The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 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...
The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town
John Grisham
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Legal SystemLegal System | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
PenologyPenology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Murder & MayhemMurder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
True CrimeTrue Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:
  1. Cross Cross
  2. The Collectors The Collectors
  3. For One More Day For One More Day
  4. Echo Park (Harry Bosch) Echo Park (Harry Bosch)
  5. Step on a Crack Step on a Crack

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:

5 out of 5 stars 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.

4 out of 5 stars 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.

4 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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 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!

5 out of 5 stars 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.
Mr. Untouchable: My Crimes and Punishments
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • You Had Me at the Book's Dedication!
  • Mr. Untouchable
  • A Great Read!
  • Cracking book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
  • Mr. Untouchable: THE BIGGEST SNITCH IN AMERICA!!
Mr. Untouchable: My Crimes and Punishments
Leroy "Nicky" Barnes , and Tom Folsom
Manufacturer: Rugged Land
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

African-American & BlackAfrican-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
CriminalsCriminals | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
New YorkNew York | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
Social HistorySocial History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
Organized CrimeOrganized Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Look Inside BiographiesLook Inside Biographies | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside History BooksLook Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Nonfiction BooksLook Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:
  1. Gangsters of Harlem Gangsters of Harlem
  2. Black Brothers, Inc. : The Violent Rise and Fall of the Philadelphia Black Mafia Black Brothers, Inc. : The Violent Rise and Fall of the Philadelphia Black Mafia
  3. Queens Reigns Supreme: Fat Cat, 50 Cent, and the Rise of the Hip Hop Hustler Queens Reigns Supreme: Fat Cat, 50 Cent, and the Rise of the Hip Hop Hustler
  4. The Brotherhoods: The True Story of Two Cops Who Murdered for the Mafia The Brotherhoods: The True Story of Two Cops Who Murdered for the Mafia
  5. Donnie Brasco: Unfinished Business Donnie Brasco: Unfinished Business

ASIN: 159071041X
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Book Description

From inside the Federal Witness Protection Program, the "Black Godfather" chronicles the 1970s New York City underworld and the most devastating urban crime wave in history.

1962 LEROY "NICKY" BARNES walks out of Green Haven State Prison. There are an estimated 153,000 heroin abusers in the United States.

1977 Two million junkies score $100 million worth of Barnes's smack a year. Sporting flashy suits, riding in a Citroën with a Maserati engine and satisfying a wife while pleasuring a harem of mistresses, Barnes presides over a staggering multinational dealership that pushes dope and launders money with the efficiency of a Fortune 500 company. Despite President Nixon's creation of the Drug Enforcement Administration and New York State's adoption of the no tolerance Rockefeller drug laws, Barnes's operation seems impregnable.

How does a small-time hustler and heroin addict end up on the cover of the New York Times Magazine as MR. UNTOUCHABLE, the one gangster the Feds can't touch? And how is the future Mayor of New York City Rudolf Giuliani involved? With Machiavellian pragmatism matched with biblical fury, Barnes lays bare his life's remarkable trajectory--a rise, fall and resurrection defined by brutality, brotherhood and betrayal.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars You Had Me at the Book's Dedication!.......2007-10-04

Mr. Untouchable finally got touched...hard! The book offers a great retelling and details of the life of a druglord and CEO of one of New York's most infamous criminal enterprises. My greatest concern after reading the book and the passing of so many years since Mr. Barnes drug activities is his level of bitterness at others. The only true person to blame is the one who made the decision to enter such a lifestyle. That would be you Mr. Barnes...not Guy Fisher or the other council members, not the government, or even your ex-wife or society. You authored your life's path just like you did this great book.

5 out of 5 stars Mr. Untouchable.......2007-09-17

I enjoyed the book. It was intersting to see how one man was able to organize a huge drug operation but to see it all fall in the end. A good book and a lesson to learn about the drug buisness. Its not all about the glitz and glamour but also the lies and betrayal.

4 out of 5 stars A Great Read!.......2007-08-10

I actually grew up in NYC during the time of the events in this book. I also come from people who ran in the same circles as Barnes. I remember him as a Harlem legend, so it's interesting to read this book and get from the horse's mouth, as it were, the behind the scenes story of his rise and ignomious fall.

This book has a raw style, and apparently very little editing. This is evident in the fact that nobody seemed to tell Barnes that some of the things he admits paint him in EXTREMELY unflattering lights. This is, for me, a large part of the appeal. Much like the African American Experience in the latter decades, it is what it is...and very little is done to hide the facts. Things are kept real.

A VERY interesting read indeed.

4 out of 5 stars Cracking book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!........2007-07-22

I really enjoyed this book, it takes you right in to 'Their world', anyone who is thinking of getting involved in that business should read it, it doesn't matter what level you get to the people around will turn and send you to jail just to save their own life.
Greed takes over and ruin's everything.
A very good book, highly recommended.

4 out of 5 stars Mr. Untouchable: THE BIGGEST SNITCH IN AMERICA!!.......2007-07-11

I REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK AT FIRST HANDS DOWN!! TILL I READ GANSTERS OF HARLEM. I REALLY THOUGHT HE WAS A STAND UP MAN WHO HAD TO JUSTIFY HIS MEANS OF LIVING, BUT I KNEW SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT WHEN HE GOT FREE AFTER HE CHOSE NOT TO CUT A DEAL WITH THE GOVERMENT!!!
WTF!! WOW!!
THIS DUDE DID NOT TELL THE REAL STORY...HE HONESTLY TRY TO GLORIFY HIMSELF AS BEING A STAND UP GUY AND SNITCHED ON HIS WHOLE CREW BECAUSE OF GUY FISHER!! COME ON THAT IS BS....THIS DUDE SNITCHED ON EVERYBODY HE CAME IN TO SITE WITH PEOPLE IN HIS CELL TO BE FREED UP...I'm NOT MAD ABOUT THAT ....BUT PLEASE IF U TELL A STORY TELL THE WHOLE STORY YOU ABOUT 10 CHAPTERS SHORT!!! TELL HOW U BROUGHT THE WHOLE MOB DOWN IN THE FACE OF AMERICA!!!! **PLEASE READ GANGTERS OF HARLEM** VERY GOOD BOOK WITH SEARCHABLE FACTS!! LEROY STAY IN YA HOLE!!!RAT


