Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries

Book Description

A vibrant collection of essays on the cosmos from the nation's best-known astrophysicist.

Loyal readers of the monthly "Universe" essays in Natural History magazine have long recognized Neil deGrasse Tyson's talent for guiding them through the mysteries of the cosmos with stunning clarity and almost childlike enthusiasm. Here, Tyson compiles his favorite essays across a myriad of cosmic topics. The title essay introduces readers to the physics of black holes by explaining the gory details of what would happen to your body if you fell into one. "Holy Wars" examines the needless friction between science and religion in the context of historical conflicts. "The Search for Life in the Universe" explores astral life from the frontiers of astrobiology. And "Hollywood Nights" assails the movie industry's feeble efforts to get its night skies right.

Known for his ability to blend content, accessibility, and humor, Tyson is a natural teacher who simplifies some of the most complex concepts in astrophysics while simultaneously sharing his infectious excitement about our universe.

Customer Reviews:

Educational and entertaining.......2007-10-02

I have long known Tyson to be an excellent speaker and purveyor of scientific ideas with a Saganesque ability to convey the excitement of scientific findings with a bit more hipness and swagger to his talks than Sagan. This book is an excellent read through and through. I couldn't beat the feeling as I sat on the roof of a 14 story building in Curitiba, Brazil watching the sunset alone on the summer solstice (their winter solstice) while reading the section on Stick-In-The-Mud-Science and watching the long shadows creep across the sky and have Tyson explain to me all the celestial happenings around me (this really happened). Quite a magical read. The author presents complex scientific ideas in short, readable, cohesively-themed articles. Each article is on a topic familiar to us, upon which he expands towards scientific ideas which may be unfamiliar to us. There is enough overlap in the independent sections that the read feels like one is being 'taught' rather than just reading information. And Tyson is first and foremost a great educator. Although I did find myself trying to remember something from a previous chapter and flipping back through, I feel like I have learned a great deal about astrophysics from a book that was downright entertaining.

An enjoyable read for those with an interest in science and astronomy.......2007-09-27

The qualities that make Neil deGrasse Tyson so annoying on Nova Science Now are absolute positives when it comes to the written word. He is an intelligent and entertaining writer with an uncanny ability to reduce complex scientific concepts to bite sized chunks even I could (mostly) understand.

Death by Black Hole by Neil DeGrasse Tyson.......2007-09-19

An astrophysicist for the American Museum of Natural History, director of the world famous Hayden Planetarium, and columnist for Natural History magazine, Neil DeGrasse Tyson brings to the non-scientific world the ideal book for those fascinated with space, the cosmos, black holes, and all the questions and wonders therein. Death by Black Hole is the perfect book for the reader who wants answers to questions about the universe in a simple and clearly defined way so that even if they know next to nothing about science and it's jargon, Tyson makes it easily understandable.

While I was hoping for something a little more in depth in the style of Brian Greene's The Fabric of the Cosmos or Lee Smolin's The Trouble With Physics, Death by Black Hole nevertheless provides quick and simple answers to many questions everyday readers without a science background have about physics, the universe, space, and most matters dealing with the cosmos. The book is a selection of his columns in Natural History that are organized in a somewhat textbook fashion. Tyson starts with the idea of science and nature in its basic form, how humanity views Earth, the solar system, the universe. Along with this discussion, Tyson also gives minor history lessons on the development of different ideas in physics and astronomy, what people came up with what big ideas and how the progression led to the development of the big theories of our current time with string theory and relativity. Going on from here, Death by Black Hole address the crucial steps that led to the formation of the universe and its development over the many billions and billions of years, again explaining how it is that scientists know what they do and what instruments were used, as well as the history of who invented and used said instruments.

It is then that Tyson finally turns to the subject matter of the title of the book in the section "When the Universe Turns Bad: All the Ways the Cosmos Wants to Kill Us." Here he addresses the complex and still relatively unknown subjects of chaos theory, dark matter (which constitutes over 90% of all matter in the universe, while we still know next to nothing about it), and finally black holes. Tyson takes the reader on a hypothetical journey with what would happen if one were to be sucked into a black hole and how as they approached the event horizon, they would become stretched until the elasticity point of their skin was surpassed and the body would be torn into thousands then millions of little pieces.

With many questions now answered, in the next section Tyson discusses how science is viewed by the media, Hollywood, and people around the world in general. The final section addresses the concept of science and religion, again taking the reader on a historic journey through the development of first religion, then science, and the struggle that has ensued for centuries. It is the perfect end to a book on science, as Tyson lectures the importance of supporting fact and reality in a time when there are many who believe more in faith, even when all the evidence is to the contrary.

For more book reviews, and other writings, go to www.alexctelander.com

Conversational Cosmology 101 - Superb!.......2007-09-19

New York Planetarium director and astrophysicist Tyson has been writing a column for "Natural History" magazine for some 11 years - that makes about 132 short essays. Tyson says this monthly chore is "one of the most exhausting and exhilarating things I do." Forty-two of these essays appear in this volume, "mildly edited for continuity and to reflect emergent trends in science."

He divides these essays into seven sections:

1. THE NATURE OF KNOWLEDGE - The challenges of knowing what is knowable in the universe.
2. THE KNOWLEDGE OF NATURE - The challenges of discovering the contents of the cosmos.
3. WAYS AND MEANS OF NATURE - How nature presents herself to the inquiring mind.
4. THE MEANING OF LIFE - The challenges and triumphs of knowing how we got here.
5. WHEN THE UNIVERSE TURNS BAD - All the ways the cosmos wants to kill us.
6. SCIENCE AND CULTURE - The ruffled interface between cosmic discovery and the public's reaction to it.
7. SCIENCE AND GOD - When ways of knowing collide.

"Natural History" is the same magazine Stephen J. Gould wrote 300 essays for, overlapping with Tyson for seven years. In both cases, the authors excelled in making their respective fields (evolutionary biology and cosmology) easily readable for the general public, adding to their already impressive credentials.

From page 33: "This universality of physical laws tells us that if we land on another planet with a thriving alien civilization, they will be running on the same laws that we have discovered and tested here on Earth - even if the aliens harbor different social and political beliefs. Furthermore, if you wanted to talk to the aliens, you can bet they don't speak English or French or even Mandarin Chinese. You don't even know whether shaking their hands - if indeed they have hands to shake - would be considered an act of war or of peace. Your best hope is to find a way to communicate using the language of science."

