Product Description
This interpretation of Lewis Carroll's poem offers a view of childhood. In this version, snarks are bombs hunted by a local gang of children in wartime Britain. As the hunt goes on, the conflict between self-interest and the general good grows; and friendships and alliances are built and broken. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

"I said it in Hebrew - I said it in Dutch - I said it in German and Greek:"
This is a great nonsensical tale that probably will need an annotated version to make sense.Not of the purpose as that is in the title. But of the few words that are real but archaic. In any sense this is a fun read. I want to believe it holds some profound secret other than just a play on words.

"They sought it with Thimbles, they sot it with care;

They threatened its life with forks and hope;

They threatened its life with a railway-share;

They charmed it with smiles and soap."

You will want to re-read "The Hunting of the Snark an Agony, in Eight Fits" (1876) and see with other allegorical nonsense you missed.

The Annotated Hunting of the Snark (The Annotated Books)

It is possible that the author was laying a trap
The poem is Lewis Carroll's and Henry Holiday's (and Joseph Swain's) masterpiece (5 stars). In the 2010 Evertype edition I miss the "Easter Greeting" (minus one star; the publisher chose to publish it in his edition of Alice's Adventures under Ground), which Carroll inserted into the already printed book perhaps in order to defuse that explosive ballad a bit. Hint: Compare Holiday's "Billiard marker" with Henry George Liddell, Carroll's boss at Christ Church College. There are many more conundrums in the poem and in the illustrations.

Three quotes, which are related to this book:

(1) "Are these strange words from a writer of such tales as 'Alice'? And is this a strange letter to find in a book of nonsense? It may be so. Some perhaps may blame me for thus mixing together things grave and gay; others may smile and think it odd that any one should speak of solemn things at all ... And if I have written anything to add to those stores of innocent and healthy amusement that are laid up in books for the children I love so well, it is surely something I may hope to look back upon without shame and sorrow (as how much of life must then be recalled!) when my turn comes to walk through the valley of shadows." (Lewis Carroll, 1876)

This is from the "Easter Greeting".

(2) "Perhaps I may venture, for a moment, to use a more serious tone, and to point out that there are mental troubles, much worse than mere worry, for which an absorbing subject of thought may serve as a remedy. There are skeptical thoughts, which seem for the moment to uproot the firmest faith; there are blasphemous thoughts, which dart unbidden into the most reverent souls; there are unholy thoughts, which torture, with their hateful presence, the fancy that would fain be pure. Against all these some real mental work is a most helpful ally." (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson: Pillow Problems and a Tangled Tale, 1885, p. XV)

Sometimes I have the feeling, that friends of "The Hunting of the Snark" are afraid of "overanalysis". Some even may fear, that the Snark may have to leave the public library. But even if one day we would speak openly about all its textual and graphical elements, the book still will be one of the greatest children books in the library. This is, because Carroll and Holiday did not place these elements into the Snark for their personal satisfaction. Henry Holiday gave us a hint:

(3) "It is possible that the author was half-consciously laying a trap, so readily did he take to the inventing of puzzles and things enigmatic; but to those who knew the man, or who have devined him correctly through his writings, the explanation is fairly simple." (Henry Holiday on Lewis Carroll's "The Hunting of the Snark", January 29th, 1898)

In the preface to the Snark, Carroll points to his intentions by pretending, that he would not point to them: "I will not (as I might) point to the strong moral purpose of this poem itself, to the arithmetical principles so cautiously inculcated in it, or to its noble teachings in Natural History." (As a logician, Carroll of course knows, how such a sentence works.) I think that Carroll was very serious about this statement. It is not ironical. The book holds the readers and the beholders of the Snark ballad responsible for the meanig which THEY give to the poem and to the illustrations. That is how Carroll's and Holiday's "nonsense" works. Keep this in mind and do not underestimate the Snark or assume any inproper intentions on the side of the authors. The book just tells the readers (and they beholders of the illustrations), what they have in their mind. Take Holiday's warning about Carroll's traps serious, then you can enjoy the book without getting caught by the Boojum.

In the Snark edition published by Evertype you won't find serious analysis. That is fine, the book has been published to offer plain Snark to the whole family. (That is why I miss the Easter Greeting.) Those who want to dig deeper should turn to Martin Gardener's "Annotaded Snark" (1981): Charles Mitchell's "The Designs for the Snark" in the 1981 Kaufmann edition of the Annotaded Snark still is a great collection of information on the Snark poem and its illustrations.

Links: Victorian Approaches to Religion As Reflected in the Art of the Pre-Raphaelites (Philosphiae Doctores)|Art and Visual Perception: A Psychology of the Creative Eye, The New Version, Second edition, Revised and Enlarged|Lewis Carroll & his Illustrators: Collaborations & Correspondence 1865-1898.|The Pre-Raphaelite Illustrators: The Published Graphic Art of the English Pre-Raphaelites and Their Associates With Critical Biographical Essays and Illustrated Catalogues of the|Arne Nordheim: Hunting Of The Snark (Music Sales America)|Arne Nordheim: The Return Of The Snark (contemporary composition for trombone and tape recorder)|Nyndk: The Hunting of the Snark (Jazz, B002S395C6)

Great poem, poor presentation
The one-star rating is only for the appearance of this edition on the Kindle 2.It is the one available for free from amazon.com.The text is riddled with extraneous characters.None of the delightful drawings are included.One does get what one pays for.

Other Books
The Hunting of the Snark is a whacky piece of poetical silliness by Lewis Caroll.Complete nonsense, no-one knows what a Snark is, or why Snark hunters hunt it, or why anyone would want to become a Snark hunter to start with.Anyway, the poem is definitely amusing at times with some of the humour he slips in.

Carroll's Short and Sweet Chaucer Imitation
The Hunting of the Snark seems to be a very, very short imitation of The Canterbury Tales.The first chapter (titled a fit) introduces all of the occupations of all the different people going on a journey.However, instead of going on a general pilgrimage and telling tales along the way, their trip is very specific to hunting.

The Baker actually attempts to tell a story, but the Bellman (who leads the group) says there's no time for storytelling.They have to catch the Snark before nightfall.

Along with the Bellman and Baker, a Banker, a Bonnet-maker, a Butcher, a Boots, a Billiard-maker, a Barrister, a Broker, and a Beaver tag along to hunt for the Snark.The Beaver is afraid of getting cut by the Butcher, so he puts on a dagger-proof coat and talks to the Banker about buying an insurance policy.

The Beaver is involved in a hilarious scene with the Butcher later, when the two attempt to compute sums.But perhaps the funniest scene of the entire book is in the Barrister's dream when the Snark declares sentence on a pig, only to find out the pig has been dead long before the trial even began.

I'd highly recommend this short poem for Carroll fans, even though it's not big enough to contain but a small portion of what's to be found in the Alice books. ... Read more

Product Description

Oh, a-hunting we will go,
A-hunting we will go;
We'll catch a fox and put him in a box,
And then we'll let him go! So begins this rollicking folk song that has delighted generations of children and inspired them to make up their own verses. John Langstaff has selected some of the most popular stanzas, both old and new, that are sure to bring out smiles and giggles. Nancy Winslow Parker's pictures join in the fun as a band of intrepid children hunt for the fox, a skunk, and even a brontosaurus with wildly silly results.

Piano and guitar accompaniment are provided so grown-ups can sing along, too. The playful mood of the words, music, and pictures is infectious -- you may even decide to add new verses of your own! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Oh, A Huntin' We Will Go
This picture book I call a Sing-a-Story.The song is in the back of the book.The whole story can be sung. Children will easily want to make up their own verses once they read and sing the story. This is an example how music can help with children's literacy.

Fun and Language Skills
This old favorite is a delightful way to improve language skills. Children enjoy making up their own rhymes following the examples in the book. It helps them develop a love of language and books.

Delightful and entertaining!
This is the favorite book of my 3 year old son!He not only sings it, but acts it out.The illustrations are very simple, childlike, and a little bit silly.As a teacher, I appreciate the value of the book for its rhyming words, and I think it's sweet that the author dedicated the book to the children who helped him complete the verses (and so dedicates it to every child who reads the book).

This is a great book.Very cute and fun for the young.
This is a wonderful book to help teach young children rhyming words.The illustrations are also very appealing to young ones.They especially like the fact that you can sing it as well as read it! ... Read more

Product Description

In 1990, a young woman was strangled on a jogging path near the home of Pat Brown and her family. Brown suspected the young man who was renting a room in her house, and quickly uncovered strong evidence that pointed to him--but the police dismissed her as merely a housewife with an overactive imagination. It would be six years before her former boarder would be brought in for questioning, but the night Brown took action to solve the murder was the beginning of her life's work.

Pat Brown is now one of the nation's few female criminal profilers--a sleuth who assists police departments and victims' families by analyzing both physical and behavioral evidence to make the most scientific determination possible about who committed a crime. Brown has analyzed many dozens of seemingly hopeless cases and brought new investigative avenues to light.

