Once in a while, if you are lucky, a book comes along that gets you in a rugby tackle. Thus tackled you can do little in your day but read the book, save go to the loo and distractedly say `no sorry I am reading'. This happened to me recently with Paul Auster's Invisible. What made the experience all the more surprising, and pleasurable, was that I hadn't seen it coming. I'd picked the book off a shelf at home. I'm ashamed to say I can't really remember how it came into the house. Page one didn't strike me as anything special, in fact I reread the page because I hadn't quite understood it. But boy on the second reread and a few pages in without interuption, WHAM!, I was veritably rugby tacked and in the book's grip. What pleasure! And the remarkable thing? Book and me created this force field around us which said `Leave-Me-Alone-I'm-Doing-Something-Important-Here!'

Basically this doesnt work. The night vision thing ziltch. The hearing amplifier makes a noise in your ear but hardly boosts the sound. Save your money and buy a torch and hearing trumpet. This is a complete load of rubbish. Do not buy.

Chosen as a book group I only managed to read it because of a sense of loyalty to the group. This is a tedious book that has little to recommend.

If you have an imagination you are in for a treat. Eschbach tells his story well drawing together a number of seemingly unconnected stories into something (in Manchester parlance)truly 'gobsmacking'. As the threads come together it becomes hard to put this book down. I found myself feeling the thrill of being totally absorbed by a book like I haven't in ages. The book has a philosophical undertone leading you perhaps to reflect on your own life and beliefs. It really should be better known and more widely read beyond SF readership. For those wondering I don't usually read SF and found nothing off putting about this book being set in the future. Read it and pass on the recommendation!

I bought this lock after a number of recommendations. The last one from my local bike shop who tried to break it with a long bar and two blokes hanging off it. But aside from the strength of the thing (they failed to break it) I chose this lock because it is smaller and lighter than most standard D locks. This is why many bike messengers use it. It is also easy to lock and unlock. If you chose this lock though appreciate it will not have the reach standard D locks have ie you may not be able to fasten it through wheels and frame and an unmovable object.