Clarke Books

With this book, the series is starting to regain the momentum it had during the first two books. Sparta has reconciled with her feelings toward her biotechnical engineering and with those responsible. Preuss spends a good deal of time wrapping up a lot of loose ends from the fouth book. But, he also delves back into the plot of the entire series, reminding the reader why s/he finished the last book. The reader is pulled back into the mystery and intrigue of the alien culture called Culture X. We have reached the fuzzy edge of knowledge that will hopefully crystalize in the last book.

I just finished The Diamond Moon. Thoroughly enjoyed this fifth volume. I have always been a huge fan of Arthur C. Clarke and was skeptical when realizing he was a co-author, but have been extremely pleased with the masterful blend of true science fiction with an involving story line using mystery and engaging character development that I assume to be of Paul Preuss' design. This is not a book to be read on it's own, but to be enjoyed from the beginning and read through the end - (I'm going to get Volume 6 now).

I have been hooked right from the start - accolades to Paul Preuss and Arthur C. Clarke!

Arthur C. Clarke's component in this series is the inclusion of a number of his interesting short stories as the subplots with very little alteration of the details. (The original book titles were actually the names of the stories, eg. Breaking Strain.) These stories are seamlessly incorporated into the whole work.

What is added by Preuss is the style and setting - Sparta, a fragile but superhuman woman who has lost her past, searches for the people who made her what she is. In doing so, she becomes involved in the situations created in Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction. The "Venus Prime" series maps out her journey (as well as serving up great stories by Clarke). Preuss peppers the books with nice details of life in the near future (like logical extensions, interesting-but-plausible technology, and so on).

If you're looking for the original short stories, several appeared in the out-of-print collection "The Sentinel ; masterworks of science fiction and fantasy" (the title story is also interesting as the origin of Clarke's novel "2001 a Space Odyssey").

I disagree with the "reviewer" below who didn't enjoy Baby Alligator. (Actually, it sounds like Garret may be ready for books in the level 3 series.) Baby Alligator is typical of books in the All Aboard Reading series (level 2)--full-page, color illustrations that lure young readers to the simple text. Baby Alligator is a brief introduction to alligators and crocodiles, and the book delighted my 7-year-old daughter. She proclaimed the illustrations "very good," and said, "I sure learned a lot about alligators." We look forward to reading Clarke's next children's book.

As a former teacher and current homeschooling mother, I find Baby Alligator to be at the correct reading level for my first-grader, and at the same time full of facts that a child can grasp at this reading level. The illustrations are well-done and not overly cute. Minus one star for all the exclamation points, but this book brought us much pleasure.

Ginjer Clarke's didactic, yet simple and delightful prose, combine with Neecy Twinem's beautifully detailed illustrations of Florida's lush landscape to make "Baby Alligator" an adventurous and unforgettable read from start to finish. Geared toward children in grades 1-3, this book contains many interesting facts about our often misunderstood and sometimes feared animal friend - all told through the eyes of a baby alligator. Perhaps the final page best sums up this book: "Maybe now that you know more about alligators, you will not be too afraid of them. Just be very careful." The author and illustrator teach children (and adults) to respect and like - not fear - an animal that was almost hunted to extinction and that has been around since the time of the dinosaurs. I highly recommend this book to adults and children alike. Even I, practically a native Floridian (and much older than the 1-3 grader age group), learned many new interesting facts about alligators, with Baby Alligator as my guide.

I am not a climber but become hopelessly addicted to the mystery of Everest nonetheless. I enjoyed reading this heartbreaking tale of Everest as it opens another window into what climbers face on the mountain. Honest and informative, at times it painted a very different picture of a journey onto Everest. If you have an interest in Everest, climbing or enjoy the thrill of adventure than you will enjoy this book!

Heart-breaking, tense and on some level maddening, this is the story of Pete Boardman and Joe Tasker's last expedition. Copious quotes, especially from Pete's diary, give it its emotionally touching quality. Bonington chillingly describes the survivors' long wait and gradual realization that something has gone terribly wrong. No one really knows what happened to Boardman and Tasker, especially since their bodies were later found, indicating they were not killed in a fall as Bonington surmised. This book cannot illuminate the mystery, but can illustrate the magnitude of our loss.

