Book Description
The Posleen are coming and the models all say the same thing: Without the Panama Canal, the US is doomed to starvation and defeat. Despite being overstretched preparing to defend the US, the military sends everything it has left: A handful of advanced Armored Combat Suits, rejuvenated veterans from the many decades that Panama was a virtual colony and three antiquated warships. Other than that, the Panamanians are on their own. Replete with detailed imagery of the landscape, characters and politics that have made the jungle-infested peninsula a Shangri-La for so many over the years, Yellow Eyes is a hard-hitting look at facing a swarming alien horde with not much more than wits and guts. Fortunately, the Panamanians, and the many veterans that think of it as a second home, have plenty of both.
Customer Reviews:
back to the good stuff.......2007-09-16
Is it just me who finds the whole Posleen series a teeny bit confusing. i mean i like the whole concept, well done the Nazis on the Rhine and all that, but when are we actually going to kick the Posleen's butts, get rid of them off the earth and stop mucking around with the political metaphores. Now that said (and as a european, who other than the ex-Nazis are obviously all left wing tree huggers) i actually enjoyed this one. It's a good story and a good book, thank God Cally was not in it, but unfortunatley she is back in the next one. By the way Amazon, why can't you make it easier to get the information on Boook 1 of X, Book 2 of X stuff presented to those of us who stuggle to follow these things.
Anyway i digress. If you enjoyed the first two Posleen books and the Wactch on the Rhine one, then you will enjoy this one. My hopes for the future are 1) no more Cally, 2) a story that shows either the death of the earth or victory 3) and whichever that the authors remeber that the EU can actually fight and so can the Russian and Chineese, and might despite the lefties make a decent go of it.
Good Book.......2007-09-04
I enjoyed this entry to the Aldenata series, although Watch on the Rhine was better. If you liked the other books in the Aldenata series, get this book you will not be disappointed.
Always remember, "You can get anything on E-Bay"!
Beware the conspiracy.......2007-08-20
Well another rollicking read. The good guys get to kill millions of Posleen, the bad guys are anyone who isn't very politically conservative (somewhere to the left of Franco) and that's that.
One thing, John and friends have slipped over the edge here a bit by dusting off the old world government thing, somehow there is this vast conspiracy of people who want to take over the world and the only way to save them is by killing everyone who isn't a real American or a hard drinking Panamanian, or a computer simulation of a blond who has immense breasts. Real Americans in John's view are a tad conservative, likely live in the mountains of Idaho and are heavily armed at all times.
The Posleen seem to be less effective than before and that is interesting but if you change the place names from any other Posleen book to Panama you will have this book.
As to World Government (The Transies) well anyone who pays attention to the overall effectiveness of governments should not be scared of the UN, etc. and what they might do, because they are about as inept as one can imagine.
That is one reason I have never been too concerned about the black helicopter folks, the main fear of that is they will get lost, crash and maybe hurt an innocent person, as to actually taking something over? Get serious.
John, stick to stories, leave politics alone
Another great addition to the Aldenata series.......2007-08-15
When John Ringo wrote A Hymn Before Battle (Posleen War Series #1) he continued the great tradition of stories of the Mobile Infantry began by Robert Heinlein in Starship Troopers. Ringo brought something new to the party - his experience as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division and his keen sense of how to tell a story that is gripping, entertaining and witty.
When Tom Kratman began working with Ringo in Watch on the Rhine (Posleen War Series #7) he also brought something to the party - a sharp military mind and his own insightful political observations. Working together on Watch on the Rhine they produced one of the best books yet in the Aldenata saga. But, Kratman and Ringo have topped Watch on the Rhine in this novel.
There is the To Be Expected great battle scenes and interesting characters. But in this book they will make you love a ship and feel sorry for the Posleen. What more could you want?
Cultural cross-view makes for a great read.......2007-07-22
I'd been getting a little tired of endless Posleen waves acting like Posleen (though not too badly) until this gem came along in this generally excellent series. (Cally's war seems not to have been repeated, at least!) Things seemed to being starting samo samo, then back plot actions with the "Mad" PDA came into focus along with the native Panamanian defense force leadership, and this one turned into a page turner.
I'm not sure I can rank this as the best of the series, but it's definitely in the top four.
Book Description
From its beginnings as a human-alien story of first contact, the Foreigner series has become a true science fiction odyssey. The ninth book in the epic series, and the third book in the third Foreigner trilogy, Deliverer is a worthy contribution to Cherryh's magnum opus that is destined to be a classic.
Customer Reviews:
Continueing the saga of Cajeiri..........2007-07-30
In Deliverer, Ms. Cherryh has picked up her Foreigner series and continued it forward. This time Bren is helping out the recently re-established aiji (I view this a shogun since I see lots of similarities between the Atevi and the Japanese, the Foreigner series I see as a more controlled Meiji government dealing with higher technology though) to recover his son who has gone missing. As is typical with many of CJ Cherryh's books in the Foreigner series, the opening is a little slow but important for setting the stage. In this case, the aiji's son (Cajeiri) establishes the tempo of the book (as a matter of fact, his point of view is used several times, something new to the Foreigner series) by acting much like a human teen would. These problems Cajeiri experiences cumulate in him being kidnapped by others seeking power.
As is typical in a book from Ms. Cherryh, the characters are strong and much is said indirectly. While I felt the opening was weak for Ms. Cherryh (the Foreigner series is strong in politics/relations between people, action is sometimes weak), the back half moves at a nice clip and delivers as one of the stronger conclusions in the Foreigner series. If there's one disappointment with them though, it's that this book is wide open for another trilogy for Foreigner (sorry, I prefer the Union/Alliance line). The bottom line, a solid 4 star book. Thank you very much for the tale Ms. Cherryh!
Can't wait for another one!.......2007-07-29
Other reviewers have covered the basic plot, so I won't re-hash that. C.J. Cherryh just does such wonderful aliens - not the physical form, but the thought processes that make them so different from humans. Many people have trouble just dealing with different human cultures. Cherryh takes you right out of the human realm, via language and cultural values, to let you really experience how different another intelligent race could really be. I've loved all her science fiction since reading Brothers of Earth and Hunter of Worlds many years ago. This latest in the Foreigner universe was well worth waiting for (and now I have to go back and re-read earlier ones!) in the action, the well-known (and dare I say loved) characters, but is still pushing the boundaries of human-Atevi relations by exploring further into the world of the Atevi heir after his exposure to human children at a formative time of his life. I sure hope there will be a follow-up to this latest book.
Very disappointing.......2007-06-26
This was just a tag-on to complete 9 books. Very weak and predictable in plot. First books written from view of main character. This book switched back and forth with another character with very indifferent results. This book takes the series nowhere and leaves the reader in the same place. It doesn't "complete" the series, nor does it set up for the obvious follow-on visit of more aliens. It's just an unrelated tale that isn't very good. Very disappointing to get drivel from such an excellant author.
Love this series. Can't get enough........2007-05-24
If you have followed this series you will enjoy this book.
Yeah, I know - not much detail in this review. I figure there is plenty of that in the editorial review, etc... and I hate to give away the plot of a book to folks who haven't read it yet!
I will say I have read just about everything this author has written and I find this series to be the most enjoyable. If you truely enjoy sci-fi and/or fantasy writing, then start at the beginning of this series and read the whole thing. It will be worth the $$$.
