History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

The American Evangelical Story: A History of the Movement

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Communicating History with a Purpose
Very Well Written!

The American Evangelical Story: A History of the Movement
Douglas A. Sweeney
Manufacturer: Baker Academic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Reference | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 080102658X
Release Date: 2005-08-01

Book Description

The American Evangelical Story surveys the role American evangelicalism has had in the shaping of global evangelical history. Author Douglas Sweeney begins with a brief outline of the key features that define evangelicals and then explores the roots of the movement in English Pietism and the Great Awakening of the eighteenth century. He goes on to consider the importance of missions in the development of evangelicalism and the continuing emphasis placed on evangelism. Sweeney next examines the different subgroups of American evangelicals and the current challenges faced by the movement, concluding with reflections on the future of evangelicalism.Combining a narrative style with historical detail and insight, this accessible, illustrated book will appeal to readers interested in the history of the movement, as well as students of church history.

Customer Reviews:

Communicating History with a Purpose.......2007-05-03

One of the first advantages for Sweeney's study can be seen in how he opens up the word, definition, and conception of evangelicalism. By no means does he have rose colored glasses about the history of evangelicalism, but at the same time he is not afraid to declare the greatness of the movement itself. In fact, it seems that he regards the movement as one that carries the beneficent ideals of the European Protestant Reformation[s] and Protestant Great Awakening[s], both of which are influenced through the American experiment.

Sweeney first opens up the box, as it were, of Christian presuppositions with respect to the global presence of Christianity, and then gives commentary on how evangelicalism fits into that global structure. His intent here is to demonstrate that there is diversity within evangelicalism, to be sure, but also that evangelicalism is perhaps the most vital movement on the scene of the Christian religion. On this point Sweeney is correct. There is an advantage for Sweeney's study here because he is not merely trying to be ecumenical, but to be realistic that Christianity is encompassed by much more than just the word or designation of evangelical. However, at the same time Sweeney is by no means apologetic about his own evangelical presuppositions. He also humbly counts himself within the movement.

One example within Sweeney's study is the subject of the Great Awakening within early New England, which Sweeney labels, "the regional center of American evangelicalism." Thus, it seems that Sweeney regards the dynamic of early Puritanism very important. He is right on this point because this period within American evangelicalism sets the precedent for much of American Christianity. In addition to this, he gives a very positive view of Whitefield and Edwards. One of the eloquent segments of his writing deals with the dichotomy between the "New Divinity" and the "Old Calvinists." He says, "The New Divinity of the Edwardsians dealt primarily with the experience of revival and conversion. As Calvinists, they taught that none could come to faith in Christ except by supernatural grace, but as evangelists, they knew that saving grace came through the gospel." This is a very good description of the rationale of the New Light Calvinists and thus shows how the major theological perspective of Calvinism was nuanced for the American evangelical context.

Where Sweeney does a particularly good job at painting a high-quality picture of evangelicalism, he also is quick to point out its historical scars. In his chapter, "Crossing the Color Line without Working to Erase It", he unabashedly admits historical mistakes within the evangelical movement. Some of these include "heroes" of the faith such as Edwards and Whitefield preaching the universal gospel, and yet "paradoxically" owning slaves at the same time.

However, as fast as Sweeney admits to the now irrational and unspeakable atrocities committed by evangelicals of the past, he adamantly argues for the substantive good that has been accomplished by evangelicalism. He says that "...despite such undeniable moral failure, God has used the evangelicals to promote the gospel of grace among literally millions of African Americans...Ever since the Great Awakening, white evangelicals have engaged in Christian outreach to black people--never adequately but faithfully and consistently." To this quote, Sweeney must be commended. Not only is he honest about evangelical failures of the past, but his main point is that God's purposes are being fulfilled through morally stained people--black or white. His sections on black evangelicals demonstrate this perspective very well. Further, he does a particularly good job in the same chapter by describing the dynamics of the black evangelical movement. Thus, Sweeney expresses something very profound: being evangelical does not have to do with color, creed, or denomination, but with being a gospel witness.

