"Global Brain" by Howard Bloom

"Global Brain" was first published in 2000.  Its author, famed psychologist Howard Bloom, wrote another book called "The Lucifer Principle" which is also well-known.

That said, this book is worse than idiotic - it's downright harmful.  While I wouldn't dispute the author's main thesis, that group selection plays as much of a role in the evolution of a species as individual selection, I found it hard or even impossible to swallow many of his arguments, couched as they were in a rampant anthropomorphism.  Describing bacterial colonies as "purposeful" or "intelligent" in the sense of "conscious" is reckless, if not misinformed.  The author, while possessed of an impressive vocabulary, fails to see the danger of describing non-human lifeforms in human terms.  There are also many elements of his argument - such as the inevitability of bio-genesis on earth - which are taken for granted.

Given my skepticism with regard to Modern Psychology, I felt it incumbent upon me to give this book a chance.  I failed, nevertheless, to finish it.  I got about 50 pages in, and then Bloom's boundless capacity for over-generalization became intolerable.  Maybe it is written for a general audience, but it is badly researched, and what's more, it is Bad Science.  As revolutionary as his ideas might be, Bloom overlooks the need for caution in such matters.  He also overlooks the fact that regarding the entirety of everything as a single, living system is as old as humanity itself.  One need only read from (or read into) the Upanishads for such an opinion.

My only worry about this book is how it is applied in Western universities.  Are professors of psychology assigning this to their students?  And if so, what kind of conclusions are these students reaching, with a freshman-level understanding of biochemistry?  The popularity of this book might spark a useful debate, but I can't help thinking that this sort of misinformation does more harm than good..

"The Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov

"The Master and Margarita" was first published in 1966, though the 1966 version was heavily censored by Soviet authorities.  A complete version didn't appear until 1973, and the "canonical edition" didn't arrive until 1989.

The English edition I just read was (unfortunately) translated from the Russian by Mirra Ginsberg, who was translating from the censored version.  It saddens me that publishers are still profiting from an inferior edition of this work.  This is of course not the fault of Mrs. Ginsberg, who was only working with what was available, but any publisher even vaguely familiar with this book would know that there are better translations out there.  I bought my copy at the local Barnes and Noble, before I knew there were more authoritative versions available.

The author, Mikhail Bulgakov, was a "person of interest" in the Soviet Union throughout his life.  As an outspoken man of unquestionable talent, he was targeted by the Soviet government for most of his career, and many of his personal struggles with an authoritarian regime are detailed in the semi-autobiographical "Master and Margarita."

The novel concerns itself with Satan's visit to the Soviet Union, and all of the mischief that ensues.  As the story progresses, various individuals get caught up in the devil's schemes, often with hilarious results.  The novel is highly iconoclastic, specifically with regard to Soviet institutions, so you can imagine the kind of trouble Bulgakov was setting himself up for.  I believe that at one point he actually burned the manuscript for "Master and Margarita," and it was only published after his death in 1940.  It remains the most enduring of his works.

What I love most about this book are the surprises.  The plot has a way of turning right when you think it's going to turn left, and vice versa.  Nothing about this book is conventional, and it has to be one of the most original things I have ever read.  Yes, the long, Russian names are somewhat difficult to keep track of, but after the first half of the book this ceases to be a problem.

I can't think of a single bad thing to say against "The Master and Margarita," with perhaps the exception of the translation issues mentioned above.  It is a fantastic book, and if you haven't read it already, you should!

H.R. Giger's "Master and Margarita," inspired by the novel.

"World War Hulk" by Greg Pak and John Romita Jr.

"World War Hulk" follows the events of "Planet Hulk," in which our green friend was shot into space under the direction of Dr. Strange, Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man, and Black Bolt.  Sent hurtling through the void, the Hulk eventually lands on a brutal, alien planet where he is pushed to his utmost in order to survive.

I read through most of "Planet Hulk" while I was in the Barnes and Noble, and I had a hard time choosing between that book and "World War Hulk."  Both of these comic books are BAD.  ASS.

So the Hulk is doing his King Conan thing in outer space, right?  He's got money, he's got power, and his wife is FINE.  Then this bomb totally fucks his shit up, and his wife and all his people get killed.  Eventually he figures out that those assholes that sent him into space had something to do with the explosion, and it's back to Earth for REVENGE.