History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Calculations are only as good as your numbers
  • Pants on fire?
  • Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
  • Very Interesting
  • History as Science Fiction
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ChineseChinese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
IrishIrish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
JapaneseJapanese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
WomenWomen | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Augustine, SaintAugustine, Saint | ( A ) | People, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Doctors & MedicineDoctors & Medicine | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Lawyers & CriminalsLawyers & Criminals | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Love, Sex & MarriageLove, Sex & Marriage | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Assyria, Babylonia & SumerAssyria, Babylonia & Sumer | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books
Early CivilizationEarly Civilization | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books
HistoriographyHistoriography | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | World | History | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Asian American | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Asian AmericanAsian American | Poetry | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
FrenchFrench | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
VictorianVictorian | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
EpicEpic | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
GermanGerman | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
RussianRussian | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
SpanishSpanish | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ChineseChinese | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Conspiracy TheoriesConspiracy Theories | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
War on DrugsWar on Drugs | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
English (All)English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
ArabicArabic | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
ArmenianArmenian | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
CzechCzech | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
GreekGreek | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
HungarianHungarian | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
JapaneseJapanese | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
KoreanKorean | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
NorwegianNorwegian | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
Persian & FarsiPersian & Farsi | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
PolishPolish | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
PortuguesePortuguese | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
RomanianRomanian | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
RussianRussian | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
SwedishSwedish | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
TurkishTurkish | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
ScienceScience | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
Online ResearchOnline Research | Genealogy | Reference | Subjects | Books
Native AmericanNative American | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Science | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books
History of ScienceHistory of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books
Magic & WizardsMagic & Wizards | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Sailor MoonSailor Moon | Popular Characters | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
PilatesPilates | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
HistoryHistory | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Art BooksLook Inside Art Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside BiographiesLook Inside Biographies | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Children's BooksLook Inside Children's Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Entertainment BooksLook Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Health BooksLook Inside Health Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside History BooksLook Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Fiction BooksLook Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Nonfiction BooksLook Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Reference BooksLook Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Religion & Spirituality BooksLook Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Romance BooksLook Inside Romance Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Science BooksLook Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy BooksLook Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:
  1. History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology) History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
  2. History: Fiction or Science? Astronomical methods as applied to chronology. Ptolemy's Almagest. Chronology III History: Fiction or Science? Astronomical methods as applied to chronology. Ptolemy's Almagest. Chronology III
  3. Discovering the Mysteries of Ancient America: Lost History And Legends, Unearthed And Explored Discovering the Mysteries of Ancient America: Lost History And Legends, Unearthed And Explored
  4. Before the Pharaohs: Egypt's Mysterious Prehistory Before the Pharaohs: Egypt's Mysterious Prehistory
  5. They Cast No Shadows: A Collection of Essays on the Illuminati, Revisionist History, and Suppressed Technologies They Cast No Shadows: A Collection of Essays on the Illuminati, Revisionist History, and Suppressed Technologies

ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

5 out of 5 stars Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

5 out of 5 stars Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

5 out of 5 stars Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

4 out of 5 stars History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
Crime and Punishment (Bantam Classics)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Dostoyevsky's Best!
  • Spiffy-fantasticness
  • Page turner par excellence
  • In one word, GREAT
  • Another Philosophical Classic from the D-Man
Crime and Punishment (Bantam Classics)
Fyodor Dostoevsky , and Constance Garnett
Manufacturer: Bantam Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

19th Century19th Century | British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ClassicsClassics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Dostoevsky, FyodorDostoevsky, Fyodor | ( D ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Fiction BooksLook Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
( D )( D ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books | Dickens, Charles | Dumas, Alexandre
ClassicsClassics | General | Literature & Fiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
19th Century19th Century | British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
All 4-for-3 DealsAll 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:
  1. War and Peace (Penguin Classics) War and Peace (Penguin Classics)
  2. The Brothers Karamazov The Brothers Karamazov
  3. Notes From Underground Notes From Underground
  4. The Idiot (Modern Library Classics) The Idiot (Modern Library Classics)
  5. Heart of Darkness (Dover Thrift Editions) Heart of Darkness (Dover Thrift Editions)

ASIN: 0553211757
Release Date: 1996-10-15

Amazon.com

The talented Alex Jennings creates an atmosphere of gripping psychological tension and brings a variety of characters to life in this new audio edition of a crime classic. When the student Raskolnikov puts his philosophical theory to the ultimate test of murder, a tragic tale of suffering and redemption unfolds in the dismal setting of the slums of czarist, prerevolutionary St. Petersburg. While Jennings's adept repertoire of British accents works to demonstrate the varying classes of characters, it occasionally distracts the listener from the Russian setting. However, Dostoyevsky's rendering of 18th-century Russia emerges unscathed, bringing the dark pathos (such as wretched poverty and rampant suffering) to life. (Running time: 315 minutes; 4 cassettes)

Book Description

A desperate young man plans the perfect crime -- the murder of a despicable pawnbroker, an old women no one loves and no one will mourn. Is it not just, he reasons, for a man of genius to commit such a crime, to transgress moral law -- if it will ultimately benefit humanity? So begins one of the greatest novels ever written: a powerful psychological study, a terrifying murder mystery, a fascinating detective thriller infused with philosophical, religious and social commentary. Raskolnikov, an impoverished student living in a garret in the gloomy slums of St. Petersburg, carries out his grotesque scheme and plunges into a hell of persecution, madness and terror. Crime And Punishment takes the reader on a journey into the darkest recesses of the criminal and depraved mind, and exposes the soul of a man possessed by both good and evil ... a man who cannot escape his own conscience.

