Don Books

Like Ditko? Like Kirby? Like crazy monsters in twilight zone style stories? Well, even if you dont, buy this amazing collection of Amazing Adult Fantasy if only for the art. The Kirby and Ditko work of the pre marvel hero days is definately worth the money. Just having the entire collection of the series in one volume is great by itself. But add the incredible Ditko and Kirby art along with some fun stories by Stan Lee and youve got something special worth the price. Is it Ditko and Kirbys best? No. But these two masters of the art of visual storytelling, whether at their peak or not is still better than most of the derivitive artistic styles seen today. It captures the fun of comic books, which are what comics are supposed to be. The Ditko tales are something special and if you're a fan of his work, or of Kirbys for that matter, then pick up this amazing collection. Its worth the price.

My guess is that everyone who buys this book or is interested in buying it, grew up during the "Golden Age'' of comics, circa the 1960s and 1970s. If so, then you're like me and you'd view this collection of comics with a completely biased eye and you'd give it 5 stars as I have (and as have the 9 other reviewers before me). But if I am totally honest and try to read the stories contained therein in a wholly unbiased fashion, I would have to tell you that while the artwork by Kirby, Ayers and mainly Ditko is a joy to behold, many stories are quite frankly, weak. All were written by Stan Lee and in many cases u can tell they were obviously rushed out to meet looming deadlines. It's also obvious that one person wrote them all because although the monsters or aliens might change appearance or names, the underlying storylines are all too similar. Ditto for the supposed surprise endings, which after a while, become predictable. But hey, as I said at the start, none of this should detract from your purchase decision. I honestly don't think people are going to buy this book to discover cutting edge, 21st-century comic book fare - you could get that from hundreds of other titles - you buy this book because these were the pioneers for countless genres to follow. You buy it because this was how it all started.

A visual feast for fans of King Kirby and Sturdy Steve Ditko. Never in my wildest dreams (or forty years of collecting comics) would I have thought this material would be collected and reprinted.

This tome is absolutely perfect! The writing by Stan Lee and the art by Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby are prime indicators that the Marvel Age Of Comics is about to begin! The production on this MASSIVE collection is top notch! The oversize format showcases Ditko's brilliant yet subtle illustrations, while Kirby's bombastic and kinetic storytelling explodes off of every page! The rich, vibrant colors originally used in these tales get a whole new life in this format! Every page is the comic book equivalent of watching a 52" plasma HDTV! Stan Lee's tales of the unknown, suspense, twists and valuable lessons learned do author O. Henry proud. You can almost see Stan gaining steam as a storyteller on this series!
Bottom line...Amazing Adult Fantasy Omnibus was worth every penny I spent on it.
'Nuff Said!

This is a nice historical collection, gathering the full run of Marvel Comics' tumultuous and short-lived "Amazing Fantasy" title. It was one of the last "monster" books Marvel published before the revival of their superhero franchise, and indeed, the last issue featured the birth of Spider-Man, who is arguably the most famous of all Marvel characters. The individual original issues are hard to find and terribly expensive, so this hardbound omnibus is a real blessing for fans who just want to read the old stuff, and not pay a gazillion dollars or have to worry about preserving the fragile old artifacts.

The scripts were mostly by (or credited to) Stan Lee, and illustrators Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko were his main collaborators. A couple of leftovers from the 1950s genre books were also on board, notably Paul Reinman, but the real sizzle is with Ditko and Kirby, who were developing a truly new, explosively expressive style that burst away from the stale, cramped design work of the Atlas era.

The stories, generally speaking, are pretty flat and formulaic: the six-pages-and-a-zinger-ending format did not, in all honesty, leave a lot of room for brilliance. Nonetheless, something was bubbling up under the surface of the moribund genre... There were plenty of hints of things to come: professors named Storm, rocky-skinned monsters, a skinny kid with big, round glasses who discovers he has superpowers, and of course, the proto-Dr. Strange, Dr. Droom, one of the few recurrent characters of the era. In one of the most fascinating later stories, the Ditko-penned teenage hero looks a LOT like Peter Parker, but what's even more amazing is the script, about how the boy is a mutant, and how he must hide his powers due to the prejudice of normal humans -- the entire "X-Men" mythology was laid out in '62: it really should be anthologized along with the early X-books from now on.