The format provides for benign redundancy as the Big Bang, formation of galaxies, creation of the chemicals in the periodic chart, and predictable physics versus chaos of interactions are looked at over and over from differing perspectives. This book is highly entertaining and I recommend it for anyone who wants to buff up their knowledge of astronomy (cosmology, astrophysics...) or for the confirmed science nut like me. First rate!

Heavy & light reading all in one.......2007-09-14

Anything by this author is worth reading. I like the way he starts off explaining things in a very simple way and winds up getting deep into the end result. "A professional con job with very educational results".

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Average customer rating:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
History: Fiction or Science? Astronomical methods as applied to chronology. Ptolemy's Almagest. Chronology III
Discovering the Mysteries of Ancient America: Lost History And Legends, Unearthed And Explored
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ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

Great read for us 20-somethings
Entertaining, but not a classic
Witty, Humorous, and Fun!
Life after shampoo
Very Nicely Done Trip With 20-somethings!

Shampoo Planet
Douglas Coupland
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture
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ASIN: 0671755056

Customer Reviews:

Great read for us 20-somethings.......2005-09-28

I found this book to be completely hilarious. Probably because I was able to relate to the madness. This book simply solidified my love for Coupland.

If you want a summary and an in depth review of the book line by line - read a different review. I'm only here to recommend the book.

Read it. If you're between the ages of 18-30 ... you'll probably appreciate it as much as I did.

Entertaining, but not a classic.......2005-06-02

I would put "Shampoo Planet" in the same category as Wells' "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" and Flagg's "Fried green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe". A light story that is easy and quick to read and interesting enough that you will want to finish the book.

I don't think this book will stand up well to the test of time. It does not have the timeless story or character development of the classics. The cham of "Shampoo Planet" is based mainly on cultural references to the comsumerism obsessed America of the early 1990's. It is probably only interesting for those who lived in that time or who want a little slice of life about that time. I don't think teachers will have their students read it in 100 years time as an example of great late 20th century liturature.

Witty, Humorous, and Fun!.......2004-12-23

Douglas Coupland definitely has an amazing way with words and a knowledge of the conundrum felt by those in their late teens and early twenties. Parents simply don't understand. How could they? They are from a different era. A simpler era. What do they know of the current zeitgeist? Such is the thought process of so many youngsters trying to find their place and discover their purpose in a world overwrought with technology and consumerism. Thus, such are the thought processes of Tyler and his odd array of peers in this amazing novel. Can Tyler and his mother find some way to work out their differences, and is there some lesson to be learned from a washed up hippie?

Shampoo Planet begins with Tyler's mother, Jasmine, waking up to find the word "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" written across her forehead. From this point forth, Jasmine and Tyler both set sail on a roller coaster ride of self-discovery, seeking to reclaim their self-worth from a new perspective. From the small, cozy town of Lancaster, Washington, in which many suffer from the closing of "the Plants," Tyler branches out seeking what else life has to offer. Using his ambition as his fuel, Tyler aims towards escape from the mundane.

We learn of Tyler's trip to Europe, during which he met an opportunistic French girl named Stephanie, and from whom he will learn to appreciate the past. Once Tyler returns home, we are introduced to his sister Daisy, who seems eager to escape the present by living vicariously with her boyfriend through her mother's days as a hippie. Tyler's now-ex-step-father, Dan, would rather create false realities than face his true existence. Tyler's grandparents have lost their money and are trying desperately to regain their societal stature by becoming involved in a pyramid scheme. We also learn of Tyler's post-feminist girlfriend, Anna-Louise, whose aim is to help Tyler get through college and achieve his dream of becoming a big-wig for a large corporation, and whom Tyler seems unwilling or incapable of acknowledging the fact that she has an eating disorder.

Tyler later reconnects with his summer fling, Stephanie, who, after stirring up controversy between Anna-Louise and Tyler, convinces him to venture to California in attempt to "make it big" as a photographer. On the way south, Tyler pays an uncomfortable visit to his estranged biological father. Once in Hollywood, Tyler realizes that the "good life" isn't easily handed to you on a silver platter.

Though Tyler and his friends are living in a time of modernity and seemingly shallow introversion, where "what's on top of your head says what's inside your head," there is really more to them than meets the eye. Disillusioned by magazines and television into believing a romanticized version of the future exists, one in which people really do get what they want and are actually happy with mere material possessions, Tyler clearly has a lot to learn.

Coupland's writing is chock full of witty banter and intelligent, humorous analogies that make for a highly entertaining read for those of any generation. The cast of well-rounded, realistic characters is simply unforgettable. Coupland has several good points to get across and he knows how to do so in a way that is easily accessible, extremely fun, and profoundly lighthearted. This is definitely not the last Coupland book I will pick up. Very highly recommended!

"Clean hair; clean body; clean mind; clean life. You could become famous at any moment and your whole personal history could be unearthed. And then what would they find? Turn on the shower" (Coupland, 133).

Life after shampoo.......2004-10-12

Douglas Coupland made his biggest mark on literature with "Generation X," a witty satire on the jaded "Gen-Xers." This time, we have one instead of several, but Coupland's writing might be even tighter because of that. Witty, unpredictable and full of Coupland's little flickers of bitterness and sweetness.

Things start to go awry when ex-hippie Jasmice wakes up with "divorce" written on her forehead. Ambitious twenty-year-old Tyler is a living anti-hippie, devoted to hair-care, sleek technology and big corporations. He considers Jasmine the living figure of sixties idiocy, but he consoles his mother about her rotten husband's departure.

As he comforts Jasmine, he contemplates his own life, his sweet girlfriend Anna Louise, and his oddball family, which was based in a weird hippie commune when he was little. Things in Tyler's life are disrupted when the haughty Stephanie, a summer fling, comes to visit -- and stay. Tyler travels with his fling-turned-new-girlfriend to California, but finds himself more alone than he has ever been before.

In this book, Coupland takes a look at a small group of people -- young, intelligent college graduates who aren't sure whether to follow their dreams, or chain themselves to a big corporation. Don't worry -- it's not half as boring as it sounds. Coupland keeps the book vibrant with snotty Europeans, scraggly ex-hippies and the offspring they drive crazy.

