Rating: 
Summary: Get this book
Review: Get this book! One thing that may help is that we sets up a plan that supposedly needs no individuals to make it work, forces of humanity and all that, but the stories repeatedly show the importance of individuals. If you know this ahead of time, you will appreciate each story even more.
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Summary: Foundation's of the WORLD
Review: Interplanetary conflict and scientific religion dominate this wonderful SF world created by a diverse knowledge of writing and our history to mesh Isaac Asimov's knowledge into a symbolic tale. "Psycho historian," Hari Seldon predicts that the city of Terminus will be destroyed, as well as the entire Galactic Empire. This Armageddon is foreseen into 3,000 years of barbaric emptiness. Dr. Seldon comes up with an idea that a group of psycho historians will need to work together with Seldon so that they can compose an Encyclopedia of the Galaxy's history to prevent about 2,000 years of political unrest. A Foundation is created. This Foundation represents the community of these historians to produce enough updated volumes of this Encyclopedia every 50 years so that the rivalry that will occur between the time Seldon dies and this Galaxy destruction occurs, it's ready to be of service to those struggling in the future. I found that the most interesting piece of this whole story is that as the struggles get stronger between the Foundation's cycle leaders and the surrounding planet's "prefects," the leaders of the Foundation start to create this religion amongst the science involved with the Encyclopedia. These religious "high priests" become the power and influence amongst these interplanetary societies. It's so great to see how the higher power called the Galactic Spirit is slowly becoming a widespread belief amongst the psychohistorians and their counter parts. I keep thinking about the impact of these thoughts and ideas on our own society and how similar some of these reactions would be. I see a lot of conflict between our country, the United States, and Middle Eastern countries where we are planting ourselves on other's territory so that we can suck from their few and far between plentiful resources that are of high value to us, so we make these deals that are appealing to 2nd and 3rd class countries and once that is started we ultimatley have all of this say over what that country is up to. I feel like Foundation shows how this peaceful and well- intentioned planet is working to create righteous things and there are these outside planets wanting control over how they are going about this and need some sort of power over a smaller community in a self-serving way. The character development is my favorite part of the book because of the different personalities that Asimov creates to work out the story line of the book. The different leaders are these very he-men type characters that are young and self-righteous, working towards the destruction or protection of their homeland. Clashing righteoussness is all over this book and I think that it definaltey symbolizes some of the conflict that exists in our own country today. I did not however feel like Asmiov gave women any role at all. I can't think of one woman that played ANY major role in this book, and when there was a mention of a woman she was nothing but a secretary or a mediator of some sort. I felt like there were just too many hormones flying around this book and I kind of wonder what this says about Isaac Asimov and his life. A great writer but maybe needs a love life? All around this was a great book and I recommend to all of you die hard SF fans!!! If you're a hardcore gal that is in to SF I would pass on this book.
Rating:
Summary: Take it for what it is, it's great
Review: Asimov, remember, wrote this initially as a series of short stories for a sci-fi magazine. Only later were the stories combined as a book. That is why of course no great character development occurs and the stories seem tidbits rather than grand scale work. Granted there is not much science in the book, but I have always felt that sci-fi is a form of fiction to allow the author to write freely on a subject and be able to mask what he is really talking about. Think about it, change the story to another world and have strange names for planets and suddenly nobody sees it as an attack against their country or their people. I have also felt science fiction to be more political than science (even though we call it science fiction). Politics are immense in Foundation and the style of having conversations to tell the story vs. having lots of action and space battles is fantastic. I read this first when I was 18 and did not appreciate what Asimov is trying to do. At 39, I get it. Asimov is looking at society in general and commenting that no society can be perfect and ideal and all wonderful and that dirty tricks and greed and compromise and working with others (including our enemies) is the only way a society can survive and the rest is simply propaganda. It's a direct attack against all societies that foster the idea that we're the best and the greatest and we stand for freedoms and love of country. Instead he states that what all societies become are survivors finding their strengths to counteract the enemies weaknesses. It's a great reality check which is why this should be required reading for all political science majors.
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Summary: Great start to great trilogy by greatest writer ever PERIOD.
