I'm glad Dark Horse chose to reprint all the classic Archi Goodwin comics. It gives us Star Wars completists the opportunity to finish off out collections. On that merit, In Deadly Pursuit is excellent. As far as the stories and art are concerned, well, I think they serve as nothing more than history lessons. Compared to today, they just don't match up. For Star Wars, these tales are a little too ridiculous in some instances, and do not match the work that is being done today by the likes of Zahn and Stackpole. Good for fans, but hardly important for story continuity.

Curious as to what happened between the destruction of the first Death Star and when the Galactic Empire struck back?This book is the first in a series showing asventures had by Luke,Hand and the others during that time.Based on the "Star Wars"comics that appeared after the first movie,it brings the characters to life with realistic coloring and settings all "Star Wars" fans know well!It was a trip down memory lane for me:I grew up loving this comic book series.Whether you saw "Star Wars" when it first came out or you're new to the galaxy,you'll lowe it too.

It's strange, but Dark Horse Comics' Star Wars line seems to be degrading in quality over time. These early Classic Star Wars graphic novels, reprinting the comic series of the same name, which in return are reprinting in revised format the Star Wars comic strips of the early 80s, are among the very best Star Wars comics available. Although sometimes a little awkward because they were adapted from hundreds of individual 2-3 panel comic strips, the art is wonderful and all the characters and ships look right, like they do in the films. The coloring is for the most part very good, and the characters' dialogue also sounds right. These comics are action packed, but they don't go over the line into stupidity as the Marvel series tended to.

Also, these comics have a lot of the little touches...the Luke/Han/Leia bickering that would carry on into Splinter of the Mind's Eye and Empire Strikes Back, Luke reminiscing about Obi-Wan, and little stuff like that. As I've stated, but it's worth reiterating, the art is absolutely fantastic.

If you're going to buy any star wars comics, buy this one and its two sequels. They are fun entertaining classics.

Archie Goodwin's plots were great, but the art that accompanies these stories are sometimes painful to look at. The square-jawed, super-muscled look doesn't really match our on-screen versions of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker. The idealized voluptiousness of Leia isn't exactly a dead ringer for Carrie Fisher, either. And if you're looking for Jabba the Hutt, this isn't the place to see him unless you remember him as a yellow, seal-faced humanoid.

Despite the cosmetic differences though, the characters are decently expanded and given interesting things to do. Luke's adventures on a water planet 20 years before Attack of the Clones make us wonder why we didn't see Jango and Obi-Wan riding the serpents in their modern version. The blind, vengeful Baron Tagge provides an interesting side to the Jedi mythology as he seeks to destroy Darth Vader, the man who robbed him of his sight. And assorted background characters like The Starkiller Kid and Valance the Hunter bring some fresh perspective to the events of the galaxy. These were the first looks at Luke and friends from outside the eyes of Rebellion or Empire, decades before the "Tales from the..." anthologies were published.

I was 6 when Star Wars was first unleashed on the public, and I was lucky enough to have a Mom that supported her young son's comic-book reading habit; The biggest problem of any comic reader in those long-forgotten days was spotty newsstand distribution- It was almost impossible to collect EVERY issue of your favorite comic.....for almost 25 years I've been wondering how Luke and company managed to get off of that Water Planet in Star Wars #14....

THANK GOD FOR DARK HORSE! My wondering days are over! Doomworld collects issues 1-20 of Marvel's original Star Wars series in glorious full-color, on beautiful paper with great production values. The book opens with an incredibly faithful adaptation of the movie, then goes off into some surprising territory: Han and Chewie star in an outer-space "Magnificent Seven", where they team with a giant green Rabbit and an old man named "Don-Wan Kihotay" to face off against "Serji-X Arrogantus", a thinly disguised version of Mad Magazine cartoonist Sergio Aragones; Luke and the Droids crash on a Waterworld years before Kevin Costner made that awful movie; Han squares off against a "Gaily" attired pirate and his man-hating female crony; and everyone ends up in the deep-space Las Vegas for the big cliffhanger. The stories are a bit removed from what the films delivered, but I took a bit of umbrage at the back-cover copy which calls the Marvel stories "Kitschy"; Dark Horse has published a few duds themselves ("Union", anyone...?); At least these stories are entertaining!

As a kid, I hated the artists that worked on these stories. As an adult, I can appreciate the draftsmanship and storytelling ability that they brought to the series. Howard Chaykin, Carmine Infantino, Tom Palmer, Terry Austin, Herb Trimpe, Al Milgrom...They're all legends, and with good reason. (The only gaffe, artwise, is the pairing of Chaykin and Frank Springer in chapter seven. Springer's inks are atrocious!) The art looks better than ever, thanks to the vibrant colors and slick paper. And aside from Roy Thomas' propensity for making Han say (OVER and OVER again!) "WELL then there now!", the characters STAY in character. Lucasfilm may have decided that the stories are no longer canonical, but that doesn't mean they're not fun! And the price just can't be beat! Give Doomworld a try if you're looking for something a little bit different. WELL then there now!

