Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

In a world made nearly perfect by man's enlightened progress, an ancient, hungry apocalypse slithers from the shadows and onto the clean, brightly lit streets.

Though few realize anything is wrong, it's already too late: too late for the authorities to face this new threat, for science to discover a cure, for the world's warriors to gear up to fight. It is humanity's swan song, and the fat lady is on the stage and clearing her throat.

Now it's up to five damaged strangers: a homicide detective, a lonely nurse, a college student, his insecure girlfriend, and a methodical killer with the heart of a child. Now it is the perfect society's misfits who must piece together the mystery and find the courage to stand together against impossible odds.

Sometimes destiny falls unexpected into the most broken lives, like a careless brick fallen out of the clear black sky.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

In this unorthodox book on how technology influences the appearance of designed objects, Manzini (architectural technology, Milan, Italy) provides an authoritative study of the new materials being utilized in products during the latter third of this century--namely, plastics. Indeed, this book could be subtitled "How to Live With Plastics and Love Them." the subject of wood, for example, is given one paragraph. Considering the dilemma of a world sinking in its own garbage, at least 20 of which is plastic, Manzini's thesis seems oddly out of step with the times. The ultimate resting place of most product design is the junkyard, but the author conveniently avoids a discussion of the social and ethical problems that the new materials of invention are creating. Otherwise, the book is an insightful guide to the properties and uses of various plastics, from polyurethane to polymethylmethacrylate (the chapter, "Creating the Transparent," is of particular interest). The illustrations are profuse and well chosen. Unfortunately, there is no index. For upper-division and graduate students. -J. Mendenhall, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo