Book Description
From Elaine Pagels’s Beyond Belief to Jim Wallis’s God's Politics, investigations into the relationship between the historical foundations of Christianity and the role of religion in today’s world have risen to the top of bestseller lists. Obery Hendricks, Jr., who was Pagels’s first graduate student at Princeton University, adds an important new voice to the ongoing discussion in THE POLITICS OF JESUS. Filled with riveting, original insights, it confirms Cornel West’s declaration that “Obery Hendricks is not just on the cutting edge, he’s the knife.”
Focusing on a powerful but little-examined aspect of the Gospels, Hendricks portrays Jesus as a political revolutionary whose teachings are meant to lead the way to freedom from the tyranny of principalities and unjust rulers in high—and low—places. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus employs various tactics to address the social, economic, and political conditions of his day and exposes the terrible effects of oppression and poverty on the mind, body, and soul.
In an in-depth examination of Christianity’s history, from its foundation through the time of Paul to the reign of Constantine to the present day, Hendricks traces how the church became a hierarchical structure, protective of the powerful and intent on maintaining the status quo. THE POLITICS OF JESUS recaptures the revolutionary implications of Christianity, and calls on Christians to embrace anew the core values of Jesus’ message and restore his fight to alleviate the suffering of underprivileged and abused peoples.
Customer Reviews:
Republicans make Jesus cry :o(.......2007-10-12
2 Stars, I like the way this book reminds Christians to open there faith up to the entirety of human existence, including the political realm. The Lord is glorified in the administration of justice. And to be loving and merciful is a call for whole people groups not just individuals.
That being said the author takes this idea and runs headlong into the camp of the leftist, bordering on extreme socialism or anarchy. The author disregards teachings from the Bible such as capital punishment, with out attempting to explain why. He does this to make his point on feel good Social Gospel. The author makes no attempt to hide a bias against Republicans, and praise for Democrats. Book is biased don't waste you time.
Powerful - A Must Read.......2007-07-24
Reading Obrey Hendricks, Jr's book, the Politics of Jesus, is like sitting at the feet of a contemporary griott, and having the story of a hero told in a fashion that makes that hero larger than life. Given that the hero, Jesus Christ, is already larger than life, the story becomes all the more enriching because of the many historical interpretations of today. Hendricks' portrayal of Jesus actions, emotions and intentions are no less than radical as his political agenda is analyzed. The meek, mild Jesus of our childhood is exchanged for a radical portrayal of a man who fought for justice, defied authority, and challenged the status quo with fiery temerity.
Hendricks describes the political climate in which Jesus was born and lived in vivid detail, providing historical support for his contention that today's King James' Version of the bible was interpreted in favor of the whims of a Roman political leader by the name of Constantine. Hendricks speaks out against ministers who embrace Constantine's transformation of their roles as they accept privileged treatment and exalted status. Hendricks maintains that the story of an exorcism described in Mark 5:1-10 can actually be interpreted as an allegorical tale, in which the demon-possessed man represents the country of Israel, and the legion which possesses it represents the Roman army. Hendricks states " So though on one level Mark 5:1-13 is an account of an exorcism, on another level it is a radical political parable in the guise of a healing story, a parable that tell the people of Jesus that it is not God's displeasure that has bedeviled them, but the misdeeds of those who lord it over them (147). Additionally, The "Politics of Jesus" is a clarion call to leaders everywhere to "treat the needs of the people as holy". It reminds us that "There must only be servant leaders, just as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve" (332).
Alicia Latimer
Sisters Sippin' Tea Literary Group - Tulsa Chapter
A True Revolutionary.......2007-06-02
This book will blow your mind. You will see and understand Jesus in away that you have never done before. This book is a quick read, so don't let the thickness scare you. This book is also awesome for bible study and discussion.
Speaking Truth to Power.......2007-05-11
The politics of Jesus is must read for anyone who is on a journey of liberation. This book came into my hands as a gift from Santita Jackson the daughter of Jesse Jackson. When I got the book I could not put it down. It began to wake up some of the Liberation Theology that I was exposed to in some of Dr. James Cone lectures. Obery M. Hendricks Jr. brings us to a place where we see Jesus as the political revolutionary. He points out that Jesus message is not only called to change the individual heart but also to demand sweeping and comprehensive change in the political, social, and economic structures in our lives today as it was in the days of Jesus walk here on earth.
This book will also cause you to see the work of Jesus and make you take a deep look within yourself to see where we as the church have failed in the mission here on planet earth. Hendricks, points out that Christians understand that his message has a political dimension but they reject the notion that Jesus was a political revolutionary. He did not only address issues in people heart but he advocated revolutionary changes in a political order that militated against the happiness and wholeness of the people he came to serve. Jesus actively opposed the oppressive system of his day.
Hendricks shows us that Jesus makes a reference to the year of Jubilee in Leviticus where at the end of a fifty year cycle everything was restored that was taken away unjustly. This is the release of the captives which was unjustly imprisoned. Exodus is a liberation moment that is very political. Where God hears the cries of the oppress He raises up a liberator to bring them out of bondage. The author brings us to a term in the book called Hebrews which means literally he crossed over. The sense of outsider class status comes with this understanding of the term Hebrew. Now the author tells us that the Exodus liberation experience is also the root event of Jesus faith and his message. This is revealed by Jesus evoking the memory of the Exodus often in the Gospel by repeatedly invoking Moses' name.
The author makes a bold statement to those that are called to the prophetic. He tells us "Their unwillingness to speak truth to power or to empower others to do so represents a refusal to prophesy for justice and a betrayal of their sacred calling. Moreover, ministers who are cozy with those in power run the abiding risk of becoming servants of Baal, the god of the privileged few. That is why a conservative prophet, a prophet aligned with the ruling class, in reality is no prophet at all." Wow this is much to consume because now we see that the work of the prophet is to comfort the afflicted and now they have a calling to afflict the comfortable. In this work we come to this point that we have a responsibility to give a voice to the voiceless. This is a powerful strategy for political change. This book tells us that we come to a place of speaking truth to power.
Hendricks lay out a strategy and one of the strategies is to call the demon by name. In Mark chapter 5 we see the exorcism of a man gone wild with self-destruction. The author tells us to call the demons out by and name and the names are some of the forces that are oppressing the downtrodden of our day. A great work and a must read for those that are ready to understand the politics of Jesus.
Social Gospel.......2007-04-27
The author freely reinterprets scripture to suit his agenda, without any convincing logic to support his assumptions. I was unable to endure much of this book in spite of my desire to really understand an apposing view. In my opinion, it's just another attempt to invent a social gospel rather than to accept the gospel of salvation.
