Hal Beers and I had very similar careers. Navy Jet Fighter Pilot to Lockheed Space Systems Division; David's observations of a latter day "Life With Father" struck a lot of familiar and abused nerves. I joined LMSC about a year earlier than Hal. We were in the same organization at the advent of space systems. The thrill (like Startrek) to go where no man has been before was a real rush. Yet it grew old. We aged. (Always the commute to the west Santa Clara Valley was a bitch. This added tension to a terribly tense job.) The thrill of being the first started to erode when we saw the third and fourth generations of young engineers making the same stupid mistakes we made (with five inch slide rules not IBM PCs with Bill Gates software. Dave missed a few of the high points such as the Nixon post-Viet Nam stagflation and decline in the space-biz where LMSC Sunnyvale's employment dropped from almost 40,000 to about 12,500. We used to track it with our paycheck numbers. In our house "I could be out on the street on Monday Morning" was a classic oft-repeated gag line by my kids - I gagged because it was so close to reality. The book helped me relive some of my greatest and worse hours. Although Hal and I separated about five years after he joined the Company, David's story applies to all of us. The almost hopeless state we drove ourselves and our families. Yet we survived. My kids grew up - graduating from Saratoga High in 1969 and were thrown right into a new life I never dreamed of - Viet Nam riots, Haight-Ashbury, free love, rock and roll and recreational pharmaceuticals. Yet they too survived. David got a little too maudlin. His retrospective on the changes sort of caused the book to drag towards the end. Yet it is an accurate slice of life with the bright stars and Blue Skies of the Cold War - winning ulcers or coronary by-passes in lieu of medals. Its over. I'm sure Pericles grandchildren would agree that life goes on - and humans are by nature survivors. Darwin avered that we adapt. We did and are still adapting. /s/ Bill Eaton, LMSC 1959-1983

While my dad worked in a steel mill in western Pa. this is my story too. It is the story of growing up, Catholic, in the 60's & 70's in a small town. The Lost in Space chapter is fun, since I collect LIS toys now.The author was shooting higher than this, but it hit me emotionally at a lower level. I enjoyed the book, and have re-read it many times.

David Beers's dazzling memoir is the first real history of the blue sky people of the american military industrial complex. it's one man's account but it represents thousands and thousands of us in the u.s. it's accurate down to the tiniest detail, such as how we had fathers who never spoke of their lines of work and who kept their jobs for 40 years, mothers who saw no contradiction in transplanting old world catholicism into our jetsons-mentality world, houses with open foyers in our living rooms, science as our sacred school subject, and swimming as our sacred sports subject. The book also delves into why we viewed computer geeks suspiciously and why we had hoffer, galbraith and desmond morris on our family bookshelves. these are awfully small details and i find it revelatory that they are reported with the minutest accuracy. no one has looked as closely and thoughtfully at this curiously rootless middle class revolutionary blue-sky tribe of people as beers.

as one who has experienced this lifestyle growing up in san diego in the 1960 and 1970s, to read the book was to open a magic answerbook about identity. every single word in it was true, thoughtful, and creatively well-investigated. prior to reading this, i didn't know blue-sky people even existed as an interesting subculture in the rich tapestry that makes up the american experience. it's original and worth reading.

This story has some fabulous ideas for a world in which the very foundations depend upon music. The music is created by the use of the musical spheres that the adults "snag" and the more control and spheres an adult can control, the more powerful he or she is. Thrown into this world are two misunderstood young people--Caidrun, a mercurial girl who has been an outcast since before she was born, and Tamborel, the boy who has steadfastedly remained her best friend.

This book makes for a wonderfully emotional coming of age story of these two protagonists. What the author does best is to create that emotional relationship that exists between Tamborel and Caidrun. The understanding and the value of friendship is appealing--this book will most likely interest sensitive young teens who are exploring facets of emotional interaction and enjoy fantasy settings.

Those who prefer action, or more complex world building may feel this story drags at times, and the story rather simplistic. There are many aspects of this world that are never expanded upon, and the characters other than the story's two protagonists never become fully realized. The adventures of Tamborel, therefore, come across as lackluster. And most of Caidrun's adventures are skipped over entirely. Had the author spent some time on Caidrun's experiences from her POV, it might have made the story stronger.

Still, I very much enjoy this book for what it is. I am glad to have it in my collection.

I really liked this book. I hope there's a sequel soon. I liked the idea of zjarns healing people, making the sun come out, and ripening grain using only heynim and faleyn. This is a great book for anyone, whether you like fantasies or not. (12 years old)

I really liked this book. The whole thing was very creative and entertaining I found it held my interest throughout the story and I enjoyed the fantasy adventure it took me on. (14 yrs old)

It wasn't a shock to find out how wonderful The Crystal Stair is! Grace Chetwin's adventures are magnificent and keep you reading. This book was constructed beautifully and should be a favorite of people who love fantasy. I was so sorry to find it out of print. This third book in the Gom On Windy Mountian series requires nothing but the highest praise!

