For those of us who long to win the lottery and to prove wrong those who say money can't bring happiness, The Luck of the Draw will disappoint.

I waited a long time for this book to arrive at my local bookstore, almost as long as I've been waiting to hit a lottery jackpot. (That still hasn't happened.) I was disappointed when I finally sat down to read it. The authors jump from story to story within paragraphs, many starting with "So-and-so of Middle of Nowhere, Kansas, found out that what glitters isn't always gold." Rarely do they go in-depth into what it is really like to win a lottery. They interviewed many winners, it seems, but haven't been told much beyond the moment the winners discover they've won the jackpot and pick up their tickets. Most of the people who win lotteries do the same thing with their earnings: buy a new car, a new house, settle debts, go on a trip. Then they disappear from sight. Who cares! Buy lottery tickets instead of this book -- you'll be happier even if none of the tickets is a winner.

I've always been interested in what it would be like to be a millionaire. Well now I know. Lottery winners aren't always REAL winners, some are wieners. But it is the writing of Gudgeon and Stewart that really made this book an enjoyable read for anyone. Few writers (think Dave Barry) possess the combination of razor wit and warm humour like Gudgeon and Stewart. This book is like a lottery ticket - you can't win if you don't have it.

A fast, funny read that told me everything I wanted to know about lotteries, their winners and losers - and then some. Part history, part comedy, this book was always entertaining and engaging. A great gift for anyone who plays the lottery or who just enjoys a good, easy read.

My Life as a Walrus Whoopee Cushion
By: Bill Myers

The comedy/novel, My Life as a Walrus Whoopee Cushion, is about a klutzy kid named Wally who messes up everything. Wally and his two friends, Opera and Wall Street, buy a Lotto ticket that is worth 2.1 gazillion dollars. Through a series of misfortunes, they learn their lesson.
One of my favorite Characters in this book is Opera. He is very dumb, and will do anything for potato chips and classical music; henceforth, the name, Opera. This book teaches that greed can ruin lives. What I like best about the book is how the writer grabs you with things you can relate to. The ending of this book is satisfying and realistic.
Bill Myers' style of writing keeps you engrossed in the book. There are so many funny jokes and things about life you can relate to, you can't put the book down. Bill gives the exact right amount of details, and the vocabulary is intermediate. This book would appeal to 8-13 year-olds because it is easy and fun. I recommend this book for it's hilarious content, and great theme.
I give this book four stars.

This book, just like any other Wally McDoogle book was wondeful. It used much humor and shows an important moral about greed. The Wally McDoogle books are geared toward twelve and thirteen year- olds, like myself. Any kid would enjoy it!

A Review by Erin

This book is about a 15 year old girl, Sal getting chosen to be a secret societies (Shadow Council) victim. For nearly 4 months she is harassed and made fun of by the students at her school, do to the fact that she is Shadow's "victim". Her job is to deliver mischeivious duties to the students at Saskatoon Colligant High School.

The thing I really liked about The Lottery is that I never wanted to stop reading. The characters all play interesting rolls in the whole scheme of the book. I also liked how Sal, the main character goes on a spiritual journey throughout the book; and ultimately ends up changing her whole view life by the end. For example, Sal ends up forgiving herself for her dad's death. This proves a major change, since for the last 8 years of her life she had blamed herself. In addition, the vocabulary presented a challenge to my level of linguists. It forced me to learn new words and metaphors, expanding my understanding of the English language. The reason I only gave this book 4 stars, is because some of the words were a little bit too difficult for this type of book.

I believe that most people between the ages of 13-25 would like this book. I think this book is geared toward high school to college level readers. The story has and extremely deep message about high school peer pressure, and I think it would teach people is this reading level an insightful lesson about being your own person.

"The Lottery" at first seemed like a pathetic imitation of "The Cocolate War." If I could have, I would have given it three and a half stars, but three seemed too low. I thought the name the "Shadow Council" sounded unimaginative and at first the book didn't seem all that scary. Reading on, however, I saw that Sally's position in her school and the assinments given to her by S.C. were terrifying--not so much the assinments themselves but the way people treated her because she was the "lottery winner." I still don't quite understand how an entire school let S.C. scare them and take over their lives. However, I would say it is worth reading, but you may not want to buy it.

If you're taking up Mah Jongg and are interested in learning the traditional Chinese version, you should enjoy this quirky and charming introduction to the game.

Written in the style of a textbook, the book contains exercises at the end of each chapter. As with any textbook, the exercises range from trivial to challenging, with a few that are downright silly. For example, the exercises at the end of the introductory chapter suggest that you talk to other Mah Jongg players about their happy experiences playing Mah Jongg. Happy, happy, happy is a theme taken to comic extremes throughout the book, which strives to present Mah Jongg as a simple and pleasant game.

It largely succeeds, but stumbles somewhat when it comes to scoring, because scoring in Mah Jongg isn't really straightforward. Many tables are provided, but I really didn't find them illuminating until I took out a paper and pencil and reproduced them myself. Also, the book's value as a reference would be greatly improved if it had an index!

The great strength of this book is that Li, a mathematician, offers logical explanations for the mechanics of the game. It's easier to remember rules when they make sense! I also liked the explanations of the symbolism of the game and the section on etiquette. These lend an air of authenticity and enhance the mystique of the game. It's the balance between logic, tradition and playfulness that makes "Happy Game of Mah Jong" a neat little book.

