Book Description
In this startling new book, New York Times bestselling author Robert Spencer, provides a warts-and-all portrait of the Prophet of Islam and draws out what his life implies for reforming Islam and repulsing Islamic terrorists. Spencer relies solely on primary sources considered reliable by Muslims and evaluates modern biographies to show how Muhammad has been changed for Western audiences, lulling them into consoling but false conclusions.
Customer Reviews:
Oh political bias..........2007-10-04
While it is certainly true that Spencer utilizes recognized primary sources to construct his arguments, he fails entirely to place the sources in context, or interpret them in a manner consistent with the vast majority of Muslims. I find it heavily amusing that he believes so strongly in Islam's intolerance that he includes it in his title. The reason for this amusement is that up until modern times (Ottoman Empire forward), Islam was arguably the most tolerant of the three religions of the book. In addition to this, Islam is the only one of the three which allows for Muslims, Christians, and Jews to be judged equally (Al-Baqarah 112). When compared to Christianity's views on salvation, and its history of Conversion by the sword (1st-5th crusades, Spanish Inquisition), Islam looks quite tolerant.
take Spencer with a grain of salt. His citations of the hadiths, Qur'an, and other primary sources may be correct, but his conclusions are massively off. You would be better off reading the Qur'an yourself and making your own decisions, as it is fairly obvious that Spencer is merely playing off of America's current ignorance of Islam to paint a picture consistent with our stereotypes.
A Very Eye Opening Book!.......2007-10-03
This is a very eye opening book about the founder of one of the world's most dominant religions. The author uses Muslim references to obtain his facts. He also quotes Muslim scholars and what they have to say. It is not a long book, but it is packed with very informative and very eye opening information about Muhammad and his followers. This book will help people understand the ideas and motivation behind why so many Muslims in the Middle East and elsewhere can be dangerous. This is not a book on Muslims today, as a rule, but does greatly help one understand why many radical Muslims act as they do. It is an easy read and very informative. He explains why the Jewish people are looked down upon along with the Christians, and goes into why the various areas like Medina and Mecca are so important to Islam. I think this is a very good book for anyone wanting to greater understand the reasoning behind Islam, and the man that founded it.
Wht Everyone Needs to Know.......2007-10-01
This is a detailed exploration of the meaning of the Qur'an, and the sayings of Muhammad. Spencer informs the reader that the Qur'an is not set down in chronological order. Rather, it is arranged from longest verse to shortest verse.
As the word of God, the Qur'an can never be amended by man, but verses can be abrogated by God. God can change His mind, and make earlier verses void. However, those same voided verses must remain in the Qur'an, as God did not direct that the voided verses should be removed.
Spencer guides the reader through this confusion, by explaining which verses are still in effect. The reader needs to obtain one of the translations of the Qur'an, referenced by Spencer, inorder to be able to to lookup the Qu'ranic verses to which he refers.
The peaceful verses of the Qur'an, with regard to the treatment of nonbelievers, date from the Meccan period, when Islam was struggling to get established. Those verses of the Qur'an, added after Muhammad fled to Medina, exhort the believers to make war upon the nonbelievers, and to spread the religion by force.
Those who mantain that Islam is a religion of peace, are referenceing verses which have been abrogated, or voided,and are no longer in effect.
A must read for anyone seeking to understand Islam.
A Must Buy for those Intolerant of Islam and Muslims........2007-10-01
This is a good book for anti-Islamic enthusiasts. But if one is looking for a good book on Islam and Islam's Prophet Muhammad, I'm afraid one will have to look elswhere.
Firstly, many non-scholars who write books about Islam will not use normal hermeneutical principles when reading and interpreting Quran passages, even if they are biblical scholars who believe the Bible must be interpreted according to specific principles. For instance, several there are passages in several chapters of the Quran that give rules for defensive warfare. The early Muslim state was attacked by the rulers of Mecca who didn't want to remove the idols from the Kaaba because of the prestige Mecca had being the focus of worship for all the tribes of the Arabian Penninsula. Thus, the Meccan rulers declared war on the early Muslims, continuing the persecution against the early Muslims on a larger scale now that there was an Islamic state in Medina. It was not until then that Muslims fought any wars. Some chapters of the Quran will have passages without conditions when discussing warfare, but these passages must be interpreted by those passages which have conditions. Certainly, not all who call themselves Muslims follow that interpretative principle. But then, not all Christians have at all times and places have followed the traditional Christian view of a just war, either.
Secondly, after the death of Islam's prophet, the Islamic Government soon became imperialist. The Myth is that Islam was spread by the sword. However, later caliphs (successors to the Prophet) conquered lands so they get get the taxes from the Christians and Jews and Zoroastrians and others, despite the Quranic teaching that warfare must be defensive. Traditional Sunni Muslims usually believe their were only 4 very good Caliphs, the first 4 after the death of Islam's Prophet (Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali Ibn Talib). Traditional Shia Muslims believe only Ali Ibn Talib (cousin of Muhammad and husband of his daughter Fatima) was a very good caliph. After the murder of Ali, the Caliphate became a dynasty of the Ummayad family. The first Ummayad ruler, Muhawiya, was the son of Abu Sufyan, the leader of the Meccans who became a Muslim after a treaty between the Muslim State and Mecca was broken by agents of the Meccans. Muhawiya's son, Caliph Yazid, demanded fealty from Ali's son Husain and would not let Husain and his followers go into exile. When Husain refused to give fealty to a Caliph that Husain believed openly did not emulate the Prophet, Yazid's army fought and killed Husain small group of follows and all but one of his sons. In the time of the Ummayad dynasty, the name of Ali was cursed within the Islamic caliphate. Many histories which came to be used by Sunni Muslims were written at the time of the Ummayads that sometimes have different accounts of early Islamic history than in the Shia books. These books are considered "authentic" by the Sunnis but are not considered to always be reliable by Shias.
Some examples of differences between one Sunni history or another, and one Sunni history and Shia history follow: Some Sunni histories say that Muhammad had a speck of "black" taken from his heart by the Angel Gabriel. Shias state that never happened. Some Sunni books state that that Muhammad didn't know he was supposed to be a Prophet and also that he was afraid and thought he was demon-possesed. Not so according to Shia books. One Sunni history states that Muhammad consumated his marriage to Aisha the daughter of future caliph Abu Bakr when she was 9 years old. What many anti-Muslim scholars will not tell you is that other Sunni histories say she was 14 or 15 years old, and that Shia books say she was 18, and that Muhammad was not really interested in marrying her but did so to please Abu Bakr and his party. Now, why would histories that paint Muhammad in a bad light be written during the Ummayad dynasty? Perhaps to undermine Ali and Husain and their supporters (who became know later as the Shia Muslims).
Thus, The Truth about Muhammad does not really give the whole truth about Muhammad. Why not buy the classic Sunni histories and read them for yourself. They are available in English translation. One can buy Shia books that discuss Muslim history from the Shia viewpoint (although not all the histories have been translated into English).
However, for those who don't want to understand Muslims, one can read this book. There are those who call themselves Muslims who don't want to try to understand Christianity or the West. What happens when one group doesn't want to understand the other? I believe the answer is too obvious to state here.
Muhammad was a con artist.......2007-10-01
Perhaps it was the sequence of presentation, but I marvaled at the great number of revelations allegedly from Allah,conveniently acquired that Muhammad used to find answers to simple daily problems. I can't believe that. It is too convenient for the man.
Average customer rating:
- Great content, awful format
- Interesting Read
- As Good as Everyone is Saying...Just Buy It!
- Better than the 7 Harry Potter books together
- A Mars Bar for your Soul
|
Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days
Jessica Livingston
Manufacturer: Apress
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Entrepreneurship
| Small Business & Entrepreneurship
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
High-Tech
| Industries & Professions
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Computer Science
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
| Artificial Intelligence
| Circuitry
| General
| Human-Computer Interaction
| Information Theory
| Modeling & Simulation
| Research
| Software Engineering
| Systems Analysis & Design
Software Development
| Software Design, Testing & Engineering
| Programming
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Programming
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Dreaming in Code: Two Dozen Programmers, Three Years, 4,732 Bugs, and One Quest for Transcendent Software
-
The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything
-
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
-
The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)
-
Smart and Gets Things Done: Joel Spolsky's Concise Guide to Finding the Best Technical Talent
Accessories:
-
Use Case Driven Object Modeling with UML: Theory and Practice
-
Practical Subversion, Second Edition (Expert's Voice in Open Source)
ASIN: 1590597141 |
Book Description
For would-be entrepreneurs, innovation managers or just anyone fascinated by the special chemistry and drive that created some of the best technology companies in the world, this book offers both wisdom and engaging insights—straight from the source.
— Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired Magazine, and author of The Long Tail
"All the best things that I did at Apple came from (a) not having money and (b) not having done it before, ever." —Steve Wozniak, Apple
Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days is a collection of interviews with founders of famous technology companies about what happened in the very earliest days. These people are celebrities now. What was it like when they were just a couple friends with an idea? Founders like Steve Wozniak (Apple), Caterina Fake (Flickr), Mitch Kapor (Lotus), Max Levchin (PayPal), and Sabeer Bhatia (Hotmail) tell you in their own words about their surprising and often very funny discoveries as they learned how to build a company.
Where did they get the ideas that made them rich? How did they convince investors to back them? What went wrong, and how did they recover?
Nearly all technical people have thought of one day starting or working for a startup. For them, this book is the closest you can come to being a fly on the wall at a successful startup, to learn how it's done.
But ultimately these interviews are required reading for anyone who wants to understand business, because startups are business reduced to its essence. The reason their founders become rich is that startups do what businessesdo—create value—more intensively than almost any other part of the economy. How? What are the secrets that make successful startups so insanely productive? Read this book, and let the founders themselves tell you.
Customer Reviews:
Great content, awful format.......2007-09-20
There's plenty of great information here, as all the other reviews said. But this interview format is really excruciating to read. Casual speech is very hard to transcribe in such a way that it becomes readable. This is why journalists and other writers are trained in how to reduce a long, tangential speech into something meaningful and clear. These interviews tend to run on and on and on, with the subjects jumping around, sometimes contradicting themselves, or misspeaking; all the stuff we do when talking, but which doesn't really matter in conversation, where other cues like body language make up for it. It really takes a lot of work to read this stuff, you're constantly having to hear the subject "out loud" in your head for it to make sense.
This book's easily twice as long as it could be if these interviews were edited down to a few really useful pages each. Or better: rewritten as short essays.
Interesting Read.......2007-09-19
Founders at Work is a fairly interesting read but lacks some depth. I'm the founder of a startup at the moment and am always keen to learn more about other founder's stories. The structure of this book is more like an interview with the interviewer rarely delving into the deeper human emotions, problems, issues, feelings etc of the founders. This really gives a basic "guided story" approach about each of the founders without any "pearls of wisdom" or "lessons learned".
Good for a single read or the average person who has an interest in technology startups from a founder's perspective, not worth being made into a hardcover.
As Good as Everyone is Saying...Just Buy It!.......2007-09-16
Loved this book. The interviewer asked a similar set of questions for all participants yet improvised when needed to follow an interesting train of thought to it's natural conclusion. All of the participants were refreshingly candid. Almost as if they were unloading on a therapist. Each interview is just long enough to feel complete but not so long as to feel redundant. On another note, I'm pretty anal when it comes to the physical presentation of a book and this one passes all my criteria: Decent margins, pleasant type face, good line space and font sizes, flexible spine stays open easily without trying to close itself, and easy to browse logical organization. If you're an entrepreneur working on tech start up this is one of the few "must read" books.
Better than the 7 Harry Potter books together.......2007-08-12
Better than the 7 Harry Potter books together (wich is a bad comparison as I didn't like them that much). The book is a collection of interviews with founders of famous technology companies about what happened in the very earliest days and later. Within each interviews, you'll catch dozen of interesting infos. Believe me , when you start it, you'll finish it within the week.
A Mars Bar for your Soul.......2007-08-02
Hey, maybe I'm just an old-fashioned chocaholic but books like this are what I turn to to get a lift.
In the same way a quick snack on a Mars Bar gives me a physical energy boost, I get a spiritual boost from reading about other people's struggles. An author needs a special style to pull off this kind of book and Jessica Livingston deftly steers the reminiscing. Maybe the book is just well-edited but there were many times when I think she asked just the perfect next question to keep the stories flowing.
I wish I'd been in the room.
Book Description
During his tenure as track coach at the University of Oregon from 1949 through 1972, Bill Bowerman won 4 national team titles, trained dozens of milers to break the 4-minute barrier, and his athletes set 13 world and 22 American records. Single-handedly he helped turn the college town of Eugene, Oregon, into the running capital of the world. In Bowerman: The Wings of Nike, Kenny Moore, a world-class marathon runner and one of Bowermans Oregon men, tells the story of his mentor and hero, drawing on years of taped interviews and the full cooperation of the Bowerman family and Nike, the company that Bowerman helped to found through his invention of the waffle-soled running shoe. Whether providing a fresh look at the tragic siege at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, where Bowerman coached the track and field team; offering a close-up view of the coachs relationship with runner Steve Prefontaine (subject of the movie Without Limits, co-written and co-produced by Moore); or exploring Bowermans role as a Nike innovator, this illuminating portrait is compelling reading throughoutample evidence of why Bowermans widow, noting how well the author understood her husband, said: If anyone should write Bills life story, its Kenny Moore.
Customer Reviews:
Bowerman is alive and well.......2007-09-12
This book was recommended to me, and I am glad I took the recommendation. Kenny Moore, who wrote the screenplay for Without Limits, one of the two Prefontaine movies, does it again. One cautionary note: once you pick this book up be prepared to read for long periods of time without wanting to put it down.
More than another book about runners.......2007-07-04
Bill Bowerman lived an extraordinary life by any standards. He was a top college track coach who won four national NCAA track titles, the Olympic track coach during the fateful Munich Olympics, a decorated officer in the mountain/ski battalion during WWII, a co-founder of Nike, and with his millions from Nike, a generous philanthroper.
Bowerman seemed destined to live a life the generated great fascinating stories. Examples: He was coach to the stormy and supremely talented Steve Prefontaine. He (Bowerman) took on the American Athletic Union and its hypocritical stand on amateurism. He was in love with a woman who love him when he was a quarterback for the University of Oregon at the same time that she also loved the quarterback for the University of Southern California--a man who eventually become president of Paramount Pictures in Hollywood. (The woman decided to marry the winner of the UO-USC football game! I won't tell you how that came out.)
As a result, this book is amazingly enjoyable at multiple levels. The stories are fascinating in their own right, but especially because Bowerman's life had as its backdrop some of the most amazing events in American history: the settling of Oregon, the Olympic movement, the running explosion that helped Nike become a multi-billion-dollar company, World War II, Viet Nam, and unrest among black athletes. The stories are skillfully written by Sports Illustrated writer and Olympic runner Kenny Moore, whom Bowerman coached. The book is also a story about character, integrity, and the winning spirit.
