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Jared Diamond states the theme of his book up-front: "How the human species changed, within a short time, from just another species of big mammal to a world conqueror; and how we acquired the capacity to reverse all that progress overnight." The Third Chimpanzee is, in many ways, a prequel to Diamond's prize-winning Guns, Germs, and Steel. While Guns examines "the fates of human societies," this work surveys the longer sweep of human evolution, from our origin as just another chimpanzee a few million years ago. Diamond writes:
It's obvious that humans are unlike all animals. It's also obvious that we're a species of big mammal down to the minutest details of our anatomy and our molecules. That contradiction is the most fascinating feature of the human species.
The chapters in The Third Chimpanzee on the oddities of human reproductive biology were later expanded in Why Is Sex Fun? Here, they're linked to Diamond's views of human psychology and history.
Diamond is officially a physiologist at UCLA medical school, but he's also one of the best birdwatchers in the world. The current scientific consensus that "primitive" humans created ecological catastrophes in the Pacific islands, Australia, and the New World owes a great deal to his fieldwork and insight. In Diamond's view, the current global ecological crisis isn't due to modern technology per se, but to basic weaknesses in human nature. But, he says, "I'm cautiously optimistic. If we will learn from our past that I have traced, our own future may yet prove brighter than that of the other two chimpanzees." --Mary Ellen Curtin
Book Description
The Development of an Extraordinary Species
We human beings share 98 percent of our genes with chimpanzees. Yet humans are the dominant species on the planet -- having founded civilizations and religions, developed intricate and diverse forms of communication, learned science, built cities, and created breathtaking works of art -- while chimps remain animals concerned primarily with the basic necessities of survival. What is it about that two percent difference in DNA that has created such a divergence between evolutionary cousins? In this fascinating, provocative, passionate, funny, endlessly entertaining work, renowned Pulitzer Prize-winning author and scientist Jared Diamond explores how the extraordinary human animal, in a remarkably short time, developed the capacity to rule the world . . . and the means to irrevocably destroy it.
Customer Reviews:
Tiger by the Tail?.......2007-10-08
There's a lot to this very broad ranging and thoughtful book, some of which, but not all, seems intriguingly fresh and original. Jared Diamond takes off from the recently recognized biological fact that only about 1.6% of the entire human genome separates us from the chimpanzee, making that ape our nearest living relative. Of course, Diamond notes, there is quite an obvious gap between us and our closest relatives but it's a gap, he suggests, which is not nearly as great as we're likely to imagine from surface differences -- not least, perhaps, because a significant portion of the genetic differences between us and chimps is mere genetic "noise" with little or no implications for the creatures built to its blueprint.
For Diamond the obvious implication of this narrow genetic difference obliges us to reconsider ourselves, from the outside looking in, and examine what we are as we would examine any other creature on this planet. We must, he proposes, treat humanity as what it really is: a member of the animal world. Taking his own advice, Diamond proceeds to examine the history and development of man as a visitor from another planet might, as merely one species among many. What Diamond proceeds to describe for us is the appearance and evolution of an unusually successful, exceedingly voracious primate which has the propensity to devour its own environment if left unchecked. Diamond convincingly shows how humans may have developed characteristics which have their roots in, but are still unique and different from, anything found in the rest of the animal world. In the process he points out, repeatedly, how man's historic successes have resulted in loss for our fellow species, over and over again, as one after another is hunted to extinction with the advent of modern man beginning some 50,000 years ago. Nor is this limited to other species as Diamond notes for man has a propensity for hunting and killing his own along with other creatures.
Diamond's greatest concern, in the end, seems to be for the environment which he sees being eaten away everywhere man has appeared (by now roughly the entire planet, given mankind's ubiquitous success in the competitive game of evolution). As a self-described bird-watcher, he takes his lessons from the loss of bird species in New Guinea and other exotic locales where he has applied his skills and interests. He makes some good and fascinating observations along the way including: 1) his points about how our sexual characteristics would have evolved and might have contributed to our further evolution (reflecting the need for mates to bond long term), 2) how geographic factors might have influenced variation in civilizations' technological accomplishments in the course of human societal development (Africa and the Americas exist on a north-south axis, limiting the spread and cross-pollenization of agricultural technology among human groups, while Europe, the Middle East and Asia lie on an east-west axis), 3) how unwise modern governments and scientists may be in sending signals into outer space announcing our presence (since he concludes there's no reason to doubt the operation of evolutionary competition there, too), and 4) how the dynamic of human evolution seems to have placed us on a trajectory of inevitable self-destruction.
