The Lucky One

Author : Nicholas Sparks Number of Pages : 336 Release Date : 2008-09-30 Publisher : Grand Central Publishing List Price : $24.99 Amazon Price : $9.00 Used Price : $8.10

Product Description

Customer reviews

Pure entertainment, minimal effort by .. Brittany Jedrzejewski (Austin, TX)
Every time Nicolas Sparks has a new book releasing around Christmas time, I always put in on my wish list. It always provides a fun, easy read and The Lucky One is no different. As long as you keep your expectations in check and temporarily overlook the multitude of clichés, gender stereotypes, predictability and overused character traits, this quick page turner is pure entertainment with very minimal effort. As a frame of reference, I've read just about every one of Sparks' books and I rank this one towards the bottom (The Notebook being the best).

The main character finds a picture of a mysterious woman while in Iraq and goes in search of her by foot upon his return home. He is led to believe that she has brought him luck and safety while at war. Essentially, he finds her and they fall in love...with a few bumps in the road. Does the fairy tale last forever? This is something I shall save for you to find out.

One portion of the book keeps coming to mind, which is the soldier's realization that the stresses of everyday life are minimal in comparison to being in a warzone where you see death and barely survive--a good reminder about putting everything into perspective.

I particularly enjoyed the relationship that the main character had with his dog--that was endearing.

On a final note, I must argue that the ex-husband's behavior at the very end of the book isn't consistent with the build-up throughout and I am left unmoved at the outcome.

Okay, now I am back to reading something a bit more robust and discussion-worthy. But it sure was a fun page turner. And, I'll still ask for the Sparks' next novel when it is released.

Feel free to comment on this review or your thoughts on the book or suggest a book for me to review.

NOT a MUST READ book by .. Helen T. Diehl (Ivyland, PA)
Lucky One somewhat kept my interest & was easy to read. A few parts seemed a little predictable but there are some unexpected twists & turns. At times events seemed a little far- fetched but it all seems to work out in an interesting way. Zeus was one of favorite characters.... I'm impartial to dogs!

Not a fan of Sparks but this one is good by .. Robin B. Shermis ()
I periodically read Sparks (haven't in a while) and he is up and down
and fairly predictable. BUT The Lucky ONE is very good and well written.
If you have given up on Sparks, give him another chance. The characters are realistic and the story is interesting.

I have fallen in love with Sparks! by .. Ann Marie (PA)
It has been a long while since I enjoyed a book as much as this. I love the way the men in Sparks' novels love so deeply. I found it hard not to flip to the end of the book, I wanted to know how it ended. I of course did not (a lesson I learned long ago) and was left with warm fuzzes at the end. I have now moved on to "The Rescue", as I said in the title... I'm in love :)

the unlucky book by .. Tylerpink (Los Angeles,Califonia)
I really love nicholas sparks book. Some of his books have made me cry and I usually don't do that. This book is not one of those books that I cried at! Honestly I was really really disapointed with the ending! I did not understand why the end was the end! I would only recommened this book if you are a fan and you want to read all of his books! If not skip it!

The One Minute Manager

Author : Kenneth H. Blanchard Number of Pages : 111 Release Date : 1982-09-01 Publisher : William Morrow List Price : $21.95 Amazon Price : $11.50 Used Price : $5.00

Product Description

For more than twenty years, millions of managers in Fortune 500 companies and small businesses nationwide have followed The One Minute Manager's techniques, thus increasing their productivity, job satisfaction, and personal prosperity. These very real results were achieved through learning the management techniques that spell profitability for the organization and its employees.

The One Minute Manager is a concise, easily read story that reveals three very practical secrets: One Minute Goals, One Minute Praisings, and One Minute Reprimands.

The book also presents several studies in medicine and the behavioral sciences that clearly explain why these apparently simple methods work so well with so many people. By the book's end you will know how to apply them to your own situation and enjoy the benefits.

That's why The One Minute Manager has continued to appear on business bestseller lists for more than two decades, and has become an international sensation.

Customer reviews

Should be on all Manager's must read lists. by .. Goddess Wannabe (Eastern USA)
An excellent must read for all managers. Easy to read once a year to keep on track.

Wise Old Man Advises Wide-Eyed Young Man - Enough Already! by .. Faye Quam Heimerl - Editor & Author (Westminster, CO)
Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson birthed a monster writing style when they published THE ONE MINUTE MANAGER, "The Runaway #1 National Bestseller!" -- and that style is surrounding a hideously boring topic with clichés, adverbs, adjectives, redundancies, dull characters, and exclamation points. The book is then called a nonfiction fable. Hunh?

