History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

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Robotech III Shadow Force
Hello everyone...I am a Robotech addict.
Don't forget funny.
A Satisfying End
Dissapointing

End of the Circle (Robotech #18)
Jack Mckinney
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0345363116
Release Date: 1989-12-16

Book Description

A Warp In The Space-Time Continuum...

The SDF-3 has remanifested from spacefold, but no one aboard has the faintest idea where they are. The ship appears to be grounded in some glowing fog, ensnared by light itself. Lang and Rem dub the phenomenon "newspace" -- but are at a loss to explain what it really is and who, or what, is keeping them there. For Lang, it seems like old times: The ship's Protoculture drives have disappeared.

But other events are transpiring, unbeknownst to the stranded crew of the SDF-3.

In Earthspace, the Ark Angel has been spared the fate suffered by the REF main fleet after the Invid transubstantiation. Vince and Jean Grant decide that the only logical course of action is to try and locate the SDF-3...

On Haydon IV, something has awakened the Awareness -- and a mysterious change comes over the Haydonites. Exedore and the four Sterlings suddenly find themselves imprisoned beneath the surface -- as the planet leaves orbit, destination unknown...

All of the pieces of this strange cosmic puzzle are about to come together...and the ultimate conflict is imminent. The question is:

Will The Universe Survive?

Customer Reviews:

Robotech III Shadow Force.......2004-11-12

This was a great book. The ending is finally revealed. It took me a long time to finish all the novels. So many interferences in our busy society. Here's how it goes: The SDF-3 gets stuck in a new universe, The planet Haydon IV turns out to be a spaceship and heads for the new universe where the SDF-3 is, Scott Bernard returns to Earth to find Marlene (a.k.a. Ariel), Rook is pregnant with Rand's baby, Sera dies, the Ark Angel tails Haydon IV in hopes of finding the missing SDF-3, Minmei takes Octavia's spot in the Triumvirate and discovers she's pregnant with Rem's baby, Gibley dies, Haydon cuts a deal with the Devil (The Robotech Masters), The RDF finally finds the Invid & The Regis, The Peter Pan locates the SDF-3, Polly returns and kidnaps Dana, Dr. Lang becomes one with the Protoculture and sends the SDF-3 back to Earth, Rem and Minmei remain in the new universe and Minmei's baby turns out to be Zor, Protoculture dies and Earth FINALLY becomes Paradise.

Hello everyone...I am a Robotech addict........2004-04-05

I read my first Robotech book because I liked the picture on the cover. Since then I have quite literally memorized every book in the series, including Sentinals as well as Zentradi Uprising and Before the Invid Storm. I own every book of every series and all of them are very dog earred. So I know what I am saying when I say that End of the Circle was a world altering experience for me.

Although I may sound like a fanatic, my reasoning is this. Jack McKinney (two authors, one of whom, James Lucero went on to write some great Star Wars books and, ironically, the final wrap up of that series as well) was forced to write his books on what is basically a kids show, Robotech. He was constrained in his characters and could do little with the story. And yet his books managed to add an amazing depth to the Robotech world that was sorely lacking in the cartoons. So much so in fact that his books touched off a virtual war between the cartoon purists and the book converts. I bring this up because in this book, the gloves are off.

End of the Circle is where McKinney finally gets to write the story that he wanted to write. All the characters are much more mature than their series debute. Scott is no longer a one dimensional tragic hero and Marlene is now more human as well as being a bit grizzled. Everyone is back, if only for just a cammio. Now I have read the reviews that say this is a weakness but if this had not been in the book, these same people would probably have been angry about that too. McKinney is simply trying to include all the characters whom we have grown too like up to this point.

Yes, there is a lot that is wrapped up in this book. Yes...some may say there is too much to be wrapped up, with a few eyebrows going up about some story lines. And yet, while McKinney could have left well enough alone, it would not have been a true Science Fiction book, where eyebrows are SUPPOSED to go up occasionally. I mean come on, how exactly does a crystal in a "warp core" enable faster than light speed. Maybe not the best comparison but its all I could come up with.

When I was young, I loved this book. When I was adolecent, I loved this book and started to actually understand what was going on. As an adult, I still love this book and I think I understand much of what is going on. But you know what, I am going to read this book one more time, just to see what I might have missed. And I think all of you should too.

Don't forget funny........2002-07-21

There are many reviews of these book. I really enjoyed the novel, but I also think that while trying to tie up all the loose ends that sometimes the story is hurt. When finishing a series you have to let some things go, so the reader goes away still wondering a tad.

I think the author (or authors) tried just a little to much to cover every person, event or plot line in the Robotech universe. That is why I took away one star.

On the other hand there was a lot of humor. For example, a ship named N'trpriz with a Karbarran Captain named K'rrk, a science officer with horns, a female communications officer and the guy in engineering has a thick Highlander's accent!

"The second star to the right?" - Rick Hunter.

A Satisfying End.......2000-11-15

Jack McKinney's controversial THE END OF THE CIRCLE attempts the impossible: to please die-hard fans of a sci-fi series in an attempt to try and bring their beloved saga to a close. The end result is admirable and I, personally, have no real complaints.

The SDF-3, failing to appear in Earth space for the final assault on the Regis, de-folds in a mysterious void. Meanwhile, Scott Bernard on Earth begins his search for the lost ship while the remaining Sentinels on Tirol make some hard discoveries. The ensuing action brings all of the generations together, solves one of Robotech's biggest mysteries, graphically reveals the climax of Protoculture's existence, and ties up all remaining loose ends with the remarkable Intersection segment as well as a final "Recollections" chapter from Lisa Hayes-Hunter.

THE END OF THE CIRCLE brings very satisfying closure to one of the best science fiction sagas around. As a hard core fan of the entire novel series I was quite pleased with the way the story arc was brought to a close and I believe that most other fans would probably agree with me on that. The authors deserve major credit for succeeding at a very difficult task. Five solid stars.

Dissapointing.......2000-10-25

This book seemed to be built for TV animation, something to "wow" everyone as they watched the battles, flashbacks, and transformation sequences. So as a book by itself, it failed for me completely. It was boring and ended this great saga on a very poor note. of course, if you were like me and needed to finish the saga, there's probably not much I can say that will stop you from reading the book. But don't expect a satisfying read.

Swimming in Circles: Aquaculture and the End of Wild Oceans

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Pretty informative
For All Global Citizens: A Courageous Stand

Swimming in Circles: Aquaculture and the End of Wild Oceans
Paul Molyneaux
Manufacturer: Thunder's Mouth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Environmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1560257563

Book Description

Expanding on the author's year-long study of the shrimp and salmon aquaculture industries as an Alicia Patterson Foundation Fellow, the book lays out the rationale behind aquaculture development: increasing the world food supply and creating jobs in areas hard hit by declining landings in wild fisheries. However, reality is something else entirely: ravaged ecosystems and bankrupted local economies. The author expands on his existing case studies, near his homes in eastern Maine, and Sonora, Mexico, and links them to events in other parts of the world.
The author's 30 years experience in fisheries and aquaculture qualifies him to weigh the rhetoric and sift out the truth of this story. In six years as a freelance journalist, writing for the New York Times, Yankee, National Fisherman, and other publications, he has managed to describe complex material in an interesting and palatable style.

Customer Reviews:

Pretty informative .......2007-04-18

Molyneaux has decided to take up the banner and raise awareness about the possabilities of aquaculture as a means of sustainance for the worlds population. He mostly focuses on the bad elements of the aquaculture revolution and points out the destruction and impact on lives that this emerging industry has brought with it.

As a student of aquaculture I was disheartend to read this book as my view is that aquaculture is indeed the only way forward for us if we want to consume any type of fish without doing irreverseible damage to the worlds rivers and oceans. While I agree with Molyneaux that there is significant drawbacks to the practices that we have followed so far, and that big industry needs to be monitired and forced to play by the rules, I still feel that this industry is in its infancy and does hold hope for the world.

