McDonald's Books

I appreciate the book and it helps to understand how to create nice animations by using maths.
I think it needs more Classes writing and not only timeline.

Though it's in ActionScript 2.0, this book is very good if you're into creating visualizations via programming (not only ActionScript). It shows the creative and logical process behind the code (I think that's much more important that the code itself). And it's also a beautiful book to add to your collection :-)

And you can also download all the .fla used in the examples.

This book is stunning visually and is just overflowing with inspiration. This is a book intended to show us what the Flash community has been able to come up in terms of creation and allows us to tinker around with the code. If you like to take a basic principle and see it evolve given enough time and interest, then this is the book for you. If you enjoy seeing "how" things function rather than "why" they work, you have the opportunity to tinker and toy with the variables to see exactly "how" it changes the overall look of the final piece. To get the most from this book the reader is expected to understand the basics of ActionScript as well as the techniques common in most projects. This is not intended to deter the beginner, as you will surely learn much.

The book is laid out pretty straightforward. There are 15 chapters with each one dedicated to a certain individual who goes through each of his creations and iterations.Suggested reading by the people at "Friends of Ed" is to grab the source files, run them, and then read the chapters. Some of the source files are adequately commented so in some, the book isn't even needed. That is not to say, however, that this book is not necessary to understand what's going on. The book gives you quick insight to the authors' mindset and thinking, and each chapter begins with an overview of where they are from, what they do, how they have come to do this, and interests.

There are actually two parts to the book. The second part consists of the last three chapters and has what you'd consider an "application" or an "engine" for viewing the creations and being able to manipulate them directly. The first part of the book is dedicated to finding a variable, which for the most part is explained in the book, changing it to your liking, viewing the results, and reviewing the code. At the end of the book there is a Tangents page which provides 54 links to explore.

In case you are wondering where the math fits in, it's scattered throughout the book. However, sometimes, we are not presented with the reasons for using "128" for variable "p" to multiply by var "b" which has the value of "14". You may often be left scratching your head and asking why, but that isn't the point. Sine and Cosine are presented quite clearly in the first chapter and there is a terrific example from Gabriel Mulzer, but if you are looking to the find the mysteries behind using atan2 to get an angle, then this book will not answer that question. It is up to you to play the part of explorer to find those answers. You are presented with a wealth of methods that people use, inspiration for them, and experiments that the reader is encouraged to break. You are given a chance to use these methods to have fun and use them as springboards to access that creativity that lurks in each and every one of us.

In conclusion, if you enjoy going through code with a fine toothed comb and if you want to pick up valuable techniques for doing certain things with Flash, as well as be dazzled by some of the innovators of our time, get the book. It is the perfect culmination of what Flash ActionScripting can do. I would show the table of contents at this point, but all of the chapters are named after the innovators themselves, and would provide little insight to the contents.

The Flash Math books are great. But not if you want an O'Reilly cookbook of answers to your design problems. It's all about inspiration. Being able to look at something and say "wow, that's so beautiful" and either need to make it yourself just on principal, or see that maybe one day you can use the idea yourself on all those practical things you're so worried about. If you get all juiced up creatively from the things you see around you, this is a perfect book. It's 4 instead of 5 because it doesn't come with a CD. But you can go to the website for the book and see things in action.

That probably appealed to the left brain folks.

For the right brain ones among you. No, this will not teach math. No it won't explain much in the math department at all. It does give the code, it allows you to experiment with what Flash will do, it might renew your interest in Flash. Kind of like watching one of the a-lister Flash kids talk at a Flash Forward conference, it might do that more than looking at a Hockney photo collage (both work for me). If you don't work that way, buy it and give it to one of your left brain Flash friends.

It will be great fun for them, they will get to feel like they remember their math and are much better at it now. And it will make pretty things.

The book is great. I find the negative reviews puzzling because this book is like a $30 kit for a working spaceship, but you have to weld the wings on yourself. Big deal. What's wanting in so many Flash books are examples of the astonishing things you can do with Flash. This book shows what can be done, then hands you the code on a platter. I guess if you're more the designer type and you want to do great stuff using the math functions in Flash, you, um, er -- need to learn some math. But don't complain that every author hasn't lined up to correct your particular brand of ignorance. Read a book.

very simply, I enjoyed this book tremendously.

I enjoyed this book very much. I really had no idea what it was about before I picked it up, but was pleasantly surprised to find that it really hooked me, as far as the story goes. Like many others have mentioned, the language really is from another time, and I'm sure I missed out on a lot of meaning that the book contained, as far as the dialogue goes, but overall the story was pretty easy to follow. The author has done some pretty intensive research and I had to remind myself every so often that the story is based on true event and that these were real people.

I did like the conflict between religion and science that Darwin took on. I think his understanding of faith was very comparable to what someone in his position would be thinking and, even though subtle, was a major theme of the book. I would say give it a read, however, I would not read again.

I almost didn't finish this book because of the difficult sentence structure and just plain hard to understand writing at times. Now that I have read some of the other reviews, I have a better understanding of what the author was attempting to accomplish; however, for me the book would have had an even greater impact if I didn't have to "work so hard" to understand the language.

However, in spite of that, this is a wonderful book and certainly it is an enormous undertaking to try to show the struggle between science and faith in such an interesting way. This struggle is brought to life not in a huge clash of differences, but rather through the small, subtle events and actions over a life time. When Covington began his work for Darwin, he had no idea of what he was doing and where it would take him. His struggle of faith evolves in a complexities of his own life -- his relationship with the other seamen, his family, his work, his deafness, and his sense of pride and hurt ego at not being fully acknowledged for his contributions.

This book was hard to read, but when I was finished, I found myself going back and rereading sections that made much more sense the second time through. This is an interesting book, but one that would have had an even greater impact on me if the language would have been simplier. Sometimes the words just got in the way.

Mr Darwin's Shooter, Roger McDonald's sixth book, and the winner of a number of Australian literary awards, including the National Fiction Award for 2000, is a mixed bag of wondrous, layered writing encased within a dull plot that is unsure where it wishes to go.

Syms Covington was Charles Darwin's 'shooter', during his second voyage on the Beagle. This title has a double meaning, in that Covington literally shot at and collected the vast specimen of bird and animal, insect and fish, from which Darwin drew upon when composing his scientific treatise, The Origin of the Species. Further to that, Covington acted as a manservant, a catch-all, a 'men's wife', an obedient dog. But never, ever a friend.

