Amazon.com
It has been said that the Africans who were brought to the United States as slaves were completely stripped of their native culture. But pioneering scholars such as anthropologist Melville Herskovits have disproved this in academia, while the literature of Zora Neale Hurston and Ralph Ellison has also debunked this persistent myth. Living proof of that fact is Sapelo Island, a South Sea island off the coast of Savannah, Georgia, where West African traditions persist despite considerable odds. This vivid memoir by Cornelia Walker Bailey, a lecturer and tour guide on Sapelo Island, transports the reader to this enchanted land of miracles and magic.
Walker is a self-described "Geechee," a descendant of Islamic African slaves taken from modern-day Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Liberia (she traces her family lineage on the island back to 1803). In God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man, the author brings alive a land where black people speak an African-based Creole language, believe in "mojo" (the American equivalent of Haitian voodoo), and who work to keep their culture alive. "You can think of the Africans as being victims, and in a sense they were" she writes. "But they were also great survivors. If they survived the Middle Passage, and a lot of people didn't, then they survived everything thrown at them. They were determined people." Thanks in large part to Bailey, this determination lives on. But her book, which recalls life on Sapelo Island from the 1940s and rings with the same ebullient language found in Jean Toomer's Cane, also serves as a warning, noting that outside business interests and the disinterest of the youth threaten the very existence of their ancient ways. "We need to be proud of our ancestors from slavery days and of our old people who went through modern hardships and to learn from them that if you believe in something, strength comes from that." With this book, she hopes to pass some of that strength on. --Eugene Holley Jr.
Book Description
Equal parts cultural history and memoir,
God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man recounts a traditional way of life that is threatened by change, with stories that speak to our deepest notions of family, community, and a connection to one’s homeland.
Cornelia Walker Bailey models herself after the African griot, the tribal storytellers who keep the history of their people. Bailey’s people are the Geechee, whose cultural identity has been largely preserved due to the relative isolation of Sapelo, a barrier island off the coast of Georgia. In this rich account, Bailey captures the experience of growing up in an island community that counted the spirits of its departed among its members, relied on pride and ingenuity in the face of hardship, and taught her firsthand how best to reap the bounty of the marshes, woods and ocean that surrounded her. The power of this memoir to evoke the life of Sapelo Island is remarkable, and the history it preserves is invaluable.
Customer Reviews:
Bailey has bottled a cultured in this book!.......2004-09-04
Being a life-long resident of the South Carolina Lowcountry, many of the things Bailey described in her book hit home. A fear of the otherworldly, grave respect for elders and ancestors, and contentment with life in its natural simplicity are telling traits that Bailey has really invested herself in the life she describes. The book shifts in interests as Bailey describes her experiences of reaching maturity in the natural, social, and spiritual senses, but her worldview remains consistent with the old traditions.
For those who are interested in the actual speech patterns of Geechee (or Gullah) people, this is not really the book for you. There are sparse renditions of the Lowcountry/Island way of talking, but one gets the sense that Bailey was a good code-switcher; indeed, any Geechee with solid home-training would try to avoid speaking with one's home accent in public. Nevertheless, the culture that came up with the language is presented panchronologically; the very distant past is treated with the same sense of importance as the events that took place during Bailey's lifetime, and just as much gravity is given to as much as she can foresee of the unknown future.
I really enjoyed this book. It gave me a sense of culture and was an excellent reference concerning the culture of the greater African-American culture overall. It is filled with lively stories, unforgetable anecdotes, thoughtful philosophizing, and hope.
A great recounting of traditions and folklore.......2003-09-18
This is a great book to learn about the culture, history and traditions of a Geechee community on Sapelo Island, GA. Compared to other books I have read about this area, Ms. Bailey really focuses on the folklore and superstitions that shaped life on this isolated island during the second half of the 20th century. Although some of these traditions continue, many are fading away as this unique community shrinks in size. Ms. Bailey considers it her duty to be a storyteller, to pass these stories down to whoever will listen, and to keep the traditions alive. Ms. Bailey succeeds by telling her story with a vibrant narrative - a very fast and rewarding read.
