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:
Best Yet.......2007-09-20
Plan B. 2.0 is the most comprehensive book I've found yet on the converging crises that we are facing in the world today. In Part I of the book, Lester R. Brown lays out each crisis, explaining the causes, and then goes on in Parts II and III, lays out a rational, well-thought-out,practical solution to the problems at hand. I gave my husband a copy of it to use for part of the Critical Issues for Law Enforcement class he's teaching at our local university. As far as I'm concerned, every American ought to have a copy and read it often and thoroughly. We need to be aware of what we're doing to ourselves and others. The frosting on this cake is that he gives us the tools we need to remedy the situation...if we act now.
Essential reading for every human on this planet.......2007-09-19
If you care about this planet and our journey upon it, this book is essential reading for the millennium ahead. I just wanted to add my five stars. Please read the other reviews for the overview of "Plan B: 2.0"
Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble.......2007-02-06
We do have prophets for our time. Lester Brown is one of the most important among them. In his well founded search for truth and solutions for our demographic, ecological and economic problems of global dimensions, he powerfully opposes the four faces of destructive stupidity of our times: ignorance, refusal to discuss matters, denial, and faithful dysfunctionality. I made this book the present day Bible that must be read and discussed in my course on Bioethics: Perspectives on Human Life, at Le Moyne College, Syracuse NY.
Dr. Andrew Szebenyi S.J.
Best Single Book for Both General Public and Broadly Read Specialists.......2007-01-26
It's a real shame that the publisher did not take the trouble to load the table of contents into the product information section provided by Amazon, because that alone should persuade anyone that gets to this page that the book is a MUST BUY MUST READ MUST SHARE.
Each of the following section titles has six sub-titles that I will not repeat here:
1. Entering a New World
2. Beyond the Oil Peak
3. Emerging Water Shortages
4. Rising Temperatures & Rising Seas
5. Natural Systems Under Stress
6. Early Signs of Decline
7. Eradicating Poverty, Stabilizing Populations
8. Restoring the Earth
9. Feeding Seven Billion Well
10. Stabilizing Climate
11. Designing Sustainable Cities
12. Building a New Economy
13. Plan B: Building a New Future.
Although an updated version of the first edition published in 2003, this version can be said to be both completely new, and finally ready for public consumption now that Al Gore has put Global Warming on the public mind.
I still prefer J. F. Rischard's HIGH NOON: 20 Global Problems, 20 Years to Solve Them for the general reader, and I still think E. O. Wilson's "The Future of Life" is one of the top three in this area, but this book by Lester Brown has the merit of consolidating and structuring detail in a manner I have not seen elsewhere.
I recommend the book be ready in conjunction with books by Herman Daly and Paul Hawken, in part because everyone is now starting to realize that green sustainability is in fact the non-negotiable first step for any business to survive into the next decade--natural capitalism.
Most intriguing to me, and the heart of the book on page 257, is the consolidated Plan B budget totallying $161 billion a year needed to meet all of the goals the author postulates.
BASIC SOCIAL GOALS
12B Universal primary education
04B Adult literacy
06B School lunch in 44 poorest countries
04B Assistant to pregnant women and preschool childen in 44 poorest
07B Reproductive health and family planning
33B Universal health care
02B Closing the condom gap (Bill & Melinda Gates can have this one)
EARTH RESTORATION GOALS
06B Reforesting the earth
24B Protecting topsoil on cropland
09B Restoring rangelands
10B Stabilizing water tables
13B Restoring fisheries
31B Protecting biological diversity
As the author points out on the next page, world military expenditures total $975B a year, with the US alone responsible for $492B (this was published before we all knew of the half trillion dollar cost of the Iraq invasion and occupation). Hence, the $161B a year total is a fraction of the total spent on out-dated military systems, and could be funded by the US alone if we had the right leadership and public consensus.
Personally, and based on other readings, I believe that the author is under-estimating the costs, and avoiding a focus on many other factors including the urgent need to eradicate transnational crime and end inter-state and civil war. This is, however, a superb start and ideally suited as a primer for any level of learning.
Readers interested in seeing a broader perspective that places the ten high-level threats (poverty, infectuous disease, environmental degradation, inter-state conflict, civil war, genocide, other atrocities, proliferation, terrorism and transnational crime) in the context of the twelve policies that must be managed as a whole by all nations (agriculture, debt, diplomacy, economy, education, energy, family, immigration, justice, security, society, and water), and that in turn oriented toward the urgency of keeping the eight challengers (Brazil, China, Indonesia, India, Iran, Russia, Venezuela, Wild Cards) from repeating our mistakes, can check in at Earth Intelligence Network.
Rescuing are planet and our civilization is going to be a great deal harder than the author suggests, and is going to need a massive awakening by the public as to the "true cost" of all that we are doing wrong. I expect that we will succeed, in part from top down efforts by Al Gore and this author among others, and in part by bottom up efforts where individuals can get from the Internet the "true cost" of any good or service in terms of water content, fuel content, sweatshop labor content, and tax avoidance status. Noami Klein's book, "No Logo" is recommended in this regard.
Over-all an absolutely superb piece of work that caps the author's decades of advocacy on behalf of the planet. There is no other person that has been focused on this topic with due diligence year after year.
