Comics Books

This book was first published in 1993 and like with all Simpsons' merchandise and books back then changes to the show over time have left these items a bit dated. Published three years after Do the Bartman swept to the top of the charts this book represents The Simpsons' in the early 90s, when the show was more about Bart rather than Homer. Bart had a lot of catchphrases which have not continued onto modern times which are in this book for example in the first lines Bart speaks to the reader as he introduces forgery he tell us "Okay, Listen up man!" Obviously he no longer talks like this so the vocabulary of Bart is a bit dated but the Matt Groening humour isn't.

Bart teachers the reader about personal enrichment through his eyes teaching us how to cope with the different aspects of life such as School, Food, Health, Money, Work, Parents, Art, Culture, Science, Psychology to name but a few of the vast topics covered. Like the vocabulary a lot of other characters hadn't become mainstream or even created in the first few seasons when this book came out so in the school yard there are a lot of illustrations of kid characters we are unfamiliar with but these are little things in no way retract from the overall enjoyment of this book. With the book being so old too, like I did you'll probably find it for a cheap price in many a second hand book shop.

Bart Simpson's Guide to life is a wee handbook for the perplexed to learn how to get through life the way Bart does it. It includes scenes with other family members too like Lisa, Homer, Marge, Maggie, and of course Bart. It has different subjects including school, love, money, food, and after hours. The funniest scenes are forgery, how to cheat in school, and Bart's Dream Bedroom. My personal favorite scene is Bart's Dream Bedroom because it has a bunch of stuff in it that I like including an observatory with an intergalactic telescope, a wrestling celebrity bedtime reader, a personal fridge stocked with junk food, a giant comic book collection along the walls, a Spinal Tap World Tour poster, an electronic automatic wardrobe selector, a private basketball court, an E=MC2 snooze time sleep helper, a heavy metal band alarm clock, an alien life form chart, a Tinkle-Matic TM bed wetting sheet absorber, a waterbed with piranhas in it, a 50" thick lead door with a giant ant farm in it, two guard dogs in front of it, a little sister early warning detection system, and a thumbprint identifying lock.

Not really. In addition to MAD magazine, this book was integral in my life as a kid through high school. It was given to me by my mom many years ago and I still keep it on the shelf next to my "big kid" books. It is fun to pull out and read a few pages from time to time. Heaven vs. Hell, Sex, Money, School, and everything in between.

This book taught me what auf Wiedersehen means. Go ahead, wiki it.

If you are a Simpsons fan, this is an important addition to your collection especially if you are like me and grew up watching the show.

Bart Simpson's Guide to Life is undoubtadly one of the best books to be based on The Simpsons that I have read.

The laughs keep on coming all the way through to the last page thanks to Matt Groening's pointed wit and satirical look at modern life.

A must for every Simpsons fan.

Not only is Bart Simpson's guide to life funny it also has great drawings, and comical jokes, such as the ingredient list on the back of the book. Buy it and you'll be reading it over and over again!

Honestly the first time I saw this anime on T.V., I was turned off by the whole crazy psychotic demon stuff. Then I decided to give this anime a chance, and after the first episode, I was hooked. The story is about a girl who falls into a well and she ends up in feudal Japan. Bizzare? Maybe at first, but after a while you'll say, wow that well gos great with the story.
So I decided to purchase the first volume of the manga, and now I will definately say, this is one of my most favorite series. The story involving and thrilling which also leaves for many unexpected events to happen where they end up fighting countless hordes of demons. All in all, this first volume of the manga will make you want to buy volume 2 of this great series.

I ordered the first two of the series.
I was pleased with the fact that they were a pretty good length, but I'm still reeling over the cost!
American dollars are bad. Very bad. Am so broke *droops*.
I love the story very much however, and Inuyasha makes a most adorable villian/good-guy. (confusing isn't it?)
I have shared it with a few of my friends. (Trusted ones mind you. Sooooo expensive to replace!)
They had a lot of reactions ranging from:
*yoink* "I'll see you after Japanese" *runs off clutching book muttering 'My preciousssss'*
To:
"Oh, they aren't very good quality drawings, are they?" *gets head bashed in by me*
And even!:
*Opens first page* "That girl looks really mad. Who is she?"
"Oh! He's a guy??? Are you sure???"
Yes. That really happened. That particular person also mistook Sesshoumaru for a female but I can forgive her for that.
I'd love to buy the rest of the series, but I'm pretty darn sure that I can live without it until the prices go down. One day.

Rumiko Takahashi is the writer of InuYasha, which is known by fans has being a Feudal Fairy Tale. InuYasha is a story about a average schoolgirl who is taken back in time through a well on her family's property. She soon discovers many facts abut herself and her destiny that makes one realize that she in no average schoolgirl. She, with the help of Inuyasha, a half human, half demon hybrid, must gather the shards of a Sacred Jewel that gan give demons enormous amounts of power. Now, one might think that this is just a simple story, that can't be very interesting, but one would be very wrong. InuYasha is a `historical action and romance from one of Japan's most beloved creators' with a touch of gothic horror. What more could one want? With a cast full of interesting characters, and even more interesting villains, anyone reading InuYasha will instantly fall in love with at least one of the characters, and instantly hate a few has well. I myself have read all the books in this series to date (Jan. 7, 2004) that are available. But, if you want to find anymore out about Kagome and Inuyasha's adventures, well... you'll just have to read the book yourself.

Allison R.

"Inu-Yasha" has one of the best stories I've ever read. It starts off simply, maybe a bit generic. From there though, you get to know the characters, and you really do sympathize with them. The relationships between them are not rushed, and the romance is done very well. The story gets better in every volume, too.

Anyone who loves manga should try out Inu-Yasha. It's popular for a reason.

There is a little nudity, but it's not done in a sexual way. Still, it's not something for small children.

Violent, gruesome, nudity. Should be removed from the shelves. My 7 year old son told me he read one of these books that a friend in his second grade class brought in. I purchased a few books in the series and we reviewed one for content. I was horrified to see that it talked about murder, a person saves a bucket of human livers and has to move to another town because he has run out of victims. There were pictures of nude girls on a few of the pages. Although it says it is for Teen on the back cover- Young kids are reading these books. My nephews, who are teens, think these books are for young kids. Most teens are not interested in reading them. Which shows that these books although labeled for teens have a young child audience. I am bringing the books I purchased last night, back to the store this morning.

I'll keep this short - this is one of the best collections you can own for Calvin and Hobbes. As there is a gigantic compilation that includes all of the strips ever made, you might think there is little reason to own anything else. However, this book contains insight directly from Watterson himself. It includes his own personal takes on some of his strips, how he evolved his artwork, his battle with syndication and layout restrictions, and overall a great look into the mind of a rather reclusive man.

His work is magical in every possible sense.

Don't get me wrong, I love C&H. But Watterson is a bit preachy in this book. He tries to explain his rationale behind some of these comics and that's generally cool. But he has comments where he bashes other comics for being pretentions jerks while he comes across like basically a pretentious jerk. /shrug, it's still a good book with good comics. For me, it was a mix of eye-rolling at Watterson's comments vs. laughing at the comics.

"I've always loved cartoons. With 'Calvin and Hobbes', I've tried to return some of the fun, magic, and beauty I've enjoyed in other comics. It's been immensely satisfying to draw 'Calvin and Hobbes', and I will always be grateful to have had the opportunity to work in this wonderful art form." (p. 208)

This book allows us to see the man behind the pen. This collection is a selection of what Watterson thought was important, interesting or profound about various strips he drew. It is the equivalent of a director's commentary on a DVD.

I relished the introductory essay, which is far superior to the one found in the Monster Box Set. It covers more of the in and outs of drawing, Watterson's battle for control of Calvin, his no-marketing stance, and his push for those wonderful Sunday comics. We have yet to see his artistic superior, much less an equal.

If we read between the lines, Watterson's retirement was not a surprise. The battles he fought for his integrity really damaged a part of his soul. This book provides a better explanation than his terse press release, and I feel for him. The Far Side, Bloom County, and now Foxtrot have run their course, and like these other comics, we can use this book to stoke memories--the roses of the soul that charm us in winter.

From Watterson's point of view, this book is the best of the best. After reading it, I see what he meant. The reason why C&H was so popular was that he touched the soul's taproot. You have the two sides of the man, with the animal being human, and the human an animal, then the shifting frame of reference between the imaginary and real world. As a chronic daydreamer, I understand this perfectly. In fact, I find myself in many situations that Calvin does, with the same results.

This is art--we se ourselves, and are better for it.

