Beck Books

As long as the words pour from the heart you will always be able to see sadness and beauty in true Art.

This is a good quick read,and it is sick and twisted. However I can't but wonder would the character in the book would have not became a transexual had he not been molasted by some pervarted, religious, demononic man. This makes me believe that people are not born gay, but are introduced to this behavior at an early age and their subconcious mind makes them believe this is what is normal along with other sexual demon predators. Watch your children at all times even with the people you think you may know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I remember trying to read this book on the train years ago and I just couldn't get into it. Actually, I didn't know what the heck I was reading. Now reading it today, giving it a second try, I couldn't take my face out of this book. I read this book in less than a week. The epilogue was soooo sad. Otis was trying to find love everywhere and struggling with his sexuality. All of the things he saw and been through. The family seemed to be alright until his money hungry mother pressured the family to move to Chicago. Thats when everything started. This book is a must read and I do recommend it to anyone.

The only negative thing I have to say about this book is the NUMEROUS amount of typos. Words were even missing from sentences at times. Sometimes nearly the entire sentence was filled with big words that I (personally) didn't understand. Other than that its still a 5 star.

Not for the weak at heart. Beck is much more graphic than he was in "Pimp..." in this tale of the tragic fall of a black family in the Chicago ghetto of the 30's as told by the youngest child who is fighting a losing battle against his own homosexuality. This one gave me a few sleepless nights but I couldn't resist coming back for more.

Wow. What dude went through was rough. Abused since he was a youth. It just wasn't right. Great book. Nuff said.

I thought this book was extremely well-written. It is very clear and I found it to be very motivating when it came to weight loss. I have had problems attempting to implement the described methodology, however. Buying the cards of this size and that size and putting together all the supplies was fun, but I just stalled out at that point. Went back and re-read portions of the book, but once again found myself doodling and otherwise procrastinating on list making, card creation, etc. Perhaps it means that I just don't want it enough -- I don't know. Maybe things will go better after the holidays? I hope?

Can you just "think" yourself thin? Dr. Judith Beck certainly seems to think so and shows you how you can do it in this new book that follows up on her bestselling Beck Diet Solutions program. Her "cognitive therapy" approach for helping people lose weight zeroes in on the mind's role in the dieting process.

While most diet books tell you what to eat and when (and this one offers some of that, too!), the primary purpose is to train your mind to start playing a more active role in your life, consciously making choices with a reason behind them and being confident about those choices. While the book is tailored for people desiring weight loss, what you'll soon realize is the principles Dr. Beck teaches can and will apply in just about every area of your life, too.

And that's one of the things that makes this book "complete" as it pertains to managing your diet and health in a way you've never thought about before.

This is not the weight loss book for you if you're looking to shed weight quickly to, say, get into a bikini. But it is the weight loss book for you if you want to be able to get into that bikini next year and the years after that.
Dr Beck's 5 step plan helps uses cognitive therapy to help you plan out your meals with an eye towards how to achieve and maintain your weight loss. There's no weeks of cabbage soup or weird combinations of veggies with certain spices, just a simple, sensible guide to achieving and maintaining weight loss.
So if you're looking for a long term weight loss solution that doesn't surgery or weird foods, this is the book for you.

Dr. Beck's program is designed to get the REALLY overweight who have totally lost touch with good eating habits back on track. It seemed to me to be a lot of work and not for those who overindulged at say Christmas or Thanksgiving. It's for people who lack the self-discipline to lose weight on their own--people who need a daily accounting of every minute of exercise and every mouthful of food. I believe it will be most useful for people for whom losing weight has become life or death. Dr. Beck's program requires immense amounts of energy and focus, and I believe that a person who follows it will indeed succeed in losing weight and developing healthier habits. It is amazingly detailed and thorough, and not just a diet plan. It addresses the thought patterns of people who have lost control of their eating and includes actions and affirmations to be used when that kind of thinking kicks in--oh yes--cognitive therapy!

Dr. Beck's qualifications are impeccable and her program is well researched. Over-eating is caused by a variety of emotional and physical circumstances and this book will be a life saver for people who fall into the category for whom it's written.

