When the Light Goes: A Novel

When the Light Goes: A Novel
Average customer rating:

Ugh.

Slender yes, but he still has it !

Worse Ever

TYPICAL McMURTRY

Snow on the Roof-fire in the chimmney

When the Light Goes: A Novel
Larry McMurtry
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | McMurtry, Larry | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Hardcover | McMurtry, Larry | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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DUANE'S DEPRESSED

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TEXASVILLE : A Novel

ASIN: 1416534261

Book Description

In this masterful and often surprising sequel to the acclaimed Duane's Depressed, the Pulitzer Prize- and Oscar-winning author of Lonesome Dove has written a haunting, elegiac, and occasionally erotic novel about one of his most beloved characters. Duane Moore first made his appearance in The Last Picture Showand, like his author, he has aged but not lost his vigor or his taste for life.

Back from a two-week trip to Egypt, Duane finds he cannot readjust to life in Thalia, the small, dusty, West Texas hometown in which he has spent all of his life. In the short time he was away, it seems that everything has changed alarmingly. His office barely has a reason to exist now that his son Dickie is running the company from Wichita Falls, his lifelong friends seem to have suddenly grown old, his familiar hangout, once a good old-fashioned convenience store, has been transformed into an "Asian Wonder Deli," his daughters seem to have taken leave of their senses and moved on to new and strange lives, and his own health is at serious risk.

It's as if Duane cannot find any solace or familiarity in Thalia and cannot even bring himself to revisit the house he shared for decades with his late wife, Karla, and their children and grandchildren. He spends his days aimlessly riding his bicycle

(already a sign of serious eccentricity in West Texas) and living in his cabin outside town. The more he tries to get back to the rhythm of his old life, the more he realizes that he should have left Thalia long ago -- indeed everybody he cared for seems to have moved on without him, to new lives or to death.

The only consolation is meeting the young, attractive geologist, Annie Cameron, whom Dickie has hired to work out of the Thalia office. Annie is brazenly

seductive, yet oddly cold, young enough to be Duane's daughter, or worse, and Duane hasn't a clue how to handle her. He's also in love with his psychiatrist, Honor Carmichael, who after years of rebuffing him, has decided to undertake what she feels is Duane's very necessary sex reeducation, opening him up to some major, life-changing surprises.

For the lesson of When the Light Goes is that where there's life, there is indeed hope -- Duane, widowed, displaced from whatever is left of his own life, suddenly rootless in the middle of his own hometown, and at risk of death from a heart that also doesn't seem to be doing its job, is in the end saved by sex, by love, and by his own compassionate and intense interest in other people and the surprises they reveal.

At once realistic and life-loving, often hilariously funny, and always moving, though without a touch of sentimentality, Larry McMurtry has opened up a new chapter in Duane's life and, in doing so, written one of his finest and most compelling novels to date, doing for Duane what he did so triumphantly for Aurora in Terms of Endearment.

Customer Reviews:

Ugh........2007-09-07

Duane's Depressed was such a beautiful book. I should have stopped there. While reading When the Light Goes, I kept calculating how many pages I had until the end - I didn't know how McMurtry was going to dazzle me in the last few pages. Oh... He didn't. Yes, I agree - Skip this book - and read one of his other, wonderful tales.

Slender yes, but he still has it !.......2007-08-15

Yes, this is a slender book, full of blank pages, but the fact remains that a late in career Larry McMurtry not at his best is still way above 80% of the writers on the market today.

Worse Ever.......2007-08-08

This series should have ended with DUANE'S DEPRESSED. I have read several of McMurtrys books and it's hard to believe this is the same man who won the Pulitzer for LONESOME DOVE. The gross amount of profanity and the sex scenes did not add anything to the book. In fact, this book did not really add anything to the story line. It should have just ended with Duane flying off to Egypt in DUANE'S DEPRESSED.

TYPICAL McMURTRY.......2007-06-11

Very good read. Am proud owner of all Mcmutry's books. Since I am in the same age group as Duane I can relate to him quite a lot.
Pete

Snow on the Roof-fire in the chimmney.......2007-05-31

I enjoyed this book, even more then Duane's Depressed. I'm glad that there are books that celebrate that season of life. Enjoy.

A Light in the Window (The Mitford Years #2)

Average customer rating:

Part of a great series of books!
A Light in the Window (The Mitford Years #2)
Almost but not quite too nice
A Light in The Window
Book

A Light in the Window (The Mitford Years #2)
Jan Karon
Manufacturer: Penguin Group, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Domestic Life | Women's Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Fiction | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0140254544

Amazon.com

A Light in the Window is the second installment in this enormously popular series about a small-town rector, Father Tim, and the heartwarming cast of characters surrounding him. This time Father Tim, a lifelong bachelor, finds his heart distracted by his free-spirited neighbor Cynthia, but his stomach and the rectory cash box are distracted by Edith, a wealthy widow who is wooing the rector with love potion casseroles. At every turn, including when a brooding Irish cousin decides to move in, Father Tim must decide whether he will practice what he preaches.

Fans of the series say they long to buy real estate in Mitford, just so they can live next door to these funny and endearing characters and feel the embrace of such a loving community. But what author Jan Karon probably knows, and many readers are starting to figure out, is that the integrity and solid Christian values that these characters possess can be found in just about every neighborhood, and with inspiration like this book, anyone can build their own Mitford community. --Gail Hudson

Book Description

Mitford's village rector, Father Tim, is running scared. he can no longer deny (even to himself), that he's in love with his neighbor, Cynthia Coppersmith. Cynthia, after all, sees in him a man of warmth and daring and mdash;if only he'll meet her halfway. But now a wealthy widow is pursuing Father Tim with hot casseroles. And the mysterious Cousin Meg has moved into the rectory bag and baggage and mdash;not to mention uninvited. Abounding with characters both old and new, A Light in the Window compels readers to do something they treasure: laugh out loud.

Customer Reviews:

Part of a great series of books!.......2007-10-10

Terrific book -- easy to read & understand. Did not want to put it down. Am now collecting the rest of the 9 books in this series & can't wait to get started on #3.

A Light in the Window (The Mitford Years #2).......2007-05-17

Mr. John McDonough, who narrates all of the Jan Karon books on Mitford is extremely talented. His voice is clear and deep and can accommodate many characters. When I listened to the first Mitford book I believed Jan Karon and John McDonough were equally matched. The writing and narration was of the highest caliber. I believe that A Light In the Window was not as well written as At Home In Mitford, however McDonough was still an excellent reader. There were touching moments in Book #2. But it was obvious that Ms. Karon's first love was her first book and the second seemed a bit rushed as the characters were less three dimensional and at times repeated themselves. I would still recommend this book to those wanting a heartwarming story to keep them company as they perform daily tasks and fall asleep at night.

