Amazon.com Reviews
"In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf." So begins Eric Carle's modern classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. More than 12 million copies of this book have been sold in its original, full-sized edition, and the beloved tale of science and gluttony has been translated into 20 languages. This five-by-four-inch miniature edition is truly tiny, with tiny type, but it is a nice size for small hands to hold and flip through the pictures. Despite its diminished state, the book is complete in every detail, following the ravenous caterpillar's path as he eats his way through one apple (and the pages of the book itself) on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, three plums on Wednesday, and so on, through cherry pie and sausage--until he is really fat and has a stomachache. And no doubt you know what happens next! Kids love butterfly metamorphosis stories, and this popular favorite teaches counting and the days of the week, too. A fun gift package for caterpillar fans. (Baby to preschool) --Karin Snelson
Customer Reviews:
Shipment Delay.......2007-10-09
The book was in excellent condition, but we did not receive it until at least a week after all the other items we had ordered were received. They were all going to be mailed to our grandson, so it was a little frustrating to have to wait on this one item.
Best of Eric Carle.......2007-09-15
This is one of Carle's best books (along with Brown Bear, Brown Bear). It teaches counting to 5, the days of the week, and how caterpillars become butterflies. The illustrations are, of course, stunning. My daughter has enjoyed this book since she was about 8 months old.
love it.......2007-09-09
My baby loves this book. It's an easy read. I read it to my 3 month old, who loves it. It has little holes where the caterpillar chews through the book.
My baby loves it!.......2007-09-06
My 11 month old will sit and "read" this book for minutes at a time (that's a long time for toddlers)! She loves the different sized pages and tries to stick her fingers through the holes. Eric Carle is a brilliant author/illustrator. You're safe buying ANY of his books.
Classic!.......2007-09-05
My one year old and my four year old love this book. They especially love the fruit on the pages, with holes where the Hungry Caterpillar ate through. A great book with lovely pictures.
Book Description
Understanding the amazing force that links some of today's most successful companies
If you cut off a spider's leg, it's crippled; if you cut off its head, it dies. But if you cut off a starfish's leg it grows a new one, and the old leg can grow into an entirely new starfish.
What's the hidden power behind the success of Wikipedia, craigslist, and Skype? What do eBay and General Electric have in common with the abolitionist and women's rights movements? What fundamental choice put General Motors and Toyota on vastly different paths? How could winning a Supreme Court case be the biggest mistake MGM could have made?
After five years of ground-breaking research, Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom share some unexpected answers, gripping stories, and a tapestry of unlikely connections. The Starfish and the Spider argues that organizations fall into two categories: traditional “spiders,” which have a rigid hierarchy and top-down leadership, and revolutionary “starfish,” which rely on the power of peer relationships.
The Starfish and the Spider explores what happens when starfish take on spiders (such as the music industry vs. Napster, Kazaa, and the P2P services that followed). It reveals how established companies and institutions, from IBM to Intuit to the US government, are also learning how to incorporate starfish principles to achieve success. The book explores:
* How the Apaches fended off the powerful Spanish army for 200 years
* The power of a simple circle
* The importance of catalysts who have an uncanny ability to bring people together
* How the Internet has become a breeding ground for leaderless organizations
* How Alcoholics Anonymous has reached untold millions with only a shared ideology and without a leader
The Starfish and the Spider is the rare book that will change how you understand the world around you. BACKCOVER:
Advance praise for The Starfish and the Spider
“The Starfish and the Spider is a compelling and important book.”
—Pierre Omidyar, CEO, Omidyar Network and Founder and Chairman, eBay Inc.
“The Starfish and the Spider, like Blink, The Tipping Point, and The Wisdom of Crowds before it, showed me a provocative new way to look at the world and at business. It's also fun to read!”
—Robin Wolaner, founder, Parenting Magazine and author, Naked in the Boardroom
“A fantastic read. Constantly weaving stories and connections. You'll never see the world the same way again.”
—Nicholas J. Nicholas Jr., former Co-CEO, Time Warner
“A must-read. Starfish are changing the face of business and society. This page-turner is provocative and compelling.”
—David Martin, CEO, Young Presidents' Organization
“The Starfish and the Spider provides a powerful prism for understanding the patterns and potential of self-organizing systems.”
—Steve Jurvetson, Partner, Draper Fisher Jurvetson
“The Starfish and the Spider lifts the lid on a massive revolution in the making, a revolution certain to reshape every organization on the planet from bridge clubs to global governments. Brafman and Beckstrom elegantly describe what is afoot and offer a wealth of insights that will be invaluable to anyone starting something new—or rescuing something old—amidst this vast shift.”
—Paul Saffo, Director, Institute for the Future
“The Starfish and the Spider is great reading. [It has] not only stimulated my thinking, but as a result of the reading, I proposed ten action points for my own organization."
—Professor Klaus Schwab, Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum
Customer Reviews:
Seek not stardom, just starfishdom.......2007-09-06
Whether or not you care about leaderless, borderless and/or decentralized organizations, labeled as starfish organizations, they probably affect your life in some way or another whether you have downloaded music or avoided it, dealt with PETA, looked up something in Wikipedia, had actions of al-Qaeda affect your life in some way like stricter restrictions at the airports, etc. In that sense, you might as well get to know something about them to make better use of them or be prepared to deal with them effectively when you have to. If you read this book, you will likely not just want to know or know more about them, but get involved to see what they're all about or get more involved.
Written from both an overview and hands-on approach, this book is not only useful as a reference but also as a manual on the issue. The book identified the qualities of starfish organizations and what makes them effective, how anyone and everyone could start, sustain and/or get involved in these organizations, the types of people key to such organizations and how to combat them if you're on the other side. The book also warns about the constant change involved with maintaining starfish organizations and how to deal with them. Guidelines are offered and useful real life examples illustrate them to bring to life what otherwise be just concepts.
I had two small criticisms about the book, but nothing major enough to deter it from getting the five star rating I felt it deserved. First was that a few more real life examples of starfish organizations and/or their actions could have been chosen to illustrate some of the points made. There were plenty of diverse examples, but so many more abound as I read and thought about traits and qualities of starfish organizations that if mentioned, readers would realize even more influence starfish organizations have had in their lives. Second was that it did not address how government could use this book to decentralize since decentralization could be so powerful but yet government is the epitomy of centralization. I work for government, and felt government badly needed this, but had to think it through myself to come up with uses for attracting colleagues to my Starfish and Spider for Lunch (and Learn) voluntary book review session. When I did, though, not only was I excited at the possibilities, but also at the challenge to try to convince senior management of this, although that will take time. I will contact the authors to address this issue in a follow-up companion, perhaps, as they are the experts on this, but if nothing else, my ability to customize an application to government should tell you something about the book's effectiveness as a manual.
Overall, for the excellent writing style, clarity, impact and general application to the masses, five starfish!
