Documenta Documents 2 (Documenta (Documents))

Customer Reviews:

this is great!.......2007-04-08

This story was a great book. I think anyone who likes a good fantasy stories about teenagers saving the world would like this. I suggest that everyone reads the 3 books before in the series to get the whole story. overall in my opinion I think this is a great book

Pokemon meets Yugioh!.......2006-03-07

For those who don't get enough of the cockfighting monsters genre, Legendz comes in to pick up some of the Pokemon slack. Set in an alternate future, scientists have discovered that some of the creatures of myth did exist. Not only that, they found a way to replicate their spirits within a video game, allowing players to use them as virtual pets that can be used to fight with others. This concept is called Legendz.

The spirit of the creature or monsters is placed in a small gem called a Soul Figure. This is then placed in a control unit called a Talispod, sort of like putting a game cartridge in a Game Boy. The creatures vary from about a dozen different types: mermaids, yeti, giants, dwarves, werewolves, etc.

Their story is mainly centered around Ken, a young player who wins alot at Legendz and has just moved to a new school. Once there, he's challenged by local bully Housuke. Ken totals him with his only Legendz character, Shiron the wind dragon. After hearing about this, Yuki, an upperclassman, offers Ken the chance to become the owner of his prized Golden Soul Figure. Yuki apparently can't use the Golden Soul Figure for himself, but he has to find someone worthy of using it.

Yuki finds Ken at home and walks with him to school. After an encounter with a gang secretly owned by Housuke, the Golden figure reveals itself to want Ken to be its owner. However, Ken refuses as he only wants to use Shiron as his Legendz. Then, their friend Ririko gets kidnapped by Housuke's girlfriend, the sexy Meiko who looks a little older than your average elementary school student, Ken agrees to take the Gold figure with him to help stop Ririko's abducters who want it as ransom.

Legendz has most of the overdramatized theme that an kiddy game-based manga could have. Ones like Beyblade and Yugioh where the fate of the world is always in the balance make this seem a little tame. But it keeps an innocence that the original season or two of Pokemon and Digimon had. So be sure to look it up if your a fan of tournament anime.

Simply awesome.......2005-12-18

I saw this book at a bookstore the other day, flipped through a few pages, then promptly put it back on the shelf because it looked too much like a Pokemon knock-off. I saw the book again in the store today and, feeling as if I had not given it a fair shot, I delved a bit more deeply. I am glad I did, as I have found an amazing new series, one which I will be looking forward to reading again and again. I finished the book the same night I bought it and then read it all over again. That's what great manga makes you do, you want to go back and read it again and again. Take a chance on this one, you will NOT be disappointed.

I LOVE IT!!!!!!!.......2005-08-24

i love legendz i just picked the book up one day and now i love it!! if your a magna fan i have to say you'll love it!!!!

IT WAS GREAT!.......2005-04-04

Ok, so I had known about LEgendz for a long time, because I had come across it on a japanese website, and thought it was never coming here to america. IT did, and it rocks. It is good too, because the show in japan has little kids, this has older kids on it. I love the talispods and different legendz. I wish viz or whoever would come out with the talispods for us to play with, since they came out in japan. They can get the soul figures in vending machines like we have.

Book Description

This 4-cassette set contains four full-length albums from four of the top performing lesbian comedians: Kate Clinton (1999 Best Comedy Album, GLAMA). Suzanne Westenhoefer (1998 Best Comedy Album, GLAMA), Karen Williams, and Marga Gomez.

Customer Reviews:

Suzanne Westenhoefer was great!!.......2007-03-05

I bought this tape as a way to introduce myself to some other possibly intersting/funny lesbian commedians. Until now I'd only heard Suzzane Westenhoefer's "I ain't Cindy Brady" (Excellent!!) and Ellen D.
The other 3 commedians were alright, but not something I'm going to want to listen to again and again. Some of it was a bit too American specific and so I just didn't get it; some of it was just not that funny. Suzanne Westenhoefer though was excellent. It was worth buying this just for her.

