{
"schemaVersion": "2.3",
"isBackup": true,
"books": {
"fetchDate": "2026-03-18T16:15:30.450Z",
"fetcherVersion": "app-export",
"totalBooks": 119,
"items": [
{
"asin": "0060783354",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "The Dangerous Alphabet",
"authors": "Neil Gaiman, Gris Grimly",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51tqgYUVYFL.jpg",
"rating": 4.6,
"reviewCount": "430",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1513646140000",
"description": "A is for Always, that's where we embark . . .Two children, treasure map in hand, and their pet gazelle sneak past their father, out of their house, and into a world beneath the city, where monsters and pirates roam.Will they find the treasure? Will they make it out alive?",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Awesome book for kids like mine whose parents have questionable judgement",
"text": "My four year old loves this book. It is very, very dark, so if you have a kiddo who would be disturbed by pictures of children being made into pies or fence posts, this probably isn't for you. (Most of my family is horrified by this book.) The language is beautiful (\"E's for the evil that lures and entices; F is for fear and its many devices...\") and the drawing are complex and interesting. There are also, oddly enough, hidden Mickey's on most pages. They look more grotesque than Walt Disney would likely prefer, but it's fun to look for. It did take me a few read-throughs to understand the \"L\" page's, \"L is, like 'eaven, their last destination.\" (It's \"[h]ell\" and \"[h]eaven.\") The obsessive part of me objects slightly to \"U are the reader who shivers with dread,\" but the accompanying picture is cool enough to make up for it. If you are in the market for a cool and creepy alphabet book, this one is a bit more child-friendly than The Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey. We have both, and this is my child's favorite by far, since it has more interesting language, colorful pictures, and somewhat of a plot, whereas the Gashlycrumb Tinies is just a list of children and how they died and in hindsight was probably not actually meant for children. (It did teach my child the words \"awl,\" \"gin,\" and \"lye,\" though, along with the importance of avoiding these things.)",
"reviewer": "Teacher Lady"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Neil Gaiman.",
"text": "Neil Gaiman. My review should only need his name for anyone reading this to know it's quality writing and my kid loves it. He writes something for everyone and this spooky journey through the alphabet gets the giggles going every read through. Blueberry Girl, Dangerous Alphabet, Wolves in the Walls, Graveyard Book, Pirate Stew... choose your length of tale and enjoy Neil Gaiman's writing. There are only a few writers with such a wide breadth of options (and for those who don't know, his writing for adults is just as entertaining.) He's a treasure and this book has been a ton of fun for my little one who's into \"spooky stuff.\"",
"reviewer": "Jim Barr"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great read with my grandson",
"text": "Good scary interest for a 6 year old boy or is resistant to grandma reading to him. We had a good time with the story and the style of drawing. I can see some parents & children being put off by this book but not everyone should have the same taste.",
"reviewer": "M. Medlin"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Fabulous! NOT FOR 'LITTLE' KIDS!",
"text": "I loooove Neil Gaiman. Mirrormask, Stardust (book & movie), Hearts Keys & Puppetry, Coraline (also book & movie), Anansi. He is in my top 5 authors/screenwriters. I ordered this for my 4 year old but will be giving it to my 12 year old. It is an alphabet book. It is very creative & highly detailed. It is fantastical & fascinating. It is the story of a young girl's abduction (by very creepy bad men) and another child's quest to rescue her, through rat infested sewers, complete with shadowy lurkers. To be fair, my oldest child would have been fine with this at 4. My current 4 year old has been suffering from night terrors for the last couple of years, so we have severely curtailed her media choices (not even Scooby Doo). Luckily, my 12 year old loves Mr. Gaiman as much as I do.",
"reviewer": "Multi_Shipper"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Fabulous book with hidden gems.",
"text": "There is no denying that this book is creepy as hell. If you have the kind of kids who will have nightmares over scary images, this is likely not the book for them (or if you cannot deal, likewise). There are a LOT of hidden jokes in the pictures, and every time I read it to my son, we find new things hidden... some of which will take a grownups experience and vocabulary to guess. This is a fabulous little book, which may be overpriced... but it is a lot of fun, and the art is wonderful and gruesome to look at.",
"reviewer": "A. Berg"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "The ABC book only Neil Gaiman could make.",
"text": "This is a great ABC book. The illustrations are great and so is the prose. It's a bit more mature (in style) than a traditional book of this sort. It's not particulaly for very young children I don't think (though my 12 year old loves it, even though he doesn't need an ABC book). If you're a fan of Gaiman, you'll love this book.",
"reviewer": "Jon Coleman"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "great for parent and child",
"text": "Fun book. Great story fun pictures.",
"reviewer": "Sandra Roberts"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "A fun book, but hard to know who it's written for",
"text": "My two-year-old has yet to sit through this book even one time. And when I suggest reading it, he always says no. As for the book, the writing is good and the style is fun. The illustrations are cool, too, but they're also kind of busy with soft colors and don't really draw the eye to any specific point in a strong way. So I'm not surprised that they don't grab my toddler at this point. And that's where the real question comes in for me. This book is an alphabet book. So theoretically it's aimed at toddlers learning their ABCs. But the complex language, expressions most toddlers probably won't understand (e.g. \"E is for evil that lures and entices,\" \"F is for fear and its many devices,\" \"J is the joke monsters make of their crimes,\" \"L is like 'eaven, their last destination,\" etc.), it's probably not going to click with a lot of that crowd. But older kids who would get it and think its cool already know the alphabet and don't need the ABC \"baby format\" in their books. So it's just kind of an odd duck, really. My lasts complaint about it is that the illustrations, which are very cool, kind of have a backstory going on to them which you have to look closely to follow, which is not entirely coherent, and which jumps to a conclusion without showing you how it really resolved — the boy has rescued the kidnapped girl, but we don't see the struggle. He's trailing behind in one panel, and then running away with her in the next. Also, straight up \"guy saves girl\" stories are way too bland at this point, and the girl really seems like a prop, which is disappointing on a different level. Actually, none of the characters really stand out to me, TBH. And why the boy and girl should be traveling with a gazelle I can't begin to fathom. Like, really? A gazelle? Um, okay. Anyway, it's an alright book which I like okay, but which has become less cool the closer I look at it. And my toddler won't give it the time of day. YMMV.",
"reviewer": "Peter Chordas"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Best for “ghastly children”",
"text": "A gift for a special teen girl to whom we have given multiple interesting or unusual abecedarians. This one is creepier than we expected. She will love it but it is not to my own taste. I was expecting something more like Edward Gorey or perhaps slightly milder. If your family loves Halloween and is already a bit macabre, you will probably love it. As my spouse said, “the children already need to be ghastly.” Here are some things illustrated, in cartoonish but creepy detail: A fish skeleton boat Zombies Floating dog corpse with flies Giant floating eyeballs the size of beach balls A grub-like man who is also a double amputee Children imprisoned in a mouth Children imprisoned in cages Children being cooked by demons Children chained to walls and posts Children being used as footstools Pies with bones protruding from them Maggots Ghosts emerging from mirrors A man/monster with a cannon breaking outward through his teeth Shrunken heads and headhunters A tunnel which is also a gaping mouth with bulging eyes A monster with his index finger raised, but the deformity of the monster creates ambiguity and I thought it was the middle finger twice in a row Manacles, tentacles, bones and scary teeth, amorphous blobby monsters throughout (Also - and I don’t know what to make of this - but the little heroine has massively arthritic hands and her legs are thickest at the feet, tapering upward.) It’s only somewhat scarier than some of the inventive adventure-dramas I remember playing as an 8-year-old (“Look out! the monster has a cannon! Run this way! Oh no, this isn’t a cave. We ran into a giant’s mouth! Ahhhh!”) back when kids played outside in neighborhoods unsupervised from ages 3-13. But I myself wouldn’t give this to a particularly young or sensitive child. This book is best for readers already playing games featuring kidnappers lurking in sewers to snatch wayfarers and cook them. You know, “ghastly children.” Fun?",
"reviewer": "Mills"
},
{
"stars": 2,
"title": "Buy it for the art, not for Gaiman",
"text": "For context I am a huge Gaiman fan and also generally forgiving for a good story, but this feels more like a publishing PR stunt. “I am the author who scratches these rhymes” I thought ok, it’s a little bit clever and unexpected to break the author-reader barrier/frame of the story. “L is like ‘eaven their last destination” I thought well maybe there’s something lost in the translation from British to American English that I just don’t get, it’s a bit of a stretch for me. By the time I got to “U are the reader who shivers with dread” I thought it was either a complete cop out or I’m just that old and stodgy to not accept text speak in a Gothic alphabet primer. Maybe U is meant to bring full circle the broken boundary from letter I? I still think the execution is lame. And why are W and V switched? Sure there’s a note to the reader warning, “The alphabet, as given in this publication, is not to be relied on and has a dangerous flaw that an eagle-eyed reader may be able to discern.” But for what purpose? Surely it’s confusing to children if that is actually the intended audience. And for this adult who was already getting skeptical of the motivation for the book by the time I got to letter W… is it for the rhymes to work? The illustrious Neil Gaiman can’t write 13 rhyming couplets in alphabetical order? If he’s going to play these games with U and switching V and W, then he should have absolutely included his favorite letter Thorn, and even another old letter to keep the couplets going… lost opportunity, that one. Overall I’m just completely unsure about this one. Either the PR stunt was under a tight deadline or I’m just not ‘in’ enough to get it. However, the art is amazing and is where the story of 2 children and their pet gazelle sneaking out on an underworld treasure hunt is actually told. The alphabet is just a distraction.",
"reviewer": "trumpetrocks"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Best for Halloween",
"text": "The Dangerous Alphabet, according to the book jacket, is intended for kids aged 5 and up. I read the book to a small group of boys ranging from age 7 through 14. One 9-year-old decided the book was just `too creepy!\" All the boys were distracted by Gris Grimly's busy and macabre illustrations to the point that they lost the sense lurking in several of Neil Gaiman's rhymed couplets and alphabet puns. Example: \"C is the way that we find and we look.\" In other words, \"C is for see.\" The 14-year-old \"Really liked the book,\" but he, along with the younger readers, had difficulty with vocabulary such as entices, embark, elation, discreet, and piracy. The joy of the book is that children and the adults who share it with them may come back to The Dangerous Alphabet again and again to find that the treasure sought for in the book is best discovered by reading it together over and over on Halloween.",
"reviewer": "Gayle H. Christensen"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "not quite there",
"text": "It is hard for me to give anything by Gaiman less than 4 or 5 stars, but this one just doesn't cut it. Maybe if it had been intended for 8 and above rather than the suggested 4 to 8 age range - but as done, it is way too macabre for the audience. The couplets forming the text of the book are not all as sharp as I would expect from the talented writer - and if you just read them straight through, they don't form the complete picture as a poem that they should. The story is jagged and incomplete. The drawings by Gris Grimly are superior, but also way off base for younger children. Each page is filled with gruesome details, some are fine and even fun to spy - such as a worm coming out of an apple or bones revealed by an x-ray machine. But others include blood coming from the wrists of a child manacled to a wall, children in stew pots and chained by their necks. While I think older children - those able to more clearly distinguish fantasy from reality - and adults can enjoy this book, I would not give it to a child under 8 or 9. This alphabet is just a tad too dangerous for the wee ones.",
"reviewer": "Elmore Hammes"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "which remains my daughter's favourite book, she still enjoys this",
"text": "While not as enjoyable as Wolves in the Walls,which remains my daughter's favourite book, she still enjoys this. She starts Kindergarten soon, and is currently learning to read, so this works especially well. Eacn page not only has part of the story, it has half a dozen to an dozen other images, all starting with the same letter and we both like trying to see how many of them we can identify. As with Wolves in the Walls, it could be a little scary for especially sensitive children (kidnappings, children tied up, a suggestion they may be going to be eaten and some of the images are a little creepy), but as long as you are a parent who knows their child and how they deal with things that are a little scary, there should be no problem.",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "M is for Macabre",
"text": "You know how much I love Neil Gaiman (those who read my reviews). So, I bought a few Gaiman books for my eldest (9 and a half) and thought to buy this one for my youngest (3 and a half). Ummm...no. Not sure I will let my eldest read this yet! Was it fantastic? Yup! Was it dark as hell? Yup! 10 and up at least for this one. A boat ride through the macabre taking on the letters of the alphabet with each stroke of both pen and brush. Gaiman's sharp with paired with phenomenal illustrations by Gris Grimly. I will be looking this one over for some time just to soak it in. Me...The wife...not the kids. Namaste~",
"reviewer": "AsinaMuse"
}
],
"binding": "Paperback",
"currentPrice": 7.99,
"listPrice": 9.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "0061960306",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Instructions",
"authors": "Neil Gaiman, Charles Vess",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61HoNdpoHbL.jpg",
"rating": 4.7,
"reviewCount": "1,384",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1513646069000",
"description": "\"A perfect reminder to always be on the lookout for magic and wonder. Sometimes, we need those two things the most.\"*\nIn this breathtaking jacketed picture book, Neil Gaiman's lyrical poem guides a novice traveler through the enchanted woods of a fairy tale—through lush gardens, a formidable castle, and over a perilous river—to find the way home again.Illustrated in full color by Charles Vess, Instructions features lush images of mythical creatures, magical landscapes, and canny princesses. Its message of the value of courage, wit, and wisdom makes it a perfect gift.* Brightly, citing \"Books That Teach Kids What It Means to Be a Kind Person\"",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Utterly charming, will delight kids and adults alike",
"text": "\"Instructions\" is one of my all-time favourite poems, and it's among my favourite things that Neil Gaiman has ever written. Charles Vess always does such fine work, such detailed and quirky illustrations, and so I knew the marriage of the two would be brilliant. The poem itself is beyond charming. In it, Gaiman gives advice on how to survive if you find yourself plunked down inside a fairy tale. The advice is part tradition, part instinct, all heart. The poem isn't very long (which makes it perfect for adapting to a fairy tale), but it still packs in so many wonderful themes and sly references. It has a beautiful cadence as well, just the sort of rhythm perfectly suited for story-telling around a fire. Vess brings delightful whimsy and colourful atmosphere to Gaiman's words. His protagonist, a gender-inspecific feline creature, marches confidently through the tale. Vess's images are touching, haunting, and brilliant, almost breath-catching in places. The accompanying images to riding the eagle, the fish, and the wolf are some of my favourites. The real fun of the book, though, is the marginalia, all the details of Faerie that Vess includes. The detritus of a hundred tales graces the pages, references to the stories that must have inspired Gaiman to write the poem in the first place, but which aren't directly part of the narrative. I recommend this book to just about anyone. It's a children's book, but it doesn't have to be. The advice is timeless, and will likely push nostalgia buttons for adult readers. The art is quality no matter what age you are. And the idea of believing in yourself and in your story is something you're never too old to need reminding of.",
"reviewer": "Sally M."
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Beautiful. Haunting. Deep. Numinous. A must-have for your children.",
"text": "This is one of the best childrens' books I've ever read. The prose is captivating, mesmerizing, and wise—it speaks at a very deep level both to children and to adults. The art is equally good, and bears long, loving stares. Don't just read this book as a toss-off one-off, make it an occasion. Find the right bedtime or the right quiet rainy day, and sit everyone down to quietly and carefully read together. It's a book that demands and sustains reflection. If you're after comparisons or similars, the closest that I can come up with is Snutt the Ift by Helen Ward. Both traffic in the numinous in ways that children will be able to access. I'm now reading through everything else that Neil Gaiman has ever written for children, as this book is one for the ages—it ought to be passed down from generation to generation for centuries to come.",
"reviewer": "PRNLM"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Beautifully imagined, written, & illustrated.",
"text": "It is one of my FAVORITE short stories from Gaiman’s short story collection Fragile Things and I was SO EXCITED to find out that was available on its own and so BEAUTIFULLY illustrated. I didn’t know if my 3.5 year old would like it but she loves it. I’m not sure she grasps the prose but she definitely loves the pictures and we read it almost every night. That said, it’s a TINY short story (basically a poem) about how to survive a fairy tale, it’s colorful and imaginative but it’s not an extensive beginning to end conclusive story with a plot and characters. If that is what you’re looking for I wouldn’t bother but I’d you like whimsical fantasy it’s enchanting.",
"reviewer": "Jackie Eves"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Sweet",
"text": "This is not a proper book, but rather a instruction book in case one finds one's self in an adventure, especially of the fairy tale variety. It's charming and well illustrated. To my surprise, it has become one of my 6 year old's favorite books to read on her own. She's very much enamored with stories, and convinced that one day, she'll find herself in the middle of her own fantastical adventure with her two pet dragons and her dog...and find pirate treasure, of course.",
"reviewer": "Vanderwoman"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Excellent book about how to survive fairy tales",
"text": "I love Neil Gaiman's stories, poems, graphic novel, and books. So realize that I am giving you this review with a somewhat biased viewpoint. Instructions is a poem that I first read in Gaiman's collection of children's stories \"M Is for Magic.\" I loved the poem, which is an somewhat eccentric list of instructions about how to survive a fairy tale...and on a deeper level how to live you life in general. This is a great book for young children, older children, adults and all ages in between. My three year old finds the book fascinating, as do I. Some people might find the somewhat crazy random and quirky instructions in this book a bit odd. Mostly though this poem is somewhat mysterious, fun, gives incite into fairy tales, and is a wonderful imaginative adventure. Charles Vess's illustrations add a ton to this book. They are beautiful and mysterious and absolutely perfect for this poem. You can hear Gaiman read the whole book and see all of Vess's wonderful illustrations at: [...] So before buying check out the above link to see if this book is for you. I personally thought this was a wonderful book. It is a great children's book the provokes imagination and introduces both poetry and fairy tales. It is a great adult book in that it sends a message about how to live your life. Adults will recognize references to many popular fairy tales. I absolutely loved this book. I will keep in in my library for ever.",
"reviewer": "Karissa Eckert"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Beautiful and clever book for all ages.",
"text": "I adore Neil Gaiman and all of his work and the illustrations by Charles Vess are magical. A lovely little book that will delight readers of all ages. I can hear Neil’s voice while reading this. Check out anything you can to listen to Neil reading and you will see what I mean. He is wonderful.",
"reviewer": "Janice "
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Gaiman at His Best",
"text": "This poem is taken from Gaiman's collection of short fiction \"Fragile Things.\" While Gaiman is one of my absolute favorite authors, I don't care for most of his poetry. I typically don't care for poetry in general though, so maybe his poetry is great. I really don't know. What I do know is that I love this poem to death. My favorite thing about Gaiman is how he pays homage to and reuses mythology and fairy tales in his works. This poem, to me, is the essence of Gaiman's identity as an author. The whole thing is just a parody of fairy tales, and it's beautiful, and it's funny, and it's uplifting. It hits all the beats that make fairy tales so enduring in the human psyche. That's only half of this book though. The other half is Charles Vess' illustrations, and they are gorgeous. Gaiman has a habit of partnering with amazingly talented artists, particularly Dave McKean. Well, let's just say this--if McKean is the epitome of a cutting-edge avant garde artist, then Vess is the epitome of a master of the old. His illustrations are soft and warm. They feel old and they remind of old cartoons and picture books I read as a kid.",
"reviewer": "David"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "What You Seek Will be Found",
"text": "Delightful story of an unnamed journey, although you may recognize it as life itself. Text supplies just enough fantasy, oddity, and mystery to keep it in the realm of the fairy tale. Superb illustrations show a little anthropomorphic fox leaving home to see the world, and although the journey is fraught with dangers and threats, the instructions give hope for how to avoid them and hints for how to make use of those odd strangers he meets. In essence, it is a book with some important philosophic hints and practical advice. Manners, trust, being brave in the face of adversity and unknown faces. These and more are all bound into a story kids love to hear again and again. My toddler (22 months old) grandson cannot get enough of it.",
"reviewer": "Renee Thorpe"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Content is powerful but the binding is not",
"text": "I ordered Neil Gaiman's \"Instructions: Everything you'll need to know on your journey\" for my daughter prior to her 4th birthday and was very happy when I first thumbed through it. It has become one of her favorite titles so she started her day with it this morning by asking Alexa to read it aloud while she flipped through the pages. I was sitting next to her as she was doing this and helped her keep up through the first 5 pages. Then she began following and flipping--I did not leave her side I just affirmed her progress. Unfortunately, once she tried to turn the page: \"The River can be crossed by the ferry...\" The page slid out of the book. My daughter was heartbroken at this and I was puzzled at how easily it had come out. Once we finished the reading I flipped back through the book to find that 60% of the pages are already loose at the top and bottom of the binding. So it seems like this problem will only get worse as we continue reading it. Sadly, I am unable to request a replacement or a refund for this purchase through amazon at this point so I have attempted to contact the published. I have been an avid reader of Neil Gaiman since 2007 when I picked up Fragile Things as I drifted underslept and overwrought through Chicago O'Hare Airport. That book kept me awake throughout the rest of my journey to Tokyo. I sincerely want to cultivate a love for Neil Gaiman and his works in the life of my daughter but it appears that her first introspective book by the author should have carried the title of the 2006 short story collection 😉.",
"reviewer": "Keith"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Perfect for kids, adults, and -- especially -- graduates!",
"text": "Instructions is a lovely book. :) It's quite a bit smaller -- not in terms of page count, but physically -- than I expected, but it's plenty large enough to showcase the art. It's illustrated by the same man who did Blueberry Girl, but I'm not sure I would have guessed that if I didn't already know it... the style in this one is quite different, in my opinion. It's generally not as whimsical as Blueberry Girl, although it's still on fairy tale themes. Come to think of it, though, that's true of Neil Gaiman's text in each, as well, so I guess it's appropriate. :) I read it to my 5-year-old daughter, and she seemed to enjoy it. I tried to specifically slow down in my reading, and used a lot of Gaiman's intonations (from the youtube video I watched), just like with Blueberry Girl. I think the themes in this one are still a bit over her head, but she'll grow into it. :D I think this is truly a special book for kids, but probably even more so for adults. Here's hoping it becomes a graduation classic, a la \"Oh, The Places You'll Go!\"",
"reviewer": "Chelsea Porter"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Weird, but fun",
"text": "I read this to my sons before bed. And I quote: \"The ending was weird.... and the middle part too. The beginning was weird too.\" Its weird. Unlike any picture books we've read before bed. But in a way that is what made it magical. It was so very unique and poetic. The artwork was thought provoking as well. I think I liked it more than my kids. It's probably going to stay on my bookshelf instead of theirs. But it seems like one of those works you read mindlessly to put yourself to sleep, and results in you pondering your own existence in your dreams. Totally worth it, for me!",
"reviewer": "K. Scar"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A most tender and gentle reminder of what matters",
"text": "Gaiman is the best fantasy writer... ever! His storytelling is flawless and sweet and dangerous and frightening... all at the same time. I've been a fan of his since I picked up the Sandman in the 90s. No surprise that this brilliant talented human doles out sage counsel through such wonderful prose. And the art does that fantastical writing justice! I bought several copies so I can give them to friends who forget that they're living an adventure...",
"reviewer": "Robert Hernandez"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A wonderful book that grows with the child.",
"text": "I first came across this little gem while working as a circulation clerk at my local library. As a huge fan of both Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess, I set it aside to take a peek later. Though the title is a picture book designed for young readers about the adventure of growing up, it carries poignant messages about courtesy, kindness, and respect that resonated with me very strongly. I knew it was a book that I had to own for my daughter. It's easily a book that a child could read his or her entire life and pick up something new from it every time. If you're a parent and a Gaiman fan, then this will be your child's gateway drug to Gaiman. If you are a parent and like like to read stories to your child that are beautiful and simplistic with a strong center of morality then I strongly recommend you pick it up. And for all of you Gaiman fans without kids, if you haven't already clicked \"buy now\" then shame on you.",
"reviewer": "D20Dad"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Gaiman & Vess: Instructions",
"text": "While not a very large tome, nor wordy, this offering from author Neil Gaiman and illustrator Charles Vess offers a perfect jumping off point for the introduction of young children to the wonder and magic of fairy tales. Word-wise, it is a very simple, one sentence per page, tale. The illustrations accompanying the story include pictures of many well-known fairy tale characters. As the child grows into the book, learning to read the story, these pictures offer the inquisitive a path toward further exploration of the world of the fairy tale. For example, as you come across the character of Little Red Riding Hood, you can then relate that story to the child ... and so forth and so on. It is rich with images and the simple story line challenges the child to proceed further in both hunting down these other tales as well as continued reading. I truly believe that this is one the greatest gifts I could have given my young grandson. Instructions",
"reviewer": "Robert J. Blake II"
}
],
"binding": "Hardcover",
"currentPrice": 13.59,
"listPrice": 16.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "0393081087",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science",
"authors": "J. Kenji López-Alt",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/414eX5Yc0PL.jpg",
"rating": 4.9,
"reviewCount": "10,977",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1594336952000",
"description": "Ever wondered how to pan-fry a steak with a charred crust and an interior that's perfectly medium-rare from edge to edge when you cut into it? How to make homemade mac 'n' cheese that is as satisfyingly gooey and velvety-smooth as the blue box stuff, but far tastier? How to roast a succulent, moist turkey (forget about brining!)―and use a foolproof method that works every time?As Serious Eats's culinary nerd-in-residence, J. Kenji López-Alt has pondered all these questions and more. In The Food Lab, Kenji focuses on the science behind beloved American dishes, delving into the interactions between heat, energy, and molecules that create great food. Kenji shows that often, conventional methods don’t work that well, and home cooks can achieve far better results using new―but simple―techniques. In hundreds of easy-to-make recipes with over 1,000 full-color images, you will find out how to make foolproof Hollandaise sauce in just two minutes, how to transform one simple tomato sauce into a half dozen dishes, how to make the crispiest, creamiest potato casserole ever conceived, and much more. Over 1000 color photographs",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A food and science geeks dream come true.",
"text": "It's more of a tome than a cookbook and more of a textbook than a book full of recipes. But don't let that deter you from this masterpiece. If you enjoy science, cooking and the scientific method, this book is for you. And if you got bored reading that sentence and could give a sh-t less about science, this book is still 100% for you. Whether you hate cooking or just plain suck at it to being an experienced chef or a self described \"foodie\" (barf!), this book has everything to make you even better and improve your game in the kitchen. Like I said before it's much more than just a collection of recipes. The cooking techniques in this book are alone enough of a reason to purchase this book. As for the recipes, they seem to spring up as part of the techniques you'll be learning. You start out building a solid foundation of knowledge and know how to pan frying that perfect steak in such an organic progression that you'll question whether you even did what you just did. Kenji equips you with everything to make you an in home kitchen master. As for the science, well this isn't your 9th grade biology class yet it feels familiar and has you going, \"Oh yeah! I remember that!\" He makes it accessible to any education level. Where his knowledge of the scientific method and principles is at its best is breaking down what's happening inside and outside your food and debunking food myths. For me this was invaluable information. When you know what's happening to your food it gives you clues and markers to look for, which in turn connects you to the cooking process in such a strong way. It creates a mutualistic approach to cooking that you won't find in any other cookbook around. Then comes what I think may be the strongest part of Kenji's game, his writing style. It's engaging, witty, and honest and don't be surprised when you start uncontrollably laughing. His humor is what had me coming back to Serious Eats time and time again. Like any other person, he is strongly opinionated but doesn't beat you over the head for holding a different opinion (unless you got hoodwinked into believing bone broth is different or anything the Food Babe might have you believing). As a lover of science, he stands up to pseudoscience so he may come off strong in that sense. I, for one, appreciate the hell out of him for it. Kenji's columns have made me fall in love with cooking all over again. When he announced he was going to write a cookbook, I was irrationally excited and purchasing his book was a no brainier to me. So if you had to get one cookbook this year, I'd totally make it this one.",
"reviewer": "Devin L."
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Was this chef reading my mind when he wrote this? AMAZING cookbook!!!",
"text": "FINALLY, a chef gets it!!! So many chefs write the same old boring stuff. They start off with equipment and describe it like it was a chore that they have to get out of the way. Sort of like, here's the types of pans there are and here is what they are like and maybe here's how they are used. Kenji describes it with passion giving a great story of how when he tried to reduce cream using a pot that he didn't regularly use that the cream turned out a royal greasy mess due to the pan being too thin. There are other good cookbooks out there with great recipes. And there are other ones out there that do a pretty good job of teaching how to cook and why certain things work. However, NOBODY....absolutely NOBODY I've ever seen has ever described the science behind cooking better than Kenji. He tells it so well and makes it so enjoyable and easy to read! And his understanding of the subject matter is excellent. I'm a kitchen knife enthusiast. And no other chef I've seen has really properly described the characteristics of a knife that make the best ones the best. Few go into talking about the thinness of the blade actually being a GOOD thing. But at the same time, he looks at things from the beginner level AND the pro level, showing the full grip technique for beginners along with the balanced grip that most chefs use. And he understands that a cook also has to go with what they are comfortable with, like how he talks about how his wife loves her cheap, dull, unbalanced IKEA knife. Also, don't let the title fool you. This isn't some cookbook about freezing food with liquid nitrogen and making all of these petite and crazy little dishes you'd get in some gourmet restaurant that you'd never cook at home. This cookbook is brilliantly about using science to make the dishes we like to cook and eat everyday and learn how to turn them from good to spectacular. He's also got the experience to back up what he writes. He worked his way up from small kitchens to some of the fanciest restaurants in Boston. And Boston has some very good restaurants! Then he worked for Cook's Illustrated developing great recipes. Many of you might know Cooks Illustrated for some other names like America's Test Kitchen or Cook's Country. And now he writes for seriouseats.com. I have a bunch of cookbooks, but none of them does nearly as great of a job as Kenji at explaining things. This is THE COOKBOOK of ALL COOKBOOKS if you have a passion for cooking like I do and really want to learn how to become a better cook. I'm definitely going to start following his blog and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND getting this cookbook. This isn't more of a recipe book. This is a HOW TO book that has recipes. I hope I get to see a lot more cookbooks from Kenji and I hope his publishers will let him really write what he wants to write. He's a genius chef and I'd take his cookbooks over Julia Child, Pepin, Jamie Oliver, Emeril, or any other big name cook out there. He's one chef I'd love to meet. Any of the negative reviews are undeserved. For once, we have a cookbook that is pure genius. Anybody who takes the time and reads it thoroughly and cooks from it is bound to realize it. I'm getting more out of this cookbook than dozens of others combined. He even gets into making your own sausage! About the best way I can describe this cookbook is it feels like he looked directly into the soul of cooking and wrote with the passion and understanding and genius of a chef to make a master-piece that I'll cherish for years to come.",
"reviewer": "Keith Sinders"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Zero to Hero",
"text": "I must admit, I had absolutely no prior experience with cooking. If someone had suggested that I would be capable of preparing Eggs Benedict with homemade hollandaise sauce, I would have found it quite amusing. However, here I am, having accomplished just that! This is truly an excellent book. It not only provides recipes but also thoroughly demonstrates and explains the preparation process. I wholeheartedly recommend it, and I believe everyone should give it a try! The author's approach is refreshingly unpretentious, and their down-to-earth style is something I genuinely appreciate.",
"reviewer": "Alex D"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Slide over Alton, a challenger appears. . . and he's got a HUGE new book!",
"text": "This book is absolutely brilliant, and Kenji is just amazing. I'm a recent fan of Serious Eats, finding it pop up more often in recent recipe searches. Following the link, it was always a well-written article by Kenji, entertaining and ALWAYS scientific and logical, culminating in the recipe and comments by many of his undoubted loyal followers. (Kenji, if you're reading this, your Gyros loaf recipe is the holy grail of gyros loaf recipes and you instantly became my new culinary hero. I sub salt pork for the bacon though and it's flawless!) I saw an ad for this book in the margins on Serious Eats and IMMEDIATELY bought it. It is a monster tomb of information that is as well-written and entertaining as it is chock full of recipes, techniques, and helpful information. I bought a recipe book and got SO much more. Kenji is a gifted writer as well as a culinary explorer, obviously an intellectual, yet down to earth author who's created a cullinary reference book that is as easy to read as it is to just reference for a specific. I am among many things a chef, and have been cooking for decades. I was really drawn to Alton Brown's scientific approach to cooking and enjoyed his reign, learned and refined a lot of things due to his contributions . . . BUT MOVE OVER ALTON, there's a new culinary hero in town and his name is Kenji!! Regardless of what your cullinary acumen is (or you THINK it is), this book has an immense wealth of technique, direction, and most importantly, knowledge . . . new ideas and methods on many, many classics and essentials, tested in scientific method yet explained in an entertaining and \"everyman\" style. When you stop learning, when you think you know everything, you become obsolete eventually. This fantastic book is a tribute to that, perhaps owing it's very existence to an author who subscribes to this very concept, and we are blessed to have him. I was up until 6am laying in bed reading the book from the first page. Yes, it's that good. I HIGHLY recommend this book for both seasoned chefs and those new to the culinary calling. A beginning cook can easily access information that will almost instantly make you a better cook. Kenji explains his approach to cooking and in doing so, how to free yourself from many of the conventional ties and notions which keep cooks from learning \"how to cook\", and instead just follow a recipe. The book itself is very well organized and a great deal of thought went into how it was done. The indexing is thorough, and the recipes are fantastic as they begin with many basics; how to cook eggs, how to cook a steak, etc, and move into more advanced recipes using those techniques. It is a very educational book with a great deal of new techniques and approaches to creating both simple and complex foods and dishes with professional results, all written in very accessible fashion. I still can't believe what a value this book is. The physical quality of the book is absolutely top notch, it's darn near as thick and heavy as my Larousse Gastronomique!!! Just TRY to read the first 100 pages of THAT tome and stay awake!! If you are on the fence, come on down and BUY THIS BOOK!! Truly my new favorite cookbook, and I can't wait to go spend some time on Serious Eats too!! Thanks Kenji!!! This book is truly a treasure, and so are you!",
"reviewer": "K. McCarthy"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "An indispensable resource for home cooks!",
"text": "In the world of culinary arts, mastering the art of cooking requires more than just following recipes and hoping for the best. 'The Food Lab,' a groundbreaking cookbook by J. Kenji López-Alt, approaches home cooking with a scientific mindset, empowering home cooks to understand the underlying principles of their culinary creations. What's Inside the Food Lab? The Food Lab is a comprehensive guide to home cooking, featuring over 1,000 recipes, 400 techniques, and 500 food-science experiments. It provides a deep dive into the science behind each ingredient, technique, and recipe, enabling readers to develop an intuitive understanding of how food behaves. López-Alt meticulously explains the effects of heat, liquids, acids, and enzymes on the transformation of ingredients. He explores the role of pH in food preservation, the Maillard reaction in caramelization, and the physics of kneading dough. This scientific knowledge equips cooks with the tools to troubleshoot problems, improve techniques, and create innovative dishes. Key Principles of the Food Lab 1. Understanding Ingredients: The Food Lab breaks down the composition and properties of common ingredients, such as proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. This allows cooks to make informed choices and combine ingredients intentionally. 2. Precise Measurements: López-Alt emphasizes the importance of accurate measurements, providing precise instructions and techniques for measuring ingredients. This precision ensures consistent results and helps cooks understand the impact of each ingredient. 3. Controlled Temperature: The Food Lab stresses the significance of controlling temperature in cooking. From slow-simmered braises to crispy fried chicken, López-Alt explains how precise temperature management leads to optimal texture, flavor, and safety. 4. Cooking Techniques Demystified: The book demystifies cooking techniques by breaking them down into their individual steps. Techniques such as searing, roasting, and steaming are thoroughly explained, allowing cooks to master them with confidence. 5. Troubleshooting and Experimentation: The Food Lab encourages readers to experiment with recipes, observe the results, and troubleshoot any potential issues. López-Alt provides guidance on common problems and offers suggestions for troubleshooting and making adjustments. Benefits of Cooking with Science By embracing the scientific principles outlined in The Food Lab, home cooks can: * Improve their cooking skills: A deeper understanding of food science empowers cooks to make informed decisions and refine their techniques. * Create more flavorful dishes: By understanding the interactions between ingredients and techniques, cooks can enhance the flavors of their creations. * Cook with confidence: The scientific knowledge gained from The Food Lab instills confidence in cooks, enabling them to approach cooking with a newfound level of understanding and control. * Become more creative: By demystifying the art of cooking, The Food Lab fosters creativity and encourages experimentation, leading to innovative and delicious dishes. Conclusion 'The Food Lab' is an indispensable resource for home cooks who seek to elevate their skills and transform their kitchens into culinary laboratories. By unlocking the science behind home cooking, López-Alt empowers readers to create better, more flavorful dishes and develop a lifelong passion for the joy of cooking.",
"reviewer": "Susan"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "The Food Lab book is a treasure trove of recipes",
"text": "My nephew bought this book and says all the recipes he’s made are excellent. It come with over 70 pages of information which are also very useful and informative. I now also have this book and I love it",
"reviewer": "Barb8"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Kenji was a jerk to me, but hey the book is great :/",
"text": "This guy is one of the most self-righteous, intolerable snobs you could ever meet--and if you doubt me, look no further than his social media to see how terrible he is to the people who follow him. That being said, if I had one cookbook to recommend to anyone hoping to learn something about cooking at home, this would be the one. (Gotta give credit where credit is due.) This book is about 1,000 pages of pure gold (along with the food science to back it up), and the recipes almost always turn out to be delicious. Kenji's writing style is entertaining and very easy to grasp, and you do not need to be a chef or a scientist to understand what he's getting at. He introduces various cooking techniques that many people may find to be a bit more challenging, and he walks you through how to do each one without destroying your meal. This book teaches you how to make the classic dishes, but also how to do them right. And many times he finds interesting ways to improve upon those dishes, whether it's having a secret ingredient or two, or using a new technique to get better results. (Ever tried adding fish sauce to a classic Italian red sauce for pasta? It transforms the dish.) He is also very practical. He is not the kind of guy that will make you buy half your ingredients online from a specialty website, for which my wallet will be forever grateful. The images are beautiful, and he has an interesting way of photographing the food so it looks delicious without being intimidating. (I cannot say that for the vast majority of cookbooks that come out these days, which try too hard to turn each photo into a pinterest-worthy work of art. He's very down-to-earth in that way.) This volume focuses more on American cuisine than other types of food, but it still covers many of the need-to-know recipes you will find in other types of food, such as Italian or Mexican, etc. Also, as a side note, Kenji has said he's currently working on a second volume of this book that will focus more on international cuisine, so stay tuned for that to come hopefully in the near future. I will also note as a warning to readers (which I hinted at in my opening paragraph) that when I had the chance to speak with him personally he was very rude, and I have seen him be disrespectful to others on many occasions. The man can write an amazing cookbook--and you should buy it if you haven't already--but I would also caution fans of his in case they ever have the chance to meet him in person: the guy is incredibly derogatory towards those around him and is not worth conversing with.",
"reviewer": "some guy"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "The best cookbook that you'll actually use (for the inquisitive cook).",
"text": "Let me begin by prefacing this review with the fact that I own well over a dozen cookbooks. Most of them sit on my bookshelves unused, a shameful reminder of how infrequently I cook. That said, most of them weren't particularly meant to be used in the first place. The French Laundry, The Fat Duck, Fäviken, and others seem made to indulge my desire for culinary voyeurism than anything else. The Food Lab is different. This is a cookbook meant for people who want to cook — and to understand the reasons behind why you should make certain choices when you cook. In this regard, it shares similarities with the Modernist Cuisine cookbooks (also in my collection), but The Food Lab sits squarely in the realm of the home kitchen — more accessible than Myrhvold's lab full of rotary evaporator and whipping siphons. The cookbook weighs in at a massive 5.6 pounds (960 pages). Just from a weight-to-price ratio alone, you're getting a lot of book for your money. More relevantly though, it covers a comprehensive swath of classic American cooking, the kind of hearty dishes you might want to serve your friends and family on a night in. The Food Lab is divided into nine chapters roughly as follows: Breakfast, Stock, Fast-Cooking Foods, Vegetables, Ground Meat, Roasts, Pasta, Salads, and Frying. Each chapter contains not only finished recipes, but explanations of the elemental components and basic techniques required. An additional section in the beginning gives an overview of the science behind cooking and of important kitchen tools. The recipes are clear and easy to follow (if you've read any of Lopez-Alt's recipes on Serious Eats, you'll already be familiar with his style). If I had one gripe, it's that I wish he would extend this into a series that covers a larger culinary surface area. Baking and Asian cuisine seem like natural extensions for brand, so I hope they're coming soon. It's easy to see why The Food Lab won the James Beard Award — it encapsulates the modern approach to home cooking in a way that no other work to date has. If it ages well, I can see myself fondly looking back on it as a marker of early 2000s cookery in the same way that I now view Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. A magnificent first effort. Five of five stars awarded.",
"reviewer": "Kevin"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Perfect for learning some principles of how to cook",
"text": "About 150 pages in, and I LOVE this book. I am a scientist by training, and I so appreciate reading something that aligns with my learning style. In the first week, I already used this to help prepare Thanksgiving dinner. I finally found out why my stuffing was never as good as mom's, even though I used her recipe - the balance of broth. She just had \"add some broth,\" and I had totally underestimated how much to use. I feel like this book will \"up my game\" in the kitchen. I love to cook, but would never consider myself a good cook. I am a recipe reader, but not a recipe follower. If I want to use up some leftover apples and cranberries, I may look at a dozen different muffin recipes, but I will end up just going for it with no specific recipe, kind of making it up as I go. This can be really awesome, or a colossal disaster. Just partway through the book, I feel like I am learning some foundational skills that will help me achieve a higher success rate.",
"reviewer": "ProfJJ"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Big informative book",
"text": "Christmas gift for my son who likes to cook and grill. You better like to read if you buy this book. 😆 Very informative on how to cook food items and the science behind getting the perfect results. Pictures in various stages of the cooking process. A science nerd/geek would really enjoy this book along with anyone who likes to learn. Big is big and heavy but so full of information. Son saw his cousin's book and wanted one as well. He's excited to learn new techniques, the \"whys\" and how to get great results.",
"reviewer": "Travelin Texan"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Scientific approach to cooking",
"text": "For the scientifically minded cook. I’ve bought this for two other people. My own copy is beat up I refer/use it so much.",
"reviewer": "Hilary H"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Our niece loves it.",
"text": "Perfect gift for a serious beginnings cook.",
"reviewer": "Buystoomuch"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Must buy!",
"text": "Such a great resource for understanding the kitchen and food. Very simple to read and understand. Very informative.",
"reviewer": "Cameron"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great book.",
"text": "Packed with lots of useful info.",
"reviewer": "Gary Rodewald"
}
],
"binding": "Hardcover",
"currentPrice": 29.74,
"listPrice": 49.95,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "0399157239",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Dead or Alive",
"authors": "Tom Clancy, Grant Blackwood",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41qEI443h+L.jpg",
"rating": 4.4,
"reviewCount": "6,727",
"series": "A Jack Ryan Novel",
"seriesPosition": "10",
"acquisitionDate": "1292033545000",
"description": "For years, Jack Ryan, Jr. and his colleagues at the Campus have waged an unofficial and highly effective campaign against the terrorists who threaten western civilization. The most dangerous of these is the Emir. This sadistic killer has masterminded the most vicious attacks on the west and has eluded capture by the world’s law enforcement agencies. Now the Campus is on his trail. Joined by their latest recruits, John Clark and Ding Chavez, Jack Ryan, Jr. and his cousins, Dominick and Brian Caruso, are determined to catch the Emir and they will bring him in . . . dead or alive.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A Great classic Novel from Clancy",
"text": "This is my first time reading a book that was really written by Clancy. But I have read other books with his name on the cover all of which were based on his video game franchise Splinter cell. In short I have been a fan since 2005 when I played Pandora Tomorrow and Chaos Theory along with Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six Vegas. I am just one of many readers and Video gamers who will miss Clancy`s style of writing. With Clancy it's simple, you either love what he does or you don't, and if you are fan, then it's been a long time, about ten years since he has been on the Best Seller list, but once again that is where he is headed. Clancy is the master of his genre because he takes the time to learn technical aspects of what he is writing about. This means when you read Clancy you are reading the real thing. Facts are checked, scenarios are discussed with technical aspects, and nothing is left to chance or done offhandedly. When he talks weapons, he goes into the detail that a munitions dealer would deal with. In this novel we see operators using a Knights Armament M110 Sniper System. He tells you it's the best because he has done the homework. It is facts like this that the master storyteller weaves into the tapestry of his books that many readers including myself find fascinating. I am not going to discuss the plot in detail because that's why we read the book. Here's what you need to know. This is a big blot book which is what most of Clancy's books represent. In this case, Jack Ryan is a retired President of the United States. His son Jack Junior is running a secret independent anti-terrorist agency that his father the President started. It is called The Campus, and it has been successful for years going after the bad guys. The current President seems to be weak on terrorism and is more concerned with guaranteeing the legal rights of the bad guys than protecting the country. You are already seeing the subplots develop. Clancy puts us in the thick of it. We as readers are in the game. When Delta Force operators and Rangers go into the caves of Afghanistan we are with them. We breathe the odors; we hear the sounds, and we feel the tension. We find ourselves silencing our own voices because we don't want the good guys to be caught, and that is classic Clancy. In this book there is evil in the world, and in DEAD or ALIVE, an evil man in the world is at lodge. He has wreaked havoc on the Western world. We call him the Emir, and his objective is to deal a devastating terrorist blow to the United States. The book takes you around the world while Ryan Junior, and his father's old hands John Clark and Ding Chavez join Ryan along with Brian and Dominic Caruso with Mary Foley. It's a race for time, and for America. Will the good guys win, and where is the Emir? Is he in a cave 8,000 miles away or is he right here among us? You will have to read the book to find out and oh what an ending. Why I Love Clancy and you will too? Please allow me to give you a feel why Clancy was the absolute best writer in his fiction segment. It is his incessant ability to weave odd important facts into his stories, and to weave reality into the fabric of the plot: * His description of the computer setup at the National Security Agency is without equal. * There are 125,000 cranes in the world and currently Dubai has 30,000 of them currently building and rebuilding the city. Who knows things like this? * Plans do not survive the first contact with the enemy. * Laziness has consequences. If you are a sentry, if you pause, if you hesitate, if you light up a cigarette, you are DEAD. * You don't have to like it; you just have to do it. * The FBI Urban Tactical Training Facility is preeminent in the world. They are the best of the best. See why in the book. CONCLUSION: This is a great read, all 848 pages of it. You start the book and you can't put it down, and in the end isn't that why we read Clancy. We just keep going until we are finished, and when we are finished we are ready for more. That is why he will be missed by so many readers out there. Read it today and see for yourself, and thank you for reading this review.",
"reviewer": "Joseph Harris"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Reader's Stockholm Syndrome.",
"text": "Reader's Stockholm Syndrome. Logistically, at 2 pounds, 2 inches thick and 950 pages, Tom Clancy's new tome Dead or Alive is one big book. Not user friendly as a vacation trip take along, best read with a lap pillow. Ambivalence is my word to describe this huge novel. Mr. Clancy's first Ryan novel in 7 years required him to reset the Ryan-esque literary table for both old and new readers. The first hundred or so pages accomplished this laborious task. Both interesting and tedious it was a bit of a slog. Finally, Mr. Clancy began his story for the hunt of master terrorist The Emir, all the while deconstructing The Emir's intricately complicated mega terrorist plot. Complexly written on several different levels, the story was both interesting and cumbersome. Keeping track of the various sub-plots and characters becomes daunting and requires the reader to pay attention, or else one becomes confused and lost in the proverbial weeds. Weaving so many different threads together the story soon became bloated as Mr. Clancy attempted to keep the plot in motion. Yet, with a story of this magnitude it required Mr. Clancy to sometimes overwrite to keep things moving along and in some semblance of story cohesion. Dead or Alive is NOT the techno thriller of the old Tom Clancy genre, but rather a quasi-techno thriller in the genre of today's patriotic anti-terrorist novels along the line of Vince Flynn or Brad Thor. Still, the story and its limited action were enough to hold my attention to the less than climatic finish. The final torture scenes involving The Emir were interesting in light of today's torture discussion and well worth the read. Overall, Mr. Clancy's new book was good but not in the same literary league as The Hunt for October or Red Storm Rising (my favorite techno-novel of all time). No gratuitous violence, sex, or language. The action scenes were well done and cogent to the novel's storyline. Violence is the essence of terrorism which Mr. Clancy portrays accurately and is not overblown. Still, at 950 pages a little more action would have made for an easier read. Character development was spotty. The usual Jack Ryan characters were present and developed. Mr. Clark was center stage-my favorite Clancy character. Jack Ryan Jr. was developed and several new characters introduced. I really liked Ranger First Sgt Sam Driscoll and hope Mr. Clancy develops him in future novels. Ambivalent recommend. I generally liked the story but it was not a 5 star novel. Because of its size it would also be a difficult hardback to take on vacation: It's a home read. If you are A Clancy fan, like me, I would get this novel at your local library. If you wait for the paperback it should be OK for vacation or the beach. All in all a 4 star recommend based primarily on Mr. Clancy's past works. The question now is what's next.",
"reviewer": "Robert C. Olson"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "It's Been a Decade but TOM CLANCY IS BACK, and this is AS GOOD AS IT GETS!!!! Five Stars",
"text": "With Clancy it's simple, you either love what he does or you don't, and if you are fan, then it's been a long time, about ten years since he has been on the Best Seller list, but once again that is where he is headed. Clancy is the master of his genre because he takes the time to learn technical aspects of what he is writing about. This means when you read Clancy you are reading the real thing. Facts are checked, scenarios are discussed with technical aspects, and nothing is left to chance or done offhandedly. When he talks weapons, he goes into the detail that a munitions dealer would deal with. In this novel we see operators using a Knights Armament M110 Sniper System. He tells you it's the best because he has done the homework. It is facts like this that the master storyteller weaves into the tapestry of his books that many readers including myself find fascinating. I am not going to discuss the plot in detail because that's why we read the book. Here's what you need to know. This is a big blot book which is what most of Clancy's books represent. In this case, Jack Ryan is a retired President of the United States. His son Jack Junior is running a secret independent anti-terrorist agency that his father the President started. It is called The Campus, and it has been successful for years going after the bad guys. The current President seems to be weak on terrorism and is more concerned with guaranteeing the legal rights of the bad guys than protecting the country. You are already seeing the subplots develop. Clancy puts us in the thick of it. We as readers are in the game. When Delta Force operators and Rangers go into the caves of Afghanistan we are with them. We breathe the odors; we hear the sounds, and we feel the tension. We find ourselves silencing our own voices because we don't want the good guys to be caught, and that is classic Clancy. In this book there is evil in the world, and in DEAD or ALIVE, an evil man in the world is at lodge. He has wreaked havoc on the Western world. We call him the Emir, and his objective is to deal a devastating terrorist blow to the United States. The book takes you around the world while Ryan Junior, and his father's old hands John Clark and Ding Chavez join Ryan along with Brian and Dominic Caruso with Mary Foley. It's a race for time, and for America. Will the good guys win, and where is the Emir? Is he in a cave 8,000 miles away or is he right here among us? You will have to read the book to find out and oh what an ending. Why I Love Clancy and you will too? Please allow me to give you a feel why Clancy is the absolute best writer in his fiction segment. It is his incessant ability to weave odd important facts into his stories, and to weave reality into the fabric of the plot: * His description of the computer setup at the National Security Agency is without equal. * There are 125,000 cranes in the world and currently Dubai has 30,000 of them currently building and rebuilding the city. Who knows things like this? * Plans do not survive the first contact with the enemy. * Laziness has consequences. If you are a sentry, if you pause, if you hesitate, if you light up a cigarette, you are DEAD. * You don't have to like it; you just have to do it. * The FBI Urban Tactical Training Facility is preeminent in the world. They are the best of the best. See why in the book. CONCLUSION: This is a great read, all 848 pages of it. You start the book and you can't put it down, and in the end isn't that why we read Clancy. We just keep going until we are finished, and when we are finished we are ready for more. That is why 10 years is too long to wait for a Clancy novel. Read it today and see for yourself, and thank you for reading this review. Richard C. Stoyeck",
"reviewer": "Richard of Connecticut"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "All the familiar characters and a great story",
"text": "Tom Clancy is back with another interesting story that is taken from today's headlines. All of the old familiar characters are back, Jack Sr., John Clark, Domingo Chavez as well as the new set of characters, Jack Jr. and his two cousins, Dominic and Brian Caruso. The plot of the story is our nations attempt to track down the \"Emir\" whom we know is just the name Clancy is using for Osama Bin Laden. We start out with a group of Special Forces Rangers checking out the latest cave that might possibly have the Emir hiding in it. Only to have them frustrated that again it is a cold lead, although they do have some interesting finds for the intelligence groups. We then switch to Jack Sr. and his frustration with how our country is now being run by the new President, or maybe the better thought is how it is not being run, but being manipulated for political power. Then there are Jack Jr. and the Caruso boys waiting at The Campus for the green light to go ahead and track down the Emir. But the problem is that there are so many different agencies doing intelligence in the U.S. that who knows what all of the real intel is. The boys get the go ahead and the race is on to try and find the Emir. Oh, and to add a bit of suspense Jack Sr. still doesn't know that Jack Jr. is doing work that is highly dangerous and follows the lead of his father's past. Clancy does a wonderful job of building up each character, adding some new characters, reviving old characters and just generally giving us many sup plots that run alongside the bigger plot. The book is long, but it takes that much time to address all of the people, all of the issues and build a credible story. Again I think that the intelligence community may have to stop and ask the question, \"how does Tom Clancy know all of this stuff\", or better yet, \"who is his source?\" If you are a Tom Clancy fan you are going to enjoy this book. If you are new to Clancy you will also enjoy this book and will find that for the most part you don't need to read all of his other books first to be able to follow this plot and these characters, although previous knowledge of all those involved is helpful. This is a book that you will find hard to put down. It is great to have Clancy back in good form. Now the problem is what will I do while I wait for his next installment? Enjoy!",
"reviewer": "WDC"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Another good Clancy thriller",
"text": "I have skipped the \"second generation\" books so Jack Jr and his cousins were new to me as characters. Jack Ryan Sr appears in cameo parts and it sounds as though another book is in the works. The action was very good and kept me reading until I finished it in two days. I read the Kindle version and that was nice. I have Kindle versions of some of the older books and there are lots of typos because the books were obviously scanned without a lot of proof reading. There were no typos in this book on Kindle. The plot was complicated, as so many of Clancy's plots are but held up well. There are a couple of annoying errors, including the one about Shias being the majority in Iraq, not the minority. Another error was in the sub plot about the Claymore mine to be used as a terrorist tool. Rat poison, dicoumarol, does not act immediately but takes several days for the effect to take place. For that reason, there is no reason to put rat poison pellets in a Claymore mine. I don't know enough geography to check for errors in the other sections of the book, in which the plots do go all over the world. I noticed less detail about the actual plans for the terrorist weapons. \"The Sum of All Fears\" did a great job of describing how a nuclear weapon is made. \"Patriot Games (Jack Ryan)\" did much the same (assuming it was true and I do) with the IRA and their training camps. This book is more of a thriller with the detail less of a feature. There is plenty of detail about the steganography and one time pads so maybe that was the emphasis this time. It's well done and I recommend it.",
"reviewer": "Michael T Kennedy"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "3 Stars for Nostalgia's sake",
"text": "If you are like me, you spent many happy hours reading some of the best thrillers written; Hunt for Red October, Red Storm Rising and so forth. You marveled at the in-depth knowledge, the futuristic but plausible stories, the intriguing characters - sharp dedicated men (and occasionally women) who you rooted for and tried to identify with. Jack Ryan, the infamous Mr Clark, Ding Chavez, Admiral Greer, and many more. Some of these characters are in this book, and that is why I gave it 3 Stars for nostalgia's sake. Otherwise this is a two star book. First the plot, yep, it's the Islamic terrorists again. Of course Islamic terrorists are a real threat but the author who gave us rogue Soviets, Japanese nationalists, Colombian Drug lords is stuck in the same rut as most other authors and he doesn't make it as exciting as they do. This is a much more political book than before, political in the sense it takes political sides and is written from the perspective that of course \"knuckle draggers\" don't get their due. As an ex-knuckle dragger (His term) from Vietnam days the treatment the young men and women of the Spec ops community receives today is incredibly positive, but apparently a couple of Spec Ops guys got to Clancy and convinced him other wise. Oh, there is also the part where this top secret off the record organization funds itself by being able to manipulate the market because they have all this financial savvy and inside information. See their office building is strategically placed so they can intercept signals from the NSA, CIA, etc and no one notices the antenna farm on the roof - with NSA operatives like this maybe Clancy is right? Next, the characters - shallow, yep that's most of the characters. I wonder if Mr Clancy is too busy? He is now a franchise and this book like \"Teeth of the Tiger\" plays on the loyalty of fans like me (Teeth had a good idea in that attacking shopping malls for the Christmas rush would be a very effective tactic for terrorists). Since Mr Clancy seemingly has turned this book over to someone else due to his schedule the characters, in particular Jack Ryan Jr are undeveloped and lack that urgency that at one time described characters in the Jack Ryan Universe. There are many times that both the antagonists and protagonists do really dumb things; discussing whether to kill an information source and letting him overhear, being unarmed in a clash with assassins that it makes you wonder if he just couldn't come up with a creative plot twist and was too lazy to really try? Oh, the book is interesting at times, worth $2.99-$3.99 if you enjoy thrillers and believe that the military and the Intelligence community should be given complete control of US (and Great Britain's) foreign policy, my advice wait to buy it used or even better check it out of your local library",
"reviewer": "M. J Bauer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great Book",
"text": "I really enjoyed the Jack Ryan series. He’s my favorite fictional character. I love how this is transitioning to Junior and the Campus. This was a great book. Easy to read/listen and to follow along.",
"reviewer": "CC"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Can you believe the reviewers on here?..............Not a chance",
"text": "I ordered a set of three Clancy books just to catch up on the story line. Dead or Alive is believe it or not a good read. I'm not looking for some Nobel prize material with a series book, just good entertainment. This book provides it to a tee. The Characters are there still as they were with the signs of time added to it to bring more life into them. Don't expect a bunch of 25 year olds to be running around the world saving it....(oh, wait a minute,there are 25 year olds running around ) Just NEW CHARACTERS to get used to with the originals coming along for the ride.The number of pages is still showing that Clancy likes a long read and his readers can agree that his books will always be able to provide a way to lose yourself for a few hours or days away from what we call society today.Dead or Alive picks up with the story line and provides a few things that you remember from before. If you are a fan of the Jack Ryan series, take the plunge and catch up with old and new friends. You can't help but like this book because it FITS with the series. Those of you that have trashed it in your reviews are the same type of people who at the beginning of the TV season load their DVD's with the Twilight Zone series and then complain that it's black and white.It comes down to....if you liked the series,then buy Dead or Alive and enjoy it. If you're looking for some great ground-breaking material, buy it anyway. Too much techno babble will rot your brain.",
"reviewer": "Larry Johnson"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Another good book",
"text": "While not the best Clancy book I read, it's not the worst. The Campus has a few new members this time. John Clark and Ding Chavez from Rainbow were forcibly retired and joined the Campus. But there's a problem, the Emir has a new plan and it's not good. But as with these books he was stopped but not before other URC Cells did their attacks. The beginning of the novel was good, the middle slow, and it picked up in the end. Hence why it's four stars, still good but not great.",
"reviewer": "Sabastian B."
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Attention to detail without the ghost writers would see this series return to its glory days",
"text": "I have long been a fan of the Jack Ryan adventures since we first met Sir Jack when he hunted the Red October. Clancy though has lost his way. And ghost writers are probably the reason why. A technique of Dumas after becoming famous was to dictate plots to others to write the stories. Clancy used to make me believe that our heroes were diligent intelligence officers and operatives plugging away at the evidence they gathered and then deciphering the picture and solving the problem. Now, we need 300 pages to get warmed up. Then it becomes formula. Something bad is happening, our heroes will uncover through plot devices what they need to know in order to stop the worst just in the last moments before it all goes badly. Every time, though? Why not stop it days, months, before it goes bad. Why not lose and only be able to show up too late? That would not sell the American dream that we are somehow superior which is the subplot throughout the entire work. That we are superior. That because we are superior, we have these enemies who will defeat us because we take all that for granted. That there are hundreds of ways to infiltrate our borders and do damage, but always our Ryan heroes come through and save the day. Clancy's team writes decent suspense, but these books could be reduced in size (less air between lines) and word count. (We were told that Jack's son is following his father's professional career choices about 1000 times. Every time the plot moves a few hours ahead we have to have characters ask how they each are by each of them for the event that happened 100 pages ago, but only a few hours before...) These are big faults of writing. To Clancy he want's to make sure all he close family inside his head are fed, have lives, remember to flush the toilet. We actually don't care about the mundane unless it adds to the story, and far too much doesn't. If it adds to the characterization we are following great, but he has given so many of his secondary characters their own novels, that each has to be treated like the primary when they are on stage, and that is not the case. Once Clancy can oversee his writers and make them understand how to really write a good, tight suspense book, we will be able to rate these outstanding, but until then, they are only slightly better than average and that is because of the earlier work that has been established.",
"reviewer": "David Wilkin"
},
{
"stars": 1,
"title": "This is what happens when an author writes himself into a corner",
"text": "Welcome back one more time to the Clancy-verse. Enjoy your stay. With this cinder block, you'll be here awhile. As a refresher, please remember that all women in the Clancy-verse are either prostitutes or have multiple kids. All \"good men\" are conservative, Catholic school educated, use and carry firearms or are British. All \"bad men\" are either Ivy-League educated, paunchy, liberal lawyers or are of Middle Eastern descent. Neutral characters are always \"just in it for the money\" and have a 20% survival rate. This guide will assist you by removing the need to remember dozens of minor characters that enter and exit at dizzying intervals. In all seriousness, reading this Clancy novel is like picking up \"Atlas Shrugged\" 15 years after you first read it before college. Exciting, black-and-white plot lines, glamorous characters that change the world and easy solutions to intractable problems give way to the mature realization that the world just doesn't work this way. What made Clancy novels of the past so great was the believability, the \"wow, that could happen\" factor. This has been missing from the last few Clancy novels and is sorely missing from this one as well. But even these points could be overlooked, ignored or even laughed at in passing if not for the other issues of this book. Clancy has attempted to finally reconcile his universe with what actually happened in the real world over the last decade. Experienced Clancy readers will recall the three fictional wars the United States fought and quickly won following the end of the Cold War. Clancy has now attempted to fit the (real) Iraq and Afghanistan wars into his narrative history, creating a plot hole that simply can't be ignored. Did the sainted, conservative and competent Jack Ryan Sr order what even Clancy derides as an unpopular and poorly led war? By the timeline of the book, this appears the case and if so, how can Ryan even consider another run for office when the real and imagined electorate has so rejected the Iraq incursion? Also, how can Iraq fit into the Clancy-verse? At the end of \"Executive Orders\", Iraq and Iran are described as opening friendlier diplomatic relations with the US. References to current tensions with Iran in the book add to the pile of \"huh?\" moments. This book ultimately collapses under the weight of its own contradictions, set up from previous Jack Ryan novels and written into the book itself. Only a few hundred pages after a character muses at the ridiculous, Hollywood-inspired notion of the \"ticking bomb\" torture scenario, what provides the information to save the West coast of the US at the last minute but torturing a terrorist while the bomb is ticking. Adding in Clancy's increasingly ham-handed attempts at political commentary just sends this book farther into the bargain bin. I believe experienced Clancy readers can recognize \"The Bear and the Dragon\" started the slide in quality, coinciding with increased political content in the writing. \"Dead or Alive\" is an overly long, poorly written and edited episode of \"24\". If you bought this in non-digital format, take it to your local used bookstore and sell it before they stop accepting any more.",
"reviewer": "Park Ave"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "not at all unconvincing",
"text": "Good story line as would be expected from the Rayan series. Fast moving and entertaining. Looking forward to the next read.",
"reviewer": "Stephen D. Wessel"
},
{
"stars": 2,
"title": "It's Clancy, But Far From His Best",
"text": "This book was a good read overall, but a major disappointment nonetheless. Tom Clancy has always been one of my favorite authors, largely because of how detailed, technically accurate, and plausible his writing is. The precision with which Clancy describes an operation, a naval vessel, a building, or even the smallest of personal items is a big part of what makes his writing so great. Unfortunately, the usual Clancy detail, accuracy, and plausibility just weren't there. The fact that he had a co-author is very obvious from the writing style. I will not offer any significant spoilers, but will say that this book was very poorly edited. One character briefly has two right arms. A shotgun fires several rounds, yet miraculous has the same number of remaining rounds that it started with. That same shotgun somehow ends up in the possession of two characters simultaneously. Characters use slang terms in various languages that speakers of those languages do not actually use in real life, ever (the most extreme example is characters constantly calling each other \"mano;\" \"mano\" means \"hand,\" not \"man\"). The book randomly switches which character is doing something, when the new actor was supposedly to be several rooms away; it's as though Clancy lost track of who was doing what. Phrases get jumbled up (for example, a character incorrectly says \"make due\" instead of \"make do\"), and in a number of places it is obvious that at least one word is simply missing. And then there are the many technical errors (MINOR SPOILERS IN THIS PARAGRAPH). For example, Dead or Alive features an impossibly large DVD containing an impossibly large set of images. The largest-capacity DVDs can hold a touch over 17 GB of data; one in this book holds 60 GB. Even more absurdly, that 60 GB consists of 365 JPEG images. That makes the average file on the disc around 160 MB in size. (By comparison, even high-resolution photographs off of a 12 megapixel digital camera would be about 2-3 MB each when the photographs are saved as JPEGs.) Each JPEG contains a hidden series of letters and numbers, a couple hundred bytes long. The technique is called steganography, in which a message is hidden \"in plain sight,\" by embedding the message in something else, such as an image. The idea is that anyone who intercepts the container -- the image -- would not even know that it contains a hidden message, much less how to extract that message. So why does the average file on this absurdly large disc take up about 160 MB? A great way not to hide something is to make its container stand out like a sore thumb. Plus, these images are supposed to be elements of web pages and routinely accessed by dozens or thousands of people around the world, many of them from internet cafes. Downloading a 160 MB file at an internet cafe at the speeds typical in many parts of the world (often below dial-up speeds) could easily take more than 6 hours. Thousands of people doing that every day on the same handful of sites, even assuming the web servers in question don't melt down, is pointless and absolutely ridiculous, especially if the idea is for it to go undetected. On the whole, I still enjoyed this book, but it was nowhere near the quality of Clancy's other novels (at least, those for which he was the sole author -- I have never thought that the books on which he is listed as co-author were very good). Die-hard Clancy fans will probably still enjoy the chance to see so many of their favorite characters back in action, but don't expect it to be at the same level as books like Hunt for Red October or Debt of Honor.",
"reviewer": "Ed Cottrell"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "In the beginning are many characters, so it takes some time to accumulate then to the grand picture.",
"text": "In the book Red Rabbit TC. Quotes on the front pages: Pythagoras.”The most momentous thing in human life, is the art of winning the soul to good or to evil.” In the book Dead or alive TC is pointing out the Clear and Present Danger which is pointing at the US and the world at large. The danger which is built up in some of the Farawaystans uses old models, like The Old Man of the Mountain, which the term “Assassination” is taken from and frequently mentioned in the 240 year history of the Crusades. The Ottoman Empire was built on slave soldiers, Janissaries and Mamelukes. Some Mullahs took to the road of evil, as it sloped down and more easy to walk. In the Farawaystans the mullahs founded religious schools where the assembled young boys for religious brain washing and turning them to self destructive warriors which we call Taliban. There is still a lot of naïveté in the west about this development and calling the uprising in North Africa, The Arab Spring shows that clearly. Western political leaders are too busy listening to lobbyists, that they have no time for philosophical and religious thinking. For the first time I find TC. A bit critical of the US security institutes, ineffective and bureaucratic. As for the president I think of the Texas kid who termed himself “War President” It is a bit clumsy of TC. To let Jack Ryan senior run again for the presidency, as all the world knows who is the president of the US. Obviously TC. Wants to use Jack Ryan as a tutor of how we should maneuver against the present danger. Garðabæ 21.07.2013. Elías Kristjánsson",
"reviewer": "Elías Kristjánsson"
}
],
"binding": "Hardcover",
"currentPrice": 7.39,
"listPrice": 28.95,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "0671877097",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Janissaries",
"authors": "Jerry Pournelle",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51e29R5IRPL.jpg",
"rating": 4.4,
"reviewCount": "608",
"series": "Janissaries",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1302375877000",
"description": "Reluctantly volunteering for a dangerous mission, Captain Rick Galloway and his men are cut off in hostile territory when the CIA pulls out their support, an event that is further complicated when an alien spaceship arrives. Reprint.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great Read!",
"text": "This title has a wonderful tale filled with great characters, dialogue, history and action. There are battle scenes, weapons and plots, subplots, devious vharscyers and love stories. Read this book! !",
"reviewer": "D. R. Adair"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "A good story of Americans flown to another planet by aliens.",
"text": "As an old Sci-Fi fan, I always knew about Jerry Pournelle, who wrote in Byte and other PC magazines but also wrote Sci-Fi years ago (still does). So I ordered this book used to see how he wrote and it has hooks, adventure, off world creatures and reminds me of a better written John Carter of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The science is not overly complex and the focus is on the American characters landing on a far planet. A good story.",
"reviewer": "Vance Jochim"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Janissaries A book that you can't put down!",
"text": "I read Jsnissaries shortly after it first came out. Now we have four books in the series. I was afraid after Jerry Pournelle passing we would never see the forth book. I'm glad it was published by his son. I now read the entire series every year and find it just as great when I first picked up and read Janissaries all those years ago.",
"reviewer": "Mark Hinkle"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Remembering so much from 40 years ago",
"text": "And being anxious to re-read it speaks volumes about how much I enjoy this story. Pournell, like the master Heinlein gets the science right! He also knows how to pace his tale. As I read this time I kept intending to skip over parts I remember well, but I didn’t because they were good storytelling and worth reading and enjoying again. If you enjoy military history, and wonder what would happen if Alexander the Great had faced the Christian army of the first crusade (I wish he’d covered that one,) or similar matchup you’ll love this book. He was clever in how he limited the modern troops, (one abram M1 with sufficient ammo and a few supporting infantry could defeat any army up to the 20th century) or IMNHO a few ma duces with ammo could ruin most armies up to the mid 19th century. Bottom line, I wish there were 6 nah, 10… 50? More books.",
"reviewer": "Reb Bacchus"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Good for a quick read",
"text": "I first read this book in 1986. I saw that Baen was releasing this in an Omnibus so I decided to get the audio book. I was a decent book, I had remembered some of the details but not much. It was a lot shorter than I remember and it seems more rushed. The book moves at a fairly fast pace and I don't think this helps the story. It is a decent book and the other two in the series are good. SPOILER ALERT!!!!! The third book ends on a cliff hanger that has never been resolved, there is no fourth book.",
"reviewer": "John L. Mahan"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Abandoned by their government and left to die, the mercenaries had only one chance to live.",
"text": "A fantastic tale of medieval warfare, space travel, betrayal, populations separated by 600 years of history, and events that could mean the end of earth, combine to bring twists and turns with page-turning action. Excellent characters and a superb plot. Well worth the time.",
"reviewer": "Sam B. Wagner"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Good beginning",
"text": "Well crafted, but a quick read. Pournelle layers in his research, except erience, and worldview in a compelling story. Worth your time.",
"reviewer": "Montechristo"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Janissaries (Book 1)",
"text": "I read this book for the first time over 25 years ago, and enjoyed the character development and overall theory of what \"could\" happen if someone from the \"future\", if you will, were transported back in time. Pournelle put a different take on it, and I really enjoyed the twist. I introduced my son who HATED reading to Ender's Game and Janissaries while he was very young, and all these years later he absolutely still loves to read. Kudos to having a version that I can take anywhere, even though I can't yet find my original books that are still in storage!",
"reviewer": "Gary Haskill"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Sometimes a mercenary needs to learn to work for himselft",
"text": "It had not been Rick Galloway’s intention to make the army his career or to become a mercenary but a mercenary working in Africa is what he became. Unfortunately his side was losing and he and his men were about to die so when an alien spacecraft lands and say come aboard what choice do you really have. Now it seems the aliens want Rick and his men to manage a local population and grow a crop for them. How they do this is up to them but every effort to provide the supplies Galloway specifies are necessary will be provided. Then on very short notice the entire team is ordered aboard ship with only a portion of the identified supplies. A few weeks later Rick and his men are dumped at their destination along with an addition. It seems the pilot’s girlfriend is pregnant and he is leaving her with Rick. Oh yes and within minutes of landing Rick’s men mutiny as his second in command says Rick is too soft. So it begins. – I liked this story when I first read it back when it was first published and I liked it when I read it this time. A solid base is laid for the second book.",
"reviewer": "Mark Powell"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "absolutely classic science fiction",
"text": "Yes it feels a little cliched now, but as my dad once told me when we watched Casablanca, that is because it established many of the ode cliches.",
"reviewer": "GRF"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "One Of My Personal Classics",
"text": "I read this in the seventh grade back in 89, it was the first sci-fi I had really read in novel form. It turned me on to Pournelle, and thereafter Niven et al. Its an interesting read, perhaps overshadowed now by newer works in terms of breadth, but I still reread it. The second and third book of the series were out of print for years, and I wasn't willing to cough up hundreds for them, so when they came out as a single release on Kindle I jumped on it. It's amusing, I have the paper copy of this and the Kindle copies of the others. I'd love to see an anniversary compilation in print at some point. Give it to my children if I ever have them.",
"reviewer": "T. Russo"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "High Adventure",
"text": "I first read this book decades ago. Its lost none of its charm. The author has wrestled Space Aliens, American special forces, ancient cultures, and so much more into a very coherent enjoyable and exciting story.",
"reviewer": "LR McLean, It.Col(USAFR,ret.)"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A terrific read",
"text": "Lots of history, well-researched, set in a Sci-Fi background with a hero, a love interest, and lots of excitement. What more could any reader want? This reader can’t wait to read the next book! Definitely five stars.",
"reviewer": "Vulcan38019"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Old classic for a reason",
"text": "Pournelle had the germ of an idea that expanded to a series. He posed a question: which is more important to a civilization, war or education? Choose wisely or you may just fall prey to aliens.",
"reviewer": "Drew"
}
],
"binding": "Mass Market Paperback",
"currentPrice": null,
"listPrice": null,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "1476753830",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking",
"authors": "Samin Nosrat, Wendy MacNaughton",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/514k51KKXAL.jpg",
"rating": 4.8,
"reviewCount": "24,070",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1551932310000",
"description": "“Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat will make you a better cook” (Bon Apetit). Millions of readers and cooks of all levels have radically transformed their skillset thanks to this indispensable cookbook from the chef NPR called “the next Julia Child.”\n \n Transform how you prep, cook, and think about food with this visionary master class in cooking by Samin Nosrat that distills decades of professional experience into just four simple elements—from the woman declared “America’s next great cooking teacher” by Alice Waters.\n \n Featuring more than 100 recipes from Samin and more than 150 illustrations from acclaimed illustrator Wendy MacNaughton! More than 1 million copies sold! Winner of the James Beard Award and IACP Cookbook Award! Perennial New York Times bestseller! Inspiration for the popular Netflix series!\n\nIn the tradition of The Joy of Cooking and How to Cook Everything comes Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, an ambitious new approach to cooking. Chef and writer Samin Nosrat has taught everyone from professional chefs to middle school kids to author Michael Pollan to cook using her revolutionary, yet simple, philosophy. Master the use of just four elements—Salt, which enhances flavor; Fat, which delivers flavor and generates texture; Acid, which balances flavor; and Heat, which ultimately determines the texture of food—and anything you cook will be delicious. By explaining the hows and whys of good cooking, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat will teach and inspire a new generation of cooks how to confidently make better decisions in the kitchen and cook delicious meals with any ingredients, anywhere, at any time.\n \n Echoing Samin’s own journey from culinary novice to award-winning chef, Salt, Fat Acid, Heat immediately bridges the gap between home and professional kitchens. With charming narrative, illustrated walkthroughs, and a lighthearted approach to kitchen science, Samin demystifies the four elements of good cooking for everyone. Refer to the canon of 100 essential recipes—and dozens of variations—to put the lessons into practice and make bright, balanced vinaigrettes, perfectly caramelized roast vegetables, tender braised meats, and light, flaky pastry doughs.\n \n Destined to be a classic, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat just might be the last cookbook you’ll ever need.\n \n With a foreword by Michael Pollan.\n \n *Named one of the Best Books of the Year by: NPR, BuzzFeed, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Rachael Ray Every Day, San Francisco Chronicle, Elle.com, Glamour, Eater, Newsday, The Seattle Times, Tampa Bay Times, Tasting Table, Publishers Weekly, and more!*",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: A Game-Changing Cookbook for Every Kitchen Chef Rebecca Raffle’s Review",
"text": "Amazon Review: Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat is a Game-Changer for Every Home Cook and Chef As a professional chef and food science educator, I’ve read countless cookbooks, but very few have fundamentally reshaped my approach to cooking like Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat. This book isn’t just a collection of recipes. It’s an essential culinary guide that breaks cooking down into its four foundational elements, making it easy for anyone to cook intuitively. Why This Book is Revolutionary Nosrat doesn’t just tell you how to cook—she teaches you why things work in the kitchen. She simplifies complex concepts with clear, engaging explanations, stunning illustrations, and a warmth that makes you feel like she’s guiding you personally. I’ve always believed that understanding the “why” behind cooking techniques is what separates a great cook from an average one, and this book delivers that knowledge in a way that’s both accessible and profoundly educational. Key Takeaways That Changed My Cooking Forever ✅ Salt Enhances Everything – This book deepened my appreciation for how different salts (kosher, flaky, fine) impact flavor and texture. ✅ Fat is Flavor – From olive oil to butter, Nosrat explains how fats carry flavor and influence mouthfeel. ✅ Acid Balances Dishes – One of my biggest takeaways was how acid (vinegars, citrus, fermented foods) brings food to life. ✅ Heat is the Final Key – Understanding the science of heat helped me refine my roasting, searing, and braising techniques. Perfect for Beginners and Experts Alike Whether you’re a home cook just starting out or a seasoned chef looking to refine your skills, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat belongs in your kitchen. The techniques in this book have helped me train culinary students, teach home cooks, and even improve my own plating and recipe development. Final Thoughts: A Must-Have Culinary Guide This book has changed the way I cook and teach food science, making it one of my most recommended reads. If you’ve ever struggled with seasoning, balancing flavors, or perfecting textures, this book will give you the confidence and knowledge to cook instinctively. ⭐ 5 out of 5 stars! Essential for anyone who loves food. - Chef Rebecca Raffle",
"reviewer": "Rebecca Raffle"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Must read for anyone wanting to be a better chef/ foodie home cook one of the best books",
"text": "I bought it a long time ago but never got around to reading or listening to it until a few weeks ago. I am just stunned by how amazing the book is. I am in Love with this book. It's the perfect balance of knowledge, tips, passion, stories, and anecdotes. Fun, yet also meaningful and impactful - a very rare mix indeed. This is easily one of the top ten cookbooks ever in my mind. It's a pleasure to read and listen to. Samin is like a great college professor, not the ones who read from the Textbook, but ones who engage you and share their joy of what they love, full of stories and anecdotes. They spark you to think for yourself, and they actually have more knowledge than any dry textbook could ever have. Reading/listening to this book is like spending a long weekend with a really good friend who has ADHD but is a master chef with world-class cooking experience. They just dump all their knowledge and love of cooking over the weekend, cooking dishes with you. At times, it can be overwhelming with all the knowledge and hot tidbits she provides, but Samin is so warm, humble, and unpretentious, her tone is so calming, you just go with the flow. But I am going to have to go back and listen and read the book multiple times and take notes, so that I can fully absorb the immense knowledge she has so generously shared with us. Thank you She really wants you to understand the concepts and empower you to make better food with the knowledge she is sharing. It's not about “I am an amazing Chef so copy me”. It's \"I love food and cooking great food, and here are the secrets I used to understand the how and why to create great food, so can you too. I look forward to watching the Netflix series.",
"reviewer": "Always looking 4"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A Must-Have Book",
"text": "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is an incredible guide for anyone looking to truly understand the fundamentals of cooking. Samin Nosrat breaks down the four elements in a clear, approachable way, with practical tips that you can apply immediately in the kitchen. The illustrations are charming and make complex concepts easy to grasp. This book doesn’t just give recipes—it teaches you how to think like a cook, making it invaluable for both beginners and experienced cooks alike. Highly recommend!",
"reviewer": "The Dowreys"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Samin Nosrat is now one of the two patron saints of cooking.",
"text": "Samin Nosrat is one of the two patron saints of cooking. She stands right next to my mom on the pedestal of food education. I hate being tied to recipes (because I rarely in my life outside of my mother's kitchen ever had ingredients on hand--I was poor for many years, or living with an obsessive minimalist who didn't believe in keeping a food or ingredient cushion or \"unnecessary spices,\" but recently because I am so busy I go months without grocery shopping). I can always tell when something is missing from my dishes, but I didn't always know how to fix it. I bought this book about 2 weeks ago, and after reading about half of the section about salt, my cooking has already improved dramatically. It's written halfway as a cookbook and halfway as a text book about how to cook. It's got an entire page the charts when to salt different types of food for maximum flavor. It's got an entire page of types of salt, another page of salty foods to add to your plate to create balance, and that's literally just the chapter on salt. I love the tone that she uses to write her book, it is so friendly, and memorable, and humble. She doesn't pad her pride by omitting tales of kitchen woe and failure, there are many times when she uses her own failed cooking experiences as an example of what not to do. These vivid examples stay in my mind as I cook my own food, and have helped me to make fewer mistakes--and be less afraid of those mistakes--on my cooking journey. A cookbook that is a delight to read is a rarity, but this one really takes the cake (pun intended). Ms. Nosrat finds perfect balance between a beautiful, memorable narrative, and helpful charts for the science of cooking. (Beautifully illustrated by Wendy MacNaughton.) I've regretted many purchases, this is not one of them.",
"reviewer": "iamthepixiechick"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "The Ultimate Guide to Culinary Mastery: Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat",
"text": "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking\" by Samin Nosrat is nothing short of a culinary revelation. This beautifully written and visually stunning book goes beyond traditional recipes to explore the fundamental elements that make food delicious: salt, fat, acid, and heat. What sets this book apart is its approachable and intuitive framework for understanding cooking. Nosrat breaks down complex culinary concepts into simple, easy-to-understand principles, empowering readers to become more confident and creative in the kitchen. By mastering the interplay of salt, fat, acid, and heat, home cooks can unlock the full potential of any dish, from simple salads to elaborate feasts. The book is not just a collection of recipes; it's a comprehensive guide to the art and science of cooking. Nosrat's infectious passion for food shines through in every page, as she shares personal anecdotes, cooking tips, and insights gleaned from years of experience working in professional kitchens. What's more, the book is beautifully illustrated with vibrant illustrations and helpful diagrams that bring the concepts to life. Whether you're a novice cook or a seasoned pro, \"Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat\" is sure to inspire and inform, helping you elevate your cooking to new heights. In conclusion, \"Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat\" is a must-have addition to any cook's library. With its engaging writing style, practical advice, and mouthwatering recipes, it's sure to become a beloved companion in the kitchen for years to come.",
"reviewer": "Bartek"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great cookbook for those wanting to understand cooking better",
"text": "If you did not have a parent teach you how to cook- then this book is a good start because the four elements she talks about are really important to cooking. If I just took one thing from this book, even though there are many, I would have to say her talking about salting the water like it tastes like the ocean for boiling pasta made my pasta dishes jump from mediocre to amazing. Who knew? I am by no means a great cook, I learned the hard way, & I hate to cook at all, but if you watch her series on Netflix (same name as the book), it makes you want to learn just by the interesting way she teaches via the 4 part series. I have not tried her recipes, but I have incorporated her philosophy. I will say, Yes, you can over salt even if she says you cannot, so be careful because I ruined a few things just thinking I cannot do that. I did. You will. She says you will. So make sure you go slow. You can always add more but you cannot take it out. My one word of caution to you, lol. I did get the salt she talks about. It was in Whole foods. Could not find it anywhere else in a real grocery store but we all have different stores in our areas but Whole Foods seems to be coming to more areas. It is expensive, but worth it, in my opinion, as a finishing salt. I got mine smoked (only way I could find it) and sometimes, I just open the jar (I put it in a glass jar) and take a pinch out to eat and I am not a big salt person. It is little things like that that make it worth watching her show and getting the book. If you are a gourmet cook, this will probably not be helpful. If you have young daughters or sons who need to learn to cook, this might be a fun way to teach them by going over some of the recipes & reading the chapters. One thing I will say is that if you are a picture person, there are no actual photos of anything. She had an artist do black ink sketches. I am artistic, & while I like that fact that she hired an actual artist to render the drawings, & they are really realistic, sometimes, a photo of the finished dish is helpful to people like me to know if what I made & what it is supposed to look like match up.",
"reviewer": "Michelle"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Hands down, BEST instructional cookbook EVER!!!",
"text": "If you are looking for just a cookbook of recipes from the show, you can download those on Samin's website. If you want to learn more about the science of cooking that goes beyond the site and series, this book is a MUST have. It is structured more like a text book, but the print, humor, and beautiful drawings make it both easy and entertaining to read and learn. A HUGE plus are the fold outs charts of key ingredients and flavors from around the globe. I read the first part twice and was surprised to see how much I missed in the first read. You will honestly start feeling like a professional cook after reading and applying your knowledge and wisdom from the book. The recipes are all wonderful, and the suggested meal plans and pantry essentials are also a nice bonus. I gave this book 4 stars for ease of navigation. The recipes and links to other sections in the book are not referenced (this would make a great hyperlink source in e-book), and you end up having to scurry back and forth from the TOC and index to find them. I made lots of notes throughout the book (mostly based on tips from the series). Some of the recipes between the book, site, and series are not consistent. For example, I made the Focaccia bread from the recipe on the site, which said to stir dough with spatula until just combined. In the series, they were kneading and punching the dough. As a result, I ended up with dried out crumbly dough and loose flour on one end of the tray. Also the recipe text on the site is fine print size and hard to read. Finally, I added more key content to the Index for easier reference. Really not a huge deal. Like the author says, it's about understanding key concepts and experimenting on your own, and not following the recipe to the T.",
"reviewer": "Linda"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great for chefs and home cooks!",
"text": "Great book. Perfect quality. Love the illustrations and 5 stars for the netflix series that shortens this book. Every chef and home cook can benefit from the information in here.",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Pass!",
"text": "Probably the most beginner friendly book for casual people in or out of the industry. Would recommend to younger cooks.",
"reviewer": "Isaac poasa"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Highly recommend.",
"text": "I’m still working my way through this book but I have learned so much already that has made such a difference in the food that I cook. If you’re looking to take your cooking to the next level, you need this cook. You won’t regret it!",
"reviewer": "Cwilke3761"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Una Guía Transformadora para Cocinar con Confianza",
"text": "Este libro no es solo un recetario: es una verdadera clase maestra de cocina. La autora explica con claridad cómo usar los cuatro pilares fundamentales sal, grasa, ácido y calor para que cualquier plato que prepares tenga sabor, textura y equilibrio. A través de explicaciones accesibles y ejemplos prácticos, incluso un cocinero principiante puede sentir cómo mejora su intuición en la cocina. Desde técnicas básicas hasta recetas inspiradoras, este libro me ha ayudado a cocinar con más creatividad y seguridad. Recomendad para todos los niveles",
"reviewer": "Andreina Bastidas"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Essential book in my cookbook collection",
"text": "One of the best cookbooks for anyone who is ready to progress beyond mere following recipes step by step. Samin presents an easy to learn system for understanding how to build flavor and contrast. And it is a fun book to read. Plus there are recipes for those who want them. I tried a few and they were delish.",
"reviewer": "Superperplex"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Resource book REQUIRED for every kitchen",
"text": "GREAT reference for every kitchen whether you cook alot or a little. Great NPR interview with the authors worth hearing. I've got post its on about a dozen pages - how to season chicken, salting calendar, Ph of foods, what should I cook- which element to emphasize -salt/fat/acid/heat, knife cuts, soup suggestions, how to break down a whole chicken. And the science of cooking - how heat works on food, and more. And recipes!",
"reviewer": "2CorgiMa"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "The Perfect Gift for Anyone Who Loves to Cook",
"text": "I love this book; it made a wonderful gift, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys cooking.",
"reviewer": "Peggy"
}
],
"binding": "Hardcover",
"currentPrice": 24.57,
"listPrice": 40,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B000FC1192",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Coraline",
"authors": "Neil Gaiman, Dave Mckean",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51mvgz2QY9L.jpg",
"rating": 4.7,
"reviewCount": "23,559",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1466260336000",
"description": "When Coraline steps through a door to find another house strangely similar to her own (only better), things seem marvelous.But there's another mother there, and another father, and they want her to stay and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go.Coraline will have to fight with all her wit and courage if she is to save herself and return to her ordinary life.Neil Gaiman's Coraline is a can't-miss classic that enthralls readers age 8 to 12 but also adults who enjoy a perfect smart spooky read.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A book with a scary story for the whole family",
"text": "Coraline and her parents have moved in to a new flat, and things seem wonderful. But, Coraline's parents are too busy for her, so she goes exploring. As she does so, she finds that the new flat has twenty-one windows and fourteen doors. Of those fourteen doors, thirteen open and can be passed through. The fourteenth, though, when Coraline's mother unlocks and opens the door, has only a brick wall behind it. Or does it? Because when Coraline unlocks and opens the fourteenth door, there isn't a brick wall there. Instead, she discovers another flat - which looks exactly like her own. At first, the other flat is really nice. The food there is much better, and her bedroom has a toy box with windup toys that are great fun. There's also another mother and another father. And they want Coraline to become their other daughter. But, in order to do so, Coraline would have to change. And that's where the trouble begins. I must confess that I am not one to read scary stories. If I do, I do so during the daytime, with all the lights on in the house. You can never be sure when the scary monsters will come out, after all. As such, I have not read many books by Mr. Gaiman. This is only the third, the first two being Odd and the Frost Giants and Norse Mythology - neither one of which falls into the category of scary story. As I had heard many good things about Coraline, and it's written for readers aged 9 and up, I thought it would be a safe enough option for me. I loved it. It did still scare me (I freely admit to being an adult scaredy cat), but I continued listening. As Coraline puts it, \"when you're scared but you still do it anyway, that's brave.\" For Coraline, I was brave. I should first point out that I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Mr. Gaiman himself. I am often leery of author-read audiobooks because, while they may be wizards with the written word, narrating involves an entirely different skill-set, and many authors just don't have it. Neil Gaiman does. His narration absolutely pulled me right into the story from the very beginning, and his knowledge of the story and the characters meant that he knew exactly what to emphasize and where to add tension to make the audiobook a truly great experience. From the beginning, when Coraline has to entertain herself because her parents don't have time for her to the end when Coraline finally ... no, I shouldn't say that. I don't want to give away spoilers. Anyway, from the beginning to the end, Gaiman weaves a tale that is fantastical, suspenseful, and wonderful. I loved the running - not really a joke or a gag, so much as a continuation of incompetency, so we'll go with that - the running incompetency of the other residents in Coraline's building being unable to say her name correctly; they keep calling her Caroline, even after she has corrected them...multiple times. Beyond the human characters - and I'm including other mother and other father in that category despite their being ... not really human - are the animal characters with which Coraline interacts multiple times. The rats. Oh. My. God. The rats. They sang. And I'm not talking about pretty little songs written by Disney musicians that will make you feel all happy and light. Oh, no. These rats sang songs that were dark and creepy and just... *shivers*. But, also... I loved those rats. I don't know why. There might be something wrong with me. But I thought they were great characters, and that's not even considering the old man who trains them. Then there's the cat. That cat is perfect, as anyone who has ever been owned by a cat can attest. In addition to all the great characters of both the creepy and non-creepy variety, Gaiman also weaves some wonderful themes in the story about love, family, fear, and bravery. As such, despite the creepiness of this story, I suspect that will become one of those stories that I revisit around Halloween each year, whether that's as a reread or a relisten. What about you? Will you also take a chance on this story? I vote for yes, but you obviously have the deciding vote...",
"reviewer": "Jennifer C."
