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.

Catastrophe: An Investigation into the Origins of Modern Civilization

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My 100-word book review
A truly fascinating history
Looking for a catstrophe?
FORCED CONCLUSIONS?
Interesting, relevant, but sometimes a bit stretched.

Catastrophe: An Investigation into the Origins of Modern Civilization
David Keys
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0345408764
Release Date: 2000-02-01

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.

The First Three Minutes: A Modern View of the Origin of the Universe

Average customer rating:

A book that satisfies no one.
Steven Weinberg: Nobel leaureate and biographer of nature
Have to disagree
Failure to Planck?!
A Classic--Any Edition

The First Three Minutes: A Modern View of the Origin of the Universe
Steven Weinberg
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0465024378

Book Description

The classic of contemporary science writing by a Nobel Prize-winning physicist explains what happened when the universe began, and how we know.

Customer Reviews:

A book that satisfies no one........2007-07-30

There's no questioning Weinberg's knowledge, but he doesn't present it well. This is a book that, unfortunately, can't satisfy anyone: it's too technical for the lay reader, too simplified for the scientist. It's also thirty years old, and a lot has happened in cosmology since. For those looking for just an overview of the history and science, try Timothy Ferris, Brian Greene, or Stephen Hawking.

Steven Weinberg: Nobel leaureate and biographer of nature.......2007-07-04

In 1979 Steven Weinberg was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics.

This book is his 1976 take on the origins of the universe.

To understand why Weinberg was honored we need to understand first how nature is organized. As it stands, there are four fundamental forces in nature:

1) Gravity -- best described by Albert Einstein in his 1916 general theory of relativity -- gravity is the property massive objects have to distort the contours of space time itself.

2) The strong nuclear force -- which operates to hold the nucleus of all atoms together.

3) Electromagnatism --still best described by James Clerk Maxell over 100 years ago whose unification of electricity and magnetism actually prompted the likes of Albert Einstein to his turn of the 20th century discoveries.

4) The weak nuclear force -- which operates among leptons.

It was these last two forces that Weinberg preseciently forecast the unification of in 1971 and for which he won the Nobel prize.

As has been rightly pointed out by other reviewers, this book is a democartically short 149 pages making it accessible, well, to anyone, willing to take the time to read them.

And in exchange for that time, one is rewarded with Weinberg's then existing take on the origins of the universe (most of which still holds up) as well as is thoughts on the direction of physics itself.

Long story short: Weinberg said that the Big Bang was like a great freezing which hid the original constituent elements of nature in a great phase transition. So just trying to infer which atoms went where in a glass of water from their current status as ice cubes we're necessarily a little at a loss trying to figure out what todays hadrons were doing prior to the end of the first billionth of second after the Big Bang.

Interestingly enough Weinberg's bottom line remains todays bottom line: we don't know.

Have to disagree.......2006-11-21

This is NOT a book for non-physicists. I have a doctorate in Dentistry and began reading the book, thinking it would become less obtuse. Ten pages later, I resorted to flipping each page in the hope that I would find something that made sense to a "layman"...no such luck. It could have been written in a medieval Persian language and I would have learned as much from it.

Failure to Planck?!.......2006-11-15

Steven Weinberg is without a doubt the closet thing
we have to a Newton or Einstein alive today.
But he isn't perfect as much as his books are almost required reading in physics!
This popularization was imitated by others...
Weinberg made the big bang go off in modern times.
But he fails to mention a basic in modern cosmology:
the Planck scale.

A Classic--Any Edition.......2006-04-18

True that the first version of this book--appeard some time ago, that does not diminish its usefulness to the layman or person interested in the history of the popularization of cosmology--which is a steady business with many competitors.

To find one such book so clearly written is valuable in itself, even as a landmark in this stream of such publications. As such, it belongs on any amateur astronomer's bookshelf, as well as any true scholar who wishes to place more recent findings in their appropriate context. I can add one personal note, my father, Dr. Ralph A. Alpher, commented to me when Dr. Weinberg's book appeared that this was the first book to have the history of cosmology through 1977 "right." And he was in a position to know...on that basis alone, I'll recommend it--if you can find the early paperback edition, it is a fun and short read, also.

Highly recommended!

Cannibals and Kings: Origins of Cultures

Average customer rating:

A classic!
I Liked It!
Why Read Fiction?
A contribution to cultural anthropology...
Cannibals and Kings: A Disorganized View of Culture

Cannibals and Kings: Origins of Cultures
Marvin Harris
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 067972849X
Release Date: 1991-06-04

Book Description

In this brilliant and profound study the distinguished American anthropologist Marvin Harris shows how the endless varieties of cultural behavior -- often so puzzling at first glance -- can be explained as adaptations to particular ecological conditions. His aim is to account for the evolution of cultural forms as Darwin accounted for the evolution of biological forms: to show how cultures adopt their characteristic forms in response to changing ecological modes.

"[A] magisterial interpretation of the rise and fall of human cultures and societies."

-- Robert Lekachman, Washington Post Book World

"Its persuasive arguments asserting the primacy of cultural rather than genetic or psychological factors in human life deserve the widest possible audience."

-- Gloria Levitas The New Leader

"[An] original and...urgent theory about the nature of man and at the reason that human cultures take so many diverse shapes."

-- The New Yorker

"Lively and controversial."

-- I. Bernard Cohen, front page, The New York Times Book Review

Customer Reviews:

A classic!.......2007-03-01

Great work in the realm of cultural materialism.

A very good toss into Dr. Harris.

I Liked It!.......2006-11-10

I had to read this book for a class and I was plesently surprised. The author brings up some interesting topics that really make you think.

Why Read Fiction?.......2006-08-26

Marvin Harris' "Cannibals and Kings" is one of those classic anthropological, historical studies that makes reading non fiction fun. The phenomenon of solving riddles of humanity with a smile on your face, constantly nodding and saying stuff like "yeah that makes sense" and "damn this guys good" begs the question: Why care about Harry Potter? While Harris is more theatrical and less scientific in nature than predecessor's like Jared Diamond, the sheer wit of his arguments will move you. Furthermore unlike reading most fiction, during "Cannibals and Kings" you really are growing sager with each turn of the page. So if you're looking for a practical understanding of human evolution that's more entertaining than fiction then buy this book.

A contribution to cultural anthropology..........2005-05-08

I had to read this book for my introduction to cultural anthropology class last semester. Though I found parts of it to be dry, the work as a whole was eye opening. It does a good job of identifying patterns and evaluating the evolution of civilizations from hunting to aggrerian to imperialist societies, and onward.

However, I felt that Harris took a very naturalistic approach and underestimated the power of free will. He described everything as being systematic and, although he mentions free will in his conclusion, makes the evolution of civilization seem controlled solely by circumstance and necessity.

Nevertheless, he provides a plausible explanation for why civilizations evolve the way they do and why some advance faster or in different ways than others. I recommend this book for those interested in a possible explanation of cultural evolution. For those looking for a more introductory book to cultural anthropology that covers more ground (but is more brief), I recommend "Culture as Given, Culture as Choice" by Van Der Elst.

Cannibals and Kings: A Disorganized View of Culture.......2001-01-22

This book focused on several of the components of culture. It was disorganized because there is little continuity between topics and the general theme is that resources produce cultures. Complicated at times, the book was not difficult to read, but tedious. Another problem with Cannibals and Kings is its focus on female infanticide. It never clearly described why exactly females were killed insted of males. It answers the title by describing why there are/were cannibals in the world and later talk about kings and how kingdoms evolved. This book does give the reader a better understanding of how civilizations formed. The conclusion was inconclusive at best. The Epilogue explains that unless technology improves, the living standard will inevitably fall. Although this may be true, it does not account whether this will be true for the western world only or for the third world or both. This book is worth reading to get a better understanding of the connection between supply and demand and why cultures evolved.