In The Profiler, Brown opens her case files to take readers behind the scenes of bizarre sex crimes, domestic murders, and mysterious deaths, going face-to-face with killers, rapists, and brutalized victims. It's a rare, up-close, first-person look at the real world of police and profilers as they investigate crimes--the good and bad, the cover-ups and the successes.

Praise for The Profiler

"Pat Brown takes us into the very minds of cold-blooded killers. Most people can't comprehend the `why' behind murder. Pat, utilizing her background as one of the country's leading criminal profilers, coaches the reader as to how a killer thinks, reacts, and kills! Incredible!"
--Nancy Grace, host of Nancy Grace on HLN and bestselling author of The Eleventh Victim

"I've been in law enforcement for almost 18 years now, and after reading The Profiler, I realize how little I understood the mind of the criminal. Pat Brown exposes the methods and the means, the hows and the whys, and exactly what it is that makes a criminal tick--fascinating!"
--Stacy Dittrich, author of Murder Behind the Badge: True Stories of Cops Who Kill and veteran police officer and law enforcement media consultant

"Anyone who has ever had a passion burning inside them to make a difference should read this book. Pat takes her life experience and brings it to the forefront to make a difference in the lives of crime victims and their families. Her insight into these cases takes profiling of criminals to a whole new level. From her work and wisdom comes the hope we all need to end the viciousness of killers who prey on the innocent.

"In her new book, Pat Brown takes the reader along with her as she works to solve grisly crimes that have baffled others. In her relentless pursuit to illuminate what seem to be hopeless cases, she shows just how deep an investigator must dig and all the details that must be absorbed and interpreted."
--Stanton E. Samenow, Ph.D., author of Inside the Criminal Mind

"In The Profiler, Pat Brown finally explains the sometimes spooky world of criminal profiling in a way that even an old-school, ex-flatfoot cop like me can understand. This book is a great insight into the mind of a serial killer hunter."
--Chuck Hustmyre, retired ATF agent and author of the true crime books Killer with a Badge and An Act of Kindness

Customer Reviews (81)

More than just a true-crime story...
The title caused me to pick this book up, but the blurb on the back made me want to read it. I expected a true crime novel, but Pat Brown's story was so much more. I felt it was part memoir, part true crime, but the author had a clear, passionate message. No one deserves to die as Anne Kelley. Murders are getting away and unsolved cases are mounting. Our current system isn't working--this I saw in Baton Rouge, LA with Derrick Todd Lee. But unlike the cases Pat Brown discusses, Lee was caught, went on trial and found guilty.

Pat Brown didn't begin as a profiler. Her life was as a home-school mother and wife. She loved it, but when a woman in the small community where she lived was killed next to her home, she suspected her boarder. With evidence in hand, she went to the police station. No one took her seriously. Instead of just dropping it, she went on to become a self-taught criminal profiler.

The author goes on to discuss ten other cases she assisted with and each has a different message, but a common theme. There are serious deficiencies in our system and it's not just with the police. Citizens need to get involved if we are going to change this.

Interesting But Graphic
Pat Brown's account of her work as a criminal profiler is quite interesting. Over the past 20 years she has fashioned herself into profiler through tons of reading/seminars, work in hospitals as a sign language translator where she interacted with victims, as well as by actually doing work as a profiler on real cases.

Most of the cases she writes about involve a psychopath and the deductive process she uses to develop a plausible sketch of the perpetrator is very interesting. She compiles a profile by looking at police evidence, photographs, video, interviewing people connected with the victim or possible suspects, role playing, and investigating the scene or scenes of the crime. The details she is able to pick up from analyzing a crime scene are very insightful and help to reconstruct what events actually occurred during the crime.

When she delivers a profile, this does not imply a specific person is guilty but will help to rule out unlikely suspects so that further investigative or prosecution activities can focus on the most probable avenues.

Her underlying desire is for police and other law enforcement personnel to receive greater training in profiling at a minimum if an actual profiler will not be used on a case. The use of an accurate profile can help to eliminate unlikely scenarios and instead hone in on the areas of investigation that will yield accurate results and bring criminals to justice.

Let the reader be warned that most of the cases presented in the book contain graphic details of the crime including sexually explicit description as well as violent depictions of what victims experienced. Anyone who has a vivid imagination or otherwise obsesses about scary movies or stories would be best served to not read the book.

Stylistically, the book does at times wander. While not entirely succinct, the intent of this style may have been to bring the reader into the mindset of what a profiler thinks about and considers as they work on a case. In that sense, the book can be read to some degree as an autobiographical story of Brown revolving around her professional life as a profiler rather than as stories focused on individual cases. Regardless of the choice in story telling style, there probably could have been a bit more focused accounting of the cases.

At a minimum, the book will provide a glimpse into the minds of psychopaths and criminal behaviors. It also gives good insight into how a profiler breaks down the details of a crime to develop a probable profile of a criminal and what occurred at the time of the crime.

Interesting Profiler
I have to admit I was a bit skeptical about this book I was asked to review.I thought the whole book was good.I did think some of the book made you feel like you were going in all different directions and rambling.I do have to give Mrs Brown credit for trying to get the states to works together.I am glad I was asked to read this book.I might not have read it otherwise.

Not so much
Checked out this book thinking it involved psychic crime solving. Nope.

The title begs me to differ: "My life hunting serial killers"?? She didn't start this career until she had raised her children, so she had to have been in her late 30s or so when she started doing this.It hasn't been her whole life. Also, she doesn't hunt them in the sense that she is asked by the police to try to solve cold cases and then goes looking for her suspects. All she does is try to guess what kind of person would do it, and see if there are any suspects in the area that would match her ideas. As she points out over and over, the police just don't appreciate how smart she is.

It starts out well enough; she and her husband rented a room to someone that appears to have committed a murder, and she sets out to get the police to listen to her fears, and they don't.

She then eventually decides to become a criminal profiler, ostensibly to get crimes solved by her high level of expertise. The problem is, (1) she tells the reader every page or so that she is a self-trained profiler and not just a housewife; and (2) as others have pointed out, apparently she is never, ever wrong in her assumptions.

Ms. Brown points out time and time again the inept nature of police and others who deal with these things all the time, and who have many years of experience. As far as different police agencies not communicating with one another, and mistakes made, and deals made---um, this isn't exactly a shocking revelation to us. Maybe a chunk of the reason she's not accepted, not welcomed with open arms, is that she's just too self-confident for her own good.

She might, in her enthusiasm and lack of judgment, find herself in a dangerous situation one day. If she does, luckily she can just solve it on her own.

She also seems mystified that families of crime victims don't want her to plow right into their lives and try to make it all better, even though she can't.

After a couple of graphically described crime scenes, which she viewed via photo only and was not present at, I grew weary of the whole book. Kudos to her, I guess, for figuring out a way to nose around in cold cases and get herself on TV to promote herself and her book. But nuts to her in that she hasn't actually accomplished a thing with any of it.

It was frustrating that the original case, involving the man living in her house, still has not been solved.

I just wondered, as I gave up on the book about 1/4 of the way through: what was your point??

Better than CSI
I love to watch all those Crime Scene Investigation Programs on television. They always seems to bring us a piece of the day to day investigation life of a detective, trying to solve a mysterious murder. And sometimes, like magic, they solve the most difficult cases based not only on forensic but also on intuition or other supernatural feelings... But Hollywood is one thing and real life is a complete different ballgame.
The authors did a magnificent job demystifying the field of profilers, stating clearly that this is not suppose to be the art of divination, but a real reasoning subject based on scientific methods and analysis of psychological/psychopathic minds of the suspects. As Thomas Edison would say, "1% inspiration and 99% perspiration" (he was referring to geniality, but we can apply this idea to profiling without fearing of the quote being misused).
Giving a brief history on how she became directly involved with this field, Pat Brown tells the readers some of her cases (the ones that she can talk about) and all the sequence of her reasoning for reaching her conclusions. And we notice that she take her job seriously and with passion and that makes all the difference when you are dealing with some of the most horrific atrocities committed by a human being against another human being.
She goes deep in analysing ten cases, providing all details that composed each one of those cases. And one of her quotes is really good: "While anything is possible, everything is not probable". I would add to this quote the famous Occam's Razor "The simplest explanation is usually the correct one" and there you go!
I would recommend this book to any serious reader who likes a good reasoning book. This book deserves to be in a permanet library to any reader who thinks he is a sleeping profiler ready to wake up, learn and go to action.

This book was written by Pat Brown with Bob Andelman in 2010, published by Hyperion Books and distributed by HarperCollins, who were kind enough to send me a copy for reviewing. ... Read more

Product Description
The new novel—her first in six years—from the acclaimed author of Dreaming in Cuban and The Agüero Sisters follows one family from China to Cuba to America in an emotionally resonant tale of immigration, assimilation, and the powerful integrity of self.

