Ford Reviews

This rating is coming from someone who has been working in the contingency and retained technical recruiting industry for the past 10 years. I forced myself through the book (cover to cover) in a little more than one hour. I understand why experienced recruiters who were expecting an innovative exposition, were annoyed and dissatisfied. They are justified. Certain raters of this book have misrepresented its quality and the intellect of the material within. Moreover, I am surprised that no one has called the numerous spelling and grammatical errors into question. If you want a superficial, one-dimensional outline of the technical recruiting industry, then this book may satisfy you. If you are already a competent recruiter, don't expect a breakthrough here. This book was not written through the mind and heart of a real-world, front-line, technical recruiter.

This book is a fine example of a true expert sharing his wisdom, knowledge, and techniques with the rest of us. There are many examples of inside knowledge that I felt were of tremendous help. Some of these were: The hundreds of very well researched websites that assist technical recruiters in doing their jobs, the explanation of the technical applicant's personality, behavior, incentives, and goals, the organizational techniques that a recruiter needs to be successful, how a recruiter fulfills a basic obligation to the client by spending appropriate efforts with applicants, numerous tips on increasing business and profitability for the technical recruiter and many more areas of help. This book is easy to read, to relate to, and to use as an everyday guide. It is a pleasure to experience such a broad coverage of the topic. It was so broad I did not use some of the topics, because I think I already know these areas well enough, but Dr. Ford was generous in his inclusion of areas I have not encountered before. The author's wide range of experience in different industries is evident and appreciated. Too many recruiters have such a narrow viewpoint. This is an overall good book. What else can I say?

I'm just going to say that this book is well worth reading for all recruiters who are serious about recruiting technical professionals. I am currently a recruiter, and formally a programmer, and I can say from that experience that the processes and ideas in this book are right on the money. It would take years on the job to discover just some of what it has to say. Getting into the head of a techie is tough, but you can see how to do it here. Dealing with employers and hiring managers is covered extremely well. I found some little hints I never would have thought of. A real jewel of a book.

Randy Wayne White is a polished author and I have enjoyed his series with Doc Ford very much, however, The Mangrove Coast misses the mark by a long shot. I agree with the other reviewers that this is easily the slowest start to a mystery novel I have read in a long time. As a matter of fact it took all my power to keep reading past the first few chapters. Finally on page 181(of 290) a dead body turns up. The plot revolves around a women seduced by a man through a internet romance. The story trudges on finally bringing Doc Ford to Panama, which must be the site of White's latest vacation. The story reads as if White created as he went and finally decided 2/3 of the way through that he better put some action in the book. The final chapter reminded me of the Bobby Ewing shower scene in Dallas. Was it a dream? What the final scene reveals could be described as " idiotic, cliched, or just plain cheating by the writer". The "clues" do not lead up to the ending and any reader will feel cheated, not amazed. The supporting characters do not help matters. Tomlinson appears breifly in a couple of scenes, mainly to assert his compter knowledge-hard to believe as a marine biologist Ford has little knowledge of the internet or computers. Tomlinson is no where near his loveable self and disappears quickly in the novel. Tucker Gatrell has seen better days too, but thankfully he is killed off in the end. I was very disappointed with this outing-I look forward to Doc Ford taking some time off to get his thoughts together and return in full force.

I'm a big fan of Doc Ford, but this installment made me realize that he has his down days (and books). It took White 2/3 of the book to really get cranking and then it seemed like he was making up for lost time. Jackie Merlot was so despicable that it wasn't a question of "Will he die?" but "How?" I forgave the credibility-stretched ending because I was glad to at least resolve some of the loose strings.

Randy Wayne White has been compared favorably to John D. MacDonald (and deserves to be) but the plot for "Mangrove Coast" treads a little TOO close to a former Travis McGee novel, "The Deep Blue Empty." Both novels had a way of meandering along slowly to a final, violent conclusion.

I noticed that one of the reviews for this book's follow-up, "Shark River," accused it of being too action-packed. I would imagine that the readers' reactions to this book are the reason why.

Keep up the GOOD work, Mr. White!

