Product Description
The best-selling author of Stiff and Bonk explores the irresistibly strange universe of space travel and life without gravity.Space is a world devoid of the things we need to live and thrive: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, privacy, beer. Space exploration is in some ways an exploration of what it means to be human. How much can a person give up? How much weirdness can they take? What happens to you when you can’t walk for a year? have sex? smell flowers? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a space walk? Is it possible for the human body to survive a bailout at 17,000 miles per hour? To answer these questions, space agencies set up all manner of quizzical and startlingly bizarre space simulations. As Mary Roach discovers, it’s possible to preview space without ever leaving Earth. From the space shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA’s new space capsule (cadaver filling in for astronaut), Roach takes us on a surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.Amazon.com Review
Amazon Best Books of the Month, August 2010: With her wry humor and inextinguishable curiosity, Mary Roach has crafted her own quirky niche in the somewhat staid world of science writing, showing no fear (or shame) in the face of cadavers, ectoplasm, or sex. In Packing for Mars, Roach tackles the strange science of space travel, and the psychology, technology, and politics that go into sending a crew into orbit. Roach is unfailingly inquisitive (Why is it impolite for astronauts to float upside down during conversations? Just how smelly does a spacecraft get after a two week mission?), and she eagerly seeks out the stories that don't make it onto NASA's website--from SPCA-certified space suits for chimps, to the trial-and-error approach to crafting menus during the space program's early years (when the chefs are former livestock veterinarians, taste isn't high on the priority list). Packing for Mars is a book for grownups who still secretly dream of being astronauts, and Roach lives it up on their behalf--weightless in a C-9 aircraft, she just can't resist the opportunity to go "Supermanning" around the cabin. Her zeal for discovery, combined with her love of the absurd, amazing, and stranger-than-fiction, make Packing for Mars an uproarious trip into the world of space travel.--Lynette Mong

Customer Reviews (98)

Space travel without the NASA glamor
Entertaining, informative read. Roach interviewed many people behind the scenes and addresses issues like: how DO you go to the bathroom in space? How do you get rid of mildew on a space station? Topically organized and written from the point of view of an ordinary person, Roach is by turns funny and deadly serious. Great gift book!

Strips away "the Right Stuff" to show the real stuff about space
Once again, Mary Roach expertly combines complex science, thorough research, and laugh-out-loud wit to her book. Like Bonk, the book isn't just about the science of sending people to space, but also how researchers go about it, often to their ludicrous conclusions. Her research is impeccable; more than once she follows fishy stories back through their multiple citations only to discover that the original source is bunk or that it's so different it's like the other sources have been playing a game of telephone. And of course, her observations always contain a wry tongue-in-cheek, down-to-earthiness about them, at once capturing the seriousness of the issue as well as the often dignity-killing things people have to go through in order to work out the kinks.

Warning: like Stiff, this is not a great "read while at dinner" book. More than once I toted this book to a restaurant, only to discover that the next chapter was about vomiting or poop.

4 stars. Good audiobook version.NOT for kids though.
Overall, I enjoyed the book; and I would recommend it to many friends, but not absolutely everyone, as I'll attempt to explain.

I "read" the audio version, unabridged, of this book.The narration and its recording were good quality, clearly understandable. For years, friends have told me that audio books are great for getting through boring commutes or longer trips, and for getting through boring household tasks.Audio books are also great when I've got a migraine and need to rest my eyes, by the way.

The first part of the title, "Packing for Mars", may give the impression that the book is mainly about hoped-for future missions to Mars, but the book is not that specific to Mars.The second part of the title, "The Curious Science of Life in the Void" is a more accurate summary. This book goes behind the scenes of both past space missions and recent research and development.

Within the broad subject of space travel books, there are many choices out there -- both science fiction and science-based nonfiction books and documentaries.I enjoy both categories.However, this is the first book I've read that gave a gritty,unvarnished view of what astronauts experience in space. I felt I was right there.This book goes into detail of how difficult and unpleasant the most routine tasks can be in space, in addition to the very real dangers.Most of the contents are not what we would hear from a slick, politically-correct, image-promoting press release or documentary.

I have even more respect for astronauts after this book, beyond the respect I already had for their bravery and professionalism.Also respect for the researchers and engineers who struggle to design travel vessels, space labs, spacesuits, equipment, food packaging, and supplies.It seems the current state of technology for outer-space accommodations is just barely tolerable, at best.They are kept alive, but big challenges remain for supporting health, productivity, minimum lifestyle, and (consequently) morale.The book goes into much detail about past and ongoing attempts to improve those aspects, and *why* it is so hard to improve those aspects.

This is a good book for people who are curious about many subjects, and don't mind an author that rambles into different tangents.I enjoy that.I wouldn't recommend the book to anyone who gets grossed out easily, or who is offended by occasional bad language or off-color anecdotes.The author seems to have interviewed many people, and some people were more candid than others.

I don't recommend buying this as a gift for a child, because there are topics that will upset parents.In particular, when the author is investigating rumors and speculation about that very adult category of activities that are typically bedroom activities.She tracks down rumors and gossip of alleged astronaut behavior; and finds -- not too surprising -- that the rumors all turn out to be silly and baseless.During the process of asking many people many questions, the author does get some laughable information, based on physics (and speculative imagination probably), of how clumsy specific aspects would be.

Ironically, there are other subjects in the book that might be more appealing to kids than adult readers -- in particular the subject of potties and their usage, which many kids find hilarious at some stage of childhood.The author spends a great deal of time discussing the challenges and ongoing problems with outer-space toilets.It was gross; sometimes like a bad case of too much information.On the other hand, there seemed valid reasons for including the topic of bathrooms; as the author explains, toilets are a major, unresolved problem area for space programs; it seems they might even be the worst source of morale problems among astronauts.By the way, I suggest the author consider writing an additional book,about life in outer space, specifically for kids.I think it would be a hit.

Hilarious book on all the don't-ask space questions
I found this book by chance in the science section at the book store. From personal hygiene to monkeys to sex in space, this is one of the funniest books on space I've ever read. Sometimes it can get technical but the author tries to keep it light. She spends many pages on discussing sex in space, which in itself has to be the best laugh out loud part of the book.

The human element of exploration
This book is an excellent compilation of the challenges which hummans face when they leave mother Earth. No atmosphere, no gravity, radaition that would kill instead of tan are all discussed in a thorough and in some cases entertaining way. Mary is well positioned to discuss this topic, living close by NASA Ames, where Life Sciences is centered for the agency. Her interviews with NASA personel are excellent. This book is a must for anyone longing to break the bounds of low Earth orbit exploration. ... Read more

Product Description

Once upon a time Martians and Venusians met, fell in love, and had happy relationships together because they respected and accepted their differences. Then they came to Earth and amnesia set in: they forgot they were from different planets.

Based on years of successful counseling of couples and individuals, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus has helped millions of couples transform their relationships. Now viewed as a modern classic, this phenomenal book has helped men and women realize how different they really are and how to communicate their needs in such a way that conflict doesn't arise and intimacy is given every chance to grow.

Customer Reviews (138)

Must read but with major ommisions
Yes he comes across as having a huge ego and the rolling of eyes is appropriate and you need to take the advice with a pinch of salt. Having said that it's a must read for both sexes. The one thing the author barely touches on is the major omission in this book. There are lots of very common, real problems that individuals bring to the table in a relationship. This book does not solve them and they can sabotage successful communication. Gray would do his readers a huge service if he put his ego aside for a minute and stopped pretending that the advice in this book will solve all problems it won't. He should offer some pointers on the major common problems outside the scope of this book and where to look for answers. Two emotionally healthy people who want to communicate better will find this book a must read. The unabridged audio book is very good.

a must buy for anyone in a relationship
This book help me to better understand my husband and the reasons we sometimes clash. I enjoyed reading and I learned so much.

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus
After 23 years of marriage, you would think I would totally understand my man. Yet, no, there were still traits that totally drove me up the wall. I kept hearing, well that's just what men do. So, I decided to find out why men do what they do and they just don't seem to get what or why women do or feel things like we do.

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus was an easy to read, down-to-earth, eye-opening book that seemed to just say it like it is. There was no finger pointing, just the facts on how we (men and women) can better understand and support each other.

I am already using many of the things I learned in my marriage, and my husband is reading it too.

I will make this book a must buy as a wedding gift with a nice note suggesting that it should be read by both partners!

A question
Reading this book, a question pops into my mind: According to Dr. Gray,the important point in a relationship is that women should give men some space in a relationship, by occupying themselves with bubblebaths.

Now here is my question: IF the stereotypes about men and women in the book are true, and IF the solution is that men and women should behave accordingly, why are there already problems in relationship? There are many cavemen, and many needs women and those cavemen try to get their girlfriends/wives to back off, and I am sure some of those needy women are trying to be happy by themselves, out of desperation that their men won't treat them right. IF this is Dr Gray's expert solution, why hasn't this worked already? This seems like a recipe for disaster, rather than any relationship solution....

Got some good advice here.
This is, obviously, a classic realtionship guide that has been out for several years. I've just now come across it and have to say, I liked it. I thought the advice was spot on and real. Some might think it was old-fashioned, but I liked it and learned quite a lot. ... Read more

Product Description
Popular marriage counselor and seminar leader John Gray provides a unique, practical and proven way for men and women to communicate and relate better by acknowledging the differences between them.

Once upon a time Martians and Venusians met, fell in love, and had happy relationships together because they respected and accepted their differences. Then they came to earth and amnesia set in: they forgot they were from different planets.

Using this metaphor to illustrate the commonly occurring conflicts between men and women, Gray explains how these differences can come between the sexes and prohibit mutually fulfilling loving relationships. Based on years of successful counseling of couples, he gives advice on how to counteract these differences in communication styles, emotional needs and modes of behavior to promote a greater understanding between individual partners. Gray shows how men and women react differently in conversation and how their relationships are affected by male intimacy cycles ("get close", "back off"), and female self-esteem fluctuations ("I'm okay", "I'm not okay"). He encourages readers to accept the other gender's particular way of expressing love, and helps men and women learn how to fulfill each other's emotional needs.

With practical suggestions on how to reduce conflict, crucial information on how to interpret a partner's behavior and methods for preventing emotional "trash from the past" from invading new relationships, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus is a valuable tool for couples who want to develop deeper and more satisfying relationships with their partners.Amazon.com Review
Relationship counselor John Gray focuses on the differencesbetween men and women--men are from Mars, and women are from Venus,after all--and offers a simple solution: couples must acknowledge andaccept these differences before they can develop happierrelationships. In this unabridged version, Gray gives a spiriteddelivery of his message, especially when role-playing typicalmale/female interactions. Although it takes some time to adjust to hisslightly nasal tone, the information is sound and gives both men andwomen helpful hints on improving themselves and their union. (Runningtime: 9.5 hours, 6 cassettes) --Sharon Griggins ... Read more

Customer Reviews (310)

Great book
Good book and the book itself is in great shape. Thanks for making it affordable for me! It has been very enlightening :)

Everyone in a relationship needs to read this book!!!!
This book gives amazing insight to both men and women. Women will understand the tendencies of men and men will understand the tendencies of women. Anyone in a relationship will benefit from reading this book.

obviously second-handed ...
I like this book, but the paper seems to be a little bit too second-handed..
not as new as described.

