Product Description
"The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get.Hardly a day goes by when I don’t remember something that Big Russ taught me."

Over the last two decades, Tim Russert has become one of the most trusted and admired figures in American television journalism.Throughout his career he has spent time with presidents and popes, world leaders and newsmakers, celebrities and sports heroes, but one person stands out from the rest in terms of his strength of character, modest grace, and simple decency—Russert’s dad, Big Russ.

In this warm, engaging memoir, Russert casts a fond look back to the 1950s Buffalo neighborhood of his youth. In the close-knit Irish-Catholic community where he grew up, doors were left unlocked at night; backyard ponds became makeshift ice hockey rinks in winter; and streets were commandeered as touch football fields in the fall. And he recalls the extraordinary example of his father, a WWII veteran who worked two jobs without complaint for thirty years and taught his children to appreciate the values of self-discipline, of respect, of loyalty to friends.

Big Russ and Me, written in Russert’s easygoing, straight-talking style, offers an irresistible collection of personal memories. Russert recalls the dedicated teachers who stimulated his imagination and intellect, sparking a lifelong passion for politics and journalism, and inspired a career that took him from editor of his elementary school newspaper to moderator of Meet the Press.

It has been an eventful and deeply satisfying journey, but no matter where his career has taken him, Russert’s fundamental values still spring from that small house on Woodside Avenue and the special bond he shares with his father—a bond he enjoys now with his own son. As Tim Russert celebrates the indelible connection between fathers and sons, readers everywhere will laugh, cry, and identify with the lessons of life taught by the indomitable Big Russ.Amazon.com Review
Veteran newsman and Meet the Press moderator Tim Russert is known for his direct and unpretentious style and in this charming memoir he explains why. Russert's father is profiled as a plainspoken World War II veteran who worked two blue-collar jobs while raising four kids in South Buffalo but the elder Russert's lessons on how to live an honest, disciplined, and ethical life are shown to be universal. Big Russ and Me, a sort of Greatest Generation meets Tuesdays with Morrie, could easily have become a sentimental pile of mush with a son wistfully recalling the wisdom of his beloved dad. But both Russerts are far too down-to-earth to let that happen and the emotional content of the book is made more direct, accessible, and palatable because of it. The relationship between father and son, contrary to what one would think of as essential to a riveting memoir, seems completely healthy and positive as Tim, the academically gifted kid and later the esteemed TV star and political operative relies on his old man, a career sanitation worker and newspaper truck driver, for advice. Big Russ and Me also traces Russert's life from working-class kid to one of broadcast journalism's top interviewers by introducing various influential figures who guided him along the way, including Jesuit teachers, nuns, his dad's drinking buddies, and, most notably, the late New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, whom Russert helped get elected in 1976. Plenty of entertaining anecdotes are served up along the way from schoolyard pranks to an attempt to book Pope John Paul II on the Today Show. Though not likely to revolutionize modern thought, Big Russ and Me will provide fathers and sons a chance to reflect on lessons learned between generations. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Customer Reviews (154)

Big Russ

Purchased as a birthday gift for a friend.Have not received any feedback as of yet.

I knew nothing about Tim Russert...
until I read this book. I did enjoy the book, reading about his childhood and his father. I also found his Catholic upbringing very interesting to read about. He was very devout in his religion. I loved hearing about the Nuns and Priests that taught him.

I wish that he would have written more about his mother and three sisters. They were barely mentioned in the book. I would like to know how he got along with his sisters, the kind of influence his mother was on him, etc., but none of that was talked about. When his parents were divorced it was mentioned but glossed over very quickly which I found odd.

Toward the end of the book when the chapters turned to politics it was all about him, and only a mention here or there of his father. He had grown up and moved out by that point, so I'm sure his father wasn't as central a figure in his life as he had been, but still, this book was supposed to be about him and his father, not just himself.

The book wasn't sequential at all, which I found very confusing. One minute he's telling a story from his childhood and the next he's going to college. It was hard to keep track of how old he was or what was going on because there was no timeline.

Overall an okay book. Not gripping and not one that I had a hard time putting down.

Big Russ and me
I am very disappointed in the quality of this CD. The second time we listened to this book it had noisy flaws on the CD's and could not listen to the story.

great seller
my book arrived promptly and in great shape.i would buy from this seller again.

Big Russ and Me
Big Russ and Me was a gift to my husband for Father's Day. He loved it and insisted I read it when he was finished. Frankly, I felt I had already read it as he kept reading different parts of it to me. It made us both yearn for a simpler life. His respect for authority was taught to him by his father and had a profound affect on his life. A fast read you'll never regret. ... Read more

Product Description
Adults and children alike will enjoy this new book full of wondrous insects complete with an audio CD featuring a variety of musical styles and sound effects to bring the book to life. The combination of these adorable insects, the moral lessons given and the excellent music and lyrics combine entertainment and education at the highest level of excellence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Hands down the BEST Kids CD
My kids love this so much we listen to it over and over.On more than one occasion my son has asked ME to stop singing so he can hear the music.The narrative is fun and engaging. I wish they would release more cds!

Nat'l Parenting Pub. Award 2003 - Best Spoken Word
"If the children in your life like the recent bug movies or have ever owned an ant farm, they may be ready for BUGSTERS.An assortment of buggy friends, each with a distinctive voice and personality, deliver two stories: one about cooperation, another about fear and rumors. The messages are unmistakable, but not overbearing. The theme music is catchy.TOP NOTCH!"