When this book came out in 1981 it used a new, perhaps fresh, approach to teaching management skills, but since then it has been copied and copied and copied ... when it should be put in a cage. It's time to stop dumbing down and start smartening up books for managers. Enough already!

Note: You'll only need 1 minute to get what's useful out of this book.

Great resource for first-time supervisors by .. HR mgr (Philadelphia PA)
I'm a human resources manager and use this book and CD to help first-time supervisors understand the power of managing people properly. Not an intimidating, theoretical book that they will never read, but a real world "how-to" manage people. It's a great first step as they make their foray into management. Plenty of time for the heavier stuff later in their careers.

Good book for the first time manager by .. Jessica Alvarado (Virginia Beach, VA)
The OMM presents a set of tools that a manager needs to use to do his or her job well. The book is short and sweet. It gets to the point without wasting time.

Management musts! by .. Aiden Barber (the northeast)
The One Minute Manager is an oldie and a goodie. It's been a fun book to watch over the years as new generations of managers entering the workforce are exposed to it. I recently bought a copy for a new manager that reports to me, and bought the Amazon recommended title Squawk!: How to Stop Making Noise and Start Getting Results along with it.

It turns out Squawk! is a new book that's also for managers, and let's just say I read it while my subordinate was reading The One Minute Manager. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. Both are great books and they're short enough that I suggest following Amazon's recommendation and getting them together at a discount.

One Minute to Midnight: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro on the Brink of Nuclear War

Author : Michael Dobbs Number of Pages : 448 Release Date : 2008-06-03 Publisher : Knopf List Price : $28.95 Amazon Price : $16.97 Used Price : $16.25

Product Description

In October 1962, at the height of the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union appeared to be sliding inexorably toward a nuclear conflict over the placement of missiles in Cuba. Veteran Washington Post reporter Michael Dobbs has pored over previously untapped American, Soviet, and Cuban sources to produce the most authoritative book yet on the Cuban missile crisis. In his hour-by-hour chronicle of those near-fatal days, Dobbs reveals some startling new incidents that illustrate how close we came to Armageddon.

Here, for the first time, are gripping accounts of Khrushchev’s plan to destroy the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo; the accidental overflight of the Soviet Union by an American spy plane; the movement of Soviet nuclear warheads around Cuba during the tensest days of the crisis; the activities of CIA agents inside Cuba; and the crash landing of an American F-106 jet with a live nuclear weapon on board.

Dobbs takes us inside the White House and the Kremlin as Kennedy and Khrushchev—rational, intelligent men separated by an ocean of ideological suspicion—agonize over the possibility of war. He shows how these two leaders recognized the terrifying realities of the nuclear age while Castro—never swayed by conventional political considerations—demonstrated the messianic ambition of a man selected by history for a unique mission. As the story unfolds, Dobbs brings us onto the decks of American ships patrolling Cuba; inside sweltering Soviet submarines and missile units as they ready their warheads; and onto the streets of Miami, where anti-Castro exiles plot the dictator’s overthrow.

Based on exhaustive new research and told in breathtaking prose, here is a riveting account of history’s most dangerous hours, full of lessons for our time.

Customer reviews

Suspensefull and well written by .. S. SCALLY (Brentwood, TN United States)
Finished this one in 9 days - it was truly engaging and very suspenseful, particularly when one considers that everything is true and well-documented by a talented and sophisticated writter. I recommend.

The Evil That Little Men Do by .. Brian Kodi ()
This is the story of a few despicable, egotistical ideologues who held the fate of millions on their finger tips in a high stakes game of chicken in October, 1962. Fidel Castro was understandably p*ssed at the U.S. for her repeated attempts at sabotaging his beloved revolution, but that's hardly justification for insisting on a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the U.S. military and population at large. And the man who started it all was none other than Mr. Khrushchev, who came to his senses one minute to midnight to avoid a disaster of monumental proportions, and decided Castro was too trigger happy to be entrusted with launch codes to Russian nukes. Mr. Khrushchev was under the mistaken belief that his military would secretly transfer over 40,000 Russian troops and install a ridiculous number of nuclear weapons pointed at the U.S. from Cuba.

Perhaps the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis were necessary to convince the crackheads with the power to start nuclear wars that this wasn't such a swell idea afterall. Once the nuclear machination was set in motion, neither JFK, nor Khrushchev was in complete control of events. As JFK eloquently stated, "There's always some sonofabitch who doesn't get the word," referring to a little man (a minor player) taking a course of action, whether accidentally or deliberately, that can culminate in an all out nuclear war. There were a few of these instances detailed in "One Minute To Midnight".

