BOOK REPORTS--

The Appeal by John Grisham

Excellent book! Grisham sure can spin a good yarn. This one is about a corrupt chemical company defying environmental law and polluting the drinking water of a small, Mississippi town causing a horrible outbreak of cancer injuries and deaths. The company is sued and…. Sorry, don’t want to spoil a compelling ending. I could hardly put this one down.


Comrade J by Pete Earley

Russian spying in the US has continued long after the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union. This book covers the period from 1995 to 2000 when Sergei Tretyakov, the highest ranking spy in the successor agency to the KGB was active in NY. He later became sickened by the criminal turmoil in Russia under the leadership of Presidents Boris Yeltsin and (currently) Vladimir Putin; he defected and is currently a US citizen. This is his penetrating story.


Breaking News by Martin Fletcher

Currently the NBC News Bureau Chief in Tel Aviv, Fletcher’s book is described by veteran TV newsman Tom Brokaw as “A stunning and memorable account of reporting from some of the most dangerous places in the world. I agree.


Justice and Science by George Clarke

Under the sub-topic of “Trials and Triumphs of DNA Evidence” Clarke, a former prosecutor and now judge in San Diego County, CA, chronicles the growing acceptance of DNA evidence as a valuable tool in criminal investigation, prosecution, and, sometimes, acquittal of wrongly imprisoned people. By the way, DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid.