Ross Kemp takes you into the deadly world on gangs, 30 Oct 2008
Ross Kemp has spent the last few years travelling around the world to meet gangs from some of the most dangerous places on the planet.
This is Ross 2nd book on the subject and it accompanies the TV series shown on Sky1
In this book Ross documents his visits to Colombia, LA California, Poland, Kenya and Liverpool.
In Colombia he goes to the slums to meet a group called the paramiltlies who claim they have laid down their arms in an attempt at peace but Ross discovers otherwise.
In LA he meets up with the Black, Mexican and Latino gangs that are turning the southern part of LA into a war zone.
In Poland he meets up with the hooligans of Polish football who are causing the same mayhem on terraces in Poland that the English hooligans caused on the terraces in England during the 1970's, 1980's. And 1990's.
In Kenya Ross visits during the most turbulent time in the country's history and speaks to tribal group members who claim they are looking after the poor people who have been abandoned by a alleged corrupt government.
Ross also learns about the glue kids living in Kenya' slums.
In Liverpool he meets two young boy gangs who are raging a battle in one of Liverpool's council estates and are using weapons that wouldn't look out of place in a military arsenal.
A very interesting read that leaves you wanting more answers that the book and Ross can hope to give.

Ross Kemp takes you into the deadly world on gangs, 30 Oct 2008
Ross Kemp has spent the last few years travelling around the world to meet gangs from some of the most dangerous places on the planet.
This is Ross 2nd book on the subject and it accompanies the TV series shown on Sky1
In this book Ross documents his visits to Colombia, LA California, Poland, Kenya and Liverpool.
In Colombia he goes to the slums to meet a group called the paramiltlies who claim they have laid down their arms in an attempt at peace but Ross discovers otherwise.
In LA he meets up with the Black, Mexican and Latino gangs that are turning the southern part of LA into a war zone.
In Poland he meets up with the hooligans of Polish football who are causing the same mayhem on terraces in Poland that the English hooligans caused on the terraces in England during the 1970's, 1980's. And 1990's.
In Kenya Ross visits during the most turbulent time in the country's history and speaks to tribal group members who claim they are looking after the poor people who have been abandoned by a alleged corrupt government.
Ross also learns about the glue kids living in Kenya' slums.
In Liverpool he meets two young boy gangs who are raging a battle in one of Liverpool's council estates and are using weapons that wouldn't look out of place in a military arsenal.
A very interesting read that leaves you wanting more answers that the book and Ross can hope to give.


A look at things through the eyes of an economist., 08 Oct 2008
This book is a general interest book- and it certainly is interesting. The book, for anyone looking for an entertaining read, will like it. In a nutshell, the book takes a look at all sorts of things in society, from crack gangs to parenting, and then attempts to make sense of them by applying econonmic principles. According to the book, economics is really the study of incentives, and so using this kind of angle, the book comes up with answers to why things work the way they do.

A book that's hard to put down, I'm sure many readers will enjoy it. Also recommend The Sixty-Second Motivator for a more simplistic explanation of what motivates people and gives them incentives to do what they do.

Ho hum not very interesting application of numerical data to sociology, 26 Aug 2008
I really can't see why this book attracted much interest. It's a collection of not very interesting observations, some obvious (children of rich parents do better than children of poor parents, estate agents are more interested in their commissions than in getting you the best price for your house), others tendentious (the crime statistics prove that more adding police reduces crime, IQ is hereditary). By and large the authors' opinions and observations are middle-of-road conservative, with some liberalism on race issues. Very little of this is about economics, just the application of some minute degree of numerical rigour to social issues. I'd skip it if I were you.

Fun & interesting, 17 Aug 2008
This is a really interesting romp through some fairly random questions like "How is the KKK like a group of estate agents". The answers to the questions that drive this book are well discussed and backed up with research. Logical thought processes which bring to light some interesting answers. I particularly liked the discussion about reduction in crime rates being related to abortion policy (rather than policing or improved government crime prevention policies).

I'd agree with other reviewers in that it was a bit light on content...I got to the end and wanted more, but worth a read.

If you only read one book about economics, make sure this is the one, 13 Aug 2008
One could maybe argue that this isn't an economics book at all but instead a collection of connected essays drawing on concepts from economics and statistics to get the point across.

I find the style of writing very easy to get on with, and the book as a whole very easy to read. In many ways I wish this book had been written before I studies economics all those years ago as it would have been a good introduction to some concepts from the world of economics presented in a way which means that anyone can enjoy this book.

Many other reviews on here have already mentioned a lot of the good points about this book so I won't go on and repeat it all here. All that's left for me to say is ... go for it, give this book a go.

Fun, informative read, 16 Jun 2008
I am 23, studying Physics with strong interest in finance/market and investments. I found this book very interesting and fun as well.

English is not my mother tongue, but this book is so well written that didn't give me any trouble.

Totally recommended

Ross Kemp takes you into the deadly world on gangs, 30 Oct 2008
Ross Kemp has spent the last few years travelling around the world to meet gangs from some of the most dangerous places on the planet.
This is Ross 2nd book on the subject and it accompanies the TV series shown on Sky1
In this book Ross documents his visits to Colombia, LA California, Poland, Kenya and Liverpool.
In Colombia he goes to the slums to meet a group called the paramiltlies who claim they have laid down their arms in an attempt at peace but Ross discovers otherwise.
In LA he meets up with the Black, Mexican and Latino gangs that are turning the southern part of LA into a war zone.
In Poland he meets up with the hooligans of Polish football who are causing the same mayhem on terraces in Poland that the English hooligans caused on the terraces in England during the 1970's, 1980's. And 1990's.
In Kenya Ross visits during the most turbulent time in the country's history and speaks to tribal group members who claim they are looking after the poor people who have been abandoned by a alleged corrupt government.
Ross also learns about the glue kids living in Kenya' slums.
In Liverpool he meets two young boy gangs who are raging a battle in one of Liverpool's council estates and are using weapons that wouldn't look out of place in a military arsenal.
A very interesting read that leaves you wanting more answers that the book and Ross can hope to give.


A look at things through the eyes of an economist., 08 Oct 2008
This book is a general interest book- and it certainly is interesting. The book, for anyone looking for an entertaining read, will like it. In a nutshell, the book takes a look at all sorts of things in society, from crack gangs to parenting, and then attempts to make sense of them by applying econonmic principles. According to the book, economics is really the study of incentives, and so using this kind of angle, the book comes up with answers to why things work the way they do.

A book that's hard to put down, I'm sure many readers will enjoy it. Also recommend The Sixty-Second Motivator for a more simplistic explanation of what motivates people and gives them incentives to do what they do.

Ho hum not very interesting application of numerical data to sociology, 26 Aug 2008
I really can't see why this book attracted much interest. It's a collection of not very interesting observations, some obvious (children of rich parents do better than children of poor parents, estate agents are more interested in their commissions than in getting you the best price for your house), others tendentious (the crime statistics prove that more adding police reduces crime, IQ is hereditary). By and large the authors' opinions and observations are middle-of-road conservative, with some liberalism on race issues. Very little of this is about economics, just the application of some minute degree of numerical rigour to social issues. I'd skip it if I were you.

Fun & interesting, 17 Aug 2008
This is a really interesting romp through some fairly random questions like "How is the KKK like a group of estate agents". The answers to the questions that drive this book are well discussed and backed up with research. Logical thought processes which bring to light some interesting answers. I particularly liked the discussion about reduction in crime rates being related to abortion policy (rather than policing or improved government crime prevention policies).

I'd agree with other reviewers in that it was a bit light on content...I got to the end and wanted more, but worth a read.

If you only read one book about economics, make sure this is the one, 13 Aug 2008
One could maybe argue that this isn't an economics book at all but instead a collection of connected essays drawing on concepts from economics and statistics to get the point across.

I find the style of writing very easy to get on with, and the book as a whole very easy to read. In many ways I wish this book had been written before I studies economics all those years ago as it would have been a good introduction to some concepts from the world of economics presented in a way which means that anyone can enjoy this book.

Many other reviews on here have already mentioned a lot of the good points about this book so I won't go on and repeat it all here. All that's left for me to say is ... go for it, give this book a go.

Fun, informative read, 16 Jun 2008
I am 23, studying Physics with strong interest in finance/market and investments. I found this book very interesting and fun as well.

English is not my mother tongue, but this book is so well written that didn't give me any trouble.

Totally recommended

Captures The Spirit, 30 Apr 2008
A great little book is this and a must have for fans of the TV show. It's full of useful info that I'm sure would come in handy on an action packed Saturday night in town, and plenty of educational pictures as well. Not too demanding on the old brain cells to read and it's not overlong. An extremely funny book and after you have read it, its the sort that you can keep picking up and look at your favourite bits again. Don't lend it to anyone though, unless they give you a receipt or a returnable deposit, or you won't see it again. Very good overall, a good laff, highly recommended. Also have a look at Al Murray's 'Pub landlord' and 'The Post Box at the Crossroads' by Alan Bates.

