Rett didn't expect to be rescued and then attacked by a primitive on a test flight. Andrew didn't expect to save an alien and nearly destroy his planet because of what he learned. Earth didn't get to choose their representative for a planet-wide treaty and then be threatened by an alien confederation.

Surely Earth couldn't defend itself. Surely they couldn't have had contact with others, from off-planet, before now... but what was this backwater planet doing with a fleet of ships, advanced navigation systems and a galactic-class trading facility with personnel who spoke all the major galactic languages. Every species got it wrong.

From the Author

This book is from a series of four books in the Trade World Saga. The second in the series; Patently Obvious, covers Earth first attempts to set up interstellar trade without knowing where to trade or with which species to trade. The third in the series - A Certain Expertise covers Earth's expanding influence in this spiral arm. The Fourth book is the Core Values where Earth attempts to locate a previously prevalent race. These are in the space opera genre where I prefer an upbeat ending, each book is complete but enhanced by previous versions.

From the Inside Flap

Earth only needed a little push to really get into space—that came from reverse engineering a power supply and field generating unit taken from a chance encounter from a lone alien visitor. Earth wasn't ready for the change—neither were the inhabitants of planets near Earth—guess we all had a little growing up to do.