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "\"The story is amazing\"-\"Don't buy from GreatBookDealz\"",
"text": "This review is split into two parts, first is the story itself. -like any other Neil Gaiman story, this one is captivating, eerie and unique. The book is nothing like the movie there are a lot of differences and they took quite a bit of Liberty when making the movie. I recommend you read the book even if you've seen the movie because the way it is written it's almost a whole another story but with similar plot points. The book itself was easy reading but also very enjoyable for child or adult. Five stars when it comes to the story itself. Second part of review- the bookseller -if you go to buy a copy of this used I do not recommend ordering from GreatBookDealz. First and foremost it took them ages to ship this book and after almost a month of waiting I had almost given up hope until it finally arrived (this was after Amazon sent me a message saying if it had not arrived by a certain date that they were going to refund me because it was taking so long). The tracking never updated either until the last minute so I never even knew where the package was in transit which is frustrating. The long wait was disappointing especially since it didn't have far to go, I ordered this near the beginning of October and wanted to receive it so I could read it before Halloween but didn't receive it until November. The other disappointing thing was someone had taken a highlighter to parts of the book but that was not specified in the description. The only thing they specified was that the cover had wear which is normal for used books. I don't per say mind the highlighter marks but would liked to have been made aware of it beforehand. The wait time was horrible and I definitely will not order any more used books from that seller!",
"reviewer": "Sam Chap"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "The reading tonic I sorely needed",
"text": "One thing I have learned after four decades on this planet is that anything can get boring. Donuts for breakfast? The delight will fade. Roller coasters every day? The thrill will abate. Reading sci-fi on a regular basis? (gasp) Yes, even that will get tedious after a while. I recently hit an apathy wall when I started reading a new book by a favorite author. I got two chapters in and realized, “I’m just not enjoying this.” The prose was great and the story was intriguing, but I couldn’t shake the indifference. It took me a while to realize that my reading mind was over-saturated. The quality was irrelevant, I was just bored. And what’s the remedy for any boring activity? Do something else. And so I switched to fantasy. But not just any fantasy, and I specifically avoided epic fantasy because I didn’t want to get halfway through a giant tome only to realize that I had made a mistake. I wanted a simple, digestible, yet high-quality fantasy. Once I started that search, it didn’t take long to narrow it down to Neil Gaiman. Coraline fit the bill, which had already set itself apart as one of the most beloved children’s fantasy stories of all time. I had already watched the stop-motion movie, which was fantastic. This gave me the opportunity to play every reader’s favorite game: “Which is better?” (Spoiler alert: they’re both fantastic.) Oh what a breath of fresh air Coraline was. It’s a shorter read, more novella than novel, but that doesn’t matter in the slightest because you get the feeling that Gaiman hand-selected each word from a bowl of perfection. The prose is simply magical and it seizes your attention from the very first page. The story follows the titled protagonist, a young girl who is small for her age, as her family moves into a new house. While exploring, she discovers a portal into another house. It’s a mirror image with all sorts of fun and adventure, but with a sinister underbelly. She slowly uncovers that mystery, which pulls her into a mission to save her family. This story can easily be read in a single sitting. But when you find a bowl of candy, it’s best not to eat it all at once. This was the first time in recent memory where I intentionally doled out a book to myself. I read a few chapters a night over the course of a week, which was a delightful way to end each day. I was actually sad when Coraline ended because it was the reading tonic I sorely needed. Thank you, Mr. Gaiman. What a masterpiece.",
"reviewer": "Zachry Wheeler"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Horror for people who don't like horror",
"text": "Short and Sweet: Even if you don't like horror, pick up this beautifully written children's book about bravery, boredom, and getting everything you want. Turns out, getting everything you want isn't as great as you'd think. Coraline is horror light. All the creepy richness of a regular horror novel but with a light, happy ending instead. In all honesty, this book was the max amount of horror I could handle. The horror parts of the novel involved things like going in dark basements and you KNOW something is down there. There were gross parts involving bats and moving spider-egg-sac-things. Does she have to touch it? OH YES SHE DOES. The thing she needs is inside it (of course). This story is about bravery, which I obviously do not possess. I would not do any of the things Coraline did, especially touch the creepy egg-sac-thingy. As Neil Gaiman puts it, Coraline has \"scared many adults and fewer children.\" (Coraline 10th Anniversary Edition, Q&A with Neil Gaiman) There's also a general feeling of something being off, something not quite right. I think it's mostly from his word choice when he uses similes. And they are gross. The flat had walls the color of old milk. - Neil Gaiman, Coraline 10th Anniversary Edition (p. 129) There was a tiny doubt inside her, like a maggot in an apple core. - Neil Gaiman, Coraline 10th Anniversary Edition (p. 75) Why use \"off-white\" when \"old milk\" induces dry heaving? The thing about Neil Gaiman is that he really nails childhood. He gets how kids work and how they think. There was also a well. On the first day Coraline’s family moved in, Miss Spink and Miss Forcible made a point of telling Coraline how dangerous the well was, and they warned her to be sure she kept away from it. So Coraline set off to explore for it, so that she knew where it was, to keep away from it properly. -Neil Gaiman, Coraline 10th Anniversary Edition (pp. 5-6). Because seriously - what kid that was told there was something dangerous nearby wouldn't do exactly that? This parent gets points for a) not screaming at his kid for bugging him all the time about being bored and b) for coming up with the most tedious, time consuming game possible. I'm stealing this game for my kids to play tomorrow. \"Where did you get this idea, mommy?\" \"A horror novel. You'll love it. Have fun.\" “Then explore the flat,” suggested her father. “Look— here’s a piece of paper and a pen. Count all the doors and windows. List everything blue. Mount an expedition to discover the hot water tank. And leave me alone to work.” - Neil Gaiman, Coraline 10th Anniversary Edition (p. 9) And now for the random deep thought of the day from a cat. “Cats don’t have names,” it said. “No?” said Coraline. “No,” said the cat. “Now, you people have names. That’s because you don’t know who you are. We know who we are, so we don’t need names.” - Neil Gaiman, Coraline 10th Anniversary Edition (p. 43) Like, WOW. I'm not exaggerating. It's kind of deep. Without labels, do we really know who we are? One of my favorite things about this book is when Coraline decides she doesn't like this creepy, alternate reality that she found because it turns out - getting everything you want? Not so great. Coraline sighed. “You really don’t understand, do you?” she said. “I don’t want whatever I want. Nobody does. Not really. What kind of fun would it be if I just got everything I ever wanted? Just like that, and it didn’t mean anything. What then?” - Neil Gaiman, Coraline 10th Anniversary Edition (pp. 144-145) It's true though, isn't it? As a parent, I don't give my kids everything they want on purpose because I know it would make them unhappy. It's sad that I don't have this problem as an adult because what I want gets longer by the hour. But kids? What they want is food made exactly their way and their parents to pay attention to them all day long. At least, that's what Coraline wants. And that's it. How beautiful is childhood that complete happiness is so simple.",
"reviewer": "Jessica B."
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "This cover won me",
"text": "I was drawn in by this particular cover of this book. It still captivates me. Plus, I enjoyed the story. Highly recommend.",
"reviewer": "Donald Walters"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A modern children's phantasmagorical classic",
"text": "Reading this with my five year old at bedtime was a magical and harrowing journey into a house, haunted with the spirits of her parents and some lonely and trapped young souls. At five, my son found this piece engaging and mystical, constantly reminding me what elements of the plot he remembered from the 2009 Selick film adaptation. It was easily apparent to me that the Selick film (which was my first experience with Gaiman's novel), while beautiful and fun, really lacked the mood and tone of the original piece. Coraline is a beautiful little book, easily comparable to the fables of yore that we don't see very often in modern literature. It is a dark adventure story that takes place in the small space between the walls of our everyday life, and the horror and majesty of the unknown in the every day. It is as if a small slice of reality is opened into this world from between the torn fabric of reality, revealing an awkward, through-the-looking glass, opposite of upside down, slightly off-kilter madness. This book holds a heavy resemblance to many other books that I have read, and should categorically be included in such masterpieces as the works of Lewis Carroll, Douglas Adams, and Kafka,... and Coraline is almost a kids version of a Mark Z Danielewski joint (or the other way around if we are talking chronologically). While Coraline originally enjoys the attention of her new parents, willing to drop everything to lavish their attention and culinary delights on the young girl, these joys are soon slammed against the cold reality of this opposite world. Where in the real world, her family is adjusting to new telecommuting work in a new house, Coraline's new world is easily cozied up into the simulacrum of a home shared with a dozy, zombified, button-eyed cast. While this may seem to be a contrast, it isn't in many ways. The story is a beautiful commentary on youth, on consumerism and work in the modern age, on the value of dead art forms, and on the safety we find in the old way of things. It is essentially about both the horrors of nostalgia and the horrors of modern life. While I do think that some of the subject matter and imagery might be a bit too dreadful for my five year old in hindsight, we both loved turning the lights off and having our spooky little story in the dark. I think the nightmares would have come anyway. He could definitely handle it.",
"reviewer": "Garrett Zecker"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Scary but heart warming",
"text": "I first tried the movie. Then I tried the book. Coraline portrays a girl who wasn't receiving much attention from her parents because they were busy with their jobs. Then she goes through a door that leads to another world. There lives her other parents with creepy features. She has to choose between her real life or the other life with disguise. The story has a taste of creepy, but it will teach the readers what is best for the growth of children. It's good to read.",
"reviewer": "Masumi"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "yes!!",
"text": "got this book a few days ago and I absolutely love it, I love the movie so much. The book is really really good, and I definitely recommend. Came in good quality too :))",
"reviewer": "Terryn Joseph"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Dang!",
"text": "I listened to this one on Audible during a doctor's appointment recently. As always, my honest thoughts and opinions are directly below. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– This book follows the main character, Coraline, as she ventures into a new world that she found through a doorway in her own home that her mother tried to caution her not to enter. She barely makes it out alive but gets the adventure of a lifetime. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– I wasn't sure what to think going into this one because I'd seen the movie once years ago. I loved the movie, though, so I was looking forward to listening to this one. It definitely didn't disappoint and I'm glad it didn't. I loved how dark it was but I almost wish it was even darker. Again, that's just me. I guess I wanted something really dark at the time I was listening to this book and it certainly delivered. I'm glad it was also short enough that I was able to finish it by the time I got home from the doctor's office. I was completely creeped out by the father in the \"upside down\". His actions at the end of the book certainly didn't help his case in this area. lol I couldn't help shivering when I got to the end of the book just because of him. I'm glad Coraline was able to get back to her real parents and the other children but I was genuinely concerned there for a hot minute. lol I thought the \"upside down Mom\" was going to win for a good bit of it at the end of the book. I'm glad she got her butt kicked, though. lol I thought Coraline was kind of annoying at the end of the book but I hope she got the adventure she was looking for. I would have never misbehaved again after that experience if I were in Coraline's situation. lmao I would recommend this book for older teenagers due to the darkness. There was some violence that I don't think would be good for younger teens or pre-teens to be subjected to but that's just me. I'd still recommend the book and the film, though, for sure.",
"reviewer": "Lisa Fourman"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "coraline",
"text": "Fun Neil Gaiman book Like reading a comic book So descriptive, like a bad dream come true love his books!",
"reviewer": "Ruby Tuesday"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "this was a great book",
"text": "The only thing is it isn’t like the movie. This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I think this book was very well written. I don’t like scary books but this book was not as scary as the cover looks. There are a lot of plot twist and very exciting events. I can’t recommend this book more.",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "So good!",
"text": "I loved the storytelling! Such great world building ! Amazing characters. I loved how the pace of the story was quick!",
"reviewer": "Kaylie Morgan"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Nice gift!",
"text": "My daughter loves this story so the book is better as she reads it all the time.",
"reviewer": "Princessa"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Book",
"text": "It’s long but my sister loves it, so really good",
"reviewer": "Explosivepoop54"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 4.99,
"listPrice": 9.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B000FC130E",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Neverwhere: A Novel",
"authors": "Neil Gaiman",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41fC-yQ6-fL.jpg",
"rating": 4.5,
"reviewCount": "32,895",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1459085293000",
"description": "“Neil Gaiman is undoubtedly one of the modern masters of fantasy writing....For those who have not read Neverwhere, the new edition is the one to read, and is a fitting introduction to Gaiman’s adult fiction....American readers can experience this spellbinding, magical world the way that Neil Gaiman wanted us to all along.” —Huffington Post\nPublished in 1997, Neil Gaiman’s darkly hypnotic first novel, Neverwhere, heralded the arrival of a major talent and became a touchstone of urban fantasy. \n\nIt is the story of Richard Mayhew, a young London businessman with a good heart and an ordinary life, which is changed forever when he discovers a girl bleeding on the sidewalk. He stops to help her—an act of kindness that plunges him into a world he never dreamed existed. Slipping through the cracks of reality, Richard lands in Neverwhere—a London of shadows and darkness, monsters and saints, murderers and angels that exists entirely in a subterranean labyrinth. Neverwhere is home to Door, the mysterious girl Richard helped in the London Above. Here in Neverwhere, Door is a powerful noblewoman who has vowed to find the evil agent of her family’s slaughter and thwart the destruction of this strange underworld kingdom. If Richard is ever to return to his former life and home, he must join Lady Door’s quest to save her world—and may well die trying.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Quirky and deep, the illustrations are perfection",
"text": "Gaiman has always been hit or miss for me. Some of his books I love, some I don’t care for, so I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Neverwhere, outside of the fact that there’s something deeply satisfying about holding the illustrated version—something about thick little hardcovers is just the best feeling. Anyway, Neverwhere is a not subtle in its message: the homeless are invisible to those who want to pretend the “problem” doesn’t exist—but make it magic that has a very Tim Burton feel, because this is Gaiman, after all. When Richard sees one of those who have fallen through the cracks—a citizen of London Below—and proceeds to help her, it sets off a chain of events that plunges him into London Below and makes him just as invisible to London Above, and his old life, as the rest of the characters in this novel. In which there a lot, all of which are unique and magical and so beautifully distinct from each other. I even loved Mr Vandemar and Mr Croup who are unequivocally terrible people, but they are written in such a creative way that I couldn’t help but love them just as much as Richard and our heroine Door, with her opal-colored eyes. I loved the prose of Neverwhere, it read almost like it was meant for children when it’s so clearly not. There’s this whimsy to it, alongside Gaiman’s love of a metaphor and simile, which made the whole style just as magical as London Below. Speaking of, I loved the characters that populated this secret place. Gaiman was able to weave in a complex mystery and twists and turns into something that should have been an otherwise very straight forward plot: find out why/who is after Door and killed her family, and get Richard back to London Above. Gaimain, in this particular book anyway, is able to make you love and care for a character so, so deeply and then cut you to the core by taking them away all in one chapter. He’s also able to play with your mind about what is truly reality for Richard, and who should our main characters trust in a way that really added to the twists at the end. It was masterfully done! I will say that I read A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab before reading Neverwhere, and after reading Gaiman’s book, it’s really easy to see where Schwab got a lot of inspiration for that series: everything from the different types of Londons that only one person really seems to be able to move between, and even a certain magical coat. I’m not mad about this at all! It’s clear that Schwab idolizes Gaiman, and her writing is an homage to that without being a rip off. Its just something to keep in mind if you read this and things start sounding… familiar. All in all, this was a perfectly satisfying read—from just holding the book, to the perfect illustrations, the magical whimsy of the writing, and the cast of incredible characters that inhabit London Below. The story is dark, but with moments of tenderness and humor so I never felt bogged down to the point where I could no longer appreciate the imagery. Gaiman’s fantasy is always a reflection of reality with fantastic elements, so the ugly parts of our world are still present, but made magic so when you read you don’t necessarily feel preached to. But I can definitely understand why this style may not be for everyone—Gaiman doesn’t describe anything in a straightforward manner, instead almost tricking the reader into visualizing these delightful things. Which I loved, personally! This book was quirky and deep, fantastic and the kind of realistic urban fantasy I didn’t know I was missing until now, which is why this gets an easy 5 stars from me!",
"reviewer": "Chelscey"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "A Doorway to a Fanciful World",
"text": "This is the first work from Neil Gaiman that I've ever read, so I didn't really have a good idea of what to expect. Neverwhere had me hooked from the start. Richard saves a young girl who comes tumbling out of a door that appears from nowhere and finds himself thrust into an entirely new world called London Below. London Below takes its cues from London Above (or is it the other way around?), where Earl's Court is a stop on the Tube in London Above, it is actually a darkened train car containing an Earl and his Court. The fanciful imaginative world of London Below, despite its darker twists, is a great escape for readers, especially if you've ever gotten into the drab routine of going to work in a city, reinterpreting it in the context of Neverwhere is a fun exercise. Richard, once he saves the young girl, Door, finds his fate entwined with hers as she sets out on a quest (with a few other characters in tow) to find why her family was killed. A highly respected member of the feudal states existing in London Below, Door is able to meet with and interact with many members of this strange society, acting as a liaison for defenseless and often seemingly witless Richard. As in most stories, these meetings and experiences change Richard in ways that will often surprise himself (though not necessarily readers). For me, the Marquis de Carabas, a sort of middle man and ultimately a companion to Door, steals the show. Scenes with him are often lively and entertaining, and his more devilish characteristics help balance out Door and Richard, who can seem too good-natured. At times it seems Gaiman could have delved more into the world of London Below and how it functions. Sometimes exciting bits are hinted at, but then never elaborated on. At other times, characters can seem to be cardboard cut outs. Silent but serious action girl extraordinaire, Hunter, functions as Door's bodyguard, but the reader doesn't really get to know her. Also, the ending can be a bit of a let-down. The book starts with a lot of promise, an exciting world, a quest, a motley crew thrown in together, a mysterious last message, strange abilities, but as it wraps up, it feels like it doesn't quite live up to all it could have been. But perhaps it's to the authors credit that so many details prodded my imagination onwards. I think this is a universe Gaiman could return to and elaborate on with great success. There are always other doors and other worlds to explore.",
"reviewer": "Celeste Knudsen"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "One of Neil's best",
"text": "There are some people who say that London has no heart and if it has a soul it was sold, wrapped and delivered to the devil a long time ago. It is no use arguing with these people; what ails them will not be cured by reason or logic. It is quite possible that there is no cure, that they may be saved but never healed. I am convinced, though, that if there is a cure, it will come in the form of something very much like Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. The first thing that the former doubter will notice is that London, far from having no heart and no soul, has a surfeit of them. For, like the doctor from Gallifrey, London has two hearts and, unlike the doctor, two souls to match. Within one heart and one soul lives the magical, infinite variety of London, with its evocative place names, its ghosts of eccentrics, stuffed shirts, urchins and poets, heroes and cowards; and its streets and alleys that echo with footsteps long buried beneath rubble and stone. It is this London that Gaiman plays with in Neverwhere. His London Below is not a parallel London. It is an intersecting world, coloured and shaped by London Above. There, in that intersecting world, the Seven Sisters are a fabled family, not a place; Serpentine is a feared but sensual figure; and just to keep the balance skewed, atop Centrepoint lives a denizen of Below who is only comfortable with distance between him and the ground beneath. And as if part of the reality of both, London's cavernous sewers run like a fetid umbilical cord between London Above and London Below. This is a wonderful book, a book of imagination and inspired storytelling. Gaiman has a knack for seeing the curious and odd in the ordinary. And despite the fact that most of his female leads are all variations of the same character, there are so many more who are delightful, even when they are not completely original or fresh. The dark ally, the Marquis de Carabas (from Perrault's Le Maître Chat, ou Le Chat Botté (Puss in Boots to us) is a great creation; the implacable murderers, Croup and Vandemar are a classic villain combo - one smart and eloquent, the other a simple, single-minded brute - who are Gaiman's vehicles for the best comic lines in the book. Gaiman's best works are fairytales (or \"otherness\" tales?) that are not weighed down with gravitas: Stardust, The Graveyard Book, Neverwhere and even his collaboration with Terry Pratchett, Good Omens . Each one of them is a better book, a greater feat of the imagination, than his slightly ponderous and self-consciously pop American Gods. In his otherness tales, his skill with language joins with his talent for story and his own alchemy of imagination transforms skill and talent into gift.",
"reviewer": "Alan W. Skinner"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "5 Stars",
"text": "There are some books that I would never even have thought of buying if it hadn’t been for Instagram. This applies to Fantasy more than any other genre. I don’t know why that is, because I have read some fantastic books belonging to the genre during the last year or so. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman is one of them. Neverwhere is the story of Richard Mayhew, who moves to London from a small Scottish town. At first overwhelmed in such a big city, he soon settles into a routine and his awe with London recedes. Then he meets Jessica, who is way out of his league and turns him into a scatter brain, and Richard finds himself engaged to a woman much more ambitious and determined than him. One evening, when everything seems to be going wrong for Richard, he stumbles upon a bleeding girl on the street, and stops to help her. If things were bad before, they become unbearably worse after his decision to defy Jessica and help a fellow human in need. For the injured girl is the Lady Door from Neverwhere. Neverwhere is the shadowy reflection of London which exists underneath the London known to man. It is a world with monsters and assassins, angels and demons, and everything that has ever slipped through the cracks of the real world into this underground world. Richard is drawn unwillingly into this world when it seems that he has stopped existing in London Above. Now he has to stick to Door and her shady companions if he ever wants to go back to his former life. But the Lady Door is on a suicide mission to avenge the death of her family at the hands of the most gruesome and terrifying murderers that history has ever seen, and it seems likely that Richard will just be one of the casualties of this crazy quest. As grave and serious as the story sounds, it is anything but. It is irreverant and witty, and I fell in love with most of the characters. While Richard is funny as the clueless man being taken on an adventure against his will, and Door is admirable in her quest to find out the truth, it is the Marquis de Carabas who steals the show! And yes, the Marquis is named after the fictional Marquis from the very famous fairy tale, Puss in Boots. Neverwhere is a roller coaster ride of adventure, as the motley crew consisting of Richard, Door, de Carabas and Hunter, the bodyguard, dashes across London Above and Neverwhere to find the answers needed to solve their problems. The characters they meet on the way are no less remarkable. Whether it is Anaesthesia, the rat girl, the Earl from Earl’s Court or the Angel Islington, every character is tongue-in-cheek and batshit crazy! It would be remiss of me if I don’t mention the two terrifying murderers who are after Door from the beginning of the book. They are the main villians, and as villainous as a villian can ever hope to be. Maybe even more. They are Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar. They are filthy and disgusting, with terrible table manners and no sense of humour. And they are hilarious! Even when they are dismembering and torturing living things, their banter doesn’t stop. At the end of the edition I was reading, is a bonus story about my favourite, Marquis de Carabas. And it was a bonus, because I have not had my fill of this wonderful, mad world called Neverwhere, and would love to visit it again some time. A fun read to take your mind off real world problems.",
"reviewer": "T. Akhtar"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "4 stars for Neverwhere!",
"text": "So the blurb says \"Richard Mayhew is a young man with a good heart and an ordinary life, which is changed forever when he stops to help a girl he finds bleeding on a London sidewalk.\" Now, if you're expecting a knight in shining armor with a quest to save the damsel in distress, you can just drop this book. Because Richard Mayhew is the one who needs saving. Richard leaned against a wall, and listened to their footsteps, echoing away, and to the rush of the water running past on its way to the pumping station of East London, and the sewage works. \"Shit,\" he said. And then, to his surprise, for the first time since his father died, alone in the dark, Richard Mayhew began to cry. Characters Wow, I'm so used to perfect, alpha males as MCs that I was totally taken aback to have met Richard Mayhew. He's the sweet, \"safe\" boyfriend who would make a dull, henpecked husband in the future. He's a bit of a muddlehead - the kind who messes up his appointments and locks himself out. Richard Mayhew is, for lack of a better word, a total pussy. \"Richard began to understand darkness: darkness as something solid and real, so much more than a simple absence of light. He felt it touch his skin, questing, moving, exploring: gliding through his mind. It slipped into his lungs, behind his eyes, into his mouth . . .\" Then we have the other characters. Lady Door, the bleeding girl, has the ability to open doors. Now, don't let my ineloquence fool you - it's an extraordinary gift. However, she's a total *yawn*. Her companions; marquis de Carabas and Hunter are much stronger and notable characters. And the antagonists were really dark, violent, magnificently thought-out characters. It was like as if Neil Gaiman had spent more time developing the secondary characters than the MCs. Storyline and Writing I have never heard of Neil Gaiman before this. But one fine day, the local bookstore had dedicated a whole section just for his books. And that got me intrigued. Further probing around GR got me to believe that Neil Gaiman is a magnificent storyteller. It was evident, from beginning to end, that he is excellent at creating this parallel universe. \"So the day became one of waiting, which was, he knew, a sin: moments were to be experienced; waiting was a sin against both the time that was still to come and the moments one was currently disregarding.\" How do I categorise Neverwhere? I grew up reading Roald Dahl's children's books and watching the movie adaptation. Do you remember the movie \"The Witches\"? It scared the hell out of me. I could vaguely remember the part where the little boy was forced to drink this potion that turned him into a mouse. I couldn't help thinking about that movie while reading Neverwhere. It gave me the same chills as The Witches. Neverwhere reminds me of Roald Dahl's, ironically, children's fiction: dark and violent. Conclusion: Don't let the MCs deter you from attempting this well-written piece by Neil Gaiman!",
"reviewer": "twelvejan"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Enjoyable read",
"text": "*SPOILER WARNING* I'm really impressed by the worldbuilding skill that Gaiman demonstrates in this novel -- I know I'm going to be thinking twice next time I get on the metro. I had a hard time putting this book down when I first started it: the main character, Richard, is endearing & funny & doesn't suffer from the Gary Stu complex that plagues so many fantasy/scifi texts, and discovering the ways of London Below along with him was tons of fun. Gaiman definitely has a gift for creating characters who are unique and memorable. Richard was great (I love protagonists who are not all Serious Business), as was the Marquis, Old Bailey, and many of the weird and wonderful denizens of London Below. I didn't like Door particularly, though, with her amazing flame-coloured hair (that \"shone in the dawn like burnished copper\") and her \"odd-coloured eyes\" that (gasp!) change colour... I'm confused about why Gaiman fell back on such a trite descriptive route with his heroine. Also, the fox/wolf thing that characterizes the two main antagonists was beaten over and over again quite tiresomely, to the point that when Vande-whatsit \"howled like a wolf\" (twice) I was rolling my eyes. Oh well. The other characters make up for it! I'm giving this three stars because, as much as I enjoyed it, there were a couple of aspects that I thought could have used a little more work. While the alternate underground world Gaiman created was original and fresh and unpredictable, the plot itself was unfortunately not: a Revenge For Murder Of Family plotline drives the narrative (with a standard whodunit driving *that* because we don't know who killed them) & a few quests thrown in for good measure (get me the magic key, pass the 3 tests with the Generic Mysterious Order)... meh! I was definitely reading to find out more about London Below than I was to discover whether Door would figure out whodunit and slay them dramatically (which she does). There were lots of fantasy-standard Mysterious Items With Magical Properties that I thought Gaiman could have done away with as well (mysterious silver box, mysterious silver key, mysterious knife, mysterious spear, mysterious feather). The text could also have used some tighter editing in places, especially to avoid this kind of repetition: \"... and approached Old Bailey to embrace him and conclude the deal. The old man averted his face and held his breath until the embrace concluded\" -- or \"'[...] I can rely on your discretion.\"' '\"You can rely on me, lady.'\" Another little quibble: I would've liked the names to have been reworked/rethought as well, names do not have to relate to occupation or defining trait to quite this extent! Door (opens doors). The Night Bridge (is a dark bridge). The Golden (is golden). Hunter (hunts). Anyway -- my gripes are minor compared to what makes this book strong, but I did want to make a note of them regardless. All things considered, though, if you want to delve into a world that is as original as it is intriguing (and frequently quite scary), this is definitely worth a read.",
"reviewer": "Erika H."
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great read",
"text": "Gaiman is a master of the modern fairy tale. I really enjoy reading his books. They take me away down the rabbit hole and, like Robert, I think it’s so much more enjoyable to read compared to the news of this crazy world.",
"reviewer": "Dale Kesterson"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great Adventure from Gaiman",
"text": "Gaiman is one of the most reliably entertaining writers out there. He creates a world where the weird and magical coexist with the familiar and mundane world around us. Richard Mayhew is the hapless hero of this Gaiman tale. Richard, in an act of kindness to help a young, injured girl, unknowingly cuts himself off from London Above. Lovable, clueless, and yet somehow, strangely accepting of the world beneath the streets of London - London Below - where he finds himself confronting royal courts, floating markets, rat-speakers, angels, knights in armor and monsters, Richard is a wonderful protagonist. The majority of the tale is told from Richard's POV in third person and it is here that Gaiman shines. We see a man struggle with not only who he is, but how this is all possible, while also succumbing to the world around him in a way that allows his full participation, despite the logical part of his brain telling him, none of this is possible. Richard is curious and fascinated by London Below, but finds himself helping in improbable situations in order to get back home to London Above. Gaiman doesn't waste time explaining the mechanics of this world - we simply figure them out along with the protagonist - or not and, again, like Richard, simply suspend our disbelief and go along for the ride. He shows that world-building isn't about paragraphs and pages of backstory and info dumping so the reader 'gets it' but rather, he trusts his readers will accept and join his adventure. Gaiman brilliantly weaves myth and urban legend and humorous literalism into a magical world filled with bizarre and entertaining folk. Richard saves Door, a girl with powerful magic to open locks and doors and even create doors. Her family of openers been killed and she wants revenge. Richard, for his act of kindness, finds that he no longer exists in London Above - people don't really see him, his landlord re-leases his flat, his colleagues don't know him.... See no alternative, he joins Door on her attempt to find out what happened to her family. They are joined by the Marquis de Carabas - a thief who has restyled himself a lord and Hunter - who has slain mythical beasts like the Albino Alligator of New York. Along the way the meet of host of other characters who try to help or hinder their success. There is the Earl's Court that travels the 'dark unopening' car of an British Underground train that passes through the Earl's Court station (leaving Richard wondering if there's an Raven's Court....) and the assassins Vandermar and Croop - a bit like Pinky and the Brain and a hilarious take on the 'intellectual criminal and dunderheaded thug' type. Richard and Door's adventure is a traditional hero quest and the characters mythological in many senses. The book had me laughing aloud at the puns and the familiar yet wholly original takes on types. I'd love to see more of the world of Neverwhere.",
"reviewer": "Ubookquitous"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "If you're a fan of underground worlds, you'll love this book.",
"text": "Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman is, for lack of a better description, The Sandman comics in novel form. Neverwhere may not have Gods, or dream weavers, or scary men with teeth for eyes, but it is a creative exploration of dreams and pure imagination. And unfortunately, I was not a fan. I know, I know, I can already see the readers foaming at the mouth. “How can you NOT like Neverwhere? Neil Gaiman is the greatest writer that ever lived!” My issue with the book has nothing to do with Neverwhere’s writing. Neil Gaiman’s prose remains consistently magical and is full of little details that make London Below come alive. But before I go into why I wasn’t a fan, you should know what Neverwhere is about. The plot is about Richard Mayhew, an ordinary guy. He works at an office, has a regular 9 to 5 job, and he’s with a girlfriend that tolerates his existence. One night, Richard encounters a girl on the run from two men. Richard’s tries to save the girl and ends up transported into an alternate reality called, London Below. When Richard attempts to resume his normal life by going to work or visiting his girlfriend, he quickly realizes that everyone is ignoring him. He leaves and goes to his apartment, but when he gets there he finds it occupied by strangers. Whenever he tries to speak to his best friend or his girlfriend, they say one word to him and move on as if he didn’t exist. This alternate reality had somehow turned Richard into a ghost. Stuck with no apartment, no money, no job, no girlfriend, Richard decides to find the girl who got him in this mess in the first place. Her name is Door. Door is the daughter of some nobility in London below and also has the capability to open . . . you guessed it, doors. But when Richard finally meets Door, she tells him that she can’t bring him back to his home dimension. Richard’s quest to return to the London Above begins. This is the premise of Neverwhere. So what is the London Below? To describe it simply, London Below is what would happen if you fell asleep on the subway and had a nightmare. It is a twisted, non sensical version of London where “Minding the Gap” means watch out for the monster that lives in the gap between train and the platform. The rats are messengers for the homeless. Junk and random items can be bartered (including your life). And a street name like, Knightsbridge could literally mean that knights are guarding it. London Below is what would happen if underground subways were towns and marketplaces. And it is this underground theme that ultimately left me uninterested in the book. As a former rider of trains, there is nothing fun or enjoyable to me about a world built around the underground. Sadly, it wasn’t just the world that disinterested me, the characters also left me detached from the experience. The Marquis De Carabas was written as a cool and suave character; a man so interesting, he needed to have his own bonus content at the back of the book. I did not read these pages because the Marquis did not interest me. Hunter, a woman who often protected and saved Richard from certain doom, also failed to engage me. I liked Door well enough and I loved the villain, but Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar embodied a type of aesthetic and style that bored me. The irony is, the book wasn’t boring. Unlike Ocean at the End of the Lane which has a dreadfully slow beginning, Gaiman’s Neverwhere moves at a steady pace. It’s not too fast, not too slow, just right. Unfortunately, underground worlds are a huge turn off for me, no matter how creative or well written they are. Neverwhere felt like a universe that could exist in a Steampunk setting and I hate Steampunk. And this, I understand, is a matter of personal taste. It is the equivalent of a die-hard medieval fantasy novel reader trying to force themselves to read a Star Wars book. It doesn’t matter if the characters or plot is interesting, the world will fail to suck in the reader. Neverwhere failed to suck me in. Had I been a fan of this underground world I would have called Neverwhere a great book, easily 5 stars. Still, for those of you who do like underground themed worlds, then I would highly recommend giving Neverwhere a read. Neil Gaiman, even when he produces work that fails to engage me, is still an amazing writer and I can’t imagine giving Neverwhere anything less than . . . 4 out of 5 stars.",
"reviewer": "Wilmar Luna"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Almost a five",
"text": "Great book. I pictured the locations as NYC and the underground scenes in Demolition Man. A funny suspenseful mystery with great graphics. And with characters you’ll love",
"reviewer": "SoCal"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Illustrations Fit the Writing Style",
"text": "This is my favorite book; I try to read it once a year. I’d describe it as Alice in Wonderland for adults. I have 2 other different copies, but never an illustrated version. Although not necessarily the way I had imagined the characters, it’s still fun to see an artist’s rendition and quirky style that fits with Neil Gaiman’s style of writing.",
"reviewer": "Lucy A."
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Could have been excellent, but it was only ok.",
"text": "Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere takes the reader on a playful trip through a fantastical world that exists beneath our feet. I am not familiar with Gaiman’s entire catalog, having only read American Gods and Neverwhere, but it was quite obvious to me that this was one of his earlier books. The concept behind the story and the possibilities it opened up initially violently grabbed my attention and and held it fast. However, as the story progressed, the flat characters, moments that were silly for the sake of being silly, and lazy writing dulled the edge of my interest. I feel like with another rewrite and a little more aggressive editing, this book could have been something special. In the end, though, the story was interesting enough to keep me reading, and I would be comfortable recommending the book to anyone interested in a unique blend of myth, light-hearted story telling, and urban fantasy. The Bad: 1. The writing itself in the book often struck me as lazy and sometimes amateurish. I came across multiple sentences that employed “had had” as well as copious amounts of commas and the word and. If I recall correctly I came across a sentence when seven instances of the word and in it. While not really incorrect, these sentences could have easily been rewritten to look and read much cleaner. Additionally, some of his descriptions struck me as things that I would read while grading a high school creative writing assignment. “It had been like watching Emma Peel, Bruce Lee, and a particularly vicious tornado, all rolled into one and sprinkled with a generous helping of a mongoose killing a king cobra.” 2. The characters were boring, cliché cookie cutter characters. Richard is your average bumbling hero, a la Arthur Dent. After him we have the magical teenage girl out to solve the murder of her family, the sexy and self confident badass hunter, and the witty rogue of questionable loyalty. The only characters in the book I really enjoyed were the two most present bad guys. They were comfortably evil and their general demeanors were quite amusing, unfortunately they were not enough to prop up the rest of the cast. 3. The ending was painfully predictable and the book finishes with little more than a whimper. The Good: 1. The setting for the story is quite interesting. Beneath some large cities, an “under city” exists, in this case, London Below. These under cities are filled with magical people who have fallen through the cracks of the city above and cease to exist there. All of the denizens of London Below have some kind of magical or supernatural ability, ranging from the mundane to the miraculous. 2. The pacing and storytelling was done well enough that, despite the quirky grammar and run on sentences, I was able to immerse myself in the book. While the story was not immeasurably unique, and I was not left with a book hangover after I finished; I felt like reading Neverwhere was time well spent. The Meh: 1. Gaiman’s Britishness is pretty prevalent in the book, and I tend not enjoy overly British things. This is not an exceptionally bad thing, but more of a personal taste. And I have to admit I feel a bit silly griping about it—the book is set in London after all. Synopsis: Richard Mayhew is just your average, slightly-bumbling guy. He’s got a nagging fiancé and a fairly run-of-the-mill existence. While on the way to an important dinner date one night, a filthy and bloody girl suddenly appears in the street before him and his fiancé. Jessica demands they ignore the girl, but Richard simply can’t. She refuses to go to the hospital so Richard cancels his date with Jessica and takes the girl to his apartment. The girl, known as Door, heals miraculously overnight, and shortly afterwards leaves Richards care, but just after she’s gone Richard discovers that he doesn’t seem to exist anymore. In order to reclaim his life he will have to set off into the bowels of London Below, where he will encounter Velvets, Sewer Folk, Rat Speakers, and even an Angel.",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Highly Original, Modern, Urban Fantasy",
"text": "Wow, what an unusual book! After reading American Gods, I really shouldn't be surprised, as Neil Gaiman is certainly making a name for himself in the modern, urban fantasy genre. In this novel, we are introduced to a cast of characters that are among the most original, unusual and thought provoking I've ever encountered. The basis of the novel is the existence of an \"underground\" London, inhabited by all those who have fallen between the cracks of society. Designated as London Below, as opposed to London Above, these highly unusual inhabitants make their way through sewers, underground passages and subterranean vaults and caverns, as well as abandoned tube stations. In addition, things and people aren't \"normal\" in London Below. Time and space do not follow the same rules as London Above. Elements of minor magic exist and animals take on human traits (for example, rats are exalted and can communicate). Once relegated to London Below, there is no return to the surface. Inhabitants virtually cease to exist and can move unseen and unrecognized on the surface. There were moments when I thought Gaiman went a little too far in his fantasy world, but by and large, it worked for me. The characters in the novel are amazingly well presented and fleshed out. The subject of the novel, Richard Mayhew, a drone of sorts in the London financial community, gets drawn into the underworld through accidental contact with one of its denizens, an unlikely heroine by the name of Lady Door. There, he undergoes a metamorphosis of sorts, as he undertakes the quest that is the backbone of the novel. There are elements of medieval custom and society, as well as characters that you would find in 17th century England. Most engaging to me, however, were a pair of supernaturally gifted murderous cut throats by the name of Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar who appear frequently throughout the story. As Mr. Croup explains, \"\"We are, after all, famed across the entirety of creation for our skills in the excruciatory arts\" When their methods are questioned by their \"employer\" and they are accused of being unprofessional, Mr. Croup proudly explains: \"Unprofessional? Us? Sir. Might I with due respect remind you that Mister Vandemar and myself burned down the city if Troy? We brought the Black Plague to Flanders. We have assassinated a dozen kings, five popes, half a hundred heroes and two accredited gods. Our last commission before this was the torturing of an entire monastery in sixteenth century Tuscany. We are utterly professional.\" There is actually an honest to goodness angel (Islington) who evolves into a fascinating character. There are references to Atlantis and other mythological personages and places. And while there is ample violence and scenes of brutality, as Mr. Vandemar notes at one point, \"\"Can't make an omelette without killing a few people\".",
"reviewer": "Steven M. Anthony"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Worth any dollar amount",
"text": "Mr. Gaiman, you've done it again- made me completely fall in love with a book you've written. I'm a rather large fan of Gaiman's work, ever since I read American Gods. But the second novel of his I read, Stardust, really left me disappointed. This was the last book of his that I owned, and I decided it was time to give it a try. I had it on my kindle and then, while on vacation, picked up a physical copy, which I find to be a much more pleasant read. And it blew me out of the water. I don't think it's superior to American Gods or anything, but it reminded me why I loved his books in the first place. Neverwhere is a defining piece of urban fantasy and something everyone should read. The story is rather simple- Richard Mayhew, a man with an average (and boring) life, finds a girl bleeding on the street and takes her home so she can rest up and get better. This girl, Door, is the only surviving member of her family, and a denizen of the world under London. Her presence causes Richard to fall into the cracks of life, and with Door, the Marquis de Carabas, and a bodyguard named Hunter, he goes on a quest to find the Angel Islington and return to his life before. I'm going to keep this review as brief as possible, since Neverwhere is a book where it's best to go into it not knowing much at all. My favorite character was the Marquis de Carabas, though I came to love all our protagonists a great deal. They're all fully-fledged three-dimensional characters with good and bad sides, and things to love and things to complain about. And, while they do grow over the course of the novel, it's not the main focal point of the story. The imagery and world was. It was well thought through and has me actually believing that such a place exists, beneath every great city of the world. I can see why people claim this is a tier of urban fantasy- it very much is. Neil Gaimain's writing is as amazing as ever. When you're done reading his writing has seeped into you so deeply you can't help thinking in his own magical verse- or at least a facsimile of it. If you haven't given one of his books a try, you really should. This is the perfect place to start with his books, too. also had the pleasure of listening to the radio play adaptation. The only thing I have to say is this: The cast is pure perfection. I've already recommended it to a bajillion people, and now I recommend it to you, reader. Listen to this before you read the book. Or after. Or during. Or without the book. Just... just listen",
"reviewer": "SMM"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 10.49,
"listPrice": 10.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B000FC2OAM",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "The Best Time Travel Stories of the 20th Century: Stories by Arthur C. Clarke, Jack Finney, Joe Haldeman, Ursula K. Le Guin, Larry Niven, Theodore Sturgeon, Connie Willis, and more",
"authors": "Harry Turtledove, Martin H. Greenberg",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51dwxTn2IpL.jpg",
"rating": 4.2,
"reviewCount": "160",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1610418604000",
"description": "LEAP INTO THE FUTURE, AND SHOOT BACK TO THE PAST\n \n H. G. Wells’s seminal short story “The Time Machine,” published in 1895, provided the springboard for modern science fiction’s time travel explosion. Responding to their own fascination with the subject, the greatest visionary writers of the twentieth century penned some of their finest stories. Here are eighteen of the most exciting tales ever told, including\n \n “Time’s Arrow” In Arthur C. Clarke’s classic, two brilliant physicists finally crack the mystery of time travel—with appalling consequences.\n\n “Death Ship” Richard Matheson, author of Somewhere in Time, unveils a chilling scenario concerning three astronauts who stumble upon the conundrum of past and future.\n\n “Yesterday was Monday” If all the world’s a stage, Theodore Sturgeon’s compelling tale follows the odyssey of an ordinary joe who winds up backstage.\n\n “Rainbird” R.A. Lafferty reflects on what might have been in this brainteaser about an inventor so brilliant that he invents himself right out of existence.\n\n “Timetipping” What if everyone time-traveled except you? Jack Dann provides some surprising answers in this literary gem.\n\n . . . as well as stories by Poul Anderson • L. Sprague de Camp • Joe Haldeman • John Kessel • Nancy Kress • Henry Kuttner • Ursula K. Le Guin • Larry Niven • Charles Sheffield • Robert Silverberg • Connie Willis\n \n By turns frightening, puzzling, and fantastic, these stories engage us in situations that may one day break free of the bonds of fantasy . . . to enter the realm of the future: our future.\n\n\nNote: \"A Sound of Thunder\" by Ray Bradbury and \"I'm Scared\" by Jack Finney are not included in this edition.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Excellent collection",
"text": "This is a great collection of stories. I wasn't sure what to expect when I bought the book. What I found was a great sampling of stories by some incredible writers and enough information on the different authors that I could decide whether I wanted to read more of their work.",
"reviewer": "TheAncientBahu"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Classic Tales of Time Travel",
"text": "I'm not sure I would pick the same 16 stories Harry Turtledove and Martin Greenburg did as my favorites from the twentieth century. But they have selected some very good ones to share with us. They hit the mark on an important feature of story collections, too--the introductions. Each intro in this anthology is a well-crafted balance between a brief author bio, overview of primary works, and a story set-up that whets expectations without spoiling. Nicely done! The offerings are of two kinds: great stories and classic stories. While a few fall into both camps, the reader does get a sense that most were selected to fit only one category. The great stories speak for themselves, with interesting ideas, unexpected twists and memorable characters. The classic stories are sometimes less complex or polished, but have important places in the historical development of time travel fiction. They are the good-for-us vegetables to be eaten along with the tastier main course items. My favorite two classics are: Henry Kuttner's \"Time Locker\" has the feel of a mid-twentieth century detective story told from a criminal's viewpoint. Its mystery is complicated by an uncalibrated time machine in a nondescript piece of office furniture. L. Sprague de Camp's \"A Gun for Dinosaur\" is one version of the now-cliché hunting expedition to the prehistoric past story. It's still an enjoyable trip, with one or two surprises for first-time readers. My favorite two \"great\" stories: Robert Silverberg's \"Sailing to Byzantium\" introduces us to a man from the 1980s who must cope with society tens of thousands of years in the future. We learn this new world along with him as he slowly discovers who and what is real. And what can be done about it. Ursula K. Le Guin's \"Fisherman of the Inland Sea\" follows a man who gives up much in his quest for other worlds--and finds that his regrets both drive him forward and draw him backward. This is good writing, imaginative anthropology, and innovative technical speculation all in one. It's a good introduction to this talented author, in case you've been needing one. The collection is highly recommended. Fans of good time travel shorts may also enjoy Time Twisters and Time Pieces.",
"reviewer": "John M. Ford"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great Anthology",
"text": "To me the highlight was the older stories. There is something so good and refreshing reading from the old masters. This science fiction authors that cut their teeth on the old pulp fiction and even though their science might be suspect, their writing skills are next to none.",
"reviewer": "John Joyner"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Okay. The stories aren't all that good, IMO.",
"text": "I love SF and time travel stories. But the ones in this book are (with a couple of exceptions) not very good. The connection with time travel itself in some of them is weak, and the \"science\" in some of them is so silly that I'd really describe the stories as fantasy, not SF. In one story, a character theorizes that the universe is shrinking, and always has been. Fine... whatever. The reason for the shrinking is never explained, but let's accept that it is, and that no one notices because everything is shrinking proportionally to everything else. A character in the story has a cabinet that he can put things in to send them a couple of weeks into the future. He puts objects it and can reach in and retrieve them. ( Uh -- wait. If he could send things from \"today\"into the future, wouldn't they be huge when they arrived?) One day he sees some tiny little blobs in the cabinet which turn out to be people of the future who have sometimes gotten into the box. Because people in the future become little blobs apparently, or look like blobs to us, \"because, science.\" Even overlooking that silliness, how did the humans of the future get into the cabinet, which would have shrunk along with them. The author appears to have thought up a premise that had endless holes in it, but instead of rewriting it to make sense, got lazy and threw it all together and called it a story. The \"science\" in some of the others is even more ridiculous and inconsistent. And the social commentary in some is very dated. It may have been insightful in the 1970s but just retro today. Several of the authors have written far better stories; I'm not sure why the ones in the book were chosen or included.",
"reviewer": "Dude in Seattle"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "A great collection",
"text": "When I got my first Kindle for Christmas in 2009, this was the first e-book I read. Being a big fan of time-travel stories, I immediately searched the Kindle archives for any stories on this subject. And since I hadn't read anything in years (other than listening to an occassional audio book), I figured a collection of short stories would be a little easier to digest and help get me back into a routine. As with any collection of short stories, some selections are better than others. The stories I enjoyed the most were \"Yesterday was Monday\" by Theodore Sturgeon, \"Timetipping\" by Jack Dann, and \"Sailing to Byzantium\" by Robert Silverburg. This last story was not only an excellent addition to the time-travel canon, it also offers an interesting look at a society's obsession with youthful perfection (not unlike our current society).",
"reviewer": "John Lindenberger"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Excellent Time Travel Anthology.",
"text": "My being raised during the 1950's Second Golden age of Sci-Fi, this collection is like going home. Stories from many of my favorite writers of the genre, this is a must have for Sci-Fi/Time Travel aficionados. As well, books such as this, in my feeble estimation, are best enjoyed with a Printed Book. KIndle books are OK, BUT, will NEVER replace the look, feel, and ease of page flipping of a real printed volume. And, once again, THANK YOU Amazon for the ability of us bibliophiles to keep adding to our libraries. -Robert P. von Fischbach, Atascadero, Ca.",
"reviewer": "Robert P. von Fischbach"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "!",
"text": "Great item, reliable service. Recommend!",
"reviewer": "MaxGomez"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "A Fine Time Travel Collection",
"text": "This is a collection of stories and short novellas dealing with time travel...arguably that most science-fiction-y of all science fiction premises. As with any such collection there are good stories and bad stories here, and which ones you like and dislike out of the 18 here will necessarily vary. For the most part I liked the ones selected though I thought there were a couple of duds--I just couldn't figure out \"Fire Watch\" at all and just plain didn't care for \"Anniversary Project\". But with 18 stories it was easy enough to skip forward to the next, and overall I liked more stories than I disliked. Recommended for any fan of time travel and alternative history stories. There are some duds here but they're easily skippable.",
"reviewer": "Steven Woodcock"
},
{
"stars": 2,
"title": "a VERY disappointing collection",
"text": "No way are these the best time travel stories of the 20th Century. Most are vintage 50s and “pulp.” Many authors selected for this collection have better time travel stories. I am almost finished with “The Mammoth Book of Time Travel SF” by Mike Ashley and find it to be a much better collection. Many of the stories in this collection are available free online. So here goes a thumbnail review of every story in this collection. Grades are my personal assessment not so much of the story but as a time travel story. WARNING Spoiler alert. Yesterday was Monday – Theodore Sturgeon. This has to be one of the weakest Sturgeon stories. Arguably it is not even a time travel story. The premise is that we are all actors on a stage advancing through time, powered, and staged by some super beings bearing remarkable resemblance to biblical figures. It has 1941 flavor stamped all over it. C- Time Locker – Henry Kuttner. One of the better stories in this book. It is both cute and quaint. Alas, dated. Classic 1943. Would have made a great Outer Limits episode. It is available online from Google Books. A- Time’s Arrow – Arthur C. Clarke. Vintage 1950. Clarke became a much better writer some years later. Here a group of paleontologists is excavating a track of a huge dinosaur, which came upon a facility from their own time transported back in time” B- I’m Scared – Jack Finney. Again, Finney wrote better than this one. It is worth a read because it probably is the source of an urban legend of Rudolph Fentz who magically travelled from 1870s to 1950s only to be hit by a car. 1952. B- A Sound of Thunder - Ray Bradbury. I happen not to be a Ray Bradbury fan. This is the source for the “butterfly effect” of small changes in the past resulting in significant changes in the present. One of the few stories that I have read before. Most of the science fiction readers got to be familiar with it. Killing a single butterfly in Paleozoic results in significant changes to the present. 1952. B Death Ship – Richard Matheson. This short story has actually been used as a Twilight Zone episode. Astronauts find a crashed copy of their starship together with their own duplicates dead inside. 1953. B A Gun for Dinosaur – L. Sprague de Camp. Very similar in nature to Bradbury’s “A Sound of Thunder.” 1956. B The Man who Came Early – Poul Anderson. Ok a 20th century man mysteriously finds himself in medieval Iceland. Not surprisingly he cannot survive in that society. Even with his superior knowledge of science and history. 1956 C- (as was the case with Sturgeon, this has to be one of Anderson’s weakest stories) Rainbird – R.A. Lafferty. An aged inventor travels back in time to his youth to alter the future of his younger self. Repeatedly. 1961. A (I liked this one. In some ways it is similar to Grimwood’s novel “Replay”) Leviathan – Larry Niven. Clearly written with tongue in cheek. Repeated trips back in time to retrieve extinct animals end up in fetching mythical creatures. 1970 C Anniversary Project – Joe Haldeman. A depressing story of a couple abducted by “humans” living in a very far future. Upon returning to their present the abducted woman lives out the rest of her life backwards. 1975 B Timetipping – Jack Dann. Something like a mediocre story out of Jack Dann’s (editor) “Wandering Stars An Anthology of Jewish Fantasy & Science Fiction” A man (sometimes he is an orthodox Jew, sometimes pretty much unaffiliated) gets tossed around different realities by people tripping through time and altering “the present” One has to be familiar with ins and outs of Judaism to appreciate the humor in this story. 1975. C Fire Watch – Connie Willis. A time-traveling graduate student of history from the future goes back to the Blitz in London, to participate in the fire lookout at St. Paul's Cathedral. 1982 C. Sailing to Byzantium - Robert Silverberg. Funny how many stories the poem of this same title by William Butler Yates has spawned (“No country for old men” is another). This novella by Silverberg is not even a time travel story. It has the same theme as the poem of Yates – journey to self-discovery. This time the narrator is an animated software who / which discovers that it/he is not a man from distant (21st century) past. 1984 C (might have earned a grade of B, had it not been classified as time travel) The Pure Product – John Kessel. A psychopath from the future is travelling through 20th century USA aimlessly killing people. 1986 D- Trapalanda – Charles Sheffield. A quest for a mythical land in South America. The time travel aspect of the story is pretty much irrelevant. It is more a (good) study of some interesting personalities involved than any kind of time travel speculations. 1987 C- The Price of Oranges – Nancy Kress. An old-timer goes back to 1937 to fetch a husband for his punky grand-daughter. Turns out the fellow is married… and meets his own grand-daughter in his future (our present). 1988 B Another Story or a Fisherman of the Inland Sea – Ursula K. LeGuin. Working on FTL travel a man from LeGuin’s Hain universe teleports to his own past and chooses to live a different life than the lonely one he chose before as a scientis. 1994 B",
"reviewer": "Andrew Katz"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Good, Not Great, and Hardly The Best",
"text": "Like most short story collections, \"The Best Time Travel Stories of the 20th Century\" is uneven. There are classic Twilight Zone-like tales such as Ray Bradbury's \"A Sound of Thunder\" and Richard Matheson's \"Death Ship.\" There are also a few stories that I found almost unreadable and yet here they have been included in this anthology with the word \"best\" in the title. This is not a great collection of stories, but it is a great collection of writers. Maybe by reading this book you'll get acquainted with a writer you haven't come across or maybe you'll enjoy a true classic like \"Sailing to Byzantium\" for the first time.",
"reviewer": "C"
},
{
"stars": 2,
"title": "Nostalgic but a little disappointing",
"text": "I gave this book as a gift, then read it and regretted. The commentary was knowledgeable but the stories tended to be very pulp-y and, to me, only interesting for historic or nostalgic value. Most readers' tastes will have evolved past most of these tales. The worst aren't really even stories, in the sense of plot or characters, but have the quality of bad Twilight Zone episodes based entirely on a single \"Wouldn't it be weird\" punchline. Sorry to be negative, but I was genuinely disappointed with at least half of the collection. Even the stories listed as good examples in the editorial review are mostly trivial and now cliche. For escapist time travel yarns, you might try Heinlein's \"The Door Into Summer\", Willis's \"Doomsday Book\" or \"To Say Nothing Of The Dog\", or (what the heck) Twain's \"A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court\".",
"reviewer": "Jim Foley"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Timeless Anthology",
"text": "A nice anthology. Some stories are great, other's aren't my speed. More than enough good ones. Of course, I wrote this before I ordered the book based upon advice from a guy who had just finished reading and had IDENTICAL taste to me. Also, a very handsome guy I must admit.",
"reviewer": "T. Richmond"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Some really great stories, others not so much",
"text": "As in any collection of short stories, there are some great ones (Time's Arrow is the best for me although there are other great stories) and others that do not deserve being sigled out (Trapalanda and Fire Watch were two that didn't really appeal to me). I do recommend the book for those who like time travel stories (which I love).",
"reviewer": "Diana Martins"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Great Selections",
"text": "I liked that the stories were included in the order of their original creation, which provided a nice evolution of sci-fi writing themes and styles. An anthology is always a great way to discover new authors.",
"reviewer": "Mainman89"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 10.99,
"listPrice": 20,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B000FCKENQ",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Anansi Boys: A Novel",
"authors": "Neil Gaiman",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41UJiPec10L.jpg",
"rating": 4.5,
"reviewCount": "12,658",
"series": "American Gods",
"seriesPosition": "2",
"acquisitionDate": "1490635655000",
"description": "God is dead. Meet the kids.Fat Charlie Nancy’s normal life ended the moment his father dropped dead on a Florida karaoke stage. Charlie didn’t know his dad was a god. And he never knew he had a brother. Now brother Spider is on his doorstep—about to make Fat Charlie’s life more interesting . . . and a lot more dangerous.“Thrilling, spooky, and wondrous.” —Denver Post“Awesomely inventive.… When you take the free-fall plunge into a Neil Gaiman book, anything can happen and anything invariably does.” —Entertainment Weekly“Delightful, funny and affecting.... A tall tale to end all tall tales.” —Washington Post Book World",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Another Great Read From Neil Gaiman",
"text": "Anansi Boys is a sequel of sorts to American Gods. It shares the premise that the Gods of ancient religions are still on Earth, indistinguishable from regular humans to the unobservant. They are portrayed as having magical powers but usually limiting their use to just getting by without actually having to hold down a job. Anansi is a trickster spider god of the Yoruba people, but ubiquitous amongst peoples both in Africa and from Africa, who has all the stories worth telling in his repertoire. He appears in American Gods as Mr. Nancy, or Anansi, an intriguing character but part of the supporting cast. Anansi Boys is better written than American Gods, more polished, much funnier, but lacking the enlightened darker edge that sets its predecessor apart from most other fiction in the magical realism genre. As with American Gods, Anansi Boys is peopled with well-drawn characters, that keep the story believable even when the author is having them perform unbelievable feats. Anansi Boy's plot is more carefully constructed than AG's with fewer blind alleys and strings that fade out and are never explained. The plot of American Gods had several mismatched elements grafted together with coarse stitches. Also, Fat Charlie Nancy, Mr. Anansi's son, is better drawn than Shadow, AG's main character, but both men struggle and largely fail to be as interesting as the characters in the supporting casts, though both redeem themselves by the end. Fat Charlie's redemption is more gradual and therefore easier for the reader to buy into than Shadow's. So are they worth your time? The answer is a wholehearted Yes! No other writer of fiction understands the workings of Archaic religion and its offspring, world mythology, as well as Gaiman, who clearly perceives how those ancient nature-based beliefs still animate our lives and affect our values, our judgement, and help with our frustrating amnesia about a world beyond the veil of rational material reality. Re-reading this, I sound overly critical. That's what happens when a writer flirts with greatness. Both books become obsessions until the last page is turned and leave the reader craving Gaiman's next creation.",
"reviewer": "William J. O'Connor"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Neil Gaiman for people who don't like Neil Gaiman",
"text": "I personally absolutely love all of Gaiman's work I have read thus far, but i have heard valid criticism of his subject matter and execution that makes me understand he is not for everyone. For example, some of the concepts he explores are very ethereal and ambiguous. He tends to go into detail about things that don't matter, and he tends to take tabs from magical realism by exploring magic without giving it exact logic. I enjoy this immensely, but like I said, I also understand why others wouldn't. Anansi Boys, unlike its predecessor American Gods, does not do any of the aforementioned things that could be problematic for some readers. It had enough Gaiman to satisfy niche avid fans like me while also being universally appealing to the point where I can see it being adapted to a Disney film or Netflix series and gaining mainstream success. That being said, you shouldn't fret if you have an indie or cult attitude to your love of Neil Gaiman. I think its differences from other books like American Gods or The Ocean at the End of the Lane are in no way disappointing, but rather demonstrate how multi talented an author he is. Anansi Boys proves he can enjoy himself immensely, not taking himself so seriously, and above all it proves he is funny as hell. This book had me laughing from the start to the finish, because the main character Fat Charlie is hilariously relateable, and the plot was so full of ridiculous and silly situations. All of the characters are charming and loveable, even the villainous ones, and the transformations they undergo and relationships they develop are beautifully executed. It gets progress points for centering almost entirely around characters of color whose race and culture are explored and acknowledged in a way that is celebratory without being alienating. I gave it four stars for being lovely and enjoyable and perfectly crafted with the right dash of Gaiman-esque darkness. It didn't change my life or blow my mind like some of his other works did but I certainly had fun reading it and would recommend it to anyone, including people who I don't think would like his other books. I would absolutely love to see a film adaption of it because of its farce elements and action-driven plot. And the two characters at its center are one of my favorite platonic/family pairings I've ever read about. All that for a couple dollars was so worth it.",
"reviewer": "Isabelle Fleuraud"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Return of the Spider God",
"text": "Neil Gaiman is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. The man has a knack for mashing up humor, mythology, fantasy, other realms and even horror in such a way that it creates an enjoyable masterpiece worth reading. In this book Neil Gaiman play with African mythology and puts it quite nicely with lots of humor into the modern times. The story also seems to borrow from Greek mythology because it involves two brothers. The story starts of in England with Fat Charlie living with his mom who is soon to die of cancer. Charlie is about to marry Rosie but the marriage seems to lack passion. Then in comes Mr. Nancy. He is a bit over weight and a musician type, seemingly armed with a joke and an inexhaustible supply of charm. Fat Charley has always wanted to stay away from him as his jokes could be embarrassing. With his mother dying and his wedding coming up, Mr. Nancy shows up and charms everyone and then he leaves. When he looks for Mr. Nancy again he too has passed. Hanging out with Ms. Higgler who takes care of him like a second mother he finds out that his father was a god, the spider god. Anansi is a trickster god who plays all sorts of jokes that get the other gods angry. Charley also finds out he has a brother. Spider is his brother’s name. Having spider show up throws life into turmoil. Spider interferes with Charlie’s love life. Creates complication at work and eventually gets charley arrested for a crime he did not commit. Impersonating Charlie, Mr. Spider seduces Rosie, informs Graham Coates that he has been caught stealing. More intrigue does follow. THE London police go to the Caribbean to solve a crime. Charlie in the process of finding out how to banish spider learns about how they are connected and ends up fighting his father’s foe’s It is a great read. One that any Gaiman or mythology fan will enjoy",
"reviewer": "S. Cranow"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Probably should be a classic",
"text": "(There might be some spoiler-ish stuff in here) I loved this book! What can I say? It had everything (or enough that I can't even think of something to complain about) that I like to see. It was hilarious (in that British kind of way). It was rich and immersive (such that I now feel like I've visited Florida). And the characters! I normally don't like the main character in most books, but Fat Charlie was almost exceedingly relatable, both before and after his transformation. I loved the little mental jabs he would think that contrasted with what he was actually doing. I liked that he was flawed in how bashful he was. And even afterwards, I love that he mentions that he still gets stage fright, but just powers through it anyway. But it wasn't just Fat Charlie that I liked, I liked do-gooder Rosie, I liked Spider for all of his madness (and his transformation to a caring man), and the four \"witches.\" The plot line itself, I think is something I admired. This, although there is a lot of magical things going on and adventurous stuffs and some detecting by way of Daisy, is mostly a personal transformation arc (for both Fat Charlie and Spider). The main villains are not (the bird woman and the weasel) but Fat Charlie and Spider's personalities clashing. I serious loved this. (And also the fact that, neither of them were actually present when Rosie is rescued in the climax -- which I admired and oddly did not miss.) Then there is the world. I've seen urban fantasy done a number of ways, but I think the way that Gaiman writes this world, the tone of it, sets it apart. There is this overarching fairytale or folklorish narration that surrounds the story, and the way the magic works is very story-driven ( what I mean is that, one of them, say Anansi, will tell a story and it kind of melds into reality. I think I've seen stuff similar to this before, but the way that Gaiman writes it--I don't know--it felt magical. There was nothing tired about it. To conclude, I loved this book, and I will definitely be reading more Gaiman. I'm sad it took me this long to get around to his works!",
"reviewer": "Star"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Anansi Boys is a whole lot of fun, a departure for Gaiman",
"text": "I like to call the kind of fantasy that Gaiman writes \"archetypal fantasy.\" As opposed to many excellent writers in this genre, Gaiman doesn't create his own fantasy universe, nor does he overlay a wholly new fantastic structure onto our current universe. Instead, he takes our world and our oldest legends and weaves them together into a seamless whole. In Gaiman's worlds, you have Spider fighting an eternal fight against Tiger. You have Odin seeking to regain some of his old strength against the new gods of Technology and Entertainment. In reading Gaiman's work, I often feel as though I am somehow being incorporated into the larger pantheon of Storytelling as it has existed since the time of per-historical cave-painting. In his work, the gods first created by the earliest stories (or, perhaps, first recognized by the earliest stories) still exist, still walk among us, and still shape us and our experience of the world. It's hard to put a finger on it, but I find that this resonates deeply for me, and turns what many might consider to be light fiction (it is fantasy, after all) into a richer experience. Gaiman has said that he owes much to Harlan Ellison, and you can see his influence. Ellison's Deathbird Stories isn't as explicit about its gods as Anansi Boys is (and American Gods was far more clear about who its gods are than AB), instead filling these roles with unnamed chthonic forces. If nothing else, Ellison's world is certainly far darker. They both, however, posit that the world in which we live has more to it than meets the eye. That there are dark and powerful forces at work that we knowingly or unknowingly tap into for our strength, inspiration, and at times darkness. That we in turn are tapped into and as a whole provide, though our actions and our worship, the life force that these gods need to exist. While American Gods is a relatively serious (in tone) exploration of this, Anansi Boys is a much more lighthearted approach. In short, Charles Nancy (Fat Charlie) is a young Londoner who has always been embarrassed by his father, and to the world, appears somewhat weak, with a soft underbelly. He allows himself to be pushed around, and for the most part, tries to simply get by and live under the radar. He probably has more in common with many of us than we would like to admit. In Florida for his father's funeral, he learns that his father is actually the god Anansi, and that he has a brother named Spider. When he gets home, he lightheartedly summons his brother by talking to a spider, as he was instructed by an old Caribbean family friend. When Spider turns up, Fat Charlie finds his life turned upside down. His virgin fiancée sleeps with Spider, he is thrown in prison, and finds himself not only out of a job, but framed by his crook boss. Spider, of course, won't leave. He likes being in (taking over) Charlie's life. Needing help, Charlie flies back to Florida, and with the aid of a witch who used to live in his old neighborhood, is transported to the place at the beginning of the world, where he seeks assistance in removing his brother from his life. It would be easy to say that while there, he made a deal with the devil, but in Gaiman's world, there isn't so much a devil as there are many gods with conflicting desires and natures. Charlie's deal is with the Bird Woman. Of course, the whole thing backfires, and in the end draws Spider and Charlie closer together. It should surprise no one that Charlie finds within himself deep reserves of strength and miracle (not magic - Charlie is the son of a god) that he uses to undo the mess he's made, forge himself a new life and identity, and in the end, really, because this is what 90% of fiction seems to be about on one level or another, grow into a man. I probably enjoy Gaiman's work (this book included) too much to really write any sort of objective review or opinion. Simply put, this book is very satisfying, and very funny. It's hard to explain in a review or essay why something is funny, but take for example the following situation. Charlie and Spider are being pursued by Bird Woman, and Spider wants to know what's going on. Charlie begins to tell his story, and in the end concludes: \"She offered to make you go away. And, um. Well, I took her up on it.\" \"That,\" said Spider, with a movie-star smile, \"was really stupid.\" \"I didn't tell her to hurt you.\" \"What did you think she was going to do to get rid of me? Write me a stiff letter?\" \"I don't know. I didn't think. I was upset.\" \"Great. Well, if she has her way, you'll be upset, and I'll be dead. You could have simply asked me to leave, you know.\" \"I did!\" \"Er. What did I say?\" \"That you liked it in my house and you weren't going anywhere.\" Like much good British humor, it's not so much laugh out loud humor, but rather a general tone that pervades the entirety of the book. It makes you smile, and it makes you sympathetic to the characters. In the end though, although I'd recommend it to anyone, Anansi Boys is not as good as American Gods, and is one of Gaiman's weaker works. There's too much cliché. I think he knows it, and maybe it's a part of a larger joke missed by yours truly. I can't get over the schlubby character in the wrong relationship who stumbles on true love, partial deity, and lifelong satisfaction and happiness. It's fun, but it's not powerful in the same way as Gaiman's other works.",
"reviewer": "David Dubbert"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Neil! Stop writing amazing books so I can start being productive!",
"text": "Well I thought this book was just great - but I personally feel that goes without saying. I am an avid Neil Gaiman fan and he has yet to disappoint me. All of his writing is just so unique it's difficult to give him anything under a rating of 5 stars for any of his books. I was a little nervous to purchase this book as I bought it blindly without reading the sample, but I knew Neil Gaiman wouldn't let me down. I had heard from other Neil Gaiman fans that this book was their least favorite out of his books, but I strongly disagree, it may even be one of my favorites. I especially loved the little interruptions of Anansi's stories throughout the book - they brought be back to the days where my mother would read me Uncle Remus stories...but as you'll learn if you read the book, those are nothing but Anansi stories too. Also, what fantastic character and plot development. I am so dumbfounded with the ideas that pop into Neil Gaiman's head. It's almost as if he's living in a completely other world and he makes me believe that I'm in it. Something about his writing transports you to a different place where you get to know these unique people. I think I might have even developed a little literary crush on Spider. Is it possible that his wiles grasp young ladies hearts through the pages of a book as well? I wouldn't doubt it... I'm not sure if I would start with this book on my Neil Gaiman journey. I think reading American Gods before Anansi Boys was appropriate but not necessary. To those who have not yet read Neil Gaiman I typically recommend Neverwhere, but others swear by Stardust (I just haven't gotten around to it...I'm \"saving\" it). It was also cool that there were some \"deleted scenes\" at the end of the book (at least in the kindle edition). I'm always down for little tidbits from Neil. The only serious negative remark I have to say about the book is that it was difficult to put down! I'm supposed to be studying for the GRE's and reading the book took a significant amount of time away from my studies! It was certainly one of those books that when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about when I could start reading it next. I certainly caught myself reading my kindle while walking home, which is not safe or recommended living in a busy city like Boston.",
"reviewer": "Coraline"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Trickster God and his two sons",
"text": "I recently got into reading works by Neil Gaiman and no doubt he is an amazing author. I really don’t know what to think about this book though. I loved the starting of the book. The story is charming, delightful, funny and has few but interesting characters. I laughed out loud many times and the good thing is that the laugh was due to subtle and intelligent humor. I love when the humor is implied and so well done. This is also the reason why I love TV shows/sitcoms which don’t have laugh background (Ex. The Office). Coming back to the book, the mythology aspect of story is really far fetched and I couldn’t relate to it much. It was overall interesting but it got repetitive very fast. There are too many co-incidences in the book and my logical mind found it difficult to take everything at face value. The ending was not satisfactory for me as it felt like author suddenly realized that he is out of allocated quota of pages to be used and so rushed the ending. I am definitely planning to read more works by Mr. Neil and hope I will find them more enjoyable.",
"reviewer": "Vaibhav Patle"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Top-notch comic fantasy",
"text": "Who is the best fantasy writer around nowadays? It is, of course, a matter of opinion. If we narrow the field a bit to adult fantasy (and thereby take folks like Rowling and Pullman out of the equation), a good argument could be made that the best in the bunch is Neil Gaiman. While most other fantasy writers are busy writing Tolkien knock-offs, he presents original stories. While most others can't seem to write a story that doesn't span several volumes (which is probably driven as much by commercial considerations as artistic ones), Gaiman gives us standalone novels. Anansi Boys helps solidify his standing as one of the best (if the best) in his field. The story follows Fat Charlie Nancy (who is not fat), who as the novel opens, finds out his father has just died. Fat Charlie was by no means close to his father, but his fiancee Rosie was not fond of the estrangement. Fat Charlie flies from England to Florida to attend his father's funeral. While there, he learns some interesting things, most of which he finds hard to believe. One unbelievable idea is that his father was actually the trickster god Anansi, which makes it more surprising that he actually died. Furthermore, Fat Charlie has a brother who has apparently has inherited Anansi's powers. This brother, Spider, comes into Fat Charlie's life soon enough and starts turning things upside down: he seduces Rosie and puts Fat Charlie in dangerous peril with his crooked boss. When Spider will not leave, Fat Charlie comes upon a method to force him to go; this method, however, is actually part of a grander scheme that will threaten both brothers. Among the people Gaiman thanks on the dedication page is P.G. Wodehouse, and this novel has a wonderfully comic feel that fits right in the Wodehousian tradition. This is one of those books that is a constant delight from beginning to end. You don't have to be a fantasy fan to enjoy Anansi Boys; in fact, since the book doesn't adhere to the genre's cliches, it may even be better not to be one.",
"reviewer": "mrliteral"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "U MAY LOVE IT- Try a AUdio sample",
"text": "didnt finish it I thought it would be geared more towards AMERICAN GODS type fiction, It gets into the Anansi guy in or inspired by book for the show a bit, Will get back to it to finish,",
"reviewer": "ryan bohn"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Everyone Should Have A Brother Named Spider",
"text": "This is the first Neil Gaiman book I have read. Don't judge me. I've been very busy the last decade or so. Getting used to Gaiman's style took me a few chapters. He reminded me of an acquaintance who nabs me when she sees me and insists on telling me stories about people I don't know. \"I have to tell you something about my friend,\" she will start out. \"Her husband runs a construction company. Or is he an architect? Anyway, he once brought home a stray tomcat that would only eat cheese.\" And on and on for 15 minutes, until she abruptly says, \"Well, she died last week.\" I am left with a blank look on my face while I wend my way back through all the tangents until I can connect the beginning of the story with the end. Then I realized Gaiman is far more amusing than the talkative woman and that his tangents are like pieces of a puzzle with connections that become apparent later. The book is inspired by folklore and ancient archetypes, and like them, this tale has a good bit of gore, murder, and loss of body parts, but like a good story from centuries ago, miraculous things can happen and the characters' dilemmas can be resolved in a flash, with the help of quirky witches living in the Florida suburbs or the power of karaoke singing or assistance from a 7-legged spider made of clay. You must excuse me now. I'm off to buy another Gaiman book.",
"reviewer": "Ann Elliot"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "A light-hearted, not-quite sequel",
"text": "Although Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys is set in the same world as his American Gods and shares a common (minor) character, that’s about as far as the resemblance goes. American Gods is dark and epic, centering on a war between the old gods brought to America by various immigrants and the new gods created by less-devout forces like TV and capitalism. The main character is named Shadow, and the stakes are high, even in the subplot, which concerns a supernatural serial killer preying on the children of a small town. Anansi Boys is lighter fare, a tale about long-separated family members reuniting, squabbling, and then working together to defeat a common foe. The main character is named Fat Charlie, and the chapter titles are whimsical (for example, “Chapter Eight: In Which a Pot of Coffee Comes in Particularly Useful”). But there are still plenty of gods. Fat Charlie and his brother Spider are the sons of Mr. Nancy, a version of the West African trickster-deity Anansi. His death at the beginning of the book sets the plot in motion and leads Fat Charlie to learn more about the powers he inherited from his father. There’s also a big idea. American Gods suggests that people create gods by believing in them. Anansi Boys wonders if clever stories make for clever people. “People take on the shapes of the songs and stories that surround them,” one of the characters declares near the end of the book. The first stories “began in tears, and they’d end in blood.” But when stories with “wit and trickery and wisdom” came along, “people aren’t just thinking of hunting and being hunted anymore. Now they’re starting to think their way out of problems.” I don’t know if I’m smarter for having read Anansi Boys. And it didn’t grab me initially—the lower stakes and leisurely opening delayed my interest. I was amused by the end, though, and I appreciated the different tone and take of this not-quite sequel to American Gods. Not every tangent is worth following, but Gaiman’s usually are. Fun stuff.",
"reviewer": "Nick Wisseman (author)"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "It's no American Gods. So what?",
"text": "So let's get the obvious out of the way. As many reviewers said, this is no \"American Gods\". There, I said it. Does that mean it's a bad book? Not even close. Because, get this, a book can not be American Gods and still be good. Imagine that! The main difference with American Gods is that it's more fun and light hearted. Many passages made me smile, and some passages even made me laugh out loud. The humor is a bit English, so I guess it may be a hit or miss depending on your taste. The story is centered around the African god Anansi, the storyteller and trickster. He's not an evil god, he just likes to liven up the situation, with varying degrees of success. In this book, Anansi is a charmer who likes to take the ladies for a dance, sing, and tell stories. His kid Charlie, like most kids, finds his dad terribly embarrassing, so he lives the opposite life: boring, predictable, safe. Until that is his father dies, and he learns he has a brother he knows nothing of. The brother is a lot like dad, and enters Charlie's life like a whirlwind, and opening the door to a supernatural dimension Charlie knew nothing about. And before you know it, both brothers' lives are turned upside down and... you'll have to read the book to know. You don't need to know much about Anansi and African mythology beforehand, as the book explains enough of it, but I recommend it anyway. Mythology isn't just fun, the way people entertained themselves before books, TVs and cell phones. It's also a fascinating insight in human psychology. So take a few minutes of your time to read more about it, and the book will be even more fun to read.",
"reviewer": "Sy"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Finding Two Different Parts Of Yourself Through Embarrassing Family ...And Gods",
"text": "With a serious tip of the hat to the Trickster God, Neil Gaiman taps into mythology once again with his excellent take on African lore in Anansi Boys. For those who read and enjoyed the Hugo Award winning American Gods (also by Gaiman), you'll no doubt love the themes covered here. Fat Charlie is the son of Mr. Charles Nancy, a true embarrassment to his only son. He hardly works, runs around singing lame songs, and mostly ignores Fat Charlie (he also gave \"Fat\" Charlie his embarrassing nickname). But then Fat Charlie's father has the \"big one\" on a karaoke stage and passes away. Fat Charlie, who lives and works (an embarrassing job, too) in London, must fly to Florida for the funeral. It is here that he learns much more about his father than he could ever have imagined. Mr. Nancy was a God, not just a man. He was the spider God of old known as Anansi, a God who stole all the old stories from Tiger and made them his own (done, of course, through trickery). Fat Charlie doesn't believe this at first, but as an old friend continues to discuss Charlie's father's Godhood, she also drops a bomb in his lap: Charlie isn't an only child. He has a brother named (strangely enough) Spider. She tells Fat Charlie that all he has to do to meet him is to talk to a spider and ask him to send Spider to him. And one stuporously drunk night, Charlie does just that. And much to his surprise, guess who shows up on his doorstep the next day? As we work through Anansi Boys, we get to see all of the old African Gods come to life (from the Monkey God to ones that have gone extinct). We also get to see an awakening of Fat Charlie's spirit with the help of Spider and a few unusual plot twists. Most of these are hilarious takes on sibling rivalry and learning about your own inner God. Fat Charlie winds his way through this world and the next, meeting up with all manner of strange beings and gaining a bit more understanding of who his father truly was and how \"tricky\" he could really be. From Gods to ghosts, this is a riotously fun book to read. And something all Neil Gaiman fans will be happy to have in their collection.",
"reviewer": "B. Merritt"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Neil Gaman and the Anansi Boys",
"text": "I enjoy reading books written by Neil Gaiman but found this one a little bit less like his style of writing. The \"gist\" of the book centers around the 2 Anansi boys and their relationship with each other and how they each interact with those around them. The plot is ok, I just didn't like the story. If you're a fan of this author you may enjoy the story like and how each of the brothers get on with life.",
"reviewer": "mbp"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 9.99,
"listPrice": null,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B000OZ0NXA",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Killing Floor (Jack Reacher, Book 1)",
"authors": "Lee Child",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41VaA5KUKYL.jpg",
"rating": 4.4,
"reviewCount": "77,143",
"series": "Jack Reacher",
"seriesPosition": "1",
"acquisitionDate": "1644204081000",
"description": "THE FIRST NOVEL IN LEE CHILD'S #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING JACK REACHER SERIES—NOW AN ORIGINAL SERIES ON PRIME VIDEO!\n\n“From its jolting opening scene to its fiery final confrontation, Killing Floor is irresistible.”—People\n\nEx-military policeman Jack Reacher is a drifter. He’s just passing through Margrave, Georgia, and in less than an hour, he’s arrested for murder. Not much of a welcome. All Reacher knows is that he didn’t kill anybody. At least not here. Not lately. But he doesn’t stand a chance of convincing anyone. Not in Margrave, Georgia. Not a chance in hell.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Jack Reacher Begins",
"text": "Another author that I am reading is Lee Child. I must admit, the reason I am reading the Jack Reacher novels is because I did watch the Jack Reacher movie from 2012. I loved that movie, and so far I love the books (I am reading the second book right now). Let’s get to it. Synopsis: Ex-military policeman Jack Reacher is a drifter. He’s just passing through Margrave, Georgia, and in less than an hour, he’s arrested for murder. Not much of a welcome. All Reacher knows is that he didn’t kill anybody. At least not here. Not lately. But he doesn’t stand a chance of convincing anyone. Not in Margrave, Georgia. Not a chance in hell. Lee Child is a great author. You can tell that just by the first couple of pages of this book. He knows how to draw you in quickly. This particular book is told completely through the eyes of Reacher. The way that Child laid out the events fluently was perfect. Progressing through the story is easy to remember what is happening from one scene to the next and even several scenes ahead. The story seems to be a bit of a recycling at first, but once you get into it you will see what Child has done. He took a simple case of mistaken identity and turned it into a major conspiracy. I’m not going to give the twist away, but just know that there is more going on than you initially think. Jack Reacher has to be one of the best written characters I have ever read. He is calm, collected, and sure of his abilities in being able to handle any situation. Once the situation started to take off, Reacher kept his cool and it stayed that way the rest of the book. The supporting characters were your typical characters. There was the love interest in a beautiful female; the over-powering cop; the sympathetic cop who wants to help out; and then the man who ran things from behind the curtain. Lee Child did the right thing in not really playing up the other characters. He knew his star was in Reacher and that was where the main focus should be. I absolutely loved this book. There ain’t much else to say about it. This is a definite read for anyone. Strongly suggest you make this your next book. Rating: 5 out of 5 That’s it for me folks. If you would like to continue to follow my post, go ahead and like this page. Go check out these sites, and don’t forget to check out my books. I have added the sites to the bottom of the page. Twitter: @TimYingling Facebook: [...] Publisher: [...] A Family Affair sites: – Amazon: http://amzn.to/1pLTEoQ – Solstice: [...] – CreateSpace: [...] High School Hitmen sites: – Amazon: http://amzn.to/1V7sd4H – Solstice: [...] – CreateSpace: [...] Mistaken sites: – Amazon: http://amzn.to/25X1htC – Solstice: [...]",
"reviewer": "Tim Yingling"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "“Homicidal frenzy is bad enough, but postmortem frenzy is worse” (Child 34)",
"text": "Since publishing his captivating novel Jack Reacher: Killing Floor, in 1997, Lee Child has written with determination and perseverance, showing the effects of crime, sex, and fraud in the late 20th century. Killing Floor analyzes the causes and effects of the counterfeit business through the likes of the loyal and trustworthy protagonist, Jack Reacher. Because Lee develops Jack into a very well rounded character through strong vocabulary, Child entertains young adults with a suspenseful thriller as well as persuading adults to question everything and not believing everything at face value. At the very beginning of the novel, Jack Reacher is arrested for a murder that he didn’t commit. After being on the road for many months and drenched in rainwater, Jack Reacher only wants to be alone; he carries no luggage, no extra clothes, and no car. However, as trouble has always found its way to him, he is carried into a deep homicide investigation that no one understands. When Jack is being investigated, he says, “Homicidal frenzy is bad enough, but postmortem frenzy is worse” (Child 34). A military man through 36 years of his life and a specialized “agent” in homicide investigation himself, he finds himself questioning the investigators. Soon afterwards, Jack is on the team helping out with the investigation. However, as time draws nearer he must distinguish his friends from his enemies. Through the use of many flashbacks in Jack Reacher’s military life, Child uses real world connections to entertain readers about the thinking skills of highly skilled military men. For example, during the interrogation of Jack Reacher at the police station, he tells Finlay two things, “But the actual evidence points to a minimum of three… [they] wouldn’t like that kind of frenzy. It would embarrass them” (37). On the surface, Finley is interrogating Jack about the mysterious murder, but on the deeper level though Finley can’t figure out how to solve the mystery because he is disobeying orders in order to let Jack tell him what he thinks of the mystery. Reacher’s high order thinking skills taught him how to analyze every part of the crime scene and he starts to find little details in “putting the puzzle pieces together.” Clearly, Reacher’s skills that he learned in the military prove effective. In addition, when Reacher is placed in the holding cell for his “murder”, he starts to think “about somebody who had watched his partner shoot a guy in the head [and] who had watched his partner shoot a guy in the head” (Child 44). Although not said directly, Jack Reacher calmly analyzes the situation at hand, using his real-life experiences in the military to aid him in preparing for his next move. In other words, Reacher’s connections to the military help him stay calm, cool, and collected, even in jail. There in no doubt that Child uses real-world connections to tell more about Jack Reacher. Also, throughout the entirety of the book, there were many suspenseful parts that were described in the utmost detail. For instance, when Jack Reacher was in the prison cell he was cornered by five white guys that “had orange suits, torn-off sleeves, heavy men, slabby fat, and [they] had crude tattoos on their arms and their faces” (99). Using words such as “slabby” and “crude” signify the amount of imagery created in reader’s minds. By including all these descriptive words, readers feel as though they are part of the scene and are inside of Jack Reacher’s shoes. In addition, when Jack Reacher is talking with Hubble in the 6th cell of the prison about his life, he says, “I never leave a paper trail. It’s just a bit of fun. I like anonymity” ( 110). By using words such as “anonymity,” Hubble feels as though he starts to understand Jack Reacher's way of life and why he does what he does. He sees that some people are different in how they view life and the world. Lee Child’s use of anonymity, slabby, and crude demonstrates the wide variety of vocab he shares with readers. Clearly, the most defining thing about Jack Reacher is his full commitment to anything he does, as a strong person and character; furthermore, he demonstrates a well-rounded character. During Jack Reacher’s visit to the lab, he finds out that his brother was one of the victims. He starts thinking to himself that “[he] feels rigid with shock on the counter between the fax machine and the computer terminal and felt like an arctic guy whose whole world changes in a single step” (141). On the surface level, it seems as though Jack is so shocked that his brother is dead, but on the deeper level words such as “changes” signify that he wants revenge on the attacker who killed his only brother. Although he seems rattled, his character gets stronger by committing himself further to the investigation. Moreover, when Jack Reacher is walking by himself on the streets he realizes that “deep down, [he] was always aware that [he] was supposed to stand up for him” (150). By including the phrase “supposed to stand up for him”, he commits himself to do whatever it takes to find out the truth. He realizes that to be a more developed character he must become more committed to the task at hand even if he didn’t want to do it at first; this is a sign of resilience. Overall, Child uses Jack Reacher ups and downs to fully develop his character, even at the roughest times. Through the good and the bad, right and wrong, friends and enemies, Jack Reacher: Killing Floor resembles a suspenseful thriller, developing Jack Reacher through detail and real-world connections. Killing Floor has lots of imagery and attention to detail that make readers jump into Jack’s shoes. This book should be placed in the hands of curious people that want to hop into the world of unknown adventure of adult world. There is no doubt Jack Reacher: Killing Floor is right for you!",
"reviewer": "Erik"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Who Is Jack Reacher??? How Did Child Construct Reacher's Character??",
"text": "The world suddenly got a look at a brand new movie hero in 2014 when the movie, \"Jack Reacher\" came out starring Tom Cruise as the lead character, Jack Reacher. After that movie I started reading \"Jack Reacher\" books by Lee Child (Note that Lee Child makes a cameo appearance in the movie \"Jack Reacher\" and plays a Police Desk Sergeant.) Amongsts those that I read was the very first \"Jack Reacher\" novel so I could get a feeling of the character from the beginning. I was ecstatic to find that in the 2nd Jove Premium Edition, Copyright 2012, Child writes a new Introduction to the book and explains a lot of things about how the Jack Reacher character came to be and what kinds of things shaped him ionto the character as he existed in the beginning and why and how Child tried to create a 'differentiated detective chaaracter.' he did it well and is now one of the largest selling mystery writers alive today. On \"Jack Reacher\" Child says several things that are of note to the reader: 1) Lee Child was a John D. MacDonald reader. MacDonald is famous of his over 100 books, but particularly his series starring Travis McGee (All the Travis McGee novels have a color in the title. e.g. \"Pale Gry For Guilt\" or \"That Lovely Lemon Sky\") and Child used numerous elements from MacDonald's books, but also he took Reacher down a different path than MacDonald did with McGee). Perhaps one of MacDonald's most famous books was made into the movie \"Cape Fear\" 2 times, and that the book was titled 'The Executioners. About McGee, Child says things like, \"... I liked cleverness and ingenuity ... intriguing revelations ... \" And he disliked smart detectives, that did stupid things 3/4'rs of the way through the book. \"I like to see something done spectacularly well. Child developed some rules for his Reacher books which included the following: First: Character is King: People remember characters. Second: If you can see a bandwagon, it's too late to get on. Third Conclusion, and the most confounding says Child, \"You can't design character too specifically.\" Child then strts writing and creating the character of Jack Reacher. A character that follows the rules, those of character building, bandwagon aversion and go with the flow to some extent (i.e. do not lock yourself to tightly to an archetype of the character. Thus, a mystery icon was born. And, a mystery character was molded into aa very interesting and provocative series. In this book, Jack Reacher was more or less just going through a small town in Georgia, when he is arrested for murder. The details and how Reacher finds them are the crux of the story. But this book set the stage for a long series of Jack Reacher books that are now standard faire in the mystery portion of pretty much any library. Child is good, imaginative and interesting. While I would not compare his work to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the late, great Sherlock Holmes. But I would consider Child one of the best currently writing mystery writers in America, although he originally came from the UK. \"The Killing Floor\" is a very fine book for a first book in a series and I highly recommend it to lovers of mystery novels. The books read quickly and keep your interest. They are not literature in the same was as Doyle, but they are good, solid mystery stories that can be read quickly. I highly recommend this book to lovers of mystery novels.",
"reviewer": "Jon Linden"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Marvelously plotted and engrossing",
"text": "Great read! Child is an excellent writer. The plot and characters are very well-written. It is easy to see why this became such a popular series. I’m certainly going to read through all of them! Top marks at everything, though if you’re really squeamish about violence and killing, this might not be the book for you.",
"reviewer": "Jabberwock"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Good first novel in the Reacher Series but it's different from the movies (In a good way)",
"text": "If you're like me, you've discovered the Jack Reacher series through seeing the well-made movies starring Tom Cruise. But be warned... The novels are somewhat different. (But in a good way) Essentially, Jack Reacher is a guy who frequently seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. A former Military Policeman in the US Army (Technically, the author screwed this part of Reacher's back story up: He's technically a former investigator of the Criminal Investigation Division, the Army equivalent of NCIS), he's been discharged from service and is now roaming aimlessly around the greater United States, sightseeing and occasionally taking odd jobs for extra income. He carries nothing but the clothes on his back, his Military ID and Passport, an ATM Card, and a travel toothbrush. And he frequently seems to stumble upon something small that turns out to be something big. How many times can one guy \"stumble\" into something big in his lifetime? According to author Lee Child as of 2020, that number of times runs into the 20's. It's a narrative conceit. But the books are so engrossing that you quickly buy into it. Then there's Reacher himself. One of the biggest complaints of the book fans about the films is that Tom Cruise looks nothing like Reacher. The book version of Reacher is over 6ft tall, weighs around 250lbs (all muscle), and is blonde haired and blue eyed. Essentially, try and picture actor Dolph Lundgren in his present day form. However, Cruise did capture Reacher's stoic, nonchalant nature. You get the feeling in the books that even when he's knee deep in a mess, at any minute he might shrug his shoulders, say \"Screw this,\" and walk away. But he doesn't because he's conditioned to do the right thing, even to his detriment. And he's not a perfect hero, either. He makes mistakes that can get others hurt or killed. But that just fuels his tough, vigilante-style resolve. He's not above dirty tricks or brutal tactics to get rid of the bad guys. As the tagline of Tom Cruise's film reads: \"The law has limits. Jack Reacher doesn't.\" That sums him up. One thing a new reader will have to get used to is the fact that each book randomly changes narrative POVs. One book (like this first one) is written in First Person. Others are written in Third Person. It depends on which POV best suits the book. Now on to the story... Like any first novel, The Killing Floor sets the series tone I previously mentioned of Reacher being in the wrong place at the wrong time and stumbling upon something big. In this case, Reacher is riding a Greyhound Bus through rural Georgia when he decides to get off at a picturesque small town right out of The Andy Griffith Show. While eating breakfast in a diner, he's immediately swarmed by the local police who arrest him for murder. As it turns out, the murder victim is his own brother, Joe, who was working undercover for the US Treasury Department. What was he working on? Why was he killed? And why are the quaint locals afraid to talk? That's the problem that lays ahead of Reacher as he has to dodge the law, the mayor, and violent family who seems to control the town to find out. Yes... You might be rolling your eyes at the wild coincidence that sets off the story but like I said, it's good enough to suck you in with each novel. My only real complaint is a failing from a first time author. In this case, Lee Child has a tendency in this book to get repetitive with his descriptions of the town. Usually, an author will describe a location thoroughly so that the logistics are clear in the reader's mind for the rest of the story. FOR EXAMPLE: If you were to describe the route you take from your house to the grocery store, you might thoroughly describe the neighborhood and the streets so that the reader understands the location. If you were to describe that route again later in a book, you might only casually call attention to the neighborhood if the story demands it. Like describing sitting at the red light on Main and Elm Streets. But Child will bore you to tears thoroughly describing each and every single aspect of the route each time it's taken all the way from Point A to Point B again and again and again. It's repetitive in the worst way. Fortunately, he got better at that in later books, describing scenes in the way I mentioned before. In spite of the first novel failings, it will still make for an interesting read that will make you go out and grab the next book... and the next book... and on and on.",
"reviewer": "AmazonCustomer1979"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A Great Self-Contained Adventure (contains spoilers)",
"text": "This is my first Jack Reacher novel. I was looking for something different, something hero-centric, something modern, and something good. This certainly checked all the boxes. It's a linear first person adventure of a well-developed violent tall guy who likes the blues. He gets the girl but can't hold on to her. Over the span of the novel we're taken all over the place, but most of it takes place in the confines of the little town of Margrave, Georgia. You return to the same locations so frequently that you can see it all vividly. Indeed, in the quality of the novel's writing I would describe it as extremely realistic. You can see it all. Characters are more or less defined by their race and what they're wearing. It's hard to see any of their faces. Jack Reacher is a likable, worldly protagonist. I wouldn't mind reading further books in the series. I just hope that eventually the story comes to an end. This whole adventure is so self-contained that by the start of the next book I'm sure things will be status quo ante. The big difference for Jack Reacher's life is that his brother died. I'm not sure how the author can manage to continue developing this character without succumbing to endless self-contained episodic conflicts. I prefer a series that tells an overall story and ends. Currently, there are 23 books. That's a combination of inspiring and worrisome. This novel functions so well as a self-contained work that it doesn't really need or demand any sequels. There are no narrative threads left unanswered. There is no cliffhanger. Every plotline is cleanly resolved. The ending is such that Reacher is on the road again, clearly able to walk into a new and fresh adventure. I'm willing to give number two a try. But I will be put off if I start detecting a formula in the author's work. This is most definitely a great novel and I love it, but I will grow bored and tired if I end up reading the same narrative dressed up in different clothes 23 times.",
"reviewer": "Mark"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Jack Reacher is a likeable character, the narrative is OK, but the plot's glaring coincidences & inconsistencies spoil the fun.",
"text": "(Beware, Spoilers) In this first book of the Jack Reacher series, we're introduced to the main character, who's grown up on US military bases around the world, and served for 13 years before coming back to the US and drifting loose for a while as he enjoys the freedom of a life without roots nor purpose. The hero's likeable, with a number of very humane character traits and quirks despite his core skill set, those of a crack soldier and veteran military police investigator. The story has some clumsy twists: while travelling at random in the US, Reacher asks for an unscheduled bus stop, walks a dozen miles to a small rural community because he's hungry, and it so happens to be at that time and in that place that his brother, whom he hasn't seen or heard from in 7 years, is killed while running an investigation for the US government. That's a very poor plot mechanic, there would be so many other ways of bringing the two characters together, no need to resort to such completely unbelievable coincidence. There's also a glaring number of inconsistencies in the plot: for example, corrupt local authorities hire a very competent detective with a PhD in criminology from Harvard, thinking that he's not a good investigator on the basis of 1 single interview, even though a member of the conspirator's circle has been a close friend of that sharp detective for years and knows he's applied for that position, in which he could seriously hamper their ambitious criminal conspiracy. If it weren't for the half-dozen glaring coincidences and inconsistencies, I would have given the book a 4-star rating. The main plot holds water, even if you can't help but think that given the volumes of cash and profits involved, the criminal enterprise would have a lot more resources to pull from than the few thugs that Reacher dispatches with exaggerated ease. Reacher's investigation develops at a good pace, secondary characters are well defined if a little simplistic, action scenes are crisp and graphic. The short-clipped, plain writing style serves well the author's efforts to show that Reacher has an uncommon observation sense and deductive capabilities, everything seems described through the eyes of a sharp visitor. The wrap up seems quite superficial and quickly put together, anyone involved in that type of events (a dozen murders, including police and FBI officials, and the very public blow-up of a multi-billion criminal enterprise) would not be able to walk away scot-free in the US, with his only care that of an adolescent heartache. I was curious to read this first book because I enjoyed the movie with Tom Cruise. Despite the author's success, and despite comments from other reviewers that the following books get better as the author matures, I'm not sure I'll be reading another Jack Reacher for a while, there's just far better books out there, even in that same category.",
"reviewer": "Tiberius"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great book! Best read for a mystery thriller lover!",
"text": "I watched the show first and then got the book the book is so good and the show is the exact same. This is a great book and I loved the attention to detail the author used to make an image to the reader I loved this book and will definitely read more of them.",
"reviewer": "Sawyer smith"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Reacher's Origin Story",
"text": "Over the past five years, I've watched both of the Tom Cruise \"Reacher\" movies, and the three seasons of the tv series with Alan Ritchson. I've also read two of the later books--so, I figured it's about time to read the \"Killing Floor\" book that began the series, and see how the book stands up next to the tv series adaption; that was basis for the first season. All things taken into account, I give it 4 out of 5 stars. First the things that didn't work for me. In \"Killing Floor\" Reacher has not yet developed into the charcter that we have come to love. He's just six-months out of the Army, and there's no mention of the 110th Special Investigators--or Reacher's Code of Conduct. The nearest we get is Reacher speaks to his loyalty to his family--and whichever unit he would be assigned to while in the Army. Also, it's mentioned that Reacher was discharged as part of the \"peace dividend\" after the Cold War ended. But, those of us who lived through that period, know that the military \"rif\" [reduction in force] was used to get rid of poor performers. And, even though Reacher caused trouble with the higher-ups, there's no way THEY would have let someone as good at his job as Reacher (and the 110th) go. In fact, in the first movie Tom Cruise explains he left the military because HE was sick of the politics & regimented structure. So, this novel didn't speak accurately to the post Cold War times. Beyond that, the plot was overly complex--I now know way too much about U.S. currency--and there are long passages in the book explaining regional and law enforcement history and background. It intentionally slowed down the reading; and made the experience less rewarding. Now, to the Good. The basic story, and the characters--especially the villains--are excellent. The relationship between Reacher and Roscoe is much more textured and important than it was in the tv series. And, best of all: even though I knew (from the tv series) who the last \"mole\" was, it was expertly revealed in the book. Bottom line, the novel does a good job laying the groundwork for the future Reacher that fans love. I recommend the book, and advise you to feel free to skip through a lot of the detailed exposition on the technical aspects of the U.S. Treasury and international money changers.",
"reviewer": "Raymond47"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Best of the Bunch",
"text": "IMO this is the best of the Reacher novels. Exciting, well-plotted, lots of action, good characterization. An excellent introduction to Reacher and his adventures.",
"reviewer": "Kindle Customer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Like reading the script",
"text": "I’ve watched Reacher-the tv series before reading the book. It was like reading the first season’s full script but having the stage directions and explanations for all the characters. Loved it. I’ll have to read the book for season two!",
"reviewer": "Laurence Till"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Killing Floor",
"text": "Bestselling British author, Lee Child, introduces Jack Reacher in his novel, Killing Floor. In addition, he includes a comprehensive introduction with background and information on this beloved main character. The story begins when Reacher, an unemployed ex-military policeman, who is sort of a drifter, is eating a late breakfast in a diner in Margrave, Georgia, a small southern town outside of Atlanta. He has just gotten off the bus and walked from the edge of town to the diner, and is arrested for a murder that was committed the evening before, even though Reacher hadn't arrived until 8:00 am that morning. Reacher knows he didn't kill anyone, but convincing what he finds is a corrupt small-town police department, is not easy. He is put in the prison across town to be held over the weekend, along with a well-known affluent citizen of the town, Paul Hubble, who was questioned because his phone number was found in the shoe of one of the murder victims (there are two), and has panicked and confessed to murder. The two are put on the wrong floor in the prison, and they are attacked by a group of violent inmates where Reacher saves them both. Once Reacher convinces the police he couldn't be the murderer, he learns that the identity of one of the bodies just happens to be his older brother, Joe; he hasn't seen him for seven years, and hasn't been close to him in much longer. Because he senses things are not as they appear in this town, and he knows that the police are inexperienced in actually solving crimes, since there have been no murders in over 30 years, he becomes involved in the investigation, and stays in town. The investigation leads to evidence of corruption among the town's leaders, businessmen, and law enforcement; Jack's brother had apparently come to the town to investigate the corruption, and during the course of the novel, there are several additional violent murders. Reacher also murders several persons, in self defense, of course. Child's writing style is easy to follow, and this particular book is told in first person, through the eyes of Reacher. It is a page turner, and isn't easily put down. In fact, thriller fans will most likely become hooked on Jack Reacher and will want to read all of the subsequent books; this is the one to start with, though, to get the background on him. One negative on this book, however, is the fact that there is quite a bit of graphic violence - murders, fights, etc., and that violence is described in detail. Thriller readers who shy away from violence in novels would be wise to skip this series and stick to authors that are a little less descriptive and leave more to the readers' imagination. This book was purchased with personal funds and no promotion of the book was solicited by the author or publisher.",
"reviewer": "K Hancock"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "The Beginning of Reacher",
"text": "Very exciting book. I had seen the movie covering this first book and almost didn’t read this book. Glad I did. The perfect book series to get lost in.",
"reviewer": "Sheila B."
