Why only three stars? I mean, I remember reading these books as a kid and being mostly confused by them, but I think they had a lot to do with shaping some of my most deeply held beliefs so part of me really wants to give it 5 stars just for the ideas explored within it. Because they are fascinating. Psychohistory? The idea that it might be possible to anticipate and plan 1000 years of human history knowing that individual concerns could derail the plan at any moment? That is such a wonderful dream. But it is a dream. One born out of period in American history when we still believed in our own exceptionalism and that we would carry democracy into the rest of the world, and yet were already catching glimpses of the dark period ahead. So my real problem with the book is it's simply far too certain of itself. I live in a time of uncertainty and ambiguity, and this book only serves to remind me of the mentalities that led to our current situation. So, maybe as I continue with the series my view of the book will change, but at the moment it feels more like a relic of the past than a promise for the future.