Product Description

Customer Reviews (13)

The Martian Mystery
A Wizard of Mars (2010) is the nineth Fantasy novel in the Young Wizards series, following Wizards at War.The initial work in this seriers is So You Want To Be A Wizard.

In the previous volume, the Young Wizards gathered on the backside of the Moon.They tried various spells to repel the Pullulus without success.Then Roshaun called the power of his collar and beamed power toward the Pullulus.

In the excitement, Kit's dog Ponch vanished.Kit later learns that Ponch has become the canine equivaent of the One.Kit starts seeing some evidence of Ponch in other dogs and canine equivalents.

In this novel, Nita Callahan is a young wizard.She is a close friend of Kit.

Kit Rodriguez is a young wizard.He is a close friend of Nita.He still misses Ponch.

Dairine is the younger sister of Nita.She is also a wizard.She is still searching for Roshaun.

Carmela is Kit's next older sister.She is not a wizard, but has powers of her own.

Helena is Kit's eldest sister.She has been away at college, but is due home soon.Helena had a bad reaction to Kit's wizardry, believing that he was a minion of the Devil.

Tom Swale is a senior Wizard.His partner is Carl Romeo.

Mamvish is a high ranking wizard who looks like a dinosaur.She is the Powers' own Species Archivist.

In this story, Kit is again trying to fix the air conditioner in his classroom.Nothing is coming out the air vent except odd sounds and everybody is sweltering in the heat.A shutter is stuck because of bolts that are too tight to allow it to open.Kit is asking the bolts to back off a bit.

Just as cool air starts to come out the vent, Mr. Machiavelli comments on the doodles in Kit's notebook.Kit has been spending a lot of time lately on Mars and has drawn a sketch of Dejah Thoris while convincing the air conditioner to loosen up.Mr. Mack suggests that the drawing has little to do with the Korean War and asks Kit about the historical significance of the thirty-eighth parallel.

At the end of the class, Mr. Mack gives back the graded exam papers to everyone except Kit.He asks Kit to remain after class.When everyone else has left, Mr. Mack produces his exam with a 99% grade.

Kit had misspelled Pyongyang, but otheriwse had a perfect exam.The teacher gives it to him privately to preclude such aspersions as teacher's pet.Then they talk about Burrough's Mars and other topics.

As he leaves the school, Kit spots Raoul leaning casually against a locker.Kit waves the exam in Raoul's face.They both started jumping up and down chanting "nine-ty-nine, nine-ty-nine".

After Raoul departs with his mother, Kit checks his wizard manual for new messages.It has one line of text glowing fiercely blue and pulsing.His wizard friends had found a bottle on Mars.

Meanwhile, Nita is waiting for Kit at Tom's house.She is sitting on the flat stones near the koi pond practicing prevision, but is not doing it quite right.The koi are critiquing her technique.Even Tom points out that her timing sucks.

Then Nita gets a message saying than Mamvish has come to Earth.When she mentions Mamvish's arrival to Tom, he presents her with a heavy bag of tomatoes.Nita staggers home with the bag.

She plops the bag into the drainer in the kitchen and calls for her father.Carmela informs her that he is somewhere out back.Nita goes into the living room to see what Carmela is doing.

Carmela is reprograming their TV.It seems that Helena is coming home early, so Carmela doesn't want to watch alien stations on her own TV since that might freak out her sister.She now has the Callahan set bringing in sharp pictures from thousands of alien channels.

They start talking about Kit spending so much time on Mars and Nita offers to take Carmela to the planet.But first she takes Carmela to Gili Motang to meet her friends.She also takes the bag of tomatoes.

Mamvish is trying to convince the Komodo dragons to resettle on another planet, but not having much luck.Kit and his friends are observing Mamvish as she has a hissy fit over the foolish dragons.Then Nita arrives and soon learns that Mamvish loves tomatoes.

Mamvish heads for Mars with Kit and his friends.There Kit removes the bottle -- really a oblate green object -- from a stone.It obviously has something going on within it, but does nothing for a while.Then it sends flaring beams to four locations.

When Nita and Carmela get to Mars, Kit has gone elsewhere to check out the other locations.Nita soon finds where he has gone, but that site is blocked from transport wizardry.Kit and his friends are having some strange experiences there.

Nita then goes to Wellakh to find her sister.Dairine is wearling Roshaun's collar and taking lessons from Roshaun's father on how to handle suns.Dairine convinces Nita that Roshaun is not dead, but merely missing.

This tale concerns the past inhabitants of Mars and their resurrection from the dead into the present.Their appearance and environment are tailored to the thoughts of the observer, so one appears much like Dejeh Thoris.When Nita finally arrives, she sees something quite different.

The author dedicates this work to other authors who have written about Mars, from Burroughs to Robinson.She even has a few classic scenes in her novel.But her story manages to have an entirely different approach than previous tales.

This story wraps up the mystery of Mars, but leaves Roshaun's fate undetermined.The next installment should resolve this issue.Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Duane fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of high wizardry, alien cultures, and persevering young adults.

-Arthur W. Jordin

A great, fun read
If you're a fan of the Young Wizards series, you will find this book a worthy successor to the series so far. The story picks up a couple months after Wizards at War, as everyone is trying to pick up the pieces after the craziness of the dark matter attack. I read the whole thing in an afternoon. I literally couldn't put it down until I finished.

Now when does the next book come out?

Long awaited! but still some unanswered questions left
I think it's possible I'm growing too old for these novels, as I didn't enjoy this one as much as the other novels in the series. It's also possible that it's because in this book, it was the first time they didn't have a real face off with the lone power. Their adversaries are more subtley under the lone power's thumb than in the past. I personally miss the full on evil confrontation. The format of this book also had me missing kit and nita interaction, i feel like it was a necessity for the story she told,but you'll miss them really getting to work together, as in this it's really an every other chapter tells a different part kind of story until the very end. It's also about 100 pages too long; there were some very interesting parts, however there were also really boring parts that dragged with the detail. I did enjoy that some old characters were featured in this book, such as darryl and ronan, and srii the whale, however I felt it was because we didn't get to see our partners working together, so it was consolation. For those who've wondered about Roshoun or however you spell his name, we'll have to keep waiting a few more years to find out what happened there....and on a final note, i think nikita fans will be a bit more hopeful with this book! oh and i will say that in the end of this book there's actually a wrap up of the lessons learned, which is very elementary school, kinda like an in case you missed it, this was what you were supposed to get, which i don't really remember in the others. Either way, if you've read the other novels, read this one too for good measure, but i just don't think it was as good as some of the others

great book, bad editing
OK, I just have to say that this is my favorite series ever and I'd recommend it to anybody.This book probably isn't the strongest one in the series- numbers 1, 2, and 8 are my favorites- but it's still very much worth reading.We get to see more of some old characters- S'reee, Darryl, and Ronan- and some more new personalities are added to the mix, which serves to shake things up a bit.A good portion of this installment takes place on Mars, which gives the author a lot of creative breathing room with which to describle the landscape and such.As always, her descriptions are vivid and eloquent.

One of the things I like the best about this series is the relationship between Kit and Nita, and watching it progress.Unlike so many other books with a male and female lead, Duane manages to avoid following the conventions that are nearly omniprescent in teen literature.She doesn't rely on thinly veiled romantic tension to keep the plot moving, neither of the leads wastes much time worrying about the other's opinion of them, and there are no petty fights followed by tearful reconcilliations.Also, thank God, Nita is not a brainless, fretting, eternally-in-need-of-rescue herione and Kit is not an obnoxios yet sexy hero with many sercrets. (Nobody acts like that! WHY do all teen romances persist in using those characters?! THEY'RE OBNOXIOUS!)Also as per the norm for Duane, she ends with a battle scene that ranks among, like, the top ten most epic battle scenes ever.And at the very end of the book, we see it moving in a direction that has been hinted at for basically the whole series (three guesses what.).My reaction when I finished it was to forcibly remove my father from the computer so that I could Google for information on the next one, because it leaves itself open for a sequel.

Now, onto my complaints: First of all, this book focuses almost entierly on Nita and Kit, so there is a distinct lack of Dairine/Roshaun!But that's just my personal peeve; it didn't detract from the story at all.More importantly, it honestly feels like this book wasn't edited at all.The other books have exhibited this problem also- the occasional typo or descrepancy- but it was never this bad!Some of the dialogue just flat out doesn't make sense.Most annoying of all, there are some huge discrepancies in the characters' ages.Three books ago, and the span of less than a year in "book time" Carmela was 15.In this book, they're talking like she's about ready to go off to college when she should only be 16 at the oldest.More noticeable, and far more offsetting, is Dairine's age.In this book, they make a big deal out of her being 11.Unless she has somehow managed to stay the same age since book 1 while the rest of the cast aged 2 years, there's simply no way to justify that.Plus, come on, she does not act like an 11 year old!! This really bugs me and I have no idea what the author's going to do about it.

But all in all, a great book! Read it! Read them all! And then read them several times more!!!!

She's done it again!
I have ALWAYS been a HUGE fan of Diane's work. Especially the Young Wizard's series. I would greatly recommend this to any fan of mythical fantasy. In this book, Diane uses an excellent combination of factual evidence, and alien-like beliefs to form a new kind of fantasy, one of a world few would've imagined. A world of ancient Mars. The ancient world of Mars which Kit and Nita awaken, has many surprises in store. Personally, I think this is probably the best work Diane has written since the original So You Want to be a Wizard. ... Read more

Product Description
John Carter of Mars is a series of books written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It is currently being turned into a film produced by Pixar and directed by Andrew Stanton (director of the critically acclaimed WALL-E and Finding Nemo)

The first three books in the series were told from the point of view of John Carter; many books followed the first three, but frequently were written in third person. The entire series is eleven volumes and titled the “Barsoom” series.

This Kindle book contains the first three books in the series. It also contains an easy to navigate table of contents.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Burrough's Best
Yeah, there are more titles in the whole series, but the first three make a full novel with the story of John Carter's arrival, his almost "super-human" abilities to jump and fight, and his undying love love for the incomparable Dejah Thoris.You have seen it all before, but the power of Burrough's vision and the details of the world of Barsoom show how good ERB could write when the spirit moved him.These three books are far superior to the others of the series and, let's face it, you can't beat the cost at about a buck.I hate to sound like a brown-noser, but Amazon has a winner with its prices and the Kindle.

John Carter of Mars Collection
Be careful!!! I have this and my CD box cover lists a price of $19.99.

Don't Buy - Can only read on a PC
I've read this collection several times in my distant past, and loved the stories!I was very disappointed when I received the CD and learned that the only way I could read it was on a PC monitor.Audio or the ability to print the stories for reading is not available on the CD.It is extremely misleading on the way it's sold.Buyer Beware!

a must
i read my first John Carter book when i was 12 years old; i am considerably older than that now and still enjoy re-reading them; a must for anyone who likes good story telling with the added dimension of sciencefiction - science fiction that was remarkably advanced for its time

AWESOME
IT IS AN AWESOME SERIES! IT IS ONE OF THOSE BOOKS YOU HAVE TO READ ... Read more

Product Description
As we look back to the beginnings of the space race, 2009 is also the year for looking forward to humankind’s next step toward the stars.

