The 14th Gor novel is the first in the Jason Marshall trilogy and like Captive of Gor and Slave Girl of Gor this one is pretty much for the bondage crowd. The perspective is from the viewpoint of a male slave; hence the title of the review. The story begins with 25 year old Jason in a cafe on Earth talking to Beverley Henderson, a classmate he is attracted to but has never dated. After a long and laughably unrealistic conversation about gender relationships, they go outside and are promptly kidnapped to Gor, parted, and enslaved. Jason finds himself the silk slave (i.e., boy toy) of the Lady Florence of Vonda, a city of the Salerian Confederation. After he has been defiled by Lady Melpomene, Lady Florence's archenemy, however, he is demoted to stable slave and makes a name for himself in the "stable bouts"; hence the title of the book. Despite the title it has very little fighting or action of any kind even after war breaks out between the Salerian Confederation and the city-state of Ar. Furthermore, the writing is self-indulgent to a fault. In one scene Jason is dragging a female prisoner behind him down a pitch black tunnel trying to escape from 4 trained warriors of Ar armed with swords. Jason also has a sword but no training with it and is aware that he has no chance whatsoever against them. Even though he can hear the soldiers searching for them, he nevertheless throws her to the ground and rapes her, no doubt to demonstrate his dominance and full Gorean "manhood" since they had had copious sex just prior to the escape scene. (It took Tarl Cabot 8 volumes to achieve this---it's not until he overcomes his paralytic conversion reaction in the opening chapter of Volume 9, Marauders of Gor, that he is fully Gorean---but Jason does it in less than one!) This scene is utterly unrealistic, utterly gratuitous, and utterly ridiculous. I understand that in his other career John Norman was a professor of philosophy at a New York college. I shouldn't have to tell him that in the hierarchy of human drives survival comes before sex and dominance.

"Fighting Slave of Gor," Volume 14 in John Norman's Chroncles of Counter-Earth, is the first of what is known as the Jason Marshall trilogy (because instead of Tarl Cabot the central character is now Jason Marshall). Over the apex of the series with "Nomads of Gor" and "Assassin of Gor," Norman's novels started a gradual but persistent move away from an emphasis on the action-adventure of the conflict between the Priest-Kings and the Others (now revealed to be the Kurii) and spent more and more time dealing with what is now known as the Gorean philosophy of gender roles. On the off chance that nobody understood the complementary relationship between the sexes that exists on Gor between male masters and female slaves, Norman takes a somewhat different approach with this trilogy, which actually focuses more on the male of the species.

Jason Marshall is in his mid-twenties and sitting in a cafe on Earth having a discussion on gender roles with Beverley Henderson. When she becomes the target of a Gorean abduction Jason tries to interfere and ends up brought to Gor as well and promptly enslaved. As the silk slave of the Lady Florence of Vonda, Jason is indoctrinated into the rules of his new world, becomes a pawn in the conflict between his mistress and her nemesis the Lady Melpomene, and ends up in the stables as the titular fighting slave. The intergalactic conflict between the Priest-Kings and the Others is replaced by the more mundane conflict of an attack by Glorious Ar upon the Salerian Confederation.

As an Earth male enslaved on Gor, Marshall serves as a surogate for the male reader in terms of learning the Gorean requirements for being a manly man. Of course, by the end of the novel the collar is on the other neck (literally) and the student becomes the teacher. "Fighting Slave of Gor" and the entire Jason Marshall trilogy are obviously going to be of considerably more interest to those who have not only read the books but have also invested in sleeping silks, Tuchuk tattoos and a slave collar (or two). I preferred Tarl Cabot on his war tarn Ubar of the Skies over anything that ever happened on his sleeping firs, but you know what they say about different strokes.

