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War Dead: Western Societies and the Casualties of War
Luc Capdevila , and
Daniele Voldman
Manufacturer: Edinburgh University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General | World | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0748622977 |
Book Description
How do societies handle their war dead, and what is their attitude to the bodies of their enemies? In the 19th century, battlefield casualties were pushed into mass graves, their identities remaining unknown. Today, the war dead are held in much higher regard, their identities crucial. A historical study of the way in which war and death intersect, War Dead describes the complex attitude societies have taken towards death. Seduced by the concept of eternal youth, tempted to fight death as well as physical decay, and faced with longer life expectancy, we indulge in the hope of war without loss of life, but doesn't our expectation of "zero death" mean more deaths for the enemy?
Book Description
Christianity in the democracies of the 'first' world has been declining in power, popularity and prestige for a century. However, many commentators, social scientists as well as church leaders, try and minimize the extent of this change. They maintain that religious sentiment remains strong despite declining levels of church involvement, and insist that secularization is an academic myth.In this robust defense of the secularization paradigm, Bruce elaborates just what Weber, Durkheim, Berger and Wilson thought was happening to religion in the West, and responds to critics of this concept. Specific topics covered include the significance of New Age spirituality, the influence of eastern religions on the West, the impact of science, the charismatic movement, religion and politics in the USA, and the future of religion.Bruce concludes the old orthodoxy was right: cultural diversity, in egalitarian and liberal democracies that place the individual above the community, undermines religious belief. Drawing on a diverse range of international examples, and written by one of the foremost sociologists of religion working today, God is Dead moves the debate about secularization forward. It will be an invaluable resource for students of sociology of religion, modern religion, Christianity, new religious movements and religion and culture.
Customer Reviews:
Meticulously argumented theory/idea.......2007-04-23
Just a quick review: The first chapter is Bruce explaining the secularization theory (paradigm, idea, whatever). He uses a graph to illustrate this. It is very intricate and complex, but he explains each part very clearly. The rest of the book is basically him refuting any opposition the theory faces - chapter by chapter. He states what people often argue, state what they don't understand about the theory (which they obviously must NOT understand, or else they wouldn't be arguing, or so he'd say ;) and then state how what they're saying isn't true. It is a complicated book, and you may not agree with it (MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE THEORY COMPLETELY BEFORE DISAGREEING, its not as theo-bashing as it may sound!) but it is interesting, well done, and relevent to today.
Book Description
The first complete translation of the classic Buddhist text
One of the greatest works created by any culture and overwhelmingly the most significant of all Tibetan Buddhist texts in the West, The Tibetan Book of the Dead has had a number of distinguished but partial translations. Now the entire text has not only been made available in English but also in a translation of remarkable clarity and beauty. Translated with the close support of leading contemporary masters, this complete edition faithfully presents the insights and intentions of the original work. It includes one of the most detailed and compelling descriptions of the after-death state in world literature, practices that can transform our experience of daily life, guidance on helping those who are dying, and an inspirational perspective on coping with bereavement.
Customer Reviews:
A Perfectionists' Translation of Not Really Accessible Death-Transition Rites.......2007-09-07
To begin with: Whatever you do, do not touch the upper and lower ends of the spine of the 2007 Deluxe Edition, or it will look like a shabby edition ugly quickly. The cogwheelish cutting of the page edges are nice and unusual to look at, but it is a nightmare to quickly leaf through the book that way in order to find a specific page. Which you are supposed to do, as the book is very footnote ridden (32 pages of small print). That in itself wouldn't be the problem. But from there, you may get directed further into the glossary of key terms (85 pages). One glossary entry may include, say, 16 more terms to be looked up in the same glossary... and so on so forth. From there, you might get directed to Appendix One or Two (together 22 pages). You get the drift: Major obstacle reading. My advice: Read the glossary before you read anything else, attempt to remember it all and check the footnotes only while reading the book. And remember: While you are paging forward and backward - don't touch the edges of the spine or the fancy color will come off!
