it's not the crime that matters
353982
I don't read much crime fiction, but this was a nice diversion. The again, it's not the solving of the crime that seems to be the emphasis of the narrative. There's no mystery about who set a homeless man on fire ... The three culprits are apprehended almost immediately. Instead, the narrative focuses on the lead detective's need to know who the victim was .... And not just an identification but an identity. Det. Danny Beckett wants to know what kind of person the victim, a homeless man know only as Bishop, was. Beckett's investigation reveals little anecdotes about the man who defies all the stereotypes of homeless street people. The only aspect of mystery stems from the motive for the crime ... A motive which slowly reveals itself and is a little anticlimax given the attention spent developing the character of Bishop.
1141470
Crimes committed by law enforcement members are hard to solve and harder to get convictions for them. Although Gods of Guilt is fiction, it deals with this real problem in an interesting way. Perhaps the characterization of cartel drug dealers is a little unreal.
137810
Larry McShane shows proof here of the old saying "No good deed goes unpunished".  I was lucky in 1972 when I fatally shot a suspect trying to kill my partner and me.  No one tried to say I was anything other than  an officer doing his duty.  Others have obviously not been so lucky.  This  book points that out, and I am gratified to see that these incidents are  getting some attention.  A good read for all who care about their  community.
Wayne D. Ford, Ph. D., author of Managing Police Stress.  docwifford@msn.com
1288970
Inconsequencial facts about Limbaugh's private life are not important to me. It does not change my opinion of his message, which is positive (99.4% of the time)
3349758
One must remember that this book was written in 1961. It is a wonderful history of times gone by. The crime is solved by footwork and a lot of thought. There are no faxes or email, there is no DND, there are not even fingerprints. And, of course, there is no MacDonalds or punks on  motorcycles slurping coke. It is a Japan one likes to think about, especially if one sees the modern version. It is unspoiled and gentle. And the mystery itself is not bad, either.
4280557
I don't love it. It's not the kind of story you could ever love but I do believe it's an important story. If you work in the area of child services the important message in this one is that you can't save everyone. Even with the best of intentions and the most majestic effort some children have been too damaged. As a society we need to identify these children before they get this bad.
4647381
I have long believed it unlikely that Jeffrey MacDonald killed his wife and two little girls. The author of A Wilderness of Errors does a good job of confirming my viewpoint. However, I suggest readers bring a plow to the reading. This book is a carefully written case for "not guilty," but it is not a treatise that keeps the reader turning pages. Interest in MacDonald as either a victim or a monster; persistent questions about the investigation; awareness that far too many people in this country have been convicted for crimes they did not commit: These are my reasons for reading and for continuing to read this book. The material and arguments presented are worth the effort, but this is not a book I find difficult to put down.
4648050
Many of this book's negative reviews seem to focus on its supposed immorality.  Reading these reviews can be a bit misleading because they make it seem as if the only types of people who can use these laws are those wishing to deceive and manipulate others.  Admittedly, this is somewhat true (you most likely aren't reading a book like this if you aren't looking for a way to influence other people more effectively) however the way a person chooses to apply these laws is really what determines their morality.  Even some of the seemingly duplicitous laws are in fact fairly innocuous.  Take for instance, taking the credit for other people's work.  On the surface, this appears to be rather despicable.  But if you've ever read a self-help book or attended a motivational seminar, and then applied the principles you learned, then you have used this law.  This in fact, is one of the best aspects of The 48 Laws of Power; at no point does Greene try to tell the reader what's right and wrong...only what works.

Content aside, the book is laid out and reads well.  As you would expect each law gets its own chapter.  Chapters are broken down into a brief description of each law backed up by historical examples of transgressions and observances concluding with Green's personal thoughts.  There are also anecdotal stories and poems in the margins.  While the examples of transgressions and observances do a good job of illustrating the point, I found Greene's commentary to be extremely insightful as well.  Most chapters can be read in thirty minutes or less which leads me to another positive aspect of this book; you can read a chapter right before you go to bed and literally begin applying it the very next day.  Even if you don't apply them you will most certainly notice people following or (more often) breaking them.

As far as the laws' effectiveness I don't have personal experience with them all, though the ones I have applied work great.  Many of them are situational.  Others aren't always necessary (that is to say, following them will certainly help your cause but ignoring them won't necessarily be detrimental).  Still others are indispensable and not following them will at a minimum limit your potential (particularly in the work place).  48 Laws is basically a human psychology book and how you use it is really up to you.  In my opinion, if you change even one pattern of behavior as a result of reading it then it was worth the money.  And even if you don't, it will at least give you new insight on human interaction.
2151320
The structure of the Nutshell is well done, clear.

Sometimes it lacks precisions, grahics of how the concepts have to interact would be helpful to better understand the structure of the core crimes outlined.

The most important recent cases are not integrated.
955502
The bulk of this book is about crimes in Britain, not the U.S.  most are old crimes that I've never heard of in places I have 've ever heard of
4633474
The best part about this Grisham is that he manages to turn over some pretty preconceptions and let the ugly truth crawl out from under. People are too often prosecuted because the DA can score a win. Good for getting reelected. Nevermind if the guy really did the crime. DAs and Police Officers in many jurisdictions are virtually imune from prosecution themselves when they lie or withhold evidence. And one of the toughest for many people to swallow: if dirty rotten scumbags don't get a fair trial, you, Mr. average citizen, may not get one either.
2770129
This book explores evil as a mundane, workaday series of events by a character whose view of the world is doing what it takes to get him where he wants to go. It is not the evil a Hannibal Lecher or even the real life Jeffery Dahmer. Rather it is the evil of ordinary folks, offered up in a folksy way. Jim Thomson shows us people he knows and knows of. The victims are victims of life and sometimes their own foilbles and sometimes just the bad luck to come accross those who have no qualms when it comes to taking a life as part of getting ahead -- even if the rewards for a death are so small for those who commit murder. It trivializes the lives taken and scares the living daylights out of the reader long after the book has been put away.
2009530
It is what it is. No need to demote it out promote it
882452
This is a good read because it is realistic. It's not a feel good story fluffed by the wrongfully accused hero that triumphs. It does shed light on the injustices and inadequacies of the U.S. penal system though. A child should not be charged as an adult - at least when the crime does not involve murder. I found the story particularly relevant due to the legislation being pushed in several states to try juveniles as adults. How does that benefit society ? In most cases when such convicts are freed they have few options awaiting them. The author is an exception.
4457555
The book persuaded me to abandon all arguments why the death penalty for murder is a good and effective idea. The celebrated case was not based on racial profiling but on status profiling. So a drifter (no fixed employment or residence) caught up in a criminal case is deemed "guilty until you prove otherwise". The book is not even about prejudice or narrow local interests it's about piss-poor police forensic investigation and a perverted one-eyed view by the DA to convict and punish before the trial begins.
1170966
This is not a mystery or a murder novel. Rather it is about an individual with a unique ability
 Worth reading.
3121788
An accessible but mis-named volume; it's not really about "capital" at all; it's about the maldistribution of "wealth". But not ALL "wealth" is "capital".