Wake Up America.......2007-01-14
Lester Brown has been monitoring the state of the world for many years and is probably one of the most knowledgeable and authoritative people on this topic. The first half of the book, filled with many little known but interesting and important facts lets us know how a declining resource base at a time of rapidly increasing human population is taking us toward a very unstable and potentially dangerous world. In the second half of the book he spells out what needs to be done worldwide and how it can be accomplished with about 1/3rd of our annual US Defense Dept. expenditures if we wake up to the facts and act immediately.
The book was so factual and encouraging that I bought a dozen to share with my congregation in the hope of spreading the facts, stimulating concern, and seeing some personal action.
Book Description
Don’t look up
It won’t help. You can’t get out of the way, you can’t dig a hole deep enough to hide. The end is coming, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
So why read this book?
Because you can’t look away when not just the religious fanatics are saying we’re all going to be destroyed but the scientists are in on the act too. Here’s what they’re saying:
• We’re a million years over due for a mass extinction.
• The sun at radiation minimum is acting much worse than at solar maximum, and one misdirected spewing of plasma could fry us in an instant.
• The magnetic field—which shields us from harmful radiation—is developing a mysterious crack.
• Our solar system is entering an energetically hostile part of the galaxy.
• The Yellowstone supervolcano is getting ready to blow, and if it does, we can look forward to nuclear winter and 90 percent annihilation.
• The Maya, the world’s greatest timekeepers ever, say it’s all going to stop on December 21, 2012.
So, see? There’s nothing you can do, but you might as well sit back and enjoy the show.
That’s why you should read this book.
*****
Dear Reader,
If there were a chance that opening this book could set off a chain of events that would lead to Apocalypse, to the end of Life as we know it, would you be tempted? Finger poised uncertainly above the flashing red button? How about if the Apocalypse promised to result in a new age of enlightenment, a Heaven on Earth like never before?
Personally, I’ll take the security of my cozy life over a chance at nirvana. But status quo may no longer be an option, for any of us. This book will convince you that there is a nonnegligible chance that the year 2012 will be more tumultuous, catastrophic, and, quite possibly, revelatory, than any other year in human history.
Parts of this book are best read with a bowl of popcorn: looking into the jaws of a great white shark in search of the meaning of death; touring a picturesque Guatemalan town with Mayan shaman just weeks before it is utterly destroyed. Other sections go better with a tranquilizer, such as the impending eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano, or the mass extinction headed our way—on the scale of the great collision that destroyed the dinosaurs and 70 percent of all other species, our best scientists contend that it’s now overdue. Nail-biters should beware the fact that the next peak in the sunspot cycle, due in 2012, is widely expected to set records for the number and intensity of solar storms pummeling the Earth with radiation and igniting natural calamities such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and Katrina-sized hurricanes. And that our entire solar system appears to be moving into a dangerous interstellar energy cloud.
Is it a coincidence that the burgeoning war between Christianity and Islam seems hell-bent for Armageddon? Or that numerous other religions, philosophies, and cultural traditions are signaling that the end is near, with 2012 emerging as the consensus target date? A new era is about to be born, with all the pain and blood and joy and release that birth naturally entails.
Facing oblivion, or at least mega-metamorphosis, is something that few of us are emotionally prepared to do. Thus my excuse for the gallows humor that pervades this story. In a memorable Mary Tyler Moore episode, Mary cracks up laughing at the funeral of Chuckles the Clown who, dressed as a peanut while marching in a parade, was shucked to death by an elephant. If Mary can giggle in the face of death, so can we.
With kind regards,
Lawrence E. Joseph
Customer Reviews:
Waiting to Exhale.......2007-09-27
Something in the world has changed. We all know it. We all feel as though we are holding our breath. I have observed birds feeding in places where they've rarely been seen before. I have observed butterflies this year become increasingly aggressive. Bees in California are disappearing. Weather patterns are shifting. Governments seem to be spiraling downward in an attempt to control, control, control. So what's going on?
Lawrence E. Joseph takes us with him on his journey to discover the source of our unease. We travel with him through all the possible scenarios beginning with the Mayan prediction of world disaster in 2012. He doesn't go looking for the boogey-man in the closet. He looks to the scientific world for answers. The answers that he finds are not encouraging. Sunspots are active. Never mind the Celebrity Disaster of the Year--global warming, the entire universe may be heating up. Then there is my personal favorite, the reversal of the poles.
Joseph does not overlook mankind's potential contribution to the disaster scenario either. He zeros in on the heart of prophecy, mysticism and madness. He looks at religion.
It is the Jewish prophecy that brings with it the greatest potential for self-fulfillment and the greatest potential for the destruction of mankind. The U.S. government seems to be a willing accomplice in bringing Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri's vision into focus. The bombing of Afganistan began after sundown on October 13, 2001.
"The Gog and Magog conflict is prophesied to last for seven years at which time, autumn 2008, a major revelation concerning Mashiach (Messiah) will be made." (See page 195)
Apocalypse 2012 is a measured, sometimes amusing, well-written adventure into the world of potential disasters. The author does wobble a bit at the end. He apparently felt compelled to offer some type of direction or comfort to his readers. There is none. More to the point, once you accept that a disaster will occur without knowing its source, you can't do anything more than live your life for the moment, the best way you know how.
