Review of "Safe!" By Harold M. Sherman

Review of

Safe! By Harold M. Sherman

Three out of five stars

 This book of adolescent sports fiction is different from most others in the area that were published before 1960. The first reason is that girls are significant characters in the plot, which is doubly unusual in that it was published in 1928 when there were few women attending college. Secondly, while there is a big game at then end, the issues are more about playing fair and being honest with yourself and with others.

Dolf Redding is the star first baseman for the Buckley College team and is a superb base stealer. He is in a fierce competition for the new record in thefts with Roxy Parker, the star for the Nordham team, the major rival for Buckley. A Buckley season is simply not considered successful unless Nordham is defeated.

 Even though this is a sports story, it is fundamentally about being honest, cheating and feeling remorse before Dolf  finally comes clean with all concerned about how he stole from his teammates, cheated on exams and deceived everyone around him. There is a lot of the contradictory inner voices of good and evil in the story, which comes across as a bit odd to the modern reader.

 While baseball hasn’t fundamentally changed in over a century, the context within which it is played has considerably altered over time. So has the fiction based on baseball, as is clear in this story that is an ongoing morality play.

Review of "Eurotrip" DVD version

Review of

Eurotrip DVD version

Four out of five stars

 This movie could be the dictionary example of “modern teen humor” expressed in video form. The premise is that four people (three male, one female) recently graduated from high school embark on a summer trip backpacking across Europe. It starts with a wild alcohol fueled party, with a pair of bare female breasts and one of the males breaking off a long-distance online relationship with a girl in Berlin, Germany. Realizing his mistake, he wants to go there to make amends.

 What is a bit different here is that the four main characters are portrayed as intelligent rather than dummies engaged in the slapstick adventures. One of the males is planning on being a pre-med major when he attends college. The humor is often crude, none worse than when they end up on a nude beach where all present are middle-aged men and they end up chasing the girl. A close second is when two of the males end up in the papal quarters in Vatican City and upset the staid operation of the church.

 A vacation movie containing crude and absurd humor, it will make you laugh and then say, “that was dumb.”

Review of "Snowball Launchers, Giant-pumpkin Growers and Other Cool Contraptions," by Tom Fox

Review of

Snowball Launchers, Giant-pumpkin Growers and Other Cool Contraptions, by Tom Fox ISBN 9780806955155

Five out of five stars

 This book is an excellent source for projects to be carried out by Boy Scout groups and middle school classes. Albeit with some adult aid and supervision at times, specifically when power tools are needed. While some of them present some danger if improperly used, all are safe if when done correctly.

 All use inexpensive parts such as wood, basic hardware, simple electronics, recyclable food containers and glue and tape. Examples of projects not in the title include an automatic pet waterer, a set of bells that will warn of thunderstorms that was invented by Benjamin Franklin and a super-duper water shooter. If a project requires the use of tools, a caption listing them is included in the description.

 There is a lot of challenging and education fun in this book. Both in the making and in the use of the devices.