Daisy's parents wanted to sell the old condo because there were lots of friends and relatives coming to visit Daisy, the main character, and her parents. Daisy's parents find a beautiful new place to live. It's better than the old condo because it has more rooms than they expected. But there was a problem. They had to sell the old condo first. They had to make the old condo look new. I recommend this book because it tells how tiring it is to sell a house and buy a new one. It is an exciting, want-to-keep reading book. Buy it to find out if someone buys the old condo.

If I remember correctly, Michener got to be an elector for Nixon maybe? Carter? Not sure. Anyway, he became intimately aware of the potential for diabolical mischief in the Electoral College and wrote this as kind of an expose and a warning. It was fascinating at the time. Post-Florida few of us would be surprised. If more had read it before, though, maybe Florida wouldn't have happened!

I just learned the American version of the game and was looking for some history and basics as well as pointers on strategy. This book has some good strategy sections as well as sections on the American and Japanese games as well as Chinese and other Asian variations. Addresses and descriptions of American and Japanese national organizations are given.The illustrations are small and in black and white so if you are looking for more pictures, this is not the book for you. On the other hand, the illustrations of hands were useful - you just have to look at the page more closely.

Great book,lots of inquiring information.

A very different girl, from a father who builds copper alligators and mother who plants a garden on the roof of her apartment, Daisy lives a life which she would like to change. Daisy would like to get more money for her family, but when she does she thinks, "Do I really want to change the way I live?". What the money lets the Green family realize is that you can never change the person that you are.

I thought that this book revealed what some families really think about changes. Funny elements of the story let you laugh and think, "What would it be like if I was like this?". All in all, a great book of humor and for those who dream of winning the lottery.

How lucky can one girl get? While JoLayne Lucks may have won $14 million, someone else did too. Two rednecks, Chub & Bode, also had a winning ticket but decided they shouldn't have to share. They beat her up and steal her ticket and the rest of the book is JoLayne trying to get it back.

While the story plot is good, the characters are not too believable. For instance, Chub & Bode are smart enough to find JoLayne and cover up some of the evidence that she won (getting a store clerk to trade the video surveillance tape with a blank one) however they are not smart enough to stop using her credit card, thereby allowing JoLayne and her new found reporter from tracing them. Additionally, the Hooters waitress that was kidnapped by the video store clerk for Chub went along a little too willingly. No fight, no nothing. While the book has some funny parts (that's Major Chub to you), there are better books by Carl Haissen to read that have good strong characters (Strip Tease, Double Whammy) that leave you saying "This one reminds me of..."

JoLayne Lucks lives in Grange, Florida, a town famous for its so-called miracles (the weeping fiberglass Madonna that cries "real" tears scented with Charlie perfume and the famous Road-Stain Jesus). Now there's Lady Luck, for JoLayne has just won the Florida Lotto and plans to save a rare piece of Florida wildlife from being bulldozed into another useless strip mall. Problem: there's a second winner to split the $28 million jackpot. Bodean Gazzer and his sidekick, known only as Chub, are eager to start their own underground militia "before NATO troops invade America." $14 million certainly isn't enough for these guys. They beat up JoLayne and swipe her winning ticket. Reporter Tom Krome, who initially is sent to Grange for an interview with "Lady Lucks," offers his help to track down the ticket swipers. The never-ending chase of Lucky You is a typical Carl Hiaasen ride including kidnapping, blackmail, arson, murder, adultery, even a Hooter's waitress. This is my 4th Hiaasen book and one of the better ones. I'm not a huge fan. Let's just say I'm a Florida resident who "appreciates" his work.

Like clockwork, Carl Hiaasen delivers a book every two years chock-full of the oddest characters in the Sunshine State. "Lucky You" does not depart from that formula, providing a story full of rednecks, reporters, Hooters waitresses, and other assorted odd Floridians. While it doesn't pack the pure laugh power of "Skin Tight" or "Native Tongue," it proves to be an enjoyable ride.

The biggest criticism I can think of is that Hiaasen takes no chances with this story. His common themes (the environment, dumb criminal rednecks, smart-assed reporters) are all in evidence, just as they were in most of his previous works. Yet, the basic formula continues to entertain, for Hiaasen is a master of delivering a story at a breakneck pace. My only question is how much longer can he continue to write what is basically the same story?

"Lucky You" is the story of two winning lottery tickets and the people who are lucky enough to own them. One of them, JoLayne Lucks, is a small-town vet's assistant who wants to use the money for altruistic purposes. The other, Bode Gazzer, is a career criminal and would-be militia participant, who wants to arm himself and his sidekick for the impending NATO invasion. JoLayne and Bode come together in one horrifying moment, and for the rest of the book, we learn what happened and why JoLayne wants to catch up with Bode and his sidekick.

To reveal more of the plot would be to ruin many of the twists that make Carl Hiaasen as enjoyable as he is. If you're a Carl Hiaasen fan, you might not love this book, but you'll find yourself laughing out loud. If you've never read any of Hiaasen's previous works, "Lucky You" might not be the one you want to start with, but it shouldn't be missed.