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.

Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems (Caldecott Honor Book, BCCB Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award)

Average customer rating:

This is a beautiful book in word and illustration
My baby loves to hear these poems
Superlative book should stave off "nature-deficit disorder". . .
Listen for me on a spring night...and I'll sing you to sleep
Bug bug bugsy

Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems (Caldecott Honor Book, BCCB Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award)
Joyce Sidman
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0618135472

Book Description

From spring's first thaw to autumn's chill, the world of the pond is a dramatic place. Though seemingly quiet, ponds are teeming with life and full of surprises. Their denizensfrom peepers to painted turtles, duckweed to diving beetleslead secret and fascinating lives. A unique blend of whimsy, science, poetry, and hand-colored woodcuts, this collection invites us to take a closer look at our hidden ponds and wetlands. Here is a celebration of their beauty and their mystery.

Customer Reviews:

This is a beautiful book in word and illustration.......2007-10-06

I waited for this to arrive and now it has. It is one of the most totally beautiful books I've bought. The illustrations are wood cut and water color. I love them. The poems just pull you into the pictures. The subject matter is new to me and now I realize what I have been missing.
Can't wait to read this a million times to my grandchildren.

My baby loves to hear these poems.......2006-12-04

Since I had a baby this past summer, I have been looking for great books to read to her that are educational and just plain fun to read. She is now 5 months and I read her "The Song of the Water Boatman," and her eyes light up and she laughs and smiles. This is not only a whimsical little collection of poems about pond life, it is beautifully illustrated and informational on a pond's wild inhabitants.

Superlative book should stave off "nature-deficit disorder". . ........2006-03-20

This book is an absolute delight, and the 'pairing' of poet and artist is inspired. Beckie Prange's woodcuts are reminiscent of the genius of work by Gustave Baumann (1881-1971: Chicago, Brown County INDIANA, & New Mexico).

"Song of the Water Boatman" is given its wider readership just as psychologists are announcing concerns about "nature-deprived" children." Blessed be all educators who use this book to plan units & field trips that open eyes and hearts to the natural world so greatly in need of future protectors.

Joyce Sidman packs as much information per square inch as there are microorganisms in the drop of water showing off the "water bear," or "tardigrada." There are favorite segments on every page. In southern Indiana we already are being 'lullabied' by Spring Peepers, grateful for our woods and pond setting. Children are responding with glee to the repetitious "In the Depths of the Summer Pond" - - a musical chant in a four-page spread with 'lessons' about survival and the food chain. Not as beautiful as the dragon fly, the remarkable metamorphosis of the caddis fly, described as a "fashion story" of transformation, will nonetheless fascinate all. Other revelations include the water boatman, and its not-quite-mirror-image, the back swimmer which always swims on its back; both carrying their own bubbles of air with them.

This reviewer will never venture out-of-doors again without more finely tuning my senses to these wonders. We will definitely be exploring our creek with increased enthusiasm. Reviewer mcHAIKU urges that we not allow "nature-deficit" to creep into our souls, and allow our minds to limit periods of hibernation! LET'S THRIVE ON LIVING & LEARNING !

Listen for me on a spring night...and I'll sing you to sleep.......2006-03-07

Take it from one who grew up -- and still lives -- across the street from a pond, Joyce Sidman knows pond life! With the beautiful, strong first poem "Listen to Me" about the peeper frogs waking in the spring, SONG OF THE WATER BOATMAN introduces readers to all aspects of pond life, from cattails to painted turtles to the food chain. In addition to poems written a variety of styles, Sidman also includes a paragraph of interesting facts about the subject. And it's all capped off with the Caldecott-honor-worthy woodcuts created by Beckie Prange. All in all, a wonderful read-aloud for kids grade 1-4 studying ponds, ecosystems, or poetry...or just for fun. "Listen to Me" joins my personal list of all-time favorite poems. 2006 Caldecott Honor Book.

Bug bug bugsy.......2006-02-02

Poetry's not my bag, baby, so when I find myself reviewing a children's book of poetry my confidence just ooooozes away. Oozily. I know enough about poetry to know that I can't judge meter or metaphor or any of that jazz. I can tell if a line scans or not, and that officially marks the limits of my poetry-criticism qualifications. It's so much easier when a book garners universal praise. That way I know it's good and I can follow suit. Now as of this review "Song of the Water Boatman" has appeared on School Library Journals Best Books of 2005, the Boston-Globe Winners of 2005, the Bulletin of the Center For Children's Books Blue Ribbon Awards of 2005, and the New York Public Library's 100 Titles For Reading and Sharing circa 2005. Oh. And a little something called the Caldecott Honor, but who's counting? From all these high muckety-mucks in their own little separate worlds, I can only reach the obvious conclusion that there's something pretty cool going on with "Water Boatman" here. A quick peek inside, a swift skimming of a poem or two, and then an in-depth read of every word and image did indeed convince me that it's a lovely work. Would I go about handing it shiny silver medals? Probably not. But as poetry goes it's gorgeous and, almost more importantly, there's a little non-fiction stirred into the mix for spice!

Eleven poems about ponds and their animals, that's what we've got here. North American ponds, to be exact. On her bookflap, author Joyce Sidman clarifies the impetus that drew her to this project. "I noticed a pool that was obviously drying up and wondered about its inhabitants: Where would they go? I imagined them as creatures in a drama, with personalities of their own". That is where Sidman excels, actually. No matter how big or small or downright bizarre a critter is, they appear on these pages as full-bodied three-dimensional characters. The poem, "Diving Beetle's Food-Sharing Rules" gives you a pretty good sense of this. "if it moves, it is mine / If it's anywhere near me, it is mine / If I'm hungry (and I'm always hungry), / it is mine, mine mine". The last line? "do not forget what is mine / For if I return / and you have taken it / YOU / are mine". As with every other creature in this book, there is factual information placed on the page opposite the poems giving in-depth details and little known facts about the pond denizen speaking. From all this we learn about the food chain, what the real nature of duck weed is, the cleverness of the caddis worm, and the definition of "emergents". Couple everything with artist and first-time children's book illustrator Beckie Prange's superb woodcuts ala watercolors and you've a book that simultaneously fulfills intellectual curiosity as well as poetic leanings.

