Reviews (8)

Absolutely Great for Self-Study and Understanding
This is a completely outstanding work by an outstanding author. I have used this book for years, and again and again find myself turning to it for essential summaries and derivations of key results. Evidently some reviewers have not even caught on to the fact that the proofs of all the theorems are in the solved problems! (This is my first Amazon review, but I cannot allow the injustice perpetrated by some other reviewers to stand.)

All of the (few) typos of concern to some reviewers are in the "supplementary problems", and by the time you've got there you'll have no little confidence in your own answers and in your own ability. This is *the* probability and statistics book for me because the proofs are presented with minimum formality in order to maximize understanding of the main ideas.Want to know how to *derive* the chi-square distribution or how to add or multiply random variables?You'll find no clearer or more succinct presentation anywhere.

The first two chapters are also suitable for beginners. Copious examples (as thoughout) attend the presentations of (elementary) set theory, probability axioms, and combinatorics. The supplementary problems, always optional, however, do contain intermediate level challenges.

The book is entirely self-contained, and though it is of course true that extra books always help, it's the best single-source. It's ideal for self-study, as are all of Murray Spiegel's Schaum Outlines.

huh?
Most books have errors and typos.This book is no exception but I am curious as to why some reviewers think that nothing is proven. Of course some theorems are not proven rigorously which they can't be at this level but most proofs exist. If you are confused about Jacobians, then maybe you should also reference a calculus book because Spiegel expects that you know what that is.

This is an excellent book to refresh your knowledge of intro probability and statistics but assumes you are proficient in calculus.

Reviews (19)

The best book of it's kind.
Every concept and example is explained with just the right amount of words and visual aids.The author has talent. The talent is his ability to pass the relevant information straight to the center of your brain, and the ability to bind the whole subject together.

In comparison, Stewart's Calculus book is just a compilation of information.With each new edition, Stewart adds more footnotes and side notes.The footnotes and side notes really only serve as a bandage to prevent the information of his book from falling apart.

While Larson is presenting us with a complete and beautiful product, Stewart is scrambling to keep his product at par.

Larson's book is the best all purpose high school and undergraduate book of it's kind.The website of the book is great and holds interesting additional information.

Some cons.The book is big heavy and expensive.Some key precalculus reviews are missing in the main book, however, they are available on the book's website.

The Best Calculus Book
This is the best Calculus book, or for that matter, one of the best text books I have ever studied. I transfered colleges and have had the opportunity to see other Calc books. This book (with the solution manual) explains the problems thoroghly and each problem section starts with the very easy, and the gradually moves into the challenging. It also works in real world applications to make your study of the subject much more interesting. I give the book an A+.

Reviews (69)

Just plain confusing...
This book is pretty useless when it comes to explaining concepts that it attempts to teach. It skips steps and fails to explain how to solve a lot of problems. I usually have to have a math tutor, or the teacher explain the lessons to me, because the 15-page sectionsin the book seem to get me nowhere. I wouldn't have a problem with discrete math if we had a different textbook.

Reasonably good text, very poor student/instructor guides.
The text itself is brief, but still a good overview of discrete mathematics.The main problem is the student and instructor guides.The answers frequently have errors and problems are not reiterated in the text, so a student or a grader has to flip back and forth between at least two books to make sense of the solutions.Even more frustrating for students is the fact that some problems do not have good answers: the author admits that he cannot solve the problem and refers to answers from other problems instead.This is simply not fair to students who may be struggling with the material.

As a teaching assistant, it is not up to me to select the text books.If it were, I would look for a replacement.

Reviews (2)

Not for beginners
I am currently taking Diff EQ and this book is not helpful at all. It shows very few examples and skips too many steps. I am very frustrated with this book and would not recommend it to people taking this course for the first time

Reviews (8)

This book is adequate but needs improvement
I have an older edition of this book. It is well-written and has a good selection of homework problems, but it lacks clarity and does not emphasize practice. Most proof books are good for learning the basics of proofs but aren't sufficient to do proofs in a specific area of math. My website focuses on how to practice doing proofs, fsc729.ifreepages.com.

John G.

Do not buy this book!
I had one of my math courses at Macalester College use this book in addition to the main textbook. It is one of the most boring readings in math ever. If you want a beginning book that would teach you how to do problem-oriented math, you had better consider George Polya's How to Solve It or consult a math teacher near you;-) In order to further underscore my poit, I will just say that it was not only I but the whole class that disgruntled against the book and we hated it so much that the professor does not use it anymore.

Big Improvement in Second Edition
Contrary to the review by the person from Louisiana I feel the second edition is better than the first. The typesetting is greatly improved, and there are a few new tools for your toolbag in the second edition.

As to the criticism that the second edition only has solutions for the odd numbered problems, the reviewer failed to mention that there are twice as many problems in the new edition and that all the problems from the first edition were carried into the second (along with their solutions). I found it more satisfying working through the second edition knowing that the problems were correctly solved - not because the answer matches the back of the book - but because the arguments are compelling and demonstrably correct.

Reviews (9)

Very Useful
Whilst as some reviewers have pointed out, the proofs offered are not always the most fundamental and rigorous available, this aspect of the text makes it surprisingly digestible.As an example, the last chapter (on complex variables) seems almost an afterthought.However the text in combination with the solved problems will have the reader performing integration using residues etc in no time.This area of calculus has many weighty tomes devoted to it, offering full and rigorous proofs of each theorem, but to gain a similar working facility to that described above one needs to trawl through almost an entire book, a much more time-consuming exercise.The book works similarly for many other areas of calculus.This I found very rewarding, as I was able to go from clueless to reasonably proficient at problem solving in a short time, which encouraged me to keep learning.The more advanced treatments are also much easier to digest once you have some familiarity and competence in the area.

The only real let-down are the typos, which seem to be more concentrated in some chapters rather than others, however they are generally easily spotted and accounted for.

The book is therefore perfect for scientists and engineers, as with a minimum of fuss it teaches the reader everything they need to know to perform calculations, and makes a good introductory text for aspiring mathematicians.At this price, you'd be crazy to not have it lying around somewhere.

great!!
This book has great sentimental value for me! I love this book!!! It's got everything you need to get through multivariable calculus course and/or vector calculus & Fourier Series. It doesn't really go into any analysis stuff though; it's all concrete, so you can look at this to get the 'rough & ready' versions of theorems/proofs & then find the more rigorous & abstract versions somewhere else, or later on in your studies. It's also a good reference since it covers a lot more than what you might do in a course, & could be helpful for more than one course. It has so many solved problems & theorems that might not be done elsewhere. Get this if you're in maybe 2nd-year math & are going to carry on in math, science or engineering.

typo city
I bought this edition of schaum's ad calc to
replace my beloved but dog-eared first edition
(by Murray Spiegel alone).

Reviews (6)

It helped me through control systems
This book taught me both the basics and some of the finer points of LaPlace Transforms to get me past that hurdle so that I could begin focussing on the actual material presented in my BioControl Systems course.Many people got so caught up on the mathematics of LaPlace Transforms that they did not even get to the point where they could begin understanding control systems.I bought this book from Amazon at the beginning of the semester and it turned out to be a life-saver for me.I think that had I not sat down with this book for a weekend and taught myself LaPlace Transforms, I would have not passed that class.

Granted, this is a single case for a single class of a single bioengineering student; nevertheless, for my part I strongly recommend this book.I was put in a class where the teacher expected the students to have an understanding of the mathematics from the start.The majority of us didn't have that background, and this book clearly, simply, and without too much complication prepared me for my class which was exactly what I wanted it to do.It has been one of the best investments (as far as school books go) of my college career.

I must leave you with one parting word of wisdom.This book, and I don't think any other book dealing with such an advanced topic, is not easy to read.You will not be able to thoughtlessly master the material.You will work to understand it; your brain may hurt at times.But this book presented the information in a much-more-easy-to-digest manner than any of my college math textbooks, and for that, I am grateful.

Not for Engineers
This books looks like it was written by a mathematician for math students. I'm not saying that's bad, but with the screaming title, I feel like it will attract a lot of engineering students looking for help in their lower division engineering classes where Laplace Transforms are an integral part of the course. This text is not your best choice.

Looking @ the titles of some of the 8 chap. should make you suspicious:
Chap. 2 - The Inverse Laplace Transform,
Chap. 3 - Applications to Differential Equations,
Chap. 4 - Applications to Integral & Difference Equations,
Chap. 5 - Complex Variable Theory,
Chap. 7 - The Complex Inversion Formula,
Chap. 8 - Application to Boundary-Value Problems.

It's my guess that if your're an undergraduate engineering student (particularly EE), you're looking for a little less of Lerch's & Green's theorems, complex variable theory, & working inverse Laplace transforms by hand, and instead more engineering explanations of the complex S-plain, what's really happening when an f(t) is transposed into an F(s), how does the little function "e" raised to the "-st" power perform its magic, how does Laplace & Fourier transform differ, how does this relate to Phasors, & how can I solve many engineering problems without having to even write differential equations? In other words, you probably don't need another terse, yet cold math book. What you may be looking for issomething that addresses S-Domain circuit/system analysis written from the engineering point of view.

One suggestion, staying with Schaum's, is SIGNALS and SYSTEMS where Hsu does an OK job with engineering transforms including Laplace. It's more systems oriented than circuits, but you'll get a better feel for the application of transforms to engineering problems & the engineering math behind them from this book.

Wonderful reference, lotsa problems
I used this book (among others) for an undergraduate course on 'Fourier and Laplace Analysis' in my sophomore year in engineering. The author had presented the concepts of Fourier series and transforms before progressing to Laplace transforms. Many important topics like Convolution, Initial & Final Value Theorems as well as the applications of Laplace transforms in solving differential equations were presented in a clear-cut, understandable way.

Editorial Review

Fifty-seven years have passed since the events of Phantom Menace, 25 since A New Hope, and 21 since the Empire's final defeat over Endor. The still-fragile New Republic, rocked by internal conflict, now faces a potentially overwhelming challenge from beyond the known galaxy: the Yuuzhan Vong, a sinister race of warriors using highly advanced (and creepy) organic "devices" and vehicles, whose immense strength and technological edge lets them fight toe to toe with Jedi. And who better to flesh out these powerful and malevolent aliens, so dismissive and disdainful of humanity, than R.A. Salvatore, the author who almost single-handedly popularized Dungeons and Dragons' equally awful bad guys, the Drow, with his Drizzt Do'Urden books.

Reviews (87)

The Plight of the Refugees
In many respects, when one considers the plight of the refugees in this storyline, it isn't that dissimiliar to the plight of refugees in the real world.No one really wants them, forcing most to live lives that are truly desparate.In The New Jedi Order, the refugees are being shipped off from place to place, being used, but never being truly welcome.

