Book reviews for "Adam,_Robert" sorted by average review score:
Diary of John Quincy Adams
Published in Hardcover by Belknap Pr (December, 1982)
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A very touching storyThe story of John Quincy Adams is hard-to-believe. Congress truly ridiculed this man. I won't tell anymore you have to read it to believe it.
JQA DiariesJohn Quincy Adams gave us a gift- the diary he left us. Beginning as a teenager and lasting until his death, what we see here is the spirit of this man who opposed slavery, advocated equal rights in the face of fierce opposition and argued the first civil rights case before the Supreme Court. Here are the words of the man who did so much for us. Read them.
Magic in Ithkar
Published in Paperback by Tor Books (May, 1985)
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This book was full of interesting and compelling stories.The stories in this book are fascinating. It delves into the lives of many strange and colorful people. There are interesting and fanciful tales of adventure. It is a non stop look into the way many different authors weave their tales.
All the world comes to the fair, sooner or laterAdams, Robert: "Prologue" - This overview of the fair at Ithkar outlines its evolution from a simple religious festival, honoring the first appearance of the Three Lordly Ones in their Divine Egg, to a weeks-long fair. The temple makes good money, providing well-kept, well-policed fairgrounds.
Carter, Lin: "The Goblinry of Ais" - Lady Ais is a great beauty, whose fame has spread far over the years. But now she's interested in something more dangerous than politics...
Cherryh, C.J. "To Take a Thief" Sphix, like the small sly animal that's his namesake, is a 'good' thief: he never takes anything whose loss'll hurt the victim. But no one can ever keep to one level of evil...
Clayton, Jo: "Jezeri and Her Beast Go to the Fair and Find More Excitement Than They Want" When Jezeri's family took in Old 'Un, Tanu (a tiny little thing, whose like had never before been seen), crept out of his gear and won Jezeri's heart. Unfortunately, someone at the fair appears to know more about Tanu than Jezeri does...
Llywelyn, Morgan: "Fletcher Found" - The narrator, a "cuckoo's chick" among the mountain forge-folk, has in his loneliness become convinced that he's a foundling of those beings from another world, the Three Lordly Ones.
Mathews, Patricia: "Well Met in Ithkar" Master jeweller Corielle is reestablishing herself after what she can only now call 'the fortunes of war'. She'll never forget the voice of the man who ordered the beating that blinded her, even years later at Ithkar fair. But how can she formally identify him by voice alone?
Mayhar, Ardath: "Esmene's Eyes" Esmene's magnificent embroidery is magical - when she pours her very life into it. Despite her illness (she's slowly dying of internal injuries), she answers the priests' summons the fair, to wield her talents one last time.
Norton, Andre: "Swamp Dweller" Kara is one of the Quatka, animal trainers whose companions are Second-Kin to them, cherished and communicated with. Even the ugly, abused reptile Kara found in a beast seller's cage at the fair deserves consideration. But Kara feels that he has hidden potential...If you like this story, try Norton's _Moon of Three Rings_.
Sampson, Judith: "Qazia and a Ferret-Fetch" The evil wizard Chond is more than a match for any hero, and his ferret-fetch familiar will never let a prisoner escape. But when blind Hoel fetches up at the Joyous Goblet in Ithkar, tavernmistress Qazia won't let her guest be dragged away. (The ferret-fetch, by the way, is an interesting character in his own right.)
Schlobin, Roger C.: "For Lovers Only" Brother Jerome "the Huncher" piously wears a hair shirt - concealing his thefts from the temple treasury. He was driven half-crazy (and into the monastery) when his lover dumped him *very* brutally for a richer man, and he's financing a suitable revenge.
Schutz, J.W. "Dragon's Horn" - Tonya's father left only debts and the Enchanted Doll Show. While the dolls move by enchantment, they need human voices; Tonya hires strangers to fill out the parts of Dragon and King, while Lord Caum licks his chops, waiting to enslave Tonya if she can't pay off the debt after the fair...
Schwartz, Susan: "Homecoming" Andriu fled his novitiate at the Temple of the Three Lordly Ones fifteen years ago. As a dream-singer, able to shape reality with his songs, he's been in and out of scrapes for years. Now suffering from lung-fever, he's come home. But someone has far worse trouble than he; Vassilka needs an exorcism for an unborn child...
