New Books

This Book is a must read for the seekers. It is a page turner as well.Highly recommended.
-Kumar Saravanan

This book answered a lot of questions but left me with a lot more questions. Maybe the next book will take my journey futher. Even though
this book is sipmlistic in nature and left me wanting more, it is a book
everyone should read. Midnights with the Mytic

To those who are searching for ultimate truth, this is book is highly recommended. This is beautifully written in simple language describing direct experience of an american lady with Yogi and mystic of our times. If you want to know the amazing possibilities of being human, if you want to understand the cycle of life and death, if you want to understand the importance of leading blisfull and fulfilling life and if you have varied doubts and questions about God or the Ultimate...then this is the book you must read.....

It was a good read but not in the traditional sense. It was more like an insight into Sadguru and his poignant view of life as it really is. His words reflect clearly the human dilemma we all face in our quest for enlightenment.
Cheryl's account of her experience with Sadguru is amazing. Her description of her own experiences seem honest.

I found the book easy to get into and I identified with the author and her search for self realization and feelings of doubt. I would recommend this to any seeker of Truth.

The book itself was a winner - a gift for my husband. He "devoured" it. The only disappointment was how cheaply and poorly-bound the paperback was. Even with extreme care, it fell apart within the first 70 pages. The replacement nearly made it to the end, but not quite. Buy and read this book, but go for a better-bound version unless you like handling it in pieces.

Author David McCullough gives us an in-depth look into the life of President Truman. He shows how he evolved from a simple farmer to become the President of the United States. McCullough pulls no punches in his biography, and yet, Mr. Truman comes through as a simple man who rose to the challenge of becoming a true statesman and world leader. A Very compelling read.

This is one of those rare biographies which pulls you in from the beginning and never lets go. It is an excellent look at one of the truly under-appreciated presidents. Truman was an amazing man and an incredible public servant. The sense of history that this biography brings makes it a must-read for anyone interested in American history and/or American politics.

An absolutely fantastic biography. McCullough not only gives us an incredibly in-depth account of Truman's role in such momentous events as the decision to drop the Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Potsdam Conference (Truman's only face-to-face meeting with Stalin or Uncle Joe as he called him), the Truman Doctrine, The Marshall Plan, the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War, the firing of General MacArthur and so on, but he also succeeds wonderfully in injecting joviality into this rather thick tome through his unsurpassed ability to recount the human side of Truman, the quirkiness, the common trials and errors of a human being and the like.

I am not an American, but I always tell my friends that if I were Truman would be my favorite president. This book only serves to reinforce my view. Overall, one of the best biographies I've read. If I ever became famous one day, I'd really love someone of McCullough's caliber to write my biography. Highly recommended.

I have read most of McCullough's books, and so I knew that after reading this I would understand Harry S. Truman more deeply than I ever had. What I didn't know what was that I would learn so much about 20th century American history. McCullough is a great story-teller. His use of historical details to recreate the man and the times is magnificent. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

We bought this book for our daughter graduating high school. We wanted her to know that the sky was the limit for her. This says it all.

I've always appreciated the way Dr. Suess can speak to adults. This is a classic graduation book, and that's where I got my copy.

But it's still very much kid-friendly and just as inspirational to them as to anyone.

This is a story about chane and going for it, with a healthy dose of realism that reminds us that the world is not a fairy tale and that bad things will happen but that they are still no reason to give up.

The products on Amazon are amazing, however, the shipping cost are OUTRAGEOUS! That why I will not purchase fom Amazon again. I will now shop locally only.

I purchased two books for a total of about $25 and it cost $13 to ship! That is almost 50% shippping cost - which in OUTRAGEOUS!

This wonderful Dr. Seuss book is our favorite gift for graduates from High School. It is simple in its language, but very thoughtful in its message. It discusses successes as well as bumps in the road, which is a true picture of life. It is encouraging, and fun, the artwork is delightful. Read it from cover to cover, enjoy it, and think.

