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In the bitter morning of defeat, when the last battle has been lost to the white man, the protagonist of The Heartsong of Charging Elk faces a series of decisions. Should he adapt to reservation life or go wandering, a fugitive in a terrible new world? Should he become docile or violent? These are the questions at the heart of James Welch's novel, which is based on the true story of an Oglala Sioux who was plucked from the reservation to perform in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.
The multiple paradoxes of his situation--a Native American acting out pseudo-Native American pageants for European audiences--are alternately comical and cruel, pathetic and poignant. "Of course," muses Charging Elk, "he knew that it was all fake and that some of the elders back home disapproved of the young men going off to participate in the white man's sham, but he no longer felt guilty about singing scalping songs or participating in scalp dances or sneak-up dances." Halfway through the tour, however, he finds himself laid up in Marseilles with broken ribs and a bout of influenza. In his delirium, he worries that the Wild West troupe may have left him behind to die--and since they are the only family he has left, Charging Elk flees the white man's "healing house" in a panic, hoping to catch up with his companions.
It's here that the novel actually begins. Welch has latched onto a fantastically rich premise: a Native American loose in a French city, delirious, hungry, and surrounded by ghosts. Charging Elk's odyssey through Marseilles is intercut with flashbacks, and his memories of the Black Hills--of life before his America was lost--generate the novel's most powerful prose. There are weak spots, too, particularly when the hero engages in some Wild Western violence. Passionate and unsteady, The Heartsong of Charging Elk tends to move in and out of focus. But during its intervals of clarity, it's hard to resist. --Emily White
Book Description
From the award-winning author of the Native American classic
Fools Crow, a richly crafted novel of cultural crossing that is a triumph of storytelling and the historical imagination.
Charging Elk, an Oglala Sioux, joins Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and journeys from the Black Hills of South Dakota to the back streets of nineteenth-century Marseille. Left behind in a Marseille hospital after a serious injury while the show travels on, he is forced to remake his life alone in a strange land. He struggles to adapt as well as he can, while holding on to the memories and traditions of life on the Plains and eventually falling in love. But none of the worlds the Indian has known can prepare him for the betrayal that follows. This is a story of the American Indian that we have seldom seen: a stranger in a strange land, often an invisible man, loving, violent, trusting, wary, protective, and defenseless against a society that excludes him but judges him by its rules. At once epic and intimate,
The Heartsong of Charging Elk echoes across time, geography, and cultures.
Customer Reviews:
Very mesmerizing!.......2007-07-12
Surprisingly mesmerizing! Get this: This is my husband, Bob's, book. He gave it to me to list on Amazon Marketplace. While waiting for my very slow dial-up modem to take me to the right page, I flipped to the middle and glanced at it. And here I am, over an hour later, still reading! So, hopefully no one will buy it for a day or 2 so that I can read the whole thing! LOL I'm really enjoying it.
The story of Charging Elk is sad...so much that happens to him seems to be out of his control. But he continues to do his best, and persevere. I like that he is making the best of his bad situations. I can't tell you how it begins or ends -read someone else's review for that. All I can tell you is if you pick up this book and impulsively read a page, you'll be sucked in and committed to reading the whole book! You won't regret it.
I am an avid reader and have enjoyed stories of Native People in the past. I'm glad that I've gotten the opportunity to enjoy this one! Another book of Native People that I've liked is Tatham Mound, by Piers Anthony. No, it's not fantasy. It's a pretty serious book, as this one is. But not quite as...heavy, I guess you'd say. Heartsong of Charging Elk is not lighthearted. I suspect it will stick with me for years...the ultimate sign of a great book! ----Review from Kathy Smith, Bob's wife
THE HEARTSONG OF CHARGING ELK.......2007-04-05
Having read all of Welch's novels, I found this to be the most impressive. It really describes well an incident in the history of Anglo/Native relationships not having to rely on violence, romance,
or hidden agendas... highly recommended.
