5 comments about Conspiracy of Fools: A True Story.

1. This book gives sobering data, while reading like a best-selling mystery--quite the feat!
   
   The book is particularly relevant when we fit the story of Enron into the larger picture: Geo. W. Bush's longtime personal friendship with Enron head Ken Lay; Bush's own businesses in the 1980s--Arbusto and Spectrum 7--also collapsing shortly after HE sold out HIS personal stock; numerous other financial giants coincident with Enron (eg., Arthur Anderson, Tyco, Worldcom, etc.) demonstrating the same fiscal irresponsibility; this pattern repeated yet again in the recent (2008) Bear Stearns debacle.
   
   Do you want to understand the mechanisms by which greed and corruption flourish? This book gives a detailed view of the process. I was continually astonished as I read. But then, I always am. (People sometimes accuse me of being cynical, but I can honestly reply, "To the contrary! I'm constantly amazed!")
   
   A great companion book to Pigs at the Trough : How Corporate Greed and Political Corruption Are Undermining America. We can't say we weren't told....
   
   Doni Tamblyn is author of Laugh and Learn: 95 Ways to Use Humor for More Effective Teaching and Training and The Big Book of Humorous Training Games (Big Book of Business Games Series)



2. It was most interesting to get a glimpse into the personal life as well as the unethical business practices of the executives.



3. As a 56 year old very successful business owner of 30 years, I always looked in awe at these 40 year old CEOs and CFOs of major publicly held corporations. How did these guys learn so much in such a short period of time? Are they actually that much smarter than I am? Apparently NOT! The only difference between us is that I could never match their levels of arrogance, greed, stupidity and total lack of ethics. Welcome to the world of big business.
   
   As tragic as the ENRON situation is, what transpired behind the scenes was so incredulous, I found myself laughing out loud. The fact that they thought they could get away with some of these schemes was astounding. The fact that they got away with them as long as they did is a tribute to the stupidity of the supporting staff around them. This book should be required reading for any college grad going into the business world.



4. Conspiracy of Fools is the story of Enron, from beginning to collapse, researched and presented in excruciating detail. It's a horror story of greed, incompetence, arrogance, and willful ignorance. And it's a cautionary tale depicting the importance of accounting. It's also thought-provoking, particularly with regard to the contradictory nature of American business--what's good for the actual business isn't necessarily what's good for the stockholders, and vice versa.
   
   The first quarter or so of the book, I spent a lot of time flipping back to the the cast of characters in the front of the book, and being frustrated by the way it jumped between characters and POVs. After I became familiar with the major players, it read much more smoothly.
   
   The other thing that drove me nuts for quite a while was that so many scenes were described with precise dates, sometimes even down to the minute. I kept expecting those times to be significant in some way, but they never were. I eventually realized that it was supposed to be proof of how accurate the research was, but I just found it distracting.
   
   There's more detail than I expected, but in this kind of book, I appreciated that--it felt like I got a clearer picture of not only what happened, but why, and how it was allowed to happen.
   
   Other than that, it was fascinating, and horrifying. Reading it was like watching a series of train wrecks, or a horror movie where you're screaming at the bimbo not to go up the stairs, but she does anyway. I'm glad I read it.



5. Seriously, this guy churns out a book every 4 years cause he does his research. Add to that the fact he is an exceptional writer. Perfect guy to write about this historic meltdown. Hard to rate your favorite books but remember how much I enjoyed reading it two years later. What a blast of a read (tragic story though). After reading the book I became so interested in the Enron debacle, that I actually skipped class and drove to houston (two years ago) to watch Fastow get cross-examined during Skilling and Lay's trial.
   
   So yes I fully reccomend and endorse this book. Buy it and enjoy!

5 comments about The Rescue Artist: A True Story of Art, Thieves, and the Hunt for a Missing Masterpiece (P.S.).

