V Books

Already being a fan of Ito's work through titles such as Gyo & Uzumaki, I'd heard about the infamous Tomie manga he'd created. I have to admit that my expectations were high since not only was Ito's other works so great, but this was a character who spawned countless movie adaptations of the work. I was not dissapointed.

Much like the men that Tomie & her progeny lure in, the reader is drawn into the rich storytelling & artwork in this volume. Comprising solely of the first half of the Tomie manga, this volume does a very good job of displaying not only the character of Tomie, but also drawing all of the stories together. What I found interesting was that even as I saw Tomie as a villain, at times you couldn't help but feel sorry for a girl who was so beautiful that her lovers would eventually end up killing her. Even when she reforms herself, she is eventually doomed to die at the hands of one who loves her. It's an interesting scenario, basing a story such as this around an ultimately spoiled young lady who keeps dying & being reborn from any pieces of her that remain. Can the reader truly despise her? After all, even the ones of us that have the nicest personalities would eventually begin to sour to the idea of all humanity.

Would I recommend this to a friend? Most definately. Not only if Junji Ito one of the greatest manga authors around, but this is by far the best work he's ever put out.

I love the Tomie movies and i'm a huge fan of her! So, when I found this I was alittle skeptacle. I'm not a fan of manga, I haven't tried it before. I thought it was stupid reading a book full of comics, but haha that's defiantly different now. I loved reading this book! Tomie was great, and there are about 9 different stories. I loved them all, and I'm looking forward to buying the other Tomie Books also.

Tomie is the object of everyone's desires. Obsession would find her attractive, and desire would covet her hand. The problem with Tomie is that she's not only beautiful but she's also cruel, becoming the proverbial barb that claws at the skin of every one of this flower's bearers. Not able to part with - or even share - her, the men (and sometimes women) in Tomie's life are drawn not only into love but also into a cycle that hopes to possess her - even to the point of killing her and not really understanding why. Sometimes this leads to some really gruesome points, with some people not only dismembering her but also grinding her to pulp or becoming stagehands in even more novel acts of morbidity. The thing about that is that Tomie doesn't really take to being dead long - killing her only gives rise to more Tomies and they are never happy with each other or the offending party involved.

If you've never seen the work that Ito does, he is masterful with horror scripts and illustrates with a macabre sense of delight as shadow and depth crawl through a world of both light and dark and make something - beautiful. Few really seem to do black and white well but Ito excels at it, putting together a portrait of strange happenstance that are sometimes amazingly bleak and sometimes just amazing. I've been a fan of his work for a while now, really enjoying the three Uzumaki books he did, and I thought that I'd actually seen everything he had to offer when The Museum of Horror bombshells went off by me.
I was stunned, to say the least.

For anyone that read the older English collections of Tomie (myself included), you only found yourself reading partial variations of a much larger story. Ito himself attempts to explain this in the back of the 1st new book, saying that the old books had been put together by grouping what the Tomie stories were about more than when they came out. This led to many a confabulated look and many an incomplete piece of work, with stories not meeting in sequential order and whole panels missing. The variety of mistakes was huge, too, and might have been somewhat funny if not for the fact that, along with the missing pieces, there were also missing stories.
When I say missing stories I mean a missing volume; when you take the 1st collection of books and hold it to the new editions you can tell that both of the original Tomie books could fit into the first book. So, the Museum of Horror books are good buys.

The 1st book is basically a sequential volume that tells tale after tale of Tomie, beginning with a really twisted story and ending with some rather twisted means. The tales included in this volume are: Tomie, Tomie Vol. 2, Basement, Photo, Kiss, Mansion, Revenge, Waterfall Basin, and Painter.
While many of these connect outright, some connect in more subtle fashions and follow characters that are, for a lack of better wording, caught in the web that is Tomie. Of these stories I found myself really liking the beginning and perhaps Kiss the most, but really just enjoying the read all the way through. I also liked the fact that this was linear as a concept this time around, giving the reader what Ito was thinking as he was thinking it. That explained a lot - and disturbed a little more.

For people who enjoy stories with twisted spines, horror that could pass both as Pulp and as terror, and works that are different in a way and beautiful in black and white then this is something for you. The first two books, all Tomie, paint a picture of something that would be, in a word, quite terrible.
With the new work almost making these new stories, they are really worth the buy.

One has to wonder after reading anything created by the brilliant mind of Junji Ito just how stable that mind really is. Having been turned on to his work first through his Uzumaki series (which by the way is a fully engrossing and rewarding read) I was only too happy to by chance stumble into this, the first book in Dark Horse's Museum of Terror series.

Within these pages lurks the story of Tomie, a high school aged girl whose striking beauty is only matched by her vanity and lust for attention. The horror begins after Tomie is brutally murdered and dismembered when, only a few short days later, she suddenly reappears at school acting as though nothing had happened. What starts as a macabre mystery gradually descends into something much more gruesome as the chapters progress, and the secrets of Tomie's strange character are revealed. Many of the chapters have very little to do with each other save for Tomie's relentless reoccurrence, and you can almost guarrentee that, 4 times out of 5, you'll see her die (usually a more hideous death than the one before), regenerate, and come back again to torture all those whom she comes across.

Apart from the complexity of the stories as well as that of Tomie's sinister character herself, it is also a treat to see how Ito's illustrations evolve as he develops his own signature style. This development seems almost charted by Tomie's own physical transformation throughout the book. She evolves as Ito's illustrations do so that, by the final chapter, we are able to see Tomie in the way that Ito wants us to see her; as a hauntingly beautiful young woman.

Over all, it became clear to me after reading Museum of Terror that it is not just Ito's objective to write good horror; Ito it seems has striven to break our stereotypical assertions as to what the horror genre is. In fact, he's done something nearly unheard of. He's taken the blood-and-gore factor and made it genuinely scary again.

