Delirious New York: A Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan

Amazon.com

In this fanciful volume, Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, founder of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (O.M.A.), both analyzes and celebrates New York City. By suggesting the city as the site for an infinite variety of human activities and events--both real and imagined--the essence of the metropolitan lifestyle, its "culture of congestion" and its architecture are revealed in a brilliant new light. "Manhattan," Koolhaas writes, "is the 20th century's Rosetta stone . . . occupied by architectural mutations (Central Park, the Skyscraper), utopian fragments (Rockefeller Center, the U.N. Building), and irrational phenomena (Radio City Music Hall)." Filled with fascinating facts, as well as photographs, postcards, maps, watercolors, and drawings, the vibrancy of Koolhaas's poignant exploration of Gotham equals the heady, frenetic energy of the city itself. Anyone who loves New York will want to own this book.

Customer Reviews:

What an interesting philosophical dissertation.......2007-02-05

through the exhaustive historiography of the phases of congestion coney island brought to manhattan, koolhaas provides a rather cynical view of the Grid as being an ulimatley neutral zoning system of constraining ideas that represent the continual decline of a phantastically realistic civilization, represented as mutated symbols of architecture in the "void" of repeated "pregnancies."

it's really well written. funny. uses, like above, a somewhat inefficient vocabulary but remains in the same vein throughout. it is also a graphic design hubris consuming every page, even the left-justified text, showing off koolhaas's interpretation of the importance to combine scholarship and marketing.

buy it. it's a very good book.

Way Too Much To Think About Sometimes.... .......2006-11-09

A very inventive concept of New York's "culture of congestion" and how people are affected by the architecture they create. It is heavily researched and exhaustive, and after pretty much the third page I agreed with his concept of NY being "totally fabricated by man". What could of been a fascinating article becomes a spastic, heavy-handed read with a sledgehammer effect to your brain. (However,for those of us reading it for school, there are plenty of pictures that fill up the almost devastatingly vast 300+pages quickly.) It will scramble your brain with its thousands of nearly bumper-stickerish statements ("It hides life." "The Mountain MUST become architecture.") written with pretentious glee. However, I believe an independent scientific study has concluded that when pretending to read this book on the train people around you will assume your IQ is 40% higher than truth.

Eating oysters with boxing gloves, naked, on the nth floor........2005-05-25

The quote written above is excerpted from Delirious New York. It is a perfect example of the lyrical quality of the writing prevalent throughout this amazing book. Delirious New York is not an objective chronological listing of New York's development, but a collection of manifestos and stories with opinionated perspectives about a city founded on the idea that maximum congestion is a desirable factor. It is informative, funny (the midget firefighters of Coney Island had me laughing aloud for a solid minute or two), twisted, and inspiring.

Rem Koolhaas is edgier and far more interesting literary figure in architecture than say, Le Corbusier. Koolhaas's analytical yet shockingly refreshing writing style is a blessing for architecture, since he stays away from academic incoherent writing style that most architectural historians and architects tend to employ.

Get a copy of this book if eclectic (and at times disturbing) tales of architecture and urban development is something you think you will enjoy.

best koolhaas ever, man.......2004-01-30

koolhaas is a bit over-the-top for me, but this I think is is best work. it's worth checking out if only for the story of coney island. once you get past blisteringly pretentious phrases like "coney island is a fetal manhattan", you'll find it gloriously entertaining as both a narrative and theoretical work.

the culture of congestion.......2002-12-24

This is by far Koolhaas's most accessible work, as it is rooted so clearly in detail from the city's past. Further, the book is simply brilliant. His take on urban history is to Jane Jacobs what Socrates is to common sense. New York is a special case of modernism that sprang from a special constellation of poltiical and technological forces that collectively create a cultural "big-bang" at the turn of the century. Read it. Blow your mind.

Average customer rating:

One side of the American Dream
A great book that is hard to stomach, but pass the salt
Too explicit for my tastes, that's saying something.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the 80's
Gross outs from a flat dimension

American Psycho
Bret Easton Ellis
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0679735771
Release Date: 1991-03-06

Book Description

Now a major motion picture from Lion's Gate Films starring Christian Bale ( Metroland), Chloe Sevigny ( The Last Days of Disco), Jared Leto ( My So Called Life), and Reese Witherspoon ( Cruel Intentions), and directed by Mary Harron ( I Shot Andy Warhol).

In American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis imaginatively explores the incomprehensible depths of madness and captures the insanity of violence in our time or any other. Patrick Bateman moves among the young and trendy in 1980s Manhattan. Young, handsome, and well educated, bateman earns his fortune on Wall Street by day while spending his nights in ways we cannot begin to fathom. Expressing his true self through torture and murder, Bateman prefigures an apocalyptic horror that no society could bear to confront.

Customer Reviews:

One side of the American Dream.......2007-09-22

American Psycho is easily the most graphic and disturbing novel I've ever read, not to mention a brilliant satirical romp.

