what good about this collection is that it's not "anual awards" collection, which can't have really remarkable good stories (especcially in the last 2 decades), and is very biased.

also the collection follow a line of classic science fiction stories from the golden era of science fiction (i.e 60's-70's), especcialy intended for those who can't stand today's "self aware" science fiction, or fantasy literarture elements.

also we have here great stories from grand masters of science fiction like the late poul anderson, fredrik pohl, and more.

recomended for classic science fiction devoters.

Word-by-Word translations... is an excellent resource for singers and pianists alike. All of the standard rep. and much of the not so standard rep. is included. Entries are easy to locate. The translations provided are accurate and complete. Anyone who has a voice studio or seeks to improve their own performance should consider this a must-have!

This book has many cool experiments to do with water. It also teaches about water. Teachers should read this book to find some neat stuff to show their classes. I would say that this book is about a fifth or sixth grade reading level. I'm in the sixth grade.

The book explains very well the characteristic of the genus. It illustrade the species that comprises the genus, its morphology and its particular culture techiques.

If anyone has an interest in the character of Sherlock Holmes beyond the stories and pastiches, this book is for you. This book provides great background information on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a chronology of the life of Doyle and the "life" of Holmes and Watson, plus plenty of full-color pictures, and even info on the many different portrayals of Holmes on stage and TV, from William Gillette to Jeremy Brett.

In Writing From Scratch: For Business, Dr. Arthur Elser presents three rules that will create successful business writing. Dr. Elser displays the most important areas, as well as the different formats of business writing. Starting with the initial project, Dr. Elser explains you should decide on your purpose of why you are writing. Is your writing focused on providing information, or providing direction towards others, or reacting to others, or is it to persuade and motivate others around you? Then Dr. Elser asks you to consider who your audience is. You as the writer must relate to your audience. Consider your relationship, the educational background, the work and life experiences, and the attitudes of the audience. Finally Dr. Elser points out to determine what the audiences' needs are. As the writer, you must consider the informational needs. The writer needs to point the information out clearly to get the main purpose understood by the reader. Also in today's workforce, the writer must consider what language he needs to write in. Explain unfamiliar terms and concepts to the reader. Define the terms and processes in simple language so the reader can comprehend your thoughts and ideas. Use analogies to relate the unfamiliar to the familiar.
The purpose of this book is for a quick reference when working on a business document in the daily work environment. It is a fast read that will leave you with plenty of helpful information when confronted with a quick assignment.

Young Legionary is the tale of the life, training and experiences of the youth Keill Randor on his home planet. For any fan of the Last Legionary series this is a fantastic book, especially when considered that it was written after the closure of the series in which this character appears - the finish on the well made product. Well-written, the book fills in the gaps from the original series, documenting the events and people who shaped the life of Keill Randor. It is a satisfying experience, to be likened to learning about the life of Superman on Krypton before it's destruction - a tale which often is left by the roadside, but which all are facinated to know about. Keill Randor suffers the same lonely fate as Clark Kent, the only survivor of his people, only he never finds his new home, and he is left to wander the universe in search of the source that destroyed his world. This is the reason for which Young Legionary is such a valuable book, because in describing the triumphs, trials and pitfalls of the young Keill Randor, it develops him into something which before hand was not as apparent or as complex - "We know the man, but what made him so?" It is melancholic to think about this marvelous world which Hill has created for his character, as it already set that it is doomed to be forever lost. A book for youths or children with good language and description, which can be read before reading any of the series of Last Legionary books, but better read last, as it will renew the original series. It contains a maturity which often lacks in other books for this age group, such as the Hardy Boys, who are sometimes too clean cut, optimistic and ridiculously intelligent for children to imagine as real people. A highly recommendable book, as with all in the same series.

