Book Description
Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code, by author Dan Brown, have deceived millions of people across the world with a plethora of lies about the one true God, Christianity, the Holy Bible, and the Christian Church. Dan Brown has achieved this by presenting the elements in his novels under the guise of fiction, while at the same time, claiming that they are factual. But even Brown's "facts," which he maintains are historically informed, are full of inaccuracies and historical discrepancies. What Dan Brown is describing in Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code can most certainly not be categorized as fiction, because in reality, the core and foundation of his writing is Theological and Christological. However, the Theology and Christology which Dan Brown has incorporated into his novels is a false Theology and Christology?-?it is grossly distorted and stridently far from the truth. This apologetic work sets out to provide the true Theological and Christological teachings of the Holy Orthodox Church in response to the deceptions in the selected writings of Dan Brown.
Amazon.co.uk
The Art of Deception is about gaining someone's trust by lying to them and then abusing that trust for fun and profit. Hackers use the euphemism "social engineering" and hacker-guru Kevin Mitnick examines many example scenarios.
After Mitnick's first dozen examples anyone responsible for organizational security is going to lose the will to live. It's been said before, but people and security are antithetical. Organizations exist to provide a good or service and want helpful, friendly employees to promote the good or service. People are social animals who want to be liked. Controlling the human aspects of security means denying someone something. This circle can't be squared.
Considering Mitnick's reputation as a hacker guru, it's ironic that the last point of attack for hackers using social engineering are computers. Most of the scenarios in The Art of Deception work just as well against computer-free organizations and were probably known to the Phoenicians; technology simply makes it all easier. Phones are faster than letters, after all, and having large organizations means dealing with lots of strangers.
Much of Mitnick's security advice sounds practical until you think about implementation, when you realize that more effective security means reducing organizational efficiency--an impossible trade in competitive business. And anyway, who wants to work in an organization where the rule is "Trust no one"? Mitnick shows how easily security is breached by trust, but without trust people can't live and work together. In the real world, effective organizations have to acknowledge that total security is a chimera--and carry more insurance. --Steve Patient, amazon.co.uk
Book Description
The world's most infamous hacker offers an insider's view of the low-tech threats to high-tech security
Kevin Mitnick's exploits as a cyber-desperado and fugitive form one of the most exhaustive FBI manhunts in history and have spawned dozens of articles, books, films, and documentaries. Since his release from federal prison, in 1998, Mitnick has turned his life around and established himself as one of the most sought-after computer security experts worldwide. Now, in The Art of Deception, the world's most notorious hacker gives new meaning to the old adage, "It takes a thief to catch a thief."
Focusing on the human factors involved with information security, Mitnick explains why all the firewalls and encryption protocols in the world will never be enough to stop a savvy grifter intent on rifling a corporate database or an irate employee determined to crash a system. With the help of many fascinating true stories of successful attacks on business and government, he illustrates just how susceptible even the most locked-down information systems are to a slick con artist impersonating an IRS agent. Narrating from the points of view of both the attacker and the victims, he explains why each attack was so successful and how it could have been prevented in an engaging and highly readable style reminiscent of a true-crime novel. And, perhaps most importantly, Mitnick offers advice for preventing these types of social engineering hacks through security protocols, training programs, and manuals that address the human element of security.
Customer Reviews:
The Art of Humanity.......2007-09-13
Probably one of the very best books I've ever read in my life. This book follows through some of the life of hacker Kevin Mitnick. A lot of good laughs and some surprising and eye opening admissions that are full of lessons for anyone who uses a computer.
Without being condescending or preachy, Kevin shows people the ways around the easiest element of security to break, the user themselves. For anyone who's been involved with computers from the beginning of the first pre-PC's it's like a page of reminiscences from your own brain 20 years ago.
To newer users it's bordering on the insanity that is hacking lol.
This book is worthy of any home user or even IT professionals attention. Mitnick reveals many of the flaws in the human personality that allow people to abuse them, be it verbally, socially or even physically. I can't recommend this book enough to anyone who's had a problem with a hacker or spyware. It will show you, your and everyone else's major character flaw that can be managed effectively to eliminate the naivety that is the Internet.
Essential Reading.......2007-07-06
This is a book everyone should read. It is not only fascinating, but is an essential lesson in self-protection against those who would prey on the trust and vulnerability of honest and kind people.
Hits the nail on the head, but management won't be able to comprehend the implications!.......2007-06-28
Although many of the examples detailed in this book are dated , the concepts are still as easy to leverage as ever.
Mr. Mitnick offers some possible solutions in this book, however he wasted his effort. As any security expert knows, getting upper management buy in to security is difficult at best. Management pays lip service to security, but they are typically more concerned about privacy issues than taking meaningful steps to address known security risks.
When my organization tasked my team to perform a social engineering assessment of their network, that's what they meant. Over and over, we tried to suggest processes that would be easy to manipulate for even the most amateur attacker, only to be immediately cut off and told no. If there is no technical attack to guard against, management can't begin to process the implications.
Good book to share with staff.......2007-01-31
This book served as a great reminder of why we need to be thoughtful about sharing information. I am buying extra copies to share with our staff. The offered advice was especially useful for large organizations with distributed sensitive information.
Fun read.......2007-01-28
If you are intreased in this, good book. Not a lot of detail, but good read.