In the spirit of books that once imagined colonies on the moon, Patrick O’Brien has created a unique look at your first trip to Mars. Using the most upto- date designs and theories of what it will take to establish a base on Mars, you are off on an incredible journey, over 35 million miles to the red planet. Filled with details, and vividly brought to life, this is an adventure that you are never going to forget. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A kid's eye view of a trip to Mars
An ideal book for kid's avid for fact versus fiction on a space trip to Mars.Fiction is great but sometimes kids (and grown-ups too) wonder how things would really work. Dry as dust explanations don't cut it you want to feel as if you are really there, I mean REALLY THERE. And you wonder, being the first kid on Mars and all, how much would the grown-ups really let you do? Or see? Or Do?

One great thing about sending BOOKS to my great-nephew for Birthdays and Christmas is that I get to test drive them first! After all I can't send him an old boring book can I. This one definitely made the cut.TIME FOR BLAST OFF!

Beautifully illustrated but not completely accurate
This book takes a futuristic (but realistic) look at what it might be like for a child to travel to and live on a Martian colony.The story is told from the point of view of a boy of about 10, possibly based on the author's own son, with whom the reader is invited to identify.

The boy, who is the eponymous "first kid on Mars", first travels to a space station via a space elevator, and then takes the long voyage to a Martian colony.The author goes into plenty of detail about what this journey, and life on the colony, might be like for a child.There is also an illustrated appendix of a couple of pages including some facts about the planet Mars.

My main complaint with this book is that it contains a couple of glaring scientific errors.There are two places in the book where the author repeats the widely believed but false claim that Mars is the next closest planet to the Earth.(The correct answer is Venus, which comes as close as 26 million miles to the Earth, compared to Mars's 35 million miles.)The book also claims that the reason that one would float in a space station is that "there is no gravity in space", which is not true.The correct explanation is that the space station is in orbit around the earth, which is possible precisely because there is gravity in space.

Despite these errors, I found that a very positive feature of the book was the beautifully painted illustrations.One I particularly liked was the illustration of the boy's quarters on the ship: he has a model of the rocket from the Tintin adventures "Destination Moon" and "Explorers on the Moon", which may have partially inspired this book.

Enchanting Review: YOU ARE THE FIRST KID ON MARS
YOU ARE THE FIRST KID ON MARS
PATRICK O'BRIEN
Children's Sci-Fi Futuristic
Putnam

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

YOU ARE THE FIRST KID ON MARS is a wonderfully detailed and imaginative look at what life would be like if you were literally the first kid on Mars. Filled with great digital illustrations that make the story come to life, this a perfect read for boys and anyone is interested in space and what life exploring another planet might be like.

One of the most unusual children's books I've read, YOU ARE THE FIRST KID ON MARS is also one I really enjoyed reading. Filled with fun facts about Mars, like how long the actual journey to the red planet takes and what life might be like on the space station for the months long trek there. YOU ARE THE FIRST KID ON MARS will no doubt even grab the most reluctant reader's attention with its great imagery.

Patrick O'Brien has written and illustrated non-fiction books for children as well as fun adventures such as Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery. His previous factual books have been historic and prehistoric subjects--this is his first look into the future. O'Brien lives in Baltimore, Maryland with his wife and son.
Visit him online at [...]

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
November 2009

This is an amazing, futuristic peek at what it might be like to actually head to Mars!Are you ready to board this rocket?
Sometimes when you look up into the star-studded sky at night you might see a little red dot.What you probably are gazing at is the planet Mars.If you're an adventurous kid you'd probably love to be the first one to step foot on "the red planet," but what would it be like?It's a cold place that is about "80 degrees below zero Fahrenheit," dust devils swarm around its surface, the air is thin. . .still interested?Of course you are!You'll need to get your space suit on and head over to the space elevator.The elevator car is going to take you all the way up to the space station where you begin your journey.

You're going to open a hatch and let yourself float into the station.The rocket you'll be boarding to head to Mars is called a "Nuclear Thermal Rocket."Once on board you'll be whirring through space at an amazing "75,000 miles per hour" toward your destination.Even at that speed you'll be traveling for four months.Once you arrive you'll have to dock with another space station that "stays in orbit above Mars."You'll be taking the Mars Lander down to the surface of the planet, but it will be a hair-raising ride because you'll "feel the ship shaking and jerking, and you [will] see flames shooting past the window."Do you really want to be the first kid on Mars?

This is an amazing, futuristic peek at what it might be like to actually head to Mars.The text incorporates many facts about Mars as we know them today.I liked the way the author melded fact with fantasy making this book seem totally plausible.If you remember the exploits of Tom Swift and his space exploration, just think "new" and you'll get the picture except this is much better.The phenomenal illustrations are digital and are stunningly realistic.If you've been snapping up many of the Apollo books coming out lately, you just might want to add this gem to your collection! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (7)

Loving this book for little star gazers :)
I recommend this book to anybody who wants to show their kids secrets of the sky and of the whole Universe. It's lovely and very educational... but not borring. I didn't buy it here on Amazon, but at local grocery store. Imagine that. hehehe it was on sale 4.00 I will keep it for our little boy as a present for his 2nd or 3rd birthday or xmas, since he is only8 months old. lol but I am very tempted to read from his book to him NOW !!!

Love it!
My six-year-old daughter and I love this and all of the other Douglas Florian poetry books.The illustrations are terrific, and the poems are fun and educational at the same time.

wonderful book
I recently purchased this book for my grandson's fifth birthday.He absolutely loves the book and is now quoting some of the poems back to me!He is crazy over astronomy so loves this book with the poems about the planets and stars.I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good book to share with their grandchildren.

A beautiful collection of fun space poems
This collection of poetry about astronomy by Douglas Florian is beautiful and creative. The book includes poems about each planet, as well as the moon, the sun, black holes, constellations, and other space topics.

I feel that the poems are, for the most part, well-written. This book reminded me a little of Science Verse by Jon Scieszka in that it blends science with somewhat humorous poetry. At times the rhythms in this book seem a bit awkward and contrived. Some of the poems are so cute and creative, though. I especially enjoyed the one about Pluto:

"Pluto was a planet.
But now it doesn't pass.
Pluto was a planet.
They say it's lacking mass.
Pluto was a planet.
Pluto was admired.
Pluto was a planet.
Till one day it got fired."

One thing I enjoyed about this book is that as you read the poems, you are learning about the solar system. There is even a "Galactic Glossary" at the end which gives a little background about each poem topic.

The paintings are just beautiful and are so creative, and are done in an interesting collage style.

Another fun poetry collection which is similar to this is Bugs - check it out, too!

"Solar"tary Literary Genius
For those who agree that our childrens exposure to science begins too late in our current educational system,for those just looking to support an interest already emerging, or for those who love the flow of poetry and recognize its ability to teach, this book is Wonderful!I found it on Oprah's recommended reading for children, and it does not dissapoint.My six year old was fascinated by the illustrations and laughed and learned through the lyrics. The literary and scientific education found on each page is presented in such a delightful way it reads like an aria enriching both parent and child alike.I love that Pluto is not forgotten.Well done Douglas Florian, you have ignited literature and expressed the melody of science.Throw in a telescope and a few episodes of Zula Patrol and your children's learning will travel to a galaxy beyond the ordinary. ... Read more

Product Description

Since the beginning of human history Mars has been an alluring dream—the stuff of legends, gods, and mystery. The planet most like ours, it has still been thought impossible to reach, let alone explore and inhabit.

Now with the advent of a revolutionary new plan, all this has changed. Leading space exploration authority Robert Zubrin has crafted a daring new blueprint, Mars Direct, presented here with illustrations, photographs, and engaging anecdotes.

The Case for Mars is not a vision for the far future or one that will cost us impossible billions. It explains step-by-step how we can use present-day technology to send humans to Mars within ten years; actually produce fuel and oxygen on the planet's surface with Martian natural resources; how we can build bases and settlements; and how we can one day "terraform" Mars—a process that can alter the atmosphere of planets and pave the way for sustainable life.Amazon.com Review
"For our generation and many that will follow, Mars is the NewWorld," writes Zubrin. This book went to press serendipitously, justas NASA was making its startling if heavily-qualified announcementthat simple life may have once existed on the fourth rock from thesun. Zubrin doesn't spend an enormous amount of time arguing why Marsexploration is desirable -- we all want astronauts to go there, don'twe? -- but rather devotes the bulk of this book explaining how it canhappen on a sensible, bare-bones budget of $20-30 billion and a"travel light and live off the land" philosophy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (78)

I'm sold
I'm saddened to say that in the 12 years since this book was published we are no further along to the vision set out here in these pages.
We have turned our government into one which would rather micromanage our lives than set forth a vision for all of humanity.
While the book is slightly technical in nature any amateur interested in space exploration can pick this book up and understand the implications...it would even be easy to skip some of the tech stuff and read the meat of the book.
The authors lay out not only the benefit to society but the cost...in a detailed (nearly line-by-line) description of what a manned mission to Mars would cost if the government ran it and what it could cost on a shoestring budget.
Simply a WOW factor. I'm sold.

Glad I bought Case for Mars. One of the very best
I just got done reading Mars A Cosmic Stepping Stone ( I rate it 5 stars) andKevin Nolan recommended The Case for Mars.Glad I bought The Case for Mars and took his recommendation.

Dr. Robert Zubrin one of the scientific leaders on Mars colonization and the author of The Case for Mars "Gets It" and does a great job describing the need to colonize Mars and how to get there.Some interesting illustrations and pictures of people interested in the Mars mission strategy. I strongly believe Robert's plan "Mars direct" to get 4 people to Mars and back is the most economical and safest way to go. Also it allows 1 1/2 years of on groundMars crew exploration.

Hey the heavy hitters, Buzz Aldrin,Carl Sagan and Arther C Clarke had great stuff to say about Dr. Zubrin leading the field and liked his book. See back cover dust jacket.

This book is not super technical and you don't need a degree in astrophysics to enjoy it. Anyone interested in expansion of the human race and Mars colonization will enjoy this book. As a amateur astronomer for 40 years and someonewanting to see manned exploration of Mars, I give The Case for Mars my highest rating. After reading The Case For Mars (5 stars) read Mars On Earth also by Robert Zubrin.

Turned me into a Mars-nut
I found this book ten years ago--about the time I gave up sci-fi.It turned me into a Mars-colonization nut and led me to hard sci-fi/ speculative fiction.My engineer's heart rejoices.

Dated
This book is really dated and somewhat overly technical. A very dry and tedious read. I'm sure there are more recent and better written books on the topic.

Not recommended.

Good technical sections, lame politics
The Case for Mars describes a way to send explorers and settlers to mars, an explanation of how colonization would work and an argument for why we should do both.

Robert Zubrin is an Aeronautical engineer who has worked on space projects. The Case for Mars has sufficient technical detail to make his arguments persuasive. The technical topics are well explained with out being overwhelming or tedious for a non-technical audience, like myself. There are notes at the end of some chapters that go into greater detail.

In the Case for Mars Zubrin explains his "Mars Direct" plan for piloted flights to Mars. Mars Direct was created in response to NASA's "90 day plan" for going to Mars. NASA's plan required building space stations and lots of research on novel engineering solutions. It would have been extremely expensive. The 90 day plan was the product of a bureaucracy that was trying to fund as many of its' existing projects as possible. Zubrin and his colleagues created the Mars Direct plan to use current technology to get astronauts to Mars safely, quickly and cheaply.

The first part of The Case for Mars explains how the Mars Direct plan would work, and why it is feasible. This is the best part of the book. It is interesting and detailed, but readable and persuasive.

Zubrin then goes on to explain how Mars would be colonized. The technical aspects of the explanation seem plausible to me. When he starts to describe how Mars colonies would be financially viable and independent he went off the tracks. The arguments involved a lot of hand waving and were no longer persuasive.

The end of the book is a polemic about the importance of having a frontier to the health of society. The reader gets a capsule history that seeks to demonstrate that all societies rot if they do not have a frontier.

I wish the space cadets would leave the business plans, sociology and political polemics to others. They should concentrate on topics they actually know something about.

The Case for Mars offers a clear convincing argument in favor of the Mars Direct plan for exploring mars. The rest of the book is annoying. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (9)

Mad scientist, out of control creations, babes, and heros with swords
What else do you need?

The Master Mind of Mars, Ras Thavas has been ever so busy.In his relentless pursuit of science, he has again neglected to consider the consequences or implications of his work.Nothing like real life...

This time, he's created synthetic men, beasts, and the inhabitant of Vat Room #4.The synthetic men decide they've had enough, and take over.A faithful follower of John Carter, Vor Daj is thrust into the middle of this.Needless to say, he's not comfortable in the company of women, but finds the love of his life.Vor Daj gets to spend a lot of time with his lady, but he's not really himself, so this only complicates things.

Cliff to hang from, damsels in distressed dress, heroic battles, monsters, yet more strange practices of the residents of Barsoom, and in the end, the day is saved.

More sophisticated than the earlier Barsoom books, but better for it.If you like ERB, this is ERB at his best.Somewhat innocent by current standards, but full of lost virtues and daring do.The story line of this one is a little more convoluted than the previous works, but well executed.

I'm still liking Barsoom and ready to start Llana Of Gathol, Mars #10

E. M. Van Court

More swashbuckling on the Red Planet
Swordfighting, chivalry, adventure, shambling bad guys, noble good guys, and the odd princess or two. You know, the usual. Complete with inane romantic frustration and misunderstandings, resolved happily but chastely in the end. You know, the usual.

This time the heoric rescues come as thick and fast as ever. The romantic misunderstanding are compounded by a brain transplant or two, leaving our love-lorn thoroughly and disgustingly disguised as he moons about the object of his slightly confused passion.

Count on Burroughs for good, solid, illogical adventure: swords and zap guns across the drying ocean floor of a dying Mars. They just don't make them like this any more.

-- wiredweird

EXCELLENT, VINTAGE BURROUGHS
While not the best known of the Mars series, this is, in my opinion one of the better ones, and I am one of those who like them all.As with the rest of the Burroughs's books, the reader must constantly keep in mind when they were written.This is some fo the best pulp fiction out there. If you have never read any of this series, then you are missing something. If, like me, you first read them as a small child, then you are in for a nice nostalgic ride.I like to crack these out of by book tomb ever few years and read them just for the fun of it.Highly recommend this one.

An ERB Martian novel that synthesizes what came before
Ras Thavas, the Mastermind of Mars, returns in "Synthetic Men of Mars," the ninth Martian novel from pulp fiction master Edgar Rice Burroughs.Originally serialized in six-parts in "Argosy Weekly" in early 1939, this story brings together many of the characters in the series, which was ERB's best.When Dejah Thoris, princess of Helium, is seriously injured in a collision of two airships, John Carter seeks out Ras Thavas, the greatest surgeon on Barsoom, to repair her broken back.The story is told by Vor Daj, a young padwar who accompanies Carter when he goes to search for the scientist's former assistant, Vad Varo, in Duhor.This time around the framing device is that the story was translated into English by Ulysses Paxton (Vad Varo), who then sent it to Jason Gridley on Earth via the Gridley wave.At first it look like ERB is trying something different, and that instead of his hero searching Barsoom for his beloved, Carter is searching for someone to help his wife.But then Vor Daj is unattached, which means he is going to stumble across his own damsel in distress while accompanying the Warlord of Mars on his mission and take on the central role in the adventure.

The title of the story comes from the race of supermen that Thavas is creating when Carter and Vor Daj finally find him.The experiments are not going well, but no matter how deformed they are these creatures want to live.With World War II right around the corner there is obviously a sub-text for this novel that has to do with the rise of totalitarianism, especially when the synthetic men decide they would rather conquer Barsoom than be its slaves.But what readers of the Martian series will notice the most is that ERB is throwing in a little bit of everything into this novel from his previous efforts, such as assassins, a new race of living heads, escaping from a prison, and a big battle between the Jeds.However, with the growing mass of tissue in Vat 4 in Morbus, there are some actually horror elements in this ERB potboiler as well.

Consequently, "The Synthetic Men of Mars" is pretty much the generic Martian novel written by Burroughs, incorporating a little bit of everything from what has gone on before.That is right: this novel is essentially a synthesis of the previous eight volumes.The result is a standard Burroughs adventure and the last decent volume in the series.

A WAY-OUT BUT CARELESS ENTRY IN THE CARTER SERIES
"Synthetic Men of Mars" is the 9th of 11 books in Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars series. It first appeared serially in "Argosy Magazine" in early 1939, and is one of the most way-out entries in the Carter series. The book may be seen as a sequel of sorts to book #6, "The Master Mind of Mars," in that Ras Thavas, the eponymous superbrain of that earlier work, here makes a return, and the bulk of the action once again takes place in the dismal and forbidding Toonolian Marshes of Barsoom (Mars, to you and me). In "Synthetic Men," Carter and one of his lieutenants, Vor Daj, go in search of Ras Thavas, to enlist his aid when Carter's wife is critically injured in a midair collision. Thavas is engaged in creating an army of synthetic men (the so-called hormads), who have taken over an island in the Toonolian Marshes, made an unwilling slave of Ras Thavas himself,and are now plotting to take over all of Barsoom. Things get pretty wild when Vor Daj has his brain put into one of the hormad's bodies, so that he might better protect a pretty female prisoner who is being held on the island also. Then things go over the top completely, as one of the vats in which the hormads are created goes blooey, and a giant blob of living tissue spreads and spreads and threatens to envelop the entire planet! This blob is comprised of living heads and hands and other body parts; it feeds on itself and seemingly cannot be stopped. All this takes place in the first half of the novel; things get even hairier, if possible, in the final stages of the tale. Before all is said and done, we have been treated to a civil war amongst the hormads, an escape through the swamps of Toonol, encounters with giant insects and reptiles, a marsupial society, wild swamp savages, a Martian zoo, a tense little air battle, and the final confrontation with that living blob mass. It's as if Burroughs ate a headcheese and Fluffernutter sandwich before going to bed one night, had the wildest dream, and the next morning put it down on paper. The book has nice touches of incidental humor, and Vor Daj's predicament of being trapped in the body of a monstrous hormad while trying to win the affection of the girl of his dreams is an involving one. This leads to John Carter delivering one of his most touching lines: "It is the character that makes the man...not the clay which is its abode." So what we have here is a fantastic tale of wild imagination, with some touching passages and incessant action.
So why, then, have I only given this novel three stars? Well, as with most Carter novels, there are problems of inconsistency, and this novel contains one of the worst in the entire series. During the swamp escape, Vor Daj is accompanied by a party of five others, including a man named Gan Had, who later deserts him. Later in the book, it is stated that this deserter was named Pandar, one of the others of the five. The two characters are mixed up and confused by Burroughs for the remainder of the book, to the point that the reader doesn't know who Burroughs is talking about. This is a terrible and egregious error, I feel. I have discussed it with the founder of the ERB List, a really fine Burroughs Website, and he has told me that he and others have concocted some explanations for this seemingly incredible screwup, while admitting that the reader must read between the lines and do some mythmaking of his/her own to explain it. This giant problem aside, there is also the inconsistency of a character named Ur Raj, who is said to hail from the Barsoomian nation of Ptarth, and four pages later is said to be from the nation of Helium. This is the kind of sloppiness that I, as a copy editor, find especially deplorable. I also regret the fact that the ultimate fate of some of the book's main characters (Sytor, Gan Had and Ay-mad) is never mentioned. Another example of careless writing, I feel. "Synthetic Men of Mars" is a wonderful entertainment, but could have been made so much better by the exercise of just a little more care on the part of the author and his editors. Still, I quite enjoyed it, and do recommend it to any lover of fantastic literature. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (13)

Good. But not good enough.
I came onto Veronica Mars late, just a few months ago, because Netflix recommended it to me. I'd always wanted to watch it but never got around to it and before I could blink the show had vanished from television. Once I watched the pilot I was hooked. And I finished all three seasons in a week. But the series ended abruptly, leaving fans everywhere with little closure. And since the promise of a fourth season died in the wind, it seemed like this book was the only thing to keep me afloat after all the episodes were watched and all the DVDs purchased and ravaged.

Rob Thomas, the creator of Veronica Mars, gives little tidbits and sidenotes before and sometimes during each essay. This, for me, was the highlight of every story. He's a funny guy, and an honest & humble writer. His words act as small but meaningful windows into a show that - if you're a fan like I am - was only too short lived.

All of these essays are superbly written and referenced, and edited. They are all written by true fans of the show and cover a vast array of all things Veronica Mars from the cars in the show to its relationship with shows like Buffy and My So-Called Life. The writers of these essays are journalists, Ph.D-having professors and teachers. They are true literary or film scholars, which lends credence to their words. Plus, they genuinely love the show.

But, unfortunately, sometimes love just ain't enough.

I found the bulk of these essays interesting on the surface, but more often than not it was more about the author of the essay than about the show itself. I admire these essay writers for their verbal prowess and ability to find psychological stimulation in the Veronica/Logan relationship, but I don't know or care about what they have to say. I would care if they were saying something informative or interesting about the show, its characters, its creators, etc. But all they seem to have to say is how the show affected THEM, what it meant for THEIR lives. Way too much editorializing for my taste, from the assumption that there was something inherrently "wrong" with Lilly kissing Veronica in the limo, to full out stories of the author's romantic life in high school.

All in all, I thought these essays were well written, well compiled, well edited, and I admire these writers for taking time from their busy scholarly schedules to watch, let alone write about, a show as under the radar as Veronica Mars was. However, the essays, for me, were too personal, too skewed toward their respective author's own agenda.

But the good news is, now that I've finished reading mine, I'm putting it up for sale.

Very Interesting
I like the book, it makes me look deeper into the show than I did before.

Splendid for V.Mars fans!
Must buy book for Veronica Mars fans. If it came from Rob Thomas, you can never go wrong. Specially that this book are essays from respected writers and artists and just impt people who are also addicted to V. Mars. You'll just really love it and appreciate what a genuis creation it was.

Veronica Mars is my hero
Just to warn you I am a huge Veronica Mars fan, i can watch it all day long and never get bored. so when i read this book i was not diappointed, a lot of the articles have some of the best quotes from the show, a few of them are also funny. in all a great read if you love the show and enjoy reading other peoples views on things

Important Read for the Veronica Mars Fan
If you're a BIG fan of "veronica Mars' like I am, you'll enjoy this collection of essays about the show.Some are merely descriptioins of the synopsis of an episode, others provide background about the characters and plot twists.A couple of the essays are boring, but most are well written and provide insights.It's an enjoyable read for a fan of a great TV show and I wish there were more books about the series.(Sigh) ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (16)

Utterly delightful.
This is a glorious book, Baker at the top of her form. It is indeed a "rollicking" adventure, full of high-jinx and one-upmanship, but more than that it is an ode to the pioneering spirit in general and the Old West in particular. It is what Joss Whedon's Firefly was at its best, full of broadly-drawn but charismatic characters scrapping together the sort of life no longer allowed in more "civilized" parts of the galaxy. There is a gold rush of sorts, and a cattle stampede, and skeezy nefarious types looking to balk our heroes at every turn; there is also corporate espionage, religious intolerance, and some major technical obstacles to overcome in the still largely un-terraformed landscape; but mostly there is just a group of misfits bands together with ingenuity, stubbornness, and a judicious application of force to forge a kinder -- but much less gentle -- society in the wilderness.

