This book is very helpful if you do the Artist's way morning pages. In fact, if you are not doing this, I'm not sure what else you would use this book for.
I gave it a 4 only because the number of pages for each week were off and it was an awkward book to write in. Other than that it was great.

GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THE AUTHOR INTENDED FOR 3 PAGES OF WRITING
When you do the Artist's way journaling, it states you should do 3 pages of writing per day. This book gives you a sense of what the author meant as 3 pages. By the way 3 pages this size took me not the 15-30 minutes the author implied, but more like 45 minutes to 1 hour. It could also be the morning grogginess too.
I get up at 5:15AM to do these.

NOT ENOUGH PAGES FOR EACH WEEK PLUS A CHECK-IN:
As this book is by the same author that did the Artist way 12-week program, I am surprised that the number of pages provided did not meet the authors requirement. Per week you should have at least 21 pages and then 1-2 pages for a weekly check in. I found that I often wrote into the following week though I never wrote over 3 pages/day nor more than a 1 page per check in. 23 pages per week should be what the author provided as a minimum.

BOUND-BACK MADE IT AWKWARD TO WRITE AT TIMES:
This book would be better as a spiral bound book, so that you could fold back the areas you did not need. At times in the AM, it was all I could do to write much less trying to hold the book open.

INSPIRATIONAL SAYINGS EACH DAY PERTAINING TO THAT WEEK WAS NICE:
The author paraphrazed the Artist's way book providing page numbers as well, each day. That was nice. It often helped to get my writing jumpstarted.

SUGGESTION TO THE AUTHOR:
As you recommend to your readers to continue the morning pages a follow on set of books would be handy with the same type of inspirational phrases each day. Buying this book again with the unmatched set of pages and difficulty to hold open, does not appeal to me.

This program is a good one and I plan to continue the morning pages. It is a very useful thinking practice.

When I purchased the journal, I didn't know exactly the impact the journal would have. As I followed Ms. Cameron's instructions, I became amazed as to what was happening with creativity in my life. I recommend the book and the journal to anyone who is willing to be challenged by the concept of creativity.

Reading "The Artist's Way" & actually doing some of the key things can change your life. Morning pages are one of the key things (others include a weekly artist date & the use of affirmations) & this is a great volume to start in. I'm a slow learner so I actually went through four of these before I bought my own blank-paged journals. Things I like about this volume include that it forced me to fill a certain amount of space: there are three pages for each day & that's what Cameron wants you to do & this volume gives a very good guide of how much writing is desirable. I also like the quotations, the summaries of the goals for the coming week & even the potentially cheesy contract with myself to commit to the process. Time IS an issue & Cameron's 30 minutes is at least at the beginning optimistic, though that's what I now generally use. At first it might take longer, even significantly longer, but it's well worth it. I started writing morning pages in November 1998. Three years later, I am still writing them. They are a wonderful tool toward a clear head & the working through of issues & about the only thing I believe someone can do wrong in using them is to be afraid of letting whatever comes out come out. Coincidentally (I don't THINK so) I started serious work on my first, non-fiction book at the same time I started morning pages & three years later I'm very close to finishing it, so I know the program works. It also goes very well with 12 Step programs, for people in those. If you buy this journal, also buy "The Artist's Way," the book that lays it all out ... & consider some of Cameron's little books of affirmations, which are outstanding. This is a wonderful tool and deserves five stars.

For me, this book was more useful to explore my spending habits. When do I spend my money? Why? What are ways to circumvent this spending? In terms of the actual plan to get out of debt, I found it less helpful to me than other books on the market today (Of course, I encourage that you read as many books on this subject as you can check out for free from the library).

The way proposed to get out of debt or at least so you stop living off credit cards is good and sound, built up through a week-by-week program. However, some of the activities I don't believe will benefit all people who pick up and read the book. If you're way in over your head, getting calls from collections and STILL debting, definitely check this one out, but if you're like me and are not yet at that point, just read the first half to get into the psychology of your spending behaviour.

