Pacific Vortex!

Average customer rating:

Wow!

Pacific Vortex

Discovering Dirk Pitt

Grand Introduction

Good old Clive

Pacific Vortex!
Clive Cussler
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0553228668
Release Date: 1984-07-01

Customer Reviews:

Wow!.......2007-10-08

My older brother has been a fan of Cussler's work for 30 years! In that time, he has urged Pitt after Pitt on me and I've always balked. I even had 3 Cusslers gathering dust on my to read shelf.

Then I came across Pacific Vortex. Just minutes after discussing the author with a good friend of mine, I stumbled upon this early, first Pitt adventure. Seeing as whenever I start a new series, I like to start with the very first one, I picked up the book and, after 30 years, read it on the spot.

Wow!

I couldn't put this book down! As a fan of classic pulp fiction from the 30s and 40s, this was like coming home. And it was great to see the legacy being carried on with such deft skill. Great pacing, mysterious mastermind plot, an engaging main character. I was captivated. And could not, for the life of me, explain to myself why I had waited so long to give this series a try.

I've been told that the later novels are better than this one. Pacific Vortex does have its flaws. What first novel doesn't? But I was still swept away by this story of a missing nuclear sub. And couldn't help thinking that, if this series only gets better, I've got to be along for the ride. So it's next stop Mediterranean Caper!

For any new readers, like myself, curious about the series, this is really the book to start with. If the other books are as much better as people claim, this one will suffer if read after the later books. So, if you've wanted to try a Dirk Pitt, start here. It's not perfect, but it is a great read and you can see the promise that will come to fruition in later books.

A truly enjoyable adventure!

Pacific Vortex.......2007-06-27

A worthy read. No sex between Pitt and Summer, how did he end up with unknown twins later Clive?

Discovering Dirk Pitt.......2007-06-27

I discovered the adventures of Dirk Pitt because of the movie version of Sahara. I liked the movie and thought I would give Clive Cussler a quick summer read. What can I say? I read "Pacific Vortex" cover to cover in about 2 days on my summer break. I have also now read "The Mediterranean Caper" and have started "Iceberg" in a little less than a week. Clive Cussler's writing keeps you turning the pages and keeps you wanting more. It's a great read while lying in the hammock with a cold drink on a hot summer's day. If you like adventures of heroes and detectives (with equal parts of Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, and Magnum PI) then you'll love Cussler's Dirk Pitt. Pick it up ASAP.

Grand Introduction.......2006-12-30

I really loved this introduction to Dirk Pitt, one of the most extaordinary and exciting heroes I have ever had the pleasure to read. We meet Admiral Sandeker briefly and Al Girodino and find out just a hint about NUMA. I have become addicted to Dirk. I recently read Valhalla Rising where Dirk Pitt relives his experience with Summer Moran the first true love of his life where at the end a pair of fraternal twins who are the spitting images of both Dirk and Summer show up on his doorstep. After reading this fast paced exciting story I am stumped. As another reviewer mentioned. When could Dirk have had the oppotunity to leave Summer with the gift of his children when they met only 3 times in the story,never spent any time lying together and then parted in a vast underwater explosion? Admittedly, this works out great for Clive, but doesn't make a whole lot of sense. All the same, it's a very entertaining story and a great read and I just had to give it flying colors.

Good old Clive.......2006-12-27

This one is more of a mystery than some of the others. Gives insight into diving and other marine events which educate readers who have little to no experience in the area.

Average customer rating:

Thinking as an internalized movement!
Readable and wide-ranging, but all from just one theoretical perspective
Amazing Neuroscience synthesis!
read it.
Very worthwhile

I of the Vortex: From Neurons to Self
Rodolfo R. Llinas
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Neuropsychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0262122332

Amazon.com

What is it about neuroscience that graces its practitioners with humility? Rodolfo Llinas of the NYU School of Medicine continues this tradition of quietly tackling the deepest issues in I of the Vortex. This exposition on the evolution and development of consciousness is accessible and intriguing enough to interest readers more philosophically than scientifically oriented. Grounded in research, the book posits our awareness as an artifact of the cortico-thalamic binding of perceptions and movements in synchrony; Llinas uses this theory as a launching pad for more far-reaching considerations of selfhood all the more relevant for their correlation with the facts.

