"The Final Science Fiction Collection [from Isaac Asimov]" is what the cover to GOLD proclaims, and to be honest, I find that to be a rather sobering realization. The Good Doctor was such a prolific author that even now, ten years after his death, the thought of that constant supply of words being silent is not a particularly happy one. So we are left with this collection, from the later stages of Asimov's career, which puts together a lot of pieces that hadn't been anthologized and were fairly difficult to find. The book is divided into three sections; the first, fifteen science fiction short stories; the second, eighteen essays about science fiction; the third, twenty selections about the art of writing science fiction. It's a bit of a haphazard collection with essays and material coming from a variety of seemingly random sources, but for someone looking for those hard-to-find writings this should prove invaluable.

The collection of science fiction stories is certainly passable. There's nothing particularly breathtaking or outstanding here, but the consistent level of quality is fairly high. There was really only one story that I seriously disliked, and the rest were at least average or better. A number of the stories would appear to be slightly autobiographical in nature, and it's interesting to see Asimov in a more reflective mood than usual.

The essays that deal with the topic of science fiction itself have been pulled from multiple sources. Some of them are editorials from his magazine, while others have been copied from introductions to SF collections. It's this section that gives one the slight feeling that this is merely a cashing in on the popularity of a famous author. Certainly it's odd to see Asimov discussing the particulars of the individual stories and themes that are present in the book he was writing for, but for obvious reasons aren't actually included in this text. Still, despite the strange nature of how they came to be included here, his thoughts and ideas on the subject are quite welcome. Whether Asimov is reminiscing about the "Golden Age" of printed science fiction or talking about the exact role of robots or aliens in the genre, his arguments are presented clearly and the healthy dash of wit familiar to his many fans.

The final third of the collection is a subject that Asimov knew well and loved speaking and writing about. He has a lot of tips for young and hopeful science fiction authors, as well as insights into his own creative process. Asimov's approach to describing science fiction is to talk a lot about his own science fiction stories. Not just that he liked talking about his own work (which, of course, he did), but by analyzing criticism and praise of his own writings he demonstrates his own particular way of developing stories. I found this section to be fairly interesting although he had covered this topic in other areas (in particular, his autobiography and in various introductions).

My only wish was that we readers had been given some information on the selection and editing process. Presumably only a fraction of the editorials and introductions that Asimov ever wrote were included here, but we aren't actually told what the criteria were. Possibly the editor(s) wanted only essays on a certain subject, but as the umbrella seems to have been fairly wide on this collection, it's difficult to ascertain what they were looking for. It's a minor complaint of mine, to be sure, but it would have gone a long way towards explaining the somewhat haphazard manner that the collection seems to take.

I recommend skipping through GOLD, mixing the reading order so that one experiences Asimov's thoughts in a random progression rather than attempting to view it as an arranged analysis (though eventually reading every work in the collection, of course). Asimov was an author who had a lot to say (a LOT to say -- over 400 books worth) and here is what will probably serve as his final written words on and about science fiction. It's a fitting tribute.

"Gold" is, according to the book's cover, the final science fiction collection from Isaac Asimov. One of the genre's most revered figures, Asimov died in 1992. "Gold" contains both short stories and a bunch of short essays. While the material in "Gold" does not quite reach the level of Asimov's best work, the book is still worth reading.

Part One of "Gold" sandwiches 13 short stories in between two longer tales of about 40 pages each. I found most of the shorter tales to be fairly forgettable, but the longer ones are fine pieces. The first of the two longer tales, "Cal," is a cleverly written tale of a robot who wants to be a writer. This is a moving tale which effectively returns to one of Asimov's great themes (the place of robots in human-dominated society). The second of the longer tales, "Gold," is a compelling story of a science fiction writer who hires a director to make a "compu-drama" out of one of his books. This thoughtful story is an interesting commentary on two things: (1) the relationship of science fiction to canonical "high" literature, and (2) the relationship of science fiction books to science fiction in other media.

The short essays are a mixed bag, but the best of them are delightful. They are full of amusing and enlightening anecdotes, often about other classic SF writers of Asimov's generation. Some of Asimov's essay topics include women and SF, religion and SF, the SF short-short story, plagiarism, and the background to the names of some of his fictional characters. Asimov's essay on book reviewing is particularly interesting; I think that everyone who participates in the Amazon review program should read this essay (entitled "Book Reviews," it's on pages 369-374 of the paperback edition).

Finally, a personal note. Isaac Asimov was one of my childhood icons, and many of his classic stories had a profound influence on me. I will also never forget the opportunity I had to hear him speak in person at a New York City convention: he was as delightful and charming in person as he is in print. If you are a fan of Asimov or of that great generation of SF writers in general, don't miss "Gold."

This book is surely not one of Isaac's best books, but still, its a great book as all of him are. If you are interested in stories, and nothing else however, you might be disappointed, for the second half of the book contains essays and articles from the various magazines he was involved(I was disappointed at first). But if you take the time and read them too, you might find them interesting and funny, as they are also writen in Asimov's style... (P.S: I did not yet read the hardcover version - but I guess its pretty much the same - right?)

I picked this book up as a used trade paperback, and I'm glad that I [didn't spend to much] for it. I was expecting much more. The narrative is quite choppy, with not much of a sense of continuity. Some of the critical issues/events, such as his refusual to perform in Germany and his divorce from his first wife are discussed with a severe lack of candor. The German thing bothers me the most, I feel like he felt the need to be politically correct - I would not fault him for feeling very negative feelings and being unable to overcome them even after many years. But he keeps saying that the Germans are a fine people, cognisent of their own history, and does not address his feelings on the matter in a fully satisfying way. I guess this is the flaw of the autobiography, though some authors have given their lives an unsparing look, to both their and the readers' benefit. There is much writing about his life of touring and of saving Carnegie Hall, but I never got a sense of the personal feelings and struggle that went into this staggeringly busy and full life. There are hints here and there, but it reads like an extended New Yorker puff piece much of the time. If you want an overview of a great life, but not much detail or meaningful introspection, then this book will serve your needs. For everyone else, wait for the first "unauthorized" biography.

With the exception of Yehudi Menuhin, it's best to approach the autobiographical excursions of great musical artists with more than a little skepticism. How many disappointments have flown into the meadow by that route! This engaging effort by Isaac Stern is therefore a more than little delight, filled with the characteristically notable voice of one of the authentic humanists of the 20th century, not to mention one of the great fiddlers of all time. Stern's writing is great deal like his playing; verve and confidence riding the high clouds with surety and an unmistakably personal passion. I often thought, while reading this book, how no one in my experience plays Kreisler's 'Schon Rosmarin' like Stern -for all the salon qualities of the piece, it has a heart of pure gold- and this book resembles that little encore nugget in more than a few ways: true, one wishes at times that Stern would simply go on with his thought, go on with the memory at hand, even with the discussion at hand; yet in many ways he keeps up the flavor of his reminiscences by the succinctness, and at times almost the distractedness, of his writing/speaking style. I would argue that in fact he does give us quite a bit of his way of looking at not only his own life, but the wonder called the human experience, it's just that with this man one simply wants the conversation to go on and on. Even when speaking of his children (which he does often, even including charming transcriptions of little tape recordings of Daddyspeak for his wife and children when he was so often away on tour), Stern's power to captivate arises full from his honesty, indeed one of the great attributes of his music making. Chaim Potok's hand in the affair seems somehow deep under, and therefore probably pervasive and beautifully wise (as is every Chaim Potok effort!), leaving Stern's voice alive and vibrant, humanly awkward at times, and always surprising in its direct power- very much like the playing of this most gifted of musicians. Despite the obvious limitations that will always attend a book like this, it remains a delight, charming if not all revealing, even moving. Lovers of music won't be disappointed!

