Shell Game: A Professor Simon Shaw Mystery (Simon Shaw Mysteries)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • She's at the top of her game.
  • fascinating academic mystery
Shell Game: A Professor Simon Shaw Mystery (Simon Shaw Mysteries)
Sarah R. Shaber
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0312356021
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Book Description

Simon Shaw, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and forensic historian, encounters his oldest corpse yetUwharrie Man, who died fourteen thousand years ago on the banks of Badin Lake in North Carolina. A controversy stirs up over the body, one that Simon realizes is not merely academic when his friend, archeologist David Morgan, is murdered. Simon is convinced that Morgan died because he came between factions struggling for control of the bones, but police sergeant Otis Gates disagrees. Simon single-mindedly pursues his friends killer, whose identity is a shock to everyone, especially Simon himself.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars She's at the top of her game........2007-05-12

I've been a fan of Sarah Shaber's Simon Shaw series since it began with "Simon Says". This most recent installment is up to her usual standard. I am sorry that she killed off Simon's friend David Morgan (this is not a spoiler - the first sentence of the book is "Simon knew instantly that someone he cared about was dead.") but the story is, as always, well plotted and well told.

Cozy mystery readers who have not yet met Dr. Shaw are in for a treat. I would suggest reading the 5 books in order, because the back story will make more sense.

5 out of 5 stars fascinating academic mystery .......2007-03-11

When the Chairman of his department and a colleague are waiting outside his room at the college, he knows that someone he cared about has died. His intuition proves correct when they tell him that his close friend archeologist David Morgan past away. Police friend Detective-Sergeant Otis Gates tells him that David was murdered and when Simon Shaw examines the house he tells the detective that David was killed with an amethyst geode that was among other artifacts that are also missing on his shelf.

The victim's sister comes in for the funeral and learns she is coming into more money than she anticipated. She makes no pretense of her happiness because her husband is an invalid and she has to work to support him and their three children. Her alibi doesn't check out but Simon is convinced his friends death is related the pending decisions as to the bones of the Uwharrie man. The acadenics want to examine to find out if the first settlers on the continent weren't those who crossed the Bering Strait. Additionally the Lumbee tribe wants the bones on the fourteen thousand year old skeleton buried. Simon decides to ignore Otis' warning and investigate.

SHELL GAME is a fascinating academic mystery as the hero uses the techniques of a teacher to conduct an investigation. Police have used his knowledge in the past to solve cold cases, but this time Simon is emotionally involved, enabling readers to see how hard it is for him to separate his feelings from the investigation. The fact that he can do so makes him an admirable man who makes a believable sleuth. The debate between academics and the Native Americans enhances a totally fascinating whodunit.

Harriet Klausner
Magic Lantern Guides: Canon Eos 3 (Magic Lantern Guides)
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • Content. Worth it?
  • Good EOS-3 guide
  • How to understand EOS 3 and EOS SYSTEM.
  • Magic Lantern Guide's Canon EOS-3, Great for Beginners
Magic Lantern Guides: Canon Eos 3 (Magic Lantern Guides)
Bob Shell , and Artur Landt
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ReferenceReference | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1883403596

Book Description

It's nearly professional in quality, with the most advanced features--and if you want to use one to its utmost, you'll have to go beyond what the regular instruction manual tells you! This top-of-the-line guide lays out everything there is to know about the new 45-point autofocus, the 21-zone evaluative metering, the eye-controlled focus, and 18 custom functions for expanded camera flexibility. And, of course all accessories are covered, including the sophisticated E-TTL flash exposure system.

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars Content. Worth it?.......2004-01-25

This book is nothing more than the factory owner's manual with a bit more explination. This would be a great book to buy if you didn't have the original manual. It explains a few thing a little more clearly, but not much more for the money. It does also consist of an overview of Canon lens, but is not up to date.
Overall:
If you have the manual, don't buy this book.
If you don't, buy this book.

3 out of 5 stars Good EOS-3 guide.......2002-03-29

Good complement to the sometimes ambiguous owner's manual: the different metering and autofocus systems are well explained, and allow you to learn how to get the best of this camera.

The worse part is, IMO, the flash operation: the book is really weak on this topic, and it disappointed me a lot.

