The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf |
| Posted: 24 Jun 2011 02:21 AM PDT Fear Itself #3 (of 7, Marvel, US$3.99) Writer: Matt Fraction Artist: Stuart Immonen THIS writer is not a big fan of resurrected characters, particularly those who have perished due to a character-defining moment. Having made an allowance for Elektra, I have recently added another character to the list – Bucky Barnes @ Winter Soldier and present day Captain America. While Elektra's an exception due to her DD and Hand connections, Bucky gets the same special treatment due to Ed Brubaker's mesmerising storytelling. Brubaker certainly stunned the Cap-fraternity when he brought Bucky back in his first of many stellar story-arcs (Captain America, 2004, #1-6) as it not only reaffirmed that no deaths are sacred in comics but, best of all, it revitalised Cap's mythos. Long-time Steve Rogers fans would recall that Bucky was his WWII sidekick who perished during an air plane incident involving Baron Zemo. Ironically, that same event also resulted in Cap being thrown back into the Silver Age. Similar to those countless Uncle Ben cameos in Spidey books, Bucky's memory has occasionally plagued Cap's thoughts. Remember a Bucky lookalike in Jack Monroe, who eventually lived (and died) as a B-grade Cap named Nomad? Truth is, Bucky's return as Winter Soldier breathed new life into the star-spangled avenger's escapades, so much so that when Rogers "died" (the infamous Cap #25), Bucky automatically became the successor for all his roles, including being at the forefront during Secret Invasion. The confusion sets in with the impending release of the Cap movie, where it would be "commercially unviable" to continue having Bucky as Cap in the comic books. With Boston-raised actor Chris Evans expected to raise Rogers' on-screen persona to greater heights, it is inevitable that there is only one Cap – making Rogers the obvious choice. Followers of Cap's monthly series would have already seen the writing on the wall as Bucky's been serving time at Gulag, pending the outcome of his trial by the Russian court (for acts committed during his stint as Winter Soldier). Obviously, you can't have Cap behind bars at the time of his movie premiere, and recent events in Fear Itself fast tracks Bucky's "departure". As Marvel's main event for 2011, Fear Itself has certainly upped the stakes for a few of its household names (Thor, Bucky and Rogers). Premised on the unveiling of an Asgardian prophecy involving a serpent/Skadi and seven uru hammers, Midgard is in tatters when Odin and his Asgardians (including Thor) abruptly leave. Sin (the Red Skull's daughter) traces her father's files to locate a WWII secret concerning the Hammer of Skadi (who happens to be Odin's second wife). While the Skull was deemed unworthy when he attempted to lift the hammer (ages ago), Sin proved that it was an (evil) woman's touch that was needed as she gets herself mystically empowered. Sin is not the only recipient of an uru hammer ... half a dozen other hammers are in circulation, en route to finding a worthy wielder. This is where Earth's mightiest "mortals" falter as their combined powers are insufficient to fend off the wrath of six Thor-like beings. While the initial build-up is rather lethargic, the plot gets going here, thanks to rumours that Bucky has "kicked the buck-et". With past Bucky-Sin encounters being one-sided (in the former's favour), this time it's a whole new ball game as Bucky's bionic arm and adamantium shield are rendered useless against Sin's hammer. Making full use of her new gifts, Sin pulverises Bucky and leaves him (and readers) in limbo. Regardless of whether he lives or dies (again), Rogers will re-assume the Cap mantle next month, in conjunction of the launch of a new Cap series. Supreme Power #1 (of 4, Marvel, US$3.99) Writer: Kyle Higgins Artist: Michel Lacombe and Manuel Garcia Green Lantern fever has affected the Marvel Universe as evident from the Doctor Spectrum focus in this four-parter. The Supreme's equivalent of the Emerald Knight faces the trials and tribulations in assuming the role of America's protector after Hyperion's departure. While Hyperion's alien heritage gave him a reason to denounce America and Earth, the good ol' Doctor here is a devoted soldier who will do anything to defend his country – including facing the media. Things turn awry when the Feds sent him on a cross-border mission to kill a super-powered Syrian. The mission is almost botched when his opponent proved too strong and Doc had to rely on his spectrum's alien persona to save the day. With all the sensitivities about aliens (post-Hyperion), Doc's problem might just prove to be the tip of the iceberg. Not a bad read, considering that this four-parter is Straczynski-free. Fathom Primer (one-shot, Aspen, US$1) Writers: Michael Turner and Scott Lobdell Artist: Michael Turner June 27 marks the third anniversary of the late Michael Turner's death. Artist extraordinaire and the man who made Sara Pezzini @ Witchblade a household name is no longer with us but his work lives on with this year's animated Superman/Batman: Apocalypse and this nifty repackaging of his labour of love. I recall being at the forefront of Fathom's launch in 1998, splurging on all three versions of its debut issue ... variant content (and not covers). This "primer" issue recollects Fathom's debut appearance at a (much) lower price and spares you the hassle of reading three very similar books consecutively. While I wouldn't be able to "fathom" (no pun intended) why the people at Aspen are still attempting to revive this sinking character, what I won't deny is that Turner is in top form with the artwork featured here. > Comics courtesy of Earth 638 (012-6631584, e-mail: earth638@yahoo.com). The shop is having a massive relocation sale until June 27, at its premises in Wisma Atria, Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
| Posted: 24 Jun 2011 02:19 AM PDT The Facebook Effect Author: David Kirkpatrick Publisher: Virgin Books, 374 pages WHEN you have 500 million friends around the world, you don't need much introduction. Author David Kirkpatrick was given the keys to the Facebook kingdom and opens the door to the story of how any idea can grow with the right mechanism and, more importantly, a lot of friends. The Most Beautiful Woman In The World Author: Ellis Amburn Publisher: Harper, 558 pages As Andy Warhol put it, "She has everything: magic, money, beauty and intelligence. Why can't she be happy?" Author Ellis Amburn attempts to answer that question in a book that reveals Elizabeth Taylor in all her splendour and tragedy. An undoubted star both on and off the screen, Taylor was rarely far from the spotlight with her turbulent loves, her doomed affections and her glamorous lifestyle. This book is a celebration of a life that was tormented and worshipped, both in equal measure. The Man In The White Suit Author: Ben Collins Publisher: Harper, 339 pages He dressed in white from top to toe, drove really fast and, for the longest time, was mysteriously faceless. The Stig, more a phenomenon than a person, appeared regularly on Britain's popular motoring show, Top Gear. Now that he has revealed himself as Ben Collins, a former Formula Three and GT racing driver, he tells of his time as the mysterious figure dressed in white. Getting accustomed to really quick cars quickly was a cinch but dealing with eccentric host Jeremy Clarkson deserved a bonus, it seems. All the stories of speed, hilarity and calamitous collisions come to light in this autobiography built for the fast lane. Literary Life Author: Larry McMurtry Publisher: Simon and Schuster, 175 pages As the genius mind behind Terms Of Endearment and the 1985 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Lonesome Dove and as co-writer of the screenplay for controversial cowboy love story Brokeback Mountain, Larry McMurtry is one Texan who was always destined to be as big as his home state. Revered by many sharing his profession of journalist, McMurtry details his rise to literary stardom from his early university days to his tenure at prestigious Stanford. With years of observations expressed in witty words, McMurtry fills this autobiography with anecdotes about his relationship with writing and writers alike. Sini Sana Editors: Tom Sykes & Tan May Lee Publisher: MPH, 225 pages In this collection of short stories of little gems around Malaysia, each writer relates his or her experiences in discovering the unknown on the road less travelled. From the idyllic paradise of Perhentian Kecil to the green-filled surroundings of Sarawak's tiny villages, Sini Sana takes you on an unusual Malaysian road trip. Lost in Shangri-La Author: Mitchell Zuckoff Publisher: Harper, 384 pages The year is 1945 and an American plane ferrying 24 servicemen and women crashes into a beautiful but terrifyingly dangerous valley nicknamed Shangri-La in what was then called Dutch New Guinea. Only three survive, and, fearing death at the hands of spear-wielding tribesmen, they trek along the jungle-covered mountainside – and straight into a village of supposed cannibals. Journalism professor Mitchell Zuckoff has uncovered a true story of heroic survival that rivals anything Hollywood could dream up. Live And Let Love Editor: Andrea Buchanan Publisher: Gallery Books, 277 pages An award-winning actress. A soldier's wife. A cancer survivor. What these women have in common is an extraordinary need for love: to give it and to receive it. This collection of short observations from members of the fairer sex speaks about how they have come to terms with love and, often times, how they had to overcome adversity before coming anywhere near it. A journalist's tale of how, like a good story, an adventure of love should never be passed up, is among the poignant anecdotes lying in this book for readers to laugh at, learn from and lean on. The Quotable Hitchens Editor: Windsor Mann Publisher: Da Capo Press, 332 pages Christopher Hitchens is not a man of few words. In fact, it would be pretty difficult to find him in a situation whereby he is not debating religious scholars, Catholic clergy and devout Muslims about the existence of God and the supposed morality of religion. As a prominent journalist and author of the bestselling memoir Hitch-22, Hitchens has had more than his fair share of contentious controversies. This book is a collection of the provocateur's most scathing, hilarious and clear-cut commentaries on everything under the sun. From diet books to the Dixie Chicks, this is Hitchen's very own highlight reel. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
| Posted: 24 Jun 2011 02:03 AM PDT This book is entertaining, fun and functional — even decades after it was first published. Today, the day after the author's birthday, we hope to sell you on buying this re-issued edition. Confessions Of An Advertising Man WE admire people who work hard, who are objective and thorough. We detest office politicians, toadies, bullies and pompous asses. We abhor ruthlessness. The way up our ladder is open to everybody. In promoting people to top jobs, we are influenced as much by their characters as anything else." So said David Ogilvy, pioneering ad man and one of the founding fathers of the modern consumer mindset. Ogilvy, an advertising genius and one of the original Madison Avenue Madmen, distilled all his successful concepts, tactics, techniques and, most importantly, his philosophy on life into Confessions Of An Advertising Man. Expressed in his seminal style, the author's robust views are timeless and can still be regarded not only as a primer for modern advertising but also as a blueprint for good business practice, even 48 years after its first publication. The subsequent nine reprints of this bestseller over the years, including this year (which marks the Ogilvy Group's 50th year of business in Malaysia), as well as its translation into 14 languages speak volumes about the significance of this classic. If these statistics don't impress you, the content and the singular character featured within the covers certainly will. David Ogilvy was born in West Horsley, England, in 1911, and was the youngest of five children of a Scottish stockbroker. He was educated in Fettes College, Edinburgh, and Christ Church, Oxford, though he never completed his Oxford degree – the real failure of his life, he said. He started his career as an apprentice chef in the kitchens of the Hotel Majestic in Paris. He then went on to sell stoves as a door-to-door salesman for Aga Cookers in Scotland. His success at this endeavour marked him out to his employer, who asked him to write an instruction manual, The Theory And Practice Of Selling The Aga Cooker, for the other salesmen – 30 years later, this manual was still being used as a resource by Fortune magazine editors, who have called it the finest sales instruction manual ever written. In 1938, Ogilvy emigrated to the United States where he became an associate director at Dr George Gallup's Audience Research Institute in New Jersey. After World War II, at the age of 37, with two staff members and no clients, Ogilvy founded his New York-based agency, which later merged to form the international company known today as Ogilvy & Mather. What has been called the "slender but juicy book" and seen as the equivalent of Mao Zedong's Little Red Book for the 1960s ad generation, is an easy, enjoyable read and has many succulent slices of Ogilvy-isms to offer: "You can't save souls in an empty church", "When people aren't having any fun, they seldom produce good work", "You cannot bore people into buying your product, you can only interest them in buying it", "The consumer is not a moron. She is your wife. Don't insult her intelligence." It is a book that is eminently quotable, with clever words of wisdom you can spout to your friends and family and come across as really witty! Ogilvy wrote this book during his summer vacation in 1962 and gave the copyright to his son for his 21st birthday. He originally thought it would sell only 4,000 copies, having written it mainly to attract new clients to his advertising agency, to condition the market for a public offering of his company's shares, and to make himself better known in the business world. It achieved all three purposes – and, having sold over a million copies worldwide since its release, it has also, obviously, interested many people outside the advertising world. The entertaining book that reads like good advertising copy, rife with rich words and vibrant vocabulary, is animated by Ogilvy's lively anecdotes. It contains 11 sections with simple, self-explanatory titles, such as, How To Manage An Advertising Agency, How To Get Clients, How To Keep Clients, How To Be A Good Client, How To Build Great Campaigns, etc. As the man himself notes in a section he updated subsequently, before his death in 1999, "most of the advertising techniques which worked when I wrote Confessions Of An Advertising Man still work today. Consumers still buy products whose advertising promises them value for money, beauty, nutrition, relief from suffering, social status and so on. All over the world." Ogilvy pulls no punches in cautioning today's companies that are buying volume by price discounting instead of using advertising to build strong brands: "Any damn fool can put on a price reduction but it takes brains and perseverance to create a brand.... Price-off deals are a drug. Ask a drug-addicted brand manager what happened to his share of the market after the delirium of the deal subsided. He will change the subject. Ask him if his deal increased his profit. Again he will change the subject." Over the years, we have been seduced by many an Ogilvy campaign that dished out "a little British narcissism fused with hard-nosed American, self-serving salesmanship." His entry into the company of giants started with iconic campaigns such as "The man in the Hathaway shirt" that featured a model with an aristocratic eye patch, inspired by Baron George Wrangell (this campaign ran for 21 years) and "The man from Schweppes is here" that introduced Commander Edward Whitehead, the elegant bearded Brit, bringing Schweppes (and "Schweppervesence") to America. He also coined the famous line of copy that said, "At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock." Ogilvy advocates "an infuriating habit of divine discontent with performance"; seeing it as an "antidote to smugness." And he qualifies the "slight stench of conceit" in the book by stating that his "conceit is selective" and confessing that "I am a miserable duffer in everything, except advertising. I cannot read a balance sheet, work a computer, ski, sail, play golf or paint. But when it comes to advertising, Advertising Age says that I am 'the creative king of advertising'. When Fortune published an article about me and titled it 'Is David Ogilvy A Genius?', I asked my lawyer to sue the editor for the question mark." British film director Sir Alan Parker wrote the Foreword for Confessions Of An Advertising Man, and notes: "Ultimately this book is important because it's not just about advertising, it's also about how people think and behave at the sharp end of business – any business." Confessions Of An Advertising Man is a must read if you aspire to be a good manager or marketer in any industry. And even if you don't, if you aren't in the advertising business or any business, for that matter, you will delight in the candour and wit contained within. The engaging stories told in the first person are fun, fascinating and functional. Ogilvy sums up the book best, calling it "a confession of my sins and a description of my adventures." Are you sold? 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