Science Books

Dr. Roux is an authoriry in the field. He lived for several years in the Middle East (Syria, Lebanon and Iraq). Although he is a medical doctor, his interest in ancient history, and the many years he spent in the Middle East provided the learned author with a pragmatic experience and first hand access to documents and valuable raw material. He used them in this book. His original research in Southern Mesopotamia and more precisely his SUMER series of articles that appeared in la Revue D'Assyriologie won him admission to restricted circles of privileged archeologists and Assyriologists. ANCIENT IRAQ is one of the best and most authoritative books ever written about the ancient civilization and culture of Iraq.

The ultimate reference and final word on the vanished civilization of Iraq. It encompass all the aspects from economy and culture to history and religion. It s a universal mini-encylopedia in all its splendors!

Georges Roux has published a very easy and accessible history if Iraq, a country of endless fascination. The book is about the inhabitants of Iraq from the Stone Age, some conclusions about the unwritten period when the region was coming into it's own, the Sumerians, Mesopotamians, Assyrians, and the Babylonians; just to name a few of the cultures. You may think that knowing the Iraqis past may not be of importance, but it goes a long way to explaining why they are so fiercely proud of their history and culture, even before the Muslim faith swept the area. Roux combines archeology with accepted history, their myths and religions, and makes the past truly come alive. You have a pretty good sense of the wars, the faith, and the attitude of the man on the street (sometimes) from this book. Sure, maybe it's a little out dated, but it is not about Iraq's recent history. Now, while the general public may not like it, those with an interest in Middle Eastern history probably will.

I echo the previous reviewers -- this is a great book. One volume contains a clear discussion of the rise of urban life and all the peoples who participated in it.

William McNeill in Plagues and Peoples reminds us that cities are population sinks. They require a hinterland to supply necessities including regular infusions of people. But the plains of Mesopotamia are a fairly hostile environment; the best land is located in the hills where timber, game and clean water are available. The logical conclusion is that the flatlanders were forced there, expelled from the hills, and that they grouped in cities for defensive purposes. This grouping behavior is universal among prey species. McNeill: "Man is to man as predator is to prey."

It was organization that allowed the ancient cities to prevail. Strong central governments arose, backed by a robust religious establishment, sustained and protected by their military.

Sounds familiar, doesn't it? America's military absorbs a lot of our treasure and our religious establishment is a central element in our strong central government -- our presidents swear their oath on a bible.

After 5000 years we can still relate to the peoples of ancient Iraq and appreciate their problems. We're living them today.

How this story came to light is itself another great story, the history of archeology in the area. All this is nicely summarized by the author. My The Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East (Cultural Atlas of) complemented my library text of the 1964 edition which had arcane marginalia and maps razored out.

I try not to think of tank battles out in the desert, using the ancient mounds as defilade against armor-piercing rounds. Who knows what has already been pulverized and lost forever?

This extensive study gives an overview of Mesopotamia from pre-historic times till Christian era. The main focus is on political history sidestepping into architecture, culture and socio-economics. So be prepared for an endless succession of Sumerian, Akkadian, Kassite, Assyrian, Chaldaean alpha-males waging war to expand empires, defending their turf, erecting buildings and statues to celebrate their grandeur and fragile little egos. To me at times it was a bit too much and too tedious. No problem, I just skipped a few centuries or so!
Georges Roux deserves a 5-star rating for his work but I only give the book 4 stars because the publisher and editor should have done a better job balancing out the material. Cutting some of the political material, and expanding on art, literature, science etc. (It would have been a good idea to include more translations of original texts). They also could have provided better graphic and photographic material and organized it in a better way. If they would have done that this would have been a breathtaking classic.
Having said that the book gives a thorough account of some 8000 years of history in Iraq. I especially was impressed by the scope of vision and depth Mr. Roux possesses. He is able to provide ample insight in the developments from pre-historic hunter-gatherers to the first empires and their inner workings. Showing an extensive knowledge and control over the material. So read this book, but you are going to want to have books like Art of the First Cities: The Third Millennium B.C. from the Mediterranean to the Indus (Metropolitan Museum of Art Series) and S.N. Kramer History begins at Sumer and others lying next to it.

