I remember the Atom when he first came out, and I read a couple of these issues as a kid. I bought this volume on the strength of the art, which is excellent in my view, and relying on my enjoyment as a kid of these stories. There remains a lot of dynamism and solidity to the penciling in these stories, but not much else. Unfortunately the writing (and I am usually a fan of Gardner Fox)is lousy, and the plot twists, few as they are, lack believability. In retrospect, I wish I had not invested--it's not a volume I'll be looking at again any time soon.

Fox wrote these stories around the same period of time he was writing for JUSTICE LEAGUE and HAWKMAN. But the Atom story ideas are never as creative or bizarre as those in JUSTICE LEAGUE, and the characters aren't as likeable as Hawkman and Hawkgirl. The Gil Kane / Murphy Anderson artwork is pretty impressive, however; and it's reproduced here well via the DC Archives "remastering" process.

As a child, I liked my superheroes to have a scientific bent, so the stories about physics grad student Ray (The Atom) Palmer adventuring not only on earth but also in time and other dimensional worlds appealed to me. Plus, kids can identify somewhat with a hero that the adult world towered over.
Comics from the '60s were all about gimmicks, and the Atom's was that he could shrink, varying from submicroscopic size to about a foot tall. That let stories develop from notions of putting the Atom in peril not only from normal-sized adults but also from various small objects, from the pointed hands of a watch to a Venus fly-trap to a draining sink (all represented here), which would then be drawn enticingly on the comic's cover.
Author Gardner Fox and artist Gil Kane had already gained some measure of fame for their work on Green Lantern, but they had yet to find their footing on The Atom. The Atom was never one of DC's most popular heroes, but I liked him, and this collection shows the two creators moving from the hero's origin to the establishment of recurring themes which would lead to The Atom's brief peak of popularity.
The collection includes the introduction of two villains who became favorites with DC Comics readers: Chronos the Time Thief (who used clock gimmicks) and Jason Woodrue the Plant-Master (not only a master gardener but also an exile from a dimension where dryads ruled). It also includes the first "Time Pool" stories, in which the Atom would use a wormhole in time (too small for normal humans) to make discoveries in the past. (Oddly, Chronos was never used in a Time Pool story, which would seem a natural combination.)
   This book reprints Atom stories from SHOWCASE #s 34-36 and THE ATOM #s 1-5, 1961-1963.

Well the Batman movies never had the best scripts to work with, and the second movie was no exception. The story was conceived by Sam Hamm, who co-wrote the script, and it really delves into too many different areas that never resolve themselves. The Penquin's story is uninteresting, Selina Kyle's transformation into Catwoman is over-long with few details, and Batman acts like a robot throughout the whole book, as well as the movie.
Tim Burton's take on Batman was all wrong and it shows in this junk book. as well as a junk movie.

This book is much better than the movie itself, in my opinion. It's much more serious and sophisticated in a graphic novel format and the gothic mood is more captured in this way. And it also demonstrates quite elegant drawings of the beautiful, sexy Catwoman in her shiny sewn-together costume and the virile Batman in his handsome bat get-up with its long, sweeping cape. Their lithesome stunts and fierce struggles on the moonlit rooftops are artfully depicted in each panel as well. As for the Penguin himself, he provides a very colorful, circus-like flavor to the story with his kooky penguins and his gaudily-costumed associates. In addition, there are many grisly deaths and a much more tragic ending as well. In all, this film adaptation is quite a lovely little comic album to keep anywhere on your most favorite bookshelf!

I don't know what the other guy who reviewed this book was talking about, but you don't need a soundtrack for this book to be good. Think: imagination, it's a wonderful thing. I'm betting that's why some people don't think this book is all that good. It does stay with the script, that's true. It's dark, no matter how you look at it: book, or movie. I love this book.

