Book Description
People have long gazed in wonder at the universe and asked, Why are we here? Until recently, the answer has been the province of priests and philosophers, but now scientists are starting to weigh in with ideas that are both surprising and deeply controversial. In his new book, physicist Paul Davies shows how recent scientific discoveries point to a perplexing fact: many basic features of the physical universe— from the speed of light to the most humble carbon atom—seem tailor-made to produce life. A radical new theory says it’s because our universe is just one of an infinite number of universes, each one slightly different. Our universe is bio-friendly by accident; we just happened to win the cosmic jackpot. While this multiverse theory is compelling, it has bizarre implications, from infinite copies of each of us to Matrix-like simulated universes. Davies believes there’s a more satisfying solution to the question of existence: the observations we make today could help shape the nature of reality in the remote past. If this is true, then life and, ultimately, consciousness aren’t just incidental byproducts of nature, but central players in the formation of the universe.
Customer Reviews:
Reading Jackpot.......2007-10-02
Very interesting reading, captivating topics, most definitely a great source of reflection. Without diminishing the fascination of the big bang and inflation theories, I enjoyed more the second half, related to the fundamental questions about Universe and Existence. I found out for the first time about a possible Self-Explaining and Self-Determined Universe, where our existence could have a special and privileged meaning. Some parts of the book seemed a bit inclined towards dry classifications as opposed to elaborate dissertations "Elegant Universe" style.
A good exposition of physical theories for the uninitiated.......2007-10-02
Having read his scientific arguments in the rest of the book, I was somewhat surprised (although he says his inclinations "will be clear") by the author's concluding section (p.267), where he states, "I do take life, mind, and purpose seriously, and I concede that the universe at least appears[italicized word] to be designed with a high level of ingenuity".
Elsewhere (p.196) he contrastingly says, "If there is a designer, then this being is clearly not micromanaging the process very well", and alleges some "design flaws". Interestingly, he also writes (p.192) that biological organisms "look nothing short of miraculous. The many and diverse components function together in a coherent and amazingly orchestrated manner", and that the living cell contains "exquisite examples of nanotechnology", and so forth.
To add to these conflicting observations, the author downgrades the Intelligent Design movement, an American defense of the idea that organisms have an intelligent designer. Perhaps he does so because he is British, since other Brits have that attitude, but what seems truly unfortunate is that the Intelligent Design group is the only one he denigrates with name-calling. He speaks of their being "political" (p.284n.8), their "propaganda" (p.196), not to mention "confusions".
Not to be misunderstood, I love Americans and Brits equally (I am of middle-European Jewish birth), but I consider the Intelligent Design group just as honorable and intelligent as others, though I hold, like other cases, its arguments deficient. Presently, my concentration is on the author discussed, and I find numerous weaknesses in his argumentation.
He puts special emphasis on the concept of explanation. To him every fact must be explained; otherwise it must be "taken on faith" (p.217). He illustrates this on that page and the preceding one with humorous pictures in which the Earth is "explained by a deeper reality" of resting on an elephant, the elephant explained by resting on a turtle, which rests on another turtle, and, to "avoid infinite regress", last is "a levitating super-turtle, which is self-explaining and self-supporting".
The trouble is that the author is unclear about what he means by "explanation", by a "reason", and why some is always necessary. There exist various "reasons". A most common one is giving a cause for an event. Another one is giving a proof for a logical or mathematical proposition. All these have the purpose of satisfying some desire for resulting knowledge. But much of knowledge is gained directly, without explanation, by for instance any immediate perception of something. Laws pertaining to things are likewise often learned from experience, without need of further explanation, unless an underlying broader law might be helpful. The point is that once certain facts are learned, they become objects of knowledge, whether or not one learns more about them. If accordingly the existence of God, considered as a "super-turtle", is the question, it is beside the point whether or not "God exists reasonlessly" (p.219).
Returning to the first-mentioned last section (p.267), the author disputes there a like "exist reasonlessly", but this time appears to connote an additional sense of "a reason", namely "a purpose". He evidently means that, with the universe "a package of marvels", he takes "life [and] mind...seriously" as resulting by some "purpose", saying, "It seems to me that there is a genuine scheme of things--the universe is 'about' something". However, in Darwinian fashion he says, "I do not believe Homo sapiens to be more than an accidental by-product of haphazard natural processes". Here goes inconsistency again; he believes in both, life (and mind) as purposeful and as accidental.
Let me observe for one again that mind, consciousness, is the medium by which all reality is known. One is reminded of Berkeley's dictum, "To be is to be perceived" (Principles of Human Knowledge and Three Dialogues (Oxford World's Classics)). It is hard to explain how a world can be certain to exist if unperceived, that is without live beings like us perceiving it. As regards life itself, in that last section the reviewed author wonders about a "life principle", and one can indeed speak of life in terms of purpose, as I have tried to convey in reviews before and especially, among other issues concerning knowledge, in my book On Proof for Existence of God, and Other Reflective Inquiries. Unlike held by scientists for whom, as the author notes in that section, "any suggestion of a teleological (purposive) trend...is anathema", purpose in life is so glaringly staring us in the face that it may be for that reason this purpose is completely overlooked: All of life is characterized by its unceasing purpose of action toward self-preservation.
It is satisfying to me that the author considers at least this "half-glimpsed life principle". He, as indicated, is besides lucidly informative of contemporary theories, even if I personally question the correctness of a number of them. I accordingly gladly recommend the book for its educational worth.
Almost there!.......2007-09-19
This is the first popular cosmology book I have read in years. (They were getting a bit samey - big bang, quantum theory, multiverse etc etc.) But this book is an interesting addition to the genre. Anyone reading this, whether a born-again Christian or a convinced MWI atheist, will have his thoughts well and truly provoked.
I get the feeling that we are almost there. Just one little brainwave away from linking consciousness and the universe to explain the whole shebang. If it comes to me, I'll let you know.
