Review of The Easy Hour: A Novel of Leisure (Paperback)

I became acquainted with Leslie Stella's work when she submitted one of the best short stories my magazine had received all year (look for it in the Fall 2003 issue of THE ADIRONDACK REVIEW, as well as an interview with the author). Since the story was serious and literary in nature, I was unsure how I would react to THE EASY HOUR. It sounded fun, but would it be worthwhile? I wasn't sure. Let me tell you that it was difficult to put down. EASY's protagonist, Lisa Galisa, had me unsure if I was going to like her or be annoyed by her in the beginning -- but as she grew as a person, she grew on me.

I thought the characters were very well developed, and I could easily see this book becoming a movie. It has all the right elements: great plot twists, lovable eccentric sidekicks (and not overdone!), a fast pace, and tons of charm and wit. It had humorous moments -- perhaps not of the knee-slapping variety, but the kind that makes you smile a lot, and wish the book would last just a few more days.

This book has a lot of insight, much more than the blurbs might have you believe. It's not just a fun novel. You'll see more underneath, subtly spelled out in Stella's refreshingly non-preachy manner. Frankly, although I already very much believed in Ms. Stella's capacity as a writer, I just wasn't sure if I would be able to relate to the setting and characters since they were so far removed from my own life and I usually find these kinds of characters annoying, petty, and predictable. In the end, it's what made this whole book so enjoyable -- getting into someone else's world and being able to indentify with someone you thought you would neither be able to nor particularly want to. Lisa Galisa is a sympathetic character and you find yourself rooting for her most of the time, yet she is still human, which makes her both more and less attractive as a person. Her sister, a McDonald's worker-turned-pet-psychic, is particularly gentle and quirky. Her stereotypically gay friend, Tim, is portrayed well as her "best friend," but the nature of their relationship is brought under the light at one point and forces Lisa to wonder how close she really is to him, and why they are friends in the first place.

I very much enjoy Leslie Stella's style of writing: she is witty, highly observant, as all good writers are, and compassionate while retaining subtlety throughout. I warmly recommend this book and look forward to reading Ms. Stella's next novel.



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Review of All the Presidents' Pets: The Story of One Reporter Who Refused to Roll Over (Paperback)

This is one of the oddest, funniest - and most fact-packed -- books I've read in a long time, and certainly one of the most surreal books I've ever read, which is basically a survey of presidential history and politics set against contemporary issues in the guise of the story of Mo Rocca being appointed a White House correspondent for CNN to compete with the Presidential Pet beat (read - White House propaganda) being monopolized by Fox News.Are you with me?If you saw this year's RNC, and the video about Barney helping sway voters across the country, well, that kind of shilling is basically what is at the heart of this book. And it's filled with cameos by political pundits and politicians and celebrities and all sorts of pop culture references that range from ironic to down right inspired, as well as real honest to god history. It's sort of Monty Python meets....something, I can't quite figure out, but it's sort of screaming cult status.Oh, and then there's the "thriller" that runs through the book where Rocca uncovers the "real influence"presidential pets have had in shaping the country that is suspiciously like the Da Vinci Code, albino (named Gephart), "holy" grail and all.Right on.



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Review of Have Glove, Will Travel: Adventures of a Baseball Vagabond (Paperback)

I was going to rate this book three stars, but the book rallied in the last few chapters.I was not interested in reading about Bill Lee's adventures around the world as it applied to drugs and other hell-raising escapades.He was put on baseball's black list after going AWOL during a game with the Montreal Expos when a friend of his was unfairly, according to Lee, released.There is a wonderful chapter on the conversation he had with Ted Williams.Williams, of course, claims he made a living off of dumb pitchers.However, Lee challenged Teddy Ballgame by saying he could tell him one reason Williams was such a good hitter that Ted wasn't even aware of.The skeptical, but curious, Williams decided to hear what Lee had to say.After having Williams conduct a simple experiment involving his eyes, Lee made a believer of Williams in regard to which of Williams' eyes was the dominant one.Lee genuinely loves the game of baseball as has previous generations in his family.In fact, his aunt, Annabelle Lee, was a professional ballplayer for nine seasons as the ace left-hander for several women's baseball teams during the 1940's.Her uniform hangs in the Baseball Hall of Fame.For Lee to continue playing wherever a ballgame can be found shows he has a genuine love for the game.There are some very funny anecdotes that will be fun to pass on to others.I give the book four stars rather than five, due to a lot of the aforementioned mischief stories involving drugs and alcohol.The last forty pages, however, make this book a worth while read.



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Review of 1,001 Ways to Keep Customers Coming Back: WOW Ideas That Make Customers Happy and Will Increase Your Bottom Line (Paperback)

Ever since The Loyalty Effect was published, companies have come to understand that it is usually far more profitable to keep existing customers than to acquire new ones.Since companies usually focus more ongetting the new ones, that left a problem for executives:What are goodways to retain customers?

The book vaults into the gap by addressingmajor areas like creating a better bundle of products and services (offerstamps in a card shop in a tourist town like Williamsburg where the postoffice has long lines), add incentives (free gifts, coupons, rebates,special financing, and contests), tap into or build communities ofinterests (like those who love Harleys), building trust by standing behindyour work (deliver what you promise and make good if you don't), give firstin order to receive (this often means helping a charitable purpose withsome of your proceeds), reward all customers as though they are your bestcustomer (with a smile, recognition, respect, etc.), treat your bestcustomers even better (they account for 80 percent of profits and therearen't very many of them), make it easy (automatic reorder andreplenishment), go to your customers, personalize what you offer to yourcustomers, and become a champ at customer service.

These are all validconcepts, and seeing 100 or so examples of each point makes it easier toimagine how to apply these principles to your own business.That's thestrength of the book.

My only quibble was that it seemed like theexamples pretty much came from the same companies in each area.I think Inow know more about Merrie Maids than I really need to know, and a lot ofthe examples are pretty obvious.Usually books of lists have more varietyand more intriguing examples.

Perhaps this limitation is just becausethis subject hasn't been thought about enough.I hope the authors comeback with an update on this book in a few years with zingy examples thatare based on things you, the reader, have developed as a result of studyingthis book.

May you have irresistible success in keeping your customers!



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Review of How to Iron Your Own Damn Shirt: The Perfect Husband Handbook Featuring Over 50 Foolproof Ways to Win, Woo & Wow Your Wife (Paperback)

Craig Boreth has done it yet again. First there was that other thing and now . . . this. Wow! What next? But, let's focus on this right now . . .

I must admit that I was immediately drawn to the hilariously strident tone of the title when I included the book in my Amazon guide "So You Want To Be Your Own Wife." But that is part of the brilliance of " . . . Damn Shirt . . ."'s concept: looks like a feminist screed, actually is a cleverly disguised spy manual for men to the secret and mysterious world of connubial bliss, nay, even concupiscience.

Ok, yes, my wife and I blithely disregarded the rules for reading (See "For Men Only" and "For Women Only") and read it selectively aloud together. We hooted again and again and agreed that it was not only funny but spot-on. Although we are surely not the target audience (my wife thinks farts are quite amusing and I find ironing meditative . . . go figure!), we loved the book and ordered a few more copies as gifts for friends.

On one level, the book's short chapter bites and Jay Mazhar's great illustrations make for the quintessential "coffee table/bathroom book." But it is much more. Each chapter---with great titles like "How To Eliminate Gas" and "How To Walk Slowly Through a Museum"---has a witty and humorous lead-in that then manages to segue into very real useful and well-researched information for, not just wife-pleasing and appearance-of-sophistication, but things that all self-respecting, socially-mobile adult males should take personal pride in doing. Things like being considerate of others in one's environment, listening to others (or at least appearing to), tying a bow tie, keeping your body fit, and, my personal favorite, "How To Have a Reasonable Midlife Crisis". The best thing is that Boreth slips all these important things in while you are chuckling over his humorous presentation so nothing has any kind of a preachy feel ("I'm happy, fabulous, hunky, sensitive, and evolved and here's how you can be, too!").

This book is many things for most people. Would-be metrosexuals will eat it up as a starter guide. Young married (and impending matrimony) couples will benefit mightily. I predict, in fact, that this will become the hot shower gift of the next generation. Older couples may pick up pointers. The clueless will find clues and the clued will become yet more clueful. Skunkish boors will be predictably unchanged and unchangable but their wives will get some brownie points with friends and family for having tried something, anything. As well, we showed it to our gay friends (in fact, one couple just got married) and they loved it for the kitsch factor, the studly voice, and the retro illustrations. The general gay literary critique: "Craig Boreth is hot."

All said and done, "winning, wooing, and wowing" is, as the author so succinctly put it, "a journey, not a destination." "How to Iron Your Own Damn Shirt . . ." is one hilarious and well-written roadmap to the ultimate satisfaction, seemingly scarce in today's world, of happily bonding with your life partner, and to that most enigmatic of human institutions, marriage. Buy copies for your friends and laugh and learn together!

Product Description
PERFECT HUSBANDS ARE MADE, NOT BORN

LADIES: At long last, a practical guide to help your man become the perfect husband. How to Iron Your Own Damn Shirt is your salvation, with simple, easy-for-a-guy-to-follow instructions on those little things you can never get him to do, such as:

- How to Put the Toilet Seat Down
- How to Stop Snoring
- How to Ask for Directions
- Plus, more than 50 other essential topics (even How to Dance at a Wedding)

It's a must-have guide that will finally convince him it's in his best interest to make you happy, no matter what it takes.

GUYS: Don't panic. It's not how perfect you are, it's how perfect she thinks you are. How to Iron Your Own Damn Shirt is your key to the castle. Imagine what she'll let you get away with if you master a few skills, such as:

- How to Appear Calm While She's Driving
- How to Apologize Convincingly
- How to Enjoy a Chick Flick
- Plus, more than 50 other essential topics (even How to Hide Your Porn)

How to Iron Your Own Damn Shirt includes countless tips and tricks for keeping you sane, keeping her happy, and keeping you both laughing.

About the Author
Craig Boreth is a perfect-husband-in-training who lives in Santa Monica, California, with his perfect wife.

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