Amazon.com
This is the David-and-Goliath story of how an American bureaucrat took on the tobacco industry--and helped topple it. David Kessler, head of the Food and Drug Administration for seven years under Presidents Bush and Clinton, earned the nickname "Eliot Knessler" from The Washington Post--a pun meant to evoke the memory of the Prohibition-era gangbuster--because he rejuvenated a moribund agency. The FDA regulated, in Kessler's words, "one quarter of every dollar Americans spent--from the food they eat to the drugs they take to the cosmetics they wear." Yet it lacked the courage to take on the country's most lethal product: cigarettes. So did Kessler, at least initially. He agreed with aides and others that Big Tobacco was too powerful a force in Washington, D.C. "The industry perceived threats everywhere, and responded to them ferociously," he writes. Moreover, challenging the industry would waste important resources that could have a more tangible benefit for consumers if they were spent elsewhere. Even before making the choice to go after cigarettes, Kessler was a figure of controversy, and this only intensified when he became one of the few Republican holdovers in the Clinton administration.
Much of the book deals with the routine business of the FDA: orange-juice seizures, a fight to restrict the sale of body tissues from foreign sources, how he responded to complaints that syringes were found in Pepsi cans, and so on. But the driving force behind Kessler's narrative is how he slowly woke up to the possibility of regulating cigarettes. "It is too easy to be swayed by the argument that tobacco is a legal product and should be treated like any other," he writes. "A product that kills people--when used as intended--is different. No one should be allowed to make a profit from that." His story is a lesson in Washington power politics--a game he played with naiveté when he started but was expert at by the end of his tenure.
To say Kessler and his team of FDA regulators "defeated" Big Tobacco is an overstatement: they were part of a broader effort that included trial lawyers, consumer groups, and crusading journalists, and the industry hasn't exactly gone away. But they were instrumental in forcing tobacco companies to admit that nicotine is addictive and cigarettes cause cancer, and in bringing about a sea change in the industry's legal and popular standing. Kessler now believes in regulation so tight it will strangle Big Tobacco forever: "If our goal is to halt this manmade epidemic," he writes, "the tobacco industry, as currently configured, needs to be dismantled." A Question of Intent is a well-told muckraker. It unfolds deliberately, like a good detective story. Admirers of Jonathan Harr's A Civil Action, especially those with a taste for public policy, won't be disappointed. --John J. Miller
Book Description
Now in paperback: former FDA commissioner David Kessler's non-fiction legal thriller about his agency's fight with Big Tobacco. Dubbed "Eliot Knessler" by The Washington Post, due to the way he resurrected a moribund government agency, FDA Commissioner David Kessler launched a carefully considered, thorough, and aggressive assault against the previously unassailable tobacco industry. His attempt to regulate tobacco as a drug was met with all of the industry's now notorious practices: legal stonewalling, manipulation of "bought" elected officials, intimidation, and outright lies. Kessler tackled all of these challenges with the vigor of a man perhaps outgunned but not outmaneuvered. At the height the FDA's legal battle, U.S. News and World Report called Kessler "somebody you can tell your children about" and compared him to the protagonists of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and To Kill a Mockingbird. Like those classic American stories, A Question of Intent is about the search for truth, the choices people make, and right and wrong. It is about moral courage.
Customer Reviews:
An Educating and Entertaining Read.......2007-04-25
David Kessler in A Question of Intent: A Great American Battle with a Deadly Industry provides readers with an entertaining and educating read that serves as a guide for organizations while showing an detailed view of bureaucracy, the media, and government organizations. He effectively displays the numerous benefits of affiliation between organizations and their leaders when trying to change the regulation over tobacco. Kessler also does a great job showing the role of a President and the effect he or she can have on organizations when they get to choose the leading personnel. Where Kessler falls short though is in providing a well organized story, free of excess personal narratives, and repetition. Do these errors tend to negate the quality of the book as a whole? No, but it makes me question his editor and the intentions he or she had in the scattered layout and whether included memoir aspects were entirely necessary.
By bringing the reader directly into the Food and Drug Administration's everyday happenings, Kessler is able to display the decision process of a government organization, while adding an element of suspense. His emphasizes the importance of connections and affiliation and teaches readers the scope and impact that lobbyists can have on the outcome of policies. He often describes that "too late" he realized that he had been "sandbagged by...lobbyists" and "overlooked [the] key tactical step" of lining up more support and connections (Kessler, 48). He shows that it was only through the support of his older staff and political connections that he was able to move forward in his fight for tobacco regulation.
The involvement of the reader in the processes Kessler and his team had to go through to get government attention on the regulation of tobacco could easily serve as a guide for other struggling organizations. He shows in detail how they used the media and were careful about their timing when making decisions. For instance, Kessler asked credible journalists to downplay stories to the New York Times to the extent that newspapers wouldn't even write about events such as the American Red Cross' bad blood supply. This manipulation of the media was useful to the organization by downplaying bad press and avoiding un-needed fear and panic. For other organizations who find themselves in the heat of the media, they might want to take notes from Kessler and his experiences
Another positive aspect of Kessler's book was his ability to show the vital role of the President. Most readers, like myself, would be surprised to learn that the President can have such a vital effect on issues such as food labeling. Kessler describes the difficulty and "maneuvering" it took to get amendments on the underage purchases of cigarettes on the Presidents desk (Kessler, 98). Once they got there, he describes how a Congressional hearing was crucial in how the media framed the issue - eventually leading to the impression the American public got on the topic. Overall, his book gives a great overview of what it takes to get an issue to the desk of the President, and how the steps taken after that can shape public opinion and determine the fate or success of a proposed amendment.
In the end, Kessler and his editor could have improved on the organization of the book. The subject of each 3-7 page chapter skips from topic to topic. It gets tedious when the reader has to continually shift his or her focus from tobacco to fresh food labels to the AIDS drug progression then back to tobacco - all with a little autobiographical information thrown into the mix. At the same time, Kessler consistently switches between using character's first and last names. One minute he's calling a successful reporter "Jim," like they're best friends, the next referring to him as "O'Hara" who had a "reputation among reporters for credibility" (Kessler, 92). The inconsistency is unnecessary and confusing.
Another detail that distracted from a smooth read from a trustworthy author, is his insistence on showing he "did not know" what he was doing, or that he "should have realized" that many of his decisions would have negative effects. Readers already understand no person is perfect, there is no reason to keep reminding them up to two or three times a page.
For readers who want an entertaining, yet educational read, Kessler's book provides both. While it does have its minor errors and editorial mishaps, his ability to produce a book that readers like a thriller yet explains the inner-workings of bureaucracy in a simple-to-understand way is uncanny. Lessons can be learned by regular readers seeking more information on a much debated topic - the regulation of tobacco - or big organizations looking to revitalize their strategies to achieve greater success in their goals.
great expose of an evil industry.......2005-10-01
America, for all its faults, is the battlefield on which many of the world's most important health questions are being fought. None of those is more important than the questions this excellent book addresses. Is nicotine a narcotic? Are America's major cigarette companies, collectively known as Big Tobacco, deliberately turning their customers into nicotine addicts?
They were the key questions David Kessler tackled when he was Commissioner of America's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from 1990 to 1997. Kessler, who is now Dean of the Yale University Law School, fought a tenacious battle with Big Tobacco and its powerful allies on Capitol Hill during those years. The battle was so tough and Big Tobacco so ruthless that Kessler and his small team were often compared to Elliot Ness and his small band of Untouchables who slugged it out with Al Capone's army of gangsters and corrupt politicians during the Prohibition years.
Certainly, the tenacity of Big Tobacco in the face of overwhelming evidence that damns its product can only remind the reader of Al Capone and America's Organized Crime, whose sole god is ill gotten money. Big Tobacco practiced, for example, the code of Omerta and, if Kessler is to be believed, former employees who gave evidence against them lived in fear of their lives. Big Tobacco had armies of lawyers and US Congressmen in their corporate pockets. All they seemed short of was organizing the gangland-style hits that were Capone's specialty.
Indeed, the specters of Ness and Capone are never too far away. Kessler hired special investigators trained by America's elite combat forces to interrogate witnesses. One member of Kessler's squad trawled all of America's seaports to uncover key evidence that Big Tobacco had illegally imported genetically modified tobacco into the United States. The book is, in many ways, a classic detective story needing only Humphrey Bogart, Jimmy Cagney, Tom Hanks or some other celluloid figure to bring it to life. It races along from the very first page to the final denouement.
Big Tobacco's four-pronged counter-strategy against the FDA is also equally fast-paced. Working with military precision, it used, as page 169 tells us, frontal assaults, surgical strikes, allied attacks and air cover to overwhelm the offices and efforts of Kessler and his team. Like Organized Crime, Big Tobacco knew what side its bread was buttered on. Like Organized Crime, Big Tobacco's bosses proved themselves to be ruthless and cynical competitors with pitiless cash registers for hearts. Their proud boast was that they had more money than God.
Their vast war chests poisoned public debate in America for many years just as their product continues to poison the bodies of their fellow Americans. As well as the armies of hired lawyers who were central to their strategy, they employed mercenary academics to rubber-stamp their products with a scientific sheen of respectability. The aura of scientific impartiality these academics bartered away helped Big Tobacco's bosses accumulate their almost limitless wealth, buy their way into Capitol Hill and jam the world's hospital cancer wards full with cigarette smokers. Although Kessler names some of these contemptible researchers, he goes much further. By exposing their mercenary motives, he discredits them and Big Tobacco, which paid them their ultimately puny pieces of silver.
The book, despite its topicality, starts off with a quote from the Odes of Horace, which tells us that "The guilty have a head start, and retribution is always slow of start, but it catches up." Fortunately, the net is finally beginning to close in on Big Tobacco and its tainted allies. Thanks to people like Kessler and his team of Untouchables, the nicotine debate is starting to be aired out into the open.
Sometimes, of course, the cure is worse than the disease. Kessler's comments about nicotine nasal sprays should be enough to make anyone feel pity for the nicotine abuser and disgust at the companies which can conceive, let alone peddle such an obnoxious product.
No sympathy whatsoever can be spared for Kessler's villains. Though bloodied, Big Tobacco is far from bowed. It continues to ensnare American schoolchildren with its product and to export its deadly product to the four ends of the earth. Despite Big Tobacco's enviable revenues, its feet of clay and the tissues of lies it surrounds itself with have both been well exposed by this great book, which President Jimmy Carter and a host of other luminaries endorse. The hope must now be, as Kessler puts it, that Big Tobacco will eventually be drummed out of business altogether. Their demise would not only make the air we breathe cleaner. It would also help clean up the corridors of power, which Big Tobacco so thoroughly infected with its own insatiable addiction to the profit motive.
A Breath of Fresh Air.......2004-03-25
Thank you, Dr. Kessler, for pursuing the tobacco dragon and for writing this book. It should be required reading for every medical and divinity school student.
Civics lesson that reads like a thriller.......2002-08-05
Wow. Who would have thought a book on the history of the FDA's handling of tobacco regulation would read like a spy novel? I grabbed this book off the new books shelf at the library, and picked it up expecting to skim through it. Kessler begins with how he was chosen to head the FDA, and introduces several of his staff including the one who started him toward taking on the tobacco industry. Then we get plenty of background including the history, marketing, and laws concerning tobacco.
With all the press on Big Tobacco, I expected them to be shown as fiendish. I've been a member of Americans for Non-Smokers Rights for 20 years, and I've read all about the Industry's dirty tricks, and I fully expected to read about them again here. What I didn't expect to find was the thoroughness in Big Tobacco attempted to discredit the FDA, and Kessler takes us through the political campaigns and counter-campaigns. He shows how Big Tobacco created fake advocacy groups on several issues, leading to their attempt to muzzle the FDA and cut off all their government funding. If you remember the '94 Contract with America and the movement against Big Government, you'll be surprised to find how Big Tobacco co-opted it to fight the FDA, one of the more admired agencies.
If you weren't already cynical about how the US government operates, this book will get you there, even with its descriptions of some of the good guys continually outmaneuvered by the bad ones. Several congress members are shown to be captives of Big Tobacco, doing their dirty work with scripts written by their lobbyists and lawyers.
And speaking of lawyers, one of the most amazing revelations to me ok is how the tobacco industry became captives of their law firms! Yes, instead of working for their clients, the law firms ended up calling all the shots, and the CEOs would read statements prepared by them. The book covers how this came to be.
If you love looking of source material, you'll be busy. Kessler leaves plenty of footnotes in this meaty book for your review. My only complaint is that the book jumps around in places, as the story moves forward or back depending on the topic being covered. But this is a small beef, as the material is so compelling. Find out not only how cigarette's nicotine content was manipulated but how the industry tried to hide this obvious fact from FDA visitors to their manufacturing facilities. Enjoy the victories and despair over the setbacks; this is a policy-wonk's book as written by a Tom Clancy wanna-be.