Diamond himself notes that in many cases he did not fully develop many of the ideas presented here, reserving that for subsequent books (Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed). His main goal in this one, besides outlining some of these ideas, seems to be to galvanize his readers to embrace his strong concerns for environmentalism. He repeatedly details the destruction of pristine ecological environments which follows on the appearance of man, from the earliest ages, when men may have speedily hunted the great mammals still preserved in the fossil record to extinction, to the era of European exploration only a few centuries ago when Europeans permanently destroyed the ecological systems they found on previously untrod oceanic islands. In the interim, he blames humans for destroying the majority of the creatures that have walked the Earth since man's first appearance and warns of worse to come.
In one interesting passage he recounts how a single development of a particular site for housing resulted in the destruction and loss of many species of small creatures found nowhere else on the planet, inviting us to imagine how many times, and to what devastating effect, this has happened before in our history. But this, certainly, is the flaw in what is an otherwise compelling narrative of human development. It is certainly true that man's presence alters his environment wherever he finds himself and that that alteration is generally permanent, irrevocable and, indeed, terrible for the creatures on the receiving end. Diamond calls on us to adopt a supportive stance toward environmentalism based on this knowledge, even as he has done in his work. But the truth is that humans cannot avoid leaving a footprint wherever we tread and it is certainly true that each and every tiny corner of this earth may, and probably does, harbor various unique species if only on the microscopic level.
His advocacy for environmental awareness is certainly wise and good advice for humankind overall since it is better to preserve and nurture our environment than devour it like locusts. As far as we know, at least for now, there is only one Earth and, thus, one human home so we must attend to it. But it's unrealistic to imagine that man can avoid impacting his environment entirely or sufficiently so as to avoid displacing other species at all. That one development Diamond cites is a useful example but how many other developments, as he rightly notes, have done as much or more around the planet? We can't cease developing the world around us unless we alter our own growth trajectory and aim to diminish rather than enhance our numbers.
But diminishing the number of human beings, besides being against our natural biological imperative (to pass on our genes), intoduces the risks of civilizational breakdown and failure since fewer and fewer members of the various population groups will be called on to support more and more of the aging members of their groups. At the same time, unless all of mankind can be diminished in numbers simultaneously, there will be competition for space and resources which will see larger and more robust population groups impinging on the holdings of the diminishing groups (as we see in Europe today where an aggressive external Muslim population presses on a more inward-looking diminishing native population). This must lead to its own conflicts and disasters. Perhaps a worldwide plague or devastating war would do the trick but to what terrible effect for those living through it? And what about the tangential effects on the environments in which the self-destroying human populations are enduring plague and/or war?
Despite Diamond's important points about the human propensity to eat its own, we are chimps hanging onto an evolutionary tiger by its tail. We cannot let it go without being devoured but suspect that holding on will not be in our own best interests either. Diamond's written a good and important book here with lots of insight and new perspectives worth pondering. But he has no solution for us because, in the end, we are evolution's children. Perhaps we may grow ourselves out of this present quandary. Or perhaps not. Either way, it's certainly worthwhile reading Diamond's take on this.
SWM
Another high quality Diamond.......2007-09-29
The Third Chimpanzee is another contribution by Jared Diamond that forces people to think about man's past as well as what we are doing, and could be doing, for our future. He makes you think.
Better understanding our evolution - and our nature.......2007-09-19
Jared Diamond explains in his awesome style how we are related to the various ape species and why the chimps are our closest cousins (or rather brothers). Based on the differences and similarities between us, do we have the right to consider ourselves so much different from animals, and do we have the right not to grant at least some human rights to our closest relatives...
I'm 98% chimp.......2007-09-12
What species is most closely related to the chimp? If you guessed humans, you're right! Chimps and humans share more than 98% of the same genes. Given this fact, Jared explores human behavior and is somehow able to do this from outside of the human perspective. While we like to think of ourselves as being far above other species, Jared is careful to recognize other less flattering and uniquely human traits such as our addiction to chemical substances and our practice of genocide. The Third Chimpanzee offers a unique and balanced perspective of the human animal and the role we play in the global environment. Read this book to gain a more complete understanding of what it means to be human, where we came from, and where we might be headed.
Wonderful book by Diamond.......2007-07-12
Biologist Jared Diamond's book, originally published in 1992, doesn't have a unifying theme as in his later "Guns, Germs and Steel". Rather, we have different themes tackled in different chapters. Among those themes are the origins of the Indoeuropeans (the mysterious people, also knowns as the Aryans, from whom most Europeans and Indians descend), why Europeans were able to conquer much of the world in the last century (a subject he would later return to in Guns...), why he believes the attempts to overcome aging will fail, his skepticism about the possibility of contacting extraterrestrial civilizations (even if we are able to contact the few aliens that might exist, they might try to conquer us, he claims), the last first contacts between modern civilizations and bands of hunter gatherers still living on the Stone Age, an explanation of sexual selection and the origins of the human races, why the handicap principle bring forward by biologist Amotz Zahavi explain many seeming self-destructive behavior by human beings, an interesting overview of genocide in human history, and so forth. Diamond's environmentalism is quite radical: he believes for example, as some luddites do, that man's fall started when he switched from hunting and gathering to agriculture. Still, this is a wonderful book, enlivened by Diamond's erudition and wonderful writing.