Quiets kids down!
My husband and I took my son (5),daughter (7), and the Bugsters, on the road to visit my parents over the holidays.We were more prepared this time, because last time, the crayons and the lap activities just weren't enough, and we don't have a VCR/DVD player in the car.I have to say that these stories really captured their attention, and sparked conversation. The CD is exceptionally done, the stories are thought provoking, the characters all have different voices, and the sound effects are fantastic. We couldn't get enough of it. I only wish we'd had more.

Quiets Kids Down!
My husband and I took my son (5) and daughter (7), and the Bugsters, on the road to visit my parents over the holidays.We were more prepared this time, because last time, the crayons and the lap activities just weren't enough, and we don't have a VCR/DVD player in the car.I have to say that these stories really captured their attention, and sparked conversation. The CD is exceptionally done, the characters all have different voices, and the sound effects were fantastic. We couldn't get enough of it.

Just like the REAL THING!
We took this audio book camping and the kids just loved it.My boys are 4 and 6, and they were drawn into the stories right away.The sound effects make all of the action come alive, especially in the dark. We sat and talked after each story about the lessons the kids learned. One is about working as a team, and the other one is about facing your fears, but what was most important was that my boys admitted some fears that I was able to help them face through the trip. ... Read more

Product Description
Captain Spock has left Starfleet to become Ambassador Spock and has been bonded in a Vulcan engagement ceremony to his former protege, the beautiful Commander Saavik. Spock is on a minor diplomatic mission when a call from an old enemy, now a friend, sends him off on a dangerous mission to the planet Romulus, peopled by a volatile and emotional offshoot of his own stoic Vulcan race. Romulan society is facing collapse unless Spock and Saavik can put aside their powerful Vulcan Pon Farr mating drives for long enough to warn the Klingons of a dastardly attack on the outpost at Narrendra III. Meanwhile, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, in command of the USS Stargazer, is sent to infiltrate Romulan territory and recover Spock and Saavik. But is Picard's real task to aid them or to stop them completing their mission, which has put the peace of the galaxy at risk? ... Read more

Product Description
An in-depth technical guide on the security technology driving Internet e-commerce expansion.

"Planning for PKI" examines the number-one Internet security technology that will be widely adopted in the next two years. Written by two of the architects of the Internet PKI standards, this book provides authoritative technical guidance for network engineers, architects, and managers who need to implement the right PKI architecture for their organization. The authors discuss results and lessons learned from early PKI pilots, helping readers evaluate PKI deployment impact on current network architecture while avoiding the pitfalls of early technical mistakes. Four technical case studies detail the do's and don'ts of PKI implementation, illustrating both successes and failures of different deployments. Readers will also learn how to leverage future PKI-related technologies for additional benefits. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Very useful guide to PKI.
If you have just started working with PKI software or with OpenSSL and would like to gain a better understanding of X.509 certificates, certificate enrollment protocols and PKI, this book is for you. It's an excellent guide written by two of the co-authors of the "Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure: Certificate and Certificate Revocation List (CRL) Profile" (RFC 3280).

planning for PKI
I was expecting something which is more practical with regards to PKI. Author talks about theory of PKI in half the book. And then provides case studies which has very low utility if you are thinking of implementing PKI in J2EE or .NET or even ordinary ecommerce applications...The title is totally a misnomer. Only good thing i found was that the theory presented was helpful to understand PKI...

What a great read
WOW, this goes into some great detail.I am new to PKI, but this has really opened up my eyes to some of the more exquisite details.Great for anyone interested in PKI, but you do need to have some knowledge on Cryptography.

Still work to be done with PKI
While Planning for PKI is a well written book, after reading I still am not sure how it all fits together.I bought the book to learn more about PKI and chose this book because previous references rated this as the best book available on PKI. After reading this book I know a little more about PKI, but this book did not "de-mistify" PKI for me.

Planning for PKI: Non-techie's review
This is a great book for those of us who are NOT PKI development engineers. I learned a lot from this book; the authors, Russ Housley and Tim Polk, were able to present technical material in a way that was completely understandable to non-technical people who are interested in Internet and computer security issues. The Appendix on ASN.1, for example, clarified structures for me. As a policy person, I particularly enjoyed the Chapter on PKI Policy, thought it well written, succinct, and right on target. Since I read this book, I have referenced it in presentations and papers on the subject. Great work! ... Read more

Product Description

A mysterious wave of energy is sweeping across the Alpha Quadrant, transforming matter on a molecular level to create bizarre new landscapes and life-forms. Billions of living beings and hundreds of inhabited worlds lie in the path of the mutagenic wave. To discover the origin of the wave, Captain Picard and his crew must probe the long-buried mysteries. But even if he can uncover the shocking history of the Genesis Wave, is there any way to save the future from its unleashed fury? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

The Genesis returns...
It is always a risk writing about successful stories from the past. Most continuations can be viewed as bland because so much of the extended storyline is rehash from before. This book tried to capitalize upon the prior success' of the Genesis story and does so with some imaginative twists. Unfortunately the story lacks depth and doesn't build much upon the fear of such a destructive device. Instead of a torpedo style weapon we are presented with a destructive wave that spreads from solar-system to solar-system turning all life into a genetic goo that reforms into new life forms. Genesis Wave book one does a good job building depth of character even thou it rehashes old story-lines we've seen over and over, but the characters are fun and easy to follow. The book does contain a few errors along the line of getting Admiral pips incorrect, but these mistakes are few and far between. All in all a good read but not an epic story. I can only hope the second book breathes new life into this story.

