The Ghost Brigades (Sci Fi Essential Books)

Average customer rating:

sci-fi candy floss

The door opens a little wider...

A Brain Possessed

Are these reviewers all insane???

Quality Character-Based Sci Fi

The Ghost Brigades (Sci Fi Essential Books)
John Scalzi
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Old Man's War

The Last Colony

Dauntless (The Lost Fleet, Book 1)

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The Android's Dream

ASIN: 0765315025
Release Date: 2006-02-21

Book Description

The Ghost Brigades are the Special Forces of the Colonial Defense Forces, elite troops created from the DNA of the dead and turned into the perfect soldiers for the CDFs toughest operations. Theyre young, theyre fast and strong, and theyre totally without normal human qualms. The universe is a dangerous place for humanityand its about to become far more dangerous. Three races that humans have clashed with before have allied to halt our expansion into space. Their linchpin: the turncoat military scientist Charles Boutin, who knows the CDFs biggest military secrets. To prevail, the CDF must find out why Boutin did what he did. Jared Dirac is the only human who can provide answersa superhuman hybrid, created from Boutins DNA, whose brain is uniquely able to access Boutins electronic memories. But when the memory transplant appears to fail, Jared is given over to the Ghost Brigades. At first Jared is a perfect soldier, but as memories surface, he begins to intuit the reasons for Boutins betrayal. As Jared desperately hunts for his father, he must also come to grips with his own choices. Time is running out: the alliance is preparing its offensive, and some of them plan worse things than humanitys mere military defeat . . . .

Customer Reviews:

sci-fi candy floss.......2007-10-16

Fun bit of fairly mindless sci-fi. As other people have said, not quite as good as Old Mans War. Looking forward to reading the third book in the series.

The door opens a little wider..........2007-10-15

Scalzi digs deeper into the "secret soldiers" seen briefly in his first novel "Old Man's War" (2005). Aside from examining how soldiers have their decisions already made for them (no surprise here), Scalzi once again delves into the scientific technology, and how it can be used by (and against) the soldiers.

Real losses by sympathetic characters, as well as the struggle for personal identity and making one's own choices, also resonate in "The Ghost Brigades" (2006). There's a brief tip of the hat (as well as an occasional nudge in the ribs) to military science fiction including "The Forever War" and "Starship Troopers" (both the book and the 1997 movie).

More sensitive readers should know there's no shortage of profanity in some places, with intermittent flashes of sexuality. Overall, this is a strong followup to "Old Man's War."

A Brain Possessed.......2007-10-11

The Ghost Brigades (2006) is the second novel in the Old Man's War series, following Old Man's War. In the previous volume, John Perry became an official CDF hero and made barnstorming tours around the colonies. Jane Sagan went back to work in the Special Forces, AKA the Ghost Brigades.

In this novel, Jane leads a raid on an Obin colony world. The Special Forces take one Rraey prisoner from the Eneshan facility. After a slight biological adjustment of his body, Jane convinces the Rraey to cooperate.

The prisoner Cainen tells of a concerted effort by the Rraey, Eneshan and Obin to conquer the Terran colonies. This alliance has resulted from the defection of one human -- Charles Boutin -- who had been a senior scientist in Military Research. The Colonial Defense Forces were greatly surprised at this news, since Boutin was already dead and buried.

When Harry Wilson finds a recording of Boutin's consciousness among his effects, the CDF decides to create another version of the man. The standard Special Forces processing is used to produce a modified body from Boutin's DNA. Then the recorded consciousness is downloaded into it. Everything goes according to plan, except that the resulting mind seems to be a tabula rasa.

In this story, the new body is named Jared Dirac and integrated into a Special Forces training squad. After his training, Jared is assigned to a Special Forces ship under Lieutenant Jane Sagan. He serves in the Special Forces for almost a year before something brings back one of Boutin's memories.

Jared is reassigned to Military Research to try to stimulate more memories. Cainen and Harry Wilson work with him on the project. He is gradually gaining more memories and his mind displays are looking more like Boutin's every day. Then they send him to Boutin's former home station in hopes that the familiar surroundings will bring further progress. Since the station is now in Obin hands, Jared has to sneak into the habitat and the aliens detect his presence.

This story provides more information on the CDF, the Colonial Union, and their relationships with the nearby aliens. It also mentions weapons of mass destruction: nuclear weapons and biological warfare. The nukes are used as shipkillers and one passage implies that they have been used against alien colonies. The Obin have also used a virus to destroy an army of alien clones.

This tale also introduces a new type of WMD: cybernetic weapons. Computer viruses and other hostile softwares have appeared prominently in many SF stories. Now, however, the author has created a possibility of mass destruction through such a virus.

This sequel builds upon, but differs greatly from, the first novel. Some continuity is provided by characters and institutions, but the plot is nothing like the first story. A difficult effect, but well done. Enjoy!

Highly recommended for Scalzi fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of military operations, transferred consciousness, and dutiful persons.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Are these reviewers all insane???.......2007-10-08

Please read a few books by the following authors:

Iain M. Banks, Charles Stross, William Gibson, John C. Wright, Richard Morgan, Neal Asher, Ken MacLeod.

Or just read one book by one of the above authors. Now read Ghost Brigade.

Notice a difference?

Scalzi has to tell rather than show. His characterization is shallow. His technological ideas would have been novel ten years ago. The pacing drags.

Here's an example: At one point he writes that the soldier's guns are linked to their specific brain implants. He then writes that that's so "their guns can't be used against them by anyone else". Really?!! Thanks for making that clear, because I wouldn't have picked up on it otherwise. The writing follows this painful pattern throughout.

This would be a great book for a seventh or eigth grader wanting to read their "first" sci fi novel, but is it really "top notch"? If you want some great sci fi, skip this and read any of the authors listed above.

Quality Character-Based Sci Fi.......2007-10-06

The Ghost Brigades is a sequel to Scalzi's excellent debut novel, Old Man's War. Several centuries from now, humans are aggressively pushing outward into space, establishing colonies and holding them by force against any number of alien races. The Colonial Defense Force (CDF) is made up of human minds transplanted into new bodies genetically engineered for combat. The most elite branch of the CDF are the shadowy Ghost Brigades.

The story follows an atypical member of the Ghost Brigades, Jared Dirac. Jared's body is a clone designed to reintegrate the mind and memories of a traitor, Charles Boutin, who is helping an alliance of races plan a war against the CDF. The mind transferal doesn't work, so Jared enters the service as himself. However, a series of events begin to trigger memories, which eventually leads to a mission to extract Boutin and uncover his secrets.

What I like best about Scalzi are his characters. Every person in the book has a well-developed, unique, believable personality. Even better, their personalities are not static, but change and mature with events. This is true of every character, but especially so for Jared. As a newly created being, Jared struggles to understand the world and his place in it. In an interesting scene, Jared reads Shelly's Frankenstein to find parallels to his own situation. Is he truly human? Does he control his own destiny? You come to like and care about Jared, which is good, because the book is more about his journey than it is about military operations or galactic politics.

As much as I liked the book, I can't quite give it five stars. The overall plot and action sequences were not as satisfying as Old Man's War. Still, it is a top-notch sci fi tale. I give it 4½ stars.

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Whats there not to like
Great book!
The House of Scorpion
The Ethical Dilemmas of Cloning
Packs quite a sting

The House of the Scorpion
Nancy Farmer
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0689852231

Amazon.com

Fields of white opium poppies stretch away over the hills, and uniformed workers bend over the rows, harvesting the juice. This is the empire of Matteo Alacran, a feudal drug lord in the country of Opium, which lies between the United States and Aztlan, formerly Mexico. Field work, or any menial tasks, are done by "eejits," humans in whose brains computer chips have been installed to insure docility. Alacran, or El Patron, has lived 140 years with the help of transplants from a series of clones, a common practice among rich men in this world. The intelligence of clones is usually destroyed at birth, but Matt, the latest of Alacran's doubles, has been spared because he belongs to El Patron. He grows up in the family's mansion, alternately caged and despised as an animal and pampered and educated as El Patron's favorite. Gradually he realizes the fate that is in store for him, and with the help of Tam Lin, his bluff and kind Scottish bodyguard, he escapes to Aztlan. There he and other "lost children" are trapped in a more subtle kind of slavery before Matt can return to Opium to take his rightful place and transform his country.

Nancy Farmer, a two-time Newbery honoree, surpasses even her marvelous novel, The Ear, The Eye and the Arm in the breathless action and fascinating characters of The House of the Scorpion. Readers will be reminded of Orson Scott Card's Ender in Matt's persistence and courage in the face of a world that intends to use him for its own purposes, and of Louis Sachar's Holes in the camaraderie of imprisoned boys and the layers of meaning embedded in this irresistibly compelling story. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell

Book Description

Matteo Alacrán was not born; he was harvested. His DNA came from El Patrón, lord of a country called Opium -- a strip of poppy fields lying between the United States and what was once called Mexico. Matt's first cell split and divided inside a petri dish. Then he was placed in the womb of a cow, where he continued the miraculous journey from embryo to fetus to baby. He is a boy now, but most consider him a monster -- except for El Patrón. El Patrón loves Matt as he loves himself, because Matt is himself.

As Matt struggles to understand his existence, he is threatened by a sinister cast of characters, including El Patrón's power-hungry family, and he is surrounded by a dangerous army of bodyguards. Escape is the only chance Matt has to survive. But escape from the Alacr n Estate is no guarantee of freedom, because Matt is marked by his difference in ways he doesn't even suspect.

Customer Reviews:

Whats there not to like.......2007-09-18

Its a highly addictive book that keeps you wanting more. I have to read this for my English class and I can't stop reading, When I first got this book I thought it was going to be "Another one of those books" so to speak. It's an experience that can't and shouldn't be passed up. Once you start reading this book it becomes hard to put down there is nothing I can say bad about this book 5/5

Great book!.......2007-08-22

This book is a must read for any person, but there are drugs and violence, and the plot might be a little scary for some people.
This is one of my favorite books, as it doesnt just include one element. it has sci-fi, moral issues suspense, humor, and even a bit of (GASP!) romance!!! it doesnt get too intimate though, just kissing. i would reccomend this book to anyone four and up on the reading experience scale.
although it seems like a thick book, its a really fast read!

The House of Scorpion.......2007-08-18

The book was great, but the ending seemed like it should have another book (series).

The Ethical Dilemmas of Cloning.......2007-08-06

Imagine being harvested, not born. Imagine having no mother or father. Imagine being the exact replica of a feared and reviled drug lord. Imagine having a life expectancy of 14 years, for unknown yet fearful reasons. This is life as young Matteo Alacran knows it, and his story is what makes Nancy Farmer's THE HOUSE OF THE SCORPION a terrifically engaging book.

