When you need him the most, that's when Batman is most likely to appear! Even if he happens to be 70 years old.
This book is the third in Frank MillerWhen you need him the most, that's when Batman is most likely to appear! Even if he happens to be 70 years old.
This book is the third in Frank Miller's Dark Knight cannon. The first of that series is a classic and remains untouchable to many comic book fans (including this one). The second of that series? Probably the best that could be said is that it is a bit out there. Some would even say it doesn't belong because it tarnishes the reputation of the first book. It is certainly different and worth a read.
Whatever your opinions of the second in the cannon, you should definitely check out this book. It evolves the Batman mythology in important -- if not entirely revolutionary -- ways. The book also shows some important tonal shifts in Frank Miller's work.
The Batman we see in this book has aged considerably and is reliant on his protege Carrie Kelley. In the original book, Batman was in his 50s. In this book, Batman might be in his 70s...and thus, he's doubtful that there is anything he can meaningfully contribute to a fight.
The biting caricature of politics is still in the book but is somewhat muted. The muteness of his caricature can probably be attributed to a number of things - first, since the original Dark Knight graphic novel it has become common practice to parody the politics of our time; and two, our politics has become so ridiculous that it naturally resists parody. Nothing could be more ridiculous than politics as it has evolved today -- a constant cycle of self-parody, shark-jumping, and shock-jockeying. Thus, the bits of politics we do get in the book come off very light. (There is nothing as iconic as Ronal Reagan in a radiation suit trying to assure Americans that there is nothing to worry about.)
Thus, of all things, it is the hopefulness that stands out. And perhaps as the third in the series, that is the most punk rock thing to do -- To suggest that heroes still exist who can save us.
When our modern institutions fail, when politicians become venal, self-serving narcissistic clowns, when the threats of yesterday mutate into the virulent threats of today, the one thing we can count on is Batman...and Superman!
Perhaps that is the most surprising thing about this comic -- it's a depiction of Superman. In the past Dark Knight comics, Superman has been depicted as a soft, loyal-to-a-fault tool of the US government; or, as a soft, easy to blackmail agent of an authoritarian US government. But he is always a haplessly consistent tool.
The depiction of Superman here could not be more different...or inspiring. In a conflict that involves fanatic nationalism/racism and where there is constant reference to "one's people" and "blood ties", Superman is depicted as the model immigrant. An alien from another planet who has assimilated into the culture, harbors a deep love for his new people (as well as his old), is deeply introspective and often ridden with guilt for things he cannot change...oh, and one more thing. In addition to being superpowered, he has been hiding that fact that he is also super-competent (along the lines of a Batman). The implication is that he is always hiding his true abilities, perhaps as a way of showing deference and love for the humans around him, including Batman.
So, in a sense, this book of the Dark Knight series takes us full circle. Instead of a Batman as a paranoid, violent, sociopath, suspicious of government and sitting on a not-so-small arsenal, we get a tolerant, hopeful Batman, willing to admit that a young female protege and the ultimate illegal alien are his better parts.
Batman is (literally) reborn as a student of golden age heroism.
Is there anything more punk rock than that? Is there any better way to evolve the Dark Knight cannon? ...more
How do you create an origin story for Batman that is familiar yet fresh? Intriguing enough to warrant its existence, different enough to be interestinHow do you create an origin story for Batman that is familiar yet fresh? Intriguing enough to warrant its existence, different enough to be interesting, and yet familiar enough to be the Batman we all know and love? First, bring Batman into the 21st century by emphasizing his love of technology; second, make the colors and action scenes bright, colorful, and intriguing; third, put a unique and interesting spin on a familiar villain; fourth, have amazing twists every issue; five, have compelling character interactions. And top it all off with amazing artwork that is both classic and modern.
Note for fans of Batman Year One, there is an amazing scene the pays homage to that classic comic by bringing a classic scene from that comic into the 21s century. That scene symbolizes everything I love about this story. Forget the Year One comic, I hope they make this one into a movie. ...more
This book is next level bonkers: a Captain America who curses and trolls the French, a War Machine who kills civilians, and a Nick Fury who goes the fThis book is next level bonkers: a Captain America who curses and trolls the French, a War Machine who kills civilians, and a Nick Fury who goes the full Samuel Jackson, and more sex, rape, and torture than you can shake a stick at..oh, and I think there is an orgy of cannibalism sprinkled in for good measure.
