Herbert, Frank

Average customer rating:

Excellent
The Whirlwind...
Not the best book ever, but it is up there.
Politics, Religion and Spice
The scent of spiced coffee lingers in the air

Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 1)
Frank Herbert
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Dune Messiah (Dune Chronicles, Book 2)
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Chapterhouse Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 6)

ASIN: 0441172717

Amazon.com

This Hugo and Nebula Award winner tells the sweeping tale of a desert planet called Arrakis, the focus of an intricate power struggle in a byzantine interstellar empire. Arrakis is the sole source of Melange, the "spice of spices." Melange is necessary for interstellar travel and grants psychic powers and longevity, so whoever controls it wields great influence.

The troubles begin when stewardship of Arrakis is transferred by the Emperor from the Harkonnen Noble House to House Atreides. The Harkonnens don't want to give up their privilege, though, and through sabotage and treachery they cast young Duke Paul Atreides out into the planet's harsh environment to die. There he falls in with the Fremen, a tribe of desert dwellers who become the basis of the army with which he will reclaim what's rightfully his. Paul Atreides, though, is far more than just a usurped duke. He might be the end product of a very long-term genetic experiment designed to breed a super human; he might be a messiah. His struggle is at the center of a nexus of powerful people and events, and the repercussions will be felt throughout the Imperium.

Dune is one of the most famous science fiction novels ever written, and deservedly so. The setting is elaborate and ornate, the plot labyrinthine, the adventures exciting. Five sequels follow. --Brooks Peck

Book Description

The all-time science fiction masterpiece...now in a special hardcover edition.

"Unique...I know nothing comparable to it except Lord of the Rings."--Arthur C. Clarke

Here is the novel that will be forever considered a triumph of the imagination. Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, who would become the mysterious man known as Maud'dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family--and would bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and unattainable dream.

A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what is undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction. Frank Herbert's death in 1986 was a tragic loss, yet the astounding legacy of his visionary fiction will live forever.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-06-25

What can you say about Dune? Simply put, I loved this book. The political commentary was on point and reminiscent of colonization: it demonstrated the open exploitation of a people (Fremen) by outside market interests (House Harkonnen, the Emperor, the Guild) and the subsequent rebellion that led to revolutionary decolonization. The book also made a foray into religion, a sort of savage religion, in the tales of Muad'Dib and the prophetic Kwisatz Haderach, and environmentalism popped up with the vision of Liet-Kynes to turn an entire desert community into a lush garden planet.

Frank Herbert does an incredible job and is an outstanding story teller who can blend different plot elements and themes under the embrace of science fiction. That is precisely why whenever science fiction is brought up, Dune is always the first book mentioned. It really is an outstanding story.

Take it from me, someone who does not generally enjoy science fiction, Dune is just a great book, period. Disregarding all genres and labels, Dune is a solid work of fiction, entirely worth the read.

The Whirlwind..........2007-06-24

I did not want to read this book- a friend lent it to me, saying it was about ecology, a subject I have never been interested in. One day, I was bored and saw it lying on the counter, so I picked it up and began to read. I finished it the next day and immediately began to read it again.
There is so much to this book! Frank Herbert created an entire universe for his readers to explore, placing it's roots firmly in our own and then spinning it twenty-thousand years and thousands of light years away from us. The reader may notice Herbert's use of (fictional) Arabic-derived languages and the references to Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, etc.
What I loved most about this novel, though, aside from the amazing complexity of the various storylines, was it's quality as a story. Our culture is steeped in "sci-fi" stories. They're everywhere. This was the first one I had ever read that didn't cause me to cringe. At all.
Particularly good was Herbert's ironic use of the messiah myth, turning it on it's head by making his messiah an unwilling one, unable to alter his fate.
I don't want to give away the story, so I'll just say that this is a book to be read, for it's philosophical musings, religious observations and political theory, as well as for the ride.

Not the best book ever, but it is up there........2007-06-09

This book made me order the rest of the series, and even tempted me to buy the ones written by his son, despite the horrible reviews they've been given on here. You will lose yourself in the world Mr. Herbert spins. The 2 movies made from this book don't do it justice.

Politics, Religion and Spice.......2007-05-01

There is no question that Herbert did for science fiction what Tolkein did for fantasy.
Although completely different genres, and vastly different in style and story line, I can think of no other comparison in the scope of this book and the creation of Planet Arrakis (Dune) than that of Middle Earth by Tolkein.
The story is a complex tangle of politics and religion that revolves around the sand planet Dune, the only planet in the Universe where the most prized commodity "Spice" is found. The Spice allows travel over large areas of the Universe by folding space, but to get the spice you must brave the dessert and face the enormous sand worms.
There is lots of unfamiliar terminology, but like some editions of A Clockwork Orange there is a glossary of terminology in the back, and like The Lord of the Rings, appendices to the story.
An absolute must for science fiction fans.

The scent of spiced coffee lingers in the air.......2007-04-26

"Dune, Arrakis, desert planet." A phrase used more than once in Frank Herbert`s legendary first glimpse into his future-looking mythos. The phrase can be viewed as a microcosm for descriptions of nearly every character, place, custom, and internal monologue in "Dune". No character is single-dimensional, no location is used as backdrop only, and no discourse represents one interpretation.