Book Description
It is an authoritative and concise guide on the subject of rough diamonds. When combined with studies in the classroom, it equips the student with essential knowledge to step with confidence into the field of rough diamond purchasing.
Book Description
The classification of rough diamonds for grading, buying/selling, or cut and polishing.
Book Description
Birds have long held a unique dual role as a model group for scientists and as the focus of birders' passionate quests. Despite centuries of observation, each year brings the discovery and description of several entirely new avian species and hundreds of other taxonomic "splits" or "lumps" based on DNA data. In this arena of continual and increasing taxonomic change, The Clements Checklist presents the most up-to-date and most widely endorsed compendium of the more than 9800 species of birds recognized by the scientific and birding communities. This completely revised sixth edition is current as of 2005 and incorporates hundreds of updates since the last edition. In taxonomic sequence, it provides the scientific and English name of each species and a description of the worldwide range of each species and subspecies.
The most established resource on the taxonomy and biogeography of birds for the world birding community, The Clements Checklist is the official world checklist of the American Birding Association (ABA) and is used as the authoritative reference in the birding competitions and listing activities of this preeminent North American organization for serious birders.
Features of The Clements Checklist include
* comprehensive indexes with all taxa listed by English and scientific names, the latter to subspecies level; * tables and maps showing the world distribution of total bird species and endemics by geographic area, which will be of special interest to conservationists; and * space to record the location and date of individual sightings, providing the user with a personalized ornithological journal.
Customer Reviews:
fabulous book with small faults.......2007-09-30
I will divide in what I find good and not so good of this book .
Good:
the size ,with 28,5 & 22 cm it's a lot bigger than the Howard + Moore and Sibley + Monroe books , which leaves a lot of space to make your notes inside the book ,like I do ,
very good binding and of course the complete listing of all the bird species and subspecies .
Not so good :
the splitting into species goes in my opinion a little to far ,especially by the Australian species .
Bad :
some species of the checklist are also listed as subspecies by species from which they were split ,with a little proofreading this could have been avoided .
For the price amazon is asking ,this book is a must if you want a checklist of the birds of the world .
A big list, not much more.......2007-07-04
Clements is the bible of bird taxonomy, but this book is basically just a list of every species with sublists of each subspecies, and very basic information as to where that subspecies is located. I was disappointed that there is no summary of changes from this 6th edition from the prior edition, although I assume this information will eventually be available on-line somewhere. This is a book that lots of very serious birders know they want, and they should get it. But if you don't know exactly what this book is already and know that you want it, you probably don't.
Book Description
The Recognized Authority on Selecting and Buying Diamond Rings!
Newman's Diamond Ring Buying Guide has become the standard guide for buyers shopping for diamond rings. Renee Newman, herself, has been recognized frequently as the leading expert on stones and jewelry and her expertise has been used extensively by national bridal magazines and websites, alike.
Now expanded and updated to reflect new trends in the diamond and jewelry market, the Diamond Ring Buying Guide offers step-by-step instructions on how to evaluate diamonds and settings. With sections on price comparison, fake stones, synthetic diamonds, proper gem care, and selection of gold and platinum settings, this guide will provide consumers with all the information needed to make an educated purchase.
More full-color photographs and examples of diamond rings showing new cutting styles and diamond clarity are now included.
Customer Reviews:
A Plethora of Pictures. Practical Advice on Choosing a Ring. .......2007-07-10
This "Diamond Ring Buying Guide" does not go into as much detail as some other guides in its discussion of the 4Cs -cut, color, clarity, carat weight. It says little about price and nearly ignores laboratory grading reports. But where other books may only describe the 4Cs, Renee Newman shows readers lots of photos of diamonds under 10x magnification. An abundance of illustrations is the strength of Newman's guides. In addition to close-ups of the stones, there are photos of diamonds mounted in a variety of traditional and unusual rings, which may provide inspiration and ideas if you're shopping for a special ring. Chapters on Gold & Platinum, the pros and cons of different mounts, and advice on how to choose a mount that suits your lifestyle offer practical advice that I haven't seen in other diamond-buying guides.
Newman expands upon the traditional 4Cs by separating cut quality from cutting style and adding 2 new criteria, so the diamond price factors addressed in this book are: cut quality, color, carat weight, clarity, cutting style, transparency, and treatment status. The author feels that transparency and treatments were not issues when the idea of 4Cs was established, but now many treated and low-quality stones are on the gem market, so these factors merit separate discussion. I and SI3 diamonds with poor transparency are now being sold in some jewelry stores, and about one-third of diamonds sold in the US are treated. Most of Newman's 5Cs and 2Ts are given their own chapter. We get the basics with lots of pictures, which helps. I found the discussion of fluorescence ambiguous. Criteria for cut grades are provided for GIA, AGS, and HRD grading systems.
