K Books

Jan Baross' first novel is as lush as her painting (front cover!) Her characters are equal parts flesh, blood, and magic. Her writing is clean and evocative, and the book is a pure joy.

This book is unbelievably rich, slightly bitter, deeply sweet, and utterly satisfying! Jan Baross is a masterful storyteller who engages all the senses. She's cooked up a complex and delicious tale of love. You'll devour it, and want more!

Jan Baross is a very gifted story-teller. She demands that you (the reader) let go. REally let-go....and what a romp! The characters come alive. She captures, like few gringa writers, the nuances of Latin AMerica, like she was born there!I swear I believed. I believed every word. And what a world she opens to us. Wild and abandoned. Risque and deeply sentimental. I loved it.

BY PAUL HAIST
Jewish Review

Portland writer Jan Baross' first novel, "Jose Builds a Woman," which was announced here at the time of its initial release earlier this year, is a timeless, lusty paean to love in many forms and an uncommonly satisfying tale.
Working in the genre of magical realism, Baross tells the story of Tortugina, a young Mexican peasant, from the time of her adolescence to the somewhat premature end of her life on earth as the mother of Jose whose childhood and young adulthood has been plagued by Tortugina's shortcomings, failures and misfortune.
Such a synopsis hardly does justice to this wild, funny, wonderful and sometimes Felliniesque tale of love--a parent's love, children's love and the eternal love that unites lovers everywhere.
Each page is alive with compelling imagery that verges on the poetic, at once as rich and uncomplicated as a simple tapioca pudding, never contrived and always surprising, often even astonishing.
Baross's tightly structured plot moves rapidly and, like a well-crafted screenplay, turns on credible and genuinely surprising reversals at just the right moment each time.
Expertise and sophistication at this level in storytelling might be expected of a novelist with more titles under his or her belt. In a first novel, such deftness is remarkable. It keeps the story exciting and makes one hunger for the next novel from Baross, which, by the way, she says is in the works.
The story begins and ends in a tiny fishing village where the only creatures that are harvested from the sea are the octopus that thrive there.
The girl Torgtugina is in love with Gabito, a handsome young octopus diver. The love is mutual, but tragically fated--a love that never will be consummated in this world, or not entirely in this world.
Through the liberties afforded by magical realism, Tortugina becomes the wife of two men, one living, one a ghost. One husband evolves as a nemesis to Tortugina, but not an evil man, more the victim of a curse whose occasionally aberrant cruelty derives from circumstances not entirely in his control. The other husband hovers over Tortugina as a guardian angel of sorts, but with shortcomings of his own--occasional clumsiness, ineptness or want of courage.
All the trials and the tender disappointments and postponed fulfillment that unfold for Tortugina up to and including the story's heart-wrenching and sob-inducing conclusion can be viewed as an allegory about the fullness and universality of love.
Magical realist stories frequently paint with broad brushes in the same way that opera does. But the seeming simplicity implicit in the technique notwithstanding, we still weep for Madama Butterfly and Senora Tortugina--or what they stand for--because those bold strokes of story-telling go directly to our heart and address the central issues of the life of each of us.
Baross has crafted a story that synthesizes the different types of love we know, a parent for a child, a child for a parent, and that which unites lovers. She even acknowledges the love we have for our neighbors.
It is no stretch to find in Baross' novel the idea that the love that connects one man and one woman is shared in equal measure among all the fruit of that union, down through all time and across all generations.
One eternal love affair engenders circles of love, each of which engenders new eternal love affairs encompassing the man and the woman, the children, the grandparents into antiquity and all who are yet to come--countless intersecting circles of love.
The topic of Barros' novel is the immutable centrality of human love from our very beginning.
A sub-topic, which the author seems to relish in print, is the carnal-spiritual connection--what the metaphysicist John Donne described when he wrote,
On man, heaven's influence works not so,
But that it first imprints the air,
So soul into the soul may flow,
Though it to body first repair.
It is each person's intuitive understanding of the centrality of love and the transcendent nature of the couplings we make in love--all the shining beauty and dark sadness that seem irrevocably intertwined in love--on which Baross has opened a magical window through which we see the truth more poignantly, if only briefly, like a rare momentary glimpse of the face of God.
And that is why her story is good, why it makes us weep.

