Twisted Tour Guide to San Diego: Shocking Deaths, Scandals and Vice


Book Description

Avoid The Tourist Herds. What could be more uninspiring than seeing the identical attractions that everyone else has for decades? This Twisted Tour Guide escorts you to the places locals don’t want to talk about anymore…the same places people once couldn’t stop talking about. Long after the screaming headlines and sensationalism has subsided, these bizarre, infamous and obscure historical sites remain hidden awaiting rediscovery. Each visitation site in this guide is accompanied by a story. Many of the narratives defy believability, yet they are true. The profiled cast of characters feature saints and sinners (with emphasis towards the latter). Notorious crimes, murders, accidental deaths, suicides, kidnappings, vice and scandal are captivating human interest tales. The photography from each profile showcases the precise location where each event occurred. The scenes can seem ordinary, weird and/or sometimes very revealing towards clarifying the background behind events. If you’re seeking an alternative to conventional tourism, this Twisted Tourist Guide is ideal. Each directory accommodates the restless traveler and even resident looking for something unique and different. Historical Scandals: Dead Man’s Point, Old Town’s Flawed Jail, Hanging A Horse Thief, A Rouge Litany of Flawed Mayors, The Rainmaker, Abraham Lincoln’s Love Letters, Kumeyaay Forced Relocation, Children’s Hospital Tainted Blood, Strippergate, Big Boom Bust and Del Mar Racehorse Fatalities. Flawed Personalities: Count Agoston Haraszthy, Davis’ Waterfront Folly, The Future Duchess of Windsor, Beach Boy Brian Wilson’s Vagrancy Arrest, Actor Desi Arnez’s Parking Shooting, Bird Rock Bandits Fatal Beating, Distancing From Aviator Charles Lindbergh, Junior Seau, Kellen Winslow II, Online Influencer Ali Abulaban and Unconventional Dr. Seuss. Architecture With A Distinctive Past: Stingaree District, The Golden Poppy Brothel, U.S. Grant Hotel, Cabrillo Monument, Escondido Bomb Factory, 101 Ash Street Skyscraper and Horton Plaza Hospitality and Hauntings Casa de Estudillo, Cosmopolitan Hotel, Whaley House, Villa Montezuma, El Cortez Hotel and Del Coronado Resort Hotel, Financial Sleights of Hand California National Bank Bust, Anti-Gambling Crusade, C. Arnholt Smith’s Crumbled Empire, J. David Investments and the Foreign Currency Scam, Congressman Randy Cunningham, Drug Money Laundering Sting of a Political Fixer, Congressman Duncan Duane Hunter and Gina Champion-Cain Legacies and Notorious Events Southern California To Phoenix Road Race, Balboa Park’s Nudist Colony, Japanese-American Internment, Elvis Presley’s 1956 Concert, El Cajon Boulevard Drag Racing Riots, Del Coronado Bridge Suicides, Baseball’s Roberto Clemente Abduction, Midair Collision of PSA Flight #182 and Cessna aircraft and Menacing Runaway Tank. Infamous Murders Ruth Sackett Muir, Morse and Goedecke Family Murders, Tara Rand, Donald Tubach, Mobster Frank Bompensiero, Robert Alton Harris, Torrey Pines Beach, Brenda Spencer, San Ysidro McDonald’s Massacre, Broderick versus Broderick, John Morency, San Diego State Graduate Student Kills His Professors, Comic Publisher Todd Loren, Charles Keever and Jonathan Sellers, Father Louis Gutierrez, Heaven’s Gate Mass Suicide, Santana High School Shooting, Serial Killer John Albert Gardner III, Ryan Jenkins, Trading Places With Your Murder Victim, Vanishing McStay Family, Death at Speckles Mansion, Suburban Bondage Killing, Murder and Abduction By A Trusted Family Friend, Homeless Serial Killer, Poolside Party Shooter and Poway Synagogue Shooting Law Enforcement Related Killings Fatal City Jail Fire, Hub Loan Shoot Out, Grape Street Park, Officers Christopher Wilson, Jeremy Henwood and Jonathan DeGuzman, Demetrius DuBose and Daniel Chong’s Isolation Hell.




