The Gentle Art of Cracking Heads

The Human Division, Episode 12

By: John Scalzi

Narrated by: William Dufris

United States Diplomat Danielle Lowen was there when one of her fellow diplomats committed an unthinkable act that had consequences for the entire planet. Now she’s trying to figure out how it happened before it can happen again. Putting the puzzle pieces together could solve the mystery - or it could threaten her own life.

"The Gentle Art of Cracking Heads" is a tale from John Scalzi's The Human Division, a series of self-contained but interrelated short stories set in the Old Man's War universe.

Listen to the complete edition of The Human Division, the fifth full-length book by John Scalzi in the Old Man's War universe.©2012 John Scalzi (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Read them in order

I enjoyed the series more as I went through each episode. At first I struggled because it seemed like random stories set in this universe. But as it continued and I realized it was interwoven story lines I enjoyed them more. The main characters were enjoyable. It's pretty traditional sci fi fare but still worth the read.

Someone Is Messing with Earth & the Colonial Union

Tension continues to grow as Earth diplomat, Danielle Lowen, starts the story trying to find out why a Brazilian diplomat killed another member of their team before killing herself (in The Observers). It ends with her trying to figure out how the Brazilian consulate was bombed. Overall, it’s an exciting little story that further raises expectations for the final one in the series. Someone is messing with Earth, the Colonial Union, and the Conclave. Hopefully, Scalzi will pull it all together in story #13.

Whats Next???

This book is a sequel to "The Observers: Episode 9".. Its an investigation regarding the murderer and how did such a thing happen.
Let me just say that the events in this episode were mind blowing and how such a murder got planned in the first place.

You get to know more about this mysterious party and how intelligent they are.

Whats going to happen next?

I know it has been 9 years, but...

The last Old Man's War was recorded in 2015, we should be able to get at least 2 more years of episodes of The Human Division. Just wishful thinking? What's up with the rest of the episodes? Come on Mr. Scalzi, you can do better than this. The characters are relatable, the stories engaging and fun, but there isn't enough of them. More please!

Good but very short

This is a pretty good story but WHY are these books so damn SHORT? This book is about 38 minutes long or should I say 38 minutes short.

Scalzi does not dissapoint

This story could stand alone as the begining of a techno thriller.
fitting snugly into Scalzi's Colonial Union universe it is even better.

See Review for "The B-Team"

See Review for "The B-Team" this is Episode 12 (minimum 15 words in a Review)

Part of a series, apparently

I liked the story, until I realized it was just part of a series. The narrator is his usual excellent self. Now I have to find what it's part of a series of.

Nearing the Conclusion...

A good solid episode, but short. With only one story left though, I wonder what the last episode is going to be, and how Scalzi is going to tie everything up in two hours. Maybe it's just a big lead-up to a full novel. Still, if you've listened this long, you will enjoy this episode.

Several Stories in The Old Man's War saga

Scalzi is good. He tells stories that I don't want to end. That is the case with The Human Division. I have read several of John Scalzi's books and it just occurred to me while reading The Human Division how much of his work is dialog driven. There were entire stories in this where everything was delivered to you through the conversations of the characters. That seems to be very difficult to do, yet Scalzi does it with ease. If you are a fan of The Old Man's War, you have to read this.