Fascinating.......2002-02-23
The Golden Isles of Georgia are mysterious and fascinating. The Spanish moss, tabby walls, the "shout" of the Sea Island Singers, and cloudy past reach out to visitors today. The author of this book, a salt-water Geechee, grew up on Sapelo. Her story is wonderfully interesting. The beliefs of the slaves' descendants were so little changed for so many years. Traditions born in western Africa are still hanging on to life even today on Sapelo. I hope the government, even in the name of saving the environment, never succeeds in taking the land away from the Geechee families who lived such true lives there. Their life deserves to continue as long as their faith lives.
A magical book to read and re-read........2000-10-01
Part memoir, part cultural history, part plea on behalf of a fragile culture, God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man is as affecting as the best magic realism. You do not simply read it, you savor it and absorb it into your very soul.
In the book, Cornelia Bailey, resident griot of Sapelo Island off the Georgia coast, spins the story of her growing up in that place and in a time when lives were governed equally by religion, magic, and chance. She admits us deep into the culture of her proud people and introduces us to folkways strong enough to have survived the Middle Passage and the centuries since. So it is with infinite sadness we learn that the forces of progress are rendering these same folkways as fragile as a paper-thin fig shell that washes onto the beach.
It goes without saying that God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man will appeal to cultural historians, anthropologists, naturalists, and environmentalists. The book's strongest appeal, however, will be to lovers of lyrical prose -- and to anyone who delights in the sheer magic of the way words fall on the ear and follow one another on a page.
This is a special book, one that should find a home on every reader's short shelf of well-thumbed volumes that are read and referenced time and again.
A book that captures your heart........2000-09-02
God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man transports the reader to the Georgia sea islands. You swear you can smell the marsh, hear the sea birds cry and taste the sweet potatoes. The writing is so pure and the people so true that you come away afraid of Mama Lizzie, furious at Bukra and proud of Grandma when she faces down the deacons. The issues the book tackles are important - ownership of the land, the insidious effects of slavery, the origins of sea island culture in Africa - but it is also a book that captures your heart. A must for anyone who is interested in people. Highly recommended.
Book Description
A gripping account of the 1918 flu pandemic and the modern-day hunt for this elusive and deadly virus
In 1918, a flu virus more lethal than any that has come along since swept through the world, from the remotest villages in Arctic climates to crowded U.S.cities to the battlefields of Europe, killing forty million people. Yet, despite its devastating toll and the probability that other deadly pandemics await on the horizon, it was relegated to a footnote in history. The Devil's Flu is the extraordinary story of 1918's forgotten tragedy and of the global scientific community's effort to avert another such disaster.
The 1918 flu still so intrigues and frightens experts in the field that in 1998, a group of respected scientists journeyed to the Norwegian Arctic Circle in search of the mysterious killer. In The Devil's Flu, Davies captures the excitement of the hunt and the intense rivalries within the scientific community, and paints a vivid portrait of the eccentric scientists bent on capturing the prize information that could hold the key to our future safety. And as far as the next pandemic is concerned, scientists agree: it's not a question of if, but when.
Customer Reviews:
Best Objective description of one of the biggest epidemics in History.......2007-04-27
After having read Ms. Kolata's version as well as several others, I do understand the story is best told objectively by Mr Davies. It is the best account and is NOT interchangeable with other books on the same subject (respectfully disagreeing with the Library Review).
Further, previous reading about other epidemics (including the fabulous book by Ms L. Garrett "The Coming Plague"), Mr Davies' account of the magnitude of this epidemic is a real eye opener. Between the two books, these gifted writers, Mr Davies and Ms Garrett, provide invaluable information and the reason the global community should be concerned - always - about our world health.
Be warned, its' not easy to put the book down once you've started - he's a gifted writer that depicts the history outstandingly well.
Is the bird flu going to kill us all? Read this book and find out (maybe)........2005-11-19
Need a little more fear in your life? Well, you're in luck! The latest source of global terror is the so-called "Asian bird flu," a.k.a., H5N1. Worldwide, only about 75 people have died of this nasty little bug to date, if you don't count millions of birds who were either infected or purposely destroyed for prophylactic reasons. Now China has announced a plan to innoculate 14 BILLION birds as a precaution.
So far, the virus is spread primarily by direct contact with bird blood or droppings. However, with a couple of small genetic variations this bug could jump to a much more threatening stage -- aerosol transmission through sneezing and coughing. If that happens, we're in for a very bumpy ride. Scientists estimate the global death toll at up to 100 million people. No kidding.
So what does the bird flu have to do with the 1918 influenza pandemic that killed more than 40 million people? That's the scientific mystery behind Pete Davie's fast-reading book, "The Devil's Flu," originally published in the U.K. in the late 1990s under the title "Catching Cold."
Ever since the 1918 pandemic, virologists have been trying to find human tissue with samples of that terrible virus so they could analyze it and compare it to new bugs like the bird flu. That's the focus of this story. After prepping the reader with some scientific background, Davis takes us on a wild ride through places like Hong Kong, Alaska and the arctic islands of Norway as competing scientists search for traces of the old bug. Along the way, we learn where viruses come from, how they mutate, how they spread and what's likely to happen next.
"The Devil's Flu" isn't a scholarly work, but it sure is great fun to read. I finished it in about three hours. More recent authors have explored this topic with greater depth. Nevertheless, I'd recommend this book for people who want just enough detail to understand the big picture -- in a very entertaining way. And if you must sneeze, please cover your nose.
Davies book is the best of the lot.......2005-09-26
I used to be a virologist. Let me tell you, I was ASTONISHED at how much I hadn't been told about flu. Pete Davies is obviously no virologist, but he just wades on in there and hacks out the story and tells it to you. It doesn't have to be great; he's got lots to tell you. And he's a good writer. The portrayal of Kirsty Duncan as a pompous ass is priceless. By the way, I had NO idea that Parkinsonism was one of the sequelae of the 1918 flu. If you find that sort of info interesting, of course you'll get this book and read it. One last note: Several places in Davies' book sound to me like they were edited by some dumbass editor (the kind of editor who would remove the word dumbass from this comment); note for example the use of the phrase "flu like symptoms" on page 260, which is NOT in Davies' voice. So this book isn't perfect, but it's a really good book.
Exciting Read.......2005-08-18
I found the story about the dig in the frozen tundra looking for the Spanish flu to be exciting.
In my novel, Reign of the Rat, I explored the same operation Mr. Davies wrote about but in a fictionalized version.
The next deadly flu pandemic is waiting and the more I research the Avian, the more I suspect it may be here soon.
A look at a re-emerging lethal threat..........2004-02-28
While researching FINAL EPIDEMIC, my novel of the re-emergence of the Spanish Flu of 1918,I was fortunate enough to have one of the epidemeologists I used as a source send me Pete Davies' book in its original British title (it was issued in 1999 in England under the title: "Catching Cold.")
Then as now, the depth of Davies' own research into both the history and the contemporary study of the H1N1 killer flu virus is as impressive as it is extensive. THE DEVIL'S FLU ranks with the best of medical non-fiction narrative on this unfortunately again-timely subject.
A startling fact about the original 1918 plague that devastated humanity --notable, since it occurred within the lifespan of many still alive today-- is the collective amnesia that so often surrounds that event.
Few Americans realize that it's extremely probable that they have a family member only a generation or two ago who fell prey to the deadly Spanish Flu pandemic; tales of when the cry "bring out your dead!" echoed along American streets were seldom passed from those who witnessed it to those of us who descended from the survivors. It takes a trip to virtually any cemetery to bring the death toll home to us, as marker after marker identifies the victims of the 1918 flu pandemic. Worldwide, deaths in 1918-1919 totalled at least 40 million humans, and very likely as many as 100 million-- all within a timespan measured in months.
As I write this, an avian influenza virus not unlike that which triggered the 1918 pandemic, if forcing the mass slaughter of chickens and other birds throughout Asia. It is an attempt to forestall the very real possibility that the virus (which already has infected human victims through bird-to-human transmission, and currently has a 70 percent mortality rate among human victims) could acquire genes which would allow for human-to-human transmission.
