5 comments about The Untouchables.

1. Some have complained that this book is fiction. I am ashamed of the people who said that Eliot Ness was an old drunk who captured a few beer stills. They obviously didn't read the book. Eliot Ness told sportswriter Oscar Fraley that he didn't want any fiction but Fraley convinced Ness that fiction was needed. This describes the life of Eliot Ness in Chicago. One must look at this through an eye of skeptiscm. But this is truly excellent reading. Most of it is true but the estimates that Ness and Fraley made are somewhat exagerrated. But otherwise this is a story which will entice your senses and will make you so thankful you weren't a mobster in the 30's



2. I've read this book and I think that Elliot Ness did exaggerate a bit. Yes, he may have been in the team set out to capture Capone, he may even have been the group leader but in the book he does exaggerate his bravery and the risks he took. I would not recommend this book if you don't like reading lies.



3. This book is one of the few accounts we have of the '20s gangster era. The book recounts Eliot Ness's experiences as the leader of a team of nine men who were assigned the job of cutting off Al Capone's main sourse of income-illgeal booze. Ness and his team were part of a two pronged attact to get Capone. While agent Frank Wilson gathered evidence to convict Capone of tax evaison, Ness and his team raided stills and breweries that provided Capone with income to bribe police and newsmen. The book recounts the selection of the team and their early failures and successes. When Ness made a raid he often informed the media to show that some lawmen were honest and as a result he has been called a glory hound. The book tells of their many raids and some insight on the Chicago mob. The book has been accused of exaggerating but much in the book has be varified and Ness WAS celebrated as a hero in the New York Times when Capone was convicted. Ness died before this book was published and is not responsible for the Eliot Ness legend. When we needed lawmen to set the example Ness did the job he was called to do, and moved on.



4. So much credit and legitimacy has been lauded this tale over the years that it has tended to be taken as truth.....and no further from the truth could it be. It was written very close to the end of Eliot Ness's life when he was little more than a boozy has-been who would "weave" his tales for anyone who would listen. Usually this was done in some tavern where Ness would corner some sucker for the free drinks that went with his storytelling. A writer by the name of Oscar Fraley saw the chance of big bucks and sure success by putting some of this into print and there you have the reason for this rag to even exist. The TRUE story of Al Capone and the Chicago mob of the prohibition era is MUCH better reading than this tale form some drunk's bleary imagination. Do yourself a favor.....get ahold of and READ the Capone biography by John Kobler. You will get the TRUE story of Capone's rise and fall(which has much more to do with the IRS than with Elliot Ness)and none of the "bologna" that makes up this tall tale. The true story is plenty TALL itself.



5. "One thing was certain: someone had declared open season on Elliot Ness, and it was a damned uncomfortable feeling."-Elliot Ness
   
   The sale or consumption of alcohol was not really the problem. The Sicilian mafia landed on American shores sometime around 1899. One of their most notorious progeny was "Scarface" Al Capone with whom Elliot Ness did battle from 1929-1931. Elliot Ness had nearly finished this true story before he died of a heart attack at age 54 in 1957. This book is not a biography of Ness's life, just an account of the two and one half years during which time he and his ten or so hand-picked federal men finally succeeded in stopping Capone in his murderous tracks. The story is mostly about raid after countless raid of breweries by Ness's "untouchables" in the Chicago area during Prohibition and the Depression years. While millions of Americans were starving, shoeless and jobless, Capone and Co. were living the high life and living it as if they were above the law itself. Or so they thought...
   
   Ness chose his men carefully like Gideon in Judges 7; they had to be beyond reproach, content to live on a $2800/year salary and strong enough to resist the temptation of Capone's thugs constantly flaunting thousand dollar bills and diamond-studded fat, fleshy fingers under their noses. Money is powerful in its effects, yet more powerful were those like Ness and co. who, under the law were content to live by it, and who with the law put a lot of rotten, murderous apples behind federal bars. The chief problem with Capone was not just flat out lawlessness or the profligacy his rackets engendered, but corruption which had seeped into all areas of the judicial system, police force, federal agents, judges, lawyers, and other court officials; Capone had lots of money to throw around from the profits of his liquor selling illegal enterprise, and because he never somehow had to pay income taxes. That was the reason why Ness was so careful in selecting his men and also the main reason for their success in finally undoing Capone's vast network of criminals. Once, one of his men working undercover took money from one of Capone's gang, and admitted it to Ness. Ness told him to find the same man and give him back the exact dollar amount he had been given.
   
   Elliot Ness was the coolest fed that ever lived (in my opinion). One had to be tough dealing with the mafia; they stopped at nothing to preserve their domineering hold in their cities. I think that just because Ness did not suffer physical harm from Capone and co. may lead some to think that Capone was not so bad, Ness's life was not so threatened. However, I think it just proves that he really had his wits about him and was sober to every aspect of the circumstances surrounding himself and his men; the threat and evidences of the mafia's revenge such as bullets in their enemies' heads and body parts mutilated is evidence enough to me that Elliot Ness and his "untouchables" were in a deadly battle dealing with the Mafia. Capone had hired Tony Napoli to kill him, read the book and you'll find out how Ness survived.
   
   Exodus 23:8 And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous.

5 comments about Confessions of a Wall Street Analyst: A True Story of Inside Information and Corruption in the Stock Market.

1. ..but each time I felt that I liked the author, he kept bringing up instances to support his extreme dislike of Grubman. This really took away from the content and message of the book. I think it would have been enough to state how different he was from Grubman and then let his own example of hard, clean work be benchmark for the reader to compare the 2 analysts. In the end, no one can say Grubman was as honest a man as Reingold.



