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.

Average customer rating:

BOOK REVIEW: THE SAVING LIFE OF CHRIST
Thank you Grandpa!
Experience Victory Thorugh Christ!
Inspirational
Christ Can Live Through Us

The Saving Life of Christ
Major W. Ian Thomas
Manufacturer: Zondervan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0310332621

Book Description

This book, with deep reverence for its subject, takes readers along on a journey of consideration to discover the deeper meanings of the Christian life.

Customer Reviews:

BOOK REVIEW: THE SAVING LIFE OF CHRIST .......2007-04-21

Major W. Ian Thomas' book The Saving Life of Christ contains a wealth of insight for living a victorious Christian life. Thomas is right on target with the doctrine of justification, but he is weak in the area of sanctification. He seems to hold a passive view of a Christian's faith as he states, "I sit back in the rest of faith." This is contrary to the teachings of 1 Cor 15.58, Phil 2.12, and Jas 2.14-26. Furthermore, Thomas holds to the concept of a carnal Christian. He states, "If you are a carnal Christian, it means that you have been redeemed by faith ... but you live ... under the subtle influence of a defeated foe, the flesh."p.37. This theory contradicts the teaching of Rom 8.1-9. A Christian does carnal things (1 John 1.8, 10), but the bondage to a carnal way of life has been broken by God's power (1 John 3.9).

Although Thomas gets a lot of mileage out of the false doctrine of the carnal Christian, he offers practical theology relating to the Christian life. Thomas also sites a few well-developed concepts from Biblical characters, including King Saul, Moses, Jacob, and Esau. Although Jacob was a scoundrel, God worked in his life and, in time, transformed him into Israel, the prince of God.These edifying examples make this book well worth reading, but because the other theology noted in the book I can only give it 3 stars.

Thank you Grandpa!.......2005-03-22

I have been a Christian for a long time, and grew up in a great Christian home...the authors home to be precise. I was taught many of the principles from the Saving Life Of Christ from a very young age, but to be honest they didn't always sink in. Through high school I went through a very rebelious stage as so many ministry kids do and wasted a lot of time and opportunity to allow Christ to live through me. In fact I became so tired of always feeling like I needed to impress Christians or those around me that I wanted to give up. It wasn't until after high school that I figured it out...that it was never about me in the first place. I needed to just let go and allow God to be God in my life through Christ. It never really connected until I picked up Grandpa's book(very reluctantly I might add) and allowed myself know Christ as he desires to be known...in full dependence. I think this book is a great resource in helping us understand who Jesus came to be for us and the life that He longs to live through us. I also appreciate it because it does not rely on insirational dialogue as the motivating factor for someone to respond but rather on the word of God. It is not just for the spiritually mature but for anyone who desires to know Christ in a more powerful way. I am in no way the cookie cutter Christian...in fact I run a skateboard outreach for youth, and have used it in my Bible studies with kids who hardly have any concept of obeying the law let alone the Savior. I highly recommend it and am grateful that the Lord has used grandpa to reach so many people through The Saving Life Of Christ!

In His Strength,

Ben Thomas
~Pastor of Skatechurch~
Portland, OR
www.skatechurch.net

Experience Victory Thorugh Christ!.......2003-10-07

Thomas' wonderful title is an excellent encouragement to live a life of victory instead of defeat.

Among the important points Thomas covers include:

1. Having a new life in Christ saves us from the futility of self-effort.
2. To be a true disciple, we must realize our own bankruptcy.
3. We are called to commit to Christ, not a cause.
4. What is not of faith is sin.
5. Do not panic and let God be God!
6. The sufficiency of Christ.
7. Remember the sin of Moses that kept him out of the Promised Land.
8. God does not intend to satisfy us in the wilderness.

Read and be encouraged to stop trying to live life in your own strength and instead let Christ's life flow through you!

Inspirational.......2001-10-15

Thomas has a unique view of how Christ will live in us if we only give Him an invitation. If we do this without reservation, Christ will then take over our lives while we are allowed to go on vacation. Anytime I read a book by Thomas, I invariably feel inspired.

Christ Can Live Through Us.......2001-08-20

The main theme of this book is that Christ can live through us. After we commit to Christ we receive the Holy Spirit and are reborn. Christ will then live in us if we offer Him child-like acceptance.

Like the Jews who longed for Egypt while travelling in the wilderness, there are carnal Christians who still live in the flesh even though they have been redeemed by faith in Christ. Without the fullness of Christ in us we cannot celebrate completely.

Thomas makes his case with readable prose and his arguments are backed up by original thinking.

Book Description

First published by Odyssey Press in 1957, this classic edition provides Milton's poetry and major prose works, richly annotated, in a sturdy and affordable clothbound volume.

Customer Reviews:

A COLLEGE TEXT I"D BUY AGAIN.......2003-12-11

Coming from someone who was so frugal that my choice of major in college was influenced by the fact I could find most required reading for a dual degree in philosophy and English literature in the library rather than pay my hard earned money for books that were not worthy.... this is my strongest possible recommendation: This was one of the few texts I actually shelled out money for in college without regret and would even purchase AGAIN! ( My copy was destoryed by Hurricane Isabel) I have fond memories of studying Milton, and when he seemed at his most confusing the notes in this text were wonderfully clear.

This is the best edition.......2000-08-14

Others have suggested the Norton is the edition for college students. I disagree. The Hughes edition is definitely worth the money. The notes are the best -- in reading criticism on Milton, there's usually plenty of references to Mr. Hughes's notations themselves. This is the standard, accepted text. This is the complete poems, with his Latin and Italian poetry appearing ajacent to an English translation. There's a generous selection of Milton's prose, too.

Spend the wad and buy the book. If you're reading this, then you're a bibliophile, no doubt. For the rest of your life wouldn't you prefer to have the best edition of Milton on your shelf, or will you be satisified with a $9 Signet Classic? (I tossed mine.)

Check out the Dore Illustrations for PL, too.

BTW, after reading Areopagitica, I believe that everything Jeffereson said was a debt to Milton.