4 out of 5 stars How to understand EOS 3 and EOS SYSTEM........2001-09-24

I'm a CANON EOS user for almost one year and I've had: EOS 500 and A2. Now I have EOS 50e and 3. All cameras I've bought in the used market without owner's manual. The Magic Lantern Guides help me to understand all cameras I had. The authors of the books write beyond the camera. They write about Flashes, Lenses and History... I could quickly understand overall EOS SYSTEM and love it. ...

4 out of 5 stars Magic Lantern Guide's Canon EOS-3, Great for Beginners.......2000-07-25

If you're familiar with the Magic Lantern Guides (MLG), you already know this book as they all follow a common pattern: the basics of photography intermingled with operational specifics about the camera.

Everything in Canon's EOS 3 manual is covered here, but in a more expository manner. Whereas the original manual lists features and how to turn them on and off, MLG tells you more of the how and why. Moreover, photos and diagrams are given to expand on important points.

Basic operational functions are covered first while advanced functions are introduced in a graded progression. Thus, you if need to get started fast, read the first few chapters and save the advanced features for a rainy day.

The final section of the book is a survey of selected Canon lenses. Again, they cover the basics--lens classifications & uses--while surveying the various models.

I have 2 negative points about this book: 1) Some of the images are second-rate stock photos; and 2) the text needs professional editing (wordy & grammatically incorrect at times).

Who needs this book? Not an experienced photographer--they should stick with Canon's manual. However, a beginner would benefit from MLG's complete explanations, equipment survey and novice photo tips.
Shell Game (Kathleen Mallory Novels)
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • A step backwards...
  • Fascinating as always
  • I love the series as a whole, but this book was AWFUL.
  • Mallory is mythical, metaphysical, and mystical.
  • My favorite Mallory
Shell Game (Kathleen Mallory Novels)
Carol O'Connell
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
SeriesSeries | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Women SleuthsWomen Sleuths | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Police ProceduralsPolice Procedurals | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
O'Connell, CarolO'Connell, Carol | ( O ) | Authors, A-Z | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0425176037
Release Date: 2000-08-08

Amazon.com

There has always been a touch of magic, a whiff of deception and illusion about Mallory, the New York homicide detective who never lets anyone call her Kathy. In highly praised books such as Killing Critics, Mallory's Oracle, and The Man Who Cast Two Shadows, Carol O'Connell has wrapped her fascinating, frustrating character in a cloak of myth. So it's no surprise that in her fifth adventure, Mallory is literally surrounded by magic and magicians, trying to find out why an old illusionist was killed while re-creating a famous trick involving four crossbows.

All of the suspects are magicians themselves, connected to the past and each other by events in Paris during World War II. One of them, a self-declared madman named Malakhai, lives in a mental hospital and maintains an elaborate fantasy involving his dead wife. There's a marvelous set piece early on--a poker game at which this invisible woman not only takes a seat but also makes bets, wins hands, and smokes lipsticked cigarettes. Of course Mallory is largely on her own in the investigation: she insults her only two friends and alienates all her police colleagues with her weird, unorthodox methods.

O'Connell is a richly poetic writer who fills her books with fleeting samples of everyone from Rilke and T.S. Eliot to Billie Holiday. Even if you're not deeply interested in how magicians work their magic, you should find enough other pleasures here to enjoy the author's superb bag of tricks. --Dick Adler

Book Description

A magic trick gone fatally wrong engages the talents of "one of the genre's most original and intriguing characters."*-New York City homicide detective Kathleen Mallory. (*Cleveland Plain Dealer)

"One Of O'connell's Best." -Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"O'Connell admirably treads the tightrope between appearance and reality, memory and history, the magic and mundane."-Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars A step backwards..........2007-09-30

I have enjoyed Carol O'Connell's Kathy Mallory series from the beginning. She got off to a great start with Mallory's Oracle, and each book just got better and better. But I thought that Shell Game was definitely a step backward. I persevered to the end, just hoping things would improve. While they did to an extent, I really didn't care who the murderer was--I just wanted it over. And at 402 pages of small print, I'm not sure it was a good investment of time.

Charles Butler is NYPD Detective Kathy Mallory's good friend. Butler is the younger cousin of Max Candle, one of the best magicians who ever performed. Candle has been dead for 30 years, but Butler inherited all his magic props. As a young man, Candle performed with a number of other young magicians in Paris during World War II. One of the magicians, Oliver Tree, is accidentally killed trying to recreate The Lost Illusion, one of the tricks from the 1940s. Of was it really a murder? And if so, which one of the other magicians is responsible for his death? Mallory is convinced that not only was Tree murdered, but also Louisa, wife of Malakhai, who died back in 1942. She has her hands full, fighting her boss at the NYPD and trying to deal with a number of magicians where things aren't always what they seem.

