Seasons Books

Very fun issue. Tatsu and Buffy have a very entertaining conversation, a seed is planted for future issues (rogue slayers with guns O_O), and an awesome fake-out near the end (about 13 pages into the issue). Also worth mentioning, I'm continually amazed by the value of this series; nice quality paper and longer than average.

Joss Whedon is back in a big way.

If you've entertained the idea that he might have "lost his touch," get ready to be wrong. Joss scores another 100 points for this one-shot comic, "A Beautiful Sunset," which has a lot of stuff we've been waiting a long time for.

+ Buffy fights the Big Bad of the season for the first time, which is always entertaining. The fight/flying scenes are the best action panels that Jeanty has shown thus far, and the Mid-Fight-Dialogue made my spine tingle. Twilight is worthy of "Big Bad" status in a big, bad way.

+ Qe get a lot of development on the "Satsu Loves Buffy" storyline, and a lot of cool character moments in the beginning and the end (the eye-weller of a scene where the injured Buffy and Satsu lean against a grave after the climactic fight).

+ Also, there's some vamp slayage, something the series has been sorely missing.

Overall, this is what you've come to expect from Joss, the man who brought us episodes like "Becoming," "The Gift," "Chosen," etc. While the issue may not be as BIG as those ones I just mentioned, it succeeds brilliantly in what it is trying to be. It's big on character development, plot-set up, drama, and humor, all of which Joss is the master of. If this is only the fifth episode of the season (figure it out), this is looking to be by far the strongest since Season Five.

Also, I have to give it up to Joss for the "itchy neck" moment. What a great "gotcha!"

10/10 Classic.

*This is the same comic as the regular version, the only difference being this one has a cover by Georges Jeanty instead of Jon Foster. This is the 1:4 variant, so is the rarer of the two*

Comic shops were told to double their orders. People debated "What's going to happen in Issue 12?" online since before #10 came out. It's the first comic we get from one of the series' vets (other than Whedon, of course). Talk about hype.

Well, I'm obviously not going to spoil the big event here, but it's big. Probably not "something we'll be talking about for years" like Jeanty was quoted saying, but it's huge enough for the hype, and it leads to even huger comedy. It looks like "Wolves At the Gate" is going to be a comedy-centric episode, sort of like "Something Blue" and "Tabula Rasa." What I mean is, it doesn't compromise the integrity of the series like "Beer Bad" and "Doublemeat Palace" did, but it still focuses heavily on comedy. We've got Andrew. We've got Xander dealing with his whole "Dracula's Manservant" issue. We've got a sexually awkward situation. All hilarious.

Most of this issue deals with the personal relationships between the residents of the castle, but there is also a lot of action at the end. While the issue didn't flow as well as #11 did, the transitions are quite a bit smoother than those of "The Long Way Home." What we've got here is a solid introduction to the arc with hilarious--and in-character--moments that all push forward all of the character arcs. And can I express how great it is to have vampires taken as a real threat again? I felt that the show lost something in the latter seasons when vampires stopped being serious enemies and became more of a joke, so this is good stuff.

9/10

Again, Spoiler Below!

But first, a preparatory paragraph to hide the big event of Issue No. 12. There had been a great deal of forewarning that something big was going to happen in No. 12. And something unique does happen. It certainly wasn't what I was expecting, though there were hints in No. 11. What happens was actually set up very early in the season, when Amy put Buffy into a magical sleep from which she could only awake by the kiss of someone who truly loved her. Someone did awaken her, but the identity was kept hidden until No. 11.

This is also the beginning of Drew Goddard's sequence in the series. Goddard, of course, has rapidly become one of the better-known scriptwriters on television, though he also recently achieved some renown from having the script he wrote for J. J. Abrams, CLOVERFIELD, made into a movie. Goddard's first work in the business came in Season Seven of BUFFY, during which he wrote some of the better episodes of that season. After the end of BUFFY he went over to ANGEL where he wrote several episodes during that show's final season. He then went over to ALIAS where he wrote a number of superb scripts (including the series finale), and then joined LOST fulltime after that. This represents his first return to the Buffyverse as well as his first comic work, at least that I am aware of.

