History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time

Average customer rating:

Good idea just no facts.
Pretty good even if the title is misleading
Disappointing
Point of departure...
Reccommended for anyone interested in reason and skepticism.

Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time
Michael Shermer
Manufacturer: Owl Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Controversial Knowledge | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Parapsychology | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Unexplained Mysteries | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0805070893

Amazon.com

Few can talk with more personal authority about the range of human beliefs than Michael Shermer. At various times in the past, Shermer has believed in fundamentalist Christianity, alien abductions, Ayn Rand, megavitamin therapy, and deep-tissue massage. Now he believes in skepticism, and his motto is "Cognite tute--think for yourself." This updated edition of Why People Believe Weird Things covers Holocaust denial and creationism in considerable detail, and has chapters on abductions, Satanism, Afrocentrism, near-death experiences, Randian positivism, and psychics. Shermer has five basic answers to the implied question in his title: for consolation, for immediate gratification, for simplicity, for moral meaning, and because hope springs eternal. He shows the kinds of errors in thinking that lead people to believe weird (that is, unsubstantiated) things, especially the built-in human need to see patterns, even where there is no pattern to be seen. Throughout, Shermer emphasizes that skepticism (in his sense) does not need to be cynicism: "Rationality tied to moral decency is the most powerful joint instrument for good that our planet has ever known." --Mary Ellen Curtin

Book Description

In this age of supposed scientific enlightenment, many people still believe in mind reading, past-life regression theory, New Age hokum, and alien abduction. A no-holds-barred assault on popular superstitions and prejudices, with more than 80,000 copies in print, Why People Believe Weird Things debunks these nonsensical claims and explores the very human reasons people find otherworldly phenomena, conspiracy theories, and cults so appealing. In an entirely new chapter, Why Smart People Believe in Weird Things, Michael Shermer takes on science luminaries like physicist Frank Tippler and others, who hide their spiritual beliefs behind the trappings of science.Shermer, science historian and true crusader, also reveals the more dangerous side of such illogical thinking, including Holocaust denial, the recovered-memory movement, the satanic ritual abuse scare, and other modern crazes. Why People Believe Strange Things is an eye-opening resource for the most gullible among us and those who want to protect them.

Customer Reviews:

Good idea just no facts........2007-09-25

"Dr" Shermer seems to be on the same level as a Fundamentalist Christian. He want so badly for others to believe what he believes on in his case what he doesn't believe. He gives you what but not why. Sorry sir but that isn't enough. He falls in the same category as I must preach because I to have doubts about that it is I am preaching about.

Pretty good even if the title is misleading.......2007-09-21

For a while now I've been wondering why smart people around me believe in weird things. Great heavens, I've even met physics professors who believe that the Coriolis's force rotates the waters in a sink! When I saw this book I thought it can answer this question. It certainly tries, even though the author admits that it's a very difficult question. Unfortunately, only about 60 pages out of more than 300 are dedicated to this question, and the writing is complicated, with a lot of philosophical terms. Most of the book, however, is about weird things themselves and debunking them. I thought about taking off one star for that, but the information in those sections, even if unrelated to the book's title, is still very interesting and informative, not to mention well written and sometimes funny, so I reluctantly give the book full marks. The bottom line is I'm not sorry I bought it.

Disappointing.......2007-09-10

The title of the book seemed promising. But the book its self was very disappointing. It is not well organized and the scope of the book and the material presented seem far from each other. What I did not understand was if this was a book which through scientific reasoning showed that people believe in illogical things why include 2-3 chapters about Holocaust??? What's that have to do with it? Is this like a jewish propaganda or something ???

Point of departure..........2007-08-02

We are all guilty. Each of us holds some aspect of the irrational dear to our hearts. A belief that if we just root the right way for our home team, they will triumph. The thought that stepping on a crack will break our mother's back. It is human nature. Michael Shermer addresses some of the larger issues of irrationality and their impact on society at large and humanity in specific. He digs deeply into some very tricky topics and presents a comprehensive and readable treatise on thoguht and behavior.

I found his objective analysis of Holocaust deniers and their beliefs to be sound and free from the emotional rantings of those who simply devolve into ad hominem attacks. What was most interesting was Shermer's posing of a model for odd beliefs. Using the witch trials of the middle ages and a more recent event in rural America (the mad gasser of Mattoon, Illinois to be precise!), Shermer demonstrates how odd beliefs rise and fall in society. Given the speed and nature of the world wide web, one might expect odd beliefs to rise and fall with even more frequency and speed.

Pick up this book in order to refresh your critical thinking skills. As he points out in his Skeptic's Manifesto chapter, the role of the skeptic is not to perpetually doubt, but to maintain an open mind - just not so open one's brains fall out.

Reccommended for anyone interested in reason and skepticism........2007-07-25

If you believe that reason, rationality, and skepticism are the best ways to arrive at a conclusion for any subject, then read this book. If you're conspricacy theory prone, a believer in the paranormal, or believe things first and figure out why later, then you REALLY need to read this book.

Higher Superstition: The Academic Left and Its Quarrels with Science

Average customer rating:

why academics can't think
Still relevant after all these years...
Read this book. Now.
Postmodernism exploded
Exposing the absurd

Higher Superstition: The Academic Left and Its Quarrels with Science
Paul R. Gross , and Norman Levitt
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Science | Subjects | Books

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

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Science | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0801857074

Book Description

With the emergence of "cultural studies" and the blurring of once-clear academic boundaries, scholars are turning to subjects far outside their traditional disciplines and areas of expertise. In Higher Superstition scientists Paul Gross and Norman Levitt raise serious questions about the growing criticism of science by humanists and social scientists on the "academic left." This paperback edition of Higher Superstition includes a new afterword by the authors.

Customer Reviews:

why academics can't think.......2007-08-20

A thorough examination of the results of applying a confused literary philosophy to science. Covers postmodernism, feminism, radical environmentalism, multiculturalism and AIDS activism -- each of these areas has tremendous strengths, but the deconstructionist approach (aka political correctness) often leads to absurd positions. None of these discussions can be dismissed with sound bites, and this book is heavy going in places, but essential for anyone trying to work or think within modern science and academia.