Customer Reviews:

casablanca.......2000-01-21

I think this is a wonderful romance film. As a personal fan of Humphrey Bogart I think his part was excellent. This book is deffiently worth reading.

Average customer rating:

THE COMPLETE FILMS OF HUMPHREY BOGART

Manufacturer: Citadel Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HF42WK

Average customer rating:

Complete Films of Humphrey Bogart
Clifford Mccarty
Manufacturer: CITADEL
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000Q2VZBK

Average customer rating:

The Complete Films of Humphrey Bogart

Manufacturer: Citadel Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 9994888277

Average customer rating:

Complete Films of Humphrey Bogart, the
Clifford MC Carty
Manufacturer: Virgin Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

Games for boring people

Thirty Variations of Truth or Dare

This is Sinfully Delicious!

Outstanding!

Games for Naughty People
Brian L. Pillham
Manufacturer: Scholastic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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Looky, Touchy, Feely Party Games

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Sex Games

For Play: 150 Sex Games for Couples

The Sex Games: Kit

Product Features:

1

ASIN: 0964967839

Product Description

Are you naughty? Did you spend most of your high school days locked up in detention or at the principal's office? Do you often take the starring role in your friends' gossip sessions? Have you ever sneaked a few shots from your parents' liquor supply and replaced them with water? If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, chances are that you are naughty. That does not mean that you should be locked up or ostracized for your behavior. What you probably need is a good spanking. Eight Categories of Naughty Games! Gossip Criminal Activity Vulgarity Dirty Talk Couples Only Physical Contact Risque Drinking Traditional Drinking Age: Adult

Customer Reviews:

Games for boring people.......2003-01-11

Don't waste your time buying this book. Most teenagers would not find the book naughty in any way. Prudes might think this book is useful but anyone who has lived a little will find it a complete waste of time.

Thirty Variations of Truth or Dare.......2002-08-21

This book should have been called "Thirty Variations of Truth or Dare". Most of the games are just slight variations of each other. Not at all what I was hoping for. The title and cover are the most provocative part of this book.

This is Sinfully Delicious!.......2000-01-23

Where the hell has this guy been? I can not *wait* to try these games out with friends (and strangers ;-) alike). If you don't have a copy, you're not just missing out, honey, you *ain't* the life of the party! Nuff' said.

Outstanding!.......1999-11-24

This was one of the funniest and funnest books I've ever read! And you can really have fun playing the games too!

Average customer rating:

No insights on Whitman's experience with value investing; a lot on his obsession with academic finance

Disappointment

Odd book - who is it aimed at?

Decent

Sage Advice for a Fraction of the Price

Value Investing: A Balanced Approach (Frontiers in Finance Series)
Martin J. Whitman
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Accounting | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Accounting | Accounting & Finance | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
General | Finance | Accounting & Finance | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
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The Aggressive Conservative Investor (Wiley Investment Classics)

You Can Be a Stock Market Genius: Uncover the Secret Hiding Places of Stock Market Profits

Value Investing: From Graham to Buffett and Beyond (Wiley Finance)

The Little Book That Beats the Market

Contrarian Investment Strategies in the Next Generation

ASIN: 0471398101

Book Description

"Essential reading for anyone in today's turbulent markets." -Jeffrey E. Garten, Dean, Yale School of Management

Praise for MARTIN J. WHITMAN and VALUE INVESTING

"An excellent book on investments. But, more importantly, this volume is a primer explaining to Main Street, especially Main Street businesspeople, how Wall Street really operates." -Eugene M. Isenberg, Chairman of the Board, Nabors Industries, Inc.

