Clarke Books

I loved this book. It is sweet, funny and sad. I laughed, I cried. The perfect book. I couldn't put it down. I just wish I could find more from the same author.

for me I only read biography or autobiographies.I was introduced to this book by the author himself.This book to me is an inviting story about an unconditional love between two people.Iliked how the author discribed in detail the surounding places and people in the story,you can really get a clear image in your mind of how things looked in rooms,how the charactors dressed and the places they went.This book is a very enjoyable and uplifting book to read.I would recommend this book to all types of readers.

I laughed, I cried, I cheered! This is a great book for a stormy Spring Time Night curled up in a good chair. I found the author had embraced "GAY" sterotypes with humor and good taste! It was a good laugh at myself and my attitudes towards others!

I am a community college instructor and I encourage my students to read this novel! It is a must read... many of my students reviews became positive towards alternative lifestyles... this book is now on sale in our campus book store and has become a favorite of many people including the theology department! This is incredible...

I read this book for a class and I can tell you that is seems to be written by somebody in high school. For example, about half of the paragraphs in the book start with the name "Clarke." This sort of uninventive writing is seen in many other ways throughout the book. The bad editing, as had been mentioned in other reviews for example. In addition, it seems to be based soley on stereotypes. I did not care to read about how important it was to have the White House redecorated. The characters are flat and the story is somewhat bogus at times. The sad part is, I think the idea for the novel is really great. I just do not know where this went wrong. So, if you want to be bored and/or offended, read this book. Otherwise save your money!

I enjoyed this book, but the person who edited this book needs to be fired. There were far too many misspelled words, missing words, as well as names that kept changing. For instance, Clarke and the President were being interviewed by Mrs. Waters, then Mrs. Walters, and then Mrs. Waters again. That was only one instance, there were others.

Even with these errors, I did find the book very funny and enjoyable. This book will keep you hooked right from the moment that Michael Arthur Kent is sworn in as Vice President, then sworn in as President of the United States immediately after the former President resigns. He quickly stuns the world, and Clarke, when he introduces Clarke as his husband, the First Gentleman. The press will continue to refer to him as The First Man to be First Lady. The press and much of the American public are totally outraged by having a gay couple in the White House, but Clarke keeps them dazzled. He redecorates the White House with funds that were donated, so no one is able to complain about how much it is costing. He starts new fashion trends with the help of a designer, named Beverly Anderson. He does not pay for his clothes, but the designer gets loads of free advertisement. Everyone wants to dress like Clarke.

Towards the end of the book, the President and Clarke run for election. The President had been appointed, but desperately wanted to be elected President for another term. In the end, he does win the election and all seems wonderful again, but then tragedy strikes.

You will have to read the book to find out the rest. I would not want to ruin it for you.

This is a book of collected essays of Clarke, edited by Ian T. Macauley. The essays cover the period 1934 to 1998. Some of the essays are preceded by a freshly added introductory note.

I didn't like the title of the book. It sounds pretentious.

The book is divided into seven parts, all appropriately titled and dated. Part I - Rockets and Radars - covers the 30's and 40's. Part II - Beneath the Seas of Ceylon - covers the 50's. Part III - Kubrick and Cape Kennedy - covers the 60's and the making of 2001 a Space Odyssey. Part IV - Tomorrow's Worlds - covers the 70's. Part V - Stay of Execution - covers the 80's. Part VI - Countdown to 2000 - covers the 90's and is the longest part of the book. Part VII is titled Postscript: 2000 and Beyond. The book ends with a bibliography, an index and bios of the author and the editor.

Arthur C. Clarke is a prolific author, both of science fact and science fiction and both these fields, he has produced quality stuff. The best and most significant of his short non-fiction has already been collected in several books like Profiles of the Future, Voices from the Sky, 1984: Spring, etc. This book presents his short non-fiction that had not been previously collected. After reading the book, it becomes evident why. Most of the essays here are either too short to be informative or the topic is too slight to be of significance. The best essays here are obituaries to Clarke's contemporary scientists, writers and friends like Carl Sagan, Isaac Asimov, etc. This doesn't mean that the book is boring, which it is not for the most part. But vintage Clarke it is not.

The book would be very useful to completionists - those who collect Clarke's writings. Another useful feature of the book is index. I hate it when I come across non-fiction books that do not have an index

http://ahmedakhan.journalspace.com

I have avoided reviewing this massive failure for quite a while, since Sir Arthur was one of my childhood heroes. I still recall the thrill when I found some paperback collections of his short stories at a local drug store in the early 1950s... here was a science fiction writer who knew science and also knew the future of mankind lay in space exploration!

Well, my idol soon developed feet of clay, so to speak. Becoming a physics major, I soon discovered Clarke's actual knowledge of physics was nothing to write home about. And as the 1960s wore on, into the 1970s, and then the 1980s, I found him more and more frequently lending his name to unworthy but presumably profitable undertakings in which he himself all-too-obviously had no involvement whatsoever, including an increasingly unreadable and apparently interminable series of "novels."