So much for what is more easily rated. Originally published in 2005, the many centuries old "The Great Liberation by Hearing in the Intermediate States" - as the literal translation of the Tibetan title really reads - had been translated into English in part and faulty at that in 1927. The Dalai Lama and other dignitaries thought it would be about time to introduce a complete and better translation. That work is comprised of 14 chapters (379 pages), including even three chapters which aren't really part of the book but fit in neatly for further overstanding. The XIVth Dalai Lama provided part of the introduction (14 pages). Altogether, there are 51 introductory pages. Together with the bibliography, index and 16 full color picture pages (which are actually two related subjects only, but each enlarged in sections on the respective following pages), this book is 607 pages heavy.
The theme of the book is the myths and rites approaching, during and after the transition from one body to the next as in the context of reincarnation. The book is best for those who would like to really delve into Buddhism, as the translation is done for perfectionists, students of religion and of course Buddhists in the English speaking world. The more generally interested may be put off by the concentration on utterly unexplained rites. As in: How do they know all those things from the intermediate states? By remembering? By a prophesy? By divine telling? The rites (of reading texts) are extremely repetitive. Which has the function of conditioning in a positive sense: The neophyte is supposed to automatically recall certain passages as only then the right behavior has a chance in the dream-like states of "death". Even more difficult to read are the many Tibetan words still included. There is no chance of even guessing how to pronounce them correctly. Many are unavoidable names, but many are also regular words. Even if difficult to translate, neologisms overstandable in English would have been my choice, such as this one Iyaric term in this sentence. And let's put it this way: Tibetan words do not easily roll off the tongue such as "Mandala". There are others such as "Sarvadurgatiparisodhanatantra", not even including the many potential accents unproducable on my current keyboard. In other words, this book may be appreciated most by those who already have some prior knowledge.
The rites are a lot about veneration of and prostrating to a caleidoscope of deities. Who are one, but splintered at the same time. I was hoping to find a bit more mysticism in this book. Well, at least the chapter on the confession of sins in the beliefs of dualisms are rewarding. If you are a mystic (no matter of what branch of religion), that is. There were more traces of mysticism in the introduction than the book itself, though.
Many words of advice from Buddhism I can take, no matter wether everything corresponds to my door which leads to the same room or wether the same door shines in my light. I find the book Mind of Clear Light: Advice on Living Well and Dying Consciously by the XIVth Dalai Lama on the same subject much more accessible, if I am correct on the English title of a book I read in another language. If I would follow "The Tibetan Book of the Dead", I would think of myself to be occupied with "death" way too much. As a mystic I don't believe in death anyway, therefore I am less obsessed with checking myself for potential advance signs of death all the Imes as suggested here. The book works under the premise that life is a very bad thing anyway which should be avoided by all means. That is not my approach. Maybe there's suffering in the everlasting cycle of life, but that's fine with me, for there are some nice moments in between all the suffering. Besides: What if God/the universe/Jah/etc., which we are all part of in the mystic overstanding LIKES to experience life in the forms of various bodies, accepting the suffering along the way? Wouldn't it be egoistical to refuse life? What if "everybody" would refuse "rebirth"? I had a lot of questions like that popping up while reading this book. Other Imes, the book put a smile on my face. For example, when I imagined another religious leader, such as the Pope, giving the advice, in a certain context, to inhale one's semen through the nose, while the former is still warm. I am not that sure, wether I will ever follow THAT advice either. But it's refreshing that we can talk about any possible body function and unorthodox use. I forgot: In Tibet, that IS orthodox...
It would take you a lifetime to understand this book........2007-05-15
I just got this book, and it is so deep and exciting I want to just study it forever to find out all about what it has to say.
Expanded version with authoritative interpretations. Important!.......2006-02-07
The Tibetan Book of the Dead edited by Graham Coleman, Thupten Jinpa, translated by Gyurme Dorje (Viking) is by far the most popular example of indigenous Tibetan Buddhist treasure literature. An edition was issued in 1927 by Oxford University Press under the general editorship of W. Y. Evans-Wentz. The block-print copy, he used was an abridgment obtained in Nepal and translated by a Tibetan lama. Evans-Wentz was a scholarly Theosophist who imported certain Theosophical preconceptions into his commentary on the work. Carl Jung the prominent analytical psychologist even wrote a psychological commentary on the work prompted by Evans-Wentz. Since the 1970s, beginning with Francesca Fremantle and Chogyam Trungpa's edition of the text and more recently Robert Thurman's translation, corrected versions of the Tibetan Book of the Dead are well represented in English and other European languages. The mistakes and egregious errors of the pioneering edition have been corrected and Tibetan Buddhism now in America and Europe has been flourishing with many translations and commentaries on basic Buddhist practices as well as the indigenous literatures of Tibet.
