5 comments about Out in Bad Standings: Inside the Bandidos Motorcycle Club--The Making of a Worldwide Dynasty.

1. I guess this book might be interesting from an intel standpoint to someone who actually is a one-percenter (I'm not ... anymore) or to the legions of weekend warriors, wannabees, and 'overnighters' who populate the average biker bar nowadays. But to someone who has at least a year or two of middle school or who isn't fascinated by old newspaper clippings of the 'biker wars' of the 80s and 90s it is absolute garbage. It really is almost unreadable.
   
   It's not the author's fault, really. Someone paid him to write a book ... a task that is clearly over his head. Hey ... I'd take the money, too. I blame the folks who should have told him the truth and saved him from embrarrassment. And speaking of those poor, misguided souls at the publisher, I must ask again ...
   
   Did he whack his editors? Good. After reading the first two chapters of this crap I'd say they deserved it.



2. I really can't add much to the reviews already stated, me, me and more of me. All I know that toward the middle of the book I started skipping anything that had to do with his job or kid. Kind of made a proud orginization look bad to say the least. As a member of a club all I know is that I'm surprised that he's still walking around running his mouth. He nothing but a little skinny wanna-be, a hey look at me dude, nothing better then a rat, a thief, a bike thief, he was/is so proud of that fact. On top of all that he mentions the names of the "Brothers" that still talk to him, I don't think he has any friends now! He just couldn't handle club life, punkstyle.



3. I read the book and enjoyed it till the last 1/4 of reading. I was a member and enjoyed hearing about some of my old brothers.
   The (how great I'am) did get to me to. And the BS about the president wants me gone even if someone was to kill him. This was the first book of this nature I have read but I will be reading others The brotherhood is my next one.
   I contacted one of my old brothers and ask him if he had read it he said no. I told him he should till I got 3/4 of the way through it. I called him back and advised against it.
   There are so many of the older members who could of done a better job on this type of book. To bad I didn't keep notes when I was a member. But I was having way to much fun.
   I was a member when Don Chambers was president Ed is just lucky Don is not here anymore. Billy



4. I enjoyed the book immensely, and while reading the book actually thought about joining the Bandido M.C., but towards the last of the book, I changed my mind. I pre-ordered the next book by Ct. Ed and am looking forward to reading it.
   vincemor



5. I have also read all Outlaw motorcycle club books that are out , So this one gave Me some answers to some of the questions I had about a couple of the other books I have read, it was hard to see where He was going at times , and other times repeating what every one had already read a million times, but all in all its a good book,

4 comments about The Lynchings in Duluth (Borealis Books).

1. I visited Duluth for the first time last year and liked the town so much, I went back three days ago. The title of this book was enough to shock me into buying it and reading it from cover to cover within a few hours of leaving the shop. The subject is depressing, yet fascinating; the book overturned my outsider's assumptions about the town and the state. Fedo does not get sidetracked by excessive detail or the urge to be judgmental; he tells a horrible, simple story in a way that is both easy to read and deeply disturbing. He tries to understand the motivations of most of the key players, the heroes and the villains, and conveys the difficult choices faced by some of those present. For the police and bystanders in Superior Street that day there was a very thin dividing line between complicity and innocence. As William Green asks in the introduction, "at what point is one's guilt by association manifest?".

   This tragedy could have happened in any state in the country and it would be harsh to say the events of June 1920 suggest that Duluth folk were uniquely bad amongst the people of the North. A set of chance occurrences came together at that moment in that place with consequences that reflect badly on the entire nation in that era. If Duluth is stained by the murders it is as much for the shameful cover-up (the collective amnesia that allowed three victims to lie forgotten for so many decades) as for the events of eighty years ago. Fedo deserves a lot of credit for excavating this episode from his town's past.