I could be forgiven for not necessarily knowing who Joyce Sidman was before looking through this book. A resident of beautiful Wayzata, Minnesota (I once had to commute there on a daily basis from St. Paul, and it truly is a lovely little area) Sidman is obviously drawing on Minnesotan wildlife for this book. To my mind, the saving grace of the book (not that it isn't nice BUT) is that it has humor. Humor is so undervalued these days that whenever I read through a children's book and find even a scrap of it lurking in the corners I am filled with a kind of manic glee. This manic glee response came to me more than once while reading Sidman's words. Only she would think to make the titular song of the waterboatman (with a refrain by a cheery backswimmer) sound more like a tune fit for a pirate than a bug. She even works in an accumulative poem (ala "The House That Jack Built") with her food-chainish, "In the Depths of the Summer Pond". Lest I steer you wrong, let me just say that Prange's illustrations are realistic and not cartoonish in the least. If you're looking for a visual humor to back up the written, look elsewhere. I was disappointed, by the way, to find that though Prange lists her webpage in the back of the book, the site says that it will be up and running in the "winter". I am writing this in February of 2006. Can't get much more wintery than that, now can you?

Why is it important that this book be written? I will tell you, faithful readers. Picture this: A high-faluting children's room in New York City just across the street from the Museum of Modern Art. A uniquely talented and, if I might be so bold, cute-as-a-bug children's librarian is approached by an addled teacher. The teacher says that she wants an interesting book on ponds. "Not a problem", says the perky librarian, looking up the keyword "pond" in her database because while she's excellent on the Library of Congress decimal system, Dewey has never been her strength. "Oh", says the teacher as an afterthought, "And it needs to be for young kids. First graders". "Erm... okay", says the now less-than-confident but still game librarian. Her searches only seem to be yielding the names of titles of books published in 1943 anyway. "And can the book be kind of fictional but with lots of facts in it as well?". If this librarian is aware of the existence of "Song of the Water Boatman", she will be able to deal with this request with aplomb. If she is not aware of it, she will suffer the indignity of trying to refer the patron to other library branches. This, ladies and gentlemen, happens in one form or another EVERY DAY. Thousands of children's librarians are peppered with ridiculously intense requests for very specific types of books. And while you may not believe me, I actually got this kind of a "pond" request about a year ago. "Song of the Water Boatman" had not yet reached my shelves. Hence, my gratitude for its existence now.

The book reminded me of many many other titles out there already. The songs coming from insects and the variety of different poetical styles brought to mind Paul Fleischman's Newbery Award winning, "Joyful Noise: Poems For Two Voices". It would be an excellent companion to this title. Also, the idea of pairing animal and insect poems alongside remarkably beautiful and strangely (for the author) subdued illustrations is found in, "If Not For the Cat" by Jack Prelutsky. Of course, in that particular case we're dealing with watercolors and not woodcuts, but Beckie Prange is just as adept with the watercolor brush as Ted Rand so the two pair up quite nicely. I don't want to imply that this book will only be interesting to those people into pond poems and pond facts. There's a lot of superb information in here that rural and urban kids will equally enjoy. Just the same, no matter where you're living I suggest you take a trip to a pond straightaway with "Song of the Water Boatman" at your side. Show your children how an ecosystem really works and how some of these bugs really act. This book is great in and of itself, but nailing it home with a little one-on-one experience will truly make it memorable.

Knife Fighting, Knife Throwing for Combat (Special Forces/Ranger-Udt/Seal Hand-To-Hand Combat/Special W)

Average customer rating:

Terrible, terrible, terrible
Although everything in it isn't perfect, this book is well worth owning!
Knife Fighting Classic - Good Intermediate Training Manual
FORBIDDEN MALLJITSU TEXT!!!
A book by a true warrior

Knife Fighting, Knife Throwing for Combat (Special Forces/Ranger-Udt/Seal Hand-To-Hand Combat/Special W)
Michael D. Echanis
Manufacturer: Black Belt Communications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 089750058X

Book Description

Formerly RESTRICTED to military and law-enforcement personnel, this book is now available to the general public for THE FIRST TIME since its initial printing! Through detailed, captioned photographic sequences, learn dozens of knife-attack and counterattack techniques, hwarang-do's relation to hand-to-hand combat, psychological/physical visualization techniques, and secrets of unconventional paramilitary warfare.

Customer Reviews:

Terrible, terrible, terrible.......2007-05-04

Please save your money, I was one of the persons who did not take into consideration what the reviews said about this book. You will be mad at yourself for wasting money.

Although everything in it isn't perfect, this book is well worth owning!.......2007-03-19

Being the author of several books on the martial arts and fighting, I am always looking for books of exceptional quality to add to my library. If I have a book in my library, it's definitely worth owning. One such book is Michael D. Echanis', "Knife Fighting, Knife Throwing for Combat." This book is directly influenced by the Korean martial art of Hwarang Do and its current Grandmaster Joo Bang Lee, who Echanis had studied under before his untimely demise in Nicaragua.

This book along with its two companion volumes, "Basic Stick Fighting for Combat" and "Knife Self-Defense for Combat," were not initially released to the general public, but instead were only available to certified and recognized self-defense instructors. These books were originally intended to be military training manuals for the various elite units in the United States military. These were units such as the Special Forces, Army Rangers, Navy Seals, etc.

This volume, like the other two in this series, starts out with a brief section on the history of Hwarang Do and its relationship to hand-to-hand combat. This is followed by another brief section that looks at the theory and internal dynamics which make up this very impressive art.