A summary of the cutting edge ideas.......2007-09-01
This book talks about everything that is known about cosmology as of 2007. The author argues with an anthropic bias, the theories of the origin of the universe. He tries to make sense of the many questions, like why we are here, why the universe is as we see it, what is it that breaths fire into the equations etc. In the light of all theories about the universe, the author attempts a synopsis of which one makes more sense than the other. Again his main criterion is which theory gives life, mind and consciousness a priority and tries to incorporate them as a fundamental thing in universe. He also argues for the Goldilocks universe, that is everything in this universe looks too right for life to evolve, saying that any theory that talks about the origin of the universe must explain these anthropic conditions. Theory of Multiverse is just a Platonic scapegoat to all these questions. This book teaches you not to indulge into too much of mathematics, but to pause and ponder where are we heading and also what are we doing, and ask oneself the question whether it all makes sense or not.
broad.......2007-08-31
Very good in all respect. Broad and up to date view of the universe and a deep discussion of the problem (or solution) of God. Religions, long time ago, tried to explain the creation of the world and science took this task afterwards. The bigbang and a single universe extremely biofriendly (why?)seems almost an probabilistic absurd (without God). Than (using strig theories) science invented (or discovery)a multiverse, whith an infinity number of diferent universes, and ours is one of them. Whith an infinity number, some should be biofriendly. But this also is problematic because send the problem a step backward. The solution (up to now) is a loop, a self creating universe cosmos/life/mind/cosmos ...
Book Description
This four-part volume uses an exceptional art program–with sumptuous color pictures–to introduce readers to a succession of art styles from prehistoric times and ancient Egypt, to the vast world of Western painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, and the minor arts. Elegantly written, it contains a balanced and interesting narrative that increases ones ability to understand art.
Parts I and II cover The Ancient World and The Middle Ages, with a look at prehistoric; Egyptian; ancient near eastern; Aegean; Greek; Etruscan; Roman; early Christian, Byzantine, and Medieval; Romanesque; and Gothic art. Part III looks at the Renaissance through the Rococo–with a focus on the early and high renaissance in Italy; mannerism and other trends; “Late Gothic” painting, sculpture, and the graphic arts; and the Baroque in Italy, Spain, Flanders, Holland, France and England. Part IV is a treatment on the modern world, including Neoclassicism and Romanticism; Realism and Impressionism; Post-impressionism, Symbolism, and Art Nouveau; Twentieth-Century painting, sculpture, architecture, and photography; and Postmodernism.
For those who appreciate art as individual works, rather than a mere collection of data.
Customer Reviews:
Historical context makes art more meaningful.......2007-08-13
This book is incredibly comprehensive and covers all aspects of art in different cultures, including painting, sculpture, architecture, and burial sites. It is remarkably detailed (almost too much so), and has many great pictures.
The most distinctive aspect of this book is the primary sources it includes that explain the historical context of artworks. For example, there are numerous letters (translated, of course) from Italian artists in the Renaissance to their clients. Another text includes excerpts from the law code of Hammurabi, to accompany the sculptural piece on which it was originally engraved.
Yayy!!!.......2007-06-14
An excellent base for an art student to build upon; clear, informative, visual, and historical. Supplements and sources such as Wikipedia and encyclopedias and history texts will show how intertwined art is with politics and religions in depth where the book skims over.
A wonderful book, and covers some Eastern Art despite the focus title on the West. Chapters are organized and they get the point across; lovely descriptions of photographs that are present in the book, so you really get to study the subject and with the assistance of the text, see the inner beauty in the architecture.
What I found lacking was the mention of the Golden Ratio, and in fact, any mathematics whatsoever. As mathematics is very important to ancient-modern art, I found it rather confusing. However, as said before, an excellent base.
Very intriguing and not in the least boring or dry, Janson's History of Art is a prime choice coupled with supplementary books. If you're interested in overall art history, this is the one to go with...
Have fun!!!
a standard.......2006-07-23
This is one of the standard history of art textbooks. Of course it includes color prints of all the most famous art of the Western tradition, as well as numerous photographs and floorplans of famous architecture. It has a little coverage of Islamic art, but that is a topic that deserves better than it can be given in a textbook on the Western tradition. Painting, architecture and sculpture are clearly the focus, but photography and decor each get a nod. Other forms of art--from gardening to appliance design--although interesting, evidently cannot fit in this space.
The text is adequate: a little better than standard textbook composition, less dull, perhaps a touch less condescending, and of course perfectly informative.
Issues in technique, interpretation and so on are well-introduced.
If you, like me, are not a student but an adult just curious about art, this is a fine choice. I've also enjoyed work by Robert Hughes ("The Shock of the New," which I strongly recommend, and "American Visions"), Andre Malraux ("The Voices of Silence") and David Morgan ("The Sacred Gaze").
(I'm not widely read in this field by any means: those are the only books I've read about Western art history! So there could be various better books out there. But still, this textbook has been very useful to me, helping me fill out my knowledge in many areas.)
Amazon.com
The first edition of this workbook is regarded as a classic in its field, and was the first book to introduce trigger point therapy to the general public as a self-care tool for alleviating chronic pain caused by a variety of conditions, including arthritis, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, headache, muscle ache, and repetitive strain injuries. As the author makes clear, all such conditions are related to lack of oxygen in exhausted or injured muscle tissue. Trigger point therapy has been used for decades by doctors, pain specialists, and massage therapists to quickly stimulate the flow of oxygen and promote rapid pain reduction. This book makes the same techniques available to the general public with instructions that are easy to follow, and abetted by an extensive collection of charts and corresponding illustrations.
