As a student, this book was very helpful for my research paper on Texas mammals. I recommend it to anyone interested in Texas wildlife.

This is it. The best resource for exotic livestock, period. Although it focuses on Texas, the information contained herein is applicable to most regions. It goes into great detail regarding land carrying capacity, fencing requirements, nutritional needs and health concerns/diseases/parasites. The history of exotics in Texas is examined, as well as distribution of various species throughout the state. But the real appeal of this book is the depth in which individual species are detailed. The most popular hoofstock are here, of course: axis, fallow, red and sika deer; blackbuck, addax, scimitar, nilgai and eland antelope; ibex, mouflon; markhor and aoudad sheep/goats; and many other species that are either failed experiments or novelties.

Whether you're a student doing research or a farmer/rancher looking for a way to escape the heartache/headache of cattle, this is the best book you could hope to find.

We have read and reread parts of this book. It is an excellent reference. We raise Red Deer, Axis Deer, Blackbuck Antelope, Fallow Deer, Whitetail Deer and Barbado Sheep and all are covered very well by the book. In addition, the book helped me to calculate the carrying capacity of our ranch.

Charles Sheffield is one of the hardest "hard SF" writers, and seems to know the material inside and out. As such, he has a great sense for how speculative your speculation can be and still carry the reader. This book is an overview of how to use science in SF, but it isn't a complete reference. It's interesting for readers who wish to be better informed, and is certainly a good starting point for writers. But most writers will need further reference if they expect to go into any detail in their stories.

If you are writing a short story where the science is just part of the background, this will do a great job helping you avoid physical impossibilities in your plot. It's also more than enough detail for most screenwriters, not that that's saying much. But even the most non-technical SF novel is going to require a lot more research.

This book doesn't teach you to think like a scientst, nor how to write science fiction, but this subtitle may be the fault of the jacket writer and not the author.

This book is a readable summary of a number of areas of science: physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology, etc., with an emphasis on topics most likely to concern a science fiction writer. The solar system and space flight both get long chapters to themselves, for example. Chaos theory gets a big chapter too -- bigger than it deserves probably -- but is interesting enough.

This book is a handy starting place for an sf writer, but doesn't really go into enough detail to do more than spark a story. The bibliography is therefore unfortunately thin (but at least there is one!).

I noted a significant number of small errors or conceptual problems in the areas of physics and astronomy (I'm a PhD astronomer). For instance, Sheffield repeats Clarke's erroneous point (from 2010) that if Jupiter were just "a bit bigger" it would support its own fusion reactions and be a star. Yes, if it were some 82 times bigger (more massive) according to current theory. That's nearly like saying if the earth were a bit bigger it would be like Jupiter (which is some 300 earth masses). He also notes that distant galaxies look "little different" from nearby ones, aside from brightness and redshift -- this is certainly not true for the higher redshift (say z > 2) galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field for instance, which are smaller and highly irregular indicating evolutionary effects. Sheffield is hard on the Big Bang without good justification (although I grant this could be a good area for story fodder), and gives a rather questionable amount of space to some very discredited alternatives. He does mention one of the more obvious scientific problems with The Sparrow (which is a good book and worth reading anyway) so if he can point it out I can point out a few of his.

I noticed that I stopping seeing problems when the topics moved into chemistry and biology, in which I am well read but no expert. That's a good sign. Sheffield has compiled a wide array of information at a pretty good level of understanding. If it really took a PhD in a particular subject to write hard sf in that subject, we'd be missing some great stories.

This book is an excellent addition to the shelf of a science fiction writer.

Borderlands of Science carries the subtitle "How to Think Like a Scientist and Write Science Fiction." This is as apt a title as I've seen in quite a while. This book contains everything the science fiction writer or reader could ever hope to want to know, including: black holes, chaos, cyborgs, cold fusion, Fullerenes, general and special relativity, quantum teleportation, superconductors, RNA and the origin of life, an exploration of the planets, ion rockets, Ram Augmented Interstellar Rockets, and wormholes, just to name a few. Sheffield warns the reader that by the time they read it, the book will be out of date, that science is changing so fast that no one can know which parts of the book will be out of date when, until it happens. For the writer, reader, or scientist who wants a comprehensive overview of science and technology as pertains to science fiction and speculative fiction writing, this book is invaluable. For curious minds who just want to know more about their universe, this book is an eye opener. An ambitious and excellently put-together tome.