The novel is split into two distinct time periods, the first of which travels at a much faster pace, to link with the second by the book's end. We are shown the young man's life as a ship's boy, sweeping the decks and praying for his soul alongside John Phipps, a brooding, angry man who wanders the lands, scouring the poor towns and villages of England for young boys willing to leave their homes for a life on the sea and a soul with God. During this time, we are exposed to some of the more exotic locations throughout the world - or exotic to an Englishman, at any rate - and we are introduced to the man who would play such a large part in the life of Covington, and the mind of the 19th century - Charles Darwin.

The second timeline is set after the voyages, when The Origin of Species has been published and is already creating a stir. Covington lives in Australia, and is a rich, cantankerous middle-aged man. He befriends a young doctor, MacCracken, who attempts to discover the mystery behind the man.

Throughout the novel, there is a sense of religion fighting science. The narrator directly comments upon this at times, using it as a metaphorical device to explain the problems within Covington's soul. On a basic level, this metaphor works. We are able to understand the dichotomy of religion and science, because we are aware that, when it comes to natural selection and genetic heritage, Darwin has 'defeated' God. But on a deeper level - on the level that the novel sets itself, with all its grandiose posturing of man coming to terms with forces that threaten to undermine the foundation of 19th century belief - it fails. Covington is not a sufficiently 'three dimensional' character to show off the difficulties of such turbulent times, and it almost seems as though McDonald is aware of this. We read more pretty phrasings of bird plumage and cloud-assailed skies, and not enough about a man who is being internally ripped apart.

As is so often the case with novels that have themes too powerful for the author to handle, we are told, not shown, what is happening. We are told that Covington and Darwin are inextricably linked to one another through ties greater than science and religion combined, but what we are shown does not reveal this. Rather, we see a young Covington enamoured of this grand gent, we see an old Covington, bitter and angry. We see the small, petty details, and the grand sweepings of a time that is so inherently interesting - a time when religion was attacked, again, by the cold harsh reality of science - is relegated to the sidelines.

The concept itself is extremely interesting. There are shadows of a much greater novel on every page. McDonald is capable of astonishing visual imagery - he is a man with a clear love of nature and the beauty it is so capable of displaying. As a wordsmith, there is a great deal of confidence, with complex sentences, subtle and obtuse metaphors, and vast, grand passages of sustained verbal beauty. McDonald is clearly at home with a pen, but this redounds to his detriment, as the pretty words and stylish phrasings seem as so much make-up on an ugly child.



For it's flaws, the novel is worth reading. Perhaps the story of Darwin's voyage is waiting for a greater novelist - or perhaps simply a greater novel - to properly reveal its potential. Perhaps not. Whatever the case, Roger McDonald is an accomplished author, though perhaps one who should restrict his ambition to a theme and concept which his narrative skills can do justice.

Mr. Darwin's Shooter recreates the 19th-century world in language that is baroque, evocative, and almost poetic. The book is filled with impressive learning on almost everything -- from life on sailing ships, to the genocide of Argentina's Indian population, to the nitty-gritty of slaughtering and skinning animals. Unfortunately, information and language don't necessarily make for a great novel. In the case of Mr. Darwin's Shooter, the narrative is glacial, Charles Darwin has only a secondary role, and, contrary to many of the reviews below, the book never grapples with the "Big Idea" of Faith vs. Science except in an incidental, indirect way. I liked the book, because I like pretty writing and I'm interested in the 19th century -- but there's no way that I would read it a second time.

If the title alone turned you off in any way, this book isn't for you, not solely because the sort of rosy Victorian language in the title is sprinkled throughout the book. The Bible tells us not to be caught up in the world; Mcdonald tries to tell us the same thing. The only difference is, I think Mcdonald does live in the world, just not the right time period.

I've come across books with very old-fashioned views before, but none have ever had old-fashioned language to go with it. Young women are referred to as maidens and men are often referred to as knights. It would have been one thing if she were calling men knights on the subject of romance, but the term "knight" is used any time Mcdonald feels the need to mention how men should protect fragile ladies; which, it turns out, is quite often.

It shouldn't surprise you that Mrs. Mcdonald is against women fighting in wars. What alarmed me, though, were her rose-tinted labels of women soldiers. Two offensive statements in this section stood out for me: "Women are now being encouraged to be fierce, roaring leaders (and this is a problem? Why should men be fierce leaders and not women?) Some maidens are even given the "right" to fight in wars and defend full-grown men who refuse to serve their country." Wow, two insults in one: not only must women refrain from fighting for their country, but men who don't are refusing to serve it! Serving a country by fighting is not reserved for men alone, nor is it Christian to indicate that men who don't fight are cowards. All men and women are called to be soldiers in Christ, but not all males are called to be in the army and not all women are called to refrain from it! The second statement in this section which exasperated me was Mcdonald's question, "Why are little girls allowed to fight while full grown men watch them on television?" Little girls? Mcdonald has clearly never seen a female soldier, nor do I think she knows much about women in the army. These are not "little girls" in pink smocks, but full grown hardened and trained women. Until you learn something about this matter as well as the adult women involved in it, you really have no place commenting, much less judging.

Just as Mcdonald doesn't seem to grasp the strong spirits of women, she also seems to have a hard time understanding the character of the "knights" she's so fond of. She claims that young Godly men earnestly seek women with "meek and quiet spirits". If they're Puritan men, perhaps, but most modern men and every Godly man I know appreciates the fighting and independent spirit of a Christian woman who is meek and quiet only to God. Perhaps God is who Mcdonald meant women should have a meek spirit to, but she didn't specify this and I wish she had.

The book does have some good points, giving particularly good advice to girls in how to dress. Mcdonald explains that while it's up to a young man to guard his own eyes, a Godly girl will not make it hard for him and if she does, she could be compromising both her and his purity. One of Mcdonald's most admirable points is that, while she does hold women in a very old-fashioned light, she also holds men equally accountable for sexual purity. She makes it quite plain that the groom as well as the bride should be pure on his wedding day (bravo, Miss Stacy!) Indeed, one of the true ironies in our culture today is that, while it claims gender equality, women are still ostracized if they are sexually explicit, whereas men are encouraged to sleep around! Mcdonald, however, as any sensible Christian, holds the two genders equally accountable and kudos to her for that.

Even if you don't have particularly modern views, this book could throw you for a loop. The old-fashioned views and phrasing could easily grate on the nerves as well as this author's limited views of womanhood. However, there are some good lessons to take to heart if you have the patience to find them. Whether it's worth the time is up to you.