This collection includes most of the original Tomie stories, and gives a really amazing peek at Junji Ito's earlier art style. The lines are clear, and the characters are depicted in a deceptively simple and beautiful manner. But the story itself is a twisted virus-meets-vengeful ghost tale about a girl (Tomie) that never dies. More than that, she provokes the intense desire and fixation of the men she meets, which invariably ends in them murdering and mutilating her.

It's an amazing manga full of SICK STUFF and the plot and scares are very visceral; The story also hints at and vaguely throws around some gender politics (and gender violence!) in the subtext. With Tomie, Junji Ito doesn't just spin one linear tale, but a sortof MYTHOS around Tomie that unfurls with each chapter. Like, hmmmm-- is she like a parasite that encourages being killed and mutilated as a form of her own propagation? Is she more like a virus that infects and changes to suit the weaknesses of her 'hosts'?

Admittedly, it can get repetitive, but especially with the first volume, it's really effective in a big dose. The last panel of the final story in this volume is SO. SO. CREEPY. I yelped like a scared kitten and just threw the damn thing on the floor.

If you feel like you've seen Tomie around before, it's probably because the now-defunct publisher ComicsOne originally released some of Tomie in a two volume set. Yeah, previous to the Museum of Terror edition, the Tomie comics were VERY out of print, and cost a ridiculous amount to track down secondhand. Like a lot of ComicsOne editions, their printing of Tomie was shoddily translated, edited and the visual touch-up (signs in English, sound effects) were really awful. The company basically (as the rumor goes) packed up shop, stopped paying their bills and disappeared. The pieces and rights were later acquired by DR.Master and some of their more successful stuff got assimilated into the new company's catalogue.

As for the second volume: The SECOND volume is also entirely Tomie stories, but it's mostly previously unpublished stories from when Junji Ito revisited the character in 1999 & 2000. You can feel him really escalating the limits of the Tomie 'mythos' here, with the depravity hitting really nasty levels... Making SAKE out of Tomie's mashed up flesh? Slashing her face over and over with a RAZOR? It gets ugly, but I found it really fascinating to see him draw these stories in his later style-- the more detailed, shakier line style he explored in Uzumaki and his newer comics. I am ready for a new subject after hundreds of pages (and more than a dozen variations) on the Tomie tale, but it's pretty sweet to have the entire story in 2 hefty volumes.

As a final note note, the ordering of the stories in these two volumes reflect Junji Ito's own choice of how he wanted the chapters to be presented, as another reviewer has noted.

Naruto issue 13 is a good issue that Masashi Kishimoto has ever published so far. This issue is a good issue becuase this is the episode when Gara and Sasuke Uchiha fight it out in the 3rd exam. I like this issue because this is when Sasuke reveals the power of the Chidori: 1000 Birds. This move was used on gara when he was trying to do a jutsu that Sasuke sis not wont gara to do. While all of this was going on the other Hogage that was accompaning the 3rd Hokage took him hastage and he turned out to be the on the only Oruchumaru!!!

Naruto vol. 13 is a great addition to the naruto series.it provides a great story while keeping u entertained.

The story arc for the chunin exams ends during this book and begins something that is all the better. I love the story so far and this adds to the excitement. Too bad it will take until June for the 14th volume to come out. I give this two thumbs up and recommend this to those that love Naruto.

This is the number-one best manga series in the entire world! I sometimes think Kishimoto-sensei is taking the tragedy-part of the story too far, like with the Third Hokage's death; hat was very sad. Anyways, it's a great series!

I liked this one better than the others because you got to see Orochimaru's attak. Temari wins the fight against Shikamaru in a stunning way. Before Sasuke and Gaara's fight, Sasuke appears with a flashy enterance, casually late. They find the amazing story of the chidori, or lightning blade, as Sasuke unleashes it. As Gaara trys to transform he gets hit with the chidori. During the fight, the sand ninja and Orochimaru attack Konoha, and the Chunin selection exams concludes with a bang. As Sasuke is pursuing Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro, Shikamaru, Sakura, and Naruto, with the help of Pakkun, are pursuing Sasuke

This book is hilarious. Over the top action. Lots of explosions. Ridiculous fight scenes. Lampooning of classic Marvel characters. I haven't laughed so hard in years.

Warren Ellis's work on Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. is, by far, the best work I've read in comics in years. Why people didn't buy the comic is beyond me. The comedy was genius. Marvel's management is a bunch of boneheads for canning Nextwave. If you have read the other reviews, you know what it's about, so I won't bore your with another recap. If you like comedy, explosions, parody, slapstick, explosions, random acts of violence, heartfelt origin stories, and explosions, then you'll love Nextwave. If you like anything, you'll love Nextwave.

This is easily the funniest Marvel book you will read this year!! Or any other year! Unless you count midevil times, that whole black plague thing really sucked the humor out of stuff.

This book is great and lives up to its promise of explosions and kicking people in the face.

With NEXTWAVE: AGENTS OF H.A.T.E. VOL. 2 (I Kick Your Face), Warren Ellis persists in dispensing with multi-layered plotlines and the fleshing out of characters. This one, collecting the final issues #7-12 and much like in Volume 1, reads like an extended fight scene sound effect. If you like action that's often in your face and without the constant impediment of dreary word captions, then this'll float your boat. Stuart Immonen's artwork is remarkable, even if I had to turn the page upside down a bunch of times.

