I read this book when it originally came out. Now, with a few of my friends trying to come off the smoking wagon, I am sending copies of this for them to read in hilarity, and to kill time when they would otherwise be puffing. I truly enjoy Paul's books, and anxiously await "Kill Spike".

Smoke Jumpers should be REQUIRED reading. It is an educational insight of just what the people of the United States are doing to themselves. Mr. Freeman's knowledge, intertwined with common sense, and insight has in a sense become the New Nostradamus. The Catch-22 is THIS Nostradamus will be proven correct if we keep on the track we are now riding.

Smoke Jumpers is NOT Politically Correct (thank god), but it IS the truth. Elected officials and corporate heads should read it, they might learn something. Smoke Jumpers should be read by everyone who has ever had a question, in other words, all of us. We may learn something also. There is nothing between the lines, it is right there in front of you.

Reality! What a concept.

My compliments to Mr. Freeman on an excellent work of fiction, that may soon pass to Non-fiction.

If you enjoy the pointed sarcasim of Kurt Vonnegut and the the futuristic thinking that made George Orwell's pig-farm a bastion of individual thought and liberty, then you'll want to read this book. You'll find yourself checking the book's cover and asking, "...when did he write this...?" A great job, easily readable in one sitting, but you'll want to take a little longer, just to savor the characters, witt and scarcasm.

Even without SQUADRON SUPREME, his excellent runs on CAPTAIN AMERICA and QUASAR speak for themselves. But this is one of his finest hours.

This limited series is not the first appearance of the Squadron Supreme; they had shown up in several issues of THE AVENGERS, parodying DC's trademark heroes and "proving" that the Avengers would beat them.

But it was the late, great Mr. Gruenwald who took them and placed them in a superb mini-series that combined comedy, drama, and action with moral arguments.

Even to this day, the questions remain. Who was right--Hyperion or Nighthawk? Where EITHER of them right? And so forth.

Rest in peace, Mr. Gruenwald. After writing this, you've earned it.

Other reviews have mostly summed it up. This story is superb. Mr. Gruenwald is underappreciated genuis. It's unfortunate he, and the Squadron, haven't been appreciated sooner. And, that Mr. Gruenwald didn't get to see his most cherished creation enjoy the recognition and popularity it deserves. The exciting and innovative concepts and ground-breaking devices aside, I enjoyed the heck out of the Hyperion character. With Superman being one of the premier characters of the superhero genre, and practically a pop-culture institution today, it seems odd that unlike other hit characters, he has never seriously been emulated. But it is that very popularity that prevented it. He is so recognizable, writers were just too afraid of being "copycats". Leave it to Gruenwald to have the courage to create his own version of a classic(as well as the rest of JLA), and instill it with it's own identity, and his own unique vision. Not unlike an "ElseWorlds" story, there is much familiar, and much strikingly different. Powers and origin parallel. But Hyperion, like the other Squadron characters, has his own unique quirks, hang-ups, dreams, and ambitions. The story takes the "What-If?" concept to extremes, as Hyperion and the Squadron say and do the things their "original" counterparts wouldn't even think. Fans of Superman and/or JLA should love this, as will any fans of good comic story telling. Don't pass on this one, if you miss it the second time, you may regret it.

I recently bought and read the collection after having read the original limited series back in the 1980s. The late Mr. Gruenwald's storytelling skills and love for the old JLA series continue to shine. I loved some of MG's takes on the classic heroes. How would Superman change his outlook if he abandoned his Clark Kent persona? How would the Golden Age Wonder Woman act if she outlived Steve Trevor and lost her Amazon homeland? Would Batman be more effective on the streets or the White House? We see all kinds of fantastic technology in comics, but what would happen if it was unleashed on the real world? Before Kingdom Come, he had the courage to present the ramifications of great power taking on greater responsibility at the expense of free will. Unlike KC, SS does not get bogged down in dark tones and endless fights, while it still allows the reader to empathize, as well as root for, the Squadron even though they have gone beyond their lawful duty. One wonders what comics would have looked like today if Squadron Supreme had been the big influence instead of Watchmen.

