Product Description

"Human beings were never born to read," writes Tufts University cognitive neuroscientist and child development expert Maryanne Wolf. Reading is a human invention that reflects how the brain rearranges itself to learn something new. In this ambitious, provocative book, Wolf chronicles the remarkable journey of the reading brain not only over the past five thousand years, since writing began, but also over the course of a single child's life, showing in the process why children with dyslexia have reading difficulties and singular gifts.

Customer Reviews (64)

Neurons, neurons, neurons
The intriguing title of "Proust and the Squid" is the key to its structure. The "Proust" strand refers to the importance of reading in human cultures and to its ability to give humans " access to thousands of different realities they might never encounter or understand otherwise."Thus, Maryanne Wolf begins her book with a brief and engaging history of the development of alphabets and the rise of literacy. Then there is the "Squid" strand, in which she offers an overview of recent neurological research that has illuminated the process of how a reader's brain processes letters on a page. Since humans are not wired to read (the way they are wired to understand language), this research demonstrates the brain's capacity to adapt and specialize.Finally, there is the "and" strand; the conjunction in the title is there for a reason. This part of the book weaves Proust and the squid together through an examination of the importance of reading in contemporary culture and of the best practices (based on the scientific research) for teaching children to become fluent readers.Wolf is a child development expert, and in this portion of the book she discusses pedagogy, as well as the particular situation of dyslexic readers, whose brains process language in a different way.

Thus, "Proust" and the Squid" speaks to a variety of readers. It speaks to those interested in current scientific research and the way it has increased understanding of the neurological processes that make reading possible. It addresses those concerned about the cultural importance of reading in a digital age. And it speaks to parents interested in how to cultivate a love of reading in their children, as well as to parents of dyslexic children concerned about the best approach to take to foster more fluent reading.Of course, these audiences will surely sometimes overlap, but I think the weakness of "Proust and the Squid" is its difficulty in adhering to a single voice.

Sometimes the book is lyrical in its use of quotation and philosophy to convey Wolf's devotion to the importance of reading. Sometimes its tone is technical, as it discusses the structure of the brain, while at other times the tone is practical, the voice of the reading specialist offering recommendations. These shifts mean that some readers will find parts of the book more interesting than others. There is also quite a bit of repetition.

"Proust and the Squid" has much to recommend it (depending on your particular interest), and its strengths make up for the times when your attention may wander.
M. Feldman

Clariy
This book is well written and presents complex ideas with clarity.The author has a broad view of reading and what it means to humans.She integrates technical information about the brain and cognitive processes with literary understanding to give a well-rounded view of reading.

Proust and the Squid
This is a wonderful book for kindergarten teachers and parents especially. We must educate ourselves about what it means to learn to read!

Loved it
This is one of those books that you can't put down. Reading is something we take for granted but after reading this you look at it in a new light.
It starts off on how the brain reads and unlike hearing and seeing which is innate reading is something that we have to teach the brain. It was very interesting on how Chinese and Japanese people use different parts of their brain to read than English readers. The author talks a lot about the history of reading and how humans started to read. There is also a lot of information on neuroscience and what part of the brain we use to read.
If you are interested in dyslexia then she talk a lot about this and talks about the reading brain of dyslexia people.
This book is very well written and Maryanne puts complex science research into an easy to read format.

How reading changes our lives
Neuroscience is probably the most exciting science now examining how people live and learn. Research on how people use their brains has changed the way we look at everyday processes we thought we understood, but really didn'tMaryanne Wolf's Proust and the Squid is the first book I've read that makes the connection between research and the process of reading--one of the most important intellectual achievements humans have ever made.Wolf starts the book by telling us how human beings slowly learned to transfer spoken language into written symbols and how various cultural groups chose different ways to do this. She goes on to explain what happens to an individual child who learns to read. New paths are forged in the brain and these paths are somewhat different for a child who is learning English as compared with Chinese. For parents, teachers and anyone else who wants to help children learn to read effectively, the book offers practical information about why some children have difficulty learning this basic skill. Dyslexic children are often thought to be slow learners, but often they are bright and creative. Anyone who cares about how children learn will find this book exciting and enlightening. ... Read more

Product Description
Sure we'd all love to be able to go around telling stories about all the weird, scary, and just-plain-annoying people that we know. But the truth is, no one likes a gossip. Here, the irrepressible Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith have found a way around that problem-they just make like Aesop and change all the people to animals or food, add a moral to each story, and call the stories fables!

With tales like "Little Walrus," in which too much of the truth is a dangerous thing, the cautionary "Slug's Big Moment," wherein Slug is so caught up in herself that she doesn't see the steamroller behind her, and "Straw and Matches," which illustrates quite clearly why you should never play with matches (because they cheat), the eighteen fables in this uproarious collection are sure to delight readers both young and old.

Illustrated by Lane Smith.Amazon.com Review
Every once in a while a book crosses our desks that makes ussit quietly delighted--except for a few squeaks of unmitigatedjoy--and this oversized, energized, stylized, highly prized book offables is one of them. Jon Scieszka has a simple philosophy of thefable: "If you can't say something nice about someone, change theguy's name to Donkey or Squid." After all, the alleged Aesop didit. Squids Will Be Squids offers lessons such as "Everyoneknows frogs can't skateboard, but it's kind of sad that they believeeverything they see on TV." Sure, it's goofy, but it's also saying tokids, "Don't believe everything you see on TV." In "DuckbilledPlatypus vs. Beefsnakstick," the bragging platypus and his beefy buddyteach us "Just because you have a lot of stuff, don't think you're sospecial." Of course, there is nothing heavy-handed here--morals suchas "He who smelt it, dealt it" and "Elephants never forget, exceptsometimes" satirically prance amid the more heartfelt snippets ofsagacity.

Scieszka and illustrator Lane Smith are unparalleled in theireccentricity and unrelenting in their boyish, twisted-yet-innocentzeal. In co-creations from The Stinky Cheese Man andOther Fairly Stupid Tales to The True Story of the 3Little Pigs to Math Curse,Scieszka's wacko sense of humor and Smith's quirky, always gorgeousartwork thrillingly congeal in Molly Leach's creative, exuberantdesign. We see many picture books that are better suited for adultsthan kids, but this fine specimen is truly meant for goofballs of allages. (Click to see a sample spread. Illustration © 1998 Lane Smith, reproduced withpermission of Viking, a division of Penguin Putnam.) (All ages) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Customer Reviews (33)

Very droll
I don't really understand the reviews here: firstly, who says that "children's books" are only for children? If you (the adult) enjoyed it, seems like money well-spent to me. Secondly, there seems to be a large number of humor-challenged adults and children. My wife and I (who are not children) think it is funny, and so does our two year old son, who also LOVES Cowboy and Octopus, which has the same sort of off-kilter sensibility. The comments that the "morals are not appropriate" are really strange to me -- the morals are the punchlines to what are extended jokes (which are funny, because the authors are quite observant).

Squids will be Elephants
Scieszka, J., & Smith, L.(1998).Squids Will Be Squids:Fresh morals, beastly tales.New York:Puffin Books.

0142500402

A good break from or companion to Aesop's Fables.Squids Will Be Squids shares 18 silly fables that manage to be both relatable to kids and incorporate far-fetched ideas to amuse.The moral accompanying each story manages to be just the right amount of ridiculous to get kids laughing out loud.Issues explored including saving a huge history project to the last minutes, dealing with that squid-like friend who never agrees to games everyone else wants to play and figuring out who exactly caused that stink in the air.

The illustrations are fun and in similar style to Scieszka and Smith's other collaborations.As with The Stinky Cheese Man and Math Curse, the picturebook is heavy on the (HUGE) text and structured like a chapter book, so it can be a good transition to a first chapter book.If a teacher is looking for another Aesop stepping stone, Paul Rosenthal's Yo, Aesop!Get a Load of These Fables (1998) is an even longer grouping of modernized fables.




Activities to Do with the Book:

Students could write their own fables in response to the examples shown by Scieszka and Smith.

Since "Frog's New Shoes" considers the fact that ads cannot always be trusted, a teacher could use this to start a discussion on products children have bought and been disappointed by.This could even turn into a short lesson on writing letters to companies about truth in advertising."Piece of Toast and Froot Loops" could trigger a discussion on healthy eating habits.Not that anyone would want to get too serious with this book.

Based off of the story "Rock, Paper, Scissors," a class could arrange to have a rock paper scissors championship during recess.A teacher could incorporate this into a lesson on odds in math class or into a discussion on teamwork.

This is a fun light read to encourage enjoyment, especially if a child has previously been forced to supper through a dryer version of Aesop's fables.


Favorite Quotes:

"This book, Squids Will Be Squids, is a collection of fables that Aesop might have told if he were alive today and sitting in the back of class daydreaming and goofing around instead of paying attention and correcting his homework like he was supposed to, because his dog ate it and he didn'ts= have time to run out and buy new paper and do it over again before his bus came to pick him up in the morning."