Still relevant after all these years..........2006-08-02

Academic fads have a startlingly brief lifespan: Last year's new thing is supplanted by this year's new thing, which promises to transgress all previous boundaries and explode the oppressive partiarchal paradigms that are crushing the unprivileged. Everything that lies under the vague umbrella of "postmodernism" is one of those this-year's-new-things. But most of those academic fads didn't really go away; that's why, even though it was published in 1998, this is an important and still-relevant book.

Gross and Levitt examine and systematically demolish a number of postmodernism's anti-science subspecies. In a way, this amounts to no more than swatting at a swarm of annoying academic insects; Gross and Levitt are genuine scientists, so, unlike the academic postmodernists, they are good at analyzing data and presenting logical arguments. And that's what they do, devastatingly and humorously. It seems unlikely that a densely footnoted and referenced academic study could be laugh-out-loud funny, but this book is.

However, there's something important here, too. That is that the academic postmodernists' attacks on science have a cumulative harmful effect of deflecting young people away from real science, confusing the scientifically illiterate public about scientific and technological principles and policies, and, most dangerously of all, creating the impression that science is just one of several possible "ways of knowing," all of which are equally valid.

No, they're not. The plain fact is that science works; it accurately describes physical reality. Diverting intellectual effort and research money to the study of alternative "ways of knowing" is wasteful and academically bankrupt.

Read this book. It's still relevant and important. And it's very, very funny.

Read this book. Now........2005-10-13

This is a very important book. Gross and Levitt are, respectively, scientists trained in biology and mathematics. They are also broadly-educated individuals who are able to deal with postmodern (and other) challenges to science on those challenges' terms. They have done considerable homework in preparing to write this book and some of their analyses of postmodern thought are among the most astute and crisp that I have seen. Moreover, the book is eminently readable. The style is firm but graceful. Reading it is not only a pleasure in itself, but a reaffirmation of the possibilities and benefits of broad liberal arts education. While the issues are current ones, the authorial voice is one of 'old school' erudition informed by deep humanity.

There is a danger that the book could be considered a polemic since its rhetoric is very direct. Punches are not pulled; euphemisms are not substituted. Nevertheless, while the book provides the pleasures offered by a great polemic it still enjoys the weight and point of serious argument. It makes its scholarly case.

This is must reading for all who work in the humanities and social sciences and seek to understand the assaults to which science has been subjected as well as those assaults' etiology. The continual question that haunts everyone confronting postmodern thought is, how can serious people believe such stuff? This book provides a number of plausible answers to that question.

Postmodernism exploded.......2005-10-01

Gross and Levitt do a fine job of demolishing postmodernism in its various guises. The authors' impatience with, and honest surprise at, the academic left's ridiculously incompetent attacks on scientific objectivity is expressed throughout the book alongside some penetrating analyses of, and cogent arguments against, a string of postmodernistic theses.

The book has, however, one serious shortcoming: The authors' justified impatience with the academic left too often seems to make them forget - repeated assurances to the contrary notwithstanding - that a good many honest scholars within the humanities departments are just as hostile to postmodernism as any scientist. Eager to disclose the nonsense behind the empty rhetoric of the "scholars" of postmodernism, Gross and Levitt simultaneously discloses what seems to me to be a far from praiseworthy disdain of the humanities in general.

I am educated in the humanities, but my attitude is very much pro science. I was therefore frequently frustrated when I read "Higher Superstition", because I felt stabbed in the back by the authors' propensity to treat humanities scholars as of all of the same kind - e.g. as mathematically "illiterate". Gross and Levitt ought to know that even though humanities scholars rarely know anything about avant-garde mathematical and physical research this does not in itself betoken a lack of abilities, skill or intelligence on the part of those scholars. Reality has many different and fascinating aspects and no one can be an expert within every field of research. We pick the subject that interests us the most, and Gross and Levitt should accept that not all intellectuals find mathematics or quantum mechanics as interesting as e.g. history, anthropology or psychology.

Unfortunately, Gross and Levitt too often seem to equate the liberal arts with some kind of cosy game that can lead anywhere because of a lack of rules. This is grossly unfair - not to say ridiculous and demeaning - to scholars within the humanities departments. But to me it is regrettably an altogether too typical example of the intellectual arrogance that typifies many scientists' attitude to any kind of research that is not about the "exact" or "hard" sciences. Why shouldn't the humanities pretend to study an objective reality by way of stringent methodological rules and in the hope of providing sound, corroborated theories and true propositions? Why can't there be a good theory of e.g. the origins of World War I? Surely, Gross and Levitt wouldn't want to claim that there can be no true or false statements within the humanities? Were that the case, Gross and Levitt would be exactly as naïve and unjustified as the postmodernists who level the same charge against science. The fact that the humanities don't use particle accelerators or advanced mathematics does not in itself falsify their claim to objectivity. Surely the nature of the subject matter - and not the postulates of arrogant scientists - must decide questions of methodology. Objectivity is not just a matter of expensive laboratories and men in white coats.

An obvious example of the authors' condescending attitude towards the humanities is their musings on the question of which of the two - science or the humanities - is least dispensable to the human race. Apparently, Gross and Levitt think that whereas a world without science would be a terrible place, a world without the humanities would only be marginally (if at all) worse than the present one. I find the question in it self rather childish - science and the humanities are not competitors - but were I to play this game I'd point out that a scientifically advanced world without an adequate appreciation of the arts, literature, ethics etc. would be a world in which any Hitler or Stalin wannabe had every chance of blowing everything apart. Science can tell us how the world is - but only the humanities can tell us about how we ought to live our lives and treat each other. Gross and Levitt would do well to learn this lesson. Their claim that they themselves could teach a course in the humanities is hilarious and it made me shake my head in disbelief. I've been taught philosophy and history by teachers who have spent a lifetime studying these subjects. But of course, Gross and Levitt are not only wiser by far than anyone else when it comes to mathematics and physics. They also know everything worthwhile about subjects outside their area of expertise! A modicum of respect and humility - or just plain old modesty - would not be amiss.

This criticism aside, there ought to be no doubt about the high quality of the authors' writing and logic. This is an important and well written book; it should command the attention of the intelligent reader and prompt some serious considerations of basic questions in epistemology and philosophy of science. I can heartily recommend this book.

Exposing the absurd.......2005-06-21

If you are looking for a savage debunking of some of the hilarious absurdities of the academic irrationalists, you will not be disappointed.