"A must read for all thoughtful investors interested in a rational, disciplined, risk-averse template for successful long-term compounding." -O. Mason Hawkins, CFA, Chairman and CEO, Southeastern Asset Management, Inc. and The Longleaf Partners Funds

"This author knows whereof he speaks. His many years of extremely successful experience as a professional manager of investments, his academic training, and his period of teaching at a major university all make their mark on this illuminating volume. It reveals how a bright, analytically minded person with extensive practical experience studies and evaluates investments." -William J. Baumol, Professor and Director, C.V. Starr Center, NYU Professor Emeritus, Princeton University

"This book by an experienced and practicing master, Martin Whitman, is a treasure and a reference book on how to think and feel like an owner of a business without the headache of running it day to day." -Papkens Der Torossian, Chairman and CEO, Silicon Valley Group, Inc.

"Marty Whitman is renowned for his uncanny instincts and insights in picking bargains in stocks and bonds. His book is a real bargain. To benefit from decades of Marty's experience is invaluable and to have such a commonsense and realistic approach is an extra dividend." -Milton Cooper, Chairman, Kimco Realty Corporation

Please visit our Web site at www.wileyfinance.com

Customer Reviews:

No insights on Whitman's experience with value investing; a lot on his obsession with academic finance.......2006-10-29

I have only read the introduction and Chapter 14--Restructuring Troubled Companies. My review is based on these two chapters.

I agree with the previous reviewers that the author is obsessed with attacking academic finance. He is aware of this: on page (xiii) he starts the book by saying "Many may view this book as a direct attack on academic finance; there is somehing direct to this view." Unfortunately, his attacks are based on issues that are at best irrelevant to value investing. Who cares if algebrea is needed read Brealey and Myers, but "for reading THIS (emphasis by the author) book" it is "useless." If anything, Brealey and Myers make it clear that understanding finance requires strong analytical skills.

On the other hand, more serious attacks are groundless. On page 215, author states "Scholars are way off base in four areas." He goes on to describe these four areas as follows. "They misdefine markets ... In attempting to ascertain the social value inherent in rehabilitating troubled companies, scholars tend strongly to think only in terms of value as measured by immediate market prices for outstanding securities...In thinking about values in reorganization, scholars tend to think in terms of cash values, not present values...Scholars seem to think that the costs of bankruptcy are huge, precluding many management from seeking Chapter 11 relief."

With respect to the first three issues, there is no scholar at a respectable academic instituiton and/or published at a respectable journal making these arguments. With respect to the fourth issue, the author continues by saying " The costs ARE (emphasis bby the author) huge, but they are borne by companies, not managements." So what the scholars "seem to think" (i.e. that the costs are huge) is not "off base" after all, as the author also agrees. On the other hand, the last sentence quoted above by Whitman also suggests as if some scholars are arguing that the costs are borne by management. Again, no scholar at a respectable academic instituiton and/or published at a respectable journal making these arguments. Perhaps the author is exposed to third tier journals and third tier academics only.

I am disappointed that despite his limited exposure to academic finance, Whitman is convinced that academics are of one mind. As with many professions and many issues, there is disagreement among academics on many issues as well. Sadly, the areas he quotes above are not even among those issues. I challenge Whitman to back up his statements above by citing the scholars he is talking about so that we can all know what study he has in mind.

Practioners have much to learn from the knowledge of academics and the academics have much to learn from the experience of practitioners. Unfortunately, the author's obsession with academics makes him both deaf and mute.

Disappointment.......2005-03-20

Whitman is brilliant, but as a writer he suffers from some serious defects. Chief among them is his obsession with proving academics wrong. Rather than write much on how he thinks through and makes real-world investments, he spends most of his ink distinguishing value investing from Efficient Market Theory and Graham-and-Doddism. It gets old, and dull. And he constantly qualifies his statements with "probably", "would seem", and so on, and undermines himself. The writing also utterly lacks any sense of humor. Finally, I was disappointed that Whitman--who is an astute and detail-oriented investor--did not include more case examples, with financials, to show his reasoning and method at work.

His first outing, The Aggressive Conservative Investor, is better in many ways, but is still turgidly written.

