Rich Books

Epting has done it again. He continues to take us on the road to "live" the events that happened in America's history. We toured with James Dean and then Marilyn Monroe. The third book in his trilogy is as exciting as his predecessors and a must have if you are an Epting "junkie." If for nothing else get this book to complete the set; after all who has only two volumes of "Lord of the Rings"? It's time to grab your camera and get out on the road. Come on; tell me who wouldn't want to fly a kite in the same place as Ben?

A third great book in this series, (James Dean Died Here; Marilyn Monroe Dyed Here), by author Chris Epting. All three are must haves for anyone interested in American pop and historical icons. With a location and brief summary, each place is easily found. Plus Chris has gone to great strides as to the accuracy of the factual information given. I personally know Chris by way of email and snail mail, and I can tell you he is a great person with a great personality, and that those qualities shine through in his work as well.

Another outstanding book from Chris Epting. A must for every glove compartment or carry-on flight bag--this is your instant guide to "where it happened". As always with Mr. Epting's previous books--it is well researched, with addresses and directions, photographs, and great descriptions of the actual sites where history was made. This is that perfect gift for any age--and an absolute must for any traveler. When is the Travel Channel going to make Mr. Epting's books into a series? PS: besides his trilogy pop culture books he has written the world's best sports book: Roadside Baseball--take this one with you too as you travel this summmer. Like with all his books--you won't be able to put it down (includes a great forward from Joe Buck). When was the last time an author was so much fun to read but you were educated at the same time?

Elvis Passed Here is the third in this series of books written by Chris Epting, and as I expected, exceeds my expectations. As with the previous books (James Dean Died Here & Marilyn Monroe Dyed Here), Chris guides us to the locations of other pop culture landmarks. What I particularly like about these books is the broad range of categories he chooses to cover. In addition to the categories one would expect (movies, music, art, etc.), Chris has also included chapters dedicated to such bizarre subjects as infamous celebrity events, historical tragic events, and crime.

I was fascinated to learn about pop culture locations in and around the city where I live. Locations that I didn't even know existed, or that I have probably seen countless times and not taken notice of.

This book, and those before it, have also added a new dimension to vacations and trips for me. Whenever I plan a trip, I now consult these books to see what pop culture locations exist where I'm going. For example, on our recent trip to New York City, I was able to eat at the first pizzeria in North America, visit the club where Jimi Hendrix was discovered, sit at the table where the famous scene from "When Harry Met Sally" was filmed, and find the location where the photo on the cover of Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti album was taken.

I would definitely recommend this book to those who want to add a fun and exciting new element to their travels!

The Essential Man-Thing, Volume 1 is an excellent publication that focuses upon storylines and elements not found in a typical comic book. As opposed to having as the protagonist a crime fighter superhero such as Captain America or a save the world team like The Avengers, Marvel Comics centered this series around an anti-hero guided by primitive emotions, a swamp creature who comes to be known as Man-Thing.

Initially, Man-Thing was a leading government scientist by the name of Ted Sallis, who was assigned to reproduce the serum created during a World War II experiment that made scrawny Steve Rogers into the indomitable Captain America. Whether the serum was truly recreated is unknown. What is known is that Sallis would be hunted down by enemies seeking the newly created formula, and in effort to protect his work, he injected himself with this chemical concoction. After being chased, Sallis loses control of his vehicle and ends up submerged deep in the swampy waters of the Florida Everglades. It is then that the injection reacts with the elements of the swamp, causing Sallis' physiology thus humanity to be severely altered. It is then that the origin of the Man-Thing has arrived!

No longer is Ted Sallis a flesh and blood human being; instead he is a 7-feet tall swamp monster composed entirely of plant and vegetable matter. He cannot speak, nor is he able to go back to civilization due to his deformed state. Thus, he thrives in the Everglades, dwelling among other creatures; any vestige of the cognitive capacity possessed by Ted Sallis has apparently ceased to exist within The Man-Thing, but is anyone really sure?

Under typical circumstances, the Man-Thing would likely remain in isolation and not come into any direct contact with humans. He has become a solitary figure with an uncanny ability to sense and elude those from outside his dwellings. So any record of seeing him might just as well join the ranks of The Loch Ness Monster and Sasquatch. However, this would not be so.

