Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries

Book Description

A vibrant collection of essays on the cosmos from the nation's best-known astrophysicist.

Loyal readers of the monthly "Universe" essays in Natural History magazine have long recognized Neil deGrasse Tyson's talent for guiding them through the mysteries of the cosmos with stunning clarity and almost childlike enthusiasm. Here, Tyson compiles his favorite essays across a myriad of cosmic topics. The title essay introduces readers to the physics of black holes by explaining the gory details of what would happen to your body if you fell into one. "Holy Wars" examines the needless friction between science and religion in the context of historical conflicts. "The Search for Life in the Universe" explores astral life from the frontiers of astrobiology. And "Hollywood Nights" assails the movie industry's feeble efforts to get its night skies right.

Known for his ability to blend content, accessibility, and humor, Tyson is a natural teacher who simplifies some of the most complex concepts in astrophysics while simultaneously sharing his infectious excitement about our universe.

Customer Reviews:

Educational and entertaining.......2007-10-02

I have long known Tyson to be an excellent speaker and purveyor of scientific ideas with a Saganesque ability to convey the excitement of scientific findings with a bit more hipness and swagger to his talks than Sagan. This book is an excellent read through and through. I couldn't beat the feeling as I sat on the roof of a 14 story building in Curitiba, Brazil watching the sunset alone on the summer solstice (their winter solstice) while reading the section on Stick-In-The-Mud-Science and watching the long shadows creep across the sky and have Tyson explain to me all the celestial happenings around me (this really happened). Quite a magical read. The author presents complex scientific ideas in short, readable, cohesively-themed articles. Each article is on a topic familiar to us, upon which he expands towards scientific ideas which may be unfamiliar to us. There is enough overlap in the independent sections that the read feels like one is being 'taught' rather than just reading information. And Tyson is first and foremost a great educator. Although I did find myself trying to remember something from a previous chapter and flipping back through, I feel like I have learned a great deal about astrophysics from a book that was downright entertaining.

An enjoyable read for those with an interest in science and astronomy.......2007-09-27

The qualities that make Neil deGrasse Tyson so annoying on Nova Science Now are absolute positives when it comes to the written word. He is an intelligent and entertaining writer with an uncanny ability to reduce complex scientific concepts to bite sized chunks even I could (mostly) understand.

Death by Black Hole by Neil DeGrasse Tyson.......2007-09-19

An astrophysicist for the American Museum of Natural History, director of the world famous Hayden Planetarium, and columnist for Natural History magazine, Neil DeGrasse Tyson brings to the non-scientific world the ideal book for those fascinated with space, the cosmos, black holes, and all the questions and wonders therein. Death by Black Hole is the perfect book for the reader who wants answers to questions about the universe in a simple and clearly defined way so that even if they know next to nothing about science and it's jargon, Tyson makes it easily understandable.

While I was hoping for something a little more in depth in the style of Brian Greene's The Fabric of the Cosmos or Lee Smolin's The Trouble With Physics, Death by Black Hole nevertheless provides quick and simple answers to many questions everyday readers without a science background have about physics, the universe, space, and most matters dealing with the cosmos. The book is a selection of his columns in Natural History that are organized in a somewhat textbook fashion. Tyson starts with the idea of science and nature in its basic form, how humanity views Earth, the solar system, the universe. Along with this discussion, Tyson also gives minor history lessons on the development of different ideas in physics and astronomy, what people came up with what big ideas and how the progression led to the development of the big theories of our current time with string theory and relativity. Going on from here, Death by Black Hole address the crucial steps that led to the formation of the universe and its development over the many billions and billions of years, again explaining how it is that scientists know what they do and what instruments were used, as well as the history of who invented and used said instruments.

It is then that Tyson finally turns to the subject matter of the title of the book in the section "When the Universe Turns Bad: All the Ways the Cosmos Wants to Kill Us." Here he addresses the complex and still relatively unknown subjects of chaos theory, dark matter (which constitutes over 90% of all matter in the universe, while we still know next to nothing about it), and finally black holes. Tyson takes the reader on a hypothetical journey with what would happen if one were to be sucked into a black hole and how as they approached the event horizon, they would become stretched until the elasticity point of their skin was surpassed and the body would be torn into thousands then millions of little pieces.

With many questions now answered, in the next section Tyson discusses how science is viewed by the media, Hollywood, and people around the world in general. The final section addresses the concept of science and religion, again taking the reader on a historic journey through the development of first religion, then science, and the struggle that has ensued for centuries. It is the perfect end to a book on science, as Tyson lectures the importance of supporting fact and reality in a time when there are many who believe more in faith, even when all the evidence is to the contrary.