Download Description

This epic tells the story of Raskolnikov, a student who believes he is superior and entitled. He commits a crime and the book traces his downfall. After being shipped off to Siberia for a prison sentence, Raskolnikov finds suffering to be a means by which the soul is purified of all its sins.

With the help of CliffsNotes you'll understand the overall structure of the work, actions and motivations of the characters, and the social and cultural perspectives of the author.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Dostoyevsky's Best!.......2007-10-02

I liked this slightly better than The Brothers Karamozov which is also one of the best books ever! The book is similar to Poe's, A Tell-Tale Heart in which a man commits a murder that absolutely nobody suspects. What becomes his undoing is only his guilty conscience.

5 out of 5 stars Spiffy-fantasticness.......2007-09-19

I had my doubts when I started this book. One problem I had was that I bought, what I later discovered, a really awful translation. Several times durring the story I felt myself thinking "oh common, lets move this along!" It seemed like yet another book where there is a main plot that deviates into several smaller plots along the way just to "beed up" the story. I wanted to give up. Fortunately, I'm pig headed and I kept with it to the very end, and I'm glad I did. Upon finishing the book I realized just how beatifully written it actually is. It's honestly a work of art. The development of the characters and the graphic descriptions are so fantastic that I really did lose myself in it.

5 out of 5 stars Page turner par excellence.......2007-09-19

I went into this with an open mind. I had heard of the author, of course, but never expected to read anything of his. Someone left a copy lying around. I grabbed it to have something to read while I soaked in a hot bath. The bath turned cold and I was still reading.

I'm not sophisticated enough to expound on the deeper meaning or the underlying philosophy. For me the book was simply a highly entertaining read. I couldn't put it down, as they say. I didn't want it to finish. The author created a world in which you could fully "immerse" yourself. Good reading for the bath.

5 out of 5 stars In one word, GREAT.......2007-09-18

This book is a masterpiece. Fyodor Dostoevsky makes it so pyschological that you become the murderer and start worrying yourelf. He takes the reader in and out of the mind of a murderer and his consequences. The book is also very fast paced and doesn't lag at all, which is a plus.

The only downside is that the Signet Classic version of Crime and Punishment smears like crazy. The book is tiny itself and your thumbs have to go on the book but then it would also smear letters and make it look ugly.

5 out of 5 stars Another Philosophical Classic from the D-Man.......2007-07-06

This is a most excellent work of fiction, though it can not hold a candle to, say, The Idiot or The Brothers Karamazov. As a Dostoyevsky fan, I rank this book as number three in his best works (out of the ones I've read so far). It's amazing, but I always manage to find myself in one of his characters. I think everyone can, and perhaps that's why Dostoyevsky is considered such a great writer!

Rodion "Rodya" Raskolnikov is a Russian college student who (to put it in his best friend's words) is "morose, gloomy, proud and haughty, and of late has been suspcious and fanciful. He has a noble nature and a kind heart. He does not like showing his feelings and would rather do a cruel thing than open his heart freely. Sometimes, though, he is not morbid, but simply cold and inhumanly callous; it's as though he were alternating between two characters. He never listens to what is said to him. He is never interested in what interests other people at any given moment. He thinks very highly of himself and perhaps he is right . . ."

This last part is probably the most true. Rodya thinks so highly about himself that he has written an article titled "Crime" in which a theory on the Extraordinary Man claims The Extraordinary Man, according to Rodya, has the full right to commit any crime he wishes and get away with it granted, of course, that the crime is aimed at improving the human race and society at large.

Rodya is so convinced that he's an Extraordinary Man that he sets out to prove it by commiting a murder. He so happens to know a cruel old woman who gives loans in exchange for collateral. She is very smart but unkind and abuses her younger sister constantly. Rodya sees the world as a much better place without her and sets out to "cross the boundaries that the Ordianry Man will not cross."
To Serve and Protect: Privatization and Community in Criminal Justice (Political Economy of the Austrian School Series)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • More timely than ever, unfortunately
  • What we have to avoid !
  • A brilliant follow up to Benson's "The Enterprise of Law"
To Serve and Protect: Privatization and Community in Criminal Justice (Political Economy of the Austrian School Series)
Bruce Benson
Manufacturer: NYU Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Legal SystemLegal System | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
CriminologyCriminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
PenologyPenology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
SociologySociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books | AIDS | Abuse | Adults | Aging | Children | Class | Communities | Culture | Death | General | History | Leisure | Marriage & Family | Medicine | Men | Occupational | Race Relations | Religion | Research & Measurement | Rural | Social Groups | Social Situations | Social Theory | Suburban | Urban | Women
GeneralGeneral | Criminal Law | Law | Subjects | Books
Law EnforcementLaw Enforcement | Criminal Law | Law | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Law | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Criminal Law | Law | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Law EnforcementLaw Enforcement | Criminal Law | Law | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Law | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
PrivatizationPrivatization | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:
  1. The Enterprise of Law: Justice Without the State The Enterprise of Law: Justice Without the State
  2. Drug War Crimes: The Consequences of Prohibition Drug War Crimes: The Consequences of Prohibition
  3. Market for Liberty Market for Liberty
  4. The Machinery of Freedom: A Guide to Radical Capitalism The Machinery of Freedom: A Guide to Radical Capitalism
  5. The Myth of National Defense The Myth of National Defense

ASIN: 0814713270
Release Date: 1998-08-01

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars More timely than ever, unfortunately.......2001-09-26

In the wake of a terrible terrorist attack, various public voices are arguing for liberty-threatening countermeasures -- increases in federal power, the placement of federal marshals on aircraft, the unreasonable search and seziure of airline passengers, and so forth. Almost unnoticed and unmentioned is the fact that the terrorists succeeded in killing thousands using, apparently, no weapon more powerful than a box cutter.

