BOOK
     
    
   
   
    
     
      REVIEWS
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Around
      the
      World
      in
      45
      Years
     
     
      By
      Charles
      M.
      Schulz
     
     
      (Andrews
      and
      McMeel)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      For
      a
      longtime
      Peanuts
      fan
      who
      has
      lost
      touch
      with
      the
      strip
      in
      recent
      years,
      this
      book
      was
      like
     
     
      coming
      home.
      Schulzis
      getting
      a
      bit
      more
      lax
      with
      his
      drawing
      as
      time
      goes
      on,
      and
      his
      recent
     
     
      strips
      often
      exhibit
      a
      subdued
      or
      in-joke
      style
      of
      humour
      that
      smacks
      of
      complacency
     
     
      (especially
      in
      some
      of
      the
      one-panel
      jokes);
      but
      the
      Peanuts
      cast
      is
      still
      an
      endearing
      and
     
     
      sometimes
      philosophical
      bunch
      with
      timeless
      character
      interplay.
      Snoopy
      is
      still
      wonderfully
     
     
      weird,
      Peppermint
      Patty
      and
      Marcie
      are
      still
      the
      Odd
      Couple
      of
      the
      comic
      strip
      scene,
      and
     
     
      Charlie
      Brown’s
      the
      same
      lovable
      loser
      he
      always
      was
      (I
      got
      a
      particular
      kick
      out
      of
      his
      first-
     
     
      ever
      home
      runs
      and
      the
      resolution
      thereof).
      The
      best
      moments,
      though,
      belong
      to
      that
     
     
      perennial
      scene-stealer
      Snoopy:
      his
      World
      War
      I
      Flying
      Ace
      fantasies
      resonate
      with
      absurd
     
     
      humour
      and
      a
      strange
      poignancy,
      while
      sometimes
      incorporating
      enough
      detail
      to
      verge
      on
     
     
      historical
      (hysterical?)
      fiction.
      All
      that
      being
      said,
      it’s
      also
      pretty
      darn
      impressive
      that
      Schulz
     
     
      is
      still
      writing
      and
      drawing
      the
      whole
      strip
      by
      himself
      after
      all
      these
      years.
      At
      a
      time
      when
     
     
      many
      old-time
      and
      even
      relatively
      recent
      strips
      have
      passed
      out
      of
      their
      creators’
      hands,
      it’s
     
     
      comforting
      to
      see
      the
      godfather
      of
      comic
      strips
      at
      the
      helm
      of
      his
      baby;
      and
      after
      softly
     
     
      chuckling
      and
      occasionally
      cackling
      my
      way
      through
      this
      book,
      I
      can
      safely
      say
      that
      there’s
     
    

    
     
      a
      lot
      of
      life--
      and
      laughs--
      left
      in
      Peanuts.
     
    

    
     
      --
      Sean
      McQuaid
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Disney’s
      Magic
      Eye
     
     
      By
      N.
      E.
      Thing
      Enterprises
     
     
      (Andrews
      and
      McMeel)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~
     
     
      |
     
     
      |
      |
     
     
      |
      |
     
     
      |
      Yes,
      yet
      another
      one
      of
      those
      bizarre
      Magic
      Eye
      books
      (for
      recently
      retrieved
      |
     
     
      |
      Russian
      cosmonauts
      and
      the
      other
      half-dozen
      or
      so
      people
      who
      don’t
      know
      what
      |
     
     
      |
      I’m
      talking
      about,
      Magic
      Eye
      pictures
      are
      optical
      illusions
      wherein
      3-D
      images
      |
     
     
      |
      emerge
      from
      special
      patterns
      if
      you
      stare
      at
      them
      long
      enough).
      As
      a
      diehard
      |
     
     
      |
      Disney
      devotee,
      I’m
      dejectedly
      deeming
      this
      darling
      a
      dud.
      It’s
      not
      a
      complete
      |
     
     
      |
      write-off:
      I
      do
      get
      a
      charge
      out
      of
      seeing
      those
      3-D
      pics
      of
      Mickey
      and
      Donald,
      l
     
     
      l
      and
      some
      of
      the
      other
      images
      like
      Jafar
      and
      Captain
      Hook’s
      pirate
      ship
      are
      nicely
      |
     
     
      detailed,
      but
      a
      lot
      of
      the
      pictures
      are
      boring
      and
      unimaginative
      (like
      Robin
      Hood’s
     