Where Man-Thing dwells is key to his survival. The algae and various types of protoplasm and vegetation serve as nutrition thus sustenance for this wild creature. It is because of both this basic necessity and the disregard for the environment that a selfish, corporate executive by the name of F.A. Schist has that Man-Thing must come out of hiding. Within this conflict is a reflection of the myriad financial dilemmas that parts of America were actually going through and a continual growth versus preservation duality that was not so highly entailed in other comics.

Sure, there were times that the alter egos of superheroes had to move from place to place, but it was only within the confines of financial difficulties or government reassignments. With the Man-Thing, however, none of those particular concerns are in his domain. His home is his way of life; there are essentially no ifs, ands, or buts. And with Schist entering the scene and wanting to demolish much of the swampland so that he can build and expand his enterprises via construction, we have in quite a few pages numerous clashes between the blue collar workers under contract with Schist and environmentalists who want to protect the local plants, trees, and wildlife.

For many readers, it is perhaps this stage that has them wondering for the first time if characters who, in many ways, might be regarded as heroes for doing what it takes to provide for and feed the family within the confines of U.S. law might be vilified as enemies in the broader context for carrying out the plans of a greedy individual whose business dealings have, unfortunately, been protected by law or the loopholes thereof. In one sequence, a construction worker exclaims, "I don't work...my kids don't eat...! That's the simplest ecology there is, right? Heck, we ain't villains--just hard-workin' guys tryin' to earn a dollar!" And it is from the Man-Thing storylines that we witness exploitation of the lowest common denominator: acknowledging the scarcity of resources for the common man and using that predicament to create and perpetuate dire situations setting everyday people against one another!

All in all, this bound volume creates a seeming paradox about comic book publications. Several themes in the Marvel World originated and championed by the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko team were inspired by Ayn Rand, and during the publication of Man-Thing, Rand and her intellectual contemporaries were vehemently against the environmentalist movement, for it was portrayed as a threat to subordinating the human race to other species and also destroying property rights, thus individual rights. Interestingly, Man-Thing simultaneously personifies what could be extrapolated as the best intentions of the environmentalist movement and the darkest, destructive elements of unregulated capitalism. How close to reality these opposing themes are is still up for debate after almost four decades!

In effect, one might suppose that Marvel, because it constantly upheld a pursuit of happiness philosophy in its themes, went off track with issuing Man-Thing. In response, I say that this volume reinforces the phrase "moderation in all things" which was pro-Aristotelian, which even Rand, herself, claimed to be!

The book is a good combination of drama, mysticism, ecology and action, because, unlike other swamp things, "Manny" doesn't spend entire stories feeling sorry for himself; if danger arises, he is there to face it and, if need be, enforce his own brand of mute justice.
Great were the guest appearence of "Ka-Zar", the agents of "AIM" and "The Glob", but the introduction of "Howard, The Duck" was both hilarious and welcome, for that loquacious fowl really "went" with all the bizarre stuff around him!!!
Is there a "Volume 2" coming?

The comic starts off slowly, repetitively, but soon flowers into an existential, anarchic,nihilist-naive, neo primitivist landscape, which prefigures and pre empts and "pre imagines" Charles Burns "Black Hole" and aspects of Alan Moore by decades.

The action takes place in a swamp -- a secluded place, a dank,, threatening, yet pure place, untouched by the corruption of man -- yet it's a place constantly under threat from corrupt, violent men,pushing at its ( mental and physical/psychical ) edges and boundaries.


However, the swamp is protected by the pure of heart, Man Thing -- the beast is a being who instinctively despises corruption, the concept of "might makes right" thuggery and the bully. In other words, a very modern comic figure !!

The art is great too, with lots of good character profiles of 70's hippies, anarchist bikers, draft dodgers, homophobic hard hats, 1950's rockabilly gangs,hippy chicks and eccentric professors.

Get ready to take the man thing trip, from the swamps to the edge of the stratosphere out to the edges of your dreams, blurring waking and sleeping consciousness!

Great stuff, from a somewhat dull start on to a great set of tales : If you are into existential,lonely central figures and very "post modern", apocalyptic themes,expressing a deep mistrust of modern society, then you'll love Man Thing. I can't believe he was left behind and taken over by Swamp Thing and "Black Hole" ! Man Thing deserves a far higher profile and respect in the comics world.