Although Sweeney says that his study is intended to show the history of evangelicalism, which it of course does, it also conveys much more. Sweeney says that his hope is that the book may be a memorial that bears witness to God's faithfulness. Furthermore, Sweeney hopes not just to educate persons about historical evangelism, but to help believers regain their "spiritual bearings." This strategy by Sweeney is a refreshing perspective that demonstrates his zeal to be a faithful interpreter of evangelical history, and also to communicate that same history with the purpose of showing God's faithfulness. Thus, Sweeney's portrayal of evangelicalism can be helpful for all persons hoping to understand this movement within the broader Christian church.

Very Well Written!.......2006-10-09

I was very impressed with this book. Some of the other evangelical histories I've read (namely the ones by Mark Noll) have been very detailed, but not always interesting to read. Now, from the keyboard of Douglas Sweeney, we have a tight history of the evangelical movement that reads like a novel. He traces the origins of evangelicalism to the first Great Awakening in the 1730s. We learn of how Christians from different denominations banded together to support the revival preaching of men like George Whitefield, John Wesley and Jonathan Edwards.

We also read about the more Arminian leanings of the 2nd Great Awakening in America, which spanned much of the 19th century and featured the thunderous preaching of Charles Finney and Francis Asbury.

The role of female preachers in evangelicalism is discussed, namely Phoebe Palmer, and Aimee Semple Macpherson, who eventually founded the Foursquare Gospel Church.

I also appreciated the discussion of black evangelicals and mourned with the author over the sad history of segregation and apathy between whites and blacks in the evangelical movement.

There is also a chapter about the holiness and pentecostal movements, and the fissure that developed between neo-evangelicals and fudamentalists. Sweeny concludes with an epilogue about the uncertain future of the American Evangelical movement, including a brief glance at the major division with Southern Baptist circles.

This is the best book I have come across on the American Evangelical movement and I heartily recommend it.

The American Evangelical Story: A History of the Movement.(Book review): An article from: Church History

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The American Evangelical Story: A History of the Movement.(Book review): An article from: Church History
Douglas Jacobsen
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Church History, published by Thomson Gale on June 1, 2006. The length of the article is 1036 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: The American Evangelical Story: A History of the Movement.(Book review)
Author: Douglas Jacobsen
Publication: Church History (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 75 Issue: 2 Page: 464(2)

Article Type: Book review

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The American Evangelical Story: A History of the Movement.(The Dominance of Evangelicalism: The Age of Spurgeon and Moody)(What a Friend We Have in Jesus: ... Bulletin of Missionary Research

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The American Evangelical Story: A History of the Movement.(The Dominance of Evangelicalism: The Age of Spurgeon and Moody)(What a Friend We Have in Jesus: ... Bulletin of Missionary Research
Dale T. Irvin
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from International Bulletin of Missionary Research, published by Thomson Gale on October 1, 2006. The length of the article is 1268 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: The American Evangelical Story: A History of the Movement.(The Dominance of Evangelicalism: The Age of Spurgeon and Moody)(What a Friend We Have in Jesus: The Evangelical Tradition)(Book review)
Author: Dale T. Irvin
Publication: International Bulletin of Missionary Research (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 30 Issue: 4 Page: 207(2)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Volume III of The Oxford History of the British Empire covers the long nineteenth century, from the achievement of American independence in the 1780s to the eve of world war in 1914. This was the period of Britain's greatest expansion as both empire-builder and dominant world power. The volume is divided into two parts. The first contains thematic chapters, some focusing on Britain, others on areas at the imperial periphery, exploring those fundamental dynamics of British expansion which made imperial influence and rule possible. They also examine the economic, cultural, and institutional frameworks which gave shape to Britain's overseas empire. Part 2 is devoted to the principal areas of imperial activity overseas, including both white settler and tropical colonies. Chapters examine how British interests and imperial rule shaped individual regions' nineteenth-century political and social-economic history. Themes dealt with include the economics of empire, imperial institutions, defence, technology, imperial and colonial cultures, science and exploration. Attention is given not only to the formal empire, from Australasia and the West Indies to India and the African colonies, but also to China and Latin America, often regarded as central components of a British `informal empire'. Series Blurb The Oxford History of the British Empire is a major new assessment of the Empire in the light of recent scholarship and the progressive opening of historical records. From the founding of colonies in North America and the West Indies in the seventeenth century to the reversion of Hong Kong to China at the end of the twentieth, British imperialism was a catalyst for far-reaching change. The Oxford History of the British Empire as a comprehensive study allows us to understand the end of Empire in relation to its beginnings, the meaning of British imperialism for the ruled as well as the rulers, and the significance of the British Empire as a theme in world history

