The Time Traveler's Wife

Book Description

A dazzling novel in the most untraditional fashion, this is the remarkable story of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who travels involuntarily through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate love affair endures across a sea of time and captures the two lovers in an impossibly romantic trap, and it is Audrey Niffenegger's cinematic storytelling that makes the novel's unconventional chronology so vibrantly triumphant.

An enchanting debut and a spellbinding tale of fate and belief in the bonds of love, The Time Traveler's Wife is destined to captivate readers for years to come.

Customer Reviews:

The 1513th Review~!.......2007-10-18

Since this is the 1513th review of this book no one will probably ever read this but this is one of those "Desert Island Books" for me, one of the few I would bring with me if I only could grab a handful. I found this book mesmerizing in every way and I can't wait for the movie.

Perfection.......2007-10-16

There is no review I could write that would do this book justice. I read this book Christmas Eve and thought of nothing else save the characters. This book is the most moving work of fiction I have ever come across. The book takes the reader on a journey of love that is unparalleled in it's devotion and in many ways realism. This is my favorite book and have given it as a gift to everyone I love without a single complaint.

The writing is exquisite and draws you in but it is the raw emotion that will linger long after you have set the book aside. For anyone concerned by the idea that it will be too "sci-fi" for him I can assure you it is well grounded and while may incorporate elements that make it more fantastic those events are only necessary to explain the truth of the characters who have made the decision to begin a life together while accepting that their time together will not be shared. The husband, without control, changes to different period of time. The book is about how they cope and how they love despite this unusual problem.

If you are not crying by the end you do not have a soul. This book will change your life. It is a work of fine literature for the ideas, for the writing but mostly for the hope and the imagination that it will spark in the reader. It is more than a novel about love it is a novel about our dreams.

sci fi but not sci fi.......2007-10-16

Odd mixture in many ways, combining sort of science fiction (time traveling) with an unusual love story which starts when the female character is 6. Don't be put off thinking it's too sci-fi or some slush fest as it never veers too far in either direction. The books is beautifully written, really drawing you into the story and making you feel for the characters. I did find the dual narrative style a little difficult to follow at times (it's told from the perspective of both the main characters) and the last third of the book was a little drawn out once you can kind of guess where it's going but overall it's a very moving book and well worth a read.

Frustratingly Inconsistent.......2007-10-15

I wish I could rewrite this book.

The first half was exceptional. I was so often drawn in to the characters' lives. I eagerly awaited the point where it would become obvious that Clare and Henry were meant to be together. As I reconsider the novel and the expectations I held while reading this half, I can't help but realize how deeply I was disappointed by the second half. I often felt that Niffenegger lost touch with her characters as the novel progressed. Rather than feeling as though the love between Clare and Henry deepened as their lives became more complicated, their characters started to unravel. Story lines were picked up, only to be dropped abruptly without explanation. Side characters were pigeonholed to an almost insulting degree. And the time traveling, which provided such substance and meaning to my understanding of Clare and Henry early on, added very little value my experience of the second half of the book, except to infuse everything with dread. Ultimately I was waiting for the novel to amaze me, which, unfortunately, it did not.

There were many things I loved about the book, not the least of which is how heavily detailed it was. I only wish that the potential it held for me could have been reached.

Clever Idea, But Over-rated and Unsatisfying.......2007-10-13

Henry DeTamble is a handsome young librarian who lives in Chicago and time travels uncontrollably into the past as well as the future. Many of his travels take him back to see his future wife Clare Abshire as she grows up.

I thought the premise of the book was very interesting and kept me thinking and flipping back and forth to see when events happened in time.

I really enjoyed the first half of the book and I thought Niffenegger did a very good job of making the characters of Henry and Clare come to life. But the second half of the book, after Henry and Clare are married seems to be written in a completely different style. I'm not sure what happened but the story just seems to fall apart and go nowhere. There are many pages devoted to Henry's time travel but few sentences devoted to developing realistic relationships between the characters she created.

I think this could have been a really great book but I honestly didn't feel the love in the love story. And the more I dissected the novel the less satisfying it seems to me.

Okay so that's what I'm going to say without mentioning specifics. If you keep reading you will find...

***SPOILERS AHEAD*** I guess the one thing that seems to be starkly absent from this story is the reason that Henry continues to visit Clare as she grows up. Why does he do that? It seemed to me that he was grooming her to be a better wife in the future but we never see what sends him back to her.

Some other things that seem missing are the realistic details of daily life, like when Gomez and Charisse have their children, their births are not mentioned. When Clare's brother and his wife have kids their births aren't mentioned and their names are never given, they are just referred to as their kids. I think Clare and Henry's heartache over not being able to have children could have been illustrated using the births of the many children in their life.

I thought the story line of Gomez being in love with Clare was left completely unexplored.

I thought the fact that Clare's father and brother never say anything about what happened in the field in 1984 was unlikely. Wouldn't she have talked with them about those events, at least after Henry died?

