May 2006 Non-Fiction and Biography Book Reviews

The Hard Way
by Lee Child

Delacorte Press
Book
ISBN# 0385336691
Suggested Retail Price: $25.00 or as low as $15.00 from Amazon.com!

This author seems to be able to turn out these exciting tales like pouring a cup of coffee. The hero’s name is Reacher. He is, of course, tough and smart. He is an epic hero who fades into the sunset at the end, while the reader hopes to see him again. As Jack Reacher is quietly prowling the streets of the city, he spots a black Mercedes taking off. It is only later that finds that there is one million dollars in the car that was to be used for the ransom. The kidnapped victim is the wife of Edward Lane, who is a rich man whose first wife was kidnapped and murdered. This time, his wife and her daughter were taken. Lane lures Reacher into the hunt for the lost pair and to help figure out where they are. This man, Lane, runs a group of soldiers that are for hire anywhere in the world. They are all ex-members of an elite military group and they are all killers.

Reacher gets involved and finally gets suspi8cious about the whole deal. He meets and takes up with an ex-FBI agent who worked on the first kidnapping and murder. She is a female, of course, and they soon worked together on the mystery.

It’s an exciting adventure with a satisfactory, if explosive, ending. Reacher walks off into wherever he goes with the satisfaction of solving and saving a viscous plot and an innocent woman.

San Francisco's Lost Landmarks
by James R. Smith

Word Dancer Press
Book
ISBN# 1884995446
Suggested Retail Price: $14.95 or as low as $10.17 from Amazon.com!

This is a paperback and anyone who likes San Francisco will enjoy this book. It is filled with black and white picture and stories about the history of this city. I am a native and I really liked this book, Legends and lost landmarks are fascinating to read about. Smith takes us to the various islands in the Bay and tells about the abandoned Gold-Rush Fleet. The sand dunes of the area are all built over now but when I was little we used to play in them and spend a lot of time sweeping sand off of our front porches. Still I didn’t know there was a Chutes ride on Haight Street or something called, The Cobweb Palace, on Fisherman's Wharf. Adolph Sutro and the Cliff House are both famous and instantly recognizable. The Baths are gone, but these pictures bring back a lot of memories. San Francisco has always had lots of restaurants, but many of them have faded into the past. There was a place called Coffee Dan's where it was a big deal to bang your cups for applause. Included in the history is a lot of information about the Golden Gate International Exhibition held on beautifulTreasure Island. The island was built in the middle of the bay and the charm of the fair is well spoken of in this book. There is so much more to the history and the times that were lost in San Francisco. It all make for a fascinating read.

Team Moon : How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon
by Catherine Thimmesh

Houghton Mifflin
Book
ISBN# 0618507574
Suggested Retail Price: $19.95 or as low as $12.97 from Amazon.com!

Here a gem of a coffee table book. It is filled with the history and the pictures of one of the most famous moments in the history of space flight. The subject covered in every aspect is the Apollo 11 voyage, the first trip to the moon. If you remember seeing this event on television it was unforgettable. If you were not old enough then this book is even more inviting. From the creating of the Space Suits with their 28 layers of fabric to the special heat shields invented just for this trip you will be amazed all over again.

There are wonderful picture of the landing and the astronauts walking on the moon. The problems were overwhelming and the successes were the history of our time. This is a classic to keep for yourself and for the future members of your family. Just put it on your coffee table an watch your guests get lost in the wonders of that trip that really change the world for us and pushe3d us forward into space.

The Irritable Bowel Syndrome Solution
by Stephen Wangen

Innate Health Publishing
Book
ISBN# 0-9768-5378-7
Suggested Retail Price: $14.95 or as low as $14.95 from Amazon.com!

It’s an unpleasant subject to talk about. So we don’t. the people who suffer from these illnesses, constipation or diarrhea that are almost uncontrollable. In this little handbook the good doctor does an excellent job of explaining the causes of this problem in detail. I think the does a fine job with a cleanly understandable method.

My only objection is that the cures, which are suggested to be helpful, are not all things that you can do by yourself or even with your own doctor. This book has a helpful medication that you can purchase using the order form on the last page.

Still, the information is invaluable and you might if this is your problem want to try what the doctor is selling.

Creative Computer Crafts
by Marcelle Costanza

No Starch Press
Book
ISBN# 1593270682
Suggested Retail Price: $24.95 or as low as $16.47 from Amazon.com!

Simple and clear this is a paperback about using your computer to create crafts. Feel artistic and clever and use your own computer to impress yourself and others with your skill. There are fifty projects in this book that for crafty folks to play with. They claim it will be easy to follow these step-by-step instructions that can create some neat stuff. You will learn about the tools you need and even how to turn a hobby into cash... well, maybe. You well get inspired by the suggestions and instruction that are clearly laid out for you. Believe it or not, you can use your computer to make Barbie Doll clothes and special boxes to hold special pop-ups that will delight you or others. Generally speaking the instruction will be helpful for adults and for young folks too. I was delighted to make some Wedding Lights using the instruction that are printed here. I am not usually very crafty, but I tried this instruction book and voila… I did it.

Artistry in Paper : Origami
by Paul Jackson

Kodansha
Book
ISBN# 1568363621
Suggested Retail Price: $18.95 or as low as $12.32 from Amazon.com!

Paper is everywhere and it has begun to take on an artistic life of it’s own. Everywhere you look you can find fancy paper in many different forms. With this book you can learn Origami - the Japanese art of paper folding - and be inspired by the color pictures of various projects. Folding, cutting or making your own pop-ups. All the directions are here. Learn how to sculpt with paper to design and create your own origami. This lovely little book is an inspiration that could bring out the artistic talent in you. Lots of instructions that are written in easy style and a lot of good advice.

