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The Genesis Project #1
Seeds of Transition
Seeds Of Transition: Book One - The Genesis Project is full of gripping adventure, psychological thrills, and emotional conflict from start to finish.
As the world’s population approaches 10 billion people, and severe weather extremes impact crop and livestock production, the demand for and price of food is rising. The American government, as well as other powerful individuals, find themselves looking for intelligent, albeit unlikely heroes in the world of academia.
Jarod Farra, a professor of agriculture at Cornell University, quickly finds himself at the forefront of both his longstanding dreams, and perhaps, some of his worst fears. Out of the turmoil and fear of an impending international food shortage, a range of characters come together to perform an experiment that will forever change the world as we know it, and provide new hope for generations to come.
As the world’s population approaches 10 billion people, and severe weather extremes impact crop and livestock production, the demand for and price of food is rising. The American government, as well as other powerful individuals, find themselves looking for intelligent, albeit unlikely heroes in the world of academia.
Jarod Farra, a professor of agriculture at Cornell University, quickly finds himself at the forefront of both his longstanding dreams, and perhaps, some of his worst fears. Out of the turmoil and fear of an impending international food shortage, a range of characters come together to perform an experiment that will forever change the world as we know it, and provide new hope for generations to come.
143 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2013
2 people are currently reading
811 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Holland
5 books17 followersCarolyn Holland grew up during the 70’s in the coastal wetlands of North Carolina in a small, rural fishing village. She married right after high school and started her family, in the same community where she grew up. Though life took her to other places, she lived in the Appalachians for a time and later in Alabama, she found herself drawn back to her roots in Coastal North Carolina. With her three children grown now, she resides there still with her husband James Holland, a retired US Marine.
Carolyn has been a writer for many years. In 2009 she began work as a freelance writer and ghost writer and worked on many works in the science fiction genre. Her own personal interest in agriculture, the environment and our effect upon it prompted a lot of study into the effect of weather patterns brought on by climate change on our food and water supply.
In 2012, Carolyn was invited by publishers; Books, Authors and Artists, to write and publish the trilogy titled The Genesis Project. The first book in that series is titled, Seeds of Transition and will be available at most online book stores in E-Book and Paperback form on July 19, 2013.
Carolyn has been a writer for many years. In 2009 she began work as a freelance writer and ghost writer and worked on many works in the science fiction genre. Her own personal interest in agriculture, the environment and our effect upon it prompted a lot of study into the effect of weather patterns brought on by climate change on our food and water supply.
In 2012, Carolyn was invited by publishers; Books, Authors and Artists, to write and publish the trilogy titled The Genesis Project. The first book in that series is titled, Seeds of Transition and will be available at most online book stores in E-Book and Paperback form on July 19, 2013.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 8, 2016
Seeds of Transition was an enjoyable book. Despite some issues I found in the writing and formatting, I’m awaiting the next book in The Genesis Project series.
This books takes on many of the issues that plague our ever-changing and ever-growing world, and shows readers some possible ways for our future generations to cope and adapt. I’m not knowledgeable about agricultural advancements in today’s world, but if some of the technology in place in this book is in development it’d be great to see it in use. I found the idea behind The Genesis Project (the actual project in the book, not the series name) intriguing and as it’s the driving force behind the novel, I’m anxious to see what becomes of it in future books.
What I also liked about this book were the characters and the extent that the authors built up global relationships, events, and the possible future history of our world. Most of what happens in the book doesn’t seem too far-fetched in terms of where our world is heading. i found the characters to be interesting. Though at times the story the characters were leading and the broader events taking place in the country often pushed each other out of the way to get attention.
To expand a little on that, I felt that this could have been a full-length novel just with Dr. Farra’s story alone. Added into this was the global crisis of extreme weather and food shortages, the President’s struggles, and those of a few characters. Most of the time all this played out well, and they are indeed all linked, just at times I felt it wasn’t presented as a fully meshed story.
A few more minor issues I had while reading were the lack of smooth transitions inside the chapters. It wasn’t until the later half that chapter breaks were in place to show transitions of time or character points of view. Before this, I found myself rereading a few paragraphs to find where the POV switched characters, place, or time. To go along with this issue, there was a total format change once I got to chapter 13. The format went from the text being justified to it being left-aligned for the rest of the book. This struck me as odd and took me a little bit to get my reading flow back because of the way the right side of the page is jagged. It might sound harsh, but when reading a paperback justified for half the book, then it changing, it can mess up a reader.
I’m sure those issues won’t be much of a problem when the next book comes along, as it seems that as the book went along (aside from the alignment of the text) the editing (misplaced or forgotten quotation marks, misspelled words, etc) improved. As I said when I started this review, I’m looking forward to book 2. This story has intrigued me from the start, and I’m expecting that the authors will not disappoint their readers when this story continues.
This books takes on many of the issues that plague our ever-changing and ever-growing world, and shows readers some possible ways for our future generations to cope and adapt. I’m not knowledgeable about agricultural advancements in today’s world, but if some of the technology in place in this book is in development it’d be great to see it in use. I found the idea behind The Genesis Project (the actual project in the book, not the series name) intriguing and as it’s the driving force behind the novel, I’m anxious to see what becomes of it in future books.
What I also liked about this book were the characters and the extent that the authors built up global relationships, events, and the possible future history of our world. Most of what happens in the book doesn’t seem too far-fetched in terms of where our world is heading. i found the characters to be interesting. Though at times the story the characters were leading and the broader events taking place in the country often pushed each other out of the way to get attention.
To expand a little on that, I felt that this could have been a full-length novel just with Dr. Farra’s story alone. Added into this was the global crisis of extreme weather and food shortages, the President’s struggles, and those of a few characters. Most of the time all this played out well, and they are indeed all linked, just at times I felt it wasn’t presented as a fully meshed story.