Enter Duros, a world on the far edge of the Core from the Yuuzhan invasion route.The surface of the world has been spoiled by centuries of pollution, forcing most of the population of the world to live in great orbital cities.The refugees have been brought in to clean up the planet's surface.

However, corruption and collaborators are rearing their ugly heads.A group called the Peace Brigade is cooperating with the Vong.The Vong have infultrated the government of Duros and many among the Duros elite are more than happy to cooperate with the Vong to hand them the refugees on a platter for an agreement to spare their orbital cities.Will this deal with the Devil save the Duros or will it doom them to the same fate as Ithor and Sernpidal?And what stunning announcement will Warmaster Tsavong Lah make at the end of this, the sixth volume of this ever evolving series.

Jacen's philosophical crisis concerning proper use of the force is also brought up front and center.How does he resolve this crisis, particularly when those that he is closest to, his family, are threatened by the extragalatic invaders?

This volumne brings the saga to a more personal level, especially for the protaganists we have grown to know and love over the years.The writing is effective and the ending brings a surprise that will keep you interested, even those this series is getting rather long.

Definately a good read and I am anxious to see what happens in future volumes as a result of the developments in "Balance Point."

Kathy Tyers is no good.
From start to finish this book will make you sad. Kathy takes the Star Wars universe and puts a female writers touch to it. This wouldn't be a problem if she had done it well, but instead the writing is reminiscent of poor romance novels. And example exerpt:
"Call him selfish but he wanted her alive. Not a dead hero. With or without that gorgeous har, she had the spark that lit a fire in him."
Its trashy, forced and regretfully uninteresting. There are so many lines of crap writing like that above I was tempted to quit reading it, but the pull of the star wars universe won out. My suggestion is that if you have to read every book in the series, rent this one from the library, otherwise don't read it at all.

Reviews (244)

The best book so far
This volume was a tour de force that took us from Talfaglio to Corellia, from a Yuuzhan Vong worldship to Coruscant itself.Disaster is visiting the New Republic as the "truce" has ended and the Vong continue their invasion of the galaxy.

The Jedi too are taking action against the Vong in a far more direct way than before.What is not know is is it too little, too late?Can the refugees be saved?Can a new threat that has emerged to the Jedi be destroyed?Can Coruscant, the capital world of the New Republic and is now surrounded by the Yuuzhang Vong, be saved from the Vong and from its own petty bickering and from traitors within the midst.

This takes us all over the main fronts of the war, as well as far behind the front where the Jedi are in a fight for their very survival.

This volume has a pair of stunning conclusions that will keep you turning the pages until you get to number 600!

It should also be noted that the story "Recovery" is included.It previously was available only in ebook format and bridges the fall of Duros with the Edge of Victory duology.I would recommend reading that 80-some odd page story before reading "Conquest" and "Rebirth."

Good but.....
Very good but but long winded in many spots.If you can ignore Troy Denning's rambling that go on sometimes for pages you will definitely be able to enjoy the book.
Don't get me wrong, this IS a great book and a well done book.I just get bored with the 3 page descriptions of things or 2 to 3 pages of boring, non informative dialog.

The one thing Mr.Dennings does do exceeding well is deliver incredible imagery at the most important moment in this book.When you read it, you'll understand what that last comment means.I'm sure someone else in the reader reviews has spoiled the big event in this book but I'm not going to.So careful on the reviews you read.

Great read if a little long in the tooth at times.

Reviews (74)

The lone Disappointment in a great series
I won't go into any great detail as to the why's and wherefore's of the mistakes made in this book, but considering the rest of the series was pretty much dead-on with the representation of the characters we know and love and the ones who have been introduced since the conception of the New Jedi Order, this book dropped the ball horribly.I know it's nitpicking, but Han Solo is a GENERAL!!He's been a general since Return of the Jedi!If the author hasn't even seen all the movies, find a new author.Or make sure he does his research.Though I guess it comes down to the editor as well.In a series as popular and well-versed as the Star Wars saga, little mistakes like calling him Captain Solo make it tough to read a book.I also read the e-book (Ylesia) by Mr. Williams, and skimmed through it because it was the same stilted junk that Destiny's Way was. And I agree with the other reviewers that it was tough to follow up a book like Traitor.That was an amazing piece of writing.This book was just a bump along the way to hopefully better stories.

Just Awful
Maybe it is because Traitor was so great, or whatever, but Destiny's Way is just boring and bad. That's right--I said it.

First, Mara and Jaina figure heavily in the plot (sigh), and you just can't escape them. Mara is off saving the galaxy as usual (as Luke is apparently brain dead), and Jaina gets to be THE SWORD OF THE JEDI--a stupid, stupid title that means she'll constantly be at war, but will never love. Bah! She's been that way for the NJO, now she'll be that way for all time?! Oh, and there isn't one mention of dear little Jaina walking around threating the lives of people and acting borderline homocidal. Nope, not a peep. Dear God! I really believe the folks at the Lucas farm are just laughin' it up at all us common rabble who will eat up anything with the SW name on it.

Just awful.

Oh, and remember how Matthew Stover, in his awesome book Traitor, showed us a Jacen that is not annoying, but awesome? Well, he's gone. Why? Cause the author of this one decided he should become a useless hippie again. Nice. Real nice. Who cares if numerous soldiers are dying?--I've got pacifism to contemplate.