Silhouettes : A Pictorial Archive of Varied Illustrations
by Carol Belanger Grafton

Dover Publications
Book
ISBN# 048623781-8
Suggested Retail Price: $12.95 or as low as $10.62 from Amazon.com!

I have a fascination with silhouettes. There was a time when you could find someone who set up their art easel and invite you, for a fee, to sit for a lovely cut out silhouette of your head. This book is a collection of some of those black paper cutouts that you might find a use for. You can use these wonderful examples of art from a bygone era to copy and make your own figures. There are more than 600 hundred different pictures of silhouettes to inspire you. Cut them out (you’ll need very small and sharp scissors) copy them, and make your own scrapbooks. Along with the profile silhouettes there are may group scenes, animals, clothing and historical examples of figures either alone or in groups. Wow!

This is only one of a series of Dover books on this subject, and I would urge you to wander through the Dover Publications website or catalog and you can find a lot of unique books that only Dover makes available to us.

Second Act Trouble
by Steven Suskin

Applause Theatre and Cinema Book
Book
ISBN# 1557836310
Suggested Retail Price: $27.95 or as low as $17.61 from Amazon.com!

If you enjoy all the thrills of uncovering the secrets of backstage Broadway this is your book. The author takes us on a tour behind the scenes. We are taken behind the curtain and all the excitement of not just the award wining musicals, but the biggest bombs to hit the stage. The author is a manager and a producer and he gives us our insider’s look at these famous failures from 1930 to 1990 where we find what went wrong.

This is an in-depth peek into the troubles that a musical can run into and become a flop. There are many extra examples among news clipping that help your understanding of the times. You may be surprised to find that many of the flops contained famous actors and well-known directors. So what happens? This book tells of spe4cific bombs that includes the likes of Rogers, Steno, Lerner, Prince and many more big names.

Here are the backstage tales that will entertain you. You will be surprised at some of the flops that featured famous names. This one is a must for all fans of The Great White Way.

With Amusement for All
by Leroy Ashby

University Press of Kentucky
Book
Suggested Retail Price: $39.95 or as low as $26.37 from Amazon.com!

This is a huge and comprehensive study of the world of amusement. This is not a “brief” history as it says on the cover. This book is filled with information that mostly student or researchers will delight with. The subject is Poplar Culture. You can even get a degree at some colleges in this kind of study and what we have here is the best textbook for class. In this study we investigate the tast4es and trends of entertainment. The author digs even different types and style that become fads for us reflect the tensions and values of the American public. For example, the author points out that when Buffalo Bill was famous and P.T. Barnum ruled the Big Top, it was the age of self-made men. Victorian women were frail, but then there came along some stronger women to change the views of society on that subject. Woman wore tights and obtained higher educational degrees. Match each change to the politics of its time, and this history makes an awful lot of sense. You might be able to judge the future with the insights to the past you gain here.

It is not easy reading, but it is very educational for those who persevere.

The Social Life of Pots
by Judith A. Habicht-Mauche, Suzanne L. Eckert, Deborah L. Hunt

University of Arizona Press

ISBN# 08165-2457-2
Suggested Retail Price: $50.00 or as low as $50.00 from Amazon.com!

The theory in this educational but very interesting book is that history and information can be gleaned from the pots that were mad3e in the Southwest in the early history. Running from 1250 to 1680 this edited collection of writings by some very knowledgeable teachers is fascinating.

This is not a lighthearted look at some of the artistic skills of potters in that era. This is an intense study of the times that are represented by the art of the pots that were created for their common use in those times. Some of the glazed pots might just have been artistic, but some show that they are simply a form of dinnerware. If you study these beauties you might find the kinds of people who created them and used them.

This is an in-depth study that anyone who really loves these artistic Southwestern style pots will really find this book edifying and interesting.

The Tortoise Diet - Win The Race To Lose!
by Patricia S. Church

Phyto Publishing
Book
ISBN# 09773538-0X
Suggested Retail Price: $19.95 or as low as $19.95 from Amazon.com!

Welcome to a delightful diet planning book that is filled with good information and some definitive guides that could get anyone started to losing. The author shows us a picture of herself on the back of the book. She has lost a lot of weight… Ho-hum! Ask me if I care. Then I began to page through the book. It’s calories, dummy! Not special liquids or pills. The difference is that Patty tells us where the calories are and how many you can use to help yourself. She has charts and places for you to write notes. Of course there are exercises to do, and ways to track of your own success. There are step by step assignments to follow. The whole point of the book is not to get bored with the process of dieting.

You get some very good ideas on every page and a group of selected recipes that are almost too good to be true. It’s all done in a fun form with turtles running through the book to keep you amused.

The Couples Contract for a Lasting Relationship
by Ed Sherman, Bruce Janke

Nolo Press Occidental
Book
Suggested Retail Price: $24.95 or as low as $16.47 from Amazon.com!

There are relationships of all types these days and this is the book to help couple protect themselves and their partners. This book is filled with important information for those who are not married legally but devoted to each other and want to have some sort of agreement that will protect both people.

Included with the book is a CD-ROM that you can use to print out some of the ideas that will fit your style. The CD-ROM has complete instruction regarding the use of the material that is reproduced from the book.

A contract can honor the relationship and spells out the commitment of both parties. You can outline how you plan to solve any problems and make sure that your relationship never has to end up in court.

The Nolo folks have been a source for accurate and important information to assist those of us who want to do-it-ourselves. Their books are easy to read and understand. The advice follows legal rules for you no matter where you live. This issue and this book are up to date and especially important to couple who want protection and to make their relationship solid.