I had never read Sheffield before and I liked this book. I am a fan of near furture science fiction and this fits that category. The locations, in our solar system, are familiar. People are still people, (no aliens) and the Great War has left enough of Earth for people to rebuild. The story developes the characters in parallel so for half the book you do not know which one is key or where you are going. Things converge nicely in the second half and all ends well. It was a good, exciting read. Some romance, no sexual descriptions, no violence. Fair amount of techno-speak and scientific explanations, sounds feasible to me even if the timeline is ambitious.

I did think the ending was a bit too tidy and I look forward to the sequel to learn more about these characters and their mission. Actually, I have read the sequel and it is the same universe but not the same characters. Too bad, it would be nice if Sheffield could link both stories all in yet another novel.

As a reader who reads alot more fantasy than sci-fi, I found Cold as Ice to be a very stimulating plot. It has just the right mixture of romance, character interactions, entertaining characters (Bat, of course), mystery, and sci-fi/outer space to capture your interest. A very good plot that carries you along until all mysteries are solved, with a little bit of suspense to carry you over. Charles Sheffield's best work yet!

"Cold As Ice" was my introduction to Charles Sheffield. I just picked it up by chance at a grocery store back in '95. It is a wonderful book! I have since bought the hardcover edition which is very hard to come by! The story develops very well and like others have noted, you don't have a real clear idea of who the principle character is until well into the story. Sheffield had a knack for developing very unique characters. You have a real sense of understanding and appreciation for each person's situation and philosophies. Unlike some hard science fiction novelists (who tend to focus soley on the their ability to wow us with their indepth knowledge of theoretical physics and remind the rest of us how ignorant we are) Sheffield exposes the reader to incredibly detailed settings, rich, believable characters, and wonderfully acurate scientific insight. Unfortunately, Mr. Sheffield died on November 2nd of this year. He will be missed. If you're looking for a novel that will satisfy the hard science fiction fan as well as the average reader, then "Cold As Ice" is a good entry into the creative mind of Charles Sheffield.

Lionel Salkind, a world-class pianist, meets his twin brother Leo Foss (a naturalised american CIA agent) only for both of them to sustain fatal injuries in a not-so-accidental helicopter crash. Doctors manage to save Lionel by transplanting half of Leo's brain into his less-damaged body. In consequence, Lionel finds that his dead twin is still alive, buried within his brain. In three months, Leo will be able to communicate directly with Lionel and the outside world - but Leo's enemies don't know which twin survived, and are taking steps to protect themselves, and the mysterious "Belur package" they took from Leo's body...

An interesting premise - all the more so when you consider that everything in the novel is theoretically possible. Lionel is clearly a more conservative character than his James Bond clone brother (who seems to have girlfriends or wives in every corner of the globe), and is desperately trying to make a new life for himself, knowing that his brain damage has almost certainly ruined his playing, while his emotional centres have been replaced by Leo's. And, of course, there is a 70% chance that when his brain and Leo's finally knit together, that he will suffer a fatal stroke.

A gripping biotechno-thriller, with a limping, battered, possibly dying protagonist, I strongly recommend this book

I am glad that this book is being reprinted. I have worn out previous copies reading them.

As a mystery thriller, it is one of the best I have read. On top of that, as an SF book, the 'science' of the story is intriguing.

The plot and the characterization of the two brothers is what takes this book from 4 stars to 5 stars. The antagonist is truly evil.

Oh yes, the cover.. Have a sense of humor.. The 'hero' is supposed to be a pianist. The cover looks like the 'Hulk'.

Enjoy!!!!

i read this one by accident, years ago, when i thought it looked interesting in the bookstore and i had never heard of the author before. since then i think i have reread it a dozen times. a little choppy in the progression of the storyline, but a neat premise. twin brothers, separated at birth and raised apart by different family members, develop different lives as adults. but being twins enables them to be perfect matches for each other when an accident nearly takes both lives and the organs of one are harvested to save the other. this includes part of each brother's brain- when the nerves begin to reconnect, the survivor starts experiencing memories of the dead twin's secret life... and it turns out he's not the only one who wants to understand the rest.