The Text to Own.......2000-07-23

This is still the most extensive, best-annotated, one-volume Milton set available. As the blurb above indicates, Hughes presents all the poems and prose in chronological sequence, so it is easy to trace the great poet's increasing facility, and later mastery, in both areas. We start with Milton, the fifteen-year-old student, translating Psalms from the Hebrew as well as passages from the love poems of Ovid and Properius. We then follow him to Cambridge, where he really starts assimilating all his classical studies, first fashioning imitative Latin elegies followed by his first poems of native genius, "On the Morning of Christ's Nativity," "On Shakespeare," "L'Allegro and Il Penseroso."

Hughe's edition is invaluable as a tool for students, scholars, or general readers. The notes never get in the way of the text, but will lead the reader to relevant sources should he/she desire to learn more about a given allusion or want more background. If the reader is patient, and actually reads all the material that comes before "Paradise Lost", he/she will be rewarded with a richer understanding of Milton's magnum opus. Please be advised that if you have made it that far, don't stop there. "Paradise Regained" and "Sampson Agonistes" are powerful examples of epic poetry as well. I personally feel that "Paradise Regained" has had almost as large an impact on modern fiction in particular (Dostoevsky and Flaubert are prime examples)as has "Paradise Lost."

Blake said that Milton was of Satan's party without knowing it. Actually Milton's prose does open up some interesting possibilities in that sphere. In "Areopagitica" he advocates for the necessity of evil. He was, as history has amply recorded, hardly a defender of central authority. He was emphatic about individual liberty and wouldn't be dictated to by Pope or King.

There are several short early biographies of the poet at the end of the book. All paint a portrait of an idiosyncratic genius who suffered numerous setbacks both physical and political, particularly in his last decades. He was an extraordinarily brave man, who has taken some heat from Virginia Woolf and later feminists for his "ill use" of his daughters, who, the line goes, he kept in ignorance and near slavery so that they could aid him as ameneunses after he went blind. If such detractors had actually done any wide reading on the subject (Shawcrosse is an excellent source) they would not have made such charges. Though not what could be described as a "loving father," Milton certainly never inveighed against his daughters to remain "indentured" to him, nor did he subvert any marriage plans they arranged (none were forced into "arranged marriages" either, though the practice was still common in that era). He didn't tutor them in the Languages he asked them to transcribe, per se. But this begs the question, if they were'nt taught Latin, Greek and Hebrew, how would they have been able to act as scribes in those languages in the first place?

Book Description

This authoritative edition was originally published in the acclaimed Oxford Authors series under the general editorship of Frank Kermode. It brings together all Hopkins's poetry and a generous selection of his prose writings to give the essence of his work and thinking. Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-89) was one of the most innovative of nineteenth-century poets. During his tragically short life he strove to reconcile his religious and artistic vocations, and this edition demonstrates the range of his interests. It includes all his poetry, from best-known works such as 'The Wreck of the Deutschland' and ''The Windhover' to translations, foreign language poems, plays, and verse fragments, and the recently discovered poem 'Consule Jones'. In addition there are excerpts from Hopkins's journals, letters, and spiritual writings. The poems are printed in chronological order to show Hopkins's changing preoccupations, and all the texts have been established from original manuscripts.

Customer Reviews:

A Handy Hopkins.......2006-11-10

The only other edition of Hopkins I had was falling apart. Oxford's edition, at this point, seems sturdy. The introduction was interesting without being tedious. The notes are good. The paper was thick enough to prevent type shadows from the opposite page. I can't remember feeling the pinch when I paid for it. There is not much to rave about except the sturdy edition of the poems of Hopkins, and all literate people should have a copy on his or her bookshelf.

Ah! Bright Wings.......2006-08-15

A great many people would like to read poetry, even recite some, but don't know where to start. Start here. Why? Hopkins is both easy to read and a unique voice. His "sprung rythm" results in a beat running all through the poem that has something in common with rock music and something else in common with beat poetry and something in common with rap. In short, it's poetry to be read out loud, exulting in the words and the wordplay.

Hopkins is too good to be hidden away in dusty tomes for English majors to drag out once in their careers. One of the early editors of the Oxford collection was Charles Williams, a fellow Inkling and friend of C.S. Lewis. His goal was to make Hopkins available to more readers, and later editors seem to have echoed this goal.

Almost everyone who reads him gets captivated by a favorite poem. Mine is "God's Grandeur", which begins: "The world is charged with the grandeur of God; it will fan out like shining from shook foil." I don't think "fan" is the right word here; I don't have the book handy and I'm reciting from memory. But that's my point; these are poems that bring back the joy of quoting a few lines here and there. Another great poem is "The Kingfisher". Then there is "The Binsey Poplars".

Another reason to dip into Hopkins is that he is so post-modern. He wrestled with the dark night of the soul, the topic of practically all contemporary alt-rock. His own journey led him to join a monastery and give up writing poetry, after which he was deeply sad. Wisely, his insightful director allowed and encouraged him to return to his calling, which in following he produced these amazing poems. This Oxford opens the door to what for many will be a new and delightful world, and if anyone can re-enchant poetry for our generation, it's Hopkins.

A poetic rhapsody that gathers all the religious joys and torments of Gerard Manley Hopkins........2006-06-15

The poet-priest Gerard Manly Hopkins was imbued with the gift of natural poetic expression, and the tragedy of his life was that he saw it as something other than the God-given gift that it truly was. But due to almost fanatic scrupulousness, he relegated his work to the camp of literary narcissism, that-if read by a public at large-it would in no way, shape or form, enhance or open their perception to the engulfing gloriousness of faith and God and the Church. Hopkins, who struggled to curtail his output due to a clash of conscience, wanted to use his poetry as a catalyst for conversions. But even in the epicenter of creativity when his greatest works were produced, he was always disheartened with an inner turmoil that gnawed at him and made him feel that his poetry was not in line with his religious calling. But atop that and probably more dispiriting was his heavy walk to conversion into the Catholic Church-which unmasked an intense yearning for a more esoteric depth and its personal aftereffects-most notibly, his evolving solemnity which distanced him from his friends and family, ultimately leaving his mother to pen him a letter of protest regarding his conversion whereby she wrote, 'Gerard, my darling boy, are you indeed gone from me?'

St. John of the Cross wrote the Dark Night of the Soul, and after reading various poems-a reader will definitely concur that Manley privately lived that experience to its fullest, most evident in his poem 'No Worst' when he writes in the first four stanzas:

No worst, there is none. Pitched past pitch of grief,
More pangs will, schooled at forepangs, wilder wring.
Comforter, where, where is your comforting?
Mary, mother of us, where is your relief?

A true expression of the dark night. The palpability of the soul being redone is so genuinely conveyed, one can almost feel the mental wounds that are in exact conformity with Christ Jesus who was crucified before us. But with Manley's poetry, it is not all doom and gloom, for there are expressions of intense natural beauty and sincere love of the Divine, as noted with 'Love me as I love thee':

Love me as I love thee. O double sweet!
But if though hate me who love thee, albeit
Even thus I have the better of thee:
Thou canst not hate so much as I do love thee.

The potry of Gerard Manley Hopkins is evocative of so many emotions: faith (Easter Communion), God (Thee, God, I come from), Mary (The Blessed Virgin compared to the Air we Breathe), God through nature (Heaven-Haven: A nun takes the veil), the saints (St Thecla), death (O Death, Death). Each of the bracketed poems is indicative of a truth about us as a people and what we are striving and hoping for, with all our flaws, stains and imperfections. Poetry can speak volumes, and Hopkins illustrates the good as well as the bad of the Church. He airs it out, and by so doing, allows an element of reality to come through for the rest of us.

good selection.......2005-10-12

This is a good, generous selection of Hopkins poetry and letters. I picked it up because I am intrigued by Hopkins innovations in poetry, and by the influence of his religous vocation. I wanted to compare him to Donne and other similar poets.

A big volume for the money, it starts with a good introduction. The only reason to downgrade it from a five-star value is that it is a paperback printed on what feels like a pulpy paper, and I wonder how the pages will withstand yellowing and how the binding will hold up if the book sees much use.

Wonderful Collection of His Poetry.......2002-10-18

Oxford University Press has done it again! This book is an absolutely wonderful compilation of Gerard Manley Hopkins' poetry, letters, and prose. With all of his poems (including fragments of poems), as well as letters and spiritual writings related to his conversion and his joining of the Jesuit order, this book not only gives the reader a wonderful selection of his work, but also an interesting insight into the life of Fr. Gerard Manley Hopkins. I would recommend this master of sprung verse to all.

Associated Press Guide to Photojournalism (Associated Press Handbooks)

Average customer rating:

Way too basic
"A Good Primer on Photojournalism (PJ)"
Decent Overview, Good for Motivational Purposes
Useless and boring...
Nice introduction book

Associated Press Guide to Photojournalism (Associated Press Handbooks)
Brian Horton
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0071363874

Book Description

Written by noted AP photographer and photoeditor Brian Horton, this is an insider’s manual to one of the most glamorous and exciting media professions. Emphasizing the creative process behind the photojournalist’s art, Brian Horton draws upon his three decades of experience, as well as the experiences of other award-winning photojournalists, to instruct readers in the secrets of snapping memorable news photos every time. With the help of more than 100 photographs from the AP archives, he analyzes what constitutes successful news photos of every type, including portraits, tableaux, sports shots, battlefield scenes, and more, as well as offering tips on how to develop a style of your own.

Customer Reviews:

Way too basic.......2006-08-15

If you are extreamly new at photography or maybe working for a high-school newspaper, this book would work well.

For anyone that is serious about hard-core photojournalism, like the professionals the book highlights, I do not recomend it.

I was looking for a book on some on ways to break into some of the big names. I just assumed that since it was an AP book.

"A Good Primer on Photojournalism (PJ)".......2006-07-17

"Associated Press Guide to Photojournalism", Brian Horton, McGraw-Hill NY, 2nd. ed. 2001, ISBN 0-07-136387-4, SC 223 pgs.

Sports photo editor at A-P since 1971, Horton has many credits including 2 books on news photography. This text explains PJ (picture story) - how a photographer "sees the story" is a skill requiring experience, insight, anticipation, inventiveness, & a passion. Often "breaking stories" are heavily covered & many photos require sensitivity, rapport, knowledge of equipment so to acquire a style using composition, cropping & those angles to communicate photo stories of news, emotions, life experiences, etc.

Horton quotes an A-P policy adopted in 1990 indicating "the content of a photograph will never be changed or manipulated in any way". Horton then goes on to recite of some widely published photos with recognized manipulations & public outcries leading to general distrust of media by the populace (& rightly so!). Indeed, even cropping can be viewed as manipulation, the latter generally a product of Madison Avenue influences that shouldn't reflect PJ integrity (need for well insulated photo editors).

Relying on "photo setups" can numb public's perceptions & lessen reality. Telephoto lenses as 80-200 zoom provides close-ups without intrusion despite an onerous sanctifying of 24 mm wide-angle to fill the frame by getting into the subject's face & personal space. Author interviews 8 pros on their perspectives & experiences in PJ & then concludes with a short summary of some changes in photography over the past half-century, namely the gradual switch from 4"x5" to 2 1/4" to 35 mm to color & now electronic (digital) imaging.

As a former newspaper photographer I'd been taught a good PJ shot did not require a title. I found Horton's book exacting, full of exciting photos, many good "how to" tips, and how PJ news photography has evolved into specialized art forms for optimum coverage of war, natural disaster, politics, crime, disease & subspecialities of certain sports as basketball, football, Olympics, Indy 500, etc. It is a pleasant, informative read, not overtly technical & fairly priced.

Decent Overview, Good for Motivational Purposes.......2006-01-11

I bought this book in hopes to satisfy my curiosity about photojournalism. I would say this book did a pretty good job of doing that. Although it doesn't address any real specifics of photojournalism, it does deliver a lot of the basic principles and general knowledge.
For what it was worth, I found this book to be an excellent read, with plenty of insights that would be valuable to any photographer, written with a very simplistic approach. I can see how ideas presented in this book could be applied to other areas of photography and not be limited to the field of photojournalism.
If you're novice photographer and looking for a technical, how-to, reference book, this is not the book for you. If you a photographer of any level, and you want to broaden your general knowledge of photojournalism, then this book would be a fine addition to your library. Also, I feel that this book could be used as a warm-up read prior to diving into the more advanced, technical books available on the topic.

Useless and boring..........2005-10-15

I am very sorry but I found this book to be totally useless and boring. I was sorry to spend money for it. There is no real insight into the world of photojournalism out of my point of view.
I'd rather suggest reading Howard Chapnicks book "Truth Needs No Ally: Inside Photojournalism" or Ken Lights "Witness in Our Time: Working Lives of Documentary Photographers". Both excellent books, worth the money and very interesting.

