Average customer rating:
- What more can you ask for in a book?
- Patterson's Best Book In Years
- An Entertaining Quick Read, Not the Most Realistic. Has a Few Holes in the Storyline but a Good Read!
- THE QUICKIE
- Worst I've read from him
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The Quickie
James Patterson , and
Michael Ledwidge
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Contemporary
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| Literature & Fiction
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General
| Thrillers
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Patterson, James
| ( P )
| Authors, A-Z
| Mystery & Thrillers
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Hardcover
| Patterson, James
| ( P )
| Authors, A-Z
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
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The Overlook (Harry Bosch)
ASIN: 0316117366
Release Date: 2007-07-02 |
Book Description
Lauren Stillwell is not your average damsel in distress.
When the NYPD cop discovers her husband leaving a hotel with another woman, she decides to beat him at his own game. But her revenge goes dangerously awry, and she finds her world spiraling into a hell that becomes more terrifying by the hour. In a further twist of fate, Lauren must take on a job that threatens everything she stands for. Now, she's paralyzed by a deadly secret that could tear her life apart. With her job and marriage on the line, Lauren's desire for retribution becomes a lethal inferno as she fights to save her livelihood--and her life.
Patterson takes us on a twisting roller-coaster ride of thrills in his most gripping novel yet. This story of love, lust and dangerous secrets will have readers' hearts pounding to the very last page.
Customer Reviews:
What more can you ask for in a book?.......2007-10-11
I don't understand the bad ratings! This moves along at a fast clip, not dragged out - has several plot twists - murder, suspense, sex, romance, intrigue, flawed but interesting characters, an unusual story line.
I read this in two sittings and had a hard time putting it down. Just when one thinks you have it figured out, something else happens.
Highly entertaining, and highly recommended.
Patterson's Best Book In Years.......2007-10-10
As one who used to be a big fan of James Patterson's work, I have gotten to the point where I won't buy his books. The only reason that I read this one is that a co-worker loaned it to me and said it was a good one. I decided to give in and read it; I was pleasantly surprised. It is very good.
Although James Patterson had several great novels in years past like the Alex Cross series (Kiss The Girls, Jack and Jill, etc.), his recent books have been poor (The Lake House, The Women's Murder Club series, etc.). It has become a situation where one never knows which Patterson will be writing.
'The Quickie' starts fast and has lots of twists and turns. The end is a bit anticlimactic, but that is not a big negative as the trip there is so good.
The story centers around Lauren Stillwell who plans to surprise her husband by showing up at his office for lunch. She sees him with another woman and thinks he is cheating. She decides to pay him back by having an affair of her own. I won't give any more of the story here to avoid spoiling it. Suffice it to say that there are surprises at every point of the story.
This is a quick, fun read. It will keep the reader highly entertained.
An Entertaining Quick Read, Not the Most Realistic. Has a Few Holes in the Storyline but a Good Read!.......2007-10-05
You never know what you're going to get with Patterson these days. Earlier in his career you'd be guaranteed value for your money and were always hungry for more but everyone now knows to wait until available in the local library instead of parting with your hard earned dollars. The couple of books he now releases each month with his usually not just his name on the cover vary dramatically, from occasionally still very good to I just wasted a couple of hours of my life. The Quickie although certainly not the most realistic of adventures, does have a fair few holes in the storyline and relies on a lot of coincidences and lucky breaks for the main character Lauren Stillwell to work, but the point is the story does work. It's a very entertaining fast enjoyable read with a fair few twists in the storyline along the way. I agree with other people who have said I don't think Patterson wrote much of this, apart from the short couple of paragraph chapters the usual Patterson style is not really evident here. Michael Ledwidge can write a book though, and The Quickie is one of his best. Although you will roll your eyes at times with the absurdity of the situations or actions of Lauren you will keep reading until the last page, drawn in by the fast pace action on every page.
The basic story of The Quickie without spoiling the surprises in the plot is Lauren Stillwell, very successful in the law industry is convinced her husband is having an affair. After much internal debate she gives into the advances of workmate and motorcycle riding Scott, for a get square quickie, who is everything boring husband Paul is not. After the act she witnesses through a window Paul and Scott having a confrontation with deadly consequences. She knows what the right thing to do is but instead decides if the truth comes out her cushy life and hard fought for career will be over. Hurdle after hurdle however will mean she has to continue her crimes to cover the crime of the one she loves.
A good quick fun thriller that you won't put down until the last page. Patterson titled novels are always a gamble but this one is worth the risk of your time.
THE QUICKIE.......2007-10-04
VERY BAD . MORE LIKE A ROMANCE NOVEL THAN A BOOK BY PATTERSON. I THINK THE OTHER TWO WROTE THE BOOK AND USED HIS NAME TO SELL IT.
Worst I've read from him.......2007-10-01
I have read basically all of Patterson's novels, and this one just
couldn't get me into it.
Amazon.com
The Case for Christ records Lee Strobel's attempt to "determine if there's credible evidence that Jesus of Nazareth really is the Son of God." The book consists primarily of interviews between Strobel (a former legal editor at the Chicago Tribune) and biblical scholars such as Bruce Metzger. Each interview is based on a simple question, concerning historical evidence (for example, "Can the Biographies of Jesus Be Trusted?"), scientific evidence, ("Does Archaeology Confirm or Contradict Jesus' Biographies?"), and "psychiatric evidence" ("Was Jesus Crazy When He Claimed to Be the Son of God?"). Together, these interviews compose a case brief defending Jesus' divinity, and urging readers to reach a verdict of their own.
