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The description of the Wikipedia article, “The Mask” says that the article is “about the comic book character. For other uses, see The Mask (disambiguation).” Rather than focusing on the comic book character, however, the table of contents for the article presents a comic book section amidst other categories. It also presents two sections which seem to overlap: “Adaptations and Spinoffs”, and “Specials, Spinoffs and Crossovers”. The article is more of a summary or overview of ‘The Mask’ in all of its forms including television and film, as it provides a considerable amount of information on the animated series and film adaptations of the original comic books. The article’s introduction alone contains numerous simple grammatical errors including use of the word “and” preceding a comma and inconsistent tenses. The entire lead section is only three sentences, and two of which describe the ‘The Mask’ referring to its comic book form. The article also contains un-sourced opinions and statements. For example, a contrubutor described the sequel film ‘Son of the Mask’ as being ‘poorly received’ without sourcing supporting facts for the statement. The article’s warning banner alerts Wikipedia users that it may not “adequately summarize content info”. This is apparent, as much of the article exhibited information that would appear to be factual, however contributors consistently failed to source the information. Only two references were provided for the entire article, which dramatically reduced its credibility. Furthermore, progressively less information was provided for each comic book’s plot description. The first series’ description constituted very detailed paragraphs. The second and third series’ synopses were still substantially long, however the remaining plotlines for each book were only one or two sentences long. For the final few book series, no summary was provided. In conclusion, I think the warning banner serves its purpose, as the article fails to adequately summarize information regarding “The Mask” comic books.

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See Mix Drink

See Mix Drink is an illustrated book-guide that demonstrates how to make 100 of the world's most popular cocktails. It was written by Brian D. Murphy and published by Little, Brown and Company in 2011.

A spread of two pages is allotted to each cocktail. Murphy's 'cocktail snapshot’, a line drawing of the appropriate glassware filled with colour-coded ingredients to represent drink ingredient volumes, gives readers a visual representation of the cocktail. Beneath the snapshot, a quick reference guide is provided to gather the necessary ingredients and barware/glassware to begin mixing. Icons show the traditional occasion for enjoying the cocktail (ie. morning, before dinner, after dinner, anytime). Murphy's drink descriptions provide readers with the correct pronunciation of the cocktail name and the origins of each cocktail, along with ingredient variations and substitutions. A pie chart shows readers the drink composition by volume for proper mixing. Numbered steps with descriptive visuals and text outline the preparation process. The estimated time required for each drink’s preparation, including gathering ingredients and cutting garnishes, is also provided. Murphy also provides readers with the calorie count for each drink. He organized the book by liquor base (ie. cocktails that contain whisky are in a different section from those that contain vodka).

Publication and reception

See Mix Drink was well received by the public. It was highly rated on Amazon,

which gave it 4 out of 5 stars, and Goodreads, which gave it 4.5 stars. It also received positive reviews from GQ magazine. The majority of reader feedback shows an appreciation for Murray’s incorporation of info-graphics into the guide, as the unique visual theme of the book was preferred by many over than the traditional list-style most cocktail guides provide. 

Criticisms

Murphy's main criticism was that See, Mix Drink displayed an overuse of graphics and lack of information. One Amazon critic wrote that “graphics won't tell you to pop that vermouth in the fridge once the bottle is opened, or it'll spoil within days; and they certainly won't warn you against wasting your money on lousy-tasting liquors and liqueurs that you'll wind up pouring down the drain.” Murphy was also criticized for providing vague and at times ambiguous instructions. Some reviews found that the ingredients in the book were not common in the kitchen, and because there was no index for secondary ingredients, there was no way to search for a cocktail that contained ingredients readers already had at home.

Contents

• Introduction a personal letter from the author, Brian D. Murphy, in which he expresses his frustration with conventional cocktail books and invites readers to his "cocktail book revolution" which offers ease of use in an innovative visual format, focusing on the 100 most sought-after cocktails.

• How To Use This Book a guide in the form of a template of the typical See Mix Drink page spread, with labels and descriptions of each section as they would be found on a page.

• Bar Essentials the glassware used throughout the book, along with the maximum volume of liquid each glass is capable of holding. Volumes were chosen based on average glass sizes commonly found in most homes. Also includes the barware and equipment used in the drink-mixing process.

• The Spirits a list of the different spirits included in the book along with its origin, production, alcohol content, popular brands, and types/variations. Spirits included in the book are:

1. Brandy
2. Champagne
3. Gin
4. Rum
5. Tequila
6. Vodka
7. Whiskey
8. Liqueurs

• Cocktails The drink making section, which is the bulk of the book. Cocktails are ordered by liquor base

• Indexes One index sorted by drink name, and another sorted by calories per drink

• Acknowledgements Murphy gives thanks to the editors, agents, graphic designers, photographers, friends and business associates who contributed to and supported the creation of See Mix Drink.

Author

Brian D. Murphy has been interested in computers and programming since he got his first computer, an Apple IIc, in 1984. He graduated from Rutgers University and received a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Computer Science. He has since focused on web development in settings ranging from early stage startups to large, multinational corporations in fields covering E-Commerce, consulting, finance and media. Brian is currently the Chief Architect and Director of Engineering at Condé Nast, and oversees the web and mobile presence for 25 award winning brands such as wired.com, newyorker.com, epicurious.com and vanityfair.com. Brian and his team work to power all of Condé's online products; drawing tens of millions of visitors each month.