Even if I'm not working in vfx, so I haven't a great experience, I think this book should be in every comps shelf: very simple, well written, it deals with the math under every (even the simplest) operation you can do in your compositing package (it's quite software-indipendent). It explains several wonderful tricks too.
Globally, very useful in my opinion.

Ron goes over the very concepts of compositing that are essential to know in the computer graphics feild. I have bought several copies of this book as the disappear from my desk (no longer kept in public view)

This book is exceptional and a must for anyone pursuing this area of interest. The only disappointment I had in purchasing this item is that it is supposed to come with a CD, and the CD was never shipped to me. What's up, Amazon?

That can I say about Mr Brinkman. Well he's one of the God's of compositing and VFX. Mad about the math behind Node based compositing software, which incidentally is a good thing. This is not meant to be a 'Shake' bible as it is supposed to be non software specific. However it uses 'Shake' language and node naming. This is not a criticism as 'Shake' is the meccano kit of compositing. Understand the mode and the math behind it and you can do anything. I would also assume that this will still be relevant when shake is 'reborn'.

This is also essential for other composing software where the math is hidden. If you've ever considered what happens inside that 'magic button' after you've clicked.

I also think that Steve Wright's 'Digital Compositing for Film and Video, Second Edition' is a must too. Another great book from a great man of VFX.

Having not been personally taught by Mr. Brinkman and Mr Wright these books prove to be the next best thing.

This book is a in depth study of the techniques and technologies involved in the art of compositing. Not sooo technical that no one will understand it, but technical enough that it even explains in detail the algorithms and math used for antialiasing, blurs, the transfer operators like multiply, screen overlay., etc... I am a professional cg artist and highly recommend this book.

This book is great! came with a CD. I received it on time . Great service for a great price.

It has the best illustration of the fundamental cancer biology to very advance level. The author has included a lot of clear and self explanatory diagrams and pictures which make my reading, as a very graphical person, easier and more fun. Everyone who is interested in cancer or study cancer should have this book as a bible.

This book is very basic but well written reference about cancer. I strongly suggest the students who want to learn cancer to buy this book.

I have received the book inavery good condition and the delivery was within the deadline

First you must consider whom the author is- Dr. Weinberg is a member of the national academy of science and one of the most famous researchers in cancer biology, as he discovered what is still the most important oncogene in Ras, as well as probably the second most important tumor suppressor in Rb.
Of course, he's done a lot more than just that (too many contributions to list), and he's still at the Whitehead Institute.

As a student working in a cancer research lab, I found the book to be highly instructive.
Sure, I can just read review articles especially Annual Reviews for a lot of the things in the textbook, but there is no better single source for all things related to cancer in one package.
The figures are very nice as well, and they are simplified for easy viewing (FACS plot will not have jagged lines, for example).
However, the book is not missing in terms of primary data either as it has plenty of data from primary sources to demonstrate many of the points.

For example, there is a 50 page chapter on p53 alone.
You're not likely to find a 50 page review article on p53 anywhere else.
And the text is filled with recent references too, as evidenced by a 2006 ChIP paper's figure, referenced in the p53 chapter.

Every public and school library should have a copy of this excellent resource. The research that Judy Freeman did to create this compendium of quality read aloud books is well worth the investment.

Ever wished you could keep up all the great children's books and pick the best ones to read aloud and recommend to your students? Need inspiration to liven up your lessons on library skills? Looking for more effective ways to collaborate with teachers? This book has it all!

Targeted at grades K - 6, the first 100+ pages include wide-ranging information about children's books and ways to use them. Topics include: how to be a great school librarian, evaluating children's books, read aloud and booktalking suggestions, fun library learning games, storytelling, creative drama, reader's theater, etc.

The next 600 pages contain wonderful annotated read-aloud lists divided by Easy Fiction/Picture books, Fiction, Folk & Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends, Poetry, Nonsense and Language Oriented non-fiction, Biography, and Non-fiction. In addition to standard information (author, summary, etc.) each of the 1,705 annotations includes grade level, related titles, subjects, and a "Germ." "Germs" are small, practical, do-able ideas to interject into lesson plans including ideas for sharing the books with children and incorporating comprehension, creativity, library skills, and cross-curricular ties, etc. Pick one book on the list and turn it into a great lesson plan!

The final 200 pages include a professional bibliography and 3 handy indices: Author/Illustrator Index, Title Index, and the index I find most helpful - the Subject Index including grade level of each book. Subject you can think of is covered - from Aardvarks to Bullying to Hispanic Americans to Zoos!

I cannot recommend a book more highly! It's not just for school librarians - teachers, homeschoolers, parents, and public librarians will also love it! I also recommend previous editions - Books Kids Will Sit Still For and More Books Kids Will Sit Still For - both have different hints on how to be a great librarian and annotated lists of older books. I use all three Judy Freeman's books almost daily to help me work with teachers and plan great library lessons.

I stumbled across this wonderful book while working my way through our library's books about books in search of more wonderful picture books to share with my toddler (who is nearly 19 months). It was mis-shelved in the local branch (took 4 tries for the librarian to find it) and since no one had noticed in the 6 months or so since the book came in, my friendly librarian slapped a due date sticker on it and let me check it out. I found myself immersed in it during the daughter's afternoon nap and checked to see if either of the previous volumes was available to check out. Alas no, although I found a cheap ex-library copy of the previous volume, More Books Kids Will Sit Still For: A Read-Aloud Guide (2nd Edition), which when it arrived looked like it had never been touched. I don't pretend to understand that - I think this is a treasure trove of ideas and books to share with young (and not so young) children. Although it's aimed at elementary educators, there's a huge amount to offer a parent or other caregiver...ideas for activities related to the books as well as related titles.

As the parent of a toddler, I confess that I prefer the overlapping mini-sections by age found in More Books Kids Will Sit Still For: A Read-Aloud Guide (2nd Edition) and Books Kids Will Sit Still For: A Read-Aloud Guide Second Edition (Books Kids Will Sit Still for) because it's easier to sift through a couple hundred titles than 800 for books short enough for a toddler to sit through, but that's more of a quibble, especially since the expanded entries offer so many ideas for making (or keeping) books interesting.

How does she do it? Another winner from Judy Freeman! More tips, annotations, bibliographies, storytelling, reader's theater etc.. The amount of material is superb and the format is clear and precise. She is marvelous at what she does and can help any media specialist or teacher sharpen their book skills.
A must buy for all elementary educators!

I've had the pleasure in the past week to read Judy Freeman's Newbery committee experience in her latest "Books Kids will sit still for 3" (c. 2006). She had to take the Librarian Oath, probably with a ceremonial blood letting to seal it, that she and the other members would never tell the secrets of the Committee dealings with the individual books. Ooooooh, that makes me want to be on the Committee even more!

I thought the listings alone in the book would be worth the book's weight in gold (which is substantial, with more than 900 pages), but it pales in comparison with the first 100+ pages of the book in which she shares her passion for reading, books, libraries, and children. What a treat! Reward yourselves soon by allowing time to read this.

Thanks, Judy! You made my day!

Liz Frame
Librarian
San Antonio Christian Elementary School

As a teacher with my first child, I wanted to be sure to know the best techniques for simulating my little one's mind and helping him through the developmental stages. This book combines research with practical suggestions for developing attention, bonding (for emotional stability and security), and communication. It is written in parent friendly language and the activities are easy to implement. Many of them come naturally to parents and it is great to know that you are already doing the right things to help your child. Reassuring and informative!