"My tentacles are too tired."

"He who smelt it, dealt it."

If You Like Spongebob . . .
Classic, sarcastic humor.Excellent read for the older child who can understand and appreciate the absurd.Suitable for adults of all ages.

Jr. High Teachers, read it to your students.
Squids will be Squids is the most entertainingly-biting-for-adults kids book I have seen. Jr. High teachers, read it to your students. 18 one minute stories. Scathing against whining and complaining. Hilarious.

Funny! Funny! Funny!
I love the books by this author!Squids Will Be Squids is no exception!I ordered the book for my grandchildren living in Germany and sent it right over to them. ... Read more

Product Description
The dramatic story behind the most audacious power grab in American history
 
The financial crisis that exploded in 2008 isn’t past but prologue. The stunning rise, fall, and rescue of Wall Street in the bubble-and-bailout era was the coming-out party for the network of looters who sit at the nexus of American political and economic power. The grifter class—made up of the largest players in the financial industry and the politicians who do their bidding—has been growing in power for a generation, transferring wealth upward through increasingly complex financial mechanisms and political maneuvers. The crisis was only one terrifying manifestation of how they’ve hijacked America’s political and economic life.

Rolling Stone’s Matt Taibbi here unravels the whole fiendish story, digging beyond the headlines to get into the deeper roots and wider implications of the rise of the grifters. He traces the movement’s origins to the cult of Ayn Rand and her most influential—and possibly weirdest—acolyte, Alan Greenspan, and offers fresh reporting on the backroom deals that decided the winners and losers in the government bailouts. He uncovers the hidden commodities bubble that transferred billions of dollars to Wall Street while creating food shortages around the world, and he shows how finance dominates politics, from the story of investment bankers auctioning off America’s infrastructure to an inside account of the high-stakes battle for health-care reform—a battle the true reformers lost. Finally, he tells the story of Goldman Sachs, the “vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity.”

Taibbi has combined deep sources, trailblazing reportage, and provocative analysis to create the most lucid, emotionally galvanizing, and scathingly funny account yet written of the ongoing political and financial crisis in America. This is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the labyrinthine inner workings of politics and finance in this country, and the profound consequences for us all. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (8)

Clever, beautifully illustrated children's story!
This is the perfect read-out-loud book for children of all ages.The story is clever and engaging, with the type of subtle repetitive pattern that kids seem to love, followed by surprising and delightful outcomes.The story is humorous and the lesson taught is encouraging as children anticipate what Sid's (and their) place in the world might be.

The illustrations are charming with depth and unexpected detail perfect for kids (and delightful for their adult reading companions!).The witty feel of the book comes from the sense of humor evident in the paintings.

Overall, a fabulous new addition to my collection of treasured children's books.

Fabulous!
I recently purchased this book and my family has LOVED it!Even my 3 year old was searching the illustrations and giggling at the squid. I thought it was fabulous!I would recommend it for all ages.

My girls love this book!
Sid the Squid is a great read for kids of all ages.My 3 and 5 year old daughters just love Sid, and laugh every time they hear about his adventures.The pictures are fantastic and my girls like pretending they're actually in the book! The story also helps them imagine what they would want to be when they grow up.We love this book and hope there are more of Sid's adventures in the future!

Sid the Squid
This book is charming and inviting in many dimensions.My grandchildren and I loved reading the book together.The zany notion of a Giant Squid trying to be what he was not provides a superb platform for exploring each individual's intrinsic value.It also allows us to understand that acknowledging and honoring our inbornstrengths can bring great success.Dealing honestly with our inherent limitations can be understood as a strength as well.We had fun discussing how the spectrum of physical and intellectual gifts gives great variety and even beauty to our community.
The excellent illustrations reflect the observational powers of a lover/careful observer of wildlife - and the array of creatures (and people) illustrated gave us great venues for additional explorations. We were able to conclude that just being the best we can be was the most perfect job of all, and that we could rejoice in the strengths and successes of others without detracting from our own self-worth.
Besides, it is a romp of a read -just for the fun of it!

Great Story for Lesson About Career Choices
I LOVED "Sid, the Squid".It is an excellent book about career choices.I am an elementary school counselor, and I am always looking for great books to share with my students.This will be an excellent story for my career lesson.This is a great tale for anyone thinking about what to do with the rest of their life.I loved the story, and the pictures are adorable.It is very well done.This is an important lesson to teach.I am grateful for this book as a resource for me. ... Read more

Product Description
Squid is the most popular Web caching software in use today, and it works on a variety of platforms including Linux, FreeBSD, and Windows. Squid improves network performance by reducing the amount of bandwidth used when surfing the Web. It makes web pages load faster and can even reduce the load on your web server. By caching and reusing popular web content, Squid allows you to get by with smaller network connections. It also protects the host on your internal network by acting as a firewall and proxying your internal web traffic. You can use Squid to collect statistics about the traffic on your network, prevent users from visiting inappropriate web sites at work or school, ensure that only authorized users can surf the Internet, and enhance your privacy by filtering sensitive information from web requests. Companies, schools, libraries, and organizations that use web-caching proxies can look forward to a multitude of benefits.

Written by Duane Wessels, the creator of Squid, Squid: The Definitive Guide will help you configure and tune Squid for your particular situation. Newcomers to Squid will learn how to download, compile, and install code. Seasoned users of Squid will be interested in the later chapters, which tackle advanced topics such as high-performance storage options, rewriting requests, HTTP server acceleration, monitoring, debugging, and troubleshooting Squid.

Topics covered include:

Compiling and installing Squid

Running Squid

Using Squid's sophisticated access controls

Tuning disk storage for optimal performance

Configuring your operating system for HTTP interception

Forwarding Requests to other web caches

Using redirectors to rewrite user requests

Monitoring Squid with the cache manager and SNMP

Using Squid to accelerate and protect HTTP servers

Managing bandwidth consumption with Delay Pools ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

No longer current
This book is no longer current and needs to be revised to cover the latest releases of Squid. It provides good background to the origins of Squid and the ways it can be configured and deployed. Unfortunately, there are many new configuration directives that didn't exist in the version of Squid this book covers. You'll have to augment the info in this book with your own research on google or at the product web site.

If you only get one book on Squid, ...
then get this one.I learned enough about the reasons for using it and also how to configure it to authenticate against an LDAP server.

Well worth getting and keeping on your shelf.

Guides this good are extremely rare
This guide will pay for itself many times over.If you are considering a caching server for home, office or business you need this book.

My previous experience with proxies was MS proxy server 2.0 and I was a little apprehensive of this project; not to worry.Forty six pages into the book, squid was running; total time invested including installation of the program was about 2 hrs.

Another two hours of reading and precious few changes to config files and my log files are rotating, all ports I need exposed are open and the rest are hidden.I have already been able to tune squid to accelerate delivery of content using *only* this book as a guide.I haven't even had to look at the online documentation for squid (the first time I ever recall that happening).

Not only is my internet connection now available to all users, but also every one is browsing faster than they were before on single dedicated dial ups.

I can't say enough good things about the book or the program.In 14 years of networking I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly.This is one of those rare guides whose author is extremely knowlegable and the material presentation is flawless.I have a large computer science library and in my experience, it doesn't get any better than this.

Bravo Mr. Wessels!

"The" book for Squid
Squid: The Definitive Guide by Duane Wessels is a great book for someone with aspirations of setting up and getting the most out of Squid. It is lengthy at just over 400 pages, but that is to be expected and desired in O'Reilly's "The Definitive Guide" series. One point worth mentioning is that Duane Wessels (the author, for those with short synaptic cycles) is the one who started Squid and still works on it today. Each chapter builds nicely on subsequent chapters, so there isn't any skipping around. If you're just looking to set it and forget it, this book is probably not for you. Otherwise, read on.

The first three chapters are pretty basic: history of Squid, downloading then installing. For those with no concern of going through downloading and installing, there is a nice section describing each configure switch and, while weighing in at a healthy 48 options, it may be helpful to have this as a reference.

Chapter Four, Configuration Guide For the Eager, is an often desired, but often left out chapter in technical books. By just reading chapters one through four, it is possible to have a fully functional setup of Squid, albeit not very secure or ready for the pounding of the masses. You will, however, begin to understand how Squid operates. This chapter discusses the most often used settings, such as: minimum/maximum size of cached objects, log files and ACLs to restrict addresses, etc.

Chapter Five, Running Squid, covers what you expect. It includes such topics as, boot scripts, chrooting and rotating log files. Again, basic stuff, but necessary for the sake of completeness.

Chapter Six, All About Access Controls, covers one of Squid's major powers and attractions, access controls. ACLs give the administrator extremely fine-grained tuning. Some of the choice highlights for limiting access to addresses/domains include, but not limited to: filter by subnet, MAC, IP address or administrator assigned group. Furthermore, regular expressions can be used to filter URLs or URIs. A most likely seldom used, but very cool, feature is the ability to filter by BGP AS (Border Gateway Protocol Autonomous System) numbers. HTTP request methods such as POST, PUT, DELETE, etc. can also be filtered. Filtering by time or restricting access by user name is also supported. Each topic is assiduously explained and leaves little to be desired.

