Book Description

Customer Reviews (12)

one of the best books I've read
If you like nonfiction that reads like a page-turner, you will love this book. Klinenberg examines this amazing event in Chicago's history from every possible perspective: meteorological, historical, political, economic, sociological, anthropological, geographical.It's a brilliant work and reads a lot like "The Perfect Storm"in that you learn about a fascinating and true event, but you learn so much more, in unexpected directions. Highly, highly recommended.

A very interesting, if somewhat dry and academic, book
On Thursday, July 13, 1995, the temperature in Chicago climbed to 106 degrees Fahrenheit. Over the course of the next week, while the city sweltered in the stifling heat, and power grids failed, people began to die - often senior-citizens that felt trapped in their own homes. Before long, the nation was treated to images of the Cook County Medical Examiner's office storing bodies in refrigerated trucks donated by a meat company, while city officials sought scapegoats. By the time the heat wave ended, after July 20, some 739 more people had died in Chicago than was statistically to be expected, at least 485 of whom had died directly from heat-related causes.

In this book, author and assistant professor of Sociology, Eric Klinenberg, looks at what happened during that long and torturous week, what were some of the root causes of the disaster, and what can be learned from it. Overall, I found this to be a very interesting, if somewhat dry and academic, book.

I do, though, have two minor complaints about the book. First of all, while the author excoriates then recent city-wide reforms that were still in the process of being implemented during 1995, he does not address the problem of Chicago's lack of a health diversity of political opinion (the last non-Democratic mayor was elected in 1927). The problem of Chicago's one-party rule has made it a byword for incompetence, corruption and downright criminality to this day! Secondly, while the present Bush Administration's tepid response to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans has drawn much criticism, Mr. Klinenberg fails to mention the then Clinton Administration's complete and utter disregard of the events within Chicago.

But, that said, it is an interesting book, perhaps the only one on this terribly tragedy that is now almost completely forgotten.

An Excellent Candidate for Course Syllabi
The only think I would add to what has been said already is that this book should be strongly considered for courses that emphasize the interaction between medicine and public health.Unlike other books written about the urban condition, this book focuses on a single public health problem and presents it from both scientific and sociodemographic perspectives.Medical and public health students alike stand much to gain by reading this book.

Heat Wave: Social Isolation in Chicago

Over the summer of 1995, the area surrounding Chicago experienced extreme weather conditions that exposed people to a heat index reaching 126 degrees.The result was devastating to the community; a record number of deceased bodies were discovered as a direct result of heat exposure.The hot, humid air stalled over Chicago for one long week.When it was finally dissipated, it left residents of Chicago scared and confused.City streets had failed, electricity use had peaked and many lost power, and power grids had completely collapsed.It was a disaster that was heard around the world.
Between the dates of July 14 and July 20, 739 Chicago residents died from heat exposure.Every year, heat waves kill more people than all other natural disasters combined.However, they often are not heard of or spoken about.This is due to the fact that they are not physically damaging and that most heat wave victims are those who are socially isolated from their community.These groups often are composed primarily of elderly, poor, and those who choose to be isolated.
Heat waves directly are linked to these isolated groups, and until now, were not given any attention.Many are left vulnerable to disaster by not being connected into the community. Eric Klinenberg examines the tragedy that took place in Chicago and draws attention to the social, political, and institutional groups that all were involved in the situation.Heat Wave ties in isolation, inner-city neighborhoods, city services, and the news media as integral parts of the disaster that resulted from the heat wave in Chicago.
The first problem examined by Klinenberg was isolation.Many of the victims perished alone, without any companions nearby.Of the 739 bodies that were found dead, 170 of them went unclaimed showing the intensity of loneliness of those who perished.Klinenberg says that elderly isolation is the result of demographic shifts, crime, spatial transformation, and substance abuse problems.Adding to the problem, many of the elderly people lived in sealed rooms that did not allow for windows to be opened.
In the following chapter, Klinenberg examines the urban neighborhood and relates social structure to the isolation theory.He concludes that high poverty plays an important role when evaluating who is at risk for heat waves.Klinenberg emphasizes that these segregated areas do not allow people to establish social connections.Depleted buildings and violent crimes lead to further isolation.Once isolated, an event such as a heat wave disproportionately places certain individuals at an elevated risk to be affected by a disaster situation.
After examining the urban neighborhood, Klinenberg discovers that services provided by the city were not equally distributed.He concludes that support services should not be in the hands of government control.When you place the power into institutional organizations, services are distributed unequally and only offer aid to certain groups of people.Many people struggle to keep up with those benefiting and give up the chase for the services offered.Without adequate services, such as air-conditioning, people are placed at elevated risks from dying from a heat wave.
In his last analysis of the Chicago catastrophe, Klinenberg ties in the news media and their relevance to the heat wave in Chicago.The way the news is distributed is tied in to fit what specific people want to hear.For example, suburban residents were often not informed of the underlying problems related to the heat wave.Instead, the mayor spoke only of the event as being a natural disaster that could not have been avoided.Often, the people not affected by disasters are those that speak of the event.They are able to shape what is talked about and displace talk over the social problems related to the disaster.
Together, the factors discussed helped shape the events involved with the heat wave in Chicago.The socially isolated people seemed to be at the highest risk from the disaster.This incident represented how different groups and unrepresented and how certain people can control what is taken out of an event.Klinenberg closely examines the socially isolated to show that connections are important, and one is in threat without having connections.
However, Klinenberg fails to mention how certain people are motivated in different ways.He follows the thought of being isolated as a threat to one's health.Little talk is given to those who choose to be isolated.While some people feel as though they need people around them, others feel that isolation is the only way to break away from the mass crowd.Isolation does not result from one factor alone.People choose to remove themselves from society for many different reasons.
Also, Klinenberg fails to mention what is needed to change the current situations in Chicago.It is important to understand what happened in Chicago, but it would be hard to change the situation without a well-thought plan.Social and political institutions seem to be a starting point for most changes.We need to draw attention on how to change corrupt practice from political institutions.We must establish equal rights again and allow everyone to have access to city services.Without a plan, things will continue to go as they always have and attention on unequal practices will be displaced.
The disaster that occurred in Chicago was not the heat wave itself; it was the underlying social problems that stemmed from the heat wave.This put certain groups of people at elevated risks for heat related death.Attention must be given to heat wave disasters; they cause more deaths every year than all other natural disasters.The victims deserve equal rights and services.By doing so, life can be protected and shared among all groups of people.

