History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

No way does this deserve a Newbery Award
Fall into the time period!
Hooray for Hattie Big Sky
What? No shock value?!
Hattie Big Sky

Hattie Big Sky
Kirby Larson
Manufacturer: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Historical Fiction | History & Historical Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0385733135
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Book Description

Alone in the world, teen-aged Hattie is driven to prove up on her uncle's homesteading claim.
For years, sixteen-year-old Hattie's been shuttled between relatives. Tired of being Hattie Here-and-There, she courageously leaves Iowa to prove up on her late uncle's homestead claim near Vida, Montana. With a stubborn stick-to-itiveness, Hattie faces frost, drought and blizzards. Despite many hardships, Hattie forges ahead, sharing her adventures with her friends--especially Charlie, fighting in France--through letters and articles for her hometown paper.

Her backbreaking quest for a home is lightened by her neighbors, the Muellers. But she feels threatened by pressure to be a "Loyal" American, forbidding friendships with folks of German descent. Despite everything, Hattie's determined to stay until a tragedy causes her to discover the true meaning of home.

Customer Reviews:

No way does this deserve a Newbery Award.......2007-08-05

I waited for a very long time until I finally found Hattie Big Sky at the library. Hearing some very good reviews and reading the general synopsis for the book, I was excited about reading this story. And now, once again, I'm going to veer from what everyone else has said and give my part.

Hattie Big Sky follows the story of Hattie, who catches some luck when her uncle, Chester Brooks, unexpectedly sends her a will deeming her the sole owner of some new land in Montana. This is particularly fortunate because Hattie, orphaned very young, was on the brink of having to work at a boarding house. The story basically follows her path and journey in making her home her own.
First of all, kudos to the author for keeping everything clean. I do greatly respect that.

Now, the bad part. Hattie is a little too perfect for my taste. I'm not saying I wanted her to break out and rob someone or anything, but like many stories I'm so tired of reading because of the protagonists' syrupy sweetness, this made her extremely dull. At several points in the story, Hattie makes a remark that if her aunt could only see her, she would have been disapproving. This made me flip back and go disapproving of what? One of the times, the author did make the source clear and the others were just kind of thrown in. So Hattie's constantly saying I'm doing things people won't like and none of the things she's doing really seem wrong at all. And I don't get the impression it was about her taking care of her home all alone...
Then of course there is Hattie's quicksilver change of feelings that I believe was a mistake on the author's part. She contradicts herself constantly, saying she feels a certain way and then two paragraphs later the author writes something going against that.
----SPOILER----
Hattie is asked to sell her land right after a kind of heat spell as if the person is too eager to wait until she isn't weak. Her first reaction is anger, and the author verifies this. "I fought down the hot anger boiling up in my stomach..." This one is not as contradictory as some others, but she quickly changes her feelings, going from anger to, oh, he's so right. She immediately, only a sentence later, begins to take on another thought process entirely. I should really be thankful he's doing this...yadayadayada...This was annoying.
----END SPOILER----
I think all characters should be rock solid in their development. Hattie seems too vacillating when it comes to her own choices and is too good, which I hate hearing and saying, but it's true.

Continuing on a note of characterization, I also found major problems with the character of Perilee, who quickly becomes friends with Hattie. I kind of felt like I was reading a Stepford Wives-Little House on the Prairie blending. Perilee is also too perfect, although her character remains one-dimensional the whole story. She mentions horrible things that happened in her past and stays absolutely, sickly pleasant about it all. Also, at times she seems overly kind and childish. I don't know why. She wasn't developed enough. Perilee's husband (And I just knew they'd have something like this.), Karl, who just so happens to be a foreigner and living in Montana during World War I, is generically ostracized and is thrown through the usual torment of these types of characters, mainly there, I am beginning to think, to fill in the empty pages that needed filling. Everyone in the town refuses to help or even be seen with his family...blah, blah, blah. I'm so tired of this type of plotline that I didn't even care; plus, he wasn't very well written either.
My biggest problem with this story was the way everything flashes by so fast. Hattie mentions some major hurdles, like moving across several states just to reach Montana, having to learn, after living in the city, how to plant and take care all of the inherited land by herself, building a fence that reaches regulations, and farming her land. But each of these problems never lasts long and is quickly done away with. Hattie's journey to Montana is barely even mentioned; she arrives to a house that looks more like a shed and that fades away. She states that she knows nothing about farming, gets some manuals on the subject and only a paragraph later is an expert...Nothing is ever drawn out. Also, she has money problems which, like everything else, is resolved immediately. This became so annoying to me that I wanted to jump into the story and strangle the main character. Basically, following Kirby Larson's writing, homesteading seems very simple, more than simple, child's play...I say, if you're making a point of writing a story about a young girls' difficulty in surviving and raising her own land, there needs to be some evidence, not the miraculous sponge that Hattie turned out to be, reading and using her read knowledge with precision.
It sounds like I hated this book and after writing this review and reviewing the many issues, I almost do, but not quite. I am just very picky about everything, from plotlines to miniscule details. While Hattie's character was too nice, she was not unlikable, and while I didn't take too much of a shine to the story it was okay. I did feel like I wanted to keep reading although most of the time I was frustrated and wondering just where exactly I've heard this story before, finding familiar, overly-used elements that have been written much better over the years...