1. This was a book I would not have purchased if I had not heard the author on the radio. I am so glad I did. While the book does jump around a bit, I didn't really find it distracting as the story and Charlie Hill are so fascinating! Even beyond the theft itself, I found myself wanting to know more about Edvard Munch. If you have a chance, read a bio on the artist first and then read this book. It's very interesting to know what Munch was trying to convey in his painting and give more insight as to why the painting is so valuable.



2. To use an old cliche' this book was right up my alley. It fascinating because it's about "true crime," which is far more intriguing to me than the antics in the Da Vinci Code. The meanderings didn't bother me. I wanted to know about the history of art thievery. Charlie Hill is a great character--flawed, quirky and still believable--a complete mess! I also found the writing well drawn--good vocalbulary--good descriptions. I loved the way he described Charlie as if "a careless ckerk had stapled together pages from several resumes." I found myself smiling as I read this great book.



3. This was a fascinating look at the world of Art theft and those responsible for recovering the masterpieces. While the book's central focus is on the theft and recovery of Edvard Munch's "The Scream" (taken from the National Gallery in Oslo, Norway on February 12, 1994), it also managed to pack in true stories of solved and unresolved thefts of some of the worlds most beloved paintings.
   
   I have been to some of the world's most renowned museums and have seen original Van Gogh's, Renoir's, DaVinci's and Rembrandt's, etc., and on each occasion the place always seemed so secure. Not so according to this book. Evidently museums are lacking the funds in their budget to beef up security, making it a sitting duck. What's worse is that the criminals, if caught, face very little penalties for stealing these items. It's outrageous if you think about it.
   
   Excellent book that was well worth my time.



4. Edward Dolnick has turned the story of the theft of Edvard Munch's famous painting "Scream" from a museum on Oslo into a great character study of the English detective who gets it back. Two mystery men steal a ladder, climb a wall, break a window, and make off with the poorly-defended painting.
   
   Detective Charlie Hill uses his half-English, half-American upbringing to impersonate an employee of California's Getty Museum interested in ransoming the painting. James Bond-type intrigue ensues - missed connections, interfering local police, thuggish bodyguards, aimless drives through the middle of the night, fistfights, etc. etc.
   
   Dolnick writes with humor and verve; the story moves speedily and only occasional descends to cliche. The greatest strength of the book is its some heroic depiction of Hill and some sidekick characters. My only slight disappointment was that the "whodunnit" revelations at the end seem like an offhand afterthought. The motivations, plans, and intentions of the actual thieves are given minimal space; I was left feeling a bit teased (teased, but satisfied).



5. If the reader is interested in a fast pace and action, then this book will not satisfy. The basic story is not a lengthy one. The digressions into background matters provide useful peeks into assorted issues, such as thievery, forgery and the art world, but go on for too long and should have been condensed. I found myself impatient for the story to move forward. The sheer number of delays and digressions bordered on comical.

5 comments about An Unfinished Canvas: A True Story of Love, Family, and Murder in Nashville.

1. I caught part of a show on Court-TV about this case and the little I saw was intriguing, so I got this book--and was not disappointed. The author has done a fine job of documenting the devious machinations of a man who seemed to have had it all, but followed his own selfish desires and left human wreckage in his wake. This is one of the most well-written true crime books I've read in a long time (and I read a LOT of them). Looking forward to more from this author.



2. THIS BOOK WAS A PAGE-TURNER IF THERE EVER WAS ONE. THANKS TO THE 2 DETECTIVES JUSTICE WAS SERVED.



3. This was one of the most heart-breaking true crime books I have ever read. My heart goes out to the Levines in the loss of their daughter and to Janet March's children. There is no punishment I can think of that is bad enough for Perry March.
   
   However, one major frustration for me was that this book was written in the present tense. I found it extremely confusing and had to keep going back to previous passages in order to clearly understand the sequence of events.



