V Books

I didn't expect to like this since it's marketed for children, but I freaking *loved* it! It's humorous, it's imaginative, it's really fun! I would recommend this for anyone who likes sci-fi or humor. Can't wait for volume 2! :)

Zapt is a cross between The Last Starfighter and the Green Lantern Corp but with fun Manga sensibilities. Its like the Saturday morning cartoon I always longed for but never got. A cool concept full of sci-fi tech, pirates, and a relateable main character. The art is very clean and in the stylized vein of Teen Titans Go! and X-Men Evolution. The dialogue is fluid and the story is just cool. I picked this book up on a whim and now have been recommending it around my circle of friends. Excellently written, fun book!

Shannon Denton and Keith Giffen have crafted a fun sci-fi/super-hero title that readers of all ages can read and enjoy. If you are an older comics fan would like a fun, quick read, then this is a great choice. Or, if you're a comics fan looking to turn some young readers on to comics, this is an excellent choice. I've bought several copies to give out to friends with kids.

I also really like Armand Villavert's art -- fun, clean and expressive. He's new to the comics scene, but looks like he'll have a nice long career if this book is any indication!

One of the best, most imaginative books I've read in a long time. Aliens, space pirates, this one's got it all!

In this hilarious first volume of the ZAPT! adventures, normal kid Armand finds himself having a typical day of school: he's tripped on the school bus, finds himself stuffed in a trash can, has his essay homework go missing, and realizes, at the last minute -- and to his horror -- that it's picture day.

And then things aren't quite as typical anymore. From one second of being in the school hallway to the next, when he finds himself in P.O.O.P. headquarters, Armand isn't sure exactly what's happened. Turns out he's the newest rookie recruit to the P.O.O.P. Squad, otherwise known as the Pangalactic Order of Police.

Now Armand has been teamed up with Payleen, a talkative, hyperactive Pandekian, on a "test mission." Except, as seems to be happening a lot during this really weird day, nothing goes according to plan. During the course of days, or maybe it's only minutes, the two meet a space pirate, fix a broken Capernium generator, and watch a princess-in-hiding being kidnapped. Seems it's all in a day's work for the members of P.O.O.P.

ZAPT! is a great graphic novel, full of action-adventure and laugh-out-loud humor perfect for all ages. I plan to pass this book along to my ten-year-old son next, who I'm sure will enjoy it. A great first volume in this new series, you don't want to miss ZAPT!

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

I truly enjoy the knowledge that I receive from this book. It goes beyond surface knowledge and encourages the reader or class (as it is used as a Sunday School book at my church) to discuss what the Biblical principles mean to us here and now in today's society.

I have found this to be one of the best commentaries available.
It offers in depth explanations of each verse. It also gives the essentials, such as the lesson setting, who is speaking and who is being spoken to. The questions,applications and suggestions for the student activities are also very useful.
I highly recommend this book.

I recommend the Standard Lesson Commentary for biblical knowledge and spiritual growth. It is consistent with International Sunday School Lessons, and its commentary is loaded with sound doctrine, current events, true stories and testimonies, that will take you from milk to meat in your spiritual walk with God.

The lessons were better than I thought they would be. The shipment arrived earlier than I expected. My church was very pleased at the price and the literature.

I have always enjoyed this commentary as a valuable aid in studying the lessons.

If you understand the basics of the Egyptian and Hebrew connections, you can understand newer works such as the NT and BOM. Nibley makes it fun.

Nibley delves into critics of Joseph Smith's Facsimiles and their qualifications. The facsimilies are also compared with knowledge currently available in the field of Egyptology. Comparative analysis of ancient Abrahamic texts (i.e. The Apocalypse of, and Testament of Abraham) with Joseph Smith's Book of Abraham is done. A history of Abraham's time, sacrifices of him, Sarah and Isaac and early history of Egypt is given. Possible historical figures for Isis, Horus, and Seth are discussed, as well as Egypt's type of government. This is broad in scope, yet detailed, with numerous footnotes, and sketches. Nibley's humorous style, coupled with a depth that leaves no doubt as to his scholarship expands the horizons of amateur and professional alike.