Overall: Okay read, nothing worth a Newbery, which I find incredibly hard to believe and almost impossible to believe; but the facts speak for themselves. I would not have read this if I knew beforehand what it would turn out to be like, nor would I recommend it. Waste of time.

Fall into the time period!.......2007-07-01

Within the first few pages I felt like I was right back in 1918 Montana. Enjoyable book, well written.

Hooray for Hattie Big Sky.......2007-03-26

I love historical fiction, and this is one of the best books I have read in a while. I couldn't put it down and felt connected with the characters. It is about a simple 16-year-old girl who has moved around from relative to relative ever since her parents died. Then one day she gets a letter with her Uncle's will that he left her his claim in Montana. Hattie goes along with the journey and meets very exciting people along the way , dealing with troubles of proving up her claim and being friends with a German in WWI. This is a great book and anyone who loves historical fiction will love this book.

What? No shock value?!.......2007-03-23

It's refreshing to read an elementary/middle school appropriate book (award winning or otherwise) that does NOT rely on shock value tactics such as inappropriate language or behavior. Just proves that the opening lines or paragraphs of a novel do not have to be filled with swear words or questionable words or acts worthy of a much older audience. Thank you.

Hattie Big Sky.......2007-03-09

HATTIE BIG SKY is a wonderfully written story with likeable characters. Larson portrays both the pioneer life and America during World War I very well. However, the book failed to wow me.

Sixteen-year-old orphan Hattie Brooks is tired of being Hattie Here-and-There, so she was so happy to learn that her deceased uncle whom she never knew has left her his Montana homestead. Off she goes from Iowa to Montana, basically to the middle of nowhere, to begin her own life in her own home. With the help of her neighbors, most especially the Muellers, Hattie works to prove up on her claim so that the land is hers forever. Meanwhile, Hattie deals with the anti-German sentiment in the community as well as sacrifices what cannot be sacrificed to help in the war effort. By the end of the book, Hattie has grown up considerably and has learned the truth about home and family.

This book was sweet, but I've read bits and pieces of it in other books. In many ways, HATTIE BIG SKY reminded me of MONKEY TOWN by Ronald Kidd, which I enjoyed more. The questions that faced Frances, the heroine of MONKEY TOWN, were deeper. However, I'd still recommend HATTIE BIG SKY as an enjoyable story about one young woman's search for a place to call her own.

PS. I absolutely love the cover.

Pie in the Sky Successful Baking at High Altitudes: 100 Cakes, Pies, Cookies, Breads, and Pastries Home-tested for Baking at Sea Level, 3,000, 5,000, 7,000, and 10,000 feet (and Anywhere in Between).

Average customer rating:

Helpful Guide
GREAT book
Confusing? Not at all!!!!!!!
WOW.
Pie in the Sky Confusion

Pie in the Sky Successful Baking at High Altitudes: 100 Cakes, Pies, Cookies, Breads, and Pastries Home-tested for Baking at Sea Level, 3,000, 5,000, 7,000, and 10,000 feet (and Anywhere in Between).
Susan G. Purdy
Manufacturer: William Morrow Cookbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Bread | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Desserts | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0060522585
Release Date: 2005-05-31

Book Description

Do your cakes collapse, soufflés slump, cookies crumble, and fruit pies fail? For those living at high altitude, baking can be a challenge at best, or a total disaster. More than thirty-four of the fifty United States, plus many Canadian regions, have cities and towns at altitudes of more than 2,500 feet, yet there are hardly any cookbooks that address the special needs of these local bakers. Until now. Award-winning cookbook author Susan G. Purdy has finally written the first-ever foolproof guide to high-altitude baking.

