Book Description
The heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family in the making and the
wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what really matters in life
John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy. Life would never be the same.
Marley quickly grew into a barreling, ninety-seven-pound streamroller of a Labrador retriever, a dog like no other. He crashed through screen doors, gouged through drywall, flung drool on guests, stole women's undergarments, and ate nearly everything he could get his mouth around, including couches and fine jewelry. Obedience school did no good—Marley was expelled. Neither did the tranquilizers the veterinarian prescribed for him with the admonishment, "Don't hesitate to use these."
And yet Marley's heart was pure. Just as he joyfully refused any limits on his behavior, his love and loyalty were boundless, too. Marley shared the couple's joy at their first pregnancy, and their heartbreak over the miscarriage. He was there when babies finally arrived and when the screams of a seventeen-year-old stabbing victim pierced the night. Marley shut down a public beach and managed to land a role in a feature-length movie, always winning hearts as he made a mess of things. Through it all, he remained steadfast, a model of devotion, even when his family was at its wit's end. Unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms.
Is it possible for humans to discover the key to happiness through a bigger-than-life, bad-boy dog? Just ask the Grogans.
Download Description
"
The heartwarming and unforgettable
story of a family in the making and the
wondrously neurotic dog who taught
them what really matters in life
John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy. Life would never be the same.
Marley quickly grew into a barreling, ninety-seven-pound streamroller of a Labrador retriever, a dog like no other. He crashed through screen doors, gouged through drywall, flung drool on guests, stole women's undergarments, and ate nearly everything he could get his mouth around, including couches and fine jewelry. Obedience school did no good—Marley was expelled. Neither did the tranquilizers the veterinarian prescribed for him with the admonishment, ""Don't hesitate to use these.""
And yet Marley's heart was pure. Just as he joyfully refused any limits on his behavior, his love and loyalty were boundless, too. Marley shared the couple's joy at their first pregnancy, and their heartbreak over the miscarriage. He was there when babies finally arrived and when the screams of a seventeen-year-old stabbing victim pierced the night. Marley shut down a public beach and managed to land a role in a feature-length movie, always winning hearts as he made a mess of things. Through it all, he remained steadfast, a model of devotion, even when his family was at its wit's end. Unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms.
Is it possible for humans to discover the key to happiness through a bigger-than-life, bad-boy dog? Just ask the Grogans.
"
Customer Reviews:
Top-notch canine story.......2007-10-14
I just finished the best dog book I've ever read! No kidding. I often laughed out loud ) and eventually cried silently . John and Jenny are beginning their married life together and they introduce a wggly furball of a yellow Labrador retriever puppy into their wedded bliss. "Life and love with world's worst dog." says the book jacket. Maybe that's why Marley is expelled two times from obedience school. If you like books about man's best friend, get this book and you'll enjoy it as much as I did.
Great book.......2007-10-14
This was an adorable book. I loved reading it and will probably read it again... Such a cute story. This book brings to light what it's like to have a dog, a dog like Marley. I understand the things they went through with Marley, because we have a dog exactly like him. I highly recommend it. You will have a good laugh.
Excellent!.......2007-10-14
I listened to "Marley and Me" during my commute, and it was excellent. Both the story and John Grogan's narration were terrific, and I highly recommend these CDs.
Excellent Edition of Marley and Me.......2007-10-11
I bought this edition of 'Marley and Me' to see the extra photographs of Marley and also for John Grogan's newspaper column he wrote after Marley died. I highly recommend this edition to everyone, it truly is a treasure.
An incredible tale.......2007-10-05
This book was wonderful - ignore the one star reviews, seriously. It was never intended to be an intellectual story with an incredible plot (or twist), and it certainly wasn't meant to make one feel angry at the author as you read it.
If you can open your mind (and heart), and read this book as a simple tale of such a basic relationship between dog and owner(s), you will be rewarded with such a funny, warm, heart-wrenching, inspiring tale that could well make you a better person.
I ENJOYED the moments of self-indulgence - where we got an understanding about who John was and what was going on in HIS life. I think the book needed that to avoid being entirely about a dog and his experiences - let's face it, no matter how great Marley is (or isn't), he wasn't going to warrant 200 pages of text (or was he?). It's this discussion of family, of growing up, of happiness and anger, that draws so many parallels between the life of a human being, and the life of a dog. It is summarized so brilliantly towards the end of the book and, as you wipe away the tears, you can only feel an incredible sense of optimism and hope well after you turn the last page.
Predictable ending? Well duh. You do know where it's going from the moment you purchase the book - from the moment you purchase a DOG. But HOW Grogan gets there is brilliantly done. His writing style is well-paced, conversational, yet entirely descriptive. I felt the warmth of the South Florida sun as I watched Marley play in the ocean, and I felt everyones shivers in the grey, cold winter in PA. Ultimately, I felt the utter sadness that an entirely family felt, and the power of reminiscence & focusing on those special moments in life.
Here's to you, Grogan. Your book touched my heart; and to Marley - your existence has touched millions of people around the world without you even knowing it. If that's not a successful book, I'm not quite sure what is.
Book Description
"A Tourist's Best Friend!"
-Chicago Sun-Times
"Indispensable"
-The New York Times
Companion podcast available on Frommers.com
Five Great Features and Benefits offered ONLY by The Unofficial Guide®:
- Exclusively patented, field-tested touring plans that save as much as four hours of standing in line in a single day
- Tips, advice, and opinions from hundreds of Walt Disney World guests in their own words
- Almost 250 hotels rated and ranked for quality and value, including the top non-Disney hotels for families
- A complete Dining Guide with ratings and reviews of all Walt Disney World restaurants, plus extensive alternatives for dining deals outside the World
- Every attraction rated and ranked for each age group; extensive, objective, head-to-head comparisons of the Disney and Universal theme parks
Sample Rating:
Ride Name: Soarin'
Appeal by age : Preschool, Grade school, Teens, Young adults, Over 30, Seniors
What it is: Flight simulation ride.
