Talking to Richard, Gary Sherbell, Neshui Publishing, 2000
A Man Called Stan, Jay, iUniverse Inc, 2003
50 Things You're Not Supposed to Know, Russ Kick (ed.), The Disinformation Company Ltd, 2003
Ill Met by Moonlight, Sarah A. Hoyt, Ace Books, 2001
The Executive, Arnold Hano, Signet, 1964
War is a Racket, Smedley D. Butler, Feral House, 2003
Zen Computer, Philip Toshio Sudo, Fireside Books, 1999
Lines in the Sand: New Writing on War and Peace, Mary Hoffman and Rhiannon Lassiter, The Disinformation Company Ltd, 2003
Looking for the Summer, Robert W. Norris, Jacobyte Books, 2000
The Diaries of Emily Saidouili, Bettye Hammer Givens, Paris American Academy Press, 2001
Wolf's Rite, Terry Persun, Russell Dean and Company, 2003
One can imagine the problems this can cause. The two come to an agreement, where Rankin stays quiet during the day, while Goren is at work. Rankin knows the priestess who did this, but refuses to take Goren to her until he gets a chance to properly say goodbye to his family. Meantime, Goren has several sexual opportunities with other women. When Rankin cooperates, the sex for her is mindblowing. Later, the two have a test of wills. When Rankin doesn't cooperate, the results are disastrous.
Rankin and Goren show Rankin's widow, Jane, everything, and the two have a final farewell of their own, with Goren in the background. Anne, Rankin's estranged daughter from his first marriage, eventually agrees to see Goren. She happens to be gorgeous, and Goren falls head over heels in love with her. But Rankin refuses to, in effect, have sex with his own daughter. Eventually, Rankin makes his peace with Anne (by tape recording) and takes Goren to the voodoo priestess to get the curse undone.
Get past the bizarre central premise, and this is quite a book. It's easy to read, and it's got something to say, including about liberal politics and the American justice system. For those who are not squeamish about sex and talking body parts, this is recommended.
A Man Called Stan, Jay, iUniverse Inc, 2003 This book tells the life story of an average person named Stan. Told in seemingly random pieces, he experiences turbulent and quiet periods, as if he was traveling down a river. In one section, Stan is heading to work,a nameless corporate sort of job that he hates. There is a new receptionist, a beautiful young woman named Anne. Stan eventually gets up the guts to talk to her. He asks her out on a picnic, but sleeps late on the day in question. Stan is able to redeem himself. One day, Stan sees Anne run into the arms of a handsome gentleman. Stan gets very depressed, and heads to a local bar for some serious drinking. Having a lifelong love affair with liquor, at a time like this, Stan doesn't settle for getting just drunk. Stan goes for extreme, record setting, waking up face down in the gutter, drunk. Stan doesn't talk to Anne for several days, until she tells him that the handsome gentleman is her brother. In another section, Stan, as a 14-year-old, and Fred, his lifelong buddy, sneak into an adult party, where Stan starts his relationship with liquor. Stan also receives his first sexual experience, courtesy of Fred's mother. Stan's children and grandchildren take him from his nursing home (where he has been living since Anne, his wife, died) for a picnic in the park. Instead of bringing along Harvey, his drinking buddy, Stan brings along Wanda, a fellow resident. Her family doesn't visit her, even though they live close enough to visit. Later, at the nursing home, Stan goes off by himself for a once a year ritual. He looks through a small photo album containing pictures of Anne, and their life together. Through it all, Stan looks for meaning in his life, his place in the universe. He gets it at the end of the book, when all his friends have died, and Stan knows that his time is coming very soon. I loved this book. Told in a very deadpan, third person style, with just a touch of strange, it's very easy to read, and easy to identify with. The reader will hate to see it end, just as I did.
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50 Things You're Not Supposed to Know, Russ Kick (ed.), The Disinformation Company Ltd, 2003 Are you being kept in the dark about the world around you? Do you feel that there things the government and media won't tell you, but you can't quite put it into words? This is the book for you. Written in bite-size chunks, this book presents a number of things not told to the public. What the world knows as the Ten Commandments are not what Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai on those stone tablets (read Exodus Chapters 20 and 34). The police are not legally obligated to protect citizens. The government can take your house and land, and then sell them to private corporations. According to the auto industry, 90% of SUV drivers are insecure and selfish. Almost 90% of American cows contain a cancer-causing microbe called bovine leukemia virus. In America, prescription drugs, even when used properly, kill over 100,000 people per year, making it the fourth leading cause of death. The CIA commits over 100,000 serious crimes yearly. The US Government vastly overstates the number of terrorism convictions it obtains each year. In 1961, two atomic bombs were accidentally dropped on North Carolina when their plane disintegrated in midair. One of the bombs was found; the other is still missing. The government's own reports show that both bombs had 4 separate arming devices; 3 of them had been activated. Kent State was not the only, let alone the first, massacre of college students during the Vietnam War. The tattoo at Auschwitz was originally an IBM code number. Many of the first feminists, like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, were prolife. Juries are allowed to judge the law, not just the facts. According to the Supreme Court, it's legal for a person to ingest any drug, especially if they are an addict. Last but not least, what were you doing on January 25, 1995? On that day, the world came within minutes of World War III. This small, but mighty, book easily reaches the level of Wow. There are references in the back of the book so the reader can do their own investigating. It's easy to read and very eye-opening. On several different levels, this book is very highly recommended.
