Book Description
Thisenjoyableand important newbook, Healing Ancient Wounds:The Renegade's Wisdom explores the intricacies of intuitive awarenessand the dynamicmind/body healing principles of Myofascial Release.

Myofascial Release is a mind/body therapeutic healing approach that is safe, comprehensive, and highly effective in relieving pain, headaches, and restoring motion.The goal of Myofascial Release is to return the individual to a pain-free, active lifestyle.

To the patient and public: do not let the talk of technique and training deter you, the message in this work is strongest for you. It is you for whom this work is intended. Read this book to deepen your participation in the treatment process and hasten the achievement of your recovery. In the process, you will discover a profound understanding of who you are and how you got to where you are today. Through other people's stories, you will see that you are not alone in your struggle.

This important book is about your empowerment as a therapist, as a patient, and as a human being. This book offers you a glimpse into a new and expanded view and way of being in your world. These advanced principles and concepts will dramatically increase your effectiveness as a therapist and/or your treatment response as a patient. Myofascial Release treats the "being" of the human being. This fascinating book will touch you deeply, guiding you into a unique way of enhancing your personal power, intuition, and awareness that will help you reconnect with your essence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Enlightening read
My introduction to John Barnes came through my physical therapist who was using some of the techniques, developed by Barnes, to treat my injuries. As she worked on me, she talked of attending one of Barnes' retreats, his treatment methods, the retreat agenda, etc.It all sounded so interesting and I asked if she knew whether he had written any books.She recommended that I take the clinic copy of "Healing Ancient Wounds" to read.I agreed, though fearing it might be too technical for me to really get into.Was I wrong!!From the opening paragraph I was hooked!I hated to put the book down, and devoured it in a weekend.It was easy to read and understand, and was packed with information about the bodies' fascia system and how it relates to the entire body's workings.I wanted, so badly, to highlight portions as I read, but knew I had to return the book to the clinic.As I neared the end of the text, I decided I had to have a copy for myself, and ordered my own book through Amazon.I consider this to be a valuable reference/resource book as I deal with the pain and dis-ease in my body.I hope to some day be able to attend one of Barnes' seminars and experience the healing therapy of MFR.

Amazing Insights into Body and Spirit Issues.
Because I have had treatments by students of John Barnes, I wanted to learn more.John Barnes must be an amazing man and I thank him for sharing this information.We can be in charge of our own bodies and health if we learn to pay attention.I really liked this book because of the stories people told about their experiences with myia facia release.Nobody has all the answers but because I am interested in taking care of my health, I appreciate learning and this book was helpful to me.Hope it is to many more.

Awesome!
If you have experienced a Barnes' Myofascial Release session and have questions as a client or a therapist, the book really clarifies the healing experiences.If you haven't experienced a session but have heard about them and want more information of the philosophy, this book is wonderful.

This book can change your life
John F. Barnes is a consummate professional with a deep understanding of healing. This book is a wonderful overview of Myofascial Release and what it has done for him and the millions of individual who he has helped through his gentle treatment approach. By means of anecdotal stories written by John, professional therapists and patients, Renegade's Wisdom gives the reader a profound understanding of how both the physical and emotional body are intertwined.I highly recommend this book for both the professional therapist and anyone who is interested in finding true and lasting healing for themselves. A must read.

not what I thought it would be
I purchased this book after attending my first MFR seminar last year.All I can say is WOW!!But hold on.It's not an impressed "wow".It's more like "I can't believe I paid 50.00 for a book that is one long advertisement of how wonderful John Barnes is.Every page is dripping with conceit.This author hasn't written anything worth reading in this book.No anatomy, no science, no technique.In fact the author wrote very little of this book himself.The entire book is a compilation of letters from past clients and MFR trained therapists, mostly female,who write about how John was the missing link in their healing journey.If I wanted to hear about total stranger's medical problems, I would just stand in the longest line at the grocery store. I noticed that Amazon marketplace has some used copies for over 80.00 for sale.Anyone who pays 80.00 for this book is being totally ripped off.In fact anyone paying the list price is too. Do yourself a favor and save your money, unless of course you need to read in his own words and the words of his patients,how wonderful John Barnes is. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Old-school moonwalker Buzz Aldrin teams up again with former Hugo andNebula Awards nominee John Barnes to pen another near-future SF tale focused onthe fate of the U.S. space program. But as with the duo's previous effort,1996's Encounter withTiber, Aldrin's ideas can take center stage a little too conspicuously,which, regardless of your own views on the subject, doesn't always make for thebest story. Part thriller, part infomercial for the Aldrin space manifesto,The Return fumbles only in its lack of subtlety: The book's protagonist,Scott Blackstone, is a technically accomplished and charismatic retiredastronaut who runs a foundation called ShareSpace, whose mission is to sendeveryday citizens into outer space. And what do you know--in real life Aldrin isa technically accomplished and charismatic retired astronaut who runs afoundation called ShareSpace, whose mission is to send everyday citizens intoouter space. (Talk about your expert author.)

Of course you read Aldrin not because you think he's the next Ben Bova but because he's aspace-race winner, a bright man with inspiring ideas. And Barnes, who's alreadyproven himself with topnotch titles like Mother of Storms, helps Aldringet his point across admirably, spinning a tale that begins with ShareSpace'sthird Citizen Observer to accompany a space shuttle mission: a legendary,recently retired basketball hero known around the globe as simply "MJ." Disasterstrikes, though, while the beloved MJ is airborne, and Blackstone soon findshimself relying on his lawyer ex-wife to come to ShareSpace's defense. Was thedisaster an accident? Don't count on it. --Paul HughesBook Description
Former astronaut Scott Blackstone's dream of opening outer space to visits from everyday people is under attack. His pilot program has been marred by a fatal accident, he's out of a job, and he's being sued for a billions dollars.And it's beginning to seem that the "accident" wasn't at all accidental.Then the endless conflict between India and Pakistan heats up...and Pakistan explodes a nuclear device in the upper atmosphere, frying electronics on earth and in space, and putting the crew of the international Space Station at risk. With the Shuttle fleet grounded, only a secret skunkworks project knownto Scott and his old friends can save the space station's stranded crew.The Return is a tale about the kind of space adventure that could happen today--and that will happen tomorrow. As told by Buzz Aldrin, who's been there...and who's already helped change the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

It's good to speculate
The story, clearly fiction, partially quaint, provides insight into important aspects of the space industry and the thought processes needed to develop and prepare for future exploration.It a nice set-up story for the future settlement by humans on places like Mars.The technological story line in The Return gives the hint on how this is actually all going to happen within the nearer future (2019 was mentioned, even though, in my personal opinion, 2033 is more likely).It doesn't matter that MJ is a lightly veiled caricature of a well-known superstar, or that a country and a person are identified as evil.It is important that the issues are identified; family relationship are inextricably intertwined into every reality, private versus public funding of space tourism needs to be carried out, space law and liability issues do need to be addressed, public relations needs to be handled, the dreams of youngsters need to be re-established.This is a story whose technical tidbits become fun and, upon reflection, important for open discussion.

Entertaining and thought provoking
I picked up Buzz Aldrin and John Barnes' _The Return_ from a remainder table for $.99. It deserves a better fate than that!

Aldrin, a famed astronaut, and Barnes, an established writer, team up here for the second time to tell a story that is interesting, entertaining, important and timely. As I write this, NASA has announced yet another delay in getting our patched-up space shuttles flying again. While robotic spacecraft are sending back new discoveries from Saturn every day, our ability to send humans into space is languishing. Aldrin, of course, is a strong advocate for the human exploration of space, and _The Return_ is an enjoyable way to follow his thinking in the form of a reasonably dramatic, fun-to-read story. It's a quick read, it makes you think, and it has a happy ending. What more could you ask for?