Captivating
Great story. Great listening. Presented well. I listen to this one over and over again. I've had the tape for years and since tape players are hard to come by these days I figured I better get the CD. This is one I would not want to loose. I have listened to it over the years. And it is a wonderful story. Glad there are three parts. Very engaging story.

Excellent fragment.
This is a marvellously well-written fragment of a story; as suggested by the "Book One" in the title, it is not a complete story unto itself; it has no ending. Were it not for that fact, it would rate five stars; the characters are handled wonderfully, the plot moves well, there is sufficient action without there being an over-reliance on action, and there is marvellous suspence. Unfortunately, for my taste, there's a little TOO much suspence, as the story ends at a cliffhanger. I understand that some people like that sort of thing; I find it annoying.

Catch the Wave
Okay, so it won't be winning a Pulitzer any time soon. But this is as fun as it gets. If you're a big fan, it's what you've always wanted, a good, long episode of TNG.

The title refers to a weapon originally meant to be a speedy, convenient means of terraforming. As usual, the good intentions of the scientists who invented it have been trumped by evil, and now the Genesis Wave has become a doomsday device in the hands of mysterious enemies, ravaging entire planets one by one as it moves through space, transforming all organic matter--including, of course, living beings--into primordial sludge. Ick, and kewl.

The story begins with the creator of the Genesis Wave, who's been exiled for years in an attempt to keep the technology secret after Starfleet acknowledges its deadly potential. When she's--you guessed it--kidnapped! mayhem ensues. Vornholt skillfully switches scenes to the first planet to be transformed, where we meet Leah Brahms, yeah, that one, the one Geordi fell in love with on the holodeck. She's been busy creating a suit that will allow engineers and the like to survive during a warp core breach, and it's her story that eventually takes us to the Enterprise, as Starfleet scrambles to try to combat the Genesis Wave. Leah and Geordi, as well as a few new characters, supply all the necessary subplots.

Vornholt delivers a tasty, easy plot, great mounting tension, and full, compelling characters, both old and new. This is genre fiction at its best, and, being only a first installment, promises hours upon hours of sheer, mindless fun. Gotta go put it my order for books II & III now.

Au Contraire
There is one interesting thing about this book: all the good stuff happens in the last ten pages, so now I have to debate whether I want to continue or not.

Where I stand: this is not my first ST:TNG book.It's my fifth, and I am also not a complete trekkie.I like the series enough, and I love the books.

Mr. Vornholt, unfortunately, writes a book that is poorly written.The characters are individual enough, but their reactions are all flat.

*spoiler*
For example, there is a scene in which a klingon finds out how to survive the wave.His reaction: oh really? then he changes the subject.
*end spoiler*

Sorry, but if I learned that information, I'd go berserk and try to talk about the issues, not change subjects.

Mr. Vornholt infuses the book with "Yes, Sir" everywhere.I couldn't stand it!Not to sound narrow, but this is one little pet-peeve of mine.In the series, they never said Yes, Sir as often as this, and if it's written, I doubt it's written with a capital S every time!!!It was one thing that completely annoyed me.Yes, Sir.Like two sentences trying to start at the same time.

The book is slow and Chapter 14 could have been condensed, truncated, anything.I forced myself to read it so I could say I read the book entirely.

Needless to say, I was sorely disappointed and will not be continuing the series.And if no one believes me (this is *not* a fast-paced thriller like everyone claims), take a good look at the summary on the 1st edition hardcover: Book 1 of two books.

Mr. Vornholt is up to four books now.The man knows how to take your money and give you nothing.

In praise: while many of the NG characters do not act as they would in a Peter David book, the twists are actually pretty fun.

To conclude: These twists occur in the last ten pages of the book.Good luck. ... Read more

Product Description

"As a matter of cosmic history, it has always been easier to destroy than to create." -- Spock, STAR TREK II: The Wrath of Khan

Following on the success and popularity of Genesis Wave: Books One, Two, and Three, John Vornholt pulls together a group of STAR TREK® heroes with a mission unlike any other!

The passing of the Genesis Wave has damaged hundreds of worlds in the newly named "Genesis Sector," and chaos reigns throughout that area of space. Each world has been changed in different ways, and a group of extraordinary men and women -- some old friends, some new faces -- have been assigned the job of getting the devastated planets back on their feet.

The first job: To resettle an entire displaced alien race on its altered home planet, where the dead come back to life, microbes have reached gigantic size, and the new ecology taking over the world is one not fit for man or genetically altered beast... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

If this is good Trek, blech!
Although I am a fan of all the Star Trek TV series, I only read the occasional Trek book. If this book is typical or considered fine, I'm glad I haven't read more. The characters were flat, much of the dialogue bland - and this based on characters with rich, complex development from TV! I realize that authors' have limited liberty to work with the main characters from the series, but numerous times I nearly set the book aside out of disappointment. Spoiler Alert! Quick - how do we save Deanna from the monstrous serpent? How else: her empathic powers convince the beast "We are friends from long ago." Books such as this serve best as a bad example: here's how you don't do it. Although it's been many years since I read it, I'd recommend "Vendetta" over "Genesis Force" any day.