Heat Wave
Klinenberg's investigation of the conditions and outcome of the 1995 tragedy deals with issues of human interdependence and examines the importance of local and regional communities in preventing future catastrophes of this kind.Heat Wave takes a natural phenomenon and penetrates to issues of economic and social depravity, the echelon of neighborhood that one resides and the solitude that extends from those circumstances. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

The Days Before AC
The book opens: "Sun sizzled. Hair frizzled," but it might as well start out: Once upon a time there was no AC. Spinelli enshrouds the story of Lumberville's big heat wave with a nostalgic haze that's just this side of longing. The townspeople, all with names that are fun to say like Lottie Sims, the Pettibone sister, and Mailman Mike Morello, get creative in their efforts to cope with the heat. They set up lemonade stands, sleep with teabags on their eyes, wrap damp kerchiefs around their necks.
Eventually, the whole town gathers on the riverside with pillows to try to sleep. The mayor treats them to popsicles (accompanied by campaign fliers), and everyone dreams of rain - charmingly depicted by Lewin as drops of blue watercolor paint. This is a wonderful book, but -- I hope -- not a prophetic one.
... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Great introduction "set" for a science class.
Believe it or not, I use this book as a read-aloud for my 8th grade (13 year olds!) science class.I read it to them before beginning a unit on weather.Even this age finds it humorous.Add this to your collection!

The cream of the crop
Again terrific illustrations in a children's book. The colors are dynamic and the silliness will grab your attention on every page. The author takes the impossible (only skips a few steps in each process)to make thingshappen! The ending is a surprise and could only come from Kansas!

Fun and amusing
My four-year-old has requested this for one of his bedtime stories for over one week running. The story itself is a humourous tall tale about a farm in Kansas.The illustrations are hilarious, and the expressions onthe characters (including the farm animals) are expressive and funny.Agreat children's book, but wacky enough to make adults laugh, too. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Look out for the kitty in a life preserver!!
Katie Macalister, who does nothing but write 24/7 so that I have lost track of HOW MANY books she has out this year, gives us BIRD OF PARADISE story in this trilogy. It is a gem of a comedy that says big is beautiful and a man and his cat should not be parted! Poking fun at the "reality" telly shows, this one groups a bunch of bachelors and bachelorettes and puts them in competition to find true love. The one that does wins a million dollars. But there is shady dealings doing on, as Adam is not really a contestant - neither is his cat named Jesus!! He is a private eye on the trail of his best friends ex-girlfriend. Girlfriend is fed up with Superjock friend and has joint the hunt for true love, so friend bribes another contestant to let Adam take his place so he can spy on the lady. Only, she spots him and knows what the game is. Into the mix is another not there for romance, Hero. She is there in a last ditch effort to save her job and get the inside scoop on the show for the rag magazine for which she works. Between Adam, Hero and Jesus the cat...love is a forgone conclusion. Katie once again give you a lovable, less than perfect heroine in Hero and anyone who loves kitties will adore Jesus the cat. The Story will have you HOWLING with laughter.

Jennifer Archer offer us BREAKING THE RULES, continuing the theme of men and women seeking romance - and a million dollars!!
Claire and her fiancé, James, are contestants. THey are there because of James' not so brilliant idea - thinking the tropical local would bring them closer. Enters Mitch and sudden that plan is out the window. James not only lose a shot at the girl but the big bucks!!

Sheridon Smythe's entry is HOT SHOT, and is another story of contests. This time Whitney and Rand as centre of focus. Whitney, again is not there for romance, but has come in search of the father she never knew. Daddy dearest is the host of the game show and she figures this is a good chance to see daddy up-close and judge him. Rand is there only because of his dead wife's fruitcake will. Since neither are there for romance, they figure they can give each other a cover and keep the other contestants from bothering them. What they did not count on was find love in paradise.

Who wins???? I won't tell...you have to read!! ... Read more

Book Description
Throughout her dazzling career, bestselling author Jill Marie Landis has consistently written stories filled with unforgettable sensuality, creating characters whose vibrant emotions instantly sweep you into their lives. Now in Heat Wave, Landis turns up the heat and delivers her most riveting novel yet.

Private investigator Kat Vargas once cared about someone so much it hurt. Once she lived a dream life with her first love and fiancé—until betrayal followed by shattering tragedy ended it all. Kat has sworn never to get too close to anyone again. But now the peace and quiet of Twilight Cove is driving the straight-talking, no-nonsense P.I. crazy. Then a prospective new client shows up at the door. Moved by his stubbornness and sincerity, Kat takes his case, breaking a promise to relax, recoup, and rethink her solitary life.

Ty Chandler is desperate to locate the child he fathered nineteen years ago—a child he never knew existed until now. Although he’s no stranger to heartache, he is irresistibly drawn to the exotic, vibrantly alluring P.I. Their search not only leads them to Ty’s troubled, strong-willed daughter, but into each others’ arms. Though Kat courageously works to help Ty reunite his family, she’s terrified of confronting a painful secret of her own—one that will cost her the love of the only man capable of tearing down the walls she’s built around her heart.

From the tranquil beaches of the central California coast to the fast and furious streets of L.A., Heat Wave is a passionate and heartfelt story of families divided and brought back together, the magic of hope for new beginnings, and the overwhelming power love has to heal even the most battered hearts.


