Review of
The Widening Gyre,
by Robert B. Parker ISBN 0440195357
Five out of five stars
Spenser is a bit lovesick
This Spenser
story is a bit different from the others regarding the client and the
involvement of the main characters. The client is a politician (Meade
Alexander) that is running on an extremely religious theme against an incumbent
that is mob connected, specifically “owned” by Joe Broz. It is a race for a
Senate seat in Massachusetts and there have been serious threats against the
candidate.
At first the
job seems to be routine security, but that changes quickly when Spenser is
informed that Alexander’s wife has been extremely indiscreet sexually, to the
point where there is a tape. While investigating, Spenser learns that renegade
elements of Joe Broz’s criminal organization are responsible for the making of
the tape.
Susan Silverman
is heavily engaged in furthering her career in Washington D. C., so her
involvement is mostly descriptions of Spenser lamenting her absence. Although
they do have a few trysts. Hawk makes a token appearance, but only after Spenser
is seriously injured. To the extent that there is a sidekick role, it is filled
by Quirk and Benson. The main interaction is between Spenser and Joe Broz with
Vinnie Morris. While Broz will not hesitate to have Spenser killed, the most
logical solution is to reach an agreement rather than let the bullets fly.
The best and
worst feature of this story is the self-doubts expressed by Spenser. His is a
world where a moment’s hesitation can get you killed, so while the reader can
appreciate the vulnerability, it also is not a trait consistent with his necessary
thuggish nature.
Review of
Hardy Boys: The Wailing Siren Mystery,
by Franklin W. Dixon
Four out of five stars
Published in
1951, this Hardy Boys story is of the second generation of the series, using
the somewhat arbitrary number of 25 as constituting a generation. This book is
number 30 in the series. It features a helicopter and involves a plot to run
arms and equipment to Central American nations. It opens with the boys
coincidentally observing a drop from a helicopter to a yacht stationed in
Barmet Bay.
The action is
typical of the earlier books in the series. There is the mandatory being knocked
out via a blow to the head as well as threats being made against the Hardy family.
Aunt Gertrude is featured, and she is her usual well-meaning, yet annoying
personality. Her dialog is generally the most predictable and uninteresting of
all the characters in the series. However, in an amusing twist, she proves her
worth by giving a prowler a good whack with a hickory stick in helping to
subdue him.
As a devout
reader of the Hardy Boys books when I was young, this book was an interesting
look back at what adolescent male fiction was like in the fifties. The good guys
always prevailed, no one, not even the villains ever got seriously hurt and
girls were rarely given serious roles. The changes in the Hardy Boys books over
time are a good way to understand how country changed during those years.
Review of
How Full Is Your Bucket? Positive
Strategies for Work and Life, by Tom Rath and Donald
O. Clifton, ISBN 1595620036
Five out of five stars
The main theme
of this book should be obvious, unfortunately it is not. Simply put, it is the
concept of positive reinforcement with a minimum of harsh criticism. The “bucket”
in this case is the bucket of positive feelings that a person has, with positive
interactions with others putting liquid into the bucket and negative
interactions taking some out.
It is
unfortunate that many executives think that the way to get their people to
perform at a high level is to engage in threats and intimidation. While this
has always been the case in many organizations, in many ways the legends of
Steve Jobs and Bill Gates have made it worse. Yes, they were geniuses and were
the driving force behind some great products, yet they often humiliated and ridiculed
their underlings.
This book is a
breath of fresh air into the often-stuffy managerial circles. While all
executives will benefit from reading it, the hard-A’s in the tech industry
should be forced to read it. They will find that their approach to increasing
human performance is nowhere near as efficient as they think it is.
Review of
National Geographic Video: Untold Stories
of WWII, Three Secrets that Changed the War, VHS version
Four out of five stars
While one of the topics fits into the category of the
title, the other two do not. The first describes the successful Norwegian commando
attack on the heavy water extraction plant in Norway. Heavy water, (where the hydrogen
has a neutron), is a critical resource in the research of atomic weapons.
Therefore, since there was no more heavily guarded secret than the Manhattan
Project, this clearly was a secret and the successful damaging of the plant
arguably changed the outcome of the war. It was a major setback to the German
atomic weapons program.
The second topic,
the failed attempt of the Japanese to use midget submarines in the attack on
Pearl Harbor, clearly had no affect whatsoever on the attack on Pearl Harbor,
much less on the outcome of the war. The debate over whether one of the subs
fired a torpedo that hit an American ship is still being debated today. What is
clear is that had the information about the presence of the Japanese submarines
rapidly passed up the chain, the attack would have been less of a surprise.
The last topic
is the Japanese suicide pilots known collectively as the kamikaze. Literally
meaning “divine wind,” the Japanese understood that the only possible way that
they could prevent an invasion of their homeland was to damage or destroy large
numbers of the ships of the American Navy. With most of their skilled pilots killed,
it was concluded that their only hope was to recruit minimally trained pilots
to crash bomb their planes into the ships.
The advantages
were that the pilots did not have to be well trained, older planes could be
used, they could take more damage and remain functional and they did not have
to be fully fueled. The battle known to the Americans as “The Great Marianas
Turkey Shoot” had demonstrated that the Japanese air forces could not come
close to winning in aerial combat. Therefore, the decision was made to use the
suicide pilots. However, the kamikaze forces did little to alter the course of
the war and they were hardly a secret weapon, once they were deployed.
Therefore, they do not satisfy either of the conditions stated in the title of
this video.
Review of
Networking: How to Build Relationships
That Count, by Colleen S. Clarke ISBN 1878542419
Five out of five stars
In the modern
global economy, a higher percentage of people are working in what is known as
the “gig economy.” Instead of drawing a paycheck from a stable and often
routine job, a worker in this segment of the economy accepts a job, works it to
completion and then moves on to another gig. Sometimes at the same company, but
generally not.
While a worker in
the gig economy often gets more challenging and engaging work, it also means
that it is challenging to not only remain employed, but also to pay the bills. Furthermore,
it means that a worker in the gig economy has to be constantly working to get
exposure in order to line up the next gig to begin shortly after the current
one ends. That means they must have a solid and relatively stable network of
people that know of them and their level of skills. Creating, expanding and maintaining that
network is the point of this book.
Although it only
has 78 pages, this book is packed with basic advice in keeping yourself foremost
in the minds of others in the positive sense. Always put forward a positive front,
not at the level of arrogance, but that of confidence. Of course, that means
that you never make a claim to a skill set that you do not possess and have no
possibility of acquiring.
However, there remains
one significant weakness that this book can only help one with, and that is
shyness. The gig economy is not for people that are uncomfortable approaching
others and talking about themselves. This book may help those people, but in
that area, it is only a partial solution.
Review of
Upstairs Girls: Prostitution in the
American West, by Michael Rutter, ISBN 9781560373575
Five out of five stars
Prostitution is
one of the professions that will always be practiced, independent of the level
of civilization in the area. Even when there is strong law and order, the
demand will always create the supply. This is especially true in environments
where there are few women, the only way that the sexual desires of the men can
be satisfied is if at least some of the women provide sexual service to many
men. That was the case in the American frontier, where the towns sprang up as a
consequence of some form of legitimate business along with the illegitimate
ones and single men flocked to the region, there were always women that
followed to provide their sexual services.
There were many
polite euphemisms in the American western frontier for prostitutes, one of the
politest was “upstairs girl.” This book is a documented history of how the
profession was practiced as well as short biographies of some of the most
famous women in the field. Since a few of them had significant relationships
with some of the most notorious outlaws and lawmen, those men are also part of the
profiles.
While a few of
the women did make significant money, most of which ran the bordellos, nearly
all of the women who practiced the art were slowly broken and destroyed. It is
a sad fact of history that for most of these women, it was the best life they
could make. This is especially true for the Chinese women, nearly all of which
were essentially slaves. Held in housing that was literally a cage, most did not
last long, rapidly losing their youthful appearance, being nothing more than a
pleasure hole with appendages.
This is a book
about a dark reality that unfortunately still exists, one of the most lucrative
areas of human trafficking is for prostitution, where women are coerced and manipulated
into a life as what is now called a sex worker.
Review of
Crackerjack Halfback,
by Matt Christopher
Four out of five stars
This book of
adolescent sports fiction stars Freddie as a fast football halfback restricted
to only playing offense as he is reluctant to engage in the level of contact
needed to make tackles. Which is a disadvantage to his team, for they need his
speed on the defensive side of the ball. Freddie is being raised by his single
mother and he often wishes his dad were there to give him advice. Freddie is
also the equivalent of a big brother to Jimmie, a younger child in the
neighborhood.
When Freddie
faces potential death in a car accident and has to decide whether to attend a
Halloween party or take Jimmie trick-or-treating, he learns that football is no
substitute for the challenges of life. As a consequence, Freddie acquires the
courage to make strong tackles, making him a valuable member of the defensive
team.
What is
different about this book and a positive feature is that this is not just
another book where the main character is playing the big game at the end for a
title. Freddie’s team is not championship caliber, their last game is being
played so that they will finish with a .500 record. Furthermore, while Freddie
is a good player, he is not a star, making all the big plays in leading his
team to victory.
The best part
of this book is Freddie’s relationship with Jimmie, lacking a father himself,
he knows what it is like not to have attention from an older male. Rather than
mope about it, he becomes a friend to a boy that needs what he lacks. In many
ways this is a book more about growing up than it is about playing football.
Review of
Everything Men Know About Women,
by Dr. Alan Francis ISBN 0939515008
One out of five stars
I don’t know
whether the “author” of this “book” actually has a college degree in
psychology. However, it is clear that no such credential is needed to “write”
this book. For every page is blank, as it is a gag book, meant to make the joke
that men are totally clueless when it comes to women. Which is nonsense, at a
minimum a man will know where all the parts are.
While I am often at odds with the politically
correct police, in this case if there was an objection, I would stand beside
them. This book is useless, as a joke it is one of the worst ones.
Review of
Oliver & Hope’s Superhero Saturday,
by Meg Cadts ISBN 9780692607893
Five out of five stars
This is a book
about what the child can imagine, provided they have the appropriate prop. Which
is of course a cape, providing all the necessary energy for Oliver the bear,
Hope the butterfly and Charlotte the fox to engage in scenarios where they come
to the rescue of a pirate ship about to be swallowed by a whale and then disengage
a balloon on an around the world journey that gets stuck in a tree. Real
heroism becomes necessary when their friend Chewie the dog gets hopelessly
stuck in the mud. Once their teamwork frees Chewie, they all team up to fight
the mighty mud monster.
It is quite a
Saturday in the lives of the heroes of this story, of course the point is that
every day can be a superhero Saturday if you have the imagination for it. This
is a story that children will love, for the heroes are all stuffed animals,
traditionally the favorite toy of nearly all children. It is easy for them to
imagine their soft and fluffy friends engaged in exciting adventures involving
great “danger.”
Review of
Casey Back At Bat,
by Dan Gutman ISBN 9780060560256
Four out of five stars
This is of
course a poetic sequel to the classic baseball poem “Casey At the Bat.” The
timeframe is still the early years of the twentieth century and the game is
being played between Mudville and Rutland. The winner finishes first and the
loser in second, so a great deal is at stake. Once again, it comes down to a
single batter that will win or lose the game and that batter is of course
Casey. As was the case the first time, he takes two strikes before he swings at
the pitch of decision. As is typical of Casey, it is decides the outcome.
The poetic
style is two lines of rhyming verse per page, with many of the images taking up
both pages. The best image is the one showing Casey taking his mighty swing.
His facial grimace indicates how much effort he put into it. It is a fun book
to read, with a conclusion that is not quite what you expect.
Review of
Calculator Riddles,
by David A. Adler ISBN 0823411869
Five out of five stars
These riddles
are based on the appearance of the characters on the readout of a digital
calculator. When they are turned upside down, eight of the digits look like
letters in the Latin alphabet. A zero is an O, a one is an I, a three becomes
an E, a four becomes an h, a five is an S, a seven is an L, an eight is a B and
a nine is a G. There are many words that can be made from these eight letters
and those words are formed by the execution of a linear sequence of arithmetic
operations on the calculator followed by turning it over.
A series of
numbers and operations are to be entered on the calculator and they are to be
executed in the sequence from left to right, independent of the usual order of
operations. The riddle is to determine what the word is before carrying out the
calculator operations. They are all simple riddles and the only calculator operations
used are addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Many of the
exercises would make fun problems in math tests given to elementary school
students. Nothing mathematically complex, just simple fun.
Review of
The Astronaut Farmer,
DVD version starring Billy Bob Thornton
Four out of five stars
While there are
several logical holes in the plot that you could fly a Saturn V through, the
movie is surprisingly moving. The premise is that Charles Farmer (played by
Billy Bob Thornton) left the American astronaut program when his father killed
himself and he has regretted that decision ever since. In order to compensate,
he has acquired rocket parts from junk yards and literally built a rocket
capable of manned flight in his barn. His goal is to fly it into orbit and then
safely return to Earth.
It is a
struggle against very long odds, yet it is probably the ultimate in personal
dream hobbies. The government agencies are all against him, what triggers their
interest is his attempt to purchase a massive amount of rocket fuel. The
Department of Homeland Security correctly realizes that such a substance would
make an incredibly powerful destructive device.
His dream
continues, even when he faces foreclosure on his ranch, social services believes
that that he is putting his children in danger and government representatives
refuse to give him permission to fly. When things are at the lowest and it
appears that his wife will leave him with their three children, something
happens to give Farmer a second chance. He takes it and makes the most of it.
There is some peril injected into the flight that was thoroughly predictable,
but it can be excused.
The concept of
a man building a serviceable rocket capable of human flight in his backyard is
a steep logical climb. “Rocket science” is used to describe complex technical
tasks and for good reason. What is absurd is the fact that there is a failed
launch from inside his barn and the barn is not burned to cinders. With rocket
exhaust temperatures in the area of 5000 degrees Fahrenheit, a wooden barn
would ignite and burn very quickly. Finally, if the government refused to allow
him to attempt a flight, then they would confiscate his rocket.
Yet with all of
these logical holes, the act of a man being propelled into space sent a buzz up
my spine. The best reaction is when the launch is detected at NASA and Farmer’s
astronaut friend gives a knowing smile when he realizes what has happened. Townspeople
see the rocket going up and there is pride in their faces. These are without
question the best scenes in the movie, overwhelming the absurdity. For this
movie is fundamentally about pursuing the supposedly impossible dream.
Review of
Mother Teresa, A Life of Devotion,
A & E Biography
Five out of five stars
No one more exemplified
a life of selfless devotion than the woman known to history as Mother Teresa.
Born in 1910 in a section of the Ottoman Empire that is now Northern Macedonia,
she found her calling in a religious order early in life. Arriving in India in
1929 while it was still an integral part of the British Empire, she learned
Bengali so that she could interact with the people in their own language.
However, it was
not until the famine of 1943 and the growing unrest that was to lead to independence
that she found her true calling, which was ministering to the very poor. At the
time, even though it was part of the British Empire, Indian society operated
under a rigid caste structure with masses of people that were extremely poor. Her
ministering to the poor began in 1948, a year after India was granted
independence and in the aftermath of the sectarian violence during the
partition of the British colony into India and Pakistan.