The premise: Monica Rambeau (fomerly Captain Marvel), Brit hottie Elsa Bloodstone (monster hunter), the mutant Tabitha Smith (formerly Boom Boom), Aaron Stack (the slightly insane Machine Man), and the Captain make up the Nextwave Squad, originally hired by H.A.T.E. (the Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort) as its primary anti-terrorist response team. Nextwave turns on its employer when evidence surfaces implicating H.A.T.E. and its parent company, the Beyond Corporation, of terrorist activities.

SPOILERS are here:

As per this series, we get the usual pattern of two-issue story arcs. The Nextwave Squad faces off against the Mindless Ones, magical creatures rented by the evil Beyond Corporation from interdimensional demon lord, the Dread Rorkannu, in exchange for girls and cash ("Yes! I have a hundred of the Earth dollars!"). With this series's bent sensibilities, it shouldn't be a surprise that this sorcery-laden storyline indulges in the Mindless Ones engaging in a West Side Story homage and that the climax is a bathroom fistfight.

Then, Nextwave is lured into an abandoned and fake city and ends up going toe to toe with a ridiculous batch of super nasties, as created by the Beyond Corporation, with the most formidable villain being Forbush Man. Forbush Man uses his power to trap each hero into his or her own existential misery, giving us a chance to savor Immonen's Mike Mignola salute in the Bloodstone sequence. Also, Captain America goes to the john.

The series culminates with Nextwave tracking down the giant aerial homebase of their arch nemesis, happily romping and stomping on yet more beasties and uglies (including my favorite, Wolverine chimps!), and at last coming face to face with the true power behind the Beyond Corporation. By the way, General Dirk Anger gets even more loony bins and even dies for a while (I did warn about Spoilers, right?).

Okay. End SPOILERS.

"Nextwave is a pirate superhero fight comic." Must be nice to have Warren Ellis's clout. Marvel Comics gives him full license to weave tales that are proudly short on subtlety and depth but long on nuttiness and scurrilous humor. He does indulge in one Character Moment (presenting some disquieting background on Elsa Bloodstone as a baby). But Ellis promises to not let it happen again. One thing he also does is rummage thru Marvel's dusty back shelves and bins, managing to drag near-forgot entities such as the Not Brand Echh title and its mascot Forbush Man, MODOK, and Moon Boy and Kid Dinosaur kicking and screaming onto these pages. So, no, this isn't your typical comic book. Readers will either find this title too cardboard cutout, overplayful, and unseemly - or an uproarious belch of fresh air. I'm of the latter breed.

Artist Stuart Immonen should be equally lauded (or blamed) for his light and exquisite touch. He dependably comes thru with a visual feast of nonstop mayhem and gleeful violence. In issue 11, Immonen rampages thru 6 double-paged spreads which simply reek of all-out, no apologies ACTION. This is very nifty. Perfectly complementing Immonen's style are the inker Wade von Grawbadger and colorists Dave McCaig and Paul Mounts. So they too should be applauded (or blamed).

Meanwhile, there's some debate about Nextwave's place in Marvel's mainstream continuity. But, having been infected with this comic's jaunty subversiveness, I choose to not delve into it too much. Besides, I'm sure Forbush Man's existential powers can fix it.

My favorite one-liner: "X-Men come back more than Jesus."

My favorite recurring rejoinder: "My robot brain needs beer!"

Lastly: the Captain rocks. Elsa Bloodstone is bloody fine. Machine Man is mental. Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. will return...someday. Just keep paying Ellis. And Immonen.

I've long been a fan of Steve Rude, but haven't read all that much of Nexus. So, it's pretty overdue for me to begin reading Nexus from the beginning. This book began over 20 years ago, and it's held up surprisingly well. This volume starts off with a few black and white issues and end with the last half in color. Rude's artwork blossoms in this volume, and he is truly one of our best living comic illustrators. He's got a keen eye for amazing composition, characterization and clean and clear sequential style. His artwork is a cocktail of the best of Curt Swan, Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby and Sal Buscema, and Rude holds his own in this esteemed company. Mike Baron's story is engaging and timeless, a SciFi adventure for the ages. Nice volume from Dark Horse. The color seems old fashioned by todays comic book standards of computerized color, but seems to be a good reproduction of the original. Highly Recommended.

Baron and Rude's Nexus remains one of the best science fiction/superhero series ever done and Dark Horse gives it the treatment it richly deserves in this classy archives format. To their credit, they've allowed the three black-and-white issues to remain in black-and-white rather than coloring them, allowing the reader to experience the artwork in as close as possible to its original presentation. The only thing lacking is the classic flexi-disc that was packaged with issue 3, featuring an audio dramatization of that issue's story and with the "unforgettable" Nexus theme song.

For anyone interested in amazing art and well-written storylines, go no further. Nexus is a joy to read, and very easy on the eyes. I originally read these quite a few years back, and I am hoping that I am not speaking through nostalgia, but i think that the stories hold up quite well. I am sorta amazed that these books are not hallowed amongst some of the best stuff that came out in the 80's. Perhaps that it was not a Marvel or DC title, i don't know. I would put Nexus, specifically the Steve Rude issues, in my top 20 comics of all time. Anyhow, I would be quite surprised to find a comic reader who would not enjoy these stories. Take a chance, you will most likely be very pleased.

Horatio Hellpop, the man known as Nexus, comes to life in this deluxe hardcover volume collecting the first 7 issues of... well, "Nexus" by Mike Baron and Steve "The Dude" Rude.

The first issues (first published starting in 1981!) are in b&w, the way they were originally printed, but you do get the nice color covers (some are by Paul Gulacy) and then the four-color series kicks in. Along the way Baron's erudite writing style starts to flow and the Dude's art coalesces into something resembling his gorgeous mature work. These are two creators in their formative days coming together to tell the thrilling, philosophical and sometimes hilarious stories of Nexus as he wrestles with his destiny as a man doomed forever to kill mass murderers.