In 1857, when Chen Pan signs a contract that will take him from China “beyond the edge of the world to Cuba,” he has no idea that he will be enslaved on a sugarcane plantation . . . or that he will eventually, miraculously, escape his bonds and embark on a prosperous life in Havana’s Chinatown . . . or that he will buy a mulatto woman out of slavery and take her into his home and heart . . . or that he will end his long days in Havana, surrounded by children and grandchildren, as Cuban as he is Chinese.

In a vivid tapestry of incident and feeling, Chen Pan’s life story is interwoven with those of two of his descendants: his granddaughter, Chen Fang, born in China and raised as a boy so she could be educated, her life coming to its end in one of Mao’s hellish prisons, and Domingo, Chen Pan’s great-great-grandson, who, with his father, becomes an American citizen after Castro’s revolution, only to lose his parent to the false promises of the American dream, and himself, finally, to the madness of wartime Vietnam.

Deeply stirring, wonderfully evocative of time and place, rendered in the lyrical prose that is Cristina García’s hallmark, Monkey Hunting brilliantly illuminates a generations-long struggle toward a sense of true belonging.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Lingering Characters
I read this book more than a year ago.It isn't often I find myself remembering characters in novels a year or more after finishing a novel.Other memorable characters I still remember years after encountering them in fiction are the protagonists in Lowenthal's "Charity Girl," and in White's "Nocturnes for the King of Naples." Chen and Lucretia in "Monkey Hunting" are still with me also.

Cuba had a sizable population of Chinese immigrants.This novel gives an insight into one such man, Chen Pan, and his assimilation into Cuban society while retaining his cultural roots and customs.The trajectory of the story allows us to learn about these customs and those of Cuban society at the time (19th century) through unusual characters: they're not charming, they're not funny, nor are they particularly heroic or virtuous.They're just vivid on the page.The same can be said of Cristina Garcia's most recent book, "a Handbook to Luck."She is a talented writer.

A gem, yes, but not a diamond
Cristina Garcia's "Monkey Hunting" is indeed a lyrical gem which sheds some light upon a topic about which so few have written. The deliberate non-sequential telling of the story requires the reader to repeatedly refer to the geneology chart in order to keep track of how the current character is related to the protagonist and unravel the thread of the story. This taxing cerebral exercise dulls the polish of this gem abit.

Student TX A&M Kingsville
If you sell books you might what to take off the price that you bought it for.I'm pretty sure I paid more than $1 for the book.

Interesting idea, terrible end result
I generally prefer reading reviews than writing them, but when something excites or upsets me I want to share it with the world. Garcia creates interesting outlines of characters and, in my opinion, utterly fails to deliver them to the reader. I have to write a response paper on this and all I want to say is that she has no clue what she is doing and that it should be used as kindling. It's obvious that she can write, and some of the passages are beautiful and engaging, but overall the characters don't come to life and I am kept wondering - what on earth was the point of this book? Blah.

Could have been so much better
This book had so many great elements - an engaging beginning, with Chen Pan being duped into selling himself into slavery; an obviously educated author, with bits of African, Spanish, and Chinese sprinkled throughout; and a timeline that jumped from ancestor to ancestor and covered a 100 year span. The problems, however, were also many. The topics seemed to always come back to crudeness, and I learned many new words in different languages for genitalia than I cared to know. I really didn't need to have described in detail the scene in which young Lucretia was incestually raped. I had many many questions about the migration patterns of the Chen family: how did the Chen son get to New York from Castro's Cuba? What was the deal with the father of the Chen granddaughter in China, and did she ever leave China? There just were too many characters who were left undeveloped. And somewhere in the midst of the story of a Chinese immigrant to Cuba came the protesting of communism by different levels of the family at different times. It was all very confusing. I was sorry, too, because I really liked Chen Pan and I wanted to know more about his family. ... Read more

Product Description
Ray Eye is one of the most renowned turkey hunters in America. With more than thirty years' experience as a professional hunting guide, he has taken part in every aspect of the sport, including speaking across the country about hunter safety, conservation, and turkey-hunting techniques. In PRACTICAL TURKEY HUNTING STRATEGIES he makes his expertise available to turkey hunters everywhere. Whether you hunt in spring or fall, with a gun or with bow and arrow, alone or with a partner, you will find a wealth of practical information in this invaluable book.
With so many turkey-calling titles to his credit--including two National Championships and the World Natural Voice Championship--it is fitting that Ray includes a thorough discussion of calling techniques, from beginning to highly advanced. But he emphasizes that calling is only one of the many crucial aspects of turkey hunting: Also vital to a successful hunt are locating the turkeys, finding a strategic calling position, choosing proper equipment, and ensuring your own safety and that of other hunters.
Combining the knowledge of a living legend with the humor and excitement of Ray's own turkey-hunting tales, PRACTICAL TURKEY HUNTING STRATEGIES is a treasure trove for anyone who wants to learn more about the fascinating--even addicting--sport of turkey hunting.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

oldbird
This is a good one for the hunter and reader. If you enjoy turkey hunting or are thinking about starting, this is a good read. There was one problem with this book and that was laying it down and going to work instead of hunting!!!!!

A practical guide for the begining turkey hunter
If you have no clue what it is like to hunt for turkeys I recomend this book to you.

The book is full of information on how to hunt for turkeys.The author also give the reader insight on what it like to go turkey hunting using his real life experiences.

Great Stuff, From an Expert
If there's one book to buy for turkey hunting, this would be it. The author obviously has the experience to write such a book and he does a great job of making it easy to read.

All of the essentials are here. The photos are plentiful and appropriate. You feel like you're already hunting and it gives you the knowledge to be confident.

If I were buying a turkey hunting book for someone, this would be at the top of the list.

Great book for every turkey hunter
This is a great book and I recommend it highly; in fact, I am buying a copy for my neighbor right now.I'm not new to turkey hunting, but I'm still learning, and based on other Amazon reviews bought this book.I wasn't disappointed, and you won't be either.I've learned more about turkeys and turkey hunting that I expected, and it has helped me understand some of the mistakes I have made in past seasons.I'm a better turkey hunter because of this book, and there are few how-to books that have helped me so much.There are some things I am still trying to figure out--like the gobbler yelp that the author refers to a lot--but a bit of internet searching cleared that up, and helped me understand some of the other calls.A good buy for the money!

Great for Beginning Hunters
Got this book for our grandson as he is a second year hunter.Gave him information he did not know. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Soundbites & Regurgitations From the Homeotown
"Deer Hunting with Jesus" is Joe Bageant's account of returning to his hometown of Winchester, Virginia, after leaving many years prior. D.H.W.J. is a quick and easy read that notes several things many readers can relate to across the US.In addition to the attitudes Bageant observes, is one pertinent point: Bageant left, but the others in his hometown, stayed.Therein lies the issue.

In this book, there are many cultural elements of contemporary America.Bageant peppers this book with personal anecdotes, statistics, and polling data to aid his observations.The author is witty and makes the read enjoyable.This isn't about one man (the author) and one community (Winchester), but about many commonalities of the different regions ofcontemporary US society.Belief systems shaped by mainstream media, Dominionist Christian attitudes of superiority, and readily accepted Neo-Con foreign policy beliefs by those who work, live, and occupy bar stools at the "Royal."

At times there is a generic partisan theme that refers to "Democrats" and "Republicans," and as a non-partisan I didn't buy into it, mostly because both parties are more similar than different and only represent the PACs, Lobbies, and Special Interests.But the author is correct in the split-personality voting behavior by these people who support clearly, the party that is most harmful to their interests. Bageant aptly notes this strange phenomenon of the neglected working-class who vote against their economic well-being, and he notes the reasons why.Those of us that follow American political culture, are aware of the reasons for this.

The book also accurately focuses on the growing under-class of America: Not the under-class in the Inner Cities but the working class of the rural and semi-rural regions of the USA that have slipped down more than a few notches and are paying a significant price in a lack of health care, education, and gainful employment.These people are subtly (and oft-times not so subtly) aware that they actually are slipping down the economic ladder - but they don't know the reasons why.

While reading "Deer Hunting With Jesus" I (and I assume many readers) could picture many of the characters described by Bageant.This is because I know people like this in my hometown 3,000 miles to the west, of Winchester, VA.

Some of the attitudes and biographical anecdotes by the real-life characters in this book are that people sincerely believe that by following the "work hard" and "play by the rules" game they "deserve" a big house, new car, cookie-cutter 2-week vacation, and financial independence as they grow older.For millions of Americans, this not the case.And it isn't only about the working class, but the middle and upper-classes today.