For more book reviews, and other writings, go to www.alexctelander.com

Conversational Cosmology 101 - Superb!.......2007-09-19

New York Planetarium director and astrophysicist Tyson has been writing a column for "Natural History" magazine for some 11 years - that makes about 132 short essays. Tyson says this monthly chore is "one of the most exhausting and exhilarating things I do." Forty-two of these essays appear in this volume, "mildly edited for continuity and to reflect emergent trends in science."

He divides these essays into seven sections:

1. THE NATURE OF KNOWLEDGE - The challenges of knowing what is knowable in the universe.
2. THE KNOWLEDGE OF NATURE - The challenges of discovering the contents of the cosmos.
3. WAYS AND MEANS OF NATURE - How nature presents herself to the inquiring mind.
4. THE MEANING OF LIFE - The challenges and triumphs of knowing how we got here.
5. WHEN THE UNIVERSE TURNS BAD - All the ways the cosmos wants to kill us.
6. SCIENCE AND CULTURE - The ruffled interface between cosmic discovery and the public's reaction to it.
7. SCIENCE AND GOD - When ways of knowing collide.

"Natural History" is the same magazine Stephen J. Gould wrote 300 essays for, overlapping with Tyson for seven years. In both cases, the authors excelled in making their respective fields (evolutionary biology and cosmology) easily readable for the general public, adding to their already impressive credentials.

From page 33: "This universality of physical laws tells us that if we land on another planet with a thriving alien civilization, they will be running on the same laws that we have discovered and tested here on Earth - even if the aliens harbor different social and political beliefs. Furthermore, if you wanted to talk to the aliens, you can bet they don't speak English or French or even Mandarin Chinese. You don't even know whether shaking their hands - if indeed they have hands to shake - would be considered an act of war or of peace. Your best hope is to find a way to communicate using the language of science."

The format provides for benign redundancy as the Big Bang, formation of galaxies, creation of the chemicals in the periodic chart, and predictable physics versus chaos of interactions are looked at over and over from differing perspectives. This book is highly entertaining and I recommend it for anyone who wants to buff up their knowledge of astronomy (cosmology, astrophysics...) or for the confirmed science nut like me. First rate!

Heavy & light reading all in one.......2007-09-14

Anything by this author is worth reading. I like the way he starts off explaining things in a very simple way and winds up getting deep into the end result. "A professional con job with very educational results".

The Nature of Consciousness : The Structure of Reality: Theory of Everything Equation Revealed : Scientific Verification and Proof of Logic God Is

Average customer rating:

The Real Deal
A life changing experience??
Should be Required Reading for everyone
A Very Important Book
Illuminating!!!

The Nature of Consciousness : The Structure of Reality: Theory of Everything Equation Revealed : Scientific Verification and Proof of Logic God Is
Jerry Davidson Wheatley
Manufacturer: Research Scientific Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0970316100

Book Description

This book describes how understanding the structure of reality leads to the Theory of Everything Equation. The equation unifies the forces of nature and enables the merging of relativity with quantum theory. The book explains the big bang theory and everything else.

Customer Reviews:

The Real Deal.......2006-09-25

Although Mr. Wheatley is a little verbose in sections, his documentation of Zen Buddhistic Principles found throughout the disciplines of Mathematics, Physics, Theology, etc. forms a nice reference guide for anyone tuned into that wavelength. In particular, his explanation of how Godel's Theorem and Cantor's "Confusion" shed great light on the difference between GOD's Logic and Man's Logic should be a revelation to any undergraduate level math students who encounter these ideas for the first time. Curiously, Mr. Wheatley makes many misstatements about both Zen Buddhism Principles and the Bible, however. For example, by accepting the false biblical teaching of Original Sin, he misses the point that eating the proverbial apple gave Adam and Eve the ability to make Moral Discernments in fulfillment of GOD'S PERFECT PLAN. As proof, read Genesis 1 which states that Man and Woman were made in GOD's Image. Genesis 4 shows that Adam and Eve weren't the first humans on Earth at all, there were plenty of others by then. The allegorical meaning of the story of Eden, then, isn't that Adam and Eve were the first humans on Earth, but they were the first humans with the ability to make Moral Discernments (in GOD's Image). In fact, Moral Discernment is God's Unique Gift to Man, which is the basis of consciousness, not some Math Formula. But because the wages of the resulting, unavoidable sin are Death, many people foolishly try to return to Eden by: (1) living a sinless Life (2) by removing choice altogether by passing and enforcing strict Laws (3) by attempting to do away with Moral Discernment and the resulting consequences for our actions altogether by trying to remove Shame from Shameful actions. GOD is not some ethereal Man-In-Space, but is simply the Totality of all Real Things, The Set of All Real Sets. GOD's Love manifests itself from the amazing sub-atomic relationships that underly this magic Life all the way to the grandest of Macroscopic Scales, the Interconnected Totality itself. The Zen Buddhism connection can be found by simply superimposing the 0 symbol and the symbol for infinity (8 on its side) in Mr. Wheatley's supposedly "new" formulation that 1 = 0 x infinity. Superimposing them gives you the yin-yang symbol. A potential disadvantage of artificially separating the infinity from the zero, however, is that Mr. Wheatley is able to equate the entire expression to be equal to 1. This potentially might obscure the fact that the deepest meaning of the yin-yang symbol is that it is both 2 and 1 AT THE SAME TIME. His overall equation does preserve that important meaning by utilizing a single element on one side of the equation and two elements on the other side of his final TOE equation. This may be hard to see for some at first, however, which could potentially obscure the richest meaning of this beautiful symbol/equation. A much more GODLY TOE, in my opinion, comes from Euler, who discovered that e ^ (i * pi) - 1 = 0. When someone can explain that relationship, then they can say they know GOD.

