Amazon.com
It is known that when the great Catholic writer G.K. Chesterton began his book on Saint Thomas Aquinas (who is, quite possibly, the most influential of all Christian theologians), "his research for the project consisted of a very casual perusal of a few books on his subject." To say that Chesterton was no authority is an understatement. To say further that he has written a masterpiece of elucidation may also be an understatement. Etienne Gilson, the chief scholar of Aquinas in the 20th century, said flatly "I consider it as being without possible comparison the best book ever written on St. Thomas. Nothing short of genius can account for such an achievement.... Chesterton was one of the deepest thinkers who ever existed; he was deep because he was right; and he could not help being right; but he could not either help being modest and charitable, so he left it to those who could understand him to know that he was right, and deep."
So how has he accomplished this feat? By simplifying, as his editor says, without oversimplifying. He turns his own lack of intimate knowledge to his advantage by concentrating on the core elements of Aquinas' thinking: his affirmation of the goodness of creation; his defense of common sense; and "the primacy of the doctrine of being." In this way he grasps--and helps us grasp--the importance of Aquinas for us today. As Raymond Dennehy has written, it's as if Chesterton is saying to us "the truths [Aquinas] was getting at--the basic principles of reality and reason--are in themselves really quite simple. Your basic intuitions were right all along." --Doug Thorpe
Book Description
A trade paperback edition of the classic portrait of Thomas Aquinas, one of the greatest of Christian philosophers, by one of the greatest of modern religious writers.
Customer Reviews:
A Thinking Man's View of a Thinking Man.......2007-09-06
As is evident from other reviews, Chesterton is not everyone's cup of tea. He lived in a day when erudition was registered in extended prose that often lent itself to convolution. To a thinking man, nuance is everything and Chesterton is so intent upon the development of nuance that he may seem opaque to modern readers who do not have the background that he assumes in the reader.
Chesterton is very clear in his introduction. He assumes the reader is acquainted with the major players in his book. He expects us to have a passing familiarity with St. Francis of Assisi so that when Chesterton lumps Aquinas together with him that it is a somewhat surprising strategy. Chesterton assumes that the reader is somewhat aware that the mendicant orders were not revolutionary in that they were introducing new ideas but that their intent was to confront decadence with old ones. This is where Chesterton begins and then he adds his own subtlety to the confusion.
For all that, if you are willing to rise to Chesterton's challenge you will not fail to be edified. Thinking is and should be, often its own reward. A book should not just entertain us but advance us along the pathways of elevated humanity. Chesterton's optimism (of another age) was that such a thing was possible and in that he and Aquinas were of one accord. He may be a bit too easy on the "Dumb Ox" and too ready to paint him more favorably than he warranted in every particular, but Chesterton makes him real and what is more important, leads us to understand how this Medieval mind was really important.
I think that was Chesterton's intent and he does a pretty fair job of accomplishing it. If you find yourself getting confused by the prose let it prod you into doing some background reading before you move on. When you do, you will find the prose is not so confusing as it might first appear.
It's a good book.
The ox who's bellowing filled the world.......2007-09-05
A Chesterton biography seems to always leave one with the feeling that they are not sure if they learned more about the subject of the biography or about the author. Chesterton so readily relates to his subject that the thinking of both seems intertwined into one. Is it Thomas Aquinas or is it the master of paradox himself who is making us think as we read this biography? Chesterton admits that his work is merely a sketch of Saint Thomas and primarily as a sketch of his philosophy. And, with that, we are treated to a solid introduction to that philosophy in the context of Thomas' life. It is, therefore, not a raw description of dates and events in the life of a Dominican - it is instead a bold introduction to philosophy that impacts the church and the world even today.
Thomas Aquinas was more than the simple friar he had hoped to be, he was indeed a father of western civilization. It is impossible to understand Thomas without such an introduction to Thomism. G. K. Chesterton rightly made that observation and gave us perhaps the best biography (sketch or otherwise) to date on the "dumb ox" who's bellowing indeed filled the world and changed it forever.
The Dumb Ox.......2007-09-01
G. K. Chesterton in one of the most redundant biographers that I've ever come across. The outline of the book and its overall message is quite sketchy and not at all organized. Mr. Chesterton just throws words at the reader in a very monotone and uninspired kind of way although his passion for the Saint, judging by the book itself, seems deep; almost as if he wished he could have met the Saint. Most of the book is just praising of Thomas Aquinas rather than information and facts about the man's life. I read the bio in it's entirety and learned more from a simple article posted on the wikipedia. In other words, G. K. Chesterton's biography on Saint Thomas Aquinas was a valiant attept at trying to tell, rather that show, the world what an important figure the Saint really was. Again, in other words, the book was a waste of time.