The beginning of the story is heartwarming with the relationship between Gom and Harga. There is gut wrenching emotion when they are forced to part again. Gom grows up so much during his search for a mentor. There is great imagination about the seven realms and everyones position is defined clearly. Highly recommended.

It wasn't a shock to find out how wonderful this book is! Grace Chetwin's adventures are magnificent and keep you reading. This book was constructed beautifully and should be a favorite of people who love fantasy. I was so sorry to find it out of print. This third book in the Gom On Windy Mountian series requires nothing but the highest praise!

This is an outstanding translation of these Greek texts. These are texts that many of us regularly teach in introductory classes, and it is a great help to have such a reliable translation: the translation is clear and accessible, but maintains an unusually strict adherence to the form of the original Greek. This makes it useful for advanced study as well. The running footnotes to the text are especially helpful for giving students the relevant points of historical and legal context for understanding Socrates's position, but they are sparse enough that they do not intrude in the interpretation of the text. This is the only translation of these texts that I will use in my courses.

This is a real rarity in Platonic scholarship--a synoptic translation of four important works on the life of Socrates; in other words, the translators use the same English words to convey the same important Greek terms in each of their translations in order to aid the reader in recognizing how those terms evolve in meaning and shape the drama of each of the works, or in short, in recognizing the dialogue which exists between the works rather than merely within them. A former reviewer seems to have missed the point of this work: if you want someone to TELL YOU WHAT PLATO MEANS, you can read a two line summary in an encyclopedia, but if you want to find out why Plato went and wrote an entire dialogue rather than a two line summary, you have to pay close attention to what he actually says. These translations are about as close as you can get without having advanced knowledge of Greek, and even then, the Wests note specific usages of key terms which even a native speaker of ancient Greek might not have noticed on a first reading, and which are largely ignored by the scholarly community. This is an ideal translation for students of politics, history, philosophy, and classical literature who want to know why the most profound and poetic civilization of antiquity put the first philosopher to death, and why he let them.

Thomas and Grace West translate Plato's Euthyphro, Apology and Crito and Aristophanes' Clouds in a clear and modern fashion. The useful background information and clear footnotes help make this an important book to have if you want to read about Socrates. This book is a "must have" for any Socrates fan indeed!

Grace, by Jill Paton Walsh, was another one of those illustrious titles on my seventh-grade summer reading list. I bought it, and picked it up just 2 days ago to read for a discussion. Though I had heard things about it being "slow", "boring", and "confusing", I found none of these to be true. I whipped through the book in 2 days flat and was amazed at this heart-warming tale of heroism. Grace Darling, a 22-year-old daughter of a lighthouse keeper, was on the morning watch one stormy day when she sighted the wreck of the Forfarshire. She and her father rescued the survivors of the wreck, and Grace became a national hero. In this telling of the tale, the author weaves fact with fiction to tell a truly believeable tale of a young lady who, against all odds, saved 9 lives. The novel also tells the tale of Grace's life after the rescue- suddenly flung into the public eye of Great Britain. This book is a great read for young adults, and I reccommend it to all!

I read this book for a school project, and once I'd read the 1st chapter I couldn't put it down! The story is set in 1838, in England. Grace Darling is a 22 year old woman living with her parents in Longstone Lighthouse. One day Grace spots a wreck of the "Forfarshire," despite the troublesome storm Grace abd her father set out to save the recks survivors. Little did they know that the road after this one act of heroism wouldn't be smooth. It would be bumpy filled with fame, fortune, but many acts of jealousy and misunderstandings! This book is a excellent example showing money is not everything! A great read!!

I am an adult who is an avid reader of young adult books. Grace was by far the best book I have read in a long time. It is well written. It captivates one's attention every step of the way. The language is seemingly realistic for the era and yet totally understandable. It is a great historical novel because it transports you back in time. You are never reminded that the author had to change this or that to make it comprehensible to the reader. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

This is a very special book for young people, especially university students who are pursuing a career in teaching to read. Even though I can tell from Mrs. Corrigan's writing that she is not a University English Major, her thoughts are sincere. This book isn't just about a beautiful person who lost her life in the Challenger disaster, its also about the courage of a mother who has endured the most tragic thing a mother can go through. Mrs. Corrigan's courage in the face of her incurable grief and desire to reach young people inspite of her pain is admirable. This book who is infact about two wonderful people and when you read it, you will become a better person..

I found this book to be a very touching memoir of Christa McAuliffe. The book consisted of several episodes of Christa's life. What makes this Christa biography so different from others is that they come from her mom-the person who knew her best.Grace Corrigan doesn't just make us for fall in love with Christa in this book. Because from this book I realized what a wonderful person Mrs. Corrigan is herself.

Unlike most books about Christa McAuliffe this one discuses Christa's life before the selection as teacher in space as well as after the selection process and it is written by the person who knew her like no one else, her mother. We learn of Christa's childhood and her spirt and joy that stayed with her during the course of her whole life. Nothing could take this away from her and with it she enriched and touched the lives of every student she had. Corrigan's book using letters and family history paints a touching portrait of Christa no one else could. Everyone should read this book and it will uplift you farther than you ever thought possible and give you a whole new out look on teachers and what the power they have to uplift. No matter what your backround is you will benefit from having read this book.

