The authors bio at the end of the book captures it perfectly - "[My Books] are intended to serve the reader as they have served me - as entertainment and diversion of the purest sort."

A Curio book - John Lange being a pen named used by Michael Crichton in the 60's. Like the other half dozen I've already read it is a good time passer, but this one had two glaring ...inconsistencies?
Toward the end of the novel the author tries to pull off a standard 'you think its one person but its really another!' switch, but it just feels botched. The second problem is the framing device used - the novel has an intro and outro as a fantastic story being told by a grandfather to a grandson - but the outro makes specific reference to DVD's?? There is no mention on the copyright page of any update to the text so....What the Hell? Was it added later and not copyrighted, was it an update from an older phrase like 8-track that was un-credited? If so, who made the change? And what else has been altered in the book??

Slow to develop and to many characters early on, but it roars to a finish in the final 60 pages.

Sprawling set-piece thriller, in the John D MacDonald or Arthur Hailey style.

To many characters without clear definition, two many locations in to quick an order with no clear time-frame of events, and an unsatisfying and abrupt ending. All these problems overshadow an interesting setting.

Interesting framing and setting, a bit skeptical about the dénouement though.

Ever so pleased that "Pirate Latitudes" will not be the last book by Michael Crichton I read.

Fast paced and easy thriller in the vein of Beat The Reaper. Unorthodox but defensible third act.

The first-line audience for this book is Jim Gaffigan fans, and for that audience this is a glaring disappointment. This book is nothing more than a nigh-on verbatim transcription of all of his previously available CD's and DVDs with a few transitions thrown in for organization. If you know Jim and his material already this is a complete and utter waste of time.

Not exactly a "how to" book, more a collection of ideas and anecdotes about improving performance and results, written in an entertaining and accessible style.

Nothing you haven't seen before if you know what the internet is.

Faith and bravery under the most arduous of circumstances in World War II.

Collection of singles with the expected variation in artwork and writing.

Whether because I know the characters better than in the first two volumes or because the stories have become that much stronger is irrelevant, this is one of the best comic collections I've read. The world is one where actions have consequences, and where everything isn't always explained at the end like a TV sitcom.

Typical Cussler brand entertainment, typically excellent execution. Only (minor) complain is a pair of glaring editing errors that slipped through in the span of 6 pages - two different paragraphs were duplicated with slight wording variations on pages 413 and 419-20.

Yet another one in a long line of poor vanity printings disguised as popular publications. Horribly purple prose throughout the captions, unsupported opinions presented as fact and blatant failures in basic fact-checking all add up to a waste of time.

Consistently entertaining as always.

Excellent on all fronts: original story, good characters and great art.

Plenty of neat tales of forgotten history, but studded with offensive (and frankly stupid) bits of liberal dogma that are completely distracting. I did not need (or want) to know that the author thinks A) Monica Lewinsky was a victim? B) Presidents who obey Supreme court decisions are bad people?? C) Multiple comments about how George W Bush was like the worst lolz (This particular 'insight' might be the most offensive since at time of publication Bush had been president for less than six months, and with publishing lead times being what they were over a decade ago its entirely possible that the slurs were written before he even took office.)

Excellent photographs by Frank;  pompous, self-indulgent introduction by Kerouac.