Rating: 
Summary: A badly edited, poorly thought-out book
Review: "The Stingray" may shoot, but it misses. This book, by a former ABC news journalist, is a feat of bad editing, unsupported accusations, and contradictions. The author claims the castaways were denied the ability to make money from their experience, when Stacey, Dirk, Kelly, and the author himself all comment in the text of the profitability for all (including castaways) of their experience; he hints repeatedly that the outcome of the game was largely fore-ordained by the producers, although he writes the book partly as a how-to guide of how Richard's choices (based on his life) controlled the game; he claims that because Sean was too dumb, it is unlikely he was Tagi's original choice of ambassador, but later claims Sean was misrepresented and far more intelligent than represented by CBS; he includes Stacey's allegation of Mark Burnett's "suggestion" that Sean should vote out Stacey rather than Rudy, but he fails to follow up the logic of Sean *still* voting against Rudy, supposedly protected by the producer, in the very next tribal council; Lance claims he was the "17th victim" of Rich, when his own depiction of Rich seems to be that of an unprofessional nouveau-celeb who simply didn't know how to manage his career; the author blames CBS for their ability to extract life rights from the contestants, but does not comment on the fact that even Dirk consulted with a lawyer before signing his contract. Adding to the annoyance factor of this book is the author's choice of including personal letters and emails from Stacey and Richard, both of which seem rather slimey choices, given that the author claims he no longer speaks to either. Overall, this seems to be a cheap, exploitative, fringe-effort attempt at squeezing money out of the "Survivor" series.
Rating: 
Summary: investigate the cultural madness
Review: After downloading the first three chapters off the author's website at stingray.net, I was very interested in purchasing the whole book, which I read in about 1 & 1/2 sittings. I admit I'm a survivor junkie, and have purchased the "official" mark burnett book, and DVD (watch out for those naked richard hatch pics) -- but this was the only book that tried to wipe of the sheen that the producers tried to create. Granted, Richard Hatch's life is pretty fascinating... and the more you learn about him, you feel sympathy. Though, the author basically becomes a character in his own book, since the publication of the book is part of the story - it is fascinating to go behind the scenes. You get behind the scenes email from lawyer stacey -- and glimpses to show that reality may not be all there. The author, goes through the show and tries to analyze what might have happened and shows that what we saw wasn't always there. Though this is no surprise to those of us who feel that all media is manipulated, it's pointed out that it was supposed to be a game show and have rules that are regulated by the FCC (remember "quiz show"). My only complaints were that the illustrations could have been a little better.If you are fascinated by the survivor phenomenon -- and SII ain't doin' it -- than buy the book. T
Rating:
Summary: investigate the cultural madness
Review: After downloading the first three chapters off the author's website at stingray.net, I was very interested in purchasing the whole book, which I read in about 1 & 1/2 sittings. I admit I'm a survivor junkie, and have purchased the "official" mark burnett book, and DVD (watch out for those naked richard hatch pics) -- but this was the only book that tried to wipe of the sheen that the producers tried to create. Granted, Richard Hatch's life is pretty fascinating... and the more you learn about him, you feel sympathy. Though, the author basically becomes a character in his own book, since the publication of the book is part of the story - it is fascinating to go behind the scenes. You get behind the scenes email from lawyer stacey -- and glimpses to show that reality may not be all there. The author, goes through the show and tries to analyze what might have happened and shows that what we saw wasn't always there. Though this is no surprise to those of us who feel that all media is manipulated, it's pointed out that it was supposed to be a game show and have rules that are regulated by the FCC (remember "quiz show"). My only complaints were that the illustrations could have been a little better. If you are fascinated by the survivor phenomenon -- and SII ain't doin' it -- than buy the book. T
Rating:
Summary: Peter Lance breaks the Survivor scandal wide open!
