that introduced generations of hikers to the beauty of New Hampshire's White Mountains inspires once again with this new sixth edition.

The White Mountains of New Hampshire are the crown jewels of Northeast hiking. From Franconia Notch's abrupt and plush trails up Mounts Flume, Liberty, and Lafayette; to the gentler grades and shorter treks of Hedgehog and Stinson Mountains, and East and Greeley Ponds; to the legendary peaks of the Presidential Range, hikers of all ages and experience can find endless opportunities to put their feet on a path.

Rediscover (or discover for the first time) the riches of the White Mountains with this new sixth edition that includes hikes in Franconia Notch, Crawford Notch, and Pinkham Notch regions, as well as hikes of varying difficulty off the picturesque Kancamagus Highway and beyond. The 50 hikes here range in length from 1 to 33 miles, from easy walks to strenuous multiday backpacks. Each description includes driving directions, an account of the route, a clear map, and fascinating information about the history, wildlife, and lore of this rugged land. 50 black & white photos, 51 maps.

Customer Reviews:

Easy-to-follow directions.......2006-08-18

I used this book last weekend. The trail descriptions are very easy to follow, and the introductory write-ups make it easy to select appropriate trails for your skill/desired effort level.

Offers the White Mountain hiker everything.......2004-02-26

Living in California, I don't get a chance to hike in New Hampshire as often as I would like. But when I do, I always take this lightweight guide along in my car and in the pack. The best part about the guide is that hikes are described in detail and directions to each trailhead are given in exhaustive detail. This is especially important for out-of-towners who aren't familiar with the back country roads. The authors have hiked each of the trails and they offer pithy comments on trail conditions, the possibility of seeing wildlife and other pertinent information.

There is a separate section on the magnificent Cosos Trail, the 200+ mile hike which runs from the border of NH to he Canadian border. My one slight criticism is the maps, which could be of better quality, but the text, route descriptions and ancillary material are of high quality. The descriptions of day hikes around Pinkham Notch are excellent!

50 Beautiful Hikes.......2000-11-24

This book is a font of information -- everything you need to know about hiking in New Hampshire! The hiking trails have been well-researched, and the author evaluates the difficulty of each trail. Makes a great gift for the adventurer in your family!

Book Description

The life and struggles of an agitator and the fight to free the catering slaves of the West End of London. 38 strikes fought - 38 won!

Book Description

I Want to be The Reindeer! , is the second book in the CHARLIE SERIES. Like the first book, The Almost Christmas Pony, it is BASED ON A TRUE STORY. CHARLIE is a pony who really wants to be The Reindeer pulling Santa in his cart when the 4-H members go Christmas Caroling on horseback. Charlie feels he needs to prove his worth and value to the family that adopted him. Of course, his nemesis Paleface is on the scene along with the other 4-H ponies and horses who also are trying out for the part. Find out if Charlie gets to be The Reindeer. This book is fully illustrated in beautiful color. This book appeals to all animal lovers, and ALL AGES. It has been well received by teachers and read-a-loud volunteers. Children ages 6 through 11 years especially like it, but younger children (as young as 3) like having it read to them. JUV000000; PET000000

Book Description

Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine turned "the frumpy into the fabulous" (People) in What Not to Wear. Now, fashion's most lovable dictators return-looking better than ever-to tell women what NOT to wear for every occasion. No matter what age, shape, or budget, no matter if casual, smart, or trendy, Trinny and Susannah are here to help every woman look her personal best for:

- The Job Interview
- Workwear
- Playwear
- Parents Events at School
- Weddings
- Vacationwear
- Holiday Dressing
- Nights on the Town

And...what not to wear under it all!

Customer Reviews:

Somewhat Useful.......2007-09-16

I thought that this book was sort of useful in some sections, but others did not fit my lifestyle at all and some of the good ideas seemed to reveal too much to me (wearing a suit jacket with no shirt.) That sort of exposure is considered inappropriate in the circles I run in.