Book Description
Shattered Consensus: The True State of Global Warming convincingly demonstrates the remarkable differences between what we commonly read about global warming and what is really happening. Nine chapters describe major problems with computer simulations of future climate that are the basis for wrenching policies being proposed by world leaders. Anyone who reads this book will come away with a new appreciation of the complexity of the climate issue and will question the need for expensive policies that are likely to have little or no detectable effect on the planet's temperature. Published in cooperation with the George C. Marshall Institute.
Customer Reviews:
The inconvenient truth about An Inconvenient Truth .......2007-08-06
I highly recommend this book. But I suspect that this book will not appeal to most readers. There's none of the intense hyperbole that infects both global warming fanatics and many of their deniers. There are no grand apocalyptic scenarios that garner such strong public appeal. No terrifying future, no living on the brink of disaster. Only quiet nuanced science from those who spend their life in research. One suspects that the politics of global warming has now superseded the science and sad to say, when politics enters the room, truth shuffles its way into the background. This is unfortunate since there are many things about the environment with which we should be concerned - not the least being our consumption of non renewable resources. My fervent hope is that we can move past the exaggerated apocalypse of global warming while addressing the necessary issues of the environment - i.e., the rest of the environment aside from climate change.
In this case of Shattered Consensus, all ten contributors are scientists and experts in their field. Each chapter, and scientific report, covers a separate and distinct aspect of climate. This is really a collection of reports, not a coherent "story". Each contributor has their own style, some being more accessible than others. They present the science as they understand it and in that regard the average reader may find the information dry, or indeed undecipherable. Most of the ten authors include a short conclusion which may be helpful for those unwilling to plow through the science. Nonetheless the reader is left in the end overwhelmed not by the certainty of any position, but by the staggering uncertainty in all aspects related to this Earth's climate. Our ability to measure past trends in climate are dependent on woefully scant data. Our ability to project future trends have no unambiguous models yet. In fact, the variability of the results of the different models are so big as to render them basically useless for anything other than further research. They certainly shouldn't be used to make definitive statements as to future trends. The effects of CO2 are still highly uncertain with some models suggesting no impact and some observations linking CO2 to an indicator of climate change not a driver - i.e., CO2 changes as a result of climate change, not the other way around. Much more research is needed to understand why these discrepancies are observed. Even if global warming is happening, and even if CO2 is at least partly to blame, the impact of global warming in some scenarios is actually beneficial to not only humans, but to some species. Indeed, in all of Earth's history through warming and cooling periods, some species benefit and other lose.
The reader is left with the question, since scientists tell us that the unknowns vastly outweigh the things that are known about climate, what should our policy decisions making framework be based on. Is seems to me that we need to base it on what is known. Air quality, water quality, land use, availability of non renewable resources, are all things we can measure and for which policies can be made. Having a single enemy (CO2, in this case) is certainly more appealing and simple for the average consumer to understand. But simple is not always best.
It should be noted that none of these scientists is involved in the petroleum industry (a favorite disclaimer by those wanting to discredit the validity of anyone critical of global warming science). Some have even been involved in the IPCC directly (the UN Intergovernmental protocol on climate change). Scientists are by nature a conservative lot. A hypothesis lasts as long as the next set of experiments that disprove it, or tenuously as long as further experiments continue to confirm it. Most scientists don't seek a public profile and most are uncomfortable playing the role of a nay-sayer, especially in the face of such publicly popular resources as Al Gore's an Inconvenient Truth. I will rely on the scientific truth to work its way to the surface. I just hope we don't waste too much in the way of public funds on chasing windmills when there are so many important issues in this world that need attention.
Consensus? Right........2007-04-18
This book perfectly illustrates how there is dissent in the thinking of many climate scientists, showing information that proves there is no consensus, or at least none as to the overall causes, specific effects and actions to take on "anthropogenic global warming".
It's like the AAAS's 'Science' magazine publishing an op/ed in their "Essays on Science and Society" section by Naomi Oreskes (Associate professor of history and director of the Program in Science Studies at the University of California at the time). In that piece, it was reported an analysis was made of abstracts in the ISI database under science and with the phrase "global climate change" in them. The keywords specified in the op/ed 3 times were "climate change" (In another issue of 'Science' that was corrected to "global climate change". I would include that, but you have to join AAAS to get to it.) Her closing paragraph in the essay uses the words "anthropogenic climate change".
Although she takes quite a while to say it, in two or more convoluted paragraphs, she claims consensus because of the actions of some organizations; that we can prove statements and reports by the AMS, AGU, AAAS and others don't downplay legitimate disenting opinions, thus proving a consensus. I'm not sure I follow that train of logic, but there you go.
So, how does she "prove" it? By grabbing those publications that are in the ISI database that are in the science section and have abstracts that have the words "global climate change" in the abstract. Do those contradict what the organizations say? No? Consensus!
Not in ISI database? Not in science section? No abstract? Doesn't have "global climate change" in the abstract? Not looked at.
She does make two interesting points in her closing paragraph, although the two have nothing to do with each other. I've broken the paragraph into the two points; while the first is true, the second is not anything she's proven in the op/ed (although it seems she's hoping we will think so):
1. Many details about climate interactions are not well understood, and there are ample grounds for continued research to provide a better basis for understanding climate dynamics. The question of what to do about climate change is also still open.
2. But there is a scientific consensus on the reality of anthropogenic climate change. Climate scientists have repeatedly tried to make this clear. It is time for the rest of us to listen.
That op/ed, Richard Lindzen's op/ed in the WSJ and her rebuttal op/ed in the Washington Post, as well as letters between Roger Pielke Jr and her printed in 'Science' give even more light on the entire issue of the lack of a consensus and the lengths the cult of global warming will go to to keep everyone thinking there is. This book goes a long way towards fighting the misconceptions, and is an excellent strike in the battle against global warming propaganda.
[...]
Down with Globaloney.......2007-04-03
Point-by-point rebuttal of the fallacy of ''global warming''/''climate change'' brought about by human endeavors. Puts paid to AlGores' Oscar-winning docufantasy. Yes, all of us anti-global warming folks are in the pay of Giant Oil and the moral equivalent of Holocaust deniers. NOT!!! Your belief in half-baked computer models (as opposed to real-life atmospheric happenings) and over-blown do-gooder falsehoods doesn't make ''global warming'' a catastrophic happening.
Sample of Scientific Discussions.......2007-03-14
Interesting series of papers on topics of ongoing discussion regarding global warming. The title is a bit overblown, but I guess it matches the assumption, so often printed over and over in the media, that there is a consensus on global warming (or more correctly, human-caused global warming). There's lots of citations given and places to dig into this as deep as you want. I particularly like the part about trying to develop some sort of heat balance between the earth's surface, the various layers in the atmosphere, and the universe to which the earth radiates heat, and all the unexplained measurement error and missing information associated with that.
