Digital Books

I find the book "Fundamentals of digital logic and microcomputer design" very useful. I am a Cal Poly student, and took a few courses from Professor Rafiquzzaman. He is an excellent professor. It seems to me that the unproffesional comments by the other Cal Poly student are motivated. He probably took Professor Rafiquzzaman's class and received a bad grade. You should go through the book yourself and make your own judgements. The topics in the book are presented in a very simplified way. It's easy to understand. The CD included in the 5th edition is very handy. I am sure once you go through the book, you will know what I mean.

The content of this is easy for user to understand, and there always an examply in the theory. The author also combine Verilog in this book, so the student can understand Digital Logic efficiently before they can start Verilog. This will help most student understand the content of both Digital Logic and Verilog.

I haven't read this book, but from the reviews it seems that this book and the author are abnormal.

Makes understanding the subject simplistic. It tells you what you need to know and tries not to confuse you with all the other garbage some Digital Logic and Microprocessor Design books have in them. I also took a couple of courses with the author and I know that this guy has had a lot of experience with what he writes. He has written training material for certain companies in the industry. I recommended another book that he also wrote, "Preparing for an Outstanding Career in Computers," because he refers to this book in his courses and usually uses the examples from this book as a supplement to the class.

The first half of this book does an excellent job of teaching the background information needed for digital design. Unfortunately, the CPU-specific sections that follow are badly out of date. The author spends altogether too much time describing the 8086 and its family of (ISA-bus-specific) support chips -- devices that are almost never used anymore. It needs to be revised to talk about current technology.

Trent's motivation to become a good agent is interesting. The father and son connection is a classic one, and a man trying to live up to his father's legacy has the potential to be a compelling character.

There is some nice description of the CTC office, and I liked Trent's surprise that it was nothing special, just another cube farm like that of any other major business.

I didn't like that twice after Trent entered the office he describes people talking but we don't get to hear their conversations. Obviously Trent was close enough to hear what McIlvaine was saying on the phone, and what Liz was saying as she entered the office, but all we get is a description of their body language and the fact that they were saying something, which presents to me the mental picture of a television on mute. If people are saying something and Trent is in the room, I want to know what they are saying, as their words could give me a better idea of these characters' personalities.

The description of the Himmel case was interesting and presents some good backstory of how this agency operates.

The interaction between Else and Juergen was also interesting, as was Juergen's idea for a plot against the Americans, although having Germans at the heart of a plot to detonate a nuclear bomb didn't make as much sense to me as if it had been members of a less stable nation.

This story was an easy read, with some characters who might end up being compelling once the story gets rolling. I'm not sure, thus far, if it has anything that makes it stand out from the scores of other similar spy novels already out there, though.

Finally. Having read some of Mr.Pendergrass' shorter works in Writers of the Future and Horror Library, I was hopeful for a full novel. While I've only seen the first 3 chapters, I am eager to read the rest. The settings read true in both Langley and Berlin. Likewise, the characters smell real.

The Kraus Rendition by T. Pendgrass opens with newly minted CIA agent, Trent Stark, grabbing a cuppa Joe at Starbucks. He's following in his father's footsteps, and is an overachiever (at a young age) with the hope of living up to his father's legacy.

The excerpt presents a variety of significant characters, as the foundation for the story is set.

Jim McIlvaine, CIA veteran, is Trent's boss. Liz Perkins is a petite, young (but appears five years older), thin associate to Trent. Priscilla (Cilla) Talbot, in her mid 50's, is Chief of Operations for the Counterterrorist center, with the personality of a New England school marm.

We also get an introduction to Else Kraus, cold blooded killer with the RSF and mother(?) along with Juergen, an grossly obese German politician. The 'bad guy' motive for the story is laid out: have Else and her crew cause a nuclear 'accident' on a US military base--killing thousands of Americans and Germans--so as to leave room to advance an ultra-nationalist, socialist political agenda.

That's where I was a little stumped.

While I enjoyed the general easy-read feel to this story, with all the basic elements for a good spy-suspense novel, I found the motives of the antagonists to be outdated for the period the story is set in. Not that there weren't folks out there trying to push this kind of agenda, but this motive is not likely to sync when readers think 2000.

If this was set in 1990, prehaps, it would be more believable. But even in 2000 there were more likely terrorist concerns than a resurgent communist era radical group.

Other reviewers pointed out a need for editing and I have to agree, though nothing major given the non-complicated feel to the story. Mostly there were issues of detail continuity. ~E.G. early on Trent crumples his paper cup, then three paragraphs later drinks from it. Little things.

Overall, the feel of the writing is very similar to that of other popular spy-suspense novelists. By this I mean this author is adept at producing a plausible and enjoyable story with relatively believable characters. The 'story', though, is definitely the star of the show.

As a little kid, Trent Stark knew he was going to work for the CIA like his father. He even learned to tell lies about his father's work.

He really didn't know what kind of man his father was, but he clearly has a legend's shoes to fill. He graduated top of his class, foregoing a social life to do so, and now he's on his first day of the job working counter-terrorism.

Meanwhile, in Germany, terrorists are planning on discrediting the US by detonating a nuclear weapon on a US Army base in Germany.

Oh, this is promising. We've got a young agent out to live up to his name and an old threat ready to put into effect the final gambit. Characters, place description, are all good. The writing's pro. If the excerpt is any indication, we have a spy thriller in the grand old tradition.

Congratulations to Tom Pendergrass on his ABNA Top 100 win on this excellent excerpt.

A taut beginning, to what is obviously a suspenseful thriller, is set in the dangerous world of Counterterrorism. The main character is Trent Stark, and he has just completed his training from the agency. Set to embark on his first assignment, the author leads the reader into the offices of his new superiors, and his first mission.

The author does a wonderful job setting up the sterile world of governmental agencies, and he begins the novel with a plot twist involving a terrorist that has disappeared right under their noses. A chance encounter with a fellow officer could develop into a romance later on, but early in the narrative, the author develops a suspenseful plot, and draws the reader in.

Reminiscent of popular contemporary thrillers, The Kraus Rendition is one of those novels that you feel like you can't put down for fear that something exciting will happen next and you will miss it! I found myself wanting to know more by the end of the excerpt and that is the mark of an excellent story.

Putting this squarely in my top ten, I found it to be both gripping and suspenseful. This author did an outstanding job setting up the characters, and the situation surrounding them. If this book were published, I would definitely buy it. It is one of those stories that grabs your attention and holds on, and would be a perfect read for a rainy night, or a day at the beach. Great job!

Seeing that I'm not an adolescent anymore, the brief introduction to the story didn't really leaving me yearning for more. I'm not sure what classifies this as a sci-fi/fantasy novel. The characters seemed very scripted, almost ridiculously. I am still wondering what the story is about, but I will not feel incomplete if I don't finish the novel.

This excerpt includes some great interaction between Mel and her mother in the first scene. I like seeing an adolescent who isn't so full of angst she can't be pleasant to her mom on the first day of school.

The dialog between Mel and Tucker is well written, getting across their easy friendship as well as some important details about their physical appearance and their family situations.

The descriptions of the dorm and its inhabitants were interesting and struck a good balance between painting a picture and not bogging down the story.

The mysterious voice that explains why Gina's eyes don't match her smile might be interesting, although it's a bit abrupt and Mel is far too quick to accept it. If I heard a strange voice speaking to me while the world around me remained frozen, I'd be pretty freaked out.

I'm not sure how much I believe Gina's prissy attitude. Hasn't she had roommates in the past at this school? Would she still be so set in her ways, especially about sitting on the bed, after living with someone else for the last year, and maybe more?

This story has an interesting plot so far and is filled with interesting characters, but there are just those couple of things, Mel's acceptance of her strange voice and Gina's uptight attitude, that strike me as strange.

At last an interesting book which deals with real social skills and real feelings of the young adolescent. Ms Clark has created a fun story while modeling excellent writing skills and appropriate language for these readers. Cheers. This is a book parents and grandparents can buy for their kids with pleasure. I can't wait to see "the rest of the story."

You had me at Tangerine! I appreciate the mental stimulation the reader obtains through clever and creative wording to promote a truly vivid world. The characters are well developed and the personalities are very intriguing; I am able to "picture" each character in detail.

Writing a good novel about teenagers is harder than writing just about anything else. There are heavy expectations of a "coming of age" saga and all too many authors think that by saying the character is thirteen and adding a little magic they've created a competitor for Harry or for Holden. I sighed when I saw this was set at a boarding school but the author has hooked me with her characters. I can see each one clearly in my mind's eye: the leggy Mel, her sidekick Tucker, her reserved roommate Gina. My own school had its born politician like Patsy Plaidy (and I laughed hard at this point) and all of us have had a Tiffani Boomshot inflicted upon us at some point (and I groaned in memory).

The author's sure touch and deft humor has me hooked and the material she uses is this: a girl arrives at school, drops in to her new dorm room and meets her new roommate before going to dinner. And I'm riveted just by this! Here is a writer who doesn't have to orphan her character to create a little sympathy or to resort to criminal gangs or violence to create tension. Mel's fingers tingle on occasion and she's heard a mysterious voice. Now I'm concerned...what's behind this? I have to know more!

I greatly enjoyed the start of what can surely only be a great novel. It is a story that many will relate to.

It doesn't take long for you to empathize with Sara. Campisi's descriptions of Sara's world, both physical and psychological, brings her to life. After reading glimpses into Sara's past and present you are left wanting to know about her future. Teenage years are difficult for many reasons and Campisi captures those trials and tribulations. I look forward to more PRETENDING NORMAL.

This story not only gave each and every character a face and a personality, it put you in their time and place. Whether it was Sara taking comfort from the roses her mother once tended, or evading the embarassment of buying personal products for her sister, it put you, the reader, inside their heads, feeling their viewpoints.

What a strong, sturdy, smart little girl. How sad it was she is locked into the life she leads.

I would love to read the rest and discover the challenges that lie ahead for Sara and how she deals with them.

As usual, Mary Campisi writes with flair and grace, creating a story that will hold your interest. I can only echo the very positive things the others say and urge you to read these pages, then read all the Mary Campis novels you can get your hands on!!

I like this one. One of the odd things about capturing a young narrative voice with some authenticity is that, well, there's always a sort of wink at the audience that, hey, you the reader know some things my narrator doesn't know, because you're grown up and she's not. In most examples of this situation, what can be dampened is the soulfulness, the cry of the spirit that, when it is heard forcefully (like that Hemingway quote admonishing young writers to write with blood) it makes for that human connection which is among the powers almost unique to the intimate form of fiction. In this case, we get the nod and the wink and even the laughs but we get the cry as well. Hopefully this is structured to deliver a much louder and more resonant cry as the piece goes on, but the first notes are definitely here. To the writer: good luck! Oh, but then, why not a 5? Because, while you have both tones here, they are still showing the seams little, not really fused to be two sides of the same coin.

Reading this excerpt from Leah Fortson's "Take Two" was like meeting a very witty friend for coffee; I found myself smiling, nodding my head, and losing track of time.

There are many funny lines in this excerpt, but the story is not jokey or shallow. Early on, you realize that the humor and the breezy tone of "Take Two," are anchored by real insight and intelligence.

Meet Wygenia Iriving, a woman just shy of 30 who is thinking that it may be time to panic. By outside standards, "Wy" has got it all (the condo, the BMW, the high-salary job, and the handsome boyfriend) but she feels that she's not living up to her life's purpose. It would be easy if Wy knew what was missing and then spent the rest of the novel looking for it. The problem is, she doesn't know what's lacking. Fortson summarizes her bind:

"But I couldn't just up and quit my job to go 'find myself.' Life's little ironies: I was doing too well to go do what I wanted. Whatever that might be. I just wished I could shake the feeling that, somewhere along the way, I let a decision happen to me."

A good heroine--and Wy is just that--is one on a quest. If Wy's own growing dissatisfaction with her life is not enough to launch that quest, she has the added goad of a doting and demanding mother. Nothing like having your biggest champion and your biggest critic be the same person. In fact, the novel opens on the simmering comic tension between Wy and Dorothy Johnson Irving. Dorothy's presence in her daughter's affairs guarantees that Wy's life of quiet desperation will, at the very least, not be quiet for long.

In Chapter 2, we get a brief introduction to Didi Stein, a character who is also desperately trying to escape her comfortable life. Although Didi and Wy are both well-drawn and sympathetic, one gets the sense that Fortson launched the novel with her "A" character and Didi is her respectable "B."

Many people in their early 30's are trapped in the same prisons of routine that Wy and Didi find themselves in. It seems there would be a large audience for a book that describes how two smart, educated, ambitious women try to get their lives out of Neutral. I'm surprised that "Take Two" hasn't already been published.

Miss Fortson has created a well written, humorous "Coming of Almost Middle Age" story. Although her leading ladies have very similar issues, they have very specific voices. Take Two is a relevant, entertaining read that most people, of a certain age, can relate to.
This story seems to capture a basic element that many like it have missed, honesty.