When my local comic book store got its copies of "Essential Man-Thing, Volume 1," one of the clerks made a point of urging me to buy the book because it included a couple of issues of what he maintained was the comic book with the greatest name in the history of the Marvel or any other universe. He was referring, of course, to the first two issues of "Giant-Size Man-Thing." I did not comment on either the appropriateness of this declaration being made in a loud voice in the presence of young children or the attendant irony of this information being gleefully communicated by someone who has six inches and about a hundred pounds on me. But I did let him know that I already had my own copy that I could read about the Man-Thing regardless of size in the privacy of my own home.

Man-Thing made his (its?) first appearance in May 1971 in "Savage Tales" #1, and while there is a tendency to think of the Marvel character as a second rate version of DC's much more successful Swamp Thing, that character first appeared a month later in "House of Secrets" #92, the June-July 1971 issue. The first appearance of Man-Thing was written by Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas, with Gary Morrow as the artist, where as the first Swamp Thing story was written by Len Wein and drawn by Berni Wrightson. To make things even more interesting, Conway and Wein were roommates at the time, and Wein wrote the second Man-Thing story drawn by Neal Adams (originally intended for "Savage Tales" #2, it was incorporated to a Ka-Zar story by Roy Thomas drawn by John Buscema in "Astonishing Tales" #12. Obviously Conway and Wein knew what the other one was doing, and there is evidence that Wein took pains to make their origins dissimilar. Collected in Volume 1 and arranged in chronological order, are "Savage Tales" #1, "Astonishing Tales" #12-13, "Adventure into Fear" #10-19, "Man-Thing" #1-14, "Giant-Size Man-Thing," #1-2, and "Monsters Unleashed" #5 & #8-9.

Originally the biochemist Theodore "Ted" Sallis, the Man-Thing was created when Sallis was betrayed by his lover who was in league with agents from Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM) for wanted his miracle drug formula. When the origin was revised this became a super-soldier serum (in the manner of how Captain America was created), and it was the mixture of the serum and the swamp were Sallis drown that caused the transformation. When Steve Gerber took over the script and revealed the Everglades includes the Nexus of All Realities, magical forces became retroactively involved in the creation of the Man-Thing as the guardian of the Nexus. Sallis' intelligence was basically destroyed and the defining elements of the shambling muck-monster were that the Man-Thing sensed strong emotions and reacted to fear with rage, secreting a chemical (or magical?) corrosive so that "Whatever knows fear burns at the Man-Thing's touch," starting with the woman who betrayed him and continuing to those the creature comes upon as he stumbles through the swamp and keeps coming across humans doing bad things and deserving such punishment.

Much is made of the first appearance of Howard The Duck in "Fear" #19 (originally a duck whose name is revealed to be Howard), but the story I remember best is "It Came Out of the Sky!" in "Fear" #17, where Gerber takes the well-known origin of Superman and plays out what would have happened if the kindly old couple had seen a space ship crashing to Earth in 1951 and gone the other way rather than face Martians or Communists. It would be 20 years before Man-Thing would release the babe inside, now the fully-grown Wundarr, who thinks Man-Thing is his mother. That issue was the best bit of satire by Gerber and an indication of what was to come when Howard the Duck got his own strip, but when we had Korrek, Warrior Prince of Katharta comes out of a half-eaten jar of peanut butter (also in "Fear" #19), it is hard to take things seriously, which I would think it a prerequisite for a comic book where the end game is supposed to involve things burning because they fear the touch of the Man-Thing.

In reading these early stories again my preference is clear for the later issues collected here when Mike Ploog took over as the artist on "Man-Thing" #5. Frank Brunner was my favorite Man-Thing artist, but all he did were covers (including the one for this collection, which was from the cover of "Man-Thing" #1), and Ploog was the artist who got most of Marvel's horror comic titles off the ground, starting with "Werewolf By Night," but also including "Ghost Rider" and "The Monster of Frankenstein." So it was usual, but quite welcomed, for him to show up in the middle of a book's run. Gerber was focusing more on human stories where the peculiar justice of the Man-Thing's burning touch was most appropriate, as opposed to all the mystical stuff with Dakimh the Enchanter and the results are a lot better. No doubt because Gerber was enjoying unfettered freedom in writing "Howard the Duck."

"Man-Thing" was a mixture of horror and crime along with fantasy and science fiction, and the appearance of other Marvel superheroes such as Mr. Fantastic and Tony Stark in "Giant-Size Man-Thing" #2, usually did not work. However, there was a little more success with villains, most notably the Fool-Killer ("Man-Thing" #3-4). This was one of those comic books where I tended to like the art more than the stories, such as when Tom Sutton finished John Buscema's layouts in "Man-Thing" #13 and Alfredo Alcala did the art for #14. So when we started getting text stories by Gerber with accompanying artwork by Pat Broderick, I would tend to just look at the pictures and not bother with the stories. Ultimately I find Man-Thins is one of those characters were less is more, because there are only so many injustices a muck-monster can address while shambling around the Everglades.

