Too much continuous work without any rest breaks lead to stress, a less productive person and a higher probability of making errors. That's why it's important to take time off from work/school.
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She's very disdainful of the current Romulan government and their alliance with the Klingons is a big part of that. She sees the Klingons as conniving and duplicitous and hates that her government is allying with them. #TrekBookClub #StarTrekMyEnemyMyAlly

Ael seemed to be a proud leader who is willing to criticize leadership, be fair and willing to do what she can to help the Romulans survive. I think she continues the trend of Romulan leaders we saw on TOS' "Balance of Terror" & "The Enterprise Incident".
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Just that there is some kind upheaval going on in the Senate, with Command figures can't be good for the Federation. #TrekBookClub #StarTrekMyEnemyMyAlly

I have to admit, I found the chess sections boring. But, well, McCoy was able to beat Spock by using out of the box thinking. He didn't use the logical or even favored technique, so it caught Spock off guard. #TrekBookClub #StarTrekMyEnemyMyAlly

This epigraph contrasts the Roman Empire during its golden age w/ a later era when it was in decline. It represents Ael's views of the current Romulan Star Empire.

These words were from the poem "Horatius" by Thomas Macaulay (1842), specifically Stanzas 32 & 33.
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8. The action shifts to Commander Ael onboard her Romulan ship. What were Ael’s views of the Romulan imperial government, the Klingons & the Romulans who ally w/ the Klingons?
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It was a good cover of Kirk and Ael. The buildings in the background had a retro-futuristic look to them, reminding me of the covers of sci-fi media from the '50s and 60's.
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7. Captain Kirk received a communication from Starfleet Command with initial details of the Enterprise’s next mission. Did this provide any foreshadowing giving recent events that occurred within the Romulan government?
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If one doesn't have downtime to exercise or to quiet the mind from all work related stressors, one may burnout themselves to the point that they are not productive to society. Overworked leads to poor decisions.
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I sure loved how Diane Duane depicts Romulans. She did a lot to solidify them as noble enemies of the Federation. Well they are turning into a race of clandestine beings to the point that they would use every trick in the book to achieve their goals.
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6. We didn’t see McCoy play 3-D chess on TOS. Here, we get to see him in action and he was able to defeat Spock in the game. How was McCoy able to do that? In the chess match between Spock and McCoy described below, was Spock too overconfident?
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It helps relieve stress, but they encourage camaraderie among the crew. It gives the crew a chance to know one another as people in regard to just colleagues. #TrekBookClub #StarTrekMyEnemyMyAlly

5. We have been reminded of the importance of recreation and athletic & gaming events on a crew’s mental health from time to time. How do they help improve crew morale?
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She sure wasn't the typical Romulan commander we have seen through the series. Ael has a sense of duty but we learn in this book; she wants to preserve her race.
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I first read this book when I was stationed in the UK. A few years ago after finding the rest of the Rihannasu books, I reread the series. Darn good writing by Diane Duane.
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We learned that they were once an honorable people, but the new guard is more interested in easy victories by any means. We learn that they are intelligent, proud, they have a noble bearing--these aren't the bloodthirsty pre-Surak Vulcans we heard about. #TrekBookClub #StarTrekMyEnemyMyAlly

We learned she's a woman of moral clarity who isn't afraid to criticize the Senate is now being punished for it. But she's not defeated here. She's proud and has a wickedly sarcastic disregard towards her enemies. I liked her and my opinion didn't really change. #TrekBookClub #StarTrekMyEnemyMyAlly

It connects to Ael's beliefs that the Romulan people have lost their way. The government is concerned with victory and power and don't care how it's obtained. #TrekBookClub #StarTrekMyEnemyMyAlly

The artwork is very nice; however, I was surprised when I looked at Memory Beta and learned that this was set during the TMP era. Because of the cover, I kept picturing them in the correct uniforms, so I was disappointed that the cover here was inaccurate. #TrekBookClub #StarTrekMyEnemyMyAlly