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.

The Day the Earth Caved In: An American Mining Tragedy

Average customer rating:

A Great Book! A Must Read!!
One Mine Fire, Two Books
The Human Face of an Ecological Disaster
Well-Written -- and Outrageous
The Day the Earth Caved In:An American Mining Tragedy by Joan Quigley

The Day the Earth Caved In: An American Mining Tragedy
Joan Quigley
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Prospecting & Mining | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1400061806
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Book Description

The Day the Earth Caved In is an unprecedented and riveting account of the nation’s worst mine fire, beginning on Valentine’s Day, 1981, when twelve-year-old Todd Domboski plunged through the earth in his grandmother’s backyard in Centralia, Pennsylvania. In astonishing detail, award-winning journalist Joan Quigley, the granddaughter of Centralia miners, ushers readers into the dramatic world of the underground blaze——from the media circus and back-room deal-making spawned in the wake of Todd’s sudden disappearance, to the inner lives of every day Centralians who fought a government that wouldn’t listen.

Drawing on interviews with key participants and exclusive new research, Quigley paints unforgettable portraits of Centralia and its residents, from Tom Larkin, the short-order cook and ex-hippie who rallied the activists, to Helen Womer, a bank teller who galvanized the opposition, denying the fire’s existence even as toxic fumes invaded her home. Here, too, we see the failures of major
political and government figures, from Centralia’s congressman, “Dapper” Dan Flood, a former actor who later resigned in the wake of corruption allegations, to James Watt, a former lawyer-lobbyist for the mining industry, who became President Reagan’s controversial interior secretary.

Like Jonathan Harr’s A Civil Action, The Day the Earth Caved In is a seminal investigation of individual rights, corporate privilege, and governmental indifference to the powerless. Exposing facts in prose that reads like fiction, Quigley shows us what happens to a small community when disaster strikes, and what it means to call someplace home.

Praise for The Day the Earth Caved In:

"Her scene-by-scene narrative reads like fiction but inspires outrage in the muckraking tradition of Lincoln Steffens and Rachel Carson.”
—The New York Times

"[A]s a piece of explanatory journalism, The Day The Earth Caved In shines."
—Washington Post Book World

“It is quite a story.”
—The Wall Street Journal

“First rate research and journalism combing to tell a sad, often infuriating tale.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred)

“ Quigley’s riveting account of the nation’s most devastating mine fire will change the way you think about so-called natural disasters, and the emotions we attach to the places we call home. This is an extraordinary book.” — Sean Wilentz, author of The Rise of American Democracy

“Quigley’s tale is a real-life epic of brutally indifferent government, greedy corporations and the unlikely heroes who fight for their basic human rights. It's all here; made in America. You'll feel enraged to know the truth of what happened in our mountains and proud of your fellow Americans who took on Goliath."
— John Passacantando, Executive Director, Greenpeace USA

“If you can imagine a book that combines the gritty dignity of How Green Was My Valley with the muckraking of Silent Spring, then you have some sense of this deeply affecting work.”
— Samuel G. Freedman, author of Upon This Rock

“Joan Quigley, the granddaughter of coal miners, has combined meticulous reporting and personal passion to bring us this important book — one that illuminates an underground blaze that many corporate and government officials sought to smother and conceal.”
— Gay Talese, author of A Writer’s Life

Customer Reviews:

A Great Book! A Must Read!! .......2007-08-24

Joan Quigley has done magnificent research in this book that captures the essence of the Pennsylvania anthracite coal region. This story is a tragety and shoes the ineptness of government to protect the people it was ment to protect. This is a must read!The Day the Earth Caved In: An American Mining Tragedy

One Mine Fire, Two Books.......2007-08-24

I first found out about the underground coal mine fire at Centralia PA and the devastation of the town above it while surfing the Web, looking for information about urban ruins. The photos I saw on various websites were eerie: where a small town once stood there was now only streets and sidewalks. A sliver of a dwelling that had once been part of a string of row houses stood alone, propped up on either side by brick chimney-like buttresses that provided the support that other dwellings, now torn down, once gave. Steam rose from cracks in a twisted and abandoned highway or from patches of scorched earth surrounded by dead vegetation. While these photos were very creepy and intriguing, I didn't stop to read much about the story of Centralia; I was on a quest to find out more about abandoned sites closer to my home in New York State's Hudson Valley region that I have seen for myself and visited: the Lente house, Bannerman's Island Arsenal, and the Cornish Estate.

Years later but a few weeks ago I happened across the last five minutes of a segment on C-SPAN's Book TV that caught my attention. Joan Quigley, author of "The Day the Earth Caved In" was talking about the Centralia mine fire. From the little bit I saw of the show it was clear that there was much more to the Centralia story than what I gathered from the photos on the Web. I eagerly wrote down the name of the book and its author so that the next time I visited Amazon I could order it. After adding the book to my shopping cart, Amazon suggested that I also might want to check out David DeKok's "Unseen Danger", an earlier volume on the same subject. I ordered both.

As chance would have it, "Unseen Danger" arrived about a week before "The Day the Earth Caved In" and now, having read both books, I'm glad it did. I have a busy life and don't have a lot of time to read but I found Mr. DeKok's telling of the story so compelling that I neglected a lot of my duties around the house to make time for it. I took it to work and read it on my lunch and dinner breaks. I stayed up into the early morning hours, far longer than I should have, to finish it in a couple of days instead of the weeks it usually takes me to read a book.

As the blurb quoted on the cover from the New York Times Book Review states, there are "enough bureaucratic villains [in this story] to fill a Dickens novel." I would add that there were some Centralian citizens (especially one infuriatingly obnoxious homeowner in particular who I kept hoping would disappear into a subsidence) and the local Catholic church (who should have also suffered the same fate) who deserved to be included in that category as well. This is a story of missed opportunities, inter-governmental squabbles, denial of the present realities and local feuds all working together to turn the lives of the residents of this beleaguered town into a living hell. Mr. DeKok does a fine job of telling the story and it is obvious that he put a tremendous amount of effort into researching it and a lot of detective work into trying to separate fact from fiction, especially when it comes to the matter of how the mine fire got started in the first place. He paints a clear and terrifying picture of what the residents who were most effected by the danger had to go through before they got some relief, and the unconscionable indifference that government officials showed to the plight of their constituents in order to protect their own political behinds. The cast of characters in "Unseen Danger" is large and varied and includes the above mentioned villains and a few heroes too. The attention to detail is astounding and makes for extremely compelling reading.

