Games and Humor Books

In this comeback of the Teen Titans, Starfire invites the teen sidekicks of the DC Universe to reform the teen-powered super team. As expected with teen sidekicks, they are all anxious to get out of the shadows of their mentors. Of course if the Teen Titans return, their nemesis Deathstroke will show up. In fact, the battle between the Teen Titans and Deathstroke is the highlight of this book as the young heroes pit their skills against the wily mercenary. Surprisingly, the Teen Titans also go up against the JLA! Since Wonder Girl joined the Titans without Wonder Woman's approval, Wonder Woman shows up to enforce her wishes. Of course it gets out of hand, and the two teams support their members. Teen Titans: A Kid's Game is a fun read, and is recommended to fans of the Teen Titans.

I really didn't expect to like yet another New Titans at all, after the goodness of the Baxter stuff from earlier on, but this is actually not that bad at all. I wouldn't be running out to get them the second they come up, but as far as a general comic read, it is ok.

I've always loved the Teen Titans; from their early days with Hawk and Dove up to the Marv Wolfman/George Perez masterwork, I ate up TT comics. When I saw the great price on this book I had to buy it. Unfortunately I was disappointed.

The artwork is mediocre and the action is as convoluted as Yoda might be if he tried to imitate the Swedish Chef's speech patterns. There is a very weak story holding the comic together, with most of the comic detailing how the Teens want to be allowed to grow up without grown-up interference.

Overall, this comic was little more than OK. I can not recommend this to anyone.

I love everything about this new TEEN TITANS WORLD: characters, villains, costumes, situations, places...

Let me say this: I loved the '80s New Teen Titans. Marv Wolfman and George Perez made that title one of the best and most popular comic books of all time and, in its heyday, I believe it placed consistently in the top 10 in monthly sales. When George Perez left the series, the Titans were never the same, and my interest reluctantly dwindled. I didn't think I could get so into this team again until I started collecting the revamped TEEN TITANS in 2003. Prolific comic book writer Geoff Johns (FLASH, JSA, GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH, 52, etc) and artist Mike McKone do wonders as they've managed to revive great interest in this team which, more than anything else, was about the close ties of family and friendship.

And it's still about the teens. With the tragic death of Donna Troy, aka Troia (formerly Wonder Girl), and the resulting disbanding of both the Teen Titans and Young Justice, our superhero youngsters have unhappily drifted apart. But, now, Cyborg extends an invitation for the kids to help re-launch the Teen Titans, whose Titans Tower is now situated in San Francisco. Feeling that their young charges are worryingly stuck in a rut, Superman and Batman urge their respective proteges Connor Kent (Superboy) and Tim Drake (Robin) to sign up. However, Flash is indifferent, believing that young Bart (Impulse) has no focus and is unreliable, while Wonder Woman is less than willing to grant her blessing and just simply doesn't want Cassie to be involved. It doesn't really come as a shocker, however, when everyone ends up joining.

I'm not about to credit Mr. Johns with successfully returning this title back to its once lofty place, because, frankly, he hasn't quite managed that. But what he's done is bring me and many more fans back into the Titans fold. With TEEN TITANS: A KID'S GAME, which collects the first seven issues, Johns has Cyborg creating a regimented and more purposeful team structure and mission statement. The plan now is that, on weekends, once the school week is thru, veteran heroes and former Titan members Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy will mentor the ex-Young Justices.

In crafting these stories, the writer does very well in bringing life and depth to the characters. Connor and Cassie are actually becoming interesting, even if Connor is still occasionally annoying. Bart undergoes a traumatic life changing experience which makes him rethink his superhero identity. Tim Drake? Well, he's fast on his way to being just as great a Robin as Dick Grayson was. And, since these are mostly about the teens, there's plenty of angst, deep seated hostility, and pent up hormonal energy mixed in with the superhero action.

There's an off-kilter group dynamic here. None of the more established Titans is a born leader (that was always a Nightwing specialty). In their attempts at mentoring, they discover that these kids won't easily accept authority. Starfire, in particular, with her emotions ever on the surface, finds it tough going in presenting a supervisory persona. Beast Boy is barely older than the kids and is actually more in tune with the younger generation than with his older teammates. Honestly, Tim Drake seems to be the best leader in this group.

