Overall it was a good story. It brings you back in time to the harsh realities of war and the irresistable force of passion.
What A Great, Heartwarming Story!.......2002-06-30
The Norman Conquest is such an interesting period to read about, and it takes a very talented author to insert humor, lovable characters and a heartwarming love story into this violent period of time, and Howell accomplished this with remarkable ease.
Eada of Pevensey is a great heroine. She is feisty, strong, and courageous but she is also mature, willing to see other's point of view and caring. The woman is brave enough to face a knight twice her size who all and out tries to kill her. Drogo De Toulan is a fierce and deadly warrior, but he is also a kind, gentle human being. It is so refreshing to hear a hero not prattle on about how he is a warrior and cannot love because it will make him weak, or not tell the heroine that her place is only to warm his bed. Drogo claims Eada as his, but he shares with her and seeks her advice on important matters. How often do you read this in a medeival romance? Add in some wonderful secondary characters and you have a great book. Also if you like reading about this period of time, I would recommend Elizabeth Chadwick's The Conquest of Jo Beverley's Lord Of My Heart.
Humor + plot + romance = delightful!.......2002-04-30
"Be careful what you wish for, you might get it" is an old truism, as apt for today's reader as it was for a hero of the Norman Conquest. Sir Drogo de Toulon was one of the invader William's mighty war machines. Eada of Pevensey was a young Saxon woman who had been widowed on her wedding night, leaving her still a maiden.
Drogo has fought for William in the hope of gaining lands and wealth, yet when it is offered, he discovers that without Eada as part of the package, there is no worth in it. Eada has inherited from the village witch-woman the ability of hearing and seeing portents of the future. The last prediction made by Old Edith before her death was that Eada's 'mate' would be among the invading Normans. Mayhap there will be even more.
Set against the brutal battles and invasion of the Conquest, the characters in this wonderful book will stay in your heart for a long time. The secondary characters are no less pervasive; you'll especially be enamored of Ivo and May, another Norman/Saxon pair who turn Drogo's war camp into a traveling orphanage. Even though they acquire fourteen kids of various ages, along the way into London, neither of them speak the other's language!
Sensibility, humor, sensuality, panorama, plot, intelligence, romance. All this and wonderfully lifelike characters combine to make this a reader's delight. It'll be yours, too.
Average customer rating:
- Interesting and knowledgeable.......but?
- THE "INSIDER" VIEW OF A REMARKABLE AMAZONIAN TRIBE
- Boring
- Spirit of the Shuar: An Incredible Read!
- Ancient wisdom that can be applied to our lives today
|
Spirit of the Shuar: Wisdom from the Last Unconquered People of the Amazon
John Perkins ,
Shakaim Mariano Shakai Ijisam Chumpi ,
Ehud C. Sperling , and
Mariano Shakai Ijisam Chumpi
Manufacturer: Destiny Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Cultural | Anthropology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Native American | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Shamanism | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Mental & Spiritual Healing | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Native Healing | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Accessories:
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ASIN: 0892818654
Release Date: 2001-07-01 |
Amazon.com
What can we learn from a people who can't read, have no laws to speak of, who make a practice of shrinking the heads of their enemies, and let their children run around naked? In John Perkins's eyes, plenty. The Shuar of the Amazon rainforest have lived in harmony with their surroundings for countless ages. Perkins came into contact with them while on a Peace Corps stint in the 1960s, and has sought to spread their philosophy of simplicity and balance ever since. Spirit of the Shuar intertwines transcribed tape recordings of Shuar voices with Perkins's experiences. Unlike anthropological accounts, such as Philippe Descola's more eloquent but detached Spears of Twilight, Perkins's book is conversational and enthusiastic. He teaches us about a spirituality that arises from a deep connection with nature, one in which shamans use hallucinogens to go on spiritual journeys; the spirits of nature yield hidden knowledge about plants; and dreams can always be fulfilled. --Brian Bruya
Book Description
• Discover the thoughts, history, and customs of the Shuar of the Amazon, as told in their own words.