For longtime readers of the Company novels some familiar faces appear -- Eliphal and Joseph, though Joseph is going by another name -- and the hand of the Company is clear in everything that occurs; but that backstory is largely opaque to the newcomer to the series, so this novel does read well as a stand alone. A newcomer might find some of the implications about our future a little peculiar, but rest assured that any strangeness is explained in the larger series, and it's really not the point of this novel anyway. This is not science fiction with any particular scientific or political or philosophical bone to pick; it's pure, unadulterated fun, much like the Edgar Rice Burroughs Barsoom novels that the colonists lovingly pay homage to, except with less problematic gender and race relations and a veneer of scientific plausibility. (Baker does manage to keep the canals though.)

An Entertaining Romp
First the subtitle to this book is misleading: "A Novel Set In The World of The Company" when in fact this novel has nothing whatsoever to do with the Company of Baker's previous novels.
Nonetheless I did find the story engaging, witty, richly human and the science part of it interesting enough to be swallowed whole and in support of the story line and the plot complications. Baker has great fun inventing interesting characters with weird quirks and she excels at that here. I enjoyed reading this even though I kept waiting for The Company to appear (and it never did). Recommended fun.

re Read this book
Kage Baker`s Empress of Mars took me back to the time when I first discovered Robert Heinlein`s marvelous books. The book tells of settlers who decide their own fate and who revel in their independence. A thoroughly enjoyable book that inspired me to add Kage Baker to my all-time list of favorite authors.

Another excellent book by Kage Baker
The Empress of Mars is most certainly an experiment in expectations. Having read Baker's The House of the Stag (and loving it, by the way), and being wholly unfamiliar with her Company novels, I had expected The Empress of Mars to be another adventurous, incredibly internalized story, only with spaceships and other science fiction furniture instead of magic and half-demons. Only, that's not what I got. Instead, The Empress of Mars provided me with more of Baker's ability to craft character and a strangely vibrant vision of a Mars that just might be, without the need for explosions and laser pistols to keep things interesting.

The Empress of Mars takes place on, well, Mars, obviously, and follows Mary Griffith, a worshiper of "the Goddess" and owner of a seedy bar called The Empress, practically the only thing she owns, and a business she is struggling to keep afloat. There, she and her daughters, and a ragtag group of unwanted men and women who have come to Mars for the chance to make a life for themselves, eke out a meager living under the stern hand of the British Arean Company. Mary has had a hard life, too, with the BAC breathing down her neck, but unable to do anything about her, and all manner of unsavory characters wanting to see her pushed off the planet for good. After a string of good luck, however, Mary finds herself the target of the BAC's legal rumblings and business acumen. Now everything rests on Mary's shoulders: her business, the fate of Mars, and, most importantly, her family.

Baker's pension for character is certainly a feature of this installment in her Company series. Mary Griffith is one of a set of astonishing array of unique characters, all with powerful motivations, wonderfully realized dialogue, and Baker's own flare for creating fascinating black and white figures on both sides of the coin. You still hate her bad guys, but you at least understand why they do what they do and disagree with them either because you hold different beliefs or because their tactics are unacceptable. Her good guys have similar problems, and this makes her story incredibly character-driven, because as the story moves along, Baker creates for us a long string of flawed, but endearing figures that you can't help but love, even if you disagree with aspects of their lifestyles. There are no wooden characters here.

Pacing and world-wise, The Empress of Mars doesn't leave too much to the imagination. Some might conceive of this as a flaw, considering that much of Baker's novel is not at all unlike what we might see going on today: legal blunders, corporations overstepping their bounds, bitter attempts to steal land from underprivileged people, etc. The plot does take some time to get moving, but once it does, Mars comes to life as a clear, but somewhat exaggerated (and necessarily so) reflection of our present. Everything is laid out for the reader, bringing focus to the characters and their struggles with what is going on around them and de-centering the wider struggle of mankind; this creates isolation in plot and world, providing ample space for Baker to develop the scenery and history of the Mars colonists. Only in the end do things move a little too quickly, and some questions are left unanswered, but perhaps for good reason (the supernatural might have played a welcome--or unwelcome, depending on your perspective--hand in the overall story, but that's up for the reader to decide on his or her own).

Beyond a somewhat lingering plot, Baker's imagining of religion seems to have a stronger connection to exoticism than realism. I feel as though the insertion of the mostly-pagan worship of the Goddess was inconsistent with what actually might be true in our own future. Mary's relationship to "the Goddess," while interesting, reflects more of the old, somewhat absurd early renderings of Mars in science fiction. Granted, I have not read her other Company novels, so perhaps there are some clear and powerful motivations for the changes in religion and social dynamics that I am unaware of in reading The Empress of Mars, but regardless, this seems a somewhat absurd complaint to have when the overwhelming majority of my thoughts about this particular novel center on my love for Baker's writing and her ability to create memorable characters.

If everything up to this point hasn't indicated whether or not I liked this book, then I'll clarify now: while The Empress of Mars is not perfect, I found myself thoroughly engaged by the characters and once again loving Baker's writing style. This novel may not be for everyone--after all, it is not about galactic wars or spaceships or many of the more explosive and action-packed elements of the science fiction genre--but it will certainly appeal to many readers, particularly those who enjoy stories centered on the characters, rather than on the shininess of the setting.

The Expanded Story
The Empress of Mars (2009) is a standalone SF novel loosely associated with the Company series.It is an expansion of the novella of the same name.

It is set within a near future, where Britain has colonized the Moon and Mars.The Empress of Mars is a pub on Mars, the owner of the pub and the Queen of England.The British Arean Company does not care for either the pub or the owner, considering them immoral.

In this novel, Mary Griffith is the owner of the Empress of Mars.She had been an employee of BAC, but they fired her for redundancy.She took her severance pay and bought a small dome that became the Empress of Mars pub.

Alice, Rowen and Mona are the daughters of Mary Griffith.They were the only children on Mars, although they are now rather more mature.Alice desperately wants to return to Earth.

Maurice Cochevelou is a citizen of the Celtic Federation.He is also Chief of Clan Morrigan on Mars.

Perrik is Chief Cochevelou's son.He is twenty-three, but has a slight physique and looks much younger.He has invented biis, micromachines that pollinate plants.

The Heretic is a fugitive from the Ephesian Church.One eye has been replaced by an artificial ocular.

Brick is head of the ice haulers guild.His name comes from his build and coloring.Haulers transport ice -- water, carbon dioxide, and even some oxygen -- from the Martian poles and are very important to the Martian economy.

Epital De Wit is a lawyer from Earth. He works for Polieos of Amsterdam.

In this story, Mary was a xenobiologist for BAC, developing various forms of algae for terraforming.She was starting to develop a new form of lichen when BAC declared her redundant.So she is very knowledgeable about fermentation and capable of producing her own beer.

Mary has a small property just outside the settlement, but it is very rocky in a clay matrix.It doesn't produce very much -- or healthy -- grain.So Mary barters for barley and oats with Clan Morrigan.

Heretic escapes from the Church and arrives on Mars.She is guided to the pub and then is hired as the cook.She is not the best cook on Mars, but she is definitely better than Mary.

Chief Cochevelou comes to Mary with a problem.The Clan has saved enough money to send Finn -- a man who misses the ocean -- back to Earth.But Finn owns a critical allotment within Clan territory.

BAC has offered four thousand punts Celtic for the farmlands, but the Clan does not want to sell.Chief Cochevelou offers the land to Mary for the same price.Yet Mary and her friends do not have that much money.

Then Mary finds a reddish crystalline stone on her land.Brick declares it to be a diamond.Finn takes it back to Earth to get it appraised.

De Wit comes to Mars with an offer to cut and sell the stone.Mary acquires Finn's land and makes token payments to the Clan pending sale of the diamond.After the stone is offered for sale, prospectors start coming to Mars looking for diamonds.

Alice has many boy friends due to the shortage of women on Mars.The latest is Dunstan Johnson, a Hauler.Although none of the women on Mars has become pregnant, Alice manages to conceive a baby.Then Dun is lost in a sandstorm.

BAC tries to gain control of Perrik's biis.That failing, they try to get control of Perrik.He literally heads to the hills.

This tale is filled with oddities.The strangest character is Heretic, who seems possessed by a god.But Mars was settled by Eccentrics and other deranged people.

The plot is filled with unexpected twists and turns.Nothing seems to go quite according to plan.And the ending is totally bizarre.Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Baker fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of extraterrestrial colonies, corporate manipulation, and persevering people.

-Arthur W. Jordin ... Read more

Product Description
Chronicles the near-century old competition between the major corporate candy giants, Milton Hershey, and Forrest Mars.Softcover. DLC: Hershey Foods Corporation--History.Amazon.com Review
The chocolate wars between industry giants Hershey and Marsare anything but sweet. In The Emperors of Chocolate, JoelGlenn Brenner reveals the bitter legal and marketing fights, palaceintrigue, and personality clashes that dominate Hershey and Mars--andthe candy industry as a whole. A talented writer and doggedresearcher, Brenner concludes that after decades of competitionbetween the two companies, the drama still is unfolding. WillMars--privately held and publicity shy--be the ultimate winner withits global game plan? Or will it be Hershey--publicly traded andphilanthropy-minded--with its aggressive strategy of growth byacquisition?

Brenner, a former Washington Post financial reporter, tells thestories of how Forrest Mars Sr. and Milton S. Hershey turned their twocompanies from small mom-and-pop operations into international forcesover the last century. While they may have started small, theirproducts--Mars's Snickers and M&M's and Hershey's milk-chocolate barsand Kisses--are ubiquitous. Hershey was a benevolent philanthropistwho spent hundreds of millions to create a town and orphanage tofulfill his altruistic dreams. Mars was a short-tempered perfectionistwho yelled at anyone who failed to meet his standards. "What madeForrest's blood rush was the thrill of mastering new opportunities andtaming uncharted worlds," the author writes. "Like Milton Hershey, hewas driven by his visions; but where Milton Hershey saw utopia,Forrest Mars saw conquest." Nine years in the making, The Emperorsof Chocolate is a satisfying read about the two titans of thechocolate world and how they capitalized on our love of sweets.--Dan Ring ... Read more

Customer Reviews (174)

Great book for History lovers
This book is so interesting and full of fun facts you'd never know about between the two big candy makers today:Hershey/Mars, like what does M&M stand for, where Milton Hershey got his start...
Great book for anyone!

A UNIQUE SOURCE FOR CHOCOLATE WORLD
Being in the confectionery industry for years, I know that the most secretive company in our industry is Mars. This book practically is the only insider information you can find about Mars. Also the story of the relations between Mars and Hershey is very interesting. The style is smooth and entertaining also for non industry readers. A must read, especially whenour industry discusses the acquisitions and mergers between big players like Cadbury, Kraft, Hershey, Mars, Nestlé.