R Walker
An Avid Reader
A Timely Rescue.......2007-04-06
Deliverer (2007) is the ninth SF novel in the Foreigner series, following Pretender. In the previous volume, the return of the Phoenix after a two year absence greatly shocked the aishidi'tat of the Western Association. Many had thought that the aiji-dowager Ilisidi and the aiji-heir Cajeiri would never be seen again. Then the reappearance of Tabini-aiji caused the usurping government of Murini-aiji to collapse and his supporters to run for their lives.
In this novel, Tabini-aiji and his supporters are reoccupying the Bu-javid. Yet the damage done by the usurpers was never repaired. The bodies have been removed, but the bullet holes and blood are still there. Tabini-aiji's apartment even has a room with a gaping hole for a floor.
The apartment of the paidhi has been claimed by an atevi clan and Bren Cameron is currently living with the aiji-dowager. Then he is informed that Lord Tatiseigi, Cajeiri's great-uncle, is returning to his estate and Ilisidi is accompanying him. So Bren will now be moving into Tatiseigi's apartment, where he resided once before. Meanwhile, Tabini-aiji and his consort Daimiri, together with Cajeiri, are moving into Ilisidi's apartment while their rooms are being repaired.
The confusion in the bureaucracy is even more acute. Fortunately, most of the paidhi's records had been removed by his staff and hidden from the usurpers. Now Bren is trying to trace his staff and reassemble them in a nearby hotel. Such confusion is also evident in the Messenger, Transportation and other Guilds.
The Assassins' Guild is even more upset. Some southern assassins had changed man'chi to Murini. Maybe even the Guildmaster did so as well, but the Guild is not telling. Bren does know that the Guild is presently readjusting itself, but Banichi, Tano and Algini are spending too much time on Guild business while Jago alone tends to his security.
In this story, Cajeiri and his young bodyguards Jegari and Antaro are being neglected by everybody. Cajeiri is strongly feeling the absence of his human friends and the conveniences of their environment. So Cajeiri has a plan. Of course, it gets him into trouble, even with the paidhi, and Cajeiri is relegated to his parent's apartment for an indefinite time.
Then Cajeiri disappears. Antaro is found unconscious on a lower floor of the building. Later Jegari turns up, bloody but safe, to relate his experiences during the kidnapping of Cajeiri. Unfortunately, he did not recognize his captors, but does know that they took Cajeiri to a cargo airplane. Given the information available, Tabini decides that one specific plane must be carrying his son and sends Ilisidi, Bren and their security after it.
This story introduces a new factor in the Western Association political environment. It also allows Cajeiri to use some of his newly acquired expertise to frustrate his captors. And Bren learns what the station has landed on the planet during his absence.
One of the author's strong points is also a weakness. She throws the reader into an alien situation and lets the reader gradually learn about the milieu during the course of the book. Readers without much SF experience tend to get lost in the weirdness. In this series, however, the atevi and their planet are starting to become familiar. Naturally, the author has already introduced a new alien culture to further confuse the reader. Enjoy!
Highly recommended for Cherryh fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of exotic cultures, wild adventures and an underinformed paidhi.
-Arthur W. Jordin
Book Description
In this work of grave beauty and searing powerone of the most widely praised pieces of investigative reporting to appear in recent yearswe follow 26 men who in May 2001 attempted to cross the Mexican border into the desert of southern Arizona, through the deadly region known as the Devils Highway, a desert so harsh and desolate that even the Border Patrol is afraid to travel through it, a place that for hundreds of years has stolen mens souls and swallowed their blood. Only 12 of the men made it out.
Customer Reviews:
The Devil's Highway - a must read!.......2007-08-26
As a long-time resident of Tucson I was fascinated and horrified by this book. I thought that I knew a lot about "entrants" and the problems of our southern border but this book really opened my eyes. Such a complicated issue!
The book is well-written, absorbing, amusing, informing and very readable. Anyone who is at all interested in our immigration and border policies, or who has an interest in the desert and borderlands, should by all means read this book! Or, read it just because you like a good (true) story.
Urrea's Masterful Narrative.......2007-06-13
Touching story about everyday life at the border.
The Rabbit.......2007-02-20
Once upon a time, there was a rabbit and he was rather licious. lol...Good review...Don't strangle the chickens or choke them.
An Everyday Tragedy in the Southwest.......2006-11-11
As a resident who has lived in Yuma, Arizona for the past nine years and read the daily paper and watched the nightly news giving scant details about one or two bodies found here or there, presumed to be those of "illegals" -- Urrea brings to the reader the faces and lives of the human beings behind the numbers. I often think of the deceased that are briefly mentioned in these news blurbs and wonder where they came from, whom they have left behind and what dreams of theirs did the desert kill? And is the desert what really killed them? Or was it some errant Border Patrol agent or a frustrated and pissed off Minuteman? Just what are they so pissed about, anyhow?
Regarding the immigrants and their motivations for leaving their beloved behind for the north, Urrea certainly answered some of my questions. No, America, they are not all criminals, drug runners or people out to get your top jobs! They just want to make enough to feed their families and if they're lucky, save enough to buy a little building material for a house or to start up a small business. I have yet to hear any of my friends or acquaintances get excited about applying for jobs in agriculture or plucking chickens!
This book should be recommended reading for our government leaders, the INS, and ALL law enforcement agencies - they might just be able to figure out a plan for immigration reform! Just be sure to read the interview of Mr. Urrea in the Reading Group Guide at the end of the book -- the numbers (profits) will amaze you. As this book painfully demonstrates, fences are not going to do anything but make death in the desert an even more certain fate for crossers.
Thank you, Mr. Urrea, for giving the world a clear and concise picture of what is really going on in our corner of the country and our part of the globe, for that matter. As I drive along I-8 going to either San Diego or Phoenix and offer my usual prayer for those who have died so close by, I can promise that the names of Edgar, Abraham, Jose and Reymundo will not be forgotten. I will even have a prayer for Mendez.
Great personal view of immigration.......2006-11-02
Urrea brings us up close and personal by sharing the real lives of those who risk crossing the border and the Border Patrol officers that try to stop them. A painful story, well told.
Book Description
Featured in the book:
-the best UFO/ET cases and the evidence for them.
-the best US and other official government smoking-gun documents
-remarkable close encounters of the Fifth kind
-thought-provoking overview of why ETs are here
Customer Reviews:
Not woth the $.......2007-05-22
The author of this book is a paranoid man with delusions of grandeur. Their books seem to spend more time talking about how amazing he is (making such claims as being able to levitate and summon ufo's on a whim) and doesn't actually give any real evidence. You are better off looking for interesting evidence with a google search, this book is not worth the money.
Extraterrestrial Contact: The Evidence and Implications.......2007-05-14
There is truth here which must be heard so all peoples will benefit.
I have been to a Greer "training".......2007-05-05
Like this book, the training was full of fantasy and imagination. Unlike this book, it was not full of extra-terrestial experiences. Rather, for me, the training was full of social-psychological phenomena. Some would call it "group think."