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Some of it is ok

The third culture

Fine. But don't exaggerate

Good Idea, Lousy Execution

Third Rate

Third Culture: Beyond the Scientific Revolution
John Brockman
Manufacturer: Touchstone
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Binding: Paperback

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The Next Fifty Years: Science in the First Half of the Twenty-first Century

The Two Cultures (Canto)

What We Believe but Cannot Prove: Today's Leading Thinkers on Science in the Age of Certainty

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Intelligent Thought: Science versus the Intelligent Design Movement

ASIN: 0684823446

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In this treatise on the central role of science, John Brockman contends that science is becoming the predominant culture and scientists are taking the place of traditional intellectuals in answering the important questions facing humankind. Structured in interview format, The Third Culture consists of 23 noted scientists discussing their theories, the nature of scientific inquiry, and their common desire to be recognized as today's intellectual leaders.

Book Description

Thirty-five years ago, C. P. Snow, in a now famous essay, wrote about the polarization of the "two cultures" -- literary intellectuals on the one hand, and scientists on the other. Although he hoped for the emergence of a "third culture" that would bridge the gap, it is only recently that science has changed the intellectual landscape.

Brockman's thesis that science is emerging as the intellectual center of our society is brought to life vividly in The Third Culture, which weaves together the voices of some of today's most influential scientific figures, including:

Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Dawkins on the implications of evolution Steven Pinker, Marvin Minsky, Daniel C. Dennett, and Roger Penrose on how the mind works
Murray Gell-Mann and Stuart Kauffman on the new sciences of complexity

The Third Culture is an honest picture of science in action. It is at once stimulating, challenging, and riveting.

Customer Reviews:

Some of it is ok.......2007-01-09

Love the premise. It falls apart at some points though.
I Love having the opposing viewpoints at the end of the chapter. Finally you can hear both sides of a debate without having to buy many seperate books. Also I love the short encapsulated synopsis of great thinkers like Dawkins. You get a great overview of all his work, from himself, in just a few pages.
I Love the concept of the intellectual elite being hijacked by the science illiterate.
However, not many of the chapters make sense and some of the comments at the ends of the chapters are inane.

The third culture.......2006-11-11

Pretty good book, cuz it has comentaries from many important scientists. I like it very much.

Fine. But don't exaggerate .......2006-02-28

What John Brockman does here makes a lot of sense. He brings together a whole group of first- rank scientists and enables them to explain major aspects of their thought. These 'popularizations' of scientific work taken together, and dialogued about are however proposed by Brockman to be the basis of a 'Third Culture' a scientifically based higher or true culture.
Here we meet the recurrence of the well- known reality in which the person goes and asks various people in the town why X or Y happens to be the way they are. The barber says it is because they do not have a proper haircut, and the tailor says it is because their trousers have not been properly sewn, the mailman says its because their letters were not delivered. Etc Etc.
Brockman should understand that there are realms , respectable realms of cultural and human activity which Science has no significant place in. The drama of Shakespeare does not need an Isaac Asimov analysis of the number of its characters or pages to be what it is. The world of Music does not need a scientific explanation of what Music is in order to give pleasure and meaning to many.
A truly comprehensive Culture would have Science as a central part of it. But it would not be exclusively scientific.
I am personally a great fan of Brockman and the colloqiums he puts together in 'Edge'. But he should too understand that there are worlds outside the world of science, and that those worlds are real and meaningful in ways scientific work does not comprehend.

Good Idea, Lousy Execution.......2003-02-14

This book is a sad collage of weak efforts from a self-promoting literary agent. Brockman co-opts a pithy title with a specific meaning and then misapplies it intentionally, seeking to acquire the virtues of the label without providing the substance to back it up. If you want to read a group of highly respected scientists (and an occasional philosopher) speculating about their work's broader context -- socially, historically, aesthetically, morally, spiritually -- without the rigorous requirements of a peer reviewed journal or the space required to make a nuanced argument, this may be worth your time. However, be prepared to wade through piles of mutual admiration smugness and now-you're-an-insider prose.

Brockman positions the work as an "oral history of a dynamical emergent system," which is just a jargon-laden smokescreen for a half-assed effort. If only Brockman had the spine to take the transcripts of his interviews and synthesize them for the reader into a coherent, readable whole! Instead, we have edited transcripts, a power point version of a thoughtful book, the crucial synthetic element replaced with copyediting and cleverly labeled section titles. Good idea, lousy execution. This is a book edited by Brockman, not written by him; he apparently lacked the self-confidence or talent to write in his own voice, and he does a disservice to the thinkers whose verbal speculations he edits into pabulum, digestible by the massest of the mass public (e.g., "Chris Langton is the central guru of this artificial life stuff." Ack.).

Do yourself a favor and buy the original works of the thinkers included in this volume, or read their original academic publications. Yes, it may be putting money in Brockman's pocket as their agents, but at least he will be rewarded for the work that reflects his talent - leeching off others. The cover swims with the names of Nobel Prize winners and scientific luminaries - in a halo around his own.

Third Rate.......2001-05-29

The underlying premise of this book is that a new kind of scientist-popularizer now serves as the intellectual elite of our culture. Each chapter focuses on one such scientist-popularizer; first he or she explains his/her work and then peers comment on it. Broadly, the science focuses on about four themes: evolution, cognitive science/AI, cosmology, and complexity. The people interviewed include Steven Jay Gould, Richard Dawkins, Marvin Minsky, Roger Penrose, Murray Gellman, Steve Pinker, and others. My criticisms of the book are

1. It's exceedingly arrogant in its dismissal of literary and politcal intellectuals in the book's preface.

2. At least half of the peer discussion at the end of chapters is inane remarks like "So-and-so's work is very important. She's the smartest person I know." This, along with the tone of the preface, makes it seem as if the participants are insecure somehow. It also makes me suspect the book is merely a promotional vehicle for the participants books. (The editior of this book is a literary agent.)

3. In very few instances are the participants ideas adequately developed or critiqued. The spatial limitations are exacerbated by the inane praise and filler.

4. Much of the thinking covered is glitzy with little substance and this gives a false notion of how science is done. There's very little mention of experiment.

3 and 4 combine to create a book that includes both crackpot and mainstream scientific ideas and then doesn't not present the reader with enough information to distinguish between them.

The book does attempt to do some worthwhile things:

1. Lead one to some great authors. For instance, readers pick up the book because they like Pinker's "The Language Instinct" might then be led to Dawkins' "Selfish Gene"

2. Present both sides of a scientific debate. Dawkins vs. Gould is the prime example. I wish this had been developed more.

3. Show what prominent scientists think of each other's work.

4. Show some modern scientific paradigms--only this is done somewhat disingenously because real scientific breakthroughs and the paradigms they beget are eschewed for pop-sci that has done very little. For instance, fields like genomics and quantum computation are passed over but complexity is included.

My advice is to peruse the contents and use that to find interesting authors to read directly.

Customer Reviews:

I'm speechless, so to speak.......2001-08-25

No book has ever moved me the way this one has, I have tears in my eyes as I write this. I've just read many of the other reviews, and I don't have the way with words that some do, but they tell it like it is. Joan tells it like it is. Books don't get any better, and this one will change your life, like someone said it isn't all about happiness, and I have become informed and aware of too much to not so something about what is being done to our Redwood Forests, and what is being allowed to be done to our envirnment and watersheds. It's a true story, happening right now, this book documents it succinctly with amazing one of a kind pictures. It will open your eyes. Something needs to be done about Charles Hurwitz from Houston, Texas and his company MAXXAM. He is savaging The last of the Virgin Redwood Rainforest in California. I cannot beleive the CDF and the department of Forestry are "letting him get away with it." Not to mention the way he "aquired" the land, which is explained in the book. Please read this book. This book will light a fire in you, and like me you will have to do something. There are several websites listed in the back to point you in the right direction. I beleive this book is THE BEST one on the subject and if you plan on reading only one this should definitely be it. It has the most facts, information, and insight and is so well written, I couldn't say enough. And 57 pages of priceless color pictures! I am buying used copies for people, I would give one to EVERYONE if I could, and I have only said that about 2 books, and I read alot. The book is priceless. Thank You Joan

Tall tree politics........2000-09-17

I read this book after visiting Arcata this summer. While there, I went on a BLM ranger-guided hike into the Headwaters, the "lush, mysterious, ancient, holy" (p. 82) subject of Dunning's book. I wanted to see for myself what all of the protesting was about. Enjoy this book, then experience the Headwaters' redwoods.