2. I stumbled upon this while doing research on my family--imagine my shock to discover my great-grandfather's name mentioned several times in this book. My mother and I read it apprehensively, unsure of what we would discover. My mother worried that her "pa" would be portrayed as a monster, but Mr. Fedo's writing is factual, fair and honoring of the era's perspective. Disturbing and horrifying, I appreciate this valuable document as a lesson in humanity and a testament to how even the most upstanding, warm people can be capable of abhorrent things.



3. When I was growing up in the Duluth area, I had heard references to this event in the city's past, but no one seemed to know much of anything about it. Finally, I see and understand more clearly what happened that night in June 1920.

   I also feel now that I understand the city of Duluth better than I did before I read this book. I always thought that there was a black cloud over the city, but only those who have lived in the city all their lives seemed to be in tune with it. I now see that intense skepticism, lack of passion, and a touch of guilt had been passed down to future generations without those persons even realizing it. I hope that with a memorial on the spot where this tragic event occured that the healing can begin.




4. Much like the public hanging of 38 Dakota in Mankato, MN, the 1920 lynchings that took place in Duluth were part of a dark piece of the state's history that were tacitly buried--almost to the point of being forgotten. Fortunately, Michael Fedo wrote this somewhat comprehensive account of the events and social conditions that culminated in this abhorrent outburst. Unfortunately, the citation is minimal and a couple of key names were changed to protect the people involved; Fedo, a Duluth native himself, originally wrote this book in 1979 (to a lukewarm reception) and seems to have been a bit wary of upsetting people who were involved in the incident and still alive at the time. However, despite these shortcomings, this is one of the only books that documents the lynchings of Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson, and Isaac McGhie on June 15, 1920, and the trials that followed. (The only other book that I could find that gives a detailed account of the lynchings is John Bessler's LEGACY OF VIOLENCE--much of his material is cited from Fedo's book).

No comments about Making a Law (True Books).

5 comments about Nuremberg Diary.

1. Also see Nuremberg Goering's Last Stand , with Hannes Hellmann as HGm History Channel, Ex 5 Stars.



2. I didn't know what to expect from this book, but I was very glad I picked it up. It began a little slowly, but gained momentum quickly and soon had me unable to put it down. Dr. Gilbert, the psychologist and diarist, delivers an in-depth and intimate portrayal of the mental make-up of the Nazi's on trial at Nuremberg. I came away from this book feeling as though I had been at Dr. Gilbert's side throughout the trial, speaking to each defendant individually on a daily basis.
   
   A real "fly-on-the-wall", behind the scenes view of the Nuremberg trials. Highly recommended.



3. A great companion to the TNT Network movie "Nuremberg" of a few years ago (available on dvd). You'll come away with a good understanding of an important era of history.



4. This was a fascinating book. One that every student of WWII history should read.



5. This book is the "fly on the wall" account of the surviving Nazi leaders in their final chapter of their infamous history.
   
   Gustave Gilbert was the American Jewish psychoanalyst that the Army placed in the Nuremberg Trials as both a suicide deterrent and a "spy" to glean information on what made those monsters tick. He interferes very little as the deposed leaders "spilt their guts" out to him as they awaited sentencing.
   
   His account of what transpired is now used as a reference in classes on psychology for aberrant and psychopathic personalities. This book is full of surprises! Some are comedic, most are ghastly.
   
   He reports on Streicher's fanaticisms and bombastic speeches about "Hitler and the halo on his head." He reports on the once arrogant Ribbentrop being reduced to a washrag without the support of his "fuhrer." All cases of blind militarism, puffed arrogance, and fanatical foolishness are represented in this collection of papers, detailing how mundane losers can become madmen in the right set and setting.
   
   Of particular interest is his observations of Goering. That man prided himself on being the world's "school bully." Yet he was a moral coward, who doped himself during the war rather than have his childish hero-fantasies crushed. It took a man like Gilbert to crush Goering's goadings and proddings of the other defendants with promises of "Marble Caskets."
   
   Through Gilbert's influence, most of the Nazi leadership finally recognized their errors and sins.
   