"Everest: The Unclimbed Ridge" is the story of the 1982 British attempt on the then-unclimbed Northeast Ridge of Mount Everest. Co-authored by Sir Chris Bonington and Charles Clarke, it illustrates both the thrills and deadly perils of extreme high altitude alpine-style climbing.

Bonington put together a light but elite team for his 1982 expedition, featuring himself and accomplished climbers Pete Boardman, Joe Tasker, and Dick Renshaw, backed by two support climbers, Adrian Gordon and Charles Clarke. The first part of the book is a quick recap of previous climbing on Everest, following by a fascinating narrative of the team's journey to its base camp on the North side of Everest.

The struggle to forge an alpine-style route up the Northeast Ridge is candidly portrayed by Bonington and Clarke. Their narrative is supplemented by quotes from Pete Boardman's diary and letters. The team, climbing at over 8,000 meters without oxygen and with only limited use of fixed ropes, makes slow and painful progress over challenging terrain.

After weeks on the mountain, things begin to go wrong. All the climbers are physically deteriorating from too much time at high altitude. Chris Bonington, then in his late 40's, discovers he can no longer keep pace with his younger counterparts. Dick Renshaw suffers two minor strokes and must be evacuated to medical care. Pete Boardman and Joe Tasker make one last try at the summit, and disappear.

The bodies of Boardman and Tasker would be found years later on the ridge near where they were last seen from a distance by Bonington and Gordon. The Northeast Ridge would finally be climbed, with fixed ropes and supplemental oxygen, in 1995. These facts were obviously unknown to Bonington and Clarke when they closed out this narrative in 1983. The reader is left with a poignant mystery and the enduring question of high altitude climbing: was it worth it?

This book is highly recommended as a fascinating and well-written narrative of a high altitude expedition and its effects on the climbers.

Actually got this book from the library and it's great! Very realistic drawings and concise, well-done text, with many "paths" to follow to maintain a child's particular interest.

I got this book as a gift. From the first page, I knew that I liked it! The detailed pictures show texture and are colorful. It is easy to read and understand. On each page there are different boxes with crafts you can do and interesting facts. (for example, some small carnivore dinosaurs ate their young when they were starving.)

I use this book for research in school and when I write stories. I have read it many times and it seems like it's new every time! If you know any kids that like to read and like dinosaurs, this is a book for them. There are exciting and surprising things on every page!

We used this book to get a complete overview of these wonderful creatures. The book is large sized and has wonderful color pictures. The text is easy to read for ages 9 and up and can be read aloud to younger kids, so the book works for whole families. There are all sorts of hands on projects, great little pieces about some famous dinosaur excavators and dinosaur moments in history. Of course all the information about how the shape of the continents took place, how fossils are made, the geological time, etc. is there and complete. We were really impressed with the ease in which we could gather information from the book.

I think this book's art is quite nice and that the text is gratifyingly bold, which I like.

Another good book on a Disney classic. Full of wonderfull drawings, sketches and animation concepts and background designs. I always buy the "Art of" books Disney puts out on each of their new films. It's always a treat to see how concepts of characters and backgrounds changed as they went along. Sometimes for the better, and sometimes not. Being an artist myself, I always enjoy seeing the drawings of the rough animation and characters studies. It's nice that they included some photos of the original source material from China in the front of the book. This again shows how far Disney's team goes to research a subject. The information and research shows up on the screen. And besides, the books pretty cheap, so you can't go wrong. My only complaint is that it could have been a slightly bigger book page wise.

This children's storybook is a shortened version of the movie, packed between two hard covers. The wonderful pictures are in full color and relive the movie's magic. A great addition to the disney classic storybook collection that every Mulan fan should have.

I just read "Disneyland Hostage" by Eric Wilson. It is about a girl named Liz who travels with her aunt to Universal Studos (City) and to Disneyland. They meet a young man on the plane who accompnies them on their trip. She meets a new friend at Universaal and they hang out there and at Disneyland. While at Disneyland they become hostages by terrorists who want to end poverty where they came from. I was first attracted to this book because it was placed at Disneyland( ny favorite place)but it contained so little of the sights of Disneyland and so I was turned off by the book. It was an exciting read but I wanted to hear more about Disneyland.

