Plot spoiler warning, it was Ezra and Jeremiah.

In reality however the book is not so much about who wrote the bible but the process by which we understand how it was written. Friedman is an academic who has studied the bible for years. This book is a clearly written outline of current thinking about the origin and strucutre of the bible. Probably most of the material in the book is available in dull long academc tones. This book however reduces all that to an easy to understand yet learned exposition in some 240 pages.

Briefly in one examines the first five books of the bible it is possible to note certain duplications of stories. This suggests that two accounts of similiar events has been synthasised together. In addition the two accounts seem to have two different names for God. One uses the term Elohim which simply means God and the other uses Jehovah, something which applies to what became the Jewish God.

Using largely textual and historical anaylsis Friedman suggests that what has happened is that after the splitting of the Davidic kingdom into Israel and Judah two priestly traditions probably oral emerged. These varied slightly as the systems of worship and political strucutre varied somewhat. Moses was a hero to the north, Aaron was the ancesotor of the Judian priestly class.

Deuteronomy appears to have been written in the reign of the King Josiah. This is based on the rather slavish praise given to him despite his mediocraty as a monarch. This would place it around 587 BC.

However rather than there being a bible at this point there would have been two versions of the first four books of the bible and Dueteronomy. Again using a textual anaylsis it would seem that there existed a further book which was of priestly origin. It was concerned largely with rules and laws and a more limited history.

Friedman suggests that these books were edited to form a continous narrative by Ezra the priest who was given power to rule over Judea by Cyrus the great after the conquest of Babylon by the Persians. Historical records suggest that Ezra took with him the Torah from Babylon to Judea. This would place the date of writing as about 539 BCE.

Regardless of whether Friedman is right or wrong the book is a fascinating summary of hundreds of years of textual and historical anaylasis of the bible.

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If you're going to take the bible seriously and truly attempt to understand what it is you feel you need to believe then please read this book.

"Who Wrote the Bible" is not a purely academic work exposing the anatomy of biblical text nor is it a work of theology. It is, however, one of the only true efforts I've found in any field to understand what the bible truly is. Likewise, my comments are not about the book but rather it's contribution to my view of the subject of the bible. As such, I have a plea to make to all believers.

Don't join the throngs of Christians and Jews being ushered through the ages into the halls of the great and terrible temple of "bibliolatry". Instead, take responsibility for the activity of the spirit of life within you and begin to understand the role that humanity plays in the story of God. Men and women throughout the ages, just like us, have answered a call to a higher life - the life of God that clearly chooses to live chiefly within mankind. It is these men and women that are responsible for writing the bible... then as well as in our day. Theologians did not write the bible. Neither was it written for theologians. The bible was also not written for the individual to contend with and be condemned by.

The bible was written by regular people who's primary motivation was to bring a people, a nation, back to a pure knowlege of God. Those simple minded, down to earth people that had to deal with every day life just as we do deserve to be known. Some were farmers while others were politicians. Some were men and some were women. We'll probably never know who most of them were but it's obvious that they saw us, their readers, as more than just a sea of humanity that needs to avoid the peril of "hell". Their virtual anonymity, timeless comradery and mystical coordination proves that their selfless cause was clearly global and eternal. If only in light of their combined superhuman achievment it is clear that their's is the voice of God.

On the other hand, the only thing that organized religion has produced over the last 3000 years is confusion and deceit while trying to peddle the efforts of its leaders as service to God and his people (usually in exchange for money, it seems).

Well, then, this is a call to God's people: No matter which race or rank you find yourself in today, know the bible and God like no other theologian can teach you. Know them in a way that only comes from beholding the very womb in which they were and always are being formed. Take time to listen to the thoughts of those that have searched for thousands of years for something truly believable that doesn't require you to shut down your God-given brain in order to fill your God-given void for eternity.

Do this for yourself and share this invitation with those you care about.

In his thought-provoking book, Friedman sets off an a journey back through time to uncover one of the greatest mysteries in history: the authorship of the Bible. To be more specific, Friedman focuses his attention on the Old Testament.

Friedman subscribes to the popular "Documentary Hypothesis" that espouses the following: The five books of Moses were composed using four different source documents into one continuous story. Friedman goes through a brief history of biblical scholarship in relation to the hypothesis and points out that many scholars were considered 'heretics' and 'wicked' for promoting such a theory. It is obvious that this theory was not widely accepted in the 19th century and still attracts opposition to this very day.