Springer, Nancy: "The Prince out of the Past" Even spirits are drawn to Ithkar Fair.
Waters, Elisabeth: "Cold Spell" Eirthe the candlemaker refused a Thotharn priest's request to make candles in the likeness of wealthy merchants. He retaliated by cold-cursing her: her candles will no longer burn. But she can't prove he's running a protection racket, so how can she make a living?
Mount McKinley: The Conquest of Denali
Published in Hardcover by Harry N Abrams (October, 1991)
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Gorgeous and full of informationWell written and encyclopedic in its range, this book is also full of amazing photographs.
Better than Ansel Adams!This book is an absolute must for mountain and photography enthusiasts. Washburns photographs of Mt. Mckinley are beyond word description. This is the perfect coffee table book that you will look at hundreds of times. When people look at my copy they can't put it down. The mountain is viewed from every angle from high altitude to on the peak itself. Even though these photos were taken many years ago mountain climbers still use this book to get details for new routes. Washburn squeezes in the climbing history of Mckinley (Of which he and his wife are a big part of), between the incredible full page photos. I love this book. I tell friends that they can look at but don't ask to borrow it!
The Praise of Folly and Other Writings: A New Translation With Critical Commentary (Norton Critical Edition)
Published in Paperback by W.W. Norton & Company (October, 1989)
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"Great Guide to Enter the Mind and Times of Erasmus"This edition has "some" of Erasmus' most influential works; namely, "The Praise of Folly", the political "Complaint for Peace", "Forewords to the Latin New Testament", "Julius Excluded from Heaven", the "Colloquis", and excerpts from his finest letters. These works are selected more to understand the humanistic side of Erasmus rather than the scholarly doctrinaire who labored for the peace of christendom. With these selections - entailed by fotenotes, the editor's prefaces, and critcical commentaries - this edition will invariably enhance a more intimate impression of the mind of Erasmus at the dawn of the reformation.
Understanding ErasmusI managed to stumble across Erasmus while reading William Manchester's "A World Lit Only By Fire", and was beyond intrigued by such a character as described that I had never even heard about. Of course, Erasmus had been mentioned in my presence often, but never in a direct context. So I pick up this book, hoping to find out what the deal was and what I was missing.
My entire view of the middle ages changed practically overnight. Do not miss the fact, people: Erasmus was THE deal. Erasmus makes Luther look like a limp little hothead. Erasmus is Jim Carrey to Voltaire's Carrot Top. Erasmus drows the candle of Aristophanes with a roaring torch. The ultimate critic, the ultimate wit, and the ultimate reason in an age of insanity. Without this fantastic book I may have passed a second 18 years without Erasmus as an inspiration. The pure genius and subtlety of truly the most underappreciated scholar of all time is laid out glowingly. Why did I waste my time with "Mandrake" and "Candide" when "In Praise of Folly" does the same job a thousand times better? Why on earth do we pay attention to Martin Luther, the most incompetant and ridiculous "reformer" of all time, when Erasmus was doing everything twice as good at exactly the same time?
Get this book, people. Understand Erasmus and understand a wisdom that defied an age of stupidity.