This book was a frustration to me. It was recommended by friends and so I purchased it. I read through it once a couple years ago then picked it up this year.
I agree with the part about keeping your heart and mind pure, I don't read romantic novels, etc. I didn't get that from this book it was a conviction of mine before.
However, the author has a very different view on modesty. yes, I believe in dressing modestly and I dress in a way that honors my parents. I try not to judge others that dress differently than me and I associate myself with them instead of casting my eyes down. Whatever. Ok, if someone is dressed very immodestly I can see a guy needing to, but the way the author put it, it sounds life we should shun them. I do not agree. We are to show love and hold up our standard without judging and condemning the person by words and actions.
Dress is a matter of personal conviction. Period.
Over all, the author has a condemning attitude to all those who do not wear frilly, feminine dresses all the time, which is not necessary.
If I could take this attitude out of the book I could recommend it better. There are some better book on this subject out there.

The story in the first chapter sets the tone for the book. It's about how some beautiful flowers who don't follow the gardener's plan for their lives shrivel up and die because they want to be like stones; whereas those who turn toward the sun & accept the water (& don't buy into the deceptive stories of the other flowers who tried to be like stones) flourish.

The book is a study of how to become a virtuous Christian woman in a world that's hostile to our "master gardener", God - how to overcome vice, to seek and obey God's will for your life. It's about helping your daughter to accept HER vocation in life, which as the author mentions, for MOST Christian girls will involve being a sister and/or daughter, and later being married.

I noticed that one reviewer was concerned that the author discourages young women from seeking a college degree. I believe this concern is unfounded. I have an MS, taught at the university level for several years, and strongly believe in the importance of a college education. However I think it's more important to seek and do God's will - and for some people this may not mean college, and these people are not made to feel insignificant by the author. Here is a quote from page 55: "Although a college degree may be a fine personal goal, our intellect and education should be used for God's glory, not our own". Another quote from page 55: "A young maiden should be well-trained, well-spoken, well-educated, and thoroughly prepared for her future life as a Christian woman who is ready, willing and able to make an impact on a humanistic culture at war with God".

Now that I'm a wife & mother of five, I understand the tremendous value of studying the virtually lost art of homemaking, especially if one feels called to be married. It's great that the book emphasizes the value of learning this art, and the value of nurturing loving relationships with family members. Unfortunately our culture places little value on this outlook. So, what are young ladies to do? The book gives some examples and encourages discussion regarding how to deal with our culture in a Christ-like manner and how to avoid sinful temptations in thought and deed, whether it be giving in to the vanity, pride (even pride for resisting sin), or the flesh.

Another concern among reviewers was that the language of the book was too flowery and outdated for most teenage girls. For one thing, the language didn't seem flowery to me (even the liberal use of the word "maiden" - because the reasons for its use were clearly explained by the author), and for another, it's unfortunate that some women cannot influence their daughters, by their own example, to be mature enough to see past any annoying "floweriness" just as we're all accustomed to seeing beyond the vulgar.

I should mention that I'm Catholic and haven't used the book with my daughters yet (I just purchased it last week on the recommendation of a mature and delightful 14 year old girl, and I've read about half of it). I DO plan to supplement with stories of Saints and substitute Catholic teachings on marriage/family/vocation in some places.

This is my first review and I hoped it helped people. I thought this book deserved to have another review added to its list by a woman who cherishes her vocation as wife and mother. Now, back to the fam....

Enjoy!!

Among the outlandish ideas promulgated by one Stacy McDonald in this book:

- God gives women talents so that they may serve their husbands and it is inappropriate for girls to attend college, regardless of their skills or unique gifts. The impression one receives from the context of the chapter is that women are only given gifts in order to serve their husbands or fathers! Essentially, the entire book argues that a young woman should only be educated or trained in manner that prepares them to submit to male authority and keep house.

- Girls should give their hearts to their fathers. McDonald encourages girls to give their father a token of their heart to keep, such as a locket. Personally, I find that concept creepy. What happened to giving your heart to Jesus? No father should be made into an idol.

- Christian mothers should teach their daughters to judge others by the way they dress. McDonald encourages women to take their daughters on people-watching field trips for the sole purpose of judging their attire to see if each person's dress adequately reflects McDonald's view of virtue. For example, women are to be judged if they wear pants, or even long skirts that are "tight." I don't have the book in front of me, but I think McDonald also encourages you to point out to your daughter how much happier and Godlier people appear to be when wearing the circa 1900 attire McDonald espouses. This seems to me quite contrary to the teachings of Christ, which encourage us to love and accept people regardless of their appearance, class, or perceived sin.

If you hope for your daughter to feel inadequate and hopeless because she cannot fit into McDonald's narrow definition of "Godliness", to become judgmental and sanctimonious, and to believe that she is inferior to males (a natural extension of McDonald's continual assertion that a woman's role is to serve men), then give this book to her.

If you have different aspirations for your daughter, I suggest that you provide her with widely available intelligent biographies of accomplished Christian women such as Amy Carmichael, Mother Theresa, and Elisabeth Elliot. I would also encourage you to provide your daughter with tools that allow her to separate responsible Biblical exegesis and hermeneutics from garbage like this. There are many fine texts available that teach basic scriptural interpretation for lay people, and if your daughter is a Christian, I am sure she will enjoy reading one or two of them.

I came to find this through a friend's recommendation and we did this with our daughters (11 and 12), then met one a week to discuss the study. It is full of truth and full of God's word. I would suggest using this at the younger ages of 11 and 12, depending on maturity and worldly influence in your girl's lives. Has anyone noticed the clothing lines for infants lately? The world is not waiting to influence our girls to it's standards; we shouldn't wait to give them God's influence. This book is beautiful!

I tried to get into this book and the life of this beautiful woman but every step of the way I felt I was being fed pablum from a writer who did not dare to truly enter the fray of murder and killing and the real reasons/motives why someone drives or is driven to this kind of sublime madness -- To me I could have read a timeline of the murder and gleaned more than what this writer gave me -- He should quit writing and go back to being a psychologist or whatever he did before -- It was a total misrepresentation of the PASSIONS involved in a life out of control and -- to this day -- the way he portrayed "Beth" -- trying to show how nice and lace and flowers and sweetness her life exemplified FAILED as miserably as I try to state it. It just plain BORED me. How could someone's life, like Beth's, take on such tedious, boring presentation as this writer put forth -- Go get a DAY JOB and stop the nonsense of trying to portray the human heart -- both killers and victims -- with no INSIGHT or UNDERSTANDING of what makes a human being tick -- You, sir, have no insight into writing OR, for that matter, probably psychology. You remind me of someone who thinks GREAT ART is discovering a way to paint "by numbers -- the way retirees of olden days thought they were creating "art." Your agent should fire you.