Friedman then continues by examining different periods in biblical history and uses documentary evidence along with archaeological support to lend credence to his hypothesis. Especially interesting are his examples that clearly illustrate the validity of the hypothesis. One such example examines the existence of two different versions of the Flood story merged into one within the text of Genesis. Upon reading each version separately, the reader can truly see two different stories that may be understood independant of each other. Friedman proceeds to point out many other examples in the Bible which offer similar evidence.

Overall, Friedman's book is well written and captivates the reader from beginning to end. Some may argue that a number of Friedman's conclusions are speculative. However, it is important to remind oneself that even though many of today's best hypotheses and theories are tentative they present the best explanation of natural events from the evidence available.

I hope to be a good, or at least acclaimed (ahem), writer in the near future. It is writers like Rawn who inspire and awe me. I have read Exiles and (am currently reading) The Golden Key, each of which sets up for the reader more than just an atmosphere, but an entire world! In both, creating seemingly from nowhere, are new planets, societies, fashions, moral codes, languages (god bless indexs), foods, religions, flowers, and more! I have trouble creating a name, and then she (or they, I haven't read anything else by Jennifer Roberson or Kate Elliot yet, but I should give them credit, they wrote it too) go and come up Saavedra, Tza'ab, and Tira Virte! Okay. So maybe I've got a while to go till that "great writer" thing. But till then, cheers to Rawn, Roberson, and Elliot- and the last two will hear from me when I get to their books.

P.S. I'm having a hard time taking myself seriously when I realize I'm reading a book about magic paintings. (oooo, spooky)

[note to amazon.com--the following is taken from a much longer copyrighted review I had published elsewhere on the web. The reference is "The SF Site Featured Review,"

It isn't true a picture is worth a thousand words. Melanie Rawn, Jennifer Roberson, and Kate Elliott grace their novel The Golden Key with far more than a mere thousand per picture. And these are words well worth the read. It is a fantasy novel about art. Or is it a generational saga? Actually, it is an alternate universe story. Then again, maybe it is hard science fiction. Or should that be hard fantasy? To define it within only one genre is impossible. Suffice it to say that this nominee for the 1996 World Fantasy Award is a remarkable book.

The story centers on two families, the artistic Grijalvas who live in the duchy of Tira Verte and the royal do'Verradas who rule the duchy. An inextricable link joins them; all records of births, deaths, treaties--all human interactions--are painted rather than written. Or are they mere paintings? The answer to that question takes the reader through a tale of intrigue, magic, romance, and page-turning adventure.

The book consists of three novels that fit together beautifully, like a literary jigsaw puzzle. A striking difference exists in Roberson's style in Part One and Rawn's in Part Two. It works because three hundred years separate the stories. The luminosity of Roberson's prose reflects the youth of the characters and culture, whereas Rawn's elegance fits their maturation. The closer resemblance of Rawn and Elliott's style goes well with the lesser time span between Parts Two and Three. Elliott's chapters have a subtle difference in feel suited to a world on the doorstep of an industrial age. The authors maintain the right balance, giving continuity without creating seams in the overall picture.

Just as a frame surrounds a painting, so the authors frame their stories with scholarly writings from fictional experts who discuss works painted by characters in the book. It is an ingenious device, one that showcases the history of this intriguing world without the exposition becoming intrusive.

The magic is set up with scrupulous care. This is no slap-dash of spells spattered across a story canvas; it has the same depth as the world building. The authors base inheritance of the Gift on genetic principles with a rigor worthy of the hardest science fiction. In an ironic twist, the Grijalvas inherit their Gift the way hemophiliacs inherit the traits that prevent their blood from clotting. It leaves the reader a question to ponder: is Grijalva magic a gift--or a disease?

As a physicist, I was intrigued by how the magic plays on relativistic theory, in particular time dilation and "frames" of reference. The Golden Key reads like fantasy, yet within it are lovely allegories to physics, as if spacetime were painted into its universe just as its characters paint themselves and their passions into their own works. How much of it is deliberate and how much derives from the authors' natural intuitive gifts, I can't say, but I do know it evoked for me a real sense of wonder.

My favorite subplot is Rohario's romance with Eleyna in Part Three. Eleyna's artistic genius shines like a star, and at first Rohario seems an unlikely choice for her. As the Grand Duke's second son, he may be handsome and good-natured, but even he considers himself a fop. His maturation into a leader, combined with his earnest love for Eleyna, utterly charms. Through it all, whether riding in pig carts, sneaking around after dark, or getting clobbered in a fight, he valiantly tries to maintain his well groomed self. Elliott's delightful humor thoroughly enhances the story.

The crowning touch to this book is the gorgeous cover painted Michael Whelan. His depiction of the character Sario, who holds a golden key, is actually a picture of Whelan himself. Read the book and it will be clear why Whelan's choice to do a self-portrait is such an eerie -- and effective -- play on the golden key magic.

The Golden Key is one of the most absorbing books I've read in some time. I give it my highest recommendation.

Melanie Rawn, Jennifer Roberson, and Kate Elliott collaborate here to create a novel that is very hard to put down--despite its formidable length and flattish characters. What drew me in was the carefully designed world, the totally believable magic, the overall mood, and the centuries-spanning plot. This novel is set in Tirra Virte, an Italy-ish province where all official ceremonies and transactions are recorded not with words but with paintings. I thoight for a moment--"Hey! That can't be reliable! The artist can paint something that didn't really happen!" But then it made me realize just how unreliable words, too, can be. A scribe can write lies as easily as an artist can paint them.

This art-centered world, of course, requires artists. This novel follows the rising and falling fortunes of one family of artists, the Grijalvas, who are almost indisputably the best artists in Tirra Virte. However, they are also decimated by a past plague, feared for their reputed sorcery, and shunned for carrying the blood of foreign rapists in their veins. A young Grijalva boy wants nothing so much as to be acknowledged "Gifted", an heir to the Grijalvas' genetic talents, but the art and magic come with a terrible price.

WARNING: possible SPOILERS

The book is divided into three sections, taking place in three different time periods. The sections are different enough in tone and style that I suspect each author wrote a section mostly by herself, with little collaboration except in world-building. However, I'm not familiar enough with the authors to guess who wrote what.

The first section is my personal favorite because of its brooding and menacing mood. Two Grijalva children, the male Sario and the female Saavedra, witness a terrible punishment meted out by the family elders, and come to realize what Grijalva power really means. The two grow to adulthood--Sario becoming an acclaimed artist and lusting for more and more power, and Saavedra's skills ignored because she is a woman. When Saavedra finds love outside the family, passion and jealousy erupt, and a terrible magic is performed upon her...

The second section is more of a romance, featuring a beautiful, naive, and Generically Nice princess who marries into Tirra Verteian nobility, only to be cruelly rejected in favor of her husband's Grijalva mistress. Princess Mechella does her best to make a happy life for herself despite all of this. I do like the fact that she eventually grew a spine, but I don't like the fact that the "happy ending" to this second story took place with absolutely no action by Mechella. She never even knew half of what was going on. Sigh...

The third section is a story of liberty. The lower classes of Tirra Virte are in revolt. At the same time a young Grijalva woman, groomed to be a compliant daughter and an acquiescent royal mistress, sets out to make her life and art her own. And it is she who notices something strange about the portrait of Saavedra which hangs in the palace. I liked this section, though it seems a little rushed, what with trying to cram the third story and the loose ends from the other two into what is probably the shortest of the three.

I truly enjoyed this book, though it left a few loose ends hanging. I want to know more about the Tza'ab, the Nerro Lingua, and how Saavedra managed to be born Gifted. I REALLY want to know more about what happened when Eleyna's brother scratched the painting containing Eleyna's blood! It's not often I reach the end of a 900 page book crying out for more.

I first read The Lady And The Monk by Pico Iyer over a year ago. I always find myself picking it up again. I can turn to any part of the book and feel I am in Kyoto myself. Mr. Iyer has shown us that the old Japan is still alive. Tradition, sorrow, simplicity. Although Mr. Iyer was only searching for insight into Zen, he found much more than this in his relationship with a woman he met while in Kyoto. As their story unfolds, we are able to peel back the layers of what we conceive Japan to be, and we can see the jewel that has been a secret to the West since Perry sailed into Tokyo Bay. Thank you Mr. Iyer for sharing. I only wish that I could find this book written in Japanese to share with a friend.