   This book should be a "must read" for those interested in why such calamities happen in world history. Also it should be a "must read" for those crazy neo-nazis and Holocaust deniers out there. Gilbert got all his information on the whole Nazi "religion" straight from the horses mouths.

5 comments about Shower Posse: The Most Notorious Jamaican Crime Organization.

1. You know there are a lot of books that come out saying that certain groups were the most notorious. I heard of these cats coming up, but I am not 100% sure that Shower was the most notorious. I know they were hustlin strong in Philly and were doing things in D.C. and what not. I like Duane's writing, but I just dont think it was enough details. Jamaican gangs were a dime a dozen back in the 80's. And I think it is a bit biased because he is writing about his Pop which I can respect. Good job anyways



2. This was a good inspiration for my friend. I was a gift to him.



3. I agree with Big Mu Ha's review. I feel Duane Blake didn't go into enough details about the events that took place. I am sure for legal reasons it makes sense to leave a lot of detail out. The book went into details about people. The beginning of the book is very strong, it kept me the reader very engaged. Towards the end, during the years of prison seem very high-level - not too much detail. I def recommend this book to anyone who enjoys organization crime, gangs, murder stories. Esp if you are Jamaican, you can relate to much of the content. Great story to remember..



4. I think the book was excellent in terms of its exposure of the infamous drug hustle game that so many get caught up in. The book serves as a true testimony for others to learn from. I however was very disturbed about the amount of grammatical errors in my book. Was it just my copy or is that just how the book is.. if so? Please think about revising the book and coming out with a 2nd edition. I also think a screenplay for this movie would be ideal.



5. I love to read, but the writing style of this book is so amateurish, it was like pulling teeth. Hundreds of names of insignificant people, and events that added nothing to the story. The Blake family should have hired a professional writer. A great story exists here but, the writing style is so annoying, you lose focus

5 comments about When the Dancing Stopped: The Real Story of the Morro Castle Disaster and Its Deadly Wake.

1. Every so often I come across a book that grabs my attention in the opening pages and keeps me fixated right until the very end. "When The Dancing Stopped" is just such a book. Author Brian Hicks relates the incredible tale of the cruise ship Morro Castle and fantastic events that led to its untimely demise in September 1934 off the New Jersey Coast. The Morro Castle, flagship of the steamship company known as the Ward Line, carried all of the mail between New York and Cuba. It was a lucrative government contract worth more than $750,000 per year. The ship was also outfitted to carry hundreds of passengers on its weekly jaunts to Havana.
   None of the passengers or crew members of the Morro Castle could possibly have anticipated the bizarre and deadly events would unfold on that fateful evening of September 8, 1934. Within just a few short hours the ships captain Robert Willmott would be found dead in his quarters and a deadly fire would break out on board the Morro Castle. To make matters worse a tropical storm was rapidly approaching the disabled vessel from the South while a massive Nor'easter was bearing down from the North. All the ingredients were in place for a major catastrophe!
   What makes all of this so disturbing is that there was ample evidence to suggest that Captain Willmotte just might have been murdered and that the fire was indeed no accident. What could possibly motivate an individual or group of people to perpertate such dastardly deeds? This is what "When The Dancing Stopped" is all about. You will meet the members of the crew and learn how they reacted during this tragedy. You will be appalled to learn why so many of the lifeboats on board were never even used. You will also learn the identity of the individual who many suspect may have been motivated to set these horrible events in motion. Brian Hicks does a splendid job in researching this book. Hicks also makes use of recently declassified government documents that shed new light on this 70 year old mystery. But the story does not end with the Morro Castle. The individual suspected of planning and executing the events on that fateful night would continue to wreak havoc for another 20 years. It turns out that this portion of the book is every bit as compelling as the story of the disaster itself. Whether you are a fan of disaster books like I am or enjoy murder mysteries I suspect that "When The Dancing Stopped" is a book you will certainly enjoy. Highly recommended!



