Reviews Books

True to the topic, it transports you right there. Historical and old, but still current.

I thought this book was one of the best books Ive ever read it describes how people feel and view the world from inside themselves but can never express this externally or even realise they are thinking these things themselves.

For me It depicts how inadequate we all are men and women, when it comes to Love, and expressing it and sharing it. it flumoxes us all, Its too big for us, "the chickens had more sense"....pass the worms please.

Written about a South African farm. this book depicts the story of a family and how they interact throughout the book. The most striking dynamic in the book is the relationships of the women in it. It portrays female existence in a realistic light even for today. The story has a lot of character to it, and I would recommend it highly for teachers who want to teach about feminism.

Although I had to read this book for a college class, I would read it again in a second, I feel that I can only gain more and more from this book through rereadings. Its plot is at times disjointed to the style of the author and the message she is attempting to convey, so for those who are looking for a strongly Dickensian or "feel good" read, this is most likely not the book for you right now. But for me, from an analytical and heartfelt standpoint, the subtlety of the book and its beauty and its truth made me tear up a little bit. I'm currently writing a paper on Waldo and his artistic and personal growth throughout the novel, so maybe I'm a little biased, but although Lyndall is an incredibly interesting and advanced character, I think Waldo is often glossed over as merely suffering from a religious crisis of faith, and, being a man, not deserving of attention in this novel of the "New Woman". But Waldo ultimately reaches a place of amazing peace and understanding, and the lives of Waldo and Lyndall intertwined together is truly beautiful.

"Story of an African Farm" is a difficult work to describe. It must be read several times, and carefully pondered before all of its secrets are unlocked.

Ostensibly, the book revolves around the lives of three children (and, later, adults) who live in the Karroo plains of South Africa. The main focus, however, is on two of the characters - Waldo, the earnest and deeply curious son of the German farmkeeper, and Lyndall, the beautiful, outspoken and rebellious orphan who suffers all her life for her ideals.

The book itself is semi-autobiographical. Waldo represents Schreiner's journey from fanatical, childlike faith to bitter skepticism, who reaches a watershed of sorts when he hisses to Lyndall 'There is no God - none!'. Lyndall, on the other hand, embodies Schreiner's frustation with her station as a woman - barred from the upper echelons of society, and her inability to find a mate who is both her intellectual match and willing to accept her as an equal. "I want to love", she whispers to the grave of Waldo's father, "I want something great and pure to lift me to itself."

There are many other themes that flesh out the subtext of this extraordinary book - the tragedy of solitude, that ultimately, all humans are alone in the cosmos. "Dear eyes", the dying Lyndall whispers to her mirror, "they will never part us."

Readers who expect a narrative will be dissapointed. What narrative there is serves only to undersore the book's many themes. Often, the flow of the story is out of sequence, or devoid of context, and deliberately so. Roughly, the book is divided into three sections - the first introduces us to the characters as children, and reveals their innermost thoughts. The second, and shortest section is entitled "Times and Seasons". It is somewhat of a summary of what has gone before, dealing mostly with Waldo's journey from Christian fanaticism to dispairing atheism, and foreshadows some of what is to come. The third, and longest section, covers the lives of the characters as adults, and is by far the most powerful, and moving piece of the book.

The reader who is looking for mindless action is advised to pick up the latest Tom Clancy novel, or whatever passes for literature these days. Those who are willing to put aside all preconceived notions, and have their cherished beliefs challenged are invited to read this book. The search for truth is endless. But this book is a perfect place to begin.

As a child, Tove Jansson lived in summer on islands in the Gulf of Finland, and later she and her partner Tuulikki Pietilä lived on a small island called Klovharu. Jansson wrote many children books, including the Moomin series, and ten books for adults.

The plot of the most famous of her adult novels is very simple; an elderly artist and her six-year-old granddaughter Sophia spend the summer on a tiny island exploring and talking about everything but Sophia's mother's death and their love for each other. They wander, pick flowers, watch storms, take trips in a rowboat. The 22 short episodes create a unity: "On an island," thinks the grandmother, "everything is complete."

The interaction between Sophia and her grandmother is a clash of wills, Sophia stubborn, impetuous and supportive; her grandmother wise, unsentimental, on the edge of exhaustion, dizzy, fearful of losing her balance "the balance between survival and extinction was so delicate that even the smallest change was unthinkable".

"It was just the same long summer always, and everything lived and grew at its own pace."

The book has been a major best seller in Scandinavia since it was first published in 1972. Thomas Teal has produced a wonderful English translation. This new edition from NYRB Classics is beautifully printed and bound. This novel captures a summer growing "at its own pace."

Robert C. Ross 2008

Based very much upon the late (and yes, great) Tove Jansson`s own family experiences on an island in the Finnish archipelago, this magical, elegiac, very funny, yet - despite its title - autumnal book, subtly draws the reader into the seemingly mundane lives of six-year old Sophia, whose mother has recently died, and `Grandmother` (who could almost be a humanised character from one of Jansson`s immortal Moomin books), as they potter and squabble around their small, idyllic island summer home.
Sophia`s `Papa` never speaks (never? Hm...) but is a silent, prosaic presence throughout, while Sophia is (as her name implies) wise, as well as temperamental, and Grandmother dispenses brief, ironic snippets of wisdom and can be just as prickly. They are a double-act; and, like all the best double-acts, rely on each other - at least for the grateful reader - to each `complete` the other. One feels Grandmother learns from her granddaughter as well as vice versa.
This is a beautiful, thoughtful, unsentimental, deceptively straightforward meander through the summer months with three generations of a grieving family each determined to hang on to their individuality. There are also the occasional - and rarely welcome - visitors.
If I make The Summer Book sound more than simply a light read, it is because even Tove Jansson`s children`s books (of which this can hardly be said to be one) have a tough melancholy strain to them, and a `message` of independence and personal integrity as the sanest way to be.
In its modest, breezy way, this is a great little book. One to treasure.

Mm, this is a beautiful, wonderful little book! It is a collection of little stories of a very small girl and her small grandmother going adventures on their little island in Sweden. So full of green things and little bites of happiness. The grandmother is oh so clever and says so many poignants to the girl. The girl is wise too. So full of joy.

This book was given to me by an uncommon friend and I enjoyed it very much. It is about the friendship between a grandmother and her young grandaughter who live on a bit of an island in Finland (?). The beauty and treasures discovered in the quiet lives they lead, finding joy in simple things and loving each other besides those petty annoyances of personality (they are very much alike). There are many "huggable" humorous moments. I think of one in which they trade cats--their cat is indifferent to the grandaughter's overtures and the one traded was much more warm and cuddly, but then (and I quote from the book).

"Hunt! Do something! Be like a cat!" And then she started to cry and ran to the guest room and banged on the door.
"What's wrong now?" Grandmother said.
"I want Moppy back!" Sophia screamed.
"But you know how it will be," Grandmother said.
"It'll be awful," said Sophia gravely. "But it's Moppy I love."

I rejoice that this short work has come into print again, though it's rather sad that it took the author's recent death to prompt the publishers into action. I'd read an extract in a guide to the top 100 books of the twentieth century and was surprised and disappointed not to be able to get my hands on the full edition.

Jansson has an inate understanding of the wisdom and skewed world-view of children, and manages to capture the fragile - and ephemeral - friendship which can exist between the very old and the very young. There is a freshness about her style which never teeters into whimsy. A rare achievement indeed.

Touched is a novel of small town Mississippi in the 1920's. The humid, atmospheric setting is invaluable to the novel. The narrator is a young girl who was sold to an older man as his bride. Their relationship is at first violently abusive. As the story progresses, relationships change, lives change, the town itself changes. It is a wonderful look at the best and worst of humanity. Carolyn Haines is a fabulous writer. Her characters become part of your life. What a gift!

I love Carolyn Haines!!! Especially when she writes in this genre. I do enjoy the Sarah Booth Delany books as well, but it is like comparing a fine wine to Kool-Aid!
When the author writes in this genre it is always tough, life then was never "pretty" or easy, yet she counters it with characters who are gracious.
The only critism was the ending, a bit too abrupt. Or perhaps I just did not want it to end??