The book A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain is told from the view of Hank Morgan, later on known as The Boss. Hank Morgan travels back in time from the 19th century to the 5th century, in King Arthur's Court. Hank learns from a man dress in a knight's armor that it is the 5th century, he doesn't believe that he traveled back in time, he thinks he is in an asylum. Suddenly Hank remembers that the day that he was told also happened to be the same day of the first recorded full Solar Eclipse. Hank finds that he has wandering into a place where they are hanging innocent people. Hank has some fun and tells the people that he will put the world into total darkness very soon, he hopes that if it truly is the 5th century, the people will believe him. Sure enough the eclipse does happen, all the people are in awe. For the rest of the book Hank is then on known as The Boss.
Throughout the whole story, Hank gives King Arthur tips about how to be more successful. Hank goes on a venturous journey with King Arthur and he helps the King train Knights and create a large army. Hank gets a seat at the round table even though he is not a knight. Hank uses his knowledge to reinvent things that were a new invention from his time. After King Arthur dies, Hank must help the empire live on.
I recommend this to people who are 13 or older and enjoy long, very detailed books. There are also some great pictures included in the book, from portraits of Mark Twain to pictures of King Arthur pulling the sword from the stone.

Well, the perfect companion to La Morte d'Arthur...

Twain completely dissects the "good ol' days" of Arthurian Britain by exposing the vicious social practices of the time: white slavery, le droit de seigneur, confiscation of property in event of suicide, the complete lack of impartial justice, the degrading influence of the Church on the mass, etcetera etcetera etcetera...

The Arthurian legends are wonderful tales, but they are a mythic literary production; Twain deals with the brutal reality of daily living in the Dark Ages, and points out that the good ol' days were not so good, anyway.

As for its applicability to modern America, I am not fit to judge. Perhaps it's there. But "The Connecticut Yankee" is a wonderful tonic for those prone to romanticizing the past. Twain seems to agree with Tom Paine that the English nobility were "no-ability", and simply the latest in a series of robbers.

And, of course, the book is stuffed with wonderful Twainisms... My favorite is his observation that a conscience is a very inconvenient thing, and the significant difference between a conscience and an anvil is that, if you had an anvil inside you, it would be alot less uncomfortable than having the conscience.

Twain also mentions the beautiful mispronunciations of childhood, and how the bereaved parental ear listens in vain for them once children have grown.

You'll never look at castles the same again...

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is an intriguing novel written by Mark Twain. This is a fantastic book for the high school level reader, but would be entertaining to adults as well. I am a freshman in high school, and I enjoyed many attributes of the plot and writing style. In this novel the main character, Hank Morgan, is mysteriously transported from the nineteenth century in Connecticut back to the fifth century in England. During his time in medieval Britain, he keeps a journal which is what most of this book is. The preface and afterwards are both the narration of Mark Twain who writes as if he has found Hank's journal, and is merely writing it down in a book. As the journal starts out, Hank is introduced to King Arthur and after narrowly escaping death and becomes the country's most powerful advisor. Hank introduces many modern wonders to this feudal society. He is hailed a magician, being able to perform wonderful "miracles" and "magic", when it really is only modern science. It is very entertaining to read about how the feeble-minded people of that time react to these feats. In the end, there is a tremendous battle with many exciting episodes leading up to it. If a reader is partial to battle scenes of high caliber, this is a book for him! Of course, Hank has many other battles as well. Once of his biggest enemies is the Church of England. The big question the reader asks themselves during this book is "Will Hank return to his time and if so, how?". It was exciting for me to ponder this question throughout the novel. During Hank's travels through medieval Britain, he meets many people. The people he meets who think a government ruled by the people in Britain (his ultimate goal) would be a good idea, he sends to Camelot where he has schools set up which teach people about modern governmental ideas. Schools were also set up to teach people how to produce his wonders of modern science. These few enlightened people remain loyal to Hank until the very end. I thought it an entertaining notion that people who were trained from birth to believe in one thing, could realize it's faults and begin to believe another things. I really enjoy this book because it brings a lot about human nature into question. It discusses the vast differences of beliefs, manners, and life styles between one hundred years ago and fourteen hundred years ago. I also thought the differences between classic Arthurian legend and Mark Twain's perspective of the time were very interesting. Hanks training of these idealistic people he runs across plays into the large political aspect of this book. Since Hank's ultimate goal is to transform Britain into a country ruled by the people, he starts factories producing modern goods which greatly changes the lives of the Britons. I enjoyed the descriptions of the people's reaction to these modern products of science thirteen centuries before they would be invented. Throughout the entire book commentary and philosophizing concerning the comparison of the fifth century feudal system of Britain and the nineteenth century democracy of the U.S. by Hank Morgan is common. This political aspect is typical of Twain's works. It gave me great pleasure to read this aspect of the book and to comprehend it's meaning. Through Hank Morgan, Mark Twain is able to depict vivid images in the readers mind. Whether it be a person, scene, or sensation felt by Hank Twain describes it in a way which puts a solid picture in the imagination of the reader. I have not seen the movie of this novel, but I have heard it isn't very well done and it is nothing compared to the book. I believe this is because Mark Twain paints such a realistic picture in the mind of the reader, it is nothing compared to what some director can film. From Mark Twain's great descriptions and writing style to the unique ideas presented, the novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is a fantastic novel. There are so many aspects of it to enjoy, and it is just an all around entertaining book. I give this book four out of five stars and I recommend it to any one interested in fantasy, especially if they want a different perspective on King Arthur.

