Monkey Business: Swinging Through the Wall Street Jungle

I Loved First 150 Pages, Last 150 are Weaker , but Still Great [45].......2007-07-05

A gift from a ship lost at sea,
A gift from the prairie blue,
A gift from a forest far away,
A gift from a kangaroo."

How would you feel if you found a note like this in your magic tree house? Eight-year-old Jack and his 7-year-old sister Annie love the funny, enchanted dog Teddy--and know they have no choice but to collect the gifts and break the mysterious spell. In Tigers at Twilight--the 19th adventure in award-winning author Mary Pope Osborne's popular Magic Tree House series--these brave, resourceful children have already found the first two gifts, and must find the third in "a forest far away." Knowing that the books in Morgan Le Fey's magic tree house have the power to transport them all over the world, they see their next destination on the cover of Wildlife of India. Once in the thick of the Indian jungle, it doesn't take them long to make friends with the monkeys, to see the huge gashes that tiger claws have made on the tree trunks, and to spot a python. This story is straight out of an episode of Wild Kingdom; the children spot animal after animal, with only a few close calls. When they find a rare tiger in a poacher's trap, however, the story turns around, and the children are eventually led to the third gift. A tribute to the disappearing tiger, and an animal-filled, action-focused adventure with plenty of cartoon-style illustrations, this slight book is sure to keep kids' attention. A generous layout combined with simple, short sentences promote quick reading that will build confidence in beginning readers. (Ages 4 to 8)

Our little friend wanders through the trees, witnessing many other animals from chameleons to giraffes as they snuggle together. "Hug," he says, happily, at first, but then with growing despair as he sees there are no hugs for him. The story is told purely by the expression on the little chimp's face as his hopes are built up and dashed again until eventually, with a huge smile, he finds his mum and reaps the reward.

Hug is a clever, unusual book that portrays the art of children's illustration at its very best: a story brought to life with the stroke of a brush through facial expressions and body language that children will immediately understand.

Ideal for sharing with small ones, this lovely book is a warm, comforting read that cannot fail to please. (Ages 1 to 4)

Lipstick Jungle weaves the stories of Nico O'Neilly, Wendy Healy, and Victory Ford, numbers 8, 12, and 17 on The New York Post's list of "New York's 50 Most Powerful Women." But this is 21st Century New York, and to get ahead and stay ahead, these women will do anything, including jeopardizing their personal and professional relationships. Take for example Nico, editor-in-chief of Bonfire magazine, who betrays her boss to rise to the top of the entire magazine division at media mega-giant Splatch-Verner. As president of Paradour Pictures, Wendy may be poised to win an Oscar for her 10-year labor-of-love, Ragged Pilgrims, but her marriage is in shambles and her children care more about a $50,000 pony than their mother. And for single, 43-year-old fashion designer Victory, pleasing tough critics may be more important than ever finding the real relationship she's convinced herself she doesn't need.

This racy tale of women behaving badly manages to shrewdly flip the tables to show us how gender roles are essentially interchangeable, given the right circumstances. Whether that was Bushnell's intent when crafting this wicked tale is another story. --Gisele Toueg

10 Second Interview: A Few Words with Candace Bushnell

Q: Were Victory, Wendy, and Nico inspired by any real-life women?
A: The characters and situations in Lipstick Jungle were inspired by the real-life women I know and admire in New York City. As with Sex and the City, I spent a lot of time thinking about where women were today, and what I noticed was that there was a fascinating group of women in their forties who were leading non-traditional lives. They were highly successful and motivated, they often had children, and usually were the providers for their families, and yet, they didn't fit the old stereotype of the witchy businesswoman. Indeed, so many of these women were the girls next door, the girls who reminded me of my best friends when I was a kid and we used to fantasize about the great things we were going to do in life. Like the women in Sex and the City, the Lipstick Jungle women are charting new lives for themselves, redefining what it means to be a woman when you really are as powerful, or more powerful, than a man.

Of course, you probably want specifics, so I will say that there was a moment when it all clicked. Tina Brown used to write a terrific column in the Washington Post, and one of the things she was always mentioning was how there was a group of powerful women who were meeting and lunching at Michael's restaurant. They'd been working for over twenty years, their children were now in their early teens and didn't need them every minute, and now, in their forties or early fifties, they had time to strive for new career goals and to spend more time with their girlfriends. I thought, "Aha--that's the Lipstick Jungle."

