List Price: $7.99
Save: $0.80 (10%)

FREE Shipping on orders over $35.

Only 9 left in stock (more on the way).

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

Want it Thursday, Dec. 31? Order within and choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

Ship to:

Select a shipping address:

Buy Used

$3.99

Used: Good | Details

Sold by Jenson Online Inc

Fulfilled by Amazon

Condition: Used: Good

Comment: Used in Worn Condition. No CD or Access Code. Ex-library books. Some Markings. Small tears and wear on corners and edges

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 2 images

Bellwether Mass Market Paperback – June 2, 1997

by Connie Willis (Author)

213 customer reviews

See all 12 formats and editions Hide other formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$4.35

—

Paperback

"Please retry"

—

$46.07

$0.01

Audible, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Mass Market Paperback

"Please retry"

$7.19

$3.99

$0.01

Audio CD, Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$24.95

$15.70

$14.99

Pop culture, chaos theory and matters of the heart collide in this unique novella from the Hugo and Nebula winning author of Doomsday Book.
Sandra Foster studies fads and their meanings for the HiTek corporation. Bennet O'Reilly works with monkey group behavior and chaos theory for the same
company. When the two are thrust together due to a misdelivered package and a run of seemingly bad luck, they find a joint project in a flock of sheep. But a series of setbacks and disappointments arise before they are able to find answers to their questions.

Bellwether

$7.19 FREE Shipping on orders over $35. Only 9 left in stock (more on the way). Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Frequently Bought Together

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Connie Willis

813

Mass Market Paperback
$7.99
Philip K. Dick

149

Paperback
$13.28
C.S. Lewis

845

Paperback
$8.70
Connie Willis

418

Paperback
$13.51
Robert J. Sawyer

252

Paperback
$16.13
Connie Willis

101

Mass Market Paperback
$7.99

NO_CONTENT_IN_FEATURE

Product Details

Mass Market Paperback: 247 pages
Publisher: Spectra (June 2, 1997)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0553562967
ISBN-13: 978-0553562965
Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.7 x 6.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (213 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #463,719 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #16186 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary
- #21697 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Customer Reviews

213

4.2 out of 5 stars

5 star		53%
4 star		28%
3 star		8%
2 star		6%
1 star		5%

See all 213 customer reviews

Share your thoughts with other customers

Write a customer review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

109 of 111 people found the following review helpful

Go with this flow

By Terry L. Shoptaugh on May 22, 1998

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Probably the most enjoyable book I've read that asks the question: why do people jump on the latest bandwagon only to discover that it doesn't make them any happier than they were before? The protagonist-narrator of the story is a social scientist, working for a research corporation and trying to find how fads begin. The corporation wants to figure out how to use her research to make new fads, and of course gobs of money in the process. The weekly meetings presided over by "management" are hilarious.
This book reads so easily that you might be deceived into thinking that it's simply written. Hardly. Willis has worked very hard to tie together a number of disparate elements. Some of the most enjoyable parts of the book are the short descriptions of dozens of past fads -- everything from coonskin caps to bobbed hair to mah jong. In the process, Willis tells us a lot about what we're willing to do to "belong."
I noticed from previous reviews that some people were disappointed with this book because it really isn't science fiction. It's true, this is not traditional science fiction, with a futuristic setting, new technology, etc. But Willis's remarks that relate fads to chaos theory are very well thought-out. In giving the reader something new to think about, she meets the basic test of science fiction. And in creating an enjoyable, perceptive story, she meets the challenge of being an exceptionally good writer.

Comment Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Report abuse

81 of 86 people found the following review helpful

Well, HEAVEN FORBID!

By A Customer on February 28, 2000

Format: Mass Market Paperback

You know, it really irks me when a wonderful book like Bellwether comes out and all these "well-read" types come out of the woodwork to tell you how awful it was because it wasn't like her other work, didn't turn out how they wanted, maybe wasn't as deep as something else she'd written....Please read it anyway! I loved this book! I have read it many times, loaned it to many friends, bought it for birthdays...you name it! I love the fact that it's not like her other books. I love that Connie Willis can allow herself to branch out. She is a fine author in any incarnation, and just because it doesn't focus on spaceships or aliens or time-travel, doesn't mean it can't be science fiction. You got your science. You got your fiction. Voila! And if nothing else, the ending will make reading the book all worthwhile.

Comment Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Report abuse

60 of 64 people found the following review helpful

Join the flock

By Amanda Richards HALL OF FAMEVINE VOICE on September 23, 2005

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Don't be fooled by the collage cover of Mandelbrot patterns, moth and human hair - this book is all about the sheep. A semi-scientific, extremely funny, geeky love story emerges from chaos, which is embodied by a fad-obsessed, incompetent mail clerk named Flip.