You'll meet Nexus himself, then watch as he pursues killer freaks like Zeiffer Meird and the decapitation-obsessed Clausius. As the story progresses, Nexus encounters the reporter Sundra Peale, who will become his lover, and then the nefarious and compelling Ursula X.X. Imada (plus he learns what the X's stand for). It's a sci-fi superhero tale that quotes William Blake and visually references everything from Dr. Seuss to "Star Trek." All those influences (Baron lists a few in his intro), and yet it's like nothing else.

"Nexus" was one of the indie greats of the 80s, and some of these stories were later retold more fluently by Baron and Rude, but it's worth it to have them in their original, somewhat rougher, form. Wonderful work that only improves along the way.

It's time, once more, for the daring character
play of NEXUS. The gripping saga of a noble
executioner, and the lives his activities
transform, is entering its 25th anniversary
this year. With the star-spanning, soul-
searching creations of writer Mike Baron
and illustrator Steve Rude set to enter a
new phase of their lives, there's no better
time for a handsome hardbound series of
archives to collect the original exploits
of Horatio Hellpop, Sundra Peale, Dave,
Judah, Tyrone, Ursula and all the rest who
comprise this stunning tale of tragedy,
laughter, power, ambition, and humble
affection yearning to breathe free.

Dark Horse Comics, the intrepid company
which was the third to feature the award-
winning Science Fiction chronicle, has
just issued the first volume of the NEXUS
ARCHIVES. Even if you're one of the few
to own those rare Capital Comics issues,
or the equally rare Graphitti collection
of Capital's original Black and White
debut, this Dark Horse hardcover is a
special treat all its own.
Collecting the Black & White debut &
origin of the philosopher slayer and his
myriad world, the NEXUS ARCHIVES gathers
the first four color issues of the Capital
run, and unveils the first master schemings
of one of the most compellingly evil villians
ever conceived for Fiction; one who will
manipulate anyone -even her own body- to
further her own vested ends.

The ARCHIVES is invaluable in providing a
look at the beginnings of one of the finest
teams to grace the Sequential Arts. From the
start, Baron's ability to imbue ruthlessness
with beguiling charm, tenderness with a tough
edge, and communicate camraderie and commitment
with something as simple as a cookout, or a
shared touch, has made him one of the great
writers of the past 25 years. Baron's
handling of plot and dialogue commands
the incisive candor of a playwright's
grasp.
No less the genius, Rude's fine lines convey
a wealth of diversity in body language and
emotional insistency which none surpass.
Only George Pérez and Wendy Pini match his
capacity for broad cinematic scope. As is the
case with ELFQUEST's Pini, Rude's frequent
use of painted portrait to convey the varied
levels of narrative is captivating and eye-
popping, presaging today's much-plaudited
work from brushmaster Alex Ross.

The essays written by Baron and Rude for
this collection are a treat in themselves,
providing a glimpse into the very stuff of
aesthetic integrity, the flimsy nature of
industrial whim, and a touching exchange
of staunch respect and abiding friendship
which has made their business endeavors
all the more rewarding.

As kicking as the multifaceted character
of NEXUS himself happens to be, the
rich tapestry of supporting characters
marks this chronicle as a wonderfully
precious, deeply involving, highly
ethical storyline. Male, Female, Alien:
All have a story.
Here, a political spy can become a dynamic
figure of courage and honesty, and a factory
manager stands revealed as a healing counselor.
A cynical refugee can become a caring political
leader, and an ambassador can stand revealed
as a fiendishly polarizing force.
In a tale where a killer has the heart of an
innocent and the soul of a poet, all things are
possible.

If you have been with NEXUS over the past
twenty-five years, consider this collection a
special monument to the resilience of great Art,
and the healthy interest of a sharp, searching
readership.
If you have never read NEXUS, and wonder what
all the shouting is about, I heartily encourage
you to acquire this collection, and enter the
start of a particularly special voyage.

You want Comix that give a damn, and have
something to say with thought and feeling?
Here you are.

Great literature doesn't get any better
than this.

PERO MI MAMA ME LO REGALO...
Y mi esposo y yo quedamos tan deslumbrados por estas bellezas de nombre, originales, elegantes con tradicion,
QUE ELEGIMOS DE AQUI EL NOMBRE PARA NUESTRO ULTIMO HIJO...
TE LO RECOMIENDO, AMIGA !

De este libro sacamos el nombre de nuestros dos hijos...

que, cuando les pides SU NOMBRE, SE PONEN COLORADOS, AGACHAN LA CABEZA Y LO DICEN TAN DE PRISA QUE NO SE ENTIENDE...
Con razón !
Por qué ponerle a la criatura un nombre que, ya adulta, le mortifique, como
PÁNFILO ( porque asi se llamaba el tio, del hermano del abuelo
o
PETRONILA ( Ay, es que es una santa muy milagrosa ! )
NO la amuelen!
En este libro hay muchos nombres bellos de donde elegir !

Why name him/her with the too common name of any of your kin?
She/he is NEW, SPECIAL, DIFERENT!
This names have the highest prestige in the History of The World and, besides, they are musical souding and original.

Please, think it over: Once you have taken a wrong decision in naming your baby...No way back !

filled names for babies:
Besides the prestige, THEY ARE MARVELOUS !

I finished reading Volume 1 of the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha in August 2004, and after some further study of the development of early Christianity and much dithering, I finally acquired Volume II in May 2007. I got round to reading it in November 2007, and it was certainly an easier book to read then the first one. This volume was published in 1985, a couple of years after Volume I, but the layout is essentially the same, with the preliminary sections - Foreword, Introduction to General Reader, Abbreviations seemingly identical to that of Volume 1. Despite this repetition, these are worth reading again if for no other reason to prepare the reader for reading the documents themselves. Volume II includes a full index for both volumes in this work, whereas none is included in Volume I.