This book was wonderful in outlining Beth's life; however it was extremely lacking details about the "psycho" relationship between Beth and Toolan. Not enough details or pictures. The book describes many important pictures of Beth's accomplishments--but no photo is presented in the book. Thought it was written prematurely too.

The life story of Beth Lochtenfield (I know that I misspelled) was just about ideal and even perfect except she wanted to settle down, marry and have children like her siblings. Sadly, it never happened. The man in her life, Toolan, killed her brutally in lovely Nantucket, Massachusetts which she considered to be her sanctuary from the cruel world of men. I can relate to her desperation and the mistakes and signs that she missed along the way about Toolan. Beth was smart about a lot of things but not about men. When she realized it was too late, it was too late for her life. Beth's short life was filled with lots of things but the right man and Toolan was deeply troubled from the moment he met her only she was equally desperate to settle down and marry. Sadly, she could not have picked a worst choice than Toolan. This book could be useful to a lot of women out there including myself that finding the right man is not always the end all and be all of life. Beth's tragic and senseless murder was just that a tragedy. She was successful in business, with a loving family of siblings, nieces, and nephews, and parents, and she had lots of friends. My favorite photo in the book is one with her at a friend's wedding. I thought that it could have been her wedding. Beth's life was ideal but incomplete without that special someone to share it with her. Maybe he was really just around the corner or not there at all, somebody once said that you have to be complete first before finding a mate. This book sends the message that finding a mate may end in tragedy after all. The pressure for single women like myself and my sister and others to find a husband is almost painful to explain anymore to anybody else. Beth was one of those people who just wanted that right man and it's a myth because happiness and true love is almost impossible to find in our world and even in Beth's world where status, money, wealth, and prominence in society mattered so much more to Toolan. The book came out too soon in my opinion because the trial or the sentence hasn't begun.

Brian McDonald, in his true crime book SAFE HARBOR, writes about the murder of Beth Lochtefeld by her recent boyfriend, Thomas Toolan. The beginning chapters, in which McDonald describes the events leading up to the crime are fast paced and well done, but the book declines rapidly thereafter.

Toolan, self-aggrandizing, narcissistic, a liar, and a raging alcoholic, has the potential to be an interesting study. But there is really very little information provided about him. There are a few sections, probably less than a quarter of the book, in which his behavior is presented anecdotally and which serve to show that he was a dangerously out of control guy. But there is no in-depth analysis or research to show why and how he became what he became.

Similarly with Beth, while her life is dealt with extensively, the narrative is almost totally anecdotal. We learn a lot about what she was like, but nothing about why or how her personality developed. As reported in SAFE HARBOR, Beth was a highly intelligent, courageously adventurous, and driven person who had made a lot of money by her 40s. She is also presented as a kind, considerate, caring and beautiful (although in my opinion, based on the numerous pictures of Beth, she is average looking at best) woman. There is no depth to McDonald's writing about Beth so that what the reader is left with, as with Toolan, is superficial.
There is no end to the lionization of Beth in this book, and easily three quarters of the book is devoted to stories provided by her friends -particularly anecdotes taken from a website devoted to her after her death - a technique which by dint of it's endlessness becomes tedious, increasingly meaningless, and ultimately cliched.
For example, we learn that "Beth's apple pies and artichoke Parmesan dip 'could cure all the woes in the world'. Beth always remembered her employees' birthdays, and would bring a homemade pie or dessert for the celebrant. Each employee's anniversary at the firm was celebrated by a lunch at the restaurant of their choice. Beth took time to give one employee, Yee Yip, driving lessons for an upcoming driver's test. Every Christmas Beth took the whole staff out for lunch at a German restaurant called Rolf's. Beth thought eating under the decorations in the restaurant was like 'sitting in a Christmas tree'. On each employee's plate Beth placed a present and an envelope with a bonus. The meal was sumptuous: veal, potato pancakes, schnitzel and apple sauce." Well, my God. Is that all?
I have no reason to doubt Beth's fine qualities, but try reading this kind of thing over and over and over for hundreds of pages. It becomes hyperbolic filler and more than a little annoying, and after a while I began to wonder, given the apparently unending rounds of drinking, eating, and convivial good fellowship at Beth's company, how any actual work got done.

But though McDonald would never say so, based on his narrative Beth seems to have had some less than desirable traits as well. She may or may not have been an alcoholic, but throughout the book she is continually presented as drinking. She also appears to have been neurotically unable to just relax and enjoy her good, and hard earned, fortune. And she seems to have been in some ways annoyingly self-absorbed. For example, when she finally sold her company and had decided to move from Manhattan to her beloved Nantucket Island - with which she was intimately familiar having begun going there as a child - she first traveled to Guam as, in her words, "Five weeks in Guam was to be a physical and spiritual retreat in preparation for breaking my bonds with Manhattan." Guam! I am surprised, as sensitive and fragile as this statement shows her to have been, that she didn't feel the need to ramp up for Guam by spending, say, three weeks in Portugal.

And, as a final failure of this book, it was written before Tom Toolan went on trial. Not only does this lend an incompleteness to any true crime book, but it is clearly indicative of the fact that Toolan, the killer, is not really that important to the book, his role being little more than a vehicle to provide a platform on which to shower Beth with accolades.

McDonald's writing, as distinct from what he has written, is good. He is clearly a professional who knows his craft. But what he has written here is, rather than an in depth look at the players in what could have been a fascinating book, little more than a literary shrine to Beth Lochtefeld. Based on the other reviews of this book, my opinion is clearly in the minority, but I wouldn't recommend SAFE HARBOR to anyone.

As a history teacher and lover of true crime novels, I found Safe Harbor to be a difficult and frustrating book to read. While the facts of the story were quite interesting, I had trouble following the author's chronology and felt that there was way too much extraneous information.
I found myself reading only the topic sentences in much of the book in order to get to details of the story.
In addition, with twenty-five years in education, I found too many grammatical errors and incoherent sentences for such a popular novel.

Hobbs made me realize why I saw so many gardens that I didn't appreciate, be they well tended, stocked with plants, and groomed to perfection. Such gardens were bursting with blooms or stuffed with woody or bushy growth but again and again I left them thinking they were all the same and the unsatisfied feeling they gave left me empty and wanting something different that I couldn't explain. I was unable to put into words why I felt that way. Suddenly, the answer came in Hobbs books. His exquisitely photographed book clarified what I'd been feeling about the sameness and lack of imagination in these gardens. I had an revelation about gardening after reading Shocking Beauty and immediately bought Jewel Box Garden. I couldn't believe he could write another book that was as good as his first but he did. In fact, it will take your breath away. I've read both books until they are dog eared, given several copies as gifts, and am completely tearing apart and redoing my garden because of them.