Greer, a dominating personality fascinated as much with himself, his thoughts and imagination as he is with ETs, seems to have a core group of followers, a majority of whom are single women. They are his resident "experts" at these trainings and report seeing what Greer suggests they will see. (We call it "priming" the crowd.) The group dynamics are incredible! Some of these women observe with their eyes shut or tightly "squinting" and report what they have seen as reality -- always ETs or avatars, of course. Greer approves and calls them experienced observers. Others, who see nothing, are told to stick with it and as they believe and practice, they, too will see. (Sort of like, if you read enough, believe enough, you will see Jesus.)
If you like science fantasy, this book could be entertaining though frustrating because of the remarkably juvenile, repetitious writing style. If you want facts, go elsewhere.
All the stars in our Galaxy to you, Mr Greer. You have achieved wonders........2007-05-04
Thank you for this book and all the enthusiasm and love you put into it. Thank you for opening my eyes and taking my fears away and doing the same for lots of others. Thank you for all your brave hard work. Every bit of your effort is opening doors to great miracles, waiting for too long to happen.
With admiration, Gabriela.
Review of "Exterrestrial Contact" by Steven Greer, M.D........2007-02-18
Let's start with the bottom line: This book should be taken very seriously.
Preamble: There are certain philosophical and moral foundations for investigations of reality, whether conventional or "far out." 1. An investigation should attempt to gather all of the facts that are pertinent to the subject. Leaving out essential facts can lead to erroneous conclusions. 2. The anlaysis of facts and evidence should be as thorough, complete, and valid as humanly possible. 3. The investigators should hold to an attitude of perfect impartiality; any bias is scientifically immoral. Even more immoral is deliberate concealment and lying to support a hidden agenda. 4. Investigators must often exhibit considerable courage to face and overcome opposition from those who oppose new facts, concepts, and conclusions.
How does Dr. Greer's investigation stack up with these principles? 1. The investigation has been extremely thorough, with an enormous body of evidence gathered. 2. The analysis of this evidence seems to be carefully done and valid. 3. No bias is evident in the investigator. In constrast, Dr. Greer has uncovered not only bias, but deliberate obstruction of the truth among many of the individuals and agencies investigated. 4. Dr.Greer has displayed a great deal of courage in confronting opposition to his totally justified right to investigate an important phenomenon.
In my opinion, Dr. Greer has reached a correct conclusion that there exists a "shadow government" that is more powerful than the visible one, and which has the money and resources to control information and suppress new technology in support of its own goals.
Book Description
Pat Buchanan is sounding the alarm. Since 9/11, more than four million illegal immigrants have crossed our borders, and there are more coming every day. Our leaders in Washington lack the political will to uphold the rule of law. The Melting Pot is broken beyond repair, and the future of our nation is at stake.
In this important book, Pat Buchanan reveals that, slowly but surely, the great American Southwest is being reconquered by Mexico. These lands---which many Mexicans believe are their birthright---are being detached ethnically, linguistically, and culturally from the United States by a deliberate policy of the Mexican regime. This is the “Aztlan Plot” for “La Reconquista,” the recapture of the lands lost by Mexico in the Texas War of Independence and Mexican-American War.
Comparing the immigrant invasion of America from across the Mexican border---and of Europe from across the Mediterranean---to the barbarian invasions that ended the Roman Empire, the author writes with passion and conviction that we have begun the final chapter of the Death of the West. Unless the invasion is halted now, Buchanan argues, by midcentury America will be a country unrecognizable to our parents, the Third World dystopia that Theodore Roosevelt warned against when he said we must never let America become a “polyglot boardinghouse” for the world.
President Bush’s failure to halt the invasion and secure America’s border, Buchanan writes, is a dereliction of constitutional duty that, in other times, would have called forth articles of impeachment. In the final chapter, “Last Chance,” he lays out a sweeping immigration reform and border security plan, which, he contends, if not pursued, means George W. Bush’s legacy will be to have lost for America a Southwest that was the legacy of Sam Houston, Andrew Jackson, and James K. Polk. With an estimated ten to fifteen million “illegals” already here and tens of millions more poised to pour across our borders, few books could be as timely---or important---as State of Emergency. It is essential reading for all Americans.
Customer Reviews:
xenophobia or rational position?.......2007-09-13
Buchanan, makes an impassioned argument that the country is in a 'state of emergency' because of our neglegence in dealing with the immigration issue. However, many of the arguments seem to steam from a fear that America is losing its traditional anglo-identity, and not rational arguments that show why largre-scale immigration is such a great evil for this country. While he does makes some good points and back them up with some statistics, most of the time is just trying to scare people with anticdotal evidence. I conclude that Buchanan's book, while completely correct that we need to pay attention to the immigration issue and that there could be catastrophic effects for neglecting it, fails to ever show that a large mexican immigration is a bad thing just that there needs to be restrictions in place on who we let in and what we require of them.
A Good Book but lacking in the Proper Historical Perspective .......2007-08-19
Texas, AZ, NM, CAL, Utah and most of the eastern US, areas the US now calls its own were neither paid for properly nor legally. They were stolen from their owners, both native american indians and latinos. Buchanan mentions that CAL for example only had 3,000 Mexicans in it when these lands were stolen from them. How many americans were there at the time????? Not very many. What he conveniently fails to mention are the lands which these 3,000 owned at the time, mnay of them were farmers who controlled huge areas of land in the most desireable climatic growing areas. The US government promised these people compensation for their lands if they permitted their lands to be squatted on by expansionist caucasian farmers, miners and cattlemen. But once the caucasian squatting started the deals were soon broken. The lands given to the american indians were even more laughable, typically dry, nearly waterless lands with little to no meaningful crop or cattle supporting abilities which the expansionist caucasians did not want to occupy anyway. Wow what a deal for them indeed.
This is what happens when the creation of "your" country is basically the result of an entirely "Illegal Caucasian Invasion" which is what the title of this book really should be. Unlike many other nations where new cultures immagrated in and assimililated themselves in a legal manner, the US as we know it today was essentially stolen at gunpoint from its occupants in a wholly illegal manner. Historical FACTOID! It's laughable how we whine about what is happening in the US but talk about how bad Hitler was in Germany. What exactly did Hitler do that was so bad? How about the fact he occupied lands at gunpoint, slaughtered millions of the inhabitants in those occupied lands, and committed all sorts of atrocities upon the native peoples of those lands he invaded. Sound like familiar story folks????? Well, it is, because that is EXACTLY how america was formed by primarily euro based caucasians in the past 200 years. Indians were slaughtered, their food sources wiped out, Latinos were slaughtered and those who were offered "deals" almost never ended up getting what they were promised by the US government. We took the most fertile lands available and left the desolate areas for indians and called them "reservations". Our cheap labor force in the caucasian controlled South for decades was Negro slave labor STOLEN from Africa. Now we whine about how a new wave of invaders isn't fair, pooh hoo hoo. This is called reaping what you have sowed. If you or Buchanan had bothered to study your history even a bit for the past millenium you would know that this is how all countries formed at gunpoint usually inevitably end up.