Purdy has actually "gone there and done that," staying as long as it took to bake these recipes to perfection at five different locations -- and elevations -- across thecountry. In Pie in the Sky, Purdy leaves behind old conversion tables, disproves many oft-repeated calculations and adjustments, and presents reliable recipes in their entirety for each altitude. She takes out the tinkering and guarantees success at any height.

In addition, she explains the hows and whys, gives tips and hints for problems specific to every altitude, and generally demystifies the subject of atmospheric obstacles that cause favorite recipes to flop. Whether they live in the eastern mountains or the far west, in Boston, Massachusetts; Boone, North Carolina; or Santa Fe, New Mexico; home bakers as well as experienced chefs will love the wide range of easy-to-make treats including Mile-High Lemon Meringue Pie, Coconut Cake with Coconut Icing, Paradise Peak Chocolate Soufflé, Vail Lemon-Poppy Seed Loaf, Celestial Challah, and Sour Cream Streusel Coffee Cake.

Every recipe was tested at sea level (Connecticut), 3,000 feet (North Carolina and Virginia), 5,000 feet (Idaho and Colorado), 7,000 feet (New Mexico), and 10,000 feet (Colorado) and can be used at these elevations or any points in between.

Customer Reviews:

Helpful Guide.......2007-09-09

I really like that Ms. Purdy is so meticulous about researching these recipes at different altitudes--it seems that the other high-altitude cookbooks are more general. She also includes a lot of helpful advice--I refer to this book all the time, especially when trying to adapt a recipe to high-altitude. I also once e-mailed her a question, and she responded, something I respect in an author. I've had mixed results with the recipes--some have turned out kind of dry, such as the cornbread, the blueberry muffins, and the Trout Dale Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies. The chocolate buttermilk cake was kind of bland, the Classic 1-2-3-4 Cake was dense, the pecan pie took quite a while to set, the lemon poppyseed loaf got too brown on the sides. Sometimes it's hard to know if it's the recipe or perhaps some mistake I've made or a bad pan or overheated oven or something. I've found sometimes I have to play with the cooking times. But other recipes have been successes, such as the buttermilk biscuits, the applesauce cake, the blueberry scones, the sour cream streusel coffee cake, the Danish Oat Cookies, the brownies, the Plum Good Crumb Pie and the Peach-Ginger Crisp. Of these, I'd say the Danish Oat Cookies and Peach-Ginger Crisp are my favorites.

GREAT book.......2007-08-26

I received this book for Xmas and have used to nonstop. The recipes are great and her suggestions for adjusting other recipes works every time. BUY this book, if you live at a high elevation.

Confusing? Not at all!!!!!!!.......2007-08-14

This book absolutely DOES tell you how to bake at high altitudes. Every type of baked good is covered, explaining the science behind the problems encountered and how to fix them. The recipes are very good as well. I have tried most of the books on this topic, and this one is the best.

WOW........2007-07-03

Yeah that about sums up this book. The author did an amazing job in figuring out excellent recipes for high (and low) altitudes, and has given priceless tips on how to bake with any other recipes you have personally at high altitudes, & its hardcover, which to me is always a plus for a cookbook :)

Pie in the Sky Confusion.......2007-05-12

I moved from Sea Level to over 7000 ft. I needed a book to help me learn to bake at this higher altitude. This is not a good book for that. It gives a lot of recipes only two of which I could find the ingredients to try. Almost every recipe calls for buttermilk. They do not sell Buttermilk in the country where I now live. The two cakes I made turned out badly. The Angel food cake was like styrofoam after a day. The other chocolate cake had all the chocolate flavor of a brick. I am very unhappy with this purchase.
The book is full of stories from the author on her high altitude mistakes. I did not make this purchase for stories..

Binocular Highlights: 99 Celestial Sights for Binocular Users (Sky & Telescope Stargazing)

Average customer rating:

Binocular fun
This book opened up a whole new world of astronomy to me
Binocular highlights
Great Book
Great Binocular Primer

Binocular Highlights: 99 Celestial Sights for Binocular Users (Sky & Telescope Stargazing)
Gary Seronik
Manufacturer: Sky Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Star-Gazing | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1931559430

Customer Reviews:

Binocular fun.......2007-09-24

I have been using Binocular Highlights for about three months. It is exactly what I have been looking for!