I bought a bunch of these as graduation gifts for high school kids. The book is yet another great Dr. Suess book and is a perfect book for any kind of grad (or just for a child to read too!).

*Remember that I am not the target audience for this book, so younger adults will enjoy this novel.

For die-hard Redwall fans, or even the casual readers who've picked up any Redwall book would know who Martin is. He is the source of prayer to the Redwallers, the mouse that annoyingly sticks his snout in other's dreams, giving riddles to the would-be-warrior. He is also featured on a tapestry that hangs at the Great Hall. And what you are holding in your hands, or are probably about to, are the story behind the warrior, and how he was so well honored among the Redwallers and all free good woodland critters.

In the book, Martin is a young mouse who is slave to a wicked stoat named Badrang the Tyrant. He has gathered up a large horde of every evil stereotypical villain except for stoats like himself, and plenty of slaves who mostly do the work of enlarging his fortress called Marshank. He is a sly, wicked beast, like any Redwall villain, stuck with a 'friend' (I say this term loosely because you know there is never any deep relationship between vermin buddies) named Clogg, a corsair stoat, and backstabbing one another to get control of Marshank. Martin defies Badrang, escapes with a few slaves, and then he gathers up an army to attack Marshank and end Badrang's tyranny.

For the pros, this book is up there as my rare Redwall favorites simply because you got at least two characters who are woodland good but turn bad like the bankvole named Druwp, who acts as a spy among the slaves, and a tribe of squirrels who give in to Martin and help him fight.

It's a decent Redwall novel that I do enjoy and that's saying something, since most of my Redwall reviews have been negative. Perhaps I have taken this book as it is (finally): a good childhood story. Well, it's a good story, when you get down to it.

This book is supposed to be about 'Martin the Warrior'. About how his legacy lived on in so many creatures when all other heroes have been forgotten. So this book must be special, and it is.

The characters were mostly one dimensional, with exception to a few villains like Clogg and Badrang, who were very neat, twisted villains with good motives. Rose was put up there to serve as a very weak love interest for Martin that I wished could've been a tiny bit more developed. Felldoh was a very interesting character, and I can admit that I did like him, and I would have liked him a lot more hadn't he fallen through the same path of wickedness as a vermin, or from what the kind, peace-loving woodland creatures call them. I mean, this guy kills off the rats and weasels without blinking, always using revenge as a motive to not care, or because these guys are wicked, that they don't even have souls or lives. The fact that these runaway slaves are so good at handling weapons, far better than any rogue who's had many years experience using swords and such, can also be bending some reality rules here.

But there really isn't much realism here, I'll admit. I mean, when a mouse is the same size as a fox as a fox is to a squirrel, and when all the bad guys act like dumb idiots who have no idea how to keep pecking order, there isn't much room for reality left. How can a couple of dimwitted morons like Badrang's horde even be in a horde if they're always backstabbing one another and running away from woodland creatures in fear?

Adults and those with older mentalities will say these questions, but this is a children's book. And I actually did like it, even with those questions in mind. Skeptics will have a hard time reading it, like myself, but I really did like this book, no matter what insane flaws, and I did get a good few laughs from the bumbling villainy idiots.

If you're looking for a legend, you will actually find it here, and it is better than 'The Legend of Luke'.

I pretty much said it all in the title! This book is awesome! It's got the most action, battles, and the coolest bad guys! It's great! Read this book!

A fantastic story from the Redwall series, Martin the Warrior, is a mix of friendship and battles against a ruthless rat clan. This "National best seller" from Brian Jacques is about a mouse named Martin, who gets captured in the rat's prison. This story is full of foxes, lizards, moles, rats, and of course, mice. Most fantasy lovers and animal lovers will keep rereading this fantastic book about how friendship can help others in times of conflict. As most good stories are, all Brian Jacques books are well more than worth reading. And all animals have human characteristics.

