Rating: 
Summary: Hilarious WHAT IF? about economic universalization...
Review: I had'nt read sci/fiction since I was in my early twenties, but my brother insisted on me, so I read this hilarious near masterpiece. I do not rate it five stars because I think the plot looses a bit of (not verosimilitude of course!) grip in the third part of the book.
Nevertheless, I can recommend it to anyone in need of a laugh, in need of perspective, or who feels the need of a good trash of the Planet Earth economic system for our own sake...
REALLY FUNNY AND SARDONIC (You must be able to laugh at yourself to enjoy mind...)
Rating: 
Summary: It's a bit wacko, but a good read
Review: It's not so much about science fiction. It's really kind of wacko... But, it's a really good read.All Earth's business is knocked flat when the Aliens arrive with light-years better technology. How will our hero recover? The characters and dialogue are familiar, and the crazy story shows our current world from a different point of view. Globalization. Third world reactions to the Europeans arriving. Staying alive. Even our current president is clearly depicted. Enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: A fantastic book!
Review: Johnson Mukerjii is on top of the world; he's rich, married to a beautiful woman, and his high-tech firm is about to come out with the most advanced 3-D computer. And then the aliens came. Selling their advanced technology at reasonable prices, they drive Earth's high-tech firms out of business, and Mukerjii out into the streets. But, Johnson Mukerjii is not a man to stay down long; he knows that to stay alive Earth must produce, it must become the Taiwan of the galaxy! A friend recommended this book to me, and it came as quite a revelation. I had not heard of it before, but it is quite a fantastic book! The roller coaster ride that Greg Costikyan puts on for the reader is both surprising and believable. As the humans try to come to grips with the new world, they resort to old ways of thinking: some latch on to old racism, and some Boomers return to their past for a drug-laced "Winter of Love!" This is a fascinating book, one that makes you think at the same time that it entertains. I think that this is a great book, and I highly recommend it to you.
Rating:
Summary: Horatio Alger meets 'Star Wars' in this humorous scifi novel
Review: Simply put, this book is a hoot! The author has hit on a potent combination of wry humor and science fiction in a mode slightly reminiscent of the 'Mars Attacks!' movie - but with a bit more substance. The protagonist is an unlikely Americanized Bengali tycoon, who must deal with the aliens in a manner he is most familiar with--the world of Big Business. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Door to door alien salesmen
Review: The aliens have landed and they are friendly. They are willing to give us access to all their knowledge for a small price. The price is Jupiter; a planet we never use but it does make up 70% or the planetary resources in the solar system. Then other aliens arrive and they are selling. Earth's economy takes an enormous hit as superior technology is offered for reasonable prices. We see the effects through the eyes of the CEO of a Silicon Valley firm. They were just about to go public with a new holographic display when the aliens arrived. He winds p losing absolutely everything, company, wife, house, all possessions, etc. But it is hard to keep a good English-educated Indian businessman down. He knows that for Earth and humanity to survive, they need to start gaining hard alien currency. But what could they possibly sell to the advanced aliens? Shady business deals, reality checks, and interstellar trade shows combine in an intriguing plot that keeps the reader hooked all the way to the last line. Fast-paced story that is low in the science and does not hit you over the head with economics and business practices even though they are a major part of the plot. I would love to see a sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Door to door alien salesmen
Review: The aliens have landed and they are friendly. They are willing to give us access to all their knowledge for a small price. The price is Jupiter; a planet we never use but it does make up 70% or the planetary resources in the solar system. Then other aliens arrive and they are selling. Earth's economy takes an enormous hit as superior technology is offered for reasonable prices. We see the effects through the eyes of the CEO of a Silicon Valley firm. They were just about to go public with a new holographic display when the aliens arrived. He winds p losing absolutely everything, company, wife, house, all possessions, etc. But it is hard to keep a good English-educated Indian businessman down. He knows that for Earth and humanity to survive, they need to start gaining hard alien currency. But what could they possibly sell to the advanced aliens? Shady business deals, reality checks, and interstellar trade shows combine in an intriguing plot that keeps the reader hooked all the way to the last line. Fast-paced story that is low in the science and does not hit you over the head with economics and business practices even though they are a major part of the plot. I would love to see a sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Behold the universal language: CAPITALISM!
Review: This is by far the least far-fetched SF novel I've read in a long time. It's got great ideas, great characters, excellent writing and even some action thrown in. When Aliens arrive, this is what we can look forward to. Wonderful products, extraterrestrial tourists, and a Dollar that ain't worth bupkis. Read it; you'll learn something and open your mind along the way.
Rating:
Summary: Behold the universal language: CAPITALISM!
Review: This is by far the least far-fetched SF novel I've read in a long time. It's got great ideas, great characters, excellent writing and even some action thrown in. When Aliens arrive, this is what we can look forward to. Wonderful products, extraterrestrial tourists, and a Dollar that ain't worth bupkis. Read it; you'll learn something and open your mind along the way.
Rating:
Summary: an economic fantasy
Review: What happens when an advanced culture finds and "primitive" one and suddenly realises they can make a fortune from them through trade? We've seen it many times in the past like when beads were traded to Indians for land rights etc. In this case it happens to the whole world when Aliens come to earth. They land on the white house lawn, according to script - then say "hi" to the US president and "where's the leader of the world?" and it's not the US president we are talking about, rather it's the UN. That is NOT in most save the world scripts. This follows the story of Johnson Mukerjii's descent into poverty and his bounce back through the risk all or die approch to capitalism. Apparently a universal law. This book is funny and in many ways orginal. It shows the excesses of current economic theory and highlights how slim is the gap sometimes between the haves and have-nots. A book that makes you laugh and think at the same time. Quite an achievment.
Rating:
Summary: I really WANTED to like this book
Review: Why did I really want to like it? I liked Greg Costikyan's earlier works ("Another Day, Another Dungeon"; "One Quest, Hold the Dragons"). They were wacky and funny and Terry Pratchett-esque in the best possible way. "First Contract," on the other hand... isn't. It's not wacky, it's only occasionally funny, and the business stuff just doesn't work real well for me. Plot in a nutshell: Aliens come to Earth, wreck the economy, take Jupiter and make the world into a quaint little resort. Johnson Mukherjii's tech business is one of the casualties, so he has to... Well, I'll stop there. Suffice it to say that there's a lot of business stuff involved that the MBA-types might find somewhat more gripping than I did. Props to Mr. Costikyan for finding a fresh angle to the old first contact story, as well as for writing about something that isn't often written about. But there's probably a reason that it isn't.
| 