Rich in both plot and characterization, SCORPION opens with a boy locked in a house and kept by a kindly servant who works for El Patron, a 140-year-old (that is not a typo) drug lord whose real name is also Matteo Alacran and who rules a futuristic land, called Opium, that lies between the United States and the former land of Mexico (now called Aztlan). Matt's guardian is Celia, but her secret spills out into the open when Matt is discovered by children who wander far from the Big House where El Patron's rather nasty family lives.

Farmer provides a helpful family tree in the beginning, but it's not too difficult to keep track as only a few of the characters play a larger role -- chiefly young Maria, who bucks the trend of the entire family (spare El Patron) by lavishing attention on the reviled clone (our young protagonist, Matt). Then there's her step-brother, Tom, who makes a terrific antagonist -- all red hair, freckles, and guile. Tom's mother Felicia, a drug and alcohol-laden Cruella De Ville type, bears watching. And then there's El Patron himself, a Godfather figure who Matt loves despite foreshadowed warnings that begin to show their dark and sinister heads as the plot advances.

One huge plus for the book is the character of Tam Lin, a Scottish bodyguard assigned to Matt who proves a true mentor and savior in a most unexpected package. One slight minus for the book is the last section, "La Vida Nueva," which is almost like a sequel (though it ties in with previous material at the end) and isn't quite as strong as the beginning 2/3rds, due to a number of strong characters being missing from the action.

Still, it's a small complaint. This is a book of ideas capable of yielding rich discussion about the ethics of cloning (for various reasons that I can't get into here). An excellent plot will engage reluctant readers, and rich characterization will enchant readers who like to really get to KNOW their characters as flesh and blood people. When you enter this world, you won't easily forget it, even after you've long put the novel down. Can there be higher compliment for a book?

Packs quite a sting.......2007-07-15

A young clone, Matteo "Matt" Alacrán (scorpion in Spanish), lives a secluded life in a desolate house within the poppy fields owned by a man he has never met. His only human contact is with his caregiver, Celia, a servant of the master, El Patrón, who goes to great lengths to exceed his life expectancy. Her stories are his only source of information about the world. Early on, he encounters some of the children of whom he knows only through her stories. Injured during the encounter, he is taken to the main house and treated kindly. But in the time it takes for a scorpion's tale to inject its venom, everything changes with the revelation of his true identity. Eejits and clones are center stage in this story of a family set amidst a variety of societal issues; communism, Catholicism, drug trafficking and immigration as well as the distorted family ties that bind the members together.

Taking place in three countries: America, no longer a world of milk and honey (as many people emigrate as immigrate), Aztlán (formerly Mexico) and the land between, Opium, it follows the life of Matt, an unlikely hero, whose will to live and persistence pay off when faced with a series of obstacles. A book geared towards teens, it's written at a high school level. Although it is interestingly complicated and includes a clarifying Cast of Characters and Family History, similar stuff has been written in books like Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, published later, shares similar themes.

Average customer rating:

Skilled writer, but leaves me cold
Good intentions, mediocore application.
To be or not to be?
Just below par for finishing
Beautiful and thought-provoking

Never Let Me Go
Kazuo Ishiguro
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1400043395
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Amazon.com

All children should believe they are special. But the students of Hailsham, an elite school in the English countryside, are so special that visitors shun them, and only by rumor and the occasional fleeting remark by a teacher do they discover their unconventional origins and strange destiny. Kazuo Ishiguro's sixth novel, Never Let Me Go, is a masterpiece of indirection. Like the students of Hailsham, readers are "told but not told" what is going on and should be allowed to discover the secrets of Hailsham and the truth about these children on their own.

Offsetting the bizarreness of these revelations is the placid, measured voice of the narrator, Kathy H., a 31-year-old Hailsham alumna who, at the close of the 1990s, is consciously ending one phase of her life and beginning another. She is in a reflective mood, and recounts not only her childhood memories, but her quest in adulthood to find out more about Hailsham and the idealistic women who ran it. Although often poignant, Kathy's matter-of-fact narration blunts the sharper emotional effects you might expect in a novel that deals with illness, self-sacrifice, and the severe restriction of personal freedoms. As in Ishiguro's best-known work, The Remains of the Day, only after closing the book do you absorb the magnitude of what his characters endure. --Regina Marler

Book Description

From the acclaimed author of The Remains of the Day and When We Were Orphans, a moving new novel that subtly reimagines our world and time in a haunting story of friendship and love.

As a child, Kathy–now thirty-one years old–lived at Hailsham, a private school in the scenic English countryside where the children were sheltered from the outside world, brought up to believe that they were special and that their well-being was crucial not only for themselves but for the society they would eventually enter. Kathy had long ago put this idyllic past behind her, but when two of her Hailsham friends come back into her life, she stops resisting the pull of memory.

And so, as her friendship with Ruth is rekindled, and as the feelings that long ago fueled her adolescent crush on Tommy begin to deepen into love, Kathy recalls their years at Hailsham. She describes happy scenes of boys and girls growing up together, unperturbed–even comforted–by their isolation. But she describes other scenes as well: of discord and misunderstanding that hint at a dark secret behind Hailsham’s nurturing facade. With the dawning clarity of hindsight, the three friends are compelled to face the truth about their childhood–and about their lives now.

A tale of deceptive simplicity, Never Let Me Go slowly reveals an extraordinary emotional depth and resonance–and takes its place among Kazuo Ishiguro’s finest work.