However, in my opinion, the book is not without its flaws. While the above mentioned attention to detail is most welcome, at times it can be confusing, especially when trying to picture the relative locations of the events. Three small maps are included in the paperback edition that I read; one showing where Centralia is located in relation to large East Coast cities, a local map indicating local landmarks and some street names along with the locations of the fire's origin and the site of one especially scary event, and a third map that indicates where the fire hot spots were located in 1983. These graphics are only helpful in a minimal way and don't go far enough toward clarification.

Photographs appear at the start of each chapter and there are a few in the bodies of the chapters. In terms of graphic clarity (not subject matter) all leave much to be desired and in many cases they are of such poor quality as to be useless. They have the appearance of being photocopies of photocopies of photocopies and are of such high contrast that the very features that they were intended to illustrate have become invisible. I do not blame Mr. DeKok for this - his publisher should have done a better job. As for the type of photos included, there are many of Centralians effected by the fire, some of the government workers who had to deal with the situation on almost a daily basis, one of the fire itself, and many of the government figures involved. However there is one glaring omission: aside from the cover photo which is obscured by the bold lettering of the book's title there are no pictures of the town, either as it was at the beginning of the story, during, or after. For those, one must go to the various websites dedicated to the subject.

Ms. Quigley's book generally does not suffer from these kind of setbacks. Even before her Prologue we are provided with a nearly full page map which clearly indicates street names, locations of local landmarks, locations of the principal character's homes, indications of the sites and scope of efforts to stop the fires, and a distance scale to help us better grasp the relative proximities of the places and events described. I wish I had this map while I was reading "Unseen Danger", it would have increased my appreciation of that book all the more. "The Day the Earth Caved In" contains eight pages of black and white photographs, all well reproduced, including one of the authors' grandparents row home from 1984, and one taken in 2000 of a tourist observing a cloud of vapor emanating from a non-descript area in the woods, as well as photos of mine workings from the 1880's and pictures of some of the people central to her telling of the story. As with "Unseen Danger" wide angle photos of the town before and after are absent and their inclusion would have helped drive home the immense scope of this catastrophe. Again, one has to search the Internet to find those kind of pictures.

While David DeKok relates the Centralia story by presenting an almost day by day account of the events that occurred he does not get inside the heads of the principals too deeply. He doesn't have to - anyone who has an atom of imagination can empathize or sympathize with the horrors that these people must have been through. But what left me scratching my head in bewilderment after I finished his book was why the Centralians were so reluctant to leave their homes and flee the danger. I suppose this is because I was born and raised in New York City and have moved to new homes five times since I left my parents house - once because the dangers of living in a loft on NY's Lower East Side became too much to bear. It wasn't until a few days ago while discussing the matter with a co-worker who grew up in a small town in upstate New York (population about 2000) that I really began to understand what made Centralians want to cling to their homesteads so tenaciously. Joan Quigley, by telling her version of the story through the eyes, histories and emotions of a few of the key players attempts to explain that sense of attachment, but is only partially successful. Ironically enough, it is DeKok's sparse explanation that comes closest to what my co-worker told me and what I've observed since moving from NYC to a small town: that many people living in small towns are fearful of the outside world and are much more likely to cling to surroundings that are much more familiar and therefore comforting.

Quigley's device of presenting the story by delving into the personal histories and feelings of her selected subjects is a welcome supplement to the mine fire disaster story as told by DeKok but ultimately it falls short in conveying just how desperately dangerous their situation was. At times I got the impression that she feels that the personal relationships between husbands and wives, parents and children or neighbors and neighbors is the interesting part of the story and the mine fire and its dangers were just a backdrop to that soap opera. Major events, like one man's close encounter with death by carbon monoxide poisoning while asleep in his bedroom and the circumstances leading up to it are described in great detail in "Unseen Danger" while Ms. Quigley mentions it almost in passing, preferring to more often dwell on what clothes a person was wearing. (What bearing does who wore what color pants suit on a particular day have on the story at hand? Inexplicably, these kind of observations appear far too frequently.) This is generally indicative of both authors approach to their subjects.

Similarly, Mr. DeKok tends to speak with authority and presumably understanding on technical matters while Ms. Quigley shows some lack of comprehension. For example, at one point she states that oxygen was the fuel that kept the mine fires burning. Just for the record: coal is the fuel that is consumed by the fire while oxygen needs to be present for oxidation - burning - to occur; oxygen in and of itself does not burn. This is elementary Junior High school science. While I realize that the point Ms. Quigley was trying to make was that some scientists proposed that if the mine fire were to be deprived of oxygen then it might go out, it is this misunderstanding of basic physics that influences me to trust Mr. DeKok's opinions over hers.

One rare instance where Ms. Quigley's narrative excels over Mr. DeKok's is in her scathing indictment of the Reagan administration and of the local Catholic church, an institution highly revered and trusted in Centralia, who let their parishioners down as shamefully and grievously as the government had. Mr. DeKok also criticizes these institutions, but instead mostly relies on the method he employs when dealing with other facets of the story, that of letting the facts speak for themselves. Ms. Quigley does this as well, however, she goes one step further on this one point by including examples of government official's blunders not cited in "Unseen Danger", in particular those of the lunatic James Watt (who was Secretary of the Interior near the end of the story) whose public statements were so insane that President Reagan gladly accepted his resignation, and none too soon: after Watt left office he was indicted on charges of influence peddling. None of this information about Watt was in "Unseen Danger" and I strongly feel it should have been.

Both books tell pretty much the same story (though from different perspectives and not equally as well), but one disagreement between the two is about how the fire started in the first place. In my opinion Mr. DeKok presents a far more plausible explanation, citing specific evidence in chapter 3 of his book while Ms. Quigley covers the subject in an author's note at the end of hers. While she states that her research provides strong evidence for her version of the events, she reveals very few specifics of it and appears to rely heavily on the testimony of residents living near the ignition site, claiming that they had no reason to lie. I view this claim with a lot of skepticism. Her own depiction of the character of the Centralia residents (especially some who lived near the dump) leads me to conclude otherwise. Also, Ms. Quigley seems to overlook one gigantic 500 pound gorilla in the room: Why would the town dump be set on fire if it was already burning? It seems painfully obvious to me that they wouldn't. In any case, the cause of the fire is only one part of the story and either scenario would have led to the same result.

