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How I beat Satan...and the I.R.S.

Name: How I beat Satan...and the I.R.S.
Author: Mark Emery
ISBN: 978-0-692-44351-4

VOLUME TWO

From the One Freeman's War series

by Mark Emery ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 2, 2015

A short series of daredevil tricks and stunts to fight the IRS; use at your own risk.

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Emery (One Freeman’s War, 2015) explains his struggles with—and victories against—the Internal Revenue Service.

In this brief book, Emery’s subject is a perennially contentious one: taxes—specifically, how to avoid paying them. Emery wastes no time in his brief book blaming the IRS for about as much “chaos, pain, destruction, suffering and even death” as any other institution in the world. He even likens it to Satan; indeed, he says they’re inextricably linked. As such, Emery applies a veneer of religiosity, including Scripture, to his tips and tricks about dodging and countering the IRS. But what he’s mainly concerned with is teaching his readers to use the government’s own intricate rules and procedures against it. He advises sending a “filing statement” in lieu of a 1040 tax form, for instance, or establishing a paper trail of your “good faith” intention to obey the law, thereby depriving the government of the ability to prove your bad faith: “I exempted myself from being drawn into court and because I have never received any information to the contrary from the IRS about my averments…they stand as fact and I am free! What’s for lunch?” In quick, engaging chapters, he briefly sketches arcana such as the Code of Federal Regulations— “a virtual playground for truth seekers and trouble makers like me”—and the “acceptance of value” loopholes in connection with the Uniform Commercial Code. Throughout his book, he stresses the “fun” of the subject, but he also stresses that he himself is not an attorney and that nothing in his book should be construed as legal advice. Wise advice, because he’s absolutely correct about the IRS’ ability to ruin lives and its short temper when provoked. As he points out, jails are full of people who’ve advocated schemes like the ones he’s describing. As a hypothetical, though, his argument makes lively speculative reading.

A short series of daredevil tricks and stunts to fight the IRS; use at your own risk.

Pub Date: June 2, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-692-44351-4

Page Count: 72

Publisher: PCF World Mission LLC

Review Posted Online: July 30, 2015

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.