Charmingly illustrated with artistic and scientific images cleverly supporting the arguments, the book is a quick if challenging read, and it explains all the scientific basics for those approaching from the humanities. Synthesizing evolution, philosophy, and neuroscience is becoming an increasingly popular endeavor for introspective eggheads, and we should be grateful: the question of consciousness affects us all and touches on every other field, from theology to particle physics. I of the Vortex is a welcome contribution to the theory of mind and essential reading for the introspective. --Rob Lightner

Book Description

In I of the Vortex, Rodolfo Llinas, a founding father of modern brain science, presents an original view of the evolution and nature of mind. According to Llinas, the "mindness state" evolved to allow predictive interactions between mobile creatures and their environment. He illustrates the early evolution of mind through a primitive animal called the "sea squirt." The mobile larval form has a brainlike ganglion that receives sensory information about the surrounding environment. As an adult, the sea squirt attaches itself to a stationary object and then digests most of its own brain. This suggests that the nervous system evolved to allow active movement in animals. To move through the environment safely, a creature must anticipate the outcome of each movement on the basis of incoming sensory data. Thus the capacity to predict is most likely the ultimate brain function. One could even say that Self is the centralization of prediction.

At the heart of Llinas's theory is the concept of oscillation. Many neurons possess electrical activity, manifested as oscillating variations in the minute voltages across the cell membrane. On the crests of these oscillations occur larger electrical events that are the basis for neuron-to-neuron communication. Like cicadas chirping in unison, a group of neurons oscillating in phase can resonate with a distant group of neurons. This simultaneity of neuronal activity is the neurobiological root of cognition. Although the internal state that we call the mind is guided by the senses, it is also generated by the oscillations within the brain. Thus, in a certain sense, one could say that reality is not all "out there," but is a kind of virtual reality.

Customer Reviews:

Thinking as an internalized movement!.......2007-06-24

Jorge Borges wrote, "I am not sure that I exist, actually. I am all the writers that I have read, all the people that I have met, all the women that I have loved; all the cities that I have visited, all my ancestors... Perhaps I would have liked to be my father, who wrote but has the decency of not publishing".
In the book "I of the vortex" Rodolfo Llinas gives another perspective on who am "I" and where "I" comes from, looking into the deep and dark recesses of the brain as a neuroscientist and physician, leaving God out from the game, unlike his maestro John Eccles, a dedicated theist, who wrote that "there is a Divine Providence operating over and above the materialistic happenings of biological evolution".
The ultimate thesis Llinas nominates is: "thinking is an internalized movement". He makes his point very clearly, based on his extensive knowledge and experience both as a scientist and writer. Perhaps thinking is an internalized movement? Perhaps not! The book "I of the vortex" is the ultimate read for those who ask Questions. An excellent book.

Readable and wide-ranging, but all from just one theoretical perspective.......2006-10-23

What is the "self" in neural terms? Few would be bold enough to claim an answer to that question. Yet in "I of the Vortex: From Neurons to Self," Rodolfo Llinas sketches a very compelling picture of how the self, consciousness, and intelligence may arise in the brain.

Essentially, Llinas's argument goes as follows. First, brains are really only found in animals that move (so, obviously, plants do not have brains). In fact, at least one animal - the sea squirt - actually devours its own brain once it no longer needs to move. Although simple movements might be caused by oscillatory pattern generators in the spinal cord, the brain is necessary for more complex, sensory-guided movement. Why should this be so?

The answer Llinas provides is prediction, or in other words, a sensorimotor internal model of the world based on "dt lookahead" functions, interfacing the motor and sensory systems. Synchronized oscillations from the cerebellum (Llinas's area of expertise) carry out the motor-side of this computation, giving rise to the characteristic 8-12 Hz periodicity of the neural signals that command voluntary movements. At a higher frequency (40 Hz), other neuronal oscillations throughout the thalamocortical system serve to bind sensory representations together. And the subjective, cognitive correlate of the intersection of these oscillations is no less than the self: "this temporally coherent event that binds, in the time domain, the fractured components of external and internal reality into a single construct is what we call the 'self.'"