Iyer's "The Lady and the Monk" is an engaging and ultimately moving story about a his time in Japan, working as a reporter and attempting to learn something about Zen. Early in his visit he met a young married woman who became a close friend, despite tremendous language difficulties seperating them. The book details both his coming to grips with Japanese history and society and her struggle to find her own identity within the constraints of the rigid roles that exist in Japanese society. In the end, both learn much about themselves, and about Japan.

While The Lady and the Monk is a mainly a story about two people, it nonetheless manages to convey more about the nature of Japan than many books that devote hundreds of pages to that end. Iyer also conveys much of the spirit of Zen, and of the differences and similarlities between Western and Eastern culture, and how we perceive each other.

I was fortunate enough to visit Kyoto for a week during a three-month internship in Japan two years ago and instantly fell in love with the city. The harmony between the ancient and the modern in Kyoto and Japan in general is both astounding and captivating, and it was with great sadness that I had to tear myself away and head back to my job.

After returning to America, I bought this book and read it twice, without putting it down, it so brought me back to Kyoto and Japan. I've not read any of Iyer's other books, but this one was excellent. He conveys a definite emotion in his writing, and one that is quite suited to discussion of Japan I think. A sort of tragic interpretation of the events he experienced, which fits in very well with the Japanese psyche, where the greatest heros are the ones who come to tragic ends.

The reviews here which note that Iyer paints with too broad a brush, so to speak, I feel are unfounded. I don't think it was ever meant to be an encompassing guide to Japan or any sort of critique of its dichotomy-filled society, though he does note with care all of them he encounters. Instead, it is simply one man's experience in Japan, take it or leave it. Sachiko is a real person he met, with real problems, and she went about solving them in a real way. I know Japanese women in similar situations, so to say they either don't exist is silly.

I don't want to say too much about what happens, so I'll just finish by saying that I personally found this book very moving. I miss Japan a lot and I hope I can go back soon. Five stars easily.

Raymond Chandler's The Lady in the Lake was a great book. I liked it a lot because of the mystery it had in it. Marlowe was my favorite character because he was a rough private eye.In this book I never knew what was comming.This book was one of the best I have read in awhile because of the murder,mystery,and back stabbing. I recomend this book for anyone who loves a good mystery.

From the first page to the last, The Lady In The Lake is a masterwork of American literature. Some may think that's impossible, seeing as how it'a a *gasp* detective novel! Well, I'm here to tell you otherwise. Like another great that transcended the genre, Dashiell Hammett, Chandler hooks the reader with stunning dialogue, amazing plot twists, and unforgettable characters. The book is clever and works on many levels; as a mystery and also as a complexity of many symbolisms.

Anyone who hasn't read this book, for the love of Steve, don't read the reviews on the next page! Another reviewer gave away the ending. It's been mentioned by someone else already, but just to be on the safe side, I'm mentioning it again. I know that it would've tempted me to drown them in Raymond Chandler's lake if I'd read that person's review before buying the book.

I recommend this book highly, not just as a detective novel, but as an example of the possibilities which the English language holds.

Another noir classic by the master, in this episode detective Philip Marlowe finds crime as deadly in a lakeside resort as it is on the mean streets of the city of angels, and the body count mounts as the suspense builds and the plot twists. The character development is impeccable, the dialogue lively and bright and suitably sarcastic, and the plotting as convoluted as any Chandler classic would be likely to be.

The mountaintop setting for much of the story lends itself to some poetic prose from the sensitive tough-guy with an eye for beauty and an ear for simile. The narrative flows easily as Marlowe unwinds the mystery to it's inevitable conclusion, observing, lamenting, and condemning the corruption and injustice of the American social structure while withholding judgement from even the most vicious and violent, in his typically refreshing blend of cynicism and naivete.

The writing is spare and straightforward, but it's an illusion, an act of synergy, for the totality of effect is magnified beyond the sum total of the parts, proving that in literature as in art, less is more.

Farewell My Lovely, Raymond Chandler's second novel in the Philip Marlowe series, transcends the genre it helped to create, and is now (deservedly) viewed by many as literature and as social criticism.

