Graphics Books

This is my 3rd Manga ever and I was simply blown away. I ordered this book along with Osamu's other Buddha titles. I had no intention of reading it at first glance because I had other more coveted titles, anyway I just took a while to browse it and I couldn't put it down for next 4 and half hrs till I finished it. Its hands down one of the most engrossing book. Osamu is simply brilliant and is a master story teller weaving all human emotions in this superbly crafted book. His brillance lies in developing each character and handling it in such a way that left you gasping and wonder how keen an observer Osamu was.

If this were a film, it would surely be a mixture of art-house in moments and Cecil B DeMille in others -- with intimate character development but spanning Japan, China and the Middle East. It's thriller, love story, medical drama, spiritual quest, adventure and crime story with an eu de scifi wafting over the whole concotion. Typical Tezuka drawing style, which I find clear and compelling but others may have their own opinions.

Ode To Kirihito is one of those stories that fills you with inspiration and hope. Tezuka doesn't hold any hands or make the world more gentle then it needs to be: the picture he paints is a very bleak one, filled with racism, elitism, selfishness and greed. And yet, we as humans can still somehow overcome all this.

This is an excellent manga, and I highly recommend to anybody who enjoys a great story.

This is an amazing story and one that clearly no American would ever do. And I am referring to more then simply setting it in Japan. The blending of genres is something that Americans get touchy about, Americans like genres that are clear cut and a book that is part medical drama/part interntional adventure/part love story would put a lot of them off.

Kirihito

Gentle dog-faced doctor,
You wander such a difficult world.
Your self-importance, your violence,
emptied out by suffering,
You are more you now
Than before you had a dog's face.

This was the first "comic book" I had read since 1940. I read it in one sitting.

Many, many years ago I read this book to my former husband as a bedtime story. The book occasioned one of the few instances in which I laughed so hard I cried. Now I have a new husband and a new copy of the book. Who says you can't go back.

Okay, before you read too far into this review, keep in mind that I am only 13, and haven't read as many books as some of the other reviewers on this page, but I have read enough to know that I love this book. It's a fantasy lover's book. If you like E. Nesbit, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and other books by A. A. Milne, you will certainly enjoy this book as well. With a exciting plot, and humerous but loveable characters, this book is a must have.

Okay, before you read too far into this review, keep in mind that I am only 13, and haven't read as many books as some of the other reviewers on this page, but I have read enough to know that I love this book. It's a fantasy lover's book. If you like E. Nesbit, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and other books by A. A. Milne, you will certainly enjoy this book as well. With a exciting plot, and humerous but loveable characters, this book is a must have.

A.A.Milne wrote this fairytale after being in the army during WWI. the story is basically about how easy it is to get into war (and over very stupid reasons), and how no one REALLY wants to hurt every one, but they just want to look out for their own interests. The charecters are not your typical bad-vs-good and each one can be lovable in his or her own way, and there are also wonderful little stories inside the major plot line. one of the BEST books I have ever read.

This book is a wonderful story about a king, princess and an "evil" countess. The king, King Merriwig of Euralia, is in love with the Countess Belvane. Belvane has her sights set on becoming queen of Euralia. However, Princess Hyacinth is suspicious of how the countess acts. So the Princess enlists the help of Prince Udo from Araby. When Belvane finds out, she wishes for something humorous to happen to the prince on his journey - and it does! Now, Hyacinth must stop Belvane, help the prince all while keeping him from falling in love with the countess!

A. A. Milne has done it again with this story of pure fantasy. He did not write this book for children, as he states in his introduction, yet it is fun and exciting for all ages. If you need a great bedtime story, check this book out. Would you care for some light reading? "Once On A Time" is the book for you. I recommend this book with a happy heart and hope you will feel the same way too!

I fell in love with Only the Ring Finger Knows with it's initial manga release. It was a beautiful story not only about young love, but a love that developed and grew stronger and more passionate as time went, despite the fact that it seemed a forbidden desire. Only the Ring Finger knows separates itself from the typical BL manga in that the couple is forced to struggle with being accepted by society, as most gay couples ultimately have to. Wataru and Yuichi's relationship is also more drawn out and heartfelt in the novel, and the brand new pretty illustrations scattered throughout are definitely a treat. While the translations were awkward at points and by no means perfect, the overall effect of the manga still transferred to the novel, and you truly feel the pain of Wataru's broken heart, and then relief when they finally do end get together and overcome everything. It's a lovely read and definitely worth buying, especially if you're a fan of the manga. (And if you haven't read it, this is a good start too)

I love these books. I really like the normalness of this novel I guess. It's not some fantastical story with demons have sex with pretty boys. It's an as true to life story as you'll get. I can;t say anything on the poor translation quality. My mind overcompensates and fixes most typos and syntax erors automatically. Ona few occasions I had to stop but if you're like me you shouldn't have any trouble.