Funny, but short, 10 Mar 2008
I read this in about an hour at the weekend. Its incredibly funny, its pure Gene Hunt (mentally I kept hearing Philip Glensiter as I read it) but its also very expensive for what you get. There's about 30 words per page and lots of photos. If you're live, sleep and breath 'life on mars' this is essential fan material, but for the rest of us I'd really recommend you just buy the TV series on DVD... you'll get much better value for money.

What we could never really get away with, 25 Dec 2007
This spin-off is a cracking read. From a professional standpoint,'Life on Mars' in truth was a tad overstated and it depicted a style of Policing that some might have wished for. The story lines were close to the bone though and brought back memories of life even before the seventies. This little gem of a book is a must-have for any fans of the drama series. Buy it and be prepared to listen to the Gospel according to Gene Hunt. If you miss this one, you'll be as disappointed as a Detective who puts his hand in his pocket and finds the warrant is missing!


The Thoughts of Chairman Gene, 28 Oct 2007
This book is a real gem and my title is not accidental. A little bit larger in size than the famous "Little Red Book", the inside cover features a picture of the Guv reminding one of Mao's photo in that earlier production. But whereas the Little Red Book" was more serious in nature, this is a lot more fun as well as also being a key product of its historical era. LIFE ON MARS was a pioneering television series that finally ended some ten years of mediocre television drama and opened the way for other achievements. These "Rules" reflect the unseen presence of "The Guv" prompting the new plainclothesman ("plonks" are naturally not recognized and their presence grudgingly admitted) into an awareness of 1973 police work. Also, the multiple choice tests, with scores by young Chris Skleton, are much more hilarious than any boring multiple choice test for school A levels or immigration tests. It is a great follow up to a great series and a suitable companion volume to the author's co-authored work on Season One of the series. Yes, it is much cheaper on amazon,com. wherever one is in the world and whatever the exchange rate. A definite buy for all real fans of the series suitably aged with faked non-acid free paper with marks of pint glass rims soiling the pages and other items easily identifiable with the Guv. Guy Adams has done a great job.

A must for all fans, 26 Oct 2007
This has to be the funniest book I have read in years, you can actually hear Gene Hunt's voice in your head as you read it! a must for all fans of the show.

also it seems a lot cheaper on Amazon than elsewhere!

Ross Kemp takes you into the deadly world on gangs, 30 Oct 2008
Ross Kemp has spent the last few years travelling around the world to meet gangs from some of the most dangerous places on the planet.
This is Ross 2nd book on the subject and it accompanies the TV series shown on Sky1
In this book Ross documents his visits to Colombia, LA California, Poland, Kenya and Liverpool.
In Colombia he goes to the slums to meet a group called the paramiltlies who claim they have laid down their arms in an attempt at peace but Ross discovers otherwise.
In LA he meets up with the Black, Mexican and Latino gangs that are turning the southern part of LA into a war zone.
In Poland he meets up with the hooligans of Polish football who are causing the same mayhem on terraces in Poland that the English hooligans caused on the terraces in England during the 1970's, 1980's. And 1990's.
In Kenya Ross visits during the most turbulent time in the country's history and speaks to tribal group members who claim they are looking after the poor people who have been abandoned by a alleged corrupt government.
Ross also learns about the glue kids living in Kenya' slums.
In Liverpool he meets two young boy gangs who are raging a battle in one of Liverpool's council estates and are using weapons that wouldn't look out of place in a military arsenal.
A very interesting read that leaves you wanting more answers that the book and Ross can hope to give.


A look at things through the eyes of an economist., 08 Oct 2008
This book is a general interest book- and it certainly is interesting. The book, for anyone looking for an entertaining read, will like it. In a nutshell, the book takes a look at all sorts of things in society, from crack gangs to parenting, and then attempts to make sense of them by applying econonmic principles. According to the book, economics is really the study of incentives, and so using this kind of angle, the book comes up with answers to why things work the way they do.

A book that's hard to put down, I'm sure many readers will enjoy it. Also recommend The Sixty-Second Motivator for a more simplistic explanation of what motivates people and gives them incentives to do what they do.

Ho hum not very interesting application of numerical data to sociology, 26 Aug 2008
I really can't see why this book attracted much interest. It's a collection of not very interesting observations, some obvious (children of rich parents do better than children of poor parents, estate agents are more interested in their commissions than in getting you the best price for your house), others tendentious (the crime statistics prove that more adding police reduces crime, IQ is hereditary). By and large the authors' opinions and observations are middle-of-road conservative, with some liberalism on race issues. Very little of this is about economics, just the application of some minute degree of numerical rigour to social issues. I'd skip it if I were you.

Fun & interesting, 17 Aug 2008
This is a really interesting romp through some fairly random questions like "How is the KKK like a group of estate agents". The answers to the questions that drive this book are well discussed and backed up with research. Logical thought processes which bring to light some interesting answers. I particularly liked the discussion about reduction in crime rates being related to abortion policy (rather than policing or improved government crime prevention policies).

I'd agree with other reviewers in that it was a bit light on content...I got to the end and wanted more, but worth a read.

If you only read one book about economics, make sure this is the one, 13 Aug 2008
One could maybe argue that this isn't an economics book at all but instead a collection of connected essays drawing on concepts from economics and statistics to get the point across.

I find the style of writing very easy to get on with, and the book as a whole very easy to read. In many ways I wish this book had been written before I studies economics all those years ago as it would have been a good introduction to some concepts from the world of economics presented in a way which means that anyone can enjoy this book.

Many other reviews on here have already mentioned a lot of the good points about this book so I won't go on and repeat it all here. All that's left for me to say is ... go for it, give this book a go.

Fun, informative read, 16 Jun 2008
I am 23, studying Physics with strong interest in finance/market and investments. I found this book very interesting and fun as well.

English is not my mother tongue, but this book is so well written that didn't give me any trouble.

Totally recommended

Captures The Spirit, 30 Apr 2008
A great little book is this and a must have for fans of the TV show. It's full of useful info that I'm sure would come in handy on an action packed Saturday night in town, and plenty of educational pictures as well. Not too demanding on the old brain cells to read and it's not overlong. An extremely funny book and after you have read it, its the sort that you can keep picking up and look at your favourite bits again. Don't lend it to anyone though, unless they give you a receipt or a returnable deposit, or you won't see it again. Very good overall, a good laff, highly recommended. Also have a look at Al Murray's 'Pub landlord' and 'The Post Box at the Crossroads' by Alan Bates.

Funny, but short, 10 Mar 2008
I read this in about an hour at the weekend. Its incredibly funny, its pure Gene Hunt (mentally I kept hearing Philip Glensiter as I read it) but its also very expensive for what you get. There's about 30 words per page and lots of photos. If you're live, sleep and breath 'life on mars' this is essential fan material, but for the rest of us I'd really recommend you just buy the TV series on DVD... you'll get much better value for money.

What we could never really get away with, 25 Dec 2007
This spin-off is a cracking read. From a professional standpoint,'Life on Mars' in truth was a tad overstated and it depicted a style of Policing that some might have wished for. The story lines were close to the bone though and brought back memories of life even before the seventies. This little gem of a book is a must-have for any fans of the drama series. Buy it and be prepared to listen to the Gospel according to Gene Hunt. If you miss this one, you'll be as disappointed as a Detective who puts his hand in his pocket and finds the warrant is missing!


The Thoughts of Chairman Gene, 28 Oct 2007
This book is a real gem and my title is not accidental. A little bit larger in size than the famous "Little Red Book", the inside cover features a picture of the Guv reminding one of Mao's photo in that earlier production. But whereas the Little Red Book" was more serious in nature, this is a lot more fun as well as also being a key product of its historical era. LIFE ON MARS was a pioneering television series that finally ended some ten years of mediocre television drama and opened the way for other achievements. These "Rules" reflect the unseen presence of "The Guv" prompting the new plainclothesman ("plonks" are naturally not recognized and their presence grudgingly admitted) into an awareness of 1973 police work. Also, the multiple choice tests, with scores by young Chris Skleton, are much more hilarious than any boring multiple choice test for school A levels or immigration tests. It is a great follow up to a great series and a suitable companion volume to the author's co-authored work on Season One of the series. Yes, it is much cheaper on amazon,com. wherever one is in the world and whatever the exchange rate. A definite buy for all real fans of the series suitably aged with faked non-acid free paper with marks of pint glass rims soiling the pages and other items easily identifiable with the Guv. Guy Adams has done a great job.

A must for all fans, 26 Oct 2007
This has to be the funniest book I have read in years, you can actually hear Gene Hunt's voice in your head as you read it! a must for all fans of the show.

also it seems a lot cheaper on Amazon than elsewhere!

Gripping, 28 Sep 2008
This is a great book, so much more information than the series on sky1. opens your eyes to things you'd never normally see...now reading gangs2.

