Book Description
One of the most extraordinary survival stories ever told -- Aron Ralston's searing account of his six days trapped in one of the most remote spots in America, and how one inspired act of bravery brought him home.
It started out as a simple hike in the Utah canyonlands on a warm Saturday afternoon. For Aron Ralston, a twenty-seven-year-old mountaineer and outdoorsman, a walk into the remote Blue John Canyon was a chance to get a break from a winter of solo climbing Colorado's highest and toughest peaks. He'd earned this weekend vacation, and though he met two charming women along the way, by early afternoon he finally found himself in his element: alone, with just the beauty of the natural world all around him.
It was 2:41 P.M. Eight miles from his truck, in a deep and narrow slot canyon, Aron was climbing down off a wedged boulder when the rock suddenly, and terrifyingly, came loose. Before he could get out of the way, the falling stone pinned his right hand and wrist against the canyon wall.
And so began six days of hell for Aron Ralston. With scant water and little food, no jacket for the painfully cold nights, and the terrible knowledge that he'd told no one where he was headed, he found himself facing a lingering death -- trapped by an 800-pound boulder 100 feet down in the bottom of a canyon. As he eliminated his escape options one by one through the days, Aron faced the full horror of his predicament: By the time any possible search and rescue effort would begin, he'd most probably have died of dehydration, if a flash flood didn't drown him before that.
What does one do in the face of almost certain death? Using the video camera from his pack, Aron began recording his grateful good-byes to his family and friends all over the country, thinking back over a life filled with adventure, and documenting a last will and testament with the hope that someone would find it. (For their part, his family and friends had instigated a major search for Aron, the amazing details of which are also documented here for the first time.) The knowledge of their love kept Aron Ralston alive, until a divine inspiration on Thursday morning solved the riddle of the boulder. Aron then committed the most extreme act imaginable to save himself.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place -- a brilliantly written, funny, honest, inspiring, and downright astonishing report from the line where death meets life -- will surely take its place in the annals of classic adventure stories.
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"One of the most extraordinary survival stories ever told -- Aron Ralston's searing account of his six days trapped in one of the most remote spots in America, and how one inspired act of bravery brought him home. It started out as a simple hike in the Utah canyonlands on a warm Saturday afternoon. For Aron Ralston, a twenty-seven-year-old mountaineer and outdoorsman, a walk into the remote Blue John Canyon was a chance to get a break from a winter of solo climbing Colorado's highest and toughest peaks. He'd earned this weekend vacation, and though he met two charming women along the way, by early afternoon he finally found himself in his element: alone, with just the beauty of the natural world all around him. It was 2:41 P.M. Eight miles from his truck, in a deep and narrow slot canyon, Aron was climbing down off a wedged boulder when the rock suddenly, and terrifyingly, came loose. Before he could get out of the way, the falling stone pinned his right hand and wrist against the canyon wall. And so began six days of hell for Aron Ralston. With scant water and little food, no jacket for the painfully cold nights, and the terrible knowledge that he'd told no one where he was headed, he found himself facing a lingering death -- trapped by an 800-pound boulder 100 feet down in the bottom of a canyon. As he eliminated his escape options one by one through the days, Aron faced the full horror of his predicament: By the time any possible search and rescue effort would begin, he'd most probably have died of dehydration, if a flash flood didn't drown him before that. What does one do in the face of almost certain death? Using the video camera from his pack, Aron began recording his grateful good-byes to his family and friends all over the country, thinking back over a life filled with adventure, and documenting a last will and testament with the hope that someone would find it. (For their part, his family and friends had instigated a major search for Aron, the amazing details of which are also documented here for the first time.) The knowledge of their love kept Aron Ralston alive, until a divine inspiration on Thursday morning solved the riddle of the boulder. Aron then committed the most extreme act imaginable to save himself. Between a Rock and a Hard Place -- a brilliantly written, funny, honest, inspiring, and downright astonishing report from the line where death meets life -- will surely take its place in the annals of classic adventure stories. "
Customer Reviews:
Digressions Reveal Character.......2007-10-10
While many reviewers are frustrated with the many digressions throughout Aron's work, his discourse on past adventures and history reveal an unsettling mass of information about Aron's character: Aron lacks remorse and takes pride in his recklessness as an adventurer, without respect and humility for the wilderness around him.