Download Description

"So exquisitely observed that even the most workaday objects and interactions are infused with a luminous, humming otherworldliness. The dystopian story it tells, meanwhile, gives it a different kind of electric charge. . . . An epic ethical horror story, told in devastatingly poignant
miniature. . . . Ishiguro spins a stinging cautionary tale of science outpacing ethics."
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Perfect pacing and infinite subtlety. . . . That this stunningly brilliant fiction echoes Caryl Churchill’s superb play A Number and Margaret Atwood’s celebrated dystopian novels in no way diminishes its originality and power. A masterpiece of craftsmanship that offers an unparalleled emotional experience. Send a copy to the Swedish Academy."
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Ishiguro’s elegant prose and masterly ways with characterization make for a lovely tale of memory, self-understanding, and love."
—Library Journal (starred review)

"Ishiguro’s provocative subject matter and taut, potent prose have earned him multiple literary decorations, including the French government’s Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and an Order of the British Empire for service to literature…. In this luminous offering, he nimbly navigates the landscape of emotion — the inevitable link between present and past and the fine line between compassion and cruelty, pleasure and pain."
—Booklist

Praise for Kazuo Ishiguro:
"His books are Zen gardens with no flowery metaphors, no wild, untamed weeds threatening — or allowed — to overrun the plot."
—The Globe and Mail

"A writer of Ishiguro’s intelligence, sensitivity and stylistic brilliance obviously offers rewards."
—The Gazette (Montreal)

"Kazuo Ishiguro distinguishes himself as one of our most eloquent poets of loss."
—Joyce Carol Oates, TLS

"Ishiguro is a stylist like no other, a writer who knows that the truth is often unspoken."
—Maclean’s

"One of the finest prose stylists of our time."
—Michael Ondaatje

"Ishiguro shows immense tenderness for his characters, however absurd or deluded they may be."
—The Guardian

"[Ishiguro is] an original and remarkable genius."
—The New York Times Book Review

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Skilled writer, but leaves me cold.......2007-08-30

This one is clearly a well-crafted book- the story is thight and the characters are well described and realistic within their strange and tiny world. In the words of comic artist Dan Clowes, however, the book maintains an icy distance between artist and reader. Not bad of itself,i was in the mood for a waarmer read.

Good intentions, mediocore application........2007-08-23

I'd have to disagree with previous reviews in saying that I did not at all find the book slow-paced, nor boring, although definitely anticlimatic.

What disturbs me the most is the part about the 'students' humanity being defended through their art. I'm not sure if Ishiguro was implying that the students were not human, but it seemed as though through their actions they were only imitating human life. None of them ever really loved, even when they thought they did. And even when it was brought up that their art was a glimpse into their soul, can anyone believe that making art would prove that someone was human? Just because someone has the ability to create art that is seemingly 'moving' or 'good' doesn't mean they understand what they are doing or purposefully creating the art because of what is in their souls. Even Kathy points out that none of them really knew what was good or not, they all just seemed to have a scale that was ingrained into them on how to rate art. On how many tokens it would acheive. It was not a very convincing arguement to say that art was being used to make them more human.

There's a subtle line, I believe, between the way the 'students' interact with one another and the way the rest of the world interacts. In a way, every ounce of them clings to the way they believe Hailsham was, even though they start to distort their memories and forget things. I'm not sure if it was poor characterization or a deliberate attempt by Ishiguro to make the 'students' seem slightly less human. But if you're writing a book about clones interacting with each other in a somewhat normal way, trying to make them seem normal, then why end up making them not so human after all.

And I disagree with the writing. I do not think it is one of the best written books in a hundred years. Ishiguro is obvious in pointing things out to the reader even when he's trying to be subtle. Especially in the way he explains his metaphors in simplier terms in the following sentence, as if implying the reader couldn't figure it out. Or in the ways that he had to go out and blatently say that the gaurdians were afraid of the students without even showing it, even in the last greeting at madame's house. I'd rather be able to think for my own, thank you.

To be or not to be?.......2007-08-19

I agree with Robert Bezimienny's review that the characters are flat and the premise of the story is only sketchily developed. It's a story about people who aren't quite human yet behave like most people you know. So, maybe they are human? It's also a tragic love story about two people who should be together but aren't. What separates them? Unlike the author, I think their own passivity--not another person--is to blame. So, how is that tragic, really?

The first third of the book is pure, page-turning suspense. Life at this English boarding school is definitely odd. What truth lies behind it? Gradually the reader surmises much of the truth and the last third of the book is anticlimatic. I wish the author had continued the suspense with new twists and curiosities. Because the characters are unsatisfying and the emotions distilled like water. One character goes into wild rages but these are described at a great distance. More often, we see this character close up as quite easy-going.

There is a villain of sorts but she is not developed to any real impact. I disliked her and grew impatient that her friend did not see through her but since she never did, what was there to get excited about?

Even though many reviewers seem to love this author's style, and this book in particular, I admit to prefering more red blood in my stories. The movie "The Remains of the Day" should give you an idea if this type of Britainia is your cup of tea.

Just below par for finishing.......2007-08-14

A lot of other people have already articulated what I felt about this book, but I'd still like to stress the lower end of ratings a bit more.

I liked the concept, the slow revealing of what it's all about and occasionally even the actual content, but most of the time I just found it a bit too distant and hard to connect with. On a page-to-page basis, there wasn't much to keep me reading.

Maybe I'm just too picky about books. The author seems nicely original. But he's just missing something. Human-oriented science fiction that's interesting neither science fictionally nor humanly.