Bowerman and the Men of Oregon is more interesting and exciting than fiction. It's a must read for all athletes, especially runners, and it's a great read for everyone else. I highly recommend it.
Kenny Moore is a genius!.......2007-05-17
This is THE book for anyone who ever ran ladders or repeat quarters (if you don't know what that means, you're still going to enjoy the story).
Had the opportunity to get my copy signed by Kenny recently. I told him that nearly lost my composure when I read the intro; if I would've had someone to tell me to slow down during training, I wouldn't have burned out at age 17.
I was bummed that he didn't include the picture of himself and Frank Shorter after the '72 Olympic Marathon; that shot has to win the award for best athletic facial hair by a duo.
The stories are woven together so masterfully, and it's hard to believe that the book covers a full century in time.
In the acknowledgements, Kenny's small note to the runners of Oregon really speaks volumes; namely, he apologizes for compressing and diluting their stories in order to fit them into the book. Anyone who has lived the life will surely understand the significance of that statement.
"Bowerman" is a collector's piece.
Details galore -- for Oregonians or runners.......2007-04-15
Being a native Oregonian, I loooved reading about the Bowerman family history. As a former runner, I enjoyed reading about the races. The book is very detailed and thorough. It's very well done. Enjoy!
Awesome and Inspiring!.......2007-03-20
I "raced" through this book and now plan to re-read in a more "paced" manner. I had read the excerpt printed in Runner's World magazine (Rodale publishes the magazine and also is the book's publisher) and looked forward to the book with high interest.
I very much enjoyed getting to know much more about Bowerman than I had previously. He was a multi-talented, caring (if somewhat imperfect) individual to whom all of us recreational runners owe a huge debt of gratitude.
I was surprised by the sections on Prefontaine, since Mr. Moore was co-author of the script for the movie "Without Limits". The movie painted a slightly darker picture of Pre than does the book. I was thrilled to hear of Pre's charitable interests and his work in bringing the Norwegians to Oregon.
Like other reviewers, I found some of the track info a bit technical for me, but enjoyed it. Also, I was a bit confused by some of the early Bowerman family chapters.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough, however. It is a must read for runners of all types and anyone interested in the life story of a truly exceptional person.
Book Description
Judo, or the Way of Gentleness, an ideal form of physical exercise and a reliable system, of self-defense, was specially created from traditional Japanese martial arts. This book by the creator of Kodokan judo is uniquely comprehensive and the most authoritative guide to this martial art ever
published.
Over a hundred years ago Jigoro Kano mastered swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat. Failing to discover any underlying principle, he set about designing a new martial art to reflect the concept of maximum efficiency in the use of physical and mental energy. Today, the concepts and techniques of
judo taught at the Kodokan are the ones originally devised by their creator and collected together in this book. Covering everything from the fundamental techniques to prearranged formal exercises for both men and women, the book offers detailed explanations of how techniques are combined in two
types of practice: randori (free practice) and kata (the practice of forms). In addition to a discussion of traditional methods of resuscitation, the book concludes with a useful appendix of information on the founder and the Kodokan International Judo Center, and a glossary of judo terminology.
Fully illustrated throughout, Kodokan Judo will help students and instructors everywhere to discover the principles, techniques, and spirit of this popular martial art.
Customer Reviews:
The Bible Of Judo .......2007-09-18
As stated above, this book is considered the foundation of Judo, both modern day and early judo. Please be aware that this book is not to purchased and read as a novel: it is to supplement judo training in the dojo and assist with one's desire to achieve success in the sport of judo.
Mildly disappointed.......2007-09-11
I purchased the book with the hope that it would include more detail on the martial aspects of Judo, i.e. atemi (strikes), leglocks, and other things considered illegal in competition. It has some, but speaks of them very generally, and always refers one to the Kata. As a general reference it good, but not exactly what I had hoped.
Great reference Book.......2007-05-13
I have been practicing /training in Judo for approx. 3 months, great book for review /insight before and after training and performing at Dojo.
The Judo BiThe Judo Bibleble.......2007-04-12
These step-by-step instructions for Judo techniques will help you improve your throws. You'll also learn various types of Judo forms.
this book is good for leaning step-by-step techniques.......2007-04-07
this book is great for learning the techniques of judo, if your a judoka you need to get this book! I'm currently a yellow belt and this book has helped to improve my skills greatly! the author breaks down the techniques so you can execute the throws properly. the book also has a lot of black and white pictures to go with the techniques. this book is great for beginners and the more advanced, so if your looking for a good book to help with your skills then look no farther because this is the book for you!
Amazon.com
In 24 Essential Lessons for Investment Success, the founder of Investor's Business Daily and author of How to Make Money in Stocks, William O'Neil, distills his 40 years of experience, study, and analysis of the market into a series of lessons about how to buy and sell stocks. O'Neil is neither a pure fundamentalist nor a technician--instead, he advocates blending both approaches, applying fundamental analysis to identifying the best companies and technical analysis to understanding the price actions of those stocks. The lessons cover everything from protecting your investment account (always cut your losses at 8 percent of the purchase price) and basic chart reading (identifying market tops and bottoms) to understanding relative price strength and tips on building a concentrated portfolio. While not absolutely necessary, it helps to have a copy of Investor's Business Daily handy: these lessons were drawn from a series that O'Neil wrote, which frequently mention features unique to that newspaper. 24 Essential Lessons for Investment Success is a easy-to-read, commonsense guide to stock picking that both novices and seasoned investors should find extremely useful. --Harry C. Edwards
Book Description
The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, BusinessWeek, and USA Today Business Bestseller!
From the publisher of Investor's Business Daily and best-selling author of How to Make Money in Stocks, comes the National Bestseller, 24 Essential Lessons for Investment Success, two dozen of the most important lessons for investors. In this one accessible guide, William J. O'Neil puts his popular and easy-to-follow techniques for building a profitable portfolio firmaly in the hands of investorsand the goal of long-term financial security easily within their reach.
24 Essential Lessons for Investment Success is based upon the closely followed "26 Weeks to Investment Success" editorials that appear in Investor's Business Daily. Edited and updated, O'Neil's timeless advice encapsulates such investing nuggets as buy high and sell higher to making a million in mutual funds. Concentrate your investments in a few areas, know them well, and watch them carefully.
Don't just rely upon PE ratios and other common technical tools. Learn to use Relative Price Strength to help you choose stocks. O'Neil's cautionary yet pro-active advice has helped to make Investor's Business Daily one of America's fastest growing and most respected newspapers. Now investor's can benefit from his timeless words of wisdom, collected in one easy-to-use resource.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Lessons.......2007-05-14
The author of this book increased his account 20 fold in 26 months and then bought a seat on the New York stock exchange. He studied the top performing stocks from 1953 to present to create his CAN-SLIM method, which has been proven in many independant studies to be one of the best. After his individual success as an investor he founded O' Neal & Co. and uses his companies stock data base to advise top investing firms. This is a credible author who all traders should listen to.
Here are some of the top lessons in this book:
#3 Follow a system rather than emotions.(This takes experience and time)
#6 Relative price strength: A key technical tool (Buy stocks in up-trends close to 52 week highs, these are the stocks with buyers)
#18 Don't try to be a Jack of all trades (Focus on one investment vehicle, be an expert)
#20 Sell Rules (Reset stops on stocks showing a profit so you do not give back all of your profit on a down trend)
Buy this book for 20 more essential lessons. This book will help beginners tremendously and also can be very beneficial for experienced traders and investors to revisit to keep on the right track.
