Books I Read as a Kid - The Encyclopedia Brown Series

I had a lot of these as a kid. Encyclopedia Brown was the son of the local police chief and often helped his father solve crimes. The books were made up of short stories that gave the readers all the clues to solve the mystery.

I almost never got the solutions right but they were great fun to read. They were probably my first exposure to the concept of deduction from the information given to you, at least as it pertains to solving a mystery. They would make a great gift for kids that are interested in mysteries but not yet old enough for the Sherlock Holmes canon.

There were quite a few of them out when I was younger and apparently a lot more have been released since then. There was also a tv show that I don't think I ever saw but now I kind of want to watch just to see if it was any good.

As awlays feel free to contact me at jeffsemonis at yahoo.com or on twitter @jeffsbookcase.

The Art of Making Money: The Story of a Master Counterfeiter by Jason Kersten

                                                                  


True crime books run the gamut from sensational murder cases to in-depth journalism about fascinating criminal subjects. The Art of Making Money is a great example of the latter.

It tells the story of counterfeiter Arthur Williams Jr., beginning with his hard childhood and  mentoring by an old-school counterfeiter and ending with his time in prison once his deeds finally caught up with him. The meat of the story is everything that came in between, when Art took on the new(at that time) hundred dollar bill and spent fake ones all over the country.

I've read a lot of true crime and this book is one of the best when it comes to getting inside both the process of committing the crime, in this case how Art actually printed the fake bills, as well as  the head of the criminal. I know next to nothing about printing but the details on how Art overcame some of the anti-counterfeiting measures were fascinating. This book belongs in the library of anyone who likes true crime books as well as those who've always wondered how counterfeiters ply their trade.

Author Jason Kersten has a wonderfully detailed web site that has a great deal of additional information on the story as well as on events that occurred after the publication of the book. His previous book Journal of the Dead looks interesting as well but I have not yet had a chance to read it.

For those who like this book I also recommend Catch Me if You Can  by Frank Abagnale. The movie was entertaining but the book is much better.

As always please feel free to email me at jeffsemonis at yahoo.com or leave a comment. I'm also on twitter @jeffsbookcase.

Books I Read as a Kid - From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

                                                                 


I thought this book was awesome when I was a kid. Twenty or so years later I just read part of it and I still thinks it's awesome. It's the story of two siblings, Claudia & Jamie, who run away from home and live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

There is a mystery of sorts involved but I don't really remember what the solution to that was. What I do remember from reading this as a kid was the sense of adventure. Good books, childrens and otherwise, are supposed to take you to another place without you noticing that it has happened. This book did that for me every time.

I also remember there being mention of a restaurant called Chock Full O'Nuts and this confused me greatly as a kid; I wondered why anyone would call a restaurant that. I just checked online and learned about the chain. It's apparently been brought back so I might check it out next time I get to go to New York.

It also won a Newberry Medal but that's not why you should read it. You should read it because it's good. If you don't believe me, or the Newberry people, you can read a sample online at the publishers web site.

As always you can reach me at jeffsemonis at yahoo.com or in the comments below. I'm also on Twitter @Jeffsbookcase.

Rats by Robert Sullivan

                                                           

When I tell people they need to read this great book about rats they usually give me a look of revulsion. The ones that I can get to suspend their initial reaction have all been pleasantly surprised. Folks, this is one heck of a book. It is about rats but it's about so much more than that.

I learned a lot about the behavior of rats but I also learned how rat problems affected the civil rights movement and  about a Revolutionary War Son of Liberty that seems to have been forgotten by mainstream history. Sullivan covers the plague, both the outbreak that everyone knows about and the one in San Francisco that you've never heard of.

The author observed rats, mostly in one location in New York City, but in other places as well. He talked to exterminators, researchers, and regular people about their experiences with rats. If you have an interest in rats or in New York City history then you can't go wrong with this book.

I also just finished Sullivan's The Meadowlands: Wilderness Adventures on the Edge of a City and it was very informative as well. I look forward to checking out more of his books. He writes in kind of an offbeat fashion that gives you the facts that finds as well as the stories of the people that he learned them from.

Let me know what you think at jeffsemonis at yahoo.com, in comments, or on Twitter @jeffsbookcase.

On the Importance of Short Stories

    Short stories are important. Some of the best known authors ever got their start writing short stories. Stephen King did, as did Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. 

    I personally learned a great deal from reading short stories, both in and out of school. O. Henry's "Hearts and Hands" is proably responsible for my love of the twist ending. Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game", Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" and later, "Placebo" by Andrew Vachss, taught me that short stories don't have to be uplifting. Darkness can make your point just as well as light.

   Short stories aren't as big a part of popular culture as they used to be but that doesn't mean that they still can't entertain and educate. Go to the library and check out a collection or read some of the older ones online. There's a story out there for everyone.

Thats all for now, check back on Friday for my review of Rats by Robert Sullivan.

   

The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton

                                                                     

The Lock Artist is the story of a boy who grows up to be a safecracker, or boxman, as they prefer to be called. That's a gross oversimplification of this book which jumps back and forth through Michael's life, as he tells you his story in his own words. I love first person crime writing because it puts you inside the mind of the narrator. There are all kinds of books that can tell you the what happened of crime, the very best tell you the how and the why.

