Background: The stylistic heritage of the Perry Mason mysteries is the American pulp magazines of the 1920s. In the early Mason mysteries, Perry - a good-looking, broad-shouldered, two-fisted, man of action - is constantly stiff-arming sultry beauties on his way to an explosive encounter that precipitates the book's climactic action sequence. In the opening chapters of these stories, Gardner subjects the reader to assertive passages that Mason is a crusader for justice, a man so action-oriented he is constitutionally incapable of sitting in his office and waiting for a case to come to him or to develop on its own once it has - he has to be out on the street, in the midst of the action, making things happen, always on the offensive, never standing pat or accepting being put on the defensive. These narrative passages - naïve, embarrassingly crude "character" development - pop up throughout the early books, stopping the narrative dead in its tracks, and putting on full display a non-writer's worst characteristic: telling the reader a character's traits instead of showing them through action, dialogue, and use of other of the writer's tools.

Rating "Ground Rules": These flaws, and others so staggeringly obvious that enumerating them is akin to using cannons to take out a flea, occur throughout the Gardner books, and can easily be used (with justification) to trash his work. But for this reader they are a "given", part of the literary terrain, and are not relevant to my assessment of the Gardner books. In other words, my assessments of the Perry Mason mysteries turn a blind eye to Erle Stanley Gardner's wooden, style-less writing, inept descriptive passages, unrealistic dialogue, and weak characterizations. As I've just noted, as examples of literary style all of Gardner's books, including the Perry Mason series, are all pretty bad. Nonetheless, the Mason stories are a lot of fun, offering intriguing puzzles, nifty legal gymnastics, courtroom pyrotechnics, and lots of action and close calls for Perry and crew. Basically, you have to turn off the literary sensibilities and enjoy the "guilty" pleasure of a fun read of bad writing. So, my 1-5 star ratings (A, B, C, D, and F) are relative to other books in the Gardner canon, not to other mysteries, and certainly not to literature or general fiction.

"The Case of the Counterfeit Eye": D+

A generally weak entry in the Perry Mason series, not even close to such Gardner classics as "The Stuttering Bishop", "The Lame Canary", "The Substitute Face", or "The Perjured Parrot", to name entries that were published in successive years after 1935, when "The Case of the Counterfeit Eye" first came out, and when Gardner's fertile imagination was approaching its quirky peak.

This somewhat "forced" and very artificial mystery has an other-worldly, disconnected air, more removed than most mysteries from the real world - like a mystery gimmick that Gardner dreamed up and simply didn't want to pass up turning into a novel-length story. "The Counterfeit Eye" is his unsatisfying attempt to put the gimmick into story form. Unsatisfying, because it still feels like a gimmick imposed on the situation and characters, forcing them to behave in ways that satisfy the needs of the gimmick, but not the readers' need for a coherent story in which the characters display a modicum of rational behavior, and the police do not exhibit the blinkered stupidity so characteristic of the drawing room mysteries that were so antithetical to the more "realistic" roots of the pulp mysteries that are the Perry Mason series' progenitors.

In "The Counterfeit Eye" the basic situation that precipitates the murder and its mystery relies on a tangle of coincidences and are unlikely enough on their own, but surpass any possibility of suspended-disbelief when they coincide the way the author forces them to on the fateful night of the murder. And - the most irritating aspect of this story - resolution of the daunting case against Perry's client is achieved by trotting out the most far-fetched coincidence that Gardner has ever had the temerity to use.

All in all a far-fetched, disappointing early effort by Gardner in the midst of one of his most creative periods.

This is the 6th Perry Mason mystery written in 1935. It might not be so good as a mystery, but it contains several impressive scenes such as Mason's grandstand play at the court, the sad romance of the client with the counterfeit eye, and the "infiltration operation" of Mason and Drake to the hotel guarded by the police.

And it is also notable that Hamilton Burger, the District Attoney of Los Angeles County, Mason's arch-enemy, first appears on the scene. In this book, Burger is described as a respectable opponent who wants to be faithful to his duty. In later books, he gradually becomes an one-track minded, stubborn enemy who wants to get Mason by all means.