The book really hit its stride in the last half-dozen issues, when Steve Ditko basically took over and was given full reign on the creative end. The book developed a strong signature style, and Ditko came into his own. Some of the best surprises come with the famous Spidey issue: the one-page editorial about how they planned to change the look and format of the book (and, boy, did they! they canceled it and started up "The Amazing Spider-Man" instead) and also the fact that the book *still* had back-up features full of aliens and things that go bump in the night.

This is a fascinating look back at the history of Marvel Comics. Probably best appreciated for the dynamic, colorful artwork (which looks fabulous in the glossy archival format) but also good, goofy fun in its own right. Face Forward, True Believers! (Joe Sixpack, Slipcue)

In Brother to Brother, Reverend Thomas Walker is encouraged to have radical surgery over and over again by urologists who practice bad medicine. The Reverend seems to know propoganda when he sees it and refuses to have his body destroyed for no benefit. He makes good decisions despite the urological establishment's pressure to do the wrong thing. A nice enjoyable read. Like the other physician who reviewed this book, I rate it very high.

Bravo to Dr. Walker for writing such a compelling book about prostrate cancer. This book is certainly a "must have" for all men, especially african-american men.

In the only randomized placebo-controlled study every done on the radical prostatectomy, radical surgery was no better than placebo. Reverend Walker seems to figure this out. Instead of being pushed into surgery by several urologists he undergoes the much less harmful treatment of radiation seed implants. Definitely read this book and note how much pressure was put on the reverend to undergo surgery, while other less harmful options were ignored. The reverend triumphs over his urologists.

This book chronicles more than one man's struggle with this dreadful disease. It provides spiritual hope for the masses of men who are having the same experience. It proves that I don't have to die SPIRITUALLY, SEXUALLY, EMOTIONALLY OR PHYSICALLY from prostate cancer! Thank you, Thomas L. Walker!!!!

As a physician recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, I found the book entertaining and easy to read in 2-3 hours due to the large text. I applaud him for encouraging men to have their prostates checked starting in their 40's. Unfortunately, the book is directed to Blacks more than to all men. The reader is cautioned that the author delays treatment and eventually chooses one form of therapy at a specific institution. The treatment option that has the greatest chance for cure is downplayed. Use this book as only one resource among several. Also, I would have liked more encouragement to let the diagnosis change your life for the better. Best wishes.

California Boomer has layers of meaning, some simple and others bold, and brave. The author gives us so many life lessons, insights, and details, many times overlooked by individuals but ever so important. If you get past the sweet and touching first few stories you'll be pulled into an ever more complex set of people, and at times, almost surreal situations. This book is never dull and will make you think about your own life. I'll be looking for more works by Don Noyes-More. Totally enjoyed this read.

I've waited to write a review until I fully digested what I have read. Boomer is unlike any other biography or time based book I've read before. It is a deeply honest book that demands and commands attention from the reader. There is no place to hide after reading this book, if indeed that is your reaction to raw truth! Boomer hits on many life themes and topics in ways that to me were unexpected. The message at the end is clear and concise yet with an edge of joy mixed with pathos. The second time I read the book I read it backwards, somehow that made the book come doubly alive. If you're into reality reading Boomer will be a great experience.

Sometimes, just sometimes something very good comes in a small package. This 162 page book is just one of those sometimes. "Boomer" is sometimes sweet, sometimes stark and disturbing; a panorama of Boomer California; human vistas and depths.Trust me you'll not read anything near this saga of human emotion, of life at its rawest anywhere! I was deeply drawn into this personal journey and found myself wanting answers to many questions at the end of the book. This is Americana at its personal best. The author's brave and good spirit is an example for us all. "Boomer" will last in your thoughts, it has in mine.

As a media person I found "Boomer" an exceptional work. The book offers a tour de force of the California Boomer years with deeply etched personalities, emotional environments, and political-social life. This book is personal and yet cuts through many topics and insights. Any one story stands on its own, but all the stories together provide exceptional reading. Being in Hollywood media I was interested in the stories about Hollywood personalities, some mentioned by name others renamed (but I knew who the author was writing about). Yet the entire work has given me great pause, reflection and a thankfulness for the author's message. Boomer is a good read.