A life changing experience??.......2005-06-13

This book is an easy read and does succeed in being somewhat thought-provoking. However, I am a little surprised at the awesome, "life changing" experience it apparently was for many of the readers. Wheatley's conclusions were interesting but nothing really new. All of his material should have passed through the mind of any thinking person without the aid of this book.
The reason I gave this book three stars is because he uses unneccessarily wordy ways of describing simple things. Also, the author and many other reviewers insist that Wheatley makes only one assumption. Wrong-his whole theory is one big assumption.
Overall though it was a very interesting and worthy book.

Should be Required Reading for everyone.......2004-06-26

This book will change your life. You will never think the same way you did before reading it.
I have a degree in chemistry and I think this book should be read by everyone in the sciences. Without a doubt, the best book I've ever read. Why and what are two of our best friends

A Very Important Book.......2004-01-26

I must preface my review by stating that I have never been so excited and moved by a book that I have wanted to contact the author. That is what I found myself doing upon reading this book. This book is just what its title says. The author does not "miss a beat" describing in great detail using practically every aspect of scientific knowledge from atomic structure through logic to quantum theory---we are even given a valuable explanation of Love. This text may be challenging to read for those unfamiliar with scientific terminology. And it can also be difficult for those with a science background, such as myself. However, for me it is well worth the work necessary to strive to understand the unfamiliar terminology. (I am continually learning from this book. I am presently on my third reread).

One of the author's main messages is "not" to believe anything without first verifying it with reality, as we know it. He calls it the "Personal Explanation Principle". He indicates that religions are just such belief systems that we as people "fall" victims of; because we do not verify the beliefs with the facts, as we know them, of reality. He gives a very detailed explanation of how the New Testament can be explored using his methodology.

The author methodically and meticulously walks us through his thought processes, which took 30 years to assimilate, of delineating the structure of reality and the nature of consciousness. Included in the "walk" are many of reality's phenomena made revelatory. An example of that, for me, would be the dual nature of light. It's particle/wave duality, which is explained as "functions". Also, when the author took me on the mental journey of "Setness" an exhilaration of the magnificence of life swelled up in me.

To me this is a very important book that should be read by all that are seekers of truth. It is for all those wanting to gain an understanding of the purpose for their existence, wanting to know where life is headed towards, and wanting to know who God is.

This book will enlighten and develop one's mind substantially. You will discover that this is our objective.

And yes, I contacted the author and he responded openly.

Illuminating!!!.......2002-12-30

This is a really great book. It combines philosophy and science in order to tackle a multitude of existential problems. The author's style of writing is fresh and alive, I recommend ths book to anyone interested in expanding the fronteirs of their understanding. Books I also liked are a Universe in an Nutshell by Steven Hawkings and Descent into Illusions by Paul Omeziri.

Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos

Average customer rating:

illustrating and entretaining
Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos
Great Introduction for the layman
It's A Possibility
Science Fiction

Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos
Michio Kaku
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory

ASIN: 1400033721
Release Date: 2006-02-14

Book Description

In this thrilling journey into the mysteries of our cosmos, bestselling author Michio Kaku takes us on a dizzying ride to explore black holes and time machines, multidimensional space and, most tantalizing of all, the possibility that parallel universes may lay alongside our own.

Kaku skillfully guides us through the latest innovations in string theory and its latest iteration, M-theory, which posits that our universe may be just one in an endless multiverse, a singular bubble floating in a sea of infinite bubble universes. If M-theory is proven correct, we may perhaps finally find answer to the question, “What happened before the big bang?” This is an exciting and unforgettable introduction into the new cutting-edge theories of physics and cosmology from one of the pre-eminent voices in the field.

Customer Reviews:

illustrating and entretaining.......2007-08-23

The book gives a understandable review for the curious layman of the exciting ideas in cosmology and correlated areas , like string theory
it is spiced with personal details about the scientist involved

All over it is a exciting expirience and a highly recomended book

Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos.......2007-08-16

This book is actually to be a Christmas gift, so I haven't opened it. It arrived very quickly and in good condition. Thank you for expediting it.