Nice introduction book.......2002-09-13

I bought this book since I want to become a photojournalist.
I am a photographer who has graduated a photo school few months ago. this book isn't for beginners, The little technical data may be misleading if read by a novice. Instead, it deals with content and the thinking and working process of photographers in this field. I find it as a nice introduction to the world of photojournalism,though a little "too good to be true" kind of book. The book definitely doesn't deal with the problems, the deadlines, the failures and the risks. This is like a postcard, where everything is perfect. There is a good side though, it is easily read, and very interesting. You want a more serious book, look some place else...
If you have the spare bucks though, don't hasitate and buy it!!!

The Great 19th Century Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball

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Unique book on an underappreciated topic
Complete 19th century baseball information
simply outstanding
A Historical Fans Bible
Triple-Crown job

The Great 19th Century Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball
David Nemec
Manufacturer: Dutton Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1556115008

Amazon.com

For the true baseball fan, the past is never just the past; it's always prologue. This comprehensive and engaging volume performs a valiant CPR on professional baseball's infancy and early childhood, returning the Dark Ages from 1871-1900 to vivid life. Unlike most sports encyclopedias, it goes way beyond statistics, though there are, of course, pages of those. It's the prose that truly covers the bases here. Meticulously researched, with a grandstand full of enlightening anecdotes, its clear history brings the distant past into the present by showing how closely related--and far afield--the era of Anson and Spalding and Keeler is to that of Griffey and Maddux and Gwynn.

Customer Reviews:

Unique book on an underappreciated topic.......2003-05-06

For some reason, 1900/1901 seems to be a magical boundary for baseball history books. There are two possible reasons for this. First, 1900 or 1901 (depending on how you look at it) marked the beginning of the twentieth century, and, in the eyes of many, the "modern era" of baseball. Second, 1900 was the inagural season of the American League, the renamed incarnation of Ban Johnson's Western League. In 1901, the American League elevated itself to major-league status, initiating the two-league format that exists to this day.

While those are certainly convenient benchmarks, they arbitrarily overlook what came before as somehow "irrelevant" or not "modern". David Nemec's book proves that baseball is a story of gradual evolution, rather than an overnight coming of age. It can be argued that modern baseball began in 1871, the year that the first professional baseball (or Base Ball) league began play. The National Association of Base Ball Players officially recognized baseball as a business -- even if the Supreme Court still refuses to do so. Players were openly paid to play what many had argued was an amateur sport of gentlemen, clubs, exercise, and grand feasts. The NA had its share of problems -- gambling, contract-jumping, rowdiness, and organizational chaos. Teams came and went -- Philadelphia had three separate teams in 1875. One team, the Boston Red Stockings, was dominant in a field of teams with questionable talent. All a team needed to do was pay a $10 fee and they were in the association. Hence teams from Chicago and Boston were forced to play squads from Middletown (Connecticut), Fort Wayne (Indiana) and Keokuk (Iowa).

The National League of 1876 changed all of that. Unlike its predecessor, it centered around teams, not players. It instituted reforms such as the hated reserve clause and territorial rights and market threshholds. Gambling was not tolerated. Nor were Sunday games or beer at the park.

Baseball evolved over the following decades into the "modern" game that historians pick up from 1900. Batters were no longer out if their hits were caught after one bounce. Three strikes -- not four -- resulted in an out, while four balls -- instead of nine -- lead to a walk. Home plate became five-sided, and the pitcher's box was replaced by the familiar mound. This compensated for the move of the pitcher from 45 to 60 feet, 6 inches from the plate.

Nineteenth-century baseball also had its share of heros and characters. Cap Anson, who became the first player to amass 3,000 hits, was the primary figure behind the drawing of the racial color line to haunt the game for decades. Other greats included Dan Brouthers, Cal McVey, "King" Kelly, Wilbert Robinson, and so on.

Nemec's book captures the development of the game quite well through his season-by-season accounts from 1871 to 1900, showing the evolution of the rules of the game and the major events of each season. The book is liberally peppered with rare team and player photographs. Most importantly, the book is a virtual clearinghouse of statistics for nineteeth-century players.

Now for a few criticisms. While Nemec's style is chatty, with plenty of sidebars detailing unusual characters and trivia about nineteeth-century episodes, the text clearly reflects Nemec's passion for statistics. Some episodes revolve around debates over batting averages or pitching numbers that occured over a century after the fact. Nemec focuses on his personal disputes with accepted statistics, which is fine to a point, but he gets carried away with his "findings".

Also, while he spends a good deal of time on the changing nature of the rules of the game from year to year -- which is quite eye-opening -- he spends little time on some of the other, more subtle changes off the record books that were equally important. No mention is made of the development of modern equipment, such as masks or gloves, or how this affected the game or led to the changing of the rules. No discussions involved the way in which ballparks evolved, how baseball coverage changed, or how baseball became a truly modern business with expanding numbers and types of fans.

Having said all this, this is the most comprehensive and systematic treatment of nineteenth-century baseball yet compiled. If nothing else, this book's significance may lie in forging the path for other books to follow and expand upon its scope.

Complete 19th century baseball information.......2001-11-24

A teriffic account of the begining of professional base ball. Every season from 1871 - 1900 is reviewed accompanied by numerous photographs. A pitchers and players index for all 19th century ball players is included and an all-time records section is also compiled.
A very thorough work on 19th century base ball.

simply outstanding.......2000-05-30

A true treasure house of information regarding an era that has been overlooked for WAY too long------my congrats to Mr. Nemec

A Historical Fans Bible.......2000-04-04

A tremendous work on the games beginings. This book containsnumerous photos of 19th century baseball which brings the game alive.Every season is reviewed with complete statistics of team standings and players. There are many side articles on individual players, teams and accomplishments. The rules of play for each year are updated and there is a player and pitcher register for all who played.

A historical and statistical must! END

Triple-Crown job.......1999-09-04

The season stories and sidebars are all excellent. So are the photos. This isn't really a criticism, but I do wish the season stats for each player had been a bit fuller. I'd be glad to take a smaller type size if it meant getting in stats like batter strikeouts, sacrifice hits, etc. The same with the career stats. I like the way the author sorts the players according to the most prominent positions they played, but it would help not to have to look up stats like doubles and triples in other encyclopedias. This isn't really a big deal, just a suggestion if the author ever does a new edition of this wonderful book.

The New Lifetime Reading Plan: The Classical Guide to World Literature, Revised and Expanded

Average customer rating:

Fadiman Has Caved
Best of the "Best"
Ramblings of an English major...
If You Were "Sick" That Day, Then Get This Book
Get Edumacated

The New Lifetime Reading Plan: The Classical Guide to World Literature, Revised and Expanded
Clifton Fadiman , and John S. Major
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0062720732

Amazon.com

In print for almost 40 years, The Lifetime Reading Plan has long been a worthy addition to any serious reader's bookshelf, providing entertaining and informative introductions to the great works of Western civilization. Now, this "classic about classics" has been updated to reflect more diverse traditions. The New Lifetime Reading Plan recommends great literature from around the globe, including writers and works from Confucius to Chinua Achebe, Gabriel García Márquez to the Koran. Also new is an appendix profiling books by 100 important 20th-century authors--or "temporary classics," as coauthor John S. Major calls them.

Readers may argue with some of the selections (or, more likely, the omissions). Others may quarrel with the editors' opinions; they routinely analyze artists' "characters,"with occasionally prissy or patronizing results. (Of Walt Whitman, for instance, coauthor Clifton Fadiman declares that "He had an original temperament, a certain peasant shrewdness, but only a moderate amount of brains.") But no one can argue with the book's mission: promoting the classics as "life companions." "Once part of you, they work in and on and with you until you die," Fadiman writes in the introduction. Anyone seeking a guide to the vast riches of world literature need look no further than the The New Lifetime Reading Plan; it provides a gateway to the greatest achievements of the human mind.

Book Description

Now in print for the first time in almost 40 years, The New Lifetime Reading Plan provides readers with brief, informative and entertaining introductions to more than 130 classics of world literature. From Homer to Hawthorne, Plato to Pascal, and Shakespeare to Solzhenitsyn, the great writers of Western civilization can be found in its pages. In addition, this new edition offers a much broader representation of women authors, such as Charlotte Bront%, Emily Dickinson and Edith Wharton, as well as non-Western writers such as Confucius, Sun-Tzu, Chinua Achebe, Mishima Yukio and many others.

This fourth edition also features a simpler format that arranges the works chronologically in five sections (The Ancient World; 300-1600; 1600-1800; and The 20th Century), making them easier to look up than ever before. It deserves a place in the libraries of all lovers of literature.

Customer Reviews:

Fadiman Has Caved.......2007-08-08

Even Clifton Fadiman has caved, to the hippies, the yuppies, the politically correct, the Eastern mystics. It is beyond comprehension that a once-tenacious guardian of the gates has sold out. Make no mistake, the heavy-handed liberals hold sway over the contemporary lit scene, and they are not ever going to let go. The great tragedy of it, and what mainstream America doesn't understand (having, in their lust for money and material things, so willingly ceded the cultural and spiritual high ground to the leftists) is that we have given over our most precious birthright to those who neither understand nor value it at all.

Best of the "Best".......2007-04-27

I have the "Old" Lifetime Reading Plan (circa 1960), Hemingway and Faulkner are listed under " Some Contemporaries" in mine, and I will NEVER part with it. The older volume is one of the most well rounded reading lists one can find, this one is BETTER. In this case, Revised and Expanded DOES NOT imply Dummed Down and Politicaly Corrected. This new list is one-third longer than my edition and each new entry has merit equal to what has come before. We can debate the merits of the selections themselves ad-nauseum, but The Plan itself is beyond reproach.

Ramblings of an English major..........2007-04-02

I purchased this book during my senior year in high school (2003-2004). Being a voracious read since my youth, I was always trying to find lists of "great" books to read. I would peruse Amazon, Google, and whatever else in an attempt to find good advice on what to read. That fateful day, I stumbled across this book while browsing Amazon. It doesn't take a literary genius to know to read the Iliad and the Odyssey, but I would never have stumbled across Voltaire, Sophocles, Marcus Aurelius, Huxley, or Dante while in high school were it not for this book. It was invaluable to my reading until I could get to college and be guided by intelligent English professors. I plan to use this book to continue my literary education when I graduate this May. Furthermore, the book itself is very well written. Fadiman and Major are excellent writers who are informative and amusing. The information they give on each of the authors and their works is excellent. The reason I am writing this review is that I saw The New Lifetime Reading Plan sitting on my desk in my dorm room; I honestly love it. I have used it as a reference for when I stumble across a literary name I do not know, and I occasionally browse through it for sheer enjoyment. I imagine that when I'm old and gray, this book will still be sitting on my desk: guiding, directing, and amusing.

If You Were "Sick" That Day, Then Get This Book.......2007-03-12

I was "sick that day" in high school when we covered great books. I was the kid that spent more time skateboarding, t.v. watching, class-clowning, and playing hookie, then I did reading or paying attention. The ol' "You are only cheating yourself" I found out is true. I missed out on great stories and storytellers that can put a needle point on the human condition. It wasn't until after college that I thought learning, especially reading great fiction, was important. Now that I have a little bit of perspective and understand why we love stories and why there are books that last generations and centuries I want to get into them. These stories tap into that aspect of our humanity that is "universal".

If you were like me - "sick that day" they read Twain, Steinbeck, Homer, Augustine, Machiavelli, and on and on - then you want to pick up this book to help steer you in the right direction for a life time of reading. Since I am a neophyte to literature I am sure other reviewers can say, "He left that book off" or "He should not have included that book." I cannot do that, but I can appreciate the very easy to read and helpful resource that is at my fingertips. Fadiman and Major, aside from a few obscurities, point out books that we should all be familiar with and that I believe are regularly referenced in the broader culture. They are books that tell stories that have influenced the story of western civilization. We are who we are in part because of these books. For that reason, I am appreciative of a work that helps me understand what books are important to read and why.

Is there a better source? Maybe. But if you are looking to whet your appetite and looking to get your feet wet in great literature, then you cannot go wrong by beginning here.

Get Edumacated.......2006-08-29

Not to put too fine a point on it, anyone requiring a reading guide has not profited from their education. Where is the joy of discovery on a paved path? (BTW, I still hate Tristram Shandy.)

