<DIV>The lives of notorious bad guys, perpetrators of mischief, visionary&ndash;if misunderstood&ndash;thinkers, and other colorful antiheroes, jerks, and evil doers from history all get their due in the short essays featured in these enlightening, informative, books. <i>Speaking Ill of the Dead: Jerks in New England History </i>features twenty short biographies of nefarious characters, from Charles W. Morse, serial monopolist, cheat, liar, and swindler, to Emeline Meaker ' Mary Rogers, otherwise known as the Lady Killers.</div>