This is a sequel to The Mind Pool. I think it's better. It involves a scratch team of humans, each with unique capabilities and each flirting with the wrong side of the law, who undertake a hazardous interstellar trip that lands them in another universe confronted by hostile, militaristic aliens with superior technology. I good romp, to be sure. One of its themes is that the faults of humans (violence, greed, deviousness, etc.) are survival traits. Charles Sheffield has become one of my favorite authors.

Charles Sheffield is a mathematician and physicist and has been the past president of both the American Astronautical Society and the Science Fiction Writers of America. He has also been the chief scientist of the Earth Satellite Corporation.

He also writes a dam' fine science fiction opera! A very fine read & something I enjoyed immensely. Science fiction is richer because of Sheffield's talent.

I'm looking forward to his next endeavor with baited breath. His background allows him to bring the concepts of science to light in a new & imaginative way.

I first ordered Spheres of Heaven, not knowing it was a sequel, and subsequently ordered the first book, The Mind Pool. I was glad I did and was pleasantly re-introduced to science fiction after a long time away from this genre.

The Spheres of Heaven, continues (and evolves) with the adventures of Chan, and introduces a new character, the self effacing mechanical genius, Bony, who is ordered around by an incompetant and lazy captain whom you cannot wish enough bad things upon.

The book bounces back and forth between their two adventures in alternating chapters, forcing the reader at the end of each to want to race through the following chapter to pick up where they left off. This creates a self perpetuating "mad rush" of reading, making this book the quintesential "page turner"!

The supporting characters are well thought out and each is interesting enough to warrent their inclusion. So too, are the aliens. This writer even makes the computers and other technology interesting and vital characters in this book.

I'm back to reading sci-fi again, and I attribute this to the craftmanship apparent in Sheffeild's books.

There was a not missing fromm thje copyright page: "This boook was previously published in slightly diofferent form under the title _Captins Couragous_ by R Kipling" This is a reteelign of the Kipling book with the most minor of changes to set it in space, even to the point of calling the smaller spaceships 'Dorys' and retainign many other terms and elemets which made sense in their original settign and don't here. Changing one character from male to female introduced a mild romatic sub-plot, and moving the festival scen from the end to the middle of the voyage was interesting, as was the added cloak&dagger sub-plot, but the original is still better.

Shelby Cheever is the kind of kid that everyone, at one point or another, has run into and wished they hadn't. Adapted from a story by Rudyard Kipling and now reprinted for a juvenile crowd by Starscape Books, "Billion-Dollar Boy" is solid if unamazing SF journey.

It's the future, when Earth is impoverished except for a tiny number of corporate big-shots. And Cheever heir Shelby has everything a boy could want and more: insane amounts of money, a staff to wait hand and foot on him, and a dimbulb mother who lacks the brains to tell him "no" sometimes. In short, he's spoiled rotten. And when he wants to take a space cruise, his mum says yes. Unfortunately, Shelby gets drunk on the voyage, and decides to take a small jaunt OUTSIDE the spaceship -- where he gets literally lost in space.

Fortunately, he's picked up by a mining vessel. Unfortunately (depending on your viewpoint) the family on board has never heard of the Cheevers, and they certainly don't believe that he's wealthier than all the miners put together. So for the first time, Shelby is forced to use his brain and his body, and pitch in on actual work. That would be fine -- until someone recognizes him, and plans a ransom demand to his father.

Like "Putting Up Roots," this book is not an amazing, groundbreaking piece of SF, but it's readable for both adults and kids. It has a pretty simple, straightforward plot: Go from A to B, where C will happen. And Sheffield does a good job of shifting Shelby from a bratty, overweight, obnoxious teenage boy to someone resourceful, skilled, and if not smart, then at least trying to be. The writing is fairly ordinary, with some good descriptions of life on a gritty mining ship.

This novel is far from flawless, though. One of the biggest problems is the technobabble that the characters launch into, or the idea that Shelby's smart "salt of the earth" dad would marry an idiot socialite and let his son run wild. Or, for that matter, how there could be a mere few hundred rich elite on Earth; why this is so is never explained, since that sort of scenario wouldn't last long.

