Caricature Books

...The balloon party, the respirator, la bombita, the parachute, the pencil carrier, the hotdog container, the helmet... silly wabbit, condoms have more thatn 101 uses! and more than 101 users!

Super book! I loved it and appreciated the humor greatly. I think this book is one of the funniest I have ever gotten. Astute humor and funny insights.

I love this book. It is so funny. I am buying it and their other book for all my friends. Thanks ladies!!!

A great read - extremely funny. My boyfriend and I always know what do with those pieces of rubber now! It just doesn't tell you how to clean up the mess!!!

This book is not all that great unless you have the mentality of a 12 year old... All I can say is I purchased the book and to my dismay, I had about two giggles out of it... I do think, however, that it would make a good gag gift...

this book was hilarious! i really loved reading it to my students- in the women's college where i lecture. the pictures were soooo stupid though. really, couldn't they come up with a better illustrator?!!? anyway, funny, funny, funny!!!!

This book is so funny. It makes light of something that has been a pain for the past 20 years for me. The illustrations are professional and funny! This is a superbly written book that kept me laughing for hours.

The jokes are good, but when you look at the pictures you loose all the interest of this book, pictures are in black/white and look like a child draw it!!!!

Is you buy it for jokes you will like it, bit if you buy it for pictures, you loose your money, the cover is the best picture.

After you read this book once you will trow it in the same place your mother throw her tampon.

I've finally found the perfect little gift for all my friends. This book is filled with good old-fashioned fun. Lots of laughs. This book takes the taboo out of tampons.

This book is pure genius. This is the perfect bathroom or coffee table book. My friend gave it out during a wedding shower -- we laughed all night long. I highly recommend that every woman read this book.

In my opinion, any instructional book should show you how to complete a process from steps 1, 2, 3, 4, and then 5 (depending on how long the process is, of course). However, this book (like most of the Hart books I own) teaches, or rather shows, steps 1, 3, and then 5 with little explination in between. Most "lessons" follow this simple process: A very bare beginning, a nearly complete picture with little explination as to why things were added or changed, and finally a completed masterpiece.

The book's strong point(s) would have to be the fact that when structured lessons aren't being taught, the completed pictures work very well for points of reference. Everything from casual clothes to futuristic armor is shown, and can be built upon to create other designs. The book also covers points concerning comic page layouts and panels. These too are surprisingly well done; teaching character focus and different panel designs.

There are other area's covered, but I won't give away the entire thing here. It's probably better if you have a base for drawing, and not try to learn by starting with this book. On the other hand, if you're looking to expand on what you already know, or are looking for a reference book, this one may be worth a look.

For starters, this is written by Christopher Hart, so it's probably one of your best options if you are interested in the subject of the book...

This book is great for fans of both manga and graphic novels; it goes into how the two genres differ (fusion vs graphic novel) and also the different styles in the fusion style (cartoon vs comic). Also gives huge amounts of character concepts and ideas; a fantastic buy for those who like both styles (not recommended for those who are fans of one and hate the other)

Like all of Christopher Hart's "cutting edge" comic and other cartooning instruction books, "Cutting Edge Fusion" is clear, concise, informative, and just plain enjoyable..i personally own several of his books, and every one of them has helped me fine-tune my artistic abilities and keep up with the changing styles of modern cartoons and comic styles...this book, like all his others, are well worth every penny!

This is the better of the Hart books: good solid information into a genre of comics/animation full of mis-conceptions.

I personally think Fusion style marries the best of these two styles. Anyone wanted to create a comic would be wise to adopt THIS style and make it your own.

As with most of the Chris Hart books the sections on who how construct panels and tell stories w/ pictures is EXTREME helpful.

Pro- looks cool, great illustrations, clearly written, basically has the stuff I was looking for. Excellent addition to my other books, most of which are from Christopher Hart, and this one is as good as he usually makes them. Excellent way to learn about the fusion drawingstyle .

