Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time

Book Description

The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the Taliban's backyard

Anyone who despairs of the individual's power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan's treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools—especially for girls—that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. As it chronicles Mortenson's quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, Three Cups of Tea combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit.

Customer Reviews:

5 Stars Plus.......2007-10-10

I agree with some of the critisms that the prose distracts from the narrative. Additionally, there is too much of the author and not enough of "Dr. Greg". However, all of the negatives are superceded by a HUGE positive-- that this is an inspirational story of one man making an incredible difference in people's lives. C.A.I. will now go on my list of charities.

Inspiring, moving, excellent.......2007-10-10

This is one of the best books I've ever read. I haven't been able to stop thinking or talking about it since I finished. It's incredibly well written, suspenseful and very moving. It inspired me to increase my efforts to help others. I agree whole heartedly with the underlying premise of the book - that peace comes from education and that those who are left in poverty with no tools for overcoming this will naturally turn to the path of least resistance - the path of hatred, terror and war. Another thing I really appreciated about this book was that I could give it to my grandma - it doesn't have any profanity or other such material that would make me embarrassed for her to read.

This is a template on how to eliminate terrorism.......2007-10-10

I adore this book and believe that education is the answer. One person can make a difference.

Wow.......2007-10-07

Simply the most moving story I have ever read. This will renew your faith in humanity.

This is a life changing book.......2007-10-06

I have recommended (and given) this book to many of my friends and all three of my book clubs. Some people found the beginning a little tedious but I did not. I enjoyed the background material and have decided that, when I grow up (I'm already 52), I want to be Greg Mortenson. I admire him and think his wife must be a saint. I learned a lot, and more importantly, felt a lot while reading this book. It is very inspiring. As Americans, we have so much to learn before we offer to help.

The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Visions of Glory

Average customer rating:

The Hobo Philosopher
Fantastic read
Never Question Your Sanity ,,, It's not You
.......not a secret anymore......
A BRILLIANT BIOGRAPHY - WELL DONE!

The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Visions of Glory
William Manchester
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316545031

Customer Reviews:

The Hobo Philosopher.......2007-09-21

This is William Manchester at his best. This is fascinating reading and fascinating writing. Of course Winston Churchill was quite a character but to be honest I didn't know that fact until I read this book and its companion volume.
After reading this book I put it to my mind that I would read everything that Manchester wrote. I've got a couple more to go. You can't miss with this purchase. A great story, great writing, and good history. What more could you ask for?

Fantastic read.......2007-06-18

I am a little half way through the book, but it already is one of the best books I have ever read. The book deserves all the accolade. Manchester's approach to biography is a little different from many others in that he did not shy away from coloring the narrative with events that were yet to occur. He always hinted the historical significance of events in light of what happened later. I find this extremely helpful. For example: Churchill's fascination with early airplanes, his conception of tanks when dealing with a domestic riot are just two examples. These illuminated Churchill was indeed ahead of his peers in recognizing important trends.

The buildup to WWI is masterful. The book weaves Churchill's struggle with the Irish Home rule question together with the naval arms race with Germany in 1913. Since we know WWI started in 1914, the realization that Churchill and the British government were struggling with a domestic problem (which surely was exploited by the German Kaiser) enhances our understanding of the immediate pre-war times.

I knew the old US of A was not a world player before WWI. This book adds to that impression. Until the outbreak of the war, the US is just not on Churhill's radar: it does not show up much in his writing, travel, and speech. Yes, he did a book tour in the US, but that was before he started his political career.

Can't wait to read the second half of the book.

Never Question Your Sanity ,,, It's not You.......2006-12-22

This book should be read (before, after or with) The End of the World as We Know It. The scenarios are almost interchangable.

.......not a secret anymore.............2006-12-11

Actually it is very sad to mention this blunder against humanity:

When the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers in October and November 1914, Britain's communications with India and the East via the Suez canal was immediately placed in jeopardy.
There was a secret agreement with Germany signed in August 1914 by the Young Turks that was troubling the Russians and taken as warning of the forthcoming trouble to The Tsar. The Russians regarded their Caucasian terrirories were also placed in jeopardy.
Consequently, the British and French, in order to protect their future `colonies' and bisect the `sick man of Europe', had to act forcefully. They opened another front in the South with the Gallipoli (1915) and Mesopotamian campaigns.

Anxious to score his first military encounter with `the enemy', Winston Churchill, in his capacity as Lord of Navy, prematurely urged a combined French and British naval incursion into Gallipoli. But the Turks were successful in repelling the British, French, and Australia and New Zealand Army Corps. and pushed their eventual withdrawal and evacuation.

((By contrast, in Mesopotamia - Iraq- after the disastrous Siege of Kut (1915-16), British Empire forces - mainly of Indian troops - reorganized and captured Baghdad (March 1917). Further to the west in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign, initial British failures were overcome when Jerusalem was captured in December 1917, and the Egyptian Expeditionary Force under Field Marshal Edmund Allenby, broke the Ottoman forces at the Battle of Megiddo in September 1918))

Russia, the protector of the Greek Orthothox Armenian population, sent her best troops in the Caucasus. The Turkish, Vice-Generalissimo Enver Pasha, supreme commander of the ex Ottoman Empire armed forces, was a very ambitious man. His aim and everpresent dream was to conquer central Asia. Enver Pasha, like Winston Churchill, was not a practical soldier. He launched an offensive with 100,000 soldiers against the Russians in the Caucasus in December of 1914.
His main enemy was the severe Weather conditions.
Insisting on a frontal attack against Russian positions in the mountains , Enver lost over 80% of his troops at the Battle of Sarikamis, in the heart of the tough winter season.