The author's interest in trigger point therapy began when he used it to successfully treat his frozen shoulder. Since that time, he has dedicated himself to teaching others the same techniques. That dedication is obvious throughout his writing and the care he takes to make the therapy understandable to the lay public. Also included in this new edition is updated information that should be of great interest to pain specialists and bodyworkers, as well as useful instruction in a variety of relaxation techniques. Overall, this book is an excellent self-care resource for anyone interested in pain relief.--Larry Trivieri Jr.
Book Description
Trigger point therapy is one of the most intriguing and fastest-growing bodywork styles in the world. Medical doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists, and massage therapists are all beginning to use this technique to relieve formerly undiagnosable muscle and joint pain—conditions that studies have shown to be the cause of nearly 25 percent of all doctor visits. The technique involves applying short, repeated massage strokes to trigger points, tiny contraction knots in muscle tissue where restricted circulation and lack of oxygen cause referred pain. Trigger points create pain throughout the body in predictable patterns characteristic to each muscle, producing discomfort ranging from mild to severe. Trigger point massage increases circulation and oxygenation in the area and often produces instant relief. This dynamic technique has made a huge impact among health professionals and the public alike, becoming an overnight classic in the field of pain relief. The book has sold over 145,000 copies since the release of the first edition in 2001. The second edition is a complete update and includes a new chapter specifically for massage professionals, as well as a chapter on systematic muscle relaxation techniques that can reinforce the therapeutic power of trigger point work.
Customer Reviews:
Helped eliminate my headaches.......2007-10-06
I knew I'd made a good purchase when I was flipping through the pages right after it came in the mail, looking at the diagrams of referred pain patterns, and saw the very pain pattern for the headaches I'd been having. It was an extremely gratifying experience to know that there was an actual cause for this weird pattern of pain on my head, and that there was something I could do about it. I also learned that my pressure points were caused by bad posture. So, with an adjustment to how I sit at my desk, and the massage techniques for my pressure points, I've pretty much eliminated my headaches.
The only mild criticism I have about the book is in its diagrams of massage techniques. They're very rudimentary and are all of an older looking man in what looks like a Speedo (and he has no eyes or mouth). As a woman, there are some of the pressure points that are more difficult to reach because of breast tissue and while the author addresses this in the text, there's not a single picture of a woman doing the techniques. I'd rather have had a androgenous figure than this man consistently through the book. On the other hand, the diagrams of the muscles and the pressure point location are very good.
Like I said - it's a minor point - the main reason to get the book is because its techniques are effective.
Trigger Point Therapy.......2007-09-23
The Trigger Point Therapy Workwork has allowed me to try to pinpoint the problem muscles in my leg and to do self-massage to relieve the pain. It has been useful and I do have to admit that I have had less pain than I did before using the workwork.
A must-have for anyone in pain!.......2007-09-20
I use this book regularly in my massage practice and recommend it to my clients often. The author uses clear and concise verbiage with graphics, describing the techniques. These therapies WORK!
I was skeptical, but it works!.......2007-09-18
I had my doubts - while reading it and especially after I started using the self-therapy method. I got tendonitis in one elbow nearly 2 years ago, and it has never completely healed to the point that I can use it like I could before the tendonitis. It's much better than in the beginning, but because I "baby" that arm, I got it in the other elbow about a month and a half ago. I've been wearing the elbow brace I got from the doctor when I got the tendonitis in the first elbow, and started the self-therapy about 3 weeks ago. In the beginning it (the therapy) hurt like h***! I just "knew" I was making it worse than it already was. But I kept at it, just like the book instructed, and low and behold suddenly it's 85% better. A week ago I still could not use a pump dispenser with my index finger on that arm without horrible pain, and today I could carry a 10 lb. object with that arm (no brace) with barely any discomfort.
When I originally got tendonitis in the first elbow nearly 2 years ago, it took 9 months to get to the point that I could use my arm without major discomfort (I wore the brace the entire 9 months), and it has just very gradually gotten better to the point it is at now. The first arm started out much worse than the second arm that I did the self-therapy on, but I was having major pain in this elbow and couldn't lift much of anything. About 3 days ago, it just felt like it was healing and now I'm not wearing the brace anymore either.
It's very important to read the first 3 chapters carefully, and then go on to read about your particular area of pain. The author explains everything very clearly and you do not need to have medical knowledge to use this book.
Highly Recommended.......2007-09-17
The best $13.57 investment I have made....... My wife have been complaining of shoulder and neck pains for over two years, been to at least 4 doctors, spent a lot of money on prescription medicines, laboratories and tests..... This book eliminated that pain in just overnight. She was also complaining about her tennis elbow for over a year and its gone in just 3 days......I highly recommend this book.
Book Description
(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)
From Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz: the three magnificent novels—published in an omnibus edition for the first time—that form an ancient-Egyptian counterpart to his famous Cairo Trilogy.
Mahfouz reaches back thousands of years to bring us tales from his homeland's majestic early history—tales of the Egyptian nobility and of war, star-crossed love, and the divine rule of the pharoahs. In Khufu's Wisdom, the legendary Fourth Dynasty monarch faces the prospect of the end of his rule and the possibility that his daughter has fallen in love with the man prophesied to be his successor. Rhadopis of Nubia is the unforgettable story of the charismatic young Pharoah Merenra II and the ravishing courtesan Rhadopis, whose love affair makes them the envy of all Egyptian society. And Thebes at War tells the epic story of Egypt's victory over the Asiatic foreigners who dominated the country for two centuries.
Three Novels of Ancient Egypt gives us a dazzling tapestry of ancient Egypt and reminds us of the remarkable artistry of Naguib Mahfouz.
Customer Reviews:
some lovely writing, but maybe not the author's best work.......2007-05-30
Apparently these are the first three of the author's novels. This is a beautiful edition and it is also cheaper than buying the three paperback novels separately. There is an introduction, a chronology of the author's life, and then the three novels.
The introduction is a missed opportunity. I think that I might have appreciated these novels better with the help of some information about the culture in which they were written. However the introduction offers little more than plot summary. I recommend skipping it. The chronology is nice, but not tied in with the introduction.