Quite a let-down.......2007-03-26

I've enjoyed Trinny and Susannah's other books and picked up quite a few tips from those, but this book has me shaking my head. Worst is the career-dressing advice: it might be fine if you've got an entry-level position, but if you're at a managerial or professional level, forget it!
For one thing, Trinny and Susannah seem to have a strong allergy to suits or, for that matter, any clothes that are conservative or classic. Well, trendy doesn't work for everybody, and it doesn't work all the time. Some of their "don'ts" work as well as, or even better, than their "do's". And some sections are overlong; do we really need numerous versions of skiwear and after-ski wear?

Not what I expected.......2007-02-21

Perhaps it is because the show is UK based but I was taken aback by some of the after pictures. Alot of dresses over pants and very outlandish hats are shown as do's.

Some of the befores don't look too bad other than the dated 80's look which I think we all know not to wear. I would have preferred more tips on handling body types rather than the obvious no's. They put in some really sloppy don'ts which aren't much help unless people in London are really walking around like that. We need more realistic don'ts as opposed to the obvious.

Ew........2007-01-21

On multiple occasions they recommend wearing "a dress over slacks" as a "contemporary style," ironically using the outdated word "slacks." Have you ever seen anybody wear this? I mean, without people pointing and laughing?

The dress over slacks idea generally summarises the character of What Not To Wear's fashion advice: Gross. Frumpy. Sometimes just plain weird. Granted, the outfits they "correct" in this book are worse, but only because the original outfits are inappropriate for the occasion in question. Their advised outfits are not technically inappropriate, just ugly, and certainly not the only stylistic alternative to the original like they seem to claim.

Their choices might not seem so disgusting to me and make me feel so defiantly resentful of everything they portray as "fashionable" if they didn't claim to be some sort of godlike aesthetic authority, despite having no tangible style. But they DO seem to claim that they are taste embodied, which is clearly impossible. If such a thing exists it certainly won't be found in anything do with the What Not to Wear franchise.

Just on Okay Book.......2006-08-25

If you are going to buy a book by these girls I would recommend their other book "What You Can Wear Can Change Your Life". This book has good information if you are going to a summer wedding or a winter wedding, if you are going on a summer vacation vs. a winter vacation. What to wear at the PTA meeting. A fun book, but more information in the other book.

Average customer rating:

Read the Introduction
Love the show, love the women, love the book
Don't waste your money

What Not to Wear for every occasion
Susannah Constantine , and Trinny Woodall
Manufacturer: Weidenfeld Nicolson Illustrated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Household Hints | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1841882364

Book Description

In WHAT NOT TO WEAR we established the rules for dressing to suit your body shape. While you now know which skirt to avoid and which dress length to wear, many women say they still don't know what to wear to certain occasions - a job interview, a hot date, a wedding, a school function, going on from work, or just running around. This book is occasion led. It brings together those other elements that will give you total confidence to attend any event, work in any environment, go anywhere on holiday, and feel totally appropriately dressed, FOR YOU. Whether you want your look to be casual, trendy or smart, Susannah and Trinny will show you how to sally forth with style and confidence.

Customer Reviews:

Read the Introduction.......2005-10-19

If you read the intro to this book it is a great help to understanding and utilizing it best. Many of the "what not to wear outfits" are as Trinny and Susannah say the most obvious options and therefore BORING. What they are trying to teach the reader is how to be different but still appropriate, and also how to stand out. It is a wonderful source for anyone who wants to do that. It is fun to look at, has funny comments, and will help you get out of a rut, as will all of the what not to wear books. I highly reccomend all three. It is also an excellent eye opener for anyone who is in a bit of a time warp. Give them to all of your girlfriends as gifts.

Love the show, love the women, love the book.......2005-01-07

I think this book is fabulous, unlike the other reviewer. I agree with the canadian mum who felt that some of the selections were alittle "off" but the book has sections that allow the reader to determine her comfort level with fashion. So, there's a "classic", "trendy", "casual", and "dressy" for each of the book chapters such as Beach, Interviews, Mommy Going Back to the Office, etc. So, I think you should have a little "bizzare" for the "trendy" "cutting edge" mom. Its a great book and it introduces you to new things as well as ways to upgrade the old. Another winner from the fashionistas for BBC.

Don't waste your money.......2004-01-09

Although I love the What Not To Wear programmes, this book was a big disappointment. It is divided into occasions (work, weddings, school functions, etc.) and gives several examples of what to wear and what not to wear for each. The problem was that the suggested outfits were far too fussy and in somecases even bizarre. For example they suggested a long orange and brown woven dress with a large head piece made of fake butterflies as appropriate for a winter wedding. For a day-to-evening look they suggested wearing a plain white suit and then removing to blouse in the evening (showing cleavage almost to the waist). The everyday outfits emphasised large metal belts (I threw mine away in the 80's) and wearing dresses over full loose trousers. Personally I would feel like a fashion victim in the majority of their suggested outfits. The funniest suggestion was to make sure the back of your thong underwear is pretty (they show an embroidered butterfly) so people have something nice to look at when you bend over. Granted I'm a mum of 2 from Toronto, but I don't think I will be rushing out to follow their advice.

3 Fashion Book Set By Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine; What You Wear Can Change Your Life; What Not to Wear; What Not to Wear for Every Occasion

Average customer rating:

3 Fashion Book Set By Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine; What You Wear Can Change Your Life; What Not to Wear; What Not to Wear for Every Occasion
Trinny Woodall , and Susannah Constantine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WE8CIG

Product Description

3 Fashion Book Set By Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine; What You Wear Can Change Your Life; What Not to Wear; What Not to Wear for Every Occasion.

Average customer rating:

What Not To Wear for Every Occasion
Trinny Woodall
Manufacturer: RIVERHEAD BOOKS/PENGUIN PUTNAM
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N7ABLS

Average customer rating:

This book made a huge difference

Fibromyalgia Advocate

YOU MUST OWN THIS BOOK

Simply Excellent

Best Information on FM

The Fibromyalgia Advocate
Devin Starlanyl
Manufacturer: NEW HARBINGER PUBLICATIONS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain: A Survival Manual (2nd Edition)

Taking Charge of Fibromyalgia: Everything You Need to Know to Manage Fibromyalgia, Fifth Edition

The First Year: Fibromyalgia: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed (First Year, The)

The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief, Second Edition

Parting the Fog: The Personal Side of Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

ASIN: 1572241217

Customer Reviews:

This book made a huge difference.......2007-08-06

Dr. Starlanyl was way ahead of her time when she wrote this book. I actually read this in 2006 after 4 months of extremely painful and useless chiropractic "treatments." Frustrated and in severe pain, I picked up this book and learned a few things I didn't already know. The main one being the difference between Myofascial Pain Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Syndrome. Trigger point therapy (TPT) is used to treat MPS and my FMS exacerbates the MPS. But now I had found a new treatment that actually allowed me to move again. Before TPT: Vacuuming would leave me in a knotted mess with severe low back pain and full-blown FMS flare. After TPT: Now when vacuuming pretty much feel only the exhaustion of FMS and a slight tension. And this has lasted a year! I am so thankful.

Definitely give this book a read and her other book. Check out my reviews for other helpful FMS books.

Fibromyalgia Advocate .......2007-04-10

Exceptional book helps everyone who has this depliating disease. A must have I think .. glad i got it

