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A pretty good sequel to The Probablilty Broach though not quite as good and not albe to stand on its own.

The best of the whole book was a description of flying through space that was so well written and realistic that it made me sick to my stomach just reading it.

About10 years have passed since the previous novel. It is 1999 and in our dimension Nolan Davidson of the Propertarian Party (obviously a nod to David Nolan of the Libertarian Party) is about to be elected President, the first such propertarian, due to the people of the USA being so bettered thanks to free trade with the Confederacy on the other side of the probability broach.

In the North American confederacy, things appear to be looking up like always, but our hero Win Bear begins a new private detective investigation as many of the leading people in their stateless society are mysteriously missing. No long after he leaves his pregnant wife (he gives me a a sexy introduction to what basically is a 1980s attempt at describing an iPad) she goes missing too.

Worth reading, and seeing how the new technology that the free market brings makes it possible for him to get out a very tight spot.

Against intellectual monopoly was a fantastic read. Two economists take a deep dive into one of western societies longest standing traditions, IP: Copyright, patents, and trademarks. returnreturnWe've been told since a young age that patents helped usher in the industrial age, and should have similar positive effects on the information age. But is it true? returnreturnLevine and Boldrin argue that its not. Not only is government granted monopoly bad for individual freedom, but it hurts the economy and is one of the biggest detriments to moving to the next stage of human development. returnreturnI cannot recommend this enough. Whether you think the IP debate is settled, whether you've already picked your side, or whether you think its all boring, I think this book will open your eyes to a bigger picture, that is surprisingly thrilling given the subject, the authors and the published (Cambridge University Press)

This is the first Ficton work I have read by L. Neil Smith, and I highly recommend it to EVERYONE.

If you like mysteries, it's for you, if you like, Science Fiction, its for you, if you like Political Thrillers, its for you, if you like Libertarian policies, its for you.

This book was written in 1980 and takes place in the "near future" in a community where the EPA has regulated A/C to being not allowed for private use, to forcing most competiive businesses to close etc.

Our lead Character, Detective Win Bear, is called to the scene of the crime of yet another gang shooting. When he finds some strange coins and a strange membership card.

During his investigation he ends up being in a large explosions at the University and Win is shipped, somewhere—its not clear at first whether there is an elaborate hoax, time travel, or what.

He's gunned down and ends up finding his identical self. They spend the rest of the book fighting for what is his, standing up to the news of nuclear war coming because he got here, and really, I don't want to go into too much, the desk jacket itself gives away far too much of this,and you really REALY need to read this.

This audio book was extremely well written, really deserving a 5 star rating for writing quality, however, I found many of the scenes incredibly inapproiate. I'm still having dirty dreams and fantasy's about a scene with a green dress in a '47 Plymouth. So for that it is really deserving of no more than a 2, so I split the difference on a 3.5. returnreturnThis short 4 disc audio book is two separate "Novellas" the first, that had the aforementioned scene, is about a guy from Northern Lower Michigan who grew up on a farm and went off to college to be an artists and eventually became a stuck up art historian, making the measly salary of $200,000/yr and has to move back home at the age of 60 to help his aging mother, rekindling a high school romance etc. etc. returnreturnThe second story ,far shorter, is about a 17 yr/old kid from Manitou Island who swims down to Chicago for the fun of it and to escape his girlfriend's father. He meets a rich girl along the way and all in all he doesn't know what to do with his life, he just wants to swim, and has an obsession with "Water Babies" allegedly the spirit of dead children who now live in the river. I really want to learn more about "water babies" but haven't been successful in my quick internet searches. The second story all contains too many sex scenes but none as graphic as the first. returnreturnI cannot in good conscience recommend this book, but if you are into that sort of thing, I guess now you know it exists.

Denning is my favorite Star Wars author, but he fell short of my high expectations for him here. returnreturnThis is very anti climatic. For finishing the 9 book series, in one of the longest Star Wars novels, I was really hoping for more. It still ends as if preparing ofr a next book. Maybe they wanted to do another 9 book series that tracked back to, but I think the change in "Star Wars Legends" forced by Disney is going to make that not happen. returnreturnThe love story between Skywalker and Kei fades out in a way that makes little sense. returnreturnThe Story of Han/Leia and their daughter-in-law/granddaughter is better than the rest, like usual. Amelia

I cannot recommend this audio book. It was really long (23 Discs) and it was mostly depositions from trial documents. returnreturnIt was interesting just the same, and I still may purchase the dead tree version for reference. It may be easier to follow then too. returnreturnRegardless if you want more information on the American Indian Movement (including Leonard Pelltere) and the adventures of the Natives versus the government in the 1970s, I recommend the autobiography of Russel Means "Where White men fear to tread" instead. There is an abridged 6 tape audio book available, but again dead tree is better.

Jonthan Kay's among the truther was much more interesting that "VoodHoo Historeis" I read earlier. Kay certainly is biased and I almost stopped reading at the beginning when it became clear that his status as a Secular Jew (maybe even an atheist of Jewish heritage) was influencing everything. Automatically throwing out conspiracies because they were "anti-semetic" and basically claiming that you can't believe anything people say who also believe in talking snakes and men born of virgins raising from the dead. returnreturnHowever chapter 7 really saved the book as he went on to talk about the problems of the conspiracy that poor blacks are disadvantageous and that admissions policies are unfair and the bullshit on the the conspiracy that women are paid less than men. returnreturnHe is really stuck on firm belief that that which is most likely is probably true. returnreturnFrom an academic standpoint it was informative, looking at the psychology of conspiracy theorists, what makes them tick. He was surprised to learn most are not Kooks, and had interesting perspectives on how religion and conspiracies have worked together, and more recently how conspiracy theories have replaced religion for secular humanists.

This Audio book wasn't quite what I expected. returnreturnJoey Harker is a teenager with a weird social studies teacher. They have an "exam" to be left int he middle of town and walk home. Along the way Joey walks right into an alternate dimension. This isn't like Star Trek alternate dimension its more like crazy Hitchikers guide the galaxy alternate dimension. Apparently he's a Walker, like ever Joe Harker in every Earth in every dimension. The Best of the best. Walkers, dimension harkers, are this multiverse delithiom crystals. They power the ships of the evil world. returnreturnHe gets involved in battles between Magic worlds and Science worlds. Ours is neihter, but slowly leaning towards science. Inter-world (the multivers FBI?) can't let either side win, and they aren't powerful enough if they wanted to. returnreturnI felt like they tried to put a whole lot into this really fast, and I felt it ended rather abruptly. Not until I went to review did I learn it was the first in a trilogy, made the ending make more sense, but evne more so it should have been slower paced. It was in tendint for the Juvenille/YOung Adult Market so maybe that has something to do with it. returnreturnreturnAll in all not bad, if you are into that kind of hting give it a whilr

Not nearly as good as "The Overton Window." The style was so different I actually had thought that Glenn Beck used a different Ghost Writer for this one, but the same three "with ..." authors showed on both titles, in a different order so who knows. returnreturnThis one is much more along the lines of what I would expect a Beck fictional work to be. Ideas like "sure there's 'patiroits' and 'liberty lovers' but be careful because a lot of them are worthless racists, that don't love 'Merika."returnreturnYou are given the sense that the previous novel's protagonist is killed within the first few pages of this one. This is part of the drop on the internal struggle of Noah Gardner as to which side is the right side. They also introduce the "puppet master" an executive going on 130 years old. Its really unbelievable. returnreturnTom Hollis plays a much more intense roll in this book, the audio recording made it difficult to reconcile as well as the charterers voice is so incredibly different. The reader did not stay true to the description of him being a bear of a man with a distinct high child like voice, instead hie gave him the voice of a bear of a manreturnreturnIn and of itself I likely would have been impressed by its story of "fighting the new world order" to life, but this pales in comparison to its original. I would have rather seen it as a separate piece altogether.

Butterworth's next installment of Hooker's Mash series was alright. Zany as ever, but I kept waiting for all of the characters to get together and actually start the story. It felt like so much of it was leading to that, and it never really happened.

Actually much of the story ended up being a love story between newly introduced, overly conservative Feminist Penelope Quattlebaum and the Sheik of Abzug.

Enough to think picking up the next one is worth it, not enough to recommend this on its own.