Peter NYC.......2007-09-06
This book is great. A must read for those interested in being flexible and evolving. Has important applications across multiple work environments.
Useful introduction, but there's more ... .......2007-08-29
It took me some time to warm to this book. Nothing much happens in the initial 80 pages. The first chapter develops two fairly tortuous case studies - the vicissitudes of fortune in the recording industry in the last decade and the struggle of the Apaches against the Spanish invaders - to introduce the theme of the book. Then follows a discussion of the morphology of decentralised organisations (in terms of power distribution, funding, etc). Chapter 3 illustrates these formal characteristics with a series of examples, ranging from Skype over Wikipedia to Burning Man. There is honestly not a lot of meat to chew on in these first chapters and some patience is required from the reader.
It becomes more interesting in Chapter 4 where Brafman and Beckstrom discuss operational principles behind decentralised organisations (the need for pre-existing networks as a substrate, the role of catalysts and champions to activate leaderless organisation, "circles" as their chief co-ordination mechanism, and "ideology" as the glue holding everything more or less together). The role of the catalyst as a "servant leader" (term, however, not used by the authors) is further elaborated in the fifth chapter.
In chapter 6, the discussion turns to the question "What do you do, as an incumbent, when you are under fire from a starfish?" It transpires that there is not an awful lot to be done: you can try to morph them into a spider by activating internal cancer cells (greed and competition), you can try to dissolve or change the glue, the ideology that keeps the structure together or you can join them and become decentralised too (then it's starfish against starfish).
Brafman and Beckstrom maintain that it is not always necessary to go all the way and radically decentralise. There is such thing as a "hybrid" organisation (Chapter 7), which mixes principles of centralisation and decentralisation. Here the discussion suddenly gets denser and this is a part of the book that warrants repeated reading. A distinction is made between centralised organisations that give customers a voice (eBay with its peer-to-peer feedback is an example), those that put their customers to work (IBM developing open source applications) and those that decentralise parts of their internal structure. Towards the end of the chapter, however, the discussion peters out. "Appreciative Enquiry" is invoked as an approach to bring a whiff of decentralisation into companies who want to hang on to their centralised bureaucracies. It's a dangerous example that may tempt people into crass opportunism (that is, however, bound to backfire on them).
Finally, the authors hypothesise that in a given ecosystem there is no static equilibrium in terms of right mix of centralised/decentralised characteristics ("right" in terms of securing survival and the ability to extract economic rent). The "sweet spot" changes as a function of time, sometimes dramatically so. The desire for anonymity and the free flow of information are forces that push towards the decentralisation end, whilst the desire for security and accountability pull the system back to a more centralised mode of operation.
The book closes with a short epilogue that lists 10 simple guiding principles to make the most out of decentralised organisations or to defend yourself from their attacks.
On the whole, I enjoyed this book. It provides an intelligent and accessible discussion of a complex issue. With respect to the latter, the authors do a laudable job in keeping thing simple, but sometimes it's over the top. Particularly in the first halve of the book, their penchant for telling anecdotes and stories makes them err on the side of the trivial (a discussion on Wikipedia starts with "we all remember doing school reports in the sixth grade. Back then, research meant going to the library and hoping the that the Encyclopaedia Brittanica wasn't checked out ... and so on, and so on.) I was irked more than once by the patronising and befuddling prose of Brafman & Beckstrom. Admittedly, sometimes they hit it right. The title of the book, for example, is a very strong and aptly chosen metaphor for decentralised and centralised organisations, respectively.
Also I believe this book does not exhaust the potential of this fascinating subject matter. I think the discussion would have gained significantly in clarity and power if only a number of well known systems science principles (such as Ashby's Law of Requisity Variety, see Introduction to Cybernetics (University Paperbacks)) had been invoked to give the whole discussion a rock solid footing. I also missed a solid link to the burgeoning literature on the P2P movement. It is clear that the issue of property rights in central in making leaderless organisations work (Brafman discusses this as a way to sabotage starfish only) and people like Lawrence Lessig ("Free Culture: The Nature and Future of Creativity) and Yochai Benkler ("The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom") have a lot to say about these issues.
A small point, but a fairly irritating one, is the use of the word "ideology" in the book. The authors ostensibly use this to refer to any set of beliefs that underpin a decentralised organisation. From my point of view, the word "ideology" refers to a more elaborate and closed system of abstract thought (and as such has a pejorative tinge to it). Many starfish (also amongst those mentioned in the book) thrive on a much more vague and fluid set of beliefs, norms and values. It's worthwhile to be more nuanced about this.
Morally speaking, the book leaves the reader in suspension. From an internal point of view, leaderless organisations are unquestionably superior - morally and aesthetically - to centralised organisations, not only because of their structural simplicity and elegance, but also because they rely so openly on trust (in my opinion THE key word in the book), on the belief that man is fundamentally good and ultimately because they are capable of drawing the best from people and providing them with truthfulness, meaning and purpose in their life. Problem is that not only Alcoholics Anonymous operates as a decentralised organisation, but Al Qaeda does too. So starfish can server all kinds of purposes, some more constructive than others. It all depends which side you're on.
Starfish is a mind-game.......2007-08-07
Have you wondered why decentralized organizations are growing like wildfire? Starfish and Spider will tell you why. I work in a starfish organization and it is not for the faint-hearted or the one focused on structure and procedure.
This book is an excellent story about centralized, decentralized and hybrid organizations. If you want to kill a spider, cut off its head. You cannot cut off the head of a starfish as it does not have one. If cut off the leg of an starfish, it will grow another.......starfish. This shows how decentralized organizations have always been around and take after the way that our brain's function. Once thought to operate in a hierarchy, latest research shows the opposite. Brafman and Beckstrom are great storytellers and weave the Internet with Al Qadea
This book gives examples of the characteristics of decentralized organizations such as flexibility, shared power and ambiguity and how the Internet has spawned a new generation of decentralized organizations. It is a fascinating book.
Some principles of decentralized organizations;
1. when attacked, they become even more open and decentralized.
2. it is easy to mistake starfish for spiders.
3. an open system doesn't have central intelligence, the intelligence is spread throughout the system.
4. open systems can easily mutate.
5. the decentralized organization sneaks up on you.
6. as industries become decentralized, overall profits decrease.
They stand on 5 legs;
1. Circles
2. the Catalyst
3. Ideology
4. the pre-existing network
5. the Champion
If you want to learn more about community, trust and openness in the 21st century, this is a must read. If you are interested in how organizations like Al Qaeda can thrive with many in the world looking for them, read this book.
Elusive Nodes.......2007-07-31
This book offers an excellent discussion of the extremely elusive concept of networked type of organizations which social scientists refer to as organizations where decision making power is distributed and whose structure is flat. Such an organization consists of semi-autonomous nodes or cells linked and given cohesion by one or more factors such as kinship, mutual experiences, ethnic culture, or common ideology. In the 21st Century the Global Telecommunications Network (sic) serves as an enabler to networked type of organizations. The book, "Networks and Netwars" (Rand 2001, Amazon.com) provides a formal explanation of networked type of organizations, but will leave many folks still wondering about the anatomy of a networked type of organization.
