Product Description

The nude photo of a teenage runaway shows up on a pornographic website, and the girl's father turns to Detective Chief Inspector Alan banks for help. But these are typical circumstances, for the runaway is the daughter of a man who's determined to destroy the dedicated Yorkshire policeman's career and good name. Still it is a case that strikes painfully home, one that Banks -- a father himself -- dares not ignore as he follows it's squalid trail into teeming London, and into a world of drugs, sex, and crime. But murder follows soon after -- gruesome ,sensational, and, more than once -- pulling Banks in a direction that he dearly does not wish to go: into the past and private world of his most powerful enemy, Chief Constable Jimmy Riddle.

Customer Reviews (30)

Cold Is The Grave
I have been reading the Peter Robinson series with inspector Banks in order. This is #11. Many times authors start repeating their stories but this series keeps getting better. I am reading as much for the new mystery as to keep up with the personal life of the inspector. I know I will miss them when I finish the series.

Just a bit disappointing
Having thoroughly enjoyed "In a Dry Season,", I looked forward to reading this, the follow-up. Sadly there is a chasm between the two. "Cold is the Grave" is one of those 'body count' books. Just when you think there cannot be yet another murder, along comes another body. I know the areas in which the novel is set very well, and Robinson has a real knack of getting the feel of different parts of England absolutely right. This book is also, like other Peter Robsinson novels - a very classy piece of prose - it's a joy to read. But the story is actually preposterous and it protrays a weird Britain where everyone smokes like a chimney (England is largely a non-smoking country these days) and the story - which starts well - becomes just a chain of ever-more unlikely events. Here's hoping Robinson and Banks get back on track with the next effort.

An interesting mystery with lots of twists
DCI Alan Banks is tired of life in the Yorkshire constabulary, and is ready to move on. However, something strange happens when his boss asks him to quietly find out what has become of his runaway daughter. It seems that young Emily has started out on a life of adventure, partying and living with a big-time villain. And then, when people start turning up dead, it looks as though Banks has chanced upon a major criminal enterprise. Banks must get to the bottom of this strange and murky case, and what he finds along the way is filled with unpleasant surprises.

This is the eleventh of Peter Robinson's Alan Banks mysteries, and does a good job of upholding the quality of the series. I love mysteries of all sorts, and I must say that I loved this book. I found the storyline to be quite interesting, and I liked the characters. Some authors spend too much time on character development, spending page after page focusing on the detective's home life and family and so forth, but I thought that Mr. Robinson did a great job of balancing everything out.

So, let me just say that I really liked this book, finding it to be an interesting mystery with lots of twists. I highly recommend it.

Crime Writing at its Best
Peter Robinson grew up in Yorkshire, and is the author of a number of previous novels featuring Chief Inspector Banks. He is the winner of numerous awards in the United States, Britain and Canada, and in 2002 he won the CWA Dagger in the Library. As I also come from Leeds the background to his stories is something that I have experienced first hand and because of this I have a special affection for his books. However they would be first class crime fiction wherever they were based.

Detective Chief Inspector Banks is at a low point in his life. His wife has finally left him to live with another man in London and his career is going nowhere thanks to a high ranking officer becoming more and more frustrated with Banks's methods of solving crime.

Maybe a move to the National Crime Squad would kick start his career? Maybe even another chance with Sandra? Then late one night he is summoned to the house of Chief Constable Riddle, which was strange in itself, as the Chief Constable is the senior officer who has been blighting Banks's career.

The Chief Constable's 16-year-old daughter Emily has run away and for once he is happy to allow Banks to use his unorthodox methods to find the girl and bring her back without any fuss. Will it be as simple as that?

Well-Done Police Procedural
Robinson spins a very well-crafted novel about Inspector Banks and the other fascinating characters he encounters in his baliwick of Yorkshire.Robinson has a good eye and sharp ear for the psychological travails his characters face, often providing a nice counterpoint to his nicely honed plot.The magic of the Inspector Banks series is the author's careful pacing of the plot and the characterization which carry you (usually)gently to the end.This is not a fast-paced crime story that you can't set down.It's not like a shot of gin or vodka; but rather, like a fine single-malt Scotch which you'll savor to the end.Robinson has become one of my favorite authors and, for my money, ranks with the best of the authors of his genre. ... Read more

Product Description
One of Nancy Mitford’s most beloved novels, Love in a Cold Climate is a sparkling romantic comedy that vividly evokes the lost glamour of aristocratic life in England between the wars.

Polly Hampton has long been groomed for the perfect marriage by her mother, the fearsome and ambitious Lady Montdore. But Polly, with her stunning good looks and impeccable connections, is bored by the monotony of her glittering debut season in London. Having just come from India, where her father served as Viceroy, she claims to have hoped that society in a colder climate would be less obsessed with love affairs. The apparently aloof and indifferent Polly has a long-held secret, however, one that leads to the shattering of her mother’s dreams and her own disinheritance. When an elderly duke begins pursuing the disgraced Polly and a callow potential heir curries favor with her parents, nothing goes as expected, but in the end all find happiness in their own unconventional ways. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A modern classic
On August 10th Vintage will reissue several classic novels by Nancy Mitford, including Love in a Cold Climate.Mitford was perhaps the brightest of the "Bright Young Things" immortalized in the fiction of Evelyn Waugh.

Originally published in 1949, Love in a Cold Climate is a comedy of manners that revolves around the naughty Polly Montdore, whose scandalous marriage left her disinherited, and her Canadian cousin Cedric Hampton, the heir apparent.

The action of both this and its prequel, The Pursuit of Love, run concurrently, taking place between the wars, with everyone's favorite cousin, Fanny Wincham, serving as impartial narrator.

Aside from an engaging storyline, tart wit and charming prose style, Love in a Cold Climate is of particular relevance to gay readers for the no nonsense presentation of the flamboyantly aesthetic Cedric, who is thoroughly and unrepentantly gay. He is a rather heroic character (not at all tragic like poor Sebastian Flyte from Brideshead Revisited and so many other gays of pre-Stonewall literature), possessed of great personal magnetism and self-esteem; and though his open homosexuality alternately shocks and delights society, he ultimately proves a great catalyst for happiness and reconciliation in the lives of those closest to him.

Kindle Bonus
The Kindle edition by Penguin Classics (ASIN: B002RI9YOQ) also contains the novels "The Pursuit of Love" and "The Blessing"

Lady Montdore finally finds the daughter she never had.
This is a fun, interesting novel that is not for anyone who does not love irony.It is perhaps best appreciated by people who may like Waugh (I think they were friends).Possibly if anyone likes Jan Austen, this novel will please you as well.The similarities to Austen are only in the stucture of certain scenes, and the happy, silliness of the plot wonderfully subverts Jane Austen.Its a really sad and comic look at love and women.It is perhaps mostly about the changing times for women of a particular class.The only reason I do not give it five stars is that I feel it ends too abruptly.But the last scene is magnificent.Look for the paralels between it and the last scenes of sense and sensibility.Its great!
This book is not for the girly, sentimental novel reading sort unless you have a good sense of humor.

Cold Is Right -- And Creepy Too!
Such a disappointment! I had been hearing about the glamorous, scandalous, sexy Mitford sisters for years -- Jessica the fiery and sexy Communist, Unity the glamorous and sexy she-Nazi, Diana the sleek and sexy fascist, Debo the demure and sexy duchess, and (last but not least) Nancy the sly and sexy writer of satirical novels. So when I got the chance at last to read LOVE IN A COLD CLIMATE I was expecting something like the sisters themselves were supposed to be -- sly and sexy, elegant and aristocratic.

Wrong, wrong, wrong! Who'd a thunk it? The low down here is that Nancy Mitford hates sex -- terrified of it. Finds normal men frightening and repulsive, yet has quite a soft spot for elderly gay men who wear lipstick and makeup and lounge around in women's dressing gowns. Creepy, creepy, creepy. You can see now why no one in the family thought it odd when sister Unity fell in love with Adolph Hitler!

Oh, and the satire -- where is it? Almost nothing in this book really addresses class issues in a meaningful way. There are no direct confrontations between the aristocrats and the wealthy industrial class -- much less the working poor. There's a bit of snide gossip, but again it's served cold. No sexy scandals, just bizarre and faintly repulsive stories about people who are far too creeped out by the human body to ever feel anything for anybody but themselves.

Somewhere in Nancy Mitford's life, there must have been a lot of pain. Pain in big buckets, Eugene O'Neill style family in agony type pain. But sadly, she never turned her tortured family past into a deep feeling masterpiece like LONG DAYS JOURNEY INTO NIGHT. Instead she just played it safe, writing cold and shallow novels like this one.

So sad!

Fanny-tastic!
I found this novel a teeny weeny bit disappointing after its superlative predecessor, 'the Pursuit of Love'.I think if I compare the two, I can see why - 'Pursuit' packs about ten novels worth of incident into its slim frame, as terse, fast, heartless and comic as 'Candide' (Mitford wrote a biography of Voltaire), full of gaps and tacit implications.'Climate' goes back to those gaps and fills them in, following as it does relatively the same time span.This makes for a slower, more thoughtful book, which feels, on occasion, a little padded out.Similarly, both books take their cue from their heroine - 'Pursuit' is as lively, adventurous, funny and adorable as Linda; Polly in 'Climate', though beautiful, is as dull as people find her, and so, when she is in it, is her book.

I say this relatively of course; on any other terms, 'Climate' is a comic joy, full of two sublime new characters, Lady Montdore, the imperious snob, and Cedric, the stereotypical queen from untypical Nova Scotia.Add to these old favourites like Boy, Davey, and, especially, the immortal, phlegmatic Uncle Matthew; some choice set-pieces and an odd flash of the old callousness, and you have a real pleasure, especially in the second half.'Climate''s breezy surface belies a real anger at the limited roles offered women. ... Read more

Product Description
Jonathan Kellerman is a master at creating psychologically nuanced novels of suspense—an author whose name is synonymous with unrelenting action, intriguing plot twists, and penetrating insight into the criminal mind. Now he ventures into bold, new territory with his biggest and best novel yet. A Cold Heart features Kellerman’s brilliant signature style—but in this tour-de-force he mines even deeper the emotional landscape of his characters: psychologist-sleuth Alex Delaware, LAPD homicide detective Milo Sturgis, Milo’s colleague Petra Connor, and Alex’s ex-lover, Robin Castagna—bringing them all vividly to life as never before.

“I’ve got a weird one, so naturally I thought of you,” says Milo Sturgis, summoning his friend Alex to the trendy gallery where a promising young artist has been brutally garroted on the night of her first major showing. What makes it “a weird one” is the lack of any obvious motive, and the luridly careful staging of the murder scene—which immediately suggests to Alex not an impulsive crime of passion . . . but the meticulous and taunting modus operandi of a serial killer.