Butterworth's next installment of Hooker's Mash series was alright. Zany as ever, but I kept waiting for all of the characters to get together and actually start the story. It felt like so much of it was leading to that, and it never really happened. returnreturnActually much of the story ended up being a love story between newly introduced, overly conservative Feminist Penelope Quattlebaum and the Sheik of Abzug. returnreturnEnough to think picking up the next one is worth it, not enough to recommend this on its own.

I really liked this audio book. Like all Star Wars Audio books the "cinematography" was amazing. returnreturnThe love story between Ben Skywaler and the Sith Girl Vestra finally take off. She's willing to give up all for her new love. It seems geniue, but we may have to wait for the final event.returnMany of hte other story lines that they have set up over the first 7 books finally take shape. An imperial Remanent battle between Jag and Dolla is in the works. returnreturnThere are new representatives in the GA Assembliy. BUt down't worry its not Prequel level boring congress stuff They seem like they are completely new folks, but they just might be some we already know seeking power of their own in a giant conspiracy. returnreturnThe barabells are still on Corsecant and they may just be the last hope for humanity. returnreturnI still do wonder what is going on with our two Jedi who are still in the sickness off on the slave world, with the next being the last in the series I hope I'm not left hanging. returnreturnAll in all exciting and adventurous I hope that the finale lives up and doesn't just go too fast to get stuff down in 9 books.

This book was fantastic. returnreturnMrs. Sadiler comes from an earlier time but she did a wonderful job correlating everything together still just as useful today as in 19th Century as when first published. returnreturnShe starts out with a theological overview of what the teachings of the Church are on Purgatory. It is not just her writings but writings of theologians through the centuries. returnreturnShe also goes through historical references to Purgatory and similar "in between" places throughout the world. Including several native tribes, Buddhists and other east Asian cultures, as well as the European anchinest and Jews around the time of Christ. returnreturnShe ends with poetical writings including prayers for the deceased. And even exerts from Dante. returnreturnLots of recommendation on why and how to pray for your dead. Both those you have loved and those you have not known. Protestant and Catholic. It connects you to your loved ones, gives hope for the hopeless, and shows that not all is lost. The fire cleanses and that's a good thing. returnreturnRegardless of your religious faith I highly recommend this book.

This book was quite different from what I had expected. It is the personal faith journey of the author most famously known for being the author of "Interview with the Vampire" returnreturnAnne Rice's journey from Atheism to Catholicism I expected to be focused on her struggles as an Atheist, but actually it focuses mostly on her childhood growing up in a pre-Vatican II Catholic Church. returnreturnRice never seems to be what I would classify as a hard-core atheist, even if she herself did. I would only classify "Evangelical Atheists" not someone who took her vacations to visit churches and holy sites. returnreturnI was hoping for some data that would help me witness to my atheist friends, and I don't think any of that here is going to do so. The only ting I think that may be most helpful for me on this is "pray" and that it was much easier to come back to the church at the point in her life that she did, AFTER all of lives important moments (marriage, kids, etc.) so she didn't have to deal with the Churches hard teachings on sexuality, birth-control, etc. returnreturnThere was a bunch of fairly interesting information about living in pre-vatican Catholicism. returnreturnIt was certainly better than the previous Fiction writing that I had read by Rice (Out of Egypt) and it may be very interesting for fans of her more famous works (the Vampire Diaries series)

Aaron Allston is not one of my favorite Star Wars Authors. In fact if it wasn't for the other books written by Troy Dennling, I probably would have given up on this series by now. returnreturnAllston really drags this story on, he makes it difficult to stay focused on the plot, to the point that at one time I had returned to the beginning of a CD and didn't' realize it till almost half way through it. returnreturnThis story continues to follow the several story lines around the galaxy. The one high point along in this book is "Amelia Solo" learning to use her force abilities whether they want to or not. We also meet Alana's mother for the first time in the Fate of the Jedi series (my understanding is she is well known in earlier Star Wars series that I have not met). There is also so humerous scenes involving a Droid "preacher" discussing the needs of Droid liberation and Amelia's interaction there with. returnreturnAs far as the main plat against abolov the idea of the sentioned computer chips is a bore. returnreturnI cannot recommend this book on its own, and Until I read the rest of the series I'm not even sure I can recommend getting through this to get to the rest or not.