YOU MUST OWN THIS BOOK.......2007-03-10

Regardless if you have this condition, know someone that has the condition, if your going to work/or do work in a clinical setting, YOU MUST OWN THIS BOOK!! I'm a recently retired Federal Clinical Social Worker who regrets not owning this book sooner. If your a librarian, do your clients a favor, PURCHASE THIS BOOK!! I plan to purchase this book for my PAIN CLINIC TEAM at the Veterans Hospital. Anyone knowing a veteran, military person, or a dependent of such should take a look at this book. Military people, past & present, take a body beating from the constant physical demands. This, in the long run, will effect you. Please, read the symptoms & be honset with yourself when doing so. There is no gain with pain if you don't acquire the needed help to manage it. It also doesn't make you less a person to admit your smart enough to accept help when needed. I was in the Marine Corps from 84 to 90. I didn't begin to feel the symptoms till 1999. I worked for the Veterans Hospital from 1994 til I medically retired in 2006. What is known as the Persian Gulf Syndrome is Fibromyalgia!!!! You need not have been in the Gulf to get this condition!!! Please, consider what I've typed & help another with the knowledge you will acquire from this wonderful MUST HAVE book.

Simply Excellent.......2006-02-02

This is an incredible book on fibromyalgia written by an MD who actually has the disorder. In my opinion, it is a "must have" for everybody with FMS, their health care practitioners, and their significant others.

There are so many books out there on fibromyalgia, CFID, related exercise, nutrition, etc. and it's hard to find a book as your primary reference. This is the book, along with Devin's other book "Fibromyalgia & Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome: A survival Manual".

I was diagnosed 6 years ago after having the disorder for at least 10 years. I have also been an RN for 20 years and have the added benefit of extensive medical knowledge and references. Having Fibromyalgia has taught me that many excellent physicians and specialists are actually clueless on how to help you or point you in the right direction, and are actually poorly educated or misinformed on the disorder!

This book assists and educates both the sufferer and practitioners on the disorder, resources, and how to obtain the best possible care. The chapters are organized and easy to navigate, and include extremely helpful information on legal issues and disability.

There are sections adressed to your other caregivers, including physicians, chiropractors, dentists, physical therapists, and more. Devin actually encourages you to make copies of the pages in her book and give them to your specialists!

This book also includes 47 pages at the end of the book with extensive information on References, Bibliography, Reading Lists, and Resources. This woman has done her research and is not afraid to share her experience and resources.

Best Information on FM.......2006-01-18

This is the most easy to understand and best compiled information I have on Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain. Recently I have been having a lot of "spells" with A-Fib and "chest" pain. All my test on my heart show the heart is in excellant condition. I had not referred to this book in awhile but when I dusted it off I found the answers to the problems I have been experiencing. Especially in the section "What to tell your Cardiologist" and "What to tell the Emergency Room Drs". It is great to know your heart checks out in "great condition" and that there is an answer to why you are experiencing what you are experiencing. Now I know what course I need to take and I am reassured of no heart problems.

Average customer rating:

The Fibromyalgia Advocate
Devin Starlanyl
Manufacturer: Oakland, CA: New Harbinger, 1998
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NXOOSS

Book Description

The sixth book in the Famous Wisconsin series profiles many of the state's artists and architects. Besides well-known artists like Georgia O'Keeffe and architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, author Hannah Heidi Levy also profiles nearly 100 lesser known figures like metal sculptor Dr. Evermor and health clinic architect Marshall Erdman.

Customer Reviews:

I liked this book!.......2006-07-03

I am a fan of the Famous Wisconsin Series and I liked this book!
It gives a great overview of some of the state's artists that are often overlooked (other than FL Wright and Georgia O'Keeffe). A nice addition to the art history of the State of Wisconsin.

A straightforward collection of brief biographies .......2005-02-07

Compiled and written by Hannah Heidi Levy, Famous Wisconsin Artists And Architects is a straightforward collection of brief biographies of Wisconsin's great artists and architects, including Georgia O'Keefe, Frank Lloyd Wright, and nearly 100 more. The individual biographies range in length from a single page summary to several pages; and some even include one-on-one interviews. More than 150 black-and-white photographs of artists, architects, and their creations illustrate this handy quick-reference guide, resulting in an inherently fascinating, informative "reader friendly" sourcebook which is particularly recommended to the attention of those looking to learn more about Wisconsin's artists and art culture, both past and present.