I have to admit that when I first heard of the Redwall series, I had my doubts. I mean, a book about animals? However, I decided to give them a chance and now they are my favorite books of all time.
Martin the Warrior is my favorite out of the series. I love how the characters interact with each other in a way that makes you want to be more like them. They stuck together through everything, and in the end the slaves were freed and the sword that once belonged to Luke was returned to it's rightful owner, Martin the Warrior.
I recommend this book, as well as the whole series to kids of all ages. If you like the Redwall books, you will probably also like Brian jacques' other series, the Castaway series.

Great series for young and old looking for a mental shut-down for bed book.

I have read this book over a hundered times in the last twenty years, and have given many copies away to friends and acquaintances. If God Himself (or Herself) were to give an opinion on various aspects of a person's life, I believe that his or her words would be very close to what Kahlil Gibran wrote in "The Prophet".

Should we, could we all walk through life in such an enlightened state? What a wonderful peaceful world it would be. How can we deny that Kahlil Gibran was directed by the Gods to deliver a message: "be as one, live in the light, love is the only answer!" and so I paraphrase, but in truth, it is a way of life that is essential to the well-being of mankind.

The Prophet is a very thought-provoking and inspiring book. I purchased it after reading a few pages from a copy that my sister-in-law had, and I knew I had to have my own. An excellent collection of short stories and poems.

I only wish I could read the original text. The simplicity and frankness, the blend of respect for the individual and appreciation of spirituality--this is the most astonishing work I have ever read.

If you can read then read this book. After that, find somebody who can't read and read it to them. It's that good.

I used to read other sex books with my wife but she surprised me one day and bought Sex and the perfect lover by Iam... was a complete different thing all together, far far the best one I've seen. It's simply Amazing. My wife seduces me with the techniques in the book and I please her through the advice in the book. A reference book for your bedside table we have learn how to have fun and intimacy together, without just merely have sex put us on ground now. We have learnt how to have fun and intimacy together, without just merely making love.
Everyone wants to have a great sex life and some may even think that they know everything as I did! but this book will take your sex life to new heights.
I'm the one now that insists that we read one chapter every night, and then practice!
I am right now ordering several copies to give as a gift to my friends.

M. Iam seriously addresses intimacy issues and provides a step-by-step deep relationship-nourishing format that begins with the art of exploring the pleasures of the Kama sutra from the vantage point of the couple's balanced physical, mental and emotional energy. In addition to initiating and maintaining the purely sensual aspects of love-making.

Everyone should read this book. I have read a lot of relationships and sex books. This one, by far, is the best for me. Was almost like a total
pleasure, I am giving it as a gift for special occasions and recommending it to everyone I know.

Wow. this is the perfect book for busy, active people who want to keep their sex life alive, but who don't have time to spend learning. When I thought there were not any more sex "techniques" I could learn from a book, this book just amazed me. This book just transformed my sex and it is never going to be better than after reading it. I've read my share of sex books but this one is very informative, gives great advises and covers many areas of relationships that are not covered in other books.

I have read many relationship books and this is clearly the best. It is so easy to read and offers a lot of practical guidance. Love this book, it is much better than I expected and exactly what my husband and I needed to help us build good foundation for our relationship and to get to know each other better and better.
I would suggest that anyone even thinking about getting married read this with their significant other first!
We are no where near a "perfect lover " but with the tools in this book I can honestly say that we are closer.
It gave me a lot of insight and calmed my fears about sex and relationships. My husband and I have referenced it many times and given it away as gifts.

I have to admit, the only reason I chose this book was because of the 240+ rave reviews here at amazon. How could 99% of the reviewing public be wrong, right? Well take it from me, whoever translated this book into english (it was originally written in another language) did a pretty shabby job, unless their goal was to suck the life out of every paragraph. It is thoroughly boring, utterly useless and embarrassingly void of anything that anyone could apply to their sex life. I guarantee you 110% that you will be disappointed with this book, and after reading it you'll be looking somewhere else for the answers you were seeking. This was my first foray into a "better sex" book, and I most definitely made the wrong choice.

