Book Description
Goines takes the reader into the violent world of ghetto prostitution. Whoreson Jones, the novel's hero, is the son of a beautiful black prosititute and an unknown white john. By the age of sixteen, he is a fully- fledged pimp, cold blooded, ruthless. Written in gritty street talk, Whoreson's story affords a startling glimpse into the hell of the inner city, yet brisrles with bitter humor and defiant pride.
Customer Reviews:
Must get more Donald Goines.......2007-04-23
I've heard of him, but I never read any of his books. Until now, I decided to give him a try. My mother kept telling me I needed to read his novels and I kept putting it off. Well that's not going to happen anymore. Whoreson is the first Donald Goines book I've read, and I must say that I will definitly read all of his novels. These new comers that write about street life has nothing on him. I've read a lot of them and none have really impressed me the way Donald Goines has.
Mixed bag of emotions--first Goines novel I read.......2007-03-05
Whoreson is the first Goines novel I have read thus far. I have to say the book was a very mixed bag for me. The characters were well written but many of the events that unfold seem very unlikely for me. The most outrageous was the dinner scene where a future prositute named Fatima just jumps from behind the counter and becomes Whoreson's prositute. I have never seen anything like this before[perhaps Goines saw this in his short experiance as a pimp]. Somebody actually naming their son[even if h is the product of a white trick] whoreson seem unlikely as well. Who knows maybe I am wrong?
The saving grace of this book is Goines ability to paint a picture of life in a Detriot black bottom slum. The images were very gritty and hard hitting that makes you feel the gutter surroundings. His imagery alone saves his over-the-top storytelling.
As with the other reviewers, I agree that Iceberg Slim's Pimp is a much better read and definately more realistic. Whoreson is not a horrible book but just one I could not recommend. It really does not matter because most diehard Goines fans will cherish every single book Goines wrote. Maybe when I read more Goines novels I can say the same.
Dudes, calm down..........2007-02-20
This novel isn't all that and I can't recommend it. I agree with the others who said it's pretty far-fetched, starting with the main character's given name. Everyone's personalities were inconsistent and the range of each character's traits was illogical. The square love story involving the annoyingly prudish Janet was unrealistic and left a very bad taste in my mouth. I was disturbed that the book's writer went out of his way to punish every person that crossed his cherished main character, Whoreson (shudder), but never gave Whoreson any poetic justice or even remorse for his many heartless transgressions.
The storytelling surprisingly improves as it goes along: though it provides not an ounce of real insight about tricking other than the lingo and what anyone can naturally assume, it does display some average information about petty swindling and crime and punishment. The sex scenes are decent and there's never a truly dull moment in this novel. But none of that's enough for me to give it more than two stars due to the aforementioned problems, plus a few more huge flaws that I won't bother mentioning. Read Iceberg Slim's `Pimp' instead for a much, much better effort.
It was good not great........2006-08-25
I was really excited to recieve this book - I love to read books about the underworld but at the risk of being unpopular I must say that although I enjoyed it I was a little disappointed with 3 things.
Firstly - Some of the launguage was impossible for me to understand - I know that's not the authors fault but I would have liked him to explain it so I could learn something (and understand what was happening!)
Secondly - Some of the events were unbelieveable he makes hardened, tough characters turn naive for no reason - makes no sense, in my opinion.
Thirdly - Whoreson as a character is a contradiction unsure if that was intentional but all humans have the same basic thoughts and feelings and can be understood. Whoreson is vicious and unrepentant - not much internal struggle takes place within him regarding the violence he perpetrates and I accept that's what he is BUT then he goes on to say he can love and change hmmm - which is he? Loving and thoughtful or callous and vicious?
I think his character's behaviour could have been explained in more depth to make him more loveable and better understood even when he is bad so that when he decides to change the process is smoother and more believable.
Great book........2006-05-17
This book is a classic. Donald Goines is dead more than 30 years now, but he knew what he was talking about. Just read this and his biography, and now I gotta get more of his books.
Average customer rating:
|
Whoreson;: The story of a ghetto pimp
Donald Goines
Manufacturer: Holloway House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
 General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
ASIN: B0006VZVPC |
Book Description
It's particularly quiet on Martha's Vineyard this summer, since a shadowy figure called "the Silencer" began his covert campaign of destruction -- disabling the audio systems in the homes and vehicles of selfish, music-blasting islanders. A respite from the unwanted noise suits fishing enthusiast, former cop, and sometime investigator J.W. Jackson just fine -- until a gargantuan new Chappaquiddick mansion is vandalized and a night watchman is thrown to his death off a nearby cliff. Hired by the aristocratic mother of the most likely suspect to help prove her son's innocence, J.W. starts to explore some mysterious connections linking the Vineyard's most prominent families. But digging up the dirty secrets of the island elite may only inflame a murderer who's not done killing -- and hasten J.W.'s own journey to the graveyard.