So, the Book of Abraham is just the crazy ranting of old' Joe Smith, eh? It is nothing more than some sad attempt from old' Joe Smith to "translate" some Book of the Dead papyri, eh? And the doctrines in the Book of Abraham are from the crazy machinations and imagination of old' Joe Smith, huh?

In this fantastic tome, Dr. Nibley effectively and powerfully demonstrates the authenticity of the Book of Abraham, despite what the critics so inanely put forth in mounds of useless propaganda (Mr. Larson and "By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus" comes to mind) and takes Joseph's critics to task with brilliant scholarship and authoritative research that leaves one with the undeniable knowledge that not only is Joseph Smith a Prophet, but that the Book of Abraham is an authentic text.

In the first few chapters of this tome, Dr. Nibley provides a brief but thorough history of the Book of Abraham, including the Joseph Smith Papyri and the Kirtland Egyptian Papers, and clears up some misconceptions and false notions about the history and contents of the Book of Abraham. He also takes Joseph's decorators and critics to task, showing how their arguments fall like a house of cards when they are examined and scrutinized under the light of modern advancements in Egyptology and anthropology, archeology, etc.

The next several chapters are then devoted to the examination of the contents and claims of the Book of Abraham, wherein Dr. Nibley points out that the account and doctrines in the Book of Abraham are right at home with other Abrahamic literature texts, including the "Apocalypse of Abraham" and the "Testament of Abraham" as well as ancient Egyptian traditions and legends that Joseph Smith could have had no access to, considering that they were discovered and translated starting in the early 1900's. Further time is spent on dealing with such issues as Abraham's role as a leader and ruler in Egypt, the issue with Ham and the Sons of Ham and the Priesthood (i.e. the controversy over blacks and the priesthood) the significance of Abraham teaching astrology/astronomy and other doctrines to the Egyptians and many more points and issues that one misses when he/she casually reads over the Book of Abraham.

Finally, Dr. Nibley takes a closer examination at the actual facsimiles that accompany the Book of Abraham and which coincide with Joseph Smith's inspired translation, and demonstrates how a closer look at the facsimiles shows how it is not farfetched to associate the figures and symbols in the facsimiles with the contents of the Book of Abraham itself. Dr. Nibley also provides the point that the Egyptian Hieroglyphics, while at first glance may simply symbolize one character or expression, in all actuality provide multiple symbolisms of entire ideas and concepts, and that to think that each Hieroglyphic symbolizes only one dogmatic theme, character or idea is groundless and foundation less. I cannot do this segment of the book justice in this review, but can simply say that Dr. Nibley does a fantastic job at an examination of the actual facsimiles.

I cannot give this book enough praise. It was scholarly through and through, with new and fresh details and examinations that any student of Mormonism or the Book of Abraham cannot refuse to consider. As a companion to this book, I would recommend "Traditions about the Early Life of Abraham" which was also riveting and wonderful.

[...]

This book is well worth buying, even if you own the first edition. This edition has been enlarged by several hundred pages. One thing I really liked was that the text was cleaned up so that references were changed to endnotes, instead of parenthetical citations which is how they were in the first ed. This really increased readability. Nibley's research is for obvious reasons dated, but he himself says that research is a process, not an end to itself. This book still contributes greatly to the understanding of the Book of Abraham.

It is facinating to compare The Book of Abraham (Joseph Smith) with similar books that have recently been unearthed. Harold Bloom, the Yale scholar of religion believed that Smith had it right because he had tapped into a universal flow of inspiration, but the names, myths and structure make the Book of Abraham the most accessible of the apocalpses of Abraham.

Nibley does an incredible job of bringing together scores of documents into one volume for comparison purposes. He also has some fun with various critics of the book, almost all of whom lack any background in the literature that the book claims to be a part of.

Reading the book, and checking the sources, one starts to wonder if a wandering Slavonic Jewish scholar of Abrahamic literature didn't spend a winter at the Smith homestead ...

Well written and a great Christmas gift.

great book and a must read! it really highlights how our justice system has become a big game of wins and losses at the expense of justice. unfortunate circumstances brought me to find this book and sadly i can say that even though the names and dates have changed our system has not heeded the warnings that were brought forth in this book. this book has offered some hope though and we thank randall adams for sharing his story with others.