The next paragraph will contain the spoiler. Let me add that the reason I will give the spoiler in the review is that a couple of people have contacted me before, saying that they enjoy getting the info since they are unable to get the comics where they live (instead waiting for the whole arc in a collected paperback). For me one of the biggest surprises in the big event was that it happened so early in the issue. I got my issue, sat down to read it, and fully expected for "the big thing" to happen on the last or next to last page of the comic. Nope. We get two pages of Xander and the dark-skinned slayer he is romantically interested in, and then you turn the page, and Wham! there it is.

OK, time for the spoiler. We turn the page and what we see is Buffy and Satsu, the slayer who was revealed in No. 11 as being in love with Buffy and the one whose kiss woke her up, in bed together in a state of complete disrobement. Then we get several pages of Willow flying Andrew to the castle and Xander with his slayer on the ramparts of the castle, noticing that a large number of wolves are congregating at the gates (hence the title of this and the next issues). Then we get back to Buffy and Satsu, where it is obvious that their hook up was not something that was planned (at least not by Buffy). And it is not something that Buffy claims she wants to repeat, though she does tell Satsu that she can spend the night. Then immediately ensues the funniest sequence of events in the entire run of Buffy Season 8. As Buffy tells Satsu, "Don't mention this to anyone," Xander plunges into the room with news of the wolves. The cell with Xander holding his hand over his one good eye is hysterical. As Buffy and Satsu attempt to cover up Xander's slayer also enters the room. And hearing the hubbub Andrew (completely in old-fashioned night cap and sleeping gown) walks in, switching on the light. With complete aplomb he says, "Oh, hi Buffy. Hi nude Asian girl." It is a classic Andrew moment. Next, Dawn, who is still a giantess, sees what is happening through the window. Finally, Willow literally crashes through the ceiling (why she does is another story). Though battered and beaten, even she has to ask Buffy, "Why are you naked and in bed with Satsu?"

So, that is the big event. More happens in the issue. Baddies, who possess remarkable shape-shifting abilities, come onto the grounds of the castle and steal Buffy's scythe. And the issue ends with Xander visiting the most famous vampire of them all, one would assume for advice on who the shape-shifters might be.

Obviously, this is one of those things that will have lots of ramifications for future issues. The event itself is almost one of the innumerable slash fictions coming to life. After all, this is canonical since Joss Whedon authorized it. It will be interesting to see what happens next. Will this go anywhere? Buffy insisted to Satsu that it couldn't and perhaps it won't. Buffy is definitely coded in the series as "straight" and I doubt if this changes things much. It isn't as if Buffy has many romantic options. She has always been very difficult to pair up with anyone else. I'm anxious to see the next conversation between Buffy and Willow, not to mention Buffy and Dawn. Time will tell if this was a one-time event with ongoing consequences or if it leads to a real relationship. I doubt it will be the latter. My guess is that Buffy is never going to be happy in a relationship, whether with male or female.

So, all in all, a pretty good issue. It wasn't the kind of Big Event that I was expecting and the overall effect was comic rather than dramatic. Honestly, I was expecting someone to die.

Warning! Littered with spoilers!

I had the option of buying either of the two covers at my local comic book store, but I really disliked this alternate cover. It is rarer, but to be blunt, simply not very attractive.

I really enjoyed this issue. The A plot focuses on Xander and Renee's visit to Dracula, where we learned a great deal about Master and his Manservant. One of the ongoing jokes on BUFFY involved non-homophobic pokes at Xander's sexuality. That is taken to a new level here, where we learn that Dracula and Xander have more of a relationship than we'd have ever expected. It turns out that Xander actually spent some time with Dracula following the death of Anya and after he left the Count apparently missed his servant. There are some pretty funny moments as one realizes that the two like each other more than either would admit.

The B plot deals with the Japanese vampires who stole Buffy's sythe in the previous issue. After learning where the vampires are, Buffy and entire slayer army go off to Japan to confront the vampires and recover the sythe.

There is surprisingly little in the issue about the big event of Issue No. 12, in which Buffy and Satsu were found in bed together, after a bout of passionate lovemaking. Willow and Satsu talk a bit in a nice scene, where Willow tries to minimize any expectations on Satsu's part by explaining the Buffy is, well, straight. After explaining all this in detail, Willow comes right out and asks what Buffy was like in the sack. Despite Willow's insistance on details -- e.g., in making love does she make the same sound she makes when shrieking about shoes being on sale -- Satsu seems determined not to share any details.

All in all, this was another thoroughly enjoyable issue in a superb string of stories. Those who have been keeping up on Season 8 will definitely not be disappointed.

*This is the same comic as the regular version, the only difference being this one has a cover by Georges Jeanty instead of Jon Foster. This is the 1:4 variant, so is the rarer of the two*

Whedon and Goddard rule.

This, as I suspected, it going to be a very comedic arc. This issue is basically set-up for things to come, but it does its job very well. We've pretty much got three things going on at once:

+ Xander and Renee try to enlist Dracula's help. Not only do we get some insight into why Antique happened (as well as confirmation that it is canonical), we also get great Xander/Dracula banter, hilariously pretentious/angry Dracula moments, and even a scene where Andrew explains (with a chalk board and all!) what's the dealio with Dracula and Xander. Loved this.

+ We've also got stuff going on back at Slayer Central, though admittedly not much. Satsu is dealing with the night she spent with Buffy, but Buffy is pretty much not dealing at all. We get some emotional and hilarious stuff from Willow, and the characterization for all the leads in this section of the story is spot-on. Willow's voice has been very weak this season, but this is the issue where I felt it getting stronger.

+ Finally, a few pieces of the story deal with Toru (the main villain of this miniseries) and his vamps. Not going to reveal much, because the scheme they have cooked up is spoileriffic, but it's a really inventive idea.

The art is consistently good at this point. Jeanty seemed to struggle with Toru in Issue #12, but here things are much better. And really... this man draws Dracula perfectly. I'd almost go as far as to say that his depiction of Dracula is his best likeness so far. As far as the characters he's been drawing, I'd say he's improved most with Andrew's likeness. I mean, compare his Andrew in this issue to the almost unrecognizable Andrew from #12. Hell, compare any of this to his work in the earlier issues. Jeanty keeps getting better and better.

This issue of Buffy has me once again waiting with bated breath for the next part of the story, because each of these twenty-two pages burst with laughs and shocks. If you don't laugh at loud at a few moments in this issue, you might want to check your pulse.

9/10

Warning! Multiple spoilers and explicit plot reveals!

The was not merely a terrific wrap up for Drew Goddard's splendid "Wolves at the Gate" sequence in BUFFY SEASON 8, but the best comic so far in the series. Previous episodes had set up multiple plot lines -- Buffy and Satsu's lesbian tryst, the unexpected friendship and connection between Xander and Dracula, the growing attraction between Xander and the slayer Renee, and the main story of the Japanese vampire gang that intended to use the slayer Scythe to strip all of the slayers of their powers -- and this issue resolved them all in amazingly compelling fashion. When the four episodes are collected under one cover as WOLVES AT THE GATE, it will definitely be THE Buffy graphic novel to get, the one closest to a "must own."

There were great scenes on nearly every page of this issue. The first couple of pages where Renee, who had been stabbed through the heart at the end of the previous issue, gradually loses consciousness and then life were compelling, as was Buffy's bracing herself for a long leap through the air onto the back of a witch vampire endangering Willow. And a wonderfully funny sequence where Dawn finds herself confronted by a giant Mecha-Dawn, which spouts things that parody Dawn like, "I cry a lot" follows. Luckily, Dawn is aided by the über nerd of all über nerds, Andrew, who impossibly understands precisely what needs to be done to defeat it.

Not all comic issues can be this good. Previous issues have to engage in set up and scene setting to allow this kind of resolution. But even if the earlier issues did load the bases, this one did deliver the home run that brought them all home. This was not just the best issue in the Buffy series so far; it was the best issue of any comic series that I have read in the past couple of years. Drew Goddard has not, to my knowledge, written for comics before, but I hope to god that this is not his last venture. Since starting off in BUFFY Season 7, in which he wrote or co-wrote many of the best episodes of that season (including "Conversations with Dead People," "Lies My Mother Told Me," and "Dirty Girls"), he has gone on to establish a reputation as one of the great writers on television on ANGEL, ALIAS, and LOST. Ironically, his weakest script to date, filmed by J. J. Abrams as CLOVERFIELD, has brought him the most attention. But the writing here is up there with the best he has done, which is saying a lot. If I were a television executive producer, I'd be putting myself in a position to hire Goddard in two years when LOST comes to an end. (Parenthetically, with Goddard's newfound success as a comics writer and with Brian K. Vaughan as executive story editor, LOST definitely has the most impressive group of comics writers on staff of any show on television.)

And for the answer to the $50 million question, what of Buffy and Satsu? Well, Satsu understands that Buffy is not a lesbian. She stays in Tokyo to work with the slayers there. But not before the two spend a night saying good-bye.

This issue didn't just have a great story. It also had a great promo for Issue No. 16. Somehow, some way Buffy is going to encounter Joss Whedon's first great comics slayer, Fray. Will Buffy travel forward in time? Will Fray travel back? I don't know, but I can hardly wait.

I'll end by saying that Goddard's WOLVES AT THE GATE has completely rekindled my interest in and excitement over this series. I liked the first sequence a good deal and then really, really liked the Faith arc that followed, but this was on a completely different plane. Fans of BUFFY should definitely check WOLVES AT THE GATE out. It will make you miss the television series more than ever.

Easily the best conclusion to an arc so far, which alone justifies the rating I'm going to give it. But there is so much more at work in this book that just makes it a really stellar end to a good story.

We get an inside look at a dying Renee's final thoughts with the first few pages. The tragedy of the thing really hits home for those pages, but we're only given a moment to digest it. It's such an amazing writing technique, and it worked to a T here, giving the whole thing a very surreal feel. What I thought was admirable, and very true to the nature of the show, was that the book didn't lose the comedy in the midst of all the tragedy and intensity. There was a particularly funny moment with Giant Dawn battling a huge "Mecha" Dawn robot, which could have been the biggest flop of all time. I mean, a freaking Giant vs. Robot fight? But seeing the robot imitate Dawn ("I like blue jeans. And irony.") was quite possibly the funniest moment of Season Eight. And Andrew, knowledgeable as he is in the field, coached Dawn through the entire thing. Gold.


And speaking of ______est moments, Dracula fighting Toru was such a great moment, and totally sells Dracula as a character I'd be glad to see recurring. Talk about taking an arc to the next level at the eleventh hour. There's a lot more too. I'm purposely not really delving into much of what happens in the issue, because that's something you'll need to see on your own. Just some stuff to look forward to:

+ We finally find out a little about the Snake Lady from #10

+ A very Buffy-like end, that definitely would have a song playing over it (think the end of "Seeing Red")

+ Xander growing as a character

+ Vampire slayage


At least as good as "Anywhere But Here," maybe as good as "A Beautiful Sunset." As near to perfect writing as we've seen. Great, great issue.

10/10 Classic.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, Issue 2 continues the tale after the destruction of Sunnydale. A giant Dawn is still uptight about her bossy slayer sister, Zander's now in charge of the organization, and a major plot point is revealed halfway through the issue. Amy is back, working with the government and lets say she's one taco short of a combination plate.

I really loved the cover art. This is one reason I didn't wait for the omnibus that is coming out in November. Plus, I couldn't handle waiting. I also like the twist in the relationship of Buffy and Zander. I hope Joss Whedon explores this issue more in future issues.

Buffy fans will be expecting a lot after seven stellar seasons on television and the success of the first issue of "Season Eight." So the question here is this: Does Issue #2 deliver?

In short, yes. I have to say though--there is so much going on, so many jokes, and so much foreshadowing that I wasn't able to completely enjoy the Jossy goodness until my second read. The first read intrigued me, but the second wow-ed me.

The plot continues directly from the previous issue. Amy (the former rat) is working with the government to take out Buffy and the slayers, and she has an army of zombies to back her up. The ending sequences are amazing--I'm already itching for May 2nd to come so I can get my hands on the third issue. There was a big revelation about half-way through the comic, and clues to who the Big Bad of the season will be as well. Giant Dawn is great, Buffy is true to herself, and Xander is playing the biggest role he's played since the first season.

This issue also re-introduces two fan favorites: Giles and Andrew. So, all in all, this issue is just as good as the first. But did anybody expect anything less? I mean, come on--Joss Whedon wrote it.

