Reviews as of 11/27/11

The Future Foundation (Vol.1) HC

Superman/Batman: Worship HC

5 very good reasons to punch a dolphin in the mouth : (and other useful guides)

Let's get it on : The making of MMA and its ultimate referee

Reviews as of 11/7/11

Batman. Arkham reborn
Usagi Yojimbo: The shrouded moon
JLA: World War III
Scott Pilgrim: Finest Hour
Crisis on infinite Earths TPB
Sentinel vol. 1 & 2

Reviews as of 8/1/11

Day by Day Armageddon
Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour
Usagi Yojimbo: The shrouded moon       
JLA: Waorld War III
Sentinel Vol. 1 & 2
Batman: Long Shadowss
Batman: Secrets
Batman and the Monster Men
Green Lantern: Passing the Torch
Wonder Woman: MIssion's End
Wonder Woman: Down to Earth
Spider-Girl Vol. 2
Incognito

Book Review: December 2010 + Zombie Books!

• Rot & Ruin: Grade A
• Patient Zero: Grade C- (Same author as Rot & Ruin but very clinically written and boring at times)
• Handling the Undead: The author of the novel that inspired both Swedish and U.S. film's Let The Right One In/ Let Me In (boring).

Book Review: Small Is the New Big: and 183 Other Riffs, Rants, and Remarkable Business Ideas- 6/10/08

Comments: "Small Is the New Big" is another business marketing book by Seth Godin that I've read. A pretty light and quick read that explains streamlining your marketing business by simplifying and bringing your message to the masses by staying small and keeping ideas fresh and innovative.

I did have some problems with some of the author's view points where it seems like he does think pretty full of himself and his ideas (he's started his own companies, worked at fledgling Yahoo!, etc.) that I've found some of his examples full of holes and easily explainable outside his own thoughts.

What's missing here is that the author doesn't try and challenge his own ideas or try and be his own devil's advocate (a basic rule of thumb) and that's what ultimately brings his ideas down a notch in my viewpoint. He also seems to point out the same websites or companies as examples in his books, especially his own company Squidoo (which according to him is the best thing since processed cheese and I think is another social bookmarking site with no big whoop to it).

Overall still the notes and examples are interesting and this book can help you think of new or reinvent your marketing ideas.

Score: 3 out of 5

Book Review: Winning Results with Google AdWords- 6/10/08

Comments: I've never worked directly on online media except for past site buys in the old online ad banner trade. Now with even more specific marketing channels and the influx of targeted search marketing with companies such as Overture (Yahoo) and Google dominating the market, it was time for me to learn.

For those out of the loop on how those text ads you see on Google show up during a search work, this is a great book with a very simple and easy walk-through on the background of AdWords as well as examples of parlaying it into your own use.

Prior to reading this book I really didn't fully understand the difference between AdWords and AdSense or Overture, now I do. So if you're game in playing the media channels for your business to drive traffic outside the "natural search" parameters, check out this book and see if Google's AdWords can drive your business to higher sales in a relatively targetable media.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Book Review: The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More- 5/30/08

Comments: The Long Tail is a really interesting book that speaks to the new generation of businesses that thrive in the digital age of products as well as the time of micro-consumers.

This book breaks down the process' of business such as iTunes and Netflix and how the new market of consumers wanting abundant choices has shifted how they get their products and how stores either profit or fail based on their selection width and how they handle business as ones and zeros or if they are brick & mortar stores.

Score: 3.5 out of 5

Book Review: Be the Elephant: Build a Bigger, Better Business- 5/29/08

Comments: This is one of the good new business books I've read that discusses in detail the strategy and thought behind creating, maintaining and expanding a business.

You don't have to be a big corporation to get in on this reading of Be the Elephant. It has good examples of business plans, cash flow strategy, customer insights that the author has used to form his our multi-million dollar companies from smaller-revenue firms.

Go ahead, pick it up and learn something!

Score: 4 out of 5

Book Review: Kong: King Of Skull Island- 5/17/08

Description: In 1933, American showman Carl Denham returned from a mysterious, hidden island with a priceless treasure. A treasure not gold or jewels, but the island's barbaric god, a monstrous anthropoid called "Kong." The savage giant escaped and wreaked havoc among the man-made canyons of Manhattan, but within hours of the giant ape's death his body - and Carl Denham - disappeared. Twenty-five years later, the son of Carl Denham makes a shocking discovery that leads him back to the site of his father's greatest adventure and to the answers that will unlock the century's greatest mystery and history's greatest miracle.

