Living My Life, Vol. 1

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Forget all those New Left memoirs: for readers who want to know what it is to be a revolutionary in America, this is the book to read. At the turn of the 20th century, Emma Goldman (1869-1940) was probably the most hated woman in her adopted country. (She emigrated from Russia at age 17.) It was bad enough that she was an anarchist, accused of complicity in the 1901 assassination of President McKinley. But her vehement espousal of women's rights--including birth control--really enraged upright citizens. Goldman's marvelously militant autobiography gives ample evidence of her gift for bearing a grudge and inability to mince words--she decries fellow leftists at least as often as the bourgeoisie, especially after she is deported to the Soviet Union in 1919 and discovers that the Bolshevik Revolution is not what she hoped for. But Goldman's blazing honesty and unflinching commitment to unpopular causes make her a larger-than-life heroine. She does display the occasional human weakness, including a lengthy romance with a man whose infidelities torment this advocate of free love, but they're less interesting than her heroic challenge to America to live up to its ideals. Whether or not she was literally a bomb thrower remains a matter of debate. For posterity, her words are incendiary enough. --Wendy Smith

Book Description

Volume 1 of the candid, no-holds-barred account by American anarchist Goldman relates her philosophical and political journey through life, beginning with her emigration from Russia to the U.S. in 1886.

Customer Reviews:

One of the most important books you'll ever read.......2004-08-23

This is the best autobiography I've ever read, because her life was lived with such commitment & independence. Certainly, she was hugely influential in her time, but her success was scratched out of nothing, with no support, and huge opposition. The difficulties and the times are conveyed amazingly well. The book will make you look carefully at your own life ... in ways that can only change it for the better.

bewat.......2003-06-28

NOTE: THIS IS VOLUME ONE ONLY! It's a great book but it is not labeled as just the first half of the memoir.

Enjoyable book, fun to read, informative.......2002-09-22

I could not disagree more with Goldman's ultimate philosophical conclusions, but I enjoyed this book, and volume II as well. Her essential humanity emerges, and it is a good case study and an interesting read, historically, philosophically and personally. She is no Mark Twain or Billy Faulkner, but her life was interesting and her prose adequately conveys the milieu she became enmeshed in. A fair degree of antecedent historical knowledge is necessary to fully enjoy this book, but you most likely have that or you wouldn't be reading about Emma to begin with. If you don't, or find that you are getting lost in the history and sequence, it would pay to do a little research to better understand what she lived through. It will also help you spot bias on Goldman's part. I heartily recommend this book. It is informative, enlightening and entertaining to boot.

Living Beyond Expectations.......2001-06-28

In her autobiography Emma Goldman explains her life, narrating the experience of marching to her own drummer. Depending on the reader's political expectations, Emma's life is either inspiring or downright terrifying. Those who believe in social conformity would probably be more comfortable moving on to other fodder.

Nevertheless, this eyewitness account of American and Russian history, ought not to be trivially dismissed. Emma fought for things we have taken for granted in modern life, such as birth-control and the eight-hour work day; she went to jail in the struggle to obtain these for us. This book explains how she lived her commitment to individual liberty, choosing who she would love, advocating revolution, and harrassing those of her "allies" who compromised on these principles.

Perhaps the most interesting portion of the book is her years in Russia. Here she describes arriving at the "Promised Land" of the peoples' revolution and how that mutated into a sense of disillusionment and horror at what she saw as the betrayal of that revolution by the "dictatorship of the proletariat."

Her writing style is nothing exceptional, but the story she weaves from the material of her life is nothing short of fascinating. Another reviewer suggested taking a break between volumes--I couldn't! I had to know what happened next.

Although there are a lot of pages to wade through, I will give this book as a gift to the young women in my life. I believe that Emma can serve as a role model for living one's own life, not living out the expectations of friends, family, or society. In a dysfunctional world, we have too few people who model this.

