Fake or True?

Below are six book reviews from Amazon.com. Some of these are known to be fake due to a newspaper investigation into fake reviewing. Can you tell which ones are true and which ones are fake?

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* 1. Is this review true or fake?
The Day of the Jackal is set during the 1960s and tells the story of a professional hitman hired to assassinate the president of France, Charles de Gaulle. The assassin is given the codename "Jackal" by his employers, hence the name of the book. The bulk of this novel is given to a detailed description of the Jackal's preparation for the assassination as well as the French government's attempts to identify and stop him. Frederick Forsyth has an unusual style of writing that is very clean and sparse in his use of language, but also highly detailed and meticulous in terms of plotting. It's obvious that he did a great deal of research before writing and every page of the novel reads as though it is describing real places and real events. His style has often been described as similar to journalism, and that's not a bad comparison. The closest thing to a weakness that I would cite is that this is not a character driven novel. While the characters are far from cardboard cutouts, neither are they lavished with a great number of moments that reveal emotional depth. But this book is not meant to be a melodrama or character study, it's a plot driven novel that does an excellent job of laying out a fascinating story while slowly building suspense until the climax. In reality, there was no notable weakness at all, this is a very well crafted novel that I highly recommend.

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* 2. Is this review true or fake?
 Before the devastating events of 9/11, no one really thought America was vulnerable to any external influences. Roland Hughes' Infinite Exposure, revolving around Nedim, is a wake-up call warning everyone that terror can take many shapes, especially in this technologically advanced word. Hughes suggests that terrorists can turn the financial world upside down in the United States and dwarf the destruction of 9/11 using technology. After reading this thought-provoking book, the audience will undoubtedly question any and all who may require their personal contact information. Today, the United States outsources most of its work to offshore locations and other countries, where the jurisdiction may be limited and terrorists would not have a difficult time accessing an individuals' personal information. The following passage depicts the consequences of corporate greed and outsourcing IT work: Rather than forcing ideas down reader's throats, Hughes outlines the facts. The audience can decide for themselves how valid and credible Hughes' statements are. The book, in its entirety, is well written, genuine, innovative, and an extremely relevant piece of literature.

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* 3. Is this review true or fake?
We have all seen the effects bullying can have on our children and our society, however until now there have been limited resources available to help us talk to our children about what bullying is. My son has personally experienced the effects of being bullied at school. Brenda Jones is right on with her book "No I Don't Want to Play Today: An African Tale about Bullying". This story helped me explain to my son what was happening to him and why it is unacceptable for him to bully others. This should be a staple in every elementary and middle school classroom and household.

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* 4. Is this review true or fake?
I have loved the movie based on this book since I was a kid, but had never had the chance to read the original story. Now that I have, I have to say the book is so much better (even though it would seem impossible). I actually got to care about the characters, even those that only appear in one chapter. I felt as if I knew them in person, and they all are presented as characters with their own lives and stories that go on even after their appearance here. The relationship between Atreyu and Bastian is very special (and very real). In the second half of the book (which I did not know if I'd like before I read it) is where we see most of this relationship. It made me get concerns about Bastian, to the point where I'd want to scold him. I smiled a lot of times as Bastian defeated some of the obstacles in the final chapters (and laughed out loud at some points during the book, as well). I highly recommend anyone to buy this book. Kids and adults alike. They will all love it. And after reading it, they will most likely want to keep reading other books, too.

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* 5. Is this review true or fake?
Gailbraith's book is an insightful and witty history of the Great Crash of 1929. Though written years ago it seems as if it could have been written yestereday and there are many parallels of course with the economic meltdown that is going on around us. I can't really fault the book as it is about the Great Crash, but I wish  there were more about the long depression that followed and the path to recovery.

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* 6. Is this review true or fake?
Prince of this World by George Simeran is not a book that is for those who are offended by bad language and sexuality. If you can get past that, or even enjoy reading material of that nature, this book may very well be for your. From the very first page you are drawn into the atmosphere of the book. Simeran writes in such a descriptive manner it is easy to place yourself into the book, as if you are reading a movie. This book is best described as a dark satire. It is set in Los Angeles and there is plenty of drinking, drugs, sex, and more. The main character, George, stays faithful to one woman, however that woman cannot seem to do the same for him, and he is okay with that. There is plenty of explicit loving throughout the novel and you might think that only older adults would enjoy the book. However, new adults that are trying to shed some light on their arrival into the adult world might also read it. The main character may be cynical, but he knows how to love and protect. If you want to give something different a try, Prince of this World might fit the bill.


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* 7. ANSWERS BELOW THE LINE:


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1. T 2. F 3. F 4. T 5. T 6. F

T