Speaking of Slavery: Color, Ethnicity, and Human Bondage in Italy (Conjunctions of Religion and Power in the Medieval Past)

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Short and excellent treatment of the subject........2007-07-06

An astoundingly good read! Short and well-supported, this book looks at how slavery changed over the centuries. Originally, slavery wasn't really based upon skin color or ethnicity, but it grew to have those connotations later. In Italy particularly there was a peculiar sort of melting-pot of all cultures/backgrounds of slaves, and since Italy was rather fond of bureaucracy, we have a lot of records of slaveholders, sellers, buyers, and occasionally the slaves themselves. The book includes information about where slaves came from, how old they tended to be, what names they usually had, how long owners kept them, and what happened to them after they were freed or resold. It also discusses the Church's changing opinion on slaves and how to treat them. The subjects of Muslim vs. Christian slaves and owners, piracy, and ransom are also covered in detail. I found the information contained herein to be absolutely invaluable in learning about the practice of slavery during Renaissance times. Don't miss this book.

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Philip
wonderful
Love is a hurtin' thing
Just The Best!
All Time Classic a Disappoinment

Of Human Bondage (Bantam Classics)
W. Somerset Maugham , and Jane Smiley
Manufacturer: Bantam Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 055321392X
Release Date: 1991-06-01

Book Description

The first and most autobiographical of Maugham's masterpieces. It is the story of Philip Carey, an orphan eager for life, love and adventure. After a few months studying in Heidelberg, and a brief spell in Paris as a would-be artist, he settles in London to train as a doctor where he meets Mildred, the loud but irresistible waitress with whom he plunges into a tortured and masochistic affair.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

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Philip Carey, a handicapped orphan, is brought up by a clergyman, but Philip sheds his religious faith and begins to study art in Paris.

Customer Reviews:

Philip.......2007-06-21

When little club-footed Philip Carey's mother died, he was sent to live with his aunt and uncle, severe, religious relatives who knew not how to handle the child thrust into the midst of their lives. He grew up without coddling or affection, but with books and the fantastic worlds they brought to him, worlds he would strive his whole life to recreate in fact. From his experiences in school to an artist's paris, to the hospitals of London and the dregs of society, Of Human Bondage details his search for himself and for his own brand of reality as he waits, desperate for life to finally begin. I see a lot of myself in Philip's apparently directionless wanderings, which is the beauty of this novel. He is believeable to extremes, and gloriously ambivalent morally. The book is beautifully written and wonderfully unpredictable, avoiding trite cliches and overlong prosaic rambles alike. Read it for school, or for pleasure, or for the experience of seeing plainly a slice of someone else's life, someone neither virtuous nor sinful, someone wholly real.

wonderful.......2007-05-21

Little read these days, but Maugham remains head and shoulders above almost all contemporary novelists and this is his masterpiece.

Love is a hurtin' thing.......2007-05-05

Why, most have wondered, do people sometimes fall in love with someone almost absolutely worthless? And if they are loved by a wonderful person, why do they not love them in return? Maughham suggest it might have to do with the family the person was raised in. The narrator loses both parents at a young age, and is raised by a cold and self-centered man, and his wife who loves the young Philip with a desperate and clinging love. And what happens? He falls in love with a truly repulsive woman. I generally avoid "classic" novels, since I am one of those readers Mark Twain described -- I know the names but haven't read most. However, "Of Human Bondage" is an exception to that rule. I was absorbed in it from beginning to end, and found every insight in it to confirm my own.

Just The Best!.......2007-04-30

I have read this book many times over the years and it's different every time. Is amazing how one writer can get all those human emotions and write about them, one can actually feel what the characters feel and get involved into their lives. A book that is worth reading more than once...

All Time Classic a Disappoinment.......2006-12-02

I am sorry to say that I thoroughly disliked "Of Human Bondage." I know it is on every must read list for fiction (which is why I decided to read it) however, I just wonder how such a boring story can continually be relegated to such a hallowed position in literature? Not only did I find it dull but I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the main character's perception of women! I'm not a feminist in the least but most of the female characters were described in such pathetic ways. "Yellow teethed" "Sallow skin" "Dirty Hands" "Tear stained over powdered face", it goes on and on. I wondered if the author was uncomfortable women? I looked online for some information about Maugham. To my surprise I found out that Maugham was bisexual. He did marry and have a child but for most of his life it sounded like he was involved with men. In no way can I say this substantiates or confirms the tone of the book -- but in some way it answered my question or concern.