Book Description

"The Mandie books are so great I can't put them down-and you never know what trouble Mandie's going to get into!" writes a young reader from West Virginia.

Everywhere Mandie, Celia, and Jonathan have visited during their summer travel through Europe, they think they have seen "the strange woman" who followed them from their ship. But they are never able to catch up with her or figure out why she is cloaked in mystery.

Traveling on from Holland to Ireland, Mandie and her friends visit Belfast and a linen mill there. When a fire breaks out in the mill, Mandie risks her life to save a little girl trapped inside. If that isn't exciting enough, "the strange woman" suddenly makes another surprise appearance!

Why has she followed them? What will happen now?

Customer Reviews:

A Heart-Warming Book!.......2003-12-04

Mandie, Celia, Jonathan, Mrs. Taft, and Senator Morton are touring Europe during the summer, and now they're at Belfast, Ireland. Mandie meets a little girl named Molly who is constantly looking for leprechauns. Mandie is eager to see a leprechaun too, so she and Celia join Molly in her search.
But one night something terrible happens. A fire breaks out in a linen mill and Molly and her mother are trapped inside. Mandie dashes inside to save Molly, and they both come out unhurt. And if things couldn't get more exciting, Mandie comes face to face with the mysterious woman who's been following them through Europe!

Of all the books about Mandie in Europe, this has got to be my favorite. Maybe it's because it's not really a mystery, but about a small, dirty girl who wins Mandie's heart. Molly is so cute; its no wonder Mandie loved her!
After reading all about the mysterious woman, it was nice to finally find out who she was.
This book is a must read, and I guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

Awesome!.......2003-07-31

This book is absolutely so wonderful! It is a must-read!

A Wonderful Conclusion to the European Trip!.......2000-06-15

This book ends Mandie's trip through Europe in the Summer of1901. Mandie, Celia, Jonathan, Senator Morton, and Grandmother are inIreland when Mandie meets a little Irish girl. Molly is searching for leprachauns, and Mandie and her friends help. Uncle Ned shows up, and helps the search. Their trip is for some reason cut short, and they must return home. Mandie has no idea why, and Grandmother isn't talking. Everyone seems to know something Mandie doesn't. It's a good story, and a great conclusion to the European trip. At the end you also discover who the "Mysterious Women" is, and why she followed them. It is a book that lives up to the Mandie name.

One of The Best Mandie Books Written.......2000-06-11

I just finished reading this book and I'd recommend it to everybody. It's a real page turner, I couldn't put it down!I was so scared in the moment that Mandie was in the mill that I actually started to shake! I was really surprised by the ending. It caught me completely off guard.I also really liked the chapter that had the play in it.I was also really surprised when a certain character (dealing with Jonathan)showed up. The bible quote at the begining was really showed in this book. It is one of the greatest Mandie books ever wriiten!

Great Book!.......1999-09-13

I like this Mandie book. I like how they are traveling through Europe. I especially like when they are traveling in Ireland. I'm half Irish myself. I hope you make alot of Mandie books in the future. Because I love them I love them I love them!!

Average customer rating:

Watchman: A Novel
Ian Rankin
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 031600913X

Book Description

From #1 international bestseller Ian Rankin, an unlucky spy gets one last chance at redemption.

Miles Flint is a spy who has been making some serious mistakes. His last assignment led to the death of a foreign official in London, and after getting too close to his current subject he wound up in police custody. But something is wrong at the agency that has nothing to do with Miles' errors. Why did his last suspect know more about Miles' assignment than Miles did? Why have so many operatives recently resigned? Despite the Director's assurances, Miles begins his own investigation, to the dismay of his colleagues and even his own wife. Then Miles is sent to Belfast on a routine mission, a mission that confirms his darkest suspicions--and threatens his life.

Average customer rating:

A Great Read
Noir Meets Lenny Bruce in a Bomb Filled Amusement Park
BRILLIANT
Entertaining, unexpected fun
So much fun!