Robert Adler, author of _Science Firsts: From the Creation of Science to the Science of Creation_, and _Medical Firsts: From Hippocrates to the Human Genome_.

Average thriller involving the Space Question
"The Return', the second colaboration between John Barnes and Buzz Aldrin doesn't quite work as well as the first.This one is more of a thriller than a sci-fi book.In this book, a former astronaut named Scott Blackstone heads up a company trying to make space more accessable to everyone.He sends up a celebrity named Michael James, who is really a Jordan with a name change and a height change.James is killed by a freak accident, or so everyone thinks.Back on earth, Scott is sued by the family of the basketball star, and he ends up being defended by his ex-wife, who is the only one willing to take up his case.Meanwhile, his brother tries to finish a new type of rocket that doesn't need those detachable boosters.Soon, they all find themselves in the midst of an international plot, as a powerful nuclear bomb is set off in the atmosphere, and it is up to the Blackstones to rescue some astronauts stranded in the I.S.S(International Space Station).O.K read.

Makes me wish this was reality and not fiction!
This story from Buzz Aldrin reads almost like an alternate US space history - one in which the government allowed private business to take up the space tourist business. What makes this story a little more poignant is that the space shuttle Columbia places a significant role in the story. The pace keeps the reader flipping from page to page, and the storyline makes you want to believe that this type of R&D is really happening in the private sector. My only gripe is that Aldrin could have been a little more creative in creating one of the main civilian characters instead of simply using a caricature of Michael Jordan.

Techno- Mystery from an Alternate History.
Although somewhat light in detail of characters and plot, "The Return" is a fine read of what the U.S. Space Program COULD be leading to. The ideas and dreams of one of America's Finest show, in a well thought out, suspenseful tale of International intrigue that leads from Low Earth Orbit through the morass of the Media and the National legal system, to the intricate spiderweb of Worldwide interagency espionage and skullduggery!
An excellent means of entertaining oneself on a weekend away from it all, at home or on vacation, or sending self off to one's own Dreamland! ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (10)

Best of the "Giraut" books thus far
Just finished this, and it is easily the best book I've read this year.My previous favorite in this series had been the 2nd book, "Earth Made of Glass," until I read this one.This book addresses a few threads delicately dangled in previous books (sometimes in the form of maybe 1-2 quick throwaway lines), and certainly makes up for the somewhat aimless "Merchants of Souls," which while the the weakest entry in the series is the direct setup for this entry.

Good end to a good series
The Armies of Memory is a bit different than the other books in this series.There's more action than the other three books, but then again, it seems almost incidental to the introspective nature of the rest of the novel.The core of the novel examines the implications and morality of sentience and its relationship with physicality.But with that said, The Armies of Memory has spies, robots, AIs, laser/maser guns, martial arts, babes, cool characters, political intrigue, cults, aliens, and mass decapitations -- what more could you want?

Not quite up to par
Setting: It is well into our future, and Humankind has spread out into space, with most of humanity under the jurisdiction of the The Thousand Cultures. But, some have broken away, and there have been attempted uprisings by artificial intelligences (aintellects). And, the remains of a destroyed race, the Predecessors, have been found, indicating that a much greater civilization once existed . . . and was wiped out. Another crucial aspect of this fictional future is that, when someone dies, a recent recording of his or her personality (psypyx) can be transplanted into a cloned body, thus approximating immortality. One other important aspect of the Thousand Cultures is that a large portion of the population has chosen to retreat into little rooms, where they lose themselves in virtual reality, a process called Turning In.

Story: Giraut Leones is fifty years old, and still in his original body. He is quite a ladies' man, and he is a lutist, perhaps the greatest lutist in the Thousand Cultures. Giraut Leones is also one of the top agents in the Thousand Cultures' secret intelligence agency, the OSP. As the story starts, Leones is about to give a concert. In the middle of his performance, which includes some startling blends of music from different cultures, someone in the audience tries to kill him. He survives, and assassination attempts are not unusual for a secret agent, but why this attempt?

As Giraut and his team continue to explore the first assassination attempt, more attempts to kill Giraut are made, but all are curiously inept. The more the team hunts down leads, the more the facts pile up that it all has to do with Leones's past, one of the groups that broke away from the Thousand Cultures, and the new set of musical works that Leones is composing, that challenge cultural stereotypes and religious dogma.

Overall: This is a relatively fast-paced futuristic spy thriller, with major action sequences. But, it also slows way down at times. The cultural aspects of this fictive universe are well-described and add a real richness to the story.

What I liked: Giraut Leones is a complex character that is well-written, and well-developed. He is a protagonist surrounded by interesting allies, enemies, rivals, paramours, former paramours, former allies, and former enemies. The action scenes are quite explosive, there are quite a few surprises, and the plot is complex.

What I found lacking: It took me a while to figure out why I could not get enthusiastic about this book. I like the genre, the sub-genre, and, as you see in the preceding section, many aspects of the story. But, it just did not do it for me. I finally identified four major, but subtle, things, that were not right.

First, the pace and the intensity keep building, and the falling off. Quite a few sections, meant to enrich the story, actually hampered the flow, for me. I wondered, at times, if the characters, and maybe the author, were doing their thing just to get it done.

Second, every time a seemingly-insurmountable challenge arrives, Giraut and Company either discover something to save them, or an ally suddenly pops up to rescue them, or the reader finds out that a character has a hitherto-unmentioned skills, that turns the tide. It all adds up to bits and pieces of deus ex machina. It all adds up to a significant flaw, for me.

Third, the main characters were mostly veteran secret agents, dedicated to their cause, and out to defeat the enemy. But, their allegiances kept shifting. I did not question why they shifted, but it just seemed to happen too quickly and too easily.

Fourth, The Armies of Memory is inconclusive, as the true enemy is not even engaged. The whole story is a set-up for the next book (and the next after that?). While any book in a series is going to be part set-up and, by definition, at least partially inconclusive, this book is less conclusive that other well-known set-up books, like J.R.R. Tolkien's The Two Towers and J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Alternatives:

Frank Herbert's "Dune" goes further into the future, has more detail and convolutions, but maintains its intensity.

Wil McCarthy's "Bloom" has a few flaws, but is never boring or meandering.

Rebecca Rowe's "Forbidden Cargo" is complex, strange, dark, and loaded with intrigue, without the nostalgic, slow-down musings of "The Armies of Memory".

Jack Campbell did a better job of handling battle scenes, shifting alliances, and intrigue in "The Lost Fleet: Dauntless".

And, for something even further afield, the urban fantasy/sci-fi blend of Charles de Lint's "Svaha" outdoes this book in intensity and being just plain interesting.

Conclusion:"The Armies of Memory" is an unevenly paced spy novel from far in the future, with interesting characters, but too many enormous obstacles are too easily overcome, when help arrives just in time.

Recommended?:Not quite, but almost.Have you run out of book?Okay, then get this one, if you can borrow it.

[...]

An old-fashioned SF novel of ideas that never quite jells. 3.7 stars
ARMIES is an old-fashioned SF novel of ideas:what will Artificial
Intelligences be like? What will human society be like, with long lives,
FTL space travel, easy wealth without work? Plus, it has that frisson of
the strange which is a major reason why I read SF....

These ideas are important in the same sense that a college bull session
is important -- BIG ideas, fun to talk about, absolutely no effect on
your everyday life. But they make for an intriguing SF novel, the fourth
in a loose series starring Giraut Leones of Nou Occitan, musician,
composer and Council of Humanity secret agent man.

