Series romance author Leanne Banks has made the taken the plunge into the single title market and yee haw howdy, the results are terrific. Some Girls Do offers readers a double-your-fun story of love and laughter.

After leaving behind her trailer park childhood for a job working for Ivan 'the Terrible' Rasmussen, Katie Collins never dreamed her job would require finding an acceptable husband for Ivan's overweight and socially inept daughter. Katie had always tried to be normal (whatever that was) and to stay under the radar. She just didn't want to be like her late mother Sunny. But the 100K price tag that Ivan attaches to the assignment persuaded Katie that this might be worth the effort. She had responsibilities and that kind of money would be a big help.

Michael Wingate owned a security company and in trying to win Ivan's business, he found himself embroiled in the husband-hunting plan as well. After Wilhemina jumps ship and heads for Texas to do a little hunting for herself, Michael and Katie follow her. Of course, Texas is the last place Katie wants to be. It's what she's been trying to escape all her life. And Michael isn't without demons of his own. He has something to prove and maybe this will do the trick for him. But these two prove to be a match for each other and watch out as the sparks fly!

Add a cowboy gigolo, a hog farmer named Douglas, and a hairless cat to the cast of characters and readers are in for a wild adventure. And although Sunny Collins is dead, she still influences her daughter from the grave by invading her thoughts, often at the most inopportune times. Be sure to pay careful attention to the Sunny-isms sprinkled throughout the book. You may want to frame them and hang them on your wall.

Some Girls Do will make you laugh out loud and is ripe with sensuality and excitement. It has something for every reader: a plain-Jane woman, an unhappy rich girl, a sweet cowboy who is every girl's dream, a hunky businessman who is your dream if you're not into cowboys :-), and a happy ever after conclusion. Get your copy ASAP and enjoy the ride!

If you like Lori Foster or Carly Phillips, you'll love this book!! Ms. Banks has the ability to keep the reader enticed all the way through to the end; all the way to the very last paragraph!!! This is the 1st Leanne Banks book I have read, and was very delighted. I can't say anything negative about it. The characters are real and believable. They touch your heart. The story moves at a consistent pace, and you can't always predict what is going to happen next!! I had a hard time putting it down!! At the end of the book is a taste of her next book, which will be released in November. I can't wait to read it!!!

This is the first book I've read by Leanne Banks. I couldn't put it down. It was funny, sexy, and touching. I took it home, stretched out on the couch and spent a very enjoyable afternoon reading this book. I loved it, I can't wait for the next one to come out in November.

This book makes the history of medicine, especially blood, interesting, and accessible to anyone. It also exposes the blood industry, GOOD and BAD, with names and dates of the people who moved it along: the medics in World Wars who risked their lives, the brilliant and tempermental researchers, and the greedy. Starr gives you well-documented facts and lets the reader decide, as a good writer should, who is the bad guy. This book doesn't tug as much at your heartstrings as Bad Blood: Crisis in the American Red Cross by Judith Reitman, but that's by far an advantage. She would have you believe that just because people died (of AIDS, and Hepatitis), there must be someone in the blood industry at fault. There certainly is some fault to go around, but this book helps you decide who and why there is fault, and tells both sides of the story without leaving Reitman's huge empty gaps in the evidence.

I originally took this book out of my local library to do a research project for my final exam in History. Since the culmination of my research, I have rented this book three more times in to read it for my own enjoyment. The topic of blood is purely fascinating. Starr has brilliantly written a book that informs the reader of important issues, as well as being entertaining and thought provoking. The reader gets a profound understanding of the importance of blood that spans from the 17th century, though World Wars, and through current problems with AIDS in the world's blood supply. I have never read a nonfiction book that has kept my attention as acutely as this one. This book is truly one that you'll want to keep.

