Related Subjects: Author Index Reviews Page 1 2
Book reviews for "Klein,_Michael" sorted by average review score:

Lobo: The Last Czarnian (Comic Book)
Published in Paperback by DC Comics (1993)
Authors: Keith Giffen, Alan Grant, Simon Bisley, Lovern Kindzierski, Tod Klein, and Michael Hill
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The Main Man at his Fraggin' Best!
No other Lobo story produced holds a candle to Lobo: The Last Czarnian. Keith Giffen and Alan Grant's dialog is inspired as well as laugh out loud hilarious. Simon Bisley's artwork is amazing. It's truly his best art, and some of the best art ever published by DC.

The story is deceptively simple. Lobo must transport Mz. Tribb- his 4th grade teacher and author of his scathing unauthorized biography- to Vril Dox. Lobo has promised to deliver Mz. Tribb alive, and Logo never breaks a promise. The worst news is Lobo would like nothing more than to kill his former schoolteacher. He vents his homicidal rage in a series of hilarious adventures. Four comic books are reprinted in this volume and by the end of book 2, Lobo is being hunted by

The Legion of Decency- psychotic, tea-sipping grannies out for blood
A convoy of space truckers -their leader is an Elvis impersonator
The Sons of Lobo- biker Lobo wannabes
Oneida Police Swat Team- who want to kill Lobo after he kills their police chief
Storm Troupers of the Pan-Galactic Demolition Dance Company- desperate to pay Lobo back for upstaging them during their chainsaw ballet.

During his adventures Lobo also runs afoul of the Orthography Commandos, a group of hooded literacy loonies that hold lethal spelling bees.

This story was far ahead of it's time. Originally published back in 1990, it's every bit as relevant, irreverent, and hilarious today as the day it was published.

---Also, a must have for Garth Ennis fans!---

How do you spell "Mutilation"?
With dialogue by Alan Grant (Batman:Anarky, No Mans Land, etc) and art by Simon Bisley (Slaine), this comic is bound to be a success.

Lobo is a lunatic bountyhunter (more like bountyslayer) who has killed everyone on his birthplanet, just to be unique! The problem is that his old schoolteacher has survived and he has to protect her. The story is set in the DC Universe paralell to the Legion of Superheroes. Parts of the plot includes chainsaw ballet and a murderous spelling contest.

This is a good comic book and is recommendet to those who have read "Hitman" and such comics. Try this one instead, the original.


Office Yoga 2003 Engagement Calendar: 52 Weeks of Simple Stretches
Published in Spiral-bound by Chronicle Books (2002)
Authors: Darrinie Zeer, Chronicle Books, Darrin Zeer, and Michael Klein
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A wonderful book
This is a great book to introduce children to the paintings of Henri Matisse. Best of all the rhyming text captures a childs attention and helps with language development. As an art teacher and a soon to be mother, this book is on the top of my list.

cute -- it works!
Of course, you want to do these stretches in privacy and not by the copier or in the elevator depicts! But it is good to know what to do to get rid of that "hunched-over" look and feeling so many of us start to take on about midday. And you need a calendar anyway (particularly if you are not a Palm-pilot type, like me) so why not one that helps you take care of your mental and physical health?


The Collaborative Work Systems Fieldbook Strategies, Tools and Techniques
Published in Paperback by Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer (2003)
Authors: Michael M. Beyerlein, Craig McGee, Gerald Klein, Jill Nimero, and Laurie Broedling
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Excellent Resource!!
Over the years the Center for the Study of Work Teams has published a number of books describing the theory and practice of team dynamics. The latest edition of the Collaborative Work Systems Fieldbook simply sets the standard at a higher level. This book provides readers with a wealth of practical, team-oriented perspectives and applications for improving individual, team and organizational performance. If you are on a team, thinking about starting a team, leading a team or interested in creating a high performance culture, this book is for you.