Her life of
poverty and service was exemplary, although that did not stop many from criticizing
her for either not speaking out against repressive political forces or
performing acts considered inappropriate. For example, she famously laid a
wreath on the grave of Enver Hoxha, the longtime communist dictator of Albania.
Proving that no matter how much good you do, there will always be people that
will find fault with your actions.
It is clear
from this tape that Mother Teresa deserved her elevation to sainthood. The
difference she made in the lives of the poor in India was very significant and
she managed to rise above politics as well as the sectarian hatreds that were
so much a part of life in India. The video is very well done and shows the conditions
on the streets and the people that she worked so hard to assist and keep alive.
Review of
A Sherlock Holmes Adventure: The Secret
Weapon, video starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce
Five out of five stars
My opinion that
Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are the two best actors to ever play Holmes and
Watson will never change. The setting for this movie is of course London,
England, only the timeframe is in the height of World War II. Released in 1942
when England was still subject to significant bombing raids and no one could foresee
the ultimate Allied victory, it is easy to understand the propaganda-like
aspects of the film.
The adversary is
of course the powerful and dangerous Professor Moriarty in alliance with the
Nazis, despite the fact that Moriarty is also British. The plot features a Swiss
scientist that has invented a technologically advanced bombsight that will
dramatically increase the accuracy of the bombs dropped from planes. The German
agents of course want to acquire the sight or at minimum, keep the British from
using it.
Being Moriarty and
Nazis, the villains will stop at nothing, including the killing of people
working for the Swiss scientist. One interesting feature is when Holmes allows
himself to be captured by the Moriarty gang and the two foes sit and discuss
the situation. It was similar to scenes in the James Bond films where Bond
dines and converses with an enemy that he needs to kill to save the world and
wants to kill him.
Although there
is a lack of the modern special effects that sometimes overwhelm the stories,
this is a movie that can be enjoyed, with the pleasure enhanced if you
understand the historical context of an England fighting for its very life.
There is a very telling scene of Holmes walking through the rubble left by
aerial bombing.
Review of
Science Fiction Adventure From Way Out,
edited by Roger Elwood
Four out of five stars
Some of the
biggest names in the history of science fiction contributed to this collection
that was published in 1973. The stories were written at the level of the
adolescent and there is nothing too far out of bounds regarding the science
content. At least within the context of the known astronomical facts of the
time.
The focus is on
the people in dealing with each other and their environment, there are no great
interstellar battles between different species. Although several stories have strong
references to Earth being engulfed in a planetwide conflict that the main characters
of the story have fled from. Even when things have gone wrong, these stories
have an emphasis on positive outcomes and the success of humanity in the
future. Even if the characters have to go to another planet light years from
Earth.
Review of
Bonanza: Volume Three, Bitter Water,
VHS version
Five out of five stars
It is a basic
premise of the Bonanza series that the Cartwrights are wealthy and honest and
upright citizens. They are respected by most of the other members of their
community. Which naturally leads to the recurring plot device of others being
jealous and resentful of their wealth and prestige.
That is the basis
of the plot of this episode. One of the neighbors of the Cartwrights is an old
friend of Ben’s and by mutual agreement, they share water rights to a stream
that runs through both properties. Todd, the son of the friend, is now an adult
and determined to make his own way in the world. One thing he wants to do is to
sell off his father’s land to the father of his fiancé, an unscrupulous man
that is interested in mining silver. If this were to be done, the stream would
be poisoned and there would be no water for the Ponderosa cattle.
The jealousy in
Todd for Adam Cartwright runs so deep that it comes to a fight between them, despite
the fact they grew up together. Not for the hand of the woman, but simply
because Todd feels inferior and considers it necessary to engage in acts of
false bravado. The mining man is so unscrupulous that when he discovers that
some of his cattle are infected with the deadly Texas Fever plague, he has his
men drive them onto the Ponderosa so that the Cartwright cattle will also be
infected.
