I’ve seen the teasers for Alter of Eden here at onlinebooktips.com for quite some time before it became available, and suddenly, out of the blue, the amazon vine program offered me (for the first time) a copy of a Rollins book before it was released. Being the slow reader that I am, I didn’t finish it until it actually came out, but I had a good head-start, which I am very grateful for. Being a James Rollins fan now sure makes waiting for the NEXT novel sometimes difficult, but 2009 has been quite a busy year for him. By my count, he’s given us ‘The Doomsday Key’, the first ‘Jake Ransom’ and now ‘Alter of Eden’ in an 11th hour final pitch. Fine with me. All things considered, I’d rather wait for a great novel than be semi-satisfied by churning out one sub-par novel after another like some factory (James Patterson, are you listening?!?).

While Mr. Rollins produced more than usual this year, I simply cannot see where we the readers had to suffer one iota as a result. Writers rarely get a chance at a year like this (well, not the GOOD ones anyway) very often, so its nice to see how it all works out in the end for an author who deserves the attention and stepped up to the plate and brought three runs in without breakin’ a sweat.

One thing Rollins fans can expect is a healthy dose of science in his books…and that is on full display here. One thing he has been adding to his last group of novels at the end is a sort of explanation of the realities of what we have just finished reading…truth or fiction? On more than one occasion I was a bit surprised to discover just how REAL the science actually IS in his books. Fascinating and more than a bit scary at the same time. I enjoyed how we finally get to see an adventure featuring a career that Mr. Rollins knows well: a Veterinarian.

Action, twists and a fair share of surprises certainly place AoE definitely ahead of the vast majority of action/adventure thrillers available and easily one of Mr. Rollins’ best stand-alone books to date. Without adding any spoilers (which I HATE) let me say this: if genetic manipulation doesn’t frighten you, then read this book and maybe it will (it really should). As with ALL of his earlier stuff (all of which are awesome), expect a roller coaster ride traveling to exotic places and introducing us to a lot we probably never heard before. I believe one of the major talents that James Rollins has is the ability to ‘dumb down’ the science so almost anyone can grasp the significance of what you’re reading and why its so terrifying. Michael Crichton managed to pull it off in many of his books, but failed in a few as well…from my perspective Rollins does it much better.

Once again it is my supreme fortune to be able to HIGHLY endorse another thriller from Mr. Rollins. I do so gladly here yet again. If you couldn’t tell, I really, REALLY love his stuff. Kudos yet again, and here’s to an even better 2010!

Review by Jeff Edwards

Author: James Rollins

So you’re thinking this might be one of those recently retired famous people books aren’t you? One where a celebrity, or a Politician, or a sports star cranks out hundreds of pages of self-serving, history-correcting drivel in order to cash the big advance check. A book you can’t even bring yourself to finish; better than a tranquilizer at bedtime.

Well, this is certainly not that book. “Open” is a journey that I predict will stay with you for a very long time. It’s a completely unexpected trip to places you’ve never been. I’m not one of those quasi-professional reviewers you see on Amazon. But this book practically made me write about it.

Interestingly, Open starts not at the beginning and not quite at the end. Second round, US Open, 2006.

Not the final match of Andre’s career–but the one right before that.
Against a competitor you’d never heard of before or since.
The battle was against the guy across the net, and also Andre’s hatred of tennis, his failing body, the demons that he harnessed to get through the unending heroic contest that seemed destined to continue until both just fell into a heap on the court. And it is so well told.

After 20 pages, I knew that this was unlike any other biography I had ever read. Couldn’t put it down. Couldn’t stop thinking about it. Agassi dug deeper inside than most of us ever will have to, to get to core of what made him so powerful as a player and so conflicted as a person. It is all conspicuously real: The small moments, the outlandish triumphs and the friendships that sustained him and/or corrupted him. The gauntlet he had to run through to arrive at the balance and joy he has today. It’s transformative.

The headlines about this book have mostly related to Andre’s drug use when he was at his lowest. But honestly, although it marked the place from which he recovered and flourished, it’s only an incidental part of this story. The story is actually about perseverance, intelligence and raw talent all baked together into a very, very large American life.

If Open doesn’t win a Pulitzer Prize, something is terribly wrong. Can I nominate it?

Review by H. S. Brice

I loved to draw as a little girl until my grade 5 art teacher held one of my “creations” up in front of my sister’s class (she was very talented) and said, “can you believe they’re sisters?”. I was crushed and other than in art class, I never picked up a pencil again.