Totally enjoyed Boomer. It is hard to define a book with so many important parts, so many insights. You can't but be touched by this author's journey through life. Boomer is a collection of stories about the author and the many people of his life. This book is striking in both its softness and then hard hitting, gut wrenching experiences. The book at times seems almost odd for its inclusiveness and acceptance of at times seemingly different insights and life positions. But it all comes together and we are left with a profound message of Life, Love, and Hope. This is more than a California story, it is a story of the human condition; good, bad and inspiring. I believe that Mr.Noyes-More has written a book for us all. Boomer is a book of courage and honesty well worth the time and money.

I bought this book after I saw some of Don Normark's pictures in a local gallery. I was impressed with his work that I had to have the book. After reading the book and trying to see the pictures as he did, I realized that this was more that just a photo book. This was history and how these people lived. This could have been written in 2008, the same problems and the same actions by the government that was felt then is still seems to be happening now. I have read other books written about the city of Los Angeles during the years before and this book helps me understand the people who lived there better.

I became aware of Chavez Ravine when I purchased a CD of music by Ry Cooder about the subject. Until that time I would have been unlikely to come across information about this amazing part of LA because I live in New Zealand and we are on the other side of the world - downunder you might say!

However, I have now been to Los Angeles a couple of times, in transit, and so feel as if I have a partial idea of the scale of this city and its surrounds.

I was therefore intrigued to see someone with a copy of this book and promptly looked for it on Amazon's website.

I now have even more insights into this community and it only further amazes me that the land that was home to so many immigrant families could just be taken out from under them - something I feel is quite shameful.

I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who wants to look into the past and read about the immigrant communities in the United States and how they are often overlooked and mistreated.....and then almost forgotten, but for people like Don Normark bringing their world to the fore.

My in-laws are of the families uprooted from La Loma-now Dodger Stadium. I'm looking forward to reading about the history of this long, forgotten place.

Nestled in the hills between downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena is Chávez Ravine, site of Dodger Stadium and its acres of parking lots. Few baseball fans here could tell you that long before the Dodgers left Brooklyn, Chávez Ravine was the home of three communities of Mexican-American laborers and their families.

Don Normark, a young photographer in 1948, was climbing in the hills looking for postcard-shot views of LA when he discovered La Loma, Palo Verde, and Bishop. Each neighborhood was a rambling cluster of buildings, dirt streets, and footpaths. The wooded slopes of Elysian Park overlooked the ravine, and beyond were the peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains. He felt he had found another world -- a kind of Shangri-La. For many months, he returned to take pictures of what he saw and of the people he met there. He didn't know that he was recording on film the daily life of a place and its people that was about to disappear.

The pictures, of course, are black and white, a rich range of gray tones and contrasts under the cloudless southern California sky. In a casual street scene, two men stand talking on the hard dirt, and a third, his back to them, leans across a low concrete wall. All is in sharp focus from the dusty tire track in the foreground to the pointed tower of City Hall nudging up over a darkly wooded ridge in the distance. The mid-afternoon light reflects brightly off one man's tee shirt and from the front of a small white house farther on. Meanwhile, the shadows cast by eaves, palm fronds, parked cars, and the men themselves are deeply dark.

There are many pictures of people, of all ages. Some look into the camera. Most are busy working, walking, talking, playing. A young girl wears her confirmation dress. A boy watches his father repair a car. Two men spar under branches thick with bougainvillea blossoms. An iceman stands in an open gateway, tongs slung over one shoulder. A young woman arranges flowers on an altar. A workman returns home along a winding footpath at the end of the day (see book jacket above).

Fifty years later, Normark gathered together his pictures and began looking for the people who had once lived in Chávez Ravine. This book is an album of those pictures, with commentary by the people he found, in their own words. Normark writes simply and clearly about himself and his experiences. Like his photographs, his writing style is sharply focused. In the opening pages of the book, he describes the forced relocation of the people of Chávez Ravine during the Fifties, and the various public and private interests contending for control of its development. Normark's book is both handsome and beautifully written, a fine example of text and image illuminating each other.

This book is full of classic, socially-conscious photography that bears a spiritual kinship with Dorothea Lange's Depression Era photos of Dustbowl Families. The images are doubly rich: as Old School black and white images shot on a reasonable speed film, with a broad and caress-ably subtle range of grays, and also as a record of a time and place that was stolen, and will simply never be again.

For those who don't know the story, in a nutshell: The residents of Chavez Ravine, who were almost entirely Latino, were offered the promise that their community would be replaced by public housing as part of a renewal project of sorts. (Some had called their neighborhood blighted.) But as the land acquisition proceeded, and as various official pledges were reneged and political cards played (including exploitation of the then current fear of creeping Socialism/Communism-- after all, I ask you, what could be more unAmerican than affordable replacement housing?), the project proved to be a lie. The final hold-outs at Chavez Ravine were bodily removed by deputies as the last remnants of the neighborhood were cleared to make way for a sports field and parking lot. (!)

This volume is great because these photos, which speak so eloquently of one specific place and time, also speak clearly of universal things. Children play; young couples tie the knot as family celebrates; honest and good people work to protect what is theirs, to better their lot, and just to get by. -- It is about nothing less than the struggle and joy of life itself.

If there is any uplift to the wistful story this book tells in beautiful images and words, it is in that the displaced people survived, persevered, and that their old home, and what happened there, is remembered today.

Sometimes, you have to search for the bright spot. A thought-provoking read. Recommended.

These are all such wonderful books!!! He is a wonderful man and writer. A must for anyone facing sorrow,challenges,health problems,dissabilities,life and death,dying,fear,anxiety,crisis in faith.. Lovely books.Highly recommend!!!90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death & LifeHeaven Is Real: Lessons on Earthly Joy--From The Man Who Spent 90 Minutes In HeavenDaily Devotions Inspired by 90 Minutes in Heaven: 90 Readings for Hope and Healing

I recently bought 90 Minutes in Heaven and the devotional that accompanies it. My Mother passed away this past year, and I thought it might be comforting to me to read about someone's experiences. These books were more than comforting - they were totally uplifting for both me and my Father, who is in a nursing home, just waiting to go there and be with my Mom once again.

I highly recommend this to anyone - believer or not - who has lost a loved one.

Don Piper's experience makes me look forward to hearing the trumpet call. He is an excellent author. Thanks Don Piper, see you on the other side.

This book has small chapters that will appeal to everyone and offer comfort in the prayers at the end of each one. Losing my mother suddenly, it has offered me some comfort in the midst of my pain.

One of the best christian books out there about heaven. This book came to me after i lost my mother who was a christian. Losing her was hard for me and i wasn't sleeping well at night. This book brought so much comfort and peace to me. So much that when i finished reading it i told friends,family and co- workers about it. I rest well knowing things about heaven and what it's like to go there.

I love this book and would wholeheartedly recommend it for every househould. Families and coworkers can have the best intentions, but if the language we use is what we all grew up with - a war-like model - then it can be confusing and frustrating when our interactions with people make us feel worse than before. I like how this book dissects the language we typically use (most of it rang all too familiar!), then offers new ways of communicating the same thing with language that helps the other person feel more receptive.

I've started using these techniques at home and at work, and I can't speak highly enough about it. I really learned a lot, and I feel more empowered in my communication skills, even in difficult of situations - not that I don't fall back into old ways. But when I do, it's a reminder of how different the results are when you use language consciously or unconsciously.

The concept of using language creatively to generate harmony is such an obvious but brilliant observation. The way the author breaks everything down into examples makes it seem really possible for anyone to transform and improve how they interact with the world. (The index of examples is really helpful!)

I read all the reviews by other readers of this book and was surprised that everyone gave it 5 stars. After reading it, I have to agree with them. The things Sharon Ellison is teaching in this book are amazing. I wish I would have known about them sooner or that it was a part of my early education.

In any case, I want to spread the word about how to communicate in a non-defensive way. I am lending my copy of the book to everyone I know. It is more empowering than using defensive communication. And I really feel like it is necessary for the next step in our human evolution in order for our humanity to catch up with our technology (something Sharon Ellison writes about in the last chapters of the book).

I have no reservation in recommending this book.

I had bought this book, thinking it would teach my teen how to be less defensive. What it did was teach me how to deal with her defensiveness. I found that, by using the book's techniques, I was able to defuse potential battles and our house is much, much calmer as I can now defuse the power struggles she initiates. I also found that I have used the techniques many times with others in the family and with those in various groups to which I belong. I have been reading and re-reading the book ever since I got it a year ago, to ingrain the techniques. I cannot recommend this book more highly. It opened my eyes and changed my way of communicating.

I happened upon this book surfing the net for something else, and when I saw the title, I ordered it right away hoping it would be good. I haven't finished it yet, because my husband and I are reading it aloud to each other whenever we get the chance. But we are well into it, and it is excellent. I can't believe it isn't more popular.

The first part of the book is about how we (as a culture) learn to communicate and use language based on a war model. She gives examples of every war tactic and how that plays out in real-life day-to-day situations. I guarantee, they will all be familiar to you. She doesn't miss much in analyzing how people unintentionally communicate poorly with one another. I went to a party after reading that section and was hyper-aware of how I and others communicated. It was very interesting and helpful. But I couldn't wait to get to the next section on how to communicate well!

The rest of the book is about how to replace the old unhealthy way of communicating with a healthy way of communicating that gives you power and confidence in your day-to-day interactions, and minimizes conflict. Her theory that we need to "take the war out of our words" before we can achieve peace at home and in the world, to me, seems like an obvious but brilliant perception. She seems very dedicated to spreading this message and educating people. I think she does an excellent job. This is the kind of stuff I wish we were learning in our schools! Great read.

I own a lot of books on listening, communication and conflict resolution. This book is one of the better ones because it presents a lot of useful concepts in an easy to apply manner.

The book begins by covering different communication styles and the thinking that underlies each style. It then goes on to present a non-defensive model and shows how it works, why it makes sense and how to put it into practice.

This book also talks about developing specific attitudes toward honesty and compassion. In other words, it is more than a text of communication techniques.

If you have read a lot in this area or a little, you will find this to be a very useful book. I also recommend "Crucial Conversations."

Malcolm Henderson, a well-known resident of Bocas, has written a book that fully captures the lifestyle of the expat resident. With wit, irony and lots of heart, Don't Kill the Cow Too Quick (great title!) is a must-read for anyone considering an escape to paradise showing all the ups and downs of living in a new culture and trying to adapt to same.

Can't wait for the sequel!

Cindy Cody, author Hubba Hubba

Look at a map of Central America then zoom in on Panama. Just south of the border of Costa Rica on the Caribbean shore is the archipeligo of Bocas del Toro. As the author says, Bocas del Toro is like Key West was in the 1920's just getting noticed by tourist, retirees and developers. This is a small city on a tropical island with the surronding islands, coral reefs, beaches, small farms, tropical forests and mangroves, the area that Malcom Henderson and his wife settled to live the years of their life after age 60. This book is his story of finding the area, settling there and working to fit in by building a home in town and starting a ranch (finca) on the mainland.

Henderson has an unusual writing style, very personal, like writing a diary. Some of the chapters have abrupt endings that seem a bit odd in the way that perhaps your grandfather would have told a story that takes a while to register than you get the meaning of it. His writing flows better through the book and makes it hard to put down by the end. Henderson also has a well developed sense of humor and perhaps this follows from some of the laughable situations that he gets into that still maintain the admiration of his friends. I felt a sense of loss when I finished the book, wanting to continue to hear his stories about Panama and the people of the Bocas del Toro region.

I purchased this book mainly to learn more of this region from the expatriat's viewpoint but I picked up much more than that. Anyone moving to a foreign country should anticipate the potential conflict of gringo and latino, foreigner and national, impoverished and wealthy, and greedy and charitable. Henderson covers all of this and it is a tribute to this book that he tells it with insight, humor and is able to evoke some of the essence of the region for us.

I am looking forward to reading a book with the Panamanian's view of the changes in the Bocas del Toro region next.

Malcom gives the reader a real first hand view of Bocas. He is funny and hauman. Makes you want to move there.

This has been the first book that I have read cover to cover, except for techincal manuels. I enjoyed all of Malcolm's adventures. Having been in Bocas, I can relate to some of them.