A good travelling read
If you are a Star Trek fan, this is worth a listen. Personally, the best Star Trek Book to listen to is the New Frontier Anvil, however this is a good travel listen also.

Beating a dead horse, but doing it well.
Frankly, I would have been glad to see the whole "Genesis Device" concept die with "Star Trek III: The Search For Spock". The first two books in this series did a fair job of telling an interesting story resurrecting the concept, but the concept itself was already a moldering corpse even then. Book three had unquestionably passed the saturation point, and only a very well-told story with some very interesting characters saved this book from being a total waste of time and space; if the concept hadn't already been thoroughly played out, it would have been worth four stars, almost five. As it is, it ALMOST persuaded me to give it a third star, but I'm afraid that doing so might encourage the author to keep more "Genesis" stories coming. Please, please, please, let this concept die; it was ready to be put down twenty years ago.

justclench yourteeth...
Well,it's my OWN opinion...and nobody must agree with me...but why the writters almost always must(?)dostrange or sometimes juststupid things with Alexander??It's disgusting.Why they couldn't do something like that with anyone else:-(?To add,this book have poor plots,andonly merely describe the Aluwnans .There are my thinks after my first reading-maybe when I reach for this book again, I'll be in better mood,and will write here about "Genesis Force" sth more positive.

Abysmal
There is good science fiction out there.There are good Trek novels.This isn't them.This was awful.

It started out interestingly enough.The author explores in depth a number of characters on an non-Federation planet.We see a new culture, and new people.But even here there are a lot of missed opportunities.The culture is not delved into; we see few differences in culture other than what you might find on earth.Indeed, this culture is about as different from 20th century American culture as 20th century England is.It is written like a TOS episode, without a great deal of imagination.

The book goes downhill from there.There are few explanations for the events which follow.Characters are not believable, and amazingly flat.I have no idea why most of them did what they did.The Enterprise shows up at the last second, and I think saves the day, but there was no point to include them, other than that this is a Star Trek novel.There are scenes of amazing gruesomeness, which one does not usually find in a Trek novel or show- and there is no point to their inclusion.Except perhaps to claim to be cutting edge by being gruesome.I'm reading this novel, thinking that there are only about ten pages left- how are they going to satisfactorily resolve everything?Sure enough, they resolve everything- and it's anything but satisfactory.It's like there was a page limit, and the author realized that there were only ten pages to finish up the story, so lets come up with any old way to fix things.

The first half of the novel is in-depth; the second half rushed and confusing.I feel like I wasted an evening. ... Read more

Product Description
Intended to create life from nothingness, the Genesis Device became instead a weapon of awe-inspiring destructiveness, capable of rearranging matter and life energy on a planetary scale. After the cataclysmic death of the Genesis Planet, Starfleet wisely decided to destroy all data and records on Project Genesis, hoping to bury its deadly secret forever. Now, nearly a century later, all that remains of Genesis is the knowledge stored in the mind of an elderly, almost forgotten scientist named Dr Carol Marcus. But Dr Marcus has gone missing, and a mysterious wave of energy is sweeping across the Alpha Quadrant at terrfying speed, wiping out the populations of entire planets, rearranging matter on a molecular level to create bizarre new landscapes and lifeforms. The USS Enterprise, commanded by Captain Jean-Luc Picard, is the first Starfleet vessel to discover the threat, but they are not the only ones in danger. Trillions of souls and hundreds of inhabited planets lie in the path of the mutagenic wave, which is expanding outwards as it traverses the cosmos, and Earth itself faces total obliteration! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

A good idea gone wrong...
This second installment of the Genesis Wave starts out with all the bells and whistles usually found at the climatic end of a stand alone edition. The first half is filled with excitement and intrigue as the team from the Enterprise and citizens of Mr. Mots' home-world fight tooth and nail against their fungal enemy. Saving themselves for the time being the story continues on to tie up some of the loose ends that evolved over the first book. Although the tale is well told and does a good job capturing the reader the ending left me non-to-happy. Given so many story arcs spread over 500 and some pages the conclusion felt rushed and empty. With there being so much rehashed events from previous shows, movies and books the whole two part Genesis Wave didn't truly offer anything to advance the Star Trek universe. A good story and a decent read but a epic tale this was not.

Dense on plot, light on characterization
After reading the first two books, I'd definitely liken Genesis Wave to a Star Trek-style Disaster film - ala' The Poseidon Adventure or Towering Inferno. The big difference is that we know exactly who's going to live and who's going to die. The big drawcard is Vornholt's descriptions of the horrific effect that Genesis has on its victims. Particularly in the case of Persephone and Myrmidon.

The plot flows at a near frenetic pace - so fast that you almost don't notice the small changes in characterization. One glaring example is Geordi LaForge's budding attraction to Leah Brahms. I'd always assumed that the two nascent lovebirds had decided to be good friends. It's interesting how an internal monologue within a novel can turn what I thought was the romantic status quo, completely on it's head. I still can't decide whether this decision was fan wish-fulfillment, or a logical next step for the two characters.

I don't put Vornholt on the same level as Keith R. A. DeCandido, as I think the latter has the edge when it comes to writing solid characterization and witty dialogue. But for those interested in a James Blish-style Trek story with Next Generation characters, this is definitely the novel for you.