Lots of terrific info that can help you get out of debt. A change of attitude about money is important. This book is the answer to your money woes!

It's obvious that Mr. Bryan and Ms. Cameron know what they are talking about from page one, and, thank goodness, they have been able to explain (to me) my own lifelong struggle with money handling!!! Now, with insight into the origins of my money dilemma, I have been able to make my money work with my life for the first time! Whew! What a great relief!!! I understand now that this is a learned behavior, and yes, I used money to "fill in the blanks" that I thought I had. Now I realize I really don't have any "blanks", that I'm really quite marvelous in many ways (why haven't I been able to see that till now?)! I just had this painful and debilitating old habit I'm now glad to be rid of for good. So, BRAVO, Cameron and Bryan...and many, many thanks!!!

Several years ago I read the Artist's Way and it changed my life. For years after that I searched for of the same but nothing was available until I came across The Artist's Way at Work. This book of course follows the same guidelines as the first book but I feel is more suited to those who work in large offices and organizations. I was a little disappointed as it did not really apply to my situation although I found some parts helpful in dealing with some of the people around me. Certainly for those people who work in a large company and have not read The Artist's Way this would be a good book to start you thinking in different directions.

If you've read the Artist's way, this book will seem very familiar. However, don't stop there. The different flavor of this book makes it worth pursuing in addition to the Artist's way. I went through the Artist's way book and then took a 4 week hiatus and then jumped into this one. I have been doing morning pages for over 6 months now. They have value to me, even more than the 45 minutes of sleep, I give up each day for them

This book is strongly geared toward the working world. As with the Artist's way book morning pages and time-outs are necessary to help you work through these and other issues. In addition this book is arranged in a similar weekly sequence with excercises and a weekly check in.

PUTS THE PEOPLE YOU WORK WITH IN PERSPECTIVE:
This book unlike the Artist's way, deals with personal interaction not just personal creativity. Let's face it we all work with people and how we relate to them does influence our ability to get the job done.
As the Artist's way does, it also recognizes there are certain people (crazy makers) that complicate our lives, there are also personality types and roles we all play in any interaction. This book gives great tips on how to recognize these and work with them.

IDENTIFIES WHAT MIGHT BE SLOWING YOU DOWN AT WORK:
Similarly, with working with people, we have priorities to adjust and readjust. If we are stuck in a point in our career, maybe these need adjusting. This book if you objectively do the exercises helps us understand where some or road blocks might be.
Sometimes we are the road block.

IN GENERAL LIKE THE ARTIST'S WAY, THIS BOOK LEADS YOU TO EXAMINE YOUR LIFE
For the most part the Artist's way presses the reader to examine what they want out of life and how they can get there. Also it helps you to understand what your true desires are, not just what you think you want.

LIKE THE ARTIST'S WAY, THERE ARE QUOTES TO PONDER IN THE MARGINS
It is a small thing but like the Artist's way there are quotes in the margins from famous people. It makes you think the confusing path we are all on, is one many have taken. Some of the quotes really connect.

To give you the full flavor of the book, here is the Table of Contents:

INTRODUCTION: Entering the gate

FIRST TRANSFORMATION: PART ONE: WEEK ONE: EMERGENCE
Morning pages/Creative Collegue/Secret Selves/Listening to the Chorus/Inner Mentor/Check-in/Creativity Contract

FIRST TRANSFORMATION: PART TWO: WEEK TWO: THE ROAR OF AWAKENING
Timeout/The Dialogue/Archaeology, Round One/Archaeology, Round Two/The Us and Them list/Imaginary Lives/Affirmations and Blurts/Customized Affirmations/Dumping the Albatross/Walking your Wisdom/Check-in

SECOND TRANSFORMATION: PART ONE: WEEK THREE: SOARING
Secrets/Watching the rapids/Wish list/Leadership Quiz/Explore a sacred space/Secretly I'd like to.../Watch the picture, without the sound/Filling the form/Check-in