Erle Stanley Gardner is a wonderful author. He has created a case that splendered me, and freiends. I've read the book 6 times in two months because I can't get enough of it. It is one of the best in the "Perry Mason" series if you ask me. I couldn't think of a better gift for any mystery fan. It has everything; Mystery, thrills, espionage, comedy and romance

I found this book an utterly dreary bit of work. It is filled with incredibly two dimensional characters. As well as the fact that there are so many characters that none of them are done in any depth. And nearly all are sterotypes. All the ladies and gentlemen in the story are overly dimwitted. As does the hero of the book Inspector Monk. Who is truely baffled and wanders around asking the same questions over and over. It became quite boring after a while. The book slowed down to a crawl at times and desperatly needed some life in it. The fact that Monk really does fail to work out what was going on is very disapointing. Especially when compared to The face of a stranger. Which I did enjoy reading. The real heroine in this story is Hester Lattery. As she is the only one who really works anything out. Her being written into this novel I find dubious at best. My opinion is that she should have worked more with Monk and his assistant Evan both of who hold much potential as characters. There was also two much courtroom drama. Which in a mystery novel I find absolutly little need for. It was almost as if Perry was confused as to what she wanted to write. A mystery novel or a courtroom battle. I feel much of the courtroom was written so Hester Lattery had an enterence and no more than that. As the dealings of it have absolutly no relevance to this book.

The good part of the book is the plot and the setting. The ideas she has are good and interesting. The main characters are interesting and have alot of potential. They were just under used or poorly done this time round.

However I have not given up on her yet and I will read the third book Defend and Betray.

Having read the first "Monk" book, "Face of a Stranger," I was excited when I received this offering. The excitement didn't last very long. Regretfully, I got half-way through and couldn't pick it up again. Bogged down in too much non-essential, confusing detail.

This novel was thrilling from start to finish and it left me guessing until the very end. I do agree that the book had too much information in it that really had nothing to do with the story, but all in all this was a thrilling and entertaining read!

You have to question what Perry wanted to achieve from this book. He seems to have missed, or overlooked, all of the important issues that Malcolm X stood for.

He takes the word of Malcolm's detractors as the gospel truth and diminishes Malcolm's teachings and beliefs by portraying them as paranoid.

Perry seems obsessed with highlighting flaws in Malcolm's personality and uses this device to side step the vital lessons which Malcolm was trying to teach - lesson's which still need to be learnt today.

By all means read this book, but do so very objectively.

I was not too fond of this book, not because I'm a Malcolm fan, but there are too many conclusions that Perry makes with weak evidence. Such as Malcolm's father (and Malcolm himself) setting their houses on fire, Malcolm's alleged homosexual activity, Malcolm asking the Klan why they allowed Dr. King to live, etc. etc. One could see why Dr. Betty Shabazz (Malcolm's wife)told Perry to get lost!

Bruce Perry's Malcom gives an in depth analysis of one of the most controversial public figures in modern American history. Perry describes Malcom's troubled childhood in the Midwest, from his bouts with his father infidelities and his unexpected death -ruled accidental, but not certain-- to his, light skinned, mentally ill mother who was not afraid to keep her son in line by any means necessary. Living within a dysfunctional family and having no friends, Malcom finds himself wanting to leave his lonely and slow-pace lifestyle for the exciting East Coast. Moving in with his half-sister in Boston, Malcom becomes involved in criminal activities, from petty dope slinging and "runnin' numbers", to sleeping with white women and committing burglaries. Eventually he finds himself behind bars and from there Malcom X emerges. Known as Red, Malcom becomes acquainted with an inmate, a devoted follower of the Nation of Islam, who teaches Malcom that their is an alternative for black men other than a life of crime. Malcom X is introduced to classic literature, poetry, and Islam. The religion has a powerful effect on Malcom, who embraces its ways and ultimately becomes a follower. When he is released, Malcom X quickly works his way through the ranks to head minister of the most populated and successful Black Mosque in America. According to Perry, Malcom was not only a devoted minister to his mosque, but to several others as well. His superior, the honorable Elijah Muhammad, was initially impressed with the articulate, young orator. In time Malcom X rises in the movement. He grabs all of the headlines and from the media's point of view, becomes the spokesman for the Nation of Islam. Eventually, Malcom breaks from the group and starts his own, which never gets off the ground. He was shot dead during a speech in Harlem, New York in 1965. Malcom X, though poorly educated and a product of a mentally and physically abused household, nevertheless took center stage and improved the quality of life for Black America. Bruce Perry gives the reader a personal account of one of America's enigmatic and flamboyant intellectuals of the twentieth century.

I was happily surprised by this book. I have only heard of Irving's ghost stories, which are great and why I purchased it. As I was reading the other stories, I was surprised to be reading of distant lands and historical sites as well. Normally, that would not interest me, but Irving's imagination is profound. He can turn a run down liabrary into a living soul who speaks and interacts with us humans. He can turn an ancient palace into a love story. The only thing I had a problem with was the old school language. It did make reading a little more difficult, however I plan on reading this book again, so I'm sure the second time around will be easier and I will be able to come back and turn the 4 stars into 5.

The Sketch Book by Washington Irving is a collection of short stories from the 19th century. Many people today only know Irving as the author of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," Irving wrote a variety of stories. He has a number of different themes covered in this book, such as romance, tragedy, and traditions of the Europeans versus Americans, and terrifying, suspenseful stories like "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". Irving also wrote travel pieces, works about European traditions, and romance stories. Irving uses 19th century language, so it's hard to read at times, but if you enjoy this style of writing you will enjoy this book.
Irving has some of his greatest short stories in this book such as "Rip Van Winkle", "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", "The Specter Bridegroom", and The Christmas Quintet. These stories show different themes along with a different style of writing. The different structure of the stories helped the book move along and not be boring.
Irving varied the themes of his stories, making it more enjoyable. Each story usually had a different theme, I liked this because it wasn't the same theme over and over again, and most authors tend to do this making the book boring. Also, Irving used different structures to his stories, not all of his stories were the same length. There were also some really long stories and really short stories. Varying the structure is a key thing in my view to making a collection of short stories good. I find it easier and better to read when all the stories are different lengths. I would also highly recommend this book to anyone who has read 19th century writings and enjoyed them. This book is a great source to further understand European traditions versus American traditions. If you are interested in sociological shifts then you will enjoy this book. If you're not into 19th century readings and European traditions then this book is not for you.

There's more to Washington Irving than "Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle". Irving's life was an enthralling tale of world travel, high society, and other, bookish diversions. He would have been, judging from the biography provided at the front of the edition I read, one of the most fascinating tale tellers of his day. That comes across in the Sketchbook; but we also get an idea of the wicked, roguish sense of humor, that impeccable feeling for satire that Irving could deploy even upon those people he loved most.

The Sketchbook was written largely in England, at first as Irving was inheriting the family law business from his infirm brother. Rankling under the confines of business that can seem insufferable to the creative mind, Irving turned his full energy to writing. These sketches reflect a man passionate about many things, but who is always doctoring his reminiscences with timeless satire: Literature (The Art of Book Making and the Mutability of Literature, with, respectively, the writers of the new school being assaulted by the old favorites of western lit, and the talking book created in illustration of the fact of history's unkindness to many authors and receptivity to a few)is an abiding love to Irving, with every sketch preceded by a poem from antiquity to the works of Irving's coevals, and the stories themselves can make one believe Irving to have been downright pedantic. For what other reason would he break the flow of innumerable stories with lengthy and often only tangentially relevant allusions. Other stories,such as the delightful Christmas cycle and the numerous sketches with Shakespeare addenda, juxtapose Irving's love and ridicule of the English, especially the rural English, with their antediluvian customs (which Irving commends), and their increasing acquiescence to modern fashion (which he abhors). Ironically, the very people whom he often ridiculed as pretentious, bombastic, destructive, prejudiced, and insensitive, loved him, perhaps because, at the same time, he lauded them for their refinement and their characters so analagous to those of the American people, whom he proclaims a young people, while the British should be something like elder statesmen, big brothers if you will.

The Sketchbook is delightful reading, if you can get past the author's bookishness and often archaic language.

If you use Windows 95 on a regular basis then this book will not help you. If you have never used Windows 95 then it may be beneficial to you. I have already returned this book.

This book is a rather vacuous rewrite of information that comes with Windows 95. The author is clearly in Microsoft's camp...the word "Netscape" is never mentioned, anywhere. I'll gladly sell my copy to the first person offering me $10.....but recommend it.