Introduction:

This section begins with a lot of practical advice on the use of a knife against an attacker during combat.

3 Phases of Knife Training:

a. Straight Line Attack
b. Counterattack
c. Visualization

2 Knife Fighting Distances:

a. Outside Attacks
b. Inside Attacks

Basic Principles of Knife Fighting:

This section goes over the basic principles that should be utilized when practicing with and/or utilizing a knife in an actual self-defense encounter. I found this section to be very practical and relevant to the topic, although I thought it was a bit brief and worthy of many additional pages.

Six Basic Rules to Observe During Training and Actual Combat:

1. Conceal the weapon...
2. Observation...
3. Focus on deep breathing...
4. Slash, don't stab...
5. Observe the enemy...
6. Breath control and mental focus of power...

Knife Training:

One would be hard pressed to argue that this section includes some of the best information that you can use in order to train effectively with a knife, and for the effective use of said knife in an actual combat situation. This includes such things as not only how and when to train, but also the psychological factors involved in knife training and how to improve your own mental abilities.

Strategy:

Once again this is a section that is so well done that it can be applied to all forms of combat, not just those using a knife. The authors grasp of strategy and the way he explains it is very easy to understand and is very realistic, although it may be a bit advanced for the beginning student. Also included in this section are the three phases of strategy.

Combat Applications:

Through the detailed use of photographs and fairly detailed sections of text, the author and his assistants take you through numerous different examples (17 to be exact) of how to use a knife and/or knives during an armed and also unarmed self-defense encounter.

Basic Principles of Knife Throwing:

As a general rule, "Never throw your knife at your opponent." This results in a lost weapon and the very real possibility that your attacker could pick it up and use it against you. However, just like every rule, there are exceptions.

Basic Knife Throwing Techniques:

In this section, 14 different throws are demonstrated and explained to you through the use of photographs and text.

This book ends with a basic but well done chart on the vital areas to target with a knife during a self-defense encounter.

This book, like the other two in the series, does an exceptional job of explaining the techniques described within through detailed written descriptions and the use of clear and concise photographs and illustrations. The only thing that I would like to have seen a lot more of in this particular manner would have been some close-up shots during various phases of certain techniques.

Knife Fighting Classic - Good Intermediate Training Manual.......2006-10-13

"Knife Fighting, Knife Throwing for Combat" by Michael D. Echanis was originally published in the late 1970s and developed a `cult following' among martial artists and knife aficionados.

Echanis was a special operations soldier and a practitioner of the martial art of Hwa Rang Do. "Knife Fighting, Knife Throwing for Combat" begins with a short history of Hwa Rang Do and a tribute to the founders of the art.

The book next delves into combat mindset for the knife fighter. This includes `Six Basic Rules to Observe During Training and Actual Combat', mental focus, and breath control, and the `Three Phases of Strategy'.

The heart of "Knife Fighting, Knife Throwing for Combat" is various photo series demonstrating knife techniques. The techniques demonstrated are very much Hwa Rang Do style techniques as on might expect from Mr. Echanis' background, combined with a military combative focus intended for this book.

While not a beginner's book, "Knife Fighting, Knife Throwing for Combat" teaches `advanced beginner / intermediate' knife techniques that are easily learned by anyone with a good beginner's knowledge of knife fighting. This book also provides a good introduction to reverse grip and double-knife fighting. (Anyone who has seen Master James Keating's ~ Comtech / "Reverse-Grip Knife Fighting" will find the techniques in "Knife Fighting, Knife Throwing for Combat" familiar.)

The final section of "Knife Fighting, Knife Throwing for Combat" is an excellent discussion of knife throwing, or more appropriately throwing of many different items for combat. While many modern "knife fighters" argue against throwing a knife in combat, Echanis offers an insightful discussion of the applicability of knife throwing combat applications.

Overall, "Knife Fighting, Knife Throwing for Combat" is an excellent training manual for anyone who has mastered the basics of knife fighting and is now looking for a little bit more advanced-beginner / intermediate techniques to add to one's knife fighting arsenal.

Highly Recommended!

FORBIDDEN MALLJITSU TEXT!!!.......2006-06-26

The late Michael Echanis was a comic genius! I laughed so hard I nearly wet myself, reading this brilliant Malljitsu text regarding the blade arts -- which I have studied for 30 years.

The preface from Ohara (Black Belt) Publications warns that this is only a "basic introduction" to the blade secrets of Korean ninjutsu ("Sul-Sa"). Wow. My 30 years of training seems to have been in vain, as I cannot perform these "basic" techniques. I think that even James Keating and Kelly Worden would have difficulty with them. From this I conclude that either Echanis was a true demi-god (as many seem to believe), or he was living in a deluded fantasy world.

Blade techniques are intended to be simple and direct -- seldom more than "3 steps", due to the speed and unpredictability of combat. Most of Echanis's secret moves are well over 10 steps . . . some are over 20! This is not practical knife-fighting -- this is kata.

Echanis breaks all the rules here -- jumping, spinning, leaping, skipping, flailing, and performing forward rolls throughout. Two techniques actually involve phsically lifting the opponent over your head! The expressions on his face are priceless (anger, outrage, orgasmic, and constipated). He also grips the knives (yes, plural) in an unusual grip that I've never before seen -- actually, SEVERAL grips I've never before seen. For some reason, these grips are never discussed, nor are close-up shots provided (must be "too secret"). Footwork, carry, and drawing are not discussed either, nor is the use of training targets. Unusual for one who claims to constantly train and instruct others. This space is instead devoted to pictures of him prancing about as he flings knives at "multiple opponents." To his credit, in an opening paragraph he says that you should generally avoid throwing your knife, and that it is intended primarilly as a distraction to create an opening to charge in for a fatal blow.

