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More from Norm Goldman... Reviews No. 11-20 (below) Reviews No. 1-10 Reviews No. 21-30 Reviews No. 31-40  Title: Free Author: Paul Vincent: ISBN:1844262553 British author Paul Vincent’s latest novel, Free, centers around a story of a young man, Sal, who falls madly in love with a dark haired woman with blond eyebrows, Gabrielle, at a pavement café in Northern Spain. After a brief courtship, the two decide on marriage, which shortly takes place, after both move from their homes in England to the Basque Country of Spain. Very soon thereafter, Sal receives the first of a series of eight harrowing and threatening letters, the first of which states: “Dear Sal: I will send just 8 letters to you. By the 8th letter, you will either love me or I will have killed you. You know me.” It turns out that the sender of the letter is the former lover of Gabrielle, Alex Lawrence, who claims to be still married to Gabrielle, and he is going to win her back at any cost, even if it means murder. In fact, Alex presents a false marriage certificate to Sal, when they first personally meet up. He further goes on to inform Sal that he still loves Gabrielle, and if he cannot have her, no one else can, even though, as he claims, she is deceitful, an impostor and a gold digger, who will fleece Sal out of every penny he has. The plot effectively takes on all of the elements of a compelling black comedy, notably the author’s sense of the absurd, and the themes of death, personal misfortune and even morbid subjects as the hideous murder of Sal’s working assistant, Olaia, and the twice kidnapping of a baby, Sal and Gabrielle’s daughter, Amy. Cleverly mixed into the plot is the question of Gabrielle’s sometimes-rash behavior, bordering on the insane, prodding the readers to ask who is she? After all, Sal had known very little about her background prior to their marriage. Is she in fact the stalker and the sender of the letters and did she kidnap their baby girl? Is what Alex told Sal true? Interesting enough, even the ending of the story leaves the reader still pondering these same questions. To even more complicate the plot, political elements are also introduced, when the reader learns that Sal’s father was from the Basque Country and his mother was from Ireland. Could it be that Ireland’s IRA or Spain’s ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna- a Basque fatherland and liberty group who wish to create an independent homeland in Spain’s Basque region.) are somehow mixed up into the plot. Most significantly, throughout the reading of the novel, readers are constantly propelled to continually read on through this exciting, somewhat chilling, and even comical narrative. Vincent fully grasps what black comedy is all about. He is an expert in never losing sight of its elements in a way that will no doubt prove to be satisfying to fans of this genre, as well as those who are not familiar with black comedy. Reviewer: Norm Goldman Editor of Bookpleasures.com page top Title: The Artist's Model and Other Love Stories Author: Guy de Maupassant: Translator: Mark Scott ISBN:1403337241 Considered to be one of France’s greatest short story writers, Guy de Maupassant had written over three hundred short stories, six novels, three travel books, and one volume of verse, during a period of ten years of his forty-three year lifespan. Author and lecturer, Mark Scott, is a specialist in Russian literature, and he has been very much intrigued with Maupassant’s profound influence over such Russian literary giants as Bunin, Chekhov, Turgenev and Gorky. This probably explains his most recent literary foray, The Artist's Model and Other Love Stories, wherein he shares with the English-speaking world eighteen of Maupassant’s short story gems. As a translator “par excellence,” Scott’s talents are very much in evidence in his appreciation of the thoughts and images of this French literary icon. Moreover, Scott effectively conveys to the reader Maupassant’s uncanny ability to write in a highly controlled style devoid of superfluous words. It is to be noted that a good translator is not only one who is talented with languages, but also one who knows how to competently translate the theme or the spirit of the literary works. In order to accomplish this feat the translator must have an excellent grasp of the sense of the subject and its nuances, and here is where Scott’s translations shine. Title: Unto Us A Child AUTHOR: Donald R. Phillips ISBN: 1930819226 For the past several years there have been several books written about the scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church. Unto Us A Child is another one of these horrendous stories only this time with a different twist. New York Times best selling author Donald R. Phillips relates in Unto Us A Child how an entire family of seven children were placed into an orphanage and subjected to unbelievable acts of cruelty at the hands of some of the nuns and priests who were the administrators of this orphanage. More particularly, it is the story of the Albert children from Kansas, who, when they were very young, were placed under the care of a Catholic run institution because their parents were too poor to feed them or care for them. While living in the orphanage they were constantly subjected to vicious behaviour on the part of their caretakers. How can you rationalize the molestation of the Albert boys by an alcoholic priest who was a pedophile? Where is justice where another priest had a continuous sexual relationship with one of the under-aged Albert sisters eventually leading to her impregnation and probably the cause of