Vergere? Useless. This book? Crap.

3.5/5, A novel too compressed to be a worthy follow up...
After reading what is probably the best NJO book in the whole series (Matthew Stover's Traitor), Destiny's Way was quite the disappointment.

That's not to say the book is bad by any stretch of the imagination.The politics and farther-reaching military strategies of Cal Omas and Admiral Ackbar respectively were very welcome additions - things desperately needed in a universe that through the last four books, was without a general direction.The action sequences were likewise fairly well done, but seemed sort of unpolished, as though Williams was too rushed in writing them; some came off to me as being unfinished even.As well, Williams' ability to dictate the logistics of not only this book, but the entire war against the Yuuzhan Vong was badly needed - as one other reviewer said, the likeliness of a single extragalactic group, however large, consistently defeating a galaxy-spanning military just isn't likely, most especially when that group is without the ability to adjust to an enemy's expanding technology.That it took fourteen books for the New Republic to win a major battle just wasn't that feasible.

Where the book starts to lag though, is in the stuttering storyline, and incorrect portrayal of a few characters.The plot, which is, for the most part, without a central conflict, hurts from the removal of the two chapters that became the Ylesia e-book, but had problems from the beginning.Though Williams does manage to tie together quite a few different sections from throughout the book to merge into the large battle at the end, the story meanders through part to part, and doesn't resolve much along the way, with the exception of Cal Omas being elected as the new Chief of State.Whether this was Lucasarts call or Williams' own writing style, it made the entire novel seem too compressed and at points straight-out rushed, for it to work properly.

My second large problem with this novel is the characterization of certain major characters, most notably Vergere.In all honesty, I think Matthew Stover may be the only one able to write her properly, and that's why, unfortunately she dies through the course of the novel.This is sad, because as a living character she could've done so much more to further the plot, most specifically in the part of where the Yuuzhan Vong connect to the Force, if anywhere.Dead, she's not much good to anyone except maybe Jacen.However, throughout this novel I found myself saying "Vergere wouldn't say that," or "she wouldn't do that."Quite simply put, she wasn't lone woflish enough for me... she had ample chance to return to the New Republic with Han Solo, so Williams emphasizing her living with the Skywalkers and attempting to fit in with the new galaxy didn't work for me.

All in all though, the book wasn't bad, and helped shape the series in a way the past four NJO books haven't done.

Reviews (67)

Worthy Prequel Tie-in
Tatooine Ghost is a rare Expanded Universe novel set after Return of the Jedi but ties in elements from the first two prequels as well with regards to Anakin Skywalker, who would become the evil Darth Vader.

Assuming that Anakin was always predisposed to evil, Leia is quite unprepared to accept evidencethat suggest otherwise, when she and Han Solo are sent to Tatooine on a dangerous mission.

Even evidence from those who knew him back before he left with the jedi, as well assurviving friends of the Lars.
They also find the Tusken groundwhere Shmi Skywalker was tortured by the Tuskens and are shocked to learn a local folk tale is tied to the actions of her grieving son that night! Enlightened words from Han also getsLeia wondering what she might have done in Anakin'splace.

This odyssey will forever change the way Leia sees her father and hisplace in the history of the faraway galaxy.....

This book isunique among the whole EU series, and I recommend it to all of you! Order today!

ALMOST as good as Timothy Zahn's stuff...almost...
I have to admit, I've had this book for quite some time, and it was only recently that I picked it up and started to give it the attention that the bulk of reviewers here at amazon said it deserved.I am quite thankful I did.

This is (as far as I know) the first book that takes place after Return of the Jedi which also incorporates information from Episode's I & II.Sure, just because it includes this info doesn't mean it'll be good, but Mr. Denning does it justice, at least in my opinion.'Tatooine Ghost' centers on the search for a piece of Alderranian artwork called Killik Twilight which is scheduled to go on the auction block on Tatooine, Han & Leia hire some less than scrupulous aliens to purchase the painting for them, hoping to keep their identities a secret for fear of catching the Imperial's attention.The vague reference to Grand Admiral Thrawn is quite obvious for those who have read any of Timothy Zahn's novels.

Where 'Tatooine's Ghost' really takes off is when Leia comes across a holocube of the only human to ever win the Boonta Eve Podrace, namely her Father, Anakin Skywalker.Leia goes through quite a bit of soul-searching within the pages of this novel being forced to come to terms with the fact that not only was she the daughter of one of the biggest monsters in Glactic History, but also that Darth Vader was once a cute little slave-boy who by winning the Boonta Eve Classic and gaining his own freedom, inspired many to aspire to bigger and better things.Darth Vader just COULDN'T have been a cute, inspiring young child now could he?Wasn't he always a tyrant bent on domination?Apparently not, and this is what Leia struggles with.She also comes across her Grandmothers holo-journal which she is keeping for recently freed Anakin in the hopes that she will be able to give it to him some day.Of course he never receives it, and the rest is Star Wars History.The insights that not only Leia becomes familiar with, but also the reader make 'Tatooine Ghost' an above-average Star Wars novel.