This one never quite jells (for me, anyway), but is still a fun read,
and it's pretty upbeat (for Barnes) -- the genocides are all long past,
and offstage. The whole "Thousand Cultures" device is a pretty big lump
to swallow in the WSOD dept -- this is a synthetic reproduction of
various Old Earth cultures on the new colony-worlds, for no other reason
than to provide grist for Barnes' fiction-mill, sfaict.

There's a nice primer to Barnes' Thousand Cultureverse online; I'll post the link as a comment, since Ammie censors them here (weird, huh?).

My fave is still the first, A Million Open Doors (Giraut) (1992), coming-of-age
and finamor among the jovens of Nou Occitan, nicely based on the
medieval Provencal culture.

There's one more Giraut book to come, per a news item I saw at SciFi Wire.
I'll also post the link as a comment.

Happy reading--
Peter D. Tillman

A fine story in the Space Opera tradition
I was a little worried at first as this was the fourth book in a series and I had not read the first three for background. It turns out that's not a problem in The Armies of Memory and the only times I got that "Am I missing something?" feeling was the early talk about Occitan and Ixism though they were well explained later in the story. It's a thoroughly enjoyable read with plenty of self depreciating humor about "how guys think." I was disappointed at one small loose end in that the question "how did the note end up in Giraut's hand?" did not get resolved. Though billed as the conclusion of the series Barnes did leave an opening to develop further on the fates of Giraut, Ixism, Thousand Cultures, and the Invaders. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (23)

One of my absolute favorites
I first read this book when I was a sophomore in high school.I was blown away at the time, and it remains on my shelf of re-reads.I have recommended and lent it out many times, and replaced it when one friend was taking too long because I couldn't live without it.

It's a teddy bear of a book - comforting, lighthearted, next to my bed at all times, and continuing to get better as it and I age together.

One for the Morning Glory
I'll read anything John Barnes writes; they're all wonderful.I especially like the way he uses words!If you're a logophile, you'll probably get a kick out of his books.

Better than The Princess Bride
I've found most fantasy reading to be worse than romance novels. The plots, ideas and characters are so predictable that I skirt the library's fantasy section like a hospital wing full of plague victims. However, Barns' "One for the Morning Glory" is a real gem. Much like Goldman's "The Princess Bride" it plays upon the horrid stereotypes of the genre with great wit and charm. The story employs the usual cast of goblins, witches etc, but remains original and captivating while never taking itself too seriously.

If you like "The Princess Bride" but skipped through the many monotonous parts, "One for the Morning Glory" is definitely your kind of read. It moves quickly through a series of action packed adventures which reinvigorate this tired genre. It's a much better and frankly easier read than "The Princess Bride" and boasts equal amounts of charm, exploit and humor.

j.poulain.
in the book they eat protons and similies...
how great is that?!

The only Barnes i like
As a casual fan of sci-fi and fantasy, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was the first book I read by Barnes, and the only one of his I liked. It is a witty and humorous tale of the life of the main character, from toddlerhood to kingship. Mostly lighthearted, with moments of darkness, it is a tale in some ways reminiscent of the Brothers Grimm. Yet, the tale itself is a sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious jab at old folk tales, as well as stories with morals (though it has morals of its own).

Barnes has managed to effectively combine elements of the classical romantic (falling in love, ancient science, magic, and exploration) with post-modern storytelling and a solid splash of wittiness and puns.

It's a shame that this charming, intelligent and mostly honourable book is his only crowning achievement. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Learn more about this fascinating persona
I fell in love last year.With Argentina.Having visited, I wanted to learn more and more.The musical Evita gave me a taste of the complexity of the fascinating story of one of Argentina's great figures.This book is a scholarly look at her life, her ups her downs, and includes many interesting photographs of Eva and Juan.I recommend it highly.

evita first lady
i enjoyed the book very much,i wanted to see the real person not the movie person.too bad she died so young,maybe she would have helped argentina more towards democracy.who knows? we never will. but i would have liked to have known her.

A hard myth to dissect
This is one biography that can tries to explain what made her tick. Close to 55 years since she died, Evita's mystery unravels slowly. Her childhood trauma is not enough to explain what drove her addictive need for power and bloodlust. If you admire powerful women, read this.

Evita First Lady : A Biography of Eva Peron
I am a biography buff. I prefer fact over fiction and read just about every autobiography and biography that I can get my hands on. Often I have found the need to read several biographies by various authors to get a clear picture and understanding of the subject's life and character. Not this time - Evita First Lady is an exquisitely written biography. It is not a bit of fluff but a riviting account of the life and times of one of history's most notorious first ladies.I highly recommend John Barnes' book.

"Truth stranger than fiction"
I am very familiar with Latin American writers and read them in the Spanish. I read this book in Spanish even though it originally was in English! John Barnes is a very experienced journalist who was stationed in Bueonos Aires for various major publications. He has worked all over the world in places like Argentina, Chile. No. Ireland and covered the Iran Iraq was for Newsweek. With this background and talent he has crafted a facinating book about Eva Peron. It's true that there is a lot of politics but when you are first lady it goes with the territory. It's how she and Col. Peron transformed and revoluncionized Argentina just before the end of WW 11 that is so interesting. Evita left a little pueblo at 15 with no formal education, worked her way up to being a second rate actriz in their film industry. She fell in love with Col Peron many years her senior and took control of the country. It turnes out she was the brains and fierce driving spirit in the process who died at age 32. The major labor union petioned the Pope to have her cannonized a saint!I found this book by the pro John Barnes a real treat. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Giraut Leones lives in Nou Occitan, a place where young people spendmost of their time gossiping, writing poetry, and fighting duels over various insults. Eventually we find that Nou Occitan is just one of humanity's "Thousand Cultures," an artificial colony set up on a terraformed world to bring art, chivalry, and other old-fashioned values to life. Some years ago the springer, a device enabling teleportation travel, was opened,resulting in friction between the traditional dilettantes andInterstellars, youngsters who adopt new ways of life.

Giraut's old friend Aimeric is called back to his home colony of Caledony to aid in the economic recession and cultural explosion that will surely follow the opening of the springer there. When Giraut is betrayed by his entendedora (part mistress, part girlfriend), he seizes the opportunity to go along as an ambassador.A Million Open Doors becomes a coming-of-age tale as Giraut adapts to a culture radically different from his own. Caledony society is colorless, repressed, money-driven; it emphasizes religion and hard work. Bewildered by the discouragement of art or pleasure, Giraut opens a college to teach Occitanian culture to interested Caledonians. The threatened religious and political leaders, of course, look on this as an oddity, if not an outright seed of revolution. During the cultural and political upheavals on Caledony, Giraut and friends learn about life, love, diplomacy, and cross-cultural friendship.

The premise--human colonies flung across the universe evolving on hundreds of different planets now being transformed by instantaneous spacetravel--has been explored before. But John Barnes's sense of humor andworld-building skills make it great fun. --Bonnie BoumanBook Description
Nou Occitan is a place where duels are fought with equal passion over insults and artistic views alike. Giraut--swordsman, troubador, lover--is a creature of this swashbuckling world, the most isolated of humanity's Thousand Cultures.But the winds of change have come to Nou Occitan. As the invention of the "springer"--instantaneous interstellar travel, at a price--spreads throughout the human galaxy, the stability and purity of no world, no matter how isolated, is safe. Nor can Giraut's life remain untouched. To his wonder, his is about to find himself made an ambassador to a different human world, a place strange beyond his wildest imaginings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Favorite Sci Fi Book
I picked this book up at a charity book sale when I was 14.I have since read this book probably 12 times over the last 12 years.It is easily my favorite sci fi book of all time.Unfortunately it is not for everyone.I have tried to get many friends to read this book, and they just can't get involved.