her suicide years later? This same priest today is no longer a member of the clergy; however, he is presently living in a Catholic retirement community, and was never brought before the courts for the crime of having sex with a minor. Ironically, it was this same priest, who with the alcoholic pedophile, made sure that the scandal was all hushed up and that the child born out of wedlock was put up for adoption. Phillips was apprised of this inconceivable and painful story when one of the grandchildren of the Albert family, who worked for him, related this tragedy and asked him if he wanted to write about it. After careful investigating the various facts and interviewing the Albert brothers (two of the sisters were already deceased), Phillips decided to pursue the matter and “tell all.” There will probably be howls of anger after readers have the opportunity to ponder over the gravity of the crimes committed. The damning evidence meticulously exposed in the book uncovers lies, deception and injustice that underline the enormity of the problem that has beset the Catholic Church in recent years. No doubt, many readers will shake their heads and ask themselves, how could members of the clergy break the sacred rule “do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” To view the interview with the author click Here Reviewer: NORM GOLDMAN EDITOR OF BOOKPLEASURES.COM page top Title: Writing A Book That Makes A Difference Author: Philip Gerard ISBN: 1884910564 What differentiates a well-written and interesting book from one that is mediocre? Philip Gerard, author of WRITING A BOOK THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE, teaches in the MFA program of the Professional and Creative Writing Program at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. His vast writing experience has included fiction and non-fiction books, magazine articles, and television writing. Gerard’s wisdom is quite apparent when you read and study his book WRITING A BOOK THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. He does an excellent job in emphasizing the fundamentals of what constitutes good writing that ultimately leads to a book that makes a difference. As is the case in any discipline, the author realizes that to effectively share ideas and suggestions it is necessary to have a common meeting ground concerning vocabulary. Consequently, from the very onset, Gerard introduces the reader to an analysis of indispensable terms. These terms that form the backbone of the book are: originality, aesthetic distance, didacticism, essay, narrative, narrative stance, non-fiction, novel, persuasion of continuity, psychic distance, public subject, rectitude, resonance, story, subject matter, subtext, suspense, theme, thesis, tone, and universal. After providing us with an explanation of the jargon that will be constantly referred to in the book, the author proceeds to deal with the larger picture. This he divides into two parts, the first explaining subject and theme and the second showing the reader how to build a book. We learn about such elements as choosing a worthy subject, research, theme discovery and theme development, connecting to the reader, creative non-fiction, ethics and art, subject and point of view, and discovering themes as you write. All of these are viewed within the wider context, if the book stands up to rereading? If we are not left with ideas and impressions that are thought provoking it will not pass the test. As Gerard also points outs” the book must also tease us into comprehension on a higher level. There must be something to possess.” Reading and studying this book is certainly an enjoyable learning experience and one that will be appreciated by novice as well as established writers. The mixture of concrete excerpts extracted from well-known books together with several writing exercises certainly enhances its attractiveness as a useful resource for students of creative writing. Reviewer: NORM GOLDMAN EDITOR OF BOOKPLEASURES.COM page top Title: How America’s Intelligence Failures Led to September 11th Author: Bill Gertz ISBN: 0895261480 The principal premise of best selling author Bill Gertz’s book Breakdown:how America’s intelligence failures led to September 11, is that there was a monumental screw up of the intelligence community in Washington. There are certainly many revelations of the book that are nothing more than a rehashing of various news stories presented over the past year by the media. Nevertheless, the synthesizing of this information definitely helps the reader to better understand the root causes of the breakdown. Gertz provides the reader with impressive evidence to support his contention that Sept 11th could have been prevented, if the intelligence community had worked together in harmony. In order to defend his case, the author relies heavily on information gleaned from congressional hearings, court documents, classified memos, foreign governmental reports and letters, speeches and personal interviews with some of the former employees of the intelligence services. Each chapter examines a different branch of the US intelligence apparatus and how they were all guilty of incompetence. He further adds that even Congress was a partner and should likewise share the blame, “and its oversight of intelligence-or lack of it, or wrong use of it-is a prime cause of the intelligence breakdown that led to September 11. No doubt the reader will find some of Gertz’s findings lethal. For example, he refers to the Phoenix Memo, where special agent Kenneth Williams from his Phoenix office wrote to FBI headquarters on July 10, 2001 that they should accumulate a listing of civil aviation universities/colleges around the world.
Title: Four Wheels Drive Author: Dan Spencer ISBN: 1401002722 Can you imagine yourself driving across the USA in 1903 in a single cylinder 12 -horse power automobile through the deserts of Nevada and Utah, the muddy plains of the Midwest and over the Rocky Mountains? You encounter rivers that you have to traverse. It is the dawn of the automobile era. There are very few roads, and those that do exist are for the most part horrendous! Detailed road maps are unheard of and you pretty much are on your own in figuring out how to arrive at your destination. Forget about gas stations, there are very few! Most of the time, in order to refuel, you have to arrange for someone to continually send cans of gasoline by train to be picked up at the various railroad depots. Your automobile is roofless, and you have to wear goggles to keep the wind and dust from getting into your eyes. The mosquitoes are treacherous! As you drive from one small town to the next you encounter all kinds of people, some of whom are downright nasty, as they are not too receptive in ushering in the automobile age. This venture actually happened when a gentleman by the name of Tom Fetch accompanied by two companions, Marcus Krarup and N.O. Alleyn, drove an automobile called “Old Pacific” across continental USA in the summer of 1903. One of the participants, however, N.A. Alleyn did not have the perseverance of the other two to stick with the team until the very end and he quit in disgust. Author, Dan Spencer, has based his enchanting novel Four Wheels Good on this unbelievable feat illustrating how a courageous individual braved the elements and persisted until his objective was attained. Spencer asserts at the end of the book that although his novel is a work of fiction, it is closely based on the actual events. He also indicates that he has tried to be as accurate as possible in his depiction of the various characters portrayed in the book. The novel recounts how the Packard Motor Car Company egged on by their competitor, Winton, decided that it would be a wonderful publicity stunt to be the first automobile company to lay claim that they were successful in driving an automobile from San Francisco to New York City. This would convince all of those non-believers in the usefulness of auto travel in reaching distant destinations. The Winton Company had engaged two individuals, Dr. H. Jackson and Sewall Crocker to attempt to accomplish the same feat. However, the Fetch crew would be taking a more direct course, as they would be following as much as possible the South Pacific railroad route. The Jackson expedition would be taking a more northerly path. The question was which team would reach New York City in the shortest time span? Spencer cleverly uses realistic, “folksy” and simple dialogue in enabling the reader to feel, smell and experience the era when this event transpired. He also exhibits a profound perspective and understanding of small town USA at the turn of the century and its reluctance to accept new ideas and inventions. As one of the spectators remarks, “you boys must be either braver than soldiers or dumber than mules.” However, little did they realize the profound changes that would take place due to automobile travel? Reviewer: NORM GOLDMAN EDITOR OF BOOKPLEASURES page top TITLE: THE TRIALS OF LENNY BRUCE Authors: Ronald K.L. Collins: David M. Skover ISBN: 1570719861 Comedian Lenny Bruce has always been something of an enigma. Some compared him to the famous satirist Jonathan Swift, who was a moralist and who endeavoured to uncover the hypocrisy of various situations arising out of society. His defence attorneys even pointed out “he was not a mad man writing dirty words on the walls of a public toilet. He was an original social critic with an unconventional vocabulary.” Others, however, including some well known journalists, perceived him as a “sick comedian” with a foul mouth, whose commentaries using filthy, obnoxious, depraved and obscene language pertaining to religion, race, sex, and government were of no social value. The dilemma-was he not protected under the First Amendment of the American Constitution pertaining to freedom of speech, notwithstanding his shocking language? Authors Ronald K.L. Collins and David M. Skover, two attorneys and experts on the First Amendment, have authored a book entitled The Trials of Lenny Bruce: The Fall and Rise of an American Icon. This is the first comprehensive and carefully documented account of Lenny Bruce’s career and free speech struggles. Bruce had been involved in at least eight obscenity arrests, and had been subjected to six-obscenity court cases conducted in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York over a span of four years involving some 3, 500 pages of trial transcripts. For the most part, they all focused on so called “word crimes” concentrating on the following principal legal issues: Were his routines steeped in “bitter social criticism” of unquestionable value? Was his use of course language sexually arousing to the audience? If the words were non-erotic, how could they have been obscene? As mentioned, something is not necessarily obscene merely because it is in bad taste, shocking, disgusting, stupid, vulgar, embarrassing, immoral or offensive? Does the dominant appeal of the material used, taken as a whole, have a substantial tendency to deprave or corrupt the average person by inciting lascivious thoughts or arousing lustful desires? Did his use of “dirty words” corrupt the morals of youth or others, when you consider that under age persons were not permitted to attend