The beauty of this novel is how Ellis immerses the reader into the setting, a business-frenzied Manhattan of the 1980's. This is a character study that elucidates the shallow and incorporeal existence of an elite New York businessman, Patrick Bateman, who attempts to fill this void by surrounding himself with expensive wears, eating at only the best restaurants, and killing people; mostly women. The latter was the catalyzing factor (aside from the lack of satirical imagination in Feminists) of why American Psycho was met with such strident criticism. Given the idea that the first murder does not take place until well after the first 100 pages should have been ample evidence to Feminists and Humanitarians that the book is not just a catalog of arbitrary violence.

From the get-go, the story follows Pat Bateman as he vaults from one high-class social situation to another, getting air-kisses from his almost equally shallow fiancé and checking his perfect hair and chiseled features in any reflective material available. One thing that I found repetitious, but ultimately essential to the plot, was Bateman's scrutiny of his peer's clothing; a Valentino Couture suit here, a Matsuda blouse there. Another aspect of Bateman's character (in the book and the movie), one that I find to be the most hilarious, is the way he panics when some external and completely trivial situation poses a threat to his inherent perfection: "I am certain that we will not have a good table, but we do... relief washes over me in an awesome wave."

It's apparent that Ellis wanted to exemplify the degree of apathy held by these so-called 'Masters of the Universe.' Women are referred to as 'hardbodies,' the style of business card font and color is indicative of class and ranking, and reservations at the most exclusive of restaurants are seen as the same. One subtlety that is picked up on with a close reading is how all of these New York elites are clones of one another. Not one character can remember who Jack is from Sam. This story also harbors one of my favorite quotes: "Where do you Summer?" A hilarious dichotomy occurs during an extravagant dinner (complete with sorbet, never ice cream) when these Free-Market Capitalists are conversing about massacres in Sri Lanka and how social concern needs to stand against racial bigotry, all the while the word 'nigger' is used liberally by the same characters.

As the plot progresses, Patrick slips further and further into insanity. This is creatively articulated with monologs that comprise half if not most of the book. Bateman is the type of guy whose anger can be set off by anything. The murder scenes, unlike the ones in the movie, are easily x-rated and were hard for even me to stomach. I think Ellis found this imperative in this, his most relentless attack against rich, unsympathetic yuppies.

Between the book and the movie, I found that both have their strengths and their weaknesses. The music reviews (Phil Collins, Huey Luis, etc.) that Bateman meticulously narrates are character-driven and often funny, but hold not a candle to the amount of hilarity and style as that of Christian Bale articulating to a pair of escort girls; or Paul Allen. Where the book is more descriptive and transcendental, the movie is more goofy and amusing. I think Ellis spent a little too much time and effort stressing how completely callous the rich can be at times and could have cut a number of paragraphs out of the book. That said, this is definitely a story that needed to be told.

A great book that is hard to stomach, but pass the salt.......2007-09-07

"American Psycho" is a savage vivisection of society and relationships as portrayed through the depraved exploits of Patrick Bateman. Bateman flourishes in the yuppie-driven mores of the 80's. His wealth and intelligence are the facilities of his deranged obsessions and evil compulsions. Rather than satisfy the blood-lust, Bateman's oblivious victims stoke and embolden his psychotic frenzy.

"American Psycho" is extraordinarily graphic. Sex and violence imagery explode from the pages with Bateman-like fury. However, it is the duality of the character that is truly unnerving. Bateman can be charming, can be ruthless, can be generous, can be vicious, can be insightful, can be shallow, can be elegant, can be disgusting. Bateman's character attracts you with his panache and repulses you with his horrific offensives. It is an emotionally disturbing journey where sanity has no compass.

Ultimately it is clear this Bret Ellis novel transcends time and place. It is an expose of the human condition and how it can be exploited, deceived and imperiled.

Too explicit for my tastes, that's saying something........2007-09-06

I came to this book after thoroughly enjoying the movie adaptation; fantastic movie. In this case I found the book to be a little tedius and quite explicit, at times. I like to consider myself just as decensitized to violence as any North American in the 21st century, but the amount of gruesome detail Mr. Ellis goes into, is too much for tastes.

2.5 STARS

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the 80's.......2007-09-03

I know this is a satire.
I know this is supposed to be making a point.
I know that the main character is as sad, yuppie who lives for working out, getting laid, having the best stereo system and, oh yeah, one other thing, killing people in the most sick and sadistic ways.
That being said, I really liked the character but I disliked the style.

Patrick Bateman, our lead, is a homicidal maniac who is a day trader by day and by night he is a coke sniffing, club hopping, music lover who gets off on sleeping around and killing people. To top it all off, this all happens at ground zero of the yuppie era, New York City. This alone would make the book interesting, but Ellis takes it one step further in writing the book in an almost stream of consciousness style. Not only do you know what Patrick is thinking about during conversations with his victims, but you also get a sense of who he is and what makes him tick and what makes him explode.

The character is so well written that he could be real. He is supposed to be the stereotypical yuppie, but it goes beyond that. We get a sense of Patrick with all of his weaknesses, his likes, his intelligence and his lack there of. I literally found myself laughing at some of the things he said and thought and agreeing with him at other times. That is how good the character is written.

