Chemistry Demystified (TAB Demystified)

Book Description

Say goodbye to dry presentations, grueling formulas, and abstract theory that would put Einstein to sleep--now there's an easier way to master chemistry, biology, trigonometry, and geometry. McGraw-Hill's Demystified Series teaches complex subjects in a unique, easy-to-absorb manner and is designed for users without formal training, unlimited time, or genius IQs.

Organized like self-teaching guides, they come complete with key points, background information, questions at the end of each chapter, and final exams. There's no better way to gain instant expertise!

ABOUT CHEMISTRY DEMYSTIFIED:
* Current, real-world examples illustrate the essential nature of the basic elements as they form various states of gases, liquids, and solids
* Covers essentials such as understanding matter; chemical building blocks; elements, electrons, and the periodic table; properties and reactions
* Includes unique Chembites, tips, scientific news, and cutting-edge industry applications not usually found in textbooks

Customer Reviews:

Nice Presentation But That's About It.......2007-09-14

Nice cover; great illustrations, charts, tables, and diagrams; neat outlines; however, the book is of poor quality. It introduces concepts without explaination as if it assumes you know them. This begins to happen around chapter 4. You begin to feel lost as you progress through the book. There are virtually no guides to help indicate what is an important point to remember. There are questions given at the end of the chapters that have answers that are difficult to locate or deduce. I would highly recommend "Chemistry: A Self-Teaching Guide" by Wiley & Sons which is of far greater quality.

cheesy writing, lots of typos.......2007-08-13

I'm glad to have gotten this book as an e-version from the library -- it's not worth paying money for, and hardly worth wasting paper on. Lots of misguided analogies -- molecular configuration is likened to football plays -- and many contradictory typos, ie C6H12O6 described first as sucrose, then as fructose (it's really fructose), formulaic error mentioned by other reviewers... I haven't even got halfway through (I'll read the rest as a guideline because I need to test into at least basic college chem next week), but I'm already going to web sources for explanations on things like atomic orbitals, which are totally confusing in this writing.

Finally, examples such as the following are just plain insulting.
"Example 7.4
"What would you do if an experimental procedure called for 1 M of hydrochloric acid (HCl) and all you had in the lab was 12 M HCl? Could you use what you had on hand? Sure! Just prepare the 1 M HCl by measuring a volume 1/12 or 82 milliliters of the concentrated solution into 1 liter of distilled water. The final concentration is equal to 1 M HCl."

I mean, honestly!

The only plus is that I feel smarter, being able to notice how many mistakes are in this.

Same as the other reviews - quite a few errors.......2007-04-23

I picked up a copy of this at Half-Priced Books. I have studied science as a hobby for more than 4 decades, but mainly astrophysics, quantum physics and cosmology. I saw this and it seemed to be a fairly nice layout and concept. Not too complicated but also not overly simplistic. So far I have finished Chapter 6. I was quite surprised when I realized that I found about four errors in one chapter--especially when it is getting into some of the more difficult things like calculation of electron configuration orbital subshells.

This seems to be a reasonably usable book but YES, it does have LOTS of typos! Just be aware that if you think the text may be wrong, it may be because it *is* a typo. The errors are not misspellings, words missing, grammatical errors, etc., nor are they simple obvious misstatements of fact, such as, "New York City is the capitol of New York State." For the most part they are one or two letters or numbers wrong. For instance, Example 6.8 says the abbreviation for Cesium is Ce but it is actually Cs. For Quiz 6 Question 10 the question is "The Pauli exclusion principle states that". The correct answer is, "no two *electrons* can occupy the same orbital unless their spins are different." The correct answer is supposed to be (b) except that their text reads "no two *atoms* ..."

When I read Williams' explanation of "significant digits" and rounding some of it just didn't make sense and I kept thinking, "Gee, that's not the way I understood it ..." (I have 30 semester hours in accounting and tax and passed 2 parts of the CPA exam.) After seeing these reviews and the other errors, I'm thinking my original understanding is right and the book is wrong.

I haven't checked out any of the competing books, so I can't say whether those might be preferable. This is basically for someone who wants a general understanding of the concepts.

A must have for chemistry beginers.......2006-11-10

This book clearly explains all of the most elemenatary chemistry concepts which are very important to understand if you plan on learning anything past the chemistry one level. I bought this book for help with a chemistry 2 class, which is still considered general chemistry at most schools. This book does not explain anything beyond the most general and elementary concepts.