Best cartoon series that I can remember. Use it as a coffee table book for guests to flip through and enjoy. Very satisfied with condition when received.

Calvin And Hobbes...What A CLASSIC! It's hillarious, its clever, it's got everytihin! I bought this book as my first Calvin and Hobbes book years ago and I loved it immediatly! If im sad or upset, I just read this book and i'm happy again! IT's incredible! Watterson's commentary is an extra for this book and it's informative too. Also, this book has more strips than some of the other ones so buy this one! I hope this helped!

The Gashleycrumb Tinies is macabre yet hilarious. It's about children meeting untimely absurd demise but with a sense of dark humor. it needs to be taken the way it is meant. It really is quite clever with the wording and causes of death It is done by alphabetical names. examples are S in for Susan who perished of fits, L is for Leo who swallowed some tacks and N is for Neville who died of ennui(boredome). See very clever. By the way I am a 38 year old mother of two and find this hilarious. My kids don't really get it though. Oh well I geuss their sense of humor is not as developed as mine:)

Hahahha I actually read this online because its so short... if you want to take a break from the stress of life for 10 minutes its great fun. The illustrations are very well done and the rhymes are genuis! i think my favorite kid is Basil who was assaulted by bears.. \hahhahhahha... that makes me burst into laughter again! seriously, if you like macabre hilarity, take a few minutes off and ENJOY THIS BOOK! (There is no graphic or adult images but the ideas would be very frightening for young children. I say 11+ because theres a girl with an axe in her head and some blood thats cartoonish but gross.)

This book is great! No matter how many people tell you how horribly sick it is. Read this book.They only say that because they dont have a sense of humor. So any way read this book! Its both sickining,funny, and tasteful.

This is the funniest Alphabet book I've ever seen.
Clearly the author is not fond of children, seen by the ways he "does away with them", SO FUNNY !!!

being an avid Ed Gorey fan it was nice to get a new copy of one of my favorites

This book is about a girl (miaka)with an strict mother. She runs away to a library and is sucked into a magical book. She meets a male hero named xong giu-sui (Tamahome) She turns out to be the priestess of a mysterious land, and loves Tamahome as her hero. He, on the other hand, is destined to protect her, and loves her like a little sister. But when a mysterious and mean woman comes to the palace to help miaka with a royal quest, she falls for the emporer. The whole story is romantic, yet strange. :S It's not that great, but I read it twice.

-Mangafreak

Fushigi Yuugi is a wonderful series. I have read the entire manga series and love it. Miaka and Tamahome are a great couple. They have a wonderful love story. Miaka and Tamahome's story is wonderful, romantic and touching. This series is very touching with lots of romance, wonderful characters, wonderful couples and a wonderful story. Miaka and Tamahome have lots of romantic kisses and lots of romantic scenes. This volume is one of the best volumes and has some of my favorite Miaka and Tamahome scenes. This volume is wonderful, romantic and touching and a great volume.

This book was very romantic and entertaining! I really liked the action parts, since there was usually a lot of romance mixed in with them. I do think that some parts were unnessecary and simply used to add some inappropriate content to the book. Being that I love romance, this was one of the best Japanese comics I've ever read! For me to truly enjoy romance manga (and I know I've said this before) the main boy has to be someone that I would like if I was a manga character. Tamahome reminded me of Darien from "Sailor Moon", risking his life to save the main girl! It was those parts that I enjoyed most.

Overall, if you love romance and Japanese comics, I recommend this to you! It is very absorbing and enjoyable! But keep in mind that there IS unnessecary content such as Tamahome walking in on Miaka when she's shirtless.

I got it for christmas and boy is it good! I like it just as much as Ceres! It's beautifully drawn, like anything by Yu Watase it's full of romance too-God I Love it.

Some friends at school recomended this manga, so i got it out from the library. I loved it!!! :) Once I started, I could'nt put it down. I read until I finished it, and then went straight to the library to get out the next book. About a month later, and I still love it (although I'm pacing myself now). In fact, its growing on me, I'm seriously considering buying the whole manga series (and thats saying somthing: I'm a picky buyer), and can't wait to get a hold of the anime.