The book is punctuated by bad spelling and formatting of paragraphs and at the end there is a disclaimer that they ran out of time. There were a number of times through the reading of the book where these errors made me think of stopping my reading of the book but I carried on and I am glad I did. Molyneaux did some great research when writing the book but there is one quote by a captain from Gloucester, MA whose last name was James and I didnt see him referenced in the sources at the end of the book. The quote was about the Captains views on trawling at the time (1920's). If anyone knows what this quote was sourced from can you let me know as I would like to read it.

Anyhow this is my first review on AMAZON and I do recommend this book, as its important that people understand the challanges faced with bringing that slab of salmon or pound of shrimp to your table.

For All Global Citizens: A Courageous Stand.......2007-03-15

I have finished "Swimming in Circles" and it has made a difference for me in understanding many arenas. I have a clearer understanding of the battle being waged between technocrats and naturalists. I am far more aware of the impact economic motivators are having on our ecosystem and their threat to sustainability. I believe Molyneaux has successfully balanced diplomatic protocol with journalistic responsibility. It is important to raise consciousness and at the same time I see, now, there is also a sense of urgency in doing so.

Molyneaux's writing is an example of what is possible when a wild and youthful Kerouacian grows beyond young paradigms and doesn't sell out, but rather he builds on top of the worlds he has known and creates new models for enlightened living, freedom and fulfillment.

Fitting Ends (Ballantine Reader's Circle)

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Not who you think you are. . .

Fitting Ends (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
Dan Chaon
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Popular Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Book Clubs | Specialty Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0345449096
Release Date: 2003-04-01

Book Description

Fitting Ends is the first collection of fiction by the acclaimed author of the National Book Award finalist Among the Missing and now appears in this newly revised edition with two never before collected stories.

Written before Among the Missing and originally published by Northwestern University Press, Fitting Ends features thirteen stories detailing the almost panicked angst of the American generation now approaching thirty. Struggling with gaps between youthful expectations and adult experiences, these characters long for understanding and acceptance—but are thwarted by failed love, family disruptions, numbing work, and sexual confusion.

Chaon is one of the most promising new voices in fiction, and this re-issued collection offers further evidence of his unique talent.

“The best of these stories . . . possess a rare, disorienting force. When you look up from them, the quality of light seems a little different. It’s a reminder to those of us who have almost forgotten what literature can sometimes do.”
—Boston Book Review

“The most honest, observant and timely book written this year about the American generation now approaching thirty . . . Chaon speaks with clarity of feeling, and more than a little oddball wit, about the lives of those left behind the demographic curve of America—men and woman with pointless jobs, doughy faces, soured relationships, bad credit. . . . Each story pulls you into its subtle emotional vortex, largely because of Chaon’s knack for simple but poignant detail.”
—New York Newsday

“Remarkable . . . Each story is a marvel of complexity, dense with meaning and nuance. . . . Very few first works are as solid, moving, and pitch-perfect as Chaon’s.”
—The Cleveland Plain Dealer

“[AN] OFTEN PERCEPTIVE, LUCID VOICE.”
—The New York Times Book Review

Customer Reviews:

Not who you think you are. . ........2004-01-31

This is a fine collection of stories by a young writer whose intuitive grasp of life's ambiguities combines with a well-developed storytelling ability to give the reader much to enjoy and ruminate on. Mostly set in a small town in western Nebraska, these stories have youthful protagonists who are often at a loss or are simply lost. Their lives have veered off course, somehow, or gone into a stall, and they're like the recovering young alcoholic in "Going Out," who is sober but bewildered, losing ground, finally walking down a dark country road in his boxer shorts, startled by the ghostly face of a curious cow.

There is the mystery of identity that runs through many of these stories, from the young man in the first story "My Sister's Honeymoon: A Videotape," who ponders his sister's personality change when she gets married, to the high school student in "Transformations," whose older brother has revealed himself as not only gay but a female impersonator. In "Fraternity," a young man discovers that a fraternity brother injured in a car accident is no longer the person he once was. A girlfriend in "Rapid Transit" tells a young office worker, "You're not who you think you are."

