Book Description
From the acclaimed author of River Town comes a rare portrait, both intimate and epic, of twenty-first-century China as it opens its doors to the outside world.
A century ago, outsiders saw Chinaas a place where nothing ever changes. Today the coun-try has become one of the most dynamic regions on earth. That sense of time—the contrast between past and present, and the rhythms that emerge in a vast, ever-evolving country—is brilliantly illuminated by Peter Hessler in Oracle Bones, a book that explores the human side of China's transformation.
Hessler tells the story of modern-day China and its growing links to the Western world as seen through the lives of a handful of ordinary people. In addition to the author, an American writer living in Beijing, the narrative follows Polat, a member of a forgotten ethnic minority, who moves to the United States in searchof freedom; William Jefferson Foster, who grew up in an illiterate family and becomes a teacher; Emily,a migrant factory worker in a city without a past; and Chen Mengjia, a scholar of oracle-bone inscriptions, the earliest known writing in East Asia, and a man whosetragic story has been lost since the Cultural Revolution. All are migrants, emigrants, or wanderers who find themselves far from home, their lives dramatically changed by historical forces they are struggling to understand.
Peter Hessler excavates the past and puts a remarkable human face on the history he uncovers. In a narrative that gracefully moves between the ancient and the present, the East and the West, Hessler captures the soul of a country that is undergoing a momentous change before our eyes.
Download Description
"
From the acclaimed author of River Town comes a rare portrait, both intimate and epic, of twenty-first-century China as it opens its doors to the outside world.
A century ago, outsiders saw Chinaas a place where nothing ever changes. Today the coun-try has become one of the most dynamic regions on earth. That sense of time -- the contrast between past and present, and the rhythms that emerge in a vast, ever-evolving country -- is brilliantly illuminated by Peter Hessler in Oracle Bones, a book that explores the human side of China's transformation.
Hessler tells the story of modern-day China and its growing links to the Western world as seen through the lives of a handful of ordinary people. In addition to the author, an American writer living in Beijing, the narrative follows Polat, a member of a forgotten ethnic minority, who moves to the United States in searchof freedom; William Jefferson Foster, who grew up in an illiterate family and becomes a teacher; Emily,a migrant factory worker in a city without a past; and Chen Mengjia, a scholar of oracle-bone inscriptions, the earliest known writing in East Asia, and a man whosetragic story has been lost since the Cultural Revolution. All are migrants, emigrants, or wanderers who find themselves far from home, their lives dramatically changed by historical forces they are struggling to understand.
Peter Hessler excavates the past and puts a remarkable human face on the history he uncovers. In a narrative that gracefully moves between the ancient and the present, the East and the West, Hessler captures the soul of a country that is undergoing a momentous change before our eyes.
"
Customer Reviews:
Not Rivertown, but nontheless breathtaking.......2007-10-03
Hessler's follow-up to his enchanting 'River Town' is far more immersed in history and sociology than its younger brother. Through the witty structure that intersperses the ancient with the modern, like China itself, Hessler is able to speak on every issue from the formation of the ancient Chinese writing system to the asian-food deliveries of his comrade, Polat.
Without a doubt, Hessler's writing has improved since 'River Town'. This is a book that constantly glances over its shoulder into the past, consulting with aging scholars and the dead, and Hessler manages this with constant refrains that charm the reader as much as they remind him of the greater context of the story.
For any student who wants a healthy overview of modern China, from the macro to the micro, 'Oracle Bones' is an excellent starting choice.
Not as engaging as River Town.......2007-06-24
Peter Hessler is an excellent writer but for some reason this book didn't engage me the way River Town did. The one thing I will remember very distinctly from this book is that he writes of how happy the people of China were by the 9/11 attacks. This I will not forget.
informative.......2007-06-05
Using stories of individual people the author attempts to explain the complex history of China. The author's research and experiences in China thread through the narrative, but I felt the book could have been edited into a more coherent whole. Still, I think readers will enjoy the book and come away informed as well.
A wonderful read - highly engaging.......2007-04-23
Petter Hessler's "Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present" focused on his work as a journalist living in Beijing. After working teaching English in Fuling for two years, Hessler was well-versed with the Chinese language and culture. He befriended, Polat, a Uighur, living in Beijing as a black market currency trader. Hessler focused a big portion of his book on the Uighurs, one of the ethnic minority groups living in Xinjiang, a large area which bordered countries like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. It was interesting to read about the strained relationships between the Uighurs who were Islamics and the Communist government. Hessler also touched briefly on whole China-Taiwan issue as well as the Falun Gong's movement.
In addition to his friendship with Polat, Hessler also did research on oracle bones, which was the earliest known writing in East Asia - tracing the work of the one oracle bones scholar, Chen Mengjia. Chen was considere to be a rightist during the Cultural Revolution and his work even though was extremely important but did not receive the well-deserved recognition. Throughout the book, Hessler interviewed former students of Chen, his family members, and foreign scholars to learn more about Chen's life and work.
Hessler also wrote about his former students in Fuling, a few of which worked as English teachers themselves. Through his students, Hessler was able to tell another story - this new generation in the Chinese society who were not affected by Mao's policies but who seemed to be very much influenced by the Western world and their common goal is to acquire wealth. It was interesting to read about China's new economy is transforming the country and the people.
This was an excellent read for me, as Hessler was able to combine history, Chinese culture and values and contemporary issues to make this a must-read for students studying the Chinese history and culture. I was pleasantly surprised to read about the Uighurs's experiences in China and their views on the Chinese people and the Communist government. It is rare to find books (on the subject of China) that touches upon the ethnic minorities living in Xinjiang. Hessler was able to write from a non-bias, and fair perspective of the country and its people. I read Hessler's previous book, "River Town" and was quite impressed and I think "Oracle Bones" is an even better read. Highly recommended!
Understanding China through its language.......2007-02-25
Peter Hessler, The New Yorker's Beijing correspondent and the first foreign journalist to report from China since before the Communist Revolution, uses the excavation of China's earliest written language as a symbol for understanding modern-day China by unearthing and interpreting the lives of individuals - from Polat, a Uighar immigrant to the United States, to Emily, an idealistic young factory worker in the industrial town of Shenzhen, where products are cheaply manufactured for export to the capitalist West. Hessler's wit and compassion makes this a must-read for understanding the nation slated to replace the United States as the world's next superpower.
Book Description
The authors of the Eleventh Edition of Civilization Past and Present—
specialists in Islamic, African, Asian, Ancient, Russian, and East European history—weave the diverse trends of world history into a clear and accessible analysis for today's students.
Civilization Past and Present, well known in the marketplace as a highly readable survey text, delivers a strong narrative of world history and a level of detail that is manageable for students and solid for instructors. Using images and documents that enhance the text's content, the narrative traces connections across cultures and introduces intriguing avenues of historical interpretation. The text examines all aspects of world history—social, political, economic, religious, cultural, and geographic.
Customer Reviews:
History Book.......2005-09-12
I recieved the item locally from the seller, they did not offer to refund or my shipping charges that I paid even though there ws no shipping involved.. thats ok though I got a great price on the book and the shipping did not offset that.
Average customer rating:
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Art Past, Art Present, 5th Edition (Book & CD-ROM)
David G. Wilkins ,
Bernie Schultz , and
Katheryn M. Linduff
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
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ASIN: 013150472X |
Customer Reviews:
broken cd.......2007-01-05
The book wasn't in that bad of shape but the cd rom which I needed for class was demolished
Book Description
The authors of the Eleventh Edition of Civilization Past and Present—
specialists in Islamic, African, Asian, Ancient, Russian, and East European history—weave the diverse trends of world history into a clear and accessible analysis for today's students.
Civilization Past and Present, well known in the marketplace as a highly readable survey text, delivers a strong narrative of world history and a level of detail that is manageable for students and solid for instructors. Using images and documents that enhance the text's content, the narrative traces connections across cultures and introduces intriguing avenues of historical interpretation. The text examines all aspects of world history—social, political, economic, religious, cultural, and geographic.
Customer Reviews:
Too subjective to be used for objective historical study.......2007-10-04
I bought this book for my world history class this semester, and while I'm only halfway through the book, there is no way it could possibly redeem itself.
Although it does give lots of good information, it rarely includes dates with its facts and its A-sides always get off track by discussing meaningless information that has nothing to do with the readings.
To make matters worse the book is completely obsessed with every cult/religion/sect that pops up in the dates covered - not by telling you the facts (the effect on history, society, etc) but instead by spends page after quoting irrelevant religious scriptures and texts. It even spends time telling bible stories - like the story of Paul getting blinded on the road and treats it like it really happened, God and all! Then it does a flip side and tells stories of might and magic with India's Gods. Want to know about the monkey king of china? It's in here too! In fact, this is a history book and a history of never-never land, (peter pan and pals almost made it, but they saved that for the next edition)
It's also obsessed with writings that are completely meaningless to the period - it wastes several trees worth of paper with excepts from completely unknown novels written by nobodies that had no effect on history whatsoever - the only people that have read these writings to date are the writers, the archeologists who dug it up, and moron who put it in the textbook (not to mention the unfortunate students who have to read the textbooks.) And it wouldn't be that bad if it was in some historical context, like explaining how The Decameron made such an impact on history, maybe tell us what the story was generally about - that much makes sense. But publishing page after page of the book? That's just an attempt to make the book thicker! (Note - The Decameron example is not in the book that I know of, that was just an example of how this book operates.)
If you want an objective lesson in world history, look elsewhere.
If you want to know the history of religions, cults, and sects, along with a few fairy tails, (both divinely inspired and fancy storytelling), this is definitely for you.
*Also, excuse the sarcasm, but this book was a real letdown.
Book Description
“With all its defects, with all the failures that we can check up against it, the UN still represents man’s best-organized hope to substitute the conference table for the battlefield.”
–Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961
The signing of the United Nations Charter in 1945 was an unprecedented development in the history of humankind. For the first time, the world’s most powerful sovereign nation states came together to create an autonomous organization designed to, in the Charter’s words, “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war [and] reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights.” Sixty years later, the UN still doggedly pursues that mandate, albeit not without difficulty and certainly not without criticism.
In The Parliament of Man, the distinguished scholar Paul Kennedy gives a thorough and timely history of the United Nations that explains the institution’s roots and functions while also casting an objective eye on the UN’s effectiveness as a body and on its prospects for success in meeting the challenges that lie ahead.
Building on expertise he gained in drafting official reports for the UN’s fiftieth anniversary on how to improve the organization’s performance, Kennedy makes sense of the many commissions and committees, and how its six main operating bodies–General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council (UNESCO), Trusteeship Council, Secretariat, and International Court–operate and interact. Citing examples from the UN’s history, he shows how the five permanent members of the Security Council–the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, and France–on numerous occasions overcame political antagonisms to spearhead military supervision of aid in humanitarian crises, and how lack of cooperation among the great powers has hamstrung such initiatives as the control of greenhouse gas emissions and exacerbated the deleterious effects of globalization on developing nations’ economies.
As a body, the UN emerges here for what it is: fallible, human-based, oftentimes dependent on the whims of powerful national governments or the foibles of individual senior UN administrators, but utterly indispensable. In The Parliament of Man, Kennedy ably proves that “it is difficult to imagine how much more riven and ruinous our world of six billion people would be if there had been no UN social, environmental, and cultural agendas–and no institutions to attempt to put them into practice on the ground.”
Customer Reviews:
a solid but somewhat dry overview of the UN.......2007-09-19
As a reporter who has covered the UN, I read this book around the time I first came here. It is helpful for understanding the basic layout of the organization, its history and purpose, which are things that I was completely in the dark on before I came here and rather suspect most of my countrymen are ill-informed on as well. The chapter on the history of the Security Council is extremely helpful in getting a basic understanding of the UN's role in major foreign affairs in the past 60 years. However, this book is often dry and rambly in its later stages, and just doesn't have that much to say about, say, NGOs and civil society. By contrast, I found James Traub's "The Best Intentions," on the twilight of the Kofi Annan years here, to be a more engaging, if slightly less objectively detached, treatise of the United Nations.
A Tour d'Horizon of the UN's Successes and Failures.......2006-09-12
In 1945, in San Francisco, when the UN Charter was written, the victors of the Second World War were looking to create an international body that would guarantee global security and prevent another conflagration like the one they had just experienced. The lines from the Tennyson poem "Locksley Hall:" "Till the war-drum throbbed no longer, and the battle flags were furl'd / In the Parliament of Man, Federation of the World" were carried by President Truman in his back pocket when he gave his famous address calling for a United Nations.
Paul Kennedy, Yale historian and author of "The Rise and Fall of Great Powers," reminds us that the internal contradictions that exist at the UN today were present at creation, so to speak. The UN was essentially created by the victors of World War II. The General Assembly, which at the time was made up of 49 members, reflected the internationalism of this venture, each member was allowed one vote regardless of size or power. The Security Council, on the other hand, made up of the five permanent members ( the US, China, Britain, France, and the Soviet Union) were the only members allowed the veto reflecting the realism of the founders.
Essentially the UN is no more than what the great powers want it to be. It is disingenuous for the American right to attack the UN for being weak and ineffectual when they need it because it was designed to be so. In the case of Rwanda and Bosnia, the UN stood by helplessly while thousands were massacred; this was because no great power stepped forward in time to stop these atrocities. Likewise, if a great power decides to act unilaterally such as the US in Iraq or China in Tibet, there is nothing the UN can do. In the politcal and military realm the UN is primarily a tool for the great powers.
Any reform of the UN Charter, such as creating a standing army or increasing the number of permanent members of the Security Council, must be approved by all five of the existing permanent members. Over the years there have been endless commissions, reports, and proposals calling for structural reform at the UN, but none have succeeded in persuading the current five to change the status quo. One must concede that if the current five cannot agree on reform, it would be even more difficult for a larger group.
Kennedy points out that "there are in practice many UN's." Most citizens of great power countries think of the UN only in it's peacekeeping and peace-enforcing capacity - a capacity in which in does not have much power. Most of the developing world is more interested in the UN's "soft power," dealing with human rights, poverty alleviation, refugees, and public health. In these areas, UN efforts have met with some success. These people working through the UN and other NGO's have been instrumental in creating an international civil society, which have greatly contributed to global security and well-being.
Only a few years ago during the invasion of Iraq, American conservatives declared the UN useless and irrelevant. Recently, however, with the crisis in Lebanon and the nuclear stand-off with Iran, one great power after another is going to the UN with another resolution. Inspite of all it's shortcomings, it is still the only global forum for conflict resolution and burden-sharing.
In the last part of this book, Kennedy asks whether the UN can remake itself to reflect the realities of the 21st century. The answer lies in how much power the great powers are willing to relinquish. Globalization is rapidly creating a world that is more multilayered and interconnected. Will the UN be able to keep pace with these changes or will the world pass it by? Kennedy is an optimist.
Balanced assessment of the UN.......2006-08-14
There is not much new in this book for those who follow the UN, but it is a balanced assessment. His reform recommendations err on the conservative side, although he does show how the US Congress imposes limits on the organization and then blames it for not doing more. The book is intended for a general readership rather than scholars or those with an in-depth knowledge of the UN.
Moving forward, looking back.......2006-06-27
Analyzing almost sixty years of United Nations history is, to say the least, an ambitious undertaking. Kennedy has tackled the challenge admirably producing a substantive and very readable account of the "evolution of the many UNs since 1945". His previous participation in the review and reform process of the UN system adds to his qualifications. This study is an excellent entry for anybody interested in learning more about this unique institution, its origins, growth and progress into one of the most complex international organizations.
Kennedy anchors his analysis firmly in the Charter of the United Nations, negotiated toward the end of World War II by the "Big Three" (US, Britain and USSR). He often refers back to these early days to remind the reader of the historical context of the UN and the challenges that ensued from these beginnings. The reader is reminded that only 50 states signed the Charter back in 1945, while the UN today has 191 members. Following chapter 1, which provides an overview of the origins of the UN, Kennedy groups the historical analysis by the major themes, reflecting the core responsibilities of the UN bodies, such as security, peace and war; the social and economic spheres; international human rights and finally global governance, democratization and civil society. It is in this context that Kennedy refers to the "many UNs. In the final part the author summarizes current trends in the reform debates of the UN and includes recommendations for future development.
Taking the theme approach engages the reader more easily in the historical perspective on the UN. Kennedy provides many examples of successes and failures in the areas of peacekeeping (or making) and in the social, economic and human rights spheres. He does not shy away from criticism. In particular, he deems the (end-of-war) structure of the Security Council with its veto system too rigid and explains why. During the long years of the Cold War, it often prevented urgent actions to be taken in response to crises. With the Security Council continuing as the primary decision making body of the UN, Kennedy sides with those proposing change that promote an expansion of the Council and restrictive rules in the use of veto. As concerns the Social and Economic Council (ECOSOC) he laments the lack of clarity in its mandate and the resulting weaknesses. The problems here have been compounded, he argues, by the parallel independent development of the Bretton Woods institutions (World Bank and IMF). It is somewhat surprising hat he accords them a rather prominent place in this context. By necessity of scope, generalizations are made about these institutions' impact on developing countries that could be challenged, for example as regards "structural adjustment programs".
An obvious disadvantage of the thematic approach is a certain level of duplication in some cases or omissions in others. The confusing array of committees, commissions etc. dealing with gender and women's issues is raised without questioning the reasons. In the section on international human rights where gender should be treated as an integral part, the linkages are not made. Kennedy treats the increasing involvement of civil society at the UN as a positive development, yet his analysis is less satisfactory. He highlights the contributions of a few international NGOs rather than on the ever-stronger civil society networks, in particular those emerging in the South. Furthermore, while referring to this aspect of UN work as "messy", Kennedy omits a major initiative in the UN to streamline the work with civil society organizations through the establishment of networks and "major groups" representation.
Kennedy clearly places himself on the side of those reformers who want to strengthen the UN system with an emphasis on progressing step by step in the different areas of its complex structure. Enhancing the operations of the major UN bodies in the social, economic and human rights fields, expanding the Security Council, establishing closer coordination with the Bretton Woods institutions and the UN and related intergovernmental agencies, etc. will have a positive impact on the whole organization and lead to a future that can benefit the peoples of the world. He is realist enough to appreciate the challenges ahead in this direction given the current global power structures. [Friederike Knabe]
Book Description
America Past and Present
integrates the social and political dimensions of American history into one rich chronological narrative, providing students with a full picture of the scope and complexity of the American past.
Writing in a lively narrative style to tell the story of all Americans—elite and ordinary, women and men, rich and poor, white majority and minorities—the authors, six active, publishing, and award-winning historians, bring history to life for introductory students.
Customer Reviews:
America Past and Present, Volume 1 (8th Edition) (MyHistoryLabSeries).......2007-09-01
I was very impressed with the speediness if my purchase. It arrived exactly as they promised. Even though the book was indicated as "Used", it appeared as "Brand New". I will definitely use Amazon again for future textbook purchases. I saved a lot more money going this route than buying the books through my college bookstore.
Average customer rating:
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America Past and Present, Volume II (Chapters 16-33) (7th Edition)
Robert A. Divine ,
T. H. Breen ,
George Frederickson ,
R. Hal Williams ,
Ariela J. Gross , and
H. W Brands
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 032118307X |
Book Description
A one-voume reference to the history of ideas that is a compendium of everything that humankind has thought, invented, created, considered, and perfected from the beginning of civilization into the twenty-first century. Massive in its scope, and yet totally accessible, A HISTORY OF KNOWLEDGE covers not only all the great theories and discoveries of the human race, but also explores the social conditions, political climates, and individual men and women of genius that brought ideas to fruition throughout history.
"Crystal clear and concise...Explains how humankind got to know what it knows."
Clifton Fadiman
Selected by the Book-of-the-Month Club and the History Book Club
Customer Reviews:
A Noble Attempt that Falls Flat.......2007-09-14
Though sweeping in the expanse of its subject, A History of Knowledge looses focus in its final quarter. Charles van Doren begins his history before recorded time and follows the history of ideas up to and beyond the year 1991. As he skips across the peaks of history touching on the major historical events, he keeps his reader's interest with his masterful retelling of history.
He justifies his concentration on western civilization because of the "Greek revolution" of the 4th century B.C. By their interest in the physical world and how it works, the Greeks discovered philosophy, logic, and the scientific method thereby eclipsing the civilizations of the east. He continues with the Greeks laying the foundations for liberal education.
Contrary to other reviews, there is not a Christian bias to this book. The Church inherited the Greek tradition and was a major player in the history of Europe. Truly, Charles van Doren seems impartial at best to Christianity, even scrapping all religions to the dustbin as an enemy of democracy and egalitarianism.
Charles van Doren covers the major thinkers and occurrences up until the end of the 18th century in only 300 pages--definitely reflecting his long career as a writer and editor of the Encyclopedia Britannica. From the time of the French Revolution until his predictions of the possible future, the writing becomes less informative and more editorial, betraying a fondness for egalitarianism, Marxism, and a global government.
Over and over again he lauds the French Revolution as a watershed in history. He speaks highly of that egalitarian dream of Marx; although with the good sense to condemn communism as being a perversion of Marx's ideal, but mostly because of its totalitarian and theocratic tendencies. Towards the end he even begins speaking of the ideal of a one world government based on egalitarianism, a moderate redistribution of wealth, and equality of opportunity.
Tradition is continually seen as anathema to reason and the progress of ideas. At times this is justified, at other times, however, Charles van Doren berates tradition because it is merely tradition. Rightly so he condemns Aristotle's idea of some peoples being "natural slaves," but is not nuanced enough to realize that this does not necessarily negate the idea of a "natural aristocracy" as John Adams termed those men of the young American republic who, through being educated, informed, and persuasive, improve and lead society and culture forward.
The book, though good in the beginning, is overall less than satisfying. The final 100 pages of the 400 page book are unfocused and rife with subjective asides that have controversy and fantasy that distract from the work's noble objective promised by the title.
a contribution to our civilization.......2007-06-22
This is an excellent book...especially the important ideas of our modern times, including the insights of how the success of a democracy rests on the people trusting their government, and of our unfortunate addiction to violence. I am grateful to you, Charles Van Doren, for your important contribution to my understanding of our civilization.
Excellent Overview of the Western Tradition -- Some Sweeping Claims.......2007-06-06
Charles van Doren has written a very readable and thoughtful review of the western cultural tradition that both includes virtually all of the important formative elements and connects them in a sensible way. This book is ideal as a companion to other textbooks for university courses in western history and culture. It is also a worthwhile review for the general public who want to have a better understanding of our debt to the ancient Greeks and Romans, and to trace the developments that led from the Dark Ages to the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Age of Reason.
Van Doren is somewhat less helpful in dealing with the 20th century, and his speculation about the 21st century. He does, however, correctly discuss the dangers of adopting a modern theocracy. In that, he anticipates some of the foreign policy problems we have faced recently in the Middle East.
Mind the gaps?.......2007-04-10
I read this book a decade ago and it remains one of the most important books in my library.
Many reviewers have rated this book poorly on the basis it is sketchy, biased, incomplete, full of gaps. These reviewers appear to have read the book as if it were titled "THE History of Knowledge ..." Ironically, Van Doren himself, in his book How to Read a Book points out the importance of clearly understanding a book's title in order to understand its content.
The beauty of "A History of Knowledge ..." for me is that it has given me a framework, a century by century bullet point list if you like, from which to launch into those gaps.
And Van Doren's views and biases are what make the book easy to read and interesting.
A History of Knowledge.......2007-01-05
I love books or TV shows that connect the dots of the great thinkers, events, discoveries, technologies and inventions across history, much like James Burke's "Connections" programs. This book is ideal for anyone with similar interests. Events of the 20 years since publication render the author's predictions in the last chapters moot. Overall, I found it enlightening and a good value.
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