Adventurers should have a healthy level of respect for mother nature. The situations in which we willingly place ourselves can be termed by outsiders to be reckless; however, for most adventurers, that is not the case. We go into the situations knowing full well the risks and uncertainty and make prudent decisions.
Aron exhibits none of these characteristics and as he reflects on his past adventures through the book, he notes how this disposition greatly increases the risk to him and those around him. In one story in particular, Aron points out that his disregard for volatile situations nearly cost the lives of those with him and subsequently cost him the relationships he had with them. And most dissappointing about it is that he shows no remorse for that choice.
The book was interesting to read, but I can't tell you how many times it raised my blood pressure. What Aron did by cutting off his arm was astonishing; more astonishing is the fact that it doesn't seem to have matured him in the least.
I have mixed feelings on this one.......2007-09-15
Aron is either very brave or irresponsible, possibly a little of both.
I give this man points for bravery and his thirst for the outdoors, but I found myself shaking my head and rolling my eyes about the things he did.
The book starts out with him stuck in the rock quite early in the book, but after the 2nd or 3rd chapter, he alternates every other chapter to his Present Stuck situation and his stories of hiking around the great outdoors.
I found myself needing to get to the end of the book so i can read about him hacking his right arm off, so the book had me wanting to keep reading. For that it was a good read.
Lessons of Aron: Don't "SHOO" off a bear, don't bring your friends skiing into a Potential Avalanche zone, and never go hiking with out telling friends and family where you are or leaving a map or note at your bike or truck so they can find you.
Oh, I almost forgot, you can drink your own urine for up to 3 days in the wild apparently...haha
I recommend this book, but barely.
Somewhat Boring .......2007-08-31
Throughout the writing, Aron Ralston constantly strays from the actual plot. The book has constant flashbacks to his past adventures become monotonous after the first few chapters. The main storyline of is entrapment was very interesting. The fact that he was able to survive for so long in the Moab desert is nothing short of a miracle. All in all I enjoyed the book, despite some boring chapters that strayed from the point.
Wasted Opportunity.......2007-07-12
The story seems compelling: an unfortunate hiker has his arm pinned by a boulder and must cut off his own arm to rescue himself. It is a terrible thing for anybody to lose part of a limb (indeed, ask any of the many Iraq War casualties), and we like to look for some positive outcome from such a loss. I read this book because I was curious what changes such an experience would cause in one's approach to life. I was left disappointed and angry.
Aron Ralston survived what should have been a life-changing experience, yet came away from it the same arrogant, self-centered boy as before. The reader hopes and prays that the tiresome egotism of the early chapters is simply a literary device, designed to set the stage for Ralston's transformation. Instead, the egotism remains the constant in his life, both before and after his accident.
Although Ralston claims to have had a revelation while pinned behind a boulder -- finally understanding it is not what you have done, but how you have lived -- this revelation is discarded the moment he survives. Once healthy again, Ralston returns to stupid, dangerous activities (e.g., solo winter ascents) with no consideration for those he loves. He has learned nothing. He was given the opportunity to make a major change in his life. He ignored the chance to mature and act responsibly, and returned to reckless behavior that only puts his family and friends at risk of heart ache.
Ralston begins his story by documenting his many stupid mistakes that almost cost him his life. He makes winter ascents of Colorado peaks without spare outer gloves. He pushes himself to the point of hallucinating, putting himself and his partner at risk. He goes solo canyoneering and mountain biking without a first aid kit. He ignores advice of a park ranger and goes hiking in inappropropriate snow conditions, and almost is attacked by a bear. He puts himself and friends at risk skiing in areas with a high risk of avalanche. Despite his supposed training in search and rescue, his ignores the first rule (always let somebody know where you are going and when you should be back). Yet, Ralston seems baffled when his mother doesn't want to hear the details of his latest in a long series of scrapes with death. Perhaps she cares about him. Perhaps she wonders why he insists on always doing things the dangerous way. Perhaps she wonders how he can do these things to her.
There are many ways to immerse one self in the great outdoors, and there are many ways to test one self. Many a young person has thought that placing themselves in life-threatening situations is the ultimate test. Luckily, most of us outgrow this stage. We start to recognize the value of life. We start to recognize the devastation that our deaths would have on our family and friends. We mature.
