choke Books

The author of fight club, Chuck Palahniuk's novel Choke is my personal favorite. Its about a guy on his fourth step in his sexalocholic class and has to visit his mother who is out of her mind. This novel is very good in humor and makes you want if your personality was shaped my you own mom. I recomemend that anyone who has like the movie fight club will like this book. I also recomenend his other books as well.

Something really cool happens in this book: you're not too sure where it's going, but it's someplace funny and ridiculous and you're almost there when....

But I won't give that away. You have to find out that out for yourself.

This is the first book I've read by Chuck Palahniuk and I really enjoyed it. The choppy style really suits the absurd story and tangling thought processes of the bizarre characters. If I had any problems with it, it would be that if Palahniuk could find something really disgusting and revolting to describe in any scene...he did. Whether it's bodily secretions or questionable hygiene or something else smelly or crusty, he made sure to point it out during the story.

If you can get past that--and very graphic descriptions of sex acts and elderly neglect--you'll have some really good laughs.

Dude is nuts! Completely original. Writing and story is a bit choppy, but by design. I'm going to read more of Chuck's stuff.

I had high hopes for this book. Most of my friends who read Palahniuk reccommended this one saying that it was one of their favorites. I've read about half a dozen Palahniuk books now and this one might be my least favorite. Reading the premise of the story on the back of the book it seemed promising. Don't get me wrong the book is still pretty good just not as good as his other work. Palahniuk has always had semi-erotic content in books but went a little overboard on this one (of course, it's sure to be worse in Snuff) and the entire book seemed to revolve around sex instead of him choking for money to pay the hospital bills for his mother's care. Overall, I give the book 4 stars and would give it 5 if only it would've been less sex and more focus on the main plot of the story. The ending of the book is pretty good which is preceeded by a couple of twists (classic Chuck) and was worth the read. I'd reccommend this book for anyone wanting to read something a little different but beware of excessive sexual content but don't let this be your first Palahniuk read - try Survivor or Fight Club first.

If you pick this book up, don't even bother looking at the back cover, what is written there cannot even begin to tell you what you are about to read. I picked this book up based off of a few different people's recommendations and hearing the author's name dropped by several of my favorite authors. I had been told over and over how absolutely hysterical this book is, so of course I had to read it.

First let me warn you this book is not for everyone... in fact it's not for most people, but there is a select group out there that this book is perfect for. In this book you will find addictions, depravity, sex acts of all kinds, death, pain, obsession, profanity, blasphemy, and enough repetition to drive an English major insane. But don't let that stop you from reading... this is actually a very strange yet disturbingly profound book.

Short Summary: Our title character is a sex addict who fakes choking in restaurants to make people feel like heroes... he's had a terrible childhood with a completely insane mother who kidnapped him on multiple occasions. She's now in a home and is fast approaching her end, while her son, Victor, attempts to deal with his past, his problems, and his future.

If you are looking for a book about redemption, this isn't it. Victor is a failed med student who is riddled with psychological problems raging from sexual addiction to severe childhood trauma. He wanders through life searching desperately for meaning, purpose and hope... all while fighting to keep from being a "good guy." The only truly multidimensional character in the story is Victor, and the book is told stream of conscious from Victor's point of view. Victor behaves badly and fights to mentally defend his behavior to both the reader and himself. We swap between the current day and his childhood, or actually his memories of his childhood which are told with a bitterness not toward his mentally unstable mother, but toward himself.

Victor is filled with a deep rooted self loathing that comes across clearly to the reader, however he constantly defends his actions and feelings but his defense is hollow. It is clear that he knows that his life is pathetic and his future is going to be devoid of true happiness should he continue on his current path. As a reader you follow his mental wanderings, excuses, and find yourself hoping that he latches on to something healthy.

