Becoming Human

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. 

Becoming Human (the 1st book in the Exilon 5 Trilogy) is written by Eliza Green.  Admittedly I was surprised that this was written by a woman, from the first 1/3 of the book, I had the feeling that it was written by a man.  Considering that the story is told predominantly through the eyes of men, I must commend Eliza on capturing the essence of man in storytelling views. 

Becoming Human is based in the year 2163 when Earth is overpopulated and polluted to the point that the sun is no longer visible in the sky and the temperatures have dropped.  A planet named Exilon 5 has been terraformed and has replicated 5 major cities that people have started being transported to.  However, the race that was on Exilon 5 before the terraforming process were not completely annihilated and have continued to thrive under the surface. 

Eliza does a great job of combining many fears and speculations into her futuristic novel.  Everyone has an ID chip embedded in their thumb that is used for everything from signatures to building entry.  Overcrowding has reached the point that bodies of water have been filled in to create more housing.  Medical advances allow people to live well into their 100s, reaching 175 as a ripe old age.  Optional suicide booths that inject a substance to painlessly kill people due to the mass overcrowding.  Workers are required for weeks at a time with drugs that allow them to stay awake and only getting hours or a single day off after a week or longer shift.  With no space for additional housing and the lack of sunlight from the layer of pollution, food can no longer be grown on Earth and people eat and drink substances from food replication machines to get the appropriate nutrients.  Vitamin D shots are readily available for mood enhancement due to the lack of sunlight.

The Prologue to the book had useful information but was very dry and overly technical.  It kind of set a negative tone for the book, and I was a little worried about whether or not I would be reading an enjoyable story or a science fiction technical novel; luckily the rest of book is much more inviting and easy to become immersed in.  Eliza has written a lot of characters that are cold and detached in many ways, and yet still have the ability for you to get to know them and want to know more about their stories.  The main negative thing that I have to say about this book would be the dry prologue and the fact that it needs a cleaner edit.  There were times within the novel that some sentences would be incomplete or missing a word on the end of them. 

Becoming Human is written from many different perspectives to give a "whole picture" kind of feel.  In the beginning it took a little bit of getting used to with a bit of jumping around in locations, but once I got into the story line and used to the different locations of main characters I had no problems seamlessly switching between people and locations for more pieces of the puzzle that was uncovering the big secret of Exilon 5. 

Overall I think that Eliza has a winning story with Becoming Human.  The build up is done well with hints at possibilities but nothing to amount to the actual ending of the story.  The book closes well, with lead up into the next book in the Trilogy, but not with a complete drop off.  I enjoyed the characters and was definitely feeling anger and disgust at what the leading organizations have been up to, and I am definitely interested in reading the second book: Altered Reality.  I give this book 4/5 stars, and could easily bump it up to 5 with some cleaner edit and a prologue that was easily to connect with.  If you are into Sci-Fi, Futuristic novels, Mysteries, Suspense, Space travel and Terraforming, this book is definitely right up your alley. 

2013 Extravagant Christmas Gifts

As Christmas is fast approaching, and we are finishing up our Christmas shopping, I always like to see the gifts being had by the rich and famous.  Here are a few of the crazy Christmas gifts that you could be buying or receiving this year, at the right cost.

Let's start out the list wish the awesomely fantastic anamatronic triceratops.   For only $350,000 you can create your own personal Jurassic Park with this 20-ft.-long, dinosaur that is capable of recognizing facial features and roaring, stomping and baring its teeth.  But you can tell your horrified guests to fear not — the triceratops was strictly an herbivore in its day.

For anyone expecting or for anyone with a younger child you can always get them the bling pacifier.  For only $17,000 diamond-studded pacifier will give the little one a leg up. Made of 14-karat gold and diamond studs, this pacifier is sure to get snatched up quickly if your kid drops it on the floor.

From the always extravagant Neiman Marcus collection,  you can get all this for only $150,000.   (Falcon not included)  Years of apprenticeship and study are behind you. Your raptor is trained, and you have received the ultimate title of Master Falconer. Now, your new Bespoke Global Falconry Companion is loaded and ready for its inaugural outing.

A prime locale has been found, and you and your fellow hunters set up camp. Gazing upon your portable case and matching custom trunk, you marvel at the 20-karat gold-plated perch, hand-carved stands, leather perch scale, and hand-sewn glove, anklet, and exotic-skin hoods by Ken Hooke, the world's preeminent falconry hood maker. A day in the countryside has never been so luxuriously appointed! Next, the furniture: Chatwin chairs and a foldout table by Richard Wrightman, the foremost designer of bespoke campaign furniture (the King of Jordan is a client). You unfold the beautiful, handmade backgammon board from Alexandra Llewellyn, pour yourself a drink from one of the lead crystal decanters, and select the cigar you'll enjoy, using your matching cigar cutter by David Linley. The birds are ready, and your gauntlet is in place. Time to hunt!