A Fantastic Cultural Adventure.......2004-09-30
Through the eyes of a Lakota man marooned in Marseille we experience both the declining culture of late 19th century native America and the excitement of a vibrant of port city in France. These seem unlikely settings but Welch's descriptions and characterizations make both come to life. We can feel the fear and uncertainty that Charging Elk feels as he finds his way to accepting the strange new world and his longing for the place and the people he has left behind. And we can feel the foreboding or distain but more often the curiosity and the compassion of the French people he encounters. It's a bumpy ride for Charging Elk and sometimes a bit plodding for the reader but the story works and was hard to put down once I got into it.
The Heartsong of Charging Elk.......2003-11-06
James Welch, The Heartsong of Charging Elk, Doubleday publishers. New York, New York, 2000.
The Heart song of Charging Elk is a novel about an Oglala Sioux Indian named Charging Elk and his journey across "the big water" to France with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. While in France he gets sick with the enfluenza epidemic, put in the hospital and is left behind. Scared and confused he escapes from the hospital and is later captured by the police and thrown in jail. He is finally released and then remains in France for 16 years, dealing with a love a affair with a prostitute and a murder that willl change his life.
This book is slow but is excellent reading, I would esspecilly recommentd it to Native Americans and exchange sutdents.
Heartsong and Heartbreak.......2003-05-05
I was entranced by James Welch's tale of a young Lakota warrior marooned in Marseilles when he's left behind by the Buffalo Bill show. Charging Elk's longing for his beloved Paha Sapa (Black Hills) fills every page. When he tries to fit in as a Frenchman, you know that this tall, handsome long-haired Indian will face obstacles wherever he goes. His love scenes with a young prostitute sizzle and make you wish he could fulfill his dream of marrying her. His subsequent heartbreak and downfall are almost too painful to bear, but if you persevere to the closing chapters, it's worth the read.
Average customer rating:
- Not Free SF Reader
- Some good ideas, but terrible writing
- Not as good the second time around, and not as interesting as On a Pale Horse
- Take some notes or read slowly!
- Time is tough [no spoilers]
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Bearing An Hourglass (Incarnations of Immortality, Book 2)
Piers Anthony
Manufacturer: Del Rey
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Similar Items:
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With a Tangled Skein (Book Three of Incarnations of Immortality)
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Wielding a Red Sword (Incarnations of Immortality)
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On a Pale Horse (Incarnations of Immortality, Bk. 1)
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Being a Green Mother (Incarnations of Immortality, Book Five)
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For Love of Evil: Book Six of Incarnations of Immortality
ASIN: 0345313151
Release Date: 1985-09-12 |
Book Description
When life seemed pointless to Norton, he accepted the position as the Incarnation of Time, even though it meant living backward from present to past. The other seemingly all-powerful incantations of Immortality--Death, Fate, War, and Nature--made him welcome. Even Satan greeted him with gifts. But he soon discovered that the gifts were cunning traps and he had become enmeshed in a complex scheme of the Evil One to destroy all that was good....
Customer Reviews:
Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03
Surrogate ghost parent stint fails, becomes Lord of Time instead.
This Incarnation gets to do the Merlin thing, and live backwards in time. Being in charge of that he can go forward if he wants to, though.
He hooks up with one of the Fates, and also has Satan try and trick him, one of these stunts includes trying to convince him to stop the event that makes the guy in the first book Thanatos.
Some good ideas, but terrible writing.......2007-05-03
There were some interesting ideas in this book and in the first one, but Piers Anthony is, quite simply, a painfully bad writer. He writes like an early teenager in almost every way - redundant, self-indulgent, and shallow. The sad thing for these books is that, unlike the Xanth series, there is actually a decent story at their core. Even a mildly competent editor could have turned this series into a decent work of fantasy. Instead it's just a monument to a missed opportunity.
Not as good the second time around, and not as interesting as On a Pale Horse.......2007-04-20
What if death, time, fate, war, nature, evil and good were not mere concepts but offices held by actual people, like any other occupation?
Norton is the man who became Time. Grieving for a love lost and spending his time aimlessly wandering, he accepts the opportunity to become the immortal incarnation of Time. This means living his life backwards with respect to the rest of the world, and assisting Fate in navigating and repairing the great tapestry of life. Norton discovers that it also means extricating himself from the devious traps laid by The Father of Lies himself.