As DMP's first Novel translated because of its popularness as a Manga I would have expected DMP to take a little more time to make this Novel perfect. There are a couple of mistakes and whatnot and confusing areas (due to lazy translation) but overall it's a beautifully written story (mainly contains everything in the Manga of the same title) and the images are gorgeous.

It's a light BL Novel atm, doubt it'll reach a Yaoi Label. And goes for 4 volumes.

But this is a deffient buy for anyone who is looking for a Novel to add to their Yaoi/BL collection.

I guess most of us pick up this novel because we enjoy the manga version.
I like the manga but I love the novel more. This novelist's expression of the boys' budding love is simply beautiful. Thankfully the translation did not let us down even though more editing would have been appreciated. I could not help regretting not knowing Japanese (sigh!).
Vol 1 has 2 stories. The manga is based on the first story but even the pleasing graphics and faithful adaptation could not beat the expressive words depicting the angst and romance in the novel.
And of course there is the second story which is even more emotional and the last part when our 2 boys finally consume their love is touching and warmly romantic and described with a fluid grace. This second story was never published in any manga form.
For the price, the novel is definitely worth its weight in gold considering I have no qualm about spending close to $10 bucks for the manga.
Glad there are 2 more volumes to go in this beautiful series. After reading "Don't worry Mama" and this, I am hungry for more translated Japanese BL/Yaoi novels.

I absolutely love this novel! The story itself is great to begin with; not that the manga didn't do a wonderful job bringing the characters to life, but it didn't continue the second part of the novel which was about Wataru and Yuichi's time together as a couple.

The first half of the novel titled "Only the ring finger knows" is similar to the manga, so i won't elaborate more about this part. The second part titled "The lonely ring finger" is what you should look forward to (i know i did!).

"The lonely ring finger" is a continuation of Wataru and Yuichi's relationship after they became a couple; how they try to spend time together without revealing themselves to their peers in school, a bet that is out-of this-world, etc, etc; in my opinion, this second part tells more about their "human" side and their struggles to stay together (like how any other normal couples would) despite all the mishaps and lies.

Other than a few typo errors here and there, i find this novel a joy to read and have; it's a must-have for you yaoi fans out there! I can't wait for the second novel to be released in July!!!!

I go from month to month waiting for these books. I am never disappointed. Mr. Axler keeps you wanting to turn the page and see what our heros get into next. Please keep them coming. Faster if possible.

As a fan of all things space opera, I was pleasantly surprised by the alternate world visited in this book--and the fact that it seemed so authentic. I can easily imagine the author writing Star Trek and Star Wars novels. "Outer Darkness" is one of the best novels in the series, very entertaining and enjoyable all the way through.

Once again Outlanders bridges the gap between just another sweaty men's adventure series and a "legitmate" genre. This is a cutting edge series with sharp, intelligent heroes who know victory doesn't always rely who has the biggest guns. Big brains help, too. Fast-moving, funny at times and even tragic, this novel is a classic in the series. Loose ends are tied up and I felt sort of sorry to see Beth-Li go. The space-opera part of the novel was riveting, wonderfully detailed, but it reminded me more of Starship Troopers or Hammer's Slammers than Star Trek. "Outer Darkness" is one the best in a great adventure series.

The last part in the Lost Earths Saga was a thrill-ride from start to finish. It kept me turning pages until the wee hours of the morning. A terrific book.

Well M.E. you did it again. At the beginning of the Trilogy I had a hard time following it. I didn't really understand the reason behind going to the alternate earths. But at the end of Outer Darkness, everything made Perfect Sense! It was to date, the best you have written. The way things are going, it won't be long before Outlanders begins to out sell Deathlands! The character interaction, as always, was superb. The story flowed beautifully. There were some interesting Star Trek references! I'm embarrased to admit that most had to be pointed out to me! Ah well. Keep up the good work as always! A fan till the end.

Easy step-by-step examples with plenty of illustrations as samples!! Easy to use...excellent!!

I loved this book. It contains tons of hints, tips and lots of different techniques. It also has a lot of color reference pictures and artwork. Instructions are clear and easy to follow, but some experience with painter will help a lot.

For a smaller book, it covers a lot of ground. It contains several different traditional art techniques with information on to make each brush look as realistic as possible by using different settings.

It also has instructions on how to apply scanned paper textures, color a scratch board, & make hot beveled metal. It covers create a tide pool, melt text in water, make a cloned mosaic, use light to add dimension & make draping weave as well.

This book is the best book on Painter 5! Examples are easy to follow. I do find new tricks in this book. Good for beginners and intermediate readers. I got a book called Painter 5 f/x which is very bad. I am looking forward to buy the Painter 6 Wow Book.

Don't waste your time with the other inferior books on Painter 5, this is the book you'll grow to love. Even if you're a beginner or not especially artistic, this book will have you doing things you never thought you could do. The fact that the author and publisher have added a special update to their website for the new feaures in version 5.5 makes me all the more happy that I bought this book. You won't be disappointed either. This book does the near impossible by taking a complicated, multi-layered program and making it seem easy and within your ability to master. And it also makes it fun!

I love this book. It contains tons of hints, tips and lots of different techniques. It also has a lot of color reference pictures and artwork. Instructions are clear and easy to follow, but some experience with painter will help a lot. For a smaller book, it covers a lot of ground. It contains several different traditional art techniques with information on to make each brush look as realistic as possible by using different settings. It also has instructions on how to apply scanned paper textures, color a scratch board, & make hot beveled metal. It covers create a tide pool, melt text in water, make a cloned mosaic, use light to add dimension & make draping weave as well.

Since I have taken Final Cut Pro, I have found Premiere Pro to be more than a little intuitive. Every few months Premiere seems to update itself and I wanted to be able to keep up correctly and this book has done it. Unfortunately, I have not had the chance to look at the included DVD. If the included DVD is anything like the easy to read, great pictures and the researchability of this book's contents, we all will be Premiere Pro 1.5 experts very soon.
I have enjoyed reading the book and implementing the procedures. If you want to learn Premiere Pro 1.5 from scratch on a professional level, this is your book to use to get you up to speed.

This is the best basic training book I have ever used. Schell and his editors have done an excellent job of providing the reader/user with precise hands on training. If you have Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5 and install the included lesson examples, you are in for a immersive fascinating and at times funny learning experience.

I knew absolutely nothing about Premiere Pro, and within hours I was on my way to creating video. The lessons are very easy to follow in step-by-step format with illustrations. The book also contains sidebars that go into greater depth on the information presented. I totally recommend this book as a first course in editing with Premiere Pro 1.5.

I needed a way to cut together my commercial demo reel, but I didn't have the cash to drop at an editorial shop. So, I picked up Premiere Pro and this book. Within two weeks I'm well equipped to cut together my own reels for years to come.

The book is extremely well written and has a nice conversational tone throughout. The exercises were easy to understand, but are good building blocks for more complex projects.

I generally hate "teach yourself" books, but this one was a rare exception. I can't recommend it enough!

This is my second Hands on Training Book. The first one was very good but this is the best and is the one I was waiting for (This is my first experience with Premiere Pro). It is the ideal self teaching program for learning Premiere Pro 1.5 especially if you have not given the first steps in using the program. After reading the first four clear and easy chapters I could make my first video program. The readings are light and clear and when I start reading a new chapter, it's really difficult to stop reading, especially because you are fascinated with the exercises you are completing with excellent results.

Before ordering this book I ordered "Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5 Studio Techniques" which is an excellent Reference Book, but not the most indicated book for a newbie self paced training program. If you have both books I think you will have the best of both worlds.

Too often, when a good novel makes the transfer from one media to another, the result is less than stellar. How often have you seen a good book make it to the silver screen, only to have the heart and soul of it lost in the translation? I saw that this comic was available for quite a time, but hesitated purchasing it because of what I "knew" was usually done in these situations. However, I weakened because I do enjoy Smith's Libertarian Universe series so much. I was curious too, if truth be known, and besides, I needed a fix of something by LNS.

I am very glad I did!

The artwork is typical of the genre... garish colours, almost cartoonish drawings, but close enough for you to tell who is human and who isn't,... but they are very effective and lovingly drawn. They do the job of presenting the characters involved effectively. If only one artist did all this work, his work ethic is amazing. I would be interested in finding out just how long the project actually took!

The "heart" of the novel, "The Probability Broach" has been kept, especially the heartfelt dialogue between Clarissa and Win just after his forceful interrogation of their Federalist prisoner. This is, I feel, a very key point in the novel/comic, and it is well done. I understand LNS himself had a say in what was presented, and I feel it shows. Even if you have not read the original novel... and who in their sane mind would NOT read the novel?... you get the total overall picture of what the book "means", and what the author is trying to make you understand about Libertarian values. All the important events and characters are presented in the correct sequence.

After I completed the comic version... and it was good enough to get me to read it almost uninterrupted... I couldn't resist, and so broke out the original novel again, and read it for perhaps the 20th time, just to compare. It was good to read it again, but I was satisfied that the graphic novel "does the job" nearly as well. Yes the novel is better, for me, in giving detail and feelings, but the comic version was great too!

I lent the comic to my son-in-law, and he totally enjoyed it, not having read any LNS before. When he finished he asked me if I had the novel. He is presently reading it. But, we are two very satisfied readers of the graphic novel of The Probability Broach. If you are an L. Neil Smith fan, you should get this work of art, simply as a collectors piece. However, I feel you will be very satisfied with its presentation. New readers will be able to see and understand what they should about this particular political viewpoint, and go away happy. I ,for one, wish this were a reality, however, I fear Man's evil nature prevents it. There are just too many "Red Barons" out there who want or need to control others to allow this revolution to take place.

I just hope "The Venus Belt" gets published in this format as well, but I doubt it will. The work involved in producing something like this is worth it for a one-of-a-kind effort, but since no "new" Libertarian values are presented in the second book, the need to publish is simply not there... but, I hope I am wrong.

Having read the novel The Probability Broach, I was very interested in seeing the graphic novel. It was very well done, and compliments the novel well.

I would highly recommend it to any Probability Broach/L. Neil Smith fans.

I had read the novel first, and so I was a bit skeptical when I read the comic version. I was very amazed to see so much from the novel included in the comic version. After reading the comic version, I could not recall that anything had been left out. Very well done and entertaining. The illustrations were well done and quite similar to what I had visualized in my imagination while reading the novel.

In this era of so many comics being turned into big screen movies, I cannot wait for the movie version.

Probably the best book on liberty and freedom has been transformed into a beautifully illustrated Graphic Novel. Scott Beiser teams with the author of the original book L. Neil Smith, to create a new and stylishly updated version of the original novel. Beiser's artwork jumps off the page with depth and clarity, evoking feelings of immersion into this world. If I could dive in and live there I would. Excellent!

This graphic novel has to be considered both as an SF/Action-Adventure story, and as a piece of Libertarian propaganda.

As SF, it's colorfully imaginative, and runs with a theme previously used in L. Sprague De Camp's Wheels of If and the TV show Sliders (with a dash of Ernest Callenbach's Ecotopia thrown in). The story is usually fast paced, but there are a few points where the propaganda acts like an unwelcome speed-bump (as when the medic spends two pages preaching to our Gulliver character about the psychological problems of pacifists who won't bear arms in self-defense). The art is eye-catching, and filled with whimsical background touches (e.g. the cameo appearances by Jimmy Carter, Jimmy Olsen, Peter Parker, and Billy & Mandy).

The Probability Broach is also largely successful as Libertarian propaganda (more successful than the environmental propaganda in Callenbach's Ecotopia, which shares a similar narrative structure). The alternate history of the "over the rainbow" world has plenty of shocks for casual readers, and encourages them to delve with an open-mind into real-world history regarding the Whiskey Rebellion and minor American politicians like Albert Gallatin. More importantly, its alternate world is largely plausible, especially to readers who have already been steeped in the works of Hayek, Virginia Postrel, Ayn Rand, and Milton Friedman, or who have already been persuaded by themes in Reason Magazine or John Stossel reports.

There remain gaps in the argument, though: like most Libertarian fiction, marriage and children seem out-of-place in this world. As in Ayn Rand's fiction, children are typically ignored, or if they appear at all, they enter as though they'd wandered in from a Victorian-era book written for children: the children are thoughtful and well-mannered enough to handle the responsibility of gun ownership or contract law at six years of age, instead of being subject to the kind of wild passions and fits that seem to demand authoritative parenting and restraint. In a post-Columbine world, the idea of gun-toting seven year olds strikes a sour note (though there is a temptation to see the kind of private school system that would avoid creating either Columbine-style pressure cookers of forced attendance, or the petty tortures cited in privately-run British boarding schools like the one depicted in Kipling's Stalky & Co.).

Further, the graphic novel is guilty of card stacking. "Our" world is depicted as one in which every historical example of government encroachment (short of pre-Civil War slavery) is carried one step further. For example, Executive Order 6102 (a Great Depression measure that prohibited "hoarding" of gold) is not only still in force in 1987 (instead of having been repealed on Dec. 31, 1974), but has been expanded to cover other precious metals.

Finally, the propaganda doesn't seem to adequately address why anyone short of a would-be dictator would be tempted away from the Libertarian model. Marxism never arose in the alternate world (Gallatinism swept Europe instead), slave-holders were *talked* into emancipation (by a President who, historically, was one of the few Revolutionary leaders who didn't include a manumission clause in his Last Will), the Plains Indians were apparently quick to reject tribal authority and the notion that their land was Sacred (in the alternate history, Manifest Destiny continued as a series of peaceful trades of land for precious metals and "stock options"), the Tragedy of the Commons never resurfaced (perhaps the alternate world's Confederacy arrived at a common law distribution of property rights for the broadcast frequencies, ground water, and air?), and Freemasonry is the closest thing witnessed to religious extremism.

The alternate world's Confederacy participated in a few variants of the "good" wars, but always via privately raised armies of volunteers, a method that uncomfortably resembles the distinction between 2001's nation of Afghanistan and the "unaffiliated" Al-Qaeda network that it harbored. The novel is gutsy enough to directly address the security question (how does a society that doesn't believe in borders or arms control stop a foreign army from assembling within its borders?), but the answers given seem terribly weak in a post-9/11 context, and remind readers that in real world history, an organized army was able to easily defeat a rag-tag band of farmers in the Whiskey Rebellion.

But despite these open questions, the graphic novel and the society it depicts remain compelling. I look forward to reading the unabridged prose version!

First I would like to say that before a friend introduced me to Ranma I never would have even thought of reading a manga of any kind. Now after reading the first four books I find that I cant wait for the next two I ordered to get here so i can read them and order some more! Rumiko Takahashi is brilliant!

Where do i begin? Oh ok I somehhow reaveal my secret to everyone and my weakness

Ranman 1/2, Volume four is an AWESOME addition to the Ranma series! It is great! It has more excitement, romance, and cool guys!! (Yup, two new male characters who are awesome....plus there's Ryoga and Ranma......) In this book, you also learn Ranma's "weak spot." It's really interesting. You will know what it is if...you read the book!^^The only thing is, Ryoga isn't in this book as much as I'd like...but this book developes more of Ranma's personality, so I won't be mad. Volume four is probably my favorite Ranma 1/2 volume so far (I've read Volumes 1-4). It ends at a cliff-hanger, though. Well, Ranma 1/2, Vol. 4 (actually all Ranma 1/2 books) is really great! I highly reccomend it! Read it!

Well, Ranma gets not one, but two new rivals in this volume. The first is Hikaru Gosunkugi, who wants Ranma out of the way because he wants Akane. What does he do? He decides to offer his services to Kuno! The two join forces to discover Ranma's weak spot! But come on... Gosunkugi's incompetent! How could he learn it? Well, he does, and it turn out to be felines! But Gosunkugi is the least of Ranma's worries... it seems that a certain amazon from China isn't out of his hair like he thought! Shampoo's back, and has a curse of her own, which seeing as it's a cat one, it will probably dampen their relationship. Enter rival no. 2, Mousse, Shampoo's would-be lover, who challenges Ranma to a man to man fight! But with Shampoo's great-grandmother Cologne using a deadly pressure point touch on him, Ranma is stuck in girl form! Ranma now has to beat Mousse and get the cure for his condition! Things get hectic, ending in a cliffhanger, but it's really great stuff. Luckily, now that the book's been rereleased with a cheaper price, it's now more affordable to fans!