The material reward from "working hard" is no longer the case for most in the US. This trend started in earnest in 1970.Bageant notes that his cohorts didn't figure this out.Why have so many people not recognized this trend?Possibly because this information is not often available in the Mainstream Media in the US.More likely, because people are not curious enough to get this information, which is readily available.

More biographical overviews from the author that seem very common in the US is noted here: "My people don't cite real facts.They recite what they have absorbed from the atmosphere.Theirs is an intellectual life consisting of things that sound right, a blend of modern folk wisdom cliche, talk radio and Christian radio babble"(Page 65).

As for the comments about these hometown folks: one need not be intellectual.Not at all.Bageant knows this.One only needs to be curious, in my opinion.It's certainly not necessary to be an "intellectual" to discuss certain topics of the world and current events over a cup of coffee or bottle of beer.But people should be able to critically think to the degree where they can recognize bias, weazel words, spin, over-simplification, and over-generalization.We all have our own biases and preferences, and many of our own opinions are not always essentially our own.We have to get our information from somewhere.However the point is, many people simply regurgitate what they hear and see (and occasionally read).Much of this info regurgitated are from soundbites.Many people cannot even paraphrase.

In sum, many people are dumb.Not to sound arrogant or condescending but this is the perception.This dumbness is not because of genetics, but because of mental laziness, and not seeking objective sources that go into at least some amount of depth.If people want to make rhetorical statements and debate people (and often be loud) they should do some research.Do some homework.

As for Winchester and other areas of the US, I generally, find people in urban areas to be more sophisticated than those in rural regions.Again, nothing to do with intelligence.

Here is another excerpt from this book that I often observe in my hometown:

"Getting a lousy education, then spending a lifetime pitted against your fellow worker in the gladiatorial theater of the free market economy does not make for optimist or open-mindedness.....It makes for a kind of bleak coarseness and inner degradation that allows working people to accept the American empire's wart without a blink" (page 71).

I have specifically witnessed this, and still do in the United States.

People think political situations can be resolved by violence.

"it is not uncommon to hear someone talk about the Middle Est or some Asian or European country 'gettin out of line' and 'needing to be put in its place.' .....people who believe we should bomb France (though I doubt many of them could find it on the map" (page 71).

One chapter notes Lynddie England and appropriately asked how did her and people like her come to (falsely) define the American national ethos?

A fair question.


Written in 2007, DHWJ notes many of the elements that were issues in the 2008 National election that came a year after the publishing this book.

Health care, Abu Grahib, Oil dependency, Sub-prime mortgage industry and the racket of mortgage loans, CDOs, Neo-Conservatism, and the Mainstream Media.The religious influence of Reconstructionist, Dominionist, and Fundamentalist Christian elements that permeate attitudes (more than behavior).

But it's not mostly about about the town of Winchester, concepts, or "things."The most notable element is, the people --> Their attitudes and beliefs.


Chapters: Put in this review because of their pithy and self-explanatory titles.

1. American Serfs
2. Republicans by Default
3. The Deep-Fried, Double Wide Lifestyle
4. Valley of the Sun
5. The Covert Kingdom
6. The Ballad of Lynddie England
7. An Authorized Place to Die
8. American Hologram

"Deer Hunting with Jesus" is a great book by by Joe Bageant.

happy Labor Day
"Dear Hunting with Jesus: Guns, Votes, Debt and Delusion in Redneck America" is in my opinion a first rate piece of civic journalism and will be read for many years as a profound exposé on American politics and class.

"Dear Hunting..." goes further than historian Thomas Frank's brilliant book, "What's the Matter with Kansas?", in answering the (to many) vexing question of what the heck is going on with American white working class politics.

The insights contained in Joe Bageant's book go so deep in part because the author has such deep roots in the culture of Appalachia where he was born and raised. He really knows these folks you'll meet in his book. He saw the world with the Navy, moved around America and read lots of books, then eventually went back to Virgina. After seeing all that he had seen he knew had something to say, and he had to say it. A fine tag for Mr. Bageant I came across was "the Sartre of Appalachia". I like that. He is in possession of a formidable intellect and is a compassionate man. Don't let anybody say this is one of those liberal snobs! See, it is actually those liberals that he is really trying to reach -those Democrats and liberals that seem to have forgotten the white working class and left them to be corrupted further by talk radio and Fox News (or at least the ones that even have energy and time to pay attention to the media anymore).

Fans of Thomas Frank, Barbara Ehrenreich, Studs Terkel and Howard Zinn, to name a few writers, will probably love Joe Bageant if they don't already.

Anybody with an interest in American society and politics should check out this book. I believe you'll be a wiser and probably more compassionate citizen. Don't take my word for tho. You can also read some excellent essays at the author's website, Joe Bageant dot com. I mention this because that's how I discovered him.


(EDIT: My title came from the realization that the day I wrote this is "Labor Day" in America, but there isn't much to be happy about. And actually we should all take to the streets and demand single-payer health care and a living wage for all! Right now. Let's do it. By the way, Obama needs our help to bring us all that "change" and "hope" he promised.)

Long overdue
This is an extremely important book that is long overdue. It addresses issues that typical progressives are either embarassed by, choose to overlook, or are simply not exposed to. This book has great potential to bring a wider, more compassionate, and more inclusive perspective to those of us who hunger for real change, but are too often caught up in our narrow point of view. ... Read more

Product Description
In a world seething with sin and seduction, the chase is on.

Hunting demons for a living can have its moments. Especially when Shay Pearson’s latest quarry is the gorgeous bronze surfer who just stepped out of the sea. Uncovering Nic Diavolo’s devilish side could prove Shay’s toughest assignment yet. Because while she’s acting as bait to snatch this sexy bad boy, Nic’s got a plan of seduction no woman—earthly or otherwise—can resist.

Caught between two warring realms, Nic needs to stay alive long enough to figure out who his enemies are. That includes the beautiful hunter who won’t let him out of her sight. And something far worse: a force of evil with an almost unimaginable goal— possessing Nic’s very soul. But the hunt really heats up when a guy who’s hotter than Hades and a woman who’s afraid of love join forces, igniting an inferno of lust and longing that could send them into mortal danger...or straight into each other’s arms.… ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Love this series!!!
I absolutely LOVE this series.If you've read the 1st one, then so much won't surprise you, but these books have it all---good story, good "romance" and leave you waiting for the one.

Just Ok
The first book was definitely better.I pretty much rushed through this book, it had a hard time holding my attention.The storyline was just not intese enough.

loved it
This was a great book. It had a really great plot combined with some great love scenes. The love between the characters was believeable and smoldering sexy. The ending was a little sappy but I loved it anyways. WIll definitely investigate this authors other books.

Still good but less intense than the first
Less of a paranormal/special ops romance, Hunting the Demon also has less of the demon hunting action that made the first book such fun a synthesis of two genres. Additionally by spending time to develop the 'next at bat' couple, Ryder and Angelique, author Jaci Burton ends up weakening the story between our stars here, Nic and Shay.

We met Shay is in the last book,Demon Hunters: Surviving Demon Island (Book 1), . Shay is gorgeous, blond and though she has the drawl, she's no southern belle. She's psychic and collects daggers - oh and she hunts demons.Shay is drawn to Nic even before she meets him, just from seeing him at a distance, he tickles her 'spidey senses'.Everything about Nic is hot. He's bronze, fit and rich, the only drawback is, since he's Derek's brother (from the last book), he's half demon.So it's Shay's job to act as bait, to flirt with him so that the Realm of Light's demon hunting team can kidnap him and find out if Nic's already gone over to the dark side and succumbed to his inner demon.

Shay and Nic sizzle but have a hard time getting close, because they keep betraying each other.First Shay, with her role in Nic's kidnapping. Then Nic, who seduces Shay and makes a real connection with her - only to ruin the afterglow by leaving her tied to the bed so that he can escape.I had hard time with how easily these two forgave each other. Just a couple sultry looks and then they're back all over each other like nothing ever happened.This made them seem shallow and not so smart.

Even though it seemed like there were more love scenes in this book, Nic and Shay's relationship was not as well developed as Gina and Derreck's in the previous book. Part of the problem might have been that thread with Shay's fellow demon hunter Ryder and lovely French archaelogist Angelique pulled the focus away from ours stars at inopportune moments. Shay and Nic's relationship might have felt more intense if their story wasn't constantly being interrupted.Maybe if the switches between the two couple's threads in story were placed differently, it might have helped.

Even though I thought that Angelique and Ryder detracted from the other pair's romance, I really did like their interactions. Burton did a good job of fleshing them out and setting up the next book, Demon's Touch, where they will be the stars. I am really looking forward to seeing these two determined characters butt heads and for tough hard emotionless bad boy Ryder to turn to goo in Angelique's arms. Too bad Demon's Touch doesn't come out until summer 2008, but it will definitely be on my wish list.