Chapters Seven and Eight cover disk caching with chapter Seven being basic material and then Eight covering more advanced topics. Discussions on object pruning, size limits, cache replacement policies and many other cache optimizations are covered in these chapters and are necessary to thoroughly understand if you are situated in a relatively large environment or just want to squeeze every bit of performance from your Squid.

Chapter Nine, Interception Caching, covers transparent proxying. This chapter discusses the benefits (no need to configure clients) and drawbacks (cannot do user authentication) of implementing such a system. It then goes on to discuss how to configure Alteon/Nortel, Foundry, Extreme Networks, Arrowpoint, iptables, pf and ipfw to perform the routing to the Squid box.

Chapter ten, Talking to other Squids

Scalability is another favorable attribute of Squid. Running in parallel with previous chapters, this chapter details the advantages (load balancing and increasing your cache hits) and the disadvantages (security problems with having to trust neighboring Squids) of a caching hierarchy. In addition, it explains how to configure connect timeouts and other tweaks to keep Squids aware of when their siblings are down.

Chapter eleven, Redirectors, covers another great attribute of Squid. Redirectors can be used, among other possibilities, to remove advertisements in web pages or rewrite client requests based on their given URL or URI. This chapter details how they work, from a protocol level, and provides example configuration settings such as sending only specific users through the redirector or conversely, letting specific users bypass the redirector altogether.

Squid can be configured to use various user authentication methods to allow or deny access. Chapter Twelve, Authentication Helpers, covers these options. Squid can talk HTTP Basic, HTTP Digest and NTLM. Each type is well explained in how it works and detailed in how to setup.

Chapter Thirteen and Fourteen fully explain logging and monitoring. The logging chapter explains the type of information each log file catches, a full description of each error or information type (which is a great reference that I made full use of) and configuration directives that change what is logged or how it is logged. Monitoring Squid covers the Squid Cache Manger (A web front-end to many great statistics), a brief mention of using Squid-RRD and using SNMP. Such monitoring statistics include, file descriptor allocation, byte hit ratios, cache hits and cache misses and a wealth of other useful information.

Chapter Fifteen, Server Accelerator Mode, explains Server Accelerator Mode, which is also known as Surrogate Mode. It is a neat trick where Squid stills runs as a proxy, however, the Squid server is proxying the world (or a select few) to your server. One obvious advantage includes performance (or Slashdot hardening if you will). There are several config directives explained here as well as some gotchas.

Chapter Sixteen, Debugging, is the is one of the few chapters that I did not need to reference. Although, if you need to, there is some good information provided.

Appendix A comes with a config file reference that actually provides more information then the comments in the configuration file (Holy moley!...they better trademark that idea before other authors catch on!).

Appendix B briefly covers memory caching and optimization.

Appendix C shows how to use delay pools to limit user bandwidth.

Appendix D details file system performance benchmarks to show you filesystem and operating system differences.

Appendix E discusses running Squid on Windows using Cygwin.

Appendix F covers auto configuration of Squid clients to avoid needing to physically visit the many machines you administer.

In conclusion:

Pros: This is "The Book" for Squid. No skipping from chapter to chapter, the author was also the designer and still one of the maintainers, fuller descriptions of the configuration file directives that the configuration file comments. It is a great reference.

Cons: Really the only thing that I didn't like was that he only discussed HTTP proxying. There is a brief mention of FTP and SMTP, but only a couple of sentences. To be fair, in the preface he did mention that he would would of liked to written on these topics but didn't have time.

Well Worth The Wait
Back in 1998 when I was running my own ISP, Squid was a lifesaver because it allowed me to provide excellent web response to customers over a very modest upstream connection.

When I moved on to consulting Squid was the answer to a wide variety of client problems from employee Internet access control (Redirectors) to company website performance (Server Accelerator Mode) to plain old web page load times (Proxy Cache).

Now that I've moved in-house in a large corporation (30,000+ employees) and I've found out what commercial vendors are charging for their solutions to each of these problems, I have gladly used my knowledge of Squid to save us money.

Of course, that knowledge was not easily won, at least not for me. Because Squid was an open source project there was a lot of information available on the Web, but, of course, because Squid was an open source project, it was hard to find a definitive answer to my particular problem without asking a lot of dumb questions on newsgroups or making a lot of trial and error attempts tweaking compile time options, system changes and configuration file settings.

I have waited for this book for a long time.

I was concerned that it might be too detailed to be readable. Thankfully, Duane Wessels, the primary architect of Squid , has laid out this book to provide simple access at the Macro level. The chapter arrangement and organization are very intuitive. And yet the book still contains enough information to satisfy almost every question.

The one caveat I would make to a reader is to maintain situational awareness while delving into a chapter because, without noticing it, you can suddenly be confronted with pages and pages of configuration file details. There's no avoiding it, when a book says `Definitive Guide' on the cover you expect to have full coverage. It's just that the book is so lucidly written that the transition from high-level discussions to detailed facts might catch you un-aware.

And, really, it's that kind of feeling that lets you know that you're reading a very valuable text. I spent the first hour after I got this book skimming each chapter, happy at each additional topic I discovered. Then I went back and asked it the two hardest questions I have faced using Squid over the past year, in each case the answer was easily found and fully explained (Mr. Wessels deserves an award for making transparent proxying understandable).

The wait for this book was well worth it. I highly recommend it to any person working with, or thinking about working with, Squid. ... Read more

Product Description
Talk about a BIG catch! The 25-foot squid hauled in by a fishing boat off the coast of New Zealand in December 1997 was one of the most amazing stories of that year! Here's a fascinating look at the giant squid, cephalopods in general, and the implications of this extra-ordinary discovery--written in conjunction with The American Museum of Natural History.

* All Aboard Reading Book, Level 2 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

great introduction to giant squids
if you child loves giant squids but does not know much about it, this is a great introduction, full of facts.
if you child does not know about giant squid, and you want to introduce deep sea life and this mysterious creature, then this book is perfect. it is fun and engaging.
It has all the basic facts and is entertaining. I think this is best for 5/6 year old children.

Squid lovers
My kid is 5 and he loves this book. Excellent for squid lovers. Good facts and great pictures.

the giant squid (a review)
this book is excellent to describe a giant squid the mystery of the deep.with facts and info its excellent to describe it. i love evry thing about it you dont get better than this!WELL DONE JENNIFER DUSSLING! ... Read more

Product Description
For centuries, sailors have handed down stories of the giant squid. They say this mysterious monster of the deep chases ships and battles whales. They say it can weigh up to 1,000 pounds and that its eyes can be as big as a human head! Are these stories fact or fantasy? Find out in this exciting beginning reader. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Ocean critters
I bought this book for my 6 year old granddaughter. She loves the book and has read and re-read it many times. She also recently read a shortened version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and was interested in giant squids so this book was a perfect introduction to more on the giant sea creatures and the photos were also great.

Great Educational Book!
My 5 year old son LOVES this book!Well written, informative and encourages imagination.

A Reader With Mystery
What is more mysterious than giant creatures that live deep in the sea?
Tentacles! Tales of the Giant Squid grabs the reader from the start.Author Shirley Raye Redmond writes that no one has ever seen a giant squid alive in its home in the deep!And no giant squid has ever been caught alive!

Redmond describes the mysteries and ancient myths about these animals in a tone that keeps the reader reading.Can a giant squid really hypnotize a human?After all, its eye is as big as a human head.Do they attack freighters and snatch men off boats?She explains what scientists know today about giant squids, how they've come to know these things, and how scientists are using whales to try to learn more about these mysterious creatures.She presents facts and lets the reader decide what myths are true or false.She also explains the things we can never know until...one is filmed or caught alive!Redmond writes in a direct style that is understandable for young readers yet highly intriguing.This book unlocks old mysteries about giant squids and presents those that are still unsolved.
The illustrations by Bryn Barnard are beautiful, especially the cover and the two-page spreads of ocean scenes.The illustrations match the mysterious feel of the book.The power of the giant squid clearly comes through.The text and pictures effectively show the characteristics, size, and uniqueness of the giant squid.This appealing book will leave young readers thinking of what they've read and seen long after they've closed the cover. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

You asked for it
I had to learn a lot about the Giant Squid and this book was so great, and excellent for elementary learners especially.

everybody loves big squids!
As a longtime fan of cephalopods in general and squids in particular, I was very impressed by this book. It's quite good at being accessible to readers of a fairly young age while not "dumbing down" the science at all. It has a variety of color plates, both from giant squid dissections (from the lab of Clyde Roper, one of the world's foremost experts on the giant squid) and from pictures of other squids in their natural environment. (Until recently, no one had ever seen or photographed a giant squid in its environment at all, so showing smaller squids is really the best way to illustrate these amazing animals... and Ms. Markle is careful to describe which pictures are giant squids and which are smaller ones.)