Fantastic!, 17 Sep 2008
If you have watched the series on Sky1 then you will know what this book is about!!
Its fantastic...Ross travels around the world meeting dangerous gangsters and gives a unique insight into their lives. Would highly reccomend! Can't wait for the next book!!

Not Quite What It Sets Out To Be, 13 Sep 2008
Well, I suppose the big beardy Anglophile yank had to do it sooner or later.

As Bryson himself says in his introduction, the world doesn't really need another book on Shakespeare. From the incredibly specific and obscure to the uselessly vague and general, from the trivially lightweight to the inaccessibly somber, the Bard of Stratford is the subject of literally dozens of new books of facts, biography, analysis, opinion, theory and conjecture, every damn year.

For all that, this was a worthwhile book to have written, which is more or less all we'd expect of Bryson, who is a clear, clever and witty writer who rarely fails to please.

Bryson has chosen biography as his goal. The book is written in more or less chronological order, with chapters covering distinct periods in Will's life. Bryson starts by characterising the period, analysing the (usually scant) evidence available, then raising and scrutinising the various popular interpretations about what is known. He detours occasionally into anecdotal discussion about his researches or funny or impressive stories about other people's attempts at research, which all over helps it from getting too dry and to remain a very Bryson book.

Throughout he's diligent about the distinction between evidence and interpretation. The problem is, we actually have pretty slender information about Shakespeare's life: a veritable wealth of data by the standards of Elizabethans in general, but still very little from which to derive any reliable idea of the facts of his life. Inevitably, this means foraying into conjecture from time to time; a practice at which Shakespearean academe excels, but a dangerous one. Bryson gives an example of the famous deer-poaching incident, a romantic guess made in the eighteenth century that was repeated as solid fact in Shakespeare scholarship for more than a hundred years after. Bryson, by contrast, while happy to include reasonable and useful guesses as to how to interpret what is known, is very careful to let you know what's fact - and where it's from - and what's conjecture and how it was arrived at.

If you're seriously into your Shakespeare scholarship, this book probably doesn't have anything new to tell you (although Bryson's research is up to date, and he has access to facts I didn't have at Uni), but if you're only likely to buy one Shakespeare biography in your life, this isn't a bad one to choose.

Terrifying, 26 Aug 2008
This is a must read book. Very easy to read; very difficult to put down. A terrifying account of a disaffected youth (around the world) with no families, no morals, no futures and no hope. The author deals with the issues with sensitivity and fairness. You begin to understand why young people (some of them of obviously high intelligence) have become affiliated to gangs. Read this book and ask, "what the hell has gone wrong with civilised society?". A superb,thought provoking book.

Ross Kemp takes you into the deadly world on gangs, 30 Oct 2008
Ross Kemp has spent the last few years travelling around the world to meet gangs from some of the most dangerous places on the planet.
This is Ross 2nd book on the subject and it accompanies the TV series shown on Sky1
In this book Ross documents his visits to Colombia, LA California, Poland, Kenya and Liverpool.
In Colombia he goes to the slums to meet a group called the paramiltlies who claim they have laid down their arms in an attempt at peace but Ross discovers otherwise.
In LA he meets up with the Black, Mexican and Latino gangs that are turning the southern part of LA into a war zone.
In Poland he meets up with the hooligans of Polish football who are causing the same mayhem on terraces in Poland that the English hooligans caused on the terraces in England during the 1970's, 1980's. And 1990's.
In Kenya Ross visits during the most turbulent time in the country's history and speaks to tribal group members who claim they are looking after the poor people who have been abandoned by a alleged corrupt government.
Ross also learns about the glue kids living in Kenya' slums.
In Liverpool he meets two young boy gangs who are raging a battle in one of Liverpool's council estates and are using weapons that wouldn't look out of place in a military arsenal.
A very interesting read that leaves you wanting more answers that the book and Ross can hope to give.


A look at things through the eyes of an economist., 08 Oct 2008
This book is a general interest book- and it certainly is interesting. The book, for anyone looking for an entertaining read, will like it. In a nutshell, the book takes a look at all sorts of things in society, from crack gangs to parenting, and then attempts to make sense of them by applying econonmic principles. According to the book, economics is really the study of incentives, and so using this kind of angle, the book comes up with answers to why things work the way they do.

A book that's hard to put down, I'm sure many readers will enjoy it. Also recommend The Sixty-Second Motivator for a more simplistic explanation of what motivates people and gives them incentives to do what they do.

Ho hum not very interesting application of numerical data to sociology, 26 Aug 2008
I really can't see why this book attracted much interest. It's a collection of not very interesting observations, some obvious (children of rich parents do better than children of poor parents, estate agents are more interested in their commissions than in getting you the best price for your house), others tendentious (the crime statistics prove that more adding police reduces crime, IQ is hereditary). By and large the authors' opinions and observations are middle-of-road conservative, with some liberalism on race issues. Very little of this is about economics, just the application of some minute degree of numerical rigour to social issues. I'd skip it if I were you.

Fun & interesting, 17 Aug 2008
This is a really interesting romp through some fairly random questions like "How is the KKK like a group of estate agents". The answers to the questions that drive this book are well discussed and backed up with research. Logical thought processes which bring to light some interesting answers. I particularly liked the discussion about reduction in crime rates being related to abortion policy (rather than policing or improved government crime prevention policies).

I'd agree with other reviewers in that it was a bit light on content...I got to the end and wanted more, but worth a read.

If you only read one book about economics, make sure this is the one, 13 Aug 2008
One could maybe argue that this isn't an economics book at all but instead a collection of connected essays drawing on concepts from economics and statistics to get the point across.

I find the style of writing very easy to get on with, and the book as a whole very easy to read. In many ways I wish this book had been written before I studies economics all those years ago as it would have been a good introduction to some concepts from the world of economics presented in a way which means that anyone can enjoy this book.

Many other reviews on here have already mentioned a lot of the good points about this book so I won't go on and repeat it all here. All that's left for me to say is ... go for it, give this book a go.

Fun, informative read, 16 Jun 2008
I am 23, studying Physics with strong interest in finance/market and investments. I found this book very interesting and fun as well.

English is not my mother tongue, but this book is so well written that didn't give me any trouble.

Totally recommended

Captures The Spirit, 30 Apr 2008
A great little book is this and a must have for fans of the TV show. It's full of useful info that I'm sure would come in handy on an action packed Saturday night in town, and plenty of educational pictures as well. Not too demanding on the old brain cells to read and it's not overlong. An extremely funny book and after you have read it, its the sort that you can keep picking up and look at your favourite bits again. Don't lend it to anyone though, unless they give you a receipt or a returnable deposit, or you won't see it again. Very good overall, a good laff, highly recommended. Also have a look at Al Murray's 'Pub landlord' and 'The Post Box at the Crossroads' by Alan Bates.

Funny, but short, 10 Mar 2008
I read this in about an hour at the weekend. Its incredibly funny, its pure Gene Hunt (mentally I kept hearing Philip Glensiter as I read it) but its also very expensive for what you get. There's about 30 words per page and lots of photos. If you're live, sleep and breath 'life on mars' this is essential fan material, but for the rest of us I'd really recommend you just buy the TV series on DVD... you'll get much better value for money.

What we could never really get away with, 25 Dec 2007
This spin-off is a cracking read. From a professional standpoint,'Life on Mars' in truth was a tad overstated and it depicted a style of Policing that some might have wished for. The story lines were close to the bone though and brought back memories of life even before the seventies. This little gem of a book is a must-have for any fans of the drama series. Buy it and be prepared to listen to the Gospel according to Gene Hunt. If you miss this one, you'll be as disappointed as a Detective who puts his hand in his pocket and finds the warrant is missing!


The Thoughts of Chairman Gene, 28 Oct 2007
This book is a real gem and my title is not accidental. A little bit larger in size than the famous "Little Red Book", the inside cover features a picture of the Guv reminding one of Mao's photo in that earlier production. But whereas the Little Red Book" was more serious in nature, this is a lot more fun as well as also being a key product of its historical era. LIFE ON MARS was a pioneering television series that finally ended some ten years of mediocre television drama and opened the way for other achievements. These "Rules" reflect the unseen presence of "The Guv" prompting the new plainclothesman ("plonks" are naturally not recognized and their presence grudgingly admitted) into an awareness of 1973 police work. Also, the multiple choice tests, with scores by young Chris Skleton, are much more hilarious than any boring multiple choice test for school A levels or immigration tests. It is a great follow up to a great series and a suitable companion volume to the author's co-authored work on Season One of the series. Yes, it is much cheaper on amazon,com. wherever one is in the world and whatever the exchange rate. A definite buy for all real fans of the series suitably aged with faked non-acid free paper with marks of pint glass rims soiling the pages and other items easily identifiable with the Guv. Guy Adams has done a great job.

A must for all fans, 26 Oct 2007
This has to be the funniest book I have read in years, you can actually hear Gene Hunt's voice in your head as you read it! a must for all fans of the show.

also it seems a lot cheaper on Amazon than elsewhere!