Passing through a law and order phase in my reading life I came across Adams vs. Texas and have to say it was amazing. Adams vs. Texas is the story of a semi-drifter who, a victim of circumstances, was charged with the murder he didn't do of a man he didn't know and as a result comes up against the State of Texas as a murderer and faces death in the electric chair. His contact with investigators, lawyers, judges, wardens, other convicts, the press, a painfully deluded prosecutor, and the real criminal of the case are combined to make a powerfully compelling story, spanning over twelve years of trial, imprisonment, hardship and finally; triumph. In the midst of this ugly line of events Adams believes that God has him where he is for a purpose and in the end that is true, but it's sad one man had to make such a sacrifice and wonderful that he was able to.
The fact that the events in this book really happened to a man is incredible, but they are presented in such and honest, down-to-earth manner that makes it a real tribute to the man who both went through this experience and survived, both physically and mentally to tell his story. Wherever you are, Randall Dale Adams, I'm sorry they did that to you and you deserve all the happiness in the world. As for the rest of you--go read Adams vs. Texas and remember another, much larger, sacrifice made for you over 2,000 years ago and accept and cherish His gift to you: Life--forever

I can't count how many times I've watched "The Thin Blue Line" and how many times I've read this book. Like everything else I become interested in, I became OBSESSED with the Randall Adams case and wanted to know everything about it. Randall Dale Adams is - in my opinion - a living hero; I hope to meet him someday and shake his hand.

Adams' memoir (1976-1989) reads like a fictional suspense novel... it's hard to believe, but it's true! The book includes a lot of things that viewers of Errol Morris's documentary haven't seen... we see how improperly biased Judge Metcalf was, as he drives from the courthouse parking lot in the same car as the prosecutors, laughing at Adams' family as he passes them! That's appalling.

I highly recommend both this book and the documentary film "The Thin Blue Line."

Other reviewers have expressed curiousity about Randall's life after prison. Here's what I know:
At first, he was hounded by the press; they followed him everywhere. He traveled the college circuit, getting paid for telling his story. He co-wrote this book, and went on a publicity tour to support it (which took him, briefly, back to Texas). Eventually things quieted down and Randall tried to lead a normal life; he got a factory job in his native Ohio and had a brief marriage. Then a friend encouraged him to speak out against the death penalty, and he began again to publicly oppose capital punishment. During another trip to Texas to support a moratorium on the death penalty, he met an activist named Jill. Three weeks later, he moved from Ohio to (gulp!) Texas to be with her. They're now married and speaking out against the death penalty together...

This book gave you the real story of how the legal system can work for or against you. Randall Adams gives you a true account about what we all dream could or hope never happens to us. Its a real eye opener and a book you will never forget about and it will stick with you. A must read if you want to really know. Read it!

This is an extremely interesting book, it's all the narrative background behind the documentary film "The Thin Blue Line." I hope Adams is doing okay now. I'm certainly glad the truth was brought out, and that he was properly cleared and freed.

One point I found most interesting was Adams' sideline exploration of the fact that someone who opposes the death penalty cannot be excluded (for that reason) from the jury in a capital murder case. It seems that juries are supposed to be representative of society, and a significant portion of society DOES oppose the death penalty -- thus it is appropriate for people who think that way to be allowed to serve on a death penalty jury.

TENGO DOS ADOLESCENTES EN CASA
Y ME CREES QUE VIVIMOS EN PAZ? ( BUENO, RELATIVA !)
Este librito hizo milagros con mis hijos junto con el de Tus Derechos como Adolescente"
Te recomiendo los dos.
Son el paso a la cordialidad

Y ME CREES QUE VIVIMOS EN PAZ? ( BUENO, RELATIVA !)
Este librito hizo milagros con mis hijos junto con el de Tus Derechos como Adolescente"
Te recomiendo los dos.
Son el paso a la cordialidad

DEL ADOLESCENTE NO BROTA DE LA NADA NI SE CONSTRUYE EN UN DIA...
Este es el libro PERFECTO para tu Pre Adolescente...
Si sigues sus pautas ( que son super inteligentes )estarás abonando una adolescencia feliz y serena...NO UNA AREA DE GUERRA MUNDIAL !
MAS VALE PREVENIR QUE LAMENTAR CUANDO YA NO ES TIEMPO...
En serio, amiga: Prepara a tus pre adolescentes !
A mi, me lo recomendó el sicologo y estoy encantada porque comienzo a ver los resultados en el mayorcito que tiene 15 años !