Denning captures rather well the 'Feel' of the Star Wars Universe in 'Ghost'.I haven't read all of the novels based on Star Wars, but I have read my fair share, and it seems to me that the vast majority of them do not manage to capture the reality of the movies well enough to convince me that I'm not just reading a story with characters that just happen to be named Han, Luke & Leia.Timothy Zahn is still the King in this arena, but Troy Denning has certainly hit a home run with this tale.If any Star Wars author wishes to give Zahn a boot off his Star Wars throne, I'd be willing to wager a few New Republic Credits that Denning is the only author in print today who could pull it off.But that would require a few more novels...so, how about it, Troy?Let's get writing, and quick!

Leaving the ghosts of the past to rest
I want to have Troy Denning's child.I don't care if it's a biological impossibility.I want to do it.What could possibly spark a reaction like that in me?I just finished Tatooine Ghost, a Star Wars novel written relatively recently but not part of the New Jedi Order series.Instead, it takes place a few years after Return of the Jedi and the Imperials are still stomping around.Stormtroopers!Imperial Walkers!Jawas!Tusken Raiders!This book has everything.I thought I had died and gone to heaven.Of course I'm being serious.Don't look at me that way.I have been reading and enjoying the New Jedi Order series, and I thought it was safe to leave the past in the past.Then I read this book.

The best thing about Tatooine Ghost is that it is a bridge between the old movies and the new trilogy.I really loved the concepts of the new movies but really disliked how Lucas handled them.This book takes those concepts and runs with them, showing us exactly what those stories should have been as they reach across the years and touch Anakin's daughter.Leia finds a journal left behind by Shmi Skywalker, Anakin's mother, as she records entries that she hopes one day Anakin will read.Leia sees her grandmother and finds another side of Anakin, a side showcased by a mother's love.Elements of Episodes 1 and 2 are woven through the narrative as Han & Leia meet up with some of Anakin's old friends.Some of them don't believe what they've heard about how Anakin became an evil monster.Others accept it but don't let it soil their memories of him.All of this comes at a time where Leia is going through a crisis.She refuses to even think of having children with the possibility that they could turn out to be like their grandfather.She has refused to forgive him or understand what made him who he ultimately was.Through the events in this novel, she slowly comes to terms with it.

The characterization is beautiful.The characters in this novel are not older like they are in the new series, and their sense of adventure is palpable.The book is full of the swashbuckling action, narrow escapes, and banter between the regulars that the original movies showcased.Stormtroopers wander around in their white armour, Jawas hungrily scrounge for droids and other machinery, and Tusken Raiders try to kill everybody who invades their desert domain.It showcases everything I loved about the originals, and makes the new series pale in comparison.I'd forgotten how cool the Empire was as an enemy.This is the Han and Leia that we grew up with, and I didn't realize how much I had missed them until I saw them in action again.Han's still a scoundrel and a smuggler-at-heart while Leia's the tough but sophisticated woman who will do what is necessary for the New Republic, despite not really liking it.

The book also serves as a bridge in the novel series as well.It references all the books around it, from The Truce at Bakura to The Courtship of Princess Leia, as well as Stackpole & Allston's X-Wing series.It connects Leia's reticence toward having children to the fact that they end up having three.It clarifies why Han is helping the New Republic after he grows to loathe the government in Courtship.Anybody who has read my Star Trek reviews knows how I hate unnecessary continuity references.You'd think I would hate this book because it is full of it.But I didn't.I luxuriated in all of the stuff I used to love but thought was gone.I loved how it clarified and examined things, and how it brought all of the movies together.It could not have been written before The Phantom Menace and The Attack of the Clones was produced, but it filled a need that had clearly been there since the beginning of the Star Wars book franchise way back with Zahn's Heir to the Empire.

Enough gushing.I do have to say that Tatooine's Ghost dragged in the middle a little bit.The endless treks through the wasteland, the description of needing water and how they were trying to keep from collapsing started to get old after a while.There were also a few too many in-jokes about how stupid stormtroopers acted in the original movies.The exchanges between the troop commander and his squad as he tries to show them the new, intelligent way to do things was a bit over the top.

You know what?I didn't care.My heroes were back.They weren't older, more seasoned, and slightly boring.The Empire was back.I don't care how dumb they could be.Stormtroopers would kick the Yuuzhan Vong rears.Denning's writing made me so awash in nostalgia, I would have forgiven him anything.So it's a good thing that he made a wonderful book as well.If you're a Star Wars fan, check Tatooine Ghost out.You'll be glad you did.

Reviews (138)

An Amazing Book
Like others who have read this book, I thought it would be the first letdown in the series.A book about a single character's struggle in a universe as immense as the Star Wars sage seemed rather odd.This book however, made me think the entire way through.I felt for this poor soul, and I truly felt the process of the Jacen character's growth.The highs and the lows and everything in between.A wonderfully written book!

Star Wars Heroics
I was pleasantly surprised by Traitor.Not being familiar with the book series, I read this book from a recommendation, and came to it with only the knowledge that I gained through the films and the Xbox game, Knights of the Old Republic.

The writing is beautiful, and at times, hypnotic.You will sit there, gazing at the words on the page, and suddenly forget where you are.Matthew Stover's books are the kind which you can actually put really hard-core music to, and feel the characters actually moving and speaking to the rhythm.The same is of course, with Traitor.

It's more like a play, in the sense that there are so few characters.This is both good and bad: good, because there is more focus on each of the characters, and a tighter grip over the themes in the story.Bad, because the limitless world is not portrayed, except as a shadow of reality.

However - the story is not written as an elaborate space opera or a book of war, but rather, it is written to express certain fundamental principles not only about becoming a hero, but also about recognizing the value of our own choices, whether they be for good or for evil.