the performances? Should an artist’s use of word-taboos be judged, at least in significant part, by community standards? To better understand the power of Bruce’s performances and all of the above legal questions, the authors have cleverly included a CD narrated by one of Bruce’s most adamant supporters, Village Voice columnist Nat Hentoff, highlighting some of his performances and trials. The CD also contains interviews with some of his ardent defenders, George Carlin, Hugh Hefner and Margaret Cho, and as a contrast, interviews with some of his prosecutors. Lenny Bruce died a tragic figure. He never lived to see the day where the courts recognized that comedians should not be imprisoned for their words. As the authors state, “the life of Lenny Bruce is a great cautionary tale about why First Amendment freedom must be the rule rather than the exception.” This is a must read book for defenders of the First Amendment, who will not be disappointed with its meticulous research and easy to understand analysis of the pertinent legal issues. Reviewer: NORM GOLDMAN EDITOR OF BOOKPLEASURES page top TITLE: ADA BLACKJACK: A STORY OF SURVIVAL IN THE ARCTIC Author: Jennifer Niven ISBN:0786868635 Not many of us have ever heard of an island that is generally barren, frozen and rocky through most of the year located in the Arctic Ocean between the East Siberian Sea and the Chukotsk Sea-Wrangel Island. In 1921, a Canadian explorer, Vihjalmur Stefansson, sent four young men, only one an actual British subject, and one Eskimo woman, Ada Blackjack, to Wrangel Island. The objective was to claim the island for Great Britain, and to prove that it was possible to survive in this “godforsaken” place, notwithstanding its cruel climate and terrain. The original venture was only to be a vanguard for a grand and elaborate further British expedition that was to join the group the following summer. Unbeknown to the four young men, the expedition was never approved or supported by the British Government, and Stefansson never joined the group the following summer. In fact, Stefansson was more interested in self-aggrandizement with his lecturing tours and writings than he was with the welfare of the group. Jennifer Niven, author of Ada Blackjack A Story Of Survival In The Arctic, has brilliantly pieced together, through her extensive research of diaries, journals, letters, unpublished manuscripts, papers that were written by the four young men, their families, and the Eskimo woman, Ada Blackjack, a vivid picture as to what had transpired, while these brave, naïve, and inexperienced individuals lived on the island. What is so tragic about the entire expedition is that only one individual survived, Ada Blackjack. Three members, due to a shortage of food, left the party for the Siberian coast, and the fourth one died of scurvy, while being under the compassionate care of Ada Blackjack. As for Stefansson, he managed to more or less protect his reputation, while casting the blame of this disastrous and ill- prepared venture on others. If there is a lesson in Ada Blackjack A Story Of Survival In The Arctic it is that sometimes fear combined with religious faith turns out to be your savior. Although, Ada Blackjack may have initially feared hunting, as well as living with a sick person, whom she was forced to care for, it was these fears that ultimately contributed to her survival. Was Ada Blackjack brave? When asked to comment, she would say, “Brave? I don’t know about that. But I would never give up hope while I’m still alive.” It was probably this hope that continued to help her survive after her return from Wrangel Island, as her life was filled with turmoil, poverty, sadness, slander, illness, and constant escape from a taunting society. Niven’s prose is truly a remarkable, absorbing and powerful read. In two words, it is irresistibly readable. You are immediately hooked by the author’s ease of recapturing the intensity and history of the expedition, and the vivid dialogue of the story’s principal characters. You are also taken in by the way Niven has admirably focused a great deal of her story on the first Eskimo heroine, Ada Blackjack. Reviewer: NORM GOLDMAN, EDITOR OF BOOKPLEASURES page top Title: The Berlitz Ocean Cruising& Cruise Ships 2004 Aurhor: Douglas Ward ISBN: 9812463836 If you have ever taken a cruise you know how frustrating it can be just deciding which cruise to take? There are probably hundreds of books on the topic, not to mention the endless number of newspaper, magazine and Internet articles. Now along comes a guide that probably could be called the bible of ocean cruising information, as its level of detail and rigorous research is unbelievable! The Berlitz Ocean Cruising& Cruise Ships 2004, authored by Douglas Ward, just about answers all of your cruising queries. In other words, don't leave home without it before committing yourself to a cruise. The guide's author is the world's top authority on cruising and cruise ships, and is the president of the Maritime Evaluations Group, an independent international agency that rates cruise ships worldwide. In the introductory chapters Ward gives the reader interesting information as to what to keep in mind before deciding on any one cruise. Readers learn about terrorism and its effects on cruising, quality of cruising today, destinations, history of cruising entertainment, different kinds of cruising, what brochures really mean, selecting the right ship, and how the guide evaluates the ships. There is also a section asking if in fact cruising is for you. After reading these introductory chapters, readers are now prepared to pore over information pertaining to 