Con- I want more, what else can i say?

Cheers

Patch Adams has given us a treasure, a how to book for visiting the sick.
Once upon a time, doctors actually visited patients in their homes.
Now, since medicine has become big business the coldness and inefficiency of corporate medicine has left its mark on our society.
This book is a call to return to a simpler time, when people made time to visit with one another. Simple, but extremely powerful not only for the sick patient, but for our society as a whole.

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (12/06)

Medicine became depersonalized when it became a business that no longer made house calls. The shift from a service oriented, patient first, one on one house call to the patient going to the doctor, took out a precious part of the healing process. In its place is an institutional concept where the patient comes second to business. "I think that the loss of the house call has been the biggest blow to the art of medicine in this century. Not only has the patient lost this precious attention, but the physician has not found a replacement for the lost intimacy."

"Extensive studies have found that, over long periods of time, nourishing elements--such as love, humor, wonder, curiosity, passion, forgiveness, giving, sharing, hope, enthusiasm, and joy--stimulate the immune system. They help our bodies fight infection, stimulate natural killer cells that fight cancer, and affect the general way we care about and for ourselves and others." Anger, resentment, guilt, loneliness, fear and boredom have the opposite affect. It is not the negative emotions that cause the problems. It is when we hold on to those emotions for long periods of time. "We must express each emotion as it comes up, but should not nurture or prolong the emotions that may hurt us."

Dr. Adams describes this book as a "visitor's kit." He's right that's just what this is. He realizes that the "kit" can and should be used for more than hospital visits; he suggests prisons, nursing homes or "any place people may be suffering and wishing they were elsewhere."

Among the things Dr. Adams discusses are faith, love, humor, curiosity and hope. The information presented in this book has meant much to me. I spend much time visiting in nursing homes. When I first began to make these visits I found it very difficult, I didn't know what to say or how to act. Soon I began to see not a patient but a person. I came to realize that they were people that needed a friendly touch, someone to address them by name and someone to smile at them. My visits are no longer something I dread. The residents and I truly enjoy visiting together.

"House Calls" is a wonderful book and Dr. Adams is a talented writer as well as doctor. It is written in an easy to understand manner and does not talk down to laymen, in fact it is pleasant reading. The cartoons by Jerry Van Amerongen left me laughing and add much to the text. The print is a good size and easy to read. It is with great pleasure that I highly recommend this book to everyone, physicians, nurses, and all humans. Dr. Adams' book should be required reading to all those in the health care industry. I'm glad I read this book I will be much more prepared by having my "visitor's kit."

In this wacky book, Patch Adams joins forces with Jerry Van Amerongen to give the reader a practical guide in introducing laughter into the healing process. The book is divided into three sections. The first section is filled with thoughts on being well. Dr. Adams provides instruction on being healthy and then provides some action steps to assimilate faith, humor, curiosity, relaxation, passion, exercise, nutrition, friendship, service, and other positive values into your daily life. These guidelines are cleverly illustrated by Jerry Van Amerongen with one panel cartoons that bring home the message of the suggestion and motivate the reader to take action. Amerongen is the creator of the Ballard Street syndicated cartoon strip.
Section two follows the same format but offers suggestions on what the reader can do to make a visit in the hospital, to shut-ins, or someone in the community, beneficial and enjoyable for both parties. These steps are thoughtful, often neglected and easy to carry out. Again the impact of the action steps are enhanced and impacted through the humor of Jerry's cartoon illustrations.
Suggestions are also offered on how to be a good hospital patient, from gaining understanding by asking questions regarding your treatment, careful listening to instructions, and reflection on your life and what you have done and want to accomplish in the future. Van Amerongen's humor helps the readers accept the situation and are then motivated to make the most of their circumstances.
The third section deals with special concerns when visiting, children, teenagers, the elderly, mentally ill, disabled, and dying patients. These helpful suggestions make the impact of your visit pleasurable for the patient, the caregivers, and yourself. The cartoons help the reader visualize the words of the text.
Adams has also provided a very comprehensive bibliography entitled "A Booklover's Search for Understanding and Ideas."
Combining Patch Adams' philosophy of laughter in healing with Jerry Van Amerongen's humor was a stroke of brilliance. The combination has made this book an enjoyable read, and produced in this reader, many smiles, some chuckles, and hearty laughs. It also gave me a new sensitivity to the importance of "healing the world one visit at a time."

This book is a practical guide on bringing the Gesundheit! vision into your own community. An easy enjoyable read, it offers suggestions on how to begin a life of joyful service by visiting folks in your own community. It offers an immensely practical love strategy. You can change your world!

People perceive barriers of all types. It is not uncommon to hear, "I don't have the time", "I don't have the money", and "I don't know how". Take the most basic context of Dr. Adams which is to help another person. Help can be listening, holding a hand, or laughing with someone. It doesn't mean one has to spend a great deal of time or money. Turn off the television and help your neighbor weed her flower bed. Take an hour away from having your artificial nails manicured and volunteer somewhere. I enjoy reading his inspired words and can only hope his visions become reality during my lifetime.

If you're to the left you'll like it; if you're to the right you won't. It's that simple.

too radical hypocritical and thoughtless cliche in politics

All of Tom Tomorrow's books are great. Unlike alot of cartoonist that like to fancy themselves on the edge- Tom actually is. His cartoons are biting, timely, and go for the jugular. This guy isn't afraid to point out hypocricy, stupidity or just flat out irony wherever he finds it. You gotta love a cartoonist that gets dumped by the 'U.S. News and World Report' for being too contraversial.

Sparky may be flightless, but he's one tough bird.

That's right pardners, I would say that this specific material is a combination of Doonsbury and Dilbert in a white trash motorcycle gang . Mr. Perkins was tarred and feathered when he was surrounded by a State REP.( true story ) He was thrown out of the Oklahoma City market by some lawyers for some of his strong ideas . The funny thing is that it was just a FREE weekly newspaper that supports the Arts community . Doesn't even have a large Circulation number.

Hey, I've bought 'em all, and enjoyed most of the strips, so consider this recommended. But here's the caveat: more than ocassionally, Tom Tommorow's strips reflect the rote knee-jerk leftism that turns-off a lot of possibly sympathetic souls. But hey, these folks were always as much against the Scoop Jackson liberals as they were the Nixons, and at least TT comes at you from the front rather than sneaking up from behind.

This rendering of the old classic is probably the most refreshing edition available. Even children shouldn't have any trouble understanding it. That's important, considering most of the other available translations are cluttered with commentaries from other historical figures - makes reading the primary/original text difficult for me! This doesn't mean you shouldn't buy other translations, of course. Simple, easy to read & understand, essential to ethics, philosophy and business studies, nobody should be without a copy.

Try China Books, Australia, for a current print edition.

This is the most alive version of the countless versions of the art of war. The readers who really want to go more in depth with the original version and do read chinese, will be satisfied with the original characters in the textbox next to the comics. A fun and really great read. If you want to learn the art of war and only want to read one book, this is the one.
Have fun...

I am a firm believer in pictures. If you have to paint or color by numbers, who cares! As long as you learn from it. Why spend weeks trying to interpret a someone else's interpretation? The problem with most translations is that they use huge words and do such literal translating that you need another book just to translate the translation. This book gets right to the point and you can CLEARLY see/understand what the lesson is. This is a great life planner and a great page turner. (You can even color in it if it helps);) I highly recommend this book for people who just wnat to get to the point and not have to spend weeks going over history lessons.

I've stood at attention in front of colonels for having my soldiers read this book on two occasions. And I'll accept the risk of being there again.

Sun Tzu is the best known of the military classics and the most widely read, for good reason. He knew his stuff and wrote in terms of principles rather than specifics. This book is the starting point for a theoretical understanding of military science and conflict.