Hamilton won an Edgar for this book and it is richly deserved. We learn what Michael endured as a child and how he came to learn the skills that would make him very valuable to the wrong kind of people. It's a story told very rawly and with a surprising amount of humor. It's a terrific read, easily among the top five crime novels that I've ever read and I encourage you to pick up a copy. It looks like it will be coming to the big screen and I can't wait. In the right hands it will make a terrific movie.

I've also read A Cold Day in Paradise, which is the Edgar winning debut of Hamiton's Alex McKnight series and highly recommend that as well. I look forward to reading more in that series.

As always fee free to comment or drop me a line at jeffsemonis at yahoo.com.

Interview with Allan Kronzek

A big thank you to Allan Kronzek for agreeing to answer a few questions for the blog. Check out his 52 Ways to Cheat at Poker as well as the other books mentioned for more information on card cheating techniques.

1. How did you first become interested in gambling sleights?

My interest in gambling sleights comes entirely from my interest in sleight-of-hand card magic. Many of the advanced techniques with cards come directly from card sharps. The great sleight-of-hand artist Dai Vernon was mainly responsible for bringing this to the attention of the magic community.

2. What was the most interesting thing that you learned while researching the book?

I’d say it’s a tie between card-marking systems (most of which are not detailed in the book because of space), and the historical background of various moves and strategies, such as punchwork and collusion.

3. What is the most important piece of advice that you would give to someone who thinks they're being cheated?

Stop playing with those people and find a honest game.

4. Do you have an opinion as to the true identity of S.W. Erdnase?

A VERY convincing case was recently put forward that Erdnase was W.E. (Wilbur Edgerton), Sanders, son of a US senator from Montana! I urge you to check out the fascinating article by Marty Demarest in the September, 2011 issue of Genii, The Conjurors’ Magazine. I believe back issues are available from the publisher. I have also seen advertising for a forthcoming book called Artifice, Ruse & Erdnase: The Search for One Who May Not Want to be Found, by Hurt McDermott, to be published by lybrary.com. I know nothing more about it.

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Thats all for today, I hope you enjoyed it! Check back Friday for my review of The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton. If you have any question or comments please let me know, either in the comments below or at jeffsemonis at yahoo.com.

52 Ways to Cheat at Poker by Allan Kronzek

                                                                  

This is a very information packed book. It gives a brief overview of the aforementioned 52 ways to cheat at poker and also teaches you how to protect yourself against them. The author also does a good job of explaining how likely you are to come up against a particular maneuver.

Kronzek also goes through the history of card cheating, both in general and technique specific, as well as citing many other works on crooked gambling. I've read many books on this subject and I think this one is the most broad. I would use it as an introduction and then branch out to others for additional information on techniques that interest you.

I recommend The Expert at the Card Table by S.W. Erdnase if you are interested in how these moves are actually done. It is the grandfather of books on card cheating although it can take some time to absorb. It also carries with it the ongoing mystery of the identity of it's author. Erdnase is a pseudonym and there are many theories as to who it may really be. For a more in-depth general overview Gambling Scams by Darwin Ortiz would be a good choice.

If you've ever wondered how Worm worked his crooked magic in Rounders or suspect you've been cheated at the card table then pick this book up. You'll learn a lot.

As always, feel free to sound off in the comments or email me at jeffsemonis at yahoo.com.

Interview with Paul Collins

Paul Collins was gracious enough to answer a few questions and you can find my interview with him below. Seriously folks, check out The Book of William as well as his other books.

1. Is there a particular piece of writing that influenced you to write the kind of books that you do?


When I wrote my first book, Banvard's Folly, I was influenced by 1920s and 1930s writers like Van Wyck Brooks and Edmund Pearson, who delighted in obscure literature while always remaining inviting to the reader. I was also very fond of Nicholson Baker and John McPhee's ways of drawing extraordinary stories of out overlooked subjects. In my next book (Sixpence House), I had to develop a first person narrator, and probably my closest model there was Jerome K. Jerome, who always struck me as a good company. Ever since then I've basically been winging it, and inventing a narrative style as I go along.


2. Are there any Folio facts/stories etc. that have come to light since you wrote the book that you would like to share?

Probably the biggest was the recovery of the stolen Durham folio, and the conviction of Raymond Scott for its theft. It was perhaps the first time that the unique nature of each copy -- that no two copies are exactly alike in their textual variants and physical condition -- suddenly had a criminal conviction turning on it.


3. What is the most interesting thing that you learned while researching The Book of William?

That would have to be hearing Anthony West describe his plan to come up with a database tracking textual variants, condition, watermarks, etc in every page of every copy of the Folio -- literally millions of pieces of information. It's astonishingly ambitious, a project that will take decades to complete -- Anthony's in his seventies! -- and something that's never been done for any other book.


4. If you are able to share, what are you working on right now?

I'm writing "Duel With The Devil: How Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr Teamed Up To Take On a Murder Mystery," which Crown will have out in the summer of 2013. Unlikely as it sounds, it's another history -- this really happened! It's about the Levi Weeks trial of 1800, and I've been immersed in reading Manhattan newspapers from back then -- which, for someone like me, is basically catnip.


Thats all for this update and thanks again to Paul Collins. Check back Friday for a review of 52 Ways to Cheat at Poker by Allan Kronzek. Please let me know if you have any comments, either below or at jeffsemonis at yahoo.com.