Great Thinkers of the Western World: The Major Ideas and Classic Works of More Than 100 Outstanding Western Philosophers, Physical and Social Scientists, Psychologists, Religious Writers and Theologians

Average customer rating:

great thinkers but the book seems to have a religious agenda
Great Thinkers...Great Minds...Great Book
a 400 lb. bench press for the mind....
For the coffee table only
awesome!

Great Thinkers of the Western World: The Major Ideas and Classic Works of More Than 100 Outstanding Western Philosophers, Physical and Social Scientists, Psychologists, Religious Writers and Theologians

Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 006270026X

Book Description

Great Thinkers of the Western World is a concise and authoritative guide to the principal theoretical ideas of the outstanding thinkers in Western history. From Parmenides to Albert Camus, theses men and women have profoundly influenced the development of Western civilization through their theories and revolutionary ideas and by providing intellectual, scientific or spiritual illumination.

Articles on 116 thinkers are arranged chronologically, making it essay for readers to follow and appreciate the development of ideas from the early Greeks through the first half of the twentieth century. Each article provides basic biographical information, a list of the thinker's major works, a summary of his or her principal ideas, an essay explaining the thinker's most significant theories and indicating his or her place in the history of thought and a brief bibliography of further readings.

An absorbing, accessible and highly informative introduction to the greatest minds of Western civilization, Great Thinkers of the Western World improves our understanding of Western thought and how it evolved.

Customer Reviews:

great thinkers but the book seems to have a religious agenda.......2005-04-04

This book might be worth $21, (used price), as the thinker's ideas presented in one place are surely great reference material.
Other book reviews here discuss the content and layout so I will only add a comment about the religious bias it seems to have because one wouldn't expect it since it is neither suggested by the title or mentioned anywhere. I feel like it has a hidden, dishonest agenda of making it look as though the great thinkers thought more highly of religion than they really did.

For example in discussing David Hume, it reads "the charge that he was an atheist seems a gross oversimplification of the quite complex and sophisticated views he held" Well I'm no expert on Hume but he was the ultimate skeptic who neither believed in miracles or God. So while the book admits that his comtemporaries call him an atheist-- but discounts that he was, which I guess also implies that other scholars are simpletons.
It concludes by saying, "one might say that Hume could well have been speaking for himself when at the end of the Dialogues he puts the following words in Philo's mouth:'...The cause or causes of order in the universe probably bear some remote analogy to human intelligence....". But if you look up that quote, they left off the front of it which clearly indicates that Philo doesn't agree with that statement. The sentence starts "If the whole of natural theology, as some people seem to maintain, resolves itself into one simple, though somewhat ambiguous, at least undefined proposition, that the cause... "So he's not saying what the anthology says he is. You can read the Dialogues at http://www.philosophyofreligion.info/dcnr12.html, and decide for yourself how you think Hume felt about religion, but this quote seems telling when philo says "It is certain, from experience, that the smallest grain of natural honesty and benevolence has more effect on men's conduct, than the most pompous views suggested by theological theories and systems." Or this direct Hume quote, "The christian religion not only was at first attended with miracles, but even at this day cannot be believed by any reasonable person without one"(ie. a miracle)" Neither of these quotes make it in the book.

There are many other examples, but I have limited space here. The review of Nietzsche, famous for saying God is dead,seems to put forth a much lower opinion of him than others I have read. So i.e., if they can't discount your atheism--they can always discount your greatness instead? When reading about several thinkers I felt it was unappropriate that they got into a lengthy discussion about their religious views, and each time I also felt a "spin". If a book isn't honest, what is it really worth?

Great Thinkers...Great Minds...Great Book.......2004-04-30

+++++

This book, edited by philosophy professor Dr. Ian McGreal, has articles on almost 120 outstanding thinkers in Western history. These thinkers, arranged chronologically from past to present, include those who were involved in one of the following six fields: (1) philosophy (2) physical science (3) social science (4) psychology (5) religious writing (6) theology. This book begins with a great thinker who lived circa (515 BC to 450 BC) and ends with one who lived from (1913 to 1960).

This book can be thought of as a guide or, for some, an introduction to the works and ideas of some of the most creative and influential thinkers of the Western world. It "cannot make everyone an expert in any of the fields the book covers, but it can...provide a foothold on...the illuminating theories and perspectives that have shaped the modern mind and left their traces in the history of human accomplishments."

How were these great thinkers chosen? The editor explains: "We have tried to include the most original, creative, and influential thinkers...but we have also recognized the importance of representing the diversity of significant Western thought, even though the result may be that some thinkers that deserve to be regarded as great have been left out, while others that might not be universally regarded as 'great' have been included."

At the beginning of the book, there is a list of more than thirty distinguished professors and academics who contributed articles.

At the end of the book, there is a "Thinker Index" that lists the names of these great thinkers in alphabetical order.

The articles for each thinker all have the same standard format consisting of seven parts:

(1) The person's name.
(2) Birth date.
(3) Death date.
(4) A list of the person's major works.
(5) A summary of the person's major ideas.
(6) An essay of four to five pages explaining the thinker's most significant theories and indicating his/her place in the history of thought. These essays are scholarly, lively, perceptive, and a fast read.
(7) A brief biography of further reading if more detailed information is required.

Even though this book is over five hundred pages, it's possible to get through it in three to four sittings. What I did was read the summary of major ideas for each thinker. I noted the names of each thinker whose ideas intrigued me. Then I read the corresponding essay of each of these noted thinkers.

This book is also a good reference when you need information fast.

The only problem I had with this book is that there is no indication either in the Table of Contents or in the Thinker Index of what each thinker's field is. For example, a name indicated is "Isaac Newton". Most people know he was a physical scientist. But how about a name like "Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo?" What field was he in? All we know was that he was in one of the six fields indicated above.

Thus, each name listed should have beside it the thinker's field of influence. Therefore, you might have "Isaac Newton (physical scientist)" or "Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo (philosopher)".

Finally, there is a sister book to this one entitled "Great Thinkers of the Eastern World" (1995) also edited by McGreal.

In conclusion, this is an informative book that gives readers pertinent information about influential people of the Western world. If you want to know the story behind these great thinkers, then this is your definitive guide!!