Through meticulous research, Mr. Dobbs has pieced together an unbiased account of the Cuban Missile Crisis, with new revelations that is sure to keep even history buffs entertained.

I remember we were so close by .. Robert M. Pallotti ()
This book is breathtaking. I was six years old when it all happened. I have read much on the Cuban Missile Crisis and thought all that could be said was said. However, I have been proved wrong. There is new information that reveals just how close we came to nuclear war. It is a book that reveals the humanness of Kennedy and Khruschev and the situations of mischance that can lead to resolution of conflcit or catastrophe.

Young people of this generation should read this book and learn its lessons for the future. Perhaps former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara said it best in his film, "Fog of War": "The indefinte exsitence of nuclear weapons and human faliibility will destroy nations." Enough said, read the book!

Incredible by .. Keith L. Klein MD (Beverly Hills, Ca USA)
Having lived through the Cuban Missile crises I found this book to be exciting, revealing, and a most fascinating read of the interaction between the political and military leaders of the United States, USSR, and Cuba. It also gave me chills to read how close we came to nuclear war, and how much we misunderstood the capabilities of the Russian military. It seems to be a constant thread in our military in that they repeated this poor assessment in the Viet Nam war, in Iraq, and in Afghanistan. History books such as this should be must reading for all college freshman, for all budding young politicians, and for all military leaders. It is only through books such as this do we have any hope of changing future direction by understanding the mistakes of the past, such that we can avoid nuclear holocausts, or any wars in fact.
For those of us addicted to James Bond and Tom Clancy novels, this book trumps them all, and it is all the more chilling and remarkable, as it is non-fiction.

Most accurate history of Cuban Missile Crisis to date! by .. J. Rudy (Fairfax, VA)
Michael Dobbs applies his journalistic skill to bring the drama and stress of the Cuban Missile Crisis alive for another generation. Dobbs writes in his acknowledgements and notes on sources, "What is there new to say about a subject that has been so exhaustively studied?" He answers himself with "The answer, it turned out, is a great deal." I could not agree with him more.

Like most Americans, my knowledge of the Cuban Missile Crisis was shaped by Hollywood in movies such as Roger Donaldon's "Thirteen Days". While the movie was accurate on most of the major events, Dobbs goes where no one else has ventured before. He reviewed original American, Cuban, and Russian source documents to tread a lot of new territory. Dobbs sets the record straight with some surprising revelations, as well as some corrections to "well-known" facts that have taken on a mythology of their own over the years.

"One Minute to Midnight" tells the story from all three perpectives - American, Russian, and Cuban. The Cuban sources were more restricted, so the full Cuban point of view is the least well developed. However, Dobbs does an excellent job describing the political relationships between Kruschev and Castro. Along these same limes, he also revealed the military command and control structures in place for all three sides of the conflict.

Dobbs reviewed raw intelligence reports, letters from home, and official records to triangulate the "real story". The Marines were able to follow a Russian convoy as they approached the perimeter of Guantanamo Bay. The Marines were very aware of the size and locations of the Russian forces, but the special weapons the Russians brought with them would have been very surprising indeed. This Russian State secret was kept for more than 30 years, but Dobbs reveals this grim reality for the first time.

In addition to the drama unfolding in the Caribbean, Dobbs looks at other factors that affected the crisis. If America attacked Cuba, would the Russians have attacked Berlin? What about Turkey? Certainly no superpower would allow its forces to be attacked without extracting a pound of flesh from the enemy.

Dobbs also looks at all of the American intelligence collection efforts. From the high-flying U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, to the low-level A-8 Crusaders that provided very detailed photography of the missile sites. He also recounts the efforts of the USS Oxford, a signals intelligence ship that skirted Cuba in international waters.
No story of the missile crisis would be complete without telling the tale of the brave Cuban nationals who untook sabotage missions against the Castro regime.

Dobbs is an accomplished story-teller. His writing style brings the story alive. Historians should take note - this is the kind of writing that keep readers interested. This book is an absolute must have!

SPOILER WARNING: As an example of the mythology that Dobbs sets straight, he reveals the truth of the "eyeball to eyeball" confrontation between Soviet Missile Carrying ships and the American navy. Kruschev's aim was to install the missiles in Cuba, forcing America to accept them as fait accompli. Because of the initial U-2 overflights, the plan was revealed before more missiles could be brought into Cuba. Kruschev blinked, and ordered the additional warheads outside the quarantine zone to return to port. The US Navy and missile ships never got within a few hundred miles of each other.