In 1917, Russian Grand Duke Nicholas assumed senior control over the Caucasus front. Nicholas tried to have a railway built from Russia (Georgia) to the conquered territories with a view to bringing up more supplies for a new offensive. But, in March of 1917 (February in the pre-revolutionary Russian calendar), the Czar was overthrown in the February Revolution and the Russian army began to slowly fall apart.
Hence, the protector of the Armenians was gone.

Winston Churchill blunder in Gallipoli, opened patched over wounds and re-ignited animosities between the Turks and their Armenian neighbors. In 1915, the Armenians were the victims of his cowardice. The Turks committed a HOLOCAUST against the Armenians that immediately started after WC debacle in Gallipolis.
The mass murder of the Armenians was indeed the first Holocaust of the twentieth century.

A BRILLIANT BIOGRAPHY - WELL DONE!.......2006-07-27

This is a brilliantly written biography of one of the most fascinating characters in history. Like most of Mnchester's work (I must admit to being a big fan), this is a very readable biography, well researched and holds the reader's interest from page to page. We see so much of Churchhill in his role as a WWII leader that we tend to forget there was a young man, living, learning and growing before the back and white films we see today. It is good to be reminded of this from time to time. It is also, for those interested, to learn how a world leader of Churchill's calibre came into being, how he developed and why he was the way he was. This work gives us great insight to those questions. Cannot recommend this work highly enough.

Average customer rating:

Sadly disappointing
Arthur May Have Been the Celebrity, but This Book Belongs to George
Oh, Arthur -- We Wish We Knew You Better...
mystery and prejudice
Philip Spires's review of Arthur and George by Julian Barnes

Arthur and George
Julian Barnes
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1400097037
Release Date: 2007-01-09

Amazon.com

A real tour de force from masterful author Julian Barnes is Arthur & George, which was short-listed for the 2005 Man Booker Prize. Late-Victorian Britain is brought to vivid life in the true story of the intersection of two lives: one an internationally famous author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and the other, an obscure country lawyer, George Edalji, son of a Parsi Midlands vicar and a Scottish mother. They start out very differently. Arthur pursues a career in medicine before he discovers that he is really a writer; George, on his way to becoming a lawyer--near-sighted, timid and friendless--is victimized by locals because he is easy to scapegoat--a half-Indian in lily-white Great Wyrley.

The victimization of George takes the form of nasty letters, the theft of a school key, and finally, the accusation that he has mutilated animals. Meanwhile, Arthur is becoming more and more famous for creating Sherlock Holmes, whom he tries to kill off once and is forced to resurrect because of his fans' outcry. He marries, fathers two children and then, when his wife is invalided by consumption, falls madly in love for the first time with Jean Leckie.

The novel's style is smoothly revelatory. We slowly come to realize that George is half-Indian, that Arthur is the famous Doyle, that the woman he loves, chastely, is not his wife and, sadly, that George will not prevail over the forces ranged against him.

When George, desperate to resume his law career after imprisonment, sends Arthur the sad chronicle of his history, Arthur sees immediately that he could not be guilty and sets out to clear his name. This case of George's lifts Arthur from the slough of despond into which he has sunk after his wife, Touie, dies. He is guilt-ridden, constantly wondering if he was attentive enough, if she could possibly have known about Jean. Realizing the immense injustice George has suffered, he is shaken out of lethargy and, in Holmesian fashion, sets out to solve the case.

Julian Barnes is a gifted writer of enormous accomplishment. This novel is thoroughly engrossing, filled with Barnes's trademark themes of identity and love, longing and loss, and ultimately, an examination of man's inhumanity to man. --Valerie Ryan

Book Description

As boys, George, the son of a Midlands vicar, and Arthur, living in shabby genteel Edinburgh, find themselves in a vast and complex world at the heart of the British Empire. Years later—one struggling with his identity in a world hostile to his ancestry, the other creating the world’s most famous detective while in love with a woman who is not his wife–their fates become inextricably connected.

In Arthur & George, Julian Barnes explores the grand tapestry of late-Victorian Britain to create his most intriguing and engrossing novel yet.

Customer Reviews:

Sadly disappointing.......2007-09-23

Julian Barnes is a wonderful writer but, sadly, this novel does not use his gifts to his advantage. Had it been by another author, I'd have put it down for good about a third of the way through. It was only my previous experience w/ Barnes's work that kept me plowing ahead.

The plotline has been recited in many other reviews; suffice it to say that Barnes did a lot of research -- probably too much for him to turn away from this work in midstream, which he should have. The novel is disjointed, too long, plodding, and lacking in a satisfying ending. Rather than "Arthur and George," read something else by Barnes.

Arthur May Have Been the Celebrity, but This Book Belongs to George.......2007-09-13

This fascinating piece of historical fiction documents the intersection of the lives of Arthur Conan Doyle and George Edalji. The author, in alternating passages, relates the stories of each as they grow up. Arthur with his precise mind and daring imagination becomes the renowned author of the Sherlock Holmes stories. George, a shy and unimaginative child of mixed ethnicity, is bullied and abused until he is finally convicted of a crime he did not commit. His case comes to Arthur's attention and gives new life to the man who is grieving over the death of his wife and his inability to commit to the woman he truly loves. They each have a dramatic effect on the other's life and their real-life encounter led to the establishment of the appeals process in the court system.