Chesterton at his best.......2007-06-29
I try to read any and everything Chesterton wrote. As a convert to Catholocism in the first half of the last century, he gave an interesting perspective of historical figures. He had the unique ability to present historical information with a more open mind than many of either his modernist or culturally protestant contemporaries. At a time when the mainstream historical perspective was broadening among intellectual circles, and the "actual" contributions of the Catholic Church as well as major Catholic figures was beginning to be acknowledged by historians, Chesterton was writing at a level that the "the common man" could understand. You don't have to be an ivy league intellectual to grasp his writings.
"A Powerful Book"--says a non-Catholic.......2007-05-24
I have no hesitation is saying that the "Dumb Ox" is one of the most powerful books I ever read. Chesterton's reasoning is relentless--dragging us back into the Middle Ages whether we want to go there or not!
Some parts are very humorous. Speaking of Luther, Chesterton says, "He destroyed Reason and substituted suggestion."
Chesterton's book is an essential read for educated people. When he called the Inquisition "a dubious experiment," however, I just couldn't go there (the Inquisition was a nightmare).
The non-Catholic who reads this book can expect to be put on the rack until he concedes something.
Amazon.com
As the numbers of Zen practitioners have grown dramatically, so has interest in Dogen, one of the founders of Zen in Japan. In How to Raise an Ox, translator Francis Cook presents 9 of the 95 chapters of Dogen's classic Shobogenzo, along with Dogen's "General Recommendations for Doing Zazen." These 10 chapters focus on Zen practice and Dogen's complex understanding of the relationship of practice to enlightenment. Using numerous illustrations from Chinese Zen masters, Dogen shows how enlightenment relates to the mind, emptiness, and leaving home, and how it is that to practice is to be enlightened. This is the kind of book you want to go back to again and again for guidance and insights, and Cook makes it that much easier to understand by introducing the main concepts in his lengthy introduction. And so with Dogen's help, Zen can be as easy as raising an ox. --Brian Bruya
Book Description
Thirteenth-century Zen Master Eihei Dogen has been unanimously acknowledged by Japanese and Western scholars alike as Japan's foremost philosopher. Now Francis Dojun Cook, a Dogen scholar for many years, has translated ten practice-oriented chapters of Master Dogen's masterwork, the Shobogenzo ("Treasury of the True Dharma Eye"), in which he discusses what is involved in the wholehearted, moment-to-moment practice of Zen, with numerous examples from the lives of past masters.
Customer Reviews:
On Zen practice: clarification & inspiration.......2003-06-06
This book is a translation and explication of selected essays by Dogen, the 13th-century Zen master who founded the Soto school of Zen in Japan and is regarded as one the world's great religious teachers. Francis Dojun Cook was a professor of Buddhism and a serious Zen practitioner (he was a student of Maezumi Roshi, founder of the Zen Center of Los Angeles), and his primary aim in this book is "to help the reader gain a better understanding of what it means to practice Zen, particularly in the Soto form established by Dogen Zenji."
The first half of the book is Cook's introduction to the Dogen texts, highlighting and clarifying some important themes. The second half is Cook's translations of the "Fukan zazengi" ("General Recommendations for Doing Zazen") and nine chapters from the "Shobogenzo"--texts chosen because they focus on various aspects of practice. At the end of the book is a lineage chart including many of the Zen masters mentioned in the Dogen essays.
Ch. 1 is mainly about how Dogen understands practice. Ch. 2 is about faith as the basis of Dogen's Zen. (Cook defines Buddhist faith as "a very deep certitude in the veracity of a certain doctrine, accepted and used as a touchstone for conduct in the faith that practice will verify its truth.") Ch. 3 is about arousing the thought of enlightenment (bodhichitta)--that is, arousing the determination to work ceaselessly to liberate all other beings from suffering and delusion, even while not being completely liberated oneself. Ch. 4 is about Zen as a means of dealing with karma and its consequences, not by "transcending" conditioned existence but by radically affirming and fully experiencing it. Ch. 5 is about the role of the scriptures in Dogen's Zen. (Cook observes that the verse attributed to Bodhidharma cautions only against "dependence" on words and letters, not against making use of them.) And Ch. 6 is about the continuous practice needed to live each moment fully, with wisdom and compassion.
My own practice can actually get derailed by questions like "Where do I get the motivation to practice, if not from the just the sort of self-centered attachments and aversions that I'm hoping to let go of through Zen practice?" and "How do I practice without making it an exercise in trying to get something I lack, thus denying the inherent buddha-nature I'm hoping to realize?" This book deals with such issues in a way that I found very helpful. (As usual, I found Dogen's interpreter more helpful than Dogen himself. Maybe someday I'll be able to get more inspiration from Dogen directly?) I also appreciated Cook's argument that Dogen's faith-based Zen is much more akin to a religion of "other-power" (tariki) like Pure Land Buddhism than to a religion of "self-power" (jiriki), which is how Zen sometimes gets characterized.