One Fifth Avenue

Author : Candace Bushnell Number of Pages : 433 Release Date : 2008-09-22 Publisher : Voice List Price : $25.95 Amazon Price : $12.00 Used Price : $8.40

Product Description

"Bushnell...broadens her scope in her latest ode to New York strivers and sophisticates...The fun lies in the author's acute observations about everything from real estate envy to midlife crises."
--More

"Where [Bushnell] goes, her army of stilletoed fans follow. You gotta love it: the conflict, the secrets-telling, the peek into the world of the rich and valueless. It all adds up to a juicy summer read."
--New York Post

"One Fifth Avenue is all things an escapist read she be: quick and wicked and wry. There's a blown-out bitch to root against, a star-crossed couple to root for, and a Tim Gunn-style best friend who deserves his own book. Great, guiltless fun."
--Entertainment Weekly

From one of the most consistently astute and engaging social commentators of our day comes another look at the tough and tender women of New York City--this time, through the lens of where they live.

One Fifth Avenue, the Art Deco beauty towering over one of Manhattan's oldest and most historically hip neighborhoods, is a one-of-a-kind address, the sort of building you have to earn your way into--one way or another. For the women in Candace Bushnell's new novel, One Fifth Avenue, this edifice is essential to the lives they've carefully established--or hope to establish. From the hedge fund king's wife to the aging gossip columnist to the free-spirited actress (a recent refugee from L.A.), each person's game plan for a rich life comes together under the soaring roof of this landmark building.

Acutely observed and mercilessly witty, One Fifth Avenue is a modern-day story of old and new money, that same combustible mix that Edith Wharton mastered in her novels about New York's Gilded Age and F. Scott Fitzgerald illuminated in his Jazz Age tales. Many decades later, Bushnell's New Yorkers suffer the same passions as those fictional Manhattanites from eras past: They thirst for power, for social prominence, and for marriages that are successful--at least to the public eye. But Bushnell is an original, and One Fifth Avenue is so fresh that it reads as if sexual politics, real estate theft, and fortunes lost in a day have never happened before.

From Sex and the City through four successive novels, Bushnell has revealed a gift for tapping into the zeitgeist of any New York minute and, as one critic put it, staying uncannily "just the slightest bit ahead of the curve." And with each book, she has deepened her range, but with a light touch that makes her complex literary accomplishments look easy. Her stories progress so nimbly and ring so true that it can seem as if anyone might write them--when, in fact, no one writes novels quite like Candace Bushnell. Fortunately for us, with One Fifth Avenue, she has done it again.

Customer reviews

The Lust for Power and Social Position... by .. Laurel-Rain Snow - Raine- (Fresno, California)
In an Art Deco building in one of Manhattan's oldest and most hip neighborhoods, a conclave of fictional Manhattanites reside; they are a mix of old and new money, a power-hungry and socially eager group that will do almost anything to maintain their residences - and hence, their social positions - in this piece of real estate that represents so much more to each of them. Thus begins the tale of One Fifth Avenue.

First, we meet some of the elder residents - those who have the respect of the others. We meet Louise Houghton, who has been in the building for more than thirty years - and is nearly 100 years old - who occupies the penthouse apartment that hovers like three tiers on a wedding cake, above all the others. Then we see Enid Merle, whose apartment on the thirteenth floor is the best (after the penthouse, of course) and is next to her nephew Philip Oakland, a writer. She, too, is elderly.

Louise and Enid are the historians for the place, and know "where all the bodies are buried".

Schiffer Diamond, an actress, has primarily lived in LA for the past several years, but after obtaining a part in a TV series, she returns to her small unit at One Fifth Avenue.

Billy Litchfield resides on lower Fifth Avenue and has little money. However, he acts as a kind of concierge to the very rich, and thus has entrée into the soirees and special events attended by the very rich. He is in and out of One Fifth Avenue, mixing with the residents as if he belongs.

On the very bottom floor, Mindy and James Gooch reside, with their 13-year-old computer-whiz of a son. Theirs is a cramped unit with a series of box-like rooms - they were formerly luggage space - but Mindy Gooch is the head of the board for the cooperative apartment building. She wields some power in enforcing the rules and keeping out the unsavory potential residents.

But the residents shun her and exclude her from the social events.

When Louise Houghton dies unexpectedly - strangely put, since she is so old, but everyone expected her to live forever - her prime penthouse apartment is "up for grabs".