The present anthology is almost all clay, and endlessly padded and repetitive clay at that. There is no visible editing, and misprints are everywhere (my favorite is "brass bar" where Clarke wrote "brass bra"! You can bet that he never read, or reread, a word of the text printed here.) Most vexing is that the entire tome is a shameless and absolutely relentless display of egotism and name-dropping that makes Forrest J. Ackerman look humble! Many of the contributions are brief notes or tributes dashed off hastily on various occasions and quite unworthy of being preserved in this way. Inspirational evocations of the wonders of the space frontier are cheek-by-jowl with unreadably dull travelogues and tediously written, utterly trivial underwater "adventures".

Worst of all, while a young Clarke fought against pseudoscience, an elderly, ailing Clarke has shamelessly and incomprehensibly embraced it and there are some really, really embarrassing testimonials to the wonders of the long-forgotten "cold fusion" and to the "zero-point" variant of perpetual motion.

Finally, I'd like to note that the early Clarke has a lot to say about what it means if world society turns its face from the endless promises of infinity and instead gazes at its navel Eastern style--- it means, he says bluntly, cultural death. The elder Clarke, living in just such a culture, and receiving rich (but token) rewards from it, has fallen strangely silent. Some of Clarke's fellow science fiction writers (virtually none of whom he mentions at all in the course of the book) knew what this meant as early as the 1970s--- see for example fellow British author John Brunner's STAND ON ZANZIBAR, in which the crazed inhabitants of an overpopulated earth tear at one another senselessly in mass-murders of ever-increasing scale, like a hundred rats in a laboratory cage built for three --- and precisely what you read about with ever-increasing frequency and severity in your daily newspapers! Coincidence? This is one science-fictional scenario I desperately wish had remained fictional!

Anyway, save your money, folks. This volume is unworthy of your attention, and quite unworthly of the Arthur C. Clarke we used to know and admire.

The fiction of Arthur C. Clarke has educated and enlightened multiple generations of readers with works that brought the future to us at an accessible, understandable level. Some of my favorites include Imperial Earth, The Fall of Moondust, and The Fountains of Paradise. And in this year, one must honor the classic "2001: A Space Odyssey."

Neil McAleer's biography of Sir Arthur C. Clarke is perhaps one of the best books to give a full understanding of this most versatile and visionary thinker of the twentieth century; but it is only through reading the non-fiction writings that one truly gets to know what a brilliant visionary that Arthur C. Clarke truly is. He has put out numerous papers, articles and books--but they generally have been out of print for many years--which is what makes this collection of essays so wonderful. Here is a logically organized anthology that brings together diverse areas of thought including science, science fiction, politics and more. It does not strive to be a complete collection, but more an essential sampler serving as a tribute to this most knowledgeable and witty intellect.

If you have not had the joy of reading Arthur C. Clarke's non-fiction, this is a wonderful place to start. If you have not read any in the last decade, this is a nice rememberance. And if you grew up reading his fiction and non-fiction as I have, it makes for a wonderful tribute to a truly phenomenal man.

Perhaps there is hope for the future of mankind?

I have long been aware that Arthur C. Clarke gave the world the concepts of an orbiting manned space station and geosynchronous satellites. Even so, I could not suppress a rush of adrenalin on reading his 1945 paper, "Can rocket stations give worldwide radio coverage?" in which those forecasts of today were first made. And I laughed out loud at his 1999 comment on his 1948 short story, The Sentinal, "Although the BBC gave it thumbs-down, I still think it would be a great idea for a movie." In case anyone is unaware of it, The Sentinal was the story that became 2001 -- A Space Odyssey.
On the possibility of an alien species viewing humans as vermin to be exterminated, Clarke writes, "I do not believe that any culture can advance for more than a few centuries at a time on a technological front alone. Morals and ethics must not lag behind science, otherwise the social system will breed poisons that will cause its certain destruction. I believe therefore that with superhuman knowledge must go equally great compassion and tolerance." In other words, before an intelligent species can achieve any kind of interstellar capacity, it will either outgrow the Religious Right mentality, or it will exterminate itself.
An observation Clarke made in an essay first published in 1991 falls somewhere between profound and self-evident, yet to this day even many non-fundamentalists have not grasped it: "The greatest tragedy in mankind's entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion. However valuable -- even necessary -- that may have been in enforcing good behavior on primitive peoples, yet their association now is counterproductive. Yet at the very moment when they should be decoupled, sanctimonious nitwits are calling for a return to morals based on superstition."
This progression of essays from 1934 to 1998 reveals more about Clarke himself than could be derived from an autobiography, and for that reason, while it falls short of being his best work, or even his best nonfiction, it is invaluable to a person seeking that specific information.