Shelby is a pleasant oasis in a sea of kid characters who either know it all, or are just plain annoying. He's meant to be annoying, and the means by which he STOPS being annoying is what makes him interesting. Grace is a pretty good character, although I had trouble figuring out if she was a love interest or not. Most of the supporting characters are okay, not stellar, except for the dryly amusing Logan (a robot).

Despite the odd implausible points, "Billion-Dollar Boy" is a solid enough read, with a very flawed lead and a solid, action-filled story. Nice job.

Where "Higher Education" failed, this book succeeded! "Higher Education" had a great story line, some great observations about society and our education system, and it had some great science. However, it failed in providing a good role model for the teens it was trying to reach. The characters were profane and sexually crude throughout "Higher Education". This book provided a good role model and included all of the good things "Higher Education" had to offer. A great read for all ages!

I went on a trip down south this march and desired to get a couple of books that would not require a great deal of thinking and would keep me entertained. This book was one of them, and in that sense it did indeed fulfill the need I required. On the other hand, this does not say much for it as a book.

There is an interesting view of the future with the paranoid "Gray Party" seeking to control everything, the uncovering of a conspiracy and the cool gadgets that McCarthy comes up with. At the same time, I felt like the world he created made the mistake that many SF writers do...there is too much "Ooooh!Ahhh!" expected by the way it is written. It seems that it was to make us think it is all so neat. Now, if only I hadn't seen that in dozens of other books out there, not to say bad science fiction movies.

While I found the plot interesting, especially when our hero must hide from the authorities who wield their weapons of technology (hmmm...didn't I see that in Blade Runner?) it was too contrived and to unbelievable.

In terms of his writing style, McCarthy does seem to know some technical terms, but he throws them around and mixes it with "golly gee whiz" dialogue that makes for abrupt reading. His characters (especially Bowser) have some strange element about them that almost seems sinister - but I don't think he means them to have that.

It gets a three star because it did do the job *I* intended, but I doubt the job McCarthy intended.

I have never read anything by Wil McCarthy previously, and he seems to be a decent writer. This novel is a combination murder mystery and science fiction tale. David Sanger is a nanotechnology researcher (the science of manipulating the ultra small, in case you don't know) and during a trade convention becomes entangled with a murder he did not commit, and it gets intense and complicated from that point on..........no more here, no spoilers!

Although it was not a page turner for me (it almost was) still it is one of only a handful of science fiction novels that portray the coming era of nanotechnology, in this novel it is in only the nascent beginnings. This is hard science fiction without any fantasy whatsoever, completely to my tastes. Character and plot development were acceptable, although the ending seemed to be a trifle rushed. Also, the novel could have been a bit longer to flesh out the nanotechnology ideas more thoroughly.

I loved this one-- it was, to me, the perfect combination of a thriller and a thought-provoking science fiction novel. The novel takes place in the research laboratories of the beginning days of nanotechnology (prefiguring the awesome nanotech of McCarthy's later novel BLOOM). There is some interesting speculation about the effects of longevity on society, and the effects of nanotechnology, but the science speculation is not overshadowed by the thriller plot and the realistic characterization. A definite rec if you like both thrillers and sf, as I do.

A surprising turn of events leaves teen-aged Josh Kerrigan twenty-seven light years from Earth on the frontier planet Solferino - with a crew of young trainees and a cruel brigadeer. But Josh's frustrated attempts to figure out Solomon Brewster's true motives are complicated by the fact that he must look after his autistic cousin Dawn and get along with the rest of the group - which includes bullies and drug-addicts.

"Putting Up Roots" is well-written, if entirely unexceptional. The characters are simple and convincingly human - even if the science lacks the "wow-factor" and Brewster's criminal machinations are extremely easy to figure out. The book's real merit is that it reads quickly and easily. A likely candidate for rainy-day reading, "Putting Up Roots" can also be categorized as a young adult novel - making it a nice, quick introduction to the genre.