This is a great book to get for a budding marine biologist... I expect it's interesting enough to hold the attention of a lot of kids, but it will particularly appeal to those who are excited to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium or watch Jaques Cousteau documentaries.

It's important to note that this is really a biology book, and it does show photographs of dissected animals. I don't find it disturbing at all, but for someone extremely squeamish, that could be an issue. ... Read more

Product Description
Thatcher Hill is bored stiff of his summer job dusting the fake mermaids and shrunken heads at his uncle's seaside Museum of Curiosities. But when a mysterious girl steals an artifact from the museum, Thatcher's summer becomes an adventure that takes him from the top of the ferris wheel to the depths of the sea. Following the thief, he learns that she is a princess of the lost Atlantis. Her people have been cursed by an evil witch to drift at sea all winter and wash up on shore each summer to an even more terrible fate...working the midway games and food stands on the boardwalk. Can Thatcher help save them before he, too, succumbs to the witch's curse?

With sharp, witty writing that reads like a middle-grade Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Greg van Eekhout's first book for young readers is a wild ride packed with as many laughs as it has thrills. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Thatcher is spending the summer with his eccentric uncle, Griswald, on the boardwalk at his museum of curiosities.Amongst the museum is a box that his uncle refers to as the What-Is-It.

When a mysterious girl steals the What-Is-It, Thatcher catches up with her and confronts her about her theft. When she tells him that she is the princess of Atlantis and is cursed to stay in the water all winter and run the stands along the boardwalk during the summer, Thatcher decides to help her, but ends up wrapped up in the curse himself!

Can Thatcher and the princess save themselves and Atlantis before it's too late?What really is the What-Is-It?

This is a fast-paced, humorous adventure. The characters are well-developed, and the story is unique and entertaining. Reluctant and avid readers alike who enjoy adventure, fantasy, and fast-moving stories will all enjoy reading KID VS. SQUID.

Reviewed by:Kira M

Funny and fantastic
My nine-year-old son loved this book so much that the day after he finished reading it on his own, he brought the book to me so we could read it again together -- the story was so good that he wanted to share it with everyone!We took turns reading out loud to each other, pausing to repeat and savor especially funny lines.That happened on every page, because this book is packed with hilarious bits.It's also a terrific adventure story, with weirdly fantastic creatures, fast-moving action, smart kids, and a good-natured sincerity running through it all.The writing is sharp and original, a pleasure to read.My son says this is one of the coolest books he's ever read, and he keeps talking about wanting a sequel!Highly recommended.

4 for younger readers (grades 3-5)/3 for older
Kid vs. Squid, by Greg van Eekhout, s a YA book aimed pretty squarely at the younger YA set. It comes in at a slim sub-200 pages (with pretty good-sized print) and doesn't take much time with detailed description, rich character development, or intricate plotting. That isn't a complaint; it's just to say that this is a book that knows who its audience is and while it won't dumb things down or talk down to its readers, it also won't stretch them. Keeping to relatively humble standards of that sort, it succeeds pretty solidly.

Middle-school age Thatcher has been sent to his Uncle Griswald's in Las Huesas, California for the summer. The beach town is oddly empty of beach-goers and Uncle Griswald lives in a tiny "museum" filled with shrunken heads, ships in bottles, strangely shaped bodies, and a "What-is-it" box he isn't supposed to look into.

Things turn even stranger within a few pages as the box is stolen by young girl and soon Thatcher, the burglar (who turns out to be a princess), and another young girl (Trudy) are caught up in an ancient curse, the fall of Atlantis, and a battle against the head of a witch (yes, just the head) and her sea creature minions.

The plot is fast-paced and pretty straightforward and there isn't much time between events, especially at the close which feels a bit over-rushed and busy. The characters are clear but not particularly deep or rich. Thatcher tells us he's a sarcastic, sometimes funny kid who uses words as defense/weapons (sometimes to a fault), but his wry humor is hit and miss throughout--sometimes right on and sometimes feeling forced or falling flat. And one never feels particularly attached to him. The same is true of Shoal, the princess, who is off-stage for the vast majority of the book. The best character by far is Trudy--a sort of cross between Nancy Drew Young Detective/MacGyver/and, as Thatcher points out Batman (her utility belt is her backpack), which he realizes makes him, unfortunately Robin. She feels the most unique of all the characters and the most individualistic, and the humor seems less forced with her. In some ways, I wished she were the main character, or at least we had her do more (though she is heavily involved throughout).

Setting, description, etc. are pretty slim, as is typical of books aimed at younger readers. The streamlined nature helps with the beginning of the book and young kids will enjoy speeding through, but it works against the story a bit more in the last quarter, where I found myself wishing the author had taken his time a bit more to show us some great set scenes as well as let some of the emotional impact build up.
Kid vs. Squid (a great title by the way) will be enjoyed by younger readers (say, 3rd through 6h grade) and less so as they move up into middle school. Recommended for that younger set, with a weaker recommendation for 7th and 8th graders who might find it a bit too quick and simple and lean, while it will probably hold little attraction for those even older.

Awesome book
[Typing this for my son, who is 10 years old]

This book is really really really wonderful because it is fun to read and hilarious.The plot was probably the most creative plot that you will read this year.For example, that everybody turns out to be happy, instead of one victory.It's not just good guys versus bad guys.

Books usually have two characters, but this one has three main characters, Thatcher is the main-main character, Trudy is important, and Shoal is quite important, too.Trudy is a bit of a hero; she's the one saying what Skalla the witch wants.All the characters are hilarious, and Thatcher is funny because he uses his talking as a weapon and also it's hilarious that he thinks that the kelp-farming implement is a "sword."I loved that part.

I loved a lot more things about this book which I can't even name right now.I would recommend this book to kids who like funny fantasy adventures.It's my favorite book of the year so far. ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of new and wacky fables with fresh morals, which are about all kinds of bossy, sneaky, funny and annoying people. A general moral offered by the book is, "If you are planning to write fables, don't forget to change people's names and avoid places with high cliffs". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

For those who revel in weirdness
The twisted sensibilities of author Jon Scieszka and illustrator Lane Smith are in fine form once again throughout Squids Will Be Squids: Fresh Morals, Beastly Fables. This modern day, more or less adaptation of Aesops Fables delights the eyes with bizarre artwork and tickles the brain with weirdly pitched morality tales.

It's hard to convey what the dialogue between a duckbilled platypus and a Beefsnakstick might sound like, but underneath the wackiness is a message about what makes someone, or something, special. Ditto the tale about the competition between a piece of toast and a bowl of Fruit Loops, which shows the pitfalls of vanity.

The illustrations and text work together here, with the layers of humor ricocheting from one to the other.

Some will scratch their heads and shun this book. But those who revel in weirdness might keep a copy on the coffee table. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (24)

"An Awesome Book that Smart Kids Will Love"
I got this book for my 9 year-old son, who was very interested in sea creatures--both mythical and real--at the time I ordered it.He found the information about the representation of the Giant Squid and Kraken in art and literature throughout history fascinating.As he read it, he would scream out facts and read passages to me.This portion of the book inspired him to start asking questions about _Moby Dick_ and _20,000 Leagues Under the Sea_.After he finished this, we read the latter title together.This--in my book--is a good thing.Any book that inspires kids to read more deeply gets a good grade from me.From there, he shares that the booked focused on scientific information and modern day discoveries about the Giant Squid.He found the book so fascinating that I found him reading it long after bed time and "lights out".When I asked him to describe the book in ten words or less, he responded: "An awesome book that smart kids will love".

This is what children's non-fiction should be
This book does an amazing job of weaving together the myths, history, and science around the legendary kraken and the very real giant sea squid. The writing is engaging without watering the material down, and the pictures and illustrations add a lot to the telling, with many drawn from some very cool old sources. Overall, I could see the book being appealing to anyone from 8 or 9 up through adults - it could be a great read-aloud with children at the younger end of that range, although older children might be initially turned off by the fact that the book has a horizontal format like a picture book.

As a side note, I could see this as being an amazing book for homeschooling families, especially those looking for "living books" or a great core for a unit study.

Fantastic book for all ages
"Here There Be Monsters" is a wonderful hybrid of education & entertainment with engaging writing. I wouldn't hesitate to seek more items from this author or series, if such an option exists.