Instead of this book I'd recommend the following classics: Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Madame Bovary by Flaubert. At least in these books, maybe the female characters are not the most virtuous but the characters are written with such sensuality that even though they might not be described as gorgeous they are brought to life in the pages by the author with a kaleidoscope of words that makes them multidimensional -- good or bad.

Merit, Meaning, and Human Bondage: An Essay on Free Will

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Merit, Meaning, and Human Bondage: An Essay on Free Will
Nomy Arpaly
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0691124337

Book Description

Perhaps everything we think, feel, and do is determined, and humans--like stones or clouds--are slaves to the laws of nature. Would that be a terrible state? Philosophers who take the incompatibilist position think so, arguing that a deterministic world would be one without moral responsibility and perhaps without true love, meaningful art, and real rationality. But compatibilists and semicompatibilists argue that determinism need not worry us. As long as our actions stem, in an appropriate way, from us, or respond in some way to reasons, our actions are meaningful and can be judged on their moral (or other) merit.

In this highly original work, Nomy Arpaly argues that a deterministic world does not preclude moral responsibility, rationality, and love--in short, meaningful lives--but that there would still be something lamentable about a deterministic world. A person may respond well to reasons, and her actions may faithfully reflect her true self or values, but she may still feel that she is not free. Arpaly argues that compatibilists and semicompatibilists are wrong to dismiss this feeling--for which there are no philosophical consolations--as philosophically irrelevant. On the way to this bittersweet conclusion, Arpaly sets forth surprising theories about acting for reasons, the widely accepted idea that "ought implies can," moral blame, and more.

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True, honest, heartfelt masterpiece

Of Human Bondage (Signet Classics)
W. Somerset Maugham
Manufacturer: Signet Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451530179

Book Description

From an orphan with a clubfoot, Philip Carey grows into an impressionable young man with a voracious appetite for adventure and knowledge. Then he falls obsessively in love, embarking on a disastrous relationship that will change his life forever.

Customer Reviews:

True, honest, heartfelt masterpiece.......2007-09-04

W. Somerset Maugham's Of Human Bondage is one of the best novels I have ever read. The language is simple. The narration is subtle. The characters are real and display emotions and feelings everyone can identify with. The power of novel becomes apparent when you are reading it. You choke up every once a while, you smile for hours after you have finished reading certain passages, and you comprehend your own self, your woes and possibilities, better through perspectives that novel provides.

Philip Carey is born with a clubfoot, and as he grows up, orphaned, he struggles with his own deformity. The initial quarter of the novel is about his growing up, and details incidents and relationships that shape our hero. He then develops a fancy of becoming a painter and travels to Paris, only to quit few years later to return to London, where he studies to become a doctor. The most engrossing part of novel starts here with the entry of Mildred, the waitress.

The rest of the novel thrives on the passion of Philip, his love that carries him to the edge of self-destruction, and his coming of age. Unrequited love has never been potrayed better. Philip allows himself to become an instrument in hands of cold-hearted Mildred, who repeatedly ruins herself through absurd choices, and ruins him for not withstanding his love and care, he finds himself snubbed, ridiculed, bereft. Eventhough his reason tells him otherwise, Philip is unable to release himself from his passion for a considerable time. As is said in the novel, "But when all was said the important thing was to love rather than to be loved; and he yearned for Mildred with his whole soul."

The novel is lot more than just story of Philip and Mildred, and there are other unforgettable characters. Each person Philip encounters and each friend he makes, leaves an indelible impression on him and the reader. Be it his idealist friend Hayward, who has too much promise too little product, the poet Cronshaw who dies in poverty, Fenny Price whose hard work cannot make her draw even reasonably well, his uncle and aunt whose love is both tacit and beautifully potrayed and the writer Norah who shows Philip of a caring and loving other.