This book is different than the Carolyn Haines mysteries I have read, and is just as enjoyable. Touched is written in beautiful language, and I felt as if I were right there in the thick Mississippi summer heat, felt the heavy air just before a thunderstorm would hit. She knows how to weave a story so that you just want to keep on going.

I am glad I stumbled across this author and her books!

Ya never know what your gonna get. Touched is one of those books you think about at work...because you want to get home and finish it. I love it when Southern authors can make you feel the heat and humidity with their words; parts of this book reminded me of To Kill a Mockingbird (because of the place descriptions and the weather.)This is actually a quick read but you find yourself slowing down to savor the story. A five star book through and through!

Carolyn Haines' descriptions are so vivid and powerful that I felt I was walking on the road or actually sitting in the room with her characters. There were times the hairs on my arms just stood up or my heart was breaking with them. If Carolyn Haines was attempting to reveal the narrow mindness of people in small towns of the South, my opinion is She Nailed It. If she was trying to awaken compassion in her readers She Nailed It. Her characters took my heart. I am having flashbacks of times in her story and I am in the exact same spot with them I was while reading the book. I would recommend this as a wonderful read. It hurts but it certainly makes one think. I am so glad I read it. I believe it awakened a compassion in me which will remain a lifetime.

This is not for beginners, but for someone with a few years of basic high school or college French this is perfect to brush up and improve those lacking areas that were either missed the first time or have been forgotten a few years after taking French courses.

I leave it on the coffee table and work through the short exercises (with answer keys!) during TV commercial breaks or for half an hour before bed. The grammar rules are explained very concisely, chapters aren't very wordy. Most of the pages are taken up by the exercises and vocab tables with translations (most bang for your buck).

I took four years of French in high school but didn't pay too much attention in class during the final two years. After five years I am kicking myself for not absorbing the more complicated grammar and vocab in my later French courses. When I saw this book at the bookstore I flipped through it for five minutes and was sold.

This is an excellent review book, whether you want an overall review to "brush up", or whether you need to focus on some specific problem areas. The focus is on grammar, but with a medium-small vocabulary base, you will successfully use it to build common vocabulary, as the exercises are focused on everyday events. I did every exercise in the book and then bought the Spanish version!

This is a great French review book. It is a very useful reference for anyone trying to better their French. It includes easy to follow grammar lessons along with corresponding activities. Answers are provided in the back of the book so you can easily check your work. Anyone trying to really keep up with the language needs a great handbook, I recommend The Ultimate French Review for this purpose.

This is one of the best french grammar books I've seen. It is outlined beautifully and easy to comprehend. It describes things in the simplest of terms, therefore making it easy to understand.

I tutor a high school student and I had her buy it. We usually teach the grammar from this book, not her class french book. The CD is superb. The exercises are great. It allows one to practice constantly. It definitely helps.

I love this book. I recommend this to someone who is just starting out and the accomplished speaker.

I cannot rave enough about this book. First, it is extremely engaging and well-organized for a French grammar book. It is geared toward the Intermediate student (as, for example, the lesson instructions are in French). However, if you are an advanced beginner looking for a challenge, don't shy away. There are tons of exercises to reinforce your learning, including a CD with a diagnostic test and other learning tools (including some auditory dialogues). If you are looking for an excellent grammar book to supplement your auditory learning, I highly recommend this one!

This is so packed with details that I am always searching for. It's awesome, it's so cool. It has everything that you need to know about the X-files, I have nothing but praise for the author. I love the fact that it told so much about all of the characters and stuff, and it's just so great that I recommend if you're as obsessed as I am about the show, to go and buy it. It's definitely worth the price. Again, really great book!!!