2. Having grown up only minutes from Asbury Park I have seen the many photos of the Morro Castle beached in front of Convention Hall for years, but never knew the details of the fateful voyage until reading this excellent book. Unfortunately too much remians unknown about the ships true fate, and many years have passed. The author does an excellent job of trying to solve the mystery, but the ultimate explanation will never be known. Nonetheless "When the Dancing Stopped" is a well written, suspenseful book; a worthy read for anyone interested in maritime history or the history of New Jersey.



3. The strange story of the cruise liner S.S. Morro Castle is truly one of history's most intriguing "stranger than fiction" mysteries. The Depression-era Morro Castle sailed regularly between New York and a then pre-Communist Cuba. But even though old Havana was a prized tourist destination in those days, the political turmoil of the island in and of itself infected the Morro Castle with intrigues. The Morro Castle's cargo business involved it in what can only be called gun running, and the repressive "banana republic" governance found in Cuba lead to political agitation amongst her crew. Labor unrest in general seemed to be a constant since the liner's owners seemed a bit too ready to take advantage of the desperation of the crew for jobs while the Depression raged. And as the troubled liner plied her trade, her captain, Robert Willmott, himself became more and more troubled. Mysterious fires broke out on the ship during her runs. Stories reached the captain about explosives and toxic chemicals being smuggled aboard to either sabotage the ship or injure him personally. On the Morro Castle's last voyage, Willmott had become so paranoid that he had nearly cutoff all contact with passengers and crew.
   
   On that last voyage on the last night of the cruise, the beleaguered captain dropped dead under circumstances that can only be called mysterious in the light of subsequent events. The exhausted up-since-dawn first mate, William Warms, has to take charge only to find himself piloting the ship through the most bizarre weather imaginable. A hurricane is traveling up the East Coast from the south while simultaneously a Nor'easter is traveling south - trapping the Morro Castle between the two and leaving her no escape from gale force winds. Three A.M. sees the ultimate horror when a fire breaks out amidships in one of the few rooms aboard that is not fitted with smoke detectors or sprinklers. In minutes the fire burns out of control and cuts nearly everyone off from lifeboats. Most of the passengers and crew find themselves forced to decide whether to burn to death or jump into storm tossed seas. Over a hundred die from the fire or in the water off of the New Jersey coast and in an eerie coda, the burned out liner herself drifts ashore at Asbury Park and draws gawkers to watch her smolder for weeks on end. The sequence of events that night was so bizarre that speculation began immediately that the suspicious fire wasn't accidental but was purposely set.
   
   The story didn't end there, however. It became even more disturbing. One of the ship's officers - one of the few that ended that night being lauded for his heroism - proved in subsequent years to be a homicidal sociopath. It was discovered that he had a criminal history prior to his time aboard the Morro Castle. Not only was he convicted for robbery, but he was strongly suspected of having committed arson to hide his burglaries. After his time on the Morro Castle, he attempted to murder a co-worker with a homemade bomb, was suspected of poisoning a water cooler at his place of work, and finally was sent to prison for life for the gruesome murder of his elderly neighbors. Although this proves nothing about the events of that awful September morning, the path of devastation this man wrought in his life can't help but fuel speculation as to whether he had a role in the death and destruction that took place on Morro Castle's last voyage.
   
   I have the distinction of having read every book written about that terrible fire at sea, although that's not that impressive an accomplishment given the fact that Hicks' is only the fourth. Since I read the other three so long ago, however, I don't feel it fair to compare this newer book too directly to those others. There is admittedly not too much new here to those who also may have read a prior book about the Morro Castle. What Hicks' narrative has, however, is a tremendous driving energy that pulls you as deeply into the events of that night as possible. Even though I knew exactly what was due to come next, I still found myself seized with a tremendous foreboding with the recounting of each new ominous turn in the story. In fact, I think that this masterful narrative drive is actually Hicks' biggest contribution to the historical record as well. As well acquainted as I was with the story, I still never realized just how bad the hand William Warms was dealt that night. Up since dawn, finding a respected friend dead in the middle of the night, and having to assume command in the middle of not one but two tropical storms, he must have been a nervous wreck well before the fire started. One can always argue that a different man might have better risen to the occasion that morning, but past accounts of this tragedy have tended to paint the poor man as an incompetent bungler - a portrait that seems grossly unfair in light of the mounting series of problems he faced.
   