This book is abput a girl named Liz who goes to Disneyland with her aunt and gets taken hostage by a group of young men and woman form Latin America. One of the other hostages arrests the leader.I liked it because it was very exiciting

Liz Austen and her brother Tom are detectives. They've solved everything from kidnappings to murders. Now Liz is going to have to solve a hostage situation, without the help of her brother.

While Liz Austen is on a trip to California to visit Universal Studios (City) and Disneyland with her Aunt, they run into a charming man known as Kingsley. He soon becomes a quick friend and escorts them to the amusement parks. But when Liz notices someone following her and her friend Serena they realize that something bad is going to happen. It's now up to Liz to save the hostages, and bring peace to the people visiting Disneyland before someone gets hurt.

This was my first book by Eric Wilson, and I must admit I was very impressed. I like how he doesn't drag sentences out or keep you guessing. This is a great book and I recommend it to any mystery readers.

I've read more than a few of these publish it yourself novels, and have discovered a rather surprising fact: most of them are pretty darn good. I've seen a few that barely clear the bar due to abundant typographical errors, plot problems, or unconvincing character development; but the majority of the novels I read were definitely books that a big publishing house could easily pick up for wide distribution. Gerald Clarke's "The Drone Virus" is a novel that falls in the "darn good" category. Here's a book that is, at various times, a medical thriller, a technological thriller, and a murder mystery. That's quite a batch of ingredients mixed in the same bowl, but under the rock steady stewardship of Clarke--who is an ophthalmologist and a computer technician by trade--the result is an enormously entertaining novel that manages to scare anyone who has ever had to deal with the frightening, many headed hydra that is the health care industry. When I think about computer viruses, I think about losing my hard drive on my PC. I'm vaguely aware that hackers can disrupt important computer networks with viruses. But I never considered the implications of a bug placed inside an MRI scanner. Clarke shows us how easily someone could do this very thing.

Stephen Rogers has a lot going for him. Once upon a time he was a successful financial trader in Chicago, one of the best in fact, who could make millions for himself and his clients with minimal effort because he has the canny ability to successfully navigate his way through the high pressure world of stock trading. Rogers even possessed the know-how to build a special computer program with the help of his friend Tony Chang, a program that every other trader with a seat on the exchange paid big bucks for in order to increase their profit potential. Sadly, God threw our hero a couple of curveballs that changed his life forever. First, his wife Lauren perished in a gang shoot out at the supermarket several years before the story starts, leaving Stephen with a daughter and a broken heart. Second, his daughter Jamie came down with a serious case of cancer that nearly took her life. Only with the help of Doctor John O'Brien, a leading cancer specialist and the innovator of a new genetic therapy aimed at deactivating cancer cells, did Jamie Rogers pull through her harrowing ordeal. She still has to go back to the Children's Hospital for check ups, and it is during one of her visits to the hospital when Stephen Rogers's life takes a further turn for the worse.

Jamie Rogers must undergo an examination in the hospital's new, state of the art MRI scanner, a rather mundane procedure for the most part, so Dr. O'Brien can see if she is cancer free. Something terrible happens to Jamie during the scan, something that causes her to suffer continuous seizures. After his daughter expires from this sudden malady, Stephen devotes his life to discovering what cost him his only child. He can't help but blame the new scanner since Jamie slipped into seizures during the procedure. Everyone at the hospital, from John O'Brien to his doctor daughter Colleen O'Brien to administrator Derek Sloane, dismisses Rogers's accusations as pure fantasy. How could an MRI scanner cause irreversible brain damage and seizures? Besides, the hospital's pathologist Dr. Krupper did an autopsy and found that the cancer had reemerged. As tough as it is to accept, the case of Jamie Rogers appears to be closed--or is it? As Stephen Rogers applies the tenacity he once exhibited on the floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange to solving the mystery of his daughter's fate, he uncovers one sinister machination after another. Other children experienced fatal injuries during a trip through the MRI machine. Moreover, the hospital administration will seemingly do anything to gain FDA approval for their machine. Something sinister is going on in "The Drone Virus."