This book has A LOT of list making, flash cards, affermations, etc. I started to map out the time it would take to impliment this program and found that it would occupy A LOT of my day/time/thoughts. My problem with eating is partly my OCD tendancies to obsess over thinkning about foods I can/cannot should/should not eat. I was hoping, based on the description, that this book would help free my mind from this preoccupation and allow me to think like a "normal" person about diet and exercise.

Instead I think this book paints an even more obsessive path to my goal weight. I understand that for some people, this kind of workshopping style would help them, but I want to warn that this style is not a help to someone already obsessed with thoughts of "dieting" or good food/bad food.

For someone with mindless eating as their problem, this book may work very well for them. For gals like me, it would just take up even more time that should be spent solving stress issues and finding motivation in NOT obsessing.

If you find yourself at the bottom of a cheetos bag saying, "how did I get here?" I would give this book a try; if you get to the bottom of the cheetos bag and think, "that is 957 calories because 4 fell on the floor and the dog ate them," I would look to a different book for guidance.

At first I was hesitant to purchase this book because I thought it consisted of nothing but photographs. It's not that I have anything against that, but I also like to have text accompanying the pictures. For a few months, I kept contemplating purchasing it when it saw it in various bookstores. When I actually made the opportunity to flip through the book, I discovered the author also conducted interviews with people who worked with Elliott and were in his life. I was also highly encouraged by another fan to purchase the book because he said it was spectacular, so I did just that. As soon as I purchased it, I went home and started looking at the photographs, which are exquisite. I also really enjoyed reading the interviews. An extra bonus included a CD consisting of five live tracks, one of them being a cover of a famous country song. I urge any fan of Elliott Smith to purchase this book, especially those who think they already have "everything" in their collection. "Elliott Smith" by Autumn de Wilde is a delight!

The pictures in the book are so incredible and definitely bring you back to XO times. It took me awhile to finally buy it, but I would not hesitate. This is a great purchase!

This Elliot Smith book is really cool. It has tons and tons of pictures, but not a whole lot of text. It also comes with a awesome live cd with around five songs.

Coming from Autumn De Wilde, This book gets as close as it gets to Elliott Smith's photographical side. There are a lot of formal dedications including a foreword by Beck. I also enjoyed the 4 song live CD that was included with the book. I wish the CD had more tracks on it.

Elliott Smith was perhaps the greatest Indie singer/songwriter of his generation. His unresolved murder/suicide at the age of 34 in 2003 catapulted him into iconic status. It abruptly ended a career that had begun to take off. Autumn DeWilde shared a personal friendship as well as a professional working relationship with Smith, released Elliott Smith, which is basically a series of intimate and touching conversations between Elliott's close friends and family that we have the privilege to listen(read) in on. Many speaking for the first time since his death. Because DeWilde was a personal friend of Elliott's, I think that we have to respect the fact that this is her book, not ours. It is going to read more like she is relating to Elliott because she knew him, and not just an informal biography about Elliott. After understanding that it is easier to appreciate and understand the book's perspective. Complementing the text are glossy black and white and color photographs that DeWilde shot of Smith throughout his career. Extremely fascinating and revealing, this book provides a unique perspective into the man whose music many have come to appreciate and love. DeWilde directed Smith's Son of Sam music video, and shot the cover art for his fifth album Figure 8. For a man many know only too well through his music, this book brings a fascinating "behind the scenes" perspective to his life. Besides his music, this is perhaps as close to the man that we will come to know. Reading about his friends and family talk about Smith, you begin to feel like you knew him as well, that you're sharing stories with old friends reminiscing about the night before he appeared on national television for the Oscars, the stories behind the music, or specific conversations that you had. Like his music, this book is a collection of memories, priceless memories. For those unfamiliar with his work, this book will not be as powerful or interesting as it will be for fans. Smith was a complex artist and human being, his personal life and music were not separate, they were one. This is not a biography on Smith, it is a series of conversations and interviews between Smith's closest friends and family. For fans familiar with his music, this book is a must have. I walked away after reading this book with a ton of information that I didn't know before. Considering that I never knew him personally, I even felt like I understood him a (little) better. The beautiful photographs alone are worth the price of the book, containing never before seen images of Smith. Haunting portraits that capture the man in all his glory; the photo shoot from the Figure 8 cover shooting; even handwritten lyrics on the backs of receipts. Yet we also get a series of revealing interviews and conversations that begin to flesh out the man and gives deeper insight into the life of this deeply troubled and gifted artist. The book is a celebration of their friendship and perhaps brings some closure to their relationship as well. I respect that, and I think we are fortunate DeWilde chose to share these at all. Thanks. DeWilde lets us in on this event. Looking at the haunting and beautiful images of Smith, there are many images that come to mind. Silently looking at Smith, you can hear his music playing in the background. This book because it leaves you with a tasted wanting more. Among those interviewed are: Beck Hanson, Ben Gibbard, Chris Walla, Autumn De Wilde, Joanna Bolme, Sam Coomes, Neil Gust, Ashley Welch, Margaret Middleman, Larry Crane. It is no secret that Elliott Smith lived a troubled life. I feel that this book gives you just enough without getting overly personal with respect to Elliott Smith and his family and the problems that he had in regards to drug abuse/depression. I think that this book could have gone a certain way in violating his privacy and instead it shows a tremendous amount of respect. I know that it is the gritty details that are the most fascinating, but I think that there is a fine line to respecting what someone else would like and what people are comfortable talking about. This book balances that perfectly. Contained within the book is a previously unreleased compact disc recording of Elliott Smith "Live at Largo" in Los Angeles. Contains four tracks: Angeles, Between The Bars, Clementine, Clouds(Quasi cover), All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down(Hank Williams Jr. cover). Intimate, touching, fascinating, and perhaps like his music- timeless. Recommended.