},
{
"stars": 1,
"title": "The Terminator meets Dumb and Dumber",
"text": "A review of Lee Child’s 1st Jack Reacher book-The Killing Floor. I am writing this review because I saw the trailer for the new Jack Reacher TV series on Amazon Prime and thought it looked great. I am also a fan of this type of crime/murder mystery books and edit them for a hobby. I thought it would be fun to read the source material before viewing the TV series, and based on the Reacher trailer I had high expectations. To cut to the chase, I was very disappointed and frustrated by the source material. However, to be fair, here are my pluses and minuses for The Killing Floor. Please judge for yourself. Pluses: Lee Child does a very nice job of creating a page-turner. The book is written in the first-person, is action-packed, seldom boring, and the action sequences are very nicely orchestrated. Even though I was extremely frustrated by some of the minuses (see below) I kept at it and read the full 524-pages. I was most impressed by the fact that the action is described much like a screenplay, in which the reader can easily picture the exciting action and fight sequences. It is not boring. I suspect that with some careful editing this first book will be “picture-perfect” for a hit TV series. Minuses: Where to start? By far my most exasperating critique is that the book is frustratingly unrealistic (with plot-holes the size of barn doors) and the Reacher character consistently behaves in illogical and irrational ways. The book’s editors clearly focused on writing mechanics and not on the realism of the plot! I totally lost respect for Reacher and Child about halfway through. Child has created a lead character who is a combination of the characters played by Bruce Willis (in Unbreakable), by Arnold in Terminator, and by the main characters in Dumb and Dumber. Like Bruce and Arnold, Reacher is a physical “beast,” but he is also clearly not known for being the brightest light in the shed. Rather than behaving realistically and taking prudent precautions, Reacher apparently takes the attitude that he can do whatever he wants and he will never lose a fight or be killed. He therefore does one stupid thing after another (e.g. not acquiring a gun until about page 250) with apparently no concern for safety. The reader (at least this one) can come up with countless examples of absolutely crazy things that Reacher does (see below). The countless irrational behaviors start out being frustrating, then become infuriating, and finally devolve into “gallows humor.” The main character simply seems to have a “death wish,” yet we know (and he apparently knows) that he cant be killed, so he simply takes whatever risks he wants. To me, this kind of irrationality transforms a crime-drama into some kind of odd science-fiction (Terminator and Unbreakable), and ultimately Reacher survives only because the bad-guys are dumber than he is. A second negative is that a main character simply has to have some consistency, reliability and credibility. Reacher lacks these qualities. On one page he is behaving like Dumb and Dumber: a. Assuming that bad guys he has “killed” are really dead (without checking), b. Assuming that bad guys would never shoot him in a public place, c. Passing up a critical “kill-shot” because it would be “too messy,” d. Taking a shower with no weapon handy in the house where he expects to be ambushed imminently, e. Taking an afternoon nap in a very conspicuous green Bentley in a public parking area of a small town where the bad guys are desperately trying to find him. In contrast to the 4th-grade intellect reflected in the examples above, on another page he suddenly obtains superhuman mental powers, like: a. Being able to read the mind of another character and “guess” what pseudonym he will use to register at some random hotel, or b. Being able to read an entire home library of books and journals (well over 100 volumes) in about 5-hours and figure out the “secret-formula” that explains how the bad guys are doing their crime. These kinds of incredible superpowers are not consistent with a character who usually has the disposition and intellectual horsepower of Sly Stallone in the “First-Blood” films. These inconsistencies and plot-holes will truly insult the intelligence of the reader and convinced me to never pick up another of Child’s Reacher books again. For readers who want to respect and like to the main character in action-packed crime-mystery book series, I would strongly recommend John D. MacDonald (The Lonely Silver Rain and others in the Travis McGee series) or JW Robitaille (Marshland or Romancing the Crime, in the Cory Marin series) or Michael Coonnelly's Harry Baosh books (or TV series). Child’s lack of respect for the intelligence of his readers is extreme in The Killing Floor, and hopefully the TV series’ first-year episodes will be far better than the corresponding first book, and will omit all of the ill-advised examples cited above. Follow-up: Fortunately, the 1st season of Jack Reacher on Amazon Prime was far better than the first book it was based on! I do recommend the TV series, but hold strongly to the recommendation to NOT read the Killing Floor. The directors of the TV series do a truly outstanding job of covering up the plot-holes in the book and the action moves fast enough so that the viewer does not stop to ask: \"Why on earth would Reacher have done that?\" or: \"Was that action-sequence even vaguely realistic?\" or: \"Why do the bad guys help Reacher out by killing off members of their own team?\" Watch the TV series, but absolutely skip reading the book.",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 7.99,
"listPrice": null,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B000UZPHC6",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Running Blind (Jack Reacher Book 4)",
"authors": "Lee Child",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51hsKy1W6kL.jpg",
"rating": 4.4,
"reviewCount": "40,719",
"series": "Jack Reacher",
"seriesPosition": "4",
"acquisitionDate": "1646671473000",
"description": "Jack Reacher races to solve the perfect crime in the fourth novel in Lee Child’s #1 New York Times bestselling series.\n \nDON'T MISS REACHER ON PRIME VIDEO!\n\nAcross the country, women are being murdered, victims of a disciplined and clever killer who leaves no trace evidence, no fatal wounds, no signs of struggle, and no clues to an apparent motive. They are, truly, perfect crimes. In fact, there’s only one thing that links the victims. Each one of the women knew Jack Reacher—and it’s got him running blind.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A must read!",
"text": "One of the many things that I like about the Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series is that you can start reading the series with any of the books and enjoy it fully. Although it is a series, Lee writes each of the books in such a manner that they can be read and enjoyed as a standalone thriller. That is why Lee is an award-winning author with books on all the major bestseller lists. If you have never read any of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books, you are in for a real treat. Running Blind. Running Blind is an adrenaline-fueled, roller-coaster thrill ride from the first page to the last page. A tale with more twists and turns than a sidewinder leaves in the desert sand. A tale that will keep you glued to your seat, burning through the pages until you have read the last page. At over 350 pages, this is a long read, so be prepared for a long night. Most thrillers are either plot driven, or character driven, but Child’s Reacher stories are equally plot and character driven, and that is a winning combination. If you are searching for an author and a book series that you can binge on, read Lee Child and his Jack Reacher series. Both Lee and his character are worthies to ride the river with.",
"reviewer": "JWalch"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "well plotted story with many twists",
"text": "The 4th Reacher novel is very good, a notch above the first 3. The characters are still a bit 2-dimensional with Reacher the most well-rounded. Even so, he says & does things which feel out of character. The transitions from strongman-enforcer to caring friend seem forced and abrupt. FBI chiefs are drawn as venial and corrupt, hard to accept as weasel-y villains. The plot, however, is intricate (if somewhat unbelievable) and well crafted. As I work through the rest of the Reacher oeuvre I look forward to continuing improvements.",
"reviewer": "E Waller"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "If you are a Reacher fan you must read these",
"text": "I had never read Lee Child but after being a big fan of the Reacher series on Prime I though I'd give it a try. I was hooked by page 6. I have now read the first 3 books and have order 4 more. The book is just as good as the series. They are not exactly alike but great reads. These books keep me up late reading - real page turners.",
"reviewer": "R. Vaughn"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A Top-Notch Thriller",
"text": "This book by is far is one of the best Lee Child’s I have read with so many plot twists and suspense.",
"reviewer": "Doug Ellis"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "if you want a novel that’s riveting..buy it and enjoy a superb novel",
"text": "This book is so good that it was damn near impossible to put it down. Some times I like to guess what is going on..sometimes I am successful. This one had so many different avenues that I couldn’t come up with a solid answer. Ergo,buy it.",
"reviewer": "Roger Jaimeyfield"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great Story",
"text": "Lee Child's continues to write the best mysteries. His stories grab you from the start and you have to stay until the end.",
"reviewer": "Kindle Customer"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Wish Lee understood sentence structure",
"text": "Lee Child can weave an interesting tale about Jack Reacher but may drive readers who are familiar with proper sentence structure and use of punctuation to the brink. I know that’s the case for me. I purchased the entire Jack Reacher series of books after seeing the first season of the series. I never would have read so many of his books if I hadn’t already paid for them. I have often wondered why, with all the money that Lee Child must have brought in from his writing, he can’t seem to afford a staff who will proofread and correct the many mistakes throughout his books. Same goes for his publisher. I held onto hope with each successive book that he might learn something about writing and make his books easier to read. I hoped, with the addition of his brother on the last couple, that the books would improve but seemed to get only worse. Sometimes, 2 whole pages of back-and-forth banter are written with nothing to occasionally let you know who is speaking, so multiple readings may be needed at times to sort it out. I think almost all, if not all, of the pages have sentences with commas where none are needed, periods where commas are needed, clauses used as sentences, and a new paragraph starting from a clause that belongs in the previous sentence of the preceding paragraph. As I said, hard to read if you understand basic sentence structure. There are often times where I wish Lee had done one iota of research to get facts right. I refer to passages in the stories where it was apparent that Lee Child had no experience or knowledge; I guess, more or less, the writing is off the top of his head. Some problems are: 1: He thinks the flashing emergency lights of vehicles in the western states are the same as in much of the New England states (blue on fire trucks and red on police). 2: He didn’t know what the average shoe size in America is actually 10 ½ (stating it as 9) 3: He thinks a large man like Jack Reacher would have what Lee evidently thinks of as a large foot size of 11, instead of something closer to 14 or 15 (I am 6’1” and wear a 13.) I assume Lee has a small foot. 4: Lee has never been near a fast-moving train, thinking there is violent ground movement when the train is even over a mile away and hurricane force winds near one traveling 60 mph. 5: He seems to think that all gas stations and quick marts sell khaki pants and various shirts, packs of socks, and underwear. 6: Jack Reacher can knock anyone unconscious and very often dead with one punch. I can remember only a couple times when it took two. 7: He thinks face bones will “shatter” from a Jack Reacher punch and can knock out a gorilla or even an elephant. Jack also never has injuries to his hand or elbow from such amazing blows. 8: Jack Reacher’s hands are said to be as large as a dinner plate and his fists as large as Thanksgiving turkeys…really? Yes, his books are hard to read for these and other reasons caused by lack of oversight by his publisher and lack of staff. Please, I hope never to find out he has a staff that lets this stuff through. Good storyteller, other than the lack of research on details and no idea as to sentence/paragraph structure.. Rating would be five for the story. Won't buy future books",
"reviewer": "R. Loe"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "It is what your looking for if your reaching for Reacher",
"text": "It is a what I was looking for.",
"reviewer": "Miller B"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "A Change of Pace",
"text": "Reacher changes things up a bit for this one! For one he’s actually in the same place as he ended the last book. And he’s dating the same person. Who is this guy and what has he done with the Reacher we know and love? Luckily the rest of his personality remains blissfully the same. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse of how he was in the military police and while he does many things outside of the law he really does have a moral code and is a good guy.",
"reviewer": "Rachel Durazo"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "20/20 Hindsight",
"text": "This is my 4th Reacher book, in order, and it is the one I enjoyed most so far. Lee Child follows a well worn path with the “who dunnit” structure in this story, but still, I did NOT figure it out! 🙂",
"reviewer": "Jay Sea"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Not bad, it's still Reacher, but a little contrived.",
"text": "The book is generally enjoyable or I wouldn't have finished it.However, from early on it seems \"forced\" and maybe not as well thought out. Ultimately, it wasn't hard to figure out early on what the mystery actually was, and who. The most difficult part being accepting the means used and hoping that letting the story be told would lead to something better than I suspected. There could have been a better way to weave the story. The main factor is simply not plausible, even giving some leeway for a fun book and it greatly detracted. The subject matter of the victims is a worthy one. I'm still glad I read it, after all, my main reason was to see what Reacher's personal situation was after how the 3rd book left off. I got what I was looking for. I'm glad I read it, but not one I would feel tempted to revisit. Can't hit them all out of the park, on to the next!",
"reviewer": "W.P."
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Jack Reacher series",
"text": "The movie with Tom Cruise deserves discussion--haven't seen it, but just bought a sweet 'smart' TV and signed up for Netflix streaming, so I may watch it eventually. I'll just say here that, regarding the movie, and despite Mr Cruise's pathological delusions about what passes for 'real life'...I confess that I'm a fan. TC's (usually) fun to watch on screen. But casting him as Jake Reacher...what were they thinking? Reacher graduated West Point, served honorably and heroically for 15 years, including 'Nam, as an Army MP. He was awarded a Silver Star for digging out and rescuing Marines from the rubble of the terrorist bombing of their barracks in Lebenon. Everyone who knew him in the Army speaks highly of him, not a few with reverence. He's also, at 6' 5,\" 220 lbs, a highly-trained killer, and as a civilian, he continues to kill...the very, very bad guys he encounters. Meanwhile, the elfin Mr Cruise, when standing ramrod straight and executing a last-second (surreptitious) tippy-toe move just before the camera clix, is, at best, 5'5\"--a foot shorter than Reacher... in a narrative where Reacher's investigative skills AND his physical size and prowess are essential. His appearance alone makes him intimidating, a crucial element in the reader's ability to suspend disbelief. In any case, the series is good, good stuff. Solid writing. (Don't be put off by the Hemingwayesque shite, at the beginning of first Reacher novel. The writing gets better, so good you don't notice it.) I've just ordered #5...gotta be ready to follow Jack Reacher and his exploits when I'm done with #4. Good plots, good stories, great character/hero. Having read the first 3, I can tell you they're the proverbial page-turner. Maybe not quite as good as the wizard himself, Elmore Leonard, but close enough. There's nothing not to like about the character and the writing gets better and better with each book...did I mention that a good series such as this is a godsend, a blessing, frickin' welcome, big time, anytime. Sorry, gotta finish #4. Jack Reacher, for the time being, has officially taken over my brain.",
"reviewer": "cvillekid"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "An exceptional series",
"text": "Currently #4 of 29 Jack Reacher novels, Lee Child keeps the action pounding and Jack on the move as he handles a serial killer targeting ex-military women who brought sexual charges against their abusers and then left the service. The FBI is involved in the case, but they are attacking it according to their own agenda - and Jack thinks they are wrong about motive. They are pretty sure this crime is being committed by someone exactly like Jack. I have loved the series of movies and TV shows that feature Jack Reacher, and have read various of Lee Child's Jack Reacher books over the years, but my daughter and I decided to spend early summer reading the series intact, in order. And it's got us both neglecting the gardens, the housework, the cooking. I didn't know what we were missing! My advice to you all is to just go for it. We already adored Jack - now we know him better and love him more.",
"reviewer": "Bonnye Reed Fry"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Jack Reacher book",
"text": "Cool so far",
"reviewer": "Travis"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 9.99,
"listPrice": 10.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B0011UJM48",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "The Graveyard Book: A Newbery Award Winner",
"authors": "Neil Gaiman, Dave McKean, Margaret Atwood",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51f63bXc2NL.jpg",
"rating": 4.6,
"reviewCount": "16,826",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1526352892000",
"description": "Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place—he's the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians' time as well as their ghostly teachings—such as the ability to Fade so mere mortals cannot see him.Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead?The Graveyard Book is the winner of the Newbery Medal, the Carnegie Medal, the Hugo Award for best novel, the Locus Award for Young Adult novel, the American Bookseller Association’s “Best Indie Young Adult Buzz Book,” a Horn Book Honor, and Audio Book of the Year. Don't miss this modern classic—whether shared as a read-aloud or read independently, it's sure to appeal to readers ages 8 and up.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Creepy, Well Written, and Incredibly Engaging",
"text": "Bod is an unusual boy who was raised in an unusual place. As a baby, Bod miraculously escapes from a brutal murderer and makes his way to a graveyard. With his parents and older sister dead, the residents of the graveyard - the ghosts - take him in and vow to protect him. Named Nobody Owens, the boy learns practical things, like reading and writing, as well as otherworldly talents, such as fading and moving through bars and coffins. With a pale complexion and the ability to blend in with his gray surroundings, Bod feels comfortable within his shadowy home. That is, until he wishes to make friends, see the world, go to school. In short scenes, the book follows Bod as he ages from baby to teen, growing up in contemporary Britain in and outside the graveyard. He learns that ghouls aren't always friendly and the undead still have a lot to teach as he learns his limitations and ages beyond his years. In Gaiman's chilling young adult novel, Bod finds new dangers and new strengths around every corner...and tombstone. The Graveyard Book is not as scary as it sounds, but it is pretty chilling at times. The book is full of amazingly crafted characters and plots that all weave together in the final climactic moments. From witches to guardians that are dead, but not quite dead, the book has everything to provoke an active imagination. What I love most about Gaiman's writing is that he doesn't change is verbiage even though he's writing for young adults. Instead, he challenges his readers to keep up, giving them far more credit than many other authors would. I find that refreshing. The Newberry award winning book is a fun journey through the streets of \"Old Town\" Britain. Although the book does start with a horrific murder, it's not shown, just hinted at and even in the end, the battle isn't too brutal for children to read about. The book, in it's Jungle Book way of a child being raised by ghosts, shows how to learn from mistakes, how to grow and how to follow your instincts. It shows the beauty in learning and the need for connections. I really enjoyed The Graveyard Book. I loved the characters. Bod was adorable, but it was Silas who I liked most - his mysterious guardian who cared more than one would imagine. I loved Bod's ghost parents, Mr. And Mrs. Owens who I imagined to be happily plump and constantly baking deserts (that is, if they were alive). I loved the graveyard too, as a setting. Gaiman made it just haunting enough to be realistic, but friendly and comfortable enough so you didn't worry about Bod. The book was a journey - a fun one that illustrated Bod growing up scene by scene. It wrapped you up and kept you interested up to the very last page, with characters and plot lines that are hard to forget. It was incredibly well done and a remarkable edition to Gaiman's already favorable list of publications. And as it's on it's 53rd week on the NY Times best seller list, I'm clearly not the only one to think so.",
"reviewer": "Lauren G"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Gaiman Pens a Thrilling Write for All Ages",
"text": "Neil Gaiman once said in an interview that, “Kids are so much braver than adults, sometimes, and so much less easily disturbed. Kids will make their nightmares up out of anything, and the important thing in fiction, if you're giving them nightmares, is to demonstrate that nightmares are beatable.” One of my favorite authors of any genre, Gaiman has proven himself time and again to be the conqueror of nightmares and daydreams and even gods. His story The Graveyard Book is a perfect example of his ability to weave a haunting tale, with fun anecdotes and life lessons that will follow children into their adult years, while still finding a special way to appeal to the adults who will pick the story up to share with their children. Though the book itself is definitely of the children’s genre, the tone of the book is that of a suspenseful, whimsical nightmare on the brink of adolescence. Told from a third person point of view, the voice of the book in that of a narrator. The opening pages of the story opens up into a grisly scene, outlining why, exactly, the book was targeted towards children older than the fifth grade. “The knife had done almost everything it was brought to do, and both the knife and the handle were wet.” (Gaiman, Pg 6.) A home invasion and triple murder sends a toddler child out into the night in search of adventure. The invader, the man Jack, tracks him to a cemetery, where the child has somehow slipped into the locked graveyard and stands upon a hill. The man Jack managed to find his way to the child, only to have him swept into the mist. Of course, we as readers know that this was really the ghostly inhabitants of the graveyard protecting the boy as requested by the weak spirit of his recently slain mother. Gaiman has several themes in the story that work together to create a flawless plot that captivates his readers. Some of the more obvious ones are death, the supernatural, fate versus free will and community. While the death and supernatural themes are easily explained in the cemetery, walking-talking-mythical creature moments, the others are actually just as obvious. It was predicted centuries prior to the time period the book was set in that a child who matched Bod’s description would destroy the Jack’s, a secret society of assassins and criminals. This makes me wonder if the events leading up to the resolution of the story, the removal of the man Jack from Bod’s life, were set in motion long before he was born, or if Bod himself truly did play a part in the entire situation. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and when Bod is given the freedom of the graveyard and taught the tricks of the ghosts (such as fading), the inhabitants pull together to raise and care for Bod as a community, ensuring his safety and education as best they could. Bod’s story is a simple tale for children, with a twist of complicated ingenuity that leaves you wanting to know more about him. You find yourself heart-broken when Scarlett, his one and only human friend, leaves him in fear, stating that he is “less than human.” And then Silas tells him, after ensuring she forget everything that had happened, that “people want to forget the impossible. It makes their world safer.” (Gaiman. Page 288.) There is a lesson to be learned as you run through the graveyard with the little orphaned boy, learning letters from the ancient tombstones and history from the oldest of ghosts, and as you sit in the classroom Bod finally attends as he desperately wants to be normal, only to find that he always attracts the strangest of attention. It is important to branch out of your comfort zone, to explore the world around you, and to learn as much as you can about that world. But it is just as important to remember where your home and heart are, and to understand that sometimes there aren’t always happy endings, and some people just are not meant to be in your life. Neil Gaiman uses his literary prowess to spin a tale of fantasy and reality in a way that steals your heart, and the only true way to realize this is by reading the book. I recommend The Graveyard Book to anyone who wants a good adventure story, with an amazing plot as well.",
"reviewer": "Michael Stanford"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Excellent Gaiman for young adults of all ages",
"text": "I admit that I gave this one a pass when it was first released because it was written specifically for the YA audience, and only picked it up last week because it was one of two books assigned for my 12 year old son's 3-week long creative writing camp at Mt. Holyoke (the other assigned title was \"The Odyssey\"). I should have known better, having previously read and greatly enjoyed a number of Gaiman's novels including \"American Gods\" and \"Anansi Boys\". Neil Gayman is an extremely talented writer for both adults and young adults, and \"The Graveyard Book\" is suitable, and eminently enjoyable, for young adults and adults alike. One of Gaiman's great attributes as a writer is that he never insults his audience. While The Graveyard Book is clearly written for an audience in the 5th through 8th grades or so, it is not \"dumbed down\". Although there are no words or material that wouldn't be considered PG-rated (assuming that an occasional \"bloody heck doesn't throw one into a tizzy\"), not everything is spelled out in large capitals and the nature of many of the main characters must be inferred from the descriptions of their actions and from general context. This is great for kids and adults alike and Gaiman provides enough clues strewn about so that this helps maintain the interest of the reader. Bod (short for Nobody) Owens is a toddler who escapes the murder of his entire family by a stranger one night by climbing out of his crib and wandering into a very old graveyard near his house. He is immediately \"adopted\" by the ghosts of Mr. and Mrs. Owens who, not knowing the child's real name, give him a name (Nobody) and proceed to raise him with the assistance of a mysterious stranger named Silas who hangs out in the graveyard. Since he is the only inhabitant of the graveyard who is not dead, and thus is free to leave the cemetery whenever he likes, Silas agrees to help out by venturing into town and buying diapers and formula and other things that toddler Bod needs. The novel occurs over a period of about 13 years and we watch Bod grow up in the graveyard, being taught all manner of unusual tricks by the dead denizens of the cemetery, all of whom grow to love Bod, and protect him from harm. The Graveyard Book is a quick read and moves at a leisurely pace up until the last bit where the events of the night of Bod's first appearance are revisited, and we learn what really happened and why, and Bod must use his wits and all the tricks that his ghostly friends have taught him to save himself and a little girl from town who first befriended him when he was 5 years old. All in all, a great read for all ages, and it is easy to see why this was chosen, along with The Odyssey as material for a course on creative writing for 11 and 12 year olds called \"Heroes and Villains\". Recommended. JM Tepper",
"reviewer": "James Tepper"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Both the book and audiobook are excellent - one of my favorite children's stories",
"text": "I have read many children's stories, and I must say The Graveyard Book is one of my favorites. I had to read this for a class in grad school and after reading it, I think it is destined to be a classic in children's literature which is high praise indeed. The audiobook is an unabridged version, on seven discs, and runs a total of 7.5 hours. Interestingly, it is Gaiman himself that reads his own work, and delivers a compelling performance. In his reading, Gaiman is able to provide individual `voices' to each of his characters so as to render them distinct in the listener's mind. Being the author and the reader of his own work is to the advantage of the listener here as Gaiman reflects a deep understanding of the story and his characters. For example, one of the characters in the story is a girl named Scarlett who meets Bod when she is five, and then goes away to Scotland before returning ten years later. Gaiman actually reads her part with a hint of a Scottish brogue when she returns to Bod at fifteen which elevates the credibility factor of this audio production. The sense of dread that runs through this story is credibly evoked through the nuances in Gaiman's tone of voice. Certain scenes are memorable, especially the chapter where Bod gets kidnapped by ghouls and is taken into the underworld where the ghouls live. Gaiman's reading evokes a high sense of tension and menace and leaves the reader in a state of eager anticipation as to what occurs next, and wondering if Bod makes it out in one piece. The pivotal setting for this story is the graveyard, and in both Gaiman's reading (and writing), the graveyard is not just a place of eternal rest for the long departed, but also a safe refuge and home for Bod, and a place of schooling where Bod learns his letters, reading, and also skills that prepare him to face his adversaries. The theme is in essence a coming of age story which most adolescents will relate to. Bod is an endearing character because he is innocent yet is quickly schooled in the ways of the world, and finds himself having to grow up quite quickly given his special circumstances. Bod is also a character with much courage and sense of morality, and is a character that will inspire admiration and elicit empathy. His sense of alienation and feeling abandoned at certain points in the story will also strike a chord with many listeners/readers. This story not only holds appeal for children and young adults, but also adults since the theme of learning to let go is also portrayed here. The adults in Bod's life, i.e. Mr. and Mrs. Owens, his guardian Silas, etc. all learn to let Bod go, knowing that his ultimate home is amongst the living. The Graveyard Book is a blend of the supernatural and fantasy and is inhabited by not only ghosts and humans, but other supernatural creatures such as a werewolf, ancient entities, ghouls, a witch-ghost, and also alludes to the presence of a vampire. The story flows well despite the introduction of all these different entities, and makes this an engaging and interesting story.",
"reviewer": "Z Hayes"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Gaiman riffs on Kipling's Jungle Book",
"text": "Gaiman's latest finds the popular author channeling Rudyard Kipling's 1894 story collection The Jungle Book, particularly the story of the boy, Mowgli, who was raised in the jungle by animals, specifically by his mentors, Baloo the bear, Kaa the snake, and Bagheera, the panther. As indicated by its title, Gaiman's take on the story involves a boy who is raised by the denizens of a graveyard. Like many ideas he's developed, it is one that occurred to Gaiman a long way back, and stayed with him over the years. In the author's own words: \"Around 1985 or 1986, we lived in a house with no garden, but we had a graveyard just over the run, so that was where my son Michael (three or four at the time) rode his little tricycle. And I remember watching him, and thinking it would be fun to do The Jungle Book, only set in a graveyard instead of a jungle, and that was the start of it. Because I tend to be fairly slow about these things, it's taken me...twenty-two years to get to it.\" The first half of Chapter One (which I was fortunate enough to hear Gaiman read aloud at a November, 2007 gathering at the University of Minnesota) describes how a man named Jack enters a house and kills its occupants, except for an infant, a boy, who manages to escape the killing zone and ends up in a nearby graveyard. There, the denizens of the graveyard reach a momentous decision, deciding to raise the toddler as a member of their extended family. After much humorous and heated debate, they name him Nobody, because he's like nobody else in the cemetery. Bod, as he comes to be known, is still in danger, however, as Jack (like the lethal and murderous tiger Shere Khan in The Jungle Book) is still looking for him, hoping to finish his task of eliminating the members of Bod's family. That's the setup; to discuss subsequent chapters in any detail would be a disservice to Gaiman's constant readers. Suffice it to say all the praise lavished on the author in the blurbs above is justified: Gaiman deftly blends action, humor, horror, and a good deal of, well, humanity, into a suspenseful storyline, offsetting the grim goings on with a cast of irrepressible characters sure to strike a favorable chord with readers. Always an interesting, inventive, and intuitive storyteller, Gaiman has outdone himself with The Graveyard Book, creating a tale destined to be well received both critically and commercially. This one might have taken twenty-two years to finish, but it has proven to be well worth the wait.",
"reviewer": "Henry Wagner"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Creative, Engaging, Well-Written Story That is Hard to Put Down",
"text": "Don’t open this book unless you are prepared to sit and read for a while! When Neil Gaiman weaves a tale, it can be impossible to put down. This book is billed as YA fiction but it is sufficiently complex and compelling to engage an adult reader as well. Bod (short for Nobody) is orphaned as a toddler when his parents and sister are murdered by a mysterious assassin in their home. He escaped his own murder only because he crawled out of his crib and disappeared into a cemetery. This book is a ghost story but not a traditional spooky ghost story. Here, the ghosts are main characters with this one little human boy to raise and protect. There are supernatural elements and very human aspects to the story. The ghosts are distinct individuals with current interactions even as their human lives might have been separated by hundreds of years. The details as he develops this graveyard society are interesting, and they add to the entertainment aspect of the book. It is engaging to watch the “life” in the graveyard and the human aspects as they try to educate, feed, and raise a human child. Neil Gaiman develops a rich fantasy setting and maintains its integrity throughout the story. The level of details and the consistency raise the “truth” of the fantasy which helps the reader to build a better connection to the story. Bod is a clever and likeable boy. You will want things to turn out well for him. The story is suspenseful at times and the pacing is excellent. The entertainment value was good and since I bought the book as a Kindle deal the ratio of cost to entertainment was excellent. It is a quick read, but the light of my Kindle was on late that night since I could not put it down. (There are illustrations, but I would not call it a graphic novel. A true graphic novel would be impossible for me to read on my Paperwhite Kindle.)",
"reviewer": "Constant Reader"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Macabre meets Delightful",
"text": "I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end. Some of what I loved about it are things one-star reviewers hated; but that should be no surprise - one thing that makes us all unique is the way we respond to stimuli, including stories. For instance: I read several reviews that expressed extreme disappointment and/or confusion due to the fact that this story does not reveal everything. There are many aspects of the characters, events, places, and concepts that are either understated or left (I think deliberately) obscure. If you are the kind of reader who prefers to travel through a story on a clear, bright day, and to reach a zenith at the conclusion from which the whole landscape is visible in detail, this kind of book is not for you. I am not that kind of reader (at least not always), and judging by the preponderance of five-star reviews, I'd say I'm far from being alone. I like stories, especially creepy ones, to be shrouded in mist. I like to glimpse things from the corner of my eye, to see a shape vaguely that dissolves into fog. Part of the function of storytelling is to involve the reader's (or listener's) imagination. Neil Gaiman is brilliant at giving his readers credit for intelligence and vivid ability to surmise, which means we can enjoy speculating over the mysteries he leaves unsolved. He highlights the parts of the story that are relevant to the particular tale being woven; that there are countless threads leading off into the mist that belong to other parts of the story, or to other stories, only adds to the book's enjoyment. It is never stated outright who or what Silas is, for instance; but lots of clues are given, and it's fairly obvious. The same goes in varying degrees for the less obvious elements of the plot. Another thing I don't think one-star reviewers take into account is the poignancy of Gaiman's voice. He is narrating this tale in third person, but the point-of-view is mostly Bod's. His world is what we see, and the things that are important to him are what we get to examine along with him. Is it important to him to know the details of Silas' existence? No. He, in his authentically childlike way, values Silas according to his own experience with him. Same for the rest. I find this narrative style extremely convincing and effective. All in all I find Gaiman's narrative to be evocative of ancient storytelling, where the myths were never retold in quite the same way twice; the tale depended much on the emphasis the teller chose to give it, and there were always allusions to other characters, other stories, going on around and within the one being currently illuminated. There were certainly echoes of old myths in many of the things in this story; one of my favorite parts was the Danse Macabre in the village. That will stick with me always, as a fresh perspective on an old tale. I vastly prefer this style to the linear, flat method of storytelling our culture is more accustomed to. Bottom line: I love this book, as do many others; however, some people react to it in the opposite manner. If you know yourself well enough to know how you like to be told a story, the sample pages offered on the website may be enough to decide by.",
"reviewer": "Eira"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Every man Jack of 'em ...",
"text": "First the confession: My name is Caitlin & I am a Neil Gaiman fangrrl. I have high expectations of Neil Gaiman, always, because I think he's an amazing & interesting writer & talent. Likewise with Dave McKean who treats us to his amazing pictures of the inside of his head. Neil (I like to think we're on a first name basis) almost never disappoints, although he has a tendency upon occasion to be just a little twee (cf., Stardust). On the whole, though, he could have written nothing but Sandman or Neverwhere or American Gods & we all would've been blessed with better stories for it. I especially like the fact that Neil is obviously a voracious reader of all kinds of books. I enjoy teasing out the literary references & always feel a kinship with him - as if we've been reading along together out of the sea of wonderful books our whole lives. McKean, likewise, makes interesting pictures with interesting visual references to other random things & I love seeing what he sees. The Graveyard Book is their latest outing for kids & young adults. It won the Newberry (& deserved to) & is in the general vein of Coraline (another wonderful kid's book). This is less of a novel & more of a series of interconnected stories. I almost wish they had made it a comic because it often felt like it wanted to be one, but it was also very reminiscent of other series of interlocking stories such as The Jungle Books (which he references as an influence) or all of the tales about Jack (a trickster character in both British & American Southern folklore). I like the fact that it seems acceptable again for kids to read books that are a little more gothic in nature. It's good to see us loosening the reins a bit as a society. &, of course, these kinds of stories so often resonate with all those kids out there who feel a little different or set apart from their peers. This is a story that makes being different okay & kind of fun, but that also acknowledges that there is a price to be paid for choosing to walk your own path. This was a lovely little book with beautiful illustrations. It's not my absolute favorite Neil Gaiman, but it's still filled with wonder. Recommended for any age!",
"reviewer": "Caitlin Martin"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Richie's Picks: THE GRAVEYARD BOOK",
"text": "\"The man Jack paused on the landing. With his left hand he pulled a large white handkerchief from the pocket of his black coat, and with it he wiped off the knife and his gloved right hand which had been holding it; then he put the handkerchief away. The hunt was almost over, He had left the woman in her bed, the man on the bedroom floor, the older child in her brightly colored bedroom, surrounded by toys and half-finished models. That only left the little one, a baby barely a toddler, to take care of. One more and his task would be done.\" But it is an unusually adventuresome toddler who, having been awakened by the noise downstairs and seeking release from the boredom of cribdom, has already succeeded in escaping both his crib and the house (through the door that the man Jack has left slightly ajar). Toddling up the hill through the thinning fog, the toddler squeezes between iron bars into an old graveyard. And even though the man Jack tracks the toddler to the graveyard, the killer fails in his final task due to the intervention of the ethereal inhabitants of the graveyard. Led by the Owens couple (who have been married in life and death for more than 250 years), those who call this place home decide to become protectors, teachers, friends, and surrogate parents to the child, and to provide him the \"Freedom of the Graveyard.\" \"'It is going to take more than just a couple of good-hearted souls to raise this child. It will,' said Silas, 'take a graveyard.'\" These good-hearted souls also decide to name him Nobody Owens, Bod for short. \"Rattle his bones Over the stones It's only a pauper Who nobody owns\" (epigraph) Considering that our introduction to the toddler includes details of his resourcefully pulling a teddy bear into the corner of the crib in order to scale its high sides, his experiencing a fortuitously soft landing upon falling to the floor, and his skillfully navigating the stairs on his way out of the house, it is not surprising to see Bod grow into a bright and equally adventurous little kid who never hesitates to venture wherever he feels inclined to do so -- and is all too successful in achieving his desires. Fortunately, he has the support system of the many graveyard inhabitants so that he repeatedly experiences relatively soft landings. \"He decided not to tell anyone what he was planning, on the not entirely unreasonable basis that they would have told him not to do it.\" But which will be the more dangerous expeditions for Bod? Those that take him from the sanctuary of the graveyard to hellish places where no living human has gone before, or those that take him from the graveyard into the world of living humans? And what of the man Jack who continues to seek his prey? Being that THE GRAVEYARD BOOK has been available for months, that Neil Gaiman has done a world tour promoting the book (Check him out on Youtube.), that the book has spent months on the NYT Bestseller List, and that there are scores of online discussions regarding the book's many allusions and references, there might well seem little need for my rhapsodizing about it. But I cannot help myself. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK is just too sweet and exciting a read for me to keep quiet about. The day I spent reading it (I ate it all in one sitting.) has been a highlight of my holidays. And when my spring Nubian goat kids are born, I will be naming the firstborn male after Nobody Owens. What makes it so great? Once again, as with my favorite fantasy characters from years past, a young hero filled with goodness who cares about his relationships, uses his knowledge and gifts to battle evil and stand up for the little guy rather than for the sake of gaining power. The graveyard makes for a unique setting. The cast of quirky dead (and undead) characters who raise the child are funny and charming. There is a wealth of danger and adventure and humor. \"It was like every dream of falling he had ever had, a scared and frantic drop through space, as he headed towards the ground below. Bod felt as though his mind was only big enough for one huge thought, so, That big dog was actually Miss Lupescu, and, I'm going to hit the rock floor and splat, competed in his head for occupation.\"",
"reviewer": "N. S."
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "4.5 stars - a simple story, but one that adults can enjoy too",
"text": "Let me just say right up front that I'm not really the sort of person who likes middle grade books. I don't hate them, exactly, but except for a couple of rare exceptions, I tend to find them too...thin, I suppose. The Graveyard Book is not too thin. (Don't get me wrong: it *is* thin, both in the plot and in the characters...just not so much so that I couldn't enjoy it. Or maybe a better word would be \"simple.\") The plot is probably the weakest part of the book...because what the plot was didn't become particularly apparent until close to the end. Until that point, we're mostly just meandering along in Bod's unusual life. At the same time, though, I didn't really feel the lack; there was so much imagination in the book that I didn't mind the fact that I couldn't exactly tell how Gaiman was planning to take me from point A to point B. The characters, too, were not deep. Had they been your regular sort of characters, I'd probably have been disappointed. But just like with the plot, I found I didn't have to delve too deeply to get something out of them. I didn't fall in love with any of the characters, but I sure did like just about all of them. You're probably wondering why I scored this book 4.5 stars when I sound so lukewarm about it, and I'll tell you: I think it's the setting where this book really shines. It's truly magical; I don't think any of us can pretend that paranormal elements in a story are unique, but the way Gaiman approached his world was really masterful. All the paranormal books think they're something special, but this one truly does feel unique. And, of course, there's the writing itself. Gaiman's artistic way with words and subtle humor always seem to strike just the right chord in me. It took me a few pages to get into the cadence, and once I did, I enjoyed the writing not just for the story it was telling but for its own sake. The one part of the book I'm still feeling a bit torn over is the ending. (Of course, at least this book HAS an ending—I could scream at the number of decent-sounding books I've come across that end in blatant cliffhangers.) I know I'm being very vague—I don't want to spoil it for you—but it left me deeply saddened. It was well-written, and it fit the story, but it still really tugged at my feelings. I suppose that's a pretty good testimonial for how good this book really is—an author who doesn't evoke emotions isn't doing a very good job—but I don't think I was prepared for it. Regardless, this is a pretty terrific book, not just for kids but for all of us who like a simple and exceptionally unique story.",
"reviewer": "M."
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "An author discovery!",
"text": "Neil Gaiman was new to me and now it looks like I may be adding him to my list of favorites! Now that I am done reading this book, I have so much to say that I don't know where to begin! I was in love with the title and now, after reading the story, I am even more enamored with the book than I thought I would be. When I was done reading, I still needed to know where he got this idea! The back of the book lets us in on that. Under \"Acknowledgments,\" the author stated that he owed \"an enormous debt, conscious and, I have no doubt, unconscious, to Rudyard Kipling and the two volumes of his remarkable work The Jungle Book.\" Gaiman goes on to say that if you are only familiar with the Disney version of The Jungle Book, \"you should read the stories.\" I have to confess that I am only familiar with Disney's Jungle Book version and I have not actually read the books. Sorry! In spite of my failure to read The Jungle Book, I can see how the different animals would have added to the child-rearing process in much the same way that Nobody Owens (Bod for short) was reared by dead people in The Graveyard Book. Bod was educated by the many different people who were buried at the cemetery -- all of them coming from different walks of life, and even from different time periods. They contributed wonderfully to his great, albeit odd, knowledge base. There are a lot of things to be learned by youth reading this book. I'm going to put the age for readers of this book as open-ended. Amazon says 9-12. I say 9 and up! There are many things that will grab an adult reader while slipping right by younger minds. I did find myself relating to the ghosts from time to time. One of the best things about this publication is that your kids will no longer have a fear of the graveyard! They, like myself, will want to be there often! It's magic! This one is so worth your money and time -- no matter which format you purchase! I can only hope that someday Neil will come to Honolulu and go to Borders or Barnes & Noble for a signing! I'll then have to buy a hard copy. I think I may be buying one or two for Christmas presents anyway! Yeah, loved it that much. Can't wait to read Neverwhere!",
"reviewer": "Honolulu Sprite"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Wonderful Middle Grade novel",
"text": "This is the story of Nobody (Bod) Owens. When he was a baby, his whole family was killed. Bod narrowly escaped and ended up toddling into a graveyard near by. Now he is being raised by ghost and his guardian - Silas - is the only one besides Bod that can travel between the living and the dead. So he is in charge of keeping Bod fed and clothes and protecting him from the killer that still seeks him out. As Bod grows, even though he is human, he is able to do a few things like the dead. He can make himself fade from view from the living. He can see well in the dark. He can slink between walls. All powers he has only because of the protections of the graveyard. As Bod gets older, he wants more and more to leave the graveyard. He wants to go to school, to make friends, to have a life among the living. But Silas warns how dangerous this could be. The killer - Jack - is still out there looking for Bod. In the end, Silas gives in, and lets Bod attend school. But it quickly becomes a grave error when Bod refuses to lay down to a bully and he draws attention to himself. He soons realizes that he cannot be among the living until Jack is caught. Enter Scarlett. When Bod was a little boy, Scarlett had visited the graveyard with her parents, but then moved away. Now, at age 14, she is back, and Bod and she become friends. Scarlett comes to the graveyard to visit, and meets a Mr. Frost who befriends her and her mother. One thing leads to another, and Scarlett and Bod end up visiting Mr. Frost at his house and discover that this is the Jack that has been after Bod for so many years. Will Bod and Scarlett escape? Will Silas return in time to help save them? You will have to read the book to find out! We really liked the book. Neil Gaiman is such a talendted writer and there are laugh out loud moments throughout. I encourage you to read this middle grade novel either for yourself or with your children.",
"reviewer": "JenP"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Amazing!",
"text": "Nobody comes of age in a graveyard. So many surprises here, such a truly worthy story, for young and old.",
"reviewer": "Meredith M. Davis"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A morbidly tender fairytale about growing up alongside death",
"text": "The Graveyard Book is the first book I’ve read by Neil Gaiman, and I had the pleasure of doing so during my Children’s Literature class in Fall 2023. I had previously heard of his work in the form of Sandman and Good Omens, but I’d never had the pleasure of engaging with it head-on until this point. What I was greeted with was a gentle, yet honest tale that didn’t shy away from the world’s darkness, but instead chose to take the reader’s hand and lead us kindly, slowly, through the fogs of the graveyard, to reveal its secrets to us who choose to listen. As a writer, I was enthralled by Gaiman’s writing style, and seek to emulate it in my own works moving forward. The whimsical narration of his characters’ journeys can quickly ascend to giving the audience a truth about the world, then snap right back to the fairytale you’re reading, is absolutely astounding. That said, while his interpretation of childhood fairytales in the form of the Jacks of All Trade (a malicious force within the pages) is exceptionally clever, once I’d picked up some of the pieces, the big twist was a quick catch-on before I continued. This does not at all detract from the heartwarming message of the book: Growing up, leaving home behind (wherever it may be), and realizing what you truly want in life. The Graveyard Book takes the reader hand in hand through death’s own personal fairytales, telling them it’s okay to understand what’s out there, that you are by no means alone in all of this, and that you, too, can be brave enough to step forward into the light.",
"reviewer": "Genna"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 10.99,
"listPrice": null,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B001F784EG",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Inferno (Inferno series Book 1)",
"authors": "Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Ru5f9CtpL.jpg",
"rating": 4.5,
"reviewCount": "601",
"series": "Inferno series",
"seriesPosition": "1",
"acquisitionDate": "1539301469000",
"description": "Acclaimed writing pair Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle offer a new twist on Dante's classic tale.After being thrown out the window of his luxury apartment, science fiction writer Allen Carpentier wakes to find himself at the gates of hell. Feeling he's landed in a great opportunity for a book, he attempts to follow Dante's road map. Determined to meet Satan himself, Carpentier treks through the Nine Layers of Hell led by Benito Mussolini, and encounters countless mental and physical tortures. As he struggles to escape, he's taken through new, puzzling, and outlandish versions of sin—recast for the present day.\"A fast, amusing, and vivid book by a writing team noted for intelligence and imagination.\" —Roger Zelazny, Hugo Award–winning author of The Chronicles of AmberAt the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Updated Journey Through Hell",
"text": "I absolutely love Inferno by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, since after reading this book for the first time, I felt encouraged to try out the original source for their story, Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, surely one of greatest works of literature ever. While Niven and Pournelle’s Inferno doesn’t quite rank with Dante it is still an update of Dante that is wonderfully fun to read with a serious exploration of why Hell might exist. The description of the book’s plot seems to have been written by someone who hasn’t actually read the book. Allen Carpentier is a science fiction writer who falls out of a window during a convention. Since Carpentier is an agnostic, he is astonished to wake up in Hell where he meets a man named Benito who assures him that Hell is arranged just as Dante described it in the Inferno and that He knows the way out of Hell. Carpentier cannot believe that he is in Hell at first, he believes it to be an artifact created by advanced aliens for their amusement, but as he and Benito make their way through Hell and observe the punishments meted out to sinners, Carpentier has no choice but to concede that he is, indeed in Hell. Then he must wrestle with the problem of why God would create Hell. The punishments seem to be just, but far out of proportion. No sin however great could be worth eternal agony. In the end, he learns who Benito really is and begins to have some idea why Hell might be necessary. The authors largely followed the path described by Dante updating the sins and punishments when it seemed advisable. Thus, polluters are found among the hoarders and wasters, politicians voting along party lines rather than what they believed good for the country among the traitors etc. Like Dante, Niven and Pournelle included their personal causes and pet peeves in the story, damning to Hell the people they seemed to particularly dislike, but then that is part of the fun. Inferno is a great science fiction/fantasy novel, worth reading. After you are done with it, see if you can’t tackle Dante too.",
"reviewer": "David Hoffman"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Much easier (and more clever) than Dante!",
"text": "First things first: to those who announce to the public who guides Allen through hell has given the readers one of the main SPOILERS of the book, and you should not be allowed to publish reviews anymore. To the whiners and nay-sayers, I have this to say: This has always been a particular favorite of mine since high school, especially because we were forced to read Dante's, \"The Divine Comedy\" for one of our classes, which was difficult in the extreme, in that Dante predates Chaucer! That book was as much a historical reference as it was religious poetry, because, unless you have an intricate knowledge of 13th Century politics, upper class family rivalry and the agitation over who's patronage contributed to the best artists, the Divine Comedy is nerve wracking and almost impossible to get your head around. One might as well be reading in Aramaic for all the sense it will make to the common reader. This book, however, relieves these problems on this level anyway, since Inferno has always been considered to be the most interesting of the three books, it can now be approachable by Mr. and Mrs. Public Some have complained that this book is dated; and Dante isn't?! Classics remain classics despite the erase of their birth; and the \"dating\" I noticed is minimal, while the book calls the practice of simony (the sale of ministry) \"outdated,\" there are has actually been a resurgence of this on the internet. Even within such minor frailties, most being a problem due to the company that has released the book rather than the writers themselves, this book still satisfies, knowing that two successful scientists have written those book as a 21 century update to Dante's version, and for that, I'm forever grateful!",
"reviewer": "Kori W"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Nearly forgotten classic revisit of a towering work",
"text": "Dante’s Divine Comedy is one of the foundational works of human literature and thought, one of the key bridges between the medieval and the modern mindsets. Niven and Pournelle’s Inferno is the best and most creative meditation on Dante’s great work of imagination that I’ve ever found. Deceptively short and as ruthlessly economical in its writing as the original Comedy itself, this collaborative novel by two science fiction writers essentially portrays a modern man’s personal reaction to the medieval ingredients of Dante’s vision, and is not only surprisingly profound but surprisingly funny. Despite unashamedly copying Dante down to the smallest details — it even includes some of his most famous little touches in the Inferno, like what happens to the tears shed by the shades of the sinners in the Bolgia of the fortune-tellers — it somehow manages to be thoroughly original. Easy to read. As shocking as the original, and ambitious as Hell, this is a book that will make you think and enjoy doing it.",
"reviewer": "J. Weatherwax"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Go to hell",
"text": "MY review is basic, is it a good read, does it stay true the the primary theme. this is an updated version of Dantes Inferno I read in college Lit. Its about a S/F writer who went to hell. With Mussolini as a guide instead of an angel, there adventures through Dantes Infirno is nonstop, not full of surprises but the read is compelling. I read this novel when I saw it in S.F. airport on the mass paperback section when I came back to Nam so perhaps I' wax nostoglistic. the point is, its a hell of a good read, if you pardon the pun. It hearkens back to the old days where no one is looking up The science on the internet, trying to catch the author in a slip up. For the older readers, if you want the good 'ol days, this is a novel well worth the read. Unlike other novels, its not dated and hold up well",
"reviewer": "R.K. Sprau"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Needed a \"deeper\" treatment",
"text": "This was a very entertaining read, which I thoroughly enjoyed: an uptake on Dante's Inferno. On that basis, I would have given in five stars, but alas, there are some major flaws. The most glaring example is who's not in Niven's hell, namely, Hitler, Stalin and Mao. Mussolini is one of the two main characters, coyly referred to only as \"Benito\" until his last name is given near the end. Did Niven really think his readers weren't going to know right off the bat who \"Benito\" is? How many Benitos are there in recent history?? What's implied is that you can work your was out of hell by being kind to others, but this idea is sketchy at best. I'm guessing the reason Niven didn't mention Hitler is because then he'd have to mention Stalin, and then he have to mention Mao and Pol Pot, and it would have opened a political can of worms that he didn't want to get into. Understandable, but hell with Mussolini and no Hitler? Come on!",
"reviewer": "Amazoncustomer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A different kind of Hell.",
"text": "A great \"updating\" of Dante's Inferno, with (as the jacket blurb says) some sins Dante didn't even suspect! Fun and thought provoking - SciFi (or Urban Fantasy) at its best.",
"reviewer": "Etaoin Shrdlu"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "A fun ride",
"text": "As a major sci-fi/fantasy fan since the age of 10, I'm not sure how I managed to miss this book until now. A friend recently recommended it when I was on vacation so I put it on my Kindle and off I went. The main character dies and finds himself in the afterlife. Usually I don't recap basic plot points (see the book description for that) but obviously that is the premise of the book and is extremely germaine to my one negative on this one: he spends an inordinate amount of time in denial about where he is. I mean, really, it literally cound not be more annoying how long he maintains his particular delusion. It plays into his development but I think he could have given it up earlier, still learned the same lessons, and irritated the reader much much less. The story itself was very good and was also particularly well-written. I know going into it that it was a collaboration between 2 authors and at the end they discuss how they worked together on it, but other than that I managed to completely forget that it was the product of 2 different writers. Some colloborations by other authors suffer from a change in tone or some kind of disconnect but they really worked together seamlessly in this - you cannot tell, at all, that two minds and writing styles went into this. The action moves well along and you encounter interesting scenarios and supporting characters in the journey. It was fun, slightly though-provoking, and had an interesting moral without being moralistic or heavy-handed. I recommend reading this. There were some amusing scenes but please don't go into it expecting a true spoof or satire, it really isn't that at all.",
"reviewer": "Gabrielle Awe"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Marvelous concept and story telling",
"text": "An author of science fiction, the self styled \"Alan Carpentier, is at a fan convention and engages in a stupid bet. The gist of which involves him falling out of an up stairs (20 stories up?,) and is killed when he hits the pavement and wakes up in the vestibule of Hell, as described in \"Dante's Inferno\". The rest of the story is \"The Inferno\" updated with all sorts of modern sins, and details him trying to get out and meeting a great many people and hearing why they are there along his way. He journeys through out Hell, with the help of a benefactor he meets, but at the end he finds a purpose and stays. This is an awesome story and worth every penny I paid to get the hardbound addition when it was new. I recommend it HIGHLY!",
"reviewer": "Chris"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT",
"text": "Science fiction tends to treat religion as a dangerous bully pulpit, a regrettable necessity, or background color, if at all.Some authors, such as Harlan Ellison in his excellent \"Deathbird Stories\",present a wry, circumspect view of humanity as actually having many 'gods'(e.g. Greed), every one of which dies as soon as belief in them dies. But Niven and Pournelle have tried here to put a technically savvy protagonist into the thick of it, who tries to make sense of the parameters that seem to govern entrance into, and existence within Hell. Carpentier postulates a being named Big Juju (he resists the name \"God\" or \"Satan\") who has mastered physical law on a scale so massive that it seems to be Biblical, but only 'seems' to. But he ultimately relents, and discovers that it is all about getting people's attention. As one other reviewer pointed out, this novel doesn't just \"explore the concept\" - it offers a possible explanation of why humans would be damned to infinite punishment for doing things that are tiny in comparison. A techie gets an abject lesson in spirituality, and the premise of the book is summed up beautifully by Carpentier in a single succinct statement, near the end of the story: \"Hell is the violent ward in a hospital for the theologically insane.\" Does our protagonist become religious? By the end of this book, he certainly becomes stronger and more selfless. Can't wait for the sequel!",
"reviewer": "Charles M. Britzman"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Fun read",
"text": "I read their original take on Dante's work decades ago. This is an updated version and is worth reading.",
"reviewer": "PM"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Hell is other people (condemned by God, that is)",
"text": "Science fiction writer Allen Carpentier, egged on by fans, accidentally dies in a fall and finds himself in a bottle in the vestibule of Hell (as vividly described in Dante's Inferno) and must try to make his way out. A highly original concept, and Pournelle and Niven do not disappoint, bringing on the lake of boiling blood, the rain of fire and more, coupled with individual vignettes, both of individuals from Carpentier's life and famous historical figures like Henry VIII and Benito Mussolini. It's all written in a simple, straightforward style reminiscent of Isaac Asimov or John Scalzi--perhaps a little TOO simple-minded at times. It's also a little tiresome as Carpentier attempts to explain Hell by stretching his scientific imagination. Otherwise, extremely entertaining, scary (if you have a lick of empathy) and ultimately inspiring. I just re-read it (1978 edition) and I'm delighted to see it back in print. If you like this book, you'll probaby like the works of Scalzi and much of what Orson Scott Card has written, especially the Ender's Game series, Wyrms, The Worthing Chronicles and Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus.",
"reviewer": "Thomas O. Gray"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "The Inferno",
"text": "I answered the second question with some violence.......that is questionable. I have read this book twice - once right after my brother's death in 1977 and this last time just a few months ago. The first time I read it, it scared me to death as it was during the grieving process and probably should have been put aside until a later date as it deals with the nether world and the levels of hell - not a good thing to be reading if your life seems to be in an upheaval. This last time though, I was able to read it in a better frame of mind and found it still a good read but without the fright it brought to me the first time. I also very much enjoyed the ending to the book. I think it is a good book but also know that many may find it a hard read.",
"reviewer": "Rabi L"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "who dies doing a stupid stunt during a science fiction convention",
"text": "Allen Carpenter is a science fiction/science fact writer, who dies doing a stupid stunt during a science fiction convention. He \"wakes up\" in the Vestibule of Hell, having been poured out of a bottle by a guy who calls himself \"Benny\". According to Benny, they are in Hell, but they can escape only if they are willing to suffer the Circles of Hell, travel through them, and reach the very center of Hell. Problem is, Carpenter doesn't believe in Hell and keeps trying to interpret his surroundings and his events in science fiction terms. Together Carpenter and Benny work their way through the circles. Along the way they meet a range of characters, including some historical figures who weren't dead when the book was first published. (Spoiler alert: Kurt Vonnegut has his own special place there. And so it goes.) I knew English professors in college who required their students to read this before trying to tackle Dante's Inferno to help the students better understand what Dante was talking about. Excellent and thought-provoking.",
"reviewer": "Muzhik"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "i tried to read dante's book but while i'm far from stupid i just can't make sense of it",
"text": "i was handed this book in '78, anchorage, ak. i flipped it open, read a few lines, started from pg 1, read it then read it again as soon as i finished it. lost track of it and there was no internet to order another. hard to find in used book stores. then i got to order it. i've passed copies along and order again. i just reordered inferno and escape from hell as gifts to bro-inlaw. when i realized there was a sequel i bought a copy and have read it over and over. i tried to read dante's book but while i'm far from stupid i just can't make sense of it. someone else may not like these books but they are some of my all time favs. \"swan song\" by robert mccammon is another. almost 1000 pages in paper back and have read it 20 odd times over the years. you will NOT find this one in used book stores. people tend to hold on to it. i'm one.",
"reviewer": "ernest quimby"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 11.99,
"listPrice": 17.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B001FXK8XU",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Tripwire (Jack Reacher Book 3)",
"authors": "Lee Child",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41alkWaxOBL.jpg",
"rating": 4.5,
"reviewCount": "58,235",
"series": "Jack Reacher",
"seriesPosition": "3",
"acquisitionDate": "1651242354000",
"description": "Jack Reacher hunts the hunter in the third novel in Lee Child’s #1 New York Times bestselling series.\n\nDON'T MISS REACHER ON PRIME VIDEO!\n\nEx military policeman Jack Reacher is enjoying the lazy anonymity of Key West when a stranger shows up asking for him. He’s got a lot of questions. Reacher does too, especially after the guy turns up dead. The answers lead Reacher on a cold trail back to New York, to the tenuous confidence of an alluring woman, and the dangerous corners of his own past.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Excellent Entertainment",
"text": "Books by Lee Child are always a pleasure to read. His villains are horribly evil, his victims endearingly worthy, and protagonist Jack Reacher is spectacularly heroic. Other well drawn characters help to move the story along. Tripwire is another brilliant novel in the series. There’s interesting psychology, exciting action, and more romance than usual for Reacher. I didn’t see the last plot twist coming (although I kind of think I should have) and then the ending was satisfying.",
"reviewer": "M. Edwards"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Typical Reacher book",
"text": "Typical Reacher book. Great beginning and end, but the middle gets bogged down. As is typical for his books, a lot of unnecessary detail, which slows everything down. There were several times when I almost gave up on it, but I did finish it. There was a lot of unnecessary violence in it. The villains in this book were borderline unbelievable. It was a stretch to think that the plot was realistic, but then this is a Reacher book, and they seldom are. This was just a bit worse than the others. This was No 3 in the series, not as good as the first two, and Lee Child does learn to put the story together in his later books. The book was OK, not one of his better ones, but it was good reading, for the most part.",
"reviewer": "TopCat"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Excellent-it’s a Jack Reacher novel!!!",
"text": "If these reviews of Jack Reacher Novels seem redundant-they are! I can only repeat myself! I adore these books. Great plots. Interesting! Very well written! I don’t watch tv . I only read. Mostly Lee Child!",
"reviewer": "Faye-Merrill"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Good read",
"text": "Good read",
"reviewer": "Logan"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "A painful novel to read, too much depravity",
"text": "The story was very well written, had a complex plot, was very suspenseful and full of action, and had a interesting surprise at the end, but the bad guy characters were so evil that the story was not fun to read. Innocent people were killed for the sake of killing, were tortured, and their agony prolonged. This wasn't necessary for the story and only created revulsion in the reader. For the entire book I was worried that Jack Reacher had finally found a woman to love and that she was going to be killed before the end of the book. Likewise, several characters with whom I had become sympathetic and who withstood humiliation and torture were left in limbo throughout the book and I was sure that they would be killed, as many other people were. A number of aspects of the story, while very interesting, seemed to be unreasonable and unrealistic. Until recently I would not have imagined that the Pentagon could cover up facts as they were described in this story, but recent events suggest that they may be capable of such cover-ups. I certainly hope these aspects of the story were fantasy and not accurate. This is a very gripping story that I rate 7 of 10, but it was not fun to read.",
"reviewer": "Virginia Reader"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "great ending",
"text": "I like the book. It was kind of part action, part who done it. Look forward to reading his next book.",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Wish Lee understood sentence structure",
"text": "Lee Child can weave an interesting tale about Jack Reacher but may drive readers who are familiar with proper sentence structure and use of punctuation to the brink. I know that’s the case for me. I purchased the entire Jack Reacher series of books after seeing the first season of the series. I never would have read so many of his books if I hadn’t already paid for them. I have often wondered why, with all the money that Lee Child must have brought in from his writing, he can’t seem to afford a staff who will proofread and correct the many mistakes throughout his books. Same goes for his publisher. I held onto hope with each successive book that he might learn something about writing and make his books easier to read. I hoped, with the addition of his brother on the last couple, that the books would improve but seemed to get only worse. Sometimes, 2 whole pages of back-and-forth banter are written with nothing to occasionally let you know who is speaking, so multiple readings may be needed at times to sort it out. I think almost all, if not all, of the pages have sentences with commas where none are needed, periods where commas are needed, clauses used as sentences, and a new paragraph starting from a clause that belongs in the previous sentence of the preceding paragraph. As I said, hard to read if you understand basic sentence structure. There are often times where I wish Lee had done one iota of research to get facts right. I refer to passages in the stories where it was apparent that Lee Child had no experience or knowledge; I guess, more or less, the writing is off the top of his head. Some problems are: 1: He thinks the flashing emergency lights of vehicles in the western states are the same as in much of the New England states (blue on fire trucks and red on police). 2: He didn’t know what the average shoe size in America is actually 10 ½ (stating it as 9) 3: He thinks a large man like Jack Reacher would have what Lee evidently thinks of as a large foot size of 11, instead of something closer to 14 or 15 (I am 6’1” and wear a 13.) I assume Lee has a small foot. 4: Lee has never been near a fast-moving train, thinking there is violent ground movement when the train is even over a mile away and hurricane force winds near one traveling 60 mph. 5: He seems to think that all gas stations and quick marts sell khaki pants and various shirts, packs of socks, and underwear. 6: Jack Reacher can knock anyone unconscious and very often dead with one punch. I can remember only a couple times when it took two. 7: He thinks face bones will “shatter” from a Jack Reacher punch and can knock out a gorilla or even an elephant. Jack also never has injuries to his hand or elbow from such amazing blows. 8: Jack Reacher’s hands are said to be as large as a dinner plate and his fists as large as Thanksgiving turkeys…really? Yes, his books are hard to read for these and other reasons caused by lack of oversight by his publisher and lack of staff. Please, I hope never to find out he has a staff that lets this stuff through. Good storyteller, other than the lack of research on details and no idea as to sentence/paragraph structure.. Rating would be five for the story. Won't buy future books",
"reviewer": "R. Loe"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A Great Reacher Story",
"text": "This was a an exciting read. All the elements hummed along. Be prepared to power through to the end once the pace speeds up—not to say it was slow, just you couldn’t postpone finding out what happens next.",
"reviewer": "Sheila B."
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Well worn formula",
"text": "At this point the Jack Reacher Formula is very, very well worn. In each novel he has a love interest. In each novel his primary concern is worry about being 'tied down'. Being tied down is the primary conflict between Reacher and his heroine-of-the-novel. The bad guys are all exceptionally cruel, brutal, and utterly lacking in conscience... but that gives them no depth. Real people aren't that shallow, not even bad guys. Real people have delusions, loves, hates and a lot of irrationality - especially the bad guys. And no matter how 'bad' a real bad guy is, he always has some internal justification why what he does is 'right' - maybe not 'good' but certainly 'right'. As a 24 year Army Veteran my opinion is that Child habitually gets a lot of the militaria wrong. The past he supposes for Reacher is more like that of a French Legionnaire of the 19th century, possibly a 19th C British soldier with regards to the 'where' part of the travel. Officers' are rarely out of supervision. Majors are never the direct subordinate of Lieutenant Generals (that's what Colonels are for), and most certainly never, ever, ever, on a first name basis - even in private. Child gets the promotion schema all wrong - and self-contradictory to boot. The most any personnel connection with power, or individual brilliance can get you is promotion 1 year early - because the process is bureaucratic. If you have a personnel file like Reacher does, you don't get cut from service without a voluntary resignation and a lot of paperwork; the file the reduction board would see would be the same the promotion board saw. Sergeants do not do officers' laundry. In fact no one who ever went to the field or any basic field problem would ever fail to know how to do laundry. And officers ranking higher than lieutenant almost NEVER live in the BOQ (Bachelor Officer's Quarters). But if you're not wading in military experience these inaccuracies probably won't distract much. It appears Child has never struggled with rent or travel and hotel bills. Every military guy eventually knows the following because of TDY (Temporary Duty < 180 days) and PCS (Permanent Change of Station > 180 days): Mortgages are cheaper than rent; Rent is cheaper than a hotel; Motels are cheaper than hotels; buddying-up makes all the above cheaper, and camping, squatting, and mooching are practically free. They also know this: Clothes are expensive - even 'cheap' WalMart/KMart/etc clothes. And if you do physical labor your clothes will be ripe in an hour. If you do physical labor and don't wash your clothes or keep changes, then no one will let you into a clothing store because your stench will drive the other patrons away. They also know this: Clothes saturated with sweat will literally rot off your body and fall apart in a few days, and you can wash your clothes the same way you wash yourself - and at the same time. So, while Child describes these of Reacher's characteristics as 'weird' they're not. They simply don't make sense. Buying clothes every day would cost Reacher twice his lodging and at least 1/3d more than his food. Oh... and people who wander around as Reacher does don't buy bottled water much. The markup is too high. They get a water bottle and refill it from the tap - repeatedly. People who camp or actually do 'just wander around' could tell Child this. But if you are urban or suburban, you may not find the reality that 'wandering around, seeing the country' involves a lot of camping by necessity to be a distraction. No, the main problem is that at least the first three novels are the same book. The characters are shallow. The bad guys are cardboard cutouts. The good guys are so spineless and non-reactive that a guy wants to cheer when they earn their Darwin Awards. When Reacher finally gets his hands on the 'Big Bad Boss Man' it is never much of a challenge. If there's no challenge then where's the beef? Reacher's love interest is always beautiful, intellectually smart, but rather gutless and helpless. And Reacher always 'loves' them enough to die for them - but not enough to live for them. He is so afraid of commitment that he always ultimately runs away. Well guess what? There's a word for that: Infatuation - a mental boner without commitment, and that too is shallow. It gets hard to get through a book if you don't identify with the characters. It is hard to identify with cardboard cutouts. By the way... where are Reacher's buddies? His rivals? At 13 years commissioned officer service Reacher would be a very, very new Major, with two years in rank at most. At about 18 he'd be a Lieutenant Colonel. 17 years if he picked up below the zone. If you work in a community that long you'll have a trainload of friends, rivals, and associates. If that time involved a lot of PCS moves (which come every 18-36 months) then he'd have friends, associates, colleagues, and rivals all around the world. Where are they?",
"reviewer": "Gordon Johnson"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "another great read!",
"text": "Loved this book! Kept me hooked, lost sleep because I couldn’t put it down! Highly recommend! Loved the connection between Reacher and the girl",
"reviewer": "L. Prior"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Action",
"text": "Another outstanding Jack Reacher book. Non stop action and well written!",
"reviewer": "K4HOC"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Good storyline",
"text": "Good storyline with many thoughtful details. Character descriptions are appropriate and thorough. Just wondering.. does he ever get a haircut?",
"reviewer": "E"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Reading them in order. Best one so far.",
"text": "It's a cliff hanger in that I'm sure Reacher is not going to stay tied down with a house and a woman. How the separation is accomplished is where my curiosity lies.",
"reviewer": "Phillip Runyan"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Pulp fiction",
"text": "This is my first Jack Reacher, but the third in a long series by Mr. Child. Jack is a barely believable strong man. He was in the Military Police in the Army and was under fire in Viet Nam, so he is acquainted with a sprinkling of what are now general officers. The story is set before Nine-Eleven and our Middle East involvements. He is now a civilian and as the story opens is leading a solitary life in Florida, digging swimming pools for a living but open to carrying out private investigations for whoever is willing to hire him. He is engaged, indirectly, by an elderly couple who lost their son in ‘Nam, but has ever since been listed as Missing in Action. They want to know more, but the Army is uncommunicative. Further, the plot thickens significantly when the investigator hired by the couple, before Jack, is found dead, with his fingertips cut off to thwart identification. We are then plunged into a convoluted story which centers on a merciless loan shark who tortures and kills anyone who gets in his way. Jack ends up as the only one who can bring him down. I found the tale engrossing and freely admit that I read it avidly, but it is undeniably long-winded. Are writers still being paid by the word? Further, it is basically unbelievable. For example, in the final pages, Jack is in the hospital, recovering from, among other things, a bullet wound from a .38 caliber pistol fired at close range into his chest. But this is Jack Reacher’s chest, whose pectoral muscle is “so thick and so dense” that a bullet fired into it was stopped 3” in by an intervening rib. This is not a normal pectoral; it is an unpeeled coconut. In addition, Jack Reacher’s skull was penetrated by a nail that thrust a quarter inch into the frontal lobe of his brain, but he remained Jack Reacher, alert as ever behind a Neanderthal skull. Sorry, Charlie; pulp fiction. Four stars.",
"reviewer": "Perry B. Alers, aka peebee"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 9.99,
"listPrice": 10.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B001NHNG64",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Die Trying (Jack Reacher Book 2)",
"authors": "Lee Child",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/510I4BlvF0L.jpg",
"rating": 4.4,
"reviewCount": "57,751",
"series": "Jack Reacher",
"seriesPosition": "2",
"acquisitionDate": "1647917274000",
"description": "Jack Reacher finds himself in bad company in the second novel in Lee Child’s #1 New York Times bestselling series.\n\nDON'T MISS REACHER ON PRIME VIDEO!\n\nJack Reacher is an innocent bystander when he witnesses a woman kidnapped off a Chicago street in broad daylight. In the wrong place at the wrong time, he’s kidnapped with her. Chained together, locked in the back of a stifling van, and racing across America to an unknown destination for an unknown purpose, they’re at the mercy of a group of men demanding an impossible ransom. Because this mysterious woman is worth more than Reacher ever suspected. Now he has to save them both—from the inside out—or die trying....",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great Thriller & Mystery With A Lot Of Surprises",
"text": "On a bright sunny day in Chicago, a woman is going to bring in her clothes to a dry cleaner. Since she is limping and is on crutches, Jack Reacher wants to help her. What he doesn’t know is that this woman is being followed and before you know it, he, along with the woman, is kidnapped by four thugs. Once inside the van, Reacher learns that the woman that is kidnapped is Holly Johnson, an FBI agent. The kidnappers aren’t saying why they decided to kidnap this woman and Reacher isn’t getting any answers right away. It seems that neither one is going to get out of this alive. This is the beginning of Die Trying by Lee Child. I can’t help but say from the start that this is the best book I’ve read by Child since I started reading the books in order. I like the way Child builds the tension in the story as we slowly learn who the kidnappers are and what they are going to do. There are a lot of layers that are peeled away in the story and each layer builds more suspense and adds to the plot. There are a lot of surprises along the way as a result. I thought it was creative that we see the kidnappers connection to a bigger group and what the group represented. It does come right out of the headlines that you read in the newspapers and it was a great way to make a connection that built up the suspense even more. Holly Johnson was not only an FBI agent but she was tough as well, even under the worst of circumstances. Child built a great character here and you knew she was not helpless although having Reacher there as a protector even in dire circumstances made the book even better. What can you say about Reacher. He’s the one who still has to play the hero and of course, that means being a sniper and stopping this insane group of radicals who hate the government. There is a lot that he has to deal with throughout the story and each part of the plot involves him solving one problem before another one comes up right after that. I had no problem with the point of view changing throughout the story as it switched to the FBI agents looking for Holly to the kidnappers and the group. It was a great way to add tension to the story since you didn’t know what the ultimate role the FBI would play in the story as well. Compared to One Shot and Running Blind, this is my favorite Lee Child novel and I would easily give it five stars. I’l be anxious to see how the other ones are after reading this one.",
"reviewer": "JohnnyApril"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Good read",
"text": "Quick pace but a little intense in the technology. Good character development. Typical Reacher conclusion. Seemed as though there was a lot of filler at times",
"reviewer": "txdreamer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Die trying",
"text": "I started with book 1 and am working my way to 30. They just seem to be getting better and better. This one rocked.",
"reviewer": "James Rogers"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "If you are a Jack Reacher fan you should check out Die Trying. A good read.",
"text": "I have been a fan of the Jack Reacher novels for over a year and I love the way the author, Lee Child, weaves the story in such a way that keeps you turning the pages. This 422 page novel, “Die Trying” begins on the streets of Chicago. Jack is minding his own business when he sees a woman with a cane who is also carrying clothes from the cleaners. She has obviously has a bad leg and before she looks like she is going to fall, Reacher grabs her cane and clothes. All of a sudden three men grab them both and kidnap them. I never like to give away too much information and spoil the story for the reader; however, it turns out this woman is an F.B.I. agent who eventually trusts Jack after spending hours being handcuffed together. This is a story about some far right fanatics who like all collectivists (These include Nazi Democratic Socialists, Communists, far left and far right politicians etc.) are dictators in disguise. Like all fanatics, the leader controls his group with an iron fist. The story moves along quickly as we discover this lunatic military group has a mole in the F.B.I which puts Reacher and all the other good guys in danger. If you are a Jack Reacher fan you should check out this book. I really have only one complaint about these novels. All the Lee Child, Jack Reacher novels are way too long. How about writing some shorter Jack Reacher novels? Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Martial Art Myths).",
"reviewer": "Joseph J. Truncale"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "An enjoyable and entertaining story.",
"text": "I have started the process of reading the entire Jack Reacher series. Last year I read Killing Floor (reacher #1). I have just finished reading this one, Die Trying (reacher #2), and I can now state emphatically and happily that I will put Tripwire (reacher #3) into my “2015 To-Be-Read” queue. I may not get to Tripwire for another six months or so, but I will definitely look forward to reading it. PLOT: I enjoyed the plot, a rogue militia intent on rekindling the American Revolution with a crazy man leading the way. At first I felt the way Jack Reacher became involved in the adventure was a little bit contrived, but I eventually moved past those thoughts as the story unfolded. I am sure a nitpicker would challenge the verisimilitude of the plot, but as with most political and/or military thrillers, a reader must be willing to suspend disbelief and except the story world as the author presents it. If you are willing and/or capable of suspending your disbelief, then I think you will enjoy the plot and the nuances the author brings to it. PROTAGONIST: Jack Reacher is an enjoyable lead character. He borders on superhero capabilities, but the author never quite crosses into that totally unbelievable territory. Reacher is very capable — seemingly more capable than 99.99 percent of the population — but still given a modicum of human frailty… just enough to keep him from being an over the top super hero. THE VILLAIN: I thought Beau Borden was an excellent villain. Smart, ruthless, and crazy. Just the right mix of personality traits that creates an excellent adversary. SUPPORTING CAST: Some reviewers felt that there were too many other characters in the story, but I didn’t feel that way. The femme fatale, Holly Johnson, never quite materialized in my mind’s eye. For whatever reasons, I never felt she had much depth. Since I intuitively knew Jack Reacher would not be involved with her past the end of this story, I guess I just considered her a throw-away character from page one and never paid close attention to the nuances of her personality. Dissimilar to James Bond movies, where you also know the women are only temporary, in this book you don’t have the ability to ogle and appreciate the physical attraction of the femme fatale, or at least the author didn’t write the character in that manner. Holly Johnson would be a distant also-ran if compared to Honey Rider, Pussy Galore, Domino, Plenty O’Toole, Tiffany Case, or just about any other Bond woman. THE WRITING: The writing is very good, easy to read, easy to follow. My only complaint would be too much detailed description. When it comes to describing characters, the author gives the reader a few traits and then lets the reader’s imagination take it from there… Which is what I tend to enjoy. However, when the author’s starts describing rooms or geography or something technical, he goes into long and laborious descriptions that stretch into multiple long paragraphs. I know that some readers would probably enjoy this type of in-depth description, but I found many of them to be tedious and I learned to skim past them. SUMMARY: I enjoyed this story. I enjoyed Jack Reacher as the protagonist. I enjoyed Beau Borden as the villain. I found most of the supporting cast to be believable. And I enjoyed the plot and its resolution. As I said upfront, I will definitely be adding the third installment in the Jack Reacher series to my reading queue.",
"reviewer": "Patrick McHugh"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Wish Lee understood sentence structure",
"text": "Lee Child can weave an interesting tale about Jack Reacher but may drive readers who are familiar with proper sentence structure and use of punctuation to the brink. I know that’s the case for me. I purchased the entire Jack Reacher series of books after seeing the first season of the series. I never would have read so many of his books if I hadn’t already paid for them. I have often wondered why, with all the money that Lee Child must have brought in from his writing, he can’t seem to afford a staff who will proofread and correct the many mistakes throughout his books. Same goes for his publisher. I held onto hope with each successive book that he might learn something about writing and make his books easier to read. I hoped, with the addition of his brother on the last couple, that the books would improve but seemed to get only worse. Sometimes, 2 whole pages of back-and-forth banter are written with nothing to occasionally let you know who is speaking, so multiple readings may be needed at times to sort it out. I think almost all, if not all, of the pages have sentences with commas where none are needed, periods where commas are needed, clauses used as sentences, and a new paragraph starting from a clause that belongs in the previous sentence of the preceding paragraph. As I said, hard to read if you understand basic sentence structure. There are often times where I wish Lee had done one iota of research to get facts right. I refer to passages in the stories where it was apparent that Lee Child had no experience or knowledge; I guess, more or less, the writing is off the top of his head. Some problems are: 1: He thinks the flashing emergency lights of vehicles in the western states are the same as in much of the New England states (blue on fire trucks and red on police). 2: He didn’t know what the average shoe size in America is actually 10 ½ (stating it as 9) 3: He thinks a large man like Jack Reacher would have what Lee evidently thinks of as a large foot size of 11, instead of something closer to 14 or 15 (I am 6’1” and wear a 13.) I assume Lee has a small foot. 4: Lee has never been near a fast-moving train, thinking there is violent ground movement when the train is even over a mile away and hurricane force winds near one traveling 60 mph. 5: He seems to think that all gas stations and quick marts sell khaki pants and various shirts, packs of socks, and underwear. 6: Jack Reacher can knock anyone unconscious and very often dead with one punch. I can remember only a couple times when it took two. 7: He thinks face bones will “shatter” from a Jack Reacher punch and can knock out a gorilla or even an elephant. Jack also never has injuries to his hand or elbow from such amazing blows. 8: Jack Reacher’s hands are said to be as large as a dinner plate and his fists as large as Thanksgiving turkeys…really? Yes, his books are hard to read for these and other reasons caused by lack of oversight by his publisher and lack of staff. Please, I hope never to find out he has a staff that lets this stuff through. Good storyteller, other than the lack of research on details and no idea as to sentence/paragraph structure.. Rating would be five for the story. Won't buy future books",
"reviewer": "R. Loe"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great read!",
"text": "We watch the show Reacher and my husband mentioned the book series and wanting to try it. He just recently got it and after a couple of days with limited free time, he's half way done. He LOVES the book!",
"reviewer": "Joanna K"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Awesome book",
"text": "A must read for any Jack Reacher fan. If not a fan before reading it,you will be by the time you finish it.",
"reviewer": "DameonW"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Fun read",
"text": "Love the Reacher show, so I started reading the novels. I’ve read two in two weeks. I will keep going. I only give 4 stars, because of a lot of weapons terminology that are incorrect. As a person in that industry, it drives me crazy!!! Stories are fun!",
"reviewer": "Kris"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Exceptional",
"text": "Fast, consise details. Each character defined in stages throughout each chapter. I couldnt put it down. Lee Child hits another home run.",
"reviewer": "viper"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "interesting story with a gradual buildup",
"text": "I liked it. Reacher in this story was not as tough as he normally is. Near the end he Really cut lose and was the Reacher we expected.",
"reviewer": "Mr Steve"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Reacher at his finest",
"text": "Catching up on early Reacher books and not disappointed! Love his ability to always find a way to solve the problem.",
"reviewer": "Kim N"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Another excellent book by Child",
"text": "I am reading the Jack Reacher novels in order, so \"Die Trying\" is my second one. In this book, Lee Child improved on his first effort (\"Killing Floor\") by creating a female character who is more than just a sex partner for his main hero, Jack Reacher. The female cop in \"Killing Floor\" frustrated me, because she stood around passively waiting to be carried out of danger by Jack Reacher. But Holly Johnson, the female FBI agent in \"Die Trying,\" does a fair amount of courageous, skilled fighting against the bad guys, even though she is hampered by a pre-existing knee injury. She wins the admiration of all the male cops in the story. Holly is altogether a better developed, and more likeable, character than the female lead in \"Killing Floor.\" On the other hand, I found the love scene between Holly and Jack in \"Die Trying\" to be improbable. Their coupling takes place under circumstances that I believe are extremely unlikely to allow for sexual arousal, at least on the woman's part. Specifically, Jack Reacher had just dug a six-foot-deep, six-foot-long, and three-foot-wide hole in the dirt, using a hand shovel, to bury a crucifixion victim, with Holly and about a million flies watching him. Jack must have been utterly filthy, I doubt the flies left the area immediately after the body was buried, and I certainly could not have gotten past the disgust and shock of seeing the body as quickly as Holly must have, in order to be ready for sex with Jack just then. I recommend that Child seek some advice from a female editor, to improve upon his scenes between Jack Reacher and the women in his novels. One of the strengths of a Lee Child novel, IMO, is his detailed descriptions of processes the reader is unlikely to know anything about. In \"Killing Floor\" it was the process of counterfeiting US currency, which I thought Child handled extremely well. In this book, \"Die Trying,\" Child explains the capabilities and drawbacks of several different weapons and kinds of ammo, and writes in detail about all the things a sniper has to adjust for when s/he is planning to hit a target that is 1,000 yards away. These include gravity, the curvature of the earth, and the shooter's own breathing and heartbeat. Most of this is interesting, but I got impatient with the amount of detail Child wrote into his discussion of things I think should be obvious to a person of average intelligence -- for example, that wind direction and speed will affect the trajectory of a bullet. I felt this should have been trimmed down a bit, although I didn't have a big problem with skimming over those parts. I was able to guess the answers to some of the mysteries from the first clue or two Child gave, but others remained mysteries to me until the answers were explained by the characters in the book. Overall, this book provides several hours of great entertainment. If you like a lot of action, a hero who is able to employ psychological manipulation as well as his fists and weapons to fight the bad guys, and solving mysteries along the way, I recommend you read this.",
"reviewer": "AJL"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "another great jack reacher adventure",
"text": "Excellent as usual. Lee Child still has the ability to write a fast moving novel with his usual character development.",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 9.99,
"listPrice": 10.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B001PSEPLG",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "The Hunt for Red October (Jack Ryan Book 1)",
"authors": "Tom Clancy",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41dFm9eTCHL.jpg",
"rating": 4.7,
"reviewCount": "18,743",
"series": "A Jack Ryan Novel",
"seriesPosition": "1",
"acquisitionDate": "1406855682000",
"description": "Don't Miss the Original Series Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Starring John Krasinski!\n\nThe #1 New York Times bestseller that launched the phenomenal career of Tom Clancy—a gripping military thriller that introduced the world to his unforgettable hero, Jack Ryan—nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.\n \n Somewhere under the freezing Atlantic, a Soviet sub commander has just made a fateful decision. The Red October is heading west. The Americans want her. The Russians want her back. The chase for the highly advanced nuclear submarine is on—and there’s only one man who can find her...\n \n Brilliant CIA analyst Jack Ryan has little interest in fieldwork, but when covert photographs of Red October land on his desk, Ryan soon finds himself in the middle of a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek played by two world powers—a game that could end in all-out war.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "The Novel that Made Clancy's Reputation (and It's Better than the Movie!)",
"text": "I have read every Jack Ryan novel Tom Clancy ever wrote. At least I thought I had until I decided to re-read The Hunt for Red October. It turns out I had confused the movie with the book, so my re-read turned into a first read. In the story, a Russian nuclear submarine—the titular Red October—goes missing, the motive of Marko Ramius (its captain) unclear. The Soviet Navy launches every ship it has in its Atlantic feet, on the surface or under it, with orders to find and destroy the sub. But why? That massive deployment catches the attention of Washington DC, for the Soviet boats are headed toward American coastal waters. CIA analyst Jack Ryan thinks he knows the reason why. Together with his bosses, he sets up an audacious plan to intervene and … well, if you haven’t seen the movie or read the book, I don’t want to give away the ending. As is almost always the case, the book is better than the movie. Like later Clancy novels, the plot is labyrinthine. It is told by an omniscient narrator who jumps in and out scenes, unfolding the mystery one turn at a time. No wonder the movie simplified some of the plot lines, characters, and actions. The Hunt for Red October established Clancy’s reputation as a master of the suspense drama. His novels combine large-scale global forces as the background for individual heroic action. I may not have read Clancy’s first novel back in the day, but looking through his catalogue, I know I read all the others. Clancy’s reputation—not to mention Alec Baldwin’s brilliant performance in the movie—gave me good reasons to do so. This book is long, but it is nevertheless a page turner, which is my first rule of thumb when evaluating a suspense or mystery novel. Also, it didn’t push the limits of my willing suspension of disbelief, which is my second rule. Despite the wheels-within-wheels plotlines, the book’s main action felt plausible. (If you grew up in the 70s and 80s, you’ll know what I mean when you read it.) So, five stars to The Hunt for Red October, which celebrates its 37th anniversary this year. It’s a great read, and a fantastic start to a series of novels well worth reading, for a second or third time … or even the first!",
"reviewer": "George P. Wood"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Interesting book to read.",
"text": "The book was a great read. Lots of action in it. It was hard to put the book down. Awesome.",
"reviewer": "Shepard"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Great Book, Flawed Kindle Version",
"text": "This is a classic, and it lives up to that designation. The story is exciting and interesting, though I find that Ryan is better developed as a character in the movie(s) (and Amazon show). There is a tad too much detail on the ins-and-outs of defense maneuvers, sub operations, etc., but it does add to the realism. The star removed is for the Kindle version, which is filled with word running together and missed punctuation. It'slike reading this sentenceexcept commas and periods aremissing. Annoying, right? And I do mean filled with those errors. The editor should be ashamed, especially for such a high-profile book.",
"reviewer": "Paul"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Instant classic",
"text": "I've seen the movie, many times. The book, as books tend to do, really outdoes it in every way. If you loved the movie, you'll absolutely adore this book. If you haven't watched the movie, you'll probably won't like it as much as you love reading this book. Great action and spy thriller, the different points of view give you a really full view of the entire plot as different characters see different parts of it, but only you get to experience the whole.",
"reviewer": "Roberto"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "The Hunt for Red October",
"text": "I read The Hunt for Red October when I was a kid, and Tom Clancy's recent death inspired me to pick it up again. I still love it, but it seems like a different book. I remember it feeling like a really grown-up book when I read it, due equally to the subject matter, the sprawling plot and cast of characters, and the obsessive technical detail on every page. Reading it now, though, those are the exact same reasons it feels like \"Adventure for Boys.\" I also hadn't noticed how obvious Clancy was in his agenda. I easily accepted the idea of the Soviet Union as the evil empire when I was in junior high, but now, of course, Clancy's hysteria over the dangers of communism seems as overblown as the hysteria of our modern fearmongers will likely seem twenty years down the road. Meanwhile, the scenes wherein he parades the greatness of the American way in front of the poor, downtrodden Soviet sailors are just kind of embarrassing; propaganda this obvious just feels like overcompensation. Having said all that, though, I still love the book. Clancy's obsession with technical terms and acronyms does come across as a bit juvenile, but it also lends the book a sense of realism and even, strangely, passion. The fact that he cares enough to waste the reader's time to explain some nitpicky bit of background business makes me think of Tolkien, and even though Clancy is only documenting, rather than creating, the intricacies of the military world, his obvious interest in the subject matter manages to lend it a little more weight, rather than just being a nerdy catalog of terminology. The characters might be a little thin (gee, whiz, Jack Ryan sure is swell at everything), but Red October, along with most of Clancy's work (from what I remember) thrives on their plots, which are essentially heist stories. This one, of course, borrows more than just the narrative mechanics of a heist story, as it is literally about the theft of a submarine, and Clancy milks it for all it's worth. He may rely a little bit too heavily on scenes where a character spells out his plan to the other characters, but not to the readers, but I suppose that's mostly unavoidable. And it doesn't matter, because the book is such a page-turner that you just know you'll find out what's going to happen soon enough.",
"reviewer": "Joseph Walter"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "The hunt is different from the movie but engaging",
"text": "I picked up this book after watching the movie recently. I had read the book a while back and also seen the movie once when it came out decades ago. The books written by Tom Clancy requires a lot more than casual reading. It also requires a lot of efforts in order to adapt it for the screen. If the books are made into a movie like it is written to the screen instead of adapting, it becomes a costly affair which will also turn out to be too difficult to comprehend. Considering this fact, I wanted to find out how the hunt for Red October plays out in the book. In this process, I also discover the joys of second reading. Set in the Cold War Era, the story is about a missing Soviet nuclear submarine during the maiden voyage. Commandeered by Captain Ramius, the nuclear submarine goes silent. The new propulsion system which emits lesser sound than a normal submarine complicates the matter as it is almost undetectable. The disappearance causes Soviets to mobilize their entire fleet close to the US coastal lines making the Americans nervous. The US in turn mobilizes their forces in order to keep an eye on the Russian ones. The chances for war increases as the forces of these two nations come closer. The time is close to Christmas, and the world is on the brink of war. The CIA analyst Jack Ryan takes a routine trip from his base station in London to Washington DC for a debrief that thrusts him into to the middle of action. Tom Clancy describes in detail on technical aspects of modern weapons and m protocols followed by the navy, army and the air force of both countries. The reader has to be vigilant so as not to lose or confuse oneself in the details. Since it deals with espionage, this is a cat-and-mouse game where pawns are so insignificant that they don't realize the importance of the part they play. Since the action is set on the sea, we get to see what is life is aboard carriers and submarines mainly the claustrophobia. He also highlights on the disparities in life in both countries at that time. If you haven't read it and you love thrillers, this one is for you. The book tells of a different era. But those times were as dangerous as the times we live at present. In many ways, those times were much simpler too.",
"reviewer": "Nona"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Better than the movie",
"text": "The movie did not follow the book. There are a lot of conversations that are not necessary to the plot of the book, but the author is known for being wordy",
"reviewer": "Charles A. Rathbun, Jr."