There was allusion to the plans to try to "Command and Control" the world's economy, based on averting global warming, basically concluding that nothing we can do will change the outcome much anyway, at least in any predictable way. It makes one wonder if the global warming phenomena is being used as a pretext to try "Command and Control" again. This book does not really get into that, but does give a taste of endless unresolved topics associated with global warming.
religion of enviromentalism challenged.......2007-03-01
any book that challenges to apriori assumptions of the enviromentalist religious dogma of man made global warming is needed. Al Gore and his celebrity loving, psuedo scientific friends need to be mocked for their hypocrisy and stupidity
Book Description
In this remarkable book, William Buhlman, author of the bestselling Adventures Beyond the Body, offers the reader a comprehensive guidebook to understanding and exploring the fascinating phenomenon of out-of-body experiences (OBEs). Learn how you can:
- Explore your true spiritual self and attain profound transformation in your awareness and knowledge of the universe.
- Gain life-changing benefits as you break free from mental and physical limitations
- Contact departed loved ones using OBEs to move beyond the current limited understanding of death.
Filled with engrossing stories based on the testimonies of people from all over the world, and offering forty new, easy-to-understand techniques, The Secret of the Soul will prepare human beings everywhere for the next major leap in the evolution of consciousness.
Customer Reviews:
Absolute Must-Read Book for Anyone Wishing to Gain More Understanding!!.......2007-10-17
The book, The Secret of the Soul by William Buhlman, is the second book in his series on out-of-body experiences that explains how we can facilitate the understanding of our true nature as a spiritual being within a physical body. This book uses the `real-life' testimonies and experiences of survey participants from all over the world to show that out-of-body travel is not a rare, exceptional practice, but one that is recurrent and routine for those who seek to learn more about it.
In a clear, straightforward manner, he offers the benefits of out-of-body exploration, such as self-healing, past-life revelations, and the transformative shifts in consciousness that can occur. He gives easy to understand descriptions of numerous techniques for initiating out-of- body exploration. He shares with us his beliefs on the similarities of `extraterrestrial encounters' and out-of-body situations and what his version of an `ideal death' would be.
To quote from the book, "The real frontier for humanity is the exploration of consciousness and the nonphysical dimensions that exist just beyond our vision. As we evolve, we will move beyond our current obsession with matter and join the multidimensional community of consciousness. Until we do, we will continue as primitive outsiders who stare into the sky and wonder about our place in the universe." For those who wish to learn more about themselves and our place in the universe, this is a must-read book!
As he states, our spiritual evolution is our responsibility and it takes courage to be a spiritual explorer "to step beyond our physical limits and the prevailing norms of our society and culture". I highly recommend reading this book as it will help you gain that courage to step outside any limiting beliefs and know that you are not alone in your quest for the truth!
Loved it!!!.......2007-07-24
William Buhlman's books are the bomb diggity! I absolutely loved Secret of the Soul and Adventures Beyond the Body. Very well laid out books, easy to read and understand; and best of all, they contain personal experiences from people all over the world. By far the two best books I have read on the subject! Well done Bill!
A Fascinating and Wide-Ranging Exploration of the Out of Body Experience.......2006-11-07
I've read a large number of books on Astral Projection and this one was completely different for its range of topics. The author sent out a survey and received first-hand accounts from 16,000 people who have had various degrees of out-of-body experiences from accidental to controlled, from enjoyable to unwelcome. Buhlman lets the stories speak for themselves, and categorizes the experiences by subject: meetings and messages beyond the body, childhood OBEs, combat- and trauma-induced experiences and transformational experiences. Buhlman also discusses what can be expected from an OBE and what benefits there are.
Chapter 6 was unique in the entire literature of OBEs: could alien abductions be unexpected out-of-body experiences? Buhlman does a masterful job of analyzing the reported experiences of alien abductees and drawing parallels to the sensations of OBEs.
His "Brief History" of OBEs is an eye-opening re-examination of descriptions of the mystical experience, synthesizing historical and biblical accounts from the Egyptians through the Greeks and Tibetans, to the Christian and Sufi mystics, including Swedenborg, Yogis, Aborigines, Native Americans and Shamans. It's all too brief, serving to point the way for the reader to research further, but does argue for the ubiquitous OBE in our religions and spiritual paths.
Chapter 8, "A New Vision of Death and Dying," is another unique feature of this book in the Astral Travel library. OBEs are not dealt with as simply enjoyable anomalies in consciousness, but as life-changing spiritual experiences demanding a transformation of our definition of reality.
The "Art and Practice" section of the book deals specifically with the sensations the practitioner will feel when attempting to leave the body. The trance state is discussed, and the all-important vibrational phenomena are revisited throughout the book until they are pretty much memorized. Very few other books on Astral Projection are so detailed in their descriptions of what you can expect to feel when trying to leave the body. They may tell you what to imagine or visualize, but then you do the practices and then feel/see/hear things and wonder if you're on the right track. For example, the paralysis and vibrations that frighten many people are the very signals of an imminent OBE!
Many different visualizations are offered, and readers can choose the ones that appeal to them, or the ones that they find easiest to work with: climbing, floating, rocking, rotating, rotating, and so on.
Other techniques that may aid the reader in leaving the body are discussed briefly, from drumming and medicinal plants to meditation and brain-wave technology. A chapter on trouble-shooting is very helpful for those experiencing fear or distractions.
Like anything, Astral Projection can be learned through practice. No book can guarantee an OBE; that depends on your motivation and power of concentration, not to mention your ability to persevere through failure and learn from your mistakes. But "Secret of the Soul" is a wide-ranging and fascinating read even for earth-bound souls.
Both book and CD was fantastic !!!.......2006-09-10
This book is one of the best OBE books. You looking for OBE techniques ? You can found more than 20 in this book !!! You looking for protection techniques while OBE ? O yes, you can found them here. How about to guide some one whose dying ? You can found it here too. About similarity OBE with Alien's abduction ? Yup, it's here too....
I also will review CD version of this book. It's contains 4 CD : 1. The Christos Technique (you can find it from other OBE books). 2. The Energy Body Technique (similar with Denning-Philips and Crowleys.. transfer your consciousness to astral body). 3. The Rope Technique (read Astral Dynamics by Robert Bruce !). 4. The Shaman / Bird Technique (you can find it in Adventures Beyond the Body..the best, number one.. OBE book!). If you like practice with guiding.. this is for you. The sound (background) strong enough to direct your mind to non physical realms.