Chandler creates moods and telegraphs emotions via the poetic ramblings and outrageous similes from the mind of Philip Marlowe, the protagonist/detective/narrator who is picked up by the collar and dragged into a murder mystery that exposes not only the hypocrisy beneath the surface in the lifestyles of the rich and beautiful, but ultimately, the depravity of the human condition. And all of this is delivered with a caustic sense of humor, a wry wit, and a hypersensitivity to the visual world and it's translation into the language of the mean streets.

Although Chandler died shortly before I was born, I grew up in L.A., and I can say that the L.A. Chandler wrote of is in many ways the city of my childhood memories, so well did he capture the ambiance and ambivalence of the 'city of angels'.

Some have criticized his plotting and plausability, but emotion, action, and detail were what interested him the most, and in these he excelled. FAREWELL MY LOVELY must be viewed within the context of it's era (published in 1940) to be fully appreciated, but the flow of action, the visual aspect of it's language, and the insights into the very human conflict of corruption verses conscience are timeless.

This book, like the first in the Marlowe series (THE BIG SLEEP) was written at the height of Chandler's creative career, and exemplifies the style that has made him a writer's writer, possibly the most imitated author of the past century.

In "Farewell, My Lovely," Raymond Chandler's second Philip Marlowe novel, Marlowe reluctantly agrees to help a careworn police detective search for a nightclub girl named Velma, a former girlfriend of an ogreish ex-convict named Moose Malloy who is wanted for murder. Marlowe's first lead is the nightclub owner's widow, whom he plies with liquor, only to find out that Velma's whereabouts are being kept a guarded secret. Then, in what initially seems like an unrelated subplot, Marlowe is hired by a man who wants "backup" while he delivers money to some jewel thieves. The man ends up murdered, and Marlowe meets a mysterious girl at the scene of the crime. To think there's no connection between this event and Velma's disappearance would be to underestimate Chandler's genius at plot construction.

Chandler cleverly plants false leads to twist the already unpredictable plot and subtle clues that make sense at the end. His colorful characters are masters of deceit; the reader imagines that these people must have great poker faces. They know a lot more than what they're telling Marlowe, and it's exciting to know that Marlowe will eventually be able to guess what they're leaving out. Like J.R.R. Tolkien's Gandalf, Marlowe is one of literature's greatest magicians; the fun of reading the book is waiting for him to pull the rabbit out of the hat at the end.

"Farewell, My Lovely" is such an amazing book. From the first page, this novel does what all Chandler books do-- transports you to a whole 'nother world, so real it feels like you're actually there. FML is such an awe-inspiring accomplishment for the immensely talented man of letters, Raymond Chandler. Most of the time I was absolutely floored, just sitting there with my mouth wide open, marvelling at his genius. Writing is hardly ever this good, and when it is, the great stuff usually isn't the abundance of the book (as RC's is), rather, it's in little snippets here and there. There must be a God, because Chandler's writing makes me realize the potential of us humans to transcend the ordinary and be what he is-- extraordinary. Not to mention that the mystery will have you guessing all the way through, and even without the cynical prose (yes, I said prose) which manages to be beautifully ugly and positively negative at the same time (I told you he was a genius), is excellent in of itself. So, I urge every person who hasn't yet done so to read Raymond Chandler. He is not just a mystery writer (which usually means sub-standard literature) but he totally, without a doubt, transcended the genre. I guarantee his writing will blow you away. His clever, cheeky remarks, his sarcasm, his minimalistic prose, his cynical outlook, the dames, the coppers, the criminals-- that and more is what you can look forward to in this masterpiece of the English language.

I thoroughly enjoyed "King's Dragon" and "Prince of Dogs" and was reasonably entertained by "The Burning Stone." I found reading "Child of Flame" a chore. Why?

As in previous books, in "Child of Flame" Kate Elliott follows the adventures of at least six major characters: Alain, Liath, Prince Sanglant, Rosvita (and through her, the court of King Henry), Stronghand, and the Eagle, Hanna. In this volume, their paths diverge and we find ourselves reading six different stories, with little or no interaction between these major characters. Two of them, in fact (Alain and Liath) are not even in the same space-time continuum as the other four, with a resulting drop in my interest in their adventures. This is a serious problem because Alain's experiences account for 31% of the text and Liath's even less interesting journey takes up another 14%. That's almost half of the book that I found mildly interesting, at best.

