I think this book should be made into a movie. I can see it reaching out to kids and adult victims who might be experimenting with drugs and crime. As a movie, Appleton's characters would be unforgetable and hypnotic. Just reading the words I can't get some of them out of my head. I would pay to see the movie, just like I paid to read the book. Ron F.

I have never read a book anything like this! I could not stop thinking about it when I was a work. Now I cant stop talking about it! What a strange world we live in. You never know who your friends are. You never know who your enemies are either. I don't see people the same anymore. I suspect that most anyone might be a victim or a criminal. I am glad I read this one!!!

Last week, I read Robert Appleton's RUNNING OUT OF ROAD and was quite favorably impressed. A powerful insight into the drug-infused underbelly of society that so many of us are silently aware of, but pretty much tune out of our conscious awareness. Since then, this book has had me all aflutter trying to figure out how much is Appleton's experiences, how much the real experiences of people he knew, how much third-hand cell block stories, and how much originated in the fertile mind of Mr. Appleton.

That I've spent a little over a week in this state trying to sort it out before asking, reflects well on Appleton's skill as a storyteller and integrator. But I did ask, and the charismatic Mr. Appleton assured me via e-mail that the entire book is autobiographical. He was Daniel Logan. He lived through it all.

Much of this book had an impact on me quite similar to that pounded in by my first reading of Golding's BOYS AND GIRLS TOGETHER or first seeing the movie THE DETECTIVE--both during my extremely naive and impressionable youth. Each of those works drove home the *VERY REAL* existence of an extensive sub-culture that exists *around* my world--rather than within it.

Such realization is always a soul-searching shock. Nothing has had such an eye-opening impact upon my perception of the way the world works, since my early college days. The big difference between the earlier shocks and today is, this time I *KNEW* (intellectually) everything that Appleton was saying--but hadn't *experienced* it close enough to FEEL it. Now, having vicariously lived through the nightmare of the drug-crime culture in a graphically vivid manner, I can't walk the streets of downtown, or drive the "neighborhoods" without looking at the FACES under the generic uniforms of survival and wondering about the person inside--and their own sad story.

Hollywood doesn't make movies like this--and they should. RUNNING OUT OF ROAD could redefine the Film Noir genre for years to come.

...

This is definitely one of the best books I have ever read, a story about love, war, tragedy, honour, courage - you name it this book has it. The book is so interwoven, a truly marvelous tale, the characters will always be with me (I know that sounds kinda sad but read the book and you will see what I mean). Beware however this is only book 1, and you do need both books to complete the story. Buy book 1 and you will be desperate to get your hands on book 2.

This is a story that takes us through the lives of two young people. One is a fearsome warrior from a secretive monk caste who is born from a Mongolian father and a Japanese mother. His growth throughout the story, with having to deal with the struggles of not fitting into a discriminating Japanese culture, allows us to readily identify with him. The other character is a very young girl who is to be sent away from home to meet her husband, prior to her prearranged marriage. From there on it is a tale of Combat, Love, and Friendship against the backdrop of Feudal Japan during a war of the clans. The tides of war and betrayal then take our subjects to China during the invasion of the Mongols, and then back to Japan under the newly proclaimed Shogun, preparing to face the Mongol Hordes. If you are considering reading this series, stop considering and get it. You will want to reread them over and over. Monks, Samurai, and Mongols ... what else is there to say.

One wouldn't think of a book like this to be the life-changing kind. But it can be. I read this books a few years ago, getting a copy in the strangest of ways. I read the first book and loved it. But this one is something else. Little I would know that I'd find myself on a trip to India and learning japanese fencing and solving Zen koans inspired partly by it. A very impressive close to the story, and I certainly regret there is no third installment on the series, for it would make a hell of a story. Historic timeline is sharply set aside, but it takes a history freak to check all the details out, so most people won't notice. Even better than the first, and the emphasis on spiritual experiences and growth is more marked in this book. The end is majestic and adequate to a marvelous saga. I almost hope to find a reference to a wandering japanese monk in Shea's next series: Saracen. It wouldn't be too hard.

