Bernie Rhodenbarr runs an antiquarian bookstore in Manhattan. He’s also a burglar, and just about everybody knows it, which has its good and bad points. (People always know who to go to for a quick breaking and entering…but the cops also suspect you every time one occurs. Oh well, life’s a two-sided coin.)

A woman named Alice walks into Bernie’s bookstore and hires him to steal some letters that a reclusive writer named Gulliver Fairborn sent to his agent. No problem. Except that Bernie breaks into the agent’s apartment and finds the letters gone and the agent dead. Did I mention the police knocking on the apartment door at that very moment?

Lawrence Block’s protagonist is a completely likable criminal with a quick mind and a heart of gold…uh, for a burglar. Block masterfully moves the reader along through a series of wild, yet believable occurrences that make for very entertaining reading. The dialogue is snappy, the characters are well-drawn, and the writing is sharp. What more could you ask for? Be prepared for loads of fun.

308 pages

I have read all the books in the series. "Burglar in theRye," was well worth the wait for the 9th Bernie "theBurglar," Rhodenbarr caper. Of course it came as no surprise that Bernie is caught and is suspect in murder. Of course his companion, dog groomer, Carolyn is there and so to is Ray "the best cop money can buy." The refreshing novel is a very good read. I was introduced to Lawrence Block when I read "The Thief who Traded Ted Williams," while traveling two years ago. Since then I have read most of Blocks series, novels and collections of sort stories. I am now waiting for the sequel to "Hit Man," due sometime next year. I had the pleasure of meeting Lawrence Block at a book signing a few weeks ago. I found him as charming and interesting as the books he has penned.

Renowned writer Gulliver Fairburn is irate to learn that his former agent Anthea Landau is selling their correspondence on the auction block. Gully relishes his privacy even though his first novel haunted every teen who ever read it. Gully's former lover Alice Cottrell turns to book store owner and thief Bernie Rhodenbarr to steal the letters before they go on sale.

Bernie easily breaks into Anthea's hotel room, only to find her murdered body waiting for him. Bernie flees down the fire escape just ahead of the police, but in time to purloin another guest's necklace. NYPD officer Ray Kirschmann suspects the part time burglar killed Anthea, leaving it up to Bernie to prove otherwise or find a way to insure the cop turns a profit.

The ninth Rhodenbarr mystery is as delightful and refreshing as all the others in the series are. The story line is entertaining as Bernie returns to his favorite profession only to find a corpse on the other side of the locked door he enters. It's not so subtle that only a blockhead would miss the novel's obvious humor and homage to Salinger. Lawrence Block demonstrates why this is one of the most popular series on the market in the past decade.

Harriet Klausner

It was a pretty good book which I can relate to being that I am around the same age as the mian character. I understood what he was going through in a sense and I enjoyed the book. The language was a little unrealistic for a kid his age but it was supposed to be events which took place in the mid 1900's or so.

In the Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is a teen ager that goes to private schools. He gets kicked out of a lot of them since he flunked out. He doesn't have very many friends and people get upset with him. I thought the book was kinda different but it is a good way to tell how other teens act in these situations. I think that he doesn't do a good job at handling his problems that he has. He needs to see a therapist to help him out with his problems since he can't deal with them and brings them out on other people. His sister helps him out alot with his problems when he comes to her in the night and then asks her for some money. She is younger than Holden but acts older and more responsible then him. I don't think it helps his family any that his older brother is a prostitute. I like the part in the end where you realize that he was in the helping home. I think that teenagers should read this if they like to read because it makes them think a little bit.

I believe that in high school, teenagers should read many different types of books in class, not all the same kind of fairy tales, mysterys, whatever kind of genre they choose to read from, or are made to read. "Catcher in the Rye" is a book that has a different tone of reading style most people are not used to. But in order for teens to get a variety in their reading, they should read this book. It shows a teenage boy's life within a few days and throughout the book it has all his thoughts and feelings that are happening at that particular time. Many swear words that are not used in most books are used, plus many comments about the opposite sex. Alot of schools have banned this book in their school because of the profanity. But most teenagers feel this way throughout their lives inside of their mind, so it's not like teenagers have never heard this kind of profanity before. Now it's just being brought out in the open. I believe this is a good book and should be able to be kept on all book shelves through out the world.

I bought this book at the same time I bought "Ticket to the Opera" by Goulding. As an introduction to opera, Goulding's book is better written and more objective; however, "Rough Guide" includes information on more operas and what's available on CD. This is a very useful source of information, but as other reviewers have suggested, investigate other sources before buying anything. Personally, I like to have more than one reference of this sort available, because like all art, evaluating opera is a matter of opinion; guidelines are helpful, but the individual listener or viewer is the ultimate arbiter on what he or she appreciates most.

This book has two great features going for it. There is a (brief) synopsis of probably every opera in the repretoire. Yes, they leave a lot out, but there's enough detail, I think, to prepare yourself before attending a performance or listen to a recording. Each synopsis is followed by the author's commentary, and a brief list of reviews on CD. (which is obviously highly subjective, so longer reviews would have been more appreciated. One paragraph is about enough to say, "this was a good/bad performance." Hardly enough to go on to choose a recording.) I wouldn't make a decision to buy (or not buy) a recording based on their recommendations, but at least you can get an idea of what is available.