Emma gets three stars for writing style, but the powerful and plentiful content bring the rating up to five stars. Not to be missed.

(If you'd like to discuss this book or review, click on the "about me" link above & drop me an email. Thanks!)

....Living my Life, Living our lives.......1999-03-15

The passage of time has not diluted the importance of Emma Goldman's contribution to the perpetual struggle for basic human and workers rights. Her life's experiences not only serve as a reminder of how durable the human spirit is under extreme conditions, but of how inhuman society can be. Superb and uplifting reading!

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Living My Life Vol 1
Emma Goldman
Manufacturer: Dover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MS5LVI

Book Description

In this groundbreaking work, Richard Buel investigates the influence of Britain's navy on

America's Revolutionary War economy. He discusses the damage that Britain inflicted by seizing major colonial centers and denying Americans access to overseas markets, and he shows how both Spain and France bolstered the economic survival of the infant republic.

Customer Reviews:

In need of an editor.......2004-04-27

Frankly I found this book quite irritating to read due to a variety of grammatical errors. Aside from that, I felt that the thesis was interesting -- that the American economy suffered deeply due to the Revolutionary War, in a large part due to the actions of the British Navy. However, the analysis was a bit strange.

For instance Buel looks at the maximum manpower which might have been diverted from wheat production due to men serving in the army. Strangely, he fails to account for (a) casualties as the war progresses (b) known displacement of Tories and Whigs who resided in areas of the other political persuasion (c) the "burning of the valleys" in the Schoharie and Mohawk area, which destroyed a large wheat producing area. I don't know that this would change the conclusion of how wheat production was affected, but the argument did seem to be lacking in force.

Another example, Buel examines the effectiveness of the Continental and State Navies, largely examining them against a financial standard. This seems to miss the mark, in that the Navy is held up against a profitability standard such as would be applicable to privateers -- the Navy's job was not to generate income, but to impede the British navy or secure war materiel and other commodities needed for the government that could not be procured at a reasonable expence under private contract. Thus, the Navy's effectiveness shouldn't just be a check on its cost compared to its income.

On the plus side, this book will hopefully cause more historians to look at the economic and transportation factors in war and revolution. This is definitely an aspect that has been largely ignored.

An Interesting Investigation of the Royal Navy in America.......2000-01-02

Richard Buel has skillfully blended polotics and military. _In_Irons_ takes a close look at how the Royal Navy affected commerce in the American Colonies. The information is accessible, and numerous primary sources cited. I read this book in one sitting (it's that good).

Book Description

Explains and defends the doctrine of God's sovereignty and the biblical, theological, and practical applications that this teaching affords.

Customer Reviews:

Presents the Calvinist viewpoint well.......2006-07-09

Although not a Calvinist (5 point, 4 point or otherwise), I felt duty bound to read this book as it presents most of the leading Calvinist theologians of today. It is almost a "who's who" of reformed Calvinist thought - only R C Sproul is notable by his absence. And, mark, this is 5-point Calvinism - yes, including the "L" of limited atonement! Those looking for the more moderate Calvinism of, say, R.T. Kendall will not find it here.

Space does not allow for the detailed discussion each article deserves, so this review focuses on a few articles (particularly those other reviews have overlooked) and make some general observations on the book's contribution to the perennial predestination verses free will debate.

The collection kicks-off with Ray Ortlund's case studies on God's sovereignty in the Old Testament. In doing so it nearly shoots itself in the foot, at least for this reviewer! Whilst Ortlund's rather pugnacious article makes some reasonable exegetical points concerning Psalm 139 and Jeremiah 1, his section on Jonah perpetuates the misunderstanding surrounding this great prophet. To call the first true missionary to the Gentiles (who, incidently, had a 100% success rate) a "nasty, sulky prophet...clearly he is the bad example we are not to follow" is a staggering insult. If apologising is in order in Heaven, Orlund will be joining what will probably be a very long queue to the prophet Jonah!