I loved this one! It's what a Norman fan expects. Yes, I own and have read all 25 books of John Norman's GOR Saga and would love to read 25 more. John Norman is an extraordinary writer. So what if he makes slaves out of women. Hey! This is fiction, it hapens in GOR which is at the other side of the Sun and should not affect our planet. However, his books are controversial for those who would like to enslave the minds of everyone. They are anathema for those folks out there who can determine what we can, should, and want to read. Well, too bad. I always have read whatever I want and, if I don't like it, I will not read it. Isn't that the healthy way to be? Why should a well-intentioned person forbid a book to the rest of the country is something beyond my understanding. I guess those sick friends of systematic censorship believe they are God. Certainly they don't believe in the First Amendment to the Constitution. Well, they are not gods. Just very disturbed people and should be confined to special institutions. Rebel, readers! Buy John Norman books and demand that they are reprinted! Besides that, overlooking Norman's obsession with enlaving females, his books are extraordinary. How many authors have you read that depict a whole planet, including inhabitants, flora and fauna, plus language, traditions, etc. in such a way that it's believable? I know of only one: John Norman.

The first novel in John Norman's Counter-Earth Series, "Tarnsman of Gor," owed a debt to "A Princess of Mars," the first John Carter novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Both of the second novels in these series begin the same way, with the hero finally able to return to the distant planet where they can begin to search for the great love of their life. But after the beginning of "Outlaw of Gor" Norman abandons the parallels to Burroughs and starts to build on the elements introduced in the first novel to create his own unique world.

"Outlaw of Gor" offers a radical reintroduction to the world of Gor. Tarl Cabot is returned to the Counter-Earth seven long years after he left, only to discover that his City-State of Ko-ro-ba has been ordered destroyed by the mysterious Priest-Kings. Just as no two stones of the city are allowed to stand together neither can two citizens of the city. An Initiate, one of those who serves the Priest-Kings, orders Cabot to submit to their will, but he refuses, and heads off across Gor for the Sardar Mountains, the legendary home of the Priest-Kings. Along the way he walks into Tharna, a town ruled by women. The head woman is called the Tatrix and the ruling class of women wear silver masks. The society is sterile and unproductive and although they try to break Cabot to their will, they are not going to have any more success than the Priest-Kings did in "Tarnsman of Gor."

For me "Outlaw of Gor" is the weakest of the early Counter-Earth novels, mainly because Cabot's adventures in Tharna are a detour on his war to the Sardar Mountains. My best advice is to have the third novel, "The Priest-Kings of Gor" on hand so that as soon as you finish this one you can start the next book, especially since this is one of the rare times in the Gor series that the next novel pretty much picks up right where the previous one leaves off. For me these second and third novels are essentially one giant story.

However, from the perspective of the Gorean philosophy (i.e., way of life) developed by Norman (the pseudonym of philosophy professor John Lange), "Outlaw of Gor" is clearly the most important of the early novels. The novel was written in 1967, a time when the feminist movement was beginning to take shape, and it is easy to read "Outlaw of Gor" as something of a response to the times that were a-changin'. A city run by women is seen as being unnatural, and Norman begins to expand on some of the key elements of the Gorean philosophy: the concept of honor and the importance of the Home Stone, the dangers of technology versus respect for the environment, and the independence of men and the "truth" of female slavery. At this point in the series Norman is clearly courting controversy.

Of course, for many potential readers of this series, this is a make-or-break proposition. I preferred the adventure aspects of the Gor novels and abandoned the series in the early 1980s when I found myself flipping through the long discussions on "slavery" that were becoming omni-present in the books. I was also dismayed that other characters besides Tarl Cabot were becoming the focus of the book and the giant story arc regarding the Priest-Kings was becoming increasingly prolonged (and often ignored). But in terms of sword and sorcery novels, Norman's first half-dozen Gor novels create a unique barbaric world and his characterization of supporting characters improves with every outing If you start the series, at least make it through "Assassins of Gor," which I consider the apex of the series.

The first novel in John Norman's Counter-Earth Series, "Tarnsman of Gor," owed a debt to "A Princess of Mars," the first John Carter novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Both of the second novels in these series begin the same way, with the hero finally able to return to the distant planet where they can begin to search for the great love of their life. But after the beginning of "Outlaw of Gor" Norman abandons the parallels to Burroughs and starts to build on the elements introduced in the first novel to create his own unique world.