Stronghand is one of Elliott's most original and intriguing characters, but his adventures are so sparsely documented that they barely qualify as a separate strand in the novel. However, although they only amount to 3% of the story, they do occur completely independently of the other five strands, qualifying them for independent status. Independent and fascinating: I wanted to read more about Stronghand and his evolving culture.

The other three stories, firmly grounded in the world Kate Elliott established in the first three books, were more engaging than Liath's and Alain's, interesting enough to keep me slogging through their detours away from the main story. However, every single story (except Stronghand's) involves a lengthy journey. No one stays put. One journey, or perhaps two, might be interesting, but five get tiresome. Furthermore, much of the suspense George R.R. Martin generates is missing from Ms. Elliott's work; it is clear that, unlike Mr. Martin, Ms. Elliott is not going to increase the tension by sacrificing a major character.

Will I read Books #5 and #6? Only if I feel reasonably sure the major characters will interact and that the text will consist of more than a series of loosely-strung-together episodes.

"Child of Flame" is Kate Elliott's latest book in her series, Crown of Stars. It is mostly constrated on Alain and Liath who complete their mystical journeys of self-discovery. Also, this book sheds a little light on whereabouts of the rest of the cast. While Kate Elliott concentrates on developing main characters, the puzzling questions that linger after the last 3 books remain. This book is true to Kate's style; unexpected twists and turns will make you hate characters you liked just a moment ago and vice versa. However, Hugh and Anne remain the true villains of the story. Hopefully, the finale will soon follow.

The fourth book in Kate Elliott's ambitious Crown of Stars series is Child of Flame. Originally, Ms. Elliott had planned to do a trilogy, but as she herself admits, the plot quickly outgrew three books. In this book, Alain, the foundling who is seeking the truth of his heritage, is pulled into a struggle for power between his own kind and their worst enemy, the Cursed Ones. This struggle has existed for aeons. The other adventurers in the Crown of Stars books, Liath and Sanglant, and the exiled king, have their own business to mind, but this is Alain's book. The reader will feel every heartache and every pain as Alain searches for answers to questions he in some cases does not even know to ask.

Kate Elliott's world of Crown of Stars owes a lot to her grounding in medieval history. Her stories are like a rich tapestry, meant to envelop the reader.

Rickey R. Mallory

I really enjoyed both King's Dragon and Prince of Dogs, and eagerly await the continuance of the story. While the religion portrayed in the books is close enough to medieval Christianity to be recognized, it is also different enough to be almost heretical. Unfortunately, that seems to be a trait of fantasy -- to mix-up religion or bash it. Since most of the genre does it, I can't blame this author for it. The characters were genuine and the title character's plight intriguing. I also like the fact that someone has written a fantasy in which the king isn't a cold tyrant, but a living, breathing man with emotions close to the surface. Overall, the plot twists can make the book seem long, but there are rewards for slogging through it. I eagerly await even greater rewards at the conclusion of the saga.

King Henry's bastard son Sanglant is considered dead by most residents of the Kingdoms of Wendar and Varre. However, the PRINC OF DOGS is actually alive, held prisoner by the Eika, Bloodheart. Sanglant, who is immortal, finds his last vestiges of sanity slipping away during his unwelcome stay as the guest of the warlord. The reported death of his son has shook King Henry, who is completing his victory over several rebel lords before engaging in the ultimate battle with Bloodheart.

PRINCE OF DOGS, The second novel in "Crown Of Stars" series, is an action-packed, exciting other world fantasy novel that works because the characters seem so real. Like its predecessor, KING'S DRAGON, (which is coming out in paperback), the captivating story line holds reader attention throughout the novel. Fans of the fantasy genre need to read the two volumes of this well written series for a taste of a realistic fantasy adventure.

Harriet Klausner

I thought this book was one of the best that I have ever read! It was definitely dragging in some parts but I thought that it was well worth my time. It has some great characters who aren't flawless and perfect like most stories. Liath, one of the main characters is not 'a damsel in distress' and she does not need to be rescued. This is a good book for girls to read because it shows that you can suceed and do what you want without help. I think that this book was great and I am waiting for the next book. Kate Elliott did a great job in my oppinion and even if people say the book is too realistic I would have to agree. I mean isn't that what the author is trying to get you to do? I mean she wants you to feel like you're a part of the book. I think everybody who likes a really interesting story should read this.