Fast forward 20 years where I see Bert Dodson’s book “Keys to Drawing”. I remembered how I used to love to draw and bought it on impulse. I started at page 1 and progressed through the book. The day my sister (the artist) walked into my house and seeing the drawing I was working on said, “nice drawing of Louis Armstrong” was one of the best moments of my life. By the way that was a drawing of Satchmo I was working on.

What I learned from Bert Dodson was that drawing is mostly about technique which anyone can learn. Although my masterpieces will never hang in a museum, they do hang in my home and my husband is very proud to have them there.

If you’ve always wanted to draw but thought you had no talent - buy this book. You will surprise yourself.

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, … and continues on to the last country Zimbabwe, Lonely Planet has put together an extraordinary travel book that brings us to every country in the world. Listed alphabetically from A-Z, each country occupies 2 pages with vivid pictures and some impression of the lands. Even tiny Pacific islands get the same amount of space as everybody else, regardless of their size and popularity in tourism. Using a more liberal concept of ‘country’, it brings the total number to 230.

In just one volume, it makes no attempt to be a comprehensive reference book. Instead there are many fun ways to use it. Flipping it to a random page to get some inspiration for your next travel destination (you will likely end up in some distant place rather hard to get to.) Cover the title and try to name the country by the pictures alone (a challenging game given the pictures are more focused on people and landscape than instantly recognizable landmarks.) Or just read it cover to cover as I have prepared to do.

This book evokes the same kind of exhilaration from travelling. I was joyous like a kid while walking away from the bookstore with this 3kg book.

Review by Waiyip Tung

Literary critics are often asked, “If you were stranded on a tropical island and you only had one book to read for the rest of your life which book would you choose?” Well, if you posed that same question to the world’s professional traders the response “Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin LeFevre” would be the most frequent response, and by a large margin.
Despite being written in the early 1920’s, Reminiscences of a Stock Operator continues to be the most useful and most-loved book ever written on the subject of trading and speculation. In this novel, LeFevre brilliantly describes the life and times of the book’s protagonist, Larry Livingston, a pseudonym for Jesse Livermore, one of history’s most famous traders.

Livingston never considered himself an investor; he was a speculator. He didn’t mind being long or short, he just wanted to be correct. His approach was to figure out what the path of least resistance was and then go with the flow. He didn’t believe in picking tops or bottoms; he waited for a trend to be confirmed and then jumped in, thus never fighting the tape. Livingston never traded out of boredom or solely for the sake of the excitement it brought to him. He knew that he could get rich by following a defined trend and thus calmly waited on the sidelines when the market was directionless. Had Livingston been alive today he would certainly be a momentum/price action based trader.

Although a sizeable portion of the book vividly describes the highs and lows of Livingston’s exciting life, the meat of the book comes in the form of trading commandments that every successful trader can likely repeat even while asleep. These are the trading rules that have been passed down from mothers to daughters, fathers to sons, mentors to students, winners to losers. This is the book from which almost every subsequent general trading book is derived. If you have ever wondered where the trading rule “Never average down” came from, just turn to page 154. Where did the comparison between greed and fear first originate? You’ll find it on page 130. Some other rules to live by that were introduced in LeFevre’s book are:

-The trend is your friend.

-History repeats itself.

-No stock is too high to buy or too low to sell.

-Let your winners run and cut your losses quickly.

For beginners, this book will give you a strong and sturdy foundation on which you can build your successful trading career. It will fill your absorbent trading mind with vitally important trading principles in a clear and understandable manner. For experienced traders, reading this book again will galvanize your mind and refresh your spirit for trading. It brings clarity as to why we trade and how to best go about it. This is a must read for beginners and a must re-read for all others.

Review by Tradingmarkets.com

Like the region it hails from, this compilation is cool, colorful and idiosyncratic and will appeal to anyone interested in graffiti, photography, the San Francisco Bay Area, and especially art and the creative process.
While serving as serious documentation of a specific art form, the book also has a refreshing sense of playfulness (check out the upper right-hand photo on page 40, for example).
In addition to the excellent photos, the book is full of the insightful and even moving comments of the artists themselves, along with some pretty wild stories (like the one about the guy who falls off a building to avoid the cops, wakes up with broken arms, and drives himself to the hospital using his knees to steer).
If you’re into graffiti art, you’ll definitely want to check it out. If you never thought graffiti was your thing, this book blows past the stereotypes to provide an entertaining and eye-opening look into what a vibrant and passionate art form it can be.