    

    
     
      |
      arrow,
      Belle’s
      book
      and
      so
      on).
      On
      top
      of
      that,
      a
      few
      of
      the
      images
      (like
      the
      Cave
      |
     
     
      |
      of
      Wonder,
      the
      mushroom
      dancers,
      and
      young
      Simba)
      are
      almost
      completely
      |
     
     
      unintelligible,
      and
      some
      (like
      Pluto
      and
      Goofy)
      make
      use
      of
      distracting
      solid-
      |
     
     
      |
      coloured
      shapes
      incorporated
      into
      the
      picture.
      There’s
      some
      nice
      images,
      and
      the
      |
     
     
      |
      book
      still
      makes
      a
      pleasant
      keepsake
      (especially
      good
      for
      children),
      but
      this
      is
      |
     
     
      |
      definitely
      not
      one
      of
      the
      more
      impressive
      Magic
      Eye
      books.
      |
     
     
      |
      --
      Sean
      McQuaid
      |
     
     
      .
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Modern,
      Caring,
      Sensitive
      Guy
     
     
      By
      Joe
      Soucheray
     
     
      (Andrews
      and
      McMeel)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      log
      Soucheray
      is
      a
      columnist
      for
      a
      St.
      Paul,
      Minnestoa
      newspaper.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Subtitled
      A
      curmudgeon
     
     
      tolumnist
      looks
      at
      life,
      this
      book
      is
      a
      collection
      of
      columns
      about
      just
      about
      everything.
      Soucheray
     
     
      ften
      hits
      the
      nail
      right
      on
      the
      head;
      ‘‘always
      favour
      the
      groups
      that
      at
      least
      play
      their
      own
     
     
      struments’?
      and
      his
      mistrust
      of
      music
      clubs,
      for
      example.
      At
      other
      times
      I
      either
      lost
      him
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      @eeeeeeoeaeseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee28028ee2e2e0eeee8
      e080
     
    
   
   
    
     
      $
      Parisian
      Encounters
     
     
      ;
      By
      Charles
      Hobson
      °
     
     
      *
      (Chronicle
      Books)
      ;
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ©
      Paris
      is
      well
      known
      as
      the
      city
      of
      love
      and
      passion.
      Along
      it’s
      streets
      and
      boulevards
      ®
     
     
      many
      romance
      has
      sparked--
      some
      catch
      fire
      forever
      while
      others
      fade
      away.
      Parisian
      :
     
     
      Encounters
      tells
      the
      tales
      of
      lovers
      in
      Paris;
      from
      Napolean
      and
      Josephine
      to
      Marie
      and
      ¢
     
     
      Peter
      Curie.
      Several
      couples
      are
      features,
      all
      of
      whom
      are
      well
      known,
      and
      come
      from
      :
     
     
      all
      walks
      of
      life.
      It
      is
      more
      of
      a
      collage
      then
      a
      book
      --
      it
      is
      full
      of
      handwritten
      letters,
      e
     
     
      maps,
      and
      photographs.
      An
      entruiging
      feature
      isa
      double
      spine
      so
      that
      youmay
      compare
      e
     
     
      side-by-side
      the
      short
      write-ups
      and
      pictures.
      This
      is
      a
      chronicle
      to
      flip
      through
      on
      a
      e
     
     
      quiet
      evening,
      there
      is
      no
      need
      to
      read
      cover
      to
      cover,
      simply
      open
      up
      and
      engross
      .
     