On the positive side, aside from the unintended humor (of which there is plenty), Echanis made an excellent argument for the merits of the icepick/reverse grip at a time when others were denouncing it as "amateurish." He also advocates fighting with two knives at once. Nearly every finishing move is delivered via a powerful overhead blow from a unique angle -- after an opponent is sufficiently worn down, it might actually be a viable technique.

Mall ninjas be warned! You will NOT learn how to be a better fighter from this book!

A book by a true warrior.......2005-08-29

The late Mike Echanis was a true warrrior and has written a book for warriors. It is about combat, not sport and demonstrates very advanced knife techniques. These techniques have been proven in battle over centuries. In the Hwa Rang Do system, the knife becomes an extension of the hand. The techniques, although ably demonstrated and photographed, must still be practiced under the guidance of a Hwa Rang Do Master if one is to become proficient.

Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings

Average customer rating:

A "Universal" treat!

Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings
Douglas Florian
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0152053727

Book Description

Blast off with Douglas Florian's new high-flying compendium, which features twenty whimsical poems about space.

From the moon to the stars, from the Earth to Mars, here is an exuberant celebration of our celestial surroundings that's certain to become a universal favorite among aspiring astronomers everywhere.

Includes die-cut pages and a glossary of space terms.

Customer Reviews:

A "Universal" treat!.......2007-05-05

I think Douglas Florian's new book, 'comets, stars, the moon and mars' is his most expressive yet.

Beginning with the poem "skywatch," two children look at the sky. The next poem is "the universe."

Die cut "planet" holes move the reader deeper and further through space. From "mercury" to "venus" to "the earth" to "the moon" the poems continue in order according to their distance from the Sun. Comets, black holes and the mystery of what lies beyond are also addressed. Florian's ability to weave facts and fun are on full display here.

The bright color palette echoes the amazing views from the Hubble space telescope. This generation of kids has grown up looking at Seymour Simon's books about the solar system and the Universe. They have seen the colors that are out there.

Check out the Harcourt page about the book and download Florian's Poetry Kit. The "Practical Poetry Pointers" are some of the most best tips for writing poetry with kids that I have ever seen.

You have Gotta-Have-It.

The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy: and Other Stories

Average customer rating:

very weir look inside Tim Burton's mind
A book of NOT SO CURIOUS curiosities
Darkly entertaining
My 1st time
The Melancholy Death of Oster Bay : and Other Stories

The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy: and Other Stories
Tim Burton
Manufacturer: HarperEntertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0688156819

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This unassuming hardcover in black buckram with a dark lavender title plate is the door into a world of twisted pleasures. Filmmaker Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas) tells 23 winsomely macabre stories about boys and girls who don't fit in. Their bodies are misshapen, their habits are odd, and their parents are appalled by them. But they do try hard to be human, like poor unwanted Mummy Boy, who's "a bundle of gauze": he goes for a walk in the park with his mummy dog. Some kids are having "a birthday party for a Mexican girl." They think Mummy Boy is a piñata: "They took a baseball bat and whacked open his head. Mummy Boy fell to the ground; he finally was dead. Inside of his head were no candy or prizes, just a few stray beetles of various sizes." For all its simple humor, The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories is a peculiarly disturbing book about the violence that children suffer. It is illustrated in pen and ink, watercolor, and crayon. The themes and imagery are at a young-adult to adult level.

Book Description

From breathtaking stop-action animation to bittersweet modern fairy tales, filmmaker Tim Burton has become known for his unique visual brilliance -- witty and macabre at once. Now he gives birth to a cast of gruesomely sympathetic children -- misunderstood outcasts who struggle to find love and belonging in their cruel, cruel worlds. His lovingly lurid illustrations evoke both the sweetness and the tragedy of these dark yet simple beings -- hopeful, hapless heroes who appeal to the ugly outsider in all of us, and let us laugh at a world we have long left behind (mostly anyway).

Customer Reviews:

very weir look inside Tim Burton's mind.......2007-08-16

I bought this as a gift for my wife, who is a big Tim Burton fan. It went over great! The book is nicely printed hardcover, making a good gift presentation. The illustrations and poetry are sometimes disturbing, but that was to be expected.

A book of NOT SO CURIOUS curiosities.......2007-06-28

Frankly, I didn't find this book to be very creative or interesting. Many of the vignettes are much too short to evoke any humor or feelings. The author seems to have glanced at his surroundings and made a boy or girl character out of things ranging from stains to matches and then proceeded to make up obvious stories about them. (Surprise, surprise, the match girl was "hot" and burned up her stick lover.) The three stars is for the illustrations and the melancholy concept.

Darkly entertaining.......2007-03-18

Melancholy is the right word for the mood of this little book! The drawings and the rhymes are so simple, yet they evoke such emotion - I was horrified in a gleeful sort of way - 'uh oh, I can't believe where this is heading' - it's so grim and sad, yet I found myself laughing out loud. Definitely for those with a certain sense of humour.

My 1st time.......2007-03-09

This book is my first time with Tim Burton's poetry.
I must say that is strange but very good!

The Melancholy Death of Oster Bay : and Other Stories.......2007-03-08

Tim Burton is a master at what he does. This is a cute book of short stories and poems, which are slightly creepy and incredibly clever. I loved it.

An Anthology of Jewish-Russian Literature: Two-Centuries of Dual Identity in Prose And Poetry, Two-Volume Set

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An Anthology of Jewish-Russian Literature: Two-Centuries of Dual Identity in Prose And Poetry, Two-Volume Set

Manufacturer: M.E. Sharpe
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 076560521X

Book Description

For over two hundred years, a distinctive Jewish-Russian culture has been part of the ferment and flourishing of world culture. This magnificent anthology introduces readers for the first time to the full range of the Jewish-Russian literary canon, with stories and excerpts from novels, essays, memoirs, and poems by more than 130 Jewish writers who worked in the Russian language, both in Russia and in the great emigrations. The selections were chosen both for their literary quality and because they illuminate questions of Jewish history, status, and identity. Each author is extensively profiled. With a comprehensive general introduction, chronological introductions, and headnotes by the editor, historical surveys by John D. Klier of University College, London, and extensive bibliographies, this anthology provides an encyclopedic history of Jewish-Russian culture.

