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.

Shakespeare's Insults: Educating Your Wit

Average customer rating:

Superior Drama Insults
Deceptive Title
Excellent!
Very Useful! Good Book!
Why use your own insults when Shakepeare's are so colorful?

Shakespeare's Insults: Educating Your Wit
Wayne F. Hill
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Quotations | Reference | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0517885395
Release Date: 1995-10-03

Book Description

The sharpest stings ever to snap from the tip of an English-speaking tongue are here at hand, ready to be directed at the knaves, villains, and coxcombs of the reader's choice. Culled from 38 plays, here are the best 5,000 examples of Shakespeare's glorious invective, arranged by play, in order of appearance, with helpful act and line numbers for easy reference, along with an index of topical scorn appropriate to particular characters and occasions. Line art.

Customer Reviews:

Superior Drama Insults.......2007-01-13

This book was purchased as a gift for a Speech and Drama college student.
These kids really enjoy the wit Shakespeare wrote. Knowing which insult to use for appropriate moments is a blast for them!

Deceptive Title.......2006-02-17

I thought this was going to have definitions of the various terms used by Shakespeare, but it only has lists and lists of insults. I admit many of the terms are somewhat straightforward, but I really was trying to find something that would "educate" me about how the insults came about and perhaps their meaning at that time. If you are looking for lists of insults, however, this is the book for you.

Excellent!.......2005-12-01

This is a fabulous little book that every high school English teacher should have in their arsenal. When the jock in the back row groans when you ask him to read aloud from Hamlet, call him a burly-boned clown. When the popular kid in the front row claims to have forgotten to read the assigned pages from Macbeth, call him Triton of the minnows. Okay, maybe don't, but using it to help you find the curses and insults within the texts, and therefore to help you point them out to your students, will definitely make Shakespeare more fun for them.

Very Useful! Good Book!.......2004-08-28

Wayne Hill and Cynthia Ottchen have compiled a very useful list of insults from the works of the Master Bard himself!

The book begins with Part I providing a list of ready to use insulting names for the act of "name-calling." Part II examines Shakespeare's major plays and the insulting lines therefrom. Part III ends the book with a list of Ready Insults For Particular Occasions.

Trust me, upon purchase and use of this text, when the content is memorized, you will never be at a loss for words again! Commendable work. Outstanding. Five stars.

Example: "You foul-mouthed and caluminous knave; you rabble of vile confederates, and herd of boils and plagues, etc."

Why use your own insults when Shakepeare's are so colorful?.......2001-01-07

Based on the premise that "people NEED insults," Hill and Ottchen here offer a catalogue of every insult the immortal bard ever published. It must have been a tedious collection process, but the work was well worth it; as anyone even the slightest bit familiar with Shakespeare would expect, here in this isolated form his insults reveal themselves as powerful, picturesque, and scathing. The language and the diversity of emotion and expression will not fail to impress you.

My one quibble with the collection is that is seems rudderless in its organization. If we are intended to use the language as our own, why does most of the book consist of a list of insults organized by PLAY (which is hard to use, and a bit tedious to read unless you are treating the book as a concordance for the play itself) rather than by type of insult or applicability? (The final section offers this, but it is VERY short). In terms of content and concept, though, this book makes for a great addition to a classroom, resource collection, letter-writing desktop, or to the Shakeseare-lover's coffee table -- a good gift for the scholar or bibliophile.

Average customer rating:
Insult and the Making of the Gay Self (Series Q)
Didier Eribon
Manufacturer: Duke University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Nonfiction | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books
General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Gay & Lesbian | Special Groups | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | European | History & Criticism | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

No Future: Queer Theory and the Death Drive (Series Q)

Giving an Account of Oneself

Undoing Gender

Abnormal: Lectures at the College de France, 1974-1975 (Lectures at the College de France)

ASIN: 0822332868

Book Description

A bestseller in France following its publication in 1999, Insult and the Making of the Gay Self is an extraordinary set of reflections on “the gay question” by Didier Eribon, one of France’s foremost public intellectuals. Known internationally as the author of a pathbreaking biography of Michel Foucault, Eribon is a leading voice in French gay studies. In explorations of gay subjectivity as it is lived now and as it has been expressed in literary history and in the life and work of Foucault, Eribon argues that gay male politics, social life, and culture are transformative responses to an oppressive social order. Bringing together the work of Jean-Paul Sartre, Pierre Bourdieu, Judith Butler, and Erving Goffman, he contends that gay culture and political movements flow from the need to overcome a world of insult in the process of creating gay selves.