I'm totally dependendant on this book!! Without it, I would not be able to tweak Windows 95 as good as I could today. I've been totally dependant on it since I received it 2 years ago!. The book explains everything you need to know about that complex piece of software and how to tweak it to suit your taste (for example: do you wish for an one click access to the Control Panel and Printers folder? or do you wonder where good old MS-DOS went?). It changed my life!!!

As a fact witness with personal knowledge of Eddie's experience in Europe and my own interview with Anson, I can confirm that Anson was far more interested in marketing his book than discovering, let alone understanding the facts.

David W. Nance, Esq.

Best Intentions by Robert Sam Anson is an engaging and sensitive invistigation into why Edmund Perry, a black Exeter student who received a scholarship to Stanford, died in a dubious encounter with a police man. Anson traces Perry's stories from his years attending primary school in Harlem to his unsteady times at Exeter, a high class boarding school. Anson then crafts the Perry's story into a comprehensive and clear examination of race and education in America and the challenges that face black students. For those interested in education, race, or sociology, I would recommend this piece. It certainly isn't a cover-to-cover read, but it stimulates quite well.

Great things were expected of young Edmund Evans Perry, a gifted black teenager raised in Harlem and schooled at Philips Exeter Academy, one of the nation's most prestigious preparatory schools. At seventeen, he had already received four years of top-notch schooling, explored the world (Perry spent a year in Spain), and was accepted to Stanford University, where he planned to go for college starting in the fall of 1985. However, that summer Perry was dead, shot by a policeman on the streets of New York City, allegedly while involved in a mugging. What went wrong? The author spends most of the book trying to answer that question (we learn the basic story in the first couple chapters), and he does a remarkable job of doing just that. Robert Sam Anson interviewed the people who knew Perry, the people who made him what he was, both in Harlem and at Exeter, and over the course of the book, we learn just what happened to Edmund Perry. What you learn may surprise you, and it is sure to inspire many questions in all who happen upon its pages.

I actually had the professor who wrote this book for a class. I did not like the book at all. For a beginner as I was with no programming experience some of the examples led to more confusion than they solved. Some of the examples will build on code that you read several pages to several chapters back in the book and flipping back and forth to figure out what was done is annoying. The book is not all bad though I still use it some for reference since I paid 100 dollars or so for it when it was brand new... but if you are looking for a beginners introduction to C++ code go with a Schaums(sp?) outline or something that is more of a reference than this book which can be wordy at times.

They had us buy this book for the introduction to programming classes. The book is probably best suited to beginner to intermediate level programmers. It is not really suited to a person who has not programmed before. The book has a problem with advanced details, but I wouldn't expect any with an introduction. The problem sets and the glossary at the end of each chapter may be a huge help . . . especially if you have trouble coming up with a problem to solve by programming. My professor did use some of the problem sets right out of the book. The book has design in the title, but it does not discuss design well enough, only programming itself. An Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming in C++ might make for a more accurate title (if that name isn't taken). If a book actually discusses design, the reader of it may have to already know programming basics.

As the title says, this book takes an OO approach to learning C++ from the beginning. Rather than focusing on C++ syntax (data types, functions, pointers, etc.) as a means to write simple programs in the early chapters and leaving OO syntax (classes, objects, inheritance, etc.) until later chapters, this book focuses on OO concepts (objects, attributes, behaviors, etc.) from the start and introduces syntax as needed to flesh out the OO concepts. This clearly reinforces the notion that C++ is much more than advanced C syntax, but is a whole new way of organizing programs from the beginning. This is a little daunting, but I gather that this is how C++ programming is done in the real world and serves as a frame of reference to organize the C++ syntax into coherent groups. At the same time, their discussion of the details of C++ is excellent -especially since these discussions are simultaneously tied in with the general concepts unique to OO programming. Overall, this is a challenging, somewhat unique approach to C++ programming that I liked. It is not for the faint-of-heart, and probably deserves to be read more than once.

Qiu Jin's book on the Lin Biao incident is an intriguing look behind the scenes of one of communist China's remaining mysteries. Why did Lin turn on Mao? What role did his subordinates play? What effect did it have on China? Some of these questions are not answered, but others are. Most interesting in this book is the role of Lin's family, including his ambitious son and strong wife. The reader with a sense of Chinese history will see that the intrigues of Communist China did not differ much from Imperial China. Jin does a great job and illustrating this. Although she does say some things that are troubling, such as calling Mao "compassionate," overall her treatment of the subject is valuable for the insider perspective that she brings to the subject. I wholeheartedly recommend this book. I hope Jin follows up in the future.