Given Whitman's talents, track record and reputation for smarts, this is a real let-down.

Odd book - who is it aimed at?.......2004-03-18

Couple of odd things about this book. First is Whitman's invention of acronyms to refer to simple concepts (such as minority investors) which makes the book more confusing to read than it needs to be. Bigger problem however is it is unclear to me who is supposed to read it. The first 200 pages are a rant against the efficient market hypothesis, investment banker fees and a couple of other topics interspersed with a basic overview of markets. Last 30 pages are an advanced discussion on distressed security investing (one of the author's many talents) and dividend policy.

I was bored for 200 pages & interested for 30. Others would be the other way round. Very odd.

Decent.......2003-11-16

This book has many good insights, but the writing isn't great, and it gets pretty technical at times. A better choice, especially for less sophisticated investors, is Kirk Kazanjian's "Value Investing with the Masters," which features Whitman among a panel of 20 value gurus.

Sage Advice for a Fraction of the Price.......2003-08-22

Mr. Whitman packs an entire course worth of information into just 265 pages. Marty Whitman is reknowned for his frank shareholder letters, in which he often explains very complex investments in an easily understandable terms. If you are a fan of his notorious shareholder letters (as I am), and are interested in taking your understanding of value investing to the next level, then this book is for you. Be forewarned that the book is more in-depth and academic than his letters.

Average customer rating:

Pitcher's Bible

Geared for younger pitchers

Not much on pitching!!!!!

Good Tips and Easy to implement

No Meat

Nolan Ryan's Pitcher's Bible: The Ultimate Guide to Power, Precision, and Long-Term Performance
Tom House , Jim Rosenthal , and Nolan Ryan
Manufacturer: Fireside
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Essays & Writings | Baseball | Sports | Subjects | Books
General | Baseball | Sports | Subjects | Books
Reference | Miscellaneous | Sports | Subjects | Books
General | Baseball | Coaching | Sports | Subjects | Books
General | Sports | Subjects | Books
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Science of Hitting

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Pitch Like a Pro: A guide for Young Pitchers and their Coaches, Little League through High School

ASIN: 0671705814

Book Description

How does Nolan Ryan still do it?

At 43 years old, Nolan Ryan is a marvel. He is still blowing his fastballs by hitters at an age when most pitchers have long since retired -- or have learned to depend on guile instead of power. But the Ryan express keeps chugging on, getting more unhittable, not less.

Nolan Ryan's Pitcher's Bible tells us the secrets of Ryan's success. Drawing on Ryan's practical experience and Tom House's research expertise, it shows how the right combination of exercise and motivation can help a pitcher develop to his greatest potential.

Nolan Ryan's Pitcher's Bible includes:

* Nolan Ryan's complete fitness program for pitchers -- including weight training, aerobic exercise, and diet -- based on the latest scientific research and his 24 years of experience as a major leaguer.

* The most up-to-date methods for preventing arm injuries by establishing proper mechanics, a conditioning base, and throwing work loads.

* A timetable for keeping a pitcher in top shape year-round, including specific exercise intervals to meet the individual strength demands of each pitcher's throwing motion, maximum velocity, and maximum weekly number of pitches.

* An in-depth presentation of Ryan's pitching strategy -- how he prepares himself mentally for a game, an analysis of his pitch selection for different types of hitters, and how he applies his training regimen to improving his effectiveness on the mound.

Illustrated with black-and-white photos of Ryan in action, along with photos and line drawings of the recommended exercises, Nolan Ryan's Pitcher's Bible is the ultimate book on pitching, by the ultimate pitcher.

Customer Reviews:

Pitcher's Bible.......2007-06-02

This book is great...whether you're just starting to pitch or have been pitching for years, the information in this book is some of the most useful I've read.