One tiny complaint: Cook slips into some of the caricatures of Christianity that I find tiresome in Zen literature. I wish Zennies would stick with talking about Zen and not try to compare Zen with traditions they don't know as much about.
Another Dogen commentary I highly recommend: "Flowers Fall: A Commentary on Zen Master Dogen's Genjokoan" by Hakuun Yasutani Roshi.
A masterful and evocative translation.......2002-05-02
Professor Dojun Cook is one rare bird. Not only is he a translator of great learning, he is also a dyed-in-the-wool Zen practitioner.
His years of study and practice with Taizan Maezumi Roshi at the Zen Center of Los Angeles enable him to bring these texts to beautiful clarity.
Reading Dogen Zenji can be a challenging exercise. Translating him is infinitely more so. Dr. Cook has shown himself equal to the task. This book is a great boon to thoughtful Buddhists everywhere.
Dogen's inexhaustible spring of wisdom........2001-05-30
HOW TO RAISE AN OX : Zen Practice as Taught in Zen Master Dogen's Shobogenzo - Including Ten Newly Translated Essays by Francis Dojun Cook. Foreword by Taizan Maezumi Roshi. 216 pp. Los Angeles, California : Center Publications, 1978 and Reprinted.
It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of Dogen (1200-1253). As one of the most powerful and brilliant minds Asia has produced - and it has produced many - his many-levelled and multi-faceted works should be viewed, not so much as a purely local and Japanese phenomenon, but as a supreme contribution to world literature. For all of us, he is, as Taizan Maezumi Roshi says, an inexhaustible spring of wisdom.
Dogen's works are profound. They express the point-of-view of an enlightened Master. Such works, especially when written in a sinograph-based language such as Japanese or Chinese, present almost insuperable problems of interpretation, and there are very few scholars who are equal to the task of translating them.
Dr Francis Cook comes to this task well-prepared. His work is highly respected in scholarly circles, he has held faculty posts at Dartmouth College and the University of California at Riverside, where he was an associate professor in the Religious Studies program, and he has a number of impressive publications to his credit.
In addition, he has a masterful command of the Japanese language, a command enhanced by two years spent as a Fulbright Fellow at Kyoto University. He has also devotedly practiced Zen meditation for many years. This last is extremely important as enabling Dr Cook to rise above the intellectualizing and speculation which limits so much contemporary Zen scholarship.
As he himself explains, the translator must be able to "approach the text in the light of his own Zen practice.... because unless the translator has some insight, however small, into what Dogen Zenji is saying, he will miss much in the text and the translation will suffer" (page 89). This is a simple point, but it is often overlooked, not only by translators, but also by a certain type of reader.
The present book falls fairly equally into two parts. The first 99 pages give us Dr Cook's introductory material in seven chapters: Introduction; The Importance of Faith; Arousing the Thought of Enlightenment; The Problem of Karma; The Scriptures; Giving Life to Our Lives; Concerning the Translation.
99 pages of 'introduction' may seem a lot, but Dr Cook has such a clear mind, and such an enviably clear and simple prose style, that anyone who is at all serious about trying to understand Dogen will find these pages extremely interesting. Here is an example, picked out at random, of Dr Cook's style:
"Dogen Zenji himself was not an ordinary man.... He addresses the reader from a level of spiritual insight that is greatly superior to ours, and the reader's challenge is to try to comprehend Dogen's vision of reality from the vantage point of his remarkable achievement. He is very difficult to follow because he sees a reality we do not even vaguely imagine" (page 88).
The remaining half of the book is taken up with Dr Cook's translations of ten chapters on practice from the Shobogenzo:
FUKANZAZENGI "General Recommendations for Doing Zazen;" KEISEI SANSHOKU "The Sounds of the Valley Streams, the Forms of the Mountains;" HOTSU MUJO SHIN "Arousing the Supreme Thought;" SHUKKE "Home Departure;" RAIHAI TOKUZUI "Paying Homage and Acquiring the Essence;" SHUNJU "Spring and Fall;" SHINJIN INGA "Deep Faith in Cause and Effect;" NYORAI ZENSHIN "The Tathagata's Whole Body;" GYOJI "Continuous Practice;" KAJO "Everyday Life."
Each of these chapters has been given brief but helpful Notes, and the book is rounded out with four Genealogy Charts of Chinese Zen Masters to enable the reader to locate in time the various individuals mentioned in the essays.
Here are a few lines from Cook's reading of the FUKANZAZENGI:
"... you must suspend your attempts to understand by means of scrutinizing words, reverse the activity of the mind which seeks externally, and illuminate your own true nature" (page 96).
What we are seeking, in other words, is not 'out there,' and one can only go astray by seeking it 'out there.' Here is the source of the West's fundamental error, an error which has generated the massive confusion around us, a confusion which is not going to go away until we start taking Dogen seriously.
Though it will probably be a long time before the West has humility enough to acknowledge that Zen Master Dogen belongs right up there along with such luminaries as Plato and Augustine, it's heartening to see that many Dogen translations have now begun to appear. These translations range all the way from the sincere and highly competent, through to the probably equally sincere but somewhat less competent.
Since very few, even among Japanese, understand Medieval Japanese, I'm not in a position to say whether Dr Cook's translation is 'excellent,' though it reads very well and I strongly suspect that it is. He's certainly put in the leg work to qualify as a highly competent translator, and anyone who may be looking for a good edition of Dogen could do worse than select his.
Fine intro to the mind and practice of a great master.......1999-10-08
These essays, selected by Francis Cook from Master Dogen's 4-volume Shobogenzo, address the core of Dogen's concerns: coming to see our essential nature, recognizing the unity of all life, and, most importantly, how to to live our day-to-day life in accordance with that realization. To those who might not be familiar with Dogen (1200-1253), he is one of the great minds in Zen, indeed in world religon: founder of Soto Zen, a subtle philsopher, but always grounded in rigorous daily practice. Francis Cook's introductory essays are insightful and well-considered, informed by academic expertise and devotion (Cook is a student Maezumi Roshi of Dogen's Soto school). In short,Cook's selections provide an accessible entre' to Dogen's work.... and a wonderful statement on what it is to practice Zen and follow the Buddha way.
Average customer rating:
- Tink-tink-a-link went the meadow lark
- Shows the Dangers of Mob Justice
- Analyzing the mob mentality
- Slow Read, Good Ending
- Ox Bow Greatness
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The Ox-Bow Incident (Modern Library Classics)
Walter Van Tilburg Clark
Manufacturer: Modern Library
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ASIN: 0812972589
Release Date: 2004-04-27 |
Book Description
Set in 1885,
The Ox-Bow Incident is a searing and realistic portrait of frontier life and mob violence in the American West. First published in 1940, it focuses on the lynching of three innocent men and the tragedy that ensues when law and order are abandoned. The result is an emotionally powerful, vivid, and unforgettable re-creation of the Western novel, which Clark transmuted into a universal story about good and evil, individual and community, justice and human nature. As Wallace Stegner writes, [Clark's] theme was civilization, and he recorded, indelibly, its first steps in a new country.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Customer Reviews:
Tink-tink-a-link went the meadow lark.......2007-09-12
Off hand I can only think of a few Western novels that have transcended their genre to become classics, and share with the world what all great art does; that being a universality of it's story and relevance no matter when or where. Shane, The Searchers, The Lonesome Dove books and certainly much of Frank Norris and Cormac McCarthy's work. I know there is more than these, but I am not a constant Western reader.
Having said this, The Ox-Bow Incident joins that bunch, as a compelling novel of hysteria, aggression, moral confusion, the Outlaw spirit, American masculine relationships and the folly of vengeance and vigilantism.
While other reviews may describe the story, I'd rather point out that it is a fairly simple one, simply presented and concluded. What stands out though is the characters and the depth to which Clark creates them. Sure there are standard cowboys, tough and grim-faced, but most of the characters suffer, whether in confusion, drunkeness, cold, moral despair, aimlessness, boredom or even arrogance, bullishness and myopia; territory I don't associate with Western lore/myth.
The lesson of The Ox-Bow Incident is timeless, and most important today, whether it be on a schoolyard, in gang territories, our criminal justice system itself or geo-politcs.
Shows the Dangers of Mob Justice.......2007-02-20
This classic western takes a raw and realistic look at frontier justice and mob mentality. Author Walter Van Tilburg Clark (1909-1971) shows how easy it is to be caught up in the mentality of a howling mob with its inherent peer pressure, not to mention the difficulty and often danger of trying to reason with or stand up to such a mob. The OX-BOW INCIDENT involves of group of westerners in 1885 that turn to vigilantism after hearing that their friend has been killed by cattle rustlers. The men form a posse and ride out of town determined to avenge this despicable crime. The posse soon comes across three men that may be the perpetrators, but the evidence is far from certain. At this point the vengeful posse becomes a kangaroo court - despite some dissent - disdaining judges and the court system, not to mention the idea of taking their captives back to town to stand trial. Instead the mob simply hangs their captives from the nearest trees. Sometime after this rash act this vigilante group discovers that they've indeed done wrong.
I gave this solid 1940 novel just four stars because it drags a bit in places, but it carries a very valuable message. The OX-BOW INCIDENT was soon adapted into a very good 1943 movie with Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews and Anthony Quinn.
Analyzing the mob mentality.......2006-09-17
This story provides a great picture of what it was like living in the old west. In spite of attempts by some level headed men to control the town's outrage over a despicable crime, a number of men are roused into vigilante justice when some rustlers steal a herd of cattle and kill the owner in the process. This novel analyzes the mob mentality and how easy it is to fall into that trap. After all, these men are just trying to get justice for the murder of one of their own. The tension over the mob's shifting emotions is conveyed beautifully, and the lack of any patience for more information about the supposed murder eventually leads to tragic results. The story is a bit slow overall, being overly descriptive, but it really places you there at the time and place. I'm not a big fan of westerns, but this one makes a convincing statement about the importance and difficulty of assuming someone is innocent until proven guilty.
Slow Read, Good Ending.......2006-06-26
I first read this book as required reading in high school. I didn't understand why I was being made to read it until the end. Honestly, it is one of the slowest books I have ever read. The first part of the book is boring - basically a bunch of men talking and talking and talking and not coming to any real decision. I believe that this is meant to be suspenseful, but it goes on far too long to sustain suspense. At one point, I literally yelled at the book, "Would someone just DO something?"
It is the end of the book that makes it worth reading. The brain numbing chapters are worth it once one realizes what the whole book is about - personal responsibility. This book made me completely reevaluate my personal and political beliefs. A lot of what I believe as an adult was formed, not by this book, but by the thought it provoked. I wish that the preceding text was a good as the end - then this might be the best book ever written. As it is, this would be a much better short story than a novel.
I would recommend this book if you have the time to wade through a lot of nothing to get to the end. Like many of the better things in life, it takes hard work but you reap fantastic rewards. However, if you are looking for a good summer read or something to take on vacation, skip this one. Or, just read the end.
Ox Bow Greatness.......2006-04-28
Many years ago, when I was a freshman in high school, my English teacher gave us a list of classics from which we had to choose a book to report upon. I can't remember what I asked her with respect to a recommendation, but she pointed me to the Ox Bow Incident. What a great pick. It's a page turner, no doubt... And it has an ending that only Hollywood could rip off.
Thanks Mrs. Stone, for recommending this book to me... whereever you are....
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- Ox-Cart Man
- Entertaining in a peaceful way
- Cycle of Nature
- delivery went fast - book is so interesting!
- THE ILLUSTRATIONS ALONE ARE WORTH THE PRICE OF THE BOOK!
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Ox-Cart Man
Donald Hall
Manufacturer: Puffin
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ASIN: 0140504419 |
Customer Reviews:
Ox-Cart Man.......2007-01-19
This is one of my family's all-time favorite children's books, with lovely, quiet pictures and a calm tone in the text. We love the feeling of the "circle of seasons" that it gives, as well as a glimpse back into a simpler era. The story also portrays the ethic of working hard and being rewarded for it. I read it to all five of our children as they were growing up. This Christmas I bought it for our 23 year-old daughter, who had asked for it. She doesn't have children yet; she just loves the book and wanted it for her own library. I was pleased to see Donald Hall's poem, "Ox-Cart Man"-- almost identical to the words in the children's book-- in Garrison Keillor's book called Good Poems, an anthology of poems he selected and arranged.
Entertaining in a peaceful way.......2007-01-07
Gave this account of a year in the life of a farm family to my 2-1/2 year old grandson. Worked, because the first time he asked his father to "read it again." Appealed to me, since it shows a natural cycle of growing/making things, selling them, and starting over. We may not operate quite this way, but it may still provide understanding of the world to a youngster. Appealing pictures, peaceful telling - perhaps the most "exciting" event is the farmer kissing his ox good-bye at market. Maybe a good bedtime story.
Cycle of Nature.......2006-11-24
This picture book superbly illustrated by Barbara Cooney is 37 pages, of which 22 are illustrations with or without text. The text is provided by Donald Hall and teaches the law of the harvest by showing how a New Englander filled a cart with surplus harvest and handmade items to sell at Portsmouth market, which was a ten-day journey. The reader learns that in March the maples were tapped for their syrup and that in April the sheep were sheared. Their fields and gardens yielded potatoes, turnips, and cabbages, while their orchard gave apples. All these things were put into the ox-cart and taken to market. At market, everything was sold including the cart and the ox.
Then the New Englander went shopping for manufactured goods, some imported from England, as well as for sweets. Carrying everything in a newly-purchased kettle tied to a pole slung over his shoulder, he trekked back to his farm. The family received their practical gifts and went right to work with their new tools by sewing, whittling, cooking, stitching, carving, sawing, splitting, weaving, embroidering, tapping, shearing, and knitting all of winter. When Spring arrived, they planted their fields. By caring for their tools and fields with diligence, the result will no doubt be another bountiful harvest.
delivery went fast - book is so interesting!.......2006-08-09
enjoy to read this naive book over and over again - want all my friends to read it to their children.
always happy with my orders at Amazon except I don't like their complicate packing since I have bad arthritis in my fingers it takes forever to open each time I purchase a book!
sylvaine farr
THE ILLUSTRATIONS ALONE ARE WORTH THE PRICE OF THE BOOK!.......2006-05-11
This work is an absolute delight. I cannot remember a children's book that visually held my interst as long as this one did and has (I must admit to having purchased a copy after reading in in or school library and have in on our coffee table). The story is simple, so simple that it almost has a hypnotic effect. The turning of the seasons, the continuance of life, a life in much simpler times. This, for some reason, is quite comforting to me. I have read and reread this one to all four of my grandsons and each have enjoyed it in their turn. This work gives you a double treat and to my way of seeing it, a double benefit for your child. Not only is the story well written, to the point, and almost poetic in it's rhythem, but they, the children, are exposed to some wonderful art work in a style or genre, they might not otherwise encounter. Highly recommend this one.
Book Description
The first-ever popular account of a tide-turning Civil War battle that saved the Union capital-but at a horrific price.
Every Civil War buff has heard of the Battle of Chantilly, the bloody 1862 engagement fought in a driving rainstorm only twenty miles from Washington that claimed the lives of two of the Union's most promising generals. Yet few have known the full story of courage and human drama because no one has ever produced a lively and historically accurate account of the battle-until now.
Tempest at Ox Hill compellingly evokes this pivotal battle of the war, in which the Union army faced annihilation after Robert E. Lee's overwhelming victory at Second Bull Run. At Chantilly, Virginia, on September 1, 1862, a small Union rearguard faced down some of Lee's best generals. The retreating main Union army, and Washington, were saved, but at a frightening human cost, including the deaths of two Union generals-the promising Isaac Stevens and the dashing Philip Kearny, a Mexican War veteran who had also served with Napoleon III's imperial guard. And around these two Union generals lay nearly twelve hundred American soldiers, both blue and gray, dead fighting for their chosen cause. Tempest at Ox Hill captures the moment, the courage, and the carnage unforgettably.
Customer Reviews:
A REVIEW BY MARC HAVENNER ON TEMPEST AT OX HILL (CHANTILLY).......2005-03-26
This is one of 3 books to have been written on this important but neglected battle in the past 3 years. Mr.Welker has done his homework in a book that emcompasses the battle from the days leading up to it to the aftermath. The book is beutifully written and researched in 12 chapters, a photo section, and an order of battle. A book on this battle is extremely rare and I would consider it as the only definitive record on the Battle of Ox Hill, along with He Hath Loosed The Fateful Lightning by Paul Taylor that you will find. Very informative, addicting and recommended.
Excellent Coverage of the two battles of Chantilly.......2004-08-31
First this is a very readable, easy to follow history of a little known but important small battle in 1862. Second, this shows what will happen if we do not try and save our battlefields. Mr. Welker weaves the two into a single battle history with such skill that you will need to look for the second story.
Very well written, good maps and a complete introduction make this one of the best books on an ACW battle you will find.
A great new Civil War Book.......2002-05-04
As a non-expert on Civil War history, I found this book to be very informative as well as very readable. I thoroughly enjoyed the biographical sketches of Generals Kearny and Stevens. The author raises thought provoking questions at the end.
Book Description
Fans of the Emmy Award–winning reality television show The Amazing Race are offered fresh insights and gossip from insiders and former participants—such as the Gaghan family from Season Eight and Jon and Al from Season Four—in this guide to the popular program. From dysfunctional team dynamics and obnoxious racer tantrums to jaw-dropping errors and especially endearing moments, contestants and events from the show’s eight-season tenure are discussed in shocking detail. Additional thoughts on the authenticity of the race, the “real” rules of the contest, the single best player in the show’s history, and especially notable contestants are also included.
Customer Reviews:
We Were There.......2007-08-23
We were participants in the Amazing Race 7, which we have heard was the favorite show among fans. We were the Energizer Bunnies mentioned in this book. We found the author's assesment of what actually happened fairly accurate, but there were many incidents that were reviewed that should have been explained in depth to get the impact of what actually happened. He did a good job basing his research mainly on the edited version shown on TV. There was so much more. Maye we'll write our own book someday. It was more than interesting!!!!
Gretchen and Meredith
Nothing New.......2007-03-28
If you've watched the show there is virtually nothing new in this tome. It does serve as a great recap if you've forgotten anything, and a decent introduction if you're late to the party.
My Ox Is Broken.......2007-01-31
This book is a synopsis of races 1 - 9. No new information is really given. There are a couple of interviews with racers but again, no real new information. No behind the scene information. And a pretty screwed justification of why we should not be so down on Flo. This book offers nothing new and skips over alot of the old.
The Only TAR Guide So Far...But Not Definitive.......2006-12-26
Kudos to novelist Adam-Troy Castro for producing this unauthorized guide to the Emmy-winning reality series "The Amazing Race". With (at the time of this volume's publication) nine seasons completed, it was about time that someone came out with a summary of the various Races, teams, Road Blocks, Fast Forwards, and Detours. Ideally, it would have been produced by someone from the Television Without Pity website, since they recap every single episode in detail and also support lively forums that analyze all possible nuances of each Racer's actions, all of which is done in a riotously funny fashion. Mr. Castro doesn't quite achieve the same consistent level of humor, but he does show a few droll touches here and there.
The book has a section for each season, starting with brief introductions to the teams and comments upon their strengths and weaknesses, and moving on to a breakdown of each leg's sequence of events and the locales visited, and then concluding of course with a list of the finishing orders and who was eliminated. There are several interviews interspersed between chapters, along with brief sections on the show's highlights and low points, the best and the stupidest moves made by the racers, recurring motifs, and suggestions for improvements. However, other than the interviews, there is virtually no material that a devoted fan could not have scoured from the web, and there are no maps or photos. The book would have been considerably improved by interviews with the host, Phil Keoghan, and any of the producers or camera and sound crews. But that's the drawback of being unauthorized.
In his favor, Castro hated Season 8 (the highly misguided Family Edition) as much as the rest of America did. But he liked the idiotic antics of Season 9's Hippies, BJ and Tyler, which is a point against him. Ultimately, I would've liked to see a greater degree of snark and commentary upon the racers and some more detailed discussion of some of the Road Blocks and Detours and the tactical choices made by the participants. But for those who need a quick reference guide to who's who in TAR, this is an excellent resource.
Terrific and engaging reading.......2006-10-18
Adam-Troy Castro's book has all the energy of the tv series it covers, racing from event to event with humor and an engaging style of writing that brings the situations to life. Much of the background information is new to this reader, and the approach Mr. Castro takes is a fresh one. This book is highly recommended for both fans of the series as well as those who would like to know more.
Book Description
Herding the Ox uses the Ten Oxherding Pictures of Zen as a springboard to discuss the spiritual and ethical dimensions of martial arts training. By combining historical vignettes about some of Japan's greatest warriors with thought provoking analysis, it illuminates the relationship between Zen concepts and real-life experience in the martial arts. Written by a martial artist who is also a professional educator, Herding the Ox takes the reader on an entertaining and enlightening journey into the search for a deeper meaning in the martial arts.
Customer Reviews:
for for me ethics paper.......2007-01-09
Used this book in a big ethics paper on martial arts in North American capitalism. Got some nice quotes to use and it also helped me gain further historical information about the arts.
Book Description
The patience of a little musk ox is sorely tried when he suffers an itch that he can't scratch. There's not a tree in sight--nothing to rub against for relief--so he wanders away from the herd looking for a branch, a rock pile, anything. On his journey, he meets with three individuals: a buffalo, a wolf, and a Native woman. Through his interaction with each one, he learns something new and affirming about himself before returning to the herd. Endnotes include information about how musk ox were native to Alaska until they were decimated by hunters in 1865, then reintroduced in the early 1930s; biological/behavioral details about the animals; and info about the cottage industry among Native villages in which women knit the quviut, the rare underwool, into beatiful warm garments.
Customer Reviews:
A two-page summary of fascinating facts about musk oxen closes this delightful adventure.......2007-04-14
The Itchy Little Musk Ox is a softcover children's picturebook about an unhappy young musk ox. He has an itch he can't scratch from his own soft wool, and his downward-pointing horns won't reach it. When he finds the right tree to scratch his itch, he becomes separated from the herd! On his long journey to rejoin them he discovers all the good things about being a musk ox - his horns and hard head are good for headbutting a hungry wolf, and his soft wool is prized by a gentle human. A two-page summary of fascinating facts about musk oxen closes this delightful adventure, illustrated in full color, recommended for readers age 3 and up.
Book Description
Maps and guideposts are helpful when we undertake a journey. The ten Ox-Herding Pictures, the accompanying ancient poems, and a modern commentary by John Daido Loori, sketch the spiritual path encountered in Zen training, a path of exhaustive study of the self and the realization of the ultimate nature of reality. The Ox-Herding Pictures can be our companion on the Way of self-discovery, our compass and perspective when we need one. They are a bottomless source of mysterious wisdom to which we can return again and again for inspiration, and they translate easily into the gritty reality of spiritual practice that emerges from and grounds us in the inescapable relevance of our daily lives. The exquisite versions of the pictures found in the book are traditional Chinese nanga brush paintings by Gyokusei Jikihara Sensei, a modern Japanese master of calligraphy and a teacher in the Obaku School of Zen. The traditional verses accompanying them have been translated by John Daido Loori and Kazuaki Tanahashi, translator and editor of Enlightenment Unfolds: The Essential Teachings of Zen Master Dogen.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book for Everyone.......2005-06-08
The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox by Barry Hughart is a work of sheer outlandish fiction. It is a beast of a book at 652 pages long and is not for the faint of literary heart, but once you finish the book, you realize how much you really loved it and wanted more. This book fulfill the axiom of "you don't know what you have until it is gone".
The use of cliffhangers made this plot of coming of age a truly fast and addictive read. In the book, a country boy named Number Ten Ox from the village of Ku Fu must embark on a journey across China with the sage Master Li, who has a slight flaw in his character, to save the children of Ox's village from a terrible affliction. On the way they meet up with any number of foul and despicable villains and foil them with a devilishly clever series of tricks concocted by Master Li and inflicted by Ox. A great example is their sales pitch of a goat that can defecate gold while eating nothing but garbage, but what the buyer doesn't hear is this description. " The servant brought up the rear dragging a cart filled with garbage and cheap copper disks covered in gold leaf with a goat tethered to it."
I found the book unique because of the characters. Characters often recur and appear in different roles each time. Several villains, after being tricked by the dynamic duo see the error of their ways and come back into the story as supporting protagonists. However, the role of protagonist is slightly blurred, and this gives the book its strange appeal. It is hard to distinguish which characters are right. The villains are seen through the eyes of Ox and Master Li, but some of the tricks of these two are just as dastardly as the plots of the villains. However, with the fate of the children in their hands, Ox and Master Li seem to have Right on their side, and that makes you care. The moral ambiguity in the book reflects life and I believe that Hughart was trying to apply this story to real life. As with real life, there is nor a clear sense of Right and Wrong when it comes to some issues.
This is a beautifully written book in the sense of pure, rich description. "Master Li and I dazzled the eyes in tunics of sea-green silk that were secured by silver girdles with borders of jade. The jeweled pendants that dangled from our fine tasseled hats tinkled in the breeze, and we languidly waved gold-spattered Szech'uen fans." Also, the story construction leaves the reader interested and, often, wanting more and more. The author uses cliffhangers, such as this one, to help the book along. Ox and Master Li cause a disturbance in a resort town owned by a powerful duke and they have been sentenced to death in a labyrinth flooded by the tides. "Slim dark shapes were sliding across the dark floor like snakes. It was water, and the tide was coming in" There is a distinct uncertainty about how it is going to turn out for our heroes and the reader wants to find out more. The author also keeps the story moving with humor as when Ox meets the beautiful Lotus Flower and falls instantly and implacably in love with her. "'My surname is Lu and my personal name is Yu, but I am not to be confused with the eminent author of The Classic of Tea, and everyone calls me Number Ten Ox,' I moaned. She laughed softly and she said, 'I shall call you Boopsie.'"
You can tell by the above description and quotes from the book that the characters were not exactly designed by a Chinese author. Barry Hughart was born in the Midwest and was raised in Arizona. He did serve a tour of duty in Japan, and, interestingly, he developed a love affair with China from his experiences there. However, the critics seem to agree with me. They say that it should not be missed and are " a witty and original romp" and an "Oriental bouillabaisse of adventure and mystery". The critics and I seem to be in agreement that this is the perfect book for those who thirst for adventure, but need it mixed with some humor and fantasy to drink a whole glass. In other words, if you are an avid fantasy fan, a fan of Oriental literature, or just someone who likes a well written, funny book, The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox is truly the book for you
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- Sorceress (Witch Child)
- Stargate SG-1: Trial by Fire: SG1-1 (Stargate Sg-1)
- Strange Stains and Mysterious Smells: Based on Quentin Cottington's Journal of Faery Research
- Stunning Crystal & Glass: The Watercolorist's Guide to Capturing the Splendor of Light
- Temple of the Winds (Sword of Truth, Book 4)
- The 101 Best Graphic Novels
- The Art of Public Speaking with Learning Tools Suite (Student CD-ROMs 5.0, Audio Abridgement CD set, PowerWeb, & Topic Finder)
- The Black Jewels: Trilogy: Daughter of the Blood / Heir to the Shadows / Queen of the Darkness
- The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, Book 7)
Books Index
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