Q: What kind of research did you do to cover fashion, film, and publishing in one book?
A: To research fashion, film and publishing, I did what I always do--I talked to my girlfriends! Of course, it helps that I've worked in magazine publishing and have had my share of experience with Hollywood. I'm also lucky enough to have a couple of girlfriends who are top designers, who offered to help me out with the specific details. I still remember the afternoon when one of my girlfriends and I sat down to talk--she was over eight months pregnant, and I was worried that we were going to have to run to the hospital!

Amazon.com's Significant Seven
Candace Bushnell graciously agreed to answer the questions we like to ask every author: the Amazon.com Significant Seven.

Q: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?
A: So many books have affected my life it's hard to pick just one. When I was a teenager, I was obsessed with Kurt Vonnegut, and Evelyn Waugh; when I was in my early thirties, a girlfriend and I re-read House of Mirth, and freaked out--we didn't want to end up like Lily Bart. Most recently I read Angela's Ashes for the first time and was absolutely stunned.

Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?
A: Make Way for Lucia, by E.F. Benson, a book that I always hope will never end; Van Morrison's greatest hits; and Pride and Prejudice, the six-part mini-series..

Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?
A: "My e-mail isn't working." I'm not a good liar. It's one of my flaws. I'm too forthright and usually have to apologize the next day for telling the truth the night before.

Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.
A: All I need is a desk, a chair and my computer. Once I start writing, I don't notice my environment. In fact, I've had people try to talk to me when I'm writing and I literally can't hear them. I see their mouths moving but no sound comes out.

Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?
A: "I don't ever want to be asked about my own epitaph!"

Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?
A: Tolstoy. I've read that he loved gossip. It would be great to have a good old gossip with him.

Q: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
A: Flying, of course. Who wouldn't want to be unfettered by gravity?

Book Description

In a way, Candace Bushnell's Lipstick Jungle picks up where her career-defining book Sex and the City left off, in the money-soaked, power-hungry, beauty-obsessed jungle that is New York City. This time around, the ladies are a bit older, a lot richer, but not particularly wiser nor more endearing than Bushnell's earlier heroines. Lipstick Jungle weaves the stories of Nico O'Neilly, Wendy Healy, and Victory Ford, numbers 8, 12, and 17 on The New York Post's list of "New York's 50 Most Powerful Women." But this is 21st Century New York, and to get ahead and stay ahead, these women will do anything, including jeopardizing their personal and professional relationships. Take for example Nico, editor-in-chief of Bonfire magazine, who betrays her boss to rise to the top of the entire magazine division at media mega-giant Splatch-Verner. As president of Paradour Pictures, Wendy may be poised to win an Oscar for her 10-year labor-of-love, Ragged Pilgrims, but her marriage is in shambles and her children care more about a $50,000 pony than their mother. And for single, 43-year-old fashion designer Victory, pleasing tough critics may be more important than ever finding the real relationship she's convinced herself she doesn't need. This racy tale of women behaving badly manages to shrewdly flip the tables to show us how gender roles are essentially interchangeable, given the right circumstances. Whether that was Bushnell's intent when crafting this wicked tale is another story. --Gisele Toueg10 Second Interview: A Few Words with Candace Bushnell Q: Were Victory, Wendy, and Nico inspired by any real-life women? A: The characters and situations in Lipstick Jungle were inspired by the real-life women I know and admire in New York City. As with Sex and the City, I spent a lot of time thinking about where women were today, and what I noticed was that there was a fascinating group of women in their forties who were leading non-traditional lives. They were highly successful and motivated, they often had children, and usually were the providers for their families, and yet, they didn't fit the old stereotype of the witchy businesswoman. Indeed, so many of these women were the girls next door, the girls who reminded me of my best friends when I was a kid and we used to fantasize about the great things we were going to do in life. Like the women in Sex and the City, the Lipstick Jungle women are charting new lives for themselves, redefining what it means to be a woman when you really are as powerful, or more powerful, than a man. Of course, you probably want specifics, so I will say that there was a moment when it all clicked. Tina Brown used to write a terrific column in the Washington Post, and one of the things she was always mentioning was how there was a group of powerful women who were meeting and lunching at Michael's restaurant. They'd been working for over twenty years, their children were now in their early teens and didn't need them every minute, and now, in their forties or early fifties, they had time to strive for new career goals and to spend more time with their girlfriends. I thought, "Aha--that's the Lipstick Jungle."Q: What kind of research did you do to cover fashion, film, and publishing in one book? A: To research fashion, film and publishing, I did what I always do--I talked to my girlfriends! Of course, it helps that I've worked in magazine publishing and have had my share of experience with Hollywood. I'm also lucky enough to have a couple of girlfriends who are top designers, who offered to help me out with the specific details. I still remember the afternoon when one of my girlfriends and I sat down to talk--she was over eight months pregnant, and I was worried that we were going to have to run to the hospital!Amazon.com's Significant SevenCandace Bushnell graciously agreed to answer the questions we like to ask every author: the Amazon.com Significant Seven. Q: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?A: So many books have affected my life it's hard to pick just one. When I was a teenager, I was obsessed with Kurt Vonnegut, and Evelyn Waugh; when I was in my early thirties, a girlfriend and I re-read House of Mirth, and freaked out--we didn't want to end up like Lily Bart. Most recently I read Angela's Ashes for the first time and was absolutely stunned.Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?A: Make Way for Lucia, by E.F. Benson, a book that I always hope will never end; Van Morrison's greatest hits; and Pride and Prejudice, the six-part mini-series..Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?A: "My e-mail isn't working." I'm not a good liar. It's one of my flaws. I'm too forthright and usually have to apologize the next day for telling the truth the night before.Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.A: All I need is a desk, a chair and my computer. Once I start writing, I don't notice my environment. In fact, I've had people try to talk to me when I'm writing and I literally can't hear them. I see their mouths moving but no sound comes out.Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?A: "I don't ever want to be asked about my own epitaph!"Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?A: Tolstoy. I've read that he loved gossip. It would be great to have a good old gossip with him.Q: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?A: Flying, of course. Who wouldn't want to be unfettered by gravity?

