True Crime Books

This is a poorly written and very poorly developed narrative about a horrifying case. Mitchell left out (perhaps didn't have access to?) a lot of information that I think was crucial--such as why the police focused on these suspects, what convinced the parents of the murdered girls that they were guilty, and what if any forensic evidence the police did/do have. Too much of the book was wasted on court transcripts that didn't seem particularly interesting or relevant. I appreciate Mitchell's stated desire to let readers make up their own minds about the suspects' guilt, but there simply is not enough information here for that to be possible. For anyone interested in a thoughtful, well-written and -researched account of justice gone awry, I highly recommend Mara Leveritt's Devil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three.

In MURDERED INNOCENTS, Corey Mitchell presents the story of the rape and murder in 1991 of 4 teenage girls in an Austin, TX, yogurt store. The store was then set on fire to cover up the crime. Amid the confusion at the shop - policemen, firemen, EMTs - the crime scene was not processed as well as it might have been. For the next 8 years the Austin PD haphazardly followed leads with no results. Then, again seemingly at random, they began an investigation of a suspect, Michael Scott, who eventually implicated himself and 3 of his friends. The book is written in linear time and in typical true crime fashion: crime description, investigation, trials, and sentencing.

There are some praiseworthy aspects to MURDERED INNOCENTS. Mitchell, as I previously discovered when I read his DEAD AND BURIED, is an intelligent, literate writer. This book is honest - the product of a lot of hard work and research. There is no soap opera, no suggestion of how the reader should think, and no bias in Mitchell's presentation.
I think the best and most thought-provoking sections of MURDERED INNOCENTS are the transcripts of the police interviews with two of the suspects, Robert Springsteen and Michael Scott. I find reading transcripts of generic police interviews boring, but these are anything but run of the mill. The lies, intimidation, threats, refusal to accept answers not fitting a predetermined scenario, all mixed with feigned friendship - your good cop, bad cop - perpetrated on the subjects by a police department, desperate after 8 years to solve an horrific case that had a massively traumatized the city, was nothing short of outrageous. Mitchell's narrative requires the reader to question how the use of these techniques renders it possible to actually determine anyone's guilt or innocence. I couldn't see how anyone would be able to convict the suspects in this case, though they may well have been guilty, based on the confessions elicited from them after long hours of questioning in a psychological environment that must have felt like trying to think in quicksand. And the confessions were the ONLY evidence there was.

There are also facets of the book which I felt were less than successful.
The trial section is boilerplate and too long. Some of it is necessary as it ties the case together, but it is really not that interesting.
While just my personal preference, I would have liked a lot more back story on the boys who were accused of the crime. There is some - more than you'll find in a lot of true crime - but to me the more the better.
Mitchell is totally capable of this and proved it in DEAD AND BURIED.

Ultimately I just felt that except for the police interrogation scenes,
MURDERED INNOCENTS is just not that interesting a read. It isn't a bad book, but neither is it very compelling, and toward the end I wanted to be finished reading it without actually having to read it.
True crime readers can do a lot worse than this book, but I wouldn't put it at the top of my list.

Corey Mitchell uses such imagery in this book like when he mentions the deleted scene from The Exorcist I actually got chills because I remember the scene vividly. It made what he was describing that much more intense.

This is a great book and it did indeed leave me with lots of questions Mr. Corey so we shall be chatting soon :)

This is a true crime story that was featured on two television shows, 48 Hours and America's Most Wanted. It is a story that rocked the city of Austin, Texas, as it involves the murders of four well-liked teenage girls who were killed in on December 6, 1991 in the yogurt store in which two of them worked. Bound and gagged, they had been sexually assaulted, and shot. The perpetrators then set fire to the store in hopes of masking their horrific deed.

With no eyewitnesses and little physical evidence to tie the murders to anyone, the case languished for years, unsolved. It was not until eight years later that the police were able to solve the crime. I must confess, however, that I am not totally convinced of the the guilt of the defendants. It almost sounds as if the detectives assigned to the case fed them their so-called confessions, bit by suggestive bit. Quite frankly, I was appalled by the confessions, as they did seem totally constructed by the police. Moreover, with no physical evidence linking those arrested to the crime, I was more than a little skeptical of those spoon fed confessions. It also sounded as if the author of the book also had reservations.

The book, which promises sixteen shocking photos and delivers nothing of the kind, is not an exceptional true crime book and, despite its sad story, did not hold my interest all that well. I did not find the writing particularly engaging, though it is clear that the author did a great deal of research in putting together this book. Still, true crime buffs will find it of interest.

This book was very gripping and yet sad. It tells the story of 4 innocently wasted lives. Corey Mitchell is very good at holding my attention.

To much credit on this monster and his wife, some (creatures) better let them be forgotten

Superficial and disjointed in many ways. Did give some insights into manchinations of Ceausescus' regime but due to presentation style no certainty as to how factual scenarios are. OK as to superficial look but would not recommend book.

What eventually happened to the Ceausescu's should happen to all of those who support communism and the enslavement of the individual to the "Greater Good".

This book shows the inner workings of the Ceausescu's and their ilk. The crimes perpetuated by the Communists knows no end. This book exposes the true face of communism/socialism. What sound good in theory is exposed for the true evil it is.

Never forget and never again let this happen.

This book should serve as a lesson to those who say "It can never happen here" My parents travelled to Romania many times in the Ceaucescu times and reported many of the same things described in this book. I read it first in 1997 in Dutch and it was fascinating. My step-mother who is Romanian lived this for most of her life!

I bought this book in order to know a little more about Ceausescu's time. I found in the pages of this book a lot of allusions to corruption of his wife Elena, the most hated woman in the Romanian History (somebody related during his execution she received more bullets than Nick; his son Nicu a modern Caligula and the rest of hight-ranked politicians and functionaries of Communist Administration.

We found interesting connections between Ceausescu and international terrorism, Gadafi or Arafat even Carlos. And the deals with drug smuggling or selective murders abroad.

You will find in this book how many American or European functionaries had been corrupted by Romanian money during this dark years. Also there are a few interesting portraits of politicians of this years like Willy Brand, Breznev, Santiago Carrillo, Aldo Moro, Evita Perón, Mr and Mrs Carter (Mrs Peanut for Elena).

A good book. Actually, the best i read about Nicolae and Elena, but there's a lack of information about the daily life of Romanian people in this years.

This is the story of Tommy Lynn Sells who killed in multiple states and the testimony of a 10 year old girl that survived one of Sells' murderous attacks. It was her determined testimony that ended the slaughter.

Diane Fanning chronicles Sells' childhood,numerous jail stays,and nationwide travels. He even worked on the road for a few carnivals.

Some of his murders overlapped the area and time of the "Railroad Killer",Angel Rosendiz. That caused some confusion for law enforcement early on.

Sells has no sadness or remorse. Even killing a freshly new-born baby in the bizarre murder of an entire family! He seemed to victimize mostly younger girls,although victims could be from any age group or gender.

Another sad aspect of the Tommy Lynn Sells case is the probability that there are more unsolved murders across the country that he committed that won't be solved. He identifies some photos of victims and the place where the bodies are discovered but can't or won't elaborate details. This is in part due to his heavy alcohol and drug abuse during his murderous travels.

Diane Fanning has done her research well and some of the information comes from Sells himself. A real page-turner until the trial part of the book.

Diane has managed to do it again. A well written book that takes you into the demented mind of Tommy Lynn Sells. I can only imagine the research that went into this book. Cross-Country killers are especially hard to write about because their crimes are so widespread.

Fanning wanted to tell a story and wanted to tell it fast. To do that she had to cooperate with the killer to get his version. Tommy Lynn Sells is a con man and he conned this writer. The book is entirely too sympathetic to Sells and has next to nothing about most of his victims and little about the police and prosecutors who worked to put him away.

How distorted is the book? Well, Fanning worries that poor Mr. Sells and his "wife" (he married her while still married to another woman) were cruelly forced apart by the legal system. That is, a judge threatened to to give custody of her children to their father if she maintained contact with Sells. To Fanning this is persecution. To most people it is in the best interest of the children. What kind of parent pines after a serial killer who murdered children?

Fanning even includes a letter from Sells as an afterward to this book.

For those who read this book, google "Tommy Lynn Sells" and see how much Fanning distorted her portrait.

Diane Fanning's THROUGH THE WINDOW is the story of Tommy Lynn Sells, an itinerant thief, con man, and murderer and possibly the most appalling and cowardly serial killer you will ever hear about. The first quarter of the book, which presents the crime for which Sells was finally apprehended, the murder of Katy Harris, is thorough and well researched. Likewise, Fanning provides well reseached and necessary information on Sells' childhood. The last portion of the book consists of a letter, which I found interesting, from Sells to Fanning in which Sells places the blame on everyone and everything he can think of rather than take any personal responsibility for his brutal murders. Finally it is apparent that Fanning has devoted an honest effort to make THROUGH THE WINDOW a comprehensive study. This is not one of the cynical rush jobs too often found in true crime writing.

Unfortunately, for me at least, the negatives outweigh the positives.
While the description of Sells' murderous odyessy is well done, the subject soon becomes repetitive. Sells wanders endlessly by car or train around the country killing and raping, and as the accounts of the crimes are necessarily short because there are so many of them, it becomes difficult to keep them straight. While I understand Fanning's desire to acknowledge as many of Sells' victims as she can, this does not always translate well to a coherent narrative.
It is however considerably more compelling than Fanning's presentation of Sells' trial. In my opinion a good true crime writer will, unless a trial is the high point of the story, seriously condense the trial segment of the narrative to contain only that portion which provides information which is truly necessary for the reader's understanding of the story. Otherwise the narrative will generally grind to a crawl, which is what happens in THROUGH THE WINDOW. Fanning includes verbatim way too much of the trial transcript: is it really necessary, for example, to provide the reader with as much of the almost always boring forensics as she does? In my experience this is a technique used by lesser writers and/or those who need padding to complete a minimum number of pages.

But the worst part of THROUGH THE WINDOW is the writing. The best true crime is professionally and reportorially written. The genre is at its best as TRUE crime. Fanning's writing, however, is often enough dramatic, sometimes to the point of becoming ridiculous, that her book enters the realm of dramatized, rather than true, crime.
On page 29, describing the scene of a kidnapping and murder, Fanning writes "The trilling songs of birds and the rustle of leaves caressed by a breeze provided a harmonic backdrop to the screams of a tormented young woman." Really?? On page 72, we get, "The warmth of the mellow sun competed with the warmth in Nora's heart." Though it may be considered a spoiler, I will tell those who are interested that Fanning does not reveal which source in this warmth competition was victorious. Perhaps it was a tie.

Then there are the silly similies. On page 33, describing a future victim's acquiescience to Sells' manipulation, she writes, "Like a leaf in a whirlpool, she was drawn into his world of uncontrollable violence." And on page 57, "Kent had bled to death - homeless and alone like a dog scavaging the city dump."

On pages 82 and 86 are two irritating examples of semi-pro writing. "Carnival season started early every year in South Texas - 1998 was not an exception." And, "The flood was a traumatic experience for the whole community. This family was no exception." If neither of these occurences was an exception, why mention it? This seems sort of high-schoolish. What would be wrong with a simple period after "South Texas"?
And finally, in a flourish combining the ludicrous soap-opera with plain bad writing Fanning gives us, "And in his hand was a knife from her kitchen. Her gullibility gleamed on its blade." That's just embarrassing, and as I was reading it, I felt my gullibility for having started this book reflecting dully off its pages.

Ultimately, in my opinion, Fanning's style of writing leads to melodrama rather than drama and results in, rather than a true crime book, a work of what is often dramatic fiction based on a framework of fact - fictionalized, as opposed to true, crime. This style of writing would seem to be more appropriate for romance novels or soap operas, but it has come to be representative of much of the catalog of the publisher, St. Martin's Press.
There are thousands of better true crime books available for devotees of the genre.

The information published in Through the Window by Diane Fanning regarding the abduction of Angie Houseman is incorrect. Angie Houseman was abducted from St. Ann, Missouri, not O,Fallon. There is a 20 mile difference in the locations of these two towns. This information should be verified for accuracy before being printed.

I have not read the book. I came across the information about Angie Houseman while looking to see if there was any new information regarding her case on the internet. Sadly her murder remains unsolved 14 years later.

I couldn't stop reading once I started. I am glad to see folks writing about our generation and what we did.. It was just like real life!
Highly recommended
Rick Moore

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but that doesn't mean everyone has to like other people's opinions everytime. Robert Sabbag is Hot Property and by far one of the best journalist type writer working these days. His account of the "Mari-Jane" Trade is nothing short of spectacular. As much as certain segments of the population might want to criticize all things involving drugs, it is still quite obvious that these stories are highly (and I stress "highly") connected with american culture and also the world. This book is fun to read and captures a period of time where the individuals of this great country attempted and many more times than not, succeeded, in transporting large quantities of "Weed" via sea or air and then selling most of it at a large profit. The curse, of course, is that harder drugs were widely accepted later and consumed by societies around the world and of course, what at first began as a free enterprise later got ugly and I am not getting into it. For the earlier years of the smuggling "craze" Smokescreen does a fine job and Robert Sabbag either by first hand or second hand knowledge captures an entire period with a specially acute sense of humor. For that I give it a 5 star rating, anything less would be "uncivilized".

This was by far the best book I have ever read. Every time I picked it up I read at least three chapters. I felt like I was really there and that I had actually met the characters. The author gives great detail but in a way that does not at all bore you. This is an excellent book and I highly recommend it!!!

Robert Sabbag has written a funny / exciting story. The author does a great job of putting you back into the early days of the drug trade. It is one of the better books I have read recently. This guy did a lot but his world wasn't quite as ruthless as the top level Pablo Escobar types.

Looks like Robert Sabbag couldn't let his sucess with Snowblind be. This book just sucks. I know Allen Long and his story is true, the smuggling, the four years as someones maid in prison but Robert Sabbag just got sloppy with this one. He tried to take a mediocre story and make it into something interesting; didn't work.

I found the Birthday Party to be a very entertaining book, although the other reviewers are correct in their assertions that the author is full of himself. He is, but the experience that he describes is riveting. One thing that really stuck with me from this book is how the author talks about his belief that the death penalty is wrong. However, in the story it turns out that the biggest reason why he wasn't killed was the criminals' belief that if they killed government attorney they would be more likely to get the death penalty. Can we all get business cards with our profession listed as Federal Prosecutor so our chances of being murdered by the criminal element will drop to Stanley's?

After hearing a great interview with the author on NPR, I ordered the book anticipating a great read. I'm sorry to say that I was sorely disappointed. The narrative drags, the protagonist's whining description of his predicament did not bring the natural empathy that the story surely deserves. His portrayal of his abductors never goes beyond the level of stick figure drawings and are filled with superficial stereotypes. I would recommend passing this one up.

I was eager to read this book after hearing an interview with Stanley on the radio. After getting through the initial kidnapping and the first couple of hours he spent with the thugs, the book drags a bit. I commend Stanley for what he went through and how he survived this terrible ordeal and I mean no dissrespect at all to him, but the book was just a little dull for me. Granted, Stanley is a lawyer, but much of the legalistic writing in the later chapters tend to run together. Great, intriguing story, but I found myself bored by the end of the book. I will say...it's amazing the amount of detail Stanley recalls from this ordeal.

From the minute you pick up this book, you cannot put it down! The Birthday Party is about a most extraordinary tale of the kidnapping of a US Attorney the day before his birthday, and the events so bizarre, that it couldn't be anything but true. Stan is an instantly likeable character who is enjoying an ordinary evening in Manhattan, when in an instant his world is turned upside down as he faces the barrel of a gun and the reader is immersed at once in the story of his captivity at the hands of his kidnappers.

It is a truly compelling account of what Stan's hours were like blindfolded and held at the mercy of men with guns. Stan's ability to remain calm and find the humor in some of his circumstances really made the book an enjoyable read. There were moments of genuine humor as well as details of the pain and fear that followed his ordeal. The poignancy with which he writes about what he learned and the life he leads is very inspiring. The details he remembers and explains to the reader assist in making you feel like you're living the roller coaster ride with him. And his recount of how the police found the guys who grabbed him and how they proceeded through the legal system was an interesting glimpse into the criminal justice system most of us know nothing about.

There are many moments in the book where I felt like I was holding my breath waiting to see what would happen next. It was truly a great read. Stan's ability to relay the story really makes you feel like you're there with him and waiting for his safe return to his home, to his family, to his friends and to his very accomplished life. It's a great book and a very enjoyable read.

others have used the words "annoyingly arrogant and apparently editor-less man" and i totally agree. how insecure must he be to continually bring up his wannabe dating habits? and if i was that lisa woman, i'd be pissed that he continually kept writing her full name, including middle initial. jerk. borrow this book from the library.