Lawrence E. Joseph can be forgiven for wobbling. After all, the entire earth wobbles in its rotation. The last wobble resulted in a disruption of energy streaming from the Milky Way, 26,000 years ago. The next disruption is expected to occur on 12/21/2012 at 11:11 pm Universal Time. (See page 33)
If this is science I am Superman.......2007-09-25
This book is a tour through some of the cutting edge research in; volcanology, geology, astronomy as viewed by some controversial figures in those fields. Mostly a non-scientific look into the fringe elements surrounding 2012, the end of the Mayan Long Count. The book dissapoints on two counts; it promises to add some insight into the 2012 popular discourse, and it claims to be a scientific investigation. Unfortunately it does neither, as it adds nothing new to the understanding of 2012, the Maya or the Mayan Calendar, and it fails miserably to explain any valid scientific research. But It does expound profusely on controversial research without ever presenting it in a scientific manner. In the growing universe of popular culture 2012 literature, this book sits at the bottom of the pile.
Not Proof, But Good Science.......2007-09-17
This book is not centered on Mayan calendar analysis, but rather on science. And it doesn't prove any date or time but does point in a very substantial way the ideas of a possible catastrophe. It relates to the recent (within 10 years, especially in 2003) solar flares on the Sun and subsequent earth storms and how they very much interact with each other. The Sun storms recorded are the most active in recent times possible the affects of hurricane Katrina and other Earth storms. Also, what is important is the gravitational pull, as well as the magnetic pull of the planets in our solar system, the sun affected much easier, as it being a gelatin like substance, not solid.
In addition, the entire solar system, according to Lawrence, is moving and about to enter an interstellar energy cloud which will have a major affect on magnetic pulls, a possible pole reversal, which could result in major electrical storms and other serious consequences. This will also affect the sun and solar system. Right now they are saying that there are serious cracks in the magnetic fields and there is more to this, as well as holes in the ozone which may be the result or something more than aerosol.
There are also other things to consider, such as the Wyoming supervolcano which, if erupted, is predicted to bring a major death toll over the earth as well ash to bring on a short term (10 years) ice age, which is one way the planet earth (Gaia- the theory of the earth being a living organism, as opposed to simply rock and elements - James Lovelock) can cool itself. This also relates to the earth's nuclear core being hot, in need of cooling when it gets overheated.
There is also the idea of the glaciers melting bringing less pressure on the Teutonic plates underneath, allowing more seismic activity and earthquakes. Not sure what to make of all this, except that the solar activity, the level of volcanic activity, the melting of glaciers, the interstellar cloud, as well as other theories of the overheated earth core and the ice melting fresh water in the salt oceans, possibly shutting down the conveyor belts all come into play. Now along with this, the Mayan calendar, and global warming in general, which Al Gore states will flood the oceans 24 feet, killing untold millions in land loss, agricultural disasters and famines, which then brings on major disease in poorer countries. It leaves us a lot to think about. I will say that if this interstellar cloud has the significance they are speaking about, then the magnetic reversals have the possibility of ending life as we know it.
I'd like to believe the optimistic escapee, the doomsday, wanna be believer and magick seeking individual, hopes that there is a noosphere (the idea of a psychic collective layer part of the organism earth) and looks towards the Mayans belief, that a consciousness transformation will take place, as our bodies and brains are made up of water and electricity. Who knows? It's a mystery, but there is global warming and definite climate changes ahead.
A Logical Inquiry Into An Otherwise Hysterical Topic.......2007-09-10
This informative book is geared towards adults with an analytical bent, who wish to enter into an objective inquiry into the various predictions and talk of future catastrophe associated with the year 2012. The author succeeds in exploring these matters from an objective, non-judgmental point of view. His artful use of humor throughout the book serves to lighten the mood of an otherwise morbid and bleak subject.
The discussion draws from diverse sources of knowledge including several branches of the physical sciences, metaphysics, and a wide variety of religious points of view, in order to offer a well-rounded survey of the subject at hand. The book includes an extensive bibliography showing the vast wealth of information the author consulted. Indeed, it would seem that he left no stone unturned. The author successfully guides the reader through a systematic and logical thinking process about such matters, thereby dispelling the hype and hysteria, which so commonly follow topics of this type.
Overall, I found this book to be a well-balanced and logical overview of the issues now facing humanity regarding what the near future may have in store for us. We tend to think that the world will go on just as it always has, and so the exploration of these topics makes us stop and consider that we may not be as invulnerable as we think we are. We all take events like the Sun rising and setting on schedule, the regular turning of the seasons, and the rising and falling of the tides, for granted. This book refocuses the lens, so to speak, to show that in the whole of the Earth's history, things have not always been stable and constant; but that the Earth has, in fact, gone through many great cataclysms throughout its history. What would make us immune to experiencing one such event, or events, of great upheaval and change?
If for nothing else, exploring these ideas is a great opportunity to do a personal survey of why we are here, living on this little planet, within the vast universe; and what our personal purpose for living might be. It is also an opportunity to pause and realize just how fragile life is, and really take to heart the need to make the most of what we have, and to protect the resources that God, through nature, graciously provide for us.
Projection and Make-belief.......2007-09-06
Remember Y2K? So much nonsense perpetuated by paranoid folks trying to impose their ungrounded fears onto others. We create our future. 2012 may be a self-fulfilling prophecy. In this new millennium it may be wise to step beyond superstition and stop being victims. Gaia is overpopulated and raped of its resources. What really needs to happen is collaboration and cooperation beyond the holy dollar - businesses changing their profit models away from growth only. And people honoring the planet beyond a blind consumerist and throw away culture. Rome's teachings waiting to be implemented globally...