There are many, many skilled mountaineers in Colorado. Many have the requisite skills to complete solo winter ascents, but most forego the activity because it is stupid. There are too many variables, and the odds of dying are too high. Ralston fancies himself a Super Man because he is dumb enough to go on winter solo ascents. Despite repeated narrow escapes, it never occurs to Ralston that he is being cavalier with his life, the lives of his friends, and the emotions of his family and friends.
The baffling thing about Ralston's history is that he never matured. He had plenty of occasions for reflection, and he had friends endeavoring to change his perspective. Yet, he continued on his own little self-centered journey. He wanted to be bigger than life, no matter what the cost.
Indeed, the bizarre thoroughness of his photo-documentation of his struggle attests to his dreams of grandeur. If he lived, he was going to be famous. If he died, he was going to be a legend. Ralston would have us believe that he was fighting for his life on the hike out, yet he never even considered leaving behind his video camera and digital still camera.
At some point in Ralston's effort to show that he was the prime mover in the many good times with his friends, he recounts making fun of 1980s music. I found this ironic, in that Ralston is the embodiment of the 1980s Me Generation. It is all about Aron, without any consideration for anybody else.
Do not buy this book. To do so is to encourage a reprehensible approach to life. To do so is to reward a selfish little child. To do so is to buy into a false hero. To do so is to support the extreme of self-centeredness. To do so is to cast a foreseeable event (based on poor preparation and a belief of invincibility) as an unavoidable accident. Do not buy this book.
Mr. Ralston was given an opportunity to see the light and to mature, but squandered that chance in exchange for celebrity. If he continues with his solo winter climbing, I fear that he will eventually pay the ultimate price for his contorted self-image and lack of judgment.
Boring and pretentious.......2007-07-06
I first saw this on Dateline or 20/20, and thought what a wonderful story, that the book must be better and give us better details. Well, TV was apparently a better medium for this story, because they could edit out his pretentiousness and direct his story to more of what actually happened, rather than a stage for him to tell the world how great he is.
And even after having to drink his own piss and cutting off his arm with a pocket knife, he still hasn't learned a single lesson.
Customer Reviews:
Doesn't Sink Like A Rock But Doesn't Swim Either.......2007-05-24
Sgt. Rock: Between Hell and a Hard Place is a passable graphic novel authored by Brian Azzarello and drawn by Joe Kubert.
Azzarello's writing is solid but doesn't give enough historical flavor. Garth Ennis' Enemy Ace: War In Heaven plunges the reader into the Second World War with memorable characters, fascinating facts and actual events. Azzarello's writing captures the cadence and lingo of the War but doesn't go far enough.
The plot here is interesting but ends disappointingly.
Joe Kubert's art is very good but not his best work. Joe is around 70 years old so I'm sure age has affected his art somewhat. His work is still pretty great but I'm spoiled by the classic Joe Kubert art.
This book will satisfy hardcore fans but let down casual buyers.
Kubert's Rock.......2006-05-13
Artist Joe Kubert doing Sgt Rock again...for most fans of the original Rock of Easy Company, that is all you need to say. And Between Hell and a hard place, it is a graphic delight.
War comics were a staple of DC and Marvels comic line (Rock, Haunted Tank, The Losers, Unknown Soldier for DC, Sgt Fury for Marvel)in the 1960-1990's. Then suddenly they (like the Westerns genre) vanished from the comic lines-to be overtaken by the Superheroes with their Crisis's, Secret Wars and now their Civil Wars
With writing talent of Brian Azzarello (from the comic 100 Bullets) and Kubert at the pen, This taut graphic novels is both a tribute to the DC war line and a great visual tale. It is also like it harkens back to the days of Bob Kanigher (writer) and Kubert (inks) in the orginal Our Army at War books.
It is a war story with a mystery thrown in and it works on many levels
If you haven't read Sgt Rock before, dont worry...you wont be lost-Azzarello reintroducers the reader to Rock and his Easy Company. The art seems almost like a movie flying outta the books. This isn't a KID's comic book, it is WAR with all the dirt and grit. It is not pretty, but it is great storytelling
Bennet Pomerantz, AUDIOWORLD
Very good. Recomended........2006-02-25
It's not Kubert's best work, but it is still very funny. Although its a little bit like a rough, crude drawing, it fits this book very well. And what can I say about Azzarello's writing? He does a great job with this mistery war tale.
Awsome comic.......2006-02-25
A must have for any SGT. Rock fan, or anyone who is crazy about WW2.
OK Story, Weak Art..........2005-02-14
I've never seen a "Sgt. Rock" comic previous to this, but I am a casual fan of graphic novels and have a casual interest in World War II, so I figured it was worth checking out. After spending an hour reading it cover to cover, I have to admit to a certain level of disappointment. Azarello, whose writing I've liked in the "100 Bullets" series, has come up with a generally compelling story. Sgt. Rock's "Easy Company" is in the Hurtgen Forest (near the German/Belgian border) in late 1944, where the largely routed German Army was able to mount a surprisingly stiff resistance. Down to its core membership, the company has greenhorn replacement soldiers foisted upon it, much to Rock's displeasure. The storyline involves the capture of four SS officers, three of whom are murdered while being escorted back to headquarters. This sets up some tension among the company, since it's not clear who killed them, and some of the soldiers are of the opinion it was murder (since their hands were bound), and others don't. Meanwhile, there's a town that needs taking...
This is all well and fine, but I just didn't find Kubert's art that compelling. Since he set the standard for the "Sgt. Rock" look, he obviously answers to no one when it comes to how the story should look. However, I found both the composition and coloring very weak. I suppose his style is best described as "classic", but I find it far too simplistic and lacking in detail and texture. Everything's very flat, and the washed-out color palate doesn't help. A story set in the Hurtgen ought to be dark, gloomy, scary (the characters even talk about how dark and hard to see it is), but everything is colored in really light shades and looks like it's been lit up with spotlights. Kubert's working in a very restrained paneling system, which is fine, but it really puts the onus on the composition, and most of these are dull as ditchwater. There are probably around 750 panels in the book, and only about 15-20 really arrest one's attention.
If this sounds a little harsh, well, it may be that the standard for depicting World War II combat has gotten very high. "Saving Private Ryan" started the ball rolling, and then there was "The Thin Red Line" and then the truly amazing "Band of Brothers" series. Each of these had their cheezy moments, but "Band of Brothers" especially showed that there was no glory to be won in war, and showed the fighting in the German forests in a much more evocative manner. Granted, it's unfair to compare different mediums, but the truth is that "Band of Brothers" hits you in the gut with its grittiness and this doesn't. Those looking for a for a very good novel on the same material should check out Twilight Zone maestro Richard Matheson's early novel, "The Beardless Warriors", which follows a raw recruit for two weeks as his unit pushes through the German woods.
Book Description
A 14-year-old boy's powerful, eloquent, and heartening memoir: how he survived abusive parents, made school and the New York streets his refuge, and finally found a genuine family--only to be confronted with the ultimate challenge of AIDS. Like
The Diary of Anne Frank, this is a young person's personal account of rising above the worst terrors of a troubled time.
Line drawings.
Customer Reviews:
Why are you angry that this is a fake?.......2007-08-27
I don't care if you rate me as "unhelpful", you should rejoice that this book is a fake. Why? because there is one less abused boy out there.
I loved the book ..but it's percieved as a true story .......2007-05-04
I agree with the past viewers of this book. I actually went into this book as a true memoir..but then on the inside cover it reads that this book is fictional, and is not to be mistaken for any real person.
However, Mr. Rogers wrote an incerpt at the end of the book. I am sure the book is ehlpful on many accounts, maybe for abused children, and children siffering from AIDS. But I was kind of disappointed to find that this Tony person doesn't exist. I was hoping to maybe write to him someday. But from what I read on here, it's impossible.
The book is written very well, awesome actually to the point where obviolsy people believed that Tony was real.
It is a believable story. However, if you are reading just to be reading a good book, I recommend it. If you are looking for TRUE, actually happened memoirs, I don't.