During research for FINAL EPIDEMIC, I interviewed dozens of medical researchers and epidemeologists. Without exception, each stated that their greatest fear was a resurgence of a influenza virus similar to the 1918 variant, which through incubation in humans mutated into a unprecedented killer of humanity. Based on the cyclic nature of flu pandemics, I was told, mankind was already overdue-- and, worse: woefully unprepared-- for such an emerging viral Shiva.
Influenza was, and remains, a universal threat: As A.W. Crosby wrote in "America's Forgotten Pandemic," his own classic examination of the 1918 Spanish Flu, "I know how not to get AIDS. I don't know how not to get the flu."
Davies' book on this reemerging threat deserves attention, as he reminds us that this kind of horrific killer virus is considered by the medical community a certainity to arise again.
At best, we can only prepare ourselves -- and wait.
--Earl Merkel
Author, FINAL EPIDEMIC (PenguinPutnam 2002)
and DIRTY FIRE (PenguinPutnam 2003)
Product Description
Comprehensive reference with concise definitions of nearly 700 epidemics, plus an in-depth look at the 1918 Spanish flu that killed up to 40 million people across the planet.
Book Description
"The focus is the most severe mass extinction known in earth's history….The science on which the book is based is up-to-date, thorough, and balanced. Highly recommended."—Choice
Today it is common knowledge that the dinosaurs were wiped out by a meteorite impact 65 million years ago that killed half of all species then living. Far less known is a much greater catastrophe that took place at the end of the Permian period 251 million years ago: ninety percent of life was destroyed, including saber-toothed reptiles and their rhinoceros-sized prey on land, as well as vast numbers of fish and other species in the sea.
This book documents not only what happened during this gigantic mass extinction but also the recent rekindling of the idea of catastrophism. Was the end-Permian event caused by the impact of a huge meteorite or comet, or by prolonged volcanic eruption in Siberia? The evidence has been accumulating through the 1990s and into the new millennium, and Michael Benton gives his verdict at the end of the volume.
From field camps in Greenland and Russia to the laboratory bench, When Life Nearly Died involves geologists, paleontologists, environmental modelers, geochemists, astronomers, and experts on biodiversity and conservation. Their working methods are vividly described and explained, and the current disputes are revealed. The implications of our understanding of crises in the past for the current biodiversity crisis are also presented in detail. 46 illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Specialized vocabulary.......2006-11-27
The author hangs on to too much specialized knowledge and vocabulary for this to be interesting enough for general readers.
I was looking forward to a being led by an expert into a new area of knowledge related to geologic timescales. But I couldn't find much of the excitement that you often find in equivalent popularized science discussions by experts in astronomy or physics for example.
I think the potential is there, but this was not the author for it. The author however is clearly capable, competent, well-informed.
If you remember the times when the neighbor kid went on for hours about his rock collection and you liked it, this book is for you.
Meanwhile, I'm still looking for the author who will open the door for me to geology and other like topics.
Your guide to the Permian extinction.......2006-10-13
This is a masterfully written book on a little-known topic, the Permian "event" that caused the extinction of perhaps 90% of terrestrial and marine metazoa 251 million years ago. And what was that "event"? The author, Michael J. Benton, comes down on the side of the "Siberian Traps" a long episode of volcanism in what is now Siberia. I was sort of cheering for the asteroid, but we must go where the evidence leads, and it leads toward the traps. This is the best and most comprehensive book I have encountered on the subject of the Permian extinction. Much of the research the author cites is very recent and the work is still being conducted. Stay tuned.
Excellent Book on Evolution, Plate Tectonics, Catastrophic Events and Scientific History.......2006-09-30
There's nothing I can really say about this book which hasn't been more elequently stated elsewhere. Suffice it to say that the reader will become familiar with many of the early scientists which formulated current theory and recent advances in theories once thought absurd but are now considered pro forma, such as plate tectonics and catastrophism. While the title does imply unique focus on the Permian extinction (still its primary focus), it actually deals with the 5 largest extinction events. The book is not technical in nature at all, and should appeal to anyone who has a lay interest in the Permian period and similar epochs.