Read in one sitting- absolutely rich and funny and heart breaking and vivid -- touches on all the tastes... just rich storytelling. The author isn't lazy - every turn of phrase is delectable. Has a personality of it's own. You can't help but be drawn into the world the author's created - life feels boring once you are finished.

As a language arts teacher, I read 2 or 3 books a week. I am constantly searching for well written, relevant, and riveting novels. This book delivers. I highly recommend this book for 9-13 year olds.

I am a middle school language arts teacher and I read just about every new title that gets any hype. This book did not disappoint! The plot is well developed and the characters are endearing...Frita is so spunky while Gabe is a quirky scardy-cat afraid of his own shadow. Both Frita and Gabe learn a great about life, love, fear, racism and the nature of hate the summer before they enter fifth grade. In the end they realize that fear is a part of life - bravery is feeling the fear and forging ahead despite it. Great read HIGHLY recommended!!!

On vacation our family read this book out loud for our library's book club. My husband and I (40+ years old) and my two boys- 10 & 6 both adored this book. In the span of 160 pages we all had the opportunity to learn life lessons, grow to be more brave, laugh and most importantly learn about how love will always conquer hate. We do not live in a very diverse area of the country and this book was a wonderful way to introduce to our children the stuggles that African Americans have had to deal with and why civil rights are so important in this country. I had a lump in my throat when the book discussed how the Bicentennial was being celebrated and not all Americans were still being treated as Free. It isn't a book I would have ever had known about without our wonderful librarian and it will be one that none of us will soon forget. Don't be deterred by some of the serious subjects dealt with in this book, there were far more laughs than most books have. It was entertaining and a joy to read. It is a great book for parents and children.

(one last thought...I would not have liked my son to read this book without us because he would have never fully understood why there was such hate for a 10 year old black girl and why grown men dress in sheets. As disgusting as it is that people practice such hateful acts it is a reality that exists and children who are old enough to understand should not be sheltered from truth. The sooner we can educate our children about equality the better this world will be. )

I bought this book because I loved the front cover and the blurb on back. The cover depicts a jar of something yellowish-green, reminding me of "The Secret Life of Bees." Perhaps I should not tell this about myself, but I will--I did not "see" that spider until after I completed the book and looked at the cover again to decide how the picture fit into the story. Then I saw the spider and the green color (grass through the jar). Wow. I decided then that the story really is about fear. Fear of spiders was near the top of Gabriel's list of fears. Frita convinces him to adopt this spider as his pet.

The blurb on back summarizes the story as a friendship between two fourth-graders moving up to fifth grade, two unusual fourth-graders, one white boy and one black girl. Then I thought about the book again. Not fear. The book seems to be about fear, and it is, but the real intangible character is integrity. The book is about integrity.

Frita Wilson is the only African-American in their small school in Hollowell, GA, not far from Plains, where Jimmy Carter hails. The story takes place during the summer of the campaign for president in 1976, a time when integrating is taking place all over the South and racial strife is evident.

Gabriel King misses his Moving Up graduation to fifth grade because some racist bullies physically prevent him. As a result, Gabriel decides he will not go to fifth grade housed in a separate wing, fearing the bullies. He will just stay in fourth. Frita makes it her summer's goal to liberate them of their fears. Even in victory over various levels of fear, Gabriel "knows" all along that his fear of bullies will not be liberated and he is not going to fifth grade.

They defeat some fears on the list and some fears win. The saddest loss occurs near the end and becomes the impetus for winning the big one. Not willing to be a spoiler, I ask you to read this most enjoyable book. Friendship is a big winner. Family love and unity are big winners. But the biggest winner is integrity. So are Gabriel and Frita because they have this integrity all along.