     
      yourself
      in
      the
      magic
      of
      romance.
      A
      perfect
      valentine
      gift
      for
      the
      one
      you
      love.
      Or
      for
      e
     
     
      yourself.
      A
      word
      of
      caution
      --
      my
      copy
      had
      one
      page
      placed
      upside
      down
      in
      the
      ;
     
     
      introduction,
      so
      you
      might
      want
      to
      flip
      through
      it
      before
      you
      purchase
      it.
      °
     
     
      --
      x
      Aldera
      Chisholm
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      Sense
      of
      Values:
      American
      Marines
      in
      an
      Uncertain
      World
     
     
      By
      David
      Bowne
      Wood
     
    

    
     
      Photographs
      by
      Bob
      Mahoney
     
    

    
     
      (Andrews
      and
      McMeel)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      book
      isn’t
      what
      I
      thought
      it
      would
      be.
      Upon
      picking
      it
      up,
      it
      looked
      like
      it
      could
      either
      hav
     
    
   
   
    
     
      been
      a
      promotional
      book
      put
      out
      by
      the
      Marines
      or
      a
      book
      written
      by
      someone
      in
      an
      attempt
      t
     
     
      slander
      the
      Marines
      and
      their
      entire
      lifestyle.
      It
      was
      neither.
      The
      book
      was
      written
      by
      a
      veter:
     
     
      journalist
      who
      has
      covered
      stories
      all
      over
      the
      world,
      over
      the
      last
      twenty
      years.
      He
      was
      grante
     
     
      unlimited
      access
      to
      every
      part
      of
      the
      Marine
      Corps
      to
      show
      the
      readers
      what
      it
      is
      like
      at
      all
      levels
     
     
      In
      return
      for
      this
      freedom,
      he
      had
      to
      partake
      in
      every
      part
      of
      Marine
      life
      from
      the
      daily
      five
      mil
     
     
      run
      (before
      breakfast)
      to
      flying
      over
      hostile
      territory
      in
      a
      helicopter
      built
      in
      1969.
      (And
      yo
     
     
      thought
      that
      driving
      your
      ’85
      Chevette
      was
      dangerous.)
      Wood
      traveled
      with
      the
      Marines
      aroun
     
     
      the
      world,
      taking
      notes
      and
      telling
      the
      bare
      truth.
      Nothing
      is
      glorified.
      As
      a
      bonus
      he
      explain:
     
     
      in
      detail
      the
      entire
      Somali
      ordeal
      that
      so
      few
      of
      us
      know
      about.
      The
      pictures
      are
      somewhat
      les:
     
     
      than
      I
      thought
      they
      would
      be.
      I
      was
      half
      expecting
      glossy
      action
      shots
      and
      people
      being
      killed.
     
     
      but
      for
      the
      most
      part,
      the
      pictures
      were
      pretty
      boring.
      This
      introduced
      me
      to
      my
      first
      lesson
      i
     
     
      the
      Marines:
      much
      of
      the
      time
      they
      sit
      around
      and
      do
      nothing.
      These
      pictures
      tell
      it
      like
      it
      is.
     
    

    
     
      This
      book
      dispels
      many
      myths
      associated
      with
      the
      Marines,
      such
      as
      high
      pay
      (the
      averag
     
     
      Private
      makes
      just
      over
      $9000
      per
      year)
      and
      good
      times,
      (there
      are
      very
      few.)
      The
      book
      als:
     
     
      serves
      to
      exemplify
      others:
      the
      Marines
      do
      NOT
      want
      gays
      in
      the
      military.
      This
      book
      feature
     
     
      sections
      of
      the
      families
      that
      Marines
      have
      left
      behind
      and
      is
      dotted
      with
      insightful
      quotes
      take
     
     
      from
      various
      Marines.
      For
      example,
      ‘‘What
      single
      reason
      would
      cause
      you
      to
      leave
      the
      Marin
     
     
      Corps?’
      and
      the
      reply
      ‘‘IfI
      died.’’
      Yes,
      the
      marines
      truly
      are
      dedicated
      and
      are
      known
      for
      bein:
     
     
      a
      group
      of
      raving
      fanatics,
      but
      for
      the
      first
      time,
      everything
      is
      put
      into
      context
      and
      you
      can
      ge
     
     
      a
      clear
      picture
      about
      what
      the
      Marines
      are
      really
      like.
      They
      are
      a
      distinct
      set
      of
      people
      who
      liv
     
     
      by
      the
      rules,
      place
      their
      lives
      in
      someone
      else’s
      hands
      and
      really
      do
      have
      a
      different
      sense
      o
     
     
      values.
     