A Govenment Policy Thriller.......2002-06-24
This is an excellent book. Kessler's story reads like a thriller, but is non-fiction. In addition to the fascinating narrative, Kessler provides along the way many insights into how Washington REALLY works. The most disheartening thing about the book is the extent to which Kessler documents how our political culture is awash with tobacco money; the tentacles of the tobacco companies seemingly reach everywhere. Kessler reveals that many "think tanks" and other public policy mouthpieces--even senators--have been bought by big tobacco and are literally reading from scripts the companies have provided trying to shift tobacco issues into ideological issues involving freedom and democracy. Unfortunately, the tobacco companies usually win with such strategies. Kessler is quite non-partisan in his approach to his topic, so politicians are judged purely by their stance on tobacco. Clinton comes out as wishy-washy, Gore as rock solid, while Dennis Hastert, Newt Gingrich and assorted others come out as shills for big tobacco. A very enlightening and enjoyable book; it will make you yearn for true campaign finance reform.
Book Description
The 33rd Degree initiation ceremony revealed for the first time in history. Now we can visit behind the locked door into this deadly deception which is victimizing multitudes of sincere men. Co-author, Jim Shaw, opens the doors for the reader.
Customer Reviews:
Never let the truth stand in the way of a good lie.......2006-08-13
In this lively book, Tom McKenney co-authors the story of Jim Shaw, a man who left Freemasonry after learning that it was contrary to his Christian beliefs. Mr Shaw relates the story of his association with Freemasonry and his rise to become "one of its top leaders." Mr Shaw explains that he gradually became dissatisfied with Freemasonry as he grew in Christian knowledge, and he cites specific examples of what he considered to be non-Christian teachings in Masonry. But can Mr Shaw's testimony be relied on as completely true? Although his work went unchallenged for several years, Masonic researchers have uncovered what appears to be the secret Jim Shaw concealed, i.e., he exaggerated his Masonic standing and falsely claimed to have received honors which he never did. The reader of "The Deadly Deception" owes it to him/her self to see the wealth of information now available on Jim Shaw. In our book, _Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry?_ S. Brent Morris and I demonstate that although Tom McKenney's acount is lively, engaging and easy to read, the evidence posted online suggests that Mr Shaw yielded to religious enthusiasm and that Mr McKenney was his unwitting victim. This book is one of the easier-to-read anti-Masonic books, but it fails to convince this reader that the author's feet were planted firmly in the ground.
[Three-and-a-half out of Four stars on reg. rating scale] Very good effort here........2006-07-21
'Reputation is a fragile thing', a popular
band once sang in a song back in 1982 (CT).
Credentials matter not when the contents
prove that something is not right and the
author honestly attempts to uncover some-
thing that intends, w/ duped followers, to
stay hidden (or is it 'hoodwinked'?). No,
the author may not have the 'cariculum vitae'
so to speak, to attack the octopus of Masonry
head on ON EVERY POINT [see my other reviews
pls., readers for more on masonic nitwits...]
but so what! Good is done in the daylight and
evil in building w/ windows painted shut, and
in darkness!
Credentials of author unimportant (in my opinion).......2006-03-27
In my opinion, it matters not if Jim Shaw had the credentials he touted. What matters is the content. Is it true? Can it be verified? I believe it is and it can be. The excerpts taken from pages of Mason literature as compared to what the Bible teaches make it clear that Free Masonry and authentic Christianity are incompatible. I'm saddened when I see the "Christian fish" and the Masonic emblem on the back of the same vehicle. I DO NOT HATE those who embrace Free Masonry, they too were created in the image of God and we as Christians should love them pray that the veil of deception be lifted so they may see the truth. The book does an excellent job at comparing what Masonic doctrine says versus what the Bible teaches. The content is easily verifiable by accessing Free Masonry literature. More could be said, but this is supposed to be a book review, not a lesson in Christian apologetics.
Deception?.......2005-12-28
The Deadly Deception: Freemasonry Exposed by One of Its Top Leaders is a very easy book to read and understand. It's unfortunate that Rev. Jim Shaw attempt to slander free Mason's was done through his own deception. As the book cover suggest that Rev. Jim Shaw claims of being a Thirty-Third Degree Mason along with one of the TOP Masonic Leaders is undocumented and is seen only through the eyes of Jim Shaw himself.
All information of Masonic Degree work to include the election of officers is and has been documented for public information/review. The names of every newly created Thirty-Third Degree Mason are published in the "Transactions of the Supreme Council" and thousands of copies are distributed after the degree has been obtained.
One may argue that documents can be changed which in fact could have easily happen as any Anti-Mason might claim, but it's impossible to recall the thousands of copies already distributed. In addition, there is also no Masonic records that I could find stating that Rev. Jim Shaw ever was a Worshipful Master in a Blue Lodge. However I was able to verify that Rev. Shaw was a Knight Commander of the Court of Honor in December 1965 and upon his demit from being a Mason Jim Shaw is documented as holding the thirty-second degree.
I would recommend to anyone who reads this book with an open mind to do so with caution and to do thier own research as I have done. I would also recommend to the readers of this book to read, "Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry? The methods of Anti-Masons" by Art DeHoyos.
Interesting expose.......2005-07-22
It seems that there is considerable truth in this book, i havnt read the whole book yet but so far its proven what i have already instinctively known, that the upper orders of freemasonry are occult black worship, the reviews also offer insight into this, those pro-masonic really need to take a look at themselves and look at the words used in their ceremonies more closely to see the truth. Its all about Black robes and deity worshiping. They worship the master of this world, their god is not the most high god but the usual demi-gods, egotistical beings who consider themselves as gods who seek to rule by absolute obedience and control. interesting how one reviewer commented that he belonged to no religion and that freemasonry is about a "society for the protection of its members from an oppressive government". But then why is worshiping the master so important in freemasonry then, and why all the pomp and ceremony and dark occultist stuff. Also interesting that those pro-masonic reviewers are up to 32nd degree but not beyond that. Guess they might understand if they were 33rd!
Book Description
Deceit and Denial details the attempts by the chemical and lead industries to deceive Americans about the dangers that their deadly products present to workers, the public, and consumers. Gerald Markowitz and David Rosner pursued evidence steadily and relentlessly, interviewed the important players, investigated untapped sources, and uncovered a bruising story of cynical and cruel disregard for health and human rights. This resulting exposé is full of startling revelations, provocative arguments, and disturbing conclusions--all based on remarkable research and information gleaned from secret industry documents.
