Product Description

Customer Reviews (30)

Immediate Reread
Yes, the methods are a bit dated.As Niven himself has since said, it has become increasingly obvious that if anything like this comes to pass, it will be implemented in virtual reality, perhaps with direct neural feeds.

Doesn't matter.

As to the economics of the thing, in the Republic of Korea, watching people play video games is considered a form of entertainment.I was a gamer before it was cool.I've already seen this turn into a multibillion dollar industry, Seen my Commodore Vic 20 ultimately replaced by a WII, a Playstation 2, a Playstation 3, and half a dozen high-end personal computers in my home.I've seen science fiction and fantasy movies come to dominate the box office from a time when the best of the best was 2001, Silent Running, and Wizards.I can imagine spectators happily watching the first group of players chosen to play a red-hot, eagerly anticipated new game title.

I bought this book when it first came out and to this day it remains the only book that, when I finished the last page, I turned back to the first page of chapter one and begin to reread the whole thing.

Repeat Line
I love this book and will read it again and again. However, one line in the book is repeated. Don't remember where it was, just that it was a short, one-line paragraph.

Dream Park is Disney for Gamers...
Niven and Barnes create a wonderful world in Dream Park; a theme park where adults get to live out their fantasy adventures and role-play in the extreme.Set in a near-future where full-scale motion holography is not only possible, but indistinguishable from reality, Dream Park engages you in the characters within the fantasy game and who they are in their normal lives.It's fantasy, thriller, and murder mystery all in one.

Read it when it first came out.Liked it then, like it now.A good, fast-paced read, as Niven's work usually is, and the collaboration of Niven and Barnes makes this a truly enthralling novel.

One of my favorites
Live action role-playing was years in the future when this book was written.I'm not part of the LARP scene, but as others noted, this was an attempt to transfer idea of Dungeons and Dragons into real life, or a vague approximation thereof.

The other thing that is unique about this book and its sequels is that, more than anything that preceded them, they combined many genres: science fiction, fantasy, and murder mystery.While it's popular to take elements of each genre these days, these books are properly murder mysteries occurring in a science fiction setting that surrounds a fantasy.

The other thing that resonates strongly here is the authors' commitments to non-western mythology: it's not spoiling anything to say that Dream Park runs on Cargo cults, while subsequent series use elements of inuit mythology and vodoun.

All in all, this book and its two sequels are well worth reading.As another reviewer noted, we haven't got there yet, and we may well never get there.But I suspect that elements of Dream Park are bubbling away in MMORPGs all over the net.

Not Free SF Reader
"A highly entertaining book, particularly for rpg geeks I guess.Dream Park is a huge live action role playing game complex, where players participate in games, complete with character stats, and holographic and computer assisted abilities.

Character classes, gamemasters, the whole thing.The Dream Park management have discovered evidence of a crime, so they have to put one of their security operatives undercover in a game.

The problem is that the game is an epic, a confrontation between two world class gamemasters and a famous party leading adventurer.

... Read more

Product Description

Without warning, Benjamin Sisko is living another life. No longer a Starfleet captain, commander of space station Deep Space Nine, he is Benny Russell, a struggling science fiction writer living in 1950s Harlem. Benny has a dream, of a place called Deep Space Nine and a man named Ben Sisko, and a story he has to tell. But is the Earth of that era ready for a black science fiction hero?

Everyone tells him no, but Benny cannot abandon his dream. One way or another, he will tell the world about Captain Benjamin Sisko and Deep Space Nine. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Very powerful story only tangentially about Star Trek.
There are a number of aspects to this story that can be rated. It seems to be a fairly accurate, true-to-the-episode novelization; five stars there. It is a marvellous pure science fiction story, which leaves unsolved whether it's actually about an alternate-universe writer who is able to tap into the world of Deep Space Nine for his stories, or about Commander Sisko having temporary insanity that produces hallucinations. Again, five stars. It is a powerful, moving story about the effects of racism on a young black science fiction writer in 1953 Harlem. Once more, five stars. About the only way in which it is NOT a five-star effort is purely as a Star trek novel; ninety percent or more of this story has absolutely nothing to do with Star Trek, and another five percent is only tangentially related to Star Trek. Only the very beginning and the very end actually deal with the station and what's happening there; the plot for this tiny fraction of the story is virtually nonexistent except as a setup for the non-Star Trek part of the story. In that regard, it's barely worth two stars.

So if what you're interested in is a wonderfully told, powerfully moving story with some minor connection to Deep Space Nine, this is EXACTLY what you're looking for. If, on the other hand, you actually want a Star Trek novel, this may not be what you want.

a very good novelization
I throughly enjoyed reading this novel which is a novelization of an episode of Star Trek Deep Space Nine.The setting for most of this novel takes place in the 1950s in Harlem.Sisko (commander of Deep Space Nine) unexpectedly falls sick and is transported to Harlem, New York in the 1950s.He keeps his body but is a different person who is struggling to become a Science Fiction writer.By reading the novel we feel the main character's (Benny's) pain and wish him well, but everyone who has seen the episode knows what the outcome will be.Seeing how Benny overcame so much adversity and kept his dream alive in spite of all of the obstacles that confronted him was an emboldening story.

One of the things that I really liked about this book was how it went back to Benny's childhood and into the bodies of men from several generations back.We see Benny as a child growing up in Harlem and also as a slave in america tending the fields.

I think this story would be enjoyable for any reader, but I think those familiar with the characters on Star Trek Deep Space Nine will appreciate it much more.The story transposes the main characters from Deep Space Nine and puts them in a different setting along with Sisko giving them different names but having mostly the same personalities.

I was surprised to discover that the original episode on television was written by a white man, because it really brings out the feelings and frustrations of a black man living in a time when any black man other than a custodian, busboy or shoe shiner was seen as a threat to the majority community.

The author's note at the end of the book discusses the role of blacks in film and TV.The author makes some interesting and insightful observations on how far we've come and how Star Trek has been at the forefront in placing blacks in good parts.

A memorable novelization!
Clearly "Far Beyond the Stars" was one of the best Deep Space Nine episodes in it's seven year run.Steven Barnes took that episode and, in a very short amount of time, turned the novelization into an amazing accoutrement to that episode.Even more so than the episode, you can feel for the characters in the book.It is at times gut wrenching and at other times totally enlightening.The author captured all of the character's with perfection.He also captured the 50's era with ease.A truly delightful book.If you've not read this, you need to whether or not you're a fan of trek fiction.It would be nice if the author would make another foray into the trek universe.

A wonderful book to accompany a wonderful episode
If you have not seen Far Beyond the Stars -- see it. It's simply one of the best Star Trek episodes ever, of all the series. Youdon't necessarily have to be a Deep Space Nine fan to enjoy it either -- just being a fan of great stories, or of science fiction, would be enough.

The book is a wonderful supplement to the TV episode, adding in many details and extra scenes. It perfectly captures the tone and mood of 1950s New York, as the episode did. Benny Russell is an unforgettable character.

The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is because of a jarring line or two in there comparing the situtation of women vs. blacks in the '50s. It was totally unnecessary, IMHO, not to mention rather insensitive. A woman writer features in the story - like Benny, she's told to "call in sick" on the day the magazine staff is photographed for their next issue - how dare a woman be a sci-fi- writer? But the author says she has it better because "she can live where she wants, her kids can go to the best schools..." Hmm.

Other than that however, it's a wonderful read.

"Wonder-full" and wonderful book!!
I liked the episode, but the book was so much better there's almost no comparison.Steven Barnes' story of Benny Russell's struggle to preserve his dream of "Deep Space Nine" against racism blends a Christ-figure with the same restrained, tolling tone as Langston Hughes' poetry to show a man whose passion is such that it elevates his "fiction" to the level of prophecy (inside the Trek universe, anyway).Read this story and then consider its basic premise in general terms.Your life just might change in unexpected ways. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (49)

Generational Twist
Niven is a great sci-fi writer. Together with Pournelle they are brilliant. But there are multigenerational twists to this work that set it even higher up the story-telling scale. Stunning events can shape the mindset of an entire generation but how does that work out when those events are merely history for their children? Its hard to fear myths . . . or is it?

A disaster
This book is a major disappointment. The predecessor, "Legacy of Heorot", was a reasonably well-written, entertaining book. Not without flaws, but captivating in its own way. This one, however, is a boring knock-off that reads like it was written quickly (numerous consistency errors) to make some cash. No real plot, just endless noodling about the sexual mores and relationship angst of a group of uninteresting, one-dimensional characters. No structure, no tension, no drama, little creativity, just self-indulgence from authors who seem to be taking their audience for granted. Don't waste your time with this one. I wish I hadn't.

timely social commentary in space
Upon their arrival on Avalon the Earth Born never fully recovered from the extended hibernation whereas their Star Born children have thrived.The Earth Born have not forgotten their near extinction when they cavalierly tried to colonize the mainland, but almost were left extinct by the monsters as they fled like rats off a sinking ship during the Grendel Wars (see THE LEGACY OF HEOROT); only fast action by Cadmann Wayland saved them.Now young adults the Star Born discuss a second invasion, but while their collective parents object, the youngsters feel they have the intelligence to succeed and dub the elders as cowards.

The Star Born have a leader Aaron Tragon, who has no connection to any of the Earth Born; being more removed than his peers who in a collective sense feel for the brain damaged elders.Aaron uses abuse and cruelty to obtain authorization of an invading force to take the mainland.Now the hero of the first Grendel War and his opponent pushing a second war amplify the generational divide; their respective actions will cause further schism amongst the humans as the Grendel monsters remain on the mainland that the colonists desire.

The story line starts slow with the Star Born debating what to do about their increasingly feeble parents, but that dialogue is what makes the reprint so timely; due to the false accusations that health care reform includes death squads from those hypocrites who until recently fully supported end of life counseling.The storyline accelerates when Aaron and to a lesser degree Cadmann take control of the plot.The Grendels are a much more fascinating species than they were portrayed in THE LEGACY OF HEOROT; especially with the improbable climax.Still fans will enjoy this social commentary in space that seems as apropos as it was in 1995 when health care reform was debated.

Harriet Klausner

An old friend
While this unit was in transit, I reread the first novel.When it did arrive, it was early and in better shape than I expected.Great buy.

Not Free SF Reader
This is the sequel to the former Legacy of Heorot novel, also called the Dragons of Heorot, I think, and unfortunately it is not as interesting.