Amazon.com
Everybody knows the Dark Ages weren't really dark, right? Not so fast, counters archaeological journalist David Keys, maybe it's more than just a slightly judgmental metaphor. His book Catastrophe: An Investigation into the Origins of the Modern World, based on years of careful research spanning five continents, argues that sometime in A.D. 535, a worldwide disaster struck and uprooted nearly every culture then extant. Given contemporary reports of the sun being blotted out or weakened for nearly a year and a half, followed by famine, drought, and plague, it's hard not to think that so many reports from all over the world must be related.
Keys shows a keen grasp of both the written historical record from Asia, Africa, and Europe and the archaeological evidence from the Americas, and tells many tales of great havoc destroying old empires and laying the ground for new ones. Rome may have fallen, but Spain, England, and France rose in its place, while farther east, Japan and China each unified and gained strength after the chaos. Could an enormous volcanic eruption have had such influence on the world as a whole, and could the same thing happen tomorrow? Catastrophe makes no predictions, but leaves the reader with a new sense of history, nature, and destiny. --Rob Lightner
Book Description
It was a catastrophe without precedent in recorded history: for months on end, starting in A.D. 535, a strange, dusky haze robbed much of the earth of normal sunlight. Crops failed in Asia and the Middle East as global weather patterns radically altered. Bubonic plague, exploding out of Africa, wiped out entire populations in Europe. Flood and drought brought ancient cultures to the brink of collapse. In a matter of decades, the old order died and a new world—essentially the modern world as we know it today—began to emerge.
In this fascinating, groundbreaking, totally accessible book, archaeological journalist David Keys dramatically reconstructs the global chain of revolutions that began in the catastrophe of A.D. 535, then offers a definitive explanation of how and why this cataclysm occurred on that momentous day centuries ago.
The Roman Empire, the greatest power in Europe and the Middle East for centuries, lost half its territory in the century following the catastrophe. During the exact same period, the ancient southern Chinese state, weakened by economic turmoil, succumbed to invaders from the north, and a single unified China was born. Meanwhile, as restless tribes swept down from the central Asian steppes, a new religion known as Islam spread through the Middle East. As Keys demonstrates with compelling originality and authoritative research, these were not isolated upheavals but linked events arising from the same cause and rippling around the world like an enormous tidal wave.
Keys's narrative circles the globe as he identifies the eerie fallout from the months of darkness: unprecedented drought in Central America, a strange yellow dust drifting like snow over eastern Asia, prolonged famine, and the hideous pandemic of the bubonic plague. With a superb command of ancient literatures and historical records, Keys makes hitherto unrecognized connections between the "wasteland" that overspread the British countryside and the fall of the great pyramid-building Teotihuacan civilization in Mexico, between a little-known "Jewish empire" in Eastern Europe and the rise of the Japanese nation-state, between storms in France and pestilence in Ireland.
In the book's final chapters, Keys delves into the mystery at the heart of this global catastrophe: Why did it happen? The answer, at once surprising and definitive, holds chilling implications for our own precarious geopolitical future. Wide-ranging in its scholarship, written with flair and passion, filled with original insights, Catastrophe is a superb synthesis of history, science, and cultural interpretation.
Download Description
In A.D. 535-536, a climatic catastrophe occurred. It was of such mammoth proportions, it blotted out much of the heat and light of the sun for eighteen months and resulted -- directly or indirectly -- in climatic chaos, famine, migration, war, and massive political change on every continent. In other words, it altered history.
In this breakthrough examination, British archaeological journalist David Keys traces the identity and roots of this catastrophe -- continent by continent and virtually country by country -- showing how it is directly linked to the development of our modern world. The Plague, the rise of Islam, the fall of the Roman Empire, the movement of Asiatic tribes, the beginnings of the great South American empires -- Keys connects all these events that have previously been considered separate and shows us the far-reaching effects of incidents that first appear only localized. He makes us see history in holistic terms, as an integrated, planet-wide phenomenon.
In this fascinating, impeccably researched, and accessible book, Keys's innovative conclusions demonstrate how closely entwined global events truly are, and prove we must change the way we look at our past -- and thus, our future.
Customer Reviews:
My 100-word book review.......2007-03-28
In Catastrophe, author David Keys builds a convincing case for sudden climate change having occurred in the early 6th century, an abrupt dip in worldwide temperatures that would have had massive long-term consequences for civilisations all over the globe. Results could have included the weakening of the Byzantines, the downfall of Teotihuacan and the rise of Islam. This is a fascinating book, and the author's identification of a super volcano as the culprit is highly plausible. However, I think Keys possibly over-estimates this event as a shaper of our modern world, given the existence of so many other important factors.
A truly fascinating history.......2006-12-14
This is truly one of the most fascinating theories in ancient history. A volcano that shaped the modern world by forcing the migration of the huns, the crop failures in the Middle East that led to the rise of Islam and the start of the barbarian migrations towards Rome. It is almost too hard to summarize but if you believe that climate can change history than this is the book that will provide excellent evidence on that idea. Truly a masterpiece of an idea.
Looking for a catstrophe?.......2006-09-12
How much of human history has been shaped by catastrophic events? This exhaustively researched document seems like a natural place to find the answer. Unfortunately, the author's fascination with lurid details of human torture and dismemberment caused me to put the book down after just 60 blood-soaked pages. It's pretty clear that Mr. Key's interests in history do not run parallel to my own. I also found myself wondering about Key's qualifications as "Archaeological Journalist." I guess there are plenty of people who like reading tabloid-style history, and good luck to them, but I much prefer a calmer and scientific perspective of Derek Ager, in his book "The New Catastrophism, The Importance of the Rare Event in Geological History." -- Auralgo
FORCED CONCLUSIONS?.......2006-03-12
Mr. Key's authoritative research created a unique and new approach to the writing of history. His synthesis of science, culture and history was informative and entertaining. He identifies the volcanic eruption between Sumatra and Java in 535 that led to a climatic disaster that he believes helped create the modern world. He did convince this reader that the "Dark Ages were more literal than figurative." However, many of his historical conclusions were overstated. Chapters 19-29 lacked a depth of evidence and were too speculative. His constant use of words like "undoubtedly" made the reader question if he truly beleived his entire thesis? I concluded that he was at most one third correct, but ended in disagreeing that climate changes "alone" caused the birth of the modern world. I give it 4 stars for effort, but only 3 in its totality.
Interesting, relevant, but sometimes a bit stretched........2005-06-28
For the most part I found this book to be enjoyable, but it seems that Keys attempted in some areas to force his conclusion. Also, the same arguement seemed to be repeated far too often. Although I liked that the evidence of climate change was presented for essentially the entire planet, the conclusions at the end of each civilization were repetitive, simply restating the same thing (although, I suppose that was the point). I began to lose patience about 1/3 way through the book, but was able to persist through the conclusion. Perhaps it would have been better had Keys not spent so much time on minutae of Roman history and decline and had moved through the evidence quicker. The latter chapters on Asian and American experience were a little faster reading, likely due to the lack of minutae, largely due to the lack of records from which Keys could draw on. The final arguement on the causes of so much misfortune was compelling, but also left me feeling like our participation in the environment may all be for naught, since the Yellowstone caldera could explode at any moment, wiping us all out. I could not determine if this book wanted to be a book about climate change, history, or science.
Book Description
From Copernicus to Darwin, to current-day thinkers, scientists have always promoted theories and unveiled discoveries that challenge everything society holds dear; ideas with both positive and dire consequences. Many thoughts that resonate today are dangerous not because they are assumed to be false, but because they might turn out to be true.
What do the world's leading scientists and thinkers consider to be their most dangerous idea? Through the leading online forum Edge (www.edge.org), the call went out, and this compelling and easily digestible volume collects the answers. From using medication to permanently alter our personalities to contemplating a universe in which we are utterly alone, to the idea that the universe might be fundamentally inexplicable, What Is Your Dangerous Idea? takes an unflinching look at the daring, breathtaking, sometimes terrifying thoughts that could forever alter our world and the way we live in it.
Customer Reviews:
From the brilliant and interesting to the trite and idiotic .......2007-09-17
This yearly gathering of the superbrights has John Brockman asking a question raised by Steven Pinker,"What is your most dangerous idea?" Brockman seems to feel that the answers when taken together point to a wholly new understanding of what everything is all about. Here is his prefatory hype to the volume:
"Something radically new is in the air: new ways of understanding physical systems, new ways of thinking about thinking that call into question many of our basic assumptions. A realistic biology of the mind, advances in evolutionary biology, physics, information technology, genetics, neurobiology, psychology, engineering, the chemistry of materials: all are questions of critical importance with respect to what it means to be human. For the first time, we have the tools and the will to undertake the scientific study of human nature."
Brockman suggests the volume contains "a new natural philosophy, founded on the realization of the import of complexity, of evolution. Very complex systems -- whether organisms, brains, the biosphere, or the universe itself -- were not constructed by design; all have evolved. There is a new set of metaphors to describe ourselves, our minds, the universe, and all of the things we know in it."
My own sense is that Brockman is selling the volume a bit strongly. It is true that it is filled with all kinds of fascinating ideas. But it offers nothing like a coherent picture of a new emerging generally accepted understanding of human nature. And this though there are tremendous breakthroughs in genetics and these are fueling what will most likely be revolutionary transformations in the human situation.
Clearly there are a lot of very interesting ideas in this volume. There are too plenty of trite and excuse me for this one , even stupid suggestions. What are we to make of Michael Shermer's simplistic suggestion that when there is an open- border and free trade , in other words a real opportunity for economic connection between peoples there will necessarily emerge peaceful relations between them? Has he been to the Middle East lately? Or of Irene Pepperberg's strange suggestion that when we come down to it in the end the distinctions between humans and the rest of the animal kingdom will be 'only quantitative and not qualitative' in other words that chimps and bonobos will be writing 'Hamlet' and the blue- whales and dolphins sending signals to discover whether there is anyone else out there in the Universe capable of signaling back to us? or Rudy Rucker's idea that really every little plant despite its lack of a nervous system has within it a kind of noetic sense , a kind of mind enfolding through it?
Pinker himself presents what he clearly thinks is an astounding and dangerous idea i.e that there are genetic and temperamental difference between various human collectives which are real. This idea is a 'dangerous one' only for the politically correct, and not for those who have been looking with common sense at the way various groups of people have acted historically and are acting now in the world.