Eribon describes the emergence of homosexual literature in Britain and France at the turn of the last century and traces this new gay discourse from Oscar Wilde and the literary circles of late-Victorian Oxford to André Gide and Marcel Proust. He asserts that Foucault should be placed in a long line of authors—including Wilde, Gide, and Proust—who from the nineteenth century onward have tried to create spaces in which to resist subjection and reformulate oneself. Drawing on his unrivaled knowledge of Foucault’s oeuvre, Eribon presents a masterful new interpretation of Foucault. He calls attention to a particular passage from Madness and Civilization that has never been translated into English. Written some fifteen years before The History of Sexuality, this passage seems to contradict Foucault’s famous idea that homosexuality was a late-nineteenth-century construction. Including an argument for the use of Hannah Arendt’s thought in gay rights advocacy, Insult and the Making of the Gay Self is an impassioned call for critical, active engagement with the question of how gay life is shaped both from without and within.

Insult to Injury: Insurance, Fraud, and the Big Business of Bad Faith (Bk Currents)

Average customer rating:

A family tradegy!
Insurance Company Practices Exposed--But What to Do?
Don't quit your day job...
Very Informative!
Offers a new Perspective...

Insult to Injury: Insurance, Fraud, and the Big Business of Bad Faith (Bk Currents)
Ray Bourhis
Manufacturer: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Company Profiles | Biography & History | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Ethics | Business Life | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1576753492

Book Description

Joan Hangarter bought a disability policy in 1990 to protect her in case of serious illness. When she did become disabled a decade later, she ended up homeless and on welfare when the company refused to pay. With the help of her attorney, Ray Bourhis, she fought back, winning a $7.7 million verdict against the company.
In "Insult to Injury, Bourhis walks readers through this case study in bad faith double-dealing by insurance providers. Bourhis, a national champion of policy-holder rights, uses an engaging narrative style to reveal the back-room strategic mind-set that drives these illegal practices, how low-level employees are duped into unethical conduct, and how insurers manipulate data and witnesses in the few cases that do go to trial. He also explains the key regulatory oversights that encourage such corruption, and how the American legal system actually facilitates insurer fraud. "Insult to Injury closes with a roadmap to reform -- advice no one who holds a policy can afford to ignore.

Customer Reviews:

A family tradegy!.......2007-05-13

The author gives us an inside look at what happens when someone goes through the process of filing a disability claim and being denied benefits. This book does an excellent job of preparing you to handle a very difficult process that could lead you to personal and financial
disaster.

Insurance Company Practices Exposed--But What to Do?.......2006-07-30

Ray Bourhis has done a masterful job of telling the story of his client, Joan Hangartner, (and several others) in their battle with the Unum-Provident disability giant. This book is an easy read that will terrify anyone who is thinking about making a claim against a disability insurance policy. As Bourhis points out, Unum is no worse than any of the others--the disability insurance companies have "done the math" and figure out that denying valid claims and forcing people to litigate for years if very profitable for the companies.

The disability insurance companies don't care about getting hit every once in a while like the massive verdict he got on behalf of Dr. Hangartner... their profits are still enormous. Bourhis also does a great job (discouraging as it is) of showing how most states lack any real "bad faith" laws that can be used to discourage the disability insurance companies from continuing to look after themselves before their insureds. Finally, Bourhis accurately shows that there is no effective meaningful oversite of the insurance industry by the federal government.

Simply, it takes lawsuits like his to break down the veil of secrecy that the insurance companies hide behind.

In short, if you like to read legal non-fiction, (and you like, for example the Gerry Spence books about his trials) then you will enjoy this book

Don't quit your day job..........2006-03-14

When you read this book it is very clear that Mr. Bourhis is writing it from a plaintiff's attorney point-of-view. Which is fine, just accept that fact when you read the book and know that the book is very one-sided and filled with only partial truths.

