Too Expensive For Kindle - overpriced-kind, mystery

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I think the last non-fiction book that I literally couldn't put down was "THE LOST CITY OF Z." Now comes Mark Seal's true-life account of German born Christian K. Gerhartsreiter's metamorphosis through several identities until he adopted the lock-jaw, Boston Brahmin accented Clark Rockefeller. He dressed the preppie part and charmed people along the way with his wide knowledge and wit. He was clearly an eccentric but people longed to associate with a "Rockefeller" even if he was vague about the family connection.



I was kind of sympathetic to "Clark" because he was a self-made man who actually was able to get several prestigious jobs on Wall Street. He also got married to a high-powered business consultant and had a daughter.



Oh yes, he may have also killed two young people in San Marino and drove their truck to the East Coast where he tried to sell it. The book alludes to a third missing person.



If, after the bitter divorce (his wife finally had him investigated), he had not kidnapped his daughter and made international headlines, he may have been able to continue his serial impersonations.



Today he is being held on murder charges as well.



What amazes me is the incredible ability of "Clark" to make up stories people eagerly "bought." I wonder if he had chosen a fiction writer's life, would he have been as successful conjuring stories as say Steven King, who obviously has a compulsion to create artificial lives.



This is a terrific book. Seal has put together many missing pieces with over 200 interviews. There are many unanswered question that remain. Far beyond what a master of fiction might conjure, this incredible story will leave you slack-jawed.



We are indeed a wild and crazy species. The Man in the Rockefeller Suit: The Astonishing Rise and Spectacular Fall of a Serial Imposter

People can be so stupid.



And I don't mean politicians who don't know enough to use throwaway cell phones when communicating with women who aren't married to them.



I mean the citizens of Milford, Connecticut, who met a 17-year-old German exchange student named Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter in the fall of 1978 and believed him when he said his father was an industrialist who had something to do with Mercedes-Benz.



And I mean the citizens of San Marino, California, who believed that Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter ---- now Christopher Chichester --- was related to Lord Louis Mountbatten, cousin of the King of England.



And I mean the citizens of Greenwich, Connecticut, who believed that Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter --- now Christopher Crowe --- was the same Christopher Crowe who produced the Alfred Hitchcock television series.



And I mean Stan Phelps, who was once smart enough to have given the young Mike Milken his first job, and who now hired Crowe to trade bonds, never checking the Social Security number that Crowe provided, which actually belonged to David Berkowitz, the serial killer known as Son of Sam.



And I especially mean Sandra Boss, a 26-year-old in her final year of Harvard Business School, who met Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter --- now operating as Clark Rockefeller --- in 1993. She believed his parents had died in a car crash. That he started Yale at 14. That he lived, alone, in a townhouse on Sutton Place. That he settled a $50 million lawsuit, leaving him broke, so that she wouldn't be at financial risk if they got married. And that, on the eve of their wedding, he disinvited his distinguished family.



In fact, it wasn't until shortly before "Clark Rockefeller" assaulted a social worker and fled with their young daughter that Sandra Boss --- now a management consultant making a fortune as one of the youngest partners ever at McKinsey --- began to wonder who her husband was. Until then, she thought it was merely eccentric that her husband had no Social Security number and no checking account. Why, he was just about to be named to the board of the Federal Reserve Bank!



All this and more is presented in Mark Seal's exhaustively researched "The Man in the Rockefeller Suit: The Astonishing Rise and Spectacular Fall of a Serial Imposter." Seal did 200 interviews on two continents for this book, and it shows. He did not get to interview Sandra Boss and Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, and it also shows. But still, the record is vast, the story a jaw-dropper --- this is a book that true-crime and high society buffs will devour like crab cakes at a yacht club cocktail party.



How did Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter fool Sandra Boss? Many say he was charming and brilliant, that he looked and dressed like the Real Thing. And Sandra Boss --- could she have been so bright at work and so blind in her marriage? Or did she put up with her husband's "eccentricities" because his name gave her a business advantage?



"The Man in the Rockefeller Suit" is a perplexing book. After the fact, "everyone" knew Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter was a fraud. Before he was unmasked, he fooled almost everyone. I'm sure I would have seen through him. And you're sure you would have. But if we're honest, we have to wonder if a con man using a fancy name might not have fooled us too. And then we have to ask ourselves.... why?

When Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter was a child, he dreamed of getting out of his small village. A poor immigrant, he wanted to be educated, classy and have a life of adventure. He knew that to pursue his dreams, he must go to America.



He lives with many host families but wears out his welcome in Boston. So, he changes his identity and enrolls in another college in Wisconsin. There, he secures a green card through a quickie marriage and divorce, which doesn't trigger anything with immigration. Quite odd and something I believe would be harder to pull off in our present day.



From there, he moves into the guesthouse of Ruth Sohus, but her son and his wife vanish after a few months. He, once again, changes names and identities, and manages to get a high-profile job on Wall Street - a job he wasn't qualified for.



When a detective arrives asking him questions about the Sohus', who are missing, he disappears once again. This time, he emerges in New York City as Clark Rockefeller, who has an extensive art collection. There he meets and marries Sandy Boss, a wealthy socialite. They remain married for years, even having a daughter. But when Sandy realizes that she has been married to an imposter, she asks for a divorce.



Clark decides to kidnapp his daughter and that seemed to be his undoing. When captured, a thorough investigation takes place, following his crime of deceit. Along his journey, he always made sure to join the church - from there, he could gain entrance to many social circles and clubs. From there, people didn't question his identity.



A man who would stop at nothing for identity and fame, and by the time he admitted it, he had people convinced he was Rockefeller. He was very intelligent and devious. Mark Seals has definitely done his homework, this novel is filled with many details, including pictures. A man who desired wealth and class, a man who desired the American Dream, is now serving a sentence for kidnapping and wanted for murder. A compelling and astonishing read. - Overpriced-kind - Jeffery Deaver - American History - Mystery'

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Lifting Gloves - valeo, weight lifting gloves

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I found Valeo's sizing chart through Google, it says my palm which is 8-9 inch should fit a Medium but it was too tight, especially at the knuckles, my knuckles hurts as it was stretching the stitching when I clenched my fists. Large was better for me. Valeo Ocelot Lifting Gloves (Large)

These are the most comfortable gloves I own. Period. For anything. I own snow gloves, driving gloves, biking gloves, etc. I am used to rough, mesh gloves, and these are a total relief. They wick sweat well, they look awesome, and they are super comfortable. The padding isn't overbearing, but if you need a lot, it's there! I'll never buy another brand.

I bought 2 pair of the Valero gloves based on the sales description. I think they are a good deal for the price. They are well made and quite comfortable. I would compare them to any simiular lifting glove costing twice as much. Like many pair I have used, they are a bit snug, even the X-large!

First of all I love the gloves. Good combination and use of leather and stretchy material. On Valeo's website it says that if my palm measures 9 inches around, I would need an extra large. But it turns out that the 2XL size fits my hand snugly. Good thing I went with my gut and got the larger size instead. The extra large would never have fit my hand.

Wanted to say these are by far the best weight training gloves I've used. All my other gloves were cut at 1/2 finger length, the 3/4 finger length is really the way to go. They are also way more cushioned and much softer leather than the Harbinger 143.



My hands measure almost 8 inches in circumference and the large fits me PERFECT, snug but not too tight, and not at all loose. (This is two sizes "too big" according to the Valeo sizing chart, which says I should be a small-- trust me a small would be way too tight and cut circulation, a mistake I made with the Harbingers).



One last note- the image on these gloves is way off, here is what they really look like: [...] (with a few exceptions: there aren't any ventilation holes along the fingers, and the logo is black instead of red).



Happy lifting.

I've had these gloves for about a year; use 'em twice a week on average.



Fairly quickly, the fabric holding the velcro straps began separating. And more recently, the seam on one of the thumbs has separated the whole length of the thumb. (For the record, I've only washed them once, in cold water on gentle, precisely to keep 'em in good shape for as long as possible.) And finally, the padding [which it turns out I prefer not having in the first place] on the right glove has always been a little bunched at the base of the thumb / palm, and has always hurt a bit during press exercises.



I've still got a $10 pair of Harbinger gloves in my gym bag that I used constantly for about five years; they were always more comfortable than the Ocelots, and held up way better.

I have used these Valeo ocelot gloves for 8 or 9 years now and have always found them to be of excellent quality.They have sufficient padding in the palm and fingers and what I especially like is the 3/4 length fingers that extend beyond the middle of your fingers.When you are lifting 200-300 lbs. of weights and more,the long fingers keep the bars and levers from cutting into the knuckles on your fingers when you lift. For me,this is a great feature.One caution is that these gloves run SMALL. Normally I wear a size Large glove but even the XL size of these Valeo gloves fits me very snug.Order at least one size up.I highly recommend this product.