This book is a very comprehensive account of the discovery of a revolutionary drug to treat breast cancer. Very pleasant to read, the author guides you through the process which goes from discovering the drug almost by chance, making the trials (from a very human point of view) to the final approval of the drug. If you want to read a very enjoyable book about science, drug development, Phase III trials and human hope, don not look further....

I wish I had read this book last year. I ordered while my sister was being treated with Herceptin for a recurrence of breast cancer. Unfortunately, she died before I could get the book.

This book give real insight into the politics of cancer treatment - the passiveness of some oncologists, how an executive's own personal experience with a disease can determine if drug development will go forward or not, and how women are becoming more aggressive in monitoring their own treatment.

Bazell talks about the frustrations of critically ill and dying women in trying to work through the medical, academic and managed care maze to get the treatment they need.

This drug has been the 'magic bullet' for many women. It has been called the start of a new era is disease treatment. It is essential for anyone involved in this disease to read this book, to understand what they are up against and how they can help themselves.

A heart breaking and powerful book about the women and scientists who are pioneers in the fight to cure breast cancer. One of the first compelling and accessible books about how scientific progress influences our lives. It's an important book, one which I recommend to any woman or any person who has dealt with this devastating disease. I was reminded of "The Band Played On" which also showed the workings of a health crisis from a human perspective. Robert Bazell has written a beautiful and important book. I couldn't put it down.

Continual improvement is the key to survival in today's business climate, and as companies like GE and Motorola have proven, Six Sigma is a useful tool for ingraining the quest for perfection in an organization. After reading The Six Sigma Way, you'll probably be ready to jump out of your chair and immediately follow in these companies' footsteps by launching a Six Sigma initiative of your own. The authors, three consultants who teach firms to implement Six Sigma efforts, convincingly extol the money-saving and efficiency-enhancing virtues of the holistic approach. This book offers a lot of jargon and complex concepts, but the material is presented in easily understood charts and lists, and there are plenty of concrete examples. We [...] recommend The Six Sigma Way to managers who have heard wondrous tales of Six Sigma, but would like a more down-to-earth explanation of how it can be used and the benefits it offers.

Over the years, I have worked with dozens of small-to-midsize companies, all of which were in dire need of improving one or more of the following: cost reduction, culture change, customer retention, cycle-time reduction, defect reduction, market-share growth, productivity improvement, and product-service development. You can thus understand why I was curious to know to what extent (if any) Six Sigma could be helpful to small-to-midsize companies.

By now we have become well aware of the success of Six Sigma initiatives at major international corporations such as ABB, Allied Signal/Honeywell, Black & Decker, Dow Chemical, Dupont, Federal Express, General Electric, Johnson and Johnson, Kodak, Motorola, SONY, and Toshiba. Once having read this book, I am convinced that -- with certain modifications -- Six Sigma could perhaps be even more valuable to small-to-midsize companies which, obviously, have fewer resources. What exactly is Six Sigma? The authors provide this definition: "A comprehensive and flexible system for achieving, sustaining, and maximizing business success. Six Sigma is uniquely driven by close understanding of consumer needs, disciplined use of facts, data, and statistical analysis, and diligent attention to managing, improving, and reinventing business processes."

The authors identify what they call "hidden truths" about Six Sigma:

1. You can apply Six Sigma to many different business activities and challenges -- from strategic planning to operations to customer service -- and maximize the impact of your efforts.

2. The benefits of Six Sigma will be accessible whether you lead an entire organization or a department. Moreover, you'll be able to scale your efforts, from tackling specific problems to renewing the entire business.

3. You'll be prepared to achieve breakthroughs in these untapped gold mines of opportunity -- and to broaden Six Sigma beyond the realm of the engineering community.

4. You'll gain insights into how to strike the balance between push and pull -- accommodating people and demanding performance. That balance is where real sustained improvement is found. On either side -- being "too nice" or forcing people beyond their understanding and readiness -- lie merely short-term goals or no results at all.

5. The good news is, Six Sigma is a lot more fun than root canal. Seriously, the significant financial gains from Six Sigma may be exceeded in value by the intangible benefits. In fact, the changes in attitude and enthusiasm that come from improved processes and better-informed people are often easier to observe, and more emotionally rewarding than dollar savings.

The authors organize their material as follows: Part One: An Executive Summary of Six Sigma; Part Two: Gearing Up and Adapting Six Sigma to Your Organization; Part Three: Implementing Six Sigma -- The Roadmap and Tools; and finally, The Appendices: Practical Support. According to Jack Welch, "The best Six Sigma projects begin not inside the business but outside it, focused on answering the question -- how can we make the customer more competitive? What is critical to the customer's success?...One thing we have discovered with certainty is that anything we do that makes the customer more successful inevitably results in a financial return for us."

If anything, it is even more important for small-to-midsize companies (than it is for the GEs of the world) to answer these two questions correctly and then track and compare their performance in terms of what their customers require. The well-publicized objective of Six Sigma is to achieve practically-perfect quality of performance (ie 3.4 defects for every million activities or "opportunities") and this is indeed an ambitious objective. Collins and Porras, authors of Built to Last, would probably view it as the biggest of Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs). In that book, they assert that the most successful and admired companies have the ability -- and willingness -- to simultaneously adopt two seemingly contrary objectives at the same time. Stability and renewal, Big Picture and minute detail, creativity and rational analysis -- these forces, working together,, make organizations great. This "we can do it all" approach they call the "Genius of the And."

Pande, Neuman, and Cavanagh suggest that all manner of specific benefits can result from following "the Six Sigma way." For example, Six Sigma generates sustained success, sets a performance goal for everyone, enhances value to customers, accelerates the rate of improvement, promotes learning and "cross-pollination", and executes strategic change. All organizations (regardless of their size or nature) need to avoid or escape what the authors refer to as the "Tyranny of Or." Here in a single volume is about all they need to seek "practically-perfect quality of performance." Whether or not they ultimately reach that destination, their journey en route is certain to achieve improvement which would otherwise not be possible.

If you're looking for the definative guide to Six Sigma, you've just found it. From fundamentals to advanced program management, its all here. I first read Pande and Holpp's little 87-page book "What is Six Sigma." The impressive guide convinced me that I needed to pick up a copy of their "The Six Sigma Way." I'm really glad that I did. As a management consultant, I can say without reservation that the ideas expressed in this book are applicable to almost every manager -- regardless of whether or not they are currently involved in a formal Six Sigma program. In addition to enhancing quality, the Six Sigma framework is very useful in identifying and removing irrelevant processes from your product or service operations. Saving your Company both time and money... and freeing up your employees for more value-added work. In addition, I would also recommend Hammer and Champy's "Reengineering the Corporation" and Ashkenas, Kerr, and Ulrich's "The GE Work-Out." Overall Grade: B+/A.

I love Ringer's books. Though I've never met the man, over the years I have come to regard him as a kind of trusted advisor.

When I screw up (and that happens a lot) I can always pick up "Looking Out For #1", Ringer's previous book, and see why. Invariably, the cause of my failures can be easily traced to my lack of adherence to the "Universal Truths" found in Ringer's books.

These "Universal Truths", however, are found in just about every other book on success ever written. What makes Ringer special, then, is his humorous, no b.s. style of writing. He goes out of his way to relate his own failures in life--something few success authors do--with such self-effacing humor that you won't mind when he slaps you in the face to point out where you need improvement.