In his book he slays insurance companies, UnumProvident in particular, for not being fair, objective, or reasonable in their claim handling practices. Mr. Bourhis is neither fair, objective, nor reasonable in his depiction of insurance claims.

Mr. Bourhis clearly thinks a lot more of himself and his legal prowess. His writing skills, however, leave a lot to be desired. I had to laugh at some of his descriptions of UnumProvident employees. Example - "I don't know where insurance companies find these people but Ryan seemed like yet another excessively clean-cut looking guy - the kind of fellow you might expect to see wearing a white uniform and selling ice cream cones at Disneyland."

What did you think, Mr. Bourhis, that insurance companies only hire the "wolves in sheep's' clothing"? Did you expect all claim examiners to look like witches and ogres out to terrorize the villagers and eat their children? This is, after all, another vicious attempt by insurance companies to charm and disarm the claimant so they can swoop in for the kill, you know.

You will also notice how he refers to the employees primarily by their last names in an attempt to de-humanize those individuals. If they seem less human - less like your brother, sister, neighbor, or friend - it is a lot easier to hate them and vilify them as he has done in his book.

Very Informative!.......2005-12-26

Insult to Injury" focuses on a disabled chiropractor driven to the brink by an insurance company (UnumProvident) that unjustly denied her claim for benefits; the "good news" is that Bourhis and his associates were eventually able to right the wrong after a long legal battle made incredibly difficult by the company's calculated mendacity and the industry's success in prior lobbying of Congress and state legislatures.

When Dr. Hangarter first purchased her disability policy from Paul Revere Insurance, companies made their profits primarily on double-digit investment profits. However, the market changed and the companies found themselves under increasing pressure. In the meantime, Dr. Hangarter was injured providing treatment to a patient, and despite significant efforts at treatment, had to give up her practice and rely on disability payments from Paul Revere. Eventually Revere was sold and then became part of UnumProvident, and Dr. Hangarter's world was turned upside down.

New corporate leadership was brought in and began a deliberate policy of searching for ways to deny benefits - goals were set, customers were lied to regarding whether they could appeal and what was covered, expert testimony was slanted through incomplete information, documents destroyed, and the disabled often forced to go through lengthy, risky, and expensive litigation to collect. Possibly most frustrating of all (to me) was the fact that even when the company lost, it simply continued the same practices with other customers, and made it as difficult as possible for those victims to learn of the firm's already uncovered pattern of deceit.

Eventually because of all the resulting bad publicity UnumProvident's CEO was "forced out," given a $17 million payment, and all his cronies were left behind. Not much of a victory for truth and virtue. Meanwhile, President Bush touts his efforts and legislative victory to make righting such wrongs more difficult, and most state insurance commissioners and laws remain toothless. (California was a fortunate exception.)

"Insult to Injury" also goes a long way towards explaining why large punitive damages are sometimes necessary in the absence of innate corporate honesty and laws that mandate such.

And now we're reading about insurance companies and how they are managing to not pay Hurricane Katrina victims.

Offers a new Perspective..........2005-10-05

It shows the worse of the worse in the insurance industry. I came away wondering if the all the money I spend on medical, auto, home and life is actually buying me something. Maybe I need reinsurance for my insurance. What a mess?

I always assumed they charged an appropriate rate for the risk and numbers. If they made a mistake like they made foreseeing interest rates, the new policies holders just paid more in premiums.

In the end, the case was made for higher punitive damages. I still struggle with this. It seems to me companies who are doing this much wrong by the numbers need to be deterred. But I still have trouble seeing dollars that large going to a few plaintiffs. I am not sure if this is where the class action suits come into play. I don't what the fix is but my gut says there must be a better way to punish them. One thing for sure is it needs to be stopped.