+++++

a 400 lb. bench press for the mind...........2001-09-26

A wide ranging romp through the minds of the philosophers, theologians, physicists, and mathematicians that make up much of Western Thought.

The lives, motivations, major works and ideas of Plato, Martin Luther, Voltaire, Adam Smith, Thomas Paine, Charles Darwin, and over one-hundred more big-brained sorts are covered by 35 equally brainy scholars, in short chapters, averaging about 5 pages apiece; most of the writing here is quite readable, but some were, at least for me, like wading through sludge.

Suggested reading is provided for those who wish to furter their studies of the intellectually-abundant.

For the coffee table only.......2000-10-03

This book was fair but not the type of book you can't put down. The problem is that too many individuals are covered and in too little detail. It reads like a dictionary.

awesome!.......2000-03-09

I took a class based on this book and it was the most influencial class I ever took. This book gives a short overview of 116 philosophers, scientists, and authors works, views and accomplishments. I truely believe the world would be a better place if everyone read this book.

Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide 6th Edition : The Complete, Easy-to-Use Reference on Recent Vintages, Prices, and Ratings for More Than 8,000 Wines from All the Major Wine Regions

Average customer rating:

A Brilliant Wine Buying Guide
Classic that requires a new Update
this book has an enormous amount of information
The maven of the globalization of taste
THIS LATEST EDITION TAKES WINE APPRECIATION TO ANOTHER LEVEL.

Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide 6th Edition : The Complete, Easy-to-Use Reference on Recent Vintages, Prices, and Ratings for More Than 8,000 Wines from All the Major Wine Regions
Robert M. Parker , and Pierre-Antoine Rovani
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Spirits | Drinks & Beverages | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0743229320
Release Date: 2002-10-01

Book Description

Thoroughly revised and updated, this sixth edition of the Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide has been eagerly awaited by seasoned collectors and occasional drinkers alike. No one wants to waste his or her precious dollars on an unenjoyable bottle, and with Parker's advice in hand, no one ever will. Employing his famous 100-point rating system, Parker rates more than 8,000 wines from all the major wine-producing regions in the world -- including newly expanded sections on the popular wines of California and Italy. Each wine producer is evaluated separately, and Parker's independence allows him to be completely honest in his opinions. In addition, the book includes other essential information, such as how to buy and store wine, how to spot a badly stored and abused bottle, and how to find the best wine values for under $10.

Customer Reviews:

A Brilliant Wine Buying Guide.......2007-08-09

This book is a wine buying guide, pure and simple, by one of the most highly recognized wine critics of our generation. Put the man aside whether or not you agree with his rating systems and the impact they have had on the price structure of wine. Instead, focus you attention on the purpose of the review, his book. 1635 pages in which he rates wines from the greatest producers on Earth over the past decade. His descriptions make you want to run right out and purchase a bottle to have with dinner. His rating scores are right on and there is no reason to doubt them. Very well done in 2002, this work is very much out of date today.
(Joseph Broski - Dionysian Society International)

Classic that requires a new Update.......2007-04-13

The reason the "sheep" (word used in negative rating postings) follow Parker's guidance, and the reason Robert Parker's are the only reviews that influence price fluctuations for Bordeaux, is that Robert Parker combines impeccable taste with a relentless dedication to objectivity. Parker's 100-point Wine rating system has been near-universally adopted. Parker was the first Wine critic to seriously denounce Filtration practices that destroy Wines for merchant/commercial utility (ability to ship without regard to horridly high temperatures) -- Many other tasters (shills?) throughout the 1970's and 1980's insisted that filtering had no impact, or even influence, on taste. This pre or non-Parker view is now universally rejected, to the great benefit of Red Wine consumers.

Criticisms that Parker spends too much time focusing on French wines (esp. Bordeaux) are true but largely miss-the-point. If you want a comprehensive guide to California Wineries, you should definitely look elsewhere. Specialty books abound on California Wines, especially here in the States, and to fault a Wine book containing 1,596 pages of Text for lack of comprehensiveness is near absurdity. Parker includes some "cult" California producers for, I think, obvious reasons: The "cult" offerings are far superior to overcropped, overpriced-even-at-$10-$12 California Wines that have saturated the US Market (does this really need to be stated?!). Parker ignores cheap, insipid California offerings just as he largely ignores cheap, insipid Italian Whites (again, note that I agree). You might just as well question why he doesn't rate jugs of Carlo Rossi. There's no conspiracy there.

It is certainly true that Parker prefers full, tannic, flavorful Red Bordeaux (and Bordeaux-like) Wines. He is a Bordeaux specialist who has received 2 knighthoods from the nation of France for his Bordeaux tasting ability: Can you blame Wine Producers for courting his taste, or Wine Consumers for buying his selections?? Still, I don't think his preference is as all-encompassing as some critics suggest: I am personally a huge fan of Rieslings, and I have very rarely disagreed with Parker's ratings of Alsace and German producers.

The biggest issue with this work is that it is getting out-of-date (though the superb quality of 2005 Bordeaux's may force Parker to pen a new version quickly). Also do take note if you do not have access to New York or California Wine stores you will only have access to most Parker-reviewed wines through online outlets.

Some specific viewpoints also beguile some consumers who take insufferable offense: Parker loves Champagne and largely disparages 'Sparkling Wines' (a view I happen to share), Parker likes/loves Gewurztraminer which is not a crowd-pleaser, Parker hates Italian Whites, and Parker prefers the finest Red Bordeaux over the finest Red Burgundies (note that co-author Rovani penned the Burgundy section).

For those interested in Value -- Best French values are generally found through trying Wines from Parker's noted producers in Alsace, Languedoc/Roussillon, the Loire valley and the Rhone appellations. Many of these Wines are under-appreciated and generally under-valued. Further, though Parker's sections on Spain, Australia and N.Z. are anything but comprehensive, his noted 'outstanding' and 'great' Producers are trustworthy for all but the worst vintages.

this book has an enormous amount of information.......2007-01-14

the reviewer who said Parker is a dictator who has greatly damaged or destroyed the wonderful diversity of wine in the market is right, but that is not a criticism of this book. it is a criticism of the market who try to cater to the lowest denominator.

parkers book contains a huge amount of useful information for the beginner, and even my connoisseur friends find it invaluable. When you go to a restaurant or store without information on a given wine, it helps greatly to have his opinion.