Unfortunately, I had too many "issues" with Shell Game. First, there were a number of magicians and it was hard to keep them all straight. Second, I thought the plot was just too convoluted. Third, The Lost Illusion was performed on a platform with crossbows, and it was almost impossible to visualize. The descriptions of the magic tricks were equally nebulous. And Malakhai performed with his dead wife, Louisa. Her shadow followed him around, her perfume could be smelled, her cigarettes appeared with red lipstick stains, wine disappeared from her wineglass, etc. It was just too much of a stretch.

While I didn't enjoy Shell Game as much as the other Mallory books, I will certainly not give up on O'Connell. Even though Shell Game was disappointing, O'Connell is still better than many of the mystery writers out there.

5 out of 5 stars Fascinating as always.......2007-07-19

I have to differ with other reviews listed here about this book. As usual, I cannot put it down. Perhaps it is because I was born 8 years after WW2 ended. I find her storytelling suberb especially in terms of the WW2 stories told by her magicians. My dad was in the army and landed in Utah Beach on DDplus1. For me, this book is an ode to all those who fought evil in Europe. In my world, there are NO bad Carol O'Connell books. There are some very poignant Mallory moments too when her compassion slips past her hard veneer. I was thinking I might be disappointed because of other amazon reviews but I wasn't in the least. I find this entire book fascinating including the illusionist descriptions. Mallory fans, read the other bad reviews and simply say, Yeah, right.

1 out of 5 stars I love the series as a whole, but this book was AWFUL........2007-05-17

I do love the Mallory series as a whole, and I've read enough mystery series to know that no author can be good every time.

But reading this novel was an exercise in dragging my eyes almost against their will across some of the most boring dialogue I have ever had to misfortune to witness.

Holy cow...over and over and over these long long looooooong dialogues between these old magicians...WTF? I could seldom figure out what the heck they were even discussing. What was the point??

And the descriptions of the magical equipment and set-ups...AUGH!!!

Methinks O'Connell loves magic and wanted to work her interest/hobby into a book. But sweet jayzuz, please, don't ever do this to us again.

I only kept reading in case there was something crucial to the later plots.

And I missed Charles. More Charles! More cowbell, and much more Charles!!!

5 out of 5 stars Mallory is mythical, metaphysical, and mystical........2007-03-06

Carol O'Connell's character Mallory is the most fascinating creature at work in modern crime fiction today. If you have yet to discover Mallory,
do so at once! She is like a treasured gift you are afraid to open, lest there be no surprises in life yet to come. And what a gift she is! What pleasure she will bring to your life. Superlatives to describe her are yet to be writ. Stunningly Beautiful with an immeasurable IQ, it is a rare pleasure just to watch Carol O'Connell's creation at work. Alone in the world, she is fiercely loyal to those who've loved and love her. Fools enter at their own risk, she has no qualms at ending their lives. "Shell Game" is book 5 in the series, and while my friend said this was her least favorite book, I smiled with glee, because if this is the low point(and I don't think it is; this book is great), what dizzying heights yet await. Head at once to checkout with "Mallory's Oracle","The Man Who Cast Two Shadows","Killing Critics","Stone Angel", and "Shell Game" and settle in and enjoy the spring and summer for you will have found a new friend to spend it with. I highly recommend reading these in order - out of order just won't do. Enjoy you lucky Mallory virgins - great pleasure awaits. You cannot afford to wait. Thank you Carol O'Connell. I appreciate, but cannot comprehend, such genius as you exhibit.

5 out of 5 stars My favorite Mallory.......2006-10-21

What I loved here is that O'Connell takes the theme of magic and sleight of hand, side themes in her previous novels, and makes them the center of this story. The writing is, as usual, poetic: it's difficult to know what is magic and what is not here, and that is a part of O'Connell's charm.

The characters, Malachi and his wife Louisa, especially, are beautifully drawn and deeply, passionately, wildly romantic. It's extremely odd but refreshing to find a story as operatic as theirs in a modern murder mystery. Malachi's observations on Mallory are also fascinating: this novel signaled the beginning of Mallory's humanization for me.