REVIEW: "FOCUS" - A Guide to Clarity and Achievement" By Rich Fettke

" At a time when guns, bombs, and slaughter dominates the airways through News, T.V., and Motion Pictures, a young man steps out from behind a curtain with a message that can stir the mind and hearts with hope and courage for people young and old alike! Rich Fettke has put together a discourse that can change the inner world of all who take the time to listen to his inspirational 2 cassette/booklet, "FOCUS" - A Guide to Clarity and Achievement.

Uppermost in his eye-opening talks is how he effectively directs the listener to realize that he/she has within themselves the mental machinery to turn wishes into reality, visions into concrete form, and thoughts into living truths. He is a modern day James Allen, Thomas Toward and Anthony Robbins rolled into one inspiring personality.

"FOCUS" - A Guide to Clarity and Achievement, is a "must read/listen" to all who wish to improve their lot in life. It centers on the most important element you have to change your life for the better, yourself! Dr. John O.A. Pagano No.1 Best Selling Author, "Healing Psoriasis: The Natural Alternative" - Amazon.com

If you want to create a life that you love to live then FOCUS will help you accelerate the process. I followed the steps in the program to create a Master Plan for my life, and I use my Master Plan daily to track my efforts and progress towards realizing my vision. FOCUS is truly a life-altering program.

Melody Y. Ivory is a Personal Success and Business Coach and Founder of Human Performance Engineering.

In this audiobook, Rich Fettke suggests that "You can do anything, but you can't do everything." What great advice! He offers a step-by-step plan for getting focused on what matters most so that you can have the life you want, rather than be tossed around by life's emergencies.

I especially liked the "no-limits" list. This is a way to expand your idea of what you think is possible in your life. You get to really dream about what your life would be like in a perfect world. Then he gives you strategies for getting there.

I am not a goal setter, or I should say, I wasn't until I listened to this tape. Rich Fettke made the process simple and fun. And bottomline, it works!

I read a positive review in USA Today about Rich Fettke's new book EXTREME SUCCESS, so I went to his extremesuccess website and watched the free video he has there. I was definitely impressed with him and what he was saying...so I bought his book. I read his book and I liked it a lot -- so I bought his FOCUS tape set.

Fettke was diagnosed with ADD when he was a kid so the lessons he has learned about focus are very, very useful. I haven't been diagnosed with ADD but I have had a really hard time staying focused on what really matters in my life and at work.

The tools, strategies and stories in this tape program are great! My favorite things are the "MasterPlan" and the whole thing about how to create -- and stick to -- "Success Habits." I have been much more focused and effective using these ideas.

If you're feeling overwhelmed or if you want to stay focused on what will really help you achieve better results in your life, I highly recommend you check out this tape set.

I would have been totally happy with just the fist tape in this set. The second tape -- with the Future Focus exercise and the No Limits List exercise -- is an extra bonus!

It really seems like the author truly cares about helping other people improve their lives. I wish I could have given this program 6 stars! Well done Mr. Fettke. I'm excited to get your next book. You have a new fan!

What a fun book, originally from Pittsburgh, I enjoyed all of the landmark references....being a mystery lover..I couldn't put it down. Quick, easy read that kept me on the edge of my seat! How fun...Can't wait for Mr. Sestili's next book!

A friend of mine gave me this book to read. Took it on vacation and couldn't put it down. I was really impressed with how real his characters are. This must be a real story and not fiction. It is real isn't it?
I recommend this book

A GREAT BOOK. IN ADDITION TO BEING HUMOROUS, IT'S A GOOD STORY AND KEEPS YOU IN SUSPENSE. WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.

A friend of mine got this book, FOR YOUR PENANCE, just this week. She read it in about three days and handed it off to me.
"Don't read it at bedtime," she said. "You'll never get to sleep."
Well, I took her advice and started reading it at 2 PM. Great book. It says fiction, but I think this must be a real story. The characters are so alive and come off the page. Is this Sestili's first book? Excellent writing. Crisp, clear thought. I recommend it to serious mystery readers. He keeps you guessing with all of his clues. I never figured it out. At the end I just said, "Oh, man that was really good."
thank you,
Barry.