I have just finished reading, for the second time, Malcolm Henderson's enchanting tour of a marvelous part of the world and his introduction to some wonderful people. Mr. Henderson has what other writers wish they had, the innate gift of being able to tell a story. In this delightful book Mr. Henderson displays the qualities of a Mark Twain, or Ambrose Bierce in that regard. This book would make an excellent addition to University classes in creative writing and psychology courses on social psychology. Mr. Henderson succeeds in taking us to Bocas Del Toro, sharing his relationships with interesting people, and engages us in the desire to live with and assist however we can, both the indigenous tribal natives and other Panamanians. He is candid in the things he probably should not have done, as well as in those things he did well. You will become engrossed in this book as it is truly a relaxing, entertaining, and informative work. Human behavior is remarkably different in different cultures and Mr. Henderson introduces us to a truly admirable culture in Panama, in a truly admirable manner. Sit back, read, enjoy. I look forward to other offerings by this author.

This book states the reality of madical practice. It's a good book.

Everone should read this book!

My 85-year-old mother recently fell and severely fractured her hip. Unfortunately, she belongs to a Medicare HMO based in Southern California. Because of the nature of her fracture, she required pinning of her femur, a more extensive procedure than the usual treatment for hip fractures. The HMO which was contractually responsible for her care denied payment to the Skilled Nursisng Facility after l8 days, in spite of written reports from her physical therapists and her doctor detailing the remarkable progress she was making. Thanks to this book, we were able to appeal the HMO's denial, which was immediately again denied by the HMO. The appeal then went on to HCFA for review and the denial was reversed. This has saved my mom thousands of dollars. It should be required reading for anyone involved with HMO's!

Don't Let Your HMO Kill You is an invaluable resource which every family should have. It empowers the consumer to take charge of their and their family's health care. Drs Theodosakis and Feinberg bring both insight and useful advice to help the patient make the most of managed care. From better organizing your doctor's visit to learning how to successfully appeal a denial from your HMO, there is something for everyone in this powerful book.

Read this before you go to the doctor! It explains how to work with your doctors, rather than against them, to get the care you need. It points out why the red tape exists, why the doctors are bound by it, and how the two of you can get around it. This book should be issued to every patient. It will benefit doctors and patients alike.

As a physician who has dealt with many HMOs, I believe this will become the premier guide for people to get the best care out of whatever system they're using. It is about time someone put all of the secrets and resources in one place. Medicine has changed significantly in the last few years - right under the noses of most patients and doctors. It's caused frustration as quality care has diminished. This book will help you get back in charge. I think it should be given out by insurance plans as a guide to how patients should use the system. Congrats to the authors!

Thought you would like to know, that I scored last night! The info from the Exclusive Layguide allowed me to get her off like none before ... all this studying and practice are giving me some damn good results...

I'm 42 and going through a divorce right now. My wife cheated on me. I have been out of the dating game for over 20 years and didn't know where to start. I am happy to say over the past few weekends using your advice and tips, I've met some of the most attractive women, and been on dates with two of them. Both want me to go out with them again! Thank you!

An amazing piece of work and body of knowledge. I've spent hundreds of dollars on material from others and am pretty much familiar with what's out there. I think your material is superior to them all.

This book has a very original approach to the whole process of a pick-up. It will help you be more attractive, spontaneous, confident, and have a higher social value! It will teach you how to have a great conversation with a girl and how to connect with her without using prelearned patterns and tricks. You will learn how to touch a girl and control sexual tension that will lead to a kiss, and more...

But those are just a few things... Buy the book, read it and you will become a better person, that is a better MAN in more ways than one!!!

I have never been good with women. Just the thought of talking to them would make me freeze up. I never knew what to say to them.

But now, after learning all the powerful techniques from this book, I finally know how women think, and exactly how to seduce them just the way they want to be seduced but will never tell a man!

I always knew I was doing something wrong in this area, but I never knew just how many things men assume will impress women but instead it does the exact opposite!

Thanks to this great book I'm getting a LOT more dates. And my sex life is not bad either. Not bad at all! ;-)

I so thoroughly enjoyed this book that I had dreams about it later. I just couldn't stop thinking about it, such a great concept and subject matter. Upon finishing the book I could have picked it up and reread it again. Especially loved the awesome detailed descriptions and the pacing of "Forced Conversion." I love it when a book can take me away and this one definitely did. Just get this one already!