A few more minor issues I had while reading were the lack of smooth transitions inside the chapters. It wasn’t until the later half that chapter breaks were in place to show transitions of time or character points of view. Before this, I found myself rereading a few paragraphs to find where the POV switched characters, place, or time. To go along with this issue, there was a total format change once I got to chapter 13. The format went from the text being justified to it being left-aligned for the rest of the book. This struck me as odd and took me a little bit to get my reading flow back because of the way the right side of the page is jagged. It might sound harsh, but when reading a paperback justified for half the book, then it changing, it can mess up a reader.
I’m sure those issues won’t be much of a problem when the next book comes along, as it seems that as the book went along (aside from the alignment of the text) the editing (misplaced or forgotten quotation marks, misspelled words, etc) improved. As I said when I started this review, I’m looking forward to book 2. This story has intrigued me from the start, and I’m expecting that the authors will not disappoint their readers when this story continues.
January 14, 2014
SEEDS OF TRANSITION has several themes which at first seem disjointed and unconnected. The author does not help the reader in connecting these themes, but our real life experiences are not morphed into a single theme, are they? I gave the book a high rating because the mechanics of good writing are fine, the read is easy, and the book teaches important lessons to its readers.
The book opening is exciting. In the year 2030 a perfect storm cyclone hits Bangladesh, but the people are prepared and take shelter in an organized manner. The climate changes and weather patterns cause the land to be unable to grow enough food crops for the people. In the USA, Project Genesis has been secretly started aimed to vertical crop growing because world starvation is imminent. In 2057, Jarrod, a Muslim immigrant who lived through the cyclones in Bangladesh, becomes a part of the project. The author gives detailed descriptions of the project and its importance to the world, but little is written about the years between 2037 and 2057. At this point in the book those themes I mentioned are introduced. Some entity is trying to sabotage the project for reasons not told. Jarrod falls in love, but the affair is sabotaged until later, much later, the couple reunites. The president of the United States, an advocate of Project Genesis, is assassinated, but not killed. Two characters are introduced who have a malevolent intent toward the President and the project. The book ends with more questions than a two year old child can ask. But, the stage has been properly set for the sequel, and I want to read it as soon as it becomes available. I forgot to mention the perfect storm twin hurricanes that hit the East coast, chiefly the Carolinas, in May, 2057. The people are prepared, but the death and desecration are tremendous because the hurricanes are fickle and much stronger than could have been anticipated.
The book is written in reporting style, which normally I would not like but find fascinating here. I urge readers to read this book because regardless of its style, it is an amazing read. Thank you, Ms. Holland.
The book opening is exciting. In the year 2030 a perfect storm cyclone hits Bangladesh, but the people are prepared and take shelter in an organized manner. The climate changes and weather patterns cause the land to be unable to grow enough food crops for the people. In the USA, Project Genesis has been secretly started aimed to vertical crop growing because world starvation is imminent. In 2057, Jarrod, a Muslim immigrant who lived through the cyclones in Bangladesh, becomes a part of the project. The author gives detailed descriptions of the project and its importance to the world, but little is written about the years between 2037 and 2057. At this point in the book those themes I mentioned are introduced. Some entity is trying to sabotage the project for reasons not told. Jarrod falls in love, but the affair is sabotaged until later, much later, the couple reunites. The president of the United States, an advocate of Project Genesis, is assassinated, but not killed. Two characters are introduced who have a malevolent intent toward the President and the project. The book ends with more questions than a two year old child can ask. But, the stage has been properly set for the sequel, and I want to read it as soon as it becomes available. I forgot to mention the perfect storm twin hurricanes that hit the East coast, chiefly the Carolinas, in May, 2057. The people are prepared, but the death and desecration are tremendous because the hurricanes are fickle and much stronger than could have been anticipated.
The book is written in reporting style, which normally I would not like but find fascinating here. I urge readers to read this book because regardless of its style, it is an amazing read. Thank you, Ms. Holland.
November 27, 2013
I won this book on a goodreads giveaway and i am soo excited to read it.
January 13, 2014
*I received an advanced reading copy of this novel as part of the Goodreads First Reads program.*
Before leaving my review, I just have to say that I appreciate the quickness with which Ms. Holland shipped her novel to me and also the fact that she signed it.
I give “Seeds of Transition” a solid 4 out of 5 on the Goodreads rating scale and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I'm pleased to say that the major faults in the novel are encountered primarily in writing technicalities and formatting, but are not glaring enough to the point that the story suffers. While small grammar mistakes or awkward sentence structures were occasionally distracting, they didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the story and they are to be expected in an ARV copy of an author's first novel. In addition, some of the descriptions of different scientific processes seemed to drag on, rather than engage my curiosity and several of the characters seemed slightly underdeveloped.
Moving away from the novel's very minor weaknesses, I have to praise the author's telling of the story as a whole. The novel remained interesting throughout, as climate change and food shortage are very relevant issues in modern times (being the main reasons why I entered the giveaway). I found the stories of multiple refugees in the United States making a difference for the country compelling, as this is a country built on immigration, and sometimes that seems to be forgotten. I'm glad the author chose to focus on characters from many diverse backgrounds and the fact that she took into account how the environment, as well as the political climate of our world will likely have changed quite a bit by the middle of this century, but not extraordinarily so. The contrast of new technology and agricultural advances with the poverty, food shortages, and overabundance of natural disasters in certain regions seemed perfectly appropriate for what the average reader would expect of the near future, without being overly optimistic or negative.
Speaking again of the characters, I did enjoy how she interwove several perspectives from different characters, all being part of a cohesive pool that drove the plot forward. I particularly enjoyed the background story given for each of the major characters and their families. The fact that each major point in the story seemed to knit climate change together with emigration, death, or other familial drama was also interesting to read. Holland's ability to write about storms; their impending chaos, and bleak aftermaths was impressive to me. With each storm sequence in the novel I noticed myself reading faster to see what was going to happen, tension building in my stomach as it does in the atmosphere right before a major storm.
