Amazon The Civilization Loop Category:  Science Fiction Publisher: Publish America ISBN-10:  1424174856 Type: Fiction Pages: 338 Copyright: September 10, 2007 ISBN-13: 9781424174850 Man has unlocked the ability to travel through time. From the outset of this new discovery, man's fate was also sealed. Now it is a race against time, against choice, against the very past that humanity holds to. This story will take you through the mysteries that lie at the very heart of all that is civilization. From the pyramids and Sphinx of Egypt, to the ancient world of the dinosaurs, to the myths and beliefs of our current reality. What if you went back in time and discovered that the world we know was started by people from our present? A tale of good versus evil, man versus machine, life versus death, and God in between. Journey with Dr. Robert Peterson and his dedicated team, on a mission to end all mysteries, and the chance to finally put to rest the greatest mystery of all time...The Civilization Loop.  Update May 10, 2010:  You can now purchase another electronic copy of The Civilization Loop for the new Apple iPad.  Click on the iPad link for ordering! Excerpt "I don't know what I'm more in shock over? The fact that the bullet entry is off by two centimeters or that you have proven that there was a second gunman on the grassy knoll," said Rick. "Oh we didn't need time travel to prove that," Gene replied, with a smile.

The Civilization Loop
Reviewed by Carrie Spellman-Armchair Interviews

Dr. Robert Peterson is bound by the government and destiny to finish the top-secret project that ended his father’s life. The first Dr. Peterson built a time machine, but it destroyed him and everything in its vicinity. His wife and child barely escaped. Now it’s Bobby’s turn, and the clock is ticking.

Certain people have known the date of the end of the earth for some time now, and they are counting on Bobby to avert it. Thrown into a secret mission, Bobby and his team struggle with science and metaphysics, good and evil, known and unknown–all in the name of continuing existence as they (and we) know it.

They learn that what appears to be the end is only the beginning. Time is cyclical. Changing the past could be exponentially dangerous, or foreordained and necessary. Regardless, they had better figure it out fast, or there will be no one and nothing left.

As a reader and reviewer, I’m torn. There are some editing issues. Some are small and easily passed over, but there are a few that are distracting and confusing.

Periodically religion is interjected into the story. It could enhance the story if you agree with the author’s views. It can be skipped over without altering the storyline drastically if it doesn’t appeal.

Lacking a science background, the physics involved in the story seem sound and appropriate. The plot line is intricate and well played out, and the characters are well developed and intriguing. At its base, it is quite an interesting take on advanced early civilizations.

Armchair Interviews says: Decent story that could have been better with more editing.


The Civilization Loop
Reviewed by Melissa Owens-Melissa's Bookshelf

First off, many thanks to Mr. Thrift for sending me a copy of his book, The Civilization Loop. As many of you may know by now, I will often read and review self-published books if they are about subject matter that interests me. When Mr. Thrift contacted me about his book, I was fascinated by the premise, not to mention the fact I always love a Sci-Fi read.

Let me just say that The Civilization Loop does not disappoint. I started this book yesterday and just finished it up this morning; and although I really didn't want to stop reading it last night, in the end I had to get some sleep! I don't know about the rest of you, but I always find the theory of time travel and its consequences (time paradoxes) to be fascinating, yet mind-blowing. In my opinion, Thrift has done an incredible job of presenting it all in his book--a gripping story that will have you questioning at least the possibility of time travel for mankind. Not only do we revisit the Pyramids and ancient Egypt as noted in the synopsis, but Thrift was also ingenious in working Roswell's Area 51 and the lost city of Atlantis into the story. I won't say more than that, however, because I don't want to give away too many spoilers. Interestingly enough, Thrift has also chosen to mix a little bit of God with science, so to speak, and while this may offend some readers, I found it refreshing and very natural.

This book is not without its flaws, though I will say that they are mainly typographical and could be fixed by good editing, as is the case with many self-published books. The story itself is riveting and while various typos and awkward phrases were occasionally distracting, I did not feel that they took away from the overall story. Personally, I highly recommend The Civilization Loop if you have any tendencies towards Sci-Fi and/or time travel--it was well worth the read.