This is not the Avengers you grew up with. Actually, it's closer to the kind of Avengers that might actually exist in the real world. None of them are very likeable, all of them are deeply flawed, and the comic doesn't even dare call them heroes. No, they're a Black Ops group. But that's what makes them so interesting. I like the idea of an Ultimate universe that can play around with these characters in different ways. It gives another understanding of who are heroes might be and points to the flaws in their mythos...and I like that. As long as it stays in that other universe. ...more
Excellent journalism on one young man's journey to find freedom in the modern world. An absolutely moving story. I think it especially moved me becausExcellent journalism on one young man's journey to find freedom in the modern world. An absolutely moving story. I think it especially moved me because I've had some of the same desires as Christoper McCandless (Alexander Supertramp!) -- for simplicity, for the road, to get away from it all. If anything, the book will make you reflect deeply on your own relationship to society and the wilderness, much in the vein of books like Walden or Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (or even Catcher in the Rye). After reading this book, I immediately wanted to pick up a book like "On the Road".
[A note on the star rating - I knocked one star off because this book could have probably been 80 pages shorter or even 100 pages. The book was written after a short article in a magazine gained popularity.]...more
Take a little bit of Willy Wonka, some of the silliness of Dr. Seuss, add some curls to Salvador Dali's mustache and what do you get? Well "Mr. Zumpo'Take a little bit of Willy Wonka, some of the silliness of Dr. Seuss, add some curls to Salvador Dali's mustache and what do you get? Well "Mr. Zumpo's Amazing Zoo of Unusual Animals" of course!
Of course, to truly enjoy reading this book, you'll need a few Quantum Quacker-Crocker’s eggs. Do you have some Quantum Quacker-Crocker’s eggs, reader? Well, you better go find some.
The moral of the story is that kids should always trust strangers with strange mustaches and wide smiles offering dubious adventures that require them to trust the stranger without question and not ask their parents' permission first...or, that there are magical things all around us...one of those two...Hey, try some ice cream!
Before you finish this review, reader, you really should try some of Mr. Zumpo's magic ice cream...it really is the best ice cream around...I say, touching my curly mustache diabolically...errrr....in a friendly way. ...more
I recently had the great delight of reading this book at the Omura City library to a group of remarkable young children. The amazing thing about this I recently had the great delight of reading this book at the Omura City library to a group of remarkable young children. The amazing thing about this book is that I didn't know a thing about it before I picked it up. I was actually supposed to read another book but decided to pick this one up instead...and what did I find. I found this amazing soul called "Pete the Cat" and his remarkable outlook on life. A cat that knows how to appreciate what he has and never mourn too long for what he's lost...what a remarkable message to give young learners!
Thank you, Pete! Now, I know how to appreciate all the groovy buttons in my life. ...more
This is the second time reading this book. The first time I read this book I was a university student. It was probably summer and I was probably breezThis is the second time reading this book. The first time I read this book I was a university student. It was probably summer and I was probably breezing through a large reading list of my own creation. I remember liking the book...but I also remember it killed a little bit of the joy of my summer. A book about poverty and hunger has a way of doing that.
Now, having read the book a second time as a slightly grayer adult, I can say that I like the book, but don't love it. Like other books of hardscrabble living -- think Faulkner or Steinbeck -- this book gives you an appreciation for just how good things are when you have a full belly and aren't constantly on the move looking for work. The book reminds you that there are people in the world that are constantly on the move and whose greatest concern is where they will get their next meal. A book that brings out the humanity of this situation is a gift. No one was better at this than Steinbeck in my opinion.
McCourt's memoir is heartbreaking at times, but there is also a sense of detachment in the memoir. A sense that the author himself had become a bit numb to the poverty and hunger he witnessed. To be sure, this is better than the sin of melodrama -- where things are overdramatized with overly elaborate prose. But still, I think there is a balance to be had between sparsity and the poetry of prose.
If you're a fan of sparse prose, something like this might strike you as especially poetic.
"Frost is already whitening the fresh earth on the grave and I think of Theresa cold in the coffin, the red hair, the green eyes. I can't understand the feeling going through me but I know that with all the people who died in my family and all the people who died in the lanes around me and all the people who left I never had a pain like this in my heart and I hope I never will again."
For me, though, I want to feel something more for Theresa, and I think there is more in Frankie McCourt's heart than an inability to understand and feel. Something like this: "In the frost whitened ground there is a girl I only barely knew and the things I will never know about her and all the other people who sit hungry in the lanes waiting to die, wasting away in piles of rags, their own filth, and the death of the river Shannon. The enormity of death, poverty, filth, and senselessness fills me with something...something hard, mean, and bitter. I want to lash out at some villain in the shadows, a movie villain twirling his mustache...but then I think of Theresa in the cold ground and all the things I'll never know about her and my knees buckle. I fall...and people in the lane are still hungry...and tomorrow someone else will die. The frost will fall. The ground will whiten. And there will be nothing I can do."
I don't know why I wanted to re-write that part. Perhaps it is just my way of getting to know Frank McCourt better...I want to understand...and to feel...
There are also moments of great levity where you see the innocence of youth. Again, though, there seems to be a kind of journalist's detachment of sparsity to the writing. I wouldn't be surprised if the author was a fan of Hemingway. I was a big fan too, once.
This was my first Mishima book and it probably won't be my last. But, as a first book, it probably wasn't the best choice. Passages in the book were lThis was my first Mishima book and it probably won't be my last. But, as a first book, it probably wasn't the best choice. Passages in the book were lovely, but the book was bogged down by two main problems - one, the book took long pauses to narrate the principles of Zen Buddhism and reincarnation; and two, the there didn't seem to be a clear story arc.
My writing teacher Lester Goran once said that internal narration and flashbacks were story-killers because they took time away from scenes. This is not always true in books, especially if the narration is kept to a minimum and the flashbacks are woven in with care. In this case, however, he is absolutely right. We don't need to go on the character's book-reading journey with him. Any intellectual revelations should be revealed through scenes, dialogue, and action.
As far as the story is concerned, I never felt like there was a coherent arc to what was happening. Often the book felt like loosely related scenes in the life of the character. Beautiful scenes, but unrelated scenes nonetheless. Some of the jarring aspects of the book, I think, came from being introduced to characters from earlier books in the series. For this reason, I would recommend reading the series in order.
Who knows, my own experience of the book might have been very different if I had started from Spring Snow.
I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did...I think the problem for me is that I took a political philosophy class when I was an undergraduate I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did...I think the problem for me is that I took a political philosophy class when I was an undergraduate that was amazing. I got to read many of the texts this book was based on in depth. I don't think anything beats reading through these texts yourself and trying to pick through the reasoning yourself.
The book also reinforces a fear I have.
I have a feeling that Sandel is actually a lot smarter than this book makes him out to be. I have a feeling that a savvy editor urged him to go simpler (lower?). The cover of the book advertises Sandel as popular and a global phenomenon...and I was worried that in order to be these things, the book would need to be a dumber version of itself.
And that's kind of what it was. As a work of philosophy, it was't really that satisfying. As a popular moral treatise, it seemed thin and not really a revelation, certainly not inspiring (For really inspiring moral reflections and prose, read James Baldwin). Many of the chapters seem like they could have been written by a motivated senior undergraduate.
I'm almost ashamed to admit this deep fear of mine, but it seems like in order to write something popular that many people will read (and *gasp* find smart) you have to aim for the median...if not even lower.
I've found this to be true lately in all sorts of communication activities ranging from talking to senior management to writing popular blog posts -- aim for the middle or slightly lower and hope you get lucky.
That being said, let me say this: The book is a serviceable and easy introduction to political philosophy and ethics. (The topical topics seem to me too American, and somewhat irrelevant given the utter moral collapse in US politics).
One thing this book did motivate me to do is to look for something challenging to read -- something that forces me to read a paragraph twice to wrap my head around the idea.
The book also makes me want to urge people to be really, really smart.
Don't be constrained by a world of medians -- if you have something smart to say/ research / think through, don't be constrained by the tyranny of the TED talk / popular think book / popular blog post format.
Go big! Write a 500 page tome only 5 people will read! Be as smart as you can even if you are misunderstood. That is the most punk rock / awesome thing you can do in these times. ...more
I always felt a very strange kinship to James Baldwin. Something about the way he wrote set a fire in me; his words often sounded like my words; he saI always felt a very strange kinship to James Baldwin. Something about the way he wrote set a fire in me; his words often sounded like my words; he said things that I felt before I knew that I felt them. It's hard to read something by James Baldwin without feeling something and staring in amazement at his marvelous sentences.