As for the laughable comment that Clinton and GW Bush caused the current immigration problem, better go study some more history. Good old Ron Reagan, the same guy who authorized selling chemical weapons to Saddam, the same guy who illegally sold weapons to Iran a sworn enemy of the US at the time, the same guy who deregulated the S&L's leading to the S&L crisis and a $1 trillion taxpayer funded bailout of the S&L crisis (through the RTC) is also the same EXACT fellow who promoted amnesty and opened the doors for the current wave of huge immigration into this nation. Bush SR also certainly played his part, and in fact up until this past November your Congress had been controlled by Republicans for the past 13 years, blame them too. And most of all do not fail to blame both US consumers and employers, many of them caucasians. Consumers who love the low prices they pay for various goods thanks to the dirt cheap illegal labor employed by so many of the companies you buy goods from and the employers themselves who knowingly employ much of this illegal cheap labor force to fatten their profits. Stop the illegal employment and you'll end the problem. But of course you'll also then pay higher prices for your produce, landscaping, construction, restaurant food bills, clothing, etc..
Blame the primarily caucasian employers employing this labor force and the primarily caucasian consumers willingly buying and benefitting from the prices of the products produced/sold by the employers of these illegals while simultaneously whining about it like crybabies. Anyone here shop at Walmart recently????????????? They have been found guilty of hundreds of illegal immigrant employment violations in the past decade. If you shop there even once a year you and your family yourselves are therefore overt supporters of illegal immigration by your own consumer actions. WM is just one of many examples.
Sad but True.......2007-08-17
I hate to say it but I agree with everything Pat said. We can't even take care of whose here. No point in bringing in more problems.
Open This Book Only in Emergency. Now?.......2007-08-06
Mr. Buchanan, as ever, comes through with an easy to-understand slant on current affairs, this time making the case for curbing the numbers of immigrants entering our nation in a major way. He's a good writer, yes; but he too often gets bogged down in short chronologies of historical events that occurred well prior to his topic. This does make for some dry, colorless reading here and there. From the Austro-Hungarian Empire to 1918 Czechoslovakia to French Enlightenment and on, in many cases, the reader is left asking "What does this have to do with the subject at hand"?
Several of the chapters are bursting at the seams with percentages, numerical comparisons, quantities, poll results...in paragraph after paragraph of analysis of populations, voting results, immigration details, dollar figures. Great pages for the researcher, but he really doesn't footnote much of the number crunching; so often one wonders: "Pat, where'd all this numbing number-information come from, anyway?"
All in all, author Buchanan makes some compelling points about the impending "take-over" of USA Southwest by Mexican immigrants [by "invasion without a shot"], quite sanctioned by the Mexican government. He discusses big-city sanctuaries for illegals, quotas, assimilation, low-pay jobs and languages...and takes to task the allegiance of Mexicans as they proclaim for themselves: "Mexican-American, but Mexican first." He points out (many times) that we can expect the "loss of our country [Southwest and all, by "2050"] as we know it," unless we make prompt national adjustments.
He proclaims "things will change" for us in a major way, but Buchanan doesn't tell us how different things actually will be. He doesn't even make small guesses as to what to expect [by 2050, his repeatedly target year]. How will new "MexiAmerica" will look and feel? Excepting his recurrent assertion that whites will be in a definite minority, he doesn't say much more about the year 2050. --But who knows, Pat. It could all be for the better!
Too, the author doesn't say much (if anything) about the current influx of Muslims into the country.... We might guess he's simply left that to Mark Styne and his work on the subject. --But we should ask: why isn't it part of this book? Isn't the fast migration of Islam also a concern of "The [total] Emergency" that we face...or is Buchanan's whole concept being slightly exaggerated after all? Finally, The author notes we have but "one more chance" to return to sanity and security...and offers many salable directions for us to take to save ourselves...including building a long, fat border; reevaluation of "anchor baby" laws; and, he says, "no amnesty."
I'm not sure Pat Buchanan's made his case here; even so, he's come up with another interesting read. Yet "State of Emergency" does have the texture of Mark Styne's "Alone America" and Buchanan's previous work, "Death of the West." It's the same Pat Buchanan here with an old focus--and a bit of new information plus some absorbing looks at how Mexicans see the USA. Three stars for a relevant re-hash of many things we pretty much know about...amid vacant history lessons we pretty much don't much care about.
Clear and concise.......2007-07-13
Pat Buchanan presents the problem of illegal immigration and possible
terrorist threat in a logical way. There are no scare tactics, just
"how it really is" and "how it could be". I am not a raving conservative,
and am in fact on the more liberal side, but everything he said makes
sense. I gave it 4 stars because he throws in the occassional "slam"
toward the Democrats but for the most part he concentrates on the
problem that affects us all.
Average customer rating:
- !!!!!!!!!!!
- The best yet in the series
- another epic chapter in the Halo series
- Good but Technical
- Great book
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Ghosts of Onyx (Halo)
Eric Nylund
Manufacturer: Tor Books
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Halo, Books 1-3 (The Flood; First Strike; The Fall of Reach)
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Halo 2, Vol. 2
ASIN: 0765315688
Release Date: 2006-10-31 |
Book Description
The Spartan-II program has gone public. Tales of super-soldiers fending off thousands of Covenant attacks have become the stuff of legend.
But just how many Spartans are left?
While the Master Chief defends a besieged Earth, and the myriad factions of the Covenant continue their crusade to eliminate humanity, an ultrasecret cell of the Office of Naval Intelligence known as “Section Three” devises a plan to buy the UNSC vital time. They’re going to need hundreds of willing soldiers, though . . . and one more Spartan to get the job done.
The planet Onyx is virtually abandoned and the perfect place to set this new plan in motion. But when the Master Chief destroys Halo, something is triggered deep within Onyx: Ancient Forerunner technology stirs, and fleets of UNSC and Covenant race to claim it to change the course of the Human-Covenant War.
But this reawakened and ancient force may have plans of its own . . .
Customer Reviews:
!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-10-08
This book was so excellent! I loved it a lot!!!!! Other than the Master Chief not being in it besides one chapter in the beginning, this book is flawless and really interesting.
The best yet in the series.......2007-09-14
Before reading this book I bought the box set and read the first three in the series. The first book was littered with gross typos, the second book mostly failed to deliver (due to the author's lack of detail at many times), but the third book was better. "Halo: Ghosts of Onyx" is by far the best in the series. It was more professionally done as there were less typos (if any at all) and there was close attention to detail most of the time. I like the idea of the Spartan III program and some new technologies associated with it. However, the one thing with Halo that bores me is all of the "space quest". I'm a fan of Spartan action, so when they're just flying around in outer space, my interest drops a bit. But once again, this book is definitely the best in the series so far.
another epic chapter in the Halo series.......2007-09-05
This book was just as good as the other two by Eric Nylund. I eagerly await the next installment in the Halo story.
Good but Technical.......2007-07-13
This book follows the previous halo books, however does not go with the same story line. Instead of following the Famed Xbox character "Master Chief" or John (known to us who's read the books), it follows a different path with the other spartan characters being the main focus.
This book is a well written book for the Halo series. If you have enjoyed reading the other books, then you will certainly enjoy reading this one, however it gets quite technical at some points. The past books filled us with different battles, and scenarios. This book has many fictional technicalities that you must pay attention to in order to enjoy it fully. If you do not understand something the first time, read it over again because it will be mentioned later on in the book.
Again this book is a great addition to the Halo series and if you are a fan of the books and like to know more than just the gameplay, then this is for you.