This book reveals for the first time the public relations campaign that the lead industry undertook to convince Americans to use its deadly product to paint walls, toys, furniture, and other objects in America's homes, despite a wealth of information that children were at risk for serious brain damage and death from ingesting this poison. This book highlights the immediate dangers ordinary citizens face because of the relentless failure of industrial polluters to warn, inform, and protect their workers and neighbors. It offers a historical analysis of how corporate control over scientific research has undermined the process of proving the links between toxic chemicals and disease. The authors also describe the wisdom, courage, and determination of workers and community members who continue to voice their concerns in spite of vicious opposition. Readable, pathbreaking, and revelatory, Deceit and Denial provides crucial answers to questions of dangerous environmental degradation, escalating corporate greed, and governmental disregard for its citizens' safety and health.
Download Description
Deceit and Denial details the attempts by the chemical and lead industries to deceive Americans about the dangers that their deadly products present to workers, the public, and consumers. Gerald Markowitz and David Rosner pursued evidence steadily and relentlessly, interviewed the important players, investigated untapped sources, and uncovered a bruising story of cynical and cruel disregard for health and human rights. This resulting exposé is full of startling revelations, provocative arguments, and disturbing conclusions--all based on remarkable research and information gleaned from secret industry documents. This book reveals for the first time the public relations campaign that the lead industry undertook to convince Americans to use its deadly product to paint walls, toys, furniture, and other objects in America's homes, despite a wealth of information that children were at risk for serious brain damage and death from ingesting this poison. This book highlights the immediate dangers ordinary citizens face because of the relentless failure of industrial polluters to warn, inform, and protect their workers and neighbors. It offers a historical analysis of how corporate control over scientific research has undermined the process of proving the links between toxic chemicals and disease. The authors also describe the wisdom, courage, and determination of workers and community members who continue to voice their concerns in spite of vicious opposition. Readable, pathbreaking, and revelatory, Deceit and Denial provides crucial answers to questions of dangerous environmental degradation, escalating corporate greed, and governmental disregard for its citizens' safety and health.
Customer Reviews:
A Real Service!.......2004-01-25
This is an extraordinary book. Unlike other books that address the corruption of industry, this book has the documents and information that you really need. Few stories of environmental duplicity ever provide this kind of detail and data.
But most importantly, it reads like a detective story, which, in fact, it is! Bill Moyers is absolutely correct in his cover blurb! What a joy to read.
A Real Service!.......2004-01-25
This is an extraordinary book. Unlike other books that address the corruption of industry, this book has the documents and information that you really need. Few stories of environmental duplicity ever provide this kind of detail and data.
But most importantly, it read like a detective story, which, in fact, it is! Bill Moyers is absolutely correct in his cover blurb! What a joy to read.
Indispensible for those who want the whole truth.......2003-10-21
I really enjoyed -- if that is a word you can use when describing the satanic greed of corporations -- this work. The two authors present an exhausting history behind the lead and vinyl chloride industries and their penchant for trying to buy science and keep the public and government misinformed, decade after decade, about the toxicity of their products.
One aspect of the ongoing struggle with corporate giants that the authors point out is that these industries often enjoy immense tax relief, especially in states like Louisiana, as the following excerpt indicates:
". . . "For example, IMC-Agrico, which received $15 million in property tax relief between 1988 and 1997, was a major polluter in Louisiana, releasing 12.8 million pounds of toxic chemicals in the manufacturer of fertilizers and other chemical products; Rubicon, Inc., a chemical company in Geismar, released 8.4 million pounds of chemicals and was exempted from $9 million in property taxes; Monsanto released 7.7 million pounds of toxic chemicals, but Lousiana 'excused Monsanto from payment of $45 million in property taxes over the past decade.'" [page 275]
One can easily see the inversion of the idea of corporate responsiblity in the above excerpt. Rather than government(s) charging more to companies that spew their toxins everywhere, they charge less! It is as if the national policy could thus be expressed as "Help and show compassion to those who hate you and lie to you, and whose chemical waste products may kill you. This is the established and true way!"
Yet, as the book points out, so called "libertarian" organizations like the Cato Institute usually argue on the side of the corporations. This holds true not only in terms of human rights in general, but also in simple economics. It is the corporations who violate most egregiously the principle of a flat, equitable, and level tax (or equitable anything). I've also seen this penchant for defending corporations repeatedly in the Reason Foundation's writings. This is depressing for me, as I not only favor a libertarian philosophy, but for years voted libertarian and was a member of both the state and national parties. One is suckered into the libertarian culture by the rationality and commonsense against such atrocious policies as the drug war, and then one is confronted with the opposite of intelligence in other matters, much as democrats have suckered folks into the idea that they don't aid foreign despots (they do!), or that Republicans are for limited government (ha!).
(Fortunately, I voted for Ralph Nader in the last election).
But regardless of ones politcal sympathies and/or affiliation, this book is a masterpiece, and should be consumed by we "consumers" like the way marathon runners guzzle liquids to prevent dehydration. Enjoy!
Goodbye Whiggish View of History.......2003-05-18
Whether we know it or not, we all cherish a Whiggish view of history - mankind emerging from dank darkness and ignorance of the past into the sunny destiny of modern civilisation. Such is the stuff of fairy tales, and the child within us will not let us accept any other.
Basing themselves on historical documentation unearthed in litigation to which the US chemical industry has been submitted over the recent decades, the authors - historians both - have portrayed two grim tales of deceit and denial. The first involves lead, whose poisonous character was known since time immemorial, and yet was used indiscriminately in paint, and then in gasoline. The second is the history of vinyl chloride, the mainstay of the petrochemical industry, whose cancer-causing character was long denied.
Lead was defeated by technology. Other minerals made better paint bases, and lead in gasoline was banned when catalytic converters were added to the petrol engine. The current gasoline additives are just as cancerous - but that's a story still to be written.
Caught out in lies and deceit in the `70s about the cancerous effects of vinyl chloride, the petrochemical industry reeled, und knuckled under. It did not even cost them that much. As indicated at pg. 223, the industry paid $ 270 million dollars for doing a job that it had estimated would cost $90 billion - and the government thought it might cost $ 1 billion.
But the industry learned its lesson. It would not submit again to the checks and balances of a democratic society. Politicians were bought, courts intimidated - and heck, science needs research money. A successful campaign against `big government' was launched, and `deregulation' mania swept the land - self-regulation is to solve all problems. Now the governor from the dirtiest state of the Union - and proud of it - is in the White House.