*introductory plot information below*

The universe of Dune is set in an almost impossibly distant future, some 20,000 years from now, and is a time when guided human perfection is used as replacement for machines, when amorphous political entities hold galaxy-changing power, and when one man and one planet hold the destiny of the universe under their linked influences. Paul Atreides is a young nobleman, son of Duke Leto Atreides, head of the House Atreides, a major galactic power. We are introduced to Paul just prior to his testing by the Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, a matriarch of the Bene Gesserit. The test's purpose is to determine whether or not Paul is "human" by determining his capacity to ignore pain for a higher purpose: preservation of his life. Paul triumphs in this test, administered by a pain amplifier known as a gom jobbar--but the test's true purpose, to determine whether or not he is the long-awaited Kwisatz Haderach, the male Bene Gesserit, is at yet hidden from him. The Bene Gesserit, via selective breeding programs spanning centuries into the past, have long labored to combine just the right genes to produce a prescient male, capable of seeing past, present, and future simultaneously. Paul's destiny, or "terrible purpose" as the character himself interprets it, is intractably linked with that of the galaxy.

*some tiny spoilers below*

Frank Herbert's masterpiece succeeds on so many levels because it is many things to many different people. For those who prefer intellectual prose and erudite dialogue, please refer to the many interweaving schemes which bind the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen to the Emperor Shaddam IV, the doctor Yueh to the Duke Leto, and the lore of the Missionaria Protectiva to the destiny of Paul Muad'dib. For the more viscerally-inclined, you need only turn to Frank's stunning depictions of the duels between knife-masters, where each move and countermove is discussed without the reader becoming separated from the true desperation manifested in these struggles. Perhaps your tastes meander towards treatises discussing environmental concerns? Look no further then the activities of the "Imperial planetologist" of Dune, Liet-Kynes, who has crafted himself into an almost godlike figure, worthy of absolute devotion by the native people of Arrakis, the Fremen. Through the teachings and guidance of Liet, an Imperial representative who has "gone native", the Fremen use ecological principles to... Well, you will have to read the book to find out. Are you a devotee of cryptozoology, that pseudoscience which infects the brain with enticing possibilities regarding monsters living amongst us? Consider the sand-worm of Arrakis, a monster of such stunning size that dimensions of hundreds of meters are yet insufficient to truly describe the sheer immensity of the largest specimens. The internal monologues, brief historical quotations prefacing each chapter, and "thrust-parry" dialogues provide a rich backdrop of philosophy and psychology for the thinking reader to gnaw on. Last, any fan of mysticism, the mystery of consciousness, or the question of limits of the human mind will enjoy reading about the "weapons from the past" that a tested Reverend Mother of the Bene Gesserit has at her disposal.

Any discussion of "Dune" will likely lack true objectivity, and I confess that I, too, do not have an impartial viewpoint. In my time, I have read "Dune" perhaps four times, and have listened to George Guidall's momentous audiobook reading at least ten times. Past the desire to inspire another person to read this book with semi-adept word-combination assembly, let me say that Frank's writing allows me to actually taste spice-coffee, witness Duncan's drunken ramblings, and hear Piter's death throes. Herbert is simply an author unparalleled at weaving the reader's perceptions with the experiences depicted in his masterpiece. Five stars for content, depth, suspension of disbelief, total reader-world immersion, and sublime writing. George Guidall's performance tacks an extra half-star to the audiobook version.

Science fiction fans: Never too late to read Frank's masterpiece. Continue up to "Chapterhouse: Dune" should you possess deep wells of patience, but PLEASE stop there ("Hunter's of Dune" is a travesty).
Non-science fiction fans: As I said, this book appeals on many levels. Highly recommended, but I would stop with this book, as the sequels are substantially more reliant on sci-fi standards.
All: This is not a book to read in one sitting--you owe it to yourself to read this classic minus excess alacrity.

Average customer rating:

So you think you want to be a deity...
And it'll keep getting better...
not as good as the first, but still excellent
Great Sequel, last of the good Dune novels
It's All About Bijaz the Catalyst Dwarf

Dune Messiah (Dune Chronicles, Book 2)
Frank Herbert
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Dune
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ASIN: 0441172695

Book Description

(2nd in Dune Chronicles)

The bestselling science fiction series of all time continues! This second installment explores new developments on the desert planet Arrakis, with its intricate social order and its strange threatening environment. DUNE MESSIAH picks up the story of the man known as Maud'dib, heir to a power unimaginable, bringing to fruition an ambition of unparalleled scale: the centuries-old scheme to create a superbeing who reigns not in the heavens but among men. But the question is: Do all paths of glory lead to the grave?

"Brilliant . . . It is all that DUNE was, and maybe a little more." (Galaxy Magazine)

Customer Reviews:

So you think you want to be a deity..........2007-05-30

Wow, did Paul's plans backfire on him. His bloodthirsty quest for vengeance and success in domination over an entire empire lead him to the one thing he initially set out to prevent: jihad. And what a pity. He could see into the future, but not prevent destiny. He becomes the most powerful person in the galaxy...even a god, and finds it not all its cracked up to be. An amazing story, full of surprises, and such a relief from the cookie-cutter flawless characters that Hollywood typically delivers. Very yin-yang type characters. Hard to determine how good or bad the characters really are...and seeing into the minds of each character allows you to empathize with each one. A very interesting story.

And it'll keep getting better..........2007-03-14

Dune Messiah was a fantastic read. Chronicling Paul's life as messiah on Arrakis, and Paul's inability (read as unwillingness) to accept his own Golden Path. Paul rules Dune and Spice production as only an Atreides could do...

This book foreshadows so many of the wonderful happenings in future books, albeit it stands as a novel of it's own merit and splendor.

If you liked the first novel, you'll love this short gem in Herbert's universe.

not as good as the first, but still excellent.......2007-02-28

It may not be as good as the first book, but its still a far cry above a lot of the other works out there. If we had 100 stars, the first book would get a 98, and this one would get a 94.

