The DiCaprio film was not based on a particular book but the subject has attracted the interest of a number of writers and here is our pick of seven. Seven books reviews on Blood Diamonds.

The Rise and Fall of Diamonds: Shattering the Illusion

Edward Epstein (pub. Simon & Schuster 1982)

Published at a time when most people were almost universally concerned with making money in the booming early years of the 1980′s, the popularity or newsworthiness of many conflicts around the globe was diminished as people enjoyed the good life.  Epstein’s book opened the door on the world of conflict diamonds in a revealing look at what to the outsider, looked like an industry of opulence, style and wealth was in fact based upon the untold misery of entire countries and an unbelievable scale of death and destruction.

An easy read with a searing critique of the closed shop of the diamond industry which is more concerned with profits than human life.

The Rise and Fall of Diamonds: The Shattering of a Brilliant Illusion

Diamonds and Conflict: Problems and Solutions

Ed. Arthur Levy (pub. Nova Biomedical)

A more academic treatment of the subject matter but nevertheless, written in a style and tone which allows the reader to assimilate the issues and help them come to form their own opinions on the subject.  Levy has put together an excellent set of arguments as his team has identified the principal issues and set them into context.  Africa has historically been torn apart and fought over for its immense wealth of natural resources, and conflict diamonds are a further facet to this bloody saga.

We recommend this book not least for the wealth of illustrations and the objective reasoning applied which is hard to refute.

Diamonds and Conflict: Problems and Solutions

Glitter and Greed; the Secret World of the Diamond Cartel

Janine Roberts (pub. The Disinformation Company 2003)

“Conflict diamonds” as a phrase evokes visions of Africa, civil war and immense profits but in reality, conflict diamonds can be found around the world aside from Africa.  Roberts is an Australian journalist who first became interested in the subject when she covered a dispute between a diamond mine and Aboriginal natives in her homeland of Australia.  In the following years, she has doggedly followed the trail of conflict diamonds around the world including India and Africa.  Ultimately, any follower or writer dealing with any diamonds will come across de Beers who mine around 45% of the global production.

Diamonds may no longer be a girl’s best friend after reading this damning and meticulously researched expose.

Glitter & Greed: The Secret World of the Diamond Cartel

Diamonds in Peace and War: Severing the Conflict Diamond Connection

Ingrid J Tamm (pub.WPF Report #30 2002)

Tamm is a program manager at the Carr Center for Human Rights at Harvard University so expect a very dry treatise on the problematic issue of conflict diamonds.  In fact, what you get is something which is as rare as a diamond – practical recommendations for the resolution of the use of conflict diamonds in purchasing arms which in turn fuel the wars and atrocities in the countries where the stones are sourced.

To get the most out of this work, arm yourself with some knowledge of the diamond industry and international politics between conflict diamond sources and especially the United States where most of the stones end up.

Diamonds In Peace and War: Severing the Conflict Diamond Connection (WPF Report #30)

The Heartless Stone: A Journey Through the World of Diamonds, Deceit and Desire

Tom Zoellner (pub. St. Martins Press 2007)

Zoellner was dumped by his fiance, which is pretty rough especially if you are contributing editor to a men’s magazine (Men’s Health).  For cathartic release, Zoellner travelled the globe and tracked down the history of the diamond which represented pain and misery to him and in doing so, he uncovered for himself the wider picture of child labor, genocide, civil war and the seedy side to the sparklers worn on the finger.

Written in an easy-to-read style, it is a personalized and yet very relevant account of conflict diamonds and the negative impact they have on people all over the world.

The Heartless Stone: A Journey Through the World of Diamonds, Deceit, and Desire

Blood Diamonds: tracing the deadly path of the world’s most precious stones

Greg Campbell (pub. Westview Press 2002)

Campbell neatly ties in the tale of how conflict diamonds end up on the ring fingers of Western brides while their use has funded a war which has ripped Sierra Leone apart for decades.  He follows the trail as they are smuggled from West Africa to New York, London and Antwerp frequently with the cooperation of the legitimate diamond industry and into mainstream use.

Campbell demonstrates how the operations work and the impact on the people it touches as well as the history of the practice which was institutionalized by De Beers in the 1880′s.  For those who remember Princess Diana and the Angolan mine victims she met in a blaze of publicity before the world’s TV cameras, just remember that she was meeting with the victims blood diamonds.

Blood Diamonds: Tracing The Deadly Path Of The World’s Most Precious Stones

Africa’s Vengeance: Diamonds are Forever

Alex Vann (pub. Cambridge University Press 2007)

With growing awareness of the existence of conflict diamonds impinging upon the public conscience, players in the diamond industry and governments around the world subscribed to the Kimberley Process to control and attempt to eradicate the use of conflict diamonds.

Vann explores the interconnection between conflict diamonds and more than war in host countries.  In particular, he focuses on the relationships between those who source and use conflict diamonds and the drug smuggling operations as he outlines a criminal economic system which replicates the slaving trading triangle between Africa, the New World and the UK except it is now diamonds, guns and drugs instead of slaves, tobacco and molasses.