If you don't have time to do it right..........2006-03-29

I'm reading up on the science I've forgotten from my school days, the science I didn't elect to take back then, and the science that didn't exist yet. I initially studied Chemistry as an adult through the John Wiley Self-Teaching Guide on this subject, which I highly recommend, by the way. I then chose to study Biology and Physics using the books in the Demystified series. Both of these books were jam-packed with enough information to bring me up to speed on these topics, and I also highly recommend them.

I decided to read Chemistry Demystified because the Physics and Biology books had been so great. But as other reviewers here have noted, it is jam-packed with errors! My copy is apparently a later printing than the one that one of the other reviewers had because it does have the Periodic Table on the inside front cover. Because I saw it printed there, I thought maybe I'd be getting a totally corrected edition, but the other mistakes are still present.

In several places, when references needed to be made to the B portion of the Periodic Table, the reference instead was made to the same-numbered column in the A portion.

How such a book managed to be released with so many errors escapes me. Author Linda Williams may be an accomplished science writer, as her biography inside the book states, but she must be embarrassed to have put out such a shoddy publication bearing her name. If they didn't have time to do this book right before a release deadline, they should have delayed the book. I hope that a later, corrected edition is planned, though, because the concept is valid.

Incidentally, both the front and back covers, as well as an editorial review quoted here, mention something called "ChemBites" as being included. That's one more error for this book, because I didn't see anything of the sort in the book.

Average customer rating:

Very good supplement
A condensed version of your textbook.
Valuable
Terrible

Organic Chemistry Demystified
Daniel Bloch
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Professional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0071459200

Book Description

There’s no easier, faster, or more practical way to learn the really tough subjects

Organic Chemistry Demystified follows the organization of standard organic chemistry courses and can also be used as a study guide for the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) and DAT (Dental Admissions Testing) exams. This self-teaching guide comes complete with key points, background information, quizzes at the end of each chapter, and even a final exam. Simple enough for beginners but challenging enough for advanced students, this is a lively and entertaining brush-up, introductory text, or classroom supplement.

Customer Reviews:

Very good supplement.......2007-08-10

Started with another common book as a supplement to my course that simply wasn't cutting it. I picked up this book and it is a very good course supplement! A good breakdown to simply better understand what a standard textbook and the prof is trying to get accross, this book is exactly what you need to make it all make sense. The quizzes are extremely helpful too!

A condensed version of your textbook........2007-05-10

This book got me through most of my Organic Chemistry class. We didn't have a textbook, and this book gave me the details the professor didn't have time to go over during class. It also broke all of the subjects down into small sections, so I could look up exactly the reaction we were going over without having to read an entire chapter in the book.

However, it didn't make much sense to me unless I read the book with my class notes in front of me. If you're looking for a book that explains things differently than your textbook, this probably isn't it. (For that, I'd recommend Organic Chemistry as a Second Language.) But if you're looking for a textbook replacement or have a professor that tends to jump around chapters, this is what you need.

Valuable.......2006-09-04

I found this guide to be a valuable and worthwhile resource on the subject of organic chemistry. I was pleasantly surprised by its appealing and straightforward approach and explanations. The quizzes at the end of each chapter have been very useful to me for checking my comprehension of the material. I recommend this guide to all those interested in a medium to high level overview of the field.

Terrible.......2006-08-07

This book is definitely not worth your money, unless you want to study from a guide that is riddled with errors, both in the answer key and the actual text. The trouble is, unless you already have a fairly firm grasp of the material, it's easy to second guess everything once you start finding errors. And there's no point in studying for something as confusing as organic chemistry if the guide just confuses you more. Organic Chemistry for Dummies is a much better buy.

Herbs Demystified: A Scientist Explains How the Most Common Herbal Remedies Really Work (Demystified)

Average customer rating:

Excellent!
Herbs Demystified: A scientist explain how the most commonherbal remedies really work.
Demystified..
A valuable book save one concern:
Fun and Informative Read!

