I bought this book because I missed Peter David's writing on Hulk, which was rudely cut short by bad editorial judgement. The writing here, however, falls far short of his work on Hulk. Its entertaining, but despite the acclaim it is getting I don't feel that it is going to be a classic in retrospect a few years from now.
There are some genuinely funny moments though, but its not as hilarious as David's Hulk was. I still have hopes for the future though; one of the best thing's about David's writing is his ability to change the scenario of a title before it gets stale, so given a few more issues the title could have a completely different feel. I'll probably pick up the second collection to find out and hopefully I won't be disappointed this time.

The concept is Rick Jones and Genis, the son of the first Captain Marvel, are linked together. Similar to DC's Captain Marvel, they trade places at will. They are two different people however and can still converse with each other even when one is in control of his body. Hope that makes sense. Marlo makes an appearance in most issues, which is welcome. She is a great supporting character.

One thing I want to point out though. The characterisation of Rick Jones seems a little off. I know that Peter David wrote Rick for over ten years, but he seems to be trying too hard to give Rick a hip, slighly abnoxious attitude. This is exaserbated by Chriscross's artwork. He is a great artist and his facial expressions are excellent, but they make Rick Jones seem more like a smartass than he was in the past. I know that Rick Jones started off in the 1960s being an overconfident jerk, but his character has developed over the years. This trade seems to bring him back to square one, only with a 90s twist.

Peter David had a tremedous run on the HULK. he has written the character longer than anyone else and has covered very important aspects of the Green Goliath's exploits. When David was sacked as writer due to creative differences between Marvel and himself, he decided to take on a differenct character from the HULK pages, Rick Jones, who apart from Robin or Bucky, is the oldest side kick in the funny books.

David's approach to Captain Marvel, the son of the original Mar-VELL, an who is now fused to Rick Jones, is still found wanting. Though the book reads like a charm, there are certain aspects of both characters that David make seem to be very silly, not what is expected to the caliber of his high days writing the HULK. David dabs more to the silliness aspect of things where Jones and the captain both act like 8 year olds sometimes. Then there's the schizophrenic aspect of the characters when they're fused. It would have been much better if both main characters do not always seem to pop in one another's life through mirror reflections. A great amount of potential would have been garnered if David kept their psyches apart. David gets the last laugh in the end by having the HULK guest star in one of the issues and portrays him as the mindless beast the editors have always wanted him to be. All in all, however, the writing is not too shabby. Peter David delivers the goods here, though he would have to up the ante if he would like to see the character persevere through the long run.

On another note, the art by Chriscross is fabulous. Very crisp and fresh. Sort of like a fusion between Terry Dodson and Pascaul Ferry. The art never fails to impress. At one time, Ron Lim takes over the helm of the art and when he does that, you just wish he would stay on this title forever.

The book doesn't dab much in the history of why these two characters are fused together. That's another story for another book, which is a downside. It's a great read and the time spent doing that is a time well spent. I know for sure, because I enjoyed how the time passed quickly while reading it on the plane.

This is a surprising book! But what can you expect from a guy like Peter David! After the sucess of Avengers Forever, he brought back this character of Marvel Universe(mixed again with Rick Jones) and gave him a new status! And what about the art style of Criss Cross? Just one word: unique! This is a must have of Marvel Comics!

It did take me a couple tries to get through this book, but it was worth it. This commentary has everything I looked for. It explained the book in its historical context as well as its spiritual and contemporary importance. Some of the writing is a bit bombastic and difficult to wade through, but I learned a lot from it.

Hubbard's commentary is in-depth and accurate. He quotes the New King James Version but corrects mistakes such as Proverbs 30.1 where he correctly states that "Ithiel and Ucal" should be tranlated as phrases rather than names. Amazon's catalog lists the release date as January 1991 but the copyright in the book is 1989 (it came out initially as paperback which is now out of print). Biblical archaelogy and scholarship has made significant progress in the last 10 years. For a more up-to-date in-depth commentary on Proverbs read THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE BOOK OF PROVERBS by Cody Jones. It features numerous drawings and photos which give the reader a sense of the culture of the time. Six translations in parallel aid understanding of more difficult passages. Jones reveals for the first time in any commentary the secret identity of the overall editor of King Solomon's wise and witty sayings.

It gives a good grasp on the old testament period between the first deportation and the second deportation of Isreal to Babylon. It gives a good understanding of the people and culture at that time.

A really interesting book with some great information. The main problem is the writers begin to think that their 'opinion' of the show really matters. The factual stuff is great but when their opinion of some of the seasons begins to cloud the judgement of some of these facts it becomes a problem- example being their description of why some seasons rated beter than others. Despite this it is better than a lot of DW related stuff. Long live the 5th Doctor!