The book quit effectively uses examples and the analogy of a starfish to both demonstrate and explain how networked type of organizations actually work in practice. This is very important and helpful because such organizations are becoming increasingly more common, but are very difficult for persons used to hierarchical organizations to understand. The book explains for example how the command and control system for al Qaeda cannot be knocked out because it does not exist. More ominously the book notes that as the U.S. increasingly centralizes its efforts against al Qaeda the harder it will be to cope with terrorist operations and threats.
There are now several first rate books available now on networked type of organizations, but this one is probably the best because of the clarity with which it explains what networked type of organizations are and how they really work. It is a shame that the U.S. Intelligence and National Security Communities appear unable to come to grips with geographically dispersed cell of one or more individuals using distributed decision making, and linked by such tenuous ties as personal relationships and shared ideology. This book offers some suggestions for dealing with networked type of organizations, but one is left with the impression that nobody is listening.
Average customer rating:
- All Time Classic
- Life Lessons
- Not Free SF Reader
- Great Book
- BOOKREADER
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Charlotte's Web (Trophy Newbery)
E. B. White
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
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ASIN: 0064400557
Release Date: 2004-12-14 |
Product Description
These are the words in Charlotte's web, high in the barn. Her spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, as well as the feelings of a little girl named Fern ... who loves Wilbur, too. Their love has been shared by millions of readers.
Amazon.com
An affectionate, sometimes bashful pig named Wilbur befriends a spider named Charlotte, who lives in the rafters above his pen. A prancing, playful bloke, Wilbur is devastated when he learns of the destiny that befalls all those of porcine persuasion. Determined to save her friend, Charlotte spins a web that reads "Some Pig," convincing the farmer and surrounding community that Wilbur is no ordinary animal and should be saved. In this story of friendship, hardship, and the passing on into time, E.B. White reminds us to open our eyes to the wonder and miracle often found in the simplest of things.
Customer Reviews:
All Time Classic.......2007-10-03
This is a timeless coming of age story and an all time classic good read. Farmgirl Fern saves the pig Wilbur, the runt of the litter. She raises him like one of the family as much as possible. Wilbur is horrified, afraid and lonely when he's sold to Fern's uncle. To help him through this difficult time, Charlotte the spider becomes his friend and undertakes the writing challenges of her life when she spins words into her web to help save Wilbur's life. Meanwhile, Fern is growing up, becoming interested in boys and spending less time with Wilbur. Wilbur is taken to compete at the county fair and Charlotte goes along, even though it's the twilight of her life. She gives her all for Wilbur at the fair and in return, Wilbur saves her egg sac and takes it back to the farm with him upon her death. The next spring the little spiders hatch and begin to leave and Wilbur, who desperately misses Charlotte, believes he's destined to be alone. However, three of Charlotte's offspring decide to stay at the farm with Wilbur, insuring that he will have friends in the future. Wilbur welcomes them to the farm and tells the baby spiders about their mother and her legacy.
Along with the main characters, there's a cast of additional farm animals that help move the story along. It's good read for kids, and I've reread it as an adult. I liked it just as much then as the first time I read it. So will you.
Life Lessons.......2007-10-01
What a great book. One of the themes of this work is the reality of death. The author approaches this topic with the delicacy required for the young audience.
Wilbur is faced with possibility of an early demise because he is the runt of his litter. His wise and caring friend, Charlotte, devises a plan to save his life and though it works, she looses her life in the end.
The book is much more than this theme alone, but it is the most salient and captivating.
Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03
A very good children's story that use the mechanism of talking insects,
as well as arachnids, of course, to discuss friendship, life, and
death, and the roles of things in the world.
Perhaps a little sentimental, given the amount of pig saving antics that are found within. People have to eat, after all.
Great Book.......2007-05-29
Thanks for the fast delivery and good condition of the book. Perfect satisfaction!!!!!!
BOOKREADER.......2007-05-27
THIS STORY IS A TRUE COLLECTOR. THE ANIMALS IN THE STORY IS THE BEST PART AS THE SPIDER AND OTHERS COME TO LIFE AND HAVE TRUE FEELINGS...............
Book Description
Ripped from the pages of New Avengers, the Eisner Award-winning team of Brian Bendis and Alex Maleev present an explosive hidden story of Marvel's secret past, the secret history of Marvel's most secret team - how they came together and how they are ripped apart. Plus: Spidey's got a new lease on life, new powers and a new costume, courtesy of his new best friend Tony Stark. So what could possibly go wrong? With clouds quickly building on the horizon, the bonds that Spider-Man now forges may very well determine his capacity to withstand a coming storm. The Marvel Universe is about to split down the middle, and the line is drawn here! You will be asked: whose side are you on? Collects New Avengers: Illuminati; Amazing Spider-Man #529-531; Fantastic Four #536 & 537.
Customer Reviews:
The Road to Civil War.......2007-10-11
I found this very interesting. Although not cruicial to the story of Civil War, it does provide a sound background as to how it all got started and is very cruicial, in my opinion, in understanding the Civil War in its entirety. Definately a good read!
pretty good.......2007-09-06
Good points and not so good points.
The concept is outstanding and a long time coming, in my opinion. The overall story is great, one of the best to come out in a while, not as good as DC's Kingdome Come or Justice, but very good all the same.
On the down side, why can't the art on the inside be as good as the art on the cover??? I gess not everyone can be an Alex Ross, alas. Also, the writing really leaves something to be desired. Way too long-winded.
Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-04
Powerful plotting people.
This gives some of the backstory to the whole Civil War brouhaha in that we again see that some of the most powerful Marvel Universe hero leaders meet in secret to discuss how they should look at the world and their operations in it.
The beginnings of the political split that causes a lot of conflict is here, with Namor and Dr. Strange opposed to Reed Richards and Tony Stark. The X-Men's influence is again negligible.
Really not that necessary........2007-08-31
Avengers: Illuminati is really the only comic in this collection that I enjoyed. I was hoping for the entire collection to be more about them, however it was really a random story involving the fantastic four and Thor's hammer and Spiderman's falling into the hands of Tony Stark.
Absolutely not necessary for the Civil War storyline.
The Illuminati story is useful for the new World War Hulk storyline though.