Book had a little wear on the cover but other than that, Excellent book. Thanks.

I purchased this book for a class, it was the textbook we used. It was interesting and seemed to encompass a fair amount of history. I do wish he'd expanded more on the history of computer animation, but it's pretty extensive in and of itself.

The book I ordered was in perfect condition and delivery right away. I got it about half the amount of business days I was supposed to get it. Plus the book isn't mind-numbing to read as it's about the coolest subject ever.

When I think of the history of animation, I tend to divide things into three periods: The Golden Age, noted for early Warner Brothers cartoons and the classic Disney movies such as Snow White and Fantasia; The Age of Mediocrity, where creativity seemed to reach its nadir, as seen most notably in the bland Hanna Barbera cartoons; and the Modern Era, with the resurgence in cartoon creativity, which, starting with The Little Mermaid in the movies and the Simpsons on TV, animation reached a new level of popularity and respectability. Leonard Maltin's book, Of Mice and Magic, shows that my own view of cartoon history is roughly correct but also overly simple: there was plenty of mediocrity in the Golden Age and plenty of decent stuff in the Age of Mediocrity.

Maltin starts off with a chapter about the silent era, when animation was just beginning. Over time, experience would refine the process, but the big leap would occur with sound, in particular with Walt Disney's Steamboat Willie featuring Mickey Mouse. After the silent era chapter, there are chapters that serve as "biographies" of the major animation studios, starting with the biggest of them all, Disney.

The Disney characters are among the most popular in cartoon history (or film history in general). Mickey Mouse may have been the biggest name, but he didn't have much of a personality, so he started being pushed aside in favor of more developed characters, especially Donald Duck, the first major Disney character with any sort of edge. In fact, this is a constant theme in the book: that the weakest cartoons from any studio were the ones that featured characters with no distinct personalities.

Success would often come with the most offbeat and edgy characters, such as Donald Duck, Bugs Bunny, Popeye and Daffy Duck. But some of the studios had a mercenary nature that would put quantity ahead of quality; probably the worst in the bunch was Terrytoons where good cartoons were the exception, not the rule. Although even Terrytoons would have some memorable characters - in particular, Mighty Mouse and Heckle & Jeckle - even many of the cartoons featuring them were not very good (which is why in the world of cartoons, the Terrytoons characters will never outshine even some of the Disney or Warner Brothers second-stringers).

Space limitations prevent me from going as in depth on this subject as I would like, but suffice it to say that after reading this book, I still do feel justified in defining an Age of Mediocrity. It was not that every cartoon in that period was bad, but the good ones were few and far between and classics were very rare indeed. The Age of Mediocrity was filled with bland cartoons that were more cute than funny, often repeated the same gags over and over again, and had few remarkable characters.