This is a great little book that belongs in every investors/traders library.
Easy Money in 2000.......2007-03-26
Anyone who had read Investors Business Daily will not gain too much from this book since it's mainly a novice walkthru of the daily publication. O'Neil's major concepts are higher highs in enormous volume, double bottom, flat base, and cup with a handle. Even looking at some charts he has in the book in hindsight appear misleading. I think IBD is an excellent resource, but here are my criticisms of this book. It was written during the tech boom. Anyone could have plopped money down and doubled it in a month. Too many times O'Neil brags about making 200% on a stock. He tells how one should never be afraid to jump into a stock with a PE over 100. In 2000 they were prominent, today, extreme rarity. Gee I wonder why. A cup and handle to you may be different to me and besides, by time you really realize it's a cup and handle or double bottom, you're already late to the party. Though I'm not too crazy about his steps for buying a stock, he does a thorough job explaining how he goes about establishing a position. Take this book for what its worth, there's plenty to learn but most of it was only applicable in the late 90's.
Great Advertisement - poor book.......2007-03-22
This book covers a lot of the fundamental basics that other books contain, but the recurring theme throughout is, "If you really want to learn how the market works you should subscribe to my newsletter".
I don't know if the Investor's Business Daily is any good, but certainly the credibility of the author is damaged in my eyes... IBD should have paid me to read this extended advertisement, rather than the other way around.
Great Book For Beginners - In Simple Terms.......2007-02-16
This book is good for beginners that don't know how to invest. They put things in simple terms vs the How To Make Money In Stocks book (although they both have the same information pretty much). I seem to be getting more from this + their website (www.investors.com) than any other resources. William J O'Neil is a GREAT writer and I hope that he keeps updating his books, because I would sure buy them. His books and his website are my BIBLE to invest, although I haven't invested yet as I am still studying charts for further evaluation to make sure that I buy the right stock or stocks that I want to buy.
Good advice, stop trying to sell stuff!.......2006-08-12
The book wasn't the easiest to read, but it gave good ideas for investors to keep in mind when selecting stocks and great tips for when to buy and sell. However the book was overwhelmed with constant advertising for Investors Business Daily. A good third of the book talked about the features of Investors Business Daily and how they could be used with the book. There was a some great info in this book, but the constant references to the magazine were annoying.
Book Description
Entrepreneur's Notebook propels you on a whirlwind tour of the start-up process. It is an invaluable reference for new and experienced entrepreneurs that includes chapters on a wide range of topics, from entrepreneurial team building to business plans to financing. This excellent book provides an incredible amount of practical information that will help you make smarter decisions and avoid costly mistakes. The author, Steven K. Gold, is an accomplished entrepreneur who has co-founded and led five early-stage ventures. As an investor and mentor, he also advises many entrepreneurs and young companies. He earned his B.S.E. in Entrepreneurial Management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and his M.D. from Brown University Medical School.
Customer Reviews:
Nice Guide for Beginners.......2007-06-16
The author writes a nice overview of the entrepreneurial process. It's basically for novices but it does a good job for this audience. The only problem I have with this book is that it is too basic and is therefore non-unique because it is so low-level. Regardless, I must say that for the right audience, it does a fine job over giving the big picture.
If you are advanced or aspire to become advanced, I would recommend "The Startup Company Bible for Entrepreneurs" but only for high-tech entrepreneurs. Even this author has recommended it.
A Must-Have for Entrepreneurs.......2007-05-14
Steven gives great illustrations to drive home his insightful advice for entrepreneurs. As he's "been there, done that," we can take his advice to heart in the hopes of becoming a success like him!
Exellent Book.......2007-05-11
Great book for getting ready to open a new business. Would refer to anyone thinking about opening a business.
Brief and to the point.......2007-04-27
This is a delightful little book that contains a wealth of useful and helpful information and ideas on starting a small business and ensuring that it is viable and succesful. The book is well written and easy to follow and interesting to read.
This is a must read for entrepreneurs, particularly budding ones as the information the book provides is very practical and can help you avoid making costly errors. The book covers a wide range of topics including the start-up process, marketing the business on a small budget, cash-flow forecasting, among other things.
The book is an excellent companion for the entrepreneur that is well worth having.
Invaluable advice for the budding entrepreneur.......2007-03-04
This book does a terrific job of presenting some of the most important issues entrepreneurs face when embarking on new ventures, touching on topics such as the business plan, funding, team building, and cash flows. Using simple, yet stunningly accurate models of the entrepreneurial process, Steven Gold distills complex subjects into simple, practical, take-away messages. The classification of entrepreneurial personalities (professionals, pragmatists, and inventors) is something I think we can all relate to. I find the metaphor which compares building a new company to making "stone soup" equally compelling. There are countless books out there for budding entrepreneurs, but this one is no fluff. It gets right down to the nuts and bolts so you can concentrate on your business.
Book Description
In this major new biography of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and the first to appear in English based on Turkish sources, Andrew Mango strips away the myth, to show the complexities of one of the most visionary, influential, and enigmatic statesmen of the century. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was virtually unknown until 1919, when he took the lead in thwarting the victorious Allies' plan to partition the Turkish core of the Ottoman Empire. He divided the Allies, defeated the last Sultan, and secured the territory of the Turkish national state, becoming the first president of the new republic in 1923, fast creating his own legend.
Andrew Mango's revealing portrait of Atatürk throws light on matters of great importance today-resurgent nationalism, religious fundamentalism, and the reality of democracy.
Customer Reviews:
A fascinating biography.......2007-06-29
This is a fascinating biography of Ataturk who rose from the confusion surrounding the end of the Ottoman empire to become the driving force in founding the Turkish Republic. Mango's account is a must read for anyone interested in Turkey.
Authoritative biography.......2007-05-09
The current political disputes in Turkey between secularists and Muslims, between those who look to the West and those who look to the Muslim East, mirror the very similar conflicts that took place in Atataturk's day. This authoritative biography provides a detailed picture of Ataturk and his efforts to bring modernity to Turkey. It took a strong and authoritarian leader to accomplish the task, which remains incomplete. Mango gives as full an account of Ataturk's complex character as is available in English. Ataturk had brilliant leadership and rhetorical talents as well as many personal shortcomings. He drank heavily, had difficult relations with women, and became suspicious, even somewhat paranoid in his later years. His style was often dictatorial. Mango, while providing much enlightening background and insights, sometimes inclines to weigh the scale of judgement too heavily in Ataturk's favor. Nonetheless, this fascinating work is compulsory reading for anyone wishing to understand the creation, culture and politics of contemporary Turkey.
Good bio of incredibly interesting man.......2006-08-27
Ataturk is an amazing man, both for what he accomplished and for his creation of the modern Turkish state. The book does a good job of taking you through what Ataturk did, how he accomplished it, and the changes he wrought to create Turkey from the remains of the Ottoman empire.
I give it 4 stars instead of 5 because the writer is a good biographer, not a great one. He's not bad, he's just not great. So it's more like you are watching the history unfold instead of being there.
With that said, it's an incredible story. It is one of the most amazing transformations in the history of civilization. He started with the remains of the Ottoman Empire that was about to be divided up into pieces by the great powers and ended with a Turkish state that is secular and part of the modern world. And he did this in 30 years.
Simply amazing.
a must read for ppl interested in the history of Turkey.......2006-05-16
Andrew Mango's "Ataturk" is a thorough depiction of Ataturk's life and the circumstances in which it was shaped. While reading this book you will feel that the author did a substantial research on the subject.
