Two Words, One Answer.
rising star
 Rising Star: China's New Security Diplomacy $28.95 Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger once described diplomacy as "the art of restraining power." As China unleashes its economic power, and its political and military strengths continue to mount, what role will diplomacy play in China's fate in the 21st century? In great depth and detail, author Bates Gill, an expert on China's foreign policy, explains a dramatic change in the way China views the world, and in its approach to national security and international relations. This shift has taken China far from the Maoist age of supporting terrorism and counterrevolution, and into a new era that emphasizes collaboration and cooperation, participation in international initiatives, and some compromise on such issues as sovereignty. Gill scrutinizes each cog in China's diplomatic machine (except the U.S.'s debt, which has grown in signficance over time) and provides a thorough historical background. Though this book is remarkably well-researched and revealing, its style is more suitable to academia than to general interest reading. Yet, getAbstract reckons that international relations enthusiasts with an interest in China's role in the world can learn a lot from it.  A Rising Star $22.99 After more than two years of enjoying The Baldwin Street Music and the Hep CDs of the similar content immensely, I took a chance on this CD because of the other customer's positive review. The sound quality of this CD is TERRIBLE. I don't understand why these sides with Glen Miller and Charlie Barnet, which were issued with good sound previously, sound so atrocious here. The sound quality of the Jewel and Lamplighter/Crystalette sides is equally abysmal. It is a great shame because the performances of Kay Starr and the orchestras are really great. I'm really disappointed.  Rising Stars : Born In Fire (Vol. 1) $19.95 J. Michael Straczynski (J.M.S.) is one of the best writers in Hollywood. But the temptation with every fantasy author is to write a novel a little too similar to J.R.R. Tolkien's amazing Lord of the Rings. In the same way, the temptation with every comic book author is to write a graphic novel a little too similar to Alan Moore's amazing Watchmen. J.M.S. borrows the style and plot of Watchmen a little more than he probably should, especially in the beginning of the story. To J.M.S.'s credit, though, he manages to change the storyline considerably as the story progresses. Rising Stars is an exciting story with incredibly stylized art. It feels like every panel is a hyper extreme snapshot of a real moment in the lives of the characters. If you like mystery-suspense, then Rising Stars is an excellent read. J.M.S. maintains an engaging storyline up until the end. The end does not feel satisfying, though, since the audience has no idea how the events in the story will affect the world. However, Rising Stars is a valuable contribution to the world of Graphic Novels and is worth reading. |
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