Finally, I was a little disturbed, because when I finished reading Traitor and read the preview for the next book, I couldn't stay focused.Of course, the next book was not written by Stover, and the plotting and storytelling devices were not as finely crafted, descriptive, or even, comprehendable.I'm not sure I'm going to get to the other Star Wars books.I might pick up Shatterpoint, as that one is written by Stover.

Reviews (34)

Dax is my favorite character from DS9
The stories were really good. Some had cliches and the worst was probably with Sisko and Kurzon. Otherwise a nice tie in with the show and greater understanding of Dax the symbiote and how the experiences would develop a whol being.

Loving the slug inside you
One of the more interesting characters in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a Trill named Dax.Trills are humanoids who are hosts to slug-like being called a symbiont.In a process called "the joining," Trills have the symbiont implanted and they become not just the person they were, but also a sum of memories that can go back hundreds of years. There were two "Dax" characters in Deep Space Nine, with Jadzia Dax being killed in season 6 and Ezri serving as an emergency host.It's a great honour to be a host, but not everybody is anxious to be one.

I've always been fascinated by the Dax character, even when the actresses weren't quite up to the part.The show would occasionally have references to previous hosts through the centuries, and I often wondered what some of their stories might be, especially during the time of the original series and movies.Marco Palmieri shared this feeling, and he decided to create a short story anthology addressing this issue.He gathered some of the big names in Trek fiction and created The Lives of Dax.Each of the previous Dax hosts gets one story, showcasing their personality and a little bit of their history.The stories are pretty good, though none of them are particularly earth-shattering.It's a nice, cozy tome that will bring a bit of nostalgia to any DS9 fan.

Some of the more interesting stories take place early in Dax's life, before Trill became acquainted with the outside universe.The first one (not counting the beginning of the framing story) is about Lela Dax, a new member of the Trill council and one of the advocates for opening Trill up for trade with other galactic races.A ship has approached Trill and sent a message that the Trill are having trouble translating.It appears that the ship is in trouble, and they are ignoring all warnings from Trill that they must leave orbit.Lela decides that she has to help, despite what the council says.She discovers, and demonstrates to the rest of the council, that knowledge is not only power, but that the lack of it can be deadly as well."First Steps" is by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, and starts the anthology off with a bang.

Once this story is off the ground, though, the book suffers from one of my main criticisms of the Trek books (though I think many fans disagree with me, which is why it will never change).Each story brings in some known element of Trek lore (usually a character or a race), ostensibly to give some sort of identification to the reader (like we don't know already that it's a Trek book?).These elements are usually contrived and really drag the book down in my estimation, unless they're used well.Unfortunately, that's not usually the case here.Tobin Dax's story ("Dead Man's Hand" by Jeffrey Lang) brings in the Romulans.Emony Dax's story ("Old Souls" by Michael Jan Friedman) has Dr. McCoy from the original series (though it is actually established in the television series that Dax had an encounter with him, so at least it's not coming out of left field), Audrid's story ("Sins of the Mother" by S.D. Perry) has Captain Christopher Pike, of the old Enterprise. Finally, Torias's story ("Infinity" by Susan Wright) has Captain Styles and Cadet Saavik, from Star Trek III.

While I applaud the fact that these aren't just name references but actual characters used, they still feel shoehorned into the stories for name recognition.There's no reason for Saavik to be in "Infinity", as she's never shown any inclination for experimental warp drives.The only one of the above stories where it actually makes sense to include the character is Friedman's, and that suffers from its own blandness.

That's not to say the anthology isn't worth reading.With the above caveat, it actually is quite an entertaining read.The stories are interesting (especially the Curzon story, "The Music Between the Notes," by Steven Barnes) and the framing sequence is really good.Ezri spent the entire final season of the television show very unsure of herself and her role as a joined Trill (she never wanted to be joined, and had no preparation) and her heart-to-hologram talk with Vic Fontaine (the holographic lounge singer) is very well-done.His holographic sentience gives him a unique perspective on her problems, and it's a very good lead-in to the story of Dax through the years. There was even an intriguing use of Verad, the Trill who stole the Dax symbiont from Jadzia for a few hours.

There really isn't a bad story in the bunch, though a couple of the stories suffer from being relatively uninteresting.It's a shame that Friedman's story is one of those, as it had the most potential.Seeing Dax's meeting with McCoy should have been wonderful, but instead it was "ok."The writing was a bit stiff and it didn't really fit into the conceit of Ezri telling a story to Vic.Instead, it was a lesson for McCoy about dealing with interstellar species (this is in his Academy days).Also, it is told from McCoy's point of view, going directly against the concept of the anthology.

I greatly enjoyed The Lives of Dax, and I think it would be a wonderful addition to a Trek book collector's shelf.If you've ever wondered about Dax and her past lives, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up.If you're thinking of starting some of the Trek books, it's a good place to get a sampling of some of the big names in Trek today and to see if they're writing is your cup of tea.

My previous host's memories tell me that you'll like it.