A Masterpiece.......2006-08-06
The best book yet written on the Permian extinction, "When Life Nearly Died" explores all of the possible mechanisms, and then provides the only quantifiable theory ever put forward. Benton's description and data on a rapid global warming followed by an enormous polar methane release of multi-billion tonnage is actually supported by some math that looks sound.
The meteor theory of the Permian extinction is unequivocally dismantled and others like continental drift are given deft handling. The relevance of the Permian extinction is startling to us now. If we warm the planet too much more, a huge gaseous release could erupt from beneath the oceans and wipe out 90% of all life.
Fine Detective Work on a Very Cold Case.......2006-02-06
The apparent central purpose of this book was to explain what it submits as the greatest worldwide mass extinction ever, the "Permian-Triassic Event", 252 million years ago, more or less. Though it doesn't convincingly achieve that goal, it is nevertheless an awfully goof read. There isn't enough known about the core subject to fill a book this size. So for background, Benton gives an excellent history of Geology and Paleontology, over the past 3 centuries, more or less. To bring it all to life in human terms, this includes personal histories of those who have made the greatest contributions to we know what we presume to know of the distant past. It covers the often bitter ideological split between "uniformitarianism," which holds that all natural history is the result of knowable, on-going natural processes, and "catastrophism," which claims that only major, unpredictable catastrophic events cause periods of accelerated change in the patterns of life on Earth.
Working up to the present, the story finally includes the travels and adventures of recent field researchers, Benton himself included, mainly in southern Africa and Russia, where most of the evidence of this "cold case" can be found, The book explains an impressive array of hypothetical events that might have caused mass extinctions, in enough detail so that the reader can judge their credibility. Everything is explained in appealing, down-to-earth terms - even possible personal experiences of some of the long dead victims
Comparing the development of this case to a trial, it puts forensic experts on the stand from a wide range of geological specialties, presenting specific - and often contradictory evidence - for different hypothetical causes of death. The span of estimates of the time of death range from within a year to possibly 10,000,000 years, more or less. From a juror's point of view, Benton does not prove his case "beyond reasonable doubt," nor even "within a preponderance of evidence." So the result must be a "hung jury," but its members are left with a knowledge of all the factors in the case that they might never have acquired, except perhaps by sitting thru a few paleontology courses, for future enjoyment of the subject.
Consistent with its structure as a good mystery, Benton's presentation of the complex but possible mechanism of the Permian-Triassic extinction is deferred until the final chapter. So I will not ruin the suspense and reveal it here, except to say that he, refreshingly, does not pontificate that a massive meteor impact was required to explain it. All in all, for anyone with an interest in anything that lived before there were dinosaurs, this book is a good read. I recommend it.
Average customer rating:
|
Michael J. Benton. 2003. When Life Nearly Died: the Greatest Mass Extinction of All Time.(Book Review): An article from: International Journal of Humanities and Peace
Sarah Belle
Manufacturer: International Journal of Humanities and Peace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
 History
| Subjects
| Books
| Africa
| Americas
| Ancient
| Arctic & Antarctica
| Asia
| Audiobooks
| Australia & Oceania
| Books on CD
| Books on Cassette
| Europe
| Gay & Lesbian
| Historical Study
| Large Print
| Middle East
| Military
| Military Science
| Russia
| United States
| World
General
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Political Science
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| e-Docs
| Formats
| Books
General
| History
| Subjects
| e-Docs
| Formats
| Books
General
| History
| HTML
| Formats
| e-Docs
| Formats
| Books
General
| Nonfiction
| HTML
| Formats
| e-Docs
| Formats
| Books
Political Science
| Nonfiction
| HTML
| Formats
| e-Docs
| Formats
| Books
ASIN: B00082ABL8
Release Date: 2005-07-31 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from International Journal of Humanities and Peace, published by International Journal of Humanities and Peace on January 1, 2003. The length of the article is 949 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Michael J. Benton. 2003. When Life Nearly Died: the Greatest Mass Extinction of All Time.(Book Review)
Author: Sarah Belle
Publication:
International Journal of Humanities and Peace (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 2003
Publisher: International Journal of Humanities and Peace
Volume: 19
Issue: 1
Page: 114(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
An inspiring celebration of courageous American innovators who are transforming the way we protect and care for the world we live in.