The older generation begin to have health problems from all that they have endured, so a serious generation gap develops between those born locally, and those not.

So, the book mostly is about the difference in cultural attitudes between the two, and the new kids wanting to go their own way.


... Read more

Product Description
Ord Cestus, a planet mostly barren and inhospitable to life, was first colonized as a prison world—until a handful of hardy pioneers discovered its rich ore deposits and managed to build up a successful droid-manufacturing industry. But when the Clone Wars erupted, bringing severe rationing of imported resources and a Republic ban on the production of battle droids, Ord Cestus was threatened with imminent economic collapse.

Enter the Confederacy of Independent Systems—the Separatists—with a life-saving offer to purchase a generous quantity of the planet’s most lucrative export: bio-droids. Possessed of tactical capabilities that rival the fighting abilities of even the most advanced Jedi, these sophisticated, techno-organic hybrid units would prove a most formidable weapon if ever deployed for military use. And now the Confederacy’s intention to invest in what amounts to an army of bio-droids has sent ripples of alarm through the highest echelons of the Republic government.

Determined to halt the bio-droid sale—but fearing a show of force will result in a political backlash—Supreme Chancellor Palpatine dispatches a team of envoys, led by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Their mission: persuade Ord Cestus’s government to abandon its dealings with the Confederacy . . . while secretly stirring up revolution among the planet’s struggling underclass. Diplomacy is paramount. But if all else fails, the Republic will not hesitate to launch a full-scale attack—and wipe out not only the means of bio-droid production, but countless lives as well, to demonstrate the consequences of disloyalty.

For Obi-Wan, the prospect of such wholesale slaughter only serves to fuel his growing suspicions about the sinister path the Republic seems to be taking. But the brash Jedi Master Kit Fisto and the detachment of clone soldiers assigned to the mission are ready and willing to do the Supreme Chancellor’s bidding. As the leaders of Ord Cestus refuse to capitulate and Palpatine rapidly loses patience, Obi-Wan’s hopes of a peaceful resolution are dwindling. Now, facing a crisis of conscience, Obi-Wan must find the wisdom and strength to prevent a bloodbath and safeguard the Republic— while abiding by the ancient code to which he has pledged his life.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (63)

Decent, but not Spectacular
The Clone Wars have long been one of the biggest mysteries of the original Star Wars trilogy. Mentioned in passing during Episode IV, fans knew very little about the conflict save that Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Bail Organa had been participants and that it, well, involved clones. Beyond this, nothing else was known and it wasn't until 25 years later that Episode II finally revealed the origins of the conflict. The Expanded Universe took up the task of chronicling the struggle through a vast multimedia campaign spanning the comics, television, and books.

"The Cestus Deception" opens one year after the events of Episode II. The Jedi learn that the Separatists are planning are on securing a large order from Cestus Cybernetics, a droid manufacturing company on the world of Ord Cestus. The droids, nicknamed "Jedi Killers", are found to be potent weapons against both clone troopers and their Jedi generals. Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Kit Fisto are sent in to attempt to negotiate with the Cestus government and, if necessary, begin guerilla operations to destroy the droids. But there are other forces at work on Cestus, forces that could sabotage not only their mission, but the entire war effort...

Matt Stover's "Shatterpoint" set the bar high for the Clone Wars novels and "The Cestus Deception" just doesn't make the mark. It's not a bad story as there's a nice balance of intrigue and action. But it ultimately feels like an average Star Wars novel. The characterization of Nate, while good, is repetitive as it had already been done over in the Republic Commando novels. Jonathan Davis's performance on the audiobook is as perfect as always.

This book is nothing more then a rip off
First off I would like to apologize to those of you that take the time to write these reviews, I didn't read them before I bought this book if I had I probably would not have.
This book is a not very well written short story with a lengthily Q&A with the author about his next book which is probably another stupid short story and long Q&A about his next stupid book I won't know because I will never buy another book by this guy. If I want a short story I'll buy a comic book and not pay over $7.00 for it.
If the publisher wants to print a short story or a Q&A with the author they should do one and or the other not together and pass it of as a book to con $7.19 out of my pocket

Not great but not terrible... pretty standard for the SW novels.
Ive read more SW novels than I care to attempt to recall and this one is pretty standard... it wasn't a great novel, but it was not a terrible one either. A pretty easy read that had some fun parts.

I liked!
I enjoyed reading this book.Mr. Barnes is an excellent writer and story teller.

More Clones and Droids
The best quality possessed by this book is its focus on Obi-Wan Kenobi.In movies and other Clone War Era books, the Kenobi character falls into the shadow of Anakin Skywalker.Fellow Jedi Kit Fisto, a relatively unexplored character from the movies, accompanies Kenobi on this mission while Anakin undergoes the Jedi trials.Barnes has some degree of license to create the Fisto character, but is rather modest about doing so.

The story itself does run a bit monotonous a times, but this frequently occurs in the Expanded Universe.In Cestus Deception, the parallel storyline follows the clone trooper Nate/Jangotat in his path to be coming more human.It is kind of like a Star Wars version of pinochio.However, being a clone, it is tough to engage too much interest in Nate/Jangotat.