THIRD TRANSFORMATION: PART ONE: WEEK FOUR: THE ABYSS

Admitting our emotions/Anger as a map/Metabolism/Footholds for optimism/Countering our Critics/True confessions/Define your inner wall/Workaholism Quiz/Bottom line/Signposts/The Fraudian Slip/Check-in

THIRD TRANSFORMATION: PART TWO: WEEK FIVE: SURVIVING THE ABYSS
Personal accounting/Emotional solvency/Counting/Luxury/Lapping up Luxury/Nasty Rules/The dream account/Explore your feelings about God/Going to take a miracle/Wondering/Check-in

FOURTH TRANSFORMATION: WEEK SIX: THE PEARL OF WISDOM
Body English/At the wheel of a new machine/A letter to the self/Positive/Negative poles/Media Deprivation/Reconnecting the Dots: Detective work/Beyond price/Meeting the inner rebel/Check-in

FIFTH TRANSFORMATION: WEEK SEVEN: LEARNING (AND TEACHING)
Being a Beginner/The jealousy map/Creativity Quiz/Feel, Think, Wish/Getting Current/The Hidden Resume/Becoming right sized/Taking note/Nuturing nutrients/The forest environment/Check-in

SIXTH TRANSFORMATION: WEEK EIGHT: TEACHING (AND LEARNING)
Roles, Biosketches, Family Functions, Containment, The power dance, Unmasking, Machiavelli, Practicing the present, Mentor magic, Going sane, "Dear Boss", Stopping the Spiral, Releasing Resentments, Check-in

SEVENTH TRANSFORMATION: WEEK NINE: OWNING OUR AMBITION
Clearing fear, Contacting Clark Kent, Local color, The resentment resume, Blasting through blocks, Succeeding with Success, Framing our lives, Check-in

EIGHTH TRANSFORMATION: WEEK TEN: LIVING WITH PASSION
Positive Inventory, Laugh or Lament, Box Seats, Heartbreak Hotel-Loss as a Lesson, The net of nurturing, Check-in

NINTH TRANSFORMATION: PART ONE: WEEK ELEVEN: THE LEDGE OF AUTHENTICITY
Name your poison, Creative U-turns, Ten-minute time outs, Valuing our values, The Ledge of authenticity, Exercising our options, Creativity center, Choose a spirit mentor, Spirit Mentors, Check-in.

NINTH TRANSFORMATION: PART TWO: WEEK TWELVE: RESTING IN AUTHENTICITY
Trusting trust, Mining our mystery, Building a house, Suceeding at success, Playing at play, Every picture tells a story, Gratitude, Checkin.

Epilogue
Suggested Reading
Acknowledgements
How to reach us
Index

I find this book to have a plethora of practical, useful suggestions for thriving instead of surviving in the workplace. The workbook format stimulated my thinking about how we can get beyond our usual progammed "survival" techniques and find new ways ways to address old problems. I also have found it helpful for stimulating creative opportunities in my own life. This book is just what the doctor ordered for those of us who aren't satisfied with just getting by and collecting money. Not only is it a pathway to uncovering and discovering a fresh kind of meaning to work, it also offers us a real chance to forge new directions in both our professional and personal lives.

The second collection from Mark Waid's run on JLA continues to improve upon the mess Grant Morrison made of the series. As in "JLA: Tower of Babel", these stories focus on both the individual and the team. Waid brings a human interest to the JLA, whereas Grant Morrison just brought action and chaos. Through Waid, we get to know the characters (Superman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Plastic Man and Martian Manhunter) both inside and out. No more are the massive team-ups from Morrison's run. These stories are tight and stream-lined. They're more about friendship than saving the world.

Half of this book follows the aftermath of Tower of Babel
(wherein Batman 'betrays' the rest of the League) and the other half deals with one component of that 'betrayal'; the necessity of harboring a 'secret identity'.
After expelling Batman via a 4-3 vote, the JLA finds itself split like Repubs and Democrats; mistrust and petty sniping abound. Finally Supes and Bats have a heart-to-heart that is one of the best stories featuring these two together that has ever been done. If Frank Miller's "Return of the Dark Knight" was about the abject difference between these two, JLA #50 points out the similarities. From there we go to another storyline, where the membership is split up again, although in a totally different way. I won't give away details, suffice it to say it's an Alan Moore-esque study into the inner stress having a "secret identity" can create. It's gets a little complicated and overwrought, but hell, the entire JLA series from ish #1 to The Obsidian Age has been complicated and overwrought, so what the hey. A necessary companion piece to Tower of Babel.