Johns deals several surprises to the reader. Perennial foil Deathstroke the Terminator returns for a lengthy story arc, with a surprise twist thrown in. With the death of his son Jericho, the lethal mercenary wants to put a stop to the re-forming of the Titans team, ostensibly because "kids shouldn't wear costumes." Meanwhile, as Connor develops a new power, he also discovers intel on his genetic makeup which shocks him. Plus, he gets a pet. Then, there's the requisite guest appearances by the kids' older counterparts and the ensuing half-hearted tussle. Somewhere in here, Nightwing and Raven also show up, as well as a retired member of Young Justice. With Mike McKone providing stellar artwork - as he draws these heroes in the way they should always be drawn - and with Geoff Johns consistently delivering with solid stories, TEEN TITANS: A KID'S GAME is the ideal time to hop back on the Titans bandwagon and will, guaranteed, whet your appetite for more. Titans Together! Again.

It was a real pleasure rereading this book from my youth. I was forced to read it in school and was too young to appreciate its brilliance. The way Jack London tells the story of Call of the Wild from a Dogs perspective is mesmerizing. I can't wait to find the time to read White Fang. The only part that upset me was that this did not come as separate books. I am now a firm believer in hardcover books and just wish this had come as a box set.

Picked up this book while in Alaska and throughly enjoyed it....as with most men, had read it or heard of it as a boy, but put it aside or didn't remember it...Surprisingly good, especially while in Alaska, but one doesn't have to be in Alaska to appreciate and enjoy this book. Yes, it's about a dog, but it's also about life, relationshships, and attitudes. Good book well worth reading. LIke most classics, we tend to appreciate them more as we grow older than when we first read them. Thus it is with this book.

This is a compelling tale of a dog named Buck taken from his home and used to find gold. Sometimes there could be a funny moment but most of the time you can see the cruel abuse people give to dogs and other animals. Buck is a true survivor and he makes it through that perilous journey. You should read this book and you will be at the edge of your seat all through it. A lot of deaths happen in this story so if you really do not like animal abuse I wouldn't recommend it to you. I can't tell you the whole story because I don't want to give you away one detail that might spoil the end or any other good things that happen. Read it and you'll find out how a dog named Buck survived!

I highly recrecommend Call of the Wild to Sick minded people who do nothing but sit around all day playing bloody gore war games rated M. There is a bloody graphic death every chapter! YAY! OH! And who could forget the gory fight scences? Eptic blood battles with the moral being winners kill and loosers show mercy! What an important life lesson! And the PAIN!! How can life go on without PAIN? Broken bones, body slashes, club beatings, and, best of all, freezing to death!!! Ah, What a life! In conclusion, I prefer MY games rated E for everyone.

This book was a very good book. I would suggest to those of you who like books about Nature. The book is about a young wolf who is beaten several different times and it is because of his heritage that he survives. I don't want to ruin the ending for you but the book is a complete 180 degree turn from the movie. The ending is totally different than the movie. White Fang has many learning experiences that help him get to where he was. Once again I just want to say that it is a great book and i want to suggest to people who enjoy books about nature.

I have seen pimpin ken on tv and ddecided to see what his book was all about. After recieving the book I started reading it and was hooked..I read and re-read the book and really grapsed all the information. Do not let the book title fool you, this is more a motivational and information based book on how to better yourself. Great book and I would highly recommend it.

Bottom line Pimpin Ken has pimped the game of life once again.
Any of these laws can be used as a road map to success in any career tract chosen.

It is apparent though he left out a large amount of the deep parts of the game of pimpin' but it is more information than any other book on this topic to date.

After reading PIMPOLOGY, I would place it in the same category as Niccolo Machiavelli's THE PRINCE. Like he states in the book, he is NOT promoting the trafficking of flesh. However, he does give a lesson about human nature. When I read it, there were experiences he's had that I witnessed from my college coaches, former bosses and other characters in business. Just because his background deals with pimping at a street level, I'll go to what he states in the last chapter. He states that the oldest pimp game on Earth is the same as what builds nations: the control of money and people to achieve an objective or series of objectives.

It's really a book about power and how it's used as a means to an end. Besides, it may help the reader recognize when a "pimp" game is being run on them and devise a counterattack to the game.