Scope and scale: Super headliner.
When to go: First 30 minutes the park is open or use FASTPASS.
Special comments: Entrance on the lower level of The Land pavilion. May induce motion sickness; 40" minimum-height requirement; switching off available (see pages 266-268).
Author's rating: Exciting and mellow at the same time; Not to be missed.
Duration of ride: 4 minutes.
Loading speed: Moderate.
This guide is a completely independent evaluation of Walt Disney World and has not been reviewed or approved by Walt Disney World or the Walt Disney Company, Inc.
Customer Reviews:
Great for pre trip planning........2007-09-20
I bought this book after picking up an older version for 1 in a bargain bin of a book shop. It is a brilliant book to have when you are in the planning stages of your holiday. It has incredibly detatiled sections on hotels, transportation, dining and ticket options. I liked this book because it was unofficial and gave an honest opinion rather than the 'Disney line'. The criticisms were fair and measured in my opinion and not 'anti-Disney' like some reviewers have said. I really liked the fact that it rated each attraction with ratings for different age groups, this was very helpful for me as it was just me and my husband (late 20's) we were able to avoid the real 'kiddy rides'. Also I found the ratings for our age group to be pretty spot on.
The amount of detail in this book is also a con as well as a pro. I really would not reccommend this book if you already have everything planned and booked. This book is too heavy to bring to the parks, so I would suggest getting a smaller book to synopsis the rides. I found that I read this alot before I went and barely looked at it while we were there.
When you purchase this book, you also get free subscription to the website which has a lot of additional touring plans and also a great 'Best Days' calender which gives every day of the year a mark from 1-10 for crowds (10 being maximum capacity). It also tells you which are the best and worst parks for crowds on any given day based on historical entrance and also special events such as Extra Magic Hours or special parties. I fould this very helpful in avoiding the worst of the summer crowds.
Great Disney Resource.......2007-09-06
I hadn't been to Disney in 2o years and would have wasted a lot of time if I hadn't read this book. We got tickets to eat breakfast with Cinderella thanks to this book. We got to ride Dumbo before the park had been open 10 minutes because of this book. It helped us have the best vacation ever! I won't go back without ordering the newest edition!
Insights and information.......2007-08-28
I went thru this big book before going to Disneyworld and my husband thought I was mental - until we actually got there.. and indeed we managed to have a lovely day at Disneyworld in mid August, we saw all that we wanted, the kids (5 and 8)loved it and we spared SO much time I cannot measure. We knew where and when to go, we skipped attractions that the kids would not have liked and really enjoyed the day (and I mean, it was almost 100°F, no joke). I had another guidebook but the Unofficial guides gives sound advice and insights.
And it was fun reading it, too!!
I would not go without.
Great unoffical guide of WDW.......2007-08-26
Great reference book to Walt Disney World, I am going their in October and this book has given me a lot to think about and has already guided me as to what to do and not to do. I would recomend this book to anyone planning a trip to WDW!
A very thorough book.......2007-08-26
The book was an excellent guideline for my trip to WDW. I highly recommend it.
There are, however, a few things that I would have liked to see. First, the book should rate rides by 'Couple' as well. Several rides were highly-rated by adults (who probably have kids and so enjoy the rides as well), but I did not like the rides at all and thought that they were too childish for me. So a rating for couples or adults without kids would have been nice. In addition, the ratings for various hotels is not really correct. I stayed at the Dolphin and the hotel did not match the ratings in this book. Which is fine I guess because with rooms it can be a hit or a miss especially with such large hotels.
Other than that, the book is excellent. The touring plans are also dot on - when I followed them, I was done with everything major by noon.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome Book For The Perfect Trip !!!.......2007-09-21
Birnbaum's Walt Disney World is all you'll need to plan the perfect Walt Disney World vacation!
This book tells you everything you need to know from A - Z. After reading it, you'll feel like you just got back from Walt Disney World.
Birnbaum's Walt Disney World is perfect for first time visitors or for returning vacationers. It will help you pick a hotel, decide which rides to ride, where to eat and when to go. This book is a priceless vacation tool.
You will find because Walt Disney World is always changing that some of the information is outdated, just make sure you get the most recent edition. For instance, if you're going in 2008, get the 2008 edition instead of this 2007 edition.
This is a fabulous book!
The Bable for a trip to Disney.......2007-08-31
There is all the information you can possibly need for a successful trip to Walt Disney World under one cover.
This is an especially useful tool for first timers to the the Parks.
It does not provide much information for those who are planning to include other sightseeing or staying outside of Disney.
If you are planning to stay exclusively in Disney you will find everything you need to know in this book.
To the person that even hinted that this guide was not good enough.......2007-08-15
Just a note to the person who said this guide did not have the downsides listed on hotels+restaurants (and the attractions) in the birnbaum guide...Birnbaum is a DESCRIPTION of everything they were able to review...NOT a "You should go here but not there" guide. -After reading about each item, it should totally be up to you where you stay,where you go to eat and what you ride+see....not someone else. -I can describe to you how to tie your shoes but it should be up to you to decide what the up and downsides to doing this is...(aka personal preference.."Oh,let me see....should I tie my shoes slow or fast? -Should I tie them in the AM or PM?" -Get it? -THIS BOOK IS THE MOST INFORMATIVE OF ALL THEY OFFER I'VE EVER SEEN!!!! -It's a GREAT GUIDE (again...NOT AN ITENERARY or to tell you what to do for your day or wether you should avoid an attration or not while at Disney)!!!!!!!!!! -BIRNBAUM ROCKS!!!! (for those of us who understand why and how it was written and who don't need everything spelled out for us so we don't make a mistake while on vacation). -Thank You.