Divorcing Jack
Colin Bateman
Manufacturer: Arcade Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1559703598

Amazon.com

In Colin Bateman's first novel, Divorcing Jack, a witty Belfast newspaper columnist named Dan Starkey gets drunk, falls in lust, and finds himself helplessly mired in trouble with his wife and the law. Shortly after Starkey's wife catches him in the arms of another woman, that woman is murdered and Starkey becomes the prime suspect. Turns out the deceased woman was related to an important political figure, and now thugs from several of Northern Ireland's factions are out to get Starkey. The columnist decides he must track down the killer in order to clear his own name. During the investigation, he uncovers a scandal that could potentially alter the outcome of the next national election--and destroy the country's hopes for peace.

Mostly though, this thriller chronicles the beleaguered journalist's lame efforts to stay out of trouble. Starkey isn't exactly a man of action; in fact, he's a likable character partly because he knows he's a weak man. Late in the book, Starkey sums up his predicament: "The world was still after me, Patricia was still missing, I was still a killer on the run, and I had a disturbing tendency to burst into tears, but I wasn't going to let little things like that get me down." He copes with stress by 1) drinking too much and 2) making jokes. When a nun in a miniature car saves Starkey from a hail of gunfire, for instance, he spends a few moments wondering what the proper name of her headgear is and decides to call it a Godpiece. Dan Starkey makes an entertaining guide to war-torn Northern Ireland, even while he discovers again and again that the pen is not mightier than the sword. --Jill Marquis

Customer Reviews:

A Great Read.......2005-04-06

This book was passed to me through bookcrossing.com. I had never heard of the author, but I enjoy Irish writers so I gave it a go. I was more than just pleasantly surprised. This novel is great! The sarcastic, self-depricating humor embodied by the protagonist just cracked me up. The story itself was pretty intense, but it didn't feel overwhelming primarily because of the wisecracks. I highly recommend this book, and this author, to anyone who wants a good story and a good laugh.

Noir Meets Lenny Bruce in a Bomb Filled Amusement Park.......2003-10-03

Most of us have had a night or two where, mired in alcohol, bad decisions have been made. I don't for a second think that a complete lack of alcohol would make our protagonist, Dan Starkey, a contender for canonization. But, it would keep me from wanting to box this characters ears as I burst out laughing at his latest installment of a good idea.

This perennially soused journalist has a talent for saying the witty thing at the wrong time. The whirlwind of death, danger, politics and sex that picks him up and plunks him down, well the worse for wear, begins with a kiss wrapped around a shared breath mint. A mint shared with a woman he barely knows as his wife whispers in his ears, "You have twenty-four hours to move out."

This paves the way for bad decision number two and the beginning of a domino effect in Starkeys life. Within the prescribed twenty-four hours, the other woman will be dead and Starkey will be the number one suspect. The one clue that could lead Starkey to the real killer slips through his fingers like a greased eel.

This very funny, very intelligent book could have been a mere candy bar between literary meals. It is, instead, a full meal itself. An insider's view into the raging political scene of Northern Ireland in the mid 90s and the warped marriage of a co-dependent couple are tightly conveyed. The sarcasm and fallibility of a hero doing all the wrong things for all the drunk reasons plays beautifully against the fast paced nature of this thriller.

BRILLIANT.......2002-09-14

bateman wonderfully depicted the violent aspects of northern irish culture in divorcing jack. beautifully dark humour is strewn throughout the pages. although content is of a sensitive and horrid nature (the "troubles"), one can not help but laugh out loud frequently. a great first novel for him, and his books to follow are equally as interesting and enjoyable.