Excellent condition
This book came very highly recommended so I bought it. I am happy with the condition of the book which is all I am reviewing here since I have not yet read the book.

Long Lost Best Reader Replaced
I had this book years back and have longed to reread it.Library's in my rural area do not carry it.I found this book very enlightening, so entertaining and at the same time true to my path in this world.Thanks for the opportunity to own it again. ... Read more

Product Description
In his most ambitious project to date, award-winning author Kim Stanley Robinson utilizes years of research and cutting-edge science in the first of three novels that will chronicle the colonization of Mars.

For eons, sandstorms have swept the barren desolate landscape of the red planet. For centuries, Mars has beckoned to mankind to come and conquer its hostile climate. Now, in the year 2026, a group of one hundred colonists is about to fulfill that destiny.

John Boone, Maya Toitavna, Frank Chalmers, and Arkady Bogdanov lead a mission whose ultimate goal is the terraforming of Mars. For some, Mars will become a passion driving them to daring acts of courage and madness; for others it offers and opportunity to strip the planet of its riches. And for the genetic "alchemists, " Mars presents a chance to create a biomedical miracle, a breakthrough that could change all we know about life...and death.

The colonists place giant satellite mirrors in Martian orbit to reflect light to the planets surface. Black dust sprinkled on the polar caps will capture warmth and melt the ice. And massive tunnels, kilometers in depth, will be drilled into the Martian mantle to create stupendous vents of hot gases. Against this backdrop of epic upheaval, rivalries, loves, and friendships will form and fall to pieces--for there are those who will fight to the death to prevent Mars from ever being changed.

Brilliantly imagined, breathtaking in scope and ingenuity, Red Mars is an epic scientific saga, chronicling the next step in human evolution and creating a world in its entirety. Red Mars shows us a future, with both glory and tarnish, that awes with complexity and inspires with vision.Amazon.com Review
Red Mars opens with a tragic murder, an event thatbecomes the focal point for the surviving characters and the turningpoint in a long intrigue that pits idealistic Mars colonists against adesperately overpopulated Earth, radical political groups of allstripes against each other, and the interests of transnationalcorporations against the dreams of the pioneers.

This is a vast book: a chronicle of the exploration of Mars with someof the most engaging, vivid, and human characters in recentscience fiction.Robinson fantasizes brilliantly about the science ofterraforming a hostile world, analyzes the socio-economic forces thatpropel and attempt to control real interplanetary colonization, andimagines the diverse reactions that humanity would have to the dead,red planet.

Red Mars is so magnificent a story, you will want to move on toBlue Mars andGreen Mars. Butthis first, most beautiful book is definitely the best of thethree. Readers new to Robinson may want to follow up with some otherbooks that take place in the colonized solar system of the future:either his earlier (less polished but more carefree) The Memory ofWhiteness and Icehenge, or 1998'sAntarctica.--L. Blunt Jackson ... Read more

Customer Reviews (406)

These Colors Won't Fade
"Red Mars" is the first of the trilogy, and is the only one I have read so far.But "Green" and "Blue" are next on my list. The author's detailed discription of conditions on Mars, and what we would face if we went there, are as accurate as I can ascertain from my studies in astronomy and physics.This isn't just a science fiction about Mars, but a prediction of how man's behavior will be shaped by the planet's brutal conditions, and how the planet's evolution will, in turn, be shaped by man's competance.A scientific, sociologic, pychological thriller that compels the reader to head for the sequel.By the end of the novel you realize that each color in this series represents a physical evolution of planetary conditions. Red is brought about by nature, and the colors to follow by man's inhabitation. Green and Blue sure don't look like improvements over red.

Possibly good in its time, but not lasting
The wisdom offered to politicians and sociologists, and to us all, in this long-winded account of colonization is stultifyingly flat and commonplace. Every subject in this book is dealt with much more entertainingly and better written in a myriad of other books, including sci-fi.
Maybe it is our recently painfully increased acquaintance with Arab culture that makes this aspect of Red Mars so contrite and simplistic in retrospect, but all the other themes are also over-explored in a dull and patronizing fashion that cannot appeal to but the hardiest of Mars lovers. For all its many characters, described in the blurb as 'varied and engaging' there is but one type of human in the whole book, a sort of idealized American character taken from its own history, combined with socialist, communist, anarchist stereotypes with have nothing in common at all with real people.
Finally, the science in the book (it is science fiction after all) is often wrong, basic, badly described and boring. There is nothing to this aspect that has even remotely anything to do with actual colonization technologies. At best, it is unimaginative and dull.
The book is a political soap opera of the most basic kind, in the bad disguise of a hard-core SF book.

A bit over-rated considering all the hype
Red Mars was mildly compelling if not exactly riveting.I honestly expected more after all the awards and recommendations by friends.Considering its minimal character development and dry, documentary style, I expected more detailed and descriptive world-building.While some claim this is a science-heavy tome, I found the descriptions of the tech fairly slim.Another thing that struck me is how such a devastated earth had an endless supply of both resolve and money for the Mars colonizers.On top of that, all of that tech seemed to work flawlessly for the most part, which is very hard to swallow.Also, not sure why it bugged me, but the speed at which the early colonists could move around the planet seemed quite improbable.There was also a fairly ginormous coincidence where a notable character they were searching for was found, seemingly at random, from among tens of thousands of colonists.

Upshot is, I felt obligated to finish it, and might even read the next couple in series, but it felt like more of a task at times than a pleasure, though I admit I was hooked in just enough to keep going.

An important hard SF novel on the settling of Mars
Kim Stanley Robinson's epic Mars Trilogy chronicles humanity's colonisation of Mars, beginning in the early 21st Century and extending over a period of some two centuries. The first book, which covers a period of some forty years, sees the initial settling of Mars by the First Hundred, the welcome arrival of additional waves of colonists intent on scientific research and then the more challenging problems of the arrival of hundreds of thousands of economic migrants, refugees and outcasts on a world that is not ready for them, and the resulting tensions between the newcomers and old-timers, and between the authorities on Mars and Earth.

The success of the trilogy as a whole is debatable, but this first volume, at least, is a masterpiece. Robinson's story rotates through a number of POV characters amongst the initial settlers, the First Hundred, and it rapidly becomes clear that most of them are somewhat unreliable narrators. Maya's complaints in her own POV of her 'important problems' being ignored by the base psychiatrist are given another perspective in her friend Nadia's POV, which reveals Maya is more interested in a trivial love triangle between herself and two Americans rather than in the colonisation of Mars, whilst the psychiatrist Michel's POV reveals that he is giving Maya colossal amounts of time and attention (to the detriment of his own mental health) which is unappreciated. Character is thus built up in layers, from both internal viewpoints and external sources, making these central characters very well-realised (although characters outside the central coterie can be a little on the thin side).

However, it is Mars itself which is the central figure of the book. Robinson brings a dead planet to vivid life, emphasising the differences in terrain and character between the frozen northern polar icecap and the water-cut channels in the depths of the Valles Marineris, with the massive mountains of Tharsis towering high into the atmosphere and colonists eagerly staking claims to future beachfront properties in Hellas, the lowest point on Mars and the first place to see the benefits of terraforming. The ideas of Mars as it is now as a pristine, beautiful but harsh landscape and the habitable world it could be are sharply contrasted, and the rights and wrongs of terraforming form a core argument of the novel. I get the impression that Robinson sides with the view that the planet should be left untouched, but he is realistic enough to know this will not happen if Mars can be settled and exploited. Mars in this work becomes a success of SF worldbuilding to compete with Helliconia and Arrakis, losing only a few points for actually existing.

On the downside, Robinson hits a few bad notes. Some of these are unavoidable consequences of the book being nearly twenty years old. Even in 1992 the notion that the Chinese would not play a major role in the financing and undertaking of a Mars colonisation mission only forty years hence was somewhat fanciful, but today it is almost unthinkable. More notably, the global recession has made the possibility of a manned mission to Mars, let alone a full-scale colonisation effort, by the 2020s somewhat dubious. Of course, these are issues Robinson could not hope to predict in the early 1990s.

Other problems are more notable. Robinson goes to some lengths to make the pro-terraforming and anti-terraforming sides of the debate both understandable and intelligent, but his political sympathies are much more one-sided. The pro-Martian independence brigade have charismatic leaders and a grass-roots movement of plucky, honest-men-against-the-machine supporters to their name, whilst the pro-Earth-control movement is led by a fundamentalist conservative Christian and resorts to weapons and mass-slaughter extremely easily. Robinson, to his credit, recognises this problem in later books and tries to repair the damage somewhat (Phyllis, presented extremely negatively in Red Mars, is shown in a more sympathetic light in later volumes), but there remains a feeling of political bias in this first volume. In addition, it sometimes feels that Robinson really wants the reader to know about the years of research he put into the book, with tangents and divergences which make the book feel like half a novel and half a factual science volume on how the possible colonisation of Mars might happen. For those fascinated by the real-life plans to terraform Mars (like me) this isn't an issue, but for some it may be. It is also, by far, the biggest problem the sequels face.

Nevertheless, the sheer, massive scope and complexity of Red Mars makes up for this. There is an overwhelming feeling running through this novel unlike almost any other hard SF novel ever published, that this might actually happen. Maybe not as soon as 2027, maybe not with such a determined push towards colonisation and terraforming right from the off, but one day, barring the collapse of our civilisation, we will go to Mars, and many of the challenges and problems faced by the First Hundred in this book are issues that will need to be overcome to make that possibility a reality.

Plus, and this cannot be undervalued, the dry and more sedentary tone of the earlier parts of the book are made up for by the final 100 pages or so, which contains one sequence which ranks amongst the most memorable and stunning moments of SF imagery achieved in the history of the genre to date. Robinson may have the image of being a bit of a laidback Californian optimist, but he sets to blowing stuff up at the end of the book with a relish that makes even Greg Bear look unambitious.

Red Mars (****½) is an awe-inspiring feat of SF worldbuilding and a vital novel on the colonisation of our neighbouring world, let down by a few moments of naivete and simplistic straw-manning of political points of view not to Robinson's liking. Overcoming this, the central characters are fascinating, the sheer scope of the book is stunning and the climatic revolution sequence is dramatic and spectacular.