Meanwhile children struggle to understand their parents. In two stories, the mothers have histories of mental illness. In another, the title story, a young man puzzles over a wayward older brother whose life seems to take a fatal turn after the telling of a lie. The richness of how circumstance alters and often diminishes identity is particularly well drawn in this story. The protagonist, on a visit home, reflects on how the loose threads of lives may come together for a moment in the mind's eye or the heart, like the neat ending of a short story, but because life is not art they unravel again.

While all this may sound a bit bleak, it is not. The stories leave you with uncertainties about the characters, whose lives are often tentative and touched with unresolved regrets, but there is a lightness and a degree of irony about them that make their ambiguities linger afterward in a way that's nicely gratifying. For another collection of well-written stories with a rural setting, I recommend Kent Meyers' "Light in the Crossing." Also, set in a small town not far from Chaon's fictional St. Bonaventure, Nebraska, there's Kent Haruf's fine novel, "Plainsong."

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A hauntingly real world

A man of peace in a world of conflict

The Ends of the Circle
Paul O. Williams
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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The Dome in the Forest: The Pelbar Cycle, Book Three (Beyond Armageddon)

The Breaking of Northwall: The Pelbar Cycle, Book One (Beyond Armageddon)

The Fall of the Shell: The Pelbar Cycle, Book Four (Beyond Armageddon)

The Song of the Axe: The Pelbar Cycle, Book Six (Beyond Armageddon)

An Ambush of Shadows: The Pelbar Cycle, Book Five (Beyond Armageddon)

ASIN: 0345313232
Release Date: 1983-07-12

Book Description

One thousand years after “the time of fire,” a gentle craftsman and flute player forsakes both his true love and birthright to seek the fabled Shining Sea. Stel, born of proud but rigid Pelbar culture, embarks on an epic quest across an America dramatically changed by a long-ago nuclear war. Following him is his beloved wife, Ahroe, equally determined to find Stel, avoid disgrace, and share her own precious secret.

The Ends of the Circle is the second novel in the highly praised Pelbar Cycle, a classic series of postapocalyptic novels about the people of the Pelbar. Imaginative and reflective, this rousing tale introduces Stel—engineer and poet, adventurer and musician—one of the most memorable characters in modern postapocalyptic fiction.

Customer Reviews:

A hauntingly real world.......2006-04-24

The four stars here are an average of 5, for worldbuilding, and 3, for awkward writing style.

I read Williams' Pelbar cycle when the books first came out in the 70s or 80s. I've re-read them a few times in the intervening years, and every time I experience the same curious mix of enthusiasm and irritation.

The most compelling SF/F books are those in which the world itself is a character, in which the author's created universe has the same power as one of the actors. In my heart, for instance, I believe that McCaffery's Pern truly exists *somewhere*; as a reader, you want to climb over the next hill to see what's there.

Williams envisioned what the U.S. would be like a thousand years after a nuclear war, as civilization returns, technology is re-discovered, and the various lone communities begin to reconnect. The central figures are from Pelbarigan, a walled city on the Missisippi, somewhere south of where St. Louis is today. In addition to flipping back to the map to place the characters as they travel around the country, you -- or at least I -- spend some energy trying to figure out how each language or society evolved. That's the fun part.

Good worldbuilding can overcome a lot of weakness in storytelling, and in the Pelbar series it achieves it. Unfortunately, it needs to. What isn't accomplished nearly as well is the wordsmithing. Williams throws sentences at the page as though they're shovelfuls of words. The writing is stilted, annoyingly so, though I've never figured out exactly what he did wrong. Because the characters do come to life, and you do care what happens to them. There are few real surprises in the saga of Stel and his wife Ahroe, and in some ways they are verbal stick figures, but Stel, in particular, manages to be a real person with honor and wit. If this were a movie, I'd say that a re-make with a good director could make it top-notch.

The earlier books work well as standalone stories; in fact, I read The Ends of the Circle and a few following novels before I got to the Breaking of Northwall, and it never bothered me that I didn't know the details of Jestak's journey. (He'd gone east to explore; Stel and Ahroe head west, so they never cross paths.) The Ends of the Circle is probably the best of the lot, though A Dome in the Forest is a close follow-up.