Having written all this, I feel I must voice my one misgiving about the book. Although it really is a cool story with racism and specific racists taking hits (in a law-abiding way, not through violence), I cannot help but question this friendship between Gabriel and Frita. No matter how I look at it, I just cannot see it happening. Not because of skin colors, but because of age and sex of the children. Boys and girls in the fourth grade just aren't best friends. They certainly don't spend the night with each other in the same room. Parents just would not allow this closed door thing with a boy and a girl of this age. Having stated these things, I still endorse this book--with four stars, not five.

I bought this book for Christmas for my 10 year old (4th grade). He will read a chapter and then come find me and read it to me all over again because he thinks it is so funny. He has to read 1/2 hour everyday for school requirements and he will continue to read this book for over an hour. Gets him away from the computer and GameCube games. Hurray.

This is an absorbing story that could only have been crafted by Ruth Rendell, the doyenne of the quirky murder mystery and chiller killer thrillers. Here, she takes a look into the socio-pathic mind of the amoral Victor Jenner, released back into the world after serving ten years in prison for shooting and paralyzing a young police sergeant.

He tracks down the now wheelchair bound officer, meeting both him and his beautiful, devoted girlfriend. You see, in Victor's skewed world view, it was the officer's fault that he got shot, costing Victor ten of the best years of his life. Victor just wants to set the record straight. Who would have thought that they could all be friends? Therein lies the tale.

Though I must admit I might not have made it through this book if I'd read it (I need constant action), listening to it was a real experience. It was slow at the beginning, but I quickly got swept into Victor's world, and felt his humiliation, cringed at his perceptions, and rooted for him . . . for awhile. And then I absolutely hated him. Which, I daresay (can you tell I've been listening to too many British books?), is just what the author intended. Or at least she won't mind.

I thought the book was well read and all the characters were convincing. My favorite was David Fleetwood. I felt I knew him very well, even though only one chapter was from his perspective.

Rendell has written many wonderful books, and this is one of the best. I highly recommend it.

This is an absorbing story that could only have been crafted by Ruth Rendell, the doyenne of the quirky murder mystery and chiller killer thrillers. Here, she takes a look into the socio-pathic mind of the amoral Victor Jenner, released back into the world after serving ten years in prison for shooting and paralyzing a young police sergeant.

He tracks down the now wheelchair bound officer, meeting both him and his beautiful, devoted girlfriend. You see, in Victor's skewed world view, it was the officer's fault that he got shot, costing Victor ten of the best years of his life. Victor just wants to set the record straight. Who would have thought that they could all be friends? Therein lies the tale.

This is absolutely one of Rendell's best. A rapist who accidentally shoots a policeman emerges from jail 10 years later to make amends. How he makes amends, and what happens because of his "remorse" is bone-chilling and remarkably suspenseful. Clue here - the motive behind the shooting has something to do with the name of a restaurant. Rendell loves to pull the rug right under you just as you thought you had sure footing.
Highly recommended. Also read Judgement in Stone, possibly her best and most brilliant!

"Live Flesh" is not the usual crime mystery/thriller. It is, however, a thrilling psychological study of a rapist, Victor Jenner, who suffers from chorea, a disease of the nervous system marked by involuntary, jerky movements of the arms, legs, and/or face. Sometimes this illness is called "live flesh." Victor also has a severe phobia of tortoises, along with a multitude of other neuroses. Throughout the novel, he feels a need for psychiatric treatment, but never follows through. Typically, he blames the system for not providing him with therapy. He does understand that he has serious problems, though, and more often than not knows the difference between right and wrong. The inimitable Ruth Rendell thoroughly explores Jenner's motives, secrets, and complex emotions. She paints a chilling portrait of a man doomed by violence he cannot control. This is obviously much more a book driven by characters, and their development, than by action. The heart of "Live Flesh" lies in the complexity of Victor Jenner's personality and how he interacts with others, two characters in particular. These people are all steeped in a web of consequences stemming from one single event, a gunshot, which alters their lives forever.