Required Reading!
Should be read by all policy makers, economists, sociologists, psychologists, and futurists.To read this book is to understand why Arthur C. Clarke made the recommendation he did. ... Read more

Product Description

You don't have to be single forever...

Customer Reviews (136)

Everyone considering or in a relationship should read this book!
Author has remarkable insight to the minds of both genders.Great guide for relating to the opposite sex.

spells it all out
This book is easy to read and makes thing clear as can be. I would suggest taking a chapter at a time and put it into play and see what happends its great.

OMG IT ROCKS!
This book rocks! And has so many things in there that sound like they literally came from my own life. John Gray is explainitory and understanding of the differences of males and females. And even I, a sceptic on gender roles, was taken aback by the sheer truth of it all. He makes it clear why women are so often hurt when they give so much to a relationship and why men stop giving after a while. The answers in this book may not save your current relationship but it will definately make your next one SO much easier.

My own personal experience with this book has been, I no longer feel betrayed by a man who wants to break up. I no longer take this personally or to mean that he didnt really love me. Now I am able to be happy that I didnt end up with the wrong guy and assured that in time I will find the right guy. MY life is now 10X's more relaxed than when I didnt read the book. HIGHLY RECCOMENDED!

Simplistic and rather condenscending
I read this book as part of book review club and found the generalities rather difficult to stomach at times. It seems to target specific personality types or people that fall into gender stereotypes as it focused so much on why women want marriage (and should save themselves until they meet the right one) versus men who just want to score. It discussed - and actually encouraged - people to pretend to be nice during the courtship and then argued that you can't really "know" someone for the first 4-5 months of a relationship. Well - duh - that's certainly true if they read your book.

That said, I know several single people this book seems to describe reasonably well and I'm sure if they read the book they'd be nodding their heads in agreement throughout. In conclusion, it was a light and amusing read, but useless for me. If you're really looking for gender stereotypes, "The A Game" has far more concise (and amusing) stereotyping along with specific, practical advice. But, like this book, it only works well for a smallish subset of the population.

Below average book
To be fair I am on page 229/497 of my ebook... but I am not sure it is worth reading the rest.

The main points in the book are long drawn out, as if the author is just trying to fill up space.What I have read so far could have taken up 1/4 of my time and written pages in the book.

The author jumps back and forth from subject to subject.I would prefer the five stages of dating in the book were in order.

The techniques in this book for dating I do not agree with for the most part and seem outdated.I have also noticed related items on the amazon page to be a blood pressure monitor (maybe this book is most fitting for older generations?).

It is mentioned that a women should just "fill her time and keep distracted" while waiting for a guy to call.To never bring up the negatives in conversation while in the first few stages of dating, etc.I don't agree with the author about working on understanding how I am interpreted by the opposite sex.. that sounds nice in theory.. but playing a game and not being my authentic self is not how I want to be interpreted.Sorry but I would rather be single any day, than be in a relationship where I am but being my true self. ... Read more

Product Description
The author of the phenomenal # 1 New York Times bestseller Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, John Gray has helped millions of men and women achieve lasting love and happiness. Now he turns his wisdom and expertise to one of the most sensitive and essential issues in a relationship: sex. In Mars and Venus in the Bedroom, he explains how we can use advanced relationship skills to keep the fires of passion burning and achieve much greater intimacy.

Customer Reviews (71)

way off base

The first book form Dr Gray was great! Matter of fact, I'm looking for a audio of it.This bedroom stuffis way off base..Dr Gray forgets what the acts of love and respect women need.

Sex 101, but not graduate school
This book is better than Sex 1, which would just cover some basics of what's where and the physical differences between men and women. It adds to that by including some technique and a little psychology--what women and men like and how they differ behaviorally to sexual involvement. However, the book is far from a graduate level text. Specifically, it is very weak in the following ways:

1. As other reviewers have pointed out, it makes horrific stereotypes about men and women. Sometimes you'll read something and agree with it, sometimes you won't, simply because he makes sweeping statements about "Men like this..." or "Women like that..." The truth is that much of what he says applies to both sexes.

2. Viewed differently, he doesn't treat men and women as both having what are often considered as "masculine" or "feminine" traits. He describes a world of black and white men and women, instead of a real world of men who may have feelings and women who may be aggressive, etc. etc.

3. The book is written for an audience in their 20s and 30s, maybe their 40s. For people who are older, the book isn't much help at all. Men and women both change sexually as their bodies age, and he simply doesn't address this issue in any meaningful way. For couples over 50, understanding these issues and how to address them in a loving relationship is critical.

In short, this is a book for people who want to expand their knowledge of physical technique with a sexual partner and to become more psychologically aware of their partner's needs. But, most of the psychology should be taken as an invitation to experiment and talk with your partner to see what works for the two of you. Following this cookbook style book could be disastrous to a real relationship if you aren't very flexible with his guidance.

A Keeper!
This book provides information about how men and women differ in their likes and dislikes in lovemaking. It allows the reader to understand why men and women want different things and what each can do to help the other achieve a higher level of enjoyment. I should have read this one years ago!

A must read
Great book, a few basic points, but - hey, they are the main ones! Its not a manual on physical aspects of sexual stimulation - one can read Violet Blue about that; its mainly about psychology of the relationship. It helped me a lot to clear a few things about myself and about two of us.

Are People Really This Lost?
I've read Men's Health and for years been in a very sexually satisfying relationship.I checked this out of the local library curious to find some new information.While this book isn't terrible it is terribly basic.I didn't get the sense that men are portrayed as "conquerors" as other reviewers; it just seems that men are portrayed as clueless.

Personally I didn't find anything I didn't already know, just in this volume it's dressed up a little bit presumably so Dr. Gray can sneak the word "dick" in to show us he's "getting real." ... Read more

Product Description
The red planet is red no longer, as Mars has become a perfectly inhabitable world. But while Mars flourishes, Earth isthreatened by overpopulation andecological disaster. Soon people look to Mars as a refuge, initiating a possible interplanetary conflict, as well as political strife between the Reds, who wish to preserve the planet in its desert state, and the Green "terraformers".The ultimate fate of Earth, as well as the possibility of new explorations into the solar system, stand in the balance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (119)

Epic... like a glacier
This highly acclaimed, Hugo winning series is truly epic.It spans three books: Red Mars, Green Mars and Blue Mars; in that order.The story spans a couple hundred years of the terraforming of Mars.It is intricate, with strong social relationships, sociology, economics and politics.The author creates a world in which the science and technology make the colonization of another world seem well within our reach.I recently completed the last of the 750 pages of the last book, Blue Mars; and I can tell you that, with the exception of about 100 pages through all three books, the pace is consistent with terraforming.Now, having completed the series, I feel much like the aging Sax Russell (one of the main characters).I look back on reading these books as a life-long achievement.It feels like it's been 200 years since I started the series, and I don't remember much of what happened in the first one.The series artfully conveys the sense of passing ages to the reader.While in reading the work I was sometimes bored out of my mind, I now feel like I've lived through the decades of red, green and blue Mars.It's strange, but, if this is what the author intended, it is pure genius.If you're looking for a series that will make your heart race and keep you up late into the evening, devouring page after page, then I'd recommend looking elsewhere.If you'd enjoy watching a glacier for days only to capture the moment that one large chunk sheers away and falls into the sea, then this series may be just the experience that you've been looking for.

Blue Mars : Kindle Version
I've received yesterday the kindle version of this title I already own in paperback.
I hoped it would be a way for me, as a non English speaker, to use the included dictionary.
But, I've been surprise to see a lot of spelling mistakes. Not being sure at first, I checked my paperback version, and found the kindle one full of mistakes.

I'm really begining to wonder my I should pay more a digital version full of mistakes than a paperback version...

Of course, I remain a great admirer of Robinson Saga

3rd in Trilogy. Best Mars Colonization Terraforming ever!
Read Red Mars and Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson both 5 stars.

Blue Mars 3rd in Trilogy is also fantastic. 3rd Mars revolution. Mars gets a constitution and a government but must have a 10%population increase each year from Earth by treaty and Earth desperately wants to send more.Now settling on hollowed out asteroids, moons of Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus. Also a city called Terminator on Mercury and starting terraforming on Venus. Later hollowed out Fusion powered asteroid/spaceship to a planet around Aldebaran star. Get there in 30 years. OK as people have the longevity treatment. Now Fusion powered rockets. Earth to Mars in 3 days.Earth very overcrowded 20 billion and now 2 billion on Mars. Many of the original 100 have died and many still dieing from Fast Demise even though they have the long life treatment.Now there is memory enhancement treatments for the aged...some are 230 years old plus. But there is hope with a new treatment...maybe.

Now in about 200 years Mars has vast terraforming. Many kinds of planets and trees...some huge. Many animals from Earth with enhanced genes to breath the higher CO2 Mars atmosphere....even polar bears, antelope, fish, birds etc. Many boats and flying craft on Mars. Cities now. Mars has a breathable atmosphere if you get the gene CO2 treatment. Enough oxygen now and a Mars sea, lakes, river etc.Its not as cold now...liquid water.

Kim Stanley Robinson has written a Sci Fi trilogy epic. He is great with character development and character relationships. He goes into a lot of future technology some believable...some a bit too fantastic for just less than 200 years in the future. This is the BEST Mars colonizing sci fi terraforming trilogy EVER! Aurther C Clarke, Robert Zubrin and others rated it great. Me too. If you are into Mars colonizing and terraforming this trilogy is for you. Highest rating 5 stars.

This is the second time I have read Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy. First and second readings many years apart.I liked the Mars trilogy so much I purchased Robinson's Antartica on Amazon. Have not got the book yet. Will post review.

The best of the trilogy (SPOILERS)

I just finished this book today, thus completing my reading of the whole trilogy.

Let me get something out of the way: I completely understand why so many negative reviews of the Mars Trilogy exist. You need to have a certain personality type to get something out of this sort of writing:
- first, many negative reviews are due to differences with the political views expressed in the novels, which become most explicit in Blue Mars. If you do not align with KSR's views, you must take the occasional pinch of salt.
- second, many reviews seem to be from people who appreciate hard science, but who do not appear to appreciate human geography or history. If you are a scientist, then rejoice, for this is the hardest sci-fi I have ever read. However, you're more likely to appreciate this kind of book if you are ALSO the kind of person that likes to read a lot of history texts and/or have an interest in human societies.
- finally, there is justifiable complaint about the emphasis on locations rather than characters; sometimes this goes overboard, but less so in Blue Mars, in my opinion.

Blue Mars, I think, is the best of the Mars Trilogy. Many people seem to think it is the worst; but maybe they are looking for something that isn't here. The novels seem to get better with each sequel. It is as if KSR received some negative feedback from Red Mars, amended his Green Mars manuscript, and then got negative feedback from Green Mars and amended the last book also.