With "Million Dollar Habits" Ringer somewhat rehashes his earlier material--thus the four stars. He uses the time-tested technique of all successful authors in fluffing up a spin-off to his earlier works. Indeed, you will find that "Million Dollar Habits" feels surprisingly familiar to "Looking Out For #1", and it is.

Nevertheless, I will likely buy and read just about anything Ringer publishes. I need to hear what he has to say from time to time. We all do.

I've read a lot of books on success, and they all say basically the same thing: Have a goal, keep a good attitude, work hard. But reading it isn't enough. Some fundamentals have to be constantly reinforced. Ringer presents ten basic principles for success and presents them well. He adds a couple of important principles many writers neglect, like how to deal with people who drain you of your enthusiasm.

It is easy reading, and will reinforce your commitment to doing the fundamentals. Sometimes you just have to hear something one more time to make it stick. I'm the author of the book, Self-Help Stuff That Works, and I am an expert on effective self-help material. Million Dollar Habits fits the bill. Definitely worth reading.

Starting in 1983, I read every success manual I could get my hands on. Think and Grow Rich. How To Get Control of Your TIme and Your Life. Laws of Success. But my life never permanently changed and I couldn't figure out why. Then, about a year ago (2000)I reached a low point and started making some real changes. The way I saw things in my life, in other people, got away from people who sucked the life out of me, etc. Things have continued to get better and better than ever! As I reflected on why my life started to change, I came across my old yellow copy of "Million Dollar Habits." (Complete with stuff written in the margins that I can't even relate to anymore!) As I read through the table of contents and began re-reading the book, I realized what I did last year was I started living each and every habit listed in the book! Now, I am buying myself a new copy and rereading it again. I am also giving it to my teenage daughter for her birthday and my best friend. If you read, believe and put into practice each and every habit (the order in which they are given is not random, it is the order of importance) you will be amazed at the changes that take place in your life. This book should be taught in every school.

Some enterprising publisher of lapsed titles--perhaps Dalkey Archives or someplace similar--should publish a new edition posthaste. "The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters" is a walloping good read, full of excitement, humor, and vivid characters. In places it reads as if Mark Twain and Henry Fielding had put their heads together for a collaboration. Robert Lewis Taylor wrote several books about teenage boys coming of age on the frontier, but "Jaimie McPheeters" was the first and by far the best.

This is a touching, funny epic story of a boy's travels across the Wild West. It has remained on my personal list of favorite books since I first read it nearly 20 years ago. I promise I will buy the first fifty reissued copies to give as gifts.....men, women, young and old would love it. But don't take my word for it; it won a Pulitzer!

I was fortunate to stumble across this book in our local used bookstore. My children and I read it together and absolutely loved it. The children think it is much better than any of the books their schools have required them to read. It is exciting, insightful, educational, and mostly just fun. Read this book!