Download Description
"Fresh from his recent acclaim as a Good Morning America Bookclub choice, Philip R. Craig casts his observant eye on the fine line between tragedy and comedy on Martha's Vineyard. Just look at the Vineyard's criminal du jour, ""the Silencer."" Loved by many and hated by some, the perp's on a campaign to destroy the audio systems in music-blasting party houses and open-windowed vehicles. Owners of said houses and vehicles feel both fear and hate, while some residents who seek silence silently cheer. J. W. Jackson, former cop and now a part-time investigator, finds it difficult to get too excited about the Silencer's crimes. J.W.'s a classical music man himself, which may explain his reluctance to take the so-called crimes very seriously. The fun stops, however, when someone is killed -- a night watchman is thrown over a cliff near an outrageously large new Chappaquiddick mansion. "
Customer Reviews:
Mildly pleasant.......2007-05-04
I picked the audio version of this book up in the library to while away the many miles I had to spend on long commutes, many without radio contact. I'm not a particular fan of mysteries but I have enjoyed the ones I have read. This was OK...I managed to listen to the whole thing, mostly because it was better than nothing. I read here that this was the last one in a long series, and other reviewers have commented that it's one of the weaker ones.
Perhaps because I was listening and not reading, I had a hard time telling one character from another. There was a string of ex-girlfriends of one the murder victims, but other than the one who invited our hero, the amateur detective, to have sex with her, they all blended into one person in my mind. I think the trouble was that there was very little action involving the many characters--we mostly just hear about them, through others. There were a lot of complicated relationships--ex-husbands, half-brothers, bastards, etc. etc. I needed a score card to keep them straight, and as none of them was very interesting, I didn't bother. As another reader said, this would make a poor movie...it's all talk. Once I knew whodunnit, I turned off the cassette and didn't look back. I didn't care about any of them.
Mosly what one hears (or reads) is a whole lotta talk about this character, J. W. Something, the hero/narrator/sorta-detective. We know more about him than anyone would care to....his opinions of the rich folks on the island, (bad), environmentalists (bad), cops (not so great-- he used to be one and hated it), his wife (oo-la-la), answering machines (bad), blue fish (good), microbrewed ale (yes) horses (bad), his son (adorable), his daughter (adorable), church (bad), sex (good), fishing (very good). hip-hop (bad), Beverly Sills (good) etc. It's all pretty predictable and sorta boring. I tend to think this is a lot of wish fulfillment for the author. ("I'm a manly man." the hero says, as if we hadn't already got the message.) The attempt at "romantic" scenes are hilarious or really really awful, depending on your point of view.
But I suppose that if you love Martha's Vineyard, this would be interesting, and if you love dective stories that are not very complicated or intelligent, you might like this.
twisted tale.......2007-04-21
A man working at a mansion falls off a cliff, and then another man dies. People are related in twisted ways, making this story difficult to follow at times, but the identity of both the murderer and the "silencer" (a side story related to someone who doesn't like hiphop music) are easy to guess in this subpar entry in an excellent series.
Good story; not much plot.......2007-03-09
I listened to this on CD instead of looking at pages. The narrator had a good pace and
different voices for different characters. This was my first experience with the author,
but it was pleasant enough that I will be back for more, both reading and listening.
This is a simple murder mystery of the many characters variety. The motive is the surprise.
We get a look at a popular vacation destination from a resident's point of view.
We see some examples of old money and new money, sins of the past and new sins, old grudges
and new problems.
This would not make a good movie. The movie would have 30-60 seconds of action. There is no
sense of anticipation, no feeling of building tension toward a climax. The pleasure of this
story is in the telling of the story. As I started the last disk I wished there were a few more.
I think people that normally do not enjoy mysteries might like this one.
Blood.......2006-07-27
The author of this well-written mystery is a retired professor from Wheelock College, Boston, and a current resident of Martha's Vineyard. His chief character, J.W. Jackson, is a former policeman and is now a PI. Jackson receives a request from Maud Mayhew to find out who killed Ollie Mattes. She is afraid her son, Harold Hobbes, will be charged with the crime.
Later, Hobbes is murdered and J.W. feels guilty that he did not protect him. Old families, Mayhews, Hobbeses, Bradfords, Peases, seem to be involved in the mystery. The investigative lead is that Cheryl Bradford and her brother Ethan are seen attending the funeral service of Ollie Mattes. It seems that Ollie was the half-brother to Ethan and Cheryl.
The half-built castle, (mansion), Ollie was guarding at the time of his death is owned by the CEO of Connell Aerospace, Ron Pierson. Connell Aerospace is the former employer of Ethan. The mansion is located in Chappaquiddick and there is opposition to it as a sort of monstrosity by some of the established inhabitants.
R.W. learns from a newspaper columnist that Cheryl's mother is a Pierson and that Ollie's mother a Hobbes. Jackson calls a friend at the Boston Globe to give him som background information on Connell Aerospace and Ethan Bradford.
The solution to the mystery is a matter of tracing connections. Jackson's attractive family is featured in the book, too.
Murder at a Vineyard Mansion.......2005-08-16
Another great "read" from Philip Craig. J.W. Jackson did it again.
Average customer rating:
|
Walking with a Stranger: Discovering God (Soul Survivor Life)
Mike Pilavachi
Manufacturer: Hodder & Stoughton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Suspense
| Thrillers
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
Faith
| Christian Living
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Christian Living
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0340735341 |
Amazon.com
After two decades of travels around the world, Brad Newsham decides to pack his bags again to return the gift of magic that travel has brought into his life. His plan is to give a little of that back to someone he meets along the way--to invite a new untraveled friend to visit him, all-expenses paid, in America. Over the course of 100 days through the Philippines, India, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, he asks, "What would these [people] make of my culture? Wouldn't the Grand Canyon or a redwood grove or a Safeway store, gleaming and fully-stocked at two o'clock in the morning, amaze them the way their culture and all the other cultures I've stumbled into recently have amazed me?"
Three months through so many diverse countries could easily be nothing more than a superficial jaunt. But Newsham's goal gives him and the book a purpose, for any chance encounter is significant. His stance is no longer, "What does this person want from me?" (a valid concern in countries where begging takes a hundred forms), but "What miracle might our meeting produce?" Newsham easily makes friends with his quick and quirky sense of humor and ability to elicit their wishes, truths, pains, and pleasures. He asks each person he meets--from a sadhu at the banks of the Ganges to a 110-year-old Tanzanian on the flank of Mt. Kilimanjaro--what the best and worst times in their lives have been, and the answers take us straight into their lives. While Newsham is skilled in drawing each exotic city and village, it is these meetings with strangers-quickly-turned-friends that make Take Me with You such an engrossing read.
The "round-the-world journey to invite a stranger home" plan could be just a gimmick, but Newsham is too self-aware for that. In India, he recognizes that his desire to add some small joy to someone else's life is nothing more than a frivolity amidst the masses of people sleeping under newspapers at a train station. And watching a linked line of elephants walking noiselessly across a river in Kenya, the babies' wee trunks grasping their mothers' tails, he asks himself, "How do I repay this?" Whoever ends up winning this lottery (will it be the Kenyan safari guide who saves him from the lions, the ear cleaner with his Q-tip and tweezers in the park in New Delhi, or the teenager with the boom box playing "What a Wonderful World" at Victoria Falls?), we have been blessed with a terrific travel memoir that takes us to some fascinating places and shatters plenty of assumptions along the way. --Lesley Reed
Book Description
"Someday, when I am rich, I am going to invite someone from my travels to visit me in America." Brad Newsham was only 22 when he scribbled this note in his journal with "only an immature sense of the staying power of ideas." Years later, this casual prophecy came true, and Newsham documents the events that led up to it in Take Me with You. This is the sweet story of his 100-day journey through the Philippines, India, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, as he seeks just the right person to bring to America. The book covers a wide geography not just of land, but also of spirit. "Brilliant, sharp, unswerving travel writing by a man skilled at letting the scales fall from his eyes; it is a memoir of travel seen through time and resolve - in short, a wonderful book." - Herbert Gold, author of Bohemia, Daughter Mine, and Best Nightmare on Earth
Customer Reviews:
wow.......2006-09-26
I love this book.. This kind of travel is what feeds my soul...new cultures, new people, learning something from everyone you meet....I have learned a lifetime of lessons from the wonderful people who come in to clean hotel rooms, or who crouch on the crowded streets fanning flame-soaked satays, or who hunch over in rice fields for hours on end...those are our my life teachers..my heroes... I am ever grateful for their wisdom and insight...The author must be a wonderful human being (the type of person with whom I'd love to travel and hang out :)......the book is a joy...