Great book.......2007-06-18
Glad to have the best author in this series back again. This book is better than even the first.
Average customer rating:
- eh. its okay.
- Good characters, good concept, and an easy read
- I want a Rollback!
- Live Long and Be Joyful
- Though Provoking in Customary Sawyer Style
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Rollback (Sci Fi Essential Books)
Robert J. Sawyer
Manufacturer: Tor Books
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ASIN: 0765311089
Release Date: 2007-04-03 |
Book Description
Dr. Sarah Halifax decoded the first-ever radio transmission received from aliens. Thirty-eight years later, a second message is received and Sarah, now 87, may hold the key to deciphering this one, too . . . if she lives long enough.A wealthy industrialist offers to pay for Sarah to have a rollback-a hugely expensive experimental rejuvenation procedure. She accepts on condition that Don, her husband of sixty years, gets a rollback, too. The process works for Don, making him physically twenty-five again. But in a tragic twist, the rollback fails for Sarah, leaving her in her eighties. While Don tries to deal with his newfound youth and the suddenly vast age gap between him and his wife, Sarah struggles to do again what she'd done once before: figure out what a signal from the stars contains. Exploring morals and ethics on both human and cosmic scales, Rollback is the big new SF novel for 2007 by Hugo and Nebula Award-winner Robert J. Sawyer.
Customer Reviews:
eh. its okay........2007-10-02
While I am an avid Sawyer reader, this book while interesting pulled too much from ethical literature without fully exploring any of its ramifications. An interesting and quick read, but not nearly as satisfying as his other works.
Good characters, good concept, and an easy read.......2007-08-25
Robert J. Sawyer's novels are always a treat for me. I have read them all. His characters are believeable and likeable. His ideas are unique and based on science that is not that far-fetched at all. Rollback is another one of those books that fits right into those categories. Sawyer is a master at developing ethical or moral issues for his characters in the way they respond to their environment, circumstances, etc.
Here we have Don Halifax, an Octogenarian who receives an expensive, highly sought after rollback that fixes all his innards to be that of a man in his 20's. His wife, also an Octogenarian, gets the same treatment but it fails. Don and his wife are still in love after 60 years of marriage but things get frustrating and confusing for Don as he sees his elderly wife fading away while he gets this other chance at life that he never actually asked for. All the while, Don's wife Sarah is trying to use her twilight years to assist an alien species that responded to a SETI message she sent years earlier during the prime of her career.
This book didn't have a real enemy per se just a lot of thought provoking ideas. I suppose the antogonist was Don's own psyche as he reacted to friends and family dying around him, guilt, frustrations, raging hormones, and looking younger than his own kids
The book is over 300 pages but you will get through it in no time, even with all the scientific research discussions thrown into the mix. It is also going to be his last book with TOR as his next book will have a new publisher.
By the way, I loved Gunther, the Robot and I wished there was more of him in the book.
I want a Rollback!.......2007-08-23
After reading several Robert Sawyer novels i was excited about obtaining Rollback. The story is of an alien message to earth which is received and returned about 2013. 34 years later a new message arrives(17 years each way).
The science is interesting but the really interesting thing about the story is the personal interactions that transpire because of a aging reversal project done on the scientist who decoded the message and her husband. He goes from 88 to 25 years old physically.
This completely changes the dynamics of his marriage and how he is treated by society. Talk about age discrimination. Talk about raging hormones.
I love this societal aspect of most of Sawyer's writing. It actually overtakes the storyline for me. How would your life change if you could rollback to age 25...assuming you are considerably older than that now. How would your friends and relatives treat you. how about work...could you get a job.
A very thought provoking novel. I enjoyed it.
Live Long and Be Joyful.......2007-08-19
Rollback (2007) is a standalone SF novel. It takes place mostly in Toronto, Ontario, about four decades from now. This story was first published as a serial within Analog, starting with the October 2006 issue.
In this novel, Sarah Halifax is a retired astronomer in her eighties. Her moment of fame occurred in 2010, when she interpreted the very first interstellar message. After her translation, a response was sent back to the aliens on Sigma Draconis, who had initiated the first message. Now a reply has been received to the human response and, once again, none can interrupt the message. It seems that the message is not only encoded for transmission, but is actually encrypted and no one knows the key.
Donald Halifax is Sarah's husband. When Cody McGavin -- a very rich man -- offers to pay for rejuvenation of Sarah to allow her more time (and energy) to work on the current message, Sarah insists that Donald be rejuvenated as well. So Donald becomes younger, but the procedure does not work for Sarah and she remains old.
However, Sarah continues working on the translation of the new message. She agrees with other translators that a key must have been incorporated in the first message or its response, but nothing can be found. Sarah searches the original messages to see if the key had been muddled in the copies.
In this story, Donald is now a very confused person. Donald and Sarah have been married for sixty years. They are used to doing everything together. They have raised two children and have two grandchildren. Donald hardly remembers his life before Sarah.
Suddenly Donald has the energy and libido of a twenty-five year old man, but is married to an eighty-seven year old woman. Donald is still full of energy when Sarah is drooping. When temptation comes his way, he struggles with his conflicting emotions. Then Donald becomes really interested in Lenore Darby, an astronomy graduate student, who reminds him of his Sarah. So he starts hanging out with people of his own apparent age.
This story is more about Donald than Sarah, but can anything about him be separated from her? His life has been hugely changed. He now has all the capabilities of the young with the experience of the old. Naturally, Donald wants his wife to also be young again, but is that possible? So what will he do for the rest of his extended life?
An early scene hints at the ideational origins of this novel. Sarah and Donald have a conversation about the long-term aspects of SETI, which leads to the notion of longevity. While persistence is necessary in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, such signals might be acquired at any point in time. Truly long-term continuity is only required for communications. As this story vividly illustrates, waiting for replies could take generations.
Highly recommended for Sawyer fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of alien communications, intergenerational relations, and true love.
-Arthur W. Jordin
Though Provoking in Customary Sawyer Style .......2007-08-15
Robert Sawyer writes books about things we all think "what if?" In Rollback the what if scenario is "What if you could rejuvenate your body to the body of your youth?" Would you do it, if so, at what price? Set in the not so distant future, Sarah and Don are faced with this very situation. The choice that they make changes their lives and the lives of their families forever. Sawyer has a way of presenting his readers with a philosophical dialogue, where science allows plausible options. I am a big Robert Sawyer fan, and enjoy reading his work. This book did not disappoint, and I highly recommend it. Rollback (Sci Fi Essential Books)
P. Walker Williams
PageTurner.net
Average customer rating:
- Hot Jazz at 78 RPM
- The story of three friends at the end of time - sooner than you'd think!
- Not Free SF Reader
- Wilson Gets Better and Better
- Best. Science Fiction. Novel. Ever. (or at least in top five)
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Spin
Robert Charles Wilson
Manufacturer: Tor Books
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ASIN: 0765309386
Release Date: 2005-03-10 |
Book Description
One night in October when he was ten years old, Tyler Dupree stood in his back yard and watched the stars go out. They all flared into brilliance at once, then disappeared, replaced by a flat, empty black barrier. He and his best friends, Jason and Diane Lawton, had seen what became known as the Big Blackout. It would shape their lives. The effect is worldwide. The sun is now a featureless disk--a heat source, rather than an astronomical object. The moon is gone, but tides remain. Not only have the world's artificial satellites fallen out of orbit, their recovered remains are pitted and aged, as though they'd been in space far longer than their known lifespans. As Tyler, Jason, and Diane grow up, space probe reveals a bizarre truth: The barrier is artificial, generated by huge alien artifacts. Time is passing faster outside the barrier than inside--more than a hundred million years per day on Earth. At this rate, the death throes of the sun are only about forty years in our future. Jason, now a promising young scientist, devotes his life to working against this slow-moving apocalypse. Diane throws herself into hedonism, marrying a sinister cult leader who's forged a new religion out of the fears of the masses. Earth sends terraforming machines to Mars to let the onrush of time do its work, turning the planet green. Next they send humans....and immediately get back an emissary with thousands of years of stories to tell about the settling of Mars. Then Earth's probes reveal that an identical barrier has appeared around Mars. Jason, desperate, seeds near space with self-replicating machines that will scatter copies of themselves outward from the sun--and report back on what they find. Life on Earth is about to get much, much stranger. Wilson has become one of the most exciting talents in SF todayIn Spin, he outdoes himself, juggling numerous philosophical, moral and scientific ideas, including a fascinating Martian civilization created by humans, but he never neglects the emotional underpinnings of what the Spin comes to mean to humanitySpin to paraphrase Bogie, is the stuff that (SF) dreams are made of. -- The Globe and Mail "Like most of Wilson's books, Spin is an intelligent and inventive page-turner, with compelling characters and enough surprises to keep readers guessing right to the end. I recommend it highly." -- The Times-Colonist
Customer Reviews:
Hot Jazz at 78 RPM.......2007-10-07
Robert Charles Wilson's SPIN is just the kind of story that most people crave: one that draws you in and captivates you from the opening pages and then doesn't let you go. The arc of the story stretches out over basically two time periods--"basically," because the problem of the passage of time is key to the storyline. When, in the time period nearly contemporary with ours, the stars "disappear" one night, you're mesmerized; you, like the main characters, want to know what that's all about. That some understanding of this phenomenon will escape you for a few hundred pages yet to unfold shouldn't daunt you. Wilson keeps you fascinated as you unwrap each aspect of the mystery like layers of an onion.
SPIN doesn't carry the traditional plot structure of a story. There's exposition, but no building up to any real climax; the resolution is satisfying, but only to an extent. You just know it's a set-up for more stories to come, and indeed the author returns to this concept elsewhere. No matter. Like with most good science fiction, what moves this story are the relationships and interactions between the characters, in this case three lifelong friends, Jason, who possesses a gifted intellect, his sister Diane, who's sharp but perpetually spiritually longing, and their somewhat melancholy, jazz-loving friend to whom they're inextricably tied together by the friendship of their fathers. The story is told from the point of view of this friend, Tyler, who throughout his life is deeply and not quite secretly in love with Diane.
Also like good science fiction, the novel is driven by big ideas, in this case, the eventual extinction of the human race and the problem of faith. "Death" is a tried and true subject of literature, but it's usually science fiction that takes that to the ultimate extreme, the end of the species. One thinks of the movie CHILDREN OF MEN, and the P.D. James novel upon which it's based. Like that work, SPIN has its nightmarish scenes of a world on the verge of destruction, but also like CHILDREN OF MEN, the sense of despair is leavened with hope and faith. (In some respects, "Children of Men" makes more sense to me as a title for Wilson's book, but alas!) Faith--and lack thereof--is the other recurrent theme, which is interwoven with the first. The circumstances that imperil humankind bring out some of the worst excesses of religious fervor borne out of fear. The story's dread-laced religiosity is contrapuntal to the deep and abiding faith between the three main characters. Ultimately, Wilson perhaps doesn't have a lot to say (here, anyway) on the significance of the survival of the human race or on the problem of faith in God, but perhaps it's enough that he raises the questions in a meaningful and provocative way.
Simply put, SPIN is a great read. Wilson writes extremely well, and there is a lack of the sort of editing gaffes that often spoil long science fiction novels like this one. It's a novel that, despite its length, you don't want to put down and you don't want to end--except to go outside and be thankful the stars are still there.
The story of three friends at the end of time - sooner than you'd think!.......2007-10-06
Spin is basically the story of three friends growing up together. The brilliant Jason is being groomed as the heir to an aerospace empire. His sister Diane is almost as smart, but more philosophical and empathetic. Their housekeeper's son, Tyler, is a normal kid (although industrious enough to get into medical school) and the narrator of the action. Upon their world, when they are aged 12 or so, descends "the Spin." It is a membrane cutting mankind off from the rest of the universe, including their own sun, NASA's communications satellites, etc. Robert Charles Wilson's story is basically an apocalyptic one because outside the Spin membrane the universe is aging at an incredible rate - before the end of the natural lifetimes of the main characters, the sun will have expanded to its red giant state and engulfed the Earth. Thus, the race is on to determine the nature of the Spin membrane and the motives behind it. (Wilson does a clever thing - by naming the book and the membrane "Spin" he immediately wins over the skeptical physics types like me, who can readily accept the idea of time dilation through rotational motion as predicted by Relativity Theory and proven by experiment.)
Our characters grow up in the shadow of the Spin. Tyler has an unrequited love (or crush, at least) on Diane that he nurses through adolescence into adulthood. Diane chooses to deal with her species' coming mortality by finding religion (her father, a less understanding character, would call it a cult). Jason throws himself into finding out as much as he can about the nature of the Spin and some way to combat it. It turns out that mankind can traverse the membrane safely - thus, they send microbes and bacteria to start terraforming Mars. Located outside the Spin, time is moving at normal speed on Mars. Thus, within a year subjective time, Mars could become habitable (one hundred million years later in objective time).
That's all I'm going to say about the plot, because a dry description of the plot points is not really the point. The Spin is basically a McGuffin - a plot device to bring about crisis on Earth. Similar territory has been explored in science fiction using accelerated evolution ("Darwin's Radio," "Childhood's End"), an unstable sun going nova early ("Songs of Distant Earth"), even the coming of the Antichrist ("A Case of Conscience"). Even Tom Clancy's engineered ebola virus from Rainbow Six would have sufficed. Being a good sci fi book, we do eventually learn of the intelligence behind the membrane, and of its motives. But the point is mostly to bring an apocalyptic planetary crisis and to have our characters act out their parts in it.
Thus, at its heart, "Spin" is a story about human nature, and it's readable (and likeable) because it focuses on the characters and filters the action through their eyes. Told from the point of view of, say, a U.S. President, this story would not have been interesting. It's key that we like and identify with the characters. Granted, it's hard to identify with a genius like Jason after he's also become the nation's top power broker, but Wilson carefully builds up his character before he becomes that power broker, so we sympathise and even relate to him. In fact, I found Diane's character to be the hardest to believe - like most science fiction writers (exceptions: Sawyer and Card), Wilson seems to be uncomfortable with religion (or hostile to it) . His hard-core preacher pulling quotes from the Book of Revelations is convincing enough, but not his "free love" sect nor the participation of the thoughtful Diane (or even her less thoughtful but not gullible husband Simon) in such cults. This is the trait that drops the book from 5-star to 4-star level.
