It may not be of much interest to casual readers, but to longtime fans, I couldn't recommend this book enough. It doesn't just sit on my shelf, I've reread it dozens of times because the intimate details it contains on this often misunderstood industry are priceless. Of particular interest to me were the sections on the 70s, the beginning of fandom, the evolution of characters, and the pop culture phenomenon as we know it taking shape. It's simply amazing, as though Jones and Jacobs are sitting right there with you recounting these stories. Even as someone who's loved every aspect of comics since before I could read, I was still surprised by all the drama that was going on behind the scenes during these years of entertainment I have fond rememberances of. If there's a flaw, it's that the authors sound a little bitter at times, but that's because they were there in the thick of it during much of the time that this all occured.

To Jacobs and Jones, the real "comic book heroes" are the artists, writers and editors who created the grand adventures and heroes. While they acknowledge that comics have historically led to tragedy for their creative people, they show how real-world heroes like Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Steve Gerber, Carmine Infantino and many others endured tragedy to create memorable heroes and stories. It is an essential work for anyone interested in popular culture, as entertaining to read as it is informative. Note: Gerald Jones is currently revising and updating this book for a release sometime in the next two years - but this book is so satisfying you shouldn't wait.

The Coming of the Book is essential reading for anyone interested in book history, the development of modern literary languages, or the growth of capitalism in early modern Europe. It's an excellent example of the social history that the Annales school of sociologists and historians worked to produce: coherent narrative drawn not from specific important events but from the interpretation of massive amounts of data on the 'everyday' professional lives of early type founders, journeyman printers, shippers and booksellers. Most importantly, Febvre and Martin analyze the affect that the unique pressures of print as a capitalist enterprise (the capital investment in type, the costs of paper and of labor, problems in transport and marketing) had on the development of standardized print-languages, the development of 'mass' culture, and the spread and evolving functions of literacy.

Lucien Febvre and Jean-Henri Martin have integrated careful archival research with a lively recounting of history which transcends individual rulers in this account of early printing. The book is particularly interesting since we also live in a time when the economics and sociology of information dissemination is changing quickly.

The reaction of the early copyright system in place at medieval universities to new realities, of the technical innovation necessary to make good type founts, and of early print censorship were particularly interesting. I also enjoyed the discussion of the documentary evidence about Gutenburg and his unhappy relations with his financial backers.

Despite a couple of glaring erros (Liszt had 2 daughters and a son, not three daughters) or the mispelling of the given name of Poulenc's 'aunt', it is easy to overlook all of this for what lies ahead in this beautiful volume. It is well worth owning and makes one want to go to the dwelling place where so much great music was created.

it's not clear to me why this book has not been released as I just saw it in a bookstore in downtown San Francisco. The book is a gem. There is enormous satisfaction in seeing the milieu in which a great work of musical composition took place. The quality of the photographs have nothing banal or boring about them and enhance the very message they so succesfully convey. A gorgeous book and more than a volume to grace a coffee table. The text is also very worthwhile.

This is another of Ms. Gerard's magic stories. Both of the characters are very good people who are harder on themselves than anyone else could ever be. They are both very compassionate responsible people who need to step back and forgive themselves. Their love and yearning for each other pushes them to reach out to the other party with an unselfish need to help and heal that person. They can not stand to see each other in pain and can not stop trying to help. Their reward is mutual healing that leads to a deep and abiding love that will give them the fresh new future they never dared hope for, one that is full of all life has to offer.

Tucker Lambert has agreed to let Sara Stewart stay at his ranch. His friends have convinced him that all this lady needs is some rest and time to think. Tucker agreed figuring he could just ignore the beautiful woman staying in his guest house. Tucker had not planned on Sara putting the moves on him.

Sara Stewart works in a hospital ER. She is burned out and has turned to alcohol for comfort. After making a fool out of herself with Tucker she decides to straighten her life out. Sara sees a lot of pain in Tucker and is convinced that she can help him and herself.