Are the authors a bit harsh? Not if the punishment fits the crime. What price a generation of confused students? The POMO charlatans get the sound thrashing they so richly deserve.

There are plenty of examples of the intellectual flim-flam and snake oil that typifies the POMO genre. By the end we can only wonder in disbelief that it has fooled so many for so long.

The authors have done humanity a great service. In the tradition of Voltaire and Paine, they have unmasked the priests of obscurantism. With luck and common sense, we may be spared the cost to civilisation of the resurgence of cults of unreason.

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)

Average customer rating:

Check and see
Suprise! Suprise!
Prescient St Augustine?
Something of a disappointment
Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy..

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
Anatoly T Fomenko
Manufacturer: Delamere Resources LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Historiography | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Medieval | World | History | Subjects | Books

German | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Russian | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Chinese | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Mythology & Folklore | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Controversial Knowledge | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

History | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Celtic | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Magic & Wizards | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

History | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 2913621066

Product Description

`History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2` is the second volume of the most explosive and astounding tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by rock solid scientific data. The book is easy and pleasant to read; it is well-illustrated, contains hundreds of charts, graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays. You will be amazed to discover: - That the chronology universally accepted today and taken for granted is simply wrong; - That ALL methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts known today are erroneous or non-exact; - That there is not a single document that could be reliably dated earlier than the XIth century; The Author refers to the Middle Ages as the Antiquity and proves mutual superimposition of the Second and the Third Roman Empire, both of which become identified as the respective kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Furthermore, he asserts that the famous reform of the Occidental Church in the XI century by Pope Gregory Hildebrand was the reflection of the XII century reforms of Byzantine emperor Andronicus who in his turn identifies with Jesus Christ. The Trojan war counted by Homer happened only as late as of the XIII century A.D. and the great poet actually lived in XIV century A.D. No stone in history of Antiquity is left unturned. Literally. This book is the beginning of a major correction to the chronology we live with.

Customer Reviews:

Check and see.......2007-06-21

I don't care what other people say of this book. Those affirmig it's fake, they hadn't ever read it. Or have some special reasons to do so. "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see..." This book won't make you feel comfortable. It'll make you feel free. It'll make you feel you're "not the only one" to feel you'd been lied to for centuries.

Suprise! Suprise!.......2007-03-22

Here is a serie of books which turns "the whole world" upside down. I learned a lot of it and I hope that a new book from A.T. Fomenko will follow very quick. A absolute must for everybody who is interested in history or even a little bit from it.

Prescient St Augustine?.......2006-02-05

We can so far divide the New Chronology into the following three parts:

a) The verifiable theory that proves consensual chronology wrong with the aid of astronomy, statistics and mathematics;

b) The new chronology hypothesis based on a new understanding of known historical facts and the most likely logical explanation of the most obvious inconsistencies inherent in the official version of history;

c) The history conjectures, that is experimental historical reconstructions based on assumptions that the authors believe to make sense in the light of their research and linguistic parallels - void of ironclad factual support to date.

Fomenko's theory complies with the most rigid scientific standards as a whole:

It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.

- It is consistent: independent lines of inquiry all lead to the same conclusion.

- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.

Fomenko goes by the following axioms:

- Chronology is the basis of history;

- Human evolution has always been linear, gradual and irreversible;

- The "cyclic" nature of human civilization is a myth, likewise all the gaps, duplicates, "dark ages" and "renaissances" that we know from consensual history;

- The accumulation of geographical knowledge as reflected in cartography is a gradual and irreversible process;

- The chronological distance between a given manuscript and the events described therein is proportional to the amount of distortions it contains;

- There is no "useless" information in authentic ancient sources.

Why the mainstream historians do not shower mathematician Academician Dr.Prof Fomenko with thanks and laurels?

The Russians:

Because Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by three centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called "Tartars and Mongols" were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a bilingual state with Arabic spoken as freely as Russian. The ancient Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities. The hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called "blood tax"). Their "invasions" were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion. Fomenko proves that Russian history as we know it today is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scientists brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs, whose ascension to the throne was the result of coup d'état, charged with the mission of making their reign look legitimate. Fomenko proves Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. They represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate rulers and the ambitious upstarts. The winner took it all! Over some 30 years of controversy, Russian historians have made a most remarkable transition - they were initially accusing the young mathematician Fomenko of anticommunist dissident activity and attempts to deface the historical legacy of Soviet Russia; nowadays the middle-aged mathematician is accused of adhering to "pro-communist Russian nationalism" and defacing the proud historical legacy of Great Russia.

The Westerners:

Because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History. Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one the Ancient Rome (the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the XIV century A. D.), the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, and the Ancient Egypt (the pyramids of Giza become dated to the XI-XV century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global "Mongolian" Empire, no less). The civilization of the Ancient Egypt is irrefutably dated to the XII-XV century A. D. with the aid of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone. He was the first one to decipher and date all such horoscopes, coming up with mediaeval dates in every case. English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. To reward the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.

The Chinese:

Because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such thing. Full point. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the XVII-XVIII century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation, this time performed on the Chinese soil by the loving Jesuit hands. The Chinese are the next in line to go berserk. Chinese history is inevitably bound to get both more ancient and more eventful, proportionally to the growing involvement of China in the world affairs. Chinese historians will keep on finding valid proof of prehistoric Chinese spaceflights until the Politburo orders them to shut up.

The Arabs:

Too bad. Islam with all its key figures is datable to XV-XVI century A. D. Arabic historians may find consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire in the XVI-XVII century. The trouble is that this empire was initially a Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, according to Fomenko! We can only guess if the acquisition of Alexander the Great (a Macedonian and a Christian) as the founder of the Muslim World Empire will make Fomenko's theories more acceptable to the Arabic mainstream. He certainly does not spare any holy cows at all, claiming The Stone of Qa'Aba in Mecca to contain the lost Arch of the Covenant.

The Divinity:

Despite of reiterated statement that his theory is all about chronology and not Religion, Fomenko stirs up a whole condominium of wasp nests. His collection of anathemas, fatwa, and other condemnations from all parties concerned is already considerable. Little wonder, considering that the history of religions à la Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the XI century and JC), Bacchic Christianity (XI-XII century, before and after JC), JC Christianity (XII-XVI century) and its subsequent mutations into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on.