Just OK.......2006-02-27
I enjoyed Buhlman's first book more than this one. At times, the information really drags.
Book Description
A stevedore on the San Francisco docks in the 1940s, Eric Hoffer wrote philosophical treatises in his spare time while living in the railroad yards. The True Believer -- the first and most famous of his books -- was made into a bestseller when President Eisenhower cited it during one of the earliest television press conferences.Completely relevant and essential for understanding the world today, The True Believer is a visionary, highly provocative look into the mind of the fanatic and a penetrating study of how an individual becomes one.
Customer Reviews:
Understanding followings1.......2007-10-09
This is a very good book for anyone wanting to know why people follow mass movements or if they want to try and start a mass movement!
To Believe.......2007-09-19
Read this book in 1992...changed the way that I looked at the world and organized religion. Really helps in understanding anything that deals with politics, religion, and any other mainstream ideology.
The Optimistic Jew.......2007-08-31
This is a companion piece to Erich Fromm's "Escape From Freedom". It is an analysis of fanatics - human beings that are compelled to join causes no matter what the cause. By extension it is an investigation of mass movements from early Christianity up to Fascism and Communism. This book is a cautionary against dangerous trends in the Zionist Enterprise (notice I use the term Enterprise and not Movement). Fanatic selfless idealism - whether of right wing settlers or of leftwing social reformers is dangerous. The arrogant self-righteousness of both can justify corruption, breaking the law and horrendous crimes.
As Hoffer puts it: "It is only when the movement has passed its active stage and solidified into a pattern of stable institutions that individual liberty has a chance to emerge". In the Jewish context we are not post-Zionist we are post Zionist Movement and well into the Zionist Enterprise. I celebrate the maturing of Zionism from a Movement into an Enterprise. The so called solidarity of the past stifled individual self-actualization. Today the Zionist Enterprise offers many opportunities to individuals to actualize themselves as human beings and as Jews. I believe this is admirable and not to be regretted. My book "The Optimistic Jew: a Positive Vision for the Jewish People in the 21st Century" reflects this view.
An Essential Book for Educated People.......2007-05-24
Hoffer's 150-page book is a classic that applies perfectly to our times. Hoffer hits the mark again and again with "Machiavellian detachment" as one reviewer said. Of fanatics, Hoffer wrote:
"The effectiveness of a doctrine should not be judged by its profundity, sublimity or the validity of the truths it embodies, but by how thoroughly it insulates the individual from his self and the world as it is."
"The effectiveness of a doctrine does not come from its meaning but from its certitude."
"It is obvious, therefore, that in order to be effective a doctrine must not be understood, but has to be believed in. We can be absolutely certain only about things we do not understand. A doctrine that is understood is shorn of its strength." (quotations from page 76)
Very powerful and convincing reasoning!
Hoffer at The Eye of the Storm.......2007-04-07
Here is the first thing anyone needs to know about reading "The True Believer": Eric Hoffer is not on your team, whatever your team may be, whether right, left, moderate, secular or non-secular, or whatever. If anyone ever attempts to sell you on an ideology with a quote from "The True Believer", please know that Hoffer is tumbling in his grave.
If you are looking to pump your fist in the air at the moment that Hoffer skewers the ideology you oppose, yes, you will have that moment, but please know that you're going to turn the page and find Hoffer is skewering your ideology on the next. There's no escape from "The True Believer" because Hoffer seems to demand that we be something more than de -politicized know-nothings, but makes the additional demand that we not become ideological sheep in the process.
This may, in part, be why "The True Believer" may be the most popular book of its kind that no one has ever heard of. (Oxymoron intended.) No writer is objective, but Hoffer gets as close to it as anyone and then pulls off something quite amazing; he throws bombs everywhere, reducing any kind of ideological proponent to what they really are; an individual caught up in a phenomena larger than themselves. There are great metaphysical implications in this, but Hoffer doesn't entertain them. He's reporting from a rowboat at the peaceful eye of an ideological hurricane of mass movements, and he's not happy about what he sees and he let's it be known.
"The True Believer" is not wordy in the least, and it's quite short, about 120 pages, but it's a bit hard to get through if you're unprepared because Hoffer writes in a manner that makes one feel they should be scribbling each line down as a quotation to keep in mind. It's a very assertive book and Hoffer doesn't say things, he proclaims them, in almost every sentence. You're just recovering from the impact of one sentence, and then you find you've had a head on collision with the next. You quickly realize that you understood every word, very much so, but you're boxing with a tough s.o.b. This also makes the book very quotable for someone looking to sell an ideology, a practice which indicates that they've read the book, but not understood it.
It's important to keep in mind that Hoffer isn't looking for a good guy or bad guy. Hoffer's subject is "Mass Movements". If you read the book with the "eye of the storm" perspective in mind, you'll find it fascinating and compulsively readable. If you read it seeking an affirmation of your own worldview, you're likely to find yourself shipwrecked at page 30 or so.
Amazon.com
Modoc is the joint biography of a man and an elephant born in a small German circus town on the same day in 1896. Bram was the son of an elephant trainer, Modoc the daughter of his prize performer. The boy and animal grew up devoted to each other. When the Wunderzircus was sold to an American, with no provision to take along the human staff, Bram stowed away on the ship to prevent being separated from his beloved Modoc. A shipwreck off the Indian coast and a sojourn with a maharajah were only the beginning of the pair's incredible adventures. They battled bandits, armed revolutionaries, cruel animal trainers, and greedy circus owners in their quest to stay together. They triumphed against the odds and thrilled American circus audiences with Modoc's dazzling solo performances, only to be torn apart with brutal suddenness, seemingly never to meet again. Hollywood animal trainer Ralph Helfer rescued Modoc from ill-treatment and learned her astonishing story when Bram rediscovered her at Helfer's company. His emotional retelling of this true-life adventure epic will make pulses race and bring tears to readers' eyes. --Wendy Smith
Book Description
Spanning several decades and three continents, Modoc is one of the most amazing true animal stories ever told. Raised together in a small German circus town, a boy and an elephant formed a bond that would last their entire lives, and would be tested time and again; through a near–fatal shipwreck in the Indian Ocean, an apprenticeship with the legendary Mahout elephant trainers in the Indian teak forests, and their eventual rise to circus stardom in 1940s New York City.
Modoc is a captivating true story of loyalty, friendship, and high adventure, to be treasured by animal lovers everywhere.
Customer Reviews:
Modoc Review.......2007-07-27
I have never been so emtoionally touched by a true story (and fictional) as this! I read it on a trip and could not stop crying (happy and sad)! I have been telling my family, friends, aquaintances, and even my veterinarian (after seeing an elephant picture in the waiting room) about this book -- in other words, I can't stop talking about it! The life journey of Bram and Modoc, which spans 70 years, is simply amazing! Went on line to read more and found out Kevin Costner is negotiating to direct and star in making Modoc into a movie! I will be the first in line!!!!!!!!