Beautiful and thought-provoking.......2007-08-10

This book is so well written the mere prose brings tears to my eyes. The story itself is heartwrenching as well, in the subtle, restrained way of Ishiguro, of course. What's unbelievable is how complacent the children are about their fate: no rebellion, no runaways. But put that aside, because the story is worth it.

Average customer rating:

Healthcare Ethics in a Diverse Society
Michael C. Brannigan , and Judith Boss
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 155934976X

Book Description

This text/reader performs two tasks: First, it provides a sound, comprehensive introduction to the field of conventional Western medical ethics; second, it introduces readers to cross-cultural perspectives related to these or similar issues.

Average customer rating:

Another great one from Peter Reynolds
A great gift book for the over scheduled person!

So Few of Me

Manufacturer: Candlewick
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0763626236
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Book Description

"Just the message overscheduled families need in today's frantic world . . . delivered with humor and terrific artwork." — John de Graaf, national coordinator, Take Back Your Time

Leo's list of things to do keeps growing, until one day he wishes, "If only there were two of me." Just as the words are out of his mouth, poof! Another Leo appears! Two Leos become three, three become four, and four become more . . . but Leo can't help but notice that he has even more to do than before. As he struggles to deal with his overcomplicated life, Leo realizes that there may be a simpler solution to his overscheduling woes. Peter H. Reynolds, the award-winning author-illustrator of THE DOT and ISH, returns with an important message for readers of all ages: stop and take a little time to dream.

Customer Reviews:

Another great one from Peter Reynolds.......2007-03-28

A charming, genuinely funny book that recaptures the elegant, offhand magic of Reynolds' earlier gem, The Dot. Here a young man named Leo finds himself swamped under rapidly multiplying to-do lists and chores -- schoolwork, laundry, classes, cooking -- and he idly thinks to himself, how nice it would be if there were two of me, so I could do all my work faster. Well, poof! then there are two of him... then three... and eventually ten Leos, all running around, taking out the trash, studying calculus, rushing to soccer practice, making more to-do lists and trying to coordinate all their Leo labors... It turns out, though, that the more of you are, the harder and more hectic it gets: Leo winds up spending as much time managing his doppelgangers as he does getting any actual work done! A funny, gentle, incisive look at the modern problems of overbooked, overscheduled people everywhere, both kids and adults. The solution Leo comes up with is pretty nice, and the story is a great, entertaining read. I love Reynolds' artwork, too, especially how it evokes Jules Fieffer's old cartoons. Another highly recommended book from a guy who's rapidly becoming one of my favorite new children's book artists. [...]

A great gift book for the over scheduled person!.......2006-11-29

This is a wonderful book....it teaches kids a lesson that I (and probably many others!!) wish I'd learned at a young age...YOU CAN'T DO IT ALL...STOP TRYING!!! The pictures are humorous and simple and make the story seem really like a modern-day fable. This is truly a must-read for anyone that has a child that is a perfectionist or overscheduled. It is also perfect for the adult that is burning the candle at both ends themselves or worse...overscheduling their OWN kid!

Enjoy this...I bet it will be a gift you give others!

Average customer rating:

Action From The First Chapter! Review by YMP, age 12
point blanc is not a blanc book!
Alex Rider is an awsome spy adventure for preteens
Point Blank Review
Point Blank Review

Point Blank (Alex Rider Adventures)
Anthony Horowitz
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0142406120

Book Description

When an investigation into a series of mysterious deaths leads agents to an elite prep school for rebellious kids, MI6 assigns Alex Rider to the case. Before he knows it, Alex is hanging out with the sons of the rich and powerful, and something feels wrong. These former juvenile delinquents have turned well-behaved, studious—and identical—overnight. It's up to Alex to find out who is masterminding this nefarious plot, before they find him.

Customer Reviews:

Action From The First Chapter! Review by YMP, age 12.......2007-09-07

Point Blank is one of the first books in the Alex Rider series, and it is by far my favourite of the lot. It has tons of action, which by itself is quite ordinary, but how Horowitz manages to work in an excellent plot that is absolutely not formulaic no matter how many Alex Rider books he writes, that's extraordinary.

The book starts off with action in the first chapter, not making you read two or three boring chapters before the action starts like some other books. As soon as I read the first chapter, about the assassination of a multimillionaire, I knew it was just as good as the others, if not better. There are now six books in the series: Stormbreaker, Point Blank, Skeleton Key, Eagle Strike, Scorpia, and Ark Angel. I encourage you to read them all! - Y.M.P.

point blanc is not a blanc book!.......2007-05-27

I read this book 2 times and each time it seems to get more exciting! It has to be he most action packed alex rider book out there. This time alex is asigned to look into a case at point blanc academy, the finishing school for the crime comiting sons of rich people. But the head teachers not just in it for the money and fun.....

Alex Rider is an awsome spy adventure for preteens.......2007-04-02

I recommend this book to anyone who likes nonstop action. This book is a non-stop, non-fiction thriller. The plot is very believable because Anthony Horowitz explains anything that is confusing. I loved this book and have read the whole series. This book was a page-turner because you are yearning to find out what happens to Alex. You can't put it down. You keep saying 5 more minutes but don't put it down until your done. Anthony Horowitz has been long deprived of a well-deserved medal. Horowitz has created a world of action, spies, and evil lunatics that try to take over the world. With more publicity, this could be the next Harry Potter.