The first novel, Khufu's Wisdom, seems to be about fate and moral choices. It tells the story of a king whose efforts to defy his fate only help to make that fate happen. It is set during the construction of one of the pyramids, but there is not much in the way of historical detail (and I think there are also some historical inaccuracies). It reads more like a biblical fable than a historical novel. It is beautifully written, but the story is somewhat simple by modern American standards.
The second novel, Rhadopis of Nubia, is much better than the first. It tells of a disastrous love affair between a king and a beautiful courtesan. It is also beautifully written, in a lavish, sometimes over the top style.
The third novel, Thebes at War, did not grab my interest and I didn't finish it. Maybe I'll try again later.
The three novels have three different translators, but all of the translations read well and have a similar flavor.
If you have not read any of the author's work before, you might also consider starting with the Cairo trilogy.
Excellent.......2007-05-21
I am so happy to have read this book. Naguib Mahfouz is a master. The stories were unique, thought provoking and powerful. I could read his work everyday forever.
Average customer rating:
- Common Humanity
- Empathy Without Borders
- All the Trappings of a First Novel
- History without pretenses; a riveting story that crosses all borders
- Slowly building to a moving resolution
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The Welsh Girl
Peter Ho Davies
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0618007008 |
Amazon.com
Following two widely praised short-story collections, Equal Love and The Ugliest House in the World, Peter Ho Davies's first novel, The Welsh Girl, deserves to be equally well received. It carefully examines two great themes, dislocation and cowardice, through the stories of a WWII POW camp built by the British in the remote mountains of northern Wales and Esther, the 17-year-old Welsh girl at the heart of the story. The POW camp, filled with Germans, is yet another national insult, as far as the Welsh are concerned, only one of many instances of prejudice between and among the novel's characters: Welshman against Brit and vice versa, Brits and Welshmen against Germans, Germans against Jews. Some of these enmities are age-old antagonisms; others are newly-minted political killing machines.
Davies introduces a Welsh concept--cynefin--for which there is no English equivalent. It means a certain knowledge and sense of place that is passed down the matrilineal line in a flock of sheep. They always know where they belong and never leave their own turf. It is a perfect metaphor for much of what takes place in this carefully plotted story, and for the displacement felt by many of the characters. Esther longs to escape her village, yet is devoted to the flock and to her father. She meets Colin, an English soldier, in the pub where she works. He is a rough sort and things end very badly between them.
Another theme visited again and again is the concept of cowardice. Is it cowardly to save one's life and the lives of others by surrendering to the enemy? Is death the price that must be paid to be considered brave? The German POWs debate this endlessly, especially Karsten, an intelligent, sensitive soldier who did surrender himself and his men when it was clear that all was lost. When he and Esther find one another under impossible circumstances, Davies renders their relationship perfectly: it is star-crossed, but desperately important to both of them, setting them both "free" in the truest sense of the word. The Welsh Girl is a beautifully told story of love, war, and the accommodations we make in the midst of both. --Valerie Ryan
Book Description
From the award-winning author Peter Ho Davies comes an ambitious and moving wartime romance in the tradition of "The English Patient and Atonement". "The Welsh Girl" begins with a provocative but little-known fact of World War II: the British held German POWs in camps in remote Wales, a proud land with age-old antagonisms toward England. Davies?s beautifully written novel imagines the unexpected and perilous romance that blossoms between a secretive local girl and a German prisoner, and explores the indelible bonds of love and duty that hold us to family, country, and ultimately our fellow man. The Welsh girl of the title is Esther Evans, seventeen, the daughter of a shepherd in the rugged Snowdonia Mountains, who works at the local pub. It is 1944, and the war comes to her village just after D-day in the form of a new POW camp. Although the presence of the English guards is only grudgingly tolerated at the pub, the arrival of the German captives brings the entire village to the hillside above the camp. At first Esther watches from a distance, but her attention is soon caught by one of the soldiers, Karsten Simmering, a troubled young man who has begun to question what he is fighting for. One evening, as Esther lingers by the camp fence, she is astonished when Karsten calls out to her in English. The fates of these two become inexorably entwined when their relationship takes a treacherous turn that calls into question all their assumptions about national and personal loyalty.
Customer Reviews:
Common Humanity.......2007-09-07
The story of a half jewish German national reluctantly forced by his mother to flee to Britan in the 1930s where he becomes an interrogator of German prisoners for the British forces as World War II is ending. He believes his ancestry to be of no significance but it renders him bewilderingly ineffective while interviewing the notorious Rudolph Hess. Sent, in consequence to work at a prinsoner of war camp in Wales his life intersects with well-drawn characters who too find that llife is what is lived and not what is imagined or planned. That the vanquished can be kind and the victors rapists are just two of the many textures of life that Peter Ho Davies brings warmly and ruefully to light. That German hated the Jews and the Welsh hated the British discouragingly means, I suppose, that our common humanity requires that we hate or feel superior to someone.
Empathy Without Borders.......2007-08-21
This gem of a novel is not designed for those who prefer action books with linear plots; it's as real as life itself. From the start, I believed in these characters -- Esther, the Welsh girl...Karstan, the German POW...Jim, the young English boy.
The Welsh Girl can be read in so many different ways: as a story of connections that span boundaries and defy expectations. Or it can be read as a novel of identity. Peter Ho Davies write: "We have something in common, you and I. The same dilemma. Are we who we think we are, or who others judge us to be? A question of will, perhaps."
By the end of the novel, each character will wrestle with this question. The POW will learn the true meaning of "to surrender." The young English boy will find out what "courage" is all about. And the Welsh girl, at the center, will discover about cynefin -- a Welsh quality that has no English translation, but loosely translates to the flock knowing its place. And each will define himself or herself further by comparison with a presumed dead Welsh soldier, whose identity seems to be in the eye of the beholder.