Elephants are a miracle.......2007-07-09
It may not be the most well written book I have ever read, but I guarantee that you will
NEVER look at an elephant again the same way that you did before reading about Modoc. If only I had the room, I would have an elephant in my back yard.
Heart and Soul-Satisfying Tale.......2007-03-28
This account of Modoc and Bram's life together is more passionate than scholarly. Those who expect "true" to mean factual may be dissatisfied, while those who are empathic and therefore content with verisimilitude may be deeply moved by the more profound connotation of "true" found in this story. Despite the occassional distractions well documented below, I found myself to be among the latter group. The mystical elements, I must say, could not possibly offend, except perhaps those coming from a most severely constrained belief system. The adolescent male sexuality would offend my 10-year-old daughter,and the mating scene of the Maharaja's elephants would horrify her, but there is an abridged version of the story for children. Of great value is the model of patience in these two characters. Bram exhibits initiative without aggression, and consistently waits for the right moment to act. Modoc seems to me the embodiment of deep faith in life. These are rare qualities in a modern adventure story. I was left whole-heartedly embracing the spirit of Modoc, and have since been moved to explore the extensive website of the Hohenwald Elephant Sanctuary for retired and ill circus and zoo elephants. The emotional impact of this story made a passive stance impossible for me in feeling the plight of captive elephants.
Modoc: A fictional tale of true beauty.......2007-02-17
Let me start off by saying that I do love this book. It's a beautiful story that is well written and filled with emotion. Admittedly, this book had me in tears a few times. It is definitely aimed at tugging the heart strings.
What disappoints me about this book is that it claims to be a true story, when it is indeed mostly fiction. There are only tiny bits of fact in there, and those facts are mostly exaggerated. Things that started tipping me off:
1. The author describes most of the Indian elephants (aka Asian elephants) as having tusks. In reality, tusks on Asian elephants are pretty uncommon.
2. The author describes Modoc as having tusks, even to the end of the book soon before she died. Yet in the pictures in the book, the elephant shown has no tusks at all.
3. A circus owner on the hunt for *years* in a foreign country all for one elephant? I doubt that seriously.
4. No dates are given, and for being a work of "fact", I found it odd that no sources are ever listed except for very vague comments (i.e. saying that newspapers wrote articles, but never naming any specific paper)
5. Most information cannot be found except in reference to this particular book.
6. There is an act of a bull's mating with a cow (bull=male elephant, cow=female elephant) that seems way over the top and incredibly ferocious, quite unlike actual mating "rituals" among elephants.
After some extensive research, including research with the Circus Historical Society, I discovered that many elephants were named Modoc, the most famous being "Big Modoc" owned by the Ringling Bros Circus. In fact, Ringling Bros owned 3 elephants named Modoc, the youngest eventually being owned by Helfer, only years after being passed around from circus to circus. Helfer only owned this elephant for 3 years before she was passed onto another place, where she died at the age of 55, not 70 as the book claims. The elephant pics of one performing in the circus is that of Big Modoc, the elephant Helfer did *not* own. While a wonderful story, the bottom line was that Helfer made up most of what was going on. There is no elephant that went through the life that this fictional Modoc went through, there is no Bram Gunterstein...this is a story made up by a man who took an elephant he owned for three years and greatly exaggerated her life.
I also did take issue with the absolutely unnecessary writing style towards human sexuality. It was too graphic, and served no purpose except to throw in sex. The graphic details could have easily been left out without compromising the tenderness of the romantic relationships described in the story.
As I said, I do love this book. But I love it as a work of fiction, not as one of fact. I do not understand why Helfer would choose to make up a story and then call it true, because in my opinion, that greatly hurts his credibility. Unfortunately most people simply take him at his word without actually researching the truth behind the book. I believe the actual plot, writing style, and emotional depth make it a five star book. However, after my extensive research proved that Helfner fabricated almost all of this yet claimed it to be true, the credibility made me think "three star". Yet I couldn't justify rating such a lovely and romantic story so low, so I compromised and gave it four stars.
Please, do read and enjoy this book. But read it with the thoughts that the "greatest elephant whoever lived" merely lived in someone's imagination. It is a great love story that ultimately teaches that it's love, kindness, and affection that prove to be the best way to care for ANY animal. And even for a work of fiction, that is a lesson that is definitely applicable to real life.
Modoc book by Ralph Heller.......2007-02-15
In excellent condition and a truly inspirational story and example of how life SHOULD be lived with love.
Average customer rating:
- Slapstick Adventure
- Never Cry Wolf
- A Must Read for Wolf Lovers
- Never Cry Wolf
- Should be read by every person alive.
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Never Cry Wolf : Amazing True Story of Life Among Arctic Wolves
Farley Mowat
Manufacturer: Back Bay Books
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ASIN: 0316881791 |
Book Description
More than a half-century ago the Canadian Wildlife Service assigned the naturalist Farley Mowat to investigate why wolves were killing arctic caribou. Mowat's account of the summer he lived in the frozen tundra alone-studying the wolf population and developing a deep affection for the wolves (who were of no threat to caribou or man) and for a friendly Inuit tribe known as the Ihalmiut ("People of the Deer")-is a work that has become cherished by generations of readers, an indelible record of the myths and magic of wild wolves.
Customer Reviews:
Slapstick Adventure.......2007-09-18
This classic defense of wolves never strays into preaching; it makes its points through slapstick adventure. A hapless young biologist named Farley Mowat gets shipped off into the bush by the Canadian government and instructed to conduct meticulous observations of wolves. He is to disembowel a lot of wolves and prove that the ravening beasts are decimating the caribou. Instead, the wolves disprove his assumptions at every turn. He becomes an ardent fan of their family life, sense of humor, restraint, and good nature. He decides to skip the disemboweling. An Eskimo named Ootek helps to illuminate wolf nature and plays the wise straight red man to Mowat's buffoon. Mowat hides under his canoe from wolves that turn out to be huskies; he ogles a she-wolf he has christened Angeline. Some of his antics could come right out of a Chaplin movie. Perhaps Chaplin should have done a movie in the far north not about Gold Rush prospectors who eat shoes, but about wildlife biologists who eat creamed mice to test their nutritional value. In one scene, Mowat jumps up naked from sunbathing to run off after a pack of wolves in hopes of observing a caribou hunt. When the wolves ignore the caribou, Mowat runs at the pack, swearing, in frustration. An Eskimo lad tells his mother, who never speaks to the mad white nudist again.