Very comfortable. Velcro works great. Plenty of padding on the "business" side but not too much; you can still get a good grip. Leather is very soft and comfortable but seems thick enough to last. A couple of friends of mine have used theirs for a couple of years and they are still in good condition. I like having the fingers go 1/2 out the finger to the knuckle.

I've been using Valeo gloves for years with no complaints and thankfully this is still the case! Per usual they are well made with lots of cushion and grip which makes lifting far more enjoyable and less dangerous. This is, however, the first time that I've used ocelot instead of leather but so far I'm very pleased. At first they felt a little stiffer than leather but they are softening with each use. One more thing: when ordering them, definitely choose a larger size than you would normally. I have relatively small hands and the medium size fits great. I definitely recommend these gloves and would order them again in the future! - Weight Lifting Gloves - Valeo - Lifting Gloves'

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Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants - relationships, young adult fiction girls

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If you are not familiar with the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, this is the last book in the series where four real close friends travel far away from each other but share one thing in common. They can all fit into these pants that look wonderful on each of them. This last book takes place after their first year of college and all of them face the fact that they are changing and what used to be home can no longer be called home.



The scenario of this book goes like this:

Bridget (the beautiful blonde, athletic type) goes to Turkey kind of randomly particpates in this dig. She finds that she loves to dig but also realizes that she makes the same mistake over and over. See she has this really great boyfriend Eric who also made plans for the entire summer. She was upset that they wouldn't be seeing each other and started to forget about him thinking she didn't love him anymore. What will Bridget learn about love in the end? Will she learn the hard way or the easy way?



Carmen (confident latina girl) has not been herself for a whole year, she has become invisible. Carmen somehow lost who she was and has been hiding behind Julia this popular actress who is a bad friend if you ask me. Carmen excludes herself from her friends and follows Julia to a drama camp, she isn't into acting but want to be with Julia and build sets. Carmen learns that friends are not supposed be happy when you are sad.



Tibby (timid and fragile) is invovled with a great guy named Brian. Because they love each other so much they took the relationship to the next level. Tibby freaks out because she might be pregnant. She becomes resentful towards Brian and pushes him away thinking that she never really loved him. What is the fate of Tibby and Brian? What does Tibby learn? Is she pregnant?



Lena (artistic and romantic) takes summer classes and intends to focus on art work all summer. However, she becomes very curious about a classmate of her's and feels like she is over Kostos. Is Lena capable of loving someone else though? She certainly is trying, what about Kostsos, he does appear in this book!



The friends all come together at the end because something has happened to the pants! The story ends but when you read it you can predict what will happen for each girl in the future, the author did a great job with this final book. I am sad the series has to end, but I felt it ended in a good way. Just Perfect.



I would reccommend this book for any girl or young woman who has great friends or who wants great friends! Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants)

If you've read the other three books in this series, you're going to love this installment. If you haven't, read those first three books and then check this out.



Forever in Blue has the four girls fresh out of their first year of college, and a lot has changed. Carmen hasn't found her niche in life yet and feels like she doesn't belong to anything, so she's doing her best to avoid the other three seemingly successful girls and instead goes to a theater camp with a college friend, to work on sets instead of act. Tibby is taking a summer class at her college and is still in love with Brian... until a pregnancy scare makes her hide. Lena is in an art class, lusting after the first guy she's been interested in since Kostos. And Bee is in Turkey, doing an archaeological dig and becoming closer and closer friends with a young professor there (nevermind that she has a boyfriend and he's married!).



While this book deals with more mature and adult themes than the first three, it is no less charming. The author writes beautifully and manages to include numerous thought-provoking statements that are easy to relate to. You will feel yourself being pulled into the novel, unable to stop reading.



The ending of this novel is more satisfying than those in the past have been, likely because this is the last one and readers want to know what happens in the future. Most loose ends are tied up nicely, and the few that aren't are hinted at so you are able to draw your own conclusion. I highly recommend this book for those of you who have ever spent time reading about Tibby, Bee, Lena, and Carmen - you won't be disappointed. I can't wait to reread it myself.