Book Description
Using the dramatic scenario of an investigative journalist pursuing his story and leads, Lee Strobel uses his experience as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune to interview experts about the evidence for Christ from the fields of science, philosophy, and history. Winner of the Gold Medallion Book Award and twice nominated for the Christian Book of the Year Award.
Customer Reviews:
My boyfriend met Christ through this book.......2007-09-12
I think this book does a pretty good job at analyzing Jesus' existence and the validity of the bible from various angles, such as via archeology, psychology, anatomy, science, logic, etc. And amazingly, by God's grace, my boyfriend met Christ through this book! Praise God.
Compelling Arguments.......2007-09-01
I found The Case for Christ to be well written and the arguments put forward to be very compelling. Mr. Stobel uses a series of interviews with a variety of experts to build his case and each presented facts or points of view that were very hard to refute. Excellent book.A Startrek to Eternity
A good starting point for both skeptics and apologists.......2007-08-28
I've read this book numerous times and read the reviews of those who gave the books low scores. This book is a good starting point for people with lots of agnostic/atheist friends. Granted, if your friend was Hawkings or Dawkins, you might have a tough time relying on this book. Sometimes it doesn't cover topics you'd like to be covered and sometimes the reasoning takes a bit of thinking to understand, but generally, this book covers all the bases.
Of course, the writer had a Christian agenda. Everything has a systemic bias. I could write a review on The Selfish Gene saying that the book has an evolutionist bias. For others, just "the Bible says so" is a good argument. This is even more sillier, like driving a car without knowing how to brake. When your friends give you an obstacle, you can only swerve around it or crash and burn. In Matthew 22:37, Jesus said to love the Lord with all your mind and that sound doctrine should be taught. If you can't argue for sound doctrine, how can you teach and understand it?
Thought provoking.......2007-08-23
This book is very well written in an investigative style and counters some of the less challenged arguments of those who do not believe in Christ as the Son of God. Usually, agnostics and atheists present what appears to be an intellectually sound argument against Christ's position as the Savior of the world. These arguments are countered methodically and give the non-theologian a source for countering arguments against Christ. I have read Strobel's "A Case for Faith" and because of that read this book. It is nice to read intellectually sound arguments for Christ that can't be dismissed as the work of religious zealots or "kooks" as Christians are sometimes portrayed when defending their beliefs.
Just plain excellent.......2007-08-21
This is a most interesting book, excellently written, decisive and to the point. It touches on areas that any believer has pondered and many atheists base their faith on.
Any thinking person cannot argue the facts uncovered in it. It is also a good reference for the up and coming apologist.
It is so much easier to be an atheist than a believer. This book reveals the futility of the easy belief...
Book Description
Written by a renowned authority on forensic science, this book introduces the non-scientific reader to the field of forensic science through an exploration of its applications to criminal invesigations, with clear explanations of the techniques, abilities, and limitations of the modern crime laboratory. The most current technologies, techniques, practices, and procedures highlight this book; the accompanying interactive crime scene CD-ROM puts readers in the role of crime scene investigations. Actual cases, including a new case study on the role of DNA evidence in the investigation of the World Trade Center crime scene, enable readers to see the integral role of forensic science in criminal investigations. Topics covered include: the crime scene, physical evidence, physical properties, organic analysis, inorganic analysis, the microscope, hairs, fibers, and paint, drugs, forensic toxicology, forensic aspects of arson and explosion investigations, forensic serology, DNA, fingerprints, firearms, toolmarks and other impressions, document and voice examination, and forensic science on the Internet. An excellent reference resource for members of the forensic science field, as well as others involved in criminal justice.
Customer Reviews:
I loved it!.......2007-08-21
I'm homeschooled and wanted to do Forensic Science as an elective. This book is written in a clear, understandable manner and is very informative. I liked how there was a chapter summary, review questions, and a case reading after every chapter. I definietly recomend this book if you want to use it as a text book or even just a good read.
Forensic Evidence.......2007-03-10
This book came as described and was very useful to learning about Forensic Science
I give a 5 star everything .......2006-10-02
The condition of the book was excellent and the service more than excellent. Received the book; Criminalistics An Intorduction to Forensic Science in time for my son to use it the next week in class. Thank you for the speed of the delivery. I would buy a used book again and hopefully it would be with the bookdude. Sorry this review was late.
Excellent Service And Condition.......2006-03-04
The book was in Excellent condition (New) and the service was great. The book arrived right on time.
correct your listing please.......2004-01-04
You're listing as a paperback version of Saferstein's "Criminalistics: an intro to forensic science," the associated lab manual by Meloan, Saferstein and another. Sort of confusing until you figure it out.
Amazon.com
John Perkins started and stopped writing Confessions of an Economic Hit Man four times over 20 years. He says he was threatened and bribed in an effort to kill the project, but after 9/11 he finally decided to go through with this expose of his former professional life. Perkins, a former chief economist at Boston strategic-consulting firm Chas. T. Main, says he was an "economic hit man" for 10 years, helping U.S. intelligence agencies and multinationals cajole and blackmail foreign leaders into serving U.S. foreign policy and awarding lucrative contracts to American business. "Economic hit men (EHMs) are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars," Perkins writes. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is an extraordinary and gripping tale of intrigue and dark machinations. Think John Le Carré, except it's a true story.
Perkins writes that his economic projections cooked the books Enron-style to convince foreign governments to accept billions of dollars of loans from the World Bank and other institutions to build dams, airports, electric grids, and other infrastructure he knew they couldn't afford. The loans were given on condition that construction and engineering contracts went to U.S. companies. Often, the money would simply be transferred from one bank account in Washington, D.C., to another one in New York or San Francisco. The deals were smoothed over with bribes for foreign officials, but it was the taxpayers in the foreign countries who had to pay back the loans. When their governments couldn't do so, as was often the case, the U.S. or its henchmen at the World Bank or International Monetary Fund would step in and essentially place the country in trusteeship, dictating everything from its spending budget to security agreements and even its United Nations votes. It was, Perkins writes, a clever way for the U.S. to expand its "empire" at the expense of Third World citizens. While at times he seems a little overly focused on conspiracies, perhaps that's not surprising considering the life he's led. --Alex Roslin
Book Description
The runaway bestseller that has generated a major movie deal—and an international dialogue—with over 170,000 copies sold in hardcover and seven weeks on the New York Times list
“Economic hit men,” John Perkins writes,” are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars. Their tools include fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex, and murder. They play a game as old as Empire but one that has taken on terrifying dimensions during this time of globalization.”
John Perkins should know—he was an economic hit man for an international consulting firm that worked to convince developing countries to accept enormous loans and to funnel that money to U.S.corporations. Once these countries were saddled with huge debts, the American government and international aid agencies were able to request their “pound of flesh” in favors, including access to natural resources, military cooperation, and political support.
Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is the story of one man's experiences inside the intrigue, greed, corruption and little-known government and corporate activities that America has been involved in since World War II, and which have dire consequences for the future of democracy and the world.
“[A] gripping tell-all book.”—The Rocky Mountain News
“Astonishing.”—Boston Herald
“This riveting look at a world of intrigue reads like a spy novel . . . Highly recommended.”— Library Journal
“Here are the real-life details—nasty, manipulative, plain evil—of international corporate skullduggery spun into a tale rivaling the darkest espionage thriller.”—Greg Palast, author of The Best Democracy Money Can Buy
Customer Reviews:
Confessions of an Economic Hit Man .......2007-10-10
So Interesting. It proves what we have suspected all along. It makes you rethink what the world says about our government. Perkins has a lot of guts to come forward to inform us of what is really going on in the Middle East and globally
The Hit Man Takes Hits.......2007-10-08
I was loaned this book by a friend who believes the world is controlled by a conspiratorial group whose goal is world domination through a one-world government. Therefore, I was fully prepared to write off Perkin's story as just another conspiracy theory. But, in deference to my friend (with whose theories I DO NOT agree), I read it.
Surprisingly, I found I could not put the book down. For me, Perkin's revelations were like having an insider's guide to a difficult jigsaw puzzle, one where I had many of the pieces but was having trouble seeing how they fit together.
There have already been enough reviews written about this book and its contents. I will focus on what I can add by way of my own personal experiences. Incidentally, this book is definitely NOT a conspiracy theory, as the author makes clear.
Since 1995, I have been cruising fulltime on my sailboat, visiting many countries south of the border. My travels include spending many months (in some cases, years) in Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Bonaire, the Dominican Republic, etc. I'm presently spending six months in Venezuela. I don't hesitate to claim that I've learned much more about these countries and their peoples than the average U.S. citizen. I don't stay in insulated tourist hotels and resorts, but much prefer to mingle with the locals, playing music on guitar and talking politics. (BTW, knowing how to play guitar will buy infinitely more good will among the common people of Latin America than all the Gringo dollars you can carry.)
As far as Perkin's descriptions of events in the countries I've visited, I found him to be 100% credible; e.g., the unilateral invasion of Panama by the U.S., the role of United Fruit in the Latin countries, the devastating effects of U.S. big oil interests in Venezuela and Ecuador, his account of the ascendency of Hugo Chavez, the explanations of why and how Torrijos, Roldos and Allende met their untimely ends. Perkin's accounts of such things may be new and surprising to U.S. readers, but they are completely accurate and well-known facts among Latins.
Having for a long time been a serious student of world history, I can also find nothing incorrect about Perkin's accounts of events in other parts of the world. In my opinion, this is a very important book. It should be made required reading at every high school in the U.S. Then we might have a chance of producing a new generation of U.S. citizens whose heads are not buried in the sand and who might stand some chance of reaching valid conclusions, DESPITE their incessant exposure to the U.S. mass media, about how the rest of the world lives and thinks.
If you are considering buying this book, read the five-star reviews. Most importantly, don't be intimidated by the caustic language and attempts at character assassination evident in many of the negative reviews. It shouldn't require much of your critical thinking skills to see that most of those reviews are nothing more than irrational, vindictive mud-slinging by right-wing fanatics. The mere fact that there are so many virulent condemnations of the book, the author, and his message, should alone be enough to stimulate your interest.
In sum, Perkins is entirely credible, the book is sufficiently documented, and his story is important for an understanding of the political realities surrounding "globalization" and the role of U.S. mega-corporations in that effort. It was also very well-written. I couldn't recommend any book more highly.
A human story about change of heart, not just economics.......2007-10-02
John Perkins, a man who has written mostly about his experiences with shamanism and only eluded to his "dark side", now comes clean in this eye-opening expose of how real people are paid to destroy countries economies in order to create wealth for the elite. But more than anything, this book for me is about one man's conversion experience - from selling his soul to the highest bidder (even while studying with indigenous shamans) to facing the human and environmental consequences of his actions. Eventually, he changed his life and stepped into the full potential of his heart.
Despite the harsh reality Perkin's truth-telling offers, this book is inspirational in that it proves that anyone can change from a life of greed and domination to one of kindness and compassion. I highly recommend his previous books (such as Shapeshifting) which speak to his spiritual awakenings and the role of indigenous people's teachings in leaving the Hit Man life behind.
Viewing America's Global Empire from the Trenches.......2007-10-01
Confessions of an Economic Hit Man presents the experiences of John Perkins, while working as an Economic Hit Man (EHM)- although he was officially titled as an economist, essentially cheerleading foreign loans to third world countires as a means of economic development, although as Perkins claims, is was expected that the third world nations would never actually achieve the growth levels to allow them to pay off the loans.
All of this was done to both line the pockets of multi-national construction firms, primarily U.S.-based, as well as lead to the expansion of the United States "Global Empire".
While I find Perkins' writing a bit preachy, and his views somewhat a "holier-than thou" attitude, as it comes to his statements that he foresaw the ramifications of his work "doctoring" economic forecasts, the book is an interesting book that did make me consider a number of events on the international stage that I had previously considered chance happenings.
I think the time spent reading Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, is time well spent.
Self-Serving Drivel.......2007-09-25
Perkins was an economic hit man, acting as a consultant who helped strong arm less developed countries into being saddled with debt they would be unable to pay. This strategy enriches American companies, and makes indebted countries obligated to serve US interests. In doing so, poor people become more impoverished, sensitive ecosystems are destroyed, and future generations suffer.
All the while Perkins created inflated economic forecasts to justify irresponsible lending by the World Bank and other financial behemoths, he claims to have felt guilty. Guilty all the way to his bank...
To assuage his guilt, he tries to equate how the general population benefits from lower prices based upon the work he has done, making us all his moral equivalent.
[...]
Perkins has a story to tell. His constant whining about his feelings, while getting richer and taking bribes throughout many decades, sickens me.
He should tell his story, and let his actions speak for his feelings. [...]
Book Description
For sixty years, Jewish refugees and their descendants have prospered in the Federal District of Sitka, a "temporary" safe haven created in the wake of revelations of the Holocaust and the shocking 1948 collapse of the fledgling state of Israel. Proud, grateful, and longing to be American, the Jews of the Sitka District have created their own little world in the Alaskan panhandle, a vibrant, gritty, soulful, and complex frontier city that moves to the music of Yiddish. For sixty years they have been left alone, neglected and half-forgotten in a backwater of history. Now the District is set to revert to Alaskan control, and their dream is coming to an end: once again the tides of history threaten to sweep them up and carry them off into the unknown.
But homicide detective Meyer Landsman of the District Police has enough problems without worrying about the upcoming Reversion. His life is a shambles, his marriage a wreck, his career a disaster. He and his half-Tlingit partner, Berko Shemets, can't catch a break in any of their outstanding cases. Landsman's new supervisor is the love of his life—and also his worst nightmare. And in the cheap hotel where he has washed up, someone has just committed a murder—right under Landsman's nose. Out of habit, obligation, and a mysterious sense that it somehow offers him a shot at redeeming himself, Landsman begins to investigate the killing of his neighbor, a former chess prodigy. But when word comes down from on high that the case is to be dropped immediately, Landsman soon finds himself contending with all the powerful forces of faith, obsession, hopefulness, evil, and salvation that are his heritage—and with the unfinished business of his marriage to Bina Gelbfish, the one person who understands his darkest fears.
At once a gripping whodunit, a love story, an homage to 1940s noir, and an exploration of the mysteries of exile and redemption, The Yiddish Policemen's Union is a novel only Michael Chabon could have written.
Customer Reviews:
Slow-starter but good.......2007-10-10
After slogging my way through Yiddish references ad infinitum, this book finally got good after the halfway mark. I was disappointed as it wasn't nearly as engaging as his other books. (Maybe if I had a strong Jewish heritage, I would have enjoyed it more.)
Another Classic From Chabon.......2007-10-09
If you loved Summerland, Wonder Boys, Mysteries of Pittsburgh order The Yiddish Policemen's Union today. Chabon delivers another classic.
Go With the Flow.......2007-10-09
Like many reviewers, I found this book hard to follow, but I gave it a chance and found myself getting into the flow of the story. What I was confused about, I let go, and then I was swept into the telling of an amazing tale. I eventually found it hard to put down.
After finishing the book this morning, one of the wonderful things I love about reading happened regarding the journey it takes you on and the connections it forges. I watched Bill Moyers Journal which I had taped and was amazed to watch the short film about John Hagee and CUFI, Christians United for Israel and Moyers' discussion with Rabbi Michael Lerner and Dr. Timothy Weber. Suddenly Michael Chabon's story did not seem so outlandish. Suddenly I was sore afraid.
Disappointed.......2007-10-01
I heard so many good things about Chabon that I decided to read his new book. I am struggling. It is hard to understand--too many Yiddish phrases that I don't comprehend. I have lots of Jewish friends, so you would think that something would be familiar. Oh well, I will try to finish this book as I hate to give up on anything, but it will be hard. Don't think I will try Chabon's other books.
Too Cutsey.......2007-09-24
Hard to fathom and follow, thanks to too many cutesy Yiddish expressions and associations. And I'm familiar with Yiddish.
Book Description
Conspiracy theories about Sept. 11, 2001 continue to spread. Now, in a meticulous, scientific and groundbreaking new book, Popular Mechanics puts these rumors to rest. The magazine’s editors analyze the 20 most persistent claims underlying 9/11 conspiracy theories—and conclusively disprove each one. The result is a triumph of hard fact over conspiratorial fantasy.
Customer Reviews:
hey.......2007-09-20
so i haven't read the book, i will tell you that, but i think it's funny how John McCain helped write it. That guy needs to be off the balot and in jail for sure. Not all CT's are crazy either. They are family memebers who didn't get a proper investigation from the gov't. The Gov't doesn't care about them or the investigation and they call it a horrible attack on America. Bin Laden isn't even wanted for it. He i wanted for bombing in 198 or something on an american embassy killing maybe 200.
Anyway, read "Debunking 9/11 Debunking" wesome "truther" book
Propaganda and a waste of money. .......2007-09-20
Buy a copy of Debunking 9/11 Debunking by David Ray Griffin before buying this pack of lies. You can save your time and money and learn what Popular Mechanics says and OMITS in building their case against the truth. Hearst Publishing is still in the business of propaganda. Wake Up.
Reads like propaganda.......2007-09-14
I wish just once somebody would publish an objective book or collection of writings about this topic. The afterward is particularly insulting to the millions of concerned citizens with legitimate questions. Anyone can see that this book was written with an agenda. If this book doesn't give you ammo for you hate-spewing debunking arsenal, it might actually convince you that there are suspicious circumstances to consider.
Junk Science.......2007-08-29
This analysis doesn't even rise to the level of being wrong. You don't have to be a structural engineer to know that a steel-framed building cannot "pancake" at free-fall speed. You don't have to be a metallurgist to know that jet fuel won't leave pools of molten metal weeks after the fire is out. If you cherry-pick your "facts" you can make Stalin look like a boy scout or Mother Theresa look like the devil. This book starts with the conclusion and then tries to prove it. If you want an analysis that starts with the facts and works towards a logical conclusion, try any (or all) of David Ray Griffin's books.
Hint: don't drink fluoridated water........2007-08-24
I really wanted to fall for the "Official" fairytale. Sorry. Anyone who read this steaming terd and didn't find it insulting to their intelligence must be jacked up on fluoride. Do you know Prozac is 97% sodium fluoride? Do you know Hitler used it to sterilize and dumb down people? Do you know it is toxic waste from nuke power plants and aluminum production? You DO know your government puts it in YOUR water supply and toothpaste? Tell you what, figure out how MINOR structural damage and jet fuel pulverizes tons of concrete and EVERYTHING inside these giant skyscrapers into a fine dust before it can hit the ground, each with 47 welded and riveted massive core columns (approx 2/3 of its footprint!) Spraying sheitloads of human bone fragments atop the many adjacent buildings only to be discovered and reported years later and I will forget all about the bazillion lies, scandals and "coincidences", the complete failure of NORAD. Better stop, too much too list. Get a frikkin' clue retards, this is a cover-up hit piece AND do some homework to discover who owns Popular Mechanics Magazine. Better yet, buy the books of the great scholar David Ray Griffin instead, he easily destroys these brownshirt bootlickers using simple and sound logic.
Book Description
A true story of love, murder, and the end of the world’s “great hush”
In Thunderstruck, Erik Larson tells the interwoven stories of two men—Hawley Crippen, a very unlikely murderer, and Guglielmo Marconi, the obsessive creator of a seemingly supernatural means of communication—whose lives intersect during one of the greatest criminal chases of all time.
Set in Edwardian London and on the stormy coasts of Cornwall, Cape Cod, and Nova Scotia, Thunderstruck evokes the dynamism of those years when great shipping companies competed to build the biggest, fastest ocean liners, scientific advances dazzled the public with visions of a world transformed, and the rich outdid one another with ostentatious displays of wealth. Against this background, Marconi races against incredible odds and relentless skepticism to perfect his invention: the wireless, a prime catalyst for the emergence of the world we know today. Meanwhile, Crippen, “the kindest of men,” nearly commits the perfect crime.