The documents in this Volume II are all considered to have been written over a period of about five hundred years from the beginning of the 3rd Century BC to the beginning of the 3rd Century AD. They are grouped into 4 sections, each of which has a short introduction describing the nature of the contents, and a list of documents included within the section. The documents within each section are in date order, and each is introduced by a discussion of the contents, the original language of the text, the probable date, and where it was written, its historical, theological, and cultural importance, the earliest translations, relationship to other books, and a select bibliography. The texts themselves contain cross references to other biblical texts as well as copious detailed notes on the text itself.

I found it was as important to read the introductory section and the detailed notes as it was to read the texts themselves. The commentaries on each document were generally most interesting and throw considerable light on the currents of theological thought which was occurring during this period, but with a caution. Many of the documents were preserved in Christian communities, and some were only available in a language of a much later period. The provenance of some of these works is therefore difficult to determine, and the analysis of the theology and the language of these documents indicate that they have been subject to some later editing and insertions by Christian writers. Of course, only some of the works have these Christian overtones, and in general, the commentaries make clear where these "adjustments" have occurred.

I am quite happy that I acquired Volume II, and do recommend it for those readers who have also succeeded in making it through to the end of Volume I. For those who may be interested, I have included the following brief summary of the contents of the Volume II

Section 1, which is half the book, includes 13 documents which are essentially expansions of the Old Testament and associated Legends. These include:
* The Letter of Aristeas, which is an account of the writing of the Septuagint, and which can be compared with the that of Josephus.
* Jubilees which is basically an expansion of the books of Genesis and Exodus, purporting to be an account of matters revealed to Moses during the 40 days he spent on Mount Sinai. Copies of this book were discovered at Qumran, which indicates its theological importance to that community, and allows it to be dated more precisely.
* The Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah which is in two parts - the first being a Jewish account of the Martyrdom of Isaiah with an insertion which is clearly Christian, and the second part being a Christian addition of the Vision of Isaiah.
* Joseph and Aseneth which is an expansion of the biblical account where the Pharaoh gives Aseneth, the daughter of Potiphera, Priestess of On for his wife.
* Life of Adam and Eve
* Pseudo-Philo Biblical Antiquities being a retelling of the Old Testament from Adam to David and Saul.
* The Lives of the Prophets being a short account of the lives of the 23 prophets, some of which are only a few lines long
* The Ladder of Jacob, being an elaboration of Jacob's dream at Bethel
* 4 Baruch, which is an expansion of items omitted from the book of Jeremiah the Prophet.
* Jannes and Jambres - with only short fragments of a pre-Christian tale whose base is the biblical account of the Exodus
* History of the Rechabites which is a description of Zosimus, a virtuous man who after 40 years of prayer is taken to the abode of the Blessed Ones - a sort of Utopian paradise in the middle of the great ocean. This was originally a Jewish account, but has many Christian interpolations to include Jesus Christ.
* Eldad and Modad - a discussion on the two line text from the Shepherd of Hermes of the 2nd century AD, which refers to two prophets who are mentioned in Numbers 11:26-29
* History of Joseph - which is a meager textual remnant of what appears to be a Midrashic expansion of the life of Joseph in the Book of Genesis.


Section 2 includes 5 documents which are all classified as Wisdom and Philisophical Literature. These include:
* The Word of Ahiqar, which was one of the best-known and widely disseminated tales of the ancient Mediterranean world. It is the oldest text in the collection, and probably antedates the post exilic portions of the Old Testament. It is in two parts, the first being the story of Ahiqar, scribe and counselor to the Kings of Assyria, the second contains a collection of about 100 sayings attributed to Ahiqar
* 3 Maccabees, the account of the visit of Ptolemy IV Philopator to the Temple of Jerusalem after his defeat of Antiochus III at Raphia.
* 4 Maccabees which is a discussion on devout reason's mastery over passions, based upon the martyrdom of Eleazar and of the seven sons and their mother
* Pseudo-Phocylides - a collection of sayings in Greek - attributed pseudonymously under the name of Pholcylides, an Ionic poet living in Miletus during the 6th century BC
* The Sentences of the Syriac Menander - a collection of wisdom sayings written in Syriac probably during the 3rd Century AD which are in the form of practical rules for human behaviour and were attributed to the Greek Sage Menander,

Section 3 includes 7 documents which are classified as Prayers, Psalms, and Odes. These include
* Six additional Psalms of David, beyond the 150 included in the Masoretic text,
* The Prayer of Manesseh,
* Eighteen psalms of Solomon,
* Sixteen Hellenistic Synagogal Prayers
* The Prayer of Joseph,
* The Prayer of Jacob
* Forty two odes of Solomon, the origins and datings of which are quite uncertain

Section 4 includes fragments of 13 lost Judeo-Hellenistic works of Poetry, Oracles, Drama, Philosophy, History etc, the general characteristics of the excerpts from these once voluminous works being a claim that the best Greek ideas were derived from the Jews. Many of the works in this section have been preserved in the works of later writers such as Alexander Polyhistor, Eusebius and others, but in general the discussion on the fragments is often more informative than the extant fragments themselves.

This is a outstanding source that you need in the study of the biblcal world.

Some of the best literature, whether divinely inspired or not, has long been lost to the world, too often for political ends. Fortunately, volumes like this one, admirably edited by James H. Charlesworth, replenish much of what was "lost" between the time of the Councils at Jamina and Nicaea.