The most charming people in the novel are Athlneys. Athlney brings life and humor into the novel, and I think saves Philip from a total destruction. The novel really highlights the virtue that lies in a simple, happy married life and Anthlneys win over both Philip and readers with their goodness and simplicity. Thorpe Anthlney with his nine children is a jolly character, and be it his conversations or actions, he wins over our hearts outright.

Philip finds love in most unexpected quarters and is surprised by how help crops up from strangers. His every experience makes him as richer as the reader becomes in reading about it. The thoughts about the meaning of life, or about love or religion or about virtue or vice, and about each aspect of life that Philip encounters are spelt out with a subtlety and mastery. These thoughts find easy resonance with the reader, and make Of Human Bondage an unforgettable affair. The honesty of this piece is stunning. This novel, written without any flourishes and intricate wordplay or mystery, is I think a celebration of the deep insight and understanding of the author.

I have read his other works. The Razor's Edge, The Moon and Six Pence as well as his short stories are a proof of Maugham's ability to tell simple tales with great mastery. These, on their own, make Maugham a great novelist. But it is after reading Of Human Bondage that I realized why most novelists and readers have considered this piece as one the greatest pieces in World Literature. Maugham's aim was perhaps of catharisis and he put his own emotions into the characters, and therefore, he's created a work that is timeless and unforgettable. A must read for everyone who can read.

The Bondage and Liberation of the Will: A Defence of the Orthodox Doctrine of Human Choice against Pighius (Texts and Studies in Reformation and Post-Reformation Thought)

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An historically important and influential treatise
don't mess with calvin
A work much overdue!

The Bondage and Liberation of the Will: A Defence of the Orthodox Doctrine of Human Choice against Pighius (Texts and Studies in Reformation and Post-Reformation Thought)
John Calvin
Manufacturer: Baker Academic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 080102076X
Release Date: 2002-10-01

Book Description

This first English translation of an important work of John Calvin is a welcome supplement to his teachings in his Institutes. -E. Earle Ellis, Southwestern Journal of Theology/ This volume provides Calvin's fullest treatment of the relationship between the grace of God and the free will of humans. It offers insight into Calvin's interpretations of the church fathers, especially Augustine, on the topics of grace and free will and contains Calvin's answer to Pighius's objection that preaching is unnecessary if salvation is by grace alone. This important work, edited by renowned scholar A. N. S. Lane, contains material not found elsewhere in Calvin's writings and will be required reading for students of Calvin and the Protestant Reformation.

Customer Reviews:

An historically important and influential treatise.......2003-04-07

First written in 1543, The Bondage And Liberation Of The Will: A Defence Of The Orthodox Doctrine Of Human Choice Against Pighius is an English translation by G. I. Davies of one of John Calvin's profound theological works concerning the relationship between grace and free will. Astutely edited with meticulous notes by A. N. S. Lane (Director of Research and Senior Lecturer in Christian Doctrine at the London Bible College), The Bondage And Liberation Of The Will is an historically important and influential treatise of religious and historical significance, and one which is very strongly recommended for Christian Studies theological reference and resource shelves.

don't mess with calvin.......2002-12-29

This is an excellent debate on free will and predestiantion. it is extremely scholaraly and Calvin is more nuanced and complex than Luther. this book centers around Augustinian thought, as both Rome and the Reformers claimed him as their champion on this issue. Calvin showed conclusively, that Augustine sided with the reformers and solidified the reformation as something not novel, but as a spokesman for Augustine on the treatment of the will and the sinful state of man. The Reformation, it has been said, was the victory of Augustine's thoughts on salvation over Augustine's thoughts of the church.

A work much overdue!.......1998-10-05

This is an excellent review of the response of Calvin to A. Pighius and the debates of the 1540's concerning the Will of Man, and Predestination. This work covers many areas not covered in other English Translations of Calvin's works, and is very informative concerning Calvin's treatment of the relation between grace and free will.