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "more detailed, different pace than the movie",
"text": "The movie version of The Hunt for Red October is one of my favorite movies. I never read the book till now when Amazon offered the kindle version for a good price. So I thought I'd give it a try and see how the original novel was changed when converted into a movie. The pace was slower since you have to fit a movie into 90-120 minutes. The movie combined some of the action again to compress it all so I was taken by surprise when certain things didn't happen as in the movie. The book presents much more in terms of things like how Russian submarine crews differed from the American ones which I appreciated. It also provided info on the difference in the technology of the American vs Russian subs. If you never read the book and only saw the movie, it's worth a read. (It was interesting how in the movie they changed Ryan's daughter age from 6 to 5 and she wanted her dad to bring home a 'brother' for her teddy bear Stanley instead of a Barbie doll (in the novel). Visually in the movie it worked better in the end when Jack finally was able to sleep on a plane with the teddy bear sitting in the seat next to him. )",
"reviewer": "A. Lee"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Excellent book",
"text": "I enjoy a lot of the new authors, but nobody writes like Tom Clancy. I guess I’ll have to read all of them again.",
"reviewer": "James P Lynch"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great start for reading Clancy",
"text": "Better than the movie—which was itself great. I just reread it after reading the entire series decades ago. I’d recommend the series for anyone interested in this genre. The attention to detail is remarkable.",
"reviewer": "Bob Leonard, Jr."
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Outstanding!",
"text": "I've seen the movie many times and is one of my favorites. The book is very different but a great read. Clancy's extensive knowledge of the workings of American submarines is awesome. Some of his descriptions are close to Classified materials in their accuracy. I will read it again soon.",
"reviewer": "Gary Flemming"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "The Cold War is over or is it?",
"text": "This story comes very close to what could be a reality. I believe that if one reads this, even though this is a work of fiction,they will come to understand just how delicate the situation between the USA and Russia is.",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "First of many J.P.R. stories",
"text": "This is the introduction of John Patrick Ryan a patriot who made his fortune in stocks and bonds and he and his family were financially secure for him to work anywhere he pleased. The Central Intelligence Agency is where he landed to start his climb up the ladder in the clandestine services. Hunt for Red October was a very good platform to introduce Jack Ryan",
"reviewer": "Leo"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "One of Clancy’s Best!",
"text": "Haven’t read this in years but still as good as the first time. Interesting to see the difference between the book and the movie.",
"reviewer": "crowklr"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 7.99,
"listPrice": 11.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B001Q9J4Q0",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Red Rabbit (Jack Ryan Book 9)",
"authors": "Tom Clancy",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Rgb+7sY0L.jpg",
"rating": 4.3,
"reviewCount": "5,635",
"series": "A Jack Ryan Novel",
"seriesPosition": "9",
"acquisitionDate": "1663689801000",
"description": "Don't Miss the Original Series Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Starring John Krasinski!\n\nTom Clancy reveals the details of Jack Ryan's first days with the CIA in this #1 New York Times bestseller.\n\nIt’s the early 1980s—and historian, teacher, and recent ex-Marine Jack Ryan is now a CIA officer on loan to the British SIS. On his very first day, an extraordinary document crosses his desk. Because of government repression in Poland, the new Pope, John Paul II, has threatened to resign his papacy. \n \n In Moscow, another man is contemplating the very same document. Yuriy Andropov, the chairman of the KGB, does not like what he reads, does not like what it means for him or for his nation. All it takes is one man to cause everything he has worked for to crumble. All it takes is one man to stop him. The Pope is very powerful, but he is also mortal....",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Awesome read!",
"text": "Not a fast reader, however, just couldn’t put this down… The last couple of chapters were very interesting and I couldn’t stop reading until I finished the book. Looking forward to book 9. (Red Rabbit)",
"reviewer": "BruceJS"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Better if read in CHROLOGICAL EVENTS sequence but still excellent",
"text": "As always an excellent Clancy book. Good mix of multiple plots including a late surprise ending. My only complaint is based on the fact that I’m re-reading the original books from the beginning and wanted to read them in the order the events in the book OCCURRED not the order in which the books were written. When I looked up the order on line it had Red Rabbit after Bear and the Dragon. Based on events in the book it should be right after Patriot Games and before Hunt For Red October.",
"reviewer": "Samuel J. Gelfo Jr."
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "worth the read.",
"text": "Just re-read after many years. It is timeless. I bought this book the day it came out “back in the day”. It is still well done.",
"reviewer": "Craig Williams"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Ok",
"text": "Ok",
"reviewer": "EddieG"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Disappointing But Still Interesting",
"text": "I have always been a big Tom Clancy fan and wait with tremendous anticipation the publication of each of his novels. Lately, however, I have grown disenfranchised with Mr. Clancy and have found it harder and harder to get through his books. This book was no exception and I struggled to get through this book, though for different reasons than his last couple of Jack Ryan novels. Mr. Clancy is a talented action writer and his mastery of the techno-thriller novel has been widely and justly praised. Unfortunately, Mr. Clancy is also a talented researcher and political thinker, and he tends to assume that his audience is equally interested in the minutiae of these subjects. Ever since Red Storm Rising (co-authored with the under appreciated Larry Bond) Mr. Clancy's books have been growing thicker and thicker to the point that one often despairs of the number of trees necessary for just one print run of his books. Regretfully this increase in girth has not always been to the benefit of the story. Fortunately for his readers, Mr. Clancy is an excellent action writer and his novels are generally filled with enough action or blistering political tension that you are able to digest the odd 50 pages here and there of political or military analysis. Two fine examples of this are The Sum of All Fears and his last offering, the Bear and the Dragon. The Sum Of All Fears offers one of the most suspenseful and thrilling stories he has ever drawn up which covers about 500 of the 798 pages of the book. The rest is filled with the sometimes mind numbing detail of the process of assembling a terrorist nuclear weapon. Similarly, the Bear and the Dragon offers up a fine political suspense drama for about 600 of the 1028 pages of the book. The remainder are filled with long political dissertations on the morals of the political process, party politics and just about anything else President John P. Ryan might care to muse about for 100 pages or so while pondering his next decision. Ironically, this book is one of Clancy's shortest efforts in many years coming in at just 618 pages (not the 896 pages erroneously reported in the Amazon info section) and does much less delving into the thinking of the President or the minutiae of the technology involved. Unfortunately, the trimming process seems to also have cut deep into the action in the book resulting in lots of interesting information on how a CIA station works and what a defection is like but very little suspense. Indeed, since you know the outcome of the primary plot point before you start reading the book it is difficult to stir up any feelings of excitement even when the action does get going in the last 50 pages or so. This book is very similar to The Cardinal of the Kremlin in that it is almost entirely about the process of espionage and defection, which in the real world frequently have very little action indeed. I cannot recommend this book as his best, but I will continue to read Mr. Clancy's books because even his bad books are interesting and his good books are wonderful. I would recommend a reread of Without Remorse or Rainbow Six, two of his best more recent works, before investing any time in this one.",
"reviewer": "Nolan Howe"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "I Enjoyed It",
"text": "In Tom Clancy’s Red Rabbit, the Soviet Union is anticipating new leadership and contemplating a move that they think will strengthen their hold on power. Meanwhile, Jack Ryan has just arrived in Britain and about to take part in a mission that has worldwide implications. If unsuccessful, Pope John Paul II may not live, and the cause of freedom will suffer. Will Ryan and his team succeed? Or will the world be plunged into inevitable conflict? Red Rabbit is a suspenseful Cold War thriller that harkens back to the time of President Ronald Reagan, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and The Iron Curtain. It is a well-written, well-researched blast from the past, and full of page-turning tension. The style of writing is different than it is today, and Clancy is too verbose, but it is still eye-opening, entertaining, and valuable. There is some unnecessary language, and some of the details are a bit gory. Nonetheless, I enjoyed Red Rabbit, and I am looking forward to reading the next Tom Clancy thriller.",
"reviewer": "Katherine Wacker"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Fun read!",
"text": "Yet another great book by Tom Clancy in his Jack Ryan series. This one steps back in time from book 8 in the series to add a bit more background and depth to Jack Ryan. Very enjoyable read.",
"reviewer": "JLK"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Go To reading",
"text": "It has always seemed to me that Tom Clancy was extremely well connected. His military realism and accuracy have always been astounding, however his treatment of the political side of his stories suggest to me that he enjoyed some very well placed sources. His ability to weave plot lines, suspense, and technical details have made his novels go to reading entertainment for me since I was introduced to The Hunt for Red October by the grandmother of a U.S. Navy submariner 40 years ago.",
"reviewer": "Steve Johnston"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Jack Without a Hammer",
"text": "Clancy has many, many Jack Ryan fans, fans who keep demanding more and more about their favorite character. But Clancy has run into a problem: he has already written Jack into the highest post in the land in previous books, and it is difficult to see how he can continue along his fictional future history and keep expanding Jack's role, much like the problem the writers of Superman comics had when Superman became effectively all powerful. So for this book at least, Clancy has sidestepped the problem by returning us to the days when Jack was just a freshly hired analyst for the CIA. Of course, in this role Jack can't be the prime mover of events, which may disappoint his fans, but at least they get to see a little more of Jack, along with another story of adventure and spy-craft. This story revolves around a Soviet plot to assassinate the Pope, a story crafted around the real events of 1981 (though Clancy takes some liberties with actual dates and concurrent events). Here again this is something of a departure, as Clancy is effectively updating and changing his future history to match the events of the real world, making this book somewhat inconsistent with earlier books in the series. Whether the shooting of Pope was actually plotted by the Soviets is still a matter of conjecture, but it is certainly plausible as the basis for this story. The action revolves around trying to get Oleg Zaitzev, a KGB communications specialist who has critical information about this plot, and his family out of Russia. With these basic elements, it should have been easy to craft a taught, exciting thriller. Especially as Clancy has finally dropped his penchant for having page after page of extreme technical detail interrupting the story flow. But this story does not achieve very much in the way of excitement or suspense at all. I found that all the actions by the various people involved were accomplished way too easily, just about everything goes according to plan. Even the ruse to make it appear that Zaitzev has died rather than defected comes off as just another day at the office, even if it is rather gruesome. This may be closer to the real world of the CIA and KGB, but it doesn't provide for a great reading experience. I also found Zaitzev's attack of conscience, his reason for defecting, just a little too rapid and convenient to be thoroughly convincing. Andropov's portrayed character (at that time head of the KGB) was a little more believable as a pragmatic and coldly calculating man. Jack is still Jack, and Clancy did a good job of returning to the Jack of the eighties, a little unsure of his value to the CIA and his importance in the world, a little more impetuous than he would later become. At best, this is an average spy novel, with too little suspense to be really absorbing, even if well written. A must for Ryan fans, others can skip this one.",
"reviewer": "Patrick Shepherd"
},
{
"stars": 2,
"title": "This may be my last",
"text": "I enjoyed the first few novels in the Jack Ryan series, but by the time I had gotten well into reading this one, a number of annoying tendencies are beginning to emerge in Clancy’s writing. First of all, the story was painstakingly slow in developing. The first 18 chapters, approximately half of this volume, was background minutiae and character development that was simply too drawn out! I honestly had to push myself to keep reading to see when or if there was ever going to be a decent story here at all! Next, unlike other Clancy novels I had read, he developed an irritating habit of making a statement and then trying to create suspense by adding these two-word, second-guessing questions such as “, was it?”, “, were they?”, “, did it?”…and seemingly hundreds more. What at first may have served its purpose very quickly became as irritating as the proverbial “fingernails on a chalkboard”1 Lastly, he seems to have developed quite a predilection for profanity. I certainly am not offended by such language; in fact, used judiciously, it can help define one or more characters. In the book however, ot seems like his overuse began detracting from the story and made me wonder why such a gifted writer would sink to such a low bar. Overall, this has been a difficult book for me to get through. I just could not get into this story at all and it made my reading time feel much more like an effort than something I looked forward to. I think I will look at some other authors in this genre! I always heard Clancy was great, but this was really a disappointment! Update: This is a first for me…but I QUIT! 21 chapters and 63% of this book read and I simply can’t stand it any longer! I have been struggling through this novel for over a month - a few pages at a time! I see many reviews calling their read a “page turner”, “couldn’t put it down”, etc! This has been the complete opposite for me. It has been a fantastic remedy for insomnia! This has been my third book by Clancy. “The Hunt for Red October” and “Patriot Games” I found decent, but unduly verbose! This one has simply been verbose for the sake of filling pages I guess. The substance of the book to this point could have been written in a couple of chapters! Well, I’m done. I’d always heard that Clancy was a legendary author of the spy thriller genre, but he’s been a complete disappointment to me!",
"reviewer": "Randall Huleva"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Slower, but a true spy novel and ideology lesson on USSR",
"text": "Most Tom Clancy fans might find Red Rabbit a little slower than his previous works. This novel takes place right about 1980-81 where 'a stand-up actor' has assumed the Presidency of the U.S., where Brezhnev's health is failing, and a young Jack Ryan has been assigned to Britain's Century House (CIA equivalent) as a promising new analyst. Like many Clancy Novel's many small plot threads that seemed unrelated at first soon grow to a larger crescendo, and while the action in Red Rabbit only surfaces near the end, this novel serves more a history lesson both in characters and political ideology. We learn more of the origin of Mary Pat and husband Ed Foley as they work as undercover CIA operatives in Moscow. We also learn more about Ryan's and his wife Cathy's background as well as the relationship of Ryan's father-in-law. But the richest gem here is author Clancy's take and history lesson on the cold war between the United States (including Britain) and the USSR. The ideology is unfolded by the revealing thoughts of our numerous antagonists based upon their education, culture, previous leaders and their thoughts on religion and control. The main plot centers around the fact that the current Pope has hinted that he will leave the papacy and return to his native Poland. This instills fear in the Politburo as they sense an upheaval against there regime. With Brezhnev knocking on death's door, a steely KGB opportunist decides to take action...assassinate the Pope. But a lowly KGB agent, fed up with the system and life in the USSR has found his morals. He must warn the west of this plot..but how to do it with out endangering his wife and child. Thus begins the real cloak-and-dagger feel of this novel and the surprising way the British and U.S. (of course with Ryan's help) devise a plan to retrieve the KGB agent and thwart the plot. I really did enjoy the history lesson that was not so veiled within these pages and gained a new understanding of the cold war itself. Also, fans of forensics will love the surprise plot on how to smuggle the rouge KGB agent and his family out from under the KGB and Politburo. But readers beware...don't expect tons of action you are accustomed to.",
"reviewer": "Jayson A Olson"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Not up to the usual Clancy standards",
"text": "At his best, Tom Clancy has written impossible-to-put down novels like 'Cardinal of the Kremlin', 'Clear and Present Danger', and 'Sum of All Fears'. These books showcased Clancy's ability to juggle multiple, often disparate plot threads, before bringing them together in an edge-of-your-seat denouement. Unfortunately for Clancy fans, 'Red Rabbit' represents a nadir in Clancy's career. Taking its plot from the loopy right-wing notion that the KGB conspired in the attempted assassination of the Pope in the early '80s, is the novel's major flaw. Since we already know how that turned out, much of the suspense that is a hallmark of Clancy's writing is absent. The story is told in four closely related plot threads: the Politburo's scheming, the defection of a KGB insider, the assistance of the Foleys in the defection, and Jack Ryan's behind the scenes analysis of the situation. Previous Clancy novels have built suspense and anticipation on Burns's principle of the best laid plans going astray. A tiny flaw in the plans of the Good Guys or the Bad Guys leads to major consequences. In 'Red Rabbit', this suspense never materializes. What should have been an exciting, final hundred pages describing the exfiltration of the KGB agent is instead a straightforward read in which everything goes according to plan. Apart from the agent, none of the principle characters are ever in danger; it's a bit like playing a video game in \"god mode.\" Compounding this is a repetitiveness in Clancy's prose that quickly becomes annoying. We are told innumerable times that Jack's wife's job is \"cutting eyeballs.\" Mary Pat's cover as a ditzy blonde is explained again and again. The bizarreness of the Hungarian language is discussed ad nauseum. The overall effect is that Clancy sketched out a plot, and had a team of ghost writers flesh out the details. Clearly a heavy-handed editor was needed to reign in this project. Alas, doing so would probably have cut a 618 page novel down to a concise, nonrepetitive 300-page effort that would be too atypical of the standard Clancy tome. Despite its repetitiveness, and a needless digression into the horrors of socialized medicine, it's still a good read. Clancy at his worst still exceeds lesser espionage writers. His descriptions of spy \"tradecraft\" are excellent, expanding on many of the descriptions of the superior 'Cardinal of the Kremlin'. Hard-core Clancy fans are sure to enjoy it, but for those new to Clancy's writing, one of his earlier novels would be a better choice.",
"reviewer": "J. Chilton"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Slow start, or have I merely grown short on patience?",
"text": "The first portion of this book had me dozing off, but I hung with it and was glad that I did. Another good Clancy.",
"reviewer": "MBF"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Not as bad as everyone puts it out to be, not that great either.",
"text": "When i was freshmen i finally decided to read The hunt For The Red October and then i had to read EVERY time clancy novel i could in the Jack Ryan series. I found out Patriot games was a prequel then i went back read that, then Cardinal, Then Clear, and then i found out Without remorse was the start of the series so i went back and then i got this book for Christmas of 2007 and this is what put a dent in reading the whole series. While i like how the book goes back to Clancy's best novel period(the 80s) at the same time the story is kinda blah. I like the characters i like how it focus' on the Foleys who from memory(Seeing how i just started back with the series) was outed in The Cardinal. The story picks up a couple of months after Patriot games and when John Patrick Ryan Jr, Left off, and it starts on Ryan's first days in England(where he would be stationed until the Cardinal). Pope John Paul the II had a letter sent to Moscow stating to let Poland be free but the Russians wanted to kill him, using a foreign assassin. The communications and stop the Russians officer starts having second thoughts and wants help so with the help of the Foleys and Ryan they defect. And well the rest of the novel is the usual Clancy stuff. While i have to say the novel is not his best work, i have read the novel twice once in 2008 and again right now. I am going threw right now trying to read all of Clancy's novel again on my kindle app, and if you want to read them all read it! But if not, Stick to his classics!",
"reviewer": "ClassicRocker"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 8.99,
"listPrice": 12.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B001Q9J4QA",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "The Sum of All Fears (Jack Ryan Book 5)",
"authors": "Tom Clancy",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/515+wTTp2bL.jpg",
"rating": 4.6,
"reviewCount": "5,348",
"series": "A Jack Ryan Novel",
"seriesPosition": "5",
"acquisitionDate": "1514154558000",
"description": "Don't Miss the Original Series Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Starring John Krasinski!\n\nThe search for a stolen nuclear weapon on American soil sends Jack Ryan on a dangerous mission with global consequences in this #1 New York Times bestselling thriller.\n\nPeace may finally be at hand in the Middle East, as Jack Ryan, Deputy Director of Intelligence for the CIA, lays the groundwork for a plan that could end centuries of conflict. But ruthless terrorists have a final, desperate card to play: a nuclear weapon hidden somewhere in the United States.\n\nWith one terrible act, distrust mounts, forces collide, and the floundering U.S. president seems unable to cope with the crisis. With the world on the verge of nuclear disaster, Ryan must frantically seek a solution—before the chiefs of state lose control of themselves and the world.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Engrossing, terrific read",
"text": "Tom Clancy is (was) an absolutely brilliant author. I am totally hooked on his Jack Ryan novels. I would recommend that you read them in order, as the character evolves with every story and it helps to know what preceded the book you're currently reading. I've always liked the movies based on his novels, but the movies of Clancy's novels don't nearly do the books justice. His stories are complex, gripping and terrifyingly believable. Really makes you re-evaluate, and sometimes appreciate our system of government and seriously evaluate who you vote for! I don't know if this helps, but I usually read historical fiction and even enjoy fantasy romance, like the books True Blood was based on (the books were better), as well as classic novels from English literature. Believe me, I need a little fluff reading after reading Clancy's books,lol.",
"reviewer": "Tracey W."
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Epic thriller with important lessons",
"text": "\"Sum of all Fears\" is an epic read! Besides being looong, it is fascinating and gripping. If you're not up for 1200 pages, you could probably start at about (Kindle) page 850 and get your footing. Not only is this book extremely gripping, there are some important lessons here about what might happen in the realm of nuclear terrorism and the brinkmanship of a potential nuclear war.. Highly recommended.",
"reviewer": "William Mead"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Nice",
"text": "Good book",
"reviewer": "Rich"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great read!",
"text": "An interesting and plausible scenario told in typical Clancy fashion. Dovetails nicely with the other Jack Ryan stories. Highly recommended.",
"reviewer": "Stephen Acello"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Riveting. Fasten your seatbelt.",
"text": "An engaging novel with all of the attention to detail and fast-paced suspense and frightening plausibility that Clancy fans have come to expect. Another brilliant work by a masterful storyteller.",
"reviewer": "Navy Doc"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Excellent Read",
"text": "This is another great read in the series by Tom Clancy, full of plenty of intrigue and detail. Well done!",
"reviewer": "JLK"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "high suspense but challenging",
"text": "Clancy weaves together many, many complex plots, all heavy with technology about bomb making, submarine maneuvers, and multinational political actions. The book is a thrilling suspense read, but I had to skim some of the tech stuff. It went over my head.",
"reviewer": "R. R. Fraspa"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Jack Ryan, wow",
"text": "At times I wanted to put the book down and read something else, but for some reason I could not. Then, and suddenly I found myself reading as if an addict, this book is amazing and once you start, do not put it down. Enjoy. Well worth the time it took to read it.",
"reviewer": "Robert Cook"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "An excellent book providing many lessons for today's leaders",
"text": "Clancy provides a clear message about the fragility of peace, how quickly miscommunication and conclusions made on limited information can have potentially devastating consequences. It's a stark reminder that the volatility of the world we live in today requires men and women of moral fortitude and integrity to prevent the worst from happening. A must read book!",
"reviewer": "Kindle Customer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "great book",
"text": "Another book that is hard to put down. I have read several of Clancy’s books and this is one of the best.",
"reviewer": "Kindle Customer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "So much detail",
"text": "I love the fact that Clancy puts so much detail in his stories. The scary part is that this could really happen.",
"reviewer": "J. C. Lory"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Breathless with anticipation",
"text": "The details of this novel was from actual theory that is performed. It was very detailed but moving to appreciate the finale",
"reviewer": "LoJoMa"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "utterly plausible!",
"text": "Tom guessed that Biden would be elected in the form of the fictional Bob Fowler…and the rest of this marvelous story follows from that. Written in 1991, the scenario presented here would be a full order of magnitude easier to accomplish. Then, what with a porous border and Chinese fentanyl pouring in by the ton…who needs nuclear weapons to destroy the US?",
"reviewer": "BKH - STG Synergies"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "As good as a Clancy novel gets",
"text": "Mesmerizing. Often too technical for the “average bear” to understand, yet the technical can be glossed over on the alter of the story. Great stuff. Don’t start it unless you want to be held captive by John Patrick Ryan and his band of Merry Men.",
"reviewer": "Kindle Customer"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 9.99,
"listPrice": 10.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B001QEAQP8",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Executive Orders (Jack Ryan Book 7)",
"authors": "Tom Clancy",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/416BliqWpvL.jpg",
"rating": 4.6,
"reviewCount": "8,249",
"series": "A Jack Ryan Novel",
"seriesPosition": "7",
"acquisitionDate": "1673108105000",
"description": "Don't Miss the Original Series Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Starring John Krasinski!\n\nThe President is dead. Now, the weight of the world falls on Jack Ryan’s shoulders in this extraordinary #1 New York Times bestseller from Tom Clancy.\n\nAt the climax of Debt of Honor, the most devastating terrorist act in the history of the world left the President, the Joint Chiefs, the Supreme Court, and nearly all of Congress dead. Only Jack Ryan, confirmed Vice President mere minutes before, survived to take the reins of a shaken and leaderless country. Now he must rebuild a government, comfort a grieving nation, and become a true leader. Meanwhile, he is surrounded by enemies—both inside the White House and around the world—all of them plotting to destroy an untested President. And bring an already wounded country to its knees....",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Nice",
"text": "Good read",
"reviewer": "EddieG"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Get the Kindle version.",
"text": "The story is great, many sub-plots. Although written 35 years ago, there are parallels to current events. The print and the paper of the payper backed book is not great. I am going to buy the Kindle version to finish reading the book as the paperback is uncomfortable to read.",
"reviewer": "Gary"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Good follow-up to 'Debt of Honor'",
"text": "Clancy has a talent for spinning tales with mutiple interwoven plots -- and this book will not disappoint those who have come to enjoy this style. Our hero, Jack Ryan, now finds himself promoted to the very top position in the United States government -- the presidency. A job he didn't want, circumstances have placed him in the excutive office with a full two thirds of the government apparatis demolished via a terrorist act. To add to his woe, middle eastern agents have introduced biological warfare into the country -- and one of the secret service men guarding him is a sleeper agent waiting for the proper moment to execute him. In true Clancy style all these things develop simultaneously and provide an interesting (if rather longish) story. I find it particularly interesting to note that much of the action seems to mirror the real world September 11th terrorist acts (the book was released a couple of years prior to this event). Could it be that the novel was used as a blueprint by real world terrorists or at least provided them the idea? It's an interesting theory. Read the story and make your own determination. Bottom line is this is an important installment in the ongoing adventures of the (now) legendary Jack Ryan -- one you will want to read and add to the collection. The tale will keep you up late waiting to see how Jack copes with the developing situations though the outcome is never really in doubt. ** Recommended ** ~P~",
"reviewer": "Paul J. Moade"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Tom Clancy",
"text": "Bought for my wife, she enjoyed it.",
"reviewer": "Mick"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "great service finally!!!!",
"text": "very nice this is a proper used book thank you!!!!",
"reviewer": "john"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Fantastic read",
"text": "Yet another great thriller from Tom Clancy. I have not been disappointed yet. The details and adventure he packs into his novels is amazing.",
"reviewer": "Benjamin F. Knapp"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Excellent!",
"text": "Another exceptional novel by Tom Clancy in his Jack Ryan series, full of many complex plots and subplots. Definitely a good read.",
"reviewer": "JLK"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "War",
"text": "Starts off slow and builds until you can’t out it down. The description of combat is as real as it gets.",
"reviewer": "William Toolen"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "too slow, but it works",
"text": "Tom Clancy in this book is a views were to be worse because he takes far too long to deliver details, and those details are often repeated and often unnecessary. It is however a good thing that keeps the plot and interesting so that the novel is a page turner. He jumps back and forth between places people in various plot lines, a bit too much. And the use of acronyms becomes very confusing to anyone who isn't completely familiar with the United States Secret Service and Armed Forces. Just some of the obstacles in the way of a very enjoyable read. I enjoyed this, but I could wish that some parts of it were telescoped some. The political plot goes along predictable lines given the nature of Ryan's coming into the presidency of United States. Kiltie is too easily dealt with, and he becomes a negligible force because of his own technical mistake.this is rather far-fetched to the imagination. Also, I'm afraid to say that, much of the plot depends upon the world history of events that have come into play since the novel was written and now make it rather than conceivable overall. I guess you can't update the work of fiction like this; However when first written many of classes books it seem like prophecy. Crash A jetliner as a weapon into Congress building might've been foreseen as a foreshadowing of 911 however that does not fit the date of the book. Too bad. Time catches up with us all. I don't suggest revision, because the books are perfectly enjoyable for people who know what is happened in reality and history, as well as in these series of novels by Tom Clancy. But it does take away a bit from the overall effect. The political situations are pretty convincing between nations. But of course they are obscured somewhat by the passage of history. Again this is something one cannot honestly complain about in a book written so long ago. The x-ray vision of the electronic edition doesn't really help much with key terms. They tend to give a generic definition to Laramie that doesn't fit the context of the novel. But isn't really much help. This could easily be refined I am sure by whatever technical wizards have designed this feature with a few tweaks here and there. An in context feature would probably help a great deal. As a result the definitions and terms are hardly appropriate to the context of the story. Well what can I say? I didn't droid reading this for the Second time. And indeed the objections I have her here are probably those of the objections of a second reader. Information about the disease Ebola May also be quite dated, however I am not authority enough to say so. That's the trouble with books in the series like this, we should go on endlessly, perpetuated long after the original authors, and carrying on into New worlds and new visions and new adventures And which he probably had not very well imagined or anticipated. Should there be a whole new series updated to match more current events? I don't know. However the dates of the years mentioned, don't match current history, and are therefore rather laughable as it would seem.if the novels are meant to be continuing as a staple of future for readers, I think this must take place. The dates and current events could easily be changed by editorial consent. Or buy some application by his ongoing new generation of writers, who have inherited his literary remains. I still recommend this is a good book to read. It's enjoyable. Although it still seems very much a period piece set some 20 or 30 years ago. I wonder how much time is pass, before the older additions of his works are totally out of place in the modern world. That they are a source of enjoyment, I do not deny. They are if anything and American epic of the late 20th century from the end of the Cold War onward. Read it if you haven't. It still worthwhile. I'm sorry I couldn't give get a higher rating than three stars. But that's just the way it reads to me now.",
"reviewer": "David"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Ryan was busy",
"text": "I'm a fan of Ryan stories. This story found many locations around the globe. This book was extremely long and bounced around too much. I'd recommend that it be divided into three books... I,II and III.",
"reviewer": "Bruce Scott McIrvin"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Then and Now",
"text": "Interesting, in relation to how the books political climate in a very foreign nation relate to the current Trumpian climate here in good old USA.",
"reviewer": "Frank D Conklin"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Good Story, Lousy Editing",
"text": "The Kindle version of this book has a plethora of typos. Many errors throughout the book. “E”s showing as “c”s, “H” showing as “II”. At times you have to stop and figure out what the word should be..This degrades the story telling. I bet this was better in print…",
"reviewer": "Kevin S. Holder"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "a terrific yarn, very long",
"text": "I do highly recommend this book, But be warned, that the first 400-500 pages are pretty darn slow, and all the politics are pre-9/11. Of course, the slow portion is laying the set for the subsequent action. There is an extensive battle description in the last few hundred pages, which is very technical, and was sometimes hard for me to fully understand. But even then, the reader has the general picture of events. The story gets rather distant from the main character Jack Ryan throughout the long battle, but this actually seems appropriate. The on-the-ground military would certainly guide the action, not the President off in a distant land. When it does loop back the Ryan, it touches only lightly on his personal status - this seems like a bit of a tease, actually. Deftly done.",
"reviewer": "tutset"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Jack Ryan, POTUS, rebuilds our country",
"text": "This book has a lot of interesting discussion of what it takes to make our country work and, in particular, what our President has to deal with. The setup for addressing those questions is Jack Ryan suddenly becoming President after the capitol - and most of our national elected leaders - are killed. To find out how that happened, read the preceding book in the series, Debt of Honor. In fact, I have greatly enjoyed reading the series, of which this book is the ninth, from the beginning, Without Remorse. Although I do recommend reading the series in sequence, this book can easily stand alone on its own merits, as allusions to earlier events add color, but remembering them is not necessary for enjoyment of this one. I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the books in Tom Clancy's \"Jack Ryan universe\". I might mention along those lines that not all of the books in the \"universe\" star Jack Ryan. Several star John Clark, who is more of an intelligence operator (sometimes a spy, sometimes a paramilitary, sometimes a Presidential bodyguard), while Jack Ryan is more of an intelligence analyst. Jack does get into a lot of action, though, so don't be misled. Some of the later books in the series, say from seventeen on, were even written by other authors. I haven't read them yet, so I can't comment on their quality.",
"reviewer": "Glenn Chambers"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 8.99,
"listPrice": 12.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B001QEAQPI",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "The Cardinal of the Kremlin (Jack Ryan Book 3)",
"authors": "Tom Clancy",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41Zt-2lEbOL.jpg",
"rating": 4.6,
"reviewCount": "9,251",
"series": "A Jack Ryan Novel",
"seriesPosition": "3",
"acquisitionDate": "1581880552000",
"description": "In this electrifying #1 New York Times bestselling thriller from Tom Clancy, a silent war between the USA and Russia will decide the fate of the world—and Jack Ryan is behind enemy lines.\n\nTwo men possess vital data on Russia’s Star Wars missile defense system. One of them is CARDINAL—America's highest agent in the Kremlin—and he's about to be terminated by the KGB. The other is the one American who can save CARDINAL and lead the world to the brink of peace...or war.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Engrossing and additive read",
"text": "I love Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan books-not so much the ones written by others after Clancy's passing. If you've read others in the series or not, he always gives you enough to jump in. This book had me gasping and I intrigued from start to end. Clancy books start a little slow because he begins several plots that slowly intertwine as the book goes on. This is a good one to start with.",
"reviewer": "Tracey W."
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Small print",
"text": "Excellent story, but print font far too small",
"reviewer": "F Hertel"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Loved it!",
"text": "In his book, The Cardinal and the Kremlin, Tom Clancy takes us back to the 1980’s to the middle of the Cold War. The U.S. has a high-level spy behind the Iron Curtain who has been relaying high level intelligence for years. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union is testing a missile system that could change the Afghan War. With the agent’s cover close to being blown, can Jack Ryan get him out in time, or will World War III break out? The Cardinal and the Kremlin is a fast-paced Cold War Novel full of twists and turns that translate into a good story forty years later. It is told through three different points of view which only add to the intrigue. The plot is predominately the struggle between good and evil, but that is the draw of a Clancy novel. The reader can expect at least one customary info-dump of technical jargon. However, the story line is effective, and the good guys at least, are sympathetic. There is some language, but it doesn’t dominate the dialogue. On a personal note, I find the breadth of Tom Clancy’s knowledge fascinating and his work entertaining. If you like spy novels, The Cardinal and the Kremlin might interest you.",
"reviewer": "Katherine Wacker"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great Suspense and Emotionally Riviting",
"text": "Great storyline with action packed chapters. These characters really pull you into the action. Interesting perception on the use of lasers and the difficulty of perfecting their use.",
"reviewer": "June Beatty"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Good reread",
"text": "This reminds me of the cold war that I lived through. I really enjoyed all the action that took place in the last half of the book. My only complaint is it seems to take a long time for it to start, much like most of the author's other works. An excellent read none the less.",
"reviewer": "Kindle Customer"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "A VERY good spy story!",
"text": "4 Stars for The Cardinal of the Kremlin by Tom Clancy A VERY good book, with so much going on - several threads that are all a part of the whole. Published in 1988, these threads come together around an excellent spy story. It's about SDI, the Strategic Defense Initiative, the 1980's anti-nuclear missile program in the U.S., and its counterpart in the USSR. There are so many players in this novel that Jack Ryan almost gets lost in the crowd. I would have rated it '5 out of 5 Stars' if it wasn't so bloody long - 800 pages. I seldom stop reading a book once I start it. I'd have been tempted if it weren't for the fact that this was my son-in-law's selection for our two-man book club. In my opinion it could easily be trimmed by 150-200 pages, especially in the beginning. Still, it well worth it, and I'm very glad I finished it.",
"reviewer": "Richard Russell"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Ok",
"text": "Ok",
"reviewer": "EddieG"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Not his best",
"text": "This one starts we'll but does not keep you interested and seems to run out of steam early but you still should read it to get the best of the rest of his books.",
"reviewer": "LAT FROM DIXIE"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great Reminder",
"text": "This novel will remind you of a world that no longer exists but, at one time, many thought would come to fruition. Still a wonderful read.",
"reviewer": "Kevin Miller"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Initial reaction: good value for price, readable text size, margins acceptable size",
"text": "Initial reaction: good value for price, readable text size, margins acceptable size so thumbs don't cover up. The last budget Tom Clancy paperback I bought on Amazon has type so small it feels like I'm reading a microfilm, and the margins are so small I constantly have to shift my thumbs around because they are covering up what I'm trying to read. But the paperback I'm reviewing right now does not have those problems.",
"reviewer": "John Smith"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Must Read",
"text": "Possibly the finest spy thriller ever written. Tom Clancy is a master story teller. I truly wish he was still with us.",
"reviewer": "Kindle Customer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Cardinal of The Kremlin.",
"text": "This was a Classic. I’m enjoying this series of Jack Ryan Classics, this being a series # 3. I’ve also read # 24 and #25. # _26 is available soon. Edwin Lloyd",
"reviewer": "Edwin Lloyd"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "enthralling",
"text": "Kept guessing at each turn of events. Another winner! Te probability of such happening is beyond belief. Great contribution to the Jack Ryan series.",
"reviewer": "Richard Fields"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "The Arms Race and the Cold War",
"text": "As a long time fan I’ve enjoyed every Clancy novel I’ve read but “The Cardinal of the Kremlin” was not an easy read for me. I’m aware that my opinion isn’t going to jibe with the majority but I felt as though I was slogging my way through deep mud for about the first 20 chapters. So much Russian philosophizing and so little action by anyone! Yes, the era in which the story unfolds had a very different feel - the whole cold war scenario (which I actually lived through) seems surreal today but was scary enough at the time. Regardless, the characters are real enough and as always, we get a complete picture of all the major players and there are many in this early Clancy work. Where this book shines though is in the descriptive passages that put the reader on the ice and snow covered streets of Moscow in the dead of winter and in the cold, classic Russian pre-war copied edifices. I got chilled just reading about them. At any rate, it’s still a good look at what was termed the ‘arms race’ and all its’ ramifications. Four stars.",
"reviewer": "Savsandy"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 7.99,
"listPrice": 10.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B001QEAQPS",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Debt of Honor (Jack Ryan Book 6)",
"authors": "Tom Clancy",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41xI3a8LTrL.jpg",
"rating": 4.6,
"reviewCount": "7,277",
"series": "A Jack Ryan Novel",
"seriesPosition": "6",
"acquisitionDate": "1560815991000",
"description": "Don't Miss the Original Series Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Starring John Krasinski!\n\nTHE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING JACK RYAN NOVEL\n\n“A harrowing tale…Clancy keeps you riveted with political intrigue and military maneuvering [and] sends you rushing headlong to the book’s stunning conclusion.”—USA Today\n\nBestselling author Tom Clancy takes a bold, incisive look at what our nation’s leaders are calling “the new world order.” The time and place: a world at peace, where yesterday’s enemies are tomorrow’s allies. The players: Jack Ryan as the new U.S. President’s National Security Advisor, and his CIA colleagues, John Clark and Domingo Chavez. The crisis: a shocking chain of events in which the wages of peace are as fully complex—and devastating—as those of war.\n \n “[Debt of Honor] traces the financial, political, military, and personal machinations that drive America into the next major global war…A SHOCKER.”—Entertainment Weekly",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "An excellent read!",
"text": "Another excellent book by Tom Clancy, full of lots of complexity and numerous storylines all intricately connected together, and ending with a surprising conclusion.",
"reviewer": "JLK"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great Read",
"text": "a thriller as usual. never a dull moment",
"reviewer": "Kendall A. Cumbee"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Print too small",
"text": "Print is ridiculously small.",
"reviewer": "F Hertel"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "absolutely the best!",
"text": "I thought that the previous ones were, but now know this the very best!, a fantastic, complex and riveting tale!",
"reviewer": "Deborah and Don "
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Good read",
"text": "Japanese culture , history and courageous action. Clancy has a unique style that is engaging as well as informative. Excellent",
"reviewer": "Michael Bagby"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Part one of a two part masterpiece",
"text": "This and the next book Executive Orders really feel like one 2000 page book. And I would argue that these are the two best books in the series. A lot of fans might try to tell you Patriot Games or Clear and Present Danger are the best. Those are also great but no the best book is this one and the sequel. The ending of Debt of Honor was the most insane exhilarating ending I ever read. I had finished a 200 page reading session with no breaks and I still immediately had to start the next book. All the books are great, but if you are enjoying the series you at least have to make it this far, you will not regret it. Tom Clancy was on top of his game here.",
"reviewer": "Bryan"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "a good end to the series",
"text": "As usual, 50% of the book was digressions of one sort or another, but the end of the series was appropriate and well executed.",
"reviewer": "Pete"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Classic Clancy",
"text": "The quintessential All-American Hero, aka Jack Ryan, is serving as a temporary advisor to POTUS, navigating the country through a series of events engineered by a foreign power to bring the United States to its knees. Ryan's background as a former U.S. Marine, ex-CIA agent and financial analyst, make him uniquely qualified to fill that role. And fill it he does, albeit somewhat reluctantly but only because he dislikes the constraints the job requires. As is often the case in a Clancy yarn, \"Debt of Honor\" is a slow starter because so much ground work is necessary to lay out the myriad of details that set Tom Clancy's writing apart from what is turned out by mere mortals. However, suffering through those laborious descriptions is extremely satisfying when the action finally reaches the boiling point. In this sixth book of Jack Ryan Chronicles, the formula is validated. Somehow or other, I got my wires crossed and read Book 7, \"Executive Orders,\" before getting around to Book 6, \"Debt of Honor.\" Consequently, I knew what was coming, but that knowledge took nothing away from the overall enjoyment of the story. I'm fully aware that the Jack Ryan character has been further immortalized since Tom Clancy's passing, but I've found little to admire in the more recent offerings. There's simply no substitute for brilliance. Five stars.",
"reviewer": "Savsandy"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Japan's Mistake",
"text": "I have read almost all of the original Jack Ryan novels previously. When I purchased this book, I wasn't aware that I had already read it. As I started reading, the story plot starting coming back to me. This story has Jack becoming the National Security Advisor. The 1st adventure has John Clark and Ding involved in the capture of a terrorist and returning him to his Government to be tried. This is soon followed by Clark and Ding being sent to Japan to follow up on the possibility of a missing girl being found. The adventure in Japan takes a new twist when a group of dissident Japanese businessmen attempt to take over the Government and try to bring the downfall of the United States by sabotaging the software of the stock market resulting in a financial crisis. At the same time, the Prime Minister in Japan is replaced by Goto, a puppet for the business group. Aa a result of action taken by this group, an armed conflict is created when during an exercise, the Japanese Navy torpedoed two of the U.S. Aircraft Carrriers taking them out of commission. This was intentional. In addition, two of the U.S. Submarines were destroyed. These action and the response to them fell on Jack. With the help of Robby, J3 on the Joint Chief of Staff's organization, and with George Winston's help, they were able to stave off the Japanese and bring the conflict to a conclusion. In this regard, there is a great deal of combat action going on that you need to read to get a clear understanding of what lengths the group of Japanese traitors were willing to have happen. The ending of this book was not expected. Even though I had previously read this book, I enjoy this series so much that I reread most of the early stories previously. I highly recommend this book and any of the latter series dealing with Jack Jr. and the Campus as well as an additional stories related to the addition term as President that John Ryan, as he is now called, leading to a lot more adventures.",
"reviewer": "JRL"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Bad binding of excellent book !!!!",
"text": "The book is awesome, but the bonding is terrible . First fifty pages just came-off the spine . I had to super glue it .",
"reviewer": "KA"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Outstanding detail about both military and Wall Street",
"text": "I had just recently read (and reviewed) Tom Clancy's newest novel, Dead or Alive, and felt that something was missing. Clancy's earlier books went into great detail about the plot elements. If it was about terrorists building a hydrogen bomb, as in The Sum of All Fears, when you finished it, you felt as though you understood a lot about the subject. The best of his novels, Without Remorse, Sum of All Fears, and this one, have great detail. Debt of Honor, for anyone who still doesn't know the plot, is about a war between the US and Japan, prompted by trade rivalry. George Friedman, the president of Stratfor.com, a private intelligence company, has written a futurist book titled The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century, in which he predicts a future war with Japan but his description of how that will occur is not as interesting or as realistic as in this book. I doubt we will have another war with Japan but, if we did, this is an excellent description of how it might go. The details are there and are presented in a very interesting way. It is not exactly a thriller but you can't put it down. After reading the new novel, I reread Debt of Honor to see the contrast. I now believe I was right in my mild criticism of the newer book. This one has not only the excellent detail about military matters you expect from Clancy but he has done a great job in describing how someone might try to take down Wall Street and the stock market by sabotaging the computers that total all the trades and keep records of transactions. We will probably see cyber warfare in the not too distant future. The STUXnet worm that attacked the Iran nuclear program is an example. This book, even though it is 15 years old, does a good job in explaining how this might happen. It also predicted the 9/11 attack by describing an airliner used as a flying bomb. This is one of Clancy's best novels and I have probably read it five or six times.",
"reviewer": "Michael T Kennedy"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "still the best",
"text": "One of my all time favorite Clancy novels, along with the next one Executive orders. I bought the first edition Hardcovers as soon as they came out. I don’t have the books any longer but I still read them with the Kindle app 31 years later",
"reviewer": "Grampa Kevin"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "... the last of the Tom Clancy / Jack Ryan great books. In all honesty its totally downhill from ...",
"text": "This is what I consider the last of the Tom Clancy / Jack Ryan great books. In all honesty its totally downhill from here. Some things that I like and don't (yes this is spoilers if you never read). Jack leaves government service back to the business sector. As much as he talks about leaving it and being done (I made my money and I am out), you get no details on why he is back and did not go into academia. I consider this a flaw, while minor, but one that says things are going down hill. I like Clark and Chavez in the field. This is Mr. Clark at his best. I also like Chaves using his military benefits and getting a Master's degree in International Relations. It saddens me quite a bit for them to leave field ops and become part of Rainbow Six (another anti-terrorism special forces unit that like we already have Delta Force and the SEALS, sooo?? Oh wait its international? I really like Ryan as the National Security Advisor. Based on his relations with the Intelligence Committee, great fit. Vice-President and then President, pass the crack pipe. I am not so thrilled with all the cross characters always appearing. Portegee happening to be on the island. Umm OK sure. Nice to resolve Kelly and Portegee but unnecessary. The story? Well its amazing how things change from what might have been. I thought it was good. And heck, this whole thing it what I thought.",
"reviewer": "Skullleader"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "It's a Tom Clancy novel, what more is there to say?",
"text": "My extremely well thumbed copy was dog eared and falling apart due to being read far too many times by myself and those using my lending library. You really cannot treat Paperbacks like Hard Covers, they just cannot take the abuse over the decades.",
"reviewer": "E. Kraemer"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 7.99,
"listPrice": 10.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B001QEAQQ2",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Clear and Present Danger (Jack Ryan Book 4)",
"authors": "Tom Clancy",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41GOyxZYnVL.jpg",
"rating": 4.6,
"reviewCount": "6,145",
"series": "A Jack Ryan Novel",
"seriesPosition": "4",
"acquisitionDate": "1497320043000",
"description": "Don't Miss the Original Series Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Starring John Krasinski!\n\nIn this #1 New York Times bestselling thriller from Tom Clancy, Jack Ryan gets caught in a war between the United States and a Colombian drug cartel and uncovers a shocking conspiracy.\n\nWhen Colombian drug lords assassinate both the U.S. ambassador and the visiting head of the FBI, their actions trigger a covert response from the American government—a response that goes horribly wrong...\n\nAs the newly named Deputy Director of Intelligence for the CIA, Jack Ryan should be privy to operations like the one in Colombia, but he’s been left completely in the dark. With the help of field officer John Clark, Ryan intends to find out what’s really going on. But while they expect danger from without, the greatest threat of all may come from within.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Outstanding Read",
"text": "Another of Clancy’s best. The movie they made based on this book was good but left so much of the story out.",
"reviewer": "crowklr"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Clancy was the best",
"text": "Still enjoy the Tom Clancy franchise, but his earlier original works cannot be beaten. One of the few authors whose books I’ve reread multiple times.",
"reviewer": "John A. "
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Compact and very relevant story in its time, but...one nitpick",
"text": "I won't add to the already excellent user and critical reviews other than to post one nitpick observation: All the original novels in hardcover had \"signature\" fonts, artwork, and layout, and most importantly, the artwork was relevant to the story. A photo of two obviously much older F106A Delta Darts of the Montana Air National Guard, which have zero role in the story, is typical of the careless approach to the paper back covers. These aircraft technically were in service until the late 1980's before completely being phased out (which started in 1983), but have *nothing* to do with this story! It's not that hard to get it right, the original has a Sikorsky Helicopter which actually figures prominently in this story, not two second-line fighters who come no closer to the story line than the Canadian Border. Even some stock artwork of a Tomcat would have made more sense! I warned it was a \"nit\", but given the number of people who read these books with an appreciation of the level of effort Clancy made to be reasonably accurate w/re to equipment, I can only ask, \"Did he ever see this cover? He would have had kittens!\" :)",
"reviewer": "Suebabyshampoo"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Book",
"text": "My husband and son loved this book. They read it already.",
"reviewer": "Stormi "
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Definitely epic",
"text": "This was another impressive installment in the Jack Ryan series. Clancy is brilliant in the way which he brings the story to life. This tale was certainly one of twists and turns and kept me at the edge of my seat, waiting for the next peak in the storyline. Definitely a must read...on to book five!",
"reviewer": "Britt Shyrene"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "great book",
"text": "good story",
"reviewer": "Pat S"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Jack Ryan takes on \"the druggies\"",
"text": "I always thought of this as Tom Clancy's first post-Cold War book but in fact it was published in 1989 and has several references to the Soviet Union. But, of course, the focus of the book is on the drug war rather than Russia. Even if you have seen the movies starring Harrison Ford many times, you will not be bored by this book. The plot is different in many respects. The book takes you back to the world of the 1980's. The drug war is described as if it is still a relatively novel thing and Clancy employs dated sounding terminology such as repeated references to \"the druggies.\" There are about 250 pages in the later half where the plot seemed to me to stall a bit. But keep reading through to the end. To me, this book was not quite as good as Cardinal of the Kremlin but better than all the preceding Jack Ryan books.",
"reviewer": "Charlie Burnham"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "TRUTH NEEDS A SOLDIER",
"text": "What makes Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan novels so special, is that they are not simply just action spy thrillers with espionage, explosions, etc. They feel more realistic, like as if the issues raised in the books were ripped straight out of a newspaper headline, and 'Clear and Present Danger' is no exception, as it raises the issues of U.S. American Policy; the War on Drugs; the abuse of political and military power by a government bureaucracy with no accountability; etc., and was even written with relevance to not just the War on Drugs but also the Iran–Contra Affair during Reagan's Presidency in the 1980's. But even then, the book's sociopolitical issues still feels relevant today, even in this post–Trump era. But anybody who is a Jack Ryan fan, or a general fan of political thrillers, 'Clear and Present Danger' is worth the read, and oughta be read alongside watching the movie, as well. SPOILER ALERT: Unlike in the movie where Jack Ryan is more of a main central character, in the book, he is more of a secondary character who becomes important by the second–half. And the film's ending did leave me feeling somewhat a bit frustrated, but calmed down after reading the book's ending.",
"reviewer": "George Bean"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Jack Ryan",
"text": "I’m not the biggest fan, this and the previous Jack Ryan books started off really slow, but once they pick up speed, you cannot put the book down. I will most certainly read the rest of the Jack Ryan series.",
"reviewer": "Robert Cook"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Way better than movie",
"text": "The book was way better than the movie, the book was more realistic and explains the story better. typical Clancy detail.",
"reviewer": "J. C. Lory"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Heck if a yarn",
"text": "This one has a bit of everything, from political shenanigans to spy stuff to military action. And along the way, Ryan finally meets John Clark. It's also a heck of a lot better than the movie. I know a lot of folk don't like Clancy's attention to detail. I do, having been in the military, and having been a geek for so long that the word wasn't used when I started. I also like his books because many of his characters are intelligent, honest, and ethical people. I find that refreshing, since these attributes are no longer \"in fashion\", much to the detriment of our society.",
"reviewer": "Jack"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Clancy always delivers",
"text": "Classic cu builds his plots and integrates his characters slowly. Towards the middle he has you. That's when you stop doing anything else because you just need to get to the end. Then you find the next book in the series so you can do it again.",
"reviewer": "smokinjj"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Tom Clancy clear and present danger",
"text": "Excellent thriller keep you wandering what comes next if you like action and a thriller novel this is the novel you want to read better than the movie",
"reviewer": "Raul Baron"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Clancy in his prime",
"text": "Wonderful twists of fate, living breathing fallible characters varying to navigate the rocks and shoals. Best of all - a smart professional antagonist.",
"reviewer": "Andrew R. Welham"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 7.99,
"listPrice": 10.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B001QEAQQC",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Red Storm Rising: A Suspense Thriller",
"authors": "Tom Clancy",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ct5N11nbL.jpg",
"rating": 4.6,
"reviewCount": "11,912",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1559520000000",
"description": "From the author of the Jack Ryan series comes an electrifying #1 New York Times bestseller—a standalone military thriller that envisions World War 3...\n\nA chillingly authentic vision of modern war, Red Storm Rising is as powerful as it is ambitious. Using the latest advancements in military technology, the world's superpowers battle on land, sea, and air for ultimate global control. It is a story you will never forget. Hard-hitting. Suspenseful. And frighteningly real.\n\n“Harrowing...tense...a chilling ring of truth.”—TIME",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great Great read. very informative.",
"text": "This story is by far the clearest image of what is happening in the world at this very moment. amazing that Clancy was able to see so far into the future in this story. It is riveting and follows so many of the same events that are happening across the globe. I read this book 15 years ago and am now reading it again to catch up so to speak.",
"reviewer": "Far and Away"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "As good as it was the first time.",
"text": "Recently I read the latest of the Tom Clancy branded novels. I have enjoyed them all, but I asked myself the question “what’s different here”? I first read this monumental novel, my hardcover version in 1988 weighed in at 7 lbs. So this read was much more comfortable with Kindle. “Hunt for Red October” was my first after President Reagan recommended it. I remember waiting for this to hit my local book store. Red Storm hit bookstores at just the right time. It was a restrained WWIII, from a purely conventional perspective. The Soviet Union was still seen as the true menace that it was. This genre is not much practiced today. The world is not perceived as “black and white,” as we saw it in the 80’s. In this novel, Clancy showed us the Soviet Military as human beings just as poorly used by the Soviet system, as were their enemies. This novel is the epitome of this genre. Clancy had a unique gift for giving equal weight to characterization and plot, that many novelists do not have. The many characters were were done and individualized enough that the reader could remember them as individuals. Clancy’s plots are unique. He put the Technology in the Technothriller, and the thrills in the technology. The world lost a master writer when Tom Clancy passed on. I remain a big fan of the Jack Ryan Sr novels of his craftsmanship. The follow on authors of the later novels Ryan Sr. And Jr. do a good job with characterization, the plots are great, most are a great read, but the technology is not emphasized as much in these later years. Good to look back at a talented beginning to a storied writing career. In fact, I think Cdr. Toland in this book would have made just as good a President as did Jack Ryan Sr. Just my opinion.",
"reviewer": "Arrowsmith47"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Textbook-like accuracy, loads of characters, and a plausable plotline. It's the kind of thing Tom Clancy is known for.",
"text": "This was the first novel I've ever read directly from Tom Clancy. I read Endwar before that, but apparently only his concept and style was taken for that, and someone else actually wrote the story. Reading the story, it begins a brief action scene, then the rest is a slow-burn of tension and details. It's the kind of story I'm sure other people would find tiresome, as at times it reminds one of a textbook. I, however, don't mind reading a textbook if it's an interesting subject, and the subject of this is indeed interesting. Following a conventional war in Europe between the NATO and the Warsaw Pact countries as a backdrop to various personal stories, it includes interesting progression, briefly exciting scenes, and a load of references to hardware which I enjoyed taking time when I wasn't reading it to look up online. Best of all, the story seemed to follow world events as they would likely play out, not as they must play out so something can happen to the characters. By that I mean the characters react to world events rather than having the world revolve around them. All in all an interesting book. The only reason I wouldn't say I loved it was because it can be a bit tiresome to read at points (not a big issue, as I read it before bed) and the loads of characters the book jumps between could be difficult to keep track of. So, it's a good book to get if you are interested in the subject matter (and are grown up, as not only is this a long book at over 600 pages, but it also has some R-rated scenes), and you can find it very cheap these days.",
"reviewer": "Kevin Teeple"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Terrific Read!",
"text": "If it could only be made into a mini-series! A great book that I have read at least 5 times.",
"reviewer": "erussell"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Wow did he get it right",
"text": "I hope I don't insult anyone, but I am not a Tom Clancy fan. I read a couple of his books and was not impressed but someone told me about this book that piqued my interest. First of all, I work in the field, and I am fascinated with modern battlefield tactics. Even though this book was written in the 80s, I'm shocked how accurate he was. How did he know so much about what armies and navies had. I love the way this book was written. Though there is a running story, the emphasis here is on the technology. Actually, the technology are the true characters and the people around them are just the supporting cast. Tom made you feel you were really in each battle but at the level of a key decision maker. You saw how each battle influenced the overall strategy. It's amazing that he wrote this so long ago, but yet Russia is doing the exact same thing today in the Ukraine. Almost spooky. You can learn so much in this book about how military solutions work such as electronic warfare, sonar, radars and combat fighting. But you're always looking at the battle scenes from a top-ranking officers’ point of view. I promise you, you will not be bored. I think the only thing he could have added were the geo-politics. He does mention the Russian side but skips what was happening at the American executive branch side. I think that would have been very interesting, but the book is still awesome.",
"reviewer": "MPE"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "One of My Favorite Books Ever",
"text": "I’ve probably read this book a dozen times now. Clancy has been one of my favorite authors for over 30 years, and I’ve really just loved this book since I first stumbled upon it.",
"reviewer": "Jimmy James"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "awesome",
"text": "Amazing story. Very engaging. Tough to put down. Truly one of Tom Clancy’s best. Highly recommended. Shame there is not a sequel",
"reviewer": "kelvin"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "SUperb",
"text": "They should make a movie about this. Clancy at his best! Better than Better than the Hunt for Red October!",
"reviewer": "Kindle Customer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Still a great read",
"text": "As good as when published 30 years ago",
"reviewer": "Snowy"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Red Storm Rising",
"text": "I have mixed feelings about America's military-industrial complex, constantly fighting an arms race it seems to have already won years before I was even born, but it's hard to deny that the end result is that the U.S. military has some of the coolest toys imaginable. So it seems pretty natural that Clancy would want to play with as many of them as possible. He dipped into the toy box with his first book, of course, but here, he upends the whole thing and the effect is rather grand. I have several criticisms of the book, but they basically fall into one of two categories: there's too much crammed in to the book, and, paradoxically, there's not enough. The \"too much\" arguments are pretty obvious, even if they are somewhat inevitable. Clancy wanted to write the definitive book about the Cold War catching fire and transforming into World War III, and if you're going to write a book about a World War, that book will have to span the entire globe. The problem, however, is that the narrative becomes too diffuse. Clancy's strength is his storytelling, but in telling too many stories at once, it's difficult for the reader to really catch any of the threads. This is not helped by Clancy's weakness, which to my mind is characterization. His books are populated by tough, noble, competent men (with the exception of the villains), but for the most part, there's not much else there. So reading Red Storm Rising forces the reader to jump from reading about the tough, competent man behind enemy lines in Iceland to the tough, competent man working intelligence to the tough, competent sub captain, to the tough, competent, helicopter pilot to ... well, you get the drift. Clancy throws in a few details here and there, but there are too many blandly heroic protagonists floating around, given not nearly enough to do before the story drags them away. And without strong characters to act as an anchor, the story tends to float. I know that in at least one case, it took me most of a chapter to realize that I'd confused two different characters and thought I was reading about something totally different ... and it didn't make that much of a difference. Don't get me wrong, when the plot catches hold, it can be pretty thrilling; the thing you hate to admit about war, is that once you get past the horror and the moral dilemmas, it can be pretty damn exciting. But after a while of drifting from one tense, desperate moment to another, you need something more than adrenaline to hold your focus. Here, Clancy buries us under his usual encyclopedic knowledge of military matters and a well-thought out series of tactics and strategy, but doesn't give us the characters we need to dig our way out. And oddly, even as I complain about Clancy's everything-but-the-kitchen-sink narrative, I have to point out that his hyper-focused narrative is missing too much to really make his depiction of World War III believable. Because, despite seemingly providing everything but the serial numbers of the tanks driving through Germany, a war involves more than the military. The Russians talk about building political support for their invasion, but Clancy never really makes clear what the war is like from a non-military perspective. Politicians (aside from the Russians) are virtually non-existent. The only members of the media are a couple embedded reporters who are basically there to give Clancy a chance to provide exposition and explanation about military technology and tactics. There are a few mentions of citizens in Iceland and Germany, which are so unexpected as to be really jarring (Wait, Iceland is under curfew? The German front hasn't been evacuated?). The only major civilian character is Vigdis (the tough, competent pregnant woman), but her experience is almost solely a military one. I admire Clancy's ambition, but the broad scope of his story does him no favors. The Hunt for Red October works so well because of its focus, which Clancy sacrifices here. But he doesn't broaden his perspective nearly enough. Instead of a panoramic epic, he gives us a mishmash of thrillers, distinguished primarily by their setting. Without a Jack Ryan-type character to tie the whole thing together (which would be absurd, admittedly), this tale might have worked better as a series of novels.",
"reviewer": "Joseph Walter"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Best WW3 Book",
"text": "The world of military techno-thrillers was virtually created by Tom Clancy, and for me the best of them remains \"Red Storm Rising\", his speculation about a war that thankfully never happened. In fact, even with various proxy conflicts, there has never been anything after WWII that comes close to the Big One described here, with massive land, air and sea campaigns and the overall outcome dependent on technological dominance in all of them. There has never been, before or since, a book that so convincingly depicts the critical role of resupply across vulnerable ocean routes and the importance of Iceland to maintaining it; the role of deep strikes (air); and the interplay of battlefield sensors. And, as expected from the author of The Hunt for Red October (Jack Ryan), there are richly detailed descriptions of submarine operations. There is a large, well-drawn cast of characters on both sides. I have never been a fan of such books' efforts to weave a plausible casus belli, and \"Red Storm Rising\" is no exception, based as it is on an oil crisis in the then-USSR. That said, the interplay within the Politburo is just as gripping as the military combat scenes. Oddly, the Washington scenes are given less attention, perhaps simply because the US is reacting to events begun in Moscow. Warsaw Pact considerations are largely absent; there are no Polish or other WP divisions with questionable political loyalty to worry about here. Nor is much time spent on NATO issues, apart from the obvious German refusal to surrender its territory. This one boils down to a slugging match between the US (and Germans, and a passing nod to the UK) and the USSR. To some extent, these books are almost commercials for whatever the arms industry is flogging for the latest defense wish list. The systems always work as advertised and give our side just enough of an edge to prevail. Would that it were so. These asides should absolutely not discourage anyone from reading \"Red Storm Rising\". I have enjoyed it immensely roughly every decade, and just finished my third reading. No one could compare with Clancy at his best, who seems to have received some sort of assistance in this from author Larry Bond.",
"reviewer": "Charles F. Kartman"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "outstanding",
"text": "Clancy at his best. I have read this book 4 times and still get exited reading it again. His knowledge of military actions and procedures is excellent.. if you read where he got this knowledge, you would be amazed. I highly recommend this and all his books.",
"reviewer": "Bill"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "An excellent portrayal of a European conventional war circa 1985",
"text": "This is an old favorite, I have read it cover to cover many times. The feel of the story is very much how I remember life in 1985 when the Cold War was in full force and the events of this book were a real possibility and fear. Those of us in our prime draft age at the time knew we could be living this scenario at any moment and revisiting this time period evokes a strange feeling of nostalgia. When this novel was written the world was a much simpler place, we knew who the enemy was and we could understand what their goals were. In terms of the military events portrayed the novel is accurate in most things. The only amusingly wrong thing was the expectation of what a small 'stealth' aircraft would look like and be capable of. At the time the F-117 was the deepest darkest secret technology of the American military and the speculative F-19 stealth fighter bomber imagined by the author is a not unreasonable attempt to describe a weapon system no civilian had ever seen and estimate its capabilities. All in all Mr. Clancy did a masterful job of creating a machine that while looking nothing like the F-117 is able to preform the same bombing missions that real world aircraft can accomplish. Mr. Clancy also paints the war in a realistic fashion, neither side has a runaway victory overwhelming the other with vastly superior technology, commitment, or tactics. Both sides start out over confident of what they can accomplish and both sides make mistakes which the other tries to take advantage of. In some cases they succeed and in others they fail, but the events have a very real world feel to them much like reading a novel set in either World War where the same pattern progressed.",
"reviewer": "Allen W. McDonnell"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Exciting",
"text": "It keeps your engaged from start to finish. I want to go to Iceland and hike the trail that the marines took after evacuating Keflavik. I want to go to Scotland and Norway too.",
"reviewer": "Mark Bronson"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 9.99,
"listPrice": 12.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B001QEAQQM",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Patriot Games (Jack Ryan Book 2)",
"authors": "Tom Clancy",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/411qN36fpWL.jpg",
"rating": 4.6,
"reviewCount": "8,639",
"series": "A Jack Ryan Novel",
"seriesPosition": "2",
"acquisitionDate": "1518614845000",
"description": "Don't Miss the Original Series Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Starring John Krasinski!\n\nTom Clancy reveals Jack Ryan’s origins in this electrifying #1 New York Times bestselling thriller that pits the former Marine turned family man against a vicious group of international terrorists.\n\nAs an American in London on vacation with his family, Jack Ryan never imagined his quick thinking would prevent an assassination attempt on Britain’s royal family and earn him the gratitude of an entire nation—and the scorn of an ultra-left-wing faction of the IRA. Irish terrorist Sean Miller and his followers in the Ulster Liberation Army intend to make sure Ryan pays for his interference in blood. But he’s not the only one they’re after...\n\nWith the lives of his pregnant wife and young daughter in mortal danger, Ryan accepts a role as a CIA analyst in order to find Miller and shut down the ULA. Going head to head with a ruthless terrorist is a fool’s errand, but Jack Ryan is the kind of man who will do whatever it takes to protect his family.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Love this book",
"text": "I recommend this book. It's a great read with a steady pace from beginning to end. Be sure to check it out.",
"reviewer": "Michael Fleming"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great book",
"text": "Excellent read great price fast delivery a must read",
"reviewer": "JD"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "GREAT BOOK IN THE JACK RYAN SERIES",
"text": "The book was enjoyable to read, and it kept you reading throughout the book. I decided to read this book because it was the next book in the Jack Ryan series after The Hunt for Red October. This book did not exceed my expectations because The Hunt for Red October was my favorite. However, Patriot Games is still a very well-written book while not meeting my expectations. Tom Clancy's book takes place in London and America and tells the story through the eyes of a veteran of the armed services, Jack Ryan. Tom Clancy was very good at keeping track of events at this time, so the book could be as realistic as possible while still keeping it interesting. He uses radical terrorist groups of the time, current people in power, and political views to keep the book realistic. People that like Jason Bourne, Jack Reacher, and other Tom Clancy books will enjoy Patriot Games. I would say that Patriot Games is a more mature book because of the language and some of the graphic imagery that Clancy is known for. Overall, a great book that most people would like.",
"reviewer": "JT"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Brilliant! Tom Clancy left me breathless!",
"text": "The great thing about a book is it describes the inner workings of the brain! The insights, intuitive hunches and analytics used to solve critical threats! The movies can't illustrate the reasoning and detailed minutiae culled to act and react to provocation! These elements are deliciously (and sometimes boringly) provided to enrich the story and the readers understanding of the process! This is the magic of Tom Clancy! The plotline, (which occasionally slowed) carefully nurtured, then gradually accelerated through the \"planning\" details then raced to one of the most exciting showdown I've ever read! I was stunned, emotionally drained and awestruck by the explosive conclusion!",
"reviewer": "Sleepless in San Diego"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Dang good.",
"text": "It’s slow the first half, but picks up in the second and rolls faster and faster until you can’t put it down.",
"reviewer": "Occasional shopper"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Edge of My Seat",
"text": "Saw the movie first. Book is better. The ending is intense. However, there were times, in the book, the author wandered off into the woods for awhile. Not sure of the necessity of these moments.",
"reviewer": "TableRock55"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "The start of the Jack Ryan saga",
"text": "It's interesting to revisit a key bestseller that you first read over 30 years ago. This is the first in the Tom Clancy's long-running series about Jack Ryan, which has even been continued after Clancy's recent death via the pen of Mark Greaney. Jack Ryan is visiting London on vacation with his eye surgeon wife Catherine and 4-year-old daughter Sally when they find themselves close to a terrorist attack by the Ulster Liberation Army on a Rolls Royce driving through St James Park. After the terrorists have blown up the front of the car with a grenade they start moving in firing machine guns, intent on capturing the people in the back of the car. In seconds, Ryan tackles one of the attackers and kills another but is seriously injured. He didn't realise until later that the occupants of the car are the Prince and Princess of Wales and their infant son. This fantasy opening makes Ryan and his family close friends to the Royal Family and the Queen gives him an honorary Knighthood for his bravery. While the captured Irish terrorist Sean Miller is given life imprisonment, with the help of the ULA he escapes when being moved to a high-security prison. Miller vows that he will eliminate Ryan and capture the Prince. The rest of the book details Ryan's determination to find Miller and defeat the ULA and to do this he reluctantly accepts an invitation to work at the CIA. Miller pops up again in the US, targeting Catherine and Jack. Later on, he continues his vendetta against Ryan and the Prince with a stunning bloody gunfight at the end. I enjoyed going back to the start of the Jack Ryan saga and to read Clancy when he was at the top of his form. Some aspects of the book are dated (for example, terrorism was considered to always have political motives) and technology is fairly primitive. My main reservation is that Clancy's writing style is pretty ponderous and detailed. In those days, we expected blockbuster novels to be 800 pages but now we would expect this kind of story to be a compelling 400-500 page-turner. My other reservation is Clancy's inclusion of real people in the plot in fictitious situations, especially the Royal Family. He also has poor understanding of Royal protocols - calling the Duke of Edinburgh \"My Lord\" and the Prince \"Your Highness\". Many of you will have seen the movie of the book starring Harrison Ford and Anne Archer. I suggest that you read the book because the finale when Ryan finally catches up with Miller is very different and shows Clancy's forethought in making Ryan the kind of character he becomes in later books. As pointed out by several reviewers the conversion to an e-book has not been done well with no breaks between different sections of the action making some parts difficult to follow.",
"reviewer": "Suncoast"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "The corny parts are worth it",
"text": "Look. It's not perfect, but it communicates certain values that are on the decline—and are missed everywhere they're not. It's only very occasionally too sentimental, and some of the bad guys' (and flawed guys') racism is a little too convincing. But those things are a small price to pay for a look into the worldview this novel illuminates, and it's not like you'll ever want to stop reading (maybe near the VERY end when everything that's about to happen is too inevitable to need mention, but it goes so fast that it's, at worst, inoffensive). I've gathered that this book is set earliest in Ryan's career so I read it first among the Clancy books I mean to get to. Just remember, when you find yourself thinking of it as self-congratulatory, that it's not Clancy's own personal self he's so proud of: it's OURself. For all he knew, we were going to keep going in the direction we appeared to have been heading his entire lifetime. How was he to know? And who are we if we don't try to turn it back around? One further warning: the love scenes—way too wholesome. If you're aroused by one of them, you're a better man than I.",
"reviewer": "E. VanBuren"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Definitely a nail biter.",
"text": "Not very professionally written. Proofreading would have helped. Clip in an automatic pistol? Really? It’s a magazine. Saw this mistake many times throughout the book. Clips were in M1 Garand and some mousers. But nevertheless it was a great storyline.",
"reviewer": "Russel Horner"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Patriot Games",
"text": "I knew the book was going to be good but I didn’t think it was going to be a Cliff Hanger all the way to the last 2-3 pages!!!!!!!! Wow!!!!!!! Tom Clancy could sure .” WRITE”!!!!!!!!!! Can’t wait for Book # 3!!!! Edwin Lloyd",
"reviewer": "Edwin Lloyd"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "\"One cannot always stay in the shadows, Doctor Ryan\"",
"text": "I have started to read this book mainly because after I played a couple of games that take Tom Clancy's name, I became interested to know what sort of stories he told in his books. After doing a bit of research on the main themes, the focus on the Cold War, secret services and military themes sounded very promising. I mean, if dozens of games and movies based on Tom Clancy's books were released, one would suppose that they did have something to catch your interest, no? Unfortunately, I think that I expected too much from his older book and Patriot Games ended up not captivating me very much. Maybe I was expecting something more thrilling and a better elaborated plot, but it really, really, felt like watching cliché action movies with several moments of tedious nothingness. I mean, literally, during more than half of the book, absolutely NOTHING happens. And it really saddened me, because the first, say, 20 pages of the book were absolutely awesome, with a lot of action. It was naive of me to think that this rhythm was going to be kept through the more than 500 pages of the book. Of course, Patriot Games does have its share of frenetic action, but the interval between them is so long that the investigation parts didn't really hold my interest for too long. After a while, I started to think that the good parts of the book were actually the romantic scenes between Jack and Cathy. There are tons of characters in the book and I find it amazing that pretty much all of them have a military background. Okay, Jack was once a Mariner, it should be kinda obvious that most of his contacts had a common background. But if you look carefully, there is not a single character in the book (besides the women) who doesn't have a military background, and the \"coincidences\" really bothered me. The same goes for the multiple-view narrative. Clancy wanted to show both sides of the coin, but in the end, the villains were essentially evil people while all the other characters were support-good guys who praised Jack Ryan for his brave efforts in every single page. It was either this or Jack stating that \"no, I'm nothing. You're the one who's awesome\". I still want to give a second chance for other Tom Clancy's books. Maybe it's just the fact that this is one of the first books he ever wrote. I want to believe that his writing skills improved as time went by.",
"reviewer": "Melanie Young Yee"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Must read",
"text": "Awesome book loved the attention to detail. The book is a must read it is hard to it down. Awesome",
"reviewer": "Rodrick"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Quite a thriller",
"text": "One of my favorites out of the series. History teacher/writer Jack Ryan is on a working vacation in England with his wife and daughter, researching for a new book, when he becomes part of history instead of just an observer/commenter/teacher of it. Right in front of him, just outside Buckingham Palace, a group of men attack a car. Jack intervenes, disabling one attacker and killing another. Only later does he learn who was inside the car, and thus whose lives he saved: the Prince and Princess of Wales and their baby. The captured terrorist--an Irish nationalist--is quickly tried and sentenced, and Jack and his family go home. But the terrorist group isn't willing to just ignore his interference in their operation and Jack (himself an Irish-American Catholic) can't forget either. It's a thrilling ride into what could have been (and in a sense, what has happened in America, though in a different way from how Clancy played things out here. There are differences between this book and the movie based on it, but that's true of any adaptation. I think I like the book better, though both are good.",
"reviewer": "JJAmazonShopper"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "It's tedious but necessary",
"text": "I watched the movie first so take my opinions with an extra large grain of salt. The author goes above and beyond to develop his characters which inevitably leads to some slow points in the book. But these should be viewed in a much larger scope of the Jack Ryan Novels and the attention the author invests towards developing the main characters pays off in the end. Jack Ryan is a family man so you're going to read quite a few pieces that offer you a glimpse into family man life. It's tedious but necessary. Switching gears now. The cold logic and precision of the antagonists is something to send a shiver down your spine. Villains fueled by blind emotion are not scary. They screw up eventually and then they're done. In Patriot Games, the author develops clever and objective villains (most of them) forcing the good guys to think one step ahead at all times. Overall, very please with the book and plan on reading more Jack Ryan Novels in the future.",
"reviewer": "Ethan Lane Kleinschmidt"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 7.99,
"listPrice": 10.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B001QEAQQW",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Without Remorse (John Clark Novel, A Book 1)",
"authors": "Tom Clancy",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/515stDGrlJL.jpg",
"rating": 4.6,
"reviewCount": "14,013",
"series": "John Clark",
"seriesPosition": "1",
"acquisitionDate": "1579475252000",
"description": "NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING MICHAEL B. JORDAN—WATCH NOW ON PRIME VIDEO!\n\nFrom Tom Clancy, the celebrated author of the Jack Ryan series, comes the #1 New York Times bestseller that puts CIA operative John Clark front and center....\n\nHis code name is Mr. Clark. His work for the CIA is brilliant, cold-blooded and efficient...But who is he really?\n\nIn a harrowing tour de force, Tom Clancy shows how an ordinary man named John Kelly crossed the lines of justice and morality to become the CIA legend, Mr. Clark.\n\nIt is an unforgettable journey into the heart of darkness. Without mercy. Without guilt. Without remorse.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Gripping Page Turner",
"text": "Great read with a multifaceted story set in the Vietnam War era. Exciting plot points and fun nautical deep dives",
"reviewer": "PatMcManusFan"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "One of the great Tom Clancy books!",
"text": "I read this book in 1994 and I loved it then. I just recently purchased the Kindle version of the book and the Audible version of the book. I listened to the book as I followed the text of the Kindle version. The book is one of my favorites that was written by Tom Clancy. It develops the background and life of a major character in several of Tom’s books. John Kelly who later becomes John Clark working for the CIA. John is a Navy Seal and a master warrior with multiple skills. He life is crushed as his wife and unborn child are killed in a tragic car accident. Later in life he meets a young woman, Pam, and he tries to help her. He finds out that she has escaped from a major drug dealer who beat her and mistreated her while keeping her high on drugs. John’s new friends help to cure her of her drug habit and John is falling in love. Pam asks John to help her other female friends to escape from the drug dealer as not only does he mistreat them but he kills them if they try to escape. John and Pam are attacked and John is nearly killed and Pam is kidnaped, tortured, raped and murdered. As John recovers he realizes that he made a vow to help Pam’s friends. Meanwhile he is also asked by multiple Admirals to do a secret mission to rescue captured American officers. He has to train a team of Marines for the mission and also help Pam’s friends on his own time. What begins is a winding tale of murder and training for an impossible mission and traitors giving secrets to Russian agents…. I love this story and I recommend it to you. It is a long book but it is well written and it is a good storyline.",
"reviewer": "JJCEO"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "A VERY Impressive Novel",
"text": "I'm not really sure what I expected of this novel, but this really wasn't it. I knew this was the story of how a young, former Navy Seal named John Kelly became a CIA agent named John Clark. Other than that I had no idea what it would entail. Kelly gets sucked into taking down a drug ring in Baltimore while he is neither a Seal nor a CIA agent. Fortunately, right about the time the cops are closing in on him, he's recruited by an admiral, whose son he had rescued, to take part in a new rescue mission. In North Vietnam. Before the end of the war. It's an involved plot and works in talking through trying to rescue women who had been forced into prostitution by the drug ring, the medical details of helping those hooked on drugs to detox, and all of the operations that need to happen behind the scenes for a covert rescue mission to be carried out. All of it rings true to this reader. I thought it was engaging, even when it was particularly bloodthirsty. We do have some interesting views of characters we'll get to know in the Jack Ryan books. Admiral Greer and Bob Ritter are both here as new CIA recruits. Portagee is here as the Coast Guard presence in the portion of the Chesapeake that Kelly lives on. We also meet Baltimore Police Detective Emmett Ryan. He has lunch, at one point, with his son, Jack, who has decided to join the Marines when he leaves Boston College. Anyhow, there's a lot to grab hold of here if you've read some of the Ryan novels. Technically, in chronological order, this is the first book in the series, but it was fun to fill it in.",
"reviewer": "Tim Healy"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A favorite Clancy novel of mine",
"text": "If you have any sense or experience with the US military...particularly the Navy, then you are likely familiar with the Grand Master of military fiction thrillers, Tom Clancy. This is such a golden classic that all others are judged against.",
"reviewer": "Alan W. Bycroft"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Excellent Story",
"text": "Well told page turned from cover to cover. A better read would be hard to find. I you enjoy a good spy story, this one is not to be missed.",
"reviewer": "Walter Rike"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Ok",
"text": "Ok",
"reviewer": "EddieG"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Nice read, hope things get better in Book 2 and beyond",
"text": "The good parts first. John Kelly in an interesting character, not all that different from Tommy Carmellini from the Coonts series. The John Kelly series in over a decade old now, and I picked this first one for a break from the now tired Coonts series. There are many different players in this first novel, and they all work to make Kelly's life a challenge. Kelly skillfully leverages the leverage the friendlies and deal with the foes. It was a long read, but a good one. A few places the dive into character details were a bit superfluous, but did tend to break the action a bit. The bad guys are bad, some very bad. The good guys are good most of the time. One develops a feeling for the victims, much as Kelly does. One also appreciates Kelly's conviction settle scores and like the good boy scout, leave the camp ground in better shape than he found it. Overall, not bad at all. The bad part is in the ending - unfortunately, it is the thing that sticks with one after the book is closed. The transition of Kelly to Clark occurred early enough, and it was well handled - a needed identity for a critical mission. The killing off of Kelly to give birth to Clark was a bit rushed and not all that believable. More work on the ending would have improved the overall quality of the novel. This one was a long book, and I was ready for the ending. Seems the author was so as well - maybe a bit too much so, and Kelly/Clark didn't get the fair treatment deserved. I'll give Book 2 a read now, just to see if the author redeemed himself in the final chapter. I've read all of Clancy's other work, and found his writing captivating. This one - not so much.",
"reviewer": "Roy Fine"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Engaging reading.",
"text": "A little confusing trying to follow the plot with so many characters but worth the effort . Not sure of the morality.",
"reviewer": "vikvik"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Without Remorse",
"text": "In think it's Clancy's best.",
"reviewer": "john gaston"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "A Case of Situational Ethics",
"text": "Former Navy SEAL and Vietnam veteran John Kelly is a man on a mission. Having lost his wife and unborn baby, John had begun to look forward to a future with Pam despite her rocky past. But the drug dealers obliterated his dreams and the dirtbags responsible for torturing and killing her can't run far enough or fast enough to escape his retribution. On the same timeline the Pentagon has enlisted his help in a daring mission to rescue twenty Americans from a notorious POW camp in North Vietnam. It's a high-risk operation but John Kelly knows the terrain and surrounding area and he has the skills and experience to pull it off. The mission is planned, the troops are trained and retrained, and support and recovery units are all coordinated. When they get the GO signal, John Kelly, aka Mr. Clark, will infiltrate the POW camp alone, with a near zero margin for error. As Kelly is pursuing his mission to avenge Pam's horrific death he temporarily suspends hunting down the perpetrators so he can concentrate his efforts on the POW rescue. His conscience won't allow him to do otherwise. Make no mistake, John Kelly is an honorable but dangerous man when the situation calls for it. Almost an antihero but not quite. However his need for vengeance presents a moral dilemma. Yes, he can exact retribution, but at what cost? \"Without Remorse\" is an early Tom Clancy work, originally published in 1993 and is the first of the John Clark novels. The setting is prior to the 1973 Paris Peace Accords, which is evidenced by the liberal use of cigarettes and absence of technology as we know it today. But the intricate and multi-layered plot with a mind-boggling cast of characters is pure Clancy. And Kelly/Clark is a much more nuanced character than I expected. Even so, with our protagonist at the heart of the action I had no trouble keeping track of who, what, where and when. However, at 700 pages, the pacing fell off from time to time and got a little draggy. Clancy was a leader in spy fiction and his contributions are timeless. Still and all, a fine spy yarn for sure. Four stars.",
"reviewer": "Savsandy"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Poor book portail on book cover",
"text": "This is a great book. However, I'm disappointed Amazon took the liberty of taking advantage of the death of Tom Clancy and using this book to advertise the movie made from it. The movie does not embrace the many great essences of the book and the many characters, and portrays John Kelly/Clark as a Black character on the book cover, of which he is not portrayed as such in the book. Shame on Amazon!",
"reviewer": "Randall Scott"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great Read",
"text": "this is one of the two best books of Clancy's I've ever read. Keeps your attention the whole read.",
"reviewer": "Kendall A. Cumbee"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Don't need to be that long.",
"text": "A very long read, good story when you get to the good parts, a lot of FLUFF in his books, but he has $400 million in the bank.",
"reviewer": "Bubba"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Not one of his best",
"text": "Personally, I found the first half of the book pretty boring, Nor did I find his motivation for turning into a vigilante very compelling. I mean if we were honest, it was completely his fault for what happened. The second half of the book definitely picked up, and I liked the military mission stuff. The ending was a huge disappointment though. Clearly writing about military stories is Tom's niche, and I feel when he writes about other stuff, it shows a limitation in style. The military gung-ho attitude is as thick as ever, but that what you get with Clancy's books. Just the way it is. I think Tom's books are great if you are young and/or drink the military kool-aid (meaning you are gung-ho yourself). I know I did when I was both. I still want to reread Red Storm Rising. I think that was my favorite. Hopefully I'll get to it.",
"reviewer": "Tim"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 8.99,
"listPrice": 9.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B001QIGZTA",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Selections from Fragile Things, Volume One: 4 Short Fictions and Wonders",
"authors": "Neil Gaiman",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/511-lOU1y7L.jpg",
"rating": 4.2,
"reviewCount": "69",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1545139415000",
"description": "“A prodigiously imaginative collection.”—New York Times Book Review, Editor’s Choice“Dazzling tales from a master of the fantastic.”\n—Washington Post Book WorldFragile Things is a sterling collection of exceptional tales from Neil Gaiman, multiple award-winning (the Hugo, Bram Stoker, Newberry, and Eisner Awards, to name just a few), #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Graveyard Book, Anansi Boys, Coraline, and the groundbreaking Sandman graphic novel series. A uniquely imaginative creator of wonders whose unique storytelling genius has been acclaimed by a host of literary luminaries from Norman Mailer to Stephen King, Gaiman’s astonishing powers are on glorious displays in Fragile Things. Enter and be amazed!",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "I wanted more",
"text": "This was so much fun to read. I love Gaiman's work. I have ever since I read Good Omens years ago. These short selections are perfect for morning commutes or to enjoy on a lunch break. My only concern is there weren't enough of them.",
"reviewer": "Lavender Siren"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "4 Stars",
"text": "That was a great set of stories. I loved A Study in Emerald. Never knowing the main characters name, but understanding who it is. That needs to be a novella!",
"reviewer": "Alondra M. Miller"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Three Stars",
"text": "Nothing to add.",
"reviewer": "Francisco W. Lopez"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Shorts",
"text": "This collection definitely made me think after reading the selections. Very enjoyable. Definitely need to read more by this author.",
"reviewer": "Kindle Customer"
},
{
"stars": 1,
"title": "Another Snow Job",
"text": "I'm giving this one star because of what they don't tell you. First, the story quoted in the description isn't in this volume. Second, a third of this \"novella\" is introduction, which in this case is an advertisement to buy the full book. That leaves two actual stories. Both stories were enjoyable, but I would say together they were 10 pages of a paperback book, tops. I don't think I overpaid, but I just hate the smoke and mirrors surrounding the promotion of these very slim volumes.",
"reviewer": "JeannieRae"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 0.99,
"listPrice": null,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B001QREWRS",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Escape from Hell (Inferno series Book 2)",
"authors": "Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZpgGUci4L.jpg",
"rating": 4.2,
"reviewCount": "378",
"series": "Inferno series",
"seriesPosition": "2",
"acquisitionDate": "1684627200000",
"description": "In a harrowing journey through the depths of hell, one man seeks to liberate the unfairly damned.\n\nAllan Carpenter escaped from hell once but remained haunted by what he saw and endured. He has now returned, on a mission to free those souls unjustly tortured and confined.\n\nPartnering with the legendary poet and suicide, Sylvia Plath, Carpenter is a modern-day Christ determined to harrow hell and rescue the condemned. But having descended back into this Dantesque Inferno, can he ever again leave?\n\nEscape from Hell is an epic tale blending fantasy, the supernatural, and dystopian elements in a sweeping adventure. From acclaimed authors Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, this cerebral and suspenseful novel will captivate fans of occult and supernatural thrillers.\n\nAt the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.\n\nAt the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A very worthy sequel",
"text": "It is a notorious rule of thumb that sequels are not as good as the original. With famous exceptions, of course -- e.g., Huck Finn. I feel safe in recommending ESCAPE FROM HELL as another such exception. While it doesn't eclipse its original as Huck Finn might be said to overshadow Tom Sawyer, I find it in no way inferior to the same authors' INFERNO; indeed, like the two ALICE books, I'd say they should be read together. I first read Niven and Pournelle's INFERNO in its initial magazine serialization, perusing it at the same time as Dante's classic, and finding them interesting commentaries on each other. This summer, our local book club read Vonnegut's \"Slaughterhouse 5\" (which I found equally readable and lightweight), and memory of the \"So it goes\" reference spurred me to reread INFERNO, after almost half a century, this time in its pb publication with the ugly cover. Checking its Wikipedia article, I learned that almost twenty years ago I had somehow missed word of a sequel coming out. Now, it is also a rule of thumb that \"You can't go home again\" -- in a literary sense, the magic of the original cannot be recreated after the lapse of even a year, let alone thirty. Again, Niven and Pournelle prove that this rule, too, has its notable exceptions. ESCAPE FROM HELL is just enough like INFERNO to recreate the atmosphere, just different enough to become an interesting commentary on Allen Carpenter's earlier infernal odyssey. I came across a few tiny points that struck me as possible inconsistencies between original and sequel, but hardly enough to mar my enjoyment. If you like INFERNO, be sure not to miss its sequel!!! If you haven't read either yet, I highly recommend both.",
"reviewer": "Phyllis Ann Karr"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "In Hell, you need to be an optimist.",
"text": "I loved Inferno (most of it anyway) when I first read it in 1975. It did ask an interesting question. Why Hell for all eternity? Why punish the creations that God himself made flawed? Niven and Pournelle have given us Dante's Inferno with more reasoning about these questions that Dante would have been allowed to write by the Church. Our expanded view of the nature of creation also plays into the our view of God. What I found surprising was that Niven and Pournelle seemed to admire authors like Plath and Camus. The authors say that Inferno stimulated interest in Dante. This book will stimulate interest in Plath, Camus, and some others. There is more discussion here than in the first book because we've already seen some of Hell, and Carpenter has seen so much that he has had to think about or needs to think about. I thought the pacing was just fine. but there is a major plot gap, unless I just missed something. After leaving Rosemary, Allen continued downward again, trying to find some souls to lead out. He is relating all this to Sylvia, but I did not see how he got back to Sylvia's level. Another major (to me) point concerns the exploders. These appear to be mostly Muslims who have (in life) strapped bombs to themselves and blown themselves (and presumably others) to bits. But in real life, many of these are not the nihilists that I think Niven and Pournelle make them out to be. Most of the Muslim exploders are young, and terribly misled by really evil people. \"You will die for my cause, but I will tell you it is God's cause because you will accept that easier.\" Mostly, I do not think the bombers should be sent to oblivion, but punished as mass murderers or suicides. Is that better? Only if there is the possibility of of forgiveness and escape from Hell. Niven and Pournelle should have worked on the punishment for the ones who send the suicide bombers forth. Why would God allow these exploders in Hell? I can only think that if their sins are a result of actions of Satan, then God is reciprocating. Readers will understand that remark better at the end of the book. There are some really nice moments in the book. Sister Aimee is a delight. The ice cream stand is another. The creation of the new management in Hell is both funny, and scary. God save us from bureaucrats who take their jobs way too seriously. Even more than the first book, I think that the authors point out that despair is the worst sin of all, especially in a place like Hell. A nice point is Satan's remark to Carpenter in this book. Einstein asserted that God did not play dice. Satan's remark seems to affirm that, whether the authors intended it so or not. I am tempted to harp on the author's opinions of certain actual people, but it's their book. I don't have to accept _their_ judgement. But it is why I only give it 4 stars.",
"reviewer": "Baslim the Beggar"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Touches on deep questions, but disappoints",
"text": "The good news is that this is not Inferno II. The protagonist is in a different emotional place so we have a different narrative framework from before. It also allows the authors to answer the reader's questions via a dialogue with Plath instead of dropping into exposition every so often, although they also sometimes slip into \"last time I was here\" occasionally. There could have been more risk in the retelling. And that's the biggest problem I have with the basic narration. The first book felt like there was real peril. Maybe Carpenter or Benito would be stranded in a lower level of hell. Maybe it would be their revised judgement, maybe they would simply be trapped there by demons. In any case we never forget that it was smelly, ugly, painful, etc. This book felt like a travelogue, or maybe a video game played on your sofa. Not only no peril, but this time the protagonist found friendly denizens and convenient shortcuts. Just ask for a ride across a river or down a cliff, no need to build up a sweat. Just take a silver bridge across a dangerous chasm instead of actually risking painful injury. Even an ice cream shack in the middle of a burning desert. I'm not a fan of pain for its own sake, but this left me wondering why I should care why anyone didn't just decide to head downwards on their own. The deeper questions are more interesting, but barely touched upon. What does it mean for there to be an unending universal truth, but us to be aware that we're only aware of part of it and more may be revealed later? We saw that in the new rules in Hell, and we even saw that in the temperance in details of how people ended up among the sodomites and elsewhere. (As I recall the original book had a \"good\" gay neighbor in this ring, but in this book it's only \"bad\" gays who force themselves sexually on others.) What does it mean to serve God in Hell? What does it mean if you enjoy it? Those corrupt prosecutors might be doing what they're doing because it's better than the alternatives and they enjoy prosecuting people, but if they don't serve their role then God's larger plan (to give everyone a second chance) can't come to fruition. But will they be able to walk out of Hell freely later? We can see one of the prosecutors realizing that her new job isn't going to be as easy as she thought, but nothing beyond that.",
"reviewer": "Bear Giles"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "I've read the manuscript, and I'm buying the book, too!",
"text": "I've known Jerry for a long time, and met Larry a few times. I've not ever held back when I told Jerry privately what I thought about something he wrote. I was also taught that if you can't say something good about someone, it's better to say nothing at all. So, if I didn't love Inferno 2 ... errr, Escape from Hell, I'd not be writing this today. You won't get negative reviews from me, usually. I enjoyed this book immensely when I read it before it went to press. I want to read it again, so I'm buying the book right now. The continued adventures of Allen Carpentier and his interactions with Hell's denizens took me on a wonderful ride of imagination. Personally, I find the authors to be more polished and thoughtful over the decades, and it shows in this work. In an era when they're remaking every old sci-fi movie that Hollywood already has rights to, and pushing a green theme instead of a red menace, it is refreshing to have a thoughtful, page-turner of a follow-up novel to take pleasure in. I'd tell you about the lake, and the woods, and the ... but I won't. You'll have too much fun finding out for yourself. One of my very favorite works of fiction is Silverlock, by John Meyers Meyers. This new Niven and Pournelle book is an equally fun romp. I can tell you, Escape from Hell is going to push another book down out of my personal top ten. Or maybe I'll just have to have a top eleven! Enjoy!",
"reviewer": "Brian P. Bilbrey"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Part Two, Take Hell",
"text": "The first book Inferno, I've read once a year for the past couple decades. I liked it that much. Years ago, I met Larry Niven in Toronto and asked if there was a second book in the offing. He would only say that his publishers were pushing them for it. Thankfully, they pushed hard enough. While the flow of Inferno was better for me, Escape From Hell had a lot of insight and imagination, and gave meat to the bones created by the first book. I'm very pleased with the sequel, with one minor irritation. 'Said'. In my own authorship quest, I was given good advice to avoid overuse of he said, she said, they said. It was mildly annoying when reading silently. My wife and I read aloud to each other, and this was our 63rd book. Out loud, the 'said' mantra got moderately annoying. That was my only gripe...the rest rocks. David L Howells, DC",
"reviewer": "David L Howells"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Return to Inferno",
"text": "Escape from Hell by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle is the long awaited sequel to their classic adaptation and updating of Dante's Inferno, titled appropriately enough, Inferno. Unlike Dante, Niven and Pournelle have decided not to take their protagonist, Allen Carpenter, to Purgatory. Instead, Escape to Hell is the story of Carpenter's work to continue the efforts of his guide from Inferno, Benito Mussolini, to help those who deserve to escape Hell. Along the way, he collects an assortment of companions, including Sylvia Plath, Aimee Semple MaPherson, and a thinly disguised Carl Sagan, while revisiting the people and places in Hell he had passed through with Benito. Carpenter discovers that his work is more difficult than he expected. Hell is changing, according to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council and there are temptations even for the good intentioned. As before, the writers indulge themselves by including their personal causes and damning their enemies to Hell, but then so did Dante. Escape from Hell is a worthy sequel to Inferno, yet I cannot help but feel it is something of a disappointment. With Inferno, we were introduced to a new infernal world to explore. With the sequel, we are going back over old ground, updated to apply the changes of Vatican II. Allen Carpenter travels through the same regions of Hell he went to before. The only difference is that his mission has changed from trying to escape Hell to rescuing others. It might have been nice for the authors to follow Dante's outline and have Carpenter travel through Purgatory. Perhaps there will be another book in the series. Despite some reservations, Escape from Hell is a worthy sequel to Inferno, both as a fantasy, adventure and as a thought provoking exploration of the nature of Hell and evil.",
"reviewer": "David Hoffman"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Fun read. Their improvisation built on Dante's I n ferno is both imaginative and introspective",
"text": "When I recently reread this wonderful duo's Inferno, I was pleasantly surprised with the knowledge that they wrote a sequel. An exciting continuation of Allen Carpenter's exploration of Hell that is thought provoking but humorous and fun to read. I should check if they have any sequels to their other collaborations!",
"reviewer": "kier hoyt"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "As a stand alone it is okay, but as a sequel it is not very good",
"text": "As a stand alone this novel is not too bad. As a sequel to the much superior Inferno, it is quite bad. To be fair to readers who -- more than two decades later -- may not have read Inferno I gave it three stars. But if you have read Inferno, this will likely be a let down. Allen Carpenter is back, taking up Benny's mission of telling others about how to escape from hell. He travels top to bottom again, gathering various friends along the way and running into some old friends, such as Billy. While it was interesting to see what had happened to some of these earlier characters, none play very important parts or undergo much development in this book. Part of the problem is that this sequel retreads much the same ground. Carpenter spends much time lamenting the punishment and hell and asking how God could let this happen and how could this be just. I thought we had gone through all this in Inferno? And if anything Carpenter seems to have regressed and lost many of the lessons he had learned before. No novel about hell could be complete without grappling with these issues, of course, but they are approached with less gravity than before. The lack of a serious theodicy (is hell really a part of theodicy?) is all the more telling because there is nothing else important going on. In the first novel, one of the most interesting features was Carpenter's coming to terms with the existence of the supernatural, much less hell. In Inferno I could sympathize with his initial reluctance to accept the reality of his situation and thought Niven and Pournelle were at their most masterful when discussing issues of rationalism and faith. There are blushes of this as Carpenter and crew encounter figures such as Carl Sagan who seem to resist the idea as well, but they all too quickly seem to accept their new reality. The one pleasant surprise was the character of Aimee Semple McPhereson. I assumed she would be another of the authors' convenient punching bags to be used as social commentary when they introduced her in hell, riding up on her motorcycle, shouting, \"God loves you!\" As it turns out, she chose to go to Hell when she learned there were stills souls to be saved there. Indeed, she seems more successful at saving souls and leading people out of hell than either Benny or Carpenter. A novel focusing on her exploits would have been worth reading!",
"reviewer": "C. Price"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "NOT THE IDEA-FACTORY WE EXPECT FROM THESE GUYS",
"text": "\"Escape From Hell\" continues on with the themes of \"Inferno\" ; Carpenter taking on the role of his former guide Benito, meeting up with people who are in various stages of their suffering at various levels of Hell, and elaborating on the notion that you can work your way out of Hell. Modern life on Earth is producing such vastly increased quantities and types of Sinners, that humans are being allowed into positions of power in Hell to handle the influx. Apparently, God and/or Satan needs help with that kind of thing. If the N/P writing team are known for being idea guys, all of their ideas here seem confined to just Hell as a human Hell, with Demons as the guards and tormentors. You can transform a Suicide from tree form back to human form if you torch them; you can defy certain Demons if you have the balls to try, etc etc. These are some of the ideas from the novel, and I guess if you are fascinated with Hell, they are enough.But I wanted more. Sylvia says something to Carpenter early on about how, in Hell, people seem to only meet and interact with others who have significance in their lives, either as influences for good or ill, or because their sins are tangential to your own somehow, etc. At that point my heart sank a bit, because it looked like an escape clause that freed N/P from having to account for things like alien races, which was a private hope of mine to see dealt with in this sequel. Carpenter has essentially given up on his quest for the Big Picture, and just concerns himself with becoming a Guide. I wanted to see Hell in the context of the Big Bang - I wanted to get a glimpse of how Hell fits into Known Space - are the humans of Sol III the only sentient species in Hell? At the very least, I was hoping for a brief meeting between Carpenter and God - to balance out his having to climb past the Devil's Astrodome-sized testicles and listen to his cryptic remarks. But no, this story is just a vehicle for \"spare change\" as another reviewer put it, and for right wing political views. Carpenter was put in Hell to figure it out for us, which he does, but only up to a point. The techie got sidetracked by his new mission, and so did the story. If the doings of humans in Hell is enough for you, then this book is enough for you. If you are expecting the same level of \"Playground For The Mind\" that these guys are famous for, after reading this book you will realize that \"Inferno\" covered that ground all by itself.",
"reviewer": "Charles M. Britzman"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "A worthy sequel",
"text": "A thoughtful follow-on work to the authors’ first book set in Dante’s Inferno. It does not rise to the high level of the first book, but that is a high standard indeed, and this book, despite being less focused and more wordy than the first, creditably carries on the philosophical musings of the original, and still manages to be true to the marriage of grand speculations and petty grievances that is Dante’s original vision. Many celebrities make appearances, including poet Sylvia Plath, J. Edgar Hoover, Carl Sagan, and many others. Even fans of the recent film OPPENHEIMER will enjoy appearances by the man himself, based on research from the same biography that the film’s writers consulted.",
"reviewer": "J. Weatherwax"
},
{
"stars": 1,
"title": "Sad, semi-literate desecration of a beloved classic",
"text": "Larry Niven's 1979 novel Inferno (written with Jerry Pournelle) is something of a minor classic: a science fiction writer wakes up in Dante's Inferno, and immediately starts plotting his escape. That book had adventure, wild inventiveness, and a certain amount of character development against a backdrop of a deeply skeptical approach to religion. It was fun read, and it made me think. Niven starts his sequel almost where he and Pournelle ended their first book. Science fiction writer Allen Carpenter forgoes escape in order to free others from what he's come to see as a hideous exercise in infinite sadism, mitigated only by the thought that, one at a time, its denizens might escape after paying for their crimes. These crimes might have been as major as, well, as being Hitler, or as quotidian as tracking kids with learning disabilities into shop class. This book is an atrocity. The plot jerks along, told mostly in flashback, as Carpenter negotiates an Inferno gone strangely flaccid. Carpenter's journey through the Inferno has as much drama as a trip on the 1-9 express in Manhattan. What's worse, it's interspersed with dialogues on the metaphysics of the afterlife that, at their best, reach the level of a drug-fueled sophomore bull session. High school sophomores. You don't have to be a literary critic to recognize bad dialogue. Here's a sure tipoff: if a serious literary character meant to be arguing a coherent philosophical position uses more exclamation points than Veronica in an Archie comic, you know you're in trouble. All of this make the book sad and dreadful. Niven truly earns himself a spot in a literary inferno for his jarring interjections of ripped-from-the-headlines events. He visits a welfare office, where petitioners and bureaucrat are both damned, but where the welfare claimants speak in what Niven clearly thinks is the urban lingo of the streets. I almost expected the mob to take a time out to break dance or shoplift the latest Michael Jackson album. And then Carpenter meets up again with Billy, a character from the first novel that had followed and helped him for a time. Now Billy's working for the Infernal authorities as a prison guard in the lake of boiling blood. He's quite friendly to Carpenter (gosh, all the guards are old friends--how thrilling!) but is quite puzzled by one of his charges. It's Virginia Tech shooter Seung-Hui Cho. Billy, who died in the 19th century, can't understand how one guy could go on a killing spree in a school and rack up 32 kills. \"Why\", says an honestly puzzled Billy, \"didn't the teachers shoot back? It's almost like someone's taking their guns away.\" Shilling for the NRA in this life means that Niven has decided not to wait for the judgment of eternity and simply to go to hell all on his own.",
"reviewer": "A Reader"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "A good read that builds on Inferno, but does not surpass it",
"text": "Escape from Hell is the Sequel to Inferno by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. Inferno was about a man who found himself in Hell after dying and was led all the way through to the exit by a helpful friend. The neat thing about Inferno was the description of all the creative tortures reserved for various sinners. In Escape from Hell, the protagonist retraces those steps in order to help others to the exit. As a result, Escape from Hell doesn't quite have the same creative allure of Inferno because we have already read about most of the tortures in the first book. Instead, the real treat of Escape from Hell is in the large number of famous individuals who are in Hell and the reasons that they are there. Those of you who are more knowledgeable in social studies will recognize most of the names. Those of you who aren't can just look up the short descriptions of the famous individuals in the front of the book. Escape from Hell is a good read, has a great pace, and builds upon one of the most interesting worlds you will read about without destroying anything you liked about the first book. It's not as good as Inferno, but that's not much of a criticism of a book I very much enjoyed.",
"reviewer": "Jeffrey Marshall"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Readable, but certainly not team Niven/Pournelle's \"A\" game",
"text": "When I saw there was a sequel to Inferno released, Cerberus himself couldn't have kept me from the purchase. Unfortunately, this book just is not in the same league. Where to begin? Well, the first third of the book reacquaints us with Carpent(i)er from the first book through the telling of his failures to a tree in the Forest of Suicides. Not particularly action packed or insightful, but things do pick up once Carpenter and his newest follower hit the road. While traveling further into the pit, some friends from the first book are reintroduced (which I won't give away) but it's nice to revisit them. New characters seem to be plucked from the daily obituaries and given great prominence in the schemes of Hell. Some will genuinely leave you scratching your head; whether those choices were made to make it seem up-to-date or were the product of laziness, I couldn't say. Interesting considering this book takes place around six months after the first. The reasoning for some people being in Hell is fairly bizarre, too. There are characters damned for not believing scientific consensus, there are others who weren't willing to accept Vatican II... but at least there are a few Nazi's so you're sure the REALLY evil people are punished. Quite often, the idea of justice and redemption gets muddled trying to include interesting reasons for damnation. By the (anti-climactic) ending, I was just glad to be done with it. The pacing was awkward but was readable; I wouldn't recommend it to someone that's read Inferno, but it may be okay for someone new to the series.",
"reviewer": "Alex W"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Entertaining story, but some politics",
"text": "Overall, I enjoyed this book, which is a sequel to Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle's take on \"Dante's Inferno\". If you enjoyed their previous book (\"Inferno\"), you'll also enjoy this one. It manages to work as both an action story and in giving the reader something to think about -- not a surprise, since the basic concept (Hell is real, and resembles the medieval Catholic vision of what it would be like) is pretty provocative. One thing to be aware of is that the authors do inject their political views into the narrative in multiple places. Considering that Dante did the same thing, that's not a criticism, just something for readers to be aware of. If you object to this sort of thing, then this may not be the book for you (this is equally true of Niven/Pournelle's original take on the subject, \"Inferno\"). But if you're willing to set aside an occasional disagreement with the authors' views, you'll come away having enjoyed the book.",
"reviewer": "Tom in Texas"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 12.99,
"listPrice": 18.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B001QWFY6G",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Submarine: A Guided Tour Inside a Nuclear Warship (Tom Clancy's Military Referenc Book 1)",
"authors": "Tom Clancy, John Gresham",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51etZrzEJWL.jpg",
"rating": 4.1,
"reviewCount": "298",
"series": "Tom Clancy's Military Referenc",
"seriesPosition": "1",
"acquisitionDate": "1557524065000",
"description": "Only the author of The Hunt for Red October could capture the reality of life aboard a nuclear submarine. Only a writer of Mr. Clancy's magnitude could obtain security clearance for information, diagrams, and photographs never before available to the public. Now, every civilian can enter this top secret world...the weapons, the procedures, the people themselves...the startling facts behind the fiction that made Tom Clancy a #1 bestselling author.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Dive",
"text": "I am in a submarine phase. I really liked this book. It had just the right mix of story snd facts. It did not read like a user manual. I should have known Tom Clancy would do it right.",
"reviewer": "C R Elliott"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Interesting and very accurate.",
"text": "I was on two FBM boats in the 1960s and early 1970s. Clancy's information is right on the mark. Filled with related photographs and diagrams.",
"reviewer": "Curt G."