Removing the clone storyline, the overall plot is fairly strong.Obi-Wan is sent to Cestus under fears that a droid nicknamed "Jedi killer" is being produced illegally.Futhermore, sinister motives of greed and the Sith may be encouraging the path of Cestus.Obi-Wan encounters many interesting natives and plot has twists which some may categorize as predictable.Yet the pace of the story makes reader want to continue.

In the paperback edition, the short story "The Hive" is included.This documents the recovery of Cestus after the Sith threat is removed from the planet.A well thought-out story, this may have been a welcome subplot to the main novel.In fact, it may have completed the novel better than the unique clone subplot. ... Read more

Product Description
Human language and our use of it to communicate or tounderstand the world requires deriving relations among events: forexample, if A=B and A=C, then B=C. Relational frame theory argues thatsuch performances are at the heart of any meaningful psychology oflanguage and cognition. From a very early age, human beings learnrelations of similarity, difference, comparison, time, and so on, andmodify what they do in a given situation based on its derived relationto others situations and what is known about them.This volume goesbeyond theory and gives the empirical and conceptual tools to conductan experimental analysis of virtually every substantive topic in humanlanguage and cognition, both basic and applied. As the term`post-Skinnerian' suggests, this volume challenges behavioralpsychology to abandon many of the specific theoretical formulations ofits most prominent historical leader in the domain of complex humanbehavior, especially in human language and cognition, and approach thefield from a new direction.The need for a pragmatically usefulanalysis of language and cognition is as enormous and varied as itsextensions and applications. This volume will be of interest not onlyto behavior theorists but also to cognitive psychologists, therapists,educators, and anyone studying the human condition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An extraordinary book
This book offers a remarkably concise overview of relational frame theory and the implications of significantly extending Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior to the behavior of the listener. While mastery of the many new terms and concepts may require special effort, the return on this investment is considerable. By illuminating the functions of arbitrarily applicable stimulus relations, Hayes and colleagues equip behavior analysts with an exciting set of sophisticated analytic tools that fully respect the radical behavioral tradition, yet encourages us to grapple with a new range of generative verbal processes. Buy this book, study it, and transform your current analytic vocabulary with power of relational frame theory.

Excellent psychological science
Psychologists who think behaviorism has little or nothing to offer to a scientific account of cognition and emotion should read this book. Through coherent, conceptually pure theory and consistent empirical research, Hayes and colleagues have developed an account of these pivotal topics that may bring behaviorism back onto the main stage in psychology. Relational Frame Theory (RFT) makes a small handful of parsimonious additions to traditional Skinnerian radical behaviorism that appear to account for an impressively broad variety of clinical, social, and educational phenomena. RFT builds on the traditional strengths of behaviorism by bringing a small, core set of directly observable principles to bear on broad-ranging topics like language, cognition, and emotion. While Skinner's (1957) account of verbal behavior arguably minimized the importance of cognition and emotion, RFT recognizes their pivotal importance and points the way toward some novel and clever psychological interventions (most notably, Hayes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which is firmly grounded in RFT principles). In the process, RFT avoids the tenuous inferences and mechanism-postulating pitfalls of (for example) cognitive and psychodynamic theory, and avoids the scientific progress-retarding inconsistencies of theoretically eclectic approaches like cognitive-behaviorism. The biggest question that remains for the viability of an RFT approach to language, cognition, and emotion is: Is there predictive and influential utility in the approach? That is, does thinking about psychological and educational issues from an RFT perspective result in increasingly effective interventions? The answer to this question should unfold, empirically, over the next decade or two. This book is not for the casual reader-while RFT is at heart an elegantly simple set of principles, it is initially difficult to get one's head around the concept. But for psychologists & other social scientists with an abiding interest in solid scientific accounts of language, cognition, and emotion, this book is well worth the read. Coherent conceptual accounts based on good empirical data, like RFT, are very few and far between in psychology-and, collectively, are the best argument for psychology being classifiable as a science I have seen. ... Read more

Product Description

Award-winning actor and author Blair Underwood joins forces with two amazing and award-winning authors Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes to deliver the second installation in the stunning and provocative Tennyson Hardwick novel In the Night of the Heat.

Threatened with death after acquittal for murder, football superstar T. D. Jackson asks struggling actor and former gigolo Tennyson Hardwick for protection. Tennyson has a reputation in Hollywood after solving the murder of rapper Afrodite, but politely turns Jackson down: His acting career is taking off with a new series, and he's trying to work out his personal life after a series of wrong turns.

But Tennyson's life is upturned when his seedy past catches up to him on the set of his TV series. Then T. D. Jackson is found dead in his home, the victim of an apparent suicide.

T.D.'s gorgeous cousin, Melanie, is sure the superstar was murdered, and Jackson's family offers Tennyson an irresistible fee to discover the truth. But prying into T. D. Jackson's death means answering the question that divided a nation and destroyed a film star and a football icon's life and career: Did T. D. Jackson kill his wife?

When the investigation takes an unexpected turn toward the governor's mansion and a long-forgotten football game in the segregated South of the 1960s, Tennyson uncovers secrets tearing at the heart of two dynasties and must rely on all of his assets -- his actor's heart, deadly hands, profiler's mind, and every other part of his body -- to keep from dying next. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Tennyson Does It Again!
I had purchased book #3 before reading #2 so I had to back track.Mr. Underwood, Ms. Due and Mr. Barnes have really hit on something special as a team in writing the espisodes in Tennyson Hardwick's life.They are very entertaining and edge of seat reading.Some of the situations Ten finds himself in, but manages to get out of are somewhat ellaborate, but as I said entertaining.Take special care with proofing as I found a few little typos, but other than that, I have recommended these books to all my friends.

Great Read!
From begining to end this was a fast pace read!The HEAT is definitely in this book. I enjoyed this book!

The heat is on
Tennyson Hardwick has struggled to live a normal life, raising a teenager, living with his wheelchair bound father and trying to get a grasp of being romantically involved with one woman. That simply life is rudely interrupted when football legend T. D. Jackson who has received several threats after his acquittal for murder, asked Tennyson, an old college acquaintance, to look into these threats. Tennyson turns him down flat, but later regrets that decision when Jackson is found dead, presumably because he has committed suicide in his own home.

Hired by T. D's father to investigate the death, Tennyson quickly discovers that things aren't what they appear to be. The truth behind the football legend's death surrounds an old football game that dates back to the late 1960's. No one involved with the game wants to talk about the old days, not even T. D's father. At the same time, Tennyson is trying to deal with his recent split with his girlfriend of the past year, April, who has taken a job in Africa.

Authors Blair Underwood, Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes did an excellent job with this book. The story has everything you need for a great mystery, suspense, action and clues that truly make sense by the end of the novel. I had a hard time putting `In the Night of the Heat: A Tennyson Hardwick Novel' down at times, especially at the end, where the excitement and tension had me glued to my chair. This is book two 2 in the series, but you don't necessarily have to read the first one to enjoy this but, though I do recommend you do.

Lost Hours
Darkest Hours: A Joseph Hooks Novel
The Friday House

Another Fantastic Read!
Another Fantastic Read by the Due, Barnes and Underwood trio.I bought this book while in the middle of reading "Casanegra" and I was not disappointed.Ten is once again Ten..Smart,sensitive,funny and always so..so..so sexy.This book is layered with wonderful characters and a great story line.If you are looking for a great mystery, this is your book.Check out "Casanegra" first for the chatacter's background.Again, I loved it!

Pretty Good.Some Parts Unbelievable
The character in this book, Tennyson, is half believable and somewhat far-fetched.His ability as a detective is interesting fodder.The story line in this book is also good, although reminiscent of O.J. Simpson.His past life and his live-in ward -- I don't like those two parts of the character. I think he should def get rid of the ward for the next story.It's just not right and if it continues, it's uncomfortable. Overall, the book is a solid read.The ending is a little weird and unexpected, but still good. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: John Tyler Hammons, Melvin B. Tolson, Cassius Mcdonald Barnes, Steven W. Taylor, W. H. Mcfadden, Robert Fiddler, Kelly Rupp, Thomas Buffington, O. A. Cargill, Ed Overholser. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 50. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: John Tyler Hammons (born September 4, 1988) is the 47th and current Mayor of Muskogee, a city of about 40,000 people in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. He was elected on May 13, 2008, as a 19-year old freshman at the University of Oklahoma, after winning 70% of the vote in a runoff election against 70-year-old, three-time former Muskogee mayor Herschel McBride. Hammons was handily reelected as Mayor on April 6, 2010, in a four way race. First elected at the age of 19, Hammons is among the youngest mayors in United States history. Hammons is a fourth generation Oklahoman and a member of the Cherokee Nation. Born and raised in Muskogee, Oklahoma, he attended public schools and graduated from Muskogee High School in the Class of 2007. Before beginning his senior year, Hammons was a delegate to the Oklahoma Boys State where he would campaign to serve as Governor of Boys State. During his senior year, Hammons was MHS student body president and was president of both MHS Young Republicans and MHS Young Democrats. After graduating, Hammons attended the University of Oklahoma for his freshman year of college. While there, he selected to major in political science and public administration. He transferred to Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma in the fall of 2008. In 2010, Hammons enrolled at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa. Hammons publicly declared his intent to run for mayor of Muskogee on January 29 and officially filed for office on February 5. By the end of the filing date, Hammons was one of six candidates vying to be m...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=23209955 ... Read more

Product Description
Hugs and smiles and playtime: If only parenting 2- to 5-year-olds was this simple. But any parent of a toddler or preschooler knows that it also often requires dealing with whining, tantrums, "no, I won't" and other generally naughty behavior that tests the limits of your ingenuity and patience. How can parents balance nurturing behaviors that demonstrate love and affection with the discipline all children need to learn and thrive? Common Sense Parenting of Toddlers and Preschoolers shows parents how discipline can be more about teaching than punishment and more positive than negative for both you and your child.

Included in these pages:
How to set reasonable expectations based on your child's age, development, and abilities
How to use a parent's version of "show and tell" to both prevent problems and correct misbehavior
How to use praise like a compass, helping your child stay on the right path
How to create plans for staying calm for you and your child
How to use consistency, consequences, and practice to help your child learn what you expect of him or her
How to celebrate special rituals and everyday routines as cherished family traditions

Winner of the National Parenting Center's 2001 Seal of Approval
Gold Award Winner, 2002 National Parenting Publications Awards ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Absolute BEST
This is my all-time favorite parenting book for young children. I've taught its principles over and over again to parents of various ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. And when the parents are committed to trying something new, the children always respond with positive change (although it might take more time for some children). I can't say enough how fabulous this book is! It should be required reading for every parent. It's easy to read, teaches simple and do-able skills, and includes interesting statistics.

not for everyone
This book is for parents who regularly yell at, threaten, berate, and lose their temper with their children, and are looking for calmer, more reasonable alternatives.Unfortunately, that was not me, so I did not find much useful info in here. It is not for parents who are looking for firmer and stronger discipline strategies to deal with children who are constantly challenging them.

