The Mind Pool

by Charles Sheffield

From back cover Baen paperback December 1998: CALLING ALL HUMANS... In the 23rd century, out of all the races of the galaxy, only humanity has discovered the secret of travel between the stars -- not so much because we're so smart, but because we are incredibly gadget-oriented. We are also, compared to the galaxy's highly sophisticated norms, very, very, tough, which most of the time does nothing for our social acceptability. But when a thread to all life in the galaxy arises from non-living biological constructs, suddenly the peculiar human virtues of valor and stubbornness make us the sword-wielding saviors of All....

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?