Birnbaum's Walt Disney World 2007.......2007-08-11
This book is a wealth of information on Disney World. Provides enough info to help you plan your stay a disneyworld.
Very disappointed.......2007-07-30
Lame! Published by some offshoot of Disney, this is just a thrown together piece of propaganda. I wasn't expecting anything critical, but the information is so weak! There's no depth and the "tips" have no real insight. Plus the dumb-downed design looks so amateur the book made me embarrassed to be seen with it. Try The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2008 (Unofficial Guides) or The Complete Guide to Walt Disney World instead.
Book Description
Honey Santana—impassioned, willful, possibly bipolar, self-proclaimed “queen of lost causes”—has a scheme to help rid the world of irresponsibility, indifference, and dinnertime sales calls. She’s taking rude, gullible Relentless, Inc., telemarketer Boyd Shreave and his less-than-enthusiastic mistress, Eugenie—the fifteen-minute-famous girlfriend of a tabloid murderer—into the wilderness of Florida’s Ten Thousand Islands for a gentle lesson in civility. What she doesn’t know is that she’s being followed by her Honey-obsessed former employer, Piejack (whose mismatched fingers are proof that sexual harassment in the workplace is a bad idea). And he doesn’t know he’s being followed by Honey’s still-smitten former drug-running ex-husband, Perry, and their wise-and-protective-way-beyond-his-years twelve-year-old-son, Fry. And when they all pull up on Dismal Key, they don’t know they’re intruding on Sammy Tigertail, a half white–half Seminole failed alligator wrestler, trying like hell to be a hermit despite the Florida State coed who’s dying to be his hostage . . .
Will Honey be able to make a mensch of a “greedhead”? Will Fry be able to protect her from Piejack—and herself? Will Sammy achieve his true Seminole self? Will Eugenie ever get to the beach? Will the Everglades survive the wild humans? All the answers are revealed in the delectably outrageous mayhem that propels this novel to its Hiaasen-of-the-highest-order climax.
Customer Reviews:
Nature Girl.......2007-09-27
Ahhh, that perfect sizzle of steak done well I sit down, pick up my fork and knife and am ready to cut into a little slice of heaven, and the phone rings. Fish, or cut bait? Answer the phone, or get chastised for screening my calls? My steak will have to wait. I answer and a friendly, professional voice promises me a fast way to get out of debt, sell me magazines, or a great piece of real estate in Florida. Arrrgh, my steak is now cold and congealing upon my plate.
Telemarketers, I have always fantasized about tracking down one of these telemarketing creeps and turning the tables -- phoning his house every night at dinner, interrupting a nice, hot soak in the tub, or having him pick up the phone with hands covered in oven mitts. The main character in Carl Hiaason's new novel Nature Girl does just that.
Honey, the "Nature Girl" of the title, has just started dinner when-you guessed it-a telemarketer and interrupts her meal. Honey is a nice girl with some problems. She hears two songs in her head at once-like Nine Inch Nails, and Nat King Cole-and has decided that there's a decided lack of courtesy in the world. Old fans and newcomers alike will delight in Hiaason's 11th novel, another entertaining Florida romp.
Honey lures the unsuspecting telemarketer to the "Ten Thousand Islands" area of Florida with the promise of an Everglade inspired "eco-tour" trap, to lecture him on ethics and common decency. As with all of Hiaason's fiction there is a cast of extreme and zany characters. There's a sex-starved fishmonger: a half-breed, blue-eyed Seminole: a private investigator in search of the "footage of a lifetime": a co-ed wanna-be-hostage, and more.
This is classic Hiaason, so if you are an avid reader, you've seen this before. Even so, it's an enjoyable read. There's an eclectic cast of characters, witty dialogue and humorous phrasing. A nice addition is his strong character development of a young adult character. Hiaason has forayed into children's books with Hoot, a winner of a Newberry award, and Flush, and has obviously become comfortable with creating strong children characters. Hiaason's next book is rumored to be another children's book. Perhaps, a sequel to the award winning, Hoot-I have a feeling that he wanted Nature Girl to be that book, but his publisher demanded another adult novel.
Hiaason definetly sticks to the adage "write what you know". His fiction mirrors his concerns as a journalist and a native of Florida. His novels have been classified as "environmental thrillers" and are usually found on the crime fiction shelves in bookshops, though they can just as well be read as mainstream reflections of every day life. If you love Hiassen, you may want to check out Christopher Moore, who has been called "the unhinged Hiaason" and a man that Hiasson calls "the sickest man I know- in the best possible way."
Me? I'll be looking forward to both Hiaason's next novel as well as Christopher Moore's new book which is being published just in time for Valentine's Day, You Suck: a Love Story which is a sequal to Blood Sucking Fiends. Well, I have to vamoose. I hear the phone ringing.....
Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" and editor of "Of A Predatory Heart"
Classic.......2007-08-16
Nature Girl is classic Carl Hiaasen. He takes crazy Florida and gives it a little twist and it's hilarious.
More Thrills and Laughs from Carl Hiassen.......2007-08-05
Rollicking adventure with a cast of thousands (mostly mosquitoes and fire ants); this is delightful entertaining from Carl Hiassen in his typical best, poking fun along the way. Thoroughly enjoyable if you like Carl Hiassen's style. Tightly written, quick paced.
Disappointing.......2007-07-26
I wanted to like this book, I really did. I read Skinny Dip and really enjoyed it. I went back and read more books by Carl Hiaasen as a result. This book just didn't do anything for me. In fact, I can't even get through it. Tried for a second time just recently and still couldn't finish. I think my big problem is that I just don't like many of the characters in the book. I found them rather irritating. With that said, I like Carl Hiaasen's work, as a whole, and will still check out anything new he writes. I'd say, if you want to read Carl Hiaasen, start with something else.