That all said, I found the writing style difficult to follow and that is why I gave it only 3 stars. The fact that 1 1/2 pages per chapter at times would be dedicated to what everyone was wearing made for tiresome reading. I know that we are looking into the mind of someone who could stand to take some real strong medication (stronger than what was available in the 80's) but I found that it took away from some of my enjoyment.

If you are a fan of books like Fight Club you should like this book.

Gross outs from a flat dimension.......2007-08-25

I would be willing to accept the defense that Ellis's quickie squib is in fact a satire of consumerism, a literary bit of photo realism if there was compelling art here. There isn't, however, and the defense falls apart. Ellis writes as if he had to submit this against a deadline, and he'd wasted his considerable lead time by living off his hefty advance. Ellis does a good job of diagnosing the narcissism of the eighties, but that by itself does nothing for either our understanding or empathy.

Average customer rating:

Becky Bloomwood is Back!
Excellent read, with plenty of laughter!!
If you liked Confessions, you'll like this one.
What took me so long?
Genius!! LOVE IT!

Shopaholic Takes Manhattan
Sophie Kinsella
Manufacturer: Dial Press Trade Paperback
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Comic | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Accessories:

ASIN: 0385335881
Release Date: 2002-01-29

Book Description

“This expensive, glossy world is where I’ve been headed all along. Limos and flowers; waxed eyebrows and designer clothes from Barneys. These are my people; this is where I’m meant to be.”
–Becky Bloomwood

Universally beloved by readers, Sophie Kinsella’s national bestseller, Confessions of a Shopaholic, introduced the irrepressible one-woman shopping phenomenon, Becky Bloomwood. Now, in this hilarious follow-up, Becky and her credit cards are headed across the Atlantic....

With her shopping excesses (somewhat) in check and her career as a TV financial guru thriving, Becky’s biggest problem seems to be tearing her entrepreneur boyfriend, Luke, away from work for a romantic country weekend. And worse, figuring out how to “pack light.” But packing takes on a whole new meaning when Luke announces he’s moving to New York for business–and he asks Becky to go with him!

Before you can say “Prada sample sale,” Becky has landed in the Big Apple, home of Park Avenue penthouses and luxury department stores.

Surely it’s only a matter of time until she becomes an American TV celebrity, and she and Luke are the toast of Gotham society. Nothing can stand in their way, especially with Becky’s bills miles away in London.

But then an unexpected disaster threatens her career prospects, her relationship with Luke, and her available credit line! Shopaholic Takes Manhattan–but will she have to return it?

Download Description

"This expensive, glossy world is where I've been headed all along. Limos and flowers; waxed eyebrows and designer clothes from Barneys. These are my people; this is where I'm meant to be." --Becky Bloomwood

Universally beloved by readers, Sophie Kinsella's national bestseller, Confessions of a Shopaholic, introduced the irrepressible one-woman shopping phenomenon, Becky Bloomwood. Now, in this hilarious follow-up, Becky and her credit cards are headed across the Atlantic....

With her shopping excesses (somewhat) in check and her career as a TV financial guru thriving, Becky's biggest problem seems to be tearing her entrepreneur boyfriend, Luke, away from work for a romantic country weekend. And worse, figuring out how to "pack light." But packing takes on a whole new meaning when Luke announces he's moving to New York for business -- and he asks Becky to go with him!

Before you can say "Prada sample sale," Becky has landed in the Big Apple, home of Park Avenue penthouses and luxury department stores.

Surely it's only a matter of time until she becomes an American TV celebrity, and she and Luke are the toast of Gotham society. Nothing can stand in their way, especially with Becky's bills miles away in London.

But then an unexpected disaster threatens her career prospects, her relationship with Luke, and her available credit line! Shopaholic Takes Manhattan -- but will she have to return it?

Customer Reviews:

Becky Bloomwood is Back!.......2007-07-20

The first book in this series, Confessions of a Shopaholic, was so enjoyable that I decided it was time to pick up the second book, Shopaholic Takes Manhattan. And I was not disappointed!

Becky Bloomwood is back, she has her successful job on Morning Coffee, her handsome boyfriend,Luke Brandon, and things are looking up. However, there is still that matter of her overdraft and her shopping habit. While she's juggling all of her normal issues, Luke invites her to New York City for 2 weeks while he works on expanding his Communications company to the states. Now imagine Becky in the world of sample sales, Barney's, Saks 5th Avenue & Bloomingdales - equipped with American money as opposed to pounds. All equal an enjoyable sequel.

I look forward to reading the rest of the series. This is a great light hearted quick fun read!

Excellent read, with plenty of laughter!!.......2007-07-20

I bought this book for my girlfriend who is a huge fan of Kinsella's. When reading there was never a time she wasn't laughing or sharing something funny that was happening in the story. I'm an avid reader myself and I have found this book a delight to read. I may even read the others in her series!