Distory: A Treasury of Historical Insults

Average customer rating:

Distory a Disappointment
"He is incapable of thought,because he has nothing to think with." -Woodrow Wilson on Warren Harding
Too little
Civilized DIScourse
Four Words: Laughing My Ass Off

Distory: A Treasury of Historical Insults
Robert Schnakenberg
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Essays | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0312326718
Release Date: 2004-11-18

Book Description

Distory: A Treasury of Historical Insults is a hilarious collection of insulting historical quotations in the vein of The Portable Curmudgeon that will have history buffs and readers of humor books in stitches. Full of lively quips, jabs, jaunts and put downs by and about notable figures, it covers all epochs of mostly Western history. Schnakenberg has collected more than 600 historical insults into this first collection of its kind.Included:"A German singer! I should as soon expect to get pleasure from the neighing of my horse." Alexander the Great"Belgium is just a country invented by the British to annoy the French." Charles de Gaulle"What can you do with a man who looks like a female llama surprised when bathing?" Winston Churchill on Charles de Gaulle"Jerry Ford is so dumb he can't fart and chew gum at the same time." Lyndon B. Johnson"Avoid all needle drugs - -the only dope worth shooting is Richard Nixon." Abbie Hoffman

Customer Reviews:

Distory a Disappointment.......2007-02-16

There were a few funny insults in this book, but most were neither funny nor interesting. Detailed background to accompany each insult would have helped, but overall Distory was a big disappointment.

"He is incapable of thought,because he has nothing to think with." -Woodrow Wilson on Warren Harding.......2006-12-05

This is only a small,hardcover tome, about the same size of a paperback. Don't let that fool you as it's 179 pages is packed with some of the most biting sarcasm and timely retorts you're likely to find anywhere.
It covers some of the best known politicans and military figures;mainly from America and Britain;with a smattering from other countries. The author titled his chapter on "Insulting miscellany from around the world "
--SLAMAGUNDI--what a word!
What I really like is when ,after a good insult on someone, ends up with even a better one handed right back. How's this;

Lord Sandwich: You will die either on the gallows or of the pox.

John Wilkes: That must depend on whether I embrace your lordship's
principles or your mistress.

And then these;

An economic fatalist with a God-given inertia.He knew nothing and
refused to learn.--W.A.White,Journalist on Calvin Coolidge

I am not fit for this office and should never have been here.
--Warren G. Harding on himself

How many divisions has he got?--Josef Stalin,on Pope Pius XI

Then there are words that one wish were not said;

The Americans cannot build airplanes.They are very good at
refrigerators and razor blades. --Herman Goering

Some great lines and likely to amuse just aout anyone.

Too little.......2006-08-10

I found the contents amusing, although it could have included quotes from actors/actresses, movie moguls, etc., and to omit Dorothy Parker was a tragedy. I thought it could have gleaned more than what it did.

Civilized DIScourse.......2005-01-15

History and Language are incomplete without a study of the art of cursing. This is because it takes superior wit to pull it off.
In Distory, we are treated to a feast of mordant vituperatives compiled from the annals of history. This small book--179 pages-- has chapters focussing on some insults of notable Americans, Brits, and nations. It concludes with some unclassified extras.
Readers who expect to find funny insults, though there are some, will be disappointed. Others who suppose to pick up some quotable quotes will share a similar fate. The collection is simply an entertaining peek into the thoughts of famous men and their contemporaries.
Most of the material is lively, however when compared to the political and journalistic discourse of nowadays, they look rather tame. Harry Truman's comments were weak, undeserving of the pages of the book. Attention should rather be given to Winston Churchill and Ben Franklin, my caustic favorites.
Distory is for those looking for nice metaphors and historical figures. Anyone else; not for you.

Four Words: Laughing My Ass Off.......2004-12-13

Schnakenberg strikes again! This book is an awesome idea and a hilarious read. I always need a little light reading for my hot-air-balloon expeditions, and DISTORY fit the bill nicely (for the uninitiated, ballooning requires a lot of "down time" while waiting for the chase vehicle to pick you up). Anyway, having gone through the book once already, it now resides in a prominent place in my bathroom's magazine rack, where it is put to use often. In fact, it must be said, DISTORY is the perfect book for passing time on the sh*tter!

If there was some kind of award for "Best Restroom Read of the Year"... DISTORY would flush the competition down the toilet.

For further comedy, check out Schnakenberg's bio of William Shatner.... HAHAHA.