Almost but not quite too nice.......2007-04-13

I read this immediately after finishing the first book in the Mitford series, and, although it was not quite as enjoyable as the first novel, it was still a rare pleasure. It is almost (but not quite) too nice. The story takes up where the first book left off; Father Tim is back from Ireland and bedeviled (perhaps a poor choice of verb on my part) by the same doubts and problems as before. There's what to do about the crude boy, Dooley; how does the priest feel about his neighbor; etc. And there are new problems: the wealthy and obnoxious widow who is intent upon seducing him; a "cousin" from Ireland who invades his home and takes advantage of his good nature; the forced closing of his favorite reastaurant haunt; the profane presence of the foreman at the job site of the new nursing home, etc. All in all, it is the usual stuff of small town life.

And there is a great deal of very announced and public praying for this and that and for various people. I found that slightly troubling. Jesus said that prayer was quite a private activity, to be done in "closet," i.e., private. Those who pray in public have their reward. Saying you will pray for someone has a haughty tone, a free way of putting the addressee under a vague obligation. Moreover, one is supposed to pray to put oneself and others attuned to God's plan, not alter God's plan for temporal reasons. But perhaps I am all wrong on that. Someone will surely put me aright--or think they have.

Again, I enjoyed my stay in Mitford very much. It's the Prairie Home Companion with grits. The plot is episodic, as one might guess from the previous comments. The characters are well drawn. The dialogue sounds right. And the atmosphere is comfortable. In fact, it is the atmosphere alone that makes it all worthwhile.

I was a bit troubled by a few lapses in writing, especially with pronouns that did not refer to the closest antecedent noun. In fact, I had to stop several times to try to figure out what was what.

A Light in The Window.......2007-02-15

I'm going to be so sad to have this series end. I hate to arrive at my destination because I know I will need to turn my car off. I bought my first CD at Costco only because I couln't find anything else I wanted to listen to. I was hooked after the 1st CD. This is Americana at it's best! Age is not a factor in this book. Sit back and enjoy!

Book.......2007-01-09

Awesome book series! My sister in law gotted me hooked on this and it is a great book. Would highly recommend it.

Average customer rating:

"Partying is such sweet sorrow."
Best book out of the Literary Brat Pack era
Witty, not funny.
Bright Lights, Big City
Dealing with loss

Bright Lights, Big City
Jay Mcinerney
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Less Than Zero
The Good Life
Brightness Falls
The Rules of Attraction
Glamorama (Vintage Contemporaries)

ASIN: 0394726413
Release Date: 1984-08-12

Book Description

The tragicomedy of a young man in NYC, struggling with the reality of his mother's death, alienation and the seductive pull of drugs.

Customer Reviews:

"Partying is such sweet sorrow." .......2007-07-29

His writing style has been compared to Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Waugh. Jay McInerney's (1955) breakthrough novel, Bright Lights Big City (1984), tells the story (in second-person narrative) of an unnamed, divorced ("sexually abandoned"), 24-year-old protagonist's exit from the New York City fast lane. By day he works as a fact checker for a literary magazine, and by night he immerses himself in the trendy New York party scene. (Much like his protagonist, McInerney himself worked as a fact-checker at The New Yorker and was no stranger to the NYC social scene.) With his unique wit, McInerney's coming-of-age, urban-angst novel offers scathing insights into the mid-1980's cocaine party culture. I also recommend McInerney's more recent novels, Brightness Falls (1992) and The Good Life (2006).

G. Merritt

Best book out of the Literary Brat Pack era.......2007-07-07

I've read all of the brat back authors, and I wouldn't jump in and say that any of their works are magnificent literary masterpieces. Bight lights, big city, however, is by far the best novel to come from this period. High Points: Excellent, unprecidented use of 2nd person narrative; witty, satiric, paraodic, and humanistic at heart; very accesible, nothing too over the top, and it avoids pointless refernces to the flat pop-culture of the 80's. I actually have no complaints about this book, but then I don't think many people are going to be talking much about it hereafter. It is more of an entertaining artifact of the 80's than a great work of literature.

Witty, not funny........2007-06-02

I found this book to be frustrating and sad. At first, I thought the unnamed main character was your typical yuppie who is caught up in Manhattan's fast paced, drug induced night life because that is what young, unattached adults do. But then you find out all the bad things that have happened in his life. The drug induced night life made more sense. It was his way of coping with his loses. I thought the writing was clever. Maybe too clever. Some reader's found humor in it. There were some witty parts. "Tad's mission in life is to have more fun than anyone else in New York City, and this involves a lot of moving around, since there is always the likelihood that where you aren't is more fun than where you are." I wouldn't classify this book as "funny" however. I think the writer found an interesting way of describing how a young guy, living in a fast paced world of the 80's, is dealing with loss and loneliness.

Bright Lights, Big City.......2007-02-09

First of all let me nail my flag to the mast - I'm a Jay McInerney (and Bret Easton Ellis) fan. I know a lot of people aren't - but then I'm cooler than a lot of people.

Interesting from the opening line and written in the second person ("You are not the kind of guy who would be at a place like this at this time of the morning"), Brights Lights, Big City is a satirical portrait of a young lost soul trying to find meaning in an apprantly meaningless world. Set in New York City in the 1980s our hero walks zombie-like through clubs, self-indulgence, drugs and meaningless relationships. He hates his job and is basically a mess who is wasting his life. Just as we were beginning to think that our hero has an amazingly shallow existence - he is revealed as being more than a simple waster. He has, in fact, been abandoned by his new wife, is estranged from his family and has aspirations to be a writer of fiction. He is human after all and the question he faces is whether or not he can be bothered to get his life back. Will cynicism or optimism prevail?

McInerney (like Ellis) is often dismissed as a writer of disposable "drug stories" with little literary ability. I disagree. If you are able to look a little deeper you will find plenty of interesting social commentary.

Dealing with loss.......2007-01-19

This is a very sensitively and humanely written novel about a young New Yorker who must deal with several great losses: of his beautiful fashion model wife who abandons him when she moves to France, of his job as a magazine editor, and of his mother. At first I find him self-indulgent and silly, but as I get to know and understand him better, he turns out to be merely sad. Hence, his increased bar hopping and abuse of cocaine.