The chapters are so short, they feel like you're reading an outline. There is no content. There is so much filler in this book, you start to catch on by about page 50 that you're going absolutely nowhere -- page after page, chapter after chapter. She mentions some interesting ideas and concepts, but never once does she show any hint of knowledge or expertise in this subject area. Her solution to EVERYTHING is that with proper practice and techniques, you too can achieve an explosive orgasm -- but she tells you absolutely nothing about how to do anything. It's so ridiculous I was laughing out loud by chapter 10. Really, this book is a complete waste and joke.

Wow. I really enjoyed this series of books. Stephen King at his best.

I was hook on the Gunslinger back in 1984, but was only able to find 2 of the series and only in paperback. I have been a fan of Stephen King since I was in the U.S. Army bootcamp. I have been checking every now and then to find the rest. Thanks to Amazon I've order the entire series and in hard bound.

This series is the quite possibly Stephen King's greatest work! I've read the first four books in the last week; drugs are not nearly as addictive as the Dark Tower Series. I've definitely have becom a "TOWER JUNKIE". Do yourself a favor and buy this now; your only disappointment will be having to wait for the release of the next book.

This book ,in my opinion, is the greatest series I have ever read. If you ever wanted to read anything by Stephen King you should read this. The fact that I bothered to write a review (i usualy don't) speaks volumes about how truly amazing this story is.

This series is outstanding!!!! True King fans love it, and I think it's an interesting change for those who may not care for King's normal "horror" genre. Bits and pieces of this masterpiece are hinted at in many of King's other books,a nice "inside joke" for King's Constant Reader. This series grabbed me and would not let go! I've read them all at least twice and like the header says, I'm foaming at the mouth for the "Wolves of Calla" to come out. This is a beautiful set and a series that could be as much of a fantasy classic as the likes of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. HIGHLY ADDICTIVE! Once you read the first page of just one in this series you'll be compelled to read every one of them!

This is either the best or the second best Redwall book. It's the direct sequel to the Original Redwall, so there will be a lot of familier characters. Complete with 3 huge battles, a cruel monster that lurks in the dark, and an evil slaver named Slager, this book is ultimate, and I highly reccomend it!

Why are the most known and far better books of the Redwall universe the first ones done? Well, they're the first ones done, and they were actually pretty good. 'Mattimeo', along with 'Mossflower', and possibly maybe even 'Salamandastron', were one of the best Redwall books. To me. I don't know if it applies to the rest of you readers, but I stick by my comment. 'Mattimeo' was a well done book. It was also one of the biggest, probably the biggest Redwall book. It's actually a quest I'd actually look forward to reading, and for once, the Redwall creatures are showing emotion that is actually true rather than just coming out strained and downright terrible like in Jacques' recent works.

'Mattimeo' takes place seasons and seasons after the 'Redwall' book, the true sequel, and it focuses on Sela's supposedly dead son, Chickenhound. He is now called Slagar the Cruel, has his band of wicked beasts that we know will probably be weasels, ferrets, rats, stoats...those guys. Slagar is noticed as one of the most intelligent, wicked, and more insane of any warlord that came before or after him. His face is horribly disfigured, cause of a snake's bite and painful venom, and he hides his deformity using a skull mask. Believing his own lies of how the Redwall creatures had betrayed him, he plans to seek revenge by stealing the children of Redwall under the Redwaller's noses and selling them to Malkariss, a warlord who dwells in the underground, building an empire, made from the paws of many slave children.

This story works well, extremely well, as Mattimeo, Matthias' son, slowly becomes a hardened warrior during the time of his capture and how he is forced to endure harsh beatings, cruel words, and many deaths as he is led to Malkariss' kingdom. And while the warriors of Redwall chase after Slagar, the Redwallers are having troubles of their own back at the abbey. General Ironbeak and his birds are set on seizing it. The techniques that Slagar uses to outsmart his pursuers are classic and clever, but for some reason I do not like Ironbeak's part in how he tries to conquer the abbey. Either he's really dumb or the Redwallers for some reason are extremely well trained to handle an aerial attack--either one or both, I just don't like how he tries to conquer it when there were dozens of simple solutions, like a total ambush. Grabbing them and flinging them from a range of thirty feet would have done it, but I'm not the writer. When there's a more awesome story going on, I don't care about the weak side story. I just love Slagar and his twisted schemes. This is truly one of my favorite Redwall books of all time.

I would recommend this book because it is full of action and intensity. When I started reading this book, I never wanted to put it down. After every page, it just got better and better. There were many surprises in this book, like if there is a battle or new enemy; it was just full of surprises. I would and have read a book by Brian Jacques, which was Redwall, the first book in the series. Now I am reading the prequel to Redwall, Mossflower. Overall, Mattimeo was a terrific book.

Tis book tells the story of Mattiemo, a young mouse who is captured by Slagar the fox in a break in at Redwall. He and all of his friends are taken to an evil land but Mattiemo's father Matthias is hot on this trail!!!!!

This is a good book for those that have read the series before (Expecially Redwall). It brings back our favorite characters, including Basil Stag Hare, Jess Squirrel, Matthias, Cornflower, Tim and Tess, plus many more.
It has a good plot, plus many emotions including sadness, romance, courage and a huge fighting spirit.

"Mattimeo" tells the story of the son of Matthias the Warrior, who happens to be named Mattimeo. The plot is compelling and whimsical, great especially for younger readers, and I enjoyed it even more than "Redwall". There were only a couple of minor things that kept me from giving it the full five stars.

First of all, there are the numerous (that may well be an understatement) descriptions of Slagar's mask. Believe me, if you don't know what material that mask is made of by the end of the book then you have some serious attention problems. Quotes such as "Slagar grinned from behind the silken mask" and "The silk mask sucked into a hideous grin" are okay when used in moderation, but when we are bombarded endlessly with these nearly identical descriptions, it detracts from rather than adds to the story. I'm sorry, *what* was the mask made from again?

The other thing that bothered me was the apparent lack of attention to proportion. For example, at one point, Slagar gets angry at an impudent Mattimeo and starts beating the young mouse with a cane. And yet, according to Brian Jacques, Mattimeo does not feel the blows at all. Am I the only one who thinks this is simply absurd? A fox beating a mouse with a cane would be like King Kong beating a human with an uprooted tree - that's how big foxes are compared to mice. Forget feeling the blows, Mattimeo should be crushed by them!

But despite these things, I really enjoyed the story of Mattimeo, and I would recommend it to anyone who has read other books in the series or who just loves animal fantasy. I also recommend the fantastic "Guardians of Ga'Hoole" series by Kathryn Lasky and the "Warriors" books by Erin Hunter.

I bought this book on the recommendation of my Medical Terminology teacher. We were discussing neurological diseases and when we got to Parkinson's Disease (PD) she mentioned that she had read his book and how much she enjoyed it. So I got it. I was not a huge "Family Ties" fan but I have paid attention to Michael J. Fox's career especially of late since his disclosure of having PD. In the last few years he has been on a show here and there as a guest. He was on Boston Legal and I thought he was superb! You could clearly see that the camera did not stay on him very long but his acting was top-notch nonetheless.

That said, his book is written with extreme openness, heart and humor. He has such a wonderful outlook on life especially in the wake of learning he has PD. He writes from a place that we wish more stars would be able to go - the very sincerest depth of his being - so much so that I found myself in tears a few times as I read. He writes as if he were telling you, the reader, the story in person. He is himself more in this book than I've ever seen him in an interview on TV. This is a very true, revealing, heart-warming story that definitely gives the definition of what it takes to be considered a Lucky Man today. I highly recommend the book.

Michael J. Fox opens his 2002 memoir in late 1990, in the moment he first notices the pinky-finger tremor that leads, a year later at age 30, to a diagnosis of Young Onset Parkinson's Disease (PD).