Demon Hunter series
This second book in the Demon Hunters series is as hot, suspenseful and action packed as the first book.I was hooked from the first page ~ after waiting rather impatiently to get my greedy little hands on this book in the first place - I limited my fluid intake and read the whole book in one sitting - all 417 pages. The members of the Ream of Light that we met and fell in love with in the first book are all back as they try to convince Derek's brother, Nic just who is friends and enemies - the Sons of Darkness are.This book is fast paced with an engrossing storyline, interesting characters, vivid descriptions and erotic romance.Next summer can't come soon enough for the next book in the series, The Demon's Touch with Ryder and Angelique's story.

... Read more

Product Description
As director Gus Van Sant observes in the introduction to Matt Damon's and Ben Affleck's screenplay Good Will Hunting, the two young actors somewhat resemble the characters they play in the film: they're best friends, and Affleck (who plays Chuckie) habitually chauffeurs Damon (Will), who doesn't drive. Van Sant says we can see how badly Damon drives by watching the film's last scene, in which he is actually driving the car with the camera mounted on it. But Damon and company write better than he drives; this script contains some of the boldest, best monologues since Pulp Fiction.Van Sant and cast member Robin Williams helped the young actors tame the tigers in their cranial tanks, trimming the script into a precision instrument. Though the stills from the film are not perfectly matched to their places in the script, this story remains as much a joy to read as it is towatch on the big screen.Amazon.com Review
As director Gus Van Sant observes in the introduction to MattDamon's and Ben Affleck's screenplay Good Will Hunting, the twoyoung actors somewhat resemble the characters they play in the film:they're best friends, and Affleck (who plays Chuckie) habituallychauffeurs Damon (Will), who doesn't drive. Van Sant says we can seehow badly Damon drives by watching the film's last scene, in which heis actually driving the car with the camera mounted on it. But Damonand company write better than he drives; this script contains some ofthe boldest, best monologues since Pulp Fiction.

Van Sant and cast member Robin Williams helped the young actorstame the tigers in their cranial tanks, trimming the script into aprecision instrument. Though the stills from the film are notperfectly matched to their places in the script, this story remains asmuch a joy to read as it is towatch on the big screen. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (46)

Good Will Hunting
I enjoyed the final script with all of the stage directions, music overlay,etc. almost as much as I enjoyed the movie.I think Matt Damon and Ben Affleck should write another great screenplay for both of them.

"How do you like them Apples"
This was a hit for Affleck & Damon, I own very few DVD'sthis is on eof my favorites. The cast of characters fit well together.
Robin Williams always delivers a dynamic believable real performance, subtle humor in an beautiful written drama.

I found a lot of personal connection to Will in this movie. His complacancy in life reveals his hestitation to step outisde the bounds of his comfort zone and really let his Gaurd down to become who he can.

There are so many great moments in this movie from the animated dialogue between Will and numerous therapists & Sean ( Robin Willimas), to his running in with bloated Ego's of College preps.

Good Will Hunting inspires us all to seek knowledge using what resources or devices we have available. An inspiring entertaining film.

Favorite lines:
Sean to Will: "Maybe *you're* perfect right now. Maybe you don't wanna ruin that. I think that's a super philosophy, Will; that way you can go through your entire life without ever having to really know anybody..."

Will to College prep: "See, the sad thing about a guy like you is in 50 years you're gonna start doing some thinkin on your own and you're gonna come up with the fact that there are two certaintees in life. One, don't do that. And Two, you dropped a hundred and fifty grand on a f***n education you coulda got for a dollar fifty in late chahges at the public library"

Sean to Will: after he tells the Story ( passion energy & detail of Fisk HR of Game 6 World Series of which he had tickets to.. , "Sorry, guys; I gotta see about a girl."<----That entire dialogue was amazing!

Sean to Will:"If I ask you about women, you'll probably give me a syllabus of your personal favorites. You may have even been laid a few times. But you can't tell me what it feels like to wake up next to a woman... and feel truly happy."

Sean to Will: ..."My wife..She had all sorts of wonderful little idiosyncrasies. She used to fart in her sleep. I thought I'd share that with you. One night it was so loud it woke the dog up. She woke up and went `ah was that you?' And I didn't have the heart to tell her. Oh!"
...."Ah...! But Will, ..... Those are the things I miss the most. The little idiosyncrasies that only I know about: that's what made her my wife. Oh she had the goods on me too, she knew all my little peccadilloes. People call these things imperfections, but there not. Ah, that's the good stuff."

Brilliant in its simplicity
This script is sheer perfection, brilliant in its simplicity.My goal is to learn to write like that!

Great Screenplay of a Great Movie
This is a great story--a tale about guys in their early twenties living in working-class Boston.One of them, Will, just happens to be a genius, with a photographic memory.He is also an abused orphan who doesn't trust anyone but his friends and seems content to do construction and janitorial work.When an M.I.T. professor of mathematics catches him solving a nearly impossible proof one evening after all of the students have left, he is intrigued.

After Will gets into trouble with the law, which is a fairly common occurrence for him, the professor steps in and agrees to work with him and get him counseling if the judge will agree not to send him to jail.Will reluctantly agrees, not really willing to see a therapist.It proves to be difficult to find a therapist who can handle Will; he has read their books and mocks them during therapy sessions.Finally an old college friend of the professor's has a breakthrough and becomes someone that Will can trust.

This is a story about a person learning to take risks in relationships and with his future.The movie was excellent, and the screenplay is very interesting.I hadn't realized that a screenplay has so little direction; it gives me new respect for a film's director as well as the actors and actresses who create three-dimensional characters out of the words ont he page.

Great script of a great movie
The lines such as "How do you like them apples" are classics already.The movie was brilliant and I own the screenplay.A terrific insight into the anatomy of the film. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (10)

youth book
So how will it end - who is the good guy here - who is the bad??

High Action in some parts boring in others.
The book was fabulous in some parts but dead boring in others i guess after the first 5 books i was expecting more but got less. But still there was some good action and i would definteley sugest it to some who is into high action books just but be ready for an accasionally boring part and make sure you read the rest of the series first.I hope in the future Gordan will consider leaving out all the boring parts. I also hope he will keep his high paced action too. So overall it was a fairly good book with only a couple of draw backs.So i hope you enjoy it as much as i did.

High Action in some parts boring in others.
The book was fabulous in some parts but dead boring in others i guess after the first 5 books i was expecting more but got less. But still there was some good action and i would definteley sugest it to some who is into high action books just but be ready for an accasionally boring part and make sure you read the rest of the series first.I hope in the future Gordan will consider leaving out all the boring parts. I also hope he will keep his high paced action too. So overall it was a fairly good book with only a couple of draw backs.So i hope you enjoy it as much as i did.

Hunting the Hunter
Great but before I say anything, NOTE this is a six part writing, the reader must read them in order to make sense.

what an awsome book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i read the first book at my school and just had to read them all. the series haseverything, from high speed chases in a corvette to nearly deadly meetings with bald assasin. You'll sit down to read the first couple chapters but instead you will get hooked and read the whole book. first there parents have a friend who tells them he works for the FBI .he tells them that they are helping the fbi but the info they create falls into the hands of terrorists. the parents are put in jail for life now theirkids are breaking the law, running from the FBI,wanted by every cop in the country, and to make things worse an assasin is after them, all to prove their parents inesent.this book is full of suspense, action, and adventure. SO JUST READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

ghost hunting handbook review
I like this handbook due to its simplicity. Straight-forward, concise, and easy to read. I like it has examples of forms to use. This is not for the experienced investigator. It is strictly for novices. It is laid out as if you would be taking a class or discussing the dos and don't s of investigating.

Not entirely what you might expect
If your looking for an in depth book on how to investigate, look elsewhere. The book covers basic equipment usage and terms reference. And aside from the many typos you'll encounter, there isn't much to surprise the amateur hunter.

Great book
This is a wonderful book for ghost hunters of all ages and stages of expertise.If you are a beginer or someone who has hunted for a while you will enjoy this book. ... Read more

Product Description

Three men raid the gambling casino run by the Ute nation and then disappear into the maze of canyons on the Utah-Arizona border. When the FBI, with its helicopters and high-tech equipment, focuses on a wounded deputy sheriff as a possible suspect, Navajo Tribal Police Sergeant Jim Chee and his longtime colleague, retired Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, launch an investigation of their own. Chee sees a dangerous flaw in the federal theory; Leaphorn sees intriguing connections to the exploits of a legendary Ute bandit-hero. And together, they find themselves caught up in the most perplexing—and deadly—criminal manhunt of their lives.

In a world teeming with "sense of place" mysteries--set in Seattle, Alaska, the Arizona desert, or Chicago--it can be a shock to return to Hillerman, who started it all, and realize just how superior he is to the rest of the pack. --Nicholas H. Allison ... Read more

Customer Reviews (102)

good story, damaged tape
Great story, well read but tape had some damage.Tape was sold as in very good condition but it was not.
Most of it was fine but it was distorted in several places.I gave the tape to friends and told them to expect some distortion - they will be happy but I did not represent it as better than it is.

