Average customer rating:
- Unbelievable In This Day and Age
- Real Life Horror
- No good ending here
- Lack of remorse in Oklahoma
- Had it been a work of fiction I would have given it 1 star...
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The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town
John Grisham
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0385517238
Release Date: 2006-10-10 |
Amazon.com
John Grisham tackles nonfiction for the first time with The Innocent Man, a true tale about murder and injustice in a small town (that reads like one of his own bestselling novels). The Innocent Man chronicles the story of Ron Williamson, how he was arrested and charged with a crime he did not commit, how his case was (mis)handled and how an innocent man was sent to death row. Grisham's first work of nonfiction is shocking, disturbing, and enthralling--a must read for fiction and nonfiction fans. We had the opportunity to talk with John Grisham about the case and the book, read his responses below. --Daphne Durham
20 Second Interview: A Few Words with John Grisham
Q: After almost two decades of writing fiction, what compelled you to write non-fiction, particularly investigative journalism?
A: I was never tempted to write non-fiction, primarily because it's too much work. However, obviously, I love a good legal thriller, and the story of Ron Williamson has all the elements of a great suspenseful story.
Q: Why this case?
A: Ron Williamson and I are about the same age and we both grew up in small towns in the south. We both dreamed of being major league baseball players. Ron had the talent, I did not. When he left a small town in 1971 to pursue his dreams of major league glory, many thought he would be the next Mickey Mantle, the next great one from the state of Oklahoma. The story of Ron ending up on Death Row and almost being executed for a murder he did not commit was simply too good to pass up.
Q: How did you go about your research?
A: I started with his family. Ron is survived by two sisters who took care of him for most of his life. They gave me complete access to the family records, photographs, Ron's mental health records, and so on. There was also a truckload of trial transcripts, depositions, appeals, etc., that took about 18 months to organize and review. Many of the characters in the story are still alive and I traveled to Oklahoma countless times to interview them.
Q: Did your training as a lawyer help you?
A: Very much so. It enabled me to understand the legal issues involved in Ron's trial and his appeals. It also allowed me, as it always does, to be able to speak the language with lawyers and judges.
Q: Throughout your book you mention, The Dreams of Ada: A True Story of Murder, Obsession, and a Small Town. How did you come across that book, and how did it impact your writing The Innocent Man?
A: Several of the people in Oklahoma I met mentioned The Dreams of Ada to me, and I read it early on in the process. It is an astounding book, a great example of true crime writing, and I relied upon it heavily during my research. Robert Mayer, the author, was completely cooperative, and kept meticulous notes from his research 20 years earlier. Many of the same characters are involved in his story and mine.
Q: You take on some pretty controversial and heated topics in your book--the death penalty, prisoner's rights, DNA analysis, police conduct, and more--were any of your own beliefs challenged by this story and its outcome?
A: None were challenged, but my eyes were open to the world of wrongful convictions. Even as a former criminal defense attorney, I had never spent much time worrying about wrongful convictions. But, unfortunately, they happen all the time in this country, and with increasing frequency.
Q: So many of the key players in this case are either still in office or practicing attorneys. Many family members and friends still live in the same small town. How do you think The Innocent Man will impact this community and other small rural towns as they struggle with the realities of the justice system?
A: Exonerations seem to be happening weekly. And with each one of them, the question is asked--how can an innocent man be convicted and kept in prison for 20 years? My book is the story of only one man, but it is a good example of how things can go terribly wrong with our judicial system. I have no idea how the book will be received in the small town of Ada, Oklahoma, or any other town.
Q: What do you hope your readers will take away from The Innocent Man?
A: A better understanding of how innocent people can be convicted, and a greater concern for the need to reimburse and rehabilitate innocent men after they have been released.
Book Description
John Grisham’s first work of nonfiction, an exploration of small town justice gone terribly awry, is his most extraordinary legal thriller yet.
In the major league draft of 1971, the first player chosen from the State of Oklahoma was Ron Williamson. When he signed with the Oakland A’s, he said goodbye to his hometown of Ada and left to pursue his dreams of big league glory.
Six years later he was back, his dreams broken by a bad arm and bad habits—drinking, drugs, and women. He began to show signs of mental illness. Unable to keep a job, he moved in with his mother and slept twenty hours a day on her sofa.
In 1982, a 21-year-old cocktail waitress in Ada named Debra Sue Carter was raped and murdered, and for five years the police could not solve the crime. For reasons that were never clear, they suspected Ron Williamson and his friend Dennis Fritz. The two were finally arrested in 1987 and charged with capital murder.
With no physical evidence, the prosecution’s case was built on junk science and the testimony of jailhouse snitches and convicts. Dennis Fritz was found guilty and given a life sentence. Ron Williamson was sent to death row.
If you believe that in America you are innocent until proven guilty, this book will shock you. If you believe in the death penalty, this book will disturb you. If you believe the criminal justice system is fair, this book will infuriate you.
Customer Reviews:
Unbelievable In This Day and Age.......2007-09-30
I read this book thinking it had to be another Grisham work of fiction because if the story were true, America is in trouble.
This story is riveting, fast-paced and shows how truly horrible our justice system can be for those who can't afford a "Johnny Cochran".
I couldn't put this book down. The more you read the more you can't believe it really happened. Thank goodness for the pictures of the people in this story, it really brought home the fact that it's a true story.
Excellent job by Mr. Grisham.
Real Life Horror.......2007-09-29
"The Innocent Man" is a chronicle of Ron Williamson (former minor league baseball star), his life and ordeal as he was wrongly accused of murder and sentenced to death row as a result. He was forced to suffer this horror for 11 years until finally the system began to work for him, but only through the diligence and persistence of attorneys assigned to him years later, Mark Barrett and Barry Scheck, his loving mother and persistent sisters, in particular, his sister Annette. The cruelties and disrespect by the officers and District Attorney Bill Peterson that were inflected on him were horrifying. The shabby police work and "junk science," as well as the district attorney's expert witnesses (a majority of them picked from men and women serving time for horrendous crimes themselves) and brought to the stand to testify against Ron, was not only incomprehensible in itself but the fact that the Judge allowed their testimony to stand and control a man's life sentence is abominable. Ron's hometown of Ada, Oklahoma completely turned on him and he was proven guilty without a shred of hard evidence as was his friend, a respected 7th grade Science teacher, Dennis Fritz, merely by association. The book goes on to tell Ron's sad story as only it can be told by such an esteemed author/attorney as John Grisham. I would highly recommend everyone read this true story; it is a real eye opener as to how our justice system can go astray with the wrong people serving in our trusted government positions.