Sorry, I can't agree with the other reviewers. Maybe since they are new to Corel they didn't realize the fact that information on some very important tools is completely missing. Although shown in a toolbar description, the interactive drop shadow, blend, and distortion tools are forgotten. I'm also new to Corel, and I stumbled on this fact while experimenting. It does provide a good basis for a robust piece of software, but I can't give it 5 stars.

What an excellent choice to make if you want to learn a graphic software in a short period of time! I am an avid reader of self teaching books, since we have not many classes on the computer graphics subject here in Alaska. This one is one of the best ones ever. If you follow the chapters one by one, practicing one hour a day, after 24 days you are quite the capable user of CorelDRAW, which - by the way - is a lot of fun. The way David Karlins describes the different tools and how to use them makes it very easy even for the novice to follow. I also loved the tips and notes and sense of humor. It is also an excellent update for seasoned CorelDRAW users. I highly recommend it!

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to use, and have fun with "CorelDraw". Very nicely put together.

I purchased this book recently. It is surprisingly heavy and is packed wih pictures and info. Really a must-have for collectors.
I have a few critisisms: first, there are no prices or values for the items, which I thought there would be. I realize that prices and availability fluctuate after several years making it difficult to place a value on certain items, but even including the original store prices would have been better than nothing. Second, I was very disappointed to find that the book does not include any of the merchandise sold on the tours (with the exception of the UTP and BFP tour books), such as tour necklaces, t-shirts, and other items. I thought this was a pretty big omission considering the popularity and collectibility of such items.
Despite those things, it is a great book to have, I would recommend picking one up if you plan to start collecting.

This is an excellent book to have for collectors. You shouldn't purchase unless you are a serious collector.

The previous reviewer who likened this to the Bible is absolutely correct. It's got a permanent position at my computer when I do my ebaying. Great information explaining the differences between different discs and why one's more valuable than the other. Great pictures. I would like to see a continuation though. Tori's released so much more after this book was published....I want to know what I'm missing!

I first read the Tale of Genji and became fascinated by the Heian time period and I recently reread this book because I wanted to know more about it. Morris does a really good job of defining and describing the government and other functions that are necessary for understanding the Heian times and the Tale of Genji. Unfortunately, I found this book to be extremely dated in its outlook. There's an implicit understanding of how very exotic and strange these funny Japanese people were. While this may have been and still may be acceptable in some circles, I found that it hindered my understanding of the times and my empathy with the characters in the Tale of Genji and also the historical figures today. It's too bad that Morris wasn't able to step away from his time and see the Heian Japanese as real people not just strange exotics.

I liken the experience of reading this book to a childhood memory of peering through the glass into a Victorian automata musicbox. Through the protective glass cover, the moving birds and scenery of the automata evokes a strange mix of fascination and mystery. Near enough for you to appreciate the delicate beauty it engenders but far away enough that the poetry of motion is not intruded upon by the sounds of the mechanism that made it possible.

Portrayed in great detail but not mired in it is the cultured and time-obscured world of Heian Japan. All the things associated with "traditional" Japanese culture like Bushido, shear-walled castles, geishas and tea ceremonies were clearly absent in Heian Japan. In their place were values quite alien to our image of modern Japanese history with its martial ethos culminating in the apocalypse of 1945. Heian high society held up ideals for the courtier so diametrically opposed to the samurai that I re-read many of the passages again to relish the contrast in my mind.

The author successfully conjured images of Heian architecture and the characters that peopled it Utopian landscape, a major feat since so little material from that period actually survived the ages. Yet it was in its very fragility that the essence of Heian aesthetics is ascentuated. Later ages of Japan, the bakufu governments of the Kamakura and Tokugawa periods are comemmorated by menacing suits of armor and brooding castles. The Heian period is best remembered by the elegant prose of courtly ladies, as colorful and fleeting as butterflies.

I recommend reading this book together with the Tales of Genji to achieve a more profound understanding of Murasaki Shikibu's masterpiece.