• Tribe members explain their practices of shapeshifting and headhunting; the interdependence of humans and the environment; the role of ecstatic sex; their belief in war as a path to peace; and their faith in arutam, the life spirit.
The indomitable Shuar of the Amazon--reputed to be the only tribe in the Americas that has never been conquered--have lived as warriors, hunters, cultivators, and healers for generations. Even in today's acquisitive, often wasteful world they defend their rainforests and sustainable ways of life and offer their philosophy of love, joy, and hope.
More than three decades after first befriending members of the Shuar, author and environmentalist John Perkins and his publisher, Ehud Sperling, inspired Shakaim Mariano Chumpi-a young Shuar warrior who has fought in the jungle war between his native Ecuador and Peru-to travel among his people and record their thoughts, history, and customs. The result is Spirit of the Shuar.
Here, in their own words, the Shuar share their practices of shapeshifting, "dreaming the world," and ecstatic sex, including the role older women play in teaching uninitiated men how to please. They explain the interdependence of humans and the environment, their formula for peace and balance, and their faith in arutam, the life-giving spirit of nature that allows each of us to transform ourselves. And they describe how their ancient-and current-practice of shrinking heads fits into their cultural philosophy.
Whether exploring the mystery of shamanic shapeshifting, delving deeper into the powers of healing herbs and psychotropic plants, or finding new ways to live sustainably and sensitively in the face of encroaching development and environmental destruction, the Shuar have emerged as a strong people determined to preserve their identity and beliefs and share their teachings with a world in dire need of their wisdom.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the Ayumpum Foundation to help the Shuar conserve their forests and spread their message.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting and knowledgeable.......but?.......2007-08-23
I feel I have learned a lot from this book. However the repeated comments that making love more frequently will increase your energy and well being just doesn't seem correct. If frequent love making (sex) was strengthening wouldn't prostitutes be the strongest and happiest of people?
THE "INSIDER" VIEW OF A REMARKABLE AMAZONIAN TRIBE.......2002-03-26
Just finished Spirit of the Shuar--- what a ripping good read! There are lots of books about the Amazon and indigenous peoples from anthropologists and scientists who describe the situation but rarely ( ever?) do you hear the voices themselves. What you get with Spirit of the Shuar is real, unromanticized people ( the Shuar) leading lives challenged by the onslaught of the industrial/technocratic juggernaut telling their story. How are they surviving? What do they believe in? How do they make a difference, especially with wise gringo help? One wise gringo is co-author John Perkins. Read this and the rest of his books. Heed his message.... while we have time!
Bill Pfeiffer
Boring.......2001-12-18
This book purpose is more to entertain than to make some deep impressions. What can I learn from a tribe which kills man when found in bed (jungle) with another woman, shrink heads of their enemies and similar. To me this book is more a commercialization of the Shuars then wisdom shearing. Maybe author is not in power to ask them real questions?
If you want to read a good book on amazon shamans (Shuars and others) and Ayahuasca (vine of the spirits) then rather try 'Cosmic Serpent : DNA and the Origins of Knowledge' by Jeremy Narby.
Spirit of the Shuar: An Incredible Read!.......2001-10-31
Deep within the mountainous rainforest of Ecuador, many days walk from the nearest road, lives a tribe that call themselves Shuar ("the people"). Their homeland is a place of wondrous beauty and yet great danger, where anaconda lurk in the rivers and jaguar prowl at night. Spirit of the Shuar is a book that tells their story, in their own words. After you have read it, you will know why Spirit of the Shuar has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
The Shuar are proud people who are perhaps the only tribe remaining in all of the Americas who have never surrendered to any would-be conquerors. Until recently, the Shuar lived in a shroud of secrecy, fiercely protecting their lands and privacy. Twenty years ago it would have been unimaginable that Shuar warriors, women, elders, and uwishin ("the ones who know") would willingly and openly share their traditions, mysteries, and life stories with outsiders. But these are new and challenging times for the Shuar. They are struggling to retain their traditions as well as their right to survive in the face of the insatiable hunger of oil companies and lumber conglomerates for their lands. And missionaries who seek to save their souls and rescue them from ways deemed uncivilized. Too many outsiders have in recent years come to them with the intent to teach and reform, but not to learn. And, as you will learn from reading Spirit of the Shuar, the Shuar have much wisdom to convey.
In this spirit Mariano Chumpi, a Shuar warrior and co-author of Spirit of the Shuar, agreed to record on cassette tape the stories and wisdom, the feelings and impressions, of his people. The resulting transcripts were put in book form by Mariano's long-time friend, John Perkins. This collaboration resulted in a masterpiece! Spirit of the Shuar combines the colorful spoken language of a peoples reliant upon oral tradition with the skilled written craftsmanship of author John Perkins who first became acquainted with the Shuar as a Peace Corps volunteer over 30 years ago. It is a sensitive and revealing portrayal of the traditions, way of life, and spiritual practices of a people who proudly stand against the pressures of modernism.
The tales contained within Spirit of the Shuar are told in a direct and elegantly simple style. The pages come alive as the reader is given a glimpse into what it might feel like to live among the Shuar. Warriors share their experiences of participating in head-hunting wars. Shamans speak of all-night healing ceremonies during which both the uwishin and his patient typically consume a powerful medicine plant, ayahuasca. Later, the uwishin blows tsentsak, invisible darts, into the heart of his patient to aid him in seeing where the problem originates and how it must be healed. Women discuss how they prepare chicha, a fermented manioc beverage which serves as a primary food for the Shuar, which men are only permitted to touch with their lips. Intimacies about family living, courtship and sexual practices are openly discussed; such details are a natural part of living to the Shuar and there is no hint of embarrassment or withholding. Rosa Shakai, Mariano's mother, even explains how Shuar women "rein in their men" when they cut down too many trees or hunt more than need dictates.
Spirit of the Shuar also contains 12 pages of color photos of the peoples and places you read about. You will see people like Tukupi, the most famous of living Shuar warriors, who as a young man defeated and killed thirty-three enemies - mostly Achuar - in hand-to-hand combat. But now, as an elder, he is regarded as a great healer for Shuar and Achuar alike. You will see the Shuar dressed in their traditional clothes and in their missionary-approved attire. The intimacy of the words and pictures will make you will feel as if you have been invited into a Shuar home to share in a cup of chicha and animated conversation. I found delight as I was permitted a rare glimpse into the thinking and lifestyle of people who continue to live in much the same manner as did their ancestors hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years before. I think you will too.
But Spirit of the Shuar is so much more than a well-told rendition and exposé of a culture and peoples different from our own. It is an appeal by the Shuar for our help...not in monetary terms, but in attitude. These proud, formerly secluded people opened their hearts and lives because it is their belief that when their ways are understood, and their humanity is accepted as equal yet different from our own, that their traditions and right-to-exist unmolested will be acknowledged and supported. For make no mistake about it...the jungles are shrinking and indigenous peoples such as the Shuar are fast disappearing from the face of the planet. If these peoples are to survive, if the very lands upon which they live are to remain pristine and a haven for a multitude of species (many of which are not even yet known to scientists), as a culture we must "change our dream".
Those individuals who contributed their thoughts and intimacies in the Spirit of the Shuar are explicit in their hope that those of us from industrialized nations who participate in the dominion and exploitation of nature and resources will come to replace this value by more earth-friendly dreams. The Shuar - who have never known defeat and who live in harmony with the dangers inherent in jungle life - do not give up, they adapt. Proud warriors who in earlier times would have fought to the death to repel an outsider are now revealing their secrets, willingly and freely. In reading their words you will fall in love with the beauty of the jungle and perhaps come to feel, as I do, that the peoples and the land in which they live hold a beauty that is worthy of our respect and protection.