I thought that the book had alot to give and I realy liked it. If any one has a good X-files book tell me what it is called

Absolutely, positively, without a doubt the best and most complete reference book that has ever been published on THE X-FILES. This incredibly detailed and beautifully illustrated book covers everything you ever wanted to know about THE X-FILES but were afraid to ask! It is a massive undertaking that covers everything in easy to use A-Z alphabetical format. Every entry cites the episode it came from and every character has the actor's name. Say for example, in the letter (B): you will find lengthy entries for everything from Bear ("Ice") to Bay Area Carpeteers (the Chinese employer of Shuyang Hsin in "Hell Money") and Big Blue ("Quagmire"), from Babcock ("Gethsemane") to Bright White Place ("Nisei") and Biodiversity Project ("F. Emasculata") and tons of entries in between. It is also a very timely book as it covers all previous 4 seasons. I also love the classy look of the book, the good-grade paper and the typeset inside and, especially the price. Oh, how could I forget the illustrations! No more reused stock photos (that we've all seen in every magazine), but the coolest artwork enhances the book. Wait until you check out Flukeman, Mama Peacock and Dr. Zama! THE X-CYCLOPEDIA is a BIG book (with thousands of entries) and for only $15 it's a better deal than the 2 or 3 X-Files magazines I buy each month that total more than $15. If you call yourself an X-Phile, then you don't want to be without this DEFENITIVE reference book to the series! This is THE book of the X-FILES, and I highly recommend it.

This is definitely a 'must have' book for all X-Files fans! Every person, place, company name, historical reference or 'you name it' ever mentioned in seasons 1-4 is covered here! Also serves as an episode guide! Mine stays right next to me whenever I am watching the reruns! Get it...now!

This is the COMPLETE reference guide to my favorite TV show. Idon'tthink the authors missed a thing in this book...it is absolutely mind-boggling to see so many entries. From A to Z, The X-Files has never before been put under such focused, affectionate, and meticulous scrutiny. The X-CYCLOPEDIA is the ULTIMATE reference book on the series and if I only had $15 in my pocket and could only buy one book about THE X-FILES, then it would be this one. Hands down, this is THE best reference book on THE X-FILES ever written. I give it two thumbs up, four stars, or whatever critics use as a measuring stick. No X-Phile should be without it! The truth is no longer OUT there...it is IN the X-CYCLOPEDIA!

If you think you know EVERYTHING about the best show on television, you're wrong. These guys pull up obscure info and quiz you on it, drawing not only from the episodes but from interviews, books, and magazines. This is a great book and a must for an X-Phile's library! My only complaint: after reading Phil Farrand's lighthearted Nitpicker's Guide, the authors of this book seem really critical. I mean, what's up with their review of "War of the Coprophages"? Lighten up! Other than that, of course, diehard fans will cherish this book.

It seems everybody is doing an episode guide, but this book is different...it is all trivia, behind-the-scenes, and nitpicking. Loads of fun if THE X-FILES is your weekly fix. My son and I used it as a game to keep us occupied on a flight from NYC to San Diego as we tested each other's knowledge of our favorite TV show. I highly recommend this book...Must reading for X-Philes

Over 1,000 questions from the first three (3) seasons of my favorite TV show in a challenging format to test the gray cells of my brain. How would I describe this book: An X-Files version of JEOPARDY! More than just something to read...a book to play and damn well worth the $$$. I highly recommend it to any die-hard X-Phile

I've always considered myself an X-pert. None of my online friends (or real life for that matter) has ever been able to stump me on X-Files trivia. I'm completely addicted to the show and have 15 books.

This one is definately one of the best, pointing out many of the nitpicks and netpicks we've philes have already discovered in addition to new ones that sent me back to look for them. The trivia is extremely difficult and interesting.

I recommend this book to all philes who think they know it all. Take a few months to memorize this book and then you will know it all.

My brother got me this book for my birthday two years ago. It is my bible and my life (kind of sad, actually!) Anyways, it's really good and like that other guy said, if you take a few months to memorize it, you'll the X-Files Genius and you can impress your friends with little tidbits of knowledge. For example, what's Scully's home phone number? I'm not telling.. get it and look it up yourself! Note: good book for diehard fans!

We Think The World Of You is basically a tale of "you don't
get what you want you get what you get". In the case of Frank
he wanted Johnny but ends up with a dog named Evie. An amusing
and sly look at some working class personalities and carry on.

