Amazon.com
Kenneth Davis, popular purveyor of stuff you should know but never learned, turns his research engine to the land of Job and Jesus. Ever wonder who wrote the Bible, what the difference is between a disciple and an apostle, or how the Dead Sea Scrolls measure up? Davis tackles the entire Bible, book by book, from Genesis to Revelation, offering succinct capsules of the action and backgrounders that are as entertaining as the tabloids--except that Davis's information is reliable. On every page, you can see the immense amount of research he has put into this work, drawing on the most up-to-date scholarship and presenting it in fresh, easy-to-swallow doses. Chronologies at various points put historical events into perspective. The high point of Don't Know Much About the Bible comes in the New Testament section, where Davis compares the different versions of the Gospels for the various episodes in Jesus' life and offers insights on issues that are still discussed today. By the way, did you know that Jesus' name was really Joshua and that he wasn't born in the year 1? More tidbits await. --Brian Bruya
Amazon.com Audiobook Review
The Bible, author Kenneth Davis explains, fits that definition of a "classic" offered by Mark Twain: a book that people praise and don't read. But this entertaining historical study will likely compel listeners to reach for their dusty copies of the world's most-owned but least-understood anthology once again. And not simply because the author reminds us of the drama and intrigue, the tales of rape, impaling, and ethnic cleansing routinely found in its pages. Davis paints the larger historical context in which the Bible was written, providing a sense of the culture and environment in which the familiar stories came to life. Calling on new research and scholarship into the Bible's composition, he provides fascinating background to dimly remembered stories that gives them renewed impact. Using a series of easy-to-follow questions and answers, he offers explanations about when and by whom the Bible was written; how the stories of other traditions influenced the Judeo-Christian teachings; where the Garden of Eden might have been located; why an earthquake may have played a part in the "walls tumbling down" at Jericho; why Jesus may not have said everything we think he did, and much more. He also points out that mistranslations from the original Hebrew have made their way into modern versions of the Bible, explaining where and how they occurred. Conceding that his program will anger some, as it challenges many cherished but mistaken assumptions about the Bible, Davis also hopes that listeners recognize that Christian belief and uncovering the truth are not at odds in this program, but rather that learning and wisdom, even when they reach unsettling conclusions, can ultimately complement faith. (Running time: six hours, four cassettes) --Uma Kukathas
Book Description
With wit, wisdom, and an extraordinary talent for turning dry, difficult reading into colorful and realistic accounts, the creator of the bestselling Don't Know Much About®, series now brings the world of the Old and New testaments to life as no one else can in the bestseller Don't Know Much About® The Bible. Relying on new research and improved translations, Davis uncovers some amazing questions and contradictions about what the Bible really says. Jericho's walls may have tumbled down because the city lies on a fault line. Moses never parted the Red Sea. There was a Jesus, but he wasn't born on Christmas and he probably wasn't an only child.
Davis brings readers up-to-date on findings gleaned from the Dead Sea Scrolls and Gnostic Gospels that prompt serious scholars to ask such serious questions as: Who wrote the Bible? Did Jesus say everything we were taught he did? Did he say more? By examining the Bible historically, Davis entertains and amazes, provides a much better understanding of the subject, and offers much more fun learning about it.
Download Description
With wit, wisdom, and an extraordinary talent for turning dry, difficult reading into colorful and realistic accounts, the creator of the bestselling Don't Know Much About®, series now brings the world of the Old and New testaments to life as no one else can in the bestseller Don't Know Much About® The Bible. Relying on new research and improved translations, Davis uncovers some amazing questions and contradictions about what the Bible really says. Jericho's walls may have tumbled down because the city lies on a fault line. Moses never parted the Red Sea. There was a Jesus, but he wasn't born on Christmas and he probably wasn't an only child.
Davis brings readers up-to-date on findings gleaned from the Dead Sea Scrolls and Gnostic Gospels that prompt serious scholars to ask such serious questions as: Who wrote the Bible? Did Jesus say everything we were taught he did? Did he say more? By examining the Bible historically, Davis entertains and amazes, provides a much better understanding of the subject, and offers much more fun learning about it.
Customer Reviews:
And if you DO know quite a bit about the Bible?.......2007-09-19
"If this is divinely inspired, couldn't God get that year right?"
That's a quote from Davis dealing with the year Jesus was born. It seems that the Bible isn't terribly concerned with Jesus' BD. There are still cultures in our world that don't care about birthdates. And that proves what, Davis? That God can't get things right in your own personal vision? Or, as I see it, is it more likely that the God of the Bible knows exactly what to stress and when to stress it; after all, "At the right time, Christ died for the ungodly."
Davis finds countless opportunities to question the Bible's accuracy and to question God himself. Frankly I think Job did a better job of this then Davis ever could.
As has been said elsewhere, much of Davis' critique is outdated and disproved, so I won't revisit that here. I will say that SOME of what he writes is true (are you really shocked to learn Jesus wasn't born on December 25th or what Noah's ark really looked like?). Still, once I knew Davis' agenda was one of contempt for his subject, I couldn't wade through his self-serving opinions to sift out those truths. I must also say that this is Davis' MO for all of his works.
Using "CE" and "BCE" in place of "BC" and "AD" also affects me like nails on a chalkboard. They have nothing to do with correcting a dating design and everything to do with political correctness. Juvenile.
If you are serious about the Bible and have already studied it (cover to cover, right?) and read some of the other recommended reading found here, then Davis' book "might" amuse you. It made me sad that Davis is too busy trying to be amusing and condescending to really seek God.
An Outstanding Collection Of Information And Knowledge.......2007-09-01
The title is a bit misleading in that it suggests this book is only for biblical newcomers. In fact, it contains much that will be of interest to both the uninitiated and those already somewhat familiar with the Bible. The introductory chapters contain a tremendous amount of useful facts and knowledge about Judeo-Christian history. Some of it, such as how the emperor Constantine first allowed Christianity to be openly practiced in the Roman empire around 312 CE, I already knew. But there was still much new that I learned. For example, this book explains why the additional biblical texts known as the Apocrypha are included in Roman Catholic versions of the Bible but not in the Jewish canon or Protestant versions of the Bible. This is because the Apocrypha were later books written in Greek rather than Hebrew. Primarily for this reason they were excluded from the final Jewish canon but included by Catholics in their Greek Septuagint version of the Bible. Much later the Protestant Reformation chose to exclude the Apocrypha also. This is only a small sample of some of the fascinating knowledge contained in the early chapters.
Most of the rest of the book offers insightful and well researched interpretations of both the Old Testament and New Testament, examined book by book in chronological order. Much of what Davis wrote I had already read elsewhere. But once again I learned many new things, especially about the historical and cultural context in which the Bible was written.
I feel bad that many of the negative reviewers here are so stuck in a narrow minded and fundamentalist form of religious faith that they are unwilling to accept and appreciate all the excellent scholarly research that has been done and is still being done on perhaps the most important and influential book in human history - the Bible.
This is great reading for anyone, religious or secular, who is open minded, intellectually curious and wants to learn more about this fascinating subject.
Great book...learn what you THINK you know !!!!.......2007-08-07
If you want to learn about the important "facts" of the old & new testaments... this is the book to read. It doesn't try to sway you one way or the other, but gives you the quotes and info to do so yourself. I never realized, for instance, that there were so many differences between the 4 scriptures of Luke, Mark, Matthew and John. There's a lot I can say,l but I don't want to ruin it for someone who never read the Bible and THINKS they know what it says. Let's put it this way... it's not quite like hollywood movies or what your Sunday school teacher or your parents try to convey. Great Stuff !!!!!!!!!!!!
read it...no disrespect intended..........2007-06-18
Kenneth C. Davis has written a very enjoyable and easily understood explanation of the Bible. I didn't find it offensive or disrespectful in the least. In fact it helped me understand alot more of the Bible and eased so many of those burning questions in my mind. Using humor and the ability to break down the mystique it can help people appreciate the Bible more.
Interesting.......2007-01-27
First, the people who write negative reviews of this book, suggesting that the author is biased against the Bible, must realize two things: most people who believe that the Bible is the inerrant word of a supreme being, believe so based on the circular reasoning that it says so in the Bible; the vast majority of people in the world do not believe that the Bible is the word of God (and, thus, do not believe in the resurrection and such), and, in many cases, believe, instead, that THEIR holy books represent God's word. As obvious as these statements are, I'm always amazed that so many people simply are unaware of these facts, or choose to ignore them.
In that light, the author is, if anything, biased TOWARD the Bible being the word of God. He does not speak against the resurrection and other miracles, e.g., but seems to allow for the possibility that they may actually have occurred.
I had a great time reading this book. I knew the Bible very well many years ago, and reading it was a reminder of how beautiful and fascinating it is, warts and all. This book is about as near to unbiased as one can get.
Average customer rating:
- Not for those who like to cut to the chase
- Wildly entertaining for a "how to" book!
- not exhaustive, but very close
- A must buy!
- Wow!
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Everything You Never Wanted Your Kids to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid They'd Ask): The Secrets to Surviving Your Child's Sexual Development from Birth to the Teens
Justin Richardson , and
Mark Schuster
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
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General
| Sexuality
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
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Psychology of Sexuality
| Sexuality
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Child Development
| Babies & Toddlers
| Parenting
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
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General
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| Parenting & Families
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General
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ASIN: 1400051282
Release Date: 2004-03-23 |
Book Description
If you’ve ever tried to tell your six-year-old how babies are made or your fourteen-year-old how condoms work, you know that grappling with telling your kids about sex can be a sweat-drenched exercise. But it doesn’t have to be.
Everything You Never Wanted Your Kids to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid They’d Ask) is a one-of-a-kind survival guide that will help you stay sane through every stage of your child’s sexual development. After interviewing scores of parents and analyzing decades of scientific research, two nationally respected, Harvard-trained physicians share their expertise in this brilliantly insightful, practical, and hilarious book that has fast become the leading resource for parents of toddlers to teens. This indispensable guide covers all the bases, including:
• What to expect at each stage of your child’s development and how you can influence it from birth onward
• What to tell your kids at every age about sex and how to get the conversation going
• What to do when your five-year-old turns up naked with the girl next door, your toddler is rubbing on her teddy bear, or your six-year-old walks in on you having sex
• How to avoid unnecessary clashes with your middle-schooler while managing privacy, crushes, and what to wear
• How to encourage your teenager to use contraception without encouraging her to have sex, and how to help her choose the method that’s best for her
Customer Reviews:
Not for those who like to cut to the chase.......2007-08-17
While a good, solid resource by two learned academics, I was a bit disappointed w/ this read, which seemed to spend more time trying to be witty than actually getting to the "meat" of the info. Not meant for parents with "conservative" family values, this book is jam-packed w/ stories, some which seem exaggerated, in its attempt to be edgy (which to some may be read as crass). The authors clip over developmental changes of boys and girls at almost too fast a pace, making the work not as thoughtful as it could be. It also overly generalizes children's responses and behaviors. Overall, it's difficult for readers to pull out important info.
Wildly entertaining for a "how to" book!.......2007-08-03
Half way through the first chapter, I was nodding, laughing and remembering. The author and editors are dead-on with their descriptions and stories. Their advice is absolutely bar none.
I put down the book after the first chapter and realized that it was so well written that I would have read it if it WASN'T recommended by the therapist who sees my two step-children who are currently in heat. I reported back to him with rave reviews.
A must read for anyone who has, or wants, kids. Period. It will make your life so much easier...
not exhaustive, but very close.......2007-03-20
This book is lengthy and full of useful information, ranging from how to deal with your child's sexuality from baby to teen; masturbation; attraction; orientation; pregnancy; parenting; and everything in between. A very well written book.
A must buy!.......2007-02-01
I read the book and wish I had read it sooner and then I gave it to my 15 year old to read as well.
Much better than A chicken's guide to talking turkey with your kids about sex (preachy at best, as in religious zealots).
I think books are a useful tool to open up lines of communication and purchased this author's book, Everything You Never Wanted Your Kids to Know About Sex with a copy of Dr. Ruth's Sex for Dummies for my older teen. I also read and shared, Human Sexuality by Roger R. Hock.
It is my personal feeling that providing your child with information about thier bodies will help them keep themselves healthy. It does not mean we give them our blessings to do whatever they want nor does it mean we have the right to make choices for them. We do as parents have the responsibilities of educating them.
As I have multiple children and liked her reasonable approach I also purchased Dr. Ruth Talks To Kids for my pre-teen. I also recommend the American Medical Association (Boy's/Girls) Guide To Becomming A Teen, and a copy of It's Perfectly Normal.
Copies of It's So Amazing and It's Not The Stork are also worth having kicking around the house but I did find the books to be rather long so don't be surprised if your active younger child does't want to go over them in one sitting.
Sexual development does begin in utero and it is time the average parent understood it better. That "talk" isn't just one talk you have with your child but a series of conversations in the car, at the supper table, when you are getting dressed in the changing room, changing diapers, in front of your best friend, at the doctor's office, and so on. If you are feeling a little shy about it- this book is for you.
Wow!.......2006-11-10
What a wonderful book for mother's like me who are freaking out when our 6 year olds start asking about sex. It helps make the topic easy. Nice book.
Amazon.com
Finally, someone who tells history like it was, without the old textbook gloss that's put so many students into premature naptime and misinformed the few who stayed awake. Davis corrects the myths and misconceptions from Columbus up through the Clinton administration, and shows that truth is more entertaining than propaganda.
Amazon.com Audiobook Review
Kenneth Davis's aim in this program, as it is in all the titles of this popular series, is to make learning relevant and fun. He succeeds marvelously. Davis has an easygoing style and a good sense of humor. And most importantly, he knows how to present the "big picture." His history of the United States is not a series of isolated incidents that happened long ago with no bearing on contemporary American life. Listening to this presentation, we recognize patterns, notice how problems of the past resurface in our own present, and realize that history is what makes us today. We are also presented with a look at American history that is far more honest than anything gleaned from traditional textbooks. Heroes and villains alike are presented, warts and all, and the "less savory moments" in America's past are discussed frankly. For, as Davis explains, "the real picture is much more interesting than the historical tummy tuck." The theme running through the program, from pre-European settlement to the Reagan years, is the struggle for power--the never-ending battle between the haves and have-nots that is the "essence of history." Six hundred years of history are broken up into manageable segments though a series of questions (spoken in a number of different voices to help distinguish them from the main narration), each of which is given a specific answer and then discussed in the context of its contemporary setting and perhaps past and future events. This is a crash course that focuses on the basics but will inspire listeners to want to know more--which is really what learning's all about. (Running time: six hours, four cassettes) --Uma Kukathas
Book Description
Who really discovered America? What was "the shot heard 'round the world"? Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: Did he or didn't he?
From the arrival of Columbus through the bizarre election of 2000 and beyond, Davis carries readers on a rollicking ride through more than 500 years of American history. In this updated edition of the classic anti-textbook, he debunks, recounts, and serves up the real story behind the myths and fallacies of American history.
Download Description
"Don¿t Know Much About Kenneth C. Davis: An Interview with the Author
In this new and completely revised, expanded and updated edition of the million-selling book that launched the Don't Know Much About® series, Kenneth C. Davis uses humor, wit, great stories and his trademark question-and-answer style to bring Americans a fresh new take on history. Perfect for history buffs and history-phobes alike.
A new, completely revised, expanded and updated edition of the million-selling New York Times bestseller that launched the entire Don't Know Much About® series
When Don't Know Much About® History first appeared thirteen years ago, it created a sensation. With humor, wit, great stories, and a trademark conversational style, the book brought Americans a fresh new take on history. Shattering myths and vividly bringing the past to life, it spent thirty-five consecutive weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Davis proved that Americans don't hate history -- they just hate the dull textbook version they were force-fed in school. The book became an instant classic, an ""anti -textbook"" that has sold more than 1.3 million copies.
In his irreverent and popular question-and- answer style, Davis now returns with a completely revised edition that brings history right up to the moment -- covering such topics as the end of the Cold War, Clinton's impeachment, the bizarre election of 2000, and the events that led to September 11.
Incorporating new research and discoveries, Davis also updates and expands on such long-standing American controversies as the Jefferson-Hemings affair, the Alger Hiss trial, and the Rosenberg spy case. And he includes an expanded ""civics lesson"" that examines some of America's hottest social and political issues, such as the death penalty, gun control, and school prayer.
Customer Reviews:
A Whistle-Stop Tour of American History.......2007-09-12
This audio book was probably the best overview I've heard in terms of telling the US story. Wonderfully narrated, the listener gets a crash course in the rich, sometimes depressing and sometimes hilarious history of the United States. I realized while listening that conventional schooling often teaches us to memorize names and mini-articles but we don't really know the whole story surrounding a particular historical happening. Davis does a wonderful job of keeping the narrative concise yet expounding on the more interesting points of celebrated events. I loved this audio book for what it is, a broad brush of a denser topic, seemingly designed for the academic type who wants to refresh a bit or the amatuer who just wants an entertaining and engaging listen of a great story. I finished this while commuting and found I couldn't help myself from running across these stories referenced in everyday life, and found it a worthwhile few hours spent checking it out.
A Pretty Good Summary of U.S. History With Racial Forays.......2007-08-26
This is a pretty good book. I enjoyed reading most of it, and it allowed me to relearn a lot of what I'd forgotten from my junior high and high school history classes, and it only took me few days to read it.
For those areas of history that you're not familiar with, this book is a good summary. For those areas you know about, you'll find the book is quite brief, and not always accurate. For example, in talking about the Battle of the Little Big Horn, the author says that Custer attacked the Indians with just over 200 soldiers. In fact, Custer's forces numbered over 400. He's criticized for dividing his forces and attacking the Indian village at several points, which may have been why he was wiped out. (After dividing his forces, Custer and his group numbered just over 200 men.)
As other readers have pointed out, the author goes off on forays into the plight of the negro/black/African American population. His points are accurate, but the amount of attention he gives to this topic makes it seem like a more significant part of our history than it deserves.
It's interesting also to read the difference in the author's writing tone and the attention he gives to events as he moves from historic research to the last 50 years, which he is writing about, in large part, from the memories of having lived through it rather than heard or read about it.
I like the book and recommend it.
Ken Davis writes a great one, here.......2007-08-15
This book is absolutely spectacular in showing the truth about a lot of historical myths that too many people take at face value. Davis doesn't seem to write from any particular political viewpoint, in my perspective, but lets the facts speak out. I suppose this is why some people think he has some sort of political agenda - but if the truth is considered "liberal" or "conservative", then perhaps the bias of the reader is showing!
Good book, very readable and fun makes reading history interesting.......2007-07-26
If you have a lay interest in US history this book is a must read. I like reading about history and I just love this book. Kenneth Davis uses what I like to call a fun encyclopedic style to cover the big topics in US history. None of the topics are covered at any significant depth but this is a fun, interesting and worthwhile review of what you should have learned in school.
Liberal view of history. NO NEED TO READ........2007-07-21
This is the liberal view of history. (They never see anything good.)
This is the whole book.
We hurt the Indians.
We hurt blacks.
We hurt the Viet Cong.
Conservatives are bad.
Book Description
Dr. Gordon Livingston’s national bestseller, Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart, has drawn tens of thousands of readers who have embraced its thirty bedrock truths about life and how best to live it. Now, in And Never Stop Dancing, Dr. Livingston — a Vietnam War veteran, psychiatrist, and parent twice bereaved — offers thirty more true things we need to know now.
The fresh truths Dr. Livingston explores include: Paradox governs our lives. Forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves. We are defined by what we fear. As we grow old, the beauty steals inward.
Once again, here are Dr. Livingston’s sterling qualities: a deep understanding of the emotional tumult that courses through our lives — our hidden hypocrisies, desires, and evasions; an unerring sense of what is important; and his own ability to persevere — to hope — in a world he knows to be capable of inflicting unjustifiable and lifelong suffering.
These qualities — plus his perfectly pitched sense of humor and a singular voice — add up to another extraordinary book — one which, like its predecessor, offers us a gentle, generous, and unusual alternative to the trial-and-error learning that makes wisdom such an expensive commodity.
Customer Reviews:
Good sense is not that common.......2007-09-17
I read Dr.Livingston's book Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart and it became my secular bible; I read it and re-read it for comfort and advice. This book is more of the same; just good advice on how to live life in a meaningful way with as much kindness as possible for our fellow human beings. He is pithy and wise and I highly recommend both books.
One of my Favorites.......2007-06-26
I really liked this CD a lot is easier just to listen to someone read the reason I bought this item was I went on a Radio program on Radio Ahahs AM 8:30 and thing this was the Disc Jockey but I'm not sure this is him but I still like it any way!
Rather Disappointing.......2006-11-19
Dr. Livingston is obviously a bitter man. This book is packed with his cynical observations on life and people. I'm not saying it's a "bad" book, it's just that I felt pretty crummy about life in general after I finished reading it. I'm also not saying it's not worth reading because it is. However, if you're looking for a book that will inspire you to feel better about yourself and what you're doing with your life, this will not cut it. I give it three stars because it is obvious that the good doctor put his all into writing this book. And it definitely gets you to think deeply about why in the world you go to a place of worship! Just wish it wasn't such a downer, in spite of what I think he was in good conscience trying to achieve.
Loved it!.......2006-10-31
I really liked "Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart" but I LOVED "Never Stop Dancing" . . . somehow Gordon Livingston managed to top his first little gem with an even better sequel. It can be summed up as a compassionate discourse on "Life is difficult - - so what?" . . . a real treasure.
A compilation of 30 innovative, experienced-based fundamental attributes of living a successive and productive life.......2006-07-03
The 3 CD, 4 hour, complete and unabridged audiobook And Never Stop Dancing: Thirty More True Things You Need To Know Now is written by Gordon Livingston and narrated by Bruce Barker. A sequel to Gordon Livingston's Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart, this new and expansive collection of living wit and wisdom offers listeners a compilation of thirty innovative, experienced-based fundamental attributes of living a successive and productive life. And Never Stop Dancing supplies an informative and occasional inspiring guidance through such commonly encountered issues as the paradox governing life, forgiveness as a gift to self, marriage as the destroyer of many good relationships, seeing oneself through the eyes of others, fear, growth in aging, and so much more. And Never Stop Dancing is very highly recommended, especially for those who have enjoyed and profited by Livingston's Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart.
Book Description
The latest installment in the
New York Times bestselling Don't Know Much About® series -- a magical journey into the timeless world of mythology
It has been fifteen years since
Kenneth C. Davis first dazzled audiences with his instant classic
Don't Know Much About® History, vividly bringing the past to life and proving that Americans don't hate history, they just hate the dull, textbook version they were fed in school. With humor, wit, and a knack for storytelling, Davis has been bringing readers of all ages up to speed on history, geography, and science ever since. Now, in the classic traditions of Edith Hamilton and Joseph Campbell, he turns his talents to the world of myth.
Where do we come from? Why do stars shine and the seasons change? What is evil? Since the beginning of time, people have answered such questions by crafting imaginative stories that have served as religion, science, philosophy, and popular literature. In his irreverent and popular question-and-answer style, Davis introduces and explains the great myths of the world, as well as the works of literature that have made them famous. In a single volume, he tackles Mesopotamia's Gilgamesh, the first hero in world mythology; Achilles and the Trojan War; Stonehenge and the Druids; Thor, the Nordic god of thunder; Chinese oracle bones; the use of peyote in ancient Native American rites; and the dramatic life and times of the man who would be Buddha.
Ever familiar and instructive, Davis shows why the ancient tales of gods and heroes -- from Mount Olympus to Machu Picchu, from ancient Rome to the icy land of the Norse -- continue to speak to us today, in our movies, art, language, and music. For mythology novices and buffs alike, and for anyone who loves a good story,
Don't Know Much About® Mythology is a lively and insightful look into the greatest stories ever told.
Customer Reviews:
Sufficient knowledge for most.......2007-06-10
This book is a good value for its cost. It covers myths from all parts of the world and It is good both for reading from cover to cover and for infrequent browsing. In about 500 pages, myths are told only in a concise manner, and are discussed briefly from several aspects by asking questions and providing some more details within answers. It gives general information about the time period and place the myths are born, main characters and some events. All in all it is enough knowledge for most people and considering its cost it is a good value for the money paid.
Audio version.......2007-02-02
This is honestly the worst audio book I have ever bought. Kenneth Davis has written some fantastic books, unfortunately this is not one of them. I can't even sell this as used. I could not bring myself to do something that bad to another human. Kenneths other books are funny, interesting, and informative. This book would have been better at all three if it had been a random collection of words.
Still "Don't Know Much About Mythology".......2006-12-13
I must admit, this is the kind of book that was written precisely for people like me with limited knowledge of mythology stemming from a book or two I'd read as a child, e.g. "The 12 Labors of Hercules", and a few movies I've watched, e.g. Troy, which hardly qualify as sources on the subject.
After reading over 500 pages, I've gained more knowledge about the history of ancient civilizations than their myths. Thankfully, I realized that a dozen or more Gods worshipped by the Egyptians, Greeks, Mesopotamians et al. interested me less than their way of life. Kenneth Davis, through no fault of his own wrote more about these ancient civilizations and their rich cultural histories than their Gods and myths. Davis had to lay the foundation by which stories of creationism and heroes developed. Increasingly, I found myself browsing rather than reading the pages where various Gods were meticulously categorized.
As far as coverage, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Greece received the lion's share, and deservedly so as compared to Chinese, Japanese, African and especially Pacific Islander civilizations. Nevertheless, Mr. Davis masterfully provides a starting point for mythically challenged people like me to explore Gods and stories of various civilizations.
The main take away from this book for me was how religion and religious customs developed, and the depth to which various religions borrowed and adopted ideas to make themselves whole.
While "Don't Know Much About Mythology" provides the lay person with adequate information on myths that dominated numerous cultures over time, there are undoubtedly countless other books that are better suited to tackle this subject in a more comprehensive manner.
Good Work !!.......2006-09-16
Mr Davis does it again.I have always been a fan of his work and this book is a good intro to mythology of a lot of countries.His description as always is easy to follow and once in a while he would throw in a couple of funny remarks that stay with you.On this book you can see that Mr Davis has done a lot of research and it has paid off.The only problem that i had with this book is that once in a while he reaches conclusions that i dont agree with.Sometimes i believe that he stretching these conclusions a little too far.For example he says that the tale of Pandora's Box points to women as the ones that bring suffering to the world much as the Book of Genesis in the Biblie blames Eve for all the suffering in the world.I think that conclusion is just plain wrong as there is no indication of the Biblie blaming women of anything except desobedience.He also says that Adan had a second wife.Again,this conclusion is just too far fetched since no such person ever existed.Besides these conclusions the book is really good.
Accessible Overview of Mythology.......2006-05-14
Davis' "Don't Know Much About" series has always been marked by the author's conversational and breezy style as opposed to more dry, pedantic treatment of the subjects. That tone is continued here in his view of world mythology. Instead of aiming at being a comprehensive overview of the subject, he chooses to highlight the "you should know" topics - much like a Cliff Notes for a whole course. Often times the word Mythology only brings up images of Greek and Roman gods in people's minds. What Davis does well is to bring us back into the other myths of the ancient world - from Egypt and Mesopotamia, showing how these myths intermingled with other cultures and influenced, among other things, possibly several stories in the Bible. Davis continues around the world highlighting the stories of the Celts, the Norse, Indians, Chinese and Japanese. He comes up a bit short in his discussion of Sub-Saharan Africa and Native American mythology mainly because it is such a diverse topic involving not one dominant culture, but rather hundreds of individual cultures, each with their own views of the world. So while I would applaud him for including recognition of these areas, Davis set himself up with a task far beyond his current project that may leave the reader unsatisfied in these areas. Overall a good book to get a quick overview and introduction to names, stories and history of various cultures and how stories that are still familiar today came into being.
Book Description
The authors are junior high students and best friends David and Asa, with bestselling author Marya Washington Tyler. They took the kind of gooey, slimy, disgusting science facts that students love and turned them into hilarious math problems.
When's the last time you had your students calculate their chances of being eaten by a crocodile?
The percent of seats at Yankee Stadium that do not have gum stuck to them?
The number of skin scales they lost in the last 20 minutes?
The number of flushes it would take to overflow their city's wastewater treatment tank?
How many gigabytes their brain can hold?
These and other intriguing problems await your students in this book designed to teach children to translate statements and questions into mathematical equations. All the problems are based on known scientific facts.
This is math. This is real. This is alive! Comprehensive answer key, reproducible blackline masters, hilarious illustrations. This is math the way it ought to be—tough, fun, and… a little weird.
For even more exciting and strange math problems, see the follow-up It's Alive and Kicking!
Grades 3-9
Customer Reviews:
Teachers: Make it into a CONTEST!.......2007-07-01
I used this book and it's sister, It's Alive and Kicking, as the basis for a 3 day contest for my sixth graders in math. Each day, I paired the students randomly. Three points were given for a correct answer and label on the first try, 2 points for a second try, and 1 point for getting the correct answer after a hint from me.The pair that received the most points, won a blue excellence ribbon which they wore for the rest of the day. The competetion was fierce. My students never worked this hard for a grade. They loved the disgusting math facts about germs, tape worms, sneezes, etc. I worked with 2 other teachers so that 13 math classes a day were involved in the contest. This means 26 ribbons a day for 3 days. There were very few duplicate students from day to day so everyone felt they still had a chance to win a ribbon. Some questions were quite easy and some very, very difficult and tricky. I can't wait to use these 2 books again next year.
A real hit!.......2006-11-05
I teach a gifted math class and my students love these challenging problems.
YOU WON'T FIND A FUNNIER MATH BOOK.......2004-11-20
You won't find a funnier math book, except maybe the sequel: IT'S ALIVE AND KICKING!! The math is solid, and useful for anyone who needs a little motivation to practice their basic skills (multiplication, division, fractions, percentages, etc.) The book is full of amazing true science facts, like the number of saliva droplets expelled in the average lecture. Not for the squeamish.
Exceptional treatment of mathematics with humor!.......1999-03-25
Kleiman and Washington combine the best of three worlds: titillatiing humor, farout science, and solid core mathematics in this useful book. You get your money's worth with this one, including an error-free answer key with clear explanations of the steps involved in answering each problem. Mathematics problems delve into the depths of basic math, with no algebra or beyond needed. Great for gifted and talented younger in need of a challenge or basic older students in need of a jumpstart. This will do it.
Customer Reviews:
based on opinion.......2006-10-20
This book was very disappointing. It was all based on opinion. The author makes things up about how ghosts come from unsettled souls in purgatory. There is no such thing as purgatory. Purgatory was a place made up by the early church to collect money.
Heaven brought down to Earth.......2006-03-08
Although somewhat geared more towards spirituality than religion, this book makes an excellent attempt to objectify a topic that many consider subjective -- how can one describe something that "no eye has seen nor ear has heard..." -- a truly amazing achievement.
One does not have to be a theologian or even religious to enjoy this book and, at a minimum, it will make you think which is, I suppose, the very basis of Heaven itself.
In today's age of confusion and conflict, this classic is by far one of the best books to bring home one's priorities and should be in any family's library as required reading.
Very disappointed.......2005-12-14
I wish I had read the negative reviews more closely before buying this book. I was looking for a biblically-based book on Heaven. Unfortunately, I let the author's scholarly verbage persuade me to think his ideas would be based on more than his opinions. He even goes so far as to say that "happy ghosts" are from heaven... *because* who would venture to claim that C.S. Lewis' visitation (of his dead wife) was demonic?! This is the same weak reasoning he uses throughout the book. I find more biblical facts in Francine Rivers' historical fiction. There is nothing wrong with stating opinions but the author passes his off as facts.
Wonderful Speculative Theology.......2005-10-29
Another wonderfully insightful book from Peter Kreeft. Here, Kreeft draws from a wide range of sources to make some reasonable guesses as to the nature of heaven. In the course of doing so, he touches on questions of the nature of time and space, physical and spiritual reality, etc.
In typically Kreeftian fashion, he repeatedly turns the materialistic prejudices of the present age around on themselves. Heaven is not a projection of this life, rather, this life is a projection of heaven. Again - God is not a creation of human imagination, rather, humanity is a creation out of God's imagination. It is reminiscent of CS Lewis in "The Great Divorce" - what seems more real, more substantial (ie, this world, space-time) is thin and pale in comparison to the Source of All Being. But, since we don't yet live there and can't yet see or imagine it, we keep getting it exactly wrong, imagining that this life is real and heaven is thin and ethereal.
Solid Catholic Theology NOT New Age!.......2005-05-03
I take exception to the misinformed and misleading review posted by "beanderson" "The Gospel According to Kreeft, October 25, 2000". This reviewer claims that the author, Peter Kreeft, is New Age, which is completely false. Peter Kreeft is a Catholic apologist for Christianity, professor at Boston College, and author of many books. His ideas draw heavily from religious and philosophical tradition, especially Thomas Aquinas, Socrates, and C.S. Lewis.
This book, "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Heaven", provides an unexcelled look at the nature of Heaven that offers readers a refreshingly clear, theologically sound, and always fascinating glimpse of that "undiscovered country." Kreeft's engaging and informative account thoughtfully answers intriguing questions about heaven that speaks to the mind and heart.
Amazon.com
Davis consistently does what your junior high teacher probably didn't; he makes geography amusing and riveting. From early concepts of whether the world was a disk floating in water (Thales) or pear-shaped (Columbus), Davis explains earthquakes, rain forests, Atlantis and whether there are canaries on the Canary Islands. In short, he covers the scientific, physical, and political history of the Earth and does his level best to raise our collective geographic IQ while entertaining us.