That should be the title. Very few new things to learn. The rest can be found in other motivational books. It seems that he tried to fill pages of pimp knowledge with unrelated subjects to make a book.

DON'T BUY THIS, ALL HE DOES IS TALK ABOUT HOW HE MADE IT IN THE GAME & THE RULES THAT HE STOOD BY, NO INSTRUCTIONS FOR YOU "LIMPS". I READ IT JUST TO READ IT. BUT IF YOU READING IT TO BE A "PIMP" DON'T QUIT YOUR DAY JOB.

I've had this book for a few years. It has wonderful picutures and fairly detailed explainations. It was good for me when I was not as familiar with glass working as I am today. Good to help you get ideas too.
Sylvia
[...]

The book description stated that the book was to give instruction and techniques on three different glass mediums, and I was disappointed to find that the book only provided perhaps two pages on lampwork, and gave no detailed techniques or projects to make. Fortunately for me, I already know how to make glass beads but purchased the book looking for different techniques or new things to try. A beginner, however, will find that they will put this book down discovering that they learned nothing. It is not very informative and I do not recommend this book for lampworking.

This is one of the best glass fusing books I've purchased. The projects are very beautiful and easy to create. I give it 5 stars.

I have to admit that, despite a few flaws, this remains one of my favorite books on making your own glass. Ms. Eberle has written a book that gets my creative juices flowing every time I read it. Her approach to creating functional/decorative glass is (or was at the time) unique, and I especially appreciate her use of mass-produced glassware to create some really beautiful things. It's well-illustrated.

That said, there are some frustrating aspects to this book. She doesn't really explain where to find some of the materials she uses, such as her "paints" and "crystal ice." While I can guess at their identity I can't be quite sure. I've also tried to locate the author (and in fact have sent several e-mails to what I *think* is the correct address) with no luck. She does describe the mechanics of full-fuse firing, but you'll need a pretty good understanding of firing schedules to fill in the blanks.

Even with the frustrations, though, this book is well worth the purchase price. I would love to see more from this author!

I have been fusing for 3 years now. I started with this book and still look back and get good ideas. You evolve and still can get something on a different level. Buy it.

This game can be fun for people really into movies and the "creators" of the game have given us a pretty good companion book for people to check themselves. However, I found one very glaring mistake in the book. In the section about the Baldwins they claim that you can link Billy Baldwin to Kevin Pollak in The Usual Suspects and then to Kevin Bacon in A Few Good Men. Unfortunately, Billy Baldwin wasn't in The Usual Suspects. His brother Stephen was in The Usual Suspects. I'm a little surprised that no one has written about this in a review yet. For a couple of guys you claim to know a lot about Kevin Bacon, they sure screwed that one up. Other than that, this book is fun.

Only good to go along with the game--and the game is impossible to play.

OK, I was in the first dinner theatre production of "A Chorus Line" with Joe Inscoe who was in "From the Earth to the Moon" with Elizabeth Perkins who was in "He said She said" with Kevin Bacon.

This is a charming commentary on the prolific career one of America's premier thespians. In this modern classic, Mr. Ginelli truly captures the essence of Mr. Bacon's career on the big screen. Like a barefoot jaunt through a flowery meadow, this novel captivates all of the readers senses. Thank you Mr. Ginelli for this masterpiece of modern literature.

This book is a companion piece to the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" game. I've played the game a few times, but I never actually knew there was a real 'board game' game of the game until recently. I figured that the book might help me learn a bit more about that wonderful actor, Kevin Bacon, and give me an edge over my croonies in crime the next time we play the game. Unfortunately, there isn't a whole lot here. The book is quite short and basically consists of a bunch of "six degrees or less" lists. The introduction by Kevin Bacon himself is interesting to read and so is the history of the game. The book also has a Kevin Bacon filmography that is rather informative. However, the book needs an update because Bacon's been in several films since 1997. This book is great for any fan of Bacon, any serious film buff, and anyone who likes to play the game. If you don't fall into one of those categories, don't waste your money.