   What also becomes clear from Hicks' account is how thin the line was between nuisance and outright disaster. In fact, it's not even clear that the fire wasn't already out of control the moment it was discovered. When one thinks of maritime disasters, one inevitably recalls the Titanic. But the Titanic sank over the course of four hours, giving plenty of time for all aboard to react in the best manner possible. The Morro Castle fire was more in the nature of an engine falling off an airplane wing - the pilot has one split-second decision to make that determines whether the plane crashes or lands safely. In some ways the situation aboard the Morro Castle was even worse in that successfully fighting the fire or saving as many people as possible would have entailed a series of split-second decisions by scores of crew members located all over the ship. Once the fire had spread out of control, the lifeboats were already essentially inaccessible by the passengers. This left the crew with little they could do to save lives. The fire also quickly spread to the engine room and knocked out the ship's engines. This left no way for the bridge to control the ship and left the ship's acting captain helpless to do much to save passengers. Crew incompetence is a big part of earlier recitations of this story but even though there were some incidents of undeniable cowardice on the part of the crew, it's not easy to see how the crew could have lessened the disaster in a substantial way once the fire spread out of control.
   
   I think Hicks has also improved on earlier accounts in his handling of the testimony of the enormously unlucky radio operator George Alagna. Past accounts of the Morro Castle's last days have tended to treat Alagna's tale as gospel. Frankly, I think this is because his testimony casts everyone aboard in the worst light possible. Hicks, however, demonstrates that Alagna was a bit of a hothead and troublemaker. This doesn't totally discredit his account by any means, but does imply that one should subject it to the same skepticism accorded to the testimony of any of the other officers onboard. Keeping Alagna's testimony at arm's length actually makes the story of that morning richer and more human. I'm sure that the Morro Castle's officers where good men who, had things not progressed to disaster so quickly, might have pulled together to salvage what they could of the situation. The fire, however, left them all in a hopeless situation. And what can be expected from men in a hopeless situation? Ego-clashes. Finger-pointing. Self-pity. None of these are pretty, but they are completely understandable. Hicks has done a great service here I think by humanizing these poor men while other books have tended to paint them to a man as hapless failures.
   
   As I grow older I find myself less and less inclined to believe the sensational. It's entirely possible that the sequence of disasters that overtook the Morro Castle that night were nothing but bad luck. On that awful night in September in 1934, the fates may just have collided over the waters of New Jersey to make the Morro Castle the worst possible place on the planet to be. Certainly, no human agency is to blame for the freakish weather which in and of itself claimed the most lives that morning. Willmott's death - while suspicious - was not unambiguously murder. The man wasn't found stabbed or shot, and he had earlier complained of things like chest pains that point to the very real possibility of a heart attack. And just because there was a wicked man aboard that night capable of committing arson, it doesn't mean that the fire was definitely set. The biggest criticism I have of Hicks' account is his failure to mention a very real possibility as to the cause of the blaze. The writing room locker in which the fire was initially discovered was backed by the ship's funnel. It's certainly possible that this funnel was malfunctioning and running hot - not only sparking a fire in the writing room locker but also super-heating its surrounding walls on several decks. This would also explain why the fire so quickly spread as deck after deck could have been heated to ignition temperatures over the course of the evening by the hot stack. And yet, while I think a lack of discussion of this possibility is a real problem with Hicks' telling, I still absolutely loved this book and strongly recommend it. The strange tale of the Morro Castle is a fascinating part of American history, and I devoutly wish that Hicks' wonderful telling acquaints or reacquaints as many people as possible with it.



4. This is, by my reckoning, the fourth book-length treatment of the Morro Castle disaster. It is also arguably the best of the lot, while not without its flaws.
   