He acts as if he does not care about the loss of his job through carelessness and indifference. He becomes increasingly depressed and comes close to developing a nervous breakdown. The search for his wife is sadly pathetic. I developed a real empathy for this young man and came to realize that under similar circumstances, he could be you, me--any of us. By the conclusion of the book, through meeting someone new and a cathartic experience, he finally confronts the painful memories of his mother's death. He sees that he "will have to go slowly...and learn everything all over again." He is on his way to recovery.

Bright Lights, Big Ass: A Self-Indulgent, Surly, Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why it Often Sucks in the City, or Who are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me?

Average customer rating:

JEN ROCKS
Fantastic
So FUNNY it makes being bad look good!
Jen Lancaster's world
HILARIOUS!

Bright Lights, Big Ass: A Self-Indulgent, Surly, Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why it Often Sucks in the City, or Who are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me?
Jen Lancaster
Manufacturer: NAL Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass,Or, Why You Should Never Carry A Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office
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We Thought You Would Be Prettier: True Tales of the Dorkiest Girl Alive
The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life

ASIN: 0451221257

Book Description

Jen Lancaster hates to burst your happy little bubble, but life in the big city isn't all it's cracked up to be. Contrary to what you see on TV and in the movies, most urbanites aren't party-hopping in slinky dresses and strappy stilettos. But lucky for us, Lancaster knows how to make the life of the lower crust mercilessly funny and infinitely entertaining.

Whether she's reporting rude neighbors to Homeland Security, harboring a crush on her grocery store clerk, or fighting-and losing-the Battle of the Stairmaster- Lancaster explores how silly, strange, and not-so-fabulous real city living can be. And if anyone doesn't like it, they can kiss her big, fat, pink, puffy down parka.

Customer Reviews:

JEN ROCKS.......2007-10-10

This is one of the funniest books I have ever read, and I read a lot! It made me laugh out loud. Everyone should read Bright Lights. I have bought this book for my friends because I don't want to lose my copy of it. I look forward to Jen 's next book.

Fantastic.......2007-10-09

It was embarrassing to read this book in public as I could not control my laughter.Jen Lancaster is witty, brilliant and beautifully honest, right up there with Burroughs and Sedaris.

So FUNNY it makes being bad look good!.......2007-10-03

Jen takes on temp jobs while waiting for her advance check from selling her first book. To fill the extra hours, she has written a hilarious memoir about her ordinary life experiences. Cross her and you may be the lucky recipient of one of her crafty letters that you wouldn't believe someone would have the nerve to write. (And what a great tool for releasing anger) If your one of her stay at home friends, you may be on the recieving end of funny daily scoops that rival a soap opera drama, and much more interesting by far. -The thing is you never read any e-mails from them, so their lives must be dreadfully boring in comparison.

I've never had a book make me laugh out loud (even in public) like this one did! This girl has lightning quick wit and humor. Actually, reading this made me feel a little more sane. (Thanks Jen:) I thought I had an overactive mind, she's definately got me beat, and her thoughts are way funnier than mine could ever be! Her behavior and mouth are so excusable because she's just hilarious. She really does make being bad look good.

This is a keeper. When I'm feeling low and needing a good laugh, I'll be reaching for this. Reading this will make passing the time (in line or Dr's office or anywhere) much more pleasant. Just know that it is very likely to make you bust out laughing in front of everyone!

Jen Lancaster's world.......2007-09-27

Bitter is the New Black, Jen's first book, was wonderful. This second book is great, but I feel it falls a little short of the fullness of BINB. Not as much of an actual story line, just tons of funny scenarios and banter - which are all great, but I'm not as anxious to find out what happens next (when does Jen find a job, how will they survive the next month, etc). It definitely still keeps me chuckling page after page though. Since there is not much drama in this book, I am enjoying getting to know Fletch a little more.

HILARIOUS!.......2007-09-10

I couldn't put this down, it is so funny! I was laughing and chuckling so hard that I even annoyed my husband (who is not nearly as patient as Jen's husband, Fletch). She writes what the rest of us are thinking, but are now too politically correct to say out loud. Awesome. I check www.Jennsylvania.com every morning in my little cube farm for a chuckle. I can't wait for the next one.

Vamps and the City (Love at Stake, Book 2)

Average customer rating:

Loved it!
Nope!
Wonderfully Funny
Boring
Vamps and the City

Vamps and the City (Love at Stake, Book 2)
Kerrelyn Sparks
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

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Vampires | Romance | Subjects | Books

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

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A Hunger Like No Other (The Immortals After Dark Series, Book 1)

ASIN: 0060752017
Release Date: 2006-04-25

Book Description

Who says a vamp can't have it all?

Darcy Newhart thought it was a stroke of genius – the first–ever reality TV show where mortals vie with vampires for the title of The Sexiest Man on Earth. As the show's director, Darcy's career would be on track again. And she can finally have a life apart from the vampire harem. Okay, so she's still technically dead, but two out of three's not bad. Now she just has to make sure that a mortal doesn't win. If only she wasn't so distracted by a super–sexy and live contestant named Austin...

But Darcy doesn't know the worst of it. Austin Erickson is actually a vampire slayer! And he's got his eye on the show's leggy blond director. Only problem is, he's never wanted any woman – living or dead – as badly. But if he wins her heart, will he lose his soul? And if it means an eternity of hot, passionate loving with Darcy, does that really matter anyway?

Customer Reviews:

Loved it!.......2007-09-12

I'm not sure why people didn't like this one as much as the others in the Love at Stake series. It was my favorite out of the three so far, and I am looking forward to the fourth book. I really like Kerrelyn's style. I thought Austin was very lovable and intersting in Vamps and the City.

Also I didn't think I would like a book centered around a reality show, but I actually really liked the way the author did it, funny and romanitc.

Nope!.......2007-05-09

This second book the Love at Stake series almost put me off of the series completly. I could not relate to the herione and her constant whining of becoming a vampire when the alternative was to die was just too much..as well as her anxiety toward Connor the vamp who changed her. She made you want to throw things at her for most of the book. Oh just buck up and shut up already!! Lucikly the next installment "Be Still My Vampire Heart" recaptures the magic of the first book "How to marry millionare vampire". I say skip this book...some small things happen with Roman and Shanna from the first book, but nothing you can't grasp in the next book.

Wonderfully Funny.......2007-03-29

Vamps and the City, by Kerrelyn Sparks, is the sequel to How To Marry a Millionaire Vampire. Both are wonderfully funny with an original take on vampire lore.