Another excellent story fragment.
Like the first book in this series, this is a marvellously well-written fragment of a story; as suggested in the "Book 2" in the title, it is not a complete story unto itself. It starts in the middle of the action, book one having left us hanging on a cliff; this one picks up from there and rides the story through to an (apparent) ending. We also get a preview of "Book 3", just to let us know that the story ISN'T actually over yet, but at least the current immediate plot is tied up nicely.

Between the two of them, books one and two make for a five-star Star Trek novel, with excellent characterizations, good action, and a fine plot with many interesting convolutions. I'd have preferred to see this sold as a single large volume, but that's just a personal preference; I hate to see stories broken up into separate books just for marketing purposes.

Not exactly the Garden of Eden
The second book of the Genesis Wave series continues the rollicking ride that the first book gave us, though it's not quite as tight as I would have liked.We still have the galactic destruction, but this book is much more character-based, taking some of the characters in directions that are a little more absurd than I would have liked, but still enjoyable.The ending is predictable (though the method isn't necessarily), and the story is weakened by what turns out to be multiple scenes of monster slaughter.At times, the book felt like a variation on Dawn of the Dead, and lost a little bit of its luster because of it.Still, it was quite enjoyable.

Vornholt once again has some good characterization of the regulars in this book.Maltz and Brahms are the highlights here, as they add a lot of fun to a rather downbeat book otherwise.That Vornholt does this without making the Klingons caricatures is even more of an achievement.Instead, they stay true to their Klingon heritage, trying to die with honour and taking as many of the enemy with them as possible.They look down on the humans as soft (one amusing scene has Maltz on a Federation ship trying to get *uncomfortable* in the captain's chair because it shouldn't *be* comfortable), but they develop a healthy respect for Dr. Brahms, mainly because she realizes she has to be just as gruff and harsh as a typical Klingon captain.Other than Maltz and Gradok, we don't really get a good sense of why the rest of the crew is following her.That's a minor point, however.

What's not quite as minor is one of the twists involving the Romulans, which I won't get into here other than asking:for what possible purpose would the Romulans have a contingency plan in a fairly deserted area of space before any of this happens (we're talking a matter of days, so there's no way they could have set it up after the Genesis Wave began)?There doesn't seem to be any point to it unless they somehow knew that this area would be important, but there's no indication of that.This plot hole sets up the finale, which does cheapen it a little bit

The other problem with the book is that it does, at times, become a monster hunt.This hunt is related to the whole story, so it does serve a bit of a purpose, but on Myrmidon it doesn't seem to connect with the rest of the story.Yes, these monsters are the same as are being dealt with elsewhere, but it only serves to give jeopardy to an already poignant storyline on Myrmidon, where all of these Bolians are trying to survive on a planet that's not really hospitable to them anymore.That may have been an interesting story to tell.These sequences also emphasize a "Super Data" that became a bit annoying at times.Yes, I know Data is capable of leaping great distances, but picturing him bounding around, grabbing people and then jumping away again and again became a little silly.All in all, the situation on Myrmidon did tend to distract from the rest of the book (though it did contain the classic line from Data, "Actually, you were trying to bite my face."Ok, you had to be there).

What did I like about Genesis Wave: Book 2?While I found them a bit far-fetched, I loved the Brahms/Klingon scenes.They were just a lot of fun, filled with Klingon bluster and adventure.Maltz is once again the highlight, either when he's swearing vengeance on Carol Marcus or when he's offering to pretend to be Leah's consort in order to protect her from any untoward advances from a crew member.These scenes certainly aren't flawless, but my enjoyment of them outweighed any incredulity that I might have had for them.Carol Marcus was also handled well, especially when she figures out that she's been duped, that Jim Kirk and her son are not really around her, and she must do whatever she can to stop the Wave from being unleashed again.Again, there were a few bits here and there that didn't quite connect for me (I didn't buy how easily she was able to empty her thoughts so that her captors couldn't read them, for example), but I could put any faults aside for the sheer entertainment value and the strength of the characterization.She's a woman who has the deaths of billions on her conscience, even though she was duped.This guilt and determination to not let it happen again shines through.

Genesis Wave: Book 2 is not as good, not as cohesive as the first book.However, it is a fitting conclusion to a cosmic adventure.I particularly liked how the ending is not all tied up in a neat little bow for the characters, though it is for the reader.There are some questions that you know they will never be able to answer.It's a nice change of pace.This duology is definitely worth a look-see for any Trek fan.

David Roy

A good follow-up book
This book picks up seconds after book one.By the end of the book I was left thinking that this was a perfect ending to the story.Here again we see Geordi dealing with his love interest Leah Brahams.She has been busy moving up the chain of command and now has a crew of her own.The crew of the Enterprise start succuming to the aliens that set off the Genesis Wave in order to save their dying civilization.Billions are dead and the Klingons are in the unconventional roll of acting as transport ships of the injured and refugees left in the wake of a massive evacuation that has decimated much of the alpha quadrant.

Makes a nice tie-in to the Star Trek S.C.E. series. ... Read more

Product Description

2239. Now a diplomat for the United Federation of Planets, Spock agrees to a bonding with Saavik. Plans for the consummation of the pair's union are thrown off course when Spock receives a top-secret communication that lures him into the heart of the Romulan empire. Enmeshed in the treacherous political intrigues of the Romulan capital, Spock must use all his logic and experience to survive a crisis that will ultimately determine the fate of empires! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Skip this one.
Ok, ok, I'm a trekkie. And I like the "after series" books, but this one was really bad. Long, drawnout ramblings that went no where....it seems like the authors lost interest several times during the writing, came back to it again sometime later, and forgot where they left off..........or just didn't care. Do skip this one.