However, the strength of this book lies in the telling of their individual lives from young boy to the final years. George, in particular, will pull at your heart strings as he struggles with finding his identity in a hostile England. His unusual childhood, his unjust imprisonment, and his fight to reclaim his life as a member of the legal profession will open the reader's mind to the damage racism can do and how lives can be shattered because of bigotry.

Filled with well-researched scenes from the life of the famous Conan Doyle and poignant, heartbreaking moments from the life of the much lesser-known but equally real George Edalji, this book offers a penetrating look at the imperfect world that was 19th century England.

Oh, Arthur -- We Wish We Knew You Better..........2007-09-09

Arthur and George is a fascinating account of two very different men -- one famous, one not, whose lives crossed only briefly for a memorable historic mystery. Julian Barnes has resurrected an episode out of the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who acted as a real-life detective once or twice in his life, and created a very interesting look at life in turn-of-the-century England. George Edalji, victim of an obvious case of racism and injustice, calls upon Sir Arthur to clear his name. Conan Doyle, reeling from the death of his first wife and his guilt over loving another woman, leaps into the case with enthusiasm ... to mixed results.

Spanning the life times of both men, Julian Barnes has taken on a monumental task, and sometimes I felt as if I was standing outside a house with my nose pressed against the glass, wanting a closer look at the lives of these two men passing so quickly in front of me. Especially in the case of Conan Doyle, I felt I didn't know him at all in the first half of the book, and he only came alive to me as a real man when he met Jean Leckie. Perhaps this was the author's intention, but up until that point I felt that George Edalji was the strongest character in the book, with Conan Doyle only a shadow.

mystery and prejudice .......2007-08-09

Interesting book with Arthur Conan Doyle, inventor of Sherlock Holmes, as the protaganist. George is unjustly imprisoned, released with a blemish on his record which Doyle tries to remove.

Philip Spires's review of Arthur and George by Julian Barnes.......2007-08-07

George Edalji (that's Ay-dal-ji, by the way, since Parsee names are always stressed on the first syllable) is the son of a Staffordshire vicar of Indian origin and his Scottish wife. George is thus a half-caste, to use the language of his late-Victorian and Edwardian age. He's a diligent, if not too distinguished a scholar. He is uninterested in sport, is of small stature and doesn't see too well. He sleeps with his father behind a locked door, is in bed by 9:30, becomes a small town solicitor who develops an interest in train timetables and, by way of outlandish diversion, publishes a traveller's guide to railway law.

Arthur Conan Doyle (later Sir Arthur) is born in Edinburgh, completes medical school and generally accomplishes whatever task he sets himself, including becoming a world famous writer. Despite the fact that he kills off his creation, the detective Sherlock Holmes, ostensibly to devote time to tasks of greater gravity, popular demand insists that he raise the character from the dead. He does this and proceeds to generate even greater success than before. He marries happily twice and pursues and interest in spiritualism, amongst other good causes.

Perhaps because of who they are, the Edalji family become the butt of the campaign of poison pen letters. When they complain, all they accomplish is the focusing of further unwanted attentions on themselves. When a series of ripping attacks on animals remains unsolved, George, somehow, becomes the prime suspect. Convinced of his villainy, police, judicial system, expert witnesses, jury and press see him convicted of the crime and sent down for seven years. Good conduct sees him released after three.

Sir Arthur wishes to do good and takes up George Edalji's case. He researches the facts, analyses the possibilities, tracks down neighbours and officials who have been involved. He creates an alternative explanation of events and presents it to officialdom, seeking a pardon and compensation for George, who by this time has transferred to London to start a new life. The two men meet and the incongruity of their assumed expectations of life are as irreconcilable as they are irrelevant to their joint focus on George's case. After official review, however, the Home Office Committee eventually concludes in an ambiguous manner. Edalji was convicted of the crime and the conviction is declared unsound; but crucially he is not declared innocent. He is therefore found not guilty but then not innocent either and so not worthy of compensation. When, years later, Sir Arthur dies and his associates stage a spiritualist gathering in his honour in the Royal Albert Hall, George is invited and attends, complete with binoculars lest he miss a detail of the proceedings. The illusion of the event draws him in and at one stage he feels himself to be the centre of attention, only to find that it is a near miss. Most of the detail refers to himself and his father, but the reality then points to another who is immediately identified.

But, paradoxically, the quiet George Edalji and his Parsee (not Hindoo) father, Shapurji, were always the centre of attention simply by being who they were. Even Sir Arthur, the son's eventual champion, states this in one of his letters when he writes that it was perhaps inevitable that a dark-skinned clergyman taking a station in central England would attract other's attention of a kind that would seek to undermine him, vilify him and attempt to oust him. The message is clear, that to be different from an assumed norm is to invite hatred, envy, discrimination and eventually ignominy. It is presented as a universal assumption, an unwritten element of common sense. Thus, as an intruder, the usual rules of justice will never pertain, a reality alluded to late in the book when George, scanning the Albert Memorial with his binoculars, discovers a statuesque embodiment of the concept of justice that is not wearing a blindfold.