What about what I call the Modern Age? It would have started right after this edition of the book was published (1987), so it is understandably, but sadly omitted. Also missing is any real look at TV cartoons, so Bullwinkle, Underdog, Yogi Bear and the Super Friends, among others, are only mentioned in passing. Maltin admits up front that this book won't cover these TV cartoons, nor non-American products, hence the omission of international fare such as the Italian Fantasia-like movie, Allegro non troppo.

The strengths of this book, however, far outweigh the shortcomings. While my opinions sometimes differ from Maltin's on the quality of various cartoons, these are a matter of individual taste (overall, he tends to go easier on the films than I do; for example, he has a more favorable opinion on the UPA cartoons than I do); besides, this book is more of a history of cartoons than a critique of them. In addition to good writing, we gets lots of pictures (only a few in color) and an extensive filmography for all the chronicled cartoon studios.

You probably need to be a certain age (probably at least 30) to fully appreciate this book, as younger readers may not have really grown up with these cartoons and may not have even seen them as adults (and since many of these cartoons were geared only to kids, they would not even have much appeal to those over 10). But if you remember these cartoons and look back at them with fond nostalgia, this is a great book.

I found this book to be an excellent reference source for cartoons produced to be shown in theaters. However, entitling it "A History of American Animated Cartoons" is not exactly truth in advertising. I think most people (except for perhaps some obsessive purists) would agree that the cartoons produced for television from the 40/50's onward would also be considered American Animated Cartoons. But none of these great cartoons (i.e., Gumby, Beany and Cecil, Clutch Cargo, Hanna-Barbara's Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, Pixie & Dixie, and others through the present) are included here in any detail. Also missing from the appendices of studio output are the more obscure products like Warner's Private Snafu and other animation produced for corporate clients. Mr Maltin would do cartoon lovers well by commissioning a second volume to complete the story.

Although this crime novel was written in the 60's, it's still current, and yes, amazingly it doesn't feel outdated at all. It pulls you and you just have to keep on reading. You might at times get stressed thinking how come it takes so long to do this or that because we forget it happend in the 60's and there was no DNA testing back then, no mobil phones, not even fax machines! And still it is well written and the story really catches you.

You can't beat Sjowall and Wahloo for police procedurals. This book is pretty old, but great on the 4th (and 5th and 6th) reading. Great service and price on these reissues. ~ Anne, DC

For those who have read all of Commisar Wallender's cases there are two directions to go in. One is forward, to Icelandic author Arnaldur Indridasen, another is backward in time to the mysteries of Sjöwall and Wahlöö. both paths should be taken! S & W write clearly in a psycho-sociological vein that must (as he admits) have influenced Mankell. In S & W there is less introspection on the part of Inspector Beck, and no parallel description (until the end) of the mentality of the criminal. But like Mankell, the criminal paints a clear psychological picture of why he acted as he did. I'm now reading my second S & W, have bought four.

This review is based on the Norwegian translation of Roseanna.

I've long intended to check out the 10-book Martin Beck series by Swedish husband/wife team Per Wahloo and Maj Sjowall, and the 40th anniversary of this first book in the series seems like a good excuse. For some reason, some readers seem to think the book takes place in the '70s or late '60s, but it was written in 1963-4, published in Sweden in 1965, and appeared in English in 1967. The story begins with the discovery of a woman's corpse in Lake Vattern in central Sweden, roughly equidistant from Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Oslo. The police from the nearby town of Motala start investigating and when it's established that the woman was strangled, the homicide experts from Stockholm are called in.

Enter Martin Beck, a chain-smoking homicide detective roughly in his late 30s. Beck is a classic example of the workaholic policeman that one can find in crime fiction and film the world over. He barely speaks to his wife and children, and prefers long hard hours at the office to a home life that offers him nothing. It's such a bleak portrait that the reader is hard-pressed to imagine Beck's marriage (or lungs) surviving the series. The story is a very straightforward, and almost dry procedural account of the case. The first problem the team encounters is in identifying the victim, as she doesn't match any missing persons reports and as part of the route for touring the Gota canal system, Lake Vattern is a high-traffic tourist area, with lots of tour boats coming through. The second hurdle is that once she is identified, months have passed, and tracking down everyone who was on her tour cruise and taking statements proves very difficult. Finally, even once a suspect is identified, there's no physical evidence or eyewitness, so Beck and his laconic team must somehow force the murderer into revealing himself in another way.