Leah Fortson's TAKE TWO is funny from the very first line to the last. Her comedic excellence is matched by credible dialogue. I recommend this sophisticated work to readers who enjoy a good read and a good laugh.

Izzy Heller

Ms. Fortson has created a gem of a story - from the little bit that we get to read. Funny, witty, and oh-so-familiar to many of us. The infamous relationship with one's mother, boyfriend, job....The perennial question: what am I doing with my life? I particularly enjoyed how Ms. Fortson uses a style of writing that is so descriptive and detailed that you feel like you're in the scene, watching it unfold, smelling the perfume, serving the guests, etc. This is a book that I can imagine sitting down and reading cover to cover because I already want to know what unfolds and how it ends. I can't wait to read more. This one is certainly a keeper!

I was instantly immersed in the characters' lives. I can't wait to read more. Write on!

Norbert's obsession in the first part of this excerpt with the tilted angle of his psychiatrist's tie is a great introduction to this character, as it allows us to see that he is not quite a normal guy.

The second bit of information about this character, that he can't tolerate the thought of being outside in the daylight, is equally interesting. I like the way Norbert's imagination runs away with him as he imagines stepping onto his driveway at high noon and the things that could happen.

I also liked the guided visualization, the way that Norbert's mind keeps wanting to add distressing things to his peaceful walk, and Norbert's and his psychiatrist's attempts to overcome this urge.

Floyd's irritation with his ex-girlfriend and with the conference call he is connected to from home is clear and interesting, but I had no idea during the call how this character's life had anything to do with Norbert's life, so I wasn't sure how much Floyd's story mattered until the first scene of him had passed.

Norbert's paranoia after leaving Dr. Z's office and smoking up in his car is well written and vivid. One thing that bothered me--if Norbert is so socially phobic that he can't leave the house until it's dark and is horrified at the thought of a message on his answering machine, how does he get all of the marijuana he smokes?

I liked Norbert's character; I thought he was strange and amusing, and I'd like to follow his progress, or lack thereof, as he continues therapy and perhaps starts to participate more in life.

and I knew this was going to be good. At the point where Norbert is imagining his walk and describing it to the doctor, I didn't stop laughing. The author's voice was felt in the honest humor, and I was pleasantly surprised at the things he imagined. This was quick-paced fun and I really look forward to reading the whole thing.

Unloading Norbert by S. Freele opens with a therapy session between Norbert and Dr. Z (Zolnay). Norbert is trying his hand at visualizing a pleasant evening walk, but it keeps getting interrupted by Japanese tourists, cops looking for his weed, a witch on a broom, jelly donuts and a dependable bulldozer.

This scene is thick with subdued humor while at the same time demonstrates just how oppressing agoraphobia can be, even in the 'safe' confines of one's mind.

We next meet Floyd, Norbert's brother, a Personnel Director who has just found out, due to a merger, he'll have to reapply to his job or take a severance package. While his actions during this scene give a sense that he is far more normal than Norbert, one can also see that he has some unusual tendencies as well. Again, the comedy was nicely integrated without being overbearing or unnatural.

From beginning to end, this excerpt is well written and well constructed. Norbert is the picture perfect agoraphobe, recluse. However, his tendency to smoke a lot of weed seems a little counterintuitive for someone already suffering from anxiety issues. I hope this is fleshed out more.

I look forward to seeing the relationship between brothers, as well as Norbert's continued (and pleasantly comical) endeavor to overcome or better cope with his disorder.

I really couldn't find much wrong with this excerpt. It grabbed my interest from the beginning, and held it throughout. Norbert and Floyd are almost charicatures of someone we all might know, making them likeable and interesting, and compelling us to want to know more about them.

The writer does a good job explaining Norbert's anxiety without mucking up the story and dialogue with too many crazy distractions.

The writing is crisp and clean and the storyline seems well thought out. I really enjoyed reading about Norbert. I hope I can read the rest soon.

Poor Norbert--all he wants to do is stay home, hang out with his cat....But, he's got to do something to keep the drugs and the catfood coming in. When his employer gives him the ultimatum, he's gone outside to the shrink's office.

His brother's got a problem, too. Looks like "Catbert's" in charge of his HR Department. Floyd's got to re-apply for his job in HR. The stress of that might get him a spot next to Norbert on Dr. Z's couch.

If you have a twisted sense of humor, this is probably going to be another excerpt you are going to love. Dr. Z's 'reflective' questioning got to me in places, but "Norbert's" still good and guaranteed for a chuckle or four.

Congrats to Stephanie Freele on her ABNA Top 100 position and best of luck to her with Norbert's story.

I do not want to discourage this very fine writer. There is much to be admired here, from the well-drawn central character to the interesting predicaments and desires of the homeless. However, this excerpt has many basic problems. Look at this passage: "She had jaundiced, bloodshot eyes, skin that shone like maple had been poured down over it. From cap to bell-bottom corduroys, she was clad all in beige. If her shoes were another color, you couldn't tell. They were hidden beneath the bell bottoms." The "skin that shone like maple" is wonderful, but "jaundiced, bloodshot eyes" does not reach the same level of close looking. The third sentence of the passage is unnecessary, and there is quite a bit of this type of excess. With plenty of work, this novel could go somewhere.

This is a gorgeous opening chapter, honest writing with real characters. I'm drawn in right away, and although I want to keep rereading this chapter, I'm anxious to learn what's next, in store for Brina and her family. I'm a fan of Darlin's work, have read more of this book and it's stunning throughout.

The first thing that's obvious about Darlin Neal's writing is that she knows exactly what she's doing. She is the god of this creation and she is not only an interested god, but she is fierce and protective of every star and atom of her universe. A novel about a family down on its luck, homeless and wondering in search of both past and future, is not a world that can be created convincingly without a lifetime of authorial light. There are thousands of books about family sagas that are gathering dust and mold in libraries across the world. So what is it about this book that turns lightning bugs into lightning bolts? Character, of course. The reader has to believe, has to give over their imagination, surrender their will to the author's and take the journey into the souls of this motherless brood: the woeful dad and the stepmother, Edie, the children Ben, the baby, Ariel, and the center of the circle, Brina, the daughter whose moods understandably teeter between hope and despair.

In creating such convincing characters (and this is true of setting, as well), the author is responsible for keeping the precarious balance. Too much detail at once is stultifying; too little is elliptical. Darlin Neal has the deft touch that a master painter should in creating character, setting, and conflict: a dab here, a stroke there, a slash, a dot, whatever is needed to complete a portrait that offers her unique view of the world peopled by her imagination. Another element the author has to balance is objectivity. Authorial intrusion, where the reader becomes too aware of a subjective bias, is anathema to verisimilitude.It is as if the author has jumped on one end of the teeter-totter they are trying to balance, and in the process spilling all on board, including the readers' suspension of disbelief. While I have only this excerpt to judge, it is obvious to me that the balance will be maintained in this novel. I suspect Blessed Are will not only be published, but will garner accolades from both literati and the casual reader.

This author zooms us into Brina's world in the first sentence, a world of uncertainty and fear and love. The family stays together no matter what, and the obstacles are huge. Their desperation is clear in the details. In brief glimpses of Brina and Ben, we see children who have the clear voices of their age, but the actions of adults to protect each other in their world of nothing. Ben offers his nine year old shoulder to his sister while they wait at the hospital. Brina expresses her fear of the worst about the baby's condition as if she's the mother. This excerpt was vivid and made the family's situation crystal in few words. I was disappointed to run out of story.

What is immediately clear from the outset of "Blessed Are" is that the protagonist, Brina a young, homeless girl on the road with her family, is going break your heart. With deft descriptions of the down and out this story of a ramshackle family searching for normalcy, will break your heart, but it will also uplift--because you will know that against all odds, Brina will survive. I applaud the author for showing the part of America rarely seen these days--the reality of the poor. In reading this excerpt you realize that even though decades have passed since "Yonnodio" and "The Grapes of Wrath"--for the American underclass life is still the same struggle. This is a story that must be told and I would definitely read on.

Mr. Smith's book is well illustrated and supported by the accompanying CD (images to work with that are in the book). His explanations are clear to the Photoshop user and he does explain some terms, as in methods of cropping and re-sizing an image and which method is suited for which type of image), file formats of images, and other areas like the applications under adjustments that I had not used until I began working with the book.
I have found some techniques that are similar to other authors (Scott Kelby, in particular, whose books I have enjoyed quite a lot), and that was part of my interest in purchasing the book-to broaden my reference library with people aside from Kelby, Deke McClelland, and some folks on-line like Earth-Bound Light and Photography, etc). I recommend purchase. Readable, well cross-referenced, and helps deliver results.