This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color

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A classic, ground-breaking feminist of color anthology!
Should be On Every Feminist Bookshelf, in Every Library.
Very important collection

This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color
Cherrie Moraga , and Gloria Anzaldua
Manufacturer: Kitchen Table--Women of Color Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 091317503X

Book Description

classic collection of feminist writings

Customer Reviews:

A classic, ground-breaking feminist of color anthology!.......2006-08-10

This is such an important anthology of writings by radical women of color on the politics of race, gender, class and sexual orientation. Though it is more than two decades old, the essays and poetry are still ispirational and relevant. Indeed, I strongly feel that this is a book that every feminist should read. That said, I am utterly baffled by how difficult it is to obtain. Could it really be out of print? If so, I hope (hint, hint) that some progressive publishing company like AK Press, South End Press, or Seal re-prints it. I would hate to think of it disappearing into the dustbin of obscurity.

Should be On Every Feminist Bookshelf, in Every Library........2005-11-23

Count yourself lucky if you are able to find a copy of the 3rd Edition. It is extremely rare and very hard to find. If you can't find it though, buy the 1st or 2nd Editions.

This is undoubtedly one of the most influential, groundbreaking, and important books ever to come from "Second Wave" feminist thought. Although it has been over 20 years since it was originally published, it still retains its edginess and thought-provoking qualities.

The book, which features the writings of Asian, Latin, African, and Native American women was also groundbreaking in that many of the women are lesbians and/or from working class backgrounds. (Although lesbian and/or working class anthologies are unsual now, it was significant back in 1981.)

Writers include Audre Lorde, Pat Parker, Barbara Smith, Anzaldua, Moraga, Barbara Cameron, and Aurora Levins Morales.

Essays, poems, short stories, creative and autobiographical pieces are the basis for this book. Although it is best known for confronting racism within and outside of the Women's Movement, the book also examines:

* the roots of the authors' radical politics
* theory vs. real life
* culture, class, and homophobia
* on being an ethic writer/artist
* visions for a better future

The 3rd Edition also contains pictures of art and sculpture by radical women of color artists circa late 1970s-early 1980s. These add more layers and depth to the book as the artists' works were chosen to compliment the writings. All 3 Editions (but especially the 3rd) contain an excellent bibliography for the reader who is further interested in reading more about women of color feminism.

Other books of interest (There are many, many good books by women of color feminists, these are just a few examples):

**** ~Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology~ edited by Barbara Smith
**** ~A Gathering of Spirit: Writing and Art by North American Indian Women~ edited by Beth Brant
**** ~Making Waves: An Anthology of Writings by and About Asian Amerian Women~ edited by Asian Women United of California
**** ~Chicana Lesbians: The Girls Our Mothers Warned Us About~ edited by Carla Trujillo.

The late Anzaldua and AnaLouise Keatings also edited a sequel/daughter anthology to TBCMB It is called THIS BRIDGE CALLED MY HOME (2002). Lovers of the original -Bridge- book will be intrigued by how the follow-up anthology expands, critiques, and examines the issues found in TBCMB.

Very important collection.......2001-04-25

Oh my goodness!! This is an incredible ground-breaking book of awareness and consciousness. It was a must-read for anyone coming of age in the 1980's and it is still relevant today. I came on line to purchase it for a friend who had never seen it, and I am in shock that it is out of print, or even just out of stock (it's unclear which). The paperback is selling on ZBooks for $45. I'm confounded.

Theogony, Works and Days (Oxford World's Classics)

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Easily read Hesiod
Very interesting
The Ancient Greek's handbook
Ian Myles Slater on: West's Hesiod Translation
One of the best Classical translations I have ever read

Theogony, Works and Days (Oxford World's Classics)
Hesiod
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0192839411

Book Description

Hesiod, who lived in Boetia in the late eighth century BC, is one of the oldest known, and possibly the oldest of Greek poets. His Theogony contains a systematic genealogy of the gods from the beginning of the world and an account of the struggles of the Titans. In contrast, Works and Days is a compendium of moral and practical advice on husbandry, and throws unique and fascinating light on archaic Greek society. As well as offering the earliest known sources for the myths of Pandora, Prometheus and the Golden Age, Hesiod's poetry provides a valuable account of the ethics and superstitions of the society in which he lived. Unlike Homer, Hesiod writes about himself and his family, and he stands out as the first personality in European literature. This new translation, by a leading expert on the Hesiodic poems combines accuracy with readability. It is accompanied by an introduction and explanatory notes.

Customer Reviews:

Easily read Hesiod.......2007-05-12

This is the 4th translation of the Theogony that I've read over about 40 years of interest. I always felt that Hesiod's "Descent of the Gods" was cosmogony as much as theogony, and that "myth" provided a basis, perhaps unconscious, for much of what came later with the "materialist" pre-Socratic nature philosophers. The other translations were by Caldwell, Brown and Lattimore. I prefer Caldwell's for the detail in his footnotes and interseting Introduction, but this one is easily readable. Caldwell's version is in fact based upon the work of M. L. West, the author of this one. West is considered by many to be the authority.

Very interesting.......2007-01-29

I found this book quite interesting. It provided alot of good information for someone who was interested in learning about other religions.

The Ancient Greek's handbook.......2004-01-16

"Theogony" is one of, if not "the", original sources of Greek mythology. Hesiod tells us the full genealogy and origins of the Greek gods, and how the hegemony of Zeus was established after bitter fights and prolific intercourse with godesses and human females. Perhaps the most impressive part of this poem is the story about the god Typhoon. Hesiod depicts a horrific set of disasters that happened to the Earth, with Typhoon apparently being an unimaginable electric storm. Scholars like Immanuel Velikovsky have taken this episode as proof that many centuries ago, Venus and Mars, then wandering cosmic bodies, came very close to each other in a location near the Earth, which presumably caused our planet's rotation to stop, with the following earthquakes, electric storms and the like. In fact, reading that passage by Hesiod strongly seemed to me to be the writing of very old memories of a defining catastrophe that left an indelible mark on human memory. Be that true or not, the poem is very powerful.

"Works and Days" is a very different story. After Hesiod's father died, his apparently indolent brother Perses tried to rob him of part of the inheritance. We all know how bitter fights among siblings can be, especially about inheritances. So Hesiod decided to write a book to teach his brother some lessons, beginning with a little history and theology, and then some practical advice on how to make a decent living by hard work and honesty. The result is a simply wonderful account of some important myths, like the ages through which man has passed (Golden, Silver, Heroic, Bronze and our own), as well as Pandora's myth. He also tells us about Prometheus, the Christ-like figure of the Greeks. After that, Hesiod tells us how a Greek farmer should plan his activities for the year, with delicious depictions of the seasons and very concrete information about their way of life.

It is a very pleasant experience to go down to the very sources of our culture, especially when written in Hesiod's light, brief and humorous way. A very old masterpiece whhich is very important for how much of it we have carried to the present day.

Ian Myles Slater on: West's Hesiod Translation.......2003-12-04

Some of the other reviews offered with M.L. West's translation of Hesiod's "Theogony" and "Works and Days" for the Oxford World's Classics actually refer to Dorothea Wender's verse translation of the same works, plus a charming version of the collection of lyrics attributed to Theognis, published in the Penguin Classics. That is a worthwhile version -- although the joining of the peasant-oriented Boeotian Hesiod to the mainly aristocratic, and partly Athenian, "Theognis" corpus is a little odd.

West's version of the two main Hesiodic poems is, however, in prose, and offers the latest in textual and historical scholarship -- although this is not very obviously on display. West, who has edited much (perhaps by now all) of the "Hesiodic" corpus, with substantial technical commentaries (along with a good deal of Homer and the "Homeric Hymns"), offers here his best reading of the two long poems which seem most firmly attributed Hesiod. (Although some, including Wender, would prefer two poets, in addition to the problem of interpolations).

West's commentary, although useful, is surprisingly sparse, given what he could have offered; a lot of detailed argument has been converted into the translation itself.

"Theogony," for those not familiar with the work even by reputation, is the story of the origins and struggles of the gods of Classical Greece. Although the meter and basic style are those of the Homeric epics, and the gods are mainly the same, many details are different (Zeus is a younger son, not the eldest, for example), and the struggles between various generations are the foreground story, not a long-concluded background to the reign of Zeus. We meet Heaven, and his sons and daughters, culminating in the rebellion of the Titans, then the Olympians, who wage war against their father and his fellow-Titans, and so on. It is an extremely violent story, full of abusive parents, mutilations inflicted by rebellious offspring, divine cannibalism, and a whole succession of other behaviors the Greeks themselves considered repellent. The philosophers had real problems with this work -- one can understand from it why Plato wanted to ban poets from the ideal state.

Interspersed through the action are a number of catalogues of nature-deities, which are variously regarded by critics as interpolations or key structural elements. Many readers simply find them boring; it helps if you are using a translation which interprets the Greek names, which are usually charmingly appropriate for the natural element being personified.

"Works and Days" contains several important mythological passages, expanding and altering "Theogony," but is in the main a sort of sermon on how to be prosperous and righteous. It is packed with details of daily life, which readers will find either fascinating or tedious. and are sometimes rather opaque. West does a good job in making readable this combination of a sort of pagan equivalent of an Old Testament prophet with an Iron Age Farmer's Almanac, and his notes do help with some of the knottier passages. (Note that there is one recent translation-with-commentary of the "Works" which is dedicated almost entirely to making detailed agricultural and ethnographic sense of it; West clearly offers a more literary approach.)

The latter part of the twentieth century has seen a number of translations of the main Hesiodic poems, by Apostolos N. Athanassakis, R.M. Frazer, Richmond Lattimore, and, as noted above, Dorothea Wender (Penguin Classics), to join the old Evelyn-White bilingual edition for the Loeb Classical Library edition, with numerous attributed fragments. (A new Loeb edition has announced). There are also translations of single poems, by Norman O. Brown and by Richard S. Caldwell (both of the "Theogony") and Tandy and Neale ("Works and Days"). West offers a substantial alternative to the others, based on an exceptionally close knowledge of the textual problems.