A handful who are aware of this salient point are claiming that airline security was lax owing to "market failure." This is supposed to relieve us of the responsibility to establish security by means that respect rights.

But Bruce Benson's _To Serve and Protect_ addressed all of this several years ago -- broadly and in principle, though of course with no explicit discussion of the proper security measures for airlines to implement. What Benson provides in this volume is a thorough defense of a superficially counterintuitive claim that becomes less and less counterintuitive as time goes on: the free and private market is better, _much_ better, at providing security and criminal justice than is the government.

That means that his book is, sadly, perhaps more timely now than when it was written. By a simple extrapolation of the arguments presented herein, the recent tragedies indicate, not that "private" security provisions put us at risk of "market failures," but that a government monopoly on criminal justice costs lives.

Benson is also the author of the highly recommended _The Enterpise of Law_, which sets out probably the most thorough case to date that _law_ can exist without the institutions of a territorial State. This volume is in some ways a sequel, setting out a positive case as to how "private" criminal law works and why it is, consistently and in principle, superior to government regulation. (And allegations of "market failure" are specifically addressed.)

Check it out. The need for Benson's arguments has never been greater at any time since its publication.

5 out of 5 stars What we have to avoid !.......2000-01-13

Professor Benson's book is very interesting and excite. Good thoughts and insights in criminal justice failures. Benson advocates free market administration of crime and punishment as solution. The question in my opinion is: what we have to avoid ? Criminal justice failures or market rules ? What seems a good ideia, maybe is the wrong way and will cause more problems than solutions. Anyway, you can't be pro or against it without this excellent book.

5 out of 5 stars A brilliant follow up to Benson's "The Enterprise of Law".......1999-09-12

What I love about this book is that it is a must read for both Liberals and Conservatives alike. Benson shows step by step why our monopolized "justice" system works against real justice -- and why the poor are the most likely to suffer at its hands. What is most comforting to me (who wholeheartedly agrees with his findings) is his conclusion that whether or not people like it, the privatization of criminal justice is inevitably growing.
Critical Issues in Restorative Justice
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Critical Issues in Restorative Justice

    Manufacturer: Criminal Justice Press
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    War & PeaceWar & Peace | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
    Legal SystemLegal System | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
    CriminologyCriminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
    PenologyPenology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
    International InstitutionsInternational Institutions | Political Science | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Criminal Law | Law | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Law | Subjects | Books
    RemediesRemedies | Procedures & Litigation | Law | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Law | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
    RemediesRemedies | Procedures & Litigation | Law | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
    Look Inside Nonfiction BooksLook Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. The Little Book of Restorative Justice (Little Books of Justice & Peacebuilding Series) (The Little Books of Justice & Peacebuilding) The Little Book of Restorative Justice (Little Books of Justice & Peacebuilding Series) (The Little Books of Justice & Peacebuilding)
    2. Changing Lenses: A New Focus for Crime and Justice (Christian Peace Shelf) Changing Lenses: A New Focus for Crime and Justice (Christian Peace Shelf)
    3. Restorative Justice: Ideas, Practices, Debates Restorative Justice: Ideas, Practices, Debates
    4. The Little Book of Restorative Discipline for Schools: Teaching Responsibility; Creating Caring Climates (The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding ... Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding) The Little Book of Restorative Discipline for Schools: Teaching Responsibility; Creating Caring Climates (The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding ... Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding)
    5. The Little Book of Circle Processes : A New/Old Approach to Peacemaking (The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding Series) The Little Book of Circle Processes : A New/Old Approach to Peacemaking (The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding Series)

    ASIN: 1881798518

    Book Description

    In a mere quarter-century, restorative justice has grown from a few scattered experimental projects into a worldwide social movement. Moving beyond its origins within the criminal justice arena, restorative justice is now being applied in schools, homes and the workplace.

    The restorative justice approach challenges the idea that state punishment is the best method of achieving justice. This "restorative" alternative strives to directly address the needs of all persons affected by a crime or a harm, often by bringing together victims, offenders and community members in some form of structured mediation or dialogue.

    The distinguished contributors to this book are all long-term advocates and practitioners of restorative justice from North America, Europe, Australia/New Zealand and South Africa. The 31 chapters confront the key threats to the integrity and effectiveness of the emerging international restorative justice movement: (1) cooptation or diversion from its core mission, and the possibility that reforms may cause unintended consequences; (2) being relegated primarily to "minor" crimes or conflicts, so that it has minimal impact on the overall system or justice; and (3) inherent flaws that undermine its effectiveness, such as failure to address social problems that breed conflicts, and methods skewed by cultural or gender biases.
    History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Check and see
    • Suprise! Suprise!
    • Prescient St Augustine?
    • Something of a disappointment
    • Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy..
    History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
    Anatoly T Fomenko
    Manufacturer: Delamere Resources LLC
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    Assyria, Babylonia & SumerAssyria, Babylonia & Sumer | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books
    HistoriographyHistoriography | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | World | History | Subjects | Books
    MedievalMedieval | World | History | Subjects | Books
    MedievalMedieval | Movements & Periods | History & Criticism | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    GermanGerman | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    RussianRussian | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    SpanishSpanish | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    ChineseChinese | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    Mythology & FolkloreMythology & Folklore | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
    Controversial KnowledgeControversial Knowledge | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
    HistoryHistory | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
    GnosticismGnosticism | Church History | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
    Historical JesusHistorical Jesus | Jesus | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
    CelticCeltic | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
    Magic & WizardsMagic & Wizards | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
    Today's HeroesToday's Heroes | Series | Christianity | Religions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
    HistoryHistory | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    Look Inside Art BooksLook Inside Art Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    Look Inside Children's BooksLook Inside Children's Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    Look Inside History BooksLook Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    Look Inside Fiction BooksLook Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    Look Inside Nonfiction BooksLook Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    Look Inside Reference BooksLook Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    Look Inside Religion & Spirituality BooksLook Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy BooksLook Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1) History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
    2. History: Fiction or Science? Astronomical methods as applied to chronology. Ptolemy's Almagest. Chronology III History: Fiction or Science? Astronomical methods as applied to chronology. Ptolemy's Almagest. Chronology III
    3. They Cast No Shadows: A Collection of Essays on the Illuminati, Revisionist History, and Suppressed Technologies They Cast No Shadows: A Collection of Essays on the Illuminati, Revisionist History, and Suppressed Technologies
    4. The Medieval Empire of the Israelites The Medieval Empire of the Israelites
    5. Discovering the Mysteries of Ancient America: Lost History And Legends, Unearthed And Explored Discovering the Mysteries of Ancient America: Lost History And Legends, Unearthed And Explored