From Rags to Riches is an enormously entertaining and absorbing study of the history of girls' clothing from early Colonial America to today. Lavish illustrations include European and American paintings, drawings and an outstanding collection of photographs that are sometimes startling in their ability to reveal attitudes and emotions. A picture of five child mill workers is especially touching.

Changing fashions mirror the conditions of women's lives. The fact that this new freedom in clothing choices was sometimes at the expense of other women's lives in that clothing's manufacture is explained in an outstanding section outlining the horrors of sweatshops, the Triangle Shirtwaist fire and the struggle to unionize workers.

Readers are also empowered by links to organizations that aim to prevent such horrors now and in the future. An extensive glossary, bibliography, webography, and list of museums all contribute to make this absolutely one of the most eye-opening books on the subject for children and adults.

If fashion history is one of your passions, From Rags to Riches by Leslie Sills is a must for your book shelf.

FROM RAGS TO RICHES is a nonfiction guide to the history of girl's fashion from Colonial times (1600's) to present day. Attractive layout and generous use of both colored and black and white photographs and illustrations, add readability to the well-researched text. Arranged chronologically, FROM RAGS TO RICHES consists of twelve chapters ranging from two to four pages in length. For example, "Bustles and Ruffles: Stylish Girls of the Late Nineteenth Century" is three pages in length and contains seven illustrations (both photographs and sketches). In addition to illustrations, FROM RAGS TO RICHES contains sidebars for many (if not all) of its chapters. Italicized words in the text are words defined in the glossary. Bustle for example is defined as "a cotton pad mounted on a steel or cane frame, then attached by hooks or laces to a waistband under a skirt." Bibliography and webography are included as are listings of museum and organizations.

This has been the first book of Leslie's I have read and I love it. Once I got it, I ran straight home to read it. I always saw previews when I went over her house for art class, but never gotten to read the thoughtful writing that's in it. The book is about girl's clothing from the early 1600's to the present. Me being a girl of 14 and having a passion for fashion, the book really gave me a history point of view of clothing that I would never get anywhere else! So please get the book, read it and be inspired becuase once you've finished, you'll never be able to wear the same clothes.

This is the fourth book by Leslie Sills, a Boston area artist and art teacher. Her books are about women artists (painters, sculptors, photographers,to name a few) and are intended for middle school aged children. As a parent of an 11 year old son and a 14 year old daughter, I own and have read all four books and enjoyed them greatly. I have given many as gifts to kids, teachers and parents. From Rags to Riches is gourgeously designed, thoughtfully written and thoroughly researched. It is full of fascinating photographs and history; Leslie Sill's most recent book reflects an understanding of the complex social, economic and cultural factors that influence fashion, art and asthetics.

I have only made it to chapter two and already feel like I am on my way to my first second, and third millions. I recommend this book to anybody who is looking for a real outlook on becomng a millionaire. Coming from one of the poorest neighborhoods in Atlanta I could relate to this author. I look forward to finishing the book.

The author became a millionaire as a early teenager, made his second million by sixteen, and defied his background raised by a single parent in the impoverished south side of Chicago as the youngest of five children. His success was tied to attitude, tenacity and a rejection of the common lies about money and success - and GET REAL, GET RICH identifies seven lies and tells how to overcome them in real-world situations. It's an inspirational game plan for success that any general lending audio library needs.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Well, fellow readers, you've GOT to believe you can get rich if you're ever going to make that dream a reality! HOW do you change your thinking so you can aim for excellence and for success? Farrah Gray can help.

In seven chapters, he deconstructs seven "lies" that may be preventing you from:

--seeing your own potential
--discovering your life's purpose (and therefore your life's work)
--taking action (and getting rich is all about taking action!)

I can't say I agreed with every point the author made. But his advice certainly worked for him! He became successful at an early age, and there's nothing like following the lead of a mentor who's done what you want to do (in this case, get rich).

Read this one for the motivation, for new ideas, for a fresh look at what's been holding you back and what you can do about it.

After reading this book, it's clear that one must plan and execute in order to succeed. Everything Mr. Gray teaches, he constantly stresses that one must take CONSISTENT ACTION towards his or her goals, objectives and dreams.

I found the "7 Lies" interesting, especially the "Hard Work Lie". I think the re-evaluation of "hard work" as a part of success is necessary. Someone once told me that hard work is doing something you dislike in the name of survival. Doing what you love to do as a career should never be "work", but a labor of love that will make you the first in and the last to leave. We should all be SO fortunate to find our Divine Mission.