But wait, doesn't that mean that all animals have a sense of "self"- even the lowly sea squirt (at least before it eats its brain)? It would seem so. But that's not the end of Llinas's more controversial claims. Llinas also suggests that neural networks explain "very little concerning the actual functioning of the nervous system itself," advocating instead the idea that most of our cognitive abilities are genetically prewired at birth. Along these lines, Llinas endorses Chomsky's idea that genes may to a large extent determine language, and furthermore that language exists in many species besides homo sapiens.

It is here that "I of the Vortex" starts to seem more like a manifesto than a careful scientific analysis. For example, after introducing the basics of neurophysiology and comparative neurology in the first half of the book, Llinas skips the cognitive level of analysis almost altogether and starts extrapolating directly to issues of consciousness, awareness, and selfhood. This bias against direct investigations of cognition (something arguably very important for understanding consciousness) is nowhere more apparent than when he refers to cognitive neuroscience as "neophrenology." But without this important middle-level of analysis, Llinas is mostly shooting from the hip in the second half of the book - and aiming for concepts that are simply too far removed from Llinas's expertise in cellular neurophysiology.

On the whole, Llinas has done an admirable job of outlining one particular view of how neuronal dynamics may give rise to consciousness in an embodied cognition framework. In this sense, "I of the Vortex" makes an excellent companion to other high-level introductions to cognitive neuroscience.

Amazing Neuroscience synthesis!.......2005-08-14

The book presents an amazing Neuroscience synthesis that covers all the aspects: from ions to synergistic systems. It gives a thought-provoking explanation of the origin of the brain through evolution. It also explains the concepts of 'qualias' and 'fixed action patterns' in such an integrative manner and concludes that everything was perfectly made to synergistically create our predictive brains.

read it........2004-09-07

If you are going to read one book about neuroscience, consciousness, or the meaning of life, this should be it. Dr. Llinas has made some unusually innovative and profound assertions about how the self ("soul") might be generated from the mechanical workings of the brain. While the answer to the hard problem of consciousness remains elusive, I can honestly say after having read many books on the subject, that this is as close as it gets.

Very worthwhile.......2002-05-20

The author presents quite a plausible theory of mind, based on his work as a neuroscientist. I suspect Llinas is very much on the right track to illuminating the physical basis of consciousness.

Building chapter-by-chapter simultaneously on the apparent evolutionary development from the simplest neuronal system to the centralized brain, and on the results of brain scans and other experiments, Llinas brings us calmly and reasonably to the resultant human mind of today.

For Llinas, consciousness is the synchronized 40Hz firing of regions of the cortex over time. That is, consciousness is not just a given pattern of firing in 3-space, but is a 4-space relation. That additional dimension of time multiplies enormously the potential number of brain patterns that could occur in an individual. But it also makes the topic that much harder to study.

The writing feels like it has been written by someone who knows alot: there are many points where conceptual connections are not made entirely explicit (because it probably seemed so self-evident to Llinas) and the reader must fill in those gaps. Also, some of his non-neurologic language is quite technical: the description of the "self" as a calculated eigenvector, or the "vortex" which is essentially an attractor (as known in mathematics), that can make Llinas sound like a cold, hard-nosed scientist.

However, Llinas is refreshingly 'human'. For him, it is quite reasonable to assume (as a common consequence of evolution and similarity of brain structure) that many other species have forms of consciousness. Indeed, he devotes an entire chapter to qualia, and contends that qualia exist as essential brain feature, not only for humans but for cats and dogs and most other animals with brains of the same evolutionary genre (and that even in the case of invertebrate (octopus) brains he argues that the burden of proof is on those who would deny qualia).

One caveat: be aware that Llinas does not explicitly delineate between accepted facts and his theory - the book flows as one whole. It is not intented as deception. As he says in the preface "This book presents a personal view of neuroscience...".