Book Description
Astonishing creations by masters of the art, such as Escher, Dali, and Archimbolo; amazing visual trickery; and an illuminating foreword by the Pulitzer Prize--winning author Douglas R. Hofstadter make this 320-page, breathtaking collection the definitive book of optical illusions.
Rings of seahorses that seem to rotate on the page. Butterflies that transform right before your eyes into two warriors with their horses. A mosaic portrait of oceanographer Jacques Cousteau made from seashells. These dazzling and often playful artistic creations manipulate perspective so cleverly that they simply outwit our brains: we can’t just take a quick glance and turn away. They compel us to look once, twice, and over and over again, as we try to figure out exactly how the delightful trickery manages to fool our perceptions so completely. Of course, first and foremost, every piece is beautiful on the surface, but each one offers us so much more. Some, including Sandro del Prete’s charming “Window Gazing,” construct illusionary worlds where normal conceptions of up, down, forward, and back simply have no meaning anymore. Others, such as Jos De Mey’s sly “Ceci n’est pas un Magritte,” create visual puns on earlier work. From Escher’s famous and elaborate “Waterfall” to Shigeo Fukuda’s “Mary Poppins,” where a heap of bottles, glasses, shakers, and openers somehow turn into the image of a Belle Epoque woman when the spotlight hits them, these works of genius will provide endless enjoyment and food for thought.
Customer Reviews:
Something everyone would find interesting.......2007-08-06
I teach high school freshmen, and I keep this book on my shelf for students to look through on their own time. It is easily one of the most popular books, and after only three years the wear is beginning to prove this. I don't know how many times I have dropped it off at a student's table because they were bored, and dared them to not find something interesting in the book. Without fail, a students will be engrossed in the book within minutes.
One of the best features about this book compared to other books of its kind is that it contains dozens of examples of dozens of various types of art. Beyond the typical optical illusions, it features trompe d'loeil murals, artwork created with hair or chocolate syrup, artwork that can only be viewed with a reflective cylinder, and much more. As I mentioned before, nearly everyone will find something fascinating in this book.
SPECTACULAR VISUAL DELIGHT.......2007-06-08
For anyone with eyes, I recommend this book. I purchased for my girlfriend and she loved it. Dali and Echer are particular noteworthy in this collection of illusioins. It will renew your sense of wonder about how your brain works.
my new coffee table book.......2007-01-30
Wow - I chose this based on the chorus of 5 star reviews, submitted by others who seem much more knowledgeable in this field than I, and I am NOT disappointed! This is a great looking book - big, hardcover, suitable for your coffee table. As stated in other reviews, the book has a nice sampling of well known artists, plus an array of fun illusions, and EXPLANATIONS, which is something I had not seen in other books of illusions. This is just a very nice book, meeting the hype, and worthy of your coffee table or anybody else's for that matter .. definitely gift-worthy.
Fascinating imagery.......2007-01-19
Overall this is a fascinating book, interesting to read and fun to look through the pictures. My only complaint is with a few of the images which are too small to appreciate. 2 x 4 inches is not sufficient to enjoy Escher's detailed graphics, and I found myself using a magnifying glass at times. Thankfully this is the exception, and many images are almost full-page size. Even if you know nothing about art, this is an enjoyable book, because you will find yourself amazed by the clever images.
Wonderful family book.......2007-01-16
I purchased this book for my teenage son for Christmas. It was a big hit with everyone in the family, and with our friends who stopped by that day. And even after the holidays, I saw my son (an avid video gamer who refuses to read books) pick it up several times, and even share it with a friend.
The information about the different artists is fascinating, and the artwork is fun, inspiring and amazing.
Book Description
This classic work on critical thinking--now fully updated and revised--uses a novel approach to teach the basics of informal logic. On the assumption that "it takes one to know one," the authors have written the book from the point of view of someone who wishes to deceive, mislead, or manipulate others. Having mastered the art of deception, readers will then be able to detect the misuse or abuse of logic when they encounter it in others--whether in a heated political debate or while trying to evaluate the claims of a persuasive sales person.
Using a host of real-world examples, the authors show you how to win an argument, defend a case, recognize a fallacy, see through deception, persuade a skeptic, and turn defeat into victory. Not only do they discuss the fundamentals of logic (premises, conclusions, syllogisms, common fallacies, etc.), but they also consider important related issues often encountered in face-to-face debates, such as gaining a sympathetic audience, responding to audience reaction, using nonverbal devices, clearly presenting the facts, refutation, and driving home a concluding argument.
Whether you're preparing for law school or you just want to become more adept at making your points and analyzing others' arguments, The Art of Deception will give you the intellectual tools to become a more effective thinker and speaker. Helpful exercises and discussion questions are also included.
Customer Reviews:
Incredible book,incredible review.......2005-06-08
Exactly as Dr. Schweinsberg said. This text was a magnificent accomplishment. Reading some of the reviews, I was dismayed. I of course believed that there was some sort of miscommunication, or perhaps that the readers knew nothing of the subject, or that they simply didn't know what they were getting when they purchased the book. Whatever the case, I would suggest to anybody to read Dr. Michel Schweinsberg's brilliant review. His comical yet serious review offers advice to the argumentation student in words I can't achieve. With a playful attitude, he has delivered valuable information in the same spirit with which one should "weild" the tools in the text; that is, as a serious weapon, but done mostly for enjoyment and clarity of thought. READ DR. SCHWEINSBERG'S REVIEW, AND FOLLOW HIS ADVICE!