It drives them to freedomVSresponsability, not for free.
It's a logical, common sense easy to read book

LA VERDADERA CLAVE PARA ORIENTARSE Y SER MUY FELIZ !

This book was nice .it was NEW.I never thought I will get a New book for less cost.

I have found this book of tremendous help in my work.

My first books on use cases focused more on UML rather than use cases. I did not give a hoot on use cases, because they look so simple on paper (and that's why I didn't buy a book specifically on use cases!) But as I grew as a developer, I began to believe that use case modelling if done well can significantly reduce development effort and bring about quality solutions. Use cases are the foundation to the understanding of the system that you are trying to develop. Use cases deserve serious attention.

The main problem with use cases is that you either don't know how to start or when to stop. This book tells you both. It tells you how to develop your use case model systematically from scratch and how to make provisions so that your use case model can grow. IMO, that's the main draw for this book.

The authors also give good insights on the possible approaches the reader can take to expand his/her use case model iteratively. It cautions the modeller to keep a balanced model so that stakeholders can understand, rather than one that specifies everything but gets bogged down by the details.

Semantics, you can get it elsewhere, but this book discusses it pretty well too. The examples are clear and relevant.

All in all, Frank and Granville did an excellent job covering the topic.

It is refreshing to a read a text that caters for those of use who already have experience in this domain and are seeking to develop their skills - without reverting to acadamia style writing. Useful examples, balanced descriptions, and an excellent coverage are all attributes of this text.

This book has some powerful advice for those projects that use Use Cases to drive their analysis and design efforts. It lays out a good process to follow for developing the Use Cases so you don't jump right into the details without a plan. Much of the advice is good Software Engineering practices, but a lot of people seem to forget that it still applies even when making use of newer techniques such as Use Cases.

The chapters pertaining to relating the Use Cases to other artifacts - such as test cases, the User Interface, and the Object Model - offer very practical and sound advice. You can tell that the authors have actually done it before and are speaking from experience and lessons learned.

The chapter explaining Extend Relationships offered the clearest and most complete description of the Extend Relationship that I have encountered.

All of the writing is very approachable and the examples sprinkled throughout the book and in the Appendixes are very helpful.

I strongly recommend this book!

My wife and I bought a copy of the first Alex Unlimited novel about a month back for our niece. She's not a big reader and we were trying to get her interested in the activity. The cover caught our eye it sounded like the kind of thing she would enjoy, but we weren't sure. We checked some of Dan Jolley's other work and saw he had also worked on the manga for "The Warriors", a series we heard was popular with children our nieces age. We ordered it and sent it off, hoping for the best, and that's exactly what happened. She loved it! We've gotten several emails from her exclaiming how much she loves the book and can't wait to read the rest. We'll be getting those for her very soon!

Like Alex herself, this series has a lot of potential.

Don't be fooled by all this talk of adventure. When we start the novel, Alex is a frustrated young woman whose gift means that she cannot experience the missions she sets in motion. She goes to amazing places, but only because the Other Alex will vanish if the two get too far apart from each other. She spends most of her time during missions locked in a nondescript black vehicle. Fortunately for us and for her, Alex demands and gets more independence -- along with the difficult choices that come with being independent.

This is a spy story, a science-fiction story, a coming-of-age story. There are delightful villains, strange tech, allies-of-questionable-allegiance, and plenty of fight scenes. The Vosarak Code is the start of something great fun.