Social/historical study of various *aspects* (not a true "history") of Heian Japan that really, REALLY helps one understand the behavior/attitudes of the characters in "Tale of Genji"! The "Genji" genealogical charts & character listing in the appendices - by themselves - justify the price (keep it at your side when reading Genji!). Furthermore, the book is entertaining to read as the author actually knows how to write well. I would also recommend this book to anyone that didn't plan to read "Genji" but was curious about that period of Japanese culture.

AND - if you are a student that has an assignment to read GENJI and don't have time to read all of the 900+ pages of the original - you could probably fake your way through any exam after reading this! (And will later be curious enough to slog through the original).

I will probably read this book a second time.

A Review by Timothy

Skateboard Tough is a story about a little children that digs up a skateboard in his front yard. This kids name is Brett Thyson and he has one passion. That is to be a very good skateboarder. He's not the only skateboarder in the town, take Kyle Robinson for instance. Brett has always wanted to be a better skateboarder than Kyle. The skateboard he dug up used to belong to a professional skateboarder named Lance Hawker, according to some other kids in the neighborhood. The witch down the street gives the kids quite a surprise after Brett writes a letter to the local newspaper. The skateboard that he had found in his front yard is supposed to be "Magical." He can do any trick on it and he likes it a lot. Everyone else doesn't think it is fair although he just is happy he found it first. Brett has always wanted to beat Kyle in a competition. The problem is that there is no competition in the town.

Something that I liked about this book is the realism in the tricks that the young skateboarders did. Although I don't really think that just because a skateboard belonged to a professional doesn't mean that it can be magical. Also I liked the feud between all the young skaters. W.E, Kyle Robinson, Johnee, Shannon, everyone argued about being a better skater. Even though they were friends they still fought about things. I know I used to fight with my friends and other kids as I was skating down the street performing my nice moves. And whenever Brett skated past Kyle, an argument would always break out unless Kyle knew that Brett was better than him.

I recommend this book to young children, at least in the sixth grade. I personally did not like the book myself because I felt it was too childish for me. So hopefully young readers would love this easy read, Skateboard Tough by Matt Christopher

Skateboard Tough is a book about a boy who had just moved to a new place. He made new friends and lived his life normal, until one day he discovers something buried in his back yard that changes his life forever. The events that happen next, I will not reveal. You have to get the book and read it yourself.

It is a really awesome book. When I first saw the book and picked it up, I was really anxious about reading it. I had a fun time reading the book. Anyone who reads this book will be amazed at how good it is.

I would definately recommend this book to anyone who is a skateboarder or even not a skateboarder. Anyone who likes nice, calm, soothing books, this is definately not the one. It is jam packed with surprises. Therefore, I would definately recommend this book to anyone and everyone who enjoys reading.

When workers dig up a skateboard in Brett's backyard he's so excited. While he's not a very good skateboarder, he enjoys it a lot. But the moment he steps on "The Lizard" all that changes. Suddenly Brett can do any trick he tries. Stuff that he could never do before. Soon Brett gets the feeling that there's something evil about "The Lizard" and starts investigating. But will he be able to find out the truth about "The Lizard" before it's too late?

This is an EXCELLENT book. A must have for any fan of skateboarding.

I found this book to be a very nice overview of NASCAR history and the modern circuit. For anyone who wants to know the history and some neat anecdotes about the sport, this book is perfect. And while I found Hemphill's description of the 1996 season entertaining, it wasn't as complete as his background. All in all, it makes the perfect first NASCAR book--everything the basic fan should know about the sport.

I enjoyed this book. WHEELS is a non-fiction story about a year on the NASCAR Winston Cup Circuit. It is full of rip roaring action and excitement. the author writes it lap by lap, wreck by wreck, race by race. I thought the wrecks were the mast interesting parts of this book, followed by the fixing of the cars. The author shows true spirit for all the tracks and drivers. Some of the drivers in this book are Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mike Skinner, Steve Park, Dale Jarret, and Darrell Waltrip. Some of the tracks are Martinsville Speedway, Darlington Speedway, Daytona Speedway, Talladega Speedway, and Atlanta Motor Speedway. I think every NASCAR fan should read this book.