If you liked Confessions, you'll like this one........2007-07-19

It was a cute book. No better or no worse than Confessions of a Shopaholic.

What took me so long?.......2007-07-17

What took me so long to find this author! I needed a book to take with me for a week at the beach, searched for something fun and light and finally picked up this book and purchased it.

I could hardly put it down, I laughed out loud and my family wanted to know what was so funny, I finished the book and handed it off to my daughter.

I compare this book to a I Love Lucy type character (Becky) in the year of 2007. Get it and read it!

Genius!! LOVE IT!.......2007-06-22

I didn't think I would get into this series--but I have! This one I liked even more than the first. It is a funny, cannot put down book. I cannot wait to see what Becky gets herself into each chapter! The ending is perfect as well! READ!!

Dry Manhattan: Prohibition in New York City

Average customer rating:

Fascinating and informative -- definitely worth a read.
A Fascinating Look at the "Noble Experiment"

Dry Manhattan: Prohibition in New York City
Michael A. Lerner
Manufacturer: Harvard University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 067402432X

Book Description

In 1919, the United States embarked on the country's boldest attempt at moral and social reform: Prohibition. The 18th Amendment to the Constitution prohibited the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol around the country. This "noble experiment," as President Hoover called it, was intended to usher in a healthier, more moral, and more efficient society. Nowhere was such reform needed more, proponents argued, than in New York City--and nowhere did Prohibition fail more spectacularly. Dry Manhattan is the first major work on Prohibition in nearly a quarter century, and the only full history of Prohibition in the era's most vibrant city.

Though New Yorkers were cautiously optimistic at first, Prohibition quickly degenerated into a deeply felt clash of cultures that utterly transformed life in the city. Impossible to enforce, the ban created vibrant new markets for illegal alcohol, spawned corruption and crime, fostered an exhilarating culture of speakeasies and nightclubs, and exposed the nation's deep prejudices. Writ large, the conflict over Prohibition, Michael Lerner demonstrates, was about much more than the freedom to drink. It was a battle between competing visions of the United States, pitting wets against drys, immigrants against old stock Americans, Catholics and Jews against Protestants, and proponents of personal liberty against advocates of societal reform.

In his evocative history, Lerner reveals Prohibition to be the defining issue of the era, the first major "culture war" of the twentieth century, and a harbinger of the social and moral debates that divide America even today.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating and informative -- definitely worth a read........2007-04-22

Lerner's fascinating book brings the period of prohibition to life -- from the early days of temperance campaigning, to prohibition's final undoing more than a decade later. Stories of individual people on all sides of the issue bring the book to life, making the it fun to read. And Lerner doesn't try to draw parallels to present day politics -- he lets you do that for yourself.

In an engaging, well-flowing narrative, Lerner covers prohibition from beginning to end, focusing on New York City. It was there that the dry campaign won an improbable victory, deftly manipulating the political system to secure a ratification that was not supported by popular opinion. Lerner describes a series of failed efforts to enforce prohibition in New York City. He shows how bigotry against immigrant groups was used to maintain support for prohibition. He chronicles a political climate in which anti-prohibition politicians were effectively silenced by prohibition advocates. And most interestingly, Lerner describes the role that women played in ultimately bringing prohibition to an end.

The book is meticulously researched (and heavily footnoted), but does not have the dry, academic feel of many history texts. Instead, Lerner enlivens the pages with anecdotes from prohibition agents, bartenders, managers of speakeasies, "jazz age" journalists, and New Yorkers of all social statuses.

If you read the footnotes, you will see that he draws these vignettes from an incredible variety of primary sources -- police records, notes of prohibition campaigners, newspapers and magazines of the day, court records and more. The effect is a rich tapestry of personal stories -- one that flows with his narrative and truly reflects the diversity of New York city.

Lerner wisely avoids drawing comparison to current-day politics. Instead, he leaves it to you to connect the dots. There are powerful lessons about how our political system can be manipulated, and how attempts to legislate morality in a democracy are misguided. But he leaves these conclusions for you to make.

Fascinating and informative -- definitely worth a read.

A Fascinating Look at the "Noble Experiment".......2007-04-04

A well written look at prohibition that provides good perspective from the wet and dry, working class and society and black and white sides. It flows smoothly with excellent portraits of the key figures in the city and the nation and is filled with entertaining anecodotes about this unusual time. Well worth a read.

Sentence Correction GMAT Preparation Guide (Manhattan Gmat Prep)

Average customer rating:

Sentence Correction GMAT Preparation Guide (Manhattan GMAT Preparation Guides) (Paperback)
For people who need a quick review
Good one
Please don't buy this book...
best in market for GMAT SC

Sentence Correction GMAT Preparation Guide (Manhattan Gmat Prep)
Manhattan GMAT Prep
Manufacturer: MG Prep, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Test Prep Central | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0974806951

Book Description

Sentence Correction (1 of the 7 books in Manhattan GMAT's Preparation Guide series) takes the guesswork out of grammar by presenting every major grammatical principle and minor grammatical point tested on the GMAT. Students learn to master the rules for correcting every GMAT sentence and to avoid relying solely on their (imperfect) ears. The book offers a unique balance between two competing emphases: test-taking strategies and in-depth content understanding. Practice problem-sets build specific foundational skills in each topic and include the most advanced content that many other prep books ignore. As the average GMAT score required to gain admission to top b-schools continues to rise, this guide provides test-takers with the depth and volume of advanced material essential for succeeding on the GMAT's computer adaptive format. Book also includes online access to 3 full-length Simulated Practice GMAT Exams at Manhattan GMAT's website.