No good ending here.......2007-09-27
I seldom read Grisham but found his first non-fiction work hard to put down. The story of Ron Williamson has no happy ending. Not for Ron nor the young woman who was so brutually murdered.
Grisham does an excellent job of drawing us into the story. If you have never experienced justice (or lack of) in a small town you need to read this book. Had Ron lived in New York City or even Dallas he may have gone unnoticed wandering the streets and babbling like a mad man. But not in Ada, OK.
Lack of remorse in Oklahoma.......2007-09-26
This story had a tremendous impact on me. I support the death penalty but was abhorred to see how flippantly it was applied in Ada Oklahoma. Read this book first and then log onto District Attorney Peterson's web site to read his defense of his actions that were the subject of the book. The first thing he displays on his website is the American flag. Then he has a lengthy and tedious defense of all the minor points in Grisham's novel. He provides statistics on the probability of innocent people being convicted of felonies as if this is excuses him for almost sending an innocent person to his death. Peterson tries to blow off Grisham as an anti-death penalty advocate. I truly fear for the soul of Mr. Peterson and the good people of Ada Oklahoma - a bit of remorse and repentance for what they almost did to an innocent man would help them when they meet their Maker. Hiding behind the American flag might help now but certainly not later!
Had it been a work of fiction I would have given it 1 star..........2007-09-18
... but it's not. It only looks like fiction in bad taste. Instead, this truly happened as described.
I'm not summarizing the story as the editorial reviews and most reviewers before me are quite descriptive.
May I just say that I think that every judicial system has its share of faults and flaws, but what's revealed in this book is simply astonishing and unbelievable from beginning to end. I can only hope that it rattles a few consciences whilst increasing awareness to prevent disastrous consequences for those involved.
As it always happens when I read J. Grisham's books, I've appreciated and enjoyed the clear and well structured narrative, even more so on this occasion. Being a real-life story, I'm sure it must have been quite a task to extrapolate all the relevant facts from all the interviews and paperwork generated by this case during the years, in order to present them clearly to the readers.
Unless you already know the epilogue, try not to peek at the photographs published right in the middle of the book. Some are quite revealing for the yet-to-be-read rest of the story. They don't actually "spoil everything" -in fact, whatever unfolded after turning those pages kept me on the alert and as incredulous as ever- but I still think it would have been preferable to print them at the very end of the book.
A part from that, "The Innocent Man" is highly recommendable.
Amazon.com
"Until one morning in mid-November of 1959, few Americans--in fact, few Kansans--had ever heard of Holcomb. Like the waters of the river, like the motorists on the highway, and like the yellow trains streaking down the Santa Fe tracks, drama, in the shape of exceptional happenings, had never stopped there." If all Truman Capote did was invent a new genre--journalism written with the language and structure of literature--this "nonfiction novel" about the brutal slaying of the Clutter family by two would-be robbers would be remembered as a trail-blazing experiment that has influenced countless writers. But Capote achieved more than that. He wrote a true masterpiece of creative nonfiction. The images of this tale continue to resonate in our minds: 16-year-old Nancy Clutter teaching a friend how to bake a cherry pie, Dick Hickock's black '49 Chevrolet sedan, Perry Smith's Gibson guitar and his dreams of gold in a tropical paradise--the blood on the walls and the final "thud-snap" of the rope-broken necks.
Book Description
On November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, four members of the Clutter family were savagely murdered by blasts from a shotgun held a few inches from their faces. There was no apparent motive for the crime, and there were almost no clues.
As Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, he generates both mesmerizing suspense and astonishing empathy.
In Cold Blood is a work that transcends its moment, yielding poignant insights into the nature of American violence.
Download Description
With the publication of this book, Capote permanently ripped through the barrier separating crime reportage from serious literature. As he reconstructs the 1959 murder of a Kansas farm family and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, Capote generates suspense and empathy.
Customer Reviews:
Read the book before the movie!.......2007-10-05
This was a wonderful book, but I made the mistake of seeing the movie and then I had a biased. I enjoyed this.
Capote's Masterpiece Is Full Of Thrills, Suspense, And Incredible Prose.......2007-09-24
When Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" was published in 1966, it became an international bestseller and was lauded by the critics. Now, over forty years later, "In Cold Blood" remains the crowning achievemt of Capote's career as a writer. Capote's skill as a journalist and natural talent as a writer combine to create the definitive American true crime book. Whether you prefer nonfiction or fiction, Capote's true account of mass murder and it's consequences is sure to please!
As Good as it Gets.......2007-09-19
In Cold Blood is incredibly well written. Unlike many of his short stories, the prose is clean and not overly adorned. Without moralizing, he simply tells the story of one of the most random and nonsensical murders of his time. In my opinion, Capote wrote one great book, and this is it.
A compelling read.......2007-08-23
Because I practice criminal law, I walk around in a world with stories like this one everyday. So I didn't really see the big deal until I finished reading Capote's In Cold Blood. Capote makes a nonfiction account read like fiction. That may not sound like much, but it impressed the hell out of me. Usually nonfiction has a dull feel to it. It just doesn't pop like fiction does. But Capote is able to cut right through that and make this story every bit as compelling as fiction without giving it a corny, Court-TV "true-crime" feel.
I don't get it.......2007-08-21
I'm disappointed- period. I truly feel as though the middle 200 pages could've been removed from this book and I would not have missed out on any importance, nor would I have noticed. I personally did not get much value out of this book. I wish I could have had a different experience.
I feel I have been forced to seek out reviews that explain some deep-seeded theme that was completely fabricated by some "scholarly" reviewer, which the author never initially intended. Maybe that would satisfy me.
Average customer rating:
- Very interesting
- Amazing
- discover your darker side
- So fantastic a tale, you won't believe it's true
- Two Stories in One
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The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America
Erik Larson
Manufacturer: Vintage
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0375725601
Release Date: 2004-02-10 |
Amazon.com
Author Erik Larson imbues the incredible events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with such drama that readers may find themselves checking the book's categorization to be sure that The Devil in the White City is not, in fact, a highly imaginative novel. Larson tells the stories of two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for the fair's construction, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor. Burnham's challenge was immense. In a short period of time, he was forced to overcome the death of his partner and numerous other obstacles to construct the famous "White City" around which the fair was built. His efforts to complete the project, and the fair's incredible success, are skillfully related along with entertaining appearances by such notables as Buffalo Bill Cody, Susan B. Anthony, and Thomas Edison. The activities of the sinister Dr. Holmes, who is believed to be responsible for scores of murders around the time of the fair, are equally remarkable. He devised and erected the World's Fair Hotel, complete with crematorium and gas chamber, near the fairgrounds and used the event as well as his own charismatic personality to lure victims. Combining the stories of an architect and a killer in one book, mostly in alternating chapters, seems like an odd choice but it works. The magical appeal and horrifying dark side of 19th-century Chicago are both revealed through Larson's skillful writing. --John Moe
Book Description
Bringing Chicago circa 1893 to vivid life, Erik Larson's spellbinding bestseller intertwines the true tale of two men--the brilliant architect behind the legendary 1893 World's Fair, striving to secure America’s place in the world; and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. Combining meticulous research with nail-biting storytelling, Erik Larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonder of newly discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction.