The mists that surround the Lin Biao incident have not been completely cleared even in the increasingly open Chinese society. Scholars who have tried to tackle this issue have run into the roadblocks of the CCP, keeping them from garnering valuable insight into the matter. However, Dr. Jin has succeeded where others have failed. The daughter of Wu Faxian, one of Lin Biao's trusted generals, Jin not only sheds new light into the Lin Biao incident but also illuminates the lives and court intrigues of those around Biao. The reader will quickly see that the ancient intrigues that surrounded the dynastic struggles of Old China did not pass away with the Qing dynasty but were alive and well in the era of Mao Zedong, particularly during the Cultural Revolution. Using a mixture of primary resources and personal interviews Jin weaves a masterful tale of just how and why Lin Biao fell from Mao's grace and ultimately died in a mysterious plane crash. We learn of the role of Lin's children and his wife, a subject that few scholars have devoted as much effort to uncovering. Jin's closeness to some of the major players in the incident in no way affects her objectivity, but gives the entire affair a new dimension. She examines the incident with the careful lens of a historian, piecing together the factual with the circumstantial. This book belongs on the shelves of every China scholar, and those who are interested in the fascinating stories of these men and women, many of whom rose from peasants to the pinnacle of power within the "new" China.

Having read a number of the books available on this topic, and studied modern Chinese history extensively, I can say that this is one of the best books for a reader with interest in either the "Incident" specifically, or with more general interest in the high-level intrigues in China during the Cultural Revolution.

One of the many joys of this book is Jin's broad use of sources to achieve a tight and focused view of her topic. Dr. Jin has successfully captured the elements that are necessary to tell how Lin became Mao's successor, and then how he fell from grace just as Peng Dehuai and Liu Shaoqi did before him. But she has delved deep, drawing from hundreds of diverse elements such as personal interviews with her father (one of Lin's generals) and other involved persons, to the official documents of the Chinese Communist Party and the trial of the "Gang of Four." This reach has enabled her to carefully reconstruct not only the narrow time frame of the "Incident," but also the intrigues and power struggles at the highest level of government that enabled the Cultural Revolution to engulf the entire nation.

In doing so, Jin has not only drawn a clear picture of Lin Biao, but also of Mao Zedong. Mao emerges as a complicated human in her portrait; he is ruthless in his paranoid persecutions, but also compassionate towards the peasants of China (but, as is clear from the book, this compassion is not towards individual peasants, but towards the peasant class as a whole). It is a compelling, human portrait that emerges, and one that dovetails nicely with recent scholarship on Mao in his later years.

Finally, Dr. Jin extensively uses Western ideas of historiography and political psychology. She artfully blends traditional Chinese analysis and values with the latest Western trends. The analysis of this slice of Chinese history that results is unique in the study of modern China.

I thought this book contained alot of facial exercises and bought it on the advice of a friend. I was dissapointed in the amount of facial exercises offered. The exercises are too few and most of the book is about skin care. The author recommends her own skincare product line (beware of authors who try to push their own products). The book is pretty good for someone who needs basic information on skin care and wants to try some exercises. I cannot recommend it to those whom are looking for serious facial exercises.

I love Rachel Perry and her products. The book is allot like them. simple, straightforward and stresses a simple and natural beauty regimen. I like the simplicity of the exercises and the fact that they do not require one to become a fanatic to get results. I have bought 5 copies so far. My daughters and my best friend have all received them as gifts from me. This copy is for a friend's birthday. Together with a selection of Rachel Perry products it makes a great 30th, 40th, 45th birthday gift. I have very fair, ruddy easily sun burned Irish skin with a tendency to dry patches, enlarged pores, blackheads and breakouts due to harsh ingredients. Over the years I have tried almost every cosmetic line out there and this is the first and only line I have found that does not upset my skin more than it helps it! In regards to the comment "beware of authors who try to push their own products". I would hope if an author has a product that supports their ideas that they would share that information with their readers. We haven't found a product in her line that we didn't just adore. I love her moisturizers. They don't clog your pores. and all of the products smell good enough to eat!