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Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham

Manufacturer: Doubleday & Company, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000HKTQGM

Product Description

Book Club Edition

Painfully Obvious: An Irreverent & Unauthorized Manual for Leather/SM

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The Etiquette of Leather Examined
A real life look at Leather
This book ROCKS!
Great book!
It's almost like looking in a mirror

Painfully Obvious: An Irreverent & Unauthorized Manual for Leather/SM
Robert Davolt
Manufacturer: Daedalus Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1881943194

Book Description

"Painfully Obvious" is a collection of 40 provocative essays by the former publisher of Drummer magazine and popular San Francisco leather columnist Robert davolt. Originally written for the LeatherPage.com this anthology takes an unorthodox look at leather relationships, community, contests, business, tradition, history and leadership. Inside perspective and practical tips on "what To War," "Leather On The Cheap" and "Passing The Bar," are delivered with authoritative research and barbed humor.

Customer Reviews:

The Etiquette of Leather Examined.......2007-02-25

Whatever your opinion of the leather life style, this book will be an assist in understanding it. Witty and accurate, Davolt does what ever writer is told to do: Write about what you know. He does and eloquently. This is a subculture that is wider than may be thought and one of the more prominent in the gay community.

Beyond that, it's a text book on how to run committees, events and contests. That he focuses on leather does not hinder his advice from being very applicable to every confused organizer everywhere. If only for his suggestions on how to fire volunteers, it's worth the cost. His dissection of what can-and probably will-go wrong and how to avoid the myriad pitfalls is spot on.

The leather community should welcome this as a sorting out of the various factions within their ranks and the general community will welcome it as a bridge between what they've, perhaps erroneously perceived, and reality.

A real life look at Leather.......2004-11-18

Robert Davolt may be a crank, but he's my kind of crank. That Davolt's a sharp wit with as much affection as bite, and you'll find plenty to like.

In "Painfully Obvious," Davolt gathers 40 essays and runs the topical gamut from why leather matters to how to be a better citizen while still wearing cowhide. While Davolt's credentials are obvious (he turned the lights out at the legendary Drummer Magazine), it is his knowledge of history and literature outside the leather world that make this a better than average read. In fact, one of the best columns of the book is Davolt articulating his thoughts on the demise of Drummer, with thoughtfulness and nary a trace of bitterness.

A couple words of warning. If you're looking for hard handed reading, this is NOT a book of fiction. "Painfully Obvious" certainly is preaching to the perverted, and I suspect some of the essays may be tough going for the uninitiated. The number of Davolt's essays on contests is a little top-heavy, but for good reason: his background in the contest world, putting them on and competing in a couple for the better part of a decade. If you already know a little about the community and its participants (or way too much for your own good), "Painfully Obvious" will achieve one of Davolt's stated goals: it will make you smile.

Sadly, we lost Robert to Cancer in the Spring of 2005.

This book ROCKS!.......2004-04-09

An uproariously true to life take on the leather scene, with equal doses of cynicism, humor and heart. Akin to what would come out if you ran the Marquis De Sade and Erma Bombeck through a meat grinder. LOVED IT!

Great book!.......2004-04-08

Great resource filled with common sense information about the dos and don'ts about being a member of the gay subculture known as the leather community. Robert has a way of critiqing the leather community and the ways and mores and yet not criticizing (at least, not too harshly) but still staying true to the relationships with the people that he is inherantly talking about. As someone who has an idea of the various situations of which he speaks I'm amazed and disarmed by his tact, his font of information and yet his brutal honesty.

This is definitely a book for those people who are interested in what goes on with gay leather men but don't want to wade through an esoteric tome that reduces human sexuality to theory and endless analysis. The tone is direct, factual, funny and warm.

Bravo!

It's almost like looking in a mirror.......2004-02-04

Painfully Obvious is a priceless collection of life experiences. Each essay helps to broaden our perspective of what it means to be a Leatherman. With his off the cuff humor and insight he has managed reach us all at a personal level. Even though you know you should not take his words to seriously secretly you can't help but not to.