I first read Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series in high school and thought they were superb. I'm now reading them again and, while I still find the premise of Death, Time, Fate, War, Nature, Good and Evil being mere offices fascinating, the more experienced reader in me is viewing them with a more critical eye. Entirely too much time is spent on Norton's "visits" to the sci-fi/fantasy realms, and not nearly enough on his experiences while learning his new office. In addition, almost every character in the book is a two-dimensional stereotype, which grows wearisome.
Take some notes or read slowly!.......2007-04-09
I will be the first to admit that I can be a fast reader, so I will sometimes miss things. So this book was not a great one for someone like me to read. It had a complicated story that ran up and back through time. It IS very clever and when my husband read it, he liked it much more than I did. He reads slower than I do, so go figure. I can say that I liked it and would recommend it to others. Worth the read.
Time is tough [no spoilers].......2006-06-12
The "Incarnations of Immortality" series sequel "Bearing An Hourglass" introduces the trekking Norton as he receives a suspicious proposal while camping. Simple character development laced in stereotypical behavior of commonly opinionated male and empty-headed female figures surrounded by subtle environmental friendly messages caters to the young reader. Also, one finds the usual vocabulary and lengthy logical deductions as in most fast-paced Piers Anthony stories. A formidable earnestness to the plot and the masterful potency of Time could have produced a truly profound novel.
Unlike most follow-up novels, a different individual drives the storyline with a courteous acknowledgment to the Incarnation of Death. Sning, a fresh character, definitely captures one's attention and affection, as Satan remains troublesome. Since Chronos interacts with Fate on individual threads of life, expect non-Chronos related dialogue considering she is the next Incarnation to be addresses in the series. The narrative denies descriptions of Heaven or Hell other than the overall plot of the perpetual battle for people's soul.
Since the novel manages the Incarnation of Time, paradox is paramount throughout the execution of such a daunting task. Unfortunately not all of the problems that arise are expressed as clearly as in the prior novel. The powerful hourglass, the symbol of the Incarnation of Time, is conveniently forgotten too often by Chronos as a commanding device.
I recommend this series to any fan of the fantasy genre. However those of a highly inflexible religious background or intolerant attitude towards religion might want to avoid the selection.
Thank you.
Book Description
"Apologetics has a deeply human side that is concerned with the whole person," say William Edgar. This book bears that out in both tone and content. While affirming the importance of reason in answering unbelief, Edgar invites us to make full use of the diverse forms of persuasion aimed at the unbelieving heart.
In part one he lays out the biblical foundations for apologetics and in part two explores actual objections and arguments. When we understand biblical apologetics and the reasons for disbelief, we will be better able to cut through the intellectual smoke screens of our day.
"Effective apologetics is an art: it addresses the whole person—mind, emotion, and will. With insight and practical wisdom, William Edgar outlines, clarifies, and illustrates the complex apologetic tasks. What intrigues me most is his explanation of how the Bible itself—from start to finish—engages in apologetics. Excellent for both beginning and veteran apologists." —James W. Sire
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful book for Christian Apologetics.......2007-03-25
Thank God to give us this wonderful book which provide effective way to apologize for Christian belief base on solid bible theology.
Brief but well-rounded apology for apologetics.......2004-08-21
Let's face it; Christian apologetics suffers from an image problem. Standing to the right are numbers of people who still think of apologetics as somehow calling them to apologize for their faith. Standing over to the left are those who view apologetics as condoning belligerence and sanctioning conversion by rhetorical force. One side smells compromise and fears the loss of clarity and boldness. The other senses presumptuousness and worries that compassion and sensitivity will be lost in the fray. Only a careful presentation is likely to subvert such opinions and secure a more sympathetic hearing for apologetics. Apologists rejoice! Edgar's Reasons of the Heart is such a presentation.
