Outside In, by Maria V. Snyder--Review

Harlequin TEEN, ISBN 9780373210114, Publication Date 2/22/2011

This is the second book in a series, and so I had to pick up clues to the backstory  while reading this one. There was enough there that it wasn't a serious problem.

The setting is a generational colony ship headed from parts unknown to parts unknown. The original, or at least the previous, governing structure had been overthrown generations earlier, and the population of the ship divided into Uppers and Scrubs. The tensions in that society came to a head in the previous book, Inside Out, the ruling class dominated by the Trava family was overthrown, and a new government and social structure, intended to be more egalitarian, was created.

As the new book opens, the rebels against the previous regime are finding out that sometimes governing is harder than it looks, and overthrowing a bad government doesn't automatically mean that the new system will work. Trella, the seventeen-year-old leader of the Force of Sheep that spear-headed the rebellion, thinks she's too young and inexperienced to take a leading role in the new government, and insists on deferring to older and presumably wiser heads. She has accepted only an advisory seat on the ruling Committee, and then resigns even that, since she thinks she's more useful exploring the world they now know is a ship, and much larger than they previously thought.

But some of her fellow Scrubs resent the fact that the Uppers still mostly do the relatively soft jobs, while Scrubs still do the heavy, filthy, and sometimes dangerous work. The Trava family is mostly locked up in the brig, and wants out--and they have the greatest technical knowledge of the ship, including knowledge of the Transmission, the ship's drive and power plant.

And then some party identifying itself simply as the Controllers starts taking control of various critical ship's systems. Trella and some of her friends and allies think it's the Travas. Some of the Scrubs, the ones who have kept working but are not happy with the new system, think it's, in essence, the ancestors, the forces that are supposed to be the ultimate governing force in their world, which have been ignored by both the Committee and the Travas before them. And they start cooperating with the Controllers.

Trella finds herself unwillingly drawn back into politics, espionage, and eventually rebellion again, trying to figure out who are her allies and who are her enemies--and then finding out that she has to cooperate with her enemies, as they all confront the alarming fact that, if their world is a spaceship, then there are people outside the ship.

This is an exciting, entertaining story with lots of plot twists to keep you guessing what will happen on the next page, and engaging characters to help you care.

Recommended.

I received a free electronic galley of this book via NetGalley.

The 4-Percent Universe: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Race to Discover the Rest of Reality, by Richard Panek--Book Review

Mariner Books, ISBN 9780547577579, 288 pp., Pub. Date 11/1/2011

This a highly readable history of the transformation of cosmology from metaphysics to physics, from philosophy and speculation to hard science, and in the process, the discovery of most of the universe.

Historically, astronomy and physics didn't have a great deal to do with each other. Astronomers studied the stars by observation, very patient and detailed observation and record-keeping. Theoretical physicists theorized and calculated, and experimental physicists experimented, and they fed each other's work, very occasionally coming up with something, most notably gravity, that made a real difference to astronomy. Then Einstein gave us general relativity, and began a century of ever-deeper entanglement of physics and astronomy, and the transformation of cosmology--the study of the nature and origins of the entire universe--from something utterly beyond the scope of physics into its core. The questions of how big the universe is, whether it is eternal in space and time or had a beginning and might have an end, became real questions.

Edwin Hubble, early in the century, discovered that the universe is expanding, but also that there are other galaxies beyond our own, and that they're all moving away from us. This was a major, exciting, and initially controversial change in our conception of the universe. In the 1960s, Vera Rubin, looking for a research project she could do within the constraints of raising two young children, studied other astronomers' observations and discovered that the galaxies were rotating as well as moving away from us. Also in the mid-1960s, Robert Dicke, Jim Peebles, and a small group of theoretical physicists had a prediction for which they had no supporting data: If the Big Bang theory of the history of the universe were correct, there should be low-level cosmic microwave radiation, at a temperature of about 3 degrees Kelvin. Then two astronomers at Bell Labs, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson, had data for which they had no explanation: While trying to calibrate the Bell Labs' Crawford Hill antenna to study radio waves from the fringes of the Milky Way, they found they had a tiny background hiss which no amount of calibration would eliminate. They'd found the background cosmic radiation, echo of the Big Bang.