Overall, I would say the story is a timely and fascinating read. I couldn't help but think while reading that all of the overarching climate issues interwoven with the interpersonal drama and character-specific journeys could actually be done justice by HBO or SHO in a short series on television. While the short romance segments sometimes rub off as slightly superficial within a tale so large of scale, overall I think the story as a whole is compelling. I look forward to Carolyn Holland's follow-ups to this initial volume in The Genesis Project and I'm grateful for the opportunity to have read an AVR copy of her novel.
Before leaving my review, I just have to say that I appreciate the quickness with which Ms. Holland shipped her novel to me and also the fact that she signed it.
I give “Seeds of Transition” a solid 4 out of 5 on the Goodreads rating scale and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I'm pleased to say that the major faults in the novel are encountered primarily in writing technicalities and formatting, but are not glaring enough to the point that the story suffers. While small grammar mistakes or awkward sentence structures were occasionally distracting, they didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the story and they are to be expected in an ARV copy of an author's first novel. In addition, some of the descriptions of different scientific processes seemed to drag on, rather than engage my curiosity and several of the characters seemed slightly underdeveloped.
Moving away from the novel's very minor weaknesses, I have to praise the author's telling of the story as a whole. The novel remained interesting throughout, as climate change and food shortage are very relevant issues in modern times (being the main reasons why I entered the giveaway). I found the stories of multiple refugees in the United States making a difference for the country compelling, as this is a country built on immigration, and sometimes that seems to be forgotten. I'm glad the author chose to focus on characters from many diverse backgrounds and the fact that she took into account how the environment, as well as the political climate of our world will likely have changed quite a bit by the middle of this century, but not extraordinarily so. The contrast of new technology and agricultural advances with the poverty, food shortages, and overabundance of natural disasters in certain regions seemed perfectly appropriate for what the average reader would expect of the near future, without being overly optimistic or negative.
Speaking again of the characters, I did enjoy how she interwove several perspectives from different characters, all being part of a cohesive pool that drove the plot forward. I particularly enjoyed the background story given for each of the major characters and their families. The fact that each major point in the story seemed to knit climate change together with emigration, death, or other familial drama was also interesting to read. Holland's ability to write about storms; their impending chaos, and bleak aftermaths was impressive to me. With each storm sequence in the novel I noticed myself reading faster to see what was going to happen, tension building in my stomach as it does in the atmosphere right before a major storm.
Overall, I would say the story is a timely and fascinating read. I couldn't help but think while reading that all of the overarching climate issues interwoven with the interpersonal drama and character-specific journeys could actually be done justice by HBO or SHO in a short series on television. While the short romance segments sometimes rub off as slightly superficial within a tale so large of scale, overall I think the story as a whole is compelling. I look forward to Carolyn Holland's follow-ups to this initial volume in The Genesis Project and I'm grateful for the opportunity to have read an AVR copy of her novel.
November 9, 2013
I received a free copy of the book from the author for my honest opinion.
The temperature all over the world is rising and causing all kinds of storms. It is having a big effect on the food. There are like 10 billion people in the world and not enough food to go around or at the least there is a shortage. The change in climate is effecting the growth of food. Fruits and meat are getting very hard to come by. You almost have to be rich just to be able to buy any kind of meat. The average working class family could not afford it. And without meat the children are getting sick. The US has started a recruitment to bring people from all over the world to America to help with their new project of growing food for everyone.
Ghazi and his brothers stand in line for a few days waiting to get in and signed up and hopefully are picked to go to America. When they get the news that they have been chosen to go to America they are ecstatic. Once they arrive in America they would then have jobs waiting for them. Ghazi had lost his job and couldn't find another one and this is why he wanted to take his family to America. Ghazi with his wife, Alala and his son Jarood along with his brothers and their families were all chosen to go to America and work. Years later Jarod was recruited by the president to help with a secret project called The Genesis Project. The Genesis Project is a new way they had come up with to grow food as they couldn't grow it in the soil anymore because the change in climate made it impossible.
Ramos had served two terms as governor of Florida and not only did the residents of Florida like how Ramos ran his office but the majority of America did as well. So when he was approached again about running for president he decided to run and he gained 272 electoral votes and won the election and became the 52th president of the United States. He didn't make any promises to do great things; no he made promises to clean up the water and lands, to clean up the air, to stop the prize of food going up and to create new jobs for the people. He did what he thought was the right thing to do and what he thought the people needed. The president, Ramos called Jarod and asked him to work for them on The Genesis Project. Jarod loved everything that they were doing to grow food for the people and wanted to be a part of it. But he just mainly loved doing the work itself.
At the beginning of each chapter there were these little sayings and/or proverbs. They each and every one fit with each chapter. I loved all the sayings themselves. Seeds Of Transition is one those type of stories that could actually come true and may very well be on its way. I think the authors did a great job creating the world in Seeds Of Transition and making it sound so real. You feel for each and every one character as if you are right there beside them. It's like you can feel the rain and the wind as they make their way to a safe place when the storms are happening. You actually feel the fear that they are all feeling because you can just see the roofs being pulled off of the buildings. If you have not read Seeds Of Transition then you need to pick up your copy today.
The temperature all over the world is rising and causing all kinds of storms. It is having a big effect on the food. There are like 10 billion people in the world and not enough food to go around or at the least there is a shortage. The change in climate is effecting the growth of food. Fruits and meat are getting very hard to come by. You almost have to be rich just to be able to buy any kind of meat. The average working class family could not afford it. And without meat the children are getting sick. The US has started a recruitment to bring people from all over the world to America to help with their new project of growing food for everyone.