The environment, and the movement that grew up to protect it, is under attack--concerted and purposeful. Yet the need for solutions to pressing environmental problems grows more urgent each day. Teresa Heinz Kerry and Senator John Kerry traveled across the country in a national campaign to see at first hand how these issues unite people across party and ideological lines. From the San Juan Basin to the Gulf of Mexico to the South Bronx, from mothers on Cape Cod to Colorado ranchers, they found a vibrant coalition of people and communities deploying ingenuity, technology, and sheer will power to save the world they know and love. Now, in this passionate and personal book, Senator John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry shine the spotlight on an inspiring crosssection of these new environmental pioneers.
The book combines intensive research with keenly observed personal experiences to present a portrait of Americans devoted to the natural diversity and spectacular uniqueness of our country. It also includes an extensive guide on where and how readers can get involved.
Customer Reviews:
May A Republican Say Something?.......2007-10-06
Senator Kerry, this is one of the best books I've read in a long time, and I read a lot of books. The common sense, lack of passion, and optimism did my old heart good. Since I'm not as optimistic as you, I believe if we're to come out of this tailspin that my party has put us in, your approach, not mine, is the key. As a Vietnam veteran who was shot down twice in Vietnam 1968-69, I hope you understand that the Swift Boat guys were exploited by sociopaths. The weak minded simply cannot refuse even the briefest moment in the limelight. They well forsake God and country without hesitation. Supporting you in 2004 has turned out to be one of the smartest things I have ever done. Believe me, it wasn't easy. It temporarily cost me the goodwill of friends and family. Thousands of Americans are still cheering Bush and Cheney not even aware that all their savings may be wiped out before these two leave office. Saudi Arabia on this very day--10/06/2007--has refused to cut interest rates in lockstep with the US Federal Reserve for the first time, signaling that the oil-rich Gulf kingdom is preparing to break the dollar currency peg in a move that risks setting off a stampede out of the dollar across the Middle East. As you know, Israel has already refused aid (free money) in Dollars. When Americans turned their backs on International laws, they turned their backs on God's laws as well. The price for doing so will be incomprehensible for most. Another book, please.
Required Reading.......2007-08-08
The material in this book should be put in the public's face daily via media, billboards, etc. It should be required reading. Every mother should understand that a disposable diaper takes 500 years to biodegrade (and as those chemicals in the diaper biodegrade, they pollute and cause potential carcinogens).
I would not call the book "bipartisan" as per some of the other reviews, and I think its bashing of the Bush administration (even though I am not a fan) detracted from the overall book. However, it is important reading; it had an impact on my behavior.
Stories of Hope.......2007-08-02
I was a little skeptical with this book being written by John Kerry. I wasn't sure what to expect. It gives some really good stories of everyday people who just wanted to make a change for the better. They weren't any sort of extremists or hippies. Just people with common sense and the determination to stand up for their right to live in a clean world.
KERRY gETS IT RIGHT.......2007-06-18
Kerry analyzes today;s environmental experts and gets it right. The book is passionate, well researched, spot on and well written. I was pleasantly surprised.
I think Kerry was at his best early in the book when he evaluated some of the current plans for saving the Earth. He got a little off track as the book progressed, then veered back on track in the last 100 pages.
I highly recommend this book for anybody who cares about the planet. Also recommended: "Earth In The Balance" by Al Gore. Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit
Encouragement for activism.......2007-06-09
This book is both inspiring and upsetting. Inspiring for the stories of success in opposing pollution and degradation of the environment and restoration to a more healthy one. It is upsetting to read of the abuses and pollution creating dangerous places to live.
It is a call to action that we all need to consider. I got many good ideas about issues I hadn't thought about and it made me think about my local situation. It's good to know people have won battles and corrected abuses.