   Thomas Gallagher's "Fire At Sea," published initially in 1960 and reprinted a few years ago by Lyons Press, told what was a compelling tale on the surface; however, some of the author's claims fall apart on closer scrutiny, in no small part because he presented as fact incidents that could kindly be called apocryphal (some of which were known, at the time, to have been false). "Morro Castle" (Hal Burton), while a competent offering--here the author sticks to the facts--breaks no new ground. "Shipwreck" (Thomas/Witts) I've seen compared--accurately, it should be said--to a screen treatment; the writing is dramatic in all the worst ways, and the authors make some factual leaps in service to their story, rather than sticking to events as they happened. Each of these books covers slightly different facets of the event, giving a Rashomon-like quality to a narrative whose true nature may never be known.
   
   Against this backdrop, "When The Dancing Stopped" appeared in 2006. Hicks takes as his protagonists passenger Doris Wacker and crew member Tom Torreson, whose stories are covered, to varying degrees, in the previous books. He does, however, further flesh out their stories, and much of the rest of the back story both of the vessel and the Ward Line, the company that operated her. He further makes use of FBI files that had previously been unavailable, shedding some new light on the character and actions of the disaster's "hero," Chief Radio Operator George Rogers.
   
   On the other hand, much of the Rogers material had been uncovered earlier by Gallagher's research, and much of what Hicks has "unearthed" merely corroborates that part of Gallagher's story. Furthermore, Hicks, like Gallagher, builds the case against Rogers without giving serious consideration to the other possible causes of the fire. One would grant, based on the evidence presented in these two books, that if the fire was caused by arson, Rogers is the prime, if not the only, suspect; however, this is far from an open-shut case.
   
   Burton's book, while acknowledging the possible Rogers connection, raises another possibility. While it's more prosaic, it's every bit as plausible, and is compelling in its own right. Without giving the game away, I would refer you to yet another book: "The Aspirin Age," edited by Isobel Leighton, which contains an essay on the Morro Castle that lays out in depth the case that Burton makes only in brief.
   
   But I digress. Hicks has delivered a well-researched, eminently readable book. While it doesn't close the nearly 75-year-old case, it's a more-than-worthy addition to the (sadly limited) canon on this disaster. But there's a caveat... Hicks managed to avoid his predecessors' shortcomings and pitfalls, save for one: I can't help but think, based on the evidence, that the author allowed his narrative to shape his research, rather than seeing where the research took him, and writing accordingly. I wonder what this book could have been if that hadn't been the case, and it's what kept a very good book from being an excellent, perhaps even definitive, one.



5. There have been a few books written on this disaster at sea, and this book got good reviews.... But I found it disappointing. It seemed to me like a longggg magazine article. Maybe the problem was that the characters are all so very unlikeable. After the fire and the chaos, for which there was no excuse, there are many good words written about passengers, but the crew was, almost to a one, petty, ignorant of their duties, and just basically unlikeable, so I didn't care about what happened to them. I don't like cruise ships, anyway; I find them claustrophobic and boring, unless perhaps if you drink and gamble, which I don't do. I am aware of improvements over the past many years since this incident, but still we read about almost-disasters happening in our seas week after week. After reading this book, it just confirms my refusal to ever go on another cruise.

5 comments about Exposed: The Harrowing Story of a Mother's Undercover Work with the FBI to Save Children from Internet Sex Predators.

1. I have read this book, and found it very interesting! Repetitive it was NOT. There are ALOT of sick pediphiles out there, and this lets them know we have their number! This woman works at getting them off the internet, and it doesn't take over night, it's alot of making sure she has who she thinks she has. I think R. Stephanie Good is a "PLUS" to life, if only more people were more like her this world would be a better place.