In this brief but well-rounded apology for apologetics, Edgar describes both obstacles and opportunities related to the recovery of Christian apologetics today. Edgar also lays the biblical foundations for apologetics and leads us in the practice of apologetics by addressing a number of barriers to belief. Further, by centering his discussion on Pascal's dictum that "we know the truth not only through our reason but also through our heart" Edgar manages to promote an apologetic that is clear and compelling yet at the same time inviting and flexible. Accessible, astute and best of all reinvigorating, this is a valuable contribution that should help many rethink the practice and nature of apologetics. From Sunday school to the seminary class room; this is a versatile primer for any level.
The best intro-level apologetic I've seen yet.......2003-09-02
I picked up Reasons of the Heart out of curiosity to see what is Edgar's approach to apologetics. I was happily surprised at the quality of this short book! He manages to cover a lot of ground in very little space -- the text of the book is just a little over 100 pages, plus appendices, indexes, etc. Yet it digs deeper than its size would indicate, asking the right intro-level questions and interacting fairly with many other theologies and philosophies. Edgar's writing is very concise and readable, making this book very useful for anyone from high school to graduate students, laymen and pastors alike. I heartily recommend it as a first look at apologetics and believe it will challenge the thinking and whet the apologetic appetite of any Christian.
Good, but ultimately unsatisfying.......2000-06-11
This is a pretty good book for a couple of reasons:
First, it interacts with the contemporary philosophical environment but without being tedious and difficult to understand.
Second, Edgar realizes that apologetics is both God-centered and audience-oriented, which allows him to avoid being caught in either a presuppositionalist or evidentialist foundationalist fantasy land of certitude.
However, I think that this book's strengths are also weaknesses in a way. While apologetics should be audience-determined in methodology, it should not be so in content. And Edgar, especially in the section on the problem of evil, seems to give up too much ground to unbelief. While he rejects the free-will defense normally used to combat the problem of evil, he leaves us with no other place to stand!
If you can't offer a plausible solution to the problem of evil, why even start doing apologetics?
apologetics without being stuck in rationalism.......2000-01-08
A concise primer on apologetics that does not focus on rationalism or evidentialism. Instead, Edgar starts with Pascal's famous quote, "We know the truth not only through our reason but also through our heart... The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing." He begins with the reasons for apologetics and reaches back into the Old Testament even (usually overlooked, in my opinion) to build a case for apologetics as being part of the whole Christian life. He sees much hope in the postmodern condition where others see fear. He continues with opportunities for a whole life apologetic often missed by otherwise-attentive Christians: emotions like joy and fear, the sadness and misery of death, actions such as hospitality and integrity. These are all in his first part, titled 'Foundations' which he follows with 'Conversations.' Here, he doesn't neglect to deal with the barriers to conversation: the problem of evil, the scandal of particularity, etc. Throughout, Edgar writes faithfully from his Pascalian premise and quite well. His perspective is very Reformed, but not so much that someone from the other end of the pen (like myself) could not be amply rewarded by reading. Seems to me he is very strong at combining Pascal's attention to other-than-rationality with Francis Schaeffer's attention to consistency in a way that benefits thinking and living Christians in these post-modern (when will we have a better word than this?) times.
Product Description
Destined to live from past to present after he becomes the Incarnation of Time, Norton struggles to master his new realm even as Satan springs a cunningly destructive trap. Series: Anthony, Piers. Incarnations of immortality (Recorded Books, Inc.) ; bk. 2. Description: 12 sound discs (13 hr., 45 min.)
Product Description
10 audio cassettes with 13 and three/quarter hours of listening.Second volume of the best-selling incarnation of immortality series.
Product Description
Bearing an Hourglass is a fascinating, richly imagined tale that reaches beyond the normal science fiction/fantasy realm. When life seems pointless to Norton, he accepts the position of Incarnation of Time. With the other incarnationsDeath, Fate, War, and Nature already distracting him, Satan springs a cunning trap. Science fiction/fantasy legend Piers Anthony combines a gripping plot with a serious and thought-providing study of good and evil.