I read Shell Game in one night. I could not put it down, even though I knew that I'd be sleep deprived the next day. I'd recommend the novel to anyone who loves to read. It might be wise to start reading on a night when you don't have to get up early the next morning.
Shell Craft
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • So fun!
Shell Craft
Virginie Fowler Elbert
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Decorative ArtsDecorative Arts | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0486277305

Book Description

Step-by-step instructions and an abundance of illustrations show how to create decorative boxes, mirror frames, and fanciful soap dishes; fashion attractive bracelets, pendants, necklaces, and earrings; encase shells in resin to make paperweights and napkin holders; do shell printing with crayons and linoleum blocks, and more. Includes supply sources.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars So fun!.......2005-08-14

We just bought a beach house and have a 10 yr. old daughter. We can collect shells and follow the craft ideas and make memories to last forever. Love it!
Harley Hahn's Student Guide To Unix
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Harley Hahn's Student Guide To Unix
  • Perfect for someone who never even knew what UNIX was
  • Ideal book for getting started
  • Detailed, understandable, thorough and fun!
  • As said, a student's guide
Harley Hahn's Student Guide To Unix
Harley Hahn
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | Unix | Operating Systems | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0070254923

Book Description

With its easy-to-read, coaching style and well-designed plan, A Student's Guide to Unix, 2/e is the best way to introduce students to the complex world of Unix. This edition is a comprehensive revision of the first Unix textbook specifically developed for the university environment. Designed to be a reference and an educational resource, the book describes all the basic skills involved, as well as countless tips, hints and techniques. This edition includes chapters on the Emacs editor, Job Control and the Korn Shell. It has also been improved as a reference text.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Harley Hahn's Student Guide To Unix .......2006-11-10

I liked it and it is easy to understand.

5 out of 5 stars Perfect for someone who never even knew what UNIX was.......2002-10-18

Having been using the UNIX system for six years, I'm still referencing from this absolute beginner book from time to time because the language is so non-technical, yet the information contained within is more than enough to get you started on using UNIX operating system and learn to love it.

The author did a very good job particularly in describing and tutoring the reader how to do common tasks such as using email systems, doing text editing, issuing commands from the CLI, etc. Not very in-depth but the point is, it is enough to get you interested to look for MORE, which is the most important thing. There is no point in explaining something in-depth only to discourage the reader to look for more information, and only to leave the subject untouched because it looks "hard". If you are a UNIX veteran/advanced user/system administrator, this book is not for you, as you have probably known way more than what this book contains.

I highly recommend this book as the very first book on UNIX to read on, if you have never even heard of UNIX before, and only experienced in Windows/MacOS environments.

5 out of 5 stars Ideal book for getting started.......2000-03-01

I found this book to be excellent. I feel it teaches you all that you need to be a comfortable UNIX user. This may not be the ideal book if you are looking for a quick reference for commands etc. Great job by the author.

5 out of 5 stars Detailed, understandable, thorough and fun!.......1998-11-05

I think this must be one of the best UNIX-manuals ever written. Mr. Hahn shows skills and knows how to teach even a beginner everything from basics to the more advanced. I would highly recommend this book to everybody who would like to learn a bit or eight about Unix- The most interesting and powerful MUOS there is!

4 out of 5 stars As said, a student's guide.......1998-08-04

For a Windows 95 user like myself, Unix looked liked a dark and mysterious night, unpenetrable and unfathomable. This book came like a guiding light and saw me through.
Shell Games:  A John Marquez Crime Novel
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Relevant and engaging...a great first work
  • Only okay.
  • "Realistic, tense crime/mystery"
  • Mystery, and a novel
  • Mystery, and a novel
Shell Games: A John Marquez Crime Novel
Kirk Russell
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
SeriesSeries | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0811841863

Book Description

The discovery of thousands of empty abalone shells and two murdered divers sends Lieutenant John Marquez's poaching investigation in a new and very risky direction. Former DEA agent and now head of a special operations unit of the California Department of Fish and Game, Marquez learns he himself has been targeted as the next victim. Stalking him is Kline, a vicious drug smuggler turned abalone poacher who has a vendetta against Marquez. John Marquez is supposed to protect wildlife, not solve murders, but the only way he can break the multi-million-dollar abalone-smuggling ring, as well as save his own life, is to find and stop Kline. A fast-paced crime novel set along the majestic Northern California coastline, Shell Games introduces a tough, complex, and appealing hero and a masterful new series.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Relevant and engaging...a great first work.......2005-08-25

As a diver, NorCal native and committed conservationist, I was captivated from the start by this potent, believable tale. Russell's characters are completely real, coping with difficult work, complicated families, career decisions--hey, a lot like the rest of us! His eye for subtle details and capacity to project the plight of the characters onto the canvas of California's fragile resources make the story at once relevant and engaging. This is a promising first effort, and I can't wait to devour the next in the series.