I am a big fan of the first three books in the series. I think Ann Brashares is a wonderful writer and really has a sense of all the emotions, ideas, and worries that go through the minds of 16, 17, 18, and 19-year old girls. I was 17 when I read the first two books, 18 when I read the thrid one, and am 19 now (and just finished the last book), so I could really appreciate Brashares's ability to get into a teenage girl's head and heart. Every worry or thought these 4 girls have ever expressed in these pages I have thought too, and it was refreshing to hear Brashares express these feelings through Lena, Tibby, Carmen, and Bridget.



When the fourth book came out, I was very eager to read it. I was the at my local bookstore at 9AM pestering the customer service to put the book on the shelves. I hurried home and began reading it immediately. I have to say, I was somewhat confused by what I read.



Without giving too much away to those who have not read the book yet...

Carmen: Since when is Carmen the kind to take that level of abuse and neglect from a person? She is such an assertive and indepentdent character, and one year of college destroyed that?



Tibby: While I understand the confusion Tibby must have felt about the situtation (those that have read know what I am referring to), I don't know if Tibby would have completely alienated Brian and let things get so bad.



Bridget: Although Bridget's storyline seemed entirely random (Turkey? Where did that come from?), hers was the only one I felt remained true to the character's essence. My favorite story from Bridget is still the one from the second book.



Lena: Okay this is my main problem... what is going on here? Her entire storyline is completely and utterly out of character. Sorry, but *SPOILER* come on- Leo? What?!? Since when is Lena an exhibitionist who sleeps with artists? And then Kostos just randomly appears and the whole hotel sequence? Then it turns out his wife was faking a pregnancy and yay for everyone now they can be together? WHAT?!?! Personally I am very disappointed that Brashares did not pursue the Lena-Paul storyline she mildly started in book 3. At the end of the book, it was insinuated that Paul and Lena had a mild attraction that could grow into something. That would have been great! Paul seemed like he would have been such an interesting character that the readers could have gotten to know better through Lena. In my opinion he is much better option than Kostos, but Paul is not even mentioned in book 4.



In conclusion, while I did enjoy reading the last book, I felt the storyline and characters were slightly lost. The last section of the book seemed to come completely out of left field, and the last chapter in particular where bridget puts everything to a close seemed very anti-climatic and abrupt. I liked the series overall, but the last book is definetly not my favorite one. - Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pant - Young Adult Fiction Girls - Relationships - Girls'

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Picnic

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Collapsible Picnic Cooler-Navy

Just received this cooler and was really impressed by the quality. Nice details, made really well. Took it on a picnic last week, perfect size, easy to pack and carry. Lining was easy to clean. Folds really flat to store. My order was handled efficiently. Overall happy happy happy. Picnic at Ascot Collapsible Basket Cooler in Navy

The picture does not do this little basket justice. It is much nicer than pictured and quality is excellent. I used it to pack other Christmas gifts in rather than using a basket that might not get used again and it was a big hit. Ample space and easily collapses to a more space saver size. Excellent for taking potluck foods or transporting groceries.

I keep it in the car for when I go food shopping during the work day. I fill it with my ice blocks in the morning and they are still frozen at the end of the day. It folds up almost flat and takes up little to no room in my car. It's very roomy and holds three bags of ice from the grocery store.'

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Cardiac Health - running, hrm

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I have used this with my Garmin Forerunner 305, Forerunner 50, and Forerunner 405cx. Just wet it with saliva or water before you start, and it accurately and easily tracks your heart rate. The strap that attaches it to your chest is easily adjustable and easily removable. Unlike other products, my heart rate does not "jump around" 10 or 20 beats. The battery lasts a good amount of time and is easily replaceable. This is the best heart rate monitor that I have used, and I prefer it to Polar. Garmin Heart Rate Monitor

Works as advertised, no problems. This is a replacement of my first one that the seal (o-ring type) in the battery compartment failed, causing the battery to corrode due to moisture leaking. Then it never worked again. Be careful changing batteries not to damage the seal.

I got the Forerunner 405 as a gift, but without the HRM. I got this as an add on, but it worked seemlessly. I put it on and it synched immediately without having to really do anything on the device. Still figuring out all of the features, but the combo is highly recommended (I run and cycle).

I was very excited when I saw the ad for the Garmin Forerunner 405 and couldn't wait to get one. Unfortunately, when I went to make my purchase, the store only had the Forerunner 405 without the heart monitor in stock. To get the full benefits of my new Forerunner 405, I knew this was something I wanted to try.



