Paul Quinnet uses his vast knowledge and experience in human pychology and fishing, to creat a facinating disortation. He uses his clinical experiences of human behavior and relates them to fishing life. This book is very difficult to explain to someone who has not read it. I found it very enjoyable to read and use some of his ideas every day. I can't believe that this book is rated so low on the sales scale. One should also read the sister to this book, Pavlovs Trout.

This synopsis of our evolutionary roots is great for someone like myself who has only a casual interest in this subject. It is of course a short volume that quickly gets to it's many points with the lastest (circa 1999) findings and research available, in an easy to read writing style. It has been a long time (decades) since I took a university anthropology course, this book brought me basically up to date.

Paul Jordan in this book clearly illustrates our evolutionary relationships with early primates, and onwards with proto-humans such as Australopithecines, Homo ergaster and erectus, Homo heidelbergensis, Neanderthalers, Cro-Magnon, and others, up to modern Homo sapiens sapiens. I found the new research concerning mitichondrial DNA fascinating. Jordan also discusses the types of artifacts, including tools and weapons, used by early man, and in addition covers man as the social animal and the invention of religion and art, and many other of the activities of early man, including hunting, dwellings, fire use, and agriculture.

This is a book that is firmly based in reality but I realize does conflict with the world-views of most people, as a result these types of books tend to be not read widely, and that is a shame as this volume is very informative. I would have given this book five stars instead of four, but this book is in terrible need of some illustrations, there are none.

Robert Lenzer does an excellent job of showing every side of a very multi-faceted man. J. Paul Getty may be described as a horrible father, an unsurpassed lover, a great business man or a paranoid eccentric. Lenzer finds a way to portray all these descriptions and more in just 235 pages. Lenzer does not drag down the conversational tone with technical business terms. Although business was of central importance to Getty and, as such, of central importance to the book, Lenzer throws in pieces about Getty's personal life to keep the reader entertained.
My sole complaint is that sometimes Lenzer appears to be stretching to make the book longer. Many times Lenzer goes off on tangents, describing a particular favorite beach of Getty's, or giving the history of some of Getty Oil Company's rivals. It seems that Lenzer does not feel he has enough primary source material about Getty alone, so he makes the most of the sources he does have.
Despite the stretching, The Great Getty provides a few hours of entertainment (and often shock) as Lenzer shows us just what it might be like to walk in the shoes of the richest man in the world.

"The Living Lincoln" is a work consisting of the recorded words of Abraham Lincoln, beginning with his first recorded words during his New Salem era in the 1830 and concluding with his last correspondence before leaving the White House for Ford's Theatre.

Lincoln's words are supplemented with explanatory material which places the quotations in context. The quotations are drawn from his speeches and correspondence. Some contain well known phrases, such as the Gettysburg Address or the Second Inaugural. Others are drawn from correspondence, originally significant only to the writer and the addressee, but which are now provide windows into Lincoln's soul.

As I read through this book, I kept notes of significant quotes which I thought merited rereading.

Those entries which are not so memorable do provide insights into issues confronting Lincoln during his career in the Illinois Legislature, Congress, the practice of Law and in the White House. His correspondence to military and political leaders provide interesting views into particular issues of the conflict.

There are several quotations which I found to be of particular interest for their historical significance, their sound advise or just for their entertainment value.

One of his early quotations in which I found lasting wisdom concerned the source of a threat to our national existence. Lincoln asked:
"Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never! All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in atrial of a thousand years.
At what point the is the approach of danger to be expected?...If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide."

As a lawyer, I find his advise given to a member of our profession in 1850 still ring true today:
"Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can....
There is a vague popular belief that lawyers are necessarily dishonest. I say vague, because when we consider to what extent confidence and honors are reposed in and conferred upon lawyers by the people, it appears improbable that their impression of dishonesty is very distinct and vivid."

As an historical matter, I find his assessment of the Know-Nothing Movement of the 1840s to be interesting:
"I am not a Know-Nothing. How could I be? How can any one who abhors the oppression of Negroes, be in favor of degrading classes of white people?...As a nation we began by declaring that "all men are created equal." We now practically read it "all men are created equal, except Negroes." When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read "all men are created equal, except Negroes and foreigners, and Catholics." When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty-to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy."

The final example of a quote which I will give is one which is relevant to our current calls for cultural diversity. Lincoln tells us that those Americans who have no blood ties to the signers of the Declaration of Independence are their heirs because:
"They feel that the moral sentiment taught in that day evidences their relation to those men, that it is the father of all moral principle in them, and that they have a right to claim it as thought they were blood of the blood, and flesh of the flesh of the men who wrote the Declaration...That is the electric cord in that Declaration that links the hearts of patriotic and liberty-loving men together, that will link those patriotic hearts as long as the love of freedom exists in the minds of men throughout the world."

This is a book which I kept in my car for several years to read on overnight trips. It is excellent for this purpose. The entries are sufficiently independent to permit the book to be read in increments separate by weeks at a time. Overall this book is a worthwhile read.

This book breathes life into so many famous names from the Impressionist years of the 19th century, and the places where they lived, worked and squabbled together. Where more conventional biographies seem somehow dry and dusty, the novel-style of this book seems strangely more real! An excellent read, but do have a good book illustrated with Cezanne's paintings to back it up, and preferably the Impressionists as well. Not that the information is inaccurate: it is simply frustrating to be unable to see some of the references. But then, that is the joy of this book: it throws Cezanne and his contemporaries together again into a living landscape, and makes the reader want to meet them and visit these places.

Sadly out of print, this should be republished, perhaps with an illustrated version.

Paul Reese continues to confound the laws of nature. While most of his peers are confined to nursing homes or, worse, no longer with us, Lt. Col. Paul Reese, USMC Retired, keeps on running. Reese's books inspire me to get out the door for my daily run, no matter how bad the weather or ill tempered I may feel that day. He provides the reader with not one ounce of advice other than "If I can accomplish this task at my age, you surely can too." This book serves the runner as another fine ispiration from a wonder of nature. Highly recommended.

Great book. Pretty well done. Too short to cover much of Supermans adventures. Superman has looked better. Overall, well put together.

I used to love Spider-Man--and for the same reasons that everyone else did. He was fun, daring, brave and most of all, human. He failed at times, he had doubts--he was just like us. But somewhere along that way, the character changed. I lost that connection that I once felt for Peter Parker and it never seemed to return. Up until ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN was released, I hadn't read a Spidey comic since he was flying around as Captain Universe (I remember the days fondly when the true identity of the Hobgoblin was a predominate concern). But for some reason, the other current Spidey titles didn't seem to interest me.

But that changed with the release of PETER PARKER: SPIDER-MAN: A DAY IN THE LIFE. Written by Paul Jenkins, this collection of two separate Spidey series (WEBSPINNERS: TALES OF SPIDER-MAN #10-12 and PETER PARKER: SPIDER-MAN Vol. 2, #20-22 & 26) has rekindled that interest. With the same contemplative and insightful style that made his take on THE INHUMANS such a compelling read, Jenkins manages to inject poignancy and humor into this classic character again. We see the personal struggles that have weighed heavily on Peter's conscience. We relive the tragedies that besieged his life and the events (and the people) that shaped it. And best yet, we see him persevere and continue fighting the good fight.

If you like Spider-Man and would like to maintain a sense of history, especially in the wake of the "Ultimate" Spidey reboot and the film, or just want to read one of the best Spidey stories in years, I strongly suggest you pick up this TPB (trade paperback). And I'm not saying that you should disregard ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN--you shouldn't. It's a great series, too. What I am saying is that this collection is one of THE definite Spidey stories that I've read, and a great way to get back into a character that had seemingly lost his way.

Check it out!

I used to love Spider-Man--and for the same reasons that everyone else did. He was fun, daring, brave and most of all, human. He failed at times, he had doubts--he was just like us. But somewhere along that way, the character changed. I lost that connection that I once felt for Peter Parker and it never seemed to return. Up until ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN was released, I hadn't read a Spidey comic since he was flying around as Captain Universe (I remember the days fondly when the true identity of the Hobgoblin was a predominate concern). But for some reason, the other current Spidey titles didn't seem to interest me.

But that changed with the release of PETER PARKER: SPIDER-MAN: A DAY IN THE LIFE. Written by Paul Jenkins, this collection of two separate Spidey series (WEBSPINNERS: TALES OF SPIDER-MAN #10-12 and PETER PARKER: SPIDER-MAN Vol. 2, #20-22 & 26) has rekindled that interest. With the same contemplative and insightful style that made his take on THE INHUMANS such a compelling read, Jenkins manages to inject poignancy and humor into this classic character again. We see the personal struggles that have weighed heavily on Peter's conscience. We relive the tragedies that besieged his life and the events (and the people) that shaped it. And best yet, we see him persevere and continue fighting the good fight.

If you like Spider-Man and would like to maintain a sense of history, especially in the wake of the "Ultimate" Spidey reboot and the film, or just want to read one of the best Spidey stories in years, I strongly suggest you pick up this TPB (trade paperback). And I'm not saying that you should disregard ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN--you shouldn't. It's a great series, too. What I am saying is that this collection is one of THE definite Spidey stories that I've read, and a great way to get back into a character that had seemingly lost his way.

Check it out!

What makes Spider-Man a fascinating character is not his great powers, but the man behind the mask, Peter Parker. Spidey has enjoyed tremendous success ever since his conception nearly 40 years ago. Throughout all this time, the most unique thing about him was not the colorful suit he wears while swinging, but the simple average, all-so human Peter Parker. Stan Lee, his creator, knew that a long time ago and what better way to bring this character to life but through mastery of one of the hottest British writers of all time, Paul Jenkins.

Jenkins became a household name with his unbelievable work on the INHUMANS, but it is here in his take on Spidey that he truly does shine. His characterization is par none, he takes you on a trip into the Spider-Man saga and fills in points of history, with original art of that time, but never truly changes anything for the old reader. He makes things come to life with his words. The take on going back and forth in the past sure does display his powers as a writer. This is a man that was set to write any hero and make him out to be more human than the people you see walking the street everyday while going to work.

The whole story delves completely on Peter Parker and how his life as Spider-Man has come to be in the recent years. This is a man who has been through much and still persevered to tell the tale. He is your average guy who you might bump into while playing softball in the park or the guy next to you in the movie theater. He is a living, breathing human being and not a comic book character. At times, a person might think that he's probably too human with all his flaws and gestures. The TPB starts off with how the Chameleon, one of Spidey's first foes views him. This trip goes without saying is an in-depth look at Spidey and Peter Parker that has never been explored before. This culminates in Chapter 3 where Spidey is defined as the true character he really is. The following 4 chapters take you on a ride of how Spidey came to be through the eyes of Peter Parker. Flashbacks on his life as a child help create the man he is now and the hero he then later becomes. Jenkins takes you all the way, with a day in the life. The witty humor and the pretenses don't leave you laughing out loud, but keep giving you that smile that you carry on throughout the story. Anyone could be Spider-Man given the right circumstances, but it is only Peter Parker that makes the character who he really is. You feel the loneliness that he feels and the sadness that he carries each day with him. The loss of his loved ones, his uncle and his wife. You just learn that no matter, to be who you are, you have to learn how to laugh. In the end, that's what helps us being ourselves. That's what makes us appreciate our life for what it is. This is a smart piece of fiction, superbly written by Jenkins and drawn by the industry's top artists.

Spider-Man is a comic character, but Peter Parker is a real man in all sense of the word.

Although there are many racist and sexist ideas, this was the climate in which Darwin wrote this book. Many of the details are grossly in error, but the book was written over 100 years ago. Many advances in knowledge have been made since then. The basic premise, and the fact that Darwin looked to the African apes as a point of origin for humans is the real beauty of the book. Darwin is many times falsely blamed for "Social Darwinism" which he never proposed nor advocated. Just because someone uses Darwin as a justification for negative ideas and or actions, does not mean that Darwin should be vilified for it. Descent was not a social commentary, but a scientific treatise, and should be treated as such.

This book contains a wealth of facts, compiled during Darwin's life on matters which were highly controversial at the time. His prior book, Origin of Species, provided the scientific framework for thinking that mankind might, in some way, be a descent from the animal kingdom. For personal reasons, there was some doubt, at the time, whether it would ever be diplomatic to admit such a thing to the human beings themselves, right in their very faces. The title which Darwin placed on this book showed how easy it would be to imagine that the fundamental distinction was closely linked to the question of whom an individual might choose to have sex with, given the great parallels to a wide range of behavior in the animal kingdom. I have looked in this book for evidence that philosophy is a set of ideas adopted mainly in relation to sex, but the philosophy of the fittest for that kind of activity seems to be a bit more modern than Darwin. On a scale of stillborn to born with a brain, Darwin was definitely born with a brain, but it didn't make him crazy enough to suggest that which we may imply ourselves. There are a lot of facts in this book, compared to the number of suggestions, but it shows a considerable amount of thought.

A beautiful, historical account of a great naturalist's work. It is important to keep in mind that the book was written 129 years ago, though, since the use of the language would not be considered "politically correct" nowadays.

Darwin was someone "who viewed life on earth in terms of an evolutionary framework grounded in science and reason" (taken from the Introduction by H. James Birx). It is difficult to believe that an educated person would misinterpret his ideas as being sexist or racist. Only the ignorant (or a creationist in disguise) would attempt to discredit the work of one of the greatest minds of all times by giving it the wrong label. Reading Daniel C. Dennett's "Darwin Dangerous Idea" (highly recommended) might help to put it in the right context.

The Green Goblin returns from the dead? Yeah, right and Spiderman has been a clone for the last twenty years. Give me a break. Where do they get their "original" ideas, the Disney company?

Let me set one thing straight, Norman Osborn was brought back from the dead 7 or 8 years ago. And that has nothing to do with this story. Over the years there have been a lot of Spider-man vs. Green Goblin fights, but this one was original in itself. The story starts off with Norman drugging Flash Tomphson (long time bully, but in recent years a friend to Peter), who works for him, and putting him in a truck which he directs toward the school were Peter works. The ensuing accident puts Flash in a coma, and Peter decides its the last straw
Jenkins is a great writer. He's funny and original. Throw in Huberto Ramos' quirky and completely different art style, and you have one great TPB. This one is definitely worth picking up.

'Return of the Goblin is a fun, fast-paced action comic-book. Sure, there's a noce plot, but never ties up the energetic feel this book has to it. But the one of the reasons you should pick this one up is for Ramos' art style. It's cartoonish, inspiring, and just plain cool.

All in all, a fun little comic-book.