In many ways, this is the best of James Baldwin and some of his most indulgent. I always think that he's better when he speaks from the well of his experiences. The best parts of the book are when things happen -- when we see the moments of his life, unguarded. His early days as a teenage preacher, his later days being courted by the Nation of Islam...but it's when he works himself up into sermon when I feel he loses himself. His thoughts become like spaghetti on the wall, and I am forced to recall the lines of William Carlos Williams poem, "No ideas but in things." I want to see his ideas through the lens of experiences, things that can be touched and felt.
Theoreticians and sermonizers, I feel, are the mere journeymen of great writers of scenes and stories. Therefore, I feel like the Baldwin I get in this book is often the lesser one. Toward the end of the book the early scenes of youth in the alley with needles in their arms fade away, and what I'm left with is a mix of theorizing, meditations, and polemical wanderings.
The ideas swing back and forth between inevitable revenge, the desire for love, and a kind of final reckoning, but like a sermon, they feel to me often like a cheap con of the emotions. The sermonizer and the used car salesman, in the end, have one objective: to take you for a ride (often not for your own good). It's when Baldwin conjures up images, like the image of kindergarten kids walking past mobs to go to school that your heart breaks. ...more
Again, I'm astounded by the quality of Taleb's writing. His theory is both scientific and poetic, his insights are always useful and reflect what I ofAgain, I'm astounded by the quality of Taleb's writing. His theory is both scientific and poetic, his insights are always useful and reflect what I often experience in my life...the one thing that really impressed me in this book, however, was his ability to tell a great story. That's something I had forgotten about.
Before I can truly judge this book, however, I do think I need to read it a second time. Taleb always has sharp provocative ideas, but they do need to be reflected on and digested. Since this is the third book I've read of his and since I've read them in reverse order, I probably don't need a thorough second reading. I would recommend all readers, however, to highlight key passages with a pencil and come back to them periodically to reflect on them.
A key lesson that comes out of this book is this, you should always be asking yourself "How can I not blow up?" How can I not be an acute successful randomness fool? In other words, how can I not take risks so enormously stupid that I never recover from them?
Another key lesson: survivorship bias...we consider rich people successful; however, we do not see the people did the exact same things (took enormous risks) and blew up as a result. We only worship the lucky idiots.
And here's a lesson on intellectual humility: "My lesson from Mr. Soros is to start every meeting at my trading boutique by convincing everyone that we are a bunch of idiots who know nothing and are mistake prone, but happen to be endowed with the rare privilege of knowing it."
Another wonderful book, another wonderful afternoon spent! ...more
This book is a journalist's journey into the world of Big Data. The book's strength is that it is thoughtfully written with a journalist's sensibilityThis book is a journalist's journey into the world of Big Data. The book's strength is that it is thoughtfully written with a journalist's sensibility for balance and an interesting narrative. One of the drawbacks of the book is that it isn't written by a Big Data expert, it's written by a journalist with knowledge of Big Data trends because he regularly interacts with and interviews technology experts.
Another big drawback is that it is a current events book on a subject that is constantly in motion. That means that at four years old (written 2014) it already feels a little dated.
Perhaps the biggest drawback is that the book lacks a philosophy...it is essentially reported trends and stories...Big Data like so many other technologies is both good and bad!
If the book were to reach for philosophical grandeur, perhaps the best way to do it would be to take a longer historical view of data. (One chapter, the chapter on dating, essentially does this). For example, the book could have looked at how data has been shaping our world for centuries, from the first actuarial charts to the first uses of manufacturing statistics...and go on from there.
This longer story might have been one of initial excitement and fear, and then eventually of disappointment and renewed innovation.
The book could have also filled in a larger philosophical story about the relationship between modern science and traditional forms of knowledge (mysticism, folk wisdom, conspiracy). After all, Big Data is only the first in a long line of modern science innovations that have attempted to make the world smooth and problem-free creating the next generation of problems...
Such a story would also look at the rise of superstition, conspiracy, and fake news in a world that is supposed to be more "naked". With Big Data, arguably, has come Big Ignorance (and Big Conspiracy, and Big Tribalism...etc).
I think the book also misses another key story of Big Data and prediction -- the stronger and more useful the algorithm, the more likely it is to go bust in a catastrophic way. This is something explored in the writing of Nassim Nicholas Taleb (among others), but it bears repeating here because a world where people and organizations are dependent on highly nuanced algorithms for thinking is one in which a glitch could have catastrophic consequences.
The examples in finance are so numerous (you could start by looking up "Long-Term Capital Management") that I feel like I should provide an example outside of finance...how about Google's Flu Trends (see this site to get started: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_...). Many of the examples in the world show how difficult it is to predict strategic living beings that are constantly aware that others are trying to predict their moves to gain a strategic advantage.
Having outlined all of these -- not flaws, but let's call them deficits -- I can still admire this book for what it is: thoughtful and engaging journalism. ...more
There were moments of extraordinary language in this book. Individual scenes were written with powerful sentences that took me to times and places...aThere were moments of extraordinary language in this book. Individual scenes were written with powerful sentences that took me to times and places...and yet, I had trouble connecting with the story and characters. I never felt like this book evolved beyond mere moments. I felt like I was trapped watching scenes from home movies that seemed disjointed. For this reason, it took me a while to finish this book. But again, the strong language kept drawing me back in. ...more
This book was not an easy read. It was not a page-turner. But the language was beautiful. The characters were beautiful. I felt transported to a time This book was not an easy read. It was not a page-turner. But the language was beautiful. The characters were beautiful. I felt transported to a time and place that was wonderfully specific and full of life. The book gave me a sense of the senselessness of war, the fragility of human relationship, and frivolity of existence. For these things, I will always be grateful. ...more
There is a line toward the end of the book -- "I feel like the older you get, the more you cry."
Oh, how true. I feel more sentimental. I find that, lThere is a line toward the end of the book -- "I feel like the older you get, the more you cry."
Oh, how true. I feel more sentimental. I find that, like the author of the book, I tend to dwell on the past. This book found me at the right time in my life -- on the brink of another life change, feeling adrift as Mike did. Perhaps it's for that reason that I found myself steamrolling through this book. I bought it on Friday, used for about three dollars, on a whim. By Sunday, I was finished.
There are so many delights with this book...but first, let's dispense with some negatives.
First, two rules of good writing are violated over and over again. Don't use flashbacks and internal dialogue. It slows down the narrative. And boy did it slow down the narrative! More on this in a bit...
Second, the book often reads like a recruiting ad for Starbucks. I have no problems with Starbuck and I love that they give their employees benefits but...
Third, I felt like there was a different book inside this book...sure, the title is a great sales hook. And since the author worked in advertising, why not write a book with a hook, something that will sell! But, the asides -- the same asides that slowed down the story -- were actually really interesting. Mike meets Hemingway, Sinatra, runs with the bulls...I feel like there is a story beyond Starbucks here. I could see a great book where someone discovers Mike in a Starbucks and he tells his life story; how a person of great success could end up as a simple barista...or something like that.
And now the good -- Mike is a likable guy with a story to tell. And the person comes through in the book. I liked spending my weekend with Mike.
I don't know if you will, but when life gets you down..it's nice to know you have company.
And finally, a simple message that comes out fo the book -- respect. How little of it is circulating in the world, how easy it is to give, and the impact that simple act will have. That should have been a bigger part of this book.
But, with that said, let me give Mike his respect -- you lept with faith, wrote a book, and my life was better for it.
What I was hoping for was a very entertaining book. Something that would hold my interest...and also, something that was light enough to read3.7 stars
What I was hoping for was a very entertaining book. Something that would hold my interest...and also, something that was light enough to read on the bus to work. This book delivered that, and a bit more. I've always been a fan of comic books. And I enjoyed the comic book art immensely.
The book wasn't without its problems. The characters weren't very sympathetic. Of all the characters, I related most to Daniel (perhaps because we share the same name), the comic book artist with the tragic past. In fact, I liked his character so much that I wish the book had focused more on him. I especially wished they had spent more time in Alaska. All the scenes in Alaska were great. Trixie and Daniel's wife come off as the least sympathetic. From the start, their choices are dubious. You can still relate to them, but it's hard to cheer for them whole-heartedly. I'm not sure if that's what the author wanted or not. Jason's predicament is even worse...and the detective of the novel is an especially under-developed character.
The book borders on melodrama in many moments. I think this is just the drawback to a book targeted at young women readers. There is nothing wrong with this, I think, if it is handled tastefully. The "Moonstone" -- which is still one of my favorite books -- is written in a Victorian style and still mesmerizes me! DH Lawrence has pulled it off from time to time (but too much of Lawrence gives me headaches). Still, I think that in this book, less internal dialogue and more scene building would have made a vast improvement in the book.
After reading this book, I'm excited to read some of Picoult's more acclaimed books! ...more
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