This is the second book in the Baley-Daneel duo. And it's better than the first one, The Caves of Steel. The Science Fiction aspect is more creative--the Solarians are unlike any race I'm seen or read. The mystery is even tougher. Looking at the two books, The Naked Sun is almost the opposite of The Caves of Steel. The latter takes place in a confined Earth, with few robots. The former is on Solaria, a world with many robots and open spaces. Baley's reaction to the expierence rings true to his character--especially when dealing with the open spaces. To sum up, this is sequel will hook you and make you crave more. How fortunate there is a book called The Robots of Dawn!

The Naked Sun is the sequel to The Caves of Steel, and like that is a detective story set on the featuring robot-hating Plainclothesman Baley and, as if to prove Asimov really could predict the future, or movie-making of the '80s anyway, his entirely unsuited partner R Daneel Olivaw, a robot. Unlike CoS it's set on the (spacer) planet Solaria, a planet of few people and many, servile, robots.

I was a little disappointed after reading CoS, and was expecting something of the sort here, but that didn't happen. CoS was set on an Earth which I found awkwardly described - you got the impression Asimov was trying to say things about the way people thought but couldn't quite get them out. No such problem with The Naked Sun, where Baley's future-Earth foibles are out in the open (figuratively and literally), and Asimov also successfully hints for the first time that a utopia made up of a world where everything is done for you and where people can live for hundreds of years may, possibly, be flawed, a thesis that becomes stronger in "Robots of Dawn" and "Robots and Empire."

Asimov wrote that CoS was an attempt to answer a critic that it was impossible to combine the genres of science fiction with detective stories. The Naked Sun is much more than an answer to that challenge, it's one of Asimov's earliest studies of humanity, and it's a well written thoroughly readable one at that.

You can read this book without having read Caves of Steel first, but it's more fun if you read both.

Lije Bailey, New York cop, is sent on an extraordinary mission outside the domed world of Earth. Normally, no citizen of Earth is allowed to travel to the planets of the Spacers, who live in germ-free luxury away from the teeming caves of Earth and have little respect for it.

A murder has occurred on Solaria. Because of their isolationist way of life, murder has never happened and they are ill-equipped to handle an investigation. Because of Lije Bailey's success in solving the Spacer murder in Caves of Steel, he is sent for to investigate the murder on Solaria.

Asimov creates a world of people so hermetic that they only visit each other via tri-D project and find marriage and procreation a necessary but trying prospect. All work is performed by robots, who look metallic and only vaguely humanoid. Bailey is joined once more by his partner from Caves of Steel R. Daneel, a robot who is so human he can fool even a robotic expert.

Asimov creates a rather touching and vulnerable female character, Gladia, with relatively good success. He also is successful with developing Daneel's character his friendship with Bailey.

As at the end of Caves of Steel, Lije is a changed man and his horizons have been broadened beyond the world underground where he lives. This sets the stage for the third in the trilogy, The Robots of Dawn, which was not written until many years later, after the extension of the Foundation novels.

Read The Positronic Man. It is a story that pulls you into it and makes you truly care about a robot named Andrew. This book really works your imagination. After you read the book, go see the movie "Bicentennial Man" with Robin Williams and the little girl from the Pepsi commercials. It is one of the best literature to screen adaptations I have ever seen.

The human in the book wants to live longer with the help of artifitial units Andrew provides and their body is becoming like a robot. On the other hand, Andrew (positronic robot) wants to replace his mechanical body with more human-like-body, Andorid. Even, he shortens his life in order to obtain the status of Man not Robot. His desire to be equal with human friends like Little Miss, Gerge, Paul, and others is so strong and touching. People around Andrew throughout the story are showing a special care and affection toward Andrew as a free robot and are treating him as one of their close friends

The Positronic Man is a truely sad novel, about a robot who longs to be human. It is Asimov at his best. You laugh with the main character, and I gurantee that unless you are heartless, you will actually shed tears by the end of this novel. You come off reading this novel with a better understanding of what it means to be human and how we take it for granted

I worried this adaptation of Robert Jordan's vast and colorful Wheel of Time Setting would be a disaster. I need not have bothered.

Source material-wise, the book is densely packed. It certainly has information gaps, but I did not reasonably expect one roleplaying sourcebook to exhaustively give the setting for a 7000+ page novel series.

For roleplaying material, the book is superb. The jump from 3rd edition Dungeons and Dragons to Wheel of Time Roleplaying Game should take less than a day for the GM and maybe two hours for a player. Complete newbies may need more time, but new players need a longer learning period for any roleplaying game.

The adaptation of the magic items and spellcasting system are spectacular. I had been terrified that a handful of DnD spells would be renamed and one or two ill-considered dreamwalking spells would be inserted. Instead, small aspects of the DnD mage and sorceror class have been taken and tweaked with a lot of new material. Channelling, shielding, linking, sa'angreal, and saidin's taint are covered and covered well. Dreamwalking also earned its own section.

There are few elaborate adventure hooks but a number of short ones and numerous hints and suggestions.

I say, get it and go nuts. (...)

While I think this is a great book, I prefer to use it in conjunction with many of the elements of regular D&D. Combine the Wheel of Time role playing game with the books from the series, and you have a great campaign environment. I just prefer to set up my own world, so I take the parts I like and leave the rest.

I would have to mention the way they handled the adaptation of the One Power. The One Power is central to the novels and it has to be central to the game. If they had done that part poorly, the game would have been a waste of paper. They did a great job, and that sets the tone for the rest of the book.

I also like the way they adapted certain long lost "gifts" into the feat system. It allows a wolfbrother character, for example, to grow into his gift in a similar manner to the way the character in the book (no spoilers here) did.

I would certainly reccomend this book for someone who is familiar with the D&D system and looking for more inspiration, and a magic system they can borrow. I would reccomend this book for fans of the series just to find out some details they may not have noticed in reading through the books thus far, and to revisit a place they enjoyed when they read the books.

i just picked up this RPG a little while ago, and i really loved what i saw. A great fantasy game based on a great and well-written fantasy series. It is a very interesting game and easy to learn, especially if you know the d20 system or are a fan of Mr. Jordan's wonderful books(which i am)i also enjoyed reading Mr. Jordan's foreword at the beginning of this book. This is a must-have for fans of fantasy or RPG's or both.

This is an entertaining autobiography. Asimov didn't have the most exciting life, but even so, he makes the events of his life sound very interesting, and there are some extremely funny stories. The style is chatty--it makes you feel like Isaac Asimov is an old friend. The book would have been better if a few of the parts were cut; he discusses every book, including all the nonfiction ones that he ever wrote. Overall, it is a fast read, despite its length, it entertained me, and made me want to read more Asimov.

"I, Asimov" was the penultimate book to pour from the pen of Isaac Asimov. During a career that lasted over five decades, Asimov wrote on more topics than virtually any other writer in literary history. From the sciences to history and Shakespeare to the Bible, his clear, concise writing style and ability to simplify even the most complex ideas earned him the nickname "The Great Explainer." His fiction, with the exception of his early Foundation novels, "The Gods Themselves" and some shorter pieces, consisted largely of filler. Nonetheless, by the time of his death, he was quite possibly the most famous SF writer of his time.

Asimov's first volumes of autobiography were published in 1979 and 1980. As his health declined and the end drew near, his wife, Janet, encouraged him to write a third volume, less explanatory and more introspective. He obliged. "I, Asimov" lacks the surface detail of the early memoirs, but is rich in thought, emotion and self-revelation. The man that emerges from these pages was witty, intelligent, kind, loyal and genuinely devoted to sharing his knowledge and talents with others. He could also be vain and arrogant, but he is so honest about these less-attractive attributes that the reader is willing to forgive him anything.

There is a cloud of nostalgia and approaching death that hangs over most of "I, Asimov." The book was written when the author knew he didn't have long to live, and the book reflects that state of mind. In the end, however, it is uplifting and optimistic rather than depressing and gloom-ridden. What keeps me from giving it a full five stars is the rather dull middle section, which is significantly less interesing than the beginning and ending. The first 150 pages of the book are particularly unputdownable. All in all, this is a superb memoir and well-worth reading. I highly recommend it.

If you have the option, Asimov's two other autobiographies, IN MEMORY STILL GREEN and IN JOY YET FELT, give more depth and many more anecdotes of the famous Doctor, most ending in jokes at his own expense. I, ASIMOV, however, is for readers who can only dedicate a short period of time learning about this prolific author's life. Unfortunately, this autobiography is under 600 pages, and the reader wants more.

Asimov, who wrote autobiography, mystery, science, SF, and in many other fields, brings a warm, self-deprecating humor to his work.

This autobiography is a very useful resource for those interested in Isaac Asimov, or the development of Science Fiction in America from the Golden Age to the late 1980's. It is also a great motivator for anyone who wants to become a writer. One sees an author who did not struggle with existential angst and spew human suffering on the blank page. Asimov loved his work, and it shows.

My only complaint about this book is that Asimov gets too strong in some of his personal opinions. (Harsh opinions of Banquo, Brutus, Richard II etc.) But aside from that I value this book highly. He helps us to see some things Shakespeare's original audience would be able to pick up on WITHOUT being told. This helps one to understand Shakespeare's plays more. Also for the most part he DOES avoid the absurd marxist views that tend to over simplify the anaylisis. He is especially helpful in the history plays. Understanding Shakespeare's historical plays depends to a large extent on knowing the facts that Shakespeare does not mention (but that the original audience would have known). He also offers educated speculation that offers deep insights. While I do not agree with him on EVERYTHING, his views are interesting.

I find this book quite helpful when being introduced to an unfamiliar Shakespearean play. The plot summaries, character descriptions, and surrounding histories--liberally sprinkled with explanatory quotes--are of great use in placing me in the correct frame of mind. I would recommend this to anyone looking to acquaint themselves with Shakespeare's works--especially the lesser-known plays--but are feeling daunted by what is perceived as high-brow content.

Asimov writes as if he were speaking directly to the reader. This not only makes the book easy to read, but lends a feeling of comfort to the experience. One feels as if a friend has taken their time out to give a helping hand.

This book makes me much more comfortable giving the extra effort that it takes, given the time--and sometimes language--barrier. Without it, it is doubtful I would have introduced myself to the minor plays, some of which I have come to like better than the more popular ones.

...is too concise, it pleases me not.*

Asimov presents, for each of the plays, a well-researched and fascinating social, political and historical background of their production along with a plot analysis with direct quotes (and etymologies). Many of the details presented appear either to have escaped the notice of standard Shakespearean commentators, or to be buried away.

His synopsis of KING LEAR is characteristic...

"Shakespeare wrote fifteen plays which, in one way or another, involve English history. Four of these are laid in the relatively dim time prior to the Norman conquest in 1066, and the one which deals with the oldest and the most purely legendary events is KING LEAR."

Asimov then traces the original Celtic tale to Geoffrey of Monmouth's "Historia Regum Britanniae" (1135), then through "The Faerie Queene", Holinshed's "Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland", (1577), Edmund Spenser's play "The True Chronicle of King Lear", (1594), and finally to Shakespeare's version, first performed on 26th December, 1606.

1. Good example: Asimov describes why the name "Gloucester" may have been chosen for the father of the hero and villain, (Edgar and Edmund):

"The first Earl of Gloucester in actual history was Robert, a son of King Henry I of England. He lived from 1090 to 1145 and played a prominent role in the civil war that followed the death of Henry I. He was the chief supporter of Henry's daughter, Matilda, against the claims of Henry's nephew, Stephen.

"But since Robert of Gloucester was Henry's son, why was he not himself the claimant of the throne? Ah, it so happens he was Henry's bastard son and therefore unqualified to succeed. The Gloucester subplot is intimately concerned with the matter of a bastard son and perhaps that is why 'Earl of Gloucester' suggested itself to Shakespeare."

2. Bad example: Asimov may have tripped up on his astrology. At least one Shakespearean pundit has suggested that Edmund's birth under Ursa Major,("the Dragon's Tail"), was taken as ill-omened because of a malign/retrograde Martial-Venusian influence which would predispose a child born under it to villainy, according to the notions of the Elizabethan masses. Apparently, the constellations themselves were understood to express planetary influences, (if you're an astrologer, help me out here!):

"-MY FATHER COMPOUNDED WITH MY MOTHER UNDER THE DRAGON'S TAIL, AND MY NATIVITY WAS UNDER URSA MAJOR, SO THAT IT FOLLOWS I AM ROUGH AND LECHEROUS. FUT! I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THAT I AM, HAD THE MAIDENLIEST STAR IN THE FIRMAMAENT TWINKLED ON MY BASTARDIZING.

"The Dragon's Tail is a reference to the constellation of Draco, a winding string of moderately bright stars in the neighborhood of the north celestial pole... Astrologically, this is meaningless, since these constellations are not part of the zodiac and it is through the zodiac that the paths of the sun, moon, and planets make their way..."

What Asimov does NOT do here is discuss possible symbolic interpretations or textual criticisms of each play, (e.g., was King Lear really mad, was he incestuous, is this simply a morality play, a Platonic-Aristotelian conflict, or the perennial youth vs. maturity conflict? etc..).

Personally, I think the book is pure gold.

I give this book 5 stars because it is classic Asimov. However, there are points in this book that are inconsistent with Asimov's later novels. For example, in Robots and Empire the Earth's radioactivity was caused by Dr. Amadiro and Mandamus at Three-Mile Island. However, in the Empire novels, the Earth's radioactivity is caused by nuclear wars. Also, the timeline seems a bit confused. The Empire novels are supposed to take place before the Foundation novels. However, here, Asimov says they are 50,000 years into our future. Yet, in Foundation, I believe it was more like 20,000 years into the future. So, this is a great novel, but it does not seem to truly fit into Asimov's later Foundation and Robot novels (they are supposed to).

Pebble In The Sky is probably the reigning titleholder of "Undiscovered Classic" in Isaac Asimov's impressive lexicon. It may take a little searching to locate this book, but believe me, it's well worth it.

Dr. Asimov constructed a huge universe that traces humanity from the near future (the Robot stories) to its first creaking footsteps into the unknown (the Robot novels), to the founding of a Galactic Empire (the Empire novels), and finally to the ultimate destination of mankind (the Foundation novels), although this was not his original intention - the Robot universe and Empire/Foundation universe were knotted together by later books. Anyway, of these four categories, the Empire novels are easiest the weakest. This is partly because it is very early Asimov (but Foundation and I, Robot, both classics, are equally early), and partly because the idea behind it all maybe isn't as inspired as the others.

However, Pebble in the Sky is a true work of literary genius. It is set on Earth in the year 827 of the Galactic Era. A man called Joseph Schwarz is found by a farming family, who find that he cannot communicate. They take him to a doctor at the city of Chica, Dr. Shekt, who uses his new Synapsifier to increase intelligence. Soon, they discover that Schwarz is in fact from the year 1949 AD, an era thousands of years back. Schwarz is equally amazed to find himself thousands of years in the future. And what a future he finds waiting for him...

I will not give any further information because it may well spoil the plot for you. It is a well-written enjoyable book. It showcases Dr. Asimov's incredible ability to render cultures, as his portrayal of Earth is one of the most haunting things I have ever seen. It is only a shame that he never wrote later Empire novels (maybe team Schwarz and R. Daneel Olivaw together!) to add to this forgotten chapter in his works.

Finally, a quick word about the contradictions. This work was written in 1949 and published in 1950, and so Dr. Asimov's knowledge of nuclear physics was a little rudimentary, as was anyone else's. Only four years removed from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the idea of a fullscale nuclear war seemed a very real possibility, and this was the reason that the Earth was radioactive. However, when Asimov wrote a later book entitled Robots And Empire, he realized that this was impossible and devised a more scientific solution. Everyone's belief in the story that it is because of a nuclear war can be put down to folklore - after all, the book does seem to say that much of our knowledge has been forgotten.

Read Pebble In The Sky and enjoy it as the classic that it truly is. You won't be disappointed.

5 out of 5 stars.

My enthuziasm for "Peeble in the Sky" comes from reading this book when I was 14. It was a Romanian translation (apologies for subtleties lost), but when I finished it, I thought I was a Galactic citizen! In case you wonder, I started with Gerard Klein's "Les seigneurs de la Guerre" -- a classic French Sci-Fi that's missing from Amazon.com ... Fifteen years later, I re-read "Peeble..." (found it at an antiquariat in University City, St. Louis MO) and by this time, I had already covered the Foundation trilogy, Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth. By comparison I think "Peeble..." stands as an equal to the original Foundation Trilogy -- at least in tempo and characters, if not in concepts. Even Isaac cannot easily surpass Psychohistory, a true peak in Sci-Fi literature... "Peeble..." has tempo, and will absorb you in genuine Asimov style. So, from someone who read this book twice, in two languages, a well-deserved five-stars for "Peeble in the Sky"!

This Review refers to the paperback edition of Common Sense (Dover Thrift Editions), composed by Thomas Paine.

Many consider Paine's Common Sense to be a great American document, an opinion developed even at its original publication. The Dover Thrift Edition contains the third edition of the original pamphlet, including two brief segments that follow it. Paine's work was meant to stir up the American colonists and serves as one of the earliest examples of American propaganda. It first explains the author's impressions of the founding of types of governments, and why monarchy in particular is wrong, after which he proceeds to discuss reasons why the American colonies should break away from British control. The last topic he goes into is the ability of the colonies to gain their independence and some possible guidelines as to how the new government could form. The segments following Common Sense are a brief patriotic rambling and an attack against a Quaker who published a pamphlet supporting the king. Also included is a high praising introduction preceding the work.

Paine's work is a rather stirring one, which, at the time, would have given rise to the inward feelings of independence undoubtedly felt by many of the colonists. It does an admirable job of what it was intended to do. The ideas provided on how a government should reach creation are interesting, and are, undoubtedly, some of the ideals that the original government based itself. However, there are discrepancies and exaggerations in the said work and the reader should tread lightly.

The literary style presented by Paine is one of contradictory tones and unrestrained enthusiasm. The author does not appear to consider all the consequences relating to the subject of independence. However, he also brings many considerations to light, compelling the reader to think about the consequences of government and governmental practices. The literary style presented after Common Sense contains underlying tones of anger and reiterates many of the statements presented in the preceding selection.

Common Sense is an interesting look at the opinions of the colonists at the time of the revolution, and should be required reading for those interested in the said era. Though the literary style is lacking, it still presents an interesting argument in, rather appealing, old English. Overall, Common Sense is a good work and presents what the founders of modern America were attempting to accomplish, as well as how they intended to accomplish it.

Common Sense written by Thomas Paine is a book the was published in 1776, short, concise and lucid in the argument that galvanized the thought in the thirteen colonies to fight England and gain independence.

Foremost in thinking at the time, Thomas Paine rallied the people to seek a better, freer, and independent movement to establish the United States. No one will ever know the true extent to which "Common Sense" played in changing public opinion in favor of independence, but it aforded a blunt and direct argument that was written in a language that could be understood by any literate colonist.

As Bernard Bailyn said, "the most brillant pamphlet written during the American Revolution, and one of the most brilliant pamphlets ever written in the Einglish language." Every United States citizen should read this book and this is a must read for all high school students.

Powerful thought for a time when estrangement between England and the thirteen colonies was growing. While the British presence in the colonies was weak throughout the eighteenth-century, and while its power and influence over Americans was by no means dominant, the time was at hand to make a decision.

A decision that would be either bring independence or tyranny, the catalysis was "Common Sense."

Thomas Paine's "Common Sense," first published in 1776, is one of the essential classics of United States literature. In the book, Paine lays the philosophical groundwork for American independence.

Paine's writing style is still compelling after more than two centuries: he is fiery but logical, and bitingly witty. The book is full of great quotable passages.

In the book Paine sharply criticizes the institution of monarchy, especially the hereditary kind. He argues in favor of American independence from England, and proposes some principles for the government of such an independent state. He advocates "the free exercise of religion" and discusses in some detail issues of national defense.

It is remarkable how relevant Paine's comments remain, and how engaging his writing style is. His remarkable personality animates every page. The spirit of Thomas Paine is, in my opinion, at the core of what is best about the United States, and this book is part of the heritage of every U.S. citizen.

I picked up this book after reading "Compromising Positions" and its sequel, "Long Time No See". "Long Time No See" was written 20 years after "Compromising Positions", and "After All These Years" was written between these two novels. I have concluded that Isaacs continues to improve with age. This book was better than "Compromising Positions", but not quite at the level of "Long Time No See."

There's plenty to enjoy in this novel. Isaacs has such a pleasant style and is so clever, this book will keep you laughing throughout. Plus, you have to love a heroine who, after, being dumped by her adulterous husband, manages to solve the mystery surrounding his murder plus makes time to enjoy not one, but two, affairs while on the lamb. The characters are well-crafted and entertaining. Isaacs does not hesitate to allow the main character to poke fun at herself either. Plus, it is fun to find out the secret life her husband has been leading ever since they struck it rich. The only detractor was that I figured out "who done it" very early on. So, to me, the ultimate solving of the crime was definitely not the highlight of the story.

I read this thick book over a weekend, while in the car on a long trip. It was thoroughly entertaining, and made me promptly go out and purchase another Isaacs novel--"Lily White". Even when I do solve the mystery sooner than the protagonist, Isaacs keeps me laughing, and I'm always anxious to read some more.

This book is fabulous.

I don't agree with or endorse everything in it, but I have to confess, this is a great, great book to read.

First, it's funny. The funniness is the most significant part of it. How many stories about estranged dead husbands are funny, especially when the ex wife wishes he were neither dead nor estranged? But Rosie, the heroine, is irrepressible... and that has nothing to do with the fact that we're both English teachers. She is, in her own words, postmenopausal, and she's Jewish, while I'm neither. But we both do have dark hair.

Anyway, Rosie's husband is dead, and the next best thing about the book is that he was murdered. He was stabbed in the chest with a knife, and everyone thinks that Rosie did it, though all she wanted at that moment was a hot dog. As the book evolves oh-so-deliciously, we learn that someone familiar to the deceased did in fact do it, but who? The well paced and clever plot unfolds without wasting time nor skimping on details, and despite the fact that I'm a savvy voracious reader, the murderer was a total surprise to me. Total. Talk about a totally logical though well-concealed perp!

Isaacs liberal sensibilities are poured all over this tale, which do in fact conflict with my own perspectives, but I find it relatively easy to overlook the ideological differences I have with this book to savor its finer qualities. The only other problem I have with it deals with Rosie's knight in shining armor... Isaacs never does spell out why he didn't ask her to the prom in high school.

Read it! You'll love it.

This is a great, light murder with a pretty predictable plot, but with just enough twists and turns that all 40 somethings will enjoy. The main character, Rosie, seems just like a normal woman with a real sleazebag for a husband. After I read this novel, I proceeded to read all of Isaacs novels, and this is the best. One problem -- all her heroines are unrealistic in two ways (1)they may be middle aged, but they are beautiful and thin and have either great careers or lots of money or both and (2) these women may get dumped in a big way, but by the end of the novel, they have a great man in their life. Still worth reading. It will make you laugh.

Asimov did not originally plan to tie all the Robot, Empire, and Foundation series together. However, as time went on, that is the direction his novels took, and certain things had to be tied together - e.g. the source of the radioactivity on Earth, the fact that there are no robots in the Empire series, etc. This book is the primary step between the Robot series and the Empire series. The plot surrounds characters familiar to readers of the previous books - the robots Daneel and Giskard, the Spacers Gladia and Amadiro, etc. Elijah Baley, hero of the first three installments, is dead (and has been for 200 year), but he lives on in flashbacks which nicely tie up his life story.

The plot itself is characteristic Asimov - a mystery that's far-reaching in its implications (robots apparently disobeying the 1st Law and murdering humans, and conflict between Earth colonists and Spacers) and that takes a number of twists before its resolution. This book is superior to the early Robot (and Empire) books in that it doesn't try to rush from one cliffhanger to the next, instead telling the story in a smooth and controlled manner.

I enjoyed the book and its style is easy and fun to read. It is a good sequel in that it would be difficult to read on its own, as it's assumed the reader knows the characters and the general situation in the galaxy (Earth vs. Spacer worlds). However, the details of the previous books are not essential to understanding, so it's easy to pick up after not having read the other books for a long time.

I enjoyed this novel! Elijah Baley is long dead (but reappears a couple times in flashbacks) and the heroes in this novel are Daneel, Giskard, and Gladia. It's not a mystery novel like the previous books, just a straightforward novel about a couple Spacers with an evil plot of great destruction. The second half of the book really keeps you glued to the pages as the heroes eventually outwit their enemies. Sort of... Read it to learn what I mean!

The book is a bit shorter than The Robots of Dawn and moves pretty quick. The protagonists cover no less than four worlds (Aurora, Solaria, Baleyworld, Earth) in their attempt to foil their opponents' plans. In the process, Daneel deduces the Zeroeth Law of Robotics! Read the book to find out what it is...

I haven't read the later Empire or Foundation books yet (I'm going in chronological order), but it was still obvious to me that at the end of R&E Asimov sets in motion the future of Earth and the Settlers (Earthmen who colonize other systems). The far future is still uncertain as there are two major possible outcomes, one desirable and the other not. But at least we know what's bound to happen in the next few hundred years.

Asimov, like Heinlein, came, towards the end of his career, to integrate the characters and universes from all of his major works into one huge, interconnected fictional world. This was not his original intention, but it's the way that it worked out. Chronologically, the Robot series is first - which started out in the form of short stories, and then a series of novels, of which this is the fourth - followed by the Empire and then the Foundation series. The third Robot book, The Robots of Dawn, was a sequel for which readers had to wait 25 years for. The next book, this one, came a mere two years after it. Robots and Empire, however, represents a major break from the tradition of the previous Robot books. The three subsequent books were all murder mysteries staring the Earthman Detective Elijah Baley. This book, however, is not a murder mystery, but more of a straightforward story - and Baley has been dead for over 200 years. It picks up where The Robots of Dawn left off, in a slightly different context. This is a fast-moving and quite entertaining book in its own right, and you will certainly want to read it if you enjoyed the previous three novels. It is sometimes painfully obvious, however, that this book was intended solely to provide a smooth transition from the Robot series to the Empire series. Consequently, the book does this job very well, tying up the loose ends from the previous Robot book, and clarifying what would have been several contradictions between the Robot and Empire serieses - the reason for the radioactivity on Earth, the motive behind the immigration of the Earth people, and the fact that there are no robots in the Empire novels, etc. However, this comes with a price: the book is not all that great in and of itself. There is not really that much in the way of plot - certainly not like the great mystery plots in the three previous novels; indeed, even the original robot short stories were more or less mysteries themselves. That said, despite this weakness, the book is still very fast-paced and quite fun and entertaining to read - and, of course, provides the necessary transition between the two serieses. Whatever the book's individual merit, you will want to read it if you plan on going through the series. This vast integration of all these epic stories, this book included, show the visionary and plotting skills of Asimov, and you can not help but marvel at his unquestioned virtuostic abilities. The vast scale of this fictional universe - including also three books by other authors - can be very daunting to the neophyte. I suggest you make use of the several very helpful "Listmania Lists" at Amazon, so that you will know what order in which to read the books, and so that you can start on and enjoy the unparalleled fictional world of Isaac Asimov.

Susan Isaacs is a constant surprise. No two of her books are alike, all her characters truly have character, they are individuals and the stories in which we come to love them are distinct and never formulaic. No book demonstrates this more than "Shining Through."

The main character, Linda Voss, has depth, substance, frailties, flaws, and she captured my imagination. From an office crush to a tour of spying in Nazi Germany, Linda is a revelation.

Please read this book.

They made a movie of this and bungled it royally. Isaacs did not write the screenplay which is patently obvious: the heroine botches up everything and the hero saves her by carrying her comatose body across the Swiss border. Please. In the book, the story of a Jewish American girl of German heritage who volunteers to infiltrate the home of a Nazi official may be implausible but it's a terrific page turner of a story. She is feisty, irreverent and fearless and definitely not a Melanie Griffith type. There is a thumping good love story in here too (read: not sappy). Most of Isaacs' books seem to be more like who-dunnits, but this one is rich in detail (she does an excellent job of evoking the period) and marvelously suspenseful. I'd love to see her try this genre again

The parallels, the characterization, the foreshadowing, the dynamic evolving characters... this is an excellent example of modern American fiction at its highest level. Our protagonist, Linda Voss, is a real woman recognizably full of her own illusions and strengths, gets involved in the catalyst of WWII, thereby learning what really matters to her as a woman, an American, and a Jew. Miss Isaacs is able, with her impressive understanding of WWIIand humanity in general (which asks the questions Who am I? What do I really want? Why is this happening to me? How can I survive? How can I emerge victorious?), to paint the human condition against a background of war that is didactic while at the same time entirely recognizable. A critical yet loyal Isaacs fan, I believe this book is my supreme favorite of all her work, and I also believe it's my favorite book, period.