With his superb narrative skills, Erik Larson guides these parallel narratives toward a relentlessly suspenseful meeting on the waters of the North Atlantic. Along the way, he tells of a sad and tragic love affair that was described on the front pages of newspapers around the world, a chief inspector who found himself strangely sympathetic to the killer and his lover, and a driven and compelling inventor who transformed the way we communicate. Thunderstruck presents a vibrant portrait of an era of séances, science, and fog, inhabited by inventors, magicians, and Scotland Yard detectives, all presided over by the amiable and fun-loving Edward VII as the world slid inevitably toward the first great war of the twentieth century. Gripping from the first page, and rich with fascinating detail about the time, the people, and the new inventions that connect and divide us, Thunderstruck is splendid narrative history from a master of the form.
Customer Reviews:
Fascinating.......2007-10-11
I recently read Devil in the White City, so I was eager to read Thunderstruck as well. For the most part, I wasn't disappointed. Like its predecessor, Thunderstruck follows the stories of two men: Marconi, a young and hotheaded inventor, and Crippen, an unassuming middle-aged man who murdered his wife Belle and took off with his mistress, Ethel, to escape detection by the police. She clearly had no knowledge of the murder and regarded their flight aboard the ship Montrose (with her dressed as a boy) as a great adventure. Using the Marconi wireless system, the ship's captain was able to notify the police of their presence on board his ship.
As with his previous book, Larson writes this one as though it's fiction, deftly interweaving the two stories together. I found the murder mystery to be especially intriguing. However, I thought Larson could have toned down all the scientific stuff in the parts about Marconi. And there could have been less focus on him and more on the Crippen case. It only so happened that Marconi's invention occurred around the same time that this case did, and it only so happened that the ship he and Ethel were on had the Marconi wireless system.
But in all I thought this book was well-written and, as evidenced by the Notes section in the back of the book, well-researched. Also, I thought it was interesting that Alfred Hitchcock used elements of of the Crippen case in Rear Window.
Quite good, but I hope Larson doesn't get too formulaic........2007-10-01
No doubt about it, Thunderstruck is a good book. Erik Larson introduces you to Marconi, the Italian tinkerer/entrepreneur who took the budding technology of wireless and turned it into a commercially viable endeavor. It's a good story; Marconi has bitter and active rivals in the scientific and business communities, he has his own white whale (sending a signal all the way across the Atlantic Ocean) and he has trouble with normal human relations which makes for some engaging misadventures on the personal front. Not only is the story interesting and fun to read, it's also well-researched and well-written and you learn some history along the way with absolutely no pain. So far, so good.
Then, Larson introduces you to a kindly American doctor who marries a woman who is an unkind, duplicitous user of people. He takes you on a journey through their troubled relationship which eventually carries them to London where both seem to have inappropriate extra-marital relationships while trying to keep up appearances in public of a solid marriage. Things continue along until one night the wife pushes the timid doctor just a little too far and... you'll have to read the book.
Not a bad story either, and the two stories eventually come together as they always do in Larson's books, which brings me to a concern: I hope Larson doesn't limit himself to a single formula where a crime story and a more traditional historic tale come together in the end. It's not that it's a bad idea, it's just starting to feel forced in this book, especially after Devil in the White City. Larson is a very strong researcher and a great writer and story-teller. He could easily do a more traditional history book and make it come alive without the help of a crime tale.
Still highly recommended, just hoping Larson's next book doesn't feel compelled to be just like its two fore bearers.
Not up to Par..........2007-08-18
Larson is going down hill. Isaac's Storm was fabulous... his other titles pale in comparison.
The Roll of Disparate Thunder.......2007-08-17
THUNDERSTRUCK is a splendid work of non-fiction that engages the reader as well as any novel. The author deftly combines the stories of two disparate lives -- Gugliemo Marconi, inventor of the wireless, and Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen, milquetoast doctor, husband, and murderer. The latter would become the first criminal tracked and captured with the assistance of wireless communication.
Erik Larsen, whose DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY engaging recounts murder in Chicago at the time of the 1893 World's Fair, this time turns his attention to the late 1890s and 1900s in London. He possesses a singular gift for both storytelling and for weaving plotlines to a thrilling climax. Both stories are engaging in their own right; together, they are retold in a strikingly refreshing way. Highly recommended.
My first (but not my last) work by Eric Larsen.......2007-08-09
In "Thunderstruck," the author Eric Larsen intertwines a "standard" history -- Marconi's commercialization of wireless telegraphy -- with a lurid one -- the mystery of the life of Dr. Hawley Crippen and mysterious disappearance of his opera wannabee wife, Belle Elmore. Larsen bounces back and forth between the two tales, which overlap loosely in time. Marconi's story takes place mostly between 1895 (the year of his first demonstration of wireless communication at significant distances) and 1910. The Crippen story focuses mostly on the years preceding the critical year of 1910. Nevertheless, both stories are on a collision course, and the final denouement involves telegraphy and the way it resolved one important facet of the Crippen/Elmore case.