The Origins of the Cold War, 1941 - 1949, Third Edition

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The Origins of the Cold War, 1941 - 1949, Third Edition
Martin McCauley
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0582772842

Book Description

Origins of the Cold War, Third Edition covers the formative years of the extraordinary struggle between the Soviet Union and the United States, explaining how the cold war originated and developed. It sets out the various different explanations for the Cold War and unravels some of the complex issues which gave rise to it. Explores several questions, including, who was responsible for the Cold War, was it inevitable or could the whole episode have been avoided, and was Stalin genuinely interested in a post-war agreement? Revised, updated and expanded, this new edition in the Seminar Studies in History Series incorporates the most recent scholarship, theories and newly released information to provide an invaluable introduction. For readers interested in the World since 1945 and International relations during the Cold War period.

WHERE WIZARDS STAY UP LATE: The Origins Of The Internet

Average customer rating:

Great history of the Arpanet!
EXCELLENT!!!!
A good look into the past
Those who can't learn from the history are doomed to repeat it
A Competent Account

WHERE WIZARDS STAY UP LATE: The Origins Of The Internet
Katie Hafner , and Matthew Lyon
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0684812010

Amazon.com

Considering that the history of the Internet is perhaps better documented internally than any other technological construct, it is remarkable how shadowy its origins have been to most people, including die-hard Net-denizens!

At last, Hafner and Lyon have written a well-researched story of the origins of the Internet substantiated by extensive interviews with its creators who delve into many interesting details such as the controversy surrounding the adoption of our now beloved "@" sign as the separator of usernames and machine addresses. Essential reading for anyone interested in the past -- and the future -- of the Net specifically, and telecommunications generally.

Book Description

Twenty five years ago, it didn't exist. Today, twenty million people worldwide are surfing the Net. Where Wizards Stay Up Late is the exciting story of the pioneers responsible for creating the most talked about, most influential, and most far-reaching communications breakthrough since the invention of the telephone.

In the 1960's, when computers where regarded as mere giant calculators, J.C.R. Licklider at MIT saw them as the ultimate communications devices. With Defense Department funds, he and a band of visionary computer whizzes began work on a nationwide, interlocking network of computers. Taking readers behind the scenes, Where Wizards Stay Up Late captures the hard work, genius, and happy accidents of their daring, stunningly successful venture.

Download Description

Twenty five years ago, it didn't exist. Today, twenty million people worldwide are surfing the Net. "Where Wizards Stay Up Late" is the exciting story of the pioneers responsible for creating the most talked about, most influential, and most far-reaching communications breakthrough since the invention of the telephone. In the 1960's, when computers where regarded as mere giant calculators, J.C.R. Licklider at MIT saw them as the ultimate communications devices. With Defense Department funds, he and a band of visionary computer whizzes began work on a nationwide, interlocking network of computers. Taking readers behind the scenes, "Where Wizards Stay Up Late" captures the hard work, genius, and happy accidents of their daring, stunningly successful venture.

Customer Reviews:

Great history of the Arpanet!.......2007-08-29

Had a lot of fun reading this book; highly recommended.

We all use the Internet; let's learn how it all started.

EXCELLENT!!!!.......2007-08-18

I wanted to learn where the Internet/internet came from and associated technologies/standards, etc. This book is superb!

I read this concurrently with the nerds 2.0.1 videos and it was nice to put faces to names though the book does have some photos. The last 3 or 4 chapters in particular really sum up the formation of the internet as the first several chapters are really only about ARPA and the ARPAnet; which inspires everything that is to come.

Overall, this is one of the most complete and easily read books I have come across. The reader who only elected to rate this book 1-star certainly isn't in to computers/Internet or too young to appreciate the history of how their cell phone works, their email works, or why their friends can upload comments for his MySpace page.

If you want to get a whirlwind education in why we are where we are with the Information/Internet revolution then this is the book to read.