9/10

This is the variant cover issue of issue No. 6 in JOSS WHEDON'S SEASON EIGHT of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. I vastly prefer the regular cover, which shows Faith at her attitudinal best, holding the can with which she spray-painted "Faith" over "Buffy" in the title. Although contrary to popular mythology there was never a Faith series that Elisa Dushku opted against in order to star in TRU CALLING, there had been some initial discussion of doing such a series before the other project made her unavailable. One still wonders what direction that show would have taken, but this initial issue shows just a little of the potential that series would have held. As fascinating a character as Faith was, we never learned too terribly much about her backstory. We know that she was from a broken home in the Boston area, but not much more than that.

One episode of ANGEL explored the new world in which there are many slayers. In that episode Angel had to go up against a slayer who was insane. In this new episode Giles recruits Faith to go up against a slayer who is apparently evil. Frankly, I expect a twist of some sort, but at this point the slayer, an aristocratic young lady in Great Britain, clearly is serving the interests of a warlock. Why we don't know but Faith has been commissioned with the job of killing her.

I really liked this episode a lot. I loved the first five issues, but if I had a complaint with them it was that they tried to work too many familiar characters into them. The stories had, I felt, a bit too much content for the number of pages allotted. But here there was a near perfect balance between story and content.

This issue was written by Brian K. Vaughan, which is interesting for a host of reasons. One of the most gifted comic writers around, one of Vaughan's greatest creations was The Runaways, which he did for Marvel. Anyone familiar with BUFFY could have guessed that the TV series was the major influence on The Runaways, something that Vaughan has confirmed in interviews. So it seemed appropriate that when Vaughan ended his work on the comic that Joss Whedon would take over. And now Vaughan has come over to write this new Faith arc for Whedon. They have formed a wonderful mutual admiration society and should -- please dear God bring this about -- Whedon tire of comics and finally get back to television as he ought, I'm certain that Vaughan might get an opportunity to write for a new medium. The great news is that so far both Vaughan and Whedon are doing a wonderful job of honoring and carrying on each other's creations.

In short, this continues to be a remarkably good series. And as a huge fan of BUFFY I continue to find this new season of my all time favorite show (along with BATTLESTAR GALACTICA) to be enormously satisfying.

*For those of you not well versed in comics, this variant edition of Buffy #6 is simply the same comic with a different, slightly rarer, cover.*

This was by far and away the best issue of Season Eight so far. But let's back track a little before we get too ahead of ourselves.

There has never been a Faith-centric episode before in either "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" or "Angel." I hear the gasps now. "What about Revelations, Bad Girls, Sanctuary, Orpheus, Who Are You, or Dirty Girls?" I see your point, guys. Faith was a major character in those. But those episodes aren't Faith-centric the way that 'The Zeppo' is Xander-centric, and 'Real Me' is Dawn-centric. See, in those Faithy episodes, we mostly just see Faith through other people's eyes. 'Who Are You?' is the exception to that, but even in that episode, we just see Faith simultaneously trying mess up/live Buffy's life. But here, we get a full on Faith-centric story, with the Bad Girl herself as the main character. That went on a little longer than I thought it would, for the record.

About the comic. It's, as they say, gold. The story was told perfectly, without the sometimes confusing transitions that made up "The Chain" and were sometimes present in "The Long Way Home." Each scene is given ample time to play out, and--instead of huge, swooping revelations and the return of old characters aplenty--what Vaughan concentrates on here is the subtle way each character's personalities reveal themselves when said characters talk to each other. The best examples of this are the Faith/Giles scenes in this issue: In a few short pages, so much seems to happen between these two characters. He gives her a mission (introducing the main plot of this arc), he trains her (and he SPOILER: gets stabbed by her with a SPOILER: fork), and the two of these characters connect and relate to each other in a way that they never have on the actual show.

The Buffy/Xander scene is interesting, but doesn't reveal much. It's funny, because I--and many other Season Eight readers--were under the impression that black borders on a page mean that it's a dream sequence. However, the Buffy and Xander conversation, black borders and all, seems utterly real. There was no indication whatsoever that the conversation was part of a dream; my only guess is that it was black-bordered because, perhaps, Buffy talks to Xander about dreams that she HAS been having, but other than than, I'm coming up with nothing.