And what did they tell Alba about her abilities? I think the author addressing that would have given a richer and more realistic feeling to the book. It almost seemed like she was overly focused on the time travel and failed to pay attention to the underlying story she created.

Loneliness and Time: The Story of British Travel Writing

Average customer rating:

A great history and more

Loneliness and Time: The Story of British Travel Writing
Mark Cocker
Manufacturer: Pantheon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0679422420
Release Date: 1993-03-23

Customer Reviews:

A great history and more.......2006-04-16

This is a great history of British 20th Century travel writing, and more. As the book's subtitle says, it's the "story" of British travel writing. And the story includes philosophical, psychological, and literary commentary that exceeds in intellectual content anything else I've read. Highly recommended.

Time Was Soft There: A Paris Sojourn at Shakespeare & Co.

Average customer rating:

Welcome to Bohemia
Just okay
Great character study of both Store and Store Proprietor
A Novel Novel
Stepping Back in Time....

Time Was Soft There: A Paris Sojourn at Shakespeare & Co.
Jeremy Mercer
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312347405
Release Date: 2006-09-19

Book Description

Wandering through Paris's Left Bank one day, poor and unemployed, Canadian reporter Jeremy Mercer ducked into a little bookstore called Shakespeare Co. Mercer bought a book, and the staff invited him up for tea. Within weeks, he was living above the store, working for the proprietor, George Whitman, patron saint of the city's down-and-out writers, and immersing himself in the love affairs and low-down watering holes of the shop's makeshift staff. Time Was Soft There is the story of a journey down a literary rabbit hole in the shadow of Notre Dame, to a place where a hidden bohemia still thrives.

Customer Reviews:

Welcome to Bohemia.......2007-07-17

I happened on this book in an English-language bookstore in Paris during a recent trip (not Shakespeare & Co., if they had it, I didn't see it), and I'm glad I did. It was the perfect read for my journey. I've been to S & Co many times, but had no idea there was a whole down-the-rabbit-hole bohemian lifestyle associated with the place (complete with mad tea parties). Mercer's book brings that little world to life and leaves you thinking that bohemia sounds magical--but you just don't know if you could do without a daily shower. A must-read for lovers of Paris and books.

Just okay.......2007-07-03

I was excited to get my teeth into this memoir but found it ultimately a little disappointing. There are some nice passages describing Whitman and his crazy personality, but I finished 'Time Was Soft There' with the feeling that Mercer had filled it out in order to have enough material for a book. Considering the literary culture of the shop, and the legacy of the authors that passed through it, there is something off-putting about this.

Great character study of both Store and Store Proprietor.......2007-05-07

I've had the pleasure of visiting Shakespeare & Co. on my many visits to Paris in the last decade. George was always in place at the front desk, waiting (if you can call it that) on the store's patrons. He was delightful, if you were respectful of the books and the other people in the store.

But he could also exhibit a certain crankiness and excentricity. I once saw a young customer ask how much a particular book was, and George opened the book, saw no price tag anywhere, and answered, "oh, about 35 francs." The young man then looked aghast at that price (which was about 7 bucks at the time), and replied, "What?! That much?" To which George snatched the book out of this guy's hand and tossed it over his shoulder. He spat at the would-be customer, "Forget it. You can't have it. You don't deserve to read it." The guy was then unceremoniously shown the door.

This personal antedote pretty much sums up George and the bookstore planted on the lovely Left Bank of the Seine.
Jeremy Mercer captures much of the feeling and tone of Shakespere & Co. during that time, while also writing a lovely - yet unvarished - portrait of owner, George Whitman.

A good read, whether you've visited the Paris location or not.

A Novel Novel.......2007-02-07

Escaping circumstances stemming from position life as an Ottawa crime reporter which have endangered his life, 28 year old Mercer runs to Paris. Broke, he is invited to tea at Shakespeare and Co., the small Left Bank bookstore which "is a socialist utopia masquerading as a bookstore". In exchange for unpaid labor, Whitman, the owner, allows struggling writers to live in the bookstore. Mercer takes up residence in the upstairs library, and experiences modern-day Bohemian Paris, "drunk on alcohol, drunk on Paris, drunk on our sudden new lives, we felt for all the world like the best of friends" (p. 161).

This book is a must for anyone who loves books, writing, independent bookstores, and Paris after the liberation-the Paris of romance, intrigue, freedom and creativity.

The one major flaw with the book is that it is hard to like Mercer, the narrator. Mercer begins his story by describing how he betrayed one of his friends, spent all his money on alcohol, drugs, and a BMW. And Mercer isn't in Paris to redeem himself. Mercer has a convenient way of painting his story around his personal acts of heroism instead of the heroics of the store. Mercer paints George Whitman as an eccentric who needs to be saved-by Mercer of course. The poet living in the antiquarian room is saved by Mercer. Fires are put out by Mercer. Passports are found by Mercer. Daughters are found by Mercer. Drunken brawls are broken up by Mercer. Mercer takes a punch in the face. The store is going to be saved by Mercer via Oprah. In this story, everyone is a big mess and Mercer is mana from heaven. Accordingly, some of the writing feels a bit affected. Mercer is trying way too hard to find the story here. Just having lived through something doesn't make a writer. It's similar to the people who think they've got a story to tell because they ran with the bulls in Spain like Hemingway.

Mercer's writing and psychology are heavily influenced by his crime reporting days. The first line of the book is "It was a grey winter's Sunday when I came into the bookstore." That kind of line seems extremely passe to me-the beginning of airport crime fiction, not a story about one of the greatest bookstores in the world. You get the feeling Mercer became a crime reporter to be a savior-it's the same mentality that his brought him to Shakespeare and Company and it dictates this story. Nurses tend to develop a sort of munchausen syndrome. After reading this book I tend to think that crime reporters have a similar sort of affliction. They place themselves in situations and places where they can play hero. I think the story of Shakespeare and Company is amazing, but I am not sure Mercer delivers it well.

Still, the story is a unique and quick read.

Stepping Back in Time...........2007-01-14

Reading Mercer's memoir was like stepping back in time for me. I've been to George's book store many times, but it's been a few years. So reading his accurate account was a wonderful return back to a special place.
I came across George and his book store in the early 90's and when I questioned if he had a book about Kiki and her memoirs, the answer I got from George was, "Come to the tea party Sunday afternoon." It was an experience I'll never forget and Mercer described that tea party perfectly....sitting there wide-eyed, trying to figure out what it was all about.
I enjoyed his book tremendously and my only regret was that it had to end. I also wanted to give Mercer credit for "tying up loose ends" in regard to George, the book store and George's daughter, Sylvia. It was a great ending with good information. I'll be back in Paris in 9 weeks and very much look forward to a return visit to the book shop with Sylvia now in charge.
If you love Paris or are planning a trip there....you won't be disappointed in this piece of history. It's the first book I've come across with so much detail and info on George Whitman.....who just happened to be raised in my hometown, Salem, Mass.

Average customer rating:

Excellent Layman's Exploration of the Concept of Time
Quantum Physics Can Be Fun
Awesome through and through
One of the BEST books about temporal mechanics Ive ever read
One of the BEST books about temporal mechanics Ive ever read

Time: A Traveler's Guide
Clifford A. Pickover
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Time Travel in Einstein's Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel Through Time

ASIN: 0195130960

Amazon.com

The thought that humans might one day be able to harness time, traveling freely from one age to another, has been a fixture of science fiction for years. Science fact is beginning to catch up to the long-held dream: in this entertaining survey, researcher-writer Clifford Pickover observes that current theories of physics support--or at least do not rule out--the possibilities of time travel.

In chapters that mix whimsical science-fiction scenarios with brief essays on matters of fact, Pickover takes a leisurely stroll through various chrono-cosmological theories and discusses their attendant virtues, flaws, and inherent paradoxes. One modern notion, Kurt Gödel's addendum to Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity, posits a rotating universe in which it is possible for a traveler to move between states of time and return to the present (assuming, of course, that there is such a thing as the present); the theory depends on a universe that rotates slowly, which seems not to be the case, but, as Pickover points out, it nevertheless provides a mathematical basis for time travel--which, he suggests, is a fine and worthy start. Pickover peppers his well-illustrated text with learned asides on such matters as light-cone diagrams, rocket clocks, string theory, parallel universes, and other topics real and speculative. What he turns up in the course of his narrative is fascinating--and fuel for anyone who entertains dreams of interdimensional wandering. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

"Bucky Fuller thought big," Wired magazine recently noted, "Arthur C. Clarke thinks big, but Cliff Pickover outdoes them both." In his newest book, Cliff Pickover outdoes even himself, probing a mystery that has baffled mystics, philosophers, and scientists throughout history--What is the nature of time? In Time: A Traveler's Guide, Pickover takes readers to the forefront of science as he illuminates the most mysterious phenomenon in the universe--time itself. Is time travel possible? Is time real? Does it flow in one direction only? Does it have a beginning and an end? What is eternity? Pickover's book offers a stimulating blend of Chopin, philosophy, Einstein, and modern physics, spiced with diverting side-trips to such topics as the history of clocks, the nature of free will, and the reason gold glitters. Numerous diagrams ensure readers will have no trouble following along. By the time we finish this book, we understand a wide variety of scientific concepts pertaining to time. And most important, we will understand that time travel is, indeed, possible.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Layman's Exploration of the Concept of Time.......2006-11-29

Anybody with a high school diploma can read this book and walk away with a good understanding of the concept of time and time travel. Cliff presents these complex concepts and theories in ordinary terms and practical examples that are easy to comprehend and won't leave you with brain burn out. I've read other books on this topic(including a Brief History of Time) and none of them were able to make me understand these concepts like this book was. After reading this book, I feel intimately familiar with the possibilities of Time Travel and the theories behind it.