The end of the book is a distressing description of the rearguard battles fought by the citizens of Louisiana to avoid that `cancer lane' - as the region between Baton Rouge and New Orleans is dubbed - become upgraded to `cancer super-highway'.
The list of the participants in this story of denial and deceit are not the `dirty back-yard tinkerers', the scum of the chemical earth. The best of the finest of the sector are involved, individually, and in Associations. Past errors or malfeasance is no object.
We do not learn from past mistakes. Except better to cover up our misdeeds.
Important book for understanding our toxic world.......2003-04-19
Two respected historians of environmental health weigh in on two of the twentieth century's biggest sources of industrial pollution--lead and plastics. Equipped with an incredible bounty of inside-the-industry documents gleaned from major toxic tort law suits, the authors uncover more smoking guns than you're likely to find in a Sam Peckinpah film. You'll never look at the Dutch Boy the same way again.
Book Description
As the heiress to a vast fortune amassed by her millionaire father, Francesca Cahill's life should be mapped out for her: find an eligible suitor, marry, and have children. But Francesca is an unconventional young lady who is not about to give up her knack for sleuthing--even though she was almost killed in her last outing....Murder strikes once again in the seamy underbelly of New York's high society, exposing scandalous secrets and unleashing an intense investigation into one of the most brutal crimes the city has ever known. Francesca must join forces with Rick Bragg, New York City's Police commissioner and the mans he cannot resist loving, as their search takes them through a twisted labyrinth of menacing lies, corruption, and a passion that refused to be denied....
Customer Reviews:
Flawed Series But Addictive Reading!.......2005-09-22
"Deadly Affairs" is author Brenda Joyce's third installment in the historical sleuth series featuring New York City debutante and bluestocking Francesca Cahill. Miss Cahill, the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, is an unwilling member of New York City's social elite at the turn of the 20th century, 1902 to be exact. She lives in a Fifth Avenue mansion, with her parents and older brother, attends glittering society balls and fundraisers, and allows herself, occasionally, to be courted by the town's most eligible bachelors. However, Francesca is a marginal player, at best, in the comings and goings of Manhattan's rich and famous, to her mother's dismay. She is an intellectual, and determined to do something with her mind other than plan dinner parties. Unbeknownst to her mother, she has enrolled in Barnard College with aspirations to become a journalist. Recently, however, coinciding with newly appointed police commissioner Rick Bragg's move to New York, Francesca has taken to sleuthing....and romance. Her grades are suffering as a result.
Back in book one, "Deadly Love," when a neighbor's son was kidnapped, Fran stepped in, solved the crime, and saved the day. This is when she met and worked with the extremely handsome, charismatic Bragg for the first time. From their initial introduction, sparks began to fly, and as Francesca found herself becoming more involved with sleuthing than journalism, stronger feelings than mere physical attraction developed between the sophisticated man about town and the naive young woman. Unfortunately, there are complications in the commissioner's life which prohibit him from courting Francesca.
Although family and friends have warned her to stay out of police matters, Fran has continued her work as an amateur PI. She now accepts a new case from a woman who fears her new husband is unfaithful. While spying on the philanderer, she stumbles over the dead, mutilated body of a woman. Francesca is determined to find the murderer, who, it appears, has killed before. The same unmistakable trademark is left on all the victims - the sign of a cross carved on their throats.
As I have written in previous reviews, there are many flaws in this series, the major one being the principal character, Francesca Cahill. I don't understand how the author can take a potentially credible, likeable young woman, whom, we are told frequently, is extremely intelligent, independent, etc., and turn her into a silly, immature, indiscreet, and melodramatic personage. Whenever I think Ms. Joyce is catching on with her character development, she has Fran do something simply outlandish, really zany, and it just breaks the mood. Francesca Cahill cannot be Stephanie Plum, not even a more conservative early 20th century sister of Ms. Plum's and still maintain the atmosphere the author wishes to establish. She is a Manhattan socialite in 1902, not a New Jersey bounty hunter in 2005! And, the idea that an upper class young woman would have business cards distributed saying, "Francesca Cahill, Crime-Solver Extraordinaire, No. 810 Fifth Avenue, New York City, All Cases Accepted, No Crime Too Small," is ridiculous. Also, the mysteries are filled with too many coincidences to suit my taste.
So, why do I keep on reading these books? If you have ever been sick and home from work for a few days, watched the soaps and become addicted to one in particular, you will understand. The strength of Ms. Joyce's novels lies not in the mysteries but rather in her vivid recreation of New York at the turn of the century and her compelling secondary characters. Their stories are ongoing, as are Francesca's and Rick's.
Calder Hart, Rick's half brother, wealthy art connoisseur and womanizer, has befriended Francesca and is clearly attracted to her. He is an extremely complex man, and, like his brother, he is illegitimate. Bragg and Hart have different fathers and the same mother. The relationship between these two, their individual lives and backgrounds, are fascinating. Evan Cahill, Francesca's older brother, is another engaging character. He is a smart, caring man, but flawed - with a tendency to gamble and accumulate debts. In fact he has got himself in way over his head and owes a fortune. Andrew Cahill, the family patriarch, a savvy businessman and affectionate father, (pulled himself up by the bootstraps), has agreed to pay off the debts only if Evan agrees to marry a young woman he does not love, nor even care to become better acquainted with. His fiancee has unseen depth, however, and is a brilliant artist, but only Francesca is aware of this. Then there is Constance, the beautiful big sister, married to the very handsome British Lord Neil Montrose, who Francesca has discovered "in flagrante" with another woman. The clan's maternal force, Julia Cahill, is an extremely strong character determined to marry-off her children well. New characters are introduced in each novel who remain as part of the permanent storyline well after the mystery is solved.
The series' premise is a winner - a society girl/college student sleuth in 1902 NYC. There is enough "good stuff" here to hold my interest, marginally. But I don't have to buy the next book to fulfill my curiosity. I can just go to my local bookstore and skim the narrative over a cup of coffee to discover what will happen between Francesca's sister and her husband, or find out if Evan will break things off with his fiancee. It is up to the author to make her books worth paying money for - although I have now bought three. I will check-out the fourth for improvements before I make the next purchase. My suggestion to potential buyers, take the first book out of the library before you invest your time and money.
JANA
Exciting book.......2004-07-09
Even though this is the third book in the series, it was the first one that I read. I thought it was wonderful and addictive and as a result I have purchased every book in the series thus far and have read them several times. The mystery is good and the love triange relationship is sooo interesting. A very pleasant way to spend an afternoon.