This book has to be the best summary of politics, drug running, the offshore powerboat industry, the Mafia, crime, corruption and intrigue that I have ever read!! Aronow was an old friend of my family's in New Jersey and when he got murdered we all waited for the book to come out, sure enough it did and was excellent. If you love the mob, fast boats, fast cars, fast horses and beautiful women, BLUE THUNDER is a MUST READ!! Enjoy . . . . . H.L., Florida

If you have an interest in offshore racing, take the time and read this compelling book about the father of the the industry. Ever heard of Thunderboat row? Find out the impact he had on some of the largest manufacturers in the country, and their attempts to to keep him out of the boat building business. You will learn about the rise and murder of Don Aronow and how state law enforcement of Florida(at the time led by the infamous Janet Reno) either bungled the investigation, or for whatever reason, let his death go unsolved. You will learn of the allegation that Don Aronow had ties to the mob, South American drug smugglers, and to the DEA. At the end you can surmise what you will of what his life was about, but you can't take away what he meant to the sport of offshore racing. Read it and pay homage.

I have really enjoyed this book. I like true stories, and am especially interested in speed boat racing, and stories about how the Mafia infiltrates businesses, and eventually takes them over! It certainly is an interesting read.

Sometimes we read in great depth the details surrounding high interest crime cases and they become overwhelming because of so many opinions, both in reporting and in conjecture. It takes a book such as The Forensics Behind Nine Shocking Cases to put each of these cases in proper perspective. I actually finished the book in one evening. Couldn't put it down!

Dr. Wecht has spent years in various positions within the criminal justice system. During his time he has worked on such celebrated cases as the Chappaquiddick case, which involved Send. Edward Kennedy and more recently on the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

The book follows the investigation and details of the forensics used in nine cases, some of which are new and others which have faded a bit into history. He discusses the obvious cases that seemingly every forensic expert has an opinion on, namely JonBenet Ramsey and O.J. Simpson. But he also goes back farther into time and brings to light things about the Sam Sheppard case. His case was the inspiration for The Fugitive TV show and movie. Dr. Wecht also was asked to look into the death of Tammy Wynette, one of country music's favorite stars and this case gets a treatment as well.

Throughout every case, Dr. Wecht not only gives us some details about the forensics involved, but he also stops and takes the time explain what some of the medical terms used actually mean, in layman's terms. What this gives us is a Cliff's Notes type of medical dictionary that we can take with us as we read more cases, so that we increase our understanding of the terms used in autopsy reports and other medical evaluations.

His reports are clear and concise, with no wasted words. This is not to say he does not fully the cover the material, he just does not drone on about things that do not pertain to the case. I also like his style of writing. he uses a host of medical terms, but never does it seem that he is trying to overwhelm or prove his intelligence. He is, I believe, trying to give us the jargon used in his line of work so that some of the mystery is removed from the legal documents when read in the future.

To me, this book serves two purposes. It offers a glimpse inside some of the most interesting investigations in the past 30 years. But it also serves as a mini-dictionary of forensic terms, so that you can take the knowledge with you into more reading and investigation. I highly recommend this book and look foward to hearing more from Dr. Wecht.

Anyone who says the OJ Simpson case was correctly decided in the courtroom deserves neither my money nor respect. Plus, add on the fact that he was friends of the so-called "Dream Team" makes that even more laughable. This book is a joke - I borrowed it from a friend - and she asked me to throw it away after I was done. So now it's at the bottom of the landfill - where it belongs. IS THERE A MINUS RATING POSSIBLE FOR THIS BOOK? Giving it one star is an insult to stars~~~~~~

Cyril Wecht MD, JD has performed more than 14,000 autopsies and overviewed another 35,000 examinations in his more than 40 years of experience. Wecht studied the autopsy records of JFK and concluded that the single-bullet theory just couldn't be true (p.13). The forensic evidence says that Sirhan was not the killer of Sen. Robert Kennedy. Wecht was involved in eight of the nine cases in this book, except Jon-Benet Ramsey (p.15). Wecht is a commentator for CNN and other television networks. Some of these cases are well-known.

Chapter 1 tells about the "Teenage Baby Killers" who faced a first-degree murder charge. These cases happen more often than people imagine. Post partum depression is a legal defense in many countries (p.22). Wecht explains why the infant was stillborn (pp. 35-36). Chapter 2 considers the unsolved murder of Jon-Benet Ramsey based on his review of the medical facts. A supermarket tabloid sent him pictures of the body (p.47). Page 71 has the comments from the profilers. Wecht's conclusions are on page 80. Chapter 3 tells of sex, drugs, and money in Las Vegas. [Was this used for a story by the TV drama "CSI"?] Pulmonary edema is common for a drug overdose death. The interaction from multiple drugs can result in a fatal dose (p.112). [Were Murphy and Tabish convicted by their life-style?]