Review: After ordering The Stingray, Peter Lance's blistering expose of the fraud behind Survivor, I cracked the book open to check the introduction. Three hours later I was breathlessly moving through the final pages. This is a major work of investigative journalism that reads like a page turning thriller. If you go to his website..., you'll see that Lance first broke the charges of Mark Burnett's fixing of Stacey Stillman's vote last fall when his book first came out. He then developed a source inside Survivor II and first revealed the names of the tribes Kucha and Ogakor. ...Lance first introduced the world to the names of Jerri Manthey, Keith Famie, et. al, weeks before CBS. And in Feburary when Stacey sued CBS, the headlines were a vindication for Lance, who had the guts to suggest that Survivor was manipulated months before anyone else. Even the latest revelation of Dirk Been's transcript came after Peter Lance filed a Motion to unseal the transcript which CBS had tried to keep secret. It's no wonder. Now we have evidence, not just from one castaway (Stacey) but from Dirk Been, the bible reading dairy farmer that Mark Burnett was right there inside influencing the votes. ...But so far, nobody has challenged a single fact that Peter Lance has uncovered. The Stingray is a must read, not just for Survivor fans, but for television watchers in general, reality show junkies and anybody that's interested in seeing the lid ripped off the biggest show on television. This book is a scortching expose. Don't be fooled by reviews like the one below. The Stingray is a rip roaring ride through the twist and turns of what could turn out to be another major quiz show scandal.
Rating:
Summary: I could not put this book down! 5/5
Review: As a fan of Survivor This book held my attention from page one. Other books pale in comparison, not telling the real story. Peter Lance not only gave us the truth about "Survivor behind the scenes" of this show, but made us feel as if we were there on the island with them. Any fan of this show knows there was just never enough of Rich, Colleen, Jenna, Mark Burnett, and the others. Where other books made you want more, this book told you what you wanted to know. Run don't walk, if you want the truth about Survivor.
Rating:
Summary: The Truth About Survivor
Review: As a fan of Survivor This book held my attention from page one. Other books pale in comparison, not telling the real story. Peter Lance not only gave us the truth about "Survivor behind the scenes" of this show, but made us feel as if we were there on the island with them. Any fan of this show knows there was just never enough of Rich, Colleen, Jenna, Mark Burnett, and the others. Where other books made you want more, this book told you what you wanted to know. Run don't walk, if you want the truth about Survivor.
Rating:
Summary: best book I've ever read!!!!!
Review: As a travel agent from Los Angeles I spend quite a bit of time on planes. I was fortunate enough, a year or so back, to come across Peter Lance's best selling novel FIRST DEGREE BURN and I couldn't put it down. In fact, I couldn't get to sleep that night until I finished it. It had such an impact on me that I was moved to write my first review for amazon.com. Often, a writer's second book doesn't measure up, but even though THE STINGRAY is a work of non-fiction, it has the same riveting page-turning style as his first book. I was an on again/off again fan of the first Survivor series, but since reading THE STINGRAY I've been glued to Survivor II. I even went out and bought the DVD, both of Mark Burnett's books and Richard Hatch's anemic 101 Survival Secrets. I can tell you unequivocally that THE STINGRAY: Lethal Tactics of The Sole Survivor is the best book on this blockbuster series bar non. For one who hadn't really seen the first show, THE STINGRAY was a great play by play of what happened along with a lot of the inside dirt on how Hatch was able to win. Frankly, after reading this and understanding what a tumultuous life Hatch led, you have more respect for him and appreciate even more his victory, which the Australian Outbackers are now trying to duplicate. Living in Los Angles and dealing with a lot of people in the entertainment industry though, I was particularly fascinated by Lance's insights into the world of fame and pop culture. He discusses in detail that it's not enough just to win one of these reality shows... You also have to be smart about how you handle your new found fame. In a world where 15 minute celebrities crash and burn, this aspect of the book for me, was most interesting. Peter is doing a lot of signings in California and New York and I hope to find him at one of the bookstores so that I can buy a couple of more copies for my friends and get them signed. His website is also very informative and he does a weekly analysis of Survivor. I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's a great read.
