Reviews and Comments

I am glad I read LeDuff's "Detroit" before I read "US Guys." For if I read this first I may have never read the other. returnreturnBased on the description I had expected some hardcore manliness, some real MRM stuff. But there was none of that. returnreturnThere was little actually tying the book together at all. Each chapter was a story of its own of LeDuff traveling to a different part of the country to take part in some form of everyday life there. returnreturnThe first couple chapters dealing with Oklahoma really shouldn't have been first. Hanging out with meth addicts in a flea bag motel is not a way to get me to want to keep turning the page. returnreturnThat being said the chapter on Burning Man in Black Rock City, NV was absolutely amazing, I also really like the chapter on the Pentecostal movement in Cleveland, TN, and playing in the AF2 in Amarillo, TX

Leopard's spots is famous for being one of the most racist novels of all times. When I heard of it I added to my queue so that I could try to see from inside someone else's head. Due to the recent political climate, I moved it to the front of the queue because I wasn't certain how much longer reading a book like this would be legal. returnreturnI was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed the book. It was odd, I actually kept forgetting that he KKK were the protagonists. The idea that they actually justified the lynching of a black man, simply because he asked permission to kiss a white woman in the first "book" or that the red shirts beat another black man to death for brushing against a white woman, and that they seem to honestly feel this is entirely justified is flabbergasting. returnreturnThat being said the story actually had me turning the page. The author claims the first "book" of the three contained within this work (the whole work is the first in a larger trilogy) is entirely true. After reconstruction the Republican Party gains complete control of the North Carolina government when former slaves get the vote. If you look past the race portion it actually becomes a universal story. Of how government corrupts. Of how those that have been oppressed so often reply to oppressions of themselves to oppressing others when they have power. returnreturnThe second and third portions the author seems to agree are entirely fictional. Particularly the second "book" is focused on a romance between a rising member of the Democratic Party who had been orphaned in the first book, and the southern belle of an old guard member of the Party. returnreturnUnfortunately the conclusion was given away by simply reading the table of contents, so you may enjoy it better if you skip the table of contents.

This audiobook was not good. Even worst than the first one, and that one wasn't good either. There is hardly a story here at all, at least half of the book is just feminst propaganda. returnreturnThe little plot that exists is, someone wants it to look like the queen is trying to kill people. Our protagainst, an 11th century single mother who is also a doctor and a forensic scientist, goes on the case to find out. Her baby dady's who is a Catholic Bishop, shows up and then she thinks he dies. in the end every member of the clergy is fornicating and all the nuns are lesbians. and somethign about happily ever after?

This audiobook was not good. Even worse than the first one, and that one wasn't good either. There is hardly a story here at all, at least half of the book is just feminist propaganda.

The little plot that exists is, someone wants it to look like the queen is trying to kill people. Our protagonist, an 11th century single mother who is also a doctor and a forensic scientist, goes on the case to find out. Her baby daddy, who is a Catholic Bishop, shows up and then she thinks he dies. In the end every member of the clergy is fornicating, and all the nuns are lesbians. and something about happily ever after?

un-be-lievable. This term can be good as in "this book was so good it was unbelievable" or it can be bad as in "this book was so unbelievable it wasn't very good" This is the later. I think good Sci-Fi needs to be believable. That's one of the reasons I think Stargate works, it creates an interesting story based on some off-the-wall ideas (namely ancient aliens and unaccountable military budgets).

This SG-1 story missed that mark. First off being book 9 in this "series" is really irrelevant it its reminded of how little the fandomonium series is a series right off the back by all of a sudden featuring Colnerl Mitchel and Vahlalla. But since everyone loves McGuyver General O'Neil comes along on the ride. returnreturnSpoiler AlertreturnreturnWith little explenation apparently T'ealc loves all things human science fiction, has seen Star Wars dozens of times and is a vested UFO-ologist. He knows every detail of the most likely stories of Roswell, because of course we go back in time to the incident. Oh but first we need to go to 1908 and have H.P. Lovecraft save SG-1, where do you think he came up with all those monsters? And in the end, the future version of General Carter is married to H.G. Wells. Its like a really off the wall fan fic somehow found a publisher.

A simply fantastic book. Takes place immediately after the events of the Eudonian incident (an episode I honestly don't remember) Senator Kinsley give Jack's ass to himself on a plater because although he may have stopped genocide a world away with the rise of a new Hitler and his quest for an Arian galaxy, he actually failed at the mission which was to friend the guy and get his tech. returnreturnin the aftermath Sg-1 is each sent on their own "mission" as a form of house arrest for Jack and vacations for the others. returnreturnThen Sam's dad, the To'kra Jacob, shows up with a plan to help reinforce his people and just happen to get Jack out of hot water in the process. returnreturnThe team is sent to a slave planet to try to find folks willing to leave the life of slavery in order to become a willing To'kra host, only to have the plan fall to pieces when a new system lord tries to start a battle.

Although two decades old it is as if it was taken from today's headlines. returnreturnRacial Sobriety is written by a Catholic priest from Detroit who is of African American decent. It has a wonderful premise, take the 12 steps of AA and apply it to the problem of white supremacy, both for ourselves as individuals and our society as a whole. Once I saw it on the shelf of my church library I knew I had to read it, not only for myself but because I was sure my friend Mikester would love it. Mikester may or may not love it, I'm not sure, but I did not. I started reading it in January and even though it is less than 200 pages long, didn't finish it until August. returnreturnThe book talks about Recovery From Racism®. The fact someone bothered registering a trade mark for such must mean someone thinks they will make money off of it. Presumably Fr. Williams, but maybe its the publisher? (The institute for Recovery from Racism's website mentioned in the book, ifrfr.org goes to a not found result so whoever was trying to probably didn't make any money) That little circle R almost makes me want to vomit. We also don't travel through the whole twelve steps. I'm not really sure what the point was other to have a form of reference? returnreturnIt's not all bad, there are good points about how white supremacy effects all of us, even those who think they aren't racist. I did appreciate the use of the 20 year old term "heterosexualism" rather than the inaccurate current term "homophobia", though I suspect my friends would say I prefer the term because I am homophobic. I don't think I am but I digress.

This work was not good. Its description sound right up my ally. Science Fiction that takes place in a bar, fully of bad jokes and puns. returnreturnBut its not good. First off it wasn't actually written as a novel but a number of independent short stories intended for publication in bad 70s Sci-Fi magazines. Secondly the stories of time travelers and aliens and the like aren't told in a way to account adventure and explore possibilities of scientific theory in practical application, but instead focuses on feelings. returnreturnThere are more than enough feelings in the real life, I don't need this in my Sci-Fi. returnreturnDon't waste your time.

Holt's first book Is primarily a collection of his notes from his early years at teaching, primarily at the Colorado Mountain School. A private school for rich "progressives."returnreturnThe copy I read was a later re-issue. It was certainly a different way of doing an updated revision. Normally when I read such its the exact same book with only a few paragraphs re-edited due to some new information, or updated references, since the original publishing. However This one kept the entire original in tact and the added additional commentary where the author had changed his mind since the original publishing, marked as such. I'm not clear if I really liked that or not, but it certainly made for a significantly longer book. returnreturnHolt argues that children fail because school is set up in a way that most kids are too afraid to actually learn. They need or want the right answer, but cramming for tests only ensures they don't actually know what they are being taught. returnreturnI lot of focus on math and the wildly disconnected "ideas" children have about it.