I picked up this book because I was intrigued about what sort of transformative affect poetry may have had on a cage fighter. While some of that is there, I was quite pleased to read more about how Cameron's pursuit of becoming an excellent MMA cage fighter helped him deal with the demons of his childhood and life.

Certainly his talent as a poet & creative writer most especially shines through when describing his fights, his training, and his inner anguish that fueled both. It's clear that much of what Cameron has accomplished has been through focused willpower and drive.

This is a memoir about transformation, about overcoming the inner demons and outer barriers that plagued Conaway, and how mixed martial arts, poetry, and a warrior code helped him overcome those obstacles and free himself.

Great novel about love and rock n roll. This book had me the moment it opened with the news of the death of Joey Ramone. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the character's experiences in rock n roll scenes & landmarks in NY (CBGB's), Seattle, LA, and the worship of bands such as the Ramones, the Who, Rolling Stones, Springsteen, the Clash, and the REPLACEMENTS! Love of the Replacements alone was enough to make me love this book.

The writing itself is top-notch, and I really felt the Lisa's heartbreak over her boyfriend James, and did not see it coming where she ended up by the end of the novel. This is a great read if you love rock n roll, punk, and reading about other characters who do as well. Couldn't put it down.

Great trippy, gothic, surreal comic. While I'm not a goth, I think if you were one, this would be the perfect comic for you. The art is amazing and the story is weird and fantastic.

Very moving comic. Does a great job of capturing being a smart, outsider teenager. I was actually surprised at how moving the ending was. Great read if you were a misfit in highschool that didn't fit in, had great AND lousy friends, and were too smart to just accept what your teachers or the principal told you.

Guy Debord's follow up to Society of the Spectacle. While just as insightful, it's clear that at this point Debord has grown increasingly cynical about the prospects of destroying capitalism, and his emphasis on secret intelligence agencies and their level of power is enough to make anyone depressed. Ultimately, Debord sounds more defeated than defiant.

If you're into punk, you'll probably enjoying reading & relating to the stories. I can see how this would probably be better enjoyed as a zine (what it was originally envisioned to be) rather than as a full-fledged book. It's not really something you'll find yourself re-reading again, but it's enjoyable, light reading for what it is.

Whereas Pyongyang was really insightful to the inner workings of North Korea and its dictatorship, I felt that Burma Chronicles was less a look into Burma's dictatorship, and more of a travelogue. It was, however, so entertaining, and enjoyable (and yes) insightful, however, that I gotta give it 5 stars.

Amazingly good. Reading it felt like watching a really good indie movie.

Beautiful leather bound one volume edition that collects all of his fiction! Stories presented in chronological order, with brief introductions framing each story. Being able to read them in the order that they were published gives great insight to seeing Lovecraft's style & storytelling develop. One critique that has been consistent among other reviewers is that there are noticeable misspellings that should have been proof-read for this edition. However, the fact that this is the only book you need to enjoy Lovecraft makes it all worth it.

Update: Thanks for the heads up from DeusExLibrus: "B&N has actually released a second edition thats been properly copy edited. Look for a copy with silver edging on the pages, a purple ribbon marker, and an acknowledgement to Martin Anderson on the copyright page."

It should also have a copyright of 2011, whereas the original version's copyright was 2010 (original version's pages have gold edging & gold ribbon bookmark as well). I took my copy in to Barnes & Noble and was able to exchange it without receipt, after explaining that my version had spelling errors.

A great short introduction to Movement for a New Society, who popularized cooperatives, spokescouncils, consensus-decision making. Worth getting for their analysis alone on concrete ways to deal issues of leadership & structurelessness.

An amazing look at the grassroots organizing for civil rights that took place in Mississippi. A key text for those who interested in organizing a grassroots movement.

An excellent book on a subject that hasn't been too well explored before. This book focuses on how anarchism and many leading American anarchists of the time were at the forefront of gender & sexuality politics. It covers influences on the American anarchists (such as Oscar Wilde), Alexander Berkman's observations on homosexuality during his time in prison, Emma Goldman's defense of same-sex relationships, and the roles homosexual anarchists played in the American anarchist movement.

A worthy companion piece to Bookchin's "The Spanish Anarchists: The Heroic Years 1868 to 1936." This gives a great overview of the early Italian Anarchist movement, delves with a lot of issues the anarchists faced (attempted & failed insurrections, splits among the movement around whether to participate in elections, etc.) as well as a lot of great coverage on the well-known Italian anarchist Malatesta.

Joe Sacco's masterpiece.

I've read many graphic novels, and this one comes near the top of my list for one of the best comics I've read. It's a very surreal story that touches on many themes (our destructive nature, selective memory, living with and under abuse, fear & lies, etc.). It doesn't necessarily close with a straight forward ending, but rather something to interpret and dwell upon. I would consider this book to be a work of art, something that reflects many aspects of humanity, something which stretches our brains as we follow a very odd story and try to understand the insights revealed in it.

Since this is the first comic from Peter Bagge I've read, I was caught off guard at how good it was. His characters are some of the most fleshed out characters I've read in a comic, being both realistic, flawed, and hilarious. The story itself is sophisticated and masterfully crafted.

Excellent comic. Through the narrator researching vintage pop culture items such as movie reels, comic strips, etc. a story of some strange talking cat named Waldo from the past starts to emerge. Different perspectives and bits and pieces start to flesh out the true accounts of what happened until he finally comes face to face with Waldo.