Mmm Chocolate
I found this book very interesting. It opened my mind to whats really behind a chocolate bar and the futile war behind these treats. It was very different from any book I've ever read and I loved how in depth the author was in her covering of the chocolate world

Sweet and Sour
Few consumer brands are more iconic than the Hershey Bar or M&Ms.Most Americans are introduced to the products of Mars and Hershey as toddlers and develop a life long relationship with a favorite candy or two.My confectionary life partner is the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

But there is much more to the multi-billion dollar candy industry than brightly colored wrappers, snappy jingles, and mouth watering treats.As Joel Glenn Brenner's best selling "The Emperors of Chocolate" makes abundantly evident candy is a market every bit as competitive, often ruthlessly so, as the automotive, computer chip, or soft drink industries.Moreover, in the United States at least, the market is dominated by two behemoths that happen to be diametrically opposed in their history and corporate culture.

It is this combination of familiar and appealing products along with sensational personal storylines that make this book so intriguing and satisfying on multiple levels.Although Brenner never comes out and says it the competition between Hershey and Mars is good versus evil - or perhaps more appropriately, sweet versus sour.And Milton Hershey is the embodiment of all that is good and sweet.The driven, entrepreneurial son of an unhappy Pennsylvanian Mennonite family, Brenner describes Hershey as a man sweeter and more pure than his confectionary creations.A real-life Willie Wonka, the childless Hershey sought to build a better world, not a corporate giant.His model working town - the eponymous Hershey, Pennsylvania - succeeded in a manner and on a scale that previous industrial utopian projects, such as Robert Owen's New Harmony, Indiana, never approached.And far from being the stereo-typical rapacious industrial titan, Hershey kept a modest lifestyle and essentially died penniless after having donated his vast fortune to an innovative orphanage for underprivileged children that still exists today - and from whose halls came a Hershey CEO, William Dearden, who Brenner credits with saving the company in the 1970s and 80s.

Hershey was a creative genius who cared little for running businesses or improving operations.I was shocked to learn that Hershey, which introduced the Kiss in 1907, did not advertise or market its product until 1970.As Brenner describes it, Hershey literally created the market by bringing chocolate to America and making it a mass consumer product with his nickel bar, a feat that Harvard Business School professor Clay Christensen would label "new market disruption."

Hershey's market nemesis was also his personal polar opposite - Forrest Mars.Brenner claims that "where Milton Hershey saw utopia, Forrest Mars saw conquest."While Hershey maintained an aloof, avuncular role in his company, Mars ruled his confectionary empire with a chocolate-covered steel fist.His cult-like management style was codified in "The Five Principles of Mars" (Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency, and Freedom) that current executives still carry around like fanatical Chinese Communist students with Mao's Little Red Book during the Cultural Revolution.His insistence on quality required that executives personally taste test their Kal Kan dog food, which has to be where the contemporary business expression "we eat our own dog food" comes from.His reaction to any process or product imperfection, however slight or unavoidable, was volcanic, sustained, and intentionally hurtful.One wonders why anyone would want to work for Mars after reading "The Emperors of Chocolate."

Unlike Hershey, who loved experimenting with new treats, Brenner suggests that Mars had no personal affinity for the M&Ms or Snickers that his company created.He was quick to add Uncle Ben's instant rice when he saw a market and today nearly half of the Mars consumer empire is pet food.

Brenner makes much of the paradoxically ultra-secret, cut-throat nature of the sweets business.On several occasions she notes that Mars headquarters in McLean, VA is just down the road from the CIA.I am not sure if this angle is over-played or if the publication of her book has resulted in a considerable opening of the kimono by the industry.For instance, the Hershey website not only lists the executive management team, but also thirty-seven other vice presidents by name and title, a practice of openness unheard of in even generally transparent Silicon Valley.The still very privately held and family-owned Mars has less management information on their corporate website, but much more detail on their business than Brenner's book would lead one to expect.

You may want to run out a buy a Hershey Bar after reading "The Emperors of Chocolate" (I did) and you will never look at M&Ms the same way again

The World behind (the) bars!
This book reminds me of a classic boys adventure story from the early 20th century. It shows a world of mystery and intrigue, all driven by a desire to be number 1. I know that this book caused a big stink with the two chocolate companies when it came out but I don't think it harmed either company - I suspect that the history of the rivalry of most big companies would be similar. Whatever view you take of the companies, and in particular of their leadership, as a result of reading this book, there is no denying the massive success they have had and the genuine love and affection felt towards their brands. Mars products, in particular, can be found almost everywhere around the globe. They must be doing something right! ... Read more

Product Description
Popular Rei and shy Kira are worlds apart, until one fateful day brings them together. Rei stumbles upon Kira in the harassing hands of her sleazy art teacher and saves the quiet girl from his clutches.And when the jock plants a kiss on a statue of Mars in the studio, Kira finds herself drawn in and even summons up the nerve to ask him to model for her but problems already lurk on the horizon.Vicious upperclassman Harumi has had her sights set on Rei for a long time, and is not about to let go now.One of the most popular teen girl manga series in Japan, Mars is a drama that will meet the demand of the growing female comic-reading market. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (52)

Fantastic manga
Like with other mangas, I buy just the first one of a friend recommends it to me, or I read her manga. So I read her Mars vol 1, and was hooked. Since then I have bought the entire set for myself. The story of Rei and Kira is fascinating and exciting, along with some rather dramatic moments. Wonderful manga!

Amazing Manga!
This is one of the best manga's I've ever read. It's not the typical shojo and thats what makes it so unique and amazing. The character's are so complex and through each volume you get to know more and more about Rei and Kira. It's story line is the best I've read so farand I think that if it was just a book it would still be just as amazing.
So long story short: If your looking for a manga that will keep you guessing and has gorgeous artwork then read this!

Dramatic, exciting, and somewhat addicting!
This manga is full of shoujo manga cliches. The main character is a shy, timid girl. Somehow, she ends up in a relationship with the school playboy. Despite his irresponsible behavior with girls in the past, maybe he has a heart of gold?

He also has a tragic past, which goes without saying. This manga really has it all - evil twins, dark pasts, rivals for affection, love triangles, and so on.

However, this manga is totally addicting and highly readable. You will want to get the new volume as soon as possible just to find out what happens! It's one of the best "teen romance" manga I've ever read. When you start this, make sure you have access to the later volumes, because you will probably want to read through them all as soon as possible!

One more thing - be warned, despite the cliche fluffy start, this manga also touches on surprisingly dark themes.

If you like other teen romance manga series, this one is a must read.

Mars...a great manga
I am an avid manga collector and had been wanting to check out Mars for a long time since I saw a write up on it in Newtype magazine. It did not disappoint. The artwork is lovely and the storyline isn't skimpy or cheesy, it is a manga with substance and relatable charaters, I am 20 and love this manga. I currently own volumes 1-6 and am looking forward to number 7! :)

I was swept away on this series
I thought this is a great romantic seires. Kira and Rei a weird couple yes. Shy and sweet quiet artist girl to Dangerous bad boy that does what he wants. But I loved how the started the first volume. It already showed so things that will come ahead to this couple. Some people look for the art in manga but it wasn't like that for me. I liked the art and this a old manga but has been proveing to this girl that many has loved this series for the beauty of it's story and art. For romance I recommend this book. They already get this couple in some very sweet moments :). I get lost in this series every time I read it. To know more about the series I so recommendbuying the fullength series which is 15 books. I love reading them over and over. I hope you find yourself swept away as I was when I read the first book then I couldn't stop reading after that I had to the next one then the next one. You get so later yo. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (6)

Can't Dejah Thoris stay out of trouble?
Dejah Thoris is kidnapped... Again.

John Carter, Warlord of Mars seeks to rid Barsoom of the Assassin's Guild.In his efforts to stamp out the local 'Murder Inc." he personally goes undercover in a city where John Carter is not held in high esteem.When the local assassins realize they're being hunted by the Warlord of Mars, they go on the offensive, kidnapp John Carter's wife Dejah Thoris and carry her off to one of the moons of Mars.Needless to say, Our Hero goes after her, finds allies, meets new races (one fair skinned and blue haired [but not little old ladies], the other like a cat on bad drugs),kills bad guys, rescues slave girls, hangs from cliffs (figuratively), raids fortresses, and all those other things we've come to know and love.

Up until the last chapter, this was in the running for the best of the series.Action, a fast pace, new escapes, allies, and enemies, and a more personal view of John Carter.In the last chapter, the author seemed in a rush to tie everything off.It was still very good and as much of a page-turner as the rest of the series, but the ending was abrupt.

Still better than what's hitting the shelves today.

E. M. Van Court

A great example of the series.
Swords of Mars is one of my favorites of the Martian Tales. Although late in the series, it has all the elements that made Burroughs a classic in the field:

1.
It is a John Carter novel. He is still the best character in the series.

2.
It does not suffer from the same artifacts of serialization that you see in some of the other Mars books. The chapters flow together very nicely without too many inconsistencies or abrupt breaks.

3.
It manages to deal with the political aspect of life on Barsoom while staying smaller. I enjoy the more intimate focus on John Carter more than I do the more epic sweeps of some of the other books.

Recommended for fans of the series. People new to the series should really at least read A Princess of Mars series. However, if you have read that one and are skipping around, this would be a good one to skip around to.

READ IT AND HAVE FUN!
This was about number eight in the Martian Series and the story continues.With this book, Burroughs has John Carter fighting and trying to put an end to the practice of assissination on Mars.Like the rest of the Mars Series, the action is non stop.While I will grant you that ERB has certainly used a formula (Dejah Thoris is captured again and John Carter must rescue), it is never-the-less an effective formula.These books of course are sort of the grand-daddy of much of the Fantasy Fiction of today.Please keep in mind when they were written and do enjoy the style and syntax.This was some of the best pulp fiction coming out in the early part of the last century.Read and enjoy.Recommend highly.

John Carter decides to take down the Assassins Guild
After being relegated to the background for the previous four Martian novels, "Swords of Mars" brings John Carter back to the forefront as he vows to bring an end to the Assassins Guild and travels to one of Barsoom's moons.Carter shows up at Edgar Rice Burroughs' cabin in the mountains of Arizona and relates this tale, which ERB then serializes as the eighth Martian story in six issues of "The Blue-Book Magazine" in 1934-35.Carter has created a secret organization of super assassins to strike back against the powerful guild of assassins, which is headquartered in the city of Zodanga, and goes to the city undercover to infiltrate their ranks.As the first step in an attempt to overthrow Ur Jan, the head of the assassins, Carter pretends to be a panthan and becomes the body guard of Fal Sivas, an inventor.Eventually, as he gets closer to his goal, Carter has to go to Thuria, one of the moons of Mars.

For the most part "Swords of Mars" is one of the most intimate novels in the series, by which I simply mean that it does not have the gigantic armies of variously colored Barsoomians and thousands of air ships arrayed in battle.The first half of the novel is basically a spy story, while the second half find Burroughs indulging in one of his imaginative flights of fancy.Of course, it is not an ERB Martian novel if Carter's beloved Dejah Thoris, princess of Helium, does not need to be rescued. Just because ERB sticks to his pulp fiction formula does not distract from the fact he was a master of the form.This is an above average Burroughs yarn and while it is a step below his best Martian tales, such as "The Chessmen of Mars," it is still a compelling tale.Best of all, John Carter is back front and center.I wound rate this novel as a 4.5, but I will round up for Carter's return.

Besides "A Princess of Mars," I think it is clear that "Swrods of Mars" is one of the primary inspirations for John Norman's Gor series, which was one of the best series that followed in the footsteps of ERB's Martian seres.Note:The first letters of the first words in the preface and twenty-four chapters from an acrostic message: "TO FLORENCE WITH ALL MY LOVE ED."The reference is to Florence Gilbert, ERB's second wife, whom he married in 1935.