Before Carl Sagan (whom, one learns, was himself turned on to science through the words of Sir Arthur), Arthur C. Clarke, in addition to being one of the world's leading and best science fiction writers, was perhaps the most important, and most widely read, science writers of the 20th century. He published several books that are classics in the field of astronomy and physics, such as Interplanetary Flight (the volume that turned on Sagan), The Exploration of Space (the first English language boook to lay out the basic principles, and Clarke's first successful publication), The Promise of Space, Voices From The Sky, Profiles of The Future, and many, many others. Unfortunately, due to the somewhat ephermal nature of these works - as opposed to his science fiction - most of them have been out of print for many years. This is a shame, as Clarke's writing brilliance, smooth of prose, elegant wit, and wry sense of humor come through just as clearly in his non-fiction as in his fiction. He has that great talent of explaining difficult concepts in simple fashion, through analogy, metaphor, and other practible devices, while still remaining informative and literate, and without resorting to condescending. Thankfully, this book has solved much of our problems. Many of Sir Arthur's best and most invigorating essays, covering a nearly 60-year period, are reproduced here, in permanent form - and what a beautiful volume it is, too. A lot of the writing focuses on scientific topics, yes - particularly astronomy and physics - but a good deal of the book deals not with science, but with a variety of other subjects. These include Clarke's numerous postings to the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, Royal Astronomical Society, and various magazines; personal reminisces (including several documentary-style writings on his scuba diving adventures - unlike many reviewers, who have commented that these essays seemed boring to them, I found them quite a good and fun read, and they led me to decide to go back and read some of Clarke's entire books on this subject, long ignored by me for this same oversight); forwards to books by other people; reviews (it is interesting to see how Clarke views certain classic science fiction movies and books, as well as his fellow science fiction authors and scientific colleagues - many of whom are mentioned, and recounted in loving detail (the book includes tributes to Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Carl Sagan, Stanley Kubrick, Willy Ley, Jack Williamson, Robert Bloch, among others... in addition to many mentions of other such notables as Ray Bradbury, Stephen Hawking, Werner van Braun, and many others) speeches, television appearances, etc. Most all of these are informative, many of them entertaining, and all of them readable. Better selections could perhaps have been made, it is true: I would rather have seen more of his incredible 1960's essays from Voices From The Sky and Profiles of The Future (several of which, for instance, describe a future computer network - the internet - before Clarke could possibly have known...) in place of some of the earliest essays in this book, which mostly consist of Clarke's postings to the Journal, and are thus rather vengeful and out of character attacks on various peoples. Still, one cannot go wrong with this book. Of particular interest to ACC fans (who will already have much - though by no means all - of this material, it also includes a lot of autobiographical information on Clarke - and background on the essays - in the form of introductions the the various sections, quite a few pictures of the man (there's an insert in the middle of the book), afterwards, and an extensive About The Author section. In the final analysis, I would reccommend unceasingly this book to anyone who is into Clarke's factual writing, or science writing in general, as well as to anybody who loves his fiction and would like to try some of his non-fiction out. This is a good - though perhaps not the best (I would still reccommend Profiles of The Future as the best starting point for ACC's non-fiction works) - place to start, and a nice companion volume to his recently released collection of short fiction, The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke. It's a fine place to start for his non-fiction in general. However, don't take it as the final word on his science writing, as it doesn't focus specifically on that, and many of his best science articles were left out of this book. If you enjoy this book, and you want to read more of his scientifically oriented stuff, I unceasingly reccommend Profiles of The Future (recently re-published in a beautiful, lavish new updated volume) and The Promise of Space (if you can find it - an out of print masterpiece)... and perhaps Ascent To Orbit: A Scientific Autobiography if you want something a bit more technical.

This books comes highly reccommended from me to all carbon-based bipeds.

If you work with customers, run a small business, or manage others -- read this book. It will challenge many of your beliefs about what true excellence really is. I've had the pleasure of visiting Charlie Trotter's restaurant a number of times and it was a breathtaking experience every time. Reading this book gave me insight on how much focus, intensity, and passion is needed to create true excellence.

Don't underestimate the wisdom that lies between the lines on every page of Paul Clarke's book "Lessons in Excellence from Charlie Trotter." This is not a book about the culinary world; neither is it a book about restaurants. It is a book about execution excellence; about leadership and teamwork. It is a book about vision and in creating and then recreating a business over and over again. Importantly, it is a book about keeping very close to your customers and ultimately, it is a book about passion.
To me, the strength of this book lay not in the expansion by Clarke into the general field of business or marketing (although he does that well) but in Clarke's ability to uncover the wisdom of Trotter. `There's no such thing as the word `no.' Whatever you can do to blow someone's mind - you go for it." Such is the philosophy of Trotter and Clarke certainly blew my mind continuously throughout the book.
Trotter opened his Chicago restaurant in 1987, approximately 5 years after the launch of the book "In Search of Excellence." The 8 basic principles outlined in the book would appear to be engrained in Trotter's business philosophy but there are 3 additional principles which I would suggest the lack of which has probably accounted for some of the companies mentioned in "In search of Excellence" falling foul of success. They are `Passion,' `Reinventing the business,' and `Attention to detail.'
Clarke uncovers Trotter's passion and it is that passion that drives everything that he does. Trotter reinvents his business every day through changing his menus and his attention to detail is phenomenal (for example, having different design plates for every course). Despite being in a totally different industry, I found that I could not help but compare my approach to my business with that of Trotter's and I would be honest in saying that there is much I need to do. In reading the book, I felt I was rubbing shoulders with the Master, that he was in fact looking over my shoulder guiding me as to what I should be doing. Such is the fluent style of Clarke.
If you manage a business or run your own business, then this book is well worth a read. If you want to rise to the top of the corporate ladder, then you will also get alot out of this book. But do not just read the lessons outlined, understand them and adapt them to your own business because they are adaptable. I have always believed that if I learn something everyday, then it is a day well spent - reading "Lessons in Excellence from Charlie Trotter" I have a surplus of days under my belt.