Herbs Demystified: A Scientist Explains How the Most Common Herbal Remedies Really Work (Demystified)
Holly Phaneuf
Manufacturer: Marlowe & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1569244081

Book Description

The scores of books on herbs already available generally restate old, often outdated lore about herbs. Now, Herbs Demystified does something entirely different: It is the first book to explain exactly what herbs actually do inside our bodies and how they achieve their effects. Biochemist Holly Phaneuf covers 100 of the most popular herbs-astragalus, black cohosh, chamomile, echinacea, garlic, gingko, ginseng, milk thistle, pine bark extract, saw palmetto, valerian, and many others. Phaneuf's introductory overview lays out the basic chemical principles that underlie the journey herbal molecules make in our bodies. Then, for each of the herbs, she covers its history and folklore; explains what the herb really does-its evidence of action; its good uses and not so good uses, including the forms in which it is typically available and commonly reported dosages; interesting facts and the bottom line. Like no other herb book before, Herbs Demystified allows readers to custom-fit an herb to one's own particular concern, therefore minimizing trial and error.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent!.......2007-08-31

This is simply a great resource. I have found it to be very useful for validating research on herbal medicine or in investigating the practical application and efficacy of renowned herbal remedies. Highly recommended for those interested in phytomedicine.

Herbs Demystified: A scientist explain how the most commonherbal remedies really work........2007-05-16

It's a very interesting and sober reading, gives you a great knowledge and finesse before taking herbs unknown to you.

Demystified.........2007-02-19

Definitely one of the better books on these subjects. Good consistent format as the author systematicaly goes through each herb- increased my understanding of how these substances may be used or misused. This book is a must have for anyone supplimenting with herbs- it helps you know what kind of questions you should be asking about any suppliment you may be considering so that even if it isn't covered in this book you know what you don't know before you go searching for answers. It really made me skeptical about other books I ordered which recommend everything on the shelf to everyone. I recommend everyone obtain this book and confront herbalists and other authors with the insights you gain from this book before blindly supplimenting.

A valuable book save one concern:.......2006-03-01

4 stars is an average:
3 stars for implying that only Western Science's double-blind, placebo controlled studies are of any worth.
5 stars for: readablity, layout & format, for including some of the fun and interesting history and folklore, for value, and for the personal anecdotes as well as for explaining, in layman's terms, the science behind the studies. I especially applaud that last point, the author's ability to explain the concepts behind the science in layman's terms.
Since I seem so impressed (I am. btw), it might seem churlish of me to subtract those two stars for the implication that Western "science" is the only way to look at things in general and herbs in particular. I don't think so. I have long training-nearly life long, in fact-training in alternative medicine and other alternative ideas. Therefore I am qualified to benefit from the Western science information and also to ignore or modify for myself the author's bias against traditional information.
I am guessing that's not so of the many readers of this book, not the least because this book is targeted at a general audience, and therefore this bias is quite a large deficiency in my opinion. Further, Dr Phaneuf, in ignoring some of the traditional information available on particular herbs, fails to give some of the traditional cautions and contraindication for certain herbs. That too I find a deficiency. Although I fully agree with the author that some traditional references like "this herb is good for the liver" are useless and possibly dangerous if relied upon, but that's certainly not all there is available in the way of traditional information. If this book were not aimed at a general audience I would not feel compelled to make such an issue of this.
Otherwise, I expect this book will be a valued addition to my library and I congratulate Dr. Phaneuf on an entertaining book in a very accessible format.

Fun and Informative Read!.......2006-02-25

It's wonderful to finally have a real Ph.D. scientist take the mystery out of all the herbal offerings in the world and learn what really works plus why and how! In addition, Dr. Phaneuf has a delightful and engaging writing style that makes learning serious chemistry both enjoyable and accessible to the lay reader.

Average customer rating:

Chemistry Demystified
Linda D. Williams
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Professional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OG87BE

Entropy Demystified: The Second Law Reduced to Plain Common Sense

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A highly intuitive approach to understanding the Second Law
If you thought Entropy would put you to sleep ...
Understanding entropy

Entropy Demystified: The Second Law Reduced to Plain Common Sense
Arieh Ben-Naim
Manufacturer: World Scientific Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 9812700528

Product Description

In this unique book, Arieh Ben-Naim invites the reader to experience the joy of appreciating something which has eluded understanding for many years entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics. The book has a two-pronged message: first, that the Second Law is not infinitely incomprehensible as commonly stated in textbooks of thermodynamics but can, in fact, be comprehended through sheer common sense; and second, that entropy is not a mysterious quantity that has resisted understanding but a simple, familiar and easily comprehensible concept. Written in an accessible style, the book guides the reader through an abundance of dice games and examples from everyday life. The author paves the way for readers to discover for themselves what entropy is, how it changes, and most importantly, why it always changes in one direction in a spontaneous process.

Customer Reviews:

A highly intuitive approach to understanding the Second Law.......2007-09-01

In this book, Arieh Ben-Naim gives a very clear exposition of the Second Law of Thermodynamics--one of the most important principles of modern science. Moreover, the author lays out a compelling argument for why this "law" is not deeply mysterious, as is commonly believed, but natural and intuitive. The argument is based on an analogy with a class of easily understood dice games, which are analyzed in great detail. The essential features of the dice-game model--that is, the features which exhibit the exact behavior predicted by the Second Law--are then extrapolated to various real-world thermodynamic systems in a very lucid way. The book includes nice introductions to probability theory and information theory, although only the bare rudiments of these theories are needed to understand Ben-Naim's arguments. The author concludes the book with a critique of some commonly held views among the scientific community regarding the Second Law. In particular, it is argued that if the atomic theory of matter had preceded the formulation of the Second Law, rather than visa-versa, the Second Law would have been understood in a much more intuitive way from its inception, and thus would never have gained the near mythical status it has commanded over the past 150 years.

If you thought Entropy would put you to sleep ..........2007-08-16

Think again. This book is instructive on this fuzzy subject. It is funny, and delivers knowledge (atomistic-Non atomistic), history, and will deliver a much clearer picture of what was somehow obscure. Some quiz and icons will keep you almost laughing. I would recommend it for all ages (G rated!)

Understanding entropy.......2007-07-25

If we ask science and engineering students to list the topics they find harder to grasp, inevitably "entropy" and "The Second Law" will be included. Apart from Physics - majors, which are exposed to Thermal Physics, all other students generally do not get the microscopic or atomistic view of entropy and of the Second Law. I can talk for myself: I did undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in engineering, covering Thermodynamics in both, I did hundreds of calculations with entropy, without getting a clue of what it is!
In this book, Arieh Ben-Naim gives that microscopic interpretation of entropy and of the Second Law in a very simple and clear way. He uses analogies that everyone can follow. At the end of the book, the reader will have understood the Second Law, plus some basic probability calculations. The author likes to interpret this Law under the framework of Information Theory and relates entropy to missing information. This is not the main goal of the book and you can stick to a more direct interpretation of entropy, as given by Ralph Baierlein, for whom it is simply equivalent to multiplicity.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this book to everyone, with or without a technical background, who wants «to see the light» of the Second Law. You will love the book and you will love Thermodynamics!

Average customer rating:

Quantum Field Theory Demystified
David McMahon
Manufacturer: Mcgraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

The book summarizes the author's experimental studies of phase relations in the chemical systems relevant to earth, carried out in a time period of over 20 years using piston-cylinder and multi-avil presses. A summary of the research at high pressures and temperatures carried out by many other experimental petrologists is also included. The data was used to develop an internally consistent thermodynamic model, which was then used to calculate phase diagrams. This produced the largest collection of the calculated phase diagrams published to date and the first to encompass temperature and pressure ranges corresponding to the whole upper mantle.

Book Description

Since its inception in 1966, the series of numbered volumes known as Semiconductors and Semimetals has distinguished itself through the careful selection of well-known authors, editors, and contributors. The "Willardson and Beer" Series, as it is widely known, has succeeded in publishing numerous landmark volumes and chapters. Not only did many of these volumes make an impact at the time of their publication, but they continue to be well-cited years after their original release. Recently, Professor Eicke R. Weber of the University of California at Berkeley joined as a co-editor of the series. Professor Weber, a well-known expert in the field of semiconductor materials, will further contribute to continuing the series' tradition of publishing timely, highly relevant, and long-impacting volumes. Some of the recent volumes, such as Hydrogen in Semiconductors, Imperfections in III/V Materials, Epitaxial Microstructures, High-Speed Heterostructure Devices, Oxygen in Silicon, and others promise indeed that this tradition will be maintained and even expanded.
Reflecting the truly interdisciplinary nature of the field that the series covers, the volumes in Semiconductors and Semimetals have been and will continue to be of great interest to physicists, chemists, materials scientists, and device engineers in modern industry.

Cumulative Subject and Author Index Including Tables of Contents, Volumes 1-50, Volume 53 (Semiconductors and Semimetals)

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Cumulative Subject and Author Index Including Tables of Contents, Volumes 1-50, Volume 53 (Semiconductors and Semimetals)
R. K. Willardson
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MU8PKA

Book Description

Dog Bites Man is a witty, tongue-in-cheek saga detailing the House-That-Jack-Built downfall of Eldon Hoagland, an innocent Columbia University professor who has become New York City's good-government mayor. The hilarious spiral begins when Hoagland, after an evening of drinking with his old Princeton roommate, staggers out of a Fifth Avenue apartment house, steps on a dog relieving itself alongside the mayor's car, and gets badly bitten. His cop-bodyguards shoot the dog and in the process terrorize Genc Serreqi -- an illegal Albanian stud who walks the dog (in addition to more intimate chores) for Sue Nation Brandberg, a former Native American beauty queen and socialite widow of a billionaire -- and he flees the scene.

The mayor's bodyguards attempt to cover up their involvement in the shooting, but "Scoop" Rice, an eager young reporter for a muckraking Manhattan weekly, investigates and exposes the canine slaying. Then extreme animal activists, aided and abetted by every other interest group with a grievance against the mayor, tie up the city (not to mention air traffic around the world) in a monumental demonstration. Also offering encouragement are the rabid, newly amalgamated daily Post-News and the state's first woman governor, Randilynn "Randy Randy" Foote, who nurses an ancient grudge against the mayor and hastens his political demise.

In Dog Bites Man, novelist James Duffy mixes it up in a lively tale of American politics in which rich movers and shakers, politically correct crusaders and scandal-hungry media types conspire to bring down a New York City mayor. All the hazards of American public life are on hilarious display here, in the freshest novel of manners and most outrageous political satire of the year.

Download Description

This is a tongue-in-cheek look at New York's upper crust, politics, and journalism, in the vein of Christopher Buckley and Tom Wolfe. Mayor Eldon Hoagland, tipsy after an evening spent with an old college pal, stumbles out of a Fifth Avenue apartment building, steps on a dog being walked and gets badly bitten. His cop bodyguards shoot the animal. They also terrify Genc Serreqi, an illegal Albanian stud who walks the dog among other more intimate chores for Sue Nation Brandberg, a former Native American beauty queen and socialite, widow of a billionaire. A Manhattan muckraking weekly assigns an ambitious young reporter, "Scoop" Rice, to investigate, and he exposes the shooting. Extreme animal activists and the newly amalgamated daily Post-News take out after the mayor. He is also under the attack from the state's first woman governor who has hated him since he failed her in a course when he was a Columbia University professor. All the hazards of modern public life are on display as Hoagland stumbles from one funny catastrophe to the next, wondering whether it's all really worth it.

Customer Reviews:

City Shocked, Reader Unimpressed.......2005-04-09

Political satire is meant to both poke fun at the establishment and advance ideas or observations about the establishment's weaknesses. Here Duffy achieves these goals reasonably well, and I will admit that the book kept me interested. However there are many writing deficiencies that keep it from being a true success. Duffy does a great job illustrating how ridiculous single-issue political shenanigans can bring down a well-meaning politician, as here a New York mayor is ruined by a domino effect of ridiculous scandal-mongering after his bodyguards shoot a dog. Duffy shows how people claiming to be outraged and purporting to represent society's best interests are actually self-serving hypocrites trying to advance their own politics, with no attempt at compromise or upholding the functioning of the political entity. I'd bet Monica-gate was Duffy's inspiration here.

Unfortunately the book is brought down by poor character development and numerous plot holes. Annoyingly, the first half of the book is almost entirely character descriptions. Whenever a character is introduced, regardless of whether that person will have any impact at all on later developments, Duffy piles on several paragraphs of character traits and fictional biography. But in the end, Duffy only shows that his characters are one-dimensional stereotypes with contrived quirks that don't nearly make them as unique as Duffy surely hoped. The second half of the book is a bit better in the satire department, but Duffy's villains are absolutely ridiculous and impossible to take seriously as political threats, those being a predictable Ann Richards-like governor and a scraggly band of animal liberationists who somehow manage to create far-reaching disruptions. Given modern politics, there are so many better models for political bad guys that Duffy barely looks like he's trying. I liked the basic theme and observational focus of this novel, but weak writing and many loose ends really sap its satirical potential. [~doomsdayer520~]

How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Dog.......2002-03-07

DOG BITES MAN: CITY SHOCKED tries to do far too many things at once, and only ends up falling on its own face. Despite having a potentially amusing plot twist, the story never really takes advantage of the full promise of the premise. The writing is uninspired and the satire really lacks the titular bite. The political lampooning is far too heavy-handed to be really effective. Numerous times the narrative would actually point out the ironic or humorous elements resulting in the reader feeling as though one is being lectured at rather than being allowed to discover the satire for one's self. There was no reason for this to occur, and reading it at times felt like an insult to my intelligence.

The satire is too unfocused to be really effective. The author seems to want to take on too many matters at once, resulting in an onslaught that can only briefly touch upon a staggering array of subjects. Animal rights, journalism, New York mayoral politics (a huge subject in itself), abortion, religion, race, and immigration are just a few of the multiple topics that are discussed. Unfortunately, with such a wide variety of heavy subjects to skewer, almost none of them receive the in-depth attention needed. Too many topics are simply mentioned and then dropped, leaving the reader to wonder why the author bothered to mention them if he was only going to give such a superficial mocking.

The characters, while potentially interesting, end up being mostly bland. They do exactly what the plot requires them to do and have no sense of individuality. I understand that in satire the author will often have characters act irrationally simply for the sake of the sake of the story, but in DOG BITES MAN, the credulity was stretched way too far. People do things for no reason and events occur seemingly at random.

The author doesn't do himself many favors in the prose department either. The actual language is workmanship at best, and, at times, descends into the worst levels of pulp childishness. I normally have nothing against the more pulpy styles of writing; it's a form that has its place and can be very effective if used correctly. But in DOG BITES MAN, the prose can be almost painful. Every time a new character is introduced (and there are a lot of them who appear and disappear seemingly at random over the course of the 300+ pages) the narrative takes a long time-out while a large, annoying, and ultimately pointless character description and background is hauled out. If this were a book series, these three pages that are devoted to each character would be cut-and-pasted directly from their character outline to the exact place in the story where the aforementioned character appears.

None of the writing is done with any sort of subtlety whatsoever. It's a very short distance for a book to go from being a satire of bad pulp writing, to actually becoming bad pulp writing itself. I honestly couldn't tell if the author was mocking this form of simplistic writing or was unable to write in a more engaging style. By the end, I found it really didn't matter; I simply was unable to make myself care.

On the other hand the author demonstrates that when he puts his mind to it, the satire can work fairly well. There are several moments that are genuinely quite funny. Despite dropping the satirical ball at many key points, there is quite a lot of potential here. The characters, while remaining mostly faceless and indistinct, are fairly interesting to read about. At least, I was curious to see what they would be up to next. It's quite a quick read, and while the action may be incredibly slow moving (you'd be surprised at how long it takes for the incident referred to in the title to take place) it never becomes boring.

I was severely disappointed by DOG BITES MAN. The author apparently didn't have enough confidence in the reader's ability to pick up on basic satire and humor, therefore ended up spending far too much time explaining why aspects of the novel were funny. Nothing kills a joke faster than having it explained to death. That annoying characteristic of the novel severely tested my patience and left me with a bad taste in my mouth. While the potential was there for this to be a great and hard-hitting political satire, it rarely lived up to this. What it lacks in subtlety it makes up for in self-important speeches, which just isn't a good trade for my tastes.

Likeable failure.......2001-09-07

I was really rooting for this book. I love political satire and just reading the cover blurb, it sounded as if Duffy's novel might be the new Bonfire of the Vanities. And he does come up with a plot that has a lot of potential. The Mayor of New York is attacked by a pit bull. When his bodyguards kill the dog to protect him, our niave Mayor is thrown into an increasingly ludicrous, painfully plausible political scandal.

So, what happened? Duffy isn't a bad writer. While his prose certainly didn't shine, it didn't put me to sleep either. Unfortunately, like his Mayor, Duffy is simply too nice. Instead of following his satire through, he suddenly pulls back during the last quarter of the book. Suddenly, his characters become achingly noble and start making "profound" statements about the sorry state of modern politics and journalism. One got the feeling that one day, Duffy looked over what he had previously written and suddenly, for lack of a better term, chickened out. He had the courage to start to a true satire but apparently, not the guts to finish one.

Very Funny "Dog".......2001-04-25

A satire that works. Outrageous and worthy of Evelyn Waugh. No kidding!

bingo.......2001-04-23

A terriffic read. More than a parody of NYC post the current mayor, Man Bites Dog is a too plausible tale of fiction which has all the hallmarks of reality about urban politics today and the absence of political leadership mangnified by media run by mental midgets. This is an entertainment in the mode of Graham Greene (but the locale is not Havana but NYC). There is no message other than "wake-up".

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