2 out of 5 stars Only okay........2005-04-10

With the story set in my own San Francisco Bay Area, I very much enjoyed the locations and appreciate manner in which he presented the problems of the Dept. of Fish and Game. I would never have guessed abalone smuggling could be more profitable than drugs. However, even with all the bodies and climatic encounter with Kline, I never felt the suspense of this book or a real involvement with the characters. All the bits were there-plot, dialogue, setting--but, somehow, I just did not have a visceral connection to the story.

4 out of 5 stars "Realistic, tense crime/mystery".......2004-09-02

This first-time novel is crime/mystery involving a former DEA agent and special operations unit of Fish & Game Department in California. Gritty, realistic crime drama set along the northern California coastline. As tense as some of the scenes get, it's difficult to believe this is Russell's first novel.

4 out of 5 stars Mystery, and a novel.......2004-04-08

I liked it not just as a suspense/crime novel, but also as a "Novel Novel". Solid character with believable interior life and family problems (but not some bizarre Neurotic Impediment or cutesy Attribute), nice observations, interesting setting, and not much bloated detail, which sometimes infects novels by first time authors. (I've seen too many sentences like "She gingerly withdrew a pale pink facial tissue from the box imprinted with a pattern of violets and daisies." So for whom did the detail matter?) The hero's professional and personal relationships are not chummy, but there's an arms-length respect that rings true to the rest of his character.

I also appreciate that the chief villain is basically bad but believable, a hardened professional criminal and not a "psychopath" or serial killer; far too many mysteries, even by experienced and talented writers, fall back on that to excuse a lack of interior character development. (Maybe they should look at Simenon's crime novels, or maybe Elmore Leonard's.)

Nice job all around. I'll be looking for his next novel.

4 out of 5 stars Mystery, and a novel.......2004-04-08

Very strong suspense/procedural type novel.

I liked it not just as a suspense/crime novel, but also as a "Novel Novel". Solid character with believable interior life and family problems (but not some bizarre Neurotic Impediment or cutesy Attribute), nice observations, interesting setting, and not much bloated detail, which sometimes infects novels by first time authors. (I've seen too many sentences like "She gingerly withdrew a pale pink facial tissue from the box imprinted with a pattern of violets and daisies." So for whom did the detail matter?) The hero's professional and personal relationships are not chummy, but there's an arms-length respect that rings true to the rest of his character.

I also appreciate that the chief villain is basically bad but believable, a hardened professional criminal and not a "psychopath" or serial killer; far too many mysteries, even by experienced and talented writers, fall back on that to excuse a lack of interior character development. (Maybe they should look at Simenon's crime novels, or maybe Elmore Leonard's.)

Nice job all around. I'll be looking for his next novel.
Shell Game: One Family's Long Battle Against Big Oil
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • AMAZING STORY!!! A MUST READ!
Shell Game: One Family's Long Battle Against Big Oil
Michael Veron
Manufacturer: The Lyons Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

GeneralGeneral | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1599210339

Book Description

Shell Oil was accustomed to getting its way in Louisiana. With deep pockets, teams of attorneys, and influential lobbyists in the state legislature, the second-largest oil company in the world could demand--and get--essentially anything it wanted. Until it met Michael Veron and his family.

Shell Game is the dramatic, fast-paced true account of a nine-year battle pitting a Louisiana family of modest means against Shell in an effort to clean up decades of pollution on the family’s property. Bullied, intimidated, and dubbed “the Beverly Hillbillies” by Shell’s highly paid attorneys, author Michael Veron’s relatives refused to buckle—and continued their fight against tremendous odds.