Charlie Trotter, what a great chef and entrepreneur. This book is for the People who want one day to own a buisness. Reading this book gives you the aspects of running a restaurant and being the best. Having passion for this line of work, he cant stress more. Without passion for food or being sucsessful it will not work. Charlie Trotter gives great lessons in excellence, from hiring anf firing, to running a kitchen without rasing a voice

This is both an interesting and boring work, due to the insights shared from Charlie Trotter's success. The boring stuff is the repitition of common-sense advice which everyone knows but few implement habitually. This is what separates the mediocre from the excellent.

Trotter maintains an atomosphere of excellence, from his hiring practices to discipline to innovation to publicity, etc.

One can certainly take much from this work to ponder about possible adaptation for one's own enterprise.

As a management consultant to top companies world wide (Merrill Lynch, Microsoft, IBM, GE, Abbott, PepsiCo...) I read a minimum of 120 business books every year, and have since 1989. My personal library is nearly 3,000 volumes and I would put "Lessons in Excellence from Charlie Trotter" in my top 5 for books on understanding what it truly takes to build a superior business.

I agree with another reviewer that you will likely not find any ideas that are shockingly innovative, but what you will find is a clear and detailed description of the business philosophy that has allowed Charlie Trotter to create one of the most respected restaurants in the world. You will also see that the fundamental strategies that Charlie Trotter focuses on are absolutely 100% transferable to any business that is serious about achieving excellence in their industry.

I have recommended this book to my clients for years, I use Charlie Trotter as a case study in many of my workshops, I have applied the ideas in this book directly to one of my other companies (an advertising firm I own) with tremendous success, and I have dined at Charlie Trotter's restaurant to verify that they actually live the ideas in this book... and they do!

If you are genuinely serious about building a business that is passionate and disciplined in striving for excellence - this is a must read.

John Spence
www.johnspence.com

How inspiring to read this beautiful saint's beautiful words! Reading this book truly transports you to another world! It is so easy to see why she is a saint! She has meant so much to my entire family, beginning with my grandmother, who was born just three weeks after St. Therese died. She has answered many of my prayers and I am so happy that my confirmation name was chosen for her.

"Jesus set before me the book of nature. I understood how all the flowers God has created are beautiful, how the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not take away the perfume of the violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy. I understood that if all flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty, and the fields would no longer be decked out with little wild flowers. And so it is in the world of souls, Jesus' garden. He has created smaller ones and those must be content to be daisies or violets destined to give joy to God's glances when He looks down at His feet. Perfection consists in doing His will, in being what He wills us to be."
- The Little Flower

A must-read! St. Therese reminds us that we are all to answer the call of holiness.

This is the Diary of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus
It is very inspiring. Number One on my list.

While much has been made regarding the translation of this book, I cannot stress enough what a classic this book is. Certainly for all Catholics this book is a must have. However, the simple and practical wisdom of this book reaches well beyond Catholic walls. If you have a section in your collection of books where you keep classics that you always go back too, pick up this book and it will find its way there for sure.

St. Therese of Lisieux's memoir, "Story of a Soul," has set the world on fire. For more than fifty years after Therese's death, the only edition available had been heavily edited by Therese's sister Pauline, Mother Agnes of Jesus, who made about five thousand changes in the manuscript. Michael Day's translation is made from this edited manuscript.

Happily, about 1956 the "Manuscrits authentiques," Therese's original manuscripts, were released to the world, and in 1976 Fr. John Clarke, O.C.D. translated them in the book "Story of a Soul: the autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux," published by the Institute of Carmelite Studies. This is universally acknowledged as the only authentic and authoritative English translation. Mother Agnes's version remains of interest to scholars who wish to compare the two manuscripts, or to study the version which gave rise to the original cult of St. Therese.

For nearly 300 years, the definitive reference for the John Wesley/Holiness Movement. Wish I could afford the original 6 volume set.

Clarke is an Arminian, that is he denies the doctrines of protestant reformed theology as taught by Luther, Calvin and all the great names of the protestant reformation. As such, I can't recommend this biased work to the church.

This commentary is an insightful analysis of the Bible. It has given me a new perspective on many of the meanings of the books of the Bible, and of the background of the people whom God spoke through in writing the books of the Bible.