I happened on this book in an airport bookstore. It hooked me on this author. I enjoy the glimpse into an era when women's rights were the headlines. She does a very good job of presenting the issues without being preachy. The mystery is well woven into political and historical events of the day, giving the reader some insight on how complicated life could be, even in "simplier" times.

The Civil War is about to get started, and a man is found murdered in Seneca Falls. It turns out that he was connected to illegal gun-running; guns are being bought from England, smuggled thru the port of Oswego, New York, thence to Seneca Falls and eventually to the about-to-secede southern states. A young girl whose father had sold her into indentured servitude to the murdered man is the prime (but wrong) suspect in his murder. Glynis (of course) figures out who really did the murder, and exonerates the maiden.

There is much more in this novel, mystery and suspense and adventure enough to make it a really enjoyable read, and as a bonus, you learn a bit about American history. Highly recommended!

This is one of a series of historical novels based in the years immediately prior to the Civil War. Glynis Tryon, the protagonist of all of the novels is an intelligent, independent woman who is a librarian of a small New York town, Seneca Falls. This is an engrossing novel both as a mystery and as a point-of-view story. I would highly recommend it!

Yes, the book is about death: troubled people, after-death awareness, suicide, unfinished business. Some of the stories I enjoyed. One or two I didn't get, or seemed pointless. Ochsner really CAN write, though. I would probably buy or read another book by her, after reading the reviews first to see if it's on a subject more to my liking.

Gina Ochsner has a wonderful literary voice. This book marks the beginning of great things to come.

The Necessary Grace to fall explores the tremulous boundaries between the living and the dead--that twilight territory in time and space, in the memory and the heart, where the living still shake hands with the dead. The themes of mercy, grace, hope and reneweal in graceless times slowly emerge as one story builds upon another. I highly recommend this book both for its literary imagination and technique. Quite possibly it will change your life.

It's a shame that this book is out of print. It is well worth the hunt to locate a copy if you are interested in learning just about all there is to know about the Victorian era. The Victorian era was a time when the "culture of character" was the national goal. Victorians followed widely accepted moral codes and sought to create a self that was worthy of esteem. Ms. Lichter compares the consistent beliefs and cultural values of the Victorians against today's high levels of self indulgence, narcissism as well as the recent culture of victims. The Victorians shared ideals of character. Today, we satisfy our impulses rather than overcome them. Ms.Lichter also sheds new light on so called repressed Victorian sexuality. They were neither repressed nor prudish according to the author. Ms. Lichter shows that the major difference between modern day Americans and the Voctorians is that the Victorians simply believed that sexual matters were private. This is in sharp contrast to today's public and highly impersonal open book attitudes.
This is a highly informative book, and I loved it.

I think that this is a wonderful book. It really brings home in an undeniably strong way just how far civilization has come in the last 100 or so years - mostly for the worse when it comes to manners and behavior. It also points out that some things have even come full-circle, and that fragments of Victorian values are being recommended to people as "the latest thinking".

My mother will love this book, many of the complaints and frustrations she has about "people/life today" are repeated in this book, but put into historical context, and with an armarda of examples illustrating how the Victorians did it better, and why it worked. I find it hard to argue with the author! She makes me feel as though I'd love living back in the Victorian age.

I find this a compelling read, and so does my girlfriend - and we're "offspring of baby-boomer" age, probably one of the very few in our age group that would care less about social graces. Buy the book - even if you don't agree with the arguments, you'll have a very lively read with plenty of thought-provoking ideas and recollections.

It is the best decline of civility etiquette book that I have read. Written by a female who boldly knocks the women's liberation movement. It is very pithy and articulate. It has shown me how to serve others by simply being civil.

I don't agree that she should follow her own advice. She obviously was being blunt for the effect (i.e., making a point). The book does contain strong language.

Gom on Windy Mountain was ingenius, really ingenius, and I left it wishing for more. And it was by pure chance that one day I saw The Riddle and the Rune and picked it up. Instantly I realized and then and there checked it and the sequel, The Crystal Stair, out of the library. Both were absolutely fasinating, and after a long wait for the next book, finally I was confronted by The Starstone. Bleck! It started so slow, and so predictable; the ending was stupid and hardly and ending at all. It was the climax of the plot, hello! I now wonder where Chetwin's talent disappeared to. Rarely have I reviewed a book I didn't like and this is no exception. It was great. But the actual writing was poorly done and ruined the effect of it all for the most part. Sorry!

I have read all the books in the Gom series by Grace Chetwin and could not put them down! These books require that you use your imagination...a rare quality in this day and age...and they really make you think about life and it's many stages.

I am a mother of 4 and can heartily recommend this series to other parents looking for something with substance to read to their children!

The Starstone just put a thrill in the word magic. It combines magic with an all out demand for knowledge. The main character is Gom. Gom has a famous mom who is called Harga the Brown and she is a great sorcorer. The book has just an excellent plot, good characters, and a killer descriptiveness on where it takes place. I recommend this book very highly to anyone who loves magic and adventure as much as I do!