"Thunderstruck" is *not* historical fiction. Both stories are taken painstakingly from the newspapers, diaries, public files and other records of the day. This was a quite a relief to me, since I have a distrust of "histories" that have more than a little of the authors' reconstructions of important events. In this book, you will learn about the British cultural biases that made Marconi's work difficult, as well as of Marconi's own obsessive, secretive, anti-social and egoistical temperament that more than once nearly derailed his venture. You'll be taken to Poldhu Station in Wales and to the North American stations on windswept Cape Cod and isolated, frigid Newfoundland. You'll accompany Marconi and his crew as they toil for months to set up the absurdly overpowered equipment that sent (or did it?) the series of dits that demonstrated Marconi's ability to send signals across the Atlantic. You'll experience the first breaking of "The Great Hush" and the greater loneliness that enveloped the world prior to the advent of long-range telegraphy and radio. You'll also thrill to the intimate details of the lives of mousy Dr. Crippen, his diva of a wife and their circle of theatrical friends. You'll learn a bit about homeopathy and allopathy, and learn how these "sciences" used lethal substances to treat disease. Throw in a few inspectors from Scotland Yard, a wily and discreet sea captain, pompous British scientists, an abandoned wife and a pre-WWI German spy, and you have the making of a fascinating reading experience.
"Thunderstruck" is fast-paced, informative and thrilling. By placing these two stories together, Larsen made both more interesting than they would have been alone. Bravo!
A word to those with weak stomachs: sections of the book are quite gory!
Book Description
An important contribution to the law enforcement field at every level
Criminal Investigation is recognized as the most accurate, comprehensive, and practical book in its field. This updated edition examines the latest investigative methods and technologies with new information on white-collar crime, drugs, terrorism, and homeland security.The simulation CD contains interactive modules covering the investigative process.
Customer Reviews:
Good info.......2007-01-17
Bought for a promotion study, and helped very much.
Great book if you need it. Also look for the study guide!
criminal investigation book.......2006-02-23
This subject is very interesting and the book go along with it well. The book is very interesting and is not boring to read. It has a lot of detailed pictures and information that goes along with it. Plus the reading is enertaining.This overall is a very good book!
Just the book I was looking for.......2002-12-13
I bought this book because I'm interested in series on discovery such as: Forensic Detectives, Medical Detectives and The Fbi Files. This book describes everything(see table of contents) in detail, from the history of crime investigation till gunshots etc. After almost every subject, the book gives real life examples and pictures.
After reading reviews I bought it and I don't regret it. It's the most excellent book in the field and often used on universities. The book isn't cheap, but if you're really interested in these subjects it's certainly worth the price.
The best in a long line of boring criminal justice books!!!.......2000-08-10
This book is by far one of the best of the criminal justice books that I have ever read. If it wasn't required reading for my Criminal Investigations class, I just might have picked it up and read it on my own. This book is one of the most interesting and easy to read books that has ever been required reading. The photography in the text helps with the topics in the reading much more than in any other books I've read. Though a bit gruesome, the photos are of great quality and only help the book that much more.
An Excellent Reference.......2000-07-28
I initially purchased this book as required reading for a Police Sergeant promotional exam but, I realized that it was the most informative text on investigations that I have read to date. The text is very well written and most of the material is applicable in any jurisdiction. The book includes a good number of illustrations and photos and I'm positive that I'll be referring back to this book throughout my career as a police officer.
Book Description
"If you wanted to kill your spouse and get away with it, you had to do something truly ingenious: something that wouldn't even be perceived as murder. And that was the service that Andrew Rusk had found a way to provide. Like any quality product, it did not come cheap. Nor did it come quickly. And perhaps most important of all, it was not for those with weak constitutions. Demand was high, of course, but few people were truly suitable clients. It took a deep-rooted hatred to watch your spouse die in agony, knowing that you had brought about that pain. But on the other hand, some people bore up remarkably well."
With these words, New York Times bestselling author Greg Iles returns to his trademark Southern milieu in this terrifying thriller, an unnerving tale of evil lurking beneath the veneer of idyllic suburban life. Brimming with the masterful suspense and intense psychological drama that made Turning Angel, Blood Memory, and The Quiet Game bestsellers, True Evil tells the chilling story of a divorce attorney who may be orchestrating the deaths of his clients' spouses, bringing new meaning to the phrase "'til death do us part."
Dr. Chris Shepard is thirty-six years old, newly married, and well on his way to a perfect life. Or so he believes. But that future is forever cast into doubt the day Special Agent Alexandra Morse walks into his office and drops a bombshell: Dr. Shepard's beautiful new wife is plotting his murder. Shepard is so shocked that he almost throws Agent Morse out of his office. Yet once he is alone, doubt begins to gnaw at him. Paranoia magnifies the small cracks in his marital relationship, and soon he can have no peace unless he knows the truth. When Agent Morse reappears, Chris agrees to act as bait to help her unravel the divorce lawyer's scheme, which may already have cost nine unsuspecting spouses their lives.
At the center of the mystery lies a maddeningly simple question: If these people really were murdered, why can't the FBI prove it? Rigorous autopsies have uncovered no forensic evidence of foul play, and the police believe no crimes have occurred. As Dr. Shepard and Agent Morse struggle against an invisible adversary, Shepard realizes that he's working with a desperate woman. The reason: the killer's last known victim was Alex Morse's sister, who from her deathbed accused her husband of murder and extracted a vow that Alex save her ten-year-old nephew from his father. This has driven Alex to risk both her life and her career to fulfill that vow. But Chris Shepard soon feels desperation of his own. As he probes his wife's hidden past, he is confronted by the probability that the woman he loves wants him dead.