Download Description
In The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson, author of Isaac's Storm, tells the spellbinding true story of two men, an architect and a serial killer, whose fates were linked by the greatest fair in American history: the Chicago World's Fair of 1893, nicknamed "The White City."
Two men, each handsome and unusually adept at his chosen work, embodied an element of the great dynamic that characterized America's rush toward the twentieth century.
The architect was Daniel Hudson Burnham, the fair's brilliant director of works and the builder of many of the country's most important structures, including the Flatiron Building in New York and Union Station in Washington, D.C.
The murderer was Henry H. Holmes, a young doctor who, in a malign parody of the White City, built his "World's Fair Hotel" just west of the fairgrounds -- a torture palace complete with dissection table, gas chamber, and 3,000-degree crematorium.
Burnham overcame tremendous obstacles and tragedies as he organized the talents of Frederick Law Olmsted, Charles McKim, Louis Sullivan, and others to transform swampy Jackson Park into the White City, while Holmes used the attraction of the great fair and his own satanic charms to lure scores of young women to their deaths. What makes the story all the more chilling is that Holmes really lived, walking the grounds of that dream city by the lake.
The Devil in the White City draws the reader into a time of magic and majesty, made all the more appealing by a supporting cast of real-life characters, including Buffalo Bill, Theodore Dreiser, Susan B. Anthony, Thomas Edison, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, and others. In this book, the smoke, romance and mystery of the Gilded Age come alive as never before.
Erik Larson's gifts as a storyteller are magnificently displayed in this rich narrative of the master builder, the killer, and the great fair that obsessed them both.
"Engrossing... exceedingly well documented... utterly fascinating."
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
"A dynamic, enveloping book.... Relentlessly fuses history and entertainment to give this nonfiction book the dramtic effect of a novel.... It doesn't hurt that this truth is stranger than fiction."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
"So good, you find yourself asking how you could not know this already."
ESQUIRE
"Another successful exploration of American history.... Larson skillfully balances the grisly details with the far-reaching implications of the World's Fair."
USA TODAY
"As absorbing a piece of popular history as one will ever hope to find."
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
"Paints a dazzling picture of the Gilded Age and prefigure the American century to come."
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
"A wonderfully unexpected book... Larson is a historian... with a novelist's soul."
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
Customer Reviews:
Very interesting.......2007-10-01
The book goes into more detail than what I care for, but it is very very interesting in everything you learn about American History
Amazing.......2007-09-29
Belonging to a book club for several years, we all agreed this book rated as one of our top ten books. Not only was it historically accurate but it was written in a style that captivated the reader with a serial killer on the loose and a race against time to accomplish an almost impossible feat. A book to be read and reread.
discover your darker side.......2007-09-26
i read the book in less than a week - fascinating descriptions, great narrative, etc! this book is beyond fiction..
i especially enjoyed the description of chicago at the height of the "gilded age" and the workings of burnham, olmstead and others involved in the design/architecture and execution of the "white city" - i can't imagine anything of this scale happening in the current social and economic environments and its a pleasure to read about it
but more than anything, i looked forward to the holmes ("the devil") chapters. i'm not much of a rubber-necker, and this book provided me a first-hand experience in fascination-by-destruction. wow!!
So fantastic a tale, you won't believe it's true.......2007-09-24
Chicago, 1893: One of the best and worst years of the city's existence. On the one hand, it was the year of the World's Fair, when Chicago proved its worth to the world, and American culture was changed forever; on the other hand, it was the year of Dr. H. H. Holmes, a charmingly handsome young man who turned out to be one of the country's most sadistic serial killers. Larson tells the tales of Daniel Burnham, the architect behind the construction of the Fair, and Holmes, the evil mastermind who used the fair to satisfy his bloodlust. These two men, who never met, were intricately linked, and their story reads like the best of suspense fiction.
Larson's research is meticulous; his insight into a psychopathic mind is downright chilling. For most of the book he alternates chapters--here, Burnham; there, Holmes; and back and forth. He slips interesting facts into the mix, in just the right proportions to keep readers amused (who knew shredded wheat would stand the test of time?), while in other places hitting you with gut-wrenching facts that will encourage you to do further research on your own. Why Holmes isn't as well known as Dahmer or Bundy, we may never know; and why Burnham is oft-forgotten, while Frank Lloyd Wright (who, yes, has ties to the Fair) is a household name, remains a puzzling mystery. But thankfully, Erik Larson remembered, and wrote this engrossing, fact-drenched thriller about it. This is a tale so amazing, it'll have you doubting its veracity. But, have no fear--or, yes, be very afraid--this is a true story of human triumph, evil, and the forceful will that we call "humanity."
Two Stories in One.......2007-09-21
Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson, tells the incredible story of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago: the fight to hold it in Chicago; the drive to out-do the previous French-held World's Fair; the desire to garner world admiration and respect not only for the U.S., but specifically for Chicago; the personalities involved in the planning, design and execution of this monumental feat. It also told of Herman Webster Mudgett, an especially prolific serial killer who preyed on the scores of women (and others) who came to Chicago during this time for work, excitement and independence. I take it this is the "devil" in the title, but that "devil" could also refer to the Fair itself and its genesis, i.e., the devil is in the details.
I really enjoyed this book because it enlightened me about an event and an era about which I knew very little. The story of the Fair, this amazing idea-made-reality, was, especially when time was short and things didn't look too promising for a successful opening, an act of sheer will and of sterling minds over matter to make it happen. The book was also about this horrendous sociopath who took advantage of the environment of the times and of the Fair, to satisfy his diabolical urges. I found this aspect of the story compelling as well...but thought they were two distinct stories which would have been better told as separate, i.e., in different books. Minor matter - it's very much worth the read. And I now know the origin of the Ferris Wheel.
Book Description
A true story of love, murder, and the end of the world’s “great hush”
In Thunderstruck, Erik Larson tells the interwoven stories of two men—Hawley Crippen, a very unlikely murderer, and Guglielmo Marconi, the obsessive creator of a seemingly supernatural means of communication—whose lives intersect during one of the greatest criminal chases of all time.