I had checked the book out from the library, read it, and enjoyed it. I later decided I wanted to have it on hand as a reference as my daughter grew, so I purchased it. It is full of information about brain development and how you can help your child grow. Do not mistake this for a "how to build a Superbaby" book. The key word in the title is "nurture".

As a new mom and a kindergarten teacher, I love this book!! I really wanted to know how to take every opportunity to interact with my little one in ways that were beneficial to his development. The book is very reassuring in that as parents we do most of these things already. As an educator, the science information is facinating! I also love that this book is not about teaching your child to read (not a pre-requisite for kindergarten...), but it is about cultivating your child so that they can make the most of their future learning experiences.

Simply put -- this is a fabulous book. It has the perfect mix of scientific research and practical easy-to-use suggestions. The author also brings to the book her experiences of a parent to a special needs daughter, providing a compassionate and insightful touch. (Not to fear -- she does not delve into overly personal and sappy anecdotes -- but rather gives the reader further evidence that she really does know of what she speaks.)

There is a lot here for parents of infants to take away. And as someone who is very interested in how the brain learns and develops, I was definitely not disappointed. The book is well researched and the science is explained in a way that is interesting and easy to understand. The organization of the book also makes it a quick reference for those that just want to know "what" to do (and not necessarily all of the "why"'s behind the activities). There are plenty of charts and tables that get right to point and offer quick reminders for parents. A very valuable resource all-around!

From the point of view of a new and inexperienced parent, this book is a fabulous find. Some other books espouse the writers opinion on what's best for your child, this one is based on scientific findings on how the brain develops and delivers this information in a very user-friendly and entertaining manner. It's just very well done.

Spock's family background.


This is definitely an example of a more interesting Star Trek novel.

Spock, as we know, is a hybrid, and humans don't live as long as Vulcans - his mother is dying.

He returns to visit and try and talk to his father.

Definitely interesting to see the background of this family, and if you are interested in less of the ship solves a mission type Star Trek plot, you could try this book.

Praxus, a klingon moon has exploded, due to overmining, or possibly sabotage. The Klingon empire's food production has been threatened, as tidal forces have been disrupted and weather currents change; massive shortages of resource seem eminent.

Chancellor Azerbur continues to work with Federation president and the federation responses with medical aid and food supply relief. Azerbur has issued in a new era of peace and commerce with the Federation. The war with Klingon has been official announced, over.

The hardliners don't want peace. Trayne, alias Saren, a Vulcan, secret plans are to use Kamarg, the Klingon ambassador, to attack federation colonies and turn the federation against Klingon. Kamarg is part of the militant group and believes that Klingon survival depends on warfare and land conquest. The Freelans (Romulans) are using Vulcan slaves, as mind control agents and are manipulating the minds of the Klingons and humuns against the federation and Vulcan. Trayne specifically uses Savel's telepathic power, specifically against Kamarg, causing him too hate the federation through vulcan mind control.

Kamarag manages to draw support of many high-ranking Klingons, in his cause. The hardliners want a military solution, centralized control of the federation, and capture of vital federation agriculture, mineral resources, and technology. Klingon invasion plans are brewing followed by Romulan.

The Romulan empire will wait until the federation is significantly weakened from the war conflict and then swoop across the neutral zone and capture federation territory. The Freelans report to the Romulans Lords. Over the last seventy years, the Freelans have been taking Vulcan hostage and converting them to slaves. The plan has been slow in the making, but all the key elements have been put in place. Millions if not billions of lives are at stake.

Sarek has been correspondence with the Freelan ambassador, Trayne. Sarek seek conclusive proof and infiltrates the Freelan data system with the aid of Soren. Freelan lists are discovered but not accessible for download. Sarek and Soren escape detection just as the Freelan security beams into the data center. Later, Sarek will confined in Spock, about his discoveries.