The really great thing about the book are various stories about opera stars and productions, such as some hilarious performances of "Tosca" and "Otello". I just coulnd't stop laughing about those stories.

Their treatment of Wagner, I thought, was pretty balanced, portraying him as a composer of great music, but much less than a great man. However, their commentary on Parsifal was unfair, making it seem like a "pro-Nazi" work, which it emphatically is not.

This is a very useful guide, improved in the second edition over the first. It gives informed and opinionated summaries of the history of opera and its major composers and works. It also has a useful glossary of terms, and potted summaries of major 20th century singers and conductors. Not complete, of course, (eg. Frederica von Stade mysteriously is not included among the singers, though her contributions to varioius recordings are always lauded.) It contains a remarkably extensive survey of 2oth century opera (one is up to the Russian late 19th c. composers by the mid point of the book). The groupings are sometimes strange -- bel canto is tacked onto romantic operas --but it gives one of the best short critical and informed discussions of how opera has evolved with which I am familiar. The evaluations both of composers and of the selected operas are necessarily short, but still informative though I am not sure that the plot summaries really add very much. These bits are a great deal better than the typical discussion one finds in the booklets accompanying recordings or the contents of the program notes of most live performances. The recording reviews do give an indication of why the author made the first picks he did and some indication of what other recordings are available. On individual recordings, about as informative as (say) the Penguin guide. There is a strong liking for old recordings and the singers one suspects of Boyden's youth, and of recent operas. Overall, it is a great deal of fun. One doesn't have to agree with it to learn from it and enjoy it.

I was very disappointed with this book. The author implies that his theories are based on Meyers-Briggs but the Meyers-Briggs type inventory is based on 16 personality types. What psychological principals Mr. Rye based his book on is a mystery.

I found "The Situation" examples more a work of fiction than of real life business problems. His motivational examples were repetitive and lacked insight into human behavior.

All in all, reading this book was irritating rather than helpful.

Although I'm only halfway into this book, I'm compelled to review it as I may not make it to the end. The book appears to be based on the Meyers-Briggs Personality Inventories. I've read and reviewed this well-known information several times in the past and have found it extremely useful, especially with respect to self-assessment. Mr. Rye's attempt to take the more complex Meyers-Briggs information and cyphon it into 4 distinct workplace personalities is an admirable and meaningful goal. The problem is, that while it serves as an excellent tool for the the reader (me) to understand his own personality type in the workplace, it has done little to help me identify the different personalities types of my subordinates. Just as the reader learns that he has a prodiminant personality trait with lesser traits of other types, so do his subordinates. It became increasingly difficult for me to identify the prodiminant personality types of the my subordinates. Mr. Rye's logical method of describing real and challenging work situations, and then precribing the correct remedies/approaches for the appropriate personality type of individual, just didn't work for me. The advise was good, except that I couldn't peg the majority of my employees into their prodiminant personality traits and thus apply the correct solution. The case-study situations themselves seemed to be a likely occurrence with only one or two of the possible personality types and therefore applying it to all four did not fit with my own experiences as a manager. However, if it does serve to help me better understand and resolve even a couple of employee situations (which it has already done), then it will have been worth the read. Each day of life teaches us to be better leaders, and this book will (to some degree) help me to recognize the lesson.

Beginning with a self-administered test and a discussion about understanding yourself in terms of four personality types, this book presents ways to motivate yourself and others, including your boss and folks outside of the company, under a variety of circumstances. The author addresses personality and situational challenges. Here is a book that provides you with very applied guidance and an abundance of ideas; the type of book that should stimulate your thinking and motivate you to action.

NetWare 5 CNA(SM)/CNE: Administration and Design Study Guide is a decent book about NetWare 5, but a study guide it is not.

If you have little or no prior experience with NetWare, don't even try to pass the Administration test by just studying this book. It skimps on a lot of important info that the test hits you hard on, and omits other things entirely (correct syntax for the command-line utilities FLAG, NDIR and FILER are a good example - the test can get pretty detailed on these).

Find a better study guide and supplement it with practice-testing software - CNEQUIZR [online] is a good one.

I must agree with the other reviewers. I have used other Sybex book and found them very helpful. This one however.......

If you have ALOT of experince with 4.11 and/or can set up a 5.0 network in your home, this MIGHT help. If not, it can cause you to fail the exam.

The book can leave you feeling overconfident, like me. I read the chapters, did the study review (both in the book and online) and did great with them. Today I took the test and FAILED! The book dose not prep you for the type of questions Novell asks nor the style of Novell testing - that freaked me out more then anything (it is not like Microsoft) and may have helped in my poor performance.

