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.

Statistical Methods for Survival Data Analysis (Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics)

Average customer rating:

It's the best resource I found for survival data analysis!

Statistical Methods for Survival Data Analysis (Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics)
Elisa T. Lee
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471369977

Book Description

Third Edition brings the text up to date with new material and updated references.

New content includes an introduction to left and interval censored data; the log-logistic distribution; estimation procedures for left and interval censored data; parametric methods iwth covariates; Cox's proportional hazards model (including stratification and time-dependent covariates); and multiple responses to the logistic regression model.
Coverage of graphical methods has been deleted.
Large data sets are provided on an FTP site for readers' convenience.
Bibliographic remarks conclude each chapter.

Customer Reviews:

It's the best resource I found for survival data analysis!.......1997-10-21

As a graduate student in epidemiology who is incessantly looking for better ways to learn abstract concepts in statistics, I highly recommend this book by Elisa Lee. It's one of the few books that I found which explains advanced level statistics, such as parametric and non-parametric analysis, in a way that non-statisticans like myself can understand. It's also a handy reference to have at your side while reading the methods section of journal articles.

Average customer rating:

Good read
Excellent.
Buy it you'll learn and live better for it.
quite useful, more so than his other books
Charlatan

Tom Brown's Science and Art of Tracking
Tom Brown
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Tom Brown's Guide to Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants (Tom Brown's Field Guide)
The Tracker

Accessories:

Rayovac SPHLTLED 3-in-1 LED Head-Lite

ASIN: 0425157725

Book Description

More popular than ever, Tom Brown, Jr.'s unique approach to inner growth through outer awareness has gained a wide audience, ranging from weekend campers and nature lovers, to serious survivalists and college students. The Science and Art of Tracking expands upon Tom Brown's most enduring subject: the important life lessons to be learned through tracking skills. Tom Brown was taught the ancient skills of survival by a Native American he called Grandfather. His most advanced lessons were those of the scouts, members of a secret society who were highly attuned to nature. The scouts refined tracking to a disciplined science and art form. With these physical skills came enhanced perception and true enlightment. "Tracking was their doorway to the universe," Tom Brown writes, "where they could know all things through the tracks..." Now Tom Brown, Jr. shares generations of wisdom through one of the most rewarding pursuits to be found in nature. Tracking lets us unlock the secrets of each animal we follow, and in turn, to become more aware of our own place in nature and the world. It is a journey of discovery that engages the senses, awakens the spirit, and enlightens the soul.

Customer Reviews:

Good read.......2007-05-14

Some of the stuff is a little too huggy feely for me, but if you work through that stuff, there's a lot of EXCELLENT information in this book about tracking. This book will make you a better outdoorsman. All you've got to do is read and practice.

Excellent........2007-03-21

This book is a must buy for all "Brownies" who have attended his Standard classes and had as much a hard time as I did taking notes. I went to his school in early March and my pens kept freezing up. There was Tom, wearing a T-shirt and jeans, never even shivering! This book will help complete any notes you might have missed. For new readers, this gives a good insight into just how good Tom is at what he does. Tom is the master. There is no one anywhere like him.

Buy it you'll learn and live better for it........2006-01-14

This is a great book on three levels. 1. On the practical level it will make you a better tracker because of its simplicity and organization. 2. On the scientific level it will help you analyze and synthezise tracks because of its system for measurement and classification. 3. On the metaphorical level it will help you connect the search for the unseen in tracking to the search for the unseen in your psyche, spirit or soul. It is rare to find a manual that moves from the worldly or practical to the religious or spiritual. Buy it you'll learn and live better for it. Roberto

quite useful, more so than his other books.......2005-03-17

there is a good summary of basic pressure points and many of the important complicated ones. If you are at a point in your tracking studies when you are ready to start working beyond basic animal signs to reading track movement, this is a good guide. But you might not need it for long, because all of its exercises are carried out in a tracking box with relative ease. It is very hard to teach this stuff to yourself, as I am finding, so find yourself a teacher to set you on your way. Or go to Tom Brown's tracking school for more detailed instruction. If you want to be inspired and drawn into tracking for life, read The Tracker first, then read his other books. A lot of stuff is repeated amongst all of his books, so don't buy them unless you really need them. This is the only book with really concrete tracking instruction, which is why I bought it. Kind of sad really, I wish he would write more books about this and less about old man stories.

Charlatan.......2004-06-20

Brown's revelation of pressure releases is nothing new. Any tracker worth his or her salt knows Brown's new revelation is just common sense. Trackers have been using this technique for centuries. Brown's "adventures" with grandfather are fiction. Brown is a charlatan who couldn't track a muddy-footed elephant down a dry sidewalk.

Average customer rating:

Historical fiction at its finest
A well told story for any age

Megiddo's Shadow
Arthur Slade
Manufacturer: Wendy Lamb Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0385747012
Release Date: 2006-10-10

Book Description

Fueled by anger at the death of his two brothers in World War I, 16-year-old Edward abandons his ailing father on their farm and leaves Canada to enlist. After proving that he can tame any wild horse, he's is sent to Jordan to fight with the Cavalry.