The Vulcans remain strongly dependant on Federation computer and military technology. Vulcan has strong military technology and leads the federation in scientific research. KEHL design was too weaken Vulcan resolve to stay members of the federation.

The Idol cult sect called the Gol is the oligarchy controlling Vulcan society. Sarek's first wife, T'Rea joined this evil sect and divorced Sarek. Sybok was born. Sybok rejected T'Rea's.

Amanda tells Sarek that "life after life" will happen or not happen. Sarek fight tradition and listens. Vulcan's believe in spirit essences encapsulation and that the new host inherits the spirit essence; this idea is similar in falsity to the idea of reincarnation.

Sarek soon after found Amanda, his true love. At the time of the Freelan crisis, Amanda was 93 and suffering from a rare blood disease. Spock was called home. Sarek was force to leave to negotiate the freedom of orion colony hostages on Kadura held by rouge Klingon warriors, under the command of Keraz. Amanda has Sarek promise, he will read her journal before he leaves. Spock warns Sarek that Amanda is about to die. Sarek manages to reach Amanda with his mind before she dies. Sarek shares with the reader Amanda's life, Spock decision to join the federation, Spocks outcast, Amanda's separation from Sarek, and reuniting.

No one had ever seen a Freeland, until Sarek. Freelans lived a secretive life. 70 years early, Sarek discovered the Freelan were Vulcan during the Pon Farr incident. The freelans said nothing of the incident. Sarek kept the secret seeking proof.

Now, on earth, Sarek is meeting with the Vulcan consult and discovers that Induma, the KEHL leader, is being Vulcan mind controlled. Induma is leader of the Keep the Earth human league, who chant, "Vulcans go home". Peter Kirk, nephew to Jame Kirk becomes entangled with the KEHL group. Peter alerts Kirk, to the KEHL movement against the Vulcans. Lisa tells Peter that she fears the Vulcans because they have weapons of mass destruction. KEHL leaders start accusing the Vulcans of espionage, selling out to "Vulcan interests". KEHL has linked to a clandestine Vulcan operation (Freelan), conspiracy proof of the Vulcan consultant being manipulated. KEHL discovers Peter and take him hostage. Kirk wants to talk with Peter and discovers he is not on the planet. Spock deduces were Peter's abductors will take him. A rescue plan is put into action.

While Peter is a prisoner, he falls in love with Valdr. Valdr is bethrothed by Karamag to become Karg's wife. Valdr despise Kargs. Valdr feeds Peter each day. Peter falls in love with Valdr. Valdr plans and executes an escape plan. Kirk, McCoy, and Spock find Peter and join in his escape planning to reach a space port for a trip off the planet. Karg intercepts the group and surrounds the group. Karg stabs Valdr with a knife. Valdr declares Peter, her mate. Peter challeges Karg and defeats him in a duel, but does not kill him. Peter reveals that Karg is Chancellor Corkon's murderer.

Sarek prevents Freelan terrorist from starting a war between the Klingon empire and the federation. Sarek and Spock beam on Traynes bridge, after Sarek predicts correctly the new position that the cloak bird of prey will emerge. Sarek has realize Trayne pattern as a chess move used by Trayne. Conclusive proof of a Romulan conspiracy is established. Sarek challenges Trayne to a duel. Trayne acknowledges the challenge and remembers his early childhood fears, at the time his parents were killed. Sarek and Trayne fight against each other with poison blades, both are injuried, but McCoy manages to save both. Sarek returns to Freelan to liberate the Vulcans. Trayne returns to Romulus to report failure. Trayne's second in command aid Kirk in stopping the Klingon invasion and Azerbur troops arrive crushing the rebellion. Peter Kirk abandons Valdr for his career. Azerbur recruits Valdr to become a staff member. Spock formulates the reunionification theory.