Do People Grow on Family Trees?: Genealogy for Kids and Other Beginners
Published in Paperback by Workman Publishing Company (1991)
Authors: Ira Wolfman and Michael Klein
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Excellent Genealogy Starting Point for Kids and Others
This book brings the study of genealogy alive by intertwining the author's own family search with the common experience of many of us to find our own roots and beginnings. It sensitively handles cultural differences and origins and attempts to highlight specific events that affected particular immigrant groups.

The frequent use of biographical resources (photographs, documents, sidenotes) allows the reader to relate the discussion of genealogy to actual people and events in history. Since this is also called the "Official Ellis Island Handbook" this book additionally gives a very personal and thorough look at what it meant to be an immigrant and the experience that awaited many of our ancestors when they arrived in America.

I highly recommend this book not only for children but for anyone that desires a concise definition of the field of genealogy and family history. Its highly visual format and organization also make it a great classroom tool.


Industrial Discipline-Specific Review for the Fe/Eit Exam
Published in Paperback by Professional Pubns (1998)
Authors: James S., Ph.D. Noble, Thomas J., Ph.D. Crowe, Elin M., Ph.D. Wicks, Larry G., Ph.D. David, Cerry M., Ph.D. Klein, Luis G., Ph.D. Occena, Owen M. Miller, C. Alec, Ph.D. Chang, Michael R. Lindeberg, and University of Missouri-Columbia Dept of
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A MUST for IE EIT Review!
I used to for my EIT test. It's a great book preparing me for IE EIT.


Phone Me, Fax Me, Beep Me: Teleconnecting Your Way to Success in the New Cyberspaced Workplace
Published in Paperback by Dartnell Corp (1997)
Authors: David Dee, Michael Klein, Dartnell Corp, and Dartnell Publications
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Great book... has been very helpful in our program.
We use this book as the text book for our Office Professional class. It's been extremely helpful. Staff and students are pleased with its tips.


The Voice of Free Earth
Published in Paperback by One Horse Rhino (15 December, 1999)
Authors: Michael Klein and Kyra B. Hughes
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Touching and honest, a great book club selection.
I was very involved with the characters of Christopher and Doc Beale. I guess they were just so real. I felt like I knew them from a hundred other people I have known. Nice job! I found it remarkable that you dealt with the issue of abuse with so much honesty. It also seemed to be value free which would be very difficult to do. My own experiences (old social work and mental health worker days) have allowed me to dig in to some of those kinds of relationships. I was so surprised that you were able to reflect the depth of those relationships. I found myself feeling like I was sitting across the room hearing what the characters were thinking during several episodes (the dinner scene, accident scene etc.). I was quite moved. Finally, great writing. It read smoothly, nice flow. I never got "lost" We (My book club) usually keep flow charts on the Russian novels, ha! It was what we would call "a good read". I can't wait to share it at my next book club meeting in September.


Track Conditions: A Memoir
Published in Paperback by Ballantine Books (Trd Pap) (1998)
Author: Michael Klein
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SINGULAR IN ITS CREATIVE VISION
Michael Klein is a poet. As the author of 1990 and Day and Paper and the editor of three anthologies of AIDS-related verse, he has made his name - and spoken his identity - through the language of poetry. While Klein's sublime new book, Track Conditions , is subtitled "A Memoir," it, too, is best appreciated as poetry. In rich, brief, sorrowful chapters, Klein sketches five years, from 1979 to 1983, in which he abandoned Manhattan's bohemian life and crawled along the strange underbelly of the horse racing world, as a walker, a groomer and an all around lost soul. Out of the starting gate, Klein has two reasons to run from New York: he's chasing Richard, the lover who's left him for the tracks, and trying to flee his own pitifully destructive alcoholism. Dramatic tension seems to be established. The reader realizes rather quickly, however, that neither the drinking nor the romance will ever come to resolution. Instead, marbled with recollections of the author's troubled childhood, the instability of his life in the stables and his development of a near-mystic relationship with a Derby-winning horse named Swale, they become touchstones for obliquely lyrical meditations. So, while laced with intriguing anecdotes, Track Conditions is ultimately less about storytelling than it is about poetic perception. Rather than trying to see life as a building, linear narrative, Klein views it through a kaleidoscope: the juxtaposition of elements is ever-shifting, each moment is quickly transformed. It may not have the straight-ahead velocity of a horse race (or a commercial bestseller), but in the realm of impassioned, highly personal art, Track Conditions makes a glorious run for the roses.