This is a loving and overdue tribute to the art and artists of the Bay Area graffiti scene.

Review by Cali

The Yankee Years by Joe Torre and Tom Verducci has received a large amount of pre-release press especially from the New York media, but also the L. A. Times. I can’t remember a book release in the recent past that has garnered so much attention before anyone has had a chance to read it. Even Steinbrenner is curious about the books contents. He should be.

The Yankee Years is a measured and thoughtful look at the years Joe Torre managed the Yankees, 1996-2007. During that time he got to and won four World Series out of five, not an easy task for anyone. Torre also stopped much of the ridicule he received from the New York media upon his appointment. If winning four World Series doesn’t prove you’re worthy of the job, nothing else will. The fact of the matter is that Joe Torre became the most beloved Yankees managers of all time winning the respect of the fans and his players…..also not an easy task given the list of outstanding players he worked with.

Not being a part of professional sports means that most of us read these kinds of books with a fascination made up of a combination of awe and disgust. Our only window into professional sports is comprised of the media, written and electronic and then watching the games as they come to us, one after another as the season progresses. I say this, because that means books such as the Yankee Years become our “inside” story; our life line and private peek into the insanity of what has become “professional sports.”

The Yankee Years has already aggravated several A-list players that are mentioned in the book. A-Rod, reportedly referred to as A-Fraud by his team mates, and David Wells just to name two people who may not be happy with the publication of The Yankee Years.

Here’s the chapter list of the book:

1. Underdogs
2. A Desperation to Win
3. Getting an Edge
4. The Boss
5. Mystique and Aura
6. Baseball Catches Up
7. The Ghosts Make a Final Appearance
8. The Issues of Alex
9. Marching to Different Drumbeats
10. End of the Curse
11. The Abyss
12. Broken Trust
13. “We Have a Problem”
14. The Last Race
15. Attack of the Midges
16. The End

Well written and very readable, the Yankee Years is above all else interesting and will be a book any baseball fan will want to read regardless of your team affiliation. Let’s face it, the Yankees are the most storied of professional baseball teams and reading about them interests us even if we aren’t fans.

Joe Torre’s The Yankee Years is worth reading. I highly recommend.

Review by Robert Busko

I love a good piece of stinky cheese. I enjoy taking it out of the fridge and letting its nasty old stank peel the paint off my walls, knockout my cat, and make the local children cry. It’s how you know you gots yerself sum quality cheese right there.

Unfortuneatly, I must admit, my cheese knowledge is limited to about, oh, whatever I might have picked up from a cookbook or Food Network. Thank heavens for Max McCalman, may chiors sing his spoiled milk praises! For those who don’t really know this guy, he is the man and fromager (cheese brainiac) who pretty much single handedly spearheaded the idea of presenting true artisinal cheeses, cheese courses, and giving cheese the kind of credit we give to wine here in America. He has become well known for his work in the New York restaurants Picholine and Artisinal, and luckilly for those of us not living shibby in New York, has gone out of his way to create a wonderful guide to the best of the best in his second book, Cheese: A Connoisseur’s Guide to the World’s Best.

While McCalman’s first book, The Cheese Plate, co-authored by David Gibbons, was a chic everyperson’s guide to wine and cheese pairings, Cheese simply gives us 200 of the world’s best cheeses. Listed in alphabetical order, each cheese is described beautifully and concisely noting where it is produced, how it is produced, how best to enjoy it, and the underlying flavors you should expect when experiencing it. I use the word experience, because after trying some of these selections, it really is the only appropriate word that the English language can offer me. McCalman also goes ahead to offer with each cheese a variety of different wines (red, white, and blush) and even some sparkling wines that should help you wow your party guests’ palates.

McCalman, also understanding our blind kitten approach to cheese, also guides you through various aspects of cheese. Early chapters deal with how to select, store, prepare, serve various kinds of cheese. Later on we are given a thurough lesson on how to pair cheese with various breads, fruits, and nuts, or how to simply lay back and enjoy a piece unmolested by any other food. Basics for how to create and serve a cheese course or a cheese tasting party will inspire you to host your own (I know I plan to have a truly stinky one shortly!). Lastly, of course, an extensive, though maybe a bit too much so, course on how to pair wine and cheese. The watchful and caring teacher, he does this in a simple, plainspoken manner, allowing any reader to understand not only how to preform each task, but the why behind it as well.