The Jewel Box Garden is a great book full of beauty and inspiration. I was looking for ideas to incorporate my talent for sculpting and the need to do something with my yard.
I also bought Shocking Beauty, it too is a wonderful book. Both are absolute keepers!

I love it just for the photos alone! I just keep opening it again and again. I particularly love the section on succulents in planters.

Just before purchasing "The Jewel Box Garden", I bought another book by Hobbs entitled "Shocking Beauty" in which a single sentence has provided me with a new perspective on gardening... "Envision pots as jewelly used to decorate and enhance your garden". My gardening to date, in the Rocky Mountains, has been hardy perenials in the natural soil (think of the beginnings of the gardens in "Undaunted Garden")augmented by raised gardens for more my traditional non-xeric plants Given the new perspective gained in Hobbs books (supplemented with a few other authors contributions such as the magazine "Garden Design"), I am creating a very different garden in my open air atrium including statuary for a fountain and a number of gorgeous pots picked up for very reasonable prices at Tuesday Morning who sells overstock at greatly reduced prices. I've added coral and shells to my succulent planters. And have begun adding gorgeous special rocks from our local rock hound shop. I cant wait to see its completion, especially whites and yellows on full moonlit nights when the atrium is alive with moonlight.

Both books are excellent. If I had to choose one, it would probably be the Jewel Box. However that is probably more a personal taste judgement than anything, given I love succulents. The photography in both is very good. And, yes, Hobbs possesses a strongly opinionated personality, however that is very easily overlooked in return for the design knowledge that he is able to impart to the reader. If you resonate with his style of gardening, this is a wonderful read and one of my newest favorites in my vast gardening library.

Amazon has been nagging me to write a review...HERE goes

THIS book is NOT AVAILABLE. (Or wasn't when I ordered it)
People - Please check your records as to whether the customers actually RECIEVED the items - before you repeatedly email these review requests!!!!!!!!

I love this book so much that I bought several copies and gave them as gifts to gardener friends and relatives. The photos are stunning and the author is opinionated, but I enjoy that. Highly recommended.

For anyone about to dip a cautious toe into the ocean known as SAP BW for the first time, this book is an extremely handy guide. It is very difficult to extract a meaningful overview of BW from the SAP documentation, which is oriented to very specific tasks, and which discusses everything in language that manages to be abstract and jargon-filled at the same time. An immediately useful aspect of the book is an appendix that provides a guide to the many SAP acronyms. Terminology unique to SAP BW is extensive and often bewildering to the newcomer, especially since there is a tendency for SAP to apply terms to specific concepts in a very idiosyncratic way. This book is very helpful to the reader already familiar with DW/BI concepts who is trying to comprehend the SAP way of doing things. The architectural overview is also excellent, especially since it provides insights into which components are required and which are optional, often in the context of the historical evolution of the SAP BW product family. I am very glad to have found this book, which has considerably clarified my understanding of this technology.

This book is a gem - an asset to professionals or starters in SAP BW. Not surprising given the credentials of the authors. But there are many very very serious typo errors. Obviously there was little or no proof reading done. Its a shame on Wiley publications !

This book does an excellent job of decoding the architecture of SAP BW/NetWeaver BI. I use the term "decoding" because SAP naming conventions are arcane to say the least. After reading this book you will have a much better understanding of how all SAP's data warehouse components work together, as well as to be able map SAP terms to industry standard terms. I found Chapter 7, "Data Access, Analysis and Information Distribution," to be particularly helpful in learning how third-party BI tools connect to SAP BW. The authors demonstrate a high degree of technical expertise, along with a very clear and succinct writing style. This is the best book I've read about SAP BW/NetWeaver.

This book does a good job of explaining BW concepts and theory. But there is no hands on guidance or step by step walkthroughs. After I understand the general workflow and overview of what is supposed to happen, I needed other books and guidance to figure out the specifics of what needs to get done.

For an SAP expert new to cubes and associated concepts, this would probably be very helpful. For someone like myself, who has used a few other BI/cube products, but is new to SAP, this book is a poor choice.

This gives you good functional overview but not details for developers.

I'll admit that it took me a while to get into this book, in part because I'd read and loved some of the author's previous work and therefore had very high expectations going in. But somewhere along the line I got sucked in, and now I not only need to read the sequel, I also need to hunt up a good book or two on Australian mythology.

Given my tastes, it was no surprise that my favorite element of this book was the mythology, and I wish there had been more of it. (It apparently does play a larger role in the sequel.) However, the other plot was also absorbing. The details of office politics, inventory paperwork, and awkward committee meetings created a realistic day-in-the-life portrait of the characters' work which I enjoyed very much. I found myself rooting for Jodenny as she attempted to clean up the mess of her severely dysfunctional department.

Unfortunately, I was left feeling that I didn't really know much about Jodenny besides her dedication to her work (although maybe that was the point). They were both likable, but Myell, with his troubled childhood, mysterious dreams, and a picturesque family to visit, was easier to understand and relate to. Their romance was the least satisfying part of the book for me because I didn't feel that I knew them well enough to understand why they were falling in love.

The mystery aspects of the plot were very compelling. Even though I wasn't as deeply invested in the characters as I would have liked, I got absorbed in the story and I really want to know what happens next.

In short, I was expecting/hoping (perhaps unfairly) to be blown away by this book, and I wasn't. But I am sufficiently intrigued to keep reading.

Part military SF, part space opera, and part science fiction romance, it's a very enjoyable read, with a plot that I thought would be simple but became rather complex. The writing is very smooth, very strong, and the characters are believable, especially in their faults. Reading this made me excited to read the next book in the series, and that's always a plus.

The Outback Stars by Sandra McDonald
The Outback Stars is a keeper - a book that will stay on my library shelves because it is original and enjoyable. McDonald creates a unique and believable premise - that an Australian astronaut discovers an alien method of star travel connected to aboriginal artifacts - which she skillfully weaves throughout her plot.

Hundreds of years after the discovery, the protagonist and other characters are from planets the Aussie discovered, around a chain of stars which the rest of civilization refers to as the Outback. I was fascinated by the setting, an enormous military ship bringing settlers and supplies and keeping peace among far-flung planets.

The Outback Stars is McDonald's debut novel. With that as her opening standard, I've pre-ordered her next work, The Stars Down Under.

I think this book would predominantly be appreciated by women Sci-Fi/Fantasy fans, because of the romance angle. The heroine was believable, and I enjoyed the twist of having her be in charge and the "hero" be in a subordinate position to her. The Australian/aboriginal folklore was interesting but a little confusing to me as an American reader. The mystery was played out well but a tad bit predictable. OveralI enjoyed it for the romance and the world building.

I'll be honest. I've pretty much given up on science fiction over the last decade; so much seems to be derived from either Star Trek or Star Wars, or truly awful excursions, that I simply stopped reading it. Oh, there would be bright moments when Lois McMaster Bujold or Julian May would come out with something, but most of the time -- zilch. Nada. Not going there.

But every now and then, something will catch my eye. That what was literally happening with Sandra McDonald's book, The Outback Stars. The cover art, I found, was pretty good, and I got taken in. And the premise looked interesting enough, looking to draw on Australia and the South Pacific for inspiration, rather than the usual American/Russian/European culture that seems to be the norm for most space opera.

Lieutenant Jodenny Scott is dying of boredom on the planet of Kookaburra, waiting for a new assignment on another starship traveling the Alcheringa. She's survived a terrorist attack on her previous ship, and it turned her into a genuine hero. It's not something she's too happy about, she'd rather be working, and when the opportunity arises to leave the planet on the Aral Sea, she leaps at it.

But her new assignment is anything but peachy. Underway Stores -- think quartermasters -- supplies everything from uniforms to supplies and maintaining the DNGO's that do the fetch-and-carry chores. And it's a department full of misfits, from a habitually sick crewman, attitude problems, slackers, and a gang of pilferers that use violence to back up their claims. It's not exactly what she was looking for. But Lt. Scott sets to with a will, and struggles not just to enforce her will on some very reluctant crewmen, but also to make her own life bearable.

One of the unlucky crewmen that she's saddled with is Terry Myell, a sargeant that is good with repairing the dingos, but has a perpetual black cloud looming over him. A fellow crewmate has brought a charge against him, one that could get him booted out of Team Space. And that's something that Myell doesn't want.

For both of these characters, they've got quite a few personal issues to work out. Both have nightmares, and for good reason, and the reader knows that at some point in the story, not only are they going to be confronted with those problems, but also with each other. Especially when they start to find out the real reason for what happened on the Yangtze...

There's some problems with this story, an interesting blend of space opera and military thriller. While I certainly applaud the author's worldbuilding in creating the W and A, and especially the Spheres. Both of the main characters are complex, which is good, but they seem to be constantly falling into manure heaps and coming up smelling like roses. It's just a whiff of the 'Mary Sue,' and while I can usually forgive it in an author's first novel, it gets tiresome very quickly. I hope that this trend will stop with this novel.

Another difficulty is with the slang, espcially with such terms as 'gib,' 'dingo,' and the like. It took me forever to catch onto what exactly they were, and every time the author tossed them into the narrative, it was as though I was hitting a speed-bump. Something to set it all into context would have been nice.

The biggest problem was with the fraternization, especially across the commissioned and noncommissioned line. As someone who grew up in the military, and was married into it, there is an ancient rule, never to be broken -- Rank Hath Its Privileges, and that really meant, no socializing and especially no sex across ranks and in the same department. Nothing will bust your fanny faster than getting caught in that one, and it's usually with a dishonourable attached to it to boot. It felt very strange to be reading about it in the book, and while the author got most of what she was writing about right, and it felt right, this certainly didn't.

Still even with the problems, it's still a bearable read. While I will be certainly looking out for her next book in the series, The Stars Down Under, I won't be buying it in hardbound. I'll wait for the mass market edition instead.

Entertaining overall, but only makes it to about a three and a half star, rounded up to four as I still can't give a half-star adjustment here.

It seems that numerous authors have gotten into the arena of writting books containing games with move by move commentary. "Chernev" who was the first to start with his "Logical Chess: Move by Move" wrote the classic which started the "movement". Indeed, this is a very good concept and way to use games to give instruction. However, this idea requires an understanding not of just the games themselves, but just as important is the ability to reach the reader by knowing what is needed to be covered. Have these games been tested in actual lessons to see where the student has a lack of knowledge and what kind of questions the student would have?
I feel that "Chess: The Art of Logical Thinking" is strong (four stars) in having solid insight into the mechanics of the games being covered. But the commentary itself is weak (two stars) when it comes to providing actual analysis and answering questions in the mind of the reader. There is a bit too much repetition, comments are sometimes not to the point, and actual analysis of the moves in the games has little real analysis of use. There is a lack of analysis of the openings themselves - and every game has an opening! These are the things better addressed in every respect in "Understanding Chess" - directed at the advance player and "Unbeatable Chess", "More Unbeatable Chess" - two books that progress for different levels and "Logical Chess" - a basic level. On the plus side "Chess" The Art of Logical Thinking" does cover some important ideas and is perhaps a worthwhile book for an intermediate level chess player (not solid explanations for the basic level player, yet would be boring to an advanced player). So overall this book is "so, so", especially when put in the large arena of books covering commentary of every move games.

Even though I have not gone through all the games yet, I already feel that this is the kind of book that you don't want to let go, ever.

A little bit about the book. It is sorted by the openings, not by some theme as in case of Nunn's "Move by move". A lot of very well known openings are covered, but Sicilian and English are predominant. There are comments that anyone can comprehend and minimal number of variations given. Strategical themes and tactics can be found in practically every game. When a main error occurs McDonald lets you know with a '?' and then explains what was wrong with the move and what a player should have done.

In some reviews McDonald was accused of missing the point, that the "planning" area is where the book is not up to the par. I disagree. Many times after a certain move McDonald explains the purpose behind that move. Now that sounds like a plan to me. Maybe not one of those long-term plans, but a plan nevertheless. In fact, some of the moves intended to keep a long-term pressure.

Now, I never read Chernev's "Move by move" and probably never will because I think McDonald's book is a nice alternative with more up to date games and likely moves were checked for accuracy with a computer program. The intended audience is probably someone with a rating range 1200-1600. I do believe, however, that even higher rated players will benefit. I say this because in most of the games a certain move that proved to be a key error was very much "non-grandmaster" like. This means that anyone outside of 1200-1600 range still has room for improvement.

I have couple reservations about the book though. First, I did not like the author's choice for game 14 (Pirc Defense). Seirawan played with black pieces against Kovacevic. White in the 5th move played g4. I have never seen this and frankly don't think that this is the best way to keep the initiative. White is much better after playing f4 (The Austrian Attack). In fact, Black would have difficulties after this move if they don't play accurately. No '?' from McDonald for g4.