Rating:
Summary: "Hatch"et job
Review: Bleah. Well, I for one expected better. A lot better. A four-star average rating? I try to be generous in my reviews whenever possible, but the fact that this kind of "reporting" can win even online acclaim saddens me. It's no wonder that Shadow Lawn Press couldn't come up with a single back-cover endorsement from a publication whose words have appeared on actual paper. First of all, the copyediting in this book is positively atrocious. Practically every paragraph has a misplaced word or a phrase that simply doesn't make any sense. ("In a cruel irony that only Richard himself might appreciate..." Well, obviously you appreciate it too, Peter, or you wouldn't have pointed it out.) Punctuation and capitalization are deployed more or less at random. Forced, sensationalist metaphors and appallingly lame cliches abound. Lance clearly envisions himself an investigative journalist extraordinaire, but he writes like a high-school newspaper staffer, and Shadow Lawn obviously didn't consider it worthwhile to do anything about it. No matter how much she tries to focus on the substance, any reader who respects the English language enough to object to its abuse is liable to find herself distracted, several times per page, by the truly awful style. Not that the substance itself is much better. I'm not a big fan of either Richard Hatch or major TV networks like CBS, but Lance -- who clearly is still extremely bitter over the death of his plans to co-write a book with Hatch -- bends so far over backward to vilify both that I almost started to feel sorry for them. A good investigative journalist doesn't need to use colorful language in every other sentence to remind us how odious his targets, er, subjects are. If he has done his job well, the unsavory details he uncovers will speak for themselves with only occasional editorial embellishment. But Lance clearly is not such a journalist, despite the fact that -- as he ever-so-subtly reminds us in his introduction -- he's won a bunch of Emmys. He doesn't actually have the dirt, but he can trash-talk with the best of them. (Fans of Survivor I's "queen bitch" Susan Hawk will probably find much to like about this approach.) By the time I finished reading about Lance's "search for 'Rosebud' in this investigation" and cleaning the vomit off my carpet, I had a new appreciation for the lengths to which some people will go to make a lot of money. And I'm *not* talking about Richard Hatch.
Rating:
Summary: This expose is unbelievably good
Review: During the summer, Survivor became the runaway hit TV show with Richard Hatch becoming a bit more than just a fifteen-minute sensation. Best selling author Peter Lance (see FIRST-DEGREE BURN) contends that he bet on Hatch and they agreed to co-author a book based on the former?s survivor experience. The rest is history as Hatch won, the co-authored book never occurred, but this expose is released instead. STINGRAY: LETHAL TACTICS OF THE SOLE SURVIVOR provides an insider?s look at the winner, the TV show, and the reality behind the alleged reality. Fans and not-fans of the series will enjoy the ?inside story of how the castaways were controlled on the island and beyond? because Mr. Lance is a talented author who makes his printed word at least as exciting as watching the TV show. Mr. Lance strips bare the participants and their show as no one has done so far. Anyone wanting more information than that already packed in the book on what happened on Pulau Tiga and what is occurring in the Outback can go to Mr. Lance?s homepage at www.stingray.net. Meanwhile, I?ll avoid worms and torn underwear while surviving the parent, child, grandchildren and extended family reality shows through insights like Mr. Lance?s book. Perhaps, next he can look at recent Florida election processes better known as Rubik?s Cube for that state will have hatched the winner in true survival mode. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Machiabelly and Friends
Review: I am a fan of CBS's SURVIVOR and found this book quite interesting. About three fourths of the book chronicles the life of Richard Hatch, explaining how his past influenced the way he acted (or was he acting?) on the show and helped him become the first Ultimate Survivor. The other fourth of the book is a brief expose of the "dramatized reality" that SURVIVOR is. Richard Hatch maybe an interesting character to study, but he fails to be as interesting as the possible behind the scenes manipulation of SURVIVOR by the show's producer, Mark Burnett. I remember CBS's request for applications early last year and the early advertisement that preceded the show's first broadcast. Originally the show was hyped as a type of outdoor game show. The descriptions varied, but make no mistake, the show was originally advertised and described as a game show. I don't know exactly when it happened, but eventually the "game show" advertising slowly faded away. Terms such as "unscripted drama" and "dramatized reality" began to be used to describe both SURVIVOR and now SURVIVOR II. Peter Lance was the first to uncover this (outside of or perhaps because of certain Internet sites) and put it in print. His charges of the show's possible manipulation are probably well founded (I doubt that Stacey Stillman, a well-trained and educated lawyer would sue CBS just on circumstantial evidence). In any case, Lance's observations and allegations bring a greater understanding to how surreal SURVIVOR is and his examination of Hatch gives some insight on how to not just play and win the game, but to keep on playing long after the game is over. A great read.
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