The Zero Stone is the first novel in the Murdoc Jern series. Murdoc is the son of Hywel Jern, a former prime assessor to a sector boss of the Thieves' Guild who bought out when his patron was assassinated. Hywel migrated to Angkor and married the daughter of a local hock-lock operator. Shortly after the marriage, his in-laws. and many others in the vicinity of the port, died from disease brought by a plague ship, but Hywel and his wife survived and even performed some of the necessary governmental functions during the emergency. Some five years later, Angkor became a hub for interstellar trade in that sector and the Jern business thrived through Hywel's many off-world contacts, both legal and illegal, but he maintained a low profile, operating from the same modest hock-lock.

One day, the first officer of a spaceliner brought in a ring with a dull stone that was found in interstellar space, far from any star, on the finger of a spacesuited corpse. The crude stone is plain and cloudy, but has a remarkable hardness. The stone gives an impression of great power to Hywel and Murdoc, but not to the rest of the family. Hywel is obsessed with the stone and arranges an apprenticeship for Murdoc with Vondar Ustle, a master gemologist who searches for new sources of precious stones, so that Murdoc can search for more information on the ring and stone. Hywel is well satisfied with his life as apprentice to Vondar and, when he returns for a visit, finds that he no longer fits into his family. One evening, Hywel stays home to conduct some business while the rest of the family goes to a party. Leaving the party earlier, Murdoc returns home to find his father tied to his chair, bloody and dead. Murdoc takes the ring and stone from its hiding place and leaves his home forever.

In this novel, Murdoc and Vondar have come to Koonga City on Tanth searching for gems. They are dining in a taproom when the Green Robes, native priests, enter, spin their selection wheel to point between Murdoc and Vondar, and try to take both men. Murdoc kills one priest, fights his way clear, and then finds sanctuary with the priests of Noskald. These priests arrange for a Free Trader, the Vestris, to take Murdoc off-world. The crew treats him in a distant, but civil manner, but his only companion is the ship's cat, Valcyr. When the ship sets down on a primitive planet, Valcyr accompanies Murdoc as he explores the area. When Murdoc finds some bits of a curiously dull black substance that forms an extremely hard but fuzzy oval, Valcyr takes the largest specimen and starts to lick it. Murdoc tries to take it away from her, but gets clawed for his efforts. When a crewman tries to get the specimen, Valcyr runs off with it and hides. Murdoc and the crewman find her again, but she then swallows it.

When they return to the ship, the Medico tests Valcyr and the specimens; he determines that the black ovals are alive at a low level as if hibernating and that Valcyr is now pregnant. Since there is a possibility that Valcyr is not carrying ordinary kittens, she is locked in a cage within the sick bay. About four weeks later, she disappears from the cage and is next seen in Murdoc's cabin with a newborn animal, Eet, that is not a kitten. And then Murdoc finds himself covered with purple blotches and feeling feverish. At this point, Murdoc and Eet leave the Vestris, Murdoc in a spacesuit and Eet in a clear-sided box, to escape the plague-fearing, frantic crew.

This novel has some of the signature characteristics of the author's space adventure tales, including the outcast Murdoc, the telepathic Eet, and alien artifacts. However, this story is one of the wanderlust kind, much like Star Man's Son and the Solar Queen series, where the hero/heroine goes on to discover new adventures.

The creature Eet is rather unique in the author's space adventures, having a human level of intelligence, yet possessing an animal body. Eet combines the friendly alien, symbiotic animal, and mutated talents aspects of these tales, all in one body, sort of a highly evolved version of the meerkats in The Beast Master.

While this story is not one of my favorites, it still provides the same high level of storycraft one expects of the author. The characters are interesting but not as enthralling as some of the other tales. The relationship between Murdoc and Eet is not clear, but one feels as if Eet is much superior to Murdoc, yet is handicapped by his inadequate body. Is Murdoc a pet to Eet?

Recommended for Norton fans and anyone who enjoys space adventures involving a young hero and a mysterious alien.

And missed many of the subtleties.
Norton's vision of a universe awash in ancient, eerie alien rubble, and her vivid planetscapes, are incomparably haunting.