Argue Well.......2005-05-25
If you have ever been told that your arguments lack facts, structure, or logic, then this book is for you. Learning the skills to challenge and defend anything and everything is an art indeed. Highly recommend it for partisan zealots.
PenetratingArmenian
A Self Certified Blogspot Blogger
Good idea poor execution.......2004-07-14
The book mainly promotes the use of deception over reason. I know you're thinking, duh. But this is contrary to what the author says in the introduction. The deception is supposed to be used as a device to aid in learning informal logic, not as a tool to crush others. The author has a very aggressive and pretentious tone. Capaldi, the author, encourages people to be stubborn and uncompromising rather than problem solving. This book is classic sophism. I think the most valuable part of this book is the appendix. The practice problems are nice to look over. This book is effective at being uncompromising, but that is incompatible with being a good communicator. I should have borrowed this one. Since, I want my money back. -laughs- Also, the references to the "Great Books" by the author were interesting, but extraneous in my opinion.
Good Weapon Against the Trogs.......2004-04-22
The techniques outlined in this book are good when you are arguing against yahoos and troglodytes. If taken to heart, this book can help you can vanquish almost everyone you encounter in day-to-day life. Do NOT use these techniques against more skillful opponents or against sincere, intelligent questioners seeking real answers to important questions. These are powerful debater's tricks, not tools for getting to the bottom of honest inquiries. Caveat emptor.
Good Intentions, Faulty Execution.......2004-03-19
I appreciate what the author was trying to do: teach logic and rhetoric in a fun how-to-succeed format. I don't think it works very well, though. It's too disjointed to be helpful to the beginner and too familiar to be interesting to more advanced students.
For the beginner: To learn logic, start out with David Kelley's "The Art of Reasoning" and Irving Copi's "Introduction to Logic". To learn rhetoric and argumentation, try David Zarefsky's audiotape course on "Argumentation: The Study of Effective Reasoning" and his books on public speaking.
More advanced students will want to check out Chaim Perelman's books on rhetoric and Douglas N. Walton's studies of informal fallacies. An excellent but out-of-print book is William J. Brandt's "The Rhetoric of Argumentation" which gives detailed analyses of effective and ineffective rhetorical strategies in essay-writing.
Book Description
Ever wonder if you're hearing the WHOLE story in a conversation? Conquering Deception delivers the tools to recognize the hidden meanings of what others say using principles originated by America's savviest police investigators. Conquering Deception adapts these principles for use in any setting--business or personal--to be used in an informal and non-confrontational style. A handbook for the savvy conversationalist that is practical, effective, and one-of-a-kind.
A few highlights: interpreting eye movements, ways to pose questions that always get honest answers, dispelling myths of lying, using agreement to our advantage in conversation, the amazing significance of hearing a person say "I think...," techniques for influencing others, using silence as a 'weapon,' recognizing nose gestures, judging deception without being accusatory.
Customer Reviews:
Get the "facts" to back up your gut feeling!.......2007-06-14
Ever have that feeling that someone isn't telling you the truth - the whole truth? After reading this book, you will have the tools to evaluate your hunches.
Nance is an average guy who writes in understandable language. With that said, some topics, like the chapter, "The Eyes Have It," make take a few rereads to really digest the point.
Nance offers many "try-this" techniques. And you can really use them.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is in a situation where s/he feels that deceit is happening.
I'm going back and taking notes.......2007-01-23
I liked this book. It seemed to do exactly what the author said it would which was to tell you what you already know, but in a way that explains the significance. In effect, gives you some 'mental shortcuts' to use. It is more a book about behavior in a conversation and what the significance is. I can see immediate benefit to a person that performs interviews as part of their job. There are no silver bullets to detecting lies, but there are indicators that suggest the probability. It depends on the context. As I was reading it, I realized that I do some of the things he mentions in the book in my conversations, when I recall information, I look away, when I am thinking while I am talking I look away, when I am trying to 'dump' a talkative person I shift my body position, etc.
Mostly personal.......2007-01-11
This book is mostly about personal experiences and tales of a police officer at work.
Works great - use it all the time. Easy .......2006-02-14
The methods taught to you in this book are so easy and so effective.
Here is a true story that inspired me to write this review.
I suspected (knew) that an employee had stolen something from work (value of about $600) and highly suspect he had done this in the past. He was recently told he was being let go for other reasons. (Thats when he went on his little spree). Using the techniques in this book, I was able to have him return all the items and not once did I have to accuse him of taking them or, threaten, or even ask if he took them (that's a no-no).
AMAZING !!! I would have nevr use this technique naturally although when you use it, it sounds natural and after youi practice it becomes natural.
It's not just extreme situations when you use the info in the book, it's much more often. It's not as much about detecting lies/decption, as it is about asking the questions that make it difficult for people to deceive. It's about not putting people in the position to lie, instead of asking for lies, as many of us do naturaly. If people have to work to lie, they generally won't, if we hand them the opportunity to lie, they might.
Deceptive Title.......2005-11-04
Even though some of the stories are interesting, this book is nothing short of average. Had little to do with the title.