I was enchanted by this novel, the first by the author of Equal Love, a fine short story collection. I'd recommend it wholeheartedly for true readers who are fascinated with love, family, loyalty, and national identity.
All the Trappings of a First Novel.......2007-07-13
Not to harp, but this book had all of the unfortunate qualities of a short story writer attempting the fateful first novel. As a first, it's good enough, but not more than that, and hardly "luminous" or compelling as penned in other editorials.
The primary plot of the book does not even get going until well into the novel, and we are not even introduced to Karsten, one of the main characters, until several chapters in. The writing borders on poetic at times, particularly with Davies' capture of the countryside and life in a rural Welsh village, but such is not the stuff of a great novel. It smacks of good short story writing, and that's all.
Another disappointing aspect of The Welsh Girl is the failure of its subplots. At the outset, the text seems to want to focus on a British soldier named Rotherdam, and his interrogation of Rudolph Hess; Hess has been held captive in Wales for some time. Rotherdam and Hess appear again in two subsequent chapters, but their narratives are never fully linked to that of Esther and Karsten, nor does this "subplot" ever truly enhance or highlight the main narrative. It has the feel of a separate story being mashed into another.
Lastly, I was extremely disappointed in the ending of this "novel." In point of fact, it did not really have an ending. The closing chapter is simply a summation of what those in the village are doing after the war, we get a snapshot of Esther alone, raising her child, and the loose knowledge that Karsten stayed to help her and has since gone off. There is some suggestion that maybe he is unable to return, since he went home to Soviet-occupied Germany, but there is no satisfactory explanation of what really happened. The book ends abruptly and pointlessly, with no real closure.
Overall, I found this underwhelming. It had the possibility of being a wonderful piece of historical fiction, but in the end, I think the author fell into the mistake of thinking a novel is just one long story.
History without pretenses; a riveting story that crosses all borders.......2007-06-27
I bought this book on a whim; prompted by the amazon.com-Gods.
If you know anything about the UK geographical divisions, or even if you have only seen photos of the picturesque countryside, you will be enthralled by this story. If you are intrigued by human stories of WWII, you will be intrigued by this story. If you have ever been misjudged in a situation, you will relate to this story.
Peter Ho Davies creates three characters : they are brought to life by circumstances and his narrative descriptions. You come to appreciate all three for who they are.
It is a page-turner to be sure - as the reader waits to discover how three unlikely people will happen upon one another in a world torn by war, prejudice, hatred, and nationalism.
Although the book has been finished for weeks now, I am still thinking on their fate....
Slowly building to a moving resolution.......2007-06-25
A few years ago I came across a short story from a new writer called "The Ugliest House in the World." Set in a small Welsh town, the story was simple, clear, and incredibly moving; I've never forgotten it and I have often wondered if he wrote anything else. Just recently, I read a review of a debut novel by the same author, Peter Ho Davies. Delicate, lyrical, and quiet, the novel slowly opens up and pulls you in. Set in the wanning days of World War II, the story centers around the titular Ethel Evans, a young barmaid who helps her aging father and his flock of sheep, a German P.O.W. named Karsten, and a town of nationalistic Welsh miners, young English evacuees, and a whole community that while on the periphary of war are no doubt touched by it.
Book Description
A practical, hands-on primer on helping schools and families work better together to improve children's education.
Countless studies demonstrate that students with parents actively involved in their education at home and school are more likely to earn higher grades and test scores, enroll in higher-level programs, graduate from high school, and go on to post-secondary education. Beyond the Bake Sale shows how to form these essential partnerships and how to make them work.
First published by the National Committee for Citizens in Education in 1986, Beyond the Bake Sale went on to sell more than 50,000 copies in nine editions. Packed with tips from principals and teachers, checklists, and an invaluable resource section, this updated and substantially expanded edition reveals how to build strong collaborative relationships and offers practical advice for improving interactions between parents and teachers, from insuring that PTA groups are constructive and inclusive to navigating the complex issues surrounding diversity in the classroom.
Written with candor, clarity, and humor, Beyond the Bake Sale is essential reading for teachers, parents on the front lines in public schools, and administrators and policy makers at all levels.
Includes answers to these questions:
• What is a family-school partnership supposed to look like?
• How can schools and families build trust instead of blaming each other?
• How can involving parents help raise students' test scores?
• How can teachers relate to families who don't share their culture and values?
Customer Reviews:
Demonstrating how to move research to practice.......2007-06-25
I will not be surprised when Beyond the Bake Sale becomes referenced as the quintessential book on parent participation. The book not only takes a widely researched topic and presents it in an organized, easy to read format, it also reads like a how-to book rather than a textbook, making the topic much more approachable.
Beyond the Bake Sale became a resource to me and participants in a recent study I did with parents of children who have disabilities, educators, and school leaders. During the study participants worked to discover parent participation techniques that would open doors to both parents of children with disabilities and educators within their schools. At the end of the study, I was able to provide each participant with a copy of this book along with a list of suggested pages that fit the needs of each individual school site. The participants were overjoyed to receive the book and many (both parents and educators) have already e-mailed me saying they appreciate the way the book presents the information. Based on the feedback of others and my own reading, Beyond the Bake Sale is not only informative, it is inspirational.
Fantastic resource.......2007-03-28
No more excuses for not engaging parents in their children's education! This book provides essential information for every educational leader, teacher, or parent who wants to break down the barriers to parent involvement. Every page is a gem, filled with valuable insights and clear strategies.
It couldn't be any better.......2007-03-19
This is the book I have been waiting for! If I could give it 6 stars, I would. Six years ago I attended a workshop on parent involvement with Don Davies and Karen Mapp as presenters and it changed my life. Since then I have been working in my children's schools and in the community to establish home/school /community partnerships. Over the years I have collected three files drawers full of materials, one full shelf of books and another full shelf of binders filled with things I downloaded from the internet. I've read it all and I will tell you that this book represents the very best of it in one concise, easy-to-read, and easy-to-follow volume.