If you pay for this nonsense you are funding the sickness behind it.......2007-04-09
I don't care if the book is amazing... it is being sold as the biography of a young boy. Not a fiction novel. The idea that this sick and perverted woman would create such an elaborate and twisted lie to play on the emotions and mentality of a nation is just pathetic and sick. I hope this woman does check the responses on Amazon, I hope she cringes every time she reads someone's response to her joke of a book. I haven't read it, won't read it, and would never put a penny into it. There is absolutely no excuse for this book ever being printed in the first place, and under the title non-fiction biography at that. Children suffer such horrors all over the world, and to make a mockery of that sickens me.
This is an amazing book... SO WHAT IF IT'S NOT TRUE.......2007-03-03
I read this book when I was in highschool and found it to be amazing. I found it to be on the level, if not better than Bridge to Terabithia and/or Catcher in the Rye. I love how emotional the book gets/makes the reader. Whether or not it's true is of no importance, unless you are interested in the person themselves instead of the story itself. The story itself is enough to make this an amazing book. I just wish they work quickly to bring it back into print, no matter how it's labeled as (fiction/nonfiction) or who the author is, since I just love reading it for itself.
This gets worse and worse.......2007-02-27
Okay, first off, Vicki Zackheim, writes a fake memoir, pretending to be a boy with AIDS. Sick, but forgiveable. Next, she poses as this boy and tricks Mr. Rogers into believing her. MR. FREAKING ROGERS! That's morally reprehensible, and she could've damaged his credibility. Next, she up and marries a shrink, who then SIGNS A SWORN AFFADAVIT that says the boy exists, and uses THUG TACTICS on anyone investigating a book sold to the public. I won't go into the shrinks own problems that don't have anything to do with his wife, they are public knowledge.
But worst of all, when she was posing as this child, she sent out pictures of one of her LIVING students that she taught in her fourth grade class. That is seriously disgusting.
Average customer rating:
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Hard As the Rock Itself: Place And Identity in the American Mining Town (Mining the American West)
David Robertson
Manufacturer: University Press of Colorado
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ASIN: 0870818503 |
Book Description
he first intensive analysis of sense of place in American mining towns, Hard as the Rock Itself: Place and Identity in the American Mining Town provides rare insight into the struggles and rewards of life in these communities. David Robertson contends that these communities--often characterized in scholarly and literary works as derelict, as sources of debasing moral influence, and as scenes of environmental decay--have a strong and enduring sense of place and have even embraced some of the signs of so-called dereliction.
Robertson documents the history of Toluca, Illinois; Cokedale, Colorado; and Picher, Oklahoma, from the mineral discovery phase through mine closure, telling for the first time how these century-old mining towns have survived and how sense of place has played a vital role.
Acknowledging the hardships that mining's social, environmental, and economic legacies have created for current residents, Robertson argues that the industry's influences also have contributed to the creation of strong, cohesive communities in which residents have always identified with the severe landscape and challenging, but rewarding way of life.
Robertson contends that the tough, unpretentious appearance of mining landscapes mirrors qualities that residents value in themselves, confirming that a strong sense of place in mining regions, as elsewhere, is not necessarily wedded to an attractive aesthetic or even to a thriving economy.
Mining historians, geographers, and other students of place in the American landscape will find fascinating material in Hard As the Rock Itself.
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Stones of Remembrance: A Rock-Hard Faith From Rock-Hard Places
Lois Evans
Manufacturer: Moody Publishers
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ASIN: 0802483984 |
Book Description
There are times in the life of every woman when she must face her Jordan River--where the waters roil and faith quakes. In Stones of Remembrance, women are called to remember God's faithfulness during the flood-stages of their lives. The authors encourage them to recall and build their own ''memory stones'' of God's presence in their lives. Using examples of both biblical and modern day women, their struggles and their faith, readers will be strengthened and encouraged to remember the God who makes a way for them even through the teeming rivers of their lives.
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Between a Rock and a Hard Place: African NGOs, Donors, and the State
Jim Igoe ,
Tim Kelsall , and
Carolina Academic Press
Manufacturer: Carolina Academic Press
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Global Shadows: Africa in the Neoliberal World Order
ASIN: 1594600171
Release Date: 2005-04-30 |
Product Description
Between a Rock and a Hard Place examines Africa's NGO boom of the late 1990s. In spite of the high expectations placed on African NGOs during this period, these organizations remain poorly understood. Today, Africa's NGO boom has been followed by a bust--as the fickle development industry moves its money to other types of institutions. In spite of this funding bust, the explosion of NGOs in Africa during the 1990s transformed African societies and economies in fundamental ways. In the wake of Africa's NGO boom, it is imperative that these transformations be understood and placed in historical context. Such an understanding will help us to learn from the mistakes of this brief historical period--as well as to build on its opportunities. The case studies presented in the body of this work provide the missing details of this historical moment.
