Amazon Reviews

Toasterhead's Amazon reviews
of books he's never read.

Bento Boxes: Japanese Meals on the Go
by Naomi Kijima

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

I was looking for a bento box..., January 10, 2004
Reviewer: A reader from Arlington, VA USA

I was looking for a bento box, it couldn't be pinku (thats japanese for pink) or any girl color. It had to be of 2 or more kotoba (thats japanese for 2 compartments) and had be be chibi (small) sized. And had to be really kawaii (cute). Also It had to be about 10-20 bux. And the seller had to post pics of it first (i wanted to make shure it was kawaii [cute]). And it would have been nice if it came with matching chopstick holder (WITH chopsticks). OH! and it CANNOT have had any cartoon pictures, or been made out of plastic. It has to be made of ceramic, or something like that. Also it would have been nice if it was made in japan. and not in china or corea (korea) or whatever. I had found a bento box similar to the one im describing in e-bay, but it was 1 kotoba, and i didnt want my gohan (rice) to touch my other things (it can get wet and i would not like that, plus 2 compartments looks more kawaii).
 
Thanks to this book, I finally found my chibi kawaii 2 kotoba bento box and my gohan is not wet. Thanks you book!

The Voluptuous Vegan : More Than 200 Sinfully Delicious Recipes for Meatless, Eggless, and Dairy-Free Meals
by Myra Kornfeld, et al

0 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

Predictable and lengthy..., August 20, 2001
Reviewer: A reader from Arlington, VA

Although this collection of short horror stories starts out with a bang, I found that the concept grew old quickly. Each story is more anticlimactic than the preceding one, with very few surprises in store as the main characters are brutally sliced, diced, and otherwise disfigured. The characters themselves are horribly underdeveloped, with no sense of backstory or motivation whatsoever, so it is rather difficult to feel anything but indifference to their situation. Where is the drama? Certainly nowhere to be found in this collection.

The Snows of Kilimanjaro and the Short Happy Life of Francis MacOmber [UNABRIDGED]
by Ernest Hemingway, Alexander Adams (Reader)

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

Macomber-riffic!, February 2, 2001
Reviewer: t-head (see more about me) from Arlington, VA USA

The key to understanding Hemingway's work is to view it as a broad allegory on the sociopolitical environment in which he lived and wrote. On a purely literal level, one could view "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" as a campy yet endearing story of one man's search for the perfect ski slope (Kilimanjaro) or the perfect hunting trip(Macomber). But if you look at the mountain as, say, the U.S. economy and the elephant as, say, the gold standard and Francis' wife as, say, the War Powers Act, the story takes on an entirely different meaning. And the ancient sherpa's diatribe on the Securities Exchange Commission becomes an extremely poignant and brilliantly crafted fulcrum on which to balance the story's central metaphor.

CNBC 24/7 Trading : Around the Clock, Around the World
by Barbara Rockefeller

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

Thrill-o-minute romp it isn't..., February 2, 2001
Reviewer: A reader from Arlington, VA USA

Although Barbara Rockefeller's attention to detail and obvious knowledge of the inside world of the life of a stock trader are quite phenomenal, I found the story lacking direction, and the climax weak. The characters of George Soros and Abby Joseph Cohen, for example, are minimally developed at best, and unnecessarily verbose at times. But Rockefeller has most certainly done her homework in terms of setting the stage for her story, an example that more contemporary writers should heed. All in all, however, this was a quite satisfying read!

Little Green Men
by Christopher Buckley

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

In your face, Carl Sagan! February 13, 2000

This is a thriller that truly keeps you guessing right until the end. Mr. Buckleys' true talent lies in his ability to create characters who enhance the story on both a symbolic and an intellectual level. Other characters, such as the giant talking crab in chapter 8, provide the fulcrum on which to balance the novel's central metaphor. Execellent book. I'd recommend it to all of my patients.

This Is Herb : Never a Dull Moment
by Herb Plambeck

A must-read! May 2, 2000

Herb Plambeck does it again! This facinating tale of one man's date with destiny is filled with more plot twists than the Watergate scandal. From the explosive first chapter to the climactic duel with the rabid mountain goat, the book is impossible to put down.

English Passengers
by Matthew Kneale

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

Don't forget the Dramamine! May 2, 2000

Matthew Kneale has done it again! In this stunning tell-all novel about mutiny, religious fervor, and cholera on the high seas, we are transported to the tumultuously changing world of 1828. What's most fascinating about this novel is the subtle, yet skillful, way in which Kneale interweaves current pop-culture references into an otherwise unambiguous period piece. As the conflict between Captain Kewley and the Reverend George Wilson builds, Kneale's descriptions remain so vivid that one can almost feel the rush of the moist, salty air, and feel the incessant rocking of the creaky vessel. Excellent!