It's all here: the research(presented in an approachable manner), background on the implications of No Child Left Behind on how schools must interact with parents, case studies, tools for evaluating where you are, instructions for creating action research teams( which I have used with great success), a section on the value of parents in the arena of advocating for school improvement, and a comprehensive list of resources which are accessible to anyone with a computer and a desire to improve their schools.
I never read Anne Henderson's first Bake Sale book, but I did have the opportunity to see her speak. Her depth of knowledge in this area is incredible and her ability to make the information accessible to her audience is exceptional. All of that comes through in this book. If you want better parent involvement in your schools, start by reading this book.
Should be required reading..........2007-02-22
This is the book I've been looking for since my daughter entered the public school system a year and a half ago! As an active and involved parent, I was eager to get involved at her school. I volunteered regularly in her classroom, I attended all her events (those in the classroom and those that were school-wide.) I joined PTO and attended meetings regularly. I served on planning committees and contributed to fund-raisers. Still, I lacked a way in to what seemed like a very tight system of parents and teachers working together. I felt as though I didn't have enough experience to know what was approriate to talk about where and when. I didn't have the confidence (even after being a teacher myself for five years) to ask the questions I wanted to ask about the way our school worked.
The transition to first grade was not a smooth one for our family. My daughter's teacher was a first-year teacher and lacked the experience she needed to keep the lines of parent-teacher communication wide open. Our concerns snowballed quickly and we were ready to pull our daughter out of the school system and look for alternatives when I found this book.
This book presents advice, tips, and plans for teachers, parents, and administrators to begin working towards collaboration and cooperation in the school setting. Our children can only benefit from having more people on their teams! I want to be recognized as an important member of my daughter's team. This book has given me tips on ways to get my daughter's school to see me that way (beyond the basics I was already doing.) I found the list of questions to ask at conferences or in meetings to be particularly helpful as ways in to a conversation with my daughter's teacher even when nothing is going wrong.
My experience has been that teachers and administrators all say the same thing. They know that family involvement is integral to student success and they urge parents to get involved. However, when it comes down to the actual work of providing those opportunities many teachers fall short.
I am meeting with our principal next week and I plan to bring this book as a donation to the school. I hope the administrators will pass the title along to the other teachers and staff at our school. I will bring another copy to the next PTO meeting, and hopefully we will start to work towards change from there. I want to give this book to every parent I know! One parent, teacher, principal--one school at a time--that is how we will transform.
Book Description
Powerful Techniques to Relieve Shoulder Pain and Stiffness
Author Clair Davies' own case of frozen shoulder led him to undertake an extensive study of trigger points and referred pain that eventually resulted in his best-selling Trigger Point Therapy Workbook. Now this renowned bodywork expert and educator revisits the subject of frozen shoulder, offering the most detailed and comprehensive manual available for this painful and debilitating condition, a useful resource for self-care—with and without a partner—and for bodywork practitioners looking to expand their treatment repertoire.
Frozen shoulder, the syndrome name for several joint and tendon-related symptoms, is experienced as a loss of motion and pain in the shoulder and upper arm. It is most often observed in women between the ages of forty and sixty and individuals with type-two diabetes. Unlike traditional medical treatments for the condition, which rely on painkillers, steroid injections, and physical therapy and often do little to moderate symptoms or speed recovery, trigger point therapy can bring real and lasting relief. This gentle massage technique targets localized areas of tenderness in soft tissue. Put it to work for you to relieve pain, restore range of motion, and shorten recovery times.
A well-written exposition on a difficult subject. —Daniel J. Wallace, MD, clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine
In this outstanding book, Clair Davies aptly explains the rational for the trigger point approach based on the teachings of Drs. Janet Travell and David Simons to the treatment of frozen shoulder. He presents his hypothesis well. It is time for the medical profession to accept alternative therapies in treating this condition, which does not often respond to routine medical care. —Paul B. Brown, MD, Ph.D., rheumatologist and clinical professor of medicine at the University of Washington
Clair Davies has done it again. He has written a wonderful book that provides insight and practical advice for the treatment of a common problem: frozen or stiff shoulder. He shows where the pain is, what the problems are, and how an individual can treat it, sometimes with the help of a partner. His illustrations and directions are clear. His case examples are helpful. This is a very useful book for those who have had rotator cuff injuries or other shoulder problems. —Robert D. Gerwin, MD, president and medical director of Pain and Rehabilitation Medicine, Baltimore, MD, and the Janet G. Travell, MD, Seminar Series
Mr. Davies has done an outstanding job of tackling and simplifying a difficult topic that challenges even experienced clinicians. His review of the functional anatomy and kinesiology of the shoulder and the central role of the muscles in the control of the shoulder is a welcome review for physicians and therapists. His simple diagrams and descriptions make this topic understandable to those without formal training as well. Most importantly he shows very concrete ways in which a patient or clinician may effectively treat trigger points, which in my view are the primary cause of shoulder pain and stiffness in the majority of cases. I highly recommend this book to patients with shoulder pain and to clinicians involved in the evaluation and treatment of patients with shoulder pain. —Bryan J. O'Neill, MD, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University
From a practical point of view, this is a really exceptional workbook, which could become a best-seller in its field. It is a wonderful overview concerning trigger points, which are the most common cause of frozen shoulder. I can recommend the book to all who are engaged in treating frozen shoulders, including medical doctors, therapists, and patients together with their partners. —Dieter Pongratz, MD, professor in the department of Neurology at the University of Munich Hospital, Friedrich-Baur-Institute, in Munich, Germany
The Frozen Shoulder Workbook is truly a remarkable and comprehensive text that will be indispensable for patients with chronic shoulder pain. Written from a layperson's perspective, it is very readable and well illustrated, but still has plenty of background science and anatomy to satisfy clinicians as well. The book outlines a thorough approach to myofascial pain in the shoulder region and provides multiple treatment strategies to address the clinical variations that are seen. I will highly recommend it to my shoulder pain patients. —Steven R. Shannon, MD, Pain and Rehabilitation Medicine, Baltimore, MD
Customer Reviews:
Book Review.......2007-09-30
The book was not quite what I expected...thought it would be more detailed in actual exercises, however, I applaud Amazons quick shipment as always
Too much information.......2007-09-21
I bought this book to help me treat my frozen shoulder. While the book probably offers some useful information, there's TOO MUCH OF IT. I'm in pain, just tell me what to do . . . to have to read through page after page after page to figure out what is relevant to my condition is overwhelming to me. I wish the author had kept the book, I don't know, more simple.