2. I found this book to be more of a dairy than confessional. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed it but the theme was set early on, "My colleagues aren't playing fair and I'm still going to take the money."
   
   Because the author is documenting real events, it was refreshing to get an insiders perspective on WorldCom's lifecycle. In particular, as a CNBC viewer, the talking heads are always tossing around ... "former head of Citigroup ..." and several of these players show up in the book. So that was a value added aspect that I enjoyed.
   
   The thing I found funny was that the last page of the book pretty much sums it up. I did pick up a few trading notes but things were drawn out in the later half of the book. Enjoy.



3. I was not quite sure how to review this and remain objective. I have always been a big fan of Wall Street lore, and the recent bubble has given me tons of material from its many participants.
   
   This novel was no different, it told the story of a man who was, among many others, in the middle of all the pandemonium of a boom and bust. I like this kind of stuff though, so for myself, I would rate this book a 4.5 star.
   
   The author goes very far to get all of his numerical facts right, and I enjoyed knowing the ins and outs of every deal. But I could see how someone, just wanting to read a biography of someone on Wall Street, may get a big bogged down in all the numbers and intricate situations. Even I towards the end was starting to wonder how many more pages I would have to read through. The author doesn't put much of a "seat of your chair" spin on any of the trials either(even though we all know what happens), which may be another down point for someone looking to find excitement in these Confessions.
   
   All in all I would say a good book, I enjoyed it and learned quite a bit more about the life of an analyst. I also thought that his section at the end of the book, going over the changes made and their effectiveness was very well done. A great read if you are interested in this kind of stuff.



4. It ain't me, man, it ain't me. In "Confessions of a Wall St. Analyst" Daniel Reingold takes an estimable stab at hand washing in his expose of the telecomm investment mania of the late 1990s. Beginning his career as a sell side equity analyst in 1994, a pivotal moment for the heretofore sleepy telelcommunications industry, Reingold paints himself as a guileless, almost idealistic intellectual in the academic mode, transported by fate into the vicious and mendacious cauldron of greed known as Wall St.
   
   Propelled by mounting ambition and, as he admits with sheepish reluctance during the book's progression, dazzled by the obscene riches flowing around the accounts of the bankers and analysts in his circle, Reingold tells a story of seduction. His rivalry with Jack Grubman, a fellow top telecomm analyst with a penchant for vulgarity that Reingold holds in contempt, provides a certain good vs. evil axis to the story as the decade progresses to its ultimate sorry conclusion. Report after report is issued extolling the virtues of AT+T, Quest, U.S. West, and most worryingly, WorldCom, as old economy stalwarts scramble to gobble up internet start ups and deals start tumbling over each other with a frantic pace that blots out any sense of rationality in this ostensibly dispassionate game.
   
   The grand irony here is that for all of Reingold's fastidious number crunching and intellectual discipline, and all of Grubman's insider's power and swagger, neither of them added anything real to the far-fetched dialog going on. Emotion was the only force that drove the madness. As the stakes grew ever higher, companies simply stopped telling the truth in their financial statements, using accounting loopholes to cover up monstrous gaps in revenues and profits, and the analysts were none the wiser, or at least none the braver. All they did during this pathetic process was enable the culprits and enrich themselves. Dan Reingold was standing nose high in this muck, despite his protestations of shock.
   
   So while he decries the system he came to abhor, he lets himself off the hook with relative ease. Here's a man with exceptional talents who saw an opportunity, and for that he can't be blamed. But the tone of the book is galling, when one considers that manias like the telecomm frenzy have been part of history since man began trading, and that people like Dan Reingold are paid handsomely to protect the investment public. In this he failed, and should count himself lucky not to have met with criminal prosecution, but only with generalized, and temporary, disgrace.
   
   His writing is adequate, and does provide a window into the psychology of market mania. It might be hard for any mortal to resist the cookie jar passed under Reingold's nose. But in its naive tone the book exposes a major flaw. This isn't the first time this has happened, Mr. Reingold, and it won't be the last. You and your ilk are part of a time worn and pernicious tradition. We've seen all of you, and many others in decades and centuries past, stripped naked before us, and the sight is never pretty. Thanks for the book--let the public take it for exactly what it's worth.



5. The "What Elliot Spitzer Never Told You" heading on the cover is a bit misleading. Sure, Reingold's Confessions of a Wall Street Analyst reveals the corrupt Wall Street of that era, but I'd hardly consider it a 'tell-all' book, which is exactly what makes it good.
   The main problem I have with this book is that Dan Reingold writes Confessions with a few biases and a few principles upon which he builds his perceptions of events. He portrays himself as 'holier than thou' while others as immoral. He fails to point out that the "corrupt" analysts and bankers were simply playing the game. With that in mind, he is in fact somewhat objective. He's on the sidelines of the unethical insider game being played on Wall Street. Because of that, he writes a memoir more detached from the events he tries to highlight. Confessions is devoid of biases on that level.
   Another issue is the fact that Confessions is a little extensive for the content. Reingold, at times, focuses far too much on his day to day problems as an analyst and less on the corruption on Wall Street. Nonetheless, since it is so well written, I can live with the added length.
   Confessions is very well written. Reingold incorporates statistics & prices that normally would slow a book like this down in a smooth fashion. Confessions reads well. More like a typical memoir than other Wall Street books.
   Four stars: too long, too unobjective at points but a very well written and interesting memoir on Wall Street.

5 comments about Final Truth : The Autobiography of a Serial Killer.

1. This autobiography by serial killer Pee Wee Gaskins is brought to you by the apparently easily-duped co-author, journalist Wilton Earle. Gaskins' justifications and distortions are passed along with little examination or challenge, and probably bear small resemblance to the facts.



2. This book is a good read ( i finished it in a day ) but i just have some trouble beliving some of Pee Wee's stories - he even states himself that he has told several versions of the stories -so why should i believe without doubt that this book is "the truth"? ... from reading profiling books on serial killers - you find that these killers may change up the way they kill / despose of their bodies - to make an improvement - but gaskins has 2 ways of killing people and he bounces back and forth between them -- doesn't make much sense ...
   at the end of his book he lets the readers know that he wanted to become famous - but, he and his crimes really aren't known outside of the southeast ... i'm not saying he didn't kill a lot of people, i'm not saying he didn't torture them ... i'm just having a little trouble beliving mr gaskins versions, i just get the feeling that he is admiting to more, for one last attempt to in his words "be famous" ... he even mentions that back when hurricane hugo hit the grand strand, that there were reports of bodies (remains) being found, but it was reported that those were from graveyards .... i believe that to be true because, gaskins said that he "sank" his victims, with big chains, etc., and sank their belongings, he also says that when he felt he was about to be caught he took all of the tools he used for his killings and all the chains he had left and sank that to the bottom of the marshlands in horry and georgetown counties ... when hugo came through -- this is a definate time that things would have been brought up from their watery grave ... but no reoprts of the 30 plus chains, and other tools have been documented



3. I first heard the name "Pee Wee Gaskins" in 1994. My new boss and I were traveling through the upstate part of SC to pick up a company car. We were discussings things unrelated to work and getting to know each other. When he asked if I enjoyed reading, I told him I enjoyed reading books about true crime, serial killers in particular. At that time, he told me I should get the book "Final Truth". I did.
   
   After reading the book (which I found somewhat disturbing because of the details yet refreshing for the truths told about the corruption in the "justice system") I began traveling extensively through rural SC for work. After visiting that particular part of the state, I found it quite believable that Gaskins could have commited all the murders stated in Final Truth. There are rural parts of the state where there isn't so much as a house or gas staion for literally miles.
   
   Not having actually known anyone who knew Gaskins, I took this book at face value. While it may be true that Gaskins wanted "notoriety" like Bundy or Dahmer, I actually got from the book he was telling the truth.
   
   There are a few questions I have always wanted to ask ANYONE who knew Gaskins. I have actually talked with people from Sumter, Florence and that area in general but only people who "knew of" Gaskins and his crimes.
   
   Did the police ever search the areas where he claimed to have buried his "coastal killing" victims?
   
   Has anyone ever seen any of the "artwork" that he supposedly taced, signed and sold from death row?
   
   Gaskins spoke of a "writer" that wrote a book (I'm assuming) about him which was filled with lies about his wives and children. Does anyone know what he is talikng about? The only other book I can think of that Gaskins was referring to was titled "Slaughter in Carolina". I have not read this book but am looking for it. He calims in Final Truth this libelous book or story was written by a woman and a woman wrote "Slaughter In Carolina" (I finally found this book and have written a review of it as well as scanned an image)
   
   I never got from the book that Gaskins was an abused by his mother. In fact, he claims the only abuse at home was from his step father and that was just an occasional slapping (no type of sexual rape is discussed in the book at the hands of his step father). I believe the gang rapes discussed by Gaskins at reform school and prison are probably accurate.
   
   If anyone would like to discuss this, please email me at pumpkins2002@comcast.net



4. As someone who lives in Sumter, SC I've heard a good bit about Pee Wee Gaskins. He actually used to live in a house right down the street from where I sit now. In any case, I have talked with people who are friends and who actually knew Pee Wee back when he hung around places like The Neck, (which by the way was 100% described accurately in the book..... it was a ROUGH place where the cops would NOT venture into) and they described him as a 'nice guy' but one that you would definitely not want to cross. He was known for a hot temper and my friend said that there were bodies that people would never find left from Pee Wee (I trust my friend on this one.... he was involved in a lot of things back then before he got his act together.)
   
   If you are reading this for a glimpse into a serial killer's mind then this is an excellent book. There were parts that made me cringe, especially since my best friends can remember some of the incidents (missing persons) when they took place (I was too young then). It adds a frightening touch to think that I drive by places everyday where it is rumored that he had buried bodies.
   
   For those who have 'researched' and hold the belief that Pee Wee lied about all of this and was only seeking to be more 'famous', I'd like to remind everyone that the deal was made with the author that this book would NOT come out until after his execution and that he received NO funds whatsoever (nor did his family) for releasing this book. I feel that if he only did it for 'attention' that he would have wanted it released before he died. And after talking to people whom I trust who could tell me about his personality and demeanor, I firmly believe that 90% of the book at least is true (everyone embellishes after all... so I'll leave 10% for that).
   
   All in all, a GREAT but sad look into the life and mind of this murderer.



5. I see some complaints about whether everything Donald Gaskins said was true. That's not the point. The book really let's you get a feel for this person. Much more so in certain repects, than any other criminal I have read about. Colin Wilson suffered a psychotic breakdown as a result of listening to Gaskins and was temporarily hospitalized.

5 comments about Ultimate Spy.

1. This book was given to me as a Christmas gift this past year. As a writer of Spy Fiction ("The Malagasy Tortoise"), this book has given me a wonderful and exacting insight to the many gizmos and gadgets being used in the field of spying. From weapons to decoding devices "The Ultimate Spy" has it all. I recommend this book to anyone interested in anything clandestine or who is looking to expand their knowledge of the CIA, the FBI or the private sector of spying. This book is loaded with excellent photos of spy personalities, guns, secret hiding spots, good guys and bad guys -- everything is in here to make yourself a fantastic investigation. An exceptional book, one that I now keep right next to my computer.