According to C. S. Lewis, this book is intended as a preliminary to historical inquiry. It does not, therefore, examine the historical evidence for Christian miracles, but is intended to put readers in a position to do so. Lewis states: "It is no use going to the texts until we have some idea about the possibility or probability of the miraculous. Those who assume that miracles cannot happen are merely wasting their time by looking into the texts: we know in advance what results they will find for they have begun by begging the question." In his appeal to the "common reader" and not specifically to theologians, Lewis defines a miracle broadly as "an interference with Nature by supernatural power." This distinction between the natural and supernatural is presupposed and posited up front because Naturalists, according to Lewis, believe that nothing exists except Nature (Nature is considered "the whole show," the "Total System," etc.) which, if true, rules out the possibility of the supernatural. Nature is considered by Lewis, and Supernaturalists in general, as a partial system within reality, not Reality itself. It is a created thing (abstractly speaking), not the self-existent Creator. Lewis argues by analogy and uses human reason and morality as examples of the supernatural that are distinct from Nature. In fact, Lewis argues that humans, as compositions of the natural and supernatural, intervene in Nature by supernatural acts (which he considers self-determined acts not caused by another in some inevitable causal chain). But he admits (see Chapter 6) that such acts are not what many equate with "miracles" since they are both familiar and regular (not to mention humanly caused). Therefore, he ends Chapter 6 by saying in effect that the rest of the book will concern itself with miracles as special divine interventions. For Lewis, the cardinal difficulty with Naturalism is the existence of human reason and its thoughts which can be either true or false, unlike events in general which are not "about" anything and therefore cannot be true or false. According to Lewis, the Naturalist believes that reason, sentience, and life itself are late comers in an historical, evolutionary process that was not DESIGNED to produce a mental behavior that can find truth (including moral truth). Therefore, Naturalism doesn't adequately explain the existence of reason (and morality). For theism, on the other hand, reason (divine reason) is before Nature and our own concept of Nature depends on reason. Later, in Chapter 13, Lewis argues that theism ratifies faith in the scientific principle of uniformity [which is used by some, like David Hume, to argue against miracles], but disallows making uniformity absolute. But if Naturalism is true, then we have no reason to trust our conviction that Nature is uniform in any sense (general or absolute). In Chapters 14 - 16, Lewis tries to present the central miracles of the Christian Faith in such a way as to exhibit their "fitness" into Nature w/o setting forth any abstract conditions which "fitness" must satisfy because "our sense of fitness is too delicate and elusive". By "fitness" Lewis means their historical probability [i.e., compatibility w/ Nature] which he distinguishes from the "antecedent probability of chances" [i.e., mathematical probability]. In Chapters 7 & 8, Lewis responds to objections that Nature doesn't allow miracles. In Chapter 8 he points out that the laws of Nature don't cause anything because "every law, in the last resort, says 'If you have A, then you will get B.' But first catch your A: the laws won't do it for you." This allows for "supernatural" causation, human or divine. In Chapter 10, Lewis addresses language as it relates to thought and points out that clear thinking is distinct from imagination in general and metaphor in particular which are used both in scripture and common discourse when discussing metaphysical things (like God and his activity). Chapter 11 addresses pantheism [a special type of idealistic naturalism distinct from the atheistic materialism which is Lewis's main focus] and points out some of its problems. Here Lewis states that God is concrete and individual; he is a particular Thing, not an abstract "universal being" [distinct from omnipresence] which would rule out the possibility of creation because "a generality can make nothing".

Although Lewis discusses some relevant issues regarding miracles in general (and New Testament ones in particular) and their compatibility with Nature, he does strangely relegate at least some Old Testament miracles to the realm of myth which is partly due to his unique view that in Christ myth became history. For a critical analysis of Lewis' view, see Norman Geisler's chapter on Lewis titled "Christian Humanism" in his book "Is Man the Measure?" For a more recent systematic analysis of miracles that relies heavily on Lewis, see Geisler's "Miracles and the Modern Mind" (OP) and "In Defense of Miracles," edited by Geivett and Habermas. Also, see Collins's "The God of Miracles" which notably points out that some Christians have negatively reviewed Lewis's book because they think Lewis was operating with a defective understanding of "nature" and divine action [note: pantheists and panentheists would also affirm this]. Collins addresses these other positions within Christianity which differ from the "supernaturalism" of Lewis, Geisler and Collins himself. Also, Lewis doesn't address whether miracles are applicable today and, if so, to what extent. Other books such as "Are Miraculous Gifts for Today?," edited by Wayne Grudem address this issue.

This book by CS Lewis was probably his most philosophical work. As such, it is not a light read at all and would probably prove difficult for beginners who have not been exposed to heavily philosophical material. But for those who want a highly intellectual philosophical discussion of the possibility of miracles, this book is certainly worthy of one's attention.

There are a number of strengths to this book which continue to make the book solidly relevant better than forty years after the revised edition came out. Lewis cuts to the heart of the matter very quickly in asserting that rejection of miracles apriori is a common attitude that at its core, is anti-intellectual. Attempts to base rejection of miracles on probabilities, as Hume tried to do, are philosophically untenable and require a betrayal of basic realities that are universally accepted.