Despite this bit of sour grapes on my part I highly recommend the volume for its richness of ideas, many of which will be, however knowledgeable the reader, new and inspiring.
Dangerous Ideas?.......2007-09-12
Ever wanted to go to a conference and hear 25 of the top people in their fields talk about what's on their minds? This book does exactly that, and saves you all the aggravation of travel and lodging. You might be surprised how hard it is to put this book down--unlike actual conferences, where so many speakers take forever to get around to something really surprising...
Easy read.......2007-07-24
Because this book is a compilation of essays, it is an extremely quick read. Every few pages it jumps to another author's ideas and this is excellent for keeping your attention. The essays themselves are (for the most part) thought provoking and unique.
I'll have to read it again.......2007-07-08
They shied away from dangerous ideas that are inflamatory and antisocial. I was hoping to see some of those.
I liked the idea that there is no such thing as a soul; meaning no such thing as life after death. It was pointed out that 90% of Americans believe in life after death. Now what would happen if 90% of Americans believed that there was no such thing as life after death? For one, no one would join the army to be sacrificed for the government in voluntary foreign wars, be it Iraq or Afganistan; or would join to fight future foreign wars (Cuba? Venezuaela? North Korea? Iran?, et al.).
A Little Gem.......2007-07-05
This book is sort of like a good starting point. These little nugget-ideas are a great place to start a good conversation. Some ideas are far more "dangerous" then others, but it is well worth the read.
Not sure what the editor used for the criteria of ideas, as they are loosely grouped around a few big themes. Some are very funny, a few slightly disturbing, but a good and fun read throughout. Nothing to deeply explored, just enough to spark conversation or an exploration.
If you're a bit of cynic, give it to those of your friends who might be bit close-minded and watch the reaction to some of the ideas. It will make for an entertaining evening.
Book Description
Most general histories of technology are Eurocentrist, focusing on a main line of Western technology that stretches from the Greeks is through the computer. In this very different book, Arnold Pacey takes a global view, placing the development of technology squarely in a "world civilization." He portrays the process as a complex dialectic by which inventions borrowed from one culture are adopted to suit another.
Arnold Pacey is a physicist turned historian whose publications have contributed to the British appropriate-technology movement. He has written widely on science, technology, and agriculture. His previous books include The Maze of Ingenuity and The Culture of Technology.
Customer Reviews:
Technology in World Civilization: A thousand-Year History.......2006-11-10
This book is full of information relating to old technology. I would recomend it, for any one studing Engerineering. I also feel it is relevant to anyone learning about history.
World History AP class.......2006-11-06
I had a choice to read one out of five books for my AP World History Class and I thought I made a pretty good choice. When I saw what books my friends chose, I was very happy I chose this book. Technology in World Civilization does not use complex vocabulary- so I found it easier to follow. It isn't that long- 250 pages. It also has a interesting drawings (they take up pages!). However, this book is very hard to write an essay on because it is pretty much just facts. Overall, it is a good book to choose for an AP World History class, but would not recommend for "fun".
Technology is a big picture issue.......2005-08-12
The book is wonderful and has technology broken down into time periods. It starts with Asian technology 700CE-1100CE, Mongols, ands it ends with the 20th century. It is illustrated for nearly every invention. The illustrations show the invention as it is used in a society. You see people in costume as well as the invention. It is certainly a disussion starter. It is a must for every AP World History teacher as well as the casual historian
Great Information.......2004-09-03
This book is one of those books that takes time to seep in. It is very well and formally written. Very advanced thinking involved. The thing about this book is that it is more about technological dialogue and interaction more than the actual technology. That is why it is so great for AP World History classes. I found that the book can make you just want to skim over and not read the whole thing because it is just compact and concrete so it is hard to take in alot at one time. The book should be read slowly and having an open mind. The information in the book is just great, it goes over the more important ways societies rose and fell. Very helpful for people taking classes or just wanting to know where technology developed from.
Hello! What about the S. American potato plant!?.......2003-06-28
The book's a great resource if you're a Marco Polo fan BUT..
Doesn't he know that the Industrial Revolution was caused by the POTATO PLANT which was cultivated by the Aymara Indians in present-day Peru?
The potato plant allowed European wheat-grinding mills to be converted to textile mills and a mere 300 years later, Europe had nuclear reactors.
The Ancient Greeks had the steam engine! Heron of Alexandria called his invention an "aeolopile". But Pacey didn't explain why Ancient Greece had no Industrial Revolution.
Pacey is a physicist. Maybe he knows if the Ancient Greeks had an Industrial Revolution in some Parallel Universe.
Book Description
Mark Kurlansky, the bestselling author of Cod and The Basque History of the World, here turns his attention to a common household item with a long and intriguing history: salt. The only rock we eat, salt has shaped civilization from the very beginning, and its story is a glittering, often surprising part of the history of humankind. A substance so valuable it served as currency, salt has influenced the establishment of trade routes and cities, provoked and financed wars, secured empires, and inspired revolutions. Populated by colorful characters and filled with an unending series of fascinating details, Kurlansky's kaleidoscopic history is a supremely entertaining, multi-layered masterpiece.
Customer Reviews:
A Whirlwind Tour of One of Mankind's Most Important Products!.......2007-09-23
This is a whirlwind historial tour of one of civilizations most important products!
A sustance so valuable, salt has served as currency, influenced the establishment of trade routes and cities, provoked and financed wars, secured empires, and inspired revolutions.
The United States is both the largest producer of salt in the world and the largest consumer. It produceds more than 40 million metric tons, earning more than $1 billion in sales revenues.
Author Mark Kurlansky writes that fashionable people are divided into two camps. The first is passionate about staying healthy and eating less salt. The second is pasionate about salt.
Like all his books, Kurlansky's "Salt" is endlessly interesting and informative.
Exceptional non-fiction.......2007-09-09
I read very little non-fiction, but this book was so full of interesting facts that it was almost impossible to put down. Kurlansky's account of mankind's quest for salt and the commerce it created is indeed a mini-history of civilization. The book is well written, easy to read, and holds the reader's interest from first page to last. I found myself reaching for it again and again to find out what happens next. Who would have dreamed that a common every-day product that we take for granted could have such a rich, varied history? Kurlansky did a wonderful job!
Throw It Over Your Left Shoulder!.......2007-08-28
Salt is a great subject for a book. Everyone is familiar with salt. It complements the flavor of food (as with French fries). It can be used to preserve foods (salted fish for example). It can be used to process foods (such as cheeses). It can be found in salt mines and in the evaporation of salt water. It is a commodity that can be bought and sold. It can be taxed by the government. And it can be exaggerated.
I'll give just one example. Midway through the book, the author states, "The history of the Americas is one of constant warfare over salt. Whoever controlled salt was in power." Think about that! The Declaration of Independence? -- Salt. The American Revolution? -- Salt. The Whiskey Rebellion? -- Salt. The War of 1812? -- Salt. The Mexican War? -- Salt. At least he did not say, "Give me liberty or give me salt!" Nonetheless, continued overreaching and exaggeration render the author's opinions unreliable and completely undercut the appearance of meticulous research. It is not long before the reader hears a voice in the back of his/her mind repeatedly saying, "I wonder if that is true?"
The book recites many interesting stories and presents novel perspectives of the role of salt in human society. However, as noted by many prior reviewers, the deficiencies of lack of organization, statements that are scientifically suspect and lack of historical reliability greatly detract from the potential of the subject matter. It is not a waste of time but there are better books out there.
An extraordinary read..........2007-08-15
Among the most thought-provoking books I have read...the impact of salt upon history is extraordinary.
A must-read for foodies and non-academic history buffs.......2007-08-11
I bought this book after it was recommended to me by a professor in a food-writing course. It sat on the shelf for more than a semester, as I had a full stack of books to get through for class. Then this summer a chef friend of mine finished it in about a day and started raving to me about it, so I figured it was time to crack it open.
It is one of the few books in the last year that I could not put down. I normally read several books at a time, skipping from one to another as my interest waxes and wanes. I finished this book in three days, and would have done so much faster if not for classes. Kurlansky's style is attention grabbing and well structured, and he kept me wondering where his narrative history of salt was headed next.
This book is an epicurean's history of the world, and as the title of my review states, I would recommend it to just about any fan of good food. It may not match up to the exhaustive standards of the work of strictly academic historians: but if it did, it would not be nearly as fun a read.
Kurlansky's research into Chinese salt practices was especially fascinating to me, and I have the feeling that with his skill he could devote an entire volume to that topic. I look forward to reading his book 'Cod', and anything else he writes.
Book Description
Smart Mobs takes us on a journey around the world for a preview of the next techno-cultural shift. The coming wave, says Rheingold, is the result of super-efficient mobile communications-cellular phones, wireless-paging, and Internet-access devices-that will allow us to connect with anyone, anytime, anywhere.
Rheingold offers a penetrating perspective on the new convergence of pop culture, cutting-edge technology, and social activism. He also reminds us that the real impact of mobile communications will come not from the technology itself but from how people use it, resist it, and adapt to it.
Customer Reviews:
incohesive writing.......2006-01-20
This book suffers from incohesive writing and lacks a clear framework that covers the theme of smart mobs. The sequence of chapters does not provide a progressive build-up of a framework of any sort. Even more, the sequence inside each chapter does not carry the reader towards any defined theme. On one section the author describes teenagers in Finland sending text messages, then he jumps to his meeting with a company executive, then jumps to describing the mobile phone standards in Europe, etc.
The only common thread among sections in chapters and among the chapters is the smart mobs theme, obviously, but the author does not break down clearly this central theme into its parts. This makes for a very confusing and bothersome reading.
A whirlwind tour through the world next year........2005-10-09
Howard Rheingold has excellent credentials to write this book through his long involvement at Wired magazine. He blends an effervescent interest in smart new gadgetry (point your phone-cam at some foreign signwriting and have it translated into your own language) with a thirsty desire to understand what it means to our society. To hunt down the story he structures the narrative in a breathtaking first-person style that takes us from Shibuya Station in Tokyo to the wireless capital of the world, Helsinki, and then back across the Atlantic to Bell Laboratories - and beyond.
Clearly our society has been undergoing massive underlying change since the advent of the internet and mobile phones - but few writers have really grappled with the wider implications. If, as McLuhan said, the Medium is the Message then wireless technology provides a medium that totally re-engineers the way people can interact with their physical and social environment.