Frank Herbert is a brilliant writer and I thoroughly enjoyed all of the Dune books he wrote.

Great Sequel, last of the good Dune novels.......2007-01-22

Is Dune Messiah as good as the original? No, it is not, but it's still a great book.

**Spoilers**

Dune Messiah takes places a little time after Dune, when Paul's Jihad is sweeping the known universe, and Paul is now the Emperor of the Theocracy build around his own mythology. Paul in this book is happily married to Chani, who is having trouble conceiving a child. He haas to deal with the many people who don't like how Paul has brought water to Dune, thiking it has made the culture weak. Many who have lost loved ones in the Jihad wonder why they followed who seems to be now just another megalomaniacal tyrant.

The tragedy is that Paul does not want to be where he is, and really wants only to escape, leaving the future path to his heirs. The ghola Duncan, a blast from the past, only worsens his psyche but he can't destroy him, even as he knows the ghola is programmed to kill him. He's not completely helpless in the novel, as there are many plans up his sleeve as well.

The ending is a satisfying conclusion, and it's recommended that you don't bother with the rest, as they become practically unreadable after this Messiah.

It's All About Bijaz the Catalyst Dwarf.......2006-11-23

Probably the most distinct moment of reading Dune Messiah came when my eyes lit upon the wonderful phrase: "Bijaz the catalyst dwarf." Only in the prose of Frank Herbert could such a coupling be possible.

As to Bijaz, himself, I'm not really sure why he needed to be in the book. He didn't seem to be an essential character, just a peculiar garnish on the storyline. The Station Agent this ain't.

I'm a bit on the fence about this book. I see the point that some reviewers here are making, that it's the tragedy of Paul, but I have a hard time finding his tragedy paramount or even compelling. As he, himself, says, 35 billion people have died in the holy war he unleashed. Next to that incredible cataclysm, his own sense of self-pity seems rather piddling, and his own relative inaction inexcusable.

The action in Dune Messiah seems more obscure than in its predecessor. I think a bit too much is left offstage. Developments seem to conjure themselves out of thin air. That said, it still leaves the overall storyline on an interesting path and doesn't disincline me from reading Children of Dune.

Children of Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 3)

Average customer rating:

Awesome conclusion!!! Very intriguing
A worthy sequel indeed...exciting and fun
Read up to page 100 and couldn't read any longer
almost as good as the first
A Masterpiece Revisited

Children of Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 3)
Frank Herbert
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Dune

ASIN: 0441104029

Customer Reviews:

Awesome conclusion!!! Very intriguing.......2007-06-07

This book is so cool, it ties the first two into it so well, and is so full of surprises that I need to be careful not to spoil it for those unfortunate enough not to have read this. WOW. I think Herbert created such an interesting and intriguing story that I just want to slap all these apparent English majors who want to bash him for whatever random sentence in the book might be a little confusing...next thing you know they'll want to breathe our air too. But seriously, once you get past the first half, this is possibly harder to put down than DUNE. A fun read...and you won't believe the plot twists.

A worthy sequel indeed...exciting and fun.......2007-06-07

Read up to page 100 and couldn't read any longer.......2007-05-07

Dune the original was a pretty good book. Not my favorite but well worth reading. Messiah was not nearly as good but at least it was readable - maybe because it's so short, being around half the length of Children. Well, I read up to page 104 in Children and I just had to close it. The book is incomprehensible. As another reviewer mentioned, the dialog is mundane. Every other sentence is really cut off midway. Herbert tries too hard to sound sophisticated and as a result the dialog is vague and indistinct. It seriously makes no sense...! He makes up phrases using obscure words that really have no meaning but I suppose sound superficially smart so it must be good... Sorry, it's a sad ploy and if you can't see past that, I'm sorry.

The characters are flat. About the only character development is the Herbert going on and on about how the twins are experiencing the consciousness of ancestors. Again, Herbert feels it necessary to go into excruciating detail about how exactly that happens. Some of this stuff takes up chapters at a time.... Alia's all of a sudden a dangerous 'abomination' and is plotting against the protagonists in the book. Lady Jessica, who was fairly cool in the first book returns and gets manipulated by the twins. I'm up to page 100 and really don't care what happens to any of the characters.

The twins seemingly know absolutely everything due to their 'countless' past consciousnesses yet you know as soon as a plot device is needed they'll be conveniently ignorant to what happens. Like his earlier works, everything is overly dramatic and anything remotely resembling humor, lightheartedness or cheer is of course avoided.

Seriously, I try to understand whatever I read and this book is one of the most incomprehensible books I've faced. To put it bluntly, it's full of MUMBO JUMBO. . .

Please, please. Read DUNE and avoid these books like the plague!

almost as good as the first.......2007-02-28

The entire Dune series by Frank Herbert gets 5 stars from me. This book on its own is nearly as good as the first book, and better than the second book.

A Masterpiece Revisited.......2007-01-05

---
Why review a book in 2007 which originally came out nearly a half-century ago?

Because I just reread it this week, and now I remember why it has always been my favorite of all the Dune books.

In the unlikely event that you don't already know the story, herewith a very brief plot summary: About ten thousand years from now, on a planet that used to be an almost-uninhabitable desert but which is now slowly turning green, two nine-year-old children, a boy and a girl-- twins-- set about to rescue this world from the well-intentioned but disastrous consequences of their father's changes to its climate and government. Aided and abetted by that father himself, in disguise, this attempt at reworking history and changing the future, by in some sense changing the past, surmounts nearly countless pitfalls to set humanity on a Golden Path which will hopefully result in a philosophical paradise for meaningful growth and life.

It's a far-from-perfect book, just as the entire series contains some dreadful flaws, but the series has become so classic, in spite of its flaws, that the only possible rating is the full five stars. Especially since, as stated, this is my favorite of the whole pile.

The titular youngsters are Pre-Born. That is, they have almost since the moment of conception and long before birth come to full awareness not only of their own personalities but of every ancestor who ever preceded them, all the way back to ancient Greece on the original home planet. It's a real struggle to keep from going insane with all of that consciousness swimming around inside their heads constantly, and in fact their dad's sister, also Pre-Born, has succumbed to the lure of madness.

But that's the least of their worries. The primary concern they have to face is the fact that in order to carry out their plan for the Golden Path, one of them is going to have to give up their humanity, to become something alien, nearly immortal, nearly all-powerful, without forgetting all of that humanity they carry around inside them all the time. Quite a daunting task! In the fourth book [God Emperor of Dune] we will learn that the transformation doesn't go quite as planned, but for now, here in the third book, it goes pretty nearly as intended, and the results are riveting.

One of the many problems of this book is the inability of most readers to picture nine-year-old children with the insights, knowledge, and power that these two have. [When this book was turned into the final two thirds of an extended miniseries of the same title on the SciFi channel, this issue was circumvented by making the kids nearly-adult teenagers, played by adult actors, which made it much more palatable to most of the audience.] If you're willing to suspend disbelief in that regard, which I have always been, the story line works remarkably well, especially if you have already read the first two books in the series where you can see a foreshadowing of at least half of the plot of this one coming at you through the sands like a gigantic worm, ready to devour you. But wait, he won't eat you if you're related to him!

And thereby hangs a fantastic tale.

Introduction to Radiological Physics and Radiation Dosimetry

Average customer rating:

An essential part of dosimetry
V Good Text

Introduction to Radiological Physics and Radiation Dosimetry
Frank Herbert Attix
Manufacturer: Wiley-Interscience
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Radiation Detection and Measurement
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ASIN: 0471011460

Book Description

A straightforward presentation of the broad concepts underlying radiological physics and radiation dosimetry for the graduate-level student. Covers photon and neutron attenuation, radiation and charged particle equilibrium, interactions of photons and charged particles with matter, radiotherapy dosimetry, as well as photographic, calorimetric, chemical, and thermoluminescence dosimetry. Includes many new derivations, such as Kramers X-ray spectrum, as well as topics that have not been thoroughly analyzed in other texts, such as broad-beam attenuation and geometrics, and the reciprocity theorem. Subjects are layed out in a logical sequence, making the topics easier for students to follow. Supplemented with numerous diagrams and tables.

Customer Reviews:

An essential part of dosimetry.......2006-11-10

Most of dosimetry in actual practice is looking up constants from tables. This book has every table you need for dosimetry calculations. My professor says this is a must have for a career in radiation therapy.

V Good Text.......2006-04-10

There is a dearth of modern texts that treat this realm with due respect anymore-or possibly it is that other texts are aimed at larger -and so less rogorous-markets. Thank heavens someone is still publishing books like this. Attix has done a commendable job here. He pays attention to detail and accuracy. His inclusions are commendable-especially when he covers the Kramer spectrum-you don't get much of that anywhere except references to Kramers original papers! (or a 'result' quoted) here he actually gives an analysis cum derivation. The whole book is commendable and would sit as possibly 'the' contemporary classic on radiological physics.

If this had extensive 'practice problems' (a la Hasegawas text some may know of) then it would surely be also 'the' book to assign for a decent course on radiological physics/radiation measurement. Unfortunately not so. Still the overall rigour and treatment is worth 5 stars from any constellation.

Thoroughly recommend-a breath of fresh air with real physics.

Average customer rating:

great book for PA students
PERFECT OB/GYN BOOK FOR A PA STUDENT!!!
Obstetrics and Gynecology by Beckman
Detailed info, but full of typos and errors
Wandering through Women's Health

Obstetrics and Gynecology
Charles RB Beckmann , Frank W Ling , Roger P Smith , Barbara M Barzansky , and William NP Herbert
Manufacturer: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0781758068

Book Description

Established as a standard core textbook for the OB/GYN clerkship, Beckmann's Obstetrics and Gynecology is now in its thoroughly updated Fifth Edition. This edition follows the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics' newest Educational Objectives, which are listed at the front of the book and correlated specifically to each chapter.

Over 2,200 up-to-date study questions and answers are included both in the book and on a free bound-in CD-ROM. A new two-color art program makes the illustrations more vivid and effective. Updated coverage includes new material on healthcare for women and medical and surgical conditions of pregnancy.

Customer Reviews:

great book for PA students.......2007-05-09

I found this book to be a wonderful supplement to everything I learned on my ob/gyn rotation. Everything I needed was in this book for my end of rotation exam on which I scored very well. I would highly recommend it.

PERFECT OB/GYN BOOK FOR A PA STUDENT!!!.......2007-02-16

This book is an excellent introduction to Ob/Gyn and was very useful for my unit clinical medicine exam. This book is very easy to read and provides a self-assessment review questions after each chapter that were very helpful study prep. I read this book in 2 days! It's a good size, soft cover, and very handy!!! This will be a very useful book for my Ob/Gyn rotation next year. It's a keeper!