What is involved in playing a musical instrument? What is needed to become really good? How should music affect you? All of these questions are answered very well and many times while reading this book. I welled up with emotion within like you sometimes do while reading the Reader's Digest because of the content. I thought Stern's life was well presented in an interesting manner and with great detail. Anyone interested in classical music should truly enjoy this life story.

The title sounds impressive, but again the neophyte author, "Sherly Isaac" humours us with her bad English and convulting, repulsive arguments. Much like her earlier work "Is Jesus God?", she again draws upon her "personal experiences" and misquotations from the Glorious Qur'an and the Ahadith texts. Her arguments have been thoroughly refuted on several Muslim websites and this url is especially of interest to the "question" proposed by Ms. Isaac....

...This book, superior to the previous one by the same author, lays out plainly the differences between the Biblical God and the Allah of Islam. While not going into as much depth as it could, it certainly does a superb job of illustrating the stark differences between Muslim and Christian/Jewish conceptions of God. My only wish would be that it would expound more on the pre-Islamic pagan origins of Allah as the moon god, titled "al-ilah" - which could conceivably be a book in and of itself. Allah's name evolved from the title given all across the Arabian peninsula before Mohammed to various astral deities, primarily lunar deities. There are even stories that can be found in very early Muslim source traditions which refer to pre-Islamic Arabians worshipping in the Kaabah, praying to "allah" while standing before idols of Hubal, a god who at various times was a god of storms, the moon, the sky, etc...

This book is geared toward evangelizing Muslims. Shirly Isaac compares the characterists of Allah as listed in the Koran with those of Yahveh listed in the Bible. This reveals that Allah and Yahveh are not the same divine person. Moreover, the comparison reveals that you will want to be associated with Jesus and Yahveh. You will want Allah and Muhammad to stay far away!

The "magic system" in this book is in no way generic or easily adaptable to anything but Bonewits' personal belief system. It contains complicated formulas for generating lumens, foot pounds per square inch, and so on, and uses tons of acronyms and new stats to track. (MCL = Magical Clarity Limit, ProSPer = Probability of Spell Persistence, MPC = Mana Point Cost, etc.) The result, a percentile system, is not fun, innovative, or even "realistic." It's using algebra and a calculator to model the way Bonewits believes magic really works.

Oh yes, the author believes magic really works. As he repeats over and over again. He also believes that Christians are evil, skeptics are blind, scientists are evil and blind, and he never passes up an opportunity to take a cheap shot at all the folks who don't follow the One True Religion (neopaganism).

As a gaming supplement, it's of minimal utility, and as a book about "real magic," it will probably annoy you more than inform you, unless you happen to share the author's views.

While Bonewits does make some good points in this book his academic perpective comes into the work too heavily. The most useful parts of the book are the background material and idea that spells (and many mental powers) work in a certain way and have relationships and laws that govern them. Further, the suggestion that a magician's personal energy is not the only source for powering mental abilities is an important idea. The ideas in this book, coupled with an improv approach to magic (like Mage the Ascension or GURPS' improvised magic) can lead to a rewarding magic system with a realistic feel. The book also points out that all mental powers are closely related so the idea that "magic" is seperate from "psionics" may just be a perceptual thing rather than actual. (So two systems for both in one game may not be needed.) Bottom line: A useful tool that requires work to implement.

Does this let you do real magic? No. At least, I hope not...

What, then, is this for?

This is written as a guide by a self-styled Real World Magician on how to translate the magic he knows of into gaming terms. Bearing in mind this is his perspective, and that what is "real" is not necessarily the best thing, this is actually a useful book.

He basically goes into magical laws (of which Murphy's has been included), the relationship between magic and psionics (see The Psionics Handbook for D&D3 for a similar view), cultural references, and, finally, a rump magic system that's very calculation-intensive.

Is this for everyone? No. Mr. Bonewits has some very, ah, strong opinions that some might find irritating, offensive, or otherwise bad. It also might not be useful to everybody, given that I know very few people who actually make up their own systems. I bought it, but am not going to ever use it for anything other than reading material. However, I am glad that I bought it. You may want to do some quick perusing in the store first, though.