Robert Yarborough contributes a more conciliatory essay on Sovereignty in John (a response to Grant Osborne's thoughtful essay in Grace of God). Donald Westblade handles the Calvinist view of election in an equally thoughtful manner, but in not avoiding the stumbling stone of double predestination, for this reviewer he inadequately deals with the implications of divine foreknowledge.

Wayne Grudem's essay on Hebrews 6, as other reviewers have noted, is a highlight of the collection. Whilst Hebrews 6 is not the only problem passage for Perseverance to be found in the Bible (Ezekiel 18:24-26, 2 Peter 2: 20-22 and even John 15: 5-6 spring to mind), it is perhaps the most sustained teaching in the New Testament contradicting "Once Saved Always Saved". Grudem argues well for the passage to be read in a Calvinist light. Though he crowns his argument with the old cliché of "the backslider was never saved", the article ingratiates itself by neither quoting the Westminster Confession, nor trashing opposing views and by keeping its Biblical focus on the passage in hand, rather than wandering off into the warm, sunlit uplands of Romans 9-11, Ephesians 1-2 and certain parts of the Gospel of John. Would that more Calvinists took this approach!

Four articles deserve special consideration as between them they cover what is, in effect, the keystone of 5-point Calvinist doctrine. If Bruce Ware can prove Effectual Calling and Grace (those who are elect in Christ will be saved come what may), Thomas Schreiner can disprove Prevenient Grace (God's grace is extended to all, it is down to us to appropriate it in salvation - a key part of Wesleyan Arminianism), J.I Packer reconcile God's love being for all, but only saving the elect (without the elect having to do anything about it), and John Piper prove that there are two wills in God, then 5-point Calvinism has won the day and the emperor is truly clothed.

Though the arguments of these four authors are strong, and certainly scriptural, in the opinion of this reviewer, they are not compelling. Schreiner's comment that, "The scandal of the Calvinist system is that ultimately the problems posed cannot be fully resolved," sounds like an admission of defeat. He does not adequately resolve the passages which state that salvation (and hence God's grace) is offered to all, such as John 1:9-13 (note how easy it is to assume v.13 is predestinarian if you have already decided it to be so!) and John 3: 14-18. Ware uses scripture rather selectively in his defence of ECG. He admits that there are problems with passages such as Rom 10:13 but doesn't follow them through adequately. Packer writes a characteristically pithy article, but doesn't resolve the tension inherent in the question of whether God's love can still be for all in the face of limited atonement. The only true Calvinist resolution remains to go down Pink's route and make God's love truly selective. This would satisfy logic, but do a disservice to the Biblical revelation of God! Piper, probably Calvinism's leading apologist, rests too strongly on secondary sources. I also agree with another reviewer that he is wrong about 1 Tim 4:2. He is hamstrung by a false dichotomy between whether God's highest commitment is to his glory, or to a love relationship with the saved. Why should God have to choose - he is God after all!

Don Carson's article on Assurance is characteristically thoughtful, well written and rounded. In summarising Compatibilism (an attempt to reconcile the full Biblical revelation of God's character with 5-point Calvinism) Carson inadvertently reveals the problem: God's character as revealed in Jesus Christ through the Bible is too rich and multifaceted to fit into the confines of a theological system, even one as established as Calvinism. For this reason Still Sovereign is unlikely to be the last word on the subject.

Still Sovereign is a response to The Grace of God and the Will of Man, a collection of essays edited by Clark Pinnock in 1989. If time allows, reading the two volumes in parallel is highly recommended. As Grace of God is pre-Openness Pinnock (just - the germination of the Open Theist seed is obvious, and co-Open Theists Richard Rice and John Sanders feature prominently), the response in Sovereign is more measured and less knee-jerk than much of what has been published more recently. It is also a valuable introduction (and summary) of many of the contributors' theology, as well as contemporary 5-point Calvinist thought.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. I read it through to the end and found myself agreeing with quite a lot of it - and reading other parts with gritted teeth. Where it succeeds (where, I am sorry to report, Grace of God fails), is to keep its focus on the Bible, rather than appeal to philosophy. Still Sovereign's contributors are given enough space to develop their arguments, and are not constrained by the editor. Calvinism remains the majority view in evangelicalism, and this book explains it well.