Set in Edwardian London and on the stormy coasts of Cornwall, Cape Cod, and Nova Scotia, Thunderstruck evokes the dynamism of those years when great shipping companies competed to build the biggest, fastest ocean liners, scientific advances dazzled the public with visions of a world transformed, and the rich outdid one another with ostentatious displays of wealth. Against this background, Marconi races against incredible odds and relentless skepticism to perfect his invention: the wireless, a prime catalyst for the emergence of the world we know today. Meanwhile, Crippen, “the kindest of men,” nearly commits the perfect crime.
With his superb narrative skills, Erik Larson guides these parallel narratives toward a relentlessly suspenseful meeting on the waters of the North Atlantic. Along the way, he tells of a sad and tragic love affair that was described on the front pages of newspapers around the world, a chief inspector who found himself strangely sympathetic to the killer and his lover, and a driven and compelling inventor who transformed the way we communicate. Thunderstruck presents a vibrant portrait of an era of séances, science, and fog, inhabited by inventors, magicians, and Scotland Yard detectives, all presided over by the amiable and fun-loving Edward VII as the world slid inevitably toward the first great war of the twentieth century. Gripping from the first page, and rich with fascinating detail about the time, the people, and the new inventions that connect and divide us, Thunderstruck is splendid narrative history from a master of the form.
Customer Reviews:
Quite good, but I hope Larson doesn't get too formulaic........2007-10-01
No doubt about it, Thunderstruck is a good book. Erik Larson introduces you to Marconi, the Italian tinkerer/entrepreneur who took the budding technology of wireless and turned it into a commercially viable endeavor. It's a good story; Marconi has bitter and active rivals in the scientific and business communities, he has his own white whale (sending a signal all the way across the Atlantic Ocean) and he has trouble with normal human relations which makes for some engaging misadventures on the personal front. Not only is the story interesting and fun to read, it's also well-researched and well-written and you learn some history along the way with absolutely no pain. So far, so good.
Then, Larson introduces you to a kindly American doctor who marries a woman who is an unkind, duplicitous user of people. He takes you on a journey through their troubled relationship which eventually carries them to London where both seem to have inappropriate extra-marital relationships while trying to keep up appearances in public of a solid marriage. Things continue along until one night the wife pushes the timid doctor just a little too far and... you'll have to read the book.
Not a bad story either, and the two stories eventually come together as they always do in Larson's books, which brings me to a concern: I hope Larson doesn't limit himself to a single formula where a crime story and a more traditional historic tale come together in the end. It's not that it's a bad idea, it's just starting to feel forced in this book, especially after Devil in the White City. Larson is a very strong researcher and a great writer and story-teller. He could easily do a more traditional history book and make it come alive without the help of a crime tale.
Still highly recommended, just hoping Larson's next book doesn't feel compelled to be just like its two fore bearers.
Not up to Par..........2007-08-18
Larson is going down hill. Isaac's Storm was fabulous... his other titles pale in comparison.
The Roll of Disparate Thunder.......2007-08-17
THUNDERSTRUCK is a splendid work of non-fiction that engages the reader as well as any novel. The author deftly combines the stories of two disparate lives -- Gugliemo Marconi, inventor of the wireless, and Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen, milquetoast doctor, husband, and murderer. The latter would become the first criminal tracked and captured with the assistance of wireless communication.
Erik Larsen, whose DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY engaging recounts murder in Chicago at the time of the 1893 World's Fair, this time turns his attention to the late 1890s and 1900s in London. He possesses a singular gift for both storytelling and for weaving plotlines to a thrilling climax. Both stories are engaging in their own right; together, they are retold in a strikingly refreshing way. Highly recommended.
My first (but not my last) work by Eric Larsen.......2007-08-09
In "Thunderstruck," the author Eric Larsen intertwines a "standard" history -- Marconi's commercialization of wireless telegraphy -- with a lurid one -- the mystery of the life of Dr. Hawley Crippen and mysterious disappearance of his opera wannabee wife, Belle Elmore. Larsen bounces back and forth between the two tales, which overlap loosely in time. Marconi's story takes place mostly between 1895 (the year of his first demonstration of wireless communication at significant distances) and 1910. The Crippen story focuses mostly on the years preceding the critical year of 1910. Nevertheless, both stories are on a collision course, and the final denouement involves telegraphy and the way it resolved one important facet of the Crippen/Elmore case.
"Thunderstruck" is *not* historical fiction. Both stories are taken painstakingly from the newspapers, diaries, public files and other records of the day. This was a quite a relief to me, since I have a distrust of "histories" that have more than a little of the authors' reconstructions of important events. In this book, you will learn about the British cultural biases that made Marconi's work difficult, as well as of Marconi's own obsessive, secretive, anti-social and egoistical temperament that more than once nearly derailed his venture. You'll be taken to Poldhu Station in Wales and to the North American stations on windswept Cape Cod and isolated, frigid Newfoundland. You'll accompany Marconi and his crew as they toil for months to set up the absurdly overpowered equipment that sent (or did it?) the series of dits that demonstrated Marconi's ability to send signals across the Atlantic. You'll experience the first breaking of "The Great Hush" and the greater loneliness that enveloped the world prior to the advent of long-range telegraphy and radio. You'll also thrill to the intimate details of the lives of mousy Dr. Crippen, his diva of a wife and their circle of theatrical friends. You'll learn a bit about homeopathy and allopathy, and learn how these "sciences" used lethal substances to treat disease. Throw in a few inspectors from Scotland Yard, a wily and discreet sea captain, pompous British scientists, an abandoned wife and a pre-WWI German spy, and you have the making of a fascinating reading experience.
"Thunderstruck" is fast-paced, informative and thrilling. By placing these two stories together, Larsen made both more interesting than they would have been alone. Bravo!
A word to those with weak stomachs: sections of the book are quite gory!
Interesting read, but not gripping.......2007-07-23
I read this book just after having finished Devil in the White City. I guess I may have expected the same gripping suspense from this novel as the other, but alas, it was not to be. The murder is but a side note in the book, used only to show the importance of Marconi's discovery in the end. And although I am interested in science, I admit that when I read a work of historical fiction I don't want to be drug through every painful machination on the way to discovery.
It just didn't grip me and that was a disapointment.