Geared for younger pitchers.......2007-03-01

This book isn't as "bad" as some of the other reviewers have suggested. Leave your expectations at the door: You're not going to be able to pitch like Nolan Ryan after thumbing through this book. It's not meant for upper-level pitchers. It's geared toward younger players - Little Leaguers and high schoolers. It's an easy read and it's very approachable (a good mix of pics and text). These are plusses in my book!

Not much on pitching!!!!!.......2006-10-02

Well this was a severe disappointment. I was expecting some insight on his mechanics, going into grave detail... The information on pitching form was extremely generic and repetitive. There is absolutely no unique insight that you couldn't get from using an internet search engine. It all comes down to this: keep your weight back during the leg kick (don't move forward), and then have a controlled fall towards the plate. Thats about it. Chapter 1 was fluff about his career and Ryan's various coaches, chapter 2 was mostly fluff about mental attitude, and chapter 3 was the only instruction on how to properly throw the baseball.

The rest of the chapters were just an "introduction to weight lifting and stretching". Chapter after chapter of what weights to lift, and how to lift them. Don't get me wrong, it isn't bad weight training information... but there are far better weight training books out there and the excercises are not really unique to baseball or pitching. Generic normal excercises, like the ones you'd find in any weight training book (there are only so many ways you can lift a dumbell).

I was looking to the book for some deeper insight into mechanics, and maybe some more illustration of ryans form. I wanted to dissect his delivery, and see how his pitching style differed from my own. The book did not deliver.

To those other reviews that claim conditioning is the reason ryan was so successful... I'd say you are partially right. Conditioning is important. Its also very basic. I don't need a book telling me how to do squats or shoulder presses. The act of throwing the baseball, on the other hand, is extremely complicated. This is where you need the most information...

This is not an "ultimate guide" to anything. I wouldn't even reccomend this book to a novice since its so incredibly vague that the information probably wouldn't be clear to them. There are several superior *free* resources on the internet that can be found using your favorite search engine. Some come equipped with free videos and all.

Bottom line: this book was a waste of time

Good Tips and Easy to implement.......2005-10-01

So far I has seen improvement from 3 of my players.
Book was simple to follow and so far I have been able to use it as a guide with my pitchers.
Next step is to see if the results last all season.

No Meat.......2002-11-08

This book was casual to read, flip through, but did nor have any real information that would help a pitcher. It did have a big name in the title.

Book Description

The Pettigrew-Kirkland-MacRae Brigade was one of North Carolina's best-known and most successful units during the Civil War. Formed in 1862, the brigade spent nearly a year protecting supply lines before being thrust into its first major combat at Gettysburg. There, James Johnston Pettigrew's men pushed back the Union's famed Iron Brigade in vicious fighting on July 1 and played a key role in Pickett's Charge on July 3, in the process earning a reputation as one of the hardest-fighting units in Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Despite suffering heavy losses during the Gettysburg campaign, the brigade went on to prove its valor in a host of other engagements. It marched with Lee to Appomattox and was among the last Confederate units to lay down arms in the surrender ceremony.

Earl Hess tells the story of the men of the Pettigrew-Kirkland-MacRae Brigade, and especially the famous 26th North Carolina, chronicling the brigade's formation and growth under Pettigrew and its subsequent exploits under William W. Kirkland and William MacRae. Beyond recounting the brigade's military engagements, Hess draws on letters, diaries, memoirs, and service records to explore the camp life, medical care, social backgrounds, and political attitudes of these gallant Tar Heels. He also addresses the continuing debate between North Carolinians and Virginians over the failure of Pickett's Charge.

Customer Reviews:

A first-rate history of NC's most illustrious brigade.......2002-07-15

Lee's Tar Heels is a superb narrative of one of North Carolina's premier brigades in the Civil War. Author Earl Hess delivers a very readable and interesting account of the brigade, which included the 11th, 26th, 44th, 47th, and 52nd NC regiments. Hess draws on a large number of period resources, including some priceless accounts from brigade members, some of whom did not survive to see the war's end.