"Outlaw of Gor" offers a radical reintroduction to the world of Gor. Tarl Cabot is returned to the Counter-Earth seven long years after he left, only to discover that his City-State of Ko-ro-ba has been ordered destroyed by the mysterious Priest-Kings. Just as no two stones of the city are allowed to stand together neither can two citizens of the city. An Initiate, one of those who serves the Priest-Kings, orders Cabot to submit to their will, but he refuses, and heads off across Gor for the Sardar Mountains, the legendary home of the Priest-Kings. Along the way he walks into Tharna, a town ruled by women. The head woman is called the Tatrix and the ruling class of women wear silver masks. The society is sterile and unproductive and although they try to break Cabot to their will, they are not going to have any more success than the Priest-Kings.

For me "Outlaw of Gor" is the weakest of the early Counter-Earth novels, mainly because Cabot's adventures in Tharna are a detour on his war to the Sardar Mountains. My best advice is to have the third novel, "The Priest-Kings of Gor" on hand so that as soon as you finish this one you can start the next book, especially since this is one of the rare times in the Gor series that the next novel pretty much picks up right where the previous one leaves off. For me these second and third novels are essentially one giant story.

However, from the perspective of the Gorean philosophy (i.e., way of life) developed by Norman (the pseudonym of philosophy professor John Lange), "Outlaw of Gor" is clearly the most important of the early novels. The novel was written in 1967, a time when the feminist movement was beginning to take shape, and it is easy to read "Outlaw of Gor" as something of a response to the times that were a-changin'. A city run by women is seen as being unnatural, and Norman begins to expand on some of the key elements of the Gorean philosophy: the concept of honor and the importance of the Home Stone, the dangers of technology versus respect for the environment, and the independence of men and the "truth" of female slavery. At this point in the series Norman is clearly courting controversy.

Of course, for many potential readers of this series, this is a make-or-break proposition. I preferred the adventure aspects of the Gor novels and abandoned the series in the early 1980s when I found myself flipping through the long discussions on "slavery" that were becoming omni-present in the books. I was also dismayed that other characters besides Tarl Cabot were becoming the focus of the book and the giant story arc regarding the Priest-Kings was becoming increasingly prolonged (and often ignored). But in terms of sword and sorcery novels, Norman's first half-dozen Gor novels create a unique barbaric world and his characterization of supporting characters improves with every outing If you start the series, at least make it through "Assassins of Gor," which I consider the apex of the series.

The first novel in John Norman's Counter-Earth Series, "Tarnsman of Gor," owed a debt to "A Princess of Mars," the first John Carter novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Both of the second novels in these series begin the same way, with the hero finally able to return to the distant planet where they can begin to search for the great love of their life. But after the beginning of "Outlaw of Gor" Norman abandons the parallels to Burroughs and starts to build on the elements introduced in the first novel to create his own unique world.

"Outlaw of Gor" offers a radical reintroduction to the world of Gor. Tarl Cabot is returned to the Counter-Earth seven long years after he left, only to discover that his City-State of Ko-ro-ba has been ordered destroyed by the mysterious Priest-Kings. Just as no two stones of the city are allowed to stand together neither can two citizens of the city. An Initiate, one of those who serves the Priest-Kings, orders Cabot to submit to their will, but he refuses, and heads off across Gor for the Sardar Mountains, the legendary home of the Priest-Kings. Along the way he walks into Tharna, a town ruled by women. The head woman is called the Tatrix and the ruling class of women wear silver masks. The society is sterile and unproductive and although they try to break Cabot to their will, they are not going to have any more success than the Priest-Kings.

For me "Outlaw of Gor" is the weakest of the early Counter-Earth novels, mainly because Cabot's adventures in Tharna are a detour on his war to the Sardar Mountains. My best advice is to have the third novel, "The Priest-Kings of Gor" on hand so that as soon as you finish this one you can start the next book, especially since this is one of the rare times in the Gor series that the next novel pretty much picks up right where the previous one leaves off. For me these second and third novels are essentially one giant story.

However, from the perspective of the Gorean philosophy (i.e., way of life) developed by Norman (the pseudonym of philosophy professor John Lange), "Outlaw of Gor" is clearly the most important of the early novels. The novel was written in 1967, a time when the feminist movement was beginning to take shape, and it is easy to read "Outlaw of Gor" as something of a response to the times that were a-changin'. A city run by women is seen as being unnatural, and Norman begins to expand on some of the key elements of the Gorean philosophy: the concept of honor and the importance of the Home Stone, the dangers of technology versus respect for the environment, and the independence of men and the "truth" of female slavery. At this point in the series Norman is clearly courting controversy.