Theme aside, Coupland has a way of tugging at the heartstrings, without becoming really sentimental, and reminds us that "the time you feel lonely is the time you most need to be by yourself." His writing is sharp, solid and strangely evocative of a split world: half sand candles and flowers, half leather furniture and big-screen TVs. And he has a unique sense of humor -- he doesn't make readers really laugh, but just exposes the absurd side of things.

Tyler starts off superficial and rather snotty, and he spends much of the book doing the wrong thing. But Coupland makes him grow up slowly, making him see the worth of people he thought were freakish before. Not to mention his long-suffering girlfriend Anna Louise, who is obviously The Girl for Tyler. Jasmine is a very real portrait of an aging hippie -- full of life and sweetness, yet incredibly naive.

Douglas Coupland's "Shampoo Planet" tackles some of the same turf as "Generation X," yet it gets more intimate and sweet than his first novel did. Remember -- what's on top of your head does not say what's inside your head.

Very Nicely Done Trip With 20-somethings!.......2004-05-03

This is a very fine multi-generational tour with the junior college crowd in the town of Lancaster, Wa., with stops in Paris, Vancouver, and LA. A very funny ride that you'll breeze through! We go thru half-vanished malls, trailor parks, grandfathers busted in bad real estate deals who sell multilevel cat food, a very loving ex-hippie mother, and a vacuous stepfather, and other eccentrics of all ages. Well worth the ride and the time!

Average customer rating:

An excellent read by an excellent author!
Author Needs to Work on His Craft
Not As Good As I Hoped
A decent read, but needed editing.
The snowball analogy

Black Storm Rising
D. Shane Burton
Manufacturer: Xulon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

When Worlds Rage
Dark Tyrant's Ascension
Journey Into The Gateway Of Dimensions
The Fall of the Nephilim (Cradleland Chronicles)
Quest for Atlan (Cradleland Chronicles)

ASIN: 1591604664

Book Description

Here is the back cover summary:

From the depths of time they rise -- an ancient yet technologically advanced threat from a forgotten era of human history. On a planet linked to Earth, yet far removed, humanity has thrived in great diversity, yet now the very fabric of their society is endangered. Legendary heroes from long ago join together with modern explorers and soldiers to stand against the threat, or die in the attempt. The battle between good and evil is joined anew as the fate of a world hangs in the balance.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent read by an excellent author!.......2007-02-10

Black Storm Rising by D. Shane Burton was an amazing read. I approached this book with an open mind. I was a bit leery about how science fiction and Christianity could be brought together but Burton did so flawlessly. The technical precision of Tom Clancy, along with the sci-fi storytelling of David Weber or Orson Scott Card is what I felt upon reading this book. There are those who have criticized the author for his unique writing style. I admit, after years and years of reading formulaic books it took some getting used to. After about the second chapter I was completely engrossed in the novel. The criticized style is one of the reasons this (and the sequels When Worlds Rage & Dark Tyrant's Ascension) novel is so enjoyable. I found myself excited about what would happen next. The characters are very well developed and their relationships with each other are equally so.
As was mentioned in another review, there are a few typos and errors. This is understandable since these books are self-published. These errors in no way detract from the story.
I would also like to address the Christianity of this book. There is no one denomination or viewpoint presented in these pages save for Biblical Christianity. It is not at all preachy or overbearing. It is however, an immensely important feature of not only the author's life, but of the lives of many of his characters. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the science-fiction genre.

Author Needs to Work on His Craft.......2007-01-13

This book received great reviews here on Amazon. so I sprung for the whole series. What a mistake! The premise of the book promises to be a great story, and it probably is a great story, but the poor writing gets in the way. He obviously has not learned the writing mantra "Show, don't tell." I could not get drawn into the story because I'd constantly think, "I can't believe he wrote that!!" Also, Mr. Burton has made his book a soapbox for his particular theology which is quite irritating.

I believe that Mr. Burton should hone his craft of writing and republish this book. Anything worth doing for the Lord is worth doing excellently.

Not As Good As I Hoped.......2006-12-03

After reading all the reviews on this book, and anything else I could find on it, I bought it from Amazon. It was not as good as I thought it would be. The author created a cool world, and had some interesting ideas, but it was very hard to read. The language through the whole book was very formal; even what was supposed to be slang! Also, there were a lot of characters, and you wanted one of them to come to the front and be the main character. No one really did, and you kept wondering who the story was about. This also made it hard to get drawn into the story, as you didn't really connect with the characters. It was unique enough to be interesting, which is why I gave it four stars, but it was also hard to read, so all in all, it was not as good as I had hoped.

A decent read, but needed editing........2006-11-21

First, let me say that this was a decent read and I'd probably recommend it if you're into Christian Sci-Fi and can find it for $8 or less. But be warned that this book is self-published, and it shows.

The book is difficult to follow until about 90 pages in, when all the characters begin to met together. Shane starts out with a huge number of characters who are introduced all at once and are located all over the globe. It was very difficult for me to place them in relation to one another, and I'm usually very good at that sort of thing. Also, they are all treated like THE main character so little time is spent with any one person. I didn't bond strongly with any one character, so when one of the good characters dies, you just kind of shrug and say, 'Oh, well. One less to keep track of.' If you don't care about the characters, how can you really care about the story? Unfortunately, I'll have forgotten this one before the year is out.

Also, the first 90 pages swing back and forth between sounding like a children's book and a scientific journal. Sound effects are all over the place and written like a child playing with toys: 'Bang! Bang! Bang! Three missiles slammed into...' (instead of 'three missiles slammed into the building and exploded with a loud bang.'). Then, a few sentences later, the writing gets overly scientific: 'He slowly moved deeper into the water because it was a low 62 degrees' (instead of '...because the water was chilly.'). These aren't actual quotes, just paraphrases from what I remember. However, the contrast between these two styles on one page is quite distracting. The writing does smooth out, dropping both extremes, after about 90 pages.

Again, let me say that the story idea is an intriguing and creative one. I just wish Shane had stuck with rewriting it until the story really shone like it deserved.

The snowball analogy.......2006-08-10

At first I found Mr. Burton's writing style a bit difficult to get use to. He definitely has a unique form. But, slowly, like the little snowball that collects more and more snow as it rolls, I was drawn into the story. It wasn't long before I found myself unable to put the book down and finished it in record time...at least for me. The one disappoint, though small, was the lack of a map. The book decribes many wonderful locations and I love to flip to maps to see the location of cities, oceans, mountains, and other geographic references. I have already ordered Volumes 2 and 3 in the series and can only hope a map will be in these. All-in-all it is a great story with uncompromising Christian faith at its center. With the book you know that Jesus is Lord even on other worlds.