I have to say, I would not have discovered my love of Lancaster, my passion for Prattigauer, my desire for Doddington, and how I give resounding praise to Roaring 40’s Blue!

Overall, I give Cheese a 5 out of 5. This book is a wonderful addition to any food lover’s bookshelf. It’s susinct, informative, and covers a wide variety of cheeses you can find from California to Italy.

Review by Garrett M. Mccord

James Patterson published his first thriller in 1976 and since then has become one of the best-known and bestselling writers of all time, with more than 140 million copies of his books sold worldwide. He is the author of the two most popular detective series of the past decade, featuring 12 Titles in Alex Cross Series - Cross, Along Came a Spider, Kiss the Girls, Jack and Jill, Pop Goes the Weasel, Cat and Mouse, Four Blind Mice, Violets Are Blue, Roses Are Red, Mary Mary, Big Bad Wolf, London Bridges and the Complete Women’s Murder Club Series (1st to Die, 2nd Chance, 3rd Degree, 4th of July, 5th Horseman, 6th Target and 7th Heaven, First Edition Hardcovers Volumes 1-7), and he has written numerous other #1 bestsellers.

This is the first James Patterson book that I have read in awhile and I am glad that I waited. This book was a non-stop thrill from start to finish, and I can’t wait to read the rest of his books that have been collecting dust on my bookshelf for too long.

A new psychological thriller from author team James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, is sure to hook readers from the first page and keep them frantically reading all the way to the final line. Mostly told from the point of view of police detective Michael Bennett, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE is the tale of a police force desperately trying to capture and stop spree killer “Teacher” from targeting the unsuspecting New York population. It soon becomes clear that the extremely intelligent Teacher has planned out each murder, and the vigilante killer seems to be a chameleon, easily disappearing into crowds quicker than the police can be contacted. Providing consequences for poor manners and disrespectful behavior is the Teacher’s mission, and unless Michael Bennett’s team catches him, the Teacher’s punishments could go on indefinitely. As Bennett does what he can to stop the Teacher, he must also continue his role of father to his sickly brood of ten in the wake of his wife’s death.

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE is an unexpectedly engaging thriller, keeping readers in suspense all the way through the novel. Michael Bennett is a highly likeable character, and his slow adaptation to single father is entertaining and endearing as he struggles to deal with a household of sick children, a spunky grandfather, and a no-nonsense Irish nanny named Mary Catherine. The Teacher is disturbing and distressing, and his actions are reprehensible and unpredictable; somehow readers are able to relate to this awful murderer, which makes the tale all that much more engaging. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE is a quick, satisfying read.

I would also like to highly recommend Aelnathan by Ryan Robledo. Aelnathan: it is the firs book I’ve come across that compares to the thrill ride James Patterson gives the literary community. I highly, highly, recommend it.

Review by Richard Donaldson

“Building A WordPress Blog People Want To Read” by Scott McNulty is a new book on setting up and running a successful blog. McNulty has written an easy to understand and at times amusing introduction to getting started with what is currently the most popular blogging platform.

Both well written and well illustrated, the book covers everything from downloading and installing the software, to setting up the database, defining system parameters, and selecting a template. What is really excellent about these explanations is that McNulty tells you not only what are the best choices, but what impact those choices will have on your blog in the future. There are many selections you can make when setting up a new WordPress installation that can seriously affect how your blog operates in a year or two when it is getting lots of hits, and McNulty helps you to make well informed decisions.
While the book was written based on version 2.6 of the WordPress software and version 2.7 has now been released, there is very little other than administrative interface that does not apply. Most of the setup choices and database decisions are still the same. It would be great to see a physical or on-line update of the book for WordPress version 2.7, but I think that is just me being greedy.

If you are new to blogging, know what it is, but don’t have any experience getting blog up and running, this is the perfect book to start with. You will be given clear and concise instructions on what you need to do and why. If you follow along with the book, by the time you are done you will have a solid blogging platform up and running. Everything will be ready for you to start writing, and there in lies the only real problem with this book — the title.

While the book expertly covers the “building a WordPress blog” half of its title, what it really is not written to address is the what “people want to read” component. With a title like this one I would have expected chapters on what to write, how to interact with your audience, how to optimize for search engines and attract traffic. Also perhaps a few lessons from McNulty’s vast experience on what not to do. Scott McNulty is the founder and author of some important blogs and websites. I would really like to have been privy to some of that experience.

This is a very good book, but it should have been titled, “Building A WordPress Blog: A Guide to Installation and Setup”.

Review by Michael Carnell