Back in 1984, prolific fantasy and horror writer Charles L. Grant published the first of his Lincoln Blackthorne novels, The King of Satan’s Eyes. Grant’s hero, Lincoln Blackthorne, is a New Jersey tailor from the town of Inverness who goes on dangerous quests for magical talismans. Yes, these novels are take-offs on the Indiana Jones adventures. In The King of Satan’s Eyes, Lincoln Blackthorne searches for a deck of playing cards that promise immortality. In The Tail of the Arabian, Knight Blackthorne seeks the fabulously bejeweled tail of an Arabian horse, Knight, that is reputed to have mystical healing powers. In The Patch of the Odin Soldier, Blackstone looks for a valuable Viking artifact known as the Odin Soldier which has supernatural powers. In The Fangs of the Hooded Demon Blackthorne looks for a pair of ruby fangs that legend claims were once the fangs that once belonged to Dracula. Sure, these tales are silly but if you’re in the mood for fun you’ll find it in these books.

Tyler Cowen uses his economist skills to become a more savvy food consumer. Cowen shows how a few techniques can result in better food in your tummy and better health. I also found Cowen’s adventures in finding great food while he was traveling (always a problem for me) insightful. If you’re interested in finding great barbecue, Cowen shows where it can be found. And like those other food experts, Michael Polian and Mark Bittman, Cowen points the way to a vegan future (meat will become prohibitively expensive). If you’re intrigued by the changes upcoming in our diets, Cowen explores the future. GRADE:B+
Table of Contents
On the Eve of the Revolution p. 1
How American Food Got Bad p. 17
Revolutionizing the Supermarket Experience p. 39
The Rules for Finding a Good Place to Eat p. 57
Barbecue: The Greatest Slow Food of All p. 85
The Asian Elephant in the Room p. 113
Another Agricultural Revolution, Now p. 141
Eating Your Way to a Greener Planet p. 167
Why Does Mexican Food Taste Different in Mexico? p. 187
The Finding Great Food Anywhere Encyclopedia p. 211
The Stuff and Values of Cooking at Home p. 243
Notes p. 261
Acknowledgments p. 277
Index p. 279

I’ve enjoyed Sheryl Crow’s music for a couple of decades. Her latest single, “Easy,” keeps playing in my head. The other songs on this new CD are very listenable. If you’re looking for some pleasant music, give Feels Like Home a try. GRADE: B+
TRACK LIST:
1. Shotgun 3:14
2. Easy 4:13
3. Give It To Me 3:57
4. We Oughta Be Drinkin’ 3:50
5. Callin’ Me When I’m Lonely 3:24
6. Waterproof Mascara 3:31
7. Crazy Ain’t Original 3:16
8. Nobody’s Business 3:33
9. Homesick 4:04
10. Homecoming Queen 3:23
11. Best Of Times 3:18
12. Stay At Home Mother 3:37

I consider Homeland the best program on television. Clare Danes’ acting continues to astonish me. If you haven’t seen this suspenseful series, you’re in for thrills and chills. The twisting plots, the unexpected terrorist threats, and the tension among the principal characters will keep you on the edge of your seat. This is first-rate drama. Don’t miss this! GRADE: A

“If we have to use force, it is because we are America. We are the indispensable nation. We stand tall. We see further into the future.” Secretary of State Madeleine Albright’s famous (or infamous) remarks should be much on the mind of Congress as they vote on the authorization of force to punish Syria for using chemical weapons. Theodore Dalrymple’s collection of essays explores the decline of Europe and the retreat of European intellectuals from activism to isolationism. Dalrymple sees the same pattern repeating itself in the United States. Falling birthrates, aging population, weariness with wars, and a disdain for the military leads to disengagement. But, what is the cost of isolationism? If Assad’s use of chemical weapons goes unpunished, will that send a signal to other dictators and terrorists that they use these weapons with impunity? The stakes are high and the outcomes are in doubt. GRADE: B+

The Buffalo Bills open the 2013 NFL season with a home game against their AFC East rivals, the New England Patriots. Head Coach Bill Belichick has dominated the Bills for the past decade. Today, Belichick has to be gleeful at the prospect of facing Bills rookie quarterback E. J. Manuel who has never played in a real NFL game. A whole new coaching staff has revamped the Bills’ offense and defense during the off-season. But the Bills also sustained some key injuries during the pre-season so they’re shaky on both sides of the ball. Things look dire. How will your favorite NFL team fare today?

James Howard Kunstler’s Too Much Magic: Wishful Thinking, Technology, and The Fate of the Nation is an update to Kunstler’s The Long Emergency (which I reviewed here). When The Long Emergency was published in 2005, Kunstler predicted an economic meltdown, a real estate collapse, government gridlock, environmental disasters, and social/cultural decline. So far, Kunstler’s batting a thousand. In Too Much Magic Kunstler analyzes the inadequate responses to all the problems that besiege us. Many people think technology will save us. Kunstler disproves that argument. Others think the problems are exaggerated, that things aren’t all that bad. Kunstler delivers some powerful statistics that show the worst is yet to come. Too Much Magic is not a Doom & Gloom book. It’s a book warning about the scary trends that will change our way of life permanently. If you want to get prepared for the shaky future, this is the place to start. GRADE: A

John Axe explores all the most popular Boys’ series: Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, Tom Swift, Jr., Chip Hilton, Ken Holt, Ted Scott, Mark Tidd, Tom Slade and all the popular girls’ series: Nancy Drew, Judy Bolton, Cherry Ames, Penny Parker, Kay Tracey, Beverly Gray, Connie Blair, Vicki Barr, and others. Axe provides lists of the books in the series, cover artwork, notes about the writer (or writers), and information on the publishers. If you’re a fan of these books or a collector, you’ll find plenty to satisfy you. I bought both of these books online for $5 each. A bargain!

Mark Edmundson correctly states that college education in the United States is a business. It wasn’t always this way. Edmundson traces the changes in American universities over the decades. Why Teach?: In Defense of Real Education attempts to clue in students and parents to the current realities of college life. Massive debt looms. Classroom sizes swell. Massive (100,000 students or more!) online courses are the wave of the future. And amid all this change, Edmudson charts a course for the savvy student to a real education. In Why Read? Edmundson defends Great Books and taking the time to read them. In an era of Cliff Notes and Internet web sites that sell term papers, the entire educational process at best faces diminishment and at worst complete corruption. We see some of that with NFL players leaving college unable to read. Reading is more than tweets and glancing at Facebook pages. Mark Edmunson is a professor of English at the University of Virginia and knows what he’s talking about. GRADE: B+

“Like clog dancing, the art of analyzing works of literature is almost dead on its feet.” So starts Terry Eagleton’s How to Read Literature. And Eagleton is right. Analyzing literature–and even reading literature–is no longer fashionable. Most of my students aspire to writing an app for iPhones or Droid devices that will make them millionaires. Trying to figure out what’s going on in a Jane Austen novel or a Henry James short story holds little interest for this generation of students. Those of us who love literature will find insights and provocations in Terry Eagleton’s slim volume. I really enjoyed Eagleton’s comparison of Pip (from Great Expectatons) with Harry Potter. And Eagleton’s analysis of the famous shooting scene in Lolita is very insightful. This book reminds the reader about the aspects of literature that makes it so great. GRADE: B+
Table of Contents

Preface……………….. ix

1 Openings……………….. 1

2 Character……………….. 45

3 Narrative……………….. 80

4 Interpretation……………….. 117

5 Value……………….. 175

Index……………….. 207