Twisted Tour Guide to the San Francisco Bay Area


Book Description

Avoid The Tourist Herds. What could be more uninspiring than seeing the identical attractions that everyone else has for decades? This Twisted Tour Guide escorts you to the places locals don’t want to talk about anymore…the same places people once couldn’t stop talking about. Long after the screaming headlines and sensationalism has subsided, these bizarre, infamous and obscure historical sites remain hidden awaiting rediscovery. Each visitation site in this guide is accompanied by a story. Many of the narratives defy believability, yet they are true. The profiled cast of characters feature saints and sinners (with emphasis towards the latter). Notorious crimes, murders, accidental deaths, suicides, kidnappings, vice and scandal are captivating human interest tales. Paranormal activity in the aftermath is common. The photography from each profile showcases the precise location where each event occurred. The scenes can seem ordinary, weird and/or sometimes very revealing towards clarifying the background behind events. If you’re seeking an alternative to conventional tourism, this Twisted Tourist Guide is ideal. Each directory accommodates the restless traveler and even resident looking for something unique and different. You will never imagine or scrutinize the San Francisco Bay area through rose tinted glasses again. The contents include: SAN FRANCISCO: CIA’s Sex and Drug Playhouse, Diamond Jessie Hayman’s Brothels, Jerome Bassity’s Tenderloin Fiefdom, Sublime’s Bradley James Nowell’s Heroin Overdose, 1937 Brothel Addresses, Chambers Mansion, 1885 Chinatown Vice, Cliff House and Sutro Baths, Killer Piano of the Condor Club, Curran Theater’s Haunting, Dan White’s Infamous Murders and Suicide, Dog Mauling of Diane Whipple, Chinatown’s Belle Cora and Donaldina Cameron, Gangland Slaying of Fung Little Pete Jing Toy, 101 California Building Massacre, Golden Gate Bridge Suicides, Jeff Adachi’s Double Life and Death, Contract Killing of Joe The Animal Barboza, Kevin Collins Kidnapping, Maiden Lane’s Infamous History, Mary Ellen Pleasant’s Legacy, Miles Archer’s Murder Plaque, Golden Dragon Massacre, President Warren Harding’s Death, People’s Temple, Queen Anne Hotel Legacy, Fatty Arbuckle’s Fall From Grace, Political Fixer Abe Ruef’s Penthouse, Spreckel’s Mansion, St. Elizabeth’s Center for Unwed Mothers, Terrific Street, and the International Settlement, Whittier Mansion Nazi Connection, Westerfield House and the Zebra Killings EAST BAY AREA Ashkenaz Murder, Port Chicago Explosion and Mutiny, Journalist Chancey Bailey’s Shooting, Children of Thunder Murders, Oakland Superintendent of Schools Assassination, Fat Lady Restaurant, Ghost Ship Warehouse Inferno, Henry’s Bar Hostage Nightmare, Port Costa’s Hotel Burlington, Huey Newton’s Demise, Laci Peterson’s Saga, Lovelle Mixon’s Police Killings, Gambling Era Survivor Oaks Card Room, Oikos University Massacre, Oscar Grant III’s Homicide, Patty Hearst Kidnapping, Pleasanton Hotel Phantom, Jockey Ron Hansen’s Plunge, Unabomber’s Berkeley Experience, USS Hornet’s Suicide Reputation and El Cerrito’s Dens of Iniquity MARIN COUNTY Mitchell Brothers Curse, Blue Rock Inn’s Seedy Past, Litchfield’s: California’s Las Vegas, Marin County Courthouse Shootings, Tamalpais Trailhead Killer, Marin Barbeque Murders, Robin Williams’ Suicide and Sausalito’s Infamous Madame Sally Stanford PENINSULA Brook Hart’s Kidnapping, Cameron’s Pub, Kohl Mansion, Moss Beach Distillery’s Blue Lady, Ocean Beach Hotel, PG& E’s San Bruno Pipeline Explosion, Sam’s Eclectic Castle and Historic Sanchez Adobe, SOLANO COUNTY Promoter Bill Graham’s Fatal Helicopter Crash, Benicia’s Capital and Brothel Heritage and Zodiac Killer Murders SONOMA & NAPA COUNTIES Blue Wing Inn, California Industrial Farm for Women, Fishhead Beach Murder, Petaluma’s Crooked History, Polly Klaas Abduction, Ramon Salcido’s Family Slayings, Napa’s Infamous Spanish Town and Washoe House Stagecoach Stop