Book Description
The definitive book on ancient military principles that is strikingly relevant to the War on Terror, the war in Iraq, and the rise of China as a geopolitical power
The history of China is a history of warfare. Wars have caused dynasties to collapse, fractured the thin faade of national unity, and brought decades of alien occupation. But throughout Chinese history, its warfare has been guided by principles different from those that governed Europe. Chinese strategists followed the concept, first articulated by Sun-tzu in The Art of War, of qi (ch'i), or unorthodox, warfare. The concept of qi involves creating tactical imbalances in order to achieve victory against even vastly superior forces.
Ralph D. Sawyer, translator of The Art of War and one of America's preeminent experts on Chinese military tactics, here offers a comprehensive guide to the ancient practice of unorthodox warfare. He describes, among many other tactics, how Chinese generals have used false rumors to exploit opposing generals' distrust of their subordinates; dressed thousands of women as soldiers to create the illusion of an elite attack force; and sent word of a false surrender to lure enemy troops away from a vital escape route.
The Tao of Deception is the book that military tacticians and military historians will turn to as the definitive guide to a new, yet ancient, way of thinking about strategy.
Average customer rating:
- What a Tangled Web We Weave
- Fine Italian art world police procedural
- Felt cheated
- The series just keeps on getting better and better
- Challenging mystery suggests change of direction for series.
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The Immaculate Deception
Iain Pears
Manufacturer: Scribner
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ASIN: 0743212576 |
Book Description
From the acclaimed author of An Instance of the Fingerpost ("may well be the best 'historical mystery' ever written," said The Boston Globe) comes a luminous new Jonathan Argyll/Flavia di Stefano crime novel set against the richly evocative backdrop of Rome and Tuscany.
In his first new novel since An Instance of the Fingerpost became an international bestseller, Iain Pears transports us to Rome, where an impudent thief has stolen a politically sensitive painting on loan from a foreign museum.
Summoned to see the prime minister, Flavia di Stefano, acting head of Italy's Art Theft Squad, is told to retrieve the painting without publicity or payment of ransom. But does the prime minister mean what he says? And why was this particular painting stolen? Faced with a case sure to cause her grief, Flavia turns to her mentor, General Taddeo Bottando, who has a wholly unexpected view of the situation.
Flavia's husband of four weeks, art historian Jonathan Argyll, is busy, meanwhile, with a mission of his own. As a gift to the soon-to-retire Bottando, Jonathan will track down the provenance of a small Renaissance painting, an Immaculate Conception, now hanging on Bottando's wall. Who owned the painting over the years, and how did it come into Bottando's hands?
Flavia's search for an art thief soon becomes a hunt for a killer, while Jonathan's probe uncovers some startling secrets and an unlikely alliance as poignant as it is surprising. Absorbing, witty, ingeniously plotted, The Immaculate Deception is stylish entertainment from a justly celebrated author.
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"From internationally bestselling author Iain Pears comes the seventh in his Jonathan Argyll series -- an intriguing mystery of love, loss, and artistic license. For newlywed and Italian art theft squad head Flavia di Stefano, the honeymoon is over when a painting, borrowed from the Louvre and en route to a celebratory exhibition, is stolen. Desperate to avoid public embarrassment -- and to avoid paying a ransom -- the Italian prime minister leans hard on Flavia to get it back quickly and quietly. Across town, her husband, art historian Jonathan Argyll, begins an investigation of his own, tracing the past of a small Renaissance painting -- an Immaculate Conception -- owned by Flavia's mentor, retired general Taddeo Bottando. Soon both husband and wife uncover astonishing and chilling secrets, and Flavia's investigation takes a sudden turn from the search for an art thief to the hunt for a murderer. "
Customer Reviews:
What a Tangled Web We Weave.......2007-04-17
Nowadays, it seems that there is a plethora of mystery writers who must use a particular gimmick to make their mystery work. Some of these writers are sucessful, such as Stephanie Barron and her Jane Austen mystery series, while others get too bogged down in the gimmick to focus on the story at hand. For Iain Pears, his gimmick is that of art history; his detective, a police officer who finds and returns stolen works of art. And it works time and time again.
"The Immaculate Deception" is one of seven books Pears has written that center around his detective Flavia di Stefano and her long-time fiance, now husband, art history professor Jonathan Argyll. This story finds Flavia summoned by no less personage than the prime minister. In this meeting she is told that a painting that was to be borrowed and displayed as part of an exhibition has been stolen. She is to get it back as quickly as possible and to guarantee that no one hears anything about the theft. The recovery process seems just as much of a mystery as to who stole the picture, and for what purpose, in the first place. In the meantime, Jonathan finds himself drawn into a different mystery, concerning the unknown heritage of a small painting owned by Flavia's former boss, General Bottando, who is soon to retire. As each digs further into their own mysterious trails, they soon come to see that the two stories quite possibly are connected to one another.
Iain Pears is an extremely intelligent writer, whose doctorate in art history is evident in the knowledge his characters have at their disposal. His descriptions of the world in which Jonathan and Flavia live are sometimes clipped, as though he expects readers to know as much as him. And even though these books are a series and therefore have some information recapped to the reader in each book, it never seems repetitive or second-hand. That is because the reader has come to know these characters, and smiles at these recaps in fond memory of those former stories. "The Immaculate Deception" is a fascinating web of art history, theft, high crimes and murder. It will keep readers guessing to the very end, when the loose ends are tied up, even if in an unconventional manner.