Through these case studies, this book examines two questions that are fundamental to development and governance in Africa--and around the world:
(1) The nature of the relationship of NGOs to Civil Society; and
(2) The effectiveness of NGOs at promoting economic development with equity.
The book begins with a comprehensive introduction, which outlines the theoretical debates surrounding Africa's NGO boom--and the question of civil society in Africa. This section is followed by detailed ethnographic accounts of the NGO boom from Zimbabwe to Mali and the types of social tranformations these organizations were part. Most importantly, these accounts reveal the ways in which African elites and community organizers have worked to position themselves within the global networks of development and governance institutions, and the impacts of their strategies on life in African communities. They reveal the ways in which African NGOs have had to negotiate the different and often contradictory demands on their own constituencies, donors, and African states--the ways in which they have succeeded and the ways in which they have come unglued.
Average customer rating:
- Good book by Peter David
- A Rock And A Hard Place
- STNG #10 - A Rock and a Hard Place - Good early Trek!
- ST-TNG: A Rock and a Hard Place
- An entertaining and even thoughtfull read.....m
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A Rock and a Hard Place (Star Trek The Next Generation, No 10)
Peter David
Manufacturer: Star Trek
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
David, Peter
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The Captain's Honor (Star Trek The Next Generation, No 8)
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A Call to Darkness (Star Trek The Next Generation, Book 9)
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Masks (Star Trek The Next Generation, No 7)
ASIN: 067174142X |
Book Description
Under the best circumstances, terraforming is a tough, dangerous task that pits the hardiest of pioneers against an unforgiving environment. When the terraformers on the planet Paradise fall behind schedule, commander Riker is given temporary leave from the U.S.S. Enterprise™ and sent to assist.
Riker's replacement on the Starship Enterprise is a volatile officer named Stone whose behavior soon raises questions about his ability and his judgment. Meanwhile, Commander Riker has become enmeshed in a life and struggle with Paradise's brutal landscape. However, he soon learns that not all of the planet's dangers are natural in origin -- as he comes face to face with Paradise's greatest danger and most hideous secret.
Download Description
When Starfleet needs someone to oversee a terraforming operation on the planet Paradise, Commander Ryker is chosen. And while Ryker's temporary replacement aboard the ship raises doubts about his sanity, Ryker learns that not all the dangers of the planet Paradise are natural . . . and finds his life in the hands of his worst enemy!
Customer Reviews:
Good book by Peter David.......2006-09-24
Peter David certainly knows how to write an enjoyable and gripping book. While not as interesting as his first Next Generation novel, "Strike Zone" this is a solid story.
Commander Riker is given temporary leave from the Enterprise to help out a terraforming colony run by a childhood friend of Riker's from the wilds of Alaska. (As an aside, it's nice to know that even in the 24th century Alaska remains an independent, rugged and pristine area - at least in this fictional future). Meanwhile back on the Enterprise, Riker's temporary replacement, Commander Quentin Stone is causing quite a stir. Commander Stone has been assigned as Picard's first officer so that Captain Picard can evaluate him to see if he truly is the rogue officer and space case that Stone's previous captains think he is.
Peter David seamlessly switches back and forth between these two disparate storylines, and keeps your interest from the first page to the last. Deanna Troi is quite well used in this story, and it's nice to see her character fleshed out somewhat.
There were a number of interesting character moments from O'Brien at the poker games, to the ressurection of Worf's "musical talent" that was previously brought up in Peter David's previous Next Gen novel. As usual with a Peter David novel, there are some great humorous bits such as the poker games. It's also interesting to note that Peter David's first Next Generation novel "Strike Zone" was the first novel to deal with Dr. Crusher being replaced by Dr. Pulaski in the second season, this novel is the first Next Generation book to deal with Beverly Crusher's return to the Enterprise.