I liked the story line of this book. We all wonder what if you met your alter ego? It catches the flavor of what happens when there is a break up or split. It is worth the price

More `adult' re-imagination of the formation of Marvel's premier super team The Avengers, which begins with the final World War II mission of Captain America and touches on the ups and downs of the founding members, Giant Man, The Wasp, Iron Man, The Hulk, and Thor, throwing in Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

The art is quite good, and while the story moved well, I had some problems with a few of the characterizations (though these could be a matter of personal taste). The author plays around a bit with established canon for the sake of this new universe, and that is understandable, but changing the Hulk into a raging, oversexed skirt-chaser was a little bit...well, dumb to me. I also didn't care for Nick Fury's recasting. The art and the writing SO made him look and seem like Sam Jackson that it kind've didn't ring true for me that this was supposed to be Nick Fury. He was too suave and cool. The authors of The Ultimates seemed to have a good time casting their characters with real life actors (there is one sequence where the newly discovered by the media team sits around and speculates on who would portray each of them in a Hollywood adaptation.), but personally, I didn't care for all the pop references (reverences?). I'd like to think that a molecular biologist and the leader of Shield would be a little less like fanboys. Fury's supposed to be this grizzled cigar chomping ex-GI a la Sgt. Rock, but he comes off more as Tony Stark with an eyepatch here (for the record, Tony Stark doesn't look anything like Johnny Depp in his rendering, either - he looks more like Jonathan Frakes from Star Trek). Most of the other characterizations didn't bother me. Portraying the Wasp and Giant Man as having such extensive, violent domestic troubles went a long way to humanize them, and turning Jarvis, Tony Stark's faithful butler into an aging homosexual (wearing a colorful vest to gain Thor and Cap's attention...) was pretty daring. Didn't like Tony Stark's Iron Man armor though - he looked like a Micronaut. I would have liked to have seen more of Thor, but I'm not sure I cared for his reinvention as a hippie pacifist eco-warrior - the Norse god of Thunder??? At Ragnarok this guy drowned in the venom of a giant serpent he slew, and here we find him hanging out with that guy with the guitar on the stairs in Animal House...

But these are minor quibbles, again, possibly a matter of my own personal taste. There is a lot to like about The Ultimates - a lot to make it stand above the normal superhero fare. The rivalry between Dr. (Giant Man) Pym and Bruce (The Hulk) Banner is very well played out - the frustrations and the pettiness of these two in their race to perfect the next big superhuman for the team is like watching Dr. Jekyll try to outdo Dr. Frankenstein. Pym comes off as a selfish egomaniac who will posture and fabricate to protect his reputation, whereas the more honest Banner is something of a maladjusted loser. Both are well realized and interesting to watch. Its a great juxtaposition when you consider that Pym is something of a monster (which is apparent in the final pages - that scene with him wearing the ant helmet `You shouldn't have made me look small...' creepy!) trying to be a good man, and Banner is a good man who wants to be a monster. The motivation for Tony Stark's desire to join the team as Iron Man is revealed in a touching manner (possibly the best dramatic scene of the book, toward the end where Thor, Stark, and Cap are sharing dinner at Stark's penthouse apartment) and goes a long way in making me like the playboy, who I will confess never interested me much in the past. Captain America and his story arc comes off the best (which as an ardent fan of ol Winghead, is fine by me) - the reunion with an elderly Bucky (I know, I know, Bucky's dead!... But it didn't bother me) near the beginning of the book is heartfelt and nicely done. There's a good sense of humor to this story too - Giant Man's embarrassing habit of growing beyond the capacity of his clothes (and the dismay of his colleagues), Cap's mistaking Fury and Stark and the Marines for Nazi agents when he awakes, The Hulk's rage at Freddy Prinze Jr. (go get him, Mr. Fixit! Captain America, indeed. I, along with Millar, see no one but Brad Pitt behind the big round shield), and those few panels where George W. Bush meets Steve Rogers made me smile (the Prez's expression is hilarious - `Cool or Uncool?').