Eclectic and border-line cast of Hiassen.......2007-07-25
Hiaasen is absolutely a fabulous author!! His novel brings together a cast of eclectic and "border-line" personalities into the swamps and keys of Florida with an undertone of environmental responsibility. An "off-her-meds" woman decides to teach a lesson to a telemarketer and his mistress by luring them into a lesson teaching get-away. Her ex-husband is trying to keep an eye on her, as is her 12 year old son. They end up crossing paths with a half-white half-Seminole young man who is hiding from the law due to the death of his first client and his voluntary hostage, a young co-ed looking for adventure and possible romance.
This tale is entertaining and intelligent as always in Hiaasen's approach to his anti-development message. Hiaasen delivers his message in an entertaining intricate story. This is not his best novel but when you are talking Hiaasen they are all good, this is just a little less great than his others.
Book Description
PassPorter Walt Disney World 2007 includes descriptions of each Disney-owned hotel complete with color map, photos, and layouts. Also featured are fold-out park maps, handy ToddlerTips, KidTips, TweenTips, and TeenTips, and 14 organizer "PassPockets" to make planning the perfect vacation a breeze.
Customer Reviews:
Great Tool.......2007-10-14
This is a GREAT tool. Easy to read - easy to use.
Love the updates online.
Would certainly buy again.
The best of all the guide books!.......2007-10-10
The Passporter books are the best of all of the guide books that I've read. I find that their books are very accurate and detailed. I know that they personally go to WDW several times a year and are using first hand knowledge in their books!
A "must read" for first time visitors to Walt Disney World.......2007-09-12
I've been to WDW, but this was still a great book to read. It is organized so that finding what you need is easy. Each ride, attraction, resort, and restaurant is rated and described. This book makes planning your trip easier if you are traveling with small children, teens, or just family with different interests or tastes. It definitely takes some of the guess work out of planning your vacation around the parks. Tip: Buy it before you begin to make reservations or buy tickets! If you're even contemplating traveling to Disney World, buy your PassPorter first.
Good for newbies to Disney, but not enough info for me.......2007-08-28
This guidebook is very well organized and has worksheets for you to jot down important information on reservations. It would be a good introduction for folks who have never gone to Disney World before. However, I found the "Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World" to have much more useful info for me. The Unofficial Guide has neat tips about each park, whereas the Passporter was more centered on simply rating each ride. Like I said, helpful info for new-comers to Disney parks, but if you've already been there at least once there isn't much in this book you don't already know. I was kind of surprised. I had read the Passporter guide for Disney cruises and found it very informative. The Passporter guide to Disney World did have a nice section on reviewing the Disney resorts.
I love this book!.......2007-08-24
This book paid for itself almost immediately by directing me to discounted Disney tickets. It allowed me to compare restaurant menus and prices. It has invaluable tips on rides, hotels, transportation. I could go on all day! Buy this book if you are going to Disney World, especially if it is your first trip there. Amazon's price for this book is the best I could find anywhere.
Average customer rating:
- Another good series by Evanovich
- I really appreciate the humor of this book
- Just One More Time
- It is what it is...
- A great light read!
|
Motor Mouth (Alex Barnaby Series #2)
Janet Evanovich
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Comic
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Women Sleuths
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Thrillers
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Evanovich, Janet
| ( E )
| Authors, A-Z
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
Hardcover
| Evanovich, Janet
| ( E )
| Authors, A-Z
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
Racing
| Automotive
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Motor Sports
| Miscellaneous
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Mystery & Thriller Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Nonfiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Sports Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Plum Lovin' (A Stephanie Plum Novel)
-
Twelve Sharp (Stephanie Plum Novels)
-
Thanksgiving
-
Lean Mean Thirteen (Stephanie Plum Novels)
-
Smitten
ASIN: 0060584033
Release Date: 2006-10-03 |
Book Description
Miami is still freakin' humid. The nights are even hotter. And there's a body on ice. And that's just the beginning of this adrenaline-rush of a hot-wired ride from phenomenal number one New York Times bestselling author Janet Evanovich.
A woman with a taste for speed and a talent for breaking the rules, Barney also knows a little too much about cheating. First there was Hooker and that salesclerk. Now she's convinced one of the competitors is up to no good on the track. Snooping to find evidence, Hooker and Barney "borrow" a NASCAR hauler. Turns out, the hauler is carrying two race cars and a dead guy. It looks like Barney and Hooker are facing multiple counts of grand theft auto and homicide.
So buckle up as Barney, Hooker, a 150-pound bundle of Saint Bernard love named Beans, and the Super Cigar Ladies Felicia and Rosa shift into gear on a wild race around South Florida and Concord, North Carolina.
Everything you always wanted to know about righteous indignation, stealing an eighteen-wheeler, and sex in the fast lane.
Customer Reviews:
Another good series by Evanovich.......2007-09-28
The motor series, is another good series. Janet Evanovich is a great writer. I love the Plum series, so I tried these, and I really like them too. Looking forward to another one in this series. Good fast read.
I really appreciate the humor of this book.......2007-09-07
I found the book hillarious and again I laugh out loud. I truly enjoy the crazy circumstances that she gets herself into. Such loyalty and humor. I can't wait to read another.....
Just One More Time.......2007-08-19
"Motor Mouth" begins with a great racing scene with Alex "Barney" Barnaby, serving as a spotter for Sam Hooker. The race doesn't go as planned and another wins. But did the winner have a little more help than usual from his sponsor?
Sam has been a stinker as he drifted into other arms, but "Barney" still earns her pay when she discovers hidden computer signals on a rival car, takes off in a hauler with a shrink wrapped body, Sam and their dog, Beans.
New characters enter the story to help may cling to your affection as Stephanie's grandmother.
Moves fast, stays on track and delights fans while over indulging in the term "Nascar Man." After a while one gets the picture that Sam drives for Nascar.