AS FUN AS THEY GET
"Swords of Mars" is the 8th of 11 John Carter of Mars books that Edgar Rice Burroughs gave to the world. It first appeared serially in the "Blue Book Magazine" in six parts, from November 1934 to April 1935, and is one of the best in the Carter series. For the first time since book 3, "The Warlord of Mars," Carter himself takes center stage, rather than making a brief cameo appearance, and his return as the lead character is perhaps the best single element of this book. This time around, Carter goes to the Barsoomian city of Zodanga to put an end to the assassins guild that is thriving there. In the first half of the novel, Carter goes undercover to infiltrate this Murder Inc.-type of organization, and this segment is extremely tense and exciting. In the second half, Carter's wife, Dejah Thoris, in what to any reader of this series must come as an instance of Dejah vu (sorry...couldn't resist!), is abducted again, and Carter follows her kidnappers to one of the Martian moons, using one of that planet's first spaceships. His subsequent adventures on the moon propel the reader into the realm of pure fantasy. Both parts of the novel are as fun as can be, although very much different in tone.
This novel features very few of the inconsistencies--both internal and with other books in the series--that mar every previous Carter novel. There are some, however. For example, the great Scarlet Tower of Greater Helium is referred to in this book, whereas in previous novels, this tower was referred to as being in Lesser Helium, and besides which, was destroyed in book 5, "The Chessmen of Mars." More of a problem in the current volume are the book's implausibilities. For example, Carter & company jump out of their spaceship on that Martian moon, without bothering to check on the moon's breathable air. Fortunately, the air is just fine, thank you, although Burroughs makes nothing of this...surprising, given the pains he had taken in previous books to explain the breathable air on Mars itself. The invisibility-inducing hypnosis that the moon people use against Carter is a bit much to buy, but that's alright; it's all in good fun. But Burroughs' theory that a person who lands on this 7-mile-wide moon would be the same relative size that he would be on Mars--in other words, that he would shrink in proportion to the planetoid's mass; his so-called "compensatory adjustment of masses"--is, as Carter puts it, "preposterous," though, as it turns out, such is the case in the book. Like I said, it's all in good fun. And this book IS as fun as they get.
Oh...one other nice touch. As pointed out in the ERB List, a fine Burroughs Website, if you take the first letter of each first word of each chapter in this book, you will find a secret message that Burroughs incorporated for his new bride. A nice touch. ... Read more

Product Description
"Warlord of Mars" is a science fiction novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the third of his famous Barsoom (Mars) series."Thuvia, Maid of Mars" is the fourth of the Barsoom series. 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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

A profound disappointment
I took the John Carter of Mars series in order, and am glad I did.Had I started with this one, I would have dropped whatever ones I hadn't read.

It's a basic John Carter bouncing around the dying planet of Mars with his faithful companions story, but rewritten for younger audiences.While the rest of the series isn't espeially intellectual, but requires a reasonable vocabulary and level of comprehension, say about ten to twelve year old level, this one is for seven or eight year olds.Where some volumes in the John Carter series took serious looks at science, religion, relationships, and technology, this one dedicates itself to being understandable to even younger audiences.I suspect that someone waved a lot of money under ERB's nose when he was a little hungry, and in a moment of weakness, he gave in.

The story is merely OK, but the descriptions are so watered down, that the character of a real John Carter book is lost.Don't bother with this one, just treasure the other ten.

E.M. Van Court

2 Stories, Second One Awesome, First One So-So
The last book published in the John Carter series, this book contains 2 separate stories: "John Carter and the Giant of Mars", and "Skeleton Men of Jupiter."

The second story, "Skeleton Men of Jupiter", is awesome.ERB intended this to be the first in a mini-series but he never followed it up with other installments. There are things left unresolved at the end because the other installments were never written, but that's no reason not to read it; it just leaves the rest of the story to your imagination.Lots of action in an imaginative setting.

"John Carter and the Giant of Mars" did not strike me as up to the same caliber as the other books in the series.According to something I read, this story was not even written by ERB but by his son, so maybe that's why it's not as good.I wish the publisher would have noted that ERB did not write this story himself.Even though it's not as good, the Giant of Mars is short and has some amusing parts, so may still be worth the read.

So five stars for Skeleton Men of Jupiter, and minus a star since John Carter and the Giant of Mars was not as good.

2 Stories, Second One Awesome, First One So-So
The last book published in the John Carter series, this book contains 2 separate stories: "John Carter and the Giant of Mars", and "Skeleton Men of Jupiter."

The second story, "Skeleton Men of Jupiter", is awesome.ERB intended this to be the first in a mini-series but he never followed it up with other installments. There are things left unresolved at the end because the other installments were never written, but that's no reason not to read it; it just leaves the rest of the story to your imagination.Lots of action in an imaginative setting.

"John Carter and the Giant of Mars" did not strike me as up to the same caliber as the other books in the series.According to something I read, this story was not even written by ERB but by his son, so maybe that's why it's not as good.I wish the publisher would have noted that ERB did not write this story himself.Even though it's not as good, the Giant of Mars is short and has some amusing parts, so may still be worth the read.

So five stars for Skeleton Men of Jupiter, and minus a star since John Carter and the Giant of Mars was not as good.

the 11th and last
Pity the Mars books didn't have a definite ending and a single adventurer.I guess if Burroughs had known how popular it was going to be, he would have structured them more carefully.But oh well.

There are eleven books in the series, and this one is the final book.Unlike the first, say, five books in the Barsoom series, "John Carter of Mars" is not so much a single book as it is an anthology of two long stories:"John Carter and the Giant of Mars" and "Skeleton Men of Jupiter."

If you gotta have it, then you gotta have it.And you gotta have it if you want to complete your collection of all eleven.

But both stories here are disappointing:the first one is for kids, and the second one leaves you hanging, since Burroughs intended to write a sequel.He never did.

Sad to report, these have never been assembled into an omnibus edition, like The Complete Chronicles of Conan, or even a series of similar-looking tomes, such as was vouchsafed to E. E. "Doc" Smith's Triplanetary (The Lensman).

The Mars saga continues
This isn't a single novel, but two novellas - one that was originally co-written with ERB's son as something to be adapted to an illustrated format, and a secondthat seemingly opened a new continuity, one that was never continued.

The first, "John Carter and the Giant of Mars," picks up elements from the earlier "Synthetic Men." One of those vat-bred humanoids has mastered part of the sysnthesis technology and threatens Helium with a 130 foot tall giant, a composite made from the tissues of hundreds of others real and man-made men. After many daring escapes and marvelous acts of skill and bravery, John Carter saves the day in by the strength of his mighty sword-arm. You know, the usual, but without the confused and mercurial romantic theme.

Then Carter is taken captive by "The Skeleton Men of Jupiter," preparatory to their invasion of Mars. Since he'd never reveal the military secrets they demand, the bad guys (ugly and humorless, by the way) capture his Barsoomian bride and threaten her with un-nameable horrors, possibly resembling bad dates that some female readers will recall. He leads the usual band of desperate but hnorable prisoners in the usual daring escape that humiliates the hubristic captors, amid the usual swordplay and mayhem. Oddly, however, the invasion plans are left largely intact, presumably to have been defeated in the unwritten sequels.

These aren't the strongest in the Carter canon, but still good fun for the ERB enthusiast. I recommend starting with other books in the Barsoom series - once you've developed the taste for them, you might find this more palatable.

-- wiredweird ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Mars 3-D: A Rover's-Eye View of the Red Planet - (Hardcover)-Excellent Compilation of 3D Photos
Mars 3-D: A Rover's-Eye View of the Red Planet (Hardcover) was an excellent compilation of 3D photo's which only required some good 3D glasses (which are available from Amazon) to make it work.The only negative thing I can say is that the books glasses, which have been integrated with the cover, do not make the photo's come to life the way a real pair can. NASA also maintains a web site of 3D mars photo's which will also work very well with standard 3D glasses, however, this book has compiled an excellent collection and saved you much hunting on the web for good quality 3D images of mars.

Mars 3D
I have several of Jim Bell's books and they were all very well done.
This one however left me wondering why the publisher used this format of 3-D. It is very inconvenient to use and unless the book is placed on a flat surface at eye level, one has to fiddle with the 3-D lenses and the photo.
The content is interesting and allows the viewer to see Mars as if one were there and the explanation/description is informative.
Were it not for the arrangement of the 3-D lenses, I would have rated this 4-1/2 stars.
Likewise the same format was used for his publication of the Moon in 3-D.
Unfortunate. Paul

Mars 3D Falls Flat
While superior in some ways to the horrible Moon 3D book, which I ordered at the same time, I have similar problems with Mars 3D. The viewer is awkward to use and seems imbalanced in color density. Many of the views appear to be off-register and do not work...there simply is no depth to them. The two books are terrible examples of 3d photography. I forced myself to look through both books and then threw them away.

Incredible fun
This is one of the more ingenious and creative books I've seen in a long time. Chock full of great facts and information about the Mars rovers, the Mars project, and Mars itself. The photos are the real gem, though. Built-in 3D glasses fold out from an inside-cover flap and transport you to the surface of Mars via a ton of 3D images (acquired by the rovers). Mars is, needless to say, both alien and mesmerizing. Truly one of the most enjoyable astronomy books on the market for kids and adults. Great fun.

Mars Uncovered
This is a fascinating book on the planet Mars.
There are a plethora of full color pictures,
multi-colored rocks and variable length craters.

The Martian tropics are 50 degrees by day and
-220 degrees by night. Tremendous winds on Mars
could support windmill energy and keep solar
panels clean in perpetuity. Scientists would be
required to sort out the practical details of
transmitting electrical energy from Mars to the Earth
without incurring too much cost. The engineering
mean time between component failures would have to
be worked out because Mars is a great distance from
the Earth for routine maintenance purposes. Although,
robots could perform some maintenance functions
in the future.


The Gusev Crater Plains have dusty dunes and
miles of variable rock sizes. Bluer soil
contains deposits with increased salty sulfur
minerals and silica - rich soil. Rocks are pitted
from years of sandblasting by the wind.

There is extensive wind-carved volcanic rock
which conjures up the possibility of geothermal energy.
Traces of water abound.i.e.

o evaporated ancient salt and water stains
o geologic evidence for rainfall, lakes and glaciers
o weatherization of rocks
o evidence of significant water processes on the Gusev Crater

The acquisition would make a perfect gift for the
scientifically inclined. ... Read more

Product Description
It’s 24 on Mars: a nonstop futuristic thrill-ride, all in one day, through the critical events which were the breaking point for the underclass of Martian citizens and precipitated a revolution to break the Martian colonists free from the formidable Sol System government. The formerly red planet—now in danger of again becoming red, blood red—would never be the same, nor would the human race. It was one day that changed the course of history for the Solar System, raging from hand-to-hand combat to piloted armored mecha suits clashing to an enormous space battle, with dedicated heroes on both sides of the conflict wondering if they were doing the right thing—and if they would live to see another day. And wondering, as well, if the spark of this new war, that would eventually reach across whole star systems, would bring them peace One Day on Mars. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Good story, but ... TYPOS!
Travis Taylor tells a good story, and I am going to finish the book, but the numerous typos (spelling and punctuation errors, redundancy, contradictions, etc.) have been seriously bothering me the whole way through. The concept is very compelling, but it would have been a whole lot better if Mr. Taylor's editor(s) had gone over it a lot more carefully before sending it to print. The constant repeating of characters' full ranks and names got old very quickly, and at least once I noticed a character referred to as the wrong rank on the same page where the correct one was mentioned at least once. No offence to Mr. Taylor or Baen, but while the story is good, it's a disappointment in terms of style.