Quantum Physics Can Be Fun.......2004-04-10

An outstanding book - I have never before read a book that dealt with such advanced concepts that was so easy to read and comprehend and as hard to put down (I read it in a weekend). Dr. Pickover's style of making the first half of each chapter a sci-fi story, with the second half "the science behind the story" makes this book fun and teaches you without having to work. Definately inspires creative thought.

I have a few more Pickover books on order and look forward to more. (...)

Awesome through and through.......2002-11-26

If you ever wanted to learn more about time travel, pick up this book! Time: A Traveller's Guide combines mathematics with an intruiging plot. He weaves some non-fiction into the math and information to make it all the more interesting. I have had the privilige to contact Mr. Pickover myself and he is an amazing man! This book is one of the best I have read!

One of the BEST books about temporal mechanics Ive ever read.......2001-12-11

This book is one of the bet novelles I have read about temporal mechanics in years. The engrossing yet comical plot will keep you enthralled for hours on end. At times the math gets a tad overwhelming (even for a lover of math such as myself), but it is well worth the knowledge you take away from it.

One of the BEST books about temporal mechanics Ive ever read.......2001-12-11

Pickover brings to life time travel in stunning detail. It not only contains and engrossing yet comical plot, but is punctuated by a consistent simplicity for reader's of all ages. The mathematics can get a little heavy and times (don't get me wrong I love math), but it is well worth it. I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to explore the depths of their mind.

Time Traveler: A Scientist's Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality

Average customer rating:

Interesting subject
Breaking the time barrier...
Hello Time Traveler
But Not Everybody Agrees!
Touching, interesting, inspirational, but a little dry.

Time Traveler: A Scientist's Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality
Ronald L. Mallett , and Bruce Henderson
Manufacturer: Thunder's Mouth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Time Travel: A New Perspective

ASIN: 1560258691

Book Description

This is the dramatic and inspirational first-person story of theoretical physicist, Dr. Ronald Mallett, who recently discovered the basic equations for a working time machine that he believes can be used as a transport vehicle to the past.

Combining elements of Rocket Boys and Elegant Universe, Time Traveler follows Mallett's discovery of Einstein's work on space-time, his study of Godel's work on a solution of Einstein's equation that might allow for time travel, and his own research in theoretical physics spanning thirty years that culminated in his recent discovery of the effects of circulating laser light and its application to time travel.

The foundation for Mallett's historic time-travel work is Einstein's theory of general relativity, a sound platform for any physicist. Through his years of reading and studying Einstein, Mallett became a buff well before he had any notion of the importance of the grand old relativist's theories to his own career. One interesting subtext to the story is Mallett's identification with, and keen interest in, Einstein. Mallett provides easy-to-understand explanations of the famous physicist's seminal work.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting subject.......2007-10-13

I enjoyed the auto-biography and the quantom physics lessons along the way. I wish more was said about the more recent events concerning the time travel experiments. I felt hungry for more information on the whole subject and was left wanting more.

This was an easy read and I enjoyed reading non-the-less...

Breaking the time barrier..........2007-03-26

"The moving finger writes and having writ moves on, nor all your piety can lure it back nor your tears wash out a word of it." Jon Donne.

If Prof. Ron Mallett has his way, the words of Jon Donne will be a quaint aphorism that people used to say. The reason Mallett says this is because he believes that the time barrier can be broken and that -- someday -- people will have the technology to travel into the past.

Almost immediately on announcing his speculations, Mallett became the topic of intense media interest including a Learning Channel special and great media coverage. And this is rightly so because the back story of Mallett's motivation -- so ably told in this book -- is itself so compelling.

In 1955, while still a child, Ron Mallett lost his father who died of heart failure at the age of 33. Loving his Dad as intensely as he did, Mallett began to dream of breaking the time barrier to rejoin his father just to tell him "I love you."

Just as everyone can easily connect with Mallett's motivation, mostly everyone will find themselves somewhat befuddled by the science behind Mallett's speculations. This isn't because he doesn't do a good job of explaining himself, but rather simply because scientific explanations typically tend to tax comprehension.

That being said, his theory is an ingenious one: that just as gravity can used to distort time, so can concentrated light. In this way, Mallett must now consider it the sweetest serendipity that he worked in the private sector with lasers for a formative part of his early career. In this way, he became immediately acquianted with the very device he intends to employ in his time travel device.

The typical time travel scenerios that have been set out involve a radical twisting of space. If we were bugs living on a sheet of Christmas wrapping paper, our travel from one end of the sheet to the other would be greatly speeded if we could somehow get the paper from the ends to connect with each other. And indeed, this is what the tradition theories of time travel all propose: that somehow -- whether it's through cosmic strings as speculated by J Richard Gott or black holes as speculated by Kip Thorne -- a force so great is created that space is litterally forced to warp back on itself.

Unfortunately, at the end of the day, Mallett's theories will probably face the same fate at those of Gott and Thorne respecting time travel by people into the past...failure. However, having opened by quoting Donne, it's perhaps best to close by quoting Theodore Roosevelt who said:

"Pity not those who have failed but those who live in that grey twilight that knows neither success nor failure."