Salt
Published in Paperback by Orion Publishing Co (02 July, 2001)
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May day English Patient be with you...The novel starts off with the voyage to 'Salt'. The planet is so-named because the main element on the planet is a preponderance of sodium chloride. Not the most hospitable environment for a human; but as someone points out to Petja, if there was no supply of salt, then all the colonists would die (although the colonists' recycling process seems to cover all their needs). Petja is the opening narrator of the novel. He belongs to a community of anarchists called the 'Alsists'. Adam Roberts openly acknowledges that there is an element of intertextuality involved in the novel, referring to Ursula Le Guin's 'The Dispossessed', Nabokov's 'Bend Sinister'. There are various other religious groups making the same journey, all strung out like pearls attached to a comet (an inevitably risky form of transport, especially considering the cabin fever inside the various ships, but a speedy one at that). One of the Alsists commits suicide and threatens the whole mission. This causes concern in the Senaar ship, who bid to avoid a repeat performance. They ask the Alsists to send a delegate to discuss the issue, and Petja is sent. Not that Petja is any kind of leader: like all the Alsists, he's against any form of hierarchy. Thus begins the troubled relationship between Senaar and the Alsists, which is exacerbated by the fact that Senaar men have fathered children on the Alsist ship. The undisciplined Alsists then break ranks by deciding to land on Salt first, angering the Senaarians further without even realising it. Not that the Senaarians want to grab the best land for themselves, or anything. The Senaarians have a patriarchal, hierarchical culture. They're named after the place in Genesis where the Tower of Babel was built. Babel later became Babylon, and there is a settlement named 'Babulonis' in the novel, complete with water flowing uphill, just like the famous Hanging Gardens. Barlei, the Senaar leader, would have preferred the planet Salt to be called 'Kepesh', after the Hebrew word for 'silver', which most often seems discussed within the Book of Exodus. Indeed, Barlei later builds a 'Great Dyke', which he describes as a 'Pharaonic feat', without any hint of hypocrisy. It's debatable as to whether the Alsists or the Senaar are representative of 'The Chosen People', and it's Petja who seems most like Moses, despite Barlei's use of language from the Book of Exodus. When the debate is held on how the future Senaar should be built, there is the suggestion that it should be constructed in the shape of 'The Eagle of St. John', which may be a sign of freemasonry in Senaarian society. One of the Senaarians who has fathered Alsist children is called Beltane: perhaps by referring to the Pagan May Day, Adam Roberts intends to remind us of modern anarchists who now wander forth and protest on May 1? The anarchists are well drawn by Roberts, and he is quite topical in including them. Roberts' dystopia is just as biting. All those scenes where Alsists threatens to punch one another's lights out does reflect how an anarchist society would settle disputes (or so I've read). This contrasts with Petja's use of force, which is violently opposed by some members of the Alsists later on (although Alsist society has been more or less smashed by then). Although they have talked their way onto a religious exodus, only a minority of Alsists have faith in a divine being. Most of them reject religion as just another hierarchical structure. This probably explains why some of them are so found of the atheist Roman philosopher Lucretius, together with his ideas on the 'free movement' of atoms. Thus it's quite a spiritual novel, in tune with recent fictions like John Meaney's 'Paradox' or Mary Doria Russell's 'The Sparrow'. Adam Roberts also claims that 'Salt' is intertextually related to Frank Herbert's 'Dune', but I couldn't really see much of a similarity, except that both worlds obviously have dunes. There are rather more factions involved in Frank Herbert's epic. There is no feudal empire or choam company (no minerals worthwhile exploiting), no fabulous sandworms, no Mentats, and no Bene Gesserit here. One of the disappointments of 'Salt' is that it doesn't really throw up any of the gender issues embodied in anarchism. Okay, so Senaarian women are obliged to do their duty by staying at home, and Rhoda Titus has the most irritatingly girly middle name ('Blossom'), and Barlei misogynistically calls Alsist women 'Maenads' whilst viewing Alsist society as matriarchal. Maybe it's a fault of characterisation, but all the narrators seem a little bland and lifeless. None of them seem to have worthwhile aspirations, but then I suppose they are living in a dystopia. At times, it does seem at times as though 'Salt' has far more in common with 'The English Patient' than 'Dune'... For instance, there are dunes in 'The English Patient' also. A bit of a tenuous link, I'll admit. But what about this? If you look at the movie soundtrack listing to 'The English Patient' by Gabriel Yared, you might be able to guess what music Adam Roberts was listening to when he first started writing 'Salt', and why the Alsists all seem to have Hungarian names. First off, there's a settlement called Yared, Pteja seems to have got his surname from the Song "Szerelem" (meaning "Love" in Hungarian), Marta Cserepes is possibly related to Marta 'Sebestyen' (name of the mountains in 'Salt'), or maybe Karoly Cserepes, who arranged the song 'Szerelem'. Is it "As Far as Florence" or 'New Florence', 'Convento' or "Convento di Sant' Anna"? Hamar, Sipos, and Csooris also seem to belong to the Hungarian band 'Musikas', featured in 'The English Patient'. Swapsies Herodotus for Lucretius? Compare with pages 18 and 63 of 'Salt' and weep. I reckon that Adam Roberts should utlise Gabriel Yared's soundtrack for 'Betty Blue' next time - I've always thought that 'Zorg' would be a great name for an alien!
Pass the SALT, Please!Adam Roberts, with SALT is a great read. Roberts assumes the reader has an IQ above average room temperature; is over 17 years old; and can pay attention to details. Salt is a could-not-put-down book. In brief, a string of deep space habitats and colonists, literally hitching a ride behind a comet, set off to a distant planet, one that according to data was much like Earth. Misunderstandings develop during the long journey, planting seeds of mistrust among the ideologically differing colonial groups. Their destination is not Earth-like. It is covered with salt and contains an atmosphere of chlorine gas. It's impossible to return to Earth and the colonists have no choice but to deal with the alien atmosphere, and ultimately, with each other. I think Roberts' story could have gone on for a few more thousand words and hope that his next book will pick up the saga.
The Soul Unearthed: Celebrating Wildness and Personal Renewal Through Nature (New Consciousness Reader)
Published in Paperback by J. P. Tarcher (September, 1996)
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Shaping consciousness for a new world-viewThis is a selection of reactions to the encounter of self and wilderness by contemporary (living) writers, poets, educators, philosophers, theologians, boatmen, healers, and a hunter (Ted Kerasote). As a hunter I review it. There's no dearth of intelligence here, of reflection, of solid writing and even the occasional glint of humor, as in Doug Elliot's "Night of the Living Skunk" or Heilig's "A Walk with the King." The book stands at the beginning of an axiological recovery effort. If you look at Daniel Quinn's "The Story of B," you are presented with the philosophical underpinnings of an ecologically-based discontent, an alienation, a dissatisfaction with the place we've reached after 15Ky of totalitarian agriculture, property rights, scientific nature-penetration, and human-centered, gods-replacing decisions. Quinn sees the birth of a paradigm, a world-order, but he sees few details, he offers very little prescience about what's going to have to arise. I see most of the selections in this book as first efforts toward roughing out that new order. The writers are joining a conversation, debate, or exploration of the shape of what must come if we are to be here to see it. Thus a lot of this book is centrifugal. Strength/weakness: you don't get a lot of unmediated experience here: Judith Minty's dense and disturbing short-story "Killing the Bear" with its foiled-rape suggestions, Ted Kerasote's tale of killing a female elk from Bloodties, a couple of anecdotes from Rod Nash. What you do get is intellection, a kind of centrifugal direction of the prose. Time and again, writers in this anthology start with an incident, and mediate it through quotations from Thoreau, Muir, van der Post, Abbey, Lopez or Roszak. When these writers experience, they describe first, but then almost gratefully retreat into opening the intellect, the collective intellect of 19-20th century nature writers; they enter the great conversation about wilderness as soon as they want to understand. So a lot of these writings start in immersion, and abstract themselves a little nervously into thought. It's a lion, but somehow not really a lion until van der Post and Barry Lopez get cited about lions and the reverence-fear for lions. Or maybe it's too real as a lion until we raise the wordscreen. Again, weakness/strength, mine as well as some of the writers: even when pleased or delighted by a selection, I found myself muttering "Thus I refute Berkeley" and thinking about gutting a moose.
Engrossing, compelling, a "must-read"I love this book. It's all about the link between ourselves and nature. I find its well-crafted essays deeply inspiring and eye-opening. Read this book and go on a wilderness trip in your armchair.
Adam and Evil: An Amanda Pepper Mystery
Published in Hardcover by Ballantine Books (Trd) (August, 1999)
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First Amanda Pepper BookThis was the first Amanda Pepper book that I read and I have to admit I am not anxious to read another. The mystery plot was well written and had some surprises. This wasn't a page turner, sit and the edge of your seat suspense novel. It was ok for a mellow summer read.
An excellent amateur sleuth talePhiladelphia English teacher Amanda Pepper worries about the strange change in behavior of one of her brightest students, Adam Evans. In recent days, Adam seems filled with fear and rage, ready to strike out at anyone. Assistant librarian Heidi Fisher provides Amanda's class with a tour of the public library. Not long after, she is found dead, strangled to death. Adam, who was on the tour, is missing.
The police believe Adam is on the run after committing the murder. Even Amanda's significant other, police officer MacKenzie thinks the lad is guilty. Only Amanda believes her student is innocent. She thinks he saw the killing and is on the lam from the murderer. All Amanda needs to do is find the teenager before he becomes victim number two.
With the recent violence in Colorado, ADAM AND EVIL has a sad timeliness that takes away from its dark humor and wit. However, what cannot be ignored is that the amateur sleuthing remains first rate and the problems in modern school systems are handled with dexterity. Amanda is one of the better characters in fiction today and author Gillian Roberts keeps the Philly scene fresh even though it is her ninth Pepper tale. There will be o questions questions of why Ms. Roberts is an Anthony Award winner after the reading of this superb detective story.