Ghazi and his brothers stand in line for a few days waiting to get in and signed up and hopefully are picked to go to America. When they get the news that they have been chosen to go to America they are ecstatic. Once they arrive in America they would then have jobs waiting for them. Ghazi had lost his job and couldn't find another one and this is why he wanted to take his family to America. Ghazi with his wife, Alala and his son Jarood along with his brothers and their families were all chosen to go to America and work. Years later Jarod was recruited by the president to help with a secret project called The Genesis Project. The Genesis Project is a new way they had come up with to grow food as they couldn't grow it in the soil anymore because the change in climate made it impossible.
Ramos had served two terms as governor of Florida and not only did the residents of Florida like how Ramos ran his office but the majority of America did as well. So when he was approached again about running for president he decided to run and he gained 272 electoral votes and won the election and became the 52th president of the United States. He didn't make any promises to do great things; no he made promises to clean up the water and lands, to clean up the air, to stop the prize of food going up and to create new jobs for the people. He did what he thought was the right thing to do and what he thought the people needed. The president, Ramos called Jarod and asked him to work for them on The Genesis Project. Jarod loved everything that they were doing to grow food for the people and wanted to be a part of it. But he just mainly loved doing the work itself.
At the beginning of each chapter there were these little sayings and/or proverbs. They each and every one fit with each chapter. I loved all the sayings themselves. Seeds Of Transition is one those type of stories that could actually come true and may very well be on its way. I think the authors did a great job creating the world in Seeds Of Transition and making it sound so real. You feel for each and every one character as if you are right there beside them. It's like you can feel the rain and the wind as they make their way to a safe place when the storms are happening. You actually feel the fear that they are all feeling because you can just see the roofs being pulled off of the buildings. If you have not read Seeds Of Transition then you need to pick up your copy today.
July 22, 2014
Seeds of Transition is the first book of The Genesis Project series. It's set in a future world which could be possible. Because of climate change weather is becoming increasingly severe, and more and more crops are failing causing wide spread food shortages and a rise is food prices. The government in America are trying to come up with a solution, and that's where the Genesis project come in. A carefully managed farm in a controlled environment, a sort of giant greenhouse with every type of gadgetry you could think of to create the perfect environment to grow plants and support animal life.
When I found out this was the first in series I couldn't quite get my head around the idea that it could make enough of a plot to be more than one book. At least not without minute detail which might be a bit tedious.
In a way I was right. There was quite a lot more to the plot than the central theme of transforming farming to cope with a new need. There were a fair few little sub-plots which weren't terribly related. As we saw the Genesis Project through Jarod's eyes we did see a lot of his life in general, and that would have been unrealistic if it was all about work and nothing more personal. Maybe the personal took up a bit too much of the plot, but at the same time it was a nice plot in itself, and provided some light relief. There was one of these extra plot lines that I didn't really understand the inclusion of, however, especially as it came at a time when other parts of the plot were really grabbing my attention.
The chapters were split up into two stories (generally speaking) that of the president, and that of Jarod. These two storylines both held my interest pretty well, although Jarod's storyline was a bit slower starting, but probably overtook the president's storyline. In a way it was frustrating to finish a chapter and not continue along a storyline I was interested in. Even so I quickly got back into the other storyline. At first however it felt like there were several storylines going on at once which was a little difficult to follow, I found it easier later on when the early storylines melded, having said that one of the original storylines resurfaced (the plot line I spoke of earlier) in a place where it seemed unnecessary, and I had to keep flicking back and forth between the pages to actually get a grip on what had happened.
By the end I was thinking I'd like to know what happened next, and not just because of the cliff hanger at the end, but also because I wanted to know what happened in other plot lines and how the Genesis Project worked.
Worth a read although the beginning may be a struggle.
When I found out this was the first in series I couldn't quite get my head around the idea that it could make enough of a plot to be more than one book. At least not without minute detail which might be a bit tedious.
In a way I was right. There was quite a lot more to the plot than the central theme of transforming farming to cope with a new need. There were a fair few little sub-plots which weren't terribly related. As we saw the Genesis Project through Jarod's eyes we did see a lot of his life in general, and that would have been unrealistic if it was all about work and nothing more personal. Maybe the personal took up a bit too much of the plot, but at the same time it was a nice plot in itself, and provided some light relief. There was one of these extra plot lines that I didn't really understand the inclusion of, however, especially as it came at a time when other parts of the plot were really grabbing my attention.
The chapters were split up into two stories (generally speaking) that of the president, and that of Jarod. These two storylines both held my interest pretty well, although Jarod's storyline was a bit slower starting, but probably overtook the president's storyline. In a way it was frustrating to finish a chapter and not continue along a storyline I was interested in. Even so I quickly got back into the other storyline. At first however it felt like there were several storylines going on at once which was a little difficult to follow, I found it easier later on when the early storylines melded, having said that one of the original storylines resurfaced (the plot line I spoke of earlier) in a place where it seemed unnecessary, and I had to keep flicking back and forth between the pages to actually get a grip on what had happened.
By the end I was thinking I'd like to know what happened next, and not just because of the cliff hanger at the end, but also because I wanted to know what happened in other plot lines and how the Genesis Project worked.
Worth a read although the beginning may be a struggle.
May 12, 2015
Seeds of Transition tells the story of an ever-changing Earth were food scarcity and weather changes are affecting the lives of the people and how unexpected heroes will rise to help solve the problem. Even thou is a short book it contains a lot of interesting material to keep you entertain to the end. I found the concept of the book very interesting and believable, which The Genesis Project (a project/ not the title) being what the story is about and how it fuels the story. The flaws of this book were the lack of fluidity through the chapters, editing issues (text alignment/misspelled words, lack of punctuation) and how it gave you the feeling that some characters were left behind and not talk about anymore. For example, I would have liked to know what happened to the parents of Dr. Farra and US President Ramos (loved the ideas of a latino president, being a latina and all). Overall, the intriguing plot got the best of the story. I'm interested in how this new world would develops and what great stories it will tell. 3.5 stars
Received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
January 7, 2014
I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.