According to Fomenko we know strictly NOTHING about the events that predate the X century A. D.

St Augustin was prescient when he spoke unto us: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."

Something of a disappointment.......2005-09-09

After having read the first volume of this expected series of 7 volumes I was triggered by the thesis of these authors that ancient Greek and Roman history did in fact take place in the Middle Ages. So I started studying medieval history of the Middle East - also known as Islamic history - to find out if the opponents of the ancient Greeks and Romans - the Acheamenid Persians, Sassanids, Scythians, Egyptians, etc. - also have their duplicates in medieval history. My search was disappointing: none of the many medieval Islamic dynasties seemed to correspond to the ancient middle eastern rulers.

However, I did find a close correspondence between Herodotus' Persian kings and medieval events:

- the defeat and capture of an Anatolian king - the Lydian Croesus - by the Persian conqueror Cyrus is identical to the defeat and capture of another Anatolian king - sultan Bayezid - by the Asian/Mongol conqueror Tamerlane;
- the Persian conquest of Egypt by the cruel tyrant Cambyses reds almost exactly as the Ottoman conquest of Egypt by Selim the Grim (note the nickname!);
- Darius the Lawgiver of the Persian Empire looks very much alike to Sulayman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver in Islamic history;
- Xerxes, whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by the Greeks at the naval battle of Salamis, looks like Selim II (the Sot) whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by a Spanish-Italian alliance at the naval battle of Lepanto.

I should have expected Fomenko et al. to arrive at similar conclusions, however, they claim that the Persian kings are the alter egos of the Angevin kings of Sicily whose biographies do not contain the exploits of the Persian kings.

The similiarities I indicate lead to the conclusion that Herodotus must have written his Histories at the close of the 16th century. But this is extremely late, given that Herodotus is "the Father of History", so therefore all other "ancient" histories must have been fabricated even later. Yet, the founders of modern chronology - Scaliger and Petavius - laid their foundations also at the close of the 16th century and had the full corpus of ancient histories already at their disposal.

It seems to me that Fomenko has to address these inconsistencies, maybe in the forthcoming 5 volumes?

Another critique of their book is that the correspondencies between different rulers are often based on a superficial comparison of the biographies; upon a more thorough comparison many details appear that do not correspond at all.

Finally, the authors rely heavily on the works of Gregorovius (1821-1891!!) - his medieval histories of Rome and Athens - as the source of medieval history; these works are - at least in the West - hoplessly outdated and have been superceded by more up-to-date works (for instance, Julius Norwich's trilogy on Byzantine history is not even cited).

Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy.........2005-07-30

If you agree with Fomenko that Roman chronology is basically the foundation of the entire edifice of global chronology; you would also certainly agree that despite its numerous gaps and inconsistencies, Roman history is the best-documented field of ancient history, and thus a reference scale. But how well is the actual date of the Eternal City's foundation known?

Firstly, Rome is supposed to have been founded by the Trojans who had to flee after the fall of Troy. Some claim Rome to have been founded by Aeneas and Ulysses shortly after Troy had fallen; others are of the opinion that there was an entire dynasty that ruled for 500 years between the fall of Troy and the foundation of Rome.

Well, that's just an innocent 500 years long misunderstanding compared with what heretic Fomenko says, asserts, proves in his second volume: Second Roman Empire, Third Roman Empire, Biblical Kingdom of Israel, Biblical Kingdom of Judah, Holy Roman Empire are stories about basically same events, written from different points of view at different times. The underlying events have actually taken place during xii-xv cy. These histories have been written and perfected by multitude of highly talented humanist and clerical writers of xiii-xvi cy disguised as "ancients" with glorious names like Homer, Pluto, Thucydides etc..Chronology 2.0 beta..

Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.

Average customer rating:

From the Horse's Mouth
Another New Age book for the gullible
invaluable wisdom and knowledge on modern Curanderismo
This is a wonderful book
Exceptional writing by Joy Parker

Woman Who Glows in the Dark
Elena Avila , and Joy Parker
Manufacturer: Tarcher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Healing | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Accessories:

ASIN: 0874779588

Book Description

A modern healer draws on Aztec folk medicine to offer a new perspective on women's health.

Showing readers how to become not only physically healthy but also creatively and spiritually whole, Elena Avila's book presents a global vision of how the gifts of indigenous health care, married with contemporary technology, can create a medicine of the future.

Customer Reviews:

From the Horse's Mouth.......2005-08-28

I am the co-author of Woman Who Glows in the Dark. I had not visited this page for quite some time and was deeply troubled to read the review written by Edward B. Holman. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, I feel that Mr. Holman has made some grave misjudgements about an author he has never met. He has also reported information, inaccurately and out of context, regarding a book I find it difficult to believe he has read. None of his references get beyond p. 28, and Chapter 1 starts on p. 41.

I spent eight months writing this book with Elena. That work involved traveling through Guatemala and Mexico with her, meeting her Aztec teacher Ehekateotl, staying at her home in New Mexico for weeks at a time, and meeting and interviewing her students and some clients. As someone who knows her personally and had to do extensive research to write this book, let me tell you, from the proverbial horse's mouth, what really happened and something of who this woman is.

Mr. Holman writes "Curanderismo is mainly the province of the people who are, essentially, exorcists, and their conterparts, brujos, brujas, and hechiceros, are people who are paid by their clients to place hexes on others."

This is incorrect. First of all, many modern curanderos are midwives, herbalists, chiropractors, bone-setters, and counselors. For a more in-depth discussion of this topic, please see, Chapter 1: Types of Curanderos and Their Specialties (beginning on p. 69).

Second, to infer that this class of healers, and Elena by extension, deals only with the darker arts is a gross mistatement.

Elena is a healer of the highest integrity--and, I might add, an inspiring humility. Every time we met to write, she spoke of the responsibility that healers have toward their clients. She never claimed any "magical powers" for herself but emphasized over and over that she was just God's instrument.

The stories she tells in this book are of clients who were healed in a profound way. You have only to read them to see the love and commitment she brings to this work. Writing this book with her brought profound healing into my own life.

I also saw the fruits of her work in her students, whom I met and interviewed for the book. The foundation in healing that she gave them was solid and rich. I refer you to Chapter 6, which is filled with stories about what she taught them about curanderismo. Read the book and let these students, who have worked and traveled with her for years, speak for themselves.

Mr. Holman goes on to say, "she replaces it [the 'conventional wisdom of curanderismo']with a concoction that she largely invented herself, with the help of a couple of fraudulent pretenders from Mexico who claim to be the heirs of the magical and religious traditions of the Aztec Indians."

Again, I was there. I traveled with her to Mexico and spent time in the community center of her teacher Ehekateotl, who is truly one of the spiritual heirs of the Mexica (Aztec) tradition. How do I know this is true? Because I met the people he helps in his community and found them to be good and intelligent souls. I helped them to build a huge altar for the Dia de los Muertos ceremony and did ceremony with them. I was permitted to visit some of their sacred sites. I listened to their stories, I met other healers who deeply respected Ehe.

All I can say is that Ehekateotl is a man of deep humility, great humor, and dedication to his people. To call such a kind and generous man, sight unseen, a "fraudulent pretender," as Mr. Homan does, is inexcusable. Ehe lives very humbly, has little money, and spends his days healing people who come to the community center where he lives. (And they keep coming, obvously, because they get results.) He is really quite overworked and kind, and carries on with a lot of courage.

To really understand how a culture could go underground to survive the Spanish Conquest, take a look at Chapter 7: The Gods That Refused to Die. It's not unthinkable that cultures go underground. When I wrote A FOREST OF KINGS and MAYA COSMOS with Linda Schele and David Friedel, it was the same story. The Aztecs, as well as the Maya, are alive and well.

On the subject of cursing, Mr. Holman quotes Elena as writing, "'Some times the "cursed" individual is suffering from some kind of chemical imbalance, such as schizophrenia, and needs medication and psychiatric help.'... That is the impression I get of her. People come to her expecting to be treated in the way that any other curandera would treat them, and she sends them off to someone who will get them started on Prozac. Thanks a lot, Ms. Avila!"

This is taken entirely out of context. I quote from p. 53 of the book, "Recently, I saw an elder named Anna who had give a 'curandero' her life savings--ten thousand dollars--to take away a hex. I was deeply saddened by her story. Her thirty-six-year-old daughter had been diagnosed as having paranoid schizophrenia but was refusing to take her medication."

Elena goes on to say that the daughter was becoming violent and was unable to care for her small children. When the woman brought her daughter to Elena, who is also a trained psychiatric nurse, "It was obvious to me that her daughter had a chronic condition and needed to take her medication. Not taking her medication was what was causing her to become violent with her children."

This brings up an important point, that there is, as Mr. Holman implies, some sort of "right" or "orthodox" way to be a curandera. This is a terribly limited way of looking at any healing modality. A true healer applies the APPROPRIATE AND EFFECTIVE cure for the situation, not some kind of rigid prescription.

What Elena writes about in this book is how she has taken what she learned of curanderismo and applied it to THIS culture. Sometimes that looks very, very traditional indeed; and sometimes it looks creative and appropriate and effective. The stories told in the book, particularly the story of Donna and her soul retrieval in Chapter 4: The Weeping Soul, p. 193, attest to how skillfully Elena works with her patients and how astute she is about finding ways to help them.

I would also like to address Mr. Holman's remark "I am quite sure she charges for her sessions, her lectures and tours and workshops, and anything else she can charge people for. And I doubt if she is cheap, either." It is true that in traditional cultures a healer works by accepting donations. But it is also true that they never have to go without food or lodging or the necessities of life because the community values them and takes care of them. To expect a curandera in America to accept only donations is just absurd. Elena started out this way, she told me, but soon discovered that people would give her $15 for two hours of work. One wealthy client, who had a $100-a-day cocaine habit, handed her a twenty for hours of work.

Why do we believe that traditional healers don't deserve to be paid? We pay our medical doctors, don't we? Yes, Elena does charge, reasonably, but I also know for a fact that she would not turn away someone who really needed her help. When we were in Mexico City together doing research for the book, the owner of the hotel we stayed at found out she was a curandera and sent his whole staff to her. She didn't charge a penny and willingly worked on everyone because that is her calling.

It is also very interesting that the book that Mr. Holman holds up as the ideal, CURANDERISMO by Robert Trotter, does not seem to have been well-reviewed by him. I quote from his review of that volume: "This book is what one would expect from a team of American academics starting from scratch trying to assemble a definitive body of knowledge while based on US soil and focusing on a population located inside of the US." On the other hand, Elena has lived her whole life in this culture and WOMAN WHO GLOWS IN THE DARK is written with depth and intelligence, honesty and passion.

I just do not believe that Mr. Holman carefully read this book and I am curious about the virulence of his attack.

I can only urge you to read this book and judge for yourself. It is a wonderful record of the history of curanderismo, of love and service to others, and of deep respect for a wonderful, endlessly creative, living healing tradition.

Another New Age book for the gullible.......2005-08-22

Lewt me start off by saying that I have been interviewing curanderos and curanderas in Mexico, along with their clients, for 15 years now, and I have read all of the major books on the subject, and I know what curanderismo is and what it isn't. This book is just another New Age piece of fiction, such as the market abounds with, and the author is taking advantage of the gullible with this work.

Curanderismo is mainly the province of the people who are, essentially, exorcists, and their conterparts, brujos, brujas, and hechiceros, are people who are paid by their clients to place hexes on others. Besides that, they do treat regular illnesses, and also they treat "folk illnesses" such as "susto", with prayers and simple cleansing ceremonies known as limpias. In addition, they sometimes perform candle burning magic, usually wherein images and statues of saints are involved, and these are known as "trabajos" - "works".

Avila has concocted a scheme of things that overlooks and actually, at times, rejects the conventional wisdom about curanderismo and she replaces it with a concoction that she largely invented herself, with the help of a couple of fraudulent pretenders from Mexico who claim to be the heirs of the magical and religious traditions of the Aztec Indians.

Here are just a very small sampling of the nonsense and contradictions that she offers, which, for anyone who is actually familiar with Mexican curanderismo, do not represent in any fashion the conventional wisdom or what one would find on ones own if one were to interview real curanderos or their clients.