Lewis then systematically dismantles the worldview that tends to most cradle apriori miracle rejection, naturalism. He compellingly shows that naturalism is a worldview that cannot stand up to philosophical scrutiny. Key to Lewis's presentation is his argument that naturalism can be demonstrated to be false in its complete rejection of supernaturalism merely by the reality of reason. Logic and reason of the mind, by themselves, are supernatural acts that cannot be explained or accounted for in nature, as naturalism demands. Supernaturalism, according to Lewis is not only possible, but pervasive since the act of logical thinking itself is supernatural in origin.

Lewis then eloquently argues that the relationship between nature and the supernatural are not hostile, but complementary. In Lewis's view, nature is quite pliable to accommodate and assimilate supernatural acts in ways that do not bring the kind of chaos and randomness that many naturalists believe to be reprehensible relative to the 'invasion' of nature by alleged supernatural acts. Lewis persuasively demonstrates that this concern is bogus.

Once the reality, possibility, and plausibility of miracles has been established philosophically, Lewis moves to classifying the Biblical miracles as either old creation or new creation miracles. Here, readers might be a bit disappointed by the presentation. Those looking for an evidential defense of miracles in general or any specific miracle in particular will not find it here. This is a philosophical presentation that is chiefly concerned with whether miracles are possible and/or probable. It is not an evidential defense of the possibility of any specific miracle. Lewis's central point is that human beings are disinclined towards believing in the inherent possibility of miracles for reasons that are not intellectually honest and calls for a fresh reappraisal of the possibility of miracles with a fresh attitude of open mindedness and a sincere commitment to soberly seek the truth absent bias. On this point, he does very well.

I noted that I thought the book deserved 4.5 stars rather than a full blown 5 stars. There are two main reasons why this is. First, his discussion of the Incarnation, while fascinating, was mostly off topic. The focus of Lewis's discussion was not on the miraculous nature of the Incarnation, but on its meaning to the believer and its relationship to nature. The discussion is good, but in a book on miracles, I found it to be misplaced. Second, and perhaps more crucial, is that Lewis succumbs to the very ad hoc skepticism that he argues so passionately against. Without elaboration, Lewis introduces the idea of 'Hebrew mythology' as being behind at least some of the miracles described in the Old Testament (Jonah and the whale being one). Why Lewis believes that some Biblical miracles are genuine while others are mythological is something he doesn't discuss. But the reader gets the sense that by taking this position, Lewis is caving in to the very kind of apriori rejection he repeatedly and rightly condemns throughout the book. Lewis's central argument is therefore undermined by his own unwarranted and unexplained backtracking from his own position.

But because this slip of reason is confined to only one or two paragraphs of the book, it is a weakness that while noteworthy and unfortunate, is not fatal to his argument. One who remains skeptical about the viability of miracles should consider that Lewis revised this book back in 1960 (in response to the arguments of Anscombe) and to date, there has been no compelling rebuttal to its tenets. Attempts to erect a solid rebuttal have been presented and then systematically refuted as erroneous and mostly illogical. As a result, this book has stood the test of time and remains a compelling argument that should provide great comfort and assurance to those who believe the Biblical miracles on faith, but wonder whether this belief can also be grounded in reason and philosophical argument. It can, and we should expect nothing less from the Creator who not only created nature and supernaturally intervenes in nature, but who also created perfect logic and reason.