I have stated elsewhere that Red Mars has an insane amount of tedium, odd characterisation, confusing plot points and other issues especially in its second half. Green Mars has a more tight plot. Although Blue Mars is the loosest of all three, plotwise, the prose is also much easier to get into. The first chapter eases the reader into the story a lot better than the previous two books. There is continuous interest in the story, leading clear to the end.

The essential arc of the storyline is the creation of a new Martian state after the Second Revolution at the end of Green Mars. Earth is now hideously overpopulated because the longevity treatment (which seemed like a deus ex machina in the first book) has been universally applied and the old no longer die. Parallel to this is the completion of terraforming: Mars now has oceans. Over the course of the book, the oceans evolve from frozen lakes with occasional patches of blue, right up to full-on warm salty oceans with sailing-ships and fish and gulls.

The First Hundred, however, are running down and dying even as technology reaches its zenith. Almost everyone has severe memory problems. In the book's (and the trilogy's) emotional climax, the remaining 14 of the First Hundred file into the now ancient remains of Underhill and the trailer park, barely able to remember their past. Sax injects them with a new drug, and they are overwhelmed by the restoration of all their old memories, right back to Earth.

I found this aspect of the novel to be very moving; the 200 year old First Hundred seeming to be on the verge of collapse, without even the memory of the events we have been reading about - and then all of a sudden they get back all their memories in a flood and they realise what an epic they have lived. By the end of the novel, the First Hundred live in a neo-Hellenistic civilisation around the Hellas Basin (now a warm tropical sea) eating ice creams, attending neo-Olympic games and watching Greek tragedies.

I also liked the descriptions of Earth 200 years in the future, the visits to Miranda (moon of Uranus) and Mercury...Technology has progressed through the three novels so now many planets have been colonised and the Martians begin sending star ships out to colonise other solar systems. Human beings begin to use unthinkable technologies to give themselves light sensitive eyes and gills so they can live on the watery moons of the gas giants.

Overall the novel was, to me, much more of a page turner than the previous two. I thought characterisation had actually improved since the first two novels. It is true, the politics is much more heavy handed here than in Red Mars; but then, there is far worse preaching in other sci-fi novels! The last novel also, in a sense, gives more meaning to the events in the first two novels. The whole thing has been an epic about the glories of human progress and what it might achieve off Earth; KSR's view of science is ultimately optimistic, and when he gives glimpses of his hard-science based extrapolation of what people might achieve, it is quite uplifting.

Something vital missing...
There are many things keeping this book and trilogy from being really good, but the main thing missing is an actual antagonist.What are the main characters actually trying to accomplish?From time to time, there are parts of the book that would suggest that the governments and institutions of Earth are the real threat.At other times you get the impression that the struggle may be against the Free Mars party that is trying to isolate Mars and spark a possible war with Earth.No, the real enemy as far as this author is concerned is growing old.Yes, they came up with a way to extend the life of humans but it comes at a cost.The super elderly first lose their long term memory and then they start to lose their short term memory as well.There's actually a fairly lengthy chapter of this book dedicated to Sax attempting to correct this deficiency in growing old.If this sounds utterly underwhelming, you'd be correct.The 'great' victory in this book is the cure to memory loss which supposedly will help stop the quick decline where people just completely shut down and die.All of the longevity treatment story arcs detract greatly from the overall storyline, which COULD have been developed into something interesting.

Speaking of pointless, distracting plot hooks, this book is littered with supposed sightings of Hiroko who may or may not have been killed in Green Mars.I hope I don't ruin too much by saying this, but if you are expecting some sort of resolution to what happened to Hiroko and the others that were with her, just forget about it.People keep 'seeing' her everywhere.She came back to Earth to help with the flood, she's back on Mars helping people develop communities, she's been seen on other moons in our solar system, she's decided to leave our solar system.Honestly I don't see how she would even be considered such a popular icon.She was a nutjob in Green Mars and a waste of a hypothetical Elvis in Blue Mars.

And then there are the characters.A more unlikeable group of people you will never read about.Nirgal is probably the only tolerable main character in the entire book and why he has any feelings at all for Jackie is beyond me.Her character, amazingly, becomes even more reprehensible in this book.I can actually somewhat stand Sax, but even his part in this story becomes tiresome.How come whenever there's a scientific emergency, an aging scientist like Sax is the ONLY person who can seem to come up with a solution?That's even more improbable considering his memory retention problems like all of the other super elderly.He, like Nirgal, is infatuated with a thouroughly unlikeable character in Ann Clayborne.To her credit, she actually mellows out after she surpasses 200 years old by the end of the book.

As I have tried to do with all of the books in this series, I will try to highlight the good points of the book.Robinson FINALLY figured out how to break up the story in to more manageable chunks.That actually kept it from dragging as much as the first two books.The terraforming theories are still fairly interesting and show that even with our interference, a terraformed Mars is still vastly different from Earth.Having said that, the best story of all three books was in Red Mars.There was promise in this entire series, but that promise is never realised.There just isn't anything interesting going on to make you want to come back and continue reading.When there IS an interesting plotline going on, it is dragged out for way too many pages.What would I recommend then for this series?Read Red Mars.If you are actually compelled to read it in less than 2 months, then maybe you'll be interested in finding out what goes on in the sequels.I'm afraid the majority of readers won't be interested in the non-existent story however.I only persevered because I bought the books and I didn't want to completely waste my money on them.If I had to do it again, I wouldn't waste my money. ... Read more

Product Description
In the Nebula Award winning Red Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson began his critically acclaimed epic saga of the colonization of Mars, Now the Hugo Award winning Green Mars continues the thrilling and timeless tale of humanity's struggle to survive at its farthest frontier.

Nearly a generation has passed since the first pioneers landed, but the transformation of Mars to an Earthlike planet has just begun The plan is opposed by those determined to preserve the planets hostile, barren beauty. Led by rebels like Peter Clayborne, these young people are the first generation of children born on Mars. They will be joined by original settlers Maya Toitovna, Simon Frasier, and Sax Russell. Against this cosmic backdrop, passions, rivalries, and friendships explode in a story as spectacular as the planet itself.Amazon.com Review
Kim Stanley Robinson has earned a reputation as the master of Marsfiction, writing books that are scientific, sociological and, best yet,fantastic. Green Mars continues the story of humans settling theplanet in a process called "terraforming." In Red Mars, the initial work inthe trilogy, the first 100 scientists chosen to explore the planetdisintegrated in disagreement--in part because of pressures from forces onEarth. Some of the scientists formed a loose network underground. GreenMars, which won the 1994 Hugo Award, follows the development of theunderground and the problems endemic to forming a new society. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (94)

so many "typos"! good book, but sometimes hard to decipher.
However they got this book into the Kindle format, they did not do it carefully. A lot of the errors are using "i" and "l" interchangeably, but some of them are so bad that I can't figure out what word it's supposed to be. I don't think I'll be paying any money for the next one if it's so defective like this one...

As far as the story -- it's more interesting to me than _Red Mars_, because Robinson is more "internal" in the characters' heads, and he has gotten better at putting the words together in a smooth "flow". Not so choppy.

Some good messages about where we're heading with all this corporate-takeover of governments...

Kindle edition ONLY
This is a critique solely of the digital conversion of Green Mars to Kindle format.

The Kindle edition is currently (05 Sept 2010)a mess.It appears that an inadequate paper copy was scanned to create the digital edition and then not even given a basic proofreading to correct scanning errors.

There are non-words (ex: "faetores" instead of "factories", or "huls" instead of "hills"), there is inappropriate punctuation (umlauts where none should be are popular) and the ever popular hyphenation of words as a relic from the words straddling two lines in the physical editions.

The publisher does a disservice to the work and to the readers by allowing this mess into print.

My recommendation would be to avoid buying this until the publisher makes the necessary corrections.

FWIW, I did not notice any of these errors in the Kindle edition of Red Mars. I haven't yet read Blue Mars so I am unable to provide feedback regarding its conversion to digital.

Not quite the original, but still good
Green Mars, the 2nd edition of the Mars Trilogy, picks up where the first left off with many of the same characters and themes.And, that is a good thing.It would be a travesty no to expound on the detail of the first.In fact, nine or ten books would not be out of the question given the amount of detail provided in both books.Further, Robinson could have developed an entire series based upon the future history of Earth to run concurrently with his Mars books.For some reason, we seem fixated on trilogies.

Some critics have rightly pointed to not-too-subtle socialist/environmental undertones to the book.These accusations are justified.Robinson's references to Global Warming and the Tragedy of the Commons made me wonder if I had accidentally picked up one of the Jared Diamond books at times.Nonetheless, the social and political intrigued enhanced, not detracted, from the story as Robinson significantly furthered the development of the Mars development.I could have lived without some of the psuedo-naturalist, hippie-inspired Red/"areophany" scenes.But, otherwise, the pro-development versus preservationist aspects were wonderfully written.And, Robinson gave each side its due credit.

The incredible detail is also a curse.Red Mars was almost universally praised for its incredible attention to detail.Green Mars was a bit like trying to recreate the White Album.It was still good, but not the same.Robinson could have used a stronger editor in spots.

This book is really a 3.5. It is certainly better than a 3.But, it is not quite the original.And, I'm not sure if I look forward to the final chapter of the trilogy only because of its length, which is at times self-indulgent.Nonetheless, it is a fine read; and a suitable sequel to the original.

Dude814
OMG, get your dictionary out to read this book unless you are a geologist, psychologist, sociologist, and botanist.Forget that, there are just too many words to look up.The author does a great job defining them (once), but when you line up a whole sentence with nothing but geological words, it becomes dense.Like reading all those Russian names/words in the old Tom Clancy novels.After awhile you just read over them.I think I will get a master's degree upon completion of the series.The Kindle version is filled with typographical errors too.None that impede understanding, but enough to make you spend a minute to try to figure out how to pronounce the non-word and what it means (since the book is filled with real words that are unpronounceable and unknown to me).Reading this book is kind of like watching a 700 part mini series each 2 hours long.You can miss a lot and maybe not catch where it gets tied up later, but you get the gist so that is about all you can do without an outline.Sometimes I just wonder where [insert name of character] has been for the last 30 years.The work is impressive... but so is [insert name of amazing book that is too hard to read/understand].But for the Coyote I would have moved on already.Not sure I will make it to the next book.The first was free, I bought the second.

Kindle edition needs editor
I haven't finished the book yet so I can't say whether or not I'll enjoy it in the end, and I haven't compared it to the print edition (this review is specifically for the Kindle edition) but I wanted to mention that the copy editing, in the Kindle version, is horrible. There are spelling errors every page or two - some are wrong-word type things (taxes where faxes was meant to be) and some are just complete misspellings. Doesn't anybody proofread this stuff? Is the print edition just as bad? I find it jarring and unpleasant to read when there are so many errors in a text. ... Read more

Product Description
To these seven narratives of neurological disorder Dr. Sacks brings the same humanity, poetic observation, and infectious sense of wonder that are apparent in his bestsellers Awakenings and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. These men, women, and one extraordinary child emerge as brilliantly adaptive personalities, whose conditions have not so much debilitated them as ushered them into another reality.Amazon.com Review
The works of neurologist Oliver Sacks have a special place in the swarm of mind-brain studies. He has done as much as anyone to make nonspecialists aware of how much diversity gets lumped under the heading of "the human mind."