From the Hardcover edition.Download Description
“Jill Marie Landis is a master. Her Heat Wave caught me on a swell, gripped me from the very first page, and sent me hurtling into adventure. I highly recommend it!”
—LINDA LAEL MILLER
New York Times bestselling author of The Last Chance Café

“Riveting—a gripping novel that will pull at your heartstrings.”
—JOAN JOHNSTON, author of Colter’s Wife

“Sweet and sexy, warm and wise, Jill Marie Landis’ emotional stories will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading.”
—KRISTIN HANNAH

“Jill Marie Landis creates characters you want to spend time with and a story that will keep you turning the pages.”
—SUSAN ELIZABETH PHILLIPS

“Characters to love [and] emotion that tugs at the heart.”
—DEBBIE MACOMBER

“Jill Marie Landis can really touch the heart.”
—JAYNE ANN KRENTZ


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

The "Jan Brady" of the Twilight Cove trilogy...
PI Kat Vargas swore off relationships after having her heart ripped out by former fiancé and pro-surfer, Justin Parker. After getting injured during a routine check on a spouse's infidelity, she is shot and recoups in Twilight Cove while house sitting for former partner, Jake.

After a torturous couple days in the fresh air, she is contacted by Ty Chandler, who wants her to locate the daughter he never knew about. Now 19, finding her may prove to be difficult. After a brief search, they not only locate her, but also his granddaughter. Sunny grew up in a commune until her mother was arrested and subsequently died of an overdose. She and the other kids from the commune live together and survive by street racing and stealing cars. Wanting something more for her baby, Sunny visits Ty, with the intention of leaving her daughter to be raised by him. She does not count on actually liking him though (or his best friend).

Meanwhile, Kat is tortured by her past and failed romance, but reluctantly starts seeing Ty. As soon as things heat up, she is at odds with Sunny, who has a weird feeling about her. Ty and Sunny have a blow up when Sunny starts putting the moves on Ty's best friend.

Kat soon runs away from her feelings and decides to try to reconcile Sunny and Ty by getting Sunny away from her "gang." But Ty is hot on her trail, and not willing to give her up. One ting I really liked was the significance of "beach glass."

The story is totally predictable - you can see Kat's dilemma almost from page one.Not Landis' best effort; recommend the other two books from the trilogy - they are better developed and more engaging.

Great page turner!
Not only was this a great love story, but it surprised me by being full of suspense.I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did.I highly recommend it!

An Engrossing Romance and a Great Beach Read
In HEAT WAVE, the second in a trilogy of books by Jill Marie Landis, Kat Vargas is a private investigator who for many years has focused only on her career, to the exclusion of her family and any serious love interests. She's too busy to have a long-term boyfriend and she likes it this way. When her friend and ex-partner Jake needs a housesitter for his beachside home near San Luis Obispo so he can take the family away on a long vacation, Kat is coerced into taking the job. She had just come off of a very dangerous situation, ended up in the hospital and now needed time to recuperate. She leaves her home in Long Beach, California and drives up the coast to a small beach town called Twilight Cove.

Kat isn't there very long when a neighbor comes by Jake's house to see her. Ty Chandler, one of the residents of this small resort town, has heard about her and asks if he can hire her to do a job. He has just found out that he has a daughter, born nineteen years ago to an old girlfriend from high school, but was never told about the daughter until recently, right before his mother passed away. He's angry with his mother for hiding this information from him. She had never liked his girlfriend Amy and wanted to protect him, but his mother and Amy are now both gone, and it was time to make up for the time he had lost. He's ready to find his daughter.

With only a few clues to go by, Kat and Ty work side by side, searching the Internet and making phone calls, following the trail of the missing girl. While this is strictly business for Kat, she senses that Ty is growing fond of her, but Kat does her best to tell him "no." She insists that she does not mix business with pleasure, but she also remembers what Jake has told her --- that she needs to relax and let someone new into her life. It was about time she moved on from her tragic past, a past that she hides from everyone she has met since leaving her home in Hawaii. Her career as a private investigator had come about because of what she endured on Hawaii due to a tragic accident. Only her family and friends back on the island of Kauai know of her tragic loss and the pain she kept buried inside her all these years.

Ty and Kat have enough clues to find Ty's daughter, who they discover is now living in Southern California with a number of other people her age, all of whom seem to be destitute, shady-looking and lacking any financial means to make ends meet. Upon meeting them, Sunny, Ty's daughter, looks upon both of them with distrust and lets them know that she is not interested in going back with Ty to Twilight Cove. But Ty hands over his phone number to her, hoping that she changes her mind.

Sunny does take Ty up on his offer and comes to find him in Twilight Cove. They get to know each other while she tries to make a home for herself and her baby, another surprise for Ty. While Ty is dealing with a new family, Kat is dealing with her own feelings, not sure whether she is falling in love with Ty or wanting to run away again. She's also not sure about Sunny, and decides to investigate Sunny's past to see what kind of trouble she may have gotten herself into.

HEAT WAVE was a surprise to this reviewer. It was a lot more than a romance. The story of Ty and his long-lost daughter was a great story-within-the-story, allowing the reader to get to know Ty's character much better than simply as a love interest. And Sunny's account of her life in Southern California was another interesting side-story that fit in with the rest of the book. Landis does a good job at creating characters that the reader will relate to, although this reviewer was not totally sure she liked Kat Vargas at first. As is the case with any romance, the most important feature should be the reader's ability to relate to the characters, and whether the story is believable or not. Based on that, this reviewer recommends HEAT WAVE to any person looking for an engrossing romance and a great beach read.

--- Reviewed by Marie Hashima Lofton

Another Jill Marie Landis Hit
Lots of twists and turns in this one that kept me turning pages into the wee hours. Jill has once again sent her characters on their intricate journey filled with surprises around every corner.Romance, suspense, humor.This like, many of Jill's book, has it all.I'm looking forward to the next Kat Vargus novel!

A Great Romance Writer Turns to Mysteries
Jill Marie is one of my favorite writers of historical romances and I'm thrilled she is writing contemporary mysteries.I loved Lover's Lane and was glad to see Kat Vargus back in another book.This is a great read and hard to put down like all of Jill Marie's books.Like the other reviewers, I liked the relationship between Ty and Sunny which is nicely done and more nuanced than most mysteries.