Rheingold calls on dramatic examples of how individuals, wireless and mobile, can outwit the top down forces of the establishment - for example in the World Trade protests at Seattle, and political protests in the Philippines. He uses these as a metaphor for how the top-down 20th Century style organisations, political, industrial or media are increasingly out of step in the mobile age. Rheingold looks to young urban people - urban tribes if you like - as a bellwether to tomorrow's society.
I loved this book. The writing is sharp, the insights deep and Rheingold's ability to take us into the labs of tomorrow a real treat. I strongly recommend it.
Smart Mobs. Smarter Marketers........2004-09-08
The cool thing about "Smart Mobs" is that it's really happening. People are behaving in "linked" ways that transcend the obvious demographic definitions of groups we typically think of as "behaving in unison." As technology and the infrastructure arriving with it enable increasingly extemporaneous networks between people, marketers are similarly challenged to reach outside of traditional mass channels. Howard Rheingold brings us a really nice set of actual examples--combined with his own unique insights--that provide the basis for next-generation communications strategies as what had been cohesive groups fragment into a foam of indivduals united (only) by this moments current interest and the task at hand. For marketers, it's a great read...and a big clue. Anyway, I liked it.
Remote Control To The World.......2004-04-08
How many of you recall that EF Hutton commercial that started off by saying, "When EF Hutton talks, people listen". The same thought can be applied to Howard Rheingold.
Rheingold is veteran technology watcher and well-publised futurist. He has identified yet another transformative technology. In 'Smart Mobs' he describes in vivid detail how large, geographically dispersed groups connected only by thin threads of communications techology, such as text messaging, e-mail, cell phones, two-way pagers, and web sites, can draw together in the blink of an eye, groups of people together for a collective cause.
From various parts of the world, Rheingold, has gathered stories about engineers and inventors of all sorts, working feverishly to create ever-smaller and more powerful devices that contribute to this new paradigm.
In this book,Rheingold points out examples of Smart Mobs such as the swarms of demonstrators who used mobile phones, Web sites, laptops and handheld computers to coordinate their protests against the World Trade Organization in November of 1999.
Rheingold shows a concern of smart mobs other than describing the weath of new communications technology that is available and coming. He is also concerned about the social, political, economic, environmental and even genetic consequences of the ever-expanding and more intrusive plethora of multidirectional communications technology.
This book is a must read.
Keen on Smart Mobs.......2004-04-07
As one who needed a basic primer on various areas of technology--past, present, and future--and their implications for the human being, I found "Smart Mobs" to be both helpful and conversational. Rheingold's journalistic style kept the topics easy to understand, interesting to read, and fairly light hearted in spite of some rather daunting conclusions that one could draw from his research. As well, those who want to delve further into the various topics discussed will find his endnotes quite helpful--annotated are works from a number of key figures who a) are making, or have made, breakthroughs in technology, or b) provided insightful critiques on those breakthroughs. I found that engaging in "Smart Mobs" opened the door to further research and understanding of this seemingly complex and very progressive area of study.
Book Description
Once seen as a collection of individual components, nature is now regarded as a unified system—a biosphere that permeates the Earth’s waters and extends from parts of its crust up into the atmosphere.
In Cycles of Life, Vaclav Smil describes current efforts to take into account the complex interplay of living organisms and environmental changes that shape the functioning of biogeochemical cycles. He focuses on the effects of human interference in these cycles caused by actions ranging from the combustion of fossil fuels to feeding a growing population. As we discover how intricate biospheric cycles are, and see the large-scale consequences that a seemingly local change can have, we realize the valuable contributions biogeochemical studies can make to the future of our planet.
Based on the latest scientific research, Cycles of Life is an authoritative introduction to the workings of the biosphere, one that emphatically calls for thoughtful environmental management, yet remains sensible in its recommendations for preventing further environmental damage.
Customer Reviews:
Fascinating.......2006-01-12
I found this book (2 ed. Scientific American 2001) to be easily readable, and while the general thrust of the work may be about the greenhouse effect that is not the main topic. Rather, the book focuses on exploring the flows of major substances in the environment e.g; carbon, nitrogen, water and phosphorous. I've loaned this book and and it was greatly appreciated there too. Alas, it seems it can be difficult to go back and reference material; the index is a bit skimpy and the text arrangement works well for reading but may only allow you to find the general section of what you are looking for.
The background to the "Greenhouse Effect".......1998-04-17
This book gives the reader the background to consider the "Greenhouse Effect" and all its ramifications in a serious way. Very good reading and very thought provoking.
Books:
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper: 6th Edition (How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper (Day))
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- History: Fiction or Science
- Detoxification - All you need to know to recharge, renew and rejuvenate your body, mind and spirit!
- Bret Harte's Gold Rush: Outcasts of Poker Flat, the Luck of Roaring Camp, Tennessee's Partner, &
- Bonsai: Escultura Y Naturaleza
- Cartoon Guide to Statistics
- Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning
- Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning
- Signal Design for Good Correlation: For Wireless Communication, Cryptography, and Radar
- Anthony Crosland: The Mixed Economy
- Love and Valor : Intimate Civil War Letters Between Captain Jacob and Emeline Ritner
Early Civilization
| Ancient
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Collapse
The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal (P.S.)
Guns, Germs, and Steel
![Freakonomics [Revised and Expanded]: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/0061234001.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
Freakonomics [Revised and Expanded]: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
Why Is Sex Fun?: The Evolution of Human Sexuality (Science Masters)