On page 21 she states: "Although I do not believe in curses, I respect the cultural perspective of those who do, and I listen to them with respect" ... "Some times the 'cursed' individual is suffering from some kind of chemical imbalance, such as schizophrenia, and needs medication and psychiatric help". So, what she is saying is that she completely rejects and dismisses out of hand the very foundations of curanderismo, and since she obviously des not anything about curanderismo, she finds this very easy to do. That is the impression I get of her. People come to her expecting to be treated in the way that any other curandera would treat them, and she sends them off to someone who will get them started on Prozac. Thanks a lot, Ms. Avila!

More: "Curanderas build up a person's energy and self-esteem, and teach him or her how to break the vicious cycle of depression and hopelessness." So, here we can see that her concept of curanderas is that they are essentially counselors who give pep talks to people, and this sort of speculation derives from her fumbling around to idealize them as some sort of folk psychoanalysts along with her not having any contact with any real ones wherein she would find out soon enough that none of this is true.

Page 23: (in which she is making the assertion, apparently, that the principal roots of curanderismo come from Africa) "As a curandera, I use ritual, ceremonies, dances, drums, rattles, divinations, painting of the face and the body during ceremony, and fasting as tools of healing." That all sound like the sort of thing your average New Age shaman would do, but I have never heard of a real curandera doing any of that.

She says that she had "Aztec teachers" (p. 23). These people, it turns out, are a couple of men who claim that they are part of a tradition that has been kept alive secretly by members of the Aztec priesthood who operated underground for the last 500 years ago before resurfacing and appearing in Northern New Mexico where they became Avila's gurus. What we have here is a tale that seems to be copied from Gardner (of Wicca fame) and Carlos Castaneda (with his ficticious Yaqui guru "Don Juan").

I won't elaborate on the text, but her description of the "spiritual theory" of curanderismo, as she describes it, on pages 27 and 28 indicates that she does not understand the core concepts of curanderismo and brujería. This seems to indicate that she has always been insulated from actual curanderismo and its practice, and that, even though her clients keep trying to bring her into the fold, she seems to not be interested because she has been promoting this pseudo-curanderismo that she invented for so long that she cannot even begin to accept the conventional wisdom such as what the people who really did grow up steeped in this culture hold. She also thinks that people who are under curses are only suffering from "suggestion", and that this is the reason for their reactions. This is a point that we have discussed at length in the 1curanderismo group in earlier exchanges. People who do not believe that curses are possible contend that this is all a psychological occurrence based on the fear reaction that occurs in people who believe themselves to be cursed, and this allows an explanation as to why people might get sick or even die. It is all psychosomatic, according to these explanations. However, we know that brujos and hechiceros go to pains to prevent their victims from knowing that they have been cursed. Avila also claims that people who supposedly cure the victims of these supposed fictitious curses are charging a lot of money and bilking their clients for bogus services That is not true either. Certainly, there are plenty who do that, but it is well known that the best curanderos never ask for money. They only accept donations. Inasmuch as she is willing to tar all legitimate curanderos and curanderas who are actually practicing curanderismo and doing what curanderos and curanderas do more often that anything else with this sort of cynical charge, I think that no one should object to her being exposed for the way that she presents herself and how she does business either. Let us be perfectly honest here. I am quite sure she charges for her sessions, her lectures and tours and workshops, and anything else she can charge people for. And I doubt if she is cheap, either.

If anyone wants to read about curanderismo from the standpoint of ligitimate researchers, you might try the Trotter book, which I think is the best in its field in English (some excellent studies have been written in Mexico, but they are in Spanish). Such books, you will find, almost categorically contradict Avila's assertions. The shame of all this is that there are, no doubt, a lot of people who would really like to know more about curanderismo, and as long as Avila is allowed to dominate the scene with this nonsense, people are going to have a hard time getting at the facts. I think that is about time that she were exposed for the fraud that she is, if only for the sake of those who might benefit from actually knowing about curanderismo, which is a fascinating subject. One person who would likely benefit from such knowledge is Avila herself.

invaluable wisdom and knowledge on modern Curanderismo.......2003-09-16

One of the most, if not the most important book of Modern Curanderismo. Lovely book, that is hard to place down, and belongs in every Healer's shelf. Beautifully written, touching, and very informative. The book teaches the importance of not just healing the body and mind, but also the soul. As a Puerto Rican Espiritista and Santero, I have really appreciated the deep wisdom and body of knowledge that came from this book. I Highly recommend this book. The lessons learned can be applied by any healer or spiritual councilor, no matter what ones spiritual path or religion, or race may be. The wisdom and knowledge that Elena Avila shares with her readers and students is invaluable.

Well worth the money, and it is like having a wise sage or Curandera in your living room. I hope to see future works by Elena Avila, as I believe she has a voice and knowledge that needs to be heard. I am late commer to this book, and am happy to have had the chance to find it, and enjoy, brazo to you Seniora Elena Avila. Luz, Progresso, y Caridad!

This is a wonderful book.......2002-03-25

There is no end of thanks for such insight as is reflected in this book. Elena Avila is a selfless healer. What she does is the blessing of the Creator. Anyone interested in Healing will do well to read this book.

Exceptional writing by Joy Parker.......2000-05-30

This book is a beautiful and powerful testimony of the potential that lies within each of us to heal. Joy Parker accurately details the experiences and inner world of a curnadera working in the Aztec tradition. Her mastery of language and her ability to translate on paper the magic of Elena's work is exceptional. I highly recommend this book to any serious seeker on the path of healing, spirituality, native studies/indigenous cultures, and/or women's studies.

Average customer rating:

Nice addition to library
Excellent book, bad quality photo reproducing
The foundation for the study of Gemstone Lore
Classic on Gemstone Lore
A precious book

The Curious Lore of Precious Stones
George Frederick Kunz
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Jewelry | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0486222276

Book Description

Foremost gemologist presents definitive study of the magical abilities and strange characteristics of precious stones. Wide range of sources — Greek, Latin documents, medieval lapidaries, Eddas, Egyptian writings, Oriental gem books, the Bible — reveal magic, occult, medicinal and religious uses of dozens of gems. 65 plates, 8 in color.

Customer Reviews:

Nice addition to library.......2007-08-13

I enjoy gemstone lore and this is a nice addition to my collection. The language is a little dated, a little dry, and the pictures are not great, but the text is substantial. I enjoy reading it. I would recommend this book.