Amazon.com
In 1984, Ron and Dan Lafferty murdered the wife and infant daughter of their younger brother Allen. The crimes were noteworthy not merely for their brutality but for the brothers' claim that they were acting on direct orders from God. In Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer tells the story of the killers and their crime but also explores the shadowy world of Mormon fundamentalism from which the two emerged. The Mormon Church was founded, in part, on the idea that true believers could speak directly with God. But while the mainstream church attempted to be more palatable to the general public by rejecting the controversial tenet of polygamy, fundamentalist splinter groups saw this as apostasy and took to the hills to live what they believed to be a righteous life. When their beliefs are challenged or their patriarchal, cult-like order defied, these still-active groups, according to Krakauer, are capable of fighting back with tremendous violence. While Krakauer's research into the history of the church is admirably extensive, the real power of the book comes from present-day information, notably jailhouse interviews with Dan Lafferty. Far from being the brooding maniac one might expect, Lafferty is chillingly coherent, still insisting that his motive was merely to obey God's command. Krakauer's accounts of the actual murders are graphic and disturbing, but such detail makes the brothers' claim of divine instruction all the more horrifying. In an age where Westerners have trouble comprehending what drives Islamic fundamentalists to kill, Jon Krakauer advises us to look within America's own borders. --John Moe
Book Description
Jon Krakauer’s literary reputation rests on insightful chronicles of lives conducted at the outer limits. He now shifts his focus from extremes of physical adventure to extremes of religious belief within our own borders, taking readers inside isolated American communities where some 40,000 Mormon Fundamentalists still practice polygamy. Defying both civil authorities and the Mormon establishment in Salt Lake City, the renegade leaders of these Taliban-like theocracies are zealots who answer only to God.
At the core of Krakauer’s book are brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a commandment from God to kill a blameless woman and her baby girl. Beginning with a meticulously researched account of this appalling double murder, Krakauer constructs a multi-layered, bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, polygamy, savage violence, and unyielding faith. Along the way he uncovers a shadowy offshoot of America’s fastest growing religion, and raises provocative questions about the nature of religious belief.
Download Description
JON KRAKAUER is the author of Eiger Dreams, Into the Wild, and Into Thin Air, and is editor of the Modern Library Exploration series.
Customer Reviews:
Scary, horrifying, True Crime being lived out every day!.......2007-10-03
I was sickened by what I learned in this book.
Interesting that these groups of FLDS take so much money from the government that they destest. That is tax money we pay in that is given to them to let them live that illegal and immoral lifestyle.
I have seen religious fundamentalism first hand and I think there is a note of mental illness attached to it in most every case.
Book was very informative. (Couldn't put it down.)
Prepare to be shocked.......2007-10-02
If you are unfamiliar with fundamentalist Mormonism, this book will take you on a journey to places that you will doubt could even exist in 21st-century America. In the style of Jon Krakauer's other writings, the book is engaging, addicting, and disturbing. Of course, the book's outrageous subject matter certainly helps that along.
While the book centers on the true-crime story of the Lafferty murders, Krakauer indulges in some substantial subplots: a detailed history of the Mormon church in the 19th century, as well as an expose of fundamentalist Mormonism. Although Krakauer jumps among these three threads frequently, the book manages to hold together well.
Some Mormons might object to the way Krakauer treats the mainline Mormon church's beginnings, but I think his presentation is balanced. Also, I tremendously respect Krakauer for closing his book with a short, but honest, statement of his own world view.
Another Fine Work by Jon Krakauer.......2007-09-22
Highly recommended! Another excellent work by Krakauer. I imagine most of those who rate this work poorly, one or two stars, are more than likely Mormons or fundementalists. Just as any church, religion, corporation, government entity etc. doesn't like it's dirty laundry aired for all to see or have it's hypocrisy revealed, neither does the Church of Latter Day Saints & it's adherents. Unfortunately, you can never get to the truth of the matter if you deny that anything is wrong or that there is a problem. The Catholic Church hid it's problems with homosexuality & pedophilia for decades & forcefully denied there existence, Sadly, we now know it was & is all true. Well written, insightful, informative & a hell of a good read. If you enjoyed Everest Dreams, Into The Wild or Into Thin Air, then you should enjoy this excellent work!
Fascinating review of Mormonism.......2007-09-21
Extremely well written and especially relevant since Mr. Romney is running for President - not that he is a fundamentalist. The history of the Mormon church is most interesting and the current beliefs and practices of the fundamentalists are frightening.
A Unique take on Life!.......2007-09-21
The writer of this book takes down all the barriers to the real life experiences known by those who have experienced first hand the challenges of life under the influnce of others.
Book Description
Despite the fact that Juarez is a Mexican border city just across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas, most Americans are unaware that for more than twelve years this city has been the center of an epidemic of horrific crimes against women and girls, consisting of kidnappings, rape, mutilation, and murder, with most of the victims conforming to a specific profile: young, slender, and poor, fueling the premise that the murders are not random.
Indeed, there has been much speculation that the killer or killers are American citizens. While some leading members of the American media have reported on the situation, prompting the U.S. government to send in top criminal profilers from the FBI, little real information about this international atrocity has emerged. According to Amnesty International, as of 2006 more than 400 bodies have been recovered, with hundreds still missing.
As for who is behind the murders themselves, the answer remains unknown, although many have argued that the killings have become a sort of blood sport, due to the lawlessness of the city itself. Among the theories being considered are illegal trafficking in human organs, ritualistic satanic sacrifices, copycat killers, and a conspiracy between members of the powerful Juárez drug cartel and some corrupt Mexican officials who have turned a blind eye to the felonies, all the while lining their pockets with money drenched in blood.
Despite numerous arrests over the last ten years, the murders continue to occur, with the killers growing bolder, dumping bodies in the city itself rather than on the outskirts of town, as was initially the case, indicating a possible growing and most alarming alliance of silence and cover-up by Mexican politicians.
The Daughters of Juárez promises to be the first eye-opening, authoritative nonfiction work of its kind to examine the brutal killings and draw attention to these atrocities on the border. The end result will shock readers and become required reading on the subject for years to come.
Customer Reviews:
Daughters of Juarez.......2007-10-03
Daughters of Juarez is a disturbing story, but it is a true account of the unsolved mysteries of these young women's lost lives. It is an insight into the poverty and injustice that occurs daily in this border town and surrounding areas.
Compelling story, purple prose delivery.......2007-09-09
I would have to agree with the previous reviewer who said that the story was compelling and important, but the overlong purple prose descriptions of what the families went through and the overly dramatic descriptions of the situations, with speculations on what everyone was thinking mar an important and compelling book.
Some straight crime reporting, an analysis of the facts and maybe some more social analysis (for instance, how do the drug culture, the male dominated hispanic culture, the pervasive corruption of the border towns, etc. contribute to this holocaust against women) would have helped a lot.
Still, there is not much written about this problem, which if it were happening here or in any first world country, would be page one news everyday, so the book is valuable.
So, good subject and investigative reporting marred by overly dramatic writing.