This book rolls forward at a great pace.......2006-02-28
This author seems incredibly liberal and nieve, however, behind that lies a wonderful idea and great writing in this book. In the past the majority of non fiction books I've read have been slower paced and often tedious. This book rolls forward at a great pace and the details of the many cities the author visits are intense. I would recommend this for any person who wants to read a 'feel good' book.
A true Gem.......2005-12-27
For any of you who have been on the road more that a short trip, this is the nostalgic book for you. I found myself hoping there were 500 more pages. The basic premise of the book entered my mind often while on the road myself. Brad Newsham does an excellent job in tackling the question of ethics in introducing a "random soul" to our western world...is this good for whom? Excellent book...enjoy
Excellent book!.......2005-12-04
This is an excellent book! Brad travelled to many places that I have no plans to go - plus he did it very frugally - so it was interesting to read about his adventures. It sounds like he met a lot of interesting people along the way with the goal of inviting someone to his home for a month.
What a trip!.......2005-06-28
I hope this book is a smashing success. For one thing, the author needs the money. (He gives too much of his away out of kindness). And secondly, because it is a fascinating travelogue written with much warmth and honesty. In his search for a "guest" to invite to the United States, Newsham encountered any number of the types of people that most tourists encounter: street vendors, taxi drivers, tour guides, and strangers met on the street. He befriends them though, and takes time to get to know something about them. But even without this "twist", the book could stand on it's own. The author takes us on some amazing adventures to places that are far, far off the beaten path in the Philippines, India, Egypt and Africa.
It was great fun to learn who was picked to spend a month with the author. This visitor became a minor celebrity during his stay.
For some reason, the author did not include a photo of himself anywhere in the book. You can google his name, if you like, and find a photo of him standing next to his chosen guest. Don't peek though, until you have finished the book!
A travel story with a heart. Highly recommended.
Customer Reviews:
The BEST gaming fiction ever written.......2002-11-21
I am an avid RPGer, and like to read books that capture the worlds I want to play in. This trilogy is the absolute best gaming fiction I have ever read. Salvatore is good, dragonlance is ok, the Exalted trilogy is very enjoyable, but none of them hold a candle to this story. Koke has a real grasp of the Shadowrun universe, and will grasp your attention just as firmly. The protagonist is truly a heroic figure, and the main villain is a compelling, tragic figure that will keep you turning pages.
I recommend this trilogy not only to gamers but to any sci-fi fans, especially those who enjoy cyberpunk. It has great characters and awesome action done by a very gifted author.
Very gripping........2000-08-24
It was one of those books that you couldn't put down. Koke has a very strong grasp of the Shadowrun world and displays that vividly in this novel. I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy.
Stranger Souls: A Good Beginning.......1998-06-07
This book revealed a great deal about the world of Shadowrun. The characters presented were not only "human" in their actions, but emotions as well. My favorite character is Burnout, the cyberzombie. With this character, the author shows not only the firghtening possibilities that technology can have, but the consequences of yielding totally to the lure of power. It was an excellent book.
Jak Koke tells an incredible tale........1998-02-02
Jak Koke has written the definitive Shadowrun book. It contains all the elments of the Shadowrun universe, set in the backdrop of the most incredible event in the Shadowrun universe since the Awakening itself. The chracters are complex and thorough, and the conflicts in the book are well-written and exciting. This is an incredible book, and a must for all Shadowrun fans.
Shadowrun lives again.......1997-09-11
After seeing the Shadowrun series sink into predictable books that left more questions than they answered it was refreshing to read one that showed some originality.
All too often of late this series has begun to overhype the books on the cover. Not every story truely shows a threat to the entire world...this one however presents just such a problem. All the while it also address issues such as racism, and the limits of magic (and technology) in the Shadowrun universe.
Overall it was great to read a book that didn't drop into gratuitous sex and violence to make a story. This doesn't mean that sex and violence aren't there...in the Shadowrun universe that would be unheard of...but in this case it all serves to make the story complete as opposed to the mentality of "well we've written 3 chapters without killing anyone, time to have a firefight" that seems to have taken over this series. My thanks to Mr. Koke
Average customer rating:
|
Perfect Strangers: True Stories and Secrets for Finding Your Soul Mate on the Internet
Susan L. Buckley
Manufacturer: Writers Club Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Love & Romance
| Relationships
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Marriage
| Relationships
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Online Searching
| Internet
| Home Computing
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0595249426 |
Book Description
Looking for love? Tired of expensive traditional dating services, singles dances and being set up? The Internet offers an exciting and successful alternative.