I was intrigued by the subject matter and, mine being a review copy, I couldn't rely on the pictures to hook me. What I didn't expect is how the writing would engage me so completely. The book is educational and wildly accessible for people of any age. I thought this would be a simple "kids book" when I found myself bringing it up in conversation just as I would any book aimed at an adult audience. I can only imagine how stunning and complete a package it is with full color illustrations and images. Therefore I'm willing to spot it a star for presentation and give it the full five, which I rarely do.

strong four, well-written and structured, a good addition to a personal library
Here There Be Monsters is an excellent up-to-date (2009) overview of the giant and colossal squids, mixing a heaping amount of fact with strong dollops of myth and pop culture.Short review is that it's strongly recommended for a wide-range age of kids interested in creatures or science (or as a means to get them interested).
It begins with a second-person account where the reader ("you") is a child on a boat nearly pulled down by a the feared kraken.Parents reading aloud may want to tone this section down for the very young; though the reader does survive the encounter with nary a scratch it is a pretty intense and vividly described scene.From there, we move into the myths and legends of the never captured kraken through the ages up into relatively modern times.At that point, science begins to rear its head as giant squid beaks are found inside sperm whales and actual carcasses start appearing on beaches (though never lasting long or arriving in complete form).Eventually, its existence is no longer considered in dispute and at this point the book starts to offer up some descriptions of the creatures' form, habitat and behavior.Dead specimens aren't enough, however, and so after the more detailed description, the book jumps into the modern-day hunt for living giant/colossal squids, detailing first several unsuccessful expeditions, then successful photographs, video, and actual collection.
There is a lot of detail but the text doesn't drag or get bogged down and the narrative flows smoothly enough that parents can easily edit on the fly to cut down for younger readers, while older readers will certainly get a highly detailed account.The text moves smoothly from section to section and the choice to interrupt the chronological flow with the physical description is a good one.The cultural references (Moby Dick, Disney's 20, 000 Leagues Under the Sea, etc.) are placed in clear context and explained fully enough for reader who of course have no memory of them but concisely enough so that they don't halt the narrative flow.
I read an advance copy, so the photos/drawings were incomplete (they'll be full-color in the published book), but even in black and white they were well-chosen for what they added to the text--expanding, clarifying, or vividly displaying points (such as the hooks on the suckers) without simply being illustrations because a kid's book is "supposed" to have illustrations.
Great information, clear and smooth narrative, illustrations and pop references that enhance the text rather than distract from it, excellent structure, up-to-date:highly recommended for all ages as a book that can grow with kids.

A fast-paced account about myths and modern studies of the giant squid
HP Newquist's HERE THERE BE MONSTERS: THE LEGENDARY KRAKEN AND THE GIANT SQUID provides a fast-paced account about myths and modern studies of the giant squid. Folklore and nature combine in a survey packed with color photos and lovely insights perfect for leisure browsing or natural history reports alike.
... Read more

Product Description
When James Murray compiled the OED in the 19th century, he used a small army of volunteers--and thousands upon thousands of paper slips--to track down the English language. Today, linguists use massive computer power--including the world's largest language databank, the Oxford Corpus, which contains more than two billion words--to determine for the first time definitively how the English language is used.
From evidence contained in the gargantuan Oxford Corpus, Jeremy Butterfield here uncovers a wealth of fascinating facts about the English language. Where does our vocabulary come from? How do word meanings change? How is our language really being used? This entertaining book has the up-to-date and authoritative answers to all the key questions about our language. Butterfield takes a thorough look at the English language and exposes its peculiarities and penchants, its development and difficulties, revealing exactly how it operates. We learn, for instance, that we use language in chunks of words--as one linguist put it, "we know words by the company that they keep." For instance, the word quintessentially is joined half the time with a nationality--something is "quintessentially American" or "quintessentially British." Using such observations, Butterfield explains how dictionary makers decide which words to include, how they find definitions, and how the Corpus influences the process.
Covering all areas of English, from spelling and idioms to the future of English, and with entertaining examples and useful charts throughout, this compelling and lively book will delight word lovers everywhere. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Fun with Words
The English language, perhaps the most flexible languages there is, continues to evolve at a rapid pace.Some believe this evolution to be a horror, the destruction of a once proud language; others believe it to be a wonderful thing, the very reason that spoken English is now the dominant language in the world.Jeremy Butterfield's "Damp Squid: The English Language Laid Bare" is an entertaining look at the origins of modern English, the history of the dictionary, the sources of new words taken into the language, English grammar, and why so many English speakers are "wobbly" about spelling even some of the words they use every day (among other assorted topics).

"Damp Squid" is unlikely to convince every reader that the language's readiness to create, borrow and steal new words is a good thing, but it will entertain them with its evidence.Along the way, for instance, readers will learn that, depending on who is doing the counting and whether or not technical terms are included in the count, there are somewhere between one and two million words in the English language.Dictionaries leave out more words than they include - even the largest of dictionaries generally list only between 300,000 and 475,000 words.While the average university student is said to have a vocabulary of some 40,000 words, he likely uses less than half of those words "actively."In fact, 50 per cent of what we write consists of a mere 100 words and, astonishingly, the ten most used English words comprise some 25 percent of written words: the, is, to, and, of, a, in, that, have, I.

According to Butterfield, modern English is the offspring of five major linguistic influences, each of which, but for the last one, had a dominant period of influence on the language: Old English, French, Norse, Latin (and Greek), plus the other 350 languages of the world from which modern English picks and chooses words it finds useful.That explains many of our spelling issues.

Let's face it, though; it is reasonable to assume that a book on lexicography is going to be dry, at best, and, at worst, just plain boring.Jeremy Butterfield manages to avoid both those pitfalls by including sections that compare the idiomatic phrases of several languages, discuss the most hated words and phrases in the language, deride the Grammar Nazis of the past and present, and illustrate how the meaning of some common words is changing even now before our very eyes.

"Damp Squid" is a surprisingly entertaining take on a topic close to the hearts of most avid readers and writers, definitely worth a look.

Interesting and amusing
A small little book I read on the same day it arrived from Amazon. Under the pretence of discussing the "good use" of English, the book is at the intersection of three interests of mine: the origin of words, the use of quantitative analysis to document reality and evolutionary theory as a general algorithm applicable outside biology.
The basis of Butterfield's work is a special dictionary, the Oxford English Dictionary: "The aim of this Dictionary is to present in alphabetical series the words that have formed the English vocabulary from the time of the earliest records [ca. AD740] down to the present day, with all the relevant facts concerning their form, sense-history, pronunciation, and etymology. It embraces not only the standard language of literature and conversation, whether current at the moment, or obsolete, or archaic, but also the main technical vocabulary, and a large measure of dialectal usage and slang. [...] Hence we exclude all words that had become obsolete by 1150 [the end of the Old English era]... Dialectal words and forms which occur since 1500 are not admitted, except when they continue the history of the word or sense once in general use, illustrate the history of a word, or have themselves a certain literary currency." [OED1, 1933]
The book is interesting and amusing: I recommend it.

"A sort of human genome project for language."
In Jeremy Butterfield's "Damp Squid," we learn that lexicographers use "a collection of machine-readable texts known as a 'corpus'" to analyze "how words and phrases are used in authentic, natural contexts....""Damp Squid" is a look at how the English language is evolving across the globe.Butterfield relies on the Oxford Corpus which contains over two billion words (some words appear more than once) and can be analyzed in a variety of ways, thanks to the marvels of modern computer technology.

The corpus tells us how frequently certain words appear in speech and writing, which new words have crept into English ("blog" and its offspring are worth noting), and which spelling variants have become most common."Damp Squid" describes the English language not as it ought to be, but as it is.Which buzzwords are hot?What can we learn about words from the company they keep?What is the role of idioms, similes, and metaphors in modern English?How have the languages of other countries influenced ours?Most controversial, who decides what is correct in terms of grammar, usage, and syntax?

This book is geared for those who are interested in the history of the English language and in how computational linguists are using modern technology to keep track of its ever changing trajectory.Butterfield's use of technical language sometimes slows things down, but his playful humor spices up what could have been an extremely dull work.The author demonstrates through the use of entertaining examples that words have ever-changing personalities.Purists may turn their noses up at some of the author's findings, but "in the end, it is speakers, not dictionaries, who decide how language is used."

This is a Fascinating and Entertaining Book
As a scientist, and as a long-term Brit living in the States, I feel doubly qualified to comment on this volume about English by a British expert in the field.

There's been some press coverage recently about how the book lists the clichés people hate most, such as "at the end of the day", "it's not rocket science", "24/7" etc. The book looks in some depth at usages people dislike, and some historical reasons for this antipathy. But it also covers much, much more than that: primarily, exactly how and why English continually evolves, and why that is neither good nor bad: it just happens.

To be honest, while I often use dictionaries, I'd never really thought about how they are created - though, of course, "The Professor and the Madman" had touched a chord in my imagination, as it did for so many other people. Having read Damp Squid, I understand that analysing language nowadays is scientific in a way it wasn't for the OED. Rather than laying down the law about how people SHOULD use language, dictionary writers analyse how people really ARE using language, based on huge amounts of data. This book explains exactly how they do this - thanks to the Web.