Harriet Klausner
Amanda Pepper for Teacher of the Year!School's in! Just in time for a hot summer evening comes Gillian Roberts' newest Amanda Pepper novel. This young, thirty-something English teacher is every parent's dream--caring and involved despite a self-serving administration that worries more about image than education. In ADAM AND EVIL, Amanda faces twin dilemmas in both her professional and private lives when a troubled student is accused of murder and her live-in love, a homicide detective, seems willfully obtuse on both fronts. Gillian Roberts is a stylish, witty writer whose compassion shines on every page. I've read all her books and she just keeps getting better. Five gold stars and a big A+!
Plague Dogs
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Fawcett Books (February, 1979)
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An adult readMy first instinct was to claim that whilst this book is wonderful, it does not quite meet the precedent set by "Watership Down". However, this is not really the case. "The Plague Dogs" is simply a far more adult, mature read than "Watership" and whilst it can by no means be described as easy reading, it is certainly worth that extra bit of concentration. The writing style is amazing as always, and the storyline gripping and fascinating. Adams' ability to switch from the perspective of the two dogs, Rowf and Snitter, to the humans is incredible. The book's witty contributions, gripping story line and happy ending make a wondeful story without diminishing any of the underlying concerns. It is an incredible masterpiece, and should be devoured eagely by dog-lovers and book-lovers alike!
Richard Adams is one of the great writers of this generationI read "The Plague Dogs" after I'd read "Watership Down," which is also written by Richard Adams. And while perhaps "The Plague Dogs" is a bit more difficult of a read than "Watership Down," and may lack the narrative flow of his first book, it is a tremendous novel, nonetheless. His central characters, two fugitive dogs from a testing laboratory named Rowf and Snitter, are distinctly drawn and reminiscent of some of the great tragic characters in English Literature. Their flight from captivity will draw you in from the moment they escape the laboratory, and will continue to hold you breathless as they ellude their captors and seek a new master. The novel works on two levels: both as a commentary on the mistreatment and abuse of animals in laboratories, as well as a look at humans from an animal's point of view. Be warned, however, you may not like what you see. On a negative note, the author often slips into a confusing slang, common to the area in which the novel takes place, when creating dialogue for certain characters like the lab workers and the Tod. At times, the lingo can become tedious and the reader may be tempted to skim over it. Also, the background information leading up to the introduction of Digby Driver midway through the novel can seem unnecessary; however, skipping over these aforementioned parts only denies the reader essential information and dilutes the novel from the author's translucent vision. With that said, Mr. Adams is at his lyrical best when the story focuses on the dogs and away from their human counterparts. Mr. Adams's ability to write from an animal's perspective remains unchallenged in fiction today. Not only is Mr. Adams a gifted storty-teller, but his mastery of the English language is hypnotic. "The Plague Dogs" and "Watership Down" are two masterpieces of modern literature that will haunt the reader long after the final page has been read. On my best day I aspire to be as human as a character in a Richard Adams novel.
Brilliant--with a wonderfully constructed ending"The Plague Dogs" isn't nearly as accessible as "Watership Down" & it's not a children's book. Don't start reading Adams with this book--start with "Watership Down." ... Some of the dialect (especially that of the Tod) will be very difficult for American readers (though it was slightly toned down for American editions) & it's perhaps hard to follow if you've never heard the real thing, but even it is brilliant. I have heard the real thing & Adams captures it perfectly. It works best if you read it quickly. ... Adams does some wonderful experimentation with the writing in the book, experimentation that draws on a vast literary heritage & demonstrates very wide reading, experimentation that is itself a tribute to his literary forefathers. ... The characters, especially the canine ones, are very well-drawn (I'm tempted to call my next dog Rowf). ... Good plot twists, evocative geographical description, a singularly haunting passage about a ghost, great description of snow. ... The animal experimentation theme is very well done, not overstated (all of the experiments Adams described were real) & while it's obvious where Adams stands, he has the guts to balance the debate with an unexpected portrait of a dying child. ... The true brilliance of this book lies in the ending, which is just an absolute work of art, drawing together narrative strings, switching narrative styles, switching points of view, speeding up & slowing down (& even incorporating the author's tribute to his own friends without becoming excessively idiosyncratic) until it becomes positively lyrical. The book is worth it for the ending alone ... & Adams is a master of making the incredible credible so we willingly suspend disbelief ... maybe because Rowf & Snitter are so well portrayed we sorely want them to live. Not an easy read, but SO good.