Aug 15, 2006
This section I'm adding as a clarification to my review above and is a cut and paste from an e-mail I shared with Mr. Burton.

BEGIN ---- Cut --- and --- Paste
"I must apologize for my Yahoo write-up. Now, via reflection, I must admit a fallacy in my analysis. Prior to reading your novel, I had spent a few weeks reading Douglas Hirt's Cradleland series. My mind had been trained by his style and literary cadence. So it was MY reading and comprehension that had difficulty NOT your writing style. The proof of this is in the snowball metaphor I used. As I, yes I, adjusted to your style I began to pick up speed and as I said in the writeup, couldn't put the book down."
END ---- Cut --- and --- Paste

So, as all can see it was me not Mr. Burton with the issue. Please get his book(s) with confidence and enjoy a wonderful story.

Planet of the Apes as American Myth: Race, Politics, and Popular Culture

Average customer rating:

Thoughtful Discussion
The "Sacred Scroll" for serious Ape-o-philes!
Not just about race...
Engrossing, intelligent, and eminently readable
Planet of the Apes as an American "Animal Farm?"

Planet of the Apes as American Myth: Race, Politics, and Popular Culture
Eric Greene , and Richard Slotkin
Manufacturer: Wesleyan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0819563293

Book Description

A lively exploration of the Planet of the Apes films as racial allegory.

In 1968, Planet of the Apes became a megahit movie both in the US and abroad, inspiring four film sequels, two TV series, several comic series, and hundreds of millions of dollars in worldwide merchandising. The Apes films confronted some of the most controversial issues of the time, including Vietnam and the Black Power movement, all the while remaining crowd pleasing box office hits.

Eric Greene uses rare photographs, transcripts, and extensive interviews with the writers, directors, actors, and producers to read the Apes saga as a profoundly American myth. Greene also looks at the attempts of filmmakers like Oliver Stone and James Cameron to remake the myth for the 90s. This enjoyable and meticulous book gives the reader an insider's look at the complex relationships between race, politics and popular culture in America.

Customer Reviews:

Thoughtful Discussion.......2007-03-22

Eric Greene's book is a thoughtful discussion of the ideas present in the Apes movies. Even if the makers might deny that they intended them to be social commentary, the Apes movies certainly inspire a review of the social scene in the 1960's from which these movies sprang forth.

By comparison, how something like Star Wars can be praised as mythology and the Apes movies ignored is beyond me.

The "Sacred Scroll" for serious Ape-o-philes!.......2006-07-20

I can count on the fingers (and fully-opposable thumb) of one hand the number of books that have impressed, entertained, and inspired me as much as this one.

It doesn't hurt that I grew up as a hardcore Ape-o-phile. Still, had "Planet of the Apes as American Myth" been a mere nostalgic retrospective, it would not have riveted me as it did. Something strange happened as I read Greene's lucid, insightful and cogent commentary. I came to understand, finally, just why the Apes series and the world it evoked had, during my pre-teen and teen years, intrigued me on so many levels at once...and why the series' admittedly outlandish sci-fi premise always had to it the ring of truth. Reading this book, I felt vindicated. It was as if the author said, "You were right all along, Paul. These films really DID matter -- and here's why."

Like the final scene in the original 1968 film, Greene's book forces you to look back at all that preceded it (in this case, the POTA films & TV series) in an entirely new light. For Apes fans this is, quite simply, a MUST-READ.

(Paul McComas is the author of UNPLUGGED, TWENTY QUESTIONS, and the upcoming comedic coming-of-age novel PLANET OF THE DATES.)

Not just about race..........2005-03-10

The Ape movies were not just mirrors to show us our racial problems but also to show solutions to them. But it wasn't just about race, but also about foreign affairs such as the Cold War and the Vietnam Conflict, religion vs. science, nature vs. nurture, the fears of a nuclear holocaust, even our treatment of animals and how we treat women.
The book really helped me to understand the movies with a detailed background about the times in which the movies were created. The book also has a touch of humor even while explaining about what the films were trying to say or show. Sometimes without even knowing it.

Engrossing, intelligent, and eminently readable.......2005-02-16

Greene also does the text commentary on the 35th anniversary DVD of the original PLANET OF THE APES movie, and you can see why he was chosen. His deep insights into that film, and the ones that follow, are an absolute joy to read. If only the producers of the dismal remake of PLANET OF THE APES had read Green's book, they'd perhaps have understood how deeply symbolic and profound the original was. Although this is a scholarly work, it is also just a whole heck of a lot of fun. Five stars.

Planet of the Apes as an American "Animal Farm?".......2004-10-07

As far back as Aesop, the creative community has realized that talking animals can be especially effective surrogates for making social commentary. This book is an extensive treatment of this issue and therefore is especially for those interested in the mythical and social aspects of the Planet of the Apes series. Needless to say, if you want to know more about the movies as movies or you're interested in an apes price guide, you should probably look elsewhere. However, those looking here will not be disappointed with Greene's spot on ability to weave social analysis from the various naunces of the apes movies.
From 1968 to 1975 the apes series produced five movies and two separate television series. This is a very prodigious production rate commensurate with the series' ability to key into the American psyche. Much like the Simpsons today, the apes series gave its writing staff a chance to touch on issues like the war in Vietnam and race relations from an artistically safe vantage point. Like our fast food the Planet of the Apes series was a uniquely American foray into the land of Aesop. It was, perhaps our American "Animal Farm."

Lonely Planet Breaking Ranks: Turbulent Travels in the Promised Land (Lonely Planet Journeys (Travel Literature))

Average customer rating:

Not so bad. . .not so good.
As informative as a guide, as pleasurable as a novel
You Can Taste the Hummous
Insightful Account of a Journey of a Person and of Peoples
Excellent material, well-written, and extremely useful !

Lonely Planet Breaking Ranks: Turbulent Travels in the Promised Land (Lonely Planet Journeys (Travel Literature))
Benjamin Black
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1864503610

Book Description

Ben Black is like any other guy in his twenties: he switches between jobs, he lives on the rough, he travels off the beaten track. He smokes grass, he flirts with politics, he falls in love.