That's one small step along the way, from Einstein to the discovery that most of our universe is invisible. As the back and forth played out between the theoretical physicists and the experimental and observational scientists, increasingly astronomers, each theoretical question drew forth an observation, a find, a discovery that answered that question, and raised another. The most startling of these was the discovery that visible, directly detectable matter is just over 4% of the total make-up of a universe far larger and more complex than ever suspected at the start of the 20th century. If what we see were all there were, the galaxies would not be, could not be, relatively compact, stable spirals (or their other shapes), but should be torn apart by the speed of their rotation. Outside, among, around, the visible matter of the galaxies was dark matter.

Dark matter was soon joined by the even more mysterious dark energy.

The largest part of Panek's book is devoted to the research to detect and identify dark matter and dark energy,  He takes us through not only the science, fascinating enough in itself, but also the human drama as two teams, one primarily physicists and the other primarily astronomers, raced against each other to gather enough observations of sufficiently distant (and therefore ancient) supernovae to answer essential questions about the conditions of the early universe. In the answers to those questions, and questions about changes since that early time, would lie the answers to the reality of dark energy, dark matter, and maybe the ultimate fate of the universe.

Highly recommended.

The hardcover edition of this book is available from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. A paperback edition will be released in November 2011.

I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

Among Others, by Jo Walton--Book Review

Tom Doherty Associates, Format: NOOKBook, 220pp., ISBN 9781429991520, January 2011

This is a stunningly wonderful book.

I have never read anything that so perfectly captures the experience of being fifteen, a science fiction reader just discovering some of the greats of the field (not to mention fandom!), the new kid in school who doesn't quite fit in, the young woman just starting to reach for adulthood, and not sure where she fits in a family where no one except her imperfectly known father seems to share her interests and concerns.

Of course, Morwenna's problems are in a whole different league from my own at her age. Morwenna's twin sister was killed in a car accident that left Morwenna crippled. That accident was their witch mother's retaliation for their successful thwarting of her spell intended to make her a Dark Queen. Now Morwenna is dependent on the father she's never met.

On the one hand, Morwenna and her father Daniel bond over their love of science fiction. On the other hand, her aunts, his three sisters, decide that she belongs at Arlinghurst, the same boarding school they attended, so that's where she goes. It's a tough transition for her, a crippled girl among enthusiastic athletes, a Welsh girl amongst mostly upper middle class English girls, an enthusiastic reader amongst students who think reading is only for studying. But she's smart, and determined, and doesn't really see any better alternatives, so she finds ways to cope.

And as she struggles to find her own place, and her own friends, and her own path, she discovers that the threat from her mother is not over. Together with all the normal adolescent challenges, Morwenna also does battle with her mother's hostility and ambitions, the ethics of magic, and the desire and opportunity to be reunited with her sister.

This is a beautifully written book, lovingly and convincingly depicting both adolescent angst and the joys of discovering science fiction and the community of science fiction fandom.

Highly recommended.

I purchased this book and have received no compensation from the publisher or anyone else for reading and reviewing it.

For the Love of Dogs, by Allison Weiss Entrekin, illustrated by Mark Anderson, foreword by Victoria Stilwell--Review

Triumph Books, ISBN 9781600783715, 48pp., February 2011


This is an alphabet book, using dogs, with cute little rhymes and charming illustrations. Along with the alphabet, it includes information about dogs--popular breeds, basic care, and behavior. It's bite-sized information for kids, with more information for older readers in smaller (but not small) print below the rhyme.

It's a lovely book, to read to your kids, or to leave out on the coffee table to enjoy the art.

I received a free copy of this book for review from the publisher.

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Sausages, by Tom Holt--Book Review

Orbit Books, ISBN 9780316080026, Publication Date 2/2/2011

If you're familiar with Tom Holt, all I have to say is, Have fun! If not, I should say a bit more than that. For those who are new to Holt's work, be prepared for a wild ride.