Ataturk I The Founder of Modern Turkey.......2006-04-29
Mr. Mango outdid himself. Excellent book. Well researched, well written, easily readable. Very highly recommended.
Book Description
Even when the greatness of the founding fathers isn't being debunked, it is a quality that feels very far away from us indeed: Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison and Co. seem as distant as marble faces carved high into a mountainside. We may marvel at the fact that fate placed such a talented cohort of political leaders in that one place, the east coast of North America, in colonies between Virginia and Massachusetts, and during that one fateful period, but that doesn't really help us explain it or teach us the proper lessons to draw from it. What did make the founders different? Now, the incomparable Gordon Wood has written a book that shows us, among many other things, just how much character did matter.
Revolutionary Characters offers a series of brilliantly illuminating studies of the men who came to be known as the founding fathers. Each life is considered in the round, but the thread that binds the work together and gives it the cumulative power of a revelation is this idea of character as a lived reality for these men. For these were men, Gordon Wood shows, who took the matter of character very, very seriously. They were the first generation in history that was self-consciously self-made, men who understood the arc of lives, as of nations, as being one of moral progress. They saw themselves as comprising the world's first true meritocracy, a natural aristocracy as opposed to the decadent Old World aristocracy of inherited wealth and station.
Gordon Wood's wondrous accomplishment here is to bring these men and their times down to earth and within our reach, showing us just who they were and what drove them. In so doing, he shows us that although a lot has changed in two hundred years, to an amazing degree the virtues these founders defined for themselves are the virtues we aspire to still.
Customer Reviews:
Helpful, More Academic Book.......2007-10-05
First, this is more of an academic work than a popular one. If you are looking for a collection of engagingly told short bio's of some of the founders, this is not it. This is more of an academic work. It contains analysis and summary of scholarly opinion. For what it intends to be it is nicely done. Due to its nature, I found it less interesting in places, but it was beneficial to see what the current ideas are on these men.
The book is largely a collection of previously published reviews or articles and it shows in places. For one, the choices of whom to include seems odd in places. Why include Thomas Paine and Aaron Burr but neglect Patrick Henry? Sure Paine was a key figure early on but in the end he was not much of a "Founder." Aaron Burr's chief qualities are negative ones as Wood points out. Henry, however, was perhaps the key early voice calling for independence- his resolutions reprinted throughout the colonies defined the issue and galvanized support. In addition to other examples that could be given of his oratory his role as governor of Virginia- the richest and most populous colony- during the war and his efforts in supplying Washington's troops were very significant. He is typically neglected due to his opposition to the Constitution, but this is actually another significant contribution to the shaping of the country since his criticisms helped to produce the Bill of Rights.
In the end, if you want an engaging synopsis of the lives of the Founders, this is not it. If, however, you want one historian's analysis of their life and work this is a fine one. A good supplement on the issue of which Founders are most remembered and why is Daniel Dreisbach's essay "Founders Famous and Forgotten" in The Intercollegiate Review 42 (Fall 2007): 3-12. For just as scholarly but more positive assesment of Washington see Patriot Sage: George Washington and the American Political Tradition (ISI Books, 1999).
The Founders on a Human Scale.......2007-07-29
I read Dr. Wood's work as a graduate student in the 1970's and my daughter had him as a professor at Brown University several years ago. Consequently, I have an elevated sense of respect for the man. Dr. Wood has an extraordinary understanding for the Revolutionary Period. This book is for anyone who wants to peek into the heads of Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, Adams, Paine and Burr. I highly recommend this book.
Never to be seen again (4.25 *s).......2007-07-17
Eminent revolutionary era scholar, Gordon Wood, brings clarity to the profound question of why the revolutionary period produced the greatest set of public leaders that this nation has ever seen, and why it will never happen again. The men profiled here were of the Enlightenment where learning, rationality, and social adeptness were ardently pursued, but only by those with sufficient leisure, in other words, by social elites. They were not the multi-generational profligate aristocracy of England, instead basing their social standing on the merit of self-development. But with elite status came the expectation, if not requirement, of serving the public with disinterest (not for personal gain) regardless of any personal impositions. They were the leading intellectuals of the day, but in the context of being social leaders not as adversarial social critics of the modern era. With the exception of Paine and Burr, all of these revolutionary characters, as elite members of society, sought to shape the direction that the fledgling nation would take in a manner consistent their extensive learning and judicious understanding of social forces.
These revolutionary leaders were not "small d" democrats, but were "small r" republicans. They had the notion that society, at least those that mattered, did or could consist of so-called virtuous citizens, public-minded and interested in the social good. It was an optimistic, if not fanciful, view based more on interacting with their fellow elites than any actual dealings with the general public. By the time of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Madison, Adams, and Hamilton had become disillusioned with the self-interested machinations of the general public; only Jefferson and Paine continued to place faith in the wisdom of the common man. As the author points out, the decade of the 1790s was one of the most highly contentious in our history as the need for a powerful central government to constrain popular sentiments was counterpoised against the self-governing capabilities of virtuous citizens.
All of the men are profiled in terms of their understanding of their social position and their need to project a refined and educated public image, and of their recognition of social forces that were eroding the privileged position of so-called gentlemen and elevating the influence of the often raucous, ill-informed common man. Washington's rectitude and concern with his public image is undoubtedly unmatched in our history. Franklin, though perhaps a manipulator of his public image, is regarded by the author as the most effective diplomat in our nation's history for his efforts in obtaining the help of the French. The chapters on Hamilton, Adams, and Madison are very insightful examinations of the subtle and complex, yet different, political thinking among the founders. The chapter on Jefferson is least satisfactory as he has become the whipping boy among modern historians (not the author particularly) for his lack of progressive thinking in the revolutionary period concerning race and gender issues. On the other hand, Jefferson's democratic utopianism is noted, which has endeared him to many through the ages. Paine, alone, was not among the social elite. His willingness to be forthright in his writings served him well in his advocacy for independence in Common Sense, his pamphlet of 1776, but less so when condemning Christianity in The Age of Reason. Such awkward sentiments among elites were generally confined to private correspondence. Burr, the only true aristocrat among the founders, was condemned by his fellow founders precisely because he refused to serve the public in a disinterested manner, seeking to benefit himself and friends.
As the author shows, the revolutionary period and many of the men he profiled undermined the social world dominated by elite gentlemen. The constant extolling of the virtues of the common man was empowering. The proliferation of newspapers filled with popular sentiments overwhelmed the meager output of elite gentlemen. The Sedition Act of 1798 was a last gasp by social elites to curtail mass public opinion. Even Jefferson, became disheartened by the passing of control by cultured elites perhaps best exemplified by the election of Andrew Jackson.
The author is most assuredly correct to assert that a disinterested, cultured, and knowledgeable elite will never again rise to the top of political circles in the US. In lieu of that, the American political system has gravitated to electing highly self- and class-interested, mostly business, elites, of no particular refinement or knowledge, to our most important political offices. The contrast with the founders profiled in this book could not be greater.
revolutionary insight into the minds of those who molded the concept of American government.......2007-07-10
Before I started reading historian Gordon S. Wood's "Revolutionary Characters" I already had an appetite for some standard American history. With Independence Day on the way, I was excited to learn a bit more about the founders to build on my already escalating sense of patriotism. While reading Wood's book definitely increased my appreciation for our country's founders and cultivation, it also challenged me to view the founders in a far more realistic way than I ever had. Wood attempts to get behind all of the idolization and glorification given to the founders and provide a picture of who the men actually were in terms of how they thought, interacted, and pursued America's birth. Wood doesn't demean the founders with the typical revisionist history that is so prevalent today, but rather tries to uncover their true intentions and struggles in a historical and social context. Only by understanding them this way, Wood believes, can we gain a true appreciation for what was accomplished during our countries beginnings.
By looking at the founders from this perspective, Wood avoids focusing on all the major issues that brought the founders together (a desire for independence from Britain among other things). Instead, Wood hones in on their differences with each other, where their differences came from, and how they were still able to accomplish what they did despite their disagreements. John Adams, for instance, desired a more monarchical model for the executive, while nearly all of the others opposed opposed or misunderstood him. Thomas Jefferson was an idealistic, small-government man, but he was sickened by the capitalistic ideas brought forth by Alexander Hamilton, not realizing how heavily their principles were based in his own ideals. James Madison, on the other hand, sympathizes with so many ideas that Wood himself seems inconclusive about Madison's intentions and beliefs about social structure and government. We've all heard the usual Republican vs. Federalist debate before, but Wood pursues the characters much more personally. By understanding their personal, rather than political, ideological differences, Wood firmly believes that the founders' extraordinary accomplishments can be understood and appreciated even clearer. When understanding how these men viewed themselves and each other as thinkers, idealists, and civil servants, it becomes clear that the founders saw their purpose and role in society far different than any other politician will again.
The book begins with a large introduction discussing men of the Enlightenment, what was expected of them, and what their value system was based around. Wood succeeds in providing a very coherent discussion of the philosophy of the Enlightenment and the advantages and challenges it posed for the American Revolution. This context helps us understand the rest of Wood's book which is really a compilation of mini-profiles of the Founders. Wood chooses to focus on 8 founders specifically to represent what he sees as the ideological mosaic of the time: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Adams, Thomas Paine, and Aaron Burr.
Wood doesn't just give mini-biographies of these men, but rather profiles them in light of their personal motivations, biases, political perspectives, and, perhaps most of all, their social philosophy. We don't hear the typical mumbo-jumbo of George Washington and his cherry tree or Benjamin Franklin and his kite. Instead Wood shows Washington the reservist, people-pleaser, warrior, and shy public speaker; he shows Benjamin Franklin the cocky, ex-loyalist diplomat who died depressed and unwanted. The book could be called philosophical history, given that many of the profiles attempt to analyze the personal philosophies of each founder with a following correlation to how America grew compared to the predictions of the founders. Wood constantly compares the Founders' political, social, and economic thought with that of the 19th and 20th centuries, explaining how the workings of the Founders worked both against and in favor of the ideal societies they envisioned. To add clarity to the setting off of the Founders of the Revolution with the political leaders of today, Wood concludes by discussing Aaron Burr. Wood sees Burr, the political and moral heretic of the day, as today's common politician: one who cares more about power and public notoriety than the actual issues and policies that will better society. By showing how distasteful Burr was in the eyes of his countrymen, it is even easier to believe Wood's argument.
I'm not the type of conspiracy theorist who thinks today's politicians are always out to get me, and I don't think Wood is either. However, I do feel the political landscape has been slowly perverting itself away from the founders' original intention of policy derived of and for the people, not just for instant social gratification and politicians' reelection. Wood's contrasting of the Revolutionaries and our current "civil servants" clarifies what many see as the manipulation of our current system. Wood shows how our society has confused the concept of "selfless civil servants" by constantly promoting idle, fat cat bureaucrats to run our personal affairs.
I encourage any American to read this whether you feel a devout devotion to our country or a simple curiosity about American political history. Wood covers a lot of bases, but all feel worthwhile, and all allow a look at democracy that is startling, uncomfortable, critical, and inspiring all at the same time. It may feel a bit deep at times, but it is sure to benefit anyone who's in the mood for something that's not just a warm and fuzzy exercise in patriotism, but a genuine analysis of our country's noble origins and previously unimagined ideological future. The inspiration I took from this patriotic study is sure to last for 4th of July's to come.
What made the founders different, Gordon Woods asks, then really only answers this question for 2 of the 8 'characters.'.......2007-06-16
"What made the founders different?" That's the question this book self-acknowledgedly tries to answer; showing "just how much character did matter." "Character," according to Webster: "one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual; "the complex of mental and ethical traits marking and often individualizing a person, group, or nation;" "main or essential nature especially as strongly marked and serving to distinguish."
Some examples: "While Madison remained a nationalist and upheld the right of the supreme court to interpret the constitution, Jefferson lent his wholehearted support to the most dogmatic, impassioned, and sectional minded elements in Virginia." "Banks, stock markets, liquid capital, paper money, Jefferson feared and despised." Moreover, he "blame[d] the defunct New England Federalists and equally bewildered New England clergy for spreading evangelical Christianity and capitalism throughout the country"(presuming both to be evil). But interestingly, according to Gordon Wood, Jefferson himself "had little understanding of man's capacity for evil." Regarding the subject of slavery, Jefferson counseled patience; on emancipation remarking simply that "It will come." Thus it is not surprising that Jefferson told Adams in 1816 that he liked "The dreams of the future better than the history of the past" (or, one could easily add here, doing anything about actually trying to bring such dreams closer toward fruition). And speaking of Jefferson's dealings with Adams it also ought be noted that Jefferson trashed Adams behind his back to numerous associates but repeatedly denied to Adams having so engaged himself. Of course, Mr. wood also details the positive sides of Jefferson, but never answers what made Jefferson and those of his revolutionary generation different; except for Washington, who comes out of this book as the only founder whose actions evinced the highest notion of behavior; with Wood, after detailing such, concluding that "Washington's greatness lay in his character."
Madison comes over as great in this book too, as a consistent mind, notwithstanding Madison having been intellectually in tune with Hamilton when they wrote the Federalist Papers (with an assist from John Jay), but then a fervent disciple of Jefferson later whence Jefferson and Madison sought to block most anything Hamilton as treasury secretary proposed. And Jefferson, notwithstanding the above, is himself lionized herein; as a man who was inspired by a vision of how things could and should be (but without doing much to bring such closer to fruition, one could easily add). Thomas Paine (coming in at number 7 of the 8 "Revolutionary Characters" detailed herein) gets defended for his vociferous invective against the Bible and Christianity with the notion that "He was always a man out of joint with his times and he has remained so ever since" (something Mr. Wood seems to lament). Oddly too, John Adams gets ranked as number 6, just before Paine and Aaron Burr. No, there's not much praise for Adams herein. Wood refers to him as "an Englishman" "who was out of touch with American thought." My advice: read Miracle At Philadelphia: The Story of the Constitutional Convention May - September 1787, and/or Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation. Both books are far superior in conveying the character of America's founding fathers than this one. Cheers
Book Description
N.T. Wright, a world authority on the life and letters of Paul, leads readers through the current scholarly discussion and argues for an orthodox view-Paul as the faithful witness and interpreter of Christ, but not the founder of Christianity.