I don't want to give too much of the plot away, although there really isn't much of a plot. This is more of a character study of an addict, and addict who knows that things should be different but rejects and rebels against society to the point that he cannot even comprehend a healthy existence. As I said this book will not be for everyone, it is harsh, gross, filled with bodily fluids, depraved sexual acts, profanity and bad choice after bad choice. Most of supporting cast is filled with stereotypes and one dimensional jokes, also the way that this is written is very repetitive and the style will be jarring to many readers. It is not an easy read to whip right through due to the way that it is written. I am glad that I read this book, but I don't really know who I know that I would recommend it to.

Oh, and yes, parts of this book are very funny... but on the whole I was left feeling rather sad for the people in it. Perhaps I'm just feeling sensitive today, but the hopelessness of the situations that these people put themselves into is a rather sobering idea. The concept that keeps reiterating itself through the book is the idea of reality and who we are, do we create ourselves or do we let society decide who we are... if we try to fight against society are we just dooming ourselves to unhappiness and ultimate misery?

Killer Ratings is excellent classic Destroyer.
It`s not that the other earlier New Destroyer books were bad, it`s just that from these two writers I had very high expectations. And with Killer Ratings, they came through. Killer Ratings may not make the best 10 list of the 149 Destroyer books, but it got close.
The best part of the series was always the social & political satire, generally with a slightly to the right tilt. Over the years the series has lampooned just about everything and everybody.
And this book delivers. Poking fun at some people and institutions that have made theirselves prime targets for lampooning for years.
Hope to see more like this in the future. Lets face it. When it comes to things and people that need to be lampooned, 21st century America and the world in general is a target rich environment.

Yet again James Mullaney and Warren Murphy have delivered another excellent addition to the New Destroyer series.
How they manage to produce such excellent work in such a short space of time is astounding.
If you have never read any of their books I urge you to start right now.
And for avid fans of the series you already know what great quality writing is so expect nothing less from this book.
Remo and Chiun are as deadly as they are funny.
If only they could now get a wider distribution of the books the authors would receive the credit they deserve.
And as long as they keep writing I'll keep reading.

This latest book in the ongoing series is simply amazing. The writing is astoundingly insightful, humorous, and poignant. I would, and have, recommend this book to any and all--even newcomers. This series is getting better all the time, and I sincerely hope that TOR has the good sense to keep it going (which I only bring up as there was strangely no preview of the next book at the end of this one). PLEASE keep the Destroyer going!

Fourth in the "new" series, Murphy & Mullaney really hit their stride. Accessible to new readers (I indoctrinate as many as possible ;) and plenty of "inside baseball" references for long-time fans, The New Destroyer skewers Katie Curic, Walter Cronkite, Connie Chung -to name just a few.

The ending manages to tie up all the loose plot threads while providing the bad guys with their just desserts. "That's the biz, sweetheart"

Who says pop culture parody & right of center humor cant make you fall out of your seat laughing? Martial arts series? Mystical? Straight up adventure? Since 1971 this series has defied labels... a GREAT read!

Listen, I am a hard-core Destroyer fan, and cut my teeth on every one of the books growing up in Miami in the mid-70s, where each week I went to the Paperback Exchange in North Miami Beach to see if there were any more Destroyers on the shelves. So I was very pumped when the series relaunched, after so many missteps and wasted opportunities.

But having just finished Killer Ratings, I have to say it did not live up to the hype. What do I mean exactly? It's all a bit too obvious, and while I agree a certain Mad Magazine irreverence to liberal icons was always part of the mix, in the new series it is way too forced and intrusive. Before, the politics emerged from the settings and the absurd characters, while now there are quite a few too many potshots and meaningless detours to make cheap political points that don't relate in any way to the plot.

More than that, though, what I miss are the voicings. Is it just me, or does the speech of every character (except Chiun to some degree) sound exactly the same? What happened to Remo's sense of humor and detachment, and Smith's precise deadpan wit and feel for understatement? When these characters and others speak, they all sound like the exact same person.

I guess I just miss the subtle sense of humor and repartee that Remo and Chiun had, and wish there was more of that in this book. Don't get me wrong, this new relaunch is a huge improvement, and I will keep reading and hoping that it improves with each installment. But let's not say this is a return to the glory days, it's more like a turn in the right direction.