As a procedural, this is a very strong book, illustrating all the police methodology available at the time. It also does a good job of showing how important it is for the detective to form a psychological portrait of the victim, a concept that was not particularly widespread forty years ago. The combination of procedure and psychology make for a decent crime novel, although the bone dry prose isn't going to enthrall anyone. The authors famously said that their books were intended to challenge conventional Swedish morality, and without revealing anything, the murder and motive in this book are clearly built around this premise. A solid beginning to a promising series.

This book was made into a film twice in Sweden, once in 1967, and again in 1993. Sadly neither of these appear to be available in English in any format.

facts are what we need." Crane Wilbur

Facts are few and far between for Detective Inspector Martin Beck in "Roseanna". A girl's body is found by a dredger in a lock near Sweden's Lake Vattern. The body is naked and there are no clues as to her identity and the reasons for her death. Martin Beck is called up from Stockholm to assist the local authorities in their investigation. Through a process of time-consuming grunt work and dogged determination Beck and his colleagues try first to find the pieces to this jigsaw puzzle of a mystery. They first have to identify the dead girl. Next they have to identify the crime scene (one of a number of passenger ferries). Finally the have to identify a possible suspect out of more than eighty potential killers.

The pace of the book tracks the pace of the investigation. In the first few months of the case little progress is made. However, this affords the readers the opportunity to get a glimpse of Beck and his colleague's character and personalities as they go about the daily grind of their police work. The pace quickens and the excitement mounts as the jigsaw puzzle pieces begin to fall into place.

Roseanna was the first in a series of ten Martin Beck mysteries written by the Swedish, husband and wife team of Per Wahloo and Maj Sjowall. The plot and structure of the four Beck mysteries I've read to date do not deviate from the standard format found in any well-written police procedural. However, what sets the Beck mysteries apart is their location and character development. Naturally enough, each book is a small window into Swedish life and culture in the 1960s and 1970s when the books were written. Further, as the series develops the character of Beck and his colleagues evolve and the reader slowly obtains a real feel for Beck and his fellow police officers.

Roseanna was not the best of the Beck books I've read but it was good enough that I stayed up a bit later than I should in order to finish it. Even thought this may not be the best of the bunch I do suggest that any reader new to the series start with Roseanna in order to appreciate the evolution of Beck and his family and fellow officers.

If you like police procedurals with a bit of an exotic flair you should enjoy the Martin Beck stories. They rank alongside Boris Akunin's Erast Fandorin series set in Russia and Georges Simenon's Maigret stories set in France as enjoyable, well-written stories set on distant shores. Recommended. L. Fleisig

This is my first novel by this ? foursome (is this true--there are really four authors--no thoughts about too many cooks etc...?) Anyhow, as one who lives in New York and lived through 9/11 and its immediate aftermath, the story does capture the fears and the neuroses that such an event had on most New Yorkers and Nick's fear of buildings, tunnels, the subway and life in New York was rather accurate. His affair with the "hardhat" was very lovely as well--we all wanted someone strong to protect us since no one knew when the next "attack" would come. I remember going into the city on a Saturday nite about 10 days after the attack and the feeling was that of zombies living in a nuclear explosion, everyone trying to resume normal conversation and feelings. The source of Nick's particular grief over 9/11 becomes known later in the novel and explains so much. The sex scenes are rather delicate and not at all graphic. The characters are well drawn, especially Roberto. I must say however that the Mexican girl friend was stuck in without purpose or development and I nevertheless accepted her in the story, but when Morgan turned out to be a twin to Nick's boss, I was very disappointed. New York can be a small town but it is not that small and that "coincidence" spoiled a great deal of the story and again had no purpose that I could ascertain. That being said, this is a literate and thoughtful book which I would recommend to one's library of gay literature.

Beck, Timothy James. "When You Don't See Me", Kensington, 2007.

