Does JasperReports need a good book?
I'm in discussion with a publisher on a book about JasperReports and there's some question of whether there's still a market for the book. So my question to you is, would you buy a good book on JasperReports, or do you think the existing documentation is adequate? Do you think JasperReports needs a good book? Please vote in the poll below and leave any comments you may have explaining why or why not. Work on the book has been under way for some time now but there have been delays for various reasons and we feel we need to reevaluate its marketability. Your feedback would help very much.
The Tesla Testament
This summer I had the opportunity to read an advance copy of "The Tesla Testament". The book is an action/thriller built around the works of Tesla. I don't read much in this genre. I spend most of time in the fantasy and science fiction aisles, personally, so it took me a little while to get into the book. I had the poor planning of reading this book concurrently with Alastair Reynolds so switching between the writing styles was a little jarring. Once I got past that, however, I found the book enjoyable. The technical details (at least the stuff that I know personally) was correct enough to not get in the way. I hate it when authors mangle a topic just to make things fit in the story.
The action was good also. Eugene has some experience with many of the elements used in crafting the action scenes (especially the hand-to-hand combat) so the scenes felt more real than some I've read. The action picks up pretty quickly at the beginning of the book and doesn't really let up until the end. The feel of the book feels very much like "The Bourne Legacy" which I read immediately following "The Tesla Testament." Whether that's good or bad is probably a matter of taste but Eugene manages to match an experienced author with his first novel which is no small feat.
So if you like action books, I think you'll enjoy this one. The combination of technical, combat, and historical elements makes for an interesting read at the least. It's an interesting "what if" story that's nothing if not entertaining.