Nash Black, author of "Qualifying Laps" and "Sins of the Fathers."
It is what it is..........2007-08-13
This book is mind candy - nothing more and nothing less. It is a pool or beach book, it can be read while the t.v. is on or during some sport practice. It is the literary equivalent of Desperate Housewives, only less annoying. Personally I like Barney and Hooker but I'm a southern girl and I get their vibe more than that produced by the Stephanie/Ranger/Joe love triangle. I get the same pleasure from this series as I do the Plum novels - they all are what they are...a guilty pleasure. Don't expect too much.
And to reviewers who don't like Hooker because he cheated - do you still like Stephanie? She cheated on Joe remember. Let's not be hypocrites here and think that girls can cheat but hang the guys for doing the same. Those who don't like Beans obviously never loved a big ole' stinky dog. He reminds me of all the St's I've ever known - too bad it you haven't had the pleasure.
Lighten up on this series and it's characters folks - don't expect every female character to be Stephanie (thank goodness they aren't), every hot guy to be in the ethnic Joe/Ranger mold. How confining!
And by the way, I'm from NASCAR territory and believe me when I say that there are some scary smart good ole boys trolling these parts that most folks would think are dumb as dirt if they didn't know better. Hooker's character is based on these very sexy sly-as-a-fox guys that southern girls have loved for a long time. Kudos to Evanovich for putting one in print.
Mind candy...guilty pleasure...gotta love it
A great light read!.......2007-08-08
Evanovich has a light quick moving style all her own. If you have ready any of her works, and liked what you read, you will not be disappointed. I thought this book was a nice sequal to the first book involving these characters, "Metro Girl". There is some good humor spread throughout as well. Happy reading!
Book Description
The Breakers, the Waldorf, the Biltmore, the Sherry, the Pierre—these landmark hotels are synonymous with grand luxury and style. When they were built, in the 1920s, their refined elegance and grandeur set the bar for hotels and resorts the world over. Responsible for creating these and countless other hotels throughout the United States, were the partners of a single architectural firm: Schultze & Weaver. Together, this duo—an architect and an engineer—virtually invented the glamorous lifestyle made famous in films like Grand Hotel. Catering to the social elite of which they were themselves a part, Schultze & Weaver synthesized the Old World style of Renaissance Italy, Moorish Spain, and Georgian England with all of the modern amenities that made hotel living luxurious.
This book presents portfolios of fifteen of the firm’s most spectacular hotels, culminating in the Art Moderne masterpiece of the Waldorf-Astoria. Over two hundred period photographs and hand-colored architectural renderings chart the ascent of the American hotel in all its glory and glamour, before the Great Depression forever changed the lifestyles of America's rich and famous. Essays address the cultural and technological developments that underpin the creation of resort and residential hotels, including the elemental role played by Schultze & Weaver.
This book is published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Wolfsonian-Florida International University, Miami, held in celebration of their tenth anniversary.
Customer Reviews:
Jazzed.......2006-01-21
This book is a wonderful tribute to the gradeur of an amazing time in American History. These hotels are just spectacular, they really just don't have the masons or the desire quite frankly, to build buildings like this anymore. The black and white images in this book are simply breath taking, they are so crisp and elegant. The reader really gets a feel for what the hotels looked like at their inseption, at the time they where inspired. The Jazz Age was an era of unbelieveble wealth for a lucky few and they enjoyed spending it and expected only the best, there was a real sence of America starting her accendency to greatness and the affluent wanted to show that the best of America could rival anything in Europe, this was the catalist for these sumptuous hotels. The Jazz Age is of course long gone, but we have examples, like these grand hotels, to remind of an era of opulent wealth..and no income tax.
Book Description
The national bestseller that defines a new economic class and shows how it is key to the future of our cities.
The Washington Monthly 2002 Annual Political Book Award Winner
The Rise of the Creative Class gives us a provocative new way to think about why we live as we do today-and where we might be headed. Weaving storytelling with masses of new and updated research, Richard Florida traces the fundamental theme that runs through a host of seemingly unrelated changes in American society: the growing role of creativity in our economy.
Just as William Whyte's 1956 classic The Organization Man showed how the organizational ethos of that age permeated every aspect of life, Florida describes a society in which the creative ethos is increasingly dominant. Millions of us are beginning to work and live much as creative types like artists and scientists always have-with the result that our values and tastes, our personal relationships, our choices of where to live, and even our sense and use of time are changing. Leading the shift are the nearly 38 million Americans in many diverse fields who create for a living--the Creative Class.
The Rise of the Creative Class chronicles the ongoing sea of change in people's choices and attitudes, and shows not only what's happening but also how it stems from a fundamental economic change. The Creative Class now comprises more than thirty percent of the entire workforce. Their choices have already had a huge economic impact. In the future they will determine how the workplace is organized, what companies will prosper or go bankrupt, and even which cities will thrive or wither.
Customer Reviews:
The signs have been posted........2007-08-10
This is a warning that while Europe is too liberal the U.S. is too conservative. The path to success is some where in the middle. We shouls stop being reactive and start being proactive.
Hopeful rise needs a libertarian push.......2007-04-11
"If America continues to make it harder for some of the world's most talented students and workers to come here, they'll go to other countries eager to tap into their creative capabilities--as will American citizens fed up with what they view as an increasingly repressive environment."
-- Dr. Richard Florida, The Flight of the Creative Class
From this quote from his second Creatve book you can see immediately the sort of society Dr. Florida wants. Me, too. What's puzzling is he doesn't explicitly attach his shiny new cart of creativity to the thoroughbred of peace and political liberty.
In particular, you'd expect him to lambaste the Neocon Usurpers for launching expensive wars for isolated benefit of the Carlyle Group. Is he pulling his punches so Rush Bimbaugh won't accuse him of Bush-bashing? In general, why doesn't Florida boldly oppose the bonecrushing machinery of government per se?
That's my 900-pound-gorilla reservation about The Creative books. Otherwise, they provide a nice boost to the kinds of people we want to cultivate in society... or even want to be.
It appears many in public office, more semi-comatose Democrats than fully rabid Republicans, are interested in developing and retaining creative communities.
But are they willing to do what it takes?
The more political power they wield the less willing they are.
Rise shows that what Dr. Florida calls the three Ts of creative-class communities--Talent, Technology, and Tolerance--occur rarely. And when they do, it's more from the tolerance angle.
Austin, San Francisco, Seattle, Burlington (VT), Boston, the highest American cities on the creative-class list, achieve their vaunted status by spontaneous order. When governments catch up to what's going on and want to push people around, it's too late.
Tolerance is also another word for freedom. We can easily argue that liberty is fundamentally what the creative havenots have not. Talent and technology gravitate toward communities naturally when political leaders see their mission as preserving a natural order based on civil liberties.
They accomplish that mission mainly by removing government obstacles and keeping the infrastructure efficient.
Government never furthered any enterprise but by the alacrity with which it got out of its way. -- Thoreau
Libertarians need no writer from the halls of the Carnegie Mellon Institute to tell us this dear Hamlet. But it's nice that in Rise Dr. Florida makes such a good statistical case for what creativity is, where it lives, and how we can nurture it. He also makes us aware that we, too, are paid-up members of the CC.
...
For my complete review of this book and for other book and movie
reviews, please visit my site [...]
Brian Wright
Copyright 2007
Phenomenal!.......2007-01-25
Phenomenal! I heard a lot of talk about this book and thought it was all about arts and culture. After 10 pages I realized it had nothing to do with arts and culture and everything to do with fundamental shifts in our society and economy and how it is impacting our communities. Very insightful and thoughtful.
The Rise of the Creative Class.......2007-01-16
Reads like a professor's text. A very interesting concept (I heard the author speak on a TV show which is why I bought the book) but the book is loaded with statistics and how he came up with his hypothesis and is a drag to read. My book club read it on my advice and very few bothered to finish it. I made myself finish it and even though I bought the second book, it lays on my self unread.
Lots of data, not much focus.......2006-11-27
The key concept of this book is the existence of a new Creative Class. Richard throws into the Creative Class almost everybody and groups them in two categories: the Super Creative Core and the "creative professionals". These two groups include: scientists, professors, poets, novelists, artists, entertainers, actors, designers, architects, non-fiction writers, editors, cultural figures, researchers, analysts, programmers, engineers, filmmakers, financial services, legal and health care professionals, business management and the list goes on. The problem is that the definition of this class is so loose. Even Richard admits that the definition is not really clear, but he goes on discarding the importance of rigour. A class must have political alignment as an expression of a common ground in the way wealth is created and distributed. It should be reflected in the way people vote; otherwise the class does not make sense. It is difficult to convince anyone that you can put these people in the same class: engineers and artists, accountants and actors.
The book uses shocking statistics and quotes and then follows through with flashy language to wrap up a nicely packaged chapter. The problem is that the book has enough time to loose the reader after seemingly never ending debates. This book has so much information and so little structure. All those tables are useless because they do not support a coherent system of principles or story. The writing is difficult to read and very repetitive. After the first fifty pages the same arguments are being rotated again and again: creativity is important, the time of agriculture has passed, the heavy industry is not important for global leadership, there is tension between individual freedom and corporation rigidity, etc.
In describing the new class, Richard Florida observes that "Fewer than one-quarter of all Americans (23.5 percent) accounted for by the 2000 Census lived in a 'conventional' nuclear family, down from 45 percent in 1960. This is social group is mentioned many times in the book. By contrast, the family social group is almost completely ignored. I have the impression that this is actually the creative class and all these indexes (Bohemian, Single, Gay, etc) match quite well the group's dynamics.
I gave this book a two stars rating purely on style and clarity and overall coherence of the book. I think that regardless of the political affiliation, the reader will have genuine difficulty in following the book from the beginning to the end. For instance, in discussing the transformations of every day life, in a polemic with other authors Richard says:
"Juxtaposed to this view are those who believe technology and unbridled market forces are making us work harder and faster, leaving us less time to enjoy each other and out interests, destroying human connections and damaging our neighbourhoods and communities. If the techno-utopians romanticize the future, these techno pessimists glorify the past. Unfettered hypercapitalism is leading to the end of work and the demise of high paying, secure jobs, according to social critics like Jeremy Rifkin. Worse yet, the elimination of such jobs destroy an important source of social stability, argues Richard Sennett, casting people adrift, corroding our collective character and damaging the very fibre of society. The workplace is evolving into an increasingly stressful and dehumanizing "white-collar sweatshop" in Fill Fraser's view, beset by long hours and chronic overwork. In the eyes of cultural critic Tom Frank, business has become an all-powerful and hegemonic cultural force, as entities like MTV and The Gap turn alternative-culture symbols into money making devices. Neighbourhoods, cities and society as a whole are losing the strong sense of community and civic-minded spirit that were the source of our prosperity, argues Robert Putnam. In his nostalgia for a bygone era of VFW halls, bowling leagues, Cub Scout troops and Little League, Putnam contends that the demise of these repositories of `social capital' is the source of virtually all of our woes..."
If you were able to read the text above without losing your concentration and you remembered what started it, then you might be able to read the book and even like it. Otherwise you will probably find that after you read page after page you realise your thoughts were wondering somewhere else. You come back, re-read those pages, only to find you lost your thoughts again.
Customer Reviews:
Fun for the kids.......2007-07-19
When planning our annual trip to Disney I alway order one of these as there are great kids tips and fun things for the kids to look at and anticipation of the big trip. We are huge fans and go every year our daughter is already planning the next trip out she is only 3. This guide book is her favorite thing to look and and remember wonderful times.
Disney World for Kids.......2007-07-16
My three grandchildren are going to Disney World in October this fall. I wanted to get something that was easy for them to read and understand. I can't wait until I can give them their own book. Their mom and I decided that we will take the suggestion in the book and wait until 10 days before we actually go. Their ages are 15, 10, and 7 and its the first time for them at Disney. This book has a lot of helpful hints and the more organized we are when we go the less time we will be wasting. 7 people altogether and thats a lot of people making decisions. I am writing an agenda so we don't miss a thing. Don't take everything the reviewers say as gospel. It's all a decision for each kid to make but this will help a lot. The cost is so much, we all want to make the most of a 7 day trip.
This is THE BEST Guide for Kids to Disneyworld.......2007-07-16
If you are planning a trip to Disney World and have kids...this is the book to buy! We have had so much fun reading, planning and preparing for our trip to Disney World. My little girl has memorized every page of this book and can't wait to take it to Disney with us for Character Autographs, Hidden Mickey Hints and so much more! This book is great for kids and adults, too. Lots of pictures, tips on Disney, entertainment for all, very helpful for your little one to feel involved in the trip planning. Also see the other Birnbaum Books...they are all terrific and fun for everyone...don't forget to take the book with you when you go!
The Standard.......2007-05-17
This is the standard. It's still the best guide to Disney World. Birnbaum's Disney guides have been a standard in our household for years.
Great Disney Book for Kids.......2007-05-16
We bought this book for our grandson before his first visit to Disney World. It gave him a great introduction to the parks without overwhelming him. The book not only lists hints and ideas of what to do and see, it also includes what kind of food is available and where to get it! All the parks are discussed and there are descriptions of many of the rides. Kids' comments are on almost every page. The format is kid friendly and easy to read, the illustrations are good, and actually it's fun to read as an adult, too. If our grandson's fanny pack had been larger, he would have carted it around all day since there were pages at the back of the book to collect signatures from the characters. By the way, he told us he loved the book and read every page more than once!
Average customer rating:
- Interesting read
- Depends on Reader's Expectations
- Good but not great
- Recommended With A Warning
- Took a Left Turn For the Worse
|
Tropic of Night
Michael Gruber
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| 18th Century
| 19th Century
| 20th Century
| African American
| Asian American
| Classics
| Collections & Readers
| Drama
| General
| Hispanic
| History & Criticism
| Humor
| Jewish American
| Letters & Correspondence
| Native American
| Poetry
| Short Stories
| Women Writers
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Thrillers
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
Suspense
| Thrillers
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Mystery & Thriller Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Romance Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Valley of Bones
-
Night of the Jaguar: A Novel
-
The Witch's Boy
-
The Book of Air and Shadows
-
Two Minute Rule, The
ASIN: 0060509546
Release Date: 2003-03-04 |
Amazon.com
This debut thriller should come with a warning--do not pick up if you have anything else planned for as long as it takes to read it! Tropic of Night is a dramatic, stylish, smart, and very strongly plotted novel, mixing anthropology, ethnography, sorcery, mayhem, and murder in an intriguing and wholly captivating story that ranges from Mali to Siberia, Nigeria to Miami, and never lets up. Jane Doe is a smart but listless graduate student when she encounters Marcel Vierchau, a French scholar whose lover she quickly becomes, following him to the strange world of the Chenka, a mysterious sect of Siberian shamans in whose society she quickly loses her scholarly objectivity--and nearly her life. Returning without Vierchau to the comfortable world of her wealthy family, she meets and marries DeWitt Moore, a black poet who accompanies her to Africa on a field trip that turns him into a powerful shaman, awakens her own abilities to commune with the spirits of the Yoruba sorcerers, and again comes close to destroying her. Wary of Moore's new strength, she stages her own death and becomes a faceless member of Miami's underclass, but just when she believes she's safe from his reach, a series of bloody ritual murders of pregnant Miami women convince her that she is once again his target--and that anyone who comes between them, including her adopted daughter, will also meet a terrifying end. Michael Gruber delivers a fabulous, wholly original read that will linger in the reader's mind long after the last page is turned! --Jane Adams
Book Description
Not since The Secret History has a novel so flawlessly married the ferocious intensity of an unforgettable thriller with the depth, daring, and nuance of our most celebrated literary fiction. Tropic of Night is a virtuoso performance -- an unforgettably accomplished novel, a masterpiece of electricity and ambition.
Jane Doe was a promising anthropologist, an expert on shamanism. Now she's nothing, a shadow: after faking her own suicide, she's living under an assumed identity in Miami with a little girl to protect. Everyone thinks she's dead. Or so she hopes.
Then the killings start, a series of ritualistic murders that terrifies all of Miami. The investigator is Jimmy Paz, a Cuban-American police detective. There are witnesses, but they can recall almost nothing of the events, as though their memories have been erased -- as if a spell has been cast on each of them. Equally bizarre is the string of clues Paz uncovers: a divination charm, exotic drugs found in the bodies of the victims, a century-old report telling of a secret place in the heart of Africa.
These clues point Paz inexorably toward the fugitive, Jane Doe, and force Jane to realize that the darkness she has fled is seeking her out, hunting her down. By the time her path intersects with Jimmy Paz's, the two will be thrust into a cataclysmic battle between good and an evil unimaginable to the Western mind.
Download Description
E-book extra: Afterword by Michael Gruber Jane Doe is nothing, a shadow. Once a promising anthropologist, she's now hiding from an unimaginable horror. Miami police detective Jimmy Paz knows that Jane is connected to the ritualistic murders terrifying the city. Together, they must battle a psychopath whose shamanistic powers can alter reality itself.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting read.......2007-09-30
Why was it interesting? It was interesting to me in the suspension of belief sort of thing. But the anthropology was hard to follow and more than I cared to follow about west african mojo. Jane's journal was very personal in an unpleasant out-of-her-mind way. The olo, ifa, ulene stuff was over-detailed and forced me to work too hard to decipher the plot in all of it. The author's expression of Jane's mind was unsettling and the racism of the book was too guilt-ridden. It was a little scary when Witt would "come" for her - that's a good thing. But in the end I was disappointed that the entire story was just about the magic and suspension of western beliefs. Certainly an intelligent writer, and intelligence appreciated. But this book was not my cup of tea.
Depends on Reader's Expectations.......2007-07-21
The extent to which a reader will enjoy this book depends, I believe, on the expectations one has about it. If you are looking for a pulse pounding thriller in the vein of Thomas Harris' Red Dragon or Silence of the Lambs, this is not it. What you get here instead is a thoughtful, carefully researched meditation on good versus evil, reality versus madness, and the spiritual versus the physical worlds. The story is told, in part, from the dispassionate objectivity of a cultural anthropologist and draws heavily on anthropology's style and language. Alternating points of view shift back and forth in time as the story traverses the globe from Miami, Florida to West Africa and Eastern Europe. The rituals of the indigenous peoples of these areas are extensively described in long expository passages that make little sense until more of the plot is revealed. The alternating chapters and shifting perspective dilute the suspense, and I had to force myself to continue reading. The female protagonist was difficult to identify with as so little was known about her for much of the book. Gruber slowly doles out only the smallest bits of information. Jimmy Paz, on the other hand, is a fascinating character and the only redeeming feature of this novel. The story's slow, plodding pace picks up somewhat in the final hundred pages, but, by that point, I found myself no longer caring.
Good but not great.......2007-06-02
I was thoroughly engrossed by the details of the Santeria religion which is described very respectfully and with what seems like in-person research. However the motives for the actions of the main character Jane Doe remained obscure to the very end. One sentence it seems took care of the preceding 400 pages of "suspense of did she know or not". Paz the inspector also has immense time to ruminate and rut, and then suddenly in the last 100 pages stirs into action. The extended plot development takes places as present narrative, diaries, background stories which are well written . I recommend the book, but it is too long by about 100 pages. In fact I went from page 300 or so and skipped to the last chapter. I knew just way too much about these characters and needed the action of the last chapter to make the book worthwhile. But as I say the brilliant presentation of the Santeria religion made the book very worthwhile reading.
Recommended With A Warning.......2007-04-07
The first book I read by this author was his newest, The Book of Air And Shadows, based upon that work I wanted to go back and read other offerings by Mr. Gruber. This was the first work he published and as I was to learn part 1 of a trilogy. The book is very well done however if profoundly disturbing crimes involving pregnant women are an issue you would find too troubling, stay away from this book. The crimes are not gratuitous slasher events; the author minimizes and nearly eliminates sensationalizing the brutality of the crimes, as they are events in a much larger work. But they are there and some might find them a topic they would rather avoid. Candidly had I known what the book was about, Santeria, African Witchcraft and its decedents I would likely have passed by this work, as these are not topics I normally have interest in.
Credit is due to the author as he has written a work that is expansive, highly detailed and very engaging. He brings the reader from Long Island and a home of dynastic privilege to isolated villages in Africa and finally to the City of Magic located in The United States. As he did in, The Book of Air and Shadows, there are several different threads that eventually tie together as the book progresses, again they take the form of diary, narrative and in this case trips in to places readers will have to name for themselves. If you would like to stick with proper names the author has provided a glossary of what I would guess is unfamiliar ground for most readers.
If you like the clash of, "traditional science", and belief systems that are measured in millennia, the tale of Jane the anthropologist, her husband and their trek to very dark places of human behavior this book is for you. The author poses some challenges to what is scientifically acceptable and that which is written off as hysteria. He also shares with readers facts of quantum physics that are simultaneously as true as any fact you may cite and also border on the fantastic. Facts that easily would have been dismissed as fantasy or magic a few short years ago.
Took a Left Turn For the Worse.......2007-02-22
I slogged through the first 50 pages confused and not really seeing what direction this book was going. Then thouroughly enjoyed the next 300 pages thinking I'd just discovered a great new writer with an interesting recurring character, Dectective Jimmy Paz of the Miami PD. But in the last 100 pages the author took such a drastic left turn that it ruined the book. Gruber took an extraordinary amount of time steeping each character in realism by doing so much research on his topic that you really believed the the characters. But then he chucks the whole thing with an absurd ending that starts way too early. The final 100 pages are not based in reality making them just plain stupid. And for that reason this book deserves to be panned.
Books:
- Microarray Gene Expression Data Analysis: A Beginner's Guide
- Mother Nature: A History of Mothers, Infants, and Natural Selection
- Mover Of Men & Mountains
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Western Region (Audubon Society Field Guide)
- National Audubon Society Pocket Guide to Familiar Trees of North America : East (The Audubon S ociety Pocket Guides)
- Native and Cultivated Conifers of Northeastern North America: A Guide (Comstock Book)
- Nature's Economy: A History of Ecological Ideas (Studies in Environment and History)
- Numerical Ecology (Developments in Environmental Modelling)
- Olympic: A Visitor's Companion (National Park Visitor's Companion Series , No 5)
- One River
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Quantum Notes : Whole-Brain Approaches to Note-Taking
- Hunting Whitetails by the Moon
- Fishing for Amber: A Long Story
- History: Fiction or Science
- History: Fiction or Science
- Native Son
- Green Production: Toward an Environmental Rationality
- The Future of Capitalism: How Today's Economic Forces Shape Tomorrow's World
- Effective media relations: A practical guide for communicators
- Testing the Limits: George Armistead Smathers and Cold War America
Cesar's Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems
I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman
For One More Day
Night (Oprah's Book Club)
The Memory Keeper's Daughter