This is the most accessible translation of Sun Tzu's Art of War availible. The text is contemporary english at roughly a seventh grade level, and the illustrations are brilliant. The illustrations both illuminate the concepts in the text and are lightly humorous. This worked to great advantage when I ordered soldiers who were somewhat suspicious of intellectual endeavors to read it. The most rewarding moment was when a mechanic overheard an exchange between senior officers, leaned over to me and quietly asked if what was going on was like a specific thing Sun Tzu was talking about.

On the down side... The comic book format is misleading (as the translated text is serious) and will not inspire respect from intellectual snobs. The commentary by later authors that shows up in other translations is absent (maybe not a down side, the commentary can be distracting and confusing).

Overall, well worth the investment, and most enjoyable.

This particular translation of Sunzi's work, while simplified, is one of the better ones. It is a good book to peruse as a stand-alone or alternately a companion to a more complex version. True, the simplification can be a trifle distracting at times, but the amusing drawings and casual language capture the attention of the reader more than the dry translations that are the norm, keeping the focus on the intent behind the prose.

Should one be looking for a scholarly piece for scholarly work, it is likely that this would not be the correct book to use. For reading pleasure and comprehension, though, this particular work cannot be beaten. To dismiss it as suitable only for children or semi-literates smacks of elitism and narrow-mindedness.

This a comic book of the Tao Te Ching. When I first read it, I had not read the Tao Te Ching, and I found it informational and entertaining. Now that I have read the Tao Te Ching and scholarly commentary on Taoist thought, I find this book less useful for information, but I still think it is entertaining to reread.

I was introduced to Taoism from this book and I have moved on to learning so much more. It has persuaded me to learn Chinese history and learn about the origins of Taoism and the other connected religions such as Buddhism and Confucianism. I constantly use this book to introduce it to others. I actually need to purchase more books because they do not return them fast enough for me to introduce others to the philosophy. It was an excellent initial introduction, please give it a try.

and have to choose one book to be with, it's going to be this. i have many versions of the tao te ching but this one gave me the best understanding, besides the wen tzu (check it out). not only that this version is readable, it is also easy to understand without the use of the "big words". not only that, the illustrations also help to clarify the wisdom to the readers. they are fascinating, too. anyway, buy this book and don't be fooled when people pass this up as a kid's book (the drawings), it is the content of the book that is important and if you find this easy to understand the ways of a taoist sage, then i recommend this to buy it ^_^

I have read the Tao Te Ching years ago, and found it mostly unintelligible and illogical. For years I have given up on trying to understand anything because it made little sense. That is, until I met this wonderful cartoon series by Zhizhong Cai. Here I found even some of the most complicated and esoteric principles of Taoism explained using brilliant flowing art and very simple examples from ordinary experience. For instance, to illustrate the Taoist principle of "firmness is not necessarily strength while weakness actually is strength", there is a panel showing water in flood surrounding mountains: "water is the most pliant of things, and yet it can erode away mountains and carve out canyons." After reading each of these panels, I get this click of recognition. I finally understand what the Tao is all about, and it makes a lot of sense.

The size of the book is very good. Nearly 100 pages containing roughly 6 panels per page is enough to leave my head reeling with ideas. The art is very beautiful and interesting. Further, the edition I have (which is square in shape) has a side panel on every page containing the text of the Tao Te Ching in Chinese (reading top to bottom the traditional way). I found that very interesting and adds an artistic touch to the volume. It is also useful to me since I am currently learning Chinese. Note that there is an older edition which omits this panel (so the book has a more rectangular aspect ratio). I believe the book title is different in the older edition ("The Sayings of Lao Zi").

I think it is fantastic that a book that is as enjoyable to read as the "Tao Te Ching" can be made even more so through the use of illustration and humor. Tsai Chic Chung has faithfully adopted the text and lessons of Taoism into this unassuming form ready to be enjoyed.