Luckily, his horse is the extraordinary Buke; in battle, a trooper's horse is the key to life and death, and his true companion. In the harsh desert, Edward is grateful for the camaraderie of his tent mates, Cheevers and Blackburn,and letters from Emily, a nurse he met at base camp. As they close in on the enemy Edward finds that the glory and noble vengeance he seeks is replaced by the horror of war and the realization that he must fight not only to survive, but also, to kill.

Customer Reviews:

Historical fiction at its finest.......2007-07-30

Arthur Slade dedicates this novel to the memory of the five Slade men who served in World War I, his great grandfather, grandfather and great uncles. The dates of the youngest one jump out at the reader, "Private Percy James Slade, 1897-1918 (KIA.)

If my memory serves, I do not think there is a village or town in France and England that does not have a memorial to the fallen of The Great War. World War I does not loom as large in the memory of Americans. In Megiddo's Shadow, Slade takes the reader to a lesser known front of that war, to Palestine in the Middle East.

Sixteen-year-old Edward Bathe leaves his farm in Saskatchewan, Canada and joins the army after receiving the news that his beloved older brother Hector has been killed in France. All he wants to do is get to the front and kill the Hun who took his brother's life but upon arrival in England he is transfered to the Fifth Imperial Remount unit to break horses. He chafes at the assignment but does meet a horse who will be part of his future when he is reassigned to the Lincolnshire Yeomanry. Slade describes the role of these units on his website :

"Yeomanry were different than cavalry--they were trained to be foot soldiers and mounted soldiers. The idea was that they could ride quickly to their destination and dismount and fight. Or they could charge. They were even taught to get their horses to lay down, so they could use them as cover. The regiment was also trained to use the sword or lance in a charge."

Edward and his horse, Buke become part of the British Expeditionary Force in Palestine. The description of desert warfare is unforgettable.

"A month later, in July, I was sent to hell...

...We fed and watered our horses, working through the night because the day would be too hot for us to lift a finger. As the sun rose, it revealed a desolation only the Devil could've dreamed up: a low, flat valley of white marl and salt, spotted with swamp, stony plain, patches of dense scrub, and a thin layer of dry grass. The land had never know rain. Lumps of dried flesh--dead camels--lay here and there as though dropped from the sky, a sky that had never seen a cloud. A hot breath of wind drove the salty dust into my eyes. Occasionally, a thirteen-pounder gun would roar just to let the Turks know that His Majesty's troops were still here."

Very much a classic boy-goes-to-war novel in the tradition of The Red Badge of Courage (Tor Classics), All Quiet on the Western Front or Fallen Angels, Edward experiences the comradeship of soldiers, a first love and the grim reality of warfare. He faces the loss of those he loves and his faith in God as he struggles to find meaning and survive.

Slade relates his grandfather and great uncles' true stories on his website. They are as gripping and heartfelt as the novel and are very much the inspiration for this book. The letter Edward and his father receive about Hector is taken almost verbatim from the real letter the Slade family received about Percy Slade.

Moving, emotional and wrenching at times, this is historical fiction at its finest. I will be reading more of Arthur Slade's writing in the future.

A well told story for any age.......2007-01-22

A sobering story, well told. It follows the journey of 16 year old Edward Bathe, from the Canadian prairie, who joins the army to fight the Huns in France in 1917. Instead, he finds himself in the cavalry on his way to the Middle East. The story is well researched, full of details about army life, and also chronicles the emotional turmoil and growth of Edward. There are a few twists in the story and Slade's writing propels the reader forward. While intended for the young reader, Megiddo's Shadow was very much enjoyed by this 'mature adult'.

Average customer rating:

I never thought I'd enjoy an animal story this much!
Poppy
the adventure of Poppy
A Review by Third Graders From Spiritridge Elementary
He is Watching

Poppy (The Poppy Stories)
Avi
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Secret School

ASIN: 0380727692
Release Date: 2005-04-12

Book Description

King of the Night

At the very edge of Dimwood Forest stood an old charred oak where, silhouetted by the moon, a great horned owl sat waiting. The owls name was Mr. Ocax, and he looked like death himself. With his piercing gaze, he surveyed the lands he called his own, watching for the creatures he considered his subjects. Not one of them ever dared to cross his path. . .until the terrible night when two little mice went dancing in the moonlight. . .

Customer Reviews:

I never thought I'd enjoy an animal story this much!.......2007-07-18

I've always believed that bravery is not the absence of fear. Instead, it is doing something despite fear. In the book Poppy by the prolific children's author Avi, Poppy the mouse proves my point. Despite her fear of the owl and of disobeying her parents, this mouse does great things.

Poppy needs to find her family a new place to live. Just by being out in the open, she is vulnerable to so many dangers the greatest of them being Mr. Ocax, the owl. Poppy is quite nervous but, with the help of the 'friendly' porcupine Ereth, she continues bravely on her quest.

Having never been a big fan of animal stories, I was surprised at how much I liked this book. In this neat and compact allegory, the author expertly crafts his description of the bully and the bullied. From the opening paragraph, not a word is wasted as he pulls you into the world of this cute lovable deer mouse and keeps you riveted through to the last touching scene.

Another engaging aspect of the book are the many integral lessons about animals and nature. As I read the last page, I felt that I had been given a treasure of little secrets about the natural world.

If you are looking for a book where humans interact with animals, this isn't the one. Also, I wouldn't recommend this book for younger children, there are death scenes. But if you are looking for an animal story (targeted to the 9-12 age group) that's a quick read with a wonderfully engaging story line, this book is for you.

Poppy.......2007-05-21

We are boys in the 5th grade and just read a good book.About a mouse and her boyfreind

The book was good and exiting and we think that all ages could rea this book

the adventure of Poppy.......2007-03-14

Poppy's family

The name of the book I read is Poppy by AVI. This book mostly takes place in Dimwood Forest Gray House which is where Poppy lives and New House where Poppy's family wants to move.

Mouse eater
This book is about a huge family that is trying to get past a dreadful owl named Mr.Ocax. Mr.Ocax thinks he is a ruler but really he is just a liar. On Poppy's way through Dimwood Forest Mr.Ocax is trying to stop her but she meets a porcupine
Named Ereth which Ereth helps Poppy by protecting her from Mr.Ocax. After awile Poppy finds out a secret about Mr.Ocax and that secret you can find out that secret by reading Poppy.

Wow!
I would give this book 4 stars because this book is really interesting and makes you want to keep reading since there are many interesting characters in the story.

How did that not happen
Something I want to tell you about this book is that when Poppy go's to New House she goes up to a cat named George and the cat doesn't even attack Poppy and they

A tiny deer mouse
I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to know about a tiny deer mouse that is on its destiny to save its family. start talking, but when Poppy went up to the cat I thought the cat would eat Poppy.

A Review by Third Graders From Spiritridge Elementary.......2007-03-03

Do you want to read an adventurous, dangerous story that will keep you on your toes? Well, Poppy, by Avi is the the book for you! This story is about a family of mice that live near a forest. The main character is an adventurous mouse named Poppy. She has a BIG job to do! You see, her family is running out of food and Poppy must ask Mr. Ocax (the vicious, ruling owl of the forest) for permission to move. This turns into a harder job than she ever thought it would be. She has many dangerous adventures along the way.

All of us here liked this story because it has lots of adventure! There are some talking animals, dangerous predators, and even some fighting scenes!

This story would be perfect for people that have read other books in this series by Avi. This is only one of many awesome books! We hope you get the chance to check them out!

He is Watching.......2007-02-09

" She kept saying to herself, if only Mr. Ocax was not watching. But indeed Mr. Ocax was watching." What would you do to save your whole family of over 1,000? Would u face terrible creatures over 60 times your size? In the fantasy book Poppy, a young mouse Poppy attempts to save her family from starvation.
In the land of Dimwood Mr. Ocax, the owl, is ruler of all, well so it is told. To go anyplace in Dimwood you must ask Mr. Ocax's permission. One day a young deer mouse Poppy and he fiancé Ragweed go seek the most romantic spot in Dimwood, Bannock Hill. Ragweed is somewhat of a troublemaker and takes Poppy to Bannock Hill without Mr. Ocax's permission. But Mr. Ocax was watching, and he had some plans for these little mice ¾ dinner. He attacks the two of them. Poppy runs for cover as Ragweed is killed by Mr. Ocax's sharp talons.
Poppy returns home still in shock. He father has huge news that the family has to move to a new place in order to have food for everyone. He has only one place in mind, New House. It was told to have huge amounts of food.
The next day Poppy and her father head of to ask Mr. Ocax for permission to move. They finally arrive after many miles of walking. Just then they are told that their permission to move was denied. He said it was because of Poppy and Ragweed's decision to not ask for permission to go to Bannock Hill. But Poppy thinks it was for other reasons. So she heads off in a journey to find the real reason of Mr. Ocax's refusal. She meets creatures said to torture then eat the small mice. To find her way to why he refused, she has to use her brain. The consequences could be deadly.
This story is told in a way that will make it hard to put down. If you think you would like this book you might as well enjoy the Redwall series by Brian Jacques and other books by Avi such as Blue Heron, The Barn, Windcatcher, The Man Who was Poe and many others. I would recommend this book to others who like fantasy and animal books.