David Berlinski has created a marvelous intellectual history focusing on the progression of Newton's epic breakthrough thinking. He does this in a way that is totally accessible to those who are phobic about mathematics. The explanations are achieved through a skillful combination of simple sentences, symbols, pictures, and diagrams. The presentation is so effective that most readers will find their understanding of important mathematical and scientific principles greatly improved. This is a great book!

Newton was a seminal thinker in the areas of mathematics (developing calculus), physics (with his propositions about gravity and motion), and optics (with his conceptualization of light as being comprised of particles moving in parallel). He also did much work in theology and alchemy, which are recounted here.

A key challenge for David Berlinski was presented by Newton's reticence. He was not a very social person, and wrote almost nothing about how he developed his ideas. Berlinksi does a magnificent job of locating and sharing hints and clues about the bases of these intuitive leaps. This result is enhanced by considering the continuing themes in Newton's thinking, and assuming a connection to his intuition. I suspect that Berlinski is right in connecting the dots that way, but we will never know for sure.

The centerpiece of our story turns out to be the tangent to a curve. From that humble beginning, most of our modern understanding of how physical motion takes place follows.

I also enjoyed better understanding how Newton's thinking was aided by the careful observations and conclusions of Kepler.

If the history of science were always this entertaining, this subject would be one of the most popular majors in colleges.

As Berlinksi tells us in the beginning his purpose in the book is "to offer a sense of the man without specifying in details his . . . activities." This allows us to see the other sides of Newton, but without spending too much time on them. Newton was not perfect. We get glimpses of places where he wasted his time, such as his unsuccessful experiments with alchemy. We also see his flirtations and infatuations. Beyond that, we see what could enrage him, and how he took his revenge. This fleshing out of the whole man makes the scientific history all the more compelling.

If you liked David Berlinski's book, The Birth of the Algorithm, you will probably like this one even better. The asides are much more contained and relevant here.

For those who want a little more math with their scientific history, Berlinski has provided supplementary materials that are quite entertaining.

After you have finished enjoying this wonderful romp, I suggest that you think about where everyday events are unexplained in your life. For example, why do the people you meet with act the way they do? Why is progress slow in many areas, and rapid in others? By looking for connections, you, too, may isolate fundamental principles that can expand our own appreciation as a species of how we achieve understanding. The mysteries of how to improve thinking are still mostly unsolved, and many are relatively unexplored. Perhaps you can be the Newton of this important "last frontier" of self-limiting progress for humans.

Think about it!

Berlinski's gift is getting inside the genius that was Newton and explaining (in a narrative readable by non-mathematicians) the beauty of Newton's logical theory of the universe. Not intended as a thorough survey, the text nevertheless covers the highlights of the development of Newton's thought as well as a straightforward exposition of the critical aspects of the Principia. Berlinski is erudite, literate and witty in what could be dry material, though he occasionally puts himself in mind of his protagonist more than his research supports. On balance, though, this is a readable, fascinating and enlightening little volume about a character who most of us haven't thought about since high school physics class, yet who arguably has had more influence on our world than any other scientist/philosopher in history.

In his book Newton's Gift - How Sir Isaac Newton Unlocked the System of the World David Berlinski presents us with an engaging biography of Newton. What I personally liked was the fact that Berlinski avoided the trap of many biographies that merely present names, dates and places. In this book we see the person that Newton was and how it affected his study of mathematics.One of the main reasons that one should study the history of mathematics is to appreciate the human side of its creation. Berlinski presents Newton's human side quite well.

If you are looking for a lot of detailed mathematics, you probably won't find it here. The mathematics is presented at a very readable and understandable level. This is certainly accessible to the average undergraduate math/physics major.

I recommend this book without hesitation.