In closing, an interesting read, but I was put off by The Hulk and Sam -I mean Nick Fury. And all the pop culture references can be done away with. Underneath the foil and hologram is a good read, that interested me enough to want to see where these characters are going. Keep in mind that this is more of an adult read - at least age fourteen and up. Oh, and in spite of my dislike of casting, I can't resist - Valdmir Kulich (Buliwyf from The 13th Warrior) as Thor...

What if super-heroes actually existed in 21st Century America? This retelling of Marvel's classic Avengers characters (The Hulk, Iron Man, Wasp, Thor, and Giant Man) sets out to answer that question. Instead of high-flying heroics and do-goodery, we see a glimpse into the lives of these all too normal people who happen to have abilities beyond the normal -- likening them to celebrities instead of morally superior "heroes".

Mark Millar (story) and Brian Hitch (art) paint an intense, shocking, and often hilarious picture of these classic heroes, truly redefining them for the new generation.

This trade paperback collects The Ultimates issues #1-#6. It is an excellent read, and a good jumping-on point for people who don't want to wade through the piles of continuity that bog down many of the Marvel titles. Possibly the best comic that Marvel produces today, and certainly one of my favorites.

I recommend this for older readers, 16+ years of age.

I cant see how anybody doesnt like this book, its really a great accomplishment in restructuring the marvel world. Opposed to the squeaky clean, and thus boring Avengers, the Ultimates actually have humanity behind the tights and primary colors. As for the complaint that the book is rushed in its plot, I dont really agree with that either. Most people reading this book already know the standard marvel histories for these characters, and so dont need the full Captain America origin for about the millionth time. Discovering the differences in this world from the Marvel universe I am used to is what keeps me interested in the book, I think the book wouldn't be nearly as interesting if they did a regular "origin story". Ultimate Spiderman I think really suffers from the fact they are just exploring his origin, a story most readers know all too well. Not to say Ultimate-Spidey is a bad book in any way, I am just more intrigued with Ultimates and Ultimate-Xmen because not everything is completely reavealed.

This volume is made up of two stories, "the Outer Dark" representing the end of the Warren Ellis/Bryan Hitch first year run of the book, and "the Nativity" the start of the controversial Mark Millar/Frank Quitely run on the title.

While it isn't quite the breathless trip that the first two Authority story arcs were (collected in the see "the Authority: Relentless" trade paperback), it represents a fine ending to the Ellis/Hitch run and features the last bow of a memorable character, one after my own ex-leftie heart. (By the way, they take on God, but not the diety you're thinking of,...)

"The Nativity" starts off with the Authority lashing out against the government of Indonesia, which had hired "irregulars" to brutalize East Timorese into sanctioning their abusive regime in an upcoming election, and sending a message to the governments of the world: "we will not tolerate the human rights abuses by anyone, be they invaders from other worlds, "supervillains" or even, soveriegn states",... and this triggers the first of a series of counter strikes, this one launched by the ultimate cold warrior, a creative genius with his own plans for humanity. Both a satire of the conventions of the comic book superhero genre; the culture of celebrity in the this country; and an indirect indictment of abusive governments everywhere; "The Nativity" made both Mark Millar and Frank Quitely's careers in the US, and both rapidly moved onward and upward to far more lucrative assignments; but to date this remains some of thier finest work for American publishers, and its well worth a read.

The second collection of Wildstorm/DC's "Authority" title is an important turning point for the series as a whole, since original creators Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch depart and are replaced by up-and-comers Mark Millar and Frank Quitely. It's rare to see two different creatives teams in one collection like this, and it's nice to be able to see two differing interpretations of the world's premiere proactive super-team. Ellis and Hitch's final story-arc, entitled "Outer Dark," sees our heroes fighting... well, God. The tension and suspense is excellently built-up, but the climax of the story is a bit lacking, action-wise. Character-wise, however, "The Authority" remains one of the most richly textured titles out there. Ellis is able to take a routine comic-book moment (stepping foot on the moon) and make it sublimely human. All in all, "Outer Dark" is a great wrap-up to a great run. (The rest of Ellis and Hitch's "Authority" run can be found in "Relentless," another fine book.) The series overall really starts to pick up steam in Millar and Quitely's first story, "The Nativity," wherein a criminal genius possessing "the most powerful imagination in the world" plots to kidnap the infant Jenny Quantum, "the spirit of the 21st Century." Millar throws in dozens of characters based on Marvel Comics' heroes, and has the Authority slaughter the lot of them. While this story occasionally relies too heavily on comic book in-jokes and silly self-referential humor ("I always feel like a comic book character when I do this"), it provides high-octane action in spades. "The Nativity's" rapid action and high stakes demonstrate that Millar is more than capable of filling Ellis' scripting shoes. And while Hitch's art on Authority was the peak of his career thus far, Quitely's art is highly unique and immediately engaging. I can't wait until the next collection comes out, since the next storyline, "Earth Inferno," is the best Authority tale to date. And if Millar and Quitely can keep up the pace, it won't be the last.

Tired of always seeing super-heros fighting the same old menaces, put them in jail, only for them to escape again later? Can't stand how no one ever stays dead anymore? Sick of seeing all these stupid codenames? Well, then the Authority is your answer. I remember when I bought my first issue of Authority. It's in this TPB, #13. I originally bought it just because I really like Frank Quitely's art, but after reading it, I found something more than that. The reason why the Authority is so popular is because they're not your average super hero. Some of them don't wear spandex, some of them don't have super hero names, but they're all relatable. When you read these characters, you say to yourself, "yeah that's what I would've done," or "right on!" I know what you're probably thinking, super heros shouldn't kill. But you know what? The villains they fight are so evil, you feel it's justified in the end. Like one of the lines in this book, they're just doing what any person in their right mind would do. If you had the power to stop a dictator from sanctioning rape and torture on their country, would you do it? If you had the technology to cure cancer, would you try and find it? That is what these people do. Do yourself a favor, don't just buy this book, but also get The Authority: Relentless, the first TPB. Trust me, you won't be disappointed

After reading the two previous JLA story arcs from Mark Waid, which proceed this one, ("Tower of Babel" and "Divided We Fall"), I decided to pick up "Terror Incognita". I really enjoyed Mark Waids writing in "Tower" and "Divided", and although I feel that "Terror Incognita" slips a notch when compared to "Tower" and "Divided", it is still a solid book. Without giving too much of the story away, this run of the JLA is about the return of the White Martians who the JLA had faced earlier and defeated, The White Martians have induced toxins in the earths air which change the oxygen levels in the atmoshpere thereby making combustion impossible, in other words, no fire, which is a martians only weekness. They then create a plan to use all the pychics on earth to improve their mental abilities and control the universe without ever having to leave the earth which they have made fireproof. It feels like your basic "Alien Invasion" type of story, but there is so much more to it than that, also it was great to see Mark include "The Phantom Zone" and Krypto the superdog in his story. all in all a good read, but not quite as good as the superior "Tower of Babel" and "Divided We Fall". Definitely worth the money.