When my Garmin Heart Rate Monitor came in, I immediately paired it with the Forerunner 405. Pairing was a breeze. I then put it on and wore it for a few minutes to check its accuracy (I wanted to be certain of its accuracy before I adjusted my run workouts based on the results). Suffice it to say, I was more than pleased with the results! It has become a constant companion to me along my runs.

The HRM is simple and easy to use. It picks up my heart rate everytime - quickly. I use it to send info to the Garmin Forerunner 405. When I put on the HRM, the 405 announces the connection in no time.

I bought this to pair with a new Garmin Edge 500 for cycling use. This was much cheaper than buying the Edge Bundle as I did not also want cadence. The strap works great with the Edge but installation was a little tricky. The Edge has to be "paired" with the HR strap but I was able to figure it out.

This is a great HR monitor and it paired easily (didn't have to do anything) with my Edge 500. It seems accurate and doesn't have any of the wild spikes I saw with my much older Polar HR monitor.



Most importantly, it is comfortable and doesnt leave any marks once adjusted correctly.



I reduced by one star because the strap is fairly short. I am not overweight (size 40 jacket) and I had to make the strap within 2" of its max for this to fit comfortably. Larger folks might have an issue.



Although the strap is very elastic, if it is stretched too tight it will leave marks and hurt.

I just turned on my 405 (held the "training" button) and it was recognized before it located satellites... It takes a bit getting used to wearing the strap around your chest, but it provides very good info... It is encouraging to see I can do the same run at a faster pace, with a lower average heart rate!

My bicycle Garmin 305 came with a cadence monitor... I really like this GPS device for my road bike and only recently did I become interested in adding the HRM strap. It comes ready to use, just be sure to set up your Garmin to work with the Heart Rate Monitor... it's a few menus into the device, but once I set the function and changed my displays to show - speed, elapsed time, altitude, heart rate on my main screen, it was all good to go.



Reasonable price, replaceable battery included, works with my Bicycle Garmin 305. - Hrm - Garmin - Running - Exercise'

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Fleece - hats, winter

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Many years ago my parents brought me a hat like this from China. It was trimmed in animal fur which I just can't wear. So I was happy to find this one and able to get it in a L/XL size which fits perfectly as I normally wear a 7 1/8 in a fedora.



The colors in the photo are not accurately rendered on my Mac laptop, where the hat and fur look greenish-gray. The outer shell is a pleasant olive colored nylon taffeta, and the fake fur (which is very soft and warm) is medium brown. The hat is lined with quilted black nylon. The flaps are held up (or secured under your chin) by a plastic quick release (like on a backpack) on an adjustable strap. There are actual grommeted ear holes. The ear hole flaps are practical...you can button them up or down. It doesn't look like it will be very water resistant but I have not yet put it to the test.



The overall weight is rather light and suitable for casual use. The quality is decent, and the stitching is accurate and strong at stress points.



The vendor shipped the correct hat in the correct size, and it arrived in five days. New VOL Winter Bomber Hat , L/XL

I bought 2 of these for my 2 boys and I liked them so much I ordered 2 more for myself and my wife. They are great for sled riding or just being out in the cold in general. They really keep your ears, chin, and neck warm. My boys ages 11 and 7 took them to school and everyone wanted to know where they got them so they could buy them.

This was on my husband's Christmas list. He wanted it for when he shovels the driveway and walks. With the 2 recent snows we've had and the colder than usual winter it's been worn quite frequently. He really likes it because it stays in place and is really warm.

My husband got this for the cold Nashville months. I have to say, he loves it, but looks pretty dorky. It really emphasizes his nose...what can I say hard to meaure if the price of warmth is worth the aesthetics.

This is the first time I have been able to go through cold weather being comfortable. Because of the hat I don't have to wear a heavy coat, just a light winter jacket and light gloves for short trips in the cold. Light and warm, not expensive . - Winter - Hats - Fleece'

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Reliable - reliable

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I've had this for a time and have used it also. This is a high quality, well built piece of fishing equipment and I would recommend again without hesitating. It is small enough to remain practical, and large enough to allow for several hundred yards of line. The mechanisms work flawlessly. Built in Sweden, this is a Rolls Royce of reels and I would buy it again. Abu Garcia Ambassadeur C4 Baitcast Round Reel (4 Ball-Bearing, Gear Ratio 6.3:1, Capacity 14/245) - Reliable'

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