4. I took my title from a quotation by Det. Pat Postiglione, one of the true heroes of this fascinating story. I found this account of Nashville's most anticiapted (10 years) trial (actually 3 trials) and perhaps "crime of the century" to be thoroughly readable. Although I paid as much attention to the case as anyone in the Nashville area, this fine work put all the pieces together. For that reason alone, I recommend this.
   
   This book includes: custody battles, jurisdictional fights, alleged hit-men, jailhouse snitches, abuse of a corpse, and above all- supreme arrogance on the part of the book's principal subject, Perry March. It also includes midnight bicycle rides, not really a crime but I'll leave that for you to discover. Anyone interested in unsolved/ cold case murders will love this book. I couldn't put it down.



5. "An Unfinished Canvas" is about the murder of Janet March by her husband and the long trail to justice.
   There are several colorful characters involved in the book including the killer's father, Arthur March and Perry March himself.
   
   The highlights in this case were the victim's parents and their will to fight against their daughter's killer. The cold case detectives Pridemore and Postigliano also stand out for their intelligence and unwavering dedication as evidenced by their high rate of cold cases they solved.
   
   The resolution of this murder was hampered by two primary factors: the victim wasn't reported missing for two weeks and for some unexplained reason the original lead detective tipped off March's attorney that the home was going to be searched.
   
   Where the book disappointed me was the repetition of the same information, like the conversation on the plane ride back from California during March's extradition. The history of Nashville in chapter 1 was dry. The book really ground to a halt with the trial sections at the back of the book.
   
   An interesting cold case but the book was not the smoothest or most riveting true crime book that I have read.

5 comments about Thank God I Had a Gun: True Accounts of Self-Defense.

1. I would recommend this book for anyone thinking about taking a concealed hand gun class or is concerned about their safety & the safety of their family. It really makes you think about what can happen to 'every day' people. It has interesting stories of 'real people'. I found it very interesting to read the story about the court house shooting in Tyler, Texas, as I live in Texas. This book filled in details that I did not find in the local papers.



2. A must read by all anti Gun individuals and Thoes that understand what a Gun is for.



3. Everyone is out to get you! The guy next door is probably a serial cannibal! Your son's elementary school teacher is a communist revolutionary who must be stopped! The government is coming to rape you and make you learn French!
   
   UNLESS you have guns! LOTS OF THEM!
   
   HOORAY FOR AMERICA!



4. Apparently only God fearing, white Republicans own and value guns (with one exception). And only black men ("thugs") or Hispanic men commit crimes (with one exception).... While I enjoyed some of the stories, which I thought were well written and informative, I could have done without the cheap Republican talking points inserted into these tragedies. For example, we learn that whenever anyone says we need a waiting period to purchase guns to allow for a proper background check, we should remind them of what happened to unarmed citizens in New Orleans after Katrina. Huh? What does that have to do with a waiting period? As a Virginia Tech alumnus, I think background checks should be strengthened, not eliminated.
   
   It's a pity the author couldn't just give us more stories in place of his right wing propaganda. After all, not all gun owners are rabid Republicans (although, to the author's credit, most of his audience no doubt is, so I suppose it's good business for him to preach to the choir). And many people believe there can be healthy limitations on gun ownership, e.g. the previously mentioned waiting period, or banning assault weapons, and these limitations are consistent with the right to bear arms (just like the right to free speech doesn't mean you can scream "fire" in a crowded theater).
   
   In any case, if its stories you want, buy the book. There are good lessons to be learned here, and the author should be commended for his work in compiling them in one handy reference.



5. this book needs to be read by people that are not total anti-gun but think the police can "save" them. Learn that the gun is just a tool with a job to do,learn to use it like you would any other tool.

5 comments about Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake.

1. This is a fun book. Abagnale's intelligence and wit come through, though the writing is a bit stilted and the material quite dated. But Abagnale's ability to exploit appearances and to exploit the level of trust necessary for society to work is fascinating and very funny. Perhaps his most interesting con is his relationship with women. This is the ultimate con game, I'm afraid, and the book would have been far better had he explained his con in this regard and had he come to terms with it. Also, the book ends quite abruptly and is unsatisfying in explaining how Abagnale ultimately came to terms with himself.