Thoughtful, challenging explanation of Reformed theology.......2002-04-25

This book is a condensation of "The Grace of God, The Bondage of the Will," which was a 2 volume work written to defend Calvinism, and as a response to 2 books by Clark Pinnock: "The Grace of God" and "The Grace of God, the Will of Man."
A few chapters have been removed to make the original into one book, but most of the terrific articles remain.

To many people today, Calvinism is an anachronism. After the 11th September outrage, How can people take a teaching seriously which proclaims that God is good, and yet completely in control of the world? Could a good God really be all-powerful, and yet allow (or even ordain) atrocities like that?

The contributors show that a proper understanding of the Bible involves believing that God is indeed sovereign, yet also loving, just and good.

John Piper's helpful chapter asks the question "Are there 2 wills in God?" And then seeks to show that God does indeed "fulfil all his will" and yet "is not willing that any should perish."

S.M. Baugh discusses the meaning of "foreknowledge" in the Bible, and argues persuasively that God's foreknowledge must mean a lot more than knowing what is going to happen in the future.

Jerry Bridges shows that a belief in the sovereignty of God has practical implications for everyday living, while Samuel Storms explains how it is worth praying to a God who has already decreed "the end from the beginning." In fact, he argues that there is not much point in praying to a God who is not in complete control of his world.

This book has been one of the most helpful explanations of Calvinism which I have read. Highly recommended.

Best Available.......2001-04-05

If you are looking for single, sustained, scholarly, and Biblical defense of predestination, then this book is a must-read. Several scholars join forces in this work to show that Arminianism is Biblically indefensible. Thomas Schreiner argues in his essay that Romans 9 teaches "individual election unto salvation," and his presentation is, in my mind at least, irrefutable. John Piper shows that the Calvinistic God is loving, and sincerely desires the salvation of all men, but still ordains only some to heaven. His essay on the "two wills of God" is one of the most enlightening articles I have read. Wayne Grudem spends a massive fifty pages exegeting passages in Hebrews that Arminians have claimed show that genuine Christians can lose salvation. His conclusion is that the Reformed doctrine of the "perseverance of the saints" stands firm, despite the warning passages of the book of Hebrews. S. M. Baugh's essay on the Biblical meaning of the term "foreknowledge" is more than a rehashing of the traditional Calvinistic prooftexts, and offers some fresh insights into the meaning of this word.

Overall, this book was well-written, scholarly, and Biblical. I highly recommend it. While not an easy-read, it is one of the best defenses of Calvinism I have encountered, and it puts most Arminian parallels to shame. For links to essays and articles written by John Piper and other Calvinists on predestination, I recommend the site,

...

This website is a massive resource of arguments for and against Calvinism, and is the best I have seen on this issue.

Stimulating Scholarship on Sovereignty.......2000-08-25

This stimulating and scholarly book was condensed from the two-volume "The Grace of God, the Bondage of the Will" published by Baker in 1995. Fourteen of those original chapters are included here, dealing with three areas of concern: 1. Biblical Analyses, 2. Theological Issues, and 3. Pastoral Reflections. Contributors include such renowned scholars, theologians, and pastors as Thomas Schreiner, D.A. Carson, J. I. Packer, John Piper, and Wayne Grudem.

The book commences with a very satisfying look at the sovereignty of God in the Old Testament, worked out carefully by Raymond Ortland Jr. Tom Schreiner's chapter on Romans 9 is likewise excellent and persuasive. Piper's chapter "Are There Two Wills in God?" is worthy of careful consideration for die-hard Calvinists. He offers a reconciliation between sovereign election and God's desire for all to be saved that is interesting . . . although I am not persuaded that his interpretation of I Tim. 2:4 is correct! Wayne Grudem's careful study of the Hebrews warning passages and the doctrine of perseverance is of special value. I highly commend it. His arguments are convincing and (I think) virtually impossible to refute. Packer's chapter on God's love is typically clear and concise and witty - but maybe a little too short for a book of this caliber. Carson's reflections on assurance offer food for thought by tying the issue together with other pertinent areas of theology. Baugh's look at foreknowledge and Schreiner's look at the Wesleyan doctrine of prevenient grace are also of value. Sam Storms, Jerry Bridges, and Ed Clowney offer helpful thoughts on the more pastoral issues.

The book is of special value in that it interacts well with opposing views and especially takes on Clark Pinnock and company who wrote "The Grace of God, the Will of Man" which is an attempted defense of Arminian theology. I think any theologian (from either side!) would benefit from a careful perusal of these pages.

God is Sovereign and Man is Responsible: Unresolvable Truth.......2000-08-05

Cogent and persuasive essays that largely succeed in harmonizing the twin, simultaneous truths of God's Sovereignty and Man's Responsible Agency by striking a careful, biblical balance without overemphasizing either. Premise is made that acceptable theology must provide the most plausible, Biblically inclusive rationale and motif embracing all Scriptural data, not selective proof-texts in support or artificial exegesis of contrary texts. Some excellent points in this book include: 1)Too much so-called exegesis/Bible interpretation omits or dismisses attempts to discern how Scripture fits together in toto(whole is greater than sum of its parts). The Bible speaks a unified message/theology which perfectly encompasses all the doctrines and sub-doctrines it contains, even if we can't sort them out completely; 2)God's OMNIpresence includes both temporal and spatial reality, not merely locational. He is not only "OMNI-there", but "OMNI-then"; "OMNI-here and OMNI-now"; 3)Many on both sides of the issue of Sovereignty vs. Agency fall for the fallacy of the excluded middle, not allowing both to be true in favor of either Sovereignty or Agency; 4) Inordinate and often unwitting Eisegesis substitutes for objective Exegesis in too much interpretation and textual citation in defense of each position. Theological disposition interferes with the natural, plain, main sense of texts and conclusions (bias in, bias out); 5)There is full authenticity and reality of mortal participation in God's purposes, just not in parity - God reserves the right to retain ultimacy; 6) Framework verses, which reflect interpretive position and predisposition, are necessary to set parameters for proper debate and decision. Num.23:19 is posited as didactically controlling over less definitive verses for internal harmonization of apparent conflicts, e.g. God's repenting over pronouncements/decisions; 7)Scripture is seen as an Oceanus Profundus - deep, vast ocean. Every text reveals something true of God, but some are on the shore, some in tide pools, some in surf zone, some off continental shelf, some in the blue depths, some in the Marianas Trench. No passage takes the reader to the very infinite depths of the Mind of God, but some clearly take us deeper than others. It is felt opponents in this debate and others (God is Three and One; Jesus is God and Man; Christian is Saint and Sinner; Jesus died for All and will surely save some;Scripture is Divine and Human; God does not repent and, at times God repents) often fail to sound the depths of verses marshalled in support/refutation of positions. This results in misguided attempts to reconcile or clarify the more profound in light of less profound, the more rich and definitive in light of those less so, or to perceive all Scripture as primarily of the same, uniform depth; 8) Concludes that 'divine repentance in the Bible is meant to describe not some sort of existential reaction in God to open, free events/wills but rather His perfectly just, moral reciprocity' in language mortals can grasp ("change of mind" is, after all, a metaphor in the human realm as well). Whatever your position, this will stimulate theological juices.