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While we don’t advocate cheating in the form of counting cards, or any other sort of unsavory activity, we do like to win, so learning all about how to play games in the most educated way is something worth reading about for us. Maybe you want to read about it, too. So here we submit to you seven books about the venerable game of Blackjack. A good review of some of these books will help you calculate the odds of winning – by estimating the chances by whether or not you’re willing to stick through the most technical mumbo-jumbo. Don’t worry – we did it for you already.

Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One

Edward O. Thorp

To be completely honest, this book is pretty much about card counting. You can still find some pretty good, legal tips that will help you understand how the game works. This book was published in 1966, so there have been lots of ideas on how to beat the house since then, but Thorp started it all with his scientific examination of the game. Plus, it’s got lots of cool stories in it about real-life situations. This is the book that started the “Basic Strategy” that anyone who plays the odds ought to know.

Buy the book

Blackjack Bluebook II – The Simplest Winning Strategies Ever Published

Fred Renzey

This helpful book contains a strategy chart and pictures that help show you exactly how different strategies work or don’t work. It gives you three card counting strategies, and gives you some ideas about how to outmaneuver other players. It also gives you some strategies that have reportedly never been in print, one called “The Nifty 15 Camouflage Hands.” How fun is that? Many seasoned players have found this book to be indispensable.

Buy the book

Blackjack Blueprint: How to Play Like a Pro…Part Time

Rick Blaine

This little gem is written by a fancy executive guy who plays for profit in his spare time. He used his 25 years of experience to put together this book to help other people win at blackjack. You could consider him to be an authority, since he’s managed to earn a seven-figure “spare time” income playing cards. Blaine gives the normal information about card-counting strategy, but also shares real life experiences that players consider valid.

Buy the book

Blackjack: Play Like The Pros

John Bukofsky

This book doesn’t cost a lot, but you get a lot of bang for your buck. It’s clearly written, easy to understand, and while it still gives you the information about card counting, it presents it in a very lucid way. Another thing this book does is tell you a little about how the casino functions from their side of the table.

Buy the book

Knock-Out Blackjack: The Easiest Card-Counting System Ever Devised

Olaf Vancura

This book is easy to read. It’s not bogged down with a lot of technical terms, so if you’re a “Weekend Warrior” or only want to know the basics to wow your friends at parties, this is a good book to read. It’s also a good starting point to find out if you’re ready for and willing to read something more technical. The information is easy to understand, and the author is pretty funny.

Buy the book

The Theory of Blackjack: The Compleat Card Counter’s Guide to the Casino Game of 21

Peter A. Griffin

This book with the unwieldy title is from a guy who probably hates the guy who came up with the names on The Family Guy. That notwithstanding, this book is considered to be THE definitive book for learning card counting strategies. It is based in pure math, and explains the game mathematically.

Buy the book

Blackjack For Blood: The Card-Counter’s Bible, and Complete Winning Guide

Bryce Carlson

This book isn’t big on history or theory, but it’s absolutely down-and-dirty about technique and strategy. Many people say that it’s the only book you really need to get the job done. Carlson himself is a blackjack guru and he throws a lot of personal stories in there that give you a real picture of life as a big winner in a casino.

Buy the book

So those are our picks for books on beating the house. Do you know of others we should have included?

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Pearls are one of the most precious jewelry items and how they are formed has fascinated people for as long as we have been fascinated by the pearls themselves. How they grow, how they are harvested and what they can be turned into has created more than a passing interest and the subject matter has been used for documentaries, academic works and numerous books on the topic of “Pearls”.

Here we will review several titles and the kind of treatment they give the subject; some titles are suitable for anyone and everyone while some are academic and for the very discerning enthusiast.

The Book of the Pearl

George Frederick Kunz, A.M., Ph.D. & Charles Hugh Stevenson, LL.M., D.C.I.

This is probably the seminal work on pearls and was first published in 1908, over 100 years ago. It provides a fascinating though dry look at the history of the pearl though it is very Victorian in its outlook and especially the treatment of pearl divers, the “natives” who made their living by diving for dangerously long periods of time in deep waters.

The volume has many old photographs and illustrations which are very interesting for those who are keen on understanding how they were originally and commercially gathered.

Buy The Book of the Pearl –>

The Pearls Book

Antoinette Matlins

Antoinette Matlins is an internationally famous expert on gems, jewelry and of course, pearls. This guide provides an in-depth look at pearls and their use in jewelry, packed with numerous illustrations and color photographs. This guide is indispensable for those buying jewelry and looking to gain a deeper understanding of the pieces they already own. It is written for the lay person and while some of the treatment of the subject does go into great detail, these are well written and simple to understand.

Well written and a good read – indispensable if you are considering buying pearls or pearl jewelry.

Buy The Pearls Book –>

Pearls and Pearling Life

Edwin Streeter

This is another old text but very well written and an interesting read whether you are buying pearls or not. This is a didactic text on pearls and the lives of those who harvest them as seen from a journalist turned world traveler from the turn of the 20^th Century. The illustrations are also exquisite and very detailed. Be warned, this is a rare volume and you are unlikely to find it at your local library so try going online and seeing if there is a copy scanned and available online (there are several available complete with illustrations).

Buy Pearls and Pearling Life –>

Pearl Buying Guide

Renee Newman G.G.

