Articles Books

I first saw these photographs before their publication in book form and they certainly speak for themselves, so I didn't feel a great urgency to buy the book. I didn't know what I was missing! The text complements, rather than explains, the pictures - anything else would have done a disservice to the strength of the images and Jones' brilliance in capturing them. A most worthwhile volume!

Jones' images provide a look onto the soul of people who killed and are about to die for their actions.

When I looked these people in the face from the safety of the outside the pages, I shivered and could almost hear the echoes in the chambers Jones photographed in. These are masterful portraits because they look inside where we think little or nothing exists and reveal what's left of the soul of these people who are waiting to die. Haunting and memorable, Jones' images tell an unforgettable story.

Photojournalists, this is a keeper.

Gary Gladstone

When Emmit Smith was a baby, he wached football because his dad wached it all the time and got him into it. That is why he is so good at running back. First when he got drafted to the cowboys no one knew how good he was. Emmitt talked to the coach and asked if he could play more than he already was. He led the cowboys to 5 super bowls in a row, that shows how good he was. I think kids that are starting football should read this book. That is how you can become a very good football player.

When Emmit Smith was a baby, he wached football because his dad wached it all the time and got him into it. That is why he is so good at running back. First when he got drafted to the cowboys no one knew how good he was. Emmitt talked to the coach and asked if he could play more than he already was. He led the cowboys to 5 super bowls in a row, that shows how good he was. I think kids that are starting football should read this book. That is how you can become a very good football player.

The Judicial Branch of our Federal government plays a vital role which affects our daily lives. Yet most of us don't know much about the appointment term of the Supreme Court Justices.

The book teaches the reader that the Supreme Court Justices are not necessarily appointed for life. Their appointment lasts throughout the time they exhibit "Good Behavior". I believe the Founding Fathers' intention here was to have the Justices be held accountable for their actions but not be hampered by the political and other pressures created by limited terms. An assumption of a lifetime term alleviates the "Good Behavior" condition's intended result.

I enjoyed the fact that the book provides this insight in a tone that is positive and easy to read. I think all Americans would enjoy its contents.

The Judicial Branch of our Federal government plays a vital role which affects our daily lives. Yet most of us don't know much about the appointment term of the Supreme Court Justices.

The book teaches the reader that the Supreme Court Justices are not necessarily appointed for life. Their appointment lasts throughout the time they exhibit "Good Behavior". I believe the Founding Fathers' intention here was to have the Justices be held accountable for their actions but not be hampered by the political and other pressures created by limited terms. An assumption of a lifetime term alleviates the "Good Behavior" condition's intended result.

I enjoyed the fact that the book provides this insight in a tone that is positive and easy to read. I think all Americans would enjoy its contents.

Books published to tie-in with movie releases are a staple of the most sprawling Borders to the airport bookstall. This is no new phenomenon; similar publications were already flourishing by 1914 at the beginning of feature-length and serial productions. Whether reissues of existing novels brought to the screen, or original stories based on a movie, both publishers and the film industry mutually benefitted from capitalizing on each other's product. The plentiful supply of such books over so many decades attests to their rapport with the audiences of both readers and filmgoers.

Despite their endurance, there is little scholarship on movie tie-in books and magazines. In Horror and Mystery Photoplay Editions and Magazine Fictionizations, Thomas Mann provides a major contribution of lasting significance. His investigative skills illuminate the publication, exploitation, and distribution of these tie-ins, even to how they were purchased, read, and sometimes saved by readers.

Mann examines not only book tie-ins, especially the venerable "photoplay editions" of the late 1910s through the 1930s, but also various short story"fictionizations" of the movies, written in popular film magazines at the time of the films' release. These journals were never indexed in their own time, and almost never saved by institutions, who regarded them as ephemeral by comparison with the industry trade journals. Hence the value in Mann's pioneering effort in exploring this untapped resource.

These story magazines, though more apt today to be privately collected than found in library collections, are deeply reflective of film culture. In examining these published versions, Mann offers a fruitful comparison of the surprising fact that often the same movie, such as THE MUMMY (1932), would be retold in a number of different magazines. Moreover, their staff writers came up with strikingly dissimilar narratives, sometimes diverging far from the original screen source. Mann's choice of numerous illustrations from these magazines and photoplay editions help the modern reader to better understand these publishing phenomenon, and how they could lure audiences to the movie theater. Included as an appendix is a reprint of a complete magazine fictionization of the lost 1927 film THE GORILLA.