Some parts of this book I really liked and wanted more of...other parts were dry and academic. The part I liked were the fiction were you find out about the characters and see life through their eyes. The part I didn't like was when the book went into a great deal of detail about the science and agricultural aspects. It felt like a textbook with bits of fiction thrown in here and there to make you more interested in the subject matter.
I felt like this book was trying to be a crossover between fiction and non-fiction and in that, it fails to grab a deeper interest in either side. I would be interested in reading the next book in the series, but it would need to delve deeper into the fiction side of the story and not feel like it's just skimming the top of the story.
I like quotes, but the quote at the start of each chapter was distracting in that it pulled me away from the story to the time of the quotation author and then I had to reorient myself for each new chapter.
Some parts of this book I really liked and wanted more of...other parts were dry and academic. The part I liked were the fiction were you find out about the characters and see life through their eyes. The part I didn't like was when the book went into a great deal of detail about the science and agricultural aspects. It felt like a textbook with bits of fiction thrown in here and there to make you more interested in the subject matter.
I felt like this book was trying to be a crossover between fiction and non-fiction and in that, it fails to grab a deeper interest in either side. I would be interested in reading the next book in the series, but it would need to delve deeper into the fiction side of the story and not feel like it's just skimming the top of the story.
I like quotes, but the quote at the start of each chapter was distracting in that it pulled me away from the story to the time of the quotation author and then I had to reorient myself for each new chapter.
October 7, 2013
This book was won on Goodreads.
Seeds of Transition Book One: The Genesis Project by Carolyn Holland and Kef Hollenbach
I just love the way the authors wrote this book. Its seems so real and possible its scarey.
There is fear, change, changles and of course sexual desires in this book with good understanding of who they are why there are decaded and how they entered the Genesis project.
The project is about how to make food in special plants so the American people will not starve.
There has been a world wide extream weather chance causing mass diaster and the President
has to inspire the people to start building greenhouses for food with special fixtures for fruits,
vegetables and live stock. If it was me I would have the head of our country read this book and take insperation from it as to what is to come and how to build the projects to stop the people from starving.
Seeds of Transition Book One: The Genesis Project by Carolyn Holland and Kef Hollenbach
I just love the way the authors wrote this book. Its seems so real and possible its scarey.
There is fear, change, changles and of course sexual desires in this book with good understanding of who they are why there are decaded and how they entered the Genesis project.
The project is about how to make food in special plants so the American people will not starve.
There has been a world wide extream weather chance causing mass diaster and the President
has to inspire the people to start building greenhouses for food with special fixtures for fruits,
vegetables and live stock. If it was me I would have the head of our country read this book and take insperation from it as to what is to come and how to build the projects to stop the people from starving.
December 3, 2013
I liked this book. It's the kind of story I like to read, and the idea of the project was pretty good. I absolutely loved the cover art. It made me want to read the book. The second half of the book was much better than the first, and I would probably read the next book to see where it goes. It could have been a great book, but it was really missing a flow, especially in the first half. It's a little jerky and hard to get oriented. It almost seemed like a series of short stories that were sort of about the same subject. The story is based in the US, but it uses metric measurements. And I'm not really clear how we went from desperately trying to get more people to move to the US to not being able to feed everyone. I do need to disclose that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
November 16, 2013
Disclaimer: I won this book as part of Goodreads first reads. I have received no compensation for my review.
Well, this story truly had potential, unfortunately it fell short. The book is terribly written with lots of poor grammar. There were long awkward sentences. Each paragraph seemed to switch point of view and there was a lot of jumping around in general. The love story was completely awkward and unnecessary for the rest of the story. This was all truly unfortunate because, like I said, the basis of the story - food crisis from an agricultural standpoint of the future - really would have made an interesting read.
Well, this story truly had potential, unfortunately it fell short. The book is terribly written with lots of poor grammar. There were long awkward sentences. Each paragraph seemed to switch point of view and there was a lot of jumping around in general. The love story was completely awkward and unnecessary for the rest of the story. This was all truly unfortunate because, like I said, the basis of the story - food crisis from an agricultural standpoint of the future - really would have made an interesting read.
September 30, 2013
This book suffers from a clear lack of identity: it is fiction that reads as a very dull non-fiction accounting of how a future society addresses the growing inability of the food production systems to adequately meet the needs of our burgeoning population.
The characters are flat. The plot pace is glacial. The descriptions of the food production systems are incredibly focused on minutiae. I work in international agricultural research and even I was bored with it. Sorry for the critical review but readers should know what to expect.
The characters are flat. The plot pace is glacial. The descriptions of the food production systems are incredibly focused on minutiae. I work in international agricultural research and even I was bored with it. Sorry for the critical review but readers should know what to expect.
September 30, 2013
I could not make up my mind while reading this book. Mostly because I couldn't really tell whether I was reading a fiction or non fiction book. I thought the situation was believable and a somewhat interesting topic, but I thought the book was a rather slow read in my opinion. I somewhat enjoyed the premise and the book overall, but I most likely would not read it again. It was a decent read, worth a read if you are interested in food availability problems and overpopulation, but I would not rush to read it.
September 11, 2013
I won this book on goodreads firstreads.
At first I didn't think I would like this book, but it grabbed my attention and held me to the end. I personally never read any books like this before but I am glad I won it so I got the chance to read it. I can't wait to read the next book in the Genesis project series.