ROAD TO AWSOMENESS.......2007-08-18
AFTER LOOKING ON AMAZON FOR TWO WEEKS TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND THIS WHOLE CIVIL WAR IDEA I BOUGHT THIS OFF THE SHELF TO SEE IF IT WAS GOING TO BE WORTH THE MONEY TO FOLLOW THIS HUGE STORY.I WAS SO EXCITED WITH IT I BOUGHT TEN MORE IN THE SERIES FROM AMAZON.SO THANKS TO ALL OTHER REVIEWERS AND LISTMANIACS FOR HELPING ME OUT.THE MAIN PART OF THIS BOOK WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE ALL OUT ACTION BUT THEY FOUND ROOM FOR A COUPLE COOL SPIDERMAN BITS.ALL IN ALL YOU COULD SKIP IT AND NOT REALLY MISS OUT BUT IT DOES SHOW A COUPLE TIMES THE CONFLICT WITHIN THE BIGGEST ADVOCATES OF THE REGISTRATION ACT.NAMOR IS ONE CHARACTER IVE REALLY ENJOYED IN THE WHOLE SERIES AND HE STARTS OFF HERE IN HIS CRANKY WAYS.FOR ME THIS BOOK WAS A GREAT START TO A COMIC COLLECTION.(IF YOU HAVE READ THIS AND UNDERSTOOD BLACKBOLTS 'NOD AND POINT' ANSWER TO HELPING OUT TONY AND REED,THEN WELL DONE COZ I WAS CONFUSED.LATER GOT THE POINT IN BLACK PANTHER STORY.)
Book Description
As Peter Parker tries to sort out his relationship with the X-Men's Kitty Pryde - and continue his friendship with Mary Jane - a mall-food-court lunch turns into a free-for-all as Peter and MJ are interrupted by the debut of... the Ultimate Scorpion! But who is the Scorpion - and what sinister conspiracy is threatening Spider-Man's very existence? The clues have been laid over the past 96 issues... and it all starts to come together here, as we begin the most shocking, most mind-blowing Spider-Man story ever published! Collects Ultimate Spider-Man #97-104.
Customer Reviews:
things get a little nuts for Ultimate Spider-man.......2007-09-11
More than any previous TPB, the clone saga proves that the Ultimate Spider-man comics are not about regurgitating the original Spider-man characters and plots. The Scorpion and even Dock Ock featured in the Clone Saga are not at all the same characters conceived in the 1960s. The Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy, and Aunt May are also very different characters than we would expect from the mainstream Spider-man universe, and they have very different relationships with Peter Parker. This is not at all a bad thing. It means that instead of grasping at someone else's vision, Brian Michael Bendis is telling the story that to him and his present-day audience is fresh and meaningful.
Don't get me wrong, though. This is still good comic book fun, with all the ludicrous, over-the-top twists and turns the genre implies; in fact, it is even more extremely so. But if you are the kind of person that can suspend your sense of disbelief for a little bit and enjoy some pure entertainment, it doesn't get better than the Clone Saga.
Penciller Mark Bagley is in top form here--there are some truly steller panels in this TPB. As Bagley leaves Ultimate Spider-man for other projects, his contributions to Ultimate Spider-man, and especially his work in the Clone Saga, will not be forgotten.
Bendis and Bagley pour it on for issue #100 of "Ultimate Spider-Man".......2007-04-05
I approached the "Clone Saga" that makes up "Ultimate Spider-Man, Volume 17" with great trepidation. After all, it was the cloning plotlines that became for me where "The Amazing Spider-Man" jumped the shark and I stopped reading it and the rest of Marvel's Spider-Man titles. Then there is the way that writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mark Bagley have consistently come up with creative twists and turns on the original Spider-Man stories, which becomes an additional concern when you are getting up to issue #100 of "Ultimate Spider-Man" because the first time around Stan Lee came up with Peter Parker creating a formula so he would no longer be Spider-Man and it backfired, ironically making him more like a spider by giving him two additional pairs of arms. So you link "Spider-Man" and "clones," and I start getting really nervous.
"Ultimate Spider-Man, Volume 17: Clone Saga" collects issues #97-104 (which means it does not include #105 containing the epilogue). At this point Peter is dating Kitty Pryde and since everybody knows her identity as Shadowcat, when she is seen romantically with Spider-Man that means Kitty cannot be seen dating Peter. However, the fact that Peter is still seeing Mary Jane is driving Kitty crazy: what she calls "hanging out" he calls "going to school together." Their relationship is not helped when MJ drags Peter to the mall so they can talk and he can get back on his game and Ultimate Scorpion shows up and a fight ensues. The ante is upped considerably when Spider-man unmasks the Scorpion and sees his own face looking back at him. Meanwhile, MJ is suddenly abducted from her own bedroom. Spider-Man takes the unconscious Scorpion to the Baxter Building so that Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four can run tests. The results show a 94.2% DNA match with Peter Parker and now the fun begins in earnest.
Bendis and Bagley really pour it on in this story line. In addition to the debut of the Ultimate Scorpion we have the first appearance of the Ultimate Spider-Woman, the "return" of Gwen Stacy, and another even more surprising appearance by somebody who is supposed to be dead. When Aunt May finds Peter and the late Gwen Stacy in her kitchen you figure that things could not be getting any more complicated, but it does, and all before we actually get to issue #100. We still have Ultimate Carnage, Ultimate Six-Armed Spider-Man in a Black Costume, and Ultimate Kaine (sort of), so there are more than enough clones to shake a stick at in this story arc. The net result is, in a word, excessive. I have not yet listed all of the clones let alone all of the major players that make up the "Clone Saga." In these issues Bendis and Bagley get to one of the landmark moments in the history of Spider-Man and because it happens in the middle of everything else that is going on the effect is rather diminished. Or maybe I was just numb after reeling from all of these things being dumped on our young hero.
One of the strengths of "Ultimate Spider-Man" has been the use of multi-issue story arcs so that Bendis and Bagley do not have to come up with a different villain each month (that is how you end up with the likes of the Terrible Tinkerer). If you count multi-part stories in "The Amazing Spider-Man," the Scorpion also showed up in the 17th Spider-Man story, which was issue #20, towards the end of the second year of Lee and Steve Ditko's run on the title. Taking multiple issues to tell a story involving Spider-Man versus the Green Goblin or Doctor Octopus or whoever, allows for more depth in the story telling. Here the piling on of characters and plot lines provides a sense of density rather than depth. The "Clone Saga" is certainly ambitious, more comparable to the "Ultimate Six" mini-series than anything else, but I actually found it to be the least satisfying volume to date.
Next up is the Ultimate Knights story arc, which will be significant because it will be the last "Ultimate Spider-Man" stories drawn by Bagley, which has announced he would leaving the title with issue #110. This ends one of the longest continuous runs by a creative team on a Marvel comic book, technically beating the record set by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby on the "Fantastic Four" (I understand ignoring the "FF" annuals that would mean Bendis and Bagley fall short in number of stories, but anything in triple figures is impressive since we are talking eight-plus years of work). Of course, Mark Evanier and Sergio Aragones did ten years on "Groo the Wanderer" for Marvel, but the witless barbarian was never one of the flagship characters of the company.
Average customer rating:
- Hangry???
- A classic book in spanish
- We love this book!
- Spanish version of a classic!
- So cool!