Also, it is quite a stretch to say this book is for preschoolers AND toddlers.It's really just for preschool age, unless your toddler is highly advanced verbaly.

Good Book
I felt this is a good book at helping parents deal with issues they are having with their kids.My issues were my 3 & 4 year old would not listen the first time around and i was always repeating myself.Also they use to go to bed without complaints and now they keep coming out or fighting.This book gave us methods to use, which seem to be working.This book help me see things my kids do that push my buttons, and how to stop this.Now i feel more calm even when my kids are losing it.I don't have that 'i am going crazy' feeling very often.I found myself saying "Stop!" or "Don't!" all the time.Now i am calmer and say things like "Let's make a better choice please."My kids seem to like it better, and have a good idea of the rules and consequences.The book help us with more structure without giving a schedule.

Practical and Useful Toddler Parenting Book
I decided to try this method because I had used the Boys Town Common Sense teaching method as a school project.I really liked its "non-bully" approach to dealing with students who were misbehaving.I particularly liked the preventative approaches that reduced the amount of misbehavior in general.Now that I have a toddler, I really wanted to use the same type of approach and had struggled with doing so.I tried other books and methods but found them to be outside my style or ridiculous and difficult to apply.This book is just what it says:"Common-sense" and it WORKS.It is easy to apply and doesn't require a Masters to use.My son has made amazing progress behavior-wise.I highly recommend this book for those who like a simple program for profound results.

A waste of money
This book is VERY basic and overall boring.There are better books out there for sure.Try your local library! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

An Overlooked Gem
We've been making the recipes from this booklet since 1999 and have rarely been disappointed. Several recipes are now family faves- sizzling Japanese Steakhouse Chicken, the earthy Fettucine with Wild Mushroom Sauce, Peking Chicken- and not because they are low-fat but because they taste great. The low fat is just icing on the cake. Guiltless dining. Love it. A little gem that is easy to overlook.

Steven is more well known for his BBQ books, but if you can find this book you should try it. A bargain. I wish he'd re-print it and add more recipes.

The only downside is the top-bound easel format. It can make it hard to follow a recipe as you flip and twist pages to read the recipe.

An excellent addition to any collection of cook books.
This book should be appreciated by anyone who loves to cook, enjoys elegant but simple food and is interested in limiting fat and sugar in their diet.Mr. Raichlen does not sacrifice taste and flavor, and eventhough the removal of fat usually changes the texture and flavor of a dish,the addition of familiar and unusual herbs and spices more than compensatesfor the low amout of oil and other fats.Do not skimp on the herbs andspices and do not be put off if some of the ingredients are not in yourlocal supermarket.Making the effort to find the ingredients is well worthit.Recipes are easy to follow with a fair estimate of preparation time. I have been working my way through this book and have yet to bedisappointed and my palate is constantly amazed.

The title says it all!
What makes a credible review of a cook book? Is it enough to read the well written intro material and look at the beautiful pictures? Surely one does not have to prepare all the recipes to get a flavor of the book. I suggest that four recipes constitute an adequate test. Conveniently, I have just finished my third and fourth dish and can honestly say the book lives up to it's title. The food tastes great! I'm a novice cook and found the instructions to be fine. The prep and cook rigor is a little more than I'm used to, but not out of reach. Mr. Raichlen's kitchen must be better equipped than mine (hint: a common four sided grater and a shallow cup will work for the delicious herb spaetzle). A few ingredients are beyond our normal supermarket, but well within a decent gourmet or ethnic shop. These are minor anoyances to be dealt with and worth it. I've been a little reluctant to follow my wife down the low fat road due to bland taste, but this book fully resolves that issue.

the coolest low fat book in the world!
My parents have this book and my mother uses it all the time. The food is low fat and really good for you but it tastes like normal food. Actually it tastes better than normal food. I'm taking it with me to college next year, definitely. :) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Niven and Pournelle get it right
Earth manages to send a colony to the E. Eridani system. The colony is well equipped, but they will only succeed if everything goes well. They are all geniuses, and do a good job of establishing a tentative foothold on a seemingly benign piece of real estate. Then a threat no one could have expected materializes. The colonists respond in what seems an intelligent manner, but manage to make matters worse. A great story of survival in the face of unknown horror.

This book has it all. Believeable science, believeable characters, a great plot, excellent writing, and a monster that will give you the screaming willies.

My Favorite
This is my very favorite SF book.It has been years since I first read it.It kept me on the edge of my seat from the beginning to the end.It is such a well thought out book with such a believable scenario.It shows how that even the most innocent mistakes blossom with deadly consequences.

