{4.5\/5} “We are at a delicate moment in history. The huge, onrushing mass of events must be deflected just a little — just a little. It cannot be much, but it may be enough to remove twenty-nine thousand years of misery from human history.”<\/p>\n
Foundation<\/strong> by Isaac Asimov, published in 1951<\/p>\n Hari Seldon, using the science of psychohistory, sees that the Galactic Empire will fall in 500 years. If nothing is done the succeeding period of barbarism will last 30 000 years. But if he is successful in his grand plan the period of barbarism will last only 1000 years, at which point a new and better Empire will arise.<\/p>\n The joys of this book are twofold: first is the brilliant concept of psychohistory and the thousand-year plan, and second is individual characters solving problems with cleverness.<\/p>\n One more quotation: “Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.”<\/p>\n I liked this book a lot, but it didn’t wow me quite as much as the first time — I would have given it 5\/5 the first time.<\/p>\n