Attributed to the great Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu, the "Tao Te Ching" has attracted generations of followers from across the world to its simple tenets of modesty, peace, and pragmatism.

The most pleasant feature of this book is that it illustrates concepts clearly and cleanly. Complex issues are brought home and made familiar.

Easy to read and understand. For those who like to know more about Confucious philosophy but dont know where to start, pick this book.
This book contains all the basic philosophy of the great master.

Just getting started on your desire to understand eastern philosophies? Have you stood at the bookstore for hours pouring over where to start and what to buy?

Any of this authors books are a wonderful place to start. The reason? Because these books are all about the title subject in a nutshell, easy to read as a comic book, the story lines and illustrations are wonderful, and after you read this as well as all the other books by Tsai, you will have a great, well rounded start on your path and will know what you want to study more deeply!

To add, when others ask you about your interest in eastern philosophy, you can get them started here as well, because these books are fun, consise, and you know they will enjoy them over and over again!

One of the best things about this book is it puts a face on Confucius and, more importantly, his disciples. It's difficult to read The Analects (which this book uses a few sayings from) and keep straight who's who; this book helps a lot. The last section with a brief bio on a few of the disciples is fantastic. I can find no other source to compare to this. Now when I read The Analect I see the faces from this book when different people are mentioned. My only complaint is that different translations of Confucius' work seem to use slightly different names then those used in this book. It can be a bit confusing when this book is the first one you read, but I would still HIGHLY recommend it.

The Cartoon Chinese Philosophy books of this series interest me for two reasons: I like Chinese History and I have to teach it to high school kids.

On a personal level I enjoy reading through these books and find it much more useful than some of the straight translations even though they may be more complete and more pleasing to academics. In addition to the Confucius book, I have enjoyed both Daoist books and the version of the Art of War.

As a teacher, I like this book even better. New York State requires high school kids to have 2 years of world history. In this new political correct world, world history is no longer dominated by Europe. In fact, must of the New York State exam is about Asia and Africa. Thus Confucianism is a very important concept to teach.

Filial Piety, the concept of order and relationships, and the 5 Confucianian relationships are extremely important. But they are not fun things to the average teenager. There are many lessons we can get from Confucius as adults, for kids its a bit harder. However, these comic books make teaching Confucius so much easier and effective. The kids like to read them and they get so much more from them.

So in short, yes this is not the complete Confucius. But for anyone who wants to read a visually pleasing edition or teaches this is quite good.

This book was wonderful! While I especially recommended it for beginners who are new to the teachings of Confucius, I know this book will surely be interesting to anyone. The first time I picked this comic book up, I read through 60 pages without putting it down again. The first section of the book is about the events in Confucius' life, while the second section deals with the Analects. Although I'm just a beginner to the teachings of Confucius, these comics have definitely captured my interest, and left me wanting to know more about Confucius' wisdom and philosophy. The cartoons give you various little snippets of Confucius' ideology, and leave you highly interested in learning more on each topic. I'm glad I started off with this book. Now I'm reading more comprehensive books on Confucianism; however, I will always have this little comic book to pull of the shelf and flip through.... time and time again.

The problem with most dogs lies not within themselves but with thoughtless owners who hog bedcovers, force dogs to make nice with cats and children, and think feeding time is something less than 24/7.

It's good to read a book that at last exposes the base self-centeredness of most dog owners, by which I mean of course all dog owners except myself. I still remember the day I was humiliated at a so-called pet store when I asked a giggling woman at the counter if they sold baby slings for dogs, so I could bring my dear pooch-pal Cassidy (pet is sooo demeaning a term) along for work and shopping. Alas, I was forced to try something with gaffer's tape, which did not suit Cassidy as well as I hoped.

Author Stephen Baker is my kind of writer, judging from other books of his like "The Complete Unfitness Catalogue" and "Playing Golf In The Low 120s". Although published in 1988, there is plenty of timeless advice on offer: "Dogs, like human infants, learn by imitation. Show him what you want; whether or not he performs, he will be duly pleased by your hilarious attempts to please him."