Great Introduction for the layman.......2007-08-12

I truly enjoyed this book. It covers very profound subjects in a manner that the average layman can understand. With this book, I had to read it in small bites. Each page was packed to thought provoking ideas. After reading a little, I wanted to just sit, think and reflect. It is good book to read with others. The ideas need to be discussed to be absorbed.

I enjoyed the cosmology, the string theory, M-theory, and the standard model. I had heard about them but I never knew much about them. The author lets you know which areas are hotly debated in the science world. Most books about this subject have too much math for me to work through.

The ending was a little too much.

It's A Possibility.......2007-08-02

Michio Kaku has created a scenario of possibilities in the evolution of this world. Kaku explores the potentials of parallel worlds and realities. In quantum physics anything is possible. Kudos for Kaku. Bettye Johnson, award-winning author, Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls.

Science Fiction.......2007-07-11

Kaku has an agreeable, engaging writing style that makes some of the more challenging physics and mathematics accessbile to the layman. Where I felt my interest waning, however, was in the section where he discusses at considerable length various exit strategies from the universe trillions of years from now when it will come to an end. A page (at most) would have sufficed to cover this scenario; instead he went on and on about the various possibilities for intelligent beings to escape from our universe into parallel worlds. The death of our universe is too distant an event for us to be expending too much brain power now on devising contingency plans.

A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes

Average customer rating:

This book is a fake!
Author - a true genius
Fascinating
TERRIBLE digital transfer by "Phoenix Audio"
A well written classic

A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes
Stephen Hawking
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Cosmology | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

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The Universe in a Nutshell
A Briefer History of Time
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality
Ideas & Opinions

ASIN: 0553346148
Release Date: 1990-05-01

Amazon.com

Stephen Hawking, one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists in history, wrote the modern classic A Brief History of Time to help nonscientists understand the questions being asked by scientists today: Where did the universe come from? How and why did it begin? Will it come to an end, and if so, how? Hawking attempts to reveal these questions (and where we're looking for answers) using a minimum of technical jargon. Among the topics gracefully covered are gravity, black holes, the Big Bang, the nature of time, and physicists' search for a grand unifying theory. This is deep science; these concepts are so vast (or so tiny) as to cause vertigo while reading, and one can't help but marvel at Hawking's ability to synthesize this difficult subject for people not used to thinking about things like alternate dimensions. The journey is certainly worth taking, for, as Hawking says, the reward of understanding the universe may be a glimpse of "the mind of God." --Therese Littleton

Book Description

Stephen Hawking has earned a reputation as the most brilliant theoretical physicist since Einstein. In this landmark volume, Professor Hawking shares his blazing intellect with nonscientists everywhere, guiding us expertly to confront the supreme questions of the nature of time and the universe. Was there a beginning of time? Will there be an end? Is the universe infinite or does it have boundaries? From Galileo and Newton to modern astrophysics, from the breathtakingly cast to the extraordinarily tiny, Professor Hawking leads us on an exhilarating journey to distant galaxies, black holes, alternate dimensions--as close as man has ever ventured to the mind of God. From the vantage point of the wheelchair from which he has spent more than twenty years trapped by Lou Gehrig's disease, Stephen Hawking has transformed our view of the universe. Cogently explained, passionately revealed, A Brief History of Time is the story of the ultimate quest for knowledge: the ongoing search for the tantalizing secrets at the heart of time and space.

Customer Reviews:

This book is a fake!.......2007-10-01

As a physicist I am flabbergasted and slightly depressed by the success of this book. First of all this book presents as if they were equally certain some pieces of orthodox science together with some of the author's dubious speculations. The lay reader is not told which are which. Secondly, the author obviously has no knowledge of the actual history of physics and yet he shamelessly "describes" it to the reader.

Hawking seems to have gathered together all the bad cliches about various physical issues and has taken out all the valuable ideas. He explains nothing, he just asserts that "we physicists know that..., we physicists have demonstrated that...". I cannot see how anyone can actually learn anything about physics from this book, about why we know what we know. And yet, judging from the amount of praise this book receives, it seems that quite a lot of people have fallen under the spell that they have been allowed access to some secret. They haven't and I find this trickery immoral.

Quantum physics and astrophysics are really interesting. They don't deserve to be thrashed in this unashamed manner. If you want to learn something about physics, there are other books which do a much better job, for example Asimov's Atom: Journey Across the Subatomic Cosmos.

Author - a true genius.......2007-09-22

Stephen Hawking is a true genius. Although I don't understand everything he writes, all-in-all this book gives one the understanding of how wonderfully made the universe is.