I am a scientist and usually very good at decoding complex texts, but this series is beyond my abilities. I just can't keep up with who all these many, many characters are and how they interact with whom. As a result, I have found the best way to read these books-just pick a story line (I picked Stronghand and the Eika) and skip everything except text pertaining to that storyline. Otherwise, the plot (if there is a central one, which I doubt)just sprawls and spreads, much like a coffee stain on a paper towel. In fact, I would have given this book (and the series) one star if it weren't for the originality of the Eika. Ms. Elliott deserves two stars for that.

I can't believe I was silly enough to read this book so fast. I finished it in 3 days and now I have to wait until she finishes book 6 to find out what happens! I love this series and all the characters in it - even the twisted evil ones like Hugh. You can't help but get swept away by the tension and mystery and adventure in which they all find themselves ensnared. The real fun of this series is trying to figure out who is really good and who is just pretending. Each little piece of information, no matter how tricial it may seem, could turn out to be another piece of evidence which is why it is so important to pay attention when reading this series. The Gathering Storm was amazing on its own - I just couldn't put it down. So much happens and it feels like it goes by so fast that you don't realize the book is 900 pages long. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that it will make no sense at all if you don't read the first 4 books before you start The Gathering Storm. It may take a while, but they are all worth it.

It's a challenging read for those who enjoy that type of reading. I love Kate Elliot's Crown of Stars series, and she has done an exceptional job with this book too. I got it the second it came out, and for good reason too. The Gathering Storm is an awesome book, and I suggest you read it because it is really well done.

This book is about some great people: McCarthy, Djikstra, Knuth, Brooks... The biography of any one of them could be a 500+ pages story that would read like a novel. If you recognized the names above, you're expecting a compendium of epic proportions. If you didn't, well... you should; these are the Newtons, the Einsteins of the computer age.

The basic problem is that the authors are completely unable to convey any of this excitement. Reading the book, you feel as if they spent an afternoon talking to some boring old academic. Maybe they were bored; they definitely managed to convey THAT feeling.

If you want an account of the history of computer science, you could try "The Dream Machine", which is about so much more than Licklider. At least it's readable.

The authors interviewed 15 computer scientists and summarized their lives and their major technical contributions. There are fascinating details about the researchers' backgrounds (e.g. some were good students, but others flunked out) and very clear descriptions of their work. The people chosen span the field, from theory (Rabin, Cook, Levin) to computer design (Fred Brooks, Burton Smith, Hillis) to AI (McCarthy, Lenat). A great introduction to computer science for general readers, but also a lot of fun for techies. Highly recommended!

The authors interviewed 15 computer scientists and summarized their lives and their major technical contributions. There are fascinating details about the researchers' backgrounds (e.g. some were good students, but others flunked out) and very clear descriptions of their work. The people chosen span the field, from theory (Rabin, Cook, Levin) to computer design (Fred Brooks, Burton Smith, Hillis) to AI (McCarthy, Lenat). A great introduction to computer science for general readers, but also a lot of fun for techies. Highly recommended!

Teaches you every single feature in max(with the exception of the lenzFXmodule) This book will make you a master of max! The only fault is that the author is very long whinded, and made this book longer than it had to be. But still the information is indespensible. And I have to say that for learning the all the features of the program.

I've spent hours carefully reading through 'Inside 3D Max'. Here's what I like: 1) Great explainations of graphic concepts 2) Visual inserts of the graphic panels helps one understand how to use the tool and its features 3) The author provides project files for most the chapters. 4) The book focus heavily on creating geometry through meshing, lathe, extrusion, and lofting. 5) Outstanding explanations of texture maps. 6) The author goes beyond just the technical how-to but helps one use the tool in a creative manner. 7) I found the Inverse Kinematics chapter very helpful. 8) The demos are very entertaining.

I strongly recommend this book for people who already have some experience with MAX. You must atleast read the "3D Studio MAX Fundamentals" book before reading this one. The book is perfectly written and contains all the information you need to work with MAX. However the CD is a little messy but it doesn't affect you so much.