MCSE Training Guide: TCP/IP
Published in Textbook Binding by New Riders Publishing (January, 1999)
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Good Study Guide and ReferenceIt appears there are two sets of reviews for this book, some for an earlier paperback version. The 2nd release is actually pretty good. The overall layout, organization and graphics are well done and the content is quite thorough. The authors go beyond what is needed for the exam hence my belief that you can use this book for general reference. The book can be a little wordy but with a topic like subnetting, you have no choice. This book goes beyond your basic study guide so if that's all you're looking for, it may be much. Overall a good job!
Good presentation but a few errors and a bit wordyI've used several books for my TCP/IP studies and this is the best for overall study guide and reference. On the other hand, the chapter about subnet masking is very wordy and not very clear. Some good editing could have used here to tighten it up and present the information in a clear format. On the plus side, Most of the rest of the book is very clearly presented with only a few errors. The included Topscore software is good for practice and coupled with the test guide, it works well.
A good study guideI used this book as my primary study guide for the TCP/IP exam. Just as most of the other New Riders training guides I used, this book is concise, accurate most of time, and well-organized around the exam objectives. The screen shots are very detailed. Unlike the lame end-of-chapter "exam questions" in other New Riders guides, this book features "exam questions" that mimic the real exam questions much closer - well, not those "best solution" type of questions, though.
I think the best-written chapters are those for subnetting and troubleshooting. Think you've mastered subnetting after reading the chapter (and Exam Cram's subnetting chapter, too)? Try the exercises at the end of the chapter. It's very unlikely that you don't understand the concept thoroughly after those exercises.
More: Utopia
Published in Paperback by Cambridge Univ Pr (Pap Txt) (December, 1989)
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A Classical MasterpieceUtopia is a classic masterpiece that conveys More's vivid imagination of the Island of Utopia. Although most of the characters are fictional, it is intriguing to learn about the true values of European societies during the 16th century, when More actually wrote the book (although many scholars believe that the exact year was 1515). Truthfully, the book is quite easy to understand. All More tries to do is convey his own views of how society should be through Raphael. Moreover, the use of imagery in Book I is quite fascinating, including the constant references to Roman and Greek myths and beliefs. It is also quite remarkable to see that the story begins to be more and more interesting after More and Giles come back from dinner. To make a long story short, I think it is a great book because of the actual time it was written in since most pieces of literature written at that time were either lost or destroyed.
A Look at the World Through the Eyes of MooreAs a social critique this book is very effective with answers to many arguments. Thomas More is a wise, brave and educated man who was executed by orders of Henry VIII, and wrote Utopia more as an explanation of why society needed to be far from perfect in order to be enjoyable. Utopia, meaning in Latin "in no place", was written entirely in satire, and many have said that it was a great source of entertainment for the more educated as they watched those less educated argue on the side of a Utopian state while quoting Moore, and having never seen the satire present while reading. Mr. Moore's Utopia touches on every aspect of the human existance as it would be experienced if we prescribed to this way of life. I found many of his discriptions colorful, and commonly found myself of the verge of anger before realizing that Mr. Morre was more often than not simply playing the devil's advocate.
This was very enjoyable for me. I would recommend that everyone take a risk and read this one.
A Different TakeIt's unfortunate that it seems as if most of these reviews were written by people whose only knowledge of More has come from the (mostly incorrect) opinions they have formed after reading this book. I don't think one can truly understand its import until he or she understands where Moore is at this point in his life and what he previously wrote ("Life of Pico", for example) and what he wrote later (while in prison, perhaps). No, he wasn't expressing his views through Raphael. In fact, it's clear that Raphael is an opinionated fibber (i.e., he discovered Utopia after Vespucci's fourth voyage? There were only three and Morus knows it...) and his account is purposefully filled with contradictions. There's more to it! More is raising issues, trying to make the careful reader think (and shame on some of the other reviewers for not being careful readers). And once you've read this book, read enough More (ha!) to understand what was going on in the bigger scheme of things, such as More's relationship with the other Renaissance humanists of his time and Henry VIII.
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