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1776

Author David McCullough paints a lively and detailed account of the pivotal year in our Nation's quest for freedom. The book is the story our our country's fight for independence as told through the trials and tribulations of general George Washington. McCullough gives us an insider's view into the minds of the military on both sides of the conflict. Based on very thorough research and leaving very little detail out, the reader finds himself freezing with Washington's army at Trenton, retreating from the British advance at Kip's Bay, as well as many other battles throughout the war. While 1776 was indeed the year we declared Independence, the Revolutionary War didn't actually end until 1783 with the treaty of Paris. The focus however, is 1776 as that was the year Washington became a true leader and the British realized the rebel army had to betaken seriously. Now in paperback, 1776 is a terrific read, historically accurate and filled with page turning suspense.

author- 30 second critic, posted 8/14/06

Appetite For Self Destruction: The Spectacular Crash of the Record Industry in The Digital Age.

A terrific non-fiction account of how the digital age destroyed the traditional world of the record industry. The book charts the golden years leading into 2001 and the plunge thereafter. It is quick to point out the glaring mistakes the industry made in not embracing new technology but rather trying to pretend it would never have an impact.

A great cautionary tale.

Author-30 second critic, posted 2/15/09

The Devil in The White City

A non-fiction account of the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 that reads like fiction, in particular, a good thriller. We meet all the characters who conceive the fair, build it and run it as well as the serial killer operating in Chicago at the same time. The chapters of the book alternate between the conception and construction of the fair and the nefarious work of the serial killer. There is plenty of drama, intrigue, and suspense as well as fascinating history. There’s a reason this has been on the NY Times bestseller list for so long. It’s simply a great read.

author - 30 Second Critic, posted 5/19/06

"Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx is Burning"

Terrific non fiction book about New York City in 1977. Juxtaposing the NY Yankees bid for a World Series run against the politics (Mayoral race to end all races) and other insanities of that summer (Son of Sam, The Blackout, Studio 54, etc...), the story moves back and forth between subjects in a New York minute. Filled with a who's who of fascinating characters from Reggie Jackson and Billy Martin, to Ed Koch, Abe Beame, Mario Cuomo, and David Berkowitz, it is a wonderful time capsule of that volatile year in New York history.

Author- 30 second critic, posted 12/14/06

The Memory of Running

A terrific novel of one man's figurative and literal journey . Actor/writer Ron McLarty creates a most memorable character in Smithson "Smitty" Ide. Smitty is an overweight, friendless drunk who smokes too much and lives an empty existence. On a whim after personal family loss, he takes off on his childhood Raleigh bicycle from Rhode Island and ends up riding across America. His adventures and the people he meets are interwoven by flashbacks in his life, which together, change him forever.

author- 30 Second Critic, posted 8/1/06

The Road

Cormac McCarthy gives us a bleak but hopeful vision of the future in this poetic novel. It is the story of a Father and son traveling through an apocaplytic America, just trying to survive. It is also a story of hope and most of all, love. Their circumstance challenges them 24 hours a day. The characters they encounter are brief and the story itself is fairly uncomplicated and yet the bond between father and son is so strong it propels the reader through their story.

Author-30 second critic, posted 5/27/08

Saturday

The latest from author Ian McEwan, "Saturday" is a very intelligent novel about one very unusual day in the life of a British neurosurgeon. A minor traffic accident sets in motion an experience quite out of the norm for Dr. Henry Perowne. The story is finely detailed and spirals into a well paced, exciting and unexpected finish.

The Terror

An amazing historical novel about an ill fated arctic expedition in 1848. This tale of survival will chill you to the core. It's an amazing story based on real facts with a supernatural twist thrown in. Memorable characters, unbelievable situations and graphically descriptive, Dan Simmons has crafted one of his best reads in years. Just great!

Author- 30 second critic, posted 8/7/08

The Twins of Tribeca

Taking it's cue from The Devil Wears Prada, this novel tells the story of a young woman working in the publicity department of "Glorious" Pictures. The author, Rachel Pine, used to work in the publicity department of Miramax films and the book is a fictionalized but very thinly veiled account of her time there. It's a light, fluffy read and the fun is matching up the names of the fictional stars and films to their real life counterparts. As an example, the ,movie "Slingblade" is represented by "Hacksaw". Of course, the Twins referred to in the title are Harvey and Bob Weinstein, represented by Phil and Tony Waxman and Ms Pine leaves nothing to the imagination as she recounts the antics of the "terrible two". If we are to believe this woman's descriptions of life at "Glorious", then all the rumors of working at Miramax must certainly be true.

Author- 30second critic, posted 10/23/06

"Thunderstruck"

Eric Larson scores again with this non-fiction "page turner". Mixing invention and murder, Mr. Larson tells the tale of Marconi and the invention of the wireless telegraph juxtaposed by an unusual murder story. The pace is quick and both stories are interesting and filled with rich history. As he's done in the past, both stories share equal billing and then collide late in the book.

Author- 30 second critic, posted 01/25/09

Water For Elephants

Terrific novel of circus life in the early 1930's. Colorful cast of memorable characters in a story filled with drama, suspense and a forgotten way of life. Very enjoyable book that takes on a fable like quality. An added bonus is the addition of actual photos from the period at the beginning of each chapter.

World War Z

Author Max Brooks (yes Mel's son) uses the fantastical premise of a Zombie Plague to expose the various deficiencies and strengths within our societal structure in the face of a world catastrophe. The book is presented as a series of relatively chorological first person interviews with survivors of the "War against Zack". The survivors range from Military, Survivalists, Doctors and Politicians and normal citizens, all of whom explain their own story about the breakdown of societal systems, or their own ability to adapt and survive the on-slaught. While obviously an entertaining fictional account, you will find many aspects of modern day presented that you will immediately recognize in real world scenarios. It is very easy to take out the word Zombie, and substitute other instances of potential world catastrophies such as Bird Flu, Hurricane Katrina etc and understand the weak and frail links of our societal structure.

Author- Patrick, posted 9/28/06

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