Customer Reviews:

Not a bad read!.......2007-10-03

I enjoyed the book as a light read, the ups and downs of the older women sometimes were so easy to relate to, even though they are 20 years older than me. I enjoy the in-depth look of each of the characters and even though I would have like to have read about these characters prior to the time period given in the book, Candace did a great job explaining each of their backgrounds.
Read on your lunch at work, you will be done in a few days, or take with you to the beach...

Hard to Find Likeable Characters In This One..........2007-08-26

"Lipstick Jungle" is about women fighting for definition by their own standards separate from those of a male-dominated society. Though offering humorous moments, it suffers from a fault common to literary cynicism: there are no characters or causes worth rooting for.

Victory Ford is an award-winning fashion designer; Nico O'Neilly one of the youngest magazine editors in town, and Wendy Healy an acclaimed director at a New York film studio. Each has relied on their own wits for success, are "self-made"; two of them have forged a delicate balance between success and family, the third is a confirmed "bachelorette".

Though witty at times, "Lipstick Jungle" offers few positive resolutions. Nico engages in a risky affair simply because she's bored with her disinterested, distant husband; Victory entangles herself with a spoiled billionaire and proves herself just as spoiled, and the most likable character, Wendy, is so consumed by her career she's barely aware her family is falling apart around her.

Though sexism is unjust and wrong, there's very little inspiration found here to champion against it, especially for us "regular folks". At best, the novel offers voyeuristic glimpses of the rich and powerful. The men are weak, conniving, disinterested or petty; and the main female characters lack depth as much as the men do. Good "Chic Lit" always revolves around the banner of "girl power", but this is the worst kind of Chic Lit, because the desired power simply makes these women just as shallow as the men they take it from.

Her Best Yet.......2007-08-12

Anyone who enjoys Manhattan high-society as much as I do will once again be lured to Bushnell. Again, I waited months and months until after this book came out to finally read it. Whereas in the past the characters in her books have been almost loathesome and the plot/storyline almost choppy, Lipstick Jungle had three distinctive female leads who were all likeable. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as for once I was able to sit back and enjoy her wonderful description of life in New York without having some annoyingly negative characters get in the way. Her best yet, by far.

Ready For More?.......2007-07-26

I'm pretty sure we're going to be hearing a lot more about this book and Bushnell once again given that NBC is developing a TV version of the book for 2007/2008...and we all know how successful her last adaptation was (Sex & The City).