An Interesting Read

Amos Lassen

"When You Don't See Me" deals with the horror of the illusions put on us by our friends and the horrors that come about after an attack. Nick Dunhill, our main character, who has come to live with his uncle Blaine because his family kicked him out after he told then that he was gay. He is now 19 and has decided to leave college and attempt to build a life for himself. He moves into an apartment with three other people and we are with him as he learns about life.
Nick comes into contact with some wonderfully drawn characters in the post 9/11 world. Nick is neurotic and somewhat annoying--loud noises bother him, he hates to ride the subway and he has a thing ageist tall buildings. He is unpleasant but there is a great deal of pain inside of him and he tries to work things out.
What you may not know about the author Timothy James Beck. He is four authors writing under one name. It is amazing that four people can manage to come across in one voice. It is a bit slow getting into this book but once you do, you are in for a terrific read.

This is the fifth book of the Timothy James Beck book series. We are back in New York with our favorite group of friends.

Nick Dunhill is the main character of this book. We first met Nick during book 3. The year was fall of 2000 and Nick was 16. Nick is the nephrew to Blaine Dunhill. Nick came to live with Blaine from the midwest after his brother and sister-in-law dumped Nick on him after Nick told his family he was gay.

In book 5 we fastward to 2003 and Nick is now 19. Three years later and Nick has decided to drop out of Art College and try to make a life for himself. One thing that the author does well in all the books is character development. This book is no exception. TJB is able to make us love our normal group of friends even more than we did as well as having us fall in love with some new faces along the way.

Warning to the fans of the book series to be prepared for a HUGE shock during this book. I will have to say that the authors address 9/11/01 in a very respectful and honorable way.

TJB is one of the best author teams and I am willing to follow them on any journey they now place on the page. I do feel sad that this book had to end the way it did as I just wanted to read more and more. I really hope the next book is soon around the corner as this is the best book series ever.

Teh author Timothy James Beck brings all the characters to live & is yet another great novel he has written.

This was my first Timothy Beck novel so perhaps it was the new style of his writing or unfamiliarity that comes with a different novel as this one is but it was just 'good' for me. I found it hard to get into because of the prose and the feel that it takes a good portion of the book for the plot, character and theme to warm up and get moving. I kept having to flip the book over to read the description to remind myself what the book was about.

At first read, the book feels like a faux-autobiography of Nick Dunhill, just your run-of-the-mill "boy goes to New York to try to find himself" story. Nick is also gay, which adds a flair to his character, but doesn't completely define him. In fact, there are few expected sex/erotic scenes, which did help this book keep from becoming your expected gay erotic story. I liked reading about Nick's trouble of finding his place and see him go from having nothing and no place to really call home to, by the end of the book, having more friends, purpose, family and growth as an individual.

My complaint that keeps this from being a 'great' book is that it takes over half the book for the theme of being 'invisible' to really be addressed and applied to the main character. Around page 150 or so, things felt as if they were really picking up and the transition is almost jarring, making the previous part of the book feel as if it were nothing more than filler and wasted pages. The ending is quick and lacks the emotional punch I think Beck intended it to happen, having an almost sappy feel to it that completely goes against the grain of the rest of the book.

In all, a decent book that suffers from some plot/writing choices and an awkward ending. Not great but it's a good book.

This is one of the books I bought for my Education (Reading and Writing) class. It's really good, both the theory and examples. A must-buy for K6 teacher ^^

This is an excellent book on teaching vocabulary to all grade levels. It is check full of ideas you can implement immediately with just enough philosophy to make the strategies understandable. I highly recommend it!!

This book does a great job of explaining the whys and hows of teaching vocabulary to children. It is a great read for teachers of any grade level or subject area. It is not a very exciting read for those outside of educational professions.

While I appreciated the premise of the research outlined in this book, and have no doubt the approach recommended would be effective, I question the practicality for application in a classroom. It seems that it would take a considerable amount of planning and cumbersome documentation particularly with younger children or multiage classes. I plan to try to implement some of the suggestions and like the idea of working to help children establish their own definitions, moving away from traditional dictionary definitions that are only confusing for young students.

Bringing Words to Life is an essential book for any classroom. It offers valuable insights and strategies for teaching vocabulary in all classrooms, elementary through high school. It's written so that it's easy to understand and each chapter ends with activities for the reader to better understand the content of the chapter. There is also an easy reference appendix for books to use with vocabulary instruction. If you're looking to enhance the vocabulary of your students, this book has everything you need!