Casey
VA

Average customer rating:

Great Fiction
yeah, I'd recommend it
Fiction, Fable, Fantasy
What a fantastic ride!
From interest to anger

Life of Pi
Yann Martel
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0151008116

Amazon.com

Yann Martel's imaginative and unforgettable Life of Pi is a magical reading experience, an endless blue expanse of storytelling about adventure, survival, and ultimately, faith. The precocious son of a zookeeper, 16-year-old Pi Patel is raised in Pondicherry, India, where he tries on various faiths for size, attracting "religions the way a dog attracts fleas." Planning a move to Canada, his father packs up the family and their menagerie and they hitch a ride on an enormous freighter. After a harrowing shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean, trapped on a 26-foot lifeboat with a wounded zebra, a spotted hyena, a seasick orangutan, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker ("His head was the size and color of the lifebuoy, with teeth"). It sounds like a colorful setup, but these wild beasts don't burst into song as if co-starring in an anthropomorphized Disney feature. After much gore and infighting, Pi and Richard Parker remain the boat's sole passengers, drifting for 227 days through shark-infested waters while fighting hunger, the elements, and an overactive imagination. In rich, hallucinatory passages, Pi recounts the harrowing journey as the days blur together, elegantly cataloging the endless passage of time and his struggles to survive: "It is pointless to say that this or that night was the worst of my life. I have so many bad nights to choose from that I've made none the champion."

An award winner in Canada, Life of Pi, Yann Martel's second novel, should prove to be a breakout book in the U.S. At one point in his journey, Pi recounts, "My greatest wish--other than salvation--was to have a book. A long book with a never-ending story. One that I could read again and again, with new eyes and fresh understanding each time." It's safe to say that the fabulous, fablelike Life of Pi is such a book. --Brad Thomas Parsons

Book Description

Winner of the 2002 Man Booker Prize for Fiction

Pi Patel is an unusual boy. The son of a zookeeper, he has an encyclopedic knowledge of animal behavior, a fervent love of stories, and practices not only his native Hinduism, but also Christianity and Islam. When Pi is sixteen, his family emigrates from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship, along with their zoo animals bound for new homes.
The ship sinks. Pi finds himself alone in a lifeboat, his only companions a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and Richard Parker, a 450-pound Bengal tiger. Soon the tiger has dispatched all but Pi, whose fear, knowledge, and cunning allow him to coexist with Richard Parker for 227 days lost at sea. When they finally reach the coast of Mexico, Richard Parker flees to the jungle, never to be seen again. The Japanese authorities who interrogate Pi refuse to believe his story and press him to tell them "the truth." After hours of coercion, Pi tells a second story, a story much less fantastical, much more conventional-but is it more true?
Life of Pi is at once a realistic, rousing adventure and a meta-tale of survival that explores the redemptive power of storytelling and the transformative nature of fiction. It's a story, as one character puts it, to make you believe in God.

Customer Reviews:

Great Fiction.......2007-10-17

Fiction is so homogenized these days, its boring. Not so with this book. Its refreshing and reads more like a non-fiction set of events than a novel. Loved it.

yeah, I'd recommend it.......2007-10-10

I kinda would like to rate this book a 4, because there are a few things I didn't like. I didn't like everything getting 'over-explained' in the end. That wasn't necessary. It was like the author didn't think the reader was smart enough to keep track of what was going on. That did a real disservice to the book.

And I didn't like all the start - I mean, too much opinion that seemed like an rookie blog.

But, I did recommend the book, and I wanted my Mom to read it and talk to her about it. So, what does that say? I don't do that too often. So, I gotta give it a five.

Read it and tell me what you think. :)

Fiction, Fable, Fantasy.......2007-10-10

Yann Martel's Life of Pi is at the least, a first rate adventure yarn. Even the simplest reader needs just to suspend a small amount of disbelief to join in the fun. There is enough texture to the writing-detail of place and experience-that the book is almost cinematic. You could imagine this being filmed as a simple 'survival in a lifeboat' story.
What makes this such a wonderful tale is that each little piece-the man-eating island, the orangutan, Pi's wonderful real name, is jolting and provocative. It's hard to hear the stories without connecting them to some other fantasy or alternative reality.
At the end, Pi's rescue and redemption are really nothing more than the technique of fantasy applied to the story itself. I'm sorry for the folks who were disappointed that this wasn't one kind of book and I hope they get a chance to experience the pleasure of it being a very good fable, fiction and fantasy.

----Lynn Hoffman, author of New Short Course in Wine,The and the slightly fabulous bang BANG: A Novel

What a fantastic ride!.......2007-10-07

A great book should not only answer questions, but lead us to ask questions about the very nature of our lives: our perceptions and beliefs. This book delivers all of that and more. Life of Pi is an amazing literary journey that carries the reader through the life of a young boy as he experiences life and becomes a man, a postmodern bildungsroman. It's all here: relationships with parents, God, nature, humanity, love, adventure, a quest for meaning, and a survival story. This is the stuff life is made of!

Martel is an apt storyteller, and this tale drips with allegory, symbolism, and skillful description. I didn't want it to end. I felt so connected to the story and characters, unlike any story I've read recently. I'm so grateful for the journey. Wow.

From interest to anger.......2007-10-05

This book plays on the reader's gullibility. I was willing to believe up to the man eating island. Then I just got upset. Is this book supposed to help me find God or is it supposed to prove that I am gullible enough to believe in a "better" story? Where do you find 16 year old boys who spend pages philosophizing on tigers while their own life is in great danger? The Boy Scout in my enjoyed the survival story of Pi, but the amazement of survival becomes overshadowed by things that don't add up. It made me lose sight of the meaning of the story. Then part 3 comes along and I am more confused about which of two unbelievable stories I am supposed to believe. It reminds me of Jesus' parables where even his direct reports couldn't understand. It leaves me asking "Why?". Why don't you just give me a story that clearly supports your point?

The Soul of Your Pet: Evidence for the Survival of Animals After Death

Average customer rating:

There has to be more for them than this cruel world
The Soul Of Your Pet
Good content, poorly edited (sorry)
This book made my loss easier to accept
Much better books available

The Soul of Your Pet: Evidence for the Survival of Animals After Death
Scott S. Smith
Manufacturer: Holmes Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Pet Loss | Death & Grief | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Animals and the Afterlife: True Stories of Our Best Friends' Journey Beyond Death
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ASIN: 1558184023

Customer Reviews:

There has to be more for them than this cruel world.......2007-08-17

Since my beloved cat, Baby, died very suddenly and mysteriously at home in 2004, I have often wondered if her soul would live on. In addition, as an avid animal lover and rescuer, I am all too aware of the millions of poor furry souls who suffer neglect and abuse and are murdered for space or convenience every year. In order to remain sane, I have had to believe that this cruel world, one that all too often treats animals as disposable things rather than as the valuable souls they are, is not all there is for them.

After researching the topic at length, both spiritually and academically, I know in my heart that animals truly have souls and that if anyone deserves Paradise, surely it is these beautiful, innocent creatures who are so much purer of spirit than we humans are. I know that a Heaven without the love and joy of animals could not be Paradise for me.

It is in my search for knowledge that I read Scott Smith's book, and found it to be a valuable resource. The information in this 119-page work is presented as scientifically as subject matter of this ilk can be. To keep things objective, the author refrains from using an abundance of emotion or opinion and presents each anecdote in a clear, factual manner.
While I found the organization and flow of the content a little awkward in some places, overall I found this to be a fantastic book - easy to read as well as thought-provoking. I do have to caution, however, some of the untimely and violent deaths mentioned in this book may be upsetting to some readers - I know they were to me. Nonetheless, the message of this book is ultimately one of comfort and hope, and the short time investment that is required to read it is very well spent.

The Soul Of Your Pet.......2006-08-29

I recently lost my Beloved Blue Tick, Chester. I bought this book and several others on loss of a pet. I did not find any comfort or meaning to this book. In fact, it was a waste of money. It is print after print of animal ghost stories. Very disappointed.

Good content, poorly edited (sorry).......2006-08-29

I applaud the author for collecting stories and publishing this work. He has broken some new ground, and I hope that more books on this topic emerge. If the author should pursue further research and publish more (and I hope he does), he should employ a good editor to proof the manuscript for semantic clarity.

Regarding content: Personally, I would have preferred a bit more focus on the subjective experience of the people involved. How were they feeling at the time, and how did the experience affect them emotionally and spiritually? Of course I realize the author wanted to be as scientific as possible, simply reporting the occurrences along with names, dates and places.

There is another book which may be of interest to people interested in animal souls. It is titled "Animals as Teachers and Healers," by Susan Chernak Mcelroy (1998). This one concerns living animals - both pets and wild. It tells many stories of human/animal interactions that turned out to be quite meaningful to the people involved. It's one of my favorites.

This book made my loss easier to accept.......2004-01-15

This book helped to ease my broken heart. For anyone that has lost their beloved pet,The Soul Of Your Pet is a treasure. It made my heart smile again instead of crying myself to sleep at night. I recently passed it on to friend that just recently lost her puppy baby. She commented on the strength it has given her to move forward as well.

Much better books available.......2003-07-19

This one is a real waste of your time and money. For those of us who are searching for biblical reference to finding our departed animal friends in our next life, well look somewhere else. This book will do little to comfort you.. ...

The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Work

Average customer rating:

Hilarious!
Boring , Obvious and predictable
Right in the middle of ......
Somewhat Amusing
IT HAS IT ALL

The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Work
Joshua Piven , and David Borgenicht
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Workplace | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Business | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Cats, Dogs & Animals | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Business & Professional | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Dating and Sex
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The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Extreme Edition

ASIN: 0811835758

Book Description

Work is bad enough, but what if things go really wrong? The Worst-Case Scenario authors come to the rescue with expert advice for surviving dozens of nightmare on-the-job scenarios, whether in the office or on the loading dock. From savage bike messengers to a bag of pretzels stuck in the lunchroom vending machine, peril is everywhere. Learn how to sneak out of a meeting, treat a deep-fryer burn, and survive a stockroom avalanche. Expertly remove a dent from the company car, extract a tie caught in the photocopier, and survive a workplace romance. Hands-on, step-by-step instructions guide you through these and other crises that can strike between 9 and 5, or on the swing shift. With an appendix of useful interview phrases, a career-path decoder, instructions for playing Jargon Bingo, and more, this is the one desk reference you can't live without.

Customer Reviews:

Hilarious!.......2007-01-04

BUY THIS! It is soooooooo funny. I used to keep it at work for a good laugh when things got stressful. Awesome!

Boring , Obvious and predictable.......2005-04-22

I was very disappointed with this listenandlive title. All the advice and tips are so obvious and just statements of common sense. In fact many things seem contrived and the advice given does not seem practical at all. A lot of it is obsolete like the chapter about emails.

Right in the middle of .............2005-02-18

I bought the "original" "The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook". I loved its humor and so I gave this one a try. I cant say it's bad. However, it's somehow much more serious than the original one, thus less humorous and fun. The problem is: it's not indepth nor detailed enough to cover, in my opinion as a white collar for over 15 years, 1/5 of the common difficulties in an office.

In short, if you really wanna improve your survival opportunities in your job, there are many better alternatives in a bookstore. If you just wanna have fun, this is definitely not a good choice. Therefore, not recommended. If you really wanna buy it, I sincerely suggest you to read the "See sample pages" here on Amazon for a quick look of what those "tips" refer to.

Somewhat Amusing.......2004-11-16

Work is bad enough, but what if things go really wrong? In this latest title from the bestselling series, the Worst-Case Scenario authors come to the rescue with expert advice for surviving dozens of nightmare on-the-job scenarios, whether in the office or on the loading dock.
Everyone has had dreadful bosses, scary or annoying co-workers, and everyone has felt that they arent' qualified for at least one job for which they are interviewing. Fewer of us get to sneak out of meetings.. although many would love to!, or how to get out of various small places one could get trapped in. Things you may learn from this book are how to get jobs without experience, survive in a storeroom "avalanche," escape from a boring meeting, what to do if your tie gets caught in the paper shredder, and many more.

IT HAS IT ALL.......2004-01-10

THIS IS A GREAT BOOK AND SERIES. IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING SIMILIAR ABOUT WAITING TABLES, CHECK OUT CLAMCHOWDER.BIZ. THIS BOOK IS FANTASTIC.

Life at the Extremes: The Science of Survival

Average customer rating:

An outstanding and accessible science book
Deceptive description, but still a good read
Almost An Adventure Book
What The Future May Bring
This is an excellent book for the curious-minded!

Life at the Extremes: The Science of Survival
Frances Ashcroft
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Anatomy | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Sports Science | Miscellaneous | Sports | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0520222342

Amazon.com

"It is an extraordinary coincidence," writes English physiologist Frances Ashcroft, "that the highest peak on Earth is also about the highest point at which humans can survive unaided." A coincidence, to be sure, and, like many other milestones of the limits of human endurance, one known to us through the joint efforts of scientists, mountain climbers, explorers, and athletes.

Ashcroft's book is a thoroughly engaging survey of those limits and their origins in the nature of things, of what happens to human beings in the most difficult environmental conditions. She writes, for instance, of why it is that astronauts have trouble standing after returning to Earth (because, in part, their leg muscles quickly atrophy outside of terrestrial gravity); of how the famed Japanese pearl divers condition themselves to attain such extraordinary underwater depths; of how and why the consumption of carbohydrates and caffeine can improve athletic performance; of why British children so easily suffer heat exhaustion on trips to such semitropical venues as, say, Disneyworld, whereas young Saudis can tolerate much higher temperatures (but would likely not thrive in an English winter).

Backed by extensive field research--the author has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, sweated it out in Japanese hot tubs, and run after her share of buses--as well as by a wealth of laboratory studies, Ashcroft's book is of great appeal to anyone who wishes to test the world's limits--or their own. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

The challenge of scaling the highest mountain, exploring the deepest ocean, crossing the hottest desert, or swimming in near-freezing water is irresistible to many people. Life at the Extremes is an engrossing exploration of what happens to our bodies in these seemingly uninhabitable environments. Frances Ashcroft weaves stories of extraordinary feats of endurance with historical material and the latest scientific findings as she investigates the limits of human survival and the remarkable adaptations that enable us to withstand extreme conditions.
What causes mountain sickness? How is it possible to reach the top of Everest without supplementary oxygen, when passengers in an airplane that depressurized at the same altitude would lose consciousness in seconds? Why do divers get the bends but sperm whales do not? How long you can survive immersion in freezing water? Why don't penguins get frostbite? Will men always be faster runners than women? How far into deep space can a body travel?
As she considers these questions, Ashcroft introduces a cast of extraordinary scientific personalities--inventors and explorers who have charted the limits of human survival. She describes many intriguing experiments and shows how scientific knowledge has enabled us to venture toward and beyond ever greater limits. Life at the Extremes also considers what happens when athletes push their bodies to the edge, and tells of the remarkable adaptations that enable some organisms to live in boiling water, in highly acidic lakes, or deep in the middle of rocks.
Anyone who flies in an airplane, sails the high seas, goes skiing or walking in the mountains, or simply weathers subzero winters or sweltering summers will be captivated by this book. Full of scientific information, beautifully written, and packed with many fascinating digressions, Life at the Extremes lures us to the very edge of human survival.

Customer Reviews:

An outstanding and accessible science book.......2003-07-24

I have always been fascinated with this topic, and this book opened my eyes to all kinds of interesting aspects of adaptation of animals (especially humans) to extreme conditions. Particularly interesting to me were the chapters on altitude and depth. Examples and sidebars were well chosen and well explained. I have used information from the book in lectures to students of physiology. Highly recommended.

Deceptive description, but still a good read.......2003-05-30

This book appealed to my inner nerd, and helped me understand from a physiological standpoint what is happening during when the body is put to the extreme test. It doesn't talk about when people are placed in extreme situations, which was the part I found pretty deceptive. But Dr. Ashcroft is an anatomy professor - that should have been my big clue. Still, a good read if you've got an interest in anatomy and physiology.

Almost An Adventure Book.......2002-04-16

I must admit that I was fooled by the description of this book on the dusk jacket. What I thought I was buying was a book that detailed what happened to individual people in extreme conditions, in space, tops of mountains etc. What the book provided me was a description of what happens to the human body in these extreme conditions. Overall the information was interesting, but this is not a book that would fall into the action / adventure category. You do not get the drama or tension of actual people being put in harms way. The book is well written, even in the parts that are medical descriptions. If you are interested in what happens to someone in extreme conditions or as a reference book next time you are reading an action / adventure book then this is the book for you.

What The Future May Bring.......2001-02-28

An amazing book for people who are into the possibility of extraterrestrial life and also those who fear that the demise of our own ecosystem will lead to an end to life on our planet as we know it. The best thing you can tell someone who insist life cannot exist outside our biosphere is "vent fish", these fish that live 5000 feet deep on the ocean floor where there is no light and the only source of food is the sulfur blowing from volcanic vents. This book is all about life in the harshest of places. This line from the introduction: "Environmental extremes are not the prerogative of the adventurous few - with the help of technology, all of us can tolerate severe conditions with equanimity." reminds me of the movie "True Stories" where John Goodman asked God to do something about all these malls and parking lots, so God created people who love malls and parking lots!!! Life At The Extremes might be a how-to guide to this uncertain future we are blindly racing into... It's a must read for environmentalists and ufologists alike. Remy C.

This is an excellent book for the curious-minded!.......2001-01-13

If you have ever wondered EXACTLY why and how humans get altitude sickness, what happens to the body when exposed to extreme heat or cold, why scuba divers sometime get the "bends," or what would happen to an astronaut if the Space Station developed a leak, this book is for you. Frances M. Ashcroft explains in complete detail - the detail that is so often lacking in the popular, dumbed-down modern media - why the body at high altitudes can't get the oxygen it needs, what happens to skin cells when you burn yourself or get frostbite, how nitrogen dissolves in your blood when diving deep in water, or how your blood would boil if exposed to the emptiness of space.

And she doesn't stop with humans. She examines the extremes of the animal world for creatures able to withstand and thrive in boiling cauldrons, the extreme depths of the oceans, or the extreme cold of Antarctica.

Book Description

In the extreme south of Madagascar is a place called Berenty, where Tandroy tribesmen, French lords, mad scientists, and two or three species of lemurs may be found gathered peacefully under a tamarind tree. Forty years ago Alison Jolly went to Berenty to study lemurs, and she has been enthralled by it ever since. In Lords and Lemurs she tells the story of the place, its people, and its other animals. The owner of Berenty, Jean de Heaulme, arrived there in 1928 as a six-month-old baby, riding with his mother in the sidecar of his father's Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The de Heaulme family has lived at Berenty ever since, supporting Madagascar's fight for independence from France, serving in the government, and enduring economic turmoil, civil war, and even imprisonment. Although they are relics of a colonial system that seized land and tortured dissidents, the de Heaulmes also epitomize noblesse oblige in the best sense of the phrase, showing a remarkable sense of responsibility for both the people and the ecosystem of Berenty. Early on they set aside a large portion of their estate as a nature preserve, where lemurs and other animals have thrived over the years. Jean de Heaulme became a blood brother to one of the local Tandroy nobles -- the kings with spears. Traditionally the Tandroy were warriors who raided for women, cattle, and slaves. Now those who live at Berenty can take what they need from the modern world -- medical care, education, and a cash income -- without giving up their own customs and way of life. Many Tandroy still live in traditional villages surrounded by walls of thorn, and even the men who hold salaried jobs work hard so they can return to their clan with enough cattle to buy a bride or two. When a clan elder dies, the family offers a grandiose funeral where, amid gunfire and dancing and merrymaking and sex, a whole herd of zebu cattle is sacrificed to honor the new Ancestor -- even if he happens to be a Christian. Alison Jolly and her husband were honored to be invited to attend a Tandroy funeral. Poignant and colorful, tragic and funny, Lords and Lemurs is a remarkable tale of one of the last great places on earth and the extraordinary people who live there, a tale of marriage, birth, and death, of spear fights and stink fights and dancing. It shows how human warmth and dignity can reach out beyond any social system.

Customer Reviews:

Rich, eclectic, and readable.......2007-04-20

This rich, unusual book is hard to categorize -- It is a fascinating combination of history and memoir by renowned naturalist Alison Jolly, who has been working in Madagascar since 1963. She uses her own experiences in primate research and environmental protection in Madagascar, as well as the reminiscences of her friends the de Heaulme family, proprietors of the Berenty Reserve and numerous holdings in and around Fort Dauphin in extreme southeast Madagascar, to comment on a wide range of issues such as colonization, Malagasy politics, ethnic groups of southern Madagascar, donor environment, food security, and so on. While this very readable volume focuses on the southern zone from Fort Dauphin to Berenty Reserve and Amboasary, it provides a wealth of contextual information about Madagascar in general.

Not What I Expected.......2006-01-01

As a biologist, I was hoping for more Lemur biology than what I got. This book is an excellent history of Madagasacar, without a doubt, and includes detail I am sure is found nowhere else. If one were planning a trip to Madagascar, this would be a perfect primer.

However, I was hoping for more of a biological approach regarding the Lemurs, their society, behavior, etc. While I did get a taste, it wasn't enough.

Sorry to admit, I got just over half way through the book before I lost interest.

History and Natural History of a Neglected Island.......2005-02-14

It never ceases to amaze me that people often think that history only happens to their cultures and possibly related ones. We, with good reason, teach American history in schools (although sometimes not well enough when you see polls showing that a unusually high number of our citizens cannot tell the Constitution well enough to distinguish it from the Communist Manifesto!) and to a lesser extent European and sometimes Asian histories. However when we were dealing with the two World Wars, others on the so-called fringes of the civilized world were doing the same. We tend to often ignore parts of the world that do not immediately impinge on us, but we may do so at our peril (as was graphically shown on September 11, 2001!)

It is one of the far-flung parts of the once huge French empire that is the subject of a very unusual book by the well-known primatologist Alison Jolly. "Lords and Lemurs" is mostly set in southern Madagascar in an area dominated by mimosa thorn scrub and populated by the native Tandroy, the French settlers and by several species of Madagascar's unique lemurs. Jolly writes a somewhat eccentric book about a very eccentric (from our view!) land. You find it difficult to dislike most of the people, even though some had to fight for the puppet government of Vichy during World War II and you find the fauna and flora fascinating.

Jolly does not spoon feed us. We are shown the horrors as well as the joys. Lemurs, we find, are not quite the cuddly creatures of Disney cartoons (they fight and sometimes kill even their own species), but they are for all that enchanting creatures (and who are we to throw stones anyway?) The people have not always had admirable intentions and are sometimes quite flawed. The French colonial government included some sadistic types who used their power to torture and rape and some natives staged somewhat brutal (if often also somewhat muted by today's standards) uprisings and sometimes threw their best friends in jail. On the other hand you see people go to extremes to help others in times of need in ways that make you admire their moral strength. You even understand the French fighting the British on Madagascar, despite the fact that the British forces are acting against Hitler and Tojo. Local conditions alter realities and "friends" may become bitter enemies. You are also to some extent shown the environmental successes as well as the stupidities. However, the book is mostly about very different peoples facing the often grim realities of life and often surviving.

If you would like to broaden your understanding of our world, both human and "natural" (a false dichotomy in any case!) read this book!

Stories about a special place........2004-11-25

Alison Jolly is a wonderful story-teller and makes Malagasy Madagascar and old French Madagascar come to life. The reader learns about a particular corner in southern Madagascar and the lives of its native tribes and French colonialists.

Lemurs brought Alison Joly to Madagascar but the fascination for this reader was her evocative portraits of people. Zebus and sisal rather than lemurs seem more relevant to her tale, until Prince Philip arrives and appears to shock an uncaring government that the country is committing ecological suicide. There is now a new government and it may be taking the environment more seriously. That would be a change in Madagascar!

As a former resident of Madagascar, I loved the book and the way Alison Jolly brings the place to life.

A testimony to Madagascar's past and future in the modern wo.......2004-08-07

It's hard to neatly peg primate behavioralist Alison Jolly's wonderful Lords & Lemurs: somewhere between a autobiography, travelogue, geography exploration and social issue examination still doesn't aptly describe the magic of Jolly's encounter. Her focus on Madagascar's people, animals, and society brings to life the rugged individuals and colorful personalities - and issues - of the island, making Lords & Lemurs a testimony to Madagascar's past and future in the modern world.

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