Two words discribe my feelings about Sarek by A.C. Crispin: Good Times.

I really enjoyed this book, and in cadence with the other reviewers I couldn't put it down for the last 3rd. Literally, I hid in a closet and a stairwell at work just so I could get a few more pages in. I laughed and cried and gasped in shock many times during my reading. Every one of the characters acted as I thought they should and gave me new insight into those characters that I know so well. Even though officially it is not, in my eyes this is canon since everything jives so danged well and I love the story. And my word is law in some local bowling clubs.

I loved this one, cause it really delves into Spock and Sarek's relationship, plus you get to see Amanda's point of view on things. It also show's a lot of her relationship with Sarek, shows the sentimental side of him that while loath to show it since it would be a emotional display it also makes you understand that they were truly in love and how they were able to make it work...because love is certainly not logical and humans are rather emotional about these things. I also enjoyed how it explained the falling out that Sarek and Spock had when Spock went into Starfleet. I've enjoyed the other books that I've read also that delve into the father/son relationship:

The Vulcan Academy Murders
The IDIC Epidemic
Spock's World

Definitly read this one

As any Trekkie would do, I got this book that's about one of my favorite Vulcans.

This book is the heart-wrenching story of Sarek's deep love for Amanda, their courtship, marriage, and now his agony and fear at the realization of her terminal illness.

A.C. Crispin has a great way of representing the personalities of the characters, as well as the emotions. The anguish Sarek goes through, as well as other emotions, are well represented and touch the heart.

This is a MUST READ for any Star Trek Fan!

Bonnie and Billy are sent into the Circles of Seven to rescue prisoners. But in a land of deceit and temptation, whom can they trust? From an abandoned town to an island castle to a deep chasm, this story is a feast for the imagination and emotions. The climatic battle is better than any movie because of the realistic characters whom you can identify with.

It took about three days for me to receive the book that I ordered from Amazon. And not only did it come in a timely fashion but it was in excellent condition. No surprises here and that's what I like to see. I would definately come back in the future, especially for the prices.

This series just keeps on raising the bar. The book starts in high gear and never lets up. The final third of the book is just plain UNPUTDOWNABLE!!! Davis just piles on the tension and always is giving us more details about Dragons, Merlin, King Arthur and Excalibur. He very realistically adds to their Myths and makes it seem like this has been part of the Myths for all times. He is very creditable as he leads us along this fantastic journey! Adults who love the lure of Myths should give this series a try. They won't be disappointed.

Now, don't think. Do not pass go. Put this book directly into your shopping cart. The series of Dragons in our Midst is by far the best series that I have read, including the Harry Potter books(can't stand them now that I've seen six truly great books, the four in this series and the two Inheiretance books) And this is the best book in the series, by a single scale. This is definitely worth reading again and again and again. THIS BOOK AND SERIES TOTALLY OWNS!!! BUY IT!!!

The Dragons In Our Midst series is one of the best series of bookks that ther are, and Circles of Seven is the best book so far. Dragons In Our Midst makes Harry Potter seem extremly flimsy and shallow. (Which is actually fairly true in any instance. JKR was overpaid.) Anyway, THIS IS AN AWESOME BOOK!
BUY IT!

I actually didn't know quite what to expect when I picked up this book. But I found myself laughing out loud many times. And I never laugh out loud while reading a book. Dan's PETA work is merely the background to his wild and crazy life. He's never preachy, so don't let that stop you from enjoying his crazy antics. His comic timing in his writing is impeccable, and I can't recommend this book enough.

If you'd like to understand PETA a bit better, this is a good book to read. I've always had some issues with PETA, even though I'm a member myself, this sort of educated me a bit.

And Dan is pretty funny, which always makes a book fun to read.

This book was simply fantastic! Funnier than David Sedaris, and a story that draws you in. You don't have to like PETA to love this book, by the way. My non-PETA friends are all enjoying it as much as I did. It's entertaining in its own right - a fabulous read. I honestly couldn't put it down. Highly, HIGHLY recommend it.