The book contains many illustrations by Fred Hillard; unfortunately I was less pleased with these as they tend toward a humorous bent not at all in keeping with Baker's sober text. In a section about why dogs prefer beaches to mountain retreats for vacationing (which has to do with the absorbent qualities of sand), Hillard shows several dogs wearing sunglasses, not optimal accessories for dogs as they, unlike humans, know well enough to sit in the shade. More helpful is Hillard's diagram of a dog's brain, a complex organ divided into three equal parts: Sleep - Food - Play.

Elsewhere there are useful tips on bathing your dog: "Refreshed by the bath, and glad that it's all over, dog will want to work off pent-up energy. Encourage him to roam around the house a bit, to be himself. Let him shake himself. Then wipe up the puddle he leaves behind."

Frankly, if more people took the time to read Baker's book, there would be far more well-adjusted dogs in this world, or at least better understood ones. It should be handed out to every new dog owner, followed by a government-mandated test.

One caveat: The use of the male pronoun throughout was obviously sexist and demeaning to my own dog, who happens to be a female. Baker tries to explain this in the beginning as not offensive, but it's a bit too much like those ethnocentric bigots who use the hateful term "mutts" instead of "Cockapoo", "German Husky", "Bedlington Rat Terrier", and Cassidy's breed, the "Beagle Jack". It gets me so riled up that I need to compose myself with some bedside reading of "How To Live With A Neurotic Dog".

Unless of course Cassidy is on my bed already. Then the floor is just as nice a place to read from.

Of course I am a bit partial. But my dad has caught all the bow-wows at their funniest. For a good laugh, a good gift, you won't be sorry. How to Live with a Neurotic Dog continues to be published in new languages (over 20 so far), and sell briskly. Million of dog owners - or is it the other way around? - can't be wrong.

I loved this book. Everything in it reminds me of the fun and antics that I experience with my two Pugs. I would highly recommend this to any dog owner or soon to be dog owner. It is a lot of fun and has many "out loud" laughs.

I enjoyed reading it 'til end.
It really make you feel the joy of having, more than a pet, a good companion in your life.
Entertaining book and give you some clues to build a better relation with those tender-annoying-wonderful four legged.

I have a dog. My dog is neurotic. I always used to say I had a puppy, but at seven months, heck, let's go the dog route, y'wanna? So this dog, I'll call her Chocolate...no, wait, that's her name...I'll call her Jane, yes, Jane to protect her anonymity. Anyway, she's cute and overall just great, but she has some issues. Yep. One of these is thunder and another is vacuum sweepers. The first hint of thunder and she dashes for the closest person and plows into that unlucky soul, seeking comfort. And as for sweepers, best to lock her outside or beyond the range of hearing the sweeper unless you want to spend about ten minutes picking up whatever item she's shredded into confetti. Now my first theory was she had some sort of past life trauma. Last time around, she might, say, have been done-in by a vacuum sweeper during a thunderstorm. Or maybe the sound of a sweeper just subconsciously reminds her of her father and activates a dog's normal, otherwise latent "my-daddy-abandoned-my-mother" issues, I have no clue. But the nice thing about this book is its level of compassionate understanding. Sure dogs can be neurotic little challenges to sanity and a happy home, but heck, can't we all? I found a lot of "yeah, me too!" moments in this chipper book and the laugh therapy chapters were a much needed relief after my third fragrant cleanup of the evening during a recent electrical storm. I'd recommend this for light reading (with helpful suggestions) for anyone whose dog has more neuroses than Woody Allen and Oedipus Rex combined. It's a hoot.