Book Description
Long gone are the days of drinking naturally pure water from flowing rivers and streams. It is already common today for people to use bottled water or home water filtration systems for their drinking water. How have we come to such a predicament, and what can be done about it? Continuing pollution, ever increasing population and industrial demands, destruction of the rainforests, overpumping of the ground water are all responsible for the deterioration of water quality— but the underlying reason, as William Marks shows in this wide-ranging, thoughtful book, is a lack of understanding of and respect for the nature of water itself.
Marks covers such diverse topics as water's role in the origin of the universe and of life, cosmic rain and water in interstellar space, water in the myths of various peoples and religious traditions, the power of water in the many forms it takes in the natural world, vortex energy and living water, water and the human body, water healing, and a history of water pollution. He offers hope for the future by discussing the work of such visionaries as Theodor Schwenk and Viktor Schauberger. Marks shows us that finally water can be understood only when seen as the mediator not just between life and death but between the physical world and the spiritual world as well.
Customer Reviews:
The Holy Order of Water.......2007-04-23
I am an artist and read The Holy Order of Water about three years ago when I was painting a body of work about water. This interesting mix of personal anecdotes, mythology, and science, supports the realization that I've had after living on a lake for 14 years that water is alive. It gave me lots to ponder while working and I've since decided to focus all of my work on water. Thank you, William E. Marks, for your efforts to raise awareness and preserve water resources.
You'll Be Restored.......2006-09-22
Hello H2O Lovers,
As a layperson on the path of being a true leader in the H2O movement, I am very glad to have been offered this book to open my eyes about the elixir of life.
This book is astounding in its clarity and authenticity. Its fun to read and brings home my actual deepest feelings about water.
It brings you a masterful tapestry from the authors life story, the science, the philosophy and even the spirituality of water.
Read it. I promise it will trasform your life and it will transform your relationship with water.
You will never relate to a cup of water in quite the same way again.
Truly,
Leslie Gabriel aka WaterMan
Host Of "And So It Flows"
WBCR 97.7 FM Great Barrington, MA
The most important book you will read this year.......2006-01-20
This book is as important to the Earth as Water itself. Many of us are increasingly concerned about what we are doing to the environment. Our concerns about the plight of water and its importance to the survival of life on this planet are addressed magnificently in this book that describes powers of water of which even I was unaware!
Water is a mystical, magical substance, and oh how we take it for granted; filling it with carmel coated sugar substances for profit; tossing our waste products into it as if it had no value of its own, wasting it on "the perfect lawn" which servies absolutely no purpose or function, or even washing our cars, which cry the death knoll of Earth daily.
Care enough about Water to read this book. Pass it on to your friends. Give it as a gift for Arbor Day, Earth Day, Valentine's day. It's the most important book you will read this year.
The Holy Order of Water:Healing the Earth's Waters and Ourselves.......2006-01-14
William Mark's book, Holy Order of Water is extraordinary. It has given me soulful connection in understanding water and what it really means for us, as humans, and for myself, personally. The book is filled with fascinating scientific information that I can read (and have chosen to re-read, time and time again), as it enlightens even a non scientist, like myself, to understand what is happening with our water and what we can ultimately do to survive. The wealth of content on rituals and traditions with water throughout the world and time makes this book a valuable resource. Mark's bold statement of "polluting our planet's water is the same as poisoning the blood in our bodies" illustrates his strong passion on the subject and his ability to awakens the reader to the urgency for change. Marks' intimate relationship with water touches on all levels from the physical, mental, to spiritual and is awe-inspiring. It is sublime and yet profound. Holy Order of Water is truly an enjoyable and intriguing read.
Some of my favorite quotes from the book are:
"As we continue to evolve, we will learn how water was, is and always will be the source of our awakening and survival;" "The more of us who believe in the idea that we can create a world that lives in harmony with the teachings of water, the greater the possibility that it will happen in reality;" "You, and your offspring, as members of the human race will either survive or die according to your relationship with water;" "Whatever your situation, there are opportunities available for you to help yourself, your family, and humanity to enjoy a better life through water, and to reduce your life's negative impact on our sensitive water world."
I highly recommend this book.