256 cruise ships that are alphabetically listed. The reviews of these ships reveal vital statistics and information pertaining to the ships' size, age, names of builders, original cost, former names, and what the ship contains insofar as cabins, swimming pools, floors etc. Overview paragraphs indicate the ship's history and the author's comments concerning the honesty of the ship's brochures. How often have we picked up a beautiful brochure and were subsequently very disappointed? Succinct descriptions of the ship's interior, as well as the cabins, dining facilities; dress code, food quality, and transportation to and from the ship are also provided. Questions as to the suitability of the cruise are clearly answered. As an example, some are more suitable for younger couples, others for families or mature individuals. Detailed descriptions concerning accommodations are clearly presented concerning their size, what they include, bathrooms, closet and drawer space, showers, cabin voltage, spaciousness, amenities, special suites, and how they are decorated. Cuisine and dining facilities are analyzed as to their general atmosphere, size, kind of meals served, choice, quality and quantity of the food, wine lists, quality of service and what to expect from the waiters and waitresses. Do they sing and dance during the meals? Some ships offer alternative dining facilities. Generally, these require reservations and there is an extra cost. Here again, the guide goes into detail about ships that offer this alternative and their quality. Always high on the priority list is the question of entertainment. The guide- book provides the reader with a description of the kind of entertainment they can expect, when and where the entertainment is held, and its quality. Perhaps you are into spa/fitness? Consequently, you surely would want to have an assessment of these facilities, if they are in fact offered. Each of the reviews contains sidebars that present the Berlitz rating. These ratings are explained in the preliminary chapters to the book. In 2004 Berlitz crowned the Europa as the winner with the highest ratings. Ward has created a splendid, in depth guide- book, which even the more experienced cruise enthusiast will discover something new. Reviewer: NORM GOLDMAN EDITOR OF BOOKPLEASURES.COM page top Title: You Are Here Traveling with JohnnyJet.com Author: John E. DiScala and Eric Leebow ISBN: 097139914X With the thousands of Internet travel guidebooks to choose from it is very difficult to separate the good from the mediocre. You can literally devote days trying to figure out which guide will reveal the most useful information pertaining to the best air-fares, hotels, cars, lodging, student travel, medical resources, romantic vacations, unique lodging, National Parks, hideaways, things to do and see, shopping, restaurants, and many other essentials necessary to plan and enjoy your vacation. The impetus that brought about the publication of the recent Internet travel guidebook, You Are Here Traveling with JohnnyJet.com, was the result of the many emails John E. DiScala had received from viewers of his Internet portal JohnnyJet.com. Apparently, people were inquiring if there was a companion travel guidebook to compliment the portal. As a result, DiScala and fellow co-author, Eric Leebow, decided to put together a innovative book that would be the ultimate Internet travel guide for people wanting quick and easy information, and at the same time to be used in conjunction with the web site. Divided into 34 chapters, the guide effectively points its readers in the right direction in clearly summarizing and highlighting over 3000 travel Internet sites. These sites provide a wealth of detailed information that makes life much easier for the traveler. Even the arm- chair traveler will find something of interest. The guidebook not only focuses on the traditional topics as senior travel, restaurants and hotels, but also the non-traditional-where to find the best diving directories, adoption travel or family reunions, travel humor sites, religious travel, archaeological digs, zoos, and other topics you would not normally find in the "run of the mill" Internet guidebooks. Also included are some interesting sidebars containing useful tidbits of advice. For example, where is the best place to sit on a plane? We are advised that if you suffer from motion sickness, choose a seat towards the middle of the plane or near the wings. What I found particularly useful about the book is the user- friendly format with its detailed Table of Contents, appendices and Index. The reader is not forced to thumb through several pages before he or she can track down what they are seeking. Immediately, a glance to the table of contents or index will clearly point out the way, saving you a great deal of time and frustration. In addition, you even have comprehensive appendices listing destination sites, automobile rental sites, major hotel and motel chains, US and International airlines, airfreight companies with phone numbers, and where to report stolen credit cards with phone numbers. You Are Here Traveling with JohnnyJet.com is sure to prove to be an invaluable tool in covering the full range of queries travelers often ask and is a welcome addition to the spate of Internet travel books. Reviewer: NORM GOLDMAN EDITOR OF BOOKPLEASURES.COM page top Reviews No. 21-30 | The BANYON NETWORK | Betty Byers | Whitlow Synopsis | INNER-VIEWS WITH CELEBRITIES | ECLECTIC REVIEWS | BOOK REVIEWER'S CORNER | The NEWS | SHORT STORIES CORNER | | Return Home | GREAT LINKS | WHAT'S NEW? | CONTACT US | |
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