If one is interested in reading about this subject my advice is to get both of these books. Read "Unseen Fire" first (it is by far the better of the two because in part it tells the horrific story in much more frightening detail) but keep "The Day The Earth Caved In" handy so you can refer to its superior map. Then read Ms. Quigley's book as a supplement, to flesh out some of the characters involved and to learn a handful of interesting but not necessarily essential facts that were left out of Mr. DeKok's. Some may find her more personally intimate and emotional method of storytelling preferable to DeKok's somewhat dry, fact based delivery but I for one did not. For as much as I enjoyed "The Day The Earth Caved In" on a certain level I think I did so because I already knew the facts ahead of time. Much to her credit, Ms. Quigley invoked in me even more sympathy for the people she chose to focus on than I had before, (at least those who were deserving of it,) especially one young couple's story of being pulled apart because of wanting different things out of life, which paralleled my own personal experience. However, I feel that this concentration on the private lives of a select few takes too much attention away from exploring and understanding the broader picture of governmental incompetence that any one of us could fall victim to under similar unfortunate circumstances.

Hope that nothing like this ever happens in your town.

The Human Face of an Ecological Disaster.......2007-08-17

It might be a scene from a horror movie, but it really happened to seventh grader Todd Domboski in 1981 in the small town Centralia in the Pennsylvania mountains. Todd was crossing a neighbor's backyard when hell opened up below, a steaming fissure of mud that began swallowing him. He was in deep to the knees, then to the waist, then to the neck, and his struggles did nothing. There were roaring gases coming out of the pit, and he knew he was going to die. A friend, however, heard his screams, and was able to put a hand down and pull Todd out. Todd was covered in hot mud but was otherwise unharmed. His story is the start of _The Day the Earth Caved In: An American Mining Tragedy_ (Random House) by Joan Quigley, a story of a peculiar but not isolated coal mining disaster. There were a dozen other underground fires in abandoned coal mines in Pennsylvania alone, and almost three hundred nationwide, but the Centralia fire was the most serious, destroying the little former mining town and all but emptying it. Quigley's book gives a brief history of mining in the area and describes the geology of underground coal fires, and particularly describes the governmental and industrial neglect that allowed this fire to fester for decades. Quinton pays particular attention to the citizens of the town, faced with a living horror story, at risk for having their homes filled with poisonous gas or sucked into the mud but still torn by devotion to the town many of them had grown up in.

In 1962, something on fire was discarded within the garbage dump near the Odd Fellows Cemetery at the edge of Centralia, and it ignited the coal vein that fed into a colliery that had been abandoned in 1931. When the fire started, officials estimated that $30,000 for excavations would put it out, but there was a delay in finding the agency that might provide the money, the first of decades of delay that allowed the fire to grow. Once the story of Todd almost dying in the fire came out, though, there was more activity. Quigley tells this amazing story impartially and neutrally, but inevitably among all the indifferent or ineffective officials who peeked into the matter, there is one particular villain. James Watt was Ronald Reagan's Interior secretary under the "government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem" philosophy, which in the case of Centralia meant that Watt withheld federal solutions and insisted that the fire was Pennsylvania's problem. Watt blandly declared at one point that there was "no threat to the health and safety" of Centralia's citizens who had a fire burning beneath them and carbon monoxide and methane spewing into their homes; he maintained that the fire would eventually burn itself out. A final solution of buying out the residents and moving them was supported with regret by most of the town's citizens, but much of Quigley's story has to do with those who could not bring themselves to consider leaving, even as steam holes punched through and as children became sick with inhaling the fire's poisons. The activists who pressed the government to relocate the citizens hated the prospect of having to give Centralia up, but saw no other solution for the toxic town. They were opposed by citizens that resisted any buyout and who wanted to keep the town intact; there was polarization, ill-feeling, and even the throwing of a Molotov cocktail. National media attention to the conflagration and to the conflict of the citizens increased pressure and may have done more harm than good.

Centralia still exists as a locale, of course, but many of its houses and other buildings have been demolished. A dozen or so people still try to live there, but any real town is gone. If there is any silver lining to this sad story told with genuine sympathy for all of Centralia's citizens, it is that at least some officials have learned that underground coal fires must be fought immediately upon their discovery. Tourists come to see what used to be Centralia and want to see a fire, but it is far below the surface right now. James Watt was right when he predicted the blaze would burn itself out, but whether this will be in a decade or in a century, no one can say.

Well-Written -- and Outrageous.......2007-08-14

Joan Quigley does a masterful job of telling the story of Centralia, Pennsylvania -- its people, a mining disaster, and then and what has to count as one of most egregious cases of government's failure to respond to an environmental calamity. The outrage multiplies with each passing year, and each new disclosure, and Quigley maintains a pitch-perfect pace throughout. Along the way you get a vivid portrait of a depressing place, and its almost heroic residents. Highly recommended.

The Day the Earth Caved In:An American Mining Tragedy by Joan Quigley.......2007-07-24

The book was very interesting, I used to drive thru Centralia to reach Selinsgrove. The book describes the town to a "T", I remember the cracked ground where the smoke was pouring out. It's a shame the people were treated so rotten by the Government.

DK Readers: Jobs People Do -- A Day in a Life of a Firefighter (Level 1: Beginning to Read)

Average customer rating:

Well written! Exciting photographs!
Engaging Story - Great Images
Good for younger kids, too
DK books are wonderful

DK Readers: Jobs People Do -- A Day in a Life of a Firefighter (Level 1: Beginning to Read)
DK Publishing
Manufacturer: DK CHILDREN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0789473658

Book Description

This Level 1 book is appropriate for children who are just beginning to read. The fire alarm goes off! Rob Green and the other firefighters go into action. Is there time to save a little girl's dog? This unique Level 1 series accurately portrays real-life situations that help young children identify with and learn from while helping them improve their reading skills. Presented in classic DK style, young readers will enjoy photographically illustrated information in an entertaining package. For children who are just beginning to read and who have a limited vocabulary, these 32-page Level 1 books-about everything from tadpoles to puppies-use word repetition and simple sentences to convey meaning. Picture dictionary boxes with word labels "show" the meanings of words. These books contain between 400 and 450 words each, and they are 80 percent pictures and 20 percent text. The Dorling Kindersley Readers combine an enticing visual layout with high-interest, easy-to-read stories to captivate and delight young bookworms who are just getting started. Written by leading children's authors and compiled in consultation with literacy experts, these engaging books build reader confidence along with a lifelong appreciation for nonfiction, classic stories, and biographies. There is a DK Reader to interest every child at every level, from preschool to grade 4.