Mr. Spitz provides a no nonsense, intelligent approach to retirement investing. He uses historical data and his vast experience to support his staightforward, "anybody can do it" philosophy. Most importantly, he teaches the average investor how to avoid the extraneous and useless information that plagues all do-it-yourself investors. With his approach, a plan is always set in place, removing the need for "thinking" about your retirement. Every person in charge of his own retirement should read this book.

the end of the I met Mr. Spitz several years ago when he spoke at a Vanderbilt Alumni Reunion in Louisville. He explained his book, which I purchased, and I was able to use his philosophies in setting up investments for hundreds of injured people. I still quote parts of the book verbatim to this very day.

I recently purchased several copies of the book to give to people who work in our office. It is one of the best investment philosophy books ever written.

Don McNay...

I met the author twice when he spoke to a small group. I liked Bill's thought process and bought the book about eight years ago. I still have it, well marked and well used. Bill explained his purpose in writing the book as showing individual investors how to apply the same principles of investing and investment management that he applied as Treasurer of Vanderbilt. There he selected and provided oversight over a number of portfolio managers who managed portions of the Vanderbilt endowment. Bill shows how an individual can do the same thing by investing in a diversified group of mutual funds.

Bill carefully explains the elements of an investment portfolio (U.S. stocks, small cap stocks, bonds, real estate, etc.) and suggests several allocations between the elements. One unique aspect of his advice is that every portfolio should have a real estate component. His discussion convinced me and real estate investment trusts are now an important part of my retirement portfolio.

This is a well written quide for the individual investor who seeks a well thought out plan for investing.

Spitz, Treasurer of Vanderbilt University, spells out in simple terms, how to invest in 5 or 6 classes of mutual funds to match the level of risk for your stage of life. He shows how to analyse your level of risk and makes a few assumptions about future growth potential and creates a plan for financial security that the reader can follow and practise without the need for stock brokers or other expensive financial advisors. Easy to read and understand.

As a business owner myself, I am constantly seeking out fresh viewpoints on creating, growing, and running a business. This book succeeds in that endeavor, and should be required reading for any entrepreneur.

Resnick is a proven success in her field, and she touches on a number of essential topics in running a business, from sales and marketing, to being a strong leader, to addressing various phases of the lifecycles of a company. Throughout the book she refers to her own real life experiences of building and running a successful company to reinforce her points, which helps in bringing theory to reality.

I would highly recommend this to any entrepreneur who wants to start their business, or who wants to take it to the next level.

This an easy to read book with useful, enlightening and practical concepts that are not necessarily easy to execute -- ie: A good book to read and reread. I only wish it was in audio form, so that I could better embed Ms. Resnicks words in my mind. The narratives are not overblown nor lengthy -- which makes this text work as a handbook for success building.

Highly recommend!

As a business lawyer for over 25 years, I've read dozens of "how to" business books. Some are good but feel the need to spread their nuggets of good advice over a 500 page book. Others are short but don't convey much.

With Rosalind Resnick's "Getting Rich Without Going Broke," I have finally found a book for entrepreneurs that gives a lot of good, solid business advice in just 113 pages. For the achievement of brevity alone she ought to win some kind of award.

In my favorite section of the book, "Logic: Building the Model and Creating the Plan," Resnick shows you how to build your business. No made up woo woo words or catchy phrases, just straight talk on what you have to do to get your business started and make it grow without spending a ton of money.

These pearls of wisdom are the same ones that I have seen many of my own clients struggle to learn, sometimes thru costly mistakes or years of wrong choices. "Getting Rich Without Going Broke" gives you the shortcuts you need to make the right moves the first time, without the screwups.

This book is a must-have for any serious entrepreneur. Rosalind cuts through the typical information you read everywhere and offers up the nuts and bolts of what works in the real world - how refreshing! This is an easy-read yet it offers real strategies that can be applied to any business.

This is a FANTASTIC Reference on Candlesticks. It is informative, giving background information on the companies and their years of operation, showing highly detailed photographs of various candlesticks made by each company, and explaining the differences in lookalikes. There are over 230 pictures of Fostoria candlesticks and over 185 of Heisey, two of the most prolific of the 19 companies represented in the book. I especially like the PHOTO INDEX of all pictures in the book, making identification of unknown pieces a breeze. This 3-book reference series is well worth the money for any glass collector or dealer!