The best and most believable books of fiction are based on fact. And, the most liked and admirable characters of these books are those that share commonalties with the reader. Then congratulate Randy Wayne White and his new novel, "The Mangrove Coast" as a piece of work that you must read for he has accomplished both. White's stint as the Out There columnist for Outside Magazine for many years allowed him to venture to such exotic locales in Central and South America such as Panama, Nicaragua, and Columbia as well as many other parts of the globe. Now as the author of the Doc Ford series, his time spent in these outposts have allowed him to incorporate these settings into his work in such a way so that you are along for the ride, right there with the characters. From the sulfurous smells of the mangrove coasts to the expatriate third world marinas where you feel like ordering a Polar beer poured over ice. These tropical dramas unfold like storms over the Gulf of Mexico. Building up steam and power until a deluge of lightning, rain and thunder explodes to a climatic conclusion. However, just like the squalls out on the Gulfstream, you never know where these storms are going to head. Do yourself a favor, go ahead and order this book. And you might as well save yourself some time and order Randy's other books as well. You are going to anyway, believe me. So pour yourself a cold one, sit back and prepare to meet a truly interesting group of characters and settings that will come alive in your imagination.

I ordered this book when placing an order for Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. I ordered Santa and Pete thinking it was written by the same Christopher Moore who wrote Practical Demon Keeping, Blood Sucking Fiends, Coyote Blue, etc. I've never been so disappointed just opening a box - in fact, Santa and Pete is still in the box. Santa and Pete is written by a different Christopher Moore. I feel very mislead by ..... as this book was suggested along with all of the above mentioned books by Christopher Moore (I do own all of the previous books by Christopher and truly believed I was getting a Christmas story he was involved in writing). Bad marketing ..... - misleading and dishonest - really helped shake the confidence I had in you. You might like to research your authors more before pulling a stunt like this - doesn't do much for your good-will.
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What a treasure! Finally, there is a book that tells the "true" story of Saint Nicholas. I had long known that St. Nick was a real person, born in Turkey and who lived at the time of the 4th century Nicene Council, which decreed the Divinity of Christ through the Holy Trinity. St. Nick also lived at the time the Christian church first established December 25th as the annual celebration of the Festival of the Nativity. Reportedly seen even after his death, St. Nick became the universal symbol of the Advent of the Christmas season. That he was joined a few hundred years later by Pete the Moor to spread the message of Christ's birth and coming resurrection, is a wonderful story that circulated throughout Holland, Belgium and many other European countries. Though even in Europe the meaningful story of the St. Nick, Pete, and the Nativity have been commercialized beyond recognition. It is truly marvelous that in 1999 we have rediscovered this dynamic duo. Congratulations to Moore and Johnson! The television movie, based on the book, which aired December 5th on CBS was also delightful, but I look forward to reading the book every Christmas season. Telling the Christmas story with a brilliant and historic American spin that includes Dutch, Africans and Native Americans makes this book a Christmas treasure for all Americans. How proud can all of our children be to know we are all part of a great celebration.

Santa and Pete is a wonderful story that reminded me of the true meaning of Christmas. Bags of coal to the reviewer who felt St. Nick was diminished. And two bags of coal to the reviewer who would keep such a great story from black children. I will repeat what others have said, this book is a Christmas gift in the best sense of the word. It is almost unforgiveable what our culture has done to the incredible story of the real St. Nicholas. Sinterklaas and Piet the Moor is the story we should be telling all of our children each and every year. I would recommend this delightful book to everyone. And my deepest thanks to the dear friends who gave their 30 year old friend this precious little book for Christmas.

Mr. Ford's excellent "Fury" led me to purchase this book, my introduction to Leo Waterman. It was a disappointment. Leo seems like a pale imitation of James Crumley's Milo Milodragovitch with a little of Robert Parker's Spencer thrown in for good measure.

The plot is confusing and depends too much on visuals; nice in a movie but a strain in a book. Leo is hired to protect the good name of the La Cuisine International who are holding their first non-European convention in a five-star Seattle hotel. Employer Sir Geoffrey Miles feels some of the member/participants are in "mortal danger." Two competing magnates of chain steak houses are briskly skirmishing in the courts, a food critic of enormous influence is playing a ruthless game of "who gets the five-stars." Except for the fact that all the characters in "danger" seem uniformly disagreeable, it is difficult to see a compelling reason to kill them. Leo employs his Army of the Homeless for surveillance purposes, much chasing around ensues, great efforts are made to keep one of the steak house owners from having a giant barbeque in downtown Seattle and the food critic is knocked off. The reader solves the mystery about 100 pages ahead of Leo leaving not much but a series of anti-climaxes.

There are some bright spots: Sir Geoffrey Miles is deftly characterized as a Nero Wolfe par excellence and is amusing and entertaining. Mr. Ford does Seattle very well, as I noted in "Fury." He makes it sound so attractive I have to keep repeating to myself "Remember the Rain, remember the rain!" The homeless characters and their lifestyles are interesting and handled with sensitivity.

Perhaps Mr. Ford just had a bad outing. I will try another book, probably without Leo, and hope it rekindles my enthusiasm for Mr. Ford's books. Give "Slow Burn" a pass.

Author Ford had me as a devoted fan and I read all of his other books with admiration and envy. But this book just had a lousey, contrived plot and way too much talk with too little action. The book had its amusing moments to be sure, but those are (or should be) sidelights in this genre. The plot and characters have to have some life and meaning; but not in this novel. No one is perfect every time out, though I was beginning to believe that this author was. He convinced me to the contrary. Read all his other books; skip this one.

Leo Waterman is a P.I. with independent means who employs an odd assortment of associates. He discovered that the best people to use on a stakeout are the street people who are a normal part of the cityscape. He also gets help from his relatives scattered throughout the city's civil service thanks to the nepotism of his late father.

Leo is hired to defuse a situation between two rival steakhouse chains whose actions might disrupt an international convention at one of Seattle's leading hotels. A side issue is saving Bunky (a prize bull) from being turned into pit roasted beef for the opening of a new steakhouse. Events start to explode when a food critic caught between the rivals gets a bullet in the head.

The action is confined to about one week as events rapidly develop. Along the way, you will obtain some sidelights on Seattle and an overview of the homeless who live their own lifestyle. I won't reveal the ending, but it could only happen in Seattle. It would make a wild motion picture.

The author is correct about the afternoon traffic jam developing at 2:30, as this reviewer discovered to his dismay during a recent visit. It extends from around Everett on the northside to Tacoma on the southern edge. Driving was easier before they built the freeways.

If an author sets out to write a collection of short stories about adultery, you'd think they'd have a lo say about it, right? Well, Ford certainly expends plenty of words, but the net impact of them is next to nothing by the end of this incredibly feeble navel-gazing group of stories. Mind-numbingly similar in tone and temperament, the ten stories center of upper and upper-middle class white, middle-aged, married professionals who seem to have drifted into infidelity. Story after story plods cautiously along, poking at the consequences of adultery in a very mild way, with leaden dialogue and a lot of empty moodiness. Adultery is treated almost as a kind of bland rite-of-passage for a disconnected male. Marital infidelity can happen in so many ways for so many reasons, and yet Ford seems interested in only a very limited field of it. I have no idea what his personal background or situation is, but it's a collection you read and leave wishing the author had worked out their issues in therapy or something. If he wasn't such a literary bigshot, there's no way this would have been published-it strikes the same note over and over and over, and isn't provocative, insightful, or even interesting. PS. If you were planning on the audio version, don't. Ford is a terrible reader, sounding like someone reading the telephone book aloud as punishment.

Richard Ford is undoubtedly one of America's finest authors. More than any other writer today, he has a special gift for creating characters with undeniable humanity. In this new collection of short stories, not his best work but excellent nonetheless, each character feels truly genuine, with human flaws and weaknesses that we all can relate to. Infidelity and its consequences is the main theme here, and Ford explores it with all the grace, subtlety, and compassion that readers have come to expect from him. The stories, for the most part, focus on everyday occurrences; Ford's work rarely relies on intriguing plot twists, but rather profound explorations of emotion and the human experience. In "Reunion," inspired by a John Cheever story, a man encounters the husband of a woman with whom he briefly had an affair, and stumbles through an awkward yet revealing conversation, set in the middle of Penn Station. In "Under the Radar," a woman admits to her husband that she had a brief affair with the host of a dinner party they are on their way to attend. In "Privacy," a man takes stock of his marriage after finding himself drawn to his neighbor, whose nude figure he views regularly from his apartment window. In each, Ford is deeply interested in the inner motivations of his characters. What makes them love? What makes them cheat? How do they justify their infidelities, both to themselves and their spouses? And how do they ultimately deal with their own guilt and the pain they have caused to those around them? Each of these questions is answered unflinchingly and unapologetically, but with the tenderness and charm for which Richard Ford's prose is well known.