2. I was given this book as a gift and think the photographs in it are absolutely great! The text that accompanies all the photos is interesting, but I've noticed more than just a few spots in the book where the captions to the photos stops in mid-sentence. I still love the book and if those captions were complete; it would rate 5 stars.



3. 100% recomend to learn about spy history



4. This book is filled with excellent photos with great descriptions. The best historical book on spy hardware that I have ever seen. It does need to be re-proof read though... I noticed at least 3 spots where the text just ends in mid sentence which seemed really odd for a book of this caliber. It's just a minor irritation but otherwise it's a 5 star book.



5. An excellent compendium of espionage gadgets up to and including the cold war. Many from the World War II era. Some history describing the more prominant practioners. Current gadgets as modified by current miniature electronics are not gone into as most of them are still classified. Excellent pictures and some proofreading goofs (none that serious).

5 comments about Breaking Blue.

1. One of my best recent reads. Part crime story, part historical and cultural biography, and part present-day human drama. All parts are addressed evenly. Great for anyone interested in the sometimes strange land of Eastern Washington and Spokane's Wild West past.



2. Mr. Egan has become my favorite non-fiction writer. I've reread The Good Rain several times, and read The Worst Hard Time as soon as it became available in paper back. I live in the Pacific Northwest and have come to appreciate the history that surrounds me. Mr. Egan's hero, Sheriff Bamonte, faced Herculean obstacles, and Mr. Egan presented it beautifully in Breaking Blue. After I finished reading Breaking Blue, I quickly mailed the book to my son who graduated from Gonzaga in 2005 and recommended that he read it since the story takes place in the Spokane area. The Spokane River which runs through downtown Spokane has a new meaning for me now!



3. This was a great story and a very interesting read, because it was a real case that a lawman solved.



4. I read this after "The Worst Hard Time". I liked this book much better. It's interesting on many levels. Tim paints a great picture of life in the 30's, and the life of the sherriff. I felt like I knew the characters. I have a theory that sometimes a book/author deserves an award, but the book gets passed up, so the next book gets the award. ;)



5. This book is a very well written and an easy read, I was born and graduated highschool, in Spokane,(then I moved on).
   I had spent time in all the areas mentioned in this book, but I still learned alot of good history about the Spokane area reading this book.
   The book perked my interest and even inspired me to look up family tree information, from the time frame of the book. I had an Uncle that hung out at Mothers Kitchen during those times. I wish he was alive now, I would ask him a lot of questions..... Very Interesting.

5 comments about The Nuclear Jihadist: The True Story of the Man Who Sold the World's Most Dangerous Secrets...And How We Could Have Stopped Him.

1. Douglas Frantz and Catherine Collins' THE NUCLEAR JIHADIST: THE TRUE STORY OF THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS SECRETS AND HOW WE COULD HAVE STOPPED HIM is a key title nonfiction audio collections must have: it tells the story of Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of the 'Islamic bomb', and the methods he used to obtain his information. In adding the knowledge of intelligence authorities and how they could have stopped him, this goes a step further and proves a gripping report fueled by Bob Craig's powerful reading.



2. The underlying story of A.Q. Khan and his life story from unimportant scientist in Europe to organizer of the Pakistan nuclear bomb projects to international trader in nuclear secrets is well researched and exceptionally interesting. It is a book of some importance.
   
   However, the book goes over the top in its allocation of bad press to Republican administrations between Eisenhower and Geroge W. Bush. Recognizing lots of mistakes by all sides and a realistic level of understanding of the reality of impotence by the United States would have made for a better presentation. (The book virtually ignores all of the years where a Democrat was in the White House and blames virtually all events in the Republican years.)
   
   A Republican or independent will need to hold his or her nose to get through the book. That being said, it is a very interesting book.



3. A passage on pages 86-87 describing a key character might as well be a description of this book. "He was not naive enough to believe that sanctions alone could stop a country determined to build the bomb..." it reads, "He knew that the real solution was to address the underlying political and security motivations that led countries to acquire nuclear weapons."
   This book is a window into the motivations of those seeking to acquire the bomb or keep others from doing so.
   The above description happens not to be of Khan, but of an American scientist and Congressional staffer determined to stop him. Their battle of wits makes a great read.
   The authors show us the motivations driving Khan --from the arguably noble political, nationalistic and religious causes, to the more common pursuit for personal status, wealth and success.
   The thorough portrait of Khan --a complex, fascinating figure formed by both the West and Pakistan-- provides a dramatic, readable narrative that pulls one quickly through considerable historic, poltical and technical background.



4. Subtitled: The true story of the man who sold the world's most dangerous secrets and how we could have stopped him.
   
   The events begin in 1972 when Khan started working for a Dutch technology firm that designed and manufactured centrifuges used for enriching uranium. Authors Frantz and Collins describe how he contacted Pakistani diplomats and offered his services to his country. He also displayed such an insatiable curiosity about nuclear related products that some of his coworkers eventually became concerned enough to report him.
   
   In 1975, Khan moved to Pakistan where he set about making his country a nuclear power. As Pakistan realized its nuclear ambitions, Khan accumulated wealth and power and become a national hero in 1998 when Pakistan detonated five nuclear devices underground. By then, Khan had established foreign markets for his expertise and his ability to deliver tightly controlled materials. The "Pakistani Pipeline" (an operation to procure restricted materials and provide technical expertise) had expanded its operations to newer markets.
   