Well-photographed and highly informative, this book does a good job of covering the historical backgrounds and styles of these glass companies. There is a comprehensive sampling of each company's candlesticks, but the key word to remember is "sampling". One will not find every single candlestick design ever made by these companies, but one will find numerous examples. Pricing is fairly good (this is a 2003 book), and while the pages of company patterns at the back of the book are helpful, I would love to be able to have the examples organized by design, rather than company, when searching for the probable maker of a mystery candlestick.

These two volumes are wonderful reference works for candlestick collectors. They contain a short history of each glass company covered in the book and lots of pictures as well as info regarding when each candlestick was produced, approximate measurements, the colors it was made in, etching patterns used, and a price guide. The books also make note of who is currently in possession of the molds. In the back of the book are several pages with small pictures of each candlestick covered in that volume. When you find a match with the candlestick you are trying to identify you can then turn to the page where that particular candlestick is discussed.

A very handy reference work and sensibly organized as well. It has pictures of similar candlesticks side by side so you can compare the similarities and differences in identifying a candlestick. I am waiting impatiently for the third in this series to be released!

Very informative. Even shows fakes and how to tell if it is a fake.

As with Harvey Comics Classics Vol. 1 Casper, Richie Rich was the other Harvey Comic I used to read back when I was three or so with my Uncle Joe, and have kept reading them since.

Richie Rich was kind of Harvey's answer to Uncle Scrooge, James Bond, and Batman all rolled into one. Originally starting out as a filler strip for Harvey's Little Dot, Richie Rich was the wealthiest kid in Richville. Except unlike most rich people, Richie preferred playing with his friends Freckles and Pee-Wee, and enjoying the simpler things in life, even though sometimes his wealth and luck unexpectedly interfered.

Another happened to be Richie's love for Gloria Glad, who only loved Richie for himself, not his money. And always would get upset when Richie dared fuss over her. Of course, poor Richie can never win, since in one strip, Richie decides taking Gloria's advice. Regrettably, the time he decides on doing this, Gloria's trying to demonstrate to her cousin how Richie lavishes her with expensive gifts.

Later in the Seventies however, Richie started doing adventures with his butler Cadbury, as Harvey started introducing more serious tales, especially with their 'Vaults of Mystery' title. And as Ernie Colon mentions, later Richie always had some gadget or other to help him get out of tight spots. But still Richie normally used his wits about him and he was the first 'McGyver' long before the series hit television.

In fact, in HCC V2, you'll see how Richie and Gloria deal with modern day pirates after they shangai Richie's yacht and plan on using it for raiding other luxury liners.

Which was what made Harvey Comics so great, though the villains usually implemented firearms and such, Richie rarely struck back using deadly force. Usually he'd try solving the problem with his wits (and his wealth didn't hurt as well), over using brute force.

In this collection, you'll also see Richie's mischievious cousin, Reginald Van Dough, aka Reggie, and how he started pranking and getting into trouble with Richie. My own regret with the series is, I wish Dark Horse had selected some other tales showcasing the little known characters like Mayda Munny (Gloria's rival), Professor Keenbean, the modern version of Irona, Reggie's sister, Penny, and Jackie Jokers. But the way I see it, DH might be saving them for a future collection, as well as the 'Richie Rich and...' series where later Harvey spawned this spinoff from the titles 'Richie Rich and Casper' as well as 'Richie Rich and Jackie Jokers.'

To this day, I wish I could have found another copy of 'Richie Rich and Timmy Time' since my cousin destroyed my uncle's copy before I had a chance to read it.

Nonetheless Dark Horse has done an excellent job of bringing back the lost collections of Harvey Comics, and I hope these series might encourage them to come out with mini-digest collections of them and other characters, since I still have some of the original digests in my house.

I definitely would recommend this as well as all the Harvey Comics Collection series for those who are avid Harvey fans and classic comic collectors. But also for those who might like to see what comics were like before DC and Marvel took over the industry.

I don't know why cartoon comic strips went out of style. I am glad that there is someone else who has not forgotten them. Richie Rich was one of my favorite comic strips, and still would be if Harvey Comics were still in business.

Just two disappointments: Number one: Most of the stories are printed in black-and-white. The book might be much more expensive otherwise.

Number two: Mayda Munney was one of my favorite characters, and she doesn't appear in any of the stories.

Thank you, Dark Horse Books!