When Ben migrates from Scotland to Israel, his life takes a more exotic turn. He explores the lost city of Petra and a secret, secluded beach in the Sinai Desert. He goes camel racing with the Bedouin and feasts in the hummous parlours of Tel Aviv and Jaffa. Then there is the experience that could occur nowhere else: a suicide bomb blast on his bus route to work.

His life alters irreversibly one day when his military call-up papers arrive and Ben - having moved to Israel in the mid 1990s as the promise of peace seemed so close - is forced to choose between his conscience and his country.

As Ben tries to reconcile his belief in the inevitability of a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with the realities of military service, he brings into sharp, personal focus the meanings of war and peace in the Middle East.

Customer Reviews:

Not so bad. . .not so good........2002-04-27

I read this book in two sittings. Given current events, I was more motivated than I would have been otherwise. As I write this review, I'm conflicted because I was nauseated by the author's obviously convenient morality while enjoying his depictions of his time in Israel. If you just can't be bothered by your responsibilities to society, I can understand how fashionable it would be to present yourself as a secular, conscientious objector. In the final epilogue, Mr. Black attempts to reconcile his behavior vis a vis Israel's social contract.

I would've been more sympathethic if his rationalizations appeared more honest or if he wasn't a well-educated, well-traveled male, who should, by age 27, the speed at which 3 years passes. However, having read the previous chapters, it felt more like he, like the trust-funded, party boy who resists joining the family business, just couldn't be bothered with his part of the bargain. As I finish this paragraph, I wonder if my Jewish college friends would've dismissively labelled him with that nebulous Yiddish insult--nebbish.

Now with that largely feel-good rant complete, in the main, I enjoyed "meeting" the people he described to us (my personal favorite was the lady making that godawful stuff Turks call coffee). Furthermore, I especially enjoyed the section detailing the sport of Israeli politics during elections as well as the sections on life in the kibbutz. Finally, I got fine laughs out of his interactions with the driver's license examiner and the deferment board.

Bottom line: I enjoyed the book and the author writes well, but found his character unimpressive by the end of the book

As informative as a guide, as pleasurable as a novel.......2001-11-13

Black's debut sends the reader into a contradictory world of beauty and war, of passion and of aggression. To read it is to be there, yet yearn to experience the treasures of the middle east and learn the complexities first hand that make it such a fascinating place. Travalogues can be tedious when too informative and yet when too personal can be frustratingly useless to the traveller. Black, however, strikes a balance that both inspires the reader to go, offering useful advice, in a style that is compelling. The journey from the innocence of youth to the dawning realities of adulthood provides a perfect backdrop to the intricacies of middle-east politics and so opens the reader's eyes to the humanity of what one sees on the news. I was sad I finished it so quickly. I might just have to book a flight...

You Can Taste the Hummous.......2001-09-20

Black's first effort takes us to a time in our very near past when peace in the Middle East was almost reality.
Both a personal and objective account of the mid-late nineties in one of the most written about countries on the planet.
Black does not bog us down with history but takes us on a fresh and contemporary tour of a region so often divided by politics, religion and war. Whilst his own politics are obvious they are not imposed upon the reader and he presents a somewhat balanced view of all arguments in the conflicts.
However it must be noted that this is also a travlogue and Black often takes us off the beaten path to some of the gems and treasures hidden in deserts, moutains, chasms and alleyways. His desriptions of people places and events are so realistic that you can actually taste the hummous.

Insightful Account of a Journey of a Person and of Peoples.......2001-09-13

I have to be honest and say I suspect that "Ben Black" is not a first time writer but a more experienced and established name who for some reason is writing under a pseudonym. Why do I say this? Because it is rare enough to come across such a well-writen, insightful, humurous & ultimately human account of a journey in one of the world's most turbulent regions - let alone from somone with no experience of writing.

Having spent many separate months and years in the Middle East (many during the same periods as Black was there), I can honestly say that he has managed somehow to capture the feel and spirit of much of the region and peoples, and bottled it up in this gem of a book. This should be required reading for anyone thinking of spending any time in or around Israel, and is particularly poignant in the current climate. I can't reccomend it enough.

Come on "Ben", who are you really, and when is your next book coming out?

Excellent material, well-written, and extremely useful !.......2001-09-11

This book constitutes an extremely useful tool and pleasant reading, for those interested in Israeli and Middle East politics and society, as well as travelers to the region (especially during this turbulent time). It is excellent to have a view from the author about the current Middle East crisis. While clearly standing on one side rather than the other, the author remains extremely objective and without any bias, in examining the causes and perspectives of the present Middle East crisis - a topic he clearly feels very strongly about. The book is extremely well-written, ensuring pleasant and captivating reading for all. Likewise, it contains extremely useful and up-to-date information, which will be of immense value for the traveler. It is a book any traveler, especially if interested in politics and society, should take with herself / himself before leaving for the region.

Black Planet: Facing Race during an NBA Season

Average customer rating:

I Want My Money Back!
Good, journal-style book
Fascinating
A sports book for intellectuals
This book is honest

Black Planet: Facing Race during an NBA Season
David Shields
Manufacturer: Bison Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0803293542

Amazon.com

In his earlier work, David Shields came across as a fairly traditional storyteller. Even Dead Languages, his fictional rumination on a stutterer's tongue-tied existence, was essentially a coming-of-age story. But he began to show his true colors with Remote, a fractured, full-body immersion in media culture. This deeply amusing work of nonfiction revealed the author to be a neurotic, navel-gazing cousin of Nicholson Baker. Now comes Black Planet: Facing Race During an NBA Season, whose putative topic--professional basketball--would seem to return Shields to his extroverted roots. (His first novel, in fact, revolved around a college basketball player.) Yet this is ultimately as postmodernist a work as its predecessor, and it takes us not only into the author's heart but his boudoir. Black Planet's fusion of public spectacle with private mortification makes it his funniest book to date.

A word of explanation: technically speaking, Black Planet is a chronicle of the Seattle SuperSonics during the 1994-1995 season. Since the team blew its shot at the playoffs, there's no chance for an uplifting grand finale. Yet Shields had a different sort of hoop dream in mind from the very beginning. "The NBA," he writes, "is a place where, without ever acknowledging it--and because it's never acknowledged, it's that much more potent and telling--white fans and black players enact and quietly explode virtually every racial issue and tension in the culture at large. Race, the league's taboo topic, is the league's true subject." It's the author's true subject, too, and he goes at it from every angle--attending games, recording call-in radio shows, and making some abortive attempts to cozy up to the players. Point guard Gary Payton is his true Penelope. Why? Well, his motormouth style does suggest an "indivisibility... of playing and talking, of life and language." But more to the point, he offers a handy tabula rasa for Shields's fantasy life, a trash-talking personification of bad behavior: "Which is why, in Seattle the Good, I so love Gary Payton. He's not really bad, he's only pretend-bad--I know that--but he allows me to fantasize about being bad."

If Shields were simply slapping society on the wrist for its half-submerged racism, Black Planet would wear out its welcome in the first quarter. But he's consistently hardest on himself, so the book becomes not only a social critique but a critique of social critiques, cutting the ground from under itself in an infinite and entertaining loop-the-loop. Shields may not be the first writer to transform a fan's notes into literary gold--Frederick Exley beat him to the punch--but he's the most rigorously intelligent one in a long, long time. Swish! --James Marcus

Book Description

The National Basketball Association is a place where white fans and black players enact virtually every racial issue and tension in U.S. culture. Following the Seattle SuperSonics for an entire season, David Shields explores how, in a predominantly black sport, white fans—including especially himself—think about and talk about black heroes, black scapegoats, and black bodies.

Critically acclaimed and highly controversial, Black Planet was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the PEN USA Award, and was named one of the Top Ten Nonfiction Books of 1999 by Esquire, Newsday, Los Angeles Weekly, and Amazon.com.

Customer Reviews:

I Want My Money Back!.......2006-11-22

I picked up a hardbound version of this book for $0.10 at a library book sale, and would take it back for a refund if I could. It seems to me the author is convinced of his premise, then tries to use peoples' words and actions to justify/prove it, often unsuccessfully. I think one problem is his professorial way of writing: the numerous "Cf.s" were a distraction and contrived.

I tried to finish the book but couldn't take it anymore about halfway through.

Good, journal-style book.......2006-03-02

I read this book several years ago and in retrospect it couldn't have come out at a better time.

Conversations on race is the larger topic of this book which uses the changing landscape of the NBA as a metaphor for the growing indifference & misunderstandings of whites of African-Americans.

The book explores the passing of the grinning, assimilationist & non-threatening generation of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas being supplanted by an increasingly urban-flavored generation not as concerned with making McDonald's commercials and appealing to Middle Class America.

(NOTE: this book is written just before the invasion of the "hip hop generation" led by Allen Iverson whose gangsta, thugged-out image, braids, baggy pants and corn rows rubbed a predominantly white fanbase the wrong way, opening all sorts of new NBA image discussions).

Shields chronicles the Seattle SuperSonics in the mid-1990s, attends games and stays up on every notable on court act or off court run-in and then examines how hoops fans make judgments based upon stereotypes or racial perceptions.

The book's premise is that the overwhelming black, overwhelming rags-to-riches tales of its majority of players combine to create the one forum in the country where whites are the outsiders and thus forced to (and ultimately resist, if you consider the standing of the overwhelmingly white media and white hoops fans) relate to a group of players from the wrong side of the tracks that otherwise had always been forced to assimilate and relate to Middle America (and thus, a juxtaposition of the two roles in the NBA).

For me, this book's topic couldn't be more relevant today given the emergence of an NBA generation that's as polarizing as any the sport's world has ever seen.

It might be a little harder to stomach though if you're a reader not in touch with your own honest racial perceptions.

Fascinating.......2004-04-04

Insightful, observant and brave, David Shields' Black Planet is a thought-provoking look at America's sports culture and, ultimately, America's culture in general. Never afraid to use himself as a subject, the author takes a look at the racial dynamic apparant -but rarely confronted upon- in the NBA.

Even for the non-sports fan, this book will prove to be an enlightening read because basketball only provides the backdrop for the author's exploration of society and self.

It should be noted that the author is not a sports writer. In fact, the author often seems out of place in the various professional basketball environments he roams and inhabits in the book. Such a feeling of disconnect, however, aids the text, I believe; such an outside-looking-in perspective gives the book a voice I suspect many readers will recognize--their own.

A sports book for intellectuals.......2004-03-15

Remote is an intelligent exploration of the deeper meanings of basketball. David Shields follows the Seattle Sonics during the '94-'95 season, commenting not only on the dynamics of play but also on issues of race and our need for the other, for transcendence from our lives through sports fandom.

So compelling is Shield's case for an intellectual take on basketball that I, a nonsportsfan type, began watching basketball games after reading this book. If you're up for delving into the greater meanings of fandom and the catharsis of sports, this is a great book to read. If you're a fan looking for basketball stats and play by play description look elsewhere. This is more than just a book about sports--it's a book about what sports mean to us.

This book is honest.......2003-09-05

This book is courageous in attempting to take an honest look at something we're all tired of talking about, but is still a very real problem facing America: the salience of racism.

What better arena to examine the still lingering remnants of racism in this great country of ours then sports -- and more specifically, the NBA.

In a league dominated by African American players, where the term "minority" is given a new meaning, Shields begins this book by observing and analyzing the very real, but often ignored racial dynamic.

Contrary to popular belief, and as this book shows, racism is a problem in this country -- one that doesn't end just because one steps off the street and onto a basketball court.

BUT THIS BOOK ISN"T ABOUT RACISM, per se, but the power of human perspective.

Shields has a fascination with observing African American players, but documents his very real opinions and emotions as it relates to what he observes.

The twist is he goes back-and-forth analyzing how his opinions, judgments and thoughts are all shaped, in part, by who he is as a middle aged white man (not meant to sound negative, just truthful).

Truth is everybody, black, white or whatever, uses such lenses when viewing society. Sociology supports this theory (but that's another subject).

Shields uses his book to function as somewhat of a microcosm for how whites view blacks in this country by exploring how sport -- specifically here the popularity and racial makeup of the NBA -- exploits, exposes and reveals every racial attitude, myth and misconception some whites have about blacks.

Black Planet is a magnifying glass that flips the script on the mainstream while showing the power of difference and misunderstanding.

I, as an African American sports writer, also find this book humorous just to see the number of white-bread reporters whose attempts to sound more urban, hip & cool when dealing with black athletes are, unbeknowngst to the reporters, igorant, condescending and insulting.

This alone is a bold-faced reflection that books are still judged by their covers.

The astounding part of the issue Black Planet addresses is the fact that White America can pretty much live in ignorance -- involuntarily and unknowingly -- to the great divide in how African Americans experience this country.

But one of the few avenues in which White America is forced to care and at least deal with the difference in experience is sport -- and especially the NBA.

Shields' is honest and I'd say accurate in his assessment of how race does in fact play a critical part in how sports reporters interact with and interpret the actions of black athletes -- something to think about the next time we pick up our papers and read a story about Allen Iverson, Randy Moss (or for that matter, Kobe Bryant).

Average customer rating:

Review of From Blue Moons to Black Holes

I loved it!

awesome!

From Blue Moons To Black Holes: A Basic Guide To Astronomy, Outer Space, And Space Exploration
Melanie Melton Knocke
Manufacturer: Prometheus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Black Holes, Wormholes & Time Machines

Black Holes and Time Warps: Einstein's Outrageous Legacy (Commonwealth Fund Book Program)

ASIN: 1591022886

Book Description

Our universe is a magnificent place, full of exotic entities like black holes and blue moons, white dwarfs and red giants. And it's out there for anyone who takes the time to look up! As this engrossing popular astronomy book makes clear, you don't need a degree in astrophysics to explore the vast reaches of outer space. All you need is curiosity and a little imagination. From Blue Moons to Black Holes is written specifically for those who have always been intrigued by or have been developing a growing interest in astronomy and space, but have had little time to explore the amazing world of exploding stars, distant galaxies, rovers on other planets, and more. The book consists of three sections: Questions and Answers, Quick Facts, and A Brief History of Lunar and Planetary Exploration. Knocke—who has often lectured at the prestigious Mount Wilson and Lowell Observatories—provides answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding astronomy, outer space, and space exploration in the Questions and Answers section. She gives simple and easy-to-understand answers to such provocative questions as: "What is a blue moon?" "Could you travel through a black hole?" "Is the North Star the brightest star in the sky?" "Is Pluto really a planet?" The Quick Facts section offers the reader an easy way to look up fascinating statistics about the moon and planets, bright stars, constellations, and more. This section also includes a guide to upcoming meteor showers and lunar and solar eclipses. A Brief History of Lunar and Planetary Exploration includes a chronological listing of every mission that has been launched to the moon and planets. By listing both the successes and failures, readers gain a better understanding of just how difficult it is to travel beyond our own planet. This generously illustrated volume will also include a color insert containing, among other pictures, beautiful images of Saturn from the Cassini spacecraft, currently in orbit around the planet. Whether read from cover to cover or used as a reference tool to search for specific answers, From Blue Moons to Black Holes will prove to be fun, accessible, and wonderfully thought provoking.

Customer Reviews:

Review of From Blue Moons to Black Holes .......2005-10-06

This is an excellent book, both for satisfying one's curiosity about the universe where we all live, to being a reference for the astronomical and cosmic facts.

I loved it! .......2005-09-12

I loved this book! It was down to earth and understandable, and it didn't use a bunch of astronomical lingo that wasn't explained. It has many valuable charts and answers to questions not found anywhere else. I am interested in space and stars, and this book was perfect!

awesome!.......2005-08-20

this book is great for people who want to learn interesting facts about the universe. it had every question and topic that anyone would ever want to know! there are interesting facts about ever planets, missions to planets, moons, stars...everything. I highly recommend this book.

Average customer rating:

Pretty good....
Excellent Story & Great Look
The start of a Weird and Wonderful adventure
Fun, violent, creepy horror graphic novel
Best. Comic. Ever.

Nocturnals Volume 1: Black Planet
Dan Brereton
Manufacturer: Oni Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Nocturnals: The Dark Forever
Nocturnals Volume 3: Unhallowed Eve
The Gunwitch: Outskirts of Doom
Giant Killer
The Psycho

ASIN: 0966712706

Book Description

Doc Horror knows there are sinister forces at work trying to bring the downfall of the human race. They have already ravaged his home planet, and now he has traveled to Earth to try and stop them once and for all. Once here, however, he finds that this world's inhabitants aren't all sweetness and light themselves. Some of them are busy creating freakish mutations out of their fellow man, and others are helping the invaders in their quest for domination. An outcast, Doc Horror is forced to live by the dark of night, and there he finds compatriots who must also shun the light of day. Polychrome, The Gunwitch, Starfish, Firelion, Komodo, and The Raccoon have all their share of knocks from humanity, but they want to save their homeworld anyway, and they don't care how many monsters stand in their way.

Customer Reviews:

Pretty good...........2006-06-21

Good story, outstanding art....I wish the characters had been explored in a bit more depth but of course this is the first collection of comic books in this line so perhaps future comics will take care of that...Anyone who's into goth or horror will appreciate the themes and artwork in this book although the cross between "gangster" crime mob action and the supernatural in the storyline seems a bit awkward at times (admittedly that sort of thing would be difficult to pull off to begin with though)... I guess I compare any graphic novel I read to the all time greats in that genre (Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns, The Killing Joke, Sandman, Preacher, Kingdom Come, et cetera ) - in comparison this book is pretty good but not on the level of the other titles I just mentioned.

Excellent Story & Great Look.......2005-10-07

I had bought The Dark Forever after reading Nocturnals: A Midnight Companion for the Mutants & Masterminds RPG, but I did not actually read it until after I finished reading this graphic novel. I figured I wanted to read the first one first, and I was not disappointed.

A combination of science fiction, horror, pulp and Lovecraftian Mythos, the story goes every which way - and works. The character development centers on Doc Horror and Evening, but the dialogue through the story helps build up the background of the other characters as well. The story is fantastic and leaves you at a point at the end where you cannot be sure if the antagonists are ultimately defeated in the end or not.

The artwork is stunning. It both flows and comes together at angles. The painting definitely gives the book a different feel, but it is a feel I would not give up. It definitely compliments the story. Dark and different.

I would recommend this graphic novel to anyone who is looking for a comic that is a bit different. Being a Lovecraft fan, I would definitely point people who like the work in his vein this way as well.

The start of a Weird and Wonderful adventure.......2005-07-28

I bought this trade paperback to go along with a sourcebook for Mutants and Masterminds. The series intrigued me, B Movie Horror with elements of Lovecraft and Film Noir? These are not really what you would call "Super Heroes" Doc Horror and crew have more in common with the Punisher than Captain America. They are however a motley crew of monsters that live in a nocturnal world in which Halloween never truly ends. It is a dark world and while the Nocturnals fight and bleed for humanity they ask for no recognition and must shun the sun. For those that enjoy dark heroes this one is worth picking up.