Paul Hemphill has captured all the flavors of the fans, racers and the sport of racing. He details information not readily available to non-racing fans. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone interested in the south, in racing or in just plain good writing.

Lest we forget, the civil rights era and the horrors that it wrought still echoes and reverberates within us. Now comes a poignant reminder that there still are some closets that have stored secrets and are full of old ghosts. Paul Hendrickson braves the wrath and guilt of those that may want this sordid part of our history to continue to lie fallow. This is a story of Mississippi's pained past, one that is in the forefront of efforts to eradicate and ply for a new frame of reference. The author profiles seven Mississippi sheriffs photographed while one of their number showboats with a billy club in an apparent show of glee in beating a would be students' quest to integrate the University Of Mississippi. The real story about this book as more to do with telling the truth than hiding it. and the author uses the front cover picture on the book as metaphor to illustrate what transpired during this time, and the aftermath years later.

The genesis of Hendrickson's curiosity about the picture gives rise to why he felt that there's more to tell about the men that perpetuated and fueled actions extolling the indelible image of racism for the times. His question was: Is racism a genetic thing? Could it be possible that the sons of the perpetrators are just as racist? In other words, How has it changed for the families that had to witness the shock and sorrow of their loved ones. Where did the hatred and remorse go that strengthened the viewpoints of these so-called law enforcers? The compelling point of it all is what is extracted from the sons and grandsons to feed the pages of this book. He follows the careers of the proponents up to their deaths, with the quips, quotes, and anecdotes condoning violence, and the various interviews with leading subjects of the day. He begins with a wrenching retelling of the Emmett Till lynching-seven years before James Meredith fought for and finally won admission to Ole Miss, a bloody story Hendrickson also recounts (in addition to a fascinating recent interview with Meredith himself). I found this part of the book revealing, and gave credence to the depths that Hendrickson took to solidify his research methodology. The book's final third tries to get at the legacy of Mississippi's particular brand of segregation, but tells us nothing that we don't already know. He tries to rectify quality by profiling the children of the men in the photo, and of Meredith, with sad and inconclusive results.

While Hendrickson can be intrusive in telling readers how to interpret his subjects, he repeatedly comes up with issues that are repeated in previous and later sections of the book. The electric interview material, and deftly places these men did their horrors masterfully defines events of their times, and adds yet another chapter to this period that Mississippi would rather be left dead and buried. This book and story should not be looked down on, but should be placed among other books that endeavor to give some semblance of accord in understanding mindsets of a racist enclave.

Author Paul Hendrickson has written a very well researched book on racism in Mississippi while concentrating on seven Mississippi sheriffs photographed on the campus of the University of Mississippi during the fall of 1962 when James Meredith was to be enrolled at the University. The author spends Part One of the book painting very unflattering portraits of the bigoted men in the picture. Part Two emphasizes the past and present life of James Meredith who appears to be somewhat difficult to understand. As one of Meredith's sons says in Part Three, "My father has an overwhelming need to be famous and so will do whatever he thinks will provide that and get him attention--Jesse Helms, David Duke, you name it, even if it's only for a day...I'll call it his eccentric philosophy. This is my theory. He does these things--almost as a kind of offensive strike to throw you off...For instance, supporting David Duke. Why in hell would you even support a racist like David Duke if you're James Meredith? Well, maybe he knows he's going to get all these articles and letters about that, condemning him. And that somehow gives him the energy to do what he wants to do next."
In addition to speaking to Meredith's children in Part Three, the author also visits two of the sheriffs in the picture that were alive at the time (one died shortly after) in addition to some of their children and grandchildren. A number of these offspring are working in law enforcement or in other jobs in which they must relate with fellow workers who are African Americans.
The book is slightly more than 300 pages long. Part Three may have told me a little more than I cared to know about the lives of the descendants of the bigoted sheriffs pictured on the cover of the book. I guess we can say these men were a product of their time, and their descendants have become more enlightened through the passage of time. Bigotry is a learned behavior and through the passage of the generations progress can continue to be made.