This book is actually the original Imponderables book under a new title so it fits the theme of later books better. Unfortunately this isn't mentioned anywhere in the product description. This is mentioned on the cover of the book, but people who are buying it online won't be able to see that since it is put in fineprint, not in the description. I'm sorry to say that nothing has been updated either. That means that some of the information in here is going to be outdated or referring to thing that are no longer common since the early 80's. For example the stuff on milk cartons, collecting money from payphones or records spinning is going to feel out of place for people who think this is latest in the series.

You can tell the passion put into not only trying to answer these questions but to give you a feel for some of the less obvious aspects that are going on behind the scenes in a lot of these like the section on efficiency in washers & hypnosis. It is also contains such interesting things as: Why Do people look up when thinking, why do other hear our voices differently than we do, how did a mile get to be 5,280 feet & the difference between the wait times in different traffic lights. He manages to be informative as well as keeping thing humorous in the book. It also has the origin of some of the frustrables (imponderables that he revisits with new information) such as why do people close their eyes when kissing.

Buy this because you can't fine the original book anymore. Buy this because you have worn out your book in the last 20 years. DON'T buy this because you think it is anew one in the series or that is updated.

Great book. I purchased this for my 12 year old nephew last christmas and he loved it, because that is how his mind works. Fortunatly, so does mine - I love to think about things so I had to read it first! What fun!

There are a number of these books out by this author and I had seen some adds that made them look very interesting. I found a number of problems with this book. There were items that only received a small paragraph that I would have liked to have seen pages, and items with pages that could have been a single paragraph. I also wanted more detail that was there, plus it would have been nice to have seen resources on where the information came from. I gave it a 2 as it was interesting to a very small point.

This book is an interesting collection of factoids. However, it is dated.

I have always been a big fan of the "imponderables" genre, but I had never read any by author David Feldman, an apparently prolific author in the that specific field. I thought the best place to start would be with his first Imponderalbes book, "Why Don't Cats Like to Swim?," which had apparently been originally published with the title, "Imponderables." I further assumed that an author's first venture into this genre would be the most interesting in that there was a high probability of an array of interesting subjects that eventually led to his writing the book. Well, I was wrong!

I finished this book in record time because I discovered that I couldn't care less about many of the alleged imponderables that were discussed. Really, who really cares about some of the following:

Why does root beer taste flatter than coke?
Which fruits are in Juicy Fruit chewing gum?
If trailer parks didn't exist, would tornadoes exist?
Why don't we ever see money from pay phones collected?
What is the purpose of the little slits in sugar cube wrappers?
What is a minor credit card?
Why are so many milk packages difficult to open and close?

If those and similar questions intrique you, you will probably enjoy this book.

About the only section that I found truly interesting was the section describing how stage hypnotists do their thing.

Perhaps his subsequent works got better in that the author solicites potential questions from his readership to be dealt with in later books. I'll never find out.

This an outstanding book. It starts with the history of socks/stockings and brings the reader up to today and how they've changed. The photos are wonderful and the writing is easy to understand.

I would recommend this book for anyone who really is interested in sock knitting. The book was not awfully expensive and it covers about anything you might want to know about socks. This will always be current for the who wants a simple sock to a very ornate complicated one.

As a unrepentant sock book collector I found this book to be very well put together and full of fresh new patterns. Another MUST HAVE for any sock knitter! It's got something for everyone from beginner to expert.

This book is self explanatory and additionally has a great section that speaks about the anatomy of a sock. It gives you detailed history of sock making and the biggest names in the sock industry! Impressive! Not only are the sock patterns attractive they are designed and charted out by some of the best designers. You definitely won't be displeased if you add this one to your knitting library!

I purchased the book, "Vogue Knitting-The Ultimate Sock Book" because sock knitting was something that I only tried one time previously and wanted to know more about it. I was very pleased with the book because it touches on many aspects of sock knitting from history to basic technique to patterns. The sock patterns are also very creative and are designed by many well known names in the knitting industry, which is typical of Vogue Knitting. A word of caution, however, for those of you who are interested in sock knitting techniques like working with two circular needles. Although there are patterns that utilize various techniques, the authors seem to assume that you already know these techniques as they are not explained in depth in the basic instructions. This is fine with me personally, because I prefer to knit socks the traditional way with 5 double pointed needles. I feel that this book was worth the cost and the time spent reading it.