If you like mysteries, try her earlier historical romance Jade.I'm not sure it's still in print but it's great too!

A Reader from Asheville ... Read more

Book Description
#37 Heat Wave

#38 The Perils of Love

With over 11 million copies sold in the series, Left Behind: The Kids is a favorite of readers ages 10-14. Each book follows a group of teens who were "left behind" when other friends and family members were taken to heaven by God in the Rapture. All they have left is their friendship and their growing faith in Jesus Christ. For them, the last several years have not been easy . . . but the end is near. With background plots from Left Behind #10: The Remnant and #11: Armageddon, these books will thrill even reluctant readers with cliffhangers from book to book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Series for adults now rewritten for teens
I have always enjoyed the adult series of Left Behind books.The kids books are just as good.The kids interact with the characters from the adult series, experience the same events, etc.However, since the main characters are teens, these books can appeal to younger readers.So far, the stories haven't had the ups and downs that the adult series has had.The adult series has books that are a lot more boring than others.The kids series seems to be good in every book.These are not for really young kids, but would be appropriate for young teens.I enjoy them and I am an adult. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Scorchingly hot erotica!
Don't burn yourself! These scorchingly sexy tales will make you forget about the cold, dreary weather and warm up real fast as they transport you to beaches and tropical locales where all there is to do is relax and enjoy yourself. These stories of hot summer sex do their job and then some, and certainly made me hot all over!

A rip off
Not much on offer here to warrant five stars, let alone one. As usual, Tyler has put out yet another book of monotonous sex stories that all sound exactly the same. Nowhere near as good as the anthology series which this so blatantly copies.

Hot, hot, hot!!
This is a red-hot collection of short stories! My favorites were Helena Settimana's "Highway 69" about a motorcycle chick and her outdoorsman, Sage Vivant's "The Yacht" about three women on vacation with three hunky sailor boys (with a fantastic on-deck scene! You could practically smell the suntan oil), the almost indescent "Tan Lines" by Thomas S. Roche featuring a delicious outdoor escapade, and "In Dependence Day" by Savannah Stephens Smith featuring a really hot dom/sub relationship. All of the stories sizzle. If you can't go on a vacation right now -- get this book instead! ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Perfect for mathematicaal physics courses
This book is for a one year course on functional analysis. It would replace a traditional course course on mathematical physics with advantage.The first two chapters are on ordinary differential equations. They are very good.The third chapter is on Hilbert spaces beggining with the vibrating string , fourier series , etc, thus motivating the last section on Hilbert Spaces.The fourth chapter is on eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of second order differential operators The remaining of the book covers the Schrodinger equation in one dimension , Bessel's Fuctions , Eigenfunctions of the Laplacian and the Fourier transform .The book explain difficult concepts in simple terms. Things like Lebesque integral,Absolutely continuos functions, etc Everything is carefully explained.Let me quote this passage on page 419: "The elements of this Hilbert Space are functions of two variables.The Hilbert spaces we considered in earlier chapters consisted in functions of one variable. Does this confuses us? Not us!"In fact the book is almost perfect

A nice and unsual textbook
This is an interesting book which combinesHilbert spaces, differential equations, and Fourier analysis at very elementary undergraduate level. This textbook may have the best elementary introduction to Schrodinger equation without being a functional analysis or quantum mechanic course. Its applications to Laplace operators and Sturm Liouville problems are very well motivated and developed. This is not a standard textbook, its content and examples are not easily obtained from other sources in the same context. Their early editions were very expensive and hard to find, so this new paperback reedition is welcome. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Heatwave
I thought that this was a good collection of stories. I'm a fan of these authors and it was nice to see them all in one place. Miller's Part of the Bargain was a good story, I liked the character development. I hadn't readanything by Tess Gerritsen before but now I'll be looking for more of herstuff. Delinsky is always a good read! ... Read more

Amazon.com
The weather is blistering but the emotions are chilly in this intimate, elegant novel set in the British countryside during a summer of record heat. A mother is watching the end of her daughter's marriage while confronting her own simmering anger over the infidelity of her own departed husband, years before. Penelope Lively's intense but muted style mirrors the detached anguish of her characters, who are groping toward their true feelings.Book Description
It is a long, hot summer at World's End, a two-family grey stone cottage in the English countryside. Pauline is editing a romance novel in the smaller dwelling, and the larger part is occupied by her daughter, Teresa; Teresa's baby; and her husband, Maurice, a writer, whose infatuation with his editor's girlfriend is growing.

Pauline fears for Teresa, who is passionately in love with her husband, for she senses Maurice's imminent betrayal. She remembers a time when her possessive passion for Teresa's father eroded her own youth. A stunning and unexpected denouncement irrevocably changes the order of things for this family, whose intimacy the reader abandons reluctantly at novel's end. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Potent, capable, slow-moving, tragic, venomous
Lively is a capable professional writer. As she describes some of the scenes you can see past them to the novelist carefully surveying a place, taking notes and returning to proficiently write them up. The novel moves incredibly slowly, as if Lively can't bear to leave any detail overlooked, any hint of shoddiness.

We get such a strong feeling of being inside Pauline, and Pauline is a triumph of authenticity. Lively, like Lodge, has the sense (and brave candour) to write mainly from the perspective of someone she could best understand - someone almost autobiographically like herself. This is not to say this is anything but imaginative fiction, and the events some sort of thinly disguised `tell-all'. Rather the way the central character views herself and the people around her feels very true. Hey, I'm not an introspective middle-aged woman, how would I know, but I suspect I've got a better idea of it after reading this book.

Slow paced, sure, but Lively analytically explores a classic common domestic tragedy: adultery. She doesn't rage about it - these are educated English characters, there's no swearing, slamming doors or gunplay. But don't mistake it - there is an ice-cool venom here too.