Juvenile scifi, a much-neglected area, has been given a boost in the last year or two by TOR's Starscape books. One of the new releases is Charles Sheffield's "Putting Up Roots," an unexceptional but likable scifi story with a good cast, though a slightly predictable storyline.

Joshua's mother, a self-absorbed actress, sends him to live with his relatives at Burnt Willow Farm. Having had a good time there eight years before, Joshua is pleased -- until he gets there. He learns that his aunt has died in that time, and his uncle has remarried a sharp-tongued shrew called Stacy, who doesn't hesitate to make him feel unwelcome. She isn't much kinder to her stepdaughter Dawn, an autistic girl who says practically nothing. But Dawn hears and understands a lot more than she seems.

Stacy, in an effort to get her husband to sell the farm, sends the two kids to the untamed planet of Solferino, which has only some lower animals and a lot of plants. To make matters worse, the transport has a bunch of other rejected kids -- four sisters with gemstone names (one of whom is a druggie), and three boys who have Wagnerian names (ex-street thugs). And when the kids arrive on Solferino, Joshua begins to suspect that their bullying supervisor is hiding a dark secret about Solferino's value -- and about the presence of innocent, intelligent creatures on it.

The pacing is the main problem with "Putting Up Roots" -- it starts off rapidly, lags for a long time, then picks up in the last chapters of the book. And the ruperts aren't as big a part of the story as you'd expect. Despite this, it's a fairly good SF adventure story, with its realistic corporate battles and suitably bizarre aliens and planets.

Joshua is a pretty likable hero, especially since he tends to take a very balanced view of what's good or bad. A lot of characters in that sort of situation start whining about what they don't want to do, but Sheffield doesn't. Dawn is a fairly good supporting character, but has a tendency to fade out when she isn't being focused on. Topaz is much more vivid and present in the story. And supporting characters like Sig and Saph are similarly good -- even if you don't totally like them, Sheffield will let you see why they are what they are.

His writing is pretty descriptive, but not immensely. (I occasionally felt frustrated when told that an object was brown and "rounded," but nothing more) And he does an excellent job with the dynamics of the teens in the group -- not everybody is friendly, and not everyone trusts. If you like a little tension in your heroes rather than a big band of buddies, you'll like this.

"Putting Up Roots" isn't perfect, but a flair for characterization saves it from being totally average. Good solid read.

Putting Up Roots
Charles Sheffield
Science Fiction
A boy and his autistic cousin are sent to a far away planet to participate in a research program. It starts out normal enough but there is a sick twist when they find out what their leader is up to. The end is full of action and excitement when it comes time for them to stop his plans.
I've never really read any books like this before with such an extreme change directly in the middle of the novel. It starts out very slow and continues in that fashion until about halfway through where there so much action and so many events going on you can hardly set the book down. It really surprised me and I ended up fairly pleased with the book but the slow intro and begining is my reason for 4 stars.
My personal reaction to the book is pretty good. Sheffield has many unique characters in the book that make for many interesting conflicts when they come together. I also enjoyed the happy ending though it has a bit of a twist. The characters start to get along better and they begin to accept the planet as their own home. This novel also covers the topic of intelligent life on alien planets. The suprise about their leader is very exciting and gets better as the book goes on. "He had found what he wanted, and we were no more use to him." pg. 206. This is what I loved most about his book, the surprises come out of nowhere with absolutely no hint making it a very fun and leaving the reader with no idea whats going to happen next.
I do not think this book is for everyone. It would be best for patient readers, because of its slow start I had trouble keeping the book open for more than 30 minutes or so.

This was a good brain candy, beach read. The characters were SOOOOO written for a movie. The ending was out of left field, concepts that weren't explored at all (and not earth-shattering ones that i would sit and contemplate either). Both the main and 2ndary endings were pulled out of some hole the universe, I know not where. There is so much better hard sci-fi out there.

Try Larry Niven, Stephen Baxter (Flux was strange but the science was thouroughly explored!) and many others if you want hard sci-fi. If you want a 2nd rate murder mystery where you are told key clues AS they are confronting the culprit w/ a little science thrown in, this is for you.