Although I defer to Mr.Haschka's expertise in the field of blood, I must take issue with his snippy comment about Mr.Starr's affinity for bad news. I found Blood to be well-balanced-- he labors mightily to present good news and noble accomplishments alongside the tales of negligence, ignorance, and good old-fashioned greed. Yes, he does report on the tainted blood in great depth but let's face it-- mistakes advance science as much as, or even more than, successes, and should be accorded the appropriate amount of space. As far as repetition is concerned, I admit that I haven't read Mr.Shilts' tome, but Blood is perfect for those of us who are interested in the HIV crisis in the larger context of the industry as a whole, and in light of earlier discoveries. The book lost me a bit in its lengthy discussion of the business complex, but the information is important in order to understand how the impact of new discoveries (and mistakes) are felt worldwide. The history of blood is nothing less than riveting, how mysticism and individual hubris has given way to science-- and how they have simultaneously coexisted and been at loggerheads ever since. A formidable subject, nicely covered in a single volume.

Finally! A "coffee table" book that has top-quality photos and an excellent text.

MARK TWAIN: AN ILLUSTRATED BIOGRAPHY is a companion to a two-part, four-hour documentary film, directed by Ken Burns, on the life and work of Samuel Langhorne Clemens and his "famously, irrepressibly rambunctious alter ego Mark Twain."

Ernest Hemingway once said that Twain is "the headwater of American fiction" and called THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN "the best book we've ever had. There was nothing before. There's been nothing as good since."

George Bernard Shaw referred to Twain as "America's Voltaire."

William Dean Howells described Twain as "incomparable, the Lincoln of our literature."

Susy Clemens once wrote of her father: "He is known to the public as a humorist, but he has much more in him that is earnest than that is humorous. He is as much of a Philosopher as anything, I think."

In this reviewer's considered judgment, Twain is the greatest literary genius America has produced, a thinker of remarkable depth and substance.

Twain's life was filled with many travels, adventures ... and tragedies. Born in 1835, when Halley's comet made its appearance, he lived for 75 years, until 1910, when Halley's comet returned. He survived, and suffered, the death of his beloved wife "Livy" (Olivia Louise Langdon), and three of their children: Langdon, who died in infancy; Susy, who died of spinal meningitis at age 24; and Jean, who died of a heart attack evidently brought on by an epileptic seizure.

"The secret source of humor itself," wrote Twain, "is not joy, but sorrow. There is no humor in heaven. ... [Our] race, in its poverty, has unquestionably one really effective weapon--laughter. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand."

Laughter and sorrow: Twain was well acquainted with both. Known superficially to many admirers as merely a humorist or funny man, Twain was essentially, as he described himself, "a moralist in disguise" who preached sermons to "the damned human race."

Twain's literary corpus abounds with excoriating criticisms of racism, anti-Semitism, religious hypocrisy, governmental arrogance and imperialism, petty tyrants, and Philistine culture. His often deadpan humor bristles with barbed satire and withering sarcasm.

In addition to its narrative text, this volume includes five bonus essays: "Hannibal's Sam Clemens," by Ron Powers; "Hartford's Mark Twain," by John Boyer; "The Six-Letter Word," by Jocelyn Chadwick; "Out at the Edges," by Russell Banks; and an interview with Hal Holbrook, "Aren't We Funny Animals?"

MARK TWAIN: AN ILLUSTRATED BIOGRAPHY is a rich and rewarding book.

This illustrated biography of one of America's most memorable and beloved authors holds quite a few surprises for the unsuspecting reader. Anticipating anecdotes from Mark Twain's life that would portray him as a kind, altruistic, and loving man, I was shocked to learn he was also an irrascible, guilt-ridden, tight-fisted lover of alcohol and cigars who was often looking for ways to get rich.

He was born in 19th century Missouri and raised during a time when major political, economic, social, and cultural issues were forging America's identity. The rugged 19th century also molded Twain into an outspoken critic of those forces, providing him with an unending stream of material for his cogent and waggish observations.

Amid a collection of excerpts from his novels and speeches, articles and essays, as well as numerous pictures and illustrations, the authors present an insightful analysis of the man best known for writing TOM SAWYER and HUCKLEBERRY FINN. What becomes obvious is the relevance, creativity and importance of all his work, not just the books we were assigned in high school.

This book is a treasure; the kind of book that can be referred to often. It can give food for thought for hours of reflection. It is Highly Recommended.