This nature writing does not sing. It is not meant to. When Mowat mentions the tundra plains around him, he calls them dreary. Nor does he praise the wolves' appearance much. What's more, enough experts have questioned the veracity of his observations that Barry Lopez labels Never Cry Wolf a "fictionalized account" in his book Of Wolves and Men. Yet Lopez still recommends Never Cry Wolf as an introduction to the species. The truth is that the book doesn't need beauty or literal truth to draw us closer to nature. Through Mowat's stories, we come to share his affinity for wolves, and we understand the hunger for connection that propels his scientific curiosity.
Never Cry Wolf .......2007-09-09
Very interesting read about the study of wolves. Farley is also a very amuzing writer which makes the subject matter easier to read. If you are a Wildlife lover, this is a must read.
A Must Read for Wolf Lovers.......2007-04-13
I am blessed to be the "Mom" of 2 wolf mix rescues and am a volunteer at a wolf preserve. This book accurately describes his experiences with wolves in a humorous yet realistic way. The author honestly describes the problems with the human factor in the wolf world through his adventures as a biologist working for the government of Canada.
Never Cry Wolf.......2007-01-20
I did not see the condition of the book as it was a gift for my nephew. I have read several of Farley's books and loved them. I have not read this one his most recognized title as I wantd to read those I had never heard about or saw the movie. I can only trust that it is great, as are his other books that were not made into movies.
Should be read by every person alive........2007-01-11
This book is breathtaking in its scope and majesty... Or perhaps that is just the wolves the author is describing. Whoever has any doubts at all about the wolves should be blown away by this gripping and revealing book.
Do not, I repeat DO NOT mistake this book for fiction. It is nonfiction, and though many bookstores and libraries mistake it for fiction, it is pure, cold, truth.
Read it. Period.
Amazon.com
The Climb is Russian mountaineer Anatoli Boukreev's account of the harrowing May 1996 Mount Everest attempt, a tragedy that resulted in the deaths of eight people. The book is also Boukreev's rebuttal to accusations from fellow climber and author Jon Krakauer, who, in his bestselling memoir, Into Thin Air, suggests that Boukreev forfeited the safety of his clients to achieve his own climbing goals. Investigative writer and Climb coauthor G. Weston DeWalt uses taped statements from the surviving climbers and translated interviews from Boukreev to piece together the events and prove to the reader that Boukreev's role was heroic, not opportunistic. Boukreev refers to the actions of expedition leader Scott Fischer throughout the ascent, implying that factors other than the fierce snowstorm may have caused this disaster. This new account sparks debate among both mountaineers and those who have followed the story through the media and Krakauer's book. Readers can decide for themselves whether Boukreev presents a laudable defense or merely assuages his own bruised ego.
Book Description
In May 1996 three expeditions attempted to climb Mount Everest on the Southeast Ridge route pioneered by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953. Crowded conditions slowed their progress. Late in the day twenty-three men and women-including expedition leaders Scott Fischer and Rob Hall-were caught in a ferocious blizzard. Disoriented and out of oxygen, climbers struggled to find their way down the mountain as darkness approached. Alone and climbing blind, Anatoli Boukreev brought climbers back from the edge of certain death. This new edition includes a transcript of the Mountain Madness expedition debriefing recorded five days after the tragedy, as well as G. Weston DeWalt's response to Into Thin Air author Jon Krakauer.
Customer Reviews:
Into Thin Air take a back seat..........2007-09-09
Hands down beats out Into Thin Air. Thrash that 'other' novel and read this!
Far Superior to Into Thin Air!!.......2007-06-11
I've read most of the 96' Everest books and this phenomenal read surpasses Krakauer's slick narrative with simple language but raw and honest passion and consideration. If you have already read Into thin Air I strongly recommend reading this as well. It not only places the hyped 96' tragedy in better perspective, it also gives incredible insight into the Russian mindset.
Awesome book.......2007-05-10
I read this book after reading "Into Thin Air" (another excellent book). This is a highly recommended followup to "Into Thin Air". If you are interested in the business/logistics of an Everest expedition, as well as hearing about an amazing individual (Anatoli Boukreev), this book is highly recommended!
A great read.....very compelling........2007-02-12
What could have been written as an angry rebuttal to the slanted writings of Jon Krakauer's accountings of the 1996 Everest disaster, is actually a moving recounting of a tragedy that has no one single point of blame. Anatoli Boukreev details the series of fateful decisions made by the several parties involved, and drives home the ultimate message: Climbing Everest, and any peak above 8000 meters is, under the very best conditions, a life-threatening gamble with fate. This book is a must read for we armchair Everest buffs, and anyone who has read "Into Thin Air". Anatoli Boukreev was a legend and hero, and we are fortunate to have his words recorded before his tragic death .
The other side of a well-known story.......2007-01-01
Every story has two sides. In this book, readers of Jon Krakauer's best selling Into Thin Air can hear the other side of that particular tale. It's my opinion that no one ought to read one without also reading the other.
On May 10, 1996, a winter storm decided to attack the world's highest mountain in spring. Caught in the well-named Death Zone, so high above sea level that the bodies of climbers who linger there literally start to die, the members of two commercial expeditions fought desperately for survival. The leaders of both teams - New Zealander Rob Hall, and American Scott Fischer - died despite being world-class mountaineers and Everest veterans. So did three members of Hall's team, while a fourth barely got off the mountain alive. All of the Fischer guides and clients survived, though, and none suffered the kind of horrific frostbite that left Hall client Beck Weathers both maimed and disfigured. Why did things turn out so differently for the two teams, after both lost their leaders? Krakauer's book offers one answer. This book, co-authored by Scott Fischer's head guide, offers quite another.
Neither Anatoli Boukreev nor his co-author possesses Krakauer's well-honed journalistic skills. This is a much plainer work, in many ways; and it's definitely less readable. I found it just as compelling, though, and it's rich in source material. Thank goodness Boukreev completed it before his death, because his side of the story is well worth hearing.
Book Description
"As you look deeply into your own awareness, and relax the self-contraction, and dissolve into the empty ground of your own primordial experience, the simple feeling of Beingâright now, right hereâis it not obvious all at once? Were you not present from the start? Did you not have a hand to play in all that was to follow? Did not the dream itself begin when you got bored with being God? Was it not fun to get lost in the productions of your own wondrous imagination, and pretend it all was other? Did you not write this book, and countless others like it, simply to remind you who you are?"