Victor Jenner was convicted of shooting a young police officer in the lower back and permanently crippling him. He had been holding a young woman hostage in her bedroom, after breaking and entering her home, while escaping from the scene of an attempted rape. David Fleetwood, the officer, had been trying to gain the woman's release. Victor was not tried for the attempted rape, or the numerous other acts of sexual violence he had successfully committed. The police probably had no idea he was responsible for the crimes. After ten years Jenner is released early, for good behavior. He has serious problems adjusting to life after incarceration. But then, he always had problems adjusting. His irrational thought processes cause him to blame everyone but himself for the events leading up to the shooting. Underneath, however, he feels tremendous guilt for giving in to his irresistible urges which cause so much harm to others. The author allows the reader to enter Jenner's mind, his very thoughts, throughout the novel. He constantly constructs false scenarios which absolve him of guilt. Primary among his rationalizations is that if David Fleetwood had not taunted him by saying that the gun was a fake, a replica, then he wouldn't have had to fire it in order to prove that it was real. Other rationalizations include: if the girl hadn't screamed, then he wouldn't have had to hold her hostage; and if his uncle hadn't owned a gun, which he had easy access to, he never would have had it in his possession. Victor is also firmly convinced that he is incapable of restraining himself because of the chorea, which acts up when he is stressed. He believes that his behavior is as blameless and uncontrollable as the involuntary twitching which torments him.

The plot takes an unusual twist when Victor looks to meet the man he maimed, now wheelchair bound. His delusions allow him to think that, for the first time in his life, he has found true friendship. I must say that I really empathized with Victor, right up until the conclusion - which is a stunning one. His crimes are heinous, but so is the life he has to live with himself. I don't absolve him. I just feel terribly sorry for him - which is all Ms. Rendell's doing. Her characters are rich and so believable. And her narrative is spellbinding. This is a brilliant analysis and portrayal of a deranged man.
JANA

I am the devoted owner of a gorgeous white sheepdog with blue blue eyes (with eyelashes no less..) and I just had to have this book. I adore Carolyne Roehm and the chapter on her homes and dogs were an added reason for me to own this one. I highly recommend this one for a gift.

I loved this book. The beautiful photos were a delight and the stories heart-warming. Every dog lover would love to have this book on their cocktail table!

I am an avid collector of dog memorabilia and motif items and this book was an inspiration! My husband just thought I was obsessive about dog objects! Your book gave me new ideas for old dog items that I never would have thought of. The photography is beautiful and the subjects are warm and true. I know that I am not alone in my endeavor to collect and display what I love!

I have read several other books with the same theme, however this book surpasses them all. Our copy is well loved and our guests tend to migrate toward it at our home. The book contains the stories of several people and how dogs have touched their lives. It is a glimpse into personal collections of avid dog lovers and collectors.

I've always had an affinity for dogs and the people who love them, which is probably why this book now occupies the premier spot on my coffee table. After reading the introduction by Larry Sheehan, in which he shares hilarious and endearing tales about his dog, Buster, I knew I'd found someone who truly understood what it means to live with and love dogs. Even bad ones. The book is a celebration of hardcore dog enthusiasm. It's fun to learn about other people's passion for various breeds. What's more, the pages are filled with pictures of beautiful dogs, beautiful homes, and beautiful places. I got tons of inspiration for decorating my home and incorporating my love of dogs into my life. This book would make a wonderful gift.

This book is a good addition to whatever partnership book that you're using. For me, most tax books are hard to understand and I try to buy books that simplify it for me, then I dive into the deep stuff. This is by no means a comprehensive book. I frequently read this book, reference the Partnership in a Nutshell book for more clarification, and then reference the Code/Regs. By the time I do that, the Code/Regs are crystal clear.

