The Gentle Giants of Ganymede

The Gentle Giants of Ganymede, James P. Hogan, Del Rey Books, 1978

Continuing the story began in "Inherit the Stars," this is about the discovery of a corpse on the moon, dressed in a red spacesut, that happens to be 50,000 years old. Further research on the corpse, and the items found with it, and further discoveries elsewhere on the Moon, lead to the conclusion that there was a planet, Minerva, between Mars and Jupiter. The planet was dying; a rising level of carbon dioxide would soon render it uninhabitable. Various methods to fix the problem were considered; meantime, two factions on the planet fought a major interplanetary war, which destroyed the planet. Part of it became the asteroid belt, the other part became the planet Pluto. The human discovery of an alien ship under the ice on Ganymede, and at least 25 million years old, leads to human ideas about the solar system and man's origins getting a major overhaul.

One day, the makers of the ship, called Ganymeans (for Ganymede), show up on Ganymede. The humans had unknowingly activated a distress beacon. It is easy to imagine their reaction at being told by the humans that their planet was gone. They had gone to a nearby star to see if it could be artificially made brighter, to combat their carbon dioxide problem. It didn't work; the star went supernova. The propulsion system on their ship was working, but the braking system had failed. They spent 20 years of ship time traveling faster than light, before they could slow down. Meantime, the universe was 25 million years older.

They were homeless, as well as physically and emotionally exhausted. They were welcomed on Ganymede, where they gave human science a huge boost, and were able to repair their ship. They were welcomed to Earth, to stay, if they wished. There was the usual bureaucratic nonsense about what country would host them; the Ganymeans decided to land in Switzerland.

The aliens were totally welcomed, practically as long-lost brothers. As time went on, they traveled all over the world, seeing everything, and speaking with many Earth scientists. After six months, Garuth, the leader of the Ganymeans, announces that they are leaving. The archives mention that a group of Ganymeans traveled to a place called Giants' Star. Admittedly, it is a very remote possibility, but if there is a chance that there are more of their kind at Giants' Star, it must be investigated. That is the official reason for their sudden departure, but it isn't the actual reason.

This book is also heavy on the science, but it is still a very interesting story, not just about the origins of mankind. It's very much worth the time.

Inherit the Stars

Inherit the Stars, James P. Hogan, Del Rey Books, 1977

In the near future, mankind has started to spread throughout the solar system; among other things, establishing several moon bases. One day, a very old, almost skeletal, corpse is found on the moon dressed in a red spacesuit. Calls to the other bases reveal that no one is reported missing. Things get really interesting when tests on the corpse, nicknamed "Charlie", reveal that it is at least 50,000 years old.

Interest shifts from the moon to Texas, headquarters of the United Nations Space Arm. The world's finest scientists are brought in, and they get a pretty clear idea about Charlie pretty quickly. He was human, or close enough to not make a difference. The next step is to speculate that he came from Earth, that there was a space-faring civilization here during the time of the earliest humans. If that is true, why is there no evidence that such a race ever existed?

While each separate department at UNSA, like linguistics or biology, is busy on their own piece of the puzzle, they aren't talking to each other. A tidbit from one department may be just what some other department needs. Victor Hunt, co-inventor of the Magniscope (the next generation in machines to look inside the human body) is brought in to be that link between departments. He is also good at thinking sideways, getting each department out of their own rigid dogma. Further research shows that the planet Minerva, between Mars and Jupiter, was dying; an ice age was coming. The need to leave turned into a major interplanetary war, with weapons that could vaporize cities in an instant. Things get very interesting with the discovery of a very large alien spaceship, not from Charlie's race, under the ice on Ganymede.

This novel gets pretty heavy on the science, but at least it's easily understandable. Here is a very good and thought-provoking story about the origins of mankind.

From Prison to Paycheck: What No One Ever Tells You About Getting a Job

From Prison to Paycheck: What No One Ever Tells You About Getting a Job, Pam Hogan, Community Press, 2007

Among the many challenges faced by those just released from prison is that of getting a job. Those with a job are much more likely to stay out of prison than those without one. This book attempts to make that challenge less challenging.

Think of a resume as equivalent to a business card. It's required; the book exactly how to write it. For those whose work history is spotty or non-existent, register with a temporary employment agency. Going on a variety of jobs will help to narrow down the type of jobs that you do (or do not) want, they will provide experience to put on a resume, and the paycheck does not hurt. Volunteering is another way to get experience to put on a resume. Target your resume for different types of positions. A resume that highlights your experience as a landscape gardener will be of little help in applying for a security guard position.

Treat your job search as a full-time job. Carefully read the on-line or newspaper ads. If it says, for instance, "no phone calls" or "apply in person," then follow it. If your qualifications don't exactly match the requirements, apply and go for an interview, anyway. The more job interview experience you can get, the better off you will be. You need to be out there every day, filling out applications and leaving off resumes.

The book goes through the job interview process, including a list of questions the interviewer will ask. Practice the answers to these questions ahead of time, so that you will sound confident and "with it," instead of hesitating and unsure of yourself.

At some point, the question will be asked: Have you ever been convicted of a felony? Do not lie, because the truth will eventually be discovered, but there is no need to include every detail. If that part of your life is, honestly, never to return, find a way to say so. The book gives some suggested responses.

This book does a fine job at making the job search process as painless as possible. It is not just good for those just out of prison, but also for those whose work history is less than stellar.