Clarke's novel is more than a by the numbers mystery yarn. The author makes his opinions about the current state of the health industry quite clear throughout the story. According to "The Drone Virus," the corporate mentality of profit/loss has overtaken our hospitals, subverted the fundamental belief that people come first when health is an issue, and turned physicians into employees whose primary function entails seeking out research grants and prestigious awards. Power politics in a medical research facility is a dog eat dog world, with doctors carrying out vendettas against other doctors because of conflicting research goals and findings. Ultimately, it is the patient that suffers from the overemphasis on profit and the vicious backstabbing going on outside the ward. Many of the health care professionals in "The Drone Virus" are so concerned with their own position and problems that they simply refuse to believe Stephen Rogers when he claims something is wrong with the scanner. Only when the evidence becomes overwhelming does the motivation for profits come to light in particularly nasty ways.

I can think of only one small thing in the book that I found confusing. Surprisingly, my bewilderment had little to do with the medical jargon or computer lingo, both of which Clarke does an excellent job of explaining even to this science idiot. The problem I had concerned the character of Marilyn. We meet her at the beginning of the book and see her pop up several times throughout the story, but Clarke never explains her relationship to Stephen Rogers. At first I thought she was his wife, then his girlfriend, before finally figuring out that she was just a friend who wanted something deeper from Rogers. It's nitpicky, I know, but it did bother me. This problem aside, I loved the book. Hopefully, the movie will come out on DVD next year.

this is the Kind of Book that feels like a Movie with so much suspense&Drama that you can't leave your seat awaiting what shall come next.Gerald Clarke does a very good job building up tension&Drama throughout this book.you can't predict what shall happen next that is the mark of a strong writer.

The very idea of having an MRI scan is unpleasant - you're stuck inside this big old tube, unable to move, for one thing; more importantly, though, it means something is not right somewhere in your body. What if, on top of all these other troubling issues, the MRI scanner might kill you? What if it killed your child? That is just what happens in the compelling medical thriller The Drone Virus. Blending science with a moving elaboration of the very heart of humanity, Gerald Clarke has produced a truly memorable medical thriller for the 21st century.

This novel really grabs you by the throat from the very beginning because the victims are children. First, a hard-up case with constant seizures dies inside the machine - no one really seems to care because the kid was just a poor throwaway of society. Soon thereafter, though, Jamie Rogers dies. Get your tissues ready because hers is a heart-breaking story. Jamie was a cancer survivor, thanks to the genetic therapy techniques being developed by Dr. John O'Brien at Daley Children's Hospital. She seemed perfectly healthy when the docs chose to do an MRI scan, then she began suffering horrendous seizures during the test. Her father's grief soon turns to anger, as he is convinced the machine somehow killed his daughter. Of course, the doctors and hospital administrators refuse to consider such a crazy idea, and Jamie's death is officially determined to be a result of the cancer returning to her brain. Stephen Rogers refuses to give up his new quest, however, even if it threatens the burgeoning romantic relationship he has going with Dr. Colleen O'Brien. His computer whiz kid of a former coworker looks into the matter for him, coming up with the idea that a virus might have infected the system - a very special, hard-to-detect one called a drone virus. Of course, proving it is all but impossible, especially since Stephen and his buddy can't legally examine the machine's computer code. Of course, grieving fathers seeking justice for their dead children are a pretty determined lot.

Don't worry about getting lost amid the science, medicine, and computer issues that mold the shape of this story. Gerald Clarke proves himself to be as good a writer as he is a knowledgeable doctor and software expert; he carefully guides reader through the technical details as they evolve. Besides, you will be breathless as a result of all of the action that takes place. Stephen had no idea he would find himself staring a sinister, greed-filled conspiracy in the face, a group of heartless men who aren't afraid to stop his private investigation at any cost. You also have the roller coaster relationship between Stephen and Colleen as well as plenty of heroic fireworks to capture your rapt attention. What stands out the most, however, is the attitude and behavior of many of the medical professionals involved in this tragedy. Colleen became a doctor for all the right reasons, but several of her peers come across as inhuman and certainly inhumane, caring only for money, power, or glory while viewing sick children as pawns in their sick games of self-interest.