Hunting the Badger
SETUP
While, Navajo Tribal Police dectective Jim Chee has been on vacation in Alaska, the Ute Casino was robbed, by three men who apparently stole an airplane from Roy Gershwin after their stolen truck broke down.The attitude of the local police is "good riddance" since the crime was the jurisdiction of the FBI which only misused and abused local police.The FBI's only suspect is off-duty policeman, Teddy Bye, who was working as private security for the casino.However, policewoman Benadette Manualetto (who has a mutual attraction to Chee) is convinced that Bye is not guilty, and convinces Chee to look into the matter while he is still technically on vacation.In the meantime, Gershwin approaches retired "legendary lieutenant" Joe Leaphorn with a list of the alleged perpetrators--all local "militia"-types, but swears Leaphorn not to reveal where the list came from.One of these is Everett Jory, whom Leaphorn later finds dead in his home, seemingly a suicide, having left behind a suicide note on his computer naming George "Badger" Ironhand, and Alexander "Buddy" Baker as the remaining perpetrators and suggesting their hideout.That's the setup.

COMMENTS ON THE SERIES
In his Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee novels, Tony Hillerman, creates an almost "alternate reality", a world alien to most readers, but vividly filled with fascinating individuals and intriguing mysteries.The major "good guys", are very believable, likeable and admirable individuals (despite normal human flaws), who are easy for the reader to become emotionally attached to.

COMMENTS ON HUNTING BADGER
Earlier Tony Hillerman novels have been very "economical".That is Hillerman used the minimum words to present a simple straightforward story.In Hunting Badger, I have the feeling that filler (in the form of clever twists) were added after the novel was essentially complete, and the result broke up the flow of the novel.This is the first Hillerman novel in which I felt that some passages were tiresome.

VERDICT
A very good novel in a series of masterpieces.

Very Happy
Bought the book to replace a library book my dog destroyed.It was exactly as ordered and came in good time.

How would the locals handle it?
In an Author's Note at the beginning of the book we see the reason for why this book was written. A story from the late 90's that involved a horribly mismanaged search for some cop killers in the Navajo area is the inspiration for this story. To summarize that event - and by extension, this book - a police officer attempting to stop a stolen truck is shot and killed. In the chase that followed, one of the criminals is shot and killed while the other two disappear after they've wounded a few more cops. The FBI (Federal Bureau of Ineptitude - as it is called in this book) takes over charge of the search in the area and after involving 20 different agencies, manages to bungle the investigation and tracking of the criminals so badly that they are never caught. As Hillerman relates, those people who know the local terrain were told to man checkpoints on the main roads rather than use their local knowledge.

Hunting Badger is Hillerman's musings on how such an event should have been handled had the local cops been allowed to use their unique knowledge. The twists in the plot are that instead of a stolen water truck, Hillerman has the criminals come in and rob a casino and then disappear. Using his unique vantage point of being able to combine Indian lore with modern drama, Hillerman posits that one of the criminals is a Paiute Indian who is the direct descendant of an Indian that bedeviled the Navajos by leading war parties against them some decades before whom the Navajos believed to be a witch - due to his ability to move from the top to the bottom of a canyon with no visible means of climbing the sides of the canyons.

Hillerman weaves in the story the ways in which both Leaphorn and Chee go about investigating the ancient story as well as the modern crime. As background, we see the impact of the Federal Bureau of Ineptitude in their self-important but utterly useless posturing. I was particularly amused by the reports of how the criminal's truck is discovered by an Indian policeman but then the FBI swoops in on helicopters to guard it, and the wind generated by the landing helicopters wipes out the tracks around the truck. Of course, then, the FBI assigns the Indian who discovered the truck the responsibility for guarding it while they swoosh off to fly over the area!

No Hillerman story would be complete without the movement forward of the social life of his two heroes. And in this respect, Hillerman does not disappoint. Leaphorn is now retired and his relationship with Louisa is slowly advancing. Leaphorn is not feeling as much guilt about his relationship with Louisa given the past death of his wife Emma. In fact, Leaphorn is becoming less taciturn and more talkative and explains much more to Chee and even Manuelitto of what is going on - giving us a new look at how his mind works and why it works so well in resolving the crimes.

Chee is moving beyond his relationship with Janet Pete. She appears in the book only as a cameo. Instead, he now has a new interest in the person of Bernie - a fellow cop who is interested in him enough that she nurses him back to health and Chee starts comparing her to Pete and finds her to be a better fit for him. So, I expect this relationship will be moving forward in future books. Chee's relationship with Leaphorn has also evolved and he is better at reacting to Leaphorn as a person and not so much in awe of "the Legendary Lieutenant".

Like all Hillerman stories, the actual culprits and their motives are hidden initially, but get revealed as you read through the book. There are references to different kinds of militias that are prevalent in the southwest and the problems that they may cause, but in the end, the way the book ends is highly satisfying as the local police force figures out what happened and conclude the investigation.

Clearly local knowledge trumps the big budget and importance of the outsiders who come flying in. What else did you expect?

Another Great Hillerman Novel
As always, I enjoy reading Tony Hillerman's novels. I read and re-read them (both in print and as audio books). I was glad to see in this book that Jim Chee is getting over Janet Pete and starting to take notice of Officer Bernadette Manuelito. Chee and the retired Leaphorn solve the mystery long before the FBI guys which, of course, is pleasing. And then at the end of the book one of the robbers gets away. Now I need to be sure and read the next book in the series. This book is a good combination of Navajo culture, interesting characters, and suspense. ... Read more

Product Description
Now in it's third printing, HUNTING BIG WHITETAILS is a book for serious hunters who thrive on the challenge of hunting the ultimate big game animal, the mature whitetail buck. HUNTING BIG WHITETAILS is packed with interesting stories, unique ideas and valuable information on stand-hunting, still-hunting, driving, tracking, as well as calling and rattling. This thorough, practical advice has made this book a favorite of whitetail hunters from Florida to Alberta. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Good Deer Hunting Book
A very good deer hunting primer for people new to deer hunting.Contains alot of substantial content, strategies, and tactics and a "good buy" for the price. The book is enjoyable to read and hard to put down.If you follow the strategies in this book your hunting success should definately increase.Most of us don't have alot of "free time" on our hands with our busy work schedules, so the last thing we want to do is waste unproductive hours hunting in the woods with nothing to show for our efforts.This book should help make your limited time in the woods much more productive and satisfying.

Great Book
This is a great book for any hunter to read at any level of skill.It is a pretty easy read, and has a lot of detail.I would highly recommend this book for hunters or people interested in hunting.

What a fantastic book!
Being pretty new to hunting and only having 2 full seasons under my belt I felt that I didn't really have the knowledge required to be an effective hunter. My confidence in the field wasn't all that high and I was looking for a good book that could fill me in on all the things that I didn't understand. After reading the reviews on this book I decided that this was the one I was looking for and WOW I was right!

Everything is covered in this book! After reading it I really feel like I have a much better understanding of whitetail behavior, plus, I'm much more confident. It's not just about deer either; it addresses so many other aspects of hunting. It covers, gear, firearms, proper shot placement, and that's just for starters.

I can't wait until this fall for deer season. I know the only way to become a true veteran hunter is to spend years in the field, but this book will certainly give you a boost if you're looking for some good knowledge!

Very informative book.
Great bookwith alot of info and tips that should make anyone a better hunter.

great
this book is great.being new to whitetail hunting i found this to be very informative and hope to try out the tactics found within this fall.easy to read, lots of info, great buy! ... Read more

Product Description
Whether you're a recent high school or college grad or an established workforce veteran, changing jobs can be a scary experience. Let Job Hunting For Dummies, 2nd Edition, be your guide to pushing your career forward. Author Max Messmer, Chairman and CEO of Robert Half International (the world's largest specialized staffing firm), has used his job search expertise to create this cutting-edge guide to job hunting. Messmer offers the kind of friendly advice and insider's tips that can enhance your job search from start to finish.

Get yourself off on the right foot. First, organize your supplies; then, organize your search. Target your search in the job market of your choice; then, give yourself the tools that you need in order to break in to that market. Find out what separates bad resumes from resumes that get results. Discover the secrets of drumming up job leads, from researching online to using your own networks or working with a recruiter. After you're in, you'll be ready to shine with Messmer's complete list of the do's and don'ts of giving great interviews; and you'll be confident when the interview ends, knowing that you possess the keys to successfully closing an interview.

Don't wait another day. Find the job you want with Job Hunting For Dummies, 2nd Edition.Amazon.com Review
Job Hunting For Dummies is a remarkably versatilebook. It holds your hand through the arduous and terrifying process ofjob-seeking, and offers valuable insights relating torésumés, interviews, and networking, effectively playingthe roles of mother, pal, spouse, and guidance counselor, without everlosing its temper or asking when you're finally going to land ajob.