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "A HUGE amount missing about Boats...what is here is, at best, 80% correct. But, the best effort out there by far!!!!",
"text": "I was a Nuclear Qualified Submarine Officer on the USS George Bancroft, SSBN-643, Gold crew. Got my Dolphins and completed all my qualifications successfully. Got out as an LT. MUC, Sea Service, and Battle \"E\" ribbons. Did three patrols and a long shipyard stint at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. All in the early to mid 1980's. This is a good part of the \"window\" of this book. Soooo, I know what is \"the truth\"! The book is about 80% accurate. It goes into some great detail, but has HUGE holes in how actual enemy torpedo solutions were determined n pursued....as one simple example. It also has significant errors in the qualification process for Officers. There was a huge difference in Officer Quals to get your Dolphins...HUGE! The enlisted guy's Quals were very tough but not in the same category by a lot. Officers had to qualify to drive the boat...life n death stuff. \"Dark shapes n shadows\" \"emergency deep\" stuff. Nuclear Weapons stuff...authenticating nuclear weapon launch codes. Enlisted guys, while fantastic, did not have the level of responsibility. All enlisted guys on board were NOT nuclear qualified BTW. About 1/3 were. Every nuke qualified enlisted guy I knew was fully capable of successfully getting a BS in engineering...they were that smart. So were the sonar techs! It totally misses Boomer missile ops & WSRT's. The problem with the book, because of the detail it contains that is correct, makes you think it is 100% accurate. 20% is wrong (badly wrong) and a huge freaking chunk is missing. More, by far, is missing about Boats than in the the book!!!!! Yes, submarines are called BOATS not ships. A MAJOR distinction. So, is the book worth reading? Yes, as long as you know it is 20% incorrect and misses an incredibly huge amount of strategy and actions for torpedo warfare...plus zip of consequence on nuclear missile warfare. For a non-submariner to write this was an awesome achievement! Clancy is a cool guy...wish he was still around!",
"reviewer": "Keko"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Good Buy",
"text": "Someone interested in subs cannot go wrong with this. Very good.",
"reviewer": "Louis Sabo"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Comprehensive but Dated",
"text": "A very readable and informative introduction to the state of submarine science and deployment in the final decade of the twentieth century, with a shorter and less detailed summary of the evolution of undersea craft leading up to that apex period. Although it is no fault of the book as written, the reader can’t help wishing the authors had released an updated edition before Clancy’s death in 2013.",
"reviewer": "Andrew Updegrove"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Another great Clancy Novel",
"text": "First completed nonfiction by Clancy for me and didn’t disappoint. Well researched, thorough, surprising and intriguing. Definitely worth the read!",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "What it's like to be on a submarine",
"text": "Even though I commanded a nuclear powered submarine, I got this book because of the power of the descriptions and the useful way Clancy captures the essence of the submariner experience. The book covers a mix of technology and people. For a sense of the emotional suspense read The Hunt for Red October David Marquet, Author[...]",
"reviewer": "L. David Marquet"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Submarine",
"text": "This book is as accurate as it can possibly be. Mr. Clancy takes us thru the birth of a submarine from its inception to its final build then to when she becomes home to its crew. Mr. Clancy does an excellent job of giving us a glimpse of what it is like to serve on board one of these extraordinary craft and the training and dedication that it takes to crew one of them. If you are fascinated by military craft then this book is for you. Mr. Clancy hasn't let us down yet even with his non-fiction books. RIP sir you are truly missed.",
"reviewer": "Susan M. Schmitt"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Worth the read, but out of date",
"text": "Very interesting, and having gone on a 5 hour ballistic sub (\"boomer\") ride, it filled in lots of the blanks. However, because technology has changed so much since the book was written, it's a bit out of date. Clancy did, obviously, get lots of first-hand knowledge about the subs and the submariners, and conveys the information well and in an interesting way. The photos from Clancy's collection, and others from John Gresham, are interesting but also dated in terms of both sub tech and photo quality. Was a little surprised that info on the US sub fleet ended mid-book and Clancy then picked up on the Brit fleet. Interesting comparisons and contrasts between the two countries, however.",
"reviewer": "Marshal Shlafer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Look inside a 688 boat.",
"text": "An excellent look inside a 688 boat. Clancy is the lead in techno-thrillers. To write a good one, you have to know the technical aspects.",
"reviewer": "AncientSubHunter"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Submarine",
"text": "Sorry to say that I did not read past the first couple of chapters, as those at least, seemed to be almost exact copies of Peter Sagons \"Stalking the Red Bear\" which I considered to be outstanding. I will probably try a \"DO Over\" the next time I'm Snowed In.",
"reviewer": "Railsplitter"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Another great book. A friend has a son deployed on ...",
"text": "Another great book. A friend has a son deployed on a sub. He has told me that he knows nothing about his sub or what they do. I told him to read this book and then he would know everything he wants to know.",
"reviewer": "William C. Padgett"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Four Stars",
"text": "Very informative... who knew that a sub was used to attack a British ship in the Revolutionary War?!",
"reviewer": "M. M. Alexander"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Four Stars",
"text": "Nice reference which describes well for the reader something most will never get to see in person.",
"reviewer": "david donnell"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 7.99,
"listPrice": 8.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B001TLZE5U",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Carrier (Tom Clancy's Military Referenc Book 6)",
"authors": "Tom Clancy",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51QMtszG02L.jpg",
"rating": 4.4,
"reviewCount": "184",
"series": "Tom Clancy's Military Referenc",
"seriesPosition": "6",
"acquisitionDate": "1557523989000",
"description": "They are floating cities with crews of thousands. They are the linchpins of any military strategy, for they provide what has become the key to every battle fought since World War I: air superiority. The mere presence of a U.S. naval carrier in a region is an automatic display of strength that sends a message no potential enemy can ignore. Now, Tom Clancy welcomes you aboard for a detailed look at how these floating behemoths function. With his trademark style and eye for detail, Clancy brings you naval combat strategy like no one else can.Carrier includes:* Takeoffs and landings: flying into the danger zone\n * The aircraft onboard: their range, their power, their weaponry\n * The role of the carrier in modern naval warfare\n * Exclusive photographs, illustrations and diagrams\nPlus: An interview with the U.S. Navy's Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Jay Johnson",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "WYSIWYG!",
"text": "Great read in fine condition at fair price with fast service. A+++",
"reviewer": "David s. Briggs"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Extensive Aircraft Carrier Details",
"text": "I admit that part of the reason why I have some familiarity with naval aircraft carriers is because of the following; when I was still in the navy from part of 2003 and 2004 I was stationed at an aviation squadron in North Island California that did at sea deployments with the USS Nimitz, I unexpectedly met my amazing husband when I still stationed on a smaller ship (the USS O’Brien) in Yokosuka Japan around August 2002 when he (my husband) was stationed on the aircraft carrier the USS Kitty Hawk and I was personally stationed on an aircraft carrier the USS Eisenhower based out of Norfolk Virginia from part of 2008 until part of 2009. Still, this Carrier kindlebook by Tom Clancy interested me and has a multitude of various details that include; Average number of men and women employed/performing some type of legal work on an aircraft carrier can include at least six thousand people, details on one of the U.S. Navy’s earliest aircraft carriers the USS Langley, an interview with an Admiral who served part of his military time on the aircraft carrier the USS Oriskany (CVA-34), naval aviators in the post-Tailhook era, squadron life, a picture of a Tomcat F-14 pilot stationed on the USS George Washington (CVB-73), a picture of the USS Enterprise (CVN-65), reference to Secretary of Defense Robert S McNamara in connection with the USS Enterprise and two aircraft carrier ships that were built after the USS Enterprise (USS America CV-66 and USS John F Kennedy CV-67), the Nimitz Class Supercarriers (CVN-68), Newport News Virginia Shipbuilding; Home of the Supercarriers and more.",
"reviewer": "Stella Carrier"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "It is very factual and interesting in it's detail.",
"text": "A nice read but a bit wordy.",
"reviewer": "Charles Hester"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A MUST READ!",
"text": "Excelent book! From page one to the end, you will feel like you are with Tom Clancy aboard the ships! Even as this was written 20 years",
"reviewer": "AG"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Take notes.",
"text": "Wanted a mass market edition and got a trade book instead. That's okay, but with a trade book I expected illustrations, especially photographs, to be larger so a person could get a fuller image. The glossary is seriously lame. Easily half the aircraft, naval and armament terms in the text which the average reader is unfamiliar with do not appear in the glossary. This required a manual word-search through the text to remind oneself of a technical meaning when one touched upon the subject again later in the book. On the upside, one acquired a good idea of the construction, workings, personnel, methods, complexity, scale and international political clout of an aircraft carrier including a story line of an exercise at sea with its operational effects far inland. In short, a hard to use book, but a good read.",
"reviewer": "Mr. D. L. Drong"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "One word: detailed. I needed information about the ...",
"text": "One word: detailed. I needed information about the Nimitz class I couldn't find online. A ten minute scan starting with the table of contents and I was set. Clansy is king when it comes to this kind of material. It gave me the necessary knowledge and terminology necessary to ask the right questions of those individuals who rode carriers for a living.",
"reviewer": "Jeffrey Seay"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Very pleased",
"text": "Just as advertised.",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Show of force",
"text": "Great book, but common knowledge ... Would have been nice to have color photos instead of newspaper quality",
"reviewer": "Scott"
},
{
"stars": 1,
"title": "Huge disappointment",
"text": "Imagine a book titled \"Marines,\" that speaks of nothing but rifles. A book titled \"Couture\" that talks about sewing machines.\" That's this book in regard to \"Carriers.\" It is an aviation book that describes planes and the men who fly them, but gives short shrift to the ship that apparently is only barely incidental to the aircraft. Want to know what it's like serving on the \"Carrier\" itself? Anything AT ALL about the 4,000+ men and women who make the flight deck possible? The navigators, helmsmen, cryptographers and military intelligence personnel, the cooks, laundrymen, engineers, mechanics, and thousands of other crew? What about the layout of the ship, where are things located? What goes on where? How does it operate? What's the procedure for leaving the dock? What's it like serving on the bridge? What crew are found there? What do they do? What about the engine room and its crew? The ward rooms and cafeterias? Berthing? What about the damn SHIP listed in the name of the book? I'm sure there's a book somewhere about such things, but it ain't this one. Also, it's a really crappy book, printed on ratty paper that can only dream of being low quality newsprint. This is a cheap review copy masquerading as a trade paper. Just terrible.",
"reviewer": "Stephen Gray"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Out of date",
"text": "The book is useful but is Way out of date, particularly when dealing with aircraft models…particularly as it looks at the Thomcat as the up-to-date carrier aircraft. Would be more useful if someone would update it for 2020.",
"reviewer": "DShaw"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A book needed for research",
"text": "This book was needed for research my husband is doing for a book he is writing. It is nothing like it but he neede the terms used in it and since the terms are not readily available on the web I ordered the book for him. Boy did it come in handy. I am really grateful to Amazon.com for having it.",
"reviewer": "Thena Lene"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Another detailed written book by Clancy...",
"text": "Carrier is a fun book for Carrier fans. Tom Clancy goes into very much detail about operations of a carrier in the late 90's. He also explains some of the future of carrier operations. Book seems to get a little long at times, but most Clancy books will do that.",
"reviewer": "tghost1"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Very good first hand account",
"text": "Reading this from the prospective of a 21 year Air Force vet, I found it to be very enlighting and informative. Overall a very good read.",
"reviewer": "Thomas Dyer"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Good but outdated",
"text": "Good but outlines the carrier forces of 1997. Much has happened since then to change the face of warfare in the world. Esp. 9/11",
"reviewer": "R. J. H."
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 13.99,
"listPrice": 24,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B001TLZEUK",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Flatlander: The Collected Tales of Gil \"The Arm\" Hamilton",
"authors": "Larry Niven",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Krr4QS4eL.jpg",
"rating": 4.4,
"reviewCount": "640",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1532316420000",
"description": "Gil “The Arm” Hamilton was one of the top operatives of ARM, the elite UN police force. His intuition was unfailingly accurate; his detective skills second to none; and his psychic powers—esper sense and telekinesis—were awesome.\n\n Tough and deadly, Gil Hamilton could reach right into a person's brain for the truth . . . or for the kill!\n\nRead all the stories of the legendary ARM operative, collected here in one volume for the very first time:\n\n• Organleggers aren't stopping at robbing body parts from the corpses of the frozen dead. Now they're stealing from the living . . . and Gil is a prime target!\n• The most beautiful woman on Luna has been falsely accused of murder. Unless Gil can prove her innocence, she's doomed to end up as a sack of spare parts in the organ banks. . . .\n• And more . . . Plus an all-new, never-before-published Gil Hamilton adventure!",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Vintage Niven",
"text": "FLATLANDER is a collection of five stories featuring Gil \"The Arm\" Hamilton, a top operative of the 22nd century UN police force. The stories are set in Larry Niven's \"Known Space\" environment and find human society extending from Earth to the Moon, Mars, and the asteroid belt. Overpopulation and organ transplantation gone wild have resulted in a major black market for human organs, organ banks, and the death penalty for even minor legal offences. Demand is so great that innocent victims can simply disappear off the streets, kidnapped and dismembered just to keep the illegal \"organleggers\" in business. Hamilton gets involved in five separate murder cases, resulting in the five stories presented in the book. As Niven points out in a rather engaging \"Afterward\", writing scifi mysteries is a demanding task. The author must satisfy the requiremants of two different genres and maintain internal consistancy. Niven does a nice job of accomplishing the task here. Technology and environment come together in stories involving well-conceived mysteries that, as with any good mystery, give the reader enough facts to solve the case before the author presents the solution. Are these the best mysteries I've ever read? No. Are they the best scifi stories I've read? No, again, but they're as good a combination of the two as I've come across. The first three stories in FLATLANDER were written during Niven's vintage years (i.e. the late '60s/early '70s when he wrote things like RINGWORLD and was a Hugo and Nebula award-winning author), and it shows. The latter two were written much later. I enjoyed them, too, but they are neither as tight or as well-conceived as the first three. Also, technological advances have rendered the ideas about organ transplanting presented here obsolete. Overall, however, this is classic Niven stuff and will provide scifi fans, in particular, with some entertaining reading. I found them to be great fun.",
"reviewer": "AntiochAndy"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Gil The Arm!",
"text": "Flatlander collects all five tales of Gil “the Arm” Hamilton, Larry Nivea’s topnotch blend of science fiction with locked room/ impossible crime mysteries. The star of these five stories is of course Gil, a Belter, who lost his arm in an asteroid accident and, although he has had an artificial arm grafted, before he could get to a medical facility.... well, his mind simply refused to believe his arm wasn’t there. So he has a third arm, invisible, but psychically powered and only limited by his versatile imagination. Speaking of which, Gil was a Belter, meaning he worked in a three-man crew in the asteroid belt far from crowded earth. After the accident, he returned to earth and became a Flatlander. Thus, the title of this collection. There are also Lunies (or moon dwellers) and they figure in the last two stories in this collection. A prominent theme in these stories is overpopulation and organleggers (you know the guys who grab you in the back alleys of Rio and force you to donate both kidneys). In fact, the world has found that longer life could be achieved by transplanting failing organs and the organ banks aren’t filling quick enough for 18 billion people. It’s dangerous out there and the organleggers (like bootleggers) are vicious. Gil is a police detective tasked with stopping organ theft, a never ending battle. The first story initially focuses on wireheading. That’s when an electrical current is directly connected through a hole in the skull to the brain and the wire header starved to death because he won’t unplug to walk ten feet to the kitchen. Addiction is well just so addicting. Other stories address issues with time travel and with corpsicles, people who frozen themselves in hopes of a medical cure down the road. Meanwhile, organ banks are empty awaiting their parts and heirs are left empty handed for decades. With the “Patchwork Girl,” the action moves to the moon where Gil learns about the customs of the Lunies who in less than 200 years are a distinctly different evolutionary line. This novella-length story is a real treat. Each story features a corpse and an impossible crime such as the famous locked room mystery. Gil puzzles it out and eventually figures it out even though the answers lead where he doesn’t expect. The fun though is in the impossible story, not the solutions.",
"reviewer": "Dave Wilde"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Dated, but thought provoking - Niven always delivers a great story",
"text": "This is several noir-ish \"locked room\" detective works in a hard sci-fi setting. These novellas show a level of craftsmanship lacking in so much modern work. The science isn't just \"magic in the future\" - it's a coherent, construct, built carefully, idea by idea. Not necessarily Niven's greatest work, but solid. Written a half century ago, some of the norms of the day really show their age - especially the smoking and drinking, as well as the Malthusian fear of population. But, as far as I am concerned, such artifacts of the era add interest and perspective. I'm middle aged, and I remember those days. Everybody smoked. Far too many folks thought nothing of going to a bar and getting blitzed. When I first read these books - yes, when they first came out - I never noticed. Why should I have? But today, it's a very different story. I should add that women do get something of a short shrift - some are powerful characters, but it's definitely a man's world - and, again, this was the world then. Again, it is a reason to read the book - and to understand it. Also, incredibly dystopian. The government is shockingly powerful and intrusive. Citizens are murdered and disassembled for parts essentially on a governmental whim, and as always, corruption still taints the entire process. The hero casually violates people's privacy daily, but it's all in a good cause, as he (and he genuinely is) is honest and well intentioned. What is implicit, though its not part of the matrix of these particular stories, is that others who are not so well intentioned would have free rein, well, perhaps if not for the fact that every crime from a parking ticket on up carries an immediate death penalty. I would also note an odd aspect of these stories - one discovers that the protagonist was hired as an officer, and becomes a premier investigator, essentially with no known or acknowledged training of any kind - there's not a word of it mentioned. It may just be an oversight due to the fairly short story format, but I found it jarring on my last re-reading.",
"reviewer": "Rich S."
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Good book, but mistake ridden",
"text": "I am slowly replacing my physical library, and this was one of the first books replaced. It matched my physical copy, but... I was very annoyed with the large number of spelling and formatting errors. For example, in one story, \"needler\" ( as a weapon ) got transliterated as \"needier\" every time. Bloody annoying!! I would like to know how Amazon goes about fixing such errors, and then getting them out to the people who purchased the books in the first place.",
"reviewer": "Arnold Gill"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Wonderful stories",
"text": "I have loved these stories, and nearly everything in the Known Space universe, since reading the first ones when I was a kid. In this book, Gil \"The Arm\" is an elite investigator with the ARM organization, which investigates advances in technology to avoid destabilizing civilization, keeps tabs on births over the allowance for each parent, and keeps the organ bootlegging (organlegging) trade in check. Gil has _three_ arms - two normal ones and a third which is invisible - actually a PSI talent - with which he can lift small things (e.g., a cigarette) within a normal arm's reach distance from him. He uses this in every story to some advantage. Niven is amazingly inventive in the technology he creates for his stories, the puzzles he makes the main character in every story have to solve, and in his characters, who spring - alive - from the pages as you read the stories. You won't be able to put this book down, so you'd better allocate some time to read.",
"reviewer": "A Mimms"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Huh?!",
"text": "A bit long and very confusing to keep up with when reading in pieces. Plot is good but stay tuned in or get left behind.",
"reviewer": "Efren A."
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Gil \"The Arm\" Hamilton is on the case!",
"text": "Larry Niven has long been one of my favorite authors, particularly his Known Space books. The Long Arm of Gil Hamilton (containing the short stories Death by Ecstasy, The Defenseless Dead, and ARM) was first published in 1976 and I read it about that time. Patchwork Girl came out in 1980. As I recognized that title, I likely read that, too. Flatlander itself was first published in 1995 with these four stories PLUS a new story Woman in Del Ray Crater. I likely read Flatlander that year (but I don't remember). Fortunately for me, Flatlander was issued in Kindle format in 2009. So, I just finished reading it yesterday. Since it had been so long, I was delighted to discover that I had remembered little of the plots (other than Gil has an \"imaginary arm\", due to Esper powers) so I thoroughly enjoyed all of the stories. Gil Hamilton is UN police (called the UN ARM). So, all of these are detective stories in an SF setting. I particularly enjoy police procedurals these days and that is what these stories are. You might ask why there are only five stories in the Gil Hamilton sequence. The author's afterword answers that question: it is difficult to write a good murder mystery that is also set in a science fiction world. Not only does the author have to satisfy mystery fans but he ALSO has to satisfy SF fans at the same time. So, I agree that I'm happy to have five GOOD stories, instead of twenty or thirty so-so stories. Highly recommended!",
"reviewer": "Margaret A. Davis"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Great mix of hard science and detective fiction",
"text": "I had read all of these sf-detective stories and novella years ago as they appeared. They are well written and engaging and hold the reader in a pocket of Niven’s Known Space universe by playing on themes which are becoming more and more relevant in our world of growing life expectancy and organ transplants. Gil the Arm Hamilton has a consistent voice and good ethics which carry the stories and his character and when finished makes us want more. I think the later Niven would have added even more texture to the writing and character of the cast. Can one hope he’ll take another shot at the sleuth in space?",
"reviewer": "Howard S Hoffman"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Part of a good series about people in the far future.",
"text": "Un Hun. Another series I am working through. It is about the same universe that Nivens spins really interesting stories, starting with Ringworld and taking off from there . Ringworld isn't a part of this book, but its spirit hangs around.",
"reviewer": "bob"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great short stories",
"text": "I'm a very big fan of Larry Niven and his \"Known Space\" stories. However, I'm also fond of detective mysteries. I really enjoyed these short mystery stories because it didn't feel like Mr. Niven was using science fiction as a crutch. By that I mean I did not feel he invented some fantastical device at the end of the mystery simply to throw in a quick surprise twist. The stories were interesting and slowly built to an ending. I feel too many novels want to simply shock the reader with a twist at the end that does not connect to the story leading up to it. I highly recommend for anyone who enjoys stories set in the \"Known Space\" universe, or for someone who is a fan of mystery novels and is looking for a unique sci-fi twist on the genre.",
"reviewer": "David C"
},
{
"stars": 2,
"title": "dissapointing...very dissapointing.",
"text": "I have never read Larry Nivens novels and now i know why, this compilation of short stories reflects lazy writing and even worse one dimensional characters who have as much personality as kim kardshian and her placid sisters. The central character seems to be a metaphor for comic relief within each story \"oh, look what i can do with my invisible hand. Lift your wallet without you knowing.\" Why did his hand have to be invisible? why does his personality have to be closer to cold tuna than that of a living breathing person? It would have been better if this characters disability was just kept at that a disability which the character could turn into an asset with a set of sharp wits to solve crimes as a detective. The technological ideas in the book are its only interesting feature and the only thing i liked about this book. Unimaginative words such as corpsiscle turned me off, come on your a writer Niven surely you can do better than that. In short this was not a very good novel it could have been fantastic if it had not suffered from lazy writing, but anyway i will use this book as a good table coaster or something since i paid for it. Good book cover for a terrible compilation of stories. :(",
"reviewer": "A. mickles"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Slightly dated, but still fascinating themes",
"text": "This collection of SF/detective short stories about Gil the Arm holds up pretty well to the test of time. I am more surprised by the occasional anachronistic sexist views of Niven's characters than the dated computer references that sprinkle the book. But, if you can look past the male-centered viewpoint (read, if you are a middle-aged guy like me who grew up when all that actually was socially acceptable and you can look past it) Niven's stories remain entertaining, and do a good job of handling some fascinating social questions about organ transplants that are still mostly facing us.",
"reviewer": "Brian Hawthorne"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Great sci=Fi detective stories from Larry Niven",
"text": "This is an excellent science fiction detective story anthology from the author of the Ringworld environment series. I tend to like detective stories less than straight science fiction stories as a lot of time has to be spent developing characters and then the story ends when each case is solved. This leaves you wanting more about what happens next with the characters that have been developed.",
"reviewer": "Peter B"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Niven is always a good read",
"text": "Gil the Arm is a character in the early days of the Known Space tales. The main character is a detective with the UN's ARM (Algamated Regional Militias) and is primarily worried about Organ-legging. Niven is always a solid read and breaches the line between detective fiction and Science Fiction.",
"reviewer": "JLV"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 8.99,
"listPrice": null,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B0022Q8CSC",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "The Godfather: 50th Anniversary Edition",
"authors": "Mario Puzo, Anthony Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert J. Thompson",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41qaEBVc31L.jpg",
"rating": 4.8,
"reviewCount": "26,773",
"series": "The Godfather",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1493987403000",
"description": "50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION—WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA\n\nMario Puzo’s classic saga of an American crime family that became a global phenomenon—nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.\n\nWith its brilliant and brutal portrayal of the Corleone family, The Godfather burned its way into our national consciousness. This unforgettable saga of crime and corruption, passion and loyalty continues to stand the test of time, as the definitive novel of the Mafia underworld.\n\nA #1 New York Times bestseller in 1969, Mario Puzo’s epic was turned into the incomparable film of the same name, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. It is the original classic that has been often imitated, but never matched. A tale of family and society, law and order, obedience and rebellion, it reveals the dark passions of human nature played out against a backdrop of the American dream.\n\nWith a Note from Anthony Puzo and an Afterword by Robert J. Thompson",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "God Father, a must read.",
"text": "`The Godfather' by Mario Puzo. What a journey! There was a copy of this book in my mother's library. In all those years I have never read it. Of course I did see the movies a while back, but it has been quite some time. The book and the fluid prose within was fresh to me. I think I will order the movies. I couldn't put it down. Puzo creates characters that are complicated and somewhat fleshed out. The `family' is a complicated place to exist, and one must be complicated to survive. The story is heavy on plot for- let's face it- plot makes a great Mafiosi story become an outstanding Mafiosi story. The heart and drive of the story comes from the Don's rejection of an offer to do business with Virgil Sollozzo, who has the backing of the Tattaglia family. Sollozzo's reaction to the rejection sets off a series of events that reverberates through the lives of every character. The Don's reasoning for the rejection is simple: it assaults his integrity and belief system. He sees that the offer can make a lot of money in the short-run. But the Don is far-sighted and knows such a business will destroy everything he built, and will ultimately decimate his beloved family. This creates a war between the 5 Families, and the repercussions of this war are felt not only in New York, but in the burgeoning Las Vegas, and in the sunny countryside of Corleone Sicily, Italy. I will not go into the story here. Puzo leaves a few questions unanswered in this book. I am going to move forward hoping that these will be addressed in `The Sicilian'. Puzo moves the story along in blocks, or major events. It is a different style of storytelling than I am used to, but an easy one to adjust to. The story is set up like a chess board, with each character being positioned to drive story. Yet, at the same time each character and their actions are driven by the events unfolding in their lives. It is a fine, fine line to walk as an author, and Puzo deftly does just that. Just a side note; Mario Puzo has a little fixation on male and female genitalia that kind of just sits there. I felt it added nothing to the story. I could make the argument that Puzo's fascination with Santino's (Sonny) extraordinarily large penis was a direct correlation with the size of Sonny's ego, bravado, and attitude. I didn't feel it was needed. Puzo was able to clearly show Sonny's impulsiveness, rage, and ego through Sonny's actions and reactions. I don't know. Maybe it was just me. I loved the book. It has taken me 35 years to get to it. There are a few books that maybe one should wait until they are a little older to understand and comprehend the nuances of the author. I feel this might have been one of those books. Had I read it all those years ago, I may have read the same story completely differently. There are several authors I feel this way about. I am glad I found this book at the flea market used books stand. Best $1.00 I ever spent!",
"reviewer": "Paul J. Sanguinetti"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Excellent, Great Story, Kindle Is High Quality, Audiobook is Very Professional",
"text": "“The Godfather” is a 1969 novel authored by Mario Puzo. It is the author’s third novel. It is the basis for two Academy Award winning movies. I completely enjoyed the novel. I both read the novel on Kindle and listened to the audiobook. The story is quite clearly written. I particularly enjoyed the audiobook, however there are many characters and I am glad that I read along in order to avoid becoming confused. Therefore I did not use this audiobook much whilst commuting. I sat quietly and read and listened. The story is about a family living in the New York area that is quite successful in various ways. There is a successful legal business interest. There are also illegal activities. The story revolves around the various males of the family and various intrigues about the illegal activities. I agree with another reviewer who spoke about an economy of words. The author keeps on point. This story has many parts to it and spans numerous years. It is not a short novel and would have been a vast sprawling epic if the author did not stick to the story. To my knowledge this is the third novel by the author. When I study an author I often read all of his / her novels in the order of publication, I read the first two by this author. They are both good, but this novel seemed to be much better and is by far my favorite of the three. For a casual enjoyable reading experience, I would just start with this novel. In summary, I completely enjoyed this novel. It is very similar to the Academy Award movie of the same name. I like this novel better than the first two novels by this author. Thank You for taking the time to read this review.",
"reviewer": "Frank Donnelly"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "An excellent read",
"text": "An excellent read in itself. If you've seen the movie, the backstory presented in this book is absolutely amazing, I definitely recommend this book.",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Dated and Problematic (content warnings listed below) But Still Powerful",
"text": "TL;DR: a good read, if not entirely to my taste. (SPOILERS AHEAD - READER, BEWARE!) I love stories about the Mafia. From the families depicted on Law and Order to true crime documentaries, I love it all. Being a film buff as well, I wanted to see the Coppola classic The Godfather, but I felt like I should read the source material first. What Puzo excels at is realism. The majority of his characters feel very human, with all of the virtues and faults you'd expect in a novel with such a large cast. His descriptions of sex are passionate and deliciously reverent, and the moments where he allows himself to be less prosy are splendidly vibrant. He also makes characters with different (or non-existent) moral codes compelling. For example, I was very invested in and entertained by Sonny Corleone, though he's not a person I'd like in real life, and his death was one of my least favorite pieces of the story. Some of the weaknesses in the novel, I feel, are the somewhat clumsy integration of Puzo's sociopolitical and moral philosophy into the narrative, and an occasionally meandering plot. The first of those happens most often through large monologues of either Don Corleone and his son Michael. Puzo attempts to elevate seemingly business-focused and down-to-earth conversations into meditations on the justice of the Family's ethical code, the injustice of Western models of governance, the nature of Sicilian people and the characteristics of ideal men and women. The second lies in the fact that there are many threads of story going at any one time, but they don't all have a satisfying conclusion; the central arc comes to a close, but the situation of several important characters isn't addressed in the end, so there's very little payoff for many pages of storytelling and emotional investment. The biggest issues I had, as a modern reader with very liberal beliefs, were not necessarily of Puzo's style. I understand that the book was written in 1969 and set in the 1940s and 1950s, so I didn't expect it to be the most progressive text. Nevertheless, I want to put forward the following. CONTENT WARNINGS: graphic violence, sexual assault, racism, sexism, domestic violence I expected some of these, but good lord. The violence is not graphic in the same way as the violence of authors like James Patterson, but it is still explicit and can be shocking to those unaccustomed to crime novels. Descriptions of the decapitated horse head and of the physical responses of someone being garroted are the most graphic, but glossing over those portions of text won't reduce your experience of the plot so no worries, fellow squeamish folk! (Sidenote: I found the killing of the horse exceptionally sad. Puzo goes out of his way to describe in an earlier scene how beautiful and dignified the horse is, and the destruction of such a marvelous living thing broke my heart. So if you're a softy like me, be prepared.) One other thing to beware of: the killer Luca Brasi is described throughout most of the book as unusually violent (to such an extent that other Family members are actively terrified of him), and his capacity for violence is stated as being ultimately confirmed by a story that few in the Family know and that none of those will tell Michael Corleone. The story is later revealed to be him forcing a midwife at gunpoint to murder his newborn child by placing it in a furnace. It is obviously deeply upsetting, and it's not treated with the horror that it should be. There is no actual incident of sexual assault in the book, but one of the first arcs we're introduced to is a man seeking Don Corleone's help in revenging himself on two men who attempted to rape his daughter and beat her severely when she resisted. Sexual violence is mentioned in other contexts, largely as a danger faced by economically disadvantaged women. Racism in The Godfather is mostly directed at non-Italians and black people, and an Italian character is at least once referred to by the slur d*go (evolved from deliberate mispronunciation of the common Spanish/Italian name Diego). Black people are referred to as \"savages\" and characterized as violent drug addicts or abused promiscuous women/sex workers. I expected a lot of that, but the sexism of the book was way more than I was prepared for. Female characters, even those through whose eyes we view portions of the story, are largely appendages to the male characters and are depicted exclusively in the context of their romantic/sexual relationships with men of the Corleone Family. The possessive, patronizing way that the men treat women in the text is \"justified\" through lengthy asides about how the man in question just loves the woman so much or how it's the Sicilian way or how it's for the women's own protection. This also includes the text's treatment of domestic violence. When Connie Corleone tells her parents about her husband's violent physical abuse, they tell her that she has to work it out herself because the relationship between a husband and wife is no one else's business. Her abuse is normalized and only included in the text because of the effect it produces in her brother and has on her husband. No one checks in with the female characters when they experience trauma, and they are explicitly acknowledged as not being equal partners to their husbands or other male family members (which the story justifies by ascribing it to the inability of the men to divulge the details of Cosa Nostra to their spouses and the desire to keep women and children in the \"protected\" position of noncombatants). Sex workers and other female characters who retain control over their sexual agency are largely dismissed and judged as being of little value, all while the male characters indulge themselves in the custom of those sex workers or have mountains of one-off sexual relationships themselves. The most egregious example of sexism in the story for me, though, was when Michael Corleone marries a young woman (Apollonia) while hiding in Sicily. First, she is explicitly acknowledged in the text as being a teenager but possessing the body and attractiveness of an adult (which is just disgusting), so Michael has no business getting into a relationship with her. Second, he decides that he wants to marry this girl after he is \"struck by the thunderbolt\", which is basically lusting so hard after someone that you turn into a possessive weirdo. From the moment he talks with her father, it is heavily implied that this marriage is going to happen because of Michael's powerful family connections and personal wealth; there's no room made for the possibility that Apollonia may not want to marry this older stranger. She does seem to really fall for him, but that is just convenient, not necessary for the sealing of this contract. (Sidenote: I understand the historical context of marriage, but this storyline was creepy in a narrative that also talks about the beautiful connection between Michael and his other romantic interest. That coupling was not countenanced by his family at first, but the story lauds Michael's decision to choose loyalty to his heart rather than his family's traditions. So clearly not every marriage is a simple financial arrangement. Apollonia being a teenager only makes this whole thing worse.) Third, she says exactly 1 word of dialogue, which is a demure expression of thanks for a gift from Michael. Fourth, about 85% of the descriptions of her in the text concern her physicality and the things Michael finds sexy about her, instead of giving her any kind of personality. Finally, it's obvious that her role in the story is to be sexually enticing, to embody the \"perfect\" Sicilian young woman, and to give Michael's character arc another shove with her violent death. I really felt for her, and her descriptions made her sound like a really pleasant person who absolutely deserved a better life than the one she got. Despite all of that problematic content, I enjoyed the story overall, and I felt that it was a very different perspective on the intent and behavior of criminals than I'd experienced before. The careful, calculated relationships between most of the characters were fascinating to explore, and the brilliance of Don Corleone is riveting. I enjoyed the plot twists, too, mostly because I couldn't see them coming. Some of the Don's lines are deliciously memorable, and his characterization is endlessly engrossing, mostly due to the rigid moral code he possesses and the way he asserts his power in all of his relationships. I am more eager than ever to see the films!",
"reviewer": "L. McClanahan"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "The Godfather: Great Book, Great Movies",
"text": "I feel a kinship with the movie The Godfather. Two of my extended family were in the first two movies. I also grew up on Staten Island where so much of it was filmed. Now I have finally gotten around to reading the book. A flood of memories of both the movie and my personal life came back to me as I read this magnificent book. So glad I finally read this classic novel.",
"reviewer": "Paul"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Classic literature",
"text": "Great story, aspects of it. Best book I have ever read, much better than the movies.",
"reviewer": "Gary Giannini"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "At Last",
"text": "It has been many years since I first read this book. It was even better than I remembered. A book to enjoy, A book to learn from, A book to recommend. A story, not all sex, murder, rebellion. I am 80 yrs old and this author made me a reader. I have well over 750 books in my home. There is no room for more. I switched to Kindle e readers yrs ago to continue.",
"reviewer": "Kindle Customer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Plot",
"text": "Have not received book until tomorrow, but saw the movie numerous times ,so I ordered the book. Reading it , I will now have a good mental picture when I read it specifically of plot, etc. Thank you for offering great books.",
"reviewer": "Michael R."
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "perfect movie even better book",
"text": "My favorite movie! I just now after so many years finally decided to read the book. It’s even better than the movie!!!",
"reviewer": "Lori"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Classic",
"text": "Amazing, better than the movie. A plus character development and storytelling by the author, looking forward to his other books.",
"reviewer": "Jay Lisby"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "God Father",
"text": "Wow here I am 79 and reading this for the first time. This was a roller coaster ride. I really enjoyed it.",
"reviewer": "Janice A lane"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great book!",
"text": "I could hardly put this book down!",
"reviewer": "Mike Celi"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "More of a Lurid Potboiler Than the Excellent Movie, But Still Good.",
"text": "Probably like most people in the present time, I saw The Godfather movie before I read the book. Now, all these years later since first seeing the film perhaps 35 years ago, I've finally read the book. The problem with such a situation is that it is then impossible to approach the original written work with fresh eyes. This book does have its thematic and structural issues, but maybe I'd feel differently had I read it before seeing the iconic film, instead of afterwards. But as for my criticisms, here goes: The author, Mario Puzo, has several inconsistencies in the timelines of his characters. The ages of many of them do not add up when comparing previous events mentioned in the book with current actions of the characters. These errors are relatively minor to the strength and flow of the plot, but they do stand out. Also, though this novel is considered high literature by many, in several parts of the book it reads as nothing more than a titillating potboiler or lurid dime-store paperback. There is a lot of very graphic, rather rough sex, not given to sensitivity or tenderness. And quite a bit of profanity. I hope that Michael Corleone does not show up at my door after reading this, saying, in the same vein as he did when talking to Carlo about Santino, \"Todd, you must answer for your review!\" On the positive side, fans of the movie are going to love this book for the added background it gives to familiar characters, even very minor \"side\" characters: You will actually get to read about what exactly happens to the boys who assaulted the girl whom the mortician appeals to The Godfather about at the beginning of the movie. You'll learn about what happens to the young man who blew up Michael's car in Sicily (fans of the film know something much more serious happened that day, but I don't want to spoil it for those who've not seen the film). You'll learn more about Mama Corleone, and Kay Adams. To your horror, you'll learn just how brutal Luca Brasi truly was. And so much more. Reading this very gripping, four-star book (nobody tell the Corleone Family!) will enrich your experience with the five-star movie that much more.",
"reviewer": "Todd Bulgarelli"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Very good",
"text": "The whole story kept me engaged in the reading. I really like books with good character development and plots. This book nails that and I would highly recommend reading it.",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 9.99,
"listPrice": 20,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B002H8OS06",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "The Draco Tavern",
"authors": "Larry Niven",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41n83fwn4RL.jpg",
"rating": 4.4,
"reviewCount": "608",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1719502632000",
"description": "The #1 New York Times–bestselling author presents twenty-six tales and vignettes from this interplanetary gathering place: \"A must for Nivenites\" (Booklist).\nWhen a tremendous spacecraft took orbit around the Earth's moon and began sending smaller landers down toward the North Pole, the newly arrived visitors quickly set up a permanent spaceport at Mount Forel in Siberia. Their presence attracted many, and a few people grew conspicuously rich from secrets they learned from talking to the aliens. One of these men, Rick Schumann, opened the Draco Tavern, a public house catering to all species of visiting aliens.\nIn \"The Subject Is Closed\", a priest visits the tavern and goes one-on-one with a chirpsithra alien on the subject of God and life after death. Rick Schumann is invited to hunt with five folk aliens in \"Table Manners\", but he begins to wonder if he will be the hunted. And in the never-before-published tale \"Losing Mars\", a group of Martians arrive at the Tavern only to find that humans have mostly forgotten about their neighboring planet.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A tavern and aliens",
"text": "A tavern, aliens, Larry Niven, what's not to like? Fun fast short stories that are great science fiction. Worth the price.",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Niven Writing to His Strengths",
"text": "I've been critical of Niven in my reviews of his most recent works. While some of his earlier works are among the very best science fiction, his more recent novels have been disappointing. With the publication of his Draco Tavern short stories, there's a return to his earlier form. Partly because he is writing to his strengths. These stories span the period 1977-2006. Some of the older stories seem to have been revised a bit for this collection. But the stories illustrate what Niven has always done best: examine strange ideas. Not his limited skills at characterization, or his plotting. He's best at dreaming up ideas and exploring their implications. And his aliens have always been aliens. Rick Schumann owns the Draco Tavern, and these are his stories. The owner-bartender is the narrative voice, and the adventures mostly, but not exclusively, happen to him. The stories are fairly short - some are very short - and involve the interaction of aliens with humans and with each other. Niven's subjects range from the existence of God to the perils of advanced computing. The last half of the collection focuses on various aspects of terrorism. I have the impression that some of them may have been revised to alter their focus. The refocus is mostly successful. But I wonder why Niven chose to be topical. Reviewers should keep in mind this is a collection of loosely linked short stories. They were written over a period of nearly thirty years. So they offer only limited continuity, and there are some inconsistencies. But they do not seriously detract. The stories are fun, thought-provoking and offer glimpses of Larry Niven's best writing. Recommended.",
"reviewer": "James D. DeWitt"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Quirky little stories that make you think",
"text": "I enjoyed reading The Draco Tavern because the stories were short so I could easily read one here and another there (before going to sleep, during dead time at work, etc.) and I wouldn't have to leave a story hanging before I could finish it. In addition, the stories were well written (although sometimes you have to slow down to keep track of characters and meaning because Niven's writing isn't always the clearest) and enjoyable. The stories also made you think about some philosophical and metaphysical issues which was a lot of fun. It made the reading more engaging and thus more worthwhile.",
"reviewer": "Stephen C. Green"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great vingettes.",
"text": "The Draco Tavern stories have always been a favorite of mine among Nivin's short works. I love the way he can create a story and characters that are thought provoking, entertaining, and real in so few pages. Most of my contact with the Tavern Tales have been in other collections, but this collects all of them, including one never before published, in one place. I found that I had previously missed half of the stories, but finding them here put me over the moon. I loved this collection. It's not the heaviest of Niven's works, but there's plenty to think about in these stories. For the serious Niven fan, or just for a quick read while waiting in the car, this is a must have.",
"reviewer": "S. Potter"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Great collection of shorts with some cool sci-fi ideas",
"text": "I love sci-fi short stories, and these did not disappoint. There are some great stories in this collection, all taking place in a quaint bar serving all kinds of aliens. They're not perfect but enough of them captured my interest and imagination that I finished this in just a few days. I also must mention that while Larry Niven's human characters can sometimes be a little...lacking, but his alien characters are often quite interesting, and that's shown in this easy to read collection. Most of the stories are pretty light-hearted too, with some nice exceptions. In particular, I enjoyed: \"Assimilating Our Culture, That's What They're Doing!\", \"The Green Marauder\", \"Cruel and Unusual\" and \"Losing Mars.\"",
"reviewer": "caliopilops"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Light Comfortable Interruptible Escape",
"text": "This collection of 27 short stories by Larry Niven is perfect to tuck in the bottom of your computer bag and read while you are waiting for something else to happen. Because the stories are short, straightforward and set in a comfortable and familiar--for Niven fans--setting, you can pop in and out of the book without effort or irritation. For this kind of readability it is nostalgically similar to Isaac Asimov's collections, such as 50 Short Science Fiction Tales and 100 Great Science Fiction Short Short Stories. Enough about the format--the content is good, too. A series of interesting bar discussions happen in the Draco Tavern. Because the bar is next to Earth's one alien spaceport, it is constantly full of off-planet visitors, consuming exotic drinks and puzzling over the oddities of human culture. Bartender Rick Schumann offers helpful explanations, mediates disputes and cashes in on the occasional million-dollar idea. Readers profit as well, from Larry Niven's fascinating walk-on cast of alien species and his inexhaustible supply of \"big ideas.\" This book was a 2008 Christmas present from my 13 year-old daughter, Katie, who spent a week's allowance on it for me. It made my Christmas day, as I was able to pop in and out of it while opening presents, cooking Christmas dinner and juggling friendly interruptions from family and friends. Thanks, Katie--a great choice!",
"reviewer": "John M. Ford"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Nice group of stories",
"text": "Enjoyed the stories about The Draco Tavern. I always like reading short stories about aliens interacting in a bar setting, the different life forms and their different atmospheric conditions they need to stay alive. Hope there will be more stories from The Draco Tavern.",
"reviewer": "Scott Oliver"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "This IS Larry Niven at his best.",
"text": "Aliens. Alien cultures. Alien philology. Alien biology. Alien spaceships. Alien children. Aliens getting drunk. Yes, Mr. Niven knows that aliens are just like you and me. But with more legs, two hearts, four eyes and they sometimes move slower. Still, when I open a sci-fi book I want strange aliens, weird technology and good plots. Plots about God and sex and the universe and everything. And I don't want to wait millions of years for an answer! So the universe gave us Larry Niven. And Nivenites were born. These stories are about a tavern. A tavern in Siberia where aliens come to drink, chat and, sometimes, cause trouble. 26 stories. Well, 25 plus a play, which explore what it means to be alien. And, in the end, what it means to be human. Lovely stories. Funny stories. Sad stories. Mr. Niven pulls no punches. Buy it. Read it. Enjoy it. Pass it on to friends.",
"reviewer": "Michael Valdivielso"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "entertaining",
"text": "Old school golden age sci-fi . High on the social interactions with aliens. No hard science stuff. Easy and comfortable reading",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Good light read",
"text": "On my phone these entertaining stories help fill the time while I am waiting at various places out and about",
"reviewer": "Jim the wide"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Compilation of Niven tales",
"text": "This collection of tales included some that were new to me, and provided me with a single place to go for that Draco Tavern goodness. In this fictional universe, Earth was visited by aliens years ago. As a minor planet, we only get a few visits a year, but the passengers have to have somewhere to go. They dock at Pluto, and the place to go there is The Draco Tavern. Owned and run by a man who got rich with a casual remark by an alien, the Tavern is a place where people (those who can pass the screening and get to Pluto) can meet aliens. These stories are hard science fiction, concentrating on science that is more or less as known today. Nevertheless, there is a reality to the characters, and most of the plots are driven by the differences between cultures. This gives the stories an appeal to those that don't like 'straight' science fiction. I like Larry Niven because he brings a humanity and richness to his stories without leaving behind the good old science fiction.",
"reviewer": "Trelligan"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A superior collection of short science fiction stories on various topics",
"text": "This is a collection of short stories discussing various sf topics including life after death, biology and culture, and nonhuman psychologies. While not perfect, most stories are very well done with thought provoking ideas, solid characters, and lively plots. Recommended -- especially for newcomers.",
"reviewer": "Thomas Randolph"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Short stories from the Draco Tavern",
"text": "When I first read this book years ago, I put it down at the end and wished that Larry Niven could deliver the next one next year. A bit of Wikipedia showed that this may not be likely. To write the stories for this one took him 3 decades. Since then, I read the book more than once a year. You pick it up for just one short story and then you read the next and next and next... Connected through the location of a human-alien meeting place in the icy siberian tundra, the stories are smart and witty. They explore human nature, unforseen difficulties, unforseen strangers and that always always you should be careful what you wish for.",
"reviewer": "Dornbusch Manuel"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Finally a Kindle version!",
"text": "I owned a paperback copy of this years ago and just got the Kindle version (so I don't have to dig through my stacks of books to re-read it.) Very happy! The book itself is great. Lots of interesting topics covered in these short stories.",
"reviewer": "Growlor"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 2.99,
"listPrice": 19.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B002IPG40A",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "The Flying Sorcerers",
"authors": "David Gerrold, Larry Niven",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51a4vmtaw0L.jpg",
"rating": 4.4,
"reviewCount": "182",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1352572544000",
"description": "This funny and insightful science fiction classic introduces Shoogar, the greatest wizard ever known in his village. His spells can strike terror in the hearts of even his most powerful enemies. But the enemy he faces now is like none he has ever seen before. The stranger has come from nowhere and is ignorant of even the most basic principles of magic. But the stranger has an incredibly powerful magic of his own. There is no room in Shoogar's world for an intruder whose powers match his own, let alone one whose powers might exceed his. So before the blue sun can cross the face of the red sun once more, Shoogar will show this stranger just who is boss.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Good story with some tongue in cheek humor",
"text": "I liked the pun for the name of a certain sci-fi legend, using variations on certain real-life flying bicyclists. I also found the plot interesting in how he taught them new concepts to help him in his rescue. I'd recommend this for anyone who likes a good read, not too serious yet a good plot. I gave it a 5 because it's a really good story, with added humor and puns (I listed those two separately since not everyone considered puns to be humorous).",
"reviewer": "Mark"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "A David Gerrold AND Larry Niven work that I haven't read yet? Needed to fix That oversight.",
"text": "I'm a sucker for any variation on A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. And this is an especially fun vacation on that theme. Recommend.",
"reviewer": "George"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Very funny and clever",
"text": "This book holds very fond memories for me. When I was in my teens I got turned on to a number of books in the science fiction and fantasy genre, including this one. Gerrold's story of Lant, Shoogar, and As-A-Shade-of-Purple-Gray is clever, tongue-in-cheek, and frankly, hilarious. He takes clear aim at a number of our own social practices, including the status of women in some cultures, belief systems, and societies, and causes us to ponder their overall worth while making us laugh at them, and by extension, at ourselves.",
"reviewer": "Glen A. Garcia"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Heavy on the sexism, and not REALLY all that funny.",
"text": "More like a 2 1/2 stars, but giving the benefit of the doubt and doing 3. The writing was fine. The story moved along. I just didn't find it all that amusing (the description calls it funny, as did some folks who reviewed it). And I am aware this book was published in 1971, but for a female reading it in 2015, the sexism is WAY over the top and offensive. I honestly don't think a modern-day publisher would put this on the market. As far as the story went, it was well written from the POV of an \"alien\" and so you had to think from his perspective all of the time--which was interesting, but really the over-arching story that was being told was just NOT that interesting. A lot of it was personalities clashing and mis-understandings between differing cultures. With of course some \"wow your technology is so advanced that you must be magic!\" tossed in. Not my cup of tea, but since the writing was done well, and the story had some brains to it, I am not giving it a lower rating. YMMV, but if you find overbearing sexism a problem, or someone just walking all over an alien culture because 'they are more advanced and they can' to be an issue, then this one is a good choice for the \"skip it\" pile.",
"reviewer": "judy"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A Good Humorous Sci Fi Read",
"text": "This story was never meant to be taken seriously. It's intended to be humorous, and the puns are very fitting because the biggest pun in the story is the name of Purple, the sorcerer, and the person whose name was made into a pun was himself a big fan of puns and word play. I've read this book many times, and enjoy it each time I reread it.",
"reviewer": "Madison Baird"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Excellent snark",
"text": "From the man who invented the Tribble and the mind that generated the K'zin comes a wonderfully snarky book full of puns and humor, while staying firmly in the science fiction format. I bought this on Kindle as my paperback copy has been falling apart and losing pages for years. Extra points for figuring out the name of the protagonist after the translator mangles his name completely.",
"reviewer": "steward"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Fun Read",
"text": "Some great tongue in cheek jokes in here. Not quite as deep a story as I would expect from Gerrold but I enjoyed reading it on a 4 hour plane flight.",
"reviewer": "Dr. W. Hineser"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Forgotten classic",
"text": "If you're a fan of Niven this is quite a departure from his normal fare. If you're a fan of the original Star Trek series however you might be interested in knowing that David Gerrold came up with the idea and wrote the script for The Trouble With Tribbles episode (and others as well). Together they have produced a really funny story about what happens when science and superstition collide.",
"reviewer": "Hartvig Lein"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Well-written and creative but not interesting or enjoyable",
"text": "A scientist's bullheadedness blinds him to conflict with the tribe of extraterrestrials he is studying until his spacecraft is destroyed, and then he essentially destroys their culture in order to have them build him a balloon so he can get to part of the world where his communicator can call down the mother ship to rescue him. I bought this because someone in a book discussion group recommended it as funny. They clearly have a very different idea of humor than I do. Gerrold and Niven did an outstanding job presenting the aliens' view of the scientist's abilities and actions, but that doesn't mean it was an interesting or enjoyable story. I quit about 3/4 of the way through. Spelling, grammar, and Kindle formatting were fine. The title was quite appropriate.",
"reviewer": "MamaSylvia"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "What a funny book!",
"text": "I often read books that are supposed to be comedies yet I don't laugh that often. With Flying Sorcerers though, I laugh throughout, particularly the scene after the de-consecration of the tree houses ... there are so many awesome hilarious moments. The last bit about the god who hasn't spoken yet is a scream! I've read this book a number of times and I still manage to re-read it about twice a year.",
"reviewer": "Jan Howley"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Love it..!",
"text": "I bought this book about 1975 at a used book store. I read it every 4 or 5 years, it's a truly fun read. Not too deep, with some laughs. It's a story told through the eyes of one of the inhabitants of a mostly water planet with two suns. And his dealings with the \"alien\" in the purple suit. I highly recommend it.",
"reviewer": "Danny Hurles"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Well done first contact story.",
"text": "A marvelous pun threads it’s way through the story. Primitive magic vs science and a terrific twist make the story very enjoyable. It will bring you to loud laughter.",
"reviewer": "W. Stephen Briggs"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Typical Larry Niven, and I mean that as a compliment.",
"text": "I thought from the title that this would be a fantasy novel. It was sci-fi, but I still loved it. The crux of the novel was a primitive society viewing a scientist as a sorcerer, and their witch doctor becoming jealous. If you like other works by Larry Niven, this one does not disappoint.",
"reviewer": "Jerry Segers Jr."
},
{
"stars": 1,
"title": "terrible Kindle edition",
"text": "i liked the book -- i'm a Niven fan so i'm not sure how i missed this title. i've always enjoyed Niven's light-hearted stories. however, the Kindle edition was horrible, with pervasive \"typesetting\" errors. i couldn't get more than a few pages without running into a random word in superscript/subscript, or a whole line in a different font size, or dropped characters or punctuation, and, at least once, an entire paragraph in right-justification. granted these are minor errors, but each mistake hit me like a brick wall, bringing my reading to a dead stop. whoever translated this to the Kindle simply did a terrible job. =(",
"reviewer": "Rev Otter"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 9.99,
"listPrice": null,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B002VUFKDY",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Freedom (TM) (Daemon Book 2)",
"authors": "Daniel Suarez",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51F-vdxqhNL.jpg",
"rating": 4.5,
"reviewCount": "5,018",
"series": "Daemon",
"seriesPosition": "2",
"acquisitionDate": "1698579517000",
"description": "The New York Times bestseller Daemon unleashed a terrifying technological vision of an all-powerful, malicious computer program. Now, our world is the Daemon's world—unless someone stops it once and for all...\n\nThe Daemon is in absolute control, using an expanded network of shadowy operatives to tear apart civilization and build it anew. Even as civil war breaks out in the American Midwest in a wave of nightmarish violence, former detective Pete Sebeck—the Daemon's most powerful, though reluctant, operative—must lead a small band of enlightened humans in a movement designed to protect the new world order. \n\nBut the private armies of global business are preparing to crush the Daemon once and for all. In a world of shattered loyalties, collapsing societies, and seemingly endless betrayal, the only thing worth fighting for may be nothing less than the freedom of all humankind.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Classic, entertaining, insightful",
"text": "I just re read this series after having read it years ago. It is better than I remember it, with a mix of modern and near future high tech, a compelling story and characters, and more questions than answers about modern society . I highly recommend this two book series",
"reviewer": "James Marsh"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Plausible and action packed",
"text": "This is the sequel to Suarez's first book, Daemon. Freedom is an impressive addition in that it turns the entire narrative on its ear and has you rooting for the bad \"guy\". I work in information security, and I was incredibly impressed with how accurate the tech is in both books. Whereas with most \"hacker\" movies/books, Suarez takes the time to make the technology - which is central to the story - plausible and free of stupid embellishments like those seen in movies like 'Hackers' or 'Black Hat'. The philosophy contained in the book is very poignant and timely to current events. It's rare that a book packs in this much movie-style action with a complex and rich commentary on society; going so far as to imagine a plausible outcome to current problems using the technology that is within reach in the real world. I would say that Freedom is not *quite* as good as Daemon, but only because Daemon had the advantage of laying out such an interesting idea in the plot; whereas the plot was already in progress in Freedom. The book is still satisfying from beginning to end, and I highly recommend it to anyone.",
"reviewer": "RWM"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Well-written sequel to a fresh new novel",
"text": "In \"Freedom\", Suarez brings the impact the Daemon has had on the world, and the underworld of corrupt governments and businesses, to a boiling point in a successful denouement to the brilliant setting created by the end of the first novel. The action is intense and realistic, and the manner in which the world and goverments react to the Daemon's control is extremely well considered, which has a chilling effect on the reader. Key characters are followed as their journeys come to a satisfying close, while new characters bring a fresh perspective on whether or not what Sobol is trying to accomplish is actually evil, or merely revolutionary. If you enjoyed Daemon, you will equally enjoy Freedom. I was very satisfied with the conclusion to the story. Excellent read...and extremely appropriate in a world where cyber security is not yet a forefront of concern. I truly felt the manner in which the uber-rich and elite behaved in the situation/environment presented in this book was as accurate as I would expect in the \"real world\". If you haven't read Daemon...you should!",
"reviewer": "R. Riley"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Outstanding eye-opening wake up call - first class read",
"text": "Freedom is an absolutely outstanding book. Having read Daemon I was concerned that perhaps Freedom might be a let down. No way. Freedom maintains the fast, expanding pace and alerts the reader to potential ramifications of very real current trends. The themes of Freedom encompass not only cutting edge technology and its ramifications but society's relationship with the leverage large business entities enjoy over elected governments, the resultant dependencies and the all too real ramifications of such dependencies. It is interesting to research some of the specific technologies mentioned in Freedom, wondering if each is simply based on the author's imagination, or in fact existing currently. Guess which. Eye-opening indeed. One helluva lot of research went into this book. I personally did not find anything beyond the realm of reasonable possibility, either technologically or socially. One could consider this work of Suarez, encompassing both Daemon and Freedom, as a wake up call. For those interested in further understand Suarez's perspective, it is educational to watch a couple of videos of Suarez, one speaking to a set of google teams [...]. and the other to a futuristic vision organization, The Long Now Foundation [...]. Hope the above might assist those considering this book in making their decision.",
"reviewer": "Coolfire"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Fiction?",
"text": "The debut \"Daemon\" was a riveting story that challenged us to consider the cyber-world we now enjoy. While some of the elements of Sobol's game world were a little outside the realm of reality, it is not hard to imagine. Indeed, today we take for granted things like the internet and cell phones when in the 1950's they were the stuff of Flash Gordon. The point being that what today seems far-fetched sometimes becomes everyday. And so it continued with the sequel, \"Freedom\". We are reintroduced to the main characters and the story continues. But in a slowly developing twist, we learn that the evil we see in Sobol's \"darknet\" turning out to be nothing more or less than a redefinition of a culture and society. The story challenges the reader to consider the world as it had become in the story - not really much different than the world really has become - and what might happen through the effects of a computer-based alternate reality where participants decide what flies and what dies. At times the story is graphically violent in ways that border on gratuitous. Yet I found an uneasy sense that justice was being dispensed, though at times it was difficult to know which \"side\" to cheer on. That was the point though, to skew the reality just enough to raise questions about what's really wrong and right. In the end it's hard to give too much away in a review without spoiling the story, but suffice to say that this is a powerful work of fiction that doesn't stray too far from reality and perhaps give us all a wake-up call about where we're going with our value systems, the forces that might really be driving them, and an alternate view about how we might end up. As a technologist involved in several aspects of the computer world that is presented I can say that nothing presented here is hard for me to image in reality. Indeed nearly all the technology described is already reality. Less computer savy people might take comfort in thinking that most of the high-tech stuff going on is make-believe. Those in the business however will find chilling reminders of real life and how our wonderful technology-based lifestyle could be turned against us!",
"reviewer": "Paul M. Provencher"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "DON'T READ ABOUT FREEDOM UNTIL YOU READ DAEMON!",
"text": "If you are reading this now AND HAVE NOT YET READ DAEMON - STOP! Do not read another word of description or review on Freedom, and, before it's too late, order both Daemon and Freedom! When the package arrives, immediately take Freedom and - without looking even at the cover - hide it where you can easily find it again the minute you finish Daemon. Daemon is the first in the two-part book series and should be enjoyed without knowing much about it ahead of time except that its story is a cross between sci-fi, horror, corporate espionage and suspenseful thriller. If you don't like blood and gore, you won't like Daemon (or Freedom). But you also don't have to be a FAN of blood and gore, either, to enjoy these wonderful novels. If you have already read Daemon and are reading reviews to determine whether you should now read Freedom, then apparently you didn't enjoy Daemon as much as I, because literally the moment I put Daemon down I went searching for the sequel. I did not enjoy Freedom as much as Daemon, but rarely can one enjoy a sequel better, right, because the newness has worn off (and a unique storyline is perhaps what made Daemon such fun.) I did, however, think that Freedom did justice to the overall story, had a number of nice twists, and was an enjoyable read. PS. If you are looking for Jonathan Franzen's novel, Freedom, you know by now that you are way, way, way off, yes? But still, do yourself a favor, go read Daemon.",
"reviewer": "D. Wade"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A fantastic read",
"text": "This book feels profoundly prophetic. Highly entertaining and thoughtful, you could easily be looking at the current/near future. This book is very worth the time.",
"reviewer": "Drizton"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "We Get It, Enough Already...",
"text": "Like most reviewers here I read the original, Daemon, which I initially laughed off, put down, then picked back up multiple times because I kept hearing good things about it. While I still feel I was tricked into it by cheap hooks in the beginning, I wound up reading the whole thing. I enjoyed it, mostly because I liked the subject matter's uniqueness (though familiar to any Sci-Fi reader) and it teetered on the plausible, which is what kept me at it. It was enjoyable, and the techno thriller piece worked even though it began to unravel towards the end. The characters were paper-thin, all over the place, and some just disappeared altogether. Yet I can't say I disliked it. It was better than I thought and at times couldn't put it down. Which to me, is what makes a good book. I suggest giving it a try if you're looking for an entertaining read. I like Science Fiction, and I'll give a story the benefit of the doubt as long as it doesn't cross the line too many times. For me, it either has to stay in the realm of science fiction, or play out like a reality in a modern world. Either way, that world is established from the beginning, and remains believable. So after I finished the last book, I decided to read the sequel. This time I almost gave up after the first chapter. I just found it so absurd and over the top with assassin robot motorcycles attacking a Wall Street titan I almost couldn't do it. I think the author needs to learn to use a little subtlety. We get it, and hammering it over our heads from here on out doesn't help the story, or the theme, we get it. He continues to do it throughout the book, even with subject matters he doesn't quite get right and seems to not quite know what he's talking about, which isn't the case at all when he's writing about technology. This was confirmed at the end of the book with his bibliography. Now I'm all for a hero going after a totalitarian government a la V for Vendetta, 1984, etc...but if that's the theme stick to it. From the beginning of this book, all the characters shift roles right off the bat. The author not only introduces characters you never see again, but old characters completely switch archetypes, which winds up being somewhat confusing. It takes away from the characters, which was a weak point in the previous book as well. The strong point in these books is the action. So I decided to throw out all forms of plausibility and just sit back and enjoy the action, which I did, as pure entertainment. I really enjoyed the MMORPG aspects, the economics of swarm behavior, and the technologies that were introduced (outside of the ninja bikes, come on). Overall the story is highly entertaining, only to be interrupted multiple times by long-winded speeches about evil corporations and eco-pods. Really? Still banging away at that theme? I don't need to know how the author feels about subjects he doesn't seem to get quite right, or at least isn't that convincing of. If he wants to tell us something, a more effective way would have been to show it to us. Just describe the world to me, I get it. These interruptions seemed completely out of place at times coming from characters who would just spout the stuff off. It was an incredibly plastic way to bang away at a theme that actually interrupted the novel's own well-developed theme. Now I'm all for a Utopian society in Sci-Fi, hell that's the fun of reading Sci-Fi: the economics and the engineering...what threw me about this book in particular, was that I don't think it knew what to be. It was completely out of focus. Was it strictly Sci-Fi? Was it supposed to be a techno thriller a la Crichton? You can't play both sides unless you're really good at it. The comparisons to Crichton here are completely unwarranted. Now for what it is, the novel is pretty good. The action is great, and it ends with a bang. Yet, the author tends to hit the reader over the head with obvious themes, and then literally point them out in case we missed it. We get it, there's no need to underestimate us. For instance, Detective Sebeck (now literally the Unnamed One) is sent on a quest. Okay, sounds great, protagonists usually are. The author then stops to tell us, that yes, he is being sent on a typical archetypal quest, literally the Hero's Journey. WE GET IT! Just tell us the story, show us the theme, and let us enjoy the book. This time the author seems to have undermined his own success and tried to teach us something, poorly.",
"reviewer": "Kindle Customer"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Okay, but Not up to Daemon Quality",
"text": "Daemon = good Corporations = bad I didn’t really understand why corporations would want to send the world back into the dark ages, at least if they want to keep their customers, but that seemed to be the main emphasis. Still, I did really enjoy the ending.",
"reviewer": "Brad H"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Brave New World ... Reimagined",
"text": "** This is a sequel to \"Daemon\" ** It's a pretty good, very imaginative vision of a near-future world where people begin rising up bit by bit against the old regime of corporate domination. The central premise of this book is rather heavy on the \"conspiracy theory\" mind-set, the almost cliche idea now that major multi-national corporations are actually the puppet masters of everything, even large aspects of the government, and that, if threatened, they would do anything to retain that power. Note that if you've read Suarez's first book, this is a significant departure in theme ... in fact, other than a carry-over of characters, places, and ideas, \"Freedom\" is nothing like the initial premise of \"Daemon\". This is not necessarily a bad thing; where \"Daemon\" made the deceased Sobol and his pet computer project out as the ultimate protagonists, \"Freedom\" does something of a 180 flip and now portrays the Daemon as a sort of protector of the people and a game changer. I can't say much more about the plot without ruining it, but suffice to say, one needs to read both \"Daemon\" and \"Freedom\" to get the full nature of the tale that Suarez is spinning. Ignoring the nearly paranoid conspiracy aspect of \"Freedom\", and willfully suspending some sense of disbelief resulting from this, Saurez spins a masterful tale of suspense overlaid on a message about modern economics, society's detachment from the political process, and the real sense of helplessness when it comes to controlling your personal data and what companies know about you. The story is a masterful combination of quick-paced action and intelligence, the likes of which any Michael Crichton or Marcus Sakey fan will appreciate. As with the first book, the reason I can't QUITE bring myself to rate this 5 stars is that the author goes beyond near-future sci-fi a little too much and into the raised-eybrow territory of educated supposition and wild extrapolation. Between the heavy \"corporations control everything\" aspect, the use of technology that is either bleeding edge prototype (or drawing board stage) in large quantities, and the unexplainable way that much of what happens regarding Darknet operatives is even possible is a bit hard to swallow. Further, towards the end of the novel, society has gotten to the point where fuel is said to be $18 a gallon ... EIGHTEEN DOLLARS A GALLON ... and yet the government has apparently done little about it, entire cities are becoming slums, there's only a 33% unemployment rate, and someone there's still a functioning economy ... that was a bit much for me to accept, given how heavily the government subsidizes alternative energy technology every time fuel prices go up.",
"reviewer": "AustinTiffany"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Who should have the power?",
"text": "This is probably the tenth recent read resulting from Amazon recommendations. The themes of a superior force or intelligence taking over is an old one in science fiction. And while computers and AI have often played a (key) role, Daniel Suarez, starting with Daemon and its continuation, Freedom, takes it to another level. Daemon is not quite the evolving AI that some other writers have played with, but the results are the same. We learn early in the prior book that Daemon is based on a sophisticated game platform, responding to and learning from its players. Those players are playing in an overlaid world upon our own, bringing another reality forward. There are those that will fight this game, because they view it as destructive. There are those that want to control the game to gain power over others. And, there are those seeking both revolution and evolution towards a better, more sustainable life. Without giving anything away, the best part of this current theme in science fiction is that all the current writers love to deal with the new economic paradigms presented by automated control of production, steady state \"growth\", and the initial consequences of the revolution. Freedom completes a great story with believable characters and fast paced story plots converging into a climactic ending. Although there are some surprises, if you have read other stories like this, lots seems familiar and predictable. That is not a bad thing, only a caution that if you are reading these types of stories like me, you may want to throw some other sci-fi in the mix to break it up a bit. I liked Daemon and Freedom, and found them hard to put down, especially as the pace picks up. The action makes you turn the pages, and the interesting economics may fascinate you. If I may also recommend the following: Avogadro Corp: The Singularity Is Closer Than It Appears (Singularity Series) --closely related and similar story Nexus --a bit different in that the \"intelligence\" is really a collective human network--I LOVED Nexus and its followup Crux. Highly recommended and must read! The Circle --again, slightly different and a little more contrived, but entertaining. The social network leading the revolution. This one really spooked me due to its very near future potential.",
"reviewer": "Dan Leithauser"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Great Sequel to a Great Book",
"text": "Daniel Suarez has been called the modern-day equivalent to Michael Crichton, and the more I read of Suarez’s material, not only do I agree, but feel that he might be better than Crichton. What I find interesting is that Suarez, as far as I know, still hasn’t quit his day job as a independent systems consultant for Fortune 500 companies. I don’t want to give away too much information, but to me the basic plotline is similar to the much older, but classic Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov. A genius dies and leaves a legacy that influences a few, then more, and finally all of society. But old society doesn’t go easily…. As I said in my earlier review, the first book, Daemon, was phenomenal. This sequel, while not quite as good, isn’t too far behind. What I like about his writing is a combination of multiple characters with plots and subplots woven into a overarching theme that uses plausible, yet sci-fi-like technology. Never in the story did I feel like what he was describing was made up or that Suarez didn’t know what he was talking about. He did his research. And at the end of the story, he tells us where he got his information from. The story is exciting, even more exciting than the first one, with characters changing sides in the battle to either destroy the old society’s approach toward life, or destroy the organization that is making it happen. I initially classified it as science fiction, but like Crichton, Suarez himself classifies it as techno-thriller. Perhaps the only hesitation I have about this one is the same issue I have with many suspense stories–including Michael Crichton. There was a great deal of attention paid to the plot and not enough paid to the characters. The first book established the characters, and did a good job of it, but I felt like Suarez was more interested in completing the story than in telling how it affected each of the people in it. Because of that, I give this story 4 and a half stars out of five.",
"reviewer": "Glen Robinson"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "No recap means reader handicap",
"text": "Because I read Daemon when it first came out on Amazon, and because I have read a lot of books since finishing Daemon, I was utterly irritated that he didn't devote at least the first chapter, or even a few pages, in Freedom(tm) to catching readers up on where Daemon left off. Though Daemon's characters are quite memorable, the sequel literally took off where the last one ended. Frustrated, I felt it necessary to reread Daemon, or at least the last few chapters, but forgot I had lent it to a friend. He in turn had lent it to a friend as well. I was out of luck and had to rely on my Swiss-cheese memory. When I lend a book such as Daemon to another person, that's a sign I really liked it a lot. Freedom(tm), on the other hand, will probably stay in my library unless someone specifically requests it. What author would begin a sequel and not catch up readers, new and old, on what's happened so far? Especially since I had to wait about a year between novels. Freedom(tm) on its own was good, not as great as Daemon, and showed Suarez's uncanny ability to make complex tech issues understandable. But I kept having to stop and rack my brain to remember what significance that character or plot point had in the first book, and how he or she was important to this new book. I completely forgot about Sebeck and Ross, and Loki was a distant memory. I would strongly hope that in future editions of Freedom(tm) that Mr. Suarez includes a recap for those of us who didn't commit Daemon to memory. Perhaps the first chapter could be a Darknet blog entry by some low-level geek discussing the state of affairs, where the country is now, and what's happened. Anything. He could've gotten very creative. It was, after all, written in the third person. He did some blog entries before certain chapters so it's not that improbable a suggestion. The last time an author did this type of jump-on-the-tracks sequel was Koontz's third entry in his Frankenstein books Frankenstein: Dead and Alive: A Novel (Dean Koontz's Frankenstein). People screamed from the highest mountains that they had no idea what was going on. Me included. Granted, the publishing release dates between Daemon and Freedom were significantly shorter, but as someone who reads about a book every 2 weeks, he should have done more to catch us all us. The book itself? Not as great as Daemon, but still a good read. I would STRONGLY suggest that you read Daemon and then immediately read Freedom(tm). It's a lot of fun, the bad guys get their comeuppance (as one would hope), and a few nail-biting scenarios kept the pages turning. But you will have to rack your brain if it's been awhile since you finished Daemon. I'd give it four stars if he had done something to get the reader up to speed, but that still wouldn't make Freedom(tm) a great book. A good book, but not a great book.",
"reviewer": "tomfromboston"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Solid Sequel in an Interesting Tale",
"text": "This is the sequel to Suarez' book \"Daemon.\" While the first book began with very plausible science \"faction\" (to borrow from T. Leary), as the story evolved into \"Freedom,\" the tech advanced to become very advanced. That's fine of course, and I thought that the evolution of the tech was in itself interesting. Also interesting is the overall theme of the two books, namely, the erosion of democracy in the face of wealth and influence. It's a theme that seems to be attracting many authors these days. Right or wrong, it's a sign of our times that the concept has worked its way into the consciousness of so many writers. \"Freedom\" was violent in places, and the level of graphic violence can be off-putting. At the same time, the book is essentially a war story, and so the violence is reasonable. I never had the sense the violence was gratuitous, however. One cool detail was how Suarez put a sociopath on both sides of the conflict. Although sociopaths, by their nature, are sort of \"flat\" characters, I found it interesting that, in at least a couple of instances, one of the sociopaths saved the day for the good guys. In general, the rest of the characters were sufficiently vivid, though few of them resonated deeply with me. That happens a lot in science fiction -- there's so much plot & action that there's not enough bandwidth left for nuanced, sympathetic characters. That doesn't detract from the story too much in this case, however. I enjoyed both books enough to read them twice.",
"reviewer": "Michael Glaviano"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 7.99,
"listPrice": 10.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B003GY0KNY",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Building Harlequin's Moon",
"authors": "Larry Niven, Brenda Cooper",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51k8RCM5eGL.jpg",
"rating": 4.4,
"reviewCount": "236",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1728092973000",
"description": "The Hugo Award–winning author reunites with his acclaimed coauthor in \"a multi-generational, star-spanning epic with intriguing, fast-paced action\" (New York Times–bestselling author Brian Herbert).Fleeing a solar system overrun by rogue AIs and machine/human hybrids, the crew of the starship John Glenn set course for the pristine planet Ymir. But their plan to terraform Ymir and create a utopian society that limits technology is thrown wildly off course when they find themselves in the wrong solar system.\nTo one day reach Ymir, they must first shape the planet Harlequin's moon, Selene, into a new, temporary home. Gabriel, the head terraformer, must lead the project with all the wrong materials and too few resources. At his disposal are the nearly-illiterate children of the original colonists, born and bred to build Harlequin's moon into an antimatter factory.\nRachel Vanowen is one of these children. She knows that the terraforming Council monitors her actions from a circling vessel above Selene's atmosphere. She also knows that these overseers are responsible for all of her people's food, skills, and knowledge. But she begins to wonder what will become of her people once Selene is abandoned for Ymir . . .",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A unique and complex story, ripe for comparisons with people & events.",
"text": "At first, I was not at all sure I would enjoy this book. It starts a little slow, with a lot of complexity built into the characters and the environment. By the time I got to the end, I was overwhelmingly impressed. From my viewpoint, this book truly earned 5-stars. If you gather 5 people who have read this book, I would expect there to be 5 different views on what it was about. Some may say ecology, others a potentially dystopian future, others the complexity of human nature. The possibility of comparing it to many events in the near-past is also intriguing. They all wind through the text, and I’m not sure just which I consider the most predominant. I do know that the two authors combined to produce one of the few masterpieces I’ve come across in SciFi. Well worth the read.",
"reviewer": "A. Rutter"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Long-range terraforming",
"text": "I bought this out of curiosity, as a long-time Niven fan, to see if it was better than some of his other more recent offerings. It was. Good, but...flawed. For a book this long, a bit less conversation and a bit more backstory would have worked well - although Brenda Cooper’s contribution may have been to make female protagonists more real. IF there are to be sequels, then we can see what happened to Ymir and to Sol system - because we certainly have no idea after this one. Some of the mechanisms used to advance the plot were also a little contrived. Glass tubes, that are breakable, having to be carried by people? In an environment where there are tugs that can move moons, and nanotech? And surely ceramic would have been better? But anyway. It’s a good, pretty long story, with the interesting juxtaposition of people who can plan a 60 000+-year project, be around to carry it out, and...OK, you’ll have to read it to find that out. A good book - just not a Ringworld.",
"reviewer": "Ed Rybicki"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Well read Niven reader for decades now. See his name, don’t hesitate buy it!",
"text": "An interesting story. That inspires deeper thinking. I don’t agree with any of his conclusions about Spiritual life. Nevertheless I recognize he is super intelligent and extrapolates known science in fascinating ways. Highly recommended!",
"reviewer": "Eric J."