A Multitude of Sins is a very interesting, somewhat depressing set of stories. Every one of them deals with adultery in one form or another. Sometimes a past adultery informs the plot of the story, sometimes the ending of it is the driving force. ... though, none of the stories actually deals with the beginning of it, except in flashback. Many times, the parties involved think back to the beginning and try to figure out what has gone wrong, and why a thrilling, secretive experience has become dull and boring.

The highlight of the novel has to be Abyss, the last story in the book. It's the longest story, and allows Ford to really get into the character of the two protagonists. Again, you see the beginning of their affair in flashback, the sudden spark when they first touch, and the red hot desire when they first truly look into each other's eyes. When the characters are sent to Phoenix for a convention, you see how their feelings have changed as the height of their passion comes crashing down into the dullness of reality and they each see what the other person is really like. Watching this relationship crumble, and then seeing the unexpected (at least to me) resolution to the story, was very intriguing, and made me want to finish the story as soon as possible.

The characters in each story are seekers, in a way. They are all searching for something to make their life complete. They are lost souls, searching for the fulfillment that life should bring, but doesn't always. Having an affair seems to them, at first, to fill that gap, but it never actually does. That's what makes the stories so depressing, in a way: seeing the fruitless search for life. Only one story has what's even close to a happy ending, and even that happiness is caused by the realization that their marriage is truly over. Most of the stories end with the characters having fallen, picking themselves up and resolving to move on through life's dense fog. A little wiser, perhaps. Or perhaps not. Some people never learn.

Still, depressing or not, I found all of the stories worthwhile to read. From the short vignettes to the longer pieces, each one contained interesting situations, or a nice twist, or even just making a point about life. I can't say I enjoyed the book, but I certainly did find it fascinating. I have never read any of Ford's stuff, but I may have to now that I've read some of his short fiction.

I have mixed feelings about Jeffrey Ford's science fantasy novel The Physiognomy. While I rank it above the average, it's still frustrating to read a book with so much potential so needlessly wasted. Jeffrey Ford had great ideas for it but I didn't like the way he handled many of them. I'll let you know about my biggest gripes in a minute, so keep reading.

For this review, I split the novel into three parts. Act one is, in my humble opinion, the best chunk of the book. Here we witness as Cley, renowned physiognomist of the Well-Built City -- the urban brainchild of overlord genius Drachton Below --, is sent to the rural landscapes at the edge of the known world on a trifling mission he's not very pleased to carry out. Cley is a cruel and conceited individual, intelligent but at the same time blinded by his own knowledge and an addiction to a drug known as Sheer Beauty. With a charming personality such as this, it's no surprise he vents his frustrations on the hapless peasants, whom he rates pathetic creatures after only a quick glance at their physiognomic traits. Jeffrey Ford shows great talent for dark humour in his portrayal of Cley, but it's a pity it only lasts for the first part of the novel. Granted, Cley isn't a character you could easily identify yourself with, but I still liked him a lot at this stage. (...)

Cley is also perhaps the only truly well-developed character in The Physiognomy, while all the others seem flat by comparison. Unfortunately for him, though, things are about to change.

The story goes a bit downhill from here. Luckily not into the Forbidden Zone of Badness, but downhill nevertheless. For starters, things happen too damn fast at times, especially from the second act on. Jeffrey Ford seems in a hurry to finish the book, and its scanty 244 pages add to that impression.

During the second part of the novel, Cley endures a set of conditions that gradually change him into a man of healthier disposition. Possibly because the narrative seems so rushed, his moral metamorphosis felt awkward to me. Not unlikely, but still awkward. Or perhaps the surrealism of the world around Cley made it feel that way, I don't know. What I think is a pity is that the protagonist begins to flatten and lose complexity as a result. Oops. On the other hand, Jeffrey Ford writes up some more cool concepts, fewer than in the first part, but fortunately not as squandered.