Max Messmer is eminently qualified to instruct on all thingsjob-related. He's chairman and CEO of Robert Half International Inc.,the world's largest specialized staffing firm, and he's pennednumerous articles, columns, and books (such as The Fast Forward MBA inHiring and StaffingEurope), so Messmer knows a thing or two about how to applyfor a job effectively, and he has a few words to say on how not toblow it, too.

He knows, for instance, how overwhelming and intimidating the job huntcan be, and how useful it is to break the monster down intoprioritized, bite-sized tasks. There are detailed chapters onorganizing, setting targets, and scoping out the field, plus essentialchapters on writing a résumé and cover letter thatpresent you in the best light, pursuing job leads, and performing wellin the interview spotlight.

Messmer's experience in the field makes his advice reliable. You knowthat when he suggests how to research a company before the interviewso you are somewhat knowledgeable about what they do, and when hewarns against pink résumés and sarcastic cover letters,he's offering the collective opinion of hundreds of staffingprofessionals. It's advice worth reading, no matter how qualified youalready are to do the job once you get it. The only misleading aspectof Job Hunting for Dummies is the title, because no dummy woulddo something so smart as to increase his or her application advantageby reading Max Messmer's book. --Stephanie Gold ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Job Hunting for Dummies
Did not realize when I ordered that this was the tiny version. Not the big book version. No information on this in listing.....abbreviated version; not what I had expected or hoped for when
I ordered it.....

Used Book received in poor condition
I have ordered a few used books through Amazon.com and have had good luck with the purchase. This book I decided to try and when I received the book it was in really bad shape. It was not worth the price of a used book. I did not expect the book to be in perfect condition as it was being purchased used but I did not expect for the book to be filthy dirty and torn. It looked like it had been dropped several times on the floor and ran over by a fork truck or pallet truck. It will really makes me think twice before I purchase another used book. It might be worth paying the full price just so I can have a book that is readable. Everyone needs to think about "Is the discounted price worth the trouble". I would rate this purchase as very poor!

Mini-book - a ripoff
I ordered Job Hunting for Dummies and I guess Amazon found one.It turned out that this wasn't Job Hunting for Dummies but a mini-book with a few excerpts for the full book.Since the picture on Amazon looked like a book and Amazon didn't flag that this was a mini-book, I didn't know that I bought the wrong thing until it arrived in the mail.As a result, I had to go to the bookstore and bought the real thing.Buyer beware!

A reliable starting point
A job market author, I give this book five stars for its breadth.As it promises, it covers all its bases, helping the reader to organize the job search, prepare for an interview, hone a resume, and achieve myriad other successes in the process of finding that dream position.Job Hunting for Dummies could offer more in the way of up-to-date technological information--more on online job sites, posting your resume on the Internet, the proper protocol for emailing a potential employer, etc.--but perhaps more detailed tips will be provided in a later edition.Overall, Messmer achieves what he sets out to do: he gives the reader a solid starting point.

Great book, worth every penny
After several years of complete dedication to my career and to the company I was employed by, I experienced a layoff a few months back. Thus, I suddenly find myself back in the job market and felt ill-prepared to deal with it until I got this book.

I went on a few interviews but had been nervous about certain questions such as; do I tell them how much I was making at my last job? Do I write a "thank you for interviewing" me letter after the interview? etc, etc...

This book covers all the topics that you are nervous about. Examples; what to say in a cover letter, interviewing, salary negotiations + much more.Included are some useful sample resumés and cover letters in different formats.

After reading this book, I feel much more confident that I'm handling my job hunting in a more professional manner. I would recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a job, or even if you have a job but hate your boss and want another one.

In general, I like the For Dummies clear and concise and easy to read format. While there are some For Dummies books that have very little substance, this is not one of them. ... Read more

Product Description
Training the Hunting Retriever is a collection of the most successful training techniques used by some of the best professional hunting-retriever trainers in the country.

These methods are not only used for competition, but also for hunting, and offer fundamental advice such as how to pick a gun-dog pup; how to use electronic training collars; how best to introduce and drill come, sit, and heel commands; and advanced drills including the cross pattern, double cross pattern, and mixed lining and handling.

Here you will learn how to train your dog to turn its head with our gun, so that it will see which bird you are shooting at and mark where the quarry falls. You'll also learn how to steady a retriever without force, how creative fencing can help solve training problems, and how to train retrievers for upland work.

Hunters and trainers return to this classic work year after year for its practical advice. It is a complete guide that will teach beginners to train exceptional retrievers and show experienced gun-dog hunters how to maintain them. (6 X 9, 256 pages, b&w photos, diagrams) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

good book
This book contains info from many trainers.As a result, you get varying perspectives on dog training.The book contains innovative ideas on how to keep retrievers steady which is one of the hardest things to do.I would recommend this book to anyone.

good book for the Hunting dog
this book is a good book to read if you are training a hunting dog and dont want to waste your time with al lthe field trial garbage........combine this book with game dog and look out
1

Great Ffirst Book
This book was great for me because I am a beginner and everything I have read has been about field trails.This book put a spin on hunting not trails.A must read for a person wanting to train for hunting.

A great tool
I've read a half dozen gun dog books over the years and this one is by far the best. Most of the others were written in the 60's and 70's and tend to be pretty corny. The author has compiled techniques from trainers across the country and organizes them in a readable and efficiant manner. He also uses training methods designed for hunting dogs, not trial dogs, and duplicates realistic hunting situations in his training sessions.
This book impressed me so much that I bought a couple copies for two of my hunting partners so that we can all train our pups together using the same methods.

Jerome did it the right way!
Training The Hunting Retriever wasn't written by Jerome Robinson the dog trainer, it was written by Jerome Robinson the interviewer. He talked to all the reigning authorities: Omar Driskill, Jim Dobbs, D.L. Jones, RonMathis and others, then wrote this "interviewed" knowledge downin a beginning to advanced, easy to follow, fun to read format. Great forthe beginner, first time retriever owner! You get the best of all themethods, ideologies and thechniques for training retrievers to be hunters. ... Read more

Product Description
Backyard deer hunting Converting deer to dinner for pennies per pound? In a single volume, prize-winning author Wm. Hovey Smith explains every aspect of deer hunting from finding deer to cooking it for your family. This book is designed for someone who has never, or seldom, hunted or cooked game. Basic hunting and cooking instructions are provided along with 50 tested recipes. Novice and experienced hunters alike will enjoy the author's writing style which is like sitting across the kitchen table listening to grandpa talk about hunting and cooking. Each day brings news of some economic, natural or political disaster. In these uncertain times it may vital for family survival to know how to kill, clean, cook and process game or salvage a dead animal that was killed in the same disaster. This book will tell anyone how to do these tasks even when electronic communications fail. This book should be in every home and library in the nation. Even if you do not think you need it, request that your local library stock it. Get the confidence to* Hunt close to home* Hunt multiple seasons* Process your own animals* Use functional, but inexpensive equipment* Eat better meat* Help the environment and your neighbors* Have a healthy lifestyle* Process deer, hogs and turkeys* Put inexpensive meat in your freezer* Eat well* Keep money in your pocket* ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A must for anyone who wants to get into hunting with practical intent
Venison, it can be what's for dinner for much cheaper than beef or chicken. "Backyard Deer Hunting: Converting Deer to Dinner for Pennies per Pound" is a step-by-step guide to hunting deer for the use of food consumption. With everything from licensing permissions, preparing deer for consumption, storing for the future, as well as recipes for deer and other things to hunt. "Backyard Deer Hunting" is a must for anyone who wants to get into hunting with practical intent.
... Read more

Product Description
Gentrification-by any means necessary.

With the help of new employees Cedric, Bobby, and Horus-three ex-cons trying to forge a new life-Lester Baines's Horizon Realty is bringing Harlem back to its renaissance. Fate seems to be working in Lester's favor when Harlem's undesirable tenants begin to get clumsy and meet early deaths by accident. A deadbeat dad electrocutes himself in the bathtub. A drug dealer takes flight from his fire escape. A pimp is shot dead by police when they mistake his wallet for a handgun. That's where Horizon steps in. Block by block, Lester and his crew clear out the rubble and the rabble, filling once dilapidated brownstones with black professionals handpicked for their shared vision of Harlem as a shining icon for the race.

Rumors of the Chupacabra, a mythical monster claiming the lives of Harlem's unfortunate, run rampant with Harlem's youth. But it isn't until an ambitious reporter begins to investigate the extraordinarily high accident rate in Harlem that Lester starts to get a little nervous about Horizon's future. For Lester, no cost is too high in protecting Horizon and his vision for restoration. The battle for gentrification and for the souls and very lives of the ex-cons plays out on the streets of Harlem and against a backdrop of beautiful Manhattan brownstones.