This is a wonderful book which is complete with just about everything you could ask about Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor. The reason it got 4 stars instead of 5? No photos. To be truly complete it needed photos of the Doctor himself and also of his companions.

Nevertheless, this is a fantastic book which is well worth buying if you can get your hands on one. Add it to your collection.

When the hugely popular Tom Baker announced that he was leaving the role and show "Doctor Who", the producers of that show knew that they had a big problem. Both Baker's long tenure and strong personality had resulted in most fans thinking of him as the only Doctor, rather than the 4th. The producers, taking a rather risky move, decided to cast an actor that was the exact opposite of Baker's interpretation. Years later, many are still debating whether or not this was a good idea.

The "Handbook" series provide a detailed behind the scenes view of the Doctor Who show, including many insights into the development of the characters, and the difficulties faced. My favorite section is the scene by scene disectiion of an episode by the show's creative team.

A must for the serious Who fan.

The New Scientist (16 May 98 p5) points out that the fist author of this book is one of many 'consultant' projects funded by the tobacco industry to help spread confusion on the relationship between tobacco and health. Peter Skrabanek is reported to have written a number of reports for the tobacco industry. Caveat emptor. It may be a good read, but it is a subtle part of tobacco industy propaganda.

...What a convenient means of avoiding having to actually engage with Skrabanek's arguments. Would you say that most health promoters have a vested interest in establishing links between disease and all sorts of factors, since their jobs depended on it? Most medical researchers accept money from drug companies; indeed, many of the most vocal proponents of organic farming and opponents of genetically modified foods are themselves organic farmers, with an obvious vested economic interest in promoting it.

But none of that means you can airily dismiss their arguments out of hand. I would urge medical students, doctors, nurses, and the general public, to read this book: make up your own mind.

This delightful short monograph artfully skewers typical medical thinking with numerous examples of misdirected logic, hapless grandiosity, and short-sightedenss. Most of the examples are historical and real. They range from intransigence to accepting scientifically proven facts to embracing fads and charlatanism. This book is a must for any serious medical scientist and would be of great use to journalists covering the medical profession. Medical students would also benefit from the authors' wry and insightful perspectives.

Unusual things happen on farms, including the one in this book. I grew up on a small sheep farm in New Jersey myself and, as a child, enjoyed reading Moses the Kitten and many other 'James Herriot stories.'

Herriot was a real-life vet in England, and all his stories are true. You may recall the British television series, All Creatures Great and Small. It was based on Herriot's life.

Moses the Kitten is one slice vet tale, one slice farm life. It's the sweet story of what becomes of Moses, a tiny, feline foundling Herriot discovers amid rushes one bitter day during his rounds. From this small surprise to another and a next, the story of Moses's foster care motors delightfully along, just like Herriot himself over the Yorkshire dales. The plot climaxes in one especially surprising aspect of Moses's upbringing, so pinkly illustrated (You'll see!) in one of the book's several two-page spreads.

I especially like stories with regional character, and Moses the Kitten has it. Yorkshire imbues the dialogue and the pictures, and the Butler farm couldn't be anywhere else.

Herriot writes plainly, with just enough descriptiveness to flesh the setting. His style suits children's storytelling well. Peter Barrett's illustrations are complementary: naive enough to be idyllic, just detailed enough to interest children.

For those who adore them, Herriot's stories are a genre by themselves. My Anglophile mother, an animal and book lover from South Africa, especially liked them. People who like farm life, cats, animals, countryside, especially English countryside, vet tales, and quaint British humor may well enjoy this book too.

This is a beautiful, moving story for children, which will touch even the parent reading the book! My only complaint about that it uses archaic (or regional?) language that in many cases even I (the parent!) didn't understand. It didn't really keep us from enjoying the story; it was just frustrating for me to be flustered by words in a children's book! I would recommend it nonetheless; just be sure to read it to your kids rather than handing it to them to read themselves, as it may frustrate a young reader.

The text of this book is pure James Herriot, with absolutely no attempt to speak down to a young audience. Therefore, the use of the regional dialect may be a bit of a challenge to some young readers, but the exquisite illustrations should spur nine year olds & older to read it for themselves. It should be stressed that this is a true story as all of Herriot's writing is based on his experiences as a country veterinarian.

Do resist the temptation to skim through the book for the illustrations before reading it though. The illustrations are definitely a part of the story and one of the double page illustrations will definitely get a better reaction if not seen until one reads the preceding text.

