This book would be meaningless to anyone who does not read or has not read a ton of Marvel and DC comics. If you have, you need to get this book. It uThis book would be meaningless to anyone who does not read or has not read a ton of Marvel and DC comics. If you have, you need to get this book. It uses the same style and design that WIRED MAGAZINE uses for their charts and graphs, probably because the guy who wrote this book is the one responsible for them too.
While most of the topics covered in the charts and graphs are Marvel and DC super heroes, some of it covers manga, Tintin, and a few indie comics. Some of the more memorable ones are the history of manga, the attendance at San Diego Comic Con (it was nothing until the 1990s and then only became a big deal because the comic book industry sold its soul, body, and spirit to Hollywood), and the colors of super hero and villain costumes.
Some of the charts/graphs are just goofy and have no real value as far as the data, but most are very intriguing, enlightening, or informative, besides just being creatively done....more
I read this because it is one of the books that Lemony Snicket slyly recommends in the series "All the Wrong Questions." Clearly the tips in the SnickI read this because it is one of the books that Lemony Snicket slyly recommends in the series "All the Wrong Questions." Clearly the tips in the Snicket series are books that the actual author of the series enjoyed and thinks are worth recommending. Normally, I never read this kind of book. I will read "children's books," but not this genre of kid lit.
It is well written. The characters are well wrought. The plot is expertly handled. I will not read any more of this author or this series because the content really does not interest me. I would have to be into books that show kids struggling to deal with broken families (no thanks) or into the supernatural and ghost-type things (no thanks) or into the debunking of the supernatural (yawn).
I need more adventure. This has very little. It is believable and well written as a realistic kid's story, but I was seeking something more fantastic and imaginative....more
This is the 34th book I have read by PKD. He amazes me every time. Critics did not favor this book. He did not favor this book. It may, in fact, be onThis is the 34th book I have read by PKD. He amazes me every time. Critics did not favor this book. He did not favor this book. It may, in fact, be one of his worst, but it is still better than most sf ever written. It is more lucid than some of his books, perhaps a bit less philosophical, but it still wrestles with empathy in a gritty and yet fantastic way. Androids, aliens, and time travel. In one novel. And yet the main thrust of the book is the issue of empathy in humanity. Where is someone you love when they die? Surely they cannot be just..."gone." Like most of his novels, this raises more questions than it answers, but it makes you at least start looking. The most striking thing to me about this book is the main character Lars, how he treats women poorly, kind of half realizes he is doing so, but can't help himself. Lars sees all people as more characters in his life than real people. He stumbles through and makes thrusts at being what he thinks is a good person, but he ultimately only understands he is much like the wubs in the mazes in the story, a maze without an exit, a maze that gets harder and easier at times, but still remains an impossible maze that seems to be manipulated by an external force above. The resolution is tighter than most of PKD's novels. The characters all have more purpose than some of his lesser works, each real and distinct and yet interwoven without the plot seeming contrived....more
This is a must-read for anyone who is concealing and carrying or open carrying a pistol. This author has practical experience and explains in very cleThis is a must-read for anyone who is concealing and carrying or open carrying a pistol. This author has practical experience and explains in very clear terms the best ways to fight with a pistol. The only issue is that some passages and sections are very repetitive. This makes a straight-through read a bi tedious at times. The up-side of this is that if you want to re-read a passage or part to refresh your memory or pick up something you forgot or need clarification on, this style helps make sure you get the complete picture of what to do. The best lesson I got from it was to shoot with both eyes open all the time. If you are practicing your shooting by squinting an eye to aim, you are not practicing for reality; if you are confronted with a deadly adversary, your fight reflex will mean both your eyes will be forced open and you will respond to the threat with both eyes open--which means you need to practice that way too....more
Mildly intriguing take on "what if we could cure autists." Much potential is wasted on a pedestrian plot. 95% of the plot shows autism as it is; finalMildly intriguing take on "what if we could cure autists." Much potential is wasted on a pedestrian plot. 95% of the plot shows autism as it is; finally, the last 5% shows what someone cured would be like. It should have been half and half, but I would wager the author really didn't have much to say about this imaginative aspect, so it makes the plot largely dull and ordinary. As a first person take on what life is like as an autist, it's okay, but the other characters are cardboard cut outs. I would have like to have seen a braver take--what if autists have it right and it's we "normals" who are messed up...autists as the next level of humanity, like mutants who are superior?...more