Darkness, Take My Hand (Patrick Kenzie/Angela Gennaro Novels)

Amazon.com

In Darkness, Take My Hand, Dennis Lehane gives readers an authentic view of the Boston suburb of Dorchester, the scene of A Drink Before the War, winner of the Shamus Award from the Private Eye Writers of America. Dorchester, a solid blue-collar town with no shortage of good spots at which to sully up to the bar for a beer, is tarnished by a 20-year string of strangely similar killings. Patrick Kenzie, a local, becomes the improbable hero of this tale when he makes it his business to solve the slayings. The characters he encounters in Dorchester, with their distinctive accents and colorful pasts, make this mystery not only thrilling, but wildly entertaining.

Book Description

The master of the new noir, Dennis Lehane magnificently evokes the dignity and savagery of working-class Boston in this terrifying tale of darkness and redemption.

Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro's latest client is a prominent Boston psychiatrist running scared from a vengeful Irish mob. The private investigators know something about cold-blooded retribution. Born and bred on the mean streets of blue-collar Dorchester, they've seen the darkness that lives in the hearts of the unfortunate. But an evil for which even they are unprepared is about to strike as secrets long-dormant erupt, setting off a chain of violent murders that will stain everything—including the truth.

Customer Reviews:

An epic in 500 pages.......2007-05-25

Dennis Lehane's A DRINK BEFORE THE WAR was the book that pulled me into mystery fiction as a reader. I loved Kenzie and Gennaro's blue-collar personas, the snappy dialogue, the vivid imagery, the deep secondary characters, and the deft balance of humor. It amazed me that mystery fiction could be so deep and touching, and I immediately bought the next book in the series, DARKNESS, TAKE MY HAND.

DRINK convinced me to read more mystery fiction, but DARKNESS convinced me that I wanted to write it for a living.

This book has everything DRINK has and then some: Memorable and sympathetic characters, crisp dialogue, excellent visuals, humor, the mafia, a serial killer, and best of all, a story that reached back all the way into Kenzie's and Gennaro's childhoods and rounded out the proceedings with an epic feel. Not to mention the climactic finalé that reverberated through each one of the remaining books in the series. The suspense is thick, the action is whiplash, and the emotion is real and poignant. It has literally become the template upon which I've crafted many of my story ideas.

My only complaint is that, with the ending in view, I guessed who the killer was. That took a bit of punch out of it, but the story quickly jumped past that and launched into the phenomenal climax.

Lehane would revisit some of the same themes from DARKNESS in his breakout novel, MYSTIC RIVER, themes which actually began in much more diluted form in DRINK. In my opinion, however, the success of MYSTIC started here with DARKNESS, showing that Lehane had the stuff to move his audiences and keep them in tension at the same time. He's since started moving away from the mystery format, which is a shame, because the world needs more quality epics like this one. Before you pick up MYSTIC RIVER, buy DARKNESS and see for yourself where it all began.

If you enjoyed "A Drink Before the War", than you will absolutely love this book........2007-02-26

The second book in the Patrick Kenzie series opens with Patrick taking inventory of the violence and destruction that has just re-shaped his life after the case in "Darkness" is closed. Lehane uses this foreshadow technique with confidence because he knows the story will live up to the emotional and physical devastation Patrick is feeling in the very first chapter.

After the first chapter, the book takes you on a tense journey through a nightmare of undesirable characters immune to personal suffering. The mood is dark and the violence intense. As usual, Lehane keeps the tension tight by combining multiple plot lines; keeping the reader constantly on edge and wary of every corner turned and every character encountered.

In "A Drink Before The War" Lehane introduced us to Patrick, Angie and Bubba, but in "Darkness" he breaths life into them. Amidst all of the human destruction that occurs during a case to stop a serial killer who brings his viciousness right into Patrick and Angie's life, Lehane fills out his main charters and makes them much more complex than in the first novel. Even Patrick's father becomes more dimensional and may even have had some redeemable traits (maybe).

Some themes emerge in "Darkness" that Lehane explores deeper in "Mystic River", but most of the book is an in your face mystery that concentrates on the rage and violence that can be summoned in all of us, and the effects it has if unleashed.