Average customer rating:

Good description, Terrible overview

This Book is Great; Amazon Sucks

Great resource

Best Sedona Hiking Book

Great book about great hiking in a beautiful location

Sedona Hikes, 130 Day Hikes & 5 Vortex Sites around Sedona, Arizona, Revised 9th Edition
Richard K. Mangum
Manufacturer: Hexagon Press, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Excursion Guides | Hiking & Camping | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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What Is a Vortex? A Practical Guide to Sedona's Vortex Sites

ASIN: 1891517082
Release Date: 2006-10-12

Product Description

The best Sedona hiking guide! The 130 hikes in this edition have been totally revamped to include GPS coordinates. Each hike now features a color photograph and color map. First released in 1992, the authors have worked constantly to keep this guide updated and current through this latest edition. The very use-friendly format features each hike shown on facing pages with complete directions to the trailhead, description of the hike, photograph and map. Also included is an elevation change graph, season-to-hike chart, difficulty/mileage graph and how-crowded icon

Customer Reviews:

Good description, Terrible overview.......2007-03-27

This book is good you want to look up a specific trail by name. I am more interested in researching trails in a specific area and found the layout of this book VERY frustrating. This book NEEDS a trail map overview where one can see where a specific trail is in relationship to the other trails. If you purchase this book make sure to purchase a Sedona Trail Map as well.

This Book is Great; Amazon Sucks.......2007-01-22

After two attempts at ordering this book, I finally bought it locally. Amazon shipped it twice and I didn't receive it. Amazon will not be getting any more of my business!!
But this is a great book. Very user friendly and informative.

Great resource.......2007-01-10

We used this book to select several day hikes to do during our 2 day trip to Sedona. The directions to the trailheads, the descriptions of the hikes, and the color pictures make this book a standout.

Best Sedona Hiking Book.......2006-11-10

This book provided clear, comprehensive descriptions of most of the hikes in the Sedna area. It was our Bible during our recent trip (October 2006). The levels of difficulty are about right for casual hikers (we are in our early 60s) -- it is certainly not intended for experienced technical climbers.

Great book about great hiking in a beautiful location.......2006-08-21

This is an excellent resource for anyone planning a trip to Sedona. After 2 short visits to the red rock area, we went for a week this time. We had heard about the many hiking trails there, and we wondered how we would pick the ones we wanted regarding difficulty, length, and things to see. We spent hours reading the book before we went, while we drove, and while we were there. This book really does have valuable information for the hike about 130 area trails. Included are directions to the trailhead, map of the trail, and picture of the trail. Also are the length, difficulty, and time needed for each trail. This is a must read if you are going to Sedona to hike, and it makes a great remembrance of a wonderful trip.

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Theory of Vortex Sound
M. S. Howe
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521012236

Book Description

This is an introduction to the branch of fluid mechanics concerned with the production of sound by hydrodynamic flows. It is designed for a one semester introductory course at the advanced undergraduate or graduate level. Great care is taken to explain underlying fluid mechanical and acoustic concepts, and to describe fully the steps in a complicated derivation. The discussion deals specifically with low Mach number flows, which enables the sound produced by `vortex-surface' interactions to be analyzed using the `compact Green's function'. This provides a routine procedure for estimating the sound, and an easy identification of those parts of a structure that are likely to be important sources of sound.

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Vorticity and Incompressible Flow
Andrew J. Majda , and Andrea L. Bertozzi
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521639484

Book Description

This comprehensive introduction to the mathematical theory of vorticity and incompressible flow begins with the elementary introductory material and leads into current research topics. While the book centers on mathematical theory, many parts also showcase the interaction among rigorous mathematical theory, numerical, asymptotic, and qualitative simplified modeling, and physical phenomena. The first half forms an introductory graduate course on vorticity and incompressible flow. The second half comprises a modern applied mathematics graduate course on the weak solution theory for incompressible flow.

Download Description

This book is a comprehensive introduction to the mathematical theory of vorticity and incompressible flow ranging from elementary introductory material to current research topics. While the contents center on mathematical theory, many parts of the book showcase the interaction between rigorous mathematical theory, numerical, asymptotic, and qualitative simplified modeling, and physical phenomena. The first half forms an introductory graduate course on vorticity and incompressible flow. The second half comprises a modern applied mathematics graduate course on the weak solution theory for incompressible flow.