Whatever one's creed or intentions, if one approaches this volume in earnest, one will find much of interest including, but not limited to, strong, implied historical evidence of egregious tampering by the early Church fathers of certain non-canonical works. A good example in this collection is 1 Enoch, which had been in the canon for centuries before being finally removed and, in the West, abandoned. In other instances, copies were, on Church orders, simply destroyed. Fortunately, complete copies of Enoch (or Henok) were preserved in Ethopic texts. In fact, the version of 1 Enoch presented in this volume (translated by E. Isaac) is largely structured on the Ethiopic texts, though the Aramaic fragments found among the Dead Sea Scrolls have been consulted along with Greek and Hebrew renditions. Charlesworth has also included many other fine renditions of apocalyptic works, including selections from the Syriac and Slavonian. Even more is to be had in the many non-canonical Testaments presented here, many with apocalyptic passages.

Matters of whether these "rebel" and "outcast" books appeared to be divinely inspired by the various communities that embraced them is a matter of conjecture, though there are strong hints here and there from the various communities of seekers that preserved these texts around the Mediterranean world. Of greater interest to me was the thoroughness with which each non-canonical text has been researched and translated. Charlesworth should be lauded for at least that contribution to our body of collective knowledge about what was being written and by whom at the end of the pre-Christian era and in the early years of the Common Era.

To the truly curious I recommend both volumes, whether for personal enrichment, Bible study, research, or tasting and comparing various translations of non-canonical literature. This is as unbiased a compilation as I have seen in many years. I rank it with the work being done by scholars like Geza Vermes as invaluable to any person seeking a deeper understanding of the great minds on either side of that turbulent millennium (i.e., give or take 300-500 years either way). Of course these writings can lead one's mind to many other insights and down many other paths of inquiry and thought; that is best left for the individual.

Be assured that this scholarly work is exactly that, and is not only highly-informative about the stories, symbols and myths of non-canonical literature that informed the consciousness of the Near East and eventually the Western world, but this volume does so in a highly accessible way. It is easy to read and certainly gives one pause. Savor it.

This is the most spectacular volume of literature from the period c. 200 BCE to 200 CE. There is the Hebrew Bible and there is the New Testament writings. In between is the myth of the 'four hundred years of silence'. This volume and the second volume reveal that writings during this time were prolific.

In this volume are such vital works as 1 Enoch. The apocalyptic literature which began, if scholars are correct, with Daniel (and traces in some of the Prophets) blossomed into an entire genre of literature which would greatly influence what would become Christianity. The book of Jude quotes from 1 Enoch expressly and Revelation and other New Testament books bear many commonalities wih 1 Enoch. This is just a taste of what is in store for the reader.

This volume and the second volume reveal just what was going on in the Judaism(s) of this period of time. There was lots going on and it is not so cut and dry as it is often traditionally taught. The variety of beliefs derived, no matter how loosely, on the Jewish Scriptures is endlessly diverse. This book does an excellent job of placing the actual writings in one book.

Charlesworth and those who have introduced/translated the works contained herein have done a great job tracing the history of the works and what is known about the communities in which they were written. Also included are margin notes that show the connection, directly or indirectly, to the Tanakh and the New Testament (including the Apocrypha).

This is a necessary resource for anyone interested in and open to understanding exactly how it was that Christianity and Rabbinical Judaism emerged from the tumult of the period between c. 200 BCE and 200 CE.

This is the best collection of the non-canonical Jewish writings available. It does not contain the official Apocrypha or the complete Dead Sea Scrolls but it has the major complete works like Enoch and Jubilees from there, and essentially everything else including works still unavailable online and in other collections such as the Apocalypse of Elijah.

Charlesworth's introductions and notes are invaluable covering themes, dates, authorships rescensions, translations notes and variants.

There are certain books that can simply be described as enlightening. This is one of them. I was a philosophy student when I read this book. And it brought the subject alive. It is an enjoyable read. Highly recommended.

This is one of the most enjoyable books I have read in a while. In a collection of essays, Schall synthesizes the philosophy of the greats within the Western tradition, including Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, St. Augustine, Aquinas, Chesterton, and even some twentieth-century figures such as Voegelin, Strauss and Arendt. These thinkers teach us to be skeptical of the purported wisdom and sophistication of humanity and to rather focus our deepest selves on the highest things, namely the things of God. The surprising twist of this book is that Schall shows that we are at our best in focusing on the highest things when we are engaging in activities most of us would consider inherently unserious, such as dancing, singing, playing sports, writing letters, looking at art, praying, or talking with friends. Unlike work, even the most noble work, these activities don't exist for a purpose, but are rather an end unto themselves, just like God. And because it is through these seemingly unserious activities that we best approach an authentic understanding of God they become, in a sense, the most serious things we do.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is a "serious" thinker about the highest things. Schall's style is very fun to read and his authentic self is easy to grasp in the words. This book is an intellectual challenge, to be sure; there is a ton in this book that I know I didn't quite understand, though I hope I will some day. This book tells of what is dignified, wonderful, and beautiful about the Western/Classical Christian tradition. Enjoy!

The Unseriousness of Human Affairs is a title almost certainly written to give the modern reader a jolt-what, is not everything I work for pretty serious? Our country, my job, my family, these are not serious?

Prof. Schall shows us how leisure and play is in fact crucial to our nature as human beings, that our learning and growth develops through something that is spontaneous, as he demonstrates by pointing out that the Greek and Latin terms for school (skole and otium, respectively) can also mean "leisure". So begins an intellectual romp that includes Jesus, Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, Aquinas and G.K. Chesterton along with some more unlikely companions, like Robert Pirsig's _Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_ (good book, by the way), Charlie Brown, and Friederich Nietzsche. The latter, while a powerful voice in his own right, is not someone you would expect a rather cheerful Christian like Prof. Schall to cite, but in fact he makes great use of Nietzsche's observation that dissipation is the result not of joy but of joylessness, which is a key point in the book.