Mr. Clarke was an awesome writer, even Spurgeon was quoted as saying Mr. Adam Clarke was one of the finest writers he had ever read. BUY THIS BOOK!!! Simple to read and filled with brilliant writing concerning the Gospel. His study shows how John Calvin got it all wrong. Man DOES have a free will! The eternal security doctrine has been wrongly titled, it is a doctrine of demons, which gives man the false sense of security and contradicts the Holy Scriptures! Read James 2:1-26. James 2:26 clearly states, "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead." To believe in a once saved always saved mentality leads to a true false sense of security, and a license for many to openly sin and not worry about being held accountable. If you believe that you can do whatever you want after repeating the words another told you to say, then later turn your back on Christ for the rest of your life and still make it to heaven you are sadly mistaking dear friend. Don't fall for this demonic doctrine! Calvin studied humanism before his misguided Christian writings were popular, and was involved in a tragic murder, and was he really secure if he never repented of it? Scriptures open state that no unrepeated murder will have a place in heaven. (Calvinists, I challenge you to read: Hunted heretic; the life and death of Michael Servetus at http://www.evangelicaloutreach.org/ashes.htm) .... Martin Luther stated that the book of James And Jude was "uninspired" (by the Holy Spirit) and worth only of fire! "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."(2 Timothy 3:16-17, NKJV) Charles Stanley, and many other well intended Calvinistic men and women are misleading millions down the highway to Hell! My sincere prayer is that you BUY THIS BOOK! and visit http://www.evangelicaloutreach.org for the truth concerning many topics. I hope and pray that more will take note as Mr. Clarke did, and do as the Bereans did. Study to show ones self approved my brothers and sister! As the scriptures also state, "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling!" Christ Blessings! BUY THIS BOOK!

As a student of the Bible for over a decade, I've read countless commentaries on the Old and New Testaments. Most of these great authors kept quoting Dr. Adam Clarke. The information always quoted from Dr. Clarke was to say the least awe-inspiring, so I knew I had to purchase this commentary one day. The unfortunate news is that the abridger Ralph Earle has removed extremely important information such as the correct order of chapters of Jeremiah (which are incorrect in our current Bibles), as well as the 39 verses in 1 Samuel which are of doubtful authenticity, and should not have been included in the Holy Bible account. The book get three stars because I wanted to give Dr. Adam Clarke his deserved praise, but not a five star rating because of the irresponsible job done by Ralph Earle. We should all seek out the original 3-book series, or if out-of-print, search for the unabridged version on CD-Rom.

Ugh. I couldn't finish this book. I got tired of the sanctimonious self-aggrandizing while putting down everyone else. It's amazing the rest of the world can continue to function without Ms. Astl at the helm! I bought this based on the description, because I was considering pursuing a paralegal tack in my career. I am now pursuing my certificate, in spite of my partial read of this book. I was expecting more "what working as a paralegal is like" and less "every job I took I turned trash in to gold".

I've been a paralegal in a busy Midtown Manhattan firm for the past 4 years. The advise given in this book is phenomenal. It's good to know that the trials and tribulations that come with work in the legal field, are somewhat universal. It definitely helped my career, the insight, and humor make this an extremely quick read, and enjoyable also. For me the greatest benefit is knowing what it takes to do the job well, and provide the lawyers you support with the stuff they want, before they even know they want it. This book and "Plain English for Lawyers," have been invaluable. I didn't take a CLA course, and came into the field through the standard trial by fire. The only thing I'd add to this is using new technology (crackberry, msoffice, etc...) to help produce the best work product possible. Everyone becomes familiar with MS Word, and Excel, through high school and college, but, in the professional world of legal document production, the more you know about these two programs, the better you look to everyone. Get some "Dummies" books on those programs, learn the specifics of the law you support (litigation, civil rights, real estate, etc....) and you're rocket to the top of your career. Office politics are a definite part of the game, but, shouldn't deter you from being successful. My rule of thumb is: The better you are at your job, the less prone to the whims of office gossip/politics. Become an expert and you're an asset. Oh, and you can make A LOT of money. Lol... Most paralegals earn high salaries and still earn overtime pay. Sometimes I've had to stay in the office overnight, so, depending on your pay, and cost of living, the extra money definitely comes in handy.


Hannibal, future Esquire.

From a male perspective, and a paralegal student, this book was groundbreaking. I read the reviews and they were great (except for the one "mostly dissapointed". They obviously didn't "get" the book--the whole purpose was to show that being a paralegal is NOT mediocre! Would you want your doctor, accountant or lawyer to "just do the job well enough?" and to just "get by with getting the work done" instead of done WELL? I don't think so! (I only hope that person NEVER becomes a paralegal.) Anyway, I felt this book was just what the cover said...a good mix of information on education, what it takes to be a paralegal, but it went even further to show REALLY what it takes--diligence, STELLAR work ethic (not just mediocre), interpersonal skills, education, and work experience. I feel much more ready for this career after reading this book. Our noble profession (the law) should ALWAYS be upheld by the standards set forth in this book. I too, agree that this should be recommended or required reading in paralegal classes. Everyone can learn from it and take the bits and pieces of it into their own careers and lives--and be better for it. Maybe some thought it was too heavy on personal experience, but that's precisely what makes this book NOT textbook-y. If you really truly want to know what it's like, don't read Litigation or Real Estate for Paralegals, read this book.