Flow-Induced Vibrations in Engineering Practice (Advances in Fluid Mechanics)

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Flow-Induced Vibrations in Engineering Practice (Advances in Fluid Mechanics)

Manufacturer: Wit Pr/Computational Mechanics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1853126446

Book Description

Flow-induced vibrations are complicated flow-structure interaction phenomena that may have disastrous effects. The poor understanding of these can lead to severe damage, which, apart from economic loss, may even claim human lives. Although not so spectacular, flow-induced vibrations of tube banks in heat exchangers or nuclear reactors may result in the damage of installations and the loss of power-generating time.

Book Description

Modern experiments and numerical simulations show that the long-known coherent structures in turbulence take the form of elongated vortex tubes and vortex sheets. The evolution of vortex tubes may result in spiral structures which can be associated with the spectral power laws of turbulence. The mutual stretching of skewed vortex tubes, when they are close to each other, causes rapid growth of vorticity. Whether this process may or may not lead to a finite-time singularity is one of the famous open problems of fluid dynamics.

This book contains the proceedings of the NATO ARW and IUTAM Symposium held in Zakopane, Poland, 2-7 September 2001. The papers presented, carefully reviewed by the International Scientific Committee, cover various aspects of the dynamics of vortex tubes and sheets and of their analogues in magnetohydrodynamics and in quantum turbulence. The book should be a useful reference for all researchers and students of modern fluid dynamics.

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High Space Adventure in Classic SI-FI Style!!
Too bad it had to end ...
A fitting ending to an entertaining series
Great series, great finale
Bait & Switch

Vortex (Sten)
Chris Bunch , and Allan Cole
Manufacturer: Orbit
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1841490830

Book Description

The Eternal Emperor had returned at last from the dead, to pick up the pieces of his crumbling Empire. But even that great leader could not halt the Empire's decline alone. And so Sten, master spy, military strategist, and assassin, found himself appointed Ambassador Plenipotentiary to the Altaic Cluster, where a brewing civil war threatened the stability of the Empire itself.
Quelling a civil war was nothing new for Sten. But as one thing after another went wrong, he began to suspect that he was up against more than a mere local disturbance. Someone -- operating in deepest cover, with the highest authority -- was working behind the scenes to manipulate events and escalate disaster. And that someone wanted nothing more than to see Sten dead . . .

Customer Reviews:

High Space Adventure in Classic SI-FI Style!!.......2004-04-17

I read this book not knowing at the time that it was just one in a series. I Found THAT out pretty quick!! Regardless, it kept me entralled till the end, and I went hunting for the others!! Great High Space Adventure in the truest of the Classic SI-FI form!! Loads of action without bogging down in technical explainations. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes action oriented SI-FI.

Too bad it had to end ..........2003-06-07

Very like the ongoing saga of HH ( Honor Harrington ) by David Weber, this was a great series all the way along. It must be difficult coming up with bigger and better things for a character that feels fully developed, but I do wish they had found something!

Unlike the other reviewer, I found the accent of one of the main characters a *fantastic* touch. Yes, it takes a while to get used to it, but this characters seems more alive / real to me because of it. It was easy to "see" this character in my mind. So I appreciated the extra work that must have gone into creating the accent.

Overall the entire series is a wonderful, fun read. Not to say it's lighthearted, but it is a breath of fresh air. Much like the David Gemmel books. The characters are easy to get attached to, and the story has a depth that can be expanded upon at a later date, if the author / publisher / fans feel like keeping this universe going.

A fitting ending to an entertaining series.......2002-06-07

In the final book in this series we have our hero Sten up against the Emperor himself. The Emperor has gone all nasty and it is up to Sten to use all his skills and allies to pick away at the Emperor and his forces.
As part of the closure of this series we are given the background to the Emperor and the fuel source he controls which was interesting and put many things into context.
Fast moving and entertaining and a good conclusion to the series, my only ongoing irritation with the Sten books is the way the author 'writes' the Scottish accent of one of the lead characters. It's difficult to read and detracts from the pace of the story.