   The U.S. administration ignored the nuclear threat because it needed an ally in the anti-Soviet war in Afghanistan and later in the war against terror, after 9/11. The Pakistani authorities arrested Khan in 2003. Parvez Musharraf pardoned him after a written confession and placed him under house arrest. By this time, no one knew who has nuclear capability.
   
   The book is well-written; it reads like a spy novel and its great strength is that it gives so many details that readers can see the complexity of the issue. The authors' bias that it is bad for nuclear weapons to exist at all does come through, as does their liberal slant on American politics. The authors do not acknowledge that the Iraqi invasion (blunders aside) does curtail nuclear proliferation in the Middle East (something that the authors' work on Iraq and Libya shows).
   
   The book's title is misleading. Khan was motivated by wealth and power, not by religious conviction (as one would expect of a "jihadist"). This is made clear as reader read the book.
   
   Overall, it's a great read, but leaves little room for optimism. It enumerates the dangers we all now face partially due to the cast of characters they profile. What is less clear is what we do now.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: A book that details the dangers that exist worldwide.



5. We Americans are so unread about what has truly been allowed to go on in the 60-80's, under the watchful eye of many US Presidents. There is enough blame to go around for both parties. If Khan can build nuclear war heads without interruption from his government or ours, what is happening at the moment? So many mistakes over such a long period of time. It is matter of fact, no exaggeration that I can tell. Well worth reading - a MUST! I just wish it were mandatory reading for high schoolers.

5 comments about Into the Water.

1. Diane Fanning chose an excellent crime story to write about in Marc Evonitz; however, I found that the downfall was too much information was included that was not necessary. In this book, Fanning includes details on numerous other crimes that I had trouble seeing the relation to of the crimes committed by Evonitz. For example, readers are given in depth account of Evonitz's stepfather's (Perry Deveaux) crimes of rape and murder. If Deveaux had been an influence in Evonitz's life, such account would be worth detail; but since Deveaux was incarcerated for the duration of the marriage to Evonitz's other Tess, such vivid detail was not really necessary. The book is full of summary detail on a variety of crimes such as this.
   
   What I did appreciate, however, was that the author not only captured my sympathy for the victims' families, but for the perpatrator's as well. Fanning did an excellent job of making you realize that serial killers do have those who love them and they are as victimized as the families of those murdered.
   
   And lastly, a previous reviewer made comment as to how you know the end by the last of the first chapter. Personally, before I even begin reading a book, I have a general idea of the outcome. I have found that 99 percent of the time, there would have been no book if their had been no conviction; which tells me that, most likely, the one I am reading about is in prison for life, sentenced to death, or dead by his own hand or otherwise. If you're like me, laying the end out in the beginning is no problem and actually sets it apart from other trime crime books.



2. Any kind of review one may write on a book, movie or anything else is all relative anyway. What you don't like, I may love ... and visa versa. But I have read true-crime books almost exclusively for years, and found this book to be one of the best. I do not find it filled w/ "tedious, unnecessary details", but instead an illustration of the progressive chaotic life of a serial killer. The book does not read like a newspaper article, as many do. This book makes you feel as if you are actually there, a bystander, living the horrific nightmares. Some true-crime books can become almost unbearable as you wait for the author to 'get to the point', and usually ... by the time it comes to the trial ... I put the book aside. Don't we already know how it ends by reading the back cover? And while we do know how this book ends, it still has a way of weaving the facts to draw us into the lives of the victims, their families, the investigation and the true story of a monster-in-the-making named Richard Marc Evonitz. I highly recommend this book.



3. Very interesting read; however, Diane Fanning's other book "Through the Window" is much more of a page turner. I would recommend it, though, to people who are hooked on true crime stories.



4. Into the water was another well written disturbing book by Diane Fanning. In my opinion , interviews are one of the most important ingredients in a true crime book and Diane Fanning definitely goes to the limit conducting interviews. I would recommend the book to anyone that is a true crime fan.



5. INTO THE WATER is a mediocre attempt at a True Crime drama. The killer, Richard Marc Evonitz, is eventually linked, through DNA and other forensic evidence, to the sexual assaults and murders of 3 young girls, all of whom he kidnapped from the front yards of their family homes in broad daylight. This serial killer may have continued to haunt the state of Virginia had his fourth victim not made a miraculous escape while Evonitz slept next to her on the bed in which he raped her. In a less than brilliant attempt to avoid capture, Evonitz led police on a high speed chase. Unfortunately, Evonitz got the last word when he shot himself in the mouth rather than surrender. Following his death, DNA also linked Evonitz to the rape of another teenaged girl in her own home.
   
   There is some information about the history of the offender, but it is the predictable history that each of us leaves behind when we retire from this world. Of course, none of his immediate family members, his friends, or anyone else who knew anything at all about him could have dreamed Evonitz was responsible for these shameful crimes. (Think standard television interviews following the arrest of most sociopathic serial killers: "He was a quiet neighbor who always seemed willing to lend a hand. I never noticed anything suspicious about him at all!")
   
   It is more than a bit difficult to understand why the author would choose to include the lengthy and wordy commendations of the investigative task force by 3 separate agencies. These commendations were so similar as to be wholly redundant and unequivocably unnecessary as important inclusions into the primary text of the story. (Okay, we get it. The task force did a great job.)
   
   Perhaps the most frightening part of this tragic story is how many other missing and murdered victims were evaluated as having a possible connection to Evonitz... and how many other predatory sex offenders with similar and perverse desires roam the peaceful streets of every neighborhood in America.
   
