Arthur C. Clarke's component in this series is the inclusion of a number of his interesting short stories as the subplots with very little alteration of the details. (The original book titles were actually the names of the stories, eg. Breaking Strain.) These stories are seamlessly incorporated into the whole work.

What is added by Preuss is the style and setting - Sparta, a fragile but superhuman woman who has lost her past, searches for the people who made her what she is. In doing so, she becomes involved in the situations created in Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction. The "Venus Prime" series maps out her journey (as well as serving up great stories by Clarke). Preuss peppers the books with nice details of life in the near future (like logical extensions, interesting-but-plausible technology, and so on).

If you're looking for the original short stories, several appeared in the out-of-print collection "The Sentinel ; masterworks of science fiction and fantasy" (the title story is also interesting as the origin of Clarke's novel "2001 a Space Odyssey").

I just finished The Diamond Moon. Thoroughly enjoyed this fifth volume. I have always been a huge fan of Arthur C. Clarke and was skeptical when realizing he was a co-author, but have been extremely pleased with the masterful blend of true science fiction with an involving story line using mystery and engaging character development that I assume to be of Paul Preuss' design. This is not a book to be read on it's own, but to be enjoyed from the beginning and read through the end - (I'm going to get Volume 6 now).

I have been hooked right from the start - accolades to Paul Preuss and Arthur C. Clarke!

Suzuki Shosan was a samurai who at midlife became a Zen monk. He evolved an original teaching style imbued with the warrior spirit, emphasizing dynamic activity over quiet contemplation, urging his students to realize enlightenment in the midst of their daily tasks. Today, many who are attracted to Zen but cannot set apart the necessary time from the lives they lead may find appeal in his unorthodox approach.

If you read books on Zen, and would like an unusual take on things, this book may offer it. Suzuki Shosan was a samurai who resigned to study the "Way". For him, mindfulness of death and general preparedness was the main point. I liked the way, in particular, that he cast aside his "enlightenment experiences" as useless. Sometimes, just when he seems not as deep as some other Zen heros, he surprises you. So: a good, somewhat unorthodox and refreshing read.

I await with great anticipation the release of Dr. Diamond's Souls of the City. If it's half as good as And I Will Dwell In Their Midst, we will once again be treated to an incisive, intriguing, persuasive work by one of North America's finest social historians. I only hope that this month's release of Souls of the City is not completely overshadowed by the historic hype of Senator Clinton's Living History and J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

DIAMONDS is a well crafted affirmation that values of quality can be put into action in anyone's life with enriching results. The comfortable pace and use of real life illustrations encourage the reader to pause and consider how the qualities described could impact their own experience. I intend to reread DIAMONDS and have recommended it to others.

Building on eight character traits and real examples, the authors show how living according to these principles has positively affected the lives successful people. They provide a beacon of hope for those who want to conduct business with integrity and show how good ethics are good business.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is very well written and held my attention throughout. The stories about real people made this book come alive for me. I found it difficult to put down. I highly recommend it.

Good writing, a different kind of detective and brave plotting make this a keeper. A pleasure to find something new.

After looking in every bookstore in town and learning they were all out-of-stock, I finally decided to order from here. It was a long wait (and more than I wanted to pay for an author I'd never read), so I was sure this would be a disappointment. I even considered giving it away as a gift after I had read it.

That said, this book has a permanent place on my bookshelf. I read it in the space of one day, unable to stay away from the tale of Maximillian Diamond for more than a few moments. Well worth the price, the wait and everything else it took to get this book in my hands. Can't wait for "A Cure To Gravity" to get here!!

Nothing about this mystery novel is expected, from the great care the writer takes to come up with memorable character names -Phayle, Sea Chunny, Mozart - to the use of a U.S postal inspector as the centerpiece of what promises to be a series. Postal inspector? That's got to be a first among mystery novels. The hero has a pet tortoise, drives an exotic motorcycle, practices a Zen lifestyle, is bald, and went to Yale. Name another novel in the detective genre with those traits. Combine originality of detail, if not plot, with a far above average literary style and you have a read that is hard to put down. Great writing. More, more!