A small-town lawyer, Veron led the fight against Shell. His first-person account of the struggle is gripping, tense, and ultimately uplifting. It is a story of greed and great passion and of one family’s refusal to back down in the face of unrelenting pressure. Shell Game is the story of how one family not only righted a wrong, but also changed the way oil companies operate.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars AMAZING STORY!!! A MUST READ!.......2007-08-02

This was a fascinating book! I read it in one day because I could not put it down! This book, based on a true story, would make a great movie because you could not make up a story this good. This is a great glimpse into the power of big corporations, unethical lawyers at their disposal and perhaps even then judge! There are probably many more stories like this because families don't have the means to fight a 9 year legal battle against a major oil corporation. Thank goodness for this book because this needs to be made public! If you only read one book this year, you should read this one.
Shell Game
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Give it a miss...
  • Which Shell Has The Prize?
  • Exciting New Author!
  • thrill a minute crime caper
Shell Game
Jeff Buick
Manufacturer: Leisure
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0843958464

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars Give it a miss..........2007-06-25

This novel is readable, but the plot depends on some very unlikely events. And the ending - which I'm sure the author thinks is oh so clever - is unfair to the reader because there was no way the reader could see it coming and because it simply doesn't make any sense.

The unnecessary deaths of innocent bystanders just doing their jobs occur towards the end. And since the protagonists didn't seem to care about them, why should I the reader care about the book's characters? Also, the incredible dishonesty of the main character is very hard to take.

But the biggest problem with this novel is the plot. Don't waste your time or money on this book - it simply isn't worth it!

5 out of 5 stars Which Shell Has The Prize?.......2007-05-10

Jeff Buick's fourth novel, an exciting page turner, and possibly the best, so far, although they all are good.
Shell Game's plot has several unexpected twists and turns, is well written, and you don't find out which shell has the prize until the final page, thus keeping the excitement in motion.
This one would make a fine film, as they all would.

Jim Stevenson
Palm Springs

5 out of 5 stars Exciting New Author!.......2007-04-15

The authors that I have read in the past have nothing for me to read at
this time. I decided to try a new author and selected Jeff Buick. I have
made a good choice.
In this book Taylor Simons and her husband Alan Bestwick are living the good life in San Francisco. Taylor's company G-cubed is doing a very good
business. Alan is working for a corporate security company. They are on top of the world. All of that suddenly changes.They recieve a phone call
from their banker. He is calling in their note on an investment that they have made. They have bought $13 million worth of stock in New Pro. The
company has packed up and left everyone high and dry. The money that they borrowed to purchase the stock is all due on the spot. Taylor is forced to sell G-cubed and their home to pay the note.
This turns out to be a huge nationwide scam. The head of this scam is a man named Edward Brand. He has stolen $263 million from investors in this
con game. He is nowhere to be found. Taylor and Alan locate Brand in Caba
San Lucas in Mexico. They travel to Mevico to find him. They locate him and attempt to pursue him. Alan pushes Taylor out of the vehicle and crashes over a cliff into the ocean. Taylor teams up with a former employee of G-cubed, Kelly Kramerand plan their own con game to take away
Edward Brand's money. Taylor makes some stunning discoveries while launching her own con. If they fail at their con they will be killed. This
book will keep you turning pages. There is a shocking ending.
Read this book and discover an exciting new author.

5 out of 5 stars thrill a minute crime caper .......2007-03-30

Taylor Simons is living the American dream with a handsome husband Alan whom she loves and who earns a large income so that they live in a mansion. She also runs her own multi-million dollar valued advertising business G-cubed. Their bank suddenly calls in Taylor and Alan to pay their note. past due. The pair had invested everything they owned and more into New Pro, but the firm disappeared overnight in a great scam. Down to a paltry few hundred K, they sell everything even as adding insult Alan loses his job.

When they receive a tip as to the whereabouts of New Pro CEO Edward Brand, they head to Mexico to confront him. Per happenstance they find him where he is living and follow him when he leaves his luxurious villa. As the car nears the cliffs, Alan throws Taylor out of their vehicle and tries to run down Edward. Instead he misses and falls into the water below. DNA proves he is dead. Taylor teams up with a former New Pro employee Kelly who also works for the NSA; they set up a scam to take away all of Edward's money knowing failure means death.

SHELL GAME is a thrill a minute crime caper in which appearances are deceiving and filled with twists that seem plausible yet stunning. Ironically, Edward is the only key character who appears to be what he is as everyone else has secrets they hide behind. Jeff Buick will be recognized by fans as a leading thriller writer due to this fast-paced tale in which the sting is the only game in town.