While it goes into some quite technical and fascinating detail, it does so with a lightness of touch which made me want to read on. It's an appealing mixture of scholarship and wit and I assume that's why it got the glowing endorsement from Alexander McCall Smith: "This book will be fascinating to those who would really like to find out how the English language is behaving."It will make a good stocking-filler since it's an ideal Holiday season read - both browsable and satisfying. Until I read it, I had no idea that "damp squid" was what it calls an "eggcorn" - an imaginative mistake. Copies will be under the tree for some of my American friends as well as the Brits. ... Read more

Product Description
When Tom defeated Epos the Winged Flame, he thought his Beast Quest was over. He was wrong. The Dark Wizard Malvel has returned with new Beasts and a new plan to destroy the kingdom of Avantia. And this time, each beast hides a piece of the legendary Golden Armor - armor that once belonged to Tom's father Taladon. Desperate for knowledge about his mysterious father and determined to finish his quest, Tom heads west, where Cepha the Giant Squid threatens the seas. But his arrival on the western shore brings back memories of his encounter with Sepron the Sea Serpent, an encounter he barely survived... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Zepha and the Monster Squid
ZEPHA the MONSTER SQUID


A boy named Tom and his partners Elena, Storm, and Silver had another
quest to fight a monster squid named Zepha.
The squid was in an ocean the fishers could not fish because there were
big whirlpools. The last time Tom fought under water he barely survived.
Can he kill the squid? Read and find out .

I Hardly Like This Beast Quest Book
The first 6 Beast Quest books were better. This Beast Quest book didn't have as much detail as the 2 Beast Quest book. I am saying it's not that good. If the Beast Quest books 8,9,10,11,or 12 are not as good as the 7th Beast Quest, I won't read them ever again.

Make sure you know what you are getting
I bought the first two volumes in this series from a bookshop for my ten year old son. He devoured them pretty quickly, so I had no hesitation in buying more.

But here is one of the few drawbacks of buying online; you can't always be sure of what you are getting.These books arenot the full versions, but abridged 'chapter books'. Still perfectly readable, but disappointingly brief. The price does, I suppose, reflect this, but the description does not make it clear.

If you can find the full versions of this series of books, I (and my son) highly recommend them.

My nephew loves this collection
My nephew is 8 and loved the first couple books so much instead of toy for Christmas all he wanted was this book collection. Then the collection is so great now my son who is 6 wants the collection too.

Great set of books.
My son started reading this set at age 8, more books are still being released. ... Read more

Product Description
One of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 1998, and acclaimed as "a sparkling work of natural history. . . charming, grandly entertaining."

The most mysterious and elusive of all sea creatures, the giant squid--at least sixty feet long and weighing nearly a ton--is also one of the largest. Yet for all its magnificent size and threatening undersea presence, Architeuthis has remained a mystery. Until now.

In this marvelous and beautifully illustrated book, marine biologist, explorer, and artist Richard Ellis presents all that is known about the giant squid. Delving into myth, literature, popular culture, and science, he brings readers face to face with this remarkable creature. He also provides a thorough, compelling study of what is known and what is still to be discovered about this exotic animal that has never been studied alive. Interweaving his engrossing narrative with a wealth of fascinating illustrations and photographs, Ellis gives us the first comprehensive history of the only living creature that can truly be called a "sea monster."

* A Main Selection of the Newbridge Natural Science Book Club

"High-grade intellectual entertainment." --The Washington Post Book World

"Richard Ellis uses his exceptional gifts in images and words to evoke the wonder and mystery of the sea. The giant squid still reigns in that part of nature beyond human reach."--E. O. WilsonAmazon.com Review
The sea contains many mysteries, and among the most enduring of them aregiant squids of the genus Architeuthis. About this squid, known asthe "kraken" in classical mythology, we know little, except, oceanographicwriter Richard Ellis notes, that "it occasionally washes ashore--and whenthat happens, we don't know why." Some of these odd creatures, Ellis notes,are 60 feet long, cannibalistic, and patently fierce, with the largesteyes of any animal on the planet (useful for seeing in the inky darkness ofthe deep sea). They're not the kind of thing you'd want to encounter on abenthic shelf, as Ian Fleming made clear in Doctor No, in which superspyJames Bond had one such unpleasant meeting. But, thanks to Ellis'swell-researched account, they make the perfect subject for armchairsleuthing, and he tells you just about everything you'd want to know aboutthe giant squid, from the biologists and explorers and cryptozoologists who havehunted for it over the centuries, and much more. --GregoryMcNamee ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

interesting book considering how little is really known about Architeuthis
I have been intrigued for many years by the giant squid. (I love calamari and I make a marinated squid dish that is truly terrific.) So, when I read this book and realized how little marine biologists really know about the giant squid (and even little squids it seems), I was a bit disappointed. I was also disappointed to learn that they rarely if ever show up in the northwest waters of the U.S. The book is about as well written as it could be about a subject of which so little is known. But at least I now know as much about the creature as anyone else. Great cocktail conversation, eh?!?

long life for the squid
All the information about the gigant squid is very interesting. It's a nice selection of facts, clear, easy to read and to understand.

bottom-feeders
After a couple reads of this, self-proclaiming yourself a Teuthologist (fancy scientific name for 'squid investigator') becomes a reality.Richard Ellis clearly writes to us how with such little actual information out there on giant squids, one could, in principle -- and after having read his book -- claim expertise on the elusive, bottom-feeding creatures fairly easily.

Naysayers may contend with the fact that there just isn't enough non-speculative information out there to write a scholarly book dedicated to giant squids, but this is also a great foray into the environs of squid species in general - as just another basis to the understanding of their much larger, mythic relatives -- the Architeuthi.

Read this along with the author's other excellent marine-cryptid book 'Monsters of the sea' and let it do unto you.

Rehashing of known information
I've given "Giant Squid" a three star rating because it deals with a subject I am interested in.On the other hand, I expected more from it.There is little new here.It is a reasonably comprehensive overview of the mythos and known facts of Archeteuthis, the giant squid.It offers little, if anything new, and some opinions--such as the squid being a rather flaccid creature rather than a a highly mobile and active hunter--are almost certainly wrong.

At the same time, my opinions are colored by the photographic findings of Japanese researchers of a powerful and mobile hunter of the depths.Rather than a giant hovering in the deeps, snagging occasional flotsam, fish and squid that drift by, we see a mobile, powerful creature that fought, possibly for hours, before tearing free and leaving a writhing tentacle.

Ron Braithwaite, author of novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"--on the Spanish Conquest of Mexico

Read John WcWhorter's Review
With one exception, it mentions everything that I would.

The exception? The book is ATROCIOUSLY organized. The models chapter should not have been last, the chapters on the squid in folklore and literature and cinema should have been sequential (and after the chapter on anatomy and characteristics), and it has a lot of superfluous and useless information.

The footnotes are the second worst that I have ever seen, as well. They are frequently useless details, sometimes they should be in the main text, and sometimes they are only incredibly tenuously connected to the text (if it weren't for the asterisk, they wouldn't be connected at all...)

This was not a great book, even for people who love Archaeteuthos. Penguin should have done better.

Harkius ... Read more

Product Description
Octopuses and Squid is packed with facts written in an accessible question and answer format. Hold the special x-ray pages up to the light to see how the internal structure of both octopuses and squid corresponds to their external appearance. The book features startlingly realistic illustrations and impressive wildlife photography. Informative captions, a complete glossary and an index make this titleand ideal educational text. ... Read more

Product Description
Winner of the 2005 Sundance Film Festival Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award and the 2005 Sundance Film Festival Dramatic Directing Award, a tender, funny, and ultimately moving coming-of-age story, starring Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney.

Set in Brooklyn in 1986, The Squid and the Whale captures with extraordinary immediacy the inner workings of the Berkman family. Bernard (Jeff Daniels), a once successful novelist, and his wife Joan (Laura Linney), an up-and-coming writer, have given up on their marriage. Their two sons Walt (Jesse Eisenberg), 16, and Frank (Owen Kline), 12, are left to grapple with their confusing and conflicted feelings.

The experience is a tender, funny, and ultimately moving coming-of-age for Walt and a tortuously premature one for Frank. The emotional tensions and strains that emerge during this difficult period for the Berkmans are given a remarkably subtle and nuanced portrayal. This is a film that deftly presents the realties of a family in transition learning to redefine itself.

In the acclaimed Newmarket Shooting Script format, this book includes the film's award-winning screenplay, an introduction by writer/director Noah Baumbach, Q&A, scene notes, movie stills, and complete cast and crew credits. 28 color photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Simple
The simplistic sytle which Baumbach delivers the plot and dialouge is unmatched to others in many respects. It is a very quick read. ... Read more

Product Description
Rocked by the gentle sea, the City sleeps; but its dreams are not its own...

With eight psychotropic visions of damnation and transformation in the urban coral reef of San Francisco, COPPING SQUID forms a mosaic of otherworldly menace shot through with glimpses of awe-inspiring majesty: of invisible outsiders and self-medicating seekers whose desperate prayers and hidden rituals lead them to behold their alien reflections in the all-seeing eyes of the secret masters of creation.