Customer Reviews:

Sentence Correction GMAT Preparation Guide (Manhattan GMAT Preparation Guides) (Paperback) .......2007-08-26

This book is great for folks who are very serious about getting a good handle on the GMAT sentence correction questions. English grammer is a huge subject and this book does well in narrowing the focus on the type of questions asked in GMAT.

As observed from the GMATClub blogs, test takers who have scored 700+ have highly recommended this item. However, this book doesn't offer any practice questions on its own and directs you to the practice questions in OG 11 and official guide for GMAT verbat review.

For people who need a quick review.......2007-08-21

Great book to have for a quick review before the GMAT exam. Great examples and homework assignments at the end of each chapter.

Good one.......2007-08-14

Finding it extremely helpful for my GMAT prep. Stresses on the grammar basics with good examples. The downside is you have to buy the GMAT official or Verbal book for exercises, manhattan standalone does not have many exercises for you to practise.

Please don't buy this book..........2007-08-08

I am certain it will increase your verbal score, and I just can't handle any more competition for b-school!!!

Please buy the Kaplan book instead!

Thanks

best in market for GMAT SC.......2007-05-13

If you are weak in grammer, this is must to have. This clears lots of doubts. being from non english background this helped a lot.

Average customer rating:

Lame nyc map
Adequate Map - light weight.
Great product!
Great!!! ...subway connections would have been helpful though!
Perfect map for Manhattan visitor

Streetwise Manhattan (Streetwise)
Michael Brown
Manufacturer: Streetwise Maps
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Map

World | Atlases & Maps | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1886705976

Book Description

This is a smaller version of Streetwise Manhattan which has holes to fit the map into a 6 ring planner. The map includes an inset of the bus routes with the detailed map of Manhattan. Features include churches, hospitals, general sites, limited highway access, subway stations and more.

Customer Reviews:

Lame nyc map.......2007-09-12

don't waste your money. just because its laminated doesn't make it a good map. Not all streets are on it and sections of manhattan are missing. I wouldn't count on this map to help you out if you don't know the area and have things memorized before you get here. WE got lost on more than one occasion trying to use this thing.
Get the NFT black book of nyc instead. It has all you need and is small enough to fit into your purse or pocket.

Adequate Map - light weight........2007-08-14

I rate this as number three of the four references I purchased to help me navigate NYC. It's sturdy, compact, light weight and packs in all the information you might need to navigate Manhattan and hit the tourist spots.
This is the map to buy if you want to travel light in Manhattan.

Great product!.......2007-04-02

I love my Streetwise map. Sometimes it's a little hard to read for these middle aged eyes though. All in all, I couldn't do without it on my trips to Manhattan.

Great!!! ...subway connections would have been helpful though!.......2007-02-05

This is great-a laminated trifold that weathered through daily use during my months in NYC. I don't know what I would have done without it! However, while it shows subway STOPS, it doesn't show how they CONNECT. I bought a credit card sized subway connection map at a newspaper stand to supplement. The combination of the two was perfect! Also note that it is about half the size of an 11/13 peice of paper.

Perfect map for Manhattan visitor.......2006-12-20

I've gone through several editions and given several away. The great strength is the clear integration of streets and subway.

Shopaholic Gift Set (Shopaholic Ties the Knot / Shopaholic Takes Manhattan / Confessions of a Shopaholic)

Average customer rating:

Great brain candy!
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Funny Stuff
Thanks for the reviews!
FUN, LIGHT, ENJOYABLE!!!

Shopaholic Gift Set (Shopaholic Ties the Knot / Shopaholic Takes Manhattan / Confessions of a Shopaholic)
Sophie Kinsella
Manufacturer: Dial Press Trade Paperback
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0385395507
Release Date: 2004-09-28

Customer Reviews:

Great brain candy!.......2007-05-14

I've enjoyed every book written by Sophie Kinsella - these were the books that introduced me to her. The adventures of Becky Bloomwood are a quick and entertaining read - I found myself staying up far too late because I couldn't put them down! I was especially entertained by the letters spattered between chapters. We only see the responses to Becky's correspondence, and these additional glimpses into her mind just add to the books. Anyone can enjoy these books - I love them, my mom loves them, my husband even read a little bit of them! Highly recommended for anyone looking for a light, entertaining read.

Confessions of a Shopaholic.......2007-05-14

Gawd..It's only Chapter 7 and I felt I have known Becky all my life! It's hilarious, funny and oh so Me!