There's also despair at impotence: Pauline watches her daughter's innocent contentment being punctured; she understands to several decimal places exactly what is going on - and what will ensue; how awful and unjust it is; and how there is essentially nothing she can do about it.

The novel eschews the satisfying relief of offering the characters (and the readers) the `answer': "Now listen, Teresa, what you need to do right now is...". Rather it more insightfully forces us to endure the ugly tension of living and conversing with someone who has betrayed and is essentially unrepentant and relatively unscathed. While the one deeply hurt through no personal fault is made to feel guilty. The conversations, the situations, the irresolvable tensions are played out in this awful understated but plausible way. Indeed, we get to feel it twice as Lively seamlessly moves between past and present.

I'm still left a bit uncomfortable with Pauline's (Lively's) utter certainty. In her world, much as in that of Passing On, we know precisely what to think of each character. I don't really like having it spelt out for me quite so restrictively, and I'm forced towards suspicion of her implacable judgements. Oh, she's careful to make sure we know this is not simply an `all men are bastards' diatribe: Pauline has genuine affection for Hugh, and shows motherly care for Chris Rogers. But can we just write some folks off the way they are here? Maybe we can: if I was writing an honest novel about my feelings there'd be some irredeemable turds in there, and I'd not give them the time and space Lively gives to Maurice and Harry. But, as I say, this book gives you no room at all to move.

Spoiler warning:

If you've read the book, you know exactly what I'm about to address. If you haven't read the book, show some sense and stop reading this review now.

Blimey - that was not the finish I was expecting, even if I might have wanted it. Very much like Passing On - all the action is crammed into the last chapter, or in this case, the last pages. Blam. That venom thing I was mentioning earlier .... Here's this articulate, utterly civilised, educated, thinking, academic caring older woman, and the moral to the story: "It'd be better for everyone if you were dead." No, this is not hyperbole.

Lively takes the liberty of fiction to apply a solution that does all it can to shake off the complacency of the adulterer.

Worth reading but...
"Heat Wave" was my first Penelope Lively novel. To be honest it took me some time to finish it. Midway, I'd wish there were more incidents to light up the drab life of one middle-class fiftyish copyeditor (Pauline), her daughter and their family snuggling up in a humdrum English rural outpost. The momentum of the book is sustained by flashbacks of her divorced husband's marital infidelities as she watches her daughter and son-in-law plunge into a similar marital crisis of sorts.

It was not that Lively's prose drags (it is wonderfully crisp and at times, witty) but rather that she is describing the mundane everyday going-ons between a family trio (or quartet, if one takes into account the toddler grandson), which the material was stretched too broadly on the canvas to my taste. Lively's observations of suspicion and growing mistrust within a marital union are the best parts of the book. The twist at the end provides a welcoming relief -- I was just wondering whether the "crisis" would drone on indeterminately. What would please other readers is that Lively's characters are well-drawn, believable figures like you and I. Personally I felt that given the paucity of events, the book might do better as a short story or a novella -- however the quality of Lively's prose would surely invite me to read another of her books.

A Summer At World's End
It is a May day at World's End. The beginning of a long, hot summer in Pauline Carter's greystone cottage in England, about two hours outside of London.Pauline is copyediting an allegory of romantic love. Her daughter, Theresa and her husband Maurice, and their son, Luke live in the second half of the cottage.

Maurice is a professor and writer and is busy writing a travel journal of local places.He often invites his editor and his girlfriend down for the weekend to help with each chapter. The issue is Maurice's infatuation with his editor's girlfriend. Oh, what memories this stirs in Pauline's heart. She fears for Theresa, who is so in love with her husband.

Years ago, Pauline fell in love with Harry, a professor and bon vivant. Pauline and Harry married much to everyone's surprise. Harry was known as a lady's man and not the type to marry. And, in due course, Theresa was born to Pauline and Harry. Harry was not much of a father, he loved Theresa but was not involved in her life. Much the same could be said of Maurice and his behavior with Luke.Pauline is so afraid for Theresa, she could sense imminent betrayal, and no one was speaking of it. Pauline was much respected by Maurice, but he offered no excuses nor did he feel he needed to excuse his behavior. This type of thing just happpened.

Penelope Lively has given us an elegant portrayal of fragile family dynamics that have already been greatly affected by adultery. Pauline will do anything to assist her daughter, and she opens her heart to Theresa. She discusses her own life with Theresa's father, and the fact that she should have left him long before she did. However, Theresa is not ready to discuss anything about her husband with Pauline at this time- denial is the name of the game. Pauline must take little steps with her daughter and support her as best she can.

This is once again, a book not to be put down. Penelope Lively has a habit of writing this kind of novel. The conclusion adds a form of the unusual and unexpected. I was not ready for this story to end, but the author knows best. We realize that the anxiety and suspicion we have felt has led to frustration, and now we can look at the situation with clearer eyes. This is Penelope Lively's eleventh novel, and I must read each one. She is an author unlike any other. Each book is better than the last, but how can that be? A witty and intelligent author with every novel a number one in my book! prisrob

Another winner from Penelope Lively
If you haven't yet discovered this Booker Award-winning British novelist, now's a good time to pick up one of her many books. Moon Tiger is her most well-known novel, but the others deserve equal attention.
In Heat Wave, Lively aims her magnifying glass on Pauline Carter and her married daughter. It starts out as a quiet story, set in a summer cottage in England's bucolic countryside. But with each turn of the page, the tension increases and increases...and increases...until the stunning conclusion just knocks your socks off. At it's base, it's a story of romance. Pauline is editing an allegory of romantic love while watching her daughter, Teresa, struggle with the romantic side of her married life, after realizing that her son-in-law is conducting an affair right under their noses.
About midpoint, you think you know where this book is heading. You would be wrong. Lively, in all her books, is fascinated with the conflict and difference between what is real and what appears on the surface. The serenity of the countryside is offset by the violence of the natural world; the appearance of romance is threatened by cynical adultery; love is marred by jealousy.
Don't miss this book; it's one of her best.

