Rating: 
Summary: Has a ring of truth about the possibilities of space travel
Review: For those without the patience to slog through the techinical and somtimes tedious aspects of what space travel is really like (Trekers) skip this book. But if you want a realistic view of what we might accomplish with just a little help from our "friends" this is a great read. You have to get about 1/3 into it before it takes off, but that's fine by me.
Rating:
Summary: A good read.
Review: Generally a good effort with parts that are riveting, it
could be improved if the humans where as 3 dimensional
as the Tiberians. The technology sounded plausible, with the exception of the ZPE lasers - and that surprised me. There is an amazing future within our grasp if only the politicians
can show some backbone and stay the course. Unfortunately, that's about as likely as the discovery of real Tiberians.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyed "Tiber" more than "Contact"
Review: Great book by Aldrin. I especially enjoyed reading about the Apollo hardware and such. If you enjoy this book, be sure to avoid "Titan" by Stephen Baxter! (Titan is another story about life after a shuttle crash)I hope to see more books written by Buzz Aldrin.
Rating: 
Summary: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWN
Review: I cant etll you exactly how good this book was because I couldnt get throught the first couple chapters. It was boring as hell and was basically a primer for astronaut training..the authors could have toned down the technical end a bit and gotten on with the plot. Its no wonder I dont see any other reader reviews here..they are probably all still asleep
Rating:
Summary: Great science, good fiction
Review: I couldn't resist the play on another reviewer's
headline...sorry. You can definitely tell which
parts are written by Aldrin: they're pretty dry
and pedantic. Like, do sci-fi readers really need
to have things like Doppler effect explained to them? But the story is super, and very engaging
(especially after you get beyond the dry technical
stuff). It's hard to tell where the story is
going, though, or even if it's going anywhere, but overall the package has some good appeal and only has a few brief slow periods. Unlike many alien
species, the Tiberians are very clearly alian -- and the most fascinating part of the book, I think, is how the alian perceptions of planet Earth are described. This is the genius of the book, if any: the authors are able to stand outside of human society and give a believable account of how an alien species might perceive us.
Rating: 
Summary: An outstanding read.
Review: I found Tiber to be a great read. Buzz and John Barnes have written a fine piece of sci-fi that works on several different levels. The parallels between the Tiberian space program and the US program were interesting. Buzz also uses his knowledge of current private industry space systems to weave a fine story.
Aldrin and Barnes have done a very good job of character development. In addition, the different worlds and different time slices are well done.
My review can not due justice but I loved it.
Perhaps we can learn a lesson or two from the near future as written by Aldrin and Barnes.
Rating: 
Summary: Dialogue silly; some inaccuracies in technical details
Review: I gave up on this book 250 pages though because it couldn't hold my interest. Aldrin and Barnes are more technically oriented than some but they went in a little over their heads. I appreciate technical details but they must be consistent and accurate, otherwise they annoy and detract from the plot. The plot wasn't all that coherent in the first place--this was not "page turner". The dialogue was not realistic. The charaters' speech were too artificial in their use to explain this and that. Some of the subjects the "professionals" spoke about were too simplistic for actual professionals to discuss. They sounded more like space enthusiasts. Maybe I would have enjoyed this more as a juvenile.
Rating:
Summary: Dialogue silly; some inaccuracies in technical details
Review: I gave up on this book 250 pages though because it couldn't hold my interest. Aldrin and Barnes are more technically oriented than some but they went in a little over their heads. I appreciate technical details but they must be consistent and accurate, otherwise they annoy and detract from the plot. The plot wasn't all that coherent in the first place--this was not "page turner". The dialogue was not realistic. The charaters' speech were too artificial in their use to explain this and that. Some of the subjects the "professionals" spoke about were too simplistic for actual professionals to discuss. They sounded more like space enthusiasts. Maybe I would have enjoyed this more as a juvenile.
Rating:
Summary: Hard Sci-Fi with believable characters
Review: I got the book on John Barnes reputation, but clearly Buzz Aldrin knows what he's talking about. With so many "Contact" themed books out there, its refreshing to read one where the science behind the plot is explained. I didn't find it boring at all: if your heart isn't thumping when you read about bailing out of a crashing Space Shuttle, you have no imagination for this type of work. The aliens were believable, with both human and non-human type flaws. I found myself comparing their Earth experiences to those of Cortez and Magellan- this is the kind of story that does beg a bit of effort from the reader. Best SciFi with rivets I've read since Robert L. Forward!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Book
Review: I have read other reviews on amazon about this book and am slightly disappointed. Those who are true sci-fi fans do there best to see the big picture but let bits and pices of rational thought slip so they can take in the fantasay of it all. Some who have reviewed this book have not looked at things with an open mind all the way. This text is wonderfully written and in time will be one of the sci-fi treasures of the 20th century. Aldrin has lent his insight of alien worlds come through, but Barnes has certanly worked all the magic. If you are a true sci-fi fan this is a must read.
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