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Some of Niven's Best Work in Years",
"text": "I have been a fan of Larry Niven since the early 80s but pickings have been slim in the last few years. Worse, that which I did find was not as enjoyable (to me) as his earlier work. This book, I am happy to say, changes the direction of that trend. It is some of his best work in years and was done as a collaboration with Brenda Cooper. The scale of the imaginings is vast but the human element is not lost. This is a first rate book. The background is of a ship fleeing technology run wild in the solar system. IT is headed out to establish a new colony at Ymir. En route, something goes wrong and the ship just barely makes it to a less than ideal system. Those who are awake realize that if the ship stays there it and humanity is doomed but they no longer have enough antimatter fuel to get to their destination. They must make some. Making the fuel is a difficult proposition. They need a planet to build a collider and the system they are in has only gas giants. They also need labor and cannot afford to squander the skills of the colonists in cold sleep; their skills will be needed at their final destination. So it is that they come up with a bold plan. They have terraforming expertise. They decide to use the moons of Harlequin to build a big enough moon to sustain life, breed people to do the labor and head for their real destination. This is a plan that spans more than 60,000 years. They accomplish this by going into cold sleep between critical phases; When they are awakened, they are rejuvenated. The ugly part of this scheme is that there will be no room on the ship for the workers that are bred for the labor; they will be left behind on a system doomed to fall apart without constant aide from the starship. They are being bred to work and then die. The workers have only a vague notion of all of this. They do know, however, that they are treated better by some of their overlords than by others. Stresses build that endanger everyone and, possibly, the existence of humanity itself. This is a well written book whose characters seem like real people. Even the villains have a few good qualities and the good guys have their bad moments. It is a pleasurable read and goes quickly, leaving the reader to want to know what happens next. Can we have a sequel?",
"reviewer": "John A Lee III"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "A readable, enjoyable, but not particularly great novel.",
"text": "Building Harlequin's Moon is a novel built around the premise that in the future technology gets out of control and a segment of the population decides to get out and colonize another planet where they will live more naturally. The catch of course is that they have to use technology to get to that new planet. In the process of traveling to the new world their starship breaks down in a system devoid of habitable worlds and they come up with the grand idea of building a world where they can develop a population that will build the equipment necessary to refuel their starship and get them to their original destination. Unfortunately in the process of creating this world of people they focus on the goal more than the process and end up creating an underclass that resents them and their motives. The attraction to Building Harlequin's Moon is based on the name Larry Niven, but this is a collaboration and while Niven's voice finds its way into the novel Brenda Cooper's is quite evident as well. The problem with having Niven's name on the book is that there are some high expectations that come with that. Having read a lot of different Niven solo novels as well as collaborative efforts of his with Pournelle and Barnes it's easy to see the differences between his solo work and his collaborative work. Often his collaborators fill out various character details that Niven leaves by the wayside as he explores the ideas that drive the plot. In this book the central character is a young girl, which one would assume is written by Cooper primarily. While Building Harlequin's Moon entertained me it certainly didn't awe me with big ideas like in some of Niven's Known Space novels or keep me on the edge of my seat as in some of his collaborations with Pournelle. It's not really a hard sci-fi novel, which for the average reader is a good thing as often hard sci-fi has less character depth. Overall, the book was a bit predictable in plotting and the ending felt abrupt, but in general the pacing was good and I found myself interested in the main characters of Rachael and Gabriel. I could see recommending this to my wife who isn't usually a sci-fi buff. It's not an overly complicated story or weighed down by science geek stuff, but the science that is in there is interesting and serves the story well.",
"reviewer": "Harvey H. Meeker"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "he story is enjoyable. Despite being an easy read, the book gives you much to think about.",
"text": "The story is enjoyable. Despite being an easy read, the book gives you much to think about. Unfortunately, the last segment of the book covers a lot of time quickly and also begs for a sequel that is never written. I am still glad I took the time to read this novel.",
"reviewer": "Moe"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Fine Storytelling, Grand World-Building",
"text": "It would be easy to conclude that Niven did the \"science-y bits,\" while Cooper did most of the heavy lifting regarding plot, characterization, and actual writing. But that would be presumptuous; sometimes a collaboration can inspire a writer to try harder in areas of former weakness. It doesn't matter. This collaboration, however it functioned, has produced a solid success. There is Big Science here, and there is character-driven drama here. And because the characters are challenged with -- and changed by -- problems that rise directly from the scientific premises, the whole thing works wonderfully and nearly seamlessly as a grand science-fiction story. The John Glenn is a sublight-speed colony ship, its passengers in cryogenic sleep. When a drive failure prevents the continuation of their journey, they must stop in an inhospitable star system, awaken enough people to create a temporary colony, and over the course of generations create a society whose sole function is to build the means to repair the ship for its continued journey. This is the story of Rachel, a third Generation \"Moon Born,\" a young woman who doesn't know that she is a slave. And it's the story of Gabriel, the master terraformer who created Selene out of dead rocks and raw biomass, one of the Glenn's crew who are guiding Rachel and her kin toward a future when they will help build the tools that will enable the ship to leave the Moon Born behind on an unstable manufactured planet. \"Building Harlequin's Moon\" is populated with a roster of interesting and disparate characters: \"Astronaut,\" the ship's AI, who wants to learn and grow but whose boundaries are constrained by the colonists' fear of unrestrained technology that caused them to flee a now-dead Earth; Andrew, the Moon Born rebel; Treesa, who woke from cold sleep \"disaffected\" -- crazy, some would say -- but who becomes one of the keys through which Rachel begins to learn the true nature of the purpose-built society she has been born into. The Earth Born characters' lives are extended and renewed through the nanotechnology that underlies their cryogenic process, and this becomes both a narrative device that allows long spans of time and change to be covered, and a central source of conflict between Earth Born and Moon Born. Such conflicts are many and profound. For the Earth Born, the issue is no less than the survival of the human race: they *must* reach a habitable planet and start a successful colony; they may be the only humans left in the universe, and their ship the only means to survive. Yet the moral and ethical conflicts that increasingly divide the crew of the John Glenn lead them in many directions, taking multiple sides. At the same time, as Rachel learns and shares the true nature of Moon Born's existence, they too become divided and conflicted. Can the Moon Born somehow support the goals of the Earth Born without sacrificing their own future? With engaging characters, several exciting adventure vignettes, vital moral questions about the balance between species survival and ethical necessities, all set against a spectacular backdrop of planet-building, social engineering, and entire human lifetimes, \"Building Harlequin's Moon\" is more than just space opera. It's a dramatic science fiction novel that entertains, maintains focus and pace, and best of all creates believable and important problems for its characters and then shows us how they solve them. This is a stand-alone novel (although a sequel would be welcome). Why not five stars? The writing is occasionally stiff and a bit awkward, but never unreadable or embarrassing. The lack of backstory for the important Earth Born characters is missed, as is more detail on the formative stages of the Selene society. None of these problems is severe; I just don't think it's the \"all-time great\" novel I would give five stars to. RichC",
"reviewer": "R. D. Clark"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "An awesome tale!",
"text": "Anything I might say about it would be a spoiler, so I'll just say that it lives up to Larry Niven's reputation as a master of science fiction storytelling. This one is not to be missed!",
"reviewer": "Steve Silverwood, KB6OJS"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A Very Different Niven",
"text": "But still a brilliant Niven. Extremely good exploration of new ideas. Well worth the read. It's nice to see Niven's talents go beyond ringworlds, Kzin, and puppeteers.",
"reviewer": "Andres Pedraza"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great book",
"text": "Cooper and Niven make a great team",
"reviewer": "No"
},
{
"stars": 2,
"title": "This is not a typical Larry Niven book :(",
"text": "Let me start by saying I think Larry Niven is one of the greatest science fiction writers out there. He is my Pantheon next to Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke, Zelazny and co. If you are looking for a Known Space book, this is not it. If you are looking for a hard science fiction book, this is not it. The story is not convincing, not the plot nor the characters. There is no riddle, no twist, no exploring like I'm so used to find in Larry Niven books. I want a refund. BTW, before reading this book I've read \"The Draco Tavern\". I've read in the past most of the stories in the book (it's a collection), but it was a joy reading it. And now I've started reading \"Fleet of Worlds\". I'm only on page 24 and from here I'm going right back to reading it.",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
},
{
"stars": 1,
"title": "Slow, boring read",
"text": "Another great premise, completely bloated by useless dribble. Infested with sub plots that do nothing to further the story, avoid",
"reviewer": "mike murray"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Niven at his best",
"text": "This is a great read! It bends the mind over centuries, and is great science and fiction. Great to read a second or third time, as well.",
"reviewer": "Carl"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A very fun read. An interplanetary ship goofs and up stranded for thousands of years before it can repair itself.",
"text": "A great story with vivid characters. It takes place over a very long span of time but it is well worth it. One of Niven & Cooper's best.",
"reviewer": "POOLE47"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 11.99,
"listPrice": 17.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B003J5UIMI",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Saturn's Race",
"authors": "Larry Niven, Steven Barnes",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51qh2ayeR3L.jpg",
"rating": 4.2,
"reviewCount": "77",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1726946227000",
"description": "The bestselling coauthors of Beowulf's Children \"have produced another compulsively readable, immensely enjoyable near-future yarn\" (Publishers Weekly).\nThe future is a strange and dangerous place. Chaz Kato can testify to that. He is a citizen of Xanudu, a city-sized artificial island populated by some of the wealthiest men and women on future Earth. A place filled with hidden wonders and dark secrets of technology gone awry. Lenore Myles is a student when she travels to Xanadu and becomes involved with Chaz Kato. She is shocked when she uses Kato's access codes to uncover the grizzly truth behind Xandu's glittering facade.\nNot knowing who to trust, Lenore finds herself on the run. Saturn, a mysterious entity, moves aggressively to break the security breach. With the interests of the world's wealthiest people at stake and powerful technology at Saturn's fingertips, Lenore is in a race for her life, against a truly formidable foe.\n\"A fast-paced cloak-and-dagger action adventure, this novel effortlessly moves from the depths of the ocean to the heights of VR to create a dazzling, seamless whole.\" —Publishers Weekly\n\"Power struggles in a near-future world of privileged floating islands, desperate third-world billions, ninjas, intelligent dolphins, and sharks with arms and computer brains . . . Inventive and wide-ranging.\" —Kirkus Reviews",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "READ THIS BOOK.....NOW!",
"text": "If your a true fan of the SF genre, this book is a must read. Niven and Barnes in collaboration produce stories and characters that exceed their individual talents. The story is a mystery where the lead characters must discover the identity of a genocidal monster to save their lives, while running from the effects of the villeins plan. It is set in the near future. The authors paint a highly believable picture of the course of current technology and its effects on world order. This book compares very well with \"Dreampark\", another Niven, Barnes collaboration.",
"reviewer": "S. K. Magness"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Very good. Not quite a classic, but good.",
"text": "Somehow it doesn't really feel like a Niven book though. When I think of Niven, I think Ringworld, hard science, spaceships. I think of intelligent aliens with fundamentally different natural instincts and the interesting conflicts of interest that come when we encounter them. This book is well written, well told, and highly entertaining, but at its heart it's about some vague biotech that's never explained, political intrigue that we always come into years after it's happened, and a new and unique, but still fundamentally derivative, version of cyberpunk. The cyberpunk elements are actually the most satisfying part. So didn't think I'm knocking that. But that was never Niven's thing so, like I said - it just doesn't feel like Niven. Overall though. A very good book. Definitely recommendable.",
"reviewer": "P. D. HENDERSON"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Five Stars",
"text": "Some of my favorite authors",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Very good SF!",
"text": "First, SKIP THE KIRKUS REVIEW! They do a great job of spoiling most of the plot points, AND getting the details wrong. This is a good SF story, with interesting people and technologies. The action is fairly believable, as are the tech and political environments. If you like the Ocean Thermal Energy Converter platforms in this book, check out Greenwar by Gould and Mixon, and Blind Waves by Steven Gould, which also feature OTEC platforms.",
"reviewer": "Mike Giroux"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "A very trying, slow read",
"text": "While the story was interesting, it was a very trying read. Also, the plot tended to wander between different subjects. The copyright shows 2000, and the story is set in 2026. Even 25 years ago, there was nothing around that would hint at the type of medical, mechanical, environmental, or governmental topics addressed in this story. Maybe if it had been set in 2150 or so, but not in the current time-frame. This discrepancy makes it very difficult to really accept most of the disaster, or recovery scenarios presented. There are so many major characters and themes going on that it’s often a chore to sort thing out. Related to that, I’m still not sure which of 4 major issues raised is the underlying motive for the book. Finally, it kind-of-sort-of ends, but in a way that would not lead to a decent sequel. If your goal is to find a book that highlights the problems caused by greed and power, and needs analysis to fully appreciate, maybe this is for you. I prefer entertainment (and appreciate an underlying moral theme or challenge). This story missed the entertainment part for me.",
"reviewer": "A. Rutter"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "One of the Best Sci-Fi Books Ever Written!!!",
"text": "This is an amazing sci-fi book that most people have never read--one of the best ever! Read it!!",
"reviewer": "Fahnir"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Hard to describe",
"text": "Having read this book, I find myself at a loss in trying to describe what it was about. Simple summaries just don't come to mind. Still, in spite of a somewhat convulated storyline, the book reads very well, and I had trouble putting it down. As another reviewer noted, this book would make a good movie; the best way I can describe it is as a sci-fi thriller.",
"reviewer": "William Springer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A fascinatingly intricate novel, but not for everyone",
"text": "Ever since William Gibson rose to fame by creating the sub-genre of Cyberpunk, he has had many imitators. With Saturn's Race, Niven and Barnes throw their hands into the cyberpunk arena. The result, as you might expect from such a time-honored team, is a new creation with a life all its own. Unfortunately I fear it will go over the heads of some readers, and may push emotional buttons for others. This book is structured like typical Gibson cyberpunk - technology has run amok, governments are being subsumed by evil corporations run by the privilged few that hold vast power over the masses and are challenged only by anonymous freedom fighters hidden amongst the information overload of the global data net. Niven/Barnes go out of their way to include some of the expected plot devices of cyberpunk, as if to say \"Make no mistake, we are playing in Gibson's sandbox.\" At this point, the similarity ends. The novel does not read like Gibson. Gibson brought us constant action between black-and-white characters; the villains wear suits instead of black hats, but there are few surprises of character to distract us from the flying bullets and bizarre cyberscapes. Not that I'm knocking Gibson; I love his work and I think his techniques are exactly right for the type of novel he writes. But Niven and Barnes have always written their novels around complex questions. In this case they are asking the question \"What if Gibson's future were to come true in the real world, with its human personalities and deep, convoluted history?\" And that is a complex question indeed. No sooner do the authors set up a traditional Gibson cyber-world, than they begin to populate it with people that might be your co-workers or neighbors. Just like in a real-life office, some of the corporate \"suits\" are good and genuine people. Some altruist \"freedom fighters\" are capable of being petty and self-deluding. Some people fight for senseless causes and some unwittingly support monstrosity for no better reason than the limitations of their own worldview. Half the novel is tied up in uncertainty over who the good guys and bad guys are - much like real life, especially in an election year. Niven once noted, in the author's note to _Rainbow Mars_, that once he lays an idea on the table he likes to explore every aspect of it he can before he finishes the book. This approach becomes the greatest strength of _Saturn's Race_, but, I fear, will also limit its appeal. The \"evil corporation vs. oppressed masses\" paradigm is huge, encompassing many issues within modern society. There is no way the authors could have dealt with every issue in exhaustive detail, unless they wrote a door-stopper the size of War and Peace. Instead, they opt to confront many issues in brief references with little explanation. For example, an episode regarding a group of researchers in Antarctica consumes no more than a few paragraphs throughout the book, but serves to address some of the violent scenes from Gibson that in their native context would raise no questions for us, as well as comment on the agendas of some of the real world's more unreasonable and militant organizations. It is a beautifully economic use of prose - but people who are not already familiar with the issues involved may not understand what the authors are saying. Whether you like or hate this book will have a lot to do with where you are coming from. If you've read Gibson and have some working knowledge of politics and sociology, you will probably love the broad and intricate web woven by this gold-medal writing team. Otherwise, you will probably be bored by all the seemingly meaningless side-trips and underwhelmed by the central plot. This book is also unsuited for any with hard-set political views. As many of Niven's prior novels are themed around a science such as physics or speculative biology, this novel's theme science is sociology. As a result, it cannot help but be political! Those who describe themselves as \"hard left\" may be upset at the book for saying that corporations can do good. Those claiming a \"hard right\" stance may be upset at the claim they can do evil. The book is not given to needless ideological posturing - but if politics get you irritated, leave this one on the shelf and read something different.",
"reviewer": "Vynnie"
},
{
"stars": 1,
"title": "Discs 1 and 2 are missing",
"text": "Disc 1 and disc 2 are missing",
"reviewer": "Robin Arge"
},
{
"stars": 1,
"title": "Editing the Amazon online book synopsis",
"text": "I am providing a low rating hoping it will gain someone's attention. I plan to read the book, as I like both authors. However, It would be appropriate for whoever the Niven/Barnes team entrusted with writing the synopsis to change the wording from \"grizzly\" to \"grisely\".",
"reviewer": "DBC"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "good sf-mystery, not as crazy as niven can be",
"text": "this is a straightforward science-fiction mystery story. Evil men in power connive cunningly; clever good folks are interestingly brave in their struggle to uncover and defeat said evil. Niven doesn't play with the ideas as crazily as he could. Maybe the setting is too near-future? Maybe 'the theory and practice of instant learning' didn't click into the cybernetic conflict scenes like I expected...",
"reviewer": "bruce purcell"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Don't be put off by the cover, it's a good read",
"text": "So, the cover art shows two sharks with hands swimming past an underwater installation. You'd think it was some sort of b-movie style moster story. You'd be wrong. Instead we've been given one of the best books with Larry's name on it in recents months. This isn't a gimmick story like Rainbow Mars or Burning City. This is a nicely plotted story with lots of interesting concepts. The story centers around biological-computer interfaces, tied in to philosophical discusion centering around third-world birth rates and life expectancy. And we've got some great character development, including some pretty good love scenes (which fade to black before getting too graphic). Definitely a recommended read.",
"reviewer": "M. S. Fischer"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Good book, abrupt ending",
"text": "This is exactly what I would expect from Niven and Barnes: cool science, page-turning plot, interesting villians, and great entertainment. However, the book ends abruptly. Let's hope there's a sequal, because they didn't finish the story! It was five stars before the last page.",
"reviewer": "The m"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Not Niven's Best Work",
"text": "Lenore Myles is in the Xanadu floating habitat to celebrate her recent graduation from UCLA. She hopes to go on to a brilliant career. Instead, she stumbles upon a bit of information that changes her life. Sounds like a promising beginning for a story. Unfortunately, SATURN'S RACE fizzles somewhere along the line. Lenore gets part of her memory erased (including the crucial bit of info), which has a seriously negative effect on her life. She embarks on a quest to find out what happened to her and to get her mind back, but in the process she increasingly becomes a sideline in this story while the focus shifts to Chaz Kato, a man Lenore became involved with while on Xanadu. SATURN'S RACE is often fast-paced and it raises some very relevant issues about man's future on Earth. Unfortunately, like Lenore, the story seems to get lost in its own shifting focus. It raises issues, but never provides any satisfactory resolution. Characters that seem important at one point become unimportant, and vice versa. In the end, it all bogs down in its own confusion and cliches. I've read a lot of books either authored or co-authored by Larry Niven. Some were very good and among my favorites in the scifi genre. SATURN'S RACE, however, is not one of them. It is, in my opinion, mediocre. Does that mean it went over my head, as someone has suggested? No. Under my head, perhaps, but I think it's possible to \"get\" this book and still be underwhelmed by it. For me, it went briskly but I had had more than enough by the time I finished it. Ultimately, I don't read scifi to get other people's thoughts on the human condition. I read scifi for entertainment. SATURN'S RACE wasn't overly entertaining.",
"reviewer": "AntiochAndy"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 11.99,
"listPrice": 17.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B003P8Q5IK",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "The Barsoom Project: A Dream Park Novel",
"authors": "Larry Niven, Steven Barnes",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51TNuVh9+jL.jpg",
"rating": 4.4,
"reviewCount": "179",
"series": "A Dream Park Novel",
"seriesPosition": "2",
"acquisitionDate": "1301361876000",
"description": "The Barsoom Project is the direct sequel to 1981's Dream Park. Eviane's first visit to the-state-of-art amusement arena Dream Park ended in disaster: the special effects had seemed more real than life... until the holograms she was shooting with live ammunition turned out to be solid flesh and blood... and very, very dead.\nHaunted by the past, rebounding from a lengthy spell in a mental hospital, she has returned to Dream Park to exorcise a nightmare that has become reality. But in Dream Park, nothing is what it seems. The Inuit mythology controlling the images is part of a \"Fat Ripper Special\" designed to implant new behavioral memes. The players are struggling against the game master, one another, and their own demons. And there is a killer who wants to ensure Eviane never regains her memory...noo matter what it costs.\nBlending together hard science fiction with topical RPG-like fantasy games, The Barsoom Project is SF at the cutting edge and a classic creation from two of the genre's most beloved writers. \nAt the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A good, scientifically accurate read",
"text": "One of my favorite authors!",
"reviewer": "D. Sinclair"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Interesting bits, but not as engrossing as the 1st book in the Dream Park series",
"text": "The focus of the 2nd book in the series was mostly the back story and politics of Dreak Park itself. The sci-fi/fantasy elements were either not new, or incidental to the plot. It was nice to catch up to the characters we met in the 1st book. A nice addition to the series, but not quite as interesting as the 1st book.",
"reviewer": "klwong36"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "5 star",
"text": "Love the Dream Park series!",
"reviewer": "Laplock"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A must for Dream Park fans",
"text": "A very strong member of the Dream Park series. I love these books I wish they would write more.",
"reviewer": "Joseph L. Reichardt"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Good, not great",
"text": "Dream Park was the reason I read this. A little too much going on and a bit hard to follow at times. Lots of characters with switching fantasy and IRL names used interchangeable",
"reviewer": "Aaron Delp"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "A good follow up for Dream Park fans",
"text": "While not quite as good as the original to me, and I think it was because the original introduced so many great things regarding the technology of dream park and a much more involved \"game\", the mystery side and the colonization plans were both excellent parts of the total package.",
"reviewer": "Daniel J Scott I I"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "fat ripper special",
"text": "I found this book very exciting. Although I resd it before the other books in the series. I find that this book centered on the game which was a fat ripper special. That means that the game was to lose weight. To make it stick way past when the game was over they used Induit ways of regarding food. This stuck with me so much that I still remember this book and it's been a good five years since I read the book.",
"reviewer": "Renee J. Pierce"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Find it. Read it. Now.",
"text": "The Dream Park series is one of the best around, and it pays to hunt them out. The future is Mars, and the park owners / managers / etc. know this. The book centers around this and getting man on Mars. Also sets up aspects of the book Fallen Angels.",
"reviewer": "Richard C. Drew"
},
{
"stars": 2,
"title": "Disappointing",
"text": "Having read Dream Park many times and enjoyed it immensely with each reading, I was looking forward with great anticipation to this book. The story line was confusing as the progress through the game (Fimbulwinter) seemed to have no connection whatsoever with the Barsoom project. Even at the final denouement the link was not clear, leaving an impression of \"What was all that about?\", and I would have far preferred to see a greater emphasis on the detective work of catching the bad guy than the emphasis that was on the rather feeble fantasy game. A rather disappointing novel",
"reviewer": "Ron Place"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "I would like to see Dream Park and the Barsoom Project become a reality.",
"text": "Book number 2 of the Dream Park series, A little darker than the 1st book in the series.",
"reviewer": "Kindle Customer"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Great Book. Not as good as the first or ...",
"text": "Great Book. Not as good as the first or the third, but a good continuation.",
"reviewer": "David Morin"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Four Stars",
"text": "Very enjoyable.",
"reviewer": "Celia Osborne"
},
{
"stars": 1,
"title": "I did not enjoy this book at all and really labored to finish ...",
"text": "I was very excited to read this years after reading \"Dream Park\" and really enjoying it. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book at all and really labored to finish it. The game itself wasn't very interesting and neither were the characters.",
"reviewer": "SBC"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Not as good as the original, but an entertaining read",
"text": "If you're already a fan, it's a decent buy. But don't expect it to be *as good* as Dream Park!",
"reviewer": "Janet Clarke"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 12.99,
"listPrice": 19.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B003QP4NPE",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Daemon",
"authors": "Daniel Suarez",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61u-gFrAFnL.jpg",
"rating": 4.4,
"reviewCount": "5,898",
"series": "Daemon",
"seriesPosition": "1",
"acquisitionDate": "1699134288000",
"description": "Daniel Suarez's New York Times bestselling debut high-tech thriller is “so frightening even the government has taken note” (Entertainment Weekly).\n\n Daemons: computer programs that silently run in the background, waiting for a specific event or time to execute. They power almost every service. They make our networked world possible. But they also make it vulnerable...\n \n When the obituary of legendary computer game architect Matthew Sobol appears online, a previously dormant daemon activates, initiating a chain of events that begins to unravel our interconnected world. This daemon reads news headlines, recruits human followers, and orders assassinations. With Sobol’s secrets buried with him, and as new layers of his daemon are unleashed, it’s up to Detective Peter Sebeck to stop a self-replicating virtual killer before it achieves its ultimate purpose—one that goes far beyond anything Sebeck could have imagined...",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Taut, insightful cyberwarrior's technothriller.",
"text": "What if a rogue AI, a distributed process running on tens of thousands of computers all over the internet, could recruit boots on the ground from among \"the disaffected, the dispossessed, the displaced, the disgruntled. Worldwide\"? What if it created an organization as distributed as itself, with no centralized power structure, with individuals having knowledge of only their local comrades, with no individual knowing the whole big picture? What if it had effectively unlimited financial resources and was able to have its minions manufacture various deadly remote controlled avatars for it (and them) to use? How would corporations and governments stop such an entity? Could they? These are some of the questions posed in Daemon, probably the most amazing first novel I've ever read. Suarez gets everything right. His mind-bending worldwide plot is remarkably plausible, even with 2004 (the year the book was written) technology. His characters are as authentic as the varied settings where the action plays out, and the action - it never stops. His writing chops aren't the only thing that is so impressive. Suarez has big ideas, too: fascinating takes on globalization, government bureaucracy, legal, correctional and criminal organizations. There's even a dose of philosophy and moral calculus, but nothing heavy handed. His background as an independent systems consultant lends a frighteningly realistic edge to the deadly effective technologies employed by the ruthlessly efficient Daemon. The coolest thing about this book for gamers is that the whole system was designed by the head of CyberStorm Entertainment, the most popular fictional game company in the world. The company's WW2 FPS and fantasy MMORPG are central to the plot. Suarez is even able to weave elements of game culture into the real world, as the Daemon awards experience points to its minions for completing tasks, and rewards them with ultra-high-tech gizmos that can have almost magical abilities. It even lets them see things in \"D-space,\" a 3D environment superimposed over the real world GPS grid, projected onto specially designed sunglasses, and complete with wireframe buildings and callouts for other Daemon followers which indicate their relative strength and experience level, just like the stuff that appears over a character's head in an MMO. That all may sound goofy and a little dorky, but it is seamlessly integrated with the world of the book and makes perfect sense in the contexts where it's used. I dread this book being turned into a movie, because it's just the kind of thriller that Hollywood loves, and it's chock full of just the kind of technology that Hollywood inevitably gets so very wrong. Suarez makes it all come to life so effortlessly. You never feel like you're in some technology training seminar, but at the same time, he gets enough of the nuts and bolts across to make it believable and comprehensible even to a technology tyro. The bittersweet thing about this book is that I'm sure that in just a few years it will all be quaint and dated - a snapshot of the possibilities available at the turn of the 21st century. I recommend reading it while it's still awesome.",
"reviewer": "K. P. Badertscher"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Great Concept; Falters Toward the End",
"text": "I'll start by saying that I really liked this book, and in fact, was hooked completely for the first 3/4s of it. The concept is fantastic and original, the narrative is solid ... but unfortunately in the last act of this book, things start detouring from what made the beginning so good. Ostensibly, this book is a current day concept sci-fi centered around the autonomous actions of an incredibly advanced non-AI computer intelligence. It's a distributed, trigger-event sensitive program, a so called \"daemon\" in tech jargon ... so far so good. This Daemon is set forth upon the world when a genius computer mogul dies, and at first, the book appears to just be a murder mystery novel with the twist of the murderer being already dead, and the murders committed by an unfeeling, uncaring computer program. But it quickly develops into much more than that ... The initial concept of this book requires something of a suspension of disbelief. At first, things seem plausible enough. But about halfway through, it becomes clear that the Daemon is something that could not possibly exist in the current day tech world (and this book was written in 2006). Anyone who is a child of the digital era knows by now that no computerized machine can be trusted to do anything involving a boat-load of variables, ESPECIALLY if those variables occur over a lengthy period of time AND involve interaction with humans in the context of the real world. Going into detail might ruin the suspense and mystery of \"Daemon\" ... but suffice to say, you should go into the novel not expecting this to follow real-world machine intelligence very closely. Other than that, the book has a strong opening, strong middle that keeps changing the nature of the mystery, and making it clear that things are more than they seem ... but then the book takes a sharp and unexpected turn from \"current day concept sci-fi\" to \"near-future sci-fi\" ... and maybe not even \"near-future\". Specifically, even though almost all technology featured up to this point (other than the Daemon itself) is in-use real-world or protype technology, in the last act of the book, the author suddenly introduces various bits of fantastical sci-fi technology. There's an explanation for this ... sort of ... but the jarring departure from one genre to the other makes this unpleasant ... especially when one of these technologies is something straight out of \"Terminator: Salvation\". All told, it's a good book, and I recommend reading it ... but the misleading first half of the book (which is fantastic) that gets followed by a genre-switching second half makes the book far from perfect. Just go into the book with an open mind.",
"reviewer": "AustinTiffany"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great Novel with one small problem",
"text": "When I started reading this novel I said, \"Wow, there's no way the author can keep this pace for 700 pages!\" I also said, \"This book is going to have the greatest ending ever!\" I was wrong on both counts. Yes this novel is a bare knuckle, no holds barred, thrill ride from beginning to end. It NEVER slows down, the plot advances further and further, and with each chapter things get more and more out of controlled and hopelessly complex. The book is filled with characters, so many that after a while, I just stopped trying to remember them all. It may help to make a list of characters as you go, because they show up at random intervals and you find yourself saying, \"Who was that guy again, OH YA, THAT GUY!\" Unfortunately, for a novel that does nearly everything right, it does one thing wrong. It doesn't end. The ending isn't good, nor it is bad; its non-existent. This book just ends, leaving you feeling a little cheated actually, considering the thrill ride that brought you to this point. Now, there will be many that say, \"Oh, you are just the typical American and you want your plot spoonfed to you, and you are just mad that you aren't creative enough to come up with your own ending for this novel.\" No, that's not it, I think its pretty clear how this story will end, but the author just doesn't bother to take you there. Perhaps the author was trying to save the reader from the tedium of global annihilation, so he brings you right to the brink, and says, \"Ok, things are looking bad, I don't need to tell you how this will probably end, and you don't want to accept it, so we will just leave it here and you can go on with your life always hoping that maybe, just maybe, things turned out OK.\" In a way, I felt like that was the key point of this novel. Things change, and change is destructive, but the thing that makes change so destructive, isn't the ones who come after, its the ones that came before who refuse to let go of the past because they have this belief (regardless of what the history books say) that things will NEVER change, we will always be here, just like this, and those that have power will always have power. You may even be one of those people, and if so, I'm sorry, but history would like a retort.",
"reviewer": "David Durtschi"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great book",
"text": "This is the second time I've read it and still fantastic. Interesting in this time of the rise of AI",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Good Techno-thriller",
"text": "The billionaire CEO of an online game company is dead. Brain cancer. But his death isn’t the end, it is only the beginning. Online, *daemons* – automated computer programs – are waiting to read the headlines announcing CEO Matthew Sobol’s passing. His obituary triggers programs that have infiltrated every corner of our society. Detective Pete Sebek is on the case, but soon he is over his head as the online world ushers in a new world order under the Daemon’s control. Daniel Suarez’s techno-thriller is a fast read with a large cast of characters. Some are merely plot devices, engineers added to give a real sense of the distributed work the Daemon requests of its human servants. Others are more significant, from Detective Sebek to the Daemon’s primary mercenary to the cryptographer trying to bring it down. Those working for the government run the gambit from idealist to special forces to spook. Each character is well-developed with their own reasons and beliefs. Only “The Major” is a cookie-cutter character, but he divulges none of his past nor his mission in this book. A few prose issues and an occasional typo in the Kindle edition I read didn’t break me out of the story as much as a few over-the-top scenes did. I could see this as an action movie, although a number of the technical details would need to be simplified for the silver screen. In exploring the technologies of our modern world, and the degree to which everything is interrelated, this novel takes a frightening look at how computers can manipulate markets and how governments seek these powers for themselves. While the Daemon Task Force is trying to bring this system down, The Major ultimately wants to protect the Daemon and use it as a tool for the government. These conflicting goals ratchet up the tension through the book. I love a good techo-thriller, and I enjoy reading about hackers and spooks almost as much as the post-apocalypse. The book left a lot of open ends I presume will be answered in *Freedom*, the sequel. I give *Daemon* four stars, and will pick up *Freedom* to keep reading in this world.",
"reviewer": "John Uhri"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Worthy subject ... pulp fiction treatment",
"text": "I’m about 70% though the book and decided to log on to Amazon and read a few reviews to gauge other reader’s reactions. As I suspected a lot of critically thinking readers have the same problems with the book I do. 3 stars for the interesting storyline, good opening and because I didn't dislike the the book. I was just very disappointed in the poor execution. Non-existent character development, perverse sex and gratuitous violence that contributes nothing to the story but seems there just to satisfy action thriller check boxes… But most disappointing is the that author takes a story with a promising start and premise that is worth exploring… the potential impact of a malevolent artificial intelligence … and totally runs off the rails with it. The author clearly has technology expertise. So, why did he abandon any semblance of technological realism in favor of the totally implausible and fantastical? He constantly reiterates throughout the book that the Daemon is “a non-sentient, narrow AI.” But as the book goes along he assigns ever more omniscient, god-like powers to this AI. By the end the AI has powers akin to the Emperor in Star Wars. Really? Does he even know the definition of narrow AI? IBM’s Watson is an example of a narrow AI. It can win at Jeopardy. But, put it in control of a car and it wouldn’t even know how to start it. Similarly, Google can create a narrow AI to drive a car safely, but it can’t shop for you or detour because it’s time to pick up the kids. Narrow AI is by definition narrow. Meaning it is special purpose hardware/software designed to provide specific functionality in very narrowly defined circumstances. Credit card companies use narrow AI to look for fraudulent transactions. It’s quite good at that, but that AI would be totally incapable of balancing your checkbook. A narrow AI can be very capable in a game environment where all of its inputs are defined and structured. But in the decidedly undefined, unstructured, chaotic real world, it would be hopelessly incompetent. There is a reason we excellent Fire Control computers (specific task, narrow scope) but don’t have robot soldiers. Because narrow AI is insufficient to the task. Yet, Suarez’s narrow AI can strategize, manipulate people, design automated killer vehicles and take over corporations. Early in the book, it can only respond to Yes and No input. Late in the book it’s communicating with humans. This is way, way, way beyond the scope of narrow AI. It would require a general AI with natural language processing capability and at least human level intelligence. We aren’t there yet, or even close. Most experts in the field would say we are at least 20 years away. And it’s worth nothing that 60 years ago, the preeminent computer experts in the world predicted general intelligence AI in 20 years. The names have changed but the prediction is the same; human level general artificial intelligence in 20 years. The probable arrival always seems to be 20 years from the date the question is asked. That said, sans some unpredictable technology disruption, I do believe general artificial intelligence is likely to come about. And I don’t find it at all implausible that a general AI once developed, could quickly become super intelligent, uncontrollable and perhaps unfriendly (or uncaring, which would have pretty much the same result for human beings.) Therefore, the threat from artificial intelligence should be taken seriously, as people much smarter than me, such as Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk and Bill Joy have long pointed out. Nicholas Bostrom’s excellent, if daunting book, Super Intelligence explores this issue in depth. Books that explore the impact of the emergence of super-intelligent synthetic entities whether fiction or non-fiction are important at this moment in human history. They can help inform us on an important issue that potentially poses an existential threat to humanity. Suarez clearly recognizes the threat. Too bad he didn’t write a book that explored this issue with a plausible plot and storyline. That’s plenty scary enough and it would have made a far better book.",
"reviewer": "LikeMinds"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Thoughtware Upgrade First Class",
"text": "Firstly, please know that Daemon and its sequel Freedom (TM) are one story. You should buy both at the same time so there isn't a moment wasted between finishing the first and beginning the second. You have been forewarned... Secondly, you should know that Daemon is already in development as a Hollywood film. It's that good. While you are waiting for Daemon-the-movie to come out, read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card and then see the new film that just came out. (As usual, the book Ender's Game is more complete than the film - being the best team-building handbook I know of.) While you're still waiting, read The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer (Bantam Spectra Book) by Neal Stephenson. It is outrageous entertainment! Thirdly, consider the fact that 17,000 consciously created ecovillage-communities already exist on Earth below the mainstream-media radar and populated by mostly geniuses and ask yourself why you might still be believing that the thoughtware you were given by modern culture is the best thoughtware that human beings ever invented... by the way, how is your overall life satisfaction these days? Eh? This brings us to Daniel Suarez's Daemon/Freedom story. I love this story (except for the few unnecessarily pages in Daemon describing an incident of drug-induced sexual abuse by the gad guy - which still has the value of warning you what to beware of so it does not ever happen to you...) I love Daemon/Freedom because the degree to which our hero Peter Sebeck is challenged and transformed on the path of finding out what is really going on is, in my experience, the same life-changing risk each of us faces when we dive beneath the superficiality of corporate controlled news. (You might ask yourself: why is the second book titled Freedom anyway?) I think Daemon/Freedom is even more (r)evolutionarily incendiary than V for Vendetta because you get a hint of the powerful stimulation of next-culture communities at play. We are, at heart and soul, villagers. The single fighter image is false. We won't make it alone. Coming together in next culture (after matriarchy and patriarchy comes archearchy...)is our future. Daniel Suarez gives us the 21st Century yellow-brick-road to get there. Come on this journey. The game is on...",
"reviewer": "Clinton Callahan"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "No Heroes, No Villains, Only Systems",
"text": "Daemon is not a comfortable book to read. Not because it is complicated, but because it feels too real. Daniel Suarez writes about technology in a way that makes you uneasy. The book was released around 2009, yet many of the ideas feel closer to today than to the time it was written. That tells me the author did serious research and understood technology deeply, even before it became normal for all of us. What confused me while reading is that there are no clear good or bad characters. Everyone believes they are doing the right thing, but they are all trapped inside systems that are bigger than them. Even governments and democracy feel slow and powerless in comparison. The Daemon itself does not feel like a villain. It feels like a system that works exactly as designed. It does not care about morality, fairness, or intention. It only cares about execution. That is what makes it disturbing. When I finished the book, I did not feel satisfied or relieved. I felt uneasy. But I also felt respect for the author. This book does not give answers. It forces you to think about whether humans are still in control, or whether systems have already taken over.",
"reviewer": "Nona"
},
{
"stars": 1,
"title": "What did I just read?",
"text": "Tl:dr; I sat down with this book after a rave review from a friend and was ready for a realistic technological murder mystery. And the first few chapters definitely started out alright. It had this wonderful Ready Player One vibe going for it. And then the plot b-lined off a cliff and careened into a canyon. It may have been the worst book I've read in the last 5 years, given I've only ever been motivated to write such a negative review once before in that time frame. ## The characters. Are so flat and stereotypical its not even funny. You've got GI Joe, Barbie, Asian Scientist Woman, and Old Detective. But just for fun, lets call out these few in particular... Brian Gragg: is just despicable. And I don't mean in a \"guy you love to hate\" sort of way. He is literally just bad. I think he is meant to appear psychotic and deranged so that we clearly know who the \"bad guy\" is in the book. Ultimately giving us some catharsis when he's beaten at the end. Maybe even add a little bit of flare, for us to realize at the last second he was just misunderstood and we've made a big mistake. Nope. He's just \"evil\" and in fact he isn't beaten. Instead He is rewarded and somehow given power, fame, money, and control. Its a strange choice to put so much focus on this unlikable character and then do nothing with it. Charles Mosely: The token black guy. Yep, its as bad as you think. The Daemon: Is presented as both simultaneously the simplest script and most complex AI at the same time. That is, it can only understand binary \"yes\" or \"no\" input and works based on scraping RSS feeds, yet at the same time can navigate and control thousands of autonomous vehicles with near millimeter precision racing 100 miles per hour through a busy city. Tip to the author, that's not how to make a round character. That's just being inconsistent. At least the daemon has a goal. Kinda. Destroy and rebuild society - you know, exactly what a deranged computer game designer would want from the world. It accomplishes that goal by murdering thousands, destroying the lives of thousands more, and to top it off pretty much enslaving all the rest of humanity. We are actually expected to be rooting for the virus at the end of the book, I know. I couldn't believe it either. ## The plot. There is a computer virus. It is bad. None of the good guys can stop it. But maybe its actually a /good/ virus. Whoa ho ho, surprise! The end. That is precisely the extent of story line. There is no mystery to uncover, nor any part of the book that leaves you guessing on the edge of your seat. There is no complexity in the interaction of characters, nor any reason they would be working for/against one another. The cause and effect of events are incredibly limited in scope. Overall what a bore to get through. One of the defining factors of this book is how \"realistic\" its supposed to be. How our own society could be overrun by a rampant computer virus written by a genius. That our consumption of 24-hour news streams, or lauding of video games, or dependence on the internet will be our own downfall. But I couldn't buy into the belief for even 5 minutes. Sure, our current technology landscape has weaknesses, but come on. - People aren't going to just start killing each other at the first sign of trouble, people actually /don't/ want civil war. - The FBI/CIA/DOD all working together aren't a bunch of dawdling idiots, they could come up with better solutions than \"just turn off the internet.\" - \"Because the stock market would crash\" is not an acceptable answer to the (repeated question) \"why can't we stop the daemon?\" - Video games don't train you to be a covert assassin or teach you how to manufacture explosives. - Encryption can't be cracked like /that/. - Driverless motorcycles can't wield katanas like ninjas. That last one actually happened. The last third of the book really jumps the shark. There are so many dumb plot points I could go into as well, but I wanna focus on my favorite. In the final chapters there is a metaphor of rebirth. Dunno if you caught that. You know, after detective Sebek /died/ and then was /reborn/. And the daemon appears in front of him like a god. Just making sure that wordplay didn't go over your head. The chapter was titled rebirth too, in case it wasn't clear. This is the turning point, when one of the main characters (psst, and the reader!) are supposed to realize the truth of everything. Lay it on thick. Maybe that will make it more convincing. Wait, it won't? Oh. ## The author. Did he do /any/ research at all before writing? I mean, I can excuse some of the technical blunders if he has a background in the military, or visa versa, or whatever. But this reads like someone who has watched too much TV decided they wanted to write a book. Immediately they sat down in front of a word processor, pumping out page after page, until about 4 days later with no sleep they finally finished and shipped it off to a publisher. Which, okay, fine, have some fun and write what you want. But don't try to sell it off as a realistic technology murder mystery, if it has none of those elements! Last and probably most importantly, this book is clearly full of dog whistling. The \"natural\" hierarchy of society. The Nazi sympathizing. The focus on the economy as power. Racism, sexism, and fascination with guns. The author tries to hide it by making the characters, gasp, atheists. But wow there is a lot buried in there that speak volumes about what this author thinks - and it isn't pretty. ## Wrap up There is so much more wrong with this book. I didn't even get into the red herrings regarding Russia, the fascination with drugs/hypnosis/mind control, or the dumb \"romance\" sub plots. But unlike this book, I know when I've gone on too much. So all in all, don't bother reading.",
"reviewer": "Kobaj"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Resistance is futile",
"text": "Daemon is another \"AI takes over the world\" sci-fi story set in the near future. Yes, it has been done before. Who did it first? HG Wells (who would've could've!?) Heinlen? William Gibson? The Wachowski brothers? Those observations are irrelevant to this sci-fi reader. The themes of sci-fi and it reflections of our psyche, environment, and future are usually very much the same. In Daemon, and other (current) stories like it, the near future and believability aspect are closer to home. Additionally, in every AI story there are variations on the transition and transformation to distributive authority, economic challenges, and the effects on society. Other stories of a similar vein and recently read (not including many more): Avogadro Corp: The Singularity Is Closer Than It Appears The Circle and very much recommended: Nexus Resistance is futile. That theme pretty much plays through on every current AI story--at least at the beginning and in the transition. Then either another revolution occurs or a synergistic state evolves. In short, this whole theme is very intriguing in the world of sci-fi, and if you are a reader who has not spent much time in this theme set, you need to start somewhere. Daemon is a great start to that adventure. Daemon presents us with a dead game maker leaving an AI legacy that is looking for the some kind of revolution at any cost. The objective of that revolution is not totally clear even at the end, but is certainly much clearer in the last 10 pages or so. The structure of using a game as a model for the AI comes out early in the story, and is fundamental to fun of reading it - especially if you do play video games. Daemon is also the first book which also includes \"Freedom\" as the second installment. Be prepared to buy Freedom pretty quickly, as Daemon took only a couple of days of sporadic but concentrated reading to complete, and you will absolutely want to keep reading! Suarez wisely employs the well read Crichton method of story telling--start developing a mystery with multiple stories converging to a crescendo of action and satisfying ending with a hook to the next installment. It is a page turner, well written, and fun. The continuing exploration of AI effects on the economy and society is the central reason to read this type of sci-fi. The transformation that takes place in so many of these stories is revolutionary and evolutionary. Who controls that revolution and evolution is the underlying theme that provides much more room for thought. Highly recommended!",
"reviewer": "Dan Leithauser"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Amazing boook",
"text": "This is just a masterpiece. The book has everything, a good narrative, and characters well created. Omg... But I thought it was just one book. Lol",
"reviewer": "Ernesto N."
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "A real thriller",
"text": "I do not normally read fiction, it is so hard to keep up with cyber security as it is. However Wesley McGrew recommended the book and he is one sharp cookie, so I ordered it from Amazon. The premise, at least I think it is the premise, this is a complex book, is that a video game genius dies ( are we sure Sobol is dead; this we is not, I saw Swordfish ) and leaves a computer program (daemon) that is essentially taking over the world for its own purposes. There was a detective involved, (Sebeck), but they frame him and kill him off ( not sure why and to say more would put me in spoiler land). As the book comes to a close we are down to two people with a clue, a smart pretty girl at NSA, (Phillips), and a mysterious hacker, (Ross). We do not really seem to come to a conclusion, but Wesley also recommended I buy Freedom which I did. Here is hoping we get to some conclusion for Daemon Industries LLC in the second book. I can't speak for the weaponry in the book, but the cyber stuff seemed to be very believable to me, I am guessing the author has some access to subject matter experts. If I was going to make a complaint, it would be how the US Government (CIA, FBI, NSA, DISA etc) tend to be cast as having no clue other than Phillips. It is a dangerous book for a geek to read, make no mistake about it. 632 pages means when you realize you are hooked, you are going to pull an all nighter because you can't put the book down. There is no chance I am going to pick up Freedom today, tonight I have to sleep and I have an important meeting tomorrow. Thank heavens for the $20.00 bag of 100% Kona coffee at Costco. First pot of coffee for the year, but I really need it. I just read a couple more reviews and I want to glom on to the points people make about the ending. It felt like I just fell off the end of the book. I wasn't sure it was me, but it was 3:30 AM. Glad to hear others have the same thought.",
"reviewer": "Stephen Northcutt"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "gaming lingo k",
"text": "Great story.. well written… struggled through the gaming lingo and all the tech talk! Now to purchase number two The end",
"reviewer": "misunderstood"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Enjoyable but not excellent",
"text": "First of all, I liked the book, and look forward to other books by the author. When the sequel is available on the Kindle, I'll buy it. Daemon was entertaining and substantive, although the ending was abrupt. That said, this book very much felt like a better-informed but less well-written Snow Crash with a touch of the Matrix. The author didn't make as many technical mistakes as Stephenson, but his influences were apparent. Of course, it's tough to write a cyberpunk novel involving virtual worlds without running into Neuromancer or Snow Crash, but once you throw in a motorcycle chase at the end, it's a little gratuitous. Stephenson's a bit more naturalistic, if you can say that about a post-modernist. The dialog in Daemon is a bit stilted and awkward feeling, but it's not so bad as to be pulpy. The small-scale technical mistakes were small, and not nearly enough to make me feel like ranting at the author. I think they were more a case of stretching outside his area of expertise and being too precise, a lesson I think Pynchon taught us in his foreword to \"Slow Learner\". He also obviously attempted to shorten the narrative by having senior government officials and military officers know about object code, APIs, and how to pronounce the title of the book. I thank his editor for not letting him go into long descriptions of acronyms, abbreviations, and technical terms, because I probably would have had to skip whole sections of the book. Without the technical exegeses, however, I'm not sure I can recommend it to people who a) aren't extremely computer literate, b) didn't go to university between, say, 1988 and 1998, and c) have not had some exposure to computer and/or network security. This is definitely spun towards the pre-web or cracker technologist. Then again, maybe more people are using IRC today than I think. The larger scale technical issues are those things you just have to go with in the same way you might watch a James Bond film. OK, there's a super-genius villain, it's just possible that maybe he could invent things that are really, really, really, really difficult but brittle, and are capable of executing massively coordinated plans with no intervention. I suspect the sequel will exploit this.",
"reviewer": "reeses"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 12.99,
"listPrice": 22,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B003X27LFE",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Stars and Gods: A Collection of Fact, Fiction & Wit",
"authors": "Larry Niven",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41LhSX2bicL.jpg",
"rating": 4.2,
"reviewCount": "53",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1723850436000",
"description": "\"[Niven's] impressive body of work is given a stunning showcase in this hefty volume. . . . This is an excellent primer for readers wanting to learn more about Niven's work.\" —Publishers WeeklyLarry Niven is the New York Times–bestselling author of such classic science fiction novels as Ringworld and Destiny's Road. His previous collections of nonfiction have been lauded by TheHouston Post as \"outstanding . . . hours of entertainment\" (on N-Space) and by Kirkus Reviews as \"grand entertainment\" (on Playgrounds of the Mind).Now, Stars and Gods collects a dazzling assortment of Niven's most eclectic work into one captivating volume. Here are hand-selected excerpts from his novels, including Escape from Hell and the Fleet of Witches series, as well as numerous short stories, nonfiction articles, collaborations, and correspondence.Stars and Gods roams all over a galaxy's worth of ideas and topics to form a fascinating, kaleidoscopic view of one of science fiction's most beloved writers.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "An unusual look at Larry Niven",
"text": "A set of stories by Larry Niven, some in his classic style, some in a bit different styles. A good read if you like Hi-Tech Sci-Fi.",
"reviewer": "CGLJ"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Catching Up",
"text": "Larry Niven's candour about his writing and his frequent references to his own work mean the fan and scholar have an easy and fun time reading his works and tracing them back to their sources and seeing how they all link together. The problem for readers outside the US is tracking down where these stories appear. So it's great when a collection like this comes along. The previous three, N-Space, ,Playrounds of the Mind and Scatterbrain offered a thorugh retrospective of Niven's writing career up to just before the publication of Ringworld's Children, his last solo novel, and Stars and Gods picks up the bibliography from there. In and around the stories and excerpts from novels are little introductory pieces by Niven giving you the ral-life background or literary environment in which the piece belongs and sometimes these intros explain a point that might be a bit obscure in the text. Like most Niven they're worth pondering a bit and you get nice aphorims about the writing craft, too. Plus the introductions and afterwords are what's it all about--they're the written equivalent of a DVD commentary. My personal highlight is \"The Gatherers' Guild\". Niven says this is his best conspiracy story, so if you like the idea that there are not-so-secret government agencies covertly running your life, buy this book. . . .while you still can.",
"reviewer": "D. J. Rout"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Mixed Quality and Fragments",
"text": "I love Larry Niven, let's get that out of the way. I think his Known Space works are frequently perfect and, collectively, sublime. That being said, this book is a hodgepodge of short fiction, short articles, fragments of novels, and a couple of interviews. It reminds me of being to the end of the month without enough money. Dinner ends up being whatever was in the fridge, nice in a pan, and cooked. The odds of a cordón bleu result are slim to none. Same with this book. Recommended for the absolute fan, not for the casual reader.",
"reviewer": "Andres Pedraza"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "I am not going to apologize!",
"text": "For my love of Larry Niven's work. No, I am not, I can't really explain it, as it doesn't seem to mesh with the rest of my tastes when it comes to written fiction. The writing isn't in any way impressive, the characters... Okay I love Louis Wu and Beowulf Schaeffer, and Chmee, but past that? In the whole vast set of Larry's work I can barely name anyone else. But if you find that you like his work then get this thing, gobble it up and enjoy!",
"reviewer": "Don From Indiana"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Good Niven",
"text": "Anything Niven is great (except Footfall).",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Not Just Keeping Up",
"text": "Classic Niven, but evolved. The short pieces, as ever, are absolute gems. Everybody loves the novels, but Niven's true artistry shows itself at full operating capacity in his vignettes.",
"reviewer": "John Waterman"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "great",
"text": "Best short story guy in the field. Not so with his novels. Glad to see he has return to doing short stories.",
"reviewer": "Steven Thomas"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Collection of excerpts and shorts",
"text": "This is an unusual book, an eclectic mix of excerpt teases from his novels, short stories, bits of nonfiction work, collaborations and even correspondance. The collection gives a wide variety of samplings of his work, but the value here is more a fannish one of the backstory he gives for past items and the collection of such variety. Not recomended for a new reader as there is no overall theme and the fragmentary parts are not really a full plot or understandable on their own. The Niven fan will see many things you've not read read before, and some explanations about old favorites, just don't go in expecting all new material or a full length book. CONTENTS: 1. Excerpts from novels - Ringworlds Children chapter 1 - Rainbow Mars chapter 18 - Escape from Hell 7th circle 3rd round - Burning Tower chapter 2 - Building Harlequin's Moon chapter 12 - Juggler of Worlds chapter 59 2. Stories \"Choosing Names\", \"Fly-by-Night\", \"The Hunting Park\", \"After Mecca\", \"Cadet Amelia\", \"Cat Toy\", \"Chicxulub\", \"The Gatherers Guild\", \"The Solipsist at Dinner\", \"Boys and Girls Together\" 3. Nonfiction for Space.Com \"Traveler\" \"Rocket Men\" \"Wet Mars\" 4/5/6/7 Collaborations - Beowulf's Children - \"Where Next, Columbus?\" - Achilles' Choice chapter 15 - \"Choosing Life\", \"Free Floaters\", \"Finding Myself\" 8. Draco Tavern Stories \"The Missing Mass\", \"Safe Harbor\" 9. Miscellaneous Nonfiction Hooking the Reader, Interview by Brenda Cooper in 2000, Food Story for Con Jose Program book, \"Inconstant Moon Has Passed\"",
"reviewer": "Mark Bassett"
},
{
"stars": 2,
"title": "Ripoff.",
"text": "As a fan (of SF in general and Larry Niven in particular) I was deeply disappointed. Most of the components of this compilation are what are known in the industry as \"teasers\" -- chapter-length excerpts of longer works. Usually they appear at the end of full-length novels advertising the next volume in the series, and are designed to make you go out and buy that next volume. But to gather a bunch of them up and SELL them as if they were new or original writing? I suppose some editor approached Niven and said something like, let's throw this together, people will buy it on name recognition, and you won't have to do any work since It's stuff you already wrote. Similar to an established musician releasing an oldies-but-moldies album. This is blatant commercialism totally unworthy of a great author like Larry Niven.",
"reviewer": "Robin Eastern"
},
{
"stars": 2,
"title": "Self indulgent nonsense...",
"text": "Like many I have grown up in the Larry Niven era; clearly, he has been one of the most prolific and celebrated authors of the last 30 years. The original \"Ringworld\", \"Man-Kzin\" and \"Dream Park\" novels are justifiable classics. While I respect the previous reviewer's opinion, this \"collection\" of writings is mostly derivative, with meaningless snippets of prior works. It is virtually pointless and a sad offering from a once great author. I am returning it for a refund. On the other hand, I would like to know how other Niven fans react to this publication.",
"reviewer": "Morphie"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Larry Niven's Stars and Gods",
"text": "Love this and the other book I bought Goliath Stone...both are incredible...fast paced and best of all another Niven book to add to my Niven treasure trove.",
"reviewer": "billin STC"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Five Stars",
"text": "5-stars? Of course! It's Niven.",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "In Case You Missed Something",
"text": "Stars and Gods (2010) is a collection of recent SF works, including extracts from several novels. It also contains fantasy and non-fiction pieces and provides introductions to the various selections. This book is divided into nine parts. Preface - comments on this book, writing and a few other topics. Part One: Excerpts - Ringworld's Children extract - trapped by a Protector. - Rainbow Mars extract - captured on Mars. - Escape from Hell extract - better dining in hell. - Burning Tower extract - among the oarsmen. - Building Harlequin's Moon extract - seeing the works from space. - Fleet of Worlds extract - frustrated by the Gw'oth. - Juggler of Worlds extract - caught on New Terra. Part Two: Stories - \"Choosing Names\" - negotiating with the enemy. - \"Fly-by-Night\" - held hostage among Kzinti. - \"The Hunting Park\" - Kzinti hunting in Africa. - \"After Mecca\" - the inside story, - \"Cadet Amelia\" - cats in space. - \"Cat Toy\" - the talking cat and the dead mouse. - \"Chicxulub\" - talking with dragons. - \"The Gathers' Guild\" - the real tax conspiracy. - \"The Solipsist at Dinner\" - an imagination at work. - \"Boys and Girls Together\" - the oldest children. Part Three: Nonfiction for Space.com - \"Traveler\" - networking versus traveling. - \"Rocket Men\" - the eighth \"Access to Space\" convention. - \"Wet Mars\" - water on Mars. Part Four: Collaborations with Jerry Pournelle and Steven Barnes - \"Beowulf's Children\" - the very large scribe. Part Five: Collaborations with Jerry Pournelle - \"Where Next, Columbus?\" - profits and getting into space. Part Six: Collaborations with Steven Barnes - \"Achilles' Choice\" - the Olympian and the nerd. Part Seven: Collaborations with Brenda Cooper - \"Choosing Life\" - going digital. - \"Free Floaters\" - the female who dared. - \"Finding Myself\" - a backup was released. Part Eight: Draco Tavern Stories - \"The Missing Mass\" - the forerunners did it. - \"Safe Harbor\" - invading the bar. Part Nine: Miscellaneous Nonfiction - Hooking the Reader - getting their attention. - Larry Niven Interview by Brenda Cooper in 2000 AD - a few thoughts. - Food Story for the Con Jose Program Book - quit smoking and start writing about food. - \"Inconstant Moon Has Passed\" - watching the Moon with a friend and a dog. According to the Preface, the above selections are everything that has been going on within the author's literary life since Scatterbrain. The cutoff date would be a year or so ago, before Destroyer of Worlds. In any case, his writing seems to have slowed down lately, even with the collaborations. Larry Niven has been on the forefront of SF -- and Fantasy -- for many years. One hopes that the author will publish another collection five or six years from now. Read and enjoy! Highly recommended for Niven fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales and articles about science and other way out ideas. -Arthur W. Jordin",
"reviewer": "Arthur W Jordin"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "The short stories alone make this collection worth the price of the book",
"text": "Larry Niven's \"Stars and Gods\" is a collection of excerpts from his novels, short stories, blog posts and essays. Most certainly a treasure trove for Niven fans, but also plenty of interest for readers new to his work. As an avid Sci-Fi fan, I have certainly heard of Larry Niven, but have somehow never gotten around to reading any of his work. I was so excited to win this advance copy of \"Stars and Gods\" from GoodReads - it was a wonderful introduction to the writing and thought processes of Larry Niven. Part One \"Excerpts from the Novels\" reminded me of the Coming Attractions teasers at the beginning of a DVD. These excerpts provide a 1-2 chapter preview of Niven's most recent novels. It had the intended effect, as I will definitely be checking out the Ringworld series. However, I am especially fond of short story collections and consider these to be the Main Feature of \"Stars and Gods\" with the essays and other offerings being the Bonus Features. Niven certainly knows his science, but he also has an extraordinary understanding of human psychology which he uses to add depth to his characters - even the non-human sentient beings. His stories are populated with real people dealing with the realistic struggles of being human - usually in alien environments. There are a few stories that are quite cerebral, but there is also plenty of action, drama, and occasionally a little comic relief. When I truly enjoy a story or a novel, I often wonder what inspired the author to write it. That is why I personally found the author's introductions to many of the pieces to be the most appealing bonus of this collection. Even if you are not interested in essays, excerpts of larger works, or what inspired the author when he was working on a particular piece, anyone who appreciates good Sci-Fi will find the short stories make this collection worth the price of the book.",
"reviewer": "Amazon customer"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 11.99,
"listPrice": 17.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B004478DOU",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Lucifer's Hammer",
"authors": "Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51+gUbhLTIL.jpg",
"rating": 4.5,
"reviewCount": "5,160",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1585948170000",
"description": "In this bestselling novel by the authors of THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE, a massive comet breaks apart and bombards the Earth, with catastrophic results: worldwide earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, thousand-foot tidal waves and seemingly endless rain… With civilization in ruins, individuals band together to survive and to build a new society. \"A MEGATON OF SUSPENSEFUL EXCITEMENT ... which should keep readers going non-stop, cover to cover\" - Booklist.\r\n\r\n\"A work in the grand tradition ... even the miracle of Sensurround may be inadequate to convey all the imaginative reverberations.\" \r\n- Los Angeles Times\r\n \r\n\"A 'Disaster' thriller of rare quality ... for its expertise and the scale of its apocalypse ... Strings out the suspense almost unbearably.\" \r\n- John Barkham Reviews\r\n \r\n\"The first satisfying end-of-the-world novel in years ... an ultimate one ... massively entertaining.\"\r\n- Cleveland Plain-Dealer\r\n \r\n\"Take your earthquakes, waterlogged condominiums, swarms of bugs, colliding airplanes and flaming what-nots, wrap them up and they wouldn't match one page of LUCIFER'S HAMMER for sweaty-palmed suspense.\" \r\n- Chicago Daily News",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A dark view of life after apocalypse",
"text": "Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven are among the best technical writers in the U.S. Add to that a vivid imagination, and headlines ripped from yesterday's newspapers (it was written several decades ago, after all)and you have a recipe for an exciting book and enough plot developments to keep you thinking, \"Would it really be like that?\" Rather than deal with the whole issue of nuclear disaster (except as a minor plot point without the usual cliches), the authors' disaster of choice is a flying asteroid. In the most realistic part of the book, they have scientists and news broadcasters minimizing the possiblility of a disaster, not because of villainy, but because they were calculating the odds the rock would hit the earth and at the same time trying not to \"panic\" the population. A tall order. But in the end, none of that mattered in the face of the near-total destruction which ensued. It's not clear whether the rock actually hit the earth or just got so close it might as well have. The aftermath is almost a second book. Some readers took it as a manual for preparing for any disaster. \"Ah, ha! I should take care to stock this, and not worry about that.\" The whole mood and all the action completely changed, but the characters' personalities stayed consistent in the face of many extreme, but mostly believable, events. \"Yes, he would have acted like that.\" The book was exciting, kept my interest in spite of its length, and left me with much to ponder. Would it really be like that? If not, how WOULD it be? Would people's reactions be different in different states? How would Texans have dealt with this, for example, compared to Utahns, rather than Californians? Finally, my highest accolade. When I finished reading the book, I mailed it to my son, who first turned me on to those authors years ago. Thanks, son!",
"reviewer": "Jo McIntyre"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "End of the World 1977 Version",
"text": "Lucifer's Hammer is probably the mother of all geological disaster books. I haven't read but this one, but I see this book in many, if not all of the geological disaster movies I've seen. The premise of the book is simple yet so thorough and seemingly well researched. A comet is on a course towards Earth, as it gets nearer and the probability of it hitting Earth increases the people begin to prepare. Some preppers are believers that it's bringing about the end of the world and others hold on to the belief that it's an irrational fear. The book details A.) pre-comet life and hysteria through the perspective of dozens of characters, then B.) events immediately after the comet hits, then C.) post-comet life. One thing is for sure; Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle are well read, or at least they did a lot of research for this book. There were many scientific, religious and technical references; too many to be just cursory knowledge. It all enhanced the believability of it all. There were about 200 pages of build up (too many in my opinion), in which we got to know several characters and we got to see how this impending comet was causing a stir. After the comet strike the book was divided into immediate aftermath: tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, volcanoes, torrential rains, etc. Coupled with the geological events were the actions of the people. Their actions were just as destructive as the comet if not more. Part three of the book, if you like, would be survival and the rebuilding process. The book took you all over the place but the main setting was the Los Angeles area. That's where the majority of the events occurred but in that area you were taken from scientist to journalist to politician to administrative assistant to criminal and others' activities. There were times, such as with the scientists, that the conversation and the jargon was over my head. Imagine walking in on two physicists talking about their everyday work. To them it is regular everyday talk but to an outsider they may as well be speaking martian. Also with the different players you got glimpses at intimate relationships to the point you wondered what kind of book it was. They delved into too many ancillary topics for my taste but not enough to totally lose me.",
"reviewer": "Rasheed"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "One of My Favorites - Highly Recommended",
"text": "\"Lucifer's Hammer\" is one of my favorite post-apocalyptic books and usually read it once every other year or so. The social aspects and technology portrayed in the story are certainly dated some 35 years after this was first published, but the story still holds up and is a very entertaining read for fans of the genre. No spoilers from me: The story centers (mostly) on a wealthy amateur astronomer named Tim Hamner who is \"lucky\" enough to be the co-finder of a previously unknown comet. As the comet becomes better studied, it quickly becomes known that is will at least be visible from earth and Tim gains some interest from the media, which dubs the comet \"The Hammer\". The writing style took a bit to get used to, as the character coverage changes between chapters, but did find it be a an interesting way to weave the individual stories together as the book moved along. I also found the interaction between characters to be the most realistically portrayed, which is likely a result of the excellent character development in a book this big. I still enjoy this one every time I pick it up! Highly Recommended! CFH",
"reviewer": "C. Hill"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Still the best post-apocalyptic novel out there",
"text": "I read this when it first came out, again about 20 yrs later and now again last week. I’ve read many of the post-apocalyptic novels from past 50 years and this one still sets the bar on what this genre should be. Sure, some of the novels demand less of the reader and are an easier read but this one takes you there and makes you think. I’m not a prepper but I do remember the “duck-and-cover” drills in elementary school and if COVID taught us anything things can fall apart pretty quickly in the face of a catastrophic event. This novel is just one dramatization of what that could look like and it’s a decent read.",
"reviewer": "DAC"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great story",
"text": "Had to get rid of most of my vast collection of books when I downsized. Glad to find a replacement for my Kindle. This is one of my all time favorite speculative fiction stories. Well written and great story!",
"reviewer": "Marianne Vandenberg"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Entertaining Read, Even If Not Best Of the Genre",
"text": "Overall entertaining book on the destruction of the modern world, due to a comet. There are 2 main sections to the book, the 1/3rd which deals with the story before the comet hits the earth. The rest of the book deals with the story after the comet. I found the first 3rd of the book a bit draggy. A lot of people were rapidly introduced, several who would not survive the comet. The authors did helpfully provide a glossary of main characters at the beginning of the book. Many of the characters introduced at the beginning seemed pretty superficial, making it hard to identify with them. The book was written as a contemporary 70's novel, which also makes it hard to connect with the book in todays culture. Some of the best inside storylines, such as Henry Armitage being suspiciously similar to real life preacher Herbert Armstrong will undoubtedly be missed by younger people reading this book. Some people have accused the book of being racist, racist or not, the book reflects the contemporary culture of the 70's, and the authors can't be blamed for that. So, then the comet hits. The book because much more entertaining at this point. The books delves into the different survivor cultures that build up. Much more time is spent on the \"good guys\" side, it would have been nice to see an equal amount of time spent on all the survivor groups, this certainly would have made for a more suspenseful story, if readers could have connected with both sides of the conflict. I wasn't real thrilled with the ending. The authors obviously intended for people to identify with 1 side as \"good\" and with the other side as \"bad\", but I don't feel that their writing clearly supported that premise. While the 2 sides methods were different, before the main showdown, both were willing to kill outsiders to support their side. One could make the case that while the \"good\" guys killed passively (usually), and the\" bad\" guys actively, the \"bad\" guys almost always gave people a chance to join their side and only killed them when they refused, which is not an option the \"good\" guys did. So which side was the \"good\" guys? And the very ending, where the women are supporting the most perilously, risky choice, while the men are supporting the most conservative, safest choice, just doesn't match up with real life where women on average support the safest choice, and men the riskier choice. It did not ring true, and the development of the characters to that point, I felt, did not support their choices. I also felt too much of the writing was unclear, especially the comet personified chapters. A non-comet example near the end of the book mentions a main character who \"felt Erica's hands on him.\" Who was Erica? His girlfriend, his slave, a deserter from the other side, a hallucination? We don't know, because that page is the only mention of Erica in the story. It would have been much more clear, if instead of naming Erica, the authors had explained who she was, something like \"he felt the hands of one of his clanswomen on him.\" I did feel the book was a bit formulaic. I felt like the authors had a checklist of things that should be included in a doomsday book, and went down the checklist to make sure everything on the list was included in their book. Cannibalism, check, suicidal guy who finds a new purpose in life, check, prepper who has all his supplies stolen from him, check, sex with underage girls, check, etc. The authors did clearly have a \"mission\" in writing this book, yet they were very careful not to state that in the book, only near the end, did one character vaguely make a statement supporting the authors mission. Kudos to the authors for letting the story tell itself, and not beating people over the head with the point they wished to make. This book is a worthy read, the 3 star rating is based on the stiff competition it has with doomsday books. If someone doesn't enjoy doomsday books, then this book is not for them, as its not the best of the genre. But for people who do enjoy doomsday books, this book is quite enjoyable.",
"reviewer": "T-Rex 5"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Dated but good. Racist? Maybe by modern standards",
"text": "The impact of a novel like Lucifer's Hammer is in how quickly the authors believe that modern civilization would crumble. The central premise of the authors was that all of civilization is just 3 meals away from destruction. From this premise they were able to accelerate the downward spiral of civilization into haves and have-nots in a very short amount of time. The side parody off the classic characters and formulas of the 1970's disaster movie formula is also worth a chuckle at many points throughout the book. The enlightened science behind how humans would experience the raw energy of a comet impact is very well done. The sequences where characters perceive flashes out of the side of their vision when Hammerfall occurs seem in-line with how it would happen. It is masterful to watch the authors scientifically destroy civilization by applying the actual values of the kinetic energy of a series of comet impacts to realistic destruction scenarios. The thought given to basic things like instant volcano eruption occurring due to the kinetic energy transfer are eye-opening and worthy of more looks at research being done on the topic to determine what happened to Earth in the geologic past. The last 15% of this novel is highly controversial due to perceived racism of the authors. An enterprising student could write a Ph.D. thesis on the historical, economic, and scientific themes that lead the authors to write the end of Lucifer's Hammer the way they did in the era in which they wrote it. I cannot defend or condone the last 15% of this book. I have to leave that to the authors, the 1970's, the modern sensibility of the reader, and the person writing their. Ph.D. Thesis on the topic. I would say that Lucifer's Hammer has enough greatness in it up until that last 15% to be worth a read. In fact if you read Lucifer's Hammer up until the (sorry, spoilers! For a 30+ year book!) time the astronauts land on Earth, I think you will have read some of the best science fiction out there. Niven and Pournelle are old school masters of science fiction. They have many other works which are far superior (and less controversial) than Lucifer's Hammer. Please don't throw out the baby that is 'The Mote in God's Eye' because of the dirty bath water created by a portion of 'Lucifer's Hammer'.",
"reviewer": "Batgar"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "This is one great read.",
"text": "Having just finished Lucifer's Hammer, I must say it is one of the best books of its type I have ever read - and I've been reading Sci Fi for at least 60 years, including such similar books as the Dust and Silo series, The Passage and The Twelve, and the Hunger Games series. While the book forces us to believe in a comet strike ( easier than the vampires of The Passage), it develops in a most believable way. The characters are credible and reasonably well developed ( this isn't Shakespeare) and some are easy to like and admire ( contrast this with Gone Girl). How individuals and groups react to and try to cope with such a profound destruction of all we know was very well thought through and very credible. The fact that the authors relied on real science (of the 70's) and real places also made the book one the reader could relate to. I live in the Pasadena area, and know the route to JPL ( and JPL) very well. I also now know where Springville, CA is, as well as topography surrounding it, and could actually follow the story on a Google map. Some have complained that the book was slow to develop. This is true when compared to the rest of the book, which is very fasted paced, and needed to understand the characters as people. The book was written in the 70's and it shows - concern over \"global cooling\" and the descriptions of race relations ( my teenage grand daughter had never heard the word \"honkey\"). This dated, although did not detract from, the book. Still others complained of \"racism\". This is total B/S. No, all Blacks were not treated as heroes - neither were all whites. There were some Black good guys ( an astronaut and his family, the Mayor of LA, some cops) and some Black not so good guys ( a street thug and his gang - the leader of which was described as \"brilliant\" and a \"natural leader\", and a military deserter and leader of the antagonist army). To walk away from this book and see racism is difficult to fathom - unless you go through life looking for such. At any rate, if you like this type of book and have not read it, it is a must.",
"reviewer": "L. Green"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Overall, this is a good book, but the pacing is off.",
"text": "Just finished the book yesterday. Overall, this is a good book, but the pacing is off. I struggled to get through the first act and was rewarded for it by the end of the story. Things done well: -The research seemed legitimate about the effects of a comet hitting earth and what it would do to the world and specifically southern California. -Main and supporting characters are likable and had alright character arcs. Not great, but still good arcs. -Few actions the characters take strain credulity, so my suspension of disbelief remained intact -The last 20% of the book was fast paced and riveting, which made up for the first 33%. -The themes were prominent and got one thinking about how civilization is constructed without hitting the reader over the head, but could have been illustrated better as character motivation a little more on the way to the end, because this became important to the climax of the book. Things that detract from the story: -Act 1 was a snooze fest. It was all setup for the characters. It might have made more sense to start from a week before the comet hits rather than 6 months. -Too many characters. Some of them are there to illustrate what people might do when civilization dies, but are ultimately throw away characters that aren't important to the plot. The astronauts fall into this category. They should have been cut completely and were there to serve as a viewpoint for what was happening to the earth as a whole and to give an external view of the comet in it's final moments. This didn't need to happen because there was from the beginning short narrations from the viewpoint of the comet. One of them also gets shoehorned into a love triangle making it a love tetrahedron (if that's a thing), which was completely unnecessary to the story. I got the feeling that the astronauts were there so it was definitively labeled science-fiction. Some characters get dropped out of the story for hundreds of pages before becoming important again. Others die off-screen or we never learn their fate. At one point, we are introduced to Tim's family members and an old flame, but they never appear again nor does he think about them after the comet. -The switch between character viewpoints during the cataclysm has some time hopping issues. Sometimes the viewpoints happen simultaneously, while others are a little skewed in time, which can be confusing. -The villains ended up being far more cleverer than I was led to believe. For a group of people who are all about tearing down industry, they turn out to be very industrious and resourceful. It seemed the plot needed them to be this way, so they were. -Part of the main conflict that the third act was building to was ultimately resolved between the last chapter and the epilogue, which was disappointing. There was resolution, but the resolution was internal rather than external and came off as forced. Part of me wants to give the book 2 stars, because the more I think about it, the more disappointed I am with the conclusion. It was a fun and enjoyable read for 65% of the book, so I bumped it up to three. *Side notes: The references to sci-fi pop culture of their yester-years were fun fan service for anyone who knows what \"Amazing Stories\" magazine is and is familiar with Asimov's Foundation series, but those genre references always draw me out of the story. The San Joaquin Nuclear Plant was planned, but never built. It was turned down by voters in 1978, where as the book was released in 1977.",
"reviewer": "Justin R. Lawrence"
},
{
"stars": 1,
"title": "5 Reasons Why You Should Save Your Money",
"text": "I've read other books by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle like The Mote in God's Eye so I thought I was in for a real treat when I picked this one up. I couldn't have been more wrong. If I took the time I could spend an hour writing out all the things I found awful about this book but I won't because I'm afraid no one would read it and frankly I don't have that kind of time or energy and I still have a lot of respect for the authors despite this poor showing. So that said I'll limit my criticism to 5 points that come to mind first: 1) Unbelievable, Undeveloped or Out-of Place Plot Elements (WARNING: some spoilers) I know this is Sci-Fi (which is why I read it) so you expect to have your imagination bent but it has to make sense or fit within the story. This book is riddled with tons of out of place plots that never really go anywhere and don't add to the story. For example... randomly China nukes Russia in the middle of this whole comet strikes Earth tragedy and Russia counter-strikes then the U.S. kinda gets involved but nothing more is really said and then we are just left with that. Another thing that strikes me as odd as the relationships that all of the characters have with each other. This is the \"undeveloped\" part. It seems disjointed. One of our main characters has his son, whom he seemingly loves, go off into the mountains on a Boy Scout trip with his neighbor before the comet strikes. After the disaster he makes a big deal trying to find him and when he does his son is this 14yo woodsman warrior commando who is second in command of this Lord of the Flies meets the Boy Scouts in the California Mountains and he sees his son for like five minutes and his son is like \"sorry dude... I'm staying here... catch you later\" and dad is just fine with this. Oh... I should mention his 14yo son makes this amazing transformation to Tarzan of California killing wild beasts, making tea of trees and bedding his woman-folk in about 5 days after the comet strikes. Very realistic. 2) Pacing - Did they just get bored? (more spoilers) I read this on my ereader and I looked down at the percentage read and at 89% finished we finally reached the arc of the story. This where we finally were getting somewhere and our major characters had their problem to solve. The first 33% was a bunch of filler about all of our characters, the next 20% was accounts of where people were when the comet hit then a bunch of \"on the road\" stuff and finally they cram the last bits into the last 11% of the book. I think it is sufficit to say it doesn't work well and makes for terrible pacing. 3) Dated, Dated, Dated You can write a book for its time and that is one thing but this book uses so much period slang like \"honkey\" and \"jive\", etc. that it feels really out of place. Also it relies heavily on technology of the day talking about calculators as if they are magical, color televisions (seriously - they call out color tv's multiple times), radiophones (what is that?), etc. I understand it was the 70's but I expect more from the authors, especially two who have written other great Sci-Fi novels. You have to consider how your work is going to age and use more ambiguous terms for technology so it ages well. 4) Disjointed, Jaunty Writing I don't know what was going on with some of the writing but I would be reading a page and the sentence structure would just drive off a cliff or I'd find several words inserted in places which made no sense at all. Several times I'd find myself flipping back a page to make sure I hadn't missed something or re-reading a paragraph. No... I read it correctly. I'm not really sure what else to say about this. It is what it is. Maybe get a better editor? I guess almost 40 years later it's a little too late now. 5) Boring - How can you make the end of the world boring? Up til' now I've spent a lot of time picking apart the writing but the last thing I'll leave you with is my thoughts on the content. It's just boring. How can you write an apocalyptic end of the world book about a comet blowing away Earth and make it boring? Well look no further because we have the answer right here. Read this book and you'll know. It's all in print. This has got to be some of the most uninspired science fiction I've read in years.",
"reviewer": "J. Hopwood"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "MORE INTELLIGENT THAN MOST POST-APOCALYPSE FICTIONS",
"text": "Reading this book from the perspective of a philosophy of Homo sapiens, as presented in my most recent book, let me add some comments which differ from those of most other reviewers. As distinct from much post-apocalypse fiction, Lucifer’s Hammer presents a realistic view of violence becoming widespread after devastation, up to cannibalism, as well as the appearance of Messianic malignant prophets (pp. 460ff). Attention is given to accelerated maturation of teenagers in very stressful situations. And many other features of the book are quite realistic given that this is a science fiction novel. This book is especially good on the requirements of high-quality leadership given catastrophic conditions and despair (e.g. pp. 409ff.), including their duty to provide hope, even if there is little and lies have to be told to followers (p. 410), while the leaders themselves have to be very realistic and act according to the rule “The only damned chance we’ve got, any of us has got, it to go on trying to act rationally” (p. 409). And rationally when in charge of a community which hardly has food for surviving the coming dreadful winter requires from leaders the mental strength to make tragic choices, such as rejecting pleadings by families with small children to be admitted and thus condemning them to a harsh death. And tragic choices requiring outstanding leaders abound when efforts are made to rebuild civilizations while resources can hardly maintain a small portion of the survivors of a global calamity, in this book the impact of a large comet on earth. Very appropriate are also the quotes opening chapters, picked from high-quality authors such as Heinlein, de Jouvenel and Vacca. My only reservation concerns the length of the last part of the book dealing with war against a fanatic murderous coalition inspired by an armed prophet opposing efforts to rebuild science-based civilization. Shortening it by a third would, I think, have made this intelligent and well-written book even better. But this is a minor point. I surely recommend this book for serious reading by students aspiring to become leaders, to be followed by thinking through what they would do if leading a hardly surviving community faced by desperate applicants and murderous enemies. Professor Yehezkel Dror The Hebrew University of Jerusalem",
"reviewer": "Yehezkel Dror"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "a glimpse into the world of the 70s",
"text": "A great post-apocalyptic novel, written in the style of it's time, with slower character development that is usual for this type of thing today. I grew up in this era, and it reads like a time capsule with regards to how the characters act and talk. The violence lacks the graphic catharsis of todays works, and reads like a novel, and not as a hopeful stab at screenwriting for todays authors, who are hoping for that ethereal movie deal... (some current novels practically have stage directions written into the text). There are issues of race, and infidelity, and betrayal, which are addressed in ways that might shock today's young readers. It is not formulaic, the protagonists are not ninja fighters, or superheroes, and the action can at times be what can be called \"cheesy\". I learned a lot about the vehicle called the Travelall, in fact found a few online for sale, thinking it was a monstrously big tank of a truck by how it was described in the book. Nope, not by todays standards, just a big ol SUV. I compare this book favorably to \"The Earth Abides\", written a generation previous to this one. Both have at their heart a message of hope. They were written when across America we were building fallout shelters in our basements, storing food, doing the duck and cover in school, and actively planning on trying to survive a nuclear conflagration. Our parents lived WW2, the Korean War, and Vietnam. So these books are I think telling us that there is a future for humanity, although it may not incude us, and there is a point to acting in a human and virtuous manner no matter what the situation. Despite being alive in an exceedingly dangerous time, these characters, and the actual people of the time, did not seem to carry with them as a group the almost institutional depression and anxiety of our own time. So buck up! In my opinion the book was a great read, I learned a few things, and remembered even more. 5 stars.",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Decidedly average doomsday thriller",
"text": "Well this sci-fi novel stacks up like so: Plot - average Background research - above average Characterization - below average Overall - decidedly average After many pages of buildup during which scientists track a new comet's progress through the inner Solar System, the comet eventually fragments and several of the pieces collide with planet Earth at thousands of miles an hour, sending civilization into the next dark age. I won't describe here exactly what happens when the comet hits, since that's probably the best part of the book. The rest of the novel is about how various groups deal with the aftermath and attempt to rebuild. Other reviewers have complained of the long buildup and the many plot threads introduced during that phase. Personally I didn't mind it much, because it contained just enough space science to keep me interested. I did not, however, gain any sort of empathy or fondness for any of the characters during this buildup phase. They were just so wooden and uninteresting. To me this is what causes the book to take a sharp downward turn in the second half. At least in the first half we have the big apocalyptic hammer strike to look forward to. But the second half became a fairly mediocre adventure / survival type story involving a bunch of characters I never really cared much for. Yeah there's some politics, some sex, some drama, whatever. It's not particularly well done. If I recall correctly, the authors are scientists. Well, they should just focus on the science since that's what they're good at. Better than attempting these unconvincing forays into other areas. We have several plot threads that ultimately converge into just two: the good guys and the bad guys. The good guys are making a genuine effort at establishing a new community with rules and assigned duties. The bad guys see the disintegration of law & order as an opportunity for taking everything they can acquire, regardless of who's killed to get it. Also, they have resorted to cannibilism and feed on their enemies' bodies because it makes for an easy food supply. I'm trying to remember what made me buy this book several years ago. I buy most books on referrals from friends or Amazon reviews. At the time I remember that I was passionately into amateur astronomy and was snapping up space-related books left, right, and center. Also, the great number of glowing reviews (which I don't think this book deserves) probably swayed me. I'm tempted to recommend that you stop reading after the comet hits and you witness the damage it causes. That part's probably fairly realistic and all I have to say is I sure hope a comet never hits us anytime soon. Anyway, after that point in the book there's nothing more than bog standard pulp sci-fi fare to read for 300 pages. Actually it's not really even sci-fi after that point, it's more like an adventure novel. And not a great one at that.",
"reviewer": "Ritesh Laud"
},
{
"stars": 2,
"title": "Don't waste your time.",
"text": "I can't believe how badly this book has aged. While I remember it fondly when I was much much younger, re-reading it I am clueless why I liked this book originally. The science is to be expected dated, but the sexism is amazing to read and makes the writing seem to be completely out of touch and comical. To say that this book has not aged well would be an understatement. I also found the story to be boring and tedious. Don't waste your time on this.",
"reviewer": "John"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 6.3,
"listPrice": 11,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B004FGMURG",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Outies (Mote Series Book 3)",
"authors": "J.R. Pournelle",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41ZSUkiFPwL.jpg",
"rating": 3.7,
"reviewCount": "1,110",
"series": "Mote Series",
"seriesPosition": "3",
"acquisitionDate": "1301362006000",
"description": "Fixer Asach Quinn is bored and jaded on Makkasar. Librarian Colchis Barthes is winding down his career on Sparta. Governor Jackson is corrupt and scheming on Maxroy's Purchase. Seer Laurel Courter is young and determined. Splintered by distance, competing visions, and outside rivalries, New Utah is forgotten and alone in a remote backwater of Imperial space. Its residents, busy scratching a living from alien soil beyond the Coal Sack nebula, don't even know they've been designated as an \"Outworld.\" A lot of them don't even know each other.Thirty-five years ago, the Moties made first contact with the Second Empire of Man. Sentient, capable, and sometimes charming, they nevertheless proved to be enemies of humankind—--not by intent, but by dint of biology( Mote in God's Eye). The Fleet’s ability to block Motie access to human space now depends upon a shaky alliance with the horrifically prolific, technologically brilliant, three-armed Moties themselves ( Gripping Hand). Human and Motie shareholders have assumed joint control of industrial giant Imperial Autonetics, but the Empire still decides the fate of worlds. Those already possessing space-worthy craft may join as Classified systems, and enjoy the benefits of access to new technology, trading rights, and Fleet protection. Those less advanced may be parceled out as colonial concessions ( King David's Spaceship). Outworlds that refuse to join risk annihilation by zealous commanders intent on preserving the hard-won peace at any cost. New Utah's fate depends upon meeting the Empire with one, united voice. Enter the Seer, the Fixer, and the Librarian. One way or another, everything is about to change.\"While faithful to the premises of The Mote in God's Eye, Outies takes a fresh look at that universe from the fringes of the Second Empire of Man.\" --- Larry Niven \"With page turning action coupled to a stunning sense of place, Outies takes the notion of 'first cointact' to new levels.\" --- Jerry Pournelle",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Tough to get through the first half, but worth it.",
"text": "Dr. Jennifer Pournelle (the daughter of Dr. Jerry Pournelle) does a good job of creating a complex and believable society on New Utah. It is obvious that her personal expertise in the areas of archaeology, complex societies, ecology, and the Middle East heavily influenced her writing, and also enriched it. Unfortunately, her strength is also the greatest weakness of the novel. The language and story is at times so complex as to be impossible to grasp. And in several places she uses 10 polysyllabic words when 5 simpler ones would have done the job. For example, when describing \"Moorstown\" she states: \"The loutish testosterone haze that inevitably accompanies conscientious and coltish males, made more so by imagining themselves as some brand of muscle-professional [] acts as a polarizing lens of masculine aesthetic. Only the garish, the cacophonous, the massive, the aggressively-strapped-to-industrial-workbench-practical survives the filter of breakage and brigandage to compete in their payday marketplace..\" Wow! That is quite a command of the English language, but frankly after winding my way through that minefield of masterful linguistic manipulation...I forgot what I was reading and had to go back and read it again. I can definitely understand why a previous reviewer gave up before getting halfway through the book. That also plays a role in difficulty I had following the characters. The combination of the complex society I was having to learn, and the complex use of language made it difficult to lock onto key characters and differentiate them. BUT all that said, bulldogging my way through the first half of the book paid rewards. For some reason, the language seemed to turn more lean and mean in the second half of the book. And, probably because I started grasping (gripping!) more of the society, the interactions started making more sense. After finishing the book, I had the urge to go back and read it again, and did. Half remembered details from early in the story made a lot more sense. There were foreshadowings that were just to subtle for me the first time, or were buried in words. Frankly, I enjoyed the book even more the second read-through and have upgraded my review because of it. Overall, the plot was engaging, the society was complex, realistic, and interesting, and the ending laid rich ground for follow-up stories. I recommend that \"Mote\" fans buy it and read through it twice before deciding love or hate. I think this is an excellent start for Dr. Pournelle, and look forward to seeing her future work as she better tunes her use of language to meet the needs of her readers. Note: The book (at least the Kindle version) has a map at the end and multiple appendices. On the one hand, it would have really helped my first read-through to understand the history of the various religious sects on New Utah. On the other hand, some of the appendices contained spoilers. When you buy the book, I would recommend reviewing the Map, reading the appendix descriptions of the various religions and sects, skimming over the cast of characters at the front of the book, then starting the story. It will definitely make for an easier time of it.",
"reviewer": "D. Collison"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "A very fine first effort - recommended!",
"text": "As you can read in other reviews, this book is written as a sequel of sorts to \"The Mote in God's Eye\" and \"The Gripping Hand,\" both by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. Dr. Jennifer Pournelle is Jerry Pournelle's daughter, and a working anthropologist and former Army Intelligence officer; her background was very useful in creating a worthy sequel to two of the finest hard science fiction novels of all time. Many people, including Robert A. Heinlein, believe \"Mote\" to be the classic First Contact novel. It builds on Jerry Pournelle's previous body of work and a very richly imagined universe, extrapolated forward in time to the Second Empire of Man. Niven and Pournelle created one of the most well-imagined and intriguing aliens in science fiction, the Moties, and created a biology for them that drove the plot of the novel. \"Gripping Hand\" returns to the Mote and contact with a different set of Moties, a separate society living completely in space. While it ties up some of the plot lines that a reader could expect would have developed following \"Mote,\" it brought about others... \"Outies\" is the name given to planetary human civilizations not yet a part of the Empire of Man, usually those in out-of-the-way planetary systems. This particular planet, New Utah, was colonized several times by religious groups of various persuasions, including two competing Mormon groups and a group from the Church of Him. But even after several generations, the planet is not fully explored, and a planet is a big place, so it's not all that surprising that they share the planet with someone else... I've tried to decide if a reader could get satisfaction from this novel if he or she had not read the previous two books. I've come to the conclusion that some things would be mostly meaningless, and some downright confusing. Luckily, the other two are great reads, and reading them first would be a pleasure! (The fact that \"Mote\" was published in 1974 does not date it in any way!) There are proofing errors and some other editing things that could have been smoothed out with professional editorial assistance, but they do not detract from the story. The characters are a bit hard to distinguish at first, but that is ultimately corrected and some are very finely drawn. If this is Dr. Pournelle's first fiction effort it is a fine one indeed. For any fans of hard science fiction, the \"Mote\" series is about as good as it gets. Now after many years there is an addition to the set! I recommend you read all three!",
"reviewer": "J. Waggoner"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "A worthy sequel, and a solid debut.",
"text": "Outies is a direct, authorized sequel to The Gripping Hand by Dr. Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven, itself a sequel to The Mote in God's Eye by the same legendary duo who separately and together are two of the best-known and best-selling authors of speculative fiction in the last four decades. Authored by Dr. Jennifer Pournelle (daughter of Dr. Jerry Pournelle), Outies picks up where The Gripping Hand left off, continuing the future history of the Empire of Man and its relationship to the alien Moties depicted in the first two tomes. Fans of the elder Dr. Pournelle's CoDominium/Empire universe, in which all three books are set, will enjoy Outies as fleshing out the history of the Church of Him and the various Mormon sects of the planets of New Utah and Maxroy's Purchase first introduced in previous volumes. The author's background in anthropology and archaeology, as well as her experiences in post-2003 Iraq, inform her immersive and logically consistent vision of the interplay of secular and religious forces on distant human-settled planets in the far future, as well as providing an insightful metaphor for the current challenges faced by outsiders attempting to bring about cultural reconciliation and reformulation of civil society in present-day Iraq and Afghanistan. The plot is well-developed, establishing continuity with previous volumes in the series and then moving forward into new territory. Characterization is strong, and the narrative moves along at a brisk pace, with enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged while at the same time remaining both plausible and thought-provoking. Skillfully and surprisingly for a new author, the younger Dr. Pournelle deftly pulls off the difficult task of taking already-established characters and incorporating them into her own work while both maintaining their established traits and also providing new insights into their backgrounds and motivations. Her original characters are both sympathetic and familiar, while remaining original in conception; we've all known or know of people who exhibit similar traits, and their internal narratives lend each character an individual, idiosyncratic perspective which serves to flesh out the background of the action and captivate the reader. Initially, the author relies too much on exposition to advance the story, and her use of nonstandard capitalization in order to convey alien thoughts and cultural tropes is somewhat jarring; about one quarter through the book, though, she seems to find her authorial voice, and the narrative flows seamlessly from that point forward. There are formatting problems which emerge in the Kindle edition at two points in the novel which should be corrected, as they detract from the reader's enjoyment of the story; fortunately, advancing the page via the Kindle slider vs. the page-turning mechanism eliminates them so that even the current edition is completely readable. Disappointingly, the author seems to buy into the scientifically unsound premise of supposed anthropogenic global warming, but this is only mentioned briefly, and she does not dwell upon it. The individuals and various ethnic/religious groupings featured in the novel ring true, and the author skillfully brings out how important cultural backgrounds remain in ordinary human society. She also breaks new ground in her portrayal of Motie society, and the motivations and characterizations of the nonhuman characters are both understandable while at the same time retaining a believable 'alienness'. The reader's understanding of all the elements at play in the novel require familiarity with previous works in the series; it is suggested that readers who are new to the CoDominium/Empire universe first read The Prince, The Mote in God's Eye, and The Gripping Hand, in that order, so as to ensure they're sufficiently familiar with the backdrop against which Outies is set to fully appreciate the story. It is also suggested that the author should perhaps consider publishing any future works under her given name of Jennifer Pournelle, so as to avoid any confusion with her father's body of work. In summary, Outies is a solid debut and a good, entertaining read, and I enjoyed it a great deal. Writing a viable sequel to two such well-known prior works by established authors is a difficult task to set oneself as a first-time author, and with Outies, Dr. Jennifer Pournelle has succeeded admirably in crafting an enjoyable, believable, and thought-provoking work which both does justice to its predecessor source material and also succeeds on its own merits. Should she choose to pursue it, the younger Dr. Pournelle definitely has a viable second career path as an author of speculative fiction in her own right, and I hope that her promising first novel is followed by future literary endeavors.",
"reviewer": "Jackson Lamb"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Good book....and...",
"text": "A good first book, returning to the land of the Moties and the Mote in God's Eye. Enjoyed the story, particularly the Arab influence and styles of Asach. SPOILER ALERT for those who have not read the Mote in God's Eye and The Gripping Hand. This book entices, yet it takes some time to understand the major revelation. The premise of the first two books was the hyper-kinetic biology of the Moties. It drove and created and defined the species. Yet the Moties on this planet apparently have none of this biological affliction, somehow none of the characters seem to make a note of it, even those most intimately involved with the Moties (Blaine, Renner, even the little Motie). It gets clearer after some re-reading and some help from the author. ; 0 ) Great book though, if you loved the first two, try this one. I can't wait for the sequel; the story just demands it!!!",
"reviewer": "9wt"
},
{
"stars": 2,
"title": "Interesting, frustrating, disappointing...",