The stories in An Anthropologist on Mars are medical case reports not unlike the classic tales of Berton Roueché in The Medical Detectives. Sacks's stories are of "differently brained" people, and they have the intrinsic human interest that spurred his book Awakenings to be re-created as a Robin Williams movie.

The title story in Anthropologist is that of autistic Temple Grandin, whose own book Thinking in Pictures gives her version of how she feels--as unlike other humans as a cow or a Martian. The other minds Sacks describes are equally remarkable: a surgeon with Tourette's syndrome, a painter who loses color vision, a blind man given the ambiguous gift of sight, artists with memories that overwhelm "real life," the autistic artist Stephen Wiltshire, and a man with memory damage for whom it is always 1968.

Oliver Sacks is the Carl Sagan or Stephen Jay Gould of his field; his books are true classics of medical writing, of the breadth of human mentality, and of the inner lives of the disabled. --Mary Ellen Curtin ... Read more

Customer Reviews (56)

excellent cases to learn
an excellent description of real cases which makes you think about the gigantic human power!

anthropology
I wasn't so sure if this book was the one my teacher wanted. Luckily it is. It did its purpose. Good book for a cheap rpice.

Seven case studies that don't disappoint!
Sacks writing style and philosophy in this book is best described by a quote in the beginning of the book, "Ask not what disease the person has, but rather what person the disease has" (William Osler). Sacks does not look at simply the pathological and physiological way that the disease affects the individual but how the individual reacts to the disorder and how, in each of these cases, they retain their own sense of self despite what the disease/disorder does to them.
Unlike his earlier book, "The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat," Sacks does not just throw a barrage of patients with neurological disorders at the reader, but rather goes through the lives of seven patients and observes them in their natural life. He presents not only their disorder, but how it affects their daily life, how their perception of the world is different, and the creative ways that they have come up to deal with their disorder.

BRIEF SYNOPSIS WITH COMMENTARY

There are seven cases presented in this book:

Case 1 - The Case of the Colorblind Painter

This case talks about the predicament of a painter who after sixty five years had an accident which robbed him entirely of his color vision. A man, who had had a distinguished career as an artist with numerous vividly colored paintings and abstractions in his studio, could no longer even imagine color.
The painter eventually accepted his predicament and started to paint black-and-white representations instead of dwelling on the loss of his ability to paint in color. As Sacks explains, "...a revision was occurring, so that as his former color world and even the memory of it became fainter and died inside him, a whole new world of seeing, of imagination, of sensibility, was born" (40).

Case 2 - The Last Hippie

This case tells the tale of Greg, a hippie in the 1960s, who due to a number of unfortunate circumstances lived with an undiagnosed brain tumor for a number of years. Due to this tumor, he went blind, developed amnesia, and essentially became sort of "dead inside." Sacks focuses here not on the disorder itself but on the few instances of humanity and feeling he saw in him. For instance, Sacks writes about the time he observed Greg claiming that he had "lost something" after his father died - even though he would forget his father died, minutes after being told.

Case 3 - A Surgeon's Life

This account is about a surgeon who is inflicted with Tourette's, a disorder which causes uncontrollable tics. Oddly enough, he is still able to practice as his disorder does not occur when he is extremely focused.

Case 4 - To See and Not See

This case is about Virgil, a blind man who regained his vision but did not know how to see. He did not know that he was looking at a face, could not focus on anything etc. Sacks writes a lot about the philosophical and neurological implications of this - how we cannot just use our senses but have to learn how to use them. Unlike the other cases thus far, Virgil did not adapt as one would think to this miraculous restoration of eyesight. Virgil ended up losing his eyesight again, maybe because his fragile retinas were suddenly exposed to light and were burned out. In the end, he was relieved to be completely blind and rely again on the other senses (touch, smell etc) that he had honed over the years of his blindness.

Case 5 - The Landscape of his Dreams

In this case, Sacks talks about an artist, Franco, who perfectly remembered his childhood hometown and was able to draw it with photographic detail. However, his childhood memories were a curse and he neither talk nor draw anything else. Sacks talks about what may cause this, but in the end is unable to offer a cure.

Case 6 - Prodigies

In this section, Sacks writes about idiot savants and the autism that they usually suffer from. He discusses more than one example of these savants, but fixates on Stephen, a famous autistic artist at the age of thirteen.While Sacks is writing about Stephen the autistic artist, he muses: "Was not art, quintessentially, an expression of a person vision, a self? Could one be an artist without having a "self"?"(203). I believe that this philosophical point really cuts to the heart of this novel - are these people defined by their disorders or do they define their disorders, that is, is the disorder part of what they fundamentally are?

Case 7 - An Anthropologist on Mars

Finally, Sacks talks about the case that he named his book after. He talks about Temple Gardin who suffers from autism and feels like an "anthropologist on Mars" due to her severe social impairment, for instance, she cannot understand complex emotions and body language. The most astonishing part of her story was not her autism and her social impairment but how she was able to turn her emotional connection to animals into a job as a designer for animal management systems. Temple was even able to talk about the deep philosophical meaning that she believes her work has and how she wants to leave a positive legacy behind for others to follow - proving that her disorder had not entirely robbed her of her unique personality and humanity (as was the case with every other patient discussed in this book)

Each of these cases was selected by Sacks to illustrate a how a person's life was affected by a devastating neurological disorder but more importantly how that person dealt with it. Each case looks at how the person interacted with the disease rather than how the disease interacted with the person and explains many of the scientific underpinnings that explain the positive or just self-correcting changes in their life that the people with these disorders were able to make. My only real critique is that sometimes, Sacks makes references to patients he discussed in other books that other readers may not have read, and there is not enough context for the reader to fully understand these references.

RECOMMENDATION

This was one of the few nonfiction books I have read that was hard to put down. Because all of the obscure references that may throw readers off are actually mentioned in Sacks' other book "The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat," I recommend reading that before picking this one up. I did think out of all the Sacks books I have read that this one of the best - always detailed enough to give a clear picture of each patient but short enough to hold the reader's interest. I highly recommend this book to anyone from the layperson to the neuroscientist (though the layperson may have to look up a few terms)!

Reviewing a book
I needed the book for a class.It was not my usual read, but not bad.Appreciate the speediness of the delivery.

Great book of choice to gain more personable insight on neurological disorders
`An Anthropologist on Mars' by Oliver Sacks is a great book for those interested in gaining a more personable insight on patients with neurological disorders. The book was a great read for biology nerds like me, providing both entertainment values as well as satisfying my geeky needs to learn about more about abnormality of human beings. It not only describes the clinical importance of these neurological diseases, but it also expressed the thoughts of the subjects through a description of their interviews, life stories, and day-to-day life.

The book was composed of seven independent case studies condone by Sacks with or without the help of his fellow colleagues. The first case was the study of a color blind painter who lost his ability to perceive colors after a car accident. The artist's inner struggles as well as his efforts/attempts to restore his color-associated abilities were recorded almost in a style that is first-person, as if the artist is speaking to the readers directly. There was also detailed explanation of the history and study of the color-blind as well as the current debates on how colors are perceived in the brain in which Sacks passively showed his stance through the experiments he had performed on the artist.

The second case, titled `The Last Hippie' described a case of individual loosing short-term memory and the ability to accumulate memory due to a lesion in the frontal lobe of the brain as a result of a tumor. I feel that this case had the least personal insight to the mind of the patients out of all the cases within this book; however, this is most likely due to the patient's inability to retain memory, causing him to be insensitive to what had happenedto him, even the fact that he is blind or has an disorder. Nevertheless, because of the lacking of this aspect in this section, the case of `The Last Hippie' I felt was the most incomplete in this book, and left me lingering and unable to make a conclusion out of this case.

The third case, titled `A surgeon's Life' described an extraordinary case of a surgical doctor with Tourette's syndrome, whom, despises his uncontrollable tics and urges, is able to perform surgery with steady hands and total concentration for as long as 3 hours. I was very intrigued by this story, because it had deepened my understanding of Tourette's. The way Sacks wrote this section of the book reminded me of an episode MTV's television show - Real Life - I have Tourettes. Much like the TV show, it gave the firsthand account from the point of view of the patient; however, because the subject in Sacks book possess so much more medical knowledge and abilities than any of the TV show's subjects, I was able to obtain more medical insight of the disease as well as a theory of Tourette's developed by someone who actually has the disorder.

The fourth case, `To See and Not See' described the struggles of a blind person who had suddenly been `blessed' by vision. While a normal sighted person may believe that giving a blind person `sight' should be a pleasant gift, but that is almost never the case in a blind man's perspective. It seems to me that not only does `sight' not help the blinds to facilitate life functions, it even serves as the source of many difficulties and stress for the blinds.

The Fifth case described a painter who obsessively painted his childhood home because of uncontrollable psychic seizures that force him to live in his memories. This section for me was particularly dull; while there was ample first-person account from the subject itself, there was a lack of reference to other cases with similar characteristics. Eventually, the words of the subject became repetitive and I yearned to move on to the next section.

The Sixth and seventh case examined cases of gifted individuals with autism; one with a photographic memory and can draw anything by memory who eventually was also discovered to be a musical savant, the other a talented engineer who seemingly has the social skills which often are lacked in autistic individuals. The talented engineer, who described herself as `an anthropologist on Mars', reminded me greatly of the character Bones, from the TV series `Bones'. Both are tremendously intelligent, yet only able to perform semi normal social interactions through logics, not emotions.

Within each case, Sacks gave his account of the situation of the patient, then, when possible, he gave the situation in the words of his patients. For me, that was very important because it gave me room to interpret whether if I agree with Sacks on his theory or not. Then, to aid his readers in interpreting the case for themselves, Sacks provided relevant literature and past researches that helped explain the disorder, presented theories, or drew similarities between the subject and other patients with similar disorders.

It is the personal aspect of the stories that really astonished me - I have read papers, books, and articles on the majority of the disorders in the book, but I have never had the chance to know patients with these disorders on a personal level; Sacks gave his reader a chance to know the disorders in a more intimate level, as if the reader is getting to know the patient while in the process of reading the book.

It was obvious that Sacks made a tremendous effort to get to know his subject as a person, not as the case of their disorder, in order to give his readers a more intimate perspective on these cases. For example, in a letter Sacks wrote to a friend, he said " ...I have seen something of his odd skills and defects - I have yet to see him as a mind and person. Perhaps a week of being with him will show me this." when describing the autistic prodigy of drawing and music. It turned out that not only did he spend a week with his subject, he seemingly had tried to build a relationship with his subject and gave the autistic prodigy more visits afterwards. Sacks' care for these subjects also seeped through unintentionally and was expressed covertly in the book. For example, after taking the `last hippie' to the concert of his favorite band, Sacks gave this account "...I feared that if I stopped playing the Dead, or talking about them, for a single moment, all memory of the concert would go from his mind." As a result, there was a genuine sense of disappointment from Sacks when, the next morning, the `last hippie' does not recall the concert, in which he had indeed described as `the time of his life'.

I would strongly recommend this book to people who are interested in seeing the disorders in a different perspective. However, I would not recommend people with no biological/neurological background to read this book. Although the cases themselves are interesting, but it takes some basic knowledge of neurology to appreciate the literature references that Sacks had imbedded in the book. Without this appreciation of literature, the readers cannot make any sort of conclusion for themselves, and the book becomes something like the MTV's Real Life - a mere account of the life of people with these diseases.
... Read more

Product Description
Thuvia, Maid of Mars is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Edgar Rice Burroughs is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Best Woman of the Mars Series
I think this may be the best of the Mars series. Although Thuvia's emotions are discussed like a man's, she is a character in her own right. She is also given the tough choice between her life and embracing another ruler. The romance in this story also seems more enchanting than the rest of the Mars series, but perhaps it's because we see Burrough's attempt at the woman's point of view through her own thoughts instead of the abstractions he uses to describe previous character's desires, like those of Dejah Thoris. Granted, Burroughs isn't perfect in that his women think and react like slightly more feminine versions of his male characters and do what is expected of them, but the attempt makes his women certainly seem more human than before. In short, this novel is one I would recommend to anyone reading Burroughs for the first time, especially a female reader, because it has both the adventure and fighting his novels always have and realistic characters which they often lack.

Burroughs, out of his box
Thuvia, Maid of Mars isn't your typical Burroughs' science fiction novel. Although it shares many of the elements that Burroughs' books usually have, in this novel, Burroughs goes out of his box with some new inventive elements that come to life.

A planetary romance
The novel can be classed as a planetary romance. This genre is a subset of science fiction, similar to sword and sorcery, but including scientific elements. Most of the action in a planetary romance is on the surface of an alien world, usually includes sword fighting, monsters, supernatural elements as telepathy rather than magic, and involves civilizations echoing those on Earth in pre-technological eras, particularly composed of kingdoms or theocratic nations. Spacecraft may appear, but are usually not central to the story. (From Source: Wikipedia).

Some background information
Burroughs began writing Thuvia, Maid of Mars, in April 1914, at the time describing it as a 'Carthoris' story. After a break in California, he had begun a furious writing schedule, including other works as well as what was to become Thuvia, Maid of Mars. A new editor, Robert H. Davis, had replaced Newell Metcalf, the previous editor of All-Story Magazine (which had published Burrough's previous Barsoom novels), at the now amalgamated All-story Cavalier Weekly. Davis wrote to Burroughs on June 12, 1914 after reading previous fiction (including Tarzan), suggesting ideas and suggesting a meeting. (From Source: Wikipedia).

The focus of the novel
In this novel the focus shifts from John Carter, Warlord of Mars, and Dejah Thoris of Helium, protagonists of the first three books in the series, to their son, Carthoris, prince of Helium, and Thuvia, princess of Ptarth. Helium and Ptarth are both prominent Barsoomian city state/empires, and both Carthoris and Thuvia were secondary characters in the previous novel. (From Source: Wikipedia). ... Read more

Product Description

There's nothing more devastating than the loneliness that comes with a breakup, divorce, or the loss of a loved one.But even though it feels like the end of the world, you will survive -- and you will love again. John Gray's bestselling books about the Venus and Mars factor have helped millions of men and women develop better relationships. Now in Mars and Venus Starting Over, his gentle guidance, compassionate wisdom, and healing practices will help you feel whole again after a relationship ends.

With warmth and insight, John Gray shows that, while the process of healing is similar on Mars and Venus, there are distinct differences between the ways men and women heal their bruised hearts. Here he offers people of both sexes specific advice for how to deal with pain, find forgiveness, discover the strength to let go, rebuild confidence, and rise to the challenge of finding fulfillment again.

Mars and Venus Starting Over is a gift of love, a light in the darkness of your grief. Even if you're new to the Venus and Mars philosophy, you can trust John Gray to steer you through this difficult time and turn a painful ending into a joyous new beginning.

If you've never read Gray's work before, you have to beprepared to check your cynicism at the door. This is earnest stuff,but it's also based on decades of experience counseling clients. He'snot one of those photogenic, nine-times-divorced shrinklets who'stelling you how to conduct your relationships without any real clue ofwhat makes love last. This is the real package: nothing glib, nothingquick and easy, nothing you could've figured out from a "LoveIs..." cartoon. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (45)

Great Book, poor audiobook and Audible Graphics are terrible
This is a great book from a great author.I have two problems with it.The heeling bedtime stuff needs to be it's own file and separate from the rest of the main content.Listening to that and not wanting to be distracted while driving to fast forward is just a mess.I listened to the whole 9+ hours of the unabridged Men are from Mars.... without problem.The going to sleep stuff in the middle of the file was a problem for me.The rest of the content is good.Whoever decided to put such terrible low resolution as to be almost unreadable graphics on the Audible version needs to be fired. The Men are from Mars.... unabridged audiobook graphics from iTunes put this garbage graphics to shame. Some of the content is recycled from Men are from Mars.... and this book only really deeply works as a companion to the master book.

Gives you the control back
Who doesnt want step by step instructions and a cheer leader along the way.This book gives you that.Makes you understand and go HHHMMMM so thats why he does that.

ok book
Not as good as Mars and Venus on a Date, and the original Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.
This book is not bad, but not all that good. I recommend only for those who like the Mars and Venus series, otherwise as a standalone its not so good. I kinda liked it, but truth is, it hasn't really helped me, unlike the other two I mentioned.

Really helped me
I got this book to help myself recover from divorce, but I ended up getting in touch with many other life losses that needed healing too.It was very helpful for me.I especially liked the effectiveness of the Feeling Letters exercise.I started with a mess of emotions, and end up at a place of forgiveness and healing.This book validates your feelings and not only gives you permission to embrace them, but says you must experience them fully in order to let them go.Good information and valuable exercises.

Starting over requires more than a healed heart
John Gray, Ph.D. has an amazing understanding of hearts that have been broken by divorce or the death of a spouse. He has probably helped thousands of people through what can be a very long grieving process. Where this book falls short is advice on how to find a new love interest. Meeting your next sweetie can be very difficult, and this book gives very scant advice about where you would most likely meet that person. People who want a new spouse, significant other, lover, or friend for movies and vacations need more help than this book offers.Finding Your Sweetie After 50 ... Read more

Product Description
The national bestseller that sold more than 450,000 copies and is the perfect companion to the author's nearly 3-million-copy, #1 New York Times bestseller Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Dr. Grey's Books are The Bomb!
I bought 3 of these books for a Friend of mine, who doesn't have a romantic bone in his body. He now lives in another state. I'm sending him these books after I have read all 3. The one I'm reading now is great!

Thanks, Cindy

Fabulous Book
This book is fantastic. It has fabulous down-to-earth tips for better understanding and dealing with your partner, as well as great stories that illustrate these ideas in easily digestible form.

Highly recommended... I think it has helped me a lot.

The content is different enough from "Women are from Mars, Men are from Venus" to make it a very worthwhile read, even to those who have the previous book. (though some might not agree, I think I gained a lot from reading both!)

AWESOME!
The book I ordered came fast, and was in the like new condition that was specified by the seller. Thank you for being honest!

Secrets for Lasting Passion
"By understanding and honoring that men thrive on appreciation and women on communication, we gain the knowledge and the power to create mutually fulfilling relationships. ~ pg. 37

In most of John Gray's books he focuses his attention on women with a dominant feminine energy and males with a dominant masculine energy. In this book he also dedicates a chapter to women with a dominant masculine side and men with a dominant feminine side. In both cases he encourages men and women to adapt to the Mars and Venus stereotype to solve most problems. Men are encouraged to enhance their warrior skills (listening) while women are encouraged to enhance their nurturing skills.

John Gray does a good job in explaining why old relationship skills are not working in modern marriages. He believes relationship issues are inevitable. This means there is a need to develop new communications skills. In the first half of the book he mostly discusses how men need to learn to listen to women more and how women need to let men have their "cave/alone" time on a regular basis. For more information on this subject along with scientific proof read: Why Mars and Venus Collide: Improving Relationships by Understanding How Men and Women Cope Differently with Stress.

Since the stress of modern society (women having to take on all the responsibilities of home life along with working) is the real source of relationship problems, he explains how women can get what they need at home.

I liked the section on sexual polarity because it explains why some people don't fit into the typical stereotypes. There are also some interesting ideas on how to get a woman to talk if she is cold and evasive. It is also good to know that my husband is nurturing my feminine side by opening doors for me.

In this book in particular, John Gray shows us a little of his dark side or shadow self. He encourages men not to let this side dominate a conversation and explains more effective techniques for a more successful interaction. In fact he suggests that men should sleep on some issues before discussing them with their partner. So much for the "don't go to sleep angry" rule.To end the book, there is a section on "The Seven Secrets of Lasting Passion." In this chapter there is also a list of twenty things men can do to ignite passion in their partner.

After reading numerous John Gray books in the past few weeks I can say that this book in particular is more complex than the other books I had the pleasure to read. This may be the book that you will want to read twice because there is so much to absorb and learn.

~The Rebecca Review

Very insightful
In response to other reviewers, yes, this book does rely heavily on stereotypes of male and female behavior.If you find you don't fit the stereotypes (and of course not everyone does!), then you'll need to look for another book.But for many (most?) of us, the insights and advice in this book will be very helpful.As I read, I was constantly amazed by how much I could see myself and my husband in John Gray's descriptions.Last night I had my first opportunity to try out his techniques on how to prepare a man to listen...and it worked beautifully!A situation that would certainly have escalated into a hurtful argument was diffused into a calm, brief conversation that left both of us feeling warm and loving toward each other. ... Read more

Product Description
In Venus on Fire, Mars on Ice, Dr. John Gray advises men and women of the best ways to harness the connection between stress, blood sugar, body fat, and behavior to create lifelong passion and better health. Dr. Gray reveals that the differences between the sexes, and how they relate to one another, are biochemically based and can be explained--and managed--by our hormones.

Dr. Gray provides small steps for super-stimulating the hormones necessary to nourish a vibrant life. He explores how communication, romance, ''a superfood diet, super exercise, and super sleep,'' can be incorporated into any lifestyle, and result in a whole new way of life. For example, Dr. Gray reveals:

• The unique ways in which men and women deal with stress
• How stress hormones can damage our health and complicate our relationships
• The importance of ''superfoods'' and good nutrition in replenishing hormones
• Why menopause--and 'man-o-pause' don't have to be relationship stressors
• How balancing blood sugar is intricately connected to balancing our hormones
• How achieving hormonal balance will not only improve relationships but provide strength and energy to cope with the challenges of modern life

Customer Reviews (8)

And we thought John Gray had already "said it all!"
Recently, I attended a presentation by John Gray, and an associate. I was please to discover that he had a new book out, "Venus on Fire, Mars on Ice." One of my daughters "won" a free copy of the book, so I borrowed it from her and read it. I was intrigued by the concepts, and feel it helped me to discover some new information that will help me and those close to me. I bought my own copy, and this one I ordered through Amazon, is for my sister. John Gray was revolutionary in his view of women and men......I think this book is once again, revolutionary in the area of hormone balance and the male/female differences. Definitely worth the investment!

Women, Have You Really Read This?
Yes, there is some good information in this book about how stress, poor food, and environmental toxins are depleting our hormones and aging us prematurely, but PLEASE!Gray states that women coming home from a long day at work don't need to sit down and rest, rather they produce more oxytocin by doing nurturing activities and things on their to-do list!!While the man on the other hand needs to rest in his cave!Not only that, Gray states that women's enhanced connection between the left and right brain means they can never forget their responsibilities, never escape this to-do list in the back of their minds.It sounds like a prescription for insanity!If both partners work full-time outside the home, both partners need equal time for rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation."Nurturing activities" may work for some women in this situation, but only a few with supernatural amounts of energy and a husband who carries a full portion of the home responsibilities.How many couples can accurately describe their relationship this way?

This Book is Even Better than I Expected.
I had the opportunity to listen to John speak and to pick up a copy of his new book.As I have read a lot of his other books, I expected this book to also be good, but it is even better than I expected!

This book explains the actual Hormonal differences between men and women, so now we can better understand why we are the way we are, why we do and say we do and what we actually need for hormonal balance in relationships.
Being in the health field myself, I am a Nutritionist, a Speaker and an Author; I found this book very helpful in understanding myself and others that I have relationships with.It is a book, a person can go back to time and time again and use as a reference on understanding yourself and those around you, then you can use the advice contained in this book, to better a relationship.

John Gray Expands Our Universe In A Totally New Way!
Dr. John Gray has a TV special airing on PBS and he is so funny and insightful that I donated to my local station so I could get this new book and DVD before it was in stores.While everyone knows hormones are important to health, you may not realize HOW important they are, how they affect our stress levels, body fat, mood, and relationships. Dr. Gray gives specific ways you can get healthy hormones through your relationships. That's right - relationships create hormones that keep us healthy or make us sick.This is the revolutionary link he makes in this book, backed up with abundant scientific research.If you've ever been in a "toxic" relationship, you know what he means.Understanding the difference between Mars & Venus is key to a healthy, happy life but we didn't come with an instruction manual.I'm not married, however the men in my life - business associates, family and friends - see the difference and it continues to surprise me when they react so positively to such little changes. This is a high quality book, filled with tips and clever color cartoons showing couples in situations we can all identify with.There is additional information on the DVD and Dr. Gray's presentation is absolutely priceless, soI'm glad I have both the book and DVD.Highly recommended!

A MUST READ FOR ANYONE IN A RELATIONSHIP
I am so happy I picked up this book, I had no idea that hormonal balance is key to a successful relationship. John Gray explains in easy terms simple things that women and men can do to balance their hormones, relieve stress and therefore make a huge impact on their relationship. I also was able to see John's PBS special also entitled Venus on Fire Mars on Ice which also helped a lot not only with my relationship with my husband but with my whole family. ... Read more

Product Description
Milo doesn’t get it: What’s the big deal about moms? They’re just slavedrivingbroccoli bullies. Yet they are worshipped the world over! Perhapseven the galaxy over—because here come Martians and they’re after onething only: moms. Milo’s mom in particular. Who better to drive them tosoccer practice and to pizza parties? That’s quite a long way to come for amom—could it be that Milo has been overlooking something special?

From Pulitzer Prize–winning comic strip creator of Bloom County andbestselling author Berkeley Breathed comes a funny, poignant book abouthow the unique love that binds our families can be overlooked in the rushand tumble of everyday lives . . . especially those of disgruntled little boys. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (58)

for the new mom...
This beautiful book should be in every nursery. As important as it is that children grasp the importance of motherhood, I would argue it is a lesson for mothers as well. This book is witness to the importance of being in a largely thankless, certainly unappreciated and often VERY unpopular job. Particularly when my children were very young, before they were able to convey their feelings, this book always reminded me of the greater good of motherhood.
And for a new overwhelmed mom, it is always nice to thank them, offer a hand of support and remind them, the job won't win you friends, but you are building towards something much much more.

Perfect for explaining the world to children
This helped my daughter understand her mom a lot. Mikayla is 10. Mom is not

As A Long-Time Teacher
I have read this book to my granddaughter (age 3) a dozen times since I gave it to her just a couple weeks ago.Both she and her mother love it.The story is great and the art work is fantastic, some of the pages are suitable for framing for a child's room.I have already recommended it to all the grandmothers in my book club.

Mom's Love
I had bought one copy for my granson and liked it so much I bought another copy for my other daughter's and son's children.My Daughter, Tori works for a christian school in Calif. after she read it to her sons she took it to school and it was read to all the kindergarden and 1st grade classes.I would highly recommend this to anyone for children.
I hope you really enjoy the book as much as we have.
Kathleen

Mars Needs Moms
Berkeley Breathed never disappoints and never ceases to amaze me.This is a great book. ... Read more

Product Description

Once upon a time, Martians and Venusians functioned in separate worlds. But in today's hectic and career-oriented environment, relationships have become a lot more complicated, and men and women are experiencing unprecedented levels of stress. To add to the increasing tension, most men and women are also completely unaware that they are actually hardwired to react differently to the stress. It's a common scenario: a husband returns home from work stressed out and eager to kick back on the couch and watch television. A wife returns home from work stressed out and wants to talk about it with her husband. What happens? Neither is on the same page, anger and resentment set in, and Mars and Venus collide.

Remembering and understanding our differences are only half the battle. The other half is about action--learning to cope more effectively with stress. This book aims to help you discover new ways to lower your own stress and help to lower your partner’s. Whether you are in a relationship, starting over, or single, you will discover a variety of new and practical ways to improve your communication, uplift your mood, increase your energy, elevate levels of attraction in your relationship, create harmony with your partner, and enjoy a lifetime of love and romance. You will learn why communication breaks down or why your relationships have failed in the past, and what you can do now to ensure success in the future. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Good Book About Understanding Causes For Stress Of the Opposite Gender
This is one of Dr. Gray's Mars And Venus series addressing relationship issues of men and women. This time he argues that the reason why relationships stop working after a while is that couples aren't able to cope with their stresses and gives solutions to these problems. Well it sounds nice and all, but after a while of reading this kind of books I came to the conclusion that our ancestors figured out the correct way of dealing with the opposite gender, which is to act naturally and not try to be someone else you are not!

In these types of books they always ask men to be understanding and validate women's feelings. They also ask women to appreciate what men do and understand their needs. This could be a good advice, but it's not necessarily going to work because it's asking us to act in an unnatural way! Our ancestors figured it out and apparently they weren't having the complex and never ending problems we are having today (when everone is trying to act unnaturally just to please the opposite gender).

Men in the old past used to go outside, hunt, join other men, and bring back food to the house and protect their family. Women used to give birth and protect their children and hang out with other women in order to fullfill their social needs and produce oxytocin by various womenly activities. Men were not asked to get involved in womenly activities (such as validating their feelings or go shopping with them), and women were not asked to appreciate men for what they do or participate in their activities. Everyone had his natural role, and everyone seemed to be happy. Men were hunters and women were family bearers!

In regards to this book, it will be a good read if you really believe that a book with these kind of advices could have a positive effect on your relationship.

Insightful
I've read many of John Gray's book.Most of them are very good.There was information in this book I had not read before - very insightful in understanding man and woman and how to work together in a marriage, or as a couple, to avoid conflict.I highly recommend it.

not great, not bad
This is not my favorite of the John Gray series.I can deal with his nasal voice, but the message was a little repetitive.I think all of his material is good, but I agree with another reviewer; he seemed to talk as if he were talking to a child.

Who Knew?
What a difference it makes in understanding how men and women handle stress. Reading this book was like having a light turned on. John Gray pin points accurately what a man goes through and how to deal with him. If only our mothers and grandmothers had this book. Who Knew? Everyone registering for a marriage license should be required to read all his books. Then maybe only half those contemplating marriage would go through with it.

half good, half...
As with most books from this author, only the half is good information. The rest is just him talking .... about what he thinks and stuff, total boredom. But the fist half of the book is very informative and has nice science facts, quite interesting. I helps to understand why after sex a man wants to sleep and a woman doesn't necessarily, its physical, it can't be avoided.

Anyways good book for adding, if you have some books of the series. If you don't try not to start in this one. ... Read more

Product Description
Para ser una esclava en el Saint-Domingue de finales del siglo XVIII, Zarité había tenido buena estrella: a los nueve años fue vendida a Toulouse Valmorain, un rico terrateniente, pero no conoció ni el agotamiento de las plantaciones de caña ni la asfixia y el sufrimiento de los trapiches, porque siempre fue una esclava doméstica. Su bondad natural, fortaleza de espíritu y honradez le permitieron compartir los secretos y la espiritualidad que ayudaban a sobrevivir a los suyos, los esclavos, y conocer las miserias de los amos, los blancos. Zarité se convirtió en el centro de un microcosmos que era un reflejo del mundo de la colonia: el amo Valmorain, su frágil esposa española y su sensible hijo Maurice, el sabio Parmentier, el militar Relais y la cortesana mulata Violette, Tante Rose, la curandera, Gambo, el apuesto esclavo rebelde… y otros personajes de una cruel conflagración que acabaría arrasando su tierra y lanzándolos lejos de ella. Al ser llevada por su amo a Nueva Orleans, Zarité inició una nueva etapa en la que alcanzaría su mayor aspiración: la libertad. Más allá del dolor y del amor, de la sumisión y la independencia, de sus deseos y los que le habían impuesto a lo largo de su vida, Zarité podía contemplarla con serenidad y concluir que había tenido buena estrella.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

Precioso libro, muy bien narrado.
Este es un muy libro de Isabel Allende, de aquellos en donde ella se luce por su capacidad de narración y por una trama muy bien llevada. Lo bueno también del libro es que es una buena introducción a aspectos históricos del Caribe y el Sur de Estados Unidos.

Simply the best
Isabel Allende is my favorite writer. She's a wonderful story teller that has the power to transport you inside her novels. Her descriptions of time and place are so accurate that it's like seeing a film. Hooray for Mrs. Allende!

Enjoyable
Great book so far !
I love the way Isabel Allende writes. Very detailed, very straight-forward !

La isla bajo el mar. Un exente libro.
Este libro aparte del la historia que empalma, tiene algo mas para hacer pensar, es darnos cuenta de como no hemos superado aun en estos tiempos vivir con la diferencia
la discriminación, el clasismo y la esclavitud que aun persisten en estos momentos, con otros terminos, con un enfoque diferente, pero discretamente aqui con nosotros.
Es un libro para refelxionar massobre lo que nos pasa en estos dias, no solo es para pasar el tiempo, aunque es una historia ficción, esta bien informada y te crea conciencia sobre el dolor humano, como hemos evolucionado y a la vez nos hemos estancado evadiendo todo el problma haciendonos que no sucede nada, pero a la vez todos sabemos que no. Muy buen libro, su redacción y es muy facil de leer.

Very interesting book
I enjoyed reading this book. The history of slavery in the Caribbean and in New Orleans is presented by the author from the point of view of a woman slave. It is enlightening and, also, very interesting. Allende has great skills as a narrator. ... Read more

Product Description
“Creíble y fascinante... tan maravillosamente estructurada que las últimas sesenta páginas se detonan como un cordel de fuegos artificiales”.
–The Washington Post

En el siglo XIV, la ciudad de Barcelona se encuentra en su momento de mayor prosperidad. Ha crecido hacia la Ribera, el humilde barrio de los pescadores, cuyos habitantes deciden construir, con el dinero de unos y el esfuerzo de otros, el mayor templo mariano jamás conocido: Santa María del Mar. Una construcción que es paralela a la azarosa historia de Arnau, un siervo de la tierra que huye de los abusos de su señor feudal y se refugia en Barcelona, donde se convierte en ciudadano y, con ello, en hombre libre.

El joven Arnau trabaja como palafrenero, estibador, soldado y cambista. Una vida extenuante, siempre al amparo de la Catedral del Mar, que le iba a llevar de la miseria del fugitivo a la nobleza y la riqueza. Pero con esta posición privilegiada también le llega la envidia de sus pares, que urden una sórdida conjura que pone su vida en manos de la Inquisición...

La catedral del mar es una trama en la que se entrecruzan lealtad y venganza, traición y amor, guerra y peste, en un mundo marcado por la intolerancia religiosa, la ambición material y la segregación social. Todo ello convierte a esta obra no sólo en una novela absorbente, sino también en la más fascinante y ambiciosa recreación de las luces y sombras de la época feudal. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

Excelente!
Excelente trabajo de Falcones. Preciosa novela que nos traslada a la Barcelona medieval, y ello lo hace muy bien. Tal vez la trama sigue aquella de "Los Pilares de la Tierra" de Ken Follett, pero esto no le quitaría méritos. Es una obra para guardar, releer, me pareció excelente.

Novela historica
Me gusto, pero lo hubiera preferido mas corto, aunque describe en su totalidad la Barcelona y el fanatismo de aquellos tiempos, en momentos lo senti repetitivo.

Bertha DeWolf

Great Historical Novel, Superb if you like the history of the medieval times
OK, I won't write too much. This is a great book, Falcones can be compared (sorry for those who don't agree) with the classics. One of the best authors today, no doubt. Together with Carlos Ruiz Safon, I would say they represent the best of the sapnish language literature today. A must read.

Overwhelmingly mediocre
(I read the Spanish edition)

All of the clichés make an appearance; the wise slave, the rich Jew, the good-hearted prostitute, the evil nobles, etc etc.
On top of this, the main character spontaneously develops 21st century ideals. Not a word is written explaining how he arrived at his beliefs. We are left to conclude that he arrived at them on his own which seems unlikely.

On the plus side: I appreciated that the author had obviously spent a great deal of time researching the era. That showed in this book.

Estupenda novela histórica
Recibí éste libro como obsequio. Uno muy atinado por cierto. Me encantan las novelas históricas, y ésta es una de las mejores que he leido. Está muy bien escrita, la historia me atrapó desde las primeras páginas. Es una historia en la Barcelona del siglo XIV, en la que la vida de Arnau Estanyol, el protagonista, nos permite conocer varios aspectos de la estructura social, religiosa y política de ese entonces. Su devoción por la vírgen María es admirable, así como su espíritu inquebrantable y su calidez. Me resultó muy grato leer éste libro, sobre todo después de haber estado en Barcelona hace unos meses, porque podía ubicar en mi recuerdo las plazas y lugares en los que transcurre la novela. Aprendí más cosas de la España de esa época y me dejó un buen sabor de boca. Es un libro muy recomendable para quienes disfrutan del género de novelas históricas. ... Read more

Product Description
The first photographic tour of the surface of another planet has now been accomplished. Those who thrilled to the lunar beauty of Full Moon and the IMAX smash Roving Mars will marvel at this awesome, vivid, beautiful portrait of what it is like to take a stroll on Mars.

The most fantastic of all journeys—the Spirit and Opportunity mobile robot missions to the surface of Mars—produced over 150,000 astonishing photographs. While the images were made available on low-resolution computer screens as they were sent back across millions of space miles, no one until now has done the painstaking work of editing, cropping, and processing these massive (often larger than 100 megabytes) images.

The person to do it is Jim Bell, the scientist and photographer who led the photography team on this historic expedition. With his unique perspective, these photographs take us from the brave launches of these robots, to the alien landscape they discovered and the mysteries of the planet that they have helped to solve.

Over 150 lavish full-color-process prints bring the colors and textures of Mars to vivid life on the page. Four of the most impressive pictures are presented in their entirety as gatefold images—which extend over three feet in width—providing a view of the surface of another planet unprecedented in its detail and clarity. Postcards from Mars is the perfect gift to give readers who have their feet on the ground and their eyes on the heavens. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

For those of us that aren't likely to see it in person
Sure, it's a coffee table book.But as such it is out of this world.(Sorry, I couldn't resist that)For anyone that has dreamed of space, get this book and let your dreams grow.

Mars landscape at its best
Fantastic book. Its a large book This book is eye candy for this amateur astronomer. So rich with excellent landscape scenes and good explaining what you see.The author and illustrator did it right.A must for anyone interested in Mars or who loves Astronomy. This is not a kids book but no difficult math.So well illustrated young children will love it with parents reading it to them.If you have an interest in Mars this book will get you ramped up to learn more.

Wes see outstanding color pictures ( mostly reddish) from the Spirit and Opportunity rovers. Many are full page. We see detailed pictures of craters, dunes, different boulders, the "blueberries", and gullies. What fascinated me was the me were the possible past sites where water once may have been. Now scientific evidence there once was lots of water on Mars and Mars had a thicker atmosphere. Where there is water there may have been some form of LIFE.

Parents can show their kids the pictures and read the explanations.Both will love this book. Then let your child see Mars in a telescope right after seeing the pictures and you reading the explanations. Every 26 months (opposition) because of Mars large elliptical orbit, Mars gets close enough to Earth for OK viewing with backyard telescopes.

Maybe in 30 years or less a man or women will set foot on Mars and see this fantastic scenery. I hope so. Until then this book is a must look and read. 5 stars.

Buy two books. One for your home library and one as a coffee table book. When someone comes over and sees the book and starts looking at the pictures and readings you can take your copy out and explore Mars together.

Great book but delivered too late to give it as a gift!
I intended to give the book to my Nephew who was visiting from India but although I ordered it with plenty of time, it wasn't delivered in a timely manner and now it would cost me more than the book costs to send it to him.

It was no deal and I should have bought it at retail.Be careful with the false promises regarding delivery from this website

Amazing photos, very good words, too.
I expected the photos to be great, but I was surprised to find the accompanying writings (by a project scientist) to be so interesting and informative.

Photos from Mars are extraordinary!
This book is wonderful! I can't really add anything to what others have said. I just hope we get a second edition of additional photos when the two rovers have completed their epic adventures. When I was growing up in the 50s, the planets were just fuzzy blobs in the best telescopic photos. I'm glad I've lived to see these extraordinary "postcards." ... Read more

Product Description

Once upon a time, Martians and Venusians met, fell in love, and had happy relationships together because they respected and accepted their differences. Then they came to Earth and amnesia set in: they forgot they were from different planets.

Customer Reviews (13)

must listen for everyone
this is a good audio book for everyone and all types of relationships.you really start to take into account the differences of the opposite sex.

took to long to get here
wanted to listen to the CD on a six week vacation.There were 10 days from the time I was told the CD was mailed till I left on vacation.The CD did not arrive in those 10 days.

pleased
Product goes right along with the book.It is nice to just pop it in an listen while driving in the car.

Men... Women... different?Yes!
I didn't really relate to all that it said women needed and felt, but my husband listened to the CD and thought that it completely discribed him.He had me listen to it again, to better understand where he was coming from on different things in life.It was nice to learn!

Amazingly Accurate
It is like someone is watching over your shoulder and reading your very thoughts.I realized that I must not be the only one thinking and reacting the same way.I was not aware of the consequences of my actions and now see how it is not all that difficult to adjust how I present things and more specifically my expectations of the opposite sex. My husband and I listened to this on cassette years ago and have had great discussions with great results.I purchased the CD for my adult son as he ventures off into relationships with women. I would recommend this as a tool for all young adults. ... Read more

Product Description

"MASTER MIND" AND "FIGHTING MAN" - TWO COMPLETE BURROUGHS MARS BOOKS IN ONE!

Here are two full-length, unabridged quintessential Barsoom novels in one ebook - for one low price!  When soldier and soldier of fortune Ulysses S. Paxton wishes on a star - it is Mars, emblem of the God of War.  Soon events take him there, to an almost unknown part of Barsoom, captured by the planet's greatest and maddest scientist, he is forced to assist in grisly brain transplants, until the brain of the beautiful slave woman he has fallen in love with is to be transplanted into that of a rich, aged Barsoomian crone.  But rebellion results in Paxton's brain being transplanted to that of an ape.  Yet he is determined to right the wrong done his beloved and restore her to her own body.  Soon he is off on a series of hair-raising adventures that will bring Mars to the verge of all out war and require the intervention of no less than the Warlord himself, John Carter to avert.  In A Fighting Man of Mars, Burroughs takes us inside the mind and heart of a typical Barsoomian soldier, whose life is changed when he falls in love - and discovers just how far he is willing to go to win the woman who has capture his heart.  And on Barsoom facing death ten times over is just the beginning! Cover Frank R. Paul circa 1927