Book Review A born-again's harrowing autobiography retraces his path from an emotionally impoverished childhood, through a successful criminal career and, finally, to the redemption of the confessional. Razo assures his reader that his story will be unembellished, with no false modesty or undue embarrassment, and after the first few pages, it's clear he will keep his word. Razo begins his meditation with his earliest memories of growing up working-class in the dusty, sunny atmosphere of post-war San Diego. Despite the city's burgeoning diversity and sense of opportunity, his veteran father's American Indian heritage runs the family into trouble and teaches Razo some early lessons on the harsh realities of American culture. Though his family does help keep him in school for a while, his mother and father are over-extended with Razo and his five sisters. Though the emotions run hot between his mother and father usually it seems between rage and a begrudging commitment there is little feeling left over for the children. Razo doesn't shirk from any topic and provides some unique insights into the awkward presexuality that develops between the members of such a large cloister of siblings, especially when there is only one male to go around. It's a brave choice and makes good on Razo's promise of full disclosure. Through the machinations of poverty, prison, drugs and kung fu, Razo eventually impresses a major player with his martial arts and so finds himself one of Hell's Angels and on his way toward an illicit seven-figure salary. These years aren't overworked with analysis, and even when some regret seeps in, it seems a bit half-hearted (he was having fun, after all). The ragged emotions of such a life, though familiar territory in fiction and nonfiction alike, are still made interesting by their sheer detail and a narrative voice that isn t polished enough to hide the author's hell-bent and engaging character. Razo's life is colorful to be sure, and he was even a successful off-roading champion for a spell, but the real interest is Razo's unlikely negotiations of the mortal pitfalls of the drug trade amid so many murdered and murderous friends. Skeptical readers will conclude the author was saved more by a plea deal than by holy intervention, but it's Razo's story and there is no doubting that he's told it as he lived it. A harrowing, willful account of a life led hard and fast. -Kirkus Discoveries

Often hailed as one of the greatest television series of all time, The Sopranos is a product of its time, firmly embedded in the problems of post-industrial, post-ethnic America. In The Sopranos: Born under a Bad Sign, Franco Ricci examines the groundbreaking HBO series and its impact as a cultural phenomenon. Ricci demonstrates an encyclopedic knowledge of the series, the genre, and their social context in his analysis of the show’s complex themes and characters. He explores The Sopranos’ deep engagement with problems of race, class, gender, and identity, specifically in its portrayal of the Italian-American experience, consumer and media-driven society, and contemporary psychosocial issues. The series’ protagonist, Mafia boss and patriarch Tony Soprano, in many ways embodies the anxieties of our age. Focusing on Tony’s internal struggles and interactions with his therapist, family, and associates, Ricci traces this archetypal character’s existential conflicts and sheds light on his search for self, connection, and meaning. Comprehensive in scope and sophisticated in approach, The Sopranos: Born under a Bad Sign is richly rewarding reading for anyone with an interest in the popular television drama, both as entertainment and social commentary.

Your Essential Guide to Quick and Easy Astrology Set yourself up for better relationships and a bright future with Born Under a Good Sign, the uncomplicated guide to astrological sun signs. This book strips away the woo-woo and technical charts, leaving only the most useful and clear information on each sun sign's traits and tendencies. With sensible explanations and playful stories, Kristy Robinett provides everything you need to understand the larger impacts of the signs. You'll learn about planetary influences, communication styles, strengths and challenges, the masculine and feminine energy of each sign, and much more. Kristy also reveals how to handle difficult situations that arise with partners, parents, friends, and children. Featuring indispensable advice that isn't limited to any particular year, Born Under a Good Sign is perfect for improving your life and relationships.

THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING JACK REACHER SERIES • The inspiration for season two of the hit streaming series Reacher! “Electrifying . . . this series [is] utterly addictive.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times From a helicopter high above the California desert, a man is sent free-falling into the night. On the streets of Portland, Jack Reacher is pulled out of his wandering life and plunged into the heart of a conspiracy that is killing old friends . . . and the people he once trusted with his life. Reacher is the ultimate loner—no phone, no ties, no address. But a woman from his old military unit has found him using a signal only the eight members of their elite team would know. Then she tells him a terrifying story about the brutal death of a man they both served with. Soon Reacher is reuniting with the survivors of his team, scrambling to unravel the sudden disappearance of two other comrades. But Reacher won’t give up—because in a world of bad luck and trouble, when someone targets Jack Reacher and his team, they’d better be ready for what comes right back at them.

A chilling survey of the American landscape. Investigative journalist Jeffrey St Clair guides readers through the environmental wreckage of North America, from the plutonium-contaminated fields of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation to Indian Point Energy Center, the world's most dangerous nuclear plant. St Clair also delivers a forthright critique of the appropriation and disempowerment of the mainstream environmental movement, finding rejuvenated life, hope and inspiration in grassroots campaigners who are still driven by a desire for social justice.

A moving tale of the triumph of the human spirit amidst heartbreaking tragedy, told through the eyes of a charming, impish, and wickedly observant Afghan boy The Taliban have withdrawn from Kabul's streets, but the long shadows of their regime remain. In his short life, eleven-year-old Fawad has known more grief than most: his father and brother have been killed, his sister has been abducted, and Fawad and his mother, Mariya, must rely on the charity of parsimonious relatives to eke out a hand-to-mouth existence. Ever the optimist, Fawad hopes for a better life, and his dream is realized when Mariya finds a position as a housekeeper for a charismatic Western woman, Georgie, and her two foreign friends. The world of aid workers and journalists is a new one for Fawad, and living with the trio offers endless curiosities—including Georgie's destructive relationship with the powerful Afghan warlord Haji Khan, whose exploits are legendary. Fawad grows resentful and worried, until he comes to learn that love can move a man to act in surprisingly good ways. But life, especially in Kabul, is never without peril, and the next calamity Fawad must face is so devastating that it threatens to destroy the one thing he thought he could never lose: his love for his country. A big-hearted novel infused with crackling wit, Andrea Busfield's brilliant debut captures the hope and humanity of the Afghan people and the foreigners who live among them.

In this wickedly funny guide, professional astrologer Hazel Dixon-Cooper casts off sugar-coated astrology in favor of exploring the maladjusted side of the universe. If you want the inside scoop, the real deal, the lowdown on each sun sign, then look no further. It's time to forget those traditional astrology books where Sagittarians are gregarious, Capricorns are ambitious, and Pisceans are dreamers. Instead, enter a world where Archers are loud-mouthed bores, Goats are pompous social climbers, and Fish are chronically helpless. Dixon-Cooper debunks the myths, reveals the flaws, and examines the dubious virtues of each sun sign. Discover how to use your own inner brat to outwit bullies, outmaneuver manipulators, and win those endless games that lovers play. Learn how to deal with those dysfunctional people you encounter every day, including how to: contain a Ram's oversized ego calm a raging Bull keep a fickle Twin faithful Irreverent, biting, and laugh-out-loud funny, Born on a Rotten Day exaggerates the bad, exorcises the good, and puts a new spin on the age-old question -- what's your sign?

"Robert Johnson was born in rural Mississippi and died young, leaving little behind except blues like no one sung the blues before him. A legend says that Robert sold his soul to the devil in return for becoming King of the Delta Blues."--From source other than the Library of Congress

Some people are born under a bad sign, born outside of society, born to end up on the wrong side of the law. Born Under A Bad Sign traces the lives of three such individuals. Little Joe Dean. A hustler raised on the mean streets of New York City, who learned the in and outs of drug dealing as a young boy, who learned how to kill in the Vietnam War, who learned that raising a family comes with a price. Joyce Cassel. A young woman raised on a farm in Storm Lake, Iowa, who was sexually abused by her father, who ran away from home as a teenager, who turned to prostitution to survive. Jason Dean. The son of Little Joe and Joyce, who found himself torn between the love for his father and mother, who failed at every attempt to fit in at school, who joined a gang to find his identity.