A good look into the past.......2007-07-28

Where Wizards Stay Up Late is a good look at the politics, and background that have become the Internet we use today. Contrary to popular belief, Al Gore did not start the Internet. In fact, the book uses the word 'internetting' to refer to an international work group designed to help computers all over the world connect to each other in the mid-late 1970s.
The book goes in depth and covers all of the interesting bits that concern the creation of the ARPANET.

Those who can't learn from the history are doomed to repeat it.......2007-03-01

The book is good view on the origins of the Internet and in particularly it gives insights into the hardship of working with guilded way of protectionism done by the Telecommunication entities. It shows how the Internet has always been tried to bind into the semantics of Telephones and Telecommunications and how this has always spelled disaster to the further development.

A Competent Account.......2006-10-23

Where Wizards Stay Up Late is a competent, if slightly dry, account of the development of the ARPANET. I live for this kind of stuff, but Hafner fails to ever really engage me in the story - I found that I was plowing through the text as opposed to devouring it. As a history text, though, I was impressed with the even-handed, no-hype account.

Too regularly do authors of computer history suffer from hero-worship and "religious" dogma - their personal opinions coloring the story, till its credibility is at best strained (if not broken). Hafner does not fall into this trap - if she worships anyone or holds any personal religious leanings, none of it shows in the account. The writing is clear and technical without being unreadable by a layperson. Overall, there is a lot to recommend this book.

Unfortunately, as mentioned above, I found the story to be dry and frequently bogged down. Hafner may actually have overdone the evenhandedness of the account - I felt little passion for the subject, and consequently was not drawn into the text. At the end, I felt more knowledgable about the subject, but not any more interested. A good historical account, but a less-than-enjoyable read.

The Royal Navy and Nazi Germany, 1933-39: A Study in Appeasement and the Origins of the Second World War (Studies in Military & Strategic History)

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A superior book

The Royal Navy and Nazi Germany, 1933-39: A Study in Appeasement and the Origins of the Second World War (Studies in Military & Strategic History)
Joseph A. Maiolo
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312214561

Book Description

This book is an original study of the Royal Navy's response to the rise of the German navy under Hitler within the context of the ongoing debate about Anglo-German relations and the origins of the Second World War. Drawing on wide range of sources, the author casts new light on the diplomacy leading to the Anglo-German Naval Agreements of June 1935 and July 1937, and explores the crucial connections between naval intelligence, war planning and Admiralty policy. The author suggests that the Admiralty's response to the Nazi menace was far more rational and more complex than previous studies suggest.

Customer Reviews:

A superior book.......2007-06-12

Joe Maiolo really got the ball rolling with this book. Andrew Gordon's 1988 book on Rearmament and the Admiralty was a cry in the wilderness. Maiolo's very good book began a process of reevaluation of 1930s British defense policy that is still in motion. My only real criticism of the book is its less than stellar organization and prose style. Paragraphs are occasionally dull and sentences unclear. But this book is a treasure-trove of important information and interpretations.

Average customer rating:

Does not waste time with controversy; just read the book.
How to Worship Charles Darwin

On the Origin of Species
Charles Darwin
Manufacturer: Broadview Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1551113376

Book Description

Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species, in which he writes of his theories of evolution by natural selection, is one of the most important works of scientific study ever published.

Broadview's unabridged edition of On the Origin of Species (which corrects the first edition against the second) also includes an introduction, a bibliography, explanatory notes, a chronology of Darwin's life, and a register of names cited. The appendices contain substantial selections from Darwin's other works (Autobiography, Notebooks, letters, Voyage of the Beagle, and Descent of Man) and selections from Darwin's sources and contemporaries (excerpts from Genesis, Paley, Lamarck, Spencer, Lyell, Malthus, Huxley, and Wallace).

Customer Reviews:

Does not waste time with controversy; just read the book........2006-09-04

This is a quick review of the book not a dissertation on Darwin or any other subject loosely related. At first I did not know what to expect. I already read " The Voyage of the Beagle: Charles Darwin's Journal of Researches" (see my review). I figured the book would be similar. However I found "Origin" to be more complex and detailed.