Entertaining, unexpected fun.......2002-03-09

This book proved to be a quick read as the story was engaging, funny and written in face-paced language. Dan Starkey is a regular guy with typical vices. When a drunken night results in some poor choices and even poorer outcomes, he has to muddle through a murder mystery. He's no Hercule Poirot and makes a few mistakes, but his brains and heart make up for what he lacks.
Dan is a likeable character with a realistic and humorous approach to life. Landing himself in the middle of a Northern Ireland political scandal is not in his plan, but the reader can see how this everyman deals with the situation. The Ireland issue is quite pivotal. As an American totally in the dark about this conflict, it was interesting to read about it, even in fiction.
There are several murders in this book, but none are very gorey.Bateman's writing is funny and honest. He has wit, but avoids sounding as if he is throwing it in your face. This book would be great for a long plane ride or as an addition to your summer reading list.

So much fun!.......2001-10-30

I think it's a really good book. The first chapters were a bit hard to understand, but if you continue to read, you find out how good the book is. I had to read it for school and i'm glad I choose this book. I'm not english, but I could understand everything, even though it was in english and not in dutch. The story itself, was funny, but also very serious. It gives you a good view of normal people living in Belfast and seeing the troubles though their eyes. I would recommend this book to everyone that loves humor and is interested in the life that people live in Belfast.

Average customer rating:

A Belfast woman and other stories
Mary Beckett
Manufacturer: Poolbeg Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0905169255

Average customer rating:

Compelling & Funny
cheeky Ulster humour blended with an interesting plot..
The book keeps you interested from beginning to end.
Nothing like the rest of his work
Bateman, comedy thrillers as they should be!

Cycle of Violence
Colin Bateman
Manufacturer: Arcade Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1559703784

Customer Reviews:

Compelling & Funny.......2004-07-31

This brings back the nightmare of ordinary life in those dark areas of Northern Ireland that I knew so well before I left, and reminds me of the wonderful magical humor of people in dire straits.

cheeky Ulster humour blended with an interesting plot.........2002-04-03

One literary critic describes Colin Bateman as Ulster's (Northern Island's) equivalent of Carl Hiaasen. Being a fan of Hiaasen I can see his point. Bateman has a way of delivering great satiric humour is his (relatively) light mystery novels. But unlike Hiaasen, he doesn't seem to be overly negative and bitter (..sometimes Hiaasen seems to hate most everything).

In Cycle of Violence we have the story of newspaperman being exiled to a rather nasty outpost (a town called Crossmaheart) to cover the usual reports of rape, murder and gang warfare. He is actually filling a post left vacant when some ambitious journalist disappears and is presumed dead. Things get interesting when he by chance develops a relationship with the missing journalist's girlfriend, and he discovers this woman has a rather bizarre past (, present ... and the future seems dubious too).

Bottom line: a funny, breezy read. I hope its USA publishers decide to issue it in paperback. It's every bit as good as Bateman's earlier (and more famous) Divorcing Jack.

The book keeps you interested from beginning to end........1999-09-14

Colin Bateman has a simple way of thinking: He can take you wherever he wants if you want to go along. Death or "The Angel of Death" is a central character in this novel. It keeps you waiting, it keeps you feeling, but above all, it keeps you thinking. It's hard to say weather we are capable of having a political view.In this book, what matters is What is personal? and What is social? This division makes the whole story worthwhile.

Nothing like the rest of his work.......1999-02-11

I've read all of Bateman's work, and this is the palest of the pale. Takes much longer to get into, and you're left with a disappointing taste in your mouth after the investment put into getting through it. I'm always entertained by the randomness inherent in Bateman's work, but in this one, much more so than the others, the randomness is used to cover bad plot holes and lacklustre characters. If you're reading chronoligically, skip over this one and come back to it when you wistfully realize there's nothing more available (yet!). If you're looking for "good" bateman, look for Divorcing Jack or Empire State, give this one a miss.

Bateman, comedy thrillers as they should be!.......1999-01-17

I had thoroughly enjoyed Divorcing Jack, and moved onto Cycle of Violence! What a great job! I was sitting there wondering whether I should be laughing, shouting, or crying and ended up doing them all simultaneously! Read Divorcing Jack and then Cycle of Violence and you will learn more about the troubles in Ireland than you could by reading 100 news reports ever could!