"World War Hulk" made me want to go find some blonde guy and beat the living shit out of him.  This was a good feeling.  "World War Hulk" also made me want to throw people off of very tall buildings, and to spend a lot of time screaming at various foes.  I am only sorry that Thor didn't make an appearance in this comic, but maybe it's better that Thor didn't show up for this one.  The Hulk of "World War Hulk" would have given Thor the beating of a lifetime.

In conclusion: Hulk Smash!

"All Star Superman" by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely

"All Star Superman" was part of DC's plan to "reinvent" their superheroes for the 2010s.  Their plan began with this comic book, and also with Frank Miller's disastrous "All Star Batman and Robin."

I'm happy to say that "All Star Superman" is A LOT better than Frank Miller's comic.  This mellow, laid-back version of Superman is a nice departure from the grimness of most modern comic books.  Superman doesn't waste any time brooding, and he comes across as a very likable guy.

The only problem is that Lex Luthor has found a way to give him cancer, and he struggles with the question of whether he should tell Lois about it.  Along the way he encounters an array of super-powered adversaries, dispatching most of them with little difficulty.

Grant Morrison's writing shines in this book.  Unlike his work on "Final Crisis," this chapter in the Superman saga feels both immediate and human.  A character like Superman is always going to be difficult to relate to, but Morrison pulls off this feat with an admirable level of polish.  Frank Quitely's art is also impressive without detracting from the story.

I may have complained about Morrison's popularity in other entries, but "All Star Superman" leaves no doubt that he is one of the best comic book writers out there.  "All Star Superman" left me with a feeling that any great story should impart.  "All Star Superman" left me wanting more.

"The Cleft" by Doris Lessing

"The Cleft" first appeared in 2007, and its author, Doris Lessing, has received the Nobel Prize for her contributions to Literature.  It is a re-imagining of our human origins, told by a Roman Senator during the reign of Nero.

On an island of uncertain location, the first women are born and die outside the presence of Mankind.  Their births are all virgin births, and their lives are spent in idle amusement.  They resemble nothing so much as a race of sea lions, without a single bull to disturb the peace of the herd.

Then, one day, the first male is born.  Thus begins the race referred to by the Clefts as "The Monsters," so named because of their "monstrous deformities."  In the beginning the Clefts attempt to exterminate this new race, though with the protection of eagles the race of Mankind somehow survives.

Of course, some of the Clefts eventually find a use for those deformities, and what follows is a contest between those Clefts who see a use for men and those who don't.  This contest forms the core of the book.

"The Cleft" is a pretty good novel, though it does drag a bit.  I had been wanting to read it for a while, though it wasn't until recently that I actually tracked down a copy.  I would recommend it if you're looking for something truly weird, though more literal-minded people probably won't like it quite as much as I did.

"Kingdom Come" by Mark Waid and Alex Ross

"Kingdom Come" is already a bit old by comic book standards, having been first published in 1996.  I can remember reading parts of it when it first came out, but it wasn't until last week that I really sat down and read this one from cover to cover.

"Kingdom Come" follows the exploits of an aging Superman, as he tries to reunite the Justice League and defeat a new generation of enemies.  Having been publicly disgraced in a trial following the Joker's death, Superman has gone into retreat within his Fortress of Solitude.  It remains for an increasingly lawless band of superheroes to draw him out of retirement.

This comic book quotes Genesis a lot, and even though it was very inventive for the time, I found it completely depressing.  I never felt like I wanted Superman to win, and I often wondered whether the alternative to anarchy that he represented wasn't just as bad as letting the "bad guys" rule the world.

"Kingdom Come" also pursues the love interest between Superman and Wonder Woman, though this part, in my opinion, fell a bit flat.  Frank Miller, for example, explored this love interest more successfully in his "Dark Knight Strikes Back."

If you want to read one of the most influential comics of the 1990s, you'll have to read this one.  Even so, there are better comics out there, and moreover comics that don't take themselves quite as seriously.  I don't have anything against biblical themes, but likening Captain Marvel to the angel of death is kind of silly - even for DC.