If you want an up-to-date guide on how to buy and care for pearl jewelry this is the book for you. Simple to read and understand, this is a practical, no-nonsense guide to what to look for and what to do with your pearls. This book is highly recommended for those who want a basic education; simply read the opening chapters and you will vastly improve your pearl buying knowledge (this book is worth the price for the three opening chapters alone).

The book is well laid out with chapters specializing in flaws, evaluating pearl shapes and sizes, nacre thickness and color amongst many other features.

Top recommendation for beginners or those needing an all round education on what to look for when investing and how to look after them.

Buy Pearl Buying Guide –>

Pearls

Fred Ward

Fred Ward is well-known for the series of gem guide books and this is a worthy edition to the series. This is heavily illustrated with color photographs and diagrams while coming in a handy, compact size suitable for your pocket when you are out shopping and yet detailed enough to give you a thorough understanding of how to evaluate pearls.

It is also a fascinating read in its own right and is used regularly by professionals as well as laymen.

Buy Pearls –>

Simply Pearls: Designs for Creating Perfect Pearl Jewelry

The designs shown are simple enough to accomplish, simple to inspire but not so unusual as to stunt your own creativity.  I particularly liked the green garnet and pearl strand, but the pearl chip earrings had me wondering if it wasn’t time I got out a pair of pliers and some jewelry wire. There are interesting combinations of pearls and briolettes and pearls and other beads.  Advanced jewelry makers will probably not find a lot new in this book, but newer jewelry makers will find this is a great basic text for learning about making bead jewelry that features lustrous pearls, whether round, flat, irregular or seed.

Buy the book –>

The Pearl Book, 3rd Edition: The Definitive Buying Guide: How to Select, Buy Care for & Enjoy Pearls

The Pearl Book is the definitive buying guide for pearls either as jewelry (pearl necklaces, pearl bracelets) or collectible investments. The Pearl Book features everything necessary to become an expert in an practical, comprehensive, easy-to-read, easy-to-understand, format answering all the questions on how to select, buy, care for, and enjoy the “oyster fruit”. The Pearl Book is for anyone wanting a reliable source of information to guide them, filled with “insider tips” and advice. Especially on what to do after you’ve acquired your pearls.

Buy the book –>

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As you encourage them along on this amazing journey that broadens their world, they will delight in every genre that they read. Children love characters and the more they read, the more they want to read. There are so many awesome books to choose from with great authors, these are a few wonderful classic childrens books to get you started.

1. Beauty and the Beast

It really doesn’t matter what version you buy from a bookstore or borrow from your local library, the stories are all very similar. For younger readers the Disney edition is great and when they see the movie they’ll be blown away. This is a love story of how a young girl falls in love with a beast.  The story is enchanting because he turns back into a prince because she was pure of heart.   The story will teach your kids about the beauty inside, and how external appearances don’t matter. It’s also a great way to introduce them to the book – they can read the book and watch the movie together.

2. Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll

This is a fantastical adventure story for any child and a beloved favorite of millions all over the world. There isn’t a man, woman or child who hasn’t simply loved this story. Who can’t remember Alice falling down the rabbit hole into a fantasy world where nothing is as it seems? This is a tale that grips the imagination, the characters are brilliant if not a little bizarre, but it’s an excellent read and a wonderful story for your reading list. Your children will adore the weird characters, and there’s a sequel Through the Looking Glass that tells us more about Alice’s strange adventure.

3. Jack And The Beanstalk – An English Fairytale

This is a story about Jack and his widowed mother. They were poor and he was sent to sell a cow, but came back with some beans instead of money. His mother was furious, but the beans grew into a massive beanstalk and the story tells of how Jack climbed it, and the adventures he had with the ugly giant. Try to get hold of this story in its original format, so that you get all the classic language and wonder at the same time. There have been many adaptations, but the original is always best. The illustrations in the original are also more charming and less commercialized, which immortalizes the story in your children’s eyes.

4. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – Disney

Snow White is a touching story with all the ingredients that make it special. There’s a wicked Queen, the magic mirror, a prince and the cutest little cottage in the forest where all the dwarfs live. With themes of family struggle, true love and friendship, this story is a must-read for your children. Disney has a knack of showing you timeless characters that your kids can enjoy over and over again. In book form, this story might be more resonant for your child than if they watch the movie.

5. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe – C.S. Lewis

This is one the of the greatest children’s fantasy novels ever written. It’s a gripping story, written during the turbulent years of World War 2, with lots of adventure and triumph over evil. Four children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, from the Pevensie family,  have gone to live in the countryside in London, as most people were evacuated from the city to escape the Blitz. Whilst they are playing a game, Lucy finds a portal in a wardrobe that takes them to a fantasy land called Narnia. The adventures they have are excellent reading for your kids.

6. Harry Potter Series – J.K. Rowling

Nobody needs an introduction to Harry Potter, one of the greatest children’s series of all time. It appeals to the age groups 9 – 12 and beyond, because there are many adults who have followed this series in awe of its excitement. It’s a popular 7-novel fantasy series that is brilliant in every respect and highlights the adventures of Harry Potter, a young wizard, and his friends Ron Weasly and Hermione Granger at the Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Strong moral lessons abound in this book, which makes it great for young readers. While many Christian readers complain that these books have witchcraft in them, fantasy, wonder and imagination fuels this story.

7. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl was an amazing author, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a great adventure about Charlie Bucket -  a really nice little boy from a poor family. He wins a Golden Ticket, and then has amazing adventures in the  Chocolate Factory with a rather strange confectioner named Willy Wonka.  Dahl has a way with words, and will capture the imagination of your children to the point where they’ll want to read all of his books.  The BFG, The Witches, and Matilda are three that are sure to please.

Post by the KrazyKorean

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The Diary of a Young Girl:  The Definitive Edition by Anne Frank, ed by Otto Frank, Miriam Pressler, Susan Massotty

One of the most well-known records of the Holocaust, Frank’s diary documents the time she spent in Holland hiding from the Nazis.  Not only is it a true life account of the fear and terror so many Jews experienced during the time, it is also a wonderfully written account of a girl coming of age in a time of war and strife.  This edition contains passages that were previously omitted, making the text that much fuller and richer, and more real.

Frank, Anne.  The Diary of a Young Girl:  The Definitive Edition.  Ed Otto Frank, Miriam Pressler, Susan Massotty.  Bantam, 1997.
ISBN:  978-0553577129

Night by Elie Wiesel

This book will change your life forever.  Wiesel’s first-hand account of Auschwitz concentration camp is so vivid, so horrible, yet so beautifully rendered that the thing that will strike you most is the author’s ability to wring the beauty out of words despite the atrocities he has suffered.  It is haunting, powerful, and heartbreaking.

Wiesel, Elie.  Night.  Bantam Books, 1960.

ASIN:  B001OVNHZ4

The Complete Maus – A Survivor’s Tale by Art Speigelman

You wouldn’t think that a graphic novel with mice, cats, and dogs as the characters would fit a Holocaust story, but Spiegelman’s amazing style, haunting images, and gripping text do the job, and create one of the most powerful works about the Holocaust to date.  Told from the point of view of “Artie,” a struggling comic book artist, the story unfolds as Artie listens to his father’s account of the Holocaust.  You won’t forget the imagery and words.

Spiegelman, Art.  The Complete Maus:  A Survivor’s Tale.  Pantheon.  1996

ISBN:  978-0679406419

The Pianist:  The Extraordinary True Story of One Man’s Survival in Warsaw 1939-1945 by Sladyslaw Szpilman

For realism, this book will not disappoint.  For likability of main characters, however, prepare to feel conflicted.  Published in Warsaw at the end of World War II but held back by Communist rule, this account is a first-hand tale by a Polish pianist who lived in the Jewish ghetto during the German occupation of Poland.  This is a brutal, unforgiving tale that disheartens and chills.

Szpilman, Wladyslaw.  The Pianist:  The Extraordinary True Story of One Man’s Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945.  Picador.  2000.

ISBN:  978-0312263768

I Have Lived a Thousand Years:  Growing Up in The Holocaust by Livia Bitton-Jackson

Although this is considered a book for young adults, this memoir delivers a realistic account of a 13-year-old Hungarian girl’s journey from her home town, a concentration camp, and a narrow escape of the gas chambers.  The account is extremely detailed, but the tone is uplifting and positive.

Bitton-Jackson, Livia.  I Have Lived a Thousand Years:  Growing Up in The Holocaust.  Simon Pulse, 1999.

ISBN:  978-0689823954

The Politics of Memory:  The Journey of a Holocaust Historian by Raul Hilberg

This narrative has been highly criticized for its insinuation that there was a lack of resistance on the part of the Jews during the Nazi Holocaust.  Hilberg is acerbic, witty, bitter, and unforgiving in his examination of the role of the Jewish councils, the bureaucratic nature of the Holocaust, and his criticism of other Holocaust historians and scholars.  It is an interesting read for its perspective, and for the writing – which is outstanding.

Hilbert, Raul.  The Politics of Memory:  The Journey of a Holocaust Historian.  Ivan R. Dee, 2002.

ISBN:  978-1566634281

War and Genocide:  A Concise History of the Holocaust by Doris L. Bergen

This is a great resource for a critical overview of the social, political, and cultural aspects of the Holocaust, as well as containing plenty of information about the racial implications and military structure of the conflict.  Bergen explores not only the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, but the many other groups who were persecuted and murdered by the Nazis.

Bergen,Doris.  War and Genocide:  A Concise History of the Holocaust.  Maryland, Rowman & Littlefield, 2009.

ISBN:  978-0742557154

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Some Sort of Epic Grandeur:  The Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald by Matthew J. Bruccoli

As biographies go, you won’t find any better accounts on Fitzgerald than Bruccoli’s opus.  A meticulously researched, brilliantly-executed piece of scholarly non-fiction, it includes every recoverable detail on Fitzgerald.  Bruccoli, a preeminent Fitzgerald expert who devoted his life to Fitzgerald study, was an English professor at the University of South Carolina until his death in 2008.  In addition to his extensive research and contributions to Fitzgerald studies, he and his wife also collected Fitzgerald memorabilia and maintained a friendship with Scott and Zelda’s daughter, “Scottie” until the time of her death.

This book is the first book you should read when considering doing research on Fitzgerald.  It is not only a wonderful resource, it is very easy to read and organized very well.

Bruccoli, Matthew J.  Some Sort of Epic Grandeur:  The Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Columbia, SC.:  University of South Carolina Press, 1981.
ISBN:  1570034559

F. Scott Fitzgerald:  The Critical Reception by Jackson Bryer

This is a compilation of critical responses regarding F. Scott Fitzgerald, and a great jumping off point to further research.  No picture is available, and the volume is a bit hard to find, but if you can it is an indespensible piece of Fitzgerald scholarship by an expert in the field.

Also see Bryer’s other works – The Critical Reputation of F. Scott Fitzgerald:  A Bibliographical Study, F. Scott Fitzgerald in the Twenty-First Century, The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald:  New approaches in criticism.

Bryer, Jackson.  F. Scott Fitzgerald:  The Critical Reception.  New York:  Burt Franklin, 1978.
ISBN:  0-89102-111-6

The Cambridge Companion to F. Scott Fitzgerald

Edited by Ruth Prigozy, one of the experts on F. Scott Fitzgerald, this collection of essays covers the main topics covered by Fitzgerald scholarship.  Prigozy herself introduces the book with an essay titled “Introduction:  Scott, Zelda, and the culture of celebrity,” and the rest of the contributors cover topics far and wide.  Rena Sanderson writes an essay called “Women in Fitzgerald’s fiction,” while Fitzgerald expert Bryant Mangum covers “The short stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald.”  The book contains a helpful chronology of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald’s life, and a very helpful bibilography that will get you on the right track in your research.

Prigozy, Ruth (ed), The Cambridge Companion to F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2002.

ISBN:  978-0521624749

F. Scott Fitzgerald:  A Descriptive Bibliography by Matthew Bruccoli

Nobody could do a bibliography quite like Bruccoli, and this one is essential for those interested in Fitzgerald scholarship.  Part of the Pittsburgh Series in Bibliography, this hard-to-find bibliography is a one-stop resource for all work published by and about Fitzgerald up to the time of its publication.  Check out both editions.

Bruccoli, Matthew.  F. Scott Fitzgerald:  A Descriptive Bibliography.  Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Press, 1972

Bruccoli, Matthew.  F. Scott Fitzgerald:  A Descriptive Bibliography.  Revised edition.  Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Press, 1987.

ISBN:  978-0822935605

F. Scott Fitzgerald:  A Life in Letters:  A New Collection Edited and Annotated by Matthew J. Bruccoli

What can I say?  The guy knew his stuff.  This collection of letters is so very interesting because it gives real information on Fitzgerald in his own words, and in the words of those who knew him.  The letters are in chronological order, and include letters to and from Maxwell Perkins, Edmund Wilson, Ernest Hemingway, and Zelda Fitzgerald.  To really get to know the man behind the words, this collection will do a lot to help you get to know him – how he felt about his career, his life, and the world.

Fitzgerald, F. Scott.  F. Scott Fitzgerald:  A Life in Letters:  A New Collection Edited and Annotated by Matthew J. Bruccoli.  New York, Scribner, 1995.

ISBN:  978-0684801537

F. Scott Fitzgerald:  A Collection of Criticism by Kenneth Eugene Eble

With contributions by John W. Bicknell, Midge Decter, William E. Doherty, Kenneth Elbe, Donald Yates, Sy Kahn, Elizabeth Beckwith Mackie, Arthur Mizener, Michael Millgate, Sergio Perosa, J. Albert Robbinsm, this is a good collection of criticism that will prove helpful in your research.

Elbe, Kenneth.  F. Scott Fitzgerald:  A Collection of Criticism.  Mcgraw Hill, 1973

ISBN:  378-0070188570

Lockridge, Ernest.  Twentieth Century Interpretations of the Great Gatsby:  A Collection of Critical Essays

This collection contains critical essays by many Fitzgerald enthusiasts, as well as “view points” by certain scholars, and a small collection of letters, including letters by Edith Wharton.  Edited by Ernest Lockridge, this is a fine addition to your research tools if you’re studying The Great Gatsby in particular.

Lockridge, incidentally, retired from his literary scholarship life in 1991 and became a world-traveling, award-winning painter.

Lockrdige, Ernest.  Twentieth Century Interpretations of the Great Gatsby:  A Collection of Critical Essays.  New York.  Prentice Hall Trade, 1984.

ISBN:  978-0133638202

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Carmilla – by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Le Fanu was an Irishman, and Carmilla is set in Austria.  Published in 1872, the novel tells about a seductive female vampire with the same name who tempts and seduces Laura, a young girl who lives in a large forest.  This was a boundery-breaking novel – from the main female characters to the implied lesbian themes at work, Le Fanu was obviously an author ahead of his time.  He was breaking rules thirty years before the fin-de-siecle period that would spawn Dracula.  Le Fanu’s novel is cited as an influence by Bram Stoker, whose novel is next on our list.

>>Classic Vampire Novel – ISBN-13:  978-8562022258

Dracula – by Bram Stoker

Along came 1897, and another Irishman decided to tackle the subject of vampires.  There have been so many movies based on Dracula that not many people take the time to read it, which is a shame, because it is certainly a compelling and beautifully written novel.  It not only presents a story about a vampire, but it also explores themes of sexuality, religion, and politics in a really interesting, not oppressive way.

>>The Quintessential Vampire Novel – ISBN-13:  978-0786434107

Salem’s Lot – by Stephen King

Salem’s Lot was King’s second novel, and was published in 1975.  The novel’s hero is Ben Mears, a writer (big shocker there) who discovers that his town is infested with vampires.  It’s scary, thrilling, compelling, and awesome.  King loves to link his mythologies together, so many of his other works reference Salem’s Lot.  Notably, The Dark Tower series, which is considered to be King’s opus.  King reportedly took his inspiration for Salem’s Lot from Dracula, and also from the works of the horror writer H.P. Lovecraft.

>>Classic King – ISBN-13:  978-0671039745

Interview With The Vampire – by Anne Rice

Of course this made the list.  How could it not?  While many Rice fans claim that the second book in the series, titled The Vampire Lestat, is better, I don’t agree.  This novel has the tension, the characters, and everything else it takes to make a great novel.  Published in 1976, the novel starts off with the vampire Louis telling his story to a young reporter.  From page 1, you’re hooked.  The Vampire Chronicles have 10 novels total, but I stopped reading after Merrick, and should have stopped reading after The Queen of the Damned.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

>>Anne Rice Classic – ISBN-13:  978-0345337665

Lost Souls – by Poppy Z. Brite

Brite’s first novel, Lost Souls is torn right from the soul of any early-nineties goth soul.  The characters are compelling, the ethereal Ghost, the all-too-human Steve, the horrifying Zillah, and the tortured Nobody, and though the plot is certainly melodramatic, the novel is thoroughly readable.  Published in 1992, the novel is an extension of a short story called “The Seed of Lost Souls.”

>>Early 1990′s Gothic Horror - ISBN-13:  978-0440212812

Bloodsucking Fiends – by Christopher Moore

Solemn?  No.  Overly dramatic?  Nope.  Hilarious?  Heck yeah.  Moore, who has written some truly fabulous novels, kicks off his vampire trilogy with this novel, which centers on a main character named Jody. Jody has a mundane life until she is attacked by a vampire, killed, and then comes back as one of the undead.  A truly enjoyable novel.

>>A Vampire Novel With Humor – ISBN-13:  978-1416558491

Sunshine – by Robin McKinley

Published in 2003, Sunshine is a novel about a girl named Rae – nicknamed Sunshine.  In Sunshine’s world the humans are in a constant struggle with the “Others,” the supernatural entities that threaten to take over the world after the Voodoo Wars.  Sunshine meets a vampire named Constantine, who has a conscience and ends up fighting along with Sunshine to keep the world safe for humans.  McKinley has a real talent, and even if you don’t like vampire stories you will likely enjoy this novel.

>>Luminous Vampire Story – ISBN-13:  978-0142411100

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You know the rhyme.  “Lizzie Borden took an axe.  And gave her mother forty whacks.  When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one.”  The trail of Lizzie Borden for the murder of her father and her stepmother took the United States by storm in 1892, when Borden was 32 years of age.  Despite the fact that there was a lot of suspicious activity surrounding the case, Borden was acquitted and lived quietly (if not a little scandalously) until she died of pneumonia at 66 years old.

Many people have studied Borden’s case with a fervor that can only be described as, well, a fervor.  To the outside observer nowadays, it seems like she did it.  But, many have gone to great lengths to prove that she didn’t.  Others were more obsessed with Borden’s life after the murders – her stint shoplifting and her alleged lesbian affair.  Here you will find 7 Books about Lizzie Borden.  Read them and see for yourself if she was indeed a killer.

Lizzie Borden (New England Remembers) (NE Remembers)

Karen Chaney with foreward by Robert Allison

Every now and then I’ll tell you a book you should avoid.  This is one of those times.  This drab, inaccurate, and poorly researched book is not worth the paper it is printed on.  As the reviews on Amazon will tell you, the author is a professor at Harvard.  That means we expect some cohesiveness to the text, and some citations would be nice.  Skip this one.  Don’t let the Harvard credentials fool you.

>>Poorly-Written Account – ISBN-13: 978-188933819

A Private Disgrace:  Lizzie Borden by Daylight

by Victoria Lincoln

It is definitely interesting that the author hails from Fall River (which is the same town Lizzie was from and where the murders happened) and Lincoln is definitely a good writer.  Lincoln writes the theory that Lizzie was, in fact, guilty of the murders, but that they happened when she was in the throes of a petit mal seizure.  Not very likely, but Lincoln supports that theory and writes one heck of a book.  She won an Edgar for it, and the book has been compared to Truman Capote‘s In Cold Blood in terms of a quality true crime book.  Good luck finding it, however.

>>An Award-Winning Account – ASIN:  B0006BR7XQ

Forty Whacks:  New Evidence in the Life and Legend of Lizzie Borden

by David Kent

David Kent is considered by some to be the definitive word in the Lizzie Borden case.  By others, he’s considered to be clueless.  The new evidence he brings forth supports the theory that Lizzie was innocent.  He doesn’t actually come down on one side or the other in the book – he leaves it up to you, the reader, to decide, which is kind of cool.  Kent also created a book called The Lizzie Borden Sourcebook which contains copies of the newspaper articles of the time, court notes, and more.

>>David Kent – ISBN-13:  978-0828319508

Lizzie Borden Took an Axe, or Did She?  A Rhetorical Inquiry

by Annette Holba

The author has some impressive credentials – and she has a Ph.D in Rhetoric.  It is hard to tell if this book is really about Lizzie Borden or if it is a textbook designed to teach rhetorical analysis.  Holba uses Burke’s “through the lens” rhetorical theory to examine the Borden case, and while all of the essays are interesting, some are a bit high-handed.  If you’re a student of rhetorical theory AND Lizzie Borden, by all means pick this one up.

>>Rhetorical Inquiry – ISBN-13:  978-1934844014

Lizzie Borden:  The untold story

by Edward Radin

Radin was a news reporter.  He was given a “signed confession” of Lizzie’s in the 50′s, but the authenticity of that document is dubious, and Radin actually believed that Lizzie’s sister, Bridget, was the guilty party.  This is a well-written book, and a good starting place in the Borden genre.

>>Radin – ASIN:  B0007EBMMO

The Borden Tragedy:  A Memoir of the Infamous Double Murder at Fall River, Mass., 1892

by Rick Geary

Geary has a style all his own.  He uses a comic/graphic novel format, and employs a fictional narrator to tell the tale.  He did the same in his account of Jack the Ripper, and he does it in this well-received book about Lizzie Borden.  So, not only is this book a work of art, but the facts are painstakingly researched and well-executed.

>>Graphic Novel on Lizzie Borden – ISBN-13:  978-1561631896

The Fall River Tragedy
by Edwin H. Porter

This was the first book written about the Borden murders.  Mostly facsimiles are available now, as the first printing in in 1893 was a short run, and a reprint in 1985 only yielded 1000 copies.  A rumor exists that says that Lizzie herself was instructed by her lawyers to buy up all the copies that were printed in 1893 and destroy them.  A fun rumor, but not true.  The book itself outlines the entire case, from the discovery of the murders to the end of the trial, and is considered the definitive volume on the case.

>>Definitive Borden Book – ISBN-13:  978-1584775461

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Instead, we give you these 7 books about farts.  Some are kids books (because nobody thinks farts are funnier than a little kid – except for all my male relatives – they think they’re pretty funny) and some are educational books, but either way, you’re in for a riotous (if not stinky) good time with these literary finds.

The Fart Book
by Donald Wetzel

A title doesn’t really get more straightforward than that.  This book, written for kids, is truly fun for the whole family.  It clearly and plainly explains the human digestive system and the reason for flatulence, as well as making plenty of fun at the same time.  Unfortunately, you have to read the book to get a real idea, because the Amazon profile is pretty lean.  Skip right to the user comments – and you’ll see that this book is a winner for kids and adults alike.

Did Somebody Step on a Duck:  A Natural History of the Fart
by Jim Dawson

This fun book gives you a history of the fart, not in the gastrointestinal sense, but in the pop-culture sense.  Dawson alleges that the first fart joke was actually the first joke ever – it originated in Old Babylonia.  He also talks about the fart’s appearance at many other points through history – in the news, in popular culture, and in literature.  Dawson, who has been called “The King of Farts” has also written two other books that belong on this list – Who Cut The Cheese?  A Cultural History of the Fart, and Blame it on the Dog:  A Modern History of the Fart.  Since we didn’t want to saturate this post with the same author,  this particular entry could be 3 of the 7 books on the list, and make sure you check out all three.  Dawson knows so much about farts that he’s managed to fill three whole books on the subject.  I’d say he’s our expert.

The Magic Fart
by Piers Anthony

OK, this isn’t a book wherein you can learn about farts.  It is a novel by Piers Anthony (heard of him?) and in it there is a place called the Land of Fartingale.  Farts are magical there.  Why, we ask you, wouldn’t you want to read a book wherein farts are magical?  Well, for one, Piers Anthony is sort of, well, racy.  So if you don’t like sexually explicit books, you’re probably better off to avoid this sequel to Pornucopia, which is said to “transgress all bounds of everyday good taste.”

Bubble Homes and Fish Farts
by Fiona Bayrock and Carolyn Conahan

While not strictly a book about farts, this is a delightful childrens book about fish and the bubbles that surround them.  The “fart” in the title of the book actually refers to Fast Repetitive Tick – the farty noise that herrings use as their own underwater Morse code.  For a book geared toward 8-12 year-olds, it is simply brimming with scientific information but it’s presented in such a kid-friendly and accecssible way that your child will enjoy learning something that most people don’t even know.

The Gas We Pass:  The Story of Farts
by Shinta Cho

This book, geared toward children younger than those targeted in the book mentioned above, is a frank and open book about all forms of farting – animal, human, and otherwise.  It’s a good starting explanation for those funny noises kids laugh at, and if your youngin is the curious type, this will explain farting a little better than “that’s the noise that happens when Daddy’s tummy hurts,” which was an explanation overheard recently at our local grocery store.  This isn’t the most informative book, but it’s a good start, and the illustrations will likely make your child laugh.

Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder
by Jo Nesbo and Mike Lowery

This is another story about farts, rather than being a book explaining something about farts, but it is a surprisingly fun story nonetheless.  A young boy moves into a new neighborhood and makes friends with an inventor named Dr. Proctor.  Dr. Proctor invented a magic powder that causes farts, but constant improvements on the formula eventually make it so Nilly (the young boy) farts so powerfully that he flies to outer space.  What kid wouldn’t love that story?

The Art of the Fart
by Steve Bryant

It might not be the most authoritative book on breaking wind, farting, flatulence, or whatever you choose to call it, but it might well be the most fun.  Full of silent movie pictures to enhance the funny, this book touches on famous farts and farters, a religious aspect to the farting process, and a list of the best fart-related books, songs, and movies.  So, it might not be the best, but it’s certainly the boldest, book about farts.

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Zompoc:  How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse
by Michael G. Thomas and Nick S. Thomas

Believe it or not, there are several how-to books out there about dealing with zombies.  This one is the most helpful.  Trust us.  If a Zombie Apocalypse (Zompoc) does arrive, this is the book you’ll want in your arsenal.  It isn’t the funniest zombie survival book out there, but it is the most thorough.  Not only will you learn the different types of zombies, but you’ll learn how to fight them, and even how to deal once you win the fight against the zombies – because surely, after reading this book, you will win.

How to Be Pope:  What to Do and Where to Go Once You’re in the Vatican
by Piers Merchant

The author of this little gem is a travel writer who has written for Fodor’s among other notable organizations.  This book, which is hard to find, is designed to help you navigate the waters of the Catholic hierarchy as the newly appointed Pope.  While few of us (let’s be honest, probably none of us) will never BE Pope, this is a really fun read and it isn’t offensive or critical of the church at all.  It gives lots of information about what a Pope actually does, what it’s like to live in the Vatican, and how to do things a Pope does, like that neat little wave. If only it gave instructions on how to build your very only bubble car, because even if we can’t be Pope, we’d still like to have a bubble car.  Wouldn’t we?

How to Have a New Kid by Friday:  How to Change Your Child’s Attitude, Behavior & Character in 5 Days
by Dr. Kevin Leman

OK, so this is actually a legitimate how-to book on something you really know how to do.  Not that we’re completely denouccing the possibility of a Zombie Apocalypse, but having a rotten, out-of-control child is a lot more likely.  Look around your family and say that isn’t so.  It’s just the title that is amusing.  How to Have a New Kid – it smacks of trading kids with the neighbors, buying them off the black market, or posting an ad on Craigslist.  The reality about this book is that people rave about it.  They’ve employed Leman’s techniques and it has made a huge difference in their child’s behavior.  So, just so this list has a little bit of helpfulness to you (though that zombie thing MAY come in handy some day) in spite of it’s frothy exterior.

How to Defeat Your Own Clone:  And Other Tips for Surviving the Biotech Revolution
by Kyle Kurpinski and Terry D. Johnson

In the same vein of the zombie book, this tome prepares you in the face of a not-so-definite but oddly-frightening possible future.  Who is to say that zombies, evil clones, or gone-wrong biological experiments won’t be the end of the world as we know it.  Lucky for you, some real-life bioengineers offer some very handy and helpful tips on how to deal if, for instance, you get attacked by a clone of yourself.  Between the quips, pop culture references, and jokes, Kurpinski and Johnson have written a scientific book that contains a lot of useful information.

The Werewolf’s Guide to Life:  A Manual for the Newly Bitten
by Rich Duncan and Bob Powers

Adding to the list of “it probably won’t happen, but just in case it does we’re awfully glad someone wrote a book about it” how to books, we’re glad Rich Duncan and Bob Powers wrote this book on how to be the best werewolf you can be.  The fact that there would be a market for this is no big surprise, since TwilightMania has swept the countryside and everyone has decided to be either Team Edward or Team Jacob.  No doubt there are plenty of vampire survival manuals as well, but this werewolf book is so very amusing that it was the one to make the list.  So, if you just want a fun read, you can pick this book up.  If you’ve been bitten by a werewolf recently, you really should pick it up right away.

How to Start Your Own Country
by Erwin S. Strauss

Now here’s a helpful one.  Fed up with the country you live in?  Looking for a change?  Want to go to great, almost impossible lengths to establish your own country?  Then this book is for you.  It shows you five different strategies for creating a new country, gives you the information you need to make it happen, and even shares some case studies wherein people have started their own country and been successful.  The first edition of this scholarly work was published in 1979, with a new edition released in 1999, so the “new” technology and political strategies that Strauss refers to are not exactly current, but the ideas are still sound and although he does show a bit of a sense of humor, the book is mostly serious.  So, future kings, presidents, and dictators, buy yourself a copy and get started.

How to Fossilize Your Hamster:  And Other Amazing Experiments for the Armchair Scientist
by Mick O’Hare

Perhaps the most important thing to note here is that the hamster experiment is designed to take place AFTER your hamster dies a natural death.  The author does not (and neither do we) suggest you try to fossilize the poor little thing while it is still alive.  Now that your mind is at ease, you can enjoy this delightful book with a clear conscience.  O’Hare takes you through some truly fascinating at-home science experiments that are (mostly) safe and utilize regular household items like soap and vinegar.  So, the how-to book might not be as weird as it seems from the title, but it is a good read indeed.

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