At first I didn't think I would like this book, but it grabbed my attention and held me to the end. I personally never read any books like this before but I am glad I won it so I got the chance to read it. I can't wait to read the next book in the Genesis project series.
October 6, 2013
Won this book through a giveaway and was surprised by the actual content once I got started - I was expecting a religous novel, not to mention the cover is pretty poorly done. The contents of the book are much better though - the earth is in the future and a project to help provide is found within. If you can get your hands on this book, I'd recommend giving it a go.
January 7, 2014
A quick very interesting read. Nice style, fast starter & smooth except for the jumps back & forth in character history, these were handled decently. I'd like a little more flesh between the covers simply because I wasn't ready for it to end. Can't wait for the sequels to see what happens. Thanks for an enjoyable, engaging read! Winning it on goodreads was just icing on the cake. ;)
November 1, 2013
I won & received this book free through Goodreads.com.
Great book! I can't wait for the next one in the series! The fact that is is something that could be a very real possibility makes it all the better!
Great book! I can't wait for the next one in the series! The fact that is is something that could be a very real possibility makes it all the better!
September 22, 2013
The concept was very interesting, all the characters added quite well to the plot. There were some awkwardly worded sentences, but overall it was a very enjoyable read.
*I received this book for free through Goodreads first reads*
*I received this book for free through Goodreads first reads*
January 5, 2014
Seeds of Transition Book One:
The Genesis Project by Carolyn Holland and Kef Hollenbach
First, I’ve would like to add a personal view of the author, Carolyn Holland. I meet Carolyn on Goodreads where I was searching for authors from North Carolina, which is my home state. In corresponding with Carolyn, I’ve found her to be a delightful person with a caring heart for others. She has been very supportive to me as a new author. I appreciate her contribution to the world of writing and also applaud her for reaching out offering assistance to those that need her expertise.
“Seeds of Transition-Book One was an interesting read. It is not the typical reading I engage and therefore I wasn’t sure if this would be something I would actually be interested in reading, except for providing honest feedback on the author’s writing, from my viewpoint. The story encompassing the idea of how our Earth is changing and the supply of food is becoming scarcer; the weather changes add to the story line as lives are affected by the changing factors. I thought about how our community would deal with the variables presented in this book; if people would step up and become heroes in finding ways to solve the shortage of food and find relieve, extend a helping hand to others. The story is very much believable and makes one think deep into the meaning of the intent from the author’s viewpoint(s). Sometimes in trying times the unexpected people rise to take control and this made me “think” about my own attempts to rise up and assist, if my community was in a similar situation; how I would react, help or fold? I think the plot of the story enables the reader to continue reading to find out what happens next, very interesting and thought provoking indeed! As an educator and the push in our public educational systems; we’re taught to promote “global awareness” and this book brings to life the topic of global society in need and how people find answers to solve real life problems; problems that can enable others to work together for the benefit of everyone. There are characters that take the time to reach out when others walk ahead, ignore…and that brings me to this point ~ The book reflects the actions of the author as an individual. She reaches out to help others just like Jarood reached out to the elderly woman…Carolyn reaches out to help others too and this book is one I would recommend to others. I will surely purchase a copy for my shelf!(I
Dr. Bonnie Vause, Ed.D.
The Genesis Project by Carolyn Holland and Kef Hollenbach
First, I’ve would like to add a personal view of the author, Carolyn Holland. I meet Carolyn on Goodreads where I was searching for authors from North Carolina, which is my home state. In corresponding with Carolyn, I’ve found her to be a delightful person with a caring heart for others. She has been very supportive to me as a new author. I appreciate her contribution to the world of writing and also applaud her for reaching out offering assistance to those that need her expertise.
“Seeds of Transition-Book One was an interesting read. It is not the typical reading I engage and therefore I wasn’t sure if this would be something I would actually be interested in reading, except for providing honest feedback on the author’s writing, from my viewpoint. The story encompassing the idea of how our Earth is changing and the supply of food is becoming scarcer; the weather changes add to the story line as lives are affected by the changing factors. I thought about how our community would deal with the variables presented in this book; if people would step up and become heroes in finding ways to solve the shortage of food and find relieve, extend a helping hand to others. The story is very much believable and makes one think deep into the meaning of the intent from the author’s viewpoint(s). Sometimes in trying times the unexpected people rise to take control and this made me “think” about my own attempts to rise up and assist, if my community was in a similar situation; how I would react, help or fold? I think the plot of the story enables the reader to continue reading to find out what happens next, very interesting and thought provoking indeed! As an educator and the push in our public educational systems; we’re taught to promote “global awareness” and this book brings to life the topic of global society in need and how people find answers to solve real life problems; problems that can enable others to work together for the benefit of everyone. There are characters that take the time to reach out when others walk ahead, ignore…and that brings me to this point ~ The book reflects the actions of the author as an individual. She reaches out to help others just like Jarood reached out to the elderly woman…Carolyn reaches out to help others too and this book is one I would recommend to others. I will surely purchase a copy for my shelf!(I
Dr. Bonnie Vause, Ed.D.
January 15, 2014
I received a copy of Seeds of Transition in exchange for a fair, unbiased review, through Firstreads.
Although the dust jacket promises "gripping adventure", Seeds of Transition plods along almost from the get-go. I kept waiting for things to get moving, but unfortunately the book never picked up the pace. It lagged from start to finish.
I think this is largely because there was very little direct dialogue. Instead, the descriptions and conversations alike were presented in the form of huge, summary passages that read more like journalism than a work of fiction meant to entertain an audience. The novel elements of the book took a distant backseat to lengthy descriptions of greenhouses and how to ethically sustain a billion rabbits. The forced and pasted-together romantic storyline was less lovingly crafted than a "gripping" plot twist in which the tomato crop mysteriously gets vaguely wilty.
