Review of Paradise Screwed (Hardcover)

Carl Hiaasen's second compilation of his Miami Herald columns continues to show the biting wit which is prevalent in his usually terrific novels.But my guess is that the first book of columns "Kick" was probably designed to be the Best of Hiaasen with no plans for a sequel.Thus the columns contained in "Paradise" are the second cut and thus just not as good, although they are enjoyable to read.Not as many idiotic South Florida politicians this time around, not as many idiotic citizens.I was also disappointed in the way he handled the Florida election fiasco for the 2000 Presidential election.This was a topic just made for his humor, but he chose to use his forum as a soapbox to get a recount and to get Al Gore elected (he doesn't say it, but it was pretty obvious to me).My hope is that he plans to use this as fodder for a future novel and thus wanted to save his material.

Hiaasen is a great columnist.I live over 1,000 miles away from South Florida, but he gets his point across pretty well.It would have been nice if each story had a little afterword as to what ultimately happened to the people in the column (i.e. did the politician give up his $15,000 desk that was paid for with taxpayer money voluntarily).

Good for the Hiaasen completest, but the first book "Kick" is the better choice.



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Review of The Enemy Within: The Mcclellan Committee's Crusade Against Jimmy Hoffa And Corrupt Labor Unions (Paperback)

This is a marvelous peek inside Robert Kennedy's efforts against corrupt labor unions.I had long been intrigued with the whole RFK-Jimmy Hoffa "feud," so this was a treat for me. Robert Kennedy's writing style is at once humorous and pragmatic. He provides a detailed account of the inner workings of the McClellan Committee. Moreover, he meticulously describes the corruption within the labor organizations, with particular emphasis on Jimmy Hoffa.A word of warning: When I use words like "detailed" and "meticulously," I'm being serious.The book is a must for anyone interested in RFK, Jimmy Hoffa, the McClellan Committee, or American labor history; but someone who wants an action movie packaged as a book, will probably be disillusioned. Having said that, I loved the book. I highly recommend it.

Product Description
This is the authoritative, compelling account of one of the most famous, consummate, and effective Senate investigations in modern Congressional history. From 1956 to 1959 the Senate Select Committee on Improper Activities in the Labor or Management Field (chaired by Sen. McClellan and guided by chief counsel Robert Kennedy) heard more than 1500 witnesses and uncovered a shocking story, proving that labor leaders, management, the underworld, and public officials, sometimes in combination, sometimes separately, had worked to cheat and intimidate the rank-and-file union members. These revelations resulted in convictions, tough labor reform legislation, and a public awareness of organized crime's insidious and corrosive influence. Writing crisply, with indignation but also with humor, Kennedy focuses on how unions are bought, sold, and sometimes stolen; how 'democracy' actually operated in Jimmy Hoffa's captive unions and what happened to the men who dared to oppose him; how Hoffa was tried on charges of attempting to plant a spy in the McClellan Committee; how an investigating committee works; how the Committee resisted external pressures, threats, and ploys to derail its efforts; and more. The Enemy Within is illuminated by firsthand knowledge and charged with the fire of personal conviction. With a new introduction by the chairman of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial, this book remains a vivid testament to Robert Kennedy's early commitment to equal justice for leaders and laborers alike.

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Review of Memories of Times Past: Stories and Photos Recalling Life in the Early 20th Century (Perfect Paperback)

What was it really like?,
Ever wonder what it used to be like? Wondered how your grandparents lived? It's all here in "Memories of Times Past," told in stories and hundreds of pictures. You have a cell-phone. They had a party-line. Everyone along the way could listen in. No e-mail then, just telegrams. Music came on 45's and 12 inch long-play vinyl records that only held about 6 songs to a side.

This book tells dozens of real-life stories that provide sharp contrast to our 'modern' world, from the horse and buggy right up to today's hectic freeways. Probably the best feature is the hundreds of photographs that vividly bring the stories to life. You'll get a kick out of reading the personal accounts of the 'good old days' by people who were there. I recommend "MEMORIES of Times Past" to everyone who ever wondered "What was it really like?"
Fred Roberts "Avid Reader" (Monterey CA)

Product Description
Memories of Times Past is a nostalgic journey back to a time of Model-T Fords, stay-at-home-moms, vinyl long-playing records, telegrams, radio days, strict rules of etiquette, and manual typewriters. Here are the personal memories of the enormous changes that occurred in the twentieth century; a trip down memory lane for the older generation and, perhaps, some surprising insights into the way life was, for those who are younger.

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