All in all, the book is certainly interesting, and a page-turner. Wilson uses the plot device of revealing the "present" alternating with the events leading up to it, and this device has never been used more effectively. Both the search for knowledge about the Spin, and the very human emotions and interactions behind the scenes, are engrossing, and the book is certainly deserving of its awards and accolades.
Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03
This really is pretty good, complete with 'holy crap' moment at the end.
The Earth is cocooned in a pocket of slow time, why?
Large scientific effort goes into looking at the problem, seen through the eyes of 2 of 3 childhood friends.
Naturally, all sorts of religi0ns go whacko, and religi0us whackos spring up, given the possible immiment death of the Earth, due to time differentials with the Sun.
This book is a lot more focused on a few characters, though, even a Martian.
Wilson Gets Better and Better.......2007-08-20
"Spin" follows three main characters for several decades after an unexplainable astrophysical event envelops the Earth within a temporal shroud. The stars are gone just like that, and time beyond the shroud--beyond the "Spin"--is advancing much more rapidly than time on Earth. This opens up some incredible opportunities for exploration, when, due to the time slip, a slow-moving rocket to another planet or into the far galaxy will have arrived and returned data within minutes of its launch. Also interesting and well thought out is the fatalistic psychology of the people on Earth, especially within the generation raised during the "Spin" who have never known any other way of life.
Robert Charles Wilson's early books described some fascinating science but his characterizations and plot development were weak. Wilson's skill has improved with each new book, though, and I believe that "Spin" is his best book yet. Not only does his science force the reader to think, but his characterizations are very strong and he has finally constructed an ending that is satisfying and complete; one that leaves open the opportunity for a new series.
Best. Science Fiction. Novel. Ever. (or at least in top five).......2007-07-15
_Spin_ by Robert Charles Wilson is the best. Science fiction novel. Ever. Yes, I mean that. I would put it up against _Dune_ , _A Fire Upon the Deep_, and _Ender's Game_, it is that unbelievably good. Or if it is not the best one ever, it definitely belongs in the top five.
Bold words I know and I run the risk of overselling the book but this novel is what other science fiction novelists should aspire to create. It has everything.
The basic premise - no spoilers here, you can get this from the back cover of the book - is that one October night the three main characters, three adolescents, Diane and Jason Lawton (fraternal twins) and their best friend Tyler Dupree are out on the lawn stargazing when the Moon and stars disappear, the sky become a flat black. Rushing inside, they learn that all satellite communications have been lost and the world is in a panic. News from the other side of the world is hard to come by, and the three wait with trepidation to see if the Sun will even rise in the morning.
It does, but it is a strange sun, an almost generic Sun, a perfect one without evidence of solar flares, prominences, or sunspots. An idealization of a Sun.
It becomes clear to the government, military, and scientists that a planet-spanning shield, a membrane, has been erected around the globe, completely blocking sight of the stars and Moon from the people of the Earth. The Sun that that people see, that is still driving the world's weather, ecology, and agriculture, is a simulacrum; for all intents and purposes, the real Sun but upon study obviously not an actual star.
It gets stranger though. The Spin membrane (the event comes to be called the Spin) has two highly unusual properties. One, it has produced a huge time discontinuity; for every second that passes on Earth, something like 3 years passes outside the membrane. Two, the membrane is selectively permeable. As obviously the Earth would be fried if 3 years of sunlight hit the planet every second, the "Sun" is a filtered representation of actual sunlight. Similarly, the planet is protected from similar accumulations of cosmic radiation. However, the membrane is permeable to manmade items, both coming and going. This is in fact how the unique temporal properties of the membrane were discovered, as survivors of the International Space Station fell to earth the first night of the Spin but claimed that they had been orbiting a frightening, black, blank world for three weeks! At first kept secret, this does eventually get out to the public.
The novel follows the next 30-odd years of history after the creation of the Spin membrane through the eyes of the three main characters. Each tackles the brave new era in his or her own way, each in ways that thoroughly flesh out the character, are true to the characters personalities and desires, and illuminate different aspects of the Spin Earth. Jason devotes his life to unraveling the mysteries of the Spin, trying to understand who did, what it means, and how to defeat it. Diane instead embraces religion, joining a different segment of the population who is trying to come to terms with the event through spiritual means. Tyler is in some sense the outsider, the unattached one, in the outside looking in as a child and still as an adult. He becomes a physician and travels between the two worlds, Diane's and Jason's.
The novel is also a love story, as Tyler nourishes strong unrequited love for Diane, who herself has strongly conflicted feelings for him in turn. As events in the Spin unfold, Diane and Tyler almost connect again and again but events in their personal lives - irrevocably tied up in the Spin - keep them apart.
It is an also an end of the world story. As 30-odd years pass on Earth, 300 billion years pass outside the Spin membrane. During that time the Sun has swollen and would be lethal to life on Earth if the membrane were to disappear. Instead of the Spin being seen as a prison, it instead becomes the only thing keeping humanity alive. But for how long? Will the membrane disappear, the Earth left to the blazing and merciless fury of a senescent Sun, the oceans boiling away, all life turned to cinders and ash? Or is something else in store? Humanity - and the main characters - struggle with the issue.
The novel continually adds surprises, with developments in the characters personal lives, how the world reacts to the Spin, and the absolutely fascinating and exciting things that are done to study and fight against the Spin, wonderful things that have you exited as you read them, going to yourself, "wow, I never thought of that." So many things happen, things I would love to tell you about, but I won't. Get the book and read it. Now. This is epic science fiction. This has fantastic writing. This has incredibly well-done characters. And it has a mind-blowing ending. Oh, and a sequel, _Axis_, due out in September, which I plan to get.
Book Description
Many Americans were shocked by the rhetoric and demands voiced during the immigration protests in the Spring of 2006. From Los Angeles to Atlanta, from Phoenix to Chicago, an estimated two million protesters marched in more than fifty cities. They demanded a blanket amnesty for illegal aliens under the banner of "immigrant rights" and insisted that rights now afforded legal immigrants should be granted to those here illegally. Anything short of that was condemned as "racist."
How could the United States have come to such a pitiful condition?
Congressman Tom Tancredo has been the only consistent voice in our government warning Americans of the dangers of failing to secure our borders and fix the nation's immigration system. Five years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, the U.S. government still has done virtually nothing to secure America's borders. The government largely ignores the threats to our safety and sovereignty resulting from its refusal to fix a broken system.
What is happening on our borders is one story, but what is happening within America is even more disturbing. As would-be terrorists plot attacks on our country, vocal advocates of multiculturalism are sapping our strength from within. Together, they form a potent adversary that is as great a threat to our nation as anything we have faced in our history.
As a result, America is in the midst of an identity crisis. As a nation we no longer seem to know who we are or what we believe. Instead of "one nation under God," we are divided, confused, and angry. We need to understand how this has happened and the underlying causes that have us to this divided point.
Tom Tancredo lays out the case that unless the United States changes course, it is headed toward catastrophe. Like the great and mighty empires of the past—"superpowers" that onces stretched from horizon to horizon—America is heading down the road to ruin. Without strong moral leadership, without a renewed sense of purpose, without a rededication to family and community, without shunning the race hustlers and pop-culture sham artists, without protecting our borders, language, and culture, the nation that was once the "land of the free and home of the brave" and the "one last hope of mankind" will repeat the catastrophic mistakes of the past. In Mortal Danger is his prescription for beginning to repair the damage.
Customer Reviews:
author and Presidential Candidate Tom Tancredo in 2008.......2007-06-20
Colorado Representative Tancredo makes clear that the politically correct labeling of illegal laborers as "undocumented" is incorrect, as most of them have forged documents, forged social security numbers, and/or stolen identities - they are guilty of Felony Document Fraud in addition to having broken a number of other laws to be in our country illegally.
Tom Tancredo is also very clear that our governments failure to uphold our laws by prosecuting the employers of illegals, as well as prosecuting sanctuary communities, sanctuary cities, sanctuary states, and the officials that promote unconstitutional local amnesty ordinances are in themselves guilty of criminal offenses, not the least of which is aiding and abetting, and as such are subject to prosecution.
Amazing book!.......2007-04-19
Written in an easy-to-read language, Tom Tancredo's book is a real eye-opener.
I recommend this book for any budding conservative of any age- especially if he's our next President. If this book is his campaign statement, then we have the opportunity to elect a true American.
The issues of the US security and immigration .......2007-04-10
Congressman Tancredo does one of the best jobs I have seen tackling the all too important and all too often ignored issues of mass immigration and border security of the US. Chapter by chapter he dissects the issue of immigration and it impact on our country, our economy, our health care and the breach of security to this nation. He debunks many of the current low key patches proposed by others in government such as the guest worker program which basically grants amnesty for those who have entered here illegally by breaking the law and are rewarded for doing so. He tackles on of the biggest issues of our day, our loss of national identity in lieu of our pursuit of political correctness and "multi culturalism". He does a superb jobs of demonstrating how many illegals do not severe their bounds to their origin countries and do not make attempts at assimilation to our country and are simply here to exploit its wealth. He assets it is the US's right to decide who comes here and it should be done in this nation's best interest. He discussed how we should be proud of western civilization and illustrates many examples of how we as a society have been bombarded with the message to love all cultures and the country should suit the needs of all cultures at the loss of our own national pride and identity. There should be no hyphenated-American. My only issue is that the congressman takes the occasional political jabs at democrats (Tancredo is a conservative republican). The book would be better suited if this was avoided. Many local and state governments find themselves abandoned by the federal government when it comes to illegals and border security. It's truly an issue for the federal government and not many of our elected officials have had the political courage to resolve this problem. Our borders could very easily be secured (never 100%) so that they are not porous. The one great thing about this book is it's not just a laundry list of all the issues but offers some excellent solutions that the author is currently seeking in his elected position. A very easy read and written in simple language, every US citizen should become familiar with this subject as it could very well be our demise as a nation.
Stop playing the race card.......2007-04-06
Tom Tancredo is a fair-minded, intelligent politician who is helping to structure debate on the issue of illegal immigration for the 2008 presidential election. He cares equally for all citizens regardless of ethnicity. His goal is to preserve the American dream for present and future American citizens. I would like to respond to the lonely reviewer from Seattle who insinuates he's some kind of racist:
Quote:
"The only thing Tancredo and his conspirators in hate contribute to the discussion is racism and ignorance."
The (silent) majority of Americans are weary of the noisy, agenda-driven groups (LaRaza, Southern Poverty Law Center, ACLU, Latino activists, Mexican politicians and just general fools) who resort to playing the race card here. There is absolutely nothing racist about being opposed to people entering the country illegally and thereby depriving legal immigrants and citizens of opportunities that rightfully come with American citizenship. These opportunities are reserved for American citizens because they are paid for by American citizens with their tax dollars. Anything else is just foreign aid.
If the people we're discussing here were blue-eyed, blonde Swedes behaving identically to the current group of illegals (i.e., driving down American workers' wages, stealing Social Security numbers and identities, demanding free health care and education that citizens aren't even entitled to, re-introducing old diseases that we've nearly licked, like tuberculosis and polio, and bringing in terrifying new ones, such as Chagas disease, bankrupting hospitals and refusing to assimilate into our society. . . if these people were light-skinned Swedes, I would want this problem dealt with in an identical manner. There simply is no basis for crying racism here, and it's a dirty tactic. When citizen Latino Americans and African Americans bear the brunt of the problem of wage reduction and opportunity loss, it's a downright ridiculous assertion.
I appreciate Tom Tancredo's amazing efforts to bring this issue to the forefront where it belongs. I urge everyone here to NOT vote for Sen. John McCain who supports a "path to citizenship" for those in this country illegally and also to pay close attention to the views of the other candidates. This book is an important tool in educating the public about this enormous problem which threatens our ability to pursue our American dreams.
In Mortal Danger,The Battle for America's Border and Security.......2007-02-16
A superb picture of the turmoil America is in today.You will find yourself dumbfounded over the lack of immigration and border control. Should Congressman Tom Tancredo decide to run for the 2008 election of the precendency he shall definitely have my vote.
Book Description
One of the few case studies of undocumented immigrants available, this insightful anthropological analysis humanizes a group of people too often reduced to statistics and stereotypes. The hardships of Hispanic migration are conveyed in the immigrants' own voices while the author's voice raises questions about power, stereotypes, settlement, and incorporation into American society.
Customer Reviews:
Clerical error.......2007-04-21
Reading this book I could not get past the fact that my own parents stories are far more compelling. My father fleeing the communist Rushkies and my mother joining him from Italy. Proud hard working people who embraced America. Learning to read, write and work here as well as teaching themselves to drive. Both have told me that they would never have come here illegally. My father fled Lithuania due to persecution under threat of imprisonment but still would not have come here illegally. How could he flee lawlessness only to enter a country by breaking the law? The writer and readers of these books can't grasp this type of character and courage.They hide from the truth by using terms like undocumented workers. Leaving the incorrect impression that their lack of citizenship is only a clerical error. Decieving only themselves. My parents are the real thing and those who enter under a cloak of darkness are mere law breakers no matter how you spin the truth.
Best ethnography on undocumented aliens ever written.......2006-02-20
Anthropologist Leo Chavez presents a very descriptive and detailed account that takes readers into the lives and experiences of illegal immigrants living and working in the farms and orchards of San Diego County. Chavez avoids the technical and complex jargon so common among contemporary audiences, so this book will be readable by anyone. Detailed accounts are given concerning peoples' decisions to migrate, their experiences of crossing the border and living in the United States without documentation. Although the entire book is great, the best chapter by far is the Epilogue, where the author contextualizes the lives of undocumented immigrants within the larger political and social environment that has recently sought to crack down on illegal aliens.
This book is important reading for anyone with an interest in illegal immigration and the experiences of people who have actually crossed the border. I strongly recommend reading this book along with watching the great 1983 film "El Norte."
A case study of human survial.......2000-11-23
Chavez provides a clear unbiased look at the harsh and often dangerous life of undocumented immigrants mainly in Southern California. Chavez engages the reader through accurate portrayals of people who remain on the fringes of American society for fear of deportation. Their stories are moving; their tenacity amazing. North American readers will be reminded of just how protected and sheltered they are by the virture of living in America. A must read for anyone trying to understand the complexities of illegal immigration or in the postion to make policy on the topic.
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Books Index
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