Chapter 4 deals with the famous prosecution of Dr. Sam Sheppard for the murder of his wife Marilyn. Their son published a book in 1995, and tried to get his deceased father proven innocent (p.122). This crime scene was not secured (p.124); the coroner assumed Dr. Sam did it. The pervasive and unfair publicity told of his guilt before the trial. F. Lee Bailey gained national fame in 1964 when he got Dr. Sheppard a new trial. Chapter 5 has the story about the killing of members of a religious sect in 1982 Miracle Valley Arizona. Forensic evidence can determine what happened, and exclude other claims. The events leading to the killing are on pages 160-161. Were Cochise County officials trying to run off the members of the Christ Miracle Church (pp. 165-166)? The lesson learned here could have prevented the Waco Texas massacre of 1993 (p.154). Chapter 6 wonders if Tammy Wynette died of natural causes or as a result of her pain-killers. An immediate autopsy could have provided an answer (p.194).

Chapter 7 discusses the Trials of OJ. Wecht believes the verdicts of both trials were right (p.197)! Was this a "great trash novel come to life" (p.199)? Was the continuing coverage just a way to fill up cable broadcasting? Wecht was a friend and colleague of the defense lawyers and expert witnesses. [Was this case famous because so many knew the answers but not the facts?] The timeline for the murders is on pages 222-223. Note that the limo driver did not see or hear any car arrive between 10:22 and 11pm. F. Lee Bailey's cross examination was "most brilliant and devastating" (p.235). Dr. Cyril Wecht now believes the police fabricated the evidence against O. J. Simpson (p.237). [Could Wecht's involvement with TV show business have prevented him from realizing this earlier?] Chapter 8 tells of a Kansas City serial killer who preyed on drug-addicted drifters. None of his victim's bodies were ever found, except for a couple of skulls, the photographs, and Berdella's diary. An insurance company would be liable if these deaths were accidental (p.243)! They settled out of court (p.270). Chapter 9 tells about Robert Curley's poisoning with thallium, which was overlooked in testing for heavy metals (p.272). Poisoning is one of the most difficult crimes to detect (p.277). The hair of the victim was analyzed as a timeline to the poisoning (p.279-280). Who benefited from his death? His wife, who alone had the access during the time he was poisoned (p.285). She wanted the insurance money (p.290).

I just love CSI and I think forensics are absolutely fascinating. This book has an amazing attention to detail. It's a book that really gets you thinking. Wecht truly reveals some gripping discoveries in these cases. A worthwhile read.

This is a great (short) read. Local early 20th century History (U.S. History). Very entertaining!

To much story about Uncle Arthur and not enough about the Collyer Brothers. This was a real disappointment, save your money and get it from the library.

I'm a compulsive hoarder of sorts and picked this up because of a link to another book on the subject. I disagree quite strongly with the previous reviewer. I absolutely adored the few chapters on the author's Uncle Arthur and thought they provided great insight and immediacy to the story on the Collyer Brothers. Given the wealth of detail about the brothers in this fine book I don't understand how any careful reader could feel cheated. If anything, I'd love to know more about Uncle Arthur, who, by the way, is cited in the title of this book. So, his inclusion should not come as much of a surprise.

If this book doesn't get you to clean out your basement, nothing will. A true story about a couple of hermits whose junk collection got the better of them.

Is it bad that, after reading this book, these men became my instant heroes? You'll have to read the book (ha, ha-- librarian trick) to find out. From my point of view, they're ensconsed warmly amongst their piles of junk, their tottering piles of old newspaper, their stacks upon stacks of boxes, their miscellania gathered from the sides of the road and trash cans-- four floors of bliss! Protection from the outside world! A true, not-metaphorical barrier from the slings of everyday life! I sleep (candid admission!) with piles of junk surrounding me on my bed. To be surrounded by piles of junk in an entire decaying old New York mansion? Indescribable bliss. My only complaint about this book is that it does not spend quite enough time on the Collyer Brothers themselves, dwelling more instead on Uncle Arthur (fascinating himself). But Five-plus stars to the lifestyle.