Reading this felt like watching an episode of Buffy. The art was atmospheric and spot-on. The panelling of the issue was interesting, and really different than that of Issues 1-5. And different is always intriguing. There was more use of the empty white space in some pages, and I liked that. The scene with Lady Genevieve is particularly beautiful, and it makes me realize how much I missed Georges' art. About what I mentioned before though. Giles' shirt. It's just.... no. Really, really no. Please, never again Georges.

Now, this is usually where I start to get into the downside of the comic, but turns out that there really isn't any. All I have as of complaints is something about Giles' attire that I'll bring up in the ART section, but everything else here seems perfectly fine. Vaughan's writing is perfect in capturing the characters, and he clearly is a great comic-script writer. If I were to say anything I didn't like about this issue, it wouldn't be part of the story. It's actually something that I read in the "Slay the Critics" section. Someone wrote in to ask the question many of have been debating on since the release of Issue #3. "If Warren didn't die, how could The First Evil take on his form in Season Seven." Joss himself actually stopped in to answer that question. His answer is, and I quote, "He was legally dead for like a second. Amy didn't tell him 'cause she didn't want to upset him. I forgot, okay?!" One thing I've always admired about Joss Whedon is the attention that he gives to continuity, and I admit that it's very big of him to admit his error. However, I think he could've explained it away much better and made the fans much happier than the way he answered it. Warren very plainly tells Willow in Issue #4 that her "Bored now" were the last words he heard of his human life. Well then. Joss simply could've said that the fact that Amy's magic--not at all a human, or living, function--was sustaining Warren, and that he--like a vampire--was to be considered UNDEAD. That would allow for him to be the walking, talking thinger that he is AND for The First to appear as him. But oh well. There's our answer.

Oh, by the way, that in no way is meant to be an insult to Joss. I love the guy. Hell, I'm known for putting the smack down on anyone who disses him. I just kinda felt we deserved a better explanation than that, is all.

But, about the actual comic itself, it's great. Really great. Up until today, "The Long Way Home part 3" was my favorite issue of the series. Well, it's just moved to second place, because "No Future For You part I" rocks out with its youknowwhat out.

9/10

This book is a wonderful resource for anyone who loves to grow bulbs, whether indoors or out. The authors list the bulbs by genus and includes additional information such as the best species for all relevant USDA zones. The book also explains techniques for outdoor planting and indoor forcing, in addition to suggesting planting combinations. Overall, this book has made an irreplaceable addition to my gardening library.

This book is a wonderful resource for anyone who loves to grow bulbs, whether indoors or out. The authors list the bulbs by genus and includes additional information such as the best species for all relevant USDA zones. The book also explains techniques for outdoor planting and indoor forcing, in addition to suggesting planting combinations. Overall, this book has made an irreplaceable addition to my gardening library.

i read this book cover to cover and it just arrived yesterday.
i could not put it down. being to young to actualy have any rememberance of the acual event, this book takes you and puts you there, giving you a great feeling of what it must have been like, for the fans & the players. i have read bums, boys of summer, the last good season & this book here. they are all great and i would have to give this book 5 stars..it is a little on the expensive side now that it is out of print and in such high demand but it is definitley worth every penny.
i have added this to my collection and it is a perfect complement to my magazine "who's a bum" the 40th anniversary of the 1955 brooklyn dodgers"..you get that magazine and this book and you got it all!! BUY IT IF YOU CAN!!!!