Sheffield's work reminds me of the hard-science multi-plot future history works of the writers of the 50s and early 60s. The work has very much the feel of a serialized sci fi mag piece from Astounding or some such. The usual ingredients are there--a collection of disparate characters enmeshed in a handful of subplots, the mildly dystopian but recognizable earth of fifty years hence, a global threat, eccentric yet capable minds that work to solve it, and, finally, not one but two little puzzle mysteries, with punch line endings to both inquiries. Sheffield's plotting is a real strength; the characterization is a bit pat. I recommend this one, though, as the central dilemma is compelling, and the book lacks the gratuitious glandular or violent juvenalia which infects so many more modern sci fis. This is a fun afternoon, rather than an epic voyage, but not every unmanned satellite can discover a new universe....

The most striking thing about this book is its exploration of emotional intelligence. Scheffield constantly plays with the stock images of the engineer, the polititian, and the business person, turning them upside down. Nothing is really what it seems...it seems. He takes the reader deeply into the motives, weaknesses and strengths of individuals who happen to have those roles. And that's just one of the threads deftly woven into the story. Scheffield makes a supernova cool (sorry 'bout that!).

First of all - don't mistake this book with "Between the strokes of night" which deals with life-prolongation by altering the body's metabolic speed and time sense. Now, the reason everybody are so dissapointed, I believe, is that the book lacks Sheffield's usual giant scope, and therefore highly advenced thechnolegy, with the setting in the far future. (allthough thet description is'nt compatiblle with the wonderfull "Proteus" series). But the plot did waver a bit. the climax was not all that. I do think though that all the charecters were excellent, and developed through the book. Not a bad story, it's only the higher expectations of the readers from sheffield.

This may be the last of Mr. Sheffield's work, it is not his best, but it is a good read. Charles Sheffield is (or was) actually pulitzer prize winning author James Kirkwood. His non-Sci-Fi works fall out along the same lines, and level of quality, as John Knowles, John Irving, and even J.D. Salinger --- except Kirkwood was prolific rather than puckish. It would be a shame to see him go out on such a mediocre novel, & I hope others and betters are banked, and soon for publishing.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to notice that burning vast quantities of combustible fuel to move an object from here out into orbit, let alone out into the solar system, is phenomenally expensive and dangerous. Science Fiction authors have, for decades, tried to come up with all manner of workarounds, from gravitation drives to Star Trek style transporters.

One proposal that, until the late seventies, didn't attract a lot of attention was the idea of a cable stretching from the Earth into space, held in place by some form of geosynchronous structure. It's probably the least sexy technology available, nothing more than a really, really, strong, long, cable with objects climbing up and down it using whatever means fit the designer's imagination.

Two science fiction authors, Arthur C. Clarke and Charles Sheffield, decided to raise the idea of such a cable at roughly the same time (Clarke's book, The Fountains of Paradise, was published two weeks before Sheffield's), and at once the obvious simplicity and advantages of the idea captured the public imagination. Well, sort of, currently there is no known material strong enough to withstand the tension a useful cable would carry, but we're probably not far off.

This book is a treat. As well as the story itself, mostly a thriller centered around an engineer (who builds the cable, 'natch), a billionaire solar system miner, and a dubious amoral biologist, the book comes with a contribution from Arthur C Clarke on the history of the how the idea was brought to press, and a long appendix detailing the physics involved in building a "beanstalk" (Sheffield's name for the thing.) It was this part I personally found most interesting - it covered how such a thing would be built, other designs centered around the same principle, advantages the cable would have such as the ability to slingshot ships from the end, using the Earth's own rotation to move objects to anywhere in the solar system.

The novel itself is a multi-layered story which is centered so much around a sub-plot that the beanstalk itself is almost an afterthought. In a pinch, Merlin, the main character, investigates the death of his parents and why they were murdered, after the new project he's hired to lead unexpectedly brings him into contact with people who were involved or knew the reasons. The Science in the Fiction includes the beanstalk (obviously), genetic engineering, the mining of asteroids and other trips around the solar system. About my only grouse is that the characters are a little wooden and come across in that kind of pseudo-machismo usually associated with salesman culture and office politics, something that ought not to have irritated me to the extent that it did.

A wonderful book though, proposing a wonderful idea that, if ever implemented, will probably mean more for mankind's eventual exploration of space than the moon landings themselves.