I have yet to hear from anyone I've recommended this book to that it was not a good read.Not all of them think it's their favorite, but; I certainly do.

the best science fiction story ever
I can't believe that only one other person took time to review this book. I always think of this story as something to judge all others against. I don't think that the monsters in this story will ever be topped. And they will never be successfully captured on film. This story exceeds so well on so many levels. Buy it. Read it. Keep it because you will definitely read it again and again.

For peple who don't like science fiction
"The Legacy of Heorot" is the book that I always recommend to people who say that they don't like science fiction.I have yet to get one person say that they don't like this book.It reminds people of the movie "Alien", in fact whenever I picture a "Grendel", the monster from Alien always seems to pop in my head.
Part Australian Outback colonization story, part monster movie, and part psychological profile, "The Legacy of Heorot" delivers on many levels.All of the major characters are well fleshed out and you can actually believe in them.All of the science fiction is rooted solidly in fact. And although the story line drags a bit at times, you can believe that another surprise is waiting on the very next page. ... Read more

Product Description
Dream Park is the ultimate fantasy experience, where participants can play the California Voodoo Game, interacting with holographic images and virtual-reality technology, unaware that they are being used as subjects to test a Martian terraforming project. 35,000 first printing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Shameless escapism (& happily timeless)
On a personal note on the progression of time, I remember picking up my copy of The California Voodoo Game from the second-hand section of Rainy Day Books (Fairway, Kansas) and reading it while my mom was at work. I was, at most, 13.

This was the first book I ever read in the Dream Park series - and it lead to some pretty wild speculation about my own future career. Somehow I parlayed my skills at math (awesome) and tennis (not so hot) to become a fearsome warrior the likes of which the world had never seen... Two decades later, I suck at math, Rainy Day Books is on Twitter and The California Voodoo Game is as wildly entertaining as ever.

First published in 1992, The California Voodoo Game is the third and final book in Niven and Barnes' Dream Park series. The overriding premise is that, in the 2050s, the ultimate spectator sport is Live Action Role Playing (LARP). The geeks have successfully inherited the earth.

"Gaming" is a combination of physical skill, strategy and some pretty phenomenal holographic technology. Players wear special lenses that let them "see" things based on their character's powers and skills. Holographic special effects abound, but there's also a lot of climbing around, leaping off of things and whacking at props with foam-rubber blades.

The lion's share of the trilogies entertainment value comes out of these scenes. Not just watching the characters crawl around being chased by tentacle-monsters, but also seeing how those tentacle-monsters were brought to life. The California Voodoo Game goes a step further than the other two books in the series: the teams in the Game are competing against one another - something like the SuperBowl of Swords n' Sorcery.

If there's a flaw in the series, it is the heart-on-its-sleeve charge to promote LARPing. My 13-year-old self may have glided past the heavy-handed messaging in search of more action (or the sex scenes), but my 30 year-old self didn't. Like with Piers Anthony's Killobyte, the authors of the Dream Park series aren't happy to let an entertaining concept sell itself. Showing that fantasy/sport sword-gaming will be COMPLETELY AWESOME is a very easy pitch. Showing LARPing as the means to send people to Mars, get nerds laid and end terrorist conflicts... that's over-egging it.

More skillfully done, each of the novels combines a murder mystery with a Game. Although using a Game to cure eating disorders is a stretch (seriously, that's book two), the combination of fantasy escapism & professional sporting is a fantastic foundation for intrigue. The California Voodoo Game is a particularly well-crafted mystery - the reader knows whodunnit from the early pages (hell, everyone does) - but the "why" is a tangled mystery that isn't revealed until the very end.

Of the three books in the Dream Park series, Voodoo is perhaps the most entertaining - but also has the weakest characters of the lot. The series protagonist, Alex Griffin (the theme park's head of security) is almost a background character. A host of other characters return from the first book in the series, including the man-eating Acacia Garcia (don't worry, man-geeks, she's swiftly put back in her place).

If anyone shines through, it is Nigel Bishop, the book's villain. A recently-reinstated Gaming legend, Bishop literally wrote the book on Game strategy. A villain and a genius, the majority of the book is spend with his intellectual inferiors (the good guys) trying to figure out what he's doing. He's also a gourmet chef, a ninja warrior, an umpteenth-level wizard and a tiger in the sack. If it weren't for his sociopathic tendencies, he'd be a fantasy reader's aspiration. As it is, he's still the most compelling character in the book.

Although it is indefensibly cheesy, The California Voodoo Game is now even more entertaining than ever.It is also a two-decades old, charmingly optimistic look at a geektopia future, where nerds of all descriptions have come up with a way to be publicly lauded for their geekery. It is an undeniably appealing future - and that's part of the book's escapist appeal.

Plenty of action and strategy in the Game and out
Alex Griffin is back as the intrepid Chief of Security at the theme park of tomorrow, where the adventures are scripted but the gamers are on their own.Welcome back to Dream Park - Niven and Barnes' not-so-futuristic getaway resort, where a combination of animatronics, live actors, holograms, and computer-aided design allows well-heeled patrons to participate in the fantasy adventure of a lifetime.Once again there's been a murder at Dream Park, and once again one of the gamers must be the culprit, so once again Griffin has to join the game to try and identify the killer.