The book basically covers the entire history of the brigade, from its early days participating in the relatively small skirmishes and battles of Eastern NC, until its true baptism of fire at Gettysburg, in which it suffered appalling casualties and gained immortal glory. One thing I liked about the book is the consistency with which he covers all the regiments of the brigade, and not just the more famous 26th NC. It would be easy to have written a book on the 26th, with scant reference to the other equally deserving member regiments, but Hess never fails to present the brigade as a whole.

He also tells of a number of interesting side stories, including devoting much space to the famous Moravian band which travelled with the regiment. He talks about the Quaker members of the brigade, who were caught up in a situation they hated, yet earned the sympathy of their fellow soldiers. Each aspect of the brigade history is presented in a readable way, including discussions on desertion, camp life, and politics.
He also talks a great deal about the three leaders of the brigade; Pettigrew, Kirkland, and McRae. He is candid about each of their leadership styles, including any blunders they may have perpetrated, but he is quick to come to their defense when he feels it is warranted. One thing I was impressed with was the natural talent that the last commander, William McRae, exhibited. If not for the end of the war, he surely would have gone on to be a fine division commander.

Hess also addresses the post-war controversy over the blame for the failure of Pickett's charge between North Carolina and Virginia. Several prominent Virginia newspapers printed accounts of the Tarheel's actions at Gettysburg that were biased and inaccurate. There is a whole chapter on "After the War", which deals with the efforts of various members of the brigade to rectify the incorrect accusations of the Virginians, and to accord the brigade the credit it was due. He also writes about the eventual fate of many of the soldiers you come to know through the reading of the book, some of whose stories are absolutely fascinating.

This brigade was present at pretty much every large battle of the ANV from Gettysburg until the end of the war, including a number of smaller engagements which are generally overlooked. It gained a reputation for hard fighting, and was often used in situations where extreme measures were called for. Hess writes about them with an obvious enthusiasm, but never loses his objectivity. I will have to admit, this is the first brigade history I have ever read, but I cannot imagine it gets much better than this. If you enjoyed the book he co-wrote on Pea Ridge, I think you will find this one just as good, maybe even better. I simply cannot recommend it highly enough.

Average customer rating:

Waste material and a waste of reading time

Quick read, insightful

Entertaining

The Best Yet

Read the book before reviewing

The Arrogance of the French : Why They Can't Stand Us--and Why the Feeling Is Mutual

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000BOB2WU

Book Description

Arrogance, snootiness, back-stabbing, and disdain. To paraphrase DeGaulle, what else would you expect from a country with 246 varieties of cheese?

The French have given Americans a harder time on the international stage than anyone else. Driven by their own self-importance, and their frustration at no longer being a superpower, the French talk down to us with galling self-righteousness. They hate our movies, our tourists, our food, and especially our politicians.

But as Richard Chesnoff points out, the love/hate relationship between France and America didn't start with the election of George W.Bush, or even Ronald Reagan. It goes all the way back to the days of the Benjamin Franklin and that uppity Rene Descartes. (Never trust a man named Rene.) And compared to Charles DeGaulle, Jacques Chirac is a piece of cake to work with.

France's attitude has always been a problem, explains Chesnoff, who has lived in France for the past twenty years while writing for major American magazines and newspapers. He explains how the French really think and what drives their jealousy and arrogance. His maddening experiences while living among the French will raise your blood pressure, make you laugh, and give you plenty of reasons to jeer

Customer Reviews:

Waste material and a waste of reading time.......2007-06-24

Chesnoff is a caricature of the 'ugly American' who travels, and lives, abroad in search of his own Americanness. "Why are the French so ... so damn French?" he writes in his book's Introduction. Because they're not Americans -- and they're not supposed to be: they're French. Throughout his book, Chesnoff projects his own cultural hiccups and myopia, and blames the French for it. How inexcusable for a so-called veteran journalist with extensive 'exposure' to the world.

His Appendum with suggestions on "How to respond to rude French people" is only a reflection of his own vulgarity. No wonder he gets negative feedback, and isn't invited as often as he wished by the locals.