Customer Reviews:
Insightul, but Off at Key Points.......2007-06-26
This book is a popular overview of the work that Wright has done on Paul up to his point (97'). Of course, Wright is a well known advocate of the new perspective on Paul. He is a regular whipping boy for many Calvinists. In reading this book, I have found that N.T. Wright is regularly either misunderstood, or misrepresented. This was a fun book to read, as Wright's theology reads like prose, although I do not recommend it to anyone who doesn't have a firm grasp on the doctrine of justification, or who is unaware of the surrounding controversy. Wright is a biblical theologian and historian through and through. He is well-read in the 1st century sources and Second Temple Judaism. He is a big picture guy for sure. Much of Wright's exegesis is insightful and stimulating, but at places one is left scratching his head as to how he is coming to his conclusions (cf. Rom. 7, Phil 3, 2 Cor 5.21). For the many good things that could be said about this book, I will focus on a few negatives. Wright wants to separate the gospel, and the doctrine of justification more that the Apostle does. In fact, Wright redefines the term justification, along with works of the law, and the righteousness of God (he considers Sander's proposal as established). This has obvious implications for the reformation doctrine of sola fide. On imputation, he writes "If we use the language of the law court, it makes no sense whatever to say that the judge imputes, imparts, bequeaths, conveys or otherwise transfers his righteousness to either the plaintiff or the defendant. Righteousness is not an object, a substance or a gas which can be passed across the courtroom." He redefines the righteousness of God as his covenant faithfulness. In my opinion he is unfair to the best of the reformation, and reductionistic at many points. I appreciate Wright's emphasis on Christ's resurrection as thou roughly eschatalogical. Many Calvinists have accused Wright of having ecumenical motives, which seems to me to be unfair. His conclusions are no doubt ecumenical (even calling the doctrine of justification the great ecumenical doctrine), but I truly believe that Wright's honest aim is to be faithful to the text. He just so happens to get fuzzy on the gospel in the meantime, limiting it to 'Jesus is Lord.' He overreacts to Western individualism (even found in Reformed circles) but doesn't do justice to Paul in the meant time. See Richard Gaffin's book "By Faith Not By Sight" for a refutation of such thinking. I think we have much to learn from Bishop Wright, but still think the Reformers had it right.
"As far as Paul was concerned, the most important eschatological event, through which the living God had unveiled (or, if you like, 'apocalypsed') his plan to save the whole cosmos, had occurred when Jesus rose from the dead. He wasn't just living in the last days. He was living in the first days--of a whole new world order." 50
Outstanding scholarship.......2007-02-28
Wow...
This is one of the best books on Pauline thought I have ever read.
It is difficult for many Western Christians to hear, but much of what we believe about what Paul really said is born out of the polemics of the reformation and counter-reformation. Eastern Orthodoxy never went through the fires of a reformation (save a comparatively minor bout with iconoclasm that did not end up splitting the eastern wing of the church). Thus, it is arguable that the three great branches of Christianity ended up developing Pauline theology in different ways due to historical forces largely beyond any one individual's control.
This book, it seems to this reviewer, tries to cut through the muddle by placing Paul firmly in his first century context. The image of what St. Paul really said emerges as layer after layer of what has been added to Paul by centuries of history and scholarship (liberal and conservative) is removed. Those fiercely loyal to the 16th century reformationist view of Paul will find some things to agree with in this book, but for the most part will be challenged. Those loyal to the Catholic tradition will perhaps be less challenged by overall thesis of the book, but they will be challenged to examine just where Protestants get Paul "right."
I have one observation about the supposed "New Perspective." It is, to me, a problematic moniker. Rather, Wright seems to be arguing for the "orthodox perspective" (small "o") of Paul. This book is way more Catholic and Orthodox than many other evangelical Protestants might like. This book is more protestant than some Catholics (especially traditionalists) might like. However, it is clearly not an exercise in syncretic ecumenism. Rather, Wright is pointing to truth, by giving an authentically biblical and historical reading of the Pauline texts, and letting the evidence, as opposed to any pre-existing loyalty to a dogma, lead him where it may. This is what the best biblical scholars do. And Wright is one of the best living.
Paul in His Context !!.......2007-02-04
Wrights treatment on Paul aims to grasp Paul the apostle in his context of his own day and age and all that implies. Protestant christians will be uncomfortable with Wright's take on justification, and maybe a few other things, but relax, Wright is not out to short circuit a gospel of grace, contrary to the accusations by some. Wright makes many very bona fide points in this work, and it is very much worth learning from. For instance: The apostle Paul's main message was not how to go to heaven when you die ( as if that's what was being asked by first century Jews of Paul's day and age ), but rather Paul's message was simply that Jesus is Lord. Jesus is the true King not Caesar, or anyone else. Jesus is God's son, and as such is the Lord of the universe. Jesus is The God ordained location of God's redeeming and ruling activity. Wright's worth is that he aims to help biblical readers situate the new testament in it's first century Jewish context, and then see what that means for the good news of Jesus that the new testament proclaims. For the most part, not withstanding a few possible gliches, he does a much needed job at that.
Recommend Conditionally.......2007-01-11
Not finished with this book yet (about 2/3 through). For me, there were a lot of new ideas and, so far, I find the effort rewarding. But it is not an easy read. It is a scholarly text and a better biblical foundation would have helped greatly.
This Book Will Honestly Change Your Life.......2006-12-02
This is the first book by N.T. Wright I have read and it was difficult to get my mind around. I am still working on it but the concepts taught by Mr. Wright are profound. Basically N.T. Wright begins with a thorough description of the beliefs of 1st Century Judaism. Wright then goes on to explain Paul's message in light of those beliefs. The book covers so much ground that it would be impossible in this review to explain all the ground covered. However, my take on his general message is that the reformation resulted in an over-reaction to abuses within Catholicism in the sixteenth century. That over-reaction continues to this day and colors the lense through which we read scripture. As such, we tend to view Romans and Galatians as a polemic against legalism, whereas, they are actually a polemic against some first century Jews who wished to exclude Gentiles on the basis of Torah observance. The demand for Torah observance simply would have made Christianity a sub-sect of the Jewish religion.
Also, Wright does an in-depth explanation of the greek dikaos set of words (translated justify or righteous, depending on the context). Martin Luther understood the phrase "righteousness of God" grk (dikaiosune gar theou) in Romans 1:17 to mean that God transferred His own righteousness to believers. N.T. Wright challenges this belief, explaining that, rather than indicating a righteousness transferred to the believer, this phrase depicts God's righteousness or His determination to fulfill the covenant He made with Abraham in Genesis Ch. 15. This fulfillment occurred at the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our faith in the God who raised Jesus from the dead denotes all who believe as the people of God. The effect of our inclusion is that God's covenant with Abraham has now been fulfilled; he has truly become "the father of many nations" fulfilling the covenant. My explanation is a simplification but I recommend that you buy the book. It will challenge your current understanding of "What St. Paul Really Said". The implication of Wright's teaching is a call to ecumenicalism. It finally relieves the tension between the cry of the reformists "sola fide" and what we all know that James wrote, "you see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone". Wright concludes that those welcome at the table of fellowship are defined, not by their belief about how someone is justified but by their faith in Christ. Excellent book.
Book Description
The commanding study of Marxism, now in one masterful volume with a new preface and epilogue by the author.
From philosopher Leszek Kolakowski, one of the giants of twentieth-century intellectual history, comes this highly influential study of Marxism. Written in exile, this "prophetic work" presents, according to the Library of Congress, "the most lucid and comprehensive history of the origins, structure, and posthumous development of the system of thought that had the greatest impact on the twentieth century." Kolakowski traces the intellectual foundations of Marxist thought from Plotonius through Lenin, Lukacs, Sartre, and Mao. He reveals Marxism to be "the greatest fantasy of our century...an idea that began in Promethean humanism and culminated in the monstrous tyranny of Stalinism." In a brilliant coda, he examines the collapse of international Communism in light of the last tumultuous decades. Main Currents of Marxism remains the indispensable book in its field.