The book is a good overview of Netware 5.0, put that is all it is

I passed all three of these CNE exams after studying this book. (I have experience with NetWare 3 & 4 but not NetWare 5.) I agree with other reviewers that this book is not for novices; novices should take a live class or CBT not just read a book. The book is well organized and well written -- much better than the companion volume "Integrating Windows NT" by Scott Reeves. With a few small exceptions, it covers what you need to know to pass the exams. I have some problems with the relevance of Novell's test objectives to real-world networks: there is over-emphasis on ZEN-Works, too little about login scripts, a glib and unrealistic dismissal of Microsoft clients for NetWare, and excessive discussion about an imaginary Project Team lead by an "NDS Expert". But this is Novell's fault, not the book's. The major fault of the book is that the practice questions are much easier than those of the real exam, and are almost all multiple-choice even though the real exam is not.

well i am still reading it and it is really hard to understand but if anyones has allready read it can you pleas e mail mwe with the info on it so i will no twhat is happeninf thankyou my e mail address is jomama1661@hotmail.com

Catcher in the Rye is a book about a troubled teenager who is kicked out of another prep school. He leaves school early to have a little "vacation" before explaining to his parents that he failed yet again. It's a good book that is even better if you follow it with Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella

I would like to review the first fifty two pages

"Reflections on Blue Water" is an interesting book. It is not at all what I expected. Most travel book are a chronological account of a journey or an explicit description of a place. Alan Ross's book both, but is more a description of the author's state of mind at the time he visited the Bay of Naples and the Aeolian Islands. Alan Ross first visited the area after service in World War II. Part of his book contains his journals written during these travels. Fifty years later he once again travels to the Bay of Naples and the Aeolian Islands to see how things have changed. He brings with him a number of books written from, on, & about the area. The majority of the book is given over to an aged intellectual's "Reflections" on these books and the era they were written in. Like I said, not a typical travelogue. At first my expectations were disappointed. It took me a while to accept the book for what it was, but once I had I was richly rewarded. I will mine the list of authors Alan Ross quotes from and the books they wrote for quite some time. Near the end of the book we are treated to his 1948 journals and his return to the same locale in 1998. This portion of the book is the most like a traditional travelogue. It is also the most lyrical. Take this passage, written from Porto d'Ischia: "At night, the waterfront crushes out the day's heat on its stone transfer. The sea changes colour as you look at it; houses, losing their daytime stains, acquire a mellow bloom. Girls in the semi-dark become romantic, elusive creatures, turning from peasants into icons. Old age is becoming to the matriarchs on their doorsteps. Every so often a boat slips out, its powerful lamp probing the sea. Lighted windows outline the silhouettes of men playing scopa, the card game that is a day-long ritual of fierce intensity, no laughing matter. Women cool off on steps, worn beauties replete in their seasons." If you are looking for stories and narrative, this is not the book for you. If you are looking for a deeper understanding of the local history, culture & people, this is not the book for you. If you are, on the other hand, interested in the perceptions and preoccupations of a wide variety of visitors, fugitives, and ex-pats, followed by an exquisitely lyrical journal, then by all means read "Reflections on Blue Water."

As a Neapolitan who lives abroad I have deeply appreciated the exquisite description of that part of the world, and I must admit that the author has remarkably fixed both the beauty of the land and the main features of the people who are so lucky to live in it. Even though at the beginning he seems more interested in the analysis of the work of the artists who lived in those islands, he cannot help to be drawn back to the pure contemplation of the landscape that,through his words, becomes poetry. The second part of the book starting with the description of Ischia is the best expression of his lyrism. Finally he leaves the torments of the people who inhabited the places, but who seem to have never really belonged to them, and he focus on the images soothing the reader's soul with the warmth of the sun, the power of nature, the energy of the sea. As in the quoted "Voyage en Italie" by Chateaubriand it is like looking at Haven from Hell. His deep thoughts and sometimes heavy reasonings find their perfect scenario in the beauty of the Tyrrenian Sea. The book takes time to be read, also because a few paragraphs must be read more than once to retain every detail of the description, but when it is over the readers are left with a smile on their face and the heart full of melacholy for not being in such an haven for real.

Colorado's Guide to Deer hunting is fairly good to get some ideas on where to start for some one who has never hunted colorado. However this book does not contain a lot of information. It does give some information on a few public hunting areas. But it fails to mention that in some of these "public areas" that permison is needed first to hunt the areas. In the books inability to mention this it also leaves out any contact information to find out about the areas. This book is out dated. Some of the information in it is not up to date with current regulations. It does touch on some of the very basics for hunting big game speceis but that is it the basics. It is a very vague book and could use a lot mor info put into it. It does not so much "guide" you as point you in a general derection.

This was a very interesting book. It starts off in the same way it finishes. There's only two catches though- it has no climax and it has rather heavy language throughout. In a way the main character,Holden Caulfield, is just writing another English report about what happened to him on Christmas vacation. I enjoyed it on the most part because it gave an insight in what he was thinking more so than what he did. Like he kept thinking about his old girlfriend Jane, but she never actually enters the story. I think the point I got out of the book is people aren't real. They try to put off that they're somebody else and unless you can read their mind, you'll never know who they really are. All in all, this was definitley a book worth reading, I guess that is why it made it pretty big. That or it's because the cussing.

While the historical half of this book is well-written and interesting, be forewarned that the section containing genealogy of Rye families is riddled with errors, and any information you take from that source should be verified elsewhere.