Randy Ellis

Considering that this is an early work, it's quite good. There are clear references to characters who appear in his later works - Lazarus (of course!), Professor Bernardo de la Paz - as well as themes, most of which show up here to some degree. While I liked the book overall, it did feel less polished than many of his later works. If you are looking to try Heinlein, I would not recommend this book (pick something like The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, or Friday) but if you are an established fan, I think you'll get something out of this one.

This is the graduation speech I wish I had! Hiassen states clearly what newly minted ‘adults' need to hear - the world is not all unicorns and rainbows, people are often jerks, and if you expect to get the same treatment in the real world that you got in college, you're going to be sorely disappointed. Oh, for those who are not familiar with Carl Hiassen, spoiler alert...

I'll freely stipulate to being prone to the darker side of things, but this book enumerates why the world is unfair, why people regularly try to take advantage of others, and why only you can ensure your life turns out the way you want it to.

Hiassen encourages the reader to make their own evaluations about others, to take an active part in their own future, and by expecting the worst, to be pleasantly surprised when they find someone who is actually kind, compassionate, and not totally self-absorbed in pursuing their own gratification at the expense of everyone else.

This is a very short book, but well worth your time if you want a few good laughs or to hear that you are not the only person in the world who thinks quite a few others are willfully ignorant and completely dependent on others to provide their opinions.

This is a cozy read; it has good friendship story arcs; it's focused on goodwill and compassion for others; interesting mystery elements; and strong fantasy elements too; but has a heavy undertone of astrology, which for me, was distracting. Other than the astrology theme being so ever-present, I would be interested to read other books by this author. If you are into astrology, especially set in the cozy story genre, this will likely be a four-star or better read for you.