Fine Italian art world police procedural.......2005-05-13
Prime Minister Antonio Sabauda guaranteed the safety of the Claude Lorraine masterpiece, on loan from the Louvre. Alas museum security and art thieves obviously misunderstood the PM as the painting is stolen. Desperate to recover the stolen painting, but without the media and consequently the public knowing, Sabauda assign acting chief of the Rome Police Department's art theft squad with recovering the lost art.
The government cannot pay the ransom demands as that would break Italian law that is very clear that kidnappers are not to receive ransom money. Like magic an anonymous package containing the exact amount of Euros arrives. A bit surprised by the appearance of the cash, Flavia is further shocked to learn that the thief Maurizio Sabbatini drowned in a tub of plaster with the time of death occurring before he made the ransom demand. While Flavia struggles with her case wondering if the PM is pulling a stunt or perhaps her retired mentor General Taddeo Bottando, her spouse Jonathan Argyll looks into the stealing of the Immaculate Conception painting four decades ago. Neither realized the link between the thefts, but they better soon as more corpses follow the death of Sabbatini.
IMMACULATE DECEPTION provides intriguing varying perspectives of the Italian art world especially from the husband-wife team, the PM, the museum that lost the painting, and the thief, etc. The who-done-it is somewhat convoluted and difficult to follow as the connections between the art thefts seem more like a nebulous version of the DNA helix. Still it is fun to follow Flavia and Jack struggle to solve art mysteries four decades apart and a murder too while their right and wrong morality is challenged as never before.
Harriet Klausner
Felt cheated.......2004-07-27
The strengths of this book have been covered in other reviews here and don't need to be repeated. It's a diverting book, and other than occasional stylistic missteps like amateurish shifts in point of view within scenes and italian characters who seem no more italian than the residents of Omaha, Nebraska, the book goes along okay.
However, there's a major flaw in the book for a regular, mostly ignorant reader like me.
The most compelling mystery in the novel is the identity of the unknown artist of a painting that hangs above a character's mantlepiece. Who painted it? I was dying to know. But Pears never answers that question explicitly. Instead he leaves clues scattered throughout the text, expecting the reader to figure the answer out on his own. Cute, buddy. Hide the dang ball on me. Remind me of my own ignorance. Ach! I wanted to throw the book across the room.
I assume this is some kind of game for art history buffs to play, but would it hurt to have put some kind of warning on the front cover that a degree in renaissance painting is necessary to get full enjoyment from the book?
The series just keeps on getting better and better.......2002-08-10
The seventh and final book of the Jonathan Argyll series by Iain Pears comes after his success with the complex historical thriller 'An Instance Of The Fingerpost', a book totally different from these art mysteries, and far more ambitious. This is not to say that the Jonathan Argyll series is not excellent: it, in fact, keeps getting better and better. Weaving a traditional flair for crime writing with considerable knowledge of the history of art, Pears writes an effortlessly intriguing mystery.
This particular volume takes a turn when it appears that Flavia's boss, General Bottando, may be involved in the latest art crime swindle himself. The book is not predictable and keeps you guessing and is very enjoyable if not as spellbindingly clever as 'An Instance of The Fingerpost'. Well worth as read.
Challenging mystery suggests change of direction for series........2002-08-09
Like Graham Greene, Pears writes both serious, philosophical novels (The Dream of Scipio and An Instance of the Fingerpost) and entertainments--in this case, the fascinating art history mysteries which feature Flavia di Stefano and her boss, Gen. Taddeo Bottando of the Rome police. These quirky detectives from the Art Theft Squad are back in action here, though with changed roles. Bottando is now semi-retired and Flavia, newly married to former art dealer Jonathan Argyll, is acting head of the department.
Life in Pears' Rome never pretends to be simple, and it's always loads of fun for the reader. Here the theft of a priceless painting on loan from the Louvre leads to the Italian prime minister's order to Flavia to find it, but she must not allow the public or the press to know about the theft, she must get it back no matter the cost, she must pay whatever ransom is demanded without using public funds, and she must do this knowing in advance that she will be a scapegoat--that the prime minister will publicly deny everything he's told her. As the search for the painting gets underway, further mysteries unfold, until even Bottando himself is implicated in an art theft.
Influence peddling, payoffs, and old political rivalries are both accepted and taken for granted here as Flavia negotiates the minefields of art and politics. The satire is gentle, and the action is non-stop. The intricacies of the characters' relationships keep the reader constantly challenged and always thinking, and the art history angle, more about provenance than about painters, should appeal to readers with little art background. The surprising conclusion and the major changes resulting to the lives of the main characters are stunning. If Pears continues this series, it will undoubtedly be in new directions. Mary Whipple
Average customer rating:
- Not Typical Ridley Pearson
- Fast Moving - Multilayered Suspense
- Interesting plot line; some genuinely creepy and suspenseful moments
- Where's the editor??