I had mixed feelings going into this book. On one hand, Bushnell is a noted writer because of the TV adaptations I mentioned above, which means she must be doing something right...On the flip side though, I really didn't like "Four Blondes" - Bushnell's collection of novellas, and I hadn't heard the greatest things about Trading Up, which I have yet to read (FYI - there is a crossover mention of the character of Janey from 4B & TU in this book). Sex & The City is known to be a big (and better) departure from its book version as well.

Truly though, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this story - I devoured it in three short days! The book is about three women in their early 40's - Victory, Wendy, and Nico, who are corporate magnates in their glamorous fields, fashion design, executive movie producer, and magazine editor respectively. Being powerful women doesn't come without its challenges though as these women deal with the boys in a messy corporate sandbox filled with gender expectations and rules that the women are both striving to break and afraid to.

Victory is negotiating her financial stability between business obligations and relationships as she tries to blossom into a huge-name designer. Wendy is trying to deal with intense pressure at work and intense problems at home when her stay-at-home husband gets fed up with her. Nico is trying stuck in two scenarios where she is trying to KO the other person before they KO her. Their storylines interweave with the fact they are best friends (although missing the camaraderie one would expect from Carrie Bradshaw's creator) and they have a ton of mutual people in common among the society set.

The things I liked about this book were the fun, fantastical lifestyles of the women and the light easy prose of the book that felt neither flaky nor overdone, and managed to stay fresh. I also enjoyed the girl power aspect that shed some harsh and some enlightening light on what it's like to be a corporate top gun as a woman...almost like a business world Valley of the Dolls.

The ending was a bit - wow, okay it's done? - but left plenty open for further exploration in say, a TV show? My one concern with reading this book is the slightly skewed nature of the girl power aspect. While these woman are powerful and manage to work things out in very creative and strong ways, they can really only afford to do so with money. Although the money aspect of the story definitely adds to the interest level, it also is a bit disheartening that you can only solve problems with oodles of dough at your fingertips.

Still a great, fun read and one I would surely reccomend - by far the best of anything I've read by Bushnell.

Nitwitlit.......2007-07-16

A co-worker loaned me this book and it failed my "first paragraph" rule which is, if I'm not hooked by then I usually pass. But I gave it a try for the sake of camraderie. How does the stuff Bushnell writes get published? Do her editors actually read this pap? It's not literature, it's nitwitlit. My rating? Two eyelids down. If amazon allowed a rating of less than 1 star, I'd give it.

How to Survive in the Jungle of Enterprise Architecture Frameworks: Creating or Choosing an Enterprise Architecture Framework

Average customer rating:

Waste of money and time
Poor Quality Diagrams and Coarse EA Information
starts slow - ends strong
Don't bother
Valuable compendium

How to Survive in the Jungle of Enterprise Architecture Frameworks: Creating or Choosing an Enterprise Architecture Framework
Jaap Schekkerman
Manufacturer: Trafford
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 141201607X
Release Date: 2006-07-06

Book Description

Several times in my Enterprise Architecture (EA) practice, people asked me which framework shall I adopt or what are the benefits of the Zachman framework over TOGAF, etc. Others asked me to help them to define their own corporate EA framework. Before answering these types of questions, it is important to know what the differences and commonalities are of these frameworks and standards.

This book explains the role of Enterprise Architecture Frameworks and shows the differences between the most popular Enterprise Architecture Frameworks now a day available in the world.

With the growing importance of Enterprise Architecture [EA]; at the same time, the discussion started how to create or choose the right Enterprise Architecture Framework & Tools for your organisation in the jungle of the existing ones.

Giving an overview of the history of most Enterprise Architecture frameworks as well as their purpose, scope, principles, structure, guidance and compliance, will support you in identifying the usefulness of these Enterprise Architecture frameworks for your own situation. For the in-depth details of the described Enterprise Architecture Frameworks, references to the original sources of information are added in the chapter References & Bibliography.

Separate chapters are addressing the most popular Enterprise Architecture tools on the market and their support of existing frameworks.

Download Description

The first Enterprise Architecture book that compares the 14 most popular Enterprise Architecture Frameworks in the world. A unique book for CIO's, Enterprise Architects and all others interested in EA.