Personally I think the story of Giraut, and the worlds he visits, are very unique and interesting. It ventures away from your standard sci fi fair, and instead ventures into the realm of relationships, politics, art, and religion while maintaining a sense of adventure and discovery.
I have now had to order a new copy as my old is dog-eared, and worn out from so many reads.

flopped soufflé
overhyped.the recipe was sound, the execution poor.enjoyable premises, hence, the generous two stars.Nou Occitan, with its troubador bravura and artifice is a winner.alas, the choppy writing quality, narrative gaps and descriptive flatness are tiresome.an overlong novella fit for speedreading at best.nebula nominee?in future, i won't be suckered by that line again.

1992 Nebula Award Nominee
This was a wonderful book to read.As I'm writing this review I'm debating on whether to give it 4 or 4-1/2 stars.Although written in the vein of Heinlein's juvenile series, it's obvious it was written by an adult writing about people in their early 20's and many of the themes touched upon should be universal throughout life: friendship, integrity, compassion, so that should not subtract from it's worth.However, the book was a tad too drawn out, the government obviously oppressive, and the characters just a bit too idealistic, so 4 stars it is, which of course still makes it highly recommendable.

This book is probably not what you expect it to be.On my paperback cover is this very science fiction-y view of what looks like a giant aircraft carrier superstructure on what could be a space station with a huge flat plaza underneath and lines of monochrome people giving a sense of `something's' going to happen.And the title has a sci-fi tone to it.So it's with surprise that much of the story is around a protagonist that can best be described as a trobador, on a culture based on romanticized medieval Europe where grace, style, and honor are paramount.Disregard the few references that they are on other planets and a student of Medieval Literature could find this just as enjoyable as a science fiction reader.However, that should not dissuade science fiction readers from reading this.This book had me laughing out loud on almost every page from it's tongue in cheek humor, which can be best explained IMHO as similar to Terry Pratchett or Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

The title, A Million Open Doors, refers to the human civilization in the novel that has a Thousand Cultures (not all of which are on separate planets) and an instant teleportation device is discovered called the `springer', and if each springer is considered as a door and if each of the thousand cultures has a door to the other thousand cultures then you have a million doors.Philosophically, Barnes makes a counterpoint to the theme in Dan Simmons first two novels of his Hyperion cantos.There Simmons is stating that instant teleportation is ruining the distinct cultures and/or ecosystems of individual locations.In this novel, Barnes is saying that communication, and because of vast distances between planets even going the speed light isn't sufficient, between cultures is occasionally needed to prevent a culture from going too extreme, as what happens in this novel.And instant teleportation, in addition to allowing cultures to learn tolerance of other cultures, then allows humanity to hopefully form a united front in case of first contact with a sentient alien species.

The protagonist leaves his medieval European culture and is transported to Caledony, an oppressive culture with a cold, raw climate.Even though this culture is described as repressively Christian and capitalistic because of the necessity of monetary tips for services, it really can be considered as similar to the culture of the Soviet Union, where favors replaced tips (I'll trade you hard-to-get chocolate for a lift in your automobile/trakcar/'cat'), and based, instead of on Christianity, on the Soviet System.Barnes may well have been following events of the dissolution of the Soviet Union that occurred in August 1991 when he wrote this book.

One more thing about the protagonist, Barnes makes him realistic in his attitudes from a culture that he is fully representative of to transportation and full immersion into a very different culture.The protagonist realizes there are a quite a few redeemable characteristics of the new culture he first considered bland, and that there are aspects of his previous culture that are somewhat reprehensible, and that as he tries to blend the best aspects of both cultures, he doesn't lose sense of where he came from.

First-rate anthropological SF
I'm aware that Barnes has built quite a following and a reputation, but I had begun a couple of his more recent novels and they just weren't my kind of thing. However, a friend whose literary opinions I respect insisted this one was different, and worth the effort. I'm pleased to say he was right. The author has a real ear for what makes a society work. His comparison here between Nou Occitan on the planet Wilson (a sort of Portuguese-Catalan-Renaissance Italian mix, heavy on sexism and dueling, where Art is the most important thing) and Caledony (a Stalinist approach to Presbyterianism overlaid by strict -- and mandatory -- mathematical rationality) invites comparison to LeGuin's The Dispossessed, even though the two styles are entirely different. Giraut Leones, who travels from the first society to the second as part of a diplomatic mission from the Council of Humanity, the semi-governing body of the Thousand Cultures, and who is the lens through which Barnes refracts the two world-views, is a decent human being who gradually realizes his own previous cultural blindness and learns to appreciate the differences in others. I have to say the last few chapters were somewhat rushed in bringing everything together -- the author perhaps should have stretched out and explicated the plot for another fifty pages -- but I definitely enjoyed this. Since it turned out to be the first volume of a trilogy, I know what my next two books are going to be.

Where it all started...
I just happened to read the book that follows this one, so for me, to read this book was to go backards in time, to see how Giraut and Margaret first met, to see his home world and her home world first hand, to see the merits and flaws of both characters and cultures and maybe gain more understanding of the universe John Barnes has designed.The book brings out the wonder and fear of contact, not between alien races, but human cultures.While the novel was published in 1992, it is very much a valid warning for today's readers.The world is much smaller than before, we can't stop that, but maybe we can limit the damage to ourselves, to our culture and to our souls.
As for the story, once again, it was a wonderful ride.Seeming to go one way, it jerks off the rails and goes another, as if the very characters and the world in which Mr. Barnes has created had a life of its own.A surprise ending, yes, but also a realistic and even sad one. ... Read more

Amazon.com
"They don't make 'em like that any more!" say fans of the classic juvenile SF novels, Alexei Panshin's Rite of Passage (1968) and the run of Robert A. Heinlein novels that begins with Rocket Ship Galileo (1947) and ends with Podkayne of Mars (1963). Except--John Barnes has made one like that: The Sky So Big and Black. The book's brilliant teenage protagonist, hard science, brisk pace, didactic moments, and strong characterization make it clear that Barnes is working consciously in the tradition of Panshin and Heinlein (especially Heinlein's Red Planet [1949] and Podkayne of Mars). Like his models, Barnes does a superb job. The Sky So Big and Black is a classic. Read it, and give it to any smart, perhaps-outcast young reader whom you want to infect with the science fiction meme.

Terpsichore "Teri" Murray lives on Mars, an eco-prospector-in-training and the daughter of a widowed ecospector. Instead of gold, ecospectors seek underground rivers and gas pockets, which they blast to the Martian surface in hopes of earning fabulous wealth. The ecospector life is hard, primitive, dangerous, and perhaps doomed to extinction, as the Martian atmosphere thickens and the genetically engineered "Mars-form" humans increase their population. An Earth-form human, Teri doesn't want to give up ecospecting, which she loves as much as she hates the city and school where she's forced to spend part of every year. But she finds herself with new, far more ominous worries when a devastating planetwide disaster isolates the colonies from one another, strands Teri in the Martian outback with several injured young children, and opens the entire planet to attack by One True, the collective intelligence that rules Earth in a terrifyingly total dictatorship. --Cynthia WardBook Description
Terpichore Murray is growing up on Mars. She wants to quit school and become an eco-prospector like her father. He has other ideas; not only does he want her to stay in school, he wants her along on his next long trip conducting a group of younger kids from the highlands at Mars's equator back to school in Wells City. Early in the trip, disaster strikes-and it's up to Terry, without adult help, to get the survivors to safety, through several hundred miles of Martian wilderness. In the process, she will encounter the self-engineered "Mars-form" humans, usually shunned by the regular colonists-and One True, the collective intelligence that dominates Earth and from whom the Mars colonists are all separated. In the process she may well come of age and change the course of human history in the solar system . . . if Mars doesn't kill her first. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

A Good Book with Scary Concept
I didn't know there's a four book story arc involved with this book until now, while shopping for this copy online for a friend. The book starts off with a young girl's perspective of growing up as a prospector on a colony, but the events which her life revolves around gets bleaker and more dangerous as the book goes on.The author eventually paints a terrifying vision of a near-future science fiction that made me recollect the nightmarish possibilities mentioned in Orwell's _1984_.