Funny Stuff.......2007-03-23

Sophie Kinsella does a good job of not repeating the same story line book after book with her Shopaholic series. This was the first set that I purchased by this author and after that I was hooked.

Thanks for the reviews!.......2006-11-17

I ordered these books and based my 4 stars on the other reviews...for now. I just received them and I hope these funny stories encourage my 17 year old step daughter to read! So far she is not interested in anything enough to read it all the way through!

Thank you all for the reviews of these books, you helped me make the choice to buy them!

FUN, LIGHT, ENJOYABLE!!!.......2006-03-03

This series of three books was a very good read. Perfect for reading on a plane or just relaxing in a bubble bath. Very well written. If you liked "Bridget Jones' Diary", you will love this author. It helps to be married to an Englishman, as there are many references and slang terms common to Great Britan. I enjoyed the books immensely and would like to see another in the series - I have also read "Can You Keep a Secret?" by Sophie Kinsella and would give that book a rating of 5 as well!!!

Average customer rating:

Amazing Zombie epic pray for more!
Excellent, unique twist on the zombie genre
Zombie novel or Night at the museum???
Good... mostly.
Who Doesn't Love Zombies???

Monster Island: A Zombie Novel
David Wellington
Manufacturer: Thunder's Mouth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1560258500

Book Description

It's one month after a global disaster. The most "developed" nations of the world have fallen to the shambling zombie masses. Only a few pockets of humanity survive — in places rife with high-powered weaponry, such as Somalia.

In New York City, the dead walk the streets, driven by an insatiable hunger for all things living. One amongst them is different; though he shares their appetites he has retained his human intelligence. Alone among the mindless zombies, Gary Fleck is an eyewitness to the end of the world — and perhaps the evil genius behind it all.

From the other side of the planet, a small but heavily-armed group of schoolgirls-turned-soldiers has come in search of desperately needed medicine. Dekalb, a former United Nations weapons inspector, leads them as their local guide. Ayaan, a crack shot at the age of sixteen, will stop at nothing to complete her mission. They think they are prepared for anything. On Monster Island they will find that there is something worse even than being undead, as Gary learns the true price of survival.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing Zombie epic pray for more!.......2007-09-29

Great new take on zombie apoclyspe. truly amazing, nothing sort of one of the best horror books of the decade!

Excellent, unique twist on the zombie genre.......2007-09-18

I read a lot of books, including a great number of "volume one"s - the first in a trilogy, the first in a series and so forth. In many of those cases, I never make it to volume two. In many of the others, I make a note to pick up the second volume "sooner or later." This is one of those rare cases where I want to rush right out and get the next book, because I'm dying to see what happens next.

At first blush, this seems to be a typical zombie novel. A plague of the undead has overrun the Earth and there seems to be no hope, let alone a cure. Dekalb, a former UN weapons inspector, agrees to go to New York to try to find a supply of HIV drugs for a Somalian warrior woman, in exchange for the safety of his daughter. What Dekalb doesn't count on is Gary, a former doctor who theorizes that the reason the Undead are mindless beasts is because their brains starve from lack of oxygen between the time they die and the time they rise - and he thinks he's found a way to beat it. While Dekalb's mission remainds somewhat single-minded, Gary finds himself growing more and more horrific and bloodthirsty as the book progresses, with his goals changing as he learns more about the Undead and the world he has ushered himself into.

David Wellington has found a wonderful new twist on the zombie novel. It's not just "man against the walking dead" like so many of the stories are - instead he digs deeper to reveal an underlying evil that makes the zombie plague seem innocent by comparison. It feels like a Stephen King sort of twist, only with a much more solid ending, even for the first volume of a trilogy. While the book as a whole is very energetic and exciting, it's the ending that makes me want to run out for book two, Monster Nation. I've got to see just where Wellington plans on taking this.

Zombie novel or Night at the museum???.......2007-09-17

This book felt more like, "a night at the museum", than a zombie book. It starts out great with real mystery surrounding the Gary character, then it unravels in such an absurd way that it becomes a mockery of the genre. i could care less about mummies, and if I had any idea that they were in this book, I wouldn't have bought it. The other 2 of the trilogy sound equally as absurd...

Good... mostly........2007-08-22

To me, there are a few rules to zombie fiction.
Everyone has their own peculiar tastes about the genre - some people have a real problem with running zombies (they don't run in this book), for example.
I really don't like mind-melding psychic junk in my zombie fiction, and I don't typically like intelligent zombies (a real problem I had with Land of the Dead - it felt like Romero had sold himself out somehow allowing for the learning undead, and interpersonal hiarchies within their ranks).
D. Wellington has psychic mind-melding zombies, intelligent zombies and hiarchies in this novel - and the plot is dependant on these elements, which I see as 'broken rules'.
That being said - he did it in creative ways, and who the heck am I to make up rules about such things. He dared to take some new ground and throw a spin in there. The Samolian girl army easily cancels out my protests on some of the zombie points.
It felt a bit like Brian Lumley's Necroscope books - if you want straight up vampire fiction and you aren't willing to be flexible, those books are really irritating, but once you relax and let the author take you on a trip - you find that its very enjoyable and that you really want to learn where its going.
There are three parts to this book - I rate part one a 5, part two a 2, and part three a 4 - ultimately leading me to favor it with a 4 for my rating.
I'm very picky about these things - and I end this review by letting you know that I fully expect to read the second and third books in this trilogy (unless I find that Plague of the Dead and Dying to Live blow it out of the water and I don't want to return to Wellington's canon). Good stuff, but I won't be entirely surprised if it takes a turn that I don't ultimately like as much.