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Collected Short Stories
Michael McLaverty
Manufacturer: Blackstaff Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0856407275

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"War was freedom. Freedom from futures."
An Irish Coming-of-Age Story

The Emperor of Ice Cream
Brian Moore
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0140044493

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"War was freedom. Freedom from futures.".......2002-12-01

Not surprising for those familiar with Moore's novels, he comes storming out of the gates with a lighthearted sort of tongue-in-cheek contempt for religion (specifically Roman Catholicism) right on the first page, where young Gavin Burke is having an imaginary dialogue with the icon of the Divine Infant that stands watch over him from its perch on his bedroom dresser. Gavin no longer believes in God, yet he remains in dread of God's vengeance for the fact of this unbelief. He struggles with what he calls his Black Angel and White Angel which live, one on each shoulder. "The trouble was, the Black Angel seemed more intelligent; more his sort." Comic dialogues with these invisible psychoanalysts abound in the novel.
The scene is Belfast Ireland, early stages of WWII. Seventeen year old Gavin enlists in the war effort to escape the responsibility of continuing his education and getting "a real job." This is a great spin on one of Moore's oft-recurring themes... a young man struggling to make a go of it, and making wrongheaded decisions as he does so!
Gavin joins the A.R.P. (the First Aid Party, similar to a wartime emergency Red Cross). The boy has a totally negative self-image, and convinces himself that he is just "a second son that will never amount to anything." He'll never be as successful as his older brother Owen, and will never meet his father's expectations of him.
So... he welcomes the War. As did many Ulster adults in that era, who oddly welcomed the advent of Hitler. They revelled in his havoc in Britain, and maintained the belief that the Fuhrer would never strike at their own little backwater towns anyway.
For Gavin, "War was freedom. Freedom from futures" (p.7). If there is a central idea in the book, this is it... it is a key theme in the novel. Believing those six words provided Gavin and many others with an excuse for not facing their personal problems. The ever-present, albeit unlikely, threat of attack provided distraction of all sorts.
The central drama is within Gavin's consciousness and in a bitter conflict between him and his father. Gavin's adolescent fantasies of power and achievement - sometimes sexual, sometimes iconoclastic - always rest on a knife-edge of indecision and powerlessness, of shame and humiliation. But these fantasies, and his father's equally self-serving political/philosophical beliefs are put to the test when the bombs fall.
It seems that Hitler has found Ireland on the map! This changes everything.
Father and son who have been bitter adversaries throughout the novel are reconciled through a shared knowledge of the horror of war. It proves to be more than either of them were ready for, and when they both return to their bombed-out house, they find that the war has changed a lot more than the physical landscape.

Those who know about Moore's own upbringing will see that there is much autobiographical content in this novel.

What a great book. My four stars is actually four-and-a-half!
A word about the title. It is borrowed from a Wallace Stevens poem. I looked it up in hopes of finding out why Moore chose this phrase as his title. The actual poem is very difficult, and far beyond the scope of this review to even half-examine. But what is certain is that it represents symbolically, the bitter moment of choosing life over death, at a time when life seems particularly lonely, self-serving, lustful, and sordid.
When I first picked up The Emperor of Ice-Cream I seriously thought it would be about a guy that sold ice-cream.
Moore proves once again that he is so much deeper than me...

An Irish Coming-of-Age Story.......1999-03-11

This 1966 novel by Belfast-born Moore (best known for "Black Robe" and "The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne" is a touching and affecting --- and very, very Irish --- story of an 18-year-old boy in World War II Belfast who is trying to figure out where he fits in. He isn't good at academics (unlike his father and brother), his girlfriend is a strict Catholic who won't let him get past first base, and he's only sure of what he doesn't believe.

He drops out of school and takes a low-paying job with the First Aid Patrol, a civil-defense outfit that few people take seriously, since it is widely believed that Hitler wouldn't bother bombing Ireland, and certainly not Belfast. Many older Irishmen hope that Hitler will defeat the British.

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