Major kudos to Dan for writing such an entertaining, honest (but not at all "in your face") and mind-shifting book about the suffering of the non-human animals that we share this planet with. I read Committed in one day. I loved it. This book proves that humor, compassion, optimism and love can change the world. If I was not a vegan before reading this book (I went vegan 5 years ago at age 37 and have never regretted it) I surely would have changed my ways after reading it.

From his early punk rocker days to carvorting with todays biggest celebrities, Dan Mathews spins a hilarious web of globe trotting adventures sprinkled with a dash a seriousness that brings light to an important subject matter; animal cruelty. From humble beginnings, success and notoriety certainly haven't changed his life long goals or sparkling personality. If you like Augusten Burroughs style of writing, grab this book and be prepared to laugh out loud. If I ever end up in a jail cell somewhere, I hope Dan is sitting next to me.

I cannot begin to describe how much I love Weis and Hickman's writing - while I will be first to admit that, on a most basic level, Martin, Jordan and Tolkien definitely outshine them in certain areas, I find Weis' work to be more readable on a base level. I -enjoy- reading her work. At times Martin can become a pure chore, and Jordan's dangling plot threads are a monstrous beast of their own - he even spent an entire, HUGE book going over the happenings of a 24 or 48 hour period. It was disgusting. And Tolkien was amazing, but he's unrefined iron in the face of good steel - he was great for his day and age, and is still great - but these authors have learned from their predecessor's mistakes.

I often see people ranting about Zifnab, and his seemingly out of place remarks and references to the past. While I'm not quite convinced Zifnab IS god, I would deeply believe that he is a very, very old Sartan, perhaps one of the first to be born/imbued with their power after the nuclear war that ended what we know of as contemporary society. Zifnab was undoubtedly one of the first Sartan to challenge the Council, because they found the omniscient being their leaders wanted to deny. When you're thousands of years old, probably living only because the Higher Power wills it, you're allowed to be insane, you're allowed to see the nature and pattern of the Wave, and work to correct it - and you're allowed to make references to the ancient past, like to George Lucas (and the Raistlin remarks just get a chuckle every time!).

An amazing writer, Weis will always be in my top five. Forever and always. I hear the words 'cliche' and 'regurgitated' thrown about in reference to her work - so what if they all follow the same staple characters? I find it makes the books more readable in a leisure sense. The first time I read this series, I started on Book 2, read book 5, book 6, Book 7, then went back and read them all. Years later, I've come back and am rereading them, all over again - and am greatly enjoying myself.

No, there is no doubt in my mind - Weis and Hickman will forever go down as some of the best fantasy authors of our time, even if people wish to deny it.

The finest series this side of Dragonlance Chronicles. However hey never gave the series much credibility and for that I wish they had. Deathgate has the best character development, best storyline and a great mixture of comedy and interaction from other worlds, Got to love Wiess and Hickman. Highly Recomended.

This series like all the works of Wies&Hickman are outstanding. They show a great deal of the characters thought procession. The magic is also ingenious and aslmost entirely different than the magic of Dragonlance. After reading all the Dragonlance Chronicles I was reluctant and wary of many of Fantasy Series, though this one was amzing.

I've read the entire Death Gate Cycle and it was great. The system of magic is complex and powerful. The characters are very well written. Not much else to say except you need to READ THESE BOOKS.

Let me first state that this was the first 'series' of books I've read. Now, on with the review: This really was a great collection of books...too good, in fact. I read them twice just to feel the emotion from them. I was unfamiliar with the works of Weis and Hickman. But, I bought them at my library for 10 cents a piece so I couldn't resist them. I blazed through them; the plot grew with my favoring of the books. The last page was turned a few months later, while propped up in bed. I closed the book, and smiled. No works in literature would ever touch this series...ever. I pondered on the books for a while longer, thinking about the characters, climax (which I never saw coming). And thought the authors deserved a five minute hug and large sums of money to compensate for the sheer greatness of these books. And if you find them for 70 cents altogether, take it.