Don't let the title fool you... this is not a mindless action paperback. The Destroyer series is a clever satire of pop culture & politics cleverly disguised as and action adventure book.

Very timely given world events, the plot moves along smartly, and the dialogues between characters is laugh out loud funny. Great read: easy to pick up, light reading.

The best of the (New)Destroyer books. I hope these guys keep it up for another 30 years.

I started reading the Destroyer series since a lawyer I knew threw one at me when I needed something to read on a plane ride. I've read every one , good and bad, since. The action was always fun but it was the satire that got me laughing. There were no sacred cows and everyone was a target. This is what made this book a great read. It always had a conservative slant but for the most part I found it apolitical in its humor. When Chuin and Remo made Nixon quit, Jimmy Carter's brother in law, Ford's clumsiness, Clinton and Hillary as a couple. Scientolgy, Science,and Religious leaders were not immune. It was all funny.
Then I read this book. I laughed and I enjoyed the action. But I think Mr. Mulleny and Warren are getting far to sympathetic to the right while making fun of the left. The satire for the left was great humor but the scene with Bush and Cheney was so smarmy I honestly thought they were going to lip lock.
Mr. Mulleny wrote what I consider some of the best in the series. Great action and character development. He knows what the Destroyer is about. His humor with Chuin and Remo's bickering was old school. His stories are intelligent, sub plots captivating, and his villains (new and old) were original. He always answered emails with good humor and was a fan favorite. I was happy to see him writing the series again.
But I think he's missing something here. This administration should not be exempted from the satire. From Cheney's "So?" at gas prices, to Bush's speeches, to every pundit in the business. Hannity, O'Reily, Limbaugh and such are just crying out to be made fun of. Ann Coulter! You get two books out of her. The Moores or the Frankens should not be spared either. and hey, what about Oprah, or Tom Cruise? Like I said this book leaned right for the most part but never spared the right or worse, glorified either side.
I don't know if this is how the authors feel or the editors at Tor are capitalizing on something that is so last decade. But they should realize that partisan and bipartisan read this book. I personally know housewives, sailors, lawyers, commune dwellers, and more who read this book regularly and get a good laugh at the satire. They don't need pandering on their politics. That is not why they read this series. We don't need pundit thinking in these books we have enough of that in real life and its gotten old. So I ask the authors to consider widening the spectrum when it comes to satire in this series and keep us laughing at ourselves and our society. These days we need it.

I cannot stress enough how much I enjoy the "New Destroyer" series since it is back in the hands of Mr. Murphy. I enjoy the political satire. I also like when they incorporate Harold Smith and Mark Howard. This is a great book and I hope Tor keeps them coming for years.

Back when I first started reading The Destroyer series I was always eager to read the next novel, after reading the third installment of The New Destroyer, I'm waiting again!

Political satire, references to mythological creatures and a seemingly unstoppable enemy all contribute to a page turning adventure. The double M's are not pulling any punches with the new novels and the "Dead Reckoning" really steps it up a notch.

-WarChilde
Destroyerclub.com

I read this book OVER 10 years ago. My father made me read it to keep me busy during a road trip. I loved the book but I was never big on reading AT THE TIME.. Needless to say, the next year I started high school and athletics took up my reading time from then on throughout college. My girlfriend's a "book-a-holic" and got me back into reading and today when we were at the bookstore I was asked if there were any other authors that I liked besides the 2 I've been reading since I've been with her the past 3 years. I couldn't remember the name of the book so as I was walking around the store it clicked in my head "CHOKEHOLD"... Then I remembered the cover and that the word wouldn't fit so it had to be "CHOKE" .. Now I got on here to find out the author so I can start reading the rest of his books.

THIS DEFINITELY IS A GREAT UNFORGETTABLE BOOK FOR ME TO BE 25 NOW AND HAD READ IT WHEN I WAS 14 AND AT THE TIME READ IT AS A THING TO KEEP ME OCCUPIED FROM BOTHERING MY FATHER ON THE ROAD.