Customer Reviews:
A Monumental work.......2007-02-21
This compilation is a monumental work of research, an ecnyclopedic description of Marxist thought from the beggining to the 1970s. It begins before Marx, going back to ancient Greece and early Christianity in exmaining the dialectic that led to Hegel and thence to Marx. The first book is devoted to this discussion and Marx. The second and third volume examines other thinkers such as Bakunin, Gramsci and Lukacs. This is truly a masterwork, one to wade through at your own pace. Great excerpts highlight Proudhoun, Stalinism and Leninism and even Maoism.
A fascinating book of great depth and understanding, hefty.
Seth J. Frantzman
Read it and weep!.......2007-01-12
This one-volume edition of Kolakowski's three-volume demolition of Marxism is superb. As a friend once remarked, "More than this, one cannot do."
There are still Marxists and pseudo-Marxists among us, but one doubts that they have the candlepower or integrity to sit down and read through this masterpiece.
A High Point of Intellectual History.......2006-12-11
This is an outstanding description and analysis of the history of Marxism as a philosophic enterprise and doctrine. Kolakowski's goal is a fair and lucid history of Marxism as an intellectual enterprise. This is a highly ambitious undertaking requiring familiarity with a huge range of writers and thinkers, ranging from famous figures like Marx and Hegel to obscure 19th and 20th century ideologues. Kolakowski also appears to be remarkably well versed in the secondary literature on Marxism as well. The breadth and depth of scholarship is remarkable and is matched by Kolakowski's lucid exposition. Considerably credit has to be given to the translator, PS Falla, for the fluent English. Main Currents is divided into 3 volumes, the first covering the origins of Marxism and Marx himself, the second devoted to the apogee of Marxist thought, and the last to history of Marxism since the Russian revolution.
Kolokowski begins in an apparently surprising place; the Neoplatonism of the Classical world. He points out that some of of the themes implicit in Marx have very deep roots. The ideas of man alienating aspects of his essence and then being restored to completion in a dramatic and catastrophic event are ancient. Kolakowski traces these ideas and the accompanying aspects of eschatology and soteriology through major philosophers and theologians of both the Classical and Medieval period into the end of the 18th century. He then moves to a brilliant description of the Hegelian - Idealist tradition that forms the immediate background of Marx's work. Kolakowski's analysis of Marx's wholesale modification of Hegel's concepts and his synthesis of Hegelian thought with the Romantic ideals of early 19th century socialism and economic ideas is simply the best description of this difficult subject I have ever encountered. He then moves through a careful chronological reconstruction of Marx's thought, emphasizing the continuity from Marx's earliest substantial work to the last completed parts of Capital. Kolakowski particularly highlights the key role of the concept of alienation in Marx's thought. The description of Marx is lucid and evenhanded. Kolakowski is very respectful of Marx's brilliance as a thinker and provides outstanding discussions of difficult concepts like Marx's concept of surplus value and his concept of history. Kolakowski's exposition gives a very strong sense of why Marx's system was so attractive to generations of intellectuals. This is not to suggest that Kolakowski is uncritical. Quite the opposite. Kolakowski's critique of key issues in Marx such as the concept of surplus value or the claims of historical materialism are ruthlessly effective.
The second volume covers the period from death of Engels to the Bolshevik Revolution. This is also approximately the period of the Second International. Kolakowski describes this as the "Golden Age" of Marxist thought, a period characterized by a diversity of Marxist thinkers and continued interaction of Marxists with other intellectual traditions. This volume has all the virtues of Vol. 1., exhibiting Kolakowski's remarkable command of Marxist and general philosophical history, his solid knowledge of European history, a fluid writing style, and his incisive judgement about the subjects under discussion. In the the first half of this volume, Kolakowski shows the interesting diversity of the Marxist tradition during this period. This includes both a variety of interpretations of Marx and also the interaction of Marxism with other philosophical traditions, such as the Kantian revival of the late 19th century. Kolakowski covers some figures not thought of usually as part of the Marxist mainstream, such as Sorel and Jean Jaures, as well as illuminating discussions of the Revisionist and Austro-Marxist movements.
The second half of this volume is devoted to the pregnant subject of Russian Marxism. Kolakowski provides a very nice overview of the relevant Russian intellectual history leading up to a detailed discussion of various Russian Marxists. This concludes with an intensive examination of the work and career of Lenin, who is presented as a mediocre thinker but essentially as a successful leader of the cult that founded the Soviet state.
The third volume covers the decline of Marxism as a viable intellectual enterprise. Kolakowski presents the decline as occurring in two different ways. The first and most important is the development of Marxism in its Leninist-Stalinist form in which certain aspects of Marxism were emphasized by Lenin to develop the ideology that came to underpin the Soviet State and its Eastern European conquests. Kolakowski argues convincingly that the resulting ideology was not a "deformation" or distortion of Marx but rather a logical though far from inevitable interpretation of Marx's doctrines. With the articulation of the Soviet state and the cult of Stalin, this process involved the impoverishment of Marxist thinking, disconnection from other philosophical traditions, and ultimate evolution into a sterile ideology used solely to justify totalitarianism. Providing an accurate historical analysis of this phenomenon required Kolakowski to read not only figures of real importance like Lenin and Stalin but also the painful but necessary task of thoroughly reading a number of minor Stalinist ideologues.
The second aspect of the Breakdown is Kolakowski's analysis of post-Stalinist Marxism including such varied figures as Gramsci, the School of Frankfort, and others. By and large, this is a depiction of an essentially decadent intellectual tradition though Kolakowski writes relatively sympathetically of figures for whom he has some respect such as Habermas and Gramsci. Kolakowski has a very evenhanded writing style but his treatment of some of these individuals is harshly critical without using hyperbolic language. His chapter on Marcuse is a textbook example of intellectual demolition without name calling. One of the most interesting treatments in the book is that of Gyorgy Lukacs. Kolakowski presents Lukacs as someone melding both aspects of the breakdown. Kolakowski clearly respects Lukacs as man of considerable intellect. Lukacs' judgements on Marx, notably his analysis of the role of Marx's Hegelianism, his emphasis on alienation, the need to interpret history as a teleological process, and others, mirror Kolakowski's own analysis and may well have influenced the younger Kolakowski. Kolakowski also demonstrates as well that the essential thrust of Lukacs' work was to provide a sophisticated defense of Stalinism, a morally and intellectually bankrupt undertaking.
Marxism as a vital intellectual tradition is probably, as Kolakowski argues, at a dead end. Still, achieving an understanding of the history of the last century is impossible without understanding the history and role of Marxism. The superb book is an invaluable resource in any effort to understand the events of the last century.
Books:
- The Wizard and the Warrior: Leading with Passion and Power
- The Wizard of Menlo Park: How Thomas Alva Edison Invented the Modern World
- To Inherit the Earth: The Landless Movement and the Struggle for a New Brazil
- Torment In Art
- Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games
- Valley of Silence (The Circle Trilogy, Book 3)
- Voyage of Slaves: A Tale From Castaways of the Flying Dutchman
- When God Winks at You: How God Speaks Directly to You Through the Power of Coincidence
- Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul
- Winter of the Wolf Moon: A Mystery (An Alex McKnight Novel)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Shadow Lines: A Novel
- Patriarch's Hope
- Focused for Bowling
- Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned
- History: Fiction or Science
- Molecular Modelling: Principles and Applications
- Ideas and Events: Professing History
- Fundamentals of Copy and Layout
- Everglades Forever: Restoring America's Great Wetland
- Germany Business & Investment Opportunities Yearbook
America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It
The Politically Incorrect Guide(tm) to Islam (and the Crusades) (Politically Incorrect Guides)
Because They Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America
While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is Destroying the West from Within
Infidel
