Sunanda Dutta

Pelecanos excels again, Jan 4 2004

Yet another excellent Pelecanos novel. The third appearance of Derek Strange and Terry Quinn. Sharp characterization, gritty urban setting, excellent description of despair and mayhem. Like other Pelecanos novels, there is an underlying sense of sorrow, and realistic description of young men and women who have gone astray. The story picks up where Hell to Pay ends, and takes some time to get going. But once it does, it is difficult to stop reading. This is poetry in the guise of hard-boiled crime fiction.

Good penmanship, but ultimately a pale imitation of Tolkien, Jan 3 2004

The author has tried to mesmerize us with queer sounding names, innumerable characters and a convoluted story. The word Eragon for example- just replace the d of dragon wth the next letter and hey presto! You get a serviceable name! The story goes about in fits and starts, and many questions remain unanswered- how did Brom hide the sign of the rider on his palm, how did Angela reach the dwarves' city, and how could Eragon kill the Shade inspite of being overmatched? The character of Eragon is very weak- he needs a lot of help from whoever his companions are- Murtagh, Brom, Arya, Angela, Saphira.... The book feels suspiciously like a Tolkien novel, without the magnificent language. Still,… Read more

Excellent!, Sep 27 2003

The book is very good, unquestionably. It provides you with a deep understanding of interest rate models and risk management. Mind you, you need to know the basics of bonds and fixed income contongent claims, before you try this book. The examples are apt, and explanations are succint, and easily understood. The mathematics involved can be mastered easily, and no arcane stuff (like measure-theoretic probability etc.) are used. So, the book will be accessible to MBA students too. This book has helped me understand the subject very well.