If you have a weakness for alternate history SF/F stories or post-apocalyptic tales, it's worth the time to read this one. It isn't perfect, but the worldbuilding excellence balances out a lot of other weaknesses.

A man of peace in a world of conflict.......2004-01-28

"The Ends of the Circle" is book two (of seven) in "The Pelbar Cycle." In it, we are introduced to Stel Dahmen (later changed to "Stel Westrun"), who will be one of the main characters in most of the rest of the books. Newly married to a woman he loves, but who comes from a rigidly autocratic family that cannot abide what they see as his lack of proper respect, he ends up fleeing the walled city of his birth. Travelling across an America drastically changed in the thousand years since "The Time of Fire," Stel's resourcefulness and humble peacefulness are tested again and again, until eventually he is reunited with his wife Ahroe, and the son he didn't know he had, in the midst of a battle.

Stel Westrun/Dahmen is one of the most truly gentle characters you are ever likely to encounter in any post-apocalyptic fiction; he seems to spend his entire life trying to defuse the violence and intolerance of those around him; an engineer, poet, and flute-player, he is considered frivolous by most, but ends up sowing the seeds of vast change in the reunification of the tribes of what was once America.

"The Ends of the Circle" just misses getting a five star rating because it is short and a little shallow; later volumes in the series get better, and I would give five stars to "The Pelbar Cycle" as a whole, as I have re-read and enjoyed them all many times.

From the back cover:
"Some among the Pelbar meant to kill Stel, so the master-craftsman was forced to abandon his love, his family, and the security of Pelbarigan in order to survive.

Because his curiosity about the world outside Pelbarigan's walls had been aroused by the tales of earlier travelers, Stel set out in search of the fabled Shining Sea -- but between him and his goal lay the poisonous cities of the ancients, barbarians who practiced ritual murder, the treacherous
Children of Ozar, a mad exile -- and a host of other perils.

Stel's beautiful and devoted wife followed, determined to return with the man she loved.

__________

A dazzling vision of two quests, two journeys through
a strange and danger-filled world."

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Teachable Transitions: 190 Activities to Move from Morning Circle to the End of the Day
Rae Pica
Manufacturer: Gryphon House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Preschool & Kindergarten | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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Transition Tips and Tricks for Teachers: For Teachers

Transition Time: Let's Do Something Different!

The Complete Book of Rhymes, Songs, Poems, Fingerplays, and Chants: Over 700 Selections

The Learning Power of Laughter: Over 300 Playful Games and Activities That Promote Learning With Young Children

Transition Magician 2: More Strategies for Guiding Young Children in Early Childhood Programs

Accessories:

Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 0876592817

Product Description

190 Activities to Move from Morning Circle to the End of the Day As children pretend to trudge their way through knee-deep marshmallow fluff, or zoom around like a vacuum cleaner, even cleaning up the classroom becomes an enjoyable experience. Thanks to transitions that are both fun and educational, the minutes between planned activities become moments that children actually look forward to. With Teachable Transitions, each and every preschooler will be engaged and interested all day long! Filled with movement activities, games, fingerplays, chants, and songs, Teachable Transitions offers a variety of ways for your preschoolers to move through their day. Organized by categories such as Arrival, Outside, Snacks and Lunch, and Cleanup, each transition will hold the children's attention as they go from one activity to the next. The Ready, Set, Go, format turns ordinary, everyday transitions into stress-free learning moments. Ages 3-6

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The End of the Circle

Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GSYY4O

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Circle Without End

Manufacturer: Jeremy Mills Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0954648498

Circle Without End: A Sourcebook of American Indian Ethics

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Circle Without End: A Sourcebook of American Indian Ethics
Frances G. Lombardi , and S. Gerald
Manufacturer: Naturegraph Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Ethics & Morality | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0879611146

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Circles end
Michael Gregory Stephens
Manufacturer: Spuyten Duyvil
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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