Fascinating.......2007-08-24

I found this book to be ingenious yet accessible to the average reader, which is what I believe Hawking set out to accomplish. Great food for thought in my opinion.

TERRIBLE digital transfer by "Phoenix Audio".......2007-08-10

It's a great book by Hawking, but this product is just a reproduction of something by Hawking/Jackson that we already know is great. So what sort of job does this product do of delivering one of my favorite audio books? Not a very good one.

The original recording sounds fine, but this production from 2005 sounds like it was converted to a low bit rate at some point during editing, and probably had a poor noise removal job done as well. For the benefit of removing possibly a little weak static in the background, we get to listen to a robotic Jackson for 5 hours. It sounds similar to an early digital cell phone with a choppy feel and many T's and S's muffled.

There really isn't any reason I can see for this to not be a perfect reproduction of earlier digital versions. Old bootlegs floating about the internet sound better. Maybe "Phoenix Audio" should have just grabbed those to print, and left all of that tricky audio work to the more competent civilian sector.

A well written classic.......2007-08-01

I have a stack of these :The First Three Minutes: A Modern View of the Origin of the Universe,Cosmic Code and In Search/big Bang: /, so I can compare and contrast.
There is material on black holes here that isn't covered as well in the others. I still would wish that all these authors would put in more of the real equations and less of the dumbing down. One point is that people not able to understand this kind of book, probably won't understand no matter how simple you make the text. Maybe one should make effective use of your time in writing and concentrate on those who will understand and use the results.

Great Session Openers, Closers, and Energizers: Quick Activities for Warming Up Your Audience and Ending on a High Note

Average customer rating:

Did not buy this item

Great Session Openers, Closers, and Energizers: Quick Activities for Warming Up Your Audience and Ending on a High Note
Marlene Caroselli
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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201 Icebreakers Pb
The Big Book of Icebreakers: Quick, Fun Activities for Energizing Meetings and Workshops

ASIN: 0070120102

Book Description

Here's everything a speaker or trainer needs to keep the audience awake, alert, and involved. This fun-filled collection of can't-miss activities contains the openers, closers, and energizers you can use to kick off each session with a bang, bring the audience back quickly should its attention wander, and end each session on a high note. Save hours of preparation time with these ready-made, easy-to-use activities that enable you to reinforce the key points in your presentation, spark active involvement from all the participants, and create an environment in which real listening can take place.

Customer Reviews:

Did not buy this item.......2007-05-03

Don't know why this is here as I never purchased this item.

Wicked Pleasure (The Castle of Dark Dreams Trilogy, Book 2)

Average customer rating:

Haven't laughed this hard in a long time=)
cute
Wicked Pleasure
Interesting read
wicked pleasure

Wicked Pleasure (The Castle of Dark Dreams Trilogy, Book 2)
Nina Bangs
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0425203727
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Book Description

Second in the sizzling supernatural trilogy from the USA Today bestselling author.

In an adult theme park, the Castle of Dark Dreams is home to three powerful brothers-each with a special gift for the woman bold enough to live out her secret fantasies.

Customer Reviews:

Haven't laughed this hard in a long time=).......2007-04-11

This book is one of the funniest books I've read in a long time! Only down side was I already bought this book when it came out earlier with a different cover...OPPS. It is still worth it because I'm sure when I lend it out one of the copies won't come back, that always happens with the best ones.

cute.......2007-04-10

It wasn't exactly what I expected from Nina Bangs. Normally her novels let off steam as the page turns, but this one was quite innocent and sweet. Of course you have the Trouble Makers attempting to . . .well . . .make trouble. And of course, they are always talking about sex and dressing sexy. Yet, the main character was quite upright and goody-two-shoes. The hero wasn't exactly a let's jump into bed type, either. Neither would you be if you spent the last 500 years screwing every women you spent more than an hour with.

I think Bangs could have done something with the visiting relatives--at least more than she did. The fact that they want to kill everything in sight could have led to some chuckles, instead she makes the visiting sister a nonentity throughout the novel. Overall, I was hoping for better and more.

Wicked Pleasure.......2007-02-08

I was very excited to see this book due out on 2/6/07. It has been so long since the author published a book and I was eager to get on with the trilogy - but - BEWARE!!! This is a RE-RELEASE of the second book in the trilogy which came out in May 2006. It just has a new cover and is in the smaller, more traditional format. It was very disappointing to get the book home and discover this. We have to wait until May 2007 for book 3.

If you haven't yet read it, go for it. It is a great read.