For those of you who are pool sharks, this just might be the perfect gift.  High roller: For the minimalist games room, and the maximum budget, this £42,000 ultra-modern Nottage Design pool table is made of toughened glass covered by a transparent surface that replicates the feel of a traditional cloth-topped version. Comes with a set of balls, triangle, bridge stick and two aluminum cues. Can be found on quintessentially.com

Speaking of games, I found something for the Game of Thrones enthusiasts as well: According to the advertisement every house needs at least one piece of statement design furniture.  Why not combine one's love of pop culture.  Give them their own Throne, for only £24,170 it can be yours. 

For my authors who just can't seem to get a book published or if you just don't have the proper talent, you can now pay to have a book ghostwritten for you for the small price of $75,000 you could take countless creative-writing classes — or you could just pay Venture Press to ghostwrite a book for you. A professional scribe will do all the heavy lifting to see that your personal story makes it to the printed page, from brainstorming ideas to getting the bound copies into your hands.

For my computer geeks who have everything you could get something as awesome as this — the world’s most expensive USB stick is studded with diamonds, rubies and sapphires and has a storage capacity of 32GB. Prices start at £20,000.  Can be found at thehouseofluxury.com

For those equestrian lovers.  You can get not only a pony but something that many race horse enthusiasts would envy.  Your very own thoroughbred.  Plenty of reputable breeders are selling at horse fairs in time for Christmas.  A record breaking filly went for £5.25mil.

For the foosball enthusiasts A collaboration between the design teams at Mattel and foosball company Bonzini, the ultra-feminine Barbie foosball table is hot pink and features the long-legged dolls facing off against one another. Only eight tables will be manufactured in total, making this $24,999 item quite the collectible.

Skydiving is awesome, and so is food, so why not combine the two?  So why not go skydiving with a chef, Anthony Bourdain to be exact.  Not for the faint of heart (or stomach), Gilt City is offering the opportunity to go on a tandem skydive with chef and Travel Channel host Anthony Bourdain, followed by a dinner of burgers and beers. The $10,000 excursion is currently sold out, but you can add yourself to the waiting list.

For the exercise enthusiast you can now get the perfect exercise cycle: The lean machine, brought to you by Neiman Marcus.  Morning exercise will become far less routine, thanks to your new Ciclotte. A blend of amazing form and state-of-the-art function, this modern spin on the exercise bicycle will ensure it never gets relegated to the basement.

Approaching the machine, you admire its sleek, sculptural appearance. The large wheel is a nod to the unicycles of the late 1800s, but that's where the design-reminiscing ends. Void of the superfluous bells and whistles that characterize most of today's gym equipment, this piece is a study in the power—and beauty—of simplicity. Good looks aside, its dynamic design is rivaled only by its effortless performance.
Sitting astride your cycle, you adjust the angle of the carbon-fiber handles, choose from one of 12 levels of resistance, engage the pedals, and ride, ride, ride your way to a fitter, healthier you.  Get yours now for only $11,000.

In case your child was too old for the pacifier bling you can get them the Big Piano.  Coming to you straight from FAO Schwarz for only $250,000.  Taking the toy market toward extreme extravagance is FAO Schwarz. Many people recognize it from the 1988 film Big, and the store still features a giant floor piano, like the one that plays a prominent role in the film. Today's piano, which is actually bigger than the one in Big, can be purchased for a whopping $250,000, due to its size and technical sophistication.

And of course you can get someone a charter to space.  The space-travel arm of Richard Branson’s Virgin empire is offering flights to infinity and beyond (or at least within earth’s orbit) through the world’s first commercial space line.  The oft delayed maiden voyage is now scheduled to take off in 2013, when you, too, can live out your Buzz Aldrin dreams — if you’re able to pony up  $200,000.

For the wine enthusiasts it would be great to have something worth of the occasion or to at least add to the wine cellar.   1982 is a great vintage.  Sotheby's Fine Wine Auction, which just took place in London was auctioning off some bottles of Chateau Lafite and Chateau Petrus.  If you want something even more rare you can go for the La Tache 1990, Domaine de la Romanee estimated at a price of £32,000-£46,000.

Then we come to an amazing Tiffany's necklace, namely the Tiffany's Majestic Necklace.  Tiffany is, of course, chock-full with a number of dearly priced items. The most impressive is the Tiffany Majestic necklace, which costs $12 million (yes, million). This piece comprises over 300 stones and features a 30.31-carat diamond. It's not Tiffany's most valuable item, however. That honor belongs to the legendary 184-carat Tiffany Yellow Diamond. The store puts its value as "priceless."

 Last but not least is the 2013 Victoria's Secret Royal Fantasy Bra designed exclusively for Victoria’s Secret by world-renowned jeweler Mouawad. The one-of-a-kind Dream Angels Demi Bra and matching belt will be worn on the runway by Candice Swanepoel in homage to Victoria’s Secret heritage. The set is adorned with over 4,200 rubies, blue and yellow sapphires and diamonds handset in 18-karat gold, and its crowning glory is the bra’s 52-carat pear-shaped ruby drop centerpiece. Just a cool $10 mil and it’s yours!