Ms. Cunningham does a terrific job of succinctly summarizing the concepts and cutting through some of the complexity of this section of the Internal Revenue Code.

This little book was passed on to me by a friend a few years ago. The 3rd eddition is even better. Anyone who is interested in Partnership taxation should start their studies with this with its clear explinations and examples.

Marty Burbank, JD, LLM

If you've been reading your partnership tax textbook scratching your head and wondering where they got this number or that number, this book will be an immense help as you go through the rules and try to understand them. The Logic of Subchapter K goes through the subject matter in a very organized and well-presented fashion that makes it much easier to tackle. I am currently an L.L.M. student in Taxation, and I've found that, in combination with a textbook and lectures, this book makes it possible to not just memorize the rules but to actually understand and be able to apply them. Great book.

Update: got an A in the class!

An absolute must for any tax professional working with partnerships. Like the title indicates, it is very logical and gives an overview of the complex details before diving into the details.

I was looking for an uncommon story for my granddaughter and this book delivered. Lovely graphics and story.

I am delighted with this book, as I have just been to Russia on a cruise and the nesting dolls are what I brought back for everyone! Thank you for making this little book available! Malissa Baugh

What an excellent book. Both the story and the illustrations are superb. From the concept of the young girl out on her own, with just a small nesting doll her late grandmother bequeathed to her, to the magic the nesting doll contains to help Katya release a spell brought upon by a nasty vizier, to the fairy tale ending with her saving the prince, the story delivers. I have never seen a child's book with such exquisite illustrations. My five year old loves this book and we have re-read it many times; she has also recommended it on her own to friends and teachers. This is a wonderful tale told in an old style, that will endear itself to children, parents and grandparents.

I love the illustrations in this, they are sure to fascinate many detail oriented children, they are very much like the art that is painted onto the little nesting dolls. The story is a wonderful sort of reverse Sleeping Beauty, but told from the rescuer's point of view, Katya is a sweet but strong and determined heroine who rides a wolf, a bear and a firebird to save her sleeping prince.

A great gift for a child (or inner child) who loves fairytales.

This is the most exquisitely illustrated and delightfully magical book for children I have ever read. My daughter just gazes at the pictures, and she'll never let me read "just a few pages". We always have to read the entire book, and each and every time she is as enchanted as the first time we read it together. This is the kind of story I wish my mother could have read to me as a child. And I'm hoping someday I'll be able to read it to my grandchildren. I intend to keep this book forever. I cannot say enough about the beautiful illustrations...they are more exquisite than any real place on earth could ever be. As a result, they're sure to capture your child's heart and imagination. The facial expressions are haunting and I find myself wishing we could just leap into the page and spend a little time in this world. I am only wondering if Laurel Long has prints available? I would so love to hang one on my daughter's wall in her bedroom. Please read this book. It's just fabulous.

Jani is saved from a life in Tibet by Mister, a man she loves as a child. Once in England, Jani saves the life of Mr. Lambert and is invited to become one of his family. Years later, Jani's beloved Eleanor becomes ensnared by a strange man, and Jani is determined to save her. This brings Mister, Adam Gascoyne, back into her life.

This was the first novel by Brent that I read, and it remains my favorite.

These is the only book of MB I have found in french. I have read it almost 20 years ago and I was very happy last year when I discover that there are some over title even if there are in english. I have read this story a lot of time and I like it every times ! A very good one.

Agnes

This story is great adventure and romance with a plucky heroine, the child of tragedy. She's grows up where she doesn't belong near Nepal or Tibet but a time comes when she and her cockney-speaking caretaker have no choice but to leave. They are pursued on their arduous journey through mountain passes. Jani, the heroine, helps them make good time since she is able to communicate with yaks, mules, etc. But Jani has a mysterious past which we gradually learn about as she does. There are mystics and monks and Shangri-la-type temples, future prophesies and evil in wait. Meanwhile Jani finally makes it alive to England but broke and alone. She soldiers on, stays positive and good despite daunting circumstances and finally gets a lucky break. And where's that manly, mysterious fellow she can't forget?