This book was not for me. As a nonconformist, I was trying to find out what it's really like to work as a paralegal- are my coworkers likely to be line-toeing rule-followers like the coworkers I have to deal with in retail? That sort of thing. Instead, I actually found the author slightly insulting. She described herself as a perfectionist and "an admittedly uptight Type A" and she seemed to kind of have a grudge against laid-back, less organized people who are more interested in just getting the job well enough done than in doing everything perfectly. There were some useful bits, for example, the bit about gossip and how the legal community is close-knit and it takes time to live down a reputation of any sort if you acquire one, even if you change firms. But in general I felt less like I was getting some kind of inside look, and more like the book was her personal complaining session about coworkers, clients, and bosses whose perspective and approach to life differed from her own.

The book relies too heavily on personal experience to be any kind of catch-all guide. Basically she is just telling the story of her and her husband's legal careers. Her experience is varied but fairly limited, since, after all, she is only one person.

In addition, there are grammatical mistakes, which seems kind of inappropriate considering that she claims to be a pefectionist and mentions that her career goal was to be a writer rather than a paralegal. My legal professors also make grammatical mistakes, so perhaps this is more acceptable in the legal world than in the academia I came to legal studies from.

The part about personality types and career matching was not great. It was based on Type A and Type B, which is a pretty limited division of personality types, and the additional recommendations were based on things like the liberal/conservative divide or working with a type of firm that reflects things you care about or are interested in. All of it it would be fairly obvious to anyone who would invest an hour or two to research the varieties of law practice that exist and learn the difference between Type A and Type B personalities. Other personality type categorizations are much more accurate and efficient than the AB division anyway. I bought the book partly based on this section, so I was disappointed to find it lacking.

I can't really recommend this book, but if you're the kind of person who refers to your personal identity in terms of how you were raised or brought up, and who believes in a work ethic for its own sake rather than for the sake of something else you believe in or for what you gain from it, then you might appreciate it more than I did.

Props to Ms. Astl on even the first 5 pages of her book. The humor definitely helps all of us in the legal field trying to make it. May she continue to help many others find their ways!

Another 50-50ish Clarke collection, with around half the pieces average or so, with the best for last in the case. Only a 3.27 average here.

So, rounding up to get to 3.5 with this one.

Expedition To Earth : Second Dawn - Arthur C. Clarke
Expedition To Earth : If I Forget Thee Oh Earth - Arthur C. Clarke
Expedition To Earth : Breaking Strain - Arthur C. Clarke
Expedition To Earth : History Lesson - Arthur C. Clarke
Expedition To Earth : Superiority - Arthur C. Clarke
Expedition To Earth : Exile of the Eons - Arthur C. Clarke
Expedition To Earth : Hide and Seek - Arthur C. Clarke
Expedition To Earth : Expedition to Earth - Arthur C. Clarke
Expedition To Earth : Loophole - Arthur C. Clarke
Expedition To Earth : Inheritance - Arthur C. Clarke
Expedition To Earth : The Sentinel - Arthur C. Clarke

Composite Mind War accomodation.

3.5 out of 5


Independent attitude required.

3 out of 5


Star Queen meteor holed poison survival choice.

3.5 out of 5


Glacial only bad on one planet, even if puzzling for the other.

3 out of 5


Weapons tech advance space war failure.

3.5 out of 5


Master suspended animation time banishment.

3 out of 5


Military Intelligence Phobos evasion story.

3.5 out of 5


Generation gap leavetaking.

3.5 out of 5


Earth weapons report. Oops.

3 out of 5


Long fall landing.

2.5 out of 5


Moon machine.

4 out of 5




3.5 out of 5

One of his best collections of short stories, it includes The Sentinel, the story that inspired 2001: A Space Odyssey.

This book shows why Arthur C. Clarke is a great writer. As the quotation on the front of the book so aptly puts it "In his fiction he thinks at once like a poet and like an engineer-and writes, at his best, like an angel". Indeed. Of the stories in this collection, several stand out. Superiority was issued as required reading at MIT's Engineering courses after publication. "If I Forget Thee On Earth..." is a nice short piece that is in Freshman Literature books. The Sentinel, was, of course, the "inspiration" for 2001. Second Dawn and Exile of the Eons are two other good stories in here. But my personal favorite from this collection is History Lesson, a seemingly very serious story with a last sentence that will have you howling with laughter. Typical Clarke wit. This is a nice book for the ACC fan.

This collection of 11 short stories gather Clarke's best talents in story telling and originality, accompanied by a unrivaled poetry.
Most of the stories are very character oriented (which I particularly like) while science plays a very secondary role.

They are definitely dated though and you have to keep that in mind while reading them. It's obvious that many of these stories were sparked by the dropping of the atomic bomb and its ensuing consequences. Clarke explores the problems and consequences of a discovery that could mean the end of civilization, also showing sapient life's arrogance against nature.

A very enjoyable book, which includes The Sentinel (that's the basis of 2001 Space Odyssey).