"Sons of Mississippi" illuminates Charles Moore's photograph of a group of Mississippi sheriffs gathered at the University of Mississippi prior to the admission of its first black student James Meredith in 1962. A subtext is how the story of the murder of Emmett Till reverberates to this day in Mississippi. Hendrickson spins his narrative from interviews, research of documents from the era, and literature about the time and place. Most compelling are his interviews with the sons and grandsons of the sheriffs and with Meredith's son Joe, probing their psyches as it relates to their experiences with race and racism. Near the end of the book on page 291, the author Paul Hendrickson quotes Mark Strand on Edward Hopper's paintings: "The shadow of dark hangs over them, making whatever narratives we construct around them seem sentimental and beside the point." Here he critiques his own contribution by advising the reader that although he has spun a story around a compelling photograph, he understands that the power of the photo, the shadow of dark that hangs over it, is more profound than the fascinating narrative he has attached to it.

Although Dr. Nahin may be a seasoned explorer of ideas involving time travel, his failure to used organized paragraphs and effective examples greatly lowered the value of this how-to book.

Nahin also omitted the concept of parallel universes entirely. (A now popular belief, that as soon as a traveler breaks his own space-time barrier and moves back in time, the universes splits into two identical entities, the original universe where you came from is the one you can never return to. This may sound disheartening, but this is the only conceivable way in which the time traveler would not induce changes in histories, and therefore time paradoxes.)

Books like this deserve to be better.

I'm a layman when it comes to science, but I was interested in the theories of the reality of time travel. I tried another book (that will remain nameless) which didn't work at all for me. It was just way over my head. This one's great! It's got all of the same kind of information that the first one had, but Nahin is so much more understandable and gets his points across in a much more organized way.

He's literally writing for the lay person here-- the book is intended for writers who would like write science fiction, but want to be scientifically updated on the scientifically possible realities of time travel (both to the past and to the future), teleportation (through wormholes, bending of the 4 dimensions, etc.), the special and general theories of relativity and more. His premise is that science fiction could get away with anything even 50 years ago, when most people and most scientists thought time travel to be impossible, but nowadays, you have to be scientifically sound if you don't want to be laughed out of the literary world. True Sci-fi readers will know if you're legit or not, so Nahin is educating them.

I'm not a writer, but because of the nature of his premise, the book is extremely clear and thus much more informative than the first one ever was. This book even answers questions that I was high-and-dry on before (after reading the first book I picked up). Some of the math may be over the layman's head (some of it's over mine!) and more than you care to know, but he includes a lot of thought-provoking information about the paradoxes of time travel and explains things in pictures very well. He colors his book with quotes and anecdotes from all kinds of works of science fiction and from scientists in the past to make the book fun (and sometimes humorous!).

It's a must-read for anyone interested in the possibilities of time travel and a must-MUST-read for anyone interested in writing a book on anything scientific.

I'm a layman when it comes to science, but I was interested in the theories of the reality of time travel. I tried another book (that will remain nameless) which didn't work at all for me. It was just way over my head. This one's great! It's got all of the same kind of information that the first one had, but Nahin is so much more understandable and gets his points across in a much more organized way.

He's literally writing for the lay person-- the book is intended for writers who would like write science fiction, but want to be scientifically updated on the scientifically possible realities of time travel (both to the past and to the future), teleportation (through wormholes, bending of the 4 dimensions, etc.), the special and general theories of relativity and more. His premise is that science fiction could get away with anything even 50 years ago, when most people and most scientists thought time travel to be impossible, but nowadays, you have to be scientifically sound if you don't want to be laughed out of the literary world. True Sci-fi readers will know if you're legit or not, so Nahin is educating them.