Great series, great finale.......2002-04-13

This is the exciting -- and fitting -- end to the series. Yes, the authors are playing a bit of an ideological trick, but it really makes sense in the end, and I kicked myself for falling right into it.

I've reread this series several times, and it never fails to please. Each book has its own feel, but each is still part of the greater whole. Now if only they'd get them back into print, I could recommend them to more of my friends.

Bait & Switch.......2001-02-26

The author(s) decided that the premise which underlay all the previous books in the series was invalid and tried to convince the reader to that end. Imho they failed. BADLY. They failed to convice me that the prior premise was wrong and their accounting of the designtergration of the society was lame. Ignore this book and read the rest of series instead.

Vortex Dynamics (Cambridge Monographs on Mechanics)

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Vortex Dynamics (Cambridge Monographs on Mechanics)
P. G. Saffman
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521477395

Book Description

The discovery of coherent structures in turbulence has fostered the hope that the study of vortices will lead to models and an understanding of turbulent flow, thereby solving or at least making less mysterious one of the great unresolved problems of classical physics. Vortex dynamics is a natural paradigm for the field of chaotic motion and modern dynamical system theory. The emphasis in this monograph is on the classical theory of inviscid incompressible fluids containing finite regions of vorticity. The effects of viscosity, compressiblity, inhomogeneity, and stratification are enormously important in many fields of application, from hypersonic flight to global environmental fluid mechanics. However, this volume focuses on those aspects of fluid motion that are primarily controlled by the vorticity and are such that the effects of the other fluid properties are secondary. This book will be of interest to students of fluid mechanics, turbulence, and vortex methods as well as to applied mathematicians and engineers.

Back to the Vortex: The Unoffical and Unauthorized Guide to Doctor Who 2005 (Dr Who Telos)

Average customer rating:

Great reference, good background story
A "must" read and invaluable reference for all dedicated fans of Doctor Who
Detailed
A great reference book!
Extremely detailed account of Doctor Who 2005

Back to the Vortex: The Unoffical and Unauthorized Guide to Doctor Who 2005 (Dr Who Telos)
J Shaun Lyon
Manufacturer: Telos Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Television | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1903889782
Release Date: 2005-11-17

Book Description

The adventures in time and space continue, as the Doctor and his faithful companion Rose Tyler travel time and space fighting evil, righting wrongs and saving the course of history. This is the ultimate guide to the newest adventures of the Doctor: an archive of information, review and commentary, from the press to the production to the fans, as the venerable Time Lord returns to television in 2005 in a thirteen-part series set to stun viewers and critics alike. Back to the Vortex unfolds as history happened, from the announcements to the press releases, casting calls, the highs and lows, and the start of production. Discover the background to the new series, through the eyes of the press, the commentators and fans; read about the casting of Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor and one-time pop princess Billie Piper as Rose; and be there during the lead-up to the return of the traveling Time Lord to regular prime time television after sixteen years away. And as the show debuts, investigate the stories themselves, through detailed analysis, facts and figures, as well as extensive reviews and commentary with a panel of fans and aficionados spread across the world. This is the essential guide to the long awaited and anticipated return of the Doctor... and it's about time!

Customer Reviews:

Great reference, good background story.......2007-03-23

Long-time fan of the series, had to wait a year to get it on DVD in the states and this book is a perfect companion to the TV series. It offers several people reviewing and commenting on each episode, which made me think about the episodes in a new light.

About 1/2 of the book was the build-up and behnd the scenes stuff of how the series came back. I skimmed over some of it, I was more interested in the episode-by-episode, but this is a great reference for Series One and a nice perspective of how it was brought back in the UK, considering that I'm in the US and it gives me a glimpse into how things work on the other side of the pond.

If your a causal fan looking to know more, or a die-hard fanatic, definitely a good reference and an enjoyable read.