A B rated movie,but not a book
There are certain works of science fiction that could never be fully captured on film.Works like Herbert's Dune series, Asimov's foundation series, or any of the masterful writings of Le Guin come to mind.There are other writings that should go directly from the word processor to a screen writer for polishing into a potential B movie script.One Day on Mars is in the latter category.This "book" is mainly an amalgamation of multiple chapters containing hundreds of very vague characters executing poorly defined battles.The result is one confusing mass of words.This book might work as a movie of Starship troopers caliber, nothing more!As a book it is horrendous.My advice: skip this one.

Three-dimensional vision, two-dimensional development
One Day on Mars and its sequel, The "Tau Ceti Agenda" are definitely fast-paced, loaded with interesting technology that has some basis in current physics theory. As a TV show, it would probably be fine. Unfortunately, it's a book and in a book we expect more than Travis Taylor seems to be capable of delivering.

In both books, Taylor tries very hard to capture, almost minute-by-minute, the action in a major military engagement and gets bogged down in trivial detail. The reader doesn't need every grunt and groan from the mecha pilots. In fact, the reader doesn't need a transcript of the radio transmissions. And I would bet very few readers cared about having the serial number of every AI implant. If the Captain's AI is "Uncle Timmy," that's fine: I don't need to have its official identifier spelled out in military phonetics. But what I do need is some idea of why the battle is taking place.

The main complaint I have with Taylor's writing (I've read three of his books to date) is that character and plot development are apparently completely foreign to him, as is context. There's strife between the United States, which apparently runs the entire planet in Taylor's universe, and the Separatists, but we don't have the events leading up to this battle. We don't know why, other than from some vague references, the Separatists are so bloodthirsty. I guess it's because they're bad guys with no redeeming features, but that doesn't really seem to be the case.

Alexander Moore, who is the actual protagonist in both "One Day on Mars" and "The Tau Ceti Agenda" is utterly flat. Taylor makes him out to be so wonderful, you almost expect him to walk on water, but you don't really learn much about him. Elle Ahmi, the Separatist leader, would be a very interesting character if we knew more about her. In spite of the fact they're nasty, bad and evil, I found myself wanting to know more about the Separatists who seem to be a force for human exploration and progress.

Whether you agree with the politics or not, there's too much of it. I don't mind a conservative viewpoint (or a liberal one, for that matter), but it shouldn't run the story. As it is, the "Republicans good and strong, Democrats bad and weak" comes across as jingoistic hooey.

Incidentally, those reviewers who complain about the use of titles in the military should know that is fairly accurate. A Master Chief Petty Officer really is addressed as "Master Chief Petty Officer" and the Chief of the Boat is addressed as such. One thing for which Taylor can't be faulted is his knowledge of military usage, slang and love of acronyms.

As it stands, "One Day on Mars" would make a good TV show or comic book for pubescent boys and those who avoid challenging reading. Which is sad because Taylor has a vision of a fascinating future and an epic struggle whose outcome might have a great impact on the future of humanity and that's the story I wish he was telling.

Pathetic
The reader is constantly reminded that the main characters are "Marines", as much as 4 times per page. I know they are "Marines" I don't need to be reminded constantly. The military titles and full rank are used each time the character is mentioned (gets old). The war machines are farcical and completly unbelievable, it seems the author watched the Transformer cartoons as a child to much. The story is dull and uneventful to a fault.

If you are a fan of military sci-fi avoid this book like the plague. I've read sci-fi for over thirty years, in my opinion this book is a waste of time and money.

A book that hits its intended marks
This is an action-adventure book told in the style of the popular television series, //24//, as it takes place over one twenty-four-hour period on the planet Mars. It is the story of a group of Separatists who attack a major city on Mars, leading to a military response by the United States to make sure the civilians make it out alive, all while taking down the bad guys. This has all the usual characters in the story--the ex-military turned Senator, a wise-cracking ace pilot, and the stout and brave infantry soldiers trying to do the best they can in an impossible situation.

This is a book that does not aim high and hits all its marks.It does not try to be more than it is, in that it is not more than a fast-moving, action-packed story. The characters are all in their stereotypical place with little depth, but you will not mind since you will not expect more from this story. The only really annoying problem is that there is a bit too much graphic detail during the battle scenes in space, particularly in terms of the sounds the pilots make when they are experiencing g-forces. Again, this is simply a book that hits its marks and does not pretend to be more than it is.

Reviewed by
Kevin Winter ... Read more

Product Description
A raw foods diet advocates exactly that: eating raw foods. No cooking, no grilling, no steaming, no application of high temperatures. Why? Because eating food closest to its natural state engenders a tremendous exchange of energy between food and body. The result, over time, is a feeling of buoyant, radiant health. Tackling head-on the skepticism likely to greet proponents of what the world sees as a "fad" diet, renowned nutritional consultant and raw foods adherent Brigitte Mars presents historical data and scientific evidence confirming the efficacy of raw foods diets in: Supporting emotional stablity; Increasing energy levels; Clearing the skin; Boosting immune-system function; improving digestive function; Dispelling depression: Sustaing overall good health. In addition, Mars points out the environmental benefits of the raw foods diet, making a case for eating raw foods as a means of reducing waste, making the most of agricultural practice, and reducing the !human footprint on the earth. Whether the reader wants to jump right into an all-raw diet or just wants to introduce more raw foods into the diet, Mars offers gentle encouragement and practical instruction. Readers will find advice on planning a balanced diet to meet their nutritional needs, combining foods for best effect, presrving raw foods, equpping the raw kitchen, sprouting, juicing, and evey other technique that makes the raw foods diet simple,delicious, and healthful. In-depth profiles describe the nutritional and health benefits of hundreds of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seasonings. Perhaps most important, the author provides more than 200 kitchen-tested, real-people-approved raw foods recipes. Under Mar's instruction, readers will enjoy making everything from juices and shakes to salads, soupsdressings, yogurts, crackers, spreads, dips, vegetable burgers, curries, vegetable pastas, wraps, and more. And let's not forget desset: brownies, ice cream, lemon bars, fru!it leathers,pies,cakes, puddings, and other delectable treats. For people who want the vibrant energy and health that raw foods offe but don't want to give up the taste of good cooking, "Rawsome!" provides the answer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

Yummy, Easy to Make Recipes
After looking through lots of raw cookbooks, I found this one to be the most informative and easy to read.Also, the recipes are really easy to follow and tend to have fewer ingredients than other raw cookbooks.Considering I was looking for easy dishes to make, this is perfect for me.This is the 4th time I've bought the book- two were given as gifts, one was left behind in a move, and the fourth replaced that one.Highly recommend!

A must have for the raw food kitchen
I was immediately drawn into Brigitte Mars' book because her tone is so conversational and sparse, in a good way. She gets right to the point and supports her enthusiasm with numerous citations from studies backing up the benefits of raw food eating. These she sprinkles through the text in a painless and appropriate way, so you end up absorbing the wisdom without feeling bogged down by the intricacies of the science.

In contrast, many other raw food books are 80% anecdotal faith, and are not so strong on the facts. I'm not usually interested in the science either, but I found the studies (one of cats fed raw food who thrived, another group fed cooked food whose health after three generations had completely broken down) especially enlightening.

Mars' has been the local expert herbalist-wise woman in the Boulder Colorado area for at least two decades, and her knowledge runs deep. The area detailing (in quick, concise capsules) the nutritional, mineral and vitaminal pluses of fruits and vegetables is terrific. It is something to which one can turn again and again.

Many raw food books feature recipes, and of course, these are the main event in changing one's diet -- but there is really no shortage of those. This book is exceptional for its easy-to-digest, accessible introduction to this "radical" way of eating.

Must have if you are Raw or thinking about going Raw
This is a MUST HAVE book if you are thinking about raw or going raw or even a long timer. The recipes are all great andd it is packed full of useful information on the benifits of a raww diet. Brigette Mars is a great writer and I enjoy her easy relaxed style in addition to her vast wealth of information. She also looks great for being in her mid 50's which shows what a raw diet can do!

Rawsome
This book has been enlightening! I have tried over a handful of recipes, but are holding off on some because I need to purchase a dehydrator.Brigitte, breaks everything down for you to understand.She also takes into consideration people are going to want to still eat things like Ketchup.You can just with some adjustments! I look forward to preparing more recipes from the cookbook!!

Gives a lot of Good Infromation!!!
I loved this book. She covers a lot of topics in a short and easy manner. I was encoraged buy her book to stay on the raw food lifestyle. I would highly recommand this book!! ... Read more

Product Description
Since his serialized debut in All-Story magazine in 1912, the spacefaring adventurer John Carter of Mars has become one of Edgar Rice Burroughs' most beloved characters. The star of decades worth of novels and comic books, he's soon to be immortalized on the silver screen as well, in the upcoming Pixar film release John Carter of Mars! In this volume, John Carter, an ex-soldier turned prospector, is transported to Mars - "Barsoom," as it is known to its natives - under mysterious circumstances, and becomes a champion dedicated to protecting his new home and newly found love, the princess Dejah Thoris, from warring alien civilizations and a host of deadly Barsoomian beasts!Collecting stories originally published in Tarzan #s 207-209 and Weird Worlds #s 1-7, and featuring the work of comics legends Marv Wolfman, Murphy Anderson, Gray Morrow, Sal Amendola, Joe Orlando, and Howard Chaykin, this volume is a perfect introduction to the legacy of John Carter of Mars. ... Read more

Product Description
It’s the age-old question: Is there life on Mars? Steve Squyres, lead scientist of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover mission, sets out to answer that question and relates his findings in this riveting first-person narrative account, now in paperback

Steve Squyres is the face and voice of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover mission. Squyres dreamed up the mission in 1987, saw it through from conception in 1995 to a successful landing in 2004, and serves as the principal scientist of its $400 million payload. He has gained a rare inside look at what it took for Rovers Spirit and Opportunity to land on the red planet in January 2004 -- and knows firsthand their findings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (37)

Experience the exploration
I loved this book. As someone who has done large scientific studies before, including a medical experiment for NASA, I was fascinated from the word go and found it hard to put down. Steve Squyres is very articulate and describes the experience very well. It is not an overview of everything we know about Mars but a look at the development and early life of a particular project. The book is broken down into three major section desribing the background & earlier projects of the author, the development of this actual program, then the launch and first few months of the mission up to Sept 2004 (& which is still ongoing as of Nov 2009). I found the first two sections particularly riviting. One can feel the excitement of things that on the surface would possibly seem mundane ("We were finally able to find this one little piece of trash..."). After getting to Mars, the book is actually a journal, appearently written in real time as the events were unfolding. I did not find it quite as good ("Day 43; drove 35 meters today...") but still both very readable and fascinating. Overall, the book is excellent and very highly recommended to anyone interested in Mars, space exploration, or how science really gets done.