    ASIN: 2913621066

    Product Description

    `History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2` is the second volume of the most explosive and astounding tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by rock solid scientific data. The book is easy and pleasant to read; it is well-illustrated, contains hundreds of charts, graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays. You will be amazed to discover: - That the chronology universally accepted today and taken for granted is simply wrong; - That ALL methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts known today are erroneous or non-exact; - That there is not a single document that could be reliably dated earlier than the XIth century; The Author refers to the Middle Ages as the “Antiquity” and proves mutual superimposition of the Second and the Third Roman Empire, both of which become identified as the respective kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Furthermore, he asserts that the famous reform of the Occidental Church in the XI century by “Pope Gregory Hildebrand” was the reflection of the XII century reforms of Byzantine emperor Andronicus who in his turn identifies with Jesus Christ. The Trojan war counted by Homer happened only as late as of the XIII century A.D. and the great poet actually lived in XIV century A.D. No stone in history of Antiquity is left unturned. Literally. This book is the beginning of a major correction to the chronology we live with.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Check and see.......2007-06-21

    I don't care what other people say of this book. Those affirmig it's fake, they hadn't ever read it. Or have some special reasons to do so. "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see..." This book won't make you feel comfortable. It'll make you feel free. It'll make you feel you're "not the only one" to feel you'd been lied to for centuries.

    5 out of 5 stars Suprise! Suprise!.......2007-03-22

    Here is a serie of books which turns "the whole world" upside down. I learned a lot of it and I hope that a new book from A.T. Fomenko will follow very quick. A absolute must for everybody who is interested in history or even a little bit from it.

    5 out of 5 stars Prescient St Augustine?.......2006-02-05

    We can so far divide the New Chronology into the following three parts:

    a) The verifiable theory that proves consensual chronology wrong with the aid of astronomy, statistics and mathematics;

    b) The new chronology hypothesis based on a new understanding of known historical facts and the most likely logical explanation of the most obvious inconsistencies inherent in the official version of history;

    c) The history conjectures, that is experimental historical reconstructions based on assumptions that the authors believe to make sense in the light of their research and linguistic parallels - void of ironclad factual support to date.

    Fomenko's theory complies with the most rigid scientific standards as a whole:

    It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.

    - It is consistent: independent lines of inquiry all lead to the same conclusion.

    - The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.

    Fomenko goes by the following axioms:

    - Chronology is the basis of history;

    - Human evolution has always been linear, gradual and irreversible;

    - The "cyclic" nature of human civilization is a myth, likewise all the gaps, duplicates, "dark ages" and "renaissances" that we know from consensual history;

    - The accumulation of geographical knowledge as reflected in cartography is a gradual and irreversible process;

    - The chronological distance between a given manuscript and the events described therein is proportional to the amount of distortions it contains;

    - There is no "useless" information in authentic ancient sources.

    Why the mainstream historians do not shower mathematician Academician Dr.Prof Fomenko with thanks and laurels?

    The Russians:

    Because Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by three centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called "Tartars and Mongols" were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a bilingual state with Arabic spoken as freely as Russian. The ancient Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities. The hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called "blood tax"). Their "invasions" were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion. Fomenko proves that Russian history as we know it today is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scientists brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs, whose ascension to the throne was the result of coup d'état, charged with the mission of making their reign look legitimate. Fomenko proves Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. They represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate rulers and the ambitious upstarts. The winner took it all! Over some 30 years of controversy, Russian historians have made a most remarkable transition - they were initially accusing the young mathematician Fomenko of anticommunist dissident activity and attempts to deface the historical legacy of Soviet Russia; nowadays the middle-aged mathematician is accused of adhering to "pro-communist Russian nationalism" and defacing the proud historical legacy of Great Russia.

    The Westerners:

    Because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History. Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one the Ancient Rome (the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the XIV century A. D.), the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, and the Ancient Egypt (the pyramids of Giza become dated to the XI-XV century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global "Mongolian" Empire, no less). The civilization of the Ancient Egypt is irrefutably dated to the XII-XV century A. D. with the aid of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone. He was the first one to decipher and date all such horoscopes, coming up with mediaeval dates in every case. English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. To reward the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.

    The Chinese:

    Because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such thing. Full point. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the XVII-XVIII century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation, this time performed on the Chinese soil by the loving Jesuit hands. The Chinese are the next in line to go berserk. Chinese history is inevitably bound to get both more ancient and more eventful, proportionally to the growing involvement of China in the world affairs. Chinese historians will keep on finding valid proof of prehistoric Chinese spaceflights until the Politburo orders them to shut up.

    The Arabs:

    Too bad. Islam with all its key figures is datable to XV-XVI century A. D. Arabic historians may find consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire in the XVI-XVII century. The trouble is that this empire was initially a Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, according to Fomenko! We can only guess if the acquisition of Alexander the Great (a Macedonian and a Christian) as the founder of the Muslim World Empire will make Fomenko's theories more acceptable to the Arabic mainstream. He certainly does not spare any holy cows at all, claiming The Stone of Qa'Aba in Mecca to contain the lost Arch of the Covenant.

    The Divinity:

    Despite of reiterated statement that his theory is all about chronology and not Religion, Fomenko stirs up a whole condominium of wasp nests. His collection of anathemas, fatwa, and other condemnations from all parties concerned is already considerable. Little wonder, considering that the history of religions à la Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the XI century and JC), Bacchic Christianity (XI-XII century, before and after JC), JC Christianity (XII-XVI century) and its subsequent mutations into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on.

    According to Fomenko we know strictly NOTHING about the events that predate the X century A. D.

    St Augustin was prescient when he spoke unto us: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."





    4 out of 5 stars Something of a disappointment.......2005-09-09

    After having read the first volume of this expected series of 7 volumes I was triggered by the thesis of these authors that ancient Greek and Roman history did in fact take place in the Middle Ages. So I started studying medieval history of the Middle East - also known as Islamic history - to find out if the opponents of the ancient Greeks and Romans - the Acheamenid Persians, Sassanids, Scythians, Egyptians, etc. - also have their duplicates in medieval history. My search was disappointing: none of the many medieval Islamic dynasties seemed to correspond to the ancient middle eastern rulers.

    However, I did find a close correspondence between Herodotus' Persian kings and medieval events:

    - the defeat and capture of an Anatolian king - the Lydian Croesus - by the Persian conqueror Cyrus is identical to the defeat and capture of another Anatolian king - sultan Bayezid - by the Asian/Mongol conqueror Tamerlane;
    - the Persian conquest of Egypt by the cruel tyrant Cambyses reds almost exactly as the Ottoman conquest of Egypt by Selim the Grim (note the nickname!);
    - Darius the Lawgiver of the Persian Empire looks very much alike to Sulayman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver in Islamic history;
    - Xerxes, whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by the Greeks at the naval battle of Salamis, looks like Selim II (the Sot) whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by a Spanish-Italian alliance at the naval battle of Lepanto.

    I should have expected Fomenko et al. to arrive at similar conclusions, however, they claim that the Persian kings are the alter egos of the Angevin kings of Sicily whose biographies do not contain the exploits of the Persian kings.

    The similiarities I indicate lead to the conclusion that Herodotus must have written his Histories at the close of the 16th century. But this is extremely late, given that Herodotus is "the Father of History", so therefore all other "ancient" histories must have been fabricated even later. Yet, the founders of modern chronology - Scaliger and Petavius - laid their foundations also at the close of the 16th century and had the full corpus of ancient histories already at their disposal.

    It seems to me that Fomenko has to address these inconsistencies, maybe in the forthcoming 5 volumes?

    Another critique of their book is that the correspondencies between different rulers are often based on a superficial comparison of the biographies; upon a more thorough comparison many details appear that do not correspond at all.

    Finally, the authors rely heavily on the works of Gregorovius (1821-1891!!) - his medieval histories of Rome and Athens - as the source of medieval history; these works are - at least in the West - hoplessly outdated and have been superceded by more up-to-date works (for instance, Julius Norwich's trilogy on Byzantine history is not even cited).

    5 out of 5 stars Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy.........2005-07-30


    If you agree with Fomenko that Roman chronology is basically the foundation of the entire edifice of global chronology; you would also certainly agree that despite its numerous gaps and inconsistencies, Roman history is the best-documented field of ancient history, and thus a reference scale. But how well is the actual date of the Eternal City's foundation known?

    Firstly, Rome is supposed to have been founded by the Trojans who had to flee after the fall of Troy. Some claim Rome to have been founded by Aeneas and Ulysses shortly after Troy had fallen; others are of the opinion that there was an entire dynasty that ruled for 500 years between the fall of Troy and the foundation of Rome.

    Well, that's just an innocent 500 years long misunderstanding compared with what heretic Fomenko says, asserts, proves in his second volume: Second Roman Empire, Third Roman Empire, Biblical Kingdom of Israel, Biblical Kingdom of Judah, Holy Roman Empire are stories about basically same events, written from different points of view at different times. The underlying events have actually taken place during xii-xv cy. These histories have been written and perfected by multitude of highly talented humanist and clerical writers of xiii-xvi cy disguised as "ancients" with glorious names like Homer, Pluto, Thucydides etc..Chronology 2.0 beta..

    Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.
    Architectural Lighting
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Architectural Lighting
    Architectural Lighting
    M. David Egan , and Victor W. Olgyay
    Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    GeneralGeneral | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Interior Design | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Electrical & Electronics | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
    LightingLighting | Electrical & Electronics | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
    Heating, Ventilation & Air ConditioningHeating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning | Construction | Civil | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
    LightingLighting | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
    Engineering CalculationsEngineering Calculations | McGraw-Hill Engineering Store | McGraw-Hill | By Publisher | Books
    ConstructionConstruction | Architecture | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books
    DesignDesign | Architecture | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Architecture | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books
    Electrical & ElectronicsElectrical & Electronics | Engineering | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books
    All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
    Home & GardenHome & Garden | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
    ProfessionalProfessional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
    Look Inside Art BooksLook Inside Art Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    Look Inside Home & Garden BooksLook Inside Home & Garden Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Architectural Lighting Design, 2nd Edition Architectural Lighting Design, 2nd Edition
    2. Interior Lighting, Fourth Edition Interior Lighting, Fourth Edition
    3. Lighting Design Basics Lighting Design Basics
    4. Architectural Acoustics: Principles and Practice Architectural Acoustics: Principles and Practice
    5. Made of Light: The Art of Light and Architecture Made of Light: The Art of Light and Architecture

    ASIN: 0070205876

    Book Description

    Extensively revised, this Second Edition offers architects and designers the most current thinking and practice in their profession on the scientific properties of light, the uses of natural and electric light in buildings, lighting effects and applications, and design tools and processes. To help the reader on the job, there is full coverage of lighting calculation methods, including the Lumen Method, as well as a number of useful CAD and computer rendering solutions.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Architectural Lighting.......2002-10-07