- Great infro to Pearson's work
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The Art of Deception
Ridley Pearson
Manufacturer: Hyperion
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ASIN: 0786867248
Release Date: 2002-08-06 |
Amazon.com
Seattle police psychologist Daphne Mathews has her hands full with a pregnant, addicted, runaway teenager, a murder victim's brother whose strange behavior unnerves her, and a deputy sheriff she once treated who's now stalking her. She's frightened enough to move in with Detective John LaMoia, a development that doesn't exactly thrill Lou Boldt, their boss and Daphne's ex-lover. But Lou's too busy with his own cases to brood over John and Daphne: the recent disappearances of two local women, and the death of Billy Chen, the nephew of Mama Lu, an old friend and a powerful figure in Seattle's Chinese community, which appeared to be an accident but turns out to have been murder. The only thing the disappearances and murder have in common is location; all three victims were last seen in a part of downtown built over the Underground, a dark and dangerous warren of buildings abandoned after the fire that leveled Seattle more than a hundred years ago. While Seattle's Underground has been the setting for several mysteries by other authors (Earl Emerson, J.A. Jance), Pearson makes the most of its creepy-crawly atmosphere in a gripping thriller whose solid plotting pulls all of Daphne's, LaMoia's, and Boldt's cases together. It also wisely reconfigures the personal relationships among the three central characters, which bodes well for their future adventures in this long-running series (Middle of Nowhere, The Pied Piper). --Jane Adams
Book Description
Daphne Matthews has been brought in to investigate the death of a young woman who was pushed off a bridge. Lou Boldt is following the trail of a murderer through Seattles forgotten and dangerous underworld. When the investigations suddenly point to the same person, a stalker, the deception takes an artful turn. The pace is always racing, the detail always exacting, and the characters always fascinating. The Art of Deception is classic Ridley Pearson, sustaining the tension and excitement until the climactic ending.
Download Description
"eBOOK SPECIAL FEATURE Includes a preview of Ridley Pearson's next book, THE BODY OF PETER HAYES Friendship comes at a cost. For beautiful Mary-Ann Walker, who struggled with the challenges of a difficult family history, that cost proves to be her life. With Mary-Ann's past as its only guideline, the Seattle homicide unit must delve into the relationships between a misguided young woman and her family, friends, and lover. Let the psychological games begin. The pace is always racing, the detail always exacting, the characters fascinating. This is classic Ridley Pearson, keeping tension and excitement up until the climactic ending, which of course involves a life in jeopardy, a fantastic chase scene, and a plot twist."
Customer Reviews:
Not Typical Ridley Pearson.......2007-02-17
I was a little disappointed in this book. Maybe it was because my expectations were so high that we were going to see a female lead instead of Lou Boldt. This was a good book but not what I wanted I guess. I am used to Boldt being the main character and in this one Daphne Matthews is. I'm not going to write a plot summary since so many on here already have. I enjoyed the twists and turns in this book, but it was just lacking. Not his usual excellent make me think stuff. I don't know why it just didn't click with me. I think it was because I didn't like how they made Daphne seem like she wasn't as smart as the boys and as smart and analytical as she has been in the past. Just felt like it was rushed. Still a good book and it moved the major storylines of the series along but I just missed the fabulous interactions and the thinking of the last books.
Fast Moving - Multilayered Suspense.......2006-01-02
A young woman is thrown off a bridge. Two women are missing. And a city employee dies during a watermain break. Daphne Matthews, a forensic psychologist, and Detective John LaMoia play prominent roles in this mystery, concerned primarily with the woman thrown off a bridge. Lou Boldt is more in the background concerned with the two missing women and the city employee killed during a water main break. A fascinating backdrop to all this is an underground Seattle from the early 1900's that was purposely buried to raise part of the city above flooding level - intriguing in light of Katrina and New Orlean's problems. A good read with lots to hold your interest.
Interesting plot line; some genuinely creepy and suspenseful moments.......2005-12-17
The Art Of Deception begins with the murder of young Mary Ann Walker. Along the way, there is the matter of two women who have disappeared and its possible connection to a peeping tom. Lou Boldt, Daphne Matthews and John LaMoia are the detectives trying to solve the mystery, and the two matters are more intertwined than they initially believed.
Having read and loved Pearson's The Angel Maker, I was looking forward to reading another one of his novels and I was not disappointed. Lots of little sub-plots evolve throughout the course of this novel and they all pay off in that they all have a reason to be there, including the young teen mother that Daphne is trying to help. The characters' internal musings can get a little wearisome after a while, but that's about the only real complaint I have.
The Art Of Deception has an interesting, complex plot further enhanced by genuine moments of suspense, plus a few scenes to creep you out. The book's climax is especially effective; nice to see some suspenseful action to wrap things up with. I'll be sure to read another Ridley Pearson novel soon.
Where's the editor??.......2005-10-25
I have been reading the Lou Boldt series for a long time, and enjoyed them a great deal. What happened here? This one is so badly written I would have thought someone else was ghosting. It is full of odd non-sequiturs, out-of-character comments and actions, and just plain terrible writing. Over and over, there are long, boring scenes in which Daphne does nothing in particular except speculate to herself. She fails to tell her colleagues about a peeping Tom, right when her colleague and friend Lou is investigating a case involving a peeper. She doesn't tell anyone about the fact that someone is stalking her until one night when she abruptly loses it, gets drunk, and commits a hit-and-run. I'm sorry, but I just can't suspend my disbelief enough to buy that. This is supposedly a psychologist and police officer, not a college girl.
Then there are enough grammar and punctuation bloopers to make it clear no one actually bothered to edit this book. Example: using "palate" for "palette." That's Editing 101, guys.
For the first time, I had to put down a Ridley Pearson novel in the middle. It was that, or throw it against the wall in frustration.
Great infro to Pearson's work.......2005-01-29
Art of Deception is the first book I'v read by Ridley Pearson. I found it very entertaining and attention-grabbing. I am a big fan of suspense novels and I will be back for more Pearson.
There were a few slow parts but overall I can highly recommend this book.