I love Madeleine Brent and wish there were more books out there like hers! This one is especially good. While a little slow to start, the story picks up and I could not put it down. I was so sad when it ended. Jani and her friends are such loveable characters and the novel really made me feel good, as cliched as that is. There were times when I laughed and cried while reading this book. Highly recommended!

Before I discovered Madeleine Brent's books, my favorite author was Victoria Holt and I absolutely always said that I couldn't imagine another author ever topping her in my favorite's list but I have to admit that I was wrong, wrong, wrong!! And I am hardly ever wrong, just ask my husband!! Anyway, you can't go wrong with any of the Madeleine Brent books and my two favorites (and it is very, very, very difficult to pick a favorite)are Merlins Keep and The Golden Urchin, the Golden Urchin being my favorite book of all time!! How I wish Hollywood would wake up and make some movies based on these books by Madeleine Brent - I know they would become beloved classics!! Read all of the Madeleine Brent books and you won't find better prices than those on Amazon.com Happy reading!!!

For Civil War and Naval History buffs, this telling of the Monitor's creation and her campaign against the South's Merrimac is spellbinding.

Alot of detailed information well put together and very readable.

Monitor skillfully holds the reader spellbound about the ship, and her irrascible genius inventor. I also came to realize just how technically advanced this ship was compared to her contemporaries. This book is a quick and powerful read that you don't want to put down, and it conveys the depth and level of accomplishment achieved by John Erriccson in getting her built in the short time he did. An outstanding history replete with circumstances and entertaining anecdotes as well. A highly recommended book.

This slim volume recounts the history of USS Monitor which, in its famous engagement with the CSS Virginia (Merrimac) on March 9, 1862, rendered all wooden warships obsolete and initiated a naval arms race among world's navies that climaxed 80 years later in the Pacific battles of World War II.

Monitor's creator was a Swedish engineering prodigy named John Ericsson who had supervised 400 men as a canal engineer by age 16. For an 1829 railroad design competition built a steam locomotive that established a land speed record by covering a measured mile in 57 seconds (63 mph). But the contest sponsors changed the rules to defeat foreigner Ericsson and his attempts to provide innovate designs to the Royal Navy were also rejected. In frustration Ericsson emigrated to the United States and in 1837 invented the first practical screw propeller to drive steamships through the water.

In 1861 Union intelligence indicated the Confederates were rebuilding the scuttled former Union warship USS Merrimac as a heavily armed ironclad. If that ship (rechristened CSS Virginia but generally called simply "Merrimac"), broke the blockade of Hampton Roads then US coastal cities, including Washington, DC, would be vulnerable to attack. The Union needed an ironclad quickly, and Ericsson already had a plan!

Monitor's keel was laid in Brooklyn, NY on October 25, 1861, and Ericsson and his numerous subcontractors worked 108 days and nights until on February 9, 1862 USS Monitor was turned over to the Navy. Exactly one month later Monitor faced Merrimac at Hampton Roads. Objectively the battle was a tactical draw, but strategic victory went to the Union. The Union blockade was preserved, the Confederates remained bottled up and Britain and France, who were leaning toward supporting the South, decided to remain officially neutral.

This book tells the story of the design, construction, combat history, demise and legacy of USS Monitor in a well-written narrative format. It provides enough details for general readers interested in naval, engineering and civil war history. It may be too general for the serious buff, but I recommend it as an amazing tale to everyone else who wants to know more about this important historical event.

There are some small reproductions of period etchings and photos and a good map of the Hampton Roads battle area. The only thing missing are good schematics of Monitor's interior design.