Gripping, 28 Sep 2008
This is a great book, so much more information than the series on sky1. opens your eyes to things you'd never normally see...now reading gangs2.

Fantastic!, 17 Sep 2008
If you have watched the series on Sky1 then you will know what this book is about!!
Its fantastic...Ross travels around the world meeting dangerous gangsters and gives a unique insight into their lives. Would highly reccomend! Can't wait for the next book!!

Not Quite What It Sets Out To Be, 13 Sep 2008
Well, I suppose the big beardy Anglophile yank had to do it sooner or later.

As Bryson himself says in his introduction, the world doesn't really need another book on Shakespeare. From the incredibly specific and obscure to the uselessly vague and general, from the trivially lightweight to the inaccessibly somber, the Bard of Stratford is the subject of literally dozens of new books of facts, biography, analysis, opinion, theory and conjecture, every damn year.

For all that, this was a worthwhile book to have written, which is more or less all we'd expect of Bryson, who is a clear, clever and witty writer who rarely fails to please.

Bryson has chosen biography as his goal. The book is written in more or less chronological order, with chapters covering distinct periods in Will's life. Bryson starts by characterising the period, analysing the (usually scant) evidence available, then raising and scrutinising the various popular interpretations about what is known. He detours occasionally into anecdotal discussion about his researches or funny or impressive stories about other people's attempts at research, which all over helps it from getting too dry and to remain a very Bryson book.

Throughout he's diligent about the distinction between evidence and interpretation. The problem is, we actually have pretty slender information about Shakespeare's life: a veritable wealth of data by the standards of Elizabethans in general, but still very little from which to derive any reliable idea of the facts of his life. Inevitably, this means foraying into conjecture from time to time; a practice at which Shakespearean academe excels, but a dangerous one. Bryson gives an example of the famous deer-poaching incident, a romantic guess made in the eighteenth century that was repeated as solid fact in Shakespeare scholarship for more than a hundred years after. Bryson, by contrast, while happy to include reasonable and useful guesses as to how to interpret what is known, is very careful to let you know what's fact - and where it's from - and what's conjecture and how it was arrived at.

If you're seriously into your Shakespeare scholarship, this book probably doesn't have anything new to tell you (although Bryson's research is up to date, and he has access to facts I didn't have at Uni), but if you're only likely to buy one Shakespeare biography in your life, this isn't a bad one to choose.

Terrifying, 26 Aug 2008
This is a must read book. Very easy to read; very difficult to put down. A terrifying account of a disaffected youth (around the world) with no families, no morals, no futures and no hope. The author deals with the issues with sensitivity and fairness. You begin to understand why young people (some of them of obviously high intelligence) have become affiliated to gangs. Read this book and ask, "what the hell has gone wrong with civilised society?". A superb,thought provoking book.

I never found it hilarious or shocking, 20 Nov 2008
I have given this a one star review as anything else would not have been correctly reflected among the previous reviews.

This book contains alot of hypocrisy. For example berating defence solictors for defending their clients against charges laid - whilst admitting that because of government targets alot of people are being charged with offences that once upon a time they would not have been.

It is rather like saying - we act in a way that is morally corrupt - but no one else can.

... awesome, 25 Oct 2008
As a front-line response inspector, like Mr GADGET, I read this book and both laughed and cried with equal measure, finishing it the day I bought it. I then immediately gave it to my Dad to let him read of my world and have already bought six copies for Christmas presents for other family / friends.

GADGET's insights sum up all that it has been my privilege to witness in over 10 years of operational policing at the sharp end and that this man does my specific job made it all the more engaging.

This is spot-on-the-money, intelligent, sufficiently angry, no-ranting exactitude. Your police force does not do what you think it does and does not fail you for the reasons you think: here's why.

Must read! For anyone even remotely intrested in the Police!, 22 Oct 2008
This is a great book! which to be honest is on one of those must read books for anyone who either has anything to do with or an intrest in the Police service!

Depressing but entertaining - yes, an odd combination, but true, 16 Oct 2008
I've never had any negative contact with the Police, or with the world described in the book. I don't (or didn't) think of myself as sheltered, but perhaps I should consider myself lucky?

This book, and the two other sources I've read recently (Diary of an On-call Girl: True Stories from the Front Line and the blog from which Wasting Police Time: The Crazy World of the War on Crime was developed), have been been eye opening and very entertaining.

Blogg's and Gadget's books complement each other well; the jobs of a response constable and response inspector give different views of a very similar sounding reality - I recommend them both. From what I've seen of Copperfield's blog I suspect that his book is also well worth a read.

Enjoyable (if somewhat disturbing) material. The humanity of the police staff shines through (without sounding like there're rose tinted spectacles involved), sadly the same can't be claimed of some of their 'customers'.


And all this costs the taxpayer £11 BILLION every year!, 12 Oct 2008
Pretty much confirms what everyone suspects, the criminal underclass have nothing to fear from our criminal justice system. It's quite clear that we need 250,000 prison places ASAP and a lot more Inspector Gadgets who know the wrong 'uns to bang-up for some serious porridge. It'll never happen of course.

Ross Kemp takes you into the deadly world on gangs, 30 Oct 2008
Ross Kemp has spent the last few years travelling around the world to meet gangs from some of the most dangerous places on the planet.
This is Ross 2nd book on the subject and it accompanies the TV series shown on Sky1
In this book Ross documents his visits to Colombia, LA California, Poland, Kenya and Liverpool.
In Colombia he goes to the slums to meet a group called the paramiltlies who claim they have laid down their arms in an attempt at peace but Ross discovers otherwise.
In LA he meets up with the Black, Mexican and Latino gangs that are turning the southern part of LA into a war zone.
In Poland he meets up with the hooligans of Polish football who are causing the same mayhem on terraces in Poland that the English hooligans caused on the terraces in England during the 1970's, 1980's. And 1990's.
In Kenya Ross visits during the most turbulent time in the country's history and speaks to tribal group members who claim they are looking after the poor people who have been abandoned by a alleged corrupt government.
Ross also learns about the glue kids living in Kenya' slums.
In Liverpool he meets two young boy gangs who are raging a battle in one of Liverpool's council estates and are using weapons that wouldn't look out of place in a military arsenal.
A very interesting read that leaves you wanting more answers that the book and Ross can hope to give.


A look at things through the eyes of an economist., 08 Oct 2008
This book is a general interest book- and it certainly is interesting. The book, for anyone looking for an entertaining read, will like it. In a nutshell, the book takes a look at all sorts of things in society, from crack gangs to parenting, and then attempts to make sense of them by applying econonmic principles. According to the book, economics is really the study of incentives, and so using this kind of angle, the book comes up with answers to why things work the way they do.

A book that's hard to put down, I'm sure many readers will enjoy it. Also recommend The Sixty-Second Motivator for a more simplistic explanation of what motivates people and gives them incentives to do what they do.

Ho hum not very interesting application of numerical data to sociology, 26 Aug 2008
I really can't see why this book attracted much interest. It's a collection of not very interesting observations, some obvious (children of rich parents do better than children of poor parents, estate agents are more interested in their commissions than in getting you the best price for your house), others tendentious (the crime statistics prove that more adding police reduces crime, IQ is hereditary). By and large the authors' opinions and observations are middle-of-road conservative, with some liberalism on race issues. Very little of this is about economics, just the application of some minute degree of numerical rigour to social issues. I'd skip it if I were you.

Fun & interesting, 17 Aug 2008
This is a really interesting romp through some fairly random questions like "How is the KKK like a group of estate agents". The answers to the questions that drive this book are well discussed and backed up with research. Logical thought processes which bring to light some interesting answers. I particularly liked the discussion about reduction in crime rates being related to abortion policy (rather than policing or improved government crime prevention policies).

I'd agree with other reviewers in that it was a bit light on content...I got to the end and wanted more, but worth a read.

If you only read one book about economics, make sure this is the one, 13 Aug 2008
One could maybe argue that this isn't an economics book at all but instead a collection of connected essays drawing on concepts from economics and statistics to get the point across.

I find the style of writing very easy to get on with, and the book as a whole very easy to read. In many ways I wish this book had been written before I studies economics all those years ago as it would have been a good introduction to some concepts from the world of economics presented in a way which means that anyone can enjoy this book.

Many other reviews on here have already mentioned a lot of the good points about this book so I won't go on and repeat it all here. All that's left for me to say is ... go for it, give this book a go.

Fun, informative read, 16 Jun 2008
I am 23, studying Physics with strong interest in finance/market and investments. I found this book very interesting and fun as well.

English is not my mother tongue, but this book is so well written that didn't give me any trouble.

Totally recommended

Captures The Spirit, 30 Apr 2008
A great little book is this and a must have for fans of the TV show. It's full of useful info that I'm sure would come in handy on an action packed Saturday night in town, and plenty of educational pictures as well. Not too demanding on the old brain cells to read and it's not overlong. An extremely funny book and after you have read it, its the sort that you can keep picking up and look at your favourite bits again. Don't lend it to anyone though, unless they give you a receipt or a returnable deposit, or you won't see it again. Very good overall, a good laff, highly recommended. Also have a look at Al Murray's 'Pub landlord' and 'The Post Box at the Crossroads' by Alan Bates.

Funny, but short, 10 Mar 2008
I read this in about an hour at the weekend. Its incredibly funny, its pure Gene Hunt (mentally I kept hearing Philip Glensiter as I read it) but its also very expensive for what you get. There's about 30 words per page and lots of photos. If you're live, sleep and breath 'life on mars' this is essential fan material, but for the rest of us I'd really recommend you just buy the TV series on DVD... you'll get much better value for money.

What we could never really get away with, 25 Dec 2007
This spin-off is a cracking read. From a professional standpoint,'Life on Mars' in truth was a tad overstated and it depicted a style of Policing that some might have wished for. The story lines were close to the bone though and brought back memories of life even before the seventies. This little gem of a book is a must-have for any fans of the drama series. Buy it and be prepared to listen to the Gospel according to Gene Hunt. If you miss this one, you'll be as disappointed as a Detective who puts his hand in his pocket and finds the warrant is missing!


The Thoughts of Chairman Gene, 28 Oct 2007
This book is a real gem and my title is not accidental. A little bit larger in size than the famous "Little Red Book", the inside cover features a picture of the Guv reminding one of Mao's photo in that earlier production. But whereas the Little Red Book" was more serious in nature, this is a lot more fun as well as also being a key product of its historical era. LIFE ON MARS was a pioneering television series that finally ended some ten years of mediocre television drama and opened the way for other achievements. These "Rules" reflect the unseen presence of "The Guv" prompting the new plainclothesman ("plonks" are naturally not recognized and their presence grudgingly admitted) into an awareness of 1973 police work. Also, the multiple choice tests, with scores by young Chris Skleton, are much more hilarious than any boring multiple choice test for school A levels or immigration tests. It is a great follow up to a great series and a suitable companion volume to the author's co-authored work on Season One of the series. Yes, it is much cheaper on amazon,com. wherever one is in the world and whatever the exchange rate. A definite buy for all real fans of the series suitably aged with faked non-acid free paper with marks of pint glass rims soiling the pages and other items easily identifiable with the Guv. Guy Adams has done a great job.

A must for all fans, 26 Oct 2007
This has to be the funniest book I have read in years, you can actually hear Gene Hunt's voice in your head as you read it! a must for all fans of the show.

also it seems a lot cheaper on Amazon than elsewhere!

Gripping, 28 Sep 2008
This is a great book, so much more information than the series on sky1. opens your eyes to things you'd never normally see...now reading gangs2.

Fantastic!, 17 Sep 2008
If you have watched the series on Sky1 then you will know what this book is about!!
Its fantastic...Ross travels around the world meeting dangerous gangsters and gives a unique insight into their lives. Would highly reccomend! Can't wait for the next book!!

Not Quite What It Sets Out To Be, 13 Sep 2008
Well, I suppose the big beardy Anglophile yank had to do it sooner or later.

As Bryson himself says in his introduction, the world doesn't really need another book on Shakespeare. From the incredibly specific and obscure to the uselessly vague and general, from the trivially lightweight to the inaccessibly somber, the Bard of Stratford is the subject of literally dozens of new books of facts, biography, analysis, opinion, theory and conjecture, every damn year.

For all that, this was a worthwhile book to have written, which is more or less all we'd expect of Bryson, who is a clear, clever and witty writer who rarely fails to please.

Bryson has chosen biography as his goal. The book is written in more or less chronological order, with chapters covering distinct periods in Will's life. Bryson starts by characterising the period, analysing the (usually scant) evidence available, then raising and scrutinising the various popular interpretations about what is known. He detours occasionally into anecdotal discussion about his researches or funny or impressive stories about other people's attempts at research, which all over helps it from getting too dry and to remain a very Bryson book.

Throughout he's diligent about the distinction between evidence and interpretation. The problem is, we actually have pretty slender information about Shakespeare's life: a veritable wealth of data by the standards of Elizabethans in general, but still very little from which to derive any reliable idea of the facts of his life. Inevitably, this means foraying into conjecture from time to time; a practice at which Shakespearean academe excels, but a dangerous one. Bryson gives an example of the famous deer-poaching incident, a romantic guess made in the eighteenth century that was repeated as solid fact in Shakespeare scholarship for more than a hundred years after. Bryson, by contrast, while happy to include reasonable and useful guesses as to how to interpret what is known, is very careful to let you know what's fact - and where it's from - and what's conjecture and how it was arrived at.

If you're seriously into your Shakespeare scholarship, this book probably doesn't have anything new to tell you (although Bryson's research is up to date, and he has access to facts I didn't have at Uni), but if you're only likely to buy one Shakespeare biography in your life, this isn't a bad one to choose.

Terrifying, 26 Aug 2008
This is a must read book. Very easy to read; very difficult to put down. A terrifying account of a disaffected youth (around the world) with no families, no morals, no futures and no hope. The author deals with the issues with sensitivity and fairness. You begin to understand why young people (some of them of obviously high intelligence) have become affiliated to gangs. Read this book and ask, "what the hell has gone wrong with civilised society?". A superb,thought provoking book.

I never found it hilarious or shocking, 20 Nov 2008
I have given this a one star review as anything else would not have been correctly reflected among the previous reviews.

This book contains alot of hypocrisy. For example berating defence solictors for defending their clients against charges laid - whilst admitting that because of government targets alot of people are being charged with offences that once upon a time they would not have been.

It is rather like saying - we act in a way that is morally corrupt - but no one else can.

... awesome, 25 Oct 2008
As a front-line response inspector, like Mr GADGET, I read this book and both laughed and cried with equal measure, finishing it the day I bought it. I then immediately gave it to my Dad to let him read of my world and have already bought six copies for Christmas presents for other family / friends.

GADGET's insights sum up all that it has been my privilege to witness in over 10 years of operational policing at the sharp end and that this man does my specific job made it all the more engaging.

This is spot-on-the-money, intelligent, sufficiently angry, no-ranting exactitude. Your police force does not do what you think it does and does not fail you for the reasons you think: here's why.

Must read! For anyone even remotely intrested in the Police!, 22 Oct 2008
This is a great book! which to be honest is on one of those must read books for anyone who either has anything to do with or an intrest in the Police service!

Depressing but entertaining - yes, an odd combination, but true, 16 Oct 2008
I've never had any negative contact with the Police, or with the world described in the book. I don't (or didn't) think of myself as sheltered, but perhaps I should consider myself lucky?

This book, and the two other sources I've read recently (Diary of an On-call Girl: True Stories from the Front Line and the blog from which Wasting Police Time: The Crazy World of the War on Crime was developed), have been been eye opening and very entertaining.

Blogg's and Gadget's books complement each other well; the jobs of a response constable and response inspector give different views of a very similar sounding reality - I recommend them both. From what I've seen of Copperfield's blog I suspect that his book is also well worth a read.

Enjoyable (if somewhat disturbing) material. The humanity of the police staff shines through (without sounding like there're rose tinted spectacles involved), sadly the same can't be claimed of some of their 'customers'.


And all this costs the taxpayer £11 BILLION every year!, 12 Oct 2008
Pretty much confirms what everyone suspects, the criminal underclass have nothing to fear from our criminal justice system. It's quite clear that we need 250,000 prison places ASAP and a lot more Inspector Gadgets who know the wrong 'uns to bang-up for some serious porridge. It'll never happen of course.

I'm definitely not following the crowd, 14 Nov 2008
So the general consensus seems to be that In Cold Blood is a masterpiece and Capote is a genius. Well I am sorry but I do not agree. In fact I think this is absolutely preposterous. The only way I can use the word genius in the same sentence as Capote is if I conclude that it was complete genius of him to make anyone believe this book is anything other than a badly written web of lies trying to disguise itself as something other than an unrequited love letter to a cold blooded psycopathic killer.
Let's look at what the book actually is. Difficult I know to do this because there seems to have been a completely new genre invented for this book. Why? I do not know, because the book is simply a novel based on a true story. Loosely based at that. Capote conducted interviews with witnesses and people who's lives were affected by the murders at the centre of the book. Some 90 or more in fact. He did not make one single note during any of these interviews. Can you remember the last 90 conversations you had?
The book has many factual inaccuracies and events that simply did not happen, it's closing scene for one. So how anyone can describe this as "new journalism" is beyond me. Although given what passes for journalism in some circles today this could be true. Maybe Capote did invent something new with In Cold Blood; the idea for journalists to lie through their teeth in order to try and make their stories more interesting.
In my view though at the heart of this book is Capote's infatuation with one of its main protagonists. There were 2 people involved with the crime at the centre of the book. It turns out that only one of them actually committed the murders although it is this person who we are subjected to throught the book and asked to feel sorry for continously. It was after all never his fault but his fathers. The other criminal is rarely mentioned and when he is it is to show him as idiotic, psychopathic and a sex fiend.
If you want to read a good novel by all means do so, there are thousands better than this. If you want to read a good piece of investigative journalism again go ahead, there are many noble journalists who base their work entirely on facts and would not stoop to something so low as to embellish or flat out lie simply for effect.
If you want to read a badly written love letter masquerading as... well I am not sure what it is masquerading as because no one seems to be able to give an answer to that, maybe this is where it's genius lies.