I would recommend it, you can skip over the long emotional descriptions of background, thoughts and other contrived elements.
Daughters of Juarez.......2007-08-26
I live in El Paso and have followed much of this in the newspaper including the two Bus drivers, The FBI coming to help, etc. Now I know it was all lies.
Mexico has been called the most corrupt nation on earth and I've heard the stories and now I see it in action. I have too many chilling stories direct from American victims of the Juarez Police to share here.
This corruption has spread to El Paso with corruption in the Border Patrol, the government, the police and I'm not just saying this, I've talked to people and have examples both from the Newspaper and people in the know. The FBI has been conducting an investigation into the El Paso government for several months and people are going to jail. Halleluiah!
Personally I've been afraid to go across the Border for years based on these stories and now I'll be spreading the word. Do not go into Mexico!
This book hits hard with details that would make a strong man cry. The horrible end to young lives, the Police laughing at parents asking for help and the intimidating of helpless mothers who might "know too much", the framing of innocents, The corruption of "investigations" run by incompetents.
This book is an indictment, a denunciation of a government and society gone terribly wrong. Bribes are necessary just to get your TV cable hooked up and this pattern of behavior climbs to the very top.
I hope this book helps but in a society that accepts incompetence and corruption as a given I have my doubts. If Mexico is to change it must come from the bottom and it is so instilled in the poverty stricken common people to not make waves how can we expect them to effectively rise up. But enough publicity might send the rats scurrying, we need more books and TV exposes like this.
Compelling read, but with reservations.......2007-08-09
The Daughters of Juarez, by Teresa Rodriguez (with Diana Montané and Lisa Pulitzer), chronicles a series of horrific murders of young women (and teens) in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, over the last fourteen years, the law enforcement/governmental response to them, and the myriad theories as to the perpetrator(s). Over this period, a good part of 400 poor women were raped, tortured and killed, then dumped in desert areas and vacant lots around the city. The book details a rich tapestry of police and governmental brutality, corruption, blatant sexual discrimination, disregard for public safety, and just plain incompetence.
Although many suspects have been charged and held, it is doubtful that any of the murders can ever be considered legitimately solved because of this pervasive and persistent institutional dysfunction. In fact, one can say that this is a glaring example of how not to run a criminal justice system. It's heartbreaking to consider that the families of these slain women will never see justice done. Additionally, it must have been so frustrating for those in law enforcement and government who made efforts to run effective investigations, only to be stymied at every turn by the very system they should have been able to trust, forced out of their jobs because they wouldn't falsify results or analyses, or even physically threatened.
Daughters is definitely a compelling, true tale and Rodriguez does a service to those affected by these horrors by airing them for everyone to examine. The book, however, suffers from a lack of organization: Rodriguez bounces around dates, people and events so much so that it's hard to keep them all straight. Also, she makes a point of maudlin over-description of the women and their families so as to make them more sympathetic. This in my mind is unnecessary; most people will find the thought of someone (not to mention hundreds) being subjected to the extreme violence that these women experienced and the grief (on multiple levels) that their loved ones were forced to endure to be inconceivably horrible - no matter who the reader is. I also think Rodriguez could have used some citations to support what must have been years of research and investigation. In the end, I would recommend this book as a real eye-opener, but with these reservations.
Thrilling Read.......2007-08-05
I stumbled onto The Daughter's of Juarez after having a discussion on the term femicide (the act of killing a woman is a more generic term but this term is often applied to specific mass killings of women). In Juarez, Mexico women from all social classes and with distinctly different family ties have been going missing. Now and then bodies (and the occasional mass grave) of women that have been sexually abused and mutilated show up. The Daughter's of Juarez explores the lives of these missing women, the media blips that have occurred as a result, the political turmoil caused over these cases, as well as the possible answers to what has happened to so many women. After reading about this I was horrified by what had happened and because I had never heard of anything about this prior to the reading. A thrilling and exploratory read of the lives of women in Juarez, Mexico as well as a look at the relations between the U.S. and its border neighbor.
Amazon.com
"SHE WAS YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL BUT NOW SHE IS BATTERED AND DEAD. SHE IS NOT THE FIRST AND SHE WILL NOT BE THE LAST." Few cases in the history of true crime are as colorful and intriguing as that of Zodiac, the bizarre gunman in an executioner's hood who hunted the streets of San Francisco in the late 1960s and sent dozens of taunting letters to the police. Robert Graysmith provides ample details about the police investigation, including the full text and photos of most of the letters. Zodiac is an excellent starting point not only for the casual reader, but also for those interested in retracing the author's steps in order to pursue their own ideas about who the killer may have been. This book has been praised by the San Francisco Chronicle, the very paper in which the Zodiac's eerie messages and cryptograms were published: "Graysmith's taut narrative brings the horror back with jolt upon jolt."
Book Description
Who was Zodiac? A serial killer who claimed 37 dead. A sexual sadist who taunted police with anonymous notes. A madman who was never apprehended. This is the first, complete account of Zodiac's reign of terror. Is he still out there?
Customer Reviews:
Not as good as the movie........2007-06-10
Caught the movie first, and then went to the book after my appetite was wetted. The movie is largely faithful to the book so if you're interested in the story of the Zodiac, I'd watch the film instead. This edition is out of date. The chief suspect in the case died after the printing of this edition and it appears they could be more honest about the guy after he was no longer in a position to sue. A good book, but I recommend the movie. If you want to read the book, get the updated edition.
Elusive.......2007-02-19
Several years ago, I read "Zodiac Unmasked" by Robert Graysmith. The disorganized writing style detracted from my enjoyment of the book. I recently got around to reading Graysmith's original book "Zodiac". While this book is much more professionally written, it only differs from "Zodiac Unmasked" in that "Zodiac" refers to prime suspect Arthur Leigh Allen in the alias Robert Hall Starr. Graysmith still has the same suspect in mind for both books and he has only convinced me that to an 80% degree of certainty that Allen is a viable suspect.
Rather than recount the crimes of the Zodiac in this review, I would recommend using several web sites which might give those interested a concise version of the Zodiac. Many aspects of this story that are not in print are suggested on the web, though truthfulness has to be questioned.
The Zodiac Killer may be the most mysterious and elusive serial killer in American history. The continued question about the killer's identity has left readers looking for answers. This book is a good place to start your search to for an answer that may never be found.
What a waste of time.......2007-02-17
This is a good read if you want to know exactly who the Zodiac is NOT, Graysmith's suspect has been debunked. Not just by people who "didn't like his book", but by fingerprints and DNA evidence. Graysmith will still try to sell you on Starr (aka Allen) as a viable suspect but can not do so with facts. I'm hoping the upcoming movie wont be quite as fictional but it most likely will be.
This is supposed to be a true crime book?!?!?!.......2007-02-03
When this novel first appeared in 1986, everyone assumed the author, Robert Graysmith, had honestly and accurately documented the unsolved case of the Zodiac murders. Nothing can be further from the truth.
I first noticed errors in his work as early as 1993, but assumed they were perhaps typos or he was a little mixed up with directions. I had known since 1991 that "Robert Hall Starr" was none other than Arthur Leigh Allen, the most well-known Zodiac suspect, and I knew he lived at 32 Fresno Street in Vallejo. After reading this novel thinly disguised as a non-fiction true crime book, I assumed, as did everyone else, that Allen lived close to Zodiac victim Darlene Ferrin (pp. 33, 293) and later moved to Santa Rosa (p. 268); since he was in Vallejo in the 1990's, I assumed he moved back. After unsuccessfully trying to locate his place of employment in Santa Rosa (which Graysmith described in detail, pp. 271-272, 277, 281, 305) in late 1994, I started looking at things in Vallejo. It was then that I realized how close 32 Fresno was to 1300 Virginia (where Darlene Ferrin lived, p. 16), and I wondered what the odds were against Allen living close to her in 1969, moving to Santa Rosa and then returning to the same general area in the 1980's or 90's. A little further checking into old directories for Vallejo revealed that Allen had never moved away!
It was then that everything began to unravel for Graysmith. I noticed as I looked back over old newspaper accounts that I had read much of the dialogue before; Graysmith lifted it straight from the newspaper stories without even giving anyone credit! But it didn't end there. His theories never made any sense, such as the infamous "projector theory" (pp. 218-219). He claimed that, after closely studying the April 1978 letter (which was ultimately found to be a forgery), the Zodiac Killer used a projector to trace over the writing of other people, so that, if his own writing was checked by law enforcement, there would be no match. Nice theory, however, how did the Zodiac use the projector to write on the car door of victim Bryan Hartnell (pp. 72, 76-77)? Not only that, if he was so certain in 1978 that the Zodiac was using a projector to disguise his writing, why was he just two years later trying to get samples of Arthur Leigh Allen's handwriting for expert Sherwood Morrill to examine (pp. 281-283), and why did he spend at least four years trying to do so (p. 305)? Graysmith claimed that Allen's writing "was the closest to the Zodiac printing that I had ever seen" (p. 281). If Allen was the Zodiac as Graysmith is trying to make everyone believe, what then was the point of Allen using a projector to disguise his writing when it looked just like the Zodiac's writing anyway?
It's absurdities like this that make this novel a waste of time if you're interested in the truth and the facts of the case, but it is totally entertaining on another level entirely as we watch Graysmith painting himself into corner after corner and sticking his foot in his mouth time and again.
One thing that bears special mention is how and, more importantly, when, Graysmith claims he first heard about Allen. In his 1986 version of the story (p. 260), he says it was on March 2nd, 1980, and he was asking Inspector Dave Toschi if any Zodiac suspects ever wrote to him. Toschi claimed Allen was the only one, and Graysmith details the conversation. In his 2002 followup novel, "Zodiac Unmasked" (pp. 181-182), Graysmith claims this conversation happened sometime after August 31st, 1977 (the day Allen was released from Atascadero) and before January 3rd, 1978; it is apparently early September 1977, and not only are the details of the conversation different than in his original version 16 years prior (though they still revolve around Graysmith inquiring as to whether any suspects ever wrote to Toschi), he now claims the time it happened was two and a half years earlier!
To top things off, we find in the 2007 reissue of "Zodiac" yet a third version of that conversation (p. 346)! In this case, the director of the new movie "Zodiac," David Fincher, is detailing how Graysmith became involved, and it had nothing to do with asking about suspects! The time is just prior to Allen's release from Atascadero, so it is July or August 1977, and Graysmith wants to help with the case so Toschi essentially enlists his aid and tells him to check out Allen in Vallejo!
So, Graysmith details three different versions of the conversation and gives three different dates as to when it allegedly happened, and he was one of the only two people who were there! What gives?
The answer is obvious, and if he can't be truthful about an incident that he himself participated in, then we know precisely what to expect from the rest of this novel. If you want to know the truth, then don't waste your time with this book. If you want to read a scary and entertaining piece of fiction, then this novel is just what you're looking for! Just don't confuse it with reality.
Oh, and I had to give it a one star rating because there are no zero star ratings.
Great!.......2007-01-15
Great book. Good true crime reading. Very detailed, author spent much time researching for his novel.
Amazon.com
John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil has been heralded as a "lyrical work of nonfiction," and the book's extremely graceful prose depictions of some of Savannah, Georgia's most colorful eccentrics--remarkable characters who could have once prospered in a William Faulkner novel or Eudora Welty short story--were certainly a critical factor in its tremendous success. (One resident into whose orbit Berendt fell, the Lady Chablis, went on to become a minor celebrity in her own right.) But equally important was Berendt's depiction of Savannah socialite Jim Williams as he stands trial for the murder of Danny Hansford, a moody, violence-prone hustler--and sometime companion to Williams--characterized by locals as a "walking streak of sex." So feel free to call it a "true crime classic" without a trace of shame.
Book Description
Shots rang out in Savannah's grandest mansion in the misty,early morning hours of May 2, 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares. John Berendt's sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative reads like a thoroughly engrossing novel, and yet it is a work of nonfiction. Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case.
It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman's Card Club; the turbulent young redneck gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the "soul of pampered self-absorption"; the uproariously funny black drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young blacks dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a sublime and seductive reading experience. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city has become a modern classic.
Customer Reviews:
oustanding read.......2007-09-21
This was a very well written and funny historical book. Inspired my recent trip to Savannah Georiga, to actualy visit some of the places described in the book.
Hello Savannah!.......2007-09-18
One of my favorite books. I am one of the few that actually liked the movie as well as the book. The book goes into great detail much more then the movie. The characters are so crazy I actually considered moving to Savannah...seriouly! An excellent read, highly recommended!
Nothing special.......2007-09-03
First, the characters are somewhat interesting in the way that many alcoholic, affluent types are, but the storyline never weaves them together in a way that makes the book itself intersting. Second, the author is trying to strike a balance between 1. historic integrity and theme, 2. his first account experiences, and 3. what might make for an interesting read. I think he relies heavily on his first account experinces at the expense of history and an interesting story. My real motivation for finishing the book was to see if I knew any of the characters - I grew up not far from Savannah.
Non Fiction.......2007-09-03
Truth is stranger than fiction.
The bizarre cast of characters in Savannah, Geporgia, or thereabouts has to be seen to be believed. This is probably why it makes a decent book, as any novelist would have been happy to come up with stuff as whacky as guys walking invisible dogs, and other oddities, as well as having an interesting murder mystery in the middle of it.
Plenty of Evil, but "Good?".......2007-09-03
So, having survived my 10 and 11 year old daughters' recent Girl Scvout trip to Savannah for the pilgrimage to visit the Juliette Low birthplace, the troop leader(one of my best friends)and I decided to revisit the book we read a few years ago for our book group. I didn't really like it much the first time. I enjoy nonfiction, but I've come to since learn this book isn't all "non fiction" anyway. Lots of artistic license taken here!
Savannah is a beautiful old city, very historic and charming. I usually first think of Ellen O'Hara when I think of Savannah, being a big GWTW fan. BUt while on my first trip to Savannah, the Mercer name and Jim Williams' name as well is mentioned over and over on various tours of the city and local cemetaries. You can't help but be reminded of the book, especially if you've read it before your visit. It had been a few years though, so not all the locations/squares of the various famous homes mentioned in the book were very fresh in my mind.
The book itself is a montage of "Life in Savannah." Jim Williams, the "Lady" Chablis, Danny Hansford, Lee Adler, Minerva, Jim Odom and Mandy, Luther Driggers and Serrena Dawes, The Married Ladies' Club and Sonny Seiler are interesting enough characters. My problem with the whole story was really that I didn't like or feel any sympathy with any of these characters. Except maybe Uga. I'm partial to English Bulldogs. But really, there was no plot, except for the killing of Hansford and the subsequent trials of Jim Williams. I found little to laugh at concerning Chablis; in fact I was not a little repulsed by her behavior. I can handle a drag queen, but so ill mannered and ill behaved! I wouldn't want to be aquainted with anyone like that! I didn't really like John Berendt's "character" either. I guess the voyeuristic tone was supposed to be engaging, but I really had a difficult time getting through this book for a second time without falling asleep.
Every city has its characters and intrigues, even small historical ones, like Savannah. If you go, visit Bonaventure Cemetary--it truly is a beautiful and haunting place. Forget about Williams and Hansford and the "Lady" Chablis, though. Don't let their spirits ruin your visit to a lovely historical city. The intrigues that went on in the founding and growth of the city (i.e. the ban on liquor, lawyers and Catholics, the pirates, the Gordon and Low families, literary greats Flannery O'Conner and Conrad Aiken, [who did get cursory mention in the book] the Civil War history as the gift the city became to save itself, etc.) are much more interesting than the Peyton Place soap opera presented in this rather sullying book. Not bad writing, but a little dull, if you ask me. I just wasn't all that interested in these folks and their problems. They seemed to be dedicated to creating them.
Book Description
A never-before-written exposé on catching child predators, from the creator of the powerful NBC Dateline series
Over 40,000,000 Americans have seen Dateline NBC's ongoing “To Catch a Predator” series, with an average of 11 million viewers per episode. So far, the Dateline series has led to the arrest of 183 men and shown that child predators can be anyone—even those most trusted in the community—including rabbis, doctors, and teachers.
In his book To Catch a Predator, Chris Hansen, the creator and on-air correspondent for Dateline's most successful series, looks deeper into the world of child predators. The book expands beyond the Dateline series to include commentary from psychological and criminal experts about the origins and methods of child predators, and includes substantive advice for both parents and children on how to protect kids on the Internet. Hansen also looks at the current methods for treating child predators and interviews several of the men seen on the Dateline show to follow up on their lives since being arrested. To Catch a Predator presents a strong analysis of what some feel is a child predator epidemic and a startling look at the shortcomings of our systems and society.
Customer Reviews:
TO CATCH A PREDATOR.......2007-08-25
I think every person that has a child in their home should read this book. I also think children over 14 years of age should read this book.
Get the Book!!!!!!!!.......2007-08-04
If you have the internet,if you have kids (THIS IS A MUST READ FOR PARENTS!), if you love kids, if you work around kids, if you hate the actions of pedophiles that become sexual predators and feel they should be incarated unitl Jesus comes back, or you think hey should get treatment and that is the best solution, get the freakin book!
It covers all of these issues and all of the operations and catching these sexual predatory dirtbags. ( Ofcourse I'm a "locker upper!")It is a great read, Chris Hansen is well spoken on all issues, and just does a great job with this one! Its full of information and sometimes will make you say "What" and sometimes "HMMMMM." It is probably the best beginners book for reading on the issue of online predators. There are more explicit and problably more scientific ones but this should be on every internet crimes against children bookshelf. GET THE BOOK!!!
Every parents should read this book!.......2007-06-05
This book is written by the host of the popular NBC Dateline series, To Catch a Predator. If you are a parent, you should read this book.
Read this Book..........2007-06-03
if you have children and a computer.
More than just a rundown of the TO CATCH A PREDATOR Dateline NBC series (although it does do that), this book also contains heartbreaking stories of children who have been exploited -- and in some cases murdered -- by predators they met on the Internet.
Chris Hansen does a great job of illustrating the fact that the computer and the Internet, as a whole, are useful tools that even younger children can take advantage of. But his tips and hints for protecting your children from online predators are something that EVERY parent needs to read -- and then share with their kids.
While I tried to avoid scaring my two children (ages 10 and 6), I have sat them down and discussed the dangers that can be found on the Internet. Just as predators in real life don't always look like what they are, I think my kids now understand that people they could meet online aren't necessarily who they claim to be, either.
I highly recommend all parents, especially those of teens and pre-teens, who have a computer pick up a copy of TO CATCH A PREDATOR. You'll be amazed, frightened, and instilled with a sense of urgency when it comes to the protection of your kids.
Catch a Predator.......2007-05-10
I enjoyed the book, it expands on the television series and gives some insight into protecting your children. It is a great tool for anyone that has children and gives some great tips on using the internet and also what to look for if you have a child that uses the internet.
Books:
- The Legacy (Forgotten Realms: The Legend of Drizzt, Book VII)
- The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil
- The Mammoth Book of Sudoku: 400 New Puzzles - The Biggest and Best Collection of Sudoku Ever
- The Memory Doctor: Fun, simple Techniques to Improve Memory & Boost Your Brain Power
- The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero
- The Spirit Stone: The Silver Wyrm, Book Two (The Silver Wyrm)
- The Wild West Companion (Werewolf: The Apocalypse)
- The World's Best Simple Bar Tricks
- Tricky Mindtrap Puzzles: Challenge the Way You Think & See
- Ultimate Baseball Puzzles: Crosswords * Puzzles * Games
Books Index
Books Home
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