If this "children's book" is left out on the coffee table, I predict that everyone in the family will at one time or another read it and enjoy it. I'm sure that any teenagers will wait until nobody sees them reading it, and that they won't admit enjoying it, but chances are they will.

Also, this book may well inspire those 12 and older to read James Herriot's adult books.

As someone completely new to Ayurveda and/or the Ayurvedic approach, I found this book informative, interesting and worth the money. It was explained in a simple, linear fashion that I understood and can now incorporate. As for Ayurveda itself, I particularly appreciate the preventative approach behind the medicine, and the emphasis not only on the correct foods to eat, but the setting and manner in which we eat them.

If you want to learn more, and know nothing now, I recommend the book. However, if you're Deepak and seeking to enhance your extensive Ayurvedic base of knowledge, keep looking, because this one is for beginners.

Peace in the valley.

While I'm not an outright skeptic, I've had my doubts about books like this for years. No more. After finishing reading this book I immediately put into many of its practices and see (as well as feel) immediate results. I wish there was more on those of us with a mix of constitutions, but I can overlook that in favor of excellent writing, clear instructions, terrific insight, and practical tips. I'd recommend this to anyone new to the field or still with questions about its merit.

"Bright Gem of the Western Seas" is a compilation of newspaper articles written by James Carson for the San Joaquin Republican from January 17 to May 29, 1852, and reports on the Tulare Valley by George Derby. The articles written by Carson occupy the bulk of the volume, and are by far the more colorful and illuminating.

Mr. Carson holds a minor place in California history, having been an early inhabitant, gold panner, and explorer for whom some landmarks are named. He is not writing as someone concerned with his place in history, as a Stanford, Ralston or Hearst might have been. He is just telling it "like it is," or at least as he sees things to be.

And that is what makes this work so interesting. It is anything but politically correct. He speaks of the native Indian population in fairly disparaging terms that, I gather, were typical of the time. He defends the lynch mobs. Conversely, he complains of the racist Foreign Miners Tax as discouraging the immigration of Chinese miners. Go figure.

Better yet, don't try to figure it at all. Just take him for what he was . . . a man of his time. And, if you have an interest in California history and, especially, the Gold Rush, you'll probably enjoy having this book in your library.

Nothing is better for historical reference to the mood and texture of a particular time than the public writing of that time. This is, I agree, politically incorrect and quite telling. If you want to know what was seen, heard and felt by the people in California in 1846, (a year before the Mormon Pioneers got to Utah,) and 1852, then give this a read. Go and rent, "Paint Your Wagon," and make a night of it.

This book gives a convincing and well researched thesis that the conventual chronology for the years roughly 1000BC to 500BC have been inflated by about 250 years. It also demonstrates that the problem is with the standard egyptian chronology which is throwning off the dating. This is a thesis put forth in other books notably PHAROAHS AND KINGS by DAVID ROHL however this book goes into greater depth and covers more areas than any other book I have seen on the subject. But frustratingly it stops there and totally fails to give the authors thesis on what the correct chronology for this time is. The impression left is that this only half the book. What's here is very interesting but is like a jigsaw puzzle with half the pieces left out.

Centuries of Darkness is, to me, an unusual work, in that the authors seem to be serious historians, who are still willing to stand up and point out the emperor's got no clothes. In this case, the emperor is the convoluted house of cards made up of middle eastern chronology which has been developing, in good faith, for over a century, and the fact that there appear to be flaws in this structure. The descriptions of these flaws and their suggestions for ways to handle them are well presented, even if they are not all immeadiately compelling. In short, this work is truly nutritious food for thought, and well worth the time to read it.

As a nonnative speaker of English who teaches English as a second language I've found this book to be a source of valuable information. Its wide coverage and the inclusion of alternative or variant pronunciations are among its best features. However, it is not possible to approach it without a working knowledge of the IPA. The explanations given in the introduction are hardly enough to aid production of the sounds. Explanatory notes are few and far between. In this aspect, I believe J.C.Wells' Longman Pronunciation Dictionary is a much more complete and detailed guide (especially for nonnative speakers).

The 15th edition of Daniel Jones English Pronouncing Dictionary follows the tradition of its ancestors. It gives not only details on British and American English, but also includes international place names and internationally known proper names. It is userfriendly and easy accessible, although to use it properly, the reader has to be used to IPA (International Phonetic Association / Alphabet) symbols, otherwise the transcripts are not readable. Nonetheless, the book has to compete with Wells' Longman Pronuncation Dictionary, of which a second edition is to come up. Already the first edition of it is a concurrent of Daniel Jones, both books serve the same purposes and are equally good. Either the one or the other should be on the bookshelf of each English student.