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Case Studies of Teacher Development: An In-Depth Look at How Thinking About Pedagogy Develops Over Time
Barbara B. Levin
Manufacturer: Lawrence Erlbaum
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0805841989 |
Book Description
This book represents the results of a 15-year longitudinal study based on in-depth case studies of the development of four teachers' pedagogical thinking. These studies illustrate how teachers' thinking--about children's behavior, development, learning, and teaching--develops over time, based on their personal and professional life experiences. It is an especially significant book because understanding how pedagogical thought develops over time and how these ideas are put into action in classrooms can be used to improve teacher education, teacher induction, and teacher retention programs.
Case Studies of Teacher Development: An In-Depth Look At How Thinking About Pedagogy Develops Over Time:
*provides insight into reasons why some teachers remain and others leave the teaching profession;
*combines narrative with scholarship;
*highlights the voices of four educators through extensive quotes from their interviewers, includes vignettes of their classroom teaching, and incorporates their own writing;
*contributes to the field of teacher education and teacher development because of the long duration of the four case studies (1985-2000) and the accompanying scholarly analysis of internal and external influences on their lives as teachers; and
*addresses changes in the nature of qualitative research as it influenced this longitudinal study over time.
At a time when teacher induction and teacher retention are critically important, this book will help teacher educators, school and district leaders, and policymakers understand better how to retain novice and experienced teachers by supporting their professional growth and development.
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Time Depth in Historical Linguistics (Papers in the Prehistory of Languages)
Manufacturer: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Researc
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1902937066 |
Book Description
Time depth constitutes one of the most difficult problems in historical linguistics, its evaluation being crucial for any systematic comparison with archaeological or genetic data, and hence basic to any broader historical interpretation. This was the focus for a meeting of some of the world's leading linguists held in 1999 at the McDonald Institute. The oft-criticized techniques of glottochronology and lexicostatistics were reformulated by their leading advocates with positive results, but also critically examined by skeptics. Linguistic palaeontology, convergence processes and morphological approaches were discussed. Specific consideration was given to the Indo-European, Uralic, Afroasiatic, Bantu, Austronesian and Tibeto-Burman language families. This book will be indispensable for anyone seriously concerned with issues of time depth in languages, and for all archaeologists and geneticists seeking an integration between their own discipline and the early history of languages.
Book Description
Designed to complement the McGraw-Hill Civil Engineering PE Exam Guide: Breadth and Depth, this subject specific "depth" guide provides comprehensive coverage of the subject mattter applicants will face in the afternoon portion of the PE exam. Each book, authored by an expert in the field, will feature example problems from previous exams along with power study techniques for peak performance.
Customer Reviews:
Good General overview, but not that helpful in the PE.......2004-08-31
This is really not a review book but more of an overview of what transportation engineering. It easy to understand but the text is not backed up with challenging chapter problems that you would see on the PE exam as indicated by the NCEES(except maybe for the Geometrics / Horizontal curve part). You may get a couple of helpul information about bike, pedestrian, railway and airport facilities... but this really is not that helpful. A good portion of the Appendix (part B) is dedicated to Airport facilites and taxiways. What I also did not like about this book is the publishing quality, you would expect a quality product from McGraw hill, but its seems like a lot of sample problems and appendixes came from old mimeograph and carbon copy machines. Lasty the tables on this book are poorly referenced to (AASTHO, HCM, MUTCD) For example their are table reffering to passenger car equivalents and maximum pcplph are not properly referenced to HCM unlike other transportation engineering books. I'm very disappointed with this McGraw Hill book.
worthless.......2004-06-28
Don't bother spending money on this reference. It will be of little value preparing for the PE exam. Too much information on airports that will nevber be on the PE exam.
Not a good study aid.......2004-01-13
This book was of little value in preparing for the PE exam. It has very general information, lots of full page diagrams and charts and half of the book is appendixes. There are very few questions and the answers are not well explained. It is a narrative about the subject matter not a review of how to work engineering problems not to mention everything was in SI units only. I was very disappointed with this book and do not recommend it.
helpful and simple.......2002-04-23
Straight forward and honest, helped me understand a lot of things I had not before - better than previous reviewer led me to believe!