After two full semesters with this book (and looking to start a third with it), I feel that the book is lacking in thoroughness and detail. This book is thinner than other calculus books I've seen, which may be appealing to calc I students but is detrimental for those going further. Some of the techniques shown in the book are very thorough and are described in a step-by-step manner. Other techniques are covered way too quickly in order for you to see exactly what is happening. The homework problems at the end of each section are too few to be of any real help. When you do a couple of problems and feel like you might know what is going on, they move on and give you problems that refer to another part of that section. I also bought the student solutions manual hoping that it would help unravel some of the mystery that is calculus. But again I was disappointed. The same lack of thoroughness pervades the manual; some answers are shown step-by-step while other answers skip steps, change forms, are worked and then changed back. Both the textbook and manual make assumptions about what the reader knows and/or how the reader might be trying to tackle the problem. If you have to use this book then I highly suggest getting REA'S Calculus Problem Solver. It was more helpful at times than the textbook!

I have used this book for two semesters of calculus (and starting my third semester) and feel that it is sorely lacking in content! While the book is rather thin and therefore probably more appealling to the calculus I student, this will certainly lead to problems for those going further with this book. It is lacking in complete explanations of certain techniques. Although in all fairness it also does a good job of explaining other techniques. The homework problems at the end of each section are far too few to get a good feel for the technique being taught. After doing a couple of problems and getting a feel for what is happening, the book moves on to problems for another technique, leaving you wondering if you were doing it exactly right. The examples shown in the section to illustrate a technique can be confusing because they are not always shown in step-by-step form with the authors making assumptions about what the reader knows and/or how the reader would attack the problem. I used the student solutions manual to try to help unravel some of the mystery, but was also disappointed. It breaks down some of the answers completely so you can see what is happening and on other problems it again will skip steps and change the form of the answer making certain assumptions about how the reader is tackling the problem. If you have to use this book the I highly suggest getting the REA's Calculus Problem Solver to supplement the book. For some chapters it was more useful than the textbook!

It's actually a rather good book. My high school class just covered this book from top to bottom this year and has prepared us for the AP test quite well. The lowest score on our practice tests is a 4. The rest of the class get's 4's or 5's. Our teacher is good, admittedly, but the book has also been detrimental to our success.

The topics are logical and concise, though the book does sometimes wander on certain topics to unrelated applications and whatnot. Though not the most comprehensive, it is a good book.

This is one of the not so good econometric textbooks I've ever read. The mathematical notations appear to be very confusing and untidy, the text is excessively lengthy. But one who writes actuarial exams has to read it because it is the official textbook.

This is a very good text for an undergraduate student taking a first course in regression analysis and modelling. It is very comprehensive and has some very good examples for a beginner. The only problem is that the field of stochastic modelling is very dynamic so some of the material covered in the book has become outdated.

I'm giving this book 5 stars largely to balance out the somewhat unfair reviews that were given. For what it is -- an econometrics textbook that tries to present overview of neginning to intermediate econometrics and forecasting WITHOUT a lot of linear algebra -- it's a pretty good book. While it has its rough spots, the book has many good features. One of the really good features of this book is presenting the material with an emphasis on model building ... a very important emphasis that is too often ignored in other econometrics texts. In an ideal world, this book deserves at least an average of 4 stars and would deserve more if the readers made things more readable and better incorporated advances in econometrics since previous editions.

Chirot starts off fairly well, with a good discussion of different views of tyranny. Even his detailed descriptions of Hitler's and Stalin's regimes also include some interesting analyses on their similarities and differences. But in his descriptions (and they are just that, with virtually no effort at analysis) of two African regimes, Iraq and Argentina, and Duvalier in Haiti and Trujillo in the D.R. are shallow and perfunctory. At the end, he completely runs out of steam. The concluding chapter, which purports to put forward some "formal propositions", does not even attempt to draw together the material from the various case studies, and confines itself to rather sophomoric generalizations.

Furthermore, Chirot has a pointless and distasteful habit of relating the prurient details of these tyrants' personal lives.

A research assistant could have put together most of this book, as the bulk of it simply recapitulates various secondary sources. Not much analysis here, even for undergraduates, and it's a waste of time for grad students.

Chirot's text is a study of various tyrannies that took root during the twentieth-century. Although his primary focus is on those regimes most would not rationally have difficulty accepting as tyrannies (Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot), he does accept that there existed various government regimes throughout the last century (Pinochet, Ataturk, Franco) sitting on the 'periphery' of his classificatory scheme: depending on whether one chooses to critique the states' ultimate accomplishments or the means they used to get there, one could make a strong argument either way. A fuller discussion of these borderline regimes and their corresponding features would have been enlightening, but Chirot, understandably, explains that these considerations needlessly broaden the text's project. I also note a reviewer's commentary that s/he wished there had been less concern with the tyrants' personal lives. Although I agree that this practice sometimes veers into the tabloid-esque and challenges the seriousness and scholarly tone of the text (anyone want to know how many ties Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo had in his personal collection?), it is instructive to see that tyrants were, in fact, people capable of the same personal failings as the rest of us. With respect to tyrannies bent on realizing a given ideology, the fact that even the ruler deviated from the very standards that his/her subjects was forced to observe demonstrated the impracticability and inhumanity of their rule.

More than a plodding historical survey of twentieth-century tyranny, Chirot seeks to ask why the Hitlers and the Stalins arose when they did. This question prompts him to consider tyranny not as a unique and static phenomenon but, rather, a result of emerging ways of thinking that materialized out of the West during the nineteenth century. In particular, the superiority granted to the discourse of science and its findings led to a chain of circumstances (decentring of God, social Darwinism, colonialism) that informed not only how nation-states were governed, but also the rationalizations for governance. Chirot makes a strong case that since the rise of tyranny in the twentieth-century nation was largely a product of identical emerging discourses, many tyrannies shared not only the same features, but also evolved in similar ways.

Buttressing these features is the discourse of science; its emphasis on logic and absoluteness compels the (potential) despot to rule according to the 'tyranny of certitude.' For example, Marxism, which many influential thinkers believed was the science of history, provided the impetus for Stalin, Pol Pot, Chairman Mao, Kim Il Sung and many others to construct a brutal, rigid and unyielding understanding of social organization. No matter the countless atrocities they committed in following their road map, such rulers 'knew' that their scientific construction of politics would eventually give rise to a social utopia and allow a formerly great people to realize their place in the world. That these policies left the countries in much worse shape than when the leaders assumed control is a cruel and poignant irony.

Pick this book up. It is a fascinating and enlightening read.

Chirot exposes some of the underpinnings that made the 20th century the bloodbath that it was.From the growing belief that scientific engineering could improve humans and possibly create Utopia;from the disjointedness and rootlessness that created a growing alienation with the trappings of modern life and the myths and hopes of a return to a slower-paced,more tribalistic,golden-age Utopianism;from the political charlatans who stepped into this morass to exploit it to their advantage.It's all here in great detail and erudition.Chirot ends the book with a not so comforting thought:that as long as there are masses of dissatisfied people there will be amoral madmen who will come and try to rally them.One disappointment with the book is that Chirot barely adresses the intellectual lights who advocated and willfully ignored the atrocities of the regimes they supported.From Shaw,Heidegger,Russell and their ilk,Chirot hardly acknowledges the role these men played in making the worst tyranny and madness imaginable intellectually palatable to the public.A wonderful book on this subject is_The treason of the intellectuals_by Julien Benda.

I've read worse, but that's not exactly a recommendation.

I feel very mixed about this book. On the one hand the author's smug writing style and arrogant assumption of superiority grate (TJ Cloutier is a world champion and he doesn't write this arrogantly!). On the other hand, the book does offer some good advice on poker psychology and the attitudes one needs to win. It can also be quite amusing in places when Daniel tells some of his own poker annecdotes. I guess I'd say, if you have a tiny poker library and are looking to expand, this is probably not the book to go to; but if you already have most of the basic books, this could be a useful place to expand your perspectives.