Note: there is a typo in chapter on oral contraceptives; it should be "mifepristone" not mifepristine. Other than that it's a great book :)

Obstetrics and Gynecology by Beckman.......2006-12-28

-easy to read, with short chapters-got through this twice on my rotation
-excellent diagrams and tables
-not sharp enough to pick up on ANY factual errors like yellow leaf
-good conceptual introduction to general OB/GYN
-explanation for answers are sparse, but at this level you should realize that you should read from different sources, you should be able to fill in the blanks, and you should be using other questions books
-supplemented with HY OB/GYN, Case Files, Pre-Test, and Blueprints Q&A to prepare for the shelf
-overall would recommend Beckman, HY, and Pre-test as minimal for shelf. Case Files was ok, but HY covered most of the points and I felt the clincal vignettes in HY was better for teaching you how to think like an OB/GYN. Blueprints was comparable to Pre-Test.
-for those looking for a more rigorous text, I felt NMS was better at explaining things in terms of basic science. And the questions weren't half bad (although I only went through about 1/3 of them). For this reason, those starting out thrid year with OB/GYN should consider using NMS.

Detailed info, but full of typos and errors.......2006-10-15

Bought this book for my Ob/Gyn rotation, thinking it would be the best resource because it's designed around the APGO learning objectives, which the shelf exam is also supposedly based on.

Strengths:
- coverage of all topics you might see on the exam
- generally good resource for basic intro to ob/gyn
- some useful tables and graphs
- lots of multiple choice questions for testing recall after reading

Weaknesses:
- way too many typos and factual errors. This book has obviously been through multiple revisions over the years, without careful editing. For example, they say that you should get the tetanus booster shot once btw 14-16 yo. Most of us know that you should get this booster once every 10 years. There is way too much sloppiness in this book for it to be a reliable resource.
- questions are mostly pure factual recall; there is very little clinical reasoning. The shelf exam is almost entirely clinical vignettes with long stems, requiring clinical reasoning. So the book's questions are pretty much useless for preparing for the shelf.
- the questions on the CD-ROM are 95% the same as the back-of-chapter questions, but the answer choices are rearranged and there are more typos and incorrect answers marked. There is no reasoning given with the correct answer choice.
- the 5% of other questions are often outdated and seem to be left over from previous editions (e.g. questions on Norplant or other things that are not mentioned at all in the text).
- multiple diagrams seem to be left over from previous editions, not particularly clear; most of these should be redrawn. Some of the things you'd like to see in diagrams are not there.
- multiple tables have duplicate entries, or things have slipped from one column to another. Very sloppy typesetting/layout; poor design makes the book hard to read.

This is an OK resource for general background reading for the shelf. For better exam prep, I would recommend Case Files, which I used and liked very much; much easier read, with much better graphs and tables, organized for learning, understanding and retention.

Wandering through Women's Health.......2006-02-28

This book is a very easy read!! I found the review questions in the back to be very beneficial!

Average customer rating:

Hard to find, but worth the search if you're a die hard Dune fan.
If I could give this book six stars, I would!

The Illustrated Dune
Frank Herbert
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0425038912

Customer Reviews:

Hard to find, but worth the search if you're a die hard Dune fan........2005-07-10

Dune is a classic. And this book answers some of the most fundamental questions that Dune fans have always had. What did the characters look like?

In the book there's about 13 illustrations. And about half of them are in color. The illustrations themselves are not terrific by any standards. In fact, I don't even think they're consistent with the Dune series. (In book V Heretics to Dune Chani's hair color is quoted as red. In the Illustrated Dune, it's clearly black.) But I enjoyed them nonetheless.

Other than the few pictures there's nothing to distinguish this book from the original. The illustrations are by John Schoenherr, the same guy who did the original cover art. The copyright is 1977.

If I could give this book six stars, I would!.......2002-05-14

As a worshiper of all things Dune related, I must say that THE ILLUSTRATED DUNE is one of the best versions of Frank Herbert's DUNE that I have yet incountered.

What makes this book unique in comparison to the many other DUNE books and reprints available, is that this book has many wonderful illustrations. The book offers both color and black and white visuals, which are marvelously adapted to the novel.

Also, there is full glossary in the back of the book. Terms such as "Muad'dib" and "Landsraad" are other such words are diligently defined.

Book Description

4th in Dune Chronicles Series

With more than ten million copies sold, Frank Herbert's magnificent DUNE books stand among the major achievements of the imagination. Of them all, GOD EMPEROR OF DUNE, the fourth, is the greatest and the grandest. Centuries have passed on Dune itself, and the planet is green with life. Leto II, the son of Dune's savior, is still alive but far from human. He has become a human-sandworm creature, ruling over his angry and frustrated empire with his vast legions of Fish Speaker soldiers, enforcing peace for dozens of generations to teach the universe a lesson, while also waiting for the right time to turn Dune back into a desert planet. The fate of all humanity hangs on Leto's awesome sacrifice.

"GOD EMPEROR OF DUNE seizes the glittering loose ends of empire, ecology and mysticism and weaves them together into a seamless, brilliant tapestry of a human ecology evolving to transcend worlds and time." (Baltimore Sun)

Customer Reviews:

Best Sci Fi character ever created.......2007-05-15

Not as much action as any of the other books so far but it doesnt matter this has been my favourite of the four ive read.

All my praise for this book goes to the character Leto II, easily the deepest character ive ever read about, his insights and choices were brilliant reading which i coudnt put down. The book is the story of Leto and the ramifications of the sacrifce he made in children of dune, his life is a tragedy and you feel his lonelyness and his pain and the tidbits of joy that are few and far between

The previous 3 books were great stories and very well written but this book is unique ive never read a novel like it or encountered a character like Leto.

adds to the series, but can't stand on its own.......2007-05-10

I read this when it came out, and have just re-read it for the first time. While I greatly enjoyed it the first time - as a student of political science and history - this time I found it kind of stilted and over-reaching, even pompous in the way that Leto II is supposed to be some kind of oracle whose purpose is to destroy all oracles. He goes on and on with these paradoxical and enigmatic quotes, some of which are timelessly wise and others that are just plain obscure (or I didn't get them). At its best, there is true eloquence, but it is too often simply verbose.