TWISTED TOUR GUIDE TO LOS ANGELES


Book Description

Avoid The Tourist Herds. What could be more uninspiring than seeing the identical attractions that everyone else has for decades? This Twisted Tour Guide escorts you to the places locals don’t want to talk about anymore…the same places people once couldn’t stop talking about. Long after the screaming headlines and sensationalism has subsided, these bizarre, infamous and obscure historical sites remain hidden awaiting rediscovery. Each visitation site in this guide is accompanied by a story. Many of the narratives defy believability, yet they are true. The profiled cast of characters feature saints and sinners (with emphasis towards the latter). Notorious crimes, murders, accidental deaths, suicides, kidnappings, vice and scandal are captivating human interest tales. The photography from each profile showcases the precise location where each event occurred. The scenes can seem ordinary, weird and/or sometimes very revealing towards clarifying the background behind events. If you’re seeking an alternative to conventional tourism, this Twisted Tourist Guide is ideal. Each directory accommodates the restless traveler and even resident looking for something unique and different. Scandals: Sister Aimee Semple’s disappearance, Zoot Suit riots, Howard Hughes’ collisions, George Michael sex sting, Dr. Lanterman’s abortions, Pio Pico shortsighted swap, Rodney King beating, Roman Polanski’s flight from justice and Julian Oil, Valhalla Cemetery and Girard Swindles Famous Homicides and Killers: Billionaire Boys Club, Barbara Graham, Black Dahlia, Bonnie Lee Bakely, Edward Allaway, Police Captain Walter Auble, Charles Crawford, Christian Brando, Dominique Dunne, Dr. Raymond Finch, Efren Saldivar, Ennis Cosby, Geneva Ellroy, Haing Ngor, Johnny Stompanato, Mickey and Trudy Thompson, Newhall CHP Shootout, Nicole Brown-Simpson, SLA Fuselage, Phil Spector, Ramon Novarro, Rebecca Schaeffer, Ronni Chasen, Sal Mineo, Sam Cooke, Susan Berman, Ted Healy, North Hollywood Bank of America Heist, Van Cleef & Arpels Hostage Standoff, William Desmond Taylor and the Wonderland massacres Serial Killers: Charles Manson, Golden State Killer, Richard Ramirez and Hillside Stranger Murder-Suicides: Dorothy Stratten, Johnny Lewis, Ned Doheny and Phil Hartman Assassinations and Contract Murders: Bugsy Siegel, Notorious B.I.G., Raymond Washington, Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Vic Weiss Celebrity Suicides and Locations: Brian Keith, Carol Landis, Hotel Cecil, Pasadena’s Colorado Street Bridge, Darby Crash, DeeDee Ramone, Del Shannon, Don Cornelius, Freddie Prinze, George Reeve, Herve Villechaize, Hugh O’Connor, Keith Emerson, Lupe Velez, Margaux Hemmingway, Peg Entwistle, Pete Duel, Pier Angeli, Ross Alexander, Tony Scott and Verne Troyer Shocking Celebrity Deaths and Overdoses: Dennis Wilson, Lenny Bruce, Janis Joplin, John Belushi, Michael Jackson, Paul Walker, River Phoenix and Whitney Houston Prostitution and Renowned Madams: Lee Frances, Hollywood Love Market, Heidi Fleiss, Calle de los Negroes and Hugh Grant’s Indiscretion




Twisted Tour Guide to Portland and Salem:


Book Description

Avoid The Tourist Herds. What could be more uninspiring than seeing the identical attractions that everyone else has for decades? This Twisted Tour Guide escorts you to the places locals don’t want to talk about anymore…the same places people once couldn’t stop talking about. Long after the screaming headlines and sensationalism has subsided, these bizarre, infamous and obscure historical sites remain hidden awaiting rediscovery. Each visitation site in this guide is accompanied by a story. Many of the narratives defy believability, yet they are true. The profiled cast of characters feature saints and sinners (with emphasis towards the latter). Notorious crimes, murders, accidental deaths, suicides, kidnappings, vice and scandal are captivating human interest tales. The photography from each profile showcases the precise location where each event occurred. The scenes can seem ordinary, weird and/or sometimes very revealing towards clarifying the background behind events. If you’re seeking an alternative to conventional tourism, this Twisted Tourist Guide is ideal. Each directory accommodates the restless traveler and even resident looking for something unique and different. Historic Buildings with Paranormal Haunting: Witches Castle, Merchant’s Hotel, Kelly’s Olympian, White Eagle Saloon, Kell’s Irish Restaurant, Hollywood Theatre Portland Scandals: The Open Door and the Great Vice Crusade of 1896, Unsuccessful Sexual Set-Up of Mayor Harry Lane, Richard’s Restaurant, Vice Clique Gay Scandal of 1912, Ku Klux Klan’s infiltration, Mayoral Election of 1917, Radio’s Robert Gordon Duncan, Schneiderman’s Music Hall, Michael Grave’s Flawed Portland Building Elicit Commerce: Opium Trade, Court of Death, Shanghai Tunnels, Gambling Dens, Prohibition, Read Hotel, Frank Kodat Crime Networt, Historic Prostitution Outlets, The Desert Room, Yam Yam’s BBQ Historic Events: Great Fires of 1872-1973, Emma Goldman’s 1915 Lecture, Hoovervilles at Sullivan’s Gulch, Multnomah Aerial Showcase, Catastrophe at Vanport, Brittany Maynard’s Assisted Suicide Institutions with Storied Pasts: Huber’s Café, The Boneyard, Society Hotel, Lone Fir Cemetery, Dan and Louis Oyster Bar, Erickson’s Saloon, Washington Hotel, Lownsdale Square Public Bathroom, Crystal Ballroom, Golden West Hotel, Vista Bridge, Crystal Hotel, Dude Ranch, Harbor Club, Tel and Tel Tavern, Club Continental Baths, Mary’s Club Legendary Personalities: Danford Balch, Liverpool Lil, Boneyard Mary, Carrie Bradley, Anne Jeanne Tingry Le-Coz, Alice Oberle, Joseph Bunko Kelley, Kate Ann Williams, Theodore Berthus Kruses, Gus Erickson, Fred Fritz Jr., Mysterious Billy Smith, Dr. Marie Equi, Henry Lewis Pittock, Mayor George Baker, Henry Albers, Journalists John Reed and Louis Bryant, Nate Zusman, Al Winter, Mayor Dorothy McCullough, Big Jim Elkins, Roma Ollison, Hotelier Gordon Sondland Notorious Murders Reynolds’s Homewrecker Shooting, Dark Strangler Serial Killer, Contract Killing of Frank Akin, 1946 Willamette Floating Torso, Bowden Bombing, Killing Under St. John’s Bridge, Career Criminal Frank Oliver Payne, Diane Hank Abduction, Forest Park Slayings, Weeks Family Massacre, Veronica Dolan’s Christmas Eve slaying, Michele Dee Gate’s Saga of Death, Lloyolla Miller’s savage axing, Beating Death of Mulugeta Seraw, Tim Moreau and the Counterfeit Ticketing Ring, Serial Killer Scott William Cox, Homer Lee Jackson’s Prostitution Murders, The Zone’s Shooting Rampage, Federal Public Defender Nancy Bergeson’s Murder, Abduction of Kyron Horman, Escort Ashley Benson Salem Pioneer Murder of Daniel Delaney, Salem Hanging Grounds, Political Fixer Jonathan Bourne and 40 days of legislative debauchery, Fairview Training Center, Elsinore Theatre, Mass Poisoning at the Oregon State Hospital, Serial Killer Richard Marquette, Fetish Killer Jerry Brudos, Oregon State Police Chief Holly Holcomb Murder, Serial Killer William Scott Smith, Oregon Prison Director Michael Francke’s Bizarre Killing




Twisted Tour Guide: Seattle and Puget Sound


Book Description

Evade the Tourist Herds and Enter Into An Insider’s Guide to Seattle and Puget Sound. Known and unknown history, hidden delights and fascinating stories pervade the history of the Emerald City. This kaleidoscope of discovery, personalities, egos, scandals, conflict framed by sheer beauty creates a vivid tapestry defining over three centuries. This Twisted Tour Guide escorts you to the places locals don’t want to talk about anymore…the same places people once couldn’t stop talking about. Long after the screaming headlines and sensationalism has subsided, these bizarre, infamous and obscure historical sites remain hidden awaiting rediscovery. Secret discoveries, attractions and history abound throughout the Puget Sound region. Each visitation site in this guide is accompanied by a story. Many of the narratives defy believability, yet they are true. The profiled cast of characters feature saints and sinners (with emphasis towards the latter). Notorious crimes, murders, accidental deaths, suicides, kidnappings, vice and scandal are captivating human interest tales. Paranormal activity in the aftermath is common. The photography from each profile showcases the precise location where each event occurred. The scenes can seem ordinary, weird and/or sometimes very revealing towards clarifying the background behind events. If you’re seeking an alternative to conventional tourism, this Twisted Tourist Guide is ideal. Each directory accommodates the restless traveler and even resident looking for something unique and different. You will never imagine or scrutinize Seattle or the Puget Sound area through rose tinted glasses again. The contents include: SEATTLE: Capitol Hill Riots, Kurt Cobain’s, John Ehrlichman’s law practice, Seattle’s Ethically-flawed founders, Historic brothels, Crime boss Frank Colacurcio, Strippergate, Felker House, Chief Seattle, Mercer Girl Brides, Northwest Airline Hijacks, World Trade Center Protests, Seattle Hanging Grounds, Mardi Gras Riots, Lou Graham, Seattle’s Jungle, Great Fire of 1889, People’s Theatre, Triangle Hotel, Mahoney scandal, Sylvia Gaines incest murder, Teamster boss embezzlements, Little Willie Johns, Lifeline Club bingo raid, West Seattle Bridge, Bruce and Brandon Lee Memorial, Donut House, Wah Mee Gambling Club, The Monastery disco, Goldmark family murder, Judge Gary Little, Pang Frozen Food fire, Judge Tom Wales contract killing, Singers Layne Staley and Mia Zapata’s death, Capital Hill party massacre, Disc Jockey Mike Webb’s, Tuba Man, Café Racer, Dinh Bowman’s murder experiment, Seattle Pacific University shooting, Austin Bell, Melody Choir, Dexter Horton, Smith and Columbia Towers, Arctic Building, Rainier Plaza, Minoru Yamasaki, Rain Forest Gate, Hat n Boots, Vessel, Vertebrae and Meeting of The Minds Public Scultures, Amazon Spheres and Basketball Legend Bill Russell. BELLEVUE Meydenbauer Bay Park, Mars Hills Congregational Church collapse, Bellevue’s creepy first mayor and the Rafay and Wilson family murders…Plus more TACOMA Serial Killer Ted Bundy, Chihuly Bridge of Glass, Galloping Gertie, The Enterprise crime syndicate, Washington Building, Dashiell Hammett, Rust Mansion, Weaver Film Studio, Little girl’s ghost in the upper restaurant windows, Unsolved kidnappings of Ann Marie Burr and Charlie Mattson, Serial killer Jake Bird’s fatal curse, DNA profiles track down two child killers forty years later, The missing prostitutes along Puyallup Avenue, Coffee shop killing of four police officers, Asian gangland slaying, DC Sniper’s associate killing…Plus more OUTLYING AREAS Green River Serial Killer, Jimi Hendrix Memorial, Elementary School teacher pregnancy scandal, A survivalist murders his family, Police shooting death motivated by impatience, Everett dockside massacre, King County Commissioner’s disappearane and even more secret discoveries and vice await…