    This is an excellent book. It provides a comprehensive overview while supplying specific design applications on the topics of natural and electric lighting. It illuminates many technologies and design principles with straight forward language and clear reinforcing graphics.
    I teach architectural lighting at the School of Architecture at the University of Hawaii. I have reviewed many lighting books for this class and have found the Egan and Olgyay text to be very appropriate for the beginning and advanced student as well as a very useful desk reference for design proessionals.
    Why Are So Many Black Men in Prison?
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • (RAW Rating: 4.5) - What is happening to black men?
    • Why Are So Many Black Men In Prison? A Comprehensive Account Of How And Why The Prison Industry Has Become A Predatory Entity In
    • A Must Read
    • Why are so many Black Men in Prison?
    • Why are so many blacks in prison?
    Why Are So Many Black Men in Prison?
    Demico Boothe
    Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    PenologyPenology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
    War on DrugsWar on Drugs | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Kill Them Before They Grow: The Misdiagnosis of African American Boys in America's Classrooms Kill Them Before They Grow: The Misdiagnosis of African American Boys in America's Classrooms
    2. The State of Black America 2007: Portrait of the Black Male The State of Black America 2007: Portrait of the Black Male
    3. Visions for Black Men Visions for Black Men
    4. Motivating and Preparing Black Youth for Success Motivating and Preparing Black Youth for Success
    5. The Hip Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African American Culture The Hip Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African American Culture

    ASIN: 1425713971

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars (RAW Rating: 4.5) - What is happening to black men?.......2007-08-04

    Demico Boothe has explored the reasons so many black men are indeed in prison in, WHY ARE SO MANY BLACK MEN IN PRISON? He begins with his own story of a shaky upbringing and his subsequent dabbling in drug dealing. He was caught with a few grams of crack cocaine but because it was the dreaded crack, he was given 10 years in prison. When he left prison after serving his time, he was actually railroaded back into prison by a crooked justice system. He delves deeply into our justice system and the motives behind all the new prisons that are being built. He gives succinct and reasonable views of exactly what is happening now in the United States and how the past has played a role in the present. He uses persuasive statistics regarding the number of black men in prison as compared to the number of white men who are incarcerated.

    Demico Boothe has done an excellent job of researching his subject and it is a plus, if unfortunate for him, that he has actually experienced first hand what he's talking about. I knew I was hearing the real story rather than just statistics from an intellectual who had no real idea of what the prison system is really like. I would have liked for Boothe to search a little deeper into the Haiti, Aristide and USA question, maybe even reading Randall Robinson's take on the situation, and then he might see it a bit differently. Otherwise, it is a good book and one every one in America should read. We indeed, have a crisis going on.

    Reviewed by Alice Holman
    of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

    5 out of 5 stars Why Are So Many Black Men In Prison? A Comprehensive Account Of How And Why The Prison Industry Has Become A Predatory Entity In.......2007-06-09

    The book was very interesting. I learned soooo much about the government and the prison industry. I did some searching independantly to check on the things reported in the book and they are very true. Great Read!! Buy the book.

    4 out of 5 stars A Must Read.......2007-05-25

    Mr. Demico's book is a must-read for anyone concerned about young African American men. Although I did not agree with every conclusion he reached, Demico's main premises are convincing. As a white woman who teaches mainly students of color, I am always impressed, and often in awe, of those young men who reach college with so much going against them. Demico's books lays bare not only the horrible inequalities of our society, but also the racist attitudes of our political system - - Democrats, Republicans, and most everyone in between.

    5 out of 5 stars Why are so many Black Men in Prison?.......2007-05-13

    I is a well put together book. He really goes into a lot of detail of how our society is really set up.

    3 out of 5 stars Why are so many blacks in prison?.......2007-05-12

    I found this book very interesting. As a white devil myself, I had no idea that I was responsible for forcing blacks into committing crimes and then subsequently clogging up the whole "Prison Industrial Complex"(tm). I will try to stop causing this, as I am sure it is creating a LOT of trouble for everyone! Sorry!

    It is probably also my fault that young black men dressed in XXXXL clothes overtly threaten me and my family members routinely. Can anyone tell me what I should do to make this not happen?

    I imagine it's also my fault that black on white violent crime is WAY higher than white on black violent crime, even though blacks constitute about 12.5% of the population, and whites are about 70%. But since it is impossible for a black to commit a hate crime according to our criminal justice system (since blacks are not under any circumstances racist), statistically, there are more white on black hate crimes. Boothe notes a statistic regarding hate crimes, but he skips the one about interracial violence in general.

    In sum, Boothe notes that just about everything blacks do is actually MY fault, because my skin is white. Boothe, I've got a word for you.

    Introspection.
    Justice: Crimes, Trials, and Punishments
    Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
    • Names galore
    • The reality behind justice
    • Well written, but repetitive
    • Human comedy: celebrity trials expose the comedy of human existence
    • My most unusual review
    Justice: Crimes, Trials, and Punishments
    Dominick Dunne , and Dunne Dominick
    Manufacturer: New Millennium Audio
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Audio CD

    CriminalsCriminals | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
    Legal SystemLegal System | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
    True CrimeTrue Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
    Criminal ProcedureCriminal Procedure | Criminal Law | Law | Subjects | Books
    Criminal ProcedureCriminal Procedure | Criminal Law | Law | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
    Look Inside BiographiesLook Inside Biographies | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    Look Inside Nonfiction BooksLook Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    NonfictionNonfiction | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Fatal Charms and Other Tales of Today/The Mansions of Limbo (Omnibus) Fatal Charms and Other Tales of Today/The Mansions of Limbo (Omnibus)
    2. People Like Us People Like Us
    3. A Season in Purgatory A Season in Purgatory
    4. An Inconvenient Woman An Inconvenient Woman
    5. Another City, Not My Own Another City, Not My Own

    ASIN: 1931056978

    Amazon.com

    "In my everyday life over the last fifty years, it has been my curious lot to move among the rich and famous and powerful, always as an outsider, always listening, watching, remembering."

    Writing about the crimes of the rich and famous for Vanity Fair with this insider's status, Dominick Dunne has borne witness to the often bizarre personalities who surround high-profile cases and their telling intimacies. Andrea Reynolds, for instance, dressed only in a negligee and jewelry, insists that her jewels are finer than those of the comatose woman in whose apartment she resides and whom her lover, Claus von Bulow, is charged with attempting to murder. The essays in Justice offer a fascinating, disturbing, and wry look at the cast of a half dozen high-profile trials, including Lyle and Erik Menendez, who murdered their affluent parents; Marvin Pancoast, who beat the $18,000-a-month mistress of Alfred Bloomingdale to death with a baseball bat; the multibillionaire banker Edmund Safra, who suffocated in his own bunker-like bathroom in Monaco; and the gossiping members of Los Angeles society during "All O.J., All the Time."

    The most moving story by far is the title piece, about the murder of Dunne's daughter, the actress Dominique Dunne, by her ex-boyfriend, who walked away with a pitifully light sentence thanks to the extremes taken by his defense lawyer and the vanity of the judge. While the succeeding stories don't have the same poignancy, Dunne still makes them personal--after all, he knows many of those involved, and justice truly is personal for him. In fact, it is this moral authority that enables him to enter the strange universe of high-society crime and write about it with no pretense of objectivity, but rather with rage toward the short shrift justice is so often given in celebrity cases. The counterpoint to his anger is a delicious irony in the form of fascinating subplots, jet-set gossip, and terrific quotes straight from some of the horses' mouths. Dunne has both a sharp sense of the absurd and a trenchant eye for injustice in any form. --Lesley Reed

    Book Description

    For more than two decades, Vanity Fair has published Dominick Dunne’s brilliant, revelatory chronicles of the most famous crimes, trials, and punishments of our time. Here, in one volume, are Dominick Dunne’s mesmerizing tales of justice denied and justice affirmed. Whether writing of Claus von Bülow’s romp through two trials; the Los Angeles media frenzy surrounding O.J. Simpson; the death by fire of multibillionaire banker Edmond Safra; or the Greenwich, Connecticut, murder of Martha Moxley and the indictment—decades later—of Michael Skakel, Dominick Dunne tells it honestly and tells it from his unique perspective. His search for the truth is relentless.

    With new essay, “Mourning In New York,” about September 11, 2001.

    Customer Reviews:

    1 out of 5 stars Names galore.......2007-09-14

    The man cannot string two words together without name dropping. It is disgusting and so is he.

    4 out of 5 stars The reality behind justice.......2007-07-10

    A fascinating book into how high priced lawyers can convince any jury your Mother is worse than a serial killer. Essentially that is the conclusion I got from the book.

    Some of the stories are too long and complicated with lots of names, so that is why I am giving it 4 instead of 5 stars. It also was not clear to me what exactly happened in some of the murders, particularly the last one on Safre.

    4 out of 5 stars Well written, but repetitive.......2007-03-23

    Most of these pieces appeared in Vanity Fair, and the overlap in some of them about the O.J. Simpson trial is left in. About 10 minutes worth of editing could have solved that problem. Otherwise, this is a passionate account of Dunne's view of several of the high profile cases he's made a career of covering since exiting the movie business. The most interesting is the case of his own daughter's murderer, but the Menendez stories and the Michael Skakel case make fascinating prose. Definitely worth reading, even now, long after these trials ended.

    3 out of 5 stars Human comedy: celebrity trials expose the comedy of human existence .......2007-01-11

    Dominick Dunne received a lifeline from a Washington Post reporter seeking to report the story of David Begelman's forgery. Dunne felt he was a Hollywood failure, and so, he admits, the desire for revenge drove him to help the reporter get his story. In 1982 Dunne's daughter, Dominique, was murdered. He felt the trial of her killer was a travesty. The author's first magazine piece for VANITY FAIR concerned that trial. Dunne covered the retrial of Claus von Bulow. Trials can be boring, but people involved in them are not. He had gone to Hollywood to work on PLAYHOUSE 90 with Martin Manulis.

    In writing about the trial focusing on Dominique's death, Dunne repeats the adage that the murder victim is always placed on trial. In trials, journalists jockey for position. Trial-going in Hollywood highlights dysfunctions in the criminal justice system. Where the fact-finder fails to be impartial, and/or where the lawyer-teams opposing each other are disproportionate in terms of resources, results are skewed. A trial, of course, is theater. The glare of publicity never seems to serve the ends of justice; but, of course, injustices may also take place in relative obscurity.

    What Dominick Dunne brings to trial reportage is his experience as the parent of a murder victim and his knowledge of the customs of the entertainment industry. Dunne reports that in the trial of O.J. Simpson the public sent bouquets of flowers to the participants. Juries don't like female prosecutors but do like female defense attorneys. The author believes an effective defense attorney must possess a mean streak. Most of the book's chapters are devoted to the Simpson case. Monte Carlo has been described as a sunny place for shady people. Edmond Safer, a financier, died there in a fire. A Dunne fiction work, A SEASON IN PURGATORY, was based on the Martha Moxley murder case. When he wrote his novel, that case had not been solved, even after some twenty odd years.

    5 out of 5 stars My most unusual review.......2006-11-02

    I have never written a review like this before, and feel compelled to share my thoughts, honest and forward, to anyone considering reading this book.

    I picked it up and could not put it down.
    I wish I had never read it.

    It is a book that is so terribly sad, especially with the story of the author's daughter's murder, and it is written with a skill that is not often seen: a combination of honesty, pithy expressions, pain, joy, and a constellation of emotions that all masterfully come together.

    Why do I wish I had never read it?

    If you have any connection to the court system, you already know that lying is so common place that it is frightening. People swear an oath and lie with impunity, but reading of the injustice, for instance, that this man suffered in his daughter's murder, or all the spin that OJ's "dream team" used, in short clips to reporters, feeding the public red herrings; deliberate lies, knowing that public influence