By dint of genius, Mallett -- ultimately successful or not -- has irrevocably taken himself out of that "grey twilight" and us with him...if only in our hearts and imaginations.

Hello Time Traveler.......2007-03-11

I enjoyed this book because a mainstream scientist dared to come out of
the closet and present an excellent premise for time travel. Why not?
We do have the mythical story of Rip Van Winkle who went to sleep - perhaps to time travel - and awoke to realize those around him had aged while he
was still 40 years young. The author's journey is one of sorrow, experiencing bigotry, prejudice and emerging to be the victor.

But Not Everybody Agrees!.......2007-02-07

First, this is more of a biography than a book on time travel. Dr. Mallett is one ov the very few people, and even fewer African-Americans who are theoretical physicists. The story of his rising from the Bronx to being a professor of theoretical physics at the University of Connecticut shows what can still be done in the United States so far as education and opportunity are concerned. It's not easy. Theoretical physics is not the easiest subject to master. And the additional problems of race and poverty do not make it any easier.

Regarding the aspects of time travel. The mathematics of Einsteinian theories do seem to provide for at least the theoretical possibility of time travel. Dr. Mallett has spent a lot of time working in this area of Einstein's work. While some of his work is quite fascinating it appears to be a long way from a working version.

You might also keep in mind that some other physicists have published papers which contain conflicting points.

Touching, interesting, inspirational, but a little dry........2007-01-11

I heard Ronald Mallett on George Norry's show, and I thought he was fascinating. I ordered the book that night. I finally got a chance to read it. The book covers Mallett's life from childhood to present. It is a study of a man's life, how his beliefs and opinions were formed, and how his studies led him to his theories on time travel.

Although I found the book very touching in soma parts (I have a son myself), as well as very interesting, I did find a drawback that kept this from being a 5-star book; the science. Mallett goes into some deep scientific discussions when he explains certain facts and theories of physics. This is pretty basis stuff, but for the laymen, well, it's easy to get bogged down in it. I guess he felt that it was necessary to include his reasoning and his explanations for all of these things, but I thought that they ultimately took away from the overall enjoyment of the book.

Still, the book was a good read. It's fairly easy to get through it in a few nights of reading. I hope to hear Dr. Mallett on the George Norry show again, as I think he's a very interesting and inspirational guy. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject of time travel. Mallett gives some pretty compelling evidence, and it's cool stuff. Just be prepared to skip a paragraph or two when it becomes a dry physics lesson.

Average customer rating:

Interesting Read, if nothing else.
Fascinating story - very entertaining
Well crafted hoax, but one major flaw
The eye of the beholder.
Time Machine

John Titor A Time Traveler's Tale
John Titor
Manufacturer: Instantpublisher.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1591964369

Book Description

Perhaps one of the most amazing tales ever told, there is still debate online over this compilation of Internet posts made by a man claiming to be a real time traveler from our future. Is John Titor science fiction or science fact?

After a world war in our future, John Titor claimed to have used a military time machine to travel from the year 2036. His story spans from 1975 where his mission was to obtain a computer system needed in his future. For mysterious reasons, instead of going home, he came forward to visit with his family and young self in 1998.

From November of 2000 to March 2001, John spoke directly to numerous people on many Internet forums and chat rooms. In the posts, he discusses the future, the technology of time travel and his feelings about our society. Did he accurately predict the development of future physics, the reasons behind the Gulf War and the coming of mad cow disease to the U.S.?

John Titor A Time Traveler's Tale, was compiled by John's mother in our time and bound in a 5.5 x 8.5 paperback protected by a laminated front and back cover. With 164 pages of text, the book also contains 9 pages of black and white photos John posted of his time machine and the operations manual that came with it!

Customer Reviews:

Interesting Read, if nothing else........2007-02-20

It is certainly an interesting story, with no way to prove it one or the other. Titor's Worldline explanation conveniently covers up why it would be impossible to track him. Take the story with a grain of salt, It does resonate with some current world events wheich can be unnerving but all the same, easily dismissable.

Fascinating story - very entertaining.......2006-09-25

Okay, I'll admit that John Titor was most likely a hoax. But, it's a fascinating hoax. When you really dive into John Titor's story, its a fascinating tale that is remarkably consistent. I don't doubt that it is certainly the works of a very bored, but very creative person. That alone is enough to capture my interest.

The book is just a compilation of all of John's posts on the Internet. If you're familiar with the story, then the book is a good way to read all his posts in one place. If you're not familiar with the John Titor story, then the book will probably be inaccessible to you. The writing and layout are not very good. But, I accept that this is because it is very hard to translate Internet posts into a linear novel format.

One of the key things in Titor's story that is most interesting is the concept of "worldlines." You have to understand that key concept to really understand the whole story. He doesn't talk much about it, but when he does it adds a fascinating dimension (no pun intended) to his story. And the science behind his story is mostly valid. Sure, there are a LOT of missing pieces. But, nevertheless it's an enjoyable story.