I'm not a writer, but because of the nature of his premise, the book is extremely clear and thus much more informative than the first one ever was. This book even answers questions that I was high-and-dry on before (after reading the first book I picked up). Some of the math may be over the layman's head (some of it's over mine!) and more than you care to know, but he includes a lot of thought-provoking information about the paradoxes of time travel and explains things in pictures very well. He colors his book with quotes and anecdotes from all kinds of works of science fiction and from scientists in the past to make the book fun (and sometimes humorous!).

It's a must-read for anyone interested in the possibilities of time travel and a must-MUST-read for anyone interested in writing a book on anything scientific.

For those of us who knew only that this great and gifted Renaissance man had fallen out of political favor of a paranoid United States, this is a great opportunity to see who he really was. Written by his son, this first volume study of Paul Robeson's life is replete with photographs, diary entries, and correspondence of the type only a family member might have. Paul Robeson Jr. spent a good part of his formative years away from his famous parents, and his view of their sometimes strained marriage, held together primarily by their preoccupation with Robeson's career, is remarkably detatched. This is an excellent snapshot of an era when the life of a black artist was complicated by American racism, and the tremendous intellect of a thoughtful genius who had his own views of the world could be stifled by an America unwilling to open its mind.
A must read for anyone wishing to understand this aspect of African America in the 20th century. I look forward eagerly to the second volume.

What an outstanding book about a dazzling man that can only bring pride to every American, joy to anyone hearing him sing, and praise knowing his full life story.

The book finally shows that Paul Robeson is an icon far beyond his time. He could have lived just the good life based on his talents in academics, entertainment and sports. Robeson earning a comfortable life of opulence with his talents his first 40 years only to give it away to stand up to the injustices he saw in America and the world. He practice when you are given much in life you must give back even more and he did losing much for his show of valance.

If you ever heard the English words of the Soviet Anthem sung by Robeson, you understand the meaning of justice in life. It must be remembered that this was when Russia along with Ghandi in India were opposing Nazi Germany in Spain, Fascist Italy in Ethiopia and Colonialism in Africa and Asia.

Robeson was for equality, fairness and civility. They opposed Fascism, Colonialism and Racism just like many came to do in the West, but at a much later date. Robeson never accepted the atrocities of Stalin and indeed never met him. In fact, many of Robeson's friends in Russia were actually purged and murdered by Stalin.

Consequently, by becoming the most popular singer in Russia in 1930's and supporter of Russia against Hitler in the 1940's actually branded you an archenemy of America in the 1950's. A terrible sad situation but very true. In the end, this yeoman of ability and audacity was wrongly put on many blacklists that forced his legend into the entertainment and political dump heap of oblivion.

Later there is no doubt that the courageous deeds of Paul Robeson only spawn the acts of Dr. Martin Luther King. These same people led the changes in America that were required so opportiunbities for all replaced the discrimination of the many. The same thing can be said to have happen in Russia when Stalinist's policies were finally exposed for the treachery and exploitation to enslave minds instead of freeing them. The book proclaims the costs of calling real heroes traitors for seeking to oppose the power of such tyranny.

Paul Robeson is to be admire as much as any person in America. He is my favorite singer and after reading this book you will see few men could equal his talent and even fewer his grit. I highly recommend this book and hope it in made into a movie.

I highly recommend "The Undiscovered Paul Robeson" because it provides insightful information for both those readers who know a lot about Paul Robeson and those who do not. One of the most significant figures of the 20th century, this book paints a definitive picture of the key influences of his formative years. Born in 1898, he was raised by his minister father (who was an escaped slave)in the African-American church culture. The book shows how he became a football star,and an internationally famous concert singer and actor who dedicated his art to the struggles of his people for full equality. The book is particularly interesting because it uses Paul Robeson's own words as culled from his diaries, correspondence, and personal conversations with his son and other intimates, and from his wife's diaries. Paul Robeson legacy is important for us to know about. He helped to change the racial stereotype prevalent in the first half of the 20th century by presenting a dignified male image on stage and off; he was the first artist to legitimize spirituals as significant concert material; and he always reflected the dual image of an African-American rooted in his own culture who simultaneously believed in the oneness of the human spirit worldwide. More Americans need to know more about Paul Robeson!