Not only in his examination of different types of publications has Mann provided a unique contribution, but his focus on specific related genres, mystery and horror, enriches the grounding and insight. The benefits are clear when comparing this volume with other checklists that have appeared, all now outdated save for Arnie Davis's encyclopedic and highly recommended Photoplay Editions and Other Movie Tie-in Books. However, Mann's genre emphasis and his inclusion of magazine stories as well as book tie-ins makes his volume an essential companion piece to Davis's book, for both the collector and bibliographer. Further, Mann's volume is also an essential standalone for the scholar investigating aspects of media reception. For libraries, both public and academic, boasting any significant collection of books on film, Mann's book is indispensable.

Following the 67 page introduction, the catalog of the author's collection spans 100 pages, with over 500 annotated bibliographical listings of photoplay books and magazine fictionizations from the 1910s through 1970. Whatever one's interest within the horror and mystery genres, whether Sherlock Holmes tales, H.G. Wells adaptations, or Lon Chaney films, entries can all be readily located through the comprehensive index.

Thomas Mann (PhD, Loyola University of Chicago) is author of such other publications as The Oxford Guide to Library Research, now in its 3rd edition.

Though the main purpose of the book is to list and describe the author's large collection of photoplay books and magazine fictionalizations from the beginning of the movie industry to 1970, there is also a substantial and entertaining introduction that explains what a photoplay edition is - a novel illustrated with stills from a movie version, either a work the movie was based on or a novelization of a story first on film - as well as reasons to care about them, some of which were a surprise to me. One, they're a useful record of films because in some cases they are the only record of films that are otherwise lost. They become an important record of vanished culture. Two, they're an invaluable primary source for getting a sense of attitudes, anxieties, interests, language, and in general the historical milieu in which they were produced.

Mann offers samples of texts that give the reader (particularly the non-collector) a nice sense of what these publications are like and provides several versions of the opening of different books based on The Mummy to show how differently they sometimes treated the same material. And he even describes and analyzes some of the markings people made in the books - the author's training as a private investigator and document examiner coming into play. As a bonus in an appendix, there's a novelization of a very silly 1927 movie, "The Gorilla" that is now lost except for this textual version and a few stills.

All in all, this book offers a lovely sense of these popular culture artifacts being lovingly preserved by someone who knows how to read them contextually and enjoys the heck out of them. For someone who is a collector, this is a treasure. For someone who never really thought about photoplay editions, this is a real eye-opener.

And how can you resist that cover?

Well worth the price. Just couldn't put this book down. Harrington illustrates exactly how journalism should be. Every journalist, aspiring or professional, should read this book!

This book demonstrates just how well magazine nonfiction can be. The journalists selected are not particuarly well-known, but they are masters of their craft and present highly enjoyable reads. Susan Orlean might be the best-known of the bunch, just because her most recent book, "The Orchid Thief," was highlighted in the 2002 movie "Adaptation."

For starters, Orlean's piece "The American Male at Age 10" was a fascinating look at today's youth. Each piece is outstanding in its own way, but may I also present as standouts "TV Without Guilt" (a family whose television is on approximately 16 hours a day) and "The Man Who Couldn't Read" (profile of an illiterate millionaire with two college degrees).

As a bonus for those with an interest in feature writing, "Author's Afterwords" has the writers briefly describe the process of finding and executing their ideas. But if you are an aspiring writer or just appreciative of quality writing, this book is a must-read.

Had me glued to this book for 3 days! the stories are interesting and very well written, never knew Feng Shui can do so much! can't wait to get started on the 2nd book!

This book is extremely informative yet entertaining and funny. It is a real joy to read. It is both instructive and easy to read.

It is also very well organised into different topics. Each essay or chapter is a subject of its own. You can read a chapter in the middle and then back track to the beginning of the book. Or you could read it from the start to the end.

This is one of the best places to start for anyone looking to pick up on real Feng Shui. Joey demystifies a lot of the superstition attached to Feng Shui as well as clarifies a lot of the confusion relating to Feng Shui.

Loompanics (RIP) was the one-stop shop for books on criminal activity, dropout culture, and other darker weirdness until they recently closed their doors. Some of the books were awful, some weren't. I've read over a dozen Loompanics titles and this one is my favorite. It's a compilation of articles and art featured in the catalog supplements; philosophy and tips from the fringe. Anarchists, libertarians, marijuana, murder, how to squat, drop out, use the catalog as a weapon....

Long Live Loompanics!

First and best of the Loompanics compilations. Some of the articles are reprints from obscure publicartions like "The Libertarian Connection" from the late 60's. Some of it is still relevant today, the article "Apocalypse Soon?" for instance. which is about devout Christians in high places who are seemingly trying to bring about apocalypse in Israel to create the conditions for a supposed second coming of Jesus Christ. There is a bit of irrational paranoia, e.g. someone predicts goblal economic collapse by 1982 and someone else, writing in 1985, declares that America is losing the Cold War because Americans don't have a sense of national identity. A wide variety of opinions are expressed, all of which are interesting.