Black Like You: Blackface, Whiteface, Insult & Imitation in American Popular Culture

Average customer rating:

Errors and Misrepresentation Abound!
It's About Time

Black Like You: Blackface, Whiteface, Insult & Imitation in American Popular Culture
John Strausbaugh
Manufacturer: Tarcher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1585424986
Release Date: 2006-06-15

Book Description

A refreshingly clearheaded and taboo-breaking look at race in America reveals our culture as neither Black nor White nor Other, but a mix-a mongrel.

Black Like You is an erudite and entertaining exploration of race relations in American popular culture. Particularly compelling is the author's ability to tackle blackface--a strange, often scandalous, and now taboo entertainment. Although blackface performance came to be denounced as purely racist mockery, and shamefacedly erased from most modern accounts of American cultural history, Strausbaugh shows that, nevertheless, its impact has been deep and longlasting. The influence of blackface can be seen in rock and roll and hip-hop; in vaudeville, Broadway, and drag performances; in Mark Twain and "gangsta lit"; in the earliest filmstrips and Hollywood's 2004 White Chicks; on radio and television; in advertising and product marketing; and even in the way Americans speak.

With remarkable common sense and clarity, Strausbaugh candidly illuminates truths about race rarely discussed in public, including:

- American culture neither conforms to knee-jerk racism nor to political correctness. It is neither Black nor White nor Other, but a mix-a mongrel.
- No history is best forgotten-however uncomfortable it may be to remember. The power of blackface to enrage and mortify Americans to this day is reason enough to examine what it still tells us about our culture and ourselves.
- Blackface is still alive. Its impact and derivations- including Black performers in "whiteface"-can be seen all around us.

Customer Reviews:

Errors and Misrepresentation Abound!.......2007-01-12

After reading John Strausbaugh's new book, Black Like You, I am stunned. As a scholar of Ohio history, I protest the cavalier libel of Dan Emmett, and Ben and Lew Snowden. The author has NO PROOF of his contentions. Where is the evidence that Dan Emmett was taught to play the fiddle by an African-American? (pg. 102) Strausbaugh doesn't even attempt to footnote that. Where is the proof that Ben and Lew Snowden "claimed to have taught [Dan Emmett] the song [Dixie]?" (pg. 104)

It is incredible to me that the source cited for this is a REVIEW of Howard and Judith Sacks' book, Way Up North in Dixie--and the review is misrepresented.

The second source cited is John Leland, in Hip: the History, who wrote that, in answer to Emmett's claim of authorship, the Snowdens "disputed this credit." (Leland, pg. 29) THEY DID NOT. It is telling that Leland--who also writes for the New York Times, also cites a review of the Sacks' book. (pg. 359, n29)

Mr. Strausbaugh's error is most egregious. How in the world did he deduce from Norm Cohen's review that "Ben and Lew Snowden, who'd been Emmett's neighbors back in Ohio and who claimed to have taught him the song." (104)

This material ABOUT the Snowdens did not surface until both were conveniently dead. IT IS HEARSAY, told by others ABOUT the Snowdens, never by those brothers. I shudder to think what other errors are incorporated into the book.

It's About Time.......2006-07-26

It's about time somebody had the guts to tackle a "taboo" subject like this one! Strausbaugh's careful reseach, keen perceptions and biting sense of humor make this book an enthralling and mind-expanding read.

Samuel Johnson's Insults: A Compendium of Snubs, Sneers, Slights and Effronteries from the Eighteenth-Century Master

Average customer rating:

Beware of 'backfriends' Amusing
As Intelligent as a Shovel Beaten Weasel.
Over three hundred of Samuel Johnson's nastier barbs
Classic Zingers

Samuel Johnson's Insults: A Compendium of Snubs, Sneers, Slights and Effronteries from the Eighteenth-Century Master
Jack Lynch
Manufacturer: Walker & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Satire, General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0802777325
Release Date: 2005-09-22

Book Description

Lackbrain, oysterwench, wantwit, clotpoll--Samuel Johnson's famous dictionary of 1755 contained some of the ripest insults in the English language. In Samuel Johnson’s Insults, Jack Lynch has compiled more than 300 of the curmudgeonly lexicographer’s mightiest barbs, along with definitions only the master himself could elucidate.

Word lovers will delight in flexing their linguistic muscles with devilishly descriptive vituperations that pack a wicked punch. Many of these zingers have long lain dormant. Some have even come close to extinction. Now they’re back in all their prickly glory, ready to be relished once more.