âKen Wilber The author of nineteen books of philosophy and psychology, Ken Wilber is a pioneering thinker who has developed an integral "theory of everything" that embraces the truths of both Eastern spirituality and Western science. Yet while he is best known for his scholarly research into the world's contemplative traditions, Wilber is also an accomplished spiritual practitioner and mystic in his own right. In order to highlight the personal wisdom of this popular author, the editors of The Simple Feeling of Being have assembled a collection of inspirational, mystical, and instructional passages drawn from his publications. These heartfelt writings, born of Ken's own meditation practice and inner experiences, include: Poetic passages of contemplative insights and reflections Inspired descriptions of Spirit, Nondual Awareness, the Witness, One Taste, and other topics Commentary on the spiritual contributions of figures such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Saint Teresa of Ãvila, Meister Eckhart, and Ramana Maharshi Anecdotes of personal experience and glimpses into Wilber's inner world Practical spiritual instructions and guided meditations
Customer Reviews:
Complimentary to Ken's other writings, very accessible.......2007-02-19
Unlike many of Ken's writings, this particular book is very accessible to almost anyone. It gives a good sense of what the authors inner life is like, which is refreshing because this author often focuses on systems of meaning and integrating complex philosophies. This can be intimidating or confusing to new readers.
There are many other good reviews on the content of the book, including the two spotlight reviews above. I particularly agree with the first review and find that this work compliments Ken's other more technical writing. I also agree that both a "Brief History of Everything" and "Integral Psychology" are the TWO best introductions to Ken Wilber's thought. However, I would add the caveat that a "Brief History of Everything" is much more readable for the average person. "Integral Psychology" is more scholarly and perhaps better for someone who is already familiar with Wilber or a professional in this area of study.
What is wonderful about this book is that it returns back to what it's all about i.e. the internal experience of connection, unity and wholeness. It provides the vision that underlies Ken's other work in a poetic and touching manner. Mr. Wilber is a very prolific writer and this book collects some of his more poignant works under one roof. I also found that NO BOUNDARIES was written from a similar space. It has a different feeling tone than many of his other works.
Interesting material........2007-01-10
Very interesting material but a bit difficult to understand without some background of his theories.
The Simple Feeling of Being: Visionary, Spirtual, and Poetic Writings.......2006-02-24
An excellent introductory piece to Ken Wilber's Non-dualistic philosophy. Well edited and constructed, it gently, but firmly leads the reader into the depths of rigorous personal contemplation of "Who am I?".
Insightful.......2006-02-04
Ken's overview of very complex topics on the medation processes is rich with simple understanding and insight. A most valuable effort to continuing on a personal quest during meditation. Some times, the information collected from his other works is slightly distracting having been on a steady track of thought. In summary, however, his approach to the main topic is invaluable and well documented to the source writings.
If I do say so myself........2005-07-23
What an awful and pompous title for a book! Is a piece of writing visionary becuase the author (or publisher) says it is? And don't we normally call poetic writings (sic) poems?
Sigh.
Book Description
Can you explain the explosion of social activities like text messaging with little or no promotion of the behaviour? How a Mexican wave happens? The emergence of online communities? Or – more sensitively – the steady rise of floral roadside tributes to traffic accident victims from complete strangers? Unless you have a good explanation of mass behaviour, you’ll have little chance of altering it.
Herd reveals that most of us in the West have completely misunderstood the mechanics of mass behaviour because we have misplaced notions of what it means to be a human being. With a host of examples from Peter Kay and urinal etiquette to Apple and Desmond Tutu, Mark Earls offers the most new radical, controversial and significant new theory of consumer behaviour in a generation.
"At one level a profoundly simple and important idea, that just happens to overturn everything we thought we knew about marketing to the individual."
—Adam Morgan, Founder, Eatbigfish
"Mark Earls helps us see clearly that we need to re-write the rules and provides us with a playbook for doing so. Are you ready for the ‘we’ revolution?"
—Ed Keller, CEO, The Keller Fay Group
"Herd is a dazzling, nutrient-rich read that urged me to see afresh the big underlying forces driving media behaviour and why they especially matter now."
—David Abraham, EVP, The Learning Channel
"As important to read as Malcolm Gladwell and Adam Morgan were. I cannot recommend it highly enough unless you are a luddite or an ostrich."
—Mark Sherrington, Global Brands Director, SABMiller
"Read this book. Think about it. If you’re going to be any good at your job in the next 20 years then you need to questions your assumptions about how stuff works."
—Russell Davies, Founder, Open Intelligence Agency
Customer Reviews:
Not what I thought.......2007-10-02
The content of this book is not what I expected, and after reading it cover to cover, I believe I gained nothing, and simply wasted my time. Much of the content is just a re-hash of other peoples' published research and long anecdotal personal stories. I found no insights, answers or innovative actionable ideas.
A rare 'business' book - it actually makes you think.......2007-07-02
I've just finished reading Herd. Actually, I devoured it in two sittings. And I urge you to go and read it if you want to think about how to better trigger changes in mass behaviour.
Unlike most business or marketing books it's not a set of case studies or a 'how to' process guide to mechanistic thinking.
Rather, it's an excellently written analysis of the new thinking (and the forgotten old thinking) about how people think, act and behave. It doesn't give you answers or tell you what to do, but rather raises questions in your mind about the principles on which most communications thinking is built.
Already, it's made me question a lot of the assumptions I have been taking for granted, made me think differently about some of the problems I'm trying to solve and helped me ground some of the different thinking I've been doing over the last couple of years.
Whether you agree with all the conclusions or not, we need more stuff like this that brings fresh, challenging, provocative thinking into the far too conservative world of marketing and communications.
How movements really happen........2007-05-19
Recently, books like The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell or the Influentials by Jon Berry and Ed Keller, have captured the imagination of marketers and the public alike. It's easy to see why. They propose a tidy and believable model of influence.
1.) There are some people who are more influential.
2.) If we can just reach them, we can influence large numbers of people.
Accepted as gospel, these two ideas have spawned entirely new industries and companies devoted towards creating "viral marketing."
Happily for all of us, things just don't work that way. Brand spanking new research from P&G and Duncan Watts is serving as confirmation of Mark's thesis: it is our innate nature as "herd" animals that causes mass movements, not the influence of a handful of individuals.
This simple little insight overturns much of what we currently think about and how we approach marketing. If you're serious about creating real movements in the new marketing landscape you simply have to read this book.
Book Description
A tale of obsession so fierce that a man kills the thing he loves most: the only giant golden spruce on earth. "Absolutely spellbinding."—William Grimes, New York Times
As vividly as Jon Krakauer put readers on Everest, John Vaillant takes us into the heart of North America's last great forest, where trees grow to eighteen feet in diameter, sunlight never touches the ground, and the chainsaws are always at work.