The uniqueness of this puzzle book is that its puzzles are mostly gleaned from the annals of the New Yorker's cartoon library, and that makes it a joy to tackle. The only downside to this book -- and it isn't a huge one -- is the size of the book. With over-sized pages and spiral binding, and the fact that many of the puzzles cover two pages, you often must have the book all the way open (i.e., lying flat) to work the puzzles, and that can be a bit cumbersome, depending on where you are as you work the puzzles. Speaking of spiral binding, this is one of the recent spate of puzzle books that is spiral-bound, a wonderful addition to the puzzle-book genre -- even if it does add the cost of the buyer generally getting fewer puzzles per book than has been seen in the past for the same price. Personally, that's a price I'm willing to pay -- it's that great a feature. In fact, I won't even buy a puzzle book any more that isn't spiral-bound. All-in-all, this collection of puzzles is a lot of fun -- in more ways than one!

The item arrived in a timely manner and it was the exact item I ordered.

A wide variety of different styles of puzzles, each with the payoff of several very good New Yorker cartoons, makes this book a blast to play with. I work hard to limit myself to only a couple of puzzles each time I pick it up (and so far I've refused to share the book with the gift-giver.) I've enjoyed it so much, I'm buying a copy for my mother for her birthday.

I was just cruising through my Big Box Bookstore to see what was appearing on the shelves for the upcoming Christmas season.In the Games section ,between a bunch of Crossword Puzzle books and what is becoming a flood of Sudoku and other number puzzle books,I spotted this little Gem.Most people who do crosswords know of Will Shortz of the NY Times Crossword puzzle fame,Robert Mankoff of Games Magazine and the famous New Yorker Magazine's Cartoons. Well, all these are combined and with some great "Thinking Outside the Box" have come up with a puzzle book that will entertain and challenge you.Some of the other reviewers have made reasonable attempts to describe these puzzles;so I won't try.What I suggest is to search it out in the store and get a feel for them.
This book is just the thing needed for those who have become obsessed with those Sudoku puzzles,have been doing nothing but crosswords for years, or even those who have never done much in the way of puzzles.
I'll tell you one thing;if you like puzzles,and who doesn't,and also like cartoons,and who doesn't;then you'll love this latest addition to the world of puzzles.

I love word puzzles though I'm not a serious puzzler - I do a few crosswords a week and have owned maybe three puzzle books as an adult. I am, however, a big cartoon fan, though honestly I've been more FoxTrot & Calvin than I am the New Yorker. So, my favorite puzzles are cryptograms with cartoons. Don't find them much - but when I searched specifically for this, I discovered this book.

I enjoy the New Yorker Book of Cartoon Puzzles and Games (and have purchased a second copy for a friend) because the combo of puzzle and cartoon has proven very relaxing - I involve myself in a semi-hard puzzle, but then find a laugh waiting for me once it's solved. New Yorker cartoons do typically contain some of the least expected twists, and I found that here.

However, I don't think a serious puzzle person would be happy with this book, unless he were interested in the New Yorker cartoons. I say this only because the puzzles range from easy to medium difficulty for an adult. (A teen or younger might enjoy more of a challenge.) I still recommend this though - for a more relaxed puzzler like myself it's a good mental stroll.

Though not typically a history buff, I found it a pleasant surprise that the editors included the history of New Yorker cartoons, and with it a history of the U.S, WITHIN quite a few puzzles. Several times you are asked to place the puzzles in the correct time period (and the New Yorker puzzles go back at least to the 1920's) or even with the correct author/cartoonist. The puzzles are just challenging enough to give me a think (similar to a midweek newspaper crossword perhaps) but not overly hard. And there is an ABUNDANCE OF GREAT CARTOONS - usually five or six to each puzzle and often grouped in interesting ways/topics.

But what of those cryptograms? Good news is that they were well done, and with increasing difficulty; Disappointment is that there were only three pages of cryptograms while other types of puzzles were represented more. It does seem that the editors missed out on utilizing the perfect collaboration of crypts and cartoons.

I give it a 4 - enjoyed the cartoon aspect, most puzzles fun but some just too easy for an adult. Still worth the stroll.