Todd James Pierce

My rating is based on the fact that, despite the title, many of the stories are not, in fact, noir. Separate that out and many of the stories are well-written and introduced me to new-to-me authors.

Noir is about people who realize that following the program will never get them what they crave. So they cross the line, commit a crime and reap the consequences. Or, they’re tales about seemingly innocent people tortured by paranoia and ass-kicked by Fate. Either way, they depict a world that’s merciless and unforgiving.

If the guy gets the girl in the end? Not noir.… (altro)

I rather enjoyed this collection of short stories. Quality is not top across the board but there are no amateurs in here. Of course many deal with the mob or gambling, but the takes are perhaps not what you'd expect. I especially enjoyed a story of a trip to the Nevada Test Site (now known as the Nevada National Security Site), both because of the story itself and because I have done that tour (and liked it!).

There is much about Vegas that escapes the casual visitor. Some of these stories will reinforce the visitor's view, but many others call its bluff.… (altro)

An outstanding narrative about the creation of Disneyland, primarily focusing on the business/financial side of its creation and the leadership of its first General Manager, CV Wood. Since removed from all official accounts of the building of Disneyland, Wood was largely responsible for getting the park open in an almost miraculous one-year time frame and for creatively bringing many sponsors on board, but his somewhat underhanded and almost certainly illegal approaches to problem solving irritated Walt Disney to the breaking point, and Wood was let go a few short months after the park opened. I've read several accounts of the creative challenges that building Disneyland entailed, but no other book details the real estate deals and business partnerships that went into the building of the "Happiest Place on Earth". If you are a Disneyland enthusiast like me, this is a must read.… (altro)