Helpful Score: 1
While I do like Gordon Dickson's work (in general), I was very disappointed in this book. The storyline had a lot of potential: a husband and wife duo (Tom and Lucy Parent) is picked to be Earth's ambassadors and establish humanity's place in the galatic political structure, along the way meeting everything that creeps, crawls, slithers, and slimes. The book had its funny moments, but I began to be rather annoyed by Tom's habit of keeping information from his wife and lecturing her as if she didn't know any better. Oddly enough, Dickson had given her a career as a linguist but she was given no chance to use it (while out among all the Beings that vocalize, whistle, or dance their language?????). This was not a partnership, she was along for the ride, as was the family dog (he was included as pets are unique to Earth and of interest to Alien Beings). At the very end of the book, Lucy is crowned "First Being of the Galaxy" because she defeated an interloper from a neighboring galaxy by virtue of her wifely rage. Gah.....