Of course, for many potential readers of this series, this is a make-or-break proposition. I preferred the adventure aspects of the Gor novels and abandoned the series in the early 1980s when I found myself flipping through the long discussions on "slavery" that were becoming omni-present in the books. I was also dismayed that other characters besides Tarl Cabot were becoming the focus of the book and the giant story arc regarding the Priest-Kings was becoming increasingly prolonged (and often ignored). But in terms of sword and sorcery novels, Norman's first half-dozen Gor novels create a unique barbaric world and his characterization of supporting characters improves with every outing If you start the series, at least make it through "Assassins of Gor," which I consider the apex of the series.

"Priest-Kings of Gor" is the third novel in John Norman's Counter-Earth sage focusing on Tarl Cabot. At the end of the first novel, "Tarnsman of Gor," Cabot found himself unwillingly returned to Earth after his first adventure. Seven years later he returns to Gor in "Outlaw of Gor," only to find that his city has been destroyed and his people scattered by the order of the Priest-Kings. Refusing to submit, Cabot begins a journey to the Sardar Mountains, the legendary home of the Priest-Kings, to confront them. After being diverted by encountering a town ruled by women, Cabot finally reaches the Sardar as this novel begins; for this reason I always think of "Outlaw" and "Priest-Kings" as being two halves of one giant novel and would not want to finish the former without having the latter on hand.

The success of this novel comes down to one thing: how Norman answers the mysteries of the Priest-Kings. For me coming to this point in the saga is like "Apocalypse Now," when we finally come to the end of the trip up the river and about to meet Kurtz. In that film I am not sure there is anything that would have been a good enough payoff for the great set up that was provided, but that is not the case with this novel. I was speculating about a lot of different possibilities as Tarl Cabot made his way into the Sardar Mountains, but I guarantee you that I never expected what turns out to be the truth. Even better, Norman builds upon this revelation throughout the novel. Consequently, having said this, I will refrain from discussing the novel in more detail.

"Priest-Kings of Gor" is far and away the most traditional "science fiction" novel in the Gor series, which is another way of saying that it deals the least with the Gorean philosophy that has made this series notorious. This is not to say that it is not touched upon, for Cabot encounters Vika, a slave girl, inside the Sardar; but this is a minor sub-plot when it comes to the mystery of the titular beings. This 1968 novel is the most pivotal in the series because it redefines Tarl Cabot's mission on Gor for more than the next dozen novels. What follows are the two best of Norman's novels, "Nomads of Gor" and "Assassins of Gor" (my preference is for the latter, although I know that is a minority opinion among fans of these early books). For those who enjoy the adventures involving swords in the tradition of the Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter novels or Robert E. Howard's Conan stories, these first half-dozen Gor novels are worthy successors.

This is the first Gor book that I have read. I have known about them for decades but had dismissed them as trash without ever having read one because of their reputation for misogyny and the promotion of bondage. During a recent trip to a used book I came across a copy of Priest-Kings of Gor with a cover by Boris Vallejo that intrigued me. It showed a barbarian standing over a slave girl with what I took to be a golden idol of a gigantic insectoid creature in the background. (As it turned out, the "idol" was a living Priest-King!) I was in the mood for "guilty pleasure" so I bought it. I expected to get slam-bang action, lurid writing, a no-brainer story, and lots of politically incorrect pornography. Boy, was I wrong! The story has its share of action but it also has a fair amount of exposition and character development. The writing is far from lurid. It actually has a somewhat stilted feeling to it that I associate more with Victorian prose than with modern writing. The story was reasonably complex and the cultural background was surprisingly detailed. What impresses me most about this book, however, is the convincing presentation of an alien with a truly ALIEN perspective, the Priest-King of Gor, an intelligent creature whose sensorium is based on olfaction rather than vision. I've been reading science fiction for more than 40 years and I can't think of a book that has done it better. Oh, yeah, the bondage stuff. It's there but not as prominent as in the other Gor books, I'm told. And there is no pornography...whatever sex there is in this book (I don't remember any!) occurs offstage. Nevertheless, anyone with feminist views is advised to stay as far away from this book as possible. For everyone else it's a hell of a good read!