Customer Reviews:

Waste of money and time.......2007-09-14

I bought this book because the title suggested that it would have a good comparison of many enterprise architecture standards available that would guide us to shortlist and then choose one of them. To my surprise I did not find any comparison of such standards. The book lists various standards but there is hardly any specific information highlighting strengths or weaknesses. No doubt that the subject itself is dry but the author does not help to make it any interesting. Neither the book has any flow that will give you structured information nor is a valuable resource even as a reference.
I found better information on the internet than that given in this book. I returned my copy back to Amazon.

Poor Quality Diagrams and Coarse EA Information.......2006-08-29

If you're able to preview a copy of this book (3rd ed), turn to page 15,29,52,102,139, and 241 to see if you could read the characters on one of those diagrams. It seems that lots of them could be just a copy-and-paste from some low-resolution image files, which make these "Enterprise Architectures" unreadable. Then turn to page 116 "Section 15.6.1 What is the Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA)". It tells you that it's a collection of interrelated reference models, which are defined as: Performance Reference Model (PRM), Business Reference Model (BRM), Service Component Reference Model (SRM), Data and Information Reference Model (DRM), and Technical Reference Model (TRM). Period. No explanation about these models and how they relate to one another. This is far beyond "concise". The sub-title of this book is "Creating" or "Choosing" an enterprise architecture framework but there is no comparison among them through out the entire book. Not to mention creating one with the coarse information given in this book. What else is missing? Index, table of figures, and more for you to find out if you decide to buy one.

starts slow - ends strong.......2005-08-10

At first glance of this book the typos and alternate spellings gets annoying, but after some acclimating the information starts to sink in very easily. Each Framework is explained concisely and doesn't try to get into every detail. There are books for each of the frameworks for that. Overall, I am pleased with it and would suggest it to anyone that is early in their Enterprise Architecture career or anyone that needs to catch up with all the frameworks.

Don't bother.......2004-09-22

If you are already an expert in Enterprise Data Architecture then this book may make some sense to you, but as an introduction the book tries to cover too much material without explaining any topic in sufficient detail. The author's first language is clearly not English, and the book is full of sentences that just don't make sense in English.

Valuable compendium.......2004-07-11

When I received this book I quickly scanned it and dismissed it as a niche book for architects working in the US Government or contractors working in that environment. After reading it, though, I believe that this is an invaluable book for enterprise architects in the commercial sector as well.

For those working in or with the US Government, and especially the Department of Defense, this book's in-depth comparison of enterprise architectures within that domain is an amazing resource. Among the government- and DoD-specific architectures covered are Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework (FEAF) issued by the CIO council, Command, Control, Communications, Computer Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) Architecture (a part of the Department of Defense Architecture Framework (DODAF), and Joint Technical Architecture. This book also covers CCA architecture compliance. This is an interesting part of the book because lessons learned from CCA compliance requirements may possibly translate into an approach for aligning commercial architectures to Sarbanes-Oxley, which is a hot topic in the commercial sector.

Enterprise architectures in the commercial domain that are covered include the Zachman Framework, Enterprise Architecture Planning, The Open Group Architecture Framework, and the Integrated Architecture Framework. More importantly, there are manufacturing-specific frameworks covered, such as the Purdue Enterprise Reference Architecture and the Computer Integrated Manufacturing Open Systems Architecture, which round out this book's comprehensive survey of architectures.

The manner in which the above architectures are covered is what I most like about this book. The author has performed the mind-numbing task of collecting relevant factors of each architecture, then presenting them in a set format: history, purpose, scope, principles, structure, guidance and compliance. This format allows you to use this book as a catalog of architectures, as well as the basis for comparing the strengths and weaknesses of architectures that are suitable for a specific environment.

I also like the first eight chapters, and chapters 11 and 12, which provide general information about enterprise architectures, definitions, and advice on how to select the best architecture based on requirements.

Book Description

The national bestselling author takes a departure from his epic science fiction to craft this cross between Len Deighton-style espionage and H.P. Lovecraftian horror.

Bob Howard is a computer-hacker desk jockey, who has more than enough trouble keeping up with the endless paperwork he has to do on a daily basis. He should never be called on to do anything remotely heroic.