Living Water .......2005-05-15
The Holy Order of Water is a beautiful orchestra of science, spirituality, healing and hope. Throughout the book, William Marks weaves his awe-inspiring adventures of life and love with water. While Marks makes the interconnectivity between mankind, water and the universe utterly clear; you get that his relationship with water is special. He is not just giving us information or telling the story of water; he loves it deeply. His commitment and passion is beautiful and it makes this book wholly unique and fascinating. I read this book in a day and I continue to go back to it for specific water-related facts, quotes, and information on people/places referenced in the book.
Average customer rating:
|
Choosing Our Future: Visions of a Sustainable World
Manufacturer: World Resources Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Economic Policy & Development
| Economics
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Popular Economics
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Real Estate
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Natural Resources
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Renewable Energy
| Technology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Conservation
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Culture
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1569730288 |
Average customer rating:
|
Future Nature: A Vision for Conservation
William M. Adams
Manufacturer: Earthscan Publications Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Popular Economics
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Environmental Science
| Earth Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Conservation
| Environment
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Conservation
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Environmentalism
| Conservation
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Environmental Science
| Earth Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1853839981 |
Book Description
"A fantastic read, a work of great scholarship and a true vision for the future." -- David Bellamy
"I thoroughly recommend Future Nature to all those involved in taking conservation into the next millennium whether land use planners, ecologists, agriculturalists, civil servants or politicians." -- Michael Winter, Land Use Policy
"It is a compulsive read, not least because of Bill Adam's finely honed and well-crafted written style. He provides an unusual and entertaining blend of emotional, even emotive, personal reflection, wide-ranging anecdotes and systematic examples of the results of a wide and disparate range of published research -- Professor Nigel Curry, University of Gloucestershire
"An admirable commentary on nature conservation in Britain over the last 50 years." -- Environmental Values
In this new and updated edition, Adams analyzes the problems that conservation faces and seeks the new ideas and new energy that conservation needs for the future. Concepts such as biodiversity and sustainability, and changes in our understanding, appreciation and concern for nature, offer unprecedented opportunities. The links between nature and culture are tightly intertwined, as are those between economics and the countryside. Adams explores these links, and the scientific, cultural and economic significance of conservation. He argues that conservation must move beyond the boundaries of parks and reserves to embrace the whole countryside, and that it must be built into ordinary life, not isolated as a specialized product kept only in reserved places. Conservation action much be founded on the relationship between our daily lives and the natural world: its success demands a creative approach, and a recognition of the vital wilderness of nature.
Books:
- Hamlet's Dresser: A Memoir
- Heal & Forgive: Forgiveness in the Face of Abuse
- Homestead: Modern Pioneers Pursuing the Edge of Possibility
- I Like Stars (Step-Into-Reading, Step 1)
- I Was Dreaming to Come to America: Memories from the Ellis Island Oral History Project
- Ice Blink: The Tragic Fate of Sir John Franklin's Lost Polar Expedition
- In Brief: Short Takes on the Personal
- In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (Harvest Book)
- Joan Crawford: Her Life in Letters
- John Paul II For Dummies (For Dummies (History, Biography & Politics))
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Chiquita's Cocoon: The Latina Woman's Guide to Greater Power, Love, Money, Status, and Happiness
- Aruba: The Tragic Untold Story of Natalee Holloway and Corruption in Paradise
- Transmetropolitan Vol. 0: Tales of Human Waste
- Transmetropolitan Vol. 8: Dirge
- Tumbling After: Pedaling Like Crazy After Life Goes Downhill
- Chemical Principles: The Quest for Insight
- A Companion to 19th-Century America
- Ready-to-Use Old-Fashioned Music Illustrations
- The Trials of Life: A Natural History of Animal Behavior
- Genetics And Molecular Biology Of Anaerobic Bacteria
Sapelo's People: A Long Walk into Freedom
Sapelo Island (GA) (Images of America)
Gullah Home Cooking the Daufuskie Way: Smokin' Joe Butter Beans, Ol' 'Fuskie Fried Crab Rice, Sticky-Bush Blackberry Dumpling, and Other Sea Island Favorites
Hoodoo Medicine: Gullah Herbal Remedies, Revised Edition
The Gullah People And Their African Heritage