Spoiler warning. The plot in this one, after the wonderful action combined with ethereal concept in the first 3 novels, is rather static. Leto II has a court and empire to preside over, while adversaries are plotting to destroy him. He announces they will at the beginning, so there is no suspense as the story unfolds. Instead of tension, you get well drawn characters interacting, from the returning Duncan and Hwi to Siona, whom I interpret as the progenitor of a new species of human who will not be pre-determined by the old genetic patterns that Leto II could "see". It is like a drama to fulfill and create a new kind of fate, a new stage of humanity that is unknown. The great enemy is Leto II's prescience, which was the goal of thousands of years of breeding programs: it is the sign of the limits of human possibility rather than the ultimate means to control it. So the adversaires create counter-measures, strengthening humanity in the process. Unfortunately, Leto II pontificates on these things rather than demonstrates them through a virbrant narrative, so much of the book reads like a college lecture.

If you liked the first 3 novels, there is no question that this is interesting and advances the overall story. However, if you are not hooked on the concept, this will be a very dull read. It just isn't a very good yarn and indeed is the weakest in the entire cycle of 6 novels. The most interesting part for me is to interpret what it means.

Recommended, but only for Dune fans (like myself).

Dune gets weirder.......2007-03-21

I won't spoil anything for potential buyers (plenty of others have already done that) But I will say that the story here takes an even more bizzare turn that usual. Prepare for more cold hard calculating an odd religous "theories" (if you could really call them that), with, as usual, nobody that really acts like a normal PERSON.

If you didn't enjoy the previous books, or weren't too sure, I would say this is a bok for LAYING DOWN AND AVOIDING.
But if you did enjoy them, I highly reccomend this book.

Fantastic.......2007-03-14

Every time I am perusing through a bookstore and I happen to see this particular book in Herbert's Dune series, I pick it up and flip through the pages remembering the awesome moments that happened during the God Emperor's reign over Dune.

This book is a testament to love, love denied, love incapable, and love misunderstood. It's the story of someone who's love can never be comprehended unless it's gift can be shared for 3 millenniums.

I completely recommend God Emperor of Dune...but truth be told, if you wanted to end with the Dune series on a 100% positive note, I might recommended leaving the series on this book. Although the next two were good, they did not leave the same impression that this, and the previous books in the series did.

still great reading.......2007-02-28

Of all the books in the series, I liked this one the least. That said, its still heads and tails above much of the rest of what you can find out there.

Chapterhouse Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 6)

Average customer rating:

MrB
An epic conclusion.
The Classic Dune Series Concludes...
A fitting conclusion - but was it meant as a conclusion?
Is this the end of the Golden Path?

Chapterhouse Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 6)
Frank Herbert
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Dune

ASIN: 0441102670

Book Description

The desert planet Arrakis, called Dune, has been destroyed. Now the Bene Gesserit, heirs to Dune's powers, have colonized a green world and are turning it into a desert, mile by scorched mile. In this, the final book in the Dune Chronicles, Herbert again creates a world of breathtakingly evolved characters and the contexts in which to appreciate them. The richness of detail and perspective fascinates, while the multi-layered plot evolves as pages turn. Riveting from end to end, the legend lives on in the greatest science fiction epic of all time.

" Impressive...the whole saga will be one of the monuments of modern science fiction." (Chicago Sun Times)

Customer Reviews:

MrB.......2007-03-09

Last of Dune books by Herbert himself - especially liked the tribute to his wife at end. Otherwise very philosophical, most opinions I agree with.

An epic conclusion........2007-01-08

This book is perhaps the best in the entire series. Although starkly different from the original, Chapterhouse:Dune is rich in philosophy, religious commentary, and novel science fiction concepts. Darwi Odrade is perhaps the best-drawn character in the entire Dune universe; although Duncan and Sheeana can also be considered the main characters, it is Darwi that gives true force to this book.

The ending, although considered a cliffhanger, can in fact serve as a concrete conclusion. (Note: Spoilers ahead.) This is the last book Frank Herbert wrote before his death, and some people have said that Daniel and Marty are actually Frank and his wife Beverly in disguise waving goodbye. This being said, I could have done without Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's awful 'Hunters of Dune.' It did not feel like a continuation of the Dune saga at all; I felt that the whole 'omg Omnius is back' twist completely betrayed the original Herbert's vision.

Chapterhouse is fascinating at every turn; the looming confrontation between Odrade and the Honored Matre Spider Queen was more than enough to hold my interest. Dune fans (if they've read the first five books) will not be disappointed with Chapterhouse.

The Classic Dune Series Concludes..........2006-10-14

Chapterhouse Dune (book six) concludes one of the best science-fiction series of all time. This final novel of the series is primarily concerned with the Bene Gesserit and their battle against imminent extinction. As a result of the God Emperor's impact on the future of humanity, the Bene Gesserit face their demise from a powerful new foe. This final novel is one of the most powerful of the series and the ending (although left as somewhat of a cliffhanger) is fantastic. Although many readers would disagree with me, I would advise after reading this novel to begin with House Atreides, Book One of Brian Herbert's and Kevin J. Anderson's Prelude to Dune Trilogy. Although not the same as Frank Herbert's classic Dune series, but very good nonetheless. Herbert and Anderson are also writing two sequels to this novel beginning with Hunters of Dune (and although I have not read this yet, if the Prelude Trilogy is any indication, it will be fantastic).