Enter Paul and Annalisa Rich, the new rich - he is a hedge fund billionaire and she, a former attorney - and more drama begins.

When the Rices buy the penthouse for 20 million, they are welcomed - at first. Then a series of events, coupled with Paul Rice's arrogant and paranoid behavior, lead to a warring of various factions, until in the end, everyone wants Paul out. He, on the other hand, with his money, greed and power, hopes to eliminate the others.

Mixed with various romances and the sexually-charged liaisons of the characters, we have a dramatic tale of power and lust gone mad.

What will happen to ultimately tip the balance of power and who will end up reigning? What sabotage will finally lead to tragedy, and who will end up paying the highest price?

These characters, richly drawn and compelling, remind us of Bushnell's other works - Sex and the City and Lipstick Jungle - and their antics kept me turning the pages eagerly until the final act.

Laurel-Rain Snow
Author of:
Embrace the Whirlwind, etc.

Finished it happily by .. Courtney A. Cook (indiana)
First book in my life outside of high school, under grad, and grad school that I finished completely through. Point made.

Just Plain Miserable by .. Siepres (Maryland)
I had read so many positive reviews about One Fifth and how it was a light, fun, and witty read from the woman who created Sex and the City. I was extremely excited when the book arrived and eagerly started reading it. After slogging through about 165 pages, I had to put the book down. There were too many characters and too little plot to keep the novel cohesive and moving forward. To make matters worse, every single character wasn't just self-absorbed and greedy (as other reviewers have noted), but they were so miserable!! I've had many experiences while reading. Books have made me laugh and cry--always within the context of the story. This is the first book that made me depressed about the world in general! The author makes life, especially middle-aged life, seem bleak, pointless, and filled with nothing but unhappiness. This is not the light and fluffy book I expected. Wealthy New Yorkers whining incessantly about how awful it is to be rich just wasn't my cup of tea.

Worth It by .. Teacher X Tells All ()
I've read all of Bushnell's books and she is growing as a writer. This book contains her usual peek into high-society life in Manhattan, but she goes inside various characters' heads with skill and insight. Escapist fun with a few deep thoughts about modern life. I paid full price and don't regret it.

Life is too short by .. C. Peterson ()
to waste time listening to the rest of this book. I found the characters unbelievable and unable to hold my interest. I am a former New Yorker and had a sister caught up in the status issues raised in this book. This is not realistic and is very boring.
As a side note, if the author states that a character laughed, it is NOT necessary for the narrator to "hehehe" after reading the line!

The Power of One: A Novel

Author : Bryce Courtenay Edition : Mti Number of Pages : 544 Release Date : 1996-09-29 Publisher : Ballantine Books List Price : $14.95 Amazon Price : $8.23 Used Price : $3.98

Product Description

Customer reviews

Excellent Read by .. CCGal (USA)
This book is an excellent read for teens and up... specifically boys. The underdog rises to the top through life lessons and great friendships (the book follows boyhood to college). A wonderful, classic style drama, this book will be enjoyed over and over again.

Stunning "live out loud" book--a rough-edged beauty by .. A. Henshaw (NY and South Africa)
This is one of my favorite books--it makes you want to go out and LIVE! It's beauty stems from the eloquent portrayal of a young boy's life and through his eyes we are introduced to both the horrors of the South African apartheid era as well as the enduring humanity that miraculously manifests itself in spite of awful repressive social and political conditions. This story is a reminder of the greatness and enduring beauty of the human spirit that can overcome all of our differences if only we let it...

The Power of One by .. Bibliophile Girl (Washington)
This book is one of the inspirational and incredible reads one will ever find. After having read is numerous times I am still coming back for more and will soon have to purchase a new copy.

Above and Beyond by .. Marcia W. Petersen (North Platte, Ne)
This is an excellent book which I was not able to purchase locally to send to my daughter in Omaha, Ne. It was, unfortunately, lost in transit and I was not able to trace it through the Omaha post office. I contacted Amazon and they sent another copy to my daughter at no further cost to me.Thank you for a great book and the great service. Both my daughter and I are impressed.

200 More Pages??? by .. Candice L. Paugh ()
I used to mock people who would say "I wish there were another 200 pages." For the first time in my life, after reading this book, I find myself making this assertion. I was pleased to find out Courtenay wrote a sequel, but a bit dismayed to discover it is 900 pages. My only negatve feedback: Peekay was, at times, too flawless and predictable. However, I'm quite sure Courenay intended it so...after all, it is a semi-memoir of his own life, except that Peekay responded to the situations in ways that Courtenay wished he himself would have.