Sara and Tucker are both stubborn individuals, but they do have an attraction towards each other. There are a lot of obstacles standing in there way and just when you think things might work out something bad happens. Sara and Tucker are both hurting and at certain points the story is very emotional, but well worth the time to read it. A great book.

Creatures Of Habitat: The Changing Nature Of Wildlife And Wild Places In Utah And The Intermountain West is an illustrated, exhaustively detailed account of the extremely fascinating animals and plants to be found in the Utah and the intermountain west, ranging from the shorebird that eats brine shrimp and flies nonstop each year from the Great Salt Lake to central Argentina, to the rare mustard plant just recently discovered on Mount Ogden. Creatures Of Habitat openly discusses what is happening to this wildlife and its natural surroundings, emphasizing how the loss of its habitat is contributing to the decline and extinction of numerous species. With lists, guides to wildlife viewing, and habitat maps, Creatures Of Habitat is an excellent reference for any amateur animal watcher or natural world armchair traveler, particularly those who live in or near Utah!

Development is overtaking both habitable places in the Intermountain West. The general wealth of our society, the inherited fortunes of the world war generation, and the achievements of technology, allow urban areas to expand across the habitable landscape. Growth in the urban footprint, along with that of the supporting technological and recreational infrastructure, results in habitat loss. In turn, several Utah species are becoming extinct.

This book looks at the creatures at risk and the choices that have resulted in their becoming endangered. The reader learns that each sub division, road, strip mall, and power plant that is built to support our lives takes away precious habitat. The wild species that lived in that territory are not displaced. They may become endangered if the habitat loss is substantial. The burden of preservation is ours. The creatures endangered species cannot choose where to live. We must choose what to develop for ourselves and for them.

"Creatures of Habitat" is divided into three major sections. It addresses endangered species, loss of wild places, and the choices we have for the future. The technical material is presented to tell the stories of how and why certain species are endangered. The story of each creature deserves to be heard. The book examines habitat loss issues from many angles, connecting these into a coherent picture of the complex problem of western development. There are several suggestions for becoming involved as individuals or in organizations dedicated to saving what remains of our wild places.

I found the book to be unprejudiced and well researched. Problems are stated along with the history and present solutions, as are the behind-the-scenes groups that have been working to preserve habitat for years. There are probably surprises for readers who have not examined endangered species and habitat loss issues from all sides. In particular, I was pleased with the recognition that the hunter, and associated organizations, have worked to preserve habitat years before it became a well-known problem.

This book is shows us that there are no easy solutions to these problems. Perhaps the greatest hope is in education. This book does just that.

After the largest battle to take place in the Civil War the city of Gettysburg was basically turned upside down. The wounded and the dead lied about 25 square miles of the battlefield left behind by both Confederate and Union armies. Few surgeons were on hand and the lack of medical supplies, food and proper shelter was an immense problem. Just as medical help slowly arrived, family members looking for lost loved ones, battlefield scavengers, volunteer medics, nurses and the curious fled to the battle ravaged town. Author Gerard Patterson covers many of these subjects and how the town struggled to come together and rebuild from it's shattered state. Civilian commentary, biographies of soldiers and medical leaders are brought forward to enhance the gripping information. If you are looking for a great book on Gettysburg to compliment the battle this is an excellent choice. A key to remember is that this book focuses quite a bit towards the medical aspects of how the town handled the awesome task at hand of taking care of the wounded and the dead. In order to understand Gettysburg one must compliment this book because there was so much more to the battle of Gettysburg than just the battle.

The battle at Gettysburg, whatever else may be said of it, was a medical disaster.
The armies evacuated the field soon after the battle, leaving behind a 25-square-mile area covered with 7,000 dead and over 21,000 wounded of both armies, who lacked not only medical care but basic food and shelter. Most just lay where they fell, some for many days.
In traditional Army FUBAR fashion, the need for help was denied for some time, causing needless suffering and additional unnecessary deaths, but when word eventually got out, an unprecedented outpouring of civilian assistance took place. The participants included the Sisters of Charity, Frederick Law Olmsted (famous for his design of New York's Central Park), the engineer Haupt, and the formidable (if ineffectual) Dorothea Dix. Their contributions, as well as thousands of others', are well told here in this thoroughly researched, clearly written history. Your Civil War bookshelf is not complete without it.