I spent several days, after finishing the book, thinking about how his concepts are currently used in current eventsas much as Orson Scott Card's _Ender's Game_ concept of exploiting children as soldiers in the future to highlight the use of children in combat zones today. That's a sign of a great sf writer: to provoke the reader into thinking of the implications of his concepts regarding our real future.

I must say the cutesy vocabulary used by the settlers are distracting, but I gotta give the author some slack in his effort to creating a unique, future world.I also forgive him for not revealing a bigger scope of the story in the book since its limited to the view point of the lone girl. I guess the bigger scope of the "Meme Wars" will come about by reading his other books in the series.

What a mistake!
This was an exasperating book to read! Barnes has tried to make the story interesting by telling the story through recordings made by a patient of a psycologist of some kind. He has invented a lot of words like "skosh", "roo", "kim" etc which is not explaned and continues to annoy the reader by his lack of ability to actually tell a story through first person.

The story can be believable at times, but pew, all these personal, non-relevant reflections only carry along an annoying feeling that the writer doesn't seem to have the nerve to write proper hard sci-fi. He seems to be hiding behind diversions, lame reflections and obviousness instead of driving the story forward.

I can hardly understand how this book can appeal to anyone looking for science fiction. On the front cover Arthur C Clarke is quoted "A master of the genre". Well, the quote doesn't specify which genre or even which author it relates to...

Intriguing and Surprising
This story is set on a future Mars.Earth is under the control of a group mind known as One True and Mars is slowly being terraformed by geoprospectors who are searching for and releasing water, CO2, methane, etc.

Our story centers around a young girl just as she becomes an adult.She and her father are geoprospectors and are very good at it.The story is told as memories she relates to a police shrink.This gives the reader plenty of foreshadowing for some of the later events but really leaves the ending as a surprise (although the hints are there, you don't realize it until after the fact).

The story moves quickly and you can really care about the characters.While most of the science is believable (no faster-than-light travel for example), much of the setting relies heavily upon synthesis and replication that may never be possible at those power levels (but it doesn't really detract from the book).

A fine book of hard science fiction with excellent character development.If you like that sort of thing, this one won't disappoint.

Good stuff in the Heinlein tradition
I've enjoyed John Barnes's novels for a while now.This novel takes place in the future laid out in the previous novels Kaleidoscope Century and Candle.In this future, the concept of Memes that can control the human mind are central to the story.They aren't memes like an idea that spreads across the internet and becomes part of the culture.We are talking about the concept of a method by which a Meme can take over and control a human mind.

In Barnes's future, the Earth is completely taken over by the Meme called One True.The rest of humanity, spread out in space on the Moon and on Mars try to make do without the Earth.

This story takes place on Mars with a group of ecospectors, ecological prospectors.Rather than hunting for valuable minerals, they hunt for ways to terraform Mars by releasing water or identifying other organic resources.

Mars is cast in the light of the seminal Heinlein Libertarian society.Few laws, much personable responsibility, and a huge focus on trust and reputation.It very much harks back to ideas from Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.

Without giving out any spoilers, the Martians face a tragedy are must make choices between their lifestyle and dealing with One True for help.Barnes looks at how the libertarian world (Mars) and the socialist world (Earth) can interact and what price are the libertarians willing to pay to keep their way of life.

I recommend the book.It's a fast read and has plenty of neat technical ideas interspersed with the storyline.

First rate novel of terraforming Mars and disaster
The Sky So Big and Black is a first-rate novel, clearly a Hugo contender in my view. It's scary at times, sweet at times, it presents a fascinating social structure, and some excellent SFnal speculation about terraforming Mars. And it features one of the scariest SFnal ideas since Vernor Vinge's "Focus" (in A Deepness in the Sky).

It is very well structured, presented as a psychologist listening to a series of interviews he did with Teri-Mel Murray, a young woman on Mars who was working with her father as an "ecospector". It's clear from the start that something terrible happened, and indeed that the psychologist was forced to erase Teri-Mel's memory. It's also clear that he likes her a lot, and is really torn up by what has happened, and worried that he may have to treat her again, for some mysterious reason that takes a long time to become clear. The interviews tell of Teri and her father travelling across the lightly terraformed planet to a "Gather" of the "rounditachis", people who live more or less in the open on Mars, working to help advance the terraforming. Teri is hoping that she will be certified a "Full Adult" at the Gather, and be free to marry her boyfriend. Her father wants her to go back to school for one more year, because he's not convinced that ecospecting will remain a good living. As they travel, they plan to make one more attempt at a big "scorehole". And Teri is starting to worry about her boyfriend.

All the above is cute stuff, and interleaved with neat SFnal details about the terraforming of Mars. In the background lurk details about the future history up to this point, especially the takeover of ecologically ravaged Earth by a "meme" called "One True", or "Resuna", which more or less has turned Earth's population into a hive mind. Also we learn bits and pieces about the psychologist's feelings, which give us hints about the disaster which has clearly occurred. So it's a scary book, as we learn to like Teri more and more, while we just know that she's going to get hurt real real bad. And when the crisis comes, it's exciting, and terribly sad, and even scarier than I had first expected. The resolution is moving, real, and and open-ended.

Barnes' future is on the one hand full of hope, and of cool SFnal stuff, and on the other had it is very very scary, and much of it dominated by something purely evil, yet not sneeringly evil. I should note that this is a sequel to three earlier novels: Orbital Resonance, Kaleidoscope Century, and Candle. But it reads just fine alone. ... Read more

Book Description
Today's business leaders have much in common with President Kennedy. They face monumental decisions in unpredictable times; their actions have implications far beyond their own organizations; and they are judged mercilessly and incessantly by both their constituents and the media. Professionals, then, would do well to study the leadership traits that made Kennedy one of the most respected, beloved, and influential world leaders in modern history. John F. Kennedy on Leadership analyzes what made Kennedy, both before and during his Presidency, a unique and dominant force who would serve as the standard by which future leaders would be judged. Readers will learn the value of:

* Planning and decision making: Consult widely, then act.

* Crisis management: Don't let events manage you.

* Building a team: Find your own "Bobby."

* Independence: Don't follow the crowd.

* Mistakes: Learn from them and move on.

This timely (and timeless) book will be of interest to anyone involved in leadership. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

weLEAD Book Review by the Editor of leadingtoday.org
Some of the most effective books to read on leadership development are biographies that examine historical characters. One of the most popular was Donald Phillip's Lincoln on Leadership which became a best seller. John F. Kennedy on Leadership falls into this category and illuminates the
leadership skills of JFK in a way seldom appreciated.

Most people think of Kennedy as a privileged son of a wealthy businessman with powerful political connections who used his good looks and charisma to ultimately achieve the presidency. However, little attention has been given to his difficult struggle with a chronic disease, a severe physical
handicap and personal shyness. Further, few authors have closely analyzed how well Kennedy mastered the new medium of television, or fostered teamwork within the Whitehouse. What about the leadership skills that inspired him to create the Peace Corps, or the way he cautiously maneuvered during the Berlin crisis or the Cuban missile crisis in October 1962?