Fantastic book !

John

First published in 1960, this book is a delicious souffle, which J. R. Ackerley has whipped to perfection. It tells the hilarious story of the love triangle involving Frank, a buttoned-down civil servant, Johnny, the working class guy he's in love with, and the beautiful, headstrong Evie. As the story opens, Johnny has been sentenced to a year in jail for breaking and entering, and Frank is worried that this will give Johnny's pregnant wife, Megan, the chance to freeze him out of Johnny's life altogether.

But in the end it's the beautiful Evie that precipitates the final crisis, forcing Frank to go through some painful self-discovery along the way. Ackerley's tone is pitch-perfect throughout. An offbeat book that is completely hilarious.



Did I mention that Evie is a German shepherd?

It would be hard to make the case that WE THINK THE WORLD OF YOU is by any means a major work, but why should that lessen your fun? Ackerley's novel is very much a surprise in its relegation of its homoeroticism (dealt with very honestly and matter-of-factly) to the background; the protagonist's homosexuality is treated as simply a matter of course rather than as the center of concern, and what gets greater attention is his complicated relationship with his lover's family and dog.

The narrator himself is a terrific creation: sneaky, pompous, arrogant, and yet also somewhat likeable despite it all. And so too are the lover's parents and the dog herself--it all has the ring of reality about it. This is a minor delight, but a delight nonetheless.

This fantastic piece of high art just gets funnier and funnier and more blackly though generously hilarious with each successive page. Brilliant.

It's practically impossible to imagine a book like this being published in today's publishing atmosphere, but thankfully, NYRB is around to buck that trend. I mean what editor today would manage a straight face upon opening a proposal about a middle-aged gay man taking care of the irrepressible dog of his working-class lover who's in jail? But as usual, with any work of art -- craft, talent, intelligence, compassion -- this remarkable work is so much more than that. Around its droll premise, Ackerley found a way to brilliantly expose the pettiness of people, regardless (or precisely because) of their social standing. The dog, which is just as vividly alive as each of this novel's (bipedal) characters, is really only it's lovable catalyst. But finally, what makes this work astounding is how it slyly and assuredly gets funnier and funnier and more blackly though generously hilarious with each successive page. A real snicker of a book.

It couldn't be better said.

This book is pure enjoyment. What a wonderful command of the language from this former English professor! Insightful and reflective, this book is about so much more than the obvious. Though perhaps the title is not that far amiss...

My only "criticism" would regard the desire to see more of the photographs to which Adams refers or describes in detail. He gives us very few opportunities to understand what he says by looking at the picture itself.

A wonderfully written book about the wonders of photography written by a wonderful writer with a wonderful eye and a wonderful brain.

This book has been of great assitance to me in my teaching and creative practice over the years. It has been a source of inspiration and motivation allowing me to continue working with my cameras and photography, at the same time reconciling different ideas about 'money', 'ideas', 'freinds', 'teaching' etc to enable me to maintain my faith in what I do.

The essays on teaching and money in particular have helped me clarify my position as both an artist and teacher, I highly recommend this book to anyone considering teaching or photography as a career.