Taking in account that recent pieces of knowledge were not available to Charles Darwin this book could have been written last week. Having to look from the outside without the knowledge of DNA or Plate Tectonics, he pretty much nailed how the environment and crossbreeding would have an effect on natural selection. Speaking of natural selection, I thought his was going to be some great insight to a new concept. All it means is that species are not being mucked around by man (artificial selection).

If you picked up Time magazine today you would find all the things that Charles said would be near impossible to find or do. Yet he predicted that it is doable in theory. With an imperfect geological record many things he was not able to find at the writing of this book have been found (according to the possibilities described in the book.)

The only draw back to the book was his constant apologizing. If he had more time and space he could prove this and that. Or it looks like this but who can say at this time. Or the same evidence can be interpreted 180 degrees different.

In the end it is worth reading and you will never look at life the same way again.

How to Worship Charles Darwin.......2006-01-29

This edition of the Origin is a rare item: a book for the classroom that actually does the job. It contains a bibliography, explanatory notes, a chronology of Darwin's life, and a register of names. The appendices contain selections from Darwin's other works and selections from Darwin's sources and contemporaries. All for $9.95!

In addition to these nuts and bolts, the editor has composed an Introduction to initiate students into the sublimity of Darwin's World. Here's how it begins: `(The Origin) is one of the two or three most significant scientific works of all time-one of those works that fundamentally and permanently alter our vision of the world.' Interested? Here's more: this surpassing achievement `requires no specialized scientific training'-great news for students mortified by maths. And more: Origin is `also a great literary classic' that is `eloquent, imaginatively evocative, and rhetorically compelling'. Holy Darwin! How good can it get? Even English lit students might go for that.

Surprise: editor Joseph Carroll is an English lit prof. His speciality is the evolutionary analysis of literature, an innovation that he pioneered. Lit departments aren't science-friendly territory. Often they run an anti-science line, linking it to exploitation, global warming, racism, misogyny and the like. Come to think of it, isn't Darwinism among the worst offenders?! Survival of the fittest, let the weak perish and the rich get richer, eugenic breeding to clean out the bungled and botched, that kind of thing. To block such negative thoughts, Carroll preaches an oration of superlatives about the Great Man that exceeds anything I've encountered. In scientific achievement, personal character, wisdom, and influence, Lord Darwin in his shining eminence leaves all others in the shadows. Here is Carroll on Darwin's most important contribution to culture: `The vision of nature Darwin offers is not that of some broad, abstract, intellective pattern, but that of living impulse, eager, frantic, animating every single organism, vast and minute, in inconceivable numbers, everywhere on earth, persisting throughout all time of organic life'. It is a vision of `competitive struggle', of the `great battle of life', and the `war of nature'. Interestingly, in this context Carroll notes that Darwin specifies an empirical finding that would `annihilate my theory'--a species that developed `an adaptation solely for the benefit of some other species'. That's because, Darwin believed, as Victorians typically believed, that every organism looks out for Number 1. It's called `individualism'.

What about that? Is there any species with adaptations that benefit only another species? Sorry to say this, but yes, there are. The pattern is called `inquilinism', which lies at the extreme end of the spectrum of parasitism. See E. O. Wilson, Sociobiology, p 371. Note: Darwin says unequivocally that his theory is `annihilated', yet for some reason the ardent Darwinian Wilson doesn't draw that conclusion.

An English prof isn't expected to know about inquilinism, but literary visions of nature are another matter. Poets and novelists homed in on the implications of godlessness of the mechanistic universe well before the Origin was published. Among those usually mentioned is Alfred Tennyson's In Memorium (1850), whose famous lines `Who trusted God was love indeed / And love Creation's final law -- / Tho' Nature, red in tooth and claw / With ravine, shriek'd against his creed' convey the temper of his sombre, lengthy meditation on nature. `Nature red in tooth and claw' became a byword among Victorians for the world they had come to inhabit. We might expect Carroll to seize on this fact, to stress how Darwin's vision fitted into the new cognitive-symbolic structures created by poets. But not a word of that! Carroll disregards not only Tennyson, but all imaginative writing that formed the context of Darwin's publications. Why this silent denigration of the importance of his own field?

Probably because even summary recognition of the literary dimension of Victorian culture would expose the historical inaccuracy of Carroll's extravagant claims for Darwin's originality. For example, he attributes massive innovative force to Darwin's replacement of creationism by purely naturalistic explanation in natural history. In fact, this was no innovation at all; the physical and hard biological sciences had long since oriented on exclusively natural causes. The only `scientists' still clinging to creative intervention in nature were naturalists-those amateur bird watchers and rock collectors who often enough were clergymen. Since Darwin identified himself with naturalists, it was `natural' for him to challenge creationism. But this challenge had been forcefully launched in 1844 in the anonymously published best-seller Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation. The author, Robert Chambers, wrote a defence of no-exception naturalism far more frontal, eloquent, and incisive than anything from Darwin's pen (Darwin was loath to give offence, especially to his pious wife Emma).

Not only had the sciences eliminated divine causality, so had theology! In 1846 the entirely secularist The Life of Jesus Critically Examined was translated from German into English by the novelist George Eliot (aka Marian Evans). Eliot enjoyed a close friendship with Herbert Spencer; together they edited the Westminster Review. They were part of an intellectual circle that included Thomas Huxley, George Lewes, J.S. Mill, H.G. Atkinson, and Harriet Martineau. Martineau, who translated August Comte's Positive Philosophy, published in 1851 Letters on the Laws of Man's Nature and Development, which projected humanist unbelief as the end point of millennia of cultural improvement. Carroll, whose speciality is the literature of this period, particularly the writings of George Eliot, presumably knows all of this. Yet he utters not a word about it! Why not? Perhaps because these facts reverse the relation between Darwin and his public that Carroll extols: far from being the mighty innovator who transforms English thought (`revolution'), he reiterates and magnifies the then aspiring progressive culture. That culture seized on the Origin and magnified it because the weight of Darwin's high social status brought with it the promise of the triumph of progressivism (the real meaning of the `Darwinian revolution'). Indeed, one of the first reviews of Origin hailed it as `the Whitworth gun of liberalism', a clear salute to the political dimension of the evolution belief. The author of the review was Thomas Huxley.

Carroll apparently doesn't see that a Darwinian analysis of literature needs to be complemented by a literary analysis of Darwinism.

The Neandertal Enigma : Solving the Mystery of Modern Human Origins

Average customer rating:

engrossing, all round exploration of the Neandertals
a good primer for the beginner
Not just about Neandertals
Every armchair anthropologist should read this book!
Intimations of our distant past

The Neandertal Enigma : Solving the Mystery of Modern Human Origins
James Shreeve
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0688094074

Customer Reviews:

engrossing, all round exploration of the Neandertals.......2007-03-26

This book is probably already outdated, but it is still a good read. Everything about the Neandertals, as the book make clear, is the subject of often heated controversy. The author does a good job of giving all sides in the story their say, even if the to-and-fro arguments make it hard to come to come to a conclusion. There's plenty of information here in a not too-hard-to-read book.

a good primer for the beginner.......2005-06-24

This is a great book to get you started on more serious writing about paleoanthropology. Shreeve gives consideration to many theories without taking sides. His writing is clear & easy-going. I would have loved more illustrations & maps.

Not just about Neandertals.......2004-05-19

The best thing about this book is that it is not just about Neandertals or Human origins. It covers enough from peripheries of science and the humanities as well as detailed natural history to make it accessible and interesting to anyone who has the slightest interest in this confusing subject.

Though Shreve identifies the complex issues allowing us to doubt everything, the book is far from confusing and there is an enormous amount of travel and biographical notes of the people he has met that Shreve has marshalled in. By all accounts this was an expensive and time consuming book to put together and almost no stone has been left unturned.

I think the fascination with this topic is because it asks the big question - What makes us human? Fortunately, though many answers are offered, Shreve takes care not to make any dogmatic assertion and provides a balanced overview of all the ideas, key workers and key debates.

As a student, I liked the way he discussed the basics of the biological species concept showing how difficult separating species can be at times, especially if using fossils. He also shows us how lots of ideas can be manufactured only to be holed by later workers or evidence.

Most of the book is very fluid. My only criticism is the lack of more illustrations of neandertals - perhaps in colour and a lack of any detail on the classic illustration showing Ramapithecus leading to Cromagnon which has been shown so many times, though this famous picture is discussed.

I think this book shows what science is not. It is not about a solution to the problem that you can believe and cling to. Rather, it is a provisional statement of current understanding and if it seems to explain things, all the better (speaking in the context of human origins).

So many people and ideas are mentioned that this is true journalism, no holes barred, sharp, comical, witty and above all accessible.

I thouroughly recommend it to anyone.

Every armchair anthropologist should read this book!.......2004-04-30

I read this book many years ago and it is still one of my all-time favorites. It combines an anthropologist's journey to answer questions about neanderthals with the scientific debates over human evolution. It is suspenseful and thought-provoking. Mr. Shreeve is a creative, objective and often witty science writer who will make you want to read more about this fascinating science.

Though the mitochondrial DNA evidence was just starting to be accepted when this book was written, it is still an excellent resource. It will also enlighten new anthropology enthusiasts about the separate battlecamps of multi-regional and replacement theorists in the human origins debate.

If you are on this page, you should just buy the book already. Then go get The Seven Daughters of Eve by Bryan Sykes!

Intimations of our distant past.......2002-08-22

During the great space race of the cold war, Sergei Korolev, the visionary architect of the failed Soviet lunar program, included a writer as an essential part of any expedition to the moon, displaying an informed sensibility of the role of artists in interpreting the philosophical impact of science for the masses. In the spirit of Korolev's unrealized, intrepid writer, James Shreeve explores the enigmatic rise and fall of our vanished first cousins, the Neandertals, and their significance in understanding the origins of modern humans. Shreeve's work on the subject is distinctive for its highly engaging pace and style, reading like a sprawling, pan-millennial detective story, but ultimately, it is his own speculation on the nature of Neandertal consciousness - well deserved after so much exhaustive research - that makes this work such an essential read. After an absorbing globe spanning search for clues, Shreeve's odyssey though the ever shifting revelations and counter-revelations of the scientific community culminates in the brave, intuitive synthesis of facts and mysteries that is the calling of a great writer, revealing the philosophical - and spiritual - dimensions of our interest.

Book Description

In this book Stearn gives the meaning and origin of some 6000 botanical names, selecting those most likely to be encountered by gardeners and horticulturists. No other single source provides so much etymological information for the gardener, the result of years of scholarship and original research by the distinguished author. Also listed are 3000 of the most widely accepted vernacular names, cross-indexed to their correct scientific names, an invaluable reference for gardeners, writers, and historians. Plant classification and binomial nomenclature are explained, and there are notes on the structure and pronunciation of botanical Latin. No other single source provides so much etymological information for the gardener.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent value.......2006-12-28

Brand new condition, fast shipping, good price. Amazon partners continue to keep outstanding reputation.

Mature plant name dictionary.......2000-07-30

This is the work of the author of "Botanical Latin", the indispensable reference for those delving deeply into plant taxonomy. He is thus quite qualified to do what he did here: extensively revise "A Gardener's Handbook of Plant Names" by A.W.Smith (1963, still available as a Dover reprint of 1997). Facts were checked, errors eliminated, additions made. The typography was modernised. The help in pronunciation limited to stressing syllables.

This book presents a wealth of information on plant names: it lists 6000 botanical names and 3000 vernacular names, in addition to quite a bit of background information. It is limited to plant names of importance to gardeners, but this is not so limiting as might be, since by this is meant "gardeners worldwide", including those on the Southern Hemisphere. Although I wish it were slightly longer, this book surely gives value for money.

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