A "must" read and invaluable reference for all dedicated fans of Doctor Who.......2006-03-11

Back To The Vortex: The Unofficial And Unauthorized Guide To Doctor Who 2005 by J. Shaun Lyon presents the ultimate Dr. Who guide as a remembrance to future generations and what impact the beloved Time Lord had on society. Back To The Vortex paves the entire pathway of history of the British television series Doctor Who granting every desired detail to readers with thorough analysis of every episode and the deeper message depicted in each. Back To The Vortex is a "must" read and invaluable reference for all dedicated fans of Doctor Who.

Detailed.......2006-02-04

Shaun Lyon writes a painstakingly detailed summary of the lead up to the brand new series of Doctor Who. It's unlikely you will find out any great revelations here, but it's a thoroughly researched archival document. The second half is a nicely presented review of the first series including comments from guest reviewers.

A great reference book!.......2005-12-31

First off, it's big. Much larger than I thought it would be. And that's good. Doesn't it suck to go buy a book you wanted only to find out it's only 100 pages and some change? This is 423 pages! For it being so big, I actually read most of it pretty fast.

The book chronicles the trip from new Doctor Who as a pipe dream to the end of the first series and all the hoopla that went with it though press releases, news reports and internet gossip. It covers the development of the show, the casting, the first impressions and even the pirated version of "Rose".

It's a very strange thing reading about something that is so close to you. As editor for a Doctor Who Newsletter I read all this material as it happened, so most of the info in the book I knew already, but it was great reliving it. It totally took me back to the state of anticipation and nervousness I felt while waiting for the series to come out and while it was happening from the point of view of a fan.

The book also takes each episode in detail and has reviews by a wide number of people from fans to established writers. The reviews are interesting as they were written right after each episode aired, so there is speculation as to where this story fit and what was going to happen at the end. Though I would have liked to have seen a second review by each of the members after the season had ended to compare their first impressions and then how they felt later, but that's just me.

There is also the ratings info which show how many people watched each episode, which was interesting as the ratings would dictate whether there would be future seasons.

For me VORTEX is an indespensible guide to press and news surrounding the new show as it happened. I will be reading this in years to come, remembering the time fondly when all of this was happening. This is a great book.

Erik Engman, Editor of the "Intergalactic Enquirer"
Time Meddlers of Los Angeles

Extremely detailed account of Doctor Who 2005.......2005-12-29

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a big Dr Who fan. Of all the TV I've watched over my lifetime, I daresay Doctor Who is probably my favorite show of all time. Without boring you with the entire history here, the TV show went off the air in 1989 (after running for 26 years). There was an attempt to revive it in 1996, but it didn't get off the ground past a pilot movie. It finally returned to the TV in the spring of 2005. I was cautious, as I didn't know how the show would play out now, 16 years after it ceased being on the air. But I shouldn't have been worried, it was a tremendous success - was renewed for two more years after the one in 2005. The show was fabulous, and not just because there was new stuff. My wife, who abhors the show watched a few, and genuinely liked them.

The new series is where this book comes in. "Back to the Vortex" was written by an old friend of mine Jim Lyon (who now goes by the name Shaun Lyon). It's a superbly detailed behind the scenes story of the making of the new series from how it came about to the press on it's return, to the actual physical shooting, plus a lot more. It's got a level of detail that might overwhelm some readers. One part that almost bored me was the bits about shooting. As I don't live in Cardiff Wales, the acutal locations mean little to me. Several sections of the production areas of the book were "OK, filiming was done here, and they shot until the darnkess.." After several such lines like that, they all seemed to blur together. it's my only fault with the book.

After the book gets to the point of the show being on the air, it switches to programme guide mode, where each episode is broken down into several parts, it's an extremely detailed guide, offering both a factual, and opinionated look at the story in question. There's also an appendix discussing ratings, and other information.

If you like Doctor Who, and have been lucky enough to see the series (as of Dec 2005, it has yet to air anywhere in the US, nor are there any current plans to do so (on TV anyway, it comes out on DVD in Feb 06)), then you should check the book. Some of it reads like a reference guide, but I guess that's what the book is.

Also make sure and visit Lyon's Outpost Gallifrey website at http://www.gallifreyone.com, as it's by far the best Doctor Who site on the net.

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