Steve Ditko leaves the Spiderman series on issue 38. No longer can we witness the great storytelling arc of Ditko as well as the everyday looking characterizations that Ditko does so well. Ditko always believed that crime occurs with strangers and left Marvel simply because he did not want Norman Osborne to be the Green Goblin. Unfortunately, John Romita turned the entire cast of characters extrodinarily handsome and changed the entire tone of the comic. Don't get me wrong, Romita is a superb artist, but like Jack Kirby his style was totally wrong for the comic.
Ditko's art is a treasure and I sometimes wonder what would have happened to the series had Ditko stayed on board instead of Romita who turned the series into more of a romantic soap opera instead of Ditko's variation which put Spiderman in a world of complete ridicule and animosity where you laughed at Spiderman one minute and then realized in the next minute how hurting the character was. This series is again another time capsule into the mind and art of Steve Ditko.

This is the second book to the Essential Spider-Man collection, their are 2 different covers and the other one is out of stock, for some reason they dont tell you this is the 2nd one but it is, it takes off where the first one left off, if you get the first one youll be hooked and youll have to get this one, and the other three. These Essential Spider-Man books are incredible!

Volume 2 of "The Essential Spider-Man" offers up issues #21-43 of the "Amazing Spider-Man" along with the original stories from Annuals #2 & 3. These are the issues that offer some big changes for both the character and the comic book. For the character, besides the introduction of new villains we see Liz Allen and Betty Bryant replaced in Peter Parker's affections by Gwen Stacy and (at long last) Mary Jane Watson. For the comic book it is artist John Romita (Sr.) taking over for Steve Ditko with issue #39, "How Green Was My Goblin." Of course, this is one of the most famous Spidey issues of all time as Spidey and the Green Goblin are both unmasked and things become very, very interesting.

I understand why some would complain that these reprints are in black & white but I have discovered at least one benefit to reading these comics without color, and that is a greater appreciation of the artwork of Steve Ditko. When I was reading these comics in 1965-67, I was happy to see Romita replace Ditko as an artist. However, as I re-read the Spider-Man comics drawn by Ditko I realize that although his figures are not exactly drawn in the most realistic style, he is a master of composition and pacing. Just look at the cover of #24 for example, but leaf through any of his issues and study what he is doing and I think you will be as impressed as I am as you watch Spider-Man tackle the Beetle, the Clown and his Masters of Menace, Mysterio, the Crime Master, the Molten Man, the Scorpion, the Cat, Ka-Zar, the Rhino, and even J. Jonah Jameson and the first of his killer robots.

Yes, the two-part confrontation between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin that begins Romita's tenure on the comic book is a classic story, which is at the heart of this summer's blockbuster movie (notice they do an homage to the cover of #39 in the film). However, I would make a case that this collection includes another of the greatest Spider-Man stories in issues #31-33. Peter Parker has parted ways with Betty Bryant and Gwen Stacy has appeared upon the scene, but that means nothing because Aunt May is very sick. Spidey gets Doc Connor to help with a formula that can save her life, but then it is stolen by the henchmen of Doctor Octopus. As the last of these three issues begins Spider-Man "is now trapped beneath tons of fallen steel, with the precious serum lying just out of reach, as the fatal second's tick by..." (quoting Stan Lee of course). But Spider-Man already is responsible for the death of his Uncle Ben and he is not going to fail Aunt May. There are other Spider-Man stories as good, but none better than this one, which finds both Lee and Ditko at their peaks.

This book follows the same style of the Bachman book series. A lot of topics are discussed to expand your level of thinking and to expose you to new ideas. Some are gone into more indepth than others. The Chapter breakdowns are as follows: 1) Intellect to Application 2) Pyramids of Learning and Wisdom (my favorite chapter) 3) Kenpo fundamentals and Progressed Basics 4) The Basics of Motion 5) Kenpo's DNA 6) When, Where and Why 7) The Bladed Weapon - Utilization 8) Wavelengths and Movement 9) Closing Notes. The first five chapters are worth the puchase alone. Six,Seven & Eight cover knife concepts taking into account environment (weather) and distinguishes between crude, raw and clean motion in knife striking execution. There is also a good little section on target locations. If your looking for knife techinque sequences this is not the book, but if you what to know some concepts to take into account when creating or executing knife techniques this book might shed some light. Once again I enjoyed this book and feel that it can help expand the way we think of the Art.