Customer Reviews:

Well written! Exciting photographs!.......2007-09-19

Linda Hayward's beginning reader gives children a detailed and fascinating look into the day of a fireman and the job that he does dring a 24 hour shift. There are safety inspections, rescue work, checking all the equipment in the firehouse, etc.

The picture word list in the back of the book is an excellent feature, refreshing the reader's knowledge.

Engaging Story - Great Images.......2007-02-20

I haven't met a kid yet who didn't have at least a passing interest in firetrucks and firefighters. This book gives curious children a peak into the "real" life of an every day hero. The vocabulary is just right for beginning readers and the images will keep the attention of younger listeners.

This book also serves as a useful tool to speak to your children about fire safety.

Good for younger kids, too.......2007-02-18

Although these books are intended for young readers, my two-year-old daughter enjoys having them read to her. The language is easy and direct, the connection between words and pictures is very clear, and the short length fits her attention span.

We have about six books from this series, but "A Day in the Life of a Fire Fighter" is her favorite - and she now loves to point out the "Exit" sign and fire extinguisher in any building we visit.

DK books are wonderful.......2003-07-14

My daughter is 4 1/2 and is beginning to read. The DK books are wonderful and she loves them. The pictures are very good (all DK books are excellently illustrated) and the short stories hold her interest. This series is great in that the reading levels are clearly marked on the book cover, so she knows what to look for when at the library or bookstore.

Book Description

Drippy and Sticky the house painters have come to paint the Busytown Fire Station. But with Smokey and the other brave firefighters rushing in and out to rescue people, there are quite a few wet paint mishaps! Filled with information about firefighters and Scarry’s sense of fun, this book is sure to delight young readers everywhere.

Customer Reviews:

Lots to look for, lots of fun........2007-08-25

My son (2 years old) loves this book. It's great for teaching new words and getting him to search the drawings for new things. The pages are chaotic, but that's part of the fun. It's a very silly story, and it makes for wonderful reading time. We look forward to adding more books like this to our collection.
It is a paperback, so you might want to check how gently your kid might or might not treat the book.

A Day at the Fire Station.......2007-07-26

My children love all his book... A must for a child's iibrary

Richard Scarry-a family favorite!.......2007-03-26

My son loves when we read him this book. Granted, he's only 7 months old but there is so much fun stuff to look at. Richard Scarry is a definite family favorite for us!

This is awful - horrible images!!!!.......2006-08-13

My son loves Richard Scarry, and we have two dvds he loves: Counting and ABC. This book, however is terrible. The images are chaotic and confusing. And the story is confusing, as well. Not recommended, even for Scarry fans.

Really an awesome book!.......2006-06-17

What a cute book! We bought this for our little one because of his love for the firemen and the firetrucks. Boy, is it ever cute! It's really neat to see all the different predicaments the firefighters encouter during the book. Our particular favorite is when the wrecking crane runs into the strawberry jam truck. Oh, what a mess! I didn't know the age limit on this book before purchasing it but it works well for preschool and up to the first grade. The above description wasn't too explicit. We LOVE this book in our house and I highly recommend it!

Safe Within Your Love: A 40-Day Journey in the Company of Hannah W. Smith (Rekindling the Inner Fire)

Average customer rating:

I thought this book was awesome and inspiring.

Safe Within Your Love: A 40-Day Journey in the Company of Hannah W. Smith (Rekindling the Inner Fire)
Hannah W. Smith
Manufacturer: Bethany House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1556613016

Book Description

Writings that touch the pure-flaming heart of God-from the men and women who walked with Him through the ages-guiding into a deeper friendship with the "Father of Lights."

How can I know God is on my side, when so much seems to go against me? Can I really trust Him? How can I feel the comfort of a God I cannot see or touch? Hannah Whitall Smith met with devastating losses and heartache. In her struggle, near despair, she lost all joy in living. And yet as she pressed through the spiritual darkness "into God," she discovered a spiritual "secret" that changed her turmoil into inner calm and happiness.

Hannah Whitall Smith (1832-1911) was the wife of one of the nineteenth century's most celebrated evangelists. Her own writings and ministry inspired thousands. Then tragedy thundered in. First came the loss of a son. Public scandal devastated her marriage. An embittered daughter turned from God. But Hannah's secret made hers a life of transforming love, power and healing blessings that can be ours, too, as we journey in spirit to the place where we are safe within His love.

Customer Reviews:

I thought this book was awesome and inspiring........1999-04-17

When I got this book for Christmas I put it away. Another devotional book, oh well, was my thought. Was I wrong. I started reading it on New Year's Day and have not been the same since. What insights Hannah had, and my faith and love in our Lord has been made stronger because of this devotional. It is more than just another devotional. It is inspiring!

Average customer rating:

A Child-friendly Day with Firefighters
Reinforces sexual and racial stereotypes

A Day With Firefighters (Welcome Books)
Jan Kottke
Manufacturer: Children's Press (CT)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0516230131

Customer Reviews:

A Child-friendly Day with Firefighters.......2002-08-30

Filled with pictures of smiling, friendly firefighters, this book gives a nice "snap-shot" of what firefighters do. The highlights, of course, are on fighting fires. The illustrations are acutal photos of firefighters and their equipment. Some are cheesy and obviously staged, but they're charming nonetheless.

The firestation is obviously in a very large city and the equipment they use is impressive. Children from large cities will see something familiar; children from more rural areas will get to see the neat stuff that their local, small volunteer company doesn't have.

The words are simple and clear, suitable for the youngest firefighter enthusiast. The pictures tell so much more of a story, though, and definitely make the book.

For those children also interested in police officers. The companion Welcome Book is every bit as good.

Reinforces sexual and racial stereotypes.......2002-04-11

I bought this book for my two-year-old daughter, who is very interested in firefighters and fire trucks. It has great photographs, which I think make the book more interesting than an illustrated book. The text is simple and appropriate for very young children.