Thoughtful, fast-paced and disturbingly realistic, 'Forced Conversion' grabs you from the first paragraph and takes you on a gutsy ride of body, mind and soul. This book is a sci-fi action adventure in the genres best, most morally valuable tradition. It shows us what could be, gives us time to think up reasons why it couldn't happen, then shows us just how it might happen anyway. I love those kind of stories, but hate the authors that write them. They don't let me feel safe at night.

(In the interest of full disclosure, I have to say that I have known the author for years and have always thought he had a certain creative and intellectual genius. That said....)

One of the things I look for in a story is how the very first line grabs my attention. Then I look at the first paragraph. Finally, the first chapter. This probably drives some writers crazy, but my time is limited. If a book can't get me excited in the first chapter, then I move on to another story. This book grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. The first paragraph was particularly arresting, especially given the threat of global islamic terrorism we now face. I read the first paragraph, set the book down, looked at my wife, and said, "Wow".

In essence, the book asks a series of straight-forward questions:

What if the earths population continued to rise as resources continued to fall?

What if religious fundamentalism made it worse?

What if famine, over-population, pollution and an explosion of regional conflicts, some of them nuclear, were a result?

What if technology became so advanced that it could, literally, solve all our problems, but only if EVERYONE embraced it?

What if those who didn't agree, who were, in fact, convinced that to agree meant the cost of their immortal souls, were forced to participate anyway?

And finally, what if this vision of the future was so realistic and so solidly founded on our current understanding of the world that you, the reader, would have a hard time saying it COULDN'T happen?

No, this book will definitely not make you feel safe at night.

I have seen reviews that compare Don Bingle to Robert Heinlein. I disagree. Heinlein would have written about 100 more pages, put them right before the last chapter of this book, and ended with an attitude of "life is hard, bitter and disappointing. Too bad." Not Don Bingle. Sure Don reminds you of Heinlein, as well as Bruce Sterling, Tom Cool and Charles Sheffield. But Don has his own darkly wonderful ending to his story. One that seems to say, "Yes. Life is hard, yours sucks .... and that's just the way it is. Do the best you can."

That's what I like best about this story. There are heroes here of many different shades of gray. All of them, including, perhaps, mankind itself, is just doing the best they can. Did they make the right decision? Well, you'll just have to decide that for yourself.

Visceral, bloody -- and one hell of a page turner! Bingle tackles the philosophical issues surrounding uploaded consciousness in a fresh, exciting way. This is the debut of a major novelist -- don't miss it. (I said this on the dustjacket, and I'm happy to repeat it here ...)

In a future world where humanity has decided to move en masse to artificial reality, on self-replicating computers, the only threat to the new world is those that chose to stay behind. Thus, the Conversion Forces (ConFoes) must enforce the mandatory conversion. Circumstances force together a conflicted ConFoe and a defiant Mal. Meanwhile, reality is not as stable as one might think....

An interesting science fiction tale about science, artificial reality, and what it means to be human. Like the movie Total Recall, you'll be left wondering where reality ends and the virtual world begins.

I had just finished re-reading Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" and was contemplating the issues and choices that the main character in that story, Guy Montag, had to face as the result of his sudden reawakening and recognition of the morally bankrupt society he found himself in (a society of government mandated book burning and mindless entertainment aimed at pacification), when I decided to pick up a copy of "Forced Conversion" as my next read. To my delight, I found that Mr. Bingle's story, graphic and brutal though it may be at times, centering on a speculative near-future of government-forced conversion of humanity to eternal virtual worlds sustained by self-replicating computers (a nasty, messy, and ultimately fatal process), easily as entertaining and thought-provoking as Mr. Bradbury's classic "451." The story is fast-passed, and like Guy Montag, the ConFoe Derrick is faced with a reawakening to the morally and diametrically opposed (and mutually exclusive as we come to learn) processes of forced conversion verses self-determination (religious, criminal, debauched, or otherwise). The ending is so surprising that, like me, you'll probably have to read it at least three times to make certain your eyes aren't playing tricks on you, at which point you'll gasp inwardly. Afterwards, you'll challenge yourself as to which option would be better: forced conversion or death? If you like thought-provoking and cutting edge entertainment, I recommend "Forced Conversion," and not just to fans of science fiction.