A fitting conclusion - but was it meant as a conclusion?.......2006-08-06

The Honored Matres have returned from The Scattering and have shaken the very foundations of the Bene Gesserit. The numerical superiority of the Matres is causing the Bene Gesserit to fight what seems to be a losing battle. The novel concludes with a desparate ploy to save the Bene Gesserit and will determine the future of the Old Empire.

This is Frank Herbert's last novel prior to his passing. This is a comprehensive work that is worthy of the remainder of the Dune series (though ironically Dune was destroyed in the fifth book.) Herbert's writing is detailed and compelling, as always. If you have read the first five books in this series, you must read this one. One question I have that will never be answered is this: did he intend this to be the end considering this was finished about the time his wife passed away, or was he intending on continuing the series. The book definately concludes with an opening for continuation of the series. However, while Herbert's son has written various "prequel" books, I hope he does NOT continue this series. It would seem to show grave disrespect to the man who must certainly be considered one of the two greatest science fiction writers (along with Isaac Asimov) of the twentieth century.

Is this the end of the Golden Path?.......2006-02-09

This was an excellent end to an excellent epic. Herbert carried on the story started in "Heretics of Dune" into even more compelling complexity. We get to the bottom of who the Honored Matres really are, the relationship between Duncan Idaho and Murbella is fleshed out in a complex series of twists and turns typical of relationships that start out with sex, but move into emotional hard times, and of course, there's an astonishing twist near the end that I did not see coming.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Dune Chronicles, but especially this book, is how relativism as a world-view is portrayed. Herbert expounds in story fashion exactly the benefits and high costs of a worldview with no concept of transcendant truth. In this long story the characters portrayed as most enlightened are those most skeptical of "truth" and of those who claim it exists. I have a completely different view of reality from the characters portrayed here, and, I suspect, Mr. Herbert. I have often had a hard time understanding the suspicion such people have of people like me who think there is a God who established reality and that He is the absolute standard for truth. I am profoundly grateful for the insight into the mind of the post-modern relativist I've gained from this book.

For the interested reader there is also a brief tribute to Herbert's wife, Bev, at the end of the book. Quite touching.

And so, the Golden Path (or should we say paths?) winds on into eternity, and I am sad that we cannot follow Frank Herbert to its end.

Heretics of Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 5)

Average customer rating:

Its still great
Yamabushi's mini reviews XXVI
The Adventures of Duncan Idaho
Not the best of the Dune saga, but still an entertaining read
Useful for Anthropological theory building

Heretics of Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 5)
Frank Herbert
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Chapterhouse Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 6)
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Dune

ASIN: 0441328008

Book Description

On Arrakis, now called Rakis, known to legend as Dune, ten times ten centuries have passed. The planet is becoming desert again. The Lost Ones are returning home from the far reaches of space. The great sandworms are dying, and the Bene Gesserit and the Bene Tleilax struggle to direct the future of Dune. The children of Dune's children awaken as from a dream, wielding the new power of a heresy called love.

"The spectacular new addition to 'The most magnificent achievement in SF history!'" (Baltimore Sun)

Customer Reviews:

Its still great.......2007-02-28

Its not as good as the first book, but definitely better than "God Emporer". The entire Dune series as a whole is excellent. I recommend it to anyone interested in reading quality sci-fi.

Yamabushi's mini reviews XXVI.......2007-02-09

the worst of the Dune books, you keep reading, and reading thinking its got to get better and it never does. But its Dune, and Herbet Jr. Is already doing the sequels, and Chapterhouse is out there and you'll be lost. So put your head down and keep plugging away.

The Adventures of Duncan Idaho.......2006-10-14

Heretics of Dune (the fifth book in the series), set over one-thousand years after the conclusion of God Emperor, continues the story of the Dune universe. This novel centers on Duncan Idaho, and further explores his adventures over the span of the series. Several new characters, concepts, and worlds are introduced in this novel, but one of the highlights is a new character by the name of Miles Teg. This new character, along with Duncan and the return of the scattered ones makes for a fantastic novel. If you have read the first four books, by all means don't stop now; continue on here.

Not the best of the Dune saga, but still an entertaining read.......2006-06-25

Heretics takes place 1500 years after the death of Leto the Tyrant and some five thousand years after the original Dune novel. Human domains face a new challange, that of the return of "The Scattering" that left in the wake of the famine that followed Leto the Second's death. There is a powerful new group that has entered the scene, a group of women known as the Honored Matres who can control men with their newly discovered techniques of sexual prowess.

Due to the superior numbers of the Honored Matres and their new sexual techniques, the Bene Gesserit are on their heels. However, they have both a new Duncan Idaho ghola and have found a girl who can communicate with the "Divided God" on Rakis (the current name for Dune.)

The Bene Gesserit devise a plan for their own survival, and it includes both the Idaho ghola and this Rakian girl. They will need to use all of their abilities and manipulate old rivals such as the Bene Tleilax to maintain their status.

This novel bounces around more than the others. The majority of the action occurs off of Rakis, though Rakis is vital in the plot of this fifth volume of this epic. With the extablishment fighting for its very survival against this new onslaught, a combination of creativity and desparation is both needed and evident.

Herbert has done a supurb job of keeping this story moving through the millenia as the characters keep changing, but the major "geopolitical" players remain the same (with the exception of the major new addition of the Honored Matres.)

Useful for Anthropological theory building.......2006-03-19

This book, when I first read it, was for me like one of those times in our lives when a lightbulb goes off and things all seem to click. This book was one of the principle reasons for me joining the Army and later wanting to get my masters degree in cultural anthropology (namely conflict anthropology) as it gave me a completely new way of approaching issues of conflict in the world, namely today, how to approach and solve the issue of Islamic terrorism.

