Review of Fruit of a Poisonous Tree (Paperback)

Filled with suspense, intrigue, and memorable descriptions of the sea's beauty, and her treachery, Norm Harris's 'Fruit of a Poisonous Tree' launches US Navy surface Captain Egan Fletcher and JAG lawyer Commander Faydra Green on their individual star-crossed careers in an outstanding nautical yarn. This is a book with a great premise and a book with all the tension of a really good suspense novel. It's one of those on-the-run stories that features both appealing officers and lower-echelon military personnel for whom God, duty, honour, and country are not just words but credos.

The plot is complex but tightly knit and well controlled, with devastating subplots erupting in, of all places, a quaint (?) little third world nation know as Chosun (actually North Korea -today's powder keg). Naturally, the book bristles like a raging sea battle with intricate military hardware, from ghost ships to top-secret spy planes - like the Aurora, which the US Air Force still denies exists. Trailing in the wake is a whole bundle of intrigue and even a touch of romance that floats just below the surface, like a submarine waiting to rise when the moment is right. And when it did finally break out it happened with such suddenness and with such tenderness that I found myself reaching for a tissue (metaphorically, of course! I'm a doctor - I'm used to these things!)

Don't go away with the impression that this is a Clancy lookalike (though it's difficult to avoid the similarities in a novel of such depth and accuracy). In 'Fruit of a Poisonous Tree' author Harris sets his own course and spins his own tale of piracy, deception, high treason, and murder - though maybe Clancy will be forced to step aside soon and make way for some younger blood.

A great story with a great plot. You shouldn't miss it.

Product Description
When a young Navy SEAL is savagely murdered in a Seattle alley, presumably by a Marine Corps war hero,Navy lawyer Faydra Green is ordered to investigate. Although this is her first homicide assignment, it doesnot take Faydra long to decide the accused man is innocent.

Someone wants her investigation to quietly disappear, but Faydra is determined to clear the accused man'sname, discover why she has been made an accessory to a cover up, and find out who is responsible. Butshe will need all her wits about her to unravel the intricate web of lies and deception that stand between herand the answers she seeks.

Faydra's quest for the truth launches her on a heart-pounding voyage across the world in a desperate raceagainst time. Along the way, she will contend with the murky backwaters of governmental dirty deals andinternational intrigue, follow every lead, and risk her life in a bid to halt a catastrophic conflict that has threenations on the brink of war.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Fruit of a Poisonous Tree (Paperback)

Review of Fruit of a Poisonous Tree (Paperback)

Filled with suspense, intrigue, and memorable descriptions of the sea's beauty, and her treachery, Norm Harris's 'Fruit of a Poisonous Tree' launches US Navy surface Captain Egan Fletcher and JAG lawyer Commander Faydra Green on their individual star-crossed careers in an outstanding nautical yarn. This is a book with a great premise and a book with all the tension of a really good suspense novel. It's one of those on-the-run stories that features both appealing officers and lower-echelon military personnel for whom God, duty, honour, and country are not just words but credos.

The plot is complex but tightly knit and well controlled, with devastating subplots erupting in, of all places, a quaint (?) little third world nation know as Chosun (actually North Korea -today's powder keg). Naturally, the book bristles like a raging sea battle with intricate military hardware, from ghost ships to top-secret spy planes - like the Aurora, which the US Air Force still denies exists. Trailing in the wake is a whole bundle of intrigue and even a touch of romance that floats just below the surface, like a submarine waiting to rise when the moment is right. And when it did finally break out it happened with such suddenness and with such tenderness that I found myself reaching for a tissue (metaphorically, of course! I'm a doctor - I'm used to these things!)

Don't go away with the impression that this is a Clancy lookalike (though it's difficult to avoid the similarities in a novel of such depth and accuracy). In 'Fruit of a Poisonous Tree' author Harris sets his own course and spins his own tale of piracy, deception, high treason, and murder - though maybe Clancy will be forced to step aside soon and make way for some younger blood.

A great story with a great plot. You shouldn't miss it.

Product Description
When a young Navy SEAL is savagely murdered in a Seattle alley, presumably by a Marine Corps war hero,Navy lawyer Faydra Green is ordered to investigate. Although this is her first homicide assignment, it doesnot take Faydra long to decide the accused man is innocent.

Someone wants her investigation to quietly disappear, but Faydra is determined to clear the accused man'sname, discover why she has been made an accessory to a cover up, and find out who is responsible. Butshe will need all her wits about her to unravel the intricate web of lies and deception that stand between herand the answers she seeks.

Faydra's quest for the truth launches her on a heart-pounding voyage across the world in a desperate raceagainst time. Along the way, she will contend with the murky backwaters of governmental dirty deals andinternational intrigue, follow every lead, and risk her life in a bid to halt a catastrophic conflict that has threenations on the brink of war.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Fruit of a Poisonous Tree (Paperback)

Review of Fruit of a Poisonous Tree (Paperback)

Filled with suspense, intrigue, and memorable descriptions of the sea's beauty, and her treachery, Norm Harris's 'Fruit of a Poisonous Tree' launches US Navy surface Captain Egan Fletcher and JAG lawyer Commander Faydra Green on their individual star-crossed careers in an outstanding nautical yarn. This is a book with a great premise and a book with all the tension of a really good suspense novel. It's one of those on-the-run stories that features both appealing officers and lower-echelon military personnel for whom God, duty, honour, and country are not just words but credos.

The plot is complex but tightly knit and well controlled, with devastating subplots erupting in, of all places, a quaint (?) little third world nation know as Chosun (actually North Korea -today's powder keg). Naturally, the book bristles like a raging sea battle with intricate military hardware, from ghost ships to top-secret spy planes - like the Aurora, which the US Air Force still denies exists. Trailing in the wake is a whole bundle of intrigue and even a touch of romance that floats just below the surface, like a submarine waiting to rise when the moment is right. And when it did finally break out it happened with such suddenness and with such tenderness that I found myself reaching for a tissue (metaphorically, of course! I'm a doctor - I'm used to these things!)

Don't go away with the impression that this is a Clancy lookalike (though it's difficult to avoid the similarities in a novel of such depth and accuracy). In 'Fruit of a Poisonous Tree' author Harris sets his own course and spins his own tale of piracy, deception, high treason, and murder - though maybe Clancy will be forced to step aside soon and make way for some younger blood.

A great story with a great plot. You shouldn't miss it.

Product Description
When a young Navy SEAL is savagely murdered in a Seattle alley, presumably by a Marine Corps war hero,Navy lawyer Faydra Green is ordered to investigate. Although this is her first homicide assignment, it doesnot take Faydra long to decide the accused man is innocent.

Someone wants her investigation to quietly disappear, but Faydra is determined to clear the accused man'sname, discover why she has been made an accessory to a cover up, and find out who is responsible. Butshe will need all her wits about her to unravel the intricate web of lies and deception that stand between herand the answers she seeks.

Faydra's quest for the truth launches her on a heart-pounding voyage across the world in a desperate raceagainst time. Along the way, she will contend with the murky backwaters of governmental dirty deals andinternational intrigue, follow every lead, and risk her life in a bid to halt a catastrophic conflict that has threenations on the brink of war.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Fruit of a Poisonous Tree (Paperback)

Review of Fruit of a Poisonous Tree (Paperback)

Filled with suspense, intrigue, and memorable descriptions of the sea's beauty, and her treachery, Norm Harris's 'Fruit of a Poisonous Tree' launches US Navy surface Captain Egan Fletcher and JAG lawyer Commander Faydra Green on their individual star-crossed careers in an outstanding nautical yarn. This is a book with a great premise and a book with all the tension of a really good suspense novel. It's one of those on-the-run stories that features both appealing officers and lower-echelon military personnel for whom God, duty, honour, and country are not just words but credos.

The plot is complex but tightly knit and well controlled, with devastating subplots erupting in, of all places, a quaint (?) little third world nation know as Chosun (actually North Korea -today's powder keg). Naturally, the book bristles like a raging sea battle with intricate military hardware, from ghost ships to top-secret spy planes - like the Aurora, which the US Air Force still denies exists. Trailing in the wake is a whole bundle of intrigue and even a touch of romance that floats just below the surface, like a submarine waiting to rise when the moment is right. And when it did finally break out it happened with such suddenness and with such tenderness that I found myself reaching for a tissue (metaphorically, of course! I'm a doctor - I'm used to these things!)

Don't go away with the impression that this is a Clancy lookalike (though it's difficult to avoid the similarities in a novel of such depth and accuracy). In 'Fruit of a Poisonous Tree' author Harris sets his own course and spins his own tale of piracy, deception, high treason, and murder - though maybe Clancy will be forced to step aside soon and make way for some younger blood.

A great story with a great plot. You shouldn't miss it.

Product Description
When a young Navy SEAL is savagely murdered in a Seattle alley, presumably by a Marine Corps war hero,Navy lawyer Faydra Green is ordered to investigate. Although this is her first homicide assignment, it doesnot take Faydra long to decide the accused man is innocent.

Someone wants her investigation to quietly disappear, but Faydra is determined to clear the accused man'sname, discover why she has been made an accessory to a cover up, and find out who is responsible. Butshe will need all her wits about her to unravel the intricate web of lies and deception that stand between herand the answers she seeks.

Faydra's quest for the truth launches her on a heart-pounding voyage across the world in a desperate raceagainst time. Along the way, she will contend with the murky backwaters of governmental dirty deals andinternational intrigue, follow every lead, and risk her life in a bid to halt a catastrophic conflict that has threenations on the brink of war.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Fruit of a Poisonous Tree (Paperback)

Review of Valley of the Geeks: High-Tech Hijinks from Silicon Valley (Paperback)

When a book makes you laugh out loud, not once, but every chapter, you know you've found a comedic gem. Valley of the Geeks' biting satire on the state of high-tech companies in Silicon Valley is one of those books you want to read time and time again. I found myself actually quoting it so my colleagues would think I'm as witty as Zack Urlocker. It has been years since I've read a book that combined such incredible insight with intelligent humor.

The essays that roast such high-tech icons as Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, and Carly Fiorina first make you nod, then smile, and then laugh out loud.

And, the interspersed chapters of "Banner Ads We'd Like to See" are among the funniest things I've ever seen.They, alone, make Valley of the Geeks a must-have.

Product Description
Valley of the Geeks skewers Silicon Valley with high-tech hijinks that keep you laughing out loud. This new collection of essays includes the best original humor from the award-winning web site valleyofthegeeks.com. UrlockerÂ's unique blend of wit and wisdom cover everything from Larry EllisonÂ's ego to Bill GatesÂ' secret plan to take over the government.

Â- Cellular Hell
Â- Entrepreneurosis
Â- Akamai Sues Self
Â- Land of the Geeks
Â- Towards Simplexity
Â- Recession Cancelled
Â- Lonely at the Middle
Â- Dot Com Survivor.com
Â- Dear Miss Management
Â- Oracle Teams With Mafia
Â- A New Spin on Marketing
Â- Fast Track to the Ground Floor
Â- Microsoft Apologizes for Nukes
Â- What Not To Say To A Recruiter
Â- More Banner Ads WeÂ'd Like to See
Â- RTFM: The New High Tech Dictionary 2.0
Â- Telecom Depressed Â- Still CanÂ't Get Out Of Bed


About the Author
Zack Urlocker is a pseudonym for a Silicon Valley executive rapidly approaching his mid-life crisis.In his spare time, Mr. Urlocker is a marathon runner and digital piano tuner. He is married and has five computers.

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Review of The Husband's Dilemma: Stories (Hardcover)

After her stunning "Places to Look for a Mother," Nicole Stansbury had a lot to prove with her second book, this collection of short stories. Unfortunately she succeeds only in part.
Despite some trenchant writing, particularly when she is writing about wives, as in "The Apology," most of the stories contained herein lack that Stansbury laser intelligence and insight: "And if you didn't treat a life that way-if she didn't rise each and every morning with determination and a checklist and consequences for sloth-you were bound, she was bound. To lapse into depression, and to feel trivial and female."
The title story of this collection should have been the centerpiece of this work, the piece around which all the other stories revolve. But instead, Stansbury has the "husband" go on and on about his wife Kathy: "...Why does she have to shop?...What's so important to buy?...Is she a sicko?...is she insane?...like her trying to prove she was good in bed." And on and on ultimately culminating in what amounts to a date rape. If this is an attempt at humor, it falls very very flat.
But when Stansbury's writing is right on...it is right on: "I thought my joy, my ecstasy really was from the baby, and a whole lot of it was. But what I didn't know was how the morphine went into the brain and revealed my secret garden...it smelled of heavy tomatoes on the vine...and all that beauty made me sentimental and everything made me cry."
At this very early stage of Stansbury's career you would have to say that her world is the world of wives and families. But I'd hate to see her limiting herself to these subjects. As Joyce Carol Oates says in regards to the old adage "Write what you know": "The artist can inhabit any individual for the individual is irrelevant to art."
Nicole Stansbury is a writer of uncommon insight and more importantly one who seems to possess a damn lot of horse sense. I'd just like to see her obvious gifts applied to other subjects, other emotions, other lives.




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Review of Lauren Groveman's Kitchen: Nurturing Food for Family and Friends (Paperback)

I bought this book after purchasing Lauren Groveman's latest cookbook, I Love to Cook.I became intrigued with Ms. Groveman's message after I visited her website.Her philosophy of nurturing family and friends through cooking really resonated with me.As the mother of three boys and wife of a very hungry husband, mealtimes have always been a struggle for me.I was very glad to read I am not alone and there was someone who had devoted her entire career to spreading her message of hope for those of us who want to create a delicious and satisfying life.
After just a short time I have had phenomenal success with the recipes in this cookbook and I Love to Cook.Already the Sloppy Joes,Honey Roast Chicken and Macaroni and Cheese have become favorites. The Tuna Spread is to die for!Mom's cocoa mix has come in so handy this winter as have all of her pantry staple mixes and spice blends.Cooking has become easy now, this book has shown me how to make meals happen in a big and wonderful way.No more agonizing about what to make for dinner, now I just open the book and there is always something just right for dinner, lunch or breakfast!

This is the kind of recipe collection I have always dreamed about.The recipes run the gamut and there is something here for every appetite and every occasion.This is hands down the most delicious food I have ever made or eaten!My kids are trying things I never thought they would, they especially love knowing I am making things from scratch just for them!The recipes are so well written and so precise that I feel like she is in the room with me helping me along!
I have so many post it notes on different pages with recipes I cannot wait to try; Homemade Bagels, Potato Leek Soup with Chicken and Vegetables, Midnight Brownies( with or without a peanut butter pocket, yum!), the list goes on and on!

I would highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to lavish love and delicious food on those their loved ones.I never thought I could make food like this!I have made homemade bread twice already. For years I just could not figure out through my other cookbooks just how to have success with yeast breads and now after only a month I have had success twice!Ms. Groveman's quick and yeast bread recipes are THE best I have ever had.
I read the bread baking notes(Ch. 9) and it seemed as if the walls of Jericho came tumbling down.Finally I understood exactly what to do!That is the kind of teaching this book has to offer. Precise, accurate and totally delicious!

Not only is Ms' Groveman trying to show us what to cook but how to cook with a purpose, with a larger picture in mind.It is apparent to me now that each time I shop for my family's meals,I am creating a memory through my cooking, not only a sensory memory but a memory my family will carry with them forever- perhaps to their own families and friends, of time shared and love deeply felt.Is there anything else more I could ask for?

I am so glad I found this incredible book(so is my family).It has been a wonderful and delightful journey so far.

Very Highly Recommended!

Product Description
Lauren Groveman, host of the public television series "Home Cooking with Lauren Groveman," has perfected the art of cooking delicious, simple, homemade meals every day of the week--a luxury only dreamed of by most schedule-driven cooks. Lauren Groveman's Kitchen, revised and updated and now available at long last in paperback, makes them possible again with a comprehensive, inspiring book that reinvents cooking as a relaxing, creative, fulfilling activity for even the busiest people. Replete with expert advice on the basics as well as innovative twists on recipes drawn from a wide array of culinary traditions, this is the book that can teach both the novice and experienced cook how to make soul-satisfying meals ranging from the homey to the sophisticated. Detailed, clearly written instructions, tips on time management, and an entire chapter on bread making (not to mention several brand-new recipes!) are just some of the features that make this generous volume the most dog-eared, sauce-stained reference in every kitchen.

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