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ASIN: 039923960X |
Book Description
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is inarguably one of the most popular children's books of all time. Now, here is the Spanish board book version of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, filling an important niche for the youngest of Spanish-speaking children.
Customer Reviews:
Hangry???.......2007-09-28
Excellent, fantastic. My girl and boy love the story and it is very good for numeric development..
counting , adding..
Buenisimo.
A classic book in spanish.......2007-01-16
What's not to love about this childrens favorite? Perfect for all those who start spanish in school.
We love this book!.......2006-09-15
My daughter is only 20 months old now, but we began reading this book to her at about 14 months. She has learned the names of fruits in spanish and how to count to 5 within a couple of weeks of beginning to read it. It is one of her favorite books along with "Oso pardo, Oso pardo...". This is one of the required books for a spanish class that she will be beginning when she turns 2. As a spanish speaker it is a really easy book for me to read with fun pictures that my daughter enjoys. Even now she loves to put her fingers in the holes to count the fruit. For parents/caregivers who are not quite as experienced in reading spanish, it may be a little difficult to pronounce some of the words, but with some help you should be able to read the words effortlessly after a few times. My parents and in-laws don't speak much english and they love reading these spanish books to their granddaughter. It's a great way for them to bond.
Spanish version of a classic!.......2004-12-05
This Spanish version of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" is just as cute as the English version. Children will love the pages of varying sizes with holes where the caterpillar has eaten up the food.
You can also practice counting up to five with your little one as the bug eats one apple on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, etc.
The vocabulary in this book DOES require a Spanish speaker in the home. My husband does not speak Spanish and this book is too hard for him to read to our babies, whereas he can read other Spanish board books. Additionally, as it is only in Spanish, my husband cannot compare the Spanish words to English.
Still, I think it's a great addition to your library if one adult speaks Spanish and you are trying to teach your children the language too.
So cool!.......2004-05-23
In case you aren't familiar with this book, it is about a caterpillar who eats and eats and eats. The board book version has holes in the pages so the reader can see what he has eaten. It is so cute! The illustrations are adorable and the kids love it! We are a bilingual family so my boys have the Spansih version. It's super and very durable!
Book Description
Understand the insect world with BORROR AND DELONG'S INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF INSECTS! Combining current insect identification, insect biology, and insect evolution, this biology text provides you with a comprehensive introduction to the study of insects. Numerous figures, bullets, easily understood diagrams, and numbered lists throughout the text help you grasp the material.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2007-01-17
An entomologists must have. I have an older edition and bought this for my dad, who is an amateur entomologist.
Fantastic insect key.......2006-03-30
I purchased this book mostly as an insect key. It is organized well, and has a very extensive key, easy to understand, and covers a broad spectrum. If you are interested in insect ID or collection, or just want some information about them, this is a great book to get. Depending on your interests, I would also recommend the "Forest Entomology, Ecology and Management" book written by Coulson & Witter.
Important for both biologists and non-biologists.......2005-08-23
Everything about insects is fascinating, and this book gives a comprehensive overview of their behavior, anatomy, and classification. For non-experts in entomology, such as this reviewer, the book provides the necessary background for further study. Topics such as the molecular genetics of insects and the genetic engineering of insects are not covered, but there are plenty of other books that treat these topics in detail. Only the first four chapters were read by this reviewer, but only chapter four will be discussed here.
Early on in chapter four, the authors dispel the prejudice that since insects have small nervous systems and have short life spans, they are not automatons and can exhibit a remarkable degree of spontaneity. Insects can adjust to the circumstances of their environment and the organization of their activities can be extremely complex. What is most interesting about their discussion of insect behavior is the emphasis on how it depends on the internal state of the insect, and not only its nervous system but also its internal organs.
The authors view the basic unit of behavior in an insect as being a `reflex'. A receptor that is stimulated will cause a particular group of insects to contract, which is observed as a body movement of the insect. A `releaser' is the stimulus that actually triggers a specific collection of movements. This results in what is called a `fixed-action pattern', which, as the name implies, occurs the same way every time it occurs. To be contrasted with these are the `modal-action patterns' that adapt to changes in the body position of the insect relative to external objects. A `central pattern generator' the authors write, is responsible for the leg and wing movements of insects, and allows them to navigate in noisy environments. All of these considerations of insect behavior are interesting in themselves, but even more so considering that they are being applied to unexpected fields such as artificial intelligence. Indeed, the learning abilities of insects are being emulated in various machines in the last few years, with good success. And even, a new area of artificial intelligence called `swarm intelligence' has arisen that is based on the behavior of ants.
Along these same lines, the authors discuss four categories that he believes are useful in characterizing insect behavior. These categories clarify to a large extent the difference between `preprogrammed' and modified behaviors. The first of these are called `closed instincts', which are fixed programs. The second is more flexible and are called `open instincts', where experience feeds back and changes the program. The third consists of `restricted learning' and is the analog of classical conditioning. The last one is `flexible learning', wherein experience can result in significant changes in the behavior pattern. All of these categories have found expression in machines, as well as the types of learning that the authors believe exists in insects: habituation, and associative, latent, and insight learning. The authors admit though that insight learning, where familiarity with relationships among (neutral) stimuli is obtained, has not been established without controversy in insects. Honey bees though they quote as examples of insects that can engage in insight learning. Very interesting also in this discussion of the behavior of insects is the use of mathematical models. As expected intuitively, these models involve control theory, but even more "exotic" approaches such as optimality theory and dynamic stochastic modeling. Optimality theory is used with the assumption that insects evaluate their state variables and engage in decision-making that optimizes their gain according to some criterion.
Needless to say the learning abilities and behavior of insects is fascinating, and no doubt there are many surprises waiting for future entomologists. Their research efforts will not only assist in the better understanding of the most important representatives of the animal kingdom but they will be immediately used by those who are attempting to emulate this "primitive" intelligence of insects in machines.
Still an essential insect text despite a half-hearted update.......2004-08-06
Borror and Delong's weighty "Introduction to the Study of Insects" enters its 7th edition as the standard text for students of North American insect taxonomy. This latest edition is brought up to date by Charles Triplehorn and Norman Johnson after a 15 year gap.
As in earlier editions, Borror and DeLong is a comprehensive survey of North American insect diversity, containing identification keys for the insects and other arthropods along with brief overviews of each family and tips for collection and specimen preparation. Keys are mostly at the order and family levels of the Linnean hierarchy, with subfamily keys presented for select groups. This text is not a field guide; many groups are not illustrated, or are represented only by line drawings of particular parts of their anatomy. Rather, it is best used as a laboratory reference, a single-volume source for identifying insects and spiders to family. No other single reference has the breadth of this text, so Borror and DeLong should retain its place on the shelf of any serious entomologist.
"Introduction to the Study of Insects" also contains chapters on insect ecology, physiology, and systematics, but these are brief. More appropriate texts for these areas are available elsewhere (for instance, Gullan and Cranston's "An Outline of Entomology".)