Excellent book, bad quality photo reproducing.......2007-02-06

The book itself is excellent, an important reference study and a very amusing book for the lover of gems. The author is a leading American scholar in his time, this one is his best: informative with sound statements and principal references. When you read it, you can touch the atmosphere of the great collections arranged by him and the greatest library on precious and semiprecious stones, which he had.

The only disadventage of this edition is the very poor photo reproducing of the original photos. The book contains many rare photos, but the reproducing is so bad, that they make you furious, if you see them.

So, 5 stars to the book itself and zero for the photo reproduction.

The foundation for the study of Gemstone Lore.......2006-10-06

This book ought to be required reading for all studying the occult aspects of gemstones, and even those that are interested in crystal healing. The material presented in this book is very informative, albeit outdated in some respects. Nonetheless, it is necessary to learn what the formative principles are in this field of study, and this book is an excellent look into the earlier work published solely on the topic of gemstones.

Classic on Gemstone Lore.......2006-09-17

I bought this book because Kunz's work has been the basis for much of what we know about ancient gemstone lore. Kunz's lifelong passion for rocks and gemstones began in childhood and as a gemologist and geologist, he was able to collect and organize vast amounts of gemstone lore. He was also a collector of stones, amulets and magical charms, many of which were donated to the American Museum of Natural History. His enthusiasm for the subject is evident and even though this book is nearly 100 years old, I found it surprisingly easy to read.

A precious book.......2006-04-11

Interesting book dealing about precious stone and their lore in the past.

13: The Story of the World's Most Notorious Superstition

Average customer rating:

Very superficial almost anecdotal research.
A Pervasive Superstion's History
Well-researched Reportage
A lively survey of the quirky foundations of the number 13
A definitive volume

13: The Story of the World's Most Notorious Superstition
Nathaniel Lachenmeyer
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

A Dictionary of Superstitions (Oxford Paperback Reference)

ASIN: 0452284961

Book Description

Triskaidekaphobia: fear of the number 13

If thirteen people sit down at a table, will one die within a year? Why did five U.S. presidents join the Thirteen Club? What is the only major New York hotel that has a thirteenth floor?

In 13, a fascinating cultural history-cum-detective story, Nathaniel Lachenmeyer gets to the root of how one superstition—the fear of the number 13—developed among wildly divergent societies. A book about mythmaking, 13 explores why people believe what they believe, and the real reason Friday the 13th is the most unlucky day in the world.

Customer Reviews:

Very superficial almost anecdotal research........2005-09-06

I had to look at the table of contents to make sure that the book the other reviewers rated so highly was the same one that I'm reading now. I'm only finishing it because I compulsively have to complete what I start. I picked up the book while browsing in a bookstore. After recently reading "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife, I was really in the mood for the history of meaningful numbers. Whereas "Zero" was a comprehensively researched piece that discussed the importance of 0 through history and science, this book reads like a high school research paper. The level of research is very shallow, including book sources that are relatively recent, newspaper articles, the internet, anecdotal telephone conversations, and even A&E programs -- nothing that couldn't be found in your local public library. It is essentially a (light) discussion of 13 in modern American culture. For a book subtitled "The Story of the World's Most Popular Superstition," it rarely discusses the number's significance in other cultures, countries or eras.

I find it hard to believe that anyone actually published this book. The first chapter was completely unnecessary, and after the second chapter, everything else is redundant or fluff. I'm very disappointed. While the book is interesting, it in no way compares to the level of research and analysis that I so enjoyed in Zero.

A Pervasive Superstion's History.......2005-03-24

We live in a scientifically advanced world, but every time Friday the thirteenth comes around, people notice it. They may shrug it off as silly, but they continue to think that the day has some special portent, and most people think that the tradition goes back centuries. One of the many surprises in _13: The Story of the World's Most Popular Superstition_ (Thunder's Mouth Press) by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer is that although the superstition that the number 13 is unlucky has a substantial history, superstition attached specifically to Friday the thirteenth is no older than the twentieth century. Lachenmeyer's book is an enjoyable tour looking at the different 13 superstitions (there are many of them), trying to make historic sense of why people have adopted this number as some sort of portentous sign. Lachenmeyer came to the subject by chance, reading an article in an old scrapbook about the Thirteen Club, but has never had any particular feeling toward the number: "To me, 13 has always been just a number. I have never believed that 13 is unlucky or been tempted to thumb my nose at fate and make it my lucky number (I don't have one)." He is not a triskaidekaphobe (13 fearer) or triskaidekaphile (13 lover), but there are plenty of both, especially the former, in these pages. In some ways, they have formed parts of the world as we now know it.

Friday the thirteenth is just the most popular, and modern, manifestation of superstitions connected to thirteen, but there is no evidence that thirteen was considered unlucky before the seventeenth century. It first was written about in 1695, in a story involving a dinner at which thirteen were seated around the table. The superstition that one of the thirteen diners would die within the year became strongest during the nineteenth century. It may have had its roots in the idea that thirteen at the table at the Last Supper proved to be bad luck for two of them. There is a hero in Lachenmeyer's book, Captain William Fowler, a Civil War veteran who had fought in thirteen battles in the war, and in a clubbable age, belonged to thirteen social clubs. He aimed to tempt fate if fate there be; in 1881 in New York, he started a new club which would meet on the thirteenth of each month and sit thirteen to a table. This was not enough for Fowler; members had to walk under ladders, face spilled portions of salt, and so on. No one dining at tables of thirteen had any particular ill-luck, and it is quite probably that Fowler helped do away with this version of the superstition. A new version emerged after the publication of a book _Friday, the Thirteenth_, in 1907; unlucky Fridays and unlucky thirteen had not previously been linked, but they were almost immediately after this bestseller, and in 1971, a horror film originally titled _Long Night at Camp Blood_, was renamed _Friday the 13th_ to imitate the calendrically popular _Halloween_. The franchise has spawned ten sequels so far, and the Friday version of the thirteen superstition may have a longer life than the dinner version.

In this entertaining examination of a particular superstition, Lachenmeyer shows that the 13 superstition has come and gone in different versions in the past, and undoubtedly will stay with us, and in newer forms. It is a scary world out there, and for many of us, there are forces at work that we cannot feel or see or understand, but we can feel we are taking some control against the chaos by taking out a small insurance policy. Avoiding thirteens is relatively easy, and those who practice it can always maintain that it is better to be safe than sorry. As Lachenmeyer writes, "Reason governs a much smaller domain in the world of ideas than we are accustomed to acknowledging." This may be so, but his clear-eyed examination of this small aspect of human behavior can only make the domain larger.

