Japan: A Documentary History

The history of mankind is full of joy and vicissitude, and the history of Japan is no exception. "Man," to paraphrase Leopold von Ranke, "is a creature so good and at the same time so evil, so noble and at the same time so animal-like, so polished and at the same time so uncouth who, while seeking eternity, is bound by the fleeting moment." This book is a narrative of Japanese history as rendered by the Japanese people themselves at the time they lived. It shows their foibles and triumphs with their tears and laughter. There is a thread of common experience that they share with the rest of the world.

A revolutionary of visual culture, Seymour Chwast is one of the most influential illustrators of the last half century. In his version of "Dante's Divine Comedy", Dante and his guide Virgil don fedoras and wander through noirish realms of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise in this classic satire of human foibles. Humorous, ironic, political, and utterly unique, this "Divine Comedy" is a comics masterpiece.

In this beguiling tale of danger and rescue, a young beagle-terrier mix named Ruby is pregnant, abused, and neglected. She escapes her abusive owner, vowing that her babies will not suffer at the hands of a cruel human. A police officer notices her nursing her pups at the side of a road and brings the new mother and her brood to the pound. A kindly man sees something special in her, and takes her home despite her fearful ways. Wary at first, Ruby eventually understands that her human really does love her, and she in turn admits that she loves him. Her dog's-eye view of human foibles...