The "score" rating is an ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score" books.)

Di Gi Charat is so cute, it's amazing to me that it's been overlooked in the US for so long, and that someone hasn't picked up the rights to the TV series, especially now that new seasons have come out. Well, now that the Comic anthology is coming out, possibly there will be enough interest to do that. This is really cute and if you like cute, and super short comics, this is a good buy!

A faithful translation from the Japanese. Excellent art, amazing to see this in English. If you have a passing interest in Kogedonbo or Di Gi Charat, do yourself a favor and get this.

Este es un libro sobre la vida en su estado mas puro. El médico sobrio que es el protagonista de la obra, observa su alrededor sin involucrarse apenas en su medio. Sólo el amor, como siempre, hará de él un hombre feliz y sólo el desamor le llevará hacia su última aventura. Baroja relata con la disciplina descriptiva de la medicina, a veces me parece un patologo de la sociedad, sin olvidar la luz y el sentimiento de quien puede emocionarse debajo de un cielo estrellado o con los movimientos de un insecto. Tildado de amargo, de pesimista, es un libro realista, vivo que puede hacer grabar las más vívidas imágenes en la memoria del lector. Sin duda uno de los mejores libros que se han escrito en este siglo.

Este es uno de los mejores libros que he leido en mucho tiempo. El protagonista es un estudiante madrileno de medicina de principios de siglo, el propio Baroja en realidad, que va haciendo un recorrido por todos los estratos sociales de su tiempo, viendo todas las miserias y las bajezas humanas, y siempre intentando encontrar la propia felicidad. Este es un libro muy critico, que refleja la falta de esperanza de una epoca, cuando Espana perdia su ultima colonia y se acababan los suenos de grandeza. Es tambien una busqueda del sentido de la vida, donde se dan cita muchos de los existencialistas, como Schopenhauer y Nietzche. El final es bastante amargo, acorde con todo el libro, pero merece la pena leer algo tan autentico y capaz de afrontar la vida sin miedo y sin enganos como lo hace baroja. Es increible como sigue siendo tan actual despues de tanto tiempo. Yo le doy un diez.

I have the hard-to-find first edition of Gérard Herzhaft's Encyclopedia Of The Blues, the one printed in 1996. It is worth finding if you can. If not, this edition (which I am trying to decide whether to buy or not) may well be as good or better than the first. The first edition has over 500 pages, but fewer photos I think. Gérard Herzhaft's Encyclopedia Of The Blues is the most accurate, in-depth, and comprehensive collection of Blues musician information I have been able to find anywhere in the past 6 years of being an active Blues fan. I wish Gérard would know how much his great work is appreciated by all of us Blues music fans in the USA and the world. Thank you Gérard.

I write as a blues fan of forty years standing in order to assure folks that this French fellow knows his stuff. When I first heard about this Encyclopedia 8 years ago, I was concerned that it would be another effete European effort to convince Americans that they have no taste.

Au contraire! This is the first survey-type of blues review which does justice to disparate blues streams such as blues shouters (barely touched on in Cohn's book) and boogie woogie, as well as Delta blues and obscure East Texas singers of the Twenties.

The Encyclopedia is well-organized, with fine summary essays on various blues streams so that the reader can follow developments on different fronts without having to turn back and forth between essays on individuals. There is a generous serving of individual biographical sketches as well, and Gerard does us the favor of pointing out when certain blues artists are following in the footsteps of others.

He also does a good job of including glancing references to less well-known blues artists who are worth investigating later in yours blues journey.

All in all an excellent reference work with plenty to interest the casual blues fan.

I loved reading the book so much, I keep reading it over and over again.

It is surprising how funny Conan Doyle could be sometimes. Brigadier Gerard is a wonderfully conceited, rather dim-witted but brave and generous-hearted cavalry officer in Napoleon's Army. His adventures are a delight to read.