I wonder how many people could have led the life that Samuel Clemens did and kept their sanity. He went from riches to rags (even though it was his own fault...he spent money like it was going out of style and made some horrendous investments), which forced him, at the age of 60, into making a 10 month long physically and mentally draining around-the-world lecture tour. The tour enabled him to pay off his debts and regain his financial footing. Unfortunately, money was the least of his problems. The authors do not specifically state it, but it is clear (to me anyway) that Clemens suffered from manic-depression. At various times, and not coinciding with anything bad going on his life, he considered suicide. He had lifelong moodswings, as well as a volatile temper. (His daughters were afraid to be alone with him, as his behavior was so unpredictable. They made sure to visit him as a group.) The authors recount one incident where Clemens, angry over a missing button, opened an upstairs window and tossed all of his shirts out into the street. Saddest of all, Clemens outlived almost all of his loved ones. His beloved wife, Livy, who was almost 10 years younger than him, predeceased him, as did 3 of his 4 children. His one surviving child, his daughter Clara, suffered a nervous breakdown when Clemens was almost 70. A heavy load to bear, indeed, but somehow Clemens bore it and carried on. One thing that helped was his worldwide fame. Clemens was hungry for fame, even as a young man. He became well-known early in life, and remained famous and popular right up until he died. (He was a bit of a "ham." He would purposely time his walks for when people were emerging from church, and would then saunter past in his trademark- pun intended- white suits.) This book is an absolutely perfect blend of narrative by the authors, liberal excerpts from Clemens's many writings, "guest essays," and page after page of terrific period photographs. (The research done for the photographs, alone, must have been backbreaking.) The narrative and essays made this a good book. The addition of the excerpts and the photos turned it into a great book. The excerpts are not just from Clemens's well-known works, either. He was once asked to address an organization which consisted of descendants of the Puritans. The written text is reproduced in the book. Twain skewered the original Puritans for killing Native Americans and for kicking everyone who wasn't a Puritan out of Massachusetts, even though, as Clemens makes sure to emphasize, they left England under the banner of religious freedom. (You have to think that when the organization invited Clemens to speak, this wasn't quite what they had in mind.) One of the many interesting items included in the book is a list of the famous sayings "Mark Twain" supposedly uttered....but didn't. (He was so famous that it was assumed that anything clever originated with him.) Unfortunately, one of my all-time favorites was included in this list: "When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years." On the bright side, he DID say "The rumor of my death has been greatly exaggerated." One caution: the excerpts will make you want to read or re-read all of Twain. I've already ordered a copy of "The Innocents Abroad" as somehow, in my youth, I missed that one. Hats off to Geoffrey Ward, Dayton Duncan, and Ken Burns for this wonderful book!

This book is a must read. It starts out kind of slow talking about how money was first used hundreds of years ago. But then it takes off and you can't put it down. Find out that the Federal Reserve is not federal at all and there is no reserve. All the info is backed up with documentation and can be proved. You won't believe what you read.

Excellent read. Very clear and to the point. I could not stop highlighting all the solid and relevant information.

I purchased this book a couple of years ago, lent it out to someone I don't remember so I'm buying it again! It's an easy-read, yet very detailed in its implications and suppositions. I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this book. Mr. Ford has an awesome amount of insight and unparalleled objectivity for such a subject as this. If you have a sincere desire in understanding how our society is as screwed up as it is, Mr. Ford has a couple of more than compelling reasons as to why. Definitely worth your time - enjoy!

I like to think of myself as having an eclectic style; I have many influences. I like some country and traditional elements. I had heard favorable things about Colefax and Fowler, so I thought this book would be a good representation of English country style. If this is the best, I would hate to see the worst. I don't think readers that want to explore English country should start with this book. It might turn them off. However, long-time fans of tradional and country styles might derive more benefit.

I am an interior decorator, and this book has wonderful suggestions for the beginner and seasoned pro. I abosolutely loved the ideas, and I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in decorating!

Having seen interior shots of homes decorated by the late Roger Banks-Pye I was quite keen to see a collected body of his work. It was as impressive as I thought it would be. Quirky - yes, inspiring - definitely, Banks-Pye would have gone on to be one of the major names in decorating and design. From his unique treatment of his apartment (formerly owned by Somerset Maugham) to his signature blue and white style found in his country home, everything about Interior Inspirations merely made one want to see more of his design principles. A very good idea source, and sadly, the sole compendium of Banks-Pye's work. Don't miss this classic if you like rooms that are warm, inviting, and eccentrically eclectic!