I have known about the Gor books for ages but dismissed them as trash without ever having read one. At a recent trip to a used book store I came across Priest-Kings of Gor with a cover illo by Boris showing a giant golden insectoid creature (a Priest-King, as I later found out) and bought it because I was in the mood for "guilty pleasure". To make a long story short, I got the pleasure without the guilt! Is the book offensively sexist? Yes, and if you have feminist leanings, I suggest you stay as far away from this book as possible unless you want to be outraged. (I understand the later books in the series are even worse.) Frankly, I found Norman's ideas on sexual relationships to be too ludicrous to take seriously. Anyway, if you can get past the gender issues, what is left is a rather entertaining book that demolished all of my preconceived ideas. What I expected was non-stop action that was luridly and perhaps poorly written, pandering to male power fantasies, perhaps, but certainly nothing to appeal to the intellect. In fact the writing is far from lurid. It has a detached, somewhat stilted feel to it that I associate more with Victorian prose than with modern writing. There is plenty of action but there is also a considerable amount of exposition and even character development. What impresses me most about the book, however, is Norman's depiction of an intelligent but totally alien creature, the Priest-King, whose world view is olfactory-based rather than visually-based, and their society which is presented in considerable detail. I have been reading science fiction for more than 40 years and I can't think of a book that has done it better than this one. I recommend this book highly, especially if you are in the mood for a little political incorrectness!

This book finishes up the saga of Tarl Cabot amongst the Red Savages. *note* it is strongly recommended that "Savages of Gor" be read before "Blood Brothers". This tale starts with our hero deep in the Barrens, lands of the Red Savages, and once again John Norman does a wonderful job of setting the local and discribing the participants. Like in "Savages" I'm struck by the majesty and pride inherent in the characters. Events unfold, this time to a climatic conclusion, and it's only through the presence of Tarl Cabot, who plays a pivital role, that matters turn out the way they do. On a par with "Nomads", "Raiders" and "Hunters". thanks

With Blood Brothers the series returns (albeit briefly) to something like the quality of the first few. Basically it seems that fans of Gor either like the first 12 or so books (maybe excluding Captive #7) because they like the wonderful descriptive writing, the clever plotting and the general excitement of the series; or they like the later books that focus much more on the SM motif. Blood Brothers is clearly one of the former and well worth reading if you have wearied of Norman's sexual fantasies and are keen to get back to the Tarl Cabot saga.

The article gathered here are essentially alexandrian like papers, where general ideas and goals appears clearly, but expressed in a very textual way. So, there is not a lot of stuff on effective design patterns. Hopefully there is some (and even good ones), but it's not obvious that it justify the book size. If you are rather new to patterns (you've just read the "Design pattern" and / or "Pattern oriented software architecture"), consider first the third volume. If you like it, then consider to buy this one. If you REALLY REALLY like it, then consider to buy the first volume

I was at the PLoP conference where the articles in this book were written (mine is number 24). It's a writers' workshop where each paper is metaphorically ripped in shreds and then reassembled, better than before. We worked hard to make these patterns right. Did our work pay off? You better believe it. I've read this book and the first in the series both cover to cover, and the best of this book is equal to the best of the first one. The average quality is higher.

Buy it just for Crossing Chasms, a comprehensive look at all the headaches you get when you try to marry relational databases to object systems. Or buy it just for Demo Prep, which will tell you how to achieve your goals with software demos - happy customers, happy programmers.

Or maybe you need to read my article, Patterns for Classroom Education, which tells you how (and why) to design a course to teach computer programming - or any technical skill.