Something odd is happening in the offices of Blue Remembered Hills Development, and Polly Mayer doesn't like it. Someone is drinking her coffee. She's getting phone calls complaining about her failure to follow up on conversations she knows didn't happen. She's finding notes in her work diary that she didn't write, and work done in her files that she didn't do. Polly is not amused--and that's before she discovers that the dry cleaners where she dropped off her dress has disappeared. Not gone out of business--vanished as if it had never been there.

Something odd is happening at BRHD. Mr. Huos has lost his brass ring. And ever since the loss of the ring, clients and customers are starting to complain. Something about the land they bought being missing. Mr. Huos is also missing his past: He has no memory before he woke up on a mountainside in eastern Europe ten years ago, with the brass ring, steel earrings, and $100,000 in US currency. Oh, and the ability to understand any spoke language instantly. And to make deals that are not far off from turning sows' ears into silk purses.

Something odd is happening outside BRHD. Don Mayer, Polly's brother, found a brass pencil sharpener in the pocket of a suit he picked up from the dry cleaners' shortly before Polly discovered that that shop not only  didn't exist anymore, it never had. Suddenly he can Make Things Happen, including the return of his sister's dress, and the disappearance of his annoying neighbor--whom he only wanted to go away, not cease existing.

Meanwhile, there are the hens who used to be lawyers, and Mr. and Mrs. Williams, the dry cleaners whose shop has been moving to new locations every couple of days for the last ten years.

And all of that is before things start getting weird.

If you're a Tom Holt fan, definitely pick up this one. If you've never heard of Tom Holt before, be adventurous and pick it up anyway! It's weird and wonderful and a lot of fun.

I received a free electronic galley of this book via NetGalley.

The Wolf's Tooth: Keystone Predators, Trophic Cascades, and Biodiversity by Cristina Eisenberg--Book Review

Island Press, ISBN 9781597263979, 248pp., May 2010


This is a useful and interesting overview of the state of ecosystem management science, its history, complexities, and uncertainties. Eisenberg interlaces accounts of her own research on wolves, elks, aspens, and songbirds in Colorado, Wyoming, and elsewhere, with accounts of what others are doing or have done in similar settings and in very different ones. These include the  Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch in Montana, a working ranch that operates as a demonstration of how conservation and ranching can work in harmony, making a productive ranch in a wild landscape that includes bears, wolves, cougars, elk, mule deer, and other wildlife normal absent or barely hanging on in ranching territory.

The main point here is to explain the current state and history of ecological science. Eisenberg lays out the evidence of the importance of keystone predators, such as wolves in North America and sharks in the oceans, in maintaining a healthy level of biodiversity. One example: In the absence of wolves, elk overbrowse aspen saplings, leading to a lack of aspen in the middle age ranges, leading to a lack of the songbirds for whom a healthy density of mature and near-mature aspens are the preferred habitat. Over the last couple of decades, field research has strongly reinforced the importance of these keystone predators in maintaining the diversity that we need in order to continue to live comfortably on this planet.

But the top-down effects of keystone predators aren't the whole story. Food supply, disease, climate change, and other "bottom up" effects are also important, and interact with the top-down effects of keystone predators. In some circumstances one is more important, in other circumstances the other is more important--and the same ecosystem can flip from one to the other as its major force due to disruptions such as fires, volcanic eruptions, or human habitat destruction.

At times this is a bit dry, but other parts are lively and interesting, and overall this is very useful background for understanding environmental issues that make the news and affect our daily lives.

Recommended.

I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

Blog-Opening Giveaway at The Reading Fever

Penelope at The Reading Fever is having a giveaway to celebrate the start of her blog. Stop by and check out what looks like a great blog for readers, and enter the giveaway.

Good luck, Penelope!

E-Bay is allowing sales of live animals in its Classifieds section

Here is what E-Bay has to say about why they allow the Live Animal Classified Ads:

Free online classified ads have made it easier for animal lovers to find their perfect pet from local households, rescue shelters, and breeders.

The fact that Craigslist and assorted other online venues doesn't make it a good idea. Online ads are a natural outlet for puppy millers, puppy brokers, and the worst sort of backyard breeders to market their wares with no safeguards for the animals themselves. They may find well-intentioned buyers who don't realize the risks of buying from these sources, or they may find careless buyers who could not pass the screening required by a responsible breeder or animal rescue group. E-Bay claims to have safeguards in place, but there's no way that they are checking out every seller, OR every buyer; they can't. Even if they wanted to, it would be completely impractical for them.

E-Bay stopped the sales of live animals through their auctions due to the objections of their users who care about animal welfare. Maybe they thought their animal-loving users wouldn't noticed the live animal sales in the classifieds sections, because those ads don't come up when you're searching the auctions for leashes, dog clothing, and toys. I don't know. But they have been found out, and they need to realize that this is not acceptable.

Help me get the point across to E-Bay to shut down the sale of live animals on their site.

Write a blog post and link up to show we have a strong voice and we will not allow it.
Write a tweet to tell E-Bay it is not ok.
Dedicate your Facebook status to pass along the message to your friends.

If you don't have a blog, here is the mailing address for E-Bay:
E-Bay, Inc.
2145 Hamilton Ave.
San Jose, CA 95125

Link up your post to show how loud we can be!

It's the Snowpocalypse

Or at least my dog thinks it is:

We had about eighteen inches of snow, and Addy is not quite fourteen inches tall. And she hates being wet, and hates being cold. As soon as she had finished her business outside, she headed for the door.

Winter is not kind to small, fluffy dogs who don't like to be wet or cold. I've told her some dogs enjoy it, like my sister's dog Stella. She replied that Stella is a Lab, and Labs just don't know any better.

Tucson

Vitriol might be free speech, but it's not without consequences. - Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik

     Not a book review this time.

     Yesterday, this country experienced a terrible tragedy, a mass shooting in Tucson.
     But this wasn't a random shooting, and Jared Lee Loughner may (or may not) be a lone nut, but he wasn't operating in a vacuum. We've been "treated" to three years of increasingly amped-up, over-heated, violent rhetoric, defining one party as unAmerican, unpatriotic terrorists, and using explicitly violent terms and images to describe the proper behavior towards those people.
     Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, a Blue Dog Democrat representing a district the Republicans expected to take back in November, was shot in the head at point-blank range. Against all reasonable expectation, she's alive, out of surgery, and reported to be doing remarkably well.
     We're all grateful for that--including the people who saw nothing wrong, and apparently still see nothing wrong, with putting out a map of "targeted" districts for the last election, with gunsights used to indicate those "targets." Despite the frantic back-peddling now, claiming that the graphic is a surveyor's sight, not a gunsight, at the time, Sarah Palin followed up the map with a tweet to her followers, urging them to "don't retreat, RELOAD!" In an interview that's chilling in hindsight, Gabrielle Giffords talked about the death threats and harassment she'd received after the gunsight map went public. Rep. Giffords' opponent in that race also held a rally and fundraiser in which the bait was that supporters would get to fire an M16, to "help take out Giffords."
     Judge John Roll, the chief federal judge in Arizona, lived in the neighborhood and walked over to say hello. He was a Republican, appointed in 2006 by George H. W. Bush. Last year he ruled that a civil rights lawsuit by illegal immigrants against an Arizona rancher could go forward. After that ruling, he received death threats and was under high security protection by the Federal Marshals Service for a month. He was killed on Saturday.
     Christina Taylor Greene was nine years old. She was very interested in politics, and attended the Giffords event to learn more about the political process. Christina was born 9/11/2001. She was shot and killed Saturday.
     Gabriel Zimmerman was Giffords' director of community outreach. He was thirty years old. He was shot and killed Saturday.
     Dorwin Stoddard was a pastor at Mountain Ave. Church of Christ. He tried to shield his wife by laying on top of her when the shooting started. She was injured; he was killed. He was 76.
     Dorothy Morris was 76.
     Phyllis Scheck was 79.
     Thirteen other people were injured. Not all names have been released, but Ron Barber was Giffords' deputy director, and Pam Simon was a Giffords staffer. They are both expected to be all right.
     This was a great tragedy, and a terrible shock. Is it enough of a shock to quiet some of the extremist rhetoric?