When a shattered kayak and camping gear are found on an uninhabited island, they reignite a mystery surrounding a shocking act of protest. Five months earlier, logger-turned-activist Grant Hadwin had plunged naked into a river in British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Islands, towing a chainsaw. When his night's work was done, a unique Sitka spruce, 165 feet tall and covered with luminous golden needles, teetered on its stump. Two days later it fell.
The tree, a fascinating puzzle to scientists, was sacred to the Haida, a fierce seafaring tribe based in the Queen Charlottes. Vaillant recounts the bloody history of the Haida and the early fur trade, and provides harrowing details of the logging industry, whose omnivorous violence would claim both Hadwin and the golden spruce. 16 pages of illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Brilliant book.......2007-08-14
The Pacific Northwest is one of history and beauty, as told here it is also one of violence and savagry. The brilliant narrative tells the story of a mythis tree in the Canadian Galapagos. John Vaillant explains in true outdoorsmen style(Into the Wild) how Grant Hadwin came to cut down the Golden Spruce, a semi-mythic survivor, a massive tree.
But this is not just a murder, this is an act of protest by a man who loves the forest and hates what man has done to it, the coprorations, the government, everyone. He is a latter-day Edward Abbey, in the spirit of Crazy Horse and the Monkey Wrench Gang.The Monkey Wrench Gang (P.S.).
The history is as brilliant as the story. The author also describes the rich evology of the Northwest Coastal forest of British Columbis. The Queen Charlotte Islands are also home to the Haida Gwaii, a native people. For them the Spruce was K'iid K'iyaas, as Everest is Sagarmatha to the Sherpas.
Hadwin was a woodcutter and road builder, a man who also loved nature. But as in 'Into the Wild' he left his family and went mad, and committed a great crime.
A brilliant read.
Seth J. Frantzman
Here's a MALE Annie Dillard..........2007-07-28
I checked this book out of local public library because I am interested
in the subject. Never did I expect such fine, concise, and insightful--
not to mention lucid and expressive --writing! Mister Vaillant is
a joy to read... even though the subject is so depressing. He somehow
managed to bring the great American Northwest and the great Canadian
Southwest into vivid, living perspective for me! Thanks, John.
Potential Reference Document - Not a Structured Read.......2007-04-10
This book tried to force a story line in where there was not one to be had. The structure of the book was impossible to follow and there was no flow whatsoever. Before finishing the first chapter, I was skipping paragraphs and a third of the way through the book I was skimming through chapters. If this book had removed the choppy story line about Hadwin, hired a competent editor and then included a complete index, you would have a solid reference document about the natural and cultural history of the Queen Charlotte Islands. Instead you have a longwinded, well referenced mess. I just finished reading a book about the history of the Dust Bowl "The worse hard time". Now you would think, here is a subject that just could not be made interesting, but the power of a good writer made the book both interesting, informative, and just an overall enjoyable read. In ending - Let me save you some money and summarize the whole book for you - The Pacific Northwest has been deforested, local native people of the region are rich in culture, some nutcase cuts down a Sitka spruce with golden needles because he wants to stop deforestation (what? - don't bother asking why because you will not get the answer), and environmentalist are all good.
The Golden Boy - Vailant.......2007-02-23
Golden Spruce, by John Vaillant, is a book about many things. It is quite a few history and biology lessons, an example of how people can be driven to want to destroy something they love, and a damnned good story - all at the same time. The last book that I can think of that I thought I was reading for a good story and not only got the story but ended up knowing a lot more about nature and my own self in the process was Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver. Vailant was praised in reviews by authors who have a lot of nature cred (get it? Not street cred, nature cred - I think it is funny...), such as Sebastian Junger and his storytelling was compared to John Krakauer.
Vailant's primary theme throughout the book seems to be pain. He argues that humans can cause themselves less in the long run by aiming towards sustainability and living off the resources available to them at the time rather than depleting what is around them for export and profit. The context of this message in Vailant's book is timber, but can be applied to a broader range when the reader starts to think about the moral dillemas that Vailant describes loggers and the Haiida face.
What stood out most in Vailant's book is the imagry. As a native Northerwestern myself I often times wanted to put down the book and go for a walk in the woods. There is passage in the begining of the book that I sent to a friend of mine who is now living in Europe because I knew when she read it she could be standing in a patch of Oregon old growth.
Little of the book focuses on Grant Hadwin, the man who fell the Golden Spruce. What is mentioned of him gives the reader a sight of a man determined, perhaps mentally ill, and with a passionate yet skewed cause. He is compared to Timothy McVeigh.
Vailant's research into multiple disciplines makes for a comprehensive picture of the dense Pacific Northwest. Readers are schooled in botany, marine biology and climatology - all in the context of the story being told. Never did it feel like a lecture, like a tangent or like Vailant was trying to make his research count for something. It was all relative and helpful to what he was trying to explain to us, which he said best in one sentence towards the end of the book, "Most of us are led to believe that we have more freedom and choice than ever before when in fact we are driven by the real, if short-sighted, demands of our wallets, sophisticated advertisers, increasingly large and powerful conglomerates, and a reactive response to the clock."
Lack of Direction.......2007-01-30
I got this book because the cover said it was like Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. Well, it isn't - in my opinion, not anywhere close to it. Krakauer, for the most part, focused on one main subject / storyline and when he did deviate, his stories were always entertaining. John Vaillant, on the other hand, goes on and on about several different subjects. Now, don't get me wrong - I love to learn about history and facts about people and nature. All of his story lines started out interesting, but got boring and tedious after a while and I even started to get the feeling he was repeating himself. I found the background information about the Haida and Haida Gwaii interesting, but I think it would have better if he had made it shorter and written a seperate book about it instead. I got irritated several times throughout the book because I just wanted him to get back to the main story.
The book just seemed to have no direction and was, in my opinion, just a big mess. It gave the impression that he had done a lot of research and just wanted to give you every single solitary detail and fact that he had read. I felt like I was reading a really long high school book report. He should have focused on the story of the Golden Spruce and given short side stories about logging, the Haida, Haida Gwaii, and Hadwin, where applicable, but left the in depth details for another book.
Books:
- The Remarkable Life of William Beebe: Explorer and Naturalist (QSI Series)
- The Rhizosphere: An Ecological Perspective: An Ecological Perspective
- The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior
- The Trouble With Physics: The Rise of String Theory, the Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next
- The Water Hole
- Tropical Nature: Life & Death in the Rain Forests of Central & South America
- U2 by U2
- Understanding DNA and Gene Cloning : A Guide for the Curious
- Wanderlust: A History of Walking
- WHEN FISH FLY: LESSONS FOR CREATING A VITAL AND ENERGIZED WORKPLACE FROM THE WORLD FAMOUS PIKE PLACE FISH MARKET
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