Brutal Event in Journalistic Focus, 29 Oct 2008
This book is essentially a detailed and well-crafted piece of journalism with the level and quality of detail to bring it into horrific focus. One gets access to all sides of the murders of a family from the effect on the close relatives and friends to the emotional states of the murderers themselves and their final demise at the end of a rope. No one can escape this book without a large emotional wallop that will leave one's mind reverberating for some time. The book additionally invites questions concerning the limits and boundaries of journalistic integrity. When does the journalist step beyond his role as observer and become part of the story? And...Should the journalist do so and thus change outcomes? Disturbingly provocative in many ways.

Gorgeous prose, 23 Oct 2008
There is no doubt Capote was a man of rare ability. One of his contempories - Norman Mailer - described Truman as: "The most beautiful writer of my generation." Mailer had an impeccable ego (roughly, the size of Kansas), so any praise from him was to be taken seriously.

And Truman's book is a serious one; six years in the researching and writing, it was a labour of love; or, perhaps, obsession.

What is the point of talking about this book? It is a famous book, one that made Capote's name, and is an example of the writing style called "New Journalism", the creative style merged with factual reporting, but what makes it great, a classic?

The story is horrific: a multiple murder for no gain, no more than forty or fifty dollars, and the killers drove eight hundred miles overnight to perpetrate it; so why did they bother? That was one of two questions I had; the other was: how did they get caught?

What else is there? We know they murder the family and we know they get hanged for it, there's not a lot of mystery here.

The killers are wasters; just drifting bums with no morality glueing the seperate parts of their brain together, yet Capote paints one in a sympathetic light, and leaves the other to appear evil in his friends reflection.

Poor old Perry Smith; he had a crappy life and no-one loved him, so its no surprise he turned out like he did, is it?

But wild Dick Hickock, why, he was a murdering monster: a man vomited straight from the devil's gut onto the earth.

Capote tells us (more than once) how Smith stopped Hickock raping Nancy Clutter during the robbery. Smith was obviously a man of rare self-control.

It's a shame he didn't have the self-control to stop himself obliterating her head with a .12 gauge shotgun.

The imbalance in Capote's portraits is ridiculous.

And the killers are the author's main focus, they are what and who he was interested in, not the victims.

This is worth buying and worth reading, if nothing else, for the privilege of reading Truman's gorgeous prose.



Four shotgun blasts that changed a town forever!, 05 Oct 2008
Recently re-read this disturbing factional story of unspeakable horror after some thirty odd years, re-visiting the pain of Holcomb, the scene of the tragic, senseless snuffing out of the Clutters. Contoversial on its publication due to its blending of fact and fiction, a hybrid composite that had not been done before, Capote's "In Cold Blood" reconstucts, in all their brutal detail, the 1959 grisly, cold-blooded murder of the Clutter family on their farm in the plains of western Kansas when four shotgun blasts changed the town of Holcomb forever. This fictionalising of real events, coupled with imagined dialogue between real-life characters, broke new ground and established Capote as the inventor of True Crime 'non-fiction' novels.

Capote's meticulous reconstruction of the tragedy covers the lead-up to the gruesome murders and the aftermath. In the lead-up, Capote builds suspense and tension by cross-cutting intermittently between descriptions of the routine domestic life of the Clutters in their small farming community near Holcomb and the unstable lives of drifters Smith and Hickock - what's chilling is their humaness in the picture Capote draws - as they drift cross-country towards Holcomb. The aftermath comprehensively covers the search for and apprehension of the killers and their subsequent trial and incarceration on death row. WARNING - the amoral Perry Smith may make your blood run cold!

Capote's case-study is concerned not just with the who of the crime but the why, probing into every facet of the lives of the killers, the background influences that shaped them, taking us into their minds to give us the opportunity to get to know them, exploring the psyche of the criminal mind to discover the psychological motivation that can turn men into monsters. A forerunner of classic true-crime titles such as "Fatal Vision" by Joe McGinnis, "Blood and Money" by Thomas Thomson" and "Daddy's Girl" by Clifford Irvine, "In Cold Blood" is itself, an American classic and one of the best American books of the 20th Century.

Masterpiece of crime writing, 25 Aug 2008
I read this book over several weeks yet every time I picked it up I was able to get straight back into the story. I think this is slightly due to the style of writing giving out accurate information in a chronological order similar to a long running news story.

Capote's writing is always brilliant whatever he writes about. There is no word wasted here, no over the top descriptions just a very gripping true story told from every angle. He doesnt judge anyone involved but gives enough detail to make you sympathise 'almost' with the killers.

Before reading this book the only story I knew of Kansas was the Wizard of OZ which also evokes the huge plains where farming is the main source of income, windy and lonesome with god fearing, hard working farming folk making a living. Then one night this terrible crime takes place. Capote relives each and every minute of the crime, the getaway, eventual capture and the court hearing and outcome. A great book in every way.

Ross Kemp takes you into the deadly world on gangs, 30 Oct 2008
Ross Kemp has spent the last few years travelling around the world to meet gangs from some of the most dangerous places on the planet.
This is Ross 2nd book on the subject and it accompanies the TV series shown on Sky1
In this book Ross documents his visits to Colombia, LA California, Poland, Kenya and Liverpool.
In Colombia he goes to the slums to meet a group called the paramiltlies who claim they have laid down their arms in an attempt at peace but Ross discovers otherwise.
In LA he meets up with the Black, Mexican and Latino gangs that are turning the southern part of LA into a war zone.
In Poland he meets up with the hooligans of Polish football who are causing the same mayhem on terraces in Poland that the English hooligans caused on the terraces in England during the 1970's, 1980's. And 1990's.
In Kenya Ross visits during the most turbulent time in the country's history and speaks to tribal group members who claim they are looking after the poor people who have been abandoned by a alleged corrupt government.
Ross also learns about the glue kids living in Kenya' slums.
In Liverpool he meets two young boy gangs who are raging a battle in one of Liverpool's council estates and are using weapons that wouldn't look out of place in a military arsenal.
A very interesting read that leaves you wanting more answers that the book and Ross can hope to give.


A look at things through the eyes of an economist., 08 Oct 2008
This book is a general interest book- and it certainly is interesting. The book, for anyone looking for an entertaining read, will like it. In a nutshell, the book takes a look at all sorts of things in society, from crack gangs to parenting, and then attempts to make sense of them by applying econonmic principles. According to the book, economics is really the study of incentives, and so using this kind of angle, the book comes up with answers to why things work the way they do.

A book that's hard to put down, I'm sure many readers will enjoy it. Also recommend The Sixty-Second Motivator for a more simplistic explanation of what motivates people and gives them incentives to do what they do.

Ho hum not very interesting application of numerical data to sociology, 26 Aug 2008
I really can't see why this book attracted much interest. It's a collection of not very interesting observations, some obvious (children of rich parents do better than children of poor parents, estate agents are more interested in their commissions than in getting you the best price for your house), others tendentious (the crime statistics prove that more adding police reduces crime, IQ is hereditary). By and large the authors' opinions and observations are middle-of-road conservative, with some liberalism on race issues. Very little of this is about economics, just the application of some minute degree of numerical rigour to social issues. I'd skip it if I were you.

Fun & interesting, 17 Aug 2008
This is a really interesting romp through some fairly random questions like "How is the KKK like a group of estate agents". The answers to the questions that drive this book are well discussed and backed up with research. Logical thought processes which bring to light some interesting answers. I particularly liked the discussion about reduction in crime rates being related to abortion policy (rather than policing or improved government crime prevention policies).

I'd agree with other reviewers in that it was a bit light on content...I got to the end and wanted more, but worth a read.

If you only read one book about economics, make sure this is the one, 13 Aug 2008
One could maybe argue that this isn't an economics book at all but instead a collection of connected essays drawing on concepts from economics and statistics to get the point across.

I find the style of writing very easy to get on with, and the book as a whole very easy to read. In many ways I wish this book had been written before I studies economics all those years ago as it would have been a good introduction to some concepts from the world of economics presented in a way which means that anyone can enjoy this book.

Many other reviews on here have already mentioned a lot of the good points about this book so I won't go on and repeat it all here. All that's left for me to say is ... go for it, give this book a go.

Fun, informative read, 16 Jun 2008
I am 23, studying Physics with strong interest in finance/market and investments. I found this book very interesting and fun as well.