In fact, that last sentence probably sums it all up, really. It's a book about a greenhouse, but novelizing it required some human elements that were somewhat awkwardly pasted in. The descriptions of various storms were generally well-written if melodramatic (one does get tired of "It was the worst cyclone IN HISTORY!" "It was the worst tornado IN HISTORY!" "It was the most horrific hurricane OF ALL TIIIIME!") but as soon as it was time to bring in an actual character who has strengths and passions and flaws and desires, the authors stumbled. I get the feeling the agriculture behind the plot is where the authors are really comfortable, and they just weren't sure how to build it into a story.
Therefore, the characters were flat, there were barely even any attempts at writing actual dialogue, the timeline was a muddled mass of confusion, and the conflict was pretty nonexistent (excepting tomato rot and a big tornado). I wish I could be more precise in my critique, but honestly, it's like the thing was hardly even a real novel. Reading it left me as emotionally flat as if I'd taken it out of a scholarly journal on agriculture.
It was like watching paint dry. Or tomatoes wilt...
Two stars.
Although the dust jacket promises "gripping adventure", Seeds of Transition plods along almost from the get-go. I kept waiting for things to get moving, but unfortunately the book never picked up the pace. It lagged from start to finish.
I think this is largely because there was very little direct dialogue. Instead, the descriptions and conversations alike were presented in the form of huge, summary passages that read more like journalism than a work of fiction meant to entertain an audience. The novel elements of the book took a distant backseat to lengthy descriptions of greenhouses and how to ethically sustain a billion rabbits. The forced and pasted-together romantic storyline was less lovingly crafted than a "gripping" plot twist in which the tomato crop mysteriously gets vaguely wilty.
In fact, that last sentence probably sums it all up, really. It's a book about a greenhouse, but novelizing it required some human elements that were somewhat awkwardly pasted in. The descriptions of various storms were generally well-written if melodramatic (one does get tired of "It was the worst cyclone IN HISTORY!" "It was the worst tornado IN HISTORY!" "It was the most horrific hurricane OF ALL TIIIIME!") but as soon as it was time to bring in an actual character who has strengths and passions and flaws and desires, the authors stumbled. I get the feeling the agriculture behind the plot is where the authors are really comfortable, and they just weren't sure how to build it into a story.
Therefore, the characters were flat, there were barely even any attempts at writing actual dialogue, the timeline was a muddled mass of confusion, and the conflict was pretty nonexistent (excepting tomato rot and a big tornado). I wish I could be more precise in my critique, but honestly, it's like the thing was hardly even a real novel. Reading it left me as emotionally flat as if I'd taken it out of a scholarly journal on agriculture.
It was like watching paint dry. Or tomatoes wilt...
Two stars.
December 17, 2013
Per FTC guidelines, this review for Seeds of Transition Book One: The Genesis Project by Carolyn Holland and Kef Hollenbach was for a novel received in a Goodreads First Read Giveaway.
Seeds of Transition is a novel about Americans response to climate change. There are super cell tornadoes wiping out the Midwest, and hurricanes striking the Eastern seaboard. This is causing food shortages and rising prices. The answer is something called “vertical farming” which is given the code name “Project Genesis”. I would like to tell you what vertical farming is, but there was a lot of technical description, but it seems to be a combination of hydroponics, aquaponics, and other space saving gardening and farming techniques, all built upon some kind of supercomputer and conveyor system. I don’t know it all sounded kind of evil end of the world stuff to me. There were genetically modified crops and other tinkering with nature involved. But the authors did not see it as “evil” but held it all up as the answer to the food shortages stemming from the climate changes and the droughts and storms it is producing.
The descriptions of the forming of the storm fronts were interesting, and the descriptions of the scientific farming techniques were just creepy, but the best part of this novel was the integration of the characters. The budding relationship of Jarod and Bala was sweet without being saccharine. The relationships the characters have with their families and their histories of how they came to be working on project Genesis were captivating and well written. Leaving the novel in a cliffhanger ending was a stroke of genius. When I turned over the last page, I felt compelled to see when the next installment was due (The first quarter of 2014). I plan to be looking for it in the future.
Seeds of Transition is a novel about Americans response to climate change. There are super cell tornadoes wiping out the Midwest, and hurricanes striking the Eastern seaboard. This is causing food shortages and rising prices. The answer is something called “vertical farming” which is given the code name “Project Genesis”. I would like to tell you what vertical farming is, but there was a lot of technical description, but it seems to be a combination of hydroponics, aquaponics, and other space saving gardening and farming techniques, all built upon some kind of supercomputer and conveyor system. I don’t know it all sounded kind of evil end of the world stuff to me. There were genetically modified crops and other tinkering with nature involved. But the authors did not see it as “evil” but held it all up as the answer to the food shortages stemming from the climate changes and the droughts and storms it is producing.
The descriptions of the forming of the storm fronts were interesting, and the descriptions of the scientific farming techniques were just creepy, but the best part of this novel was the integration of the characters. The budding relationship of Jarod and Bala was sweet without being saccharine. The relationships the characters have with their families and their histories of how they came to be working on project Genesis were captivating and well written. Leaving the novel in a cliffhanger ending was a stroke of genius. When I turned over the last page, I felt compelled to see when the next installment was due (The first quarter of 2014). I plan to be looking for it in the future.
December 29, 2013
The book that made me tear up!
The storm caught me first! Storms fascinate me! They always have, and probably always will. First tear jerk-er was when Jarood carried the old woman who was ready to let go, to the shelter. Taking the time to pick her up when all others could not. It got a little boring for me at the trek to America, but only for a bit. I have never read a book that was written like this. I liked it. The events, oh boy how real can you get! I don't know about everyone else in the world but I live in Nebraska, where snow at Christmas has become a rarity. Nebraska was mentioned by the way. There are a few issues that I feel need to be worked out, or at least looked at. I wanted to know what happened to the parents in the beginning. Also President Ramos's parents. This was a wonderful read. I am not much into things that leave me hanging though. This books best features are the reality of changes that are already effecting our own world. Most people, especially those of us who have been around more than 20 years, we can relate. We have seen the changes, not just studied them. The world growth problem, to many people! Over all I did like this. Just wish the author / authors would have taken the time to elaborate in some areas more, and not elaborate in other areas.