However, not only are all the firefighters shown are male, which may be representative of reality, but the only two women in the entire book appear on the last page, apparently thanking the firefighters for helping them. This perpetuates the stereotype of big strong men taking care of helpless women, which disappointed me. Also, every single person in this book is white, which definitely is not representative of reality.

Book Description

In the peaceful land of the Rhiddaer, Jahdo the ratcatcher's son stumbles upon a secret meeting between a city council man and a dangerous, mysterious woman. Suddenly the boy is tangled in a web of intrigue and black magic that drags him far from home. In the company of a blind bard, Jahdo must travel to Deverry to unravel the evil that binds him. But there the boy is caught up in dangers far greater than he has ever known. Two powerful sorcerers--one human, the other elven--are battling to save the country from a goddess gone mad. Their strongest ally is the mercenary soldier Rhodry Maelwaedd, a berserker bound to both women by fate and magic . . . and to the dragon upon whom all their live may depend. Days Of Blood And Fire begins an exciting new chapter in the chronicles of Deverry and the Westlands, with a story suited to new readers and loyal fans alike.

Customer Reviews:

Sixth in the Ten Book (currently) Series.......2006-08-01

In the peaceful land of the Riddaer, Jahdo the ratcatcher's son stumbles upon a meeting between a city councilman and a dangerous, mysterious woman. Suddenly the boy is tangled in a web of intrigue and black magic that drags him far from his beloved home. In the company of Meer, a blind bard of the Horsekin, Jahdo must travel to Deverry to unravel the evil that binds him. Gut there the boy is caught up in dangers far greater than any he has ever known. Two powerful sorcerers--the human Jill and the elven Dallandra--are battling to save the country from a goddess gone mad. Their strongest ally is the mercenary soldier Rhodry Maelwaedd, a berserker bound to both women by fate and magic...and to the dragon upon whom all their lives may depend. For fantasy lovers who have never read the novels of Deverry before, Days of Blood and Fire is the place to begin.

Katherine Kerr's writing takes a bit of getting used to, but it's worth the effort. She approaches her stories with a Celtic storytelling mindset, which means she conveys events according to their significance to the story, as opposed to chronologically. Consequently, while the stories begin in the "present" (which is an elastic concept, anyway, in a fantasy setting), the events unfold, chapter wise, both in the "present" and in the distant past. This can be frustrating, at first, but Kerr's writing is heavily steeped in Pagan and Western Mystery tradition, and the Celtic setting (and mindset) of her characters means that time, or chronological time, is not essentially relevant. To be honest, I found the first book infuriating, as I spent a lot of time trying to adjust to the writing style. However, I found the story engrossing enough that I persevered, and by the second book was so hooked I've read all ten in her three series.

Kerr's story evolves around the concept of reincarnation, and unfinished business, and "karma", and fate. The same souls recur again and again, just in new bodies, over the course of the centuries over which the story unfolds.

Kerr's world is one of High Fantasy, populated by Elves, Men, and Dwarves, as well as faeries/elementals, which she terms the "Wildfolk". However, hers is a slightly more dark, dangerous and less clear cut world than the works of other High Fantasy authors, not the least due to the fact that someone who was your friend in a former life can re-emerge in the story centuries later as a foe, and vice versa. There is a tremendous amount of magic, but it's the magic of the Western Mystery tradition (quite a bit of Golden Dawn and even Enochiana), and that of R.J. Stewarts Faery tradition. There are dragons, and giant beast men.

The Elves are a fallen race, driven out of their magnificent and palatial cities centuries before by invaders, and who now roam the plains as primitives. They possess the potential to be superlative magicians, but the knowledge was lost in the fall of their civilization. Humans, though warlike and shorter lived, have preserved this knowledge, but guard it jealously. The Wildfolk, basically magic incarnate, are unhinged from the effects of "karma", but lack permanence of personality, and cannot grow or develop, cursed to stagnation. The Dwarves are a secretive mystery, entrenched within the earth. Each has something to offer the other, and the story that unfolds is the story of this "technology" exchange, of sorts, between them.

Fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley, who clearly influenced Kerr, will be enraptured by this series, as will fans of Kate Eliott, who Kerr, herself, clearly influenced. It's phenomenal! Devotees of the New Age, Esoteric or Occult will find themselves nodding and smiling as they read, and sincerely hoping Kerr's writing will do for the Western Mystery and Faery traditions what Bradley's has done for Wicca.

Good, even without the background.......2005-05-17

I found this book to be quite enjoyable, though I think that I would have liked it more if I had read the other books in the series. It stood on it's own rather well, but there were a few things that I didn't understand as well as I think I could have if I'd read the other books.

The only thing that really bothered me about this book was the name of the Sorceress. Jill just didn't fit in with the other names in the book, and the excuse that was given wasn't a very good one, or at least it wasn't to someone who had only read that book. It was alluded that there might have been a better explanation in another book, something to do with who her father was, but it was not satisfactory to me.

I did, however, find the characters to be vibrant and the plot to be engaging, so that little complaint really isn't much of a complaint at all. This was, I thought, a rather decent fantasy novel and if I stumble across more of her work, I will likely pick it up.

Quite entertaining.......1999-06-28

Whether or not you started with Daggerspell or if you have just recently started reading the works of Katharine Kerr, you should definately read this. I found the book entertaining with all the old characters mixed with the new and their wonderful skill at getting wound up in problems that seem to large to remedy. You get to see parts of her world that you do not see in the other books which is always exciting with this author. She transends into the world "high fantasy" well and the ending is rather different from most of her others because it is sudden and leads into the next book.

Book Seven of an Outstanding Series.......1999-06-25

Similar to "The Dragon Revenant" Kerr again returns to a linear plot previously set up in "Time of Omens," again abandoning her usual interaction of stories set within differing time periods. Obviously by now I am an enthusiast of the tale and world begun in "Daggerspell" and would recommend fans of better fantasy fiction take a look. Despite the positive response of the previous reviewer, however, Kerr's books are not written as stand-alones, and without the information provided by the earlier works, one's enjoyment of this book will be greatly limited. Despite the fact that it was the weakest book in the series, start with "Daggerspell": By the time you reach "Days of Blood and Fire" I'm sure you'll conclude that the considerable time invested was enjoyably well spent.