This biography of one of the most impressive scientists of this century is both interesting and well written. The author gives a precise and thoughtful account of vN's life. I especially liked the fact that he does not dwell too much on the usual stories (such as von Neumann's memory power, or his famous Princeton parties) but tries to go beyond the public image. The best part of the book, to my opinion, is the section that describes Hungary -and especially its high school system- at the beginning of this century. My main criticism is that the book is rather shallow when explaining the scientific contributions of vN. The author is a journalist and not a mathematician/physicists, and he does not do a terrible job at explaining science. This is especially true for the economics contributions of vN. It is very clear to me that the author does not understand very well the progresses made by modern economic theory thanks to vN contributions (utility theory and game theory).The author, obsessed with Japan and competition, has comments with respect to the academic economics profession (whom I belong to...) that can probably be best explained by the fact that he is a PhD dropout. Anyway, this is very interesting book that I recommend to those interested in the evolution of mathematics, physics and technical warfare (but NOT economics!) in the XXth century.

It seems that as time passes and nuclear secrets are gradually declassified, we get longer and longer biographies of John von Neumann. MacRae's biography is helpful, partly because it is fairly recent, and partly because MacRae gives us a glimpse of the worldly side of John von Neumann. The book captures his social style, his special expertise at bluffing, his sense of academic showmanship, his political power -- and shows how adroitly he used that power and his own mystique to push through his technical insights and decisions.

Von Neumann was a trained chemical engineer. Although chemistry is usually remarked as the slightest of his credentials, he knew it and used it. This book includes the story of how he applied mathematics and chemistry to the development, delivery and control of explosive weapons - first chemical, and then nuclear.

Von Neumann's work on explosives is a common thread that runs through his work and pulls together many of his interests that - seen in isolation - seem amazingly disparate. His interests in computers, aerodynamics, parlour game theory and even meteorology were all rooted in or entrained by his fascination with explosive weapons. (For a thermonuclear weapon, for example, the weather is a delivery system for fallout.)

In 1938, von Neumann first became a consultant to the United States military, working at the Aberdeen proving grounds in Maryland. He began by improving the aim of very large guns with explosive shells. It was a surprisingly complicated business because it involved winds aloft, turbulent flow, impacts, and expanding shock fronts of explosive charges. It was on one of his frequent trips to Aberdeen that he encountered one of the University of Pennsylvania engineers working on ENIAC. Von Neumann was unsatisfied with the analog computers then used for weapons work, and plunged into the problem of improving the nascent digital machine. Ultimately he created a digital computer at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton. His purpose in building this particular machine was to use it to complete the design of the hydrogen bomb.

After the war began, von Neumann was sent to England to study the damage inflicted by German bombs during the blitz. He noticed the German bombs were not completely effective because they buried themselves before exploding. Von Neumann used this insight to invent the "air burst" explosive. Thereafter, allied bombs worldwide were fused to go off before they hit the ground. The technique vastly improved their destructive power. Hiroshima was an air burst. At Nagasaki, the bomb was an implosion weapon characterized at Los Alamos as "von Neumann's bomb" because of the implosive detonator he helped develop for it.

MacRae evidently admires von Neumann's accomplishments as a weaponeer, and as a political advocate of weapons development, but he does not quite convey von Neumann's personal sophistication and sense of scientific inquiry.

For example, in developing the digital computer von Neumann talked to a number of neurobiologists. For the most part he believed what they told him and adapted whatever he found useful. His Silliman lectures, reprinted as his book on The Computer and The Brain, includes his credulous precis on the neurobiology of the early 1950s. But von Neumann also noticed and questioned something few neurophysiologists bother themselves about - then or now - which is the fact that the retinal cells of the eye look backward. They are pointed toward the back wall of the eye, and not out at the world. Perhaps these cells see there a thin film diffraction pattern, and not the literal visual picture our brain shows us as an image of the world. Also, in a book by the editor of The Economist, one might expect a bit more on von Neumanns contributions to economics.

Withal, it is difficult to understand why such a civilized, curious, well spoken, socially adroit and erudite man was so intrigued by explosives. To try to make sense of von Neumann you can also read several other books - there exists no single coherent biography. Find "von Neumann and Weiner," two half-biographies in one volume by Heims; The superb Prisoner's Dilemma, by Poundstone; and for historical context, the Rhodes books on the making of the Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs.