David Roy

Interesting, but not necessary DS9 relaunch novel.
To start with, this collection of short stories (since that's what it is) is very unnecessary to read as part of the "Season 8" DS9 Relaunch novels. Skip it and read the rightfully-so highly acclaimed Garak novel, written by the actor himself, "A Stitch in Time" instead. Or else read The Reeves-Stevenses "Millenium Omnibus" EPIC trilogy. Or, if you care about Ezri, then read the Ezri story in this book as it explains how she got the symbiont and how she is dealing with it. Otherwise, as a previous reviewer said, this novel is just a series of disjointed short stories about each of Dax's hosts. Not that there's anything wrong with that! But don't expect all the stories to link up in any way. If this review sounds negative, let me reassure you that this book was definetely worth reading as an insight into the Dax character and an understanding into the human condition (since let's face it (joined) Trills are humans who have the luxury of remembering their past lives, whereas we can do so only with difficult meditation or the help of a clairvoyant).

Most of the stories are very well done, such as:
Ezri (Vic makes a philosophical appearance, ya!),
Lela (a subtle bashing of conservatism),
Tobin (probably the best defined character, with some fun Romulans and a Vulcan adventure),
Joran (a great insight into the mind of a psycho, though not so much his intentions more than the methods), and
Jadzia (very interesting, good usage of the Symbiosis Commission, a past DS9 episode, and Sisko and a few other DS9 members).

These stories were good, but something about them bothered me:
Audrid (awesome to see Christopher Pike in action, but perhaps the letter format of the story bothered me, or perhaps it was just that the story was written for a specific character- a fictional character, which to some degree took away from its mystic),
Torias (I'm glad it was the story of his pilot accident, but trying to cross Warp 10! that's almost heresy. Why did it take so long until Voyager, far away from anywhere, finally manages that task and not the Federation? Ah well. I did enjoy how close you felt Torias and Kahn were together, and given the limited writing space it was well done, but I wish I could have really understood how much they loved each other, which would have made the DS9 episode "Rejoined" that much better!), and
Curzon (there was just something that bugged me about this episode, I think it had to do with Sisko's portrayal...)

The Emony story was terrible. Sure, there were a couple of morals to be learned, but why did Dax get involved with a very young McCoy? Crazy!

I really feel this book deserves a 3.5, especially when weighted against so many of the better DS9 books. Most of the stories were fun stand alone reads, but they didn't join up in any way, which I find had it been the case, would have made for a much more interesting read. And no I am not overlooking that the book was written by various authors. I s'pose I wish the editor hadn't decided to have different authors write it (as he tells us in the Intro). So, I just couldn't justify rounding up to 4, so I'm giving the book 3 stars.

Reviews (9)

JM9364
THIS BOOK IS THE BEST I HAVE READ IN A WHILE. I THINK I LIKE STAR TREK DS9 THE BEST. THE CHARACTERS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED MORE THAN ANY OTHER STAR TREK SHOW CHARACTERS. THE BOOK HAS A LOT OF GOOD DETAILS SUCH AS THE VARIOUS DESCRIPTIONS OF THE "UNFINISH INTERIOR" OF THE PHOENIX. THE STORY IS ONE OF A KIND. THE CONTINUAL JUMPS BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN DIFFERENT TIMES BEFORE THE CARDASSIAN WITHDRAWL AND THEN JUMPING TO DIFFERENT TIMES IN THE TIME AFTER THE CARDASSIAN WITHDRAWL.

BEST BOOK
THIS ISTHE BEST BOOK I HAVE READ IN A WHILE. I AM A SOPHOMORE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND THIS WAS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAD EVER READ. I RECOMMEND IT TO ANY STAR TREK FAN OF ANY OTHER PERSON WHO WANTS TO READ A GOOD BOOK

Truly Epic trilogy that is a Must Read for ALL Trek fans!
If you are a fan of any Trek series, this book is for you. If you especially like DS9, there is no frinxing (I hated the way Quark used that swear-word) way you should miss this trilogy.

To date, this trilogy combined in one book is my favorite Trek (not just DS9) novel! Time-travel, religion/philosophy/science, alternative timelines, the War of all Wars, the End of the Universe, the destruction of DS9, False and True Emissaries, THE Sisko... there is simply soo much to this book that it is amazing the authors didn't lose focus. In fact, all the plots are handled well and very few plot holes emerge.

The novel starts off investigating a simple murder and quite simply takes off from there. Once the Red Orbs are discovered I found I literally could not put down the books. I read the whole trilogy in just over a week, making this my fastest read trilogy ever (faster than the Lord of the Rings, which admittedly is slightly longer).

The characterizations in this book are spot on perfect. There is subtle foreshawdowing to events that occur in season 7 of DS9 and the last episode of Season 6. The events in this book take place after Sisko et al try to save the dying woman Captain from the planet but before the season 6 finale... which means we get to see Jadzia Dax in action! Some of the subtle hints to her death are quite sad, yet never do they or other allusions become overdone.

Also, Admiral Picard makes an important appearance in this trilogy... Yes, he is finally an admiral, with QUITE an important mission! Other characters, notably Voyager ones, make short appearances. In the alternate timeline we also get to hear what has happened to most of our beloved characters like Riker. And hey why not bring back Thomas Riker for some fun? Vic himself plays quite an important role and his philosophical inquiries are intriguing.

The authors know much about Trekdom and share that knowledge well, though they limit it so as not to make the book ridiculous like some other Trek books. They are also experts in nonlinear time and time travel. Real explanations for why I can or cannot kill my grandfather are given, something I immensely enjoyed.

How can a book that sees the return of Vash and Garak confronting himself (literally two Garaks!) fail to grab a reader's attention? It had mine continuously.