Download Description

In the title piece, Alan Turing, the father of modern computer science, completes his theorem on "Phase Conjugate Grammars for Extra-dimensional Summoning." Turing's work paves the way for esoteric mathematical computations that, when carried out, have side effects that leak through a channel underlying the structure of the Cosmos. Out there in the multiverse are "listeners" who can sometimes be coerced into opening gates. In 1945, Nazi Germany's Ahnenerbe-SS, in an attempt to escape the Allied onslaught, performs just such a summoning on the souls of more than six million. A gate opens to an alternate universe through which the SS move people and material-to live to fight another day. But their summoning brings forth more than the SS have bargained for-an evil, patiently waiting all this time while learning the ways of humans, now poises to lunch on Earth. Secret intelligence agencies, esoteric theorems, Lovecraftian horrors, Middle East terrorist connections, a damsel in distress, and a final battle on the surface of a dying planet round out this story.

Customer Reviews:

Harry Palmer as a Civil Service geek! .......2007-09-30

Charles Stross, as usual, has delivered a fast-moving, way-out-there, modern SF novel. Add secret government agencies, occult events and open-source technology and you have a winner! Our anti-hero, Bob Howard, (if that is really who he is...) has to navigate his way through the mire of modern government agency management (most of it petty and/or insane - as those of us who work in such agencies can attest to!) and stay alive with the adroit use of technology and magic devices, often interchangeable!
The plot involves getting up far too early, looking at concrete cows and avoiding being vapourised on an office management takeover. Definitely worth reading. If you like this one, you will also like the next book about Bob, The Jennifer Morgue.

Could have been great..........2007-09-18

I generally like Stross. This book feels like it is a resurrected early novella that was stretched to novel length. Well, almost. It is two stories really. I was rather startled when the first one wrapped up so soon.

The first story is rather clever in premise and reminded me very much of Christopher Moore's A Dirty Job: A Novel But as good as this could have been, it came up short.

I didn't read the second story as I generally don't enjoy short stories. And it looked like a short story...

Historical first.......2007-09-16

I have to confess: I've gone through only parts of this book, and probably won't examine the whole. Some way into the first of these two novellas, I didn't see a lot of reason to keep going. The hard-boiled, supernatural, ultra-secret government agency, science fiction genre just doesn't grab me.

My interest is entirely in the second novella, "The Concrete Jungle." This, to the best of my knowledge, is the first reference in popular culture to FPGA-based reconfigurable computing (RC), an area in which I have an active research interest. As with other out-there technologies of the past, it's waved around as a semi-magical way to get essentially infinite computing power. And, for the benefit of the reader, I'd like to point out that FPGA is generally taken to mean "field programmable gate array," i.e. not factory-programmed, rather than "fully programmable." I could pick nits about the fictional date at which the story proposes to use RC, too, but that would be pedantic even for me.

I recommend this, at least as a curiosity, to anyone currently engaged in FPGA-based RC. Who knows - you might even read it.

-- wiredweird

Super Reader.......2007-08-31

A fun combination of Lovecraft monsters, evil ratzis, spies, and Yes Minister, with a touch of Snow Crash.

Robert Howard works for 'The Laundry' - the slang name for the spook agency that deals with thaumaturgical, paranormal and invasion by cold, alien intelligences from other universe.

Interesting lengthy essay at the end where Stross talks about the spy novel as horror novel, due to the horrible looming real life threat of nuclear armageddon that was the thread running through a large number of them in recent times.

Entertaining solution for useless paperclip counting backstabbing office politicking bureaucrats, too!

Two fine tales, including a Hugo winner.......2007-08-22

This consists of two separate stories "The Atrocity Archives" (235 pages) and the Hugo Award winning novella "The Concrete Jungle" (85 pages).

Both stories star Bob Howard, a strange mix of IT specialist, secret policeman, and mathematical magician, who works for The Laundry, a super secret British government agency fending off supernatural threats.

The Atrocity Archives may initially seem a little rambling, but stick with it, for the second half pulls it all together into an extremely focused and tense conclusion.

In the Concrete Jungle our hero faces a fascinating new threat, mixing magic and technology, against Her Majesty's Government (or at least the placid town of Milton Keynes). Howard gets to fight off an amazing range of threats, both magical and bureaucratic, before good rather mysteriously triumphs.

Stross provides a deft mixing of technological arcana with mathematically based magic, with much ironic humour along the way. Great fun!

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