The 7th edition has been sorely needed. A recent wealth of DNA sequence data and rapid advances in the methodology and philosophy of systematics have produced a flowering of research on insect relationships. As taxonomic improvements accumulated, the 6th edition- the only resource of its kind- had grown increasingly out of touch with the state of the field. So it should come as no surprise that the most noticeable changes in the new edition (aside from the leafy green cover and smaller font size of the text) are in the classifications. Gone is the order Homoptera, sunk at long last into Hempitera. A number of families have disappeared into synonymy (e.g., Anthophoridae into Apidae), while others have been split out (e.g., Stenopelmatidae from Gryllacrididae). Other changes include a completely new beetle key, a considerably improved treatment of spiders, and the inclusion of a newly-discovered order of African insects, Mantophasmatodea.
Triplehorn and Johnson unfortunately are uneven in adopting taxonomic updates across groups. For instance, the wasp family Sphecidae is retained in spite of a long-standing consensus among Hymenopterists that it does not represent a natural group, while other groups like the calyptrate fly family Fanniidae are split out in spite of a lack of consensus among Dipterists over its status. The authors also mix Linnean ranked categories (Family, Order, etc.) with non-ranked clades in several places, with confusing results. Given the extraordinarily dynamic state of the field, however, the authors can be forgiven for some of their decisions.
Many of the revisions appear hasty, as though the book were primarily product of a publisher's deadline. For example, the utility of Michael Ivie's improved beetle key is marred by its incongruous insertion into the largely unaltered text of the previous edition. The chapter introduction treats the user to explanations of 6th edition characters that no longer appear in the new key, while scores of new and often complex characters are not explained in the text, do not appear in the glossary, and are not illustrated. I had to refer to Arnett's American Beetles numerous times to make sense of the new characters. In fact, with few exceptions (like Trichoptera), the figures have not been updated for several editions and users are left to puzzle over scores of unexplained couplets. Microsetose antennal grooves in Coleoptera? Dorsal versus ventral abdominal spiracles in Lygaeoid bugs? Adequate explanations will not be found in the text.
The editing is sloppy. The formatting of taxonomic synopses appears not to have been checked as there are errors in indentation (e.g., the Calyptrate muscoid fly families are indented equal to their header). Page headers for keys persist well beyond the keys themselves. For instance, scale insect descriptions (pg. 324-328) are found on pages labeled, oddly enough, "Key to the Subfamilies of Cicadellidae." The index is conspicuously error-laden (e.g., the beetle family Ciidae is nowhere to be found, but appears erroneously as "Cidae" and "Cilidae". And who knew that "Cermanbycidae"(sic) were long-horned beetles?). Some figure references in the keys have not caught up to the new arrangement of the illustrations; couplet 53 in the fly key points to an illustration that has since moved elsewhere.
Distressingly, a few errors from the previous edition are left uncorrected, and new errors have been introduced. For example, couplet 11 of the Hymenoptera key still asks users to decide if certain wing crossveins are "present" or "present" (11' should read "absent"). Couplet 14 shunts wingless wasps to couplet 16 (the Apoidea) instead of couplet 106. Most moths in the common family Noctuidae will be incorrectly identified as Pantheidae because of a text error at couplet 59 in the Lepidoptera key.
The family descriptions that follow the keys in each chapter are a mixed bag. Usually they are succinct and accurate, but some of the assessments of North American species numbers are dated. There are occasional taxonomic errors that result from outdated text carried uncritically over from older editions. For example, our Nearctic army ants have been classified in the genus Neivamyrmex since the 1950s, yet the text several editions later still refers to them as Eciton.
The Borror and DeLong text remains without an equal as an all-in-one volume for the identification of North American insect families. As such, it is a shame that my impression of the 7th edition is one of missed opportunity. 15 years since the 6th edition should be plenty of time to draw up new figures to keep pace with taxonomic advances and illustrate the updated keys, and certainly enough time to put the text through the rigorous proof-reading that it apparently never received.
(note: the reviewer uses this text in teaching a field entomology class at the University of California at Davis)
An Updated Version of a Great Classic.......2004-07-05
This is the book on insect taxonomy that most entomologists had as their text in introductory courses. The current (7th) edition is revised to fit recent changes in classification and certainly continues the standard set by Borror and DeLong many years ago. It was never intended to be a text in physiology, behavior or ecology. There are texts for these subjects available and just covering the systematic aspects of insects thoroughly is enough of a task.
My only quibbles have to do with some changes in arrangement of orders that I am not sure of (such as the union of Hemiptera and Homoptera, and Anoplura and Mallophaga - the latter was also true of the 6th ed.) and the fact that scorpion taxonomy was apparently not revised at all, despite numerous changes in the last several years.
However, that said, this edition is a continued improvement of a great classic of entomology. Among highlights are Jeremy Miller's and Darrell Ubick's excellent revision of the spider section and the new format for keys to the insects making them easier to use.
Without a doubt this will remain the best standard textbook on insect taxonomy available and I recommend it with only the minor reservations noted.
Book Description
The latest mystery in Andrea Camilleri's internationally bestselling Inspector Montalbano series
Winning fans in Europe and America for their dark sophistication and dry humor, Andrea Camilleri's crime novels are classics of the genre. Set once again in Sicily, The Patience of the Spider pits Inspector Montalbano against his greatest foe yet: the weight of his own years. Still recovering from the gunshot wound he suffered in Rounding the Mark, he must overcome self-imposed seclusion and waxing self-doubt to penetrate a web of hatred and secrets in pursuit of the strangest culprit he's ever hunted. A mystery unlike any other, this emotionally taut story brings the Montalbano saga to a captivating crossroads.
Customer Reviews:
Tiny Puzzles Bother Montalbano as He Recuperates.......2007-08-23
Inspector Montalbano was wounded in Rounding the Mark, and The Patience of the Spider begins with Montalbano being on leave to recuperate. Livia has even returned to his side to take care of his, banishing the ministrations of his housekeeper and marvelous cook, Adelina Cirrincio. Montalbano is concerned that the doctors will find out that he has a heart condition, but that doesn't happen. Except for occasional love-making (which Livia isn't anxious for), Montalbano is leading a circumscribed life . . . even eating healthy, low-calorie foods. Bah!
Naturally, it is a relief when Montalbano is called temporarily back to duty as a kidnapping overwhelms the local force. But the case is not to be his; a colleague comes from a place where kidnappings are common events.
The kidnapped woman, Susanna Mistretta, is a pretty young university student . . . and her family doesn't have any money. Everyone fears the worst, that this is a sexual crime rather than extortion. And initially, there's no news from the kidnappers.
That set of circumstances seems strange to Montalbano. As he investigates, more little things bother him. Why is her motorbike facing in the wrong direction? Where is her helmet? As time passes, the little things seem to suggest of shadow of something else. What could it be?
But it's annoying to work on the case, because Livia alternately berates him for not doing enough . . . and for not telling her about every little development.