There is a lot of good information in the "Diamond Buying Guide", including some pointers and advice on choosing a ring that I haven't seen elsewhere. I found comparisons of the characteristics of white gold and platinum very useful. Likewise the descriptions of mounts and the practical considerations in choosing a ring style. The book concludes with some "do's and don'ts" of cleaning your diamond rings, buying tips, and a quiz so that you can test your knowledge of 5 crucial chapters. I would consult more than one buying guide before shopping for a diamond, but this one offers some valuable advice, and the photographs make it a pleasure to peruse. For more thorough coverage of how to judge quality through a loupe, try "Diamonds: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide".
Well-written, clear, and easy to read!.......2006-09-29
I liked the way Newman clearly explained ideas that a few of the diamond sales people I encountered were unable to explain. This book has lots of information that I didn't find elsewhere. The jewelry store owner I finally bought my diamond from actually uses certain chapters in this book to train his staff!! Excellent book.
A book that rocks for diamond ring buyers!.......2006-09-15
I personally found this book well written and informative. Every chapter covers the basics and gave me enough confidence to make a decision while understanding what our jeweler was talking about. The content is quite easy to grasp and the pictures are enjoyable. This book actually helped me to select an appropriate setting for my anniversary ring, see chapter 12: V-tips for marquise stones. I also found the chapter on clarity & trasparency very clear and to the point. The writer is indeed experienced and knows how to explain this diamond subject to us! After reading this one, I also bought the Diamond Handbook by Newman to acquire more knowledge. Anyone shopping for a diamond ring should get this book before your next trip to your jewelry store, it's flawless!
Pretty Pictures .......2006-07-24
If a picture is worth a thousand words then there are more than enough pictures to make this book worth borrowing. However the prestine touched up photographs serve no purpose in the real world when shopping for a diamond.It is unlikely you will ever see a diamond presented to you with the kind of studio lighting needed to make the photographs in the book worth while. I have been in the diamond world for my whole adult life and believe the worst thing you can do to a customer is give him a false sense of confidence. The book fails to mention the severe diamond shortages of 2005, the GIA bribery scandle and the latest consumer scams like annealing. The purpose of any "how to Book" is to give all the facts a customer needs to know to make an intelligent decision. This one falls so short your almost better off just winging it or buying from an on line consolidator.There are other "How to Buy a Diamond" books that don't cut corners and tell it like it really is.Only borrow this one if you like to look at pictures and don't read the articles.
thediamondstore.......2006-01-19
this book has all of the fact giving information on diamonds like affects of cut color and clarity on value wich is helpful in understanding what a diamond SHOULD be valued but in real practice in the market place whether shopping online or in a brick and mortor store, diamonds (like most other merchandise) are not offered to customers with a honest description of their quality aspects, which leaves most people lost in the new information which they just learned from fact only books, i own the " thediamondstore" and recc. using the information in this book, but you also need to know the common tricks and methods for misleading consumers at the point of sale , and by combining the two it becomes very difficult to get mislead as to the real value of a diamond.
Book Description
A sweet celebration of the wonders of winter — and the warmth of good friends — is enhanced with a sparkly snowy cover.
One wintry afternoon, Mole finds something smooth and sparkly sticking out of the snow. It must be a diamond! As Mole rushes to show his new treasure to his friends, it keeps changing shape in his hands. Could the diamond be magic? In a snowy, shimmering sequel to BRINGING DOWN THE MOON and NO PLACE LIKE HOME, the lovable Mole and his loyal friends Hedgehog, Squirrel, and Rabbit are back, finding magic in the most unexpected places.
Customer Reviews:
A Darling Keepsake Book.......2006-12-13
When Mole emerges from his hole one day, the woodland is covered in snow. Even more marvelous is the magical "diamond" that appears at the base of a tree. It is beautiful and shiny, and it changes shape in his paws. He can't wait to show it to his friends!
Jonathon Emmett's gentle story is sure to delight young children, especially during the winter months when (if!) there is snow on the ground. Adults will be charmed by the simple fascination with one of nature's special gifts. Sweet woodland illustrations by Vanessa Cabban will further endear this book to children and "designated readers."
DIAMOND IN THE SNOW is a darling picture book that should find a cherished spot on family bookshelves everywhere.
Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
12/07/2006
Book Description
A beautiful look at the world's most alluring gem.
With images as fabulous as their highly prized subject,
Diamonds is about the science and glamour of this magnificent gemstone.
The book takes a look at why we desire diamonds, where their characteristic fire comes from and why they are seen as the ultimate symbol of love. Known in pop culture today as bling, diamonds play a role in fashion and celebrity as well as jewelry. Also revealed are some of the amazing properties of diamonds that make it a vital material for modern technology and medicine as well as a "girl's best friend".
Filled with color photographs throughout,
Diamonds features six chapters:
-
Desire: why diamonds are so highly valued and their properties
-
The Hunt: the diamond rushes
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The Cut: how the rocks are transformed into jewels
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Fame: some famous diamonds and their legends
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The Extreme: hardness, transparency, conductivity, durability
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Design: jewelry, antique and modern, on clothing and in film.
Designed for the luxury-lover or the mineral collector,
Diamonds is sure to please.
Customer Reviews:
Diamonds.......2007-03-09
A short, but interesting book about diamonds. It has a few beautiful color photographs. It also gives the history of a few famous diamonds. Fred Ward's book "Diamonds" is a better, more detailed book.
Book Description
The true story behind the most famous–and infamous–stone in the world.
The Hope diamond is not only exceptionally beautiful it has a long and incredibly colorful history. That history – spread over three continents – features diamond mining in India, the French Revolution, the machinations of British King George IV, the Gilded Age in America and a number of very clever jewelers including Pierre Cartier and Harry Winston. In the 20th century, the myth of the Hope diamond curse made the diamond more notorious and famous than ever before, but it is only one small piece of a long and lustrous history.
Dr. Kurin, who is a cultural anthropologist, has spent over a decade on the trail of the Hope, from India, to France, Germany, Russia, Switzerland, and England. His narrative is filled with fascinating places and people – from the fabled diamond city of Golconda to the fabulously rich heiress Evalyn McLean to Jackie Kennedy and her pivotal role in one of the Hope's few 20th century trips abroad.
Customer Reviews:
The Real Story of the Hope Diamond.......2007-04-13
This wonderfully researched and lively account traces the story of the Hope Diamond and in the process debunks and dispels much of the misinformation surrounding the world's most famous gem.
The debunking begins on page one. Years ago I heard a story that Harry Winston shipped the Hope to the Smithsonian by regular mail in a plain brown paper wrapped package. It went by mail alright in a plain brown wrapper but it was insured for a million dollars.
Kurin begins his tale at the beginning by making his own journey to northwestern India to the fabled Kingdom of Golconda and the storied mines of Kollur. This is the mine mentioned by the famed 17th Century French gem merchant, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier. Tavernier, the man who sold the diamond to Louis XIV of France was famously silent about where he obtained the stone but he does mention Kollur as a source of colored diamonds and based on that single mention, most experts have deduced that Kollur was the source.
What did he find in Kollur? Snakes! After a difficult three day journey following Tavernier's route by car, snakes and very little else. There exists barely a trace of the old mines which were played out and abandoned in the 18th century. The presence of snakes together with a nearby mountain and bit of local folklore leads Kurin to speculate that perhaps, Kollur was the site of the original Valley of the Serpents mentioned by Marco Polo. A bit of a leap, perhaps, unlike Mogok, Kollur isn't a deep valley but the locals do have a two-headed bird god and that is something the Burmese contender lacks.
Kurin pulls together an interesting, if flawed, argument for India's Kollur as the source of the Hope. He points out that when Tavernier sold the stone to the Sun King, the Hope was barely fashioned, almost rough. From this he concludes that the stone was purchased at the mines.
His next conclusion is a bit more of a reach. With the meticulous attention to detail that he demonstrates throughout, Kurin discovered a short note by Tavernier on the original chart made up by the French gem merchant, describing number six of the best twenty stones Tavernier sold to the French monarch in 1668.
"C'est un autre diamante que j'achetais l'an 1653 a la mine de Coulour."
Taking this statement and the fact that there are no other stones immediately adjacent to that bit of text, the author speculates that the autre diamond, to which Tavernier refers, may be the blue and if so, Kurin concludes, it was purchased in 1653 at Kollur.
The question is; to which diamond does the note refer and was number six simply another diamond purchased or another diamond purchased at Kollur? The passage can be read either way. The note, as Kurin points out, was not next to the Hope which was number one on the list. To that I would add two additional points that pose certain difficulties in accepting Kurin's speculations: First, number six is a colorless diamond and both the stones, numbers five and seven, immediately adjacent to number six are also colorless and second; number six is shown as completely faceted even though, according to Tavernier's own words, it was originally purchased at the mines at Kollur. Fact is, any dealer worth his salt knows a bit about recutting. The real question is; why if Tavernier did hold on to the stone for fifteen years why didn't he recut it?
To the above I would add a further quibble. Tavernier was a dealer and speaking as a gem dealer I can state with some authority that our biggest thrill is the hunt. After the adrenalin rush of bagging a big, beautiful and expensive stone, a dealer's next thrill is selling that big beautiful expensive stone to obtain the capital to begin the hunt all over again. Would a dealer hang onto such a treasure for 15 years if he could have sold it? I doubt it.
Harry Winston and The Smithsonian:
The book is a great read. I discovered interesting facts and important information not previously available with each turn of the page. One particular favorite is the section in which the author reproduces the correspondence between Harry Winston, his lawyers, The Smithsonian, their lawyers and the IRS and its lawyers that detail the labyrinthine negotiations that resulted in Harry Winston's donation of the Hope Diamond to The Smithsonian. Winston was more than willing to donate the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian but he was also determined to receive its full value as a tax deduction.
Hope Diamond is the most authoritative account of the legendary blue gem published to date. It is also a great story packed with anecdotes detailing the machinations of the rich and shameless. Highly Recommended.
Richard W. Wise, G.G.
Author: Secrets Of The Gem Trade, The Connoisseur's Guide To Precious GemstonesSecrets of the Gem Trade: The Connoisseur's Guide to Precious Gemstones
Great historical account through the eyes of a gem..........2007-03-09
The first few chapters dragged a bit but I guess necessary to debunk popular myth. It was very interesting to see the story of the diamond as it was manipulated by royalty, governments, businessmen, owners and media. We used it for our bookclub.
Diamond Daze Clarified.......2006-12-03
Most people who have visited the Smithsonian have peered into the secure exhibit space to view the Hope Diamond. Most are surprised at how relatively small the diamond is, but the mystique and aura of the gem makes the wait through the long line worthwhile. Furthermore, the history, stories, and folklore associated with the stone often further piques the visitor's curiosity. This book more than satisfies this curiosity, and Kurin provides a well-written presentation of various stories and beliefs associated with the gem. Kurin takes the reader through an interesting history that details how it was discovered, traded, given away, and eventually accessioned at the museum. It's a fun read for anyone interested in history, folklore, gemology, and museum practice.
THE SINGULAR BLUE.......2006-11-05
I enjoyed this book, I have always found the history of the French Blue to be fascinating, but all the curse rehetoric is just that rehetoric, I mean, yeah, it makes for a good story, but get real, I mean Louis XIV, reigned longer than any monarch in history and is the most famous monarch in the history of Europe...was he cursed?!!!..we all wish we were that cursed..and Harry Winston, one of the greatest and most successful jewelers in history, he was curesed?!! and the United States of America, the world's only superpower, the envey of the world, an economic and military powerhouse is cursed?!!!..I mean give me a break, but this book is well written and very interesting, but the Hope, cursed?...hummmm..I'd take it and maybe i could be cursed like Louis and Harry.
Beautiful, but deadly; Flawless, but cursed.......2006-05-27
Whether you believe in curses or not, this legendary blue diamond has intrigued people for centuries. The legend is said to have begun when a man named Tavernier stole the legendary blue gem from the eye of a statue in the image of the Hindu goddess Sita. While in Russia, after he had sold the diamond, accounts were rumored that Tavernier was torn apart by wild dogs. This was the first death attributed to the Hope's curse. Could this be possible?
The gem then fell into the hands of King Louis XIV who decided to cut the gem down to 67 carats. King Louis renamed the gem 'Blue diamond of the crown'. Legend goes, Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were beheaded during the French Revolution because of the legendary blue curse. We know they were both beheaded, but did the 'curse' play a role? In 1791, the 'Blue diamond of the crown' was stolen. The blue diamond resurfaced in 1813 London, in the hands of jeweler Daniel Eliason. Around 1939, the blue diamond(now 44 carats) found its way into the hands of Henry Phillip Hope. According to the curse, the once-rich Hopes went bankrupt because of the legendary blue diamond. Is any of this true?
A few month's later, Evalyn McLean bought the Hope diamond. According to the legend, the curse was to strike her too. McLean's first born son, Vinson, died in a car crash when he was nine. McLean suffered another major loss when her daughter committed suicide at age 25. In addition to all this, Evalyn McLean's husband was declared insane and confined to a mental institution until his death in 1941. This is a lot for one person to suffer, could this be attributed to the curse?
Harry Winston, a New York jeweler, purchased the legendary blue in 1949. Was the curse broken? On November 10, 1958, the legendary blue diamond traveled in a brown box, by registered mail, and was met by a large group of people at the Smithsonian who celebrated its arrival. Winston donated the Hope diamond because he believed in creating a national jewel collection. There are many great books that detail this remarkable gem, but what sets Kurin's apart, is that he focus' mainly on the proven facts of the legend. Could the gem have been found in an Indian Goddess? Are the horrible deaths of the owners true? Is the gem stolen in 1791, the same gem that resurfaced in 1813?
Richard Kurin answers all these and more. Anyone who is fascinated by this, or any legend will enjoy this book. Kurin supplies the inquisitive mind with richly detail facts that may just leave you believing in the Hope's curse.
Average customer rating:
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Land Use in America
Henry L. Diamond , and
Patrick F. Noonan
Manufacturer: Island Press
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ASIN: 1559634642 |
Book Description
Over the past two decades, great strides have been made on a wide variety of environmental fronts. Air and water quality have improved significantly, certain endangered species are on the road to recovery, and there is a marked increase in environmental awareness among the general population. Yet at the same time, little has changed in our approach toward how land is used.
Henry L. Diamond and Patrick F. Noonan, two preeminent figures in the modern conservation movement, examine that unfortunate circumstance as they provide a broad overview of major land use issues of the past twenty-five years and a ten-point agenda for future action. They look at key trends and patterns of the past two decades, and consider what can be done to help communities throughout the country accomodate growth in better, more environmentally sound, more fiscally responsible ways.
Diamond and Noonan base the synthesis and analysis featured in the first part of the book in large part on a series of papers from leading scholars, public officials, and practitioners that are included in their entirety in the second part of the book. The contributors provide and in-depth look at important topic, including:
- Howard Dean, governor of Vermont, on Vermont's experience with growth management plan.
- Douglas P. Wheeler, secretary of the California Resources Agency, on the implementation of ecosystem management in Californi.
- Jean W. Hocker, president of the Land Trust Alliance, on what land trusts are and how they wor.
- John A. Georges, chairman and chief executive officer of International Paper Company, on management of forest resource.
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Average customer rating:
- Diamonds and lessons in globalization
- Interesting Gem
- multifaceted intro to the diamond trade
- Great overview, but lacks follow-through
- "...as if a curtain had been ripped aside and there was the diamond business, spattered with blood, sorting through the goods."
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Diamond: A Journey to the Heart of an Obsession
Matthew Hart
Manufacturer: Walker & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0802713688 |
Book Description
On a hot morning in May 1999, three Brazilian garimpeiros (small-scale miners) found a large pink diamond in the muddy waters of the Abaete River, a discovery that captivated the diamond trade. Beginning with this dramatic and revealing story, Matthew Hart takes readers on a journey far beyond the window at Tiffany's, into an obsessive, largely hidden, and utterly fascinating world.
From the fog-bound smugglers' paradise of Africa's Diamond Coast to the Manhattan offices of one of the world's most flamboyant diamantaires; from the London salesrooms of De Beers, which manages the longest-running cartel in modern business history, to a truck-parts shop fronting a diamond brokerage in Brazil, Matthew Hart has followed the diamond trail, encountering characters as memorable as the stones they seek. He recreates the modern history of diamonds, starting in 1869 when a native boy in South Africa found a large crystal on a farm, sparking a rush that brought Cecil Rhodes and Ernest Oppenheimer their glory. He chronicles the sensational diamond strike in the 1990s in Canada's Northwest Territories that has shaken the fortress of the old cartel, and profiles the audacious young female geologist Eira Thomas who, against all odds, discovered near the Arctic Circle one of the richest diamond fields in the world. He watches one of the finest diamond cutters operating on a priceless stone and portrays the lives of the countless, nameless cutters in India who have transformed the industry by making valuable the tiny stones that were once considered worthless.
Diamonds also have their dark side. "Malfeasance rustles in the background of the diamond world like a snake in dry grass," writes Hart as he documents the relentless and ingenious thievery that pervades the business and the even more damaging revelations of "war diamonds" financing brutal conflicts in Africa. The diamond world is at a crossroads, he notes, and "who will rule diamonds now and what form the once-secretive business will take are the issues of the day."
In the end, it is the stone itself that fascinates and bewitches the reader. Diamonds are accidents of nature, carbon crystals compressed deep underground millions of years ago; parts of them may even predate the Earth itself. And they are elusive, carried to the surface only in slender volcanoes known as "pipes," most of which are actually barren. Matthew Hart has captured the essence of an exotic substance and its world as surely as a diamond captures light: bending it, reflecting it, and returning it in a blaze of color.
Customer Reviews:
Diamonds and lessons in globalization.......2007-09-08
Though my background in diamonds - not counting some jewellery I got my better half sometime ago - is almost nil, I picked up the book because of the attractive title and jacket ... and I must admit that I thoroughly enjoyed the journey narrated by Matthew Hart.
The book, peppered by anecdotes and stories, presents a great overview of the complex diamond trade. The book is as much about globalization of business as it is about shining stones for which consumers pay millions. And this is where the author creatively weaves narratives around aspects of the Business of diamonds: production and extraction, value addition during each aspect of the chain, marketing and promotion and the complexities of pricing and gobalized supply chain.