Amazon.com Audiobook Review
You might think you need to look at a map to learn "everything you need to know" about geography, but Kenneth C. Davis proves otherwise. In this hugely entertaining and informative program, Davis takes a different approach to learning about the world by pointing out its relevance--and importance--in every sphere of human life. Geography, Davis explains, has been sadly misunderstood, which accounts for the fact that Americans consistently score lowest among peoples of industrialized nations when it comes to "knowing where we are." He sets out to show listeners how this "mother lode of sciences, the hub of a circle from which all the other studies radiate" informs disciplines ranging from meteorology, climatology, and oceanography to economics, ecology, and political science. Rather than looking at geography as a parade of facts about where things are located, he encourages an approach that considers human and natural history in its larger context--and the universe as a large canvas upon which the fascinating story of life is drawn. Using his familiar question-and- answer method, Davis offers interesting anecdotes to explain, for example, who invented the compass; why wars are always fought over geography; the differences between country, republic, nation, and state; why the tallest mountain in the world is getting even taller; and much more. Succinct discussions coupled with Davis's lively writing style makes this a perfect candidate for audio presentation. Indeed, listening to this program without the aid of visuals underscores the sense conveyed that geography is as much about how we think about the world as where things are in physical space--that it is about the "tender connections that keep the earth alive." (Running time: three hours, two cassettes) --Uma Kukathas
Book Description
Who Killed The Dead Sea? Where was the Garden of Eden? What's So Bad About the Badlands?
Get on board as Kenneth C. Davis, author of the acclaimed national bestseller
Don't Know Much About® History, takes us on a fascinating, breathtaking, and hilarious grand tour of the planet Earth -- opening our eyes and imaginations to a wide, wild, and wonderful world we never knew.
Customer Reviews:
This is Fun Fiction.......2007-07-18
Why do I call it fun? It's a rollicking good read, chock full of interesting mini-essays. A good bed-time read, easy to pick up and put down when necessary. The index goes from Abreu to zircon, with lots of stuff in the middle.
Why do I call it fiction? In the cat mysteries I write, I made up an entire county in northeast Georgia, but it never occurs to anyone (I think???) to assume they could find it on a map. Just so Davis gives us an exercise in critical thinking -- as in, I'm thinking that a meter is longer than a yard, and certainly longer than a foot. Wonder why he (or an editor) didn't catch that?
So, let the buyer beware -- read it, enjoy it, but be careful.
geography rocks!! .......2007-04-11
This is a must have for all people who have an interest in geography. throw out everything you learned in school and relearn it with this series.
Too much personal bias for a purported factual book.......2007-03-03
Let me start by saying that I enjoyed Don't Know Much About History, and some of this author's children's books such as Don't Know Much About the Presidents. They present facts in a fun way, and provide interesting details that are little known to many. I began eagerly reading Don't Know Much About Geography expecting the same format and writing style. Unfortunately, this book (and Don't Know Much About the Universe) were laced with just enough insults and left-leaning commentary to take the enjoyment out of these books.
Mr. Davis was, too often, injecting his own, clearly patronizing opinions about what can loosely be termed the Judeo-Christian religions. He is obviously entitled to his opinions, but in a book that is supposedly factual - even a humorously factual book - these jabs seem unneccessary and frankly, annoying. He speaks of those people of the past (both famous and not) that had a religious faith as being "chained" to it or somehow held down/held back, both intellectually and literally because of their faith. In fact, he is blatantly condescending towards "religion" in general.
In addition, he often insults those who can be termed "conservative" leaders of the past such as former President Ronald Reagan. Again, he is the author and can write was he pleases, but why add politics in this fashion into a book of this type?
Mr. Davis has small sections in the book entitled "Geographic Voices" which contain interesting and humorous quotes from the past. I wish he had placed all his political commentary into sections entitled "Liberal Voices" so I could have just skipped this nonsense.
Other reviewers correctly pointed out scientific and historical errors which were presented as facts. I tried not to focus on these things because others had already described these issues in detail. Let me just say that besides the handful of just plain inaccuracies, some theories (or at a minimum, debatable points) are presented as FACTS. The mainstream media often employs this tool - "If we printed it/reported on it/broadcast it, it is true" - which in turn is accepted as fact by many of the nation's viewers/readers, without even the slightest question as to its accuracy. Perhaps most people don't have the time to verify every piece of information for its accuracy; but that is why, in my humble opinion, those who DO report/write/broadcast have a duty to the public to be accurate.
If you can get past the insults and left-leaning politics, you may still find this book an interesting read. For me, these things were too instrusive.
Don't know much about Davis.......2006-08-26
The moment I saw this book in our local bookstore, I quickly grabbed it. The title is very eye-catching since I'm very interested about the sciences, and Geography is one fascinating subject. The book is written in simple terms and easy to understand. What I didn't like about the book is that it's explicitly very biased against the creation theory. On the earlier pages, the author clearly stated that science is dynamic which I or presumably anyone will understand that when it comes to the sciences nothing is certain. Yet the author appears to be preaching the THEORY of evolution as a fact. I thought books like this calls for unbiased and unpartial content. So I scanned the back pages looking for his credentials. And I found my evidence, "don't know much about Davis".
Dry and boring.......2005-09-28
I thought this book might be interesting for my class (I'm a Geography High school teacher). Now, I've read many a dull tome on Geography in my many years. At least they were informative, mistake free and educational. Unfortunately, I cannot say say the same for this drivel. Not only is it dumbed down but, it is still dry and boring. I was drifting off while reading it (and I love geography - can't get enough of it!). There are mistakes a plenty. Not only the ones mentioned before, but I found 'facts' cotradicting themselves in the same chapter. In short; dry, boring, mistake ridden and dated.
Book Description
Networking guru Susan RoAne shows readers how to exploit chance to create a bigger network of contacts, friends, and acquaintances—the key to new life opportunities. In How to Create Your Own Luck, she reveals the eight traits of successful people who make their own luck, rather than wait for it. Filled with engaging and instructive stories of real people who've turned serendipity into success, her book focuses on the eight counterintuitive traits that they all have in common, including talking to strangers, making small talk, dropping names, and even eavesdropping. This handy, real-world guide reveals the practical ways that anyone can create their own luck—opening up new opportunities in every aspect of life.
Download Description
How to turn random chance into runaway success In How to Create Your Own Luck, networking guru Susan RoAne shows us eight traits of successful people who make their own luck, rather than wait for it. She shows readers how to exploit chance to create a bigger network of contacts, friends, and acquaintances-which inevitably leads to more opportunities in life and business. Filled with engaging and instructive stories of real people who've turned serendipity into success, this book reveals the eight counter-intuitive traits that they all have in common, including talking to strangers, making small talk, dropping names, and even eavesdropping. These traits keep people open to new experiences and open the door to good fortune. Perhaps we strike up a conversation in an airport bar that turns into a business relationship, or we mention a friend's name to an associate and find new business opportunities. There are an endless number of ways that luck can lead to new opportunities. But it's really not luck; it's the result of being open to possibilities that pave the way for success. This handy, real-world guide shows readers how to apply RoAne's practical, proven advice to every aspects of their lives. Susan RoAne (San Francisco, CA) is the bestselling author of How to Work a Room, The Secrets of Savvy Networking, and What Do I Say Next?, which have sold over a million copies combined. She is also a noted public speaker whose audiences have included Citicorp, Procter & Gamble, Boeing, and the Wharton School. She has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and the San Francisco Chronicle, and has appeared on CNN, NPR, CBS, and the BBC.
Customer Reviews:
Do You Feel Lucky? Make Your Day by Reading This Book!.......2007-08-07
I have always believed that the simplest ideas are best, even though many of the best simple ideas are overlooked by millions of people. Susan RoAne's eminently readable book reminds us that some of the simple things that create success may be forgotten in our madcap efforts to make it from day to day. "Luck" does not come to us by luck, we have to work at it. In the best tradition of the self-help book, RoAne offers a step-by-step plan for creating your own luck. This is achieved primarily through connecting with other people.
It is important to recognize that RoAne is not a Johnny-come-lately to the topic of networking. She practically invented the subject with her groundbreaking books, How to Work a Room and The Secrets of Savvy Networking. How to Create Your Own Luck succeeds as another book you need to read if you want to be successful with people. As RoAne points out, you can't do it alone. Lighthouse keepers are not lucky. Only those of us who follow RoAne's Reminders will reap the benefits of a lucky existence.
How to Create Your Own Luck.......2005-08-29
Basically you only need to read the first two pages. The remaining 150 say pretty much the same thing over and over. A totally unoriginal book in every way.
Luck is Reading This Book!.......2005-01-29
Just when you think that surely nothing more could ever be written on networking, the guru herself, Susan RoAne, weaves a masterful extension to connecting with people for synchronistic
(or lucky) outcomes. She clearly outlines the right traits of "lucky" people and then proceeds to relate illustrative story after story. Read this book. Take the advise. Get "lucky"
Eileen McDargh, author of THE RESILIENT SPIRIT, WORK FOR A LIVING & STILL BE FREE TO LIVE.
Invaluable. Delightful. Read it now........2004-12-05
I am a self-confessed fan of Susan RoAne and her work. Recognized internationally as "the networking maven," she knows her specialty well and communicates it effectively. And that won't be my last understatement!
Essentially, RoAne's message is that you create your own luck by reaching out to others, by building relationships, and by practicing proven techniques of opening the doors of opportunity before you hear the knock. The book is built around eight traits of success:
Talk to strangers, make small talk, drop names, eavesdrop and listen, ask for and offer help, stray from your chosen path, exit graciously without burning bridges, and say "yes" when you want to say "no."
As you move smoothly through the pages of this book (it's written to be read easily), you will enjoy focused illustrations that illuminate the vital traits. RoAne shares a wealth of meaningful stories that bring her messages to life, then explains again the process to follow to achieve your desired results. You can tell this book was written by a former teacher; the emphasis on learning shines through. Each teaching is an inspiration; readers will find themselves motivated to put their new knowledge to work. Summaries and action plan starters at the end of each chapter encourage application of the learnings. For some, the experience may be, in at least a small way, life-changing.
In the first paragraph of this review, I used the word "maven." This is a Yiddish word meaning "an expert, a knowledgeable person." That definition is one of many that are included in a glossary at the end of this book. RoAne uses several Yiddish terms in her writing, so the reader gains an understanding of this language. There's even a thorough index to add value to this volume.
"How to Create Your Own Luck" is highly recommended for everyone who wants to smooth their path through life. It will be particularly valuable for people in business (not just sales), entrepreneurs, students entering the world of work, prospective retirees...and the list goes on. Your biggest challenge will come when you finish reading the book: you'll have to decide if you want to covet it, or pass it along to someone else.
RoAne is Right On!.......2004-11-24
I know so many people personally and in business that walk around with their eyes on the ground trying to figure out how to get what they want. RoAne makes it very clear; the answer's right in front of you! Success is a true "can't see the forest through the trees" scenario. How To Create Your Own Luck helps you smack right into one of those trees and clear your blurred vision of hopelessness. It's a great book for young entrepreneurs like me!
Amazon.com
By the vastly amusing author of Don't Know Much About History and Don't Know Much About Geography, this fresh look at America's greatest conflict will dispel all those misconceptions you acquired by watching "Gone With the Wind". Davis has a genius for bringing history to life, sorting out the players, the politics and the key events -- Harpers Ferry, Shiloh, Gettysburg, Emancipation, Reconstruction -- in a way that will enlighten even the most dedicated back-of-the-class napper. A brilliant crash course, this book vividly brings to life the people -- from Dred Scott to Abraham Lincoln -- and the everyday details that make up History with a capital H.
Amazon.com Audiobook Review
Historian Kenneth C. Davis brings his remarkable ability for making the past vital and entertaining to this in-depth study of the United States' bloodiest conflict. Not content to rehash the one-dimensional accounts that traditional history textbooks have foisted upon students, Davis reexamines with a fresh, critical eye the situations leading up to and the key events that shaped the Civil War. He begins by reaching back to the earliest days of American history to understand the political, economic, and social conditions that allowed a nation founded upon the notion that "all men are created equal" to enslave and degrade 12 million human souls. In his detailed account of the war's battles and political power struggles, he introduces us to the personalities--from Abraham Lincoln, General Robert E. Lee, and Frederick Douglas to common soldiers and war widows--whose vision, compromises, determination, and powerlessness together made history. Davis also brings to light little-known facts and episodes that for generations were ignored or swept under the rug of the American conscience--including the role of women in the war effort and the massacre of blacks at the hands of Union civilians. All Americans would do well to take a new look at this period of history that "shaped the country's political landscape like the great glaciers had once carved America" because, as Davis explains, its effects linger today. "The Civil War," he says, "remains at the core of our greatest national problem: the great racial divide that grew from slavery." Few programs speak with such intelligence and eloquence about how far the United States has come in terms of what the war taught--and how far it still has to go. (Running time: six hours, four cassettes) --Uma Kukathas
Book Description
Why did Abraham Lincoln sneak into Washington for his inauguration? Was the Gettysburg Address written on the back of an envelope?Where did the Underground Railroad run?
Can you answer these questions? If not, you're not alone!
New York Times-bestselling author Kenneth C. Davis comes to the rescue, deftly sorting out the players, the politics, the key events -- Emancipation and Reconstruction, Shiloh and Gettysburg, Generals Grant and Lee, Harriet Beecher Stowe -- and providing little-known facts that will enthrall even learned Civil War buffs. Vivid, informative, and hugely entertaining,
Don't Know Much About® the Civil War is the only book you'll ever need on "the war that never ended."