Point Blank Review.......2007-03-23

Point Blank was a never ending action book. Alex Rider is sent to Point Blank Acadamy to discover what is going on inside. The reason the British agency MI6 sends Alex to Point Blank is because after two unsloved murders of parents who's children attend Point Blank. You will just have to read to see what happens next.

I really enjoyed Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz. This book was all about action which I was really into. Anthony Horowitz really got me into the book and I didn't want to put it down. I really loved how Anthony Horowitz kept you guessing the whole time, and you didn't know what would happen next. I was impressed by Point Blank and I sugest this book to all young readers who like action.

Point Blank Review.......2007-03-23

Point Blank was a never ending action book. Alex Rider is sent to Point Blank Acadamy to discover what is going on inside. The British agency MI6 sends Alex to Point Blank after two unsloved murders of two parents who's children attend Point Blank. You will just have to read to see what happens next.

I really enjoyed Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz. This book was all about action which I was really into. Anthony Horowitz really got me into the book and I didn't want to put it down. I really loved how Anthony Horowitz kept you guessing the whole time what would happen next. I was impressed by Point Blank and I sugest this book to all young readers who like action.

Gene Cloning and DNA Analysis: An Introduction

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clearly written undergraduate text
Up to date and still very readable
A Good Book for Introductory Courses in Molecular Biology
A Versatile, Accessible Introduction

Gene Cloning and DNA Analysis: An Introduction
Terry Brown
Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1405111216

Book Description

Known world-wide as the standard introductory text to this important and exciting area, the fifth edition of Gene Cloning and DNA Analysis addresses new and growing areas of research whilst retaining the philosophy of the previous editions. Assuming the reader has little prior knowledge of the subject, its importance, the principles of the techniques used and their applications are all carefully laid out, with over 250 clearly presented two-colour illustrations.In addition to a number of informative changes to the text throughout the book, the final four chapters have been significantly updated and extended to reflect the striking advances made in recent years in the applications of gene cloning and DNA analysis in biotechnology.

Customer Reviews:

clearly written undergraduate text.......2006-11-30

As an introductory text on its subject, the book is well written. With copious diagrams that are easy to understand and that illustrate key ideas. A merit of the book is the clarity of the textual exposition, reinforced by those diagrams.

The text is also quite up to date in this fast changing field. With the good coverage of many topics. Including the seminal Polymerase Chain Reaction, that is the basis of so much else. You can see that genomics/biotechnology is now a practical and quantitative science. With plenty remaining to be understood, to be sure. But the book shows that we now have powerful tools to experiment with, to reduce our ignorance.

Up to date and still very readable.......2006-04-12

This book has become the standard introductory text at the undergraduate level for students in the first or second year of college and as an introductory book for researchers whose specialty lies in other areas but needing to know more about the subject. While an introductory text, it does presume that you are approaching the subject with at least some background in biology. If nothing else, you need to know what a gene is and have some idea about why you would want to clone it.

This basic book has been around for about twenty years. The twenty years since then have seen tremendous advances in the techniques and science as they now exist. This is the fifth edition of the book and it is as up to date as any printed book can be.

Since the book was written the public awareness of genetically altered plants has increased tremendously. A major goal of this new edition is to present to the student the true facts about genetically modified agricultural products. The final chapter on Forensic science and Archaeology is most fascinating as it provides a non technical look at DNA analysis in criminal acts and in the tracing of the human species.

Highly recommended.

A Good Book for Introductory Courses in Molecular Biology.......2004-12-31

I am a science student Studying Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. I used this book as a reference book for an Introduction to Genetic Engineering course. It was a great help for me. The book outlines the basic principles and methods in many aspects of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering in the simplest of ways. The book is easy to understand even to people with no big background in Molecular Biology as it explains everything from zero. It is a great book for introductory courses or as a quick reference for the basic ideas of some techniques and advances in the field. It does not give a lot of detail and explanation that is usually required from university students, such as myself, so more in-depth references are certainley required. However, as a joyful read for those interested in the field, or simply as a quick revision of the basics before your final exam, this book works wonders! Trust me... I got a straight A (99% on my final) :) All in all, it's a good book!

A Versatile, Accessible Introduction.......2001-10-14

I came away very impressed from Dr. Brown's latest edition. The book is extremely readable but does not dumb down the material. I'm taking an upper-level molecular genetics lab and am doing independent work in genetics, and this book is a great reference. However, I think that this book would be pretty easy for someone with introductory level biology--heck, I think some AP Biology high school teachers may be able to use this text for their classes.

Brown takes you through all the basics of molecular genetics: from the basic mechanics of DNA manipulation to PCR, bacteriophages, and even a review of basic genomics and genomic analysis, which are still very new and rapidly evolving fields. Every chapter has references for more in-depth study. This is a great book to introduce you to modern molecular genetics.

Average customer rating:

This book teaches you the easy way to make those energy efficiency improvements

Excellent book and worth every peeny

Beginner to Expert, Something for all.

Worth every penny ...

Fantastic reference

Insulate and Weatherize: Expert Advice from Start to Finish (Build Like A Pro)
Bruce Harley
Manufacturer: Taunton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Home Energy Diet: How To Save Money By Making Your House Energy-smart (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series)

ASIN: 1561585548
Release Date: 2002-10-01

Book Description

From the most basic solutions to advanced, energy-saving projects, no book covers home insulation and weatherization like this one. With 35 drawings and 350 color photos guiding them, homeowners will learn how best to keep their homes warm in winter, cool in summer, and weather-tight all year long.