He has adopted her son and given her everything he has to give, and yet somewhere out there, a killer with the brilliance to outwit the top forensic scientists in the world is closing in on him.
Customer Reviews:
Could have been a little bit better.......2007-10-10
I have read some of Iles' previous books including "Spandau Phoenix" (which I thoroughly enjoyed) so I thought I'd give "True Evil" a try. The book features an FBI Agent (Alex Morse) who is dealing with the loss of a partner on a case (she blames herself) and is trying to cope with her mother's declining health. In the meantime, an up and coming doctor is married to a great looking woman who is not all she appears to be.
Alex Morse's sister dies (a lot of dying early in the book) and things begin to unravel. A doctor (well done at first, but becomes cliche near the end of the book) has his own "experiments" with various people and a divorce lawyer is in on this particular doctor's way of getting rid of people in a clever medical technique. The book is scary at times and the sociopathic doctor is frightening, but as the book wore on I found myself less afraid of him and began to tire of him and some of the other characters. The last part of the book is confusing and it wraps up far too neatly.
It's not a bad read at all, but I think it could have been about 50 pages shorter and the last few chapters felt rushed and could have been better.
Greg does it again!.......2007-10-08
A great yarn populated with fascinating people, and sprikled with genuinely profound paragraphs, which one might like to mark and read again.
It seems to me that Greg's place in American Literature is secure. He likes Falkner, and I'd bet Falkner would like him.
Huh?.......2007-10-08
If Chris is worth $2M and it costs $2M to kill him, then why bother? Especially since he would go for the divorce.
OK book. Not wonderful.
Greg Iles' Best Recent Book.......2007-10-06
Because I haven't enjoyed some of Iles' recent work, I was shocked to find myself tearing through 'True Evil.'
I was hooked from page one, and stormed through this book in three days, finding time between Little League coaching, teaching, and helping around the house. The storyline (retold by others on-site here in excruciating detail) is first-rate, and the characters are vivid, and never stereotypical.
Lots of suspense. Highly recommended!
Medical Malpractice.......2007-10-05
This novel is not kind to lawyers and doctors. This is a tale of a lawyer and a doctor that you really don't want to seek out for professional advice. The plot revolves around a medical discovery that can be used for evil. Now certainly that's a plot line that can hardly be described as fresh. I've certainly ploughed through a lot of books where sociopathic scientists have put in long hours trying to come up with a discovery that society will view with complete horror.
So we have a stale plot here. Should we skip this book and wait for the next novel by Grisham or even one by Child? No need. You simply read this book for the thrill of the chase. These bad guys have used medical means to kill the spouses of the attorney's unhappy clients. Our hero here is Alex "Scarface"(she took a shotgun blast in the face) Morse a rogue FBI agent who is a pretty tough lady. Forget the preposterous medical discovery and its bizarre utilization in a legal practice, and go along for the exciting ride as Alex scampers after them without even stopping long enough to sleep.
Admittedly toward the end things get a bit silly so you can chuckle while you lap up the thrills. And, of course, to make all the plot antics work the author can't avoid some flaws, but that's being picky. I would usually rate a novel without either any literary pretensions or a fresh plot at two stars, but this one was so much fun that I gave it four stars.
Book Description
What makes a person confess to a crime he did not commit? Was he coerced? Is he trying to protect someone else? Interrogation has come under attack as opponents focus on false confessions. However, most cases are still resolved by confession, not forensic evidence. Among the new topics covered in the Second Edition of this bestselling book, Practical Aspects of Interview and Interrogation focuses on why false confessions exist and how to avoid them. Written by two experts who have conducted over 15,000 interviews and interrogations from theft to homicide, this book expands on the valuable topics in the previous edition to include discussions of: Telephone interviewing False Confessions Field Interviewing Sexual Harassment Interviewing Confronting the Alleged Harrasser Pre-employment Interviewing New Legal Aspects Frequently Asked Questions Covering the entire sequence of events that occur during the interview and interrogation process, this book provides a realistic building block approach that allows you to move from a preliminary accusation to an ultimate confession by applying practical rules to the process. It gives you the flexibility to select a number of different paths to proceed in an interrogation of a suspect. Useful in both the law enforcement and private sectors, Practical Aspects of Interview and Interrogation, Second Edition allows you to deal effectively with the complex problems of interviewing and interrogating victims, witnesses, suspects, and even potential employees.
Customer Reviews:
Practical Aspects of Interview and Interrogation.......2007-03-09
I found this book to be very informative. A big part of my job is interview and interrogation. This book was able to put into context what I have already been doing for a number of years. I found that I was referencing the book in my head as I watched the people I was speaking with and knew by their actions how truthful or untruthful they were being. If this is the type of work you do the book is a very good read.
Excellent.......2003-04-12
I went to the Wicklander seminar recently. The book was just as great as the class, I'm very fortunate to have been able to go and receive the book. Thanks!
Excellent Reference.......2001-12-08
This is an excellent referecne book for anyone involved in both private and public sector interviews.
A great book for any investigator.......2001-05-03
This was a very informative book. I highly recommend this book for anyone dealing with interviews and interrogations.
A must have!.......2000-06-24
This is a great resource. If this isn't on your shelf, it should be.
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