I agree with the first customer review -there are many, many more "toxic friends" than people think. With that said, I thought the book is a fine overview of an important subject. However, the author should have given more discussion and suggestions on how to end a toxic friendship. I have had to do this recently, and it is very emotionally difficult. But I have used tools that I have learned over the years such as: writing "anger letters" to the person, which you never send; writing "farewell letters" to the person, also which you may choose to never send. I have learned to cry about the loss, and let go. Very importantly, I try, in every single case, to learn the important lesson: what went wrong, and how should I have done things differently. Unfortunately, the author spends very little to no time on these topics.

Ms. Isaacs didn't cover something very important: the friends don't have to be yours to help or hurt!

When I was younger, an ex boyfriend harrased me for about two years. He denied my accusations to his best friend, so when I saw the guy, he made it clear his friend wouldn't go that far. After I saw my ex's best friend, he didn't bother me anymore. What I figured is he didn't want the risk of his best friend finding out the truth.

I had parted ways with a guy who was less than honest with me. One of his "friends" chose to meddle and made things much worse.

And those are just two examples!

In both cases, the friends of someone I'd had trouble with helped me get rid of them permanently.

I found this book to be extremely definitive. Friends is such a blanket statement and this book brings clarity to the word. If you ever wondered where your 'friends' fit in your life this is the book to have. Not only does it give you guidelines for recognizing friends, it also sheds light on your own behavior. The book is peppered with personal accounts of friendships and even has some valuable information on sibling rivalry and other familial ties. Definitely a book to purchase because it will serve as an excellent reference guide.

This is a collection of stories set in Asimov's worlds, written by other authors. It is subtitled "Stories in Honor of Isaac Asimov", and that's exactly how these stories come across - as tributes to Asimov and his creations.

And a fine collection it is. Much of Asimov's fiction is covered; there are a few Foundation stories, a few robot stories, and even a couple of mysteries. Some are disappointing - or have very little to do with Asimov's worlds - but the majority of the stories are very enjoyable and very well done.

Most of the authors play it straight, trying to capture the flavour and style of Asimov's own stories. They succeed, for the most part. None of the authors were too ambitious, either; all of the serious stories stay nicely within the confines of the worlds Asimov created. For this reason, I enjoyed this collection more than other works set in Asimov's world - such as the Second Foundation Trilogy, for example.

However, some of the authors take a more humourous approach, writing take-offs or spoofs of Asimov's stories. The best of these are _Dilemma_ by Connie Willis, and _Maureen Birnbaum After Dark_ by George Alec Effinger. Both of these stories were funny enough to make me laugh out loud, and yet it is clear that no lack of respect for the Good Doctor is intended by them. While the straight stories were impressive, I think my favourite stories were the humourous ones.

I would recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys Asimov's fiction. The stories may not be of Grand Master calibre, but they are still a fitting tribute to a Grand Master.

I read this on a flight and ended up skipping several stories because they were so tedious and leaving the book on a recyle bin in O'Hare. The best one is "The Originist" which describes the start of the Second Foundation. "Fall of Trantor" and "Strip Runner" were also memorable because they consistently filled in a portion of the Foundation universe. Some stories were just plain silly, such as one where two robot meet with Asimov and argue to have the 3 laws "repealed".

It's incredible to see through this collection of stories, just how much Isaac Asimov has inspired us all through his writings. It's truly amazing to see what can be done through his work, by others. Although none of the stories match his brilliance, I urge you to get a copy of this book if you can find it, and see what an effect he has had on science fiction.

While it is true that it is impossible to reconcile this version of the romulans with the two previous glimpses, I must say that this version is by far my favorite. The only complaint I have is the art work. For the price, I was expecting stills from the series on glossy paper; instead, I found poorly drawn black and white (green and white actually) on plain ordinary paper. There are three books in this box set, and two full color posters the first being a map of romulan space, and the second depicting romulan uniforms and starships in full color.

The first book details romulan life and culture. The Way of D'era, the romulan philosophy is interesting. We are also shown how the empire functions, its history, the structure of the Romulan star navy. There is a section on the various worlds which can be explored in Romulan space as well as Romulus and Remus.