I enjoyed reading this book. It is an easy read and is packed with useful information, though of course not everything will be applicable to every person's situation. Still, it provides a good framework for how a father might go through the process of rebuilding relations with kids he has left behind. I bought it with the idea of sending it to my "prodigal" father, who lives in another state and who I haven't seen in many years, to maybe encourage him to learn something. If I were a father who had left his family and wanted to try to reunite with my kids, I think this book would be a good starting point. It is primarily aimed at fathers with adolescent kids, though it does have information for fathers with older and younger kids, too. Even adult kids. It doesn't have all the answers, but it has many. It is especially good about warning prodigal fathers to fix their own lives and to be reliable and trustworthy for a change, which I think are the most important things that prodigal fathers must do if they expect their kids to want them back. It also does a good job of teaching prodigal fathers how to get rid of their own emotional baggage *before* trying to initiate contact. I think some prodigal fathers expect they can just waltz back into their kids' lives whenever they feel like it, and it just doesn't work that way. Too bad it's out of print -- I don't know how it compares to other books on this same topic, but it's worth looking for.

Of all the technical books I've read this one qualifies as the worst. It's out of date, but even when it was new it would justify my opinion.

It attempts to cover too wide an area of subjects, and manages to either state the obvious (as in the first chapters that make a sophmoric attempt to define e-commenrce), to display questionable knowledge on the part of contributing authors, as in the section that lamely attempts to discuss architecture. The section on architecture should have been written by someone who could write and who understood architecture. Unfortunately I got the impression that the authors had neither qualifications.

The case studies were interesting, but were not sufficiently insightful to warrant buying this book that those alone.

There are positives to this book though. It weighs nearly 6 pounds, making it suitable as a doorstop. Having photos of all of the authors who contributed on the front cover is helpful if you conduct interviews since it helps in the screen process in case one of them shows up for an interview or tries to come in as a consultant.

My advice is to avoid this book. There are much better ones that cover the subjects in it.

There are a few good sections in this book (mainly the chapters that deal with WebLogic and the appendices of primers and reference material that comprise Section 6). However, considering that this book weighs in at over 1000 pages, its mainly fluff or glib (but not helpful), with too much material that states the obvious.

Much of the fluff is found in Section 1 (The E-Commerce Landscape), and Section 2 (Architecting Java-Based E-Commerce Systems) was, in my opinion, a glossed over, high-level overview that was used as filler.

Sections 3 (B2C E-Commerce Solutions) and 4 (B2B E-Commerce Solutions) have a few interesting chapters in each. My main complaint here is that Section 3 is a mix of solutions and techniques, while Section 4 is purely solution-focused. Section 5 (M-Commerce) is too light to be useful, and most of the material is already woefully out of date.

My recommendation is to pass this book up and, instead, seek out single-topic books that address the subjects in which you're interested.

This is the only book that covers such a wide range of issues relating to the application of Java to e-commerce. Although there are subjects that experienced users would certainly prefered to see treated in more depth this is an invaluable resource to those that need to get the big picture to a level that is practical and useful for understanding application and designing solutions. Well done.

Strange story of the JLA fighting a race of beings who want to get to heaven, or some such junk as only DC can do it.

I had such high hopes for this one. JLA Heaven's Ladder is about the JLA stopping a dying race of aliens from destroying Earth and other planets while on their way out. The aliens see themselves as superior beings and earthlings as insignificant, the same way that we look at insects. The concepts sounds interesting, but the execution falls of the mark completely. The art is really nice and the oversized format allows it to really shine, but the plot is just too complicated and long. There are no breaks for the readers to stop at, which is also frustrating. I found myself not caring what happens about half way through and it was a struggle to complete it. For the record, let me state that Mark Waid is one of the best comic writers out there, especially for superheros (for a really good Mark Waid JLA story, check out Tower of Babel), but he loses it here.

I have to take issue with those who would decry this book. I think it's truely a noteworthy addition to the JLA of today. I, for one, LOVE the depth and imagination that is going into today's comics. The Watchtower Era JLA is the pinicle of said depth. Just when I think they've pushed the philosophical and metaphysical boundaries to their limit, they push harder. This book, while not perfict (It doesn't quite fit on my shelf, for one) is a great example of the writing that has made this title what it is today. Much like The Matrix raised my expectations of special effects and Sci-Fi, so does today's JLA raise my expectations of a good comic book. Heaven's Ladder is a great book, with a lot of depth, good art work, and wonderful character interactions. This book really leaves you feeling good.