What is eventually so disturbing about Arthur and George, however, is the realisation that both characters are outsiders. George is set apart from his Staffordshire peers by his skin colour and perceived race. Arthur, however, lives no humdrum life. He attends private schools, qualifies as a doctor and then becomes an international celebrity by virtue of his writing. He takes up minority causes and identifies with them but, despite his obvious separateness from mainstream society, in his case his position is never interpreted as a threat or a handicap, obviously because the separateness of privilege has a different currency from the separateness of even relative poverty.

Now an enduring memory of my own school history lessons was a textbook reproduction of a mid-Victorian cartoon of the universal pyramid of creation. It had God at the apex, immediately in touch via the saints with the Empress of India and then, layered beneath in widening courses were the gentry and aristocracy, the members of government and civil service, the professional classes and merchants. The working classes could perhaps temporarily ignore their poverty in the solace offered by knowing that they are a cut above members of all other races who, themselves, were just one up from the apes. It was not many more layers down to the low animals, most of which slithered or crawled. Arthur and George ostensibly tells us much about racism and racial discrimination in a society that was portrayed as the apex of a worldwide empire, a heavenly focus for aspiration. It also tells us about the power of presumption and has much to say very quietly and by suggestion about social class and its ability, especially in Britain, to legitimise difference as originality or eccentricity in some areas, differences which elsewhere would be threats.

Philip Spires
Author of "Mission"

The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare: 38 Fully-Dramatized Plays (Arkangel Shakespeare)

Average customer rating:

Great value!
Great Collection
An immaculate collection.
A Wonderful Indulgence for Lovers of the Bard
Shakespeare in Wisconsin

The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare: 38 Fully-Dramatized Plays (Arkangel Shakespeare)
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: The Audio Partners
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1932219005

Book Description

For the first time in audio publishing history, all of Shakespeare's plays are available in one extraordinary, definitive collection. Based on The Complete Pelican Shakespeare, here are all of the master's 38 plays, complete and unabridged, fully dramatized on CDs with an original score and sound design for each play. A monumental project that spanned five years and cost $3 million, The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare represents the collective vision of four people: Shakespeare scholar Tom Treadwell, film producer Bill Shepherd, BBC director Clive Brill, and composer Dominique Le Gendre. Together they have assembled the 400 great actors of the British theater and produced a landmark digital recording with a sophisticated layering of sound that immerses the listener in Shakespeare's world.

Customer Reviews:

Great value!.......2007-07-06

The Arkangel Shakespeare is one of the best investments I've ever made. Both the dramatic and technical quality of the recordings are excellent. Buy the collection yourself and discover why listening to Shakespeare is so much more rewarding than merely reading Shakespeare.

Great Collection.......2007-06-22

It's great to listen to each of these cds with lots of well-known artists. I have now listened to 36 and loved each. If you're a Shakespeare fan, this is a must!

An immaculate collection........2007-05-10

I can't say enough about this collection. This is an absolutely astounding collection of all of Shakespeare's play, uncut and unabridged, performed by some of England's most talented actors an actresses, as some of the other descriptions and reviews speak of.

What I have found invaluably rewarding as a Shakespeare devotee and as a actor is to follow along to Shakespeare's text while listening to these incredible recordings. I did this for a Shakespeare course in college. We'd be assigned a play to read within a week, and within 2 hours, I'd have it all read, while hearing it performed on these amazing recordings. To hear Shakespeare's words spoken as they would have been originally heard nearly 400 years allows for a greater understanding of the composition and the rhythm of the dialogue and verse. It simply does not get any better than this.

I'd highly recommend this collection. The producers of the Arkangel Shakespeare have obviously taken great care in preserving the text of the play and by employing the best of classically trained actors, the greatest works of English literature, filled with characters and words will blossom in your mind's eye. I cannot imagine any library being complete without this collection, and it is nothing short of a delight to have for your own personal library.

Do not hesitate to consider purchasing this collection for your public or collegiate library, or for yourself. It is a hallmark in the canon of comtemporary presentations of Shakespeare's complete works.

A Wonderful Indulgence for Lovers of the Bard.......2007-01-13

This was my Christmas present this year, and I can't stop looking at it. It's almost overwhelming to decide which play to grab and listen to in the car on my drive to work. These are wonderful productions with clear, crisp sound and excellent actors. The classical training is obvious, and many will recognize the names of actors, espcially fans of BBC television. Ciaran Hinds as Antony in Antony and Cleopatra is wonderful. He's also in The Winter's Tale. For any fan of Shakespeare this is a terrific investment. For teachers of British literature it is also a wonderful classroom resource.

Shakespeare in Wisconsin.......2006-08-09

This is a gorgeous production that is indeed a treasure. I listen with a Creative Zen Vision player and every word is delicious. I have enjoyed the first seven plays, thru Hamlet, and every nuance, every word, every inflection, pause, sound, background music theme and all the audio panorama makes every minute an absolute delight. I am now in a quandary about whether to continue listening thru the series or begin again to search among the endless audio treasures for gems I might have missed. This Arkangle series is a gift from the gods and worth many times its price. This kind of talent, dedication and flawless performance beggars description.

The Septuagint with Apocrypha: Greek and English

Average customer rating:

MIssed the mark...
COOL!
The Best Septuagint translation
Spooky
Brenton's classic translation of a translation

The Septuagint with Apocrypha: Greek and English
L. C. L., Sir Brenton
Manufacturer: Hendrickson Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0913573442

Book Description

This edition of The Septuagint with Apocrypha (the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament and the apocryphal books of the same linguistic origin) gives the complete Greek text along with a parallel English translation by Brenton.

Customer Reviews:

MIssed the mark..........2007-08-26

I bought this book because as a Protestant who has recently discovered that the Bible (OT) I'd come to know and love was not complete, I wanted the complete Old Testament. However, I was also entering into Orthodoxy at the time, and thought this was an Orthodox Old Testament. Then I found this out, from my Orthodox Spiritual Father:

The author "wasn't Orthodox ... thus his translation does not convey the true spirit of the Church. It makes it a rather dry and scholastic text. Take for example LXX - Psalm 67:35. The Church translates this as "Wondrous is God in His Saints; the God of Israel." Sir Lancelot translates "Saints" as "holy places" and places is in italics which meanes it is his personal inference and is not even in the text. What is the Greek word for "saint"? It's "agios". And what is the Greek word for "holy"? It's "agios". Interesting uh? But still Sir Brenton can shed light on what the Jewish Massorites were trying to hide. Most Protestants don't realize the the KJV Old Testament was translated from the Massoretic Text that had replaced all other previous texts in synagogues and Jewish Library holdings. This new Massoretic Text was made between 900 A.D. and 1400 A.D. and was purposefully altered to not express the messianic prophecies and Christian meanings that were so very clear before. And that is why the oldest editions of the Old Testament are all in Orthodox Churches today dating from about 300 B.C. when the Septuagint was first translated. But that's what happens when you think God became man in order to give us a book to try and understand and fight over. Nay, Nay! He gave us Himself to eat and drink of and then only in perfect harmony and love for one another."

So if you, too, are looking for the ORIGINAL Old Testmant, this is not it. If you want that, look for the 'Orthodox Study Bible', as recommended by my parish priest.

COOL!.......2007-07-13

I'm recently getting into Greek and ancient texts, and this one is making me more and more excited to dive into such studies. each page is about 2/3 Greek and 1/3 English (NOT old English).

The Best Septuagint translation.......2007-06-16

This is the Standard translation for the Septuagint that has been used for years. Brenton does a great job providing the greek text along.. Whenever I need to really get down to brass tacks with scripture this is always my last resort since its directly from the codex vaticanus.. Many of the Jewish texts have been corrupted after the death of Christ and they tried to "buffer" the prophetical texts regarding Christ(like changing virgin to young woman and other common damage control tactics)..Since the codex vaticanus is the earliest bible we have(the codex is older than the masoteric texts) this is probably yhe best translation we have. Espesially reading how well the Jewish scholars for Ptolemy translated it(they probably had a better version in their hands back then, then the masoteric texts we have now)

Spooky.......2007-05-22

I am only a beginning student of Greek. When I managed to grasp the first few lines in Genesis every hair on my body stood up. The experience was worth the price of the book. I am hooked. The book is haunted.

Brenton's classic translation of a translation.......2007-03-12

Sir Lancelot Brenton's The Septuagint is a translation of a translation: a rendering into English of the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament plus Apocrypha. The Septuagint (LXX) is the now common name given to a translation which was apparently made in third century BC for Jews living in Alexandria, Egypt, who could read Greek but not Hebrew. Some historians think that Ptolemy II, the Hellenistic ruler in Egypt, needed a copy of the Jewish Bible for his great library, but wanted it in Greek so he could read it.

As Chrsitianity spread, the early Christians found the LXX especially helpful in trying to explain how Christ and the Gospel was part of God's long-range plan for creation. Over 300 of the Old Testament citations in the New Testament are said to be taken from the LXX translation. Brenton's English translation of the LXX was first published in 1851.

Brenton is a descendant of an English family which came to America in the 18th century, but remained loyal to the King at the time of the American Revolution. Brenton the translator is said to have earned a degree at Oxford, but became a "non-conformist" minister with the Brethren, and died without any progeny.

His translation of the LXX plus Apocrypha remains a classic. It is almost certain that he used the King James Version as a crutch or guide in developing his translation. A modern English translation of the LXX has been made by Paul Esposito and is titled The Apostles' Bible. It, however, does not include the Apocrypha.

Breton's translation of the LXX is in its eleventh printing by Hendrickson Publishers. The Greek and English lie side-by-side, but the Greek text is printed in clearer and larger type than the English. For those of us who stumble through the Greek, having the English nearby is helpful.

Sir Cumference and the First Round Table: A Math Adventure

Average customer rating:

Geometry and Camelot
Led to instant recall of proper geometric terms
Sir Cumference and the First Round Table: A Math Adventure
Great Way Of Sneaking In Math!
Sir Cumference and the First Round Table

Sir Cumference and the First Round Table: A Math Adventure
Cindy Neuschwander
Manufacturer: Charlesbridge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1570911525

Product Description

Sir Cumference, his wife, Lady Di of Ameter, and their son, Radius, use geometry and problem-solving techniques to help King Author. 32 pages. 8 1/2" x 9 1/2". Ages 5-10.

Customer Reviews:

Geometry and Camelot.......2007-08-10

This 32 page children's book tells how Sir Cumference, his wife the Lady Di of Ameter, and their son Radius solve the problems of the king's table. King Arthur and his knights needed to have a council, but there was a problem with the table around which they met. It began as too long; after that was fixed, the table had too few sides, and other tables produced more objections. Geo of Metry makes tables in several shapes before a round table solves all the problems. The illustrations are great, with medieval pageantry and geometric explanations. A few other characters from Camelot appear, such as Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain.

This is a great book to introduce geometry to the young, making it fun and easy. Shapes and measurements are explained in the quest for the perfect council table for the king and his knights. When the round table is finally found to be the perfect shape, the king names certain measurements after Sir Cumference, Radius, and the Lady Di from Ameter. Very cute!

Led to instant recall of proper geometric terms.......2007-04-28

My kids (9 and 6) , who are homeschooled, loved this story and it resulted in them being able to instantly recall the proper names of geometric elements and classes (e.g., radius, circumference, obtuse, acute). This is probably due to the clever visual and contextual associations provided. We bought another book in the series right afterward with the same results. Plan to get them all.

Sir Cumference and the First Round Table: A Math Adventure.......2007-02-20

Very cute story and a nice way of using word play to describe geometric vocabulary. Great for an introduction to the concept and as a review for older children.

Great Way Of Sneaking In Math!.......2006-08-05

My daughter has always had a problem learning Math but reading this book (along with the others in this series) has helped her immensely! The books themselves are a bit young for her but the concepts in them (Pi, Geometry, etc) are explained in a way I think she needed.

I would recommend these to anyone who has a child with problems in math concepts.

Sir Cumference and the First Round Table.......2006-06-29

This little book appeared to be very clever and well illustrated, however the quality, colors and illustrations were not what I had expected.

The Philosophical Works of Francis Bacon, Baron of Verulam, viscount St. Albans, and Lord High Chancellor of England; Methodized, and made English, from the Orginals, with Occasional Notes, to Explain what is Obscure; And shew how far the several Plans of (Collected Works of Sir Francis Bacon - 3 volumes)

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The Philosophical Works of Francis Bacon, Baron of Verulam, viscount St. Albans, and Lord High Chancellor of England; Methodized, and made English, from the Orginals, with Occasional Notes, to Explain what is Obscure; And shew how far the several Plans of (Collected Works of Sir Francis Bacon - 3 volumes)
Francis Bacon
Manufacturer: Classic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
ASIN: 0742620298

The Principia : Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy

Average customer rating:

Excellent translation with helpful apparatus
Is Newton come on!
An Engrossing and Time Consuming Masterpiece of Science and Literature
I can't believe people still believe this stuff
Wonderful overview, somewhat overwhelming.

The Principia : Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy
Isaac Newton
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0520088174

Book Description

In his monumental 1687 work Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, known familiarly as the Principia, Isaac Newton laid out in mathematical terms the principles of time, force, and motion that have guided the development of modern physical science. Even after more than three centuries and the revolutions of Einsteinian relativity and quantum mechanics, Newtonian physics continues to account for many of the phenomena of the observed world, and Newtonian celestial dynamics is used to determine the orbits of our space vehicles.
This completely new translation, the first in 270 years, is based on the third (1726) edition, the final revised version approved by Newton; it includes extracts from the earlier editions, corrects errors found in earlier versions, and replaces archaic English with contemporary prose and up-to-date mathematical forms.
Newton's principles describe acceleration, deceleration, and inertial movement; fluid dynamics; and the motions of the earth, moon, planets, and comets. A great work in itself, the Principia also revolutionized the methods of scientific investigation. It set forth the fundamental three laws of motion and the law of universal gravity, the physical principles that account for the Copernican system of the world as emended by Kepler, thus effectively ending controversy concerning the Copernican planetary system.
The illuminating Guide to the Principia by I. Bernard Cohen, along with his and Anne Whitman's translation, will make this preeminent work truly accessible for today's scientists, scholars, and students.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent translation with helpful apparatus.......2007-06-11

I am writing my dissertation on Newton and have found this translation incredibly helpful and surprisingly readable.

The Principia is one of the most difficult and inaccessible books ever written -- so much so, in fact that even John Locke (himself a pretty smart guy) had to ask Christian Huygens to explain much of it to him. This difficulty was intentional, because Newton did not want people who only understood math a little to try and undermine his arguments. For this reason, he rewrote book three so that only those who had read and understood book 1 could understand its concepts.

People laugh when I tell then that I own a book with a three hundred page introduction, but it's a book that needs a three hundred page intro. In their intro, Cohen and whitman describe the history of the principia, its structure, an explanation of where prior translations have fallen short, and -- most importantly -- note which of the Principia's sections have been most significant during and after Newton's time. This is helpful so that when you get to each section, you are more likely to notice which elements may have seemed most controversial, where he is taking down Descartes' vortices, etc. I'm not saying I agree 100% with cohen and whitman on all of their points, but they have produced a work that does not simply translate the book; it also shares the writers' substantial knowledge about the principia.

This is an essential and monumental translation. If you are at all interested in early modern science, you must own it.

Is Newton come on!.......2006-08-10

What I have to say is Newton.... What else are you lookin for in a Physics book. Ohh yeah the only problem it has that its size is such a college book(huge), and it is not hard cover.