Perfect Strangers will guide you through the ins and outs of the exhilarating and sometimes confusing maze of Internet dating.
But Perfect Strangers is more than a how-to book. It contains the stories and photographs of people who met their soul mates on the Internet, most after having nearly given up on ever finding love. Their stories will make you laugh and make you cry. But most important, the stories in Perfect Strangers will instill hope by sharing the inspiring stories of people who found love on the Internet, sometimes under the most surprising circumstances.
Many people say that meeting the right person is just a numbers game, others say it's fate. As the couples' stories in Perfect Strangers reveal, the Internet satisfies both perspectives. It provides access to thousands of eligible singles along with a healthy dose of fate. Increased personal control coupled with an infinite number of possible love connections and a hefty dose of serendipity make the Internet superior to meeting suitors in traditional ways. You will meet people online whom you would have never met otherwise. One of them could be your soul mate.
Customer Reviews:
Great Love Stories.......2003-11-03
Wow what a great book on love on the internet superhighway! The author is really good at telling stories.
Average customer rating:
- Great fast-paced novel!
- Stranger Beside Me
|
Stranger Beside Me: From the Author of Soul Takers
Robert Rootes
Manufacturer: Authorhouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Dark Fantasy
| Horror
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Contemporary
| Fantasy
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1403304696 |
Customer Reviews:
Great fast-paced novel!.......2003-06-09
This is a great book and I think I'll look for other books by this author. Not as good as SOUL TAKERS, but an excellent follow-up. I can't wait for his next one.
Stranger Beside Me.......2003-06-01
Simply put, I must read this book again!!!.... Rootes' second undertaking is a phenomenal growth from Soul Takers. Fluid and captivating, it shines over his first novel which was riddled by unfortunate typographical errors. Rootes unravels his latest tale as a seasoned pro, yet entices the reader with a sense of naivete. Captivating and magnetic!! Real and unreal!! Rootes is possibly the next Stehpen King, perhaps not as prolific.... Makes the readers wonder what is next????
Average customer rating:
|
Stranger Souls (Shadowrun)
Fanpro
Manufacturer: Fanpro
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
General
| Fantasy
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0451456297 |
Book Description
Arranged to facilitate use and highlight key concepts, this clear and concise text also includes many practical exercises, case studies, and real-world applications. Utilizing the modern biostatistical approach to studying disease, Epidemiology Kept Simple, Second Edition will provide readers with the tools to interpret epidemiological data, understand disease concepts, and prepare for board exams. The author fully explains all new terminology and minimizes the use of technical language, while emphasizing real-life practice in modern public health and biomedical research settings.
Customer Reviews:
The ONE epidemiology book you need.......2006-03-10
If you are going to get one epidemiology text, this is the one to get. It is well-written, straightforward, but not dumbed-down! It covers all of the major areas of epidemiology and there are ample references to more in-depth papers on specific topics. A companion web site includes review problems, outlines, slides, and link to external references. For the beginner, it is a great introduction to the field of epidemiology. If you have read more advanced books, Epidemiology Kept Simple will help solidify concepts and help link ideas together.
Recommended Text.......2003-10-01
"This should become THE epidemiology text." -Paul M. Gahlinger, MD, PhD, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Utah
Useful resource book for clinical epi courses.......2001-07-04
The explanations and presentation of material in this book make this a resource I often recommend both for people familiar and new to the field.
Books:
- Women I Have Dressed (and Undressed!)
- A Gentleman's Honor
- A Gesture Life: A Novel
- A Sport and a Pastime: A Novel
- A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments
- A Wedding to Die For: A Yellow Rose Mystery
- A Whole New Light
- Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star-gazer: A Novel (P.S.)
- Alias Grace: A Novel
- Angels All Over Town
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive
- Star Trek: Action!
- Queen of Dreams
- Marching Through Georgia
- Inside the Lion's Den
- Petroleum Production Systems
- Singled Out: How Singles are Stereotyped, Stigmatized, and Ignored, and Still Live Happily Ever Afte
- Rock, Gem, and Mineral Collecting Sites in Western North Carolina
- Reach For The Ground: The Downhill Struggle of Jeffrey Bernard
- Zespedes in East Florida, 1784-1790
Dopefiend
Street Players
Black Gangster
White Mans Justice, Black Man's Grief
Pimp: The Story of My Life