I was very impressed with the patterns and instructions in this book. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for more variety of sock patterns.

The Big Question is a game show which airs in 2011. Contestants compete for the chance to answer a final question which if they answer it correctly will take all their problems away by making them one of the richest people in the world. Downside though is that if they get the question wrong, they are executed in prime time.

The Big Question you start asking yourself as start is why do new characters and their storylines keep getting introduced? As the number of characters grow and we keep jumping back and forth between storylines, and periods of time, it does become a little confusing as to whose life you're reading. However all these storylines do cross paths with one other at some time in the novel, and the majority of these characters want to be contestants in the final chapters when the actual Big Question Game show airs.

The majority of the characters are actually very interesting, as are there life stories. Many of these eccentric characters would not be out of place in a Bill Fitzhugh, Dave Barry or Carl Hiaasen novel. Some are a bit far fetched or a little unbelievable and the predictability of what will happen to them or which other character's storyline they are going to cross is also a factor. The book is a lot of fun though, but the actual percentage of pages revolving around the Big Question (or Death Game as its original creator called the pilot) would be 10% of the book at most.

Other similar death themed reality TV show books you might want to check out are Richard Bachman's (aka Stephen King) The Running Man and also The Long Walk. The Jason Strain by Christa Faust where death row inmates are put Survivor style on an island and have to battle each other to the death (and also surprise guest the captured Jason Vorhees) where the winner is granted life in jail also may appeal to fans of the lethal game show.

The Big Question is an enjoyable book, it basically a heap of different character driven storylines, but their lives are quite interesting to read about.

The Big Question is a plot vehicle to tell the intertwined stories of about a dozen characters who are desperate, unhappy, or just screwed up enough to try out for a game show where they may be killed. Those that meet do so in the green room at the broadcast. None is particularly likeable but many of them have some decent depth written into them.

It's not about the game, it's about the characters from varying walks of life whose lives have little meaning to them. And the ending delivers.

There is a lot outrageous humor and genuinely funny moments in Chuck Barris' THE BIG QUESTION, but don't mistake this satirical novel for lightweight entertainment. It is a dark view of American society and human nature using the game show as metaphor. And who better to explore that metaphor than Chuck Barris, one of the great innovators of the game show form. Barris not only knows television, but he also has a gift for creating vivid characters both sympathetic and reprehensible, and THE BIG QUESTION has a big cast. Barris is an author who both entertains and surprises the reader with his deftness in weaving comedy and tragedy together. I found the book to be a compelling page-turner which I could not put down during the final 40 pages as the story came to its shocking conclusion. I read THE BIG QUESTION while on a cruise, so I can highly recommend it as both well-done popular literature and a good vacation read.

I love The Big Question! Mr. Barris has a true talent for story telling and making his characters come to life. There were times, while reading this book, that I laughed out loud.

Chuck Barris is one of the best novelists in America today. I will buy every one of his books.

Why is this book so cheap? If you like the TV show "The Office," you will LOVE this book. Funny, interesting research, great quotes, all mixed in with some practical advice. I actually laughed out loud a few times! This makes a great gift... the low price is just gravy!!!

Death by PowerPoint reads like Flocker had ideas for two different books and was just typing them into his computer as they came to him with the intention of separating them when the time came to publish. Separation was however never done with seriousness and propaganda type messages mixed with childish humour (not that there's anything wrong with that) that gives the complete opposite message to the serious advice. In other chapters, the comparison of the office employees to a beehive and the different type of bees occurs. There no clear order to this book or theme.

As a self help book to combat bullying co-workers, dress for success and so on it is actually quite well done assuming the reader can differentiate between the jokes and the serious advice. I thought the his response to dealing with bullies who try and force more work onto others was brilliant such a work bully on a company online noticeboard saying wouldn't it be great if those reports could be presented alphabetically and the great reply of that's a great idea thanks for volunteering to do that, obviously I wouldn't have time for anything like that if you are prepared to do that, that will make a big difference.

His trying to be funny inserts were hit and miss and if you mistakenly followed them would probably get you fired such as in a dull presentation yell out at the top of your voice looking at the person beside you Stop touching me! If the humour angle is why you're checking out this book you'd be much better off to purchase the book Hardly Working: The Overachieving Underperformer's Guide to Doing as Little as Possible in the Office as it is a lot better done and a lot funnier along with clearly being a parody.