Excellent source.......2007-08-29
This book is very clearly written and helps one in detail to overcome shoulder and neck pain,
rotator cuff injuries.......2007-08-06
This book gave me another insight of the muscles that we can overlook. I was certainly able to help my clients better with their overall range of motion.
Excellent book...helped me alot.......2007-07-23
I had tried everything to relieve my impossible shoulder pain. The trigger point method must be tried to be appreciated. When it came to the point where regular massage was making me worse instead of better, I went looking for an answer. A friend suggested the trigger point method becuase she got relief from a lifelong problem with her neck. I purchased both books in the hope I could relieve enough pain to be able to have mobility again. This book gave me all the information I needed to help myself feel a whole lot better...as well as compliment my other therapies.I would definately recommend it to anyone who has been unable to deal with muscular pain in a meaningful effective way. Try it, it works.
Book Description
Discarded valentines. Ransom notes. To-do lists. Diaries. Homework assignments. A break-up letter written on the back of an airsickness bag. Whether they are found on buses, at stores, in restaurants, waiting rooms, parking lots, or even prison yards, these items give readers an uncensored, poignant, and often hilarious peek into other people's lives. By collecting them in his hit magazine, Found (and its companion website, www.foundmagazine.com), Davy Rothbart has bewitched the nation with a surprising window into its heart and soul and turned his many readers into an army of sharp-eyed finders.
Found is chock-full of the latest and greatest of these finds, arranged in the style of the magazine, laying bare the tantalizing tales to be discovered in the trash we toss. By turns heartbreaking and hysterically funny, Found is a mesmerizing tribute to everyday life and our eternal curiosity about our fellow human beings.
Customer Reviews:
Cannot Put it Down.......2007-10-03
Addicting book full of humor and sadness. Great look into people's lives sometimes understanding the story sometimes not.
Fabulous Finds!.......2007-09-22
This book of "found" writings just fires my imagination. It's like getting the middle of the story without the beginning or the end. It's addictive. Now I'm looking down all the time for my own finds.
Treasures That Touch Your Heart.......2007-08-30
I think that this book is such a wonderful way of respecting those things and people that deserve dignity. I am certainly glad that I 'FOUND' it.
Found was found! {: >.......2007-07-24
This book was suggested to me by the program as a possible gift for my 30-something son, based on items already on his Wish List. I got it for him for his last birthday and he loves it! He and his wife have been poring over it, coming up with lots of interesting nuggets. Thanks for the suggestion!
I'm glad I FOUND this.......2007-06-10
I'm nosy - not in a malicious way, but others' yearnings, secrets, and day-to-day lives fascinate me. The items documented in "Found" range from hilarious to heartbreaking, and it is a fascinating glimpse into human nature. It's a great bathroom read. It's also reassuring to know other people like reading crumpled notes they found on the library floor or gazing at pictures pressed between the pages of an old book.
Customer Reviews:
Not such a great interpretation of a Great Gospel.......2007-08-06
A great collection of sayngs from presumably during the time of Jesus. Its heartening to know after reading this and the Gospel of Mary and Judas that there was a greater truth revealed by Jesus than what the Church wants us to believe!!
Stevan L. Davies has done a wonderful job in trying to be very objective in his interpretation of the Gospel of St. Thomas and therefore this book lacks the spiritual intensity required in interpreting such great texts especially when I compare it to the Gospel of Mary Magdalene by Jean-Yves Leloup. I found many interpretations lacking depth and were purely literal translations. For example Saying 56 and 80 can be interpreted to mean that whoever has realized God would find that the material world is but just a corpse and not worthy of him. There are many others such as this.
The forward by Andrew Harvey is, as some others have commented, bombastic and clearly off mark from the central theme of the Gospel.
A great Gospel and highly recommended for the spiritually inclined and critically minded!!
The Most Sacred Understanding of the Historical Jesus Ever Written.......2007-05-22
This is the second book review I have done. Each relate to the profound text that is "The Gospel of Thomas." Stevan Davies is a Master at explaining "The Gospel of Thomas." He has spent over 20 years in study of the Master! I have much respect for other texts that are said to revere "The Gospel of Thomas." However, none are in comparison to the work Stevan Davies has done! I admit that I love all the commentary books on the gospel and each are special in their own way! Marvin Meyer is great on historical research and others on a universal application of Jesus' teachings and how they apply to other religions! But Stevan Davies
truly brings his gospel to life! He is a true believer just like me! All we have to do is recognize what is already before us. This is the hope that just might save the world! As a "Thomas Christian" I would make this required reading for all who seek a true spirituality. This text is more than just a Bible for "Thomas Christians" it is the very sacred source of eternal Life!
The Gospel of Thomas that is translated and annotated by Stevan Davies in the Shambhala Library is the same text but different editions of the same book.
Shining a light on the Gospel of Thomas.......2007-02-20
While the Gospel of Thomas itself is a great source of quotations to ponder and meditate on, this book offers some insights and direction to understanding what was intended.