This Heat Wave Is Chilling
I had not read a Penelope Lively novel in so long, I had forgotten how brilliant a writer she can be. Her talent is very evident in "Heat Wave." A deceptively simple story with very dark undertones, the book is a masterpiece of "novel-as-understatement."

Long-divorced Pauline, a freelance book editor, is spending the summer at her country cottage, World's End, with her daughter Theresa and her family--husband Morris, baby son Luke. Theresa and family occupy one half of the duplex, and Pauline the other. It's an agreeable relationship that allows each household the privacy it needs as well as the companionship, as the entire family gathers for dinner and other outings.

All is seemingly serene in both houses, but as the weather turns hotter in an unusually strong heat wave, the civilized overlay between the adults gradually melts away. For in an almost obscene coincidence, as far as Pauline is concerned, her daughter's husband Morris is engaged in an affair that is destined to break Theresa's heart--the same as Pauline's was broken many years ago by her husband (and Theresa's father) Harry.

The similarities between Morris and Harry are chilling. Both are authors. Both are self-centered, charming, and careless of their women. Both have affairs with young women who are "editorial groupies." As Pauline watches Morris become increasingly involved with Carol, the vacuous girlfriend of his own editor, Jack, she begins to relive (and re-feel) the horrible emotions she encountered as a young wife betrayed by her own cheating husband. The novel moves effortlessly between the present and the past as Pauline watches her own daughter's betrayal and is helpless to stop it. As her emotions churn, so does the weather. Only Luke, the innocent baby, is unaware of the terrible events unfolding all around him, and only Luke is unscathed in the end.

Similar in tone to the works of Joanna Trollope, "Heat Wave" is just about as good as it gets. It is beautifully written, spare and to-the-point, and it ensnares the reader completely in its seemingly simple story of love and loss. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Canadian Journal of Urban Research, published by Institute of Urban Studies on December 22, 2002. The length of the article is 707 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago. .(Book Review) (book review)
Author: Joe Hermer
Publication: Canadian Journal of Urban Research (Refereed)
Date: December 22, 2002
Publisher: Institute of Urban Studies
Volume: 11Issue: 2Page: 366(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great recipes for spicy food lovers
This book has many good recipes that I have made over and over.While the book caters to lovers of spicy food, the recipes can easily be adjusted to also appeal to non-chileheads.The recipes are full of wonderful flavors, not just heat, and cover a variety of dishes from various cuisines.It is one of my favorite cookbooks, and worth a lot more than it sells for.I highly recommend this book.

best ever on the subject and sorry i lost my copy
You won't ever get e better book on the subject. I think somebody should publish it again. If I ever get another one I won't ever lend it out again. If you can find one it will be well worth the price you pay for it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Did not buy the characters
I was disappointed by this book.

I've read most of this series and this one seemed off to me. The plot was not what bothered me.It was the characters that bothered me. What stood out to me from the beginning was the portrayal of Sam.In the show and in every book, he's always thrust into a life that he's never experienced (that's kind of the point), but when he's thrown into the role of a police officer and father, the writing seems to show that he's familiar with the roles.He jumps right into a fatherly role with the daughter and knows what to do as a police officer.I didn't buy this at all.Also, the conflict with the daughter, father and mother is pointless.Where the mother and daughter aren't getting along never goes anywhere; it's like it's there for decoration.

Then, Al's character seemed kind of wimpy.The writing made it seem like he was afraid of every little thing.The example I'm thinking of is when he's in the house with Sam looking for clues and he's itching to leave.It seemed like that followed throughout the book.

Well, this was the worst of the series so far.The others were more true to the characters than this one.

Not the best- but far from the worst
As one of the final books in the Quantum Leap series, this novel shows that the series is finally starting to show its age. As a product from the eighties, no story could be more contrived than heat wave. The familiar tale of a black man accused of a murder that he didn't commit is as common to Quantum Leap as its major characters. While Sam often fought racial inequality in many episodes of the series, it never managed to feel as forced as it does here. Perhaps its because without the actual actors playing the roles, the polar opposites of Sam and Al aren't "real" enough to be believable. In earlier novels in the series, the stories were aided by a fully realized understanding of the characters and an added depth that was often missing from the show. Here, it seems that the author has merely rewatched a few episodes of the series and has given little thought to expanding the world. That, coupled with a story that feels done on many a murder she wrote episode, drags this book down to the bottom of the barrel. For die hard fans of the series only.

Well Done!
The previous review was a little harsh.This is not shakespeare.It's Quantum Leap.I found the book utterly enjoyable and found myself totally engrossed both in the story and the characters.Everyone always says they knew whodunnit after the finished reading the book.I came out herespecifically to look for other books by this author.I am disappointedthat I did not find any.I hope she decides to write more stories.Theprevious reviewer also talked about typos.This book was edited betterthan most paperbacks I read.C'mon, it's a paperback.Get past thefew typos and just enjoy the book!

If you liked the Quantum Leaptelevision series, read this book.You won't be disapointed!

Unfortunate
The strengths of the television series Quantum Leap, upon which this book was based, were interesting plots, well-developed characters, a consistent milieu and the expressed conviction that Good will triumph over Evil.While "Heat Wave" certainly espouses the latter, it falls short in the other categories.

The plot, a small-town murder mystery, can work quite well, but in this case the clues were too obvious, the elimination of suspects too pat, and the investigation too police-like and not enough Sam-like... which brings me to the point of characterization.Although Al's wardrobe adds color to any situation, our familiar team is transformed from three dimensions to two through the use of hyperbolic caricatures of their personality traits... and the walk-ons, the men and women of the small town setting for this novel, lack the depth needed to support their own contradictions.Arguably the most detracting aspect of this novel, however, were the anachronisms and flat-out typos, which indicated a lack of editorial oversight and research.

In short, Heat Wave left me cold. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

SIZZLES
Nice..very nice indeed...Eye candy in great abundance.Is this what is meant when the sportscasters talk about the MIAMI HEAT?
Woof.