This is simply one of the best stories ever told in the Sci-Fi universe. If you've never read anything by Ms. Norton then you must read this one, and its sequel 'Uncharted Stars'

Is your manager always right? Do you frequently need a scolding for your foolish work behavior? If not, then you NEED this book!

I was afraid this gem was no longer available - I am so glad that it's still around! Because as long as people are still reading and recommending "The One-Minute Manager", then "The 59-Second Employee" is the best antidote.

Think about your job and the skills you've learned over all the years you've been employed. If you saw a book that purported to teach those skills in a few One-Minute rules, you'd know it was silly. But somehow some managers believe that managing other people is as simple as that! You need to protect yourself from any manager who handles you this way.

This book tells you how to manage up - how to use your knowledge and skills to help your manager help your team and help you.

If you are managed by someone else, you need this book. If you manage others, then PLEASE read this book! You owe it to the people you depend on.

If you think that "The One Minute Manager" and "Who Moved My Cheese?" are good books, then this book is definitely not for you.

However, if you look up over the Dilbert calendar on your desk and shake your head at the multiple idiocies of "one-minute management" invading corporate America today, then you will certainly enjoy this book.

The one minute manager is a really dumb book. If you ever work for one of these pointy headed dudes who use it as their management bible, you need help. The "59 second employee" will help you out. While the best thing may be to change jobs, i.e. hire yourself a new manager, sometimes that isn't an option. As the 59 second employee you can train a one minute manager to stop doing one minute solutions to complex problems. Its harder work than doing your job, but possible. Thanks to the fact you read this book and are at least one second ahead of them.

An amazing book! Elegant, informative, photos and history that just won't quit. The only downside is that this book (there are 2 volumes actually) is so large it is hard to manage. I got a copy for my 10 year old granddaughter for a trip we are taking this Summer. She has been dazzled and is working her way through (finding the photos that attract and then diving into the chapter text). It has also become an addiction for me. If you are going to Florence, get this book and read it!!

Clearly this publication was a newsworthy event when it was first issued, garnering praise from the New York Times Book Review andthe Washington Post alike. Now these magnificent slipcased volumes are making news once again.Nothing else has changed about this popular monument of scholarly and publishing history and winner of the prestigious Prix Vasari in France. Matching an elegant and sophisticated text by three leading art historians with more than 700 glorious color photographs and another 854 duotones and architectural drawings, The Art of Florence immerses us in the creative life of the city that gave birth to the Renaissance.

This important and uncommonly beautiful publication gracefully links the city's architecture, sculpture, and painting to its rich social fabric and dramatic political life. The Art of Florence is truly a masterpiece...

This magnificent two volume book is a rare combination of outstanding substantive scholarship and state of the art photography. If you are looking for a light-weight book--physically or intellectually--this is not the book for you. Rather, the book provides a comprehensive history of Florence, both art history and political history, by noted scholars. The illustrations are lavish and compare extremely favorably with other art books in our library that illustrate the art treasures of Florence. Given the length of the book and the quality of the illustrations, the price is reasonable. The book can be enjoyed by the armchair traveler as well as by the tourist.

Fun to read; even more fun to cook from. This cookbook will send you scurrying to find Belgium beers to add to stews and desserts.

This book offers a humorous look at the history of the Belgian frite (french fry) as well as offering traditional Belgian recipes. You will learn how to pick the right Belgian beer to accompany your food, as well as how to prepare your own Belgian frites! And if you are in Brussels, they even give you suggestions on where to find the best, and the most unique, Belgian foods! Overall a great book!

Namely, Denis and Andre's Belgo in Covent Garden. Unfortunately, I've found nothing like it back home. Fortunately, there's Belgo the cookbook. Equal parts moules, frites and beer, I've been able to bring Belgo home. Their book explains all: where mussels come from, which to pick, which to avoid and of course how to cook and eat them (with a discarded shell).

And while the recipes are quick, simple and delicious, this is more than a cookbook. There's also a beer hunter's guide, Belgian music suggestions while cooking, Belgian jokes and plenty of silly photos of the restranteurs. Essentially a primer on the Belgian good life.

Did I mention it's beautifully designed?