The third act gives us Cley's return to Drachton Below's Well-Built City. Without going into particulars for the sake of spoilers, I'll just say I didn't appreciate the novel's kind-of vacuous antiscientific message, nor did I like to see Cley made into a wimp at the end. The rating goes down a notch here as far as I'm concerned, though I understand other people's views on the subject might vary.

Like I mentioned at the start of the review, The Physiognomy boasts quite a few first-class concepts -- I'll tell you of Drachton Below's pet, a clockwork-animated werewolf, just to tease your appetite. Sadly, Ford leaves a trail of undeveloped ideas behind, instead exploring those I wouldn't like to go into -- for instance, he describes an expedition to Paradise in more detail than I'd have cared to have. The bottom-line is he ended up murdering the whole thing's sense of wonder for nothing, and any author who pulls one of those without a pretty damned good reason gives me cause to lop a couple of points off the book's score.

So, when the time comes to fill your shopping cart, is this book worth picking up? I'd say yes. The Physiognomy is an original and interesting read in spite of its flaws, the mass market paperback is cheap, and the whole thing wouldn't take you more than an idle weekend afternoon to finish. Personally, I'd encourage you to give it a try. You might even like it better than I did.

The Physiognomy is a story in three acts, in which protagonist Cley shows his despicable nature, then travels through purgatory and is given the chance to redeem himself by doing right by those he had wronged. It's a simple story arc, told against a dark and surreal backdrop: The Well-Built City, crafted in the image of the mind of it's maker, the Master, Drachton Below. The territorial town of Anamasobia, inhabited by plebians whom Cley sees as almost bestial. The sulphur mines of the island of Doralice, run by twin brothers and an intelligent monkey. Not to mention Cley's vocation: Reading the nature of people by measuring the character of their faces and bodies.

Ford proves to be an able scripter, and despite its sometimes-gruesome subject matter the book is filled with dark humor, often taking the form of some character saying something totally unexpected. Cley's predicaments are often novel and challenging, and the story moves right along. Small touches fill out the story and make the whole place seem vivid and real... at first glance.

The Physiognomy's greatest weakness is that it never really gets below the surface of its story. Physiognomy is an impressive device, filled with the potential for all sorts of moral quandaries, but its use diminishes quickly and drastically after the first third of the book. The nature of the Well-Built City is never really explored, the ramifications of (essentially) living in someone's mind not really plumbed. For that matter, Cley himself is something of a cipher. We don't really know where he came from, what led him to Physiognomy, or why he stays in his position. Greed? Ambition? Fear? Devotion to the Master? All seem plausible, but none any plausible than any other.

Moreover, arbitrary events occur at various points in the story without any reason I could see. This often lowers a scene to the level of cheap melodrama: Rather than testing his mettle, Cley sometimes is either overcome quickly and pointlessly, or saved in a deus-ex-machine fashion.

It seems that the book is meant to be a sort of allegory. Perhaps a sort of twisted Garden of Eden (there's a fruit, an Adam and an Eve, and all sorts of exiles), or perhaps a simple (if heavy-handed) story about how we tend to judge people based on superficial characteristics, and that we all will go to any ends we have to to advance our position (and, perhaps, that the 'solution' to these problems is to eliminate the need for positions in society). But none of these options feels true or sufficient. The conclusion feels devoid of purpose.

The book's strength - beyond Ford's writing style - is the mass of churning ideas and the way in which Ford expresses them. There are ample quantities of neat stuff to keep you reading, even if you don't quite figure out how they all fit together. The character names are also neat, sounding very evocative, but you're rarely quite sure of what.

The novel which The Physiognomy most reminds me of is Sean Stewart's Resurrection Man, which also painted a portrait of an intriguing world with its own rules, but which also felt like it didn't follow through on the promise of its concepts. Neither is a bad book, but both feel essentially unfinished, like they're lacking the soul to give them true strength.

The world that Ford creates in The Physiognomy is compelling, detail-rich, and difficult to forget. I think even the most suspicious readers will be charmed by his depiction of the Well-Built City and the details like the miners who have inhaled so much dust that they turn to stone.

Unfortunately, his grip on characters isn't quite as good. While Cley is engaging on a certain level, as a reader I was ultimately unable to care about either his goodness or his badness. If Ford could have made him matter just a little bit more, then it wouldn't have felt so empty at the end.

Despite the flaws, one of the most original fantasy reads I've had in a long time.

My first experience with Doc Ford, but this book is about the residual of early 20th century pioneer life in the southwest Everglades, not Doc. Ford's uncle, Tucker Gatrell, is, at best, a composite of similar real life characters from that era, some of whom were still living at the time this book was published. This well-written novel has a decent plot and story line, and the author tantalizingly builds suspense by omission. However, and maybe I'm too picky here, the author is Short one acknowledgement. The author acknowledges that Ervin T. Rouse is a real person, and apologizes for his usage in the novel by saying that he knew Mr. Rouse and felt Mr. Rouse would enjoy such usage. However, he does not acknowledge that Henry Short is also a real person and his portrayal of Mr. Short is way off the mark and not very flattering. The author should have acknowledged Mr. Short's real life existence, or, better yet, made him into a composite character using a fictious name, as he did with Toch Brown, um, I mean Tucker Gatrell. My pickiness notwithstanding, a good read.

I just completed this book, and basically enjoyed it. But I have to say that, of all the Randy Wayne White books I've read, this is probably his weakest effort. The truth is that the scenes with Doc Ford in them are still complete gems, and I think that's why I liked it. But the other characters, while funny at times, just weren't enough to hold my interest throughout the story. And Doc Ford just wasn't in the book all that much.

Another thing that bothered me was the basic plot. Without giving too much away, the story is about Doc's uncle supposedly finding the Fountain of Youth. That part was fine, and made sense once the story worked to its conclusion. But there was also this whole sub-plot going on with 3 men missing (presumed dead). That storyline just didn't seem to really go anywhere, although there were some good scenes with them. It just didn't seem to tie together all that well, in my opinion. Yes, I did like the way Tucker Gattrell was working all the angles in order to keep his property, and I liked the ultimate resolution. The 'hint' of a plot twist (where you realize you might not know the whole story after all) at the very end was also very nice. Probably my favorite part of the book, in fact. Oh, and I also liked how they continued to develop the Tomlinson character in this one, as well as the mention at the end that Jeth was still doing okay in South America.

Bottom line is that this was a decent story, but not quite up to par with something like 'The Heat Islands' that I read in about 6 hours. Now that was a great story.

But ultimately, if you're into the Doc Ford series, you definitely don't want to miss this one. Because even an average book by Randy Wayne White is far superior to much of the garbage being put out today. And even a few pages of Doc Ford is worth quite a bit. Just start with Sanibel Island and work your way toward this one. That way, by the time you get here, you'll already be in love with the characters and the settings.

OK, OK...Doc Ford may not be the main character in this novel, but I know a bit more about him after reading about his childhood and getting to know Tucker. I enjoyed reading this book and had a hard time putting it down once I started.

Eve Cooper, the president's daughter, has barely settled into her strangely constricted new life in the White House, when--guess what--during a photo shoot in the Rose Garden--in the snow--a body is discovered. And of course that is just the beginning of a series of shocking discoveries. Is it plausible? Not very. Is it believable? Not really. And yet, it works. You like it and you want to keep reading.

Is this great literature? No. Is it entertaining and fun? Absolutely. The character of Eve is quite likable. Her tone is relentlessly perky, yet there are intimations of loneliness, boredom and sadness. The narrative sparkles with humor, sometimes a bit overdone. The characters are good people who care about each other (except for the villain, of course) and you hope things will work out for them--even the president!

This is a great book to read when you just need to get away, get your mind off things, relax and enjoy!

Eve Cooper is trying to settle into the white house, weeks after her father wins the presidency, when she discovers a dead body in the rose garden. It appears to be a straightforward heart attack, but a torn photograph showing a couple making love in the white house Lincoln Bedroom raises suspicions that something more sinister may lie behind it. With the support of her father, and the help of a photographer friend, Eve begins to investigate. But the investigation becomes critical when the photograph is revealed to be related to blackmail and a plot to destroy the credibility of the new President.