While there is
gunplay, the focus is on the interrelationships between Todd, his father, the fiancé,
her father the mining man and the Cartwrights. Of course, when they are challenged, the
Cartwrights stand their ground, even when the odds are against them.
One of the outstanding
features of the best television westerns is that while there is the standard
western action of guns firing and fists swinging, the focus is on the
relationships. The viewers care about the main characters, forming bonds with
them through the screen. In this episode, it is easy to understand why that is
the case for this popular series.
Review of
You Will Go to the Moon,
by Mae and Ira Freeman
Five out of five stars
The library of
the elementary school that I went to had a tattered issue of this book and I
read it over and over again, adding to the tattering. It fired my imagination
to the point where I decided to study astronomy. Eager for more knowledge about
other objects in the universe, I began reading the books on astronomy in the
small library in my hometown.
The plot is
simple, a boy is fascinated by the moon and he is told how he will go there. He
is a passenger in a three-stage rocket that leaves Earth and travels to a giant
space station. From there, he boards another ship that is the lunar lander. It
takes three days to travel to the moon from the space station and some of the
various entertainment activities are listed.
While this
imaginary adventure does not match how the first lunar flights went, it is a logical
rendition of how more routine trips to the moon will be done. A powerful rocket
to a space station followed by a shuttle trip using a reusable ship that lands
next to a dome-shaped permanent base.
This book fired
my imagination and I am sure many others have experienced the same pulsations
of desire to leave Earth and walk and work on the Moon. Someday it will be as
routine as depicted in this book, one can only hope that it is soon.
Review of
The Indians Knew,
by Tillie S. Pine
Five out of five stars
I acquired a
copy of this book at a garage sale when I was very young, and I read it over
and over. It contains a series of basic survival tactics used by the Native
Americans and in many cases taught to the encroaching people of European descent.
There are three sections for each topic, a description of the subject under the
heading, “The Indians knew,” what is done in modern times based on this knowledge
and then a simple experiment/exercise that the reader can perform to illustrate
and reinforce the topic. All of the exercises are easy to understand and safe
to implement.
The Native
Americans survived and thrived on the North American continent for centuries
before the arrival of the Europeans. Unlike in Europe and Asia, famine was
unknown as the people lived in harmony with nature rather than doing all they
could to exploit and “conquer” their new world. This book contains a small amount
of their knowledge and is a worthy addition to any library where multicultural
coverage is considered essential.
Review of
The Old Corral
movie starring Gene Autry and Roy Rogers
Three out of five stars
When you see from
the box that this movie stars Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, it is immediately
clear that there will be a lot of singing. The Sons of the Pioneers are also featured,
increasing the amount of crooning that is done. There is some gunplay and
swinging of fists, but not a great deal and all rather weakly executed. Gene
Autry plays the Sheriff and, in a role out of character for him, Roy Rogers
plays a villain, although not the main or worst one.
The plot is
pretty weak, a female singer is a witness to a gangland killing in the city and
flees the area, going out west by bus. There she is befriended by a man that
recognizes her and wants to make a deal with the mob boss searching for her.
There is also a romantic flame kindled with Sheriff Autry, one of the feeders
of that flame is their singing together.
The purpose of
the western environment is to provide the context for most of the songs
performed by the characters. The Sons of the Pioneers are in jail, so they sing
lamenting songs, Autry and Rogers burst out themes related to the west.
Most modern
viewers will find the western where the main characters do more singing than
fighting rather incongruous. Yet, Autry, Rogers and others made their careers
by doing just that and the public enjoyed it. Autry made enough wealth to buy a
major league baseball team. With the high level of graphics and the demand for
intense visual action, it is unlikely that something like the singing cowboy
will ever be viable again.