While waiting for some other books to arrive, I found this one burried in my book bin and decided to give it a try. While it was not a total waste of time, I can say for certain that I will never pick it up again.

Character development was decidedly shallow and uninspired. The end is completely predictible because - as with Scooby Doo episodes - it introduces just enough characters to fulfil the story's obligations. In addition to this, Woods seems to lack any subtilty when it comes to foreshadowing. Rather than being woven in with care so that you only realize it after the fact, I was taken aback at times by how obvious it was. The only reason that I didn't know almost exactly how it would turn out early on was because I gave the author too much credit. I assumed that the obviousness must have been a technique to add suspense and surprise.

I gave it two stars because it does read pretty quick and there is an OK story there. At various points the book appears to be taking off and you start to get excited about the possibilities, but then the poor writing and transparency bring it back down again.

I've listened to at least a dozen of Woods' novels on tape, all of the Stone Barrington novels and a good amount of the others. Everyone of them has kept me entertained from the first page to the last. This one was particularly interesting and had a great number of twists to it as most of Stuart Woods' novels do. He's become one of my favorite authors and every book is different. The ideas he comes up with are great...and the reader for his novels on tape is simply excellent.

A whirlwind ride into down and dirty living of the rich -- and not-so-rich! Stuart Woods is one of the best storytellers of our time. His characters seem like people you'd meet on the street, and we get to see into their dark, stormy pasts as Woods gets into the character's minds, especially Chuck's! We might not always agree with what Chuck does, but we sure can understand it with the author's insight into his mind.

An unstoppable tale that will keep you guessing until the dramatic conclusion. One of Woods' best novels yet!

This book is written like a summer blockbuster movie is written. Lots of fun but not tons of brains. Don't get me wrong though - I really liked this one!! I'm not real familiar with Mr. Woods but I'm sure that will change soon. The pacing kind of reminds me of a Robert Parker mystery where it moves along at such a pace that before you know it you're near the end and wondering which of his books you'll read next. I can reccomend this without a second thought. Sit back and enjoy!

I have been reading Destroyer novels for over twenty years, now, and have about a hundred of them. In the early days, when creators Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir were still doing the books, they were unparalleled, blending action, humor and social/political satire with mysticism and fantasy. Later, various ghost writers took over the writing chores on the franchise, with mixed success. But now, Warren Murphy is BACK, baby! Although Mr. Sapir has passed away, Murphy has teamed with the best of the ghost writers to bring the adventures of Remo and Chiun back to their original glory. While occasionally, these New Destroyer books have been almost too nostalgic, I believe this is necessary in order to remind readers what made this series last so long (37 years and counting). I am still a great fan of the series and the characters, and will continue to read Destroyer novels as long as they keep cranking them out.

This second book of the new incarnation of The Destroyer is even better than the first. The writing is almost lyrical without being sappy, and the story is as engaging as it is timely. The characterizations are spot on. The past masters of Sinanju are brought into the story. The story ties together beautifully, but the real magic is the sly humor and the father-son relationship of Remo and Chiun, which has never been more evident or more genuine than it is in this jewel of a book. I would have no qualms at all in recommending this book as an introduction to the series.
Chiun says, "Perfection is a road - not a destination." This series is a road well worth travelling.

Many books could attempt to mix even-handed satire, side-splitting humor, high-flying action, Chinese assassins, and a particularly lethal plant, but only one will get it right - the Destroyer series, back with a new publisher and a top-notch writing team. If you strayed from this series while it languished at its previous editorial home, fear not; the Destroyer we all love is back, and in fine form. Remo, Master Chiun, Smith, and the rest of the crew are back; annoying squids are not. So if you picked up the series just for giant mollusks, you won't be happy. But if you like fast-paced reads with faster-paced action, great character interaction, amusing quips, and politically incorrect satire, then it's time to re-enter the House of Sinanju. The Destroyer we love is back, ladies and gentleman; join the party if you're new to the series, and re-join if you're an old fan longing for all the elements that make this series so much fun.