Author John Barnes deftly covers various attributes of sound leadership like vision, resilience, communication, team building, decision making and crisis management. He takes each of these qualities and weaves them into actual historical episodes within Kennedy's brief life. For example, Barnes clearly demonstrates JFK's powerful use of vision from his proclamation of America entering a "New Frontier", his remarkable Inaugural Address and his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech of June 1963. At the conclusion of this chapter, Barnes offers the reader some thoughtful ways to create their own vision using the lessons learned from Kennedy's example.

This is an excellent book and is a pleasure to read. John F. Kennedy on Leadership is not a book that simply idolizes the achievements of JFK. Kennedy is honestly examined and all his personal strengths and weaknesses are frankly revealed. The final chapter entitled, Faults and Failures strips away the veneer of the Camelot myth. But even here... there is much for the reader to learn from JFK's unpleasant character flaws.

John F. Kennedy on Leadership is a readable book that beautifully merges real historical events with a man whose leadership skills changed the world we live in today. This is the kind of book that provides a satisfying rumination of thought when the back cover is eventually closed.

Marketing, not leadership
The Kennedy presidency is a great example of modern day marketing--not leadership. The book, John F. Kennedy on Leadership, by John A. Barnes is a textbook published by the American Management Association. Each chapter contains short chronicles of the Kennedy presidency combined with academic management lessons.
Barnes reveals the hidden, behind-the-scenes activities that promoted and projected Kennedy's public image while concealing the not-so-attractive underbelly. More than 40 years after his death, recent polls rate JFK as the second-greatest president of all time. His approval rating at 70 percent is the highest average approval rating of any president ever measured by Gallup.
Kennedy's leadership is not something to be admired. During WWII, JFK was reckless and frequently jeopardized his PT crew needlessly. General MacArthur and others say he should have been court-martialed. By some miracle, his misadventures in the South Pacific turned heroic and propelled him into a national figure.
During the 1960 presidential election, Kennedy harped on the "missile gap" that did not exist and repeated the slogan "getting the country moving again" when the national economy was healthy.
In the 1961 Inaugural address, JFK read a highly crafted speech:
Let the word go forth from this time and place...let every nation know...that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and success of liberty...
On the 62nd day of his presidency, Kennedy made a forceful speech declaring the nation would acknowledge its treaty obligations and support the goal of a neutral and independent Laos. In an extraordinary move, Kennedy bypassed Secretary of State Dean Rusk and the traditional role of the State Department when he appointed his man, Averell Harriman, to negotiate a toothless treaty with the Communists. Within a short period, Laos fell to the Communists. The Ho Chi Minh Trail, constructed on Laos territory, gave North Vietnam the logistical avenue to sustain its aggression in the south.
Kennedy viciously attacked the Eisenhower Administration for their "weakness" in dealing with the Cuban situation. Instead of helping to come up with the best plan to overthrow Castro and evict the Communists, Kennedy and Schlesinger devoted their efforts to disassociate the Presidency from the conspiracy--plausible deniability. Kennedy ordered changes to the CIA plan that crippled its effectiveness, and in the last hour, Kennedy dealt the deathblow. Although Kennedy wanted to blame the CIA and the military, the failed mission was the result of Kennedy's actions.
The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 would not have occurred if the 1961 Bay of Pigs plan had succeeded. Instead of immediately ordering a blockade, JFK formed a special committee to examine the options and reach a consensus while he went on a campaign trip. JFK again bypassed normal State Department channels and worked a secret agreement with Khrushchev that called for the removal of Jupiter IRBMs in Turkey and pledged never to invade Cuba.
Back on the subject of leadership and management, JFK relied on a "kitchen cabinet" similar to that of Andrew Jackson in 1829. Although cabinet officials were selected by him, Kennedy stifled the cabinet as a major decision-making body. Truman's Secretary of State Dean Acheson was returned to the White House as a special advisor to the president. Instead of using the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired General Maxwell Taylor was returned to provide personal military advice to the President.
The West Wing of the White House was unofficially promoted to policy-makers and the cabinet secretaries had to compete in meetings on a level equal to the staff. The author noted Vice President Johnson was never taken into Kennedy's confidence, and was excluded from some of the most dramatic moments.
Landing an American on the Moon didn't make the South Vietnamese fight any harder and it didn't cause any Viet Cong to change sides. Kennedy ignored good advice from his Presidential Science Advisor and accelerated the manned space program for the sole purpose of upstaging the Russians. The author admires Kennedy's efforts to seek outside advice, but he limited his consultations with space enthusiasts such as Wernher von Braun, who were willing to underestimate costs and forecast overly optimistic schedules.
When Kennedy went before Congress to call for landing a man on the moon "before this decade is out," one wonders if the arbitrary deadline was the result of a speechwriter's quest for bumper sticker slogans.
The book John F. Kennedy on Leadership makes a good textbook on leadership and management--it is just unfortunate John A. Barnes chose JFK as a standard bearer for leadership.

JFK ADOPTED WINSTON AS PATRICIAN???
I hate reacting to another post but to say that the VERY Irish JFK turned to Winston Churchill as spiritual father is a tale from another planet. It's like saying Oliver Cromwell inspired James Joyce (well, actually the EFFECTS of Cromwell's genocide inspired Joyce's suppressed rancor). Read JFK's Why England Slept? to find how he forever incurred ultimately fatal British enmity. Read the speeches in Ireland a few months before his murder by British intelligence services.

That poster daring to breathe W in the same sentence as JFK recalls what this book most clearly delineates and contrasts with current commanders: JFK's brilliant and sharp intelligence and leadership and how we may apply that today. Simply replay the JFK Inaugural and ANYTHING since. THe greatest speech you will never hear is the Second JFK Inaugural. La lucha sigue!

I realize this is no BLOG, but come on already!

A Real Gem
This is a fascinating work of history as well as a superb business book. Among other accomplishments John Barnes reveals that JFK - who seems to us today to have been a natural-born political star - began his career as 'an awkward, self-conscous young man' who actually looked too youthful to impress prospective voters. His extraordinary charisma was in fact the product of an astonishing process of self-invention, one that required an enormous amount of work by Kennedy and those around him. He consciously made himself into the first 'movie-star president' and he did it after discovering through his own Hollywood contacts that many cinema stars had been formed out of materials rather less promising than his own.
A former political speechwriter and columnist, Barnes' chapters on communications and speechwriting are especially good.
Those who seek success cannot do better than by studying the efforts of those who have succeeded -- and this book is packed with valuable lessons for anyone interested in business and politics.