This book is wonderful. From a 17 year old's point of view. I'm close in age with Alex and I feel what she feels. Whenever I read this book I just feel like I'm there. I would say this is one of the most excellent book's I have ever read. It show's alot of what girls really feel. I love the action in it. The secrecy and the little hint of romance. It's not too much , but it's just enough. I really enjoy this book and I would sugest it to anybody who needed a good read. =)
~Brenttnie

When I was young, I wanted to be a writer, an astronaut, a teacher, a doctor, a catburgler, and a dancer on "Solid Gold." I remember being very disappointed when my father explained that one person couldn't do it all - at least, one person can't be the best in every profession. As we make choices in our lives, some of those possibilities become reality (I've been both a teacher and a writer), and some merely continue to exist in our imagination (I still think I would have rocked it on "Solid Gold.") Alex Benno doesn't have those limitations, though. Alex has access to every possibility, every alternate reality, which means, Alex can find a "best" version of herself for any situation.

For Alex, this gift is a mixed blessing. Yes, she can always find the alternate Alex who has the right skills for the job at hand, but she never gets credit for the amazing things these other Alexes can do. As the cover of "Alex Unlimited" explains, Alex is her own sidekick.

Dan Jolley skillfully writes Alex as a young everywoman. We feel her insecurities as she notes her frizzy hair or her frumpy clothes, especially in comparison to her alter egos. But unlike most of the usual stories in the young adult genre, "Alex Unlimited" has an interesting twist: that amazing girl the heroine wishes she could be is actually herself.

"Alex Unlimited" is fast-paced and cleanly written. Jolley, a former comic book author, is an excellent writer and has shown his skills in a number of genres. But beyond good writing, Jolley has hit on something real - the notion that we must learn how to become ourselves. Like Sethe in Toni Morrison's Beloved, we must find how to become "our own best thing."

Because of that message, Alex (for all that she is a frizzy-haired, frumpy mess) is an inspiration. So what if "Solid Gold" was canceled in 1988? Get Marilyn McCoo on the phone! I'm going to practice my signature dance moves right now.

This is the first volume in Dan Jolley's original series, 'Alex Unlimited.' It's a charmingly written story with a realistic and emotionally relatable main character. It's not full of age or genre jargon and is suitable for a wide audience. It's _most_ likely be appropriate for a 14-17 year old girl, considering that the book's strength is in representation of the heroine. It would also be enjoyed by a younger boy who enjoys youth-as-spy stories. The story reaches its stride in the middle of the volume, as both Alex's inner voice and physical actions become the focus of the reader's attention. Readers are left with a suitable cliffhanger and an ending with a lot of personality.

This is also the first prose novel published by Tokyo Pop. It's a fast read with short chapters, paced very similarly to an illustrated volume. In fact, it feels very similar to a 'youth-as-spy' genre cartoon with a slightly more mature bent. I would recommend the book to anyone above 14 who liked secret identity stories.

For every case am presented with, I use this book to prepare my 20-page OR report. Am learning a lot from it. Because of it my grades are high.

Buy this book if you want to learn the surgical process. It sets the standard for surgical textbooks.

I own this book from school. It is a must for any student of surgery or nursing. It contains information vital to the understanding of the patient and the process of surgery and recovery.

Many years ago I bougt this book. Now I have a new version. This book is very helpful to me. I would recomend it for everybody who work in operating room.

This book really helped me though out my preceptorship in the operating room. I was thrown in to this unit as a nursing student. the facility had never taken on senior nursing students in a long term segment (7 weeks) and didn't have any idea what to teach me or what to do with me. My preceptor handed me this book and by the end i was able to circulate and scrub on minor cases with complete confidence in what i was doing. it is concise in some areas, and detailed where it needs to be, gives great explinations and rationals. the only problem i found was the different tools. The west coast and the east coast have different names for the instruments, and the ones named in the book are more consistant with the names in the west. but other than that. love love loved it

This was an excellent read. Although I really enjoyed Vol. 1, Vol. 2 mainly deals with the All-Star Squadron series, which is the series I read growing up. It was a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of one of my favorite super-hero teams. Highly recommended.

This book follows up on the All Star Companion, Volume One, and is a collection of articles and recollections of DC's golden age heroes (namely the Justice Society of America, and The All-Star Squadron). There are some unique insights and interesting stories about these classic characters, and the book is filled with some rare and intriguing art. The wrap-around cover by Carlos Pacheco is fantastic.