I do however have one reservation regarding this book: The introduction of a dragon. It may be a personal quirk on my part, but rarely have I found the active appearance of dragons in a tale either satisfying or credible. Often anthropomorphised in manner either typecast or silly - McCaffrey's romanticized and laughable wyrms are but the most notable examples - their inclusion as characters almost invariably fails to be convincing (At the risk of sacrilege I would include Tolkein's Smaug). Though the dragon here is present for only a few pages, it is apparant that it will play a large role in the next book, and it talks, which may not bode well for the conclusion of the series. Those of you who delight in clever wyrms, carry on. I will reserve final comment for completion of the next book.

This book is worth every cent........1998-08-24

This is the best fantasy book that I have ever read, and possibly one of the best books overall. Anyone who is a fantasy reader should definately pick this one up. It kept me on the edge of my seat right up until the end, where I immediately ran out to pick up "Days of Air and Darkness" to find out how this chapter in the Deverry saga ended. Full of action, intrige, and emotion, this book is sure to give anyone a good read. I am about to order the rest of the series to see what else has gone on.

A Day In Your Presence: A 40-Day Journey in the Company of Francis of Assisi (Rekindling Inner Fire)

Average customer rating:

favorite book
Praying with St. Francis
Great Resource

A Day In Your Presence: A 40-Day Journey in the Company of Francis of Assisi (Rekindling Inner Fire)
Saint Francis of Assisi
Manufacturer: Bethany House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1556612060
Release Date: 1992-01-01

Book Description

Excellent devotional on catching a vision of God's kingdom that frees from the world's cares.

Customer Reviews:

favorite book.......2007-09-03

This is a wonderful book that will give you the joy of our Creator through the eyes of Francis of Assissi.

Praying with St. Francis.......2004-02-29

This book is probably best for some one who is being introduced to St. Francis of Assisi. As I have read much on his life, and his writings, this book didn't inspire me much.

Great Resource.......2000-05-12

This book will lead the reader through an inspiring forty days in the company of St. Francis, one of the most popular Saints. There are forty daily devotions that average 2-3 pages each. They consist of a selected Scripture verse (or verses), a passage from the writings of St. Francis (prayers, excerpts from his letters, etc.) and a final prayer by the editor that is related to the passage from Francis. The devotions include such topics as loving your enemies, God's transforming power, joy, and praise to the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. I wish the book were longer, but overall it is an excellent devotional resource.

The Refiner's Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology, 16441844

Average customer rating:

The Fascinating Context for Joseph Smith's Claims--10 stars!
A Leap Beyond
More of a fantasia played on the idea of Mormonism than the religion itself.
Garbage
A Powerful Statement of the Origins of Mormonism

The Refiner's Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology, 16441844
John L. Brooke
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0521345456

Book Description

Mormon religious belief has long been a mystery to outsiders, either dismissed as anomalous to the American religious tradition or extolled as the most genuine creation of the American imagination. The Refiner's Fire presents a new and comprehensive understanding of the roots of Mormon religion, whose theology promises the faithful that they will become "gods" through the restoration of ancient mysteries and regain the divine powers of Adam lost in the fall from Paradise. Professor Brooke contends that the origins of Mormonism lie in the fusion of radical religion with occult ideas, and organizes his book around the two problems of demonstrating the survival of these ideas into the nineteenth century and explaining how they were manifested in Mormon doctrine. In the concluding chapter, the author provides an outline of how Mormonism since the 1850s gradually moved toward traditional Protestant Christianity. As well as religion, the book explores magic, witchcraft, alchemy, Freemasonry, counterfeiting, and state-formation. John L. Brooke is professor of history at Tufts University and the acclaimed author of The Heart of the Commonwealth: Society and Political Culture in Worcester County, Massachusetts, 1713-1861 (CUP, 1989), which has won, among other prizes, the Organization of American Historians' Merle Curti Award for Intellectual History and the National Historical Society Book Prize for American History.

Customer Reviews:

The Fascinating Context for Joseph Smith's Claims--10 stars!.......2007-09-08

Note: I made some Mormon reader angry over my reviews of books written by Mormons out to prove the Book of Mormon, and that person has been slamming my reviews.

Your "helpful" votes are appreciated. Thanks.

Anyone interested in how Joseph Smith could have become a prophet should first read about the life of Joanna Southcott. Her story proves that believers will continue to believe regardless of contrary evidence; in fact, for the believer, the contrary evidence will be seen as the greatest evidence of all.

The following is quoted from Brook's well-researched history (the first part a summary on the back cover). It's a real eye opener, and in many aspects, Southcott's claims are mockingly similar to those of Joseph Smith. Southcott's "sealings" will leap from the page for anyone familiar with Mormonism (also her testimonies).

"Born in 1750 to a Devon farmer, and growing in a typical rural environment of the time, Joanna Southcott's life was changed in 1792 when she heard the `still, small voice' that would inform and guide her for the next two decades. Her claims that it was the word of God speaking through her were rejected by church leaders, yet her prophecies of the Second Coming and her `sealing' of believers against harm brought her tens of thousands of followers. Some of her writings, she was told by her inner voice, were to be kept secret and revealed only when requested by the twenty-four Church of England Bishops at a time of great danger--hence the existence of her famous Box." (A box of "sealed" prophecies!)

"Central to Joanna's Southcott's writings is the fight between good and evil in the world, which, as in the Revelation of St. John, is to culminate in a terrible battle leading to a great victory for Christ of the Devil."

"The whole nation looked on in 1814 when Joanna--at age of sixty--announced the forthcoming birth of `Shiloh,' which she saw as the second coming of Jesus. The pregnancy was affirmed by leading doctors, but Joanna died and no trace of Shiloh could be found."

Her writing career began this way: She went out and bought "pens, ink and paper and made a start. Writing had never come easy to her. There had always been complaints about its illegibility, but she would not let that put her off" (p. 53).

She wrote 65 books and pamphlets, including "A True Picture of the World."

She even had an "Affidavit signed by the Seven Stars in 1802, confirming that they had found Joanna Southcott's powers of prophecy to be genuine" (p. 110).

One of her followers was Robert Dowland. Dowland went to her meeting and, "Soon afterward he began to communicate with a spirit who confirmed his new faith in verse and, despite the fact that Dowland was barely literate, the words were dictated as fast as he could write them down" (p. 182):

`Come, see Joanna, see the saint arise!
Burst earthly prison, soar about the skies,
To that bright world where joys immortal grow,
And life's unfathom'd pleasures ever flow;
There rob'd in white, she'll join the heav'nly train:
She'll share the glory of the sealed race,
And bask, and triumph, in the God of Grace.'