If you grew up loving Marvel's "Star Wars Comics" you'll find this books Force irresistable-it contains the FIRST 20ISSUES OF THE SERIES!!They're better than before:the colors are mor vibrant.there are no ads so you can read the stories mor easily.This is the BEST collection of "Star Wars Comics ever!Its 370 pages will give you LOTS of reading pleasure.This is a must for any "Star Wars" fanatic!

rRST

I have been a member of 12-Step programs for 20 years. I have been in therapy for 32 years (originally mandated by the court in 1969). I have written a book about addiction myself. People who are mandated to go to 12-Step programs by the courts do not have to stay once their obligation is fulfilled. People who do stay get help. For me the combination of 12-Step programs, therapy and religion has brought me the recovery from addiction that I prayed for before I even knew what praying really meant. Stanton Peele's book is reactionary and uses fear tactics to sell books and inflate the author's ego. I am sad that he chooses to attack programs that have such a wonderful track record. Psychology has been helpful to me over the years, but 12-Step programs (the people, the principles, the literature, and the meetings) have saved my life.

Resisting 12-Step Coercion destroys the flagrant canard that 12-step groups are inherently voluntary. Indeed, authors Chaz Bufe, Stanton Peele, and Archie Brodsky provide ample evidence that each year, over 1,000,000 Americans are compelled to join this crypto-biblical therapeutic cult or face reprisals ranging from extended jail time to unemployment.

In a penetrating analysis of this disconcerting trend, the book questions the legal, medical, and ethical issues which directly undermine this alleged panacea for addiction. And, lest you fall victm to this insidious method of social control, the authors provide invaluable advice for anyone facing the possibility of forced 12-step conscription.

It behooves civil libertarians from across the political spectrum to peruse this important work!

PANIK Magazine, Vol.2, No. 2

it would be helpful if the 12-stepper cult members who review this book would actually READ it before they review it. it also would be helpful if they spoke something other than half truths ."the gal who started Moderation Management as a response to AA was convicted of killing two people in a drunken driving accident. AA's response to that was no comment."

this is not surprising given that Audrey Kishline ("the gal") had been not practicing moderation in her own group, but had become an active AA cult member months before the fatal accident. AA members always forget to mention this FACT.

But this is besides the point because she has nothing to do with the topic of this book, as this stepper is trying to make Mr. Peele somehow guilty by association to Ms. Kishline's lack of personal responsibility and to cloud the issue of 12-Step coercion in this country.

the truth is AA is a double thinking religious cult, whose members use their influence to make it the model for over 90% treatment center is USA, and limit the availability of other models.

the truth is, according to AA's own survey, 50% of people leave AA within first 3 months, and 95% within 12 months. of those 5%, 100% are not sober for that period, if at all. AA did a survey In a 1989 of almost ten thousand members chosen at random, thirty five per cent of the respondents reported less than a year of sobriety. the abstinence rate continues to drop in the following years. AA has been around for about 60 years, but only twenty-nine percent of members have been sober for more than 5 years.

the people who left AA were not served by AA's program, and were taught they would die if they left AA and didnt follow their so called "suggestions"

"unless each AA member follows to the best of his ability our suggested Twelve Steps of recovery, he almost certainly signs his own death warrant" by AA's founder bill wilson..

not much of a choice offered there, "follow the "Program" or you will die." "they are suggestions, take what you want and leave the rest". right. any cult would be proud of that double think.

nor is there any real proof of AA' effectiveness, there isn't one legitimate study which can demonstrate AA is any better than no treatment at all. but based on the number that go thru their doors when they need help, a less than 5% recovery rate of people introduced to AA and seeking help is not successful by any standard.

bottom line is, if your being forced into the religious cult of AA, this book can help you find a something which will work for you.

This large, black and white trade handily lives up to its name, at least for a while. With this, the reader is treated to the first 23 issues of the regular series, for a great price.

The venerable Chris Claremont scribes the first third or so of the issues, and his are the best. You get Wolvie in top form, as he finds himself inside a web of intrigue in the seedy underworld of the fictional city of Madripoor. Claremont excels with the supporting cast, creating many memorable characters. Aging flyboy and reluctant adventurer Archie Corrigan is perhaps the best. He behaves the way any of us would if we were the ones playing sidekick to Logan, known in Madripoor as the mysterious "Patch". Former Spider-Woman Jessica Drew joins the cast as a tough P.I. protecting her flaky at times friend, Lindsay McCabe. After the first six-part story, Joe Fixit (the Gray Hulk) drops in for a painful and very humorous two-issue visit. After that, Claremont finishes his run with a couple filler issues, including the first (and possibly the best) encounter between Logan and Sabretooth. John Buscema provides excellent artwork throughout, aside from an Ernie Cowan fill-in. Worthy of mention is the Bill Sienckewicz inked Sabretooth issue, as it has some fantastic art from two of the masters, far better in black and white than in color.

Peter David takes the reins for the following six issues, titled "The Gehenna Stone Affair". Not quite as good as Claremont's run, it's still a great story, full of action and humor. David also nails the supporting cast as totally faithful to Claremont's characters from the first story arc. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the quality of the pictures takes a slight dive. Instead of just black and white, there are grays, which takes a lot away from the amazing Buscema and Sienckiwicz linework. Other than that, everything is great.

The final run of the volume is from Archie Goodwin and John Byrne, and frankly, it stinks to high-heaven. The story is contrived and weak in the first place, and only gets worse. And while John Byrne at his best produced some superb artwork, this is a far cry from his amazing X-Men and Fantastic Four runs. This is in no small part due to Klaus Jansen, whose inks just do not mix with Byrne's pencils. It's really not even worth reading, a stark contrast to the rest of the volume, which is classic.

To sum it all up, the terrible ending story arc doesn't come close to keeping me from recommending this. The first 16 issues featured are some of the best Wolverine stories you'll ever read, even if he doesn't actually suit up as Wolverine until the tail end.

I know many have complained about the format this book is in (cheaper paper stock and the black/white issue) but I felt that my enjoyment of the stories inside wasn't troubled by the lack of colour at all. Even though the original books had been in colour, 'Essential's black and white gives it an almost 'Sin City' feel, making the gritty stories of Wolverines first issues in his own series all the more grittier. As for the paper stock, if getting all these issues in one book for less than 20 bucks means cheaper paper, then sign me up. All around, this book is a great read for Logan fans and a fantastic bargain for the collector.

The only problem is that it is in black and white. However you will be surprised how little this matters. This book is about one of the best heros ever written. This book has everything Humor,Actionand some of the coolest plots ever.

The buddha's enlightenment and teaching is reduced to a simple logical tautology. After an introduction of blarney about all the textual research he claims to have done, the author arbitrarily chooses the most simplistic interpretation of the buddha's teachings and dismisses all other sources as misinterpretation.

The most striking bit of information I got out of this excellent book is about the conversation between SiddhArtha and one of his students. The student asks if Gautama is a god, to which of course he replies in the negative. "Then what are you?" his student asks - "Awake!" Gautama replies. Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism are philosophical systems that were never intended to be religions. As a devout Christian, I am quite comfortable reading books like this one with that fact in mind. GOD didn't give wisdom only to the West - there is much wisdom in the East as well. The reader must keep in mind that this is human wisdom.

the book in my opinion was very interesting and i would recommend it very much. this book explores the levels above what other books do. Buy a copy for yourself and your partner.

Sticky was astonded when he realised that this was the life story of a porky guy he knew. Though he doesn't wear the crown anymore (now a G-Star cap), would rather eat sticky rice than hamburgers, he's still got that dopey look on his face. An instant classic

Betty and Veronica decide that Jughead needs a girlfriend and maneuver him into a blind date with a female super-athlete. Much of the book centres on how Jughead responds/retaliates. The book is fun to read, especially since the characters of Archie and Betty come off so vividly, but Michael Pellowski is so delicate with Jughead that it almost seems as if he's afraid of the character. He deliberately leaves us to guess what Jughead's true motives might be. He has also given the book a title which has little to do with the plot. What he writes is great 'Archie-ness' but what he doesn't write is more intriguing. I enjoyed the book mostly by finishing the author's apparent trail of thought long after the period or exclamation point. KV Wyli

its very nice and not boring at all i wish it was just more page why i rate 9 because too less page the other is good enough

Great story in the tradition of Harry Flashman (George MacDonald Fraser) and his American "cousin" Fenwick Travers (Raymond Saunders). Fans of the Old Corps of pre-WW II will like the attention to detail and the insider's ear for the tone and texture of the times. A worthwhile and enjoyable read. Semper Fi!

The half Chinese son of missionaries and a second generation Marine, Archie Smallwood meets presidents, Chairman Mao and famous and infamous notables of Marine Corps history from the Boxer Rebellion through WWII. Archie will remind one somewhat of Flashman.This is more than an entertaining read; there are unexpected nuggets of history and philosophy on every page.