One of the reasons I really enjoy this story is because of how it demonstrates how powerful a myth can become. Overtime, myths can have a profound impact on society. And while Titor isn't the most profound or even most powerful, its nevertheless interesting to think that some of the values, ideas, concepts or faiths we hold, may be nothing more than a collection of John Titor stories

Well crafted hoax, but one major flaw.......2006-09-17

The flaw is this. In the book, Titor claims he was
born in 1998 and was a time traveller from 2036.
Titor claims he first visited 1975 and met his grandfather.
He told his grandfather about the Y2k crisis and mentioned the
devastation. According to Titor's mother, Titor then
went to 1998 and met his parents and his infant self.
Titor stayed with his family through spring of 2001, during
which of course, the devastation from the y2k crisis did not
occur. Titor and his mother claimed this was because
Titor changed the timeline due to his warning of his
grandfather in 1975.

Given the profound change in the time line, what are the odds
that the a sperm cell and egg cell (each composed of
a random sequence of alleles) from Mr. and Mrs Titor would
produce a son in this altered timeline that would be
a genetic duplicate of the time traveller John Titor? What
are the odds this son would still be born on the same year
and date as time traveller John Titor? What are the odds he
would be named John? Etc. I guess in trillions of other
time lines, Titor has noted that he isn't the same
person genetically as his namesake, but in our time line,
we won the lottery.

There are other flaws, such as Titor claiming he
didn't pay attention to sports scores from 2000-2001,
but then in other messages noting that this timeline seems
like his, except some sports outcomes seem to be different.

The eye of the beholder........2006-07-21

Whether a person likes this book or not depends on whether they read it as speculative fiction or as nonfiction. I gave this book only 2 stars as an "average" between 4 stars (as speculative fiction) and 0 stars (as nonfiction).

There are things in life that defy description or explanation. And, that doesn't mean these things don't "really" happen. I have never seen a ghost. But, I don't dismiss the possibility that ghosts could exist. And, I've never seen an alien spacecraft (to my knowledge). But likewise, I can't dismiss the possibility that alien spacecraft could exist. In short, I try to keep an open mind on such things.

Back in 1999 (if reports are accurate), a man began posting in several online forums ... eventually introducting himself as John Titor. He claimed that he was a time traveler from the year 2036. Later, a man named Oliver Williams began collecting these posts and other information supplied by Titor, posting them to a JohnTitor.com website. The postings were finite, though, since Titor decided to return to his own time sometime around April, 2001. Even so, Williams has turned Titor's brief moment in our timeline into a cottage industry. This book is available for purchase ... and Williams makes an occasional appearance on the Coast-To-Coast-AM radio show, hosted largely by George Noory (but made famous by Art Bell). And while Art was still maintaining an online bulletin board, Titor himself even posted to it between January and March of 2001.

The website and bulletin board postings make for interesting reading, too. And who knows, perhaps time travel is possible. But, I have a bone to pick with Mr. Titor and have tried to contact Williams each time he makes an appearance on Coast ... to ask a question that perplexes me.

First, consider this. In 1986, nuclear reactor #4 at Chernobyl malfunctioned. A steam cloud escaped creating a "dead zone" around the site ... a zone no human being can safely inhabit for roughly 600 years. And mind you, this was "just" a steam cloud.

Now, back to Titor. One of his claims is that, in the year 2015, Russia will attack the U.S. with multiple nuclear warheads targeting our major cities. He also claims that in 2036, 21 years after the attack, the U.S. capital will be in Omaha, Nebraska. Uhh ... excuse me. Omaha is not only a major city, it's also considered a "primary" target because:

(A) Stragetic Air Command (SAC) headquarters is in Omaha, and...
(B) Minuteman missile silos ring the area.

In short, Omaha would not be a "mere" target ... it would probably be THE target area for several of those incoming missiles.

So ... Titor claims a region that will likely endure numerous multi-megaton nuclear strikes in 2015 will be "habitable" again in 2036 when scientists can't even clean up after a radioactive steam-leak for 600 years. Ahem.

Still, I suppose that between now and 2015, our scientists could discover some kind of "magic" cleaning solution to a nuclear holocaust (or the Russians could invent a "cleaner" type of plutonium). And I suppose a city turned into a flat burning wasteland could be rebuilt in 21 years. It's all within the realm of "possibility." But, hehe, I must admit that hearing some kind of definitive explanation from Williams would have to be forthcoming before I'd chime into those possibilities. Until then, it sounds like a lot of hoo-hah (grin).

P.S. Many people who have followed this unusual story believe that "John Titor" is a pseudonym. I'd go one step further. I believe "John Titor" AND "Oliver Williams" are both pseudonyms and speculate that the real identity of this so-called time traveler belongs to two people - David & Chris Bradley. The Bradley duo runs a homebrew publishing business out of their home in rural Tennessee and operate two websites - InstantPublisher.com and Cookbooks.com. Their company name is Fundcraft and they primarily publish (you guessed it) cookbooks. But, they're also a "vanity" publisher, a publisher who will publish ANYTHING if you pay them to do it. And one of their books is a book by Titor about his time travel exploits ... a book that coincidentally came out during the same year that the JohnTitor.com website went online.