2. "The parental drive Frank wants from Carl feels less evident, missing the sensitive looks and words as played in the movie by Hanks and DiCaprio."
   
   don't you realize how silly it is to complain that stuff happens in the movie(fictional) and not in the book (factual).



3. I read this book right after seeing the movie in theaters because of how much I liked the movie. The book is a great addition to the movie because you will get to read a lot of the stories that didn't make it into the movie and read the non-hollywood version of the actual events.



4. I gave it 4 stars only because I reserve 5-star ratings for books I could not have lived without reading, so to speak. But it is a fascinating account, and if you like knowing that it's a big world out there with people doing interesting things, you'll probably enjoy this book. Abagnale is obviously intelligent and likes to have fun -- an infectious combination. I'm interested now in reading his follow-up, The Art of the Steal: How to Protect Yourself and Your Business from Fraud, America's #1 Crime. I suspect his advice will be more helpful than the dispirited, obfuscating "instructions" of the credit reporting agencies!



5. 'Catch me if you can' is a fairly entertaining, badly written fiction book that served as a base for a very entertaining, well directed fiction movie. It's not an amazing true story as the blurbs proclaim.
   
   Don't reach for this book if you want to read a true-to-fact autobiography. 'Catch me if you can' is a ghostwritten, highly embellished in style and content, largely implausible narrative that diverts from what probably really happened as much as the Spielberg movie diverts from the book. In words of Abagnale himself:
   
   'I was interviewed by the co-writer only about four times. I believe he did a great job of telling the story, but he also over dramatized and exaggerated some of the story. That was his style and what the editor wanted. He always reminded me that he was just telling a story and not writing my biography. This is one of the reasons that from the very beginning, I insisted the publisher put a disclaimer in the book and tapes.'
   
   I have yet to find this disclaimer in my copy. I like fiction and don't mind reading it as long as the author (or the publisher) doesn't try to sell it as a true story. Reading 'Catch me if you can' I had an increasing feeling that I was being conned. I swallowed all the tall tales of his forgeries, swindles and impersonations hook line and sinker, but the devil, as usual, is in details.
   
   Funnily my suspicions were aroused only when I found out he was fluent in French despite the fact that a few pages earlier he used an interpreter to communicate in that language.
   
   The description of his incarceration in a French hellhole of a prison is unbelievable to the point of ridiculous, but still the time is extended from 6 months he purportedly served to about one year.
   Then he's rescued by a Swedish policewoman Jan Lundström. Fine. I understand that all names in the book have been changed but Jan is a male name in Sweden. At this point I couldn't suspend my disbelief any longer and I put the book down unfinished.
   
   A few words about the style of writing. It's about as overdone as the facts it's supposed to desribe and nearly unreadable.

5 comments about Never Enough.

1. This book was a certainly a guilty pleasure. The best part is that no matter how screwed up you, or your own family is, it's almost impossible to sink as low as most of these nutcases. The ending was pretty satisfying; the guilty wife got what she deserved and her poor three kids seem to have ended up with the one member of the two families who might be able to undo some of the damage already inflicted on them.



2. In this almost-typical Joe McGinniss, the reader gets two murders for the price of one. Previous books about trials and such, "Fatal Vision." "Blind Faith," and "Cruel Doubt" were about crimes of the past. This one chronicling the lfie and trial of Nancy Kissel was not unique. It happens more and more in this modern-day society full of rich baby boomers who have no morals o ethics. The background and lifestyle of Americans abroad with too much money includes little nuances of its complexity. The patriatch of this dysfunctional family had inherited wealth but lived through and enjoyed the successes of his second son to the detriment of older brother Andrew. They were Austrian-Jewish but devoid of the wisdom of Judaism.
   