Too reductionist, not enough context
There's a book-length irony in Roving Mars.Early on, author Steve Squyres talks about the difference between scientists and engineers.Scientists want perfection, engineers whatever's "good enough."Scientists are inspiration, engineers perspiration.Scientists are idealistic, engineers are pragmatic.Steve Squyres is a scientist.In fact he's the chief scientist on the project.Yet, if ever there was an engineer's book, this is it.Roving Mars is far more about how Spirit and Opportunity were assembled than why.More about what the rovers found than what the discoveries mean.And a thousand times more about the minutest details of the two patches of Mars the rovers explored than the planetary big picture the terrain is part of.In other words, the book is relentlessly reductionist.Reading it feels like looking down a microscope for hundreds of pages.There's precious little context.It's virtually all trees, branches, leaves and cells, and almost no forest.

Is this a fair complaint?That depends on who there book was "written for."Unquestionably it was written for a lay audience, not the scientific community.But which lay audience?.If Squyres set out to write a book for people who are thrilled by the tiniest technical details about how many watts this resistor can bear versus that resistor, or how to wheedle your way through the labyrinth of NASA project approval, then he has succeeded brilliantly.But if he intended his book for people interested in the planet Mars, in thoughtful musings about why man explores and the significance of what he finds, or even just in some broader geological hypotheses around what the rovers are looking at, then he has fallen way short.Perhaps he or others might offer the explanation that it's too early for anything other than the story Squyers has told, after all the book was published long before the mission was even over.And that's the second big problem with the book.

Scientists want perfection, engineers whatever's "good enough."If that's true, then once again this is an engineer's book.Said kindly, it's the living embodiment of the "good enough" approach.Said not so kindly, it's the product of a "what's the cheapest, easiest way I can pump out a book to take advantage of all the rover publicity before it fades" approach.Not only did the book come out long before the mission was over or any thoughtful big picture reflection on the mission had occurred, Squyers took the ultimate shortcut and built the book largely around passages from a journal he was keeping during the mission.So what we get are only the impulse thoughts of the moment and none of the benefits of hindsight or subsequent learning.I'm more than certain he would never allow himself to take such a lackadaisical approachwith one of his spacecraft.Why does he allow himself to take it with one of his books?

Fantastic Read!
I'll admit, I'm a bit of a sucker for space.That said, this was a fascinating book from beginning to end.It started with a walkthrough of NASA bureaucracy and a run down of all the missions the author worked on that never made it past the drawing board.Then it followed Spirit and Opportunity from proposal through the end of their originally proposed 90 day life.Obviously they worked a little bit better than anticipated. :DIt is not a technical book, and anytime something technical is required to understand the goings on, it is expertly explained in layman's terms.I picked it and didn't put it down until it was done!

American technical ingenuity at its most exhilarating
"We see it! We see it! We see it! We're in lock. We're in lock." - Voice of Entry, Descent, Landing Telecom, Cruise Mission Support Area, Jet Propulsion Lab, January 4, 2004 on acquiring signals from Spirit lander after its touchdown on Mars.

On June 10 and July 7 of 2003, NASA and Pasadena's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) launched the twin Martian landers, Spirit and Opportunity respectively. They touched down on the Red Planet on January 4 and January 24 of 2004, the first mobile robotic explorers to do so since Pathfinder/Sojourner in 1997. ROVING MARS is their story as told by Steve Squyres.

Squyres, a geologist by profession, was the Principal Investigator, i.e. science team leader, for the Spirit and Opportunity projects representing JPL. He recounts earlier years and unsuccessful attempts to get a lander proposal approved by NASA. Then, against the backdrop of NASA's latest failures at Mars exploration, Mars Polar Lander and Mars Climate Orbiter in 1998, Steve shares the anxiety, frustration, doubts and hard work involved in getting eventual conceptual approval for the 2003 missions, followed by the months of design, construction, testing failures and successes, nearly insurmountable problems, budget overruns, and final nail-biting reviews by NASA before the rovers could be encapsulated in their landers and placed atop their Delta II rockets at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for their launches, which themselves involved maddening delays. Following relatively uneventful flights to Mars, Squyres again picks up the rovers' stories to describe their landings, deployment, and treks of discovery. The goal of the dual mission - to discover in Martian rocks evidence for a watery past.

The reader will perhaps stand amazed that Spirit and Opportunity ever overcame multiple obstacles to get launched at all. There are two excellent sections of color photographs within the book, one of which images shows Squyres reaching for the sky in supreme exaltation as Spirit's deployment on Martian soil is confirmed by telemetry. Steve recalls that as one of the best moments of his life. And, when arriving at that point in the narrative recounting the tense moments of Spirit's landing, the (American) reader can perhaps be forgiven for letting out a yell of proud victory, "YES!" This was, after all, an American red, white and blue accomplishment told via the author's clear, informative and non-technical prose.

The Spirit and Opportunity rovers had projected operational lifespans of 90 sols, each "sol" being a Martian day of 24 hours 39 minutes. By the end of the narrative in mid-September 2004, Spirit had reached 248 sols and Opportunity 227. Squyres expected the vehicles to die in months, perhaps a year at the outside, the buildup of dust on the rovers' energizing solar panels being the determining factor.

If you go to JPL's website, you'll find that as of 2008 both Spirit and Opportunity, albeit somewhat worse for wear, are still operational on the Red Planet transmitting back pictures and data. Amidst all the planning and pre-mission speculation, nobody imagined that the rovers' solar panels would be cleaned by ... dust devils. You can't even get that service for your windshield at the gas station anymore.

Despite its semi-technical nature, ROVING MARS was a book I couldn't put down, something I can't say about most of the trashy fiction novels I read. Honor to Squyres and his scientific and engineering team is due. (More than 4,000 names are listed at the end of the book.) At 59 jaded years, it makes me particularly proud to be a citizen of the US of A.

i also want boot prints on rover wheel tracks!
one of the best science stories I've ever heard!
I am a astronomy aficionado and this story has made me be part of the MER team in my own way.I felt that I was in Mars and also in the JPL.
I laughed at the witty comments of Steve and specially about the "WHAAAAT??!?!?"'s... and I cried so hard when Spirit landed... ha! I felt really overwhelmed.... I guess I can say that Steve Squyres made me feel like I was part of the story... Thank you for that!

and I couldn't agree more... I also want boot prints over the wheel tracks!!!! :') ... Read more

Product Description
John Carter of Mars is a series of books written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It is currently being turned into a film produced by Disney and directed by Andrew Stanton (director of the critically acclaimed WALL-E and Finding Nemo)

The first three books in the series were told from the point of view of John Carter; many books followed the first three, but frequently were written in third person. The entire series is eleven volumes and titled the “Barsoom” series.

This eBook contains the first three books in the series. It also contains an easy to navigate table of contents.

The books included in this collection are as follows:
A Princess of Mars
The Gods of Mars
The Warlord of Mars ... Read more

Product Description
Thinking about moving to mars?

Well, why not? Mars, after all, is the planet that holds the greatest promise for human colonization. But why speculate about the possibilities when you can get the real scientific scoop from someone who’s been happily living and working there for years? Straight from the not-so-distant future, this intrepid pioneer’s tips for physical, financial, and social survival on the Red Planet cover:

• How to get to Mars (Cycling spacecraft offer cheap rides, but the smell is not for everyone.)
• Choosing a spacesuit (The old-fashioned but reliable pneumatic Neil Armstrong style versus the sleek new—but anatomically unforgiving—elastic “skinsuit.”)
• Selecting a habitat (Just like on Earth: location, location, location.)
• Finding a job that pays well and doesn’t kill you (This is not a metaphor on Mars.)
• How to meet the opposite sex (Master more than forty Mars-centric pickup lines.)

With more than twenty original illustrations by Michael Carroll, Robert Murray, and other renowned space artists, How to Live on Mars seamlessly blends humor and real science, and is a practical and exhilarating guide to life on our first extraterrestrial home. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

Entertaining and educational
I decided to run a roleplaying game set on Mars, and while visiting a Barnes and Noble (I know, I know) asked to see their Astronomy section. In that very, very slim collection of books was only one book on Mars: Zubrin's "How to Live on Mars."

It was like striking gold while prospecting for iron.In a copper mine.

Incredible thought and expertise were necessary to write this book. Only someone thoroughly familiar with the chemistry, astrophysics, geology, metallurgy, and knowledge of Mars would be in a position to take the next step and make the material so accessible, humorous, and casually informative.

An excellent book, and a thoroughly useful guide for my upcoming Martian role-playing game.

Steal this book and go to Mars
Robert Zubrin brings his usual irreverance and charm to this 22nd century take on making it to and making it on the Red Planet.

In a series of easy to understand chapters, Zubrin dissembles the complexities of life on Mars from getting there to choosing habitation to choosing occupation to avoiding the authorities (which is apparently still good advice in the 22nd century).

In getting there Zubrin suggests that future Mars-ites eschew public transportation so that they can accompany prefabricated housing on its journey to the fourth planet.

In choosing a space, Zubrin advises Moon era big and clunky owing to the way it tends to hide the figure (good advice for those portions of the population that also avoid revealing swim wear).He even suggests a color, Mars red, so you don't have to have it cleaned as much.

In choosing employment, Zubrin suggests construction work so that you can become more acquainted with the process of getting along on Mars while getting paid for it.

While large portions of this book admittedly need to be read with tongue firmly in cheek, it nonetheless still provides great amounts of technical information without putting you to sleep.

Highly recommended.

Good Zubrin Book but not his best
I'm a big Zubrin fan.Plus he is the president of the Mars Society that I belong to. I like his writings and believe that his Mars Direct approach is the best and most economical way of getting a limited crew of 4 to Mars and back. However this book is NOT his best work. Its a short book. Parts are a little goofy, some funny, lots of good facts but a whole lot of speculation and fantasy stuff. Dr Zubrian does have a sense of humor as he takes pot shots at NASA. Hey Dr Zubrin is a former rocket scientist and knows his rocket and Mars stuff. I like the book but his Case for Mars was much better. Also his Mars on Earth (5 stars) was better. Half of the scientific Mars/rocket data he brought over from the 5 star Case for Mars book the other half is a part goofy/fun futuristic Mars fantasy book. This is an easy read book. Read it in 1 day. Do yourself a favor buy his Case for Mars book first (one of the very best) and later if you want a lighter, partial goofy/fun quick read book with some good Mars/rocket data buy How to Live on Mars. How to Live on Mars will give you a few chuckles but don't take all the chapters seriously.How To Live On Mars 3 to 3 1/2 star rating.

Great book but the Kindle edition is atrocious
Previous reviewers have pointed out the atrocious quality of the Kindle edition, but it is SOOOOO bad I'm providing another review in the hopes of saving someone else the pain that we poor Kindle owners have endured with this book.Imagine a half-dozen sentences on a page that all look like this:"The re is an other, mo (new line) re basic problem."The randomly italicized text is my personal favorite.

By all means, buy the book -- but buy the print book.

Thought-provoking and clever book, but AWFUL publishing
Lots of fun but GOD was it a nightmare to read in its Kindle edition.For ten bucks I expect that SOMEONE has proofed the silly thing, but apparently not.Kindle editions are plagued with all-too-common OCR problems and lines that break in the wrong place, but this was beyond the pale.Barely a single page goes by without a word puzzle like this one:

"... Forerunners said, by setting up factories to manufacture fluorocarbons, anddumptthemata rate of athou sand tonn es an hour..."

If this were some free public domain book painstakingly typed in by some unpaid volunteers, then I'd understand.

Mr. Zubrin wrote a nice book; he ought to smack his publisher on the head for doing this injustice to that book.(Or perhaps it's Amazon that converts books to Kindle?) ... Read more