The chapter (Rosy Blue) on the Indian contribution to the modern value chain of the diamond industry was especially interesting to read. Not many of us realize that much before Indians became synonymous with the global hi-tech and software industry, Indians were already well entrenched in the international diamond trade. The parallels between the two industries are unmistakable:
* Hundreds of thousands of cutters and polishers (programmers and designers?) work offshore in back-offices
* There has been a strong ambition to move up the value chain: by gaining representation as DTC sightholders (or management consultants to Fortune 500 clients)
* The majority of foot-soldiers in the trade remain `invisible' though a few leaders are the visible face of the trade in Antwerp (and in global technology consulting)
Interesting Gem.......2007-06-30
I thoroughly enjoyed the read. A good over view of the orgin, history, exploration, marketing, and commodity of the diamond market, without the dry technical jargon. I was completely facinated by the gamble one takes by purchasing large stones in the rough, and the tedicious craftsmanship that goes into cutting and polishing a beautiful diamond. I loved the history and discussion on famous diamonds and their journey though the hands of royality, soliders, religous conflicts, and theifs. Made you stop and think, what are diamonds really worth? I would of enjoyed color photos thou!!!!!
multifaceted intro to the diamond trade.......2006-07-04
This book covers the history of diamonds and the diamond trade from a series of viewpoints. Starting with a light introduction to diamonds before the 1800's, the book's emphasis is mainly on the last 200 years. Focusing on London, Antwerp, Brazil, India, the Diamond Coast, South Africa, Canada and a little on Russia, the book gives a good introduction to the geography of the diamond trade. The book shows us the lives of diamond miners, speculators, polishers, and the middlemen that connect all of these roles together to get stone from ground to a woman's hand. The text itself reads easily, and is part history book, part travelogue, part journalistic expose.
The history of De Beers is outlined, and its connections with various governments and high-up officials is touched upon, but this book is by no means a work of muckracking. The authorship is recent enough to cover blood diamonds from Africa, but not recent enough to include mention of diamonds as a source of capital and liquid wealth by Islamic terrorists. All in all a good book but not a great one. Worth the time to read it though.
Great overview, but lacks follow-through.......2006-03-12
I came away from this book with a picture of the global market for diamonds and how it's all tied together, from the palatial desks of moguls in London to the shacks of miners in Africa. Author Hart covers it all -- how diamonds are mined, processed, marketed, stolen; the ever-weakening power wielded by the De Beers cartel; the new low-end processors in India who have changed the dynamics of the trade. He does an especially good job elucidating the complex world of "war diamonds" emnating from bloody civil-warring states like Angola and Sierra Leone.
Author Hart is well-qualified for the task, having written on diamonds for numerous publications; but his ability to initiate a really engrossing story and drop it in mid-stream without taking us all the way there was frustrating for me as a reader. There were too many times when he started with an intriguing aspect of the trade, but moved too quickly to another aspect, leaving the reader hanging. How do the garipeiros, who found the "big pink" along a Brazilian river in chapter 1, live? Who gave them their $2 million for the big pink? Was it delivered in cash in a paper bag? How did the garipeiros spend the money so fast? After Eira Thomas finds a diamond pipe in the frozen Canadian north, he ends with this: "the pipes that Thomas found... contain some 138 million carats of diamonds. The deposit will support a mine for twenty years and supply the market with an annual $400 million worth of rough" -- that's it; that's all. What happened to Eira Thomas? Did she go on to find more pipes? Exactly how do the Canadian pipes alter the dynamics of De Beer's cartel? For a book like this, the devil is in the details -- the details that provide color and texture and take the readers along for the ride. Too often, Hart leaves out the details and doesn't finish the story, leaving the reader frustrated. The book would have really been enhanced by a few color plates of diamonds -- famous diamonds, rough diamonds, tiny brown diamonds cut in India, the big pink -- even if only two page's worth. In addition, as with so many books nowadays, copyediting is below par, with some really egregious typos in the text.
Still, this book is a great overview, and I feel that I learned a lot. Despite the limitations, anyone who loves gems, jewelry, commodities, and the romantic world of high-roller big business will enjoy this book.
"...as if a curtain had been ripped aside and there was the diamond business, spattered with blood, sorting through the goods.".......2005-12-03
p.187
This book made me glad that my wife and I twenty years ago decided to get neither the traditional diamond engagment nor wedding rings. I gave her a nice strand of pearls (probably another book out there) and we exchanged diamondless rings when we wed.
Chapter 9: Diamond Wars was horrifying in the sheer numbers of dead and maimed. Whenever teenage boys are fed drugs to go and slaughter civilians, there's more to it than idealogy, it's fed by sheer corporate earnings.
Recommended further updated reading: the reports on [...] account how the Kimberley Process, designed to eradicate the conflict diamonds, has in part been used to legitimize them.
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