To me it is free-flow reading, and descriptive of the natural surroundings he encountered near and afar, on this 5,000 mile journey into the Real America. How many reading of this journey wanted to leave their cubicles and mundane suburban life behind while reading "River Horse?" I did. And I have!

This book can be a bit "prosy" and he offers thoughts and views on "this and that." It is quite an interesting journey. Give it a read. LHM is free, and can make you dream.

This was published in 1979, long before Harry Potter was even dreamed up--it does offer an interesting look into a young boy suddenly faced with the existence of magic and the consequences of it. The writing is adequate and the story is engaging. There are some black and white sketches scattered throughout the book which might help to ease in a new reader who is moving from picture books into chapter books. That said, the book is definately dated, and may make it difficult for 9-12 yr. olds to identify with. The expressions and the clothing aren't anywhere near contemporary. The author's particular bias against television and it's tendency to stunt the imagination is hardly subtle--while I do not mind the sentiment, it can get to be too much at times. Also the cover on this particular edition is pretty poor, and doesn't do anything for the story.

Perhaps the biggest flaw to this story is any comparison to Harry Potter, or other young wizard series that have cropped up in recent years. Taken in comparison, the writing is not as good, at times it's downright awkward. I wouldn't reccomend this to a young reader who's already read Harry Potter, but it may be a good start for a young reader prior to Harry. I gave this book three stars because I think it deserves that merit of being published at a time when there were few books on this theme. I encountered it, read it, and thoroughly enjoyed it at the time, but I admit I now have it in my collection because of my fond memories--it doesn't read as well since I've grown up.

^_^ Happy Reading! shanshad

The characters seem a bit more likeable than in Virtual Light; Yamazaki makes a stronger mark than in the other book, and Colin Laney is just a guy who can't figure out why his talents should mean as much as they do to the people around him. Chia McKenzie is a headstrong kid out of her element, but likeable. The bad guys aren't as nebulous but instead are a present threat; among them are the Russian mafia and Laney's truly witchy old boss who wants her pound of flesh.

It's really pretty close to call, but I prefer this one just a hair over Virtual Light. Of course neither is Neuromancer, which I still consider to be Gibson's crowning achievement. Idoru is a great read, especially for a Gibson fan.

I enjoyed Idoru not only because it is a good science fiction book, but also because it is a good story with an interesting plot. I found it fairly easy to read and it kept my attention. Compared with many of the sci-fi novels I've read, this one was refreshingly direct. I never felt slowed down by excessive descriptions of odd technologies or confused by scientific jargon. (If you're a huge fan of the strange futuristic environments, it does take place in twenty first century Japan, and there are plenty of extraordinary elements to keep you entertained. After all, it's a science fiction novel!)

The main plot line of the novel is centered around a rock star who wants to marry an entirely virtual woman, and the people who are investigating this strange situation. Colin Laney is a man who has been hired by the rock star's employees to find out what exactly is going on, and Chia McKenzie is a fourteen year old girl from the rocker's fan club who has been sent to Tokyo to find out if her idol is indeed marrying a virtual creation. Gibson follows these two on their way through Tokyo, and while doing so creates a fabulous picture of bizarre clubs and exceptional buildings that have sprung up in Japan since it suffered a huge earthquake.

One of the best parts of the book is Gibson's way of describing the settings and situations. Having also read Neuromancer, which is considered Gibson's best achievement, I can say that I enjoyed Idoru a great deal more. It is written in a much more straightforward style, and I simply found it easier to understand and more interesting than Neuromancer.

As far a sci-fi novels are concerned, Idoru has its share of computer related and technological scenes. Many important incidents occur online, and having an entirely virtual character of course requires advanced technology. In my opinion Idoru is a perfect book for a science fiction fan or a fan of William Gibson's work. It is also an excellent book if you are just looking for a good novel to read in your free time.

The authors do not assume that the reader is knowledgeable about relational databases in general, SQL, or the related topics. For example, the chapter on SQL on MySQL does not just describe the subset of SQL-92 that MySQL supports, but rather it contains a tutorial on the SQL for the commands that MySQL supports. Chapter seven on Database Design contains a tutorial on taking a database to third normal form complete with Entity-Relationship diagrams, unique identifiers and relationships. In part four, the PHP chapter contains a mini-tutorial on PHP and a complete PHP application. While the level of thoroughness is nice in the sense that you do not have to refer to other volumes to comprehend the subject, it makes for some very intense reading because of the size of the book versus the topics covered.

Overall, I like the book as a general tool, however there are certain omissions, for example: there is no reference phpMyAdmin or WinMySQLadmin. These tools are very easy to use and helpful in working with MySQL. In addition, the topic of creating InnoDB or BDB tables for transaction support is not addressed. The explanation of granting privileges in MySQL was a little confusing. Some supporting illustrations or diagrams would be well received there. The book is fairly successful in covering its broad topic domain. In conjunction with the MySQL manual, the book should meet most of my needs, but if I were a full time database administrator, I would probably want a dedicated reference book.

If I remember the storyline correctly, Danny Dunn was a teenager(?) who lived with his mother who worked as a livein housekeeper for Prof. Bullfinch, an inventor. The Professor was a father figure and mentor for the young Danny.

Each story centers around some new invention that the Professor has invented and the adventures that Danny gets involved in along with his best friend Joe and girl friend Irene. (If I remember the names correctly.)

Unfortunately, the "science" of these books is a little outdated since some of the inventions that appear (like a personnal computer in "The Homework Machine") have moved from "fiction" to "fact". Still, it was a very enjoyable series and I would love to see them back in print.

The "Time Traveler" story is very similar to the storyline of the "Back to the Future" movies. Prof. Bullfinch invents a time machine which transports his entire house, along with the Professor, Danny and Joe inside, back to the 18th century and it appears in the backyard of Benjamin Franklin. Unfortunately, since there is no electricity coming to his house in the 18th century, the Professor cannot power his time machine to take them back to the future. They enlist the help of Benjamin Franklin and ... well, you can guess what happens next.

The best part of the book is that it comes with "Don't Choke" ball markers that are great to mark an opponents ball with.

As a stocking stuffer the book is fine, as an end all and be all to golf side betting, it doesn't cut it.