I read this book when it first came out and I have been doing the face excercises almost everyday since then. I am very pleased with the noticeable results. The book contains easy to read exercises for your face. It also contains techniques that will actually reverse your facial lines.the book talks about facial massage and the proper make-up to use on all kinds of skin. I'm very pleased and I have bought several copies of this book to pass on to friends.

I've rated this badly researched and written tome a 'one' for at least providing more than a few good laughs.
It's bad enough that Kane's grasp of near-east and middle eastern history, astronomy, and nearly every other topic, including geography, Greek, Latin, Mythology, Kabbalah, ancient history, spiritual movements, the Papacy, and all things 'Persia' and 'China'and 'Tam' are woefully inadequate for the task he's undertaken. But his obvious grasp of recent and current global events and political leaders is downright laughable. He seems oblivious to these: the true identity of Saddam's son Uday, being groomed to succeed his father; that our current Pres. Bubba and Russia's Pres. Putin are mentioned prominently - and not as 'victors'; that the widespread devastation coming to U.S. cities (not French ones) is described all too well; that Khaddafi's son, with the blessing of his father, has begun a major reproachment with the west that is succeeding and will change the face of Libya; that an army attempting to invade and attack Turkey by crossing the mtns. from Armenia would lose half it's men and equipment, i.e. commit military suicide; that the 'two rivers' is a recurring theme which, in terms of current and post-2002 events, relates directly to the Tigris and Euphrates; that the man in the 'blue turban' is neither Iraqi nor Iranian; that the so-called Antichrist isn't an 'Islamist', but quite the opposite. The list of what Kane misses and fails to grasp goes on and on and on.
The fact that he ends nearly every Line 4 quatrain 'interpretation' with "This part remains a mystery..." should provide readers with a major 'clue' regarding Kane's lack of knowledge, depth, and understanding of all the subjects related to this material, since the Line 4 contents often provide the most telling and important imformation necessary for interpreting the quatrains. That their contents remain 'obscure' to him, given his lack of classical education, insight, and knowledge, isn't surprising.
The glowing praise given this book by others astonishes me in light of the fact that nearly a third of all the quatrains listed - supposedly in chronological order - occurred many years before its publication - some hundreds of years ago, others within the two decades preceeding its writing. His Amero-ccentric views (including the identity of 'the victor')are patently absurd and his assertions on nearly every point - from dating methodologies to Iran to the Antichrist - are dead wrong. His insistence that Nostradamus wrote heavily about the fate of 'his beloved France' reveals Kane's failure to understand one of most crucial and important of devices used by Nostradamus - that of using astronomical information and the names of cities as a clue to locating corresponding places in latitude and time elsewhere which were unnamed (or ungiven) in his time (such as Denver, the Rockie Mtns., Mtn. St. Helena, Chernobyl, etc.) - and makes this book nothing short of a joke. That he lacked even the seriousness of purpose in this endeavor to educate himself concerning astronomy, especially regarding the dates of the planetary conjunctions and alignments given with respect to their visibity from any given location of earth, speaks for itself. Even what little information in that regard he bothered to glean from others is incorrect. Instead, he chooses only the most obvious information to impart, as in Nostradamus clearly spelling out the future destruction of Rome and the Vatican. Kane breathlessly treats his 'discovery' of this nugget as though he's single-handed discovered Eldorado!
A great deal more education, observation, and research prior to attempting this tome would have served Mr. Kane well. I suggest that even those just looking to understand Nostradamus' work better would do well to look elsewhere (John Hogue, for starters) for enlightenment, since it can't be found in the pages of this book. I consider the time and money spent on this book wasted and have only spent this much time and effort writing this review it in hopes of helping others to avoid wasting their time and money as well.

It is a short read. Not much detail here. He starts with the text already translated and that is a disappointment. It seems that most of the real discussion involves the original text.

With that said, most readers will not want to spend days learning French, Latin and other languages to be able to read the quatrains. So the average reader may enjoy this quick and dirty examination of Nostradamus and his predictions. Consider it a beach read.

Very interesting read. Perry Kane interpretations seem to be very clever but some have been proven wrong. Still an interesting read on Nostradamus. Hopefully, our future won't end which is due for sometime next spring.