The way in which this book shows how religion is tied in with economics, politics, sex, military power, psychology, sociology, culture, and fundamental human emotions is just staggering. More importantly it shows how all the masses are manipulated once the "Key Logs", (as the warrior-mentat "Miles Teg" puts it), are identified and manipulated, be they religious symbols, rituals, economic matters, or the application of extreme violence through the use of military power.

From a purely military perspective, this book is also a delicious insight into the military mind and how leadership works in the military (as well as in other forums). These include such aspects as physical presence, command voice control, the illusion of morale superiority, the warrior-philosopher ethos, scape-goating, and complex tactical aspects of warfare such as the usage of decoys and plans within plans as reflected in the Bashar's motto: "Expect the Unexpected".

With all that said, this is not a book for everyone. For those of you who have little interest in theology, psychology, military tactics, and philosophy, you may find this book to be boring and not something you can relate to. But for those of you who love studying religion, human culture, military theory, psychology, and just want a raw and extremely rich sci-fi experience that is both romantic and deeply insightful into human nature (akin to Star Trek in that aspect), then I would HIGHLY recommend to you this book. It may change your life as it did mine.

Average customer rating:

Extremely Philosophical
What science fiction should be,
Imperfect understanding of oppression
My favorite Herbert book
Good, hard, sci-fi ala Herbert

The Dosadi Experiment
Frank Herbert
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0765342537

Book Description

Beyond the God WallGenerations of a tormented human-alien people, caged on a toxic planet, conditioned by constant hunger and war-this is the Dosadi Experiment, and it has succeeded too well. For the Dosadi have bred for Vengeance as well as cunning, and they have learned how to pass through the shimmering God Wall to exact their dreadful revenge on the Universe that created them . . .

Customer Reviews:

Extremely Philosophical.......2007-01-28

This is a very difficult novel for me to review. It is brilliantly written and extremely deep in a philosophical sense. Too deep, in fact, for me to simply read and enjoy. I read for pleasure and this book requires either extreme intelligence or more effort than I'm willing to expend strictly for pleasure reading.

I read and enjoyed Dune very much. One of my favorite novels of all time. This novel is very similar to some of the sequels to Dune (God Emperor of Dune, Chapterhouse Dune) which I felt got too bogged down in deep philosphical discussions that quite simply lost me.

I am a very well educated person and no idiot, however I'm definitely not smart enough to fully appreciate this novel. I read the book and followed the story line, but feel like I missed so much of the underlying meaning that it was a waste of my time. I could probably read, reread and ponder many sections and ultimately gain a greater appreciation, but I'm challenged sufficiently at work. I read to relax and decompress. This is not relaxing reading.

Bottom line: If you are very intelligent and/or a deep thinker who reads in order to broaden your mind or challenge yourself, this novel will certainly do the trick. If you read strictly for pleasure and want science fiction, read Asimov instead. This book is Dune on steroids.

What science fiction should be,.......2007-01-24

This book is hugely overshadowed by Dune. It was bit confusing the first time I read it, but the universe of Dosadi has some truly original sentient species that more than made up for this. Like all of Herbert's great novels, the Dosadi Experiment is rich both in surface plots and underlying meanings. Anyone who enjoyed the Dune universe should love this book; it is Herbert at his best.

Imperfect understanding of oppression.......2007-01-07

Herbert has a fascination with oppression, which makes for good stories occasionally, but not this time. The idea that a poisoned world (Dosadi), cut off physically from the rest of the universe, with most of the world's population concentrated in a small area would produce astute and cunning political leaders is absurd. Look around at the real world. The places most oppressed produce liars and tyrants as their political leaders.

Ignoring that, the story is somewhat interesting. As a social experiment, put two different intelligent species on a poisonous planet, where the population had to group together in concentrations rivaling downtown Manhattan during the day, then see what happens. It's, also, a sort of quasi-meandering on law.

Taking the book as just a book it's not bad, but taking it as a book written by Frank Herbert, the writer of the Dune series, it's a serious disappointment.

My favorite Herbert book.......2006-12-08

Words are inadequate to describe this book. It's deep, it's diverse, it's philosophical, it's intriguing. It makes you think about things you had never thought of before (like most Herbert books).
If I was to be put on a desert island in isolation and had to pick one book to get along, that would be The Dosadi Experiment. Every time you read it you discover new things.

Good, hard, sci-fi ala Herbert.......2006-08-02

McKie is a super agent of a highly secretive agency, known as BuSab, sent on a mission to discover the secret behind a rumored alien psychological experiment on an entire planet called Dosadi. McKie finds himself in way over his head in interspecies intrigue and a war on Dosadi itself that not only could lead to the entire planet's destruction, but also could unleash a force of vengeful prisoners that could change the face of galactic life forever.

Frank Herbert's The Dosadi Experiment is another philosophical exploration of the lengths people will go in search of power and/or what they perceive as the greater good in the guise of a well crafted, fast-paced science fiction thriller. Truth and morality are highly fluid concepts in this complex sci-fi universe that has echoes of the universe inhabited by Muad Dib and the Bene Gesserit of Dune. The story itself is tightly knit and the writing has little fluff or clutter. It is very complex so make sure you are paying close attention. This is not light bed-time reading material (although I did read much of it late at night), but it is worth the work it takes to follow the intricacies not only of plot, but of the philosophical assumptions undergirding this work of fiction. At times the complexity and lack of blatant explanation caused the story to drag as I had to backtrack. However, the backtracking was worth the effort. A must read for thinkers and fans of Herbert.

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