Great mystery/romance series, gets better from book to book!.......2003-01-30
I really love the "Deadly" series, and I just finished this one. I can`t wait to read "Deadly Desire" to see how the love story continues! Maybe I am wrong, but in the end I think Calder Hart will marry Francesca, for I think he is the better man for her. He is really exciting and sexy, the "more than meets the eye" type. For my taste, Rick is far too good and moral (but maybe he isn`t and is also responsible for the failure of his marriage?). I am looking forward for all the next books and would love if someone would like to mail me to share one`s opinion about the books! deborah.hof@gmx.de
This is the best so far...........2002-06-16
Joyce has found her footing and the series has really taken off. Excellent read!
Brenda Joyce has done it again!!!.......2002-05-10
Brenda Joyce new Deadly serious is awsome. Its filled with Romance, Adventure, excitment. Keeps you on the edge of seat. I've been reading her books for like 2 years now and i refused to read anyone else until i've read every single book she has written, i'm almost there and havent been disappointed yet.
They are that good the Characters just take you away to another World. The story lines are great.
I just can't say enough about this serious and all her books!!
You have to read them yourself and then you'll know why.
Book Description
Deadly Fighting Skills of the World is the most in-depth study yet of how trained soldiers kill and wound, and a complete insight into how human beings can be turned into deadly fighting machines.These skills can be primitive as well as ultramodern. Far Eastern elite troops train in the historic martial arts: the South Korean Tiger Division is expert in the lethal skills of punching and kicking. Western special forces can fight with their hands, using them to defeat heavily armed assailants, and can kill without a sound. They can improvise weapons from materials at hand. But they also have access to the most sophisticated weaponry: hand-held anti-tank guns which can transform a tank into a blazing hulk. They know the latest techniques of ambush, how to assassinate heavily guarded political opponents, and how to rapidly destroy key installations.All the above and much more is in this exceptionally interesting book, made more graphic by 100 diagrams and 80 photographs.
Customer Reviews:
Deadly Fighting Skills of the World.......2006-02-26
This book is very informative and thorough. It is an excellent buy!!
Great Advanced Soldiering book!.......2005-01-28
This book is excellent information for any soldier. Although the title is misleading. The book talks about special forces around the world and their fighting skills. I found some good information even though I am a fully qualified soldier. I saw a few reviews that said it was a bad book if you were looking for "fighting skills" as in street fighting. The fact of the matter is the whole book is on fighting. Fighting wars and Battle skills that is. If a person is looking for a unarmed combat system I suggest Systema. For more info. go to www.russianmartialart.com
Good Reference Manual.......2002-01-23
I thought this book was very informative. I also have The Elite Forces Handbook of Unarmedcombat, and I think they are both very good field manuals for soldiers.
The tactics in this book may be a bit dated - but let us not forget that tactics change with counter-tactics so the latest stuff will not get published for another 10 years simply because it is classified.
However, this material is still highly educational and I would recommend it.
Another special forces manual?.......2000-07-21
In a way, yes it is, but it is written as if the reader is actually training to be in an elite forces unit and is being briefed. I like this method of writing as it makes the text more of an adventure rather than an enciclopedia. There is a huge amount of information in this book, just about everything you would want to know from basic martial arts, self defence, tracking, sniping, automatic weapons, ambushes booby traps etc. The text is fairly self explanatory most of the time but is is jazzed up with pictures and diagrams. Admittidly the pictures are black and white, but you cant have everything. When it says 'Skills Of the World' it means the entrie world. There are references in here to not only SAS, SBS, SEALs, SWATs, and Spetnaz, there is also references to french elite regiments, Israili, Vietnamise, German and Brazilian too. What I like about this book is the way in which every little tecnique is described then illustrated with pictures finally descibed in action, for example there is reference to heavy machine guns used in Viatnam and knife throwing used in Afganistan by spetnaz. I cant give this book 5 stars because it dosen't bring much innovation to the writing of these sorts of manuals. It is the same tried and tested formula over again but it is good.
high color cover/low color information.......2000-07-02
nice looking cover, but very low in any type of information. many drawings that are not related to the title. just the very basic information at best. i would not recommend
Average customer rating:
- does she still think about this book
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No Sanctuary: The True Story of a Rabbi's Deadly Affair
Michele Samit
Manufacturer: Carol Publishing Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books | AIDS | Abuse | Adults | Aging | Children | Class | Communities | Culture | Death | General | History | Leisure | Marriage & Family | Medicine | Men | Occupational | Race Relations | Religion | Research & Measurement | Rural | Social Groups | Social Situations | Social Theory | Suburban | Urban | Women
Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1559721820 |
Customer Reviews:
does she still think about this book.......2000-07-27
Is Melvin free or sitting in jail where he belongs????? Did they ever find the shooter or confuse???? Did they ever get the temple built, what happen to the land? However book interesting, but left me curious about the previous questions.
Average customer rating:
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Deadly Affairs of State
Ed Novak
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1425109705 |
Book Description
An overly ambitious Secretary of State, who lusts to be the first woman President of the United States, is handed a once in a lifetime opportunity to make her dream come true.
Abetted by her father, she enlists Irish and Islamic terrorists, the North Korean Navy and a Chicago mobster to assassinate, within a twenty-four hour time frame, the four men standing in her path to glory.
An inquisitive intelligence analyst's interest is piqued by recurrent references to specific colors in the message traffic that he reads from the above areas of the world. A retired intelligence and submarine Flag office, a former SEAL, and a former All-American football star, now a computer super whiz, are called upon to solve the puzzle of the messages, formulate plans to counter the threats and to deliver justice to the perpetrators. They have only SIX weeks the defeat the conspiracy!!