"text": "A new Mote book -- whoo-hoo! That's how I felt when I first found out about Outies. My enthusiasm remained after I learned that it was written by Jennifer Pournelle rather than Jerry, and that this new (to me) Dr Pournelle was an anthropologist and archaeologist rather than a physical scientist/engineer. Part of that was that it was an authorised continuation of Mote and TGH; it is only now that I've read the book that I almost wish it hadn't been written, because I do not like what it does to Moteverse canon, and I fear that the author isn't finished wreaking havoc on the work of her father and Larry Niven. At first glance, this book looks to be good stuff but, as one goes deeper into the text, the early promise is not fulfilled and problems intrude. The characterisation is uneven: some familiar characters ring true, but we don't see much of them; others are developed in an interesting way, but again to little effect; and some characters -- important ones -- are virtually unrecognisable from those we saw in the earler books. Similarly, the original characters vary wildly in terms of their depth: many, both human and alien, come across as obsessive to the point that they are rather flat as characters. The main character is potentially interesting, but suffers from the other major problem with this book -- we don't know enough about him and we never learn; too many questions are left open. This is also a problem with the plot. Its main theme is extremely interesting, but the HUGE questions that it raises are never properly answered -- which is one reason why I suspect a sequel is in the offing. Some of these questions bid fair to completely rework the Moteverse, and I am not happy with that. I cannot see the need to make such drastic changes to the basics of the first two books, nor do I think that these changes fit with what has been established previously. It rather smacks of a comic book retcon -- another author coming in and changing everything so that they can tell stories their way rather than staying with what has been done by the people who created the setting in the first place. The story itself can be difficult to follow -- too many acronyms, too many characters, too many points of view, too many political/religious factions and, above all, not enough explanations of what the heck is going on and why. And then, after all the thud and blunder of the story, the ending is particularly weak -- we've seen it before in another book. One particularly annoying aspect of the book is the plot holes that the author ignores or skates around, especially those that appear to show her ignorance or disregard of the fundamental scientific and operational principles that underlie and shape events in the Moteverse; for a universe based on pretty hard science (save for the FTL, and even that is based on scientific extrapolation), this is not good. I can only suggest that she reads the article \"Building The Mote In God's Eye\" which Niven and Pournelle wrote not long after Mote was first published, and take it to heart; there are too many things in this book that, while possibly convenient for story purposes, do not fit with the way things work in the Moteverse! Finally, the text itself is in dire need of a good proof-reader. I don't know if this is a result of the book being released initially as an e-book (I hope not, for it does not augur well for the future if this is so), but the text reads like a draft word-processor file that needs editing. It has typos, punctuation errors, layout errors, at least one blank page for no good reason that I can see... For a supposedly professional publication, it comes across as sloppy (rushed?) work. And yet, in spite of all that, I enjoyed reading Outies -- not as much as I was hoping, but it was pleasant to return to the 31st century, even on a world like New Utah. I doubt I will re-read it anything like as often as I do Mote and TGH, and I both look forward to and dread the sequel, but maybe some of those unanswered questions will be explained and this book will simply be part 1 of a different take on the saga of human-Motie contact. I hope so.",
"reviewer": "Kindle Customer"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Good concept, but inconsistent with the established \"universe\" (do read the conversation with Jennifer P in the comments though)",
"text": "I'll write a first paragraph or 2 without spoilers and then the rest of my review could refer to some things you might not like to know if you have not read the book yet and plan to. My general feeling is that this book has some very intriguing concepts, but that it is very difficult to read. As some others have pointed out, the first half is more difficult than the second. I would also say that Dr. P. seems to attempt to emulate some of the style of the previous Mote and Empire books, but it does not work nearly as well. I'm talking about Jerry P. and Niven's tendency to jump from one place/focus/character to another and then bring it all together at the end. The problem with this book is that each segment is difficult to understand, and hard to integrate into an overall story. I also believe that this book breaks at least two assumptions from the previous stories of the series. This is where I start saying things that may be spoilers: 1) How did Asach et al GET to New Utah? I thought there were no tramlines open? If the one that opens and closes is just from Maxroy's Purchase to New Utah, and there are others, then surely it is not so impossible for the empirely commission to reach New Utah before the tramline? But if that is the only one then you can't get between stars without extraordinary effort (like the Moties' laser canon). 2) It is well established in previous books that there is no communication available faster than the speed of light (other than a courier jumping through Alderson points). Yet we see Asah and the librarian sending messages. And even worse, Kevin and Rod having realtime conversation. This is big breakage of assumptions. 3) Rod and Sally seem to have a new landhold? What happened to Crucis? Did I miss something... I have several other issues with the book. First, there are way too many unanswered questions. These are not seemingly questions set up to be answered in a later book, but questions that people in the book seemed to understand (or not care about?) but which were hanging there all along and never resolved: How did the Swenson's Apes get to New Utah and from there to the Mote millennia ago? They certainly had no Alderson drive. Who was making the laser from His eye, and why? Or was it somehow natural? How come New Utah was not overrun with \"Apes\"? Obviously something changed in their biology since they migrated to the Mote. There was a lot on reproductive biology in the Appendix (which I admit to only skimming) but this is kind of fundamental and deserving of a few words in the text other than someone asking the question. The complexity: Yes, it's good to have a complex and real-seeming world. Yes, a real world IS complex and hard to understand. But when the book seems to depend on lots of relationships that are someone poorly explained, that is frustrating to the reader. Poorly-explained acronyms did not help. It took me 3/4 of the book to realize that MPs did not mean Military Police, but rather people from Maxroy's Purchase. TCM (True Church Military? Maxroy?). To be honest, some of this might have been because of the Kindle format...I longed for a cast page for most of the book and only lately realized that there IS a cast page, but that the Kindle starts you after all the preliminary material so I did not see it. I also think that some of the Appendices should have been read before the story! Names: This is a difficult subject since an author should have a lot of choices here. But I thought naming the farmer John was a bad idea. First it did not *sound* like an alien and thus did not ring true. It was clearly not a name chosen for human convenience/manipulation (like most Motie names) . Sargon: Hmm....used several times in science fiction (like Star Trek among others). Maybe there could have been a better choice. Ok, enough carping: What I really liked were seeing Moties in an earlier evolutionary phase, and what I *especially* liked was the idea of multiple species sharing a planet, and particularly the fact that it was \"Swenson's Apes\" themselves who were the ones who were passengers in the first spaceflight. It will be interesting to find out how the empire reacts... Jennifer, if you read this I hope you will take this criticism as constructive. Writing a book of fiction is not something that I could do at all and I realize it! The Motie series is, to me, one of the best ever depictions of aliens. Thanks for keeping it going.",
"reviewer": "Burns Fisher"
},
{
"stars": 1,
"title": "Disappointing - A box of Crackerjack with no prize inside.",
"text": "If I had to pick a single work as my favorite- Mote in Gods Eye is probably my choice. I read it when I was much younger, and when the sequel came out I was overjoyed. I bought it immediately, and was not disappointed. They had \"done it again\", and it was everything you could have hoped for. When I saw ANOTHER sequel was available, I bought it INSTANTLY. I was a bit hesitant as I did not see Larry Niven's name on the cover (and I enjoy his work immensely), but it was more MOTE and I HAD TO HAVE IT! Then I read it. It turns out the \"J Pournelle\" on the cover is the daughter of Jerry. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as the Dune novels by Frank Herbert's son are in some ways even better than the original. But... then I read it. The characters are flat, almost skewed from the personalities we loved so much in the original Niven/Pournelle novels. The story is fragmented, and seems to stutter- almost wandering aimlessly at times. I am not saying that Jennifer Pournelle is a bad writer- just not THE writer for a \"Mote\" sequel. Just as Gregory Benford is a great author, but he completely ruined the story when he attempted the sequel to Arthur C. Clarke's \"City and the Stars\".. his style and concepts were too different from the original work for continuity. We see the same thing here. There are characters with the same names- Kevin Renner, Lord Roderick Blaine, etc. but they are not the same people. We have many of the same places- but they don't \"feel\" the way they did whey you were there in the first two books. MOTE fans will have to own this- I am one of them - just because it exists, but it's sort of the \"ugly\" marble in your toy box. You need it to complete the collection, but you get no joy from it. Or- to put it another way, it is an \"Odd-Numbered Star Trek Movie\".",
"reviewer": "Dennis Ideue"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Creditable Hard SF",
"text": "Pros: 1) An excellent first contact story. I suppose it's not a spoiler to acknowledge that the Moties appear in this, the third of the 'Mote in God's Eye' novels. The aliens are well-realized, and their portrayal is the high point of the novel, on par or better than the earlier novels. The insight into their psychology is unique to the series, and the actions both of humans and Moties in the course of the novel is both logical and well-realized. 2) Related to the above note is that this is most obviously hard SF, of a sort that is all too rare. There are no universal translators. Such technology as is used is plausible. The author deserves commendation for Doing Her Research. 3) The story successfully gives a feeling of adventure, of dusty duty stations and the challenges of running an NGO or academic endeavour on the SF equivalent of the third world. Cons: 1) The single largest complaint I have is weak characterization. The characters are atomic, and have little interaction or relationship to each other beyond those strictly necessary to carry out action in the story. The Bury-Renner relationship of the second book, the Whitbread-Potter-Staley triangle of the first, the enmity between Dr. Horvath and Admiral Kutuzov, are all missing. Nor is there much to distinguish them or to make them memorable beyond their story role. 2) A possible concern is that the novel is somewhat academic in tone. There is lengthy exposition, to the extent of inserting entire fictional documents verbatim into the text. There are numerous walls of text to trudge through. This coupled with some rather unusual five-syllable word choices limit the mass-market appeal of the book. 3) Related to the above is a concern that there is too much exposition and not enough *action*. A novel like Gripping Hand starts the action fairly quickly and keeps you on the edge of your seat for approximately 2/3rds of the book. \"Outies\" takes more than half the book to begin its action, and it is quickly over. Nor, once events start to occur, is there much doubt of the outcome. So I cannot in good conscience say I \"couldn't put the book down\". The Bottom Line: This book is of interest if you are a fan either of hard SF or of the Motie universe. However, I cannot recommend it for the general market or as an entry-level book for the series. For all that it is an interesting read, and I hope the author hones her craft by publishing additional novels.",
"reviewer": "Brian D. Pendell"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Book Review - OUTIES by J.R. Pournelle",
"text": "If you read this on a Kindle, before you start reading hit the Prior-Page button a whole bunch of times, until you get to the Cover Art; then, start paging forward. If you don't, you miss the maps and other important background material. The CHRONOLOGY was not formatted correctly for Kindle: Words in some of the paragraphs extended beyond the edge of the viewing screen on my device. Even 5% into the novel, I feel this novel ADDS to the Motie Fictional Universe rather than SUBTRACTS, as for example the DUNE sequels do (in my opinion). I wish I had never read any DUNE sequel. I wish those images would leave my mind. I am so biased and prejudiced by multiple readings of THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE and THE GRIPPING HAND that I have no clue if OUTIES is a good \"stand-alone\" novel. For me it is useful as an Appendix of additional information on the fictional Motie universe. POV goes into the thinking of inferior Motie classes and a horse, which at first seemed odd, but I get it. The effect works. 50% into OUTIES, everything suddenly gets a lot more interesting for me. One nice thing about eBooks is that a Version 2.0 can be issued. I believe OUTIES could be strengthened by some professional and ruthless editing in the first half. This novel would work better for me if the action at 50% hit at about 5% or 10%. I sometimes felt like the author was a paleontologist slowly brushing away dirt from a buried fossil; I was in a hurry to have the thing dug out the ground. Next chapter: brush, brush, brush; revealing another rib. (I prefer the short version of Heinlein's STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND. In my own novels, I have noticed that if I have to cut ten or thirty thousand words from the text, that years later I prefer the shorter version: the forced cutting seems to improve my own writing.) OUTIES is a variation on the \"The Moties Are Loose!\" cry in The Gripping Hand. Noticed a few minor grammar glitches and formatting errors. The Kindle version would benefit from a new cleaned-up conversion, a proof-reader, and a professional edit. J.R. Pournelle has a career in science fiction, if she wants it. @hg47",
"reviewer": "Harvey Griffin"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Decent read, but doesn't hold up to the original books",
"text": "I'm a sci-fi nerd who loved the original Mote books. Niven and Pournelle created some real classics that are endlessly re-readable. I was interested to try this one even though it's a different author. I have to say that while good, this book doesn't really hold up to the storytelling and world building of the first two. While reading this I found myself frequently confused about which characters were which, or how they were connected to others. The motives and objectives of different people and groups seemed unclear. I read this in e-book form on a Kindle, and the author does specifically mention that they didn't format it for Kindle. Apparently the print version is designed so you can flip back and forth to the chronology, cast, map, and other \"cheat sheets\" along the way. I probably lost some details by reading the Kindle version, but I still felt that the book had some problems without that. The backstory and setting seemed to be developed inconsistently. It was highly detailed in some ways that seemed personally relevant to the author's experience in Middle Eastern culture, but frustratingly vague in other ways. I had a hard time understanding the social, technological, and political contexts, things that Pournelle Sr and Niven were usually very careful with. There were a few minor things that seemed to diverge from the timeline / technology / canon of the earlier books, and a big change in communication tech that was only marginally explained. There were also some very big plot points / questions that never really got answered. As an adventure story this is an OK book, which is why I gave it 3 stars. I enjoyed the story and wanted to like what the author was doing, but it just didn't have the same polish as the earlier books. It tried very hard to expand and change the Mote universe, but I think it fell short.",
"reviewer": "saveitforparts"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "not up to the standards of the first two, but worth a read for fans",
"text": "The Mote in God's Eye is one of my favorite novels of all time, so I jumped on this. I was fooled by the author's name...without reading closely, I thought it was written by Jerry Pournelle, who collaborated with Larry Niven in writing the first two books in this series. It's actually written by Jennifer Pournelle, who I believe is Jerry's daughter. Jennifer captures her father's grasp of complex military and social systems and ability to present them in an intimate way. Unfortunately, without Niven along for the ride, it's missing the good writing that made the first two books rocks. Although she has a way with clever turns of phrase, her prose is just too florid to stand up to reading a whole epic-length novel. Worse than that, it just didn't capture me the way the first, and to some extend second novel in the series did. In fact, as of this writing, it is sitting with a bookmark about 90% of the way through and I don't feel compelled to read it to the end. Which is saying a lot. Like the prior books, and others by Pournelle/Niven, it is epic-style in that it has several \"main\" characters and a huge cast of \"supported\" characters, and the point of view switches back and forth between several groups in different places. So it is complicated and has lots of subplots. That's my favorite kind of book, but also one of the hardest type to do *well*, and this one doesn't quite make it. If you are a diehard Moties fan, you should probably read this because the younger Pournelle does offer a very interesting version of the Moties' origins. For that I gave it three stars. I'm really curious how much about the Moties was part of Pournelle and Niven's original vision and how much was out of Jennifer's head. Not that it matters....points for creativity in either case.",
"reviewer": "Diana Carroll"
},
{
"stars": 1,
"title": "Just the facts",
"text": "I read around two books a week. So about a hundred a year and last year there were two I could not bring myself to finish. Here is one. Love everything by Larry Niven and a quite a bit of Jerry Pournelle's. It disturbed me that Niven wasn't on the cover with Pournelle -- so yeah, J.E. Pournelle and J.R. Pournelle? I assumed that a moties book with J. \"anything\" Pournelle on the cover would be Jerry. My first thoughts, after a few chapters were: \"OMG, poor Jerry! I knew he wasn't a young man anymore. Has he has an aneurysm or something? How terrible!\" My next thoughts were, if Jerry wanted to write a novel set in the Iraq war he should have written that instead. The first rule of writing science fiction (which I learned from Larry Niven) is you don't write something as science fiction unless the story (and that means the story, not the details in the story) can't be told any other way. For example, there is no legitimate reason to set the story \"High Noon\" on a rugged colony world with laster pistols instead of six-shooters, and hoverbikes in place of horses. It is unnecesary and a misuse of of the science fiction genre. My next thought was how much I was not enjoying this book, even given the enormous disapointment of finding that it was not a moties book at all but some kind of confused middle eastern war thing in disguise. If you like middle eastern war things in disguise as science fiction (and not everyone does), Tom Kratman does it much better and he does it so he can change the historical outcomes, at least. So bottom line. 1) A first novel should not have been set in a beloved and now \"classic\" franchise. 2) The author needs to SPELL out JENNIFER in capital letters when she uses her own name (I don't believe the intention was fraud but if it were this would have been a way to do it.) 3) Should not have been a science fiction novel in the first place. 4) it just wasn't a good read, lack of characterization, poor use of story elements, no protagonist, and the list goes on. I know this has seemed harsh but I sincerely hope Jennifer Pournelle will restart her writing career, pick an appropriate genre or genres, a less confusing pen name, avoid the temptation to piggyback on the work of others, and work hard on mastering the basic story elements (perhaps some writer workshops would help and I heartily recommend Orson Scott Card's \"How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy.\"",
"reviewer": "Snaz"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Plodding and incomprehensible sequel",
"text": "Jennifer tries hard but she’s not her father. The characters are legion and difficult to follow after 3 decades. The minutiae of the religious and cultural aspects add little to the story but take up an inordinate amount of the prose. It could have been told as briefly as King David’s Spaceship since the story boils down to that basic premise with aliens added in.",
"reviewer": "JM"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Great addition to the \"Mote in God's Eye\" milieu",
"text": "Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle gave us The Mote in God's Eye and followed it with The Gripping Hand. After almost twenty years, Jerry Pournelle's daughter has given us the latest entry in the series, \"Outies\". This story picks up only a few years after the conclusion of \"The Gripping Hand\" (TGH). Sir Kevin Renner is involved with the survey of the planet mentioned briefly in TGH, New Utah. The dynamics of New Utah turn out to be far more complex than anyone had anticipated. Enter ASACH Quinn, an eccentric anthropologist. Quinn has been there and done that, and traveled the galaxy doing research and alienating the academic establishment. And that's about as much as can be said without spoilers. I enjoyed the story. The characters were engaging and complex, the settings were intriguing and well developed, and the plot was thought provoking. I can see where purists of the original series wouldn't like it. J.R. brought a grittiness based on her experiences in Iraq to the story, but this made some aspects of the story far more plausible than they might have been. I suspect there is a bit of catharsis for the author here. In that way, this book put me in mind of Hammer's Slammers, which was explicitly David Drake's way of dealing with some of his experiences in Vietnam. J.R.'s presentation of the \"military contractors\", corrupt local militia, and dysfunctional towns was clearly based on Baghdad between 2004 and 2009. I'm not sure when J.R. was there, but I'd wager a bottle of bourbon that it was in that time frame. This did not hurt the story though. A great addition to the world of the Moties. E.M. Van Court",
"reviewer": "Edward M. Van Court"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 3.99,
"listPrice": 16.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B004TPCQWC",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "The United States Constitution",
"authors": "United States",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41X29An0c6L.jpg",
"rating": 4.6,
"reviewCount": "3,246",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1358386992000",
"description": "This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "and will to the best of my Ability",
"text": "“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” President Obama has not shown much ability to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. Great ability to do the opposite: 1.Obama Administration uses IRS to target conservative, Christian and pro-Israel organizations, donors, and citizens. 2.In an unprecedented attack on the First Amendment, the Obama Justice Department ordered criminal investigations of FOX News reporters for doing their jobs during the 2012 election year. 3.President Obama, throughout his Presidency, has refused to enforce long-established U.S. immigration laws. For example . . . More than 300,000 captured illegal aliens had been processed and were awaiting deportation. But, incredibly, Obama stopped these deportations and ordered the U.S. border patrol to release many of these illegal aliens in violation of law and without explanation. ◦Congress rejected Obama's so called DREAM ACT – which would have granted permanent residency to many illegal aliens. So Obama enacted his own version of the DREAM ACT by Executive Order, thus directly defying Congress. According to Obama's Executive Order, illegal aliens can stay in America if they are under the age of 30, have been in America for at least five years, are enrolled in school or have graduated from high school, and have committed no felonies. 4. Obama has refused to build a double-barrier security fence along the U.S.-Mexican border in direct violation of the 2006 Secure Fence Act. This law requires that \"at least two layers of reinforced fencing\" be built along America's 650-mile border with Mexico. So far, just 40 miles of this fence have been built – most of it during the Bush Administration. 5. Obama's unconstitutional assault on your Second Amendment Right to Keep and Bear Arms. President Obama issued, in one day, 21 separate Executive Orders that attack and undermine your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Especially egregious is President Obama's Executive Orders amending the ObamaCare law to allow doctors and hospitals to investigate which patients own a gun. This outrageous Executive Order could allow the federal government to track and monitor law-abiding gun owners simply because they sought medical care. 6. Obama's assault on Christians and religious freedom. Obama's Health and Human Services Department has, on its own (without Congressional approval), issued a mandate that all health insurance plans must include coverage for abortion-inducing drugs. As a result, pro-life employers and taxpayers are now effectively required by law to pay for abortions. This mandate is an unconstitutional attack on the protections for freedom of religion and freedom of conscience in the First Amendment and the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act. This mandate also directly violates the ObamaCare law enacted by Congress, which prohibits any and all taxpayer funds from being used to pay for abortions. 7. Obama forced ObamaCare on an unwilling public through bribery and lying about its cost. Obama managed to secure passage of ObamaCare by one vote in the Senate by bribing senators. He bribed Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska with the notorious \"Cornhusker Kickback.\" He bribed Senator Mary Landrieu with the infamous $300 million \"Louisiana Purchase.\" In addition, Obama knowingly and blatantly lied to America and to Congress about how much ObamaCare would really cost. The cost of ObamaCare to the American people over the next 10 years will not be less than $1 TRILLION, as Obama promised in his nationally televised speech to the nation. Instead, the real cost of ObamaCare to the Federal Treasury is $2.4 TRILLION, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. But the true cost of ObamaCare is more like $10 TRILLION when you factor in the cost to the states, the cost to individual Americans who are now required to purchase Obama-approved health plans (the \"Individual Mandate\"), the cost of exploding health insurance premiums, the $716 billion ObamaCare steals from Medicare, and the increased cost to businesses of complying with ObamaCare mandates. 8. Operation Fast & Furious. \"Operation Fast & Furious\" was the Obama Administration's gun-running scheme that put thousands of American-made semi-automatic weapons in the hands of Mexican drug cartels and resulted in the death of at least one U.S. Border Patrol Agent, Brian Terry. Obama's Attorney General Eric Holder lied to Congress and the public, claiming he didn't know about his Justice Department's Fast & Furious operation. Congress has now held Holder in contempt for defying congressional subpoenas and refusing to turn over thousands of Justice Department documents on Fast & Furious. President Obama asserted Executive Privilege to try to protect Holder. But for Executive Privilege to apply, Obama would have had to have known about Fast & Furious, making the President as culpable as Holder. Investigators suspect that Fast & Furious was an effort by the Obama Administration to discredit lawful gun ownership in America by purposefully creating gun crimes, thus inducing public outcry for gun control. When it put thousands of semi-automatic weapons in the hands of Mexican drug cartels, the Obama Justice Department knew these guns would be used to commit crimes, perhaps even kill some Americans. Then Obama could say: \"See how dangerous these guns are. We must ban them.\" 9. \"Federal Communications Commission (FCC): Regulated the Internet despite a court order from the Circuit Court of Appeals for Washington, D.C. stating that the FCC does not have the power to regulate the Internet.\" (SOURCE: Report from Nine State Attorneys General) 10. \"Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Imposed Cross-State Air Pollution Rules on the state of Texas at the last minute and without an opportunity for Texas to respond to the proposed regulation. EPA overreach was based on a dubious claim that air pollution from Texas affected a single air-quality monitor in Granite City, Illinois more than 500 miles and three states away from Texas.\" (SOURCE: Report from Nine State Attorneys General) 11. \"Department of Justice (DOJ): Rejected state voter ID statutes that are similar to those already approved by the Supreme Court of the United States. DOJ ignored section 8 of the Voting Rights Act which calls for protections against voter fraud, and used section 5 to administratively block measures to protect the integrity of elections passed by state legislatures.\" (SOURCE: Report from Nine State Attorneys General) 12. \"DOJ: In violation of 10th Amendment, sued to prevent Arizona from using reasonable measures to discourage illegal immigration within its borders. Arizona has a large number of illegal immigrants, compared to other states, and needs to be able to act to reduce the number.\" (SOURCE: Report from Nine State Attorneys General) 13. \"DOJ: Went to court to stop enforcement of Alabama's immigration reform laws, which require collection of the immigration status of public school students, require businesses to use E-Verify, and prohibit illegal immigrants from receiving public benefits.\" (SOURCE: Report from Nine State Attorneys General) 14. \"White House: Made \"recess appointments\" to the National Labor Relations Board and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau when Congress was NOT in recess. The Obama Administration has ignored the ruling by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals that the appointments are unconstitutional.\" (SOURCE: Report from Nine State Attorneys General) 15. \"Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC): Interfered with a Michigan church's selection of its own ministers by trying to force the church to reinstate a minister who was discharged for her disagreement with the religious doctrine of the church.\" (SOURCE: Report from Nine State Attorneys General) 16. \"Department of Energy (DOE): In 2009, the Obama Administration arbitrarily broke federal law, violated various contracts, and derailed the most studied energy project in American history at Yucca Mountain by denying it a license, thus costing the American people more than $31 billion.\" (SOURCE: Report from Nine State Attorneys General) 17. Department of the Interior (DOI): Forced Glendale, a family-oriented town in Arizona, to become another Las Vegas against its will by granting \"reservation status\" to a 54-acre plot in the town, where the Tohono O'odham Indian Nation plans to build a resort and casino.\" (SOURCE: Report from Nine State Attorneys General) 18. Without Congressional approval, Obama gutted the work requirement for welfare recipients passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. 19. In the bailout of General Motors and Chrysler, Obama illegally shortchanged bond holders in favor of Labor Unions, despite U.S. bankruptcy laws that specify that bond holders be first in line to be paid back. 20. Eager to use the killing of Osama bin Laden for political gain, Obama exposed the identity and method of operation of the Navy SEALs team that conducted the operation in Pakistan, thus exposing its members to a lifetime of risk because they have been targeted for assassination by Islamists. A short time after Obama exposed the Navy SEALs' method of operation, 22 SEALs were shot down and killed in Afghanistan. It is a violation of law for the President or any American to reveal classified military secrets. 21. President Obama established an extra-constitutional top secret \"kill list\" of people (including Americans) who can be summarily killed on sight – presumably by drones -- without due process. Once on Obama's kill list, an American citizen can be targeted and executed on the opinion of a single government bureaucrat. That's not how our legal system is supposed to work. 22. Obama Administration officials twisted the arms of defense contractors to not issue layoff notices in October of 2012 so as to avoid causing bad news for Obama right before the election — even though federal law (the \"WARN Act\") requires such notices. ; Not only is this a violation of the WARN Act, it's also an unlawful use of federal officials for campaign purposes. 23. President Obama intervened militarily in Libya in 2011 without the Congressional approval required by the War Powers Act. 24. Obama knowingly lied to Congress and the American people about the killing of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans in Benghazi, Libya. The President and his representatives repeatedly said an anti-Islamic video sparked a spontaneous uprising in Libya that resulted in the killings even though Obama knew that the attack was a well-planned military-style assault by al Qaeda on the anniversary of September 11. 25. Michelle Obama's family trip to Africa in June of 2011, including a private safari at a South African game reserve, cost American taxpayers $424,000 for air travel alone. Mrs. Obama brought along both her makeup artist and hairstylist, as well as her mother, a niece and nephew, and her daughters, who were listed as \"senior staff members.\"",
"reviewer": "Edward H. Kral"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "and this implies that good citizens should take part in their government",
"text": "This is the supreme law of the land. It is a must read for any US citizen. When you read it, please note that power is given to \"the people\" (US citizens) - not a leader, king or god, and this implies that good citizens should take part in their government. I think that any citizen who complains about government without getting involved by contacting his or her representatives and leaders should be summarily ignored as they are not exercising the responsibilities of being a citizen. I think that our pledge should be given not to a flag, but to the US constitution, because that is where law and our democratic ideals are spelled out. I think that the constitution should be subject to change where changes in society require that modifications be made to ensure equal rights for all under the law. I think that any candidate for federal office of any kind should be schooled enough in constitutional law that such person should be able to correctly answer a series of reasonable questions about what is or is not allowed under the constitution as I have seen too many candidates display a profound ignorance of constitutional law.",
"reviewer": "John Michael Strubhart"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great format, but wish it included the Amendments",
"text": "The format of this book was perfect. It has a great index and was easy to move around in. I got another version that didn't have bold headings or an index, and it was much harder to follow. Unfortunately, this one doesn't include the Bill of Rights or the other amendments, so I had to use the other version to get those documents. Wish they were all together, but otherwise, no complaints.",
"reviewer": "Rebecca"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "An important document that US citizens should read",
"text": "Whether a person is a Democrat or Republican or neither, it is a good idea to read the Constitution of the United States because our lives are to a large extent controlled by it and because it is mentioned and argued about often in the media. This free book only contains the original Constitution and none of the Amendments made to it in later years. It contains seven Articles describing the role of the House of Representatives, the Senate, the President, and the Supreme Court and lesser federal courts. It is only 13 pages long. What will surprise readers is that some rules may not be clear to all readers and some rules have changed by Amendments in later years.",
"reviewer": "Israel Drazin"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Good foundation, needs more updates. Very vague at times.",
"text": "The United States Constitution is a remarkable document because it has survived as the foundation of American law for over two centuries and even more because it has adapted and revised to eliminate or mitigate some of the early defects such as slavery and unclear rules regarding federal, state and individual rights. The Bill of Rights, the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth, Seventeenth and Nineteenth Amendments are some of my favorites, although many such as the First, Second, Fourth, Fourteenth may be seen as overly vague and hard to interpret for a modern audience. The Twenty-first Amendment directly contradicts the Eighteenth which may confuse the casual reader.",
"reviewer": "sonnojoi"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great read for all Americans",
"text": "I wish that our lawmakers and judges would read this remarkable document. It is the very backbone of our Nation. Including the Amendments, it is the foundation of a government based on law and legal rights rather than the opinion of any one person or group of people. The most remarkable thing about our government was that it not only divorced us from the divine right of kings, it also did everything possible to separate us from mob justice more commonly referred to as popular vote or current fad. We can elect bad representatives and presidents. We can pass stupid laws. We can waste our resources. But, as long as the Constitution remains intact with the separation of powers and the \" Bill of Rights\" the course of the Nation will be righted. Read it. Hold it dearest to your heart. It is who we are at our best.",
"reviewer": "Beauron"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Even more important now",
"text": "I decided to brush up on my knowledge of the Constitution, given all of the games that President Trump is playing with our rights and with what HE can do as President. Did you realize that this recent move to declare that none of the newborn babies of U.S. Citizens serving their country overseas are U.S. Citizens unless their parents file/apply for citizenship for them? Do you realize that this means that they can NEVER BE PRESIDENT? Do you realize that this means that these babies can be denied citizenship for political reasons, their citizenship can be used to blackmail their parents? Until I brushed up on my Constitution, I never would have realized how easily having a dishonest person in the Presidency could be used as a weapon! I don't think our founding fathers wanted to consider it either. But the Constitution is a whole new read in light of today's society and politics and it's definitely worth the time! Now I'm on to the Amendments, followed by the Federal Register because I'm not taking ANYTHING for granted anymore! 😁",
"reviewer": "Robin Cappello"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Isn't it great to have it in my tablet",
"text": "Isn't it great to have it in my tablet? Having it makes me know for sure that a lot of things happening in Congress, Justice Dept. and the Executive Dept. were contrary to what our Constitution intended. It's good to be reminded that: 1) Congress makes the law, put together a budget; 2) Justice Dept. interpret the laws in accordance to precedents and generally accepted practices and traditions; 3) Executive Dept. executes the laws, and approves the budget (in effect it's the president who shuts down the government when he doesn't approve the budget; that Congress can't shut down government). How come we are made to believe that the Supreme Court writes the law? How come we are made to believe Congress shuts down government operation? How come we have a Congress that relies upon the President to submit a budget it has to approve? I think it's about time that our Constitution, Bill of Rights, Civil Right laws be taught in our primary and secondary schools. This way the main media and special interests bought politicians can easily be called on their blunders.",
"reviewer": "LEDNAS2015"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Thank you!",
"text": "This is an important document. I’ve consulted it many times in my life. But I appreciate having a copy of it on my kindle.",
"reviewer": "Donny"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Every American needs a copy.",
"text": "Contrary to what our children may be taught in school today, aside from all the persons whom decided to take on careers in positions of power, who ALL have themselves sworn to uphold each and every word in this document no matter the cost. We are the great country we are because of the men whom drafted this Constitution, but even more so we have become the great United States only because men had only our best interests in mind. They cared more for the future generations than they did for their own lives, There are no ways around it... This is the LAW of our land. Its sad many people have fell victim to the popular word manipulation and political jargon that sounds like it might be the for the best, but only goes directly against this document. Without this we are not America. Everyone of every age should read and memorize this for this is the only valid laws we have. Thank you.",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "SO MANY RIGHTS",
"text": "I downloaded this expecting to be bored with all the long words and disease and wooden teeth and random nakedness (thanks Ben Franklin) and awfulness of late 17th Century. BOY WAS I WRONG. Did you guys know we have a RIGHT to own guns and shoot them whenever we want? And say whatever we want, especially when shooting those guns? I'm pretty sure in there somewhere is a right to shoot a gun while cursing out someone with a (obviously wrong) opinion on sports or TWD or other important things like that while sitting on the can and dumping a large amount of last night's Taco Bell visit into the sewers. There's a ton of other things in here too, including: THE RIGHT TO BE WRONG THE RIGHT TO BE ALONE THE RIGHT TO SAY NO THE RIGHT TO BE FREE TO BE ALL OF THOSE THINGS",
"reviewer": "James Riley, Jr."
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "US Constituion Must Read",
"text": "The United States Constitution. I think everyone that has a tablet, a kindle a computer should at least read The United States Constitution at least once in their lives. The Constitution was built by our forefathers, but it is something that is vital to every American everyday. It is vital for anyone to read to see how America was shaped and what we value. I believe everyone should have a copy and read it maybe twice a year or more when they are commenting or making political decisions before they vote, or decide something in regards to how America is. I think that people really need to delve and look at the manner and tone it was written in and not try to adhere meaning to the constitution I think they should embrace and look at the Constitution and see how it applies today.",
"reviewer": "Anjoyla"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A MUST read!",
"text": "It has been half a century since I got out of school and had my last encounter with this document. So helpful to read with the annotations to understand what was going on at the time of the drafting of this document. The second amendment giving the right to bear arms is ONLY so that a civilian militia can be called up in times of crisis because we did not have government held armed forces at the time! Such a currently distorted view of that amendment....(and others) as you will see if you take the time to read.",
"reviewer": "Cherie C. Binns MSCN"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A forgotten gem. A piece of history. Missing Bill of Rights.",
"text": "I don't think leaving out the Bill of Right was a mistake as they are no longer law in the United States having been over ruled by the Patriot Act. An Act which side steps the archaic rights once deemed important to citizens but in the new century not needed. An interesting read. A long forgotten document the United States at one time held dear. A revolutionary idea granting individuals inalienable rights that no man or government can take away. Worth the download to get a glimpse of how the United States was earlier in Her history. It will truly shock you to learn the rights afforded to early Americans. A document that once angered and frightened the Royalty of Europe and International Banks. Take a fun ride into the wacky past of the United States.",
"reviewer": "Thomas S"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": null,
"listPrice": null,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B004TPCR4O",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "United States Bill of Rights",
"authors": "United States",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41EYcRGmEqL.jpg",
"rating": 4.7,
"reviewCount": "2,182",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1358387021000",
"description": "This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "For later considerations",
"text": "This Bill of Rights, was finally ratified by the States 1791. The Constitution was previously signed in 1787. The Articles of Confederation, drafted in 1776, and ratified by the States in 1781. It preceded the both the Constitution and Bill of Rights and it held the loose group of states together, until it's expiration in 1789. The plans to scrap the Articles of Confederation for a more \"enlightened and Republican\" form of Government looked then, and as it does today, to be a power grab than \"enlightenment.\" The Constitutional reallocation of powers created a new form of government, unprecedented under the sun. Every previous national authority either had been centralized or else had been a confederation of sovereign states. The new American system was neither one nor the other; it was a mixture of both. ~ James Madison. Anti-federalists feared what Patrick Henry termed the \"consolidated government\" proposed by the new Constitution. They saw in Federalist hopes for commercial growth and international prestige only the lust of ambitious men for a \"splendid empire\" that, in the time-honored way of empires, would oppress the people with taxes, conscription, and military campaigns. Uncertainty lay in the concept that any government, over so vast a domain as the United States could be controlled by the \"common people.\" Anti-federalists saw that with the enlargement and extent of powers now to be granted this \"new\" government only created the familiar threats to the rights and liberties of the people that had been a source of the War of Independence. The Articles of Confederation defined our original concept of a functioning government, and the allocation of respective powers to the States and Government. It was dropped and unceremoniously slid to the curb with the adoption of Constitution. I would encourage everyone to have a copy of all the documents. In reality, you can tell almost anyone something is guaranteed under the Constitution or Bill or Rights, and the majority of people would believe it no matter how surreal or ridiculous. Get original copies, who knows, they could be amended. Think of what we have already given up in the name of security. In May 1787 States met to discuss ways to improve the Articles of Confederation, during a \"Grand Convention\" organized by Statesmen, not the common man who was seen to be bereft of any abilities to govern themselves. Although the states' representatives to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia were only authorized to amend the Articles, the representatives held secret, closed-door sessions and wrote a new constitution. The new Constitution gave much more power to the central government, but characterization of the result is disputed. History is important enough to know it.",
"reviewer": "Melvin Johnson"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Golden Oldie!!",
"text": "This item pretty much sells itself. However, I would especially recommend it for those who have an interest in exploring the issue of how normative values, prevailing in a specific culture at a specific point in time, can serve as the intended foundation of a form of societal governence --- as time passes, cultures evolve and values change. It might also serve as a useful and informative refresher, by process of elimination, for those seeking the souce of \"the public's right to know\" or an individual's \"right to privacy.\" Even the most well intended people can be the most ill-informed.",
"reviewer": "L. Aubrey Moore"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A Copy Should Be In Every Home",
"text": "Who can complain about the U.S. Bill of Rights. There are many books that explain it. This publication is plain and simple. It is just the Bill of Rights without commentary. You can interpret it yourself if you just understand what the world was like when the Founding Fathers drafted it. The only weapon for the common man was the blunderbuss. We didn't have semiautomatic weapons or Saturday night specials. We didn't have super highways. We were an agrarian society. We were starting from scratch. The Founding Fathers didn't want a repeat of some mistakes made in history. The separation of church and state -- part of the First Amendment -- was created to keep church doctrine from dominating government as is the case in some Middle-Eastern nations, or the converse, the government dictating a particular religion to the American citizens as happened in England's history. Thus, the country was built around religious freedom; not, as some people believe, Christianity. Subsequent topics tell how the government is set up with three branches -- the Legislative Branch (House of Representatives and Senate), the Executive Branch and the Judiciary. The Founding Fathers didn't want royalty. Everyone should have a copy, read it and understand it. Some other books that explain it in more detail are also recommended because the language of the era can lead to uncertainties about the intent of some clauses.",
"reviewer": "J.R. Mc"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Excellent Resource",
"text": "Don't laugh, but these days it is actually handy to have quick access to the BILL OF RIGHTS. Seeing that the press is slinging around various claims, and politicians are slithering about, claiming that this-and-that is a violation of our rights; I have found myself, more than once, looking the Bill of Rights up so I can satisfy myself as to what it says... AND so I can show it to my children. The formatting of the short document is perfect. And I love that I can now access it on 'the Cloud', my ipad and even my phone. Not exciting reading for every one, but important reading. Pam T~ mom and fur-mom",
"reviewer": "A Mom with Kids and Fur Kids"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "United States Bill of Rights.",
"text": "I have become very stagnat in the Bill of Rights. I bought this book to have a bound something with nothing in it except the United States Bill Of Rights. it is right on the money. In my upbringing, things are never given the rating of \"I love it\". but this book comes very close to me violating my upbringing. It is well worth your money. Try the one on the United States Constitution. it is in the same category. Hope this helps.",
"reviewer": "The Old Junk Yard Dog"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A handy reference tool often overlooked.",
"text": "With the continual citing of various Amendments to the Constitution in the political arena, it became very important to me to read various Amendments as they were written in The Bill of Rights, not how others interpret their meaning. As a political junkie, this is a vital tool for me to be able to turn to when questions arise. Not the most exciting book, but a good one to keep nearby.",
"reviewer": "susan carpenter"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "How Many of You Have Never Read This? Time to Read It... Again!",
"text": "The United States Bill of Rights is one of humanities finest piece of work. Americans generally know what it is and that it gives us many important rights that make our lives so much better than so many other human beings in other nations. My guess is that most Americans have not read the Bill of Rights, or the US Constitution since it was required in elementary or high school. My humble suggestion to all who read my comments is that you refresh your memory on the US Bill of RIghts, including President Obama, who appears not to understand the genius of this work. If you are an adult, it will remind you of just how fortunate we are to live in a country that has such a great literary as one of the foundational documents for our government.",
"reviewer": "FrugalBuyer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "This should be a requirement to read for every child",
"text": "I can’t count the number of times that I have seen studies where the average US citizen cannot even say what is in the first amendment. This is a document that doesn’t guarantee the rights of the masses or a population, but guarantees the very rights of the individual. It’s a shame that the movement to socialism is so popular and being nurtured by the ignorance of the very people these words protect. “History will record with great astonishment that those who had the most to lose did the least to prevent it from happening.” - Ronald Reagan",
"reviewer": "Ben_harre010"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "An extremely important document to be read and reread",
"text": "The first ten original amendments to the US Constitution was passed by Congress on September 25, 1789 and ratified on December 15, 1791, and still extremely important today. Amazon should be praised for making the three pages of the Ten Amendments available free of charge, and people should take advantage of this, acquire the book and read it - even more than once.",
"reviewer": "Israel Drazin"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Every American Should Have a Copy",
"text": "With all the misinformation from people who have their own opinion as to these United States of America foundational documents . . . every American should read through these from time to time to recall exactly what our Founding Fathers put in place for this great Republic that we live in. It wouldn't hurt for all the politicians to read them as well since they seem to have forgotten the basic truths these documents layout.",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "It's the Bill of Rights",
"text": "I carry this with me so I can speak to the second amendment. People quote it all the time but leave out the important first part. How many of you toting guns belong to the National Guard? Do I believe in your right to carry a gun? Yes. But not into my home. I believe in sanity and courtesy and consideration. Those things do not exclude gun ownership. And no, i am not a dyed in the wool like liberal. Now go read the second amendment,all 25 words of it and next time, quote it accurately.",
"reviewer": "tmd54"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "10 Original Amendments to The Constitution of USA",
"text": "Very well written but cases political precedents conspired with court justices. I believe we must return to the original Articles of Confederation and the Federalist Papers to secure the 10 amendments or strike them down and start over. The original constitution has been raped. Recommend reading with guidance of licensed Texas Teachers with knowledge of Texas Constitution authorized by commisions. Age 12+",
"reviewer": "Rhone' Sonnier Louviere'"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "I’m kind of a Bill of Rights fan grrrl ;)",
"text": "Refresh your memory of our Bill of Rights, something I revere over any other principles in our history and government. So much focus on 2nd Amendment these days in politics, but I literally get chills reading the 1st Amendment and find it so much more important (if that’s possible?) and relevant to our times.",
"reviewer": "Skwarepeg"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Easy to read and understand",
"text": "Yes. The first 10 Bill of Rights. Easy to read and understand. I think it is important that we know and understand the rights given to us in these foundational documents. Remain ignorant and you'll lose them. Past generations had to fight battles for these rights to speak freely, practice their religion, gather together without government harassment, be free of police entering their homes and more. We could well lose these freedoms and go into captivity if we don't realize the value of the Bill of Rights and enforce them.",
"reviewer": "Scheherazade"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 0,
"listPrice": null,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B004TPP976",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "The Federalist Papers",
"authors": "Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, James Madison",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41EzeVPtfdL.jpg",
"rating": 4.6,
"reviewCount": "1,084",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1358387008000",
"description": "This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Worth reading by EVERYONE",
"text": "I decided to read The Federalist Papers after a certain Supreme Court Justice whom I admire greatly recommended them as the one book everyone in High School should read. Once I started reading the Papers, I began to question this recommendation: Can someone with only a High School education even UNDERSTAND these papers? It took me as long to read The Federalist Papers as it did War and Peace. And War and Peace is more than 8 times as long! So, the question is, should YOU bother reading these Papers? What relevance do they have to you today? What about to the foreign (i.e. non-American) reader? Well. Let me simply say this: I can think of no more significant work showing the insights of America's Founding Fathers than these Papers. The wisdom and vision of America's Founding Father's is absolutely astounding: Although these papers were written more than 200 years ago, its authors anticipated many of the challenges America faces today and built in safeguards against them into the Constitution. The political balance of power (between the judiciary, the legislature, and executive departments) is thoroughly examined, and the results of these analyses are deftly presented by the authors in the most powerful ways possible. Each of these 85 papers stands on its own merits as a considerable achievement. Together, they form a monument to the greatness of America's Founding Fathers and the enduring strength offered by its Constitution. Whether you are American or not you should read these Papers. The wisdom of America's Founding Fathers was not for their time, or only for America: It is for ALL TIME, and EVERYONE. Anyone wanting to understand America's Constitution will come away in awe of it (as I did) after reading these papers. Is it perfect? No. But I can think of no country whose Constitution was as exquisitely well balanced as America's, and that has served it so well, and for so long. The Federalist Papers are a TREASURE whose wisdom needs to be shared with all mankind. While this version of The Federalist Papers sells for free, its contents are priceless. Unequivocally recommended to EVERYONE. 5/5",
"reviewer": "M. Yakiwchuk"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great edition and a real gem!",
"text": "As a Law student, I can't recommend enough this book because I think it is one of the best edition of the Federalist Papers. It provided me very useful additional help in understanding the U.S. constitution. What I liked particularly: The way we can easily understand all the reasoning behind the USA political history, why our constitution has been written the way it was, and our actual method of government, how the federal government is supposed to function. It allows people, especially those who are not familiar with law and political aspects to deepen their understanding of political theory. It shows the tremendous change of our political system since its beginning, and highlights the deviation of our actual politics from what our forfathers had in mind and how they protected our freedoms. It can provide a great help to any voter to make a reasoning choice between the various political candidates. Maybe I can regret a few flaws: The way the book is written may look quite tedious and too wordy in an old way. Some notions may be quite difficult to understand for beginners and may be mainly appreciated by people who already have some political notions. The navigation is not so easy because there is no table of contents. Anyway, this book is a must read because it is very informative, still surprisingly contemporary in application, and can be a very useful support for any law student or people interested in politics.",
"reviewer": "Brian G. Perry"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Should be Required Reading!",
"text": "Written by Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the US, the 'Federalist Papers' are a series of articles written for a New York newspaper. Mr Hamilton goes into detail on the thought process behind the US Constitution and clearly shows the intent behind the Constitution and the BIll of Rights. In this respect, the 'Papers' clearly and concisely outline what the Founding Fathers meant and should be used by citizens, political leaders, and the court system to accurately adjudicate the true meaning behind our Constitution. I found this collection of writings by Mr Hamilton to be a very humbling eye opener as it can clearly be seen how far off track the US is getting with \"modern\" interpretation of the Constitution. By reading these papers, you can clearly see that the Founding Fathers were well educated in both literature and history and attempted to produce a framework of laws governing the US that would preculde pitfalls that earlier Republics have fallen into. Yes, the US is a Constitutional Republic and the Founding Fathers never intended nor wanted the US to be a Democracy. We are a Rule of Law nation not a majority rule one and the 'Federalist Papers' makes that more than abundantly clear. For example, in Federalist #26, Mr Hamilton clearly explains the Second Amendment, clarifying that the 'militia' is all able-bodied men, and that the right to bear arms meant that citizens should have the same type of arms as the standing army because the full intent of the Second Amendment is to prevent government tyranny, not to protect hunting rights. I believe that the 'Federalist Papers' should be required reading by all High-School and college students in preparation for them to become well-informed voting citizens and able to preserve and protect the Republic our Founding Fathers have created.",
"reviewer": "T. A. Rudnicki"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "More than a museum piece",
"text": "This book deserves five stars for its place in history and in American jurisprudence. However, I have to deduct a star: not for the papers themselves, but for the original editor who collected these papers. The Federalist Papers are a series of contemporaneous essays rebutting critics of the proposed Constitution. A better historical collection would start with complaints about the Articles of Confederation, defenses against those complaints, arguments in favor of the new Constitution, arguments against, rebuttals to arguments in favor, rebuttals to arguments against. The Federalist Papers are all in the \"arguments in favor\" and \"rebuttals to arguments against\" categories, leaving the other side unrepresented, and many of the \"we need a constitution in the first place\" arguments represented only by inference. The authors devoted considerable attention to the checks and balances of the new Constitution: who elects whom, who impeaches whom, who overrules whom. This part of the work reads well. They did overlook one giant problem: the original procedure for electing vice presidents turned out to be completely unworkable. The procedure for amending the Constitution to fix that problem, however, worked well. Another unforeseen problem: the Constitution makes it difficult for the Legislature and Executive to remove Justices, but there's no protection against diluting the power of the courts by appointing lots more justices, as Roosevelt attempted when he disagreed with certain rulings of the Supreme Court. It's also interesting (and a bit beyond my power as a layman) to apply the analyses of Publius to other federations, such as the 20th century USSR and the partial federation of the European Union. I read this book on my Kindle and found it much convenient. With 85 essays, I could read 1 or 2 essays at a time, read something else, and come back. Much better than a daunting thick paperback.",
"reviewer": "Mec"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Should be required reading for high school students",
"text": "The Federalist Papers give us insight into what the USA's founding fathers were taking into consideration when they wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America. They weren't sure what they wanted, but they were very sure what they didn't want--a king, for instance. They knew what was being done in Europe and knew they didn't want that. These men were considered upper class. They were literate, well educated, and well read. They wanted a country where men were free. The lower class in Europe, including England, couldn't own land and had little say over what they did and where they were allowed to do it. It is so refreshing to read about how they thought out the language of the Constitution to give us the best government a country could have. All we have to do is try to keep it that way and not let our government take away or change our constitutional rights. Granted, The Federalist Papers is not an easy read. They wrote they way most people wrote over two centuries ago. Sentences tend to be long and somewhat convoluted, but those sentences express the guidelines to our Representative Republic.",
"reviewer": "Jaye"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A must read for all those interested in history or politics",
"text": "This is the original papers written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and others to convince the leadership of New York why they should agree to the constitution instead of going it alone as individual states or smaller group of states. I believe it is extremely important to understand what the framers of the constitution were thinking when they wrote it and why we need to honor it today. It is written in a less than easy way to understand but if you take your time with it, it is understandable and very convincing. By not being easy to convince, New York did the USA an unintended favor or we might not know why the Constitution was written the way it was. They made me understand why we must not give away any of our liberties. It also makes me think that we have given away too much already. I have not read any of the The Federalist Papers explanation guides but I probably will. I wanted to read the originals first because the passion, feeling and eloquence would be lost.",
"reviewer": "Greggy"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great insight into the minds of the founders...",
"text": "I've heard so much about The Federalist Papers but never read them. That has changed now. This book was interesting as it gives true insight into the thoughts (and words!) of the founders as they went through the process of creating a government for the new nation. I purchased the actual paper version of the book and really enjoyed it. The book is thought-provoking and takes you back through history to the time of the founding of the country. If you are into American history, you will enjoy this book. it is a tough read at times if you don't find the content interesting, and some of it is dry, but there are other treasure troves buried in the book.",
"reviewer": "Paddywhack"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "The Federal Government is out of control.",
"text": "When I was in school we studied about the Federalist Papers. We should have studied the Federalist Papers. These documents were written by the \"big government\" supporters of the day. They absolutely believed the central government created by the Constitution of the United States would never be able to get by with overreach. They expected the Constitution's specific list of what was delegated to the federal government would protect the rights of the States and the liberty of the people. But furthermore they expected the individual States or States acting together would prohibit the federal government from carrying out tyranny such as ObamaCare, minimum wage laws, environmental regulations, bailouts, subsidies, or the thousands and thousands of things our government does today that is outside of the Constitution. Our sovereign States need to be nullifying these federal actions of overreach and protecting the citizens from tyranny. It is interesting to note that the writers of the Federalist Papers expected that but went on to say if the states did not protect the people the people could eventually protect themselves because they had arms. But now you notice the evil politicians want to take away arms from the people to make it safe for their tyranny. It would be good to read the Constitution of the United States before reading the Federalist papers and follow up by reading Nullification by Thomas E Woods.",
"reviewer": "Hillfarmer"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Great Historical Writings - A Somewhat Difficult Read",
"text": "I agree with various reviewers about these papers. They are undeniably of great historical significance. It must be recognized that they are essentially editorials written for public consumption in order to gain support for the State of New York to ratify the U.S. Constitution. In that they were composed by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, they do represent the thinking of the architects of our Constitution. I found the writing somewhat stylized and dated. I struggled with comprehending some of the writing. I used another literature source to simplify the reading. As another reviewer noted, there were also anti - federalist papers. These are essentially editorials and there were two sides to the argument. Therefore there is a value to studying the other side of the argument. Some of these papers were written by \"Cato\", probably George Clinton, who went on to serve as Vice President.",
"reviewer": "Frank Donnelly"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Amazing how intelligent the founding fathers were",
"text": "The Federalist Papers were written by Jay, Hamilton and Madison to defend the principles of the newly drafted US constitution against the opponents that were against the constitution becoming the law of the land. The opponents feared that making a central government would put too much power in the hands of a few, leading to tyranny. The 85 essays go into minute detail as to how the new government would work, how the states would retain most of their powers, and how the division of power in the federal government would protect against any of the branches from becoming too dominant. It is fascinating how, in this current political climate, one realizes how little domestic influence the position of President of the United States actually has, and how the ultimate determination of domestic policy is really in the hands of the Senate and House of Representatives. Amazing how intelligent the founding fathers were, and how cleverly they looked into the future. All this in 1787.",
"reviewer": "Russ C."
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Everyone should read it.",
"text": "It is a little difficult to read. The language is legal, and at that, late eighteenth century legal. It is very revealing about the problems the promoters of the Constitution encountered with the people of the USA while under the Articles of Conferation. Hamilton is the clearest of the writers. Madison is a little confusing at times. But these are the words of the men who were in the middle of the fight to get the country to accept a Federal Government. Madison, of course was a future President. They really do spell out the particulars of the, at the time, proposed Constitution of the United States of America. Apparantly the country was about to break up into 13 little countries, or maybe four countries of combined states. These men were convinced that without a uniting Constitution The USA would be conquered by European countries, or that the factions the country would break up into would be a perpetual war with each other over small matters. And they would all be bankrupt most of the time.",
"reviewer": "Kindle Customer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "edu/courses/federalist-papers/lecture-1/lecture - I cannot recommend this book or this FREE College Course highly enough",
"text": "These are America's unique contribution to political thought as the Constitutional Convention was in full-swing to ratify the Founding Father's gift to Americans citizens. This Constitution (very unique in 1787) has now become America;s gift to the world as it moved civilization from the \"Conquest Mentality\" of accumulating wealth to a new era of \"Wealth Creation.\" I originally bought this book as a companion reader to a completely FREE online course on The Federalist Papers provided by Hillsdale College. This free course is still available and each of the 10 lessons (including a 20-25 minute Q&A session can be accessed by clicking on the \"Course Schedule\" tab at this link: http://online.hillsdale.edu/courses/federalist-papers/lecture-1/lecture - I cannot recommend this book or this FREE College Course highly enough. You will gain a new respect for the \"Miracle in Philadelphia\" that occurred over the summer of 1787!",
"reviewer": "Million Dollar Maybe"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A must read!",
"text": "To understand the founder's thoughts on the devisement of the Constitution, you must read the Federalist Papers and get the keen insight on the debates unfolded to forge this document into existence.",
"reviewer": "Randy Purham"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "The Confederacy is indeed insufficient!",
"text": "We may indeed with propriety be said to have reached almost the last stage of national humiliation. There is scarcely anything that can wound the pride or degrade the character of an independent nation which we do not experience...Do we owe debts to foreigners and to our own citizens contracted in a time of imminent peril for the preservation of our political existence? These remain without any proper or satisfactory provision for their discharge...Is respectability in the eyes of foreign powers a safeguard against foreign encroachments? The imbecility of our government even forbids them to treat with us. I cannot recommend this text highly enough! We indeed must toss away the reins of Confederacy and let a new era of Federalism set us free!",
"reviewer": "Publius"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": null,
"listPrice": null,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B004TTWUTW",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "The California Voodoo Game: A Dreampark Novel (Dream Park Book 3)",
"authors": "Larry Niven, Steven Barnes",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51OdedYkXTL.jpg",
"rating": 4.5,
"reviewCount": "178",
"series": "A Dream Park Novel",
"seriesPosition": "3",
"acquisitionDate": "1541262013000",
"description": "When a Dream Park employee and girlfriend of Dream Park security chief Alex Griffin is found murdered, Alex hunts for the killer while trying to protect and oversee the world’s most famous, high-stakes live-action gaming tournament. Gamers strive for points, fend off opponents, as the world watches the most imaginative, high-tech gaming contest ever held. Set eight years after THE BARSOOM PROJECT, the stakes in this game are enormous, and some will risk everything to steal secrets or throw the outcome of the game. Third novel in the Dream Park series called “fascinating” by Booklist and “science fiction at its best” by the Central Phoenix Sun.\r\n\r\n“Fascinating!”\r\n– Booklist\r\n\r\n“Here is science fiction at its best, written by a pair of authors who know how to get your interest.”\r\n– Central Phoenix Sun\r\n\r\n“Good, inventive science fiction.”\r\n– Publishers Weekly\r\n\r\n“Beautifully thought out and executed.”\r\n– West Coast Review of Books\r\n\r\n“Outstanding!... Great fun to read.”\r\n– Richmond (VA) News-Leader",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Dated, but was written \"way back then\"",
"text": "First, 1995 was postponed to 1996. Given when it was written the book really was ahead of its time. And, in some ways sadly still is. But some of the technology is spot on. Now the book. Character development is rather interesting. The pacing is maddening at times but that frequently makes for a good read. My main complaint is a formatting issue that may be related to the Kindle book design. I need to look at my paperback edition but sometimes it seems like action breaks wind up as merged paragraphs. When we move from one group to the other this gets confusing. This is the third or fourth time I've read this book. I picked \"Goliath Stone\" as a Kindle book (new book to me) and this for a cruise. I got the bullet and paid for a book I already own. Given is my 2nd favorite author, behind RAH.",
"reviewer": "Dillon M. Pyron"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "A better attempt.",
"text": "Better that the previous title in the series, \"The Barsoom Project\". Much less dry, a better plot. The first novel is still my favorite.",
"reviewer": "J.M"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A good ramp up from the 2nd book",
"text": "This is what you expect from a sequel: more of everything, more characters returning from the 1st book, updated technology since the 1st book was written, deeper look at the internal workings of Dream Park, and a satisfying conclusion of each character's arc. It felt like the last book in the series, and I was surprised they wrote a 4th book. Looking forward to reading it next.",
"reviewer": "klwong36"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "On time and as listed",
"text": "Hardcover copy of a favorite book by a favorite pair of authors.",
"reviewer": "John Reagan"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "I highly recommend this one",
"text": "I've read this book before, but I wanted to read this series again, as I had fond memories of it. Being as it's been probably ten years, I was yet again surprised by all of the twists and turns, and was kept interested until the final pages of the book. I highly recommend this one.",
"reviewer": "Joel Sprague"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "\" which I did not like at all",
"text": "I read this right after reading \"The Barsoom Project,\" which I did not like at all. This novel was better, although I can't say I enjoyed it as much as Dream Park. At least they brought back some of the old cast of characters and so it was fun to sort of catch up on their lives. The game itself in this book was more interesting than the one in Barsoom, although I found I lost interest in it after a while. It seems that the authors can't quite seem to grab the magic, fun, as well as solving a good mystery, that they were able to capture in \"Dream Park.\"",
"reviewer": "SBC"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Just eh",
"text": "Loved Dream Park. Expectations were high for this book but mabey too high. I found it wanting.",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Wish it was real",
"text": "A well written & fun story about the psychology & joy of role playing. On top of that is a sophisticated case of cooperate espionage & murder. Read the earlier book \"Dream Park\" (also very good) to fully appreciate the characters.",
"reviewer": "Carl W. Taitano"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "I love this book",
"text": "THis is my second time reading it. I love this book.",
"reviewer": "Celia Osborne"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Neither of the two follow on books are as good as the first",
"text": "Neither of the two follow on books are as good as the first. As set in a place for \"gaming\", they need more action and less detail on story settings.",
"reviewer": "Tatuaje"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Kindle version",
"text": "I got this in the Kindle version so I could add it to my travel library.",
"reviewer": "Sir Kevin"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Four Stars",
"text": "great series",
"reviewer": "Aramcokid"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Good follow up book.",
"text": "Good follow up book",
"reviewer": "TWCrew Chaser"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Let's hear it for Dream Park",
"text": "As always, a pure delight, and my personal favorite. A mystery and a game wrapped all together, in the most compelling place imaginable.",
"reviewer": "Deborah Wright"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 6.99,
"listPrice": null,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B004WJQMKC",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "The Moon Maze Game (A Dream Park Novel Book 4)",
"authors": "Larry Niven, Steven Barnes",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51WJkMqDABL.jpg",
"rating": 4.4,
"reviewCount": "280",
"series": "A Dream Park Novel",
"seriesPosition": "4",
"acquisitionDate": "1763690513511",
"description": "The Year: 2085. Humanity has spread throughout the solar system. A stable lunar colony is agitating for independence. Lunar tourism is on the rise...\nAgainst this background, professional \"Close Protection\" specialist Scotty Griffin, fresh off a disastrous assignment, is offered the opportunity of a lifetime: to shepherd the teenaged heir to the Republic of Kikaya on a fabulous vacation. Ali Kikaya will participate in the first live action role playing game conducted on the Moon itself. Having left Luna--and a treasured marriage--years ago due to a near-tragic accident, Scotty leaps at the opportunity.\nLive Action Role Playing attracts a very special sort of individual: brilliant, unpredictable, resourceful, and addicted to problem solving. By kidnapping a dozen gamers in the middle of the ultimate game, watched by more people than any other sporting event in history, they have thrown down an irresistible gauntlet: to \"win\" the first game that ever became \"real.\" Pursued by armed and murderous terrorists, forced to solve gaming puzzles to stay a jump ahead, forced to juggle multiple psychological realities as they do...this is the game for which they've prepared their entire lives, and they are going to play it for all it's worth.\nAt the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Another Good Dream Park Novel",
"text": "This is one of the Larry-Niven-Steven Barnes \"Dream Park\" collaborations, and it's a good one. As in the other three (Dream Park, The Barsoom Project, and The California Voodoo Game) the story takes place in a near-future high-technology setting. The sorts of gamers who played fantasy & role playing games around a table in the 1980's and on computers in the late Twentieth/early Twenty-First Centuries can get a total immersion effect (holographic videos and other special effects) in a Dream Park setting. The extremely high cost of setting up the games is recouped by charging admission and by selling the premier of each game as a movie. Since most of the premier playing is done by famous, highly-ranked members of the International Fantasy Gaming Society, the movies sell like hotcakes. But there's more. In each story there is a group of bad guys who manage to infiltrate or invade the game for the purpose of larceny, murder, terrorism, or other skullduggery. This particular game is set in the world of H.G. Wells' novels, and the facility used is at a Moon colony. Niven and Barnes are geniuses (genii?). You'd think that, after three previous stories, the plotting would get old. You'd be wrong. The Kindle price is right and the book is a good read. Five stars.",
"reviewer": "Pete Roche"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Dream Park: The Next Generation -- The Greatest Show Off Earth",
"text": "I was excited when I learned there was a Dream Park novel I had not yet read, and jumped on the chance to get it. I anticipated the further adventures of Alex and Millie Griffin, Tony McWhirter, Acacia Garcia, and an assortment of Gamers and Dream Park employees I cam to care about in the other three books. As it turns out, that's not what we get. By rights, \"The Moon Maze Game\"should be titled \"Dream Park: The Next Generation.\" Alex Griffin and his wife, Millicent Summers, make cameo appearances, and Acacia Garcia and Tony McWhirter are referred to though not seen. But the protagonists are Scotty Griffin, Alex and Millie's son; and his ex-wife, Kendra. Essentially, the novel has an entirely new cast. Further, the action takes place not in Dream Park, but on the Moon at Heinlein Base -- an homage to Robert A. Heinlein's many stories and novels set on (or in) the Moon. This poses a problem for me as a reader. Niven and Barnes wrote as if with the presumption that the reader has read at least some of Heinlein's lunar stories (particularly \"The Menace from Earth\" and \"The Moon is a Harsh Mistress\") and therefore understands lunar conditions without the need for explanation. Having read Heinlein's works set on the Moon, I had no trouble following things; but for someone who does not read classic science fiction, I can see more than a little head-scratching. There are wheels within wheels in the Moon Maze Game, as there are with the other three Dream Park novels.Some of these plots make sense, especially in light of what went before in \"The Barsoom Project.\" Others seem to be contrived, and badly at that. One thing that annoyed me was the Game Master - Lore Master relationship. Niven and Barnes attempted to recreate the antagonsim between Richard Lopez and Chester Henderson, but instead achieved only a vicious petulance, which fortunately for the book is overtaken by the actual events of the story. They seem to have forgotten one rule of the Dream Park universe: Gamers are not going to want to play a game in which ALL the players are killed out, which was the Game Master's intention. This is very much relevant, as the Moon Maze Game is being played on the Moon and very few people could ever afford to go there to play it. With a game like that, everything has to be scrupulously fair. Game Master Xavier's feud with the Lore Master and another Gamer that he thinks done him wrong twenty years ago simply does not ring true; it feels more like childish petulance.Or, as Lopez put it to Chester in the first novel, \"Be your age. Where would I SELL the game that killed off Lore Master Chester Henderson?\" The characters who are Gamers and Lunies playing as Non-Player Characters, and the Lunies who live in the Moon and assembled the parts for the Game could have been developed better. While they are not cardboard cutouts, they don't have a lot of depth. The villains who are involved in a coup back on Earth and a kidnapping on the Moon are cardboard cutouts, and do not develop anything resembling depth until very late in the novel, when it is far too late for the reader to care about them. Some of the creations the Game Master created for the Game have more substance! If you are caught up in the story or one of the subplots, this won't bother you. But if you are reading it critically, it grates on your nerves. I expected better from this writing team, as they have delivered better in the past. The plot does move right along, though, once the scene of the action shifts from the Earth to the Moon. Once Niven and Barnes get us to Heinlein Base, the action if not the characterization is everything I've come to expect from a Dream Park novel. I simply wish they had taken the time to develop the characters more completely than they did. The problems they set themselves, of non-Lunar acclimated Gamers playing an extremely complex Game (and more than one game, at that) in a climate and under conditions alien to them are all solved nicely within the parameters they set up. There is no deus ex machina, and all comes right in the end. If you are a Dream Park fan, you won't be displeased. I simply wish Niven and Barnes had spent the time to take their story through one more draft before sending it to the publisher, that's all. That action would have turned a good read into a GREAT one.",
"reviewer": "Roy Jaruk"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Gaming, gamers, gamed!",
"text": "This is the third in a serious, exciting gaming science fiction novel. This may be the actual future of MMORPGs or at least Role Playing Games (without the Massive Online appendages.) Fun, adventurous and with well developed characters. An excellent read.",
"reviewer": "John Scott"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Love it!",
"text": "I didn't even know that this book existed, until I was looking to purchase Dream Park for my child to read (my copy being somewhere in storage). I've read Barsoom Project and California Voodoo games, both delightful, and was just giddy seeing that there is a fourth book! It didn't start reading it once it arrived... as there was much going on. But when I did start reading it... I could not put it down. I dropped it on my face of couple of times, falling asleep while reading, but only because I can't stay up all night reading too many nights in a row. All too soon, I was done. Now I want to go back and start over from the beginning!!",
"reviewer": "Chriss Lagge"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "New generation of characters but story was phoned in",
"text": "Spoiler warning...may contain some spoiler information.... Summary (2.5 stars): -------------------- The Dream Park Milieu is brought back for the 4th book in the series. It is set roughly 30 years after \"The California Voodoo Game\" was set. The location is Heinlein Base on Luna (the moon). The basic plot goes something like this: 1) The biggest game ever is about to be played on the Moon. 2) During the game, a kidnapping takes place of the son of the King of an African country (might be benevolent tryrant or not...). 3) The PCs in the game have to both solve puzzles to stay ahead of the kidnappers for personal safety but they also want to show they can be heroes in real life. You only get to see hints of the \"Moon Maze Game\" story, props and settings. It is actually quite frustrating as the game has some great potential for a Dream Park story/game. Disclaimer: I do run Dream Park RPG games from time to time, so I have a particular bias here. The story of the kidnappers and the interaction with the PCs plus moon base staff is very simplistic and not very compelling. It appears that Larry and Steven just phoned in this part of the book. It is rather disappointing especially when they do have a diamond in the rough here. If you like the Dream Park book series, the book is worth reading. If you have not read the other books, I suggest that you read the first and third books before thinking about reading this book. World Setting -- 3 stars: -------------------------- Nothing really new here from the other Dream Park novels. If anything it seems that world society has become lazy and complacent. The joy that you felt from the gamers in Dream Park games / experiences is just not present in this story. The rich world environment built up in the first three books is not utilized very well. Plot -- 2 stars: ----------------- I have to write this up in two parts: Main plot -- 2 stars: It is a very basic kidnapping story with a team of well organized and professional criminals. However, the team is very much out of there element on the Moon...very bad tactical planning. It would have been much easier to kidnap the target on earth. Game plot -- 4 stars: The game plot (for what you can get out of the book) could be really interesting. It is based on Steam punk technology and H.G. Well's various stories. The part of the game that you get to experience are well done. I wish the editor had said to stick more to the game plot. It seems like the a couple of minor plot points took control of a good story / plot. Writing -- 2.5 stars: --------------------- The writing is ok...not great and not terrible. The writing does not show much polishing but rather just a slightly fleshed out outline. There are some very good bits in the story....but not much wheat amongst the chaff. Characters -- 2 stars: ----------------------- The characters in the story are based on advancing the Dream Park milieu about 30 or so years into the future. One of the main characters is Scott Griffin (son of Alex Griffin). I am not sure if I wanted to see a Griffin connection to a main character or have a new character come to fore. The kidnapping target is probably one of the better written but as a teenager do not expect anything too fancy. The characters are basically two-dimension which is to be expected with a book of this length. It would have taken many more pages to get some go character development. I wish the book was longer with more character development expressed via how the people reacted to the game scenario. It would have really helped the book overall. The initial build up of the GM and PC rivalry was done pretty well. But, it did not turn into much unfortunately. A general point is that the PC playing in what is supposed to be the greatest game ever seemed very weak to me especially compared to the characters in \"The California Voodoo Game\". It does not make sense to have such weak gamers playing in the first ever game on the Moon that has over 20% of humanity watching the game. I would think that you would have done something a bit more impressive and with more dynamic characters. You could have brought in many characters and knock out many showing the Game Masters personality through actions instead of a small bits of dialog.",
"reviewer": "L. C Glover"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "A worthy continuation of the series.",
"text": "Kindle version. I have read this series from the beginning, and even bought and played the role playing game when it came out. This is a worthy entry in the series. These books follow a standard formula which will appeal to gamers, LARPers, mystery fans and adventure fans, not to mention spy story fans. The standard formula involves the Colwes Industries Dream Park franhise and the International Fantasy Gaming Society. The IFGS was originally postulated as an international RPG scoring society. The RPGA is the real world nearest equivalent. Cowles Industries is a theme park company best known for the fictional Dream Park. When the original Dream Park novel came out virtual reality was barely a concept of science fiction. The holo decks of Star Trek Next Generation and the X-Men holographic danger room had not yet been dreamed up. Dream Park existed as an animatronic theme park for role playing gamers to dress in costume and compete in games lasting from half an hour to several days in a controlled environment. Over the years as real world technology has advanced the novels have continued to advance as well. This novel is set in a lunar habitat larger than an american domed sports stadium. A game master uses computer assisted holographic and human actors to play in a set which appears to be miles across. The game is played live and broadcast systemwide, similar to a cross between a Survivor type television episode 3 days in length crossed with H G Wells To The Moon and Back. Computerized gambling on the players and game outcomes is as big as an entire season of NFL Football. Into this come a group of terrorists with a political agenda against one of the players and inside help. For the first time the Game is Real. Here is my favorite quaote from the novel. \"Let's just that it is not a good idea to attack a mad scientist in his own workshop.\"",
"reviewer": "R. David Morris"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Now I got 4k",
"text": "I got it for the 4k, WHICH IS SPECTACULAR. Sound is great. The story everyone knows, one of the greatest efforts in Star Trek History. A great add to by DVD BLU RAY NOW 4K Collection. Wtaching the 4k disk is so much better than streaming it, at least for me",
"reviewer": "Canopus"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "I don't think it's as good as the first Dream Park book",
"text": "It was hard rating this book, since I've read the others in the Dream Park series and had to take that into account. I don't think it's as good as the first Dream Park book, but I do think it's better than the ones after the first and before this one. The characters in this book are engaging, from Scotty to the Cocoa Angel to mad genius Game Master. The moon as a setting for a Dream Park book is interesting, and the action moves along at a nice snappy pace. I recommend this book.",
"reviewer": "Alice Erickson"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Not all I'd hoped for",
"text": "I am a Dream Park fan. I've read the first book in the series five times and the other two at least three times each. When I learned two years ago that Nivens and Barnes were coming out with a fourth novel, I was ecstatic. It was a long time waiting for it. Now after reading it, I struggle with disappointment. Not that it isn't well written and exciting; anyone purchasing this book will get their money's worth in story value. But as a Dream Park novel it felt perfunctory with more emphasis being given to the terrorists and their story than to the gamers or the game. The books in this series have always functioned at three levels: the imaginary game with its puzzles, the gamers, and the mystery. The fun of this series has been the interaction of the three, and in the other three books, it's the wonder and mystery of the game that holds them all together. Nivens and Barnes would make incredible Game Masters for real. In this fourth entry, the game is reduced to being merely a setting for a hostage/captive scenario. For me this was too bad, for the game mythos the authors have developed for their Moon Maze Game is excellent and deserved more elaboration and unfoldment than it's given. It should have been center stage rather than a backdrop. The sense of High Adventure that is so essentially a part of these LARP games is built up in the beginning and then abandoned as the terrorists take over. Not that the resulting story isn't exciting and well-done. It is. It's just that if I wanted to read about African politics, terrorists, hostages, etc., there are lots of other books I could purchase. In a Dream Park novel, I wanted to read about--and vicariously participate in--the Game, feeling the drama between the Game Master and the players, and see how the gamers use their skills to figure out the game's puzzles. In Dream Park, the game's the thing, and in this respect, this novel disappoints. The game may be afoot, but it ends up limping.",
"reviewer": "David Spangler"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "More enjoyable than I had anticipated....",
"text": "Like most devotees of the the Dream Park series, I view the first novel as the pick of the litter. In addition, I was disappointed in both \"Barsoom\" and \"Voodoo\". Accordingly, my expectations for this effort were both modest and somewhat cynical. I am, gratefully, pleasantly surprised. While still not reaching the literary and plot excellence of \"Dream Park\", \"Moon Maze\" was an enjoyable journey; the story has good pace and several interesting characters. Rather than be a simple redux of the \"Griffin\" character, Alex's son has his own skill set and psychological impediments. In particular, I appreciated the weaving in of the game within a game concept, which permitted the utilization of true villains. The game descriptions were one of the weaker elements: my impression is that the authors, in their struggle to lend authenticity and visual drama to the story, lost their way, a bit, with overly complex imagery and metaphors. It was almost as if they had too many tools to work with. Compared to the classic original, the writing in this area falls a bit short. Nonetheless, the novel provides an entertaining journey; this was a good sequel and, I surmise, the final entry in the genre.",
"reviewer": "Morphie"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Nearly No Niven In It",
"text": "Where Larry Niven is concerned I'm something of a completist. I like to get everything he writes, co-writes or has some influence on. Thus, 'Moon Maze Game' was a bit of a disappointment because there's little Niven in it. The setting is probably Niven's, the political situyation in the book dervies from 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress' by Robert A Heinlein, so that's proably Niven, but the rest is Steven Barnes. Now, there's nothing necessarily wrong with that - Barnes is good at characterisation and giving the characters realistic behaviour and motivation, but there should be more to a science fiction book than things that could be found in ainstream literature. I got the book because I liked the first three in the series and am a Niven completist. If you're not, it might be better to pick up some of the older Niven works which are now, praise be to whatever powers control this, coming out on the Kindle. (I will add that it was good to see an Australian character in this one, even though they weren't such a nice person.)",
"reviewer": "D. J. Rout"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Different from Larry Niven's usual fare",
"text": "Complacency (i.e., the same formula will guarantee another success) is the downfall of sequels. The authors' earlier novels Dream Park and The California Voodoo Game (A Dream Park Novel) introduced and popularized LARP (Live-Action Role-Playing) in a California setting. But those two earlier novels took great care to develop the participants' personalities and characters; the reader could somewhat identify with the individual characters. The Moon Maze Game presents a bigger better LARP, yet the novel's H.G. Wells mythos play is obscure instead of intuitive, while the novel emphasizes lunar technical infrastructure over character strong development. And midway though the novel the infrastructure descriptions become repetitive. The Moon Maze Game IMO settles into a mundane action story once terrorists seize the LARP lunar facility. Action stories are not necessarily bad, but the novel's character development is not sufficient to create good guy strong characters, and the terrorists bear a distinct resemblance to the terrorists from the 1988 film Die Hard. The rest of the novel depicts how the good guys improvise within lunar disabled infrastructure to outwit the terrorists. It's a well-written novel, but this novel differs from Larry Niven's usual fare.",
"reviewer": "Richard Ballard"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "A solid, entertaining sci-fi thriller",
"text": "This is the fourth novel in the Dream Park series, and was written about 20 years after the other three. It's a good read, a likeable thriller with endearing heroes and nasty villains. Since it is about the first total-immersion fantasy role play game held on the moon, the authors get to describe some of the effects that low gravity and other lunar physics have on the game. One of my favorite books ever is \"Dream Park\", the original book in the series. This book doesn't quite come up to the level of wonder and delight as \"Dream Park\", but it's close. If you enjoy sci-fi mystery/thrillers, or enjoy the work of either author, you should enjoy this book.",
"reviewer": "Peter J. Macdonald"
},
{
"stars": 2,
"title": "Very disappointing",
"text": "I liked the first book in this series (Dream Park) and absolutely loved the follow-up (The California Voodoo Game). This, on the other hand, was a big disappointment. Spoilers follow. We're set up for basically two different plots here, the stereotypical \"evil genius gm out to get certain players and yet stay within the rules of the game\" and the rather more interesting \"professional kidnappers go after one of the players\". The first is dropped once the second becomes known to the players. The game itself didn't seem all that interesting to me, but I'll admit that because of what happens the reader is only getting disjointed pieces to look at. There's more than enough ideas here to make a good book, but we don't get that. We get cardboard characters being pushed around a board. Most are barely one-dimensional. We get the terrorist with the Irish accent, the player that everybody loves who is handicapped, the politician on his way up who sells out. One member of what we are shown to be a possible budding relationship is killed off with no reaction from the other member at all. The final twenty pages probably didn't take much longer to write than they did to read. I don't mind the occasional mindless adventure in my fiction, but I don't expect it from Niven and Barnes. Purists should wait for the paperback, everybody else can just skip it.",
"reviewer": "Dwaz"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 12.99,
"listPrice": 19.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B004XJIWAE",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Against All Enemies (Campus Book 1)",
"authors": "Tom Clancy, Peter Telep",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/417R5aCCiAL.jpg",
"rating": 4.2,
"reviewCount": "4,110",
"series": "Campus",
"seriesPosition": "1",
"acquisitionDate": "1306097107000",
"description": "Racing from the remote, war-scarred landscapes of the Middle East to the blood-soaked chaos of the U.S.-Mexico border, #1 New York Times bestselling author Tom Clancy delivers a heart-stopping thriller that is frighteningly close to reality.\n\n Working behind the scenes for the CIA, ex-Navy SEAL Maxwell Moore arrives at a rendezvous to take charge of a high-ranking Taliban captive and barely escapes with his life. Undaunted, Moore is relentless in his quest to find the terrorist cell responsible, but what he discovers leads him to a much darker conspiracy in an unexpected part of the globe...\n\n After years of planning, the Taliban have come to terms with a vicious Mexican drug cartel and agreed to supply them with opium. For the cartel, the deal means money, power, and ultimate control of the drug trade. But for the Taliban, it is a long awaited opportunity: to exploit the cartels and bring the fire of the jihad to the hearts of the infidels, striking against the very heart of America.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Good shipping",
"text": "Good read, arrived in great condition",
"reviewer": "EddieG"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Epic tale regarding Terrorist and Drug Cartels",
"text": "If you have read many of the reviews of the book you will already be aware that many believe that this is not Clancy's best work. Many also believe that Clancy didn't do any of the work. So, let's take the premise that Peter Telep did the majority of the writing with Clancys oversight. As I have said in other reviews I do appreciate well known author's taking the time to mentor younger authors. I commend them for that. You will be drawn into this book quickly enough although there are three or four scenario's running right at the beginning that take some time for you to get into and understand. CIA agent Moore is fighting a loosing battle with Taliban terrorists. He is infiltrating their tribes the best he can and doing all he can to disturb their operations. But his best chance at finding the head of the terrorist group dies with a confidential informant that is murdered on the way to \"tell all.\" This means that Moores work is taking a huge step backwards. Now add to this the Drug Cartels in Mexico and their never ending war to demolish each other and take total control of the drug trafficking into the U.S. Now those Cartels are also starting to work with Pakistani and Afghanistan terrorist to bring in more drugs to the U.S. But the Terrorist want something in return, they want the drug cartels to help them cross the border into the U.S. so that they can bring devastation to the U.S. Moore is brought back from Pakistan and put on a major task force that is going to do it's best to infiltrate the drug cartels, the terrorist groups and the Mexican Police agencies with the goal to find and destroy the leaders of the Cartels and stop the terrorist from entering the U.S. Lots of plots. Lots of twists and turns to keep you on your toes. The book is long, probably so that Telep can develop each angle of the story. You will be brought face to face with new characters that Clancy has never had before. There is Ansara the young FBI agent assigned to the task force. There is Fitzpatrick who is going underground to become one of the Cartels trusted enforcers, then there is Ms. Vega who is tasked with coming alongside the Mexican Federal Police and trying to help them root out the bad cops from the good. All of the task force is doing their separate work but hopeful that they will then come together toward the end to put a major hurt on the Cartels as well as the Terrorist from Afghanistan and Pakistan. If you enjoy long epics regarding government intervention you will enjoy this read. If you don't mind meeting new characters and learning how they came to their positions and why they are the best of the best, you will enjoy this read. If Clancy wrote this book, well then it is not his best work. But if it is the work of Peter Telep, as I suspect, then this is a good start for him and I look forward to seeing him develop as an action novelist. Enjoy!",
"reviewer": "WDC"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Action action action",
"text": "Great read...action from beginning to end. Even though it was fiction the story was well written to make believe it was real.",
"reviewer": "Miguel Pagan"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Against All Enemies",
"text": "Unlike Dead or Alive, which was also co-authored and whose writing style closely resembled that of Clancy's, Against All Enemies was quite clearly not written by Tom Clancy. Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing, given that Clancy's normal style is clunky, wordy, redundant, inefficient, unnecessarily long prose that constantly goes off on completely useless tangents. Instead the writing is the more lean and straightforward, often showing-rather-than-telling style of most successful commercial fiction thrillers. It fits the book well, since it's very much like those countless other thrillers, with a somewhat generic Navy SEAL/CIA operator taking on armies of terrorists and drug cartel enforcers, with gun battles and assassinations in almost every other chapter and lots of violence, while never becoming overly complex, similar in style to Brad Thor, Vince Flynn, or Alex Berenson. The book's focus on the drug cartels and the main settings in Mexico are at least refreshing changes from the numerous thrillers with terrorists and Middle East locations. Clancy/Telep/Putnam's new hero is Max Moore, a Navy SEAL/CIA veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan assigned to a task force targeting a Mexican drug cartel leader. Moore is never fully developed and, unlike Clancy's other main characters, doesn't really come across as a real person, despite being given large chunks of back story that are told throughout the novel in brief flashbacks. He's just another special forces action hero with little personality, and the book never really gets into his thoughts. None of the other characters particularly stand out either, which is unfortunate since there are so many of them, and it makes it a bit difficult at times to recall who's who and what their relationship to other characters is. The other major downside is that the book is a bit too long. The plot is not that complex or intricate, and this story could have been told in a lot fewer pages. But it still held my attention throughout and was a very fast read. There were perhaps too many unnecessary action scenes that did nothing to advance the plot, but most of these are pretty brief. Overall the book holds up as a quality and above average thriller. There are a couple minor moments scatered throughout the book that aren't entirely consistent with reality, but the story is plausible and follows a believable chain of events, without delving into comic book territory or relying on implausible plot twists, like so many of these types of books tend to do. While not up to Clancy's usual standards (or even the standards of the co-authored Dead or Alive), Against All Enemies is still just as a good anything by Brad Thor or Vince Flynn. A fun, readable, but not exceptional thriller. If you just care about reading an entertaining book, than you can do much worse than Against All Enemies.",
"reviewer": "RS"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Somebody's Back. It Might Even Be Clancy!",
"text": "I don't usually write reviews of books I read. In fact, this is my first on Amazon. I just usually don't care what a bunch of strangers think about what my opinion is of the books I'm reading. Friends, yes; strangers, no. However, this book has been trashed by a number of people here on Amazon.com. I find it hard to believe they've read the book. A friend of mine recommended Against All Enemies saying that it reminded him of the early Clancy novels. Excited, I bought a Kindle version despite the price. I have to say I was not disappointed. Against All Enemies is, indeed, reminiscent of classic Clancy. The plot is complex, but fast moving. The characters are larger than life, but realistic and believable.The story is chock full of technical stuff related simply enough so as not to bog down the story. The story is exciting and the writing supports the fast-paced action throughout the more than 700 pages. I was captured just as I was when I read The Hunt for Red October. The difference for me between THFRO and AAE, is that while reading THFRO, I kept asking myself, \"Where did he get all this classified info?\" I was a Navy P3 pilot at the time, and somehow Clancy almost nailed our mission, tactics, and in aircraft banter. Though there were some inaccuracies, problems with some of the P3 and patrol mission technical details, he nailed enough of it to be believable. With AAE, since I'm not an expert in any of the technicalities therein, I'll just have to accept them without the \"wow\" of the revelation of military secrets. As to whether Peter Taleb wrote the book or Clancy did. I don't care. I, like an earlier reviewer, have reread a couple of early Clancy novels, including THFRO, and found them to be not as magical as they once were. Against All Enemies stacks up against them solidly. It was well worth the read. Thanks Peter or Tom, whoever wrote this engaging, exciting novel.",
"reviewer": "Mike Erickson"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Another good one",
"text": "So far I haven't come across A bad tom Clancy book. However, this one did drift a little between characters . There were times the story didn't hold my attention as much as others have. No regrets.",
"reviewer": "frank kearney"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Clancy & Telep Have Come up With the Goods. Outstanding!",
"text": "As a Clancy fan, I feel like I wax on when I review his books, because they are such strong reads that provide such pleasure. I have often marvelled at the way the books are such strong reflections of what goes on in the world and thus can be so plausible for the reader. The characters are outstanding and have only developed and become stronger with every subsequent book. However, with Peter Telep joining Tom Clancy we are introduced to Max Moore and the field of espionage in the unconventional Afghanistan and Pakistan theatres. What a punt and what success on the part of the authors, because they have stepped away from the regular players to bring a brilliant fresh character that engages the reader with such an outstanding plot and story line that has the reader well and truly absorbed in the book. I loved the fact that Peter Telep has provided some real intrigue for His contribution I felt developed real intrigue and interest that had me wondering where too next. Clancy fans including this one salute you. Bravo!",
"reviewer": "Anthony"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Tom Clancy is doing it again, advising authorities how to adjust to dangerous world",
"text": "I my self was a foot soldier in the cold war and welcomed the first books, as such. Later I found a lot of insights in his books. Good example was Debt of Honor. (it happened on my birthday 9/11 01.The Bear and the Dragon was a policy advice, that the brothers in arms in WWI & WWII would in future have common interest. That was ignored by both parties. This prolegomenous is to cast light on my rating: Mr. Clancy is pointing out in Against All Enemies, that old stile billion dollar wars are tings of the past, no more Gettysburg. In stead you have to cut the head of the snake with a sharp blade.TC. quotes from Art of War the old Chinese classical war manual, which in my opinion the US military has mostly ignored. By mentioning the presidential palace in Columbia he revels the name of a revolution hero which was from the same school of thought as the US founding fathers (Visionaries) When Moore vent to visit Wazir, he was met by old Rana, as Wazir had been killed in a Drone strike. Those two might be the Afghan fighters described in Cardinal of the Kremlin. The message is that the Drone operation should be giving more consideration, because they can make an old friend a new enemy. The advice: US need no more enemies. Prologue: I use this opportunity for thanking AMAZOVE for the true excellence in making the book strong against all the social Media and soap operas. Sincere regards, Elías",
"reviewer": "Elías Kristjánsson"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Literature, it ain't.",
"text": "Literature it ain't. Art, it ain't. What it is is luke warm and a disconnected 22.5. It does not ever get to \"24\", the eponymous TV show. and unfortunately in the written medium, it could easily have been. Too bad. ALL of the characters are thin and shallow. Not fully formed, and for the most part very sketchy and fairly uninteresting. One does not even care to get to know them better. Worse. No one appears to be likable. NO ONE. Huge latitude is given and open personality assignments are left as if not wanting to screw things up if a movie was ever to be made. I sincerely hope not. Some Producer type Putz would have Ben Affliction or his little wodden pal Barny Damon in a feature role. Miscasting is in this snoozers future, with the giant tattooed gangsters part to be played by Megan Fox, or Tiny Tom Cruiser. The protagonist ex SEAL who is worldly from navy assignments and who has grown old and weary being a CIA Para super spy, tends to kvetch and be generally boring.. He seems to have developed a poor trait of lossing his assistants and partners as well as snitches to foreseeable and preventable violent death. Not good on subsequent fitness reports or choice assignments. Not a lot of raised hands to volunteer to work with him. Here is the place for a healthy \"OY\". Worse. He carries a Glock 30 in a shoulder holster (brand unnamed)and takes killing long shots with it's 3inch barrel. Another hearty \"OY\". Pssst. That model Glock is for close up activity. BIG muzzle flash. BIG noise. NOT particularly adaptable for noise suppressors. Bulky and heavy. Miserable even a custom made shoulder holster. Worse in the Texas/Arizona/California border area of Northern Mexico, where T-shirts are sometimes overdressing. Short, fat Glocks are very hard to conceal for long periods of time. Barettas are worse. Look. This book is not a lot of things. What it IS is time consuming and kind of , sort of entertaining, You can pick it up or put it down and read or not read and not feel any gain or loss. Perfect for the bathroom countertop, awaiting for better \"things\" to happen. It does somewhat entertain, and appears not to contain any transfats, sodium or calories. Lousy? Not quite. Good? Not quite. It is ongoing and long acting entertainment of a sort. I used to expect much more from a Clancy. But THAT was long ago, as the song goes. Remember. It is fine for bathroom reading. and great excercise. The hardback is as HEAVY as a Glock 30, and may be used for building those scrawny forearms.",
"reviewer": "Gideon Reed"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Not like other Tom Clancy books.",
"text": "Not a very interesting read. I easily fall asleep listening to this audio book.",
"reviewer": "DCRofAZ"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Better than I'd hoped for",
"text": "I'm a big Clancy fan from all the way back to HFRO. But it's been a while since I read something of his that got me excited. And with all the reviews on here calling it total trash, my expectations were lowered. People calling it garbage are way off base. People call Moore an under-developed character which seems ridiculous now that I've read it and then the same people complain about the length of the book - do you think you develop a character with the depth of Jack Ryan in 20 pages? I think anyone complaining about the depth of Moore's character should go back and read Red October and compare to how Ryan was developed in book #1 instead of throughout the entire series. And let's face it, we needed a new character. There was nowhere else to go with Ryan. Overall, I found the book a fun read and thought-provoking on the possibilities and concerns with the cartels. Thanks to all those who apparently expected the world and whined in their reviews for tempering my expectations - because this one that was better than I hoped for when I clicked \"BUY\". But shame on you - because of you, I almost never gave this book a chance.",
"reviewer": "A. Keen"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Tom Clancy or not?",
"text": "As someone who has read every Clancy fiction, it is obvious that this is not a pure Clancy book. Certain elements are his, no doubt. Some of the action narrative seems to be written by him, but generally speaking, he appears to have plotted it, outlined it, then let someone else do the actual writing. The result is a story that I found intriguing, but which left me a little disappointed. As for the story itself, I liked it. The new hero, Max Moore, seems to be more than the super-soldier/operative that we often see in Clancy. He has a few ghosts, he makes mistakes, and he gets surprised, but because he keeps at it, he finds a way to get through it. The connection between the Mexico drug cartels and the Taliban doesn't get quite the attention it deserves as far as development goes. The terrorist action seems plausible (as they all do in his books) and the action around it works well. I can understand the negative reviews, but I find the hostility puzzling. Overall, I enjoyed reading the book, but then again, I went into it knowing it was a collaboration. Maybe that's the difference. The thing that kept it from 4 stars to me was the fact that some of the plot threads got ended a little suddenly, as if the authors got tired of them. I expect we'll see more of Moore, and I'll give him another shot then.",
"reviewer": "Dan McNeeley"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "New hero by Clancy",
"text": "Ex navy SEAL Moore fights against America's two major enemies, terrorists and cocaine cartels. The story develops with a speed like Hollywood movie. Notwithstanding of the volume, it's easy to read at a stretch because of the quick scene changes. Cartel's boss Jorge Rojas is depicted well comparing to terrorist Samad. Like every fathers Rojas feels a vague sense of fear for succession of his underground business to his son. On the other hand, Samad is written mercilessly robotically. He only shows his weakness when he looks at his father's photo passionately. What is Samad's real purpose of fleeing to the Guatemalan after destroying US air planes. Did he planning another jihad? The author doesn't reveal this point clearly. Moore's regret pervades the whole story, which shadows the success of operation at hand. He couldn't save his best friend Carmichael in their last operation. But his experience didn't seem to bear any fruit. He lost so many his teammates and informants during this adventure. The climax of the story is three-sided chase by Moore, Miguel and kidnappers in San Cristobal. In the mid of volume, we are suddenly noticed Miguel's girlfriend Sonia being a CIA undercover. Then how old is she characterized actually? College student's girl friend is the same same person with who drinks coffee with Moor in Washington? Hunting Samad part seems to be sloppy. Does the appearance of Caruso indicate another adventure by Moore? This time with Sonia?",
"reviewer": "Mikio Miyaki"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Objectively Speaking, So-So",