People seem to have mixed opinions about the character "Random", Arthur and Trillian's (biological) daughter. Her presence in the story constitutes more of a Statement than a character as such, I think. She is Douglas Adams' way of saying "hey, we all feel lost, alone, helpless, overwhelmed, uncertain where we belong, etc etc etc" Even so, she probably could have been a little more fleshed out...

The "Guide Mark 2" is really pretty creepy. It makes you think about some of the big questions, unsurprisingly, if you have read any of Douglas Adams' other stuff... Also, although the plot just goes hogwild for 95% of the book, it really does all pull together at the end. The book is relatively self-contained, compared to some of the others in the series. In general this book is less wacky, and generally a bit darker, than the other books in the "trilogy". Reading this is a little like going to "The Cable Guy", when you are expecting a usual Jim Carey movie. It does make you laugh, but also makes you think, and not always in very comforting ways.

This fifth and final installment in the increasingly inaccurately named Hitchhiker's Trilogy is simply amazing. While it seems that a lot of people weren't satisfied with it, I am quite the exception. The tone of the humor in this book (as with SLATFATF) is much darker than the earlier books, but that's just fine by me. I prefer a little darkness.

While this book returns somewhat more to the zaniness of the first three books (at least in comparison to the fourth book), it is not entirely wacky. It seems that this book is, in many ways, quite "fannish," there to please fans of the series with cheap thrills and tips of the hat (one example would be the return of the Vogons, which I don't exactly think anybody was clammoring for). However, in the midst of all this, Adams tells a wonderfully adventurous story that ties together in an ending that will leave you stunned and breathless (I'll try not to spoil it, but it's reminiscent of something that happenned in the first book, HG2G).

The worst part of the book is that Fenchurch just disappears... literally! And we never see Arthur deal with it! Still, Adams provides us with yet another wonderful character to help reveal the human side of Arthur....

I think it is a wonderful, if unexpected and somewhat unnecessary, end to the series. Trillian returns (although thankfully Zaphod doesn't), but Marvin is depressingly absent. Oh and remember Agrajag, from LTUAE? Well, there's a wonderful tie to that whole thing that you just can't miss. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, go read LTUAE and then read this and laugh along with me. Read it. You'll be blown away.

People who read the book "Mostly Harmless" with a focus on the events of the book will probably end up disappointed. Adams continues his shift toward writing character centered novels (as begun in "So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish", and continued in the Dirk Gently novels).

The story focuses on three characters: Arthur Dent, the perenially confused Briton; Ford Prefect, the manic Betelgeusian; and Tricia McMillan, a BBC television reporter who, had she decided not to go back to get her purse when she met "Phil" at a party, would have become Trillian.

Adams presents Dent as a wonderfully tragic picture, and mirrors the beginning of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" quite well. Dent is presented as a lost soul, desperately in search of a home and a place to belong. Of course, when he actually finds a place where he belongs and becomes comfortable, outside events tear his world apart. This is a theme that was present in three of the four previous HHGTTG books, but the presentation is probably the best in "Mostly Harmless" (and particularly intriguing is that Arthur's world is torn asunder by a person searching for the exact same thing as Arthur had: a place to belong).

