Chris B

• Rated 4 stars

“This book takes a little-known treatesie on guerilla warfare from the British Boer Wars in South Africa, and applies its style to the current combat in Iraq. Both stories are included in this short, but interesting read. Both are similar in that the narrator is a young officer approaching his first command assignment, and both relate a series on sequential dreams of defeat in defending their station. The dreams progress repetatively until the lessons learned from each defeat are successfully applied. The lessons involve military command, organization, alertness, troop readiness and communication, rules of engagement, progressive response, and diplomacy to achieve success against insurgent combatants.

If you have ever wondered, "How are we ever going to bring our troops home", and have an interest in military policy and tactics, this is a short and worthwile read.”

Chris B wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 4 stars

“This book was completely different than I expected, but no less engaging a read. I was expecting a technical memoir of medical experiences in an Army OR, but there was almost a surprising lack of that material. I was expecting explainations and examples of surgical complications and surprises, but there are none.

This book is about disillusionment. A young, gifted, and eager medic, hoping to make a difference is confronted with the horrors of war, and worse, the horrors of human nature. He searches for mentors, but finds only selfishness, narcisism, amoral lifestyles, and no leadership. The levels of abuse he enfdures are brutal, and criminally negligent, driving him to the verge of dangerous addictions. The months drag on, with no outlet for stress, ignored suicide attempts by his associates, while the so-called leadership rises to unbelieveable levels of self-gratification, favoritism, and abuse.

This was certainly an eye-opening look into the the war from a behind-the-scenes perspective. The stories told are simultaneously fascinating and repulsive. My sincerest regards and thanks go out to all those serving in the military, but unless this soldier's experience is the extreme exception rather than the norm, our armed forces are in desperate need of top-down housekeeping. ”

Chris B wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Awesome book. Everyone eats out, but we rarely see any nutritional information on what we are eating. Now that restaurants are beginning to share nutritional information, this book does two great things. First, it demonstrates how bad some items are for you, then it hepls you make healthier choices. This is not about dieting, it's about making informed decisions, demanding some healthy accountability for your dining dollar, and not regretting what you ate afterwards. What I found amazing were cases of food that "appeared" relatively healthy, but were actually loaded with fat. I could not believe my favorite fish at Romano's contained over 2,000 calories and had more fat than 2 sticks of butter! If you like to eat out, you MUST read this book. There are foods out there that we should definitely not be eating often, if ever.”

Chris B wrote this review Friday, October 9 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“A friend who works in nuclear security for FEMA recommended this book to me. It was an interesting read, if a bit dey at times. The history, capabilities, and evolving role of NEST is thoroughly reviewed. There are some very interesting stories of America's previous "close calls", including Russian satellites, extortion, missing weapons, and black market interceptions. I would recommend this to anyone with anb interest in nuclear or homeland security. ”

Chris B wrote this review Monday, September 28 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Again, Christopher Moore does not disappoint. Charlie is a "Beta Male", who suddenly finds himself a new father, a widdow, and endowed with strange perceptions. But then, this is Christopher Moore's San Farancisco we are talking about here, so did you expect any less. Charlie begins run-ins with some of your old favorite characters from the "Bloodsucking Fiends" and "You Suck" books, like Inspector Rivera, The Emperor, Bummer, Lazarus, Jody, and Abbey Normal. Charlie has been fated as a "death merchant", a sort of "Santa's helper" for death, and must collect soul vessels from the recently deceased. The problem is, the rules are rather vague, and even worse, all this craziness seems to be affecting his daughter Sophie.
Those used to Moore's humor will find plenty to laugh at here. Particularly amusing are Moore's dissertations on the evolution of the Beta Male.

I found the character Charlie Asher a bit unique among Moore's works. Most all of Moore's characters are so satired and their situations so rediculous that the reader focuses solely on the absurd and awkward moments the author keeps throwing out (not that this is a bad thing). Charlie, thrust into the unlikely shoes of becoming a Death Merchant, is a character I truly related to and cared about from beginning to bitter end. Throughout the tragedies that surround him, dispite his fears, he is ultimately a selfless, genuine, patient, and giving father, husband, brother, and employer. This is the book that Moore's disappointing "You Suck" should have been. Definitely a new favorite. ”

Chris B wrote this review Thursday, July 9 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“The kid's got talent. Sam makes cooking look trendy and fun. His recipies are fresh, with some tasteful suggestions. His cooking is about flavor and freshness.”

Chris B wrote this review Tuesday, June 30 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“A very cool collection of sites, photos, and stories. Some material seems "generic", but there is also some nice history on "distinctly" Baltimore legends and icons, including Black Aggie and Hellhouse. ”

Chris B wrote this review Tuesday, June 30 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Jamie Oliver gives some solid advice and covers a lot of ground in this book. It has a little bit of everything. He is a big fan of free-range and local meats and produce. Illustrations are good, but some of the techniques get lost in the wording. This is a fine recipe book for people already comfortable in the kitchen, but newbies may want to go a bit more basic first. I borrowed this from a library. All proceeds from this book go towards Jamie Oliver's non-profit effort to introduce cooking careers to at-risk youth. ”

Chris B wrote this review Friday, May 22 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“An excellent story of a poor, uneducated Indian young man who draws on his tragic life experiences to win a fortune in a quiz show. This is a story of hardship and determination, and fate as both kind and cruel. The tragedies and the unending parade of bizarre, twisted people encountered and endured by the hero are almost comical. After a few chapters, some of the plot twists became predictable. The book handles the complexity of Indian cultures with passion and artistry. The hype of the quiz show plays well into the current generation's enthrallment with such shows as "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire", and "Deal or No Deal", however the seedy sexuality and violence prevent me from recommending this to younger readers. ”

Chris B wrote this review Monday, April 20 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Brilliant! A must-read for anyone who fancies the works of the Bard or Brit Lit in general. Moore takes the tragedy of King Lear and puts it on its ear as a dark comedy as told by Pocket the Fool. The story features healthy doses of debauchery and rudeness, but all executed with Moore's famous biting wit. A page-turner, and a new favorite. ”

Chris B wrote this review Wednesday, April 8 2009. ( reply | permalink )