Harriet Klausner
The Shell Game: Reflections on Rowing and the Pursuit of Excellence
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • You can almost smell the sweaty socks
  • Great book for all
  • reflections from the Yale Boathouse
  • Effectively portrays the ups and downs of rowing
  • Great pysch before a big race.
The Shell Game: Reflections on Rowing and the Pursuit of Excellence
Stephen Kiesling
Manufacturer: Nordic Knight Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0963846191

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars You can almost smell the sweaty socks.......2005-02-10

"The Shell Game" is a nice companion to "Mind Over Water" and "The Amateurs." Where "Mind Over Water" deals with single sculling, "The Shell Game" recounts Stephen Kiesling's personal history of rowing in eights, focusing especially on the Yale-Harvard race, the Henley Royal Regatta, and the preparations and selection camp for the national team for the ill-fated 1980 Olympic Games. Along with "The Amateurs," "The Shell Game" and "Mind Over Water" seem to make up a perfect trio of personal odysseys in the sport of rowing. Of the three, "The Amateurs" is certainly the best written (after all, David Halberstam, need one say more?), but "The Shell Game" and "Mind Over Water" let you peek directly into the minds and hearts of devotees of this weirdly fanatical sport.

Focused on three specific events as it is, "The Shell Game" provides a look into a rarefied world of rowing races, from the hidebound tradition of Henley to the grueling trials at the U.S. Olympic selection camp, from the etiquette of international racing to the mechanics of testing athletes to determine not only their racing abilities but even their rate of oxygen exchange.

As with any memoir, there are those who will find the more personal passages a tad cloying, but overall it's a delightful book. Kiesling provides a particularly nice chapter ("The Set") on the tragic dichotomy of the physical and the intellectual that began in ancient Greece and still haunts us today. If ever there were an argument for their reunification, this would surely be one of the best. Definitely a keeper for future re-reading.

5 out of 5 stars Great book for all.......2000-05-18

I'm a rower in high school, and I've read this book. I must admit it is a great book. Stephen's story about rowing at Yale against all other teams including their arch rival, Harvard. It reminds my of my school. La Salle HS and St. Jose Prep are huge rivals and it shows at all the games. I recommend this book to all who have been involved in the sport, and even those who never have seen a race. Its a great book!

5 out of 5 stars reflections from the Yale Boathouse.......1999-09-23

Rowing is among the most anonymous of sports. In the prestige categories there are legends and myths, but these are little known or acclaimed outside its community.. It retains its Brahmin character; despite becoming more accessible in recent years, it still has the aura of Groton, Exeter, St. Paul's preps and the Ivy League. The first Yale - Harvard contest was held in 1852, predating any other intercollegiate athletics. Kiesling takes you into the world of the 8's, in futile preparation for the boycotted 1980 Olympics. A house scholar and varsity member at Yale, Kiesling gives you a grasp of the cult like devotion to this sport, the fraternal but bitterly competitive atmosphere for places on the boat, the almost complete physical immersion, beyond exhaustion, in preparation for regattas-- and the little acre of hell and glory (or agony) of the races themselves. This type of athletic intensity is, if not unique, uniquely exhibited in Crew-- members strive to exceed their limits, to match and challenge that of their crew mates, to uphold its traditions. This is a young man's book; his sharp opinions reflect a young man's attitudes born of singular personal challenges-- which moderate with maturity. It is a good book on rowing, and a great book on the competitive spirit.

5 out of 5 stars Effectively portrays the ups and downs of rowing.......1999-05-05

I reccomend this book for anyone who has ever rowed, or has ever wondered what it would be like to row. He makes the reader feel the drastic ups and downs which go along with this addicting sport. I received my copy as a gift from another rower, and I have continually passed my copy on to my teammates and coaches. A must-have for any oarsman.

5 out of 5 stars Great pysch before a big race........1999-04-26

Perfect for any rower or novice. Kiesling can introduce anyone to the sport through the tales of his expeirence at Yale, the US National team, and the Olympics. I love digging through this book before a race to inspire me through my match. Can't wait to read it again.
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (Prima Official Game Guide)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Get it!
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (Prima Official Game Guide)
Levi Buchanan
Manufacturer: Prima Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | Strategy Guides | Games & Strategy Guides | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0761549838
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Book Description

·All 120 fans revealed
·All secret content revealed -- how to unlock unlimited ammo, new costumes, better weapons
·Detailed boss-beating strategies
·Rundown of all weapons and gear so you know the best tools for the job
·Bios of the entire Section 9 team, an elite counter-terrorist organization
·Complete walkthrough strategies for all missions

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Get it!.......2004-12-27

This game is pretty hard, so this book is highly suggested.
Good luck! [...]I have more info there....

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