Book Description

During John Muir's extraordinary life as a conservationist, he traveled through most of the American wilderness alone and on foot, without a gun or a sleeping bag. In 1903, while on a three-day camping trip with President Theodore Roosevelt, he convinced the president of the importance of a national conservation program, and he is given major credit for saving the Grand Canyon and Arizona's Petrified Forest. Muir's writing, based on journals he kept throughout his life, gives our generation a picture of an America still wild and unsettled only one hundred years ago. Edwin Way Teale has collected here the best of Muir's writing, selected from all of his major works, including MY FIRST SUMMER IN THE SIERRA and TRAVELS IN ALASKA. THE WILDERNESS WORLD OF JOHN MUIR provides "reading that is often magnificent, thrilling, exciting, breathtaking, and awe-inspiring" (Kirkus Reviews).

Customer Reviews:

An excellent place to start.......1997-12-24

Whether you are interested in John Muir specifically or just want to read about an interesting life, this book is an excellent place to start.

John Muir had an incredible and important life, and it is told here succinctly in his own words, excerpted to emphasize the profound. It is a glimpse into a lifestyle 99.9% of us will never know, yet it is truly important to our times. His love of nature, adventure and exploration is a reminder of why we need to experience more than our 9 to 5 workdays and why we need to apply ourselves to the protection of the Earth.

Customer Reviews:

A unique approach to the telling of John Muir's life.......2001-06-14

If you don't know much about naturalist John Muir, don't start with this book. First, read one of his own works -- like _My First Summer in the Sierra_ -- and then proceed to a tribute like _The Pathless Way: John Muir and American Wilderness_ by Michael P. Cohen.

Finish those two, and then you'll have the background information needed to appreciate _The Heart of John Muir's World_. The author obviously read a ton of correspondence to and from Muir family members and friends in order to glean insights into the lives of everyone close to John, as well as John himself. You'll find details here not common to other biographies, with a particular focus to the lifestyle the Muirs made for themselves in central Wisconsin. You'll realize how close the Muir brothers and sisters were, in spite of eventually settling in as varied locations as Virginia, Kansas, Nebraska, and California. You'll understand how all of them held an appreciation of nature beginning with the time that they grew up and worked on the family farm -- and that John's ideas about preserving wild areas began right there, too. On three different occasions during his lifetime, John looked into buying and setting aside part of the Wisconsin landscape that he loved, so that it could be enjoyed by others as he had seen it as a child. But either the deals fell through, or the current owners refused to sell. In spite of those setbacks, a small John Muir Memorial Park now stands in Marquette County, Wisconsin, while John's larger contribution to us and to future generations is half a continent away, in Yosemite National Park.

If you're not content with simply knowing that he was a naturalist, the founder of the Sierra Club, and a major instigator for the creation of the U.S. National Parks system, you'll find more about John Muir's day-to-day world in this book. And when you finish, you will understand that the subtitle "Wisconsin, Family, and Wilderness Discovery" refers to the three great loves of his life.

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John Muir: Naturalist, Writer, and Guardian of the North American Wilderness (People Who Have Helped the World)
Sally Tolan
Manufacturer: Gareth Stevens Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Biology | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0836800990

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Wilderness World of John Muir
Edwin W. Teale
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JC8AP6

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Wilderness World of John Muir
John Muir; Introduction And Interpretive Comments Edwin Way Teale; Illu
Manufacturer: HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OKB0OQ

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The Wilderness World of John Muir
Edwin Way Teale
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O63FWU

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The wilderness world of John Muir, with an introduction and interpretive comments by Edwin Way Teale
John Muir
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007I0E9M

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The Wilderness World of John Muir: With an Introduction and Interpretive Comments

Manufacturer: Peter Smith Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | Criticism & Theory | History & Criticism | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0844668478

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The Wilderness World of John Muir
Edwin Way Teale
Manufacturer: Houghton, Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NQH3S8

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The Wilderness World of John Muir
Edwin Way (edited) Teale
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NDMVO2

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