Review of
The Mountain That Loved a Bird,
by Alice McLerran ISBN 0590468480
Five out of five stars
This children’s
story is an encapsulation of how new mountains are encroached on by nature,
going from the initial bare rock to vibrant green ecosystems. It starts with a mountain
that is sad because it is all bare rock, there are no plants growing on it and
so there are no creatures as well. Finally, the boredom is broken a tiny bit
when a bird lands on the mountain for a short rest. The mountain expresses a
desire for the bird to stay but it can’t. It is looking for a place to build a
nest and without food, water or any nesting materials, it cannot build a nest
on the mountain and live there. Therefore, the bird soon flies away. While it
is not stated, people with knowledge of biology will understand that it almost
certainly left behind a small deposit of organic material.
The bird and its descendants come back each year for a
short time until a seed is brought and deposited in a crevasse. It sprouts and
the roots begin to penetrate the cracks in the rock and start the generation of
new topsoil. In later years more seeds are brought to the mountain and after many
years, what was once only barren rock is now a lush, green forest with many
insects and wild creatures.
It is a
standard section of Earth science to study how new mountains are slowly colonized
by plants, insects and animals until the areas below the tree line are green
forests teeming with wild creatures. This book describes that evolution in an
entertaining and educational way. It may seem to be a fairy tale, but it is in
fact a science lesson.
Review of
American Tale Tales,
by Mary Pope Osborne ISBN 0590464833
Five out of five stars
These tales are
indeed tall, exaggeration is too light a word to use to describe the structure
of the stories in this collection. As an example, here is the second sentence
in the story about Paul Bunyan. “When he was only two weeks old, he weighed
more than a hundred pounds, and for breakfast every morning he ate five dozen
eggs, ten sacks of potatoes, and a half barrel of mush from a whole sack of
cornmeal.” Now that is what you would
call a whopper of an exaggeration.
The real/mythical
people described in these stories are:
*) Davy Crockett
*) Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind
*) Johnny Appleseed
*) Stormalong
*) Mose
*) Febold Feboldson
*) Pecos Bill
*) John Henry
*) Paul Bunyan
Of course, Crockett and Appleseed were real historical
figures, Crockett died a hero at The Alamo and thanks to Appleseed, many pioneer
families found bearing apple trees when they arrived on the frontier. Others
are lightly based on real people where the legend far outpaced their achievements.
This is a fun
book to read, while other cultures may have similar myths, these are based on
the people and environment of European based North Americans.
Review of
Bonanza: Feet of Clay
episode
Five out of five stars
The tender side of Hoss Cartwright
The mother of a
boy in the 8-12 age range dies, leaving him all alone. His father has gone away
and despite his promise to return, has not done so. His only known relative is
an uncle that lives some distance away and it will take many days for him to
arrive. When no one else will take custody of the boy, Ben Cartwright agrees to
care for him.
However, the
boy is into mischief on a regular basis and Ben gets extremely frustrated.
Finally, Hoss tells Ben that perhaps he has forgotten how to talk to young
people. Agreeing with Hoss, Ben allows Hoss to make the attempt to fill the role
of parent. The boy and Hoss hit it off very well after some initial
difficulties.
When two
escaped convicts appear in the area near the Ponderosa, all available men are
mustered to look for them. Leaving Hoss and the boy at the Ponderosa. One of
the convicts is the boy’s father and when they arrive at the Ponderosa, he contacts
the boy, asking him to bring the two escapees some food. There is a violent
confrontation between Hoss and the boy’s father and the outcome turns the boy
against Hoss. Despite his emotional turmoil, Hoss manages to keep his focus on
the boy and there is the inevitable and predictable happy ending.
This episode
has Dan Blocker doing some emotional acting, something that he and the
Cartwrights are not known for. While his acting is not spectacular, it is at
least tolerable, it is most unusual to see a man six-foot-four and over 300
pounds crying. The incongruity of it, makes it work.