And guess what? Southcott still has followers today.

A Leap Beyond.......2006-07-13

Leaping way beyond Quinn's, Early Mormonism and the Magic World View (1987), Brooke finds striking parallels between Mormon theology and teachings (such as temple ritual, polygamous marriage, deification, a salvifical priesthood and the coequality of spirit and matter), with those of ancient traditions of alchemy and hermeticism. Disagreeing with Davis, Shipp and many others, Brooke does not see Mormonism as an American institution, with its inherent baggage (racism, anti-Catholic sentiment, etc.); but as a restoration of the ideas of the Radical Reformation. Brooke is not alone nor the first to notice hermetic parallels (see Bloom's, The American Religion (1992) and Owens, "Joseph Smith and Kabbalah" (Dialogue, 1994) for recent studies); but he carries it much further by the study of 53 families involved with the founding of Mormonism, showing these family histories to have strong ties with hermetic ideas rather than with Puritanism (see Davis', "The New England Origins of Mormonism" (1953)) thus, making those new converts a peculiarly prepared people for Mormon conversion. Although an ambitious, important (it won the Bancroft and other awards) and erudite cultural study that provides a wealth of background information on hermeticism and its crossing the Atlantic to Early America, it completely falls short in connecting any of those teachings or practices to Smith or Young. The volume is interesting and significant for the parallels and history that it illuminates, but cannot be recommended as a history or an accurate interpretation of the roots of Mormon doctrine.

More of a fantasia played on the idea of Mormonism than the religion itself........2006-03-05

One of the things that continually interests me about scholarly reviews of my faith is how differently they see what I live. This book admits that it is inspired by Mark Hoffman's forgeries and sees the faith through a filter of Hermetic Gnosticism. The Gnostic idea of Mormonism is also a theme that others, including the noted critic Harold Bloom, have played on. This book does have its interesting moments, but for me it tries too hard to be clever. I wonder why displaying one's erudition is taken as scholarship and why talking about a subject for a couple of hundred pages counts as an explanation of anything.

In music we have an improvised form called a fantasia. A musician will improvise over an idea, maybe a theme from another piece or a couple of pieces and bring them together into his piece. Here Brooke has woven together the ever popular Mormon idea (a strange version of it to be sure) with his permeating idea of whatever Hermetic Gnosticism is (I fear it can mean largely whatever an author wants it mean as long as it is pagan and involves secret knowledge of some sort), and tops it off with the popular notion that Joseph Smith's vision died out after 1860 and that somehow the faith I live every day is not REAL Mormonism. While this might make for an interesting piece, one should not mistake it for the real musical work or the actual religion.

Another of his indulgences is his prediction of the end of Mormon growth and dynamism. He thinks the Hoffman Salamander has done us in. Well, many other critics have predicted that one event or another demonstrates that our growth is finished. We shall see, but I think he is as wrong as all the others.

If you are not a believer, you might find these notions interesting and might even fancy them explanatory. If you are a believer, you will probably find this book at least as oddly irrelevant as I found it.

Garbage.......2004-12-26

This book is so full of errors; some are intentional "errors", that it would take pages to elucidate. Rather than that, I refer you to the "Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies" (FARMS) review. Simply run "The Refiner's Fire" in their "search" box and read the list of reviews of this incredibly WRONG book. I'll give just a few examples of the ignorance:

The Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants contain several explicit condemnations of sorcery, witchcraft, and magic. While admitting that there are only "rare references to magic or witchcraft in the Book of Mormon" (p. 176, 177), Brooke nonetheless insists that the "categories of treasure, magic, and sorcery . . . fascinated Joseph Smith" (p. 168). The Book of Mormon maintains that Christ will "cut off witchcrafts out of thy land" (3 Nephi 21:16), and sorcery, witchcraft, and "the magic art" are mentioned in lists of sins (Alma 1:32, Mormon 2:10). "Sorceries, and witchcrafts, and magics" are also attributed to "the power of the evil one" (Mormon 1:19). In the Doctrine and Covenants, sorcerers are among those who are "cast down to hell" (D&C 76:103, 106), who "shall have their part in . . . the second death" (D&C 63:17).37 These are the only references to magical or occult powers in LDS scripture, and they are uniformly and emphatically negative. Brooke's key terms, such as "alchemy," "astrology," "hermeticism," "androgyny," and "cabala," are never mentioned in LDS scripture.

Even careful readers of the Book of Mormon will appreciate the previously unrecognized "insights" Brooke brings to the text. For example, Asael Smith's writings on Daniel 2 (rather than the book of Daniel itself) are said to have "anticipated [the language] of the Book of Mormon" (p. 78). This unfortunately disregards the uncongenial fact that Nebuchadnezzer's dream is nowhere alluded to in the book.62 Brooke teaches us several new things about the prophet Mormon, too: His erroneous notion that the "lone Nephite survivor [was] Mormon" (p. 159) is, for instance, employed as evidence for the equally false assertion that "the [golden] plates were hidden by the hero Mormon for Joseph Smith to recover" (p. 156).63

Brooke insists on arguing for Masonic influence on Joseph during the writing of the Book of Mormon, nearly fifteen years before he became a Mason

While it is quite true that Rigdon became a Mason, he became such in the 1840s, a bit late to have passed any esoteric lore on to Joseph in the 1830s.89 Professor Brooke also notes that a John Rigdon and a Thomas Rigdon were Masons in 1829, but fails to demonstrate that these Rigdons had any relationship, beyond name, to Sidney. And Brooke indulges in another ante hoc fallacy by claiming that the Mormon temple ceremony could have been influenced at its origin by "the European Lodges of Adoption" (p. 250), despite the fact that "the Rite of Adoption . . . has never been introduced into America

The book is fatally wounded by its methodological leaps, by factual errors far beyond those we have been able to indicate here, by the forcing of evidence, and by its often remarkable misreading of texts. Its publication does no credit to Professor Brooke, to Cambridge University Press, or, for that matter, to the scholars who endorse it on its jacket cover. If the Mormon History Association still awards its prize for the worst book of the year, we enthusiastically nominate The Refiner's Fire as the best candidate in quite some time.