Also, I wish that there were more games where Black wins. There are only 9 of them. I think the book would have benefited if the author for each opening selected a game won by white and then by black.

There are also some minor editorial errors, but they don't ruin the book's value and quality.

Added on 9/25 - I finished the book and everything I said about the book above still stands.

The book picks up where Chernev left off by including modern games and giving a more balanced analysis for both winner and loser. The book is just a great read for the beginner/intermediate player. I don't know if he picked games that were so easy to analyze or his analysis is so good but it just seemed to hit the spot with me - a minimum of variations and "better is ...", except for explaining sidestepped traps and mating threats.

The book production is good with a few typos that should be obvious.

I don't know if it teaches you to think and analyze logically ala Silman's books but it was a joy to read and play through the games.

Personally, I enjoy this book more then the famous "chernev" version. I think there is a great deal of nostalgia with chernev and from reading a review comparing the two in Chernev's favor...I must humbly disagree and put fourth that McDonald takes a more modern view inside of pawn structure, strategic considerations based upon that structure, and tactical variations when they paint a pretty picture for the chess mind. Chernev seemed huge into the Alehkine idea of never budging the pawn shield (in that it provides 'hooks'). In other words, McDonald does not always adhere to strict classical rules, though he points out famous ideas from Reti and Tarrash and Capa etc. when he deems it appropriate. As for me, I play the computer around the 2000 level (couldn't beat it at 1100 this time last year) and I found it to be entertaining and insightful. I finished off the book with a 22 move victor with none other than Mikhail Tal opening with C5 and couldn't help but go through it one more time to memorize the lines to show my friends the beauty of sacrificial play. Contrast this with a game by Adams and you realize this book is not interested in one aspect (say combinations only) but an aggregate picture of the intricacies of great chess play.

I think I'd have to read through this 15 times before I felt i really knew 'the book'. All in all? Fun. It was great fun. (The reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is simply because of my belief that a Master would see this as a book of apparent ideas....though i still think they would love reading through the games and maybe even providing additional analysis on their own? Either way, 4 out of 5 is still a strong mark, in my opinion; and now that you know the reason for the 'decrease' it should be all that much easier to go about and purchase this book. I hope this review was helpful - good luck and good purchasing.)

I was torn between whether to give this book 2 stars or to be nicer and give 3 stars. At first it seemed 3 would be proper simply because I haven't yet finished it to the last page though I've read most of it, and because most people (judging from the other reviews) seem to be generally pleased with it. But then I decided that there is no reason why the remainder of the book would be any different than what I've seen and the average rating is much higher than the book really deserves.

On the face of it, this book is very attractive indeed. Who wouldn't want a move by move commentation (or is it analysis?) of modern supergrandmaster games by another grandmaster? Unfortunately, when I started studying the book I beacame somewhat disappointed by certain aspects of the commentary which makes the work seem rather rushed or lackluster. While it certainly provides some pleasant reading as chess literature, it falls far short of the mentioned goal of taking readers "of all levels" into the minds of grandmasters as they make each move, thus improving their own skills.

First, the book is filled with statements that are abstract, obvious and redundant all at the same time. Secondly, it contains very little analysis of the moves themselves. I feel that what makes lesser skilled players the way they are is the fact that they often consider and play out plans and moves that might look good but have deep flaws in them. The way to improve is therefore to understand why grandmasters dismiss certain moves and strategies and to be aware of the tactical consequences of some of them. This book hardly does anything in that direction. As a result, it doesn't really give you half the reasons for each move.

Take one example: the game between M. Adams and V. Salov. On move 33 black plays 33...Qh6. Alright, good. But the problem here is that the obvious alternative of 33...Qg6 which even looks better is not addressed by the author. In my opinion, neither move will stop the onslaught that follows but nevertheless h6 looks like such an odd square to put the queen that it demands some explanation. This is just one example of a recurring aspect of the book, particularly in the opening part of the games which is even more annoying because openings need more explanation. Of course I certainly do not expect this to be done for every single move. But at least touch on plausible alternatives and why they may be inferior. Very seldom does the writer do this.

All in all, it's hard to tell what type of audience this book really helps in terms of improvement. For strong players the commentary is so obvious atimes that it's almost comical. At the same time, the language often seems too abstract to be really helpful to weaker players. The positive side, however, is that the book gives players an idea of the kind of things that masters take into consideration when playing, such as weak squares, center holes which are good for knights etc...

Rather than say I regretted buying this book -which, thankfully, wouldn't be entirely true- I'll just say that like most non-fiction books, chess books very much require online preview capabilities for potential buyers. Sadly, this one, for instance, doesn't offer it.

The Polyester Prince is a balanced book on India's own robber baron. Mr. McDonald pays tribute to Gujarati traders/ Banias in the first few chapters by acknowledging their exuberance of speech, inventiveness, and commercial drive. Dhirubhai first displayed his diplomatic and negotiating skills during the Junagadh freedom struggle. At Yemen, he exploits the fact that silver content in rial was higher than the pound. There he also learned the fundamentals of business by taking position in rice, sugar, and other commodities. At India, Dhirubhai progressed to trading in REP licenses and later textile manufacturing. One of Dhirubhai's greatest attributes was that he networked and lobbied furiously. He cultivated several journalists, politicians, and bureaucrats including Girilal Jain, Murli Deora, Yashpal Kapur, T.A. Pai, R.K. Dhawan, P.C. Sethi, Pramod Mahajan, and Pranab Mukherjee. Several policies such as the High Unit Value Scheme were introduced for the sole benefit of Reliance and tariffs mostly for the detriment of competitors like Kapal Mehra (Orkay Silk Mills) and Nusli Wadia (Bombay Dyeing). Reliance was the first to recognize the most important external environment- Government of India. Dhirubhai used the government to destroy Indian Express and Bombay Dyeing. Wadia, Mehra and the journalist Gurumurthy were arrested on fake charges. He is alleged to have tried to get Wadia assassinated through Kirti Ambani and contract killers. Reliance also resorted to envelope journalism and later buying out a newspaper to unfairly cast DMT as inferior to PTA. Dhirubhai is rightly called father of Indian equity cult as he patronized convertible debentures. One out of every four investors in India is a Reliance shareholder. The Ambanis used loopholes, shell investment companies/ tax havens in Isle of Man, duplicate shares, insider trading, and financial engineering tricks to ensure that Reliance was the largest zero-tax company and a pure cash flow operation. Though correctly described as ruthless and daring, Mr. McDonald overlooks that Dhirubhai was an innovative financier, brand builder (Only Vimal etc.), and an industrialist way ahead of his times (vertical integration, GDR etc.).