One of the best Classical translations I have ever read.......2003-05-20

Penguin translations often go too far in pursuit of a contemporary and popular sound, for instance in the infamous Rieu translations of Homer, with Athena "dancing attendance on Odysseus like a lover"; but this one is perfect, probably the best of the entire Penguin Classics collection. The jewel in this excellent book is the translation of Hesiod's WORKS AND DAYS; a translation of exceptional quality, worthy of being mentioned in one breath with Robert Fagles and C.Day Lewis.
Next to it are the wonderful, engaging introductory essays, in which Professor Wender shows the most enchanting insight into the mentality and attitude of her poets, making them live on the page for us. It is unmistakeably the work of a specialist, yet it is pitched - successfully - at the ordinary reader. A person who knows nothing about the Classics will leave them not only having a clear and precise idea of the characters of Hesiod and Theognis, but having learned a considerable amount about what makes good poetry. If the translation shows the poetic gifts of a Fagles or Lewis, the introduction shows the critical eye of a truly great critic - a C.S.Lewis, a Matthew Arnold. Do not be misled by the reviewer who says that she "carps" at the Theogony; he is only showing his shock at the notion that someone might have different views from his own. Professor Wender's criticisms are justified, especially in view of her very insightful comparison of the literary quality of the THEOGONY and that of the WORKS AND DAYS. This is the model of what a paperback translation of a classic work should be. As for the verse, I can do no better than to quote the terrible sequence, building up to a smashing final blow, which Professor Wender herself mentions as a fine instance of the poetic excellence of the author of the WORKS AND DAYS, but which might as well feature as the type of her own fluent and beautiful poetic ear; think, as you listen, of that last white flash of deathless beauty, vanishing away to the land of the Gods to leave men abandoned to their fate:
Zeus will destroy this race of mortal men
When babies shall be born with greying hair.
Father will have no common bond with son,
Neither will guest with host, nor friend with friend;
The brother-love of past days will be gone.
Men will dishonour parents who grow old
Too quickly, and will blame and criticize
With cruel words. Wretched and godless, they,
Refusing to repay their bringing up,
Will cheat their aged parents of their due.
Men will destroy the towns of other men.
The just, the good, the man who keeps his word
Will be despised, but men will praise the bad
And insolent. Might will be right, and shame
Will cease to be. Men will do injury
To better men by speaking crooked words
And adding lying oaths; and everywhere,
Harsh-voiced and sullen-faced and loving harm,
Envy will walk along with wretched men.
Last to Olympus from the broadpathed Earth,
Hiding their loveliness in robes of white
To join the gods, abandoning mankind
Will go the spirits Righteousness and Shame;
And only grievous troubles will be left
For men, and no defence against our wrongs.

Emily Dickinson's Herbarium: A Facsimile Edition

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Emily Dickinson's Herbarium
A herbarial life

Emily Dickinson's Herbarium: A Facsimile Edition
Emily Dickinson , and Raymond Angelo
Manufacturer: Belknap Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0674023021

Book Description

In a letter from 1845, the 14-year-old Emily Dickinson asked her friend Abiah Root if she had started collecting flowers and plants for a herbarium: "it would be such a treasure to you; 'most all the girls are making one." Emily's own album of more than 400 pressed flowers and plants, carefully preserved, has long been a treasure of Harvard's Houghton Library. This beautifully produced, slipcased volume now makes it available to all readers interested in the life and writings of Emily Dickinson.

The care that Emily put into her herbarium, as Richard Sewall points out, goes far beyond what one might expect of a botany student her age: "Take Emily's herbarium far enough, and you have her." The close observation of nature was a lifelong passion, and Emily used her garden flowers as emblems in her poetry and her correspondence. Each page of the album is reproduced in full color at full size, accompanied by a transcription of Dickinson's handwritten labels. Introduced by a substantial literary and biographical essay, and including a complete botanical catalog and index, this volume will delight scholars, gardeners, and all readers of Emily Dickinson's poetry.

Customer Reviews:

Emily Dickinson's Herbarium.......2007-09-28

I enjoyed this book very much. It was a thrill to see Emily Dickinson's own handwriting and all the flowers she collected at such a young age. I especially enjoyed seeing the Fringed Gentians and thinking about the poems she wrote about them at a later age.

I was somewhat disappointed in the text. The authors didn't spend much time editing it and making it cohesive. The science section in particular could have had a more detailed description of the wetland prairie habitat in which Emily Dickinson collected the plants.

Overall, I was very pleased with the book. It was beautifully photographed. To describe it as a coffee table book would hardly do it justice. I have lived on a prairie for many years and have seen many of the wildflowers Emily Dickinson has in her "Herbarium". Seeing "Emily Dickinson's Herbarium" has certainly left me with a feeling of intimacy with the poet and her poetry.

A herbarial life.......2007-02-18

Wonderful book, tells much about the author's reluctance to expose herself to the living world.

Veiled Sentiments: Honor and Poetry in a Bedouin Society,

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The Meaning of the Craft of Ethnography
Tremendous Insight
Evocative ethnography
A Tool for Understanding
a good read

Veiled Sentiments: Honor and Poetry in a Bedouin Society,
Lila Abu-Lughod
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0520224736

Book Description

Updated Edition With a New Preface
Lila Abu-Lughod lived with a community of Bedouins in the Western Desert of Egypt for nearly two years, studying gender relations and the oral lyric poetry through which women and young men express personal feelings. The poems are haunting, the evocation of emotional life vivid. But her analysis also reveals how deeply implicated poetry and sentiment are in the play of power and the maintenance of a system of social hierarchy. What begins as a puzzle about a single poetic genre becomes a reflection on the politics of sentiment and the relationship between ideology and human experience.

Customer Reviews:

The Meaning of the Craft of Ethnography.......2007-06-04

What is most interesting about this book -- which centers on the poetry of the Bedouin tribe of Awlad Ali -- is not the poetry per se, but that it gives an insider's view of the craft of Ethnography. It shows, through the eyes of a skilled ethnographer, and almost by indirection and in reverse order, how meaning is attached to cultures by the people who live in them.

By peeling back the skin of the Awlad Ali culture - one of the nomadic tribes that once hovered around the edge of the Western Egyptian Desert -- we learn, not just "the ways" of this and similar Nomadic tribes, but more generally, the steps needed to attach meaning to the onion called culture. This analysis reveals, layer-by-layer, the structure and texture of the Awlad Ali worldview. It also reveals the various ideologies that supported its construction.

The Awlad Ali tribe is a society based on blood kinship, on honor, and on a kind of fierce tribal autonomy and independence. And however abstract these categories may seem, and however much they may seem settled at birth, they are in fact constantly being re-negotiated in the tribe's everyday efforts to survive: "lived deeds" in the Awlad Ali culture always trump ascribed status and words. The culture has especially derogatory names and references to those who talk, but fail to act.

Moreover, cultural meaning and societal rules remain close to the ground: that is, closely attached to survival needs. Ascribed status - that is patrilineal genealogy, maleness, etc. definitely have a pride of place in the culture, but these do not settle the matter of status once and for all: What one does with these is the final arbiter of ones position and status within the tribe.

As an American peeping into another culture, what I learned in a somewhat painfully indirect way is that most of rest of the world - even primitive tribes -- still speak and relate to each other in the language of humanity: poetry, songs, prayer, proverbs, folklore, tales, myths, etc. To them, these are not mere cultural trinkets, ornamentations and affectations, to be tossed about during holidays, or to be commercialized and then tossed aside, or just the colorful tools used to promote a particular kind of politics or political organization, but they are the real meat of human discourse. They serve as the actual conduits through which deep human feelings are conveyed and transmitted.

As a backdrop to our own culture, there are at least two lessons to be learned (indirectly and in relief) from this book:

(1) That it is possible to construct a cultural worldview (a complete cosmology of meaning) entirely without the need for a category called "race" or without reference to the idea of a "religion." The author, who was Christian and a partly-white female, lived in the home of the tribe she was studying for two years, which was nominally Muslim, but with all of the many intersecting categories of meaning: race and religion, were never mentioned to her or ever played a role in tribal discourse.

(2) That we Americans live in a social world that is bereft of normal meaningful human attachments and discourse. In comparison to the Awlad Ali tribe, we live in a world of greatly diminished humanity in which racism, acquisition of things, commodification and consumerization of those things, rationalizations and political spin, false piety, rationing of intangibles qualities, knee-jerk bipartisanism, sublimated hatred, and artistic shallowness, are substitutes for real meaning.

Is this all just an inevitable part of modernity? It is difficult to know, but we must be grateful to this author for showing us with great skill that there are other images of, and paths to meaningfulness.

Ten Stars

Tremendous Insight.......2006-09-25

Lila Abu Lughod, an Arab American woman, lived among the Awlad Ali tribes of the North West of Egypt for two years. Veiled Sentiments is the book she wrote on the lives and poetry of Awlad Ali. Abu Lughod field work was clearly not carried out from a "superior" stance; she sympathized with her subjects and dealt with them as equal human beings rather than inferior specimen or cultures. Abu Lughod attitude, intelligence, training and tremendous analystical ability helped her in developing great insight and understanding of this fascinating culture.

Abu Lughod analysis of concepts such as "hishma" was truly incisive and shed a great deal of light on the nature of modesty between women and men and amongst men and women. The analysis seems to explain behaviors and norms witnessed elsewhere in Egypt and indeed other parts of the Middle East.

An important thesis of Abu Lughod is that the Awlad Ali people often communicated in very conservative and modest way directly through words; they only said what was proper and fitted the norms. Yet a second mode of communication far more true and expressive was found in their little songs or poems.

Abu Lughod discussed gender relation amongst Awlad Ali at length and the relationship between women and the families of their husbands and the society at large. I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. For an excellent work on veiling and gender issues, I would recommend Leila Ahmed's Women & Gender in Islam.

Evocative ethnography.......2003-05-17

I agree with the other reviewers. It was the best ethnography I can remember reading. What struck a chord with me was her description and explanation of the women's submission to the men, that the submissiveness was valuable only when it was voluntarily given. The idea of women being submissive to men is not only Islamic, but exists also in Christianity.

A Tool for Understanding.......2003-01-04

"Veiled Sentiments" is academic. It is the outcome of the author's living in a Bedouin community in northern Egypt (the Western Desert) for two years, a feat of no mean proportions.

Lila Abu-Lughod came to a deep understanding of such aspects of the culture as blood ties, veiling and poetry not only because of her talent and training but also because she has ties to that culture. She calls academics like herself "halfies" because they belong both "inside and outside the communities they write about." She realizes that such a situation benefits them in terms of gathering knowledge within close cultures.

The veiling of women (or rather women's veiling of themselves) is an important topic because of recent events including world politics and of the ongoing research in feminism. It is also important because it is so often misunderstood and so difficult to understand even when it is explained.

After reading Abu-Lughod's renowned (in the world of academics) book, "Veiled Sentiments," I think I have a better handle on veiling than I ever would have had otherwise. It was not easy to absorb the concepts that surround it. That it took ¼ of a 315 page book to do it (a conservative estimate) is a testament to the intricacies of and the psychological motivations behind this cultural /religious practice.

Learning more about veiling alone made this study one well worth reading. But the surprise for both the reader, and-as explained by Ms. Abu-Lughod-the author herself is the discovery of this culture's use of poetry. To take it one step further, the insight into how societies in general (at least ours and that of the Bedouins) similarly use their poetry and relate to it.

Abu-Lughod finds that poetry is used somewhat differently among women in the Awlad ` Ali tribes than it is used by men. Because I am writing my own book of poetry called "Skyscapes: A Woman's View," I was especially interested in this aspect of "Sentiments;" it also was, by the author's own admission, an amazing and important cultural discovery. A group of women in China have their own secret language apart from the men; now this anthropologist brings to our attention how the poetry and veiling customs of these women reveal their emotions and are rooted in the traditions of a society in which they live quite separately from men.

Though this book is not meant for mainstream readers, I hope that many who have no ties to anthropology will make an effort to read it. I believe that women will find it especially interesting but men will also find pertinent information for today's political climate within its pages. No amount of travel could impart the depth of understanding of this culture, and-by extension-similar cultures that this book does.

(Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the author of "This is the Place..." )

a good read.......2002-10-14

the book is written by an american woman with mideastern roots -- she provides great insight into the traditionals of the bedouin and arab worlds. I read this before I went to Egypt and it provided great foundation for understanding the culture of the town and village. I like her writing style -- she makes anthopological analysis interesting by explaining in the context of her interactions with the bedouins.

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