Book Description
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Map
Anthony Arnove
The Roots of US/UK Policy
Naseer Aruri: US Policy on Iraq: 1990-1999
Phyllis Bennis and Denis Halliday: Iraq: The Impact of Sanctions and U.S. Policy (Interview with David Barsamian)
Noam Chomsky: US Iraq Policy: Motives and Consequences
Myths and Realities
John Pilger: Collateral Damage
Voices in the Wilderness: Ten Myths About Sanctions
Robert Fisk: The Hidden War
Rania Masri and Ali Abunimah: The Media's Deadly Spin on Iraq
Howard Zinn: One Iraqi's Story
Life Under Sanctions
Kathy Kelly: Raising Voices: The Children of Iraq 1990-1999
Barbara Nimri Aziz: Targets--Not Victims
George Capaccio: Killing a Country and a People
Documenting the Impact of Sanctions
Dr. Peter Pellett: Sanctions, Food, Nutrition, and Health in Iraq
Dr. Huda S. Ammash: The Impact of Sanctions on the Environment and Health in Iraq
Activist Responses
Edward Said, Noam Chomsky, Ed Herman, Howard Zinn, Robert Jensen, William Keach, June Jordan, Angela Davis, Carlos Muñoz, Jr, and Sharon Smith.: Sanctions Are Weapons of Mass Destruction
Noam Chomsky: Sanctions as Biological Warfare
Sharon Smith: Building the Movement to End Sanctions
Appendix Organizations Working to End Sanctions
Index
An Excerpt from Iraq Under Siege
Raising Voices: The Children of Iraq 1990-1999
Kathy Kelly
It is January 8, 1997. I am in a car driving from Baltimore to Washington, D.C., at 6:15 a.m. With me are Simon Harak, a Jesuit priest and theology professor, and Ardeth Platte and Carol Gilbert, Dominican sisters from Baltimore. We will later meet Aft Laffin, a Catholic lay worker, at the Senate Hart Office Building. Our plan is to enter the Senate confirmation hearings for Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
Leslie Stahl went to Iraq for 60 Minutes. On the program that aired May 12, 1996, she asked Albright, who was then the US ambassador to the United Nations, to explain US policy in the context of the devastation she had seen among the children of Iraq. Albright responded: "It's a hard decision, Lesli
Customer Reviews:
In the tradition of Howard Zinn.......2006-11-21
A collection of essays edited by Anthony Arnove (with one by Socialist Worker columnist Sharon Smith) that provides the necessary background to the current U.S. war and occupation of Iraq. This is the post-invasion updated edition. This work complements Arnove's Iraq: Logic of Withdrawal.
This will make you want to back-hand Clinton..........2004-03-27
First of all, this book comes from South End Press. South End is supposedly a "liberal," "one-sided" publisher. I was told this by a respected professor of mine. He brushed off this book without ever reading it...claiming to know its contents simply by virture of the company that published it. I believe this to be an intellectual cop-out.
I do not think that a conservative person could ignore this book and its authors based on a liberal bias. This book is very critical of America's policy towards Iraq, and it makes me realized that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts. I don't think ideology has anything to do with this book. It is well written and serves as an interesting source of information now that we are in a post-Saddam era. Listening to people like Bush now, you'd swear that we were very concerned with the Iraqi people. That is a lie. Bush '43 continued the same sanctions policy that Clinton did that devastated the Iraqi population.
However, this book is somewhat repetitive. There were many contributors and some material is mentioned more than once, but I do not think that this should keep people from reading the book. It's short and written in easy to read language. It is a valuable book now more than ever for those interested in what happens in Iraq.
Read this for comfort in these viscious times.......2003-03-28
People going out of their minds from the pathological jingoism and pentagon produced santizied media coverage should read this book. Reading the essays by people like Kathy Kelly , a real hero, of Voices in the Wilderness, an utterly wonderful organization, is somewhat soothing. And to read about the depleted uranium that our troops are being exposed to....
Anthony arnove quotes a Washington post article from June 2000 that the little notice "No-fly zone" bombings were regularly killing civilians.. During the Gulf war, our "smart bombs" hit water treatment facilities, electrical plants, and other such vital civilian infrastructure leading to the indirect murder of tens of thousand of Iraqis. Under "dual use" bans imposed by the U.S. Iraq has not been able to import vital medicines, spare parts and chemicals like chlorine for water treatment, fertilizers to fight agricultural plagues. So Iraqis drink water filled with sewage and die hideous deaths in hospitals which don't have equipment or medicine. And it is noted that John Negroponte our ambassador to the UN did not mention that at the time of the passage of resolution 1409 in May 2002, the U.S. was blocking on the UN sanctions committee over 5 billion in Iraqi requests for vital civilian supplies. They have not been able to repair transportation systems to transport food or repair warehouses or get air-conditioned trucks to transport goods in the heat.
Noam Chomsky points out how the Republicans in the 80's were authorising the shipments to Saddam of materials to build his WMD arsenal. And plenty of credits to buy agricultural produce: in december 1989 Bush Sr. announced a major increase. Iraq needed to import food because Saddam had ruined Iraq's northern breadbasket in the 80's. Bob Dole and other senators came to soothe him in the Kurdish city of Mosul in April 1990 about a few scattered negative reports in the American press about him. He points out that the U.S. helped Saddam crush the post-gulf war rebellions; Schwartzkopf allowed Iraqi aircraft to fly over U.S. lines to crush it. The U.S. preferred Saddam Hussein to stay in power and then maybe some pro-U.S. "iron fisted junta" as Chomsky quotes the New York Time's Thomas Friedman, could take his place and hold Iraq together as well as Saddam did back in the 80's to the approval Turkey, the Saudis and the U.S.
Dr. Peter Pellet points out that the Kurdish North benefited during the sanctions era because it is the breadbasket of Iraq and it received more than 50 percent per capita oil for food aid than the Saddam controlled part of the country. NGO's also gave a lot more aid to it.
Sharon Smith points out that this is a prime time for anti-war organizing. What with the obvious links of the Bush administration to the corporate knavery of the 90's and their accelleration of the attack on worker's rights. With regard to the latter she notes the Longshoreman were threatened and finally forced back to work by the invocation of Taft-Hartley in Oct. 2002. She points out that much of the promised food aid to starving Afghans has not materialized and the Northern Alliance judges have ruled that women running away from their husbands will only be jailed, not killed as under the Taliban. She points to some success in organizing: I like her reference to the disruption of the staged "town meeting" conducted by Clinton officials in February 1998 where that ruthless killer Miss Albright was flustered by a question about U.S. funding of Indonesia's occupation and genocide in East Timor.
Barbara Nimri Aziz has an really moving and profound essay about this intellectual couple in Baghdad who were full of life in spite of being deprived of books and periodicals by the sanctions. The husband dropped dead of a heart attack, part of the enormous rise in heart problems caused by the deprivation of the sanctions. Iraqis before 1990, in spite of the Ba'ath regime had produced a vigorous society that was in many ways close to the first world. The U.S. dosen't like third world people who do well. The bombing and sanctions have crushed ordinary Iraqis as many people have suddenly discovered(while their leaders whom Americans were suddenly told to hate after 8/02/90 have prospered quite well).