An Engrossing and Time Consuming Masterpiece of Science and Literature.......2005-09-22

Principia explains with great detail some elements of Eucledian geometry, Calculus, Fluid mechanics, Three laws of Gravity and The Method of the Universe. Newtons three hundred year old advice remains true today to read Book One and Three while skipping Book Two altogether. I can honestly say that subject is not too difficult but is guilty of being well conceived but poorly worded. The latter was Newtons own intention to make its reading very exclusive and making him less vunerable to his contemporary critiques. This version has the diagrams illustrated on multiple pages for each Scholium to avoid the constant turning of its pages. I advice a slow read of Book 1 and 3. The last Scholium of Book 3 is the best discussion as to the existance of God that I have read. Long live the spirits of Shakespeare, Newton, Vermeer and Beethoven.

I can't believe people still believe this stuff.......2005-09-20

The Principia is the basis for much of modern science. It is swallowed hook, line and sinker by mathematicians and people in physics as a 'holy grail.' It is a continuation of very old fashioned thinking, hooked on 'cause and effect' relationships, Aristotelian in nature. One would think that modern science could see through this veil of antiquity, but seemingly has not yet had the courage to do so.

It is essential reading, however, so see how far 'science' has not moved for nearly 400 years.

This particular translation is of interest in that half of the book tries to explain and support the original text. Bit too hard of a sell to justify Newton's arguments. Again, it is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the flaws of modern 'science.'

Wonderful overview, somewhat overwhelming........2004-09-07

This is a wonderful reference, but frankly, it was overwhelming for me. Let's just say that while the first two sections of this book were clear, informative, meticulously and thoroughly footnoted and annotated, the last section-- the actual translation-- proved beyond my abilities. I'd HIGHLY recommend a college-level geometry course before attempting to read the actual translation of Newton's revolutionary work.

Frankly, the combination of archaic verbiage (Cohen kept a number of obsolescent terms in translating from the original Latin), combined with a predominately narrative style (reading in an entire paragraph what can in modern mathematical symbology be articulated in a single line) combined with my lack of working analytic geometry enabled me to follow this seminal work conceptually, but not in detail. Other reviwers have suggested that a working knowledge of calculus and Newtonian physics is required. I disagree. To follow Newton's proofs in detail, it is Euclidean geometry that is required. Newton's Principia CONCEPTUALLY utilizes calculus, but the proofs themselves are Euclidean with the concept of "infinitisimally small" added to the equation. I have single- and multi-variable calculus, linear algebra, differential equations (first-, second-order, and partial), and graduate-level statistics under my belt. Junior high school geometry is insufficient to understand his work. So far, I am studying tensors, differential geometry/exterior calculus with respect to gravitation physics without too much difficuly. Geometry!

Otherwise, this book was wonderful. Section One is a thoroughly researched historical background. Social setting, scientific thought at the time, the controversies of the times, historical perspective, insights into Newton himself. Wonderfully referenced and annotated.

Section Two is a clear "How to Read" section-- discussing section by section of the Principia what the main concepts and issues are, even critiquing Newton's flaws and obvious attempts to fill in gaps or alter data when existing data were insufficient to his theories! Cohen even guides us step-by-step through some of the more important proofs in the Principia-- proofs that for the most part I followed, except for certain geometric assumptions that I had to assume were true.

My fascination has always been relativity... which I am working on understanding now. When finished, I may read a college-level text in analytic geometry, then come back to this. But I was impressed by the sheer breadth of conceptual material Newton covered. Certainly entitling his last book of The Principia "The System of the World" was justified.

The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Alone 1932-1940

Average customer rating:

Brilliantly Written European History - 1932 to 1940
Grab a bottle of Scotch and have at this book!
Churchill was begging....
absolutely a delight to read
solitary courage

The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Alone 1932-1940
William Manchester
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316545120

Customer Reviews:

Brilliantly Written European History - 1932 to 1940.......2007-09-16

The Last Lion, Alone covers the history of Europe from the time Hitler first came to power in Germany to the time that Hitler invaded the Low Countries and World War II began. During this period Churchill, who continually fought against the appeasement policies of Chamberlain, rose from Back Bench irrelevance to become Brittan's Prime Minister.

The history of this period is a gripping saga of one man's malicious attempt to dominate Europe and another man's noble efforts to stop him - a classical case of good vs evil - told as an almost unbelievable story in the words of a master story teller.

Grab a bottle of Scotch and have at this book!.......2007-07-03

William Manchester informs and entertains in this excellent historical account of the critical years leading up to WWII, juxtaposing the appeasement practices of predecessors Baldwin and Chamberlain with the unwavering belief in the principles of freedom held by Churchill. The book (along with Manchester's first volume) gives terrific insight into the transition from the glory days of the British Empire to the Post WWI apathy that beset the British public. As well, the work provides delightful commentary on the characters surrounding Churhill's life including his colorful mother Jennie, his wife Clementine and his nemesis Adolf Hitler.

Churchill was begging...........2006-10-06

After the fall of France in June 1940, Winston Churchill was begging USA President Roosevelt for military aid (in fact, all sorts of support was then needed) as no one knew what would the 'fate' of the French fleet was going to be.
Churchill kept reminding the American president that Britain would not surrender even if left alone.
Churchill was defiant despite the fact that the two 'key' American ambassadors, in France and Great Britain, were pro Hitler (or at least they were not anti-Nazi).
Joseph Kennedy (USA Ambassador to GB) openly cautioned his fellow Americans against entering the war because the 'allies' would soon be beaten.
However, I would have liked to see more comments about the position and reaction of the king - king George VI.
Was he indifferent?
We should remember that Hitler had been addressing the King as the man whom the British Government circles have loathed, and as the only 'hope' for a reconciliation between the Third Reich and GB.
In this context it is true that Churchill was indeed ALONE

absolutely a delight to read.......2006-01-26

I was adrift when I finished this volume.
grasping at pathetic things to read for a while - nothing satisfied - Manchester can set the stage, his historical background is so rich that you'll find yourself spouting about it to your friends.