English is not my mother tongue, but this book is so well written that didn't give me any trouble.

Totally recommended

Captures The Spirit, 30 Apr 2008
A great little book is this and a must have for fans of the TV show. It's full of useful info that I'm sure would come in handy on an action packed Saturday night in town, and plenty of educational pictures as well. Not too demanding on the old brain cells to read and it's not overlong. An extremely funny book and after you have read it, its the sort that you can keep picking up and look at your favourite bits again. Don't lend it to anyone though, unless they give you a receipt or a returnable deposit, or you won't see it again. Very good overall, a good laff, highly recommended. Also have a look at Al Murray's 'Pub landlord' and 'The Post Box at the Crossroads' by Alan Bates.

Funny, but short, 10 Mar 2008
I read this in about an hour at the weekend. Its incredibly funny, its pure Gene Hunt (mentally I kept hearing Philip Glensiter as I read it) but its also very expensive for what you get. There's about 30 words per page and lots of photos. If you're live, sleep and breath 'life on mars' this is essential fan material, but for the rest of us I'd really recommend you just buy the TV series on DVD... you'll get much better value for money.

What we could never really get away with, 25 Dec 2007
This spin-off is a cracking read. From a professional standpoint,'Life on Mars' in truth was a tad overstated and it depicted a style of Policing that some might have wished for. The story lines were close to the bone though and brought back memories of life even before the seventies. This little gem of a book is a must-have for any fans of the drama series. Buy it and be prepared to listen to the Gospel according to Gene Hunt. If you miss this one, you'll be as disappointed as a Detective who puts his hand in his pocket and finds the warrant is missing!


The Thoughts of Chairman Gene, 28 Oct 2007
This book is a real gem and my title is not accidental. A little bit larger in size than the famous "Little Red Book", the inside cover features a picture of the Guv reminding one of Mao's photo in that earlier production. But whereas the Little Red Book" was more serious in nature, this is a lot more fun as well as also being a key product of its historical era. LIFE ON MARS was a pioneering television series that finally ended some ten years of mediocre television drama and opened the way for other achievements. These "Rules" reflect the unseen presence of "The Guv" prompting the new plainclothesman ("plonks" are naturally not recognized and their presence grudgingly admitted) into an awareness of 1973 police work. Also, the multiple choice tests, with scores by young Chris Skleton, are much more hilarious than any boring multiple choice test for school A levels or immigration tests. It is a great follow up to a great series and a suitable companion volume to the author's co-authored work on Season One of the series. Yes, it is much cheaper on amazon,com. wherever one is in the world and whatever the exchange rate. A definite buy for all real fans of the series suitably aged with faked non-acid free paper with marks of pint glass rims soiling the pages and other items easily identifiable with the Guv. Guy Adams has done a great job.

A must for all fans, 26 Oct 2007
This has to be the funniest book I have read in years, you can actually hear Gene Hunt's voice in your head as you read it! a must for all fans of the show.

also it seems a lot cheaper on Amazon than elsewhere!

Gripping, 28 Sep 2008
This is a great book, so much more information than the series on sky1. opens your eyes to things you'd never normally see...now reading gangs2.

Fantastic!, 17 Sep 2008
If you have watched the series on Sky1 then you will know what this book is about!!
Its fantastic...Ross travels around the world meeting dangerous gangsters and gives a unique insight into their lives. Would highly reccomend! Can't wait for the next book!!

Not Quite What It Sets Out To Be, 13 Sep 2008
Well, I suppose the big beardy Anglophile yank had to do it sooner or later.

As Bryson himself says in his introduction, the world doesn't really need another book on Shakespeare. From the incredibly specific and obscure to the uselessly vague and general, from the trivially lightweight to the inaccessibly somber, the Bard of Stratford is the subject of literally dozens of new books of facts, biography, analysis, opinion, theory and conjecture, every damn year.

For all that, this was a worthwhile book to have written, which is more or less all we'd expect of Bryson, who is a clear, clever and witty writer who rarely fails to please.

Bryson has chosen biography as his goal. The book is written in more or less chronological order, with chapters covering distinct periods in Will's life. Bryson starts by characterising the period, analysing the (usually scant) evidence available, then raising and scrutinising the various popular interpretations about what is known. He detours occasionally into anecdotal discussion about his researches or funny or impressive stories about other people's attempts at research, which all over helps it from getting too dry and to remain a very Bryson book.

Throughout he's diligent about the distinction between evidence and interpretation. The problem is, we actually have pretty slender information about Shakespeare's life: a veritable wealth of data by the standards of Elizabethans in general, but still very little from which to derive any reliable idea of the facts of his life. Inevitably, this means foraying into conjecture from time to time; a practice at which Shakespearean academe excels, but a dangerous one. Bryson gives an example of the famous deer-poaching incident, a romantic guess made in the eighteenth century that was repeated as solid fact in Shakespeare scholarship for more than a hundred years after. Bryson, by contrast, while happy to include reasonable and useful guesses as to how to interpret what is known, is very careful to let you know what's fact - and where it's from - and what's conjecture and how it was arrived at.

If you're seriously into your Shakespeare scholarship, this book probably doesn't have anything new to tell you (although Bryson's research is up to date, and he has access to facts I didn't have at Uni), but if you're only likely to buy one Shakespeare biography in your life, this isn't a bad one to choose.

Terrifying, 26 Aug 2008
This is a must read book. Very easy to read; very difficult to put down. A terrifying account of a disaffected youth (around the world) with no families, no morals, no futures and no hope. The author deals with the issues with sensitivity and fairness. You begin to understand why young people (some of them of obviously high intelligence) have become affiliated to gangs. Read this book and ask, "what the hell has gone wrong with civilised society?". A superb,thought provoking book.

I never found it hilarious or shocking, 20 Nov 2008
I have given this a one star review as anything else would not have been correctly reflected among the previous reviews.

This book contains alot of hypocrisy. For example berating defence solictors for defending their clients against charges laid - whilst admitting that because of government targets alot of people are being charged with offences that once upon a time they would not have been.

It is rather like saying - we act in a way that is morally corrupt - but no one else can.

... awesome, 25 Oct 2008
As a front-line response inspector, like Mr GADGET, I read this book and both laughed and cried with equal measure, finishing it the day I bought it. I then immediately gave it to my Dad to let him read of my world and have already bought six copies for Christmas presents for other family / friends.

GADGET's insights sum up all that it has been my privilege to witness in over 10 years of operational policing at the sharp end and that this man does my specific job made it all the more engaging.

This is spot-on-the-money, intelligent, sufficiently angry, no-ranting exactitude. Your police force does not do what you think it does and does not fail you for the reasons you think: here's why.

Must read! For anyone even remotely intrested in the Police!, 22 Oct 2008
This is a great book! which to be honest is on one of those must read books for anyone who either has anything to do with or an intrest in the Police service!

Depressing but entertaining - yes, an odd combination, but true, 16 Oct 2008
I've never had any negative contact with the Police, or with the world described in the book. I don't (or didn't) think of myself as sheltered, but perhaps I should consider myself lucky?

This book, and the two other sources I've read recently (Diary of an On-call Girl: True Stories from the Front Line and the blog from which Wasting Police Time: The Crazy World of the War on Crime was developed), have been been eye opening and very entertaining.

Blogg's and Gadget's books complement each other well; the jobs of a response constable and response inspector give different views of a very similar sounding reality - I recommend them both. From what I've seen of Copperfield's blog I suspect that his book is also well worth a read.

Enjoyable (if somewhat disturbing) material. The humanity of the police staff shines through (without sounding like there're rose tinted spectacles involved), sadly the same can't be claimed of some of their 'customers'.


And all this costs the taxpayer £11 BILLION every year!, 12 Oct 2008
Pretty much confirms what everyone suspects, the criminal underclass have nothing to fear from our criminal justice system. It's quite clear that we need 250,000 prison places ASAP and a lot more Inspector Gadgets who know the wrong 'uns to bang-up for some serious porridge. It'll never happen of course.

I'm definitely not following the crowd, 14 Nov 2008
So the general consensus seems to be that In Cold Blood is a masterpiece and Capote is a genius. Well I am sorry but I do not agree. In fact I think this is absolutely preposterous. The only way I can use the word genius in the same sentence as Capote is if I conclude that it was complete genius of him to make anyone believe this book is anything other than a badly written web of lies trying to disguise itself as something other than an unrequited love letter to a cold blooded psycopathic killer.
Let's look at what the book actually is. Difficult I know to do this because there seems to have been a completely new genre invented for this book. Why? I do not know, because the book is simply a novel based on a true story. Loosely based at that. Capote conducted interviews with witnesses and people who's lives were affected by the murders at the centre of the book. Some 90 or more in fact. He did not make one single note during any of these interviews. Can you remember the last 90 conversations you had?
The book has many factual inaccuracies and events that simply did not happen, it's closing scene for one. So how anyone can describe this as "new journalism" is beyond me. Although given what passes for journalism in some circles today this could be true. Maybe Capote did invent something new with In Cold Blood; the idea for journalists to lie through their teeth in order to try and make their stories more interesting.
In my view though at the heart of this book is Capote's infatuation with one of its main protagonists. There were 2 people involved with the crime at the centre of the book. It turns out that only one of them actually committed the murders although it is this person who we are subjected to throught the book and asked to feel sorry for continously. It was after all never his fault but his fathers. The other criminal is rarely mentioned and when he is it is to show him as idiotic, psychopathic and a sex fiend.
If you want to read a good novel by all means do so, there are thousands better than this. If you want to read a good piece of investigative journalism again go ahead, there are many noble journalists who base their work entirely on facts and would not stoop to something so low as to embellish or flat out lie simply for effect.
If you want to read a badly written love letter masquerading as... well I am not sure what it is masquerading as because no one seems to be able to give an answer to that, maybe this is where it's genius lies.

Brutal Event in Journalistic Focus, 29 Oct 2008
This book is essentially a detailed and well-crafted piece of journalism with the level and quality of detail to bring it into horrific focus. One gets access to all sides of the murders of a family from the effect on the close relatives and friends to the emotional states of the murderers themselves and their final demise at the end of a rope. No one can escape this book without a large emotional wallop that will leave one's mind reverberating for some time. The book additionally invites questions concerning the limits and boundaries of journalistic integrity. When does the journalist step beyond his role as observer and become part of the story? And...Should the journalist do so and thus change outcomes? Disturbingly provocative in many ways.

Gorgeous prose, 23 Oct 2008
There is no doubt Capote was a man of rare ability. One of his contempories - Norman Mailer - described Truman as: "The most beautiful writer of my generation." Mailer had an impeccable ego (roughly, the size of Kansas), so any praise from him was to be taken seriously.

And Truman's book is a serious one; six years in the researching and writing, it was a labour of love; or, perhaps, obsession.

What is the point of talking about this book? It is a famous book, one that made Capote's name, and is an example of the writing style called "New Journalism", the creative style merged with factual reporting, but what makes it great, a classic?

The story is horrific: a multiple murder for no gain, no more than forty or fifty dollars, and the killers drove eight hundred miles overnight to perpetrate it; so why did they bother? That was one of two questions I had; the other was: how did they get caught?

What else is there? We know they murder the family and we know they get hanged for it, there's not a lot of mystery here.

The killers are wasters; just drifting bums with no morality glueing the seperate parts of their brain together, yet Capote paints one in a sympathetic light, and leaves the other to appear evil in his friends reflection.

Poor old Perry Smith; he had a crappy life and no-one loved him, so its no surprise he turned out like he did, is it?

But wild Dick Hickock, why, he was a murdering monster: a man vomited straight from the devil's gut onto the earth.

Capote tells us (more than once) how Smith stopped Hickock raping Nancy Clutter during the robbery. Smith was obviously a man of rare self-control.

It's a shame he didn't have the self-control to stop himself obliterating her head with a .12 gauge shotgun.

The imbalance in Capote's portraits is ridiculous.

And the killers are the author's main focus, they are what and who he was interested in, not the victims.

This is worth buying and worth reading, if nothing else, for the privilege of reading Truman's gorgeous prose.



Four shotgun blasts that changed a town forever!, 05 Oct 2008
Recently re-read this disturbing factional story of unspeakable horror after some thirty odd years, re-visiting the pain of Holcomb, the scene of the tragic, senseless snuffing out of the Clutters. Contoversial on its publication due to its blending of fact and fiction, a hybrid composite that had not been done before, Capote's "In Cold Blood" reconstucts, in all their brutal detail, the 1959 grisly, cold-blooded murder of the Clutter family on their farm in the plains of western Kansas when four shotgun blasts changed the town of Holcomb forever. This fictionalising of real events, coupled with imagined dialogue between real-life characters, broke new ground and established Capote as the inventor of True Crime 'non-fiction' novels.

Capote's meticulous reconstruction of the tragedy covers the lead-up to the gruesome murders and the aftermath. In the lead-up, Capote builds suspense and tension by cross-cutting intermittently between descriptions of the routine domestic life of the Clutters in their small farming community near Holcomb and the unstable lives of drifters Smith and Hickock - what's chilling is their humaness in the picture Capote draws - as they drift cross-country towards Holcomb. The aftermath comprehensively covers the search for and apprehension of the killers and their subsequent trial and incarceration on death row. WARNING - the amoral Perry Smith may make your blood run cold!

Capote's case-study is concerned not just with the who of the crime but the why, probing into every facet of the lives of the killers, the background influences that shaped them, taking us into their minds to give us the opportunity to get to know them, exploring the psyche of the criminal mind to discover the psychological motivation that can turn men into monsters. A forerunner of classic true-crime titles such as "Fatal Vision" by Joe McGinnis, "Blood and Money" by Thomas Thomson" and "Daddy's Girl" by Clifford Irvine, "In Cold Blood" is itself, an American classic and one of the best American books of the 20th Century.

Masterpiece of crime writing, 25 Aug 2008
I read this book over several weeks yet every time I picked it up I was able to get straight back into the story. I think this is slightly due to the style of writing giving out accurate information in a chronological order similar to a long running news story.

Capote's writing is always brilliant whatever he writes about. There is no word wasted here, no over the top descriptions just a very gripping true story told from every angle. He doesnt judge anyone involved but gives enough detail to make you sympathise 'almost' with the killers.

Before reading this book the only story I knew of Kansas was the Wizard of OZ which also evokes the huge plains where farming is the main source of income, windy and lonesome with god fearing, hard working farming folk making a living. Then one night this terrible crime takes place. Capote relives each and every minute of the crime, the getaway, eventual capture and the court hearing and outcome. A great book in every way.

A book for every good driver, 09 Aug 2008
Don't be fooled by the new cover on the most recent issue of Roadcraft. This book is not just for Advanced Police drivers but for everyone who has a keen interest in driving and for driving safely. As a traffic cop myself it is the bible for all the courses, however, it also takes drivers who have passed the DVLA standard test and through very well laid out sections, teaches them a whole different approach to their driving.

Without giving too much away, it teaches drivers to adopt a proven system of car control which WILL improve anticipation and observation skills dramatically amongst many other things.

A very worthwhile read indeed.

The Police Driver's Handbook, 10 Feb 2007
For anybody interested in motoring, it gives an insight into advanced driving techniques. For those of us who passed their driving test when Adam was a lad, it is well worth a read. An excellent and well written book.

Excellent, 05 Jan 2007
A very necessary book to take u on from the basic test. Do not think that this will teach u all the art of high speed driving and fast car attitudes as it wont. But stops short for obvious reasons so u will get as much as legally possible to make u a very well improved driver. This book is used not only by Police driving schools but also international drivers as well. The whole Police advanced course is based and tested on this book u will not go wrong. A good supplement to this is the roadcraft DVD which covers the book visually. I have used this book for over 15 years and highly recommend it.

Roadcraft - honest opinion, 17 Mar 2005
This book covers all the relevant knowledge required for safe,systematic driving and as the book describes, the safe use of "driving to the system". It helps everyone finally understand why it is their driving that causes accidents and not the vehicles they drive. It covers cornering,steering, use of gears, overtaking (which is legal you know, regardless of people sticking their fingers up at you for doing it and flashing you when you have plenty of room and don't sacrifice anyones safety to do it !), skidding and how to correct it and much more including drivers behaviours and tips on how to generally drive safely (not necessarily slowly !). It enables any driver to observe everything around him, anticipate any hazards before its too late. This book is well worth a read if you are not the most confident of drivers or indeed you have had a few accidents and think you have learnt because the stats in this book will shock you. The only criticism of this book is that to explain a relatively straight forward task, does involve long winded words, which for some people they would find taxing and quite boring. But with a dictionary to hand, you would be fine. If it is used to train police officers, which i think from what i see living in London everyday, it does a good job ! enjoy. AW.

Read & Read Again, 17 Jan 2004
Before you get in a car it is worth while reading this Handbook. It is simple things like Cornering & stopping positions that we ALL take for granted. This book covers most topics with Illustrations.When you read the book again after it all fits in to place. It perhaps won't make you a better driver, but a safer one!!

Ross Kemp takes you into the deadly world on gangs, 30 Oct 2008
Ross Kemp has spent the last few years travelling around the world to meet gangs from some of the most dangerous places on the planet.
This is Ross 2nd book on the subject and it accompanies the TV series shown on Sky1
In this book Ross documents his visits to Colombia, LA California, Poland, Kenya and Liverpool.
In Colombia he goes to the slums to meet a group called the paramiltlies who claim they have laid down their arms in an attempt at peace but Ross discovers otherwise.
In LA he meets up with the Black, Mexican and Latino gangs that are turning the southern part of LA into a war zone.