Corporate life, like high school, has a social order that separates the drones from the workers. The queen bees, better known as executives, sit back and enjoy the fruits of their workers' labors. In fact, bosses made approximately 40 times more money than average workers in 1980; the figure jumped to about 400 times more by 1999. That's unfair, but so is life in the workplace. Michael Flocker offers amusing observations and practical (as well as funny, but impractical) advice in his satirical look at office survival. He covers everything from dress codes and office politics to etiquette and office romances. We recommend this book to any employee who's looking for a little comic relief. That pretty much includes everybody.

The book begins with absorbing insight into the life of the drones and queen bees. The queen bee sits all day while her slaves service her and feed her royal jelly that no one else can have. Who knew the world of bees could be fascinating and resemble the corporate world?

_Death By PowerPoint_ takes a satiric approach in exploring what's what in the corporate world. Flocker describes employee personalities and situations, and explains how to deal with them, or rather protect yourself and stay under the radar. Casual Friday? What do you do? Even something simple as casual Friday can make a worker bee fret. Get tips on dealing with "fashionipulation" for manipulating your world with clothes.

Learn how the cubist culture got started and what cube decorations say about a person. The elephant in the room doesn't exist as the book punches the art of politics in the face. Throttle a passive-aggressive communicator's attempts to take advantage of you and protect yourself from the backstabber. The corporate lingo chapter covers original and "I wish I had thought of that" terms. It doesn't rehash too many of the terms heard in the corporate halls.

The e-mail etiquette chapter offers little new material, but the book would be incomplete without it. Rarely does an office skip the mandatory fun events, so prepare yourself for that upcoming team-building session with the "Mandatory Fun" chapter.

Funny quotes and curious facts appear sprinkled throughout the pages along with sticky notes and abused bathroom door characters. Beware there are R-rated words and scenarios such as the chapter on office romance, but not too much.

Anyone reading this must take care in deciding whether to follow advice since some wouldn't fare well for the worker bee while others could lead to a memorable moment at the office. _Death By PowerPoint_ offers tips and a much needed laugh at the dysfunctional corporate world. Treat the book more as a humorous one rather than a self-help book.

Anyone needing comic relief or an escape from the throes of the corporate world should grab this easy and fun read. Like _Office Space_ and Scott Adams' _Dilbert_, Flocker uses words exaggerate the corporate life and provide tips for surviving _The Office_-like environment without going insane.

Death by Powerpoint author Michael Flocker asserts in his introduction that as modern and fancy as we are in our office cubicles, we still work for corporations equivalent to the feudal lords of medieval times. In an anthropologically-savvy style, Flocker deconstructs the modern office into hive hierarchy, personality types, corporate vocabulary, and sample verbal and written communications. The chapters are hit-or-miss when it comes to humor (some of the jokes are pushing a decade in age), but the illustrations are zany, and the attitude is right. Don't become a cog in the wheel--having fun poking sticks at your troublesome co-workers and bosses.

Pirate Guidelines, The: A Booke for Those Who Desire to Keep to the Code and Live a Pirate's Life is a great pirate book! I love the POTC movies! "They really are more like guidleines... than actual rules." lol

This is actually a good book. It would be really good for the tween to teen ages, but for adults, it gets the job done. It is entertaining and can actually give you a semi-working set of rules for Pirate conduct. If you have all the moves for Pirates of the Caribbean, this is a very good addition to that collection.

This is a book I've wanted to buy for a long time, and I was not disappointed. Not only does it shed some light onto some mysteries of the POTC universe but its also informative about ship life and piracy in general. Great read!

How can anyone not rate this book 5 stars. The book is based on the premise that Mr. Gibbs wrote down the pirate code since he was always explaining it on all three POC movies. Its an easy read and a very thorough narrative of pirate history. I would recommend to anyone interested in learning more than what POC has taught us about pirates.

Just as 'Cliff Claven' had all the answers on "Cheers" (or at least he thought so), Mr. Gibbs has all the answers to your questions about POTC. This book of guidelines provides quite a bit of info on POTC and also about pirates in general. A must if you're a POTC fan. Very enjoyable!