Not the best place to start if you don't consider yourself to be a first-rate thinker (Lewis' own _Mere Christianity_ offers some of the same arguments on an easier-to-digest level)... but if you're up to the challenge, I cannot recommend a stronger argument in favor of a fully supernatural Christian philosophy. NOT an attempt to explain the whole thing away as an allegory, as many so-called "apologists" do. NOT an attempt to use the Bible as a starting place, as many so-called "apologists" do. Lewis begins with only one assumption--one that every thinker uses for every theory ever attempted on any subject--and from that position carefully weaves the most detailed and skillful argument in my experience showing the existence and character of God. An extremely challenging book, especially for sceptics of Christianity, but one which they owe themselves to read (if nothing else, it will increase their faith in their own position and strengthen their mental habits!) This is the book which got me through college; and, next to the Bible itself, the most important book I've ever read. Note: if possible, order an edition printed after 1960, as the late 1940s edition contains a few logical errors which were later corrected. If you need help understanding the book or its arguments, feel free to e-mail me at the address above (flamemail, though, will be promptly deleted... honest criticisms will be attended to.) Good books to read after completing _M:aPS_... the New Testament itself (New American Standard or New International Version is probably best); Lewis' _Mere Christianity_; and then Lewis' _The Problem of Pain_.

Casino consultant Tony Valentine is trying out a new life, with a new woman--a professional wrestler. When his girlfriend admits she's been lying to him about contacts with her ex-husband, Valentine heads back to Miami and his business. And business is good. Con men and thiefs around the world are ripping off casinos, generally with inside help. One job, in an American Indian casino is practically local and Valentine agrees to take it. Things escalate quickly when Valentine is attacked by aligators who somehow made it into his car.

Author James Swain knows his gambling business. Following Valentine around lets the reader know about the way gamblers work and how the cons run. And there is a con being run--a huge one that mobster Rico Blanco has been running. He doesn't need Valentine cutting into his action.

The con is clever and sophisticated and the aging and widowered Valentine makes a sympathetic protagonist. The problems in his love life and with his semi-crooked son let the reader sympathize with his sometimes abrupt and angry actions. Hooker Candy Hart and Valentine's neighbor, Mabel add interest to an already fascinating story.

SUCKER BET hooks the reader, then reels him in. I found the conclusion a little confusing--exactly who hit whom--but that didn't stop me from seriously enjoying this novel. Now, if I can just get my sandpaper and head for the nearest casino...

I have to admit that I set out wanting to like this book, as the previous two in the Tony Valentine series, Grift Sense and Funny Money, were both winners. But Swain has really hit his stride with his 3rd outing. I think the best review I could give would be a direct quote from the book's cover, and it comes from none other than Michael Connelly: "Wow, what a discovery! James Swain is the best new writer I have come across in a long, long time. Sucker Bet is wonderful. It snaps with the gritty feel of the truth. Swain has carefully added all of the ingredients: tragedy, humor, action and, most of all, a cast of characters that would make Elmore Leonard's mouth water." Grab this one, you won't be disappointed.

Elmore Leonard has nothing on Jim Swain: who else could mix in card hustlers, Indian gaming, a boozed-up English rock star, the Mafia, a pyschopathic killer who lives in the swamp,a couple of alligators ,an empathic chimp, as well as a few love stories, set them down in hot, simmering Florida and let them stew?

The action starts at page one and doesn't let up. Along the way we learn a little about Indian gaming laws, catch up on Tony Valentine's somewhat complicated personal life (being a retired widowed cop isn't easy with a romantically inclined neighbor and a ne'er-do-well son with an affinity for law-breaking), as well as his burgeoning business as consultant to casino security officers, and get tutored in the fine art of card counting at blackjack.

Swain manages to capture Florida perfectly ( no surprise - he's lived there for over twenty years) and can second-deal with the best. (He's also one of the best close-up deck technicians in the world.) He knows how to force a card without forcing the plot, and he keeps us guessing to the end of the book. Just when you think you've spotted your deuce, Swain turns it into an ace.

This is the third of the Tony Valentine novels, featuring a retired New Jersey, no-nonsense detective who kept things honest in Atlantic City. Tony is a straight-and-narrow guy who wears clothes that don't go out of style, just like his old-fashioned ethics. His car isn't fancy, but it runs and gets the job done. Just like its driver.