The second book gives rules for creating romulan characters, as well as guidlines for running an all romulan campaign. There are new traits and skills presented which are romulan specific. The most interesting section is scions of the empire. This section gives stats and descriptions of the movers and shakers of the empire. Included is Senator Kassus, a character whose shadow is felt in the LUG product "A Fragile Peace".

The third book includes two adventures. The first "The Gentera Incident" is an adventure for an all romulan cast. The second, "Duty or Conscience" is an adventure for a cast of starfleet characters. The first is a fairly well written adventure, the second deals with the Prime Directive and is fairly well done.

All in all, if you want to add depth to your star trek campaign, this is a good product. If, however, you are a fan looking for further information on Romulans, stay away.

I got this book a week ago, and I must say that this view of the Empire is fantastic. The depth of details is awesome. I like the military setting in particular. The whole conception of a militarized society, living for a common dream: reaching D'era (the Endless Sky) as the goal set from Vulcan times and fulfilled since the diaspora.

The art is somewhat lacking, but it's heavily compensated with the adventures and the detail in Romulan character creation, rounded up as any Starfleet officer.

Well, I must say I waited a long time for this set, and it wsa worth the wait. Granted, the pictures weren't the best ever assembled. But I didn't buy it for the pics. I bought it for info on the Romulans for the Star Trek RPG. And this is a great source for it. If you are looking for a great source to add Romulans into your Star Trek game, then this book is a must buy. You won't be disappointed(just don't get your hopes up for awesome artwork).

Hi, I'm the original reviewer and I want to make a truce with the latter reviewer. Before I make the compromise, however, I'd like to ask one question. Where would science be today without imagination? I'll let the readers answer this question. The next question is: Who is the author of variety? Science is struggling to understand the beginnings of life, so how can they ever understand the complexities of variety without end. I suppose somewhere in the universe oil and water readily mix.

My original disappointment to this book was due to it's lack of variety. I felt fastened to a very narrow viewpoint. We may need strict adherence to our scientific research but let's not push it when it comes to reading a great story. Imagination is the science text to good science fiction. I have a book that I use a lot with my writing (and here comes my compromise). It is a book about plausible sceintific facts as it pertains to a non-logical universe. A go-between, so-to-speak, for science fact and science fiction. This book tells me why an alien might smell awful. It could be that they eat something like garlic, or maybe it's the air that they breathe, or maybe they have a dull sense of smell and don't know that they stink. The question is: Is it really important to know why they stink? Well, if it is, then this book I have on creating a science fiction universe can be very useful.

My belief is that there is only one truth and that science and religion will come to that truth some day. However, when that time comes there will still exist imangination, and imagination is the forerunner of all scientific discoveries.

Aristotle had once said, in part, that a workable falsehood is better than an incomprehensible truth. If Science has any imagination, it is used in its ability to simplify complex concepts, by sometimes making small assumptions, in order to explain them better to the common laymen. Science fiction writers borrow heavily on this concept to tell their own stories.

Since man, in reality, cannot travel faster-than-light to reach distant stars in his own lifetime, the writer of such a fantastic tale should be able to explain how such a fantastic journey could have ever taken place. How you explain this fantastic journey between the stars in your story (though now a well-established convention in SF) can mark the difference in fiction between science, fantasy, or just plan unbelievable (...). It is up to you, and if you want to write good believable science fiction, then you should make every effort to learn everything you can about your scientific subject, and then you can create your own workable falsehoods.

The editors of *Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy* have divided the book into three sections, which they hope will inspire would-be-authors into writing credible fiction. Section One deals with *Storytelling* and includes the controversial essay from Robert A. Heinlein *On the Writing of Speculative Fiction*. Controversial because he advises, "you must refrain from rewriting except to editorial order." Section Two deals with *Ideas and Foundations*, which will advise you on how to write better believable science fiction by using real rational science. (The essay on *The Ideas that Wouldn't Die* is mandatory reading.) Although the third section on *The Business of Writing* lacks enough market resources and is all too brief with its essay on *The Mechanics of Submission*, it gives some of the best pieces of advice that any new writer could receive from Stanley Schmidt's essay on *Authors vs. Editors*.