   With Andrew, he associated the song "Cat's In the Cradle" as CS does on his network. McGinnis associates Nancy with the "Material Girl." Apparently she was inimiable. The ubiquitous inclination to be selfish and detructive is timeless. Jewish beliefs are personal, their wisdom has survived generations. A man does things for money (lots of money) but not for love. Unable to express love in other ways, they sometimes compensated by bestowing expensive gifts. When you strive for and grasp too much you lost it all.
   
   The world of finance is now global. This book gives us a detailed account of banking in Hong Kong by Americans, using much creative writing and supposition. The two murders were within the same family but a world apart. One was acquitted with the abused wife being condemned; the other abandoned in America. The preacher's wife had a similar tale to tell somewhat like Nancy's; she spent a short time in a mental place then walked free. From the multitude of emails included, Nancy was living in a romantic fantasy and should have recieved treatment.
   
   That's the difference between American justice and China's injustice. Leading up to the crime and end of her privileged life, she was full of righteous indignation and "no Amish church practiced shunning with more vigor that she." And yet "she never felt (that) she had enough" of anything, and so did Rob feel this way about money and prestige.
   
   Globe-trotting was up Nancy's alley and she blackmailed Rob into a big house in Vermont near Andrew's, the bad son. Soon her fate was determined and things changed. Divorce was common and the threat of such was always hovering over their heads. On the day Rob planned to tell her of his plans, he died tragically from head wounds from an unexpected instrument of death. She'd never felt she had enough until everything would be taken from her. You do what you have to do to defend yourself. It's do or die. Nancy attempted a cover up and suffered amnesia, She lived in an unreal world of romantic fantasties.
   
   Andrew was murdered the following April; no one was sorry he was permanently out of their lives. Nothing would ever be the same. I was once told, "There ain't no justice...but someimes there is justice." Called the Lady in Black, she went from a blonde yuppie with everything to a common-looking dark-haired shrew. Life's not always fair.



3. Why? Why did handsome multi-millionaire Robert Kissel refuse to leave his screaming, threatening, out-of-control wife Nancy, when she was telling everyone how much she hated him and wanted him dead? After bashing in his skull and wrapping up his corpse in a carpet, this wife-from-hell then thought she was home-free to inherit her dead husband's millions that would support her and her trailer-park paramour in high style.
   
   Author Joe McGinnis does an outstanding job of bringing to us this horrific murderess who steps out of one's worst nightmares of feminine lunacy. The long-suffering victim, Robert Kissel, comes across as someone pathetically naive when he waived away the pleas of his friends to get rid of his killer wife. Even when his wife was poisoning him, he refused to give a private investigator hair samples to be tested for poison. "Perhaps I'm too hard on my wife," he explained. Poor idiot.
   
   The story really becomes hilarious when Nancy hobbles into court for her trial, doubled over in pretend pain as she prepares to tell the court how she was just a poor battered wife who finally snapped. As the true story really shows, her husband was the one who withstood mental and physical abuse from the killer for years. Nancy's favorite lie was to tell everyone that her terrible husband was forever breaking her ribs and beating her to a pulp and raping her at every chance.
   
   Yet, doctors found no injuries on her. This still didn't prevent Nancy Kissel from continuously breaking down on the stand into convulsive sobbing marathons. She wailed to everyone how she was only trying to protect herself when she murdered her demonic husband who was forever trying to rape and torture her. The prosecution brought out the facts that she was never abused or raped and that just prior to murdering her husband, she had fed him a deadly drink laced with five different drugs.
   
   Nancy Kissel comes across as the most horrific of the current gallery of fake abuse victims. McGinnis writes that while she tried to come across in the courtroom as the terribly beaten up victim of abuse, frail and cringing, she was heard and seen shrieking at her attorneys as to how they should present her case.
   
   Another fascinating facet of this fascinating tale is that Robert Kissel's brother, Andrew, was tortured and murdered a year later by persons unknown. Tolstoy couldn't dream this up.