One of the better Trek books in quite awhile...BUT...
I found this to be one of the better Trek books in quite awhile and certainly MUCH better than Vulcan's Forge.Tim Russ does an excellent job with the reading and really gives distinction to the various characters.
My couple of complaints with the book aren't so much with the story as the format.For one, this book REALLY, REALLY points out how uncohesive the world of Trek books is.For instance, didn't T'Pau (sp?) die in "Spock's World", a novel that this one is supposed to be "in the tradition" of?Yet, here she is again.And since this story takes place about a year after Generations, doesn't that make her older than God?I know it's nitpicky, but she just seemed terribly out of place.Especially since she IS later replaced by T'Lar whom I expected to see in the first place.
Also, this reading is an EXCELLENT example of how the trimming for an audio book can go horribly wrong.Not to spoil the plot, but in a major point of interest to me was the revelation that the Enterprise C picks up Saavik just prior to it's destruction at Nerendra (sp?) III.She is adamant that the Enterprise NOT divert to drop her off but go immediately to the rescue of the Klingons on the outpost.And they do.Leaving the reader to assume that Saavik is on the Enterprise when it is destroyed (or captured, depending on who's story you believe).However, she turns up at the end of the book having evidently been dropped off at a starbase prior to the battle.This scene is omitted (I presume) and really throws the reader for a loop since you assume she was lost (or captured) with the Enterprise and that this is a major revelation in the story of the end of the Enterprise C.I even "re-listened" to the relevant parts to make sure I hadn't missed it, but no I hadn't.She's aboard the Enterprise right up through to the battle and later on Vulcan having been dropped off prior to the battle.It's jarring and annoying to say the least.
Other than that, not a bad book.Certainly worth a listen.

I waited a long time for this to be printed on CDs
A good listen.Some boring chapters and some points are repeated too often.It could've used multiple readers to liven it up. ... Read more

Product Description

Sweeping across the Alpha Quadrant at a terrifying speed, a wave of Genesis energy has wiped out whole populations of entire planets, rearranging matter on a molecular level to create bizarre new landscapes and life-forms.

The U.S.S. Enterprise™, commanded by Captain Jean-Luc Picard, managed to counter the threat, halting the wave in its tracks and stopping the alien race that had sent the wave crashing through the galaxy. In the process, the crew saved trillions of souls and hundreds of inhabited planets from the mutagenic wave. Earth itself, as well as the Romulan Empire, was saved from obliteration.

Now nothing is left to do but clean up the mess the Genesis Wave left behind. Or so it seems. Unknown to Picard and his crew, the use of the Genesis Wave on a galactic scale had weakened the walls between our dimension and one right next door, one that harbors a deadly threat to not only the survival of civilization throughout the galaxy, but the survival of reality itself.

The Genesis Wave, Book Three, is the final volume of an apocalyptic adventure that pits the desperate crew of the Starship Enterprise against a disaster of universal proportions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

A wave of Nausea
The first two Genesis Wave Books really did justice to the premise of the Genesis Device and pointed out what Captain Kirk feared that this device could and would be used as not a life giving piece of Technology,but rather and assimulator of galaxie.When you read the first two books they slowly build up and explode with the intensity of a Neutron Bomb.In the secont book,you simply can't put the book down,you are compelled to read it until your eyeballs bleed THAT'S how good it is...

Sadly,instead of finishing the exciting and compelling storyline as they should have,they continued it with a collection of some of the most sorry cast of characters ever asembled,confusing as hell plots that literally take up 2/3 of the novel.And on top of all this has literally NOTHING to do with first two books.

The cast reminds me of the Lord Of The Rings RPG Video Game.A cut rate bunch of minor characters who by the end of the book you rather see them all die right in front of you than be subjected to this drool of a Novel again.I mean they are mentioned in the secont Genesis Book and actually was rather entertaining as a little side plot.But main charecters they aint.
The stupid dialogue reminds you of two 14 year old girls aurguing about who's Cell phone is better or something like that.It's just mind numbing and dumbed down.

To even aknollege anything positive about this Novel would be a great disservice to the previous two(which I couldn't recommend more highly).I wish I could say something ANYTHING positive about this Novel,but I just can't.If you want to get the best of the Genesis Wave saga I recommend you only get the first two books,because if you think this book can add anything positive or inovating to the saga or Star Trek PERIOD...then you are sadly mistaken and instead of a great Novel,you might as well get your money and a lighter and set your hard eared cash on fire.I have over 150 Star Trek Novels-some epic some down right terrible.But this is like a lingering odor you just can't get rid of.Judge it for yourself,but I warn you that after the time you took to read it through fruition,you wish you had a time machine to stop yourself from reading this god aweful abortion ofa Star Trek novel from an otherwise flawless saga.

What happened?!!?
I was also going to title this review "ARRGGGHHHH!!!!". After two solidly-plotted books, the Genesis Wave saga falls completely to pieces with this third book. A Bajoran Priest steals a Genesis device, believing it to be the Orb of Life. The Enterprise, teams up with Admiral Necheyev and a small band of mercenaries to retrieve it. It's a good premise, but character-wise the result is such an illogical mess.