   If you want to read a book by Diane Fanning, I would direct readers to the much more interesting GONE FOREVER. Fanning is capable of better work, but INTO THE WATER sinks like a stone.

5 comments about Blood Brother: 33 Reasons My Brother Scott Peterson Is Guilty.

1. If you find yourself still interested in the case of Laci Peterson, then this book is for you. It takes you on a journey through the life and death of Laci Peterson through the overlooked point of view of Laci's sister-in-law, Anne Bird. It is a fascinating and thought-provoking book, but no matter how many books are written on this subject nothing will ever change the disheartening ending that Laci Peterson will not get to have the child she had so joyfully looked forward to raising.



2. I read this book right after the one written by Laci's mother Sharon Rocha. This one was particularly good because Anne gave a great account of how her brother behaved before and after Laci's murder.



3. Fairly well written and interesting theories. Not sure all is believable, but good read if you're like me and interested in "why?" he did it!



4. I've recently started reading all the books with decent reviews about the Scott Peterson case. I was looking forward to reading this book because Anne Bird obviously has an insider's perspective on Scott and the rest of his family, plus the title of the book was obviously compelling.
   
   While her book did offer some good insight and, as she pointed out toward the end of the book, it gave her the opportunity to tell her story, I didn't the book told me much that I didn't already know. It was interesting to see the internal struggle Anne had with not wanting to believe Scott was guilty but also facing the facts that much of his behavior was bizarre.
   
   What I had hoped most from this book was some "slam-dunk" evidence (33 reasons) why Scott Peterson was guilty of killing Laci and Connor. Unfortunately, the 33 reasons she provides are really just specific examples of bizarre or questionable behavior from Scott. Certainly they troubling but they weren't exactly "reasons he's guilty."
   
   A quick and interesting read but if you're looking for something a little more all-encompassing about the Scott Peterson case consider checking out Catherine Crier's book "A Deadly Game."



5. Having high hopes and picking up the pieces of their lives then have it shattered. Very heart wrenching!

5 comments about Neither East Nor West: One Woman's Journey Through the Islamic Republic of Iran.

1. I am Persian and I found this book to be very informative, although it's not an easy read. It could use a considerable amount of editing and I found a lot of the things she said to be somewhat inaccurate. Other times it's as if it goes on rambling. She mentions over and over again how little farsi she knows and how the Iranians know even less english, so I found that while writing her conversations, she probably had to improvise a lot and I wonder if she really understood what people were trying to tell her. Overall, it's not a bad book. I did learn some more stuff about my own culture, but I think her frame of mind is still very "American"- you know what I mean. She wrote several times about how frustrated and irritated she would get with some of the culture clashes there, but if you are going to do something like this, you just have to accept things the way they are- thus not becoming frustrated or irritated. I was surprised that she travelled alone for parts of it. I'm Iranian, and even I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that.
   I would recommend Terrence Ward's Searching for Hassan before this.



2. I've read several personal-point-of-view books about Iran recently, and I have a lot of respect for this one. I rate it as an honest book because Ms. Bird is very clear about her personal standards, background and feelings and where they come from. She doesn't pretend to be objective; she's giving one person's perspective. In particular, she includes her own reactions even when she knows that readers will find them unsympathetic. How much more can you ask?

   I enjoyed reading it very much, and I think many others will find it an interesting view of an interesting country




3. This was a very interesting travelogue but it's a bit longwinded and the author is a little too accomodating of Iran's questionable cultural and political practices. The book really gets going after about 200 pages, when the author leaves Tehran and the endless rounds of visiting mosques, religious shrines, martyres' shrines, historic mullahs' homes, etc., all the while being forced to trudge around with entire Iranian extended families. When they say "family" is important in Iran be advised that family does not mean the nuclear family but mom, dad, grandpa, grandma, sons, daughters, daughers/sons-in-law, cousins, babies, family friends, etc. I would have gone crazy having to endure the entourages that accompanied the author on even the most mundane jaunts. The author seems to take it all in stride, which is my biggest complaint with the book as a whole. There's an awful lot to question about the current political and social structure of Iran but the author treads very delicately in this area. In fact, she appears almost seduced by Iranian propaganda as she is constantly finding the bright side to controversial practices and is always quick to muse about all the ills of western civilization. She raises controversial issues, but pretty much lets the people she meets off the hook by not pushing for real explanations and not pointing out both factual inconsistencies and fallacies in their logic. I realize this wasn't a political book, but the Iranians the author meets have no qualms about voicing their opinions of America and the West and I believe the author is a little too accomodating.



4. The lovely and bright American Christiane Bird's descriptive account of her late-1990's exploratory trip into Iran, where her father once worked as a physician, is partly a travelogue (in the good sense of the term) and partly a report on conditions in what remains into its third decade an Islamic republic. Bird's accounts are much more centered upon the people she meets in Iran than they are on the geography, architecture and the like, and the book is the better for that. Above all else Bird concentrates on women in modern Iran, and tells of the progress they've managed to make even in the face of repressive legislation that still places them very much in the category of second-class citizens. Her time spent among female university students from wealthy northern Tehran, young women who have lived the entirety of their lives knowing no other system of government than that of the late Ayatollah Khomeini's fundamentalist regime, was the best part of this book. In private many of these women dress, think and act in astonishingly western ways and in public have hopes of entering fields few westerners would feel are open to Iranian women, including medicine and even management of some of Iran's largest corporations. But as Bird also shows, Iran remains a police state in which violations of Islamic law can and routinely do merit Medieval punishments. Iran is a nation filled with underlying dissent, radicalism, hate, and a noticeable inferiority complex. It is also a place where for good or otherwise family ties carry over into multi-generational extensions beyond anything seen in our fragmented American homes.
   
   If there is one thing I'll note as a possible criticism of Bird's incredibly interesting book it is her willingness to excuse all the "Death to America!" rhetoric she encounters among Iranians of all ages and backgrounds. As I read and re-read her descriptions of even the most progressive college students engaging in this chant, a national institution it seems, I could never quite decide if Bird was brushing this attitude off as harmless noise, or if she was truly telling it like it was when she'd write of how students and everyday Iranians would almost apologetically tell her, "Oh, it's nothing personal, we hate your evil government, not you as an American." Maybe Iranians truly feel that way, but hasn't it been attitude of bigots through time to claim to hate a race, or religion, or a people, and yet to love certain individuals within it?
   
   There's no denying Iran is a richly textured nation with an intricately layered culture and many perfectly kind and good people within it, and Bird showed that very well, but I do wonder how far Americans or anyone in today's global society can go in excusing citizens of a country whose favorite collective chant calls for the destructive of another nation. All that aside, I have never read a book that made me feel more like I was actually experiencing today's Iran first-hand. Christiane Bird is great!



5. I picked up this book by accident, and have had a very hard time putting it down. Bird's eloquent descriptions of the places she visited leave stunningly vivid imagery in my head, and her conversations with everyday Iranian's are very interesting, seem honest, and gives non-Iranian readers a much needed glimpse into life inside the Islamic Republic. Bird herself brings up the excellent point that no matter how many people one speaks with, a concrete reality about life Iran (or any place for that matter) really does not exist. Instead reality is a patchwork of many many different opinions from many many different people.
   
   However excellent the above point is, Bird seems to go somewhat against her own words by inserting an overly judgmental tone at a large number of points in the book, even going as far was outright complaining (thank goodness only in her narratives) about the Iranian lifestyle that she willingly chose to put herself into in order to write this travel log. The book really could have done without Bird's philosophical and often rhetorical musings and personal opinion on such topics as "why oh why can't Musilms, Christians and Jews just get along!" or "why oh why are Iranian's so hung up over life in America? I just don't get it! *sigh*". One of the larger sections of this (very annoying) sort, are her musings about her parents' work as missionaries during the 1960's. Bird constantly goes on about how unfair she thinks it is that Christian missionaries would dare to force their religion on Muslims, with a tone that gives me the impression that she thinks she is a superior person for thinking like that.
   
   These unnecessary insertions give me the sense that Bird sees herself as better than both Iranians and American's. Better than Iranian's because she does not live in what she concludes is an 'oppressive' society, and better than American's because she lived in Iran, has traveled 'oh so bravely' there, and is thus enlightened by the fact.
   
   I only give this book three stars, as the above issues sometimes seriously distracted from what would have been an incredible book had they not been there. For the most part, Neither East or West is filled with amazing descriptions and conversations, and things I didn't know about Iran, despite having heard many stories form my fathers side of the family, who lived there for quite sometime when he was younger.
   
   If you can stand the author's narcissistic attitude and outright whiny complaints that appear every so often, but not so often as to ruin the entire book, I highly recommend Neither East nor West.

5 comments about Chasing Justice: My Story of Freeing Myself After Two Decades on Death Row for a Crime I Didn't Commit.

1. Kerry Cook had a few scrapes with law enforcement as a teenager in a small Texas town - joyriding, kicking out the windows of a store that falsely accused him of armed robbery. Thus, police "knew" they had their man when his fingerprints were found at the scene of a grisly murder.
   
   The abuse of justice started immediately, continued for two decades, and nearly ended with Cook's execution. First it was merely physical - police slamming him into a wall, holding his head underwater in a toilet, arranged beatings by fellow prisoners, refusing showers and clothing, and sleep deprivation to force Kerry to confess. More serious abuses then occurred - withholding evidence from Kerry's attorneys, coaching witnesses to slant/fabricate testimony against Kerry, providing scientifically unfounded testimony that "aged" Kerry's prints to the time of murder, solicited false testimony from fellow inmates that Kerry had confessed - culminating to Kerry's arrival on Death Row in 1978. There Kerry was raped three times, and attempted suicide after each. Then his appeal stalled for eight years, and ultimately was denied.
   
   Finally, things started to go Kerry's way. The prisoner who initially testified Kerry confessed, decided to come clean. An FBI expert provided an affidavit stating that scientific fingerprint "aging" was not possible, information was uncovered that a pathologist had told police that the victim's librarian prior boyfriend had ordered a book describing how she had been mutilated (police ignored, and did not provide to Kerry's defense), the major Dallas newspaper printed a major expose of how Kerry had been railroaded, a foundation funded Kerry's successful re-appeal.
   
   The judge in the retrial, however, prohibited introducing most of this new evidence, the foundation funding Kerry's defense ran out of money (his attorney worked pro bono, but could not afford expert witnesses), and after a mistrial (deadlocked jury) and third trial it was back to Death Row for Kerry.
   
   Fortunately, this conviction was reversed again, and Kerry was offered a "No Contest" plea in exchange for time served. His initial decision was to refuse and go back to trial - however, Kerry accepted the deal after learning that the potential jurors generally thought he had gotten out on a technicality and that they were there to "make it right." Finally, after being freed, results of a DNA test came back, exonerating Kerry and pinning the crime on the librarian originally identified by an eyewitness who had been coerced by prosecutors to change her testimony. Yet, prosecutors continued to contest his exoneration when interviewed.
   