I was naive enough to think that Warren Murphy was writing the Destroyer series all by himself after Mr. Richard B. Sapir passed on. Indeed, the internet reveals much, perhaps too much, who really needs to know how the internet works, it just does. Herein is where I learned that James Mullaney was but one of many ghost writers penning the Destroyer series, which cleared up my confusion as to why some books seemed "off". It needs to be stated that James Mullaney was not part of the confusion. Please, no calamari jokes.

"Choke Hold", with ardent fans usually leave off "The New Destroyer", are rejoicing that Murphy & Mullaney have steered the Destroyer franchise back to it's satirical social commentary of the early novels. It's a breath of fresh air when authors look at society full in the face and write about current issues.

Latter novels would have new readers believe that Remo & Chiun were nigh invincible, not so for The New Destroyer House of Sinanju Assassins. It is also refreshing to find oneself literally laughing out loud with what these two scribblers, M&M, have said.

Truth, justice and the Sinanju way indeed.

Very enjoyable return to the older style. However unlike some I have enjoyed all and have every one in my collection, which my son and I share. we have complained about the loss of continuity but now that Chium is watching the wing again we are good. Keep them coming.

The authors of the novel have harkened back to the days when The Destroyer first hit the bookstores. It is fast paced and continues to poke fun at various issues that have been on-going around the world. The Destroyer series continues to give me hours of enjoyment and brings out a laugh as i delve deeper and deeper into the novel. Please keep up the good work and give the readers of Remo and Chuin and the many supporting characters more bang for the buck...especially since the gas companies are ripping off the American people and blaming it on everything other then their greedy desires.

Warren Murphy and James Mullaney have returned, and they've brought Remo, Chiun and Smith with them. The Destroyer characters I love are back and they are themselves again, instead of the pod-people versions they had become. While I was pleased to see that Mr. Mullaney -- one of the best of the ghost writers -- now has his name on the byline, I was also gratified that Dick Sapir, co-creator with Warren, was not forgotten. His name is prominent on the cover and Warren speaks of him in his introduction.

Someone is stirring up tensions along the United States/Mexican border. General Santa Anna has returned. He has redrawn the border to include much of the Southwestern United States within his "New" New Mexican territory and thousands of illegal aliens are demonstrating in Las Cruces and other U.S. cities. Dr. Harold Smith suspects that these events are being orchestrated by an unseen hands. When a dozen volunteer border patrol volunteers are murdered, he sends Remo (who has been mysteriously absent for much of the past four years) and Chiun down to investigate.

Add a snobbish CEO, a psychopathic former adversary, and a beautiful woman investigating the disappearance of her cousin's family, who were trying to sneak across the border, and you have the perfect combination for a terrific Destroyer adventure.

The humor is back on target. So is the willingness to raise issues -- illegal immigration, cop-killers and the liberals who love them -- and take a stand that is gleefully out of step with the politically correct world view.

Remo says he's glad to be back. I'm grateful, and relieved he has brought Chiun, Smitty, and Mark with him.

If you enjoyed the first book, be sure to check out Choke Hold (The New Destroyer), and the upcoming Dead Reckoning (New Destroyer) and The New Destroyer: Killer Ratings.

James Mullaney and Warren Murphy have returned the series to it's former glory.
Remo is back where he belongs.
In the hands of the only writers who know how to craft such a magnificent tale.
I can't recommend this highly enough.
Do yourself a favour and pick up a copy today.
And once you've read it tell all your friends to read it too. Then go pick up Choke Hold the next book in the series. You won't be disappointed. And life will seem that much brighter.
Action, Adventure and laugh out loud moments.
Why this has not been turned into a successful movie series is beyond me.
Anyone who had anything to do with the production of this book deserves respect.
Keep up the great work.

After a few years of editorial mismanagement from Golden Eagle, the Destroyer is back with a new publisher and a rejuvenated writing team. In a way, it's a return to the winning formula that made this series the go-to book for action, adventure and side-splitting satire all through the '70s and '80s. All the great elements are back - the action, the well-written interplay between Master Chiun and his occasionally ungrateful adopted son Remo, hiss-worthy villains, socially relevant satire (with the most clear-headed view of the illegal alien crisi this side of a Minutemen meeting) ... it's all present and accounted for. If you, like me, found yourself losing interest in the series during its tenure with Gold Eagle, rest assured that Tor (along with Warren Murphy and James Mullaney, of course) have the series back on track. Welcome back, guys; we sure missed you.