If you are not connected with any photography/art community, this book is for you. If none of your friends has an MFA, and if you are in need of someone who can speak intelligently about photography as art, then again, this book is for you. Robert Adams' writing is clear, concise, and insightful. Adams tells us why we photograph, for example, why we photograph landscapes. The answers include: because the images are of "emblems of a land" (pages 146 and 163), because our photographed subjects redefine us and is part of our biography (page 15), because art is "specifics made universal" (page 120), and because "art is a discovery of harmony" (page 181). Adams consoles photographers who come to realize that spending ten years doing photography won't necessarily result, e.g., in a contract for preparing a coffeetable book: "[t]hey may or may not make a living by photography but they are alive by it" (page 15); and the experience of having an exhibit where the photographer "stand[s] through the opening of an exhibition to which only officials have come." (page 16). Adams reveals the secrets of some of the masters, e.g., Weston: "limbs and torsos . . . treated as shapes to be enjoyed as one might the sight of a smooth stone" (page 64); and Paul Strand: "he worked off axis as if it were a moral principle . . . but usually just slightly off axis." (page 81) Robert Adams offers some critiques of the masters, e.g., of Paul Strand: "[o]ff-centering is used here . . . it begins to seem formulaic (page 87); and of Ansel Adams: "I have been derivative of myself for fifty years." (page 116). Robert Adams' book is a stand-alone book, that is, it does not require a knowledge of literature, art criticism, or history. The book is for the layperson. Another fine, insightful book on photography criticism is Light Readings by A.D. Coleman. A remarkable bit of insight by A.D. Coleman, for example, concerns his view of the typical amateur (page 164): "Typically, a snapshot of someone's relative at Grant's Tomb will show the relative too far from the camera to be identifiable and Grant's Tomb too close to be recognizable . . . Their charm and poignancy derives specifically from their failure to communicate . . ."The writings of Robert Adams and A.D. Coleman may be contrasted with the poetic commentary David Wallace (in Morley Baer's The Wilder Shore) and with the "writing" of Sally Eauclair in The New Color Photography and New Color/New Work. The writings of David Wallace and Sally Eauclaire are silly, and sometimes very silly, and serve only to draw attention to the words printed on the page instead of serving to invoke new concepts and connections in the mind.

Most of the book doesn't really respond to the title, but Robert Adams writes in a very engaging manner and talks about issues that most photographers will find interesting. I found particularly interesting his discussion of famous photographers and their aesthetic philosophy. This is not a book for the casual photographer, but for the photographer who is interested in photography's background, or a collector who'd like to better understand the photographer as artist, this book is terrific.

I'm working with several students in junior high to help them increase vocabulary for the SSAT test. This book helps teach the new words in context and lets them learn in a way that is more familiar to them. Love the book!!!

I am a 7th grader of a middle school, and this is what I think of this outstanding book. This book had a very interesting way of teaching... Instead of a textbook, this book was made into a chapter book with several excellent stories about adventures with three kids and a gargantuan, black cat. The stories were well put together and the advanced words fitted in perfectly. I shared my ideas with my family, and we bought more books of the same series. I think younger kids should just read the book for the stories if the words are a bit too complicated for them to remember, but I'm sure that they will enjoy it. Readers will no longer be oblivious about grammer. As a matter of fact, they might even excel in the field of grammer and writing. Anyway, to me, the words in the book were extremely easy to understand, because they were so well placed, that the context clues made the definitions very clear and obvious. There was also a glossary in the back that gave the definitions to the bold-faced words. Unfortunately, the glossary did not have definitions to all of the words, but if you have a dictionary, you should have no problem. Overall, this was a fantastic book leaving me craving for more.

I used to work as a professional SAT Reading coach, making big bucks; the key issue for most of my students was vocabulary. Rather, VOCABULARY. (The other is slowing down and thinking as--not after--they read.)

Many questions on the SAT reading section amount to vocabulary questions.

What this means is that if you want to improve your SAT scores, if you are an ambitious student trying to get into one of the top schools, there is no two ways about it: you have to study vocabulary.

And study vocabulary.

And study vocabulary.

You cannot study simply one book, or even one series of books. You have to study several series.

However, the Princeton Review Word Smart series is the best that I know of. You should start here. Even if you think you have a good vocabulary, start here just to be on the safe side, and you can move on later.

You would recommend studying any of the vocabulary books that I've ever seen--but I recommend mastering the Word Smart series. These really are by far the best--if you are shopping here, it probably means you need these books.

If you were one of my students, your parents paying lots of money, I would force you to master these books, and I would ride you like a horse until you did. And then your scores would come up, your parents would love me and tell all their friends, and I would get more jobs and more money. That's how it works.

Anyway, these are certainly the best vocabulary books on the market. Even if you're studying vocabulary for some other reason, these are probably still the best.

Good luck!

I am 11 years old and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, both as a story and as a no-stress way to learn new vocabulary. I am actually using the many words I learned in the book ~ it's easy because of the manner in which the book is written! I even enjoyed the quizzes at the end of each chapter ~ they were fun. I would save this book for after I had done my other work (I am a homeschooler) because I enjoyed this book so much. It was my inspiration to get finished with the other things so I could get back to this story!