Dunning's book is about many things. Trees. Community. Redwood politics. Bearing witness. The destruction of "one of the most magnificent ecosystems on Earth" (p. 3). Saying "enough!" Non-violent civil disobedience. Protecting America the beautiful. It is also about Dunning's personal journey, or "metamorphosis" as she calls it (p. 239), from naturalist to activist. "What is an 'environmentalist'," she reflects, "but simply a citizen who has shed denial, who has opened his or her eyes and said, 'it does matter nature does not have an infinite capacity to heal herself, himself, itself . . . I am responsible'" (p.228).

Dunning's book reads like an insightful journal, in which she sets out to tell it like it is. "This book is not about happiness," she warns her reader on the first page. Rather, it is about "yielding to conscience. It is about a forest, and it is about us" (p. 1). She reveals that the destruction of old-growth forests like the Headwaters isn't someone else's problem, but our own. Dunning reports that in 500 years, we have destroyed more than ninety percent of our country's ancient forests, leaving only 3.5 percent to protect (p. 263). By saving the redwoods, we save ourselves. Dunning writes, "I want nothing more than to dissolve the polarity that plagues this county and this country, to bring us all back to center--the owls and the pussycats, the loggers and the environmentalists, the business community, everyone--to put us all in the same life raft, which is our Earth" (p. 61).

Dunning also reports that redwood civil disobedience is nothing new. We learn, for instance, on November 19, 1929, Laura Perrott Mahan (1867-1937) lay down in the area now known as Founder's Grove in California's Avenue of the Giants to halt redwood logging. Dunning also writes, and her collaborator, Doug Thron's photographs show that clear-cutting "is an act of violence that affects trees, rivers, air, water, earth, and every person, owl, toad, or human who lives there" (p. 88). "Our whole earth is suffering from the cumulative effects of a million minute daily actions" (p. 240).

Although much of Dunning's book is downright depressing, her real message is this: "Find a corner of the world and fix it" (p. 240). Turn your driveway into a garden. "For each of us," Dunning says, "regardless of where we live, there is a valley, a mountain range, a beach, a whale, a peregrine, a gnatcatcher, that if we merely give our time as a witness to the loss, will gradually unite the being of its existence with our own, will ground us by putting us in touch with what is wild and speechless, will empower us when we speak out in defense of the powerless" (pp. 14-15). (Those interested in how each of us can make a difference might also enjoy Thomas Berry's, THE GREAT WORK (2000), which I also recommend as one of my favorite books.)

In addition to Thron's amazing color photographs (note the cover photo), Dunning's book is also illustrated with her own drawings of redwoods (p. 17), salamanders (pp. 25, 174, 179, 260), a banana slug (p. 41), flying squirrels (p. 56), frogs (pp. 67, 187) and an owl (p. 103), among other subjects.

In our world of "Cars. Cars. Cars." (p. 124), Dunning's book triumphs in showing the value of silent, "dark, dripping, ancient" (p. 37) redwood forests, that tell us to "Be still." For its insights, photographs, and drawings, this book about the wonders of tall trees should not be missed.

G. Merritt

Well done!.......2000-05-13

I learned so much by reading this book. Joan Dunning has a way of tackling difficult, cumbersome and emotionally charged subject matter and making it easily digestible. It's a compelling read and the photography by Doug Thron is extraordinary.

JAIL HURWITZ NOW!!!!!!!!!.......1999-05-12

This book explains in simple terms the descruction that P.L unloads on our earth. We are all suffering from the greed of hurwitz. When they "take" a tree alongside a stream, the sun hits the water. Then the water becomes silted, and the water heats up. Then the salmon do not come anymore. Then the eagles have nothing to eat, so they leave. With no trees, no air is cleansed, and with bad air we die. Somone else needs to leave.

Oh my God. Very mind opening.......1999-05-10

I had the opportunity to listen to Joan read from this book. It touched my soul, and I have started to give it to some of my friends to read.

From the Redwood Forest: Ancient Trees and the Bottom Line, A Headwaters Journey (an inscribed copy)

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From the Redwood Forest: Ancient Trees and the Bottom Line, A Headwaters Journey (an inscribed copy)
Joan; photographs by Doug Thron Dunning
Manufacturer: Chelsea Green
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GZSRU4

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