If you're not already a Banks fan, this book won't make you one (that would be "The Player of Games", "Canal Dreams", "The Brige", or "Use of Weapons," depending on your taste). But if you liked "Use of Weapons", "State of the Art" is worth it just for the title story, which has Diziet Sma aboard a GCU orbiting Earth in the 1970s. The intervene

Look at it this way - State of The Art is a great short story with some additional filler between the covers. But what a great short story it is. State of The Art finds the Culture arriving at Earth in 1978. By all accounts, the outlook is bleak for the human race. Contact, and our favorite Culture gal Dziet Sma, have to decide whether to get in touch with a world locked in a seemingly desperate arms race and the slow and painful destruction of the planet's ecosystem. Banks casts an ascerbic eye over the "state of the art" - both the Culture's and Earth's. By setting the story in the recent past, the reader knows that if the Culture had turned up just 10 years later the whole story would be different. Or would it? Sma and her crew-mates travel around the world sampling the delights and the horrors of Earth. Despite various cosmetic changes, is the planet in any better shape than it was 21 years ago? Is the Earth beyond hope? In a fitting gesture to the Culture's perverse tolerance for dissent, a crew member decides to stay. Why? And what, asks Banks, makes us human - and the Culture alien? A clever, philosophic and beautifully written story. Worth the price of the book alone.

In "State of the Art" Banks gives us an powerful insight into our own culture, its greed, politics, and notion of what it means to be "human."

As with the very best science fiction writing, Banks challenges the reader. His gritty writing style, coupled with the slick high-technology Culture clashing with 1960's Earth politics, sets the stage for a explosion of ideas. Many of these ideas fly directly in the face of common wisdom (at least for what *we* consider is wisdom) and forces the reader to reevaluate our own mind-set. Scary stuff indeed.

In one of the most telling passages, alien characters play a party game -- describe earthlings in one word. Replies include: industrious, curious and insane. One alien replies "MINE!" A very telling exclamation of modern Earth.

I'd rank "State of the Art" as Banks' best work to date - which is certainly a big complement. I'd recommend the book for any sci-fi fan, or - more importantly - any person who believes that capitalism is the only way for the future. You may not agree with Banks, but at least he gets you thinking

Peter Robinson's Close to Home is an excellent crime/suspense novel that actually gets stronger as it goes along. The novel concerns the unexplained deaths of two teenage boys, over thirty years apart. Inspector Banks returns home from a Greek vacation to deal with the discovery of the bones of one of his old classmates who had been missing since the mid-sixties. The story of this murder is juxtaposed with the story of a young man who has disappeared and is soon discovered dead. The novel is full of suspense and plenty of red herrings. It's an enjoyable read, especially at the end. Frankly at the start I was a little wary. I've read a couple newly-discovered bones mysteries lately, and wasn't exactly searching for another, but this one keeps getting stronger as it goes along to its satisfying finish. Enjoy.

In Peter Robinson's latest Inspector Banks novel, "Close to Home," Banks interrupts an idyllic vacation on a Greek island to look into the death of a childhood friend. Graham Marshall, a "mate" of Alan Banks when they were both teenagers, disappeared in 1965. A worker digging the foundation for a new shopping center unexpectedly uncovers a skeleton that turns out to be Graham's remains. Who killed Graham and why? Coincidentally, Banks, along with his former lover, Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot, also begins looking into the disappearance of Luke Armitage, a troubled teenager from a well-known family.

Banks has changed greatly over the years. He is mellower and more reflective than he has ever been before. Although he still likes to smoke and drink, Banks is beginning to feel the effects a bit more, and he is actually trying to cut down. In addition, now that his ex-wife and children have moved on with their lives, Banks has had a great deal of time to take stock of where his own life is heading.

"Close to Home" has many of Peter Robinson's trademark touches. The author delves deeply into the psyche of his characters. Robinson takes the time to humanize the police officers, the criminals, and the suspects in his novels. The reader becomes involved with their predicaments and deeply invested in the outcome of the story. In addition, Robinson introduces another interesting female character, Detective Inspector Michelle Hart, a woman with a tragic past to whom Banks is attracted.