This new edition by Graham Coleman and Thupten Jinpa uses a fuller edition of the work for translating, adding new chapters and reflecting the interpretation of contemporary masters and lineage holders of this tradition. In many ways this is the first complete The Tibetan Book of the Dead. In many ways this book is both a guide for living as well as a how to consciously move on after death. The book has been extremely popular in Central Asia among Buddhists. The Tibetan Book of the Dead contains especially written guidance and practices related to transforming our experience of daily life, on how to address the process of dying in the after-death states, and on how to help those who are dying. Some of these teachings include: methods for investigating and cultivating our experience of the ultimate nature of mind in our daily practice, guidance on the recognition of the science of impending death and a detailed description of the mental and physical processes of dying, rituals for the avoidance of premature death, the now famous great liberation by hearing that is read to the dying and the dead, special prayers are read at the time of death, and allegorical masque play that lightheartedly dramatizes the journey through the intermediate state, and a translation of the sacred mantras that are attached to the body after death and are said to bring liberation by wearing. The editors have also included two additional texts are not usually included in the first chapter there is a preliminary meditation and practices related to the cycle of teachings, and in chapter 10, instructions on methods of transforming consciousness at the point of death into a enlightened state and are an essential aspect of the practices related to dying.
The editors have gone out of their way to be sure to relate what the actual masters of these traditions mean by these practices. For that reason alone, makes this new edition of The Tibetan Book of the Dead authoritative in ways that previous editions have not been. Needless to say, this book should capture the imagination not only of students of Buddhism, but psychologists, philosophers, spiritual directors, and chaplains as well as anyone who wishes to entertain profound teachings about the survival of consciousness after death as well as ways to encourage the meaning of our own life in the everyday world.
Immense........2005-11-11
Having just recieved this book, I wonder if I will ever have time to read it. It is a stunning piece of work that has been hidden away for centuries. A must have for any buddhist library.
Book Description
Hailed as one of the finest novels to come out of the Second World War, The Naked and the Dead received unprecedented critical acclaim upon its publication and has since enjoyed a long and well-deserved tenure in the American canon. This fiftieth anniversary edition features a new introduction created especially for the occasion by Norman Mailer.Written in gritty, journalistic detail, the story follows a platoon of Marines who are stationed on the Japanese-held island of Anopopei. Composed in 1948 with the wisdom of a man twice Mailer's age and the raw courage of the young man he was, The Naked and the Dead is representative of the best in twentieth-century American writing.
Customer Reviews:
Solid, but not the classic I envisioned........2007-09-11
Maybe it's the movies.......Maybe it's the movies that have de-sensitized me to expect that the subtle, internal nature of literature could possibly match the over-the-top, external stimuli of cinema. I guess this is probably no more apparent than in "war stories", where I was expecting something along the lines of "Saving Private Ryan", or "Flags of Our Fathers".
Throughout most of this book, I found myself about as lost as the platoon that was sent out to "recon" the rear lines of the Japanese Army. I struggled in the first half of the book, admittedly. Where were the battles? Where was the karnage? I was rather disappointed that nothing was really happening; that all the U.S. company was doing was preparing to prepare for a battle that they knew was possibly months away.
However, As I was finishing this book, I realized that maybe war is more properly illustrated by stories like this. Maybe war is monotonous; boring; anti-climactic; as the nature of this book describes. Maybe war involves a battle of wills and personalities more so than the battle between armies.
Probably more so than any novel I've read, the author brings you deep into the lives and backgrounds of the major players. You're given an opportunity to actually know each character, to the point where you feel it when something happens to them.
This book is not for everyone, and it took me a while to really understand and accept what the author had intended. Nevertheless, if you have time and patience it is worth it.
Not Your Grandpa's War Story.......2007-08-09
Or maybe it is your grandpa's war story; I wouldn't know because my grandpa was in the navy. Anyway, those looking for a rollicking action adventure about WWII in the Pacific had better look elsewhere. It's not a John Wayne movie or even "Saving Private Ryan." This is a psychological study of men grappling with the elements and themselves in a hellish environment. (Substitute the jungle for sand dunes and tropical humidity for 130-degree heat and Japanese soldiers for Arab terrorists and it would fit perfectly into modern times.)
This is a fictional account of the taking of an island in the Pacific by American forces. The story focuses primarily on a recon platoon lead by the abusive tyrant Sergeant Croft. There are about a dozen men in the platoon at the beginning including the Mexican sergeant Martinez, the former hobo Red, the Jew trying to fit in Goldstein, the intellectual Jew/platoon runt Roth, a couple good ol' boys Wilson and Ridges, gangster wanna-be Polack, brownnoser corporal Stanley, and seemingly All-American boy Brown. There's also General Cummings and his surly Ivy League aide Hearn, who have a very conflicted and adversarial relationship.
This relationship ends with Hearn being assigned to the recon platoon for a quixotic mission to explore behind the Japanese lines. This patrol leads to three men dying, two quickly and one very slowly.
But again this isn't a book about the war. There's really only one real battle and a couple of skirmishes. The real war for the soldiers is with the jungle and themselves--physically and mentally. A lot of the book details the platoon's fatigue as they tramp through the jungle or work on constructing a road to resupply the front.
None of these guys come off as your stereotypical characters from a war movie and Mailer's greatest strength is delving beneath the tough guy surfaces to show the fragile individuals underneath. Several sections of the book are referred to as the "time machine" and detail the platoon members before they went to war. None of them are heroes, but just ordinary guys who don't care about causes and flags, only about getting back home to their families and friends.
There's no glory to be had anywhere in this very long, very detailed narrative. If you're looking for action and excitement, look elsewhere--maybe ask your grandpa to tell one of his stories. If you want a realistic portrait of war, then look no further.
That is all.
How else can you explain the impact of war on the participants except.......2007-08-01
by reflecting the tension everyone in it is under while they prepare and prepare and wait and wait for something to happen? The agony of anticipation and the unknown. Then the suddeness of what does happen. Norman Mailer does this very well and I especially liked that there were no answers to anything - just life in a brutal situation. And it goes on....
Don't misunderstand me, for me it was a page turner. I thought it was great.
Could've been better - Could've been worse.......2007-06-30
Yes this is a World War II book. It is not really packed full of action, it is more a psychological study of some of the American soldiers. It is a slow book, but it is really, really slow in the beginning. It is like meeting a group of people it takes a while to know and remember who is who. Some reviewers didn't like the semi-profanities. I can live with it, my mind can simply substitute the proper four letter word in each case. What I did not like is that the book is over written, even though you find signs of great writing. Many of the characters are questioning what causes some soldiers to be killed and others not killed, luck, fate, etc. What I did like is when one protagonist was shot their was little explanation. It was left out which leaves the reader as shocked as the other soldiers probably would've been. This leaves the reader to try and provide and explanation, which is what I believe the author is trying to achieve. The description of the humid jungle weather was beaten into the ground. The "Time Machine" was an interesting literary tool to provide background on many of the soldiers in the platoon. I also wonder if this book would be popular with readers who were not to familiar with this time period.
Overwritten Work of a Young Writer.......2007-06-01
It's the overwritten work of a young writer.
He feels he has something to say, and boy, does he say it. And say it. And say it.
Am I starting to annoy you?
The story lacks drama and wit, and portrays characters who are all uniformly narrow, prejudiced, cynical, and, it seems, clinically depressed. The writing confirms this picture of each character, over and over.
It seems as if Mailer tried to turn an ordinary adventure story into something more profound by padding it with "insights."
And yet we never really get inside the characters. What is intended as insight is rarely any deeper than what they themselves might say out loud. Mailer could have left out most of the narrative and just let us listen to them.
The device of interspersing the story with flashbacks was irritating. I suppose this is a backhanded compliment to the writer, since he made me want to know what was going to happen next in the present, without interruption.
James Jones's "The Thin Red Line" has everything this book is missing. Jones's book is a wry, sardonic masterpiece. And it's succinct.
The reason I give Mailer three stars is that he showed remarkable command of his craft for one so young, and so, despite hating something on almost every page, I was drawn in by the vividness of some of the writing, however self-indulgent.
And being first on the scene with this kind of story made Mailer something of an innovator. Enough to convince the Pulitzer judges.
Book Description
The first overview of the revolutionary advertising techniques and media needed to successfully reach today's consumer.
Twenty years ago an advertiser could reach eighty percent of the American population with just three television commercials. Today it takes 150. Advertising is suffering because of the sheer amount of it, the lack of innovation within traditional advertising formats, and the power that media fragmentation and technology give to consumers to tune out the noise.
The new buzzwords are guerrilla, stealth, ambush, buzz, viral, grassroots, wildfire, and ambient. This book is the first to harness them into an integrated communications approach, as Tom Himpe explains and illustrates:
• the four driving forces for getting close to the consumer: be personal; go where the competition isn't; make the brand invisible; be unpredictable;
• the eight techniques—from consumer involvement to harnessing the power of the senses—for employing these driving forces, illustrated with campaigns from across the world;
• the four types of campaign that make use of this new knowledge. 435 color illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Finally!.......2007-09-17
I'm one of the artists featured in the book. I have to say this is one book that I'm proud to have my name attached. Too often "Art of" books smack of kissing up to the producers and above the line folks. This is an "art of" book that doesn't lie. It's just a bunch of art. Period. Thanks to Jon Rogers at Disney for putting this together.
The Art of the Pirates of the Caribbean.......2007-09-16
Ever wanted to see how they came they came up with the characters, settings, and more for the hit blockbuster trilogy Pirates of the Caribbean? Then you definitely should check this one out. The book is huge and bound in a beautiful leather cover. The pictures and illustrations are no less than amazing and are definitely worth the $$$ you're going to spend. So, if you are a Pirates of the Caribbean fan or just love artwork get this now!
This is Quality.......2007-09-08
This is worth owning. The prints of the artwork are very large, as compared to other 'art of' books. I would have preferred artist liner notes though.
Art of Pirates of the Caribbean--THIS IS THE WAY IT SHOULD ALWAYS BE DONE!.......2007-08-12
I am a big fan of "The Art of..." type books, and they are usually great fun and add to my enjoyment of the movie. "The Art of Pirates of the Caribbean", however, sets a new standard for quality in this type of book. From the faux-leather cover and binding, to the quality of the paper and the standards of the printing and color reproduction, this is the BEST book of its kind I have ever seen. Filled with fantastic art from all three movies, lavishly laid out...two page fold-out spreads; framable quality full page paintings and sketches..this book has it ALL. If you're a fan of the movies; appreciate great Pirate Art; or simply enjoy a lavishly produced movie book--BUY THIS BOOK (or as Capt. Jack would say--"Just go and steal it!")
Sketches and concept art.......2007-07-28
The Art of the Pirates of the Caribbean is a 160-page hardcover priced at a hefty $50. Although the art covers all three movies, it is mostly sketches and concept art without explanatory text or behind the scenes discussion. As such, it's good eye candy, but not much else.
This is a book you can set on the coffee table for friends to flip through. However, as a huge fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, I was ready to devour this book and came away somewhat disappointed. The drawings are a mix of black-and-white and color of the characters, ships, scenes, and such. Some of the drawings are storyboards and there are a few fold out pages.
Book Description
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Visual Guide is packed with exciting stills from the movies and images of numerous props - from cutlasses to treasure chests. Contains spectacular Disney illustrations of Cannibal Island, the Flying Dutchman, the eerie Bayou swamp and Singapore's bustling harbour, plus a detachable double-sided poster featuring cut-away illustrations of the Black Pearl and Sao Feng's junk boat the Empress. The guide provides readers with a fascinating insight to all three Pirates of the Caribbean movies - with in-depth details about all the main characters, the magnificent ships and exotic locations. (c) 2006 Disney
Customer Reviews:
A Pirate lover's eye candy.......2007-08-26
I LOVE Dorling-Kindersly Books! There has never been a publisher that has produced better visual guides to just about everything than DK. So it comes as no surprise that their volume on the third Pirates of the Caribbean film is a joy to look at. You either like the movies--or you don't. BUT, if you like them, the fantastic visual world they created is one of the main draws. This DK volume does the usual wonderful job of putting together a beautifully photographed collection of some of the most striking images from the film. The only problem with the book is, I wish it were longer!
The uncompleted visual guide to Priates of the Caribbean.......2007-08-07
The book is very good, not only the content, but also the print. But it is still not a "complete" visual guide to Piates of the Caribbean, because the world map of the priates on the seven seas is not in the book, that make me very disappoint.
Tired Of Depp and Bloom.......2007-08-06
Another POTC item that focuses on Depp and Bloom (yawn). Geoffrey Rush is a fabulous actor and is not receiving credit he deserves for his excellent performance as Barbossa. Rush is one of the most talented actors who plays many different characters. He is not tied down to one type of character like Depp and Bloom often are. I would only recommend this book to a die-hard Bloom or Depp fan.
Story of Pirates of the Caribbean movies in color.......2007-07-15
Very nice storybook of the POTC trilogy. Full colored. The Characters and the ships with lots of details which every Pirate movie fan wants to know. For adults en growing up childeren. Much pictures and easy text.
Fun and useful.......2007-06-13
My kids have found this to be a great reference tool as they write stories or make their own "Pirates of the Caribbean" story tapes. The pictures are great too.
Amazon.com
Imagine that as you leave your body at death, you hear the voice of a loved one whispering in your ear explanations of everything you see in the world beyond. Unlike other translations of Bar do thos grol (or The Tibetan Book of the Dead), Robert Thurman's takes literally the entire gamut of metaphysical assumptions. Thurman translates Bar do thos grol as The Great Book of Natural Liberation through Understanding in the Between. It is one of many mortuary texts of the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism and is commonly recited to or by a person facing imminent death. Thurman reproduces it for this purpose, explaining in some depth the Tibetan conception of postmortem existence. Over as many as 12 days, the deceased person is given explanations of what he or she sees and experiences and is guided through innumerable visions of the realms beyond to reach eventual liberation, or, failing that, a safe rebirth. Like a backpacker's guide to a foreign land, Thurman's version is clear, detailed, and sympathetic to the inexperienced voyager. It includes background and supplementary information, and even illustrations (sorry, no maps). Don't wait until the journey has begun. Every page should be read and memorized well ahead of time. --Brian Bruya
Customer Reviews:
Tibetan Book of the Dead.......2006-03-10
The description of this book made it sound easy enough for a total novice to read. Turns out it's a lot more academic than I expected. That's not a bad thing -- it's just taking more time and effort than anticipated. If you're game for a real test of your determination to know more about this Buddhist stuff, go ahead and get it.
Robert Thurman's supplements here are worth much more than his translation.......2006-01-23
This was the first edition of the Bardo Thodrol I ever read. I had been a practicing Buddhist for about a year, but still could not understand, or really accept the idea of transmigration, i.e., a cycle of births and rebirths. It was this book that shattered my doubts, and to this day, it remains the most vivid discussion of the nature of life and death I have ever read. Yet it was not the translation that had the effect. It was the vast supplementary material supplied by Robert Thurman. The introductory essays concerning Tibetan Buddhism, living and dying in Tibetan and modern traditions, and the nature of death, are in fact worth much more than his translation. In trying render the Bardo Thodrol, an esoteric teaching of an esoteric religion, useful to all readers, Thurman sacrifices much of the intrinsic beauty of the text. He replaces words such as karma with evolution, Dharmakaya with Truth-body, and, following the tradition of Burton Watson, goes on to translate the names of various good and bad deities in a literal, clumsy translation. It was a nice effort, but ultimately, this text is made useful by Thurman's supplements, not his translation. For this, the Evans-Wentz version is still the standard. Yet, for a Buddhist who doesn't understand the cycle of birth and death, this is a great explanation.
Thurman brings clarity of mind to this translation.......2005-12-03
The introduction provided by Robert Thurman provides valuable context for understanding The Book of Natural Liberation Through Understanding In the Between. Thurman is able to reach out to non-believers by calmly explaining that Tibetan Buddhism is not about belief and dogmatism, but understanding experience more fully. He likens the monks who obtained the knowledge found in the book to spiritual scientists--an oxymoron until one understands the pragmatic value of this book. Use of this book to greater good is not dependent on the particulars of one's personal religious faith or lack thereof. The author helpfully reminds us that according to the tenets of our our scientific laws energy is neither created nor destroyed. Thus it seems likely that our whole being or part of it at least will end up going somewhere, in some form after we die. The introduction and translation are valuable tools for people who want greater understanding or for those who wish to use this book for its intended purpose.