Ranma Saotome's life was complicated enough when he just had his turning-into-a-girl curse to deal with. But the fourth volume of Rumiko Takahashi's "Ranma 1/2," Ranma has a new slew of problems -- creepy stalkers, hidden phobias, martial-arts crones, and a girl who won't accept that "no" is his answer.

A new kid has arrived at school: stalkery, cadaverous Hikaru Gosunkugi, who harbors a crush on Akane and deep hatred of her fiancee Ranma. So he begins trying to find out what Ranma's hidden weakness is, but the fearless young martial artist claims there is nothing. Unfortunately, Gosunkugi is spying when Ranma's weakness is revealed -- cats -- and he tries to use it against him... with shocking results.

No sooner has Ranma recovered from his peculiar adventure than the tenacious Amazon Shampoo arrives again. Not only does she have a Jusenkyo curse of her own -- the cat -- but she has her wizened great-grandmother Cologne in tow. Cologne is determined to see Ranma marry Shampoo. And so, as Ranma squares off with a rejected suitor of Shampoo's, the old lady traps him in the body of a girl...

The fourth volume of his gender-bending action-romantic-comedy introduces some important characters. As well as bringing the incredibly persistent Shampoo back, it also introduces wizened-yet-feisty Cologne, and Mousse, a formidable master of hidden weapons. Or rather, he WOULD be formidable if he weren't legally blind.

The fourth volume also has the advantage of showing that Ranma isn't perfect -- up until now, the teenage martial-artist hasn't been slowed down at all, whether by lunatic athletes or ultra-strong romantic rivals. Giving him a raging cat-phobia -- so bad he passes out -- gives him more humanity. As Akane says, "It's cute to have a little weakness."

And speaking of Akane, she gets her first taste of romantic rivalry in this volume, when Shampoo sets up shop nearby. Though both Ranma and Akane claim that they don't even like each other, their mutual hostility towards any rivals is proof enough that they are starting to fall in love. If only Akane didn't freak out, and Ranma didn't insult her.

The fourth volume of "Ranma 1/2" is a pivotal one, adding even more characters to the romantic spiderweb that stretches all over the series. Weird, wild and funny.

A story about a boy who fell into cursed springs, and is now only 1/2 man, the other half...a girl. Which a martial arts theme, a panda for a father, a fiancee that he didn't mean to match up with and loads of characters all seeming to be foe, how can you go wrong?! Althought Ranma 1/2 doesn't have a deep thick plot like anime you might be searching for, its a light read and very enjoying if your just looking for a wacked out anime that will make you laugh. I highly recommend this to anyone who has liked Love Hina, Slayers, Chobits and more! :)

WOW! I think my intro said it all. Ranma 1/2 is awesome, and this book is the best in this series (I have read Volumes 1-5). It is SO GOOD I can't describe it. This book has lots more Ryoga in it (Yea! Yea!), and very interesting events take place. My only question is, where's Gosunkugi??? He's way cool ( :) ). Well, READ THIS BOOK! I RECOMMEND IT AND IT'S SO AWESOME!

I LOVE InuYasha, but could take or leave what I'd seen of the Ranma anime. I still think InuYasha is Rumiko Takahashi's best work, but Ranma's very entertaining. Every volume manages to make me laugh. This one picks up at the end of Ranma's fight with Cologne leaving her so impressed with his skill, she surrenders the prize. Next she tutors Ryoga since her battle has left Ranma vastly improved so that Ryoga has no chance. Of course, Cologne has her reasons. Martial Arts Tea Service vs a monkey follows & the volume ends with a delivery girl race Ranma refuses to lose even though Kuno is the lucky recipient of the meal

Ranma 1/2 is sooo deathly entertaining. I've read both InuYasha and Ranma, and i can't decide between them. For thick plots, InuYasha, for humor, Ranma. But they are both funny, and both have thick plots. Just Ranma is more funny. In this one, Shampoos great grandmother is trying to force Ranma into marrying Shampoo! Aiiiee! lol, gotta read it!

The fourth volume of "Ranma 1/2" ended with Ranma and Akane being menaced by Cologne on a shark's back. And the fifth volume has the old ghoul continuing her efforts to force Ranma to the altar -- along with some interesting new variations on traditional martial arts.