With the deceptive ease and streetwise enlightenment of a weird storytelling master, Michael Shea fearlessly sounds the unplumbed depths of the Cthulhu Mythos to witness visions from which traditional cosmic horror has always averted its dark-adapted gaze. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Michael Shea's San Francisco mythos stories
Copping Squid by Michael Shea is an exciting release, marking a new approach for the fledgling publisher Perilous Press.It seems they will now be producing high quality limited editions for the mythos fan (and others).The limited edition of Copping Squid is a beautiful cloth bound hardcover with slip cover, signed by the author and listing for $47 (mine is #20 of 250).Amazon discounts it to $32.95 and offers free shipping (although this is probably not the limited edition with slipcover).Illustrations inside and out are by Stephen Gilberts, who gave us cover art for Frontier Cthulhu and Arkham Tales.I liked this art much better than anything I've seen from Mr. Gilberts so far , and the interior illustrations added to my enjoyment of the book.There are 209 pages of text and an informative (and opinionated) forward by ST Joshi.Copping Squid is concerned with Mr. Shea's mythos fiction, but it's not that simple.The main focus is mythos fiction set in the San Francisco area, the city itself almost becoming a character.Just like the Sesqua Valley is shaping the scenes in WH Pugmire's fiction, the nooks and crannies of San Francisco provide structure here.Unfortunately, r. Shea has not been the most prolific author, so there will inevitably be overlap with other collections.Here are the contents:

Tsathoggua
Dagoniad
Copping Squid
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
The Pool
The Battery
The Presentation
Fat Face

Anyone interested in the horror and mythos fiction of Michael Shea comes to this book trying to decide if they need both The Autopsy & Other Tales from Centipede Press, as well as Copping Squid.Unfortunately the answer is you may end up with both.TheAutopsy is a quite handsome collectors' book that lists for $125, although Amazon gives you about a $40 discount.As you eye your shelf space note the large dimensions: 11.1 x 7.6 x 1.8; it may not fit with your conventionally sized trade hardcovers!This book is concerned with Shea's overall output, not just his mythos.It also contains the novel length sequel to The Colour Out of Space, The Colour Out of Time.Certainly I was very glad to read the unnerving stories I Said the Fly, The Horror on the #33 and The Autopsy.Here are its contents so you can compare:

The Angel of Death
The Horror on the #33
Fast Food
Grunt-12 Test Drive
Salome
Fat Face
Uncle Tuggs
Fill It With Regular
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
Polyphemus
The Frog
The Extra
The Growlimb
The Autopsy
The Rebuke
Delivery
For Every Tatter in its Mortal Dress
The Pearls of the Vampire Queen
I said the Fly
Tsathoggua
The Color Out of Time

The completist must have both books.The impecunious mythos fan could find a very inexpensive used copy of The Colour Out of Time online and be satisfied with Copping Squid.

I will give some brief impressions of the stories which may have minor spoilers so skip to the end if you want.Mr. Sea's stories can be quite unnerving and get more so on every re-read.In fact, they tend to stand up to rereads much better than less nuanced mythos stories.

Tsathoggua - An impoverished older lady and an obnoxious younger one have somewhat different encounters with something very unpleasant.For me this was a highlight, one of Shea's best.

Dagoniad - One thing Mr. Shea does a lot which I do not care for is mention Lovecraft and his mythos fiction in his mythos stories.Mostly for me this puts a damper on the atmosphere/world building.I've never really liked it.That being said, this is an suspenseful tale about two young women are noticed by something that can sense you if you sense it.

Copping Squid - This is a wonderful story about a young man who is chosen almost at random to witness another man's apotheosis.All of Mr. Shea's considerable gifts are on display.

Nemo Me Impune Lacessit - Here a not so congenial host evens up all scores real or imagined with some unfortunates who do not know what lurks behind the veil.Quite a few mythos critters make appearances.

The Pool - The author is fascinated by shoggoths, and why not?They are one of my favorites too.Here again there is the use of some of Lovecraft's titles in the text which bugs me, however good the story.

The Battery - A young couple find out what it means to stand against the darkness.I liked this well enough but perhaps not as much as the rest of the stories.

The Presentation - Some artists are encouraged to create a presentation that will influence major investors into helping something return.This was a very enjoyable yarn.

Fat Face - I first read Fat Face in Cthulhu 2000.Everytime I read it I am impressed with it and find something new to admire or be creeped out about.This is a Lovecraftian masterpiece, one of the best mythos stories ever written, as a young prostitute tries to make a tentative connection with someone she sees in a window near where she plies her trade.

Of course, dedicated Lovecraftians already have a copy.Michael Shea's mythos fiction is outstanding, with a creepy and original voice, and it's important, showing that real artists are interested in continuing the Lovecraft circle.Copping Squid is quite lovely and I am happy to have it on my shelf.I do wish, however, that Mr. Shea had a different story than Copping Squid coming out in the book Black Wings, due this year.Like I said, Mr. Shea is not very prolific, more's the pity.

The Golden Gate of the Spheres
Damn, this is good! Michael Shea has captured the Great Old Ones, not just in their horror, but in their awe and majesty as well. All but two of the stories are also love letters to the city of San Francisco and the people who call it home. It seems that the Old Ones find Frisco just as captivating as humans do, and are more active there than in Arkham or Dunwich. But some brave souls refuse to give up their beloved city without a fight. The title story draws an interesting parallel between mythos cultism and drug addiction. "Tsathoggua" and "Dagoniad" give new power and menace to these neglected entities. "The Presentation" and "The Battery" are surprisingly sympathetic glimpses at what it would mean to be a worshipper of the Old Ones. "Nemo Me Impune Lacessit" is a earlier story that's just plain fun, and "The Pool" and "Fat Face" give unnnerving hints that mythos monsters walk amoung us. Even S.T. Joshi, who famously dissaproves of Lovecraft pastiches, gives his seal of approval to this collection, in the form of an introduction. If you like the Cthulhu Mythos at all, this is the book for you. ... Read more

Product Description
In the year 1881, the moon suddenly begins to turn around and reveal its long-hidden darker side to the startled world. While most of Humanity finds the event fascinating, two British explorers know the horrible truth. The rotating moon is the legendary sign that foreshadows the return of a prehistoric demon, the monstrous destroyer of Atlantis, an unkillable colossus known only as the deadly, dreaded Squid God. Racing around the world, and against the clock, Prof. Einstein and Lord Carstairs battle the fanatical legions of Squid God worshippers in a valiant effort to stop the ghastly rebirthing ceremony and keep the demonic mollusk locked in the stygian depths of its unearthly lair. Authors Nick Pollotta & James Clay have lovingly crafted a splendid Fantasy/Adventure, heavily laced with their classic off-the-wall humor, and sprinkled with a light dusting of parody toward the legendary works of H.P. Lovecraft, H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and just about everything else from the golden glory days of Victorian England.

"'That Darn Squid God" rewrites literary history, remodels London worse than the Blitz, and convinces that it is wise never to deny the supremacy of British womanhood! What more can you ask?" ANALOG SF MAGAZINE

"Nick Pollotta is the funniest man in SF!"GENE WOLFE, two-time Nebula Award winner

"Funny, compelling and an absolute pleasure to read. The finest comedy/fantasy I have read this year!" ETERNAL NIGHT SF MAGAZINE

"Delightfully entertaining!" Robin Wood

"It's not often a book of this nature comes along and you do not want to miss it. Pollotta and Clay are trying to corner humorous fantasy and this tale gives them a firm foundation."BARYON SF MAGAZINE

"Set in Victorian England in the year 1881, That Darn Squid God is an hilarious parody of the otherworldly mythos of H. P. Lovecraft, strewn with delightful trappings of mystery and magic. Tongue-and-cheek humor with a fresh, and fast-paced, narrative style set apart That Darn Squid God as a fantastically funny end-of-the-world ride." MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

".and those who hunt the night alone,
With sword and gun, with cross and bone,
Will sneer at Death, and refuse to kneel,
When graveyard chimes being to peal."
from 'Heroes, or Idiots?'
author unknown
... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

OK, but not better than OK
This year I am resolved to clear out some mythosish books that have been on my shelves a long time now.That Darn Squid God by Nick Pollotta and James Clay is a 308 page hardcover from Double Dragon Publishing, listed at $19.99 but discounted a few dollars on Amazon.I was anticipating a possible Lovecraftian send up but there was actually less here than meets the eye.

This is a bookthat plays way over the top for humor, setting some adventurers in Victorian England who are paragons of Britsh explorer manhood.Everything is tongue firmly in cheek, as every trope imagniable is played for laughs.The Squid God of the title may have been modeled on Cthulhu at bit, but only inferentially.Some crazy cultists want to awaken the squid back into our dimension so he can destroy the world in apocalyptic fury, and our heroes (and heroine) must stop him.There are no other Lovecraftian associations, so once again I was snookered by the cover of a book.Just about every famour British character from the era, historical or ficitonal makes an appearance.

The book is a breathless read and in spite of the page count can be zipped through pretty effortlessly.Problem is, I did not like it much.I wonder if I would have liked Bored of the Rings so much if I first read it at age 51 vs age 12.It was OK, but only OK.I didn't guffaw, chortle, whoop or even snicker out loud.I think I occasionally smiled briefly.More than once I checked how many pages I had left to finish, always a bad sign.

Recommended to those who like this sort of book; if you can read the first chapter in the bookstore you will be able to decide if it's for you.Not a necessary addition to a Lovecraftian's library, even ridiculous completists.My copy is headed to the used book store.

Instead of chasing down That Darn Squid God, let me suggest an alternative.In the vein of fantasies set in Victorian England, if you don't mind delving into books sadly described as children's literature, try Larklight, Starcross and Mothstorm by Phillip Reeve.Here plucky Englishmen and women sail spaceships across the ether encountering adventures and bizarre creatures in all the planets, moons and asteroids.It was wit, energy and humor without resorting to ridiculous caricatures. David Wyatt's numerous brilliant illustrations are an added bonus.

why the rave reviews???
Wow, I didn't care for this book at all. It was bizarre, and not in a good way. I felt like I was missing something. I know this is not a very insightful review, but I'm at a loss. It didn't take much time to get through this book, but I find myself wishing I had that time back. Just not good sci-fi/fantasy, IMHO.

A Riotous Commotion of Cheeky Hilarity
That Darn Squid God is a fun romp through Victorian England and less civilized parts of the space-time continuum, skewering adventuring sagas of all sorts with an avalanche of delightfully witty turns of phrases and a positively scary amount of detail about weaponry of all sorts.Easily as good as Pollota's Bureau 13 novels, That Darn Squid God manages to maintain a consistently humorous tone, a breath-taking pace of action, a good-naturedly satiric view of all things British, and a save-the-world plot.With lines so funny that you'll laugh out loud even on the commuter train, I can say without fear of contradiction that this is the funniest, most action-packed, and best written story about the return of a giant squid god that you will ever read.Highly recommended for gamers, science fiction fans, Victorian mystery fans, adventurers and adventure fans, non-worshippers of squid gods, and anyone with a sense of humor.Donald J. Bingle, Author of Forced Conversion.Forced Conversion

Jolly Good Show - Cheeky Fun
I've never read Pollotta before, but now I think I'll be seeking out his writing.This is all the old British derring do stories rolled into one, along with a healthy dose of Lovecraft.Exciting, adventurous and hilarious are only a few adjectives I could use for this book.Excellent work.A wonderful satire and a fantastically funny story.

A guilty pleasure?
That Darn Squid God by Nick Pollatta was quite funny (though a bit too over the top).Most of the reviewers liked it.The send-ups were funny as heck, but I found the story to get sillier with each passing page. Eventually the story (for my taste), felt too silly and unnecessary and I could not finish it. The rating should be 3 stars for those that enjoy a light, entertaining read.I'll try to finish it at a later time when I feel silly. ... Read more

Product Description
Three novellas of squishy-noir from Jordan Krall.

On the surface, Thompson looks like any other blue collar New Jersey town. But beneath the working class exterior lies a bizarro world of fetishistic crime, sleazy motels, and squid. In these three bizarro-noir novellas, the reader is thrown into a world of murderers, drugs made from squid parts, deformed war veterans, and a mischievous apocalyptic donkey...

THE HABERDASHER

Red Henry Hooper just got out on parole. He meets his friends, fellow small-time criminals Dix Hayden and Grant Minissi, in a cheap motel to drink a couple beers and perhaps plan another job. Things go sour when Grant takes some bad drugs. Meanwhile, in the next room, strange things are happening that will make Henry's day even worse: a woman is missing her feet and a notorious local gangster Robert Hapertas (aka The Haberdasher) is on his way. And he's not pleased...

THE LONGHEADS

Tommy Pingpong knew it was a mistake sending his partner Jake into the meeting with their boss. Now they were on the run from Peachy, a diaper-wearing gangster who would like nothing better than to kill the both of them. On top of that, the deformed war veterans called the longheads are buying up all the guns in town, planning something big that'll have severe implications for the town of Thompson.

THE APOCALYPSE DONKEY

When Simon Palmer took the black envelope from the tall man in the parking lot, he didn't know that this case of mistaken identity would make his day take such a weird turn for the worst. When the man finally realizes that he gave the envelope to the wrong guy, Simon is thrown into a dangerous cat-and-mouse game that finally leads to a sleazy carnival of squid violence... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

You Never Forget Your First.
'Squid Pulp Blues' was my introduction into Jordan Krall's world of sex, drugs and squid.And as such, much as I may love the rest of his continuing work, this one will always hold a special place in my heart.From the first page I was completely sucked in, devouring the book over two very strange days.

'Squid Pulp Blues' is made up of three expertly crafted novellas in Krall's freshly minted "Weird Squishy Pulp" genre, each with intertwined plots and backstories, and all careening toward an ominous, thundering outro.Mr Krall writes with an immediately readable style which, despite the often delightfully obscene subject matter, propels you along without question.Every strange thing that happens seems to happen for a reason and is taken in stride, accepted as happening.Looking from the outside it seems absurd, but when reading 'Squid Pulp Blues' the madness comes naturally.It's simply a part of the story, no questions asked.

To summarize: Buy 'Squid Pulp Blues'.Read 'Squid Pulp Blues'.It's that simple.

Insane!
Jordan Krall goes nuts with this book of three interwoven novellas centered around the town of Thompson, New Jersey. Mobsters, corrupt police officers, mutant ex-soldiers, the visage of Barbara Stanwyck, and a donkey named Little Bing Bong populate the streets bringing mayhem and death to the average squid-obsessed denizen.

This is bizarro fiction at its best. And if you aren't familiar with "bizarro" yet, never fret, SPB is an easy read with likable characters and a tangible atmosphere. Witty and well thought out, this novel will grab you.

A Hefty Helping of Squid
The second book from Jordan Krall is a collection of three novellas.All of these take place in the seedy town Thompson,New Jersey. A place where dwarf prostitutes,men looking to make some cash by any means necessary,and of course a nice helping of squid all run amok. The writing is fast paced and smooth. If crime fiction had sex with bizarro, this would be the result. Please spend a day with this child,you won't regret it.

Welcome to Thompson, New Jersey...
Through the 3 interconnected stories here you'll meet a gun runner named Red Henry, a diaper wearing villain named Peachy who likes Joy Division, deformed war vets called long heads, a donkey named Little Bing Bong and many other strange, disgusting and wonderful characters. Along the way you'll stop at Kreese's Bar and Packaged Goods where you can get a shot of whiskey with a squid chaser and visit the St. Stanley Carnival, a very strange place indeed. Jordan Krall is absolutely fantastic at describing every disgusting and bizarre detail of the strange worlds he creates and here he's perfectly melded the world of noir and Bizarro. If you haven't readPiecemeal June yet, I highly recommend it as well, if you have read it then you may recognize a familiar face or 2 here. Either way, I cannot recommend this author enough. This is essential reading for fans of the Bizarro genre or the adventurous noir fan looking for something extremely different.

No 5 second rule
I'm not going to write a huge review of this, in part because I feel I may be missing finer details of the pulp sources that Krall has drawn from here- Jim Thompson and Elmore Leonard, for example.My tastes run more toward Iceberg Slim and Dashiell Hammett as far as that goes.The constant sense of menace that the unsavory characters inflict on each other, the shifting sets of allegiances, and of course the never-explained influence of teratogenic cephalopodia, bring to mind certain narrative lines in Burroughs, as well as Scorsese's excellent but frustrating "After Hours."Of particular note is the three-novella structure, which allows for the longheads and donkeys to become a sort of 'Chekhov's Artillery'- visible in the first act, fired in the second, and reloading in the third.Bravo, sir. ... Read more

Product Description
Experience an underwater adventure! From sea dragons tooctopuses, from coral reefs to kelp forests, from predators of the sea to animal defenses, the Undersea Encounters series takes young readers to ocean depths like never before. The series has been praised by the NationalScience Teachers Association for its "fabulous images" and for its potential to "spark a deeper interest in marine science." More than any other series, Undersea Encounters paints a complete and fascinating picture of the marine environment. A natural fit for the 3rd to 5th grade curriculums.Each book has been vetted by a recognizedexpert in that particular field.Includes quick facts, sidebars, glossary, index, and abibliography of books and websites for further learning. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Octopuses and Squids
I purchased this book for my grandson (8 yrs old) who is very much interested in octopuses and squids.He was delighted to get the book and started reading it immediately.His one comment was the author repeats himself which he did.However, overall, my grandson liked the book.

For kids from 7 - 9
Easy reading, nice photographs... introduces the cephalopods to kids from 7 to 9 y/old. Descriptions are short and clear, and the book answer the key basic questions regarding cephalopods. What are they? How they live? Wich different species are today? Reccomended. ... Read more