4. Joe McGinnis has his formula down pat. His latest is one of his best, the work of a real pro who knows how to write for the masses while never dumbing things down too much. This tale of greed is cringe-worthy, and the central murder is conveyed with just enough graphic detail. You're never too sure who to hate more: the greedy wife or the greedy husband, though the author makes his sympathies pretty clear. This opens a door on a world most will never know, and maybe that's just as well. Highly recommended.



5. The famous saying "The Rich are Different" is not true in all respects. For instance, a rich wife, unhappy with her husband, and one who could have easily lived as a divorced person on her half of her husband's $18 million estate, kills him instead, just like poor people sometimes do. And tries to cover it up, about as clumsily as anyone could possibly imagine. And then adopts the battered woman's syndrome defense, only without any credible evidence. Set this tale in a Hong Kong luxury condo, and within an American family of huge wealth and mutual hostilities, and you have a grim morality tale, but a good read. It is not as fascinating a case as "Fatal Vision" or "Cruel Doubt", two of Joe's previous crime sagas, but it is well worth reading if you like this kind of journalism.

3 comments about Twisted Triangle: A Famous Crime Writer, a Lesbian Love Affair, and the FBI Husband's Violent Revenge.

1. I stumbled on this book while looking up Patricia Cornwell to see if she had any new books coming up. I ordered it from the library and once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. Now Caitlin Rother is among my favorites. I can't wait to read the rest of her books. She is a wonderful author. Glad I found her.



2. Following "Poisoned Love," "Twisted Triangle" is more than a portrait, as it peers through the human facade to its very soul. A spell-binding, tortured tale that is unbelievably true, I couldn't put it down. Another great, true, crime story by Caitlin Rother, making her among the best in this genre.
   
   Your reply to Bob Sherin's post:
   Guidelines



3. Unless you have been in an abusive relationship it is truly hard to comprehend what a person must do to survive. "Twisted Triangle" by Caitlin Rother has shown how devastating that type of life can be. I applaud not only Margo Bennett's determination to survive an abusive husband and coming to terms with her sexual orientation but her willingness to share her story in the hopes of giving other the courage to do the same. Caitlin Rother has written a articulate story of Margo Bennett's struggles and given the impartial view point of each and everyone involved in the disturbing situation. With Rother's 20 year tenure as an investigative reporter and her newly developed skill as a thriller author, she has all the talent necessary to research all the facts of any non-fiction story and mold them into an intriguing and very readable novel

5 comments about Harper's Bazaar Great Style: Best Ways to Update Your Look.

1. Agree with reviewer Ginny, this book is a waste of time, which is surprising since I think the magazine has some good information. Pictures of celebs which will quickly become dated and frankly a lot of them don't look very good, at least not something I would want to emulate. The new book "How not to look old" or the "Budget Fashionista" are far superior with useful, practical information that a real person could use to update their look. Glad I got this from the library instead of buying it.



2. I would suggest getting this from the library---it isn't a keeper. It does have some good general advice on building a work wardrobe. But it is mostly filled with pictures of celebrities (think People magazine). Many of the photos look like they are more the "worst" than "best" and yet they are discussed as a great look to emulate (for example, suits and coats that add pounds to otherwise in-shape celebrities---I can't believe they would include these photos). In parts of the book that show specific accessories and pieces, they don't tell you who the manufacturer is.



3. What a fantastic book! I refer to it frequently for various fashion tips whenever I am having a blank moment! Being a mum of 3 I often dont have time to think too much about my wardrobe so this book has been really useful.



4. I was really disappointed in this book. If your desire is to look like your favorite celebrity, then this is the book for you. It is more of a photo spread on how to copy a look like rather than creating your own style. There are other fashion 'how-to' books out there that are much better than this. 'In Style Secrets of Style' is a much better place to start. Try this book instead!