Despite any shortcomings, *Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy* is a necessary read for anyone who is seriously considering writing in any of these genres. Such luminaries as Anderson, Asimov, Barnes, Heinlein, and Spinrad, who are the best in their fields, wrote some of the twenty collected essays. Leaving little doubt that the advice and insights given therein comes from legends, whose prose we should all-be so lucky to follow.

This book is a fantasic source of advice and counsel for the budding writer. I really do not approve of the condescending nature of Mr. Dozois' remarks toward the beginning writer. Isaac Asimov has great adsvice in this book. People should buy the book just to read what the different authors say. I really love this book! Buy it today (if you want)!

An interesting but ideologically-driven work. I had hoped it would give me more insight into the Abraham stories and, particularly, the Binding of Isaac (who--at least according to Jewish sources-- was a consenting adult in his thirties at the time of his "sacrifice,"). I would have liked to see some discussion of how this story, which seems to the author to indict the Patriarchal God of the Torah/Quran (though that same Deity ultimately makes it clear that He does NOT desire the sacrifice of Abraham's son) relates to the feminist willingness to actually sacrifice untold millions of unborn children in the service of their own ideology.

Not exogesis. Delaney seems to conceive her conclusion about the story of Abraham first and then read this conclusion into all the texts at her disposal. However, she does raise fascinating questions regarding the formative and constitutive aspects of myth and stories. One quibble is her constant insistence that this Abraham story is "THE" faith model for the three Abrahamic monotheisms. However, the primary model for a certain number of Christians in virtues including faith is not Abraham but Mary; and her arguing that it is only because Mary is Jesus' mother biologically that she is not considered co_Creator is patently shortsighted. Her assumption hehind this argument is that God himself is only Creator because he is the father of Jesus. That is NOT why God is creator. Perhaps Delaney should have swallowed her evident distaste for so-called patriarchal institutions for the sake of academic honesty or at least precision.

Using anthropological insight, Carole Delaney raises serious questions about the faith foundations of the world's three major monotheistic religions--Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. She sees notions of exclusive, patrilineal generativity underlying male conceptions of God and male dominance and/or ownership of family. Women are lesser creatures, fertile ground (sometimes) for growing a child (the seed and life being supplied by the father) but contributing nothing to the biology and value of the child. Children thus belong to the father and owe absolute obedience to him. He may do with them as he likes, particularly if a "patriachial" God demands them as offerings. Hence, Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac (Ishmael in Islamic tradition), though with hand stayed in the Genesis 22 narrative. (Sarah is nowhere to be found in this portion of the story.) Delaney describes in poignant terms a contemporary case of a girl child being murdered by her father who believed he heard the voice of God telling him to do so. After stressful deliberation the jury concluded "not guilty by reason of insanity." In this case, as in the Abraham episode, the mother's voice was not heard, the child was murdered (no doubt Isaac was traumatized) in the name of God. Western religious traditions (including Graeco-Roman paganism) willingly devalue women and children and give that devaluation divine sanction. It is time, Delaney says, to re-examine and re-envision the legacy of the biblical narrative of supreme Abrahamic faith which denies voice and value to women and children, whether in biblical or koranic studies or in Freud's parallel Oedipal ideas which ignore the deeds of the father against the child. Such ideas "construct" a social world which ignores the worth of children. One note: there is a contrary set of traditions (not always allowed much space in the sacred narratives) where God speaks on behalf of the victims in a patriarchial system that silences women and children. The Abrahamic narrative has two voices, one speaking against the child and one, however obliquely, for the child. This is an important book. Would that it were required reading for our public policy makers. Children are not our first priority. What if they were?