....Like the Monitor itself, this book is short and concise and yet it packs quite a wallop. In a little more than two hundred well-written pages, Mr. DeKay manages to cram a lot. The book is all about the first ironclad warship of the U.S. Navy and its duel in Chesapeake Bay with the Confederate vessel Merrimac. The book starts with a biography of the ship's cantankerous Swedish inventor John Ericsson and his efforts to get the government bureaucracies of two continents to show interest in his his prophetic ideas for naval warfare (propeller engines, armor plating, torpedoes, revolving gun turrets). The book then talks about the labyrinthine maneuvers of Ericsson and his financial backers through the government contract process to get the ship built. Finally, the author describes in blow-by-blow detail the epic battle between the "cheesebox on a raft" Monitor and the vastly larger and better-armed Merrimac. Every page crackles with factual gems (e.g. The Civil War really was "brother against brother". The Merrimac's commander rammed and sank a Union ship while his brother was on board). Landlubbers and civilians need not be discouraged from reading this book. Engineering and naval concepts are presented in jargon-free language. The book can be finished in two or three days of casual reading. Great for the bathroom-er, uh, excuse me, head.

I purchased Mr. Right When You Need Him as a gift for a close friend with a very bad track record in romance.

She was recovering from her latest broken heart, and this gave her (and every other person there) a great laugh.

Get one today for yourself! It's so much cheaper than therapy!

Great gift! (Although you'll probably wind up wanting to buy one for yourself too!) I saw it first at a bridal shower...then started buying them as gifts for all my friends...and yes, one for myself!

Karen Salmansohn is the best -- I love her books !! What a great combination of humor (comic relief) and penetrating insight into contemporary life. This one is for those times when you'd rather laugh than cry. And don't miss her new one about doing absolutely nothing as a way of changing -- improving your life. She just keeps hitting the target in the right creative key in her wonderful series of books.

Mr Right when you need him is the perfect gift for any woman, single or married. The doll has 4 or 5 phrases that will instantly make this a gift that will be passed around from person to person. However, I must warn you that too much use causes difficulty in squeezing the doll (It was a little too popular with my friends!) The book is light hearted and a fun read. Highly recommend as a gift!!

This is a very nice book and doll package containing 'a sweet-talking man-doll and 64-page owner's manual with helpful tips on use and care.' Author Karen Salmansohn is superb. In part of West Africa, people have carved statuettes of their "spirit spouses" -- here is a good contemporary American version. Highly recommended.

It is rare to see an entire new field of study arise in science and engineering. It is even rarer to see it explored so lucidly by a single mind. "Nanosystems" is an astonishing tour de force.

This book is not light weight. It is not going to be readable for people who do not already have a substantial background in the sciences. It is an in depth and extremely careful analysis of the possibility of the creation of molecular machines and the fundamental physical limits that technology faces. The pages are packed with well described calculations and everything is fully footnoted and referenced.

Some people have criticized Drexler's vision, but is rare that the critics have actually read his work. In almost every case, he has already anticipated and discussed their objections in extraordinary detail. It is, in fact, amazing to see all the problems he has anticipated and analyzed, in depth and with great care.

If you are serious about your interest in nanotechnology, you must read this book. It will take you quite some time, but the information you will gain is invaluable, and much of it is available nowhere else.

My only criticism is that it is long past time for a new edition -- much has been learned in the last 15 years and it would be valuable to have it all collected in one place.

I think that this book clarifies all the aspects concerning Nanosystems, wrote by Mr. Nanotechnology: what is, how it is viewed, its possibilities.

I recommend for every one that wanna go inside the nanosystem's world.

This book is highly technical and assumes the reader's familiarity with physics, chemistry and the like. It was worth studying. I highly recommend everyone reading this book as the subject matter is inspiring. This book describes the inner mechanics of our (hopefully not too distant) future.

Dr. Drexler, I carefully studied your book for the first time in February 2000. I studied it once again in August. I now frequently refer to the notes I have made in my copy of your book.

Your book is an excellent guide. Thank you for inviting me to the field of nanotechnology.

Sincerely,

Kenneth L. Buckingham, Founder Tiny Technology, Inc.