Ancient wisdom that can be applied to our lives today.......2001-10-26
The "Spirit of the Shuar's" powerful messages are most welcome at a time when we all need to feel a sense of strength, courage, healing, and love. While the book's vivid imagery invites us to experience the lush, tropical splendor of the Amazon Rain Forest, the real value lies in the rich wisdom imparted by the Shuar people.
We are taken on a magic carpet ride through the jungle, across the rivers, and into the heartbeat of Mother Earth, as members of the Shuar community introduce us to their fascinating beliefs, customs, and healing practices.
What is most striking is that we have the ability to apply the wisdom of the Shuar to our lives at a time when we need it most by simply "changing the dream."
This book is truly a gift that combines masterful story telling with a sensual portrait of the jungle's vast and magical landscape.
Book Description
Red Sonja, the legendary crimson-haired she-devil with asword, and DC Comics' Claw, the cursed warrior, are thrown together asunlikely allies against a despotic evil sorcerer who was once a friend toRed Sonja but is now her sworn enemy. The problem is, that enemy may be theonly one who holds the key to unlocking the terrible curse Claw mustendure.One thing is certain: should Claw finally succumb to the dark urges thathave been slowly consuming him, the only person who can stop him is Sonja!
Customer Reviews:
Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-04
A sword and sorcery team-up as Claw and Red Sonja join forces to try and deal with an evil sorcerer. A few problems to overcome though, given the newly pneumatic Sonja is now more likely than ever to attract Claw, which would cause sword-fighting.
So would his demonic hand taking him over and making him not so good.
Then there is the whole sorcerer may be the only one that can cure my curse, so damned if I do, damned if don't problem for Claw.
Beautiful and Trite! .......2007-07-06
I know you're thinking, "how is that even possible"?
Well first off let me say that the story is crap. I didn't know until after reading this book that Claw The Unconquerable was created back in the 70's. I thought Layman created this crap character all by himself and I was really gonna' give him hell over it.
You're off the hook on creating Claw, Layman.
But your story sucks. I don't expect just a whole lot from a character like Red Sonja (though Dynamite does a great ongoing series) but bearing that in mind, you can't just slap your readers across the face with cliche after cliche of "Bring her to me..." and "We fight for freedooooommmm!" and expect to get a positive reaction.
Layman really needs to focus on honing his craft, even for a B-grade character like Red Sonja.
HOWEVER...artist Andy Smith shows an incredible amount of promise. And maybe that was the deal all along---Layman agreed to pull a "Jeph Loeb" and let the dialogue take a seat waaaay in the back for the art (*see "Batman:Hush").
Every image of Smith's Red Sonja could double as a pin-up shot...though some of the other characters lack the same patience and care, and both of the main male characters look like Bizzaro Conans.
This is worth the buy only as a "sketchbook" of Andy Smith. I wouldn't bother reading it, though.
Remember the days when Sonja and Conan fought side by side?.......2007-06-17
The Wildstorm/Dynamite crossover with Claw and Red Sonja is the best crossover published with the fiery red heroine so far. The story and plot are pretty basic and isn't all that complicated but it is the conflict and resolution that both warriors experience that makes this book hard to put down. This is the best Sonja story since Roy Thomas was writing Conan due its realistic elements and grim atmosphere. There aren't any B-movie moments Sonja was prone to during the 80's when Frank Thorne was handling the art for her Marvel run. And you won't definitley won't find Sonja teaming up with Conan anytime in the near future due to conflicting rights issues between the companies. This is the next best thing!
Bloody good fun..........2007-03-08
Cheesecake (and beefcake) swords and sorcery. If you're a fan of the genre and your intellectual needs are modest, then this is a nice way to spend a couple of hours.