Firstly, I can understand why Picard is having a romantic liason with the Romulan Commander (although I did think "Ewwwww..."). I can even understand Dr. Crusher being concerned, and even a bit jealous. The latter is perfectly in keeping with their relationship, which culminates in Michael Jan Friedman's novel Death In Winter.

My biggest problem is with the motivations of the other characters. Just exactly why is Raynr Sleven (the Androsian) so attracted to one of the main characters? The Florence Nightingale Syndrome subplot was developed far too quickly, and was completely unconvincing. And why does Treya forgive another character's transgression so quickly during the course of the book? An emotional arc like that needs more drama and conflict, so that the resolution at the very end of the book is richly earned. I didn't get that impression here.

The biggest oversight, continuity wise, is a humongous conflict between the history of Nurse Ogawa as told in the Star Trek: Titan novels, and what happens at the end of this book. I'm actually very glad that Marco Palmieri and co. chose to ignore this development in Book Three. It gives Ogawa more depth, and makes her a more interesting character.

In summary, Genesis Wave Book Three is a complete and total mess. Picard's behaviour is jarring but explainable. Crusher's attitude is also understandable. But the rushed resolutions to the other character arcs makes for an extremely frustrating read.

3.5 Stars?
This is a fairly well-written book, interesting and quick-moving. It's something of a disappointment, however, because it is the third book of a three-book series which was quite adequately ended after two books; this is not really a continuation of the story from those books (although technically it is) but more of an afterthought tacked on, and it weakens the feeling of completion that the reader had after book two. It would actually work better as a stand-alone than as the completion of this series, although to work properly as a stand-alone, it would need a bit more introduction.

Also, we see very little of the regular characters here; they have their parts to play, but are not the focus of the story. This in and of itself isn't necessarily a bad thing, and the non-regulars (Nechayev, Teska, Regimol, etc) are handled quite well. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the regulars; where they appear, they don't always ring true, particularly Captain Picard.

Tentatively recommended, but not if the reader has read the first two books of this series and felt satisfied with the conclusion of book two. In that case, it might be best to take a pass on this one and leave well enough alone.

The sequel that should never have been written
What do you do when you have written a really great two-book series full of galactic destruction and adventure?If you're John Vornholt, you churn out a third book as a sequel to them (granted, it may very well have been the publisher's idea, but he could always have said no).Genesis Wave: Book 3 is everything that the first two books weren't:boring, plodding, with bad characterization and large stretches where nothing interesting happens.It is not only entirely forgettable, but it's also inconsequential.

The Genesis threat has been neutralized with the help of the Romulans and almost the entirety of Starfleet.However, the problems are not over.While the cleanup begins, the Enterprise discovers that the Genesis Wave has weakened the boundaries between our universe and another one, allowing horrifying creatures to bridge the gap.A massive rip in space does not bode well for the Federation's survival, especially because this isn't the only rift out there.Meanwhile, on a backwater mining planet, a Bajoran Prylar (similar to a lower-level priest or monk) is given what turns out to be a portable Genesis device.Believing it to be the Orb of Life, he is determined to use it for the good of his people, no matter what the true consequences will be.Aided by a Ferengi, a few Bajorans, and an enigmatic Vulcan, this Prylar could very well cause a lot more suffering than he thinks he will cure.But will the Romulans kill anybody they have to in order to get a hold of this final device?

It's almost hard to begin, there is so much wrong with this.First, the characterization is way off.Weird romance passages abound (Vornholt seems to have been bitten by the Christie Golden bug, as he describes many characters as "stunning") and even when the romance angles are a bit more understandable, they are stilted an obvious.One of Crusher's patients falls in love with her, but Crusher is acting like a jealous fishwife because of the way Picard is acting with the Romulan commander on the other ship.Picard's actions are made clear later in the book, but Crusher's are never really explained.In all their years of working together, they have been attracted to each other, but she's never acted this way.This book takes place between Insurrection and Nemesis, and there's no hint in either one of these movies that would allow for Crusher to act like she does in this book.Troi and Riker aren't nearly as bad, but some of their scenes together really grated on my nerves as well.There are times where they don't act like the professionals they are.Even Vornholt's characters are not immune to this.The Romulan commander has a hold on Picard's emotions (I won't say how, for fear of spoiling) but, for some reason, she has a scene where she tells the sleeping Picard that she really loves him.It's never referred to again.

The rest of the book introduces characters that I, for the most part, cared nothing about.The book seems to be a showcase for a new series that never actually started, of "Genesis Warriors," or at least warriors who banded together to fight the Genesis threat.There's the Vulcan priestess, the Romulan who has a secret, the defected Romulan who is a Starfleet admiral's agent, a Ferengi, and a shape-shifter (not a Founder).Sounds like a super-hero team, in a way, even down to them having a strong leader who gives them missions in Admiral Nechayev.My first understanding was that Genesis Force would be their first (and last) adventure, but I recently discovered that Genesis Force takes place concurrently with this three-book series, so that's not true.Even so, it does look like the "premiere issue," even going so far as to really ignore the Enterprise crew for long periods at a time.

Then there's the completely unnecessary references to Vornholt's Gemworld TNG series of books.The characters (especially Troi) keep wondering if the rift is something similar to what happened on Gemworld.It's never definitively answered (and if so, I was so bored I missed it) and even if it was answered, it really had no bearing on the plot.If there's anything I hate more than the overuse of continuity, it's the overuse of *useless* continuity.Vornholt at least doesn't take large portions of the book to explain what happened on Gemworld, but he comes close.Another use of continuity I had to laugh at is what ends up being the Romulan plan (and I shall say no more in fear of spoilage).

Other strangeness abounds as well.The entire Picard plot thread, though clear to the reader before this happens, is revealed to the characters in about two sentences as soon as Nechayev boards the Enterprise in a completely anti-climactic moment that allows them to plan a commando mission on to the Romulan ship.

The best thing I can say about the book is that the atmosphere is pretty well done.The excavation of the lab on Lomar, where all of the dead and dying bodies taken over by the moss creatures in the previous books reside, is quite chilling and oppressive at times, mirroring exactly how it would feel to work in that environment.

Other than a few odd moments here and there (like Lomar), I had to really struggle with this book.It reads very quickly, just like the first two books do, but yet it's also a struggle to get through as you the plot gets more and more outlandish.The worst thing is that this book was *completely* unnecessary!The first two books were so good, but this one almost cheapens them.I say almost, because thankfully this book is not necessary for the enjoyment of those two.It can be completely ignored, and probably should be.

David Roy

Don't Bother
Genesis Wave book 1 and 2 were excellent. I don't know what the author was thinking of when he wrote his 3rd book. He should have quit while he was on a roll. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

don't be misled by the cover
To tell the truth, when the book arrived, I was shocked. It says "hardback" in the description, but the quality is rather that of a paperback. Looking at the cover one might expect to see numerous illusstrations; however, there are only black-and white photos which serve a presentational function rather than esthetic or any other. This may be a good book for study; but it is not at all the one for viewingcolored images of the paintings by genius fine artist, since the latter are not to be found, despite the promising (paper)cover. ... Read more

Product Description
The CEO's Guide to Talent Acquisition is an engaging, lightning -fast, insightful book in stark contrast to the overstuffed business tomes lining book shelves today. Heavy on practicality, easy to pack in your carry-on bag, this field guide delivers profitable ideas that you can implement between the time you take off from Hew York and land in Atlanta. This book delivers the metrics and insights to secure top talent now.Messengers Tolan, Garner and Riendeau combine their collective experience of 110, 000 interviews to deliver real world ideas with a steady dose of humor and storytelling flair for hurried executives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Awesome, Actionable GuideBook
Like a good travel guide, this talent acquistion guide is full of great ideas in bite size 150-200 word topics.The hiring and employee RETENTION game is definitely changing with the our dramatically changing demographics and this little book is full of easy to implement ideas to do today which will make an impact quickly.It goes chronologically through : Attracting Talent, Who to Hire, How to Hire, Managing and Retaining Top Talent and then Sustaining, or in their term: Staying Sharp
It is a very easy read with a good dose of humor to boot! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very touching
It's obvious how fond Tim Russert is of his father. This is a touching story and read by the author is even a bigger treat. I enjoyed his tales of growing up in Buffalo and how he always remembered where he came from even as he grew to be more and more successful. ... Read more

Product Description
Veteran newsman and Meet the Press moderator Tim Russert is known for his direct and unpretentious style and in this charming memoir he explains why. Russert's father is profiled as a plainspoken World War II veteran who worked two blue-collar jobs while raising four kids in South Buffalo but the elder Russert's lessons on how to live an honest, disciplined, and ethical life are shown to be universal. Big Russ and Me, a sort of Greatest Generation meets Tuesdays with Morrie, could easily have become a sentimental pile of mush with a son wistfully recalling the wisdom of his beloved dad. But both Russerts are far too down-to-earth to let that happen and the emotional content of the book is made more direct, accessible, and palatable because of it. The relationship between father and son, contrary to what one would think of as essential to a riveting memoir, seems completely healthy and positive as Tim, the academically gifted kid and later the esteemed TV star and political operative relies on his old man, a career sanitation worker and newspaper truck driver, for advice. Big Russ and Me also traces Russert's life from working-class kid to one of broadcast journalism's top interviewers by introducing various influential figures who guided him along the way, including Jesuit teachers, nuns, his dad's drinking buddies, and, most notably, the late New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, whom Russert helped get elected in 1976. Plenty of entertaining anecdotes are served up along the way from schoolyard pranks to an attempt to book Pope John Paul II on the Today Show. Though not likely to revolutionize modern thought, Big Russ and Me will provide fathers and sons a chance to reflect on lessons learned between generations. ... Read more

Product Description
The university Ministry of Indiana Avenue Baptist church began in 1989 with 9 students. Sine then, God has grown the group to over 1300 students coming each week for worship and Bible study, These songs of praise, recorded live at a special Friday evening service, reflect the hearts of students who desperately long to see the glory of God and revival in their generation. Our God is good. We love him. We're lost without him. He is the air we BREATHE.

1. Be Glorified
2. Garments Of Praise
3. There's No One Like Our God
4. Lord, Reign In Me
5. Hear Our Praises
6. You're The Lion Of Judah
7. Spirit Fall On Me
8. Revival
9. Be Unto Your Name
10. Better Is One Day
11. I Life My Eyes
12. Breathe
... Read more