However, there are few things to consider before you buy. Later in the series, the plot gets fairly serious, including family and friends turning on each other, murder, rape, and the like. I've found that almost any manga not geared towards 10-year-olds involves at least a slight bit of nudity etc, and Fushigi Yugi is no exeption. If that is something you can't stand to see, don't buy. But don't worry: Yu Watase does not dwell on this overly, it does not get too involved, and most are just romantic "awwwww! too cute!" situations.

By far the best part of this series (besides BEAUTIFUL illistrations) is the characters. Miaka and Tamahome, the main characters, can somtimes get boring or too predictable and their romantic moments can be drawn on too long. But the other characters more than make up for this, especialy (my personal favorites) Nuriko (who is absolutly HILARIOUS), Tasuki, Chichiri, and Mitsukake.

Fushigi Yugi has just the right amount of drama, romance, and comedy. The plot is great, the art is beautiful, the characters are amazing. What can I say? I'm addicted, and you will be too.

And if you already are addicted, I recomend Inuyasha, by Romiko Takahashi.

Wow, what a read. This is the sequel to the 1st one, which I bought I for my 5-year old daughter, it turned out I liked it more than she did. So I bought this one for her again, but I 1st finished it in two days.

I am a reading specialist for an elementary school. The hardest thing I have is getting kids into a book. Diary of a Wimpy Kid has done it. One student in my class read and bragged about and now all of them want to read it. I read it before letting the kids after it. I was one of the funniest adolescent books I had read in a long time. We all loved it.

Do you think your life is hard? Then you can relate to this book. Enter the world of Greg Heffly by Jeff Kinney. This funny cartoon book explains Greg's life with his mom, dad, big brother (Rodrick), and little brother (Manny). Now you can enter Greg's Junior high years of seeing girls. One day Rowley Jefferson (Greg's friend) has a cute girl over to babysit Rowley. She is the most popular girl in her school. Greg falls in love with her.

Each chapter,(day),is different. Learn how Greg explains his family. Rodrick is in a band called Loaded Diaper. This book is organized. It explains the days, feelings, and characters really well. I think you should really read this book.

In the end, Rodricks dream to be noticed happens.

These books are light and fun to read. A nice break for my 10 year old son who reads a lot of WWII Books. Though it is below his level. He also has the first book and has read it several times. Both books have been passed along to my 9 year old daughter who also loves them. Particularly good if you have a reader that is intimidated by books with less pictures.

I read the first Wimpy Kid novel to my three sons and when we saw this novel at the store there was no question if we'd pick it up or not. We couldn't wait to be transported back into Gregory's life. We laughed and laughed. Rodrick Rules was the best entertainment we've had reading. It's simple pictures bring Gregory's family and friends to life, the way he sees them and we were once again filled with glee. Can't wait for number 3!

My almost eight year old grandson, who is not an avid reader, loves the Calvin and Hobbes books. His older sister knew that this would be a wonderful Christmas gift and she was right. His parents approved enthusiastically. Great choice for a school ager who's been so so about reading.!!

I love readding Calvin and Hobbes. Best cartoon from the newspaper and great books. What a great imagination the writer is.

An only, lonely child. Bullied at school. Clearly a genius level intellect, he's unchallenged and stifled since nobody, not his parents, and not even his teacher, recognizes this. A father who's always too busy to spend any time with his son. A father who's often seen, get this, reading --*reading* -- rather than paying his only son some attention! A mother, who literally, in strip after strip, throws him out the door. Throws, as in "child flying through the air". A child, and a small child at that, allowed repeatedly to wander alone through the woods! A child denied even a pet. His only friend -- a stuffed tiger.
Makes the "Peanuts" look like "The Family Circus".

The Calvin and Hobbes collection is filled with all the usual inventions and wild imagination as Calvin hurtles through the forest on his cart or sled, torments neighbor Suzie or drives his parents up the wall. The title comes from the hilarious serialised strips where Calvin's snowmen come alive and chase after him. It's absolutely a must-have, must-read!

And I DO believe that Hobbes comes alive when no one else is around.

I suppose this could apply to any Calvin and Hobbes collection (not just Attack of the Deranged..., but let me share my favorite way to read Calvin and Hobbes.

If possible, I like to pick a rainy Saturday or Sunday. I'm usually already bored and wandering around the cold house. I catch sight of a Calvin and Hobbes book and read a few pages, but my fingers are cold and I can't concentrate.

So I make a steaming cup of my favorite tea and a piece of toast with lots of butter, wrap up in a blanket on the couch, and sit and read straight through.