If you'd like to know what I thought about each individual book, please look to my individual reviews for books 1-3. It is best to read every book in this series, although the authors try to make it so one can pick up book 2 or 3 without having read the previous one(s). I strongly recommend reading all 3 because you'll get a more full and rich understanding not only of DS9 and the books, but of your own life.

Reviews (65)

Fantastic book
This book marks a great starting place to get into Trek novels, and the Deep Space Nine relaunch. If you ever wandered what's really behind the demented smile of Elim Garak, you will find the answers within.

Elaborate and complex...
Andrew J. Robinson, the actor who brought the character of "plain and simple" Elim Garak to life, goes a step further and provides the reader with an exceptional memoir for one of the most intriguing characters in the Star Trek universe. Organized as a medley of correspondence from Garak to Dr. Bashir, Robinson provides a compelling back story covering Garak's family life, his "college" years, his recruitment into the Obsidian Order, his storied career as an operative, and his disgrace and exile to Terok Nor/Deep Space Nine as a lowly tailor.Simultaneously, the reader is provided with the story of Garak's continuing plight in the wake of his return to Cardassia, which was left utterly devastated at the conclusion of the Dominion War.This is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in learning more about the elaborate and complex character known as "plain and simple Garak."

Encore, Mr. Robinson. Encore!

Reviews (34)

Buy both books at the same time
I made the mistake of only purchasing Book 1 and had to wait before I could put another order to get book 2.As an avid DS9'er, I was thrilled to discover the series is continued in books and I was not disappointed.Quark lovers will definately enjoy this book.

Necessary for DS9 Relaunch. Really a Buildup for Book 2.
I found that much of this book was a buildup for Book 2. Not that that's a bad thing, but it was what I deem a "necessary introduction" for the DS9 Relaunch. The characterization is good, but not as complete or rounded as in the Reeves-Stevenses' Millenium trilogy (a must read!).

The book starts with a recap of important events from pre-DS9 (ie Occupation of Bajor, Orbs) to the finale where Odo, Worf (and Martok), Garak, O'Brien, Rom AND Sisko have all left DS9. I must say at first I wondered how a show (book, whatever) could proceed with a) Kira in charge; b) only Ezri, Bashir, Kira, Jake and Nog and Quark (who is spot on perfect btw) left from the original cast (oh and Yates). But surprisingly it works very well. The main reason for this is the introduction of some new characters. However, I deeply missed the interplays with Worf and especially Garak. And without O'Brien, Bashir is demeaned to the position of the relationship character with Ezri...

The best part about the book I found is the solid character development for the new characters, but also Ezri and to some degree Kira (though she's still arrogant).

Andorian Ensign ch'Thane is probably the most refreshing character. To delve into a new race is great fun, and Book 2 offers a lot more intrigue (and I'm assuming the Gamma books).

Elias Vaughn. This guy rocks, I can't wait to read more about him. This 101 year old Starfleet veteran is going through a change of mindset and his introspection is fascinating.

Lt. Ro Laren. She's there to take over Odo's position (which is funny cuz Kira loves Odo but dislikes Ro). Ro's arrivial bugged me for several reasons. Understand I think it is brilliant to have her on DS9, but she's very poorly introduced. First, the information in the two Avatar books contradicts the Dominion War books and totally discredits all the awesome work she did with Picard during that time.. which WOULD have made sense as to why she was instated on DS9. Instead, some lame excuse about terrorist attacks against Dominion is given, and despite the Federation's (or Starfleet's) qualms about Ro and requests NOT to let her on DS9, Bajor goes against their wishes (which *should* harm their chances at Federation membership but surprise, doesn't) and puts her there anyways, for no real reason. But ignoring that, Ro has always been one of those characters you just love to get more of, and she's her typical rebellious self here, and it's grand!

The Plot is very good. I especially like the idea surrounding the Jem'Hadar soldier. Jake loves his father as much as he did in "The Visitor", yet it seemed obvious to me that from his first reading of the Prophecy that he had probably misinterpretated it. If the author thought she was being sneaky, she was wrong. It was quite clear that Jake was being naive... or was he?

The attack on the station is quite wonderful, and provides the bulk of the action. The murder investigation is nowhere as indepth as that from the Millenium trilogy.
The religious talk is nowhere as deep as that from the Millenium trilogy, but is still interesting. It really picks up more in Book 2 where Ro loses it. It is good to see why Ro opposes the Bajoran faith (which IS well explained).

Also, don't let the cover fool you, this is a DS9 book, not a TNG book. Though Picard is in this book, he and the TNG crew do little, though Book 2 is a different story.

Overall this book is a good read! I definetely had some problems with it, but once I forgave them reading it became quite interesting. I definetely wanted to read Book 2 right after (which I am doing) and am sure it will lead me to read all the Gamma books and subsequent Perry novels. All in all a good start for Season 8 of DS9!

a good place to start
It turns out that the station was attacked again which resulted in thousands of deaths and severe damage to the station.While every one on the station is more or less recovering from the attack and working around the clock to make repairs, Picard's ship stumbles upon a significant find.This find is significant because it has something to do with the planet Bajor.So Picard's crew heads for DS9 to show Kira what they've found.

There are other sub-plots which may or may not be connected to the Enterprise's discovery such as:

A strange Jemhadar soldier shows up on the station claiming to be on a mission of peace.

An ancient Bajoran tablet is found which contains a ground-breaking prophesy (Avatar).

Editorial Review