The result is a Christian humanism that is intelligible to people of all walks of life and beliefs, and points to a learning that is engaged with the classics and the great, hard questions of life, but does so in a pleasurable, positive way. Many modern figures have commented that Christians (or perhaps religious folk in general) are distracted from solving this world's problems by the promise of an afterlife in Paradise. John Lennon's song "Imagine" is a good example of this thinking. Prof. Schall shows, however, that the very transcendence in the Judeo-Christian worldview in fact gives us what needed to handle those problems that Lennon et al. rightfully rail against.

In the middle of this book, Prof. Schall pays tribute to the teachers he never met, such as Augustine and Hilaire Belloc, and I must say that he has become a teacher that has touched my life, though I have not met him. God willing, perhaps I shall, but this book is profoundly enriching and inspiring, and I trust he will influence many more lives through it.

While reading the L.A. Times this morning - with, I admit it, a jaundiced eye - I noticed that the former Religion section has received a new baptism: it's now called the "Beliefs" section. This seemingly insignificant change actually has great meaning, pointing to the fact that we now live in an age of relativism, of radical subjectivity in which the very idea of truth is being casually sacrificed at the altar of the new, the convenient, the comfortable, and the self-affirmative. Truth has been consumerized; buffet spirituality is the order of the day. And under this dictatorship of relativism, human life itself has been consumerized at the sacrificial altar of "choice" and convenience. This is progress? Really, is not the whole "progressive" project fundamentally ironic, entirely Orwellian?

It was with great joy, then, that I discovered Father Schall and this book. Don't let the title dissuade you. In his opening chapter, Schall explains:

"The unseriousness of human affairs is, to conclude, the consequence of understanding the primacy of God. Real things are not less because other real things are more. If the whole of what we do - if the whole world - is merely 'child's play,' as Plato also intimated, it is not because there is no drama among us. Rather, it is because we are already included in a drama of infinitely greater grandeur than anything we could possibly make or even imagine by ourselves."

Written in Schall's inimitably charming style, this book is a highly erudite meditation on and defense of the highest things, those things for which we all, secretly or not, thirst: truth, virtue, friendship, order, self-discipline, love. He does this, and more, not by inventing new truths, but by plumbing the depths of eternal truths as elucidated throughout history. And he does it not only with the assistance of Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas and various contemporary thinkers, but also with the help of Charlie Brown. For me, this was a tremendous bonus. I've rediscovered my childhood love of the Peanuts gang.

I confess that I had meant to simply add this book to my list, possibly reading it a year or two down the road. This was not to be. After reading the Introduction, I found this book's gravitational force to be irresistible. Let it work its magic on you too. At the very least, you'll find it exquisitely countercultural.

Incidentally, I highly recommend another Schall book, Another Sort of Learning.

"The slenderest knowledge that may be obtained of the highest things is more desirable than the most certain knowledge obtained of lesser things."

-Thomas Aquinas

Fr. Schall is considered by his students at Georgetown University to be quite a socratic charmer. This collection of essays continues to confirm that honor. Through questions and insights, Fr. Schall not only leads us through Plato, Aristotle, Charlie Brown, and G.K. Chesterton, but makes us WANT to agree with him. With every turn, I wanted to understand better what was being said, for he not only convinced me of its relevance, but also of its beauty and charm.

Fantastic books! The detail and information is great. These are not "spec" books of German tanks. The wonderful inclusion of original correspondence between Beck, Fromm, Guderian, etc is fascinating reading. The extensive usage of original German terminology makes for difficult reading (unless you are fluent in German) but is very much appreciated to avoid errors of translation.

This is perhaps the most usefull book on the German panzer forces in World War II, and anyone interested in the subject needs a copy.

In the first portion of the book, Jentz provides a thorough history of the development and employment of panzer formations. This includes initial formation of the first units, the development of prototypes and early equipment, as well as German armored doctrine and tactics.

The remaining portion of the book covers the employment of the Panzer divisions in war from 1939-1942. In this section, Jentz provides a wealth of information. One very usefull feature is that the organization of panzer companies, battalions, and divisions are tracked (along with the translated text of orders changing the organizations) and presented in tables or figures. Given that the Germans frequently changed the organization of these units, this is very valuable information.

Jentz also presents tank strengths and tank types for each division at the start of major operations as part of orders of battle for the panzer divisions. For example, it is thus possible to quickly look up how many Panzer II tanks were available for the invasion of France, and the amount that each division had.

The end of the book has a number of appendices, which provide data on monthly on-hand strength of each tank as well as technical data on for German and a variety of Allied tanks.

I also strongly recommend Jentz's follow-up to this, which is Panzer Truppen volume II, and covers 1943-1945.

I agree with the other reviewers. These two books are excellent! If you have any interest in German panzer, tactics and deployment i strongly recommend you to buy them. The 'combat reports' from the officers writing about there experinence during there fight with the enemy, trying to explain the good and bad how to use there tanks is great and gives you a deeper feeling of the problems they had. A must buy!

Both this volume and volume 2, are excellent sources of primary documentation. Both use war diary, and after-action reports to describe tactics and weapons evolution. As I said in a review of vol.2, by allowing the crews and their platoon-battalion commanders to speak the book has an immediacy that can't be duplicated in other works of the same subject. The author assumes the reader has at least general familiarity with German operations, and knowledge of German WWII military terms and ranks. Probably not for a general interest reader.

Thomas Jentz's book proves to be a fantastic source of information regarding the German Panzer forces during World War II. This volume covers the period from the early 1930s to 1942. It uses primary German sources that revealed the evolutionary stages of the German panzer formations, their weapons and numbers as the years rolled by. The book also reflects on German perception of how they did, how their tanks performed and needs for changes.