The book is about three kids and a cat who have worldwide (and outer space!) adventures that lead them away from their real goal, which is to find Bridget's parents. You learn the new vocabulary from reading it in the context of their conversations. No memorizing lists! Great fun!

I bought this tape for my elementary age niece and two nephews. They have played this tape for weeks every night at bed time. They even fight over who gets to listen to it in the car. All of their vocabulary had sky rocketed. They are using "big" words properly and have no problem correcting the adults when we use them wrong. The way the new words are weaved into the stories give the kids the handle to truly understand what the word is, and what the correct usage is for any given situation. My sister and I are so impressed with this tape. We wish there were more of these.

It's been 15 years and Scott Adams shows now signs of slowing down or the ckind of burnout that caused Bill Watterson to retire from Calvin and Hobbes. Thank God! Because Dilbert remains the most consistently funny comic strip in the papers. A daily dose of wry, sarcastic wit that is daily bread to those of us toiling away in an office environment.

The title of this book says it all...who hasn't wanted to smack the person reviewing us upside the head and ask them what the hell were they thinking when they wrote it. Reviews, marketing, computers, stupid bosses...it's all to be read and mocked in Scott's latest collection.

It was beginning to look like Scott Adams would run out of material for Dilbert, but the corporate world just keeps spinning. Words.. is a new high level in corporate mayhem. From Dogbert the headhunter to the genius garbage man and of course Catbert the evil HR manager they are all here. We learn that "plundered" is now called "enhanced stock holder values." The pointy hair boss gets a body double for safety, and Dilbert invents a robot clone to double his visibility. It's another swipe at office management and the minions who toil our lives away in cubicles. Buy a 2nd copy and mail it to your pointy hair boss. Better yet, buy a 3rd copy and mail that one to your HR Catbert.

One of the reasons I like this one so much is because it contains the comic strips that I always read in the paper last year. These are a few of the reasons why you should buy this book.

Toxic Tom
Dilbert as a sheep
Wally being lasy a usual
Dogbert's Tech Support
The Consultick
Dilbert's mood altering drugs
The furniture psychic
The new dress code which is barrels
My favorite comic which is the one where Wally researches Greek names for a new product

This are a bunch of really great comics and they are a must buy for all Dilbert fans.

This is another very funny and spot-on book from Adams. Some of the characters like Ratbert and Dogbert don't appear as much, but Wally comes on strong and new characters are introduced like ConsulTick.

What's funny is the resonant note that Dilbert has struck with so much of corporate America. Having been an employee at a major Fortune 500 company for many years myself, I was convinced that Adams was talking about my company, and so did everyone else, although the resemblances at times could be almost eerie.

Adams's cartoons of the more absurd and ridiculous aspects of corporate culture (which at times seems to be about 99% of it) continue to provide much needed comic relief for hapless cubicle dwellers everywhere, and this is another funny book from Adams that shouldn't disappoint his fans.

It's more Dilbertine for the addicted like myself and allthough there are a couple of minuses to mention the level of hilarity stays high as always. And how could it not? The inspiration from the corporate world keeps coming through in tsunami waves.

While one of the most cult characters in the Dilbert series (Wally) gains even more of the spotlight other equally legendary characters like Ratbert but above all Dogbert himself keep getting lesser and lesser appearances. That's a pity actually as especially these two have offered unforgettable moments in the past. Another thing connected with these two fading somewhat is that we get fewer moments of Dilbert at home and more in the office. Tha creates somewhat of an imbalance which was not present in the initial installments of the series.

All in all though, this gets adequately compensated by Adam's invincible humor and the introduction of new characters who might have less of a lifespan in comparison to Ratbert and Dogbert but who provide for some freshness nevertheless.

Other than that it's Wally galore to the max. Wally has been the secret ace of this comic all along. This is cynicism at its very best and its most hardcore. The lines coming out of Wally's mouth are surreal.
The Dilbert series continues to be a classic.