The best gay memoir ever
This book is so unique and special -- not at all your typical gay coming out story. There are horses here and the tactile world of the racetrack and Klein's lyrical and spare prose adds just the right kind of music to a poignant and harrowing redemption tale.

Unique and Seductive
Memoirs tend to tell too much, but Michael Klein's TRACK CONDITIONS manages to convey a lot without giving away everything, and that is what makes this book so special. Klein manages to seduce us with his prose and with little snippets of half-told stories. One might say his memoir is a half-told life, and that would be true, for, as one finishes the book the thought is that a second memoir should be forthcoming. Or maybe Klein has written TRACK CONDITIONS in such a way that the reader yearns to hear more. One of the best qualities of the book is that it doesn't whine, the downfall of the modern-day memoir. It feels incredibly honest and Klein comes across as an accessible kind of guy, someone you might sit down with over coffee. TRACK CONDITIONS seems to have something to appeal to everyone: lovers of horses, aficionados of the track, gays, straights, lovers of people, drinkers, teetotalers, people with lives in crisis, and lovers of words. It is amazing that a small memoir can have such a large reach. But it does. And it works.


Office Yoga: Simple Stretches for Busy People
Published in Hardcover by Chronicle Books (2000)
Authors: Darrin Zeer and Michael Klein
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Great little gift idea
I just bought this book and I love it. The style is simple and easy to use. Each page has a clear, concise yoga tip, and the inspirational quotes sprinkled throughout are a wonderful compliment to the highly practical content. One of the best things about this book is that it is elegant--a finely crafted hardbound book with unique illustrations and a small cozy size that feels fun to hold. The book can be easily tucked away anywhere in the office, or toted along in a briefcase or knapsack. This would make a perfect pick-me-up gift for a friend or office co-worker. "Office Yoga" would be just the thing to include in a stress relief care basket.

Adorable, useful
This is a very cute book with humorous drawings and pithy advice for the day-to-day grind. It does not purport to be an ultra-serious book about yoga and one should not approach it that way. It is very easy to read, to follow and to appreciate. An excellent office companion and possibly the perfect gift for your stressed-out officemates!

Perfect for folks who spend time at their desks
Sometimes, I'll come across a little book that will
surprise you . . . such was the case with OFFICE YOGA by
Darrin Zeer . . . though only 93 pages (in a smallish 4.5 x 6
binding), it nevertheless contained many useful techniques that
make it the perfect desk accessory for busy professionals.

I also liked the accompanying illustrations by Michael
Klein . . . they made it easy to follow Zeer's advice.

Among the ideas that caught my attention were the following:
* Red Light Rejuvenation

This also works on planes and trains.

Sit back, relax, and gently roll your head in circles.

Shrug your shoulders up and down, breathing in rhythm as you do.

Become on with the traffic flow.

* Antidote for road rage

Stop-and-go traffic make you nuts? Loosen up your windpipes
and sing your favorite song. Imitate an opera singer and
come from your belly with the sound.

* E-mail meditation

While you are reading your e-mail, remember to breathe slowly
and focus your attention on your breath. Make the out-breath
two times longer than the in-breath. This will immediately calm you.


T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Archives Vol. 1 (Thunder Agents)
Published in Hardcover by DC Comics (2003)
Authors: Wally Wood, DC Comics, Robert Klein, and Michael Uslan
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Lacking THUNDER
This is really good stuff. Wallace Wood, Gil Kane and company certainly helped raise the bar on comic book art in the mid-sixties. The work is beautifully colored and the reprint quality is superior. However, if you are looking meaningful work from some of comicdom's true masters you may wish to look elsewhere. This work falls far short of Gil Kane's and Wallace Wood's best comic book work. The stories are entertaining but overly simplistic and predictable. There are continuity flaws throughout the THUNDER Agents series.

There are four enjoyable issues in this volume. That's right--only four issues. I was hoping for more. Volume #2 only takes you through issue #7. For this price, the original issues of The T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents can readily be had in decent condition. I'm glad someone, DC Comics in this case, has finally given us a archives version of this series. ...

Understandably important, and kinda fun to read too!
Any student of comic history who hasn't read THUNDER Agents (as I was...) is clearly missing a significant part. It's like studying American History and skipping WW I. Yeah, most people find the Civil War and WW II more interesting, but WW I, as an event, gets more influential as time passes.
So does THUNDER Agents. Trying to imagine this sort of comic book coming out in the era that it did...it must have been head-spinning to some kid casually picking it out of the circular, rotating comic rack down at the local drug store. Interlocking stories, "personal" touches, fallible heroes...retrospectively hugely impressive.
Add this to your collection...and save space for the next few volumes. You've been warned.

Stories just as good as I remember them!
I, like many others, judging from reading some articles in the comic book magazines, eagerly awaited this latest release in DC's Archives editions once I knew it was coming out. To be honest, I did not know DC Comics had the rights/were negotiating on them and even if I had would never have expected T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents to be one of their choices for 2003 release.

I recall when I first saw the original comic book on the racks back in England being curious due to the number of pages it contained (way more than usual, albeit at a higher price than comics back then,)the vibrant colors and not least the illustrations by Wally (Mad Comic/EC Comics) Wood, among other stars of comic books at the time who's work graced the pages; Gil (Green Lantern) Kane being another.

The introduction to this volume really says it all - and better than I, so I won't go on too long! Suffice it to say, in addition to eye-catching art, the reader is treated to great stories and much better characterization than the DC heroes at the time (maybe not as good as some Marvel characters of the day, but without their overly-done angst and problems).

I might be sounding a little heretic here, but I must admit I found some of Wood's poses a little wooden even at that young age, and still do. His heroes just don't have the fluidity of movement as say Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four, Steve Ditko's Spiderman, Gil Kane's Green Lantern and Carmine Infantino's Flash. A bit like Mike Sekowsky's Justice League of America - legs and arms a little stiff. Still, the rest of his work more than make up for this small quibble.

The stories are great - in my view better than most of the comic books of the time - certainly up there with Stan Lee's work on the Fantastic Four and Spiderman. The villain is sort of like Nick Fury, Agent of Shield's, Hydra - a head bad guy who never confrnts the good guys -having his minions get bowled over like bowling pins each issue. Not so good as the Flash's, Batman's or Spiderman's varied crews of miscreants, but you can't have it all.

The quality of DC's Archive Editions is top notch - collecting and reading many of them bring back my first exposure to the comics way back in my pre-teens. I heartily recommend them, irrespective of what some feel is a high price, judging from some of the reviews on Amazon. I feel they are reasonable - the $34.97 Amazon price compares favorably against the $19.95 one pays for many/most Graphic Novels/Trade Paperback collections of more recent comic books, that have many less pages/stories.

There are several other Archive collections I hope DC publish, all of them a little "left field" - Metal Men, Metamorpho, Eclipso, Kirby's Challenger's of the Unknown, to name few. However, I know which one I'll be eagerly awaiting - Volume Two of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, featuring Dynamo, Noman and Menthor, due out in the late Spring!


Related Subjects: Author Index Reviews Page 1 2

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