Will the young woman be saved? Will she get back in time to say good-bye to her dying mother? Your heart will be wrung as you consider those elements.
The story lacks the usual Montalbano zest for several reasons. He isn't able to indulge his gourmet and gourmand tendencies so the food side of the story is thin. The kidnapping's complications also reveal themselves in a very transparent fashion. I think you'll figure out the puzzle pretty early in the book. Montalbano also has fewer humorous interludes with the other members of the police. The energy, humor, and suspense are just at a low ebb. It's a pleasant mystery, but it's one that won't kick yourself if you don't read it.
The indirect development of the character of the kidnapped woman is quite well done. That was obviously the writing challenge that appealed to Mr. Camilleri as he wrote this book.
The Eighth Inspector Montalbano Mystery by Andrea Camilleri - La pazienza del ragno - The Patience of the Spider.......2007-08-21
What Montalbano should have been doing was resting, keeping the love nest warm with Livia tucked up against him, his official reason for withdrawing from society had something to do with the gun shot wound he received from his pervious job, but there was no doubt about it, this morning he could hear the telephone ringing. There were two options; the first, if he ignored the ringing he could carry on with his natural blissful way of life with Livia! Or secondly if he picked up, work, it only meant trouble, Montalbano reached for the phone.
One hour later he was standing at the scene of the crime, a kidnapping they said. A very pretty girl Susanna Mistretta, who lived with her father and mother in a country villa three miles outside of Vigata town. Susanna had gone to study at friends during the day but had not returned home as usual that evening. Her father of course was worried, time became late and he went searching for his daughter, but it was Susanna's boyfriend Francesco Lipari who finally spotted her abandoned moped about two hundred yards from her parents house. Montalbano was quite certain something had happened to the girl, as he made a closer inspection of the scene, it was the front wheel of the moped that clinched it, why was it facing towards Vigata? Backwards! It looked like it cared it was going the wrong way! As far as Montalbano was concerned this was his case, he'd just seen foul play.
This would be the Eighth book in the series and Camilleri has made a few slight changes with this one, which is charming and crafty. His given to us direct clues of which suspect could have done this crime and his done so quite blatantly, his thrown predictable right at us, but what Camilleri does not give away and therefore keeps us guessing till the last is the Psychology behind the crime, his showing how Montalbano forms his ideas quietly and goes about gathering evidence to support his facts and only then will he let us have the final verdict.
Some may also be disappointed that this time around Camilleri has left out some of that mouthwatering great-flavored foods but instead has spent more time on another intriguing passionate ingredients, Livia and Montalbano's relationship. Livia's presence and character begins to form nicely throughout this storyline remaining Montalbano's rock. Always happy to adjust her life to take care of her man, they argue but in a healthy way of dealing with one another, she takes the no nonsense approach in his darker moods but does understand what his trying to achieve in his world. Their relationship has the up's and down's of a long distance love, Nec tecum nec sine te - Neither with or without you.
Inspector Montalbano character is just fantastic to read, for his questionable brainstorms and unorthodox subversive opinions. Montalbano, a man approaching the end of his career, the rebel, the thinker, not afraid to explore all areas even into obsession. Sorting through a web of lies to find logic, searching for truth.
Andrea Camilleri has written a wonderful Montalbano mystery series. Having read all in the translation series, I love the characterization and language the usage of dialogue that has been kept real with sharp wit and ironic comedy moments, the sly comments on Italian life and culture keep things for me interesting and amusing.
A special mention to poet Stephen Sartarelli, I'm thoroughly enjoying his clear translation of each book and for the informative notes given at the back on wording. Thank you.
A Wonderful Read.
Andrea Bowhill
The Patience of the Spider.......2007-07-19
As always, Andrea Camilelri is a wonderful writer! This series is top notch and i have read every book in it. I can't wait for the next one.
Good.....but not as good.......2007-07-05
I always enjoy the Inspector Montalbano mysteries and will read them and enjoy them regardless of the reviews they get. I have to admit that I did not think this was one of Camillier's better efforts. The plot was not as interesting as most and there was not enough about the food!
Back on Track.......2007-06-27
Camilleri's newest book returns to what I had enjoyed in his first three books--more focus on character and less focus on what might make a good TV show.
Product Description
The destruction of Buffy's hometown, plus covert and powerful slayer "cells" around the world, add up to a new label for the Scoobies: Terrorist threat. Speaking of Sunnydale, the crater formerly known as, has opened to reveal the witch Amy, and boy is she mad.
Season Eight continues as Buffy creator Joss Whedon brings Buffy back to Dark Horse in this direct follow-up to Season Seven of the smash-hit TV series.
Customer Reviews:
And the story continues.......2007-04-22
Warning: Thar be spoilers ahead!
Remember each week those exciting words (which alerted us that we were about to get a new exciting episode of the best show on TV)? "Previously on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER . . . " The new comic series seems to be doing something along these same lines. On the inside of the outer cover are printed the following:
"This story takes place after the end of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Season Seven.
"The Slayer population of the world has gone from two to nearly two thousand. Almost five hundred are working around the world with Buffy's organization in squads--or "terrorist cells," according to the American military. Buffy, Xander, Dawn, and a passel of Slayers are currently bunked out in a Scottish castle, where the latest mission revealed a strange symbol carved into human bodies.
"Also, Dawn's a giant."
This may be a summary that is rewritten each month to reflect what has happened in the previous issues.
The first episode in Season Eight established the situation; this one begins moving the story forward. The U.S. military (or rather, a military leader who has on his chest the strange symbol referred to in the monthly summary) has authorized Amy the witch and her army of zombies to go after Buffy and her cohorts. After the story begins with three very different approaches to training the new slayers by first Giles, then Buffy, and finally Andrew (who actually couldn't be said to be training them at all) we find Xander explaining why Dawn took the form of a giant when it was possible she could have assumed other forms instead (obviously, she is trying to get her sister's attention in the most blatant manner possible). The catch is, does Xander really tell any of this to Buffy or is it all just part of what we later learn is a spell-induced sleep in which she experiences an unbroken nightmare. And in a fairy-tale twist she can only be awakened by the kiss of true love. We can, of course, imagine a line of possible candidates for that: Angel and Spike fighting to be first in line. Well, of course Buffy will be awakened, and sooner rather than later. Can't imagine her being asleep at the end of the next episode. The tricky part is how one defines "true love." That needn't mean romantic love. My gut tells me that the kiss won't come from any of the usual suspects. My money is on Dawn. Yeah, I know. No one likes Dawn. But the brute fact is that except for struggling to save her in Season Five, Buffy has been a truly awful sister. Not in a Cinderella step sisterly way, but in the completely neglectful, can't-spare-her-a-minute way. But early in Season Six, Dawn seemed to miss her more than anyone. Like I said, my money is on Dawn.