As one who makes his living playing poker, I can honestly say this is a poker book like no other. It is no replacement for the basic literature on poker strategy. However, Mr. Daniel gives us a guide to playing poker on a personal level: "people poker." His advice on poker strategy, sizing up one's opponents, and sizing up one's self will be of use to poker players at all levels--beginner to expert. The book also includes an excellent set of appendices on poker odds, etc.. Finally, this book is not dry like most of the standard poker literature. (With all due respect to the brilliant authors of this literature, let's be honest--it can be a tedious, boring read.) The author's humorous, anecdotal style makes this book a pleasure to read. A real gem. Highly recommended.

In the literary world it is perhaps blasphemy to say a bad word against Daniel Defoe's most acclaimed novel. So here goes. The fact that the book was originally titled The Life And Strange Surprising Adventures Of Robinson Crusoe illustrates the major flaw in Defoe's literary form. Put simply, this would be a far more interesting and gripping story were it not so superfluously lengthy. The author makes a habit of repeating himself, especially when it comes to the act of dispatching kittens, which seems to be more of an obsession here than octogenarian ladies are to MatronsApron. It is difficult, you may think, to keep the subject matter fresh when describing the daily tribulations of a fellow stranded on an island for thirty years, without occasionally repeating yourself. True, but perhaps a straightforward solution to this diminutive quandary would be to simply truncate the duration of the story. There are some wonderfully intriguing and suspenseful moments, and some juicy action to boot, but sadly these are gratuitously diluted by lengthy descriptions of the unremarkable everyday goings on in Crusoe's life, and rather than serving to build up the suspense, they merely obstruct the reader's relationship with the more exciting parts of the story.
However, those with more patience than my ignorant self will find in Robinson Crusoe a delightful tale, which as well as being a fictional documentary of the most unusual thirty years of Mr. Crusoe's life, also has time to ponder upon philosophical and theological ideas, in a style that makes the reader feel as if they are involved in the conflicts between the functionalist and cynical thoughts going on in Crusoe's mind. It may not be a gripping white-knuckle adventure, being rather more leisurely and acquiescent, but it is still rather easy to see why Robinson Crusoe is regarded by some as one of the greatest novels of all time.

Robinson Crusoe is an enjoyable story. I thought it was a nice plot. Also, Daniel Defoe spoke of survival skills and how Robinson applied the techniques as means necessary for his survival. There was no analyzation of Robinson at least on psychological levels. I can see that he examined himself religiously. That really slowed the book down and became boring in the process. Also, the plot was not strong as the author had too many focuses: the home, the Brazils, the Shipwreck, the wolves incident, the aftermath, etc.. I prefer the introduction and the solitude on an island for the story. The wolves incident completely threw the book out of track. I will call it a nice classic story with a lot of flaws in its novel. It also skims a lot in the novel, not providing a lot of concrete details. When years went by, it didn't really focus on the years, but what happened that seems to happen the same too often. I felt there should be some kind of change annually. One thing I must point out is: How did Robinson took care of himself in regards to the excretion system? How did he go on to take care of the excretion matter?

P.S. I recently visited the new spy museum in Washington D.C.. By coincidence, I was also reading Robinson Crusoe at the same time. I happen to notice the fact that Daniel Defoe was a British spy and was credited being the first to set up the spy espionage network in all of Britain.

This book is not the easiest of books to read. It has grammar that demands it be followed precisely word for word. Then there is the fact that it takes about 50 pages before the action truly begins. And, on top of all that, once the plot actually begins, some chapters make for very dull reading...

But it is still an exciting, adventure filled book. Robinson Crusoe defies his family and becomes a sailor on the high seas. Whether just having natural bad luck, or a curse put on him for disobeying his family, he meets with disaster time and again. This will eventually culminate into his being a lone survivor, of a ship wreck, trapped on an island.

Although, as I have written, it takes awhile for the novel to get into its main plot and that when Crusoe is on the island parts of the plot can be dull, all this information adds to our knowledge of Crusoe--of his growing self-sufficientness and confidence, and ability to grow and make items, supplies, and food, and especially of his transformation from woe-is-me sailor to hardy islander.