While not the best of Next Generation novels, this book is a fun and fast read. Enjoy!
A Rock And A Hard Place.......2006-02-07
I put this a book the maximum possible rating, 5 stars. The reason why I do that is because I think this novel is brilliant! Not only it takes you in from the first page and keeps you interested EVERY page till the end, but it also has that great ST:TNG feeling that makes it seem that it is an integral part of the official canon.
Also, it is very sad to say good-bye to Stone, to the Carters and terraformers at Paradise. I want to meet them all again!
STNG #10 - A Rock and a Hard Place - Good early Trek!.......2003-07-20
As good as his first Star Trek novel, Star Trek The Next Generation #5 - "Strike Zone" is, "A Rock and a Hard Place" is that much better. If you were to read through the entirety of the early STNG novels, you will quickly gather that there are a couple authors' novels that are to be looked forward to, Peter David's and Michael Jan Friedman's. With this particular installment, Peter David firmly reaffirmed and set himself in place as the one Star Trek author that can deliver a solid plot with thought provoking twists and an excellent sense of humor. His novels are the ones that will make you laugh as you read along.
The premise:
The planet Paradise is being terraformed but the terraformers in charge have fallen behind schedule and they've requested assistance. Commander William T. Riker of the USS Enterprise is given that task and sets off for Paradise. This is where we see Riker on his own, dealing with nature and its quirks.
Meanwhile, aboard the Enterprise, Riker's temporary replacement is a brazen individual by the name of Commander Quinton Stone and let's just says that he and the Captain and crew of the Enterprise aren't getting along chummily!
What follows is but a mere inkling as to some of the outstanding adventures that author Peter David will take Star Trek fans on in the future. I highly recommend this novel to any and all fans of the genre! {ssintrepid}
ST-TNG: A Rock and a Hard Place.......2003-04-03
Star Trek-The Next Generation: A Rock and a Hard Place written by Peter David is a double plotted book. As Commander Riker is given leave of the U.S.S. Enterprise to help with the terraforming of the planet Paradise and his replacement on the Enterprise is Commander Quintin Stone.
Only Peter David could write such a compelling story with a double plot and keep the reader's intrest till the blockbuster ending. First off you'll be reading about the terraforming of the planet Paradise where it's Commander Riker vs. Nature storyline. We get a fleshing out of the character of Riker and we get to see how he does without of the influence of Captain Jean-Luc Picard looming overhead. As Riker is pitted against an unforgiving environment where unter the best of circumstances "unforgiving" would be a mild term.
We alernate plotlines to the next confrontation, that of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the U.S.S. Enterprise vs. Quintin Stone. Stone is considered here as the prototype for Peter David's Captain Mackenzie Calhoun in the ST-New Frontier series. Rough around the edges, quite strong-minded, with a quick wit, and radically novel solutions to problems, this is how Quintin Stone is portrayed.
David hasn't lost his wit either as he pulls off the double plot with an ending the is both clever and stunning. You've got to read it to believe it. Confrontation between Store and Riker is all I'm going to tell you the rest you'll have to read for yourself. This book is a solid 4 stars, not quite as good as "Imzadi" but close.
Both plots keep the reader's intrest and I'd like to see further Quintin Stone books as he seems to be a very intresting character... a kind of by the seat of your pants, guy. This is a good read and you'll finish it wanting another story with the same character called Quintin Stone.
An entertaining and even thoughtfull read.....m.......2003-02-06
I'd probably give this book 3 and a half stars really. It was enjoyable, but not quite four or five star material. This is an early TNG, before Worf was expanded as a charachter byond the hulking mass of Klingon brute. David's portrayals of the charachters are on target with the TV show at the time this book was written though, and the diolague and action were good.
An interresting plot, Riker is sent to investigate a city on a world in the process of being terraformed. It just so happens his old running buddy from his hometown in Alaska is running the place. In his place, starfleet command puts Commander Quinton Stone as a 'project' of sorts for Picard to straighten out. He's got potential as an excellent captain someday, making decisions on instinct and quick wit and able to sort out incredibly complex and volatile situations. However, everyone says he's nuts, he can't be trusted, can't follow orders, and seems on the edge of doing something dangerous at any moment. His personal problems stem from a situation you'll have to read about to discover.