   Kerry, however, is not blameless in this miscarriage. Throughout the trials he lied about how his fingerprints got on the victim's door, instead of simply admitting she had invited him up there. (Kerry claims his father told him not to admit this; however, such an action makes no sense whatsoever.) Finally, while Kerry also should be commended for writing the book himself, continually referring to his parents as "momma" and "daddy" was both infantile and aggravating.
   
   Bottom Line: This book seriously questions the wisdom of the death penalty in America.



2. A first-hand account of how and why innocent men and women can spend decades on death row in the United States that should be read and discussed by both pro-death penalty proponents as well as abolitionists.
   Kerry Max Cook is a modern Dante/ Job. His story is of one who travels to hell and back, physically, spiritually, and emotionally, but who in the end has the strength to emerge as an enlightened, if wounded human being. The tortures he endures after being wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of a young woman he only knew casually are simply inconceivable. Not only does he have to contend with the fear of losing his life on a daily basis, (the fear of execution, and the fear of being stabbed) but he also must survive psychologically the tragic deaths of loved ones in the outside world while he is in prison.
   The depth of police and prosecutorial misconduct Kerry describes is nothing less than infuriating, shocking. Yet, the presentation of his case is not intended to be an ideological rant against "the system." Merely by stating the facts, Kerry can convince us of the depth of the flaws.
   Besides being an eye-opening account into injustice, Kerry's book is also
   told in a way that draws us close to him, a human tale that cuts deeply into our hearts. It is a face-paced read that will keep you turning the pages, one that will haunt you and make you want to live each day of your own freedom to the fullest.



3. Read the Innocent Man and thought I could never be moved so much by a book-really a life story. Saw the movie The Exonerated and heard about Kerry's life. I started reading the book for about 2 hrs a few nights ago... Last night I actually read from 9 pm to 3 am and then got up snowy day here) and read from 8 am finishing the book. I felt I couldn't put the book down until this whole ordeal was over-like my not finishing it still had held him in a deplorable state on Death Rown. When he is handed his belongings and the 1.28 check from his Trust Fund I bawled like a baby. I never really thought this was a just world but never really considered how injust men could be. Amazing life story of a man overcoming and rising above horrendous acts of injustice!
   A Must Read!



4. Kerry Max Cook met young Linda Edwards in 1977 and was invited back to her apartment for a drink, where he left his fingerprints on the sliding glass door. Four days later, Ms. Edwards was found brutally murdered, and Cook was immediately arrested for the crime. In one of the worst examples of police and prosecutorial misconduct in American history, Kerry Max was put to trial with coached prosecutorial witnesses, bunk expert testimony about the "age" (six to twelve hours) of the fingerprint, and suppressed evidence that would have favored the defense. The state declared that Kerry Max was a repressed homosexual (at a time when homosexuality was a mental illness, and in rural Texas, no less) who raped and butchered a female out of repressed rage - a theory, incredibly, they stuck to even during re-trials two decades later, in the 1990's!
   
   Chasing Justice is the story of the framing of Kerry Max by the Texas justice system. The narrative was written in Kerry's own hand (1,200 pages at first draft) and condensed into a powerfully personal 350-page account of life on death row - desperation, abandonment, rape and sodomy, stabbings, and attempted suicide. The prose isn't depressing; rather, Kerry Max just fights on, always waiting for the next turn, building his cadre of supporters. Texas death row has been ruled in federal court to constitute cruel and unusual punishment. Kerry Max fought for a full two decades for his freedom, through three outrageous trials, with not a penny to his name. While the major Dallas newspaper was decrying the railroading of an innocent man, he was convicted again and again and again. To date, he is still not eligible for reparations from the state of Texas because he has not been officially pardoned, which would require the unanimous concurrence several bureaucratic offices unwilling to admit their culpability in the grave trespass of justice against Kerry Max Cook. (By the way, the state spent $5 - $7 million over two decades in their effort to execute Kerry Max).
   
   The reader will question - why Kerry Max? In his book, the author does not devote his energies to answering why, rather, he uses his energy to fight. From some brief research on the case, I have determined that the real culprit hired a very expensive, well-connected good ol' boy lawyer, requiring the police to find another suspect to satisfy the anger of the community. I can only begin to wonder how the Texas justice system conspired for 20 years to keep an innocent man behind bars. During each of his three trials, judges continually approved motions by the prosecutor and denied those of the defense, even to the point at which the court had contradicted itself on which evidence should be suppressed or allowed and for what reason!
   
   Kerry Max's remarkable story is a damning indictment of the death penalty and the Texas justice system. Right before the publication of his memoir, national crime show Body of Evidence: From the Case Files of Dayle Hinman featured forensic experts "solving" the Edwards murder based on false evidence from the prosecution. Even 10 years have Kerry Max's exoneration in the national eye, misinformation is still being spread by those in power. Kerry Max Cook's experiences should serve as clear warning not to blindly accept the word of authority.



5. What I loved about this book was that it was not written by a professional writer, it wasn't a lawyer's point of view, and it didn't preach to me about the death penalty. Instead, this book was a look at the justice system from a regular person's point of view. Kerry Max Cook raised questions about how the justice system works, or more appropriately, doesn't work, and not by hammering on lofty principles, but by showing the reader what actually happens, in court, out of court, and in prison. However, most importantly, he brings us inside the mind of a person facing the worst possible situation and how that affects him. I was inspired by his strength and ability to persevere through things that would have crushed nearly every human being. This book is a must-read for anyone who endeavors to understand the American criminal justice system and what it means to be accused of a crime.