Interesting read.......2006-07-26

This story was interesting. It wasn't the 'page turner'that I had expected. Previous reviews were really great. It wasn't as steamy as other reviews made it out to be. It was too odd for my taste, too. I didn't really enjoy reading about a cosmic trouble maker that owns a candy store, telepathic cats and demon dectectors that have human desires. I'd read this story because there was a Castle of Dark Dreams story in the Men at Work book was really steamy. I had thought that this one would be similar but it didn't live up to my expectations

wicked pleasure.......2006-07-17

I think Nina Bangs is a very creative and interesting author. She has such a wonderful imagination, and gives new meaning to the term "think outside of the box". I believe the reader will either enjoy Nina Bangs writing style, or find it silly. But, one thing for sure is, her characters are fresh and unique and never boring. If you like your paranormal romances more serious, then I would not recommend this book. But, for a light fun read for the weekend, then go for it!

Night Bites (Mackenzie Vampires, Book 2)

Average customer rating:

Nina Bangs Fan!!!
Night Bites
Thrain Must Convince His Lover that It's OK to Be Part Vampire
Not as good as others out there
A little light, but not too bad.

Night Bites (Mackenzie Vampires, Book 2)
Nina Bangs
Manufacturer: Love Spell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 050552614X

Book Description

Cindy Harper has an ice-cream flavor for every emotion. Vanilla caramel fudge eases the stress of dealing with her weird and wacky guests at the Woo Woo Inn. But no sweet treat from her freezer is smooth, creamy, or tempting enough to cool down her dark fantasies about Thrain Davis.

Thrain is a man to be enjoyed on a strictly primitive level. Every woman who's ever seen him smile wonders about the pleasure his mouth could give her and recognizes the secrets in his hard blue gaze. Too late Cindy realizes the danger of inviting an ancient vampire into her inn. The concept of fanged creatures of the night scares her witless. Besides, he forces her to examine her past when she's just fine with her present. He does have an upside, though. Who needs ice cream when you have a hot and yummy immortal in your bed?

Customer Reviews:

Nina Bangs Fan!!!.......2007-09-01

I loved this book!!! If you love paranormal romance stories, anything by Nina Bangs, you can't go wrong.

Night Bites.......2007-05-10

I love everything Nina Bangs has done. When I read this one I did it in one day. Most of her books I can't put down. Romance, vampires, sex, danger, they were all there. Great story line.

Thrain Must Convince His Lover that It's OK to Be Part Vampire.......2005-11-21

NIGHT BITES by Nina Bangs was a fun, quirky paranormal romance. The sequel to MASTER OF ECSTASY, NIGHT BITES is about a vampire named Thrain who has tracked down the missing daughter of his best friend and now faces the daunting task of convincing her to go home. This is daunting because 1) Thrain wants Cindy more than anything and 2) Cindy will freak out when she finds out her father's a vampire.

I enjoyed this book immensely. For one, Cindy owns an inn that caters to people who want to believe in the supernatural - without ever realizing that real werewolves, vampires, wizards, and witches stay at her inn as guests. The chaos that these guests cause is pretty cute. For another, two of the guests are cosmic troublemakers. One's a fat kitty with super powers; another is a sexy lady on a mission to cause sexual mayhem. Of course, she fully intends to make sure Cindy and Thrain hook up.

With its nutty characters and "spirited" setting, NIGHT BITES makes for an entertaining read. I think Thrain and Cindy are a hot couple with good chemistry and repartee. I also like Thrain's ability to implant memories in people - his space alien cow memory was hysterical.

If you like whimsical supernatural romances, NIGHT BITES is the book for you! Make sure you read it's prequel, MASTER OF ECSTASY, first so that you know who Cindy's father is and why Thrain is so devoted to him. Both are cute books. Highly recommended.

***Also look for WICKED NIGHTS, NIGHT GAMES, and THE PLEASURE MASTER by Nina Bangs.***

Not as good as others out there.......2005-07-19

I have read a couple of Bangs' other works but they did not disappoint me as much as this one. I will admit that I like fluffy romance and I love paranormal romance especially. I am usually able to suspend my disbelief enough for those that don't reach the level of Laurell Hamilton, Anne Rice, and Donna Boyd. Unfortunately, this book doesn't even come close. It is too whimsical, too unbelievable, and I agree with many other reviewers that there is no depth to the characters. I didn't even find Sparkle and Ganymede entertaining in this one. They were just annoying. Perhaps it is solely this work because I read another one of hers and wasn't compelled to write a bad review. So if you are going to try Bangs for the first time, then pick up something else of hers.

A little light, but not too bad........2005-05-04

I've been very eager to read Nina Bangs after reading some reviews of her books. Though I really didn't find this book as hot and steamy as it's made out to be (After reading all of Robin Schone's books, it's hard to call much else hot and steamy :D) That being said, this really was a pretty good read. I thought things would drag a bit here and there when the characters would hint about their painful pasts/scarring events. I grew to like Cindy after the first chapter, and how could you not smile about Thrain the whole time? This would be a good book for a nice soak in the tub or an afternoon at the beach.

Wicked Nights (The Castle of Dark Dreams Trilogy, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

I wish it wasn't the end
Hot Hot Hot
It's Hot... But...
Wicked Nights is HOT!
Enjoyed it

Wicked Nights (The Castle of Dark Dreams Trilogy, Book 1)
Nina Bangs
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Wicked Pleasure (The Castle of Dark Dreams Trilogy, Book 2)
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ASIN: 0425200329

Book Description

USA Today bestselling author Nina Bangs now delivers the first book in a new trilogy of three extraordinary men who promise fulfillment for the women bold enough to accept their sensual challenges.

Come to the Castle of Dark Dreams, the delicious attraction in an adult amusement park where women take role-playing to new erotic heights with the three brothers-Eric, Brynn, and Conall McNair-who work there. Okay, so they're not human, but that's a secret. Tonight, Eric, the castle's resident vampire, will prove that he's everything bad should be when he drives a female talk show host absolutely wild with desire.

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"USA Today bestselling author Nina Bangs now delivers the first book in a new trilogy of three extraordinary men who promise fulfillment for the women bold enough to accept their sensual challenges. Come to the Castle of Dark Dreams, the delicious attraction in an adult amusement park where women take role-playing to new erotic heights with the three brothers-Eric, Brynn, and Conall McNair-who work there. Okay, so they're not human, but that's a secret. Tonight, Eric, the castle's resident vampire, will prove that he's everything bad should be when he drives a female talk show host absolutely wild with desire."

Customer Reviews:

I wish it wasn't the end.......2007-09-02

This is the final title in this part of Nina Bangs Castle of Dark Dreams trilogy, and I'm sorry to see it end. I love the "brothers" but was hoping that some of the other characters would get a story of their own. I enjoyed the conflicts nearly as much as the inclusion of other "Powerful beings". While the cosmic troublemakers are in other books, which I have enjoyed, I really enjoyed some of Sparkles revelations in this trilogy.

Hot Hot Hot.......2007-05-23

Wow, I love vampire romances, but this one takes the cake. Very descriptive to say the least!!! LOL

It's Hot... But..........2007-05-17

I'm a fan of Nina Bangs and have been reading her for several years. This is not her best effort. The characters are a little flat, and the secondaries are just annoying. It reads like it was thrown together in a hurry. I was very disappointed, in fact I put it down twice before forcing myself to finish it. It's been on my shelf for a long time so I don't think it was my frame of mind while reading it. I'll continue to read the next 2 in the series (I already bought them) and hope the slump is a one time thing.

Wicked Nights is HOT!.......2007-02-11

I enjoyed this book greatly. I don't know how else to say it. I am hooked on Nina Bangs I have brought 4 more of her books since reading this story.

Enjoyed it.......2006-08-01

Enjoyed it and would recommend it if you're a fan of this genre and don't limit yourself to the dark, brooding vampire stories. I am a fan of vampire romance books, and spend my time on Amazon looking for authors that are writing in the same genre. Bangs does the vampire alpha male character well, with a humorous overlay. I found the sex scenes enticing - Eric would be a keeper if he showed up in my world. The stuff with her recurring characters, Sparkle, et al, is a little annoying, they are pretty one dimensional - although they tie her stories together, and after you've read a couple, you don't need any wasted pages to understand Sparkle's purpose in the book. Donna's choice at the end is intriguing - I felt a little cheated that we didn't get to see some of what comes next.

Master of Ecstasy (Mackenzie Vampires, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

Nina Bangs Fan!!!
Helloooo bad writing!
excellent read
Humorous and Enjoyable
Giggle Your Way Thru This Vampire Time-Travel Romance

Master of Ecstasy (Mackenzie Vampires, Book 1)
Nina Bangs
Manufacturer: Love Spell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0505525577

Book Description

WARRIOR, HIGHLANDER, VAMPIRE

Meet the MASTER OF ECSTASY. Darach MacKenzie is everything dark, dangerous, and delicious. His voice is a tempting slide of sin, and he's the primitive need that lives in every woman, no matter how much she denies it. But even five hundred years of sensual knowledge haven't prepared him for the woman who awaits him in his clan's ancestral castle.

HAPPINESS IS HER BUSINESS

In a distant future, Blythe works for Ecstasy Inc. to make people happy. That's her job, and she does it well. Company policy forbids the use of sensual solutions to cure unhappiness, and Blythe agrees that sex is a short-term fix. When her abilities are called into question, Blythe travels back to the Scottish Highlands of 1785 to prove that she can make anyone happy. She hasn't counted on a centuries-old vampire for a client.

Darach believes that sexual pleasure is the key to happiness. Blythe thinks that Ecstasy Inc. has all the answers. Neither one considers love as an option. They're about to discover how wrong they can be.