Where I live, Western Washington State, star gazing is often thwarted by clouds and rain. So using a telescope is often more trouble that it is worth. But, a quick venture into the mist with binoculars; now this made sense to me. However, I needed advice on which binoculars would be good to use and a manageable list of things to look for with binoculars. This is when, like a stroke of good luck, this neat, well written and very handy booklet, Binocular Highlights, was placed into my hands. I used the author, Gary Seronik's recommendation and bought a pair of Canon Image Stabilized binoculars. And have had a great time going through the pages of his book and successfully finding most of the objects listed. I am thoroughly pleased.

I can recommend this book to anyone with a general interest in astronomy or for someone who is just looking for something easier to use than a full blown telescope.

This book opened up a whole new world of astronomy to me.......2007-07-04

It was late one night a couple of weeks ago. I had been observing Jupiter and four of her moons with my Orion 90 mm refractor for several minutes when I felt the stiffness arch up my back into my neck. I'm in good shape for a guy in his early 40s, but still I'm more prone to aches and pains than when I was a younger man. Then I brushed against the scope tube and spent several minutes finding the planet once more. The cost was sore muscles along my spine and that inevitable thought: "there has to be a better way to do astronomy than this!"

Anyone who has ever used a telescope for any length of time at all can relate to the story above. That is why I am so happy to have discovered this book.

Don't know anything about binoculars? No problem. Seronik tells you how they work and what kind are best for astronomy. In fact, I must caution you now to NOT BUY A PAIR OF BINOCULARS FOR ASTRONOMY UNTIL YOU READ THIS BOOK. The insights it gives kept me from making a very expensive mistake!
I had a pair of Meade 12x50s stashed away in a closet which turned out to be more than up to the job.

After covering how binoculars work and what kind to use for stargazing, Seronik takes the reader on a tour of many splendid deep sky objects perfect for the binocular user. Believe it or not, there is plenty of stuff up there that looks incredible when seen through their wide field of view and low magnification.

This book is user friendly from cover to cover. It's not padded with needless fluff or technical details incomprehensible to the average person. However, it is written in an engaging, friendly style that makes it a delight to read.

All in all I am very satisfied with this book and recommend it enthusiastically to everyone interested in stargazing.

Binocular highlights.......2007-05-13

I am very satisfied with the book. It has the information I was looking for.

Great Book.......2007-05-13

This is an excellent book for both beginner and veteran observer alike. Charts are well marked and use actual star photos and not drawings as some books. The advice given on the best choice of binoculars to use is especially helpful to those just starting out. The selection of targets is varied and will in some cases prove a real challenge especially to the new observer but persistance will pay off in many enjoyable hours under the stars. Highly recommended !

Great Binocular Primer.......2007-03-09

For those unfamiliar with astronomical use of binoculars, this is the guide for you.

Average customer rating:

A worthy successor to Thomas Hardy and Aldo Leopold
Lost on the range
The frontier we all can imagine
Dispelling the romantic myth of the American West
Read once and then again

Hole in the Sky: A Memoir
William Kittredge
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Authors | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

West | Regional U.S. | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0679740066
Release Date: 1993-06-01

Book Description

William Kittredge's stunning memoir is at once autobiography, a family chronicle, and a Westerner's settling of accounts with the land he grew up in. This is the story of a grandfather whose single-minded hunger for property won him a ranch the size of Delaware but estranged him from his family; of a father who farmed with tractors and drainage ditches but consorted with movie stars; and of Kittredge himself, who was raised by cowboys and saw them become obsolete, who floundered through three marriages, hard drinking, and madness before becoming a writer. Host hauntingly, Hole in the Sky is an honest reckoning of the American myth that drove generations of Americans westward -- and what became of their dream after they reached the edge.

Customer Reviews:

A worthy successor to Thomas Hardy and Aldo Leopold.......2005-10-16

William Kittredge is a worthy successor to Thomas Hardy and Aldo Leopold. "Hole in the Sky" is both a personal memoir and a portrait of a vanished way of life in the remote Warner Valley in eastern Oregon. The author witnessed the end of farming with horse teams when diesel tractors came to the valley after WW II and changed the rural economy forever. Thomas Hardy's novels ("Far from the Madding Crowd" and others) tell a comparable story of the English countryside in the 19th Century, when the