Lehane at his best.......2006-07-24

Darkness, Take My Hand by Dennis Lehane is one of the great unsung mystery novels of the late 20th century and should be on everyone's Best OF lists. The characters of Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro are great --in love, at war with one another, passionate and angry and real. The story of the shrink running from the Irish Mob BEGS to be a movie, and yet no one has ever taken a run at it. That is just a waste. I recently re-read this book and found that it reads just as great the second time around.

Excellent, Compelling and Gruesome.......2006-07-21

Fortunately, the gruesomeness is not overdone, but comes close. Lehane, however, is a master craftsman and keeps you guessing till the end. The plot unfolds in a timely fashion, the characters are highly credible and the reader only marvels at the creativity of the author. This is a gritty novel with a little leavening morality thrown in that helps put everything in perspective. One of the best thrillers I've read in a long time.

A Truly Dark and Intense Tale That's Well Worth It.......2006-05-24

In the right circumstances, do we all have a capacity for violence? Lehane's second outing in the Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro series is a truly dark and intense tale. First, the two are hired by a woman, who believes that the mafia is threatening her son's life. But things aren't as they seem, and suddenly a series of crucifixion murders grip the Boston neighborhood. One of the victims is the woman's son. The police and FBI question Kenzie and Gennaro but are left dumbfounded. Kenzie only hope is to confront a deranged serial killer who is imprisoned for similar killings. The incarcerated psychopath will only talk to Kenzie, and it's clear that he has intimate knowledge about Patrick and the people he loves.
By the end, I really liked the book, particularly the clever unveiling of murderer. This was one mystery that had some substance. Patrick Kenzie struggles with his own capacity for violence and also realizes how quickly he can lose those whom he loves. The pace was a bit slow at the start, but the rousing finish easily made up for it. Another criticism is the sheer number of people that the reader is introduced to at the start of the book. This was especially true of the laundry list of murder victims. Overall, the mystery is well plotted and the writing is taut, but my main problem with this book is that I didn't really like the main protagonists. Patrick is extremely loyal to his numerous friends, but I can't see why he has so many. Angie also seemed quite flat and unimpressive. In the end, the story was so compelling that it really didn't matter.

A Drink Before the War/Darkness, Take My Hand

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A Drink Before the War/Darkness, Take My Hand
Dennis Lehane
Manufacturer: Avon A
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 006117226X
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Book Description

With novels like Mystic River and Shutter Island, Dennis Lehane has dramatically altered the landscape of the crime thriller—while boldly overstepping the boundaries that have long separated mystery from literature. Now two of his sensational early novels have been combined in a single volume—two gritty and mesmerizing masterworks of suspense featuring the private eye duo of Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro—brilliantly showcasing the unique voice and dark, exhilarating vision of a crime fiction phenomenon.

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Darkness, Take My Hand
Dennis Lehane
Manufacturer: Morrow/Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Darkness, Take My Hand
Dennis Lehane
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

4 Titles By Dennis Lehane Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro Series (1-4) : 1. A Drink Before the War 2. Darkness, Take My Hand 3. Sacred 4. Gone, Baby, Gone

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4 Titles By Dennis Lehane Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro Series (1-4) : 1. A Drink Before the War 2. Darkness, Take My Hand 3. Sacred 4. Gone, Baby, Gone
Dennis Lehane
Manufacturer: Harper Torch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Product Description

multiple books ship as one item. save on shipping/handling charges.

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DARKNESS TAKE MY HAND
LEHANE DENNIS
Manufacturer: AVON
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Darkness Take My Hand 1ST Edition
Dennis Lehane
Manufacturer: WILLIAM MORROW & COMPANY INC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Darkness Take My Hand 1ST Edition
Dennis Lehane
Manufacturer: WILLIAM MORROW & COMPANY INC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Darkness Take My Hand 1ST Edition
Dennis Lehane
Manufacturer: WILLIAM MORROW & COMPANY INC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Darkness, Take My Hand
Dennis Lehane
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Abel Jones is one of the Best Characters in Fiction

Review by Maguire Descendant

Abel Jones progresses through the Civil War

Gets better with each book

Sorry, not my kind of book!
Bold Sons of Erin (Abel Jones Mysteries)
Owen Parry
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Rebels of Babylon : A Novel (Abel Jones Mysteries)

Honor's Kingdom (Abel Jones Mysteries)

Shadows of Glory

Call Each River Jordan (Abel Jones Mysteries)

Faded Coat of Blue

ASIN: 0060513918
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Book Description

A Union general's senseless murder is swiftly cloaked in lies and the evidence points to Irish laborers struggling to find a place in their new homeland. But the turmoil of war hides layers of dangerous secrets, and a Welsh immigrant nursing wounds old and new must overcome ancient hatreds to honor justice.

Thousands of Irishmen serve valiantly on the fields of battle, yet others deny that the South's rebellion is any concern of theirs. Amid maddening rumors and lingering superstitions, an effort to draft more Irishmen into the army leads to a violent confrontation. A local death threatens to become an international crisis.

At the request of President Lincoln, Union Major Abel Jones follows the trail of guilt from a windswept graveyard to the killing fields of Fredericksburg -- and soon learns that no one really wants to know the truth behind the general's murder. While heartbreaking revelations tear at his own family, Jones must work his way through encounters with Irish secret societies and past the distrust of men and women for whom starvation and oppression are recent memories. Political agendas disregard mere facts, and even the dead general might not be the man he first seemed.

In this gripping novel, Washington intrigue and industrial corruption collide with hints of rural witchcraft and the sorrows of political exile. A wandering beauty who may be mad, a priest with an unbearable secret, revolutionary assassins, and a genuine Irish hero, Meagher of the Sword, are but a few of the vivid characters who rise full-blooded from these pages. At once swift of pace and poetic, ablaze with suspense and rich with insights into the human heart, Bold Sons of Erin continues Owen Parry's tradition of bringing America's past to life with unrivaled storytelling ability, extraordinary historical accuracy, and a disarming sense of our common humanity.

Customer Reviews:

Abel Jones is one of the Best Characters in Fiction.......2006-03-13

A Union general recruiting among the Irish coal miners in Pennsylvania is dead. The confessed killer is also dead. But Major Abel Jones believes otherwise, convinced that the clannish Irish miners, violently opposed to the Civil War and emancipation, have hidden the killer. But when Jones opens the casket of the supposed murderer, and instead finds the body of a woman, he finds himself in a tangled web of political and social hatred and rivalries.

I say nothing new by stating that the central draw of Owen Parry's "Abel Jones" series is the beautifully developed character of Jones. "Bold Sons of Erin", the fifth entry in the series, displays that strength of character spectacularly. Jones for the most part remains the stiff, snotty, but honest Welsh Methodist we know and love, spouting off his low opinions of Irish Catholics, and his mixed views on everyone else. However, Jones experiences a great deal of growth, not only pursuing a murderer, but dealing with personal battles on the home front. His adventures have taken him from home. His wife Mary, while still loyal and understanding, is slowly losing patience with his sense of duty. His young son doesn't know him well. The young girl he has adopted has created resentment. And finally, when Mary's uncle dies, he leaves the Jones' with a great deal of wealth, and Abel with a horrible secret about his wife. Jones frequently finds himself reexamining his views of the world as the truths he has clung to are challenged by reality.

While set during the Civil War, Parry only brings that event to the foreground when necessary and appropriate. Jones is not Forrest Gump, miraculously present for every important event. He recounts witnessing Antietam early in the book, and gives us a very bloody and heartfelt description of the atrocity of Fredericksburg at the close of the novel. Jones works directly for Abraham Lincoln, and so meets with the president on one occasion. Parry's is more interested in the social ramifications and political maneuvering of the War than with the military aspects. Thus, Jones must struggle with resentful Irish violently opposed to the draft (even as the Irish brigade distinguishes itself), consumed by the superstitions of the old country; the loyal German immigrants whose importance to the Union effort cannot be understated, even as some of them have revolutionary tendencies; and the mysterious role of Russia, the only major European power to support the North. He also finds himself with the shifting social fabric of his own community, including his wife's growing independence.

The mystery itself is one of the best of the series, as Parry is very careful to weave a variety of plot lines into a nice chilling romp. Grotesque and violent imagery abounds, as Jones plumbs the mystery of the murdered general. As is often the case with a good mystery, red herrings abound, as matters that Jones initially believes important prove incidental, and trivial matters are the key to affairs. However, the truth of the matter is, sharing company with Jones is more than enough to keep a novel going. A well-constructed mystery is a bonus.

Parry continues to weave satisfying books. Sometimes, he even achieves a near-greatness. While I'm not sure what the future holds, Parry drops hints that there are plenty more adventures for Jones even after the Civil War. So as far as I am concerned, Parry can keep this series going as long as he wants.

Review by Maguire Descendant.......2005-07-07

I had to read this book because I had heard that it mentioned the Molly Maguires and I was curious. I didn't particularly care for Owen's style of writing; he tended to go off on tangents sometimes and over-describe some particulars. He also uses the phrase "but let that bide" far too much for my taste. The main thing that the book makes you think about was that if military personnel went to the coal regions during the war to enlist the Irish, what would the mine owners have done? They probably would have done something because who would be left to go work down in the mines? They probably would have had to have started paying fair wages, etc. to get people to go down there! The book makes a good point of telling how difficult it was for the mine workers, how harsh the weather can be in PA and mentions the Molly Maguires. He mentions how Jack Kehoe was hung probably for convenience sake and that everything he did was in an effort to help his people. The main character of his book (the detective) is a Welshman (like the author) and the guy is pretty full of himself (which gets tiring). He portrays the Irish the way many Welsh probably looked at Irish during those times - as dirty, stubborn, unruly, dumb people. He does his best to try to be fair and writes about Kehoe with some admiration though (I'm sure he realized with the title of this book that a lot of Irish would be the ones reading it). I think that maybe some of the people from the coal regions would get a kick out of some of the references to the area and the dialect he wrote in.

Abel Jones progresses through the Civil War.......2005-01-15

This is the fifth book in the Abel Jones series, written by Owen Parry, who to my mind is approaching the status of a national treasure. For the uninitiated, Jones is a Welshman who served in Queen Victoria's army in the 1850's, was a sergeant, and saw considerable combat, especially in the Sepoy Rebellion (1857). After many experiences, he made his way to America with a wife and child, swearing to never fight again, only to be confronted with something he can't ignore or sit out: a war to free the slaves. Jones, you see, is very religious, and can't abide slavery; he must, therefore, enlist and use his soldiering skills to do his part in that institution's demise. Wounded at First Bull Run in the leg, so that he can't run or even walk without a cane, he is transferred to more indistinct duties. Instead of clerking somewhere, he's a sort of ad hoc investigator for the Union army, which sets the scene for a wonderful series of private eye novels disguised in a Civil War uniform.

In this, the fifth installment, Jones is sent to coal country in Pennsylvania to discover who murdered a Union general who had been sent there to recruit new soldiers from among the Irish coal miners. The Irish are uninterested, many of them, in fighting for the Union with the goal of freeing the slaves, who many of the Irish see as potential rivals for the menial jobs that those Irishmen now hold down. The supposed killer of the General is a local Irish coal miner, who confessed and then conveniently caught cholera and died, out of cholera season. Jones, however, is not convinced the man is dead, and digs up his grave, to view the body. Instead of the dead man, however, the coffin is inhabited by a young woman, stabbed to death, and this sets Jones to investigating to discover what's going on.

Jones is a marvelous character, full of the prejudices and quirks of the 19th Century man. These, however, don't make him evil, just a product of his times. The character is well-drawn and intelligent, and the supporting cast is well done also, from General Thomas Meagher and President Lincoln to various fictional coal miners and other figures. This book also represents the first break in the narrative of Jones' Civil War service: there's mention of his adventures surrounding the Battle of Antietam, but that episode wasn't the previous book. In addition, there's also reference to the Molly Maguires and other episodes from the post-war period, telling us that Abel Jones will probably move along after the war. One reviewer complained that the Molly Maguires aren't well-defined, here, but of course they hadn't formed yet, so they would be ill-defined, wouldn't they?

I enjoyed this book immensely, and would recommend it to any fan of mysteries, or anyone interested in the Civil War.

Gets better with each book.......2004-11-19

Owen Parry's books get better with each novel. The suspense is good, the mystery is well handled. His character of Jimmy Malloy is priceless and unlike one reviewer's comments, Mr. Parry (not Perry, that's an Irish name) is even handed and speaking from a 19th century perspective). I would only have several minor nits with it: The German used has occassional grammatical errors; there is no Welsh. A man of Abel Jones' background coming from Merthyr would have spoken Welsh. Why don't he and his wife speak in Welsh in front of the workers rather than go to another room? He also comments on the baroness being from "Estland" (Estonia) and then commenting about the German barons' treatment of the Slavs. The Estonians are Finns, not slavs.
You cannot read these books fast. There is a lot of excellent imbedded wisdom. I think every fundamentalist who reads his Bible with blinders on should read the section when Malloy talks about Darwin and the creation story.
In earlier works you get a very real sense of what Washington and London were like in these days. Here you get a very real sense of the coal mines and Fredericksburg (where I live and work as a volunteer at our Civil War parks) after the Union occupation.

Sorry, not my kind of book!.......2004-08-11

If you enjoy reading about a pompous ass major in the Union army that debases every religion, race, sex, political affiliation and nationality that isn't his own...who likes to tell you all about the faults of the Irish and Germans and at the same time praises (over and over) the Welsh (of which he is one of course)... who can't tolerate socializing with a prostitute...who's wife has a lot of sympathy for said prostitute, but none for her husbands adopted daughter...and who will tell you about his "bad" leg at least fifteen times throughout the book, then by all means read this book. Be smart and buy it at a used book store so you will only be ripped off half as bad.
In fairness to the author the story line and plot were alright. For me it was the characters (in particular Able Jones) whom I couldn't tolerate. Mr. Perry did seem to have the habit of many authors where they write a 200 page mystery in 400 pages. I understand that Able Jones is just a character in a book, however it would be nice if he had at least a few redeeming characteristics.

Bold Sons of Erin (Abel Jones Mysteries (Paperback))

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Bold Sons of Erin (Abel Jones Mysteries (Paperback))
Owen Parry
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEA322

Abel Jones Series 6 Titles : Faded Coat of Blue ; Shadows of Glory; Call Each River Jordan; Honor's Kingdom; Bold Sons of Erin & Rebels of Babylon

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Abel Jones Series 6 Titles : Faded Coat of Blue ; Shadows of Glory; Call Each River Jordan; Honor's Kingdom; Bold Sons of Erin & Rebels of Babylon
Owen Parry
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KF6BO4

Amazon.com

Harlan Ellison is undoubtedly one of the most audacious, infuriating, brazen characters on the planet. Which may help explain why he is also one of the most brilliant, innovative, and eloquent writers on earth. Slippage simply presents recent, typical Ellison. In a word, masterful. The 21 stories in this 1997 collection, which is encased in black boxes, show Ellison at the height of his powers, with several of the stories (no surprise here) major award-winners. Highlights include a black mind reader who pays a visit to a white serial killer, a husband who falls prey to a vampiric personal computer, and a love affair between a young man and a woman who may be more undead than alive. Perhaps even more fascinating are the painfully candid snapshots of autobiography running throughout the volume. Even if Ellison's unsettling fictions are not enough to dazzle you, his often bizarre life experiences as an author will still keep you compulsively turning the page like a polite voyeur. --Stanley Wiater

Book Description

With this, his best-selling and most critically acclaimed collection ever, Ellison celebrates four decades of brilliant, outrageous writing. The award-winning novella "Mefisto in Onyx" is the centerpiece of an irreverent and wildly imaginative book that the San Diego Union-Tribune called "electrifying...Ellison is back, as unsettling as ever."

Customer Reviews:

Dark Voyages.......2005-08-13

I bought a copy of this when I heard Mr. Ellison speak in April, 1998 - it took me this long to get around to reading it. When I began, my husband said to me "Uh, oh, you'll be having wierd dreams for awhile". The stories do haunt you like that, in those quiet, creepy moments in the night. These are brilliant, violent, dark stories - you never forget them. While many reviews concentrate on the stories receiving wide acclaim, the one that hit me hardest was "Pulling Hard Time", a nightmarish vision of "capital punishment". It is a wonderful example of Mr. Ellison's ability to knock you between the eyes in relatively few words and the kind of work that is best appreciated by reading it out loud. He defies definition - honored in many fields of writing & superior in all of them. He is out-spoken & defiant in person, but I must say that the hour & a half I heard him speak was some of the best time I've ever spent, agree with him or not.

In the undying words of Keanu Reeves, "Whoa.".......2004-08-27

This collection will kick your posterier. It will grab you by your lappels and slam you against the wall and shake the @#$% out of you until you've had your complacent, comfortable litte existance irreperably shattered. Like its creater, its not to be taken lightly.

Do not hesitate. Buy it. Read it. If you dare. You will not view the world or your place in it quite the same again.

A masterpiece.......2002-12-22

I've been a fan of Harlan ever since first learning of him back in the early 90s. I picked up one of his story collections....and then another, and another, until now I've read just about all of them. I truly believe that when it's all said and done, Ellison will be remembered as being one of the absolute best writers of speculative fiction that have ever lived.

Note those key words: "speculative fiction". Harlan himself has mentioned before that he doesn't want to be pigeonholed into one genre (i.e. stuck with the constraining label of "science fiction writer", although much of his work would fall into the sci-fi field). And he doesn't limit himself to one genre. So I would tell you, whomever you are reading this review, to take some of the opinions of my fellow reviewers ("This book isn't sci-fi enough!!!") with a grain of salt.

"Slippage" is another masterpiece by Harlan. It's one of my favorites, and I feel that some of the work here rivals some of his best. It's a beautiful work, one that touches the soul in places, particularly in "The Man Who Rowed Columbus Ashore", as well as the award-winning "Mefisto in Onyx".

I strongly urge any fan of speculative fiction to pick up this book, and be welcomed into the wonderland of Ellison.

A strong collection of stories by one of our best authors.......2002-05-03

This is perhaps Ellison's best collection. It easily rivals Angry Candy (1988), which is widely considered to be his best work. The centerpiece of Slippage is the novella "Mefisto in Onyx." It is not only a well crafted story with too many twists to count, but it is a great commentary on race, gender, and human relations in general. Another jem in this collection is "The Man Who Rowed Christopher Columbus Ashore," which is a great tale of an unlimited man living in a limited world. This story is touching, contemplative, and horrifying at times. It was included in the 1993 Best American Short Stories. Many other stories are included as well as three essays: The introduction is worth the cost of the book, An essay on Ellison's writing process, and an essay about the dangers of television for writers. You also have to admire a man who puts someone else's short story in his collection and praises it. Included is Donald Westlake's striking "Nackles". A tale about hate, more or less. Many other stories are included and all are well polished. This is among my favorite Ellison collections.

Nearly the Best of Ellison.......2001-09-20

This great collection gives you a representative sampling of Ellison's best short stories, and prove that he is far from a science fiction writer, which is what most people think. Sure, some of his stories definitely are sci-fi, like "Chatting with Anubis" and "Midnight in the Sunken Cathedral". However, most of Ellison's tales are better described as speculative fiction, and mostly consist of biting social observation. The best example is the classic "Mefisto in Onyx" which adds the supernatural to a treatise on racial tension, and the "Nackles" stories which deal with the uncomfortable realities of child abuse in the guise of a Christmas fairy tale. Ellison even veers into fantasy ("The Dragon on the Bookshelf") and bizarre character sketches ("The Man Who Rowed Christopher Columbus Ashore") while keeping his offbeat but perceptive worldview intact.

Customer Reviews:

A Darker, Meaner Ellison.......2000-07-25

In this recent collection, Mr. Ellsion delves into the arbitrary and ambivalent nature of fate. With stories like "Mephisto in Onyx", and "The Man who Rowed Christopher Columbus Ashore", he paints a bleaker, meaner picture of human nature, and he manages to very nicely to both entertain, as well as provoke.

A Darker, Older View.......2000-07-22

Mr. Ellison, in this collection of short fiction, discusses thoughts of mortality in these tales displaying the indifference and ambivalence of fate. "The Man Who Rowed Christopher Columbus Ashore", and "Mephisto in Onyx" highlight an more intense, darker vision. Ellison hasn't lost his touch.

SLIPPAGE: Previously Uncollected Precariously Poised Stories: The Man Who Rowed Christopher Columbus Ashore; Anywhere but Here with Anybody but You; Crazy as a Soup Sandwich; Darkness Upon the Face of the Deep; The Lingering Scent of Woodsmoke

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SLIPPAGE: Previously Uncollected Precariously Poised Stories: The Man Who Rowed Christopher Columbus Ashore; Anywhere but Here with Anybody but You; Crazy as a Soup Sandwich; Darkness Upon the Face of the Deep; The Lingering Scent of Woodsmoke
Harlan (with Robert Silverberg and Donald E. Westlake) Ellison
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000P1FN4W

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Understanding PD--A Self-Help Guide--A review

Light Informative Reading

Finally...A plain speaking book about Parkinson's Disease

Understanding Parkinson's Disease: A Self-Help Guide
David L. Cram
Manufacturer: Addicus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Parkinson's Disease | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1886039402

Book Description

If You’ve Been Diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. . .

…you are probably worried and full of questions. What course will the disease take? How will it affect your life? What are your treatment options?

Author David Cram, both a physician and patient himself for ten years, knows firsthand the questions that accompany the diagnosis of Parkinson’s. He understands how vital education and effective treatment are in coping with PD and maintaining the best quality perspectives to enlighten and encourage readers about PD.

Among the topics Dr. Cram covers:

• How PD is diagnosed
• Symptoms and stages of PD
• The emotional side of PD—conquering fear and denial
• Choosing the right health care team
• Drug therapy
• Surgical options
• How exercise can help
• Coping with day-to-day problems
• Caring for caregivers

A Fact-Filled Book for Coping with Parkinson’s Disease

Customer Reviews:

Understanding PD--A Self-Help Guide--A review.......2005-10-05

A well-written, nicely organized basic introduction and self-help guide written from the perspective of a physician suffering from Parkinson's Disease (PD). This paperback manual explores both the physical and mental sides of dealing with a chronic, devastating illness. It provides strategies and tips for both the sufferer and the caregiver. My only reservation is that, at times, I wished the author would have provided more detailed information on specific, recommended techniques designed to aid the patient. Highly recommended reading.

Light Informative Reading.......2000-01-07

"Understanding Parkinson's Disease" is a well-written book introducing a patient to life as a Parkinson's patient. I purchased this book to pre-screen it for my parents and found that it was a good book to give them because of it's positive discussion about the disease. If you know a Parkinson's patient who refuses to read up about the disease (because they don't want to read about all the restrictions they will have to face in their future) this is a good "first" book. The "Self Help Guide" has a pro-active upbeat approach to working with the disease. It doesn't spend a lot of time belaboring how miserable the future will be, but focuses on how to deal with the present. Since Dr. Cram has Parkinson's Disease himself his viewpoints about the disease help give credibility and enlightenment to the reader. This book summarized all aspects of the disease while showing how to live with the symptoms. It is a good starter book for preparing to live with Parkinson's Disease. Purchase "Caring for the Parkinson patient" by Hutton for a more in-depth review of Parkinson's and how to live (or care for someone) with the disease.

Finally...A plain speaking book about Parkinson's Disease.......1999-06-07

Dr. David Cram has written a very touching and informative book about Parkinson's Disease that I encourage anyone who has been diagnosed with PD or who knows someone who has been diagnosed with PD to check out. Dr. Cram who was dianosed ten years ago with PD writes from personal knowledge and covers everything from symptoms to the newest drug therapies. I also enjoyed the comments interspersed throughout the book from patients, physicians, nurses, counselors and therapists. This is a very encouraging book and I recommend it highly!

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