This book is worth the chase. When you first search for this book [...], you are alarmed at the price. The [...] plus price tag is incorrect, this book is available for less than [...].

Mukesh and Anil Ambani, the sons of the late Dhirubhai Ambani have spared no effort in ensuring that this book is virtually impossible to find. If you go to any book store in India, be it in Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore at any of the chains liks crossroads,odyessey, higgenbothams, oxford or at any used book dealer, you cannot find this book.

Even if you have the ISBN number and you call the Australian publishers, due to lawsuits, they will provide a standard apologetic " we do not have any copies available, we do not intend to reprint". So strike out trying to call the publisher and buying this book.

If you go to any major online book store amazon.com, half.com, overstock.com, ebay etc.. you will not find a copy. If you go to any major public university library or public library across america you will find the standard " we have put your order request into our system, but we still have not heard back from the xyz source".

In europe, south america, australia, nz, japan, india, north america, dubai, western africa, china, russia, central asia.. this book is hard to find.

So your wondering how can I find this book? two options, u can take a chance at the website mentioned by rohit shah below, or you can go to the Harvard University Library in Cambridge, MA, USa which has two copies available.

[...],

This book is over rated because of controversy. Look at at the price of the book its ridiculous. There are thousands of other books i would rather read. Dont waste your time here

Hamish McDonald has pulled this one off with a master's touch. It covers decades of Dhirubhai's life - his dreams, struggles, failures and successes.

Too bad this book was banned in India and is out of print. One word to describe the experience - Masterpeice!

I must add, The Library at University of Georgia has two copies!!!

I bought this book directly from the publisher as it has been banned in India and after reading it is easy to understand why. Ambani's were the most visible business family from India in 80s. Everyone knows that powerful political connections are responsible for the meteoric rise of the ambani business empire. What the book talks about are many issues, which were kept under the carpet and never ever spoken in public. It is a very interesting reading.

Anyone who is interested to learn how business can be done in India, especially before the privatization, must read this book. The link between politics and business is very powerful and though it may have diminished a little in today's India, it is not completely gone.

I recommend this book to anyone who is trying to analyze the strengths of Indian business environment as an emerging country and wish to do business in India.

My first Mcdonald novel, after reading a short story of his in a recent anthology. Very disappointing, the all to brief bits about the Chaga (An alien ecosystem forcibly unleashed on the earth to the supposed benefit of mankinds future evolution - pity about the rest of life on earth) are excellent, but the novel is otherwise far too long, this would have better as a novella or short story. Mcdonald has little else to say, can't do plot, is very variable on characterisation and his fiercely held, and not very original, political views permeate the novel making everything, including the ending, far too predictable. He doesnt even seem capable of seeing that his wonderful Chaga is easily viewable as the grossest most arrogant form of 'pseudo colonization' imaginable.

This is the second book I've read by Ian McDonald. The first was Terminal Cafe, and like that book, this one is set in and about a transformation of humanity. That is, the characters carry out their drama with the back drop of humanity transcending from our current existence into "the next level."

It's a theme pioneered (I think) by Arthur C. Clark's Childhood's End. Whereas Childhood's End was a tour of that transformation with characterization more of an afterthought, Evolution's Shore is about people living life with the "change" in progress as a backdrop. I haven't actually finished it yet, but I was so taken with the book and so enthusiastic about it I HAD to write a review. I hope the last 1/5 is as good as the first 4/5s or I'll have to write a followup. But I don't anticipate having a change of opinion....

Get the book. It is a GREAT read!

I bought this through one of the Amazon lists, because I found its title in distinguished company. Result: one of the worst books I have ever read. What turned me off since the very beginning was the style: contrived, artificial, kitsch, not to mention that the main character -- a pathetic monument to female ambition -- wasn't interesting at all.

I would strongly agree with the reviewer above who said that science fiction often falls into anthropocentrist thinking, and that Ian McDonald is one of the few who can get past that to see the truly ALIEN. It's a rare skill.

What most of the reviews leave out is that this book combines an adventure story, a career story, a (great) love story, and has a political and geographical backdrop so vivid it stops the reader dead in his tracks sometimes. Few popular novels deal with Africa at all. Even fewer science fiction novels do. This would be one of the most ambitious undertakings--and McDonald pulls it off. I didn't think the ending was predictable, or that the political stances were cliche. In fact, the ending is rather unresolved. McDonald manages to convey a sense of hope rather than a neatly tied up bundle of plot strings. But it still satisfies.

There are few authors who can make you think of the universe as a place that is young and new and full of the unknown, full of possibilities. McDonald did it with one of his earliest (the earliest?) novels, "Desolation Road" and he does it again here in a less fantastic (yet still fantastic) setting.

Not everyone gets tingles down their spine reading this book. But enough do (and I did) that I'd wholeheartedly recommend it.

I bought this novel because I had read a novella McDonald had written about the Chaga, and found the concept interesting. Reading this novel, the same interesting parts about the Chaga, and it's origins, still engaged me. However, I have some very big problems with the story:

1. McDonald's main Character, a woman, is a promiscuous as Madonna, but unlike her does not have the ability to make 100's of Millions for those who tolerate her. In short, she's a slut, and maybe I'm old-fashioned, but as much as she sleeps around, I can't imagine the other characters in the book seeing through to her apparent heart of gold. In my experience, women like this are not taken seriously, which McDonald's plot demands they do. Times have not changed that much.

2. The amount and lurid descriptions of her sexual encounters in the book could have been left out, or left to the imagination, without any loss to the narrative. One gets the impression that McDonald was using it as filler to advance the plot. Pretty lame.

3. The political message comes through loud and clear: Africans - hearts of gold, Americans and non-British Europeans (with one exception - the idealistic Doctor/romantic entanglement) evil, racist scoundrels. I lived in Africa for several years...you can't put this romantic nonsense by me. I actually closed the book at one point and stopped reading for a few days because of some of this garbage. The slams against the U.S. are pretty blatant. Sorry Ian, we won.

4. The book is less hard science fiction than a novel about dramatic social change with the Sci-Fi thrown in to keep you interested. There was actually less concrete info about the Chaga in this whole novel than in the novella I read (which also featured evil Americans, I have to admit). In fact, the whole book reminds me of something by Samuel R. Delaney, and I HATE Delaney books.

For all that, I read it through, and enjoyed some parts, but the whole left me unsatisfied. It won't be a favorite, and will go to the donation box when I get a chance.