The issues ends with Buffy asleep, the castle under assault by hundreds of zombies they can't keep at bay, Amy gloating that she could handle slayers with ease, so there was no one there who could take her on. The final frame is of someone who says that they would "like to test that theory." And thus Willow makes her first appearance in the story.
I am going to say something that I don't think I can say often enough. I don't want Joss Whedon writing comics. I want him creating new television shows. I suspect he enjoys the control that a comic gives him. I am sure he is tired of battling studios and networks. I can understand that. But once the battles have been waged and the BS has been waded through, Joss Whedon has been able to create some of the most extraordinary, most timeless television that has ever been made. He needs to get back to it. That being said, I am so much happier with him doing BUFFY Season Eight than either his X-Men project or the Runaways (and mind you, I like both the X-Men and the Runaways). There are others who can tell further stories about the X-Men and the Runaways, but Joss Whedon is only one who can give us authoritative Buffy stories. So I am acquiring these with joy and my heart and impatience in my soul. But I want him back in television. We've had some great TV since BUFFY and ANGEL left the air. LOST, 24, VERONICA MARS, and especially BATTLESTAR GALACTICA have filled the huge gap BUFFY left at its departure. But LOST needs to start winding down (whether it will has to be seen), BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (the only show to completely match the brilliance that was BUFFY) has possibly only one more season left and at most two before Ron Moore brings his series to an end. 24 is definitely in decline. VERONICA MARS might be cancelled. In short, JOSS! WE NEED YOU TO COME BACK TO TELEVISION! But in the meantime, I'll wolf down every one of these issues.
Episode Two: Attack of the Rat.......2007-04-05
Buffy fans will be expecting a lot after seven stellar seasons on television and the success of the first issue of "Season Eight." So the question here is this: Does Issue #2 deliver?
In short, yes. I have to say though--there is so much going on, so many jokes, and so much foreshadowing that I wasn't able to completely enjoy the Jossy goodness until my second read. The first read intrigued me, but the second wow-ed me.
The plot continues directly from the previous issue. Amy (the former rat) is working with the government to take out Buffy and the slayers, and she has an army of zombies to back her up. The ending sequences are amazing--I'm already itching for May 2nd to come so I can get my hands on the third issue. There was a big revelation about half-way through the comic, and clues to who the Big Bad of the season will be as well. Giant Dawn is great, Buffy is true to herself, and Xander is playing the biggest role he's played since the first season.
This issue also re-introduces two fan favorites: Giles and Andrew. So, all in all, this issue is just as good as the first. But did anybody expect anything less? I mean, come on--Joss Whedon wrote it.
9/10
Average customer rating:
- volume 8 definantly isn't slipping
- The Dark Age of Ultimate Spider-Man
- Worst volume yet...
|
Ultimate Spider-Man, Vol. 8
Brian Michael Bendis , and
Mark Bagley
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Similar Items:
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Ultimate Spider-Man: Clone Saga
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Ultimate Spider-Man, Vol. 7
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Ultimate Spider-Man, Vol. 6
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Ultimate Spider-Man, Vol. 5
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Ultimate Spider-Man, Vol. 4
ASIN: 078512604X |
Book Description
This deluxe hardcover collects Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 15: Silver Sable and Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 16: Deadpool, plus extras. In Silver Sable, the head of Roxxon Oil sics the world's greatest mercenary, Silver Sable, on Spider-Man to learn why the web-spinner has targeted Roxxon on his nightly patrols. How violently Ms. Sable wants to handle the situation is strictly up to her. Spinning out of the Ultimate Spider-Man video game (written and designed by our longstanding team of Bendis and Bagley), Ultimate Silver Sable might be the most dangerous foe Spidey has ever faced! Plus: the mystery of Ultimate Omega Red! And in Deadpool, Spider-Man teams up with his new girlfriend - the X-Men's Kitty Pryde, who gets a new super-hero identity for when she's not hanging with her mutant mates! Plus: Meet the dangerous Ultimate Deadpool - and the Ultimate Reavers! It's mutant action guest-starring the Ultimate X-Men, with Spidey caught in the middle! Also featuring Ultimate Morbius! Collects Ultimate Spider-Man #86-96 and Annual #1-2.
Customer Reviews:
volume 8 definantly isn't slipping.......2007-10-10
I really like the Ultimate line, It's excellent writing. Not Watchmen or Dark Knight Returns good. But some of the best stuff Marvels put out in quite awhile.
The Dark Age of Ultimate Spider-Man.......2007-05-07
Like the above post, this is probably the worst of all the collected volumes. Neither of the main stories are really riveting, and they really lack a lot of the characterization and good writing of previous stories. In particular, the "Deadpool" arc is not done well. While a decent crossover, it lacks the development and character depth of previous stories.
The only good part is probably that the annuals are really, really good one-off stories. To me, the real star is Annual #2, which features Daredevil, Kingpin, Captain Jean DeWolfe, Moon Knight, the Punisher, and the Ultimate Kangaroo. The pacing and multiple plots are weaved well, and it gets away from the "OMG CYBERNETIC KILLERS ON MUTANTPHOBIC ISLAND!!" and goes back to the 'Street-pounding' roots of the Spider-Man character. In the end, there is a semi-major event in the Ultimate Spider-Man Universe (At least, I felt it was a revelation).
But, probably the best part of this book is that it is the lowest part of the Ultimate Spider-man series, and it's followed by the absolutely amazing Clone Saga and the (still-ongoing) equally-awesome Ultimate Knights Saga. So for those of you who are worried that Ultimate Spider-Man is going downhill, this will only spark its revival.
Overall, I'd buy it if you're a completist, a fan of crossovers, or just looking for some mindless action. If you are just getting into Ultimate Spider-Man, this is not.
Worst volume yet..........2007-04-28
I am a huge fan of Ultimate Spider-Man, but this volume is perhaps the worst to date. It really focuses on the relationship Spider-Man has with Kitty Pride, and I found that realtionship to feel very forced upon the reader. The development is not very natural, and this fact is very distracting. It is true that some elements are nice, and the two of them seem like they could be interesting together, but the development was rushed, and the romance seemed contrived. The X-Men crossover was nice, but the Silver Sable story just didn't seem all that entrancing. Not a bad book mind you, and it is good by itself, but in light of the whole Ultimate Spider-Man legacy, this one falls short.
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- This Time, This Place: My Life in War, the White House, and Hollywood
- Truth, Lies and Advertising : The Art of Account Planning
- Ultimate X-Men Vol. 15: Magical
- Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive
- Ways with Words: Language, Life and Work in Communities and Classrooms (Cambridge Paperback Library)
- What Stories Does my son need?: A Guide to Books and Movies that Build Character in Boys
- Where the Sea Breaks Its Back: The Epic Story of Early Naturalist Georg Steller and the Russian Exploration of Alaska
- Witness to the Martyrdom: John Taylor's Personal Account of the Last Days of the Prophet Joseph Smith
Books Index
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