Mat Johnson has created vividly memorable characters and a story that stands out as one of the most controversial and explosive in years. As sure to ignite debate as it is to entertain, Hunting in Harlem is an old-fashioned page-turner with a fresh and brave voice.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Hilarious and terrifying
Hunting in Harlem is one of the funnier books I've read in a while. At the same time, it manages to be a thriller, as well as a political novel. That it can exist as all three of these things at once and still be intelligible as a whole is a testament to Mat Johnson's talent. He can wring humor, tragedy, and anger out of the subject of gentrification, creating a novel that is entertaining as well as thought-provoking. Not only are the main characters well-drawn and fully human, but also the villains, who seem at first to be of the out-sized Dickensian variety, are rounded out and given inner lives as the novel progresses. No one is as one-dimensional as they seem at first, and no one ends up where you would expect.

Murder for the Greater Good
After the success of his debut novel Drop, Mat Johnson has returned to the literary scene with his second novel, winner of the 2004 Hurston-Wright Legacy Award for fiction, HUNTING IN HARLEM.This the story of three ex-cons who are recruited by a Harlem real estate company to get a second chance at making good with their lives.Horizon Realty has set a plan in motion to stop the gentrification of Harlem by upper class whites and reinvigorate a sagging economy by re-populating the neighborhood with good, honest, black folk.But like any area suffering from urban blight, you have your unwanted denizens:the pushers, the whores, the child molesters, and the gun runners.It's hard to create a family neighborhood with these types as residents; so when they start to have convenient accidents, it's all good.

Snowden, Bobby, and Horus begin life after incarceration as interns with Horizon, literally working their way from the bottom up.Supposedly, they will be introduced to the world of real estate and trained to be real estate agents.But the trio soon discovers that they were chosen for their new jobs specifically because of their pasts.Snowden's lover, Piper Goines, is a reporter for a local minority owned newspaper, and it isn't long before she senses something foul at Horizon and starts investigating.

Mat Johnson has used his considerable talents to explore current urban social problems, but he also touches on cultural pursuits by subtly raising the topic of popular urban fiction and the lack of love received by black writers who study their craft and spend years writing literate, thought-provoking books only to be outsold by upstarts supplying readers with "melaninized, low-tech versions of their afternoon soaps."Johnson, as usual, is smart, witty, and destined to be one of his generation's best writers.The plot moves quickly once the introductory matter is out of the way.A well-executed example of fine literature, HUNTING IN HARLEM will keep you thinking about contemporary urban issues... and looking over your shoulder.

Reviewed by Kim Anderson Ray
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

What a flop!
The opening paragraph was the best part of this novel.It offered great promise for an engaging story but failed to deliver.The story opens with three ex-cons being recruited by a community development organization to help return Harlem to black folks.As the author clunks along with the story, we learn of the many "accidents" that befall the undesirables in the neighborhood and get a few obviously placed statements about attributes that need to be acquired by African Americans."Bobby actually believed in what Lester and the congressman were telling him, bought into all of it from the start.Horus was the same way, never questioning, never complaining." This is only one example of the didactic tone of the novel and the author's lack of creativity in trying to make his point. There was more than one instance when I felt that the author was actually trying to trick me into finishing the novel.Using an unsuccessful book, "The Great Work", written by one of the characters, Johnson discusses the mistreatment of black literature and uses this commentary to entice his reader to stick with the book.That ploy simply didn't work on me.After 100 pages into the novel I simply gave up.The writing is dull, the characters are flat and the story lacks any feel of realism.Furthermore, the story seems absent of language that engages the imagination or paints a picture.He dictates each chapter like a witness at a deposition.I'm not sure what other reviewers found in this book that I missed but I certainly can't recommend this one.

Some of the Best Fiction in Years
I've never been a fan of the mystery/thriller genre and this book encompases neither genre.What 'Hunting in Harlem' is is one of the strongest pieces of fiction writing/literature in the last 30 years.Johnson's novel is strong on characters who keep you pulleld into the book and you're very happy to stay there.What makes this novel so good is Johnson's ability to weave words with the ease of the Modernists and the grace of post-modern writers. Never one to hold himself above language, Johnson's second novel is nothing short of brilliant, and I say this after reading it 3 times.Can't wait for his next novel to come out...Get a move-on, Johnson!

Marvelous!
Loved it! This book will keep you enthralled. Never a dull moment here. Mat Johnson is a master of plot, character and humor. ... Read more

Product Description
Training the Versatile Hunting Dog shows you how to develop a great hunting dog with Chuck's new approach. This approach emphasizes letting your young dog first develop his natural abilities: use of nose, desire, cooperation, search, pointing, and tracking. Then, after his first season, Chuck shows you how to put the controls on your dog with chapters on the trained retrieve and whoa training. The versatile breeds also love water, and there are detailed chapters showing you how to train your dog to be an outstanding water retriever. Chuck also covers how to pick a pup, the importance of early socialization, introducing your pup to gunfire and to birds. This is a revolutionary book written for the popular versatile hunting breeds: German shorthair, wirehair, griffon, Vizsla, and Weimaraner among others. Each instructive chapter has a detailed explanation of the training techniques, along with numerous illustrative photos. There are also detailed plans for building a quail call-back pen, a pigeon pen, and a dog kennel along with a list of dog training suppliers and various hunting dog organizations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Training the Versatile Hunting Dog
Chuck Johnson takes a real common sense approach to training dogs that even a novice like me can follow.He writes in a way that the things that need to be repeated are repeated to really drive home certain points.

thorough
this book is very concise and has thorough information on the versatiliy available to today's gun dog owner.extremely useful for the beginner but i'm sure an experienced hunter/dog owner will enjoy it too! ... Read more

Product Description
For the passionate hog hunter-and that includes just about everyone who's ever chased down a wild boar-here is the complete guide to its methods, techniques, and, last but certainly not least, how to prepare what might be some of the best-tasting wild game available.

Starting with the plain excitement of the hog hunt, longtime boar hunter Triplett goes on to detail the history of the wild hog, and hog hunting.

THE COMPLETE BOOK OF WILD BOAR HUNTING includes important tips on: .

hunting methods . finding and understanding hog sign . equipment needed for hog hunting, including archery, muzzleloading, and modern rifle equipment . hog hunting year-round . southern hogs . western hogs, including the bounteous hog opportunities in California . preserve hogs . hog hunting worldwide . the javelina, the little hog of the Southwest . warthog, the thrill of the African hunt . wild hog recipes

With knowledge gained from a lifetime hunting the wild hogs, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF WILD BOAR HUNTING is an unsurpassed introduction to a fascinating sport.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Decent book for beginners.
I am new to hunting and I did get a lot of useful info out of this book.The pictures are some of the worst quality I have seen in a book.Overall though, the price was good and I like hard cover.I would recommend it.

Good resource for Boar Hunting
This book offers good information for any hunter in the field.It also offers very good equipment advice, and that is important to hunters new to the sport.

THE Complete book of wild Boar Hunting
I FIND THE BOOK IS VERY GOOD IN HELPING ME IN DOING MY HOMEWORK .
THE TIPS AND TACTICS WILL GO A LONG WAY! GOOD HUNTING...

Complete Book of Wild Boar Hunting
This book is pretty comprehensive but not extremely well detailed. It is, I suppose, written for the beginner to intermediate level Hog Hunter. I was a little disappointed.

A Good Starter Read
This is a great book for new hog hunters and has several useful thoughts for the more experienced. Of the 216 numbered pages 203 have informative content. Within the 203 pages are 97 B&W photos. The photos range in viewable quality from good to poor with only 8 photos being so difficult for me to discern what I was looking at that they were useless to view, however, the remaining photos were much appreciated.Well worth the $18 I paid but I'd be disappointed had I paid the $26.95 sugg. retail. The author sounds like he has the knowledge and experience to improve on this book by going into more detail about hunting the American wild boar. Also, I would've liked more information dealing with anatomy and shot placement and could have done without the chapter on hunting warthogs. I found this book to be an enjoyable read and I'm glad I have it in my library. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good book for people that are not from Mexico
I enjoyed reading this book, partly because even tough I live in Mexico, the web of names is just endless, PGR, AFI, different ranks in the mafia, so basically I finally understood all the relationships. Of course all the comments, and events that the author describes on his book are very familiar in Mexico, so anyone from Mexico, would easily identify this from the news and have his own opinion on the matter.

Even tough the author is (in my opinion) sometimes impartial, he did a lot of emphasis on the network of corruption in Mexico because the drug is moved from Colombia to the states. If so, how come he never questioned the integrity of the USA, because all those TONS for cocaine and mariguana, that cross in San Diego, Nogales, El Paso, etc... are not magically appearing on New York, Boston, etc... are they?

I do recommend this book, is a pretty good lecture, and it helps to better understandthat underworld.

... Read more