Excellent training material. I would also recomment The Photoshop CS2 Book For Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby. The combination is outstanding.

I was really surprised this was such an excellent book. Usually I just read the chapters I am interested in , but I read this whole book--it was just so instructional and one that I will keep close to the computer for reference book.

I am an amaetuer photographer. This book has helped me fine tune my photos and bring out its full potential. I will gladly recommend this book to anyone who wants to gain more knowledge on photography and perhaps learn a very powerful photo editing tool.

This book has a lot of good information in it, but is not well written. You may be halfway through a paragraph before you get to the topic sentence and figure out what the author is talking about. It often takes a second or third trip through a paragraph to figure out what it's about. The author also is not consistent with his word usage. I've found as many as three or four different words used for the same thing. For instance luminosity and brightness are used interchangeably, sometimes on the same page or even the same paragraph. So, using the book can be frustrating, though the author clearly knows Photoshop and I have learned a lot from the book.
The book does not mention or discuss some of the neatest features of Photoshop CS2 including some of the Automate features such as Merge to HDR (high dynamic range). This feature combines an underexposed and an overexposed picture into one high dynamic range image (bright areas are not washed out and dark areas are not black). This is an amazing capability that is not mentioned.
I would buy this book again, but only after searching diligently for one that covers the same scope or more and is better written. Actually, I'd probably get a book that covers CS3 as well, and hopefully indicates where features are unique to CS3. Or maybe just a CS3 book if you are going to upgrade. I understand the upgrade to CS3 is well worth the price even though it is now $200. Ease of use alone makes CS3 valuable to novices from what I've read.

These two chapters have certainly piqued my interest! I look forward to reading the whole novel.

This story draws you in from the very first paragraph. The author immediately makes you want to know more about Alex's relationship with his father and, by the time you've reached the second page, you're already engrossed in the inter-relationships among Alex, his wife, his mother, his father and his sister. Add to that the mystery of what's in his father's diary and you just want to read more...................... you feel that the characters are people that you know and you want to know more.

Boris Riskin weaves us in and out of a troubled word through gripping characters that are complex and fascinating. I couldn't stop reading it - wanting to know what happens next. This book is packed with suspense and great storytelling. Do yourself a favor, and set aside time to read this book!

The characters were vivid and emotionally telling. The relationship between Alex and his wife clearly pointed in the direction of Alex's relationship with his mother and sister. I enjoyed following Alex's memories of his wife and family as the story line progressed. This is what gave the story its gripping element. The end left me looking for more, asking more questions. What about Alex and his father??? What will the diary reveal about the entire family???

riskinrevue

"He began to read. Almost immediately he felt himself drawn as if he were being sucked into a whirlpool. The words reached out and filled him with dizzying assortment of feelings and emotions that kept him reading so intensely he could hardly breathe. He read without stopping until he finished." This is Robert Boris Riskin writing in his novel, "Maybe Perhaps." It also nails exactly the story's effect upon this reader.
All unhappy families are unhappy in their own way, Tolstoy tells us. Riskin tells us how Alex and Priscilla manage theirs in Valley Stream, complete with a daughter's suicide and a dead father's diary. Beware the enticing simplicity of Boris's writing; it is about as innocent as the new ice on a pond that you skim across so easily you're out where it thins before you know it. You begin to see the deep, cold black waters beneath, but by then it's too late.

In Andrew Roe's Retreat, we're introduced to David, a character who yearns to fall into the cracks of everyday life where he can detach, listen to his music, do his mundane job and just be left alone. He even struggles with the point of "don't you need to be somebody first" to then disappear and have it produce the "maximum effect." Maybe his search for solitude is really just his way of reaching out?

David has been through a stage we can all relate to; a place where he can't seem to gain momentum in any aspect of life - work, relationships, creative endeavors and the like - and reaches a point of disconnection where even one of those points of "demarcation" for the entire planet isn't enough to rouse him from his perpetual slumber.

This story made me laugh, pause to reflect a bit and even think twice about saying "hello" to my neighbors when picking up my mail each day (so who's the loner in my building???). I had an instant connection with the character and the settings and stages of his experience are made to seem all too familiar (I hate cubicles too). Andrew Roe has that rare gift every writer seeks - a witty and engaging style that makes you want to read on.

