Jan 7 2010

In the Mail: Death of a Valentine

Death of a Valentine (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries) by M.C. Beaton

Publishers Weekly

In bestseller Beaton’s enjoyable 25th Hamish Macbeth mystery (after 2008’s Death of a Witch), a Valentine’s Day parcel explodes in the face of the Scottish Highlands’ Lammas festival queen, Annie Fleming, as soon as she tries to open it, killing her instantly. Hamish Macbeth, newly promoted to sergeant, would rather investigate with only his trusty pets in tow, but is instead forced to tote along his new constable, the less than professional Josie McSween. Considered “prim and proper and a right innocent,” Annie turns out to have been leading a less than virtuous double life, with no shortage of suspects in her murder. A much sought after bachelor, Hamish desperately tries to break the case, while Josie, with dreams in her eyes, strives to crack Hamish’s heart. Will Josie succeed in getting Hamish to say “I do” at the altar? For all the book’s farcical moments, Beaton takes care as usual to provide a satisfying police procedural.

By Kevin Holtsberry • In The Mail • 1 • Tags: , , ,

Jan 5 2010

In the Mail: The War on Success

The War On Success: How the Obama Agenda Is Shattering the American Dream

Description

Higher Taxes…Nationalized Industries…Suffocating Regulation…

President Obama Has Declared War Against You

In The War on Success, New York Times bestselling author Tommy Newberry argues that the Obama administration is not only attacking entrepreneurs and small business owners, it’s launched a fundamental assault on the very concept of success. By denigrating all the qualities that make success possible—self-reliance, ambition, hard work, the pursuit excellence—the administration is setting the stage for Big Government to step in and “guarantee” everyone’s success through socialist-style redistribution. Brash, direct, and unafraid, The War on Success tells you what’s at stake: nothing less than the survival of the American Dream.

By Kevin Holtsberry • In The Mail • 0 • Tags: , , , ,

Jan 4 2010

The U.S. Army’s First, Last, and Only All-Black Rangers by Edward L. Posey

I have always been interested in the history of individual military units, especially ones written by a former member.  Thus, I was intrigued by Edward Posey’s The U.S. Army’s First, Last, and Only All-Black Rangers when I found out about it.  Although the unit was only in existence for ten months during the Korean War, its members proved to many skeptics (some high ranking generals in the Army) that African-Americans could fight.  I believe their example and the efforts of others pushed the Army leadership in Korea (and worldwide) to finally end segregation in the U.S. Army - the armed forces were ordered to desegregate by President Truman, but the Army took its sweet time in carrying out the order.

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By Jeff Grim • Reviews • 1 • Tags: , , , , , , ,

Jan 2 2010

Football: An Encyclopedia of Popular Culture

If you had to pick a weekend to discuss football you would be hard pressed to find better one that this one. We are coming to the end of college bowl season and tomorrow will see the last spots filled for the NFL playoffs.  This is a season of either great joy or great sorrow for most fans (a few are saddled with a lingering depression as their teams suffers in the cellar out of reach of bowl games or playoffs).

For those that love the game and not just their chose teams this is a great time of year; full of days on end of football.  But with this enjoyment comes the bittersweet recognition that the season is coming to a close – there are only so many games left and then the dreaded off-season.

If you are a football fan there is a resource that might help you get through the off-season and come out even more knowledgeable about the game you love. Football: An Encyclopedia of Popular Culture edited by Edward J. Rielly is a treasure trove of information for fans and history/culture lovers alike:

Football. Far more than a game, America’s favorite spectator sport is an intrinsic part of the nation’s popular culture—a proving ground for high school athletes, a springboard for stars, a multimillion-dollar business, and a vast entertainment enterprise. Football: An Encyclopedia of Popular Culture provides a detailed look at America’s pastime through the lens of pop culture, a fascinating A-to-Z inventory of how certain aspects of the game affect and reflect broader society.
From African Americans in football to the meaning of Zero in the sport, this volume profiles players and personalities, teams and events, games and football concepts, and sociological and technological changes in the sport. The goal is not to name every Hall of Famer or to retell the game’s entire history, but to give a clear and detailed account of where, in football history, the importance of people and events extends beyond the playing field. Its wide-ranging entries examine such names as Joe Montana and Byron “Whizzer” White and phenomena from concussions, mascots, team names, and literature to U.S. presidents and football’s presence in television commercials. The encyclopedia covers all levels of play—professional, collegiate, high school, and youth—offering a from-the-ground-up, gridiron look at the game of football within the matrix of American culture.
More after the jump. Keep Reading

By Kevin Holtsberry • Reviews • 0 • Tags: , , , , ,

Jan 2 2010

In the Mail: I.O.U.

I.O.U.: Why Everyone Owes Everyone and No One Can Pay

From the Publisher

Part economic primer, part fiscal and historical analysis, New Yorker and London Review of Books contributor John Lanchester offers his brilliantly witty, succinct overview of the current financial crisis.

By Kevin Holtsberry • Reviews • 0

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