To summarize, at the conclusion of Foundation's Edge, Trevize has chosen a galaxy modeled after the collective consciousness of Gaia over one ruled by either one of the Foundations. He was chosen to make this monumental decision because of Gaia's belief in his ability to make the right decision based on his intuition.

Trevize has seemingly sealed the fate of humanity with his decision, but he can't come to grips with his choice until he fully understands the reasoning behind it. He becomes convinced that the answers he seeks can be found on the fabled Planet Earth, which he and Pelorat had originally set out to find.

A large part of the novel deals with Trevize's search for the lost origin of humanity, accompanied by Pelorat and his newfound lover, Bliss.

Foundation and Earth is very similar to Foundation's Edge in form and structure and primarily revolves around the actions of Trevize and Pelorat. It basically reads like one big space adventure as the group travels from planet to planet in search of Earth.

I have to admit that this novel was a pleasant surprise. This is probably the least well-known of the Foundation books and rather difficult to find nowadays. I wasn't quite sure what to expect of it, but decided to give it a try in the hopes of getting some closure to the series.

I really enjoyed a lot of astronomical detail that Asimov gives in this book. I guess I sort of found the idea of being able to visit so many different worlds so easily somewhat romantic and it really appealed to my adventurous spirit. I've always dreamed of being able to travel the galaxy and witnessing all its great wonders and this book really managed to capture that spirit.

I also found the idea of a future where Earth itself is lost in antiquity to be quite intriguing. Trevize's difficulty in locating Earth just serves to demonstrate the true vastness of our galaxy!

The readers of Asimov's Robot series will be able to appreciate the descriptions of the Spacer worlds the group visit during their search. This book serves to weave together Asimov's Foundation, Empire and Robot sagas and serves as the unifying thread.

How you view this book will probably depend largely on how you felt about Foundation's Edge, since this book is basically an extension of the previous's plot. In Foundation's Edge Asimov began to move away from the ideas of psychohistory and in this one he is practically in full retreat!

There is only the barest mention of either Foundations, Hari Seldon or psychohistory. The ending when they finally discover Earth is also somewhat anti-climactic and it should be fairly obvious to anyone familiar with his Robot series as to what is waiting for them there.

I would never guessed in a million years that this would be the way the series would end. I can't really say that I'm disappointed with, but rather more surprised by the new direction Asimov decided to take us readers. It has often been said that he never put much faith in psychohistory and merely conceived of it as a tool for telling this story. This would be seemed to be evident based on the radical departure from the original precepts in these final novels.

I don't pretend to understand what led Asimov in this particular direction. If I were to venture an opinion, I would most likely say that his Gaia theory held a somewhat greater appeal for him in his later years. Asimov was in the prime of youth when he published the original Foundation series. Isn't it conceivable that his philosophy and general outlook on life might have changed in the years since?

When he wrote Foundation and Earth, he was in the twilight of his life and Gaia's sense of immortality may have seemed to be a more comforting alternative to a cold, indifferent universe where the individual is obscured by his insignificance in the larger scheme of things. With Gaia, there is no individual and there is no death, only a singular consciousness that embodies everything. I can certainly see the appeal in that, even though the loss of individuality troubles me.

So much for the philosophical rant....

I did have a few minor quibbles with the book. The rapport that Pelorat and Trevize achieved in Foundation's Edge was shattered by Bliss's appearance and Trevize is reduced to a cynical and confrontational version of himself. I also grew weary of the repetitive arguments between he and Bliss regarding the pros/cons of Gaia. Unlike the past novels, there were also a fair number of sexual encounters that seemed out of place in this book. Between Pelorat and Trevize, they say more action than James Bond! Ok, that was pretty lame :)

All complaints aside, this is an excellent conclusion to one of the best science fiction series ever written. Your mileage will vary depending on your take on Gaia vs. Foundation, but I think everyone can find something to enjoy in this particular offering.

The hard part may be finding the book itself, as I understand that it is out of print. My suggestion would be to check your local used-bookstore. I found mine there and at a rather reasonable price I might add!