For me, the most interesting feature was a complete synopsis (issue by issue) of the All-Star Squadron comics, complete with cover reproductions and background notes. There were also supposed to be notes on the Young All-Stars comic, but space constraints pushed this material out of the book (though it will appear in volume three). This is nothing short of a phenomenal read for fans of comicdom's golden age.

Collections strong in comic book artists and art will find this history of the Justice Society of America and friends to be moving: it provides more secrets of the comic characters from the 1940s through the 1980s, surveying major issues and events, providing black and white reproductions of pages, and detailing behind-the-scenes influences on adventures and character appearances. An excellent companion for any who have followed the strip and seek more information on historical progression.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I have always been a huge fan of the JSA. In my younger days, I collected every issue of All Star Squadron. As I got older and married, I sold my collection to younger enthusiasts. Now, I can revisit my former passion in this book that describes all the issues of All-Star Squadron as well as interesting articles about the history of All-Star Comics and the JSA. If you are interested in greater understanding of the history of JSA, I heartily recommend this book.

If you liked All-Star Companion vol.1, you'll enjoy vol.2. More info on the Justice Society, plus an issue by issue review of The All-Star Squadron. I'm looking forward to vol.3!

I've never read any Alpha Flight comics before, so I figured this was a good place to start. The way John Byrne writes and draws the series makes me wanna go to Canada. I think my favorite stories were the ones with Northstar and Aurora.

It seems like Marvel's Classic series is like the Essentials but in color and on a smaller scale. I'm looking forward to the second volume that comes out in a few months and will get it not long after. My guess is it'll include #9-15 and their first annual.

During Chris Claremont and John Byrne's revolutionary run on Uncanny X-Men, the duo introduced Alpha Flight: Canada's premiere superhero team that has a connection to Wolverine. Byrne would write and draw Alpha Flight during it's original run, and thankfully, the same success he brought to X-Men and Fantastic Four translated here. Byrne's talent for team dynamics and dynamic action really helped Alpha Flight shine, as he gives heart and soul to characters like Vindicator, Sasquatch, Northstar, and Puck. Byrne's artwork is wonderful as always, but it's treatment of the characters as a whole that sets Alpha Flight apart from many of Marvel's typical secod-rate hero teams, and nearly propels them to the top. This, along with many appearances from familiar faces in the Marvel universe, make this first volume of Byrne's run on Alpha Flight worth picking up for new fans and old readers alike.

Alpha Flight has been through many iterations since it premiered years ago, but the orginal series (at least Byrne's run) is still the best. This volume collects the 1st 8 issues of the series, and what's good about it is that it isn't like many other comics that you'll read that bring together groups of superheroes. Basically, everyone on the team has some sort of issue, and Byrne crafts great back stories for each character.

The artwork is dead on, and it's a great read.

Whats better than Alpha Flight?
Can't wait for Volume two to be released.....
until then I'll be Curling and drinking a beer

John Byrne has gone on record saying that his heart was never really into "Alpha Flight", that they were basically created as a team that could successfully battle the X-Men. Despite all this, Byrne's run on AF (he did 28 issues total) are an example of his mastery of the form and yet another look at how much the comics medium has fallen since the 80s. There's never been another book like "Alpha Flight." The team had been created four years before the book came out, but Byrne was faced with the task of instilling each character with a personality and origin, which he painstakingly did, bit by bit.

Included here are the first 8 issues of the book presented in a nice new format. Some people have said the new format is a little too bright, but I think it works well and doesn't take away from the stories at all. We get the classic battle with Tundra, Snowbird's battle in a blizzard which has to be "seen" to get the full effect, the troubled twins - split-personality Aurora and gay Northstar - as well as the development of James Hudson's cyber helmet that started the whole mess. My only complaint is that there should have been more issues included because it will take us that much longer to get to my favorite part of Byrne's run: issues 18-28.

It's so much fun to revisit these characters and adventures again but those discovering them for the first time will have just as much fun. Thanks to all who finally put this book together.