After von Neumann's death, his concepts of strategic games were highly elaborated at the RAND corporation, and ultimately became U.S. nuclear policy. MacRae touches on this legacy, but the best book on this great chunk of obscured American history is The Wizards of Armageddon, by Kaplan. It would be interesting to know if von Neumann's theory of parlour games was also used to formulate strategic policy for the Viet Nam disaster. It would not be surprising.

My father wrote this book after retiring from his career long job as The Economist's longest serving staff writer. Here are some comments on what other reviewers have said.

It's true my father never studied for a phd in economics; if you'd just served in world war 2, got a first in economics in Cambridge and been offered a job at The Economist, you'd probably not have seen any practical point in that either. ( If you want to go into who knows what about 21st C futures, internetworking,intangible assets and new economics, I'm sure we can link you to that at http://www.normanmacrae.com )

It may be that some of my father's admiration for Von Neumann also got blended with his world views. But Von Neumann's family -whom my father worked closely with - didn't want any of that blend diluted.

My father was aiming primarily to explain to everyone why Von Neumann was one of the 2 great mathematicians of the 20th century and what background great mathematicians grow up in. In trying to make that accessible to everyone, he clearly doesn't go into the depth of mathematics theory that might stimulate today's hundred greatest living mathematicians. Everyone else will probably find the mathematical content suitable for a biography which they want to learn from.

Moreover, Von Neumann was the first mathematician to insist that the subject's future lay mainly in teamwork facilitated by computing rather than individual mathematical power. Not every academic has understood that point the way Johy would have hoped.

chris macrae, wcbn007@easynet.co.uk Marketing Electronic Learning NETwork http://www.egroups.com/group/melnet2

If you ever wondered what a love story set on the planet Gor would be like, here's your answer. If you were expecting hearts and flowers and violin music, you just don't know Gor! Try instead whips, chains, cages, humiliation, degradation, brutality, and rape. Nevertheless, as hard as he tries,... Clitus Vitellius is unable to suppress his tender feelings, so unbecoming to a Master of the Warrior Caste, toward pretty little Judy. This is the second of the Gor novels to be told from the perspective of an abducted Earth girl enslaved on Gor. Judy aka Dina aka Yata is nowhere near the nasty piece of work that Elinor Brinton of Captive of Gor was. Also, she accepts her slavery much more readily than EB so you would think that her experiences on Gor would not be as harsh. Wrong! This book differs from Captive in several other ways. For one thing it actually has a plot. Unbeknownst to Judy she carries an implanted message to a Cosian agent of the Kurii that has bearing on the interplanetary struggle for control of both Gor and Earth. Of course, after an initial taste of this plot it stops for the next 300 pages or so in order to give the reader a look at what life is like for a slave girl on Gor. If your interest is Gorean lifestyle, you'll like this part. Otherwise, it can be slow going. Another difference from Captive is that there is a fair amount of action especially in the last 150 pages when Tarl Cabot again shows up as Bosk of Port Kar. (Rask of Treve briefly shows up again as well.) The revelation of Judy's hidden message sets up the next novel; however, there is nothing here that seems crucial to understanding subsequent volumes in the series. This is clearly a better novel than Captives but not as good as the action-oriented books.

Writing as John Norman in the Chronicles of Counter-Earth series, Professor John Lange repeatedly developed the idea that only in sexual bondage, in which a woman submitted to the dominance of a strong master, could she find sexual fulfillment. Scenes in which Tarl Cabot, or another Gorean male, puts a slave collar around a young girl's neck, has her chained by his sleeping furs, and proceeds to teach her this lesson abound. "Slave Girl of Gor" is the second of three novels in the series that explore this in, ah, someone greater detail from the perspective of the female of the species (as opposed to from Cabot's perspective with Elizabeth Caldwell in "Nomads of Gor"). The first of this "trilogy" would have been "Captive of Gor" and the third is "Kajira of Gor" ("kajira" being Gorean for slave girl, or, if you will, captive).

On one level the plot deals with the next chapter in the battle between the Others and the Priest-Kings for control of Gor. Tarl Cabot has resumed serving the latter and is trying to learn the battle plans of the Kurri, the beastlike Others who are ready to launch their invasion. Meanwhile, Judy Thornton of Earth, is found wandering in the wildnerness and is captured and enslaved. As we follow her training as a slave girl we also learn that she is carrying a secret message that has grave implications for the future of Gor. Consequently, there is something of a race going on to see who can be the first to conquer not just her body but her mind and learn the big bad secret. However, this synopsis gives you a sense of the best parts of the novel, at least from a perspective that emphasizes action and adventure. Most of "Slave Girl of Gor" has to do with Judy learning how to be a slave girl of Gor, although, to be fair, there is also an object lesson involved for Clitus Vitellius of the Warrior Caste, who has feelings for the pretty slave girl and has to remember what it means to be a real master.

From the perspective of the so-called Gorean philosophy, "Slave Girl of Gor" is clearly a major treatise from Lange/Norman. There are those who take this philosophy as gospel, while others use it as a model for role-playing. All I can tell you in that regard is that copies of "Slave Girl," along with "Kajira" and "Magician of Gor," bringing the highest prices for used copies of Norman's novels. I am obviously lousy master material because I tend to skip over such scenes and discussions to get back to the swording and flying giant birds around in the sky.

I began reading the Gor series about six months ago and have so far collected 22 of the orginal 27 books. The bondage and S/M themes that gain strength in each book made me wonder as a male if Norman were simply presenting a kinky and overly masculine perspective.

So I began to examine female writers beginning with Janet E. Morris' Silistra. And whaddayaknow? Norman has talented female counterparts praising bondage from a female standpoint! Amazing! So women do want sex as badly as men!

"Slavegirl of Gor" is the most provocative of Gor's novels up to this point, and is the first to be devoted to the experience of bondage per se from a woman's point ov view. I actually found the depictions of a woman "in her need" unbelievable until compared the same experiences as related by female writers. They described the very same things, down to scratching their nails in the dirt or against walls when their sexual needs could not be fulfilled!

While I am not prepared to follow Norman down the road of male-doiminance/female-submission and S/M, he is able to bring alive every violent, sweating, bleeding, painful sensual moment of the narrative in a way that no other writer does.

Norman also has first-rate character-development, even if his punctuation needs correction. The wealth of historical, cultural and linguistic research that stands behind these books is fantastic, and I say this as a published scholar of ancient and biblical history and languages. It's a shame that the later books in the series are so hard to get.

Another reviewer was convinced that this was a tongue-in-cheek swipe at humorless feminists, and also felt it could not be filmed as anything other than a comedy. I totally disagree. The body of work that Norman has produced over many, many years is all in this same vein, so this is not a one-shot deal, and he started writing this type of stuff before feminists were a common feature of our culture. I also think that a director on the level of Roman Polanski could film it quite effectively as something definitely not comedic! That said, however, I found it a tough read, even though I am in agreement with many of it's premises. Norman's style is strange, idiosyncratic, and quite cumbersome. One often finds whole chunks of descriptive detail re-occuring at different places in the book, verbatim, and his use of punctuation is...strange, to say the least. It was, and was obviously intended to be, mildly erotic. It's a fantasy that expresses a qausi-scientific framework for the male chauvinist the lurks within many men, and as such, could have been written in a lighter, less cumbersome, more accessible style.

I've never been able to figure out if Norman is serious or not in what he writes. He writes totally seriously, yet there is some high camp, almost satire to to him. In his novel he blames most of the world's problems on ancient farmers--he much prefers the hunter/gatherers. So he sends people back in time to make sure the hunter/gatherers predominate in the future. It's strange stuff, as a lot of Norman's writings are. As posted below, it's a combination of philosophy and mild sado-masochistic quasi-pornography. And there really _are_ scenes in which cavewoman undulate before the men to get scraps of meat thrown to them. This is dominance/submission stuff. His books are extremely popular, though--just try and find one at the cover price. I just don't know what to make of them.

Take one very old myth. Stir in a partisan viewpoint or two. Pointedly ignore the effect it will have on those who read it only to whip up pre-existing outrage. Thoroughly entertain your appreciative fans.....

OK... Let's face it; this guy is a pretty crummy writer. Even so, I have read every one of his novels.... several times!

So who says you have to be a good writer to be a good story teller!