Wooo! He's back - they're ALL back. Remo, Chiun and Smith have returned to the world they were born in - and it's a GREAT world indeed! The characterizations are right, the dialogue is right, the relationships are right. This is the way it's supposed to be.

(I've got ALL the books, read each of them more than once (well... okay, there were a few that I could barely get through once!) and I KNOW when something's right - and when something jumps the track.)

I hope that the series has taken out the "revolving door" of authors for the next several years - or at least find authors that have bothered to read the old books before thinking that their "skills" and "worldly understanding" will get them through!

Great job - keep 'em coming!

I am in one of the photos in this book being choked. Go me!

This book offers outstanding ways into several high ratio of success finishing moves. It builds on Shingitai Jujitsu's methodology of instruction where one must first close the gap, next gain dominate position/control, and then end the fight. Steve teaches different ways from different controlling positions into different submissions. You must study the text, develop drills, and use the drills. This is definitely a coaching/instructional manual.

Mr. Scott has taken his years of coaching experience and written another easy to use, informative, text. Much like his Armlock Encyclopedia, this book breaks down each technique into easy steps. The chokes in this book will help everyone who is interested; from the average, couch riding, UFC wannabe, to the serious groundfighting technician.

Latest in a series of adventure books taking place in modern day and centered on a somewhat different type of main character with ordinary limitations. However, in this book, Simon Leonidovich (main character) exhibits more charateristics of a movie action hero than in the earlier books ... his powers of observation are enhanced, and he is able to accomplish actions that would not likely succeed in real life. This book will appeal to those who like action ... one can imagine this book could be adapted into an action hero movie easily.

Couldn't wait to read more Simon!! If you haven't read the whole series, you should!!! You'll get so hooked -- it'll only take you a few days to read because you can't put it down!!!

This book is very hard to get into. I read about half of the book and just had to quit. Too many characters that are poorly introduced. A plot that is never clear. Maybe it was because I hadn't read any of the previous novels, but I just couldn't follow this one.

A good book, but not great. Interesting storyline, but it wasn't really fleshed out enough to grab my interest all the way through. Was pretty predictable I thought.

In this novel Big Jake Rynerson is building a hugh gambling resort. It
is being built in Macau and is called the Pacific Pearl. It is a very
elaborate casino. Big Jake is having all sorts of problems in the building
of this enterprise. There have been several fatal accidents on the site.
Big Jake is also working behind the scenes helping the President of the
United States create the Pacific Rim Alliance. This is made up of three
countries China, Taiwan, and the United States. There are some forces behind the scenes who are opposed to this alliance. In a secret meeting
Big Jake is gunned down in an assassination attempt. The attempted killing is done by a group of mercenaries who are hired to stop the alliance. Our hero Simon Leonidovich an international courier enters the
picture to safely deliver the "Crest of Ch'in" to the Chinese. This will
wrap up creating the alliance. Kyra Rynerson enters the picture. She and Simon charter a plane to deliver the crest. They soon discover that they
have been betrayed. Simon and Kyra fight against overwhelming odds to survive as well as deliver the crest. This makes for a very good story.

This is a very good book for selecting inductors for real world applications. Highly recommended.

The Inductor Handbook joins Mr. Kaiser's other handbooks to expand his library of core reference manuals. Each are outstanding on their own, but taken together, provide the electronics expert a ready reference and the teacher a core curriculum on each topic.

The Inductor Handbook was a real disappointment. The information is a superficial overview of how to select inductors for basic applications. It might be suitable for a hobbyist or student but is not the caliber of information required by a modern technical professional. There is little information about the design of inductors and no information about computer modeling - crucial in today's environment. More useful information can be obtained from manufacturer's spec sheets and application notes.