Customer Reviews:

Beware of 'backfriends' Amusing .......2007-01-05

This is an amusing collection of the 'snubs, sneers, slights and effronteries' by the 'Great Cham'. Lynch arranges them in alphabetical order and adds his own interesting commentary on their origins. In writing for instance of 'backfriends' that is of friends who behind the back to others speak about their friend in ways not friendly at all. He tells us the story of Boswell's resentment of Hester Thrale whom Johnson gave more time with him, and his revenge on her by filling his 'Life of Johnson' with insulting remarks about her. These led her to say that if all friends are like Johnson one should have no friends at all.
This is an amusing work especially for those who love the study of Language and all its unending varieties and duplicities.

As Intelligent as a Shovel Beaten Weasel........2006-04-10

Please don't waste your time, or, more importantly, your hard earned money on this compendium of excrement.

The barbs and sneers in this book were of the grade school variety. Anyone with a minimum of a double digit I.Q. could be far more imaginative and impressive with less effort than would be needed to turn one page in this *book*.

Samuel Johnson was a man of extreme bias and prejudice, and most often without basis or reason; all of which shine through clearly in a few of the more *enlightening* barbs and sneers.

The only sneer connected to this travesty of bound paper was the one I wore while being forced to peruse it by a well meaning colleague.

Over three hundred of Samuel Johnson's nastier barbs.......2005-02-07

Over three hundred of Samuel Johnson's nastier barbs and their meanings are gathered from his various writings under one cover to appeal to modern readers seeking new ways of insulting. Quotes are often accompanied not just by definitions but insights into the source of the barb or quip, revealing further insights into Samuel Johnson's works and life as well. Samuel Johnson's Insults: A Compendium of Snubs, Sneers, Slights and Effronteries from the Eighteenth-Century Master is highly entertaining and enthusiastically recommended reading.

Classic Zingers.......2004-11-27

If you are at a loss for words when annoyed, read this. The insults are selected from Johnson's famous eighteenth century Dictionary of the English Language. Bet you never thought to call someone a jobbernowl or a moon-calf.
Actually this is great for anyone who likes reading historic romances and is curious about some words used by the characters. Example: "rakehel - a wild, worthless, dissolute, debauched, sorry fellow." The book contains over 300 of these insults.

Average customer rating:

dated
Great Stuff!!
GREAT BOOK!!!
great to read, great to use
Just when I had more enemies, I lost the book

Two Thousand Insults for All Occasions
Louis Safian
Manufacturer: Castle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0806500395
Release Date: 1998-08-18

Book Description

"Classified by subject-- from 'Big Heads' through 'Nudists' to 'Squelches'-- this tongue-in-cheeck reference romp is guaranteed to put the right retort in the right head at the right time." --(Dr. Frederick Shroyer, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner)

"When I am not rolling on the floor I am asking myself where Safian found all those insults to compile." --(Wes Lawrence, Cleveland Plain Dealer)

"Ought to come in handy, sooner or later, for anybody." --(Chicago Daily News)

"Too many bright sayings occur to us the day after they've needed. With this book you'll be fortified with a whole arsenal of remarks, ranging from mild to caustic, depending upon the need, to use in disposing of bores or squelching the quarrelsome and pompous." --(Sioux Falls Argus-Leader)

"Here is an amazing anthology of insults and near-insults that should delight the heart of any sales manager who'd like to communicate with his salesman more forcefully-- or add zest to his speeches." --(The Sales Executive)

"The most intriguing book of the year." --(Art Goodwin, WHEN-TV)

"My girls have trouble remembering one jot of their homework. I'll bet they can recite that book from cover to cover." --(Jim Bishop, King Features Syndicate)

"Just what the doctor ordered. Memorize enough of these and you can be the wit of the party." (John Barkham, Saturday Review Syndicate)

Customer Reviews:

dated.......2007-01-10

There is an insult or two that is amusing, but most are dated from the mid 60's and not funny anymore.

Great Stuff!!.......2006-09-29

This book is very well organized in the material it covers, not only is it funny but it has amazing lines to shut anyone up! A good read and a good laugh indeed!!

GREAT BOOK!!!.......2005-12-19

if theres a bully at your school or anyone thats bothering you you can beat them up with words.This book is well organized and very long.It has insults for so many categories. Its a great gift

great to read, great to use.......2004-12-10

I discovered this book in my parents' library when I was in elementary school. After using a few choice examples in school, I was sent to the principal's office. Although she kept a straight face while reprimanding me, she never did return the book. Hopefully it made the schoolboard meetings a little more interesting.
I just bought it for the second time.

Just when I had more enemies, I lost the book.......1999-11-01

This book makes Shakespeares insults look purile

1001 Insults, Put-Downs, and Comebacks (1001)

Average customer rating:

"You guys would be out of your depth in a parking lot puddle."
Another great 1001 series book by Steve Price

1001 Insults, Put-Downs, and Comebacks (1001)

Manufacturer: The Lyons Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1592287972

Book Description

"The stupid person's idea of a clever person."--Elizabeth Bowen on Aldous Huxley

"That insolent little ruffian, that crapulous lout. When he quitted a sofa, he left behind him a smear."--Norman Cameron on Dylan Thomas

An insult can be bad-mannered, offensive, and infuriating, but every one of us has surely had one of those moments when we just wish we had thought of a good one. Unlike most of us, however, there are those who always seem to have the perfect comeback. 1001 Insults, Put-Downs, and Comebacks gathers together the very sharpest of these barbs from a wide variety of sources, with some of the wickedest put-downs from the literary, political, and entertainment worlds, along with many others, including:

-"A large shaggy dog unchained scouring the beaches of the world and baying at the moon."--Robert Louis Stevenson on Walt Whitman
-"The triumph of sugar over diabetes."--George Nathan on J. M. Barrie
-"He was another one that was a complete fizzle . . . Pierce didn't know what was going on, and even if he had, he wouldn't have known what to do about it."--Harry Truman on Franklin Pierce
-"He is such an infernal liar."--Ulysses Grant on Andrew Johnson
-"Just the omission of Jane Austen's books alone would make a fairly good library out of a library that hadn't a book in it."--Mark Twain
-"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it."--Groucho Marx
-"Every time I look at you I get a fierce desire to be lonesome."--Oscar Levant

Customer Reviews:

"You guys would be out of your depth in a parking lot puddle.".......2007-10-08

As a big fan of One-Liners;I've got to tell you ;this book is simply awesome!!
Steven has assembled some of the best from over the years and many that are very current. To prove the point,we get this one about someone who is about as current as you can get."This is one Hilton that should be closed for renovation." Mr.Blackell on Paris Hilton. Then we go way back to Shakespeare and from ,All's Well That Ends Well,"He's a most notable coward,an infinite and endless liar,an hourly promise breaker,the owner of not one good quality."
Another great thing about this collection is that it gives both the originator as well as the receiver of the insult;such as,"When you talk to him,he looks at you and grins and grins and nods and nods and appears to be the world's greatest listener,until you realize he is not listening at all."-Latty King on Willie Nelson.
Politics and History provide pleanty of material,such as;"What makes him think a middle-aged actor,who's played with a chimp,could have a future in politics?"--Ronald Reagan on Clint Eastwood's Carmel,California,mayoral bid.
Then from Show Business we get "It's a new low for actresses when you have to wonder what's between her ears instead of between her legs."-Katherine Hepburn on Sharon Stone.
Sports is also loaded with one-liners .Here's a couple; "One's a born liar,and the other's been convicted."-Billy Martin on New York Yankee superstar Reggie Jackson and owner George Steinbrenner. And; "A lot of people are using two-piece cues nowadays.Alex Higgins hasn't got one because they don't come with instructions."-Steve Davis on snooker world champion,Alex Higgins.
This collection will entertain you for hours,a great book for throne musings,and a great resource for responses at any occasion.
I love it!!!

Another great 1001 series book by Steve Price.......2006-08-25

I have all three 1001 series books and this one like the others is brilliant. This one however, is my favourite.

The Digest of Roman Law: Theft, Rapine, Damage, and Insult (Penguin Classics)

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The Digest of Roman Law: Theft, Rapine, Damage, and Insult (Penguin Classics)
Justinian
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140443436

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