Vamps and the City begins with CIA agent, Austin Erickson on a cleverly-punned "Stake-Out" of the DVN (Digital Vampire Network) Studio. His job is to locate and destroy vampires. Easy enough, until he meets Darcy Newhart. He's not sure if she's a vampire or just a victim, working for them. But when he finds himself falling for her, he may have to choose between his job and the girl.

Darcy is fairly new to the life of a vampire. And doesn't really like it. She prefers chocolate-flavored synthetic blood, and is trying to get a job at DVN despite, blatant the male chauvinism that still plagues the vampire community.

With witty dialog and unique characters, this is a very fun new romance-filled vampire series. I would describe it as a less-sarcastic version of MJ Davidson's Undead series. This is more drama and comedy than an action-packed adventure.

Boring.......2007-01-19

I really liked her first book and I was looking forward to her second. The second book was just boring. I'm hoping her third book is better. I never did finish the second book, it was just blah...

Hopefully her third book will be better.

Vamps and the City.......2006-12-11

Although some people might enjoy the benefits of being a vampire (can you say live forever and superhuman strength?), Darcy Newhart did not. Four years ago, she lost her job, her family, and her freedom (not to mention her life) when she was turned without her consent. Yet things are looking up. Now that Roman Draganesti, the Master of the harem to which she belonged (how medieval is that?!), was engaged to a mortal woman, she has the chance to change her life (okay, afterlife). Contacting the Digital Vampire Network (DVN for short), she pitches a new show and is hired to direct the first Vampire reality show: The Sexiest Man on Earth. Using five of the female vampires from Roman's harem as judges and a combination of vampire and human (talk about ratings boosts!) contestants, she sets out to create a hit as well as a new life for herself. Yet what happens when she can't resist one of the mortal contestants? Will she risk her new job and life for him?

Austin Erickson (AKA Adam on The Sexiest Man on Earth) is actually an undercover CIA operative working to gather information about vampires. With his off-the-chart psychic abilities, he's able to infiltrate the enemy's lair (so what if it's a luxurious penthouse?), gather information (including photos of the gorgeous Darcy), and prepare to rid the world of a few evil vamps. Yet once he really gets to know Darcy, he realizes he may just be falling in love with her. Can he compete with the vampire contestants long enough for him and Darcy to decide just what to do about their relationship...and his vampire slaying job?

How did I ever miss this series? Kerrelyn Sparks has created a wacky, witty, wonderful world in Vamps and the City. The characters are fresh and most definitely unique and the story is so much more that what you'd expect. On one level there is the romance that builds between Darcy and Austin. Both know that nothing can come of it yet neither can resist the pull between them. They each get into quite a few escapades while trying to deny their feelings and jumping each other's bones. On top of that, there is the growth of the harem vampires who learn to value their self worth. Their outlooks on life, sex and masters will leave you laughing out loud and have you cheering for them. Finally, the shift in prejudices between both the vamps and the humans is skillfully woven into this lighthearted reality spoof. I can easily recommend Vamps in the City as one book that you won't want to put down. Not only that, it will leave you eagerly anticipating the next story in the series.

Georgia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

The City Of Light: The Hidden Journal of the Man Who Entered China Four Years Before Marco Polo

Average customer rating:

many indications that this is largely a 20th Century work
Ian Myles Slater on: A Remarkable Book, as Memoir or Fiction
Excellent.
Boring!
Brilliant. ...One way or another.

The City Of Light: The Hidden Journal of the Man Who Entered China Four Years Before Marco Polo
Jacob D'Ancona
Manufacturer: Citadel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Medieval | World | History | Subjects | Books

Travel | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela: Travels in the Middle Ages
The Travels of Marco Polo
The Travels of Ibn Battuta: in the Near East, Asia and Africa, 1325-1354 (Dover Books on Travel, Adventure)

ASIN: 1559725230

Book Description

In 1270 a scholarly Jewish merchant called Jacob d'Ancona set out on a voyage from Italy. A year later, he arrived in China at the coastal metropolis of Zaitun, the "City of Light" (now known as Quanzhou), four years before Marco Polo arrived at Xanadu in 1275. Nothing was known of this epochal journey until 1990, when David Selbourne was shown d'Ancona's account of his travels, a remarkable manuscript that had been hidden from public view for more than seven centuries. Eventually translated and edited by Selbourne and published in Great Britain in October 1997 as The City of Light, the account was praised as providing an unparalleled insight into life in the medieval world.

Controversy followed. Selbourne had pledged to the manuscript's owner that he would not reveal its whereabouts, and that raised doubts about its authenticity. As a result of U.S. sinologists' criticism of plans for American publication, the first edition was canceled.

Now, a year later, Birch Lane Press happily publishes the controversial work. Criticisms of the textual evidence of d'Ancona's account have been answered by Selbourne. Most notably, other academics--particularly and significantly, in China--have come to the support of d'Ancona's account. The work is to be published in a Chinese translation.

Vivid and insightful, this account has great historical significance. It not only describes the adventures of a medieval trader, but also comments on Chinese society and manners through the eyes of a European man of learning. The City of Light brings spectacularly to life d'Ancona's encounter with one of the world's great civilizations.

Customer Reviews:

many indications that this is largely a 20th Century work.......2004-05-27

This volume starts out as a plausable enough chronicle of a Jewish merchant from Italy who travels to China and so on, but very quickly it becomes apparent that this is just the setting for a series of philosophical debates that the merchant partakes in with other groups in the "City of Light".

It is written like no other narrative from the past I have seen and is quite long as well. Although I am no expert on that time and place, and there are none who truly are, what really makes it suspect is the fact that most of the work fails to give details of how people lived and what things were like at that time and place and instead concentrates on the dialogues that he is invited to and partakes in. And all of the matters that they discuss are those that would preoccupy the mind of a person in the late 20th Century. Which either means that people in the 13th Century had identical problems to those we have today, or that this was written by someone in the late 20th Century. He even forsees the Holocaust at one point.

There is nothing that would secure it as authentic and many indications that this is largely a 20th Century work, enough to make it well accepted as a forgery until proven otherwise (which I never expect to happen). As for what it contains and the value of its philosophical debates, it offers nothing in the way of secure arguments, unless you already accept the Jewish religious teachings as a source of unchallenged wisdom. It also was rather long without adding much. It might have been better to publish this as a modern philosophical novel, which would have permitted it to be a better novel, without attempting to mislead scholars, that can cause trouble for years. Although I realize that from a publishing standpoint, it gets more attention to claim authenticity.

Also, he (Selbourne) clips off the return journey, which might have been one of the only authentic parts in the book. I paid full price for this book when it was first published and I consider it was not worth it.

Ian Myles Slater on: A Remarkable Book, as Memoir or Fiction.......2003-10-17

I am glad to see that the (delayed) American edition of this book is now in paperback. It differs from the UK edition (which I have also reviewed) mainly by including "Remarks on The City of Light " by Wang Lianmao, in which modern Chinese scholarship is used to reply to some of the criticism directed against it by Westerners. Specialists in the history of the region find some puzzles, and probable errors made by a foreigner, but nothing to suggest a modern fraud. They seem willing to accept it as an authentic account of southern China by a foreigner, describing events shortly before the arrival of Marco Polo in the following of the Mongol (Yuan) conqueror. (Probably wisely, they do not seem to have offered an opinion on how authentic the foreigner -- an Italian Jew -- looks to them.)

Curiously, Frances Wood, whose "Did Marco Polo Go to China?" argues that the Venetian merchant stayed in western Asia, and got all his information from others, who left no record of their adventures, seems to have joined in denouncing Jacob of Ancona as a fabrication, even though this must have seemed like manna from heaven for her theory. (By the way, it seems clear to me that, despite various major and minor interpolations and deletions in the manuscript tradition, Marco Polo did travel in East Asia -- so maybe I'm gullible.)

I would add, from my own cursory research, that I have some problems with the supposedly convincing argument that the use of the term "mellah" for "Jewish Quarter" in Muslim lands is anachronistic. This argument depends on accepting one version of the etymology and history of the word. It is, however, less than completely certain; Roger Le Tourneau, in "Fez in the Age of the Marinides" (English translation 1961), reviewed the complicated evidence, and suggested that the consensus, including how long the word was in use and when and where it was adopted, might be wrong.

From a Jewish perspective, I can accept Jacob of Ancona as a plausible figure (and perhaps more typical than Selbourne, to judge from his notes, realizes). The combination of length and literary quality in a memoir seems unusual for the period, but the translator reports omitting some sections at the end, and felicitous translation can add charm without being unfaithful. Some medieval writings *are* inordinately long -- and long-winded.

Jaob's report of debates with Chinese officials leaves me wondering if both his contacts and his discussions were really on such a high level (especially with both sides using some sort of "trade speech" and translators), but self-congratulatory memoirs are not a modern invention.

On the basis of Chinese reactions, I am prepared to accept the work as authentic, although not completely reliable as a record of fact (is anything?). If it is a fraud -- and only an examination of the manuscript seems likely to prove it -- its creator would surely have been better rewarded by emulating Eco's "Name of the Rose," and publishing it as historical fiction of a high order.

Excellent........2002-04-11

OK, nobody else has seen the original, so there's no way of verifying if this is a true translation or a hoax. If it is a hoax, it's a danmed good one, written so well, with lots of research to back it up, that I for one don't care.
This is just brilliant, true or hoax, it gives a deep insight into the Jewish support network and all the opposition & prejudice that Jews had to deal with.
It knocks Marco Polo's account into a cocked hat; incisive philosophy, intimate desriptions of mediaeval life and trade are enough to grant this a place on anyone's bookshelf, true or not.

Boring!.......2001-08-03

In a word: BORING! This book would have been twice as good were it half as long. Selbourne has cut the end and would have done well to cut the middle as well. Jacob's incessant protestations of piety are tedious. He hypocritically condemns everyone around him for greed and self-interest but his own actions, though ostensibly high-minded, are also dictated almost solely by financial motives. For this reason his criticism of others rings hollow. His world view is remarkably narrow and parochial for someone so widely traveled. While he makes extensive observations of the conduct of others, there is no effort to appreciate their viewpoints. I am also skeptical of the provenance of this book. The social debates described have a very contemporary tenor and are relevant to our own times. If this were in fact an authenticated manuscript, this resonance would be remarkable. However, the provenance of the book is in dispute and much space is devoted to supporting its authenticity. The resolution of this issue must await examination of the original manuscript but in the meantime I am skeptical because the discussions seem too modern.

Brilliant. ...One way or another........2001-07-14

This is simply one of the best books I have ever read. And it is definitely, hands down, with a doubt, the single funniest book I have ever read... though it isn't actually intended to be. Until the actual Ancona manuscript itself is made available for scrutiny, we will never know for sure if this text is authentic or a stunningly brilliant, almost cruelly sharp-witted satirical hoax. If it is the latter, it is still extremely impressive, informative and entertaining. Nearly every sentence is punctuated by the author Jacob's constant use of "May God be praised" or "May God spare me", or, for those individuals and groups he really despises: "May God strike them down" or "May God shorten their lives". I just could not stop laughing! - nor could I put the book down. Mr. Selbourne, wherever you are, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, sir. One way or another you have given us an amazing piece of work. May God magnify and bless you, and may He extend your life! Amen, Amen, Amen!

Average customer rating:

Perfect Bedtime Reading
Emphasis on historical "FICTION"
Wonderful
Great Historical Novel!
Buffalo and Niagara provide background..................

City of Light
Lauren Belfer
Manufacturer: Dial Press Trade Paperback
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Power Failure: Politics, Patronage, And the Economic Future of Buffalo, New York
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ASIN: 0385337647
Release Date: 2003-08-26

Amazon.com

City of Light is quite simply electrifying. Not that there's anything simple about this rich novel, which is first and foremost an examination of illusion, invisibility, and power--physical and personal. Set in the spring of 1901, as preparations for the Pan-American Exposition would seem to promise Buffalo, New York, a permanent place in the world, Lauren Belfer's book is narrated by the never-married headmistress of a fashionable girls' school. At 36, Louisa Barrett does her best to free her charges from their societal shackles. "I'm rather ashamed of all the things I've been able to give my students through the subterfuge of training them to be better wives," she says proudly. What Louisa is most concerned about, however, is her 9-year-old goddaughter, Grace Sinclair, who has grown increasingly unstable since her mother's sudden death. Meanwhile, Grace's father is heading up Buffalo's hydroelectric power plans with dangerous zeal--much to the chagrin of local conservationists who oppose any exploitation of Niagara Falls. Will Tom's intensity, which smacks of fanaticism, extend so far as murder?

But this offers only the barest idea of Belfer's complex grid. In 500 fast pages, she creates a fascinating, disquieting world in which nothing is what it seems. As Louisa battles against her instinct for self-preservation, her past--particularly a vile encounter with the corpulent Grover Cleveland--threatens to undermine her carefully created persona and loose her greatest secret. Looking back on the events of 1901 from the safety (and disappointment) of 1909, Louisa is the most astringent and intriguing of narrators. To Lauren Belfer's endless credit, City of Light is panoramic, subtle, and very physical. In her first novel, she makes us feel the rush of water, the thrill of light, the snap, crackle, and pop of social tension, and--alas for Louisa--the despair of tragic inevitability. --Sophie Atherton

Book Description

City of Light

The year is 1901. Buffalo, New York, is poised for glory. With its booming industry and newly electrified streets, Buffalo is a model for the century just beginning.

Louisa Barrett has made this dazzling city her home. Headmistress of Buffalo’s most prestigious school, Louisa is at ease in a world of men, protected by the titans of her city. But nothing prepares her for a startling discovery: evidence of a murder tied to the city’s cathedral-like power plant at nearby Niagara Falls. This shocking crime--followed by another mysterious death--will ignite an explosive chain of events. For in this city of seething intrigue and dazzling progress, a battle rages among politicians, power brokers, and industrialists for control of Niagara. And one extraordinary woman in their midst must protect a dark secret that implicates them all…

Customer Reviews:

Perfect Bedtime Reading.......2007-08-02

This is one of those books that you'll want to read just before turning out the light and closing your eyes. There is a good love story - with some interesting twists - and lush images of Buffalo at the turn of the 19th century - just as electricity was about to change to world. The book describes the history of the period in a very entertaining way. The story is charming and not overwrought so that you either can't get to sleep or can't remember the details the next night. I wish I could conjure up a steady supply of books like this.

Emphasis on historical "FICTION".......2007-03-15

This poorly - researched piece of drivel was a disappointment on several scores. She got the use of telephones wrong, the treatment of minorities wrong, social behaviors wrong. The characters go nowhere, the story goes nowhere. It was a waste of time.

Wonderful.......2007-01-18

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I thought it was very well written. I enjoyed reading about the time period...how women were treated, what the expectations were of 'ladies' and 'gentlemen', how minorities were treated and the politics of the time. I loved hearing about Buffalo and picturing how it must have looked then. I thought Lauren Belfer captured the magic and awe of Niagara Falls. I couldn't put this book down and I was not diappointed by the ending. I've read 46 books in the last 13 months and I have to say this was one of my favorites.

Great Historical Novel!.......2007-01-10

Having grown up in Buffalo (and still a die hard Bills fan!) I appreciated the historical turn of the century authenticity and detail. At the same time it's a great novel and a fun read in its own right. Congratulations to Lauren Belfer.

Buffalo and Niagara provide background.........................2006-10-27

Louisa Barret is the headmistress of an exclusive girls' school in Buffalo, New York. Louisa has created a life for herself in which she feels she can live without the usual constraints placed on women of that time. Her life has purpose, laying the foundation for the young girls to enter the adult world prepared to think a little differently and to make a difference. She has friends and associates and she is the Godmother of her deceased friends daughter. She seems content with many aspects of her life when a murder alters everything. The one secret from her past has the ability to destroy the life she has worked so hard to build. Louisa searches for the truth behind the crime, as information appears to provide a clue, it can just as easily destroy an innocent life. She learns to question everything and everyone around her until she can determine which of her friends are capable of the intrigue and deceit that surround the murder.
Her ability to render a picture into life with words that breathe spirit and depth into each scene are amazingly wrought.
The history of Buffalo and the development of Niagara Falls for electricity provide an interesting backdrop for an intense tale of love, betrayal and hope.
The only problem I had with this story is that the author brings in such a vast array of story lines that seem to be left unexplored that I was left with an "unfinished" feeling when all was said and done.
I enjoyed reading this book and at times could barely put it down. I wonder if these story lines will be further developed in future novels??

Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light

Average customer rating:

Exploring the clues to Paris's mysteries
Best Book on Paris
Indispensable curmudgeon
Merci, David and Alison!
Uniquely insightful glimpses of Paris, very well-written.

Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light
David Downie
Manufacturer: Transatlantic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Pictorial | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0976925109

Book Description

A collection of 30 witty, irreverent, perennial essays about Paris by the acclaimed author and journalist David Downie, a longtime Paris resident.

Customer Reviews:

Exploring the clues to Paris's mysteries.......2007-02-13

Downie's essays offers a quirky sense of humor and a wonderful eye for the details behind the details that at once demystify Paris and add to her mystery. Although the book is not a guide per se, the essays make me want to follow Downie's trails. As such, the book would have been better served with an index and some neighborhood maps. After all, give us a few more clues.

Best Book on Paris.......2007-01-18

This just couldn't get any better. It is full of interesting tidbits and numerous places to visit accompanied by stories of people and places you normally don't hear told. I couldn't put it down, and I have recommended it to several people.

Indispensable curmudgeon.......2007-01-12

A wonderfully ill-tempered, sentimental, and informed account of nooks and crannies in the most interesting of cities. If I could arrange it, I would introduce Downie to the venerable Guy Grangeret, a visite-conference guide to Paris who is nothing less than Downie's spiritual twin. Neither man's dicta are suitable for beginners: all that irony and allusion would be wasted. Both provide insights and make connections that enrich the experience as well as thinking of the seasoned visitor.

Merci, David and Alison!.......2006-07-25

Thank you, David and Alison, for sharing your Paris with me. Soon I will have the pleasure of spending a month in Paris, and the joy of being able to introduce my 16-year-old grandson to the greatest-of-all-cities. Your book deepened my knowledge of Paris, and will allow me to share more of its history with my grandson. I will be taking your book along, reading it in Paris, and looking for all those pieces of the city that you so beautifully described. Again, merci!

Uniquely insightful glimpses of Paris, very well-written........2006-06-20

In order to share my positive feelings about "Paris, Paris"
I am posting a copy of the e-mail I sent to the author and
photographer. Here goes:

Hello to David and Alison.

I want you to know how much I'm enjoying reading your
new book, "Paris, Paris", and looking at the
photographs.

I'm a Californian (San Mateo) who has visited Paris
fourteen times so far since 1986. There is a unique
magic to the city that keeps bringing me back.

In between trips to the City of Light, I read about
Paris whenever I get a chance. I have read at least a
couple of dozen books about Paris, but not until
"Paris, Paris" did I find a book that captures some of
the precise feelings and experiences I've had.

Let me start by saying that, when friends ask me why
they might enjoy a visit to Paris, I often say
something like, "When you're there, you know you're
there." (There is definitely a there there.) For me,
just popping out of a metro or RER station on arrival
in the city and looking around is a very special
thrill: "I am in Paris!" David mentions this,
especially in the chapter on street furniture,
capturing the essence of what I too experience.

Then there's the walk around the perimeter of the
Ile-Saint-Louis, counter-clockwise, of course. I
became fond of this circuit a few years ago, when I
walked the perimeters of both Ile-Saint-Louis and Ile
de la Cite the night before I had to depart for home.
I too enjoyed looking up at beamed ceilings, etc. It's
a nice walk by day, too, but extra special by night.
How interesting it was to me that David chose to write
about the same stroll.

Other points of agreement abound, particularly the
sadness at how some modern developments in Paris have
blighted their portions of the usually wonderful city.
Again David mentions something in particular I've also
noted, the "hairnets" on the unbelievably ugly
Bastille Opera. I further agree with his assessment
that Le Corbusier was a man whose work betrays no
human qualities or sense of humor. In fact, the man
seems to have had no soul.

Re the Place des Vosges, I enjoy the concerts given by
young people with violins and cellos on weekend
afternoons. Their spirited renditions of classical
selections and gypsy-style music are great. You must
have seen them under the arcades just to the left as
you enter under the Pavillion du Roi, yet you only
mention hack musicians in your description of the
Place des Vosges. An unfortunate oversight, or maybe
you don't like these musicians, either.

One of the wonders of reading is the ability to
connect with people you've never met, even those who
have died but left their writing behind. Sometimes you
find a kindred spirit of sorts of a kind you might
never encounter in person. Thank you for writing a
book of essays that gives me the sense of connection
to a like-minded (at least in some respects) person.

One last remark: I read a lot. Only rarely do I come
across a contemporary book as well written as "Paris,
Paris." So congratulations too for your skill at the
craft of writing.

Best wishes!

Bruce Nelson

The Urban Astronomer's Guide: A Walking Tour of the Cosmos for City Sky Watchers (Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series)

Average customer rating:

Great Book for City Dwelling Amatuer Astronomers!
Indispenisble definitive guide for citybound deep-sky enthusiasts!
Another quality book from Rod
Outstanding Repeat read value

The Urban Astronomer's Guide: A Walking Tour of the Cosmos for City Sky Watchers (Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series)
Rod Mollise
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1846282160

Book Description

Most amateur astronomers yearn to observe more frequently. Many of them, however, live in urban and highly developed suburban areas that are heavily light polluted. Due to this light pollution, they are under the impression that deep sky objects—nebulae, galaxies, star clusters—are either invisible or not worth viewing from home. This book describes the many objects that can be seen in a bright urban sky, and shows the city or suburban astronomer how to observe object after object, season after season.

This book covers the "why," "how," and "what" of astronomy under light-polluted skies. The prospective city-based observer is told why to observe from home (there are hundreds of spectacular objects to be seen from the average urban site), how to observe the city sky (telescopes, accessories, and moderns techniques), and what to observe. About 50% of the book is devoted to describing "tours" of the sky, with physical and observational descriptions, at-the-eyepiece drawings, and photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book for City Dwelling Amatuer Astronomers!.......2007-02-16

Living in the South Florida Peninsula, you get used to light pollution. In 2005, I purchased my first "real" telescope and soon learned how badly light polluted South Florida really is. Although a trip to a dark sky site is only 60 miles away, I live in the suburbs outside of Miami and wanted to take advantage of my decent sized back yard. My sky's limiting magnitude is around 4, the sky towards the north is a grayish white haze where only Polaris is visible and the big dipper if high enough in the sky. The rest of the sky is a little better but after 2 years of limited success in searching for DSOs, I decided to look for help.
The Urban Astronomer's Guide may be the help I require. The book is well written and easy to follow. This book was written where beginners as well as intermediate amateur astronomers would find it interesting.
Part I of the book entitled: Telescopes and Techniques covers everything from the why one would want to observe from the city to the writers experience with types of telescopes and needed techniques to beat the light pollution blues. Mr. Mollise explains the advantages in large and short focal length telescopes and which objects benefit from either type. The author discusses in great detail the differences between the different types of Light-Pollution Reduction Filters, eyepieces, finders, computer software, print atlases, etc.
The book discuses techniques which experienced amateurs may be familiar with but beginners and intermediates may have heard have but not understand completely. Things like the use of averted vision, "jiggling" the telescope to tease out details in faint objects. Dark Adaptation is discussed and it's importance, all invaluable lessons that every amateur astronomer should learn.
Part II of the book entitled: A Walking Tour of the Cosmos is what makes this book a keeper. This section of the book goes over examples of objects that are perfect for city observation. The four chapters as you might imagine are broken up by season, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. Each season gives 4 lists of objects that the Author feels are viewable for the given season and time. An example of such a tour is Spring's Tour 1. Objects included in this tour are M94, M51, M106, M63, M81, M82, M101, M97, M3 and the Double Star Cor Caroli.

Each object is discussed in detail with the author's notes from his personal journal. Mr. Mollise discusses the use of filters that can enhance a particular object, magnification that should be used to view certain objects, and what you should expect to see at the eyepiece. The author also includes his personal illustrations of objects he's included in his journals, which gives you a good idea of what you should be able to see in the eyepiece. The illustrations are very good and to me are much more useful than the Hubble type images commonly seen in astronomy books.
The only thing I found a little odd about this book would be the inclusion of such difficult to see objects as M1 and M51. The author even writes: "Sadly, I have to admit that in the city it (M51) is something of a dud." He also writes: "you have to be satisfied just to say you've seen it (M1)." These are just two of several objects the author himself confesses are extremely challenging, if not impossible to view from a light-polluted location. Why not focus on objects that are less challenging? Maybe have one object at the end of each tour that might be a challenge.
This is not to say the book does not reward the reader with some surprisingly easy to see objects. I was recently treated to a "hidden treasure" in the open cluster M46. As it turns out there is a small planetary nebulae (NGC2438) within this semi-impressive cluster that makes M46 a showpiece object in my opinion. If not for this book, I may not have spent much more than 10 minutes viewing M46. I now find myself going back to it time after time just as I do with M42 and M45.
Overall the book is a good read. This book in written for beginner's with some experience and can be useful to intermediate amateurs who might not be getting the most from their telescopes due to light pollution issues within the Urban setting. Part II in particular I've found invaluable and it will definitely keep me coming back for more.

Indispenisble definitive guide for citybound deep-sky enthusiasts!.......2006-09-02

This is a work that has been long overdue. A book on urban astronomy that focuses soley on deep-sky objects, and practical recommendations for how to view them, equipment and techniques. A most comprehensive list, more than any other book of its kind. But by no means the only things that can be seen, there are more than in this book (as I have discovered). But by showing what you can see, you can try for more.

Another quality book from Rod.......2006-07-05

Rod writes with an authority about many subjects at hand, but his style is very approachable and appreciated by us amateurs. His subject matter is applicable to my Miami (Florida) skies and I am proud to display this book among the many astronomy books that I own.

Adam Stuart
Miami, Florida

Outstanding Repeat read value.......2006-07-04

This is an excellent book for anyone who lives in light polluted skies (OK, this includes EVERYONE EAST of the Mississippi river, and a good part of the rest of the civilized world).

Rod's approach and writing style, make this a good book for amateur astronomer's of all levels.

The first half of the book is filled with tips, and ideas, and how-to's that are worth the price of the book alone, all designed to help everyone get the most out of their skies no matter how much light pollution they have. Nothing will make the light pollution go away, so Rod's book is the perfect inspiration for those of us who feel like giving up when we look up and see so few stars from our urban or suburban locations.

The second half holds the key to making this an outstanding book for generations to come, because Rod goes into detail with personal observation's and descriptions about a large number of objects that those of us with "darkness-challenged" skies will still be able to enjoy. All of this gives Rod's book a very high repeat read value, since Rod covers objects for all seasons, and his Southern wit, charm, and humor combine to make this a 5 stars book.

Illusions of Security: Global Surveillance And Democracy in the Post-9/11 World (City Lights Open Media)

Average customer rating:

"Illusions Of Security" should be read by every American citizen regardless whether their political philosophies
Democracy at its best

Illusions of Security: Global Surveillance And Democracy in the Post-9/11 World (City Lights Open Media)
Maureen Webb
Manufacturer: City Lights Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Civil Rights & Liberties | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic (American Empire Project)
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A Power Governments Cannot Suppress

ASIN: 0872864766

Book Description

Did you know that your government is watching you? That it buys personal data from private contractors and foreign governments? That it collects this information to "predict" whether you might be a terrorist? That if you are singled out, no one may be able to help you? In light of the recent terrorist threats at U.K and U.S. airports, this book is a timely and provocative read about what governments should and should not be doing to protect us from further terrorist attacks. It is a crucial look at a little-examined aspect of the U.S.-led "war on terror"; the move toward the use of mass, globalized surveillance and a "preemptive" model of security, and its effects on democratic values and human rights around the world. "Maureen Webb pulls all the pieces together - special rendition, no fly lists, biometric surveillance, warrant-less wire taps, torture - to create a harrowing picture of post 9-11 state repression. This valuable guide makes clear how dramatically civil liberties have been attacked in recent years." Christian Parenti, author of "The Freedom: Shadows and Hallucinations in Occupied Iraq," "The Soft Cage," and "Lockdown America" "A thorough and terrifying compendium of the threats to democracy posed by the unquestioning use of technology. The book urges us not to stand by as governments seek to replace the rule of law with faulty databases searched by unproven computer algorithms. Maureen Webb portrays a frightening image of high-placed officials playing with their technological toys; meanwhile the real world - and its real insecurities - elude them." Ellen Ullman, author of "The Bug: A Novel" and "Close to the Machine" "Your government is spying on you, and it's going to get worse until we do something about it," is Maureen Webb's message in her brilliant, much needed new book. In measured, lucid detail, Webb presents a wide-ranging account of the emerging global network of surveillance that is infringing on the personal privacy and civil liberties of people in the United States and world wide. Focusing on U.S.-led initiatives in the aftermath of of 9/11, Webb's timely book describes how governments are spying on not only foreigners, but also their own citizens, and sharing the data with other countries and big corporations. She reminds us that we live in a political moment in which the world's primary advocate of democracy--the United States-- is engaging in indefinite detentions, torture, extrajudicial killings, and domestic spying. " -- Nadine Strossen, Executive Director, ACLU

Customer Reviews:

"Illusions Of Security" should be read by every American citizen regardless whether their political philosophies.......2007-06-09

"Illusions Of Security: Global Surveillance And Democracies In The Post-9/11 World" by human rights lawyer and activist Maureen Webb offers an eye-opening expose about the secret domestic spying programs that the Bush administration introduced with the passive acquiesce of a Republican controlled congress over the past six years. Even with congress under the limited control of the Democrats, the Bush government is still watching the American public, buying personal data from private contractors and foreign governments. The pretense is that the Bush administration collections this information in order to 'predict' who might be a terrorist. God help you if you are caught up in this web of internal security. Not since the "Watergate Papers" of a generation past has there been so critically important an expose published on what the American government is doing to the American citizenry. Simply put, if our nation is to remain a bastion of democracy, "Illusions Of Security" should be read by every American citizen regardless whether their political philosophies are liberal or progressive, conservative or libertarian, democrat or republican or independent.

Democracy at its best.......2007-02-13

Maureen Webb courageously steps forward to elevate our debate, expressing real concerns about the flipside of security. What are the downsides of enhanced security, what are we really giving up to achieve security, and how will this impact our future democracy are all questions Illusions of Security addresses.

This is the best book I've found so far, (and I've read numerous others), because it includes all the main points, gives better examples that are not so academic, and because Maureen Webb writes as a real person talking to us as a friend would - not like some professor who clearly knows more than us and wants us to know they know more than us.

Even though the subjects are complex ones, muddied further by politics, our own fear of terrorists, and politicians who we have become accustomed to just trusting, anyone interested in preserving democracy must face the discomfort of these subjects and at least hear the other side.

At a time when differing viewpoints have been labeled as treasonous and those suggesting them have been accused of "assisting the terrorists" Illusions of Security illustrates how debate is fundamental to democracy. Beginning with real life events carried out in the name of enhanced security, a reader does not need much imagination to perceive the hazard to real people that government secrecy brings. It also does not take much imagination to realize "it could have been me" that faced those threats.

Skillfully Maureen Webb takes us through her concerns, showing us the flipside of what we have been told we need for the sake of national security; Presidential secrecy and spying, preemption, global registration, etc. Illusions of Security does a great job of putting the complex ideas and issues of the other side of national security into simple terms we can all understand. Maureen Webb offers solid analogies throughout the text which make it easy to see how this is relevant to today and not something to be dismissed. I would highly recommend this book but encourage you to slow down when reading it, take the time to read and re-read if necessary, and discuss it with friends!

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