The story of Tricia McMillan offers an interesting counterpoint to Arthur's troubles. Although she is a successful television personality, she is obsessed with the consequences of one of her past choices. Unlike Arthur, who is preoccupied with the process of finding a place to belong, Tricia is preoccupied with thoughts of what might have been.

Unlike his previous books, Adams allows the tragedy to come to a fitting end. The tone is certainly darker than the previous HHGTTG books, and the humor is perhaps less prevalent. Even so, it is a fitting end to a fine series.

Will people please stop comparing this book to "Rendezvous with Rama"? Of COURSE the 3 sequels in this series aren't the original. Let's move past that.

When I read Rama II, I was disappointed in many ways, but pleased in others. ACC is fantastic at what he does, but character development isn't it. So I was happy to have characters with some sort of depth to them. Sadly, these characters seem to lose depth with time. (Aside: Why is it that middle-aged scifi authors always write about exotic women with French accents who just happen to be amazing in bed?)

As another reviewer noted, the "revelation" of Rama was a bit of a cop-out. That's okay, because I'd known for years that ACC and Gentry Lee had painted themselves into a corner with the Ramans. Nobody could have pulled off a genuine revelation of the Ramans. Really, disappointing though it was, a cop-out was the best way they could have handled the revelation.

So, if the characters were terrible and the plot disappointing, why 3 stars? Simply because it was a valiant attempt, as was the entire series. ACC never intended to write a sequel to "Rendezvous," and the book on its own did not deserve one. He presented us with a mystery of stupendous magnitude, but nothing else. The sequels are worth reading simply because they attempt to put the mystery into HUMAN terms. We might not like or believe the characters, but it's good to see that they at least have names.

First, I read all four RAMA books back to back to back to back in 3 weeks. They all run together a bit for me (except for Rendezvous...different characters), but of the three Clarke/Lee books this one had some of the best and some of the worst material. The bad news: 1.Cliche ridden story lines--like another reviewer here, I found the tyrannical leader, addicted whore daughter, jailed good guy, etc.etc. a bit TOO overblown. 2. This book (and Garden of Rama) had an annoying tendency to use character dialog to explain details that really would not have been talked about in such detail--example, when one of the characters asks another about the octospiders' time system, the character responds with what sounds to me like a technical report on it--totally unrealistic dialog! Even scientists talk like regular humans occasionally! The good news: 1.Fantastically interesting and creative aliens!!! The octospider society is compelling and original. The other alien environment in Rama on this journey (sessiles & myrmicats) is a wonderful work of imagination. Those parts of the book were extremely enjoyable. 2.Overall the story of the node and universal intelligence was also original and fascinating. A good completion to the series, despite the shortcomings.

It's actually been a long time since I read this book, much less the series. The first review that I wrote here was incomplete and was written in a mood that was only temporary, juvenile and confused. I write again only to fully explain myself.

I now realize how much Gentry Lee helped with the character development. Anyone less than a complete moron ought to realize realize how much skill it takes to conjure up so many characters, make them real, and have such a heart-wrenching tale to tell with them. Clarke made a good move taking in Lee.

What fascinated and pleased me the most was the aging relationship between Richard Wakefield and Nicole des Jardins. Not only them, but their children's vastly different paths in life were shocking, heart-warming, and sobering. The fact that the characters were so real, so personal, so THERE, made the science fiction plot that they resided in far better than it would have been without them.

When you reach the end of the book, it is as if you're losing a friend. Through thousands of pages you have followed these characters; seen what they've done with their extraordinary, fictitious lives.

The sheer scale of the story is something I will treasure for the rest of my life. The constant discovery, awe, and mystery of: Where did this ship come from? then What are these creatures inside? and finally What in Heaven's name is going on and What's going to happen to us now??

Granted, the series has its moments of unwarranted quote-unquote "smut," but I guess the ultra-liberalism with the writing of character activity only helps develop them further, at a more "personal" level.

In conclusion, I think that the old preacher's explanation of the whole "Rama Mission" was not only satisfying, but awe-inspiring and it held mystery to ponder even after the story in writing was concluded.