Mann...this was my very first manga. Without this i would never have been into anime or manga. Actually Animerica Extra was my first actual manga preview of Fushigi Yugi. All thanks to my uncle Goku. Really that is his name. Meaning 5th son. But weird part is my grandparents only had 3 boys in the family out of 7. So maybe he was the fifth child born? But Fushigi Yugi is a wonderful book to start if you are just starting to like manga. It is perfect. It has fantasy creatures, humans with either super powers or just super human abilities, revengeful people, and a forbidden romance that could and should never be, but is. But all in all this is a perfect book by Yu Watase. Her best work ever besides Alice 19th and the forever gorgeous book ZETTAI KARESHI!....that is all...

Wow. If you don't have this manga, then there's something wrong with you! Whether or not you're a fan of the Tv series, Fushigi Yugi is a must have for the anime fan. Yu Watase knows how exactly to blend comedy with drama, so you can have emotional trama and kick [butt]fighting, turning into a laugh-a-minute when one of the charactes does something stupid. I particularily like the "Fushigi Auki, The Malicious Play" parodies done by the author every so often, taking a section of one of the chapters and turning it into a farce. GET THIS MANGA it is well worth your dollars.

Yu Watase, Fushigi Yugi: Disciple (Viz, 2000)

The third book in the Fushigi Yugi series dips a bit at first, but quickly roars back to become ever better than before. Miaka and the celestial warriors are basically wandering about waiting to find the next celestial warrior, and they find him in Chichiri, the mystical "cat-guy" whose powers complement the others quite nicely. All of this is well and good, and covers roughly the first half of the book (though we do get more background on Tamahome as well), which is readable, but nothing special. The second half, on the other hand, is all that and a bag of oysters, as Miaka and the crew find out there's a rival priestess and reveal her identity.

Lots of fun. *** ½

Some good news to fans- a new celeestial warrior appears, Chichiri. He trained under the watchful eye of Tai-Yi Jun { I can just imagine spending three years with her... that face
-_-}. And because of that, he learned some cool moves like how to freeze people {no da! ^-^}.

And a turning-point character shows up- Yui, Miaka's best friend. She has a thing for the celestial warrior Tamahome.

In the previous book, Yui goes missing, so Miaka goes back through the Universe of the Four Gods so Miaka could find Yui. She goes to the kingdom Qu- Dong, where she believes Yui might be, followed closely by Tamahome. The good news is Miaka finds Yui. At first Yui wants yo go back to Hong Nan with Miaka and Tamahome, but a conversation they have makes her want to reconsider.

Wanna read the bad news? I'm not telling you anymore than this.

Highly Recommended.

This is volume three in Fushigi Yuugi, a wonderful series. Miaka and Tamahome are a great couple with a wonderful love story. Their love story is very touching in this voloume. Tamahome tells Miaka his feelings and they become boyfriend and girlfriend. As they become a couple, their love is so sweet and touching. When Miaka leaves, Tamahome finds her and hugs her and tells her his feelings. When she leaves to head to a new nation, Tamahome finds her and asks her why she left. Tamahome kisses her and Miaka and Tamahome's love is very touching and romantic. Yui watches this and sees Miaka and Tamahome kissing. When she confronts Miaka about it, Miaka finds a new side to someone she knew. When Miaka discovers the truth of what happened to her, she makes a decision. Tamahome sees her and notices that Miaka is acting differently. He asks her about it- but she isn't sure how to tell him what she must do. Tamahome kisses her and finds out the truth from her. Tamahome tells Miaka that he will always protect her and they hug. This volume has lots of romantic moments between Miaka and Tamahome and they become a couple in this volume. This is a great volume.