In "Close to Home," unfortunately, Robinson missteps a bit. First of all, he has gone to the well once too often when he chose the "bones uncovered after many years" story line. This plot was used successfully in Robinson's own "In a Dry Season", and again in at least three other mysteries that I have read recently. I am surprised at this lack of originality in an author as creative as Robinson. In addition, at almost four hundred pages, the book meanders a bit and takes too long to reach its melodramatic denouement.

In addition, Robinson is a little too heavy handed when he hammers home his recurring theme, which is that the past is never really behind us. Until we come to terms with the events of long ago, and until we exorcise the demons that plague us, we can never hope to face the future and find happiness in life. Robinson has expressed this viewpoint in his previous novels many times, but with more finesse and subtlety than he does here. I have come to expect a great deal from an author as accomplished as Peter Robinson. Although "Close to Home" is a serviceable mystery, it is not an excellent one.

This Peter Robinson mystery is one of the best available,
and it is truly difficult to put down once started.
The hero, Chief D.I. Alan Banks is a complex character, in
both his professional and his personal life, and this book
continues his evolution as he continues to think about his
ex-wife, as well as his 2 children and their careers, and as
he wonders frequently where his personal life is headed.
Plus, he is facing "burn-out," as the murders and criminals
he faces routinely blunt his emotions and feelings, and he
fears he is withdrawing from some of his professional life.
The story revolves around 2 missing children, one of which
becomes his current case when the teen-age boy is found dead,
and the other of which was his buddy when he disappeared in
1965. There are so many parallels, Banks worries about both
cases, and he is drawn to the investigation of the old 1965
case in his hometown of Petersborough, while handling the
investigation of the other boy in his own jurisdiction of
North Yorkshire.
While Banks worries about his relationship with one of his
detectives, Annie, he meets up with an intriguing red-haired,
green-eyed woman detective, Michelle, who is working the
old 1965 case with new clues. So Banks has a lot on his
mind as he unravels one mystery, and he gets fully involved
in the second.
Both cases involve personal danger to both Banks and his staff,
and there is plenty of action, as well as the intellectual
stimulation Robinson puts together, and this is a very
satisifiying book, and one that is highly recommended.
Plus, you can learn a lot about English countryside life
and work, while Banks visits his retired parents and makes
the rounds while helping with the 1965 case.
Entertaining and fun.

Gallows View, the first Inspector Banks novel, provides a great introduction to Robinson's now well-established series. Having already read some of the later books, it is easy to see how Robinson painstakingly lays the groundwork for the subsequent novels. The characters are well thought out, given distinct and memorable personalities, and relationships are carefully established.

DCI Alan Banks, a recent transfer to the Eastvale CID, finds himself embroiled in a series of mysteries for his first major case. A number of Peeping Tom incidents leaves the women of Eastvale rather vary. To make matters worse, two teenagers appear to be carrying out a series of break-ins and vandalisms. The situation turns nasty when an elderly woman is found dead in her vandalized home.

The affable Banks finds himself personally enmeshed in the situation when the investigation hits a little too close to home. The tension grows when Banks tries to remain faithful to this wife, amid the growing attraction he feels towards another woman...

The novel has a perfect (if not slightly contrived) ending - all the different threads are neatly tied together, and the intricate details carefully explained. The readers are even left feeling somewhat sympathetic towards the criminals in this novel.

Furthermore, unlike some of the other police procedurals I've read, there appears to be far less internal tension and strife within the Eastvale CID - the police officers tend to work as a team and get along fairly well. I found this a welcome change from some of the other series where the main character appears to be constantly rubbing shoulders with his superior or junior officers.

All said, Gallows View is an excellent beginning to this superb long-lasting series, and well worth the read.

What is the difference between Peter Robinson and most other mystery writers? If you have read any of this author's marvelous Inspector Banks novels, then you will know the answer. The other authors are sketch artists, while Robinson is an Impressionist master.

Robinson doesn't merely present a mystery for the readers to solve along with the protagonist. Robinson creates a distinctive setting and fully realized characters along with the mystery. The result is a novel that satisfies and leaves the reader eager for the next installment.

"Gallows View" sets up the Inspector Banks series nicely. It introduces Alan Banks, a detective who left London to work in Eastvale, a town in Yorkshire, where he lives with his wife and two children. Banks has a good working relationship with his superior, Gristhorpe, and with the other members of the police department in Eastvale. Banks is a flawed man. He is addicted to cigarettes, likes to imbibe his pint, and he has an eye for pretty ladies (although he wants to remain faithful to this wife).

The center of Banks's life is his relentless pursuit of justice, and his terrific instinct for how the criminal mind works. In "Gallows View," Banks investigates three different crimes: A Peeping Tom is terrorizing the women of Eastvale, a pair of thugs is robbing both the elderly and some rich residents of the town, and an elderly woman has been found dead. In the course of his investigation, we get to know how Banks operates and we also get inside the mind of the perpetrators.

In "Gallows View," Robinson explores the emotional and sexual tension between men and women and the difficulties of being a single parent. He does all this without preaching, and the themes are woven seamlessly into the story.

The solution to the crimes is not surprising or particularly exciting, but the character development is excellent and it is always a pleasure to be in the company of Inspector Alan Banks. If you have not read the rest of the series, at least be sure to read "In a Dry Season," which is a truly first rate Inspector Banks novel. "Gallows View" is worth a look because it is the first novel in this wonderful series.

Inspector Alan Banks took a job in the small village of Eastvale after tiring of working in London but even in this picturesque village there are crimes. A Peeping Tom and a pair of burglars are bad enough but when an elderly woman is murdered in an apparent robbery attempt, Inspector Banks and his team of investigators race to find the culprits before others are killed. Inspector Banks is a likable character and the book nicely balances his home life with solving murders. This is the first book in a series that continues to improve with each novel.

The author is very good in leading the reader through how money and its avaliability play an important role in determining the economy of any country.
The banking industry and its role are covered as well - starting from a historical perspective to the present day. Our class was doing a chapter on the various reforms in the banking industry when the Enron-Anderson scandal happened. We had some very though-provoking discussions in the class based on the material in the text.
While I am not a complete stranger to economics, I took home a lot of valuable information by the time I was done with this course and this text book. I only wish the publishers had included a CD ROM of real-world exercises / problems that stimulate thought on issues to consider when determining monetary policy.

Highly recommended for both dummies and people familiar with economics. The author presents an unbiased, unpartisan, clear introduction to numerous aspects of monetary policy, financial institutions, and financial markets. Along with factual material the author presents important and profound generalizations and principles.

For once, there is an economist with a passion to teach and communicate well. Although it is supposed to be an introductory text in monetary economics, I return to it again and again to check my basic understanding of this subject.

Let me first say that Louis Bayard's first novel "A Fool's Errand" is one of my all time favorite books. I am sure that my friends are sick of me talking about how highly I thought of it. Of course, after they read it, then they know why I recommended it so highly. "Endangered Species" is good, and probably ten times better than most gay fiction. It was just from a personal standpoint, I couldn't relate to the main character. Don't let that stop you from reading it though.

This was my second Bayard read. "Fool's Errand," my first was a book I could not put down - loved it; "Endangered Species" did not quite "do it" for me the same way. Here's why: Bayard's characters are all to real for me as a former Washingtonian... I sometimes think he's writing about folks I know (maybe so?), and the main character in this book is more like someone I would try to avoid at a cocktail party! So I put the book down halfway through, then came back and finished it a couple of weeks later. I suppose that means Bayard has once again mastered very identifiable and real-to-me characters! I hope to see more from this writer. If you've ever lived the Washington gay scene, you'll really enjoy the recognizable settings of Endagered Species and Fool's Errand.

I certainly agree that Bayard's ENDANGERED SPECIES is funny and fun to read. But the way he sketches some of his most endearing characters (like Broome's grandmother in the hospital, having to remember how to eat) is so fresh and full-bodied, I read the passage over several times; Broome's boyfriend and the on-again, off-again relationship with him is written with real sensitivity, giving depth of character to both. This is a lot deeper book than its breezy, entertaining style would suggest. It can be enjoyed on several levels.-Ronald L. Donaghe, author of Common Sons (part of the series: "Common Threads in the Life")