Who Doesn't Love Zombies???.......2007-08-19

OK....well maybe I don't LOVE Zombies, but I love the genre!! Starting with the cheesy Romero movies, all the way to the new "Dawn of the Dead" and "28 Days Later", I have a passion for them. But I have to say, I haven't read a lot of Zombie books. Enter Monster Island by David Wellington. This is the first in a trilogy of Zombie books that Wellington originally published online.

Some time in the very near future, the Epidemic hits our planet. What is this epidemic? We never find out: but it causes the dead to rise again. Dekalb used to be a weapons inspector for the UN working in Africa. After the Epidemic took his wife, Dekalb and his daughter were captured by a band of female rebels in Somalia, led by Mama Halima. Normally, a man wouldn't have a chance with this group of females. But Dekalb has special knowledge that the Somalians need: he can lead them to the UN hospitals. Mama Halima needs AIDS medication. After a lengthy search through many of the countries in the area, no meds are found. All the hospitals have been raided. There is only one place Dekalb can think of that will have the much needed medical supplies: The UN Headquarters in New York City. With his daughter being held as collateral, Dekalb and a band of teenage school girl rebels set out on a ship and sail halfway around the world to find the drugs.

Now we meet Gary, a man who used to be a doctor in the city. Gary decided the old philosophy "if you can't beat them, join them" was the only way to make it. With his medical training, Gary felt that the reason the Zombies were so slow and stupid is because of a lack of oxygen to their brain when they dead and before the reanimated. So Gary hooked himself up to machines to keep everything flowing through the death process. When Gary "awakened", he was still able to think logically and move better than the rest of the zombies. The only real difference is the hunger that is unquenchable.

This book was fun!! The best part of the novel to me was the change in Dekalb. He had to rewire his way of thinking: from a peace keeper to a survivor. It was really hard for him to pick up a weapon against others, even if they were already dead. But when it came down to it, Dekalb became the hero that he needed to be to save his daughter. Wellington tells a great story and doesn't go too over the top. The suspense level was high from page one all the way till the last page. Although, I must say, he left us hanging, BIG TIME, by the end. So I guess this means I'm going to have to read Zombie Nation now!!

Average customer rating:

TAKEDOWN
Takedown
A-
A modern Charles McCarry?
Speed reading at its best

Takedown: A Thriller
Brad Thor
Manufacturer: Atria
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Political | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0743271181

Book Description

After years without a terrorist attack on American soil, one group has picked the 4th of July weekend to pull out all the stops. In a perfectly executed attack, all of the bridges and tunnels leading into and out of Manhattan are destroyed just as thousands of commuters begin their holiday exodus. With domestic efforts focused on search and rescue, a deadly team of highly trained foreign soldiers methodically makes its way through the city with the singular objective of locating one of their own -- a man so powerful that America will do anything to keep him hidden.

Scot Harvath is now the country's only hope. Fighting his way through the burning streets of Manhattan, he must mount his own operation to locate a man the United States government refuses to admit even exists.

Customer Reviews:

TAKEDOWN.......2007-09-28

Brad Thor is a must read. Fall in love with his characters. Scott Harvath is the perfect hero. Very scary that so many things that happen in Thor's books can and maybe do happen in today's world. Full of intrigue and adventure.

Takedown.......2007-09-26

I like all of Brad books, he is the one that got me started reading again.

A-.......2007-09-17

"Takedown" by Brad Thor, is a very fast paced thriller dealing with Islamic Terrorism and the US's half hearted "War" to defend itself and western civilization from destruction. It deals with RENDITION (using other nations to do the dirty work of interrogation, to keep the US hands clean), and the absurd policies that hinder the west from defending itself.

There is a action pact attack on the United States, things go very wrong, and the US Government is slow to react, and traitors within threaten the integrity of a super secret intelligence program. The hero Scot Harvath, a counterterrorism operative for the Department of Homeland Security, finds himself in the middle of the attack and leads a group of VA patients into battle to stop the terrorist.

OK, the attack on the US city is very exciting, but not very realistic, not in operation, or in the US response to the attack (No US methods and practices given away to the real terrorist possibly reading this novel).

Thor gets the terrorism thing, and understands modern fascist Islamic radicalism!

A modern Charles McCarry?.......2007-09-17

If you liked Charles McCarry's novels about espionage in the Cold War, you should like Brad Thor's about the current war. In contemporary novels versimilitude is crucial. Unlike many pretenders, Thor structures the plot around the interplay of the characters, and avoids pasting personality into an organizational flow chart. Characters are not required to interact only with their superiors, deputies, and liasions, but are given contacts much the way people are. The reader is not given a tour of the training and doctrine of any agency, but given a chance to watch personalities interact based on their "off hours" connexions. Personal relationships are what makes agencies work, and Thor's story in Takedown is all about that.

Speed reading at its best.......2007-08-28

It certainly was speed reading if you wanted it or not. This novel sped you from page to page with a non stop roll of plot. It never slowed. I have read all his books at this point and only find them getting better as he progress's. The next is First commandment and I am sure it will continue as a sequel to Takedown as the final page left it open for that. I highly recommend this novel.

Average customer rating:

Not bad....
Fun Summer Read
Poorly Researched
Amusing
A Fish Out of Water

Little Lady, Big Apple
Hester Browne
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Comic | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1416514937

Book Description

Melissa Romney-Jones went from doormat to diva when she donned a blond wig, became Honey, a no-nonsense bombshell, and set up shop providing London's most clueless men with all the basic girlfriend services -- except, of course, for sex and laundry! Now, her business is booming, but when her flat-mate decides to renovate, she has to temporarily find a new place to live. Then Melissa's dashing American boyfriend (and former client) Jonathan Riley gets a promotion that takes him to New York. There's only one solution: an extended holiday for Melissa in the Big Apple.

Entrusting care of the Little Lady Agency to her tactless best friend and her melodramatic sister, Melissa crosses the pond and finds herself out of her depth among Jonathan's hard-charging friends and his interfering ex-wife. Although Jonathan works all the time, he asks Melissa not to take on any new clients while she's in his hometown. But when she's presented with a tempting new challenge, Melissa decides to put her expertise to use. Then her project lands her in the tabloids, which sets off a hilarious and heartbreaking chain of events that could force her to choose between the man she loves and the unique business into which she has poured her heart and soul.

Irresistibly funny and full of the magic of New York, Little Lady, Big Apple is another triumph that will have you rooting for Melissa all the way!

Customer Reviews:

Not bad...........2007-08-22

If you've read my review of the first book "Little Lady Agency" then you know I was not too fond of it - I had had high hopes for it. I read this one without those high expectations and it was better. I agree with another comment, that there was a little bit missing from the book with Melissa not dressing up as "Honey" - not having the "Honey" interactions - that "Honey"...pizzazz. But it was an amusing read. I did not, however, like the ending all to much. I had hoped that Jonathan would have taken a step back in his career to have just been with her (he did work an awful lot). But I guess at the end they both got what they wanted (it's always a nice scene to see a man grovel). Without my high expectations (like I had of the first book) I enjoyed this one better. Just missed "Honey" a bit. Will be looking for the next one. I will also be looking forward to future works by Hester Browne.

Fun Summer Read.......2007-06-26

Witty and some truly laugh-out loud moments. This is a wonderful summer read with just enough adventure and humor to keep your interest. Romantic, fun, and a quick read. I do love the "British-ness" of it all!

Poorly Researched.......2007-06-17

Browne's editor wasn't asleep at the switch in this sequel to The Little Lady Agency. No, this time the editor must have been in a coma.
How else to explain the glaring plot holes bigger than a subway opening?
For a start, not one single New Yorker depicted in the book sounds like a living, breathing actual New Yorker.
Jonathan "The Boring Man" Riley says he tried to call Melissa, but her phone was engaged. Americans just don't say that. They say the number was busy.
For another, Jonathan picks her up from the airport in a series of limousines and town cars, until one mysterious trip, he's driving a vehicle we never hear of before - or after.
The worst infraction however, is Jonathan and his dog Braveheart flying to London and arriving dewy-eyed on Melissa's doorstep.
How is this possible?
There are strict quarantine laws in England. You CANNOT bring an animal into London. France, oui, London, No.
I know this is fiction but Geez Louise, at least make it semi-believable.
As for leaving her hard-earned business in the hands of two moronic women - her complusively stupid best friend Gabi and her sinister sister Allegra, both of whom possess the common sense of lettuce leaves - please...this Little Lady needs her head examined.
I won't be reading the next book, this one was a painful experience.

Amusing.......2007-04-14

This book is a nice sequel to the Little Lady Agency, though the plot was not quite as interesting. I missed seeing Melissa transform herself into Honey, and the interactions between Honey and her clients were largely missing in this book. That said, it's still a fun read, and I'm interested in seeing what these characters are up to next, now that Melissa's love life seems to be back on track.

A Fish Out of Water.......2007-03-28

Melissa had made a great life and created an enterprising and unique business of her own in London. However, when her American boyfriend asks her to come to New York City with him for a month she faces the classic dilemma of career or relationship. What makes this book particularly entertaining is Melissa's determination to have it all. She morphs her business to fit her new schedule and her new home. At the same time, she maintains her commitment to her own career even if it means giving up her boyfriend. Delightfully written and very entertaining. A great read!

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books