The book reflects the closeness to the source German material. The author expects the reader to have a fine tune knowledge of the German military prior to reading this book. If you have to look up to see the difference between a Panzer 38(t) to Panzer IVd, this book is probably not for you. The unit organization tables are done in the unfamiliar German symbolism instead of your usual NATO symbols so that can be confusing to the novice.

The book seem to be written for people who wants a greater understanding of the German panzer formations and thier gradual metamorphosis. The second volume covers the second half of the war when the German forces were mostly on the defensive mode.

Overall, highly informative reading material, not for the casual reader since this book don't exactly read like a best seller.

My only complaint about this book is they often reference other diseases or complications and I am continually having to cross reference whenever I am reading. Overall, I feel like I can get a reasonable, generally understanding very quickly and this is a book I will save as a reference.

It's a nice book at a discount used.
Delivered in good time.
What more can I say.

I have been a fan of Sylvia Price's Pathophysiology text since I first studied for the CCRN exam in 1982. I have bought periodic updated versions since that time and recommend it to all my preceptees and CCRN study group members. The clarity of her authors' explanations makes understanding the pathophysiology of conditions commonly seen in ICU very easy. I do not have enough words to express how highly I recommend this book to any nurse beginning a critical care career.

I'm not going to be too verbose here, but I've used this text for three years now, and it's an excellent reference for basic pathophysiology. I've used it at both the undergraduate and medical school level, and I've been very pleased with both the organization and the content. It's not a replacement for Robbins Pathology, but it's an excellent supplement, and somewhat easier to read/use.

I have the first edition of Dr. Lorraine Wilson's pathophys. text and have just bought the fifth edition. It is an excellent resource for any nurse who wants to maintain a current knowledge base in pathophysiology. It is a great resource. It is obvious that the main editor, Dr. Wilson, takes great pride in the accuracy of the submissions and strives to produce a high quality text book. I understand that Dr. Wilson is completing the 6th edition but no word as to when it will be released.

Even though I not finish the 1st series, but when I see this book published, I go and buy it right away. For a person has very limited to gender of book, this is the 1st manga that I enjoy to read and re-read after that without any bored. Each story teaches a different lesson of life and mixes with humor and action. This manga has contained everything that a person like me need. Like other says, try this manga and you will love it at the first sign, and never feel bored to re-read it again and again.

For those who have no clue, this is the sequel to PET SHOP OF HORRORS -- a ten volume anthology horror series often described as a cross between THE TWILIGHT ZONE and GREMLINS. It was Matsuri Akino's first manga out of her now eleven written, and it is still her most popular.

The original PET SHOP is my favorite manga series, and I strongly recommend reading it before this sequel. However, the new series seems designed so that a new reader can follow quite well, with the relevant back-story being revealed gradually in the manner of clues to a mystery. One can even read the three Tokyo stories ("Domestic", "Double-Booking", and "Dust") without entirely spoiling the first series, if one then wants to try it. Warning: This does not apply to the side story set in Berlin ("Door"), a previously unpublished story written shortly after the conclusion of the original PET SHOP and never published. It assumes knowledge of the first series and is spoilery.

So what is it actually about? Our protagonist "Count D" once ran a pet shop in LA Chinatown which claimed to sell "love and dreams". Of course, the first series was not called PET SHOP OF LOVE AND DREAMS for good reason, and the Pet Shop soon drew the attention of a suspicious LAPD detective, and eventually the FBI. To make a long story short, D eventually departed LA abruptly and under dramatic circumstances.

Now -- several years later -- this same Count D has just opened a new pet shop in "Neo-Chinatown", a Chinese-themed mall in the Tokyo red light district of Shinjuku. As in the first series, each individual story tells us of one of D's customers and his/her new pet. Meanwhile, D acquires a new ongoing nemesis/foil in building manager Woo-Fei Rau, the son and heir of the owner, a Shanghai business tycoon. The elegant Woo-Fei is the polar opposite of the Count's last antagonist, and in fact seems to have a lot in common with Count D himself . . . such as being wicked. Not that this helps them get along.

Compared to the first series, there are many differences, including more polished artwork. The look is less Gothic and more urban. The tales seem (so far) less gory and more sad. The most striking difference is that in the early volumes of the first series, the individual stories were the stars, the ongoing story developed gradually, and Akino didn't even make up her mind what city it was set in till late in the series. Here in PSOH:TOKYO the Shinjuku setting is being carefully established from the start, and while the individual stories are okay, the real fun is in the ongoing story arc, which starts being developed from the first page.

A friend informed me that there was a new series for Pet Shop out and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I loved the first series and anyone who buys the second series will love it too. If you haven't read the first series it's one you should buy.There are four stories Domestic,Double Booking,Dust and the side story Door. I was wondering if the Detective would catch up with Count D and it looks like he will/did. I say this because he's the caretaker in the story Double Booking! I wonder if the story of that encounter will make it into one of the upcoming books. Now if they'd only make another dvd series, I've always though that the stories on the dvd where only just a small glimpse into the world of Count D!

I truely am estatic that Matsuri-sama is continuing the Petshop of Horrors series, though I wish that he would stop having D running away from Leon.

Absolutely Beautiful
I have already seen the manga in Japanese. A friend of mine had it. It is on the Shonen-Ai side. But the story is different from any other you have seen and it is beautifully drawn. I hope amazon could sell the art book of these series. A have seen de DVD also it have the 4 stories of the manga that are more on the horror side, but the manga have many more stories, some are romantic ,some are funny some are sweet , some are sad, you won't get bored. Now I'm buying it in English because I want to read the stories.