It is easy to dismiss the work of Quincy Jones (1913-79) as modernism lite. His long association with Joseph Eichler and other suburban builders prevented him from being taken as seriously as more rigorous and rebellious peers. Modern architecture is supposed to be challenging; Jones made it look easy. However, a drive around Crestwood Hills in West LA, and a close examination of the model houses he and others designed for that enlightened housing association, engender a new respect. Pragmatic, inventive, and humane, Jones bridged the chasm between high art and popular taste, emphasizing practicality over ideology. Buckner has hands-on experience, having restored four Jones houses, and one wishes she had expanded her brief introduction to the architect's career to communicate her personal enthusiasm for his unshowy brilliance. In every other way, this is an admirable survey of 65 key projects, illustrated with vintage black and white photos, drawings and plans.

Let me begin by saying that this is a beautiful book. The original black and white photos are as crisp as the planar fascias and walls of Jones' many projects represented here. The graphics, (mostly plans and perspective renderings) are reproduced in a sepia tone that wonderfully invokes the spirit of the post WW2 period. And, in this age of neo-modernism, it is great to be exposed to a talented, true modernist whose architecture was not influenced by the latest fads and trends, but by the architect's deep convictions of modern architecture improving the quality of life.

The book contains a short essay and a catalogue of about 65 of Jones (and his partner Frederick Emmons) projects. The projects are shown chronologically in seven categories: Single-Family Houses; Residential Housing Developments; Churches; Commercial Spaces; Civic Spaces; University Buildings; and Planning Work.

The essay entitled Building for Better Living: The Architecture of A. Quincy Jones, is however, disappointingly brief. Although it begins in a biographical format, it moves quickly into Jones' theories on multi and single-family residential development. It then discusses Jones' design methods and uses of materials, and concludes abruptly with Earth Structures & Energy Systems and Planning & Landscape Designs. Very little is mentioned in regard to his practice and the fact that Jones and Emmons were awarded national AIA Firm of the Year in 1969. The essay makes no mention when and how Jones died.

Jones' plans are a work of art, not just graphically, but in regards to the rigor in which he was able to make space and structure flow and integrate his buildings into the California landscape. It is unfortunate that only about a third of the projects in this book contain plans. Still, there are some stunning projects represented here. I highly recommend this book to the serious student of mid-century modernism.

This translation of the Tao Teh Ching will not replace my favorite (more poetical) translation, but I found it very helpful in understanding those passages and ideas that are too often obscured by a too 'mystical' sounding translation. I want it alongside my other translations as I think I will refer to it frequently.

Archie Bahm's interpretation is by far the easiest to take in. Clear, concise and straihtforward, without any attempt to mystify the meanings.
The last chapters about Lao Tzu, Tao, Teh and Confucius is very informative.

I'd been looking for it for quite a while, because it is, shamefully, out of print. I can't think why! For fans and students of Frank Lloyd Wright's work, 'Teater's Knoll' is even better than 'Frank Lloyd Wright's Hanna House: The Client's Report'. The Archie Teater Studio is the only FLLW house in Idaho, and one of his most fascinating. Not only is it a beautiful design, it is one of the best-documented FLLW houses; the original owners saved every scrap of paper with any bearing on the house's design and construction. After falling on hard times and disrepair, the house was saved by Henry Whiting II, who found the Teater archives when he bought the place in near-derelict condition. Whiting has used that material to tell the story of the house's construction. It nearly didn't get built at all, owing to the irascibility of the clients; they hired, fired, and sued contractors and labourers with what can only be called mad abandon. Whiting goes on from this tale of woe to tell of his hands-on restoration of the house; it's one of the few FLLW restorations done by an owner, albeit an owner with a background in architecture. There's also interesting material in the book on Whiting's uncle, Alden Dow, a friend and disciple of Wright's. This one gets four stars- I'm docking it one star only because the photography of the restoration fails to give much sense of the flow of spaces within the house. HIGHLY recommended, nonetheless! You won't regret it.

Amazon helped me find this book, and I am grateful, indeed. I'd been looking for it for quite a while, because it is, shamefully, out of print. I can't think why! For fans and students of Frank Lloyd Wright's work, 'Teater's Knoll' is even better than 'Frank Lloyd Wright's Hanna House: The Client's Report'. The Archie Teater Studio is the only FLLW house in Idaho, and one of his most fascinating. Not only is it a beautiful design, it is one of the best-documented FLLW houses; the original owners saved every scrap of paper with any bearing on the house's design and construction. ....Whiting goes on from this tale of woe to tell of his hands-on restoration of the house; it's one of the few FLLW restorations done by an owner, albeit an owner with a background in architecture. There's also interesting material in the book on Whiting's uncle, Alden Dow, a friend and disciple of Wright's. This one gets four stars- I'm docking it one star only because the photography of the restoration fails to give much sense of the flow of spaces within the house. HIGHLY recommended, nonetheless! Put Amazon on the case and get a copy. You won't regret it.