Y.S. Stephen - Reader | Casual Observer

Imbalance (Part One) paints a detailed picture of what happens when "progress" or what counts for innovation and societal change leave people worse off. Imbalance Part Two , on the other hand, delves deep into the mechanics of divide and rule. In the latest part, we witness Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph trying to get to the bottom of the conflict between benders and non-benders in Cranefish Town. After much investigation, they discovered that one of the town elders is organising and pulling benders together to act against non-benders. This particular elder tells benders that the technological innovations made by the non-benders are designed to keep benders out of jobs as well as relegate them in society. Much of this story details the methods Aang and his friends employ to find out the truth. It also looks at the difficult decisions that await Aang in particular when confronted with the reality of the situation. Imbalance Part Two is a story that mirrors the wor...

I am mostly careful when picking books from the self-help genre. There are lots of idea and concept crossovers that sometimes makes you feel as if you are reading the same book even when you have gone through 15. Being You is a work that promotes authenticity and becoming who we are in our core being (sorry if you have heard that before). The authors tell us that being ourselves is the best thing we can do when building a brand. Being You  touts the notion that everyone ought to define what success means to them. The author emphasises that while money and fame are good, not everyone defines their existence or goals around that.  Being You  exhorts us to build our brand around values that we deem important to us. What this book does well is how it delves into profiles of famous and well-known celebrities who have used their uniqueness to create what the author calls a successful brand. The book cites people like Malala Yousafzai, Opray Winfrey, Roger Federer, Ed S...

There have been dire situations in history where people pooled together, helping one another survive and thrive against wars, famine, cruelty, natural disasters, etc. There have also been cases when the opposite is true - where hate and blood flowed from fear and petty anxieties. Fissure examines these situations in its story about a strange disaster that befell El Sueno, a multicultural town riddled with prejudice and discrimination. Hark, a white man, is set to take Avery Lee, a Mexican lady as his partner. It is a union Hank's father opposes for fear of losing his son as well as the colour of Avery Lee's skin. The story traces the obstacles Hank and Avery Lee have to face in the midst of an unworldly disaster that is claiming lives regardless of age and race. Fissure  looks at how petty divisions destroy a community and how love, family, and solidarity can contribute to its healing. Many thanks to Vault Comics for review copy.

There are a few things a ruling government fear more than its citizens unifying under a purpose it does not support. Modern history is rife with examples of crackdowns against labour unions and systematic propaganda against leaders of any organised citizen-led action. 1919 is a graphic novel that goes back to capture the roots and atmosphere of the Winnipeg strike of 1919. This was a strike (lasted for six weeks) led by workers who no longer felt able to feed their families on low wages. 1919  chronicles the police beatings, unjust imprisonments, demonisation of immigrants, and other tactics used by the Canadian ruling government to crush the movement. More importantly,  1919  also highlights the bravery of men and women who sacrificed so much to bring dignity and power to normal working people. This is a book that emphasises the power of the collective as a strong weapon against business elites who are trying to create an unjust world for the sole aim of profit...