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Ill Met by Moonlight, Sarah A. Hoyt, Ace Books, 2001 One day, a young William Shakespeare comes home from his teaching job to find his wife, Nan, and infant daughter, Susanna, missing. Stick figures have been left in their beds, which means that they haven't just left, they've been kidnapped by elves. Having no idea what to do or who to see, Will starts to think that his wife and child are gone forever. Meantime, at a nearby elven castle invisible to humans, Titania and Oberon, the King and Queen, have been murdered. Their younger son, Sylvanus, has taken over the throne, leaving Quicksilver, the rightful heir, out of luck. He begins to plot Sylvanus' death, something that can only be done by a human, like young William. Nan has been kidnapped to become the Royal Nursemaid. The infant's mother died in childbirth, and highborn elven women are too frail and fragile to do real work. Part of the deal is that Nan marries Sylvanus, something she refuses to do because of her marriage vow to Will. Defending Will from an attempt to permanently get him out of the way, Quicksilver is blamed for the death of another elf. Sylvanus permanently
bars Quicksilver from the castle, making it invisible to him, and also cuts
off Quicksilver from the elven "power source" (for lack of a better term). Being able to change back and forth between male and female, Quicksilver, as a woman, seduces Will and broaches the idea of killing Sylvanus with what turns out to be a sort of magic knife. It is made of a sepcial metal that that causes any elven wound to be fatal. Sylvanus shows Nan a recording of their lovemaking, and her resolve to not marry Sylvanus begins to weaken. After all, Will has found someone more beautiful than she (Nan) is, and it's pretty hard to give up silks and soft beds. This one is really good. For those who are into elves and fairies or William Shakespeare, it's especially worthwhile. It's a rather "quiet" story that's part of a series, but it's got good characters, it's easy to read, and it's just strange enough to be good. The reader won't go wrong with this.
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The Executive, Arnold Hano, Signet, 1964 Edison Clay spent many years as an architect, looking to become the next Frank Lloyd Wright, before he gave it up to become a high-paid salesman. Now a vice president at Jackson Willett and Associates, a San Francisco firm, Clay travels the world, making them a major architectural force worldwide. Clay is embarking on his biggest sales trip to date, convincing President Tito of Yugoslavia to choose Jackson Willett as the architect for a $350 million government center in Belgrade. The architect's fee is "only" $20 million. Having done this sort of thing before, Clay knows the value of doing his homework. Knowing that Tito will have the ultimate word, Clay discovers who, in the bureaucracy, is The person to see. He has the firm's European office construct several models of the proposed center, and ship them to the right people in Belgrade. He enlists the help of the US Embassy (Clay is all but an official American diplomat). He knows the difference between bringing extra American consumer items, knowing some will have to be left behind, and outright bribery. But Edison Clay is not a happy person. he constantly drives himself to a bitter sort of success. After 12 years of marriage, his feelings for his wife, Marion, are not what they once were. While away from home, Clay takes advantage of any one-night stand opportunities that may present themselves. In Belgrade, things are going very well for clay, except for getting his wallet stolen by a local punk. He does just the right amount of nudging and cajoling with the right people. A possible obstacle appears in the form of Congressman Crenshaw, a Texan who is absolutely opposed to doing any business with communists. He is in Belgrade for an official visit, and has the ability to destroy Clay's deal. Just when everything seems to be signed, sealed and delivered, things go very wrong for Edison Clay. This book is quite good, but keep in mind that it was published 40 years ago. If the architectural salesman was changed to, say, an investment banker, this book could be published today. It has a main character with personal problems, an exotic foreign city, big money, and a bit of sex; everything you need for an interesting story. A person could do a lot worse than read this novel.
