Rob Gonzalez

Concise, clear, practical, insightful., April 4 2004

I am a beginning writer of speculative fiction who has always felt unhappy with his stories. Reading this book has given me insight into certain aspects of planning and development that have really been lacking. Among the most useful advice in the book, for me, is the emphasis Card placed on world and character creation before writing; both will change and be refined during the writing of the story, but without spending the time to create them and ask questions of them prior to the story's writing, both end up thin and less believable. Too often I have found myself trying to write a story arond a great Idea or Event with little to no preparation beyond the initial inspiration, only to… Read more

Inevitably Out of Date, but Still Quite Good, Dec 18 2003

When one goes to Europe with a European guidebook from Lonely Planet, one can expect perhaps 95% accuracy regarding the information within the book. The St. Petersberg guide is probably closer to 80%. That, however, is not the fault of the authors. Russian cities have been evolving rapidly since the break up of the USSR. Cool bars close. Hostels shut down or move. Museum schedules change. All of these things occur at a far faster rate than in Western or even Eastern Europe.

That being said, the guide was, overall, quite good. I particularly enjoyed the Walking Tours within and the map of the Winter Palace, which was invaluable.

Excellent Brief Introduction to a Vast Topic, Dec 18 2003

Manfred Steger does an excellent job summing up the most important subtopics within the vast and complex field of Globalization. He also provides an excellent bibliography for further reading. This tiny book is a great jumping-off point for those looking to delve deeper into the subject as well as a great overview for those simply interested in the major pluses and minuses of the world's greatest social trend.