I reached a low point in my life when Martha Stewart was found guilty of her alleged crimes. If the truth were to be known, Martha has inspired me to be a better person. Some people make fun of her because she’s so meticulous and particular. She has to use the best ingredients in cooking. She has to have the right tools. Everything must be in its place. Each project deserves her greatest effort. Frankly, I think that’s admirable. Fast, easy, and cheap may appeal to some people, but I’m not one of them. There is nothing wrong in striving to be the best you can be. If Martha has to go to prison, I will be inconsolable. Prison should be saved for someone like Dennis Kozlowski who allegedly pirated $600 million from the Tyco Corporation. If Martha’s crimes qualify her for a prison sentence, Kozlowski should face the firing squad. (I think I sense some hostility surfacing.) Back to Martha. Over the years the library has acquired a number of her cookbooks and decorating books. We also subscribe to Martha Stewart Living and Martha Stewart Kids. If you use the library’s resources, you won’t need to buy them yourself. Instead you can spend your money on "the best ingredients" and "the right tools" to make a better home for you and your family. It’s a good thing. If you want to read more about Dennis Kozlowski and other (alleged) corporate pirates, you might want to try, "Pigs at the Trough." Political commentator Arianna Huffington yanks back the curtain on the unholy alliance of CEOs, politicians, lobbyists, and Wall Street bankers who have shown a brutal disregard for those in the office cubicles and on the factory floors. Corporate crooks have bilked the public out of trillions of dollars, magically making pensions disappear and walking away with astronomical payouts and absurdly lavish perks-for-life. Tyco’s Dennis Kozlowski, and the Three Horsemen of the Enron Apocalypse, Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling, and Andrew Fastow, are just a few examples of a trend in corporate leadership, the rise of a callous and avaricious mind that is contrary to the values of the average American citizen. "Pigs at the Trough" presents the whole ugly picture of what’s really going on, a blistering portrait of exactly how and why the worst and the greediest are running American business and government into the ground. If you’d prefer "not to think about it" try the new book by James Patterson, "3RD DEGREE." Detective Lindsay Boxer and Assistant District Attorney Jill Bernhardt are enjoying a quiet afternoon in San Francisco when a townhouse across the street explodes in flames. A sinister note signed "August Spies" is found at the scene of the disaster, and the body of an infant who was asleep in the house at the time of the explosion cannot be found. Soon a wave of violent incidents, all with links to political terrorism and involving "August Spies," sweeps through the city. An upcoming economic summit of the world's most powerful nations will surely be a target. And it's up to the Women's Murder Club to get to the bottom of the violence before it's too late. Delivering the breakneck pace and never-saw-it-coming plot, "3RD DEGREE" is another searing and unforgettable thriller from the nation's No. 1 best selling suspense writer.
