In this world, it is rare that a man show as much love, kindeness, and humility as did George Burns. However, this book chooses rather to focus on the sordid details of his life. The sexual immorality, the dirty jokes off stage, the things that George himself varnished over. George had a right to varnish over the negatives. It is the soul of the man. It is how he made it to 100 years of age. This book instead punches him below the belt posthumously. I was and am a big George Burns fan, and I was sorely disapointed that someone could be so cheap and callous as to sully his image.

To the earlier reviewer : If you can't stand the unvarnished truth, why are you reading this book. If you want rose-colored platitudes, read People magazine. This book tells it like it was, warts and all. Isn't that what a proper biography should do?

I would rather get the Wild Card Virus than read this again....

Skip this and read #11 and you wont even notice that there was a book in the middle...Its just a story about Tachyon on his home planet trapped in the girls body. There is none of the best Wild Card Characters (with the exception of a few one liners from Poppin-Jay)

This book is the only major blemish on the wild card series...

End of story...

destroy this book if you have it so no-one else can ever read it...

I love the wild-card series. I hated Double Solitaire.

The wild card series is a mosaic plot - a collection of authors writing about the same world. It worked great with the Man Kzin Wars (friends of Larry Niven) and in Wild Card Books 1-9.
Unfortunately, this book isn't a mosaic novel. Even less forturnate, Melinda Snodgrass is the author. Ms Snodgrass is better suited to writing cheap romances or mercenary soldier books. She should never have been let near this plot. The wild card talent in this book is rape, physical and mental. Naturally, the physical rapes described in loving detail. Dr. Tachyon is transformed from a flawed hero-type into woman-as-victim. My reactions went from impatience to distaste and finally to boredom. Couldn't finish the damn thing. This book will appeal to friends of the author - maybe.
Get the series, get the black trump trilogy, but skip this one.

I think this book was one of the Best in the series. For once we get to actually see some of the characters work together and go through a whole book together.The Book holds to much information to understand the rest of the series to skip and is very good>>

In fairness, I have not yet finished the book. Yet I am already disappointed that so little was included about the European ideological and theological heritage that went into the Articles and the Constitution. Also, very little was said about the motivations and concerns of the Anti-Federalists.
The layout is attractive and easy to read. At times, the information content per paragraph is low. Some of the incidents are interesting or good cocktail party fodder, but they seem to shy away from presenting thought provoking material without accompanying commentary. In other words, I feel they don't trust the reader to think for him/herself.
The authors manifest their views everywhere but do not admit that they are opinions or discuss how the presentation is crafted around those opinions. This feature of the book lends itself to a game that increases alertness while reading: "Spot the authors' opinions." Whether you find yourself agreeing or not, it is important to recognize the authors' goals and rationale.