King of a Small World - Rick Bennet

It is rare to find a poker novel that rings true. The reason is simple, people who write well are rarely avid poker players. It is not uncommon to find yourself at the card table for 20 or more hours at a stretch. When are you going to find time to write?

Rick is a clear exception to this rule. His descriptions of the life of a professional poker player have the ring of truth. The typical professional poker player does not make millions a year. The romance of the lifestyle just isn't a reality for most. Poker as means of supporting yourself is hard work.

Joey Moore knows just how hard the work is. He shares an apartment with another gambler, one who struggles and has for all his life. Joey is doing well at the game. He hasn't had any huge wins, he grinds it out. Winning more often than he looses and loosing less than he wins. He has money stashed in quite a few hidey-holes around Prince Georges county in Maryland. A few thousand here and a few thousand there. Not enough to retire on but then Joey is still young.

There is nothing complex about the story. We are examining the life of an average guy with an uncommon occupation. The story is told exclusively from our hero's perspective. The introspective conversations are compelling and authentic. King of a Small World didn't win any awards. Never-the-less, it is a great read.

Men of Bronze - Scott Oden

Scott does a wonderful job of taking known history and creating a compelling story within its fold. He creates a complete profile of the hero. Giving equal attention to his flaws as well as his virtues.

Hasbadral Barca is a Phoenician general in service to the Egyptian Pharaoh Khnemibre Ahmose. In 526 B.C. the Pharaoh dies and Egypt's neighbors are eager to conquer and pillage the land. The new Pharaoh, Ankhkaenre Psammetichus, asks Barca to join him in the battle to repulse the Persian invasion.

The final battle at Pelusium is portrayed with a gripping splendor. The details are painted with magnificent brushstrokes. The smallest individual fights within the great battle are depicted with as much energy and largess as the massive conflict itself.

The most difficult part of the book are the names. There is a pronunciation guide at the back for those who are obsessed with getting the names right. This is Scott Oden's first novel and I hope there are many more to follow. Men of Bronze is definitely worth a read.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni

There are a lot of books claiming to have the magic pill for corporate heath. Most of the books you will read in this genre focus on the leader. What attributes a leader exhibits to inspire their team to follow and put forth that extra effort.

The leaders role is to create and preserve an environment in which the team members can interact successfully. The environment in which the team functions is paramount to their success or failure. Patrick argues that the individuals must be able to act according to their conscience. They must be able to engage in conflict with one another and have no fear of repercussions as a result.

This is one of the most striking and compelling contentions made. Conflict is a necessary part of the team dynamic. Without conflict there can be no constructive progress. Conflict accelerates development. Development of the individuals and of the team as a whole. Of course the conflict must be managed. It needs to be focused on ideas and not individuals.

Patrick begins by telling the story of a team. Most of the book is about a project the team is tackling. Patrick calls this the "Leadership Fable." It is an integral part of his communication method. After the fable, he introduces the dysfunctions and how they can be challenged. When you then think back on the story, it is easy to envision how to apply his lesson in your own team environment.

There are very few books on leadership that are worth reading. This, fortunately, is one of them. Give it a read and see if there are any lessons you can take away.

Adobe Digital Editions eReader

I was online viewing what was available at my local library and found a title that interested me but, was only available as an eBook. There was some extra effort involved in checking out this title as I needed to download some software and install it before I could even download the eBook.

Adobe Digital Editions is freeware you can find on the Adobe website. The download is often available on the websites of those who carry titles compatible with it. I had no trouble installing the software and getting the title onto my computer.

Reading eBooks with Adobe Digital Editions prove easy and enjoyable. When I started the eReader, the image of the book cover was right there on the left. I double clicked on it and the image jumped to the main screen, waiting for me to open the cover and dive in.

Adobe went to great lengths to make it look and feel like you are reading a book and not an electronic document. The pages are formatted as if created and bound at a printing press. You are invited to "Turn the Page." Not click "Next." Saving your place is just as easy and intuitive. When you open the eReader again, it takes you right to the page you marked. And then I discovered my favorite feature. Just like writing in the margins of a book your professor has assigned, you can annotate the pages of an eBook you own.

If you're not sure you're ready to give up the paper experience, this can help make the transition to paperless reading material much more palatable. Not only are books available, but also magazines. Adobe has a library of free reading material on their site. I encourage you to give it a try and let me know your thoughts.

No-Limit Hold'm; Theory and Practice - David Sklansky, Ed Miller

This is a very focused treatise. The authors go out of there way to tell you over and over again that this is not a book about how to play poker, it is a book about how to think about how to play poker. The distinction can easily be lost if you are not careful.

The authors identify several traits that all successful no limit players exhibit. Then they focus on two. There is no shortage of books on no limit hold'em. And the vast majority will address the same things over and over. Position, reading hands, bluffing and so on. This book focuses on manipulation. Manipulation of your opponents decisions and manipulation of the size of the pot.

What is unique about this focus is that all of the ideas they present are presented logically. Once you understand what they are trying to say, they then show you how to prove it is correct. The do this with math. Of course, because every piece of advise is situational, they then show you an example of when the advise you just digested is absolutely wrong. And, of course, they prove it with math.

The math used is fairly basic. The constants in the equations, however, are not easily or quickly arrived at in the heat of a hand. The math is there to prove the thought process is sound, not to provide you with a "system" for beating the game.

This is a very good book for the advanced player. They spend no time explaining the rankings of hands or describing how the game is played. If you haven't played a fair amount of Texas hold'em, this book will only confuse you.

A History of Pirates - Nigel Cawthorne

Nigel attacks a subject that has not been all that well documented in the past. While there are a few individual pirates who have had their stories extensively documented, the group as a whole has not.

Nigel includes a brief examination of some of the more famous Caribbean pirates; Captain Kidd, Blackbeard and Henry Morgan. The focus, however, is not on the individual pirates themselves but, on their culture, technology and philosophies.

He does a good job of analysing his subject in categories. Explaining the distinction between privateers and buccaneers for instance. He takes his time describing the weapons and the ships, which ones were favored and why.

There is one glaring problem with this treatise. Unfortunately it has nothing to do with the author. It is solely the responsibility of Paul Whittle. Who is Paul Whittle? He is the editor.

Nothing bothers me more than getting caught out by poor editing. Words repeated back to back. Grammatical train wrecks like using their instead of there. An interesting subject and insightful analysis is completely ruined by incompetent editing. You need to have much more than a passing interest in the subject to justify struggling though this volume.

The Girl with the Long Green Heart - Lawrence Block

Johnny Hayden was living the simple life. Dreaming of the day he could purchase a little no-tel motel just down the road. It wasn't a bad existence; assistant manager of a bowling alley in Boulder Colorado, living in a stark one-bedroom with no windows. It was a far sight better than the last 7 years. Years spent in San Quintin. Until he was visited by a face from the past.

Doug Rance had a plan. It was the perfect confidence scheme. And when it was over, Johnny would have all the money he needed to make his dream a reality.

Lawrence snaps a vivid picture of a grifter's life. He takes the time to educate the reader about the art and the eloquence of the long con. And he does it without sacrificing story or pace.

Take an afternoon at the beach or in your living room on a rainy day and enjoy this little page turner. It is a fast read that will not disappoint.