Heat, not Humidity
If I say "I wanna go to Mi-yami!" will it make me sound too whiny?

Who cares? After paging through "Miami Heatwave," the first book to feature the work of talented videographer and photographer Ron Williams, and set against the backdrop of South Florida, who wouldn't be saying the same thing?

Anyone who has ever sampled Williams' video work will appreciate this collection of still photographs. The artistry of Williams lens, the absolute physical perfection of every single male model, and the fine quality of printing (by Bruno Gmunder publishers) combine to make this one of the best collections of beautiful male photography seen in a long time.

The only quibble I have with "Miami Heatwave" is that some models are featured more than others, and the book isn't nearly extensive enough. But then, how could you ever get enough of Manny's big grin, Darren's silken, shelf-like pecs with their chocolate brown nipples, and blond Mark's amazingly perfect torso and six-pack abs? And then there's the famous Aaron, with his blond, boy-next-door gone bad hunkiness. Sigh.

With Williams' discerning eye, I can imagine he probably has material for 40 books in his (no doubt) enormous files, but his reputation for showing only his very best work may prevent most of what he has done to ever see that light of day. What a shame for his fans like me, if only because Williams' work, even on his worst day, easily outshines the best offerings of others working in the same field.

For now, anyway, we will have to be content with what Williams offers us - but let's hope that soon there will be a "Miami Heatwave II," - and III, and IV . . .

Book me the next available flight to Miami!
The blurb on the back cover is absolutely right, these guys do create " a desire for summer adventure" If you've never seen a Vista Video this book will certainly get you in the mood to watch one. Many of the Vistamen are here including Aaron, one of the models whose most synonymous with Vista Video, Carlos and Eric (two of the longest serving) and many others. These portraits are sheer works of art thanks to the models themselves and also to Ron Williams' skill as a photographer. The best picture in my opinion is of Jeremy, in a close-up with his arms hugging himself and his head at a cute, almost inquistive angle, as he looks into the camera with a warm heart-tugging gaze. But then all the guys look wonderful and even manage to keep most of their clothes on, except Mark, another of my favourites who cheekily stands nude behind a strategically placed surfboard. Some may find the lack of nudity boring, I think it makes an agreeable contrast to the more revealing nature of Vista Video productions.
This photobook is superb; A stunning book full of stunning men, which should appeal to anyone who likes good looking men.

A Real "Scorcher"
This book of male models is not a "Heatwave" it's a "Miami Scorcher."Ron Williams has gathered together 14 very handsome, muscular young men, photographed in brilliant color.I usually like black and white photography better because I believe it has more feeling, but this new collection of Ron William's is breathtaking in its exciting photos of men in outdoor surroundings.I especially enjoyed models, "Federico, Aaron & Carlos."What handsome & masculine men they are.Most models are photographed in swimwear, shorts, jeans & underwear.There is no need for frontal nudity, the men are much more eroticshown this way.

Ron Williams is an Emmy Award winning director living in Miami, who has created many corporate commercials in the last 20 years.He is well-known for his VistaMenseries of physique art videos showcasing many stunning sensual men who are physique models.I really enjoyed this book & hope to see more books published of his fine photography in the near future. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent reference for the Motown/Soul Music Fan
Being a fan of the Motown Sound, this book gives excellent referencematerials to the person who is trying to collect records from the oldMotown catalog.The discographies for each individual label (Tamla, Soul,etc.) is complete and very accurate.My hats are off to Mr. Bianco on thisbook. ... Read more

Book Description
A Killing Heat

A wilting summer heat wave -- as well as faculty air-conditioning -- is bringing out the worst in the tenants of Martha Patterson's Greenwich Village apartment building. Martha, a retired attorney blessed with common sense and a septuagenarian's practicality, agrees to join the co-op board to help facilitate some badly needed change. It's a thankless and difficult job -- and a deadly one when the president of the board, Arnold Stern, is murdered.

Martha soon discovers Stern was decidedly unpopular for many interesting reasons. A trail of suspicion leads to several of the tenants, including her neighbor and good friend, an ailing archaeologist whose priceless Greek antiquity becomes a subtle but crucial clue. Ironically, it's the innocent secret of a little girl that exposes the killer -- and unravels a murder prompted by greed, jealousy . . .and undoubtedly, the heat. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Average
This is a fairly straightfirward little mystery.The plot is simple.Martha is a retired lawyer living in New York City's Greenwich Village.She still does freelance work, and though 74, her mind is still sharp.Unfortunetly, she discovered her next door neighbor, the President of the Co-op board, dead.Of course she gets intrigues by this and can't stop thinking about the murder.

We meet all the various neighbors, and learn why they might be the murderer. I found the characters types very sterotypical, for as a lifelong New Yorker, everyone who lives here has their own little quirks, and I thought her characters needed more personality.Everyone we meet is very flat.

I also think this book would work better in 1st person.We see the story through Martha's eyes, but I don't think a narrator is effective in this type of book- it distances the reader too much.It is also a "folksy" type of novel, and dialogue and narrative would work better if we were in Martha's head.

As a who-dun-it, the story was a little weak.It didn't take a genius to figure out who the villain really was, though she tried hard to 'confuse' the reader by introducing about a thousand unimportant, and uninteresting, characters.

IF you have nothing better to read, it will pass the time, but it is a book to be borrowed, not bought.

fun Martha Patterson Greenwich Village cozy
After ten days visiting her son and his family in California, retired attorney Martha Patterson returns to New York City after an all day trek home.Just wanting to go to sleep in her air conditioned Greenwich Village apartment, Martha finds the cooling device is broken and the hotter than a match stick heat unbearably wilting her brain.Perhaps it is jet lag, a senile moment, or just heat stroke but Martha insanely agrees to run for the cooperative board at the urging of her irate neighbors.