If you've ever entered an IKEA through the front entrance (instead of sneaking through the marketplace), you'll understand the "sheep" reference. People walking along assigned pathways, eyes glancing downward nervously, following large black arrows on the floor, not daring to stray from the path, much less walk in the opposite direction.

Sandra Foster works in a "Dilbert" type corporation, trying to work out what causes fads, from hairstyles to crossword puzzles. Bennett O'Reilly works for the same corporation, studying chaos theories. When these two get together thanks to a misdelivered package, things really start to get chaotic, compounded by the hiring of an assistant for Flip, who is (gasp) a SMOKER, and Management's efficiency meetings.

Studying the behavioral patterns of a flock of sheep proves to be a lot harder than it looks (almost as hard as filling up a Corporation request for a paper clip) but through some coincidental occurrences they learn the secret of the wooly herd-followers the hard way.

An enjoyably easy read, I especially liked the information on various fads at the beginning of each chapter. Like most of the other people who've read this book, you'll probably like it.

Amanda Richards, September 24, 2005

Comment Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Report abuse

41 of 45 people found the following review helpful

A very funny book to make you look at life differently.

By nanite@ozemail.com.au on September 25, 1998

Format: Mass Market Paperback

This book will Flip you out. And you'll have to read it to truly appreciate this comment. :) If this book is indicative of Connie's writing I can see why she has won six Nebulas and five Hugos (including short stories, novellas etc).
The story revolves around Sandy, a research scientist working at HiTek. She is searching for the cause of fads. There would be a lot of money for the people who could predict the next fad. She is focusing on the fad of 'hair bobbing' that afflicted women in the 1920s. If she can find what caused it she can apply the model to fads in general.
When the story starts things aren't going to well for Sandy. She's found lots of leads, but nothing conclusive. Her investigations are hampered and conversely helped by the conditions and environment she is forced to work in.
'Bellwether' is written with a wickedly cynical sense of humour. I had to stop reading in a couple of places as I was laughing so hard. The characters have to be read to be believed. Even the incidental people in the book are beautifully described. They are the sort of people you never want to meet, but that you know are out there.
Some of the characters don't have names, but this is because they don't need them. The most notable example is Sandy's boss, he (the gender is specified) is simply the Management. He is the epitome of everything that you think off when you think about corporate management. I won't go into detail as it would take some of the fun out of the book, but Connie has captured the concept with breathtaking accuracy.
Connie manages to include huge amounts of information about both fads and chaos theory without being boring or impenetrable.
Each chapter has a paragraph at the start about one fad.Read more ›

Comment Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Report abuse

See all 213 customer reviews (newest first)

Write a customer review

Customer Images

Most Recent Customer Reviews

From a real leader, creating literary fads

Funny, erudite, scientific. Connie Willis has the wonderful ability of presenting complex ideas concisely with wit and style. Read more

Published 10 days ago by BEC

Social Satire, Not Science Fiction

I read this book because it was a Bookbub discount, it had lots of favorable reviews, and because I like to try new science fiction writers to see if I like them. Read more

Published 11 days ago by Walter Stanley

Loads of fun!

This was a fun book! Just pure fun! Reminds me of earlier Asimov, & Bradbury works! No aliens involved, no wars, just everyday adventures told with humor! Read more

Published 29 days ago by Nina M BourBeau

Five Stars

<3 everything by Connie Willis!

Published 1 month ago by Eunice A Sill

A favorite!

This is one of my favorite books. I've read it at least three times. It's always thought provoking.

Published 1 month ago by marie erickson-walters

A fun read.

This is a strange book and a romp through fad trivia. Then throw in some chaos factors and there you go. Not exactly what I expected, but it was entertaining. Read more

Published 1 month ago by R. E. Wood

Sweet, intelligent, wonderfull.

Bellwether is just charming. When it didn't make me giggle, it made me think.
At first I found the pacing slow, but I quickly learned to let go of my worries and enjoy the... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Michael S,B,

Boring book

This story got such good reviews, that i wanted to read it. However, once I got into it, I became frustrated. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Mary I. Valuri

Connie Willis

Always one of my favorite authors, Willis does not disappoint in this smart, humorous book about fads, chaos and the cause behind patterns in life. Witty and fun!

Published 1 month ago by Amazon Customer

'Ware the Flip!

Connie Willis in the vein of Tom Holt subtle/sarcastic humor. Great change of pace to routine sci-fi story themes. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Kitchen Queen

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more