I own 200 cookbooks of which 30 on Italian cooking and this book comes second only to "CULINARIA ITALY" by KONEMANN.It is virtually packed with information about Italy and its food ,all accompanied by hundreds of full colour photographs of the land, the food ,the techniques and the people.Descriptions of the growing of certain vegetables,of the making of essential ingredients(e.g. pasta ,both in the home and in factories)and of the particular cuisine and tastes of every region ,make this book an immensely satisfying and enjoyable book to read. There is a plethora of recipes, authentic and tasty and explanations on the many preserved meats, salamis and cheeses of Italy.If you are interested in Italian cooking, or Italy as a land this book is essential.

i need help. i received this book as a gift and have been very pleased with the results of the many recipes i've tried, but today, i'm attempting to make CASSATA and the quantities for the sponge cake (page 294) must be in error. can anyone give me the correct quantities of the flours listed???
thanks.

THE AUTHOR:

Antonio Carluccio is one of the best chefs of all time. He was been featured on BBC and has a little restaurant in Co

This is another of Allan W. Eckert's Winning of America series. This installment deals with the bloody Indian uprising in 1763 attributed to the Ottawa chief Pontiac in the days following the fall of New France to the British during the French and Indian War. In actuality, Pontiac was not so much the leader as the initial inspiration for a frontier-wide attempt by the Great Lakes Indians to rise up and overthrow their British conquerors and restore their French allies to control of the lands west of the Alleghenies.

The uprising was a result of agressive and arrogant British policies toward the Indians, whom the British commander-in-chief Jeffery Amherst viewed as a dangerous and barbaric race that deserved to be exterminated. Against the advice of his advisors and officers, Amherst had instituted a blatant anti-Indian policy forbidding the sale of arms and ammunition to the western tribes which had the effect of effectively starving them out as they could no longer hunt and provide for themselves, a direct result of the near-total dependence of the tribes on European trade goods. When the British assumed control of the former French forts and settlements in the Northwest, the stage was set for a terrible confrontation.

Pontiac's uprising was one of the largest and nearly successful Indian rebellions in North American history, with the Indians for a time controlling nearly all the forts in the Northwest territory and laying seige to Fort Detroit and Fort Pitt. It was only with Colonel Henry Bouquet's victory at Bushy Run and the subsequent march of Bouquet and Bradstreet's armies into the Ohio country that finally quelled the bloodshed. The failure of the rebellion ultimately showed that the British were there to stay and that not only was the power of the French in America smashed forever, but that the symbiotic relationship between the whites and the native tribes was coming to an end, and with it the Indians way of life.

Eckert brings the story alive with great historical characters like Pontiac, George Croghan, Alexander Henry, Robert Rogers, John Bradstreet, and Henry Bouquet and depicts the important events that helped shape the early western frontier that would one day become the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. Highly recommended.

Since a co-worker introduced me to Eckert's 'Narratives' series, I don't find time for much else. I finished Wilderness Empire, the Conquerer and am now into The Frontiersman. This has not only been a great learning experience, but an absolutely fascinating account of the American Indians, French, English, and early American colonists and the conflicts involved in the taking of America. Historic characters such as George Washington, Daniel Boone and Chiefs Pontiac and Tecumsah, come to life in a narrative that makes you feel that you are there. Eckert is a master of presenting an objective viewpoint of history - as opposed to presenting history in the viewpoint of the victors, usually the norm.

Thank you Mr. Eckert for taking the BOREDOM out of history. The graphic (and realistic) details of the struggle on the frontier captured my attention from start to finish. I can't wait to move on to the next in the series.

In ancient Greece, dance was seen as a gift. Dance is simply a series of movements performed in patterns and set to music. Every human society has some form of dance. It is a way to pass on history, exercise and express yourself in a way words can't.

In this colorful guide, the magic and beauty of dance is shown in step-by-step sequences and full-color photographs. The costumes are spectacular and children can see the costumes, learn the stories of the great classical ballets and discover why Javanese dancers "flow like water."

Dances include:

Ballet
Tonga - poetry interpreted in dance in the Pacific Island of Tonga
Flamenco - Spanish
Ghost Dance - Native American
Morris Dance - England
Gharata Natya - Classic Indian Dance (if you enjoy this - watch Lagaan)
Orissi, Eastern India - originally performed by temple dancers
Georgian Ballet - the costumes are amazing!
Modern Ballet
Ballroom Dancing
and many more...