Then he backs up for a hundred pages to describe his growing-up years in Canada and rising-star experiences in Hollywood -- including an interesting theory of "celebrity" (that it is a gone-haywire extension of the suspension of disbelief/emotional connection that are required of an audience during a performance). He devotes chapters to his PD diagnosis and treatment (including his concealment of it) and to his descent into career and personal crisis. Though it seems PD would top his list of problems then, he notices it doesn't even make the list which includes alcoholism. Fox finishes by describing his redemption, his "coming out" about PD, and his work toward PD research.

The memoir's structure and writing exceeded my expectations and I wondered about a ghostwriter -- until I read Fox's acknowledgements, where he mentions the writing of it and thanks his writing-mentor brother-in-law ... Michael ("Omnivore's Dilemma") Pollan! Lucky Man is an informative, engaging, and insightful memoir.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. Would it be just about Michael J Fox's life or would it center too much on his Parkinson's disease. I'm not usually big on reading celebrity autobiographies and memoirs.
This one is definitely worth reading! Mr. Fox shares his story with humor and humility and a wonderful honesty. He speaks honestly about his struggles with Parkinson's and trying to hide it in order to continue working. He also speaks honestly about his personal struggles with alcohol and depression. But the struggles don't dominate the book. There are many fun anecdotes about his years growing up in Canada and about the world of acting.
In the end, what made the biggest impression on me was his gratitude. Gratitude for the life he was able to have as an actor, for his family, and ultimately, even for the disease that changed his life.
This is a book that I would recommend for anyone who is interested in celebrity biographies. And I would especially recommend it for anyone who has Parkinson's disease or has a family member or friend who has this disease. When you have a disease such as this, it can be difficult to articulate to others just what it is you go through without sounding sorry for yourself.
Now when I need to explain this to someone, I can just hand them this book and say, "READ IT. NOW."
Thanks, Mr. Fox!!

Absolutely loved this book. I couldn't put this book down. I actually thought it might be a bit depressing but it wasn't. Michael J. Fox is such an inspiration. There are parts of this book that will make you laugh out loud. It is also a book I will read again and again.

It is humbling to read about someones journey back to reality. Michael had a huge career and was living his dream when he was diagnosed with Parkinsons and soon realized how much he had to be thankful about.

This book was kind of slow but did have enough interesting characteristics to keep me reading. Not at all a bad book but just not anything that made me want to get the second in the series.

Being a fan of the Myst series since it's original launch in the early 1990's, I can say that this book lives of to the expectations that Myst/Uru fans have come to appreciate. It's easy to read, flows well, has a great underlying story. After reading, you are able to understand and appreciate the island of Myst and Riven so much more. It's an easy book to read, which makes it great for both young and old. Though the book is around 400 pages, it flies by and as always, I was sad to finish it, but there are two more sequels to entertain the Myst fan in all of us.

The Myst series was such a wonderful series, after I found out they made a book about the history of Myst, I basically thought that it would be horrible. Grave mistake. This is one of the best books I have ever read. It couldn't get any better.
The creators of Myst even helped make it, and they knew what they were making. The horrible thing is that these books were discontinued.
Even if they were discontinued, it is not a reason not to buy them. They are all wonderful books and I suggest you get all of them.

It really seems only fitting that a video game about books would have a series of books published in its name. For some reason when such books were first coming out I was sort of skeptical about their quality. I truly am glad I overcame this and decided to pick up the Myst books. I was an early enough adopter to be able to get all the hardcover texts and they are all beautifully designed. It's strange that a lot of books don't adopt this kind of method, because it really is eye catching and I'm glad the makers of Myst picked up on that. In terms of binding, it technically is rather cheaply done to support the mass market interest in this series. Rather than have a truly older styled binding, they have the typical style with embossed paper wrapped over the hard cover. The paper is of excellent quality and is embossed in sections, which adds a tinge of making it feel artificially handmade. I've had mine for many years now and there is barely any wear on it. However, when one inspects the design you can tell it is merely paper glued over the normal hardcover pressing and it is merely there for aesthetic appeal. The books in the game have a very old styled feel, which they should since they're all handmade books, but the makers wanted to keep that atmosphere alive with printing these books. Despite my inspection of the edition, I must say it was a great marketing idea and wish more publishers would do this rather than just adopt the typical dust jacket. That being said, the current editions more readily available to readers are the regular paperback and now the collected edition which was recently printed.