Captain Marvel had the highest circulation during the Golden Age of comic books. Then 12 years of litigation by DC Comics killed him(and Fawcett Comics along with him). It's real nice to read these recolored and sharp reprints of Whiz Comics and Captain Marvel Adventures. The only other place I've been able to read them are blurry scans of the originals downloaded from the Internet.

The only negatives are the price and page count. At near $40 these are expensive for the under 250 pages they provide and is why I bumped one star off my rating. And considering the page count and release of each volume(so far only 4 volumes + 1 Shazam Family volume) we will never see even half of Captain Marvel's comics collected. Both Marvel and DC provide 500+ pages in their Omnibus and Absolute editions for $40-$60 so what we're getting out of these DC Archives is disappointing.

DC has indicated there will be more DC Archive volumes printed in 2008 and 2009 in reduced numbers but no indication on wether Shazam will be some of them. Even if they come out with a couple more volumes it won't be enough for a lot of the best stories. The epic Monster Society of Evil arc didn't start until Captain Marvel Adventures #22 and lasted for two years and the introduction of Black Adam didn't happen until 1945(these Shazam Archives are at 1941).

If you have never read C.C. Beck's original Captain Marvel stories this is a great place to start...the beginning!

If you want to learn about how Captain Marvel came about and his growing pains, this is it. Was too young to read these when they came out and always wondered about his start. A 'must have' if you are serious about the oldies.

It was a gift for my dad. It's not possible to get those comics here in Argentina. I just took a brief look at the books, they were a fancy edition, shinny paper, they looked really nice, although a bit smaller than I had imagined. But my dad called me the next day, said he felt like a kid again. He was very pleased.
Delivery time and form was excellent.

First, the caveat: vintage comics must be taken for what they are, for good and for ill. They are plot-heavy and character-light. The plots are outrageously unbelievable, with a liberal use of deus ex machina. In many ways, the early Captain Marvel stories found in the "Shazam! Archives" Vol. 1 are the apotheosis of vintage comics, as Marvel faces unlikely threats in impossible stories. However, from the beginning, Captain Marvel had one advantage: the art of C.C. Beck, which, although in its infancy in these first issues of "Whiz Comics," originally published by Fawcett, was already showing the distinct qualities that have defined the Marvel family to this day.

The frustrating thing about this volume is the formulaic approach writer Bill Everett takes in his scripts. He gives the reader a very exciting origin for this new super-hero. Billy Batson, a homeless paperboy follows a mysterious stranger into the subway (pretty irrationally), and is taken to the wizard, Shazam. Shazam gives Billy the power to transform into the adult Captain Marvel by uttering the wizard's name. Billy quickly uses his new powers to thwart the evil Dr. Sivana, and gain himself a job as a roving radio reporter (school not being a concern for child super-heroes at this time).

But after that admittedly stirring origin, the series falls into a pattern: Billy is assigned to report on some odd event, finds some sinister agent behind it (frequently Sivana) as part of a bid to conquer or destroy the world, and then thwarts it handily as Captain Marvel. They stories are not without their charms, of course, with some fun concepts along the way, like Sivana and his daughter Beautia ruling the planet Venus. There are certain things that were unique to this strip, the big one being the fact that Sivana, Marvel's most persistent enemy, knows the secret of his power. Another interesting plot point is Beautia's amorous feelings forCaptain Marvel, which is amusing because of course as Marvel is really still at the age where he finds girls "icky." However, most critics admit that Everett's scripts were serviceable at best, especially compared with that came later under the stewardship of Otto Binder.

If you want to read the whole "Shazam!" Archive series, obviously, you should start here. But be advised that it's a curiously flat, albeit entertaining, volume, and that its going to be a little while get to the greatest material the Marvel family had to offer.

This book is so much fun to read, whatever your age. I was able to read it in one sitting- it is quick, light, funny and smart. Swords for Hire pokes fun at the epic fantasy novel in all its various elements, succeeding in about 160 short pages what most fantasy authors take three long books to do. And this book *is* complete with a quest, a visit to a sorcerer, dangerous battles and evil villains. The humor is easy for children to understand, but that doesn't mean that even the most refined adult won't be chuckling (after all, who can help but laugh at a man who puts worms on his head?). And everyone will be satisfied with the perfect ending! Great fun for everyone- read it and see for yourself!