At first glance, the notion of an MRI scanner being infected with a virus that actually kills patients seems a little out there. In the able hands of Clarke, though, Stephen Rogers' crazy notion gets feet and runs like the wind. The fact that you get to know these sick children as well as you do makes their fatal experiences with the scanner personal tragedies that really affect you as a reader. Sadness easily builds into fury, however, as things progress and you find out exactly what is going on here. To say this novel is compelling would be a vast understatement. If you enjoy a good medical thriller, Gerald Clarke has got the very prescription you need in the form of The Drone Virus.

Otra genialidad del Maestro que tantas horas deliciosas nos entregó con 2001, 2010, etc.

Otra genialidad del Maestro que tantas horas deliciosas nos entregó con 2001, 2010, etc.

Es un libro execelente,no se podía esperar menos de un autor como Arthur C. Clarke.

We were fortunate enough to have my 6-year old's librarian read this book to the class, shortly after our dog had died. Jane Clarke, the author, who also later came to his school, left open what happened to Raymond, allowing the student to speculate. The book provided an opportunity for a wonderful discussion. Unfortunately, her second Gilbert book (The Deep) isn't quite as tight and of questionable lesson (Gilbert disobeys his mom but learns the unknown isn't necessarily scary/makes new friends). My 6-year old even had issues with the book but always finding the positive remarked that the illustrator to the Gilbert Books was fantastic

I have to admit that I am a sucker for a kids book that depicts sharks as sweet gentle creatures with a wide range of emotions. There just aren't that many books with sharks as the protagonists. But more than that, this is good book (not "great", but worthy of several night-time bed readings).

Gilbert the great white shark has a very best friend Raymond the ramora (also seen on cover). They share everything together ... and are shown enjoying one another in all sorts of activities. But one day, Raymond moves away with his family and Gilbert is left feeling all alone. He grieves the loss of his friend for quite some time, while several in the community try to cheer him up (including telling him that "there are plenty of other fish in the sea" ... chuckle, chuckle). But life just isn't the same without Raymond ... and Gilbert finds himself working through the grieving process. He gets angry at his loss, he blames himself for Raymond moving away, he feels guilt over their previous arguments, etc... until he reaches acceptance and begins to hope that Raymond is enjoying his new home. In the end, it is once he reaches acceptance that he discovers the joys of a new friend.

Good story for all - but a great stry for those youngsters who are grieving the move of a close friend.

I am 2 1/2 and I love this book. The pictures of the sharks are great and I like to find the stingrays. I am a big fan of all ocean life books so this is a great story.

This book contains very good detailed descriptions of pieces, plus place and time of manufacture. It includes a number of small pieces, as well as the more common tansu.

Restoration of antiques is currently questioned, but methods shown here are not appropriate. Sanding, especially with a belt or other powered sander, destroys original hand-planed surfaces. Sandpaper also adds its own scratches to metal parts; steel wool is preferable for removing loose rust. The Heinekens' book "Tansu" describes a better metal coloring than spray paint. A few nicks and scratches are part of the piece's history, and small splits in the back do not affect its usefulness. Unlike the frame-and-panel European and American furniture, many tansu were not designed to accommodate effects of humidity changes on wood dimensions, and a repaired back panel will continue to move seasonally. When pulling nails, a piece of sheet metal under the wirecutters would prevent denting metal or wood parts. Since the Clarkes were in Japan, they could have bought much more appropriate tools than the ones shown, and some of the ones shown should never be used for this work. Japanese woodworking tools were just becoming available in the US in the early 1980s, but restorers should look for them now.

I learned a lot about Japanese furniture from this book - different styles, history and how to tell a quality piece. I am going to try to restore a small piece I have using the instructions in this book. For all of the expensive books available, I learned the most from this book!

I learned a lot from this book about the types of Japanese furniture as well as fine details to help me evaluate pieces. This book is an excellent resource, particularly for the price! I plan on trying the directions for restoring a piece in the near future.