"text": "I have never been an avid Clancy fan, except for his first 3 or 4 books, and have not read one since then, until \"Against All Enemies\". I sympathize with the 'Clancy Club' one star reviewers, as the book is not up to his past rep....and the bold cover, deliberately minimizes the ghost writers name IMO. That being said, it is an entertaining read for idle summer time, with a few caveats below. The hero CIA/SEAL, Max Moore, is vaguely interesting as he chases Afga/Paki terrorists and Mexican drug lords. Lots of action, and an interesting, informative and refreshing story line around the drug cartels. Scary people, outrageously ruthless and cruel. No doubt, our Gov't will eventually have to seriously deal directly, with eliminating the drug cartels in the future. There is a lot of filler, including flimsy character backgrounds, flashbacks, etc., which I felt should have been done shorter or eliminated all together, and the story could have been told in approx 500 pages, instead of 750. I recommend reading the inside cover flap, than move on to Chapter 11 (around pg. 180), where the story begins to get interesting. All in all, you could do worse for an action read. No regrets here.",
"reviewer": "rck12"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 9.99,
"listPrice": null,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B004YMYR2C",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Go the F**k to Sleep",
"authors": "Adam Mansbach, Ricardo Cortes, Ricardo Cortés",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51xYM8BkGyL.jpg",
"rating": 4.8,
"reviewCount": "21,060",
"series": "Go the Fuck to Sleep",
"seriesPosition": "1",
"acquisitionDate": "1316397227000",
"description": "The #1 New York Times Bestseller: \"A hilarious take on that age-old problem: getting the beloved child to go to sleep\" (NPR).\n\"Hell no, you can't go to the bathroom. You know where you can go? The f**k to sleep.\"\nGo the Fuck to Sleep is a book for parents who live in the real world, where a few snoozing kitties and cutesy rhymes don't always send a toddler sailing blissfully off to dreamland. Profane, affectionate, and radically honest, it captures the familiar—and unspoken—tribulations of putting your little angel down for the night.\nRead by a host of celebrities, from Samuel L. Jackson to Jennifer Garner, this subversively funny bestselling storybook will not actually put your kids to sleep, but it will leave you laughing so hard you won't care.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Lighthearted and fun gift for expecting parents",
"text": "This is a fan favorite, so light hearted, and sure to give a good laugh! I buy for all of my expecting friends for their showers",
"reviewer": "SBrown"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A Lighthearted Look into Parenting",
"text": "Just a very funny book",
"reviewer": "JayneM"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Best baby shower gift",
"text": "This book is so fantastic, I get a good laugh every time I read it. I even bought a copy for friends that are new parents!",
"reviewer": "Genesis"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Classic!",
"text": "Tradition to give to new parents. It’s hilarious. Not for kids! This is mommy and daddy humor.",
"reviewer": "Lisa"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Perfect!",
"text": "Hilarious for my bonus daughter who has a 2 and 5 year old!",
"reviewer": "Veteran08"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Laughed Out Loud",
"text": "Hilarious but naughty. But let’s face it, we all look forward to our children’s bedtime.The only danger is your child repeating the “F” word when you least want them to do so. Trust me!",
"reviewer": "Amazon Customer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Fun book",
"text": "Best book ever for new parents and old parents",
"reviewer": "Scott"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Funny",
"text": "Sarcastic and funny and definitely an inspiration for the snarky book I wrote for my son. Great illustrations, but definitely not something you read to a child.",
"reviewer": "Amanishakheto"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Classic!",
"text": "Classic book! I always get this book for first time parents, gets a good chuckle every time.",
"reviewer": "Barb"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Baby shower must",
"text": "We always get this book as part of our baby shower gifts we give. Love it",
"reviewer": "serina molina"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "its only funny because it is true!!!!!!! Loved it",
"text": "hysterical book for new parent",
"reviewer": "Dental Diva"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Good gift for parents with a sense of humor.",
"text": "Gave this book to parents of twin toddlers as a humorous relief for first time parents. They loved it. The parents...not the kids.",
"reviewer": "J. Stevens"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "The kids don’t get it",
"text": "Always a go to book to give at showers. Gives the parents a smile when they read the title and the kids don’t get it. Best case :)",
"reviewer": "Caroline Mullen"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "The Struggles Of Ever Parent, Now In Book Form.",
"text": "This book is absolutely hilarious. Go The F To Sleep perfectly illustrates the struggles of every parent when their kids won't go to sleep. It looks like a friendly little children's book, but don't be fooled... This book isn't exactly children friendly. It's more meant for the adults. I recommend you pick this book up if you're a parent struggling with your little ones. It will make your day.",
"reviewer": "Joe Felix Rosenburg"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 6.99,
"listPrice": 8.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B004YW4L5K",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition: A Novel",
"authors": "Neil Gaiman",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41zz7khQtEL.jpg",
"rating": 4.4,
"reviewCount": "58,681",
"series": "American Gods",
"seriesPosition": "1",
"acquisitionDate": "1405229329000",
"description": "Test\nFirst published in 2001, American Gods became an instant classic—an intellectual and artistic benchmark from the multiple-award-winning master of innovative fiction, Neil Gaiman. Now discover the mystery and magic of American Gods in this tenth anniversary edition. Newly updated and expanded with the author’s preferred text, this commemorative volume is a true celebration of a modern masterpiece by the one, the only, Neil Gaiman.Locked behind bars for three years, Shadow did his time, quietly waiting for the magic day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. A man no longer scared of what tomorrow might bring, all he wanted was to be with Laura, the wife he deeply loved, and start a new life.But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow’s best friend are killed in an accident. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday. A trickster and rogue, Wednesday seems to know more about Shadow than Shadow does himself.Life as Wednesday’s bodyguard, driver, and errand boy is far more interesting and dangerous than Shadow ever imagined—it is a job that takes him on a dark and strange road trip and introduces him to a host of eccentric characters whose fates are mysteriously intertwined with his own. Along the way Shadow will learn that the past never dies; that everyone, including his beloved Laura, harbors secrets; and that dreams, totems, legends, and myths are more real than we know. Ultimately, he will discover that beneath the placid surface of everyday life a storm is brewing—an epic war for the very soul of America—and that he is standing squarely in its path.Relevant and prescient, American Gods has been lauded for its brilliant synthesis of “mystery, satire, sex, horror, and poetic prose” (Michael Dirda, Washington Post Book World) and as a modern phantasmagoria that “distills the essence of America” (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). It is, quite simply, an outstanding work of literary imagination that will endure for generations.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Of Elephants and Maps",
"text": "Before I truly get started on my review of American Gods by Neil Gaiman, I should mention a few things. First off, I was struck in awe and wonderment at being able to read the works of such a master wordsmith. Neil Gaiman is a craftsman when it comes to words. His prose, while not overly flowery, has a depth of emotion and poetry that is a joy to read. Secondly, I benefitted greatly from a website that compiled and explained the mythology behind various gods and characters. If you decide to read this book, may I highly recommend bookmarking and referencing \"Only The Gods Are Real?\" [...] Trust me when I say you will appreciate the way Gaiman weaves metaphor and mythology so much MORE when you understand the stories he's drawing from. The way he describes the gods and the situations he places them in is nothing short of brilliant. American Gods is a really large elephant of a book. It's been a few days since I've finished reading this novel, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of the various concepts and layers. When I focus on one aspect of the book, the others seem to fade out of reach in my mind. They're still there, but slightly out of view. Then, as I shift my attention to another angle of the story, the original thought recedes and goes out of focus. I realize that they're all connected and inter-related, but being able to explain precisely how it all fits is a challenge that seems beyond my scope and ability. In the end, I've been left with a sense of enormity and magnificence, while still not managing to see the whole beast at once. So, then, let's look at the components separately, instead. +++American Gods is a story about a man named Shadow Moon.+++ Shadow Moon is a man who was sentenced to six years in jail and is due to be released early for good behavior after only serving three of them. A few days before he's to be freed, his life is shattered when he finds out that his wife has died in a car crash. On his way home, to attend his wife's funeral, he meets a man named Mr. Wednesday. Mr. Wednesday wants to hire him on as his bodyguard and all around errand boy. Originally, Shadow declines the offer, but Mr. Wednesday is insistent and eventually Shadow acquiesces- with a few stipulations. From the very beginning, Shadow can tell that things are not all as they seem. At first, he's reluctantly sucked into the events that unfold, but as things progress he becomes more willingly engaged. He comes to understand that there is a storm coming. There will be a great battle between old and new gods, and that Mr. Wednesday, who is really Odin in disguise, is at the heart of the events unfolding. Much like the skin of an elephant, this is perhaps the easiest aspect of the story to identify. It is roughened by age and elements and yet still manages to be intriguing and comforting. Even if all you wanted to do was read this book on the surface level, it would be an entertaining and pleasant read. +++American Gods is a story about the struggle between old and new.+++ Odin is the greatest Norse God, otherwise known as the All-Father. Immigrants brought the old gods from all over the world to America in their hearts and minds. Gods have come from China, Greece, India, Ireland, Egypt, and anywhere there were people who prayed and kept faith in a higher being. Slaves, paupers, peasants all brought them oversea and across land on their backs and then tethered them within America's borders through sacrifice and worship. As the people who believed in them stopped believing, or teaching the new generations, or as they began to die off, the power of the old gods faded. The old gods were left to fend for themselves and take what little bit they could from the mythology and stories that remained. They had to resort to lying, cheating, whoring and preying on the people as best they could for their existence. Their diminished power made way for new gods. The gods of credit cards and freeways, television and computers, internet and media, modernization and progress. What the new gods have not realized (or maybe they suspect and fear it's truth) is that everything is impermanent and their very existence is still inherently based off the belief that people instill in them. As time moves forward, they will find themselves in a similar situation as the old gods. The lingo may be different, but the function is the same. The new gods fear that there isn't enough room in the people's hearts and minds for all of them, and so want to kill off the old gods. +++American Gods is a story about religion and the role of gods in our society.+++ Gaiman delves into the roles that religion has played in all cultures around the world. At one point in the book, Mr. Wednesday says, \"There's never been a true war that wasn't fought between two sets of people who were certain they were in the right.\" How can anybody say this isn't relevant to today's geopolitical situation? With so much unrest in the Middle East and the blooming of the Arab Spring? With Iran rushing to gain nuclear capabilities and threatening to wipe Israel off the map; Israel threatening to train their weapons on Iran in retaliation. With the ethnic cleansing and genocide in Sudan and the Darfur? Hasn't it always been the same throughout our history? These are relatively recent examples, but at any point in mankind's past, there is a religion being used as an excuse to wage war and commit murder on masses of people who are different and equally- fervently- calling themselves \"right.\" Throughout humanity, gods have been thought of as, \"a dream, a hope, a woman, an ironist, a father, a city, a house of many rooms...a celestial being whose only interest is to make sure your football team, army, business, or marriage thrives, prospers, and triumphs over all opposition.\" The vehicle used to express the idea of God (or gods) is through religion. Religions are, by definition, a metaphor. They are a means to relate the story and concept. At one point in the book religion is described as an operating system. However, if you were to boil any religion down to its base, you'd be left with the concept that, in essence, gods are ideas. Ideas are more difficult to kill than people, it's true, but they can be killed and, therefore, it is possible to kill a god. +++American Gods is a story about the American identity.+++ When Gaiman wrote this book, he'd been living in America for a few years and was trying to come to an understanding about our country's sense of identity. In his search, he takes the reader from Chicago to San Francisco to the smallest towns via back roads and kitschy tourist attractions. He addresses his findings and musing throughout the book and makes some very astute observations. Not exactly as a stranger, but not quite as an insider, either. At one point Mr. Wednesday mentions, \"This is the only country in the world that worries about what it is.\" Which, in my own limited experience, is exactly true. Throughout our history we've fretted over the influx of a particular demographic. Long ago, it was the Irish, then the Chinese. We've fought ourselves bloody over slavery and civil rights and interned our Japanese. A more modern example may be the laws recently passed in Arizona, primarily focusing on Hispanics. Each era, we have questioned ourselves and what it means to be American. The ones who have been here longer wrap themselves in the flag and gorge themselves on apple pie, all the while tucking away their own immigrant ancestors. The fact is, nobody is American. Not originally. And, that is entirely the point. One of the things I'm most proud of is my family heritage. My mom is caucasian. Blonde haired and blue eyed, her family has been in America since the 1700s and originated from England (I think there may be a bit of Irish and French in the mix, as well.) My maternal lineage could be considered one of the oldest families in America and has so many branches it's nearly impossible to keep track of them all. In contrast, my dad is full blooded Thai and first generation American. It was my grandparents who immigrated back in the 1940s in order to attend university and eventually make lives for themselves. I love the fact that I am a combination of some of the oldest Americans and newest Americans. I feel like I am the true embodiment of what it means to be American because of these two aspects. It's helped me to have a greater appreciation for our immigrant nature and realized that everybody who comes to this country has had a hand in shaping it's heritage AND it's future. I consider myself to be very patriotic. I still get a lump in my throat when I hear the national anthem hit that high note of hope and aspiration. I still marvel at the brilliance of the fireworks on the Fourth of July. And I insist on representing my country as best as I can when I go traveling abroad; choosing not to hide behind a Canadian flag simply because I'm afraid people will think less of me because of my country's reputation and propensity for war. However, that's not to say that I haven't been critical of our government and foreign policies. That doesn't mean that I haven't marched and protested and written multiple letters to Congress. I think a major part of the American identity is the fact that we DO have a tendency towards self-reflection; of constantly looking in the mirror and asking, \"Who are we?\" Despite our disparate pasts, cultures, languages and religions, how do we manage to make this country (that doesn't seem like it should work) function and persist? Even as we question our heritage, our language, our \"American-ness\" we have some undefined quality that makes us distinguishable from any other country. +++American Gods is a story about an elephant.+++ Have you ever heard the story of the seven blind men in a room with an elephant? They are all asked to touch some part of the elephant and then to describe what it looks like. The first blind man touches the elephant's leg and says, \"An elephant is like a pillar.\" The second blind man touches the elephant's tail and says, \"No, an elephant is like a snake.\" A third blind man touches the elephant's trunk and says, \"No, it's like a tree branch.\" The fourth blind man touches the elephant's ear and says, \"An elephant is like a hand fan.\" And so on, down the line, each blind man grabs hold of a part of the elephant and declares what it is. In the end, they were all right, and yet...they were all wrong, as well. The fact was, the elephant was too large of a concept for any one man to grasp wholly. Some things are just larger than us and not meant to be fully understood. To fight over things we can't possibly know, such as what the exact parameters are in order to be defined as \"American,\" or over the will of God and the rules of higher beings, is an exercise in futility, ignorance and arrogance. Such is the impression I'm left with after reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman. +++Epilogue+++ At the risk of mixing metaphors, or adding to this already bloated review, I'll leave you with one final quote from the book that I hope will help illuminate what I think is the essence of this book. \"One describes a tale best by telling the tale. You see? The way one describes a story, to oneself or the world, is by telling the story. It is a balancing act and it is a dream. The more accurate the map, the more it resembles the territory. The most accurate map possible would be the territory, and thus would be perfectly accurate and perfectly useless. The tale is the map that is the territory. You must remember this.\" - The Notebooks of Mr. Ibis. This is my version of a map. I've tried to make it as accurate as possible, but in the end it is incomplete and inaccurate- as all maps must be- in describing this book. The best that anyone can do would be to just read the novel and find themselves as enchanted as I was with the landscape of Gaiman's novel.",
"reviewer": "Janyaa"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "An American Mirror",
"text": "I read this book by Neil Gaiman the first time in an incredibly busy part of my life when I was either in or just finished college, publishing my own work, and voraciously reading a tremendous amount of text without any time to slow down, process, and explore the work that I was reading a little more deeply. There were some texts that I promised myself I would go back and read again - I can remember these well. The work of Jonathan Safran Foer, the work of Dave Eggers, and the work of Neil Gaiman among others. American Gods was one of these books, and it was a fantastic, illuminating, and fun read about so many accessible and easy-to-target archetypes that are part of our everyday culture at war with the gods of our forefathers. It is interesting that Gaiman as a transplant has been able to capture the spirit of America as a figurehead of consumption, and that its people worship and idolize that which is not on a spiritual plane, but rather a material and consumer plane. Interestingly in this new edition there is even a special features scene at the back of the book with American Jesus that suggests it is even religion itself that is consumed and bought in America as similarly as material goods. This book is a masterful example of speculative fantasy with a story that is tight and uses the setting as a major character in itself. The main character is an ex convict, the places that the story takes place are the worshiped, run down, low income clearinghouses of our culture, and we learn of the inherent contradictions of the culture to the beliefs and wonder of humanity. It is a masterpiece of pop fiction and a great deal of fun to read. One thing that I wonder after having read it this time through is the execution and format of the text itself. It is sprawling, and as big as Texas - but it is in the execution of the writing this time around that I am almost a little bit disappointed with. Since having read this, I have read a tremendous amount more in my adult life. Much of it has been classics, criticism, scholarly work, etc. I wonder how much different the book would have been if it was narrated in the third person and took on a mock-epic sort of writing format in some of the chapters, and that could have been contrasted with the very pedantic narration of Shadow. Of course, I can't speculate on it because it is what it is - but it is clear in this book that Gaiman has a tremendous amount of knowledge that he was holding back here. I wonder many things - was it to appease a larger audience? Was it just to keep the voice of the narrator a regular guy? I don't know... But it would have been really cool if it was written in the style of an epic, or in the style of Austen a-la Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I know, the meaning is in the text and the text is what it is, but Gaiman is just amazing and it is fun to speculate like this, knowing he could do it. Gaiman is an incredibly talented author, and I respect him a great deal. His storytelling is tight, and there is hardly a word wasted. I love American Gods, and I look forward to reading his upcoming Ocean at the End of the Lane. As a children's book author, he is magical. As an adult author, he is also magical... But I would really like to see him unfold his wings a little more, as I know he could, and soar higher in the stylistic and linguistic plane, as I know he could. So much has happened in ten years, though. Reading a book a second time like this really makes one reflect on where one has been, where they are, and where they are going. I wonder if I will read this again in ten more years and remember where I was this time, and the time before. Gaiman helps us to grow, and recognize ourselves in the mirror in American Gods - To know that he has become an American in this time period and continues to write is just simply amazing. Sure he is away from home, but something about this text suggests home is here as well, and that he knows this home better than many of us who have lived here our whole lives. In the notes, he ponders on the \"how dare you?\" question. Exactly. How dare he - it is almost too perfect.",
"reviewer": "Garrett Zecker"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Witty and Deep",
"text": "In American Gods, traditions linger and refuse to fade, gods are spawned by the handed-down thoughts of immigrants, and belief and reality are one and the same thing. This is a novel about the soul of America, and the heart of the modern world, with maybe just a tad of how our past shaped us, all told through a cast of characters that's as offbeat and well developed as it is numerous. Gaiman's themes here are weighty, and they could drag off and drown your average narrative with their importance. Gaiman doesn't even try to fight this; he lets the book be tossed to and fro, gyrating wildly and leaping off into tangents in order to explore part after part of his post-mythology mythos. As such, though the story is interesting on its own, and the character's usually well drawn, this is more a novel about America and its synthesis than it is about anything else. The gods were brought here by the immigrants (the Irish leprechaun upon ships during the days of famine; the pixies and their ilk from English prisoners; Odin from exploratory and bloodthirsty Viking longboats; the Egyptian pantheon of Anubis, Thoth, Horus, Bast settling in New Egypt; Anansi from - well, you get the idea) but things have changed, and, in the process of acclimatization, the believers became American, and the gods were cut loose. Now, as time moves on, their belief and traditions are fading fast towards zero, and the old deities are desperate to not simply drop out of existence. Now, in this new world, the actual facets of the gods' being are no longer important, the funeral director gods of death are as on the verge as a New York City djinn, and all that still matters is where they came from and whether they still exist at all: \"'I have a brother. They say, you put us together, we are like one person, you know? When we are young, his hair, it is very blonde, very light, his eyes are blue, and people say, he is the good one. And my hair is very dark, darker than yours even, and people say I am the rogue, you know? I am the bad one. And now time passes, and my hair is gray. His hair, too, I think is gray. And you look at us, you would not know what was light and who was dark.'\" (p. 79) Simplification is not the only change brought on by the passage of years. The majority of Gods in the book fall into one of two pathways. The first try - in vain? - to recreate the glory days, always striving to remember. The world, however, has moved on, and their attempts frequently become depressingly comical, as they try to assert their dominance over a world that has forgotten them, such as Eoster, trying to claim that she's still beloved due to the name of the holiday. In many cases, being the American incarnation of these gods, they don't even have a period of power to look back upon, such as Czernobog who cannot even contemplate his days as a dark god anymore and is able to do nothing else but dream about his years in a slaughterhouse. The other potential path is a darker one still, and it is one that we are introduced to at the end of the very first chapter: the perversion of everything that the god once held holy. The Queen of Sheba has become a prostitute. Even that, however, is not far enough. In a twisted incarnation of her need for belief, she forcers her forces her lovers to worship her and sexually devours them for sustenance. Her words hold true for her and for the array of similarly striving gods we glimpse in the narrative: \"There is nothing holy in [my] profession. Not anymore.\" (p. 373) But is the decline of the gods really such a bad thing? In one part of the story, we see a funeral home run by the Egyptian gods of death. They provide a more personal touch, a send off by something with more of a soul than the mechanical filling of orders provided by a big funeral company. In another subplot, we get to see a community still run and safeguarded by a supernatural being. The community's exterior is enticing and gleaming, which hides the sacrifice needed to maintain it. Is such a thing worth it for a more ordered world? Has our modern world of machines and computers destroyed wonder and human contact? It's impossible to truly a question like that, and Gaiman doesn't. American Gods is not a narrative of answers, but rather a tapestry of questions. You will never get a definitive answer of how the gods interact with mortals; you will never know whether the old gods were right to fight for their survival; you will never know whether the gods will one day be gone completely. But you don't need to know. In American Gods, Gaiman asks the questions, and I think that every reader will have their own answers. The sprawling nature of the themes, and the narration's tendency to leap after them wherever they may go, leads to an incredibly meandering text. Our main character Shadow, who is roped into the conflict as the assistant to Mr. Wednesday only hours after leaving prison. While it seems, at first, that the two are working towards a definite goal, Shadow is soon sent off to location after location without any discernible rhyme or reason. Further complicating matters - if you're a fan of anything even approaching linier plots - are the interludes, taken from the modern incarnation of the Egyptian Book of the Dead. These stories feature brand new characters, often separated from the main narrative by spans of decades, living their lives and either interacting with or contributing to the nature of the various scattered American deities. Somehow, Gaiman pulls all of this off. The trick is, I think, his intuitive grasp of character. He only need mention a name and spout a few lines of dialogue and, poof, a fully grown man appears on the stage. Each interlude feels complete enough to form its own text, and each adds to the main narrative in immeasurable ways. And yet, this grasp of character is not applied to one character. Shadow, whose eyes we spend the vast majority of the book looking out of, is told: 'You're not dead'\" she said. 'But I'm not sure that you're alive, either. Not really.' [...] 'I love you,' she said dispassionately. 'You're my puppy. But [...] You're like this big, solid, man-shaped hole in the world.' She frowned. 'Even when we were together. I love being with you. You adored me, and you would do anything for me. But sometimes I'd go into a room and I wouldn't think there was anybody in there. And I'd turn the lights on, or I'd turn the lights off, and I'd realize that you were in there, sitting on your own, not reading, not watching TV, not doing anything.'\" (p. 370-371) After his release from prison, and the death of his wife, Shadow retreats into himself, and it is rare for the reader to get a glimpse inside. This leads to a good portion of the book feeling aimless, as we're cast about in Shadow's wake, without him even knowing - or caring - where he's going. The reader that is willing to follow will eventually come to realize that Shadow's recalcitrance is not shallowness, but, in order to get to that point, you need to be willing to follow Gaiman on all of his digressions. On the subject of the book's prose, Gaiman says in the included interview: \"I wanted to write American Gods in what I thought of as an American style - clean, simple, uncluttered - and push the narrator further into the background than I had in previous books. But the narrator crept out in the \"coming to America\" chapters, where I got to play with a wider set of voices.\" (p. 596) It's true that the writing is more subdued than it is in Neverwhere or Anansi Boys, the plot less self aware. But this is still a Gaiman novel, and it's still filled with the delicious idiosyncrasies of language that characterize all of the man's writing. There are sections here that are jaw dropping in their grandeur, and there are sections that are laugh out loud funny, and both build with the other to create a wry and majestic experience, filled with larger than life characters who are anything but above sarcasm. American Gods looks like a simple read on the surface. Underneath, you soon come to realize the depth that is packed into every scene and every single glance. This is a book that is impossible to really predict, so come to it and get ready to be swept along. While occasionally directionless, American Gods is simply something that needs to be experienced. This is not the most entertaining book that I've read of Gaiman, but it is undoubtedly the best.",
"reviewer": "The Evil Hat (evilhatDOTblogspotCOM)"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "American Gods is a commentary on society that urges readers to see America anew and to look into their hearts and wonder if they",
"text": "American Gods is a chimera, a creature born of a fusion of disparate parts. Except for the obligatory invocation, American Gods follows the conventions of the classic epic. Yet, it is also visionary fiction, horror, adventure, folklore, legend, fantasy, mythology, and postmodernism as its best. Gaiman's daring rejection of the tenets of the Literary Canon, also referred to as \"the dead white guys,\" is stunning in its conception, its scope, and its realization. American Gods shimmers with magic and mystery. Somewhere, far away, William Blake is smiling. The protagonist is a man who is called Shadow Moon because as a child he always followed his mother, like a shadow. However, his dead wife later says to him, \"You're not dead. But I'm not sure that you're alive, either. Not really.\" Perhaps the dead know more than the living. Shadow is released from prison and soon goes on an epic journey across America, perhaps in a subliminal search of what is means to really be alive so that he will no longer be a shadow. The marvelously original and seriously complex plot is organic and non-linear. At first glance might appear random; however, it is nothing of the kind. This realization comes with completion of the read. Interludes and flashbacks interrupt the flow, but they do indeed support the premise. On his pilgrimage across country, Shadow is exposed to an America he never knew existed. Because the author sees with new eyes, Shadow finds wonder at every turn. Many American readers will find themselves wondering how they missed all those magical places. No doubt, some will choose to search out the world's largest carousel or the umbilicus of the nation. The underlying premise of the story comes from the belief that when settlers came to America, they brought their gods with them. \"We rode here in their minds, and we took root.\" Then, after a while, the new Americans forgot their gods. The forgotten gods then incarnated and found mundane, earthly jobs in order to survive at an quasi human level. They go on to assimilate, living among society, undetectable. Ultimately, their former worshipers found new gods, giving cause for a supernatural war. \"Now, as all of you will have had reason aplenty to discover for yourselves, there are new gods growing in America, clinging to growing knots of belief: gods of credit-card and freeway, of internet and telephone, of radio and hospital and television, gods of plastic and of beeper and of neon. Proud gods, fat and foolish creatures, puffed up with their own newness and importance.\" Gaiman's style is highly literate. His metaphors are meaningful and often ironic. His dialogue is intelligent, smooth, and natural. He reveals the nature of his characters without any tell. Instead, readers meet and understand who they are by what they do and say. For example, Shadow's decency is revealed when he works in the funeral home: \"He picked up Lila Goodchild, cradling her in her opaque bag like a sleeping child, and placed her carefully on the table in the chilly mortuary, as if he were afraid to wake her.\" The characters, many of whom are fallen gods, are quirky, funny, and psychotic. They form a glorified carnival of archetypes. Arguably, the most pivotal archetype is the sacrificial redeemer. And as it should be, the number three and its multiples haunt the text. The second major, Wednesday, is a total cipher until late in the book, even though the author drops many hints that will be snapped up by those well versed in mythology. Gaiman's enormous mythology begins with Norse gods then proceeds to introduce a motley collection of gods from all over the globe, which makes sense since America was founded by immigrants from a myriad of nations. American Gods might not be for everyone, but daring readers open to bathing in magic will love this sublime novel. American Gods is a commentary on society that urges readers to see America anew and to look into their hearts and wonder if they have chosen their gods wisely. \"The gods are great...but the heart is greater. For it is from our hearts they come, and to our hearts they shall return...\" P.S. The TV show is fun, but it pales in the shadow of the text. Rougeski Reads",
"reviewer": "Rougeskireads"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Not bad, Not great",
"text": "I'm going to be a bit of an outlier here and say that while this novel was interesting, I didn't find it as compelling nor as well put together as I expected after reading the reviews. It seemed to plod a bit. There was a lot of time spent introducing \"god characters\" but not terribly good use nor timely use made of them. So for the first 3/4 or more of the book it seemed pretty much like a tour (which it is, if you read the author blurb). However, that's not really what I expect in a novel. I rather thought the \"tour\" might work a bit more with the plot. It didn't seem to. The main character started out as an interesting fellow, but never really went too far in his head. Yes, he experienced a lot of High Oddness and Adventure, but didn't in the end appear to have budged much from his earlier self. Nevertheless, if you like urban fantasy (and if you have a passing good knowledge of a wide range of mythic characters and concepts) you will enjoy this for what it is. A pretty good story.",
"reviewer": "Rabid Reader"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A magical, incredible portrait of America, of gods, and of the connections between the two",
"text": "I haven’t read American Gods in probably 15 years or more, and yet, for all of these years, I’ve held it as one of my favorite books, and perhaps Neil Gaiman’s best work – no small praise, that. And any time you remember a book that fondly, there’s always the worry that you’re wrong, that you’ve overestimated it somehow, or have papered over the flaws in your mind. And so, as I sat down to re-read it recently (inspired by, in no real order, texts from a friend who was reading it for the first time, the upcoming Starz series, and the fact that I owned – but hadn’t read – the revised, “preferred” text), I couldn’t help but wonder: what if it wasn’t as good as I remembered? I needn’t have worried. Not only is American Gods every bit as good as I remembered, it was more – richer, more thoughtful, more elegant, more magical, and just plain better. (And not all of that, if any, is because of the “preferred text,” which feels more like a series of small restorations rather than any major one or two.) But in its general shape, American Gods couldn’t be simpler. It’s the story of Shadow, a man recently released from prison, and the friendship – of sorts – he strikes up with a man named Mr. Wednesday. It doesn’t take long for Shadow to realize that Mr. Wednesday isn’t anything as simple as he pretends to be, and that there’s more to Wednesday – and maybe the world – than he’s ever realized. And yes, as the title implies, Shadow learns of gods living in America – the gods of immigrants, of Vikings, of Egyptians, of Russians, and of more, all of whom brought their gods with them, and left them in America. And to be honest, that’s most of the plot. Shadow gets involved with Wednesday, who is rallying the old gods – ancient, mythological gods – against new American gods of Media, of Technology, hoping to inspire them to battle back. But to focus too much on the plot of American Gods is to miss the point. This is a book about the world Gaiman has created, and more than that, in many ways, it’s a book about America – albeit a view of America that could only come from the perspective of an immigrant who both loves the country and is somewhat baffled by it. It’s an America filled with odd roadside attractions, where faith is both constant and fickle, where immigrants brush against each other without a second thought, with odd traditions that no one remembers and a land that’s older than the nation that lives there. And in many ways, through his eyes and vision, Gaiman captures America more accurately and more honestly than any less fictional, more “factual” perception ever could. But more than that, American Gods works because it plays to Gaiman’s strengths: it creates a magical, alternate version of our own world, one where magic is real, where belief has consequences, where ritual becomes bond, and where gods exist, and brings it to life so real that you can lose yourself. It’s why the book works in spite of – maybe even because of – its loose plotting; it’s a book that lives and breathes, and whose wanderings only fill in the shadows and corners of this strange place. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine a version of this book without the odd short stories of other gods, or the conversations about faith and history, or the descriptions of odd, inexplicable American landmarks. More accurately, it’s impossible to imagine a version of this book without those things that still works like this one does – that still creates such a vivid world, such a perfect and magical reflection of America that’s both profoundly strange and yet instantly recognizable for what it is. And that, more than anything else, is why I love this book so much. I love its ideas, and its characters, and its glimpses of a world beyond our own; I love its sense of magic that infiltrates our own, and its sense of history that we can’t ever escape. But more than that, I just love living in this book and with these characters – seeing the things we see, dipping our toes into the strange world Gaiman has created, and experiencing his boundless, staggering imagination, even if only for 5oo pages.",
"reviewer": "Josh Mauthe"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Slow Build with a Satisfying Finish from a True Master.",
"text": "American Gods recently (kind of) passed its ten year anniversary of publication in 2011, prompting a new and revised edition, marketed as the 'Author's Preferred Text.' Gaiman went back to his original manuscript (as he describes in the introduction to this edition) and put some pieces back in that had originally been cut, as well as extended scenes and lengthened dialogue. As with most things (for me), if there is a 'Director's Cut' or an Extended Edition of any sort of media that I am interested in, whether I have experienced the original or not, I'll always choose the longer version. Why wouldn't I want to hear more of the story, or get to see more of the creator's original intended content? This truth made me glad that I had not yet read American Gods, a book I had intended to read for years. Gods is a difficult book to describe, and an even more difficult book to categorize because it simply does not fit into one genre (as Gaiman himself admits, again in the Introduction). Genres certainly serve a purpose, but in literature, we probably want a little variety, hm? And Gods satisfies that want quite well. It is a tiny bit Horror. There's a hearty dash of Fantasy. It has elements of Sci-Fi. And yet all of these poke their heads into what is essentially a roadtrip novel across America, with an initial premise that sounds like it has nothing to do with anything supernatural. It is primarily the story of Shadow, a largely apathetic and unconcerned middle-aged man whom, when we meet him, is about to be released from prison. He is there for murder, which he admits to though the details of the crime are never expanded upon. Upon being released, Shadow rushes for home to be rejoined with his beloved wife Laura. For sake of not spoiling anything, let's just say that plan doesn't work out... and what happens instead isn't pretty. Shadow is approached by a playful and cryptic old man called Wednesday (though it is clearly from an early time that this is not the man's true name) who offers Shadow an equally cryptic job. Newly aimless, Shadow accepts, and it is from there that the two embark on the strangest journey across America you will likely encounter. Between the main narrative are Coming to America segments. These feature a wide array of individuals from all times of history in one-shot stories recounting, in one form or another, their journey to America. These were some of the richest moments in the whole book, as they display Gaiman's appreciation for history and sheer creativity. American Gods could have stood on its own without these short supplements, but their inclusion certainly enhances the whole experience. An odd delight of American Gods is that it is not a novel that tells all of its secrets at once (which is generally a good practice in Fiction anyway). In fact, there is a long period where one can hardly be sure exactly what is happening or why the characters are doing what they are doing. While the narrative is enjoyable all the way through, the story is loose, bizarre, and spans many locations where strange practices are held. It feels in some ways more like a series of snapshots than a strictly straightforward, linear plot. It is not until roughly three-quarters of the way through that Gaiman pulls the threads together in a very satisfying close to the book. I'll be honest in saying there were times when I had trouble sticking with it, precisely for the above-mentioned reason of things feeling a bit disconnected and seemingly included without a clear point. Understand, it does all have a point, it just takes a good while for those reasons to be revealed. There is a chance you'll feel a little lost, mayhap even slightly bored, for certain portions of this book, but know that it is all worth the effort in the end. To put it simply, American Gods is weird, and it is wonderful, and to read it is to set yourself up for a real treat.",
"reviewer": "Josh Gaines"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Oops Did We Forget To Worship?",
"text": "This book was a collection of several magnificent stories sometimes well connected to each other and sometimes not so much. I think the author depends heavily on the reader's knowledge of world religions and mythologies as well as the pantheon of Gods from at least three different mythologies to \"get\" the story line and make some of the important connections. Maybe I'm wrong. In any case, it was an entertaining tale of a God gone grifter due to lack of the appropriate amount or level of attention, worship or sacrifices in his honor in America so he goes on a mission to enlist numerous other forgotten Gods to fight it out against some of the newer Gods that were trying to replace them like \"internet\", \"media\" \"fame\". Apparently, it turns out that America is not a great place for the old \"Gods\" for shortly after immigrants arrive in the \"new world\" they forget about their old Gods and lose their fervor for worshipping them, replacing them with whatever is the new flavor of the week. There are some terrifically funny moments in the book such as the questionable tough guys that kidnap the disgruntled God Wednesday's employee, Shadow. At this point you're not sure if these guys who are calling themselves CIA are good or bad guys but their names are kind of a hint. They are Mr. Wood and Mr. Stone and they pretty much assault Shadow as if they are hitting him with two by fours and big rocks, beating him very badly. Before the beating though there is an exchange of dialogue that pretty much matches things wood and stone would say. You have to read it in context to see just how clever the writing is and there are many instances of this tongue-in -cheek making fun of itself in a very smart way. This is a very long book and there was quite a bit going on. I enjoyed several of the parts of the book that almost could have been novels on their own so I was sad to see them come to an end like Shadow's time at Ibis' and Jaquels Mortuary. There was a fascinating little intimate encounter with Bast while he's there though he is not fully aware of just what has happened and then she has \"her kind\" keeping an eye on Shadow from then on. Hilarious. So many stories within stories, sad and then some funny. Some just out right outrageous like the Queen of Sheba turned hooker in Las Vegas, but a very high class hooker.....that envelopes her worshipping lovers in their entirety through her vagina as they engage in copulation. I definitely recommend this book for a highly engaging, entertaining read. It will make you stop and go \"hmmmm\" and it may even make you re-evaluate your religious beliefs but maybe not. I'd be interested to see if anybody really religious would read this kind of book. Well anyway, it's sad and funny and enlightening and definitely worth reading.",
"reviewer": "Terry Nelson"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Slow Start but Worth It",
"text": "It took me over 100 pages to get into this book. I almost gave up on this book a few times in the first 100 pages but I'm glad I stuck with it because once I got into this book I loved every bit of it. It is now one of my favorite books.",
"reviewer": "Trevor"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Gods & Monsters",
"text": "The Christian right likes to claim that there�s not nearly as much God in America as there should be, and that our faithlessness is directly to blame for many, if not all, of the ills of modern society. Never mind separation of church and state, never mind freedom of speech; if only the purported Christian majority were allowed to rule, things would be much, much better. (Better for whom, they wisely decline to specify) In _American Gods_, Neil Gaiman puts it a little differently. The problem is not, and never has been, that there�s not enough God in America; the problem is that there are too many gods � plural � all jostling for space, all desperately trying to gather the worshipers they need in order to survive. Shadow is serving out the final days of his three-year prison sentence, counting the moments until he can return to his beloved wife Laura, get a job from his best friend Robbie, and start putting the past behind him. When he�s summoned to the warden�s office and told he can go free a few days early, Shadow�s naturally suspicious; the prison system isn�t known for impulsive acts of kindness. It turns out that Laura�s dead, killed in the wee hours in a car accident. No need for an autopsy, though � it�s quite evident what her last meal consisted of, since she died with her face in Robbie�s lap (the sexual act being the direct cause of the accident). So: no wife, no buddy, no job, no life. Shadow�s a free man, but he�s far from happy. On the flight home, barely able to think through the maelstrom of anger and sorrow and bile, Shadow gets a job offer from a strange man in a pale-colored suit who introduces himself as Mr. Wednesday. Shadow declines, but Wednesday persists; Shadow flees, but Wednesday follows. He�s offering a job as a sort of bodyguard or messenger � Shadow will go where Wednesday wants him to, and do as he asks. For this, he�ll receive five hundred dollars a week, and when Wednesday�s done with him, Shadow can go free. Numb with misery and indifferent to his fate, Shadow reluctantly agrees, and drinks three glasses of mead to seal the deal. And that�s when things start to get really strange. America is, of course, a melting pot. And when all the immigrants over all the centuries settled here, they brought their gods with them, and anchored them to the land with belief and prayer, ritual and sacrifice. And then�the believers died. They were succeeded by generations who dismissed the old gods as quaint, or turned them into cutesy, powerless caricatures, and finally forgot them altogether. But gods need worshipers to survive � they feed on belief, and on prayers dedicated in their names. Gods can die too, and without the support of the faithful, they simply fade away, helpless and forgotten. Wednesday is a member of the old guard, and he tells Shadow that there�s a war coming between the old gods and the new: snotty upstarts personifying technology, or media, who are determined to refashion America in their own image and sweep the board clear of all the doddering old-timers. Wednesday�s making the rounds, ferreting out all the disappearing gods and trying to convince them to join up for one last, glorious battle. If they can�t regain their old dominions and power, then at least they can go out with a bang, and take some of the obnoxious new deities along with them. As Wednesday�s right-hand man, Shadow follows him through strange realms and other worlds, on a desperate scavenger hunt of the gods. But Shadow has a much bigger part to play in the upcoming struggle than he suspects, and his path will take him to places he�s never dreamed of � or, more accurately, places that exist only in dreams. Neil Gaiman is best known for his excellent comic book, \"The Sandman,\" and Gaiman fans will recognize familiar themes in this novel: the slow deaths of old gods, the blurred boundaries between reality and dreams, the idea of deities as human creations that take on independent existence but which ultimately rely on humans for survival. With an impressive and, apparently, comprehensive command of mythology, Gaiman effortlessly throws gods and goddesses into his narrative by the handful, like a master chef who doesn�t bother measuring but trusts his skills to make the mixture come out right. And it does: rich, dark, and deeply mysterious, Gaiman�s beautifully imagined vignettes (short stand-alone chapters about ancient peoples and their gods) add touches of poignancy and, yes, humanity to the gods� bombastic grandstanding. As I read, I visualized Sandman-esque art enhancing the text; this would make a friggin� awesome graphic novel. Surprisingly, there�s quite a bit of character development, centered on the conflict between the gods� and goddesses� larger-than-life egos and their diminishing power and influence in the world. If anyone comes across as a little flat, it�s Shadow, but he has to play the straight man in order to guide us through this strange and marvelous alternate reality. Not a light read, by any means (if only because you�ll want to stop and enjoy the inside jokes and references Gaiman sprinkles here and there), but intriguing and compelling, American Gods is a deeply satisfying read. If you think there�s not enough religion in America these days, maybe you�re just not looking for the right gods.",
"reviewer": "Stephanie P."
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "First ask: Why do you want to read this?",
"text": "2.5 stars. I read other reviews before I write mine to see what can I add to the conversation. For this book, I agree with many of the 1-3 star reviews, a few of the 4 stars and very few 5 stars. The question here in 2022/23 is why are you interested in this book? Tl;dr: The gods? underwhelming. America? posed as superficial and cold. Philosophic prose? The strong suit of the novel. Sticking it to religion? sacrilege a plenty (duh!) But get a life. To be offended? Find a better, newer fight. Story? Slow burn that... fizzles. Did you come for the majesty of Gaiman's gods? Don't. They lack mass. Chapter 5 ends with the exciting line at an exciting moment: \"Then the lights went out, and Shadow saw the gods.\" Heck yeah! (Flip page) Uh. Hm. That's all you got? Of course the gods are important in the story, but they lack staying power. (Which would be genius, but I'm skeptical it was intentional.) And the worst crime is they lacked you-can't-help-but-kneel gravitas that gods should be presented as having if I \"saw the gods.\" However, his overall \"how gods are in America\" and why Wednesday (and others) exists is interesting and unique. Did you come for a story about America? In the bizarre opening to Chapter 18 breaking the fourth wall to speak to the reader directly, Gaiman states, \"None of this can actually be happening. If it makes you more comfortable, you could simply think of it as metaphor.\" The story DOES feel to be one about America, but from a suspect narration. America as a metaphor for...what? And even the one town of happiness is a fraud. In reality, there ARE happy spots in this America, things we Americans should be proud of and things we can all enjoy. Not always, but they exist with more regularity than we are credited for, when you look for them. Gaiman chooses not to. Instead, Gaiman's America is very superficial in many ways, and cold in every sense of the word. Did you come for a philosophical perspective about gods? You'll probably be satisfied. There are a lot of ideas to think about. Gaiman takes the frame for \"God is dead\" (in the original case, god = Reason) and applies it broadly. Media, internet, modern medicine, and other \"modern gods\" all have shape and form, and asks when and how will these modern American gods die? There are many other thought-provoking points in the book. Are you here for the thumb in the eye to religion and the religious? You'll get the sacrilege you seek, from the insults to the Islamic people's down to blasphemy of the Jesus story (But Gaiman has no death-wish with no mention or depiction of the prophet Mohammed. Thin lines between bravery and stupidity, you know.) As for you if you are reading a book 21+ years old for a cheap stab at the religious, you do you, but grow up while you are at it. Are you here to be offended? You heard about this book but have to read for yourself the sacrilege and blasphemy. Spare yourself. It's there. But \"religion is a metaphor\" to this author. And you're fighting a 21+ year old book that won't be fighting back. Don't you have better things than to read than a book you know will trigger you? Are you looking for a \"normal\" novel or saga? Eh. It'll be a hard read. The other 1-3 star reviews cover this thoroughly. As for me, I read for the philosophic thought, and partly for a depiction of American gods. Gaiman pulls from across literature, philosophy, religion, and even music to tell his story. A few stories or quotes were new to me, and some (especially the 4 or so historic vignettes) were really interesting, so for those I'm appreciative. I don't feel I wated my time reading this novel. Final rating: I read the book entirely, which is automatic 2 stars, but it felt too dry, the gods were too dull, and ultimately the story itself was unfulfilling. Just because the author dares have \"Gods\" (capital G) in the title does not mean the novel can coast to 4 and 5 star praise. I want to give 3 stars, but if this book were called All Come to Look for America and THEN included the blatant sacrilegious nature and cheap Jesus story, I'd probably have given 2-1.5 stars. So, I'm settling at 2.5-3 stars.",
"reviewer": "LF"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Amazing journey full of twists, magic, gods and mystery",
"text": "This is a standalone book and a large one. It explores the idea of gods, born by man’s desire and need, gods stranded in a world that is hardly loyal to them anymore. The story is full of twists and revelations and keeps you on your toes for the most part. It’s uniqueness of story and characters you might heard of make it a compelling read. Our main man protagonist struggles to find his place, struggles to find a reason to be alive. It’s a journey of self discovery, while caught in events he can hardly grasp. We feel for him and he is likable however his lack of concrete goals and direction limits our levels of engagement. It’s understandable because it’s tied to the story itself, he is not meant to understand what is going on and he is meant to struggle to find a meaning in life, but still everything is short stories one after the other with fairly limited actual continuation. In the end however it alls fits nicely. The characters are interesting and in general likeable but there are plenty of them and it can be confusing if you are not into religions and their gods. There are a few more characters that follow our protagonist and can be considered leads, but I would say that based on the premise of the story all the gods suffer from the same fate and we are set to sympathize. It’s funny because it’s pictured not to be far fetched. You can loosen your grip to reality and actually believe it true. I think that’s the uniqueness and the largest achievement of the writer, how close the “what if” is to “maybe”. The pacing is generally good, with thrilling or just intriguing short stories interweaved, though I believe the book could have been considerably shorter. I can’t vow that it wouldn’t lose its glory, but I’m pretty sure it lost me and my interest multiple times. It’s a thin line, world building and too much world building. Mysterious scenes and incomprehensible scenes. This is where the 1/5 stars went. The story ends nicely, wrapping up lose ends. There is not too much closure but there is just as much as we need. Good writing there. The revelations also play nicely. I got to admit however that in most of his journey our protagonist is almost a passenger and there is little choice you can actually attribute to himself. The “everything is predetermined” steals a little bit if the glory. In conclusion, this is a book you ought to read. You need to be able to say “oh, I have read this one” and you won’t regret it. I’m also tempted to watch the series after I forget a bit about this, though it’s hard to really forget about it. If you are looking for a protagonist who is gonna learn magic and evolve and battle with it, well you won’t find that. That doesn’t mean you won’t like what you’ll read. It’s one of those books that represent what you don’t know you want to read!",
"reviewer": "Harris"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "amazing book",
"text": "This is one of the best novels I have ever read. If you have never read this, do yourself a favor and pick it up.",
"reviewer": "X"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "This proves that awards don't mean jack.",
"text": "WARNING: SPOILERS! Neil Gaiman's work has always left me feeling ambivalent. He's certainly not a bad writer, but I feel his strength is his imaginative setting and quirky characters, while his weak point is plot. I loved the imagination of Neverwhere and MirrorMask; I hated their banal, done-a-thousand-times-before plots. Sadly, with American Gods, it isn't only the plot that's the problem; it's everything else, as well. In defense of Gaiman: I won't be one of those people who give the book one star because they thought \"Shadow\" was a stupid name or because Gaiman isn't American and doesn't/can't know America well enough to write about the American soul. I say bull. So the character is named Shadow - so what? People give their kids weird names. Keith Richards named his kid \"Dandelion\", and who can forget \"Apple\"? And if Gaiman's being British automatically marks him as incapable of writing a great American novel, then you might just as well delete all those other books written by immigrants from your greatness lists - Ayn Rand, Mario Puzo, Vladimir Nabokov, and a ton others who are now known as great American writers despite having not been born in America. There are a lot more reasons than that to give this book a low rating. The plot is meandering and dull. The characters are flat and incredibly unsympathetic. The setting is depressing. The events leading up to the climax are implausible and inconsequential, and the climax itself... Well, to be honest, there is none. The book builds you up in anticipation of this great culmination of the story, then just as it's about to unfold, it goes, \"on second thought... nah.\" Shadow is an interesting (albeit not entirely plausible) character up until page 70 or so. Fist we're told he's served 3 years in prison for assault and bank robbery, yet his quiet, brooding manner is the complete opposite of someone who'd even consider robbing a bank. During the course of the book, he shows strong, definite emotion exactly once: he sobs for his dead wife on page 66. After that, you get absolutely nothing. No emotion, no surprise, no curiosity, nothing. His dead wife shows up - no reaction. A raven talks to him - no reaction. A dead leprechaun comes back to life - no reaction. He sees people who don't appear human - no reaction. He doesn't care about anything. He doesn't even care if he lives or dies, and if Shadow doesn't care, how can we? I couldn't identify or sympathize with anyone in this book. Wednesday is a scheming, womanizing jerk. Laura, Shadow's wife, is a slut who cheated on Shadow with his best friend while Shadow was in prison. All the other gods are either whiny, pathetic, bitter old people, or obnoxious, ugly young people. The premise is that gods only exist because we believe in them, and the less we believe in them, the weaker they get. 80% or so of Americans believe in the Christian God - that's a pretty big number, and yet it's completely ignored. It makes no sense. But the worst offender in this book, I feel, is the horrendous editing. I'm no writer, but even as a hobbyist I know the basic rules of good writing: things like showing instead of telling, resisting the urge to explain, cutting out things that don't advance the plot. Gaiman breaks all of those rules. He even breaks the basic grammatical rules of writing, such as using active voice whenever possible, and sticking to one tense. On page 336, we read: \"'She doesn't want to know,' compained Mama Zouzou to Clementine\". The very next paragraph reads: \"Then do not teach her,\" says Clementine\". Wait... WHAT? Is the use of two different tenses in the same scene something the editor missed, or is it meant to be there? Either way it's unforgivable. The book is choke-full with stuff like that. We get pearls like \"a small woman walked in through the door\" (well, DUH), and \"a car door was opened for him\", and \"he felt like crap, in every way he could feel like crap\" (how lazy... wouldn't it be better to SHOW us, by writing something like \"Shadow punched the wall and felt tears searing the back of his throat\"?). This is innovative and groundbreaking? Please. It's not. It's bad writing. It's jarring, cringe-worthy, and stupid. And do we really need to know what Shadow had for lunch or when Shadow took a piss or how Shadow went clothes shopping? Do we really need a graphic description of homosexual fellatio, especially when it does absolutely nothing for plot advancement or character development? It's just fodder to fill the pages. This book often reads like a first draft. A bad one. I'm giving it three stars, because it isn't a bad book per se, and it did entertain me on a certain level. There are flashes of brilliance here, and memorable imagery (the dream of thunderbirds, the judging by Anubis, and even the cozy but dull small town America). I thought the Lakeside subplot was well done and provided and unexpected twist. And I actually enjoyed the mini-stories \"Coming to America\", even though I admit they did nothing to advance the plot. But then there are other parts, parts that are just plain painful to read. This was one of the most frustrating reading experiences I've ever had. It took me good 5 months to finish it. Great premise, poorly realized. Fire your editor, Neil. \"American Gods\" doesn't deserve one star, but neither does it deserve a Hugo.",
"reviewer": "Zen Bunny"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 10.99,
"listPrice": null,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B0052RDJNQ",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Dead or Alive (Jack Ryan Book 10)",
"authors": "Tom Clancy, Grant Blackwood",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41TB0m5yBLL.jpg",
"rating": 4.4,
"reviewCount": "6,727",
"series": "A Jack Ryan Novel",
"seriesPosition": "10",
"acquisitionDate": "1660565124000",
"description": "Don't Miss the Original Series Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Starring John Krasinski!\n\nTom Clancy delivers a #1 New York Times bestselling Jack Ryan novel that will remind readers why he is the acknowledged master of international intrigue and nonstop military action.\n \nIt is The Campus. Secretly created under the administration of President Jack Ryan, its sole purpose is to eliminate terrorists and those who protect them. Officially, it has no connection to the American government—a necessity in a time when those in power consider themselves above such arcane ideals as loyalty, justice, and right or wrong. \n\nNow covert intelligence expert Jack Ryan Jr. and his compatriots at The Campus—joined by black ops warriors John Clark and “Ding” Chavez—have come up against their greatest foe: a sadistic killer known as the Emir. Mastermind of countless horrific attacks, the Emir has eluded capture by every law enforcement agency in the world. But his greatest devastation is yet to be unleashed as he plans a monumental strike at the heart of America. \n\nOn the trail of the Emir, Jack Ryan Jr. will find himself following in his legendary father’s footsteps on a manhunt that will take him and his allies across the globe, into the shadowy arenas of political gamesmanship, and back onto U.S. soil in a race to prevent the possible fall of the West....",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "A Great classic Novel from Clancy",
"text": "This is my first time reading a book that was really written by Clancy. But I have read other books with his name on the cover all of which were based on his video game franchise Splinter cell. In short I have been a fan since 2005 when I played Pandora Tomorrow and Chaos Theory along with Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six Vegas. I am just one of many readers and Video gamers who will miss Clancy`s style of writing. With Clancy it's simple, you either love what he does or you don't, and if you are fan, then it's been a long time, about ten years since he has been on the Best Seller list, but once again that is where he is headed. Clancy is the master of his genre because he takes the time to learn technical aspects of what he is writing about. This means when you read Clancy you are reading the real thing. Facts are checked, scenarios are discussed with technical aspects, and nothing is left to chance or done offhandedly. When he talks weapons, he goes into the detail that a munitions dealer would deal with. In this novel we see operators using a Knights Armament M110 Sniper System. He tells you it's the best because he has done the homework. It is facts like this that the master storyteller weaves into the tapestry of his books that many readers including myself find fascinating. I am not going to discuss the plot in detail because that's why we read the book. Here's what you need to know. This is a big blot book which is what most of Clancy's books represent. In this case, Jack Ryan is a retired President of the United States. His son Jack Junior is running a secret independent anti-terrorist agency that his father the President started. It is called The Campus, and it has been successful for years going after the bad guys. The current President seems to be weak on terrorism and is more concerned with guaranteeing the legal rights of the bad guys than protecting the country. You are already seeing the subplots develop. Clancy puts us in the thick of it. We as readers are in the game. When Delta Force operators and Rangers go into the caves of Afghanistan we are with them. We breathe the odors; we hear the sounds, and we feel the tension. We find ourselves silencing our own voices because we don't want the good guys to be caught, and that is classic Clancy. In this book there is evil in the world, and in DEAD or ALIVE, an evil man in the world is at lodge. He has wreaked havoc on the Western world. We call him the Emir, and his objective is to deal a devastating terrorist blow to the United States. The book takes you around the world while Ryan Junior, and his father's old hands John Clark and Ding Chavez join Ryan along with Brian and Dominic Caruso with Mary Foley. It's a race for time, and for America. Will the good guys win, and where is the Emir? Is he in a cave 8,000 miles away or is he right here among us? You will have to read the book to find out and oh what an ending. Why I Love Clancy and you will too? Please allow me to give you a feel why Clancy was the absolute best writer in his fiction segment. It is his incessant ability to weave odd important facts into his stories, and to weave reality into the fabric of the plot: * His description of the computer setup at the National Security Agency is without equal. * There are 125,000 cranes in the world and currently Dubai has 30,000 of them currently building and rebuilding the city. Who knows things like this? * Plans do not survive the first contact with the enemy. * Laziness has consequences. If you are a sentry, if you pause, if you hesitate, if you light up a cigarette, you are DEAD. * You don't have to like it; you just have to do it. * The FBI Urban Tactical Training Facility is preeminent in the world. They are the best of the best. See why in the book. CONCLUSION: This is a great read, all 848 pages of it. You start the book and you can't put it down, and in the end isn't that why we read Clancy. We just keep going until we are finished, and when we are finished we are ready for more. That is why he will be missed by so many readers out there. Read it today and see for yourself, and thank you for reading this review.",
"reviewer": "Joseph Harris"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Reader's Stockholm Syndrome.",
"text": "Reader's Stockholm Syndrome. Logistically, at 2 pounds, 2 inches thick and 950 pages, Tom Clancy's new tome Dead or Alive is one big book. Not user friendly as a vacation trip take along, best read with a lap pillow. Ambivalence is my word to describe this huge novel. Mr. Clancy's first Ryan novel in 7 years required him to reset the Ryan-esque literary table for both old and new readers. The first hundred or so pages accomplished this laborious task. Both interesting and tedious it was a bit of a slog. Finally, Mr. Clancy began his story for the hunt of master terrorist The Emir, all the while deconstructing The Emir's intricately complicated mega terrorist plot. Complexly written on several different levels, the story was both interesting and cumbersome. Keeping track of the various sub-plots and characters becomes daunting and requires the reader to pay attention, or else one becomes confused and lost in the proverbial weeds. Weaving so many different threads together the story soon became bloated as Mr. Clancy attempted to keep the plot in motion. Yet, with a story of this magnitude it required Mr. Clancy to sometimes overwrite to keep things moving along and in some semblance of story cohesion. Dead or Alive is NOT the techno thriller of the old Tom Clancy genre, but rather a quasi-techno thriller in the genre of today's patriotic anti-terrorist novels along the line of Vince Flynn or Brad Thor. Still, the story and its limited action were enough to hold my attention to the less than climatic finish. The final torture scenes involving The Emir were interesting in light of today's torture discussion and well worth the read. Overall, Mr. Clancy's new book was good but not in the same literary league as The Hunt for October or Red Storm Rising (my favorite techno-novel of all time). No gratuitous violence, sex, or language. The action scenes were well done and cogent to the novel's storyline. Violence is the essence of terrorism which Mr. Clancy portrays accurately and is not overblown. Still, at 950 pages a little more action would have made for an easier read. Character development was spotty. The usual Jack Ryan characters were present and developed. Mr. Clark was center stage-my favorite Clancy character. Jack Ryan Jr. was developed and several new characters introduced. I really liked Ranger First Sgt Sam Driscoll and hope Mr. Clancy develops him in future novels. Ambivalent recommend. I generally liked the story but it was not a 5 star novel. Because of its size it would also be a difficult hardback to take on vacation: It's a home read. If you are A Clancy fan, like me, I would get this novel at your local library. If you wait for the paperback it should be OK for vacation or the beach. All in all a 4 star recommend based primarily on Mr. Clancy's past works. The question now is what's next.",
"reviewer": "Robert C. Olson"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "It's Been a Decade but TOM CLANCY IS BACK, and this is AS GOOD AS IT GETS!!!! Five Stars",
"text": "With Clancy it's simple, you either love what he does or you don't, and if you are fan, then it's been a long time, about ten years since he has been on the Best Seller list, but once again that is where he is headed. Clancy is the master of his genre because he takes the time to learn technical aspects of what he is writing about. This means when you read Clancy you are reading the real thing. Facts are checked, scenarios are discussed with technical aspects, and nothing is left to chance or done offhandedly. When he talks weapons, he goes into the detail that a munitions dealer would deal with. In this novel we see operators using a Knights Armament M110 Sniper System. He tells you it's the best because he has done the homework. It is facts like this that the master storyteller weaves into the tapestry of his books that many readers including myself find fascinating. I am not going to discuss the plot in detail because that's why we read the book. Here's what you need to know. This is a big blot book which is what most of Clancy's books represent. In this case, Jack Ryan is a retired President of the United States. His son Jack Junior is running a secret independent anti-terrorist agency that his father the President started. It is called The Campus, and it has been successful for years going after the bad guys. The current President seems to be weak on terrorism and is more concerned with guaranteeing the legal rights of the bad guys than protecting the country. You are already seeing the subplots develop. Clancy puts us in the thick of it. We as readers are in the game. When Delta Force operators and Rangers go into the caves of Afghanistan we are with them. We breathe the odors; we hear the sounds, and we feel the tension. We find ourselves silencing our own voices because we don't want the good guys to be caught, and that is classic Clancy. In this book there is evil in the world, and in DEAD or ALIVE, an evil man in the world is at lodge. He has wreaked havoc on the Western world. We call him the Emir, and his objective is to deal a devastating terrorist blow to the United States. The book takes you around the world while Ryan Junior, and his father's old hands John Clark and Ding Chavez join Ryan along with Brian and Dominic Caruso with Mary Foley. It's a race for time, and for America. Will the good guys win, and where is the Emir? Is he in a cave 8,000 miles away or is he right here among us? You will have to read the book to find out and oh what an ending. Why I Love Clancy and you will too? Please allow me to give you a feel why Clancy is the absolute best writer in his fiction segment. It is his incessant ability to weave odd important facts into his stories, and to weave reality into the fabric of the plot: * His description of the computer setup at the National Security Agency is without equal. * There are 125,000 cranes in the world and currently Dubai has 30,000 of them currently building and rebuilding the city. Who knows things like this? * Plans do not survive the first contact with the enemy. * Laziness has consequences. If you are a sentry, if you pause, if you hesitate, if you light up a cigarette, you are DEAD. * You don't have to like it; you just have to do it. * The FBI Urban Tactical Training Facility is preeminent in the world. They are the best of the best. See why in the book. CONCLUSION: This is a great read, all 848 pages of it. You start the book and you can't put it down, and in the end isn't that why we read Clancy. We just keep going until we are finished, and when we are finished we are ready for more. That is why 10 years is too long to wait for a Clancy novel. Read it today and see for yourself, and thank you for reading this review. Richard C. Stoyeck",
"reviewer": "Richard of Connecticut"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "All the familiar characters and a great story",
"text": "Tom Clancy is back with another interesting story that is taken from today's headlines. All of the old familiar characters are back, Jack Sr., John Clark, Domingo Chavez as well as the new set of characters, Jack Jr. and his two cousins, Dominic and Brian Caruso. The plot of the story is our nations attempt to track down the \"Emir\" whom we know is just the name Clancy is using for Osama Bin Laden. We start out with a group of Special Forces Rangers checking out the latest cave that might possibly have the Emir hiding in it. Only to have them frustrated that again it is a cold lead, although they do have some interesting finds for the intelligence groups. We then switch to Jack Sr. and his frustration with how our country is now being run by the new President, or maybe the better thought is how it is not being run, but being manipulated for political power. Then there are Jack Jr. and the Caruso boys waiting at The Campus for the green light to go ahead and track down the Emir. But the problem is that there are so many different agencies doing intelligence in the U.S. that who knows what all of the real intel is. The boys get the go ahead and the race is on to try and find the Emir. Oh, and to add a bit of suspense Jack Sr. still doesn't know that Jack Jr. is doing work that is highly dangerous and follows the lead of his father's past. Clancy does a wonderful job of building up each character, adding some new characters, reviving old characters and just generally giving us many sup plots that run alongside the bigger plot. The book is long, but it takes that much time to address all of the people, all of the issues and build a credible story. Again I think that the intelligence community may have to stop and ask the question, \"how does Tom Clancy know all of this stuff\", or better yet, \"who is his source?\" If you are a Tom Clancy fan you are going to enjoy this book. If you are new to Clancy you will also enjoy this book and will find that for the most part you don't need to read all of his other books first to be able to follow this plot and these characters, although previous knowledge of all those involved is helpful. This is a book that you will find hard to put down. It is great to have Clancy back in good form. Now the problem is what will I do while I wait for his next installment? Enjoy!",
"reviewer": "WDC"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Another good Clancy thriller",
"text": "I have skipped the \"second generation\" books so Jack Jr and his cousins were new to me as characters. Jack Ryan Sr appears in cameo parts and it sounds as though another book is in the works. The action was very good and kept me reading until I finished it in two days. I read the Kindle version and that was nice. I have Kindle versions of some of the older books and there are lots of typos because the books were obviously scanned without a lot of proof reading. There were no typos in this book on Kindle. The plot was complicated, as so many of Clancy's plots are but held up well. There are a couple of annoying errors, including the one about Shias being the majority in Iraq, not the minority. Another error was in the sub plot about the Claymore mine to be used as a terrorist tool. Rat poison, dicoumarol, does not act immediately but takes several days for the effect to take place. For that reason, there is no reason to put rat poison pellets in a Claymore mine. I don't know enough geography to check for errors in the other sections of the book, in which the plots do go all over the world. I noticed less detail about the actual plans for the terrorist weapons. \"The Sum of All Fears\" did a great job of describing how a nuclear weapon is made. \"Patriot Games (Jack Ryan)\" did much the same (assuming it was true and I do) with the IRA and their training camps. This book is more of a thriller with the detail less of a feature. There is plenty of detail about the steganography and one time pads so maybe that was the emphasis this time. It's well done and I recommend it.",
"reviewer": "Michael T Kennedy"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "3 Stars for Nostalgia's sake",
"text": "If you are like me, you spent many happy hours reading some of the best thrillers written; Hunt for Red October, Red Storm Rising and so forth. You marveled at the in-depth knowledge, the futuristic but plausible stories, the intriguing characters - sharp dedicated men (and occasionally women) who you rooted for and tried to identify with. Jack Ryan, the infamous Mr Clark, Ding Chavez, Admiral Greer, and many more. Some of these characters are in this book, and that is why I gave it 3 Stars for nostalgia's sake. Otherwise this is a two star book. First the plot, yep, it's the Islamic terrorists again. Of course Islamic terrorists are a real threat but the author who gave us rogue Soviets, Japanese nationalists, Colombian Drug lords is stuck in the same rut as most other authors and he doesn't make it as exciting as they do. This is a much more political book than before, political in the sense it takes political sides and is written from the perspective that of course \"knuckle draggers\" don't get their due. As an ex-knuckle dragger (His term) from Vietnam days the treatment the young men and women of the Spec ops community receives today is incredibly positive, but apparently a couple of Spec Ops guys got to Clancy and convinced him other wise. Oh, there is also the part where this top secret off the record organization funds itself by being able to manipulate the market because they have all this financial savvy and inside information. See their office building is strategically placed so they can intercept signals from the NSA, CIA, etc and no one notices the antenna farm on the roof - with NSA operatives like this maybe Clancy is right? Next, the characters - shallow, yep that's most of the characters. I wonder if Mr Clancy is too busy? He is now a franchise and this book like \"Teeth of the Tiger\" plays on the loyalty of fans like me (Teeth had a good idea in that attacking shopping malls for the Christmas rush would be a very effective tactic for terrorists). Since Mr Clancy seemingly has turned this book over to someone else due to his schedule the characters, in particular Jack Ryan Jr are undeveloped and lack that urgency that at one time described characters in the Jack Ryan Universe. There are many times that both the antagonists and protagonists do really dumb things; discussing whether to kill an information source and letting him overhear, being unarmed in a clash with assassins that it makes you wonder if he just couldn't come up with a creative plot twist and was too lazy to really try? Oh, the book is interesting at times, worth $2.99-$3.99 if you enjoy thrillers and believe that the military and the Intelligence community should be given complete control of US (and Great Britain's) foreign policy, my advice wait to buy it used or even better check it out of your local library",
"reviewer": "M. J Bauer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great Book",
"text": "I really enjoyed the Jack Ryan series. He’s my favorite fictional character. I love how this is transitioning to Junior and the Campus. This was a great book. Easy to read/listen and to follow along.",
"reviewer": "CC"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Can you believe the reviewers on here?..............Not a chance",
"text": "I ordered a set of three Clancy books just to catch up on the story line. Dead or Alive is believe it or not a good read. I'm not looking for some Nobel prize material with a series book, just good entertainment. This book provides it to a tee. The Characters are there still as they were with the signs of time added to it to bring more life into them. Don't expect a bunch of 25 year olds to be running around the world saving it....(oh, wait a minute,there are 25 year olds running around ) Just NEW CHARACTERS to get used to with the originals coming along for the ride.The number of pages is still showing that Clancy likes a long read and his readers can agree that his books will always be able to provide a way to lose yourself for a few hours or days away from what we call society today.Dead or Alive picks up with the story line and provides a few things that you remember from before. If you are a fan of the Jack Ryan series, take the plunge and catch up with old and new friends. You can't help but like this book because it FITS with the series. Those of you that have trashed it in your reviews are the same type of people who at the beginning of the TV season load their DVD's with the Twilight Zone series and then complain that it's black and white.It comes down to....if you liked the series,then buy Dead or Alive and enjoy it. If you're looking for some great ground-breaking material, buy it anyway. Too much techno babble will rot your brain.",
"reviewer": "Larry Johnson"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Another good book",
"text": "While not the best Clancy book I read, it's not the worst. The Campus has a few new members this time. John Clark and Ding Chavez from Rainbow were forcibly retired and joined the Campus. But there's a problem, the Emir has a new plan and it's not good. But as with these books he was stopped but not before other URC Cells did their attacks. The beginning of the novel was good, the middle slow, and it picked up in the end. Hence why it's four stars, still good but not great.",
"reviewer": "Sabastian B."
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Attention to detail without the ghost writers would see this series return to its glory days",
"text": "I have long been a fan of the Jack Ryan adventures since we first met Sir Jack when he hunted the Red October. Clancy though has lost his way. And ghost writers are probably the reason why. A technique of Dumas after becoming famous was to dictate plots to others to write the stories. Clancy used to make me believe that our heroes were diligent intelligence officers and operatives plugging away at the evidence they gathered and then deciphering the picture and solving the problem. Now, we need 300 pages to get warmed up. Then it becomes formula. Something bad is happening, our heroes will uncover through plot devices what they need to know in order to stop the worst just in the last moments before it all goes badly. Every time, though? Why not stop it days, months, before it goes bad. Why not lose and only be able to show up too late? That would not sell the American dream that we are somehow superior which is the subplot throughout the entire work. That we are superior. That because we are superior, we have these enemies who will defeat us because we take all that for granted. That there are hundreds of ways to infiltrate our borders and do damage, but always our Ryan heroes come through and save the day. Clancy's team writes decent suspense, but these books could be reduced in size (less air between lines) and word count. (We were told that Jack's son is following his father's professional career choices about 1000 times. Every time the plot moves a few hours ahead we have to have characters ask how they each are by each of them for the event that happened 100 pages ago, but only a few hours before...) These are big faults of writing. To Clancy he want's to make sure all he close family inside his head are fed, have lives, remember to flush the toilet. We actually don't care about the mundane unless it adds to the story, and far too much doesn't. If it adds to the characterization we are following great, but he has given so many of his secondary characters their own novels, that each has to be treated like the primary when they are on stage, and that is not the case. Once Clancy can oversee his writers and make them understand how to really write a good, tight suspense book, we will be able to rate these outstanding, but until then, they are only slightly better than average and that is because of the earlier work that has been established.",
"reviewer": "David Wilkin"
},
{
"stars": 1,
"title": "This is what happens when an author writes himself into a corner",
"text": "Welcome back one more time to the Clancy-verse. Enjoy your stay. With this cinder block, you'll be here awhile. As a refresher, please remember that all women in the Clancy-verse are either prostitutes or have multiple kids. All \"good men\" are conservative, Catholic school educated, use and carry firearms or are British. All \"bad men\" are either Ivy-League educated, paunchy, liberal lawyers or are of Middle Eastern descent. Neutral characters are always \"just in it for the money\" and have a 20% survival rate. This guide will assist you by removing the need to remember dozens of minor characters that enter and exit at dizzying intervals. In all seriousness, reading this Clancy novel is like picking up \"Atlas Shrugged\" 15 years after you first read it before college. Exciting, black-and-white plot lines, glamorous characters that change the world and easy solutions to intractable problems give way to the mature realization that the world just doesn't work this way. What made Clancy novels of the past so great was the believability, the \"wow, that could happen\" factor. This has been missing from the last few Clancy novels and is sorely missing from this one as well. But even these points could be overlooked, ignored or even laughed at in passing if not for the other issues of this book. Clancy has attempted to finally reconcile his universe with what actually happened in the real world over the last decade. Experienced Clancy readers will recall the three fictional wars the United States fought and quickly won following the end of the Cold War. Clancy has now attempted to fit the (real) Iraq and Afghanistan wars into his narrative history, creating a plot hole that simply can't be ignored. Did the sainted, conservative and competent Jack Ryan Sr order what even Clancy derides as an unpopular and poorly led war? By the timeline of the book, this appears the case and if so, how can Ryan even consider another run for office when the real and imagined electorate has so rejected the Iraq incursion? Also, how can Iraq fit into the Clancy-verse? At the end of \"Executive Orders\", Iraq and Iran are described as opening friendlier diplomatic relations with the US. References to current tensions with Iran in the book add to the pile of \"huh?\" moments. This book ultimately collapses under the weight of its own contradictions, set up from previous Jack Ryan novels and written into the book itself. Only a few hundred pages after a character muses at the ridiculous, Hollywood-inspired notion of the \"ticking bomb\" torture scenario, what provides the information to save the West coast of the US at the last minute but torturing a terrorist while the bomb is ticking. Adding in Clancy's increasingly ham-handed attempts at political commentary just sends this book farther into the bargain bin. I believe experienced Clancy readers can recognize \"The Bear and the Dragon\" started the slide in quality, coinciding with increased political content in the writing. \"Dead or Alive\" is an overly long, poorly written and edited episode of \"24\". If you bought this in non-digital format, take it to your local used bookstore and sell it before they stop accepting any more.",
"reviewer": "Park Ave"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "not at all unconvincing",
"text": "Good story line as would be expected from the Rayan series. Fast moving and entertaining. Looking forward to the next read.",
"reviewer": "Stephen D. Wessel"
},
{
"stars": 2,
"title": "It's Clancy, But Far From His Best",
"text": "This book was a good read overall, but a major disappointment nonetheless. Tom Clancy has always been one of my favorite authors, largely because of how detailed, technically accurate, and plausible his writing is. The precision with which Clancy describes an operation, a naval vessel, a building, or even the smallest of personal items is a big part of what makes his writing so great. Unfortunately, the usual Clancy detail, accuracy, and plausibility just weren't there. The fact that he had a co-author is very obvious from the writing style. I will not offer any significant spoilers, but will say that this book was very poorly edited. One character briefly has two right arms. A shotgun fires several rounds, yet miraculous has the same number of remaining rounds that it started with. That same shotgun somehow ends up in the possession of two characters simultaneously. Characters use slang terms in various languages that speakers of those languages do not actually use in real life, ever (the most extreme example is characters constantly calling each other \"mano;\" \"mano\" means \"hand,\" not \"man\"). The book randomly switches which character is doing something, when the new actor was supposedly to be several rooms away; it's as though Clancy lost track of who was doing what. Phrases get jumbled up (for example, a character incorrectly says \"make due\" instead of \"make do\"), and in a number of places it is obvious that at least one word is simply missing. And then there are the many technical errors (MINOR SPOILERS IN THIS PARAGRAPH). For example, Dead or Alive features an impossibly large DVD containing an impossibly large set of images. The largest-capacity DVDs can hold a touch over 17 GB of data; one in this book holds 60 GB. Even more absurdly, that 60 GB consists of 365 JPEG images. That makes the average file on the disc around 160 MB in size. (By comparison, even high-resolution photographs off of a 12 megapixel digital camera would be about 2-3 MB each when the photographs are saved as JPEGs.) Each JPEG contains a hidden series of letters and numbers, a couple hundred bytes long. The technique is called steganography, in which a message is hidden \"in plain sight,\" by embedding the message in something else, such as an image. The idea is that anyone who intercepts the container -- the image -- would not even know that it contains a hidden message, much less how to extract that message. So why does the average file on this absurdly large disc take up about 160 MB? A great way not to hide something is to make its container stand out like a sore thumb. Plus, these images are supposed to be elements of web pages and routinely accessed by dozens or thousands of people around the world, many of them from internet cafes. Downloading a 160 MB file at an internet cafe at the speeds typical in many parts of the world (often below dial-up speeds) could easily take more than 6 hours. Thousands of people doing that every day on the same handful of sites, even assuming the web servers in question don't melt down, is pointless and absolutely ridiculous, especially if the idea is for it to go undetected. On the whole, I still enjoyed this book, but it was nowhere near the quality of Clancy's other novels (at least, those for which he was the sole author -- I have never thought that the books on which he is listed as co-author were very good). Die-hard Clancy fans will probably still enjoy the chance to see so many of their favorite characters back in action, but don't expect it to be at the same level as books like Hunt for Red October or Debt of Honor.",
"reviewer": "Ed Cottrell"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "In the beginning are many characters, so it takes some time to accumulate then to the grand picture.",
"text": "In the book Red Rabbit TC. Quotes on the front pages: Pythagoras.”The most momentous thing in human life, is the art of winning the soul to good or to evil.” In the book Dead or alive TC is pointing out the Clear and Present Danger which is pointing at the US and the world at large. The danger which is built up in some of the Farawaystans uses old models, like The Old Man of the Mountain, which the term “Assassination” is taken from and frequently mentioned in the 240 year history of the Crusades. The Ottoman Empire was built on slave soldiers, Janissaries and Mamelukes. Some Mullahs took to the road of evil, as it sloped down and more easy to walk. In the Farawaystans the mullahs founded religious schools where the assembled young boys for religious brain washing and turning them to self destructive warriors which we call Taliban. There is still a lot of naïveté in the west about this development and calling the uprising in North Africa, The Arab Spring shows that clearly. Western political leaders are too busy listening to lobbyists, that they have no time for philosophical and religious thinking. For the first time I find TC. A bit critical of the US security institutes, ineffective and bureaucratic. As for the president I think of the Texas kid who termed himself “War President” It is a bit clumsy of TC. To let Jack Ryan senior run again for the presidency, as all the world knows who is the president of the US. Obviously TC. Wants to use Jack Ryan as a tutor of how we should maneuver against the present danger. Garðabæ 21.07.2013. Elías Kristjánsson",
"reviewer": "Elías Kristjánsson"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 9.99,
"listPrice": 12.99,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B005EAWPFY",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "Birth of Fire",
"authors": "Jerry Pournelle",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51w7dgn7vTL.jpg",
"rating": 4.2,
"reviewCount": "145",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1714337378000",
"description": "Birth of Fire is a science fiction adventure novel about the Martian War of Independence as the Mars Colonies attempt to break away from the Earth Federation Government. Garrett Pittston is a member of a Baltimore street gang when he is arrested and sentenced as an involuntary colonist. He must learn to live in the harsh conditions of Mars, and learn the customs of the Mars RimRat culture. He finds himself at the center of the Independence movement although he had never intended to join. Now he must prove himself to be a Marsman.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Great Story, Great Writer",
"text": "Jerry Pournelle might well be considered Robert Heinlein's spiritual successor: readers could easily mistake \"Birth of Fire\" for a lost work from Heinlein's golden years. But unlike Heinlein, Dr. Pournelle (M.S. Psychology, PhD. Political Science) concentrates far more on character than on technological development, keeping his science rigorously accurate and using it primarily as a stage upon which the story takes place. That's not to say he's not innovative; rather, it means that \"Birth of Fire\" is entirely plausible. The story is that of a street gang member whose crimes get him transported to the equivalent of 18th century Australia or 17th century America, a wild and untamed place where convicts could be sent to fend for themselves. But Garrett Pittston, the main character, finds this frontier exactly the challenge he needs to turn him from dependent to defender. \"Birth of Fire\" is a fun read; along the way Dr. Pournelle will take you to places you didn't expect and challenge you to think. Read this book -- I think you'll enjoy it.",
"reviewer": "G. Fisher"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Great story, great science",
"text": "This is a great book. Jerry Pournelle is a deep believer in America and liberty. He wrote this book intended to be published in an anthology of sci-fi stories for the US Bicentennial in 1976, and it plays nicely with the theme of liberty on a speculative colony on Mars. As a former engineer working in the space program, Pournelle knows his technology and knows well the kinds of challenges that a human colony on Mars would face, and he weaves those technological problems into the story quite well. If you want a science fiction story with realistic technology, you will probably like this book.",
"reviewer": "Jay from Redmond"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "Ok story, but what's with the politics?",
"text": "I hate writing this review, as I have been a fan of Pournelle's work for decades. Of course, the books I've enjoyed the most have been the team-ups w/Larry Niven and/or Steven Barnes. Great stuff has emerged from those writing partnerships, and I hope they continue. I have read and will continue to read anything he writes with Niven and/or Barnes. I consider most of their works to be flat-out classics. Footfall, Lucifer's Hammer, Mote in Gods Eye, Legacy of Heorot and all the rest - great books. That said, Its been a while since I've read a solo Pournelle novel, so maybe in earlier years I just didn't pay much attention to the fiddly bits , but in this book the politics played such a central role to the plot that I just felt like I kept getting my brain hammered with it. In Birth of Fire, which does have a sort of Heinlein YA focus on the individual protagonist as he falls into a grand conspiracy and emerges the hero of the day, Pournelle describes a future Mars used as a penal colony where the prisoners basically go directly into corporate serfdom with high mortality rate jobs. A picture emerges in the course of the story of a future setting where there just literally are no organized groups of people - whether governments or corporations - that aren't just outright evil. The government he posits is a nanny-state dystopia restricting society more than governing it, so that few people have productive work, education, etc. Pournelle presents this world as if the very concept of regulation is just wrong. The corporations presented don't fare any better though, as they are portrayed as amoral machines grinding up the workers in the colony and unconcerned with who is running the government. Pournelle seems to be trying to make a political point, but given the rough treatment shown both government and commerce in the book, the only thing clear to me is what he doesn't like, which is a world where anyone other than a person and that person's family has any say in their life or the economy. Government should apparently be toothless and not involved in any sort of regulation, while corporations are best left to their own devices with harsh (lethal) work conditions apparently ok if they can find people willing to do the work. It is a sort of simplistic view that reminds me of Ayn Rand's works. I enjoy the sort of black/white good/evil dynamic presented, inasfar as that goes, as it makes a simple easily digested story absent any of the nuances present in the real world. In a book presented as YA fare, I think it would be more responsible to present at least some of that real world complexity, not just because it would make a richer story, but because as it is written it just sounds like a rant against everything. Science fiction for me has always been the literature of ideas, a genre that enriches the minds of the readers, and this has always been especially true for the YA novels. This book didn't feel enriching to me. It felt like Pournelle wants to start writing political diatribes a la Hannity, Coulter, et al. I can't honestly recommend it for kids, but if you are an adult, sure give it a read if you have an afternoon.",
"reviewer": "Kindle Customer"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "\"Birth of Fire\" is worthy of Heinlein",
"text": "I've read most of Dr. Pournelle's work (strangely, I've never gotten around to Falkenberg's Legion and related, which may be his most famous work without Larry Niven as a coauthor). So when I saw this book was available on Kindle, I clicked Buy It Now without even looking at the price. A new Pournelle book is a must-read for me. What I didn't expect was a new Heinlein book; but if you had filed Pournelle's name off it, I would've guessed that I accidentally stumbled upon an undiscovered Heinlein classic. And I do mean classic: all the elements of Heinlein's best stories of individuals against tyranny are here. The stubbornly self-reliant protagonist, his more stubborn fiancee, and the bull-headed mentors and neighbors who band together to liberate Mars felt like old friends. I would easily shelve this next to Orphans of the Sky, Red Planet, Space Cadet, and Revolt in 2100 & Methuselah's Children. But most of all, I would shelve it cover-to-cover with The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress for having similar themes and similarly tense action. And the book I would shelve on the other side is Pournelle and Sheffield's Higher Education (Jupiter Novel), which I also highly recommend. I thought that the beginning of this book was somewhat derivative of Higher Education. Then I got to Dr. Pournelle's afterword, and I learned this book was originally published in 1973 for a never-published series of stories commemorating the American Bicentennial (the same series that gave us Asimov's Bicentennial Man). So I had my causality arrow backward, as it were. And the fact that this book was written in 1973 makes it even more impressive. It feels so fresh and relevant today, I have trouble believing it wasn't written this year! Wow! Four paragraphs of review, and they're all about my reaction to the book, not the book itself! Really, though, I liked it that much. But as for the book... It's the story of Garrett, a smart but directionless youth who gets in trouble with the law and who chooses exile to Mars in place of prison. He has to learn to survive in this new environment, where the ever-present government is as much of a threat as the planet itself. He falls in with a crowd of freedom fighters who are soon forced to choose: \"Give me liberty, or give me death!\" But the price Garrett may pay for liberty is more precious than his own life. For a space nut like me, this book has everything: space exploration, terraforming, tense action, planet-spanning adventure, realistic science, believable technology, relevant social commentary, realistic romance... and a tribute to the Master.",
"reviewer": "Martin L. Shoemaker"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Still a great adventure story!",
"text": "Birth of Fire presents a dystopic view of the near future where large percentages of the population are locked into degrading poverty and hopelessness by a socialist welfare state which \"doesn't quite let them starve, but doesn't let them get ahead either.\" While theoretically democratic, the Government exists strictly to line the pockets of the ruling class comprised of bureaucrats and industrialists. Garret Pittson, the protagonist, is a convict sentenced to transportation to a colony on Mars where he faces a probably short life of hard labor for slave wages. Fortunately for him and the human race, not everything on Mars is as it seems. He arrives just in time to join the revolution. I first enjoyed this book when it came out back in the 1970's. When I saw the Kindle version, I immediately clicked \"buy\" to see if it stood the test of time. The answer is an emphatic yes. Pournelle's vision of a once-proud nation sinking into stagnation, as briefly but poignantly sketched through the relationship between the protagonist and his father, is eerily prescient. The clash between individualists and tyrannical Government in the colony is presented in a crisp, entertaining fashion through a few anecdotes. There is a scene where the new colonial governor holds a town hall meeting which, with a change of setting, could have been on CNN last night. The main action then unfolds. Don't let me leave you with the impression this is primarily a political book. I've emphasized what amounts to the backdrop for the story because I'm astonished at how much came true in the decades since it was written. Feel free to ignore all of that and enjoy the book as a fast-moving adventure story about the timeless themes of courage, freedom and independence.",
"reviewer": "Fritz"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Not his best but a good one.",
"text": "Might have been the precursor for the first Total Recall movie about terraforming Mars and how factions didn't want to allow it to happen. Good descriptions of how life on Mars may occur. Not one of Jerry's best but one that will keep you reading until it's finished and it is a quick reading effort.",
"reviewer": "J. Tully"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Read it, you won't be sorry.",
"text": "If someone had given me this book with the authorial information removed, I would have asked for details about the discovery of an unpublished Heinlein young adult novel. Birth of Fire really does read like a book by the master. Heinlein's influence is no surprise, I suppose, as Pournelle and Heinlein were close friends in 1973 when this book was originally published. That is another thing -- Birth of Fire is not dated at all even though it was written almost 40 years ago. It could have been written yesterday. Basically, this is a science fiction adventure about a Martian war of independence. Military SF fans take note. It is also a coming of age story, and it has a strong line of romance to boot. The new afterward by the author is an added bonus. Read it, you won't be sorry.",
"reviewer": "Clyde M. Wisham Jr."
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "‘Don’t let you starve, they didn't let you get ahead, either. That's called social justice’",
"text": "“The government didn't let you do that. The government took care of you, whether you wanted to be taken care of or not. Even the dropout communes were visited by the government social workers. But if they didn't let you starve, they didn't let you get ahead, either. That's called social justice.’’ This from 1970’s. I don’t remember that I was aware the of ‘social justice’. Pournelle clearly was. “You know nothing,\" Farr said. \"We don't have much crime here. We live too close together to put up with people who steal from their comrades. Back on Earth you got busted, and maybe they sent you to court, and maybe they put you in the hands of the shrinks. You had parole officers, probation officers, social workers, welfare people, psychologists, and all that. Right?\" There were shouts. \"Yeah.\" \"So they kept throwing you back until one day they lowered the boom on you,\" Farr was saying. \"And they sent you here to work your balls off until a blowout kills you. That's the breaks. But before you think there's a better way than working, let me tell you that there's not one social worker on this whole planet.\" (No social workers!) He paused to let that sink in. \"And we've got one jail in Hellastown. And no prisons. Or reform schools. Or detention hospitals. Or rehabilitation centers. Or any of that good crap. Give us trouble and we take off some hide. Give us more and we'll sell your contract to some awful place. Give us enough trouble and we put you outside. That's the way it is. You believe?\" Wow! This highlights the thrust of this story. Recalls early Heinlein. However, not as accessible, not as engaging, not as dramatic.",
"reviewer": "Clay Garner"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "I really really wanted to enjoy this one more.",
"text": "I should preface this review with the fact that I'm a huge fan of Jerry Pournelle's future history regarding the co-dominion, and I believe I've read them all from High Justice through the Gripping Hand. That being said, this particular story isn't part of that, and some of the ideas that form the plot of this story just put it on the wrong path for me, and it never really recovered. Without giving to much away, this is the story of Garrett Pittson, who despite the time this was written, fits the mold of the disappointed gen-x types who can't see the challenge in being just another cog in the system. He joins a gang, gets arrested, and then is faced with the option of prison or forced deportation to Mars. That's where this story lost me. The idea that space travel had got to the point where it was inexpensive enough to shoot somebody into the void to become indentured labor to some corporation, rather than just throwing them in a hole someplace on earth (by the time the Dr. Pournelle got around to thinking about Oath of Fealty, his book on arcologies, maybe Garrett would have ended up in a massive earth prison). Garrett gets to Mars, hijinks in sue as he discovers what its like to become a mars man (think homesteader fighting the government, without air to fall back on). Through in a terraforming plot line and you get the major gist of this book. If you get past some of the more obvious absurdities, its not a bad story, and I pick it up from time to time when I want a read that doesn't require a lot of concentration on my part (think of it as having the stereo playing in the background). The price is right as well, but if you're looking for something that's more fun and less absurd, I would aim you at \"King David's Space Ship\", \"The Moat in God's Eye\" or any of the prince of Sparta books (which by that point make the forced deportation concept a little more palatable when you combine in the macguffin of the \"Alderson Drive\").",
"reviewer": "Douglas Fugate"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "My Favorite of Jerry Pournelle's Books",
"text": "This is my favorite of Jerry Pournelle's solo books, and one I was thrilled to find available on Kindle so I can have it always near at hand for rereading. At $2.99 this short novel is incredibly bargain-priced. The story is a fairly straight-forward colonization/adventure novel. The story isn't extreme, nor wildly unique, but it's the sort of good, solid science fiction reading in the Heinlein tradition that makes for a good, wholly satisfying read. Downsides... the length. I wish it was twice as long and spent more time dwelling on areas of the story that were skimmed over. And the lack of a sequel. I dearly wish there were more to this story and scenario (are you listening, Jerry??). A great read at a fabulous price. Highly recommended.",
"reviewer": "Thorvald"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "A fun read",
"text": "The temptation would be to compare this work to The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress. That would be unfair and misleading. Heinlein's work is much more political. Jerry Pournelle seems to be more about having fun with an interesting story. And it should be read with that in mind. Any reader of sci fi has encountered these characters before. But the attraction here is the story and the detailed setting on Mars. I would have liked to have the tale developed in greater depth, particularly a more detailed picture of the society and economy. But I enjoyed what the author chose to give us. An enjoyable read!",
"reviewer": "The Bulb"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Good clean fun",
"text": "This story served very well to remind me why I found myself hooked on science fiction back in junior high. Plenty of action, and very hard to put down. Best of all, it is 'clean' enough that I will be certain to use it (and other titles) to introduce my son to the genre when he is a little older.",
"reviewer": "spctrbytz"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "I love Pournelle's stories",
"text": "I love Pournelle's stories, so I was glad to be able to read this one. I didn't see it anywhere available as print, so I bought the Kindle version and while it was kind of strange to use my smartphone to read a book, it was worth it because otherwise I wouldn't be able to read this Pournelle story. It is a definitely a short story or maybe you could call it a novella.",
"reviewer": "Steve Trapp"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "Thomas Johnson",
"text": "Birth of Fire is a refreshing return to the days of rousing adventure and surprisingly accurate portrayal of Mars. Mister Pournelle , of course, doesn't disappoint with his usual skill and finis of rendering a good read into an excellent one.",
"reviewer": "T.I. Johnson"
}
],
"binding": "Kindle Edition",
"currentPrice": 4.99,
"listPrice": null,
"genres": [],
"tags": [],
"priceTrigger": null,
"myRating": 0,
"userEdited": {}
},
{
"asin": "B005ISQ7JM",
"onWishlist": false,
"ownershipType": "purchased",
"isHidden": false,
"addedToWishlist": "",
"title": "What Is HTML5?",
"authors": "Brett McLaughlin",
"coverUrl": "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41X8scMJCaL.jpg",
"rating": 3.6,
"reviewCount": "1,296",
"series": "",
"seriesPosition": "",
"acquisitionDate": "1322533110000",
"description": "HTML5: Everyone’s using it, nobody knows what it is. I realize that sounds more like a line out of an existential movie — maybe Waiting for Godot or a screenplay by Sartre — than a statement about HTML5. But it’s really the truth: most of the people using HTML5 are treating it as HTML4+, or even worse, HTML4 (and some stuff they don’t use). The result? A real delay in the paradigm shift that HTML5 is almost certain to bring. It’s certainly not time to look away, because by the time you look back, you may have missed something really important: a subtle but important transition centered around HTML5.",
"topReviews": [
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Wonderful, philosophical outlook for the future of the Web",
"text": "An eye opening preview of what may be coming with the increasing acceptance of HTML 5. Don't heed the negative reviews, this is an excellent read. No, it is not a technical manual, but something to reflect back on and use in your work years from now.",
"reviewer": "EDub"
},
{
"stars": 4,
"title": "starter guide to HTML5 and tester for Kindle Cloud Reader",
"text": "This gives some useful links and insights into the new standard for HTML5 including APIs and integration with scripting. HTML5 will be a powerful substitute or compliment to scripting languages like PHP, Python and Ruby. It is also cross-platform and will help mobile development. The writing is pithy and semi-technical so is easy to digest if you are a designer and not a technical guru. It is also technically competent so gives some good full-page examples on linked sites for example HTML5 that is very good for getting up to speed. The examples are competent and not useless. I managed to get Kindle Cloud Reader to work on Linux Firefox 14 and downloaded the ebook to my laptop. (Right-click and select 'open'.) This ebook is good to test Kindle Cloud Reader and also get in touch with new HTML standard developments that are going to affect Web and mobile development in the next 5 years at least.",
"reviewer": "Dwight Walker"
},
{
"stars": 3,
"title": "It's Nice to know what HTML5 is and does",
"text": "I'm not a programmer. I was curious as to what HTML was, and now I know. It was a quick read and informative. I didn't understand the whole thing because it works with other software languages that work in the background of programs I use daily. I now have a better understanding of its operations. I thought it was a good read and recommend it to those who are curious and work with programmers.",
"reviewer": "Larry Hamilton"
},
{
"stars": 1,
"title": "Waste of time",
"text": "To call this a \"book\" is a stretch. I realize that complaining about something that was free is uncharitable, however I am writing this review in the hope that I can save someone's time. It is a rambling, blog like waffle that at no point explains the practical differences between HTML5, XHTML and HTML4. If you are curious about HTML5, wikipedia provides more useful information. I actually learned more about HTML5 in the first chapter of a book on javascript than I did reading McLaughlin's random collection of words about HTML5. What items are depreciated in HTML5? What things are new? How does a browser interpret HTML5 differently? What browsers support it? You won't find the answers to those questions here. I had hoped that his book would concisely explain HTML up until HTML5 and then cover the differences. It does not. The author could summarize the entire book with \"HTML5 is good. It does stuff that 4 can't do, so you should be excited like I am\". I will end this review with a random excerpt from the book. Every chapter is like this, so if you like what you read below, it could be a good read for you, but I like my books on technical things to be a lot more technical: \"Yes, there is a limit to semantic meaning. Yes, the canvas becomes a big blog that contains something, but that something has minimal outside visibility. But it's still a step forward, and heralds what is hopefully a wealth of GPU studs and studettes making HTML5 do far more than anyone thought possible. (Studettes: another made up word, but these are good words. Webster, anyone? Urban Dictionary?)\"",
"reviewer": "CH3CH2OH"
},
{
"stars": 5,
"title": "Written for Web Programmers and Designers",
"text": "This book is an overview of the important features that will be included in the new HTML standards. As with most O'Reilly publications, it is written with programmers and other web professionals in mind rather than for the general public. The author seems to be especially impressed with several new elements that extend the language in the areas of media such as audio and video. He also spends time discussing the ease with which a web designer and programmer will be able to pull content from external websites and manipulate this data or content. He advocates more sharing of content resources amongst sites including media and sections of code. As a sometimes web programmer, I would have appreciated some code samples implementing and highlighting some of these new features to get a better feel for how they might be used and how they could be an improvement over the way things have been done under the current language standards. Since this ebook is actually a sample article rather than a full-blown, in-depth book on the new HTML5, I suppose we'll see these coding examples only in the full book. Recommended for a technically experienced audience.",
"reviewer": "Nyssa"
},
{
"stars": 2,
"title": "Free, But Not a Bargain",
"text": "I was excited about buying this book: I have several O'Reilly books, and I've loved every one I've bought... until now. This book is more like a lengthy blog post or a lecture transcription than than an informative book or pamphlet. Its style is somewhat off-the-cuff and opinionated, and it doesn't have the same \"polish\" that a formally-published book should have. Sentences are often wordy, and written with passive voice; complex words (\"axiomatic\", \"heterogeneous\") are sometimes used where simpler ones would suffice; and the narrative meanders at times, rather than staying on-topic. Instead of answering the question \"What is HTML5?, this pamphlet seems to answer a totally different one: \"Why does Brett LcLaughlin like HTML5?\" Code samples are lacking. There's only one significant code sample: a section of HTML from Twitter, and that one sample is HTML4, not HTML5. Rather than talk about how nice the new