After barely escaping Cologne, Ranma is forced to use his ultimate attack -- cat-fu -- in order to get the Pheonix Pill. Later on, Cologne accidently encounters Ryoga, and offers to train him to defeat Ranma. After Ranma whips Ryoga's butt in front of Akane, Ryoga agrees to be trained by the old woman. Her lesson: the lethal "breaking point" technique, which can shatter a massive boulder with only a touch...

Later, Ranma stops a runaway horse. After accepting some (drugged) tea from the man he rescued, Ranma wakes in a wedding kimono -- turns out that the guy, Sentaro, is the heir of the martial-arts tea-ceremony dynasty. He wants Ranma to defeat his betrothed, so he can get out of marrying her. Ranma isn't sure why Sentaro wants this -- until he finds that "Miss Satsuki" is actually a chimp.

Finally, Akane, Ranma and Shampoo are all signed onto the Miss Martial Arts Takeout Race, with romance or food as the reward. Their goal -- to be the first to take their intact food to the targeted house, and have the occupant eat it. Only it turns out to be Kuno's house. And where better to have a nasty quadruple showdown than in the kendo nut's basement?

The fifth volume of "Ranma 1/2" has solid amounts of what Takahashi does best -- romantic tension, serious fighting, and the weirdest martial arts you can imagine. And plenty of the quirky new character Cologne, who delights in setting up crafty plots to trap Ranma into marriage with her great-granddaughter.

Takahashi also builds on her previous storylines, such as having Ranma newly strong and fast from his endless "chestnuts" training. But it wouldn't be much fun if he didn't have a real challenge -- in this case, the newly dangerous Ryoga. And the scene where the two rivals square off with their newly-acquired skills is wonderfully intense.

But there's no skimping on humour, from Ranma choking down Akane's terrible food ("I can learn to like this slop! I can!") to Sentaro blubbering when he finds out Ranma's true gender. One of the best scenes has poor Ryoga almost getting boiled alive -- again -- and attacking Cologne, only to have her flip him naked onto the floor.

Romantic rivalry and lethal battles make up the fifth volume of "Ranma 1/2," another delightful collection. And remember -- "it will not be you to whom I pledge my love!"

After half a dozen years as a Mac traitor who got dragged kicking and screaming into the Windows-only world at work, I'm retiring from the work world and switching back to Mac-only at home. I waited for about six months for Robin's update for Leopard to be published and it was well worth the wait. While I'm just getting into the book, I can already see that it's going to be a member of my on-desk library of essential Mac reference books. Way to go Robin and John!

I switched to MAC about one month ago, bought the book the next day and found it very helpful. I went through it page by page and it was easy to read and understand and it was more than helpful. I recommend it highly for the first time MAC users.

Can these people write, or can they write? Thier books are always easy to follow, and presented in an entertaining fashion as well. If Robin Williams had written books about all the subjects I so disliked in school, I would undoubtedly have been very well read in all topics.
In a matter of minutes, I was able to unlock a few mysteries about my Mac...in days, I was using the applications without fear or hesitation. And while I am quite aware of how user friendly Macs are anyway, Ms Williams takes away the fears I still tend to harbor. I'm no computer wiz kid, I am FAR on the opposite end of the spectrum. But this book in particular, opened my eyes....from a place of feeling overwhelmed by all the things I KNEW this little box could do(that I didn't think I could) to a world of fun, and confidence. Cool Mac Apps is quickly becoming my favorite book. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn anything about the iLife applications.

Book is very informative, easy to understand and use. I bought this book for school (I don't own a mac), but there were many things I learned about iTunes (only non Mac program I use) I wouldn't have known without reading this book. Definitely would recommend for anyone wanting to get the most out of their Mac.

As we have all come to expect from Robin Williams, this book is written in a clear, precise manor. The illustrations are all very helpful. I particularly like the way the windows of each application are illustrated with details about each item within the window.

I have been using OSX for over two years now and thought I knew my way around each of these applications, but I was able to learn a lot of easier ways to do things . I have also learned that there were a lot of the features that I was not even coming close to using to their full potential. I have been using iCal, iTunes, and iPhoto on an almost daily basis, so these new tips and techniques are a real timesaver for me.

I was really surprised at how much new knowledge I gained on using Safari. I am on the internet on a daily basis and just took the browser for granted. The quick Tips section was very helpful. The section on RSS feeds opened up a whole new world of information for me.

Cool Mac Apps is a must have reference book that every MAC user needs in their personal library. I would give this book an excellent rating!