Highly Recommended!
In the 40-plus years since John F. Kennedy's assassination, many people have forgotten how far American politicians have come in their public personas. Every candidate tries to use the media, savvy advisers, staged events and a winning personality to develop an authentic, vote-getting public voice. Kennedy was the first president to master these essential political tools. This made him one of America's most popular presidents, as well as a celebrity. Kennedy's political personality was so strong that it virtually transformed the presidency. In this rich historical and personal story, author John A. Barnes does a great job of showing how Kennedy operated. JFK was enmeshed in pivotal events and each circumstance tested his ability to lead. Barnes clearly presents Kennedy's triumphs and shortcomings as well as his formula for successful leadership. We recommend this to aspiring and current leaders, and to those interested in history - or in politics the way it used to be. ... Read more

Product Description
John F. Barnes, P.T., a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, is the President and Director of the Myofascial Release Treatment Centers. Through his 40 years of experience and creative insight, he has developed this innovative whole-body approach for the evaluation and treatment of pain and dysfunction. By viewing the body as integrated totality woven together by teh vast interrelationships of the fascial system, he has combined myofascial release, craniosacral therapy and myofascial unwinding into a unique and powerfully effective approach. John Barnes' Myofascial Release Approach has received wide acclaim as a significant advancement in patient care by the over 50,000 health professionals who have attended his seminars. Apart from his teaching schedule, he continues to treat patients refferred internationally by physicians, dentists and therapists. he is known for his ability to resolve complex problems that have failed to respond to traditional methods of treatment. For may of us in the health care industry, this book is long in coming. The work that John F. Barnes created and evolved in myofascial release therapy has consistently, and many times profoundly, benefited the lives of thousands of patients he personally treated and countless more he helped indirectly through the therapists who studied under him. Why do these health care providers find this particular treatment so attractive? If one could create the ideal therapy, what would its components be? Consider these: Drug free, Movement, therefore, exercise oriented, Physical release and relief, Simulataneous emotional release potential. In short, patients feel physically and emotionally better. The insights and teachings of John F. Barnes and myofascial release will give readers new opportunities for effectiveness as therapists and open new horizons in their personal quest for health and well-being. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

J.F. Barnes: Myofascial Release
I would have liked a little more description as to how much pressure and length of time in regards to if a client takes more than 3 to 5 minutes to respond. Am I using too much pressure, too little? What if it goes on for 7 or 8 minutes? What course of action should I take? Another insertion? Another direction? Keep going? The description provided says"3to 5 minutes or until a release occurs". ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

A repetitive, biased, mischaracterization of John Adams, both biography and man
John Henriksen's "JH" Reader's Companion to David McCullough's "DM" John Adams, a mere 59 pages in length, would be more appropriately titled, "The Faults of John Adams, Repeated Ad Nauseam without Footnotes." Henriksen mentions Adams' flaws excessively; of his appearance (p 12) "was comical rather than formidable, with his huge belly and small head" (p 13) "dumpy and bald" and (p 23) "short, fat, bald" of his personality (p 6) "wishy-washy and indecisive" (p 7) "anxious and unschooled in human nature" (p 9) "fretful" and (p 32) "excessive self-regard." Again, in his comments about Adams unsuccessful bid for a second term as president, he overemphasizes the negative (p 41), "Adams was the first incumbent president to lose in the history of America." He tends to revisit situations in which Adams makes poor choices. The fact that John Adams "JA" did not purchase government securities at the suggestion of his wife, Abigail, is mentioned thrice by JH (pp 12, 16, 31), while both his non-opposition to the Alien and Sedition Acts (pp 7, 35, 36, 39, 41) and Adams' suggestion to address the president as "His Majesty" are mentioned a whopping five times (pp 7, 17, 19, 21, 33). He provides his own conclusions about Adams' actions as statements of fact, in some cases misrepresenting McCullough's handling of same, as in the case of farmer John Fries and two others who "appealed to the President for a pardon" having been "found guilty of treason and sentenced to hang" after an armed uprising (p 540). Henriksen refers to the case four times (pp 8, 9, 25, 37, 39) and proclaims (pp 8,9) that Adams pardoned Fries "on the official grounds that the insurrection had no calamitous consequences" noting the "real" reason as, "Fries had become a symbol of rural America" and "Adams hoped that a pardon would help heal the rift between urban power centers and the frontier regions." David McCullough said no such thing, but instead that when John Adams concluded his review of the case, he determined simply that Fries had, "led a riot, not an insurrection, and was therefore not guilty of treason." On the issue of compensation for government leaders, JH states that Adams believed that public officials should receive salaries (p 4) because, "the presidency was a job like any other and that it should be compensated accordingly, "while DM states (p 400) that Adams did not want the rich to monopolize the offices, "the poor and middling ranks would be excluded and an aristocratic despotism would immediately follow." Eventually (in paragraph two but not three of page 20) JH's account agrees with DM's. In Henriksen's discussion of the troubles of Adams' children (p 5) who "were responsible for giving him gray hair," he inexplicably fails to mention at all Thomas, who certainly contributed his share to the gray (DMp 634) "...son Thomas, who, having failed at the law, was drinking heavily..." Later, in providing a present day example of the feelings of betrayal felt by the Federalists upon learning that Adams had reversed his pro-war stance and chosen to send an envoy to France to work for peace (successfully achieved), JH seems to be saying that Republicans (as opposed to Democrats) are warmongers by stating (p 25), "We might imagine a similar scenario today if a Republican president heavily in favor of war with a country suddenly retreated and became a pacifist." Additionally, although he contends (p 17) that "John Adams is sometimes referred to as revisionist history" due to DM's negative portrayal of Benjamin Franklin, he fails to include in his Other Books of Interest section, one could support the "negative portrayal" contention, The First American by H.W. Brands, which portrays Franklin very favorably; yet includes The Jefferson Scandals: A Rebuttal by Virginius Dabney. In his many comparisons of Adams and Jefferson, he does not include the fact (DM p 648) that "John Adam's net worth at death was approximately $100,000...Jefferson, by sad contrast, had died with debts exceeding $100,000." Granted, the eloquent Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, and granted, Adams was opposed to the inclusion of one of its most famous lines, "All men are created equal..." (although for reasons unrelated to slavery), but of the two, John Adams was arguably the better man, if for no other reason than that from the top of his (bald) head to the tips of his (undoubtedly unattractive) toes, he, DM (p 116)"abhorred" the idea of slavery "all his life." Lastly, of all of the information that Henriksen writes about John Adams, true, false, repetitive, negative or otherwise, not a single reference to David McCullough's John Adams by page number is provided. A wealth of information about John Adams, the book and the man, as well as David McCullough, the amazingly talented author who so skillfully brought him to life, can certainly be found on the world wide web, saving the reader the cost and disappointment of this sometimes incomplete, repetitive, overly-negative take on John Adams. ... Read more

Product Description
The House with a Clock in Its Walls; The Figure in the Shadows and The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring are three magically eerie tales gathered in this one-volume edition. The series opens as Lewis Barnavelt, a newly orphaned ten-year-old, comes to live with his Uncle Johnathan. Little does Lewis know that Uncle Johnathan and his next-door neighbor, Mrs. Zimmerman are witches. Lewis finds that he himself owns magical powers, and soon is thrust in a supernatural battle between good and evil. The second tale focuses on Grampa Barnavelt's old coin. Lewis thinks the coin is an amulet, but when he starts to wear it around his neck, bizarre things start to happen - and not all of them good. The last tale shifts the focus to thirteen-year-old Rose Rita, who is embittered because she cannot go to camp like Lewis. so Mrs. Zimmerman offers Rita an adventure of her own. But when a magical ring disappears, Rita gets more of an adventure than she bargained for. John Bellair's vivid characterization and and excruciatingly suspenseful plots make this series a thrilling ride! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Enchanting horror and a little bit of kid angst
John Bellairs is a master of children's horror that I'm afraid the world has forgotten in the Harry Potter rush. As much as I love all that good stuff, nothing beats Bellairs' aura on a little town in 1940's Michigan where anything spooky can happen.

The three novels in this volume ("The House with a Clock in its Walls", "The Figure in the Shadows", and "The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring") focus on a orphan boy named Lewis who has come to the town of New Zebedee to live with his eccentric uncle who just so happens to be a wizard. What proceeds is various dippings into the supernatural.

And these are not the "cute" supernatural, at least in the usual sense. Sure, Stephen King and Anne Rice would probably consider these adventures kid stuff, but they are they are perfectly creative enough for kids; honestly, I think they're more creative than most of the adult horror out there. Bellairs deals with necromancy, Biblical prophecy, possession, the whole nine yards, but all very tastefully done to be suitable to this age group.