In 2004, the Boston Red Sox finally broke their long standing curse and won the World Series. In 1955, a similar event occurred. The Brooklyn Dodgers, who had won many more pennants than the Red Sox, finally defeated their longtime nemesis, the New York Yankees, in the World Series. It was a time of enormous rejoicing in Brooklyn, but in many ways it was the last hurrah. Changing demographic patterns had led to a consistent decline in attendance at Ebbets field, and in a few years, they were the Los Angeles Dodgers. Furthermore, Ebbets field had been leveled, so both aspects of the team in Brooklyn were nothing but memories.
This book is an account of that wonderful season, where all of the memories of previous defeats were erased. It starts with a recapitulation of the failures, the greatest of which was the collapse in 1951, where the Dodgers led the Giants by 13 ½ games in the early part of August. They ended the season in a tie and in the third playoff game, Bobby Thompson hit a home run to send the Dodgers home for the winter.
It is also an account of how the Brooklyn people felt about the Dodgers. When I watched the fine Ken Burns video on baseball, some of the interviews were with people who grew up in Brooklyn and worshipped the Dodgers. This book captures the passion that those people felt for their team, and how in many ways, it was also America's team. When Jackie Robinson became the first black to play in the major leagues, it was for the Dodgers. For years after the color barrier was broken, the Dodgers continued to lead in having black players, so blacks all over the country considered the Dodgers to be their team.
There are some events in baseball that will stand forever, and the Red Sox victory in 2004 will be one of them. However, given the number of times they had played in the World Series and lost, the Dodger victory in 1955 probably surpasses the Red Sox in terms of breaking the pattern of failure. This is especially true when you factor in the fact that it was truly a climax, as shortly after, the Brooklyn Dodgers and their stadium were no more. But, it was truly a joy ride while it lasted, and this book is a wonderful description of an extraordinary season. It is a classic in the history of baseball.

It is a shocking reality that gives you entire understanding about amazon and its' people and environment. You will get lost in this beautifully written very sad real story. Thanks to andrew revkin. This book seriously today, needs stronger marketing to reach out to more people especially to the big-heads who runs the global economy and money. One thing that is very important for our world: This book tells a story that still continues today and will unfortunately continue in the future, for this reason mr. revkin needs to update the book and continue writing about what has been happenning there now! Because even after the loss of Chico Mendes, things are still hot there, his soul never gave up I believe. And now Ms. Marina Silva quit her position recently and we want to know how things are going to shape for the future of brazil. If ever this reaches to mr. revkin. Must-read book.

This book is a tremendous education about Chico Mendes,and all the political and personal efforts to protect the Brazilian Amazon. If you are interested in this subject, upon reading this book its almost like finishing an excellent college course on it.

Chico Mendes was born into a poor, rural Amazonia family of rubber trappers and from these very humble beginnings educated himself and worked his way to becomming a worldwide focus of attention on the plight of the Amazon rainforest and it's guardians. Like Ghandi, he was a charismatic selfless leader of the poor that faced the continual violent opposition, here from ranchers and the corrupt local militia, and he also responded with successful non-violent actions.

This well researcherd book provides and important perspective from the Brazilians. It is their country and the whole world has been making demands on their Amazon forest because of it's global importance both environmentally and economically. Imagine the political stuggle in the United States if all of Europe and Asia were trying to get us either to save all the forests of the Pacific Northwest (or the grasslands of the plains, or the forests of the east)or some of them were paying us money, and foreign aid to build roads to increase logging or improving the agricultural output of the area. The development and struggle to manage the land use of the Amazon is very complex and the author, Andrew Revkin has illustrated it well.

I have always wanted to protect the Amazon, its forests, birds and animals but I now also see the importance to protect it's people both indigenous and the extractive specialists that Chico Mendes had represented. This book has shown how difficult that is with the pressure of the needs of all the other citizens of Brazil.

An excellent book, you will be glad you have read it.

This is surprisingly a great book. It is a shame that it is out of print. Tasha Tudor is of course the queen of all gardeners, but Ms. Guest's book is quite good and she does have some marvelous tips and hints on gardening from her massively wealthy Tempelton estate, in Old Westbury, Long Island. And on top of this, she has good taste and style which we can all learn from. To bad that her publishers didn't do a good job in promoting her, but perhaps there is another book in the works and she will reach the stardom that she rightfully deserves in the gardening world. As Ms. Guest constantly reminds us, Plan Plan and Plan ahead for a successful garden. Take this book out of the library, if you can't buy it. You will greatly enjoy it.

This is surprisingly a great book. It is a shame that it is out of print. Tasha Tudor is of course the queen of all gardeners, but Ms. Guest's book is quite good and she does have some marvelous tips and hints on gardening from her massively wealthy Tempelton estate, in Old Westbury, Long Island. And on top of this, she has good taste and style which we can all learn from. To bad that her publishers didn't do a good job in promoting her, but perhaps there is another book in the works and she will reach the stardom that she rightfully deserves in the gardening world. As Ms. Guest constantly reminds us, Plan Plan and Plan ahead for a successful garden. Take this book out of the library, if you can't buy it. You will greatly enjoy it.