I rate highly the other Loompanics compendiums also.

Anthony Alfred's, 'A Lost Soul' is thought provoking and moving. 'A Lost Soul' mirrors the hearts, souls, and thoughts of many of us who search for answers, hope, and faith. The author is nothing short of courageous as he co-mingles the details of his own experience with the experiences of those who enter his sometimes dark world. The crystal clear imagery in this quick read stays with you long after you stop turning the pages. If you've ever wondered, "Why does this keep happening to me?", "Why me?" or the like - this book is a must read.

A Lost Soul: A Collection of Poems and Motivational Articles is an collection of rhyming verse poetry and inspirational brief essays such as "You Can Change the World" and "Repetition is Your Karmic Lesson". Award-winning poet Anthony K. Alfred, who first began to write as a form of therapy after surviving abuse at a young age, focuses on calling out to souls that are lost amid misery, fear, and despair. A Lost Soul mourns losses in some poems, grimly speaks of literal and metaphorical death in others, while reaching out to spiritual strength and resilience within in still others. Highly recommended, moving, and emotionally powerful. "When Sadness Comes Pouring Down": How sadness comes down / like a gray cloud out of the clear sky / Oh what a startling surprise / when the rain begins to pour down / with that drenching sound /What was once a bright day / drifts slowly away / on a sail into the bay.

Besides providing a peek at the editor's point-of-view (always useful), this book also gives practical advice for people just starting out in the freelance business. This book has a great deal to offer and would not be a waste of money for anyone interested in writing for magazines.

I strongly recommend that you buy this book. I couldn't put the book down. As useful as it is to read a book from a writer on how to publish magazine articles, it is even more useful to read a book that takes you into the minds of magazine editors. Each chapter is an interview with a different editor. It is like sitting down over a cup of coffee and having a very personal conversation with an editor. Each one reveals different insights into how to write for magazines the right way. Sometimes they differ on points of view, but it is interesting to understand each one's perspective. Editors, who are normally too busy to write each person who has submitted a query letter and explain why it was rejected, offer many explanations in this book. Do you know why so many query letters are rejected? Do you know what pet peeves editors have about writers? Do you know what qualities they look for most in query letters? Do you know how writers can break in at the top magazines? Then get this book!

The annotated guide Marvel Graphic Novels and Related Publications surveying comics, prose novels, children's books, articles and references covers just about everything relating to graphic novels, from cross-overs into DC to special volumes and series presentations, and is a pick for any serious graphic novel library at the specialty or college level. Chapters offer plot synopsis, compare chapters and formats of related materials, and includes comments on artwork and style.

Want to talk about a labor of love? How about trying to catalog and document all of Marvel Comics' graphic novels, trade paperbacks, prose novels, and children's books ever published? That's exactly what Rob Weiner does in this thoroughly exhaustive reference book. Over five years in the making, Weiner gives Marvel fans a one-stop shopping place for information on all of these books published through 2005.

As I paged through the book I was simply blown away by the amount of information inside. I had no idea that there were so many books out there. But of course, in the past decade, we've seen this trend towards preprinting story arcs of varying numbers of issue into book format. Comic fans are no longer merely collectors and some are not collectors at all. They still want to keep up with their favorite characters and buying one book every six months versus having to run to the comic store monthly is simply more desirable for a lot of people and for those people especially, this is a fantastic tool.

What I love about Weiner's layout is that he didn't just decide to list books in alphabetical order but instead he grouped the sections by subject matter or characters. For example there is a section for Marvel's Superheroes with subsections for individual heroes or groups of heroes such as The Avengers, Conan/Kull, Hulk and She-Hulk, Thor, X-Men/Mutants, Wolverine, etc...

Next is the section for special volumes and series like the Marvel Masterworks and Essentials lines and Epic Comics graphic novels, followed by sections for Children's books, Prose novels, Marvel/DC crossovers, guidebook and indexes and more. Nearly 400 page in all and it's all backed up by a comprehensive index or indexes I should say as there are three of them: one for title, one for artist/author, and one for subject making it easy to pickup and find exactly what book you are looking for. There are even three appendices including one for all of the Marvel Superheroes game books and modules published by TSR.

Now if this were just a list that might be good enough but it isn't. Once you look up a book, Weiner provides the artist, writer, year of publication, ISBN#, the issues the book reprints if applicable and a comprehensive summary of the plot. Now I don't know if Mr. Weiner actually read all of these books but it doesn't really matter...there is a wealth of information here that is indispensable for Marvel fans. Extraordinarily researched and meticulously laid out, the book is well worth the $49.95 price tag.