Fun, violent, creepy horror graphic novel.......2004-05-24

"Nocturnals: Black Planet" was my first exposure to the Nocturnals, and I'd recommend it as a good place to start the series (in fact this book collects the first six issues of the Nocturnals).

The Nocturnals are essentially a bunch of misfits and freaks (I won't spoil any of their origins or specific abilities here, that's part of the fun in reading Black Planet) who have run-ins with both the mob and a strange alien menace. Outcasts from society, they band together and seem to form a real family, even though they are what most would consider to be "monsters." The action, pacing, and violence are all intense, and the main characters are truly well-conceived and have some neat abilities. The book is plotted pretty tightly and flowed nicely; I found myself having to reread the beginning a bit just to make sure I understood what was going on and who the characters all were, but that wasn't a big deal.

The book isn't illustrated in a traditional "comic book" fashion. Instead, each panel in the book is essentially a painting, and most are extremely well done. I don't know a lot about art, but I'd kind of describe them as looking a little like watercolors, as there's a lot of color blending and few sharp edges. They look very nice. In addition to the six issues collected in this book, there is a pin-up gallery in the back that has all the covers as well as full-page color art by a variety of artists inspired by the series.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys horror comics, gunplay and mobster violence, pulpy action (of the more the violent persuasion, like the Spider), and Lovecraftian critters and weirdnesses. I definitely plan on picking up the other Nocturnals graphic novels.

Best. Comic. Ever........2004-04-11

Dan Brereton is one of the most amazing artists I have ever seen. His books are a treat to read, his paintings literally a feast to the eye. To even call Nocturnals a comic is almost an insult. This is sequential art at it's best. Do yourself a favor and order this book!

Average customer rating:

StEpHeN ...
Good Literature!
A big waste of your time but an easy 'A'
Junior Brown showed me an unknown world.
Dazzling novel, one of the best for young adults ever!

The Planet of Junior Brown
Virginia Hamilton
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0689717210

Customer Reviews:

StEpHeN ..........2004-03-11

This is one of the most imaginative, insightful, moving, and challenging book I've ever read. Virgina Hamilton writes with her usual brilliant style with a blend of poetic lyricsm and realistic talk. Now Junior Brown is a kid who takes music lessons after school every day and his friend Buddy follows him to each of his lessons but he never goes in cause they are completely different characters. He always just sits outside. junior has a very over protective mother and on the other side Buddy has a mother that isn't very protective. I think that this is a very good book and fully encourages kids around the world to read this book.

Good Literature!.......2000-05-17

I read the Planet of Junior Brown as a reading book for myeighth grade english class. My class read books while we were readingTo Kill a Mockingbird. The Planet of Junior Brown is a wonderfully written book. Despite the other reviews I have read I really was impressed with the characterization. Some people thought that the characters were shallow and didn't convey feeling and emotion. I heavily disagree. The thing I really liked about the book was how the two main characters were so unlike each other, both emotionally and physically. One character is always trying to teach the other something and they are both unwilling to learn it because it is so unlike them. Junior Brown is an obese black boy who is a an amazing piano player. His father doesn't live with him and his mother is very over protective. Junior isn't naive but he doesn't know much about the world around him. Junior's best and only friend, Buddy, is the exact opposite. Buddy Is a tall lanky black boy who has lived his life on the street. Buddy encourages Junior to try and become more independent and self reliant. However, Junior's other doesn't want to let go of Junior. She sees buddy as a threat to Junior. She thinks Buddy will harm him. Seeing as how her husband doesn't live with her it is easy to understand how she doesn't want to let go. Junior is all she has. It was very interesting to read To Kill a Mockingbird while I read this book. They had many things in common. In To Kill a Mockingbird scout encounters racism as a white person. In The Planet of Junior Brown Junior encounters racism as a black person. I thought it was interesting to see the same thing from two different angles. The plot of the story is very interesting. Although it has it's moments where it gets dull and you have to read the page over again it was pretty exiting. Virginia Hamilton was able to create multiple themes throughout the story. While reading the book there were moments where it was depressing, suspenseful, and moments of anger. Near the end of the story Junior starts seeing things and talking to people who aren't their. At the same time they have just been caught for not going to school. It was depressing to see how Buddy was worried about Junior. I imagined myself trying to help one of my friends who wasn't all their anymore. It was sad to think about.

All In all I was very happy to read The Planet of Junior Brown. It really made me realize how difficult life is for some people. Through this book I was able to reach a new understanding for people with mental problems, and a new respect for the people who help them everyday.

A big waste of your time but an easy 'A'.......2000-01-20

I call this book an easy 'A' because its tha kind of book that your older English teacher will shove in your face as 'great' and if you give it a good book report then you will get an 'A'. This book might have been hot for kids in tha 1970s when it was written but getting through it today is like wading through a muddy swamp of outdated words and situations. Like two reviewers already said you wonder if it will ever end. I am a chubby kid of 14 and many of my friends are fat. I did not feel that the author knew anything about 'fat kids' at all and I also wondered if she really knew anything about homeless kids even in tha 1970s. Check out some books by Jess Mowry, Apollo, or Walter Dean Myers if you want what's on tha real today. This book seems like another one of those books written about kids but not really FOR kids if you know what I'm saying. And tha people who give book awards are not kids either. But if you can get through it out dying of terminal boredom you'll probably get that 'A'.

Junior Brown showed me an unknown world........1999-11-14

I really enjoyed Junior Brown, but all my preconceived notions were turned upside down. The villains were heros and the heros were villains. Thank you Virginia Hamilton for making me think about something I'd rather not: homeless children. The Buddy Clarks in this world are what it's all about!

Dazzling novel, one of the best for young adults ever!.......1999-05-27

This is one of the most imaginative, insightful, moving and challenging books I have ever read. Hamilton writes with her usual brilliant style--a blend of poetic lyricism and realistic talk. Buddy and Junior are wonderful characters--friends as loyal as Huck and Tom (transported to a nightmarish world. The novel is a very modern, urban riff on "Peter Pan," as well. I have read (and taught to college students) it two or three times and each time I find even more to admire.

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