Sadly his opinion has begun to be the criterion for winemakers to try to meet. I personally like lower alcohol wines, and generally subtler wines than he favors and brags on. Thus his criticism and scores are a direct cause of my favorite wines disappearing from the marketplace.

I.e. Robert parker is both a useful source of education and a tremendously harmful influence in the world of wine. people increasingly buy what robert likes rather than what they themselves like. This is idiocy, but it is not his fault. This is a very good and useful book, but if you compare it to one of his older books, say from 1989, you will see that the older one was more candid and hence better.

I recommend this book, but do not read it as a bible, rather a well written and fairly comprehensive source of information. But make up your own mind, and remember that how your head feels the next day is also a relevant criterion for enjoying wine. I personally recommend Hugh Johnsons and michael Broadbents books as more reliable and honest.

This book is simultaneously most useful to beginners and most dangerous. It has a lot of information beginners need in the general discussion sections, but in the recommendations, it helps to know a bit about wine before listening to his imperious opinions about what is good and what isn't.

I personally think it ludicrous to even consider buying most of the highly rated cALIFORNIA WINES WHICH ARE to my palate, very overpriced high alcohol bombs, which can be bested easily with many many French wines costing at most 40-50 dollars.

E.g he gives scores above 90 to recent Silver Oak wines, costing $50-$120, but which I and most people I know consider very artificially flavored products in which one tastes mainly wood, and not grapes. If you are ignorant of wine, this is impressive at first, but eventually you begin to notice you are not tasting the wine.

I agree that 1985 Silver Oak was a fine wine, but 2001 for over $100? That should be a joke, but because of the influx of moneyed novices to the wine market it is not.

Compare a 1998 Chateau le Gay ($40+), Parker 89, to a 2001 Silver oak ($100+) and see if you identify with what I am saying. Those who think the more powerful a wine is, the better it is, will nonetheless disagree.

Or if you like like rich tastes and can find them, compare a 1997 Heights Bella Oaks ($65, Parker unrated), to a 1995 Chateau laTour ($300, Parker 96+).

I am just saying, learn from parker, but follow your own taste buds.

The maven of the globalization of taste.......2006-09-23

Robert Parker has over the course of 25 years almost single handedly ruined the diversity in the world of wines. His singular palate and numerical reviews are easy for the average person to understand, but cause all of the wines to be the same: Fruit forward, Big, Tannic and Simple. His career began as a democratic reviewer trying to break into a difficult world, and has morphed to a dictator ruling over a world comprised of thousands of similar and boring wines. I wrote an similar review for another Robert Parker Guide, as I truly feel that almost all of his wines are the same flavor profile. If you don't believe me, do an experiment. Try a highly rated California Cabernet Sauvignon and a Highly rated Bordeaux and try to pick out a difference!! Especially for wines produced with the help of Michel Rolland, who is friends with Parker and fashions wines catering to his palate in order to get good scores, which of course increases sales and sale prices.

However, I will say that I do not believe that the fault lies with Mr. Parker, but rather with the consumer that uses these scores as their only buying guide. He only writes what his palate tells him, and the sheep follow.

Watch a movie called "Monovino" by Jonathan Nossiter for more information.

THIS LATEST EDITION TAKES WINE APPRECIATION TO ANOTHER LEVEL........2005-11-22

TEN YEARS AGO I WAS PRIMARILY A CALIFORNIA CHARDONNAY AND CABERNET DRINKER, BUT THEN I DISCOVERED ROBERT PARKER, AND MY WINE WORLD OPENED UP TO SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF MARVELOUS WINES.
PARKER HAS MANY NOTABLE QUALITIES, AND ASIDE FROM HIS UNIMPEACHABLE INTEGRITY, AND STERLING WORK ETHIC, IS HIS TRUE LOVE OF SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF WINES FROM AROUND THE WORLD. BECAUSE OF HIM, I HAVE BECOME A REGULAR FAN OF TEMPRANILLOS FROM SPAIN, MALBECS FROM ARGENTINA, GRENACHES FROM SOUTHERN FRANCE, AND SOME AMAZING WINE VALUED FROM UNKONWN GRAPES IN SOUTHERN ITALY.

HIS NEWEST BOOK FOCUSES ON THE WORLD'S GREATEST WINES AND IT IS NOT ONLY BEAUTIFULLY PRODUCED BUT FLUSHES OUT SO MANY OF THE WIZARDS AND BRILLIANT MEN AND WOMEN BEHIND THE WINES, AND IN HIS VERY DEMOCRATIC WAY, GIVES RECOGNITION TO MANY PRODUCERS AND REGIONS IGNORED FOR DECADES, ESPECIALLLY THE GREAT CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPES THAT ARE MY FAVORITE WINES TODAY BECAUSE OF WHAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM PARKER.

I HAVE ALL OF PARKER'S BOOKS BUT THIS IS HIS FINEST WORK TO DATE, AND ONE I PREDICT WILL LEAVE ALL OF US WHO LOVE WINE AN IMPORTANT WORK OF REFERENCE AS WELL AS LEGACY TO ALL WINE PRODUCERS WHO STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Modern American Poets: Their Voices and Visions

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Poetry in a New Light
Poetry in a New Light

Modern American Poets: Their Voices and Visions
Robert DiYanni
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Criticism | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Literature & Fiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0070169578

Book Description

Developed to be used alone or as part of the Annenberg-funded telecourse, MODERN AMERICAN POETS provides a rich collection of American poetry from the 20-century and includes an extensive selection of poems by thirteen poets represented in the film series, as well as additional poems representing the voices and visions of more then 60 other modern American poets. The introduction to reading poetry (Part I) provides an excellent overview and fully demonstrates the importance of active involvement and annotation. The heart of MODERN AMERICAN POETS is the poetry itself in Parts II and III. The range, diversity, and power of poetry in our time is presented here.

Customer Reviews:

Poetry in a New Light.......2000-09-16

This book was required for one of my college English courses -- and I am glad of it! This book proved invaluable for interpreting and appreciating poetry, and I'd recommend it to anyone, not just English students!

Poetry in a New Light.......2000-09-16

This book was required for one of my college English courses -- and I am glad of it! This book is invaluable for interpreting and appreciating poetry, and some might see poetry differently once they use this book. I'd recommend it to anyone, not just English students!

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