I had the good fortune of knowing and working with Will back in college, several decades ago, and what a joy it was to discover that someone (his brother) had published this wonderful work!

Will has a delightful, assured voice as a writer, and this book is filled with his characteristic wit, warmth and wonderfully drawn characters. It's a simple story, but one impossible to put down. Beautifully written and brilliantly drawn.

We lost Will way too soon. (He died in 1980, within a few months of writing this book, which he copied and distributed to family and friends.) But reading "Swords for Hire" reminds me of why we all loved Will so much, and how sad it is that, though his work lives on, he never had the chance to share his great talents for many more years.

I have given this book as a gift to two very big bookworm friends of mine for the simple and pure fact that I knew they would appreciate this. For a book that lacked the usual number of editings due to the author's death, this still manages to be fairly entertaining! It blends ultimate silliness and nods toward all of us fantasy geeks along with, well, some very respectable fantasy/adventure plot. It's traditional and fairly predictable, but it's just so darn funny and sweet that I could not help but love it. Energetic, darling read.

Some time back, I ran across a posting somewhere that said Swords For Hire: Two of the Most Unlikely Heroes You'll Ever Meet by Will Allen was a fun read in the mold of The Princess Bride. Having loved Bride, I decided Swords had to go on my library hold list. I started it last night around 7:30 and didn't put it down until I finished it at 9. It really is a fun read that had me shooting the movie of the book in my own mind...

King Olive is locked up in an ultra-secure dungeon of The Boneman. This is because his brother, a strange individual named Boonder, slowly poisoned him in order to take over the throne. But really, Aleron is running the kingdom as Boonder's aide, as Boonder spends most of his time putting worms on his head. Olive is able to smuggle a note out about his existence, and it ends up in the hands of two rather strange and quirky potential heroes. Rigby Skeet is a crazy soldier who didn't fit in with the regular regiment, so they let him find his own quests. Sam Hatcher is the son of a farmer (and former war hero) who wants more than what life is giving him. He doesn't fit the mold of a soldier either, but they send him off to Skeet for an apprenticeship. These two oddball adventurers get the message and decide that this is the quest they must pursue. They're really not sure how they'll pull it off, but something will come to them as they head in that direction...

The characters in the story are crazy and would turn into screen characters with little effort. Skeet's off-the-wall behavior and dialogue is reminiscent of The Princess Bride and that cast of characters, and it's no stretch to think that fans of Bride will enjoy this one as well. The only sad part is that Will Allen died many years ago of cancer. This book is something he wrote but that was never published. His brother decided to release it to the world, and the reaction has been unanimously positive. It's disappointing that he can't follow up on stories involving these people, but I'd love to see this go to the big screen...

Will Allen wrote with the total freedom of knowing this was for people who loved him, and with the understanding of the fantasy tradition.

As a result, Swords for Hire is a fast-paced, witty nod to fantasy--observing cliches when that seems fun, blasting them when blasting them seems fun.

If I hadn't known this was the only full-length work of a dying young man, I still would have enjoyed it. OK, so it's not Lord of the Rings--it's not meant to be. It's also not meant to be Princess Bride (I actually preferred Swords for Hire to PB), but is a tribute to good writing. As that, it works.

I love this book soooo much. I would love to see it as a movie!! I would recomend this book to anyone. It is enthralling

I have always enjoyed Tom Clancy's incredible attention to detail and Clive Cussler's wonderful storytelling. Now I can enjoy William Beck and his excellent plots and character development. I am anxiously waiting for book two!

Lovers of adventure novels have a new hero in Bryson McGann, the witty, savvy and brave subject of this novel. The action and intrigue rival Dirk Pitt's adventures. I look forward to the next novel....and to the further development of this character. Also, the HAARP idea is based in fact, and is a little scary to think about it actually being used!!

Mr. Beck's H.A.A.R.P.'S Fury is a fast-paced, action-filled book with interesting characters---it would be an exciting movie. Can't wait for the next novel in the series.

I'm buying the next McGann novel as soon as it hits the store.