There are 11 short stories in this collection and all of them are truly exceptional but 3 really stand out. The first of course is "Sentinel" which is the basis for the movie and eventually the book, "2001" "Breaking Strain" is a great book discussing the moral implications of two men trapped alone in a space ship when it is quite obvious that if there was only one of them they could survive. With interesting commentary on how people live under pressure and what actions they take, this is an exceptional piece of work. But my favorite is probably "Second Dawn" this story discusses what happens to a group of aliens without hands but with enormous mental powers when they encounter a group of aliens with hands. The interaction of the civilizations and cultures is well described, and though I think Clarke may be taking too friendly an approach to such a meeting it would be nice if all civilizational clashes resolved this way. Overall this book shows that once again Clarke has proven himself a master of the science fiction genre. Though it should be warned that Clarke's writing style is very "hard" in other words he definitely emphasizes technological capability over character development. That being said I think this collections contains some of his best character sketches yet.

This book is just sumptous! A wonderful look into the lives of Hollywood legends via color and b&w photos. I especially like the older stars featured: Carole Lombard, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, etc. I have most of the Architectual Digest magazines featuring Hollywood stars, but this book includes additional photos for some of the stars and is presented so beautifully that even those who own the mags should get a copy. Printed on heavy glossy stock, this is an oustanding book that every Hollywood fan should have in their library!

I saw Hollywood At Home from Architectural Digest advertised one day on HGTV and I was interested in getting it. Occasionally it's fun to take a peek into a celebrities life, which is what this book is all about. There are celebrities from mostly past and some present including Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, and John Travolta. Perhaps my high hopes made it difficult for me to truly enjoy this book. I was expecting there to be more celebrity homes showcased or perhaps show more pictures of the homes of the celebrities they did spotlight. I've read Architectural Digest many times and I have been more impressed with their single issues than this book. I did enjoy seeing John Travolta's home photos and his amazing wall of aviation. Overall, the photos were decent, most of them culled from archives. If you're into some of the celebrities that are featured in this book then I highly reccommend it. If you're expecting any mind blowing architectural insight, then this is not the book for you.

The book arrived in a timely manner in good condition.
Beautiful photos and lots of inside
information about some of Hollywood's greatest.
It's a great book!

Architectural Digest has done a fantastic job in creating this book. They have taken some of their best features from their superb magazine on Hollywood's stars and their homes and compiled it into this great book. The stories feature stars from the golden age up to the present time. I highly recommend it! It also makes a great gift!

First of all let me state unequivically, I love Architectual Digest, and this book is a dream for those of us who do. The houses vary, some are opulent, some are modest, most are in between. You get a feel for the real person behind the star fascade and because Architectural Digest has been in circulation for so long, some of old guard Hollywood is on display here as well as the more current stars. It's interesting to see the juxisposition of the era's. Highly recommended to anyone with any interest in this subject.

Let us start with an oft-voiced criticism of Arthur C. Clarke's _Islands in the Sky_ (1952): It is not up to Clarke's usual standards. I am sure that a knowledgeable science fiction fan could readily rattle off half a dozen novels by Clarke that are much better pieces of writing. I won't bother to try.

But that being said, is the novel really all that bad? If we look at Isaac Asimov's Lucky Starr series (1952-58) or James Blish's _The Star Dwellers_ (1961) and _Welcome to Mars!_ (1967), we see some juvenile fiction that is fairly weak tea. It's not really _bad_, mind you. But it is just... routine. Clarke's novel is much better written, and it may be fairly counted as one of the best of the Winston line of books for young readers.

The novel invites comparison with another excellent Winston juvenile-- Jack Vance's _Vandals of the Void_ (1953). Vance's book is unabashed, colorful, melodramatic space opera. Clarke's book is the opposite-- a low-key, quiet, realistic treatment of day-to-day life on a space station. Clarke was faced with a problem in writing such a book. If you are going to be low-key and realistic, how are you going to make your story interesting to young readers? There is in fact nothing more boring than a thinly disguised science lecture.

Clarke's solution was to set up a series of events that _seem_ to be mysterious and melodramatic and then to playfully deflate them. Thus, there are moments when it seems as if you are reading about space pirates, aliens, and deadly atomic missles. But in fact, something else is going on instead. Yet the seemingly mundane explanation manages to be just as interesting as the melodramatic scenario; and step by step, it reveals a bit more about the nuts and bolts of life in a space habitat.

Clarke was faced with a problem. He worked out a solution to that problem. He wrote smart and he wrote well. Do you want to gripe because he didn't turn out a classic?

This is clearly a juvenile novel. The plot feels more like a cowboy ride than Clarke's usual serious subject matters, and the science is rather basic stuff.

The book is about a boy who wins a trip to a space station, where he is involved in some harmless mini-adventures with the other cadets there. Clocking in at 150 pages with lots of action, it doesn't have time to build much of a grand scope or some interesting characters. Of course, Clarke never developed characters beyond the strictly descriptive level, so that's not important here.

I wouldn't recommend it as a first Clarke book (Rama! Rama!), except maybe for teenage readers. A few hours fun reading with some nice "visuals" for the imagination, nothing deeper here.

I enjoyed it but I have to agree with other reviews, it is a book for children or teens.

Islands In The Sky is certainly not on par with such later Clarke masterpieces as 2001 or Rendezvous With Rama, nor is it intended to be. This very, very early Clarke novel is just about the only work in his entire canon that seems to have been written with the teen audience in mind. The protagonist is of the "coming of age" age that is commonly featured in such stories, and Clarke uses this to narrarate the story in a slightly condescending, naive tone that is appropriate for such a character. It's quite different for Clarke, who usually writes in such a philosophical, poetic style. It reminds a lot of Robert A. Heinlein's many excellent juvenile novels. As such, this book, while far from being Clarke's best work, this book serves as an excellent introduction to Arthur C. Clarke's incomparable canon, or to the wonderful world of science fiction.

Islands in the Sky (1952) is a science fiction story about the travel adventures of a teenager. Roy Malcolm is a typical boy who really wants to go into space. He becomes a contestant in a Aviation Quiz Program on television and wins first place. When asked where on earth he wants to go, Roy answers "the Inner Station". Despite quite a few objections, the sponsors finally agree to send him into space.

Roy must first pass the medical tests required of space workers. Then he rides on the Sirius into orbit. Finally the spaceship docks at the station and he is towed aboard.

After meeting Commander Doyle, Roy is introduced to the ten apprentices who are currently in training. Tim Benton, the senior apprentice, gives him a tour of the working station and a view of the Residential Station, a hotel for passengers in transit. Then Tim allows Roy to accompany him outside.

Wearing a spacesuit for the first time, Roy is initially terrified by the great fall beneath him. Then he is fascinated by Earth in the sunlight. Then he is overcome by the splendor of space as darkness momentarily surrounds him. He realizes that these few experiences have profoundly changed his life.

Roy spends much of his time with the apprentices, both during their training and in their free periods. He is the butt of Norman Powell's practical jokes, the wrestling partner of Ronnie Jordan, and a witness to the "space pirates" encounter by Peter von Holberg and Karl Hasse. The latter adventure turned out to be the beginning of a space movie.

Roy went on to even more adventures. He helps medevac a sick man to the Space Hospital, meets an "alien monster", and passes out from oxygen deprivation. He also gets to travel in a runaway rocket past the Moon.

This novel is a good example of a space adventure juvenile from the fifties. Unlike the space opera of that era, it is hard SF based on the science and technology of the time. While it is out of date in several respects, it still depicts an advanced milieu very much beyond our present achievements.

Highly recommended to Clarke fans and to anyone else who enjoys classic hard science fiction adventures.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Laszo's new book rather disappointed me. Nothing new. All he writes had nothing to do with The Field, or the inner movements of human beings. Rhe things he write down in 'Marcroshift' are better said by others before him. Much ado about nothing, that's my review.

This is an excellent book. It embodies what I pretty much believe but in such an eloquent and thoughtful way. I highly recommed it to anyone who is searching for a hopeful perspective regarding the future of our world.

Tom

Ervin Laszlo has a formidable international reputation as a systems philosopher and the founder of general evolution theory. He has written around 70 books covering a wide variety of fields. His style is lucid, direct and very readable. This book is a brilliant addition to dialogue on an issue that desperately needs clear thinking and the ability to challenge ossified mindsets in a way that is constructive rather than merely strident. It is thoughtful, sober and constructive, in contrast to so many books in this genre that are slick and sensationalist.

Laszlo makes a carefully argued case that the world is in a rapid and fundamental transition, which will become critical during the years 2001 to 2010. Whether the outcome is 'breakthrough' or 'breakdown' depends primarily on building a 'fundamental revolution of consciousness' among a critical mass of people. The three parts of the book describe

the concept of a 'macroshift', historical examples of previous macroshifts and the choices before us
the 'new imperatives' and the logic underlying them; and
the way ahead.

As much as it is possible for a single book to give its reader a comprehensive and profound understanding of the impending global social, economic, and ecological crisis, this is that book.

According to Dr. Laszlo, human society has passed through three major stages --Mythos, Theos, and Logos--and is on the verge of its next, and perhaps final stage, Holos. But the transition from our Logos civilization to Holos, like those before it, is not quite as automatic as someone simply climbing the rungs of a ladder. According to _Macroshift, there is some real possibility that our civilization may fail to make the leap, in which case it will almost certainly 'break down' into global anarchy--we may have had a terrible foretaste of this in the September 11 attacks. (For a chilling picture of this kind of world, see the classic sci-fi film _The Road Warrior_). But, should it succeed, humanity will be privileged to witness the birth of the first truly global civilization--and a world whose possibilities surpass our dreams.

Overall, I think the book carries great meaning and great lessons. We need to have a new mindset - "macroshift", in order to save the planet. I totally agree.

Then why do I only give 3 stars? Because I still didn't see anything new. It is similar to other books, like "Limits to Growth" by Donella Meadows (Club of Rome). The author provides all different kinds of warning signs to ask people "Live simple. Love our Earth and other species". I know it's difficult to have a new pitch to ask people stop wasting or stop smoking, etc. However, we do need a more insightful/creative perspective to really change people.

Overall, I only recommend this book to people who are already buy-in "save the planet" concept.