Delaware’s suspicion is borne out when he compares notes with Milo’s associate, Petra Connor, and her new partner, a strange, taciturn detective with a past of his own named Eric Stahl. The Hollywood cops are investigating the vicious death of Baby Boy Lee, a noted blues guitarist, fatally stabbed after a late-night set at a local club. What links Baby Boy’s murder with that of painter Juliet Kipper is the shadowy presence of an abrasive fanzine writer. This alias-shrouded critic’s love-the-art/disdain-the-artist philosophy and his morbid fascination with the murders leads Alex and the detectives to suspect they’re facing a new breed of celebrity stalker: one with a fetish for snuffing out rising stars.

Tracking down the killer proves to be maddening, with the twisting trail leading from halfway houses to palatial mansions and from a college campus to the last place Alex ever expected: the doorstep of his ex-lover Robin Castagna, whose business association with two of the victims casts her as an unavoidable player in the unfolding case. As more and more killings are discovered, unraveling the maddening puzzle assumes a chilling new importance—stopping a vicious psychopath who’s made cold-blood murder his chosen art form.Amazon.com Review
In Cold Heart, the latest thriller from bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman, Dr. Alex Delaware picks up on clues missed even by his closest friend, LAPD detective Milo Sturgis. Leave it to this canny shrink to figure out that the only thing two otherwise unconnected murder victims have in common (they're both artists making comebacks after early career burnouts) may hold the key to their deaths. Even for Alex, this unlikely link is a stretch, especially since Baby Boy Lee was stabbed outside a nightclub and Julie Kipper was bludgeoned in the bathroom of an art gallery. But when a concert pianist dies on the eve of his greatest triumph, Alex is sure that the murders are not only the work of the same killer but also connected to the unsolved slayings of a Boston ballerina and an L.A. rock singer. By an even greater coincidence, two of the victims were tangentially involved with Alex's former lover, Robin Castagna, which provides the good doctor a few well placed paragraphs to ruminate on what went wrong in their romance as well as rescue her from the serial murderer who's targeted her as his next victim.

As usual, Kellerman manages to make even a far-fetched plot like this one ring true, but after 17 Alex Delaware mysteries, his series protagonist holds few surprises for the reader, who longs for something to shake Dr. D. out of his smooth complacency. Losing Robin didn't do it--maybe the new woman in Alex's life will. --Jane Adams ... Read more

Customer Reviews (60)

Book
Delivery was timely as promised.The item was the exact quality promised.I would not hesitate to purchase from this seller again.

Did I Miss a Chapter Somewhere?
What the heck happened to the ending?!We get so much detail in every chapter of the book, yet the coup de grace occurs off page?Lame.It's as if Kellerman suddenly realized he had another appointment and needed to wrap this baby up IMMEDIATELY.Disappointing ending, but overall a decent read.

Im surprised by the other good reviews
I have read many of the Alex Delaware novels.I initially liked them but got bored.This one seems completely contrived, like Jonathan Kellerman has totally run out of ideas and should forget Alex Delaware.Alex' new relationship has no substance, and his old one lost its substance.Milo's gayness has lost its edge and teh story seemed pretty flat to me.I was interested in the Erna and Kevin characters but they both just died like an afterthought, so much for them.Anyway, boring book i would say.

Hate to say boring...but it's boring.
This one just never took off for me.This is my first book by this author, and I'm thinking he's bound to be able to do better than this.Thin characters, thin plot, overall not exciting.I kept waiting for something to happen, something to keep me reading more and it just never came.Painful to get through, so put this one at the bottom of your wish list.

You're a part of the story!
Kellerman's descriptive talents are incredible.Every character, landscape, building and room is a picture in your mind's eye.Add that to his mastery of psychology and his talent for twist and you have a novel that you just don't want to put down. ... Read more

Product Description
Tony and Brianna Lincoln just moved into Paradise, but friendly they aren't. In fact, these urbane thrill killers are knocking off the neighbors one by one, and Jesse Stone is next. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (65)

Night Passage

As always Robert B. Parker writes a great book. I have enjoyed all of the Jesse Stone
stories so far. I have three more to read and I know they will be great.
I highly recommend all his books.

Stone Cold by R. Parker
I thoroughly enjoyed this book...having seen some of the TV adapted movies of Parkers' books bring the characters voices alive in your head....we lost a truly good author with Parkers' passing.

Murder by Two
I enjoyed reading Parker's Stone Cold as I would describe it as an account of an"enjoyable" serial killer murder spree.Enjoyable because the Lincoln's or later as they were know, the Lamont's; were such "nice" folks. Cocky too!The two culprits thought they were smarter than Chief of Police Jessie Stone and they made fun and chastised him.The book flowed nicely.The sub plots were interesting and spiced up the book. I suspose Parker has an excellent way to take us into the mind of two sociopaths. This is a good read that and can easily be finished in 3 nights.

True to his writing
I started off reading his Spencer books but now all I want to read are the Jesse Stone series. It is a delight to read something that has a character that is real and true to himself.Finished this book in 2 days.Couldn't stop reading it

Gelati's Scoop
Blast From The Past Robert Parker'sStone Cold- A Jesse Stone Novel

I would have to say that Jesse Stone is one of my favorite fictional characters, not just of Parker's, but of fictional characters in general. He is flawed, damaged goods and he knows it.Stone is in Paradise, Mass. to make things right, not just for the fair citizens of the town he is now responsible for, but himself as well. The thing about Robert Parker that is expected is his usual; there is a death and it's not what it looks like. Jesse figures it out in the end. Simplistic yes, but the results are what make Parker such an amazing talent.
Being a fan and someone that has read all his work, one gets to understand his formula. You don't care; the man can just flat out write a good novel each and every time. Stone Cold is no exception to this. It is a great novel whether this is your first Stone vehicle or you are following them in order. Jesse Stone, Suit, Molly and the rest of the regulars in Paradise are always worth the time and I always looked forward to each new adventure. I will miss the character, Stone and all his cohorts in crime solving in Paradise, Mass. If you haven't had the pleasure of enjoying aJesse Stone vehicle, either as a movie with Tom Selleck playing Jesse Stone or in the book form; start at the beginning. Enjoy the evolution of Stone, there are no disappointments to be had. The novels are a nice quick ride from cover to cover.
What are you reading today? Check us out on Facebook, Goodreads, and follow us on Twitter and Linkedin.
[...] ... Read more

Product Description

When the past won't go away . . .

The Seattle police suspect Madison Lieberman's father was the serial killer they call the "Sandpoint Strangler." Madison refuses to believe it. Her father is now dead, and all she wants is the chance to create a new life for herself and her six-year-old child.

Then she discovers something in the crawl space beneath her parent's house. Something that makes her question her father's innocence. Or the innocence of someone else who's equally close to her . . .

When another woman turns up dead, crime writer Caleb Trovato wonders whether they're dealing with a copycat killer. Or is the real Sandpoint Strangler still alive? Caleb's sure Madison knows more than she's telling, and he's determined to find out what. But he doesn't expect to fall in love -- or to lead Madison and her child into danger . . . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Great Book! Had me engaged from the very beginning!
I loved this book! I could not put this book down! The ending was great! Had me smiling while I was still in shock who the killer was!

Awesome
This book was absolutely awesome! i have read Snow Baby and Baby Business by this author some years back which were pretty good too. And i am now working on the Stillwater Trilogy. The way this book was written, even the characters in the book, had me picking up some more novels by Brenda Novak. I have now put her on my list of favorite authors. She hasn't let me down yet!

Static klingex-wife
Not a bad read ,but pretty easy to figure out the villain. Actually I couldn't stand the cops in this book. Without the proper evidence they harrassed Mr. Purcell to death. I know its very rare to have a cut and dry murder but their pursuit of this guy really got under my skin. Then after he's committed suicide, they turned to look at his sons. If Caleb hadn't gotten involved with Madison his creepy,weepy ex-wife would have gone happily on her way killing.Madison's step-brothers would have been in the same situation their dad was. Of course there was that drop of blood on Holly that eventually might have led them to the real murderer. I like Brenda Novak's writing and have enjoyed most all her books I have purchased .

Not bad
Honestly, I'm not sure what to say about Cold Feet. It was a decent book. The suspense aspect was pretty good. The whole plot was well-planned with lots of twists and turns. Novak presents readers with lots of choices as to who the bad guy is. But along that same line, I didn't like how she revealed the killer. She does a great build-up to it, and then slips this scene in there that just blatantly tells you who it is. The revelation would have been much better suited if she'd waited until the climax of the book.

Aside from that, there just seemed to be something lacking in the book overall. I'm not sure what it was, but the book didn't pull me in as other books have. It was interesting, but not overly so. The romance was so-so. Could have been better. I just expected a bit more from the book. The other Novak book I read was very emotional and sucked you in; this book lacked that pull.

Rating: 3 / 5

Great tense suspense; bad end
Madison has never believed that her father was guilty of the rape and murder of a series of women dubbing him the Sandpoint Strangler until a year after her father's suicide she discovers a box of incriminating items tied to the victims. Could her father have been the monster everyone thought him to be or could this evidence possibly point to one of her half brothers?

The Sandpoint Strangler is credited with 9 victims. When her sister is suddenly missing, Holly contacts her ex-husband true crime writer and former police detective Caleb Trovato to come to her aid. Not wanting to get any more involved with Holly, he reluctantly returns to Seattle. When it is discovered that Susan and another woman were murdered similar to the Sandpoint killings, it looks like either the wrong man was suspected or there is a copy cat in their midst.

Caleb goes to check out Madison and decides to rent her carriage house. Money is tight now that she and her ex-husband have divorced, and she has custody of their daughter. He never felt comfortable with Madison's notoriety. Lots of eye contact and stolen moments later, Madison and Caleb become lovers and soon she has him wondering if the killer is actually not a copy cat but the actual Sandpoint Strangler. As Caleb realizes that he has fallen in love with Madison, he worries about what she will think when he reveals his identity and reason for befriending her. But his relationship with Madison has shocking consequences, as she suddenly is singled out by the strangler.

Novak brings plenty of tension and suspense to this unique story. Of course, the most probable character was revealed as the killer and for that, as a reader, I felt a little cheated. ... Read more

Product Description
Believe it or not you don't have to be psychic to "be Psychic".

The artof psychic cold reading will help psychics and non-psychics alike toimprove their communication skills, connect more deeply with others,meet interesting people and make some good income giving people a realservice they value.

Psychic Cold Reading is a great way to meet people...attractivepeople (hint, hint), capture their attention and have great fun.

It'salso a fun way to earn money.

You'll also be shown how conductingPsychic Readings is the perfect sideline business to generate even moreclients and profits for NLP'ers, Hypnotherapy Practitioner's, HypnosisConsultants and Complete Mind Therapists, indeed this is a must studycourse for all students of Psychology! Did I mention how fun it can be?

For the first time ever you have the chance to learn these powerfulsecrets, ploys, methods and techniques direct from the horses mouth soto speak!

While most audiences enjoy watching good magic and mentalism.There's one thing they still enjoy even more...hearing more aboutthemselves! And that's what cold reading is all about.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Sorry, but this is lame
I saw quite a few books with this author's name attached that seemed interesting to me, so I went for the small investment to check this stuff out. I am glad I didn't waste more money on the other titles. Whoever this person is, they make hefty claims with little substance. Before you buy, stop and ask yourself why they use a pen name.

Psychic Cold Readings
The service getting the book was fantastic... the condition of the book was great also...the book contents not so much.It seemed to be more like if I was going to work in a carnival and try to pretend I had psychic abilities this is what you should say and do... not what I was hoping for in this book.

Horrible
I've just finished reading "The Handbook Of Psychic Cold Reading".A better title would be "Reformatted stuff you can find on the Internet".It's a loose collection of poorly written material and mostly shameless republished (copied) text from the masters: Ray Hymen, Forer and Ian Rowland.
People, this is about as bad as it gets.

This book is just a marketing ploy, there is no original material in it that I've found (other than the author's name).

Here's the content:
* a couple chapters of vague and often conflicting opinion
* a copy of Ray Hyman's "Guide to Cold Reading" (get for free from: [...])
* a chapter (well 3 page) mnemonic on what areas to cover in a reading.
* a few chapters on examples of methods, the same boring unnecessary methods.
* a chapter on warm reading hints
* a chapter of the Forer text (sigh)
* a chapter (15 pages) copied from Ian Rowland
* a few chapters of vaguely related areas of interest, poorly represented.

And this is volume 1?Please save me Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Excuse me, after reading this thing, I need to go clean my aura.

A solid introduction to Cold Reading for your $10.
Apparently Dantalion Jones is trying to separate folks from their loot by appealing to their desires to be more powerful and control others. Hence a long list of empowerment titles.

This one is a good solid introduction to the 'skill' of reading people 'cold', of pretending to be psychic and pretending to have psychic abilities and powers. You would be supposedly giving these fake 'readings' to clients, at parties, psychic fairs, etc.

Also, supposedly, you'd be charging money for these readings.The purpose of the book is to be as accurate and believable as you can be, to make the 'client' believe in your abilities.

If this sleazy lifestyle appeals to you, his book is well worth the money.

Not happy with the book
Really disappointed in this book. I was expecting how to read people and pick up clues and stuff. 98% of the book is just how to BS and talk. I think there were maybe 4 sentences sporadically placed about looking at shoes or watches or if someone is this ethnicity they know someone named blank. Read it in about an hour and very disappointed. ... Read more

Product Description
In 1958, an African-American handyman named Jimmy Wilson was sentenced to die in Alabama for stealing two dollars. Shocking as this sentence was, it was overturned only after intense international attention and the interference of an embarrassed John Foster Dulles. Soon after the United States' segregated military defeated a racist regime in World War II, American racism was a major concern of U.S. allies, a chief Soviet propaganda theme, and an obstacle to American Cold War goals throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Each lynching harmed foreign relations, and "the Negro problem" became a central issue in every administration from Truman to Johnson.

In what may be the best analysis of how international relations affected any domestic issue, Mary Dudziak interprets postwar civil rights as a Cold War feature. She argues that the Cold War helped facilitate key social reforms, including desegregation. Civil rights activists gained tremendous advantage as the government sought to polish its international image. But improving the nation's reputation did not always require real change. This focus on image rather than substance--combined with constraints on McCarthy-era political activism and the triumph of law-and-order rhetoric--limited the nature and extent of progress.

Archival information, much of it newly available, supports Dudziak's argument that civil rights was Cold War policy. But the story is also one of people: an African-American veteran of World War II lynched in Georgia; an attorney general flooded by civil rights petitions from abroad; the teenagers who desegregated Little Rock's Central High; African diplomats denied restaurant service; black artists living in Europe and supporting the civil rights movement from overseas; conservative politicians viewing desegregation as a communist plot; and civil rights leaders who saw their struggle eclipsed by Vietnam.

Never before has any scholar so directly connected civil rights and the Cold War. Contributing mightily to our understanding of both, Dudziak advances--in clear and lively prose--a new wave of scholarship that corrects isolationist tendencies in American history by applying an international perspective to domestic affairs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The Confluence of the Global and the Local
Cold War Civil Rights: Race and the Image of American Democracy is arguably the finest articulation of how international affairs influenced domestic issues. Cold War Civil Rights directly connects civil rights and the Cold War.In this book, Mary Dudziak interprets postwar civil rights as a Cold War feature. She contends that the Cold War facilitated key social changes, in particular desegregation. Dudziak use the 1958 case of an African American repairperson named Jimmy Wilson who was the death penalty in Alabama for stealing two dollars (Dudziak, Cold War Civil Rights 3-6). Deplorable as this case and its resultant sentence was it was reversed upon intense international scrutiny and the intervention of Secretary of State John Foster Dulles (Dudziak, Cold War Civil Rights 3-6). As a second case study, Dudziak looks at a segregated military defeating a racist regime in World War II. American racism was a major concern of US allies, a chief Soviet propaganda theme, and an obstacle to American Cold War goals throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America (Dudziak, Cold War Civil Rights 47-48, 61-63, 65-66 and 77). Finally, every incident of lynching affected foreign relations, and "the Negro problem" became a core issue from Truman to Johnson administrations (Dudziak, Cold War Civil Rights 11-15, and 203-216). Archival information, much of it newly obtainable, supports Dudziak's contention that civil rights were inextricably linked to Cold War foreign policy as civil rights activists gained tremendous cultural capital and voice as the US government sought to improve its international image. Contributing to our understanding of both civil rights and the Cold War., Dudziak also moves forward a new wave of scholarship that rights American history by applying a global perspective to a local event.

An enlightening book on public diplomacy
If you think Las Vegas tourist ads and "listening tours" are components of public diplomacy and international relations, you need to read this book. If you think media coverage is intense now, you need to read this book. Dudziak gets into the reality and impact of media coverage forty years ago and its impact on the global information war of the time that is remarkably similar to today: "Following World War II, anything that undermined the image of American democracy was seen as threatening world peace and aiding Soviet aspiration to dominate the world... Nations were divided between a way of life 'distinguished by free institutions, representative government, free elections, guarantees of individual liberty, freedom of speech and religion, and freedom from political oppression' and a way of life that "relies upon terror and oppression, a controlled press and radio, fixed elections, and the suppression of personal freedoms."

Dudziak looks at the impact of race and the civil rights movement in the United States on American public diplomacy and foreign policy. The impact of America's "color bar" on foreign relations is astonishing and Dudziak helps contextualize the movement and government responses within contemporary pressures.

Indiscriminate actions against foreign and American dignitaries reinforced the accessibility of race-based norms to all and played into Soviet propaganda and provided a painful counternarrative that impacted US foreign relations. The US Ambassador, Chester Bowles, to India, speaking in 1952 at Yale University said, "A year, a month, or even a week in Asia is enough to convince any perceptive American that the colored peoples of Asia and Africa, who total two-thirds of the world's population, seldom think about the United States without considering the limitations under which our 13 million Negroes are living."

As we attempted to project democracy and its emphasis on equality and freedom, in opposition to Soviet tyranny, discrimination in the US was well known beyond our borders. Dudziak presents "With Us or Against Us" examples with Louis Armstrong and Josephine Baker as examples, among others. In the case of Baker, State Department officers justified censorship and hardship imposed on Baker by discounting her personal beliefs. Her "derogatory" remarks "concerning racial discrimination in the United States" were deemed to be "presenting a distorted and malicious picture of actual conditions." If we do not practice democracy, how well will our promotion of it be received? This was a real question of the time that other history books ignore and was the very question Ambassador Bowles asked.

As Dudziak wrote, "Domestic difficulties were managed by US presidents with an eye toward how their actions would play overseas." Disingenuous or factually misleading statements to justify domestic policies and opinions are not the mainstay of any single generation. While not intending to be destructive to the nation, these policies have a severely detrimental affect on domestic cohesion and leadership within the foreign relations. Dudziak implies the race issue in the international press was the seed of negative views of the US. The golden temple of American democracy was seen as something falling short, even hypocritical. Locksley Edmunson, writing in 1973, could be speaking of today with our Gitmo, Abu Ghraib, and alleged secret CIA prisons when he wrote, "Those states best technically equipped to maintain world order are not necessarily the ones whose credentials recommend them as the most appropriate guardians of a global conscience."

You can read different things out of Mary Dudziak's book. As a student of public diplomacy, my take-away centered on the impact on foreign policy, which the author does a good job investigating. The take-away? Practice what you preach, or at least be effective in making them think you're trying to.

Causes and Effects
Upon first consideration one would think that the reciprocal influences of the Cold War and American civil rights activity would be self-evident.Perhaps, but Dudziak's book is full of surprises and details how galling the "American Dilemma" was to U.S. foreign policy-makers and various presidents and how each responded to the concerns of African, Asian, American, and European countries regarding the United States civil rights struggle over several decades.Why was civil rights legislation important to American foreign policy?How was Eisenhower's response to school desegregation in Little Rock influenced by foreign perceptions?How did the international attention to civil rights activity affect John Kennedy's domestic policies? Why was the State Department so concerned about Asian and African criticisms of the United States' record on civil rights?How was the Civil Rights Act of 1965 viewed by the international community?How did the views of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X affect United States foreign policy efforts?Was the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to an American activist also an international signal that worried a president and the State Department?These questions and many more are answered by Dudziak.

Dudziak deserves recognition and commendations for clearly demonstrating that the United States civil rights movement had a global as well as a national impact on America's foreign policy efforts and placed the United States squarely between the demands of a persecuted domestic minority and the scrutiny of the nations to which it declared itself the leader of human rights, liberty, and freedom in contrast to the totalitarian regimes of communist countries.

This book is well worth reading and an important addition to the growing number of books on the history of race relations that was not, and is not,taught in school.Kudos to Dudziak for an important job well done.

Eye Opening and Important -- A Great Read!
Mary Dudziak revisits a familiar chapter in American history--the civil rights movement--but provides readers with a completely new perspective on it.

We know about the work that was being done in the streets.But now Dudziak helps us see the movement through the eyes of America's cold war policymakers.For them, civil rights was a foreign policy problem, and Dudziak helps us see how this explains many of the movements successes and (maybe more important) many of its defeats.

Essential reading for everyone interested in American history, civil rights, constitutional law (yes, even Brown v. Board of Education must be seen in light of this analysis), and foreign policy.

Excellent!
This book is fabulous.Clear and articulate, it reads like a story and explores an aspect of the civil rights movement most authors and historians have neglected.It is meticulously researched and filled with information from sources ranging from presidential telephone conversations to news wires to official publications.The civil rights movement cannot be fully understood without reflecting upon the information contained in this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Some colds are like mice, timid and annoying; others like dragons, accompanied by body aches and deep misery. In AH-CHOO!, Jennifer Ackerman explains what, exactly, a cold is, how it works, and whether it's really possible to "fight one off." Scientists call this the Golden Age of the Common Cold because Americans suffer up to a billion colds each year, resulting in 40 million days of missed work and school and 100 million doctor visits. They've also learned over the past decade much more about what cold viruses are, what they do to the human body, and how symptoms can be addressed. In this ode to the odious cold, Ackerman sifts through the chatter about treatments-what works, what doesn't, and what can't hurt. She dispels myths, such as susceptibility to colds reflects a weakened immune system. And she tracks current research, including work at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, a world-renowned center of cold research studies, where the search for a cure continues. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Not So Common Cold
According to Jennifer Ackerman, author of Ah-Choo, the average adult will suffer approximately 200 colds in a lifetime with each one occurring about twice a year.This translates into about five years of cold symptoms and a full year in bed. That is a lot of Kleenex tissues!

In Ah-Choo, Ackerman investigates how colds are transmitted; the latest research developments for preventing/curing the "common" cold; and the best treatment of cold symptoms.Unfortunately, much of the medical research detailed by Ackerman does not provide significant hope for cure, prevention, or even treatment of a cold.Rather it appears that due to the cold's evolving nature a cure is long way off.Moreover, the best ways to prevent a cold are the low tech methods: engaging in frequent hand washing, refraining from touching/contaminating one's face; and avoiding children (who are the frequent bearers of cold viruses) - which is, of course, highly impractical for parents and teachers.As for treating a cold, a single ibuprofen (or other analgesic), rest, and maybe chicken soup are all that are recommended.Counter intuitively, a cold victim should think twice before trying to build up his/her immune system.One take away from Ah-Choo is that "cold symptoms do not result from the destructive effects of viruses . . .[rather the symptoms are] in response to the presence of a virus [that] the body sets in motion."In other words, the immune system is battling the virus by creating the symptoms that make one miserable!

Overall, Ah-Choo does an excellent job of translating technical medical research into a highly readable format for lay readers.

Publisher: Twelve (September 2, 2010), 256 pages.
Advance review copy provided courtesy of the publisher.

BookHounds [...]
I don't think I will ever see the cure of the common cold in my lifetime, but this book makes me feel better about them and the fact that there is not much you can do but rest and recover.And everything your mom always told you is pretty much true.My mother always said to keep your hands away from your face, cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing, drink lots of water and have some soup.This book shows you that mom always did know best. Oh, and keep away from small children, they are walking germ factories.

Some of the things in this book are truly scary.I mean how often do you think about cleaning out your washing machine?Just think about washing your underwear and where you wear those underthings.Yes, pretty gross.The author goes into detail about the history and treatments that are known to work and are worth buying although, so far, not much. ... Read more

Product Description
In this classic, early novel from the popular Alan Gregory series, a cold case gets hot as the crime-solving psychologist investigates a decade-old double homicide that will threaten the guilty-and endanger the innocent. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (54)

glib but stupid:generous three
It's a typical genre thriller.You can tell it's part of that genre from the packaging, the cover and the quotes and all. It's not as good as a typical Gresham, not that he's perfect either!

What I liked:Interesting double mystery, well setup at the beginning.Decent scene to scene writing.

What I disliked:

1.The authors political biases grated on me.I can take that he's a liberal and I'm a conservative.Heck Grapes of Wrath is a gripping left wing book.But this guy, just larded a bunch of stuff in there.Republicans are not just the wrong politics, they're also nasty to the help and mean to those who are ill.There are 3 (!) different homosexual couples (totally non-essential to the plot, their existence or their gayness), including a pre-Brokeback Mountain set of cowboys!Oh..and one of the lesbians died from an abortion killer in NC (has nothing to do with the story, just thrown in like this is a normal way to die!)

2.Too much elaborate detail of fru-fru oddities (one reviewer nailed it with the comment about "do we care about how Satoshi eats her yogurt"?But there's all kinds of crap about what dinner they are preparing and the dog and all.Blech.We don't need to read about what the author does at home.It's doesn't make things more authentic.Some of this can work, but too much is a drag.

3.There was a lot of natural scenery description as well.Probably overdid it, but still this was a little better (not as overdone and just more interesting).

4.Protagonist:Alan Gregory is a total "sensitive" Clinton "feel your pain" guy.Like a caricature of a shrink.Maybe there will be (some) women who read the story and find him realistic or sympathetic.I doubt many men will.We also never get a really good impression of him as a person (other than being a girly man).What makes him tick?He's a little blank, really.And we don't see him learn much or change in the story. Simeon Maigret talks about the detective being a psychologist and having in intuition into people and that perhaps novelists understand more about what makes people tick than shrinks do.More of a savvy perception of human nature and interaction rather than the latest psychobabble.I'm sure there are some savvy shrinks and maybe even some savvy shrink-writers, but based on Alan Gregory (and the author), I'll put my money more on the hardboiled cops like Sam (one likeable character in the book) to really know how things go down.

5.Wife:The wife seemed a little hard to beleive.She's suffering from MS (oh and so is Alan Gregory's mentor, AJ...overkill in the story!?) and is pregnant, but still has time to be a local prosecutor AND do a pro bono investigation with the Motley Investigators.She's also extraneous to the story.She doesn't do much prosecuting work for the case and she just kind of bumps along on some of Gregory's trips.There's also no tension in Gregory's relation to his wife, no link to the story...just background domestic detail.

6.Motely Investigators:The Locard group could have been OK and it was a neat idea.I think it's a little bit straining the boundaries of belief to have this group running around doing volunteer sleuthing.But would have accepted the unreality if the premise was more developed.We don't see the group work together.Alan Gregory seems to do all the sleuthing.He never checks in with the leader, much.While they have a bunch of distinctive features (the designer eyeband was a bit much!) and capabilities/jobs, the investment in describing them doesn't seem justified.

7.Mystery solution stupid (spoiler):The book jacket promised dazzling twists but we don't get them.We're presented with a fascinated set of two crimes, a double murder in 88 and then a later murder in 92 (although he's actually inconsisent about the date of that if you look at Welles's political career details.We have two potential villians, both piggy Republicans:a Congressman and his thick-chested cheif of staff (he's actually compared gratitiously to a pig farmer at one point.The whol puzzle is which one did them and how are the two crimes connected.Well...they're NOT!One villian did one, the other did the other!I guess that makes sense, one crime per piggy Republican.And the villians are exactly who we expect!They're just as evil as shown in the little snipes along the way!

8.Unbelieveable and not setup character trait/twists:How often do 15 year old boys from good families forcibly rape (with penetration and ejaculation) 13 year old Japanese girls?Pretty common per Gregory...but I doubt it, personally.The initial Welles failure to report the rape made no sense...or to urge her to do so (he had no self interest in covering that and a lot to lose if it came out later...plus the possible relation to the first set of murders.)Then there's the bizarre behavior of BOTH the Franklin parents at the end (I guess that was too introduce more twist, but I did not believabe that the Mom was a murderer, sleeping with the sherrif; and that the Dad would go along with trying to kill Alan at the end.)And why would Samples, who is sad about accidentally leading to his son's death, now be willing to participate in a homicide?Nor would "death by cop" be certain.Lots of people just get disabling wounds you know.

9.Unbelieveable action sequences:I can buy some of getaways like finding a gun in the ankle holster, or sneaking into the attic.But why they heck would the killers give long soliloques to explain the murder plot (right before they are supposed to kill him, right before he gets away.)It's not JUST that that's a hack feature, but that the explanations are long and boring...I would pull the trigger first!Also, why the HECK would Welles shoot Gregory through the closet door?Even leaving aside the question of the attic space, what about being on the floor, what about hitting the wrong part of his body, etc. etc.remember it's a BIG closet.3 .45 bullets aren't going to kill everyone in that space.

10.Series:The series nature of the book was not disclosed well on the cover, etc.Only after finishing the book do we get a straight scoop that this is a series.And I hate getting the middle book of a series.That and a lot of stuff seemed extraneous, alluding to stuff from other books.Plus it's unimaginative to just move blank slate Gregory through a bunch of plots.He's not even appealing!

P.s.And if you look at some of the 5 STAR reviews on here, the ones with very high approved ratings, they are painfully short and lack any real feeling.Very general.I see this a lot when authors are trying to manipulate the system with friends and family reviewers.And you can always tell because the reviews are so general they sound like the person didn' even read the book!;)

Repetition let me repeat that, repetition
Possibly, it was Scott Brick narrating the audio book that made this book somewhat enjoyable. I swear that man could read the instructions on an aspirin bottle and it would sound good.

The author had a tendency, no more like a passion to repeat himself over and over again. We the reader easily catch on that his wife has MS and is pregnant, he didn't have to mention it every time his wife appeared in the story.

Was it necessary to know he had been married before? Possibly in another book but not this one. It seemed as if the author was intent of filling the pages with information that wasn't necessary and necessary information was assumed.

And it would have been nice if he spent some time on the rest of the team, at least once in while just a reminder that they were there.

A good deal of editing would have helped, cut out a lot if not all the sections about the boy across the road and the dog, not needed did nothing to move the story on and Allan and his wife's speculations on the neighbor's lover sex, also not needed.

Characters were not bad, nothing memorable but nothing so terrible you wanted to roll your eyes, stereotypical yes but not truly bad.I must admit, the choice of careers of some of the characters could have been different since they've been done to death. Using a politician lack imagination even making him a politician - psychologist.

One thing that bothered me is when the author writes that a character leaves a terse message for Allan. Why doesn't he go into why she was terse you wonder. Why didn't that strike Allan as being strange? He called but when he was told that that character wasn`t able to come to the phone, he never inquired out why she was upset with him.

I found that the author would begin an idea but failed to finish it.

Now comments on other reviews, sorry maybe I'm naïve by I was unaware of any left-wing liberal politics, or hatred towards republicans or arrogance on the part of the author.

Would I recommend the book? The Audio version maybe. Printed format? Probably not.

Final thought. Where have all the editors gone??

Just Don't Know
I just don't know about this book.I was excited about the subject and thought the concept was great.I found the thought of Dr. Gregory working for an organization that donates its time to solve cold cases to be fascinating.The first part of the book is regular Stephen White with all his facts, his twists and turns and getting to know the main characters.However, the back end of the book is what got me.It was like he had led you to a point where the deaths could be solved and the murderer or murderers could be 2 or 3 people.Then Mr. White sat down and said to himself, well let's make it someone else, but have all those others involved too.It was weird.I agree with some of the other reviews I've read about this book.It was implausible that Dr. Gregory even makes it out of this book alive after the situations he's painted in, but it's fiction so oh well.I found this book very interesting and easy to read and get into, but I also found the end of it maddening.I recommend it to readers of the Dr. Gregory series and to anyone looking for a good book just beware of the back third of the book.

COLD CASE
In this 8th addition to the series, Dr. Alan Gregory and his pregnant wife, Lauren Crowder are asked to offer their services to a volunteer based law enforcement agency by the name of Locard.The agency members have voted in agreement to take on their next assignment - to solve a mystery that is about a dozen years cold.It was 1988 when two high school friends, Tami and Miko were murdered.With Lauren's legal input and Alan's expertise as a clinical psychologist, the group of mixed professionals enthusiastically start their investigation.

This was neither my favorite nor least favorite book of the series so far.While it kept my interest, it lacked some of the energy and charm that I found with previous installments. We didn't get to see Alan at work in his downtown office and I actually missed the interaction between Dr. Gregory and his patients.

I do have to say this...for such a wimpy hero, Alan sure does find himself in a mountain of danger and often.He constantly worries about getting into trouble with his wife, he cannot stomach blood and guts, and when dire circumstances require that he handle a gun, he needs help turning the safety off!Nevertheless, for such a wimpy hero, he sure is lovable.

Alan Gregory assists the Locard organization
In this, the eighth Alan Gregory thriller, the Colorado-based clinical psychologist and his wife, Boulder Assistant District Attorney Lauren Crowder, are asked to assist a private organization known as Locard. Comprised of former and current prosecutors, federal law enforcement agents, and forensic specialists, the group (named after the legendary 19th-century French detective Edmond Locard) specializes in providing assistance to local police in solving "cold cases," i. e., unsolved cases that have been open for an especially long time.

In this instance, Locard is investigating the murder of teenagers Tamara Franklin and Mariko Hamamoto, two close friends who disappeared from their homes in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, one cold November evening in 1988. The girls' bodies were discovered a few months later when the springtime thaw melted the snowbank in which their killer had hidden their corpses. Because the bodies had been mutilated (Tami's body was found sans a hand, Mariko's was missing the toes of one foot), local police sought an opportunistic killer, either a serial killer or a drifter, an approach that proved unsuccessful.

Asked to perform a "psychological autopsy," Gregory conducts interviews with several people connected to the case, including the girls' parents, siblings, and friends. His inquiries also bring him into contact with Mariko's psychologist, Dr. Raymond Welle. Welle has also known tragedy: Four years after the girls' disappearance, Welle's wife Gloria was apparently murdered by another of his patients, the severely depressed Brian Sample. The crime drew national headlines and propelled Welle into the public eye, first gaining him a syndicated talk show, then a Senate seat. Suspecting that Welle knows more about the case than he lets on, Gregory doggedly pursues the Senator.

Gregory's odyssey into the past affects him in varying ways. Of course, there's the thrill of the hunt, the intellectual challenge, and the satisfaction of bringing a criminal to justice. But that's not all, as Gregory becomes involved on a very personal level. His many interviews bring home a hard fact to the psychologist, namely that human beings inflict great damage on each other every day. He's reminded that murder has a ripple effect, irrevocably changing the lives of both survivors and victims. Gregory's personal life is also impacted by the investigation, as he becomes the target of forces anxious to conceal the truth. Touchingly, his thoughts in moments of peril always turn to his pregnant wife, and how he now has even more to live for than before.

If you had to choose one word to describe this novel, that word would probably be "intimate," in the sense that the reader's involvement in the narrative increases as Gregory digs deeper in his search for the truth. Of course, White pays a lot of attention to Gregory and Lauren Crowder; after eight novels, they feel like old friends. But White also lavishes a great deal of attention on the rest of his cast -- supporting characters are given sufficient substance to keep them interesting, from Kimber Lister, the somewhat pompous, agoraphobic leader of Locard, to family friend A. J. Simes, a retired FBI psychologist who, like Crowder, suffers from multiple sclerosis.

That's not to say that everything's perfect, however. For instance, the answer to the riddle Gregory faces is so complex that, once the perpetrators are revealed, it takes page upon page of exposition to explain their actions and motivations, causing one to wonder why they don't just shoot Gregory and be done with it. This is only a minor criticism, however, rendered inconsequential by the air of intimacy and immediacy White creates. ... Read more

Product Description


Just back from a tour of duty, all Major Brant Western wanted was a hot meal and a warm bed. What he didn't need was the stunning socialite in disguise who'd just shown up at his family's Cold Creek ranch. Scandal trailed bad girl Mimi Van Hoyt--aka "Maura"--everywhere she went. But once Brant discovered her secret, how could he turn her away?

Being stranded in the middle of nowhere in a blizzard was not Mimi's idea of a fun time in the Tetons. Then why was she starting to think this sexy soldier could be more than her shelter from the storm? And the more determined Brant was to protect her and her unborn child, the more she believed that this honorable, irresistible military man was the only man for her.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very sweet romance
This was a great addition to the Cold Creek series.I really enjoyed it. ... Read more

Product Description
Great airplanes don't simply appear in history, they evolve through a myriad of technological, political, and economic processes. In this book you will experience one of the most unlikely developments in aviation history the Convair B-36 very-long-range nuclear bomber. From its beginnings during the world s greatest conflict, through construction in a former wild-west cattle town, and deployment into the Cold War, the story of the Convair B-36 and how it intimidated the Soviet Union is an interesting study in politics and technology. In Cold War Peacemaker, you will experience life during the Cold War as your parents and grandparents lived it. You will meet military leaders, politicians, cowboys, tycoons and a cowboy tycoon who worked together to save the free world from communist domination. You will also see up-close the amazing technology of aviation at the beginning of the nuclear age and how it was manifested in the B-36. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A Definitive History of the B-36 and its Times
I'm an old SAC type who lived with B-36's on Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico in the early 50's. An impressive airplane! Pyeatt and Jenkins have told a beautifully illustrated story of this majestic lady, her birth, life and death.

I particularly appreciated the detail given to the times in which she reigned and her family derivatives. It helps explain why she was so important.

A reader can gain a great appreciation by just leafing through the book and enjoying the photos, but that would be like trying to appreciate the Smithsonian by dashing through in a marathon. Plan on spending many hours savoring this record of a triumph of technology, engineering, political wrangling and sheer determination by her admiring defenders.

Cold War Peacemaker
Book arrived in excellent condition and ahead of time.Great service.Would highly recommend the seller.

The Truth About Convair's B-36
Having owned two previous books by Dennis Jenkins I was anxious to dive into this account of Convair's magnificent bomber, the B-36. Don Pyeatt's contribution was a big draw for me as the subtitle addresses his Fort Worth, Texas roots. Both authors have presented an accurate story of this fabled aircraft and I am glad I have added it to my B-36 collection. The authors shattered some myths about this aircraft to set the record straight. The addition of a few unpublished images throughout the book was a treat, but I soon discovered many of the photos have been published previously. So I quickly realized that the new information within this book was probably meant to be included in, "Magnesium Overcast," another first class book by Jenkins, but simply found no room to do so. Much of "Cold War Peacemaker" contents is edited or lifted from this book. That is not a criticism. I must admit, though, I read through the Cowtown history rather rapidly (Evelyn Wood style) as it slowly lost my attention and seemed to wander from the B-36's heritage. Still, the book can be a great companion to "Magnesium Overcast" or stand on its one for the first time B-36 enthusiast. But maybe this book should have been called, "Magnesium Overview."

Nice on the Coffee Table and Great for the Serious Historian, Too!
The "Cold War Peacemaker: the Story of Cowtown and Convair B-36" is about an amazing longrange bomber that bridged the gap between the propeller and jet ages during the early years of the Cold War. Huge and somewhat awkward looking, the aircraft ultimately employed both pusher props and jet engines. This plane was an intimidator and when it flew overhead its strange sound vibrations rattled china in more than a few cabinets. It sent a strong message to the Soviet Union intended to prevent nuclear war. The B-36 in its variations was a remarkable aircraft technologically. And even amidst all of the contemporary advances in the aerospace industry, the innovative solutions to engineering challenges that came to fruition in the B-36 are still impressive.Authors Don Pyeatt and Dennis Jenkins have succeeded in publishing a comprehensive history of the B-36 that deserves acclaim. Whether you are a casual aviation enthusiast or a seasoned historian, this book is worth the purchase price. Packed with amazing photos, diagrams, and myriad details in its appendices and endnotes, the monograph is history at its best.

It is suggested that readers also watch the movie, "Strategic Air Command," starring the B-36 and Jimmy Stewart. Produced for the general public to promote the USAF and airpower during the Cold War, it is really quite good. Best of all, you'll hear and see the B-36 in all its glory.

Magnesium Overcast Redux
What, another book about the B-36? It's not exactly aviation's best-known subject--not like the North American P-51 Mustang or the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, for example--but Convair's huge intercontinental-range strategic bomber has gotten its fair share of press in the last decade or so. There's Meyers K. Jacobsen's superb 400-page magnum opus "Convair B-36: A Comprehensive History of Americas Big Stick" (1997), Dennis R. Jenkins' short but useful "Convair B-36 Peacemaker" (1999) (Volume 14 in the Specialty Press Warbird Tech Series) and his outstanding, heavily illustrated "Magnesium Overcast" (2001), among others. Now comes "Cold War Peacemaker." Do aviation enthusiasts really need another book about the big rumbling aerial behemoth?

If you don't have any or all of the other books mentioned, it's a no-brainer decision. Pick up a copy of "Cold War Peacemaker" immediately. It's a fascinating, detailed history that covers virtually every aspect of the bomber's design, development, flight test, production, deployment, variants, upgrades, operations--literally everything you'd want to know about the thundering Peacemaker. Its superbly illustrated with hundreds of sharp black-and-white photos and line drawings, plus a 19-page color section. As a bonus, the 30-page Chapter 1 relates the history of Fort Worth and describes the rise of the aviation industry in "Cowtown," a subject on which the other books are silent. Here's the complete Table of Contents:

Chapter 1--Cowboys to Cockpits: Aviation Comes to Fort Worth (Page 16)
Chapter 2--Consolidated B-36: A True Intercontinental Bomber (46)
Chapter 3--The Bleeding Edge: 1940s High Technology (108)
Chapter 4--Conflict Unfinished: A Chilly Peace and a Cold War (128)

But then there are some great Appendices:

Appendix A--The First Wide-Body: The San Diego Built XC-99 (176)
Appendix B--Unworthy Competitor: The All-Jet YB-60 (184)
Appendix C--Dream Unrealized: Atomic-Powered Aircraft (192)
Appendix D--Completely Different: Track Landing Gear (200)
Appendix E--Stillborn Concept: Pratt & Whitney VDT Engines (208)
Appendix F--Ahead of Its Time: Bell GAM-63 Rascal (212)
Appendix G--Bizarre Concept: Parasites and Other Coupling Ideas (220)

The authoritative narrative and crisp photos (with detailed captions) in these sections are sure to make any airplane geek salivate. Plus there are nine pages of detailed endnotes that cite sources and expand on the main text.

Okay, so you should definitely buy "Cold War Peacemaker" if it's to be your only B-36 book. But what if, like me, you already have the other books mentioned, or even more? Should you add this one to your collection? Well, I'm such a fan of the B-36 that I simply had to have this volume in my aviation library, and I never regretted buying it. I suspect most other aviation buffs will feel the same. Even if you already own some B-36 books, there's no reason not to buy "Cold War Peacemaker." Although much of the story and many of the photos have appeared elsewhere, there's enough new material in it to make it a must-have. Its great stuff, and I recommend it highly.
... Read more

Product Description
The spectactular best seller about the brutal slaying of the Cutter family of Holcomb, Kansas--the police investigation, the capture, the trial and the execution of the two young murderers, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

In Cold Blood Paperback book
Thank you for the book It was exactly as advertized.My daughter has already read it.

Great Book
Probably the greatest (and good book) that Truman Capote wrote.The movie is incredible as well.Enjoy:) ... Read more

Product Description
Cold calling is one of the most awkward -- and unsuccessful -- ways to obtain clients in business. Now Joanne S. Black shares her proven 5-step Referral Selling system, so no businessperson ever has to make a cold call again. In this unique and practical guide, Black offers a tutorial on how to differentiate your business from your competitors, make favorable impressions on current clients so they'll refer their acquaintances, and set a "hook" that will leave them wanting more. NO MORE COLD CALLING provides selling scripts, presentation techniques, troubleshooting advice, and a host of helpful insights to increase any sales force's productivity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

There are no warm calls!
I have been reading sales books for the past 15 years and probably about a minimum of 2 a month so over 300 books later I come across "No More Cold Calling," as a salesman these were fantastic words to me, especially in the field of merchant services! I jumped at the chance to pick up this book and study it cover to cover and it has not disappointed. With in the first few chapters there were ideas that really made sense, some I even heard before but finally put in terms that really worked for me. Joanne paints such a perfect picture of referral selling that anyone who takes the time to read this book and do the assignments through out it can't fail, but for those who expect to skim read and flip through the pages they will be wondering where the success is. There is no magic bullet (I have looked.) A little reading and some homework mixed with a little practice and results WILL happen I am here to tell you. I am a student of her techniques and this book has become a reference that is always at my side and my sales have shown measurable improvement. Just ask my boss he has recently asked what I have been doing different since not only are my sales higher but so are the dollar amounts of my sales and my attitude at the end of the day is just off the charts. I spend my days presenting, selling, and writing up deals versus facing the constant up hill battle of showing up unannounced and getting my "nose bloodied" cold calling. Showing up not only expected but finding potential clients eager to meet with me was such a refreshing change I can't fully explain just how good it feels! I can truly say it has impacted many areas of my life as I feel so much more fulfilled doing what I love doing and not feeling just wore out and stressed trying to meet those end of the month quotas. Thank you Joanne for breathing life back into my career!

Dynamic method of referral selling
Joanne S. Black calls herself the "Referral Queen," a sobriquet that suits her well. She tells you how to stop spending your life converting about 2% of your cold calls into sales and how to get referral contacts, instead, since your conversion rate will climb to about 50%. Her enthusiasm and passion are contagious as she tells you how to employ her methods. She even knows where your key sticking points will be and explains how to get through them. getAbstract thinks this book on sales really delivers the goods.

Really Disappointed
I agree that cold calling is out and referral selling yields higher sales volume.I am already practicing this in my business and record about 1 million in sales annually (2nd in my organization) doing this.I wanted to increase my performance so I bought this book.

I was dumbfounded.I am only 1/2 way through it and all I hear about is why referral selling is great and how the author succeeded in it.Great, but when does the author start sharing????

Normally, I can plow through business books as they really hold my interest.However, this one I cannot read through quickly because the 1st 1/2 is sooooo repitive and to be honest I am tired of hearing the author pat herself on the back.

To be fair, keep in mind I only read 1/2 thus far.But, I am NOT happy with my purchase.....

How to use your sales time more effectively through referral selling
If you have ever sold for a living, even for a short time, you probably have had to make cold calls.There are lots of books, methods, and programs to help salespeople make cold calling more of a methodical process than the severe emotional challenge many people find it to be.While I never found making the cold calls particularly painful, I did find them a horrible waste of time.However, sometimes it seemed necessary.

The author of this book, Joanne S. Black, calls herself the Queen of Referral Selling.She has a very compelling method that you can use to get a much higher conversion rate from referral selling than you could ever get from cold calling.She even explains how to transition to it in an environment that rigorously enforces cold calling.

I like the way she lists a great many objections and explains how to get past them.In my own selling experience, I always tried to get and use referrals as much as possible.Frankly, I wish I had thought to be as systemic in the approach as the author of this book.Or that I had been able to get this book sent back in time to help me.But it is here now and it can help you.Buy it, read it, use it and you will enjoy the success you get.And I believe that you will move away pretty quickly from cold calling because you will have so many more effective hot leads to follow up with that there just isn't time to call strangers.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

If You Want to Increase Sales...
read this book!Joanne Black offers a fresh perspective about how to use referrals to build revenue in today's competitive market.Simple, yet powerful, the book offers a step-by-step approach to implementing a system that works. ... Read more

Product Description
For the last decade, Gretel Ehrlich has been obsessed by an island, a terrain, a culture, and the treacherous beauty of a world that is defined by ice.In This Cold Heaven she combines the story of her travels with history and cultural anthropology to reveal a Greenland that few of us could otherwise imagine.

Ehrlich unlocks the secrets of this severe land and those who live there; a hardy people who still travel by dogsled and kayak and prefer the mystical four months a year of endless darkness to the gentler summers without night.She discovers the twenty-three words the Inuit have for ice, befriends a polar bear hunter, and comes to agree with the great Danish-Inuit explorer Knud Rasmussen that “all true wisdom is only to be found far from the dwellings of man, in great solitudes.”This Cold Heaven is at once a thrilling adventure story and a meditation on the clarity of life at the extreme edge of the world.Amazon.com Review
From the acclaimed chronicler of open spaces, Gretel Ehrlich, comes a stunning and lyrical evocation of a practically unknown place and people. Beginning in 1993, Ehrlich traveled to Greenland, the northernmost country in the world, in every season--the four months of perpetual dark (in which the average temperature is 25 degrees below zero), the four months of constant daylight, and the twilight seasons in between--traveling up the west coast, often by dogsled, and befriending the resilient and generous Inuits along the way. Greenland, unlike its name, is 95 percent ice--a landscape of deep rock-walled fjords, glaciers, narwhal whales swimming among icebergs the size of football fields, walruses busting through oceans of shifting ice. In the far north, the polar Inuit--the "real heroes"--still dress in bear and seal skins, and hunt walrus, polar bears, and whales with harpoons. The only constant is weather and the perilous movements of ice, the only transport is dogsled, and the closest village may be a month and a half-long dogsled journey away. The people share an austere and harsh life, lightened with humor and the fantastic stories of Sila, the god of weather, Nerrivik, the goddess of waters, of humans transforming themselves into animals, and interspecies marriages. Interwoven with Ehrlich's journey is the even more remarkable story of Knud Rasmussen, the founder of Eskimology, an Inuit-Danish explorer and ethnographer who took some of the most hazardous and brilliant expeditions ever, including a three and a half-year, 20,000-mile adventure by dogsled across the polar north to Alaska. Like Rasmussen, Ehrlich learns that the landscape of Greenland is "less a description of desolation than an ode to the beauty of impermanence."Alternately mind-expanding, gripping, and dreamlike, This Cold Heaven is a revelation. --Lesley Reed ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Greenland's best portrait since Rasmussen
I've read this book twice, once as chosen reading before a month-long glaciology expedition to Greenland and again a year later during a hot summer, pining for the stark landscape. Greenland today is a land of strange idiosyncrasies, with ancient Inuit and modern Western cultures meeting with often mixed results. Ehrlich does not shy away from this, but embraces and explores what may seem alien at first glance. Some readers may turn away from customs that seem barbaric or disconcerting, but Ehrlich musters the courage to stick with it, and if you do too, you'll discover an incredibly honest, pure, and flexible people, mirroring the harsh landscape they inhabit.

It took a personal trip to Greenland to fully grasp what was laid before me in this book. Thanks to Ehrlich, I can't wait to go back.

Too Much of a Good Thing
I very much enjoyed this book.It was a fascinating look at a land steeped in tradition and culture, and I feel I got to know the people and their lives.
Ehrlich is a wonderful writer who knows how to turn a phrase.But...but....but--why I am only giving this three stars?It's because I felt the book was too much of a good thing.While the stories of the people she met and the Inuit ways are fascinating, do I really need to read 356 pages of how beautiful the ice was over and over and over and over?How many times do I have to hear that "ice is chaos", "ice is time", "the ice was like newly shampooed hair", "the sun was like a flashlight", "the ice was like broken dishes", etc.This gets tiresome very fast.Enough already!I get it-the ice is beautiful and it's cold. Too much of the same thing and too many metaphors detracts from the power of the whole.I wish Ehrlich would have put the metaphor-theasurus away for at least two consecutive pages.
I'm sure that to Ehrlich all of her endless trips across the ice are individual, but to me, they all sound the same.She could have cut out the descriptions of about 10 of the trips she made on the ice, which would have cut the book by 50-100 pages, and had a much more powerful account.Although I loved most of the book, I finally couldn't wait for it to end.She made something that was fascinating into an account that was, ultimately, boring and endless.

Excellent and well thought out book
Really interesting book regarding the Greenlander Inuit and one woman's journey through the region.I particularly like the inclusion of previous author's and explorer's interwoven in the story, as well as the raw authenticity of the author in terms of her experiences with the people, land and culture.

This Cold Heaven
I have enjoyed Ehrlich's writing style, very poetic descriptions about the ice and the people. She switches back and forth between her own experiences and historical expeditions, and the contrasts are interesting.

Eskimos as people, Greenland as a real place.
This amazing book opened my eyes to the Inuit culture and homeland in a most unexpected way. I really bought it hoping to learn something about Inuit kayak hunters, but that aspect of Inuit hunting life is not heavily covered in the book. Instead, the author takes us on many wonderful journeys by dogsled and gives the reader a most fascinating viewpoint - right behind the dogs. We experience the hard but thrilling life of the skilled Arctic hunter as described by an articulate passenger in the sled, and in that way we come to know the people of the north country in a most sympathetic way.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves beautifully written adventures. They are here. ... Read more

Product Description
TRUTH HAS DEADLY CONSEQUENCES

Twenty-six years ago, even before a series of brutal murders rocked the idyllic town of Bowers Inlet, Cassie Burke lost her parents, her sister, and nearly her own life to a transient befriended by her father. Back then, Cassie was a scared kid–now she’s a homicide cop. Back then, the suspect was caught and convicted–he died in prison. But now the killing has started again. And all signs indicate that the Bayside Strangler has come back for more.

With too many victims and too few suspects, Cassie has her hands full investigating the case, while working through the old trauma it has brought to the surface. Luckily, FBI agent Rick Cisco is dispatched to lend support. Together, Cassie and Rick must uncover the link between the dark past and the dangerous present to bring this small town’s long nightmare to an end. If they fail, an elusive fiend will slip back into the shadows . . . to watch and wait–and kill another day.

In matters of crime, there are many versions of the truth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Quick interesting one-time read, but lacking passion and romance
"Sizzling" romance?HA!Not so much.This was pretty decent as a suspense book, but definitely isn't romance.Even as a suspense, it felt like so much happened with the killer so quickly, then all of a sudden nothing happened with the killer and the police team figured everything out almost instantly, which just seemed so unrealistic.Also, there just didn't seem to be any passion or feeling behind anything; I wasn't really drawn in to the story and didn't really feel a connection with the characters.An interesting and quick read, but lacking passion and feeling; a good one-time read, but only worth borrowing from the library or a friend, not to buy.For some of my favorites in romantic suspense try Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts, Storm Force (Silhouette Bombshell) by Meredith Fletcher or The Maze (FBI Series) by Catherine Coulter.

Great story - good beginning!
Twenty-six years ago, Cassie Burke lost her parents and her sister - and was almost killed herself - in a vicious attack on her family.A transient, befriended by her father, who is discovered covered in blood and hiding in the garage, is subsequently blamed, arraigned and put into prison for the crime, where he dies.This attack took place right before a string of brutal killings by a serial killer called the Bay City Strangler.There are never any clues left and when the killings suddenly stop, Bowers Inlet believes they are safe again.

Cassie is now a homicide cop, spending her life trying to prevent the sort of terror that she lived through.However, when the killings start again, leaving too many victims and very few clues, Cassie gets assistance from the FBI to help solve the case.FBI agent Rick Cisco joins Cassie in trying to track down this killer, before he can again melt into the night and disappear.

A heart-racing thriller, a realistic and enjoyable romantic assignation, and a twisted mystery that keeps you guessing - all these add up to a highly enjoyable book.I am looking forward to getting the remainder of books in this series, and can definitely recommend this book to fans of the romantic thriller.

Cold Truth
Easy enjoyable summer read. Well thought out plot and vivid likable characters. Liked it well emough to purchase Hard Truth.

A Good Solid Read
This is my first Mariah Stewart book and I liked it well enough that I will be diving back in for more. The initial setup of the book was strong and compelling. Stewart's got a talent for solid character interaction. I enjoyed the story and I enjoyed the characters. My only thought is that the conflict was a tad expected. I know this is a suspense, not a mystery, but by not knowing who the villain actually was, put me in a mystery state of mind, then figuring out the why so quickly was a little off for me. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to more books my this author.

Easy can't-put-down reading.
I would classify Cold truth as mystery with forensics, and a lot of investigation. But, don't get me wrong, it is NOT boring at all. You can't put it down even though some times you only have a few minutes to spare and you think 'I'll finish this chapter and then I'll leave'; no, it is rarely the case because you get hooked and want to go on reading!

I bought this "Truth" book, from Mariah Stewart because going on a trip I finished the book I brought along, and, so I needed something else to help me while I was relaxing (!!??). I found "Last Look" and read it so fast and enjoyed it so much, the first thing I did when I returned home was to look for more from this author.

If you enjoy watching the occasional CSI, this you will like because it is not exactly about how they dissect a body to come out with the truth but more of picking up all the evidence to come up with the killer.... from a time when all the scientific developments were a thing of Science Fiction: Twenty years ago. You'll get it when you read it.

I was recommended Cold Truth (here in Amazon) as a series of four Truth books that even though are somehow connected in relation with some of the main characters, you can read by itself, and since it is the first one of them all, you'll have no problem understanding. But if you are an avid reader, you'll want to keep on reading the "Truths" until you've read them all -I'm up to the third one called Dark Truth, and will discover which characters show up in the next books.

The reading is easy, yet not predictable. You find yourself reading with a mental picture of the characters and their whereabouts. In a sentence, you get into the book and walk alongside the main characters. I consider that as great writing. ... Read more

Product Description
Whitcomb is the first HRT member ever to write about his experience. With breathtaking immediacy, he describes the brutal training, the weapons and tactics, and the unbreakable camaraderie of the HRT. In short order, after joining HRT in 1991, Whitcomb was sent on missions to Ruby Ridge and Waco, and his frank assessment of those missions is must reading for anyone interested in modern law enforcement. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (77)

Great book!
This was an excellent novel and for someone who wishes to enter the FBI I found it very inspiring.

Very interesting
I happened to just pick this book up and read the synopsis of the book.The synopsis intrigued me to want to read more. I find every type of law enforcement, or military training book fascinating.The hostage rescue team was not a team I was familiar with. These personnel are equivalent to the military's special forces in my opinion.This team trains constantly and is able to respond to incidents immediately.The training these members attend are unbelievable, it makes me feel much safer knowing a team like this exists.I would definately recommend this book to those of you who find sniper stories intersting, or the unbelievable training and expertise that these personnel acheive.

BE WARNED
Look elsewhere when purchasing this book. The suggested retail price on the back cover is $7.99, but after paying vender's listed price and S&H totals to ~$19. What a rip-off!!!

BE WARNED
Look elsewhere other than "bobsellingbooks" aka - OwlsBooks when purchasing this book. The suggested retail price on the back cover is $7.99, but after paying vender's listed price and S&H totals to ~$19. What a rip-off!!!

Lies of Omission Prevalent
Although as a New Hampshire boy who is a former journalist like the author, I am offended though fascinated by Christopher Whitcomb's book, Cold Zero.It's good writing, but lacking truth.I'm also a gun connoisseur as he is by profession.

His portrayal of Rudy Ridge is so grotesque, as to merit tongue lashing.

Google "cato remember ruby ridge" and read Timothy Lynch's short composition on Ruby Ridge, which was first published in National Review in 2002, ten years after the unfortunate incidents.It's instructive and the facts are extremely damning on the government's case, which Whitcomb prosecuted as a government sniper with the FBI's elite Hostage Rescue Team (HRT), with illegal "shoot to kill" orders.No one denies that, nor does the book claim otherwise.Luckily for Whitcomb's humanity, he never got a clean shot.Part of it I think is his decency in being hesitant--when a fraction of a second counts--in snuffing out a person's life who wasn't posing a direct danger to others.

I'm glad, unlike the Marshals before HRT arrived on the scene, HRT didn't wax the surviving Weaver dogs, who were chained up.Nowadays that's SOP.That's how the marshal died--William Degan, another NH boy--when the Weaver son Sammy blindly fired his rifle (Was it the Ruger Mini 14 "assault" rifle, Mr. Whitcomb, do you think?) at the unidentified trespasser upon the shooting of his dog.Gunfire was exchanged and Sammy was dead, along with Mr. Degan.

It's never a good thing to start shooting at citizens or their beloved pets without first announcing your presence, Uncle Sam.Some of us aren't denatured subjects who have willingly thrown away our Second Amendment rights.Some of us are still citizens with the means to protect our loved ones and ourselves, thank you very much.

What he intentionally omits in this book, which I read and re-read and re-read again in disbelief, he being present at both Ruby Ridge and Waco, is almost a cascade of relevant information.Much of this information was eminently available when he published this book, I believe in 2001, although maybe not at the time of the events in the early and mid-1990s.He doesn't even make _an attempt_ to deal with issues that people like me--and I'm certainly not alone--have raised about these infamous incidents.

Talk about arrogance!Timothy Lynch writes, "In August 1995 the U.S. government paid the Weaver family $3.1 million. On the condition that his name not be used in an article, one Department of Justice official told the Washington Post that if Weaver's suit had gone to trial in Idaho, he probably would have been awarded $200 million."

What Whitcomb to the best of knowledge omits is why Randy Weaver had a scheduled court date that he blew off, initiating the Marshals to come.He only mentions the court appearance that Weaver was a no-show at.That begs the question, though, what was it all about?Entrapment.

A Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco Firearms (BATF)--yes, those lovely boys-- snitch who, to minimize the trouble he was already in, agreed to get Weaver in legal trouble by having him saw off the end of his shotgun to less than the legal limit.After much prodding, Weaver eventually complied, though reluctantly, sawing it approximately half an inch shorter than allowed.Talk about nitpicking!Anything to get a guy in trouble who espouses the wrong views, reads the wrong literature, and doesn't have cable TV.He must be in need of lockup!

This is what pisses me off.Whitcomb, who should know better, buys into it.The First Amendment, Chris, is designed to protect those views that are precisely like Weaver's: unpopular.Otherwise, why need we have such a right if it only protects "accepted" speech?

America was once a place where disgusting Nazis marched in Jewish neighborhoods.Freedom can be messy and unruly, esp. to a man with a badge.

The three chapters on Ruby Ridge are interesting, but wholly lacking the proper background information as I hope I have hinted at.Was this book censored by a Polonius at the FBI?I think so.

His discussion of West Point ignoble grad Lon Horiuchi, whom he affectionately calls "Hooch," is off putting to some of us.I know I don't stand alone.He is the expert sniper who took out Vicky Weaver while she was holding an infant.Remember, these guys had not even announced their presence.And it's reported that lovable Hooch had some dozen or so of spent .308 shells around his sniper's nest found immediately after the conflagration at Waco, before he could hide them.

This book is too flawed for one to read without consulting secondary sources.It's too bad Whitcomb's superb training and skills weren't always used in ways that people can all agree was consistent with American values.I will say it's an unusual combination of assets in a man: literary flair with extreme accomplishment with a sniper's rifle.Whitcomb is an impressive writer and shooter.Most of the guys he worked with probably viewed him as the artistic poet, or something.

I have come to view these proliferating groups--even the Dept. of Commerce has its own SWAT!--as a threat to Americans.They routinely shoot all dogs of the homes they invade, as I have read in Radley Balko's blog, The Agitator.

Christopher Whitcomb participated in FBI incidents in which innocent people were killed. That could have been avoided by smarter behavior on both sides.But most of the responsibility should be on the government's side.They are the ones who bear a disproportionate amount of the firepower, the ability to do harm.But the stories he tells here are worth the read if you understand beforehand you're getting solely the "boots on the ground" perspective, with some dubious hindsight justification sprinkled in. I lowered the ranking from what it should be given, three stars, to compensate for the lofty praise the book's received from other reviewers. ... Read more

Product Description
Completely revised with fresh examples and all new chapters, the second edition of Red-Hot Cold Call Selling reveals the secrets, strategies, and tips readers can use to elevate their prospecting skills and take their sales into the stratosphere. Readers will learn how they can:

* define and target their ideal market-and stop squandering time, energy, and money on unfocused prospecting* develop a personalized script utilizing all the elements of a successful cold call* get valuable information from assistants-and then get past them* view voice mail not as a frustrating barrier, but as a unique opportunity

Red-Hot Cold Call Selling is a vital resource for all sales professionals, brimming with field-proven techniques that work in any industry. The book includes new information on using the Internet for research and prospecting; cold-calling internationally; using e-mail instead of calling; and much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

must read for those in b2b selling
Great book to help you understand the process of cold calling and selecting your target market.

Cold Calling De-Mystified
This book is about generating sales activity.It should appeal to anyone in sales who is tasked with growing an account base through new business acquisition and customer service.It is suitable for both the seasoned sales professional as well as the person just beginning their career in sales. Sales managers take note as there are some great resources and strategies for sustaining consistent activity levels.

Goldner begins with describing the importance of prospecting and the importance of tracking your daily activity.Throughout the book, the author provides useful tools to assist tracking your own sales activity.The main focus is generating sales appointments through telephone cold calling.To demonstrate the strategy, the author has several scripts, sample letters and other examples which can be used by anyone immediately.Overcoming objections, getting past the gate keeper, leaving effective voice mail messages and developing territory management strategies are also covered in this book.

This is a very well written book on the topic of prospecting and cold calling and highly recommended for sales professionals who are in a "Hunter" role and responsible for opening doors.

Eliot Hoppe
Author - Selling: Powerful New Strategies for Sales Success.

Effective manual for organized cold-call selling
Picking up the phone and calling a prospect seems like a natural thing for a sales professional to do. Yet, even the best, most seasoned salespeople avoid cold calling to steer clear of rejection. Paul S. Goldner teaches you how to cure your fears and shows you that cold calling is really just a numbers game: A certain number of calls is likely to produce a relative number of appointments and sales. Good prospecting techniques empower you to take control of your sales practices and determine your income. Goldner thoroughly covers every aspect of prospecting, including identifying the best times to call, defining your target market, writing a cold-call script, handling objections and getting past voice mail. Goldner's process will inspire even the most reluctant salesperson to dial that cold call. We suggest this as a fortifying read for anyone whose income depends on bringing prospects into the sales pipeline.

Provides many insights into what works, what doesn't, and why.
Paul S. Goldner's RED-HOT COLD CALL SELLING, 2ND EDITION offers sales personnel a tutorial which blends experience and examples with a different approach to cold calling. Novices to quota club attendees, pros and beginners alike will find chapters analyzing prospecting techniques for high-payoff approaches. From break-even hours and outside hours which assure success to smart definitions of target markets, RED-HOT COLD CALL SELLING provides many insights into what works, what doesn't, and why. ... Read more

Product Description


Homicide detective Taylor Jackson thinks she's seen it all in Nashville--but she's never seen anything as perverse as The Conductor. Once his victim is captured, he contains her in a glass coffin, slowly starving her to death. Only then does he give in to his attraction.

Later, he creatively disposes of the body by reenacting scenes from famous paintings. Strangely, similar macabre works are being displayed in Europe. Taylor teams up with her fiancé, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin, and New Scotland Yard detective James "Memphis" Highsmythe--a haunted man who has eyes only for Taylor--to put an end to The Conductor's art collection.

Has the killer gone international? Or are there dueling artists, competing to create the ultimate masterpiece?

... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

MAK
The Cold Room is an awesome brilliantly written novel full of everything you need to keep you turning page after page.The information provided at the end of the book was eye opening to say the least.I look forward to reading more from J.T. Ellison. Oh by the way I got it on my Kindle, thanks Amazon!

Gave me nightmares!
This was my least favorite of the J.T. Ellison Taylor Jackson series, but only because the subject matter was so disturbing. I was glad to see in the author's notes that she, too, found it horrific. Though I didn't like the graphic images created by the diseased "villains" this is the J.T. Ellison book I've discussed with the most people. (Perhaps I needed to process the material to get it out of my subconscious.) Regardless, it was well written, was well-researched, and left enough questions that I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. What will happen between Memphis and Taylor? How will The Pretender next present himself?

Edge of your seat Thriller......
Another thriller by JT Ellison. Taylor Jackson is on the hunt for "The Conductor" a killer so sick and twisted...he starves his captives.

When he's finished, he creatively disposes of the body by reenacting scenes from famous paintings. And it seems similar macabre works are being displayed in Europe. Taylor teams up with her fiancé, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin, and a New Scotland Yard detective named James "Memphis" Highsmythe, a haunted man who only has eyes for Taylor, to put an end to the Conductor's art collection.

I actually loved this book and was sorry to see the ending. Now to wait another year for a follow up - pure torture. This is the 4th book in her Taylor Jackson series and it is definitely worth the read. Don't Miss it!!!

Another Great Book!
While searching for a new author, I came across J.T. Ellison. I love every book in the Taylor Jackson series, this one included. I have been anxiously awaiting Ellison's new book and I wasn't diasppointed. The book was a definite page turner. I had a hard time putting it down and managed to read it cover to cover in a week, which is rare for me.

The definition of a good book to me is one that I find interesting, enticing, suspenseful and emotional with characters that I care about. Ellison has done that with the Taylor Jackson series. I find Taylor's character smart and sassy with a softer side. I enjoyed the way she added Dect. Memphis into the mix. I found myself reading to find out how that was all gonna play out and was glad for Taylor's choice in the end. I am looking forward to Ellison's next novel and I think she did an amazing job on this one.

... Read more

Product Description

"Without the Cold War, what's the point of being an American?" As if in answer to this poignant question from John Updike's Rabbit at Rest, Stephen Whitfield examines the impact of the Cold War -- and its dramatic ending -- on American culture in an updated version of his highly acclaimed study. In a new epilogue to this second edition, he extends his analysis from the McCarthyism of the 1950s, including its effects on the American and European intelligensia, to the civil rights movement of the 1960s and beyond.

Whitfield treats his subject matter with the eye of a historian, reminding the reader that the Cold War is now a thing of the past. His treatment underscores the importance of the Cold War to our national identity and forces the reader to ask, Where do we go from here? The question is especially crucial for the Cold War historian, Whitfield argues. His new epilogue is partly a guide for new historians to tackle the complexities of Cold War studies.

Customer Reviews (4)

No end notes or foot notes
Considering that Stephen Whitfield's The Culture of the Cold War is part of the American Moment series and is published by Johns Hopkins UP, I felt this would be a safe purchase of a book catering to my interests as a history undergrad. By chapter four, however, I was certain that my purchase was misguided. Whitfield provides sensational quotes which would prompt any undergrad who is even halfway serious about their field to rush to the foot- or endnotes for further reading. The joke is on the reader as neither exists in this book.

A bibliographical essay is the closest that Whitfield comes to revealing his sources. This essay contains publications which the author describe as "rather pedestrian" (p245; referencing Parmet, Eisenhower and the American Crusades), "self-referential" (p251; referencing Hines, Populuxe), and "authors [who] sprinkle their learning with paprika" (p257, referencing Erik Barnouw and J. Fred MacDonald). Knowing how amazing homemade macaroni and cheese is when sprinkled with paprika I will presume this to be a compliment.

Choosing to not struggle through a coded labyrinth to determine if quotes were accurate, misquoted, or taken out of context, I bailed after chapter four. For example, Whitfield quotes Eisenhower as stating to Billy Graham, "Billy, I believe one reason I was elected President was to lead America in a religious revival," (p90) but there is no citation for this supposed quote.Is the intended undergrad reader expected to turn to the bibliographical essay and comb every publication regarding Eisenhower or Graham?

Another example is found on page 49 where Whitfield states the Internal Security Act of 1950 created "concentration camps in Pennsylvania, Florida, Oklahoma, Arizona (two), and California." I have searched for possible sources which would discuss these "concentration camps" and have come up empty.Scholarly web sites discussing the ISA fail to mention any concentration camps.If the author had only included citations...

I cannot escape the thought that one who veils his sources likely has dubious intentions and investing any further reading would be a waste of time. Without citations, one is left with the feeling that they have listened to elderly relatives recalling oral histories.This is not acceptable for a text intended for undergrads.

His writing style is enjoyable, but I just cannot commit time to a text without notes. Someone who doesn't care about sources and whether what they are reading can be verified would love it.I am pleased with the breadth of publications listed in the essay and consider it partially worth the cost of the book.

Solid overview of US cultural history from 1946-1962
Whitfield's book serves as a succinct overview of American Cold War culture, which he defines as ending in the early 1960s (a questionable decision but one made by many scholars who employ the "Cold War Culture" rubric).

What sets apart this book from other entries in the literature is Whitfield's recognition of the importance of religion to Cold War America and his willingness to grapple with the Cold War's full range of moral implications (an element lacking in most academic studies of the domestic side of the Cold War, which tend to fixate endlessly on McCarthy, who is used to tar and discredit all variants of American anti-Communism). This is not to suggest that Whitfield is an apologist for McCarthy, not at all, but to commend Whitfield for understanding that, to paraphrase Arthur Koestler, the Cold War was the story of the United States fighting for a half-truth against a total lie.

Culture of Cold War -- Whitfield
Whitfield's book is extremely informative. The connections he makes are fascinating. The book made me want to go out to the library and Blockbuster and look at the popular books and movies he talks about for a second time in a fresh light.

Intelectually Challenging
This was rated a "3" by me because it was a little redundant as well as choppy.The book was great in the sense of intelecutal reading but lacked the story like atmosphere.I wouldn't recommend this book to be read for enjoyment, but it would be great if it were used as research on a paper.The chapters are broken up into sections 1,2,3,..etc, so once you have read one section the rest are really just other examples of what the author is trying to get across,easy to skim through for good facts and info.Good Luck! ... Read more

Product Description
The leading guide to the professional kitchen's cold food station, now fully revised and updated

Garde Manger is one of the most important courses culinary students take—and it's often the first kitchen station that a new chef will encounter. This definitive guide has been thoroughly revised to reflect the latest garde manger trends, techniques, and flavors, including new information on topics such as brining ratios, fermented sausages, micro greens, artisanal American cheeses, tapas menus, "action" buffet stations, and ice carving. With over 540 recipes, including 100 created new for this edition, and more than 340 all-new photographs illustrating step-by-step techniques and finished dishes, this new edition of Garde Manger is an indispensable reference for culinary students and working chefs everywhere.

Customer Reviews (23)

terrible
I ordered my book 30 days in advance and I still have not recieved it..this seller is a bad sourceto purchase things from.

Good Product; Incredibly SLOW shipping.
I bought this book 2 weeks before school started thinking that gave me plenty of time, if not MORE than enough time to receive the product. I had ordered the book on Aug 18. There was no tracking provided, so I was completely unaware to if my book had been lost or where it was. I needed by book by the Aug 30. Of course, that didn't happen. I usually get my products from Amazon by the next week. So this was very irritating. I finally got my book 2 weeks into when school started for me (sep 8, two days before the delivery limit, which was Aug 23-Sep 10. That's a very long and overtly lenient delivery period if you ask me.) I was not happy about that at all. The product itself was in good condition.I have no complaints on the product itself, just on the delivery of the product. If you need quick shipping, this place might not be for you.

Garde Manager
We have used this book so many times since receiving it, there is always someone reading something in it.I tried making one of the cheese recipes, I'm hooked!What agreat addition to our business.

Could use more pictures given the subject matter of the book
This book could use more pictures given the subject matter of the book.Other than that the book has relevant data and is a useful tool in class.

Garde Manger a great book
I am enrolled in a gard manger class and have found this book to be very informative and have learned much from it and glad that I purchased it and now know a lot more about cold foods in the kitchen.I have found recipes in the book that I will try and recommend this book to all who want to know about cold foods. ... Read more