Learning the Ropes: A Basic Guide to Safe and Fun S/m Lovemaking

Average customer rating:

It needs to be reprinted!
A Good Brief Introduction
Very, very good for novices and the expereinced

Learning the Ropes: A Basic Guide to Safe and Fun S/m Lovemaking
Race Bannon
Manufacturer: Daedalus Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1881943070

Amazon.com

The introduction to Learning the Ropes begins, "S/M has long been a much misunderstood style of erotic play." Race Bannon provides some much-appreciated accurate information in this honest and straightforward basic guide to S/M. He explodes prevalent myths about S/M and replaces them with a playground of erotic fantasy and an emphasis on consensuality. The fantasy visualization exercises and the examples of scenes and negotiation provide rich fodder for crafting new experiences, and regardless of your gender, orientation, or skill level, you'll find that the advice sprinkled throughout the book is useful. Possibly the most important trait of this book, though, is that it's delightfully devoid of the "This is the One True Way" trap evident in too many sexuality manuals.

Learning the Ropes provides delightful examples of questions and issues that commonly come up during negotiation, useful for both the novice just learning to say yes, and the more experienced hand who has met a new partner. The chapter on "S/M Technique" includes good basic safety and sensation information. The real gem, however, is next chapter, "The Playground of the Mind." Here, Bannon shows how the mind--using fantasy, suggestion, voice, and roles--can play an important part in S/M. He also includes sections on S/M gear and how to create an inexpensive toy collection, safety, finding partners, a recommended reading list, and a glossary. --Cheryl Trooskin

Book Description

This brief volume explains how partners can explore their dominant and submissive S/M fantasies in a safe and fun manner. Negative myths are dispelled and replaced with the truth about the kind of S/M erotic play that so many adults enjoy. You'll learn what S/M is, how to do it safely, and much, much more.

Customer Reviews:

It needs to be reprinted!.......2001-11-20

This is one of those introductory books that I highly recommend to people who think they may be interested in BDSM -- the other is "Sensuous Magic" by Pat Califia which I see is being reprinted this year. Race Bannon, you have to wonder if he chose this as a penname or if its his real name, has done a great job on be concise and yet clear in describing a type of sexuality and initmacy that some people enjoy. It also does a good job of being realistic, not making SM too romantic or simple so that everyone wants to run out and try it because frankly BDSM is not for everyone and should not be attempted by everyone. Publishers out there, I think it is time to reprint this book and make it more widely available. In an age of increasing media attention on the kinky, it would be a great way to make people's sex lives and relationships a bit safer and a bit more rewarding.

A Good Brief Introduction.......2000-12-16

"How To Do SM" books seem to come in three sizes, small booklets, mid-sized books and large textbooks.

"Learning The Ropes" is an excellent small booklet on SM. You can read the whole thing in about an hour and it will get you on the right track. The author is a very experienced leatherman who is well known in his community and knows what he is talking about. There are also a number of examples of SM play that are good to read and they involved various genders and roles.

All in all, this book puts an accurate and human face on SM. I highly recommend it.

Other small booklets on SM include "The Sexually Dominant Woman" and "Consensual Sadomasochism". Good mid-sized books are "The Loving Dominant" and "The Master's Manual". For textbook-sized books, read "Screw The Roses Send Me The Thorns" and "SM 101".

Very, very good for novices and the expereinced.......1997-10-09

the writing style is a bit stilted and strained at times, but the content is worth the worse than average writing style. Both the novice and the experienced will benefit from this book - it has a little bit for everyone. Especially enjoyed the "couples" aspect of it.

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Of Human Bondage
W. Somerset Maugham
Manufacturer: Waking Lion Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1600962300
Release Date: 2006-08-03

Book Description

This classic novel tells the story of Philip Carey, an orphan with a club foot who is raised by a religious aunt and uncle. Yearning for adventure, Philip eventually leaves home to pursue a career as an artist in Paris. When he returns to London to study medicine, he meets the alluring but unfeeling Mildred, beginning a doomed love affair that will change the course of his life. "Here is a novel of the utmost importance," wrote Theodore Dreiser. "It is a beacon of light by which the wanderer may be guided. . . . One feels as though one were sitting before a splendid Shiraz of priceless texture and intricate weave, admiring, feeling, responding sensually to its colors and tones." Newly designed and typeset in a modern 6-by-9-inch format by Waking Lion Press.

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Of human bondage
W. Somerset Maugham
Manufacturer: G. H. Doran
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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