2. Hey Folks,
   Mrs.Good takes you through her experiences with the sexual predators that she enounters in her great work as a civilian UC helping the FBI put these folks where they belong...in a cage away from our kids! This book discusses the many facets of this section of law enforcement and even brings you into a trial and shows you the sleazy attempt by a defense lawyer to get the predator from having to do the time for his, or her, crime. This is a great book to companinion "To catch a Predator" by Chris Hasen. These two books are must reads for anyone interested in this subject. God Bless you all, Doneaux.



3. This book was very informative and eye opening. I recommend it for anyone with a teenager that wants to know what to look for on the internet.



4. This book is a must read for parents and for anyone working in local, state or federal law enforcement. It offers a clear understanding of how many sick people are out there and how our children are so vulnerable and easily exposed to these internet predators. The work of Good together with the FBI is extraordinary. Their efforts will not take all predators off the street, but with each one they send to jail, several of our children are saved from their lives and innocense being destroyed.



5. I thought that the book, overall, was interesting. Working in the criminal justice system, I know this occurs. I must also counter another reviewer by saying that yes, these predators do indeed succeed in luring young teens into sexual relationships. I have seen it literally dozens of times.
   
   However, I found that the book was poorly written. It was extremely repetitive and the author spends a large portion of the latter section of the book defending her actions and reiterating the fact that she didn't testify in court in order to sell more books.
   
   I must certainly commend her actions, but I believe that the author spends far too much time defending her motives and explaining why she is on the internet working for the FBI and not enough time explaining the phenomenon itself.

4 comments about Deadly Relations.

1. This true crime book focuses on a prominent New Orleans nuclear family. The father, Leonard Fagot, was a handsome former marine and war hero, who became a wealthy attorney. Father to four beautiful girls, he made sure that they wanted for nothing in the dream house that he and his wife built. Unfortunately, as the girls grew up, their father seemed to change, exhibiting more and more of his less stellar personality traits. He became totally domineering and erratic in his behavior.
   
   When he made a troubled local teenager his girlfriend, practically keeping her under his wife's nose, the marriage disintegrated, and he began a personal downward spiral. His maniacal personality would see him insure the lives of his sons-in-law. When one of them died a seemingly accidental death, it was suspect, but when a second one bit the dust, it was definitely murder. Coupled with the fact that Leonard Fagot would also maim himself, losing a hand and an eye in order to get the insurance money, the reader may infer that he was certainly a disturbed individual.
   
   Told as a first person narrative by two of his daughters, the book suffers from an inability to distinguish between the voices of the two daughters. Moreover, it offers little analysis as to why this man would totally unravel towards the end of his life and undo a lifetime of work. Was it drugs, money, madness or all of the above that drove Leonard Fagot to do the unspeakable things that he did? Even after reading the book, the reader is left unsure. The daughters who wrote this book, one of whom testified against the father at his trial, are virtually unlikable, as is the rest of the family, rendering them unsympathetic in their tragedy.
   
   The book contains eight pages of black and white photographs and is moderately interesting at best. Only true crime enthusiasts will get a modicum of enjoyment from reading this mediocre book.



2. This is the book that was made into a movie starring Robert Uhrich and Gwyneth Paltrow! The book is even better! ENJOY!



3. Very interesting story that I don't remember hearing about when it happened. Very well written, by two non-professional writers. My heart went out to this family. It must be terrible to love someone and see his life unravel right before your eyes. Especially when the consequences of the unraveling are violent and deadly. This man tore his loving family apart. This was a story of drug addiction that lead to mental illness, or maybe the mental illness was fueled by his drug addiction. It was very sad.



4. I have seen the movie based on this book many times, and I loved it. Once I found out there was a book, I jumped on eBay and bought a copy. I am so glad I did! This is a great book, and I'll admit, it was a little difficult to NOT picture Robert Urich as the dad, or Gwyneth Paltrow as Carol.
   
   My attention was held the whole time I was reading it, and I really didn't want to put it down. I highly recommend to anyone who can find a copy to buy it, it really is that good!!! Leonard Fagot went over the top in his obsessions with those life insurance schemes of his,...