5. Photos tell the story in this glossy beautifully presented guide for all shapes, sizes, and ages. It includes basic wardrobe must haves, as well as accessories and coats. Harper's Bazaar Great Style covers choosing your own personal look, what to wear in the office, what to wear on a night out on the town, the little black dress, weekend casual, and even in the bedroom. This coffee-table quality book will never be out of style! Recommended! Also recommend THE 3:00 PM SECRET: Live Slim and Strong, Live Your Dreams

5 comments about The Good Rat: A True Story.

1. This is a fine addition to anyone's true crime shelf. You're not going to see a romantic view of mob life here. Tony Soprano might be interesting to have as a neighbor, but the people in this book are such that you'd much prefer that they live in a different part of town, or better yet, a different town altogether. The book does present a rather one-dimensional view of the criminals involved: you will not be reading about the kind of family (personal, not mob) life that helped make Tony Soprano three-dimensional. The figures in the book may have been decent people at home, but that's not the point here.
   
   You'll get a view of current mob life--the violence, the paranoia, the omerta, and the breaking of omerta. Some things have changed from the heyday of Murder, Inc in the 1940s, but much is still the same: plus la change, plus la meme chose. Burton Kaplan today is little different from his counterparts of 50-70 years ago: surveillance and eavesdropping techinques are better, the FBI has discovered the Mafia, and witness protection programs have led to a partial decline in omerta. Where once a stand-up guy could do 5 years in prison, with RICO standing up for 30 years is less appealing. Kid Twist Reles' revelations in Murder, Inc were eye-opening back then: Burton Kaplan's testimony is fascinating, but he has lots of fellow canaries, so to speak.
   
   You'll get a very gritty tale here. These are not nice fellows at all. Some reviews may speak of the contrast between good and evil in the book, but that's not really true. NYC policemen as contract killers is a very unpleasant thought, but it's hardly new (see the book Satan's Circus). What is more interesting is how one of these cops, whose uncle was a well-known mobster, and who himself had a criminal record, was admitted to the police force and rose high in the ranks. His moonlighting for the mob did not come as a major surprise. His outing was unusual: you get the feeling that there seemed to be a lot of tolerance in law enforcement for his activities. The Feds brought him down--not the NYPD.
   
   What I would have liked to see here is perhaps some kind of map or chart, and a cast of characters (there's a very brief list, which mostly just mentions names). If you're thoroughly familiar with the greater NY mob scene, you shouldn't have a problem. But for most people, being able to check a cast that listed, say, Sammy "The Bull" Gravano along with his family, role in the family, etc, would have been helpful. There are interesting people who get brief mentions, such as Jimmy Burke (see GoodFellas) and the fearsome Roy DeMeo, whose murder crew made even John Gotti nervous (see Murder Machine). Unless you're a true crime fan, such names might not carry the nuances that they should. But Good Rat covers one slice of the scene in greater New York, and covers it very well.



2. Jimmy Breslin has created a masterpiece with his tales of Burt Kaplan and two bad cops. Breslin captures the testimony of Kaplan and entertwines mafia history to present a compelling easy to read account of the downfall of two NYPD detectives.



3. This writer must have made a offer that nobody could refuse :---)
   Not sure why all the accolades by those who read this book.
   No meat, timeline is confusing. It is simply a regurgatation
   of the trial questioning/answers. Repeat, the book is what the
   accused said under cross, or questioning, etc...
   I found it confusing and boring.
   I am not suggesting writer is unskilled, unimaginative,
   or not of quality experience.
   I have read at least 50 books and seen 50 films of fiction
   and fact on this subject (Mafia/crime). So I know what
   is interesting, fun to read/watch... This book is not.
   I wish I had purchased the paperback vs an expensive hard cover...
   Fogettabout it
   David



4. Brotherhood: The Story of Two Cops Who Murdered For The Mafia is a must better read and truer account of those two cops and Burton Kaplan than the tall tales written by Mr. Breslin...Many of the past mafia incidents is plain wrong and insulting to mob aficionados...more in line with Mafia Cop
   ...D-rated at best.