Download Description
"
Why did Abraham Lincoln sneak into Washington for his inauguration? Was the Gettysburg Address written on the back of an envelope?Where did the Underground Railroad run?
Can you answer these questions? If not, you're not alone!
New York Times-bestselling author Kenneth C. Davis comes to the rescue, deftly sorting out the players, the politics, the key events - Emancipation and Reconstruction, Shiloh and Gettysburg, Generals Grant and Lee, Harriet Beecher Stowe -- and providing little-known facts that will enthrall even learned Civil War buffs. Vivid, informative, and hugely entertaining,
Don't Know Much About® the Civil War is the only book you'll ever need on ""the war that never ended.""
"
Customer Reviews:
Fails to Prove its Thesis.......2006-11-17
When I was in high school, we were assigned to write a paper on the causes of the Civil War. I think of the 30 people in my class, 29 wrote their papers on slavery; I wrote mine on state's rights. I focussed on the threats to the Union encountered by Andrew Jackson. When this book began with the thesis that the Civil War was caused primarily and perhaps exclusively by slavery, I was willing to let the author make his case. After completing the book, I am not convinced. The South was vanquished, slavery abolished, and 140 years later the South is still almost diametrically opposed politically to the North. Look at the results of the last two presidencial elections. Slavery is gone and all of the state's rights issues are still there. The South is as anti-Federal now as they were before the Civil War. It was this difference in basic philosophy that led to the war, slavery made the differences more noticeable.
Don't know mcuh about the civil war.......2006-08-10
I was looking for verification of facts, like who was behind Lincoln's assassination, but this work didn't satisfy that curiosity, yet I learned much, since I didn't do American history in school.
Entertaining, but somewhat Shallow.......2006-07-06
I listened to this book on tape and enjoyed it overall. I confess, I had some issues as I listened to the book as I am apparently in that class of people who actually does enjoy and study history. I found the anecdotes entertaining and overall found the book appropriate for its purpose as a primer for a majority of the populace who apparently doesn't have even a cursory grasp of the keystone event in American History. It does have a tendency however to oversimplify some of the issues in an apparent effort to create a framework to understand not only the events, but their socio-economic-political implications.
You have only to read the other reviews of this work for evidence that many of the philosophical and political battles of the civil war are still being fought in American Society.
Most criticism of this work seems to be directed at Davis' contention that slavery was the issue of the Civil War. Davis does go to great lengths to make this point. It is by no means a slam dunk as there are many reputable historians who downplay this claim as an over-simplification.
However, Davis is not writing this book as a competitor or replacement for the weighty works of academia that address this question. Davis is writing to a more general audience that he appears to perceive as attempting to sluff over or bypass this issue from the civil way, perhaps in some effort to minimize or bypass the issues of racism and civil rights inequities today.
In those terms, Davis seems to be going to great lengths to address the issue in order to convince them that:
1. Slavery is not a new issue.
2. Slavery was integrally entwined within many of the issues cited then and since for the Civil War.
States rights were an issue? Of course they were! What were the states primarily asserting their rights to control that they believed the North and then Lincoln were threatening? Slavery was primary in this regard.
Were taxes and tariffs tied into the argument. Yes it was. What were the taxes and tariffs centered around? Issues related to the agricultural South and the industrial North who preferred to see these applied to the others and not themselves. What drove the southern agricultural system and undergirded it in the context of the times? Was it state's rights? Yes, but primarily as those state's rights applied to slavery!
Are detractors correct when they claim that many who fought the war from the North were equally racist and had no real desire to benefit negro slaves? Yes, that is undeniably true. Were there many who fought on the Southern side who did not own slaves and would have been just as happy to see slavery ended? Absolutely.
The truth of the matter is, however, that slavery as a political issue was inextrably in the weave of all the issues leading up to Lincoln's election and succession.
In this regard, maybe Davis is overstating and oversimplifying things from the point of view of anyone who is already familiar with the events of and surrounding the civil war. The point to be made, is perhaps he needs to do this with his intended audience of neophytes and newcomers who need to be slapped in the face with it to dispel the opposite error which seems to have diminished the role of slavery and then civil rights development within the US.
That said, if you have questions after reading or listening to this book, then you'll at least have a platform from which to do further research.
So, I recommend this book. It does what it sets out to do which is to introduce people with little or no historical background not only into the events of the Civil War, but the political and societal context of it.
In order to do that you have to take a stand and make a case for what you are saying. Like it or not; agree with it or not; Davis does just that and he does a credible job.
Those criticizing it on that basis are beyond the purpose of the book and for whatever reasons still fighting the original battles.
Better here than on the battlefield!
Read it. Learn. Then move on and question the premises in additional reading after this fine introduction.
A perfect place to start, with one excception.......2006-03-17
For anyone wanting a basic education about the American Civil War, either as an educational requirement or as perhaps a lifetime hobby of interest, this is the perfect place to start. Author Davis covers every aspect of this great confrontation (except one) from the real reasons it was fought to how it came to its conclusion. There are thumbnail sketches of most of the participants on both sides, some in great detail; all of the major battles are incorporated, including the strategies and reasons for their outcome; myths are busted (no, Lincoln did not write the Gettysburg Address on an envelope); heroes and cowards receive their just desserts. My only complaint: Not one map. How can you write a history book without maps? How can your write a book about war without battlefield sketches? The book is presented chronologically in an expanded outline form, with questions asked and then answers given, making this an easy tome to return to and find quick information about specific topics. The index is equally complete in listing names and places. There is a terrific appendix giving complete documentation on such important aspects as The Emancipation Proclamation, The Dred Scott decision, Amendments to the Constitution, and much more. Even with all this detail, the book is very readable. Within this book, a person could find a narrow scope that intrigues and can lead to further exploration, whether it is Andersonville, The Underground Railroad, Gideon Welles, or the burning of Atlanta. To aid in this exploration, there is a 16-page bibliography that, in addition to title information, describes briefly what area each book covers. This is a treasure trove. But, bring your own maps.
Biased.......2006-02-06
I found this book very biased, which is why I continued reading. The history is horrible, but I was curious the extent to which Mr. Davis wants to cement his moral crusade view of history in lay people's minds. At one point the comparison is made between the opporators of the underground railroad and the people who resisted the Nazis. By extention Mr. Davis makes the implicit and fallacious argument, slavery is like the holocaust.
The title should be "Don't know much about slavery: How white men's stupidity continues in perpetuity."
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- Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
- Facing Your Giants: The God Who Made a Miracle Out of David Stands Ready to Make One Out of You
- Fast Guns Out Of Texas (Signet Historical Fiction)
- Flip Side of The Game
- Flyboys: A True Story of Courage
- Fortune's Fool (Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 3)
- From Alpha to Omega, An Introduction to Classical Greek, Rev Third Edition
- Half Broken Things
- Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, Volume II (Handbook of Flavor Ingredients)
- Headache and Your Child: The Complete Guide to Understanding and Treating Migraine and other Headaches in Children and Adolescents
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