5 comments about Gorgeous Disaster: The Tragic Story of Debra Lafave.

1. so what.. We don't really need to read a book about him being unable to satisfy his wife causing her to seek out minors..lol.. waste of paper.. this guy needs to move on..



2. First, this book is badly edited -- or, frankly, I truly wonder if anyone even made an attempt at it. No publisher should be in that much of a hurry.
   
   Second, I read this book because Debra LaFave came before the court again very recently. Only then did I become curious enough to look into the story.
   
   And finally, in Gorgeous Disaster, here is the voice I hear from Owen LaFave:
   I loved this gorgeous creature, couldn't help it really, married her as a test, which incidently didn't take. Mostly, I did well as a husband to this beauty. She needed training. I put up with it all because, aside from her obvious problems, she had many good qualities.
   
   You know, now that I'm writing this, he makes his relationship to Debra sound like owning a dog. Perhaps it's just the manner in which the book was written. But, often I found myself wincing rather than being sympathetic to his feelings. I would say that this man is simply not too deep. It's easy to conjure up the image of someone falling down, jumping right up, brushing off his clothing, finding a lottery ticket at his feet, and cashing it in as fast as he can.
   
   So, in conclusion, this book does not offer anything but a somewhat whiney, salacious exerpt. The last chapter will give you some hints on what to look for in a teacher predator.



3. The story was interesting and an easy read, however as others have mentioned the constant references to her beauty are very distracting and annoying. She is a cute girl, but gorgeous and model-like are certainly generous compliments. I think it's more clown-like with the oversize eyelashes. Owen certainly thinks very highly of himself and it shows over and over, and the personal insight on their sex life left me feeling icky. Curiosoity wise it is a good read, however I think it would have been better if written as a fact-based story without the personal and ego building comments of Owen. I suggest borrowing it from the library though like I did. I would have really been disappointed had I bought it.



4. Incredible book. I was totally intrigued. Debra really was sick but I feel that her husband was most likely rough to live with also.



5. I was really looking forward to reading this book, but was a little disappointed in it. I agree with "DF"'s comments. The book comes across as a little self-serving on Owen LaFave's part. He paints himself as the long-suffering good guy of a husband, which he may be, but there are generally 3 sides to every story - his, hers and the truth (not minimizing what Ms. LaFave did). Also, Mr. LaFave needs to purchase a thesaurus if he plans on writing any more books - the use of the word "gorgeous" becomes trite and tedious. There are many other words that can be used to convey that something or someone is appealing to the eye. Overall, it is a pretty good book, but it smacks of using his personal adversity to make a few bucks.

4 comments about Rough Trade.

1. One of the investigators in this True Crime story notes that ". . . this case had a variety of characters that the most fertile mind in Hollywood would have a hard time imagining . . ." and author Steve Jackson manages to make me feel that I know them. Some I like, some I detest . . . and I do want to know how Joanne Cordova is doing with her life now. Joanne is a former Denver policewoman who fell into a life of drug addiction and prostitution and was involved in the story from the underside, yet found the courage to come forward and testify against killer Robert Riggan. The book is well written and the author has a real facility for holding on to all the different lines of the story and keeping them straight and moving toward the resolution. I'm sure that many crimes must have as fascinating a story underneath the headlines if only that story could be told. My hat is off to the heros of the story and to Steve Jackson for introducing me to them.



2. Adjectives are difficult descriptors for me. Comparisons seem to fit better. So, here are mine for Steve Jackson:

   John Grisham:Scott Turow; Nancy Rosenberg:John Lescroart; Ann Rule:Steve Jackson




3. Here's how I compare Steve Jackson's writing: John Grisham:Scott Turow; Nancy Rosenberg:John Lescroart; and Ann Rule:Steve Jackson.



4. I'M ONLY 1/2 WAY THROUGH THIS BOOK AND WHAT A STORY. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT DOWN. WILL TELL EVERYONE WHAT I THINK ABOUT WHOLE BOOK WHEN I'M DONE.