A great translation of a famous spiritual masterpiece........2005-06-16
Uma is not the only superstar of the Thurman family. Robert Thurman has long been recognized as one of our leading scholars on Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan culture.
This book is be read to the deceased shortly after death to remind the deceased to keep focused on the "clear light" to avoid rebirth and if rebirth cannot be avoided to guide the deceased to be reborn into the best possible situation.
The one of the secrets of the Tibetan Book of the Dead is that it is as much for the living as it is for the dead.
The demons that devour the various parts of the body as one travels through the bardos try to frighten the dead and distract them from focusing on the clear light. They are similar to life's "demons" that distract us from our purpose and the work and path we have selected.
A great translation of the classic work.
Highly recommended
Jim Connell "Hallstatt Prince"
Beautifully romanticized.......2005-01-02
This is a beautiful book, and I know of no other translation that is more readable and spiritually satisfying. Thurman is one of a handful of people responsible for buddhism's popularity in the west today. Having said that, I must also warn readers that Thurman has quite a tendency to romanticize Tibet as a pristine, untouchable place where perfection would have been inevitable, had the Chinese not destroyed the country (which undoubtedly they are destroying lives, culture, monasteries, and peace; but it has been argued that our perceptions of Tibetan buddhism could be more dangerous to Tibet than China). Donald Lopez's Prisoners of Shangri-la is an excellent book and balances Thurman's translation nicely. Tibet is a real place, and people there struggle with as many spiritual issues as westerners. The Tibetan Book of the Dead is a somewhat obscure text that has been read by more westerners than Tibetans, largely due to fanciful inclusions of the perception of Tibet as the spiritually perfected country and Tibetans as the most spiritually advanced people on earth.
Grow spiritually through your reading of this book, but please supplement it with more honest cultural translations of Tibet and Tibetans. This book should not be the sole representative of Tibetan buddhism to you. Tibet's place as a real country with a history that includes its invasions of Burma and other, unsavory facts should not make it a less valued and endangered place.
Book Description
Johnson's savagely funny [book] is a grunt's-eye view of fear and loathing, arrogance and insanity in a dysfunctional, dystopian closed community. It's like M*A*S*H on ice, a bleak, black comedy."-The Times of London
Customer Reviews:
Legends of Ice and Bureaucracy.......2007-03-03
Anyone approaching this book as a sociological critique of human mores in an extreme environment is looking for a different book. Oh, there's plenty of sociology, plenty of critique, and plenty examples of human mores in an extreme environment; but these are the simple byproduct of an intelligent man's opening his eyes and recording what he sees as an Antarctic contract/wage worker.
On the bounds of journalism, not quite Gonzo, not quite straight reportage, the author manages to weave enough Antarctic lore, daily observation, and well-researched history into the narrative, so that the reader is ever mindful of the locale. This alone is a feat of work, for at times one would swear from the corporate shenanigans at the Bottom of the World that this was written as a script for the movie version of "The Office," and rejected for being too real.
The end result--as is the case with most accounts of human bureaucracy in a sublimely inappropriate venue--is hilarity. Think of it as a Monty Python sketch on a continental scale, funded by the American government, subcontracted to an arms manufacturer, and played by a diverse cast of world citizens who can never escape the moral of the story: that things just aren't fair.
Original and a fun read.......2005-11-10
For every scientist stationed in Antarctica, there are five support crew including dish washers and trash men. Luckily for us the author, Nicholas Johnson, was among them.
Johnson's story is an insider's view of life on the bottom of the planet for those of us who will probably never make it to the South Pole (which may be a good thing, after reading about the frosty welcome tourists get from the "polies"). The author combines hilarious anecdotes about day-to-day life with the history of the continent's exploration. The photo of the Easter Island snowman alone is worth the price of the book.