Customer Reviews:

This book teaches you the easy way to make those energy efficiency improvements.......2007-10-19

Sealing up your home envelope (the border between conditioned and unconditioned spaces) and proper insulation are the most cost effective improvements you can make in a home to significantly reduce your energy consumption while improving comfort. This book is a guide based on a professionals experiences, teaches the best ways to make those improvements, and educates you on why and how. Though it's scope is constrained around insulating and weatherizing, it's the best reference in that space I've found.

Excellent book and worth every peeny.......2007-10-03

I purchased an old wooden home built about 1890 a few years ago. Other that some poorly installed blown fiberglass there wasn't any insulation in the house. I immediately started getting every book on insulating and energy efficiency that I could out of the library. This book was one of the last ones I read but it's the only one that I went back and purchased. It may not have step by step guides but what it does do is teach you about the basic mechanics of how your house works, which to me is more important than any step by step guide. It is not short on very specific advice either and also includes an excellent resource guide to purchase many of the things you will need to do the job. I have constantly referred back to this book as we slowly turn this leaky old home into a tight, energy efficient and more comfortable home.

This book is for anyone looking to improve the energy efficiency of their home, even if you are just in the design stage. Many more subjects than just insulation are covered.

Beginner to Expert, Something for all........2007-06-12

I am a firm believer in the KISS method of doing things. (Keep It Simple Stupid") Every step is covered in this book so that anyone can learn from it. The "Build Like A Pro" series of books are all laid out like this one. The "Expert Tips" are great. They show you short cuts to help you do the jobs right, but in less time. This is stuff you only learn by doing the job everyday. They are trade secrets.

Worth every penny ..........2007-02-21

This is the first book that I've ever been prompted to write an online review of. I'm having a new home built in the spring, and this book has given me the information needed to make sure my contractor is doing the job correctly. If you're inclined to do the work yourself, this is also the book you want. If you implement just one of the suggestions, you'll save many times the cost of the book.

Fantastic reference.......2007-01-19

I bought a 50 year old house 6 months ago and I've already checked this book out of the local library four times. Plenty of sections I keep coming back to. Excellent plan of attack for sealing, insulating, and then (when you need to) properly ventalating an older house. And the HVAC sections have been a great reference when were were shopping for central AC (which we just put in) and a new boiler (the next big project). I've raved about this book to so many other homeowners with high utility bills.

I had an energy audit done a litte while ago, and two guys came out to the house. One was the trainer, the other had just gone through the certification program. Between this book and the building sciences website, I felt like I knew more than the assitant. And that definitely helped me get more out of the audit, knowing what questions to ask and understanding the auditor's recommendations.

Condensed Protocols from Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual

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Condensed protocols from Molecular Cloning: A laboratory manual

Condensed Protocols from Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual
Joseph Sambrook
Manufacturer: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0879697717

Book Description

The Condensed Protocols From Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual is a single-volume adaptation of the three-volume third edition of Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual. This condensed book contains only the step-by-step portions of the protocols, accompanied by selected appendices from the world's best-selling manual of molecular biology techniques. Each protocol is cross-referenced to the appropriate pages in the original manual. This affordable companion volume, designed for bench use, offers individual investigators the opportunity to have their own personal collection of short protocols from the essential Molecular Cloning

Customer Reviews:

Condensed protocols from Molecular Cloning: A laboratory manual.......2006-07-31

The condensed protocols version of Molecular Cloning is well written, concise and adequately referenced. Protocols are easy to follow and provide options depending upon individual experimental needs and preference.

The protocols provide information from home made recipes to prepared reagents available commercially.

The protocols work in my hands.

The book is large and not easily used on bench top. Otherwise it is a good resource for the laboratory.

Average customer rating:

Double Identity
What would you do if you found out you were a clone?
A Science-Fiction Mystery
Bethany's Double Identity
One of Haddix's Best Books

Double Identity
Margaret Peterson Haddix
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0689873794

Book Description

So my only protection is a kindergarten teacher and a ninety-eight-pound female minister....And they don't even believe I'm in danger.

As Bethany approaches her thirteenth birthday, her parents act more oddly than usual. Her mother cries constantly, and her father barely lets Bethany out of his sight. Then one morning he hustles the entire family into the car, drives across several state lines -- and leaves Bethany with an aunt she never knew existed. Bethany has no idea what's going on. She's worried her mom and dad are running from some kind of trouble, but she can't find out because they won't tell her where they are going.

Bethany's only clue is a few words she overheard her father tell her aunt: "She doesn't know anything about Elizabeth." But Aunt Myrlie won't tell Bethany who Elizabeth is, and she won't explain why people in her small town react to Bethany as if they've seen a ghost. The mystery intensifies when Bethany gets a package from her father containing four different birth certificates from four different states, with four different last names -- and thousands of dollars in cash. And when a strange man shows up asking questions, Bethany realizes the's not the only one who's desperate to unravel the secrets of her past.

Customer Reviews:

Double Identity.......2007-08-23

I think Double Identity is a great story, it is a great book that needs much interest but that is not very hard to persue because of the wonderful and unique writing style Margaret Peterson Haddix has performed. Margaret also did a fantastic job on describing certain parts of the book that might be confusing if another author other than Margaret were to write it. Margaret is a very good author and i am looking forward to reading other books that she has written.
In this book Bethany is out to find information about her family, why is her mother is crying more than ever as she approaches her 13th birthday? Why are her parents dropping her off at her aunt's - a complete stranger to her- house for a while? And why had she never even known she had other family members other than her parents? Bethany's search is hard and confusing as she tries to get some information out of her aunt but however her aunt is not aloud to answer these questions.
The phone rings. All three of us jump for it, but Myrlie gets there first.
"Hello?"Myrlie says
I hear my mother's voice coming through the reciever, "Why hello Myrlie, I didn't expect you to be there. Could i speak to Elizabeth please?"
"No Hillary Elizabeth isn't available may i speak to Walter please?"
"Sorry Myrlie, I can't do that Walter doesn't know i'm calling, I just wanted to speak to Elizabeth."
I grab the phone out of Myrlie's hands.
"Hi Mom" i say...
"Your Father says we can get you back, it'll be like you never died."...