While nominally a book on bladed weapons, much information in this book is on motion per-se and its effective application in combat, with or without a bladed weapon. This is only natural, because the old saying that the weapon is an extension of the body is cliche but true. Hence many of the principles set forth in this book may be put to use whether you are empty handed or holding a weapon, and may well give you an advantage if ever forced to face a weapon attack.

I've studied Kenpo for 5 years and I find this book to be awsome. The indepth breakdown of the use of the bladed weapon is extremely useful. All the concepts and principles can be applied to your open hand techniques. It's a keeper.

Want to get outdoors and be active in the Boston area? Start by buying this book. Lee Sinai describes, in wonderful detail, many of the rides and hikes one can take within a thirty-five-mile radius of Boston. The author has organized the forty trips around geographical areas, north, south or west of Boston, so selecting one is easy. Maps of each destination are included. Each trip description includes what's important to an outdoor enthusiast.... availability of restrooms, closest access to food, degree of difficulty, directions for getting there, and a historical background of the area.
Using this book, I discovered Dogtown, a mountain biking haven in Gloucester. I also experienced Cameron's, home to the best lobster roll in Massachusetts. The author led me to Great Brook Farm in Carlisle for cycling and then to Kimball's for a memorable ice cream treat.
As a guidebook, I give Exploring In and Around Boston on Bike and Foot the highest rating.

Lee Sinai has taken a group of varied and unusual hikes and trails around Boston and compiled them into an informative and accessible guide. We refer to her book often when looking for interesting, new places to explore, and have found it invaluable in "rediscovering" Boston.

Right from the get go I found this hiking and biking guide to be a miracle of organization and indispensable information. This book not only groups locations by geographical location, but also with respect to hiking, road biking and mountain biking. I found the handy reference guide towards the beginning of the book extremely useful while including not only difficulty ratings, but also mileage for each trip, something not always available in one specific location in a guide book. The maps accompanying each site are extremely easy to follow and the descriptions really do fit the terrain perfectly, whether or not you chose to take the book along on your journeys. I found the directions to each location to be extremely useful and especially appreciated the public transportation options that help those city dwellers who lack automobiles. Other handy features include locations and descriptions of local restaurants, attractions and even restrooms. This book included an very helpful mix of locations both in the greater Boston area, as well as highlighting several gems in the neighboring suburbs. I especially appreciated the handy reference map showing the location of all the spots, as well as the ever present tips to find geater enjoyment in your outdoor adventures!

This book is perfect for anyone interested in herps in the Maya Forest. Complementary to Campbell's field guide, but also includes great line drawings, range maps, and characteristics to distinguish from similar species. Also, better photos than in Campbell's guide. If I were to buy one field guide for the area, I'd choose this over Campbell's.

A Field Guide To The Amphibians And Reptiles Of The Maya World is a comprehensive survey of the crocodiles, turtles, lizards, snakes, frogs, toads, and salamanders found in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico. This exceptionally well laid out field guide allows the easy identification of all native and introduced species of amphibians and reptiles of the region; is enhanced with 180 color photographs and 180 drawings; provides valuable techniques for field identification; includes a glossary of herpetological terms; and for each species gives a full description, natural history, and geographic distribution information (complete with maps). There are suggested readings for those who want to know more about a particular species, even descriptions of the most characteristic vocalizations of the reptiles and amphibians surveyed. A Field Guide To The Amphibians And Reptiles Of The Maya World is a "must" for any personal, professional, or academic library collection of natural history and herpetology reference works.

Julian C. Lee's field guide of the amphibians and reptiles of the Maya world is excellent. The color photographs make it easy to identify the animal in question; the maps give the reader the distribution of the form; the text gives a short synopsis of the characters and natural history of the taxon; the photos, line drawings, and the PRICE make it all worth while. Any person visiting the outback of the Yucatan Peninsula needs a copy of this book. All Nature Touring Companies should have it available for their clients. A wonderful addition for any professional herpetologist bookshelf.

As an experienced quiltmaker with a strong Art background, I am constanly impressed with the talent and creativity of quilters. Ms Masopust is an artist in the truest sense of the work. This book is incredibly inspirational, but is also straightforward enough to be of practical use. I can't wait to start deigning my own landscape quilt. This book gives you the technical information without being prescriptive. a must-have for all creative quilt makers!

I was absolutely amazed and inspired when I received this book. The quilts are beautiful works of art. After reading the easy to follow instructions, I could not wait to start my own fractured landscape quilt. I was so excited about this beautiful technique that I took the book to my local fabric store and shared it with the sales staff. They were as amazed as I. They were so amazed that they are interested in purchasing this book for themselves and for the store.

This book showcases the superb talent of the author in designing and crafting her unique style of quilt. The techniques will challenge the experienced quilter, but the many finished pieces will be a joy for all. These quilts are based on actual landscape photos from which the basic design is drawn. Geometric patterns are added "fracturing" the image into sections, each of which is pieced with it's own selection of fabrics. The end result is a remarkable play of light & color that gives the impression of looking at a scene through multiple lenses or broken glass. The special techniques used to produce these quilts are well described and illustrated. This is more than a how-to book. The many beautiful quilts done by the author and her students and shown in full color are a great display of the art of the quilt.

Bible stories. Literature that both divides and unites people in the complexities of our so-called modern life. Adam and Eve. Noah and the Ark. Moses in the Mount. David and Goliath. We listen to these stories as children; but what do we see when we revisit our Bible friends as adults?

The Bible story of Ruth stands out, like the book of Esther, because it is the story of a Woman; a story hidden among so many other stories by and about Men and Man. But Setzer's retelling of the Story of Ruth is much more than scene-setting for the triumph of Ruth's descendant David. Ruth is the embodiment of the "stranger in a strange land", whose experiences we figuratively recognize in ourselves at varioius points in life: Lost, Different, Powerless, Hopeless.

The story compels us to wonder: Is there a go'el in our lives?

Gathered deals with some of the same intriguing details of the lives of Bible women as Diamant's Red Tent, leaving this reader wanting to know more. It treats the revered characters with the same respect (and paradigm, one might add) as Card's Sarah and Rebekah, though with a somewhat less-sharpened edge.

An excellent piece of Biblical fiction that explores Ruth's experience as a convert. The author's command of the language and beautiful imagery bring the story of Ruth to life.

This book by a first time author tells a time honored story that appeals to the reader as an historical representation of a popular Biblical figure, as a tale of universal truths of loyalty and love, or just as a lovely, sweet story of two women and their journey to another land and another way of life. It's well worth reading on any level. You will get something new from it each time you read it.

In the 500 plus pages of this remarkable trilogy, Billy Lee Brammer does more to explicate and evaluate American politics, especially Texas politics and even more especially, populist politics as practiced by Lyndon B.Johnson, than all the ponderous Caro-type analyses that weigh us down blur the color and cloy the flavor. More than a portrait of LBJ, the book is an artful depiction of the lure of politics and its terrible cost on those who pursue it. All this is conveyed with humor, sympathy and a clear-eyed vision of the American scene of the 60's.

Written by a former member of President LBJ's staff. It's no secret that Lady Bird Johnson did not like this "too close to home" novel that most say was based in part on her famous husband.

However, the true gem in these pages is an acurate account of the style of Texas politics during this time period. It honestly reflects what life in this arena was like from someone who was there to see it for himself.

When this novel was released, the author Billy Lee Brammer was touted as the next great American writer. That prediction never came true due to the tragedy in the author's own life. We are left with this first work and a wonder of what might have followed had the author's life followed a more positive path.

Newcomers to Texas politics are often told to read The Gay Place if they want to understand Texas politics and a land where politics is best described by the words of former Governor Ann Richards...."IN TEXAS...POLITICS IS A CONTACT SPORT!"

This story tells of a state where men and women most often rise to the top through their intelligence and skill and not their bloodline. It certainly is not a tale of wealthy trust-fund princes who merely walk through doors open by their fathers.

You can feel the humid summer heat of Austin and the sexy passion of it's people as these pages unfold. While this wonderful city has changed dramatically in the past thirty years, you can still find many of the story's locations full of Texas politicos and their groupies. A well written and entertaining novel.

A wonderful trilogy. This is a gem of a book, and desrves a much wider audience than it's received to this point (but then, it's only been in print for 37 years). Not only is it a masterful series of short novels about politics, it also does a wonderful job of capturing the feel of a time and place.

I'm surprised this book doesn't get more press. I found it very informative regarding Grant's and Lee's personal and professional lives, but I also learned a lot about 1800's American culture as well...and I'm hardly a novice when it comes to the Civil War-era. Seeing as one Anderson is a college professor and the other is a journalist, "The Generals" is immaculately written, an all-too-often rarity concerning history books nowadays. The fact that the book is such a smooth read puts it ahead of the other Grant/Lee bios out. The Andersons' are economical writers, communicating in a few hundred pages what other long-winded folks take volumes to say. As far as the mildly negative Library Journal review goes, I wonder if that has anything to do with the Andersons' refusal to pull punches when speaking of the frailties of both Grant and Lee. These long since dead men are idealized to such an extent today that it's hard to get a feel for the people they really were. After reading "The Generals," I feel that I know both Ulysses Grant and Robert Lee, triumphs failures and draws, as well as I'm ever going to. If you're tired of reading the same old stories about Honorable Lee or Stubborn Grant, and want to get a deeper understanding of two of the most important men in American Civil War, give "The Generals" a shot. Happy reading!

I'm a bit of a history buff, but would never have read this book without the prompting of a friend whom I respect. I struggled to get throught the first 50 pages, but after that I was hooked. Not only do I understand Grant and Lee better, but I feel I understand the USA better. A great story and a window on our nation. Recommended for anyone with the patience and time to peel back the layers of our past.

This book takes you through the lives of Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. Often, it acts like a timeline, paralleling the two lives at a particular date and recreating the events that were occurring to each at that time. Many of the personal letters from both Grant and Lee are used to tell the story of their lives. These letters are surrounded with superb insights of the day and brings with it the 'feeling' of 1800's America. It is interesting to see how vastly different these two men were only to be thrust together at such a difficult time in our nations history. I strongly recommend The Generals to anyone interested in the Civil War or American History in general.

This is a terrific book written by a member's wife and their daughter. I am a big golf fan and have read several books about Augusta National and the Masters in recent years, but this one has an entirely different angle--a woman's perspective, and an insider-woman at that. The authors are respectful of the club, but they also are open in offering dozens of refreshing anecdotes that are funny and border on irreverent. There are also a bunch of photos in the book depicting the golf course from a candid viewpoint.

I started the book about 6 and finished about 12. Every golfer, Masters fan, everyone in Augusta will want one of theses books.

It's full of real inside stories of the Club, its founders, the grounds, the caddies, the famous players.

I know the author personally and figured her book would be interesting but did not expected to be glued to it. The wording contained many of the unique phrases used at the National and un golfing. I could not put the book down.

I am not a golfer, but my dad was and I have heard him day dream about golf; I've seen him high on 72 and down on 90; it seems the author got to the point she day dreamed about sandtraps, the rough, the fairways, how she would handle different shots.

Stories about personal encounters with famous golfers and politicians were great. The stories about the caddies and their betting, "ownership" of golfers, their nicknames were fascinating.

The stories about how one gets into the club gives the Augusta National a sense of intrigue.

The stories about the president of the club presented a man bigger than life, who put fear into the hearts of the wealthy and powerful.

Fishing stories, access to the club during the Masters, access to the club during off season were all highly readable and clearly inside, non-public, unpublished views into a closed society.

That only a few people were there at a time off season was amazing; there is/or was a wonderful wine cellar; there were no socials unrelated to golf and no 5 somes.

This is a wonderful book of private information that every golfer will enjoy, buy 2 of (one to keep and one to give away).

I started the book about 6 p.m and finished about 1 a.m; I could not put it down. Every golfer, every Masters fan, every body in Augusta will want this. Lots of great (and courteous) insider stories about the the Club; the creek, the community power fights about the creek; about great golfers, the caddies; the role of women; the founders of the club; the author's learning golf; rubbing elbows with Washington big whigs.

I know the author personally; I never dreamed her book would be interesting; I certainly never expected to be glued to her book, but it is a gem. I've got a couple of golfing buddies in mind who will want to read this book.

The story about the golfer who would "never" play with a woman was great...he parted with a dollar of two.

The "ownership" of the caddies, the nicknames of caddies and the nicknames given by caddies to their "horses" was fascinating.

The stories about the club president show a man "bigger than life."

Perhaps some of you know what trunk bangers are...now I know.

My grandmother lived a few blocks from the club and she rented to people who attended the Masters...so the book brings back memories...

Anyone struggling with golf, all you addicts out there, who day dream about shots, greens, the rough, creeks and sandtraps will identify with the author, whether male or female.

I'm not even a golfer, but my daddy was; and after listening to him talk golf, get down with 90, high on 72, talk about lights for night golfing, discuss the game over a few drinks, I found this book a clincher. I never expected to enjoy a book so much.

I have read all three books it made me want my own horse and to learn about the past.It also helped me learn things I didnt know like the tree's and cacti's in Ar. I think everyone would like this book if they read it. I know that I did!

i was mad when i found out this book was not on any book store web sites. i really really wanted to read it because i thought the other books were really good!

Callies dad is going to dig a pool in Stars corral.Callie is mad.Callie starts school. People on Callies bus can see Star. Star is getting really sick. Callie and Amy are trying to find out what star has.that is all I have read so far. Sorry!