Dennis Halliday argues that the part of UN resolution 687 should be implented which calls for removing all WMD from the Middle East. He callslifting the sanctions from Iraq, once it fully complies with inspections and dropping the threat to overthrow the regime even if it does comply. It involves lifting the sanctions to empower the Iraqi people to overthrow Saddam. Not realistic anymore obviously but a good plan. It is noted in the endnotes to Halliday's and Phyllis Bennis's interview with David Barsamian that the U.S. is the biggest arms trader in the Middle east, selling at least a billion dollars worth to governments like Saudi Arabia, Israel and Turkey.
An Organized, Articulate, Well-Referenced Book.......2003-02-13
The book is written in 16 easy-to-read chapters organized under 5 Parts (or themes) and an Introduction which provides some background information as to the "roots of the crisis". With this type of organization the reader will never get lost in the sea of facts. All facts are referenced at the end of each corresponding chapter in order of appearance. This book is an excellent compilation of essays written by 18 different respected authors including Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, and John Pilger to name a few. Though the book is a compilation of essays, these essays read congruently, flowing from one to the other so that this book reads like...well, a book! Part I covers the roots of US/UK Policy in Iraq, Part II separates some of the commonly heard myths from the realities in regard to Iraq and Saddam (two words that are not synonymous with each other), Part III gives the reader some heart wrenching real-life stories (documentaries) of life under the sanctions, Part IV provides documentation recording the human, agricultural and some of other impacts of the sanctions as well as some shocking information on Depleted Uranium (DU) weapons, and Part V essentially provides the reader with pertinent information and guidelines for activist response, including how to research and where to go for information. There is a map of Iraq in the beginning of the book listing all the main Shiite towns, centers of Kurdish populations, oil fields, refineries, pipelines and more. There are also 12 quality black and white pictures of people and places which really tie everything together nicely. There is an alphabetical index in the back of the book as well as brief synopses of the authors. I guarantee you will know far more about what is going on in Iraq (and have better insight into why Washington is taking so long in removing Saddam) than most members of the media ever have.
Finally, another perspective other than CNN's.......2003-01-10
Very interesting commentary on US policy toward the middle east. Its not at all flattering. More people should read this book. Unfortunately, its difficult to know the facts in this situation with Iraq; and this book didn't give me a very authoritative feel ... then again nor do the major networks, and uh, nor does GW.
Bottom line: The sanctions are not a good thing.
Book Description
What if you were an international super spy? What if you had the latest technology at your fingertips? What if you had martial-arts training to hone your mind and body into the perfect living weapon? What if you didn`t know it? But what if others did? High school student Alex Fleming`s life is the standard teenage mix of homework, dating anxiety, and getting his face shoved in the toilet by school bullies until one day when his dormant abilities begin to surface as he is drawn into a hidden world of mystery, intrigue, and bizarre villainy. Everybody`s out to get SpyBoy...but Alex Fleming doesn`t know why! Written by comics superstar Peter David and illustrated by Pop Mhan and Norman Lee, SpyBoy has captured the imagination of readers from a broad spectrum. If you`ve missed the early issues of this instant sell-out smash, don`t miss the opportunity to get on board the wildest ride in the park!
Book Description
A promising young attorney and a dedicated family man, Michael Fletcher seemed to have it all. But in the summer of 2000, Michael found himself standing on trial for the murder of his pregnant wife, Leann. The verdict-guilty of second degree murder-would leave friends, family, and the public at large scrambling to make sense of a twisted and frightening series of events that had ended in the brutal killing of Leann Fletcher. What could possibly have led Michael Fletcher to commit such a gruesome act? As a college student, Michael Fletcher married the girl of his dreams after a three-year courtship. It seemed like a fairy tale romance come true: a match made in heaven. So why would a man with no history of domestic violence murder his devoted wife right after he told her how much he loved her? Why would Michael shoot her in the back of her head, not only killing Leann but also the child that she was carrying inside her? According to prosecutors, Fletcher had been involved in an extramarital affair with a beautiful judge for two years. Was his relationship with respected District Judge Susan Chrzanowski enough cause for him to murder his wife in cold blood? Raising even more troubling questions, the startling discovery colored Leann's already shocking murder with shadings of sex, political scandal, and deadly betrayal.Now award-winning reporter Tom Henderson goes behind the explosive headline-making trial to uncover the unbelievable truth behind one woman's murder.AUTHORBIO: Tom Henderson is a Detroit News reporter. The winner of 25 state and national awards, Mr. Henderson has appeared in the Detroit Free Press, Toronto Globe and Mail, The Washington Post, and the Miami Herald. A DEADLY AFFAIR is his first book.
Customer Reviews:
Good Read.......2007-01-17
Fast delivery by Amazon. The details of the case were given in an interesting style.
Boring and Disappointed.......2006-07-29
This was a very boring book that read as if the Fletcher family were writing it themselves thats how bias the Author was. If you want to know about this story without driving yourself bored in to unconsciousness with this book watch it on Forensic files and Cold Case files. It was much more interesting with all the facts on these 2 shows.
One-sided.......2005-04-13
Poorly written, one-sided propaganda for the defense. Not worth even checking it out from the library.
A Deadly Account.......2005-03-31
It was hard to maintain interest in this fragmented account. In the first pages, it recounts the crime several ways without shedding much further light on it.
It looks like the second crime here was how poorly the police handled the evidence. The third crime was attempting to make a book out of the whole mess.
I hate to admit that I couldn't finish it. After reading many true crime books, I have high expectations from Ann Rule's masterly handling of character development, description of the scene and coverage of the trial. Henderson's writing fell far short of her standard.
A trite page turner for short-hop flights.......2004-05-14
For all the (...) hullaballoo, this book simply presents another example of the oldest story there is; the Eternal Triangle, and its consequences. Granted, some of the facts are novel, i.e., a law clerk having repeated intercourse with a judge who was manifestly unqualified to be such, but who, even so, should have known better. Of course, the law clerk tires of his wife, and so he kills her. THE CONVICTION HAS SINCE BEEN UPHELD ON APPEAL, to no one's real surprise.
I live in the county where the law clerk and judge worked. She was suspended, and then left office before the voters could throw her out. We feel sullied by what took place.
The book is an effort to bolster the defense's case after the facts were adduced and the case decided. Despite its one-sided nature, the book fails in its quest. Mr. Fletcher is where he belongs, and the only amazing thing is that he didn't try to take the judge with him, so as to bring down his own sentence. Apparently, even cold-blooded killers have some small vestige of morals.
The book addresses nothing really new in the human experience, caters to the tawdry, and I'm sorry I spent the few hours I did on it. Don't even bother, unless you are really bored, and have absolutely nothing better to do with your life.
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