Book Description
Unconquered explores the complex world of Iroquois warfare, providing a narrative overview of nearly two hundred years of Iroquois conflict during the colonial era of North America. Detailing Iroquois wars against the French, English, Americans, and a host of Indian enemies, Unconquered builds upon decades of modern scholarship to reveal the vital importance of warfare in Iroquois society and culture, at the same time exploring the diverse motivations that guided Iroquois warfare. Economic competition and rivalry for trade were important factors in Iroquois warfare, but they often provided less motivation for waging war than Iroquoian spiritual and cultural beliefs, including the important tradition of the "mourning war." Nor were European agendas particularly important to Iroquois warfare, except in that they occasionally coincided with Iroquois designs. Europeans influenced and incited, both directly and indirectly, conflict within the Iroquois League and with other Indian nations, but the peoples of the Iroquois League waged war according to their own cultural beliefs and by their own rules. In reality, the Iroquoi League rarely waged war against anyone. Rather its individual member nations drove the warfare often attributed to the whole, creating a shifting, amorphous political and military position that allowed member nations to pursue separate policies of war and peace against common foes and multiple enemies. Unconquered also seeks to dispel longstanding beliefs about the invincible Iroquois "empire," myths that have been dispelled by focused academic studies, but still retain a powerful resonance among popular conceptions of the Iroquois League. While the Iroquois created far-reaching networks of trade and destroyed or dispersed Indian peoples along their borders, they created no expansive territorial empires. Nor were Iroquois warriors unequaled in battle. Europeans, Americans, and Indians defeated Iroquois warriors and burned Iroquois villages as often as they tasted defeat, and on more than one occasion they brought the Iroquois League to the brink of utter ruin. Yet the Iroquois were never completely destroyed. Because they waged war as individual members of a loosely united, voluntary league, rather than as a unified political state, they remained unconquered, retaining influence and power longer than any other native nation in North America, and providing for their exulted status in the history of American Indian peoples during the age of European colonization.
Book Description
A study of the religious system of Mithraism, one of the 'mystery cults' popular in the Roman Empire contemporary with early Christianity. Roger Beck describes Mithraism from the point of view of the initiate engaging with the religion and its rich symbolic system in thought, word, ritual action, and cult life. He employs the methods of anthropology of religion and the new cognitive science of religion to explore in detail the semiotics of the Mysteries' astral symbolism, which has been the principal subject of his many previous publications on the cult.
Average customer rating:
|
UNCONQUERED
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H3SC3W |
Customer Reviews:
Super Reader.......2007-08-02
This book is not as interesting as most of Jordan's others. I think the supporting cast is a little on the bland side, or only appear fleetingly in and out of the book. No Karelas or Hordos to be found here.
Necromancer, evil femme fatale, good but naive girl he teaches a little bit of swordplay and shagging.
Just an average tale.
Just ok........2000-06-27
This was my third of Jordan's Conan Books, and, unfortunately, my least favorite. All three were nearly identical... so maybe I was just bored at this point and you may well think I am nuts. But frankly, I recommend you skip this one unless you plan to read EVERY Conan book ever written.
In CONAN the UNCONQUERED, the barbarian once again arrives in a new city looking for a way to fill his pockets with gold and manages to end up knee deep in trouble. As usual, he does some bar crawling, sleeps with some gorgeous women, and after a variety of brawls, he of course stops the evil wizard.
-If you are looking for more "Wheel of Time" you are likely to be disappointed -but it is fun watching Jordan hone his skills.
-As far as Conan goes, I hear R E Howard's works are the best -so you might want to look there instead. That's next for me as well.
Can't find the same enthusiasm as in other Conan novels.......1999-08-24
I can't find the same enthusiasm as in other Conan novels. The reader may find it boring compared to other Conan novels.
Howard would be proud!.......1998-08-25
Well, if you don't already know who Robert Jordan is please ask whoever it is that has kept you locked in that closet to buy you the entire Wheel of Time series--and this book of course--before inserting you back into that dark, miserable vault. Then read them all voraciously. You will not be disappointed, with this or any of the other many books Mr. Jordan has written. This book in particular is probably the best Conan novel I have read in a great many moons. Why you ask? Well, the plotting is crisp and fast moving, the prose and dialogue effectively create action in the reader's mind, and as all of us RJ sycophants have come to expect, the characterizations are well done and extremely believable. A great book.
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