Book Description
In a biography woven from equal parts enchantment and mystery, Jim Steinmeyer unveils the secrets behind the most enigmatic performer in the history of stage magic, Chung Ling Soo, the “Marvelous Chinese Conjurer”—a magician whose daring made his contemporary Houdini seem like the boy next door. Soo’s infamous and suspicious onstage death in 1918 mystified his fellow magicians: he was shot during a performance of “Defying the Bullets,” in which he attempted to catch marked bullets on a porcelain plate. When Soo died, his deceptions began to unravel. It was discovered that he was not Chinese but a fifty-eight-year-old American named William Ellsworth Robinson, a former magicians’ assistant and the husband of Olive Robinson. But even William Robinson was not who he appeared to be, for he had kept a second family with a mistress in a fashionable home near London.
Here is a look at the rough-and-tumble world of turn-of-the-century entertainments, the West’s discovery of Oriental culture, and Soo's strange descent into secrecy as he rose to stardom—written by the foremost chronicler of magic’s history and culture. Due to the scandals surrounding Robinson’s death, this is the first time his full story has ever been told.
Photographs are included.
Customer Reviews:
A long but interesting list.......2007-01-02
I'm puzzled by the many rave reviews for this book, which I enjoyed but found took effort to get through. The book reads like a list of stories about Robinson's life, told without the benefit of insight into the magician's psyche, and lacking much of a plot or theme to pull them into a continuous whole. At times the book seems to be a collection of loosely related encyclopedia entries. Moreover, the writing style is overly simple and lackluster, as if dumbed down. Fortunately, the stories are often interesting -- the tales of the Great Lafayette are entertaining.
A Magical Experience.......2006-06-29
Jim Steinmeyer gives us a labor of love with this fantastic book. For the professional or the curious, the book tells the story of magic during that exciting time of Keller, Herrmann, and Houdini (and many others)from the perspective of a man who touched the lives of each of them and contributed to their success as magicians. Only someone with the technical and historical knowledge and experience of Steinmeyer could explain the life of William Robinson aka Chung Ling Soo in the depth and with the understanding that this book achieves.
Compelling, Valuable Book.......2006-01-01
I don't give out a lot of 5 star reviews. This book gets 5 stars from me because of 3 reasons:
1) It's a great story about a complicated and interestingly flawed person. Will Robinson was an ambitious showman, who recoginzed the flaws in his professional self and worked tirelessly to overcome them, but failed to overcome the flaws in his personal self, leaving an estranged wife and an abandoned son behind him. That he's a world-class illusionist and turn of the century entertainer makes him a lot more interesting.
2) The author is a great historical writer, and he brings turn of the 20th century vaudeville to life in a real page-turning way. He does a great job exploring not just the main character and his wives and children, but the giants of magic at the time. Will Robinson spent a lot of time going back and forth between the two greatest magicians of the day, who were also bitter rivals. You learn so much good stuff about Kellar and Herrmann that the book feels like it's two or three books in content, without being two or three books in length. The author must've worked really hard to keep the book this packed and this short and accessible.
3) And to me, this is what earned the 5th star in a big way: the author actually explains how the cutting edge (at the time) illusions worked. In detail. With no warnings about how "the brotherhood of magicians would kill me if they knew" or other such blather. He warns us at the beginning that illusionists don't protect the secrets from the audience, but the audience from the secrets. Once you know how it's done, you a) don't enjoy the trick anymore and b) feel foolish for not figuring it out yourself. So, knowing that ahead of time, when he reveals all the ingenious stuff the magicians build and skills they learn, he does it in a way that makes you feel like an insider, like a performer or production assistant. It makes you (well, it made me... your mileage may vary) feel like a part of the story somehow, since the discovery, invention, and espionage behind illusions is an important, sexy, and treacherous part of being a professional conjurer in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Anyway, that's why I love the book and give it a perfect score. Can't wait for his next one.
A Magician's Trick Gone Wrong........2005-10-04
This book is about the world of magic in the early 1900's full of illusion and sometimes deception at the time vaudeville was being formed. Described as a combination of minstrel (Al Jolson), circus (fire-breathing acts), and variety saloons (singing, dancing), along comes William E. Robinson who leads a double life.
He'd been the backstage manager for Hermann the Great, America's #1 magician, and married his assistant. They re-invented themselves as the "Marvelous Chinese Conjurer," Chung Ling Soo, and Suee Seen (Water Lily). He was a New Yorker and performed in the Black Art act, costumed as a king at the Bijou before he went out on his own. Harry Kellar, born in Erie, Pennsylvania, was the #2 magician at the time.
As the Chinese marvel, Robinson wore an oriental costume with long pig-tail and slippers with up-turned toes. London had a whole troup of Chinese performers led by Ling Soo, and they arrived at the theaters in a long red Panhard touring car, top down, in style. In England, he also formed a second family with wife, Lou, and three children, Hector, Mary, and Ellsworth.
There is a picture on p. 387 of him in costume, about to catch the bullet with a porcelian plate, the act in which he was killed. After his death, an investigation revealed the deception played out on the world stage, not just Amreica.
Wonderful Book - A must have.......2005-09-22
Really a wonderful book. As in "hiding the Elephant" Steinmeyer gives a vivid description of what was the magic business in the early years of the 20th century. The style is pleasant and quick to read. The hystorical details are all referenced. Really a must have if you are interested in the history of this wonderful art.