Authors Susan Ford (daughter of former President Gerald Ford) and Laura Hayden combine to deliver a well written adventure that uses the white house as a key plot device rather than a backdrop. Eve is convincing as a young (mid-twenties) woman who has given up her life to help her father, is mystified on how to deal with the Secret Service protection she doesn't want, yet cannot avoid, and is anxious to carve out some area where she can contribute--and possibly escape the terminal confinement of the mansion.

DOUBLE EXPOSURE won't open your eyes or cause you to lose sleep at night, but it will keep you turning the pages, with occasional laughs and insights into people and especially people who happen to be the family of the President of the United States.

What's not to like? The characters were engaging and interesting, the plot was intriguing, and I really enjoyed the look inside the White House. It was refreshing to see Eve, the president's daughter, so down to earth and dealing with real issues like real people. Good job!

Ok, in some senses it is sad, as the "author" is clearly disturbed. But this is in no sense of the word any authority on the subject of cults. Thankfully I found this at a yard sale for a quarter, but I had to warn others about how pathetic it is. It's such a serious subject, but it crosses the line when you are posing as an author trying to get money from people that may be suffering. Do yourself a favor and visit the library and find the book that is right for you, then come back to Amazon and add it to your own library....

Not only is this book a bunch of crock full of vented information, unfocused perspective, and senseless gibberish...it's written in a form that any person can ignore. That is, if read, you will blow small chunks and make you immediately sick of someone whose attention span and mental processing are impaired by the mental abuse of cauliflower and other vegetation. The information is presented foggy and soggy, and divided into numb categories so the reader can address just as much or as little as he is able to throw up at any given time. Exciting, this useless book is not, and this book always addresses every faucet of Britney Spears records and emplodes the reader to address areas that would otherwise silently hate him. So many cult recovery books are written from the perspective of psychological experience...this one unmistakeably comes from someone who understands the process of making money from it. It was one of the two most valuable resources in their own recovery. I do not recommend it to anyone as they clearly needed a group and lack relationships, and any caring friend or family member would disown such a person.

Not only is this book chock full of vital information, helpful perspective, and sensible guidance...it's written in a form that a person most needing it can absorb. That is, it can be read in the small chunks that make immediate sense to someone whose attention span and mental processing are impaired by the mental abuse of cults and other authoritarian situations. The information is presented clearly and simply, and divided into neat categories so the reader can address just as much or as little as he is able to take in at any given time. Exitting an abusive group is overwhelming, and this book neatly addresses every facet of recovery and empowers the reader to address areas that would otherwise silently haunt him. So many cult recovery books are written from the perspective of psychological distance...this one unmistakeably comes from someone who understands the process from the inside. It was one of the two most valuable resources in my own recovery. I recommend it to anyone coming out of an abusive group or relationship, and to any caring friend or family member of such a person.

This book was kind of lengthy, but I truly enjoyed it. Bette Ford can really write. I love all her books.

Okay, so this book did not have all the qualifications for a Five in my book, but it did have Four Star quality. "All the Love" had a good storyline and the characters had great chemistry together but the book was lacking something. Bit I must said what Ford lacks in this book she makes up for it with the love scenes. Better luck next time!! Much love Ford!

I read the review that said this was not one of Ms. Ford's best. I beg to differ, it is just what I expect. I am a true fan of her writing and will continue to support her always! It was this book that highlighted the career of photojournalism which I felt was an interesting career. Ray Coleman, photojournalist comes home after an accident. Amber Spencer, director of a nursey school has a long history with Ray. This is like the story with unresolved love issues between Ray and Amber. So here, we have a book that deals with Ray and Amber's relationship both past and present, then we have the secondary story of a dangerous man on the loose who causes some serious problems. But the author, who manages to provide these two stories in a way, that makes it in my opinion a very good story to read. Now, I have said Ms. Ford is an author who can deliver those hot loving scenes, and of course she does it again in this book. So to my fellow readers, give this one a try, read it, its an easy read, not boring and very good. If you enjoy Ms. Ford's work, check out these other published books by her: One Of A Kind (a 1999 release), For Always, After Dark and Forever After.