    

    
     
      The
      book
      reads
      fast.
      It
      comes
      witha
      nice
      glossy
      dust
      jacket,
      but
      unfortunately,
      inside
      th
     
     
      dust
      jacket
      is
      the
      printed
      $34.95
      price
      tag
      which
      puts
      the
      book
      into
      the
      ‘‘nice
      to
      read
      but
      nice
     
     
      to
      leave
      on
      the
      shelf’
      ’
      department
      in
      my
      budget.
      However,
      if
      you
      get
      the
      chance,
      read
      it
      and
      watc
     
     
      your
      opinion
      of
      the
      Marines
      change
      almost
      instantly.
     
    

    
     
      --
      Sean
      Steele
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Simple
      Pleasures,A
      Bulletin
      Board
      Collection
     
     
      Edited
      by
      Daniel
      Kelly
     
     
      (Andrews
      and
      MacMeel)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Simple
      Pleasures
      is
      a
      collection
      of
      bits
      of
      rural
      wisdom
      from
     
     
      contributors
      to
      the
      St.
      Paul
      Pioneer
      Press.
      Like
      Julie
      Andrews,
      hundreds
     
     
      of
      people
      have
      decided
      to
      share
      with
      the
      press
      some
      of
      their
      favourite
     
     
      things.
      Some
      of
      these
      contributers,
      intentionally
      or
      not,
      end
      up
      adding
      a
     
     
      giggle
      or
      a
      groan
      to
      your
      day
      (someone
      actually
      admitted
      that
      their
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ompletely
      because
      of
      my
      ignorance
      of
      St.
      Paul
      politics
      and
      Minnesota
      in
      general,
      or
      occasionally
     
     
      ipped
      to
      the
      next
      column
      because
      I
      found
      his
      wit
      a
      bit
      too
      barbed.
     
     
      None
      of
      Soucheray’s
      columns
      are
      longer
      than
      3
      pages,
      so
      the
      chuckles
      come
      at
      a
      great
      pace.
     
    

    
     
      ith
      the
      range
      of
      Soucheray’s
      topic,
      this
      book
      contains
      an
      essay
      for
      every
      opinion.
      I
      am
      afraid
      only
     
    

    
     
      t
      if
      one
      reads
      Soucheray
      on
      too
      few
      sittings
      one
      will
      become
      a
      curmudgeon.
      On
      the
      other
      hand,
     
     
       mid-1990’s
      have
      many
      trends
      to
      feel
      curmudgeony
      about
      and
      Soucheray
      shows
      that
      if
      you
      keep
     
     
      Sense
      of
      humour,
      all
      will
      be
      fine.
     
    

    
     
      Shannon
      Younker
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “‘simple
      pleasure’’
      was
      the
      sucking
      sound
      that
      Spam
      makes
      when
      it
      fall
     
     
      out
      of
      the
      can,
      for
      example.)
      If
      you
      appreciate
      “thoughts
      of
      the
      day’’
      or
     
     
      a
      book
      where
      the
      opinions
      are
      simple,
      old-fashioned
      and
      good-hearted,
     
     
      this
      might
      be
      the
      book
      for
      you.
      The
      Simple
      Pleasures
      is
      one
      of
      those
     
     
      collections
      that
      remind
      me
      of
      rice
      cakes:
      light
      and
      fluffy,
      but
      good
      for
      you.
     
     
      --
      Shannon
      Younker
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      uary
      31,
      1995