Having been there..........2005-09-13
Having spent 12 years working "on ice" and at every US Station and Ice Breaker, I can say this: Johnson has only scratched the surface on the lunacy, idiocy and buerocratic hell the US Antarctic program has become.
Since Raytheon has taken over as contractor, it's been one laugh after another. HR isn't about helping employees, it's about sticking to the corporate policy with a velvet hammer.
It'll be a fine day when the last Rathioyd leaves Antarcitca, but like the old song by The Who, it'll be "...meet the new boss, just the same as the old boss..."
Having met and known a few Antarctic treaty signatories, I'm sure they're doing a slow spin in their graves.
You will enjoy this book. I promise........2005-09-09
Big Dead Place is a great combination of Antarctic history and Antarctic humor. It's fascinating to see that a place that could be described as an icy hell has somehow become a beaurocratic one as well. While the tone of the book is lighthearted, with an emphasis on humor, it's clear that Johnson cares deeply about Antarctica. This book gave me a great insight into Antarctica, one that I doubt I could have gotten elsewhere; it did so whilst being funny! If you get this book, you will be entertained and you will learn something about what is probably the strangest place on the planet. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Big Dead Place.......2005-09-02
Somewhat interesting, and at times amusing. Although at times there is potential for depth in critically evaluating living at the bottom of the world, the author rarely goes there. He is stuck on the absolute surface of things, rattling along, I suspect, on pot or some other substance. He seems to have no perspective from which he can organize his observations into any kind of meaningful structure.
Book Description
THE EGYPTIAN BOOK OF THE DEAD MYSTICISM OF THE PERT EM HERU " I Know myself, I know myself, I am One With God!-From the Pert Em Heru "The Ru Pert em Heru" or "Ancient Egyptian Book of The Dead," or "Book of Coming Forth By Day" as it is more popularly known, has fascinated the world since the successful translation of Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic scripture over 150 years ago. The astonishing writings in it reveal that the Ancient Egyptians believed in life after death and in an ultimate destiny to discover the Divine. The elegance and aesthetic beauty of the hieroglyphic text itself has inspired many see it as an art form in and of itself. But is there more to it than that? Did the Ancient Egyptian wisdom contain more than just aphorisms and hopes of eternal life beyond death? In this volume Dr. Muata Ashby, the author of over 25 books on Ancient Egyptian Yoga Philosophy has produced a new translation of the original texts which uncovers a mystical teaching underlying the sayings and rituals instituted by the Ancient Egyptian Sages and Saints. "Once the philosophy of Ancient Egypt is understood as a mystical tradition instead of as a religion or primitive mythology, it reveals its secrets which if practiced today will lead anyone to discover the glory of spiritual self-discovery. The Pert em Heru is in every way comparable to the Indian Upanishads or the Tibetan Book of the Dead."
Customer Reviews:
THANK GOD FOR ANOTHER!I.......2007-02-07
I HAD THE MISFORTUNE OF READING THE TRANSLATION BY THE BIGOT BLUDGE. WHAT A LOT OF NONSENSE. HIS BOOK WAS BASED OF THE MISINTERPETATION OF AN AFRICAN RELIGION THROUGH THE EYES OF A EUROPEAN.
THANK GOODNESS OF MUATA ASHBY AND HIS UNBIASED INSIGHT AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE BOOK OF THE DEADS.
An Ancient African System of Enlightment.......2004-09-22
Ashby does an excellent job of selecting and highlighting pasages and unraveling the science of the soul.
Simple and Undeniably Intense.......2001-01-17
htp. Sehu Maa has done an extraordinary work with Prt m Hru. In the beginning parts of this work, he explains the terms used, concepts, history of KMT and Prt m hru, language use, etc. He supports the book with Mdu Ntr(words of the Ntru, divine speech), pictures of tomb inscriptions, and best of all, Sehu Maa explains each chapter from its intended implications. Thusfar, I have learned that we didn't call the Prt m Hru, "the book of the dead", this is a guide for the spiritual journey of the living. ankh udja snb Sehu Maa
Lectura del Rostro.......2000-04-23
Its very intriguing, i read the information and made obsewrvations and the book is very accurate with people who i know that would mean that i can do the same with those who i dont know and i dont have to waste my time getting to know those that aren't worth it. the book is beyond interesting its factual.
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