Customer Reviews:

Nina Bangs Fan!!!.......2007-09-02

I loved this book!!! If you love paranormal romance stories, anything by Nina Bangs, you can't go wrong.

Helloooo bad writing!.......2007-08-01

I made it about a chapter and a half into this mess before I had to put it down for fear of my sanity. But, I dislike not finishing books, so I forced myself to keep trying, again and again. Eventually, I ended up just skimming the thing, wincing with every piece of the "plot" that was spoon-fed to the reader, rolling my eyes at the ever-present concept of sex equaling love or being the road to true love, and wanting to use the book as a dart board every time the heroine opened her mouth.

There are a few things that really stand out as truly awful in this book:

1) Sparkle Stardust. Can we say "Yenta Sue?" The instant I saw that name, I nearly gave up on the book right there. A more Mary Sueish name I have yet to see outside of bad fanfic. However, Sparkle isn't your ordinary Mary Sue, she's the Yenta version. She's there to get the main characters together, and to tell the reader why the characters are so perfect for each other -- you know, instead of using narrative and exposition to build and actual story and let the reader see that kind of thing for themselves.

Her second function, in the case of this book, is apparently to tell everyone the plot of the book and everything of interest about the characters and their situation. Well, thanks, Sparkle! Since you just summed up the entire book for me, guess I don't have to bother with reading it now, huh?

2) Tell vs. Show. It's a simple concept. A story should be *shown*, developed through the narrative, through dialogue and foreshadowing and hints, etc. It shouldn't just be one massive *tell*. Characters shouldn't be doing huge infodumps of plot in their dialogue, nor should we have that amount of info in one place in the narrative, all in the name of saving the author having to write out a few more pages. It's basically saying that the readers are too dumb to figure it out without some metaphorical hand-holding. I find that insulting.

3) Dialect. Any time a reader has to stop in the middle of a story to try and decipher just what the heck a character is saying because the dialect is *spelled* out, there's a problem. We know the story is set in Scotland. It's a pretty safe bet the characters there speak in a Scottish accent. So why does it need to be spelled out? It looks ridiculous, it interrupts the flow of the narrative, and it makes the grammar gods weep.

I like a good vampire romance -- "good" being the operative word, here -- and I was hoping for something new, fresh and interesting when I picked up this book. What a disappointment on all counts. Bad characters, bad structure, bad writing, just badness all around. I won't be trying any more books by this author.

excellent read.......2007-01-07

nina bangs does not disappoint if you have read her other books this is the same genre. The characters are interesting, but if like me you are looking for a romance with some paranormal this is the book for you.

Humorous and Enjoyable.......2005-11-27

I don't believe I've ever used the word `romp' to describe a book before, but that word seems to suit Nina Bangs' Master of Ecstasy. If you're looking for something deep and thought provoking, look elsewhere. However, if you're in the mood for an enjoyable read, something light, sexy (and maybe just a little silly in parts), but with humor and a touch of magic, this paranormal romance might deliver just what you're looking for. And, if you grow attached to them, the Cosmic Troublemakers Ganymede and Sparkle Stardust appear in a number of Bangs' other novels. Enjoy!

Giggle Your Way Thru This Vampire Time-Travel Romance.......2005-05-04

MASTER OF ECSTASY by Nina Bangs is serious fun. Bangs has a smarmy, witty writing style that makes you laugh, often at Blythe's mental comebacks. Blythe is the heroine of this vampire romance, a girl from Earth in 2339 who time-travels back to Scotland of 1785 for business purposes. It's her job to make clients happy, and the client chosen for her is a 500-year old vampire named Darach, who just happens to ooze sexual danger. If that's not intriguing enough to read about, read MASTER OF ECSTASY for its other interesting couple: cosmic troublemakers Ganymede and his lusty cat, Sparkle Stardust - both evil and enjoying it. I want to read more about those two!!! Anyway, I had a fantastic time reading MASTER OF ECSTASY. I finished it in one afternoon, and giggled throughout the entire book. Darach is a hottie vampire and Blythe a strong, enjoyable heroine. The sexual chemistry is great, and very creative. Highly recommended. PS. It has a sequel called NIGHT BITES.

Average customer rating:

Cosmology
Peter Coles , Francesco Lucchin , and F. Lucchin
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0471489093

Book Description

This is the 2nd edition of a highly successful title on this fascinating and complex subject. Concentrating primarily on the theory behind the origin and the evolution of the universe, and where appropriate relating it to observation, the new features of the this addition include:

An overall introduction to the book
Two new chapters: Gravitational Lensing and Gravitational Waves
Each part has a collection of exercises with solutions to numerical parts at the end of the book
Contains a table of physical constants
The addition of a consolidated bibilography

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