The annotations help provide some context of the historical period that the Gospels were written, along with corresponding sayings incorporated into the New Testament Gospels.
The foreword by Andrew Harvey provides an inspiring viewpoint that sets the scene for reading the sayings attributed to Jesus.
The foreword also outlines the importance of saying 22, illustrating how it reveals the order "of the transformations that have to be undergone by every seeker if the 'Kingdom-consciousness' is to be realized."
The annotations offer evidence of the implied meanings to the sayings. The 'Kingdom-consciousness' is often related back to the creation stories of Genesis 1 & 2, with the creation of Adam and Eve, and the Garden of Eden. Not mentioned in the book, but perhaps apt, is Qabalistic Tree of Life, with Malkuth representing Kingdom. As with the sayings in the Gospel of Thomas that the Kingdom is within, and outside of you, there is a comparison within the Qabala that Kether is in Malkuth, and Malkuth is within Kether. To me, this suggests that by "entering" the Kingdom (or attaining "Kingdom-consciousness") one may reconnect with with the Divine.
Although the title suggests that in part this is the Gospel of Thomas "explained", it certainly isn't a spoiler of the mystery of each of the sayings. While some of the annotations certainly suggest the likely meaning of the saying it is still made clear that the sayings are ambiguous, and open to interpretation by the reader.
All of this presents a new and revolutionary view of a Christianity wildly different than any of the mainstream and orthodox Christianities that exist today. One in which Jesus is a fiery-spirited 'teacher' who leads by example, and imparts a wisdom of Self-growth (via Self Knowledge) that will allow anyone to know that the Kingdom of God is here now, and accessible (if only you have eyes to see and ears to hear). The sayings certainly fit with Hermetic teachings, and the elements of synthesis within them point to a spiritual alchemy.
Steven Davies (along with Andrew Harvey in the foreword) has done an excellent job of opening up the Gospels of Thomas to assist readers in quickly becoming acquainted with the themes and symbolism with this unique Gospel.
"Jesus said: I have thrown fire on the world. Look! I watch it until it blazes."
Gospel of Thomas.......2006-11-10
Excellent, a good start to continue your Journey. May God and God's light be in You.
Insights from the past.......2006-11-07
--Simon Peter said to them: Mary should leave us because women are not worthy of the life. Jesus responded: Look, I'll lead her in order to make her male so that she can become a living spirit as you males are. For each woman who makes herself male will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.--
When I've read this passage to my biblical studies and history classes in seminary, they can usually agree readily that this might not have been the best document to include in the canon of scripture, at least when thinking about it from a `preachability' standpoint, particularly if one tends toward literalist interpretations. But many of the passages in the Gospel of Thomas defy simplistic interpretation and understanding because they really are of a different world and different worldview, and have not had a long history of hermeneutic development as have other, equally difficulty canonical passages.
The Gospel of Thomas gained a significant audience during the first decades after its discovery in the Egyptian desert in 1945. Part of a collection that has come to be called the Nag Hammadi scriptures, they were discovered only a few years prior to the Dead Sea Scrolls, another set of documents that has been pivotal in increasing our understanding of the religious culture of the time two thousand years ago.
One scholar classified the Gospel of Thomas along with most other non-canonical gospels as failing to gain widespread acceptance not primarily because of the content, but because of the style - the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are all narrative in their development; they tell stories and narrate a history in addition to giving the wisdom of Jesus. The Gospel of Thomas, like many of the other, is more a collection of sayings, more on the order of the book of Proverbs or Ecclesiastes than Mark or John. According to Stevan Davies, `The format of the Gospel of Thomas is little more than a disorganised list.... The Gospel of Thomas is about as primitive a form of text as there can be: a simple list with one thing following another in a manner that is much more reminiscent of oral tradition than of literary construction.'
The Gospel of Thomas is perhaps best understood as a Gnostic text (though there are some who would dispute that). Andrew Harvey, series editor of the Skylight Illuminations set in which this book falls, writes:
`The Gospel of Thomas is more than the most exciting archaeological find of the last century, even more than another gospel to add to the four canonical ones. It is far more than another Gnostic text, or one that carries on the tradition of Jewish wisdom sayings, or, as some have also claimed, a cross between the two. These are scholarly descriptions and distinctions, fascinating and helpful in their way, but they do not begin to describe the extraordinary importance of the Gospel of Thomas, or to show how it can be used today by all sincere seekers to awaken their divine identity and to focus its powers on a radical transformation of the world.'
There are 114 passages (not quite verses in the traditional since, but closer to verse-size than chapter-size). Each one is here presented in new translation by Davies, laid on with only a few (sometimes only one) per page, with commentary on the facing page. This commentary is primarily looking at social, historical, philosophical and theological ideas rather than linguistic and translation issues; thus, it is accessible to the general reader, but will need to be supplemented for the scholar. Davies avoids jargon and terminology with which only scholars would be comfortable, again in an effort to make the Gospel of Thomas generally accessible to non-professional readers.
Those who are looking for forbidden fruit might look elsewhere. As Davies points out in the introduction, we have no proof that this book was deliberately excluded by those councils and decision-makers who solidified the canon as we now have it - indeed, they might not have even been aware of the existence of the Gospel of Thomas, which might have been a more regional text in circulation and popularity. Still, its rediscovery has not provoked widespread movements to reopen the canon. It has provided fascinating insight into the early Christian world, and provided a new lens through which to assess how some people understood the person and phenomenon of Jesus.
This is a very good text to use to be introduced to the Gospel of Thomas, to some of the less-traveled by-ways of early Christianity, and to ideas of spirituality that are both Christian and foreign.
As for the opening passage -- that is actually the conclusion of the Gospel of Thomas. Remembering that the writers (and intended audience) would not have taken the terms 'male' and 'female' to be literal, flesh-and-blood attributes is the key to understanding this passage.
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