I'm hooked - I want to know more about my new friend David and his plight. Will he succeed in his plans to disappear from society? Will he find solitude and peace? Will he be able to keep his sanity deep inside the gray fabric walls of corporate America? I want to know...

These brief chapters from Andrew Roe's novel are concise, insightful, and funny. He has a great sense of life in a giant mega-corporation, a place where, after four years, someone can still ask the narrator if he's new to the company, and where our narrator can work all morning and not realize until lunch that the building has been abandoned because of news of terrorist attacks. Essentially, Roe is exploring the many ways it is possible to be invisible in our society, and he does so with warmth, humor and honesty. I would recommend this to anyone who has ever had a job.

'Retreat' is a glimpse of a guy named David, whose life is a melancholy cycle of one living as a meaningless figure within a corporate cube-farm. In a sad way, he's a poster-child for an entire populous of single men who are stuck in the monotonous daily cycle of 'work, microwaved lunch, more of the same work, home'.

David lives for nothing of great substance, and doesn't stop his routine of samedom, even as the entire nation stops. In a poignant moment, David realizes (after remembering to remove his ear-plugs the he uses for sleeping) that his entire office is devoid of life--and this realization not only sums up this character in a few short sentences, but also makes me think that his internal narrative must be incredibly loud (even if his external self doesn't reveal as such)...for him not to realize that the lifeless day at his office is Sept. 11, 2001.

This is a brilliant read, and Andrew Roe should be commended for creating this truly touching piece of literary art.

Retreat by A. Roe offers a witty insight to one young professional's disenchantment with everyday life. American culture has lead to a disenfranchisement with the immediate world around him. Rather than have have his obscurity be based on not being 'somebody first', David Leiter takes charge of his own social withdrawal.

This is a funny and well written take on the dilemmas of the modern fabricated-for-you life. It easily conjures up the humor seen in other pop-culture favorites as 'Office Space' and Dilbert, yet doesn't get carried away with its levity.

I found that many of the authors lines were filled with a simple blend of comic poignancy and general observation, such as:
~'...later turn out to be this big before-and-after demarcation, when your life forks elsewhere and you aren't even aware of said forking at the time.'
~'...the cube next to mine had been vacant ever since the welcomed departure of the satanic Matt Henderson...'
~'...yet another report, this one about the cognitive ability of young children to recognize company mascots and logos.'

While this excerpt overall read as the slow downfall of David's worldly involvement, I was lost at times with regard to chronology. If this was meant to be linear, then I missed that. I missed what order this presentation was in, generally speaking.

It starts with an overview of things, then starts to recollect his time from college graduation onward. After the 'are you new here' piece (establishing he'd been there for 4+ years) and the bit about his apartment neighbors, we find out he has a new cube-neighbor. From there, David's still thinking on the new cube person, when, in short order, he's approached by Casagrande (lovely name) about his editing. There's mention that David's 'new' at this point. I reread this sequence four times wondering if I missed the indicator for time shifting. Is this still four years later? Did he start thinking about when he was new again? Did his direct supervisor really think that David was new? It was rather confusing.

Outside of this time slip, I enjoyed reading this piece. The humor, pace and character had a general appeal that kept me engaged as a reader and wanting to see how David finally manages to escape it all.

David Leiter - an anonymous and typically dissatisfied, uninspired and dismayed resident of corporate cubeville, one document processing specialist in a veritable army of hundreds of lacklustre wordsmiths, an English major whose sole editorial task (in the words of his domineering tyrannical supervisor) is "to make shit stink less" - takes us on a meandering, hilarious Seinfeld like tour of the existential angst of his unchallenged intellect and rather forlorn, mundane existence.

Andrew Roe has chosen to let David Leiter tell his own story in his own words - a particularly engaging first person style in which I felt as if I was sitting on a bar stool beside David as he told the story directly to me, a very private and entirely engaging one on one session. Despite David's obviously retiring, introverted personality in which he almost shuns human contact, David is also a VERY funny guy. He is self deprecating, utterly charming and it would seem blissfully unaware of his own wit despite his sparkling mastery of the craft of words.

If Andrew Roe can maintain that style and level of interest throughout his entire novel, wherever it may be headed, then he will have penned a literary prize well worth the reading.

Thanks so much, Mr Roe, and good luck with your writing efforts. I'll look forward to reading the finished product.

Paul Weiss