Management representative Rashida Grant needs to obtain a copy of the air conditioning maintenance contract to give to the board's lawyer.Her efforts to reach the board president Arnold Stern have failed and since he listed Martha in case of an emergency she calls her to enter his apartment.They find someone murdered the vilified Arnold.NYPD Homicide Detective White quickly learns that everyone detested Arnold.Though quite reluctantly, Martha begins her own inquiries.

Though the amateur sleuth elements depend too heavily on coincidence, fans will rejoice with the third Martha Patterson Greenwich Village cozy.Martha and the other tenants provide a slice of small village life within the high rise New York tenement.The action is mostly off screen, but fans will enjoy summer in the city with no spoons full of love shared by any of the cast.

Harriet Klausner ... Read more

Book Description
Mitch Stevens is keen to spend July at a hockey camp in Muskoka--half the time on the ice, and the other half drinking in the sun on the lake.

But things start to go wrong right away: his best pal Zack is assigned to a different cabin, and then Zack makes friends with Mitch's worst enemy, Eddie. As they all struggle to make the camp select team, Zack faces a crisis that brings the friends back together--closer than ever.

Hockey Heat Wave shows how young hockey players' ambitions can strain friendships--and make them stronger. ... Read more

Book Description
A little con

Investigator Lucy Bell is looking for a runaway groom. Fortunately, the almost-best-man (who's tastier than a double chocolate cheesecake) likely knows where he is. All Lucy needs is a little deception—and a whole lot of hot 'n' sweaty persuasion!

A little magic

Single mom Allie Cavanaugh has played nice with others for too long. Then Allie finds herself kissing a powerfully magnetic hypnotist at a carnival—in front of an audience! Sure, maybe she's mesmerized, or maybe the 'real' Allie is finally waking up—.

And a little late-night mischief!

Abby Weaver abandons the cool haven of her pharmaceutical basement for a girls-only week of sun, sand and fruity drinks. That was the plan—until Abby finds herself going solo. But the beach is a funny place—you never know just what (or who!) will wash up onshore—.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Heat Wave-A Joyfully Recommended Title!
Rex on the Beach by Stephanie Bond

Lucy Bell is a private investigator that has been hired to find a runaway groom.Rex McCormick is her best lead. Lucy is sure that the groom's best friend, Rex, knows exactly where her target is and she sets out to tempt him into giving out the information she's looking for. Rex McCormick is taking some time out to decide if he really wants to take his relationship with his girlfriend to the next step, marriage, when he meets Lucy. It doesn't take long before Rex knows that Lucy is what he wants and a commitment to another woman is just not in the cards, at the same time Lucy knows that she has moved way beyond using Rex to find her missing bridegroom and is falling in love. When Lucy finds out that Rex has not been honest about his girlfriend and Rex finds out that Lucy is really a PI, can they overcome the rocky start to find each other?

Rex on the Beach is a wonderful beginning to this anthology!Lucy and Rex are both hiding things from each other, but that doesn't stop them from heating up the pages or feeling the building emotional connection between them. Stephanie Bond always delivers a romance that leaves me wanting more after the last page has been turned.

Getting Into Trouble by Leslie Kelly

Allie Cavanaugh has had her heart broken before and that's how she ended up a single mother.So, when she finds herself totally enthralled with carnival hypnotist, Damon Cole, she can't believe it when she finds herself taking a chance on love and embarking on a steamy romance. There are things about Damon that she doesn't know.Damon Cole was a social worker when a judge ignored his recommendation and caused the death of a child in his care. Disillusioned, he feels as though he can no longer continue in his profession or take responsibility for the welfare of a child and he decides to spend time working in his grandparent's carnival as a hypnotist. As soon as he sees Allie he's instantly smitten, but he's still traumatized by the events of his past and determined to never have children.Although Allie understands his reasons once she finds out the reason for his aversion to having children, how can she continue a relationship with him?

Getting Into Trouble proves that even with a short anthology story, Leslie Kelly is a must read!Both Allie and Damon are victims of their past and I desperately wanted them to find a way around the problems separating them. Worth a second time around, this story is perfect for beach reading!

Shaken and Stirred by Heidi Betts

Abby Weaver's best friend, Rachel, has convinced her that a girl's only week at the beach was the perfect place to get over the defection of her boyfriend. At the last minute when Rachel is suddenly forced to work Abby finds herself alone at the beach.While spending time on the beach she meets Marine Mike Mastriani, who is on leave and visiting his family. Abby throws caution to the wind and embarks on passionate vacation affair with the too yummy for words Mike.What begins as a vacation fling quickly turns into something much much more, for both of them. A trip to introduce Abby to his parents leads to unexpected complications. Can Mike convince Abby that he was not playing with her and that he wants to take this much farther than a temporary vacation fling?

Shaken and Stirred is a sultry romance that is the perfect ending to this fabulous anthology. Mike and Abby quickly had me absorbed and wanting more.From the first page to the last Heidi Betts keeps the story moving so that I is unable to quit reading. Shaken and Stirred is simply an awesome story!

I can not recommend Heat Wave highly enough! Readers will not be disappointed by any of the stories in this stellar anthology. Heat Wave will quickly be finding a place on my keeper self so that I can read it again and again!

Melissa
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

three heated tales
"Rex on the Beach" by Stephanie Bond.Private investigator Lucinda Belvedere is hired to find a runaway groom, but instead locates the best man Rex McCormick.

"Getting Into Trouble" by Leslie Kelly.Counselor Damon Cole decides to take the summer off at his family's carnival.However his goal of no stress ends when single mom Allie Cavanaugh mesmerizes the mesmerist.

"Shaken and Stirred" by Heidi Betts.After the end of a rather disappointing relationship Abby Weaver plans for a beach getaway with a female friend.Her pal cannot make it, but Abby goes anyway where she meets Marine Mike Mastriani, who occupies her time even when he is not with her.

These three heated tales star genuine protagonists whose respective romances are fun, hot, and plausible.Contemporary fans will enjoy this summer HEAT WAVE emitted by this anthology.

Harriet Klausner

... Read more