I did think it was somewhat implausable for starfleet to want to 'save' someone who was seen oftentimes as a dangerous and downright crazy individual, but that isn't too hard to put aside for the duration of the book to enjoy the read.
Average customer rating:
- Pointless Cursing
- Sweet book!!!
- Between a rock and a hard place.
- Okay
- Between a Rock and a Hard Place
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Between a Rock and a Hard Place (Point Signature)
Alden R. Carter
Manufacturer: Scholastic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Between a Rock and a Hard Place
ASIN: 0590374869 |
Customer Reviews:
Pointless Cursing.......2006-11-13
I just turned randomly to a couple of pages before reading this to my sons. I found frivolous swearing on both pages. We'll find another book.
Sweet book!!!.......2006-06-07
This book was a very interesting book in many ways. From the comedy of he book to the drama in the book it was an all around good book. Ir really cought my interesy and it pulled me in with an interestng plot. Although here was a lot of swearing in the book, it was still injoyable. The swearing also made the characters who they are and I loved the book. I highly reccomend this book to people around my age because it is bry understandable and easy while it still was on a High School Level.
Between a rock and a hard place........2006-06-07
This book was a very interesting book in many ways. From the comedy of the book to the drama in the book it was an all around good book. It really cought my interest and it pulled me in with an interesting plot. Although there was a lot of swearing in the book, it was still injoyable. The swearing kind of made the characters who they are and i loved the book. I highly reccomend this book to people around my age because it is very understandable and easy to read while it still was on a high school level.
Okay.......2005-09-05
This book, Between A Rock and A Hard Place by Alden R. Carter, was an okay book for me to read.
I would suggest it as an excellent book for a boy audience, because it mostly has boys in it, plus boy topics.
Well, since I am a girl, I didn't find it that interesting, and the book's about two boys fighting for life in the wilderness because of one mistake.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place.......2005-05-30
Mark and Randy are cousins, and both teens at the age of 15. Neither is looking forward to their big trip through the Boundary Waters, a coming-of-age tradition among the men in the Severson family. To Mark it's just another thing he will disappoint his family in...contrary to his brother, Bob ("Bob the Nazi" as Randy calls him) - the brain, jock, everything Mark isn't. To Randy, it's a test to prove to his family that just because he has diabetes, he's not a wimp. It's going to be just the two of them, camping, fishing, and canoeing, and they're not expected to be back for ten days. What can go wrong? Nearly everything.
In between bears, killer ducks, and vicious bugs, Mark and Randy learn a lot about each other. The wilderness brings them closer together but also tests their friendship. When they lose almost everything they have to a hungry bear and a raging river, they find they can only depend on themselves to save each other.
I thought this book was great. There was humor, adventure, and most of all, I liked how Mark and Randy weren't perfect. They had their own problems, and they weren't experts on the wilderness. Despite all the swearwords (nearly each page has at least one), I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.
Average customer rating:
- Still not finished and don't want to.
- didn't think it could be funnier than superchick but it is
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Rock and a Hard Place
Stephen J. Martin
Manufacturer: Mercier Press
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Superchick: A Novel
ASIN: 1856355071 |
Product Description
Being a rockstar was all Jimmy ever wanted but it was supposed to happen when he was seventeen, not in his thirties. Now he has this big important job and his boss thinks hes ready. Hes being groomed for stardom all right, but in the boardroom, not a beer soaked, panty-strewn concert hall. When The Grove suddenly becomes the band everyones talking about, Jimmy starts to feel the pressure. Somethings got to give. Even his doctor says he needs to relax and Jimmys not inclined to argue with a woman wearing a latex glove. The follow up to the hilarious and best-selling Superchick.
Customer Reviews:
Still not finished and don't want to........2007-03-01
You know a book is good when you are wrecked tired and you want to read faster then slower to see what happens next. It's an easy read and anyone who has suffered the Irish in any form will enjoy this to no end. A lot of them are characters we know in life and the comments can only make you laugh out loud, even if you were in a church.
didn't think it could be funnier than superchick but it is.......2006-11-29
have to say I loved superchick but i think this is even funnier, the situations, the banter, the twists; i guess its a cliche but I couldn't put it down ...hilarious
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