5. If you have a good knowledge of Mafia history in New York and in the US generally this book will flow well while you read and absorb it, for new comers it is still a good read but will take longer and you will probably need to check out other books to put it all together. Breslins reflections on his life of writing about the Mob are gems and his book about Burton Kaplan is fascinating. Kaplan is the good rat who finally realizes unless he talks to the Govt about is his life in crime he will spend the rest of his life behind bars and someone else will rat on him.
   
   Kaplan has plenty to account for including murder so he spills all and tells of his life of crime and his cohorts. The two mafia cops who he informs on are roasted slowly by Breslin in the book who can barely conceal his disgust at their greed, treachery and killings. He describes the view of hell each cop had from his house as he went to work each morning and their indifferance to the disgraceful murder of the good Nicky Guido.
   
   There are moments of humour as Breslin recalls a time in court when a mafia don on trial publicly berates Breslin for wearing a cheap suit and being embarrassed by him being at his trial. Breslin at times goes off track from the trial and relates personal anecdotes of his life of writing about the Mob. He goes into the early history of the Mob and why Hoover's FBI was sleeping on the job while the Mob prospered. He goes on to relate how the FBI finally woke up to the power of the RICO act and realized enough was enough the Mob had to go down and finally the FBI won.
   
   Well worth the read and thanks for the book Mr Breslin.

4 comments about If Looks Could Kill.

1. This is one of the best stories written about a true crime. Once
   I started this book I couldnt put it down. Phelps is very fair and
   balanced in his judgments. This is quite a bizarre crime-almost
   unbelievable but nonetheless true. Phelps is a good writer.



2. The case of Jeff Zack's cold-blooded murder is well-documented by true crime author veteran, M. William Phelps, here which he also writes about life in Akron, Ohio. Zack's murder occurred at a gas station at a BJ's Wholesale Club in the suburbs. He is buried in a Jewish cemetery around Stow, Ohio. Despite his flaws and faults, he was a devoted father to Ashton (name changed to protect his identity). As a husband, he was quite different, arrogant, rude, obnoxious, and terrible to his long-suffering wife, Bonnie, who loved him regardless. She was at one time a suspect because of the polygraph but she would have never killed her son's father right before Father's day. She stayed with Jeff for their son's sake. She had to tolerate Jeff's open affair with married mother of seven, Cynthia Rohr George, who was married to Ed George who ran the Tangiers Banquet Hall and restaurant in Akron which was and is still legendary among the locals and even attracting celebrity clientele who visited Akron. Ed George was so busy working and providing a home for his wife and growing family that he did notice his wife's flagrant affairs but tolerated them. She ran the household but she was no desperate housewife. She had nannies, babysitters, and housekeepers to help with the household work. She wanted to rid of Jeff after a ten year relationship which produced Ruby, their daughter, but Ed was never informed of it until after Jeff's murder. I felt bad for Ed and Bonnie, the long-suffering spouses. In the end, the killer gets caught but the desperate housewife Cindy George only spends a year or so in prison. Proving that with expensive legal counsel, you can buy justice or injustice depending on what role you have in society. She is free and doubtfully will be charged again for paying the killer.



3. Couldn't understand the connection between the title and the story. The story was clearly written by someone who was far removed from the situation. Lynn Slaby, mentioned at the end is a man not a girl. Evidently. the Feds saw something the author didn't because they have reopened the case.



4. Without revealing the outcome of this book, I will say that I was fooled by the ending. Phelps understated yet compelling story keeps one totally enthralled by releasing just enough information to connect the dots as the story progresses. As John Zaffino continues to bury himself with stupid mistakes and misquided actions in the murder of Jeff Zack, the real monster in this crime sits back and pulls the strings. The outstanding investigation by the Akron Police Force deserves to be recognized for doing its job above reproach and documenting the critical details that resulted in Zaffino's conviction. A read I could not put down.