Besides the horror, these are books about what it's like to be a kid. Bellairs gets into the heads of his characters with their thoughts and worries and hopes like few do whilst balancing another subject.

His writing is also absolutely enchanting. Without being flowery, he is a master of description with exellent pacing and a storytelling voice that just draws you in.

I know these are a couple decades old, but I adored this mans' works as a kid, and even now I can't think of many things better to do than curl up with these stories.

Still A Good Read
I read these books years ago, found them creepy, and forgot about them until recently.These are aimed at a young adult reader, but they're atmospheric and well written, and definitely make enjoyable adult reading.Check out the pages on the individual books for more info, but the three books in one edition is a great deal.These are also excellent for pre-teens and older who enjoy books on the supernatural.They do deal with themes of witchcraftand magic, but otherwise, contain no objectionable content.

Bellairs' Barnavelt/Zimmerman Trilogy
This volume contains:

House with a Clock in its Walls (1973)
The Figure in the Shadows (1975)
The Letter, the Witch and the Ring (1976)

I have not read all of Bellairs' novels, so I cannot say whether these three are really his the "best".But the grouping is appropriate for other reasons:These are in fact the first three of Bellair's supernatural horror novels for kids; each is a sequel to the last; and all three feature the characters Lewis Barnavelt, Jonathan Van Olden Barnavelt, Mrs. Zimmerman, and (in the last two novels) Rose-Rita Pottinger.Moreover, the collection is more-or-less complete, since these are the only ones featuring these characters that were written entirely by Bellairs and published during his lifetime.The "next" in the series, entitled "The Ghost in the Mirror" was published posthumously after being completed by Brad Strickland in 1993 (after a gap of 17 years, during which Bellairs switched to writing about Johnny Dixon and Anthony Monday).Strickland has gone on to write his own adventures in the series (with what success I cannot say).

HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS begins with the orphaned Lewis Barnavelt, aged 10, being sent to live with his crazy Uncle Jonathan, and his batty neighbor Mrs. Zimmerman.The Uncle and the neighbor both turn out to be magicians (of the benevolent sort), and the grand old house they inhabit is filled with magical artifacts and mysteries, including a strange ticking sound reputed to come from a hidden clock.Matters get serious after the insecure Lewis, in an attempt to impress a friend, ignores his uncle's warning that he should never attempt magic.Creepy, scary fun ensues.

The next two novels in the series are just as well written, and every bit as creepy and scary as the original.However, the grimness becomes a little more unrelenting, and some kids may even find it depressing.One reason for this is that Bellairs seems to have somewhat regretted sending mixed messages in his first book, by his positive portrayal of magic as practiced by Mrs. Zimmerman and Uncle Jonathan.In the course of these volumes Mrs. Zimmerman is almost completely deprived of her powers.Bellairs continues to pay lip service to the idea that they are both benevolent minor magicians, but he ceases to show them using magic to positive effect.Magic use becomes, for all practical purposes, almost entirely associated with evil, and any dabbling therein leads only to horrific consequences.

I don't think Bellairs is necessarily wrong to want to discourage kids from seeking occult powers.However, it is a possibly unintended effect of this decision that the stories become increasingly and unrelentingly horrific and depressing.While the first volume made it seem as though there were powerful forces of Good to compete with those of Evil, the two sequels start to seem a bit like reading H.P. Lovecraft, wherein Evil has all the power.

The edition contains the original Edward Gorey illustrations for the first novel.Unfortunately, other artists illustrated the two sequels.The latter illustrations do not enchance the stories, which would be better off without them.

Three tales in the Lewis Barnavelt series
John Bellairs is best known as the author of sixteen gothic mystery novels for young adults comprising the Lewis Barnavelt, Anthony Monday, and Johnny Dixon series. The three stories in this book are the first three in the Lewis Barnavelt series, although the last has more to do with his friend, Rose Rita.The tales collected in this book are "The House with a Clock in Its Walls," "The Figure in the Shadows," and "The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring."

So far from what I've read of this author, his characters tend to be elderly eccentrics, or ordinary children (no superkids, here).Lewis is resourceful, but with a child's fears and limitations.Most especially, he is afraid that his uncle won't like him, that the kids in his new school will make fun of him, and that he'll never have a friend.His uncle, Jonathan and neighbor, Mrs. Zimmerman are very likeable magicians.They play poker with Lewis and make him chocolate chip cookies and cocoa, and generally treat him as a small adult.

The House with a Clock in its Walls (1973) - illustrated by Edward Gorey

Lewis is a newly orphaned, plump ten-year-old, who wears "purple corduroy trousers, the kind that go `whip-whip' when you walk."The author often claimed that his imagination got stuck at ten, and here is Lewis, age ten, going to live with his Uncle Jonathan in New Zebedee, Michigan.The year is 1948, and New Zebedee bears a strong resemblance to Marshall, Michigan, where the author was born--- The Cronin House and the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) Hall still stand in Marshall, just as their counterparts do in New Zebedee.

The only thing Uncle Jonathan is reluctant to talk about with Lewis is the ticking noise within the walls of his old mansion, recently acquired from a deceased magician.

Lewis discovers that his uncle makes midnight excursions throughout the house, stopping and restarting all of the old clocks.He slowly gets involved in the mystery of an undiscovered clock.The wizardly Izzard couple who used to live in the house are both dead, but what did they leave behind and why?

There are some genuinely frightening scenes in "The House with a Clock in its Walls"---most especially when Lewis tries to impress a new friend by stealing one of his uncle's magic books and taking it to the graveyard at midnight on Halloween---but I don't want to spoil the story for you (Hint:there's a scene straight out of "Count Magnus" by M.R. James when the lock pops off of the crypt).Let me say that this is a truly scary book, and if the author's imagination got stuck at ten, he must lived an awesomely spooky tenth year.

"The Figure in the Shadows" (1975) - illustrated by Mercer Mayer

Lewis wants desperately to believe that an old coin belonging to his Great-Great-Grampa Barnavelt has magical powers.He is being bullied at school and starts to wear the old Civil War coin around his neck for protection.Finally Lewis turns on the bully and beats him up, but he soon learns that the coin has other, even darker powers.

When Lewis begins to see a shadowy figure in a long coat and starts to get scary messages, he asks his friend, Rose Rita to take the coin and throw it away.She wrestles the coin away from him, but instead of throwing it into the storm drain, she hides it.

The bully starts in on Lewis again, and he decides he'll do anything to get the coin back again, even steal it from Rose Rita.

This story has a very spooky climax that will scare even the grown-ups who are reading it to their children.

"The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring" (1976) - illustrated by Richard Egielski

Rose Rita is mad at the world.Her friend, Lewis Barnavelt is going to Boy Scout camp for the summer, and he is the only one who appreciates her for what she is:a tomboy with a great pitching arm who has no interest in growing up into the world of proms and pretty gowns.When Mrs. Zimmerman offers to take her on a trip to see the farm she just inherited from her cousin, Oley, Rose Rita jumps at the chance.

Unfortunately when Mrs. Zimmerman and Rose Rita arrive at the farmhouse up in the woods of Northern Michigan, it has been ransacked.The ring that Oley had found and believed to be magic has been stolen.

When Mrs. Zimmerman herself disappears, it is up to Rose Rita to solve the deepening mystery.

Don't expect milksop magic or easy solutions from this author.Rose Rita has to confront both interior and exterior demons, and comes very close to death before Bellairs winds down to his usual cocoa and cookies (well, roasted marshmallows in this story) ending.

The Best Of John Bellairs
Good product, prompt service.John really writes for much younger readers (I'm 83) but is a comfortable read anyway. ... Read more

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