Sucker Bet was a treat.

"Hamburgers, Mr. Beauregard?"

It was about time I read "Tom Jones." Fielding's 1749 novel gives us a panoramic view of 18th century British life. Its titular hero journeys among the low- and high-born trying to find his way in a world in which he occupies a precarious position. Fielding uses the sprawl of 800 pages to explore a multitude of social, political, and literary issues, gluing them together with an exquisitely outlandish, fully embodied sense of humour.

The action of the novel begins with a view of the Allworthy family, a landed gentleman, Thomas Allworthy and his sister, Bridget. Into this family is dropped an orphan, a foundling - a child, if you will, of questionable parentage. This child, Tom Jones, is raised alongside Bridget's child, Blifil, as relative equals. Both are tutored by two ideologues, the philosopher Square and the theologian Thwackum. Jones is a precocious, free-spirited youngster, spoiled by Allworthy while Blifil, the heir apparent to the estate, becomes the favourite pupil and spoiled accordingly by his mother. As the two youths age, Tom develops a fondness for the neighbour's daughter, Sophia Western.

Tom's sexual development begins to get him in trouble, as it tends to throughout the novel, and as a result of one such incident, coupled with the goading jealousy of Blifil, Tom is driven out of the Allworthy home, left to seek his fortunes in the world. Meeting his supposed father, Partridge, on the road, the two begin a quixotic ramble across England. Sophia, meanwhile, pressured into marrying Blifil, runs away from home, beginning her own voyage of discovery.

"Tom Jones" begins with the narrator likening literature to a meal, in which the paying customer comes expecting to be entertained and satisfied. All 18 books of "Tom Jones" start out with such authorial intrusions, each cluing us into the writer's craft, his interactions with his public, and various other topics. This voice is actually sustained throughout the novel, providing a supposedly impartial centre of moral value judgments - each of which seems to tend toward enforce Fielding's project of a realistic, and yet, didactic portrayal of a world full of flawed characters.

Some of the issues the novel deals most extensively with are modes of exchange, anxieties over female agency, and the power of rumour and reputation. Exchange and the ways in which value is figured include a wide range of goods - money, bodies, food, and stories - and are integral to the story. The treatment of women is a great concern in "Tom Jones": from Partridge's perpetual fear of witchcraft to the raging arguments between Squire Western and his sister over how Sophia should be treated, to general concerns about sexuality and virtue. A novel that can be in turns hilarious, disturbing, and provoking, "Tom Jones" is never dull. Despite its size, the pace of the novel is extremely fast and lively. So, get thee to a superstore and obtain thyself a copy of this excellent and highly entertaining novel.

Journey with a guy with much testosterone, but a HUGE heart. I was not looking forward to reading this book for my 18th Century British novel class, but upon starting to read I found it to be a pleasurable story. This piqaresque novel has a humor that I have seldom encountered in other narratives. What is ironic is that Fielding wrote this piece during one of the most traumatic periods of his life. His wife just passed away, his daughter was dying, and he was inflicted with the gout. One would never think it from the clever way the book is written. The point of view gives us an in so that we feel as if we ourselves have roles in the storyline. Rooting all the way for Tom despite his flaws, we find out more about human nature along the way. A good read, light a candle and sit down with some wine like they would've and enjoy this classic comical delight.

Tom Jones is probably one of the greatest novels in all of English literature. I imagine some might be put off by the length and by its designation as a classic (something which Mark Twain said was frequently praised and rarely read). Tom Jones does not deserve to be ignored since it is a riotous rollercoster of a book filled with comic vignettes and blows against the self-satisfied and pompous. It is a book that not only is instructional, but is considerate enough to give the reader a good time while doing so.

Though frequently termed an immoral book, Tom Jones holds up rather well in the early 21st century. Even Fielding's comic characters seem to have a dimension often lacking in 18th and 19th century novels. Fielding is a genius.