I wasn't sure what to really expect from this book when I first got it. I had beaten the game "Myst" and the game was pretty well written. However, the game had a lot of unknown elements in its story, and I'm sad to report that "The Book of Atrus" doesn't fill in all the gaps. It certainly fills in quite a bit, but not everything. This book acts as both a prequel to "Myst" and a bridge to "Riven". It's an interesting story in that regard because it tells about Atrus' childhood and goes into why the age of Riven is in dire need of our help!

At the end of Myst we find Atrus sitting at a desk in a deep cavern in place known as D'ni. We are transported there with him once we escape the island of Myst, but we are never told why he is there; just that he needs to make a decision concerning his sons. This is all well and good, but there are so many holes and questions, thus the novelization seeks to explain them. At one time Atrus lived with his grandmother, Ana, in a desert region. "The Book of Atrus" goes into detail about his life and learning there. It's almost an ideal childhood until one day his father, Gehn, returns and seeks to take him back to D'ni. See they are from a race of people who lived underground until they were all of a sudden destroyed. Ana, Gehn, and Atrus are the only decedents we are made aware of from this great society. So when Gehn was old enough he returned to the world of D'ni in search of its secrets, to see if he could find it and possibly rebuild it. Needless to say he sort of succeeded.

Gehn understands how to write in the books and knows the secret D'ni language to make different ages to create portal links between his world and others. However, he does not wield this power intelligently, but he doesn't want the knowledge to die with him, so he seeks out his son. He teaches Atrus everything, but Atrus has a keener mind for creating ages. Most of Gehn's worlds are unstable and if a world has inhabitants Gehn insists on be treated as a God. Needless to say Atrus' kindly nature has the better of him and he seeks to change this.

In this we get to see the bridge to Riven's story line. Riven had been an age linked to by Gehn, but the world was vastly unstable. So he and Atrus sought to fix it if they could. Gehn, being the overbearing man that he is, did not think most of Atrus' ideas were good ones. However, one thing would change Atrus' life forever when he got to Riven, he met Catherine there. Yes, the girl he references frequently in the first "Myst" game. Eventually she would bear his two sons Sirrus and Akenar, so as you can tell, I knew Atrus would succeed even during reading this, so I don't feel I am giving anything away. The book doesn't go into detail about the two sons growing up, so you never really know how everything started with them. Anyway, there is a solution to Atrus' problem, but I'll let the readers find that out for themselves. When we get to "Riven", the video game, there are further complications based around this story... I'll leave these mysteries to be discovered for yourself.

I don't feel I am spoiling very much of the book because it is riveting in itself. Most people who read this will undoubtedly have played the video games and already know the stories' outcomes before reading this. As any Myst player knows the interesting factor is in the details, I have left every part of these out. The book is a fascinating page turner and I really couldn't put it down at all. This book leaves a lot more mystery to the reader in the end and left us looking forward to the follow up text, "The Book of Ti'ana." I especially recommend this to any Myst fan who wants to delve deeper into the story line and world of Myst. I don't think many people would pick up Myst if they didn't already enjoy reading books to find out what new worlds they would be brought to. In that spirit these books are clearly written!

I read this book when I was younger and only remember great things. Looking back on it now I can tell that the writing isn't exactly scholarly, but that doens't matter, Myst is a fun adventure story that all kids and teens should enjoy. And no, I'm not a big fan of fantasy myself, but I had no trouble getting drawn in.