What would you do if you found out you were a clone?.......2007-07-17

Bethany had always been sheltered by her overprotective parents. She never spent one night away from them until one day they drive across many states and leave her with a woman she's never met before. - Myrlie. It seems like all the puzzle pieces of her world are falling apart.

As Bethany works to put the pieces back together, she finds that it isn't quite the same puzzle she thought it was. Bethany's parents had sheltered her from many things in an effort to protect her from the reality of her birth. But Bethany begins to learn about her family from Myrlie and Myrlie's daughter, Joss. It turns out that Myrlie is her aunt and Joss is her cousin. And Bethany learns that she is a clone of Elizabeth, her parents' first daughter (a sister she hadn't known existed) . Elizabeth had been killed 20 years earlier in a car accident. It's going to take Bethany quite a while to figure out how she fits back into this new puzzle.

I really enjoyed this story. The subject matter of cloning is a very touchy subject. Even though it is at the fringe of our current reality, the author presented it in a very realistic and reasonable manner. I especially appreciated Bethany's reaction to the realization that she was a clone. It seemed very honest and real. As for the writing - Haddix is a master of suspense. She peels away the layers of the story giving hints all along without giving the big mysteries away. The story grabbed me and pulled me right through to the end. I finished it in one night.

This book would be good for a classroom setting or book group. There is certainly a lot to talk about.

A Science-Fiction Mystery.......2007-06-29

Bethany Cole grew up to be a normal kid, had a normal childhood and went to a normal school. Until she found out that she used to have a sister who died in a car crash and that she was her clone. Double Identity is a gripping, science-fiction/ mystery novel. It is scary but pleasant at the same time. It is basically about a girl who is forced to go and live with her by her parents. Her parents tell her not to call them and that they will be back to pick her up in a few days. But Bethany just kept waiting and waiting and never got a phonecall from her mom or her dad. She also kept waiting by the door and frequently looking out the window to see if they were outside. Eventually Bethany learned to like Myrlie and felt more comfortable around her, even though she was still shy. She also met her daughter Joss who was a Minister.

One time when they were all playing cards Joss slipped out something about Elizabeth, but everyone forgot about it because the phone rang, Bethany went and picked it up, it was her mom. "Mom!", Bethany shouted as she picked up the phone. "Hi Elizabeth", her mom said. Than she said "I have to hurry your father doesn't know i'm calling," "I am so sorry I didn't see that truck coming it is all my fault everything that happened." "I am so sorry Elizabeth will you ever forgive me?" Than Bethany heard her mother say "No Walter I have to talk to Elizabeth." Bethany heard her dad but all he said was "Give the phone to Myrlie." When Myrlie got off the phone she said that her dad had said it would be alright if she told Bethany about Elizabeth. So Myrlie and Joss explained to Bethany who Elizabeth was and all about the car crash. Than it all made sense to Bethany, why her mom cried so much, and why her parents were so protective all the time. They were afraid something would happen to her, just like something happened to Elizabeth.

"This is one of the best books I have ever read and i encourage more people to read it."

Bethany's Double Identity.......2007-06-28

Double Identity is a science fiction/mystery novel. It is scary but pleasant at the same time. It is about a girl named Bethany Cole, who finds out she used to have a sister who's name was Elizabeth, and that she had died in a car crash. Bethany also finds out that her parents had gotten paid from a man named Dalton Van Dyne. They were getting paid to make a clone of Dalton but instead made a clone of Elizabeth, and the result was Bethany. Her parents hadn't told her about any of this, they were just always careful around her and very protective with her. Then one night her dad rushed her into the car in the middle of the night along with her mom, she has no idea what is going on. Her dad just kept driving until what seemed like hours and hours, he just dropped her off with her aunt who's name was Myrlie, who Bethany had just found out she had. Her parents just told her not to call her and that they would be back soon.

Well Bethany learned to like Myrlie, and also met her daughter Joss. Than one day when Myrlie had taken Bethany to the Y, someone was looking funny at her, and when they got back to Myrlie's house, she asked her why, and Bethany finally found out about Elizabeth. Than that's why Bethany found out why her mother was always crying and why her parents were so careful with her, they were always afraid something was going to happen to her. Than when her mom called, she said i'm not supposed to be calling you your dad doesn't know. It was all my fault i didn't see that truck coming I am so sorry Elizabeth. Than Myrlie and Joss explained everything and how Tom had died (Myrlie's husband) and how Joss was in the hospital for so long. They said they had never really talked to Walter and Hillary since then, they barely ever saw them since the accident.

This book is one of the best I have ever read and I encourage more people to read it.

One of Haddix's Best Books.......2007-06-11

I love all Margaret Peterson Haddix's books because of their suspense and mystery. This book not only had those 2 qualities, but it was also gripping and interesting. The beginning keeps you reading until the amazing ending. Definately one of my favorite books.

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