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From: ctj@msudoc.UUCP (Chris Johnson)
Newsgroups: net.books,net.sf-lovers
Subject: review, Frederik Pohl's "The Merchants' War"
Message-ID: <220@msudoc.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 4-Mar-86 00:41:31 EST
Article-I.D.: msudoc.220
Posted: Tue Mar  4 00:41:31 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 5-Mar-86 05:40:21 EST
Reply-To: ctj@msudoc.UUCP (Chris Johnson)
Organization: Michigan State University, Computer Laboratory--Systems
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Keywords: Frederik Pohl, review, "The Merchants' War"
Xref: watmath net.books:3089 net.sf-lovers:12600

==============Food for the Line Eater================

Frederik Pohl's "The Merchants' War"

Score: Begining: 7, Middle: 5, End: 7, Overall: 7

Blurb:  Great advertising agencies still dominate the world and control
all governments and every aspect of human behavior.  When a handful of
renegades on Venus zealously opposes the so-called "benefits" of the
hucksters' paradise, it seems inevitable that the all-powerfull account
executives of Earth will stop at nothing, not even war, to force the
rebels to submit.

But the Veenies have a plan...

Opinion:  Frederik Pohl has written a book which I feel ranks with
Golivers Travel's.  The satire is very strong but presented in a manor
calculated to entertain.  The story flows well without ever becoming
bogged down.  Even though you KNOW, that the author is preaching at you,
it never seems to become overbaring.

The hero of this little war is quite believable as he makes his way from
an "starclass copysmith" to human.  The path is not easy but the trials
Tarb encounters never quite destroy him.  Some of the wonderful things
in this world of tommorrow (today?:_) which Tarb must deal with include:
Being adicted to Mokie (aka Coke) via a new advertising methods;
Joining the army to help "civilize" the aborigine tribes;  And dealing
with "Veenies" patriats who have a hard time understanding advertisments
at all.

Everything considered, I would recomend "The Merchants' War" to anyone
who has ever had to watch thirty min. of commercials for twenty min. of
a good movie on the reruns.

-- 
/eom ctj			..!ihnp4!msudoc!ctj   (Chris Johnson)

"Computer libraries are filled with electronic impulses.  Books are
filled with words.  I've always preferred words."