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War is a Racket, Smedley D. Butler, Feral House, 2003 The pieces that make up this book were first published about 70 years ago. Butler was a highly decorated Marine Brigadier General who was involved in many military expeditions in the early 20th century to countries like Haiti, China and Cuba. After retiring, he exposed a corporate/fascist plot to seize the White House right after Franklin Roosevelt became President. After that, he began to speak out about the real motives behind America's military actions--profit. Just before World War I, the profit margin of the average American corporation was in the single digits (6%, 8%, perhaps 10% profit yearly). Then why, when the war came, did that same profit margin skyrocket to hundreds, or even thousands of percent? The author also mentions several cases of companies who sold the US Government totally useless items. One company sold Uncle Sam 12 dozen 48-inch wrenches. The problem is that there was only one nut large enough for those wrenches; it holds the turbines at Niagara Falls. The wrenches were put on freight cars and sent all around America to try and find a use for them. When the war ended, the wrench maker was about to make some nuts to fit the wrenches. The parallels with today are too numerous to mention. The next time war is declared, and conscription is on the horizon, Butler proposes a limited national plebiscite on whether or not America should go to war. But the voting should be limited only to those of conscription age, those who will do the actual fighting and dying. Also, one month before anyone is conscripted, all of American business and industry who profits from war should be conscripted, from weapons makers to international banks to uniform makers. All employees of those companies, from the CEO down to the assembly line worker, should have their salary cut to equal the base pay of the soldier who is fighting, and dying, to improve their bottom line. Let's see how long the war fever lasts. Also, go to a VA hospital to see the real aftermath of war. This isn't so much an antiwar book as it is an isolationist book. The separate pieces were published in a time when many Americans felt that getting involved in another European war that had nothing to do with America, was a terrible idea. The author certainly pulls no punches. This book is very highly recommended, especially for those who think that war is a clean videogame where no one really gets hurt. It gets two strong thumbs up.
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Zen Computer, Philip Toshio Sudo, Fireside Books, 1999 It might be difficult to come up with two more disparate parts of daily life than computers and Zen. The author shows how the two actually go together really well, and how using a computer is very zen-like. When sitting at the computer, take some time and meditate while looking at the number keys at the top of the keybaord. Proper breathing is essential. Those ten keys span the entire range of the digital and Zen universes, from 1 to 0. Among the Seven Rules of Zen Computer are: Expect the Unexpected, Do Not Waste Time, Do Good Work and Know When to Turn the Machine Off. Sometimes, using the Escape key won't get us out of a computer function we don't want to continue. Life is the same way. No matter what we do to hide from our problem, it is still with us. The problem is not in the machine, it is in us. No matter where the arrow is on the screen, it always points in the same direction. Why? because the way to the truth never varies; it lies in faith, love, self-discipline and integrity. Easier said than done. To give a file a name gives it an identity; it is no longer anonymous. People in pain are encouraged to name their feelings to begin healing. The failure to name, or acknowledge a name, is what makes us less human. To close a file is equated to the need for closure in our lives. From closure comes a new beginning. Icons on a screen are graphic representations of files, programs or commands. It's nothing to move them around the screen or delete them. Zen thinks of religious icons the same way. Any sort of attachment, including material attachment, is a bad idea. Searching the Web for information is not like searching for Enlightment. We can spend our lives looking for that undefinable It, but we'll never be successful. Each person is part of It, and ultimately is It. In this frenetic, fast-paced world, everyone can use a little Zen in their lives. This book does a very good job at putting Zen and computers together. It also works as a basic introduction to computers. This is really recommended.
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Lines in the Sand: New Writing on War and Peace, Mary Hoffman and Rhiannon Lassiter, The Disinformation Company Ltd, 2003 This is a group of new short stories, poems and pictures, from all over the world, on the subject of war and peace. They cover the gamut, from the Crusades of the 13th century, to both World Wars, the Middle East, Africa, Kosovo, the Falkland Islands and both Gulf Wars. The contributions focus mostly on the point of view of those who are on the receiving end of the bombs and bullets. My favorite piece in the book, called "Give Peace a Chance," tells the story of the end of apartheid in South Africa in language that any young person can understand. Another must-read piece, "Eco-Wolf and the War Pigs," is an allegory for the tounger reader. I am not much of a poetry lover, but I really enjoyed the poems in this book. Is "extraordinary" too strong a word? Not in this case. As far as history class in school is concerned, the average young person may think that there hasn't been a war since 1945. This book is very highly recommended for just such a young person who is becoming aware of the wider world out there. It's also recommended for older people.
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Looking for the Summer, Robert W. Norris, Jacobyte Books, 2000 American David Thompson is a Vietnam War conscientious objector. After spending a year in military prison, during which time he became estranged from his family, he travels around Europe, not really sure where he's going or what he's doing. In Paris, he meets a man named Hasan, who encourages David to accompany him back to Iran, his homeland. David is assured that plenty of jobs for foreigners are available. Their paths diverge for a while, and they meet up again a few weeks later, and undertake a harrowing journey to Iran by way of southeast Europe and Turkey. The mountains of southeast Turkey are full of the sort of people who shoot first and don't bother with asking questions later. The two pass many disabled vehicles along the way, but don't even think of stopping; the philosophy is "every man for himself." They eventually reach Teheran, the Iranian capital. It's a dirty, noisy, congested place, like a city that's grown up too quickly. They continue to Mashad, Hasan's hometown, a much cleaner and nicer place. David is invited to a meeting of an informal group of young people to discuss political philosophy; they have heard about his political rebellion. It's during the reign of the Shah, whose secret police, the SAVAK, are everywhere, so many precautions are needed. A few days later, the leaders of the group are arrested, and David is told to leave Iran immediately. He continues on to Afghanistan. While there, he meets some Westerners who are more interested in drugs than in getting a different perspective of the world around them. He is told that he must continue on to India, to experience it first hand. Emotionally, it will hit him harder than anything in his life, but it's something he must do. Throughout his whole trip, and expecially in India, he experiences great kindness from total strangers. He also witnesses poverty and misery on a scale inconceivable to the average American. This book is short, but it works on several levels. It's a good travel story, it's a good political and personal philosophy story, and it's a fine tale of an average person looking for his place in the world. It's well worth reading.
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The Diaries of Emily Saidouili, Bettye Hammer Givens, Paris American Academy Press, 2001 Emily Jacobs is your average, present-day Texan. Applying for a job at a Dallas hotel, she meets a dark-skinned man named Ben Saidouili in front of his shop selling small treasure boxes. Two days later, she accepts his marriage proposal. She knows absolutely nothing about Ben, including what country he is from, Morocco or Monaco. Now that Ben is back home in Morocco (he lives with his parents), he has become very religious and distant toward Emily. His father, Alhab, really doesn't like Emily, because she is not a proper Muslim woman, but Emily and Sharina, Alhab's wife, take an instant liking to each other. Ben goes off every morning, leaving Emily by herself, and frequently doesn't come back until late at night. He tells her he is having a new house built for them in a nearby town, but refuses to tell her anything else. Emily makes a few friends on her own, including the wife of the Spanish Amabssador. One day, Emily decides to pay an unannounced visit to the family shop in the local bazaar. She finds Alhab in the back room, making love to an American woman, and talking to her like she is his wife. Emily is properly veiled, so Alhab doesn't know that it is her. She practically runs out of the shop, and back to the house. Later, on a trip to look for this new house, about which Emily still knows nothing, Emily meets a woman named Animora, who says she is the wife of Ben Saidouili. Animora's house is also where Emily gives birth to Ben's son. After she recovers, divorce and taking her son back to Texas, is looking very tempting for Emily. Finally, the house is finished, and Emily and Ben move in. The word "mansion" comes to mind; it's made with the best of everything. Emily's attitude toward Ben softens, and she decides to stay. Her parents show up for a surprise visit and bring along a part of Emily's past that she would rather keep hidden, and present Emily and Ben with a honeymoon in Paris. Written in the form of diary excerpts, this is a really good story about the power of love to transcend even religious boundaries. This tale of modern culture clash is very much worth reading.
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Wolf's Rite, Terry Persun, Russell Dean and Company, 2003 Llewellyn "Lew" Smith is a hot-shot New York advertising executive. He is also obnoxious, controlling, manipulative and willing to walk over anyone to get what he wants. In short, he is a thoroughly dislikable person, the sort of person who deserves to die in the early part of the novel. One day, his boss sends him to New Mexico to do some pro bono advertising work for a group of Navajo indians. When he arrives, a couple of other Native Americans, who have no liking for white men, put him in their truck and head for the mountains. Lew quickly realizes that something is wrong; the thought of being murdered and dumped somewhere desolate crosses his mind more than once. They end up in a place that isn't just in the middle of Nowhere, it's many miles from Nowhere. To make a long story short, Lew is forced to undergo a Native American vision quest. The thought of walking back to civilization is out of the question, so Lew is stuck. He spends the next several days thinking about his life, and doing battle with various personal demons. There are a few periods of altered consciousness. Slowly, Lew begins o realize what a mean, inconsiderate person he has become and doesn't like what he sees. When he ends the quest, and is returned to civilization by the same people who put him there, he is immediately arrested on a murder charge. Another Native American was found dead in the vicinity of Lew's vision quest. Maybe Lew killed him during one of his periods of altered consciousness. Gary, a lawyer and one of the few people who can tolerate Lew's moods, gets Lew cleared. Lew doesn't know that Gary knows that Gary's wife, Lynne, has cheated on him a number of times, including with Lew. When Lew tries to show the people he knows that he has changed, he is met with universal scorn and disbelief. It gets worse when he tries to express his sincere sympathy for Gary's suicide. Among those who don't believe Lew are his ex-wife and young son, who he has disappointed many times in the past. Slowly, very slowly, attitudes toward Lew begin to change. He stays in the Southwest, with a couple of advertising clients of his own, but focusing only on honorable clients. He gets involved in teaching Native American spirituality to others. This is well worth reading. Not only is it a very good Native American story, it also shows how even the most incorrigible person can change. Two thumbs up.
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