Before you Mormon bashers check "NO" this review was not helpful to you, go to FARMS and read all the errors in this book. It is a travesty of ignorant "scholarship", and is very easly proven so. Those that have already marked "NO" and given it superlatives in their review demonstrate an enormous ignorance of true Mormon, thought, history, and doctrine.

A Powerful Statement of the Origins of Mormonism.......2004-04-11

Although it is a rare experience, every decade or so a book is published in Mormon history that stretches the bounds of imagination and understanding, and recasts the field of study in a different context. Fawn Brodie's 1945 biography, "No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith," Leonard Arrington's 1958 "Great Basin Kingdom: An Economic History of the Latter-day Saints," Robert Flanders's 1965 "Nauvoo: Kingdom on the Mississippi," Leonard Arrington's and Davis Bitton's 1979 "The Mormon Experience: A History of the Latter-day Saints," and D. Michael Quinn's 1987, "Early Mormonism and the Magic World View," are all in this category. They have become classics of Mormon studies, creatively reevaluating historical perceptions and affecting in a unique way the studies that followed. "The Refiner's Fire" may be in the same category.

"The Refiner's Fire" ranges broadly to place Joseph Smith and the rise of a new religious tradition squarely within a fresh context that incorporates many of the elements explored by students of Mormonism for the last four decades into a new historical synthesis. Brooke is concerned with Mormon origins, especially the elements that came together to make the Restoration movement such a powerful and compelling force in the 1830s and 1840s.

In a narrative that is much more persuasive than most when approached with an inquiring mind, Brooke argues that Mormon doctrine and cosmology originated neither in Puritan New England nor as a result of the Second Great Awakening that took place largely on the American frontier of the early nineteenth century. Instead, he places the church's ideological roots in Europe in the period of the sixteenth century Reformation, where a core element of religious dissenters questioned traditional Christian concepts and found solace in the hermetic occult.

The author contends that the connections between the occult and the sectarian ideal of restoration with Mormonism helped to forge an exceptionally attractive religious movement throughout the Western world. Integral to this was hermeticism, which claims that humanity could regain the lost and pure world of Adam through the development of a special relationship to God based on religious ritual and sacrifice. The belief in the occult, which had been exceptionally powerful in Europe between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, had been manifested especially in non-Catholic religions, magic, witchcraft beliefs, Freemasonry, and a host of everyday activities that were accepted as part of the human experience. They ranged from a belief in the visitation of angels to the far more sinister casting of spells on enemies.

Much of this acceptance of the supernatural as an everyday occurrence was lost in the rationality of the "Enlightenment" of the seventeenth century, and our present secular belief system is largely predicated on those ideas. It did not have to be that way, as this book makes clear. Joseph Smith challenged that rational system in fundamental ways when he contended that God was not "knowable" through reason, but only through the supernatural. His "First Vision" was central to that challenge--as was his translation of the Book of Mormon--and his continued reliance on nonrational knowledge thereafter incorporated a fundamental occult tradition into the movement he founded. Brooke brings together an analysis of Mormonism's occult origins in folk magic with its later expression in unique theological ideals.

"The Refiner's Fire" is an important study that will not be comfortable reading for some within the Latter-day Saint tradition. But it should be read, even though its celebration of a radical, supernatural, nonrational, religious tradition of European hermetic purity and danger will be discomforting to those who wish the modern Latter-day Saint church to be a mainstream religious institution. Joseph Smith's assertions more than 170 years ago about angelic visitations, prophetic ministry, Zionic community-building, and a restoration of the gospel in its ancient purity was a unique and powerful message in the emergent United States. "The Refiner's Fire" helps to explain some of that power, for Smith's efforts hit at the center of humanity's desire to know something that is ultimately unknowable through secular rationality.

Average customer rating:

An in-depth guide for drawing nearer to God's Holy presence

Timeless

Excellent

WOW!

A meal of treasure, offered in bit size nuggets.
You Set My Spirit Free: A 40-Day Journey in the Company of John of the Cross (Rekindling Inner Fire)
Baker Publishing Group
Manufacturer: Bethany House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Devotionals | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Devotionals | Worship & Devotion | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

A Day In Your Presence: A 40-Day Journey in the Company of Francis of Assisi (Rekindling Inner Fire)

Early Will I Seek You (Rekindling Inner Fire)

You Are My Hiding Place (Rekindling the Inner Fire)

I Promise You a Crown: A 40-Day Journey in the Company of Julian of Norwich (Rekindling the Inner Fire)

Majestic Is Your Name: A 40-Day Journey in the Company of Theresa of Avila (Rekindling the Inner Fire Devotional Series)

ASIN: 1556614810
Release Date: 1994-11-01

Book Description

A 40-day devotional designed to walk the believer out of spiritual struggle into true inner power and freedom.

Customer Reviews:

An in-depth guide for drawing nearer to God's Holy presence.......2007-05-31

If you desire a closer walk with the Lord, this book is for you. Through meditation and reflection upon its words, you will find yourself in God's presence. The Holy Spirit's work will become evident and obvious as you spend time with Him in the writings of St. John of the Cross.

Timeless.......2003-02-28

I have used this for personal retreats and for Lent. My experience of this tool changes with each circumstance, it has helped me grow and the beauty of John of the Cross becomes richer and richer.

Excellent.......2000-01-30

This is an excellent guide for those seeking God. As I read it, though, I found I wanted to read John of the Cross' words more literally (this book is a paraphrase). Having tried translations by Peers and Kavanaugh, I prefer the latter. Hazard's paraphrase is very helpful even as an introduction, but I've discovered that as I'm ivest myself in following John's rather complex sentence structure, I find incredible richness. At this point in my journey, I find his writings far more significant and helpful for me than any contemporary writer from any stream of christianity.

WOW!.......1999-11-23

Please, read this book! Read it for your spouse. Read it for your children. Read it for everyone you love, but especially for those who you don't love. And, above all, read it for your relationship with the Lord, for it will never be the same.

A meal of treasure, offered in bit size nuggets........1998-09-06

A must read for those who want the richness of the classics but don't have the time to go searching these depths. This author has dug up nuggets from past saints and offers them on a silver plater. I have so enjoyed the "Rekindling the Inner Fire" series and bless God that the treasures of these saint's experience with our Eternal Lover have not been lost beneath dust and banished to back of our libraries. I recommend all of these books from John of the Cross to An