You don't need to read the other books to enjoy this bi-leveled adventure-ride, although it might be best to read Dream Park first to get to know the characters better.As the title suggests, this time around the game deals with a uniquely Californian brand of voodoo, but Griffin has his hands full keeping his eye on the five competing teams of fanatical gamers who seem willing to go to any length to win.As in the previous novels, the Game really steals the show, so this book is recommended for gamers more than for sci-fi readers, who won't find much in the way of scientific innovation here.But there's plenty of action and strategy both in and out of the Game, so despite the feeling that we've seen it all before, this may be the best of the three Dream Park novels.This volume's mystery gets a much neater resolution than that of the original novel, while the book as a whole possesses considerably more meat than the lightweight Barsoom Project.

Not Free SF Reader
Again, a murder is committed in Dream Park, and this time the deceased is Alex Griffin's girlfriend. That was probably a mistake.

The California Voodoo Game is massive, involving several teams of top class players, and five Gamemasters, including Tony McWhirter.

Griffin again has to join the game, but this time as a NPC guide. Eventually they discover a complicated, very clever game of industrial espionage is being played within the Voodoo Game itself.

Not as good as the original
If you're already a fan of Dream Park, this is a decent read.Don't expect it to be as good as the original, but it's worth the cost for a light, entertaining read.

That Voodoo That They Do
This second followup to the cult hit "Dream Park" is not as good as its inspiration, but is mounds better than its predecessor, "The Barsoom Project".I'll save my Barsoom bashing for another review, though, and just talk about "The California Voodoo Game" in this one.

This novel has everything that was good about "Dream Park", but still manages to be a tedious, less interesting version of the original.Most of the familiar characters are back, Griffin, the tough-as-nails Security Chief with the heart of gold, Acacia Garcia, the tough-as-nails gamer with the squishy insides, Tony McWhirter, the hacker criminal made good.They're all tossed into the Dream park salad to play a game called "California Voodoo", which would be fine if not for the fact that - DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUHHHH - someone get's murdered before the game and the Dream Park staff must infiltrate the game in order to catch the killer without setting off the alarms, spooking the gamers or losing their merchandising rights.

Just like the other two novels.

Sadly, this outing picks up a little of the creaky, world-weariness of the second book and keeps none of the rollicking, out and out fun of the first.The concept of Voodoo magick played out in a gigantic, ruined building is at once interesting and limiting.The authors, for all their bibliographic citations, show only a rudimentary understanding of vodoun and its many variations.The random appearance of loa is distracting and confusing.

The thing that was most fun about "Dream Park" was the fact that Griffin had to join a game as a player and track his prey from under cover; this meant the reader got to experience the game much as the players did.Here, the real focus is on the investigation.Too much takes place outside the game, too little explanation goes into the game and the authors don't really support the world they've created within the walls of Dream Park.

Frankly, the mystery just isn't that compelling.While the outcome may have cost Dream Park's parent company a ton of dough, I just didn't care.While the villain had murdered someone in the beginning of the book, I just didn't care about the victim or the methods used to catch the killer.What I DID care about was The Game.And there just wasn't enough game to go around.

The writing duo's prose this time around is more accessible than in The Barsoom Project and those reading the series for the first time will not be too disappointed to finish here instead of there.But overall, the magic feels like it's gone. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Casanegra follows the adventures of Tennyson Hardwick, a gorgeous, sexy actor and former gigolo, living on the fringes of the good life in Hollywood. This story, which chronicles the redemption of a prodigal son, combines the glamour of Hollywood with the seedy hopelessness of the inner city.

In this hot and steamy mystery, Tennyson struggles to hang on to his acting career and redeem his sex-for-pay history, which estranged him from his family -- especially his father, a decorated LAPD captain who raised Tennyson to call him "sir." Now, in the wake of his father's sudden stroke, Tennyson has to save himself from taking the fall for the first murder of a female rapper. In the process he discovers his hidden talents -- the hard way. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (78)

Oustanding!!!!!!!!!!!!
Best book I've read in a while...I truly loved it....they should make a movie out it. Greay Great book....highly recommend buying...shoot I'll lend you mine. Now I gotta get the other two books....I'm sure they'll be just as good........

Very Good!!

This book is a very quick read..hard to put down. Very refreshing and original. I can so see Blaire in this role on the big screen. Sexy, confident and smart..There were a couple of things that were not so believable for me..like the Chela storyline, I won't spoil it for others but I totally felt he should have handled that situation in a different way--like putting her in the hands of a trusted adult female. A few other things were like OMG, come on!! who would do that??? But all in all a pretty good beginning--I am ready to move on to book #2 in the series...

Great Page Turner
I was glued from begining to end.I was a real page turner!Didn't put the book down for no more then five minutes!LOVED IT!!!

Casanegra
It took me a while to finish this book.The beginning was very slow.The story didn't pick up or hold my attention until I was two thirds into the book.I LOVE to read mystery/suspense novels and this one was pretty good.There aren't many African American mystery/suspense writers and Blair Underwood and his co-writers did a good job, but I'm not sure if I will read the other two books.

A Great Read for the Intelligent, Grown and Sexy
This book was absolutely wonderful.The plot was suspenseful and the characters unforgettable.I am a picky reader who's always in search of a great read.I passed this one by on several occasions and finally decided to give it a try.Please don't be slow on the uptake.Get this book and take MY Tennyson home with you...Don't get too comfortable though because I want him back.I'm in search of book #2. ... Read more