You'll learn more from this book than a two semester course in 20th century history.

Churchill himself is the lead player in a panapoly of exciting elements. But manchester never lets the reader forget the place in history - the man was a masterful writer.

solitary courage.......2005-12-29

No better profile of Churchill 1932-40 exists. Whetted with acrimony and disdain, Churchill is ultimately proved right (and his real task commences).

This is a work of the first order. `The Last Lion' (1874-1932) is also worthy.

Gilbert (worth reading) pales in comparison.

Sir Banister Fletcher's A History of Architecture. ( Twentieth Edition )

Average customer rating:

Excellent Choice
The Best Complete Book on Western Architecture
Full of historical detail
It's just so.....juicy!
Wow! Wow! Wow!

Sir Banister Fletcher's A History of Architecture. ( Twentieth Edition )

Manufacturer: Architectural Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0750622679

Book Description

The 20th edition of Sir Banister Fletcher's A History of Architecture is the first major work of history to include an overview of the architectural achievements of the 20th Century. Banister Fletcher has been the standard one volume architectural history for over 100 years and continues to give a concise and factual account of world architecture from the earliest times.

In this twentieth and centenary edition, edited by Dan Cruickshank with three consultant editors and fourteen new contributors, chapters have been recast and expanded and a third of the text is new.
* There are new chapters on the twentieth-century architecture of the Middle East (including Israel), South-east Asia, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea, the Indian subcontinent, Russia and the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and Latin America. * The chapter on traditional architecture of India has been rewritten and the section on traditional Chinese architecture has been expanded, both with new specially commissioned drawings
* The architecture of the Americas before 1900 has been enlarged to include, for the first time, detailed coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean
* The book's scope has been widened to include more architecture from outside Europe
* The bibliography has been expanded into a separate section and is a key source of information on every period of world architecture
* The coverage of the 20th century architecture of North America has been divided into two chapters to allow fuller coverage of contemporary works
* 20th century architecture of Western Europe has been radically recast
* For the first time the architecture of the twentieth century is considered as a whole and assessed in an historical perspective
* Coverage has been extended to include buildings completed during the last ten years
* The coverage of Islamic architecture has been increased and re-organised to form a self contained section

This unique reference book places buildings in their social, cultural and historical settings to describe the main patterns of architectural development, from Prehistoric to the International Style. Again in the words of Sir Banister Fletcher, this book shows that 'Architecture ... provides a key to the habits, thoughts and aspirations of the people, and without a knowledge of this art the history of any period lacks that human interest with which it should be invested.'

*Winner of the International Architecture Book Award, The American Institute of Architects Book of the Century.

*THE source book for the historical development of architecture

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Choice.......2007-01-10

I purchased this book for my daughter as a Christmas gift. She works for an architecture firm and specializes in historic preservation. She has wanted this book for years but it is pricey and she did not feel she could purchase it for herself. She is extremely pleased with book and would recommend it to anyone that is interested in the history of architecture.

The Best Complete Book on Western Architecture.......2004-04-26

Without a doubt, this text is the Quintessential Gold Standard for introductory Western Architecture. A must have for anybody who is serious about learning about how Western Architecture has evolved over time, and with little if any bias. Its only weak area is with architectural development in Asia and South/Central Meso America. Other than that, this is my third copy of the text and it just keeps getting better. Believe me when I say, this is one book you may never want to loan out, for it may not get returned. I know, it's happened to me once already.

Full of historical detail.......2003-10-17

Mine is a new 1975 edition (which was a small fraction of the new price). It is as much a history of the world--and an incredibly detailed one--as a history of architecture. It opens each of its 40 chapters with a discussion of a civilization or era, then describes the buildings very matter-of-factly. Sometimes opinions emerge: Louis Kahn is cited as an example of a flash-in-the-pan; FLLW's Guggenheim is criticized as impractical.

The photos are top quality B/W, often very old. Its real strength is early architecture; by chapter 35, it is only finishing up the Renaissance. The authors are so knowledgeable, the writing so polished after 18 editions, all others pale by comparison.

I don't think there's much of a market for these books outside of libraries, but those who read it will marvel at its erudition.

It's just so.....juicy!.......2000-03-17

For over a century, this has been THE classic study of the history of architecture. It is a work of art in it's own right and worth owning simply for the joy of hefting it's not inconsiderable weight and browsing once in a while - even as a layman. The text is extraordinarily readable and the illustrations are a delight. It's so packed full of information - believe me, even if you have only a limited interest in architecture you will learn a great deal that will surprise you from this book! Enthusiasts for classical and other older branches of architecture may wish to consider purchasing second-hand copies of older editions - they're somehow nicer, and devote less space to the debased modern form of the art. (Yes, I'm biased and proud of it!:) Of a reasonable collection of architectural history books, (including several larger-format, beautifully-illustrated coffee-table books in the modern style)this book is easily my favourite. It has class, style and above all, character. Buy it!

Wow! Wow! Wow!.......1999-02-09

If there ever was a book on the history of architecture this is it! So very well documented with numerous pictures and chronologies. Wow! the mother of all architecture books-well worth the price.

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