Review: I doubt I shall ever come across a better writer of history or Science Fiction in this lifetime. Asimov was a great student of history, psychology, and science. Unlike most students and academics, though, Asimov also was a superb writer in each area and could distill the essence of his knowledge into entertaining non-fiction or fiction. Read his books regarding history of civilization or about Black Holes or about religion and I'm sure you will appreciate his knowledge about such diverse topics and his ability to keep you awake at night reading! I'm not saying you will agree with his every point - only that you will be exposed to a well-articulated discussion. In the Foundation series, it is clear Asimov has combined history and psychology to an extraordinary degree. The question is, was this young man of Russian birth writing of Russia's future or was he merely writing of England's past? You see, a great civilization has encompassed all the known world. Then, inevitably, it will begin a collapse. As in other empires, collapse begins in part due to the burdensome administrative hub (Moscow, Washington DC or London?), combined with a recession at a time when the outcast and downtrodden are fed up with unemployment and unfulfilled promises of a better future (Eastern Europe or the inner cities of America or Britain). This dilemma is further exacerbated by revolutionaries and terrorists in the hinterlands. Enter Mr. Seldon. Clearly he is based on the alter ego of Asimov himself, for the man is a student of mathematics, psychology, religion and history, as well as of politics. I could write a book to dissect the brilliance of the writing and the lessons for all leaders, but will simply say that Foundation, Foundation & Empire, and Second Foundation make up my favorite all-time trilogy. No knock against Lord of the Rings intended. LOTR is terrific but not quite as good.
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Summary: Great SciFi with Sociological Undertones
Review: Foundation is set about 12,000 years in the future where the weakening grip of the galactic empire is showing strong signs of decline. Enter Hari Seldon, key figure in the book, whom, as per his psycho-historical mathematics claims to bring 30,000 years of barbarism down to a mere 1000 by setting up two foundations at the opposite ends of the galaxy. The story about the first Foundation follows and here asimov attacks typical sociological issues and how the infant society deals with them. It is more of a series of well-connected snapshots over several decades, rather than a contiguos moving story/time line. The only weakness of the book, if you want to call it that, is the lack of good character development... but it doesnt impede the reader from following the twists and turns of the plot. Foundation is the first book in what is perhaps Sci-Fi's most imaginative and complete series by Issac Asimov. It's almost a sin to not finish the series which include (in order) foundation and empire
second foundation
foundation's edge
foundation and earth <-- best book of the series To get most thrill out of the series, i highly recommend reading the robot series (the caves of steel, the naked sun, the robots of dawn, robots and empire) before moving on to foundation's edge and foundation and earth.
Rating: 
Summary: Comic Book
Review: I was expecting something a little more deep. This read like a comic book and left me not really interested in continuing to the next book. Ive always enjoyed Asimov's cut to the chase style and loved I, Robot. I just couldnt get into these characters really.
Rating:
Summary: The greatest of them all
Review: Millions of words have been written of this now dated novel yet it is still so enjoyable to read. The influence of the Sci Fi generation that would give us so much to enjoy. The genesis of a great story based in the distant future where space travel is normal as the Galaxy ruled by a human empire, ruled from the planet city of Trantor, that is about to collapes under it's own weight (sounds familiar?) and of one man that will predict it's fall and end result. This book is part of a trilogy that would spawn both sequals and prequils that will eventually lead back to the place where it all began. Earth.
Rating:
Summary: The greatest of them all
Review: Millions of words have been written of this now dated novel yet it is still so enjoyable to read. The influence of the Sci Fi generation that would give us so much to enjoy. The genisis of a great story based in the distant future where space travel is normal as the Galaxy ruled by a human empire, ruled from the planet city of Trantor, that is about to collapes under it's own weight (sounds familiar?) and of one man that will predict it's fall and end result. This book is part of a trilogy that would spawn both sequals and prequils that will eventually lead back to the place where it all began. Earth.
Rating: 
Summary: Good politics, but no science
Review: The book starts with an enticing psychohistory idea, but then it dives deep into politics. It is quite interesting to read the ingenious solutions for the crises taken by the great leaders of the Foundation, specially for resigning war whenever it seemed the most sensible way out.
The problem is that this book is supposed to be science fiction, yet the story seemed to have happened back in the mercantilism period in the XVII century, with its priests, kings, viceroys and merchant ships trading raw materials for manufactured goods. The gadgets used by the traders to fool the other empires are a bit silly as well, for a far future based science fiction.
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Summary: The King of Sci-Fi, I can see why!!
Review: I can see why Issaac Asimov is consider the king of science fiction. To be honest this is the first book I read by him. When I read this book I was flabbergassed that this book was written back in the early fifties. He was so ahead of his time!!! I was amazed of how much this book was mostly all dialouge usually I would of been bored if the book was mostly dialouge but the theories in this book can they be all real one day!! The thought of psychohistory should be a considered science of future and politics. Most of the books I read that are consider science fiction I feel is mostly influence by this man. I know there are more to this series but after I read this book I felt I needed much time to absorb of what I just read because it was such a mind opening experience.
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