Book Description
Ingenious automatons which appeared to think on their own. Dubious mermaids and wild men who resisted classification. Elegant sleight-of-hand artists who routinely exposed the secrets of their trade. These were some of the playful forms of fraud which astonished, titillated, and even outraged nineteenth-century America's new middle class, producing some of the most remarkable urban spectacles of the century.
In The Arts of Deception, James W. Cook explores this distinctly modern mode of trickery designed to puzzle the eye and challenge the brain. Championed by the "Prince of Humbug," P. T. Barnum, these cultural puzzles confused the line between reality and illusion. Upsetting the normally strict boundaries of value, race, class, and truth, the spectacles offer a revealing look at the tastes, concerns, and prejudices of America's very first mass audiences. We are brought into the exhibition halls, theaters, galleries, and museums where imposture flourished, and into the minds of the curiosity-seekers who eagerly debated the wonders before their eyes. Cook creates an original portrait of a culture in which ambiguous objects, images, and acts on display helped define a new value system for the expanding middle class, as it confronted a complex and confusing world.
Customer Reviews:
Someone is very proud of their wordbank!.......2006-10-10
After reading through the Arts of Deception, I realized that I was ultimately disappointed. At times, the focus of each of the incredibly long chapters would shift without warning. This book could have been much better if it had been divided into more chapters, and my biggest complaint is the terribly lofty academic nature of the writing. When the word "verisimilitude" appeared within the first three pages, I knew that I would be in for a long ride. Cook is utterly pretentious in his writing, and this fact makes for a difficult read. Also, he has a love of using French phrases throughout the book, and he does not take time to explain what he means. Having learned German and Spanish in high school, I am somewhat left out of his French turns of phrase. In addition to his foreign phrases, Cook also seems to have lost his thesarus at some point while writhing this book. For pages on end, he will use the same descriptive words over and over again. In that since, his writing is stiff and lacks any sense of variation in tone or style.
Ultimately, this book is truly for history fanatics, and it is not something that the average person would like to pick up and read.
An important, pathbreaking book........2006-05-18
James W. Cook's Arts of Deception is one of the most important books on the history of U.S. popular culture to appear in many years. As the subtitle suggests, this book has fresh and interesting things to say about Barnum, an endlessly fascinating historical figure. But the appeal of the larger work goes deeper. Very few previous studies can match Cook's analysis of the controversies and debates surrounding popular cultural forms. This is also a book that helps you to see familiar historical subjects, such as the rise of capitalism or the decline of magic, in powerful new ways. I found Cook's ability to move across different cultural forms and visual media (traveling curiosities, stage shows, photographs, paintings, etc.) really rewarding. This is a book that opens up big patterns in American culture and illuminates how modern show business first took shape. Yes, it is challenging--but well worth the effort! Highly recommended.
Thorough and somewhat interesting, but a laborious read.......2002-12-30
"The Arts of Deception," is a focused, yet very involved study of the marketing of fraud through the 1800's that is extremely well researched by its author, James W. Cook. Though I'll admit to learning something about a rather interesting aspect of culture in the nineteenth century, I got really bogged down in a deluge of philosophizing and references to historical accounts, and thus had an extremely difficult time plowing through this book. Unless you have a keen interest in the evolution of American culture, I can't make a strong recommendation here.
Mr. Cook, an Assistant Professor of History and American Culture at the University of Michigan, divides the book into five lengthy chapters, each offering a comprehensive examination of ONE aspect of how fraud (or trickery) was marketed in the 1800's: 1) The Automaton Chess Player, 2) The Feejee Mermaid, 3) The Nondescript ("What is It?"), 4) Modern Magic, and 5) Queer Art Illusions. The only characters with whom I was familiar were Barnum, Houdini, and William Harnett, the "trompe l'oeil" painter.
The chapter about automatons was brand new information for me, and it was interesting and flowed okay, although I found it cumbersome to bounce around between the text and the notes (over one hundred). By the second and third chapters, a pattern was ingrained: good accounting by the author of some very curious expositions, but broken up by so much commentary from seemingly everyone who had anything to say or write about the spectacles during their time, that my mind just wandered all over the place. Mr. Cook went around the horn so many times describing all the conjecture and shifting viewpoints held by the viewing public and the press, that I couldn't concentrate. For me, there was an overbalanced emphasis placed on the societal impacts of, for example, Barnum's "What is It?" shows, rather than on the shows themselves. What could have been a fun compilation of "gee whiz" stories turned out to be a textbook. By the second chapter, I gave up trying to read all the notes (the book has almost 600).
My interest perked up a little in Chapter Five, which looked at "trompe l'oeil" painting, although I was rather surprised by Mr. Cook's equating this art form to yet another type of fraud. In my opinion, the "trompe l'oeil" artwork of Harnett and his contemporaries was a style of painting that sought to create the most realistic depiction of a scene, and took some extremely talented--and patient--practitioners to produce. I wouldn't categorize these artists as tricksters. However, I'm no expert, so perhaps I'm missing something.
Overall, I think this book would have been more enjoyable if it didn't take itself too seriously. If your leanings are toward the history and cultural evolution of magic and intrigue shows, you'll enjoy "The Arts of Deception." If you're looking for a lighter, perhaps more casual, introduction to the early culture of such shows, as I was, I'd recommend checking elsewhere first.
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