To those like him who live in foreign countries only to whine about them, I always say, There are several flights back to your country every day: take your pick.
On a final note: Chesnoff cannot write a French word or expression without misspelling it: a deliberate slip?
Boooriiing. Not even worth the lowest 1-star Amazon rating.

Quick read, insightful.......2007-01-10

This book was better than I thought it would be. Chesnoff gave me just the right amount of information. I have met Frenchmen in and outside of France. I also know people who have lived in Francophone countries in Africa. This book gives context to things I have learned from these experiences.
This book didn't changed my somewhat negative view of the French. But it did help clarify and deepen my knowledge of their society.

Entertaining.......2006-08-30

First, this book isn't some large scholarly tome. It's a book of opinion and insight into the psyche of the french mind. It wasn't written by someone hostile to France, but someone who respects it while at the same time seeing its faults.

I must admit that when I first began reading I assumed that this would just give me more reason to disdain the french, but I actually found myself sympathizing with them. A great player on the world stage, France is now a bit-player and not handling it very well. It must be a tough adjustment, and since the U.S. will someday be in a similar situation (no nation stays at the top forever), we could learn from the french how NOT to deal with a decline in international power and status.

I admire the french for their pride in their culture and their nation. I think that is as it should be, even though they take it to a very unhealthy extreme. They have a rich history and some innovative people but they seem to be wasting both in their bitterness against us. Instead of trying to compete with us, they carp at us. Until they can turn that attitude around to something more constructive for France, they'll continue to be the dog nipping at our heels.

Instead of disdain, I felt saddened that a once great nation has gone from being a leader of the world to an entity whose foreign policy seems to consist of thwarting U.S. interests whether we are right or wrong. I believe that if we embraced their variation of socialism that they would immediately embrace capitalism just to thumb their noses at us. I think the biggest difference between our two countries is that we are willing to change. It may be a long and painful process, but we are willing to do it, while France will not change as a matter of pride. They must be right because they are french!

About the french companies listed at the back of the book... I'm not sure whether the author intended to incite a boycott or not since he also mentioned the theory that if we were to buy MORE french products they would be more successful and less likely to resent us. I found the list interesting even though I don't normally buy their products (not an intentional boycott, they just aren't brands that I happen to use). There were some companies that I didn't even realize were french (such as Glenlivet, which I always assumed was scottish) which is what made the list interesting to me.

All in all, whether the author's reasoning was correct, I don't know, but it sure seems to fit. The examples he gave were funny, but I couldn't help thinking that they could have been told about some americans too. I guess that they weren't meant to prove his points, merely to illustrate them. It was a short read, but it was entertaining and interesting.

The Best Yet.......2006-06-07

The gist of this scathing essay is old hat. It is, however, by far the most accurate work on the most arrogant people in the West. Mr. Chesnoff leaves one big fly in his foie gras: If he lives in France strictly for work purposes, well, he should clearly say so. Instead, most of his book is a pityless attack on what, to him, is obviously one big pain in his derriere. He concludes sounding like a real-estate agent, exclaiming what a wonderful life he leads in his idyllic little French village, bantering with the yocals over their anti-Americanism. When one of them asks him why he continues to live in France (American translation: Put up or shut up), he shoots back with the hackneyed response that France has beautiful women and great wine--hardly a professional comeback in vue of this vitriolic essay.

Read the book before reviewing.......2006-05-18

I notice nearly all the negative reviews of Chesnoff's book are from people who (1) don't like conservatives, (2) don't like books that are critical, and (3) already have an opinion even though they haven't read the book. This has become the usual approach to conservative authors -- they go online and give scathing criticisms to try and keep others from reading the book. But, having read the book, I can tell you it's funny, insightful, and offers a unique perspective from someone who has actually lived in France (rather than someone living in the People's Republic of Colorado who assumes they know about all things French).

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