Poor Reference for the PE Civil Engineering Exam.......2001-03-25
It appears the people who put this book together have not looked at the NCEES website. Approximately 1/3 of this book is dedicated to airport and rail transportation. Subjects other than Transportation are not addressed. Most questions are not in the new test format and solutions are not fully explained. The few tips about the Depth Transportation Exam are buried in narrative and hard to find.
Average customer rating:
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In Depth: Essayists for Our Time
Carl H. Klaus
Manufacturer: Harcourt College Pub
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0155413465 |
Book Description
Time is of the essence when you're stranded in the future....
Humanity is running out of time.
The settled universe is filled with terraformed worlds linked by timeshafts -- temporal wormholes in deep space. These timeshafts are the only way to travel the vast distances between the stars.
The Chronologic Patrol is charged with guarding the timeshaft wormholes and preventing time paradoxes at all costs. But one critical mission ends in disaster, turning Anton Koffield, captain of the Upholder, into a dark legend....
As ships carrying relief supplies to a crippled planet approach a timeshaft, they are mercilessly set upon by mysterious attackers -- their crews are murdered and the sanctity of time itself is at risk.
In response, Koffield is forced to do the unthinkable: he must stop the invasion by destroying the timeshaft. Marooned eighty years in the future, he lives as a cursed figure, the villain who killed a world.
And his odyssey through time has only just begun....
Customer Reviews:
Uptime Without a Paddle.......2007-03-18
In a universe where one must pass through a temporal wormhole in order to travel the vast distances of space (travel through the wormhole compensates for the vast amount of time it takes a ship to traverse the even vaster distances of space), Chronologic Patrol Officer Anton Koffield is stranded in his own future after a bizarre and disturbing incident. Now he must help avert a disaster of planetary proportions. In this cautionary tale of terraforming gone awry, Anton Koffield is attempting to get vital information to the correct people...the inhabitants of the planet Solace, whose artifically created biosphere is falling apart at the seams.
The Depths of Time had an exceedingly mediocre start, with some "action" within the first 50 pages, but then little seems to happen for well over 200 pages of this nearly 500 page book. Worse yet, the characterizations leave much to be desired. You hardly get much depth with the main character's personality until the last 100 pages or so...hardly an ideal situation when most of the story hinges on this character.
Despite the above criticisms, there is enough interest in the plot to keep the book moving (barely)...and the ending does pick up some. All in all, this is not a stellar read, but with only two more books in the trilogy ("Chronicles of Solace") I will likely pick up the sequel...and hope that it is better than the first.
Despite the flaws an enjoyable not so hard sci-fi story.......2006-10-04
Most of the reviewers hit the weak points in the book, it is not hard sci-fi, the uptime/downtime wormhole has a few flaws in its theory, and at times, the story is long winded. When I first bought the book there was no indication it was the first in a series, which is a pet peeve of mine.
On the plus side, the book is really as much a mystery with a sci-fi premise and a case study in what drives a man, Admiral Koffield, when his career is basically ruined and he is stranded 100 years in the future, and his obsession with tracking down the man responsible.
Allen lays out his characters well, the reserved Admiral, his eventual sidekick Norla Chandry, (who is strikingly similar to Priscilla "Hutch" Hutchens from three of Jack McDevitt's books) and the megalomaniac man behind the curtain Oscar DeSilvo.
I would recommend it for the most part, because I thought the second book in the series was extremely entertaining and it was a break from some of the harder sci-fi that I read. To paraphrase, "with mild expectations come acceptable results."
Good ideas, but a bit long.......2006-04-23
In the acknowledgements, the author thanks his editor for allowing him to stretch his single book story into a trilogy. This will not go down as one of said editor's crowning professional achievements. The story is interesting but, once you make it past the beginning sequence, the effort to stretch it into a trilogy is obvious. The middle of the book is full of filler and drags on for far too long.
It also bugs me a bit that, when it becomes obvious that Solace is dying, it never dawns on anyone to simply ask Earth to send timeshaft ships to evacuate the whole solar system. Wouldn't leaving be the simple answer to their so-called life threatening ecology crisis?
Should I read further?.......2006-03-02
I haven't been able to get past what seems like a huge, gaping logic error in the first 50 or so pages. Should I read further?
I'm sure someone is thinking "Yeah, Rob, you were just baffled by the temporal worm-hole, and the concepts of uptime and downtime." It took me a few minutes (and a whiteboard) to wrap my head around the idea, but, no, I think I get it just fine. But it's possible that the author didn't understand it. (I bet he did, but just ignored the implications.)
You see, the two "ends" of the wormhole must also be spatially separated. If not, then there would always be two ships on-hand: The "uptime" ship of the "present" and the "downtime" ship of the "future." (Either that, or civilization clearly chose to abandon this particular wormhole after 50 years or so.) Remember that the present is also the future's past.
So for a while I said "Yeah, okay, they're not supposed to have contact with each other, so the endpoints of the wormhole are also separated by vast spatial distances!" But if this civilization can create spatial wormholes, why bother with all the temporal insanity?
No, my conclusion was that this was a thoroughly contrived idea, twisted and turned to set the stage for what may be a fascinating story. But I'm used to hard-SF writers who examine the science and discover stories to be told, rather than coming up with stories and then twisting the science (i.e., the author's own basic rules of the game) to fit the story. For some reason I can suspend disbelief for David Brin's weird, populated hyperspace much more readily than for MacBride Allen's temporal wormholes. They only seem to work if you ignore the real paradox!
I tried explaining this, out loud, to the captain, but he was holed up in his cabin, sulking.
And, if this civilization is so advanced that they can build temporal wormholes and/or spatial wormholes, why aren't they smart enough to staff their spaceships with a second-in-command? What would have happened to that ship if the captain had died? Total chaos! There was no first officer, as far as I could tell.
One could assume that they staff their temporal spacecraft with slow-witted captains for a good reason, but this captain could sure use someone (smarter) to discuss options. Preferrably using intelligent dialog, which also seemed to be missing from the bridge of this particular ship.
All that in the first 50 pages. Should I read further?
Lastly, here is the author's description of death: "The rest was dark and silence."
I...oh, never mind...
Depths of patience.......2006-01-19
I read it a second time because I couldn't remember what happens at the
end, only to realize that that had been because nothing happens at the end.
Book Description
Doin' Time is an in-depth look at life behind bars through a window of hope. This book contains over 300 rare photos taken inside prisons by four-time Pulitzer Prize nominee, Ron Kuntz. Join Rick on an incredible journey through America's prison system as he reflects on his 16 years of active involvement with the Bill Glass "Weekend of Champions." You'll meet inmates and officers whose lives have been transformed through a unique ministry approach of bringing guest celebrity athletes, entertainers, and lay counselors directly into the prison environment, including segregation lockdowns, death rows, and AIDS wards, to share their Christian commitment. Doin' Time won the 1997 International Angel Award for excellence in moral quality media.
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De Repente En Lo Profundo Del Bosque/ Suddenly in the Depth of the Forest (Nuevos Tiempos / New Times)
Amos Oz
Manufacturer: Siruela
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 8478449469 |
Book Description
This concise and reliable introduction to Taoism brings a fresh dimension to a tradition that has found a natural place in Western societies. Combining Taoist sacred texts with current scholarship, it surveys Taoism's ancient roots, contemporary heritage and role in daily life.
From Taoism's spiritual philosophy to its practical perspectives on life and death, self-cultivation, morality, society, leadership and gender, Russell Kirkland's essential guide reveals the real contexts behind concepts such as Feng Shui and Tai Chi. Written for those seeking a genuine introduction to an often misrepresented tradition, it highlights Taoism's key elements and explains its early origins and modern transformations.
Books:
- The Journey of the Stone Man
- The Last Samurai Official Movie Guide
- The Linnet's Tale
- The Lover's Path: An Illustrated Novel
- The Noodle Maker: A Novel
- The North China Lover: A Novel
- The Piano Teacher: A Novel
- The Portage to San Cristobal of A. H.: A Novel (Phoenix Fiction Series)
- The Professor's Daughter
- The River Warren: A Novel
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