THE HEART OF THE MONSTER consists of a 130-page essay by David James Duncan and a 130-page novella by Rick Bass. Duncan's essay, entitled "The Heart of the Monster," is a protest of the plan by oil corporations and politicians to turn the Northwest's and Northern Rockies' rivers, roads and wilderness into a tentacle of the largest and most destructive petroleum project in history: the Alberta Tar Sands. Bass's novella, "A Short History of Montana, is a portrait of the backward evolution of a fictitious political figure as Big Oil and Big Energy's concepts of power begin to stew in his head and eat away his heart.

"If you fall in love with a monster, remember he'll always be vicious."I met a boy in the dead of the night and hoped he would save me from the dark.When I lost the last person that cared for me, I ran straight into the arms of his family.The Italian Mob.It was no place for a naïve girl. I grew up and earned my place. Everyone within the family accepted me quickly-all except him.To him, I didn't belong.And he made that clear by being the monster everyone knew him to be:Cruel, ruthless, and cold.My gut told me to leave, but my soul wanted to stay. I gravitated toward the man no one seemed to understand because no one understood me either.I handed my heart to a monster, and he ripped it apart.

Filled with humor and just the right amount of scariness, this book speaks directly to the child with comments, warnings, and asides on every page. Giggle-inducing lines such as "I think you'd better hide" and "Here he comes! Close the book!" place the child right in the story.

All his life, the Hulk has wanted to be left alone - but now, he's got a big, bad family to keep up with! After the events of WORLD WAR HULKS, Hulk is joined by his son from "Planet Hulk," Skaar; his daughter from an alternate future, Lyra; the cousin he's known and loved for ages, She-Hulk; and his best friend, Rick Jones, now in the gamma-charged form of A-Bomb. Oh, and don't forget his first wife and longtime love, Betty Banner - transformed into the ragingly embittered Red She-Hulk. They'd better stick together no matter how uncomfortable this new arrangement may be for all concerned, because one more addition to the family is making his way across the galaxy: the world-shattering Hiro-Kala - twin brother to Skaar, son to Hulk and unknown to either. But not for long! Collecting INCREDIBLE HULKS #612-617.

Meet Pip. He is a friendly monster with a very big heart. If only he knew where his heart had gone!Follow Pip through his journey to finding more than just his heart. Join Pip on his journey from Najaf to Karbala.