I hate to brag, no I don't. Anyway, I received an advance copy of the
Richie Rich book! It looks really good. If you liked Harvey Comics Classics Volume 1: Casper, you'll love this! (and I have a quote on the back cover...)

There are some minor changes on the cover than the one posted on Amazon here. Instead of "100 Classic Stories 1953-1969", it is actually "125 Classic Comic Stories 1953-1971"! Also, the general release date has been moved up from Oct. 25 to Oct. 17!

There is a small picture of the Hot Stuff book stating that the book will come out in Feb. 2008. This will be Volume 3 in the series.

Really, really enjoy this book.

To paraphrase the quote, I had as much fondness for Harvey Comics as I did my superhero titles. As a child, I got every bit as excited seeing a Harvey title as I did any of the Marvels or DCs. Their bright four-color covers were only a preview of the goodness waiting inside.

When I was a kid, it was an excellent time to be a comic fan. Not only those mentioned above, but also Archie, Dell/Gold Key (which was a treasure in and of itself, what with all of the Disney, Hanna-Barbera, TV tie-ins, etc., under the same umbrella!), Charlton, Atlas, have I listed them all? Whatever the case, it was nothing but good times.

Reading a Harvey comic was like having a ice cold lemonade on a sweltering hot day. You could always count on them to give you a great time and a fun read. Fun, light-hearted, whimsical adventures featuring the likes of Richie Rich, Casper The Friendly Ghost, Spooky The Tuff Little Ghost, Hot Stuff The Little Devil, Wendy The Good Little Witch, The Ghostly Trio, The Sad Sack, Stumbo The Giant, Little Dot, Little Lotta, Little Audrey, heck, a "little" bit of everything;).

Under lesser hands, these characters could easily have become one-dimensional, cloying and downright annoying. But Harvey apparently realized this and took their readership on flights of fancy, oftentimes giving us multi-part stories, putting Richie and Casper (sometimes together) in all kinds of precarious situations.

Richie, in particular, was often aided by the likes of his trusty butler Cadbury, his hardscrabble friends, brothers Freckles, a redhead (also referred to as Tommy in some stories - could possibly have been Freckles' "real" name. Also has been a brunette on occasion.) and the mute Pee-Wee, (who actually spoke one line in the story "Problem Child", the only time I know of that he actually talked), as well as his girlfriend Gloria, a rare girl who was often repulsed by Richie's wealth, liking him for who he was inside. A real jewel, if you ask me. Plus, Richie was often bedeviled by the occasional visits from his obnoxiously snooty cousin Reginald "Reggie" Van Dough, who was the complete antithesis of his cuter and infinitely more lovable cousin. Reggie loved nothing more than pulling pranks on Richie and his very tolerant friends, until his foolishness would ultimately backfire on him, giving the stories happy endings, momentarily humbling Reggie (until returning to prank Richie another day).

In spite of all his enormous wealth, Richie simply wanted to be a little boy who belonged, wanting simply to be "one of the guys", playing sandlot baseball, going fishing, inviting all of his friends to either his mansion, yacht, or on some sort of fabulous vacation, etc.. It is really nice seeing Richie treating Freckles and Pee-Wee as equals and not making fun of them because of their being poor.

Seeing this book in the comic shop was a welcome surprise for me. It was an impulse buy, in which I immediately snapped it up, not knowing about it in the first place (I knew about the Harvey Comics Classics Volume 1: Casper, which I plan on getting very soon). And it has been a fun read. And no, I didn't realize that it was mostly black and white until looking at it, but it didn't take long for me to adjust to that. Sure, it would have been nice to have had color, but that's a minor point. What matters is that for the money, you are getting 480 pages of classic comic goodness from a sadly bygone era which we don't see enough of these days.

Nowadays, I would be hard-pressed to recommend any comic for a child to read, since the market has pretty well grown up. There just aren't as many comics out there for kids, which is sad, since children were the once-intended target audience. It's no wonder kids, for the most part, don't read comics today.

Here's hoping that Dark Horse will rectify this and put out future volumes of these "little" treasures. They could go on forever reprinting them, since there are literally decades of these to reprint. These comics deserve tender loving care and need to be introduced to a new generation (as well as reintroducing those of us in the previous ones). Perhaps D.H. will go the Archie route and market digests of classic reprints to be sold in supermarkets and such. What better way to introduce them, since it obviously hasn't hurt Archie. Now this would be absolutely swell.

Are you listening, Dark Horse? In other words, KEEP IT UP!!!!