This book does have its faults--the prevalent racism being the main one. For example, Friday is portrayed as an all-worshiping servant of Crusoe. Also, everyone Crusoe encounters is portrayed as a weakling whose problems can only be solved by Crusoe alone. However, although these attitudes of racism and superiority can't be ignored by the reader, one must remember that this book was written during a time period when these attitudes were considered a normal part of life.

This book is highly recommanded to anyone who loves tales of adventures of high seas.

I work for a Christian bookstore, and so I see the best and the worst literature that our faith has to offer. This book, to me, represents the worst.

It attempts to examine a wide range of topics from a biblical perspective. Issues as diverse as "Boredom" and "Bestiality" are covered. And passages from the Bible are offered in relation to these topics, but the connection between the two is tennuous at best. For example, in the sections on "Employers and Employees" the passages cited deal with the issue of Master and Slave relations. While there is some similarity (depending on whom one works for), one can't really view the two in the same light.

Many of the topics are also far too sensationalistic. Good Lord! Bestiality? How many average Christians even think about this issue? And if bestiality is something you're dealing with and you feel you need help, then NO book is going to do the trick. This is where an actual counselor is called for.

This book made me laugh, and it made me cringe. I laughed because it was so badly written, and very poorly laid out. The illustrations must have been taken from the worst clip-art book published in 1981. And I cringe because some may see this drivel as representative of what Jesus taught. Nothing could be further from the truth, which is one of the reasons that the store I work for will not stock this item.

I'M AN ADVENT READER AND LOVE KNOWLEDGE AND LEARNING THE TRUTH THROUGH GOD'S WORD. THIS IS TRULY ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE BOOKS AND I FEEL IT IS EDUCATIONAL, ENLIGHTNING AND AN EXCELLENT REFERENCE BOOK FOR ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS PEOPLE OFTEN WANT TO KNOW. ANYONE WHO SPOKE NEGATIVE OF THIS BOOK IS EITHER DEMON-POSSESSED, SPIRITUALLY FOOLISH, AND/OR TRULY WALKING IN DARKNESS AND REFUSE TO SEE HOW THE BIBLICAL SCRIPTURES AND CLARIFICATIONS CONCERNING EACH SUBJECT ARE MAKING A SPIRITUAL IMPACT. WHETHER YOU ARE A BIBLE SCHOLAR, A NEWLY SAVED CHRISTIAN, ARE UNSAVED, THIS BOOK CAN ENHANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING, AND WISDOM THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD.

If there was any doubt about Ms. Bransby's concern for discipling souls for Christ, this book truly dispels those doubts. The Lord is glorified & this book is truly helpful to those who really want to grow in Christ & overcome any "hangups or misconceptions". Jesus wants us to live holy as He lived holy. This book is a great help in explaining that.

I'd like to echo the previous user's comment about this book being hopelessly outdated. While I understand that information technology moves very quickly these days, there is no excuse for not having a website available where addendums and updates can be posted. That, IMHO, is the more damnable than being outdated. Most of the technologies are old, and the links provided work about 25% of the time.

That being said, it does provide a good academic introduction to some of the mechanisms of e-commerce. The explanations and comparisons of such things as digital signatures and EDI are good. While the newer technology has indeed overtaken the market, they still build on top of the old. So this book will still give you valuable insight and understanding about how the new technologies work. It is not completely worthless, but readers should also refer to more recent texts or resources on the Internet for updated information on the technology.

Before you do anything else, look at the publish date of this book. In Internet time, this book is an antique. While very informative regarding the state of technology in early 1997, its relevance is minimal today. As an unintended history of Internet commerce technology, it is interesting, but as an in-depth guide to design and structure of today's solutions it lacks currency.

Some examples:

No reference to DVD-Rom in the discussion of CD-Rom (DVD not commercially available when published); Amazon.com as an afterthought in the discussion of e-commerce players (early in growth cycle); ISDN as the holy grail of internet connectivity (cable and DSL not commercially available)

...and so on. Do yourself a favor and find a book no more than 3-6 months old.

Internet Resources for Commerc