The storm caught me first! Storms fascinate me! They always have, and probably always will. First tear jerk-er was when Jarood carried the old woman who was ready to let go, to the shelter. Taking the time to pick her up when all others could not. It got a little boring for me at the trek to America, but only for a bit. I have never read a book that was written like this. I liked it. The events, oh boy how real can you get! I don't know about everyone else in the world but I live in Nebraska, where snow at Christmas has become a rarity. Nebraska was mentioned by the way. There are a few issues that I feel need to be worked out, or at least looked at. I wanted to know what happened to the parents in the beginning. Also President Ramos's parents. This was a wonderful read. I am not much into things that leave me hanging though. This books best features are the reality of changes that are already effecting our own world. Most people, especially those of us who have been around more than 20 years, we can relate. We have seen the changes, not just studied them. The world growth problem, to many people! Over all I did like this. Just wish the author / authors would have taken the time to elaborate in some areas more, and not elaborate in other areas.
December 6, 2013
When I read the description of this book I had thought it was going to go in a direction of possibly following a few groups of people through the tragedy. However, the book takes a more scientific view on the situation Holland puts on the table. The entire book is how the scientific community responds to the shortage of food supplies in the US. Overall I didn't like the book but I also didn't hate it. The characters were all great and I felt very connected to them while they were dealing with all of their personal problems but the science stuff would get pretty boring. Obviously if you aren't all that well versed in science (mostly biology I presume) a lot of this book won't seem interesting. If I were to recommend this book it would be to people who enjoy books that are revolved around the science aspect of the world.
February 21, 2014
I won a copy on Goodreads Firstreads.
In the near future as population continues to climb and weather becomes more extreme, scientists turn towards the question of how to feed everyone. The American government recruits one such scientist, Jarod Farra. He soon finds himself at a secret (for now) agricultural experiment that could be the answer. With the complete backing of the first independent President, the scientists are hurriedly trying to get the project ready to be revealed to the public. But extreme weather and threats to the President may cause everything to fall apart before it even gets started.
Looking at what I liked first. While this book has a political element, the authors avoid any political biases from creeping into the story. The authors focus more on the problem and its scientific solution instead of implying that it has a political solution. But it isn't a dry scientific treatise either. There is plenty of humanity in the story as well. I found the main characters to be interesting (even if they were annoying at times, especially when they were trying to figure out their relationships).
There isn't too much wrong with the story. There are a few glitches in the writing(something like 5 in total). Two of these glitches might not be glitches. The authors might have really meant the character was looking for the nervous center of the building(instead of nerve center). They also might have meant to use the same quote for 2 chapters. But I doubt it. This is the first part of a series and it is fairly short (only 144 pages). The ending felt rushed. I would have either liked to see this book expanded in parts or perhaps continue the story and not have as many parts in the series. Everything in the story ended up being the worst case possible. (Weather that had never been seen before for example.)
I did find the premise of the story fascinating. I liked the characters and want to find out what happens to them. I look forward to the next installment, but I wish the books were longer. I would say this is a 3.5 star book.
In the near future as population continues to climb and weather becomes more extreme, scientists turn towards the question of how to feed everyone. The American government recruits one such scientist, Jarod Farra. He soon finds himself at a secret (for now) agricultural experiment that could be the answer. With the complete backing of the first independent President, the scientists are hurriedly trying to get the project ready to be revealed to the public. But extreme weather and threats to the President may cause everything to fall apart before it even gets started.
Looking at what I liked first. While this book has a political element, the authors avoid any political biases from creeping into the story. The authors focus more on the problem and its scientific solution instead of implying that it has a political solution. But it isn't a dry scientific treatise either. There is plenty of humanity in the story as well. I found the main characters to be interesting (even if they were annoying at times, especially when they were trying to figure out their relationships).
There isn't too much wrong with the story. There are a few glitches in the writing(something like 5 in total). Two of these glitches might not be glitches. The authors might have really meant the character was looking for the nervous center of the building(instead of nerve center). They also might have meant to use the same quote for 2 chapters. But I doubt it. This is the first part of a series and it is fairly short (only 144 pages). The ending felt rushed. I would have either liked to see this book expanded in parts or perhaps continue the story and not have as many parts in the series. Everything in the story ended up being the worst case possible. (Weather that had never been seen before for example.)
I did find the premise of the story fascinating. I liked the characters and want to find out what happens to them. I look forward to the next installment, but I wish the books were longer. I would say this is a 3.5 star book.
January 29, 2014
This amazing tale is thought provoking, honest, and raw. You run the paces with these characters experiencing their joy, sorrow, frustration, and fear. In an unpredictable world they are forced to answer the question, what measure of a man ( or woman) make you who you are? It makes one wonder what you’d do if placed in the middle of a global crisis and asked to use your skills to help.
To read the rest of this review (and to comment for a chance to win a copy of the book), please visit http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/1/post/2...
To read the rest of this review (and to comment for a chance to win a copy of the book), please visit http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/1/post/2...
June 6, 2014
It was a nice short read, but I wish I would have gotten to know the characters better. I also wish it had more information on vertical farming and all the parts that go into it. In the story vertical farming is such a crucial part yet I really do not feel that I know more about it after the book. I am glad to hear that the series is continuing.
November 11, 2013
I received this book for free from a Goodreads Giveaway. I could see every plot point coming from a mile away.
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