There is a section on footwear and they show how a ballet shoe is made. They explain the process of creating costumes all the way from the drawings to the finished product. Makeup and set design is briefly discussed.

A section on famous dancers and choreography shows what it takes. Finally, they discuss dance crazes through time.

A trip around the world in dance!

DK eyewitness books are some of the greatest non-fiction books around. The distinctive white background and high-quality photography gives this book an edge over any other nonfiction picture book. And -- these pictures are real! They're beautiful photos of all things related to dancing, accompanied by informative captions and text.

Learn about many different styles of dance, costumes and shows, performers, and many other dance-related topics (all augmented by beautiful museum-quality photos).

If you know someone (young or old) who is fascinated dancing, then you must introduce them to this book! It's a great lesson about dancing, and a beautiful book.

This book is excellent for the education of all types of dance. The pictures are colorful, the information is accurate, and it keeps the readers attention. It covers a variety of dances, and goes into detail about costumes and shoes. It is a good book for those interested in the art of dance, and dances from around the world.

This book is a must read, not just for fathers, mothers and wives too. These warm and entertaining stories provide encouragement to new fathers and remind us of the humanity required to be a good parent. They also provide insight into the male perspective, which is often be underappreciated by the opposite sex.

It is written with sincerity and courage in the form of vignettes of different child-rearing experiences. The author has, as he reminds us, the benefit of over 100 years of fathering so clearly he can write with authority.

So, turn off your nightly news program about disasters and death and read something that you will you enjoy and that will help to feed your soul.

"Father's Milk" is an absolute gem. The authors have come up with not only a bundle of hands-on wisdom for young men about fathering but also wrote a partner-friendly piece. This book makes the experience of becoming a father very real - they tell the good, the scary and the fun. They also speak to new moms in a compassionate way: Women, if you want a real partner, invite your man to be a father and don't expect him to be a mother. This book is therefore also about partnering. Stein and Samu speak not only from a cumulative 130 years of fathering but also with the humor of two men who have not only survived fathering but who have managed to have a great time at it. I can't imagine a better father's day gift, or a gift for just one reason: because you want to give yourself and your child the best chance at the experience of living. The chapters are bite-size. You can sit down, take a load off and read a chapter on sleepless nights, fear of responsibilities or spiritual diaper change. I promise you you'll have the clear impression of having taken the pause that refreshes. Thank you Andre and Peter for this little gem. A thrilled reader from Canada

This is a moving and wise book by two fathers born of the pain and joy of raising children of their own as well as observing the parenting practices of others. Here you will find answers to all your questions, doubts and ambivalence that surface while you try to be the best father possible in this day and age. While primarily written for fathers, I would also recommend it highly for mothers. A great book.

A most wonderful children's book for adults as well--I still re-read my childhood copy and want one for my grandchildren. Why don't they write them like this anymore?

I'm ordering this for my kid to read when he's old enough to read! It will most definitely make anyone smile and offers some wonderful lessons for life!! (Do you eat to live or live to eat? =)

This is a wonderful, sophisticated book that can be read on several levels. If you're a driven thinifer or jolly fattypuff, this could be the book fou you

Finally, a solid business book for everyone! The FOAM Ship provides a simple, yet comprehensive look at organizations and what makes them work effectively. This book is ideal for small businesses and for newcomers to the business world who want a comprehensive look at how organizations work without being overwhelmed by jargon.

Succesful leaders are known for removing layers of complexity and bring business issues to the most basic level. It is at this level where it becomes easier to get to the best answer. In summary, as R. David Bermudez-Onopa very clearly states in his book, "Simple is Beautiful". "The Foam Ship" should be mandatory reading for everybody that has anything to do with organizations. For young managers to understand very early in their careers the importance of simplifying business issues and for more experienced managers not to lose focus and forget that key principle. R. David Bermudez-Onopa's FOAM model does an excellent job at bringing together all the hard elements (functions) and soft elements ("the Corporate Soul", communications, etc) of every organization into an integrated, easy to understand, framework.

Excellent guide for business entrepreneurs that need to learn how to build a corporate culture. I found that this book is very informative. The FOAM Ship model is an easy way of explaining how a well run business should "navigate". It is also, short, sweet and to the point with an easy-to-read and follow format.