Kong: King Of Skull Island was authorized by the Cooper Estate and based on the original novel that inspired the all-time classic film. This new novel acts as both prequel and sequel to the classic fantasy tale, King Kong. Acclaimed fantasy artist Joe DeVito and top fantasy and science-fiction writer Brad Strickland join forces to make for an interactive visual-narrative storytelling experience unlike any other.

Comments: After thinking about the 2005 movie, I was searching around for information about the history of the film and came across this novel. An authorized book from the heirs of the creator of King Kong, this story takes place before and after Kong is found and brought to rampage New York.

The Kong: King Of Skull Island story centers around two main characters. Set in the late 50's, the first is the son of the filmmaker who captured and brought Kong to NYC. He tries to trace what happened to the gigantic ape and his dad when both disappeared after Kong fell from the Empire State building 25 years in the past. The second arch is from the past (maybe 18th century) about one of the native islanders where Kong comes from. The island princess' story traces the history of Kong and how he and the people and creatures of the island came to be before being disrupted by early European explorers.

Kong: King Of Skull Island is a pretty large format book with interspersed images capturing certain vivid scenes from the story. The book moves along at a brisk pace venturing back and forth between the two main characters with a dose of suspense, intrigue and ape vs. dinosaur vs. dinosaur vs. human battles.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Book Review: 45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy- 5/16/08

45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy- And How to Avoid Them

Comments: Do you want to know the different personality types that make up the myriad of difficult workers in the office?

Full of some funny anecdotes and ways to combat the ebb and flow of the power personalities in a company. Check it out.

Score: 3 out of 5

Book Review: Batman: Death and The City- 5/15/08

Comments: An o.k. Batman book with a couple different art and story teams in one graphic novel.

Score: 2.75 out of 5

Book Review: The New Rules of Marketing and PR- 5/14/08

The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly

Comments: After reading a few other marketing and advertising books, this is the first one that I feel has actually added a few little tidbits to my marketing comprehension.

This books showcases profiles on significant new media such as blogs, social networking sites and effective advertising that doesn't just rehash material gleamed from the last five years.

Score: 3.5 out of 5

Book Review: Captain Gravity and the power of the Vril- 4/19/08

Comments: A "Rocketeer"-type adventure with good artwork. The story is so-so and doesn't bring anything new to the table.

Score: 2.5 out of 5

Book Review: The Meg Book Trilogy- 4/15/08

Comments: I've read all the novel's from Steve Alten regarding his MEG book series which focuses on a pre-historic mega-shark surfacing in modern day times. The first book was fun though kind of hard to believe in some parts.

The second was kind of out there with super spies + giant prehistoric shark causing a whole bunch of calamity along with some additional swimming dinosaurs.

The third was in the middle with some concepts reaching back to the first novel. So far I'm also reading tons of career & marketing books. Some interesting, some just re-hashing the same old tunes.

MEG: A Novel of Deep Terror
Score: 3 out of 5

The Trench
Score: 2.5 out of 5

MEG: Primal Waters
Score: 2.75 out of 5

Book Review: Transformers: Identification and Price Guide- 2/13/08

Comments: Good guide to G1 Transformers. Has the tech spec background information providing character backgrounds as well as comments from the DreamWave guide books as well. Nice pictures of the toys (though some are out of focus).

Score: 4 out of 5

P.S. Rocking and Kickin' with tunes by Guns N Roses (November Rain, Sweet Child O' Mine), Sara Bareilles (Love Song), and Jessica L. Fenton (What Were You Expecting)

Book Review: Hot Mama by Jennifer Estep- 1/28/08

Comments: A sequel to her "super hero/romance" novel Karma Girl set in the fictional New York-type city of Big Time. Interesting work still where there's a combination of comic book adventures with a femal-lite version of romance and a bit of hot lovin'.

I didn't feel it was as fun as Karma Girl (3 out of 5) since the heroine here wasn't as intriguing, but a nice quick read overall.

Score: 2.75 out of 5

Book Review: Soon I Will Be Invincible: A Novel- 1/12/08

Comments: A novel regarding the formation of a updated super group through the eyes of a rookie cyborg girl as well as following the exploits of an evil genius looking to conquer the world once more over the super group. Interesting, fun, with a homeage to 70s and early 80's super teams such as the Justice League and other early non-grim super groups.

These heroes are right in our time frame, but they do not kill or destroy their adversaries. While I was taken aback by this, you only need to look at old X-Men or team books before the grim & gritty days and see where this book gets its inspiration from. Good book and looking forward to a sequel.

Score: 4 out of 5