Twisted Tour Guide: Baltimore


Book Description

Evade the Tourist Herds and Enter Into An Insider’s Baltimore. Known and unknown history, hidden delights and fascinating stories pervade the history of Baltimore. This kaleidoscope of discovery, personalities, egos, scandals and conflicts frame one of America’s oldest cities. This guide transports you to the precise famous and infamous locations where history occurred. The scenes may sometimes appear ordinary, weird, but often illuminate the physical background and descriptions behind events. Many of the narratives defy believability, yet they are true. This Twisted Tour Guide is your alternative to conventional travel. It accommodates the restless visitor, tourist and resident seeking a unique and different perspective to traditional tourism. Baltimore remains an intriguing historical destination despite contemporary urban issues and challenges. Historical Events Battle of Baltimore, War of 1812 Between England and The United States, Star Spangled Banner, Locust Point Immigration, American Civil War, 1861 Pratt Street Riot, Archdiocese of Baltimore Scandal, Camp Washburn, Underground Railroad, Illegal Bodysnatching, Invention of the Ouija Board, Great Fire of 1904, Rosewood Training Center Scandal, Zion Lutheran Church Wartime Loyalties, Johns Hopkins Medical Scandals, Alger Hiss Communist Trial, Governor George Wallace Shooting, Vice President Spiro Agnew Resignation, Baltimore Colts Relocation, Baltimore City Hall and Jail Scandals and Gun Trace Task Force Debacle. Landmarks: Fort McHenry, Latrobe Park, Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, The Horse You Came On Tavern, Fells Point, Captain’s House Brothel, Federal Hill Park, Clifton Mansion, Lake Clifton Valve House, Basilica of the Assumption Cathedral, Mount Vernon-Belvedere, Carroll Mansion, Homewood Mansion, Johns Hopkins University, Star-Spangled Banner Flag House, St. Mary’s Seminary Chapel, Mother Seton Hall, Battle of North Point Sculpture, Patterson Park, Asian Pagoda Observatory, Peale Museum, The Causeway, Lafayette Monument, Phoenix Shot Tower, Washington Monument, Mount Clare Train Station, President Street Train Station, Quaker Meeting House, Edgar Allan Poe House, Washington Medical College, Westminster Burial Grounds, Enoch Pratt Free Public Library, St. Vincent de Paul Church, Max’s Taphouse, Garrett Jacobs Mansion, Orianda Mansion, Crimea Estates, Cylburn Arboretum, John Wilkes Booth Grave, Green Mount Cemetery, George Peabody Library, Davidge Hall, Rawlings Conservatory, Druid Hill Park, Babe Ruth Birthplace, George Ruth’s Taverns, St. Mary’s Industrial School, Admiral Fell Inn, Public Bath House #2, Belvedere Hotel, The Block, Emerson Bromo Seltzer Tower, Gayety Theatre, Sagamore Pendry Hotel, Haunted Lord Baltimore Hotel, St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute of Theology, Two O’Clock Club, American Visionary Art Museum, Memorial Stadium and Graffiti Alley, Political and Historical Figures Babe Ruth, Francis Scott Key, French General Lafayette, General Benjamin Butler, Bishop John Carroll, Benjamin Henry Latrobe, Charles Carroll, Major General George Armistead, Mother Elizabeth Seton, Big Ann Wilson, Frederick Douglass, John Wilkes Booth, Elijah Bond, Wallis Simpson Duchess of Windsor, Al Capone, American Spy Virginia Hall, Supreme Court Justices Thurgood Marshall and Roger Taney. Literary, Visual and Performance Artists and Venues Edgar Allan Poe, Rembrandt Peale, Billie Holiday, Lyric Theatre Boycott of Conductor Karl Muck, H. L. Mencken, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Upton Sinclair, Blaze Starr, Tom Clancy, John Waters and Michael Phelps, Murders and Massacres: Emily Brown Burking Killing, Bromo Seltzer Bottle Poisoning, Spiritualist Emma Kefalos Murder, City Councilman Leone Shooting, Westview Mall Shooting, Leakin Park Dead Body Dumping, Hae Min Lee Killing, Joseph Palczynski Hostage Standoff, Black Widow Spider Murders and Freddie Gray’s Death.




Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States


Book Description

Scores of talented and dedicated people serve the forensic science community, performing vitally important work. However, they are often constrained by lack of adequate resources, sound policies, and national support. It is clear that change and advancements, both systematic and scientific, are needed in a number of forensic science disciplines to ensure the reliability of work, establish enforceable standards, and promote best practices with consistent application. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward provides a detailed plan for addressing these needs and suggests the creation of a new government entity, the National Institute of Forensic Science, to establish and enforce standards within the forensic science community. The benefits of improving and regulating the forensic science disciplines are clear: assisting law enforcement officials, enhancing homeland security, and reducing the risk of wrongful conviction and exoneration. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States gives a full account of what is needed to advance the forensic science disciplines, including upgrading of systems and organizational structures, better training, widespread adoption of uniform and enforceable best practices, and mandatory certification and accreditation programs. While this book provides an essential call-to-action for congress and policy makers, it also serves as a vital tool for law enforcement agencies, criminal prosecutors and attorneys, and forensic science educators.




China's Influence and American Interests


Book Description

While Americans are generally aware of China's ambitions as a global economic and military superpower, few understand just how deeply and assertively that country has already sought to influence American society. As the authors of this volume write, it is time for a wake-up call. In documenting the extent of Beijing's expanding influence operations inside the United States, they aim to raise awareness of China's efforts to penetrate and sway a range of American institutions: state and local governments, academic institutions, think tanks, media, and businesses. And they highlight other aspects of the propagandistic “discourse war” waged by the Chinese government and Communist Party leaders that are less expected and more alarming, such as their view of Chinese Americans as members of a worldwide Chinese diaspora that owes undefined allegiance to the so-called Motherland.Featuring ideas and policy proposals from leading China specialists, China's Influence and American Interests argues that a successful future relationship requires a rebalancing toward greater transparency, reciprocity, and fairness. Throughout, the authors also strongly state the importance of avoiding casting aspersions on Chinese and on Chinese Americans, who constitute a vital portion of American society. But if the United States is to fare well in this increasingly adversarial relationship with China, Americans must have a far better sense of that country's ambitions and methods than they do now.




The Winter of Frankie Machine


Book Description

FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE CARTEL. Frankie Machianno, a hard-working entrepreneur, passionate lover, part-time surf bum, and full-time dad, is a pillar of his waterfront community—and a retired hit man. Once better known as Frankie Machine, he was a brutally efficient killer. Now someone from his past wants him dead, and after a botched attempt on his life, Frankie sets out to find his potential killers. However, the list of suspects is longer than the California coastline. With the mob on his heels and the cops on his tail, Frankie hatches a plan to protect his family, save his life, and escape the mob forever. Then things get really complicated.




The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report


Book Description

The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report, published by the U.S. Government and the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission in early 2011, is the official government report on the United States financial collapse and the review of major financial institutions that bankrupted and failed, or would have without help from the government. The commission and the report were implemented after Congress passed an act in 2009 to review and prevent fraudulent activity. The report details, among other things, the periods before, during, and after the crisis, what led up to it, and analyses of subprime mortgage lending, credit expansion and banking policies, the collapse of companies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the federal bailouts of Lehman and AIG. It also discusses the aftermath of the fallout and our current state. This report should be of interest to anyone concerned about the financial situation in the U.S. and around the world.THE FINANCIAL CRISIS INQUIRY COMMISSION is an independent, bi-partisan, government-appointed panel of 10 people that was created to "examine the causes, domestic and global, of the current financial and economic crisis in the United States." It was established as part of the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009. The commission consisted of private citizens with expertise in economics and finance, banking, housing, market regulation, and consumer protection. They examined and reported on "the collapse of major financial institutions that failed or would have failed if not for exceptional assistance from the government."News Dissector DANNY SCHECHTER is a journalist, blogger and filmmaker. He has been reporting on economic crises since the 1980's when he was with ABC News. His film In Debt We Trust warned of the economic meltdown in 2006. He has since written three books on the subject including Plunder: Investigating Our Economic Calamity (Cosimo Books, 2008), and The Crime Of Our Time: Why Wall Street Is Not Too Big to Jail (Disinfo Books, 2011), a companion to his latest film Plunder The Crime Of Our Time. He can be reached online at www.newsdissector.com.