It's so comforting to listen to the rain and read Calvin and Hobbes. There's just something about it.

Er, see other reviews for information about this actual book.

I simply have to laugh at folks who cannot appreciate Calvin. I have read Calvin & Hobbes for years, and have nearly everything (I'm pretty sure) that has been printed. I was concerned that this might be a reprint of material I already had--but it's not. It's EXCELLENT! Calvin is not a lonely child, he is industrious, imaginative, and actually very strong. Watterson captures the genius of that time in our lives when Mom & Dad were doing other things...be they reading newspapers or telling us to get outside and enjoy the day...and this didn't scar us. It's A Magical World wraps up the wonder of Calving & Hobbes. In fact, I have started giving these compilations to my nephews and nieces who are beginning to read...and they are LOVING them. Wapcaplet, you've got issues (I see you posted the very same complaint on other Calvin & Hobbes books!) Calvin doesn't have issues, just as we didn't have issues when we were children and stayed out way past dark riding bicycles miles from home (back when that was still safe).

I read and listened to my dad read "Calvin and Hobbes" comics to me as a kid so this comic strip has always had a special place in my heart. It' funny, it's smart, and generally anybody of any age can enjoy this comic series. I definitely recommend this book and the 10th anniversary book for anyone who loves or wants to try "Calvin and Hobbes."

This was written by the son of the person "love my kids". This hysterical book is really the best Calvin and Hobbs out there. In wrapping up his beloved comics characters, Watterson has included all the best aspects of Calvin and Hobbs, from close encounters with aliens as spaceman spiff, to the blissful and heartwarming ending of the entire strip, where Calvin and Hobbs, after Clavin proclaims "It's a magical world, Hobbs ol' buddy!" Set off in their sled toward the snowy winter horizon for future adventures in our imaginations. And whoever wrote "it's a depressing world", reach over and pull your boxers out of your buttcrack.

I love this book. Calvin and Hobbes have much to say about living and life. I keep a copy of this book around always. I think this is the best of the series.
The last couple pages are worth the price of purchase. A snowy hillside with Calvin and Hobbes on a sled looking down at an unmarked field of snow. I give this to friends who are moving on with their lives, as a hope for their future. "It's a magical world".

An only, lonely child. Bullied at school. Clearly a genius level intellect, he's unchallenged and stifled since nobody, not his parents, and not even his teacher, recognizes this. A father who's always too busy to spend any time with his son. A father who's often seen, get this, reading --*reading* -- rather than paying his only son some attention! A mother, who literally, in strip after strip, throws him out the door. Throws, as in "child flying through the air". A child, and a small child at that, allowed repeatedly to wander alone through the woods! A child denied even a pet. His only friend -- a stuffed tiger.
Makes the "Peanuts" look like "The Family Circus".

These are the strips you seldom see reprinted and yet they say so much. The first two years of "Peanuts" introduces you not only to many of the key characters (who look somewhat different than they would in later years) but also to the usually gentle, yet occasionally sharp, humor of Charles M. Schulz, which was splendid from the start but would get even better as the years passed. As a bonus, you get to see Schroder and Linus as babies, and Lucy as a toddler. (In Schulz's comic-strip world, they would age, but only a little.) You see Charlie Brown before he wore his familiar shirt with the zig-zag design, and meet Snoopy when he seemed more dog than human. What's more, there is an excellent introduction by Garrison Keillor, a summary of Schulz's life by David Michaelis, who would go on to write the definitive Schulz biography, and a lengthy interview with the great cartoonist himself. Even the index is helpful in locating such all-important items as when the immortal phrase "Good grief!" was first uttered. A valuable collection indeed.

Prior to reading this book, I had only circumstantial knowledge of "Peanuts". I thought this could be a good way to get started on it, and I was right!

That sublime book is hardcover, has a dustjacket, 2 full years of strip-ness, an introduction before the strips, and an essay after them, and also an interview with Schulz.

The whole thing is top-notch. The essay provided enormous insight on what "Peanuts" represented in its context, its public importance, and on Schulz as a person. That essay even made me cry. I swear to God, you'll cry too. Behind Schulz's funny and cute world are some terrible pains and lifelong scars. Schulz was a full of self-doubts and low self-esteem, despite his tremendous success, and all the experience he gained from that shows through his work, and works cathartically by making those moments look fun and funny and outside of ourselves.

I was surprised by "Peanuts" because I did not expect it to be this profound, nor this funny. To be honest, I expected something much more naive and lame, but it was not!

This book is my absolute recommendation for anyone intending to get started on "Peanuts": it is classy, it has perfect paper quality, good intro, amazingly deep and touching essay on Schulz and "Peanuts" - which relates the tragedy of his mother and of his going to war, and his last days - and an interview of the man himself; the whole thing gives you the impression that there was something saintly about Charles M. Schulz, and indeed, I want him canonised.

I used to red peanuts when I was a kid and finally we have the complete colection in a nice edition...it is always good to see my childhood pals..charlie brown, snoopy. A good edition for collectors and fans of comic books

Penauts is very good with lots of jokes from the times of your gramma's expressing themselves of there feelings and find the old gang of ol Charlie Brown I consider those who like to buy there penauts collection at Amazon.com. Good luck!

I really enjoyed reading the first volume. It was really funny, and had great jokes. The presentation was wicked and very nice. At the beggining of the book they give you a great introduction and at the end there is a very long interview which is quite interesting to read. I really do recommend this volume of Peanuts even if you aren't a great fan and don't really know anything about it, because it gives you many laughs. I bought the volume on amazon because I never found any other store or bookshop that sold the volume cheaper.

Falliing is such a great book just like Shel's other books. I have so much fun reading it to my children. This is a wonderful collection of poetry for children. This is the perfect example of what children's books should be... fun.
Another must have book for any fan of Shel Silverstein is Boety by Beau Beaudoin. His books are often compared to Shel, Dr. Seuss and Tim Burton. What my kids love about his illustrations are they are in color.Boetry

This is a great book like all Silverstains books:
Where the Sidewalk Ends 30th Anniversary Edition: Poems and Drawings
The Giving Tree
A Giraffe and a Half

Another author tha I love is Nowiki:
Why Some Cats are Rascals, Book 2

Review of Falling Up

The poem book Falling Up is a very good book. In the book the poems are about a mix of things including important lessons and funny things. Shel Silverstein did a very good job with his books and all of the books he wrote. Falling Up is by far my favorite poem book by Shel Silverstein.

Three poems that really caught my attention are "Gardener", "Spoiled Brat", and "The Toy Eater". I like "Gardener" because it is just a funny poem about a kid making a mistake. "Spoiled Brat" is an example of a life lesson that is very well written. I thought "The Toy Eater" is a great poem about making a little kid believe something that isn't true. All of these poems are very good examples of great imagination.

My favorite poem is "Obedient". This is a good poem because it is a life lesson and a funny poem. The life lesson is that when you do something there is a consequence and in this person's case they got a taste of their own medicine. This poem is funny because the poem takes the order literally by staying in the place for forty years. "Obedient" is a really great poem so I recommend that everyone should read it.

I think this book is a very entertaining, page turning book of poems. It is a great book for all ages, I highly recommend this book.

I am doing my review on _Falling_Up__. This book by Shel Silverstein is written very interesting because the poems inside are not just plain boring poems, they have a lot of thought put into them. His poems in this book are funny and they are tied in with the pictures. I think that Shel had a very wild and active imagination. You need that to wright a book like this. The book has a lot of poems that you would have never thought about being in a poem book. I think that that shows how Shel Silverstein was as a person, not just in his poetry. _Falling_Up_ is a good book also because the poems are goofy, and weird, yet he has a way to pull you into them in this poetry book. I recomend this book to any person who has a wild imagination like his, and whoever likes his stuff and has never read this book.
Danielle Guttman

To be frank, I get a kick out of Silverstein's work. It is always a bit quirky, always takes a couple of readings to really "get," and is very entertaining while being quite insightful as to human nature. This work is no different from his other works, same quality, same odd way of looking at life, same delightful black and white drawings. Publisher's Weekly got it pretty right here, in their usual, rather snotty way, which is one of the few reviews I have ever agreed with them on. (except their little shot at some of his art that they felt may no be appropriate for kids...obviously the author of that review has never been around kids very much). This work consists of 171 pages of poetry rhymes and drawings. I first read Silverstein in Playboy magazine years and years ago when I wasted my time with such publications. I did not particularly care for him them, but over the years have developed quite a like for his work. I truely love this book and do highly recommend it.