Well-researched Reportage.......2005-03-17

There are probably scads and scads of books like 13. I've seen them in libraries and used book stores. They are books that take on one topic and mine it for endless anecdotes and historical curios, but they don't claim that by looking through the prism of the topic at hand, a reader can discern the entire arc of human history. The books are about what they are about, and all you need to do as a reader is sit back and be entertained and informed. John McPhee, who is very good at this sort of thing, once wrote a book entirely about Oranges, for example. Nathaniel Lachenmeyer does this sort of thing well, too. His book is an impeccably researched look at an old superstition. With every turn of the page the reader is presented with another odd relic that Lachenmeyer has dug up for our perusal: the existence of popular superstition-defying "13 clubs" at the beginning of the 20th century, for example. And onward the book moves through Friday the 13th, the missing 13th floor, and all the rest. Taken as a whole, the book is a nifty piece of well-researched reportage bringing to light the many murky progenitors of this now commonplace superstition.

A lively survey of the quirky foundations of the number 13.......2005-02-07

Blend fine historical insights with a fun survey of present-day phobic reactions to the number 13 from the stock market to missing skyscraper floors, and you have Nathaniel Lachenmeyer's 13: The Story Of The World's Most Popular Superstition, a lively survey of the quirky foundations of the number 13, which considers 13 unlucky 13s from 13 perspectives in 13 chapters. Uncovering superstition's origins assumes a lively theme, right down to the book's quirky price, resulting from an unusual add in digits.

A definitive volume.......2005-01-11

I can understand some of the obsession around a particular number, since the college I attended has a longtime fascination with "47", and alumni use the number as a way to secretly identify each other. Nathaniel Lachenmeyer's "13", even at a manageable 200 pages, is a very thorough encyclopedia on the number 13. It's filled with facts, history, anecdotes, and period illustrations. I enjoyed reading it. Sometimes I just opened it to different pages and learned new things. It turns out there's an actual word to describe a morbid fear of the number 13: "Triskaidekaphobia". And I always wondered why none of the hotels in New York have a 13th floor (well, except for the Waldorf-Astoria, apparently). You'll have to read the book to find out for yourself why that is. "13" is a pleasant, interesting read, and a great gift.

Women Without Superstition : No Gods - No Masters

Average customer rating:

For Women AND Men
Bravo!
I wish every woman could read this!
only story on female humans in atheism
Why didn't I study this stuff in school

Women Without Superstition : No Gods - No Masters

Manufacturer: Freedom from Religion Foundation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Agnosticism | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Atheism | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1877733091

Book Description

Collected writings of women freethinkers of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Customer Reviews:

For Women AND Men.......2006-08-28

This thought provoking book is a compilation of views and lectures of historic, prominent and free thinking women. It is highly recommended for any open-minded person searching for answers free from the dogmas of the various religions. It is worth reading, even if not agreeing with authors' philosophies.

Bravo!.......2005-11-30

This is a phenominal, rich text that stirs the mind & imagination & creates a whole new sense of power & self-determination. It is also useful in the sense that it validates so many women who might feel marginalized by society. I love it!

I wish every woman could read this!.......2004-12-27

I first checked this book out of the library. I wasn't sure about it as I have had to really wade through quite a few books recently and didn't want to buy something that would put me to sleep. But I hadn't finished the introduction yet, and I knew I would be buying it. It's a fascinating book, and way overdue to be published! I wish everybody, but especially every woman, could read this book! There are so many interesting things in here, and no matter how much you think you know about feminism, freethought, etc, there is something new for you in this book. I have recommended it over and over again to my friends.

only story on female humans in atheism.......2002-03-06

I enjoyed this book. Not only is the story of atheism (and antitheism) difficult to find info on, but the story of female humans in atheism and science is also difficult to find info in.

This is one of the only books I have found that tells the stories of women in atheism. I would enjoy seeing a video on atheism, and also female humans in atheism and science. I would enjoy seeing, hearing and reading stories of humans that spoke out against religion and promoted science.

Finding images of these female humans is also difficult to do. This book includes humans I had never heard of, but also any body that did any thing for female human equality. For example, I was very glad to see a photo and data on Matilda Joslyn Gage, a person usually left out of women's history because of her anger with religion, and perhaps because of her sexuality.

My one criticism of this book is that the people are kind of tame (although being atheist is shocking for most humans). Where are the female humans in science...? Still, for one of the only books (or videos for that matter) on free thinking women (or women without superstition and substition!) I was glad and enjoyed every story!

Stop Violence, Teach Science!
Ted Huntington

Why didn't I study this stuff in school.......2000-05-02

I wish I had been given the chance to study this stuff in school. I spent a long time struggling with these ideas. If only I had access to this book at an earlier age. Great book, wonderful works by highly intelligent authors. Helped me to cast off my old doubts.

The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion: A New Abridgement from the Second and Third Editions (Oxford World's Classics)

Average customer rating:

Golden Bough
An influential work on four 20th century seminal works
The real deal
Finally!
The Golden Bough by Sir James George Frazer

The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion: A New Abridgement from the Second and Third Editions (Oxford World's Classics)
James George Frazer
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Fairy Tales | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Ritual | Other Practices | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Comparative Religion | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0192835416

Book Description

A classic study of the beliefs and institutions of mankind, and the progress through magic and religion to scientific thought, The Golden Bough has a unique status in modern anthropology and literature. First published in 1890, The Golden Bough was eventually issued in a twelve-volume edition (1906-15) which was abridged in 1922 by the author and his wife. That abridgement has never been reconsidered for a modern audience. In it some of the more controversial passages were dropped, including Frazer's daring speculations on the Crucifixion of Christ. For the first time this one-volume edition restores Frazer's bolder theories and sets them within the framework of a valuable introduction and notes. A seminal work of modern anthropolgy, The Golden Bough also influenced many twentieth-century writers, including D H Lawrence, T S Eliot, and Wyndham Lewis. Its discussion of magical types, the sacrificial killing of kings, the dying god, and the scapegoat is given fresh pertinence in this new edition.

Customer Reviews: