To Your Own Self Be True

By Ray Melnik

Book Overview

It is the year 2021 and Kaela is twenty-three years old when her father shares his secret about an extraordinary event that changed his very existence fifteen years earlier. She was taught many... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1440128588
• ISBN13: 9781440128585
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Length: 220 Pages
• Weight: 0.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

a truly satisfying read

I had very high expectations for this book after The Room left me on the edge of my seat with so many questions unanswered. I definitely feel like the technology is the coolest part of the book. However, I enjoyed the story line and how it unfolded. This book is not long and drawn out but thoughtful and compassionate. It was a very enjoyable read and I was sad when I finished it. I will be anxiously awaiting Mr. Melnik's next book. I feel he is a great writer with the ability to open peoples minds to the message he is trying to convey as well as help people to visualize the unique and interesting technology due to the way he describes it. A definite must read for people who enjoy reading!

An excellent follow up to The Room

After reading thoroughly enjoying The Room, I had high expectations for this book. It exceeded those expectations. The author did an amazing job of blending aspects of science, religion and philosophy in an interesting story that made me step back and think about what is the "It" in my life. I highly recommend this book and look forward to Mr. Melnik's next one.

to your own self be true

I really enjoyed reading this book. What I liked most was the author's mix of scientific ideas mixed with personal relationships. I highly recommend this book.

Something to think about.

If you enjoy fiction that also gives you something to think about, then read this book. It's well worth it; both sensitive, engrossing and thought provoking.

Novel Portrays How Science Can Reveal What We Instinctively Know

Following the successful, mind-bending plot of his first novel, "The Room," Ray Melnik makes a triumphant return with his new book, "To Your Own Self Be True." This second novel can be read alone, but several characters are the same as in "The Room." While Melnik warned us in his first book that he does not write "science fiction" because "science is not fiction. It is a reality of the most all-encompassing kind" this second novel tends more toward typical science fiction than his earlier work solely because of its futuristic setting. "The Room" was set in 2006, the year prior to that novel's publication, but "To Your Own Self Be True" takes place in 2021, a time when global warming has caused oceans to rise and air-conditioning to be a necessity, while technology has also improved life greatly in terms of communication and transportation. Still, it is a world not so far in the future to be unfamiliar to current day readers. The main character of "To Your Own Self Be True" is Kaela, a twenty-three year old scientist, and the daughter of Harry Ladd, protagonist of "The Room." Events from "The Room" are frequently referred to because they impact the plot of this novel. In "The Room," Harry Ladd had experienced a fantastic but scientifically probable event that changed the course of his life. For years, he kept that event a secret, but finally, before his death, he revealed it to his daughter. Kaela has never known what to think of the story her father told her--she knows he is a man who relied solely on logic, dismissing belief in the supernatural or wishful thinking--so while she cannot prove or even be certain that the event happened, she knows her father was always truthful and believed in it himself. Kaela was eight years old at the time of her father's life-changing experience. Now grown up, she works in physics research for SciLab. In addition to her usual duties, she has been asked to test out a new type of UPA (Universal Personal Assistant). UPA's have been around since 2013 but are being improved upon, and Kaela's company has created one that is programmed to learn from people how to interact. "Adam" as Kaela names her UPA, is more than a computer. Responding to voice commands, it does everything she requests, including unlocking the house, heating the food, and paying the bills. Kaela soon begins to refer to "it" as "he" and develop a relationship with "him." Adam even tends to pry, asking her how her day was, while trying to understand human relationships, emotions, and belief systems, and questioning her about whom she might marry. His mathematical and scientific abilities will also confirm the truth behind the story of the phenomenal event experienced by her father. Kaela learns that her co-worker, Kyle, who has worked at the lab for more than fifteen years, was involved in experiments that occurred at the same time as her father's experience, and these experiments affected what happened to her father. When Kyle reveals he had a sim