It makes sense to me. Nowadays, it's incredibly easy to find a wealth of free recipes online. No doubt, this has caused the cookbook business to suffer substantially. And, what better way to prop up a faltering homebrew publishing business than by introducing a little "speculative fiction" into the mix. Food for thought...

Time Machine.......2006-07-15

I myself bult a time machine from a card board box. Right now I can only get it to go 1/4 of an hour into the future. I am still working out some of the bugs. It right now takes 15 minuets for it to do the time jump.

Average customer rating:

What a great book!
Four books in one, excellent information!

Usborne Time Traveler

Manufacturer: E.D.C. Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Travel | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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The Usborne Book of World History (Guided Discovery Program)
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Little Pear

ASIN: 0746033656

Customer Reviews:

What a great book!.......2003-03-17

This book is recommended for ages 9-12, but my 6-year-old ate it up and my 4-year-old enjoyed it too. I bought it because my girls are going through a knights and castles thing, and this was recommended as a good place to learn about them. I thought we'd just read that section and put it on the shelf until the other subjects came up. Well my 6-year-old saw things differently. She loves this book. She loves the way it is laid out and what she is learning from it. She had no interest in Vikings or Romans or Egyptians before this, but now she wants more on all these topics. And it is a fun book for me to read too. It is reminding me of things I hadn't learned since I was a child, and the diagrams are so clear that maybe I am learning things better than I did when I was a child.

Four books in one, excellent information!.......2000-04-12

WOW, this is a compilation of four different civilizations, it includes ALOT of information on understanding how these ancient groups lived. I have learned alot of interesting facts every time I haved looked through the pages. The illustration in it is amazing, there is not a corner left empty in this huge book!

Average customer rating:

Separate components for stars
Wishful thinking?

Time Travelers Strictly Cash
Spider Robinson
Manufacturer: Tor Science Fiction
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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Callahan's Crosstime Saloon
Callahan's Lady
Lady Slings the Booze
Callahan's Con (Callahan's Crosstime Saloon Series)
Callahan's Key

ASIN: 0812572289

Book Description

Human or otherwise, regardless of race, creed or dimension of origin, if you're looking for a good time in a place where the beer is always flowing, and the stories always out of this world, step up to the bar at Callahan's. There'll be tales--Oh, are there tales! Like the one about a loud-mouthed time traveler who capitalized on a rip in the space-time continuum; or the one about Ralph the talking, gin-drinking German Shepherd created by a demented genius shrink. But don't believe us. Ask Ralph. He'll tell you himself. Also don't forget to watch out for the deadly toasts--especially the Melba toast! And above all, remember....Time Travelers Strictly Cash.

Customer Reviews:

Separate components for stars.......2007-09-11

This collection of Spider's stories has its ups and downs. You get four stories from Callahan's Place, four "SF" stories, and three non-fiction pieces. Let's break it down.
Callahan's stories: sad and weak, the puns lacked any conviction and now the regular patrons are so easily amused the stupidest pun/joke has them "rolling on the floors". 'Fivesight' deals with a lady showing up talking about her husband's premonitions. 'Dog Day Evening' - well a talking dog walks into a bar... 'Have you heard the one?' - okay well a (time)traveling salesman walks into a bar... 'Mirror/Mirror Off the Wall' deals with mirror dimensions and people crossing over. All in all, these were not real good. Fivesight being the best of them. 2 stars at best.
The SF stories improved the book much more. 'Soul Search' very interesting story on reincarnation meeting cryogenics. 'God is an Iron' possibly the most preachy story in the book; a man enters an apartment and finds a woman nearly comatosed from 'hardwiring' - receiving electric stimulus through implants. The kicker is why the guy is there. 'Local Champ' is Spider's foray into fantasy dealing with a Warlock - good thing he doesn't write fantasy regularly. 'Serpent's Teeth' excellent look into just where the world may be heading in terms of contractual marriages and child divorce. The SF stories get 4 stars.
Non-fiction - Spider includes of all things some book reviews he did and, I mean really, so what (hmmm a reviewer complaining about someone reviewing books?). Next in line is 'Rah Rah R.A.H' which is Spider's gleaming idol-worship of all things Heinlein, kinda sickening. And lastly is a speech full of bad puns and double talk he gives at a convention. 1 star and the book would have been better without these.

Overall - the SF was very good, the Callahan's were mediocre, and the non-fiction was worthless outside of Heinlein worshippers.

Wishful thinking?.......2003-05-29

Robinson's Callahan books are always emotional wringers, and though this is not restricted to Callahan stories, the others also have that same empathy. You may see some of the same stories (Fivesight, God is an Iron) elsewhere, but in this collection they also come with anecdotes and a bit of explanation that can be as entertaining as the stories themselves. I highly recommend it, not least because it is ideally structured to read in small doses, and so can fit into a busy schedule!

The Tooth of Time: A Maxie and Stretch Mystery

Average customer rating:

Maxie & Stretch books
Lovely!
A Maxie McNabb adventure
Lots of fluff, not much substance
Maxie & Stretch are at it again.

The Tooth of Time: A Maxie and Stretch Mystery
Sue Henry
Manufacturer: NAL Hardcover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Women Sleuths | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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Blindfold Game

ASIN: 0451217659

Book Description

Zigzagging the country in a mini-Winnie means endless adventure-and Maxie McNabb is always up for something new. So she and her dog, Stretch, head for the heat of New Mexico, where Maxie plans to learn how to weave. But everything changes for the sleepy town when a local woman attempts suicide. A casualty of her husband's mid-life crisis, she was replaced by a newer, sexier model. And to top it off, a sleazy conman has set his sights on her. Maxie may be on vacation, but she's determined to help the poor thing. With her nose for trouble, she'll leave no mesa unturned until she brings two dogs to justice-neither of whom is Stretch.

Customer Reviews:

Maxie & Stretch books.......2007-08-22

I very much enjoy reading Sue Henry's books featuring Jessie and Alex, but the Maxie and Stretch stories are quite interesting to read. Can you imagine roaming across the United States at 64 with a dog and in a motor home? I can't, but I envy anyone who could. Makes for a pleasant storyline.

Lovely!.......2007-04-22

Sue Henry's Alaskan mysteries are great favorites of mine, but I knew nothing about her Maxie McNabb and Stretch mysteries. What a find!

This lovely, lightweight tale finds sixty-something Maxie McNabb, a widow, and her wonderful dachshund Stretch in their "minnie winnie" (a small Winebago) touring the American Southwest. It made me want to pack up and go to Taos immediately, the description of the countryside was that vivid, and not at all like a travelogue.

Anyway, while exploring the world of weaving (also fascinating), Maxie inadvertently gets herself mixed up with the mysterious Shirley, who may or may not have attempted suicide, and then becomes a target herself of murderous killers she does not know. As mentioned above, the mystery is light and doesn't take itself too seriously, and it all gets wound up in about 3 complicated pages that leave more questions than answers, but who cares?

There are mentions of our Alaskan heroine Jessie, and Butch, a character from the Alaska mysteries, puts in an appearance. All in all, I was delighted with this book, and look forward to the next, just published.

A Maxie McNabb adventure.......2007-02-25

Intrepid senior citizen, Maxie McNabb has set off once again in her Winnebago, accompanied by her mini dachshund, Stretch. This time she is intent on exploring areas of New Mexico and makes a stop at the town of Taos. A chance encounter with a strange woman who was rescued from death by asphixiation in her car, leads Maxie to offer her a bed for the night. She confides in Maxie that she was recently taken in by a con man who stole $100,000 from her and absolutely denies attempting suicide. Maxie becomes very interested in weaving after seeing an exhibition in the town's gallery but is horrified to learn that a man's body was found in a vat of the dye used to colour the wools used in weaving. What follows is is a collection of things that could only happen to Maxie...a burglary, a kidnapping, a murder/suicide...altogether too much for a woman in her 60's to cope with...chipper as she is! It's an ok read but has a lot of scenic padding to fill it out.

Lots of fluff, not much substance.......2007-02-23

I loved Maxie and Stretch in the 2 prior books in which they were characters, but this book was very disappointing. I normally like details of the characters' environment, but this book contained page after page of details, such as mentioning each business establishment Maxie passed as she walked along, each diagonal or right turn she took... and almost none of the things she passed was ever mentioned again. There was a very small percentage of words that actually were related to clues or information concerning the mystery / mysteries that Maxie eventually solved. I love New Mexico, have travelled there regularly, and have been to Taos, but this book contained way too much filler and very little relevant or even interesting material. And I was fool enough to buy the hardcover version, being so eager to read more of Maxie and Stretch!

Maxie & Stretch are at it again........2007-02-13

Once again Sue Henry has taken the RV Road to adventure. This time to beautiful Taos, New Mexico where she becomes involved in yet another mystery. I love this newest character she had created. Having RV'd many of the miles Maxie covers, I appreciate the detail and accuracy given to the surroundings. A quick and delightful read!

Average customer rating:

Remote Viewing/Time Traveler
Barrie L. Konicov
Manufacturer: I.M.P.A.C.T. Publishing, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Hypnosis | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
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Hypnosis for Cultivating Intuition (Hypnotic Empowerment for Self-Awakening) (Hypnotic Empowerment for Self-Awakening)

Accessories:

Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Original Orange, 10 Tablets (Pack of 3)
Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor
RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device

ASIN: 1560016876

Book Description

Now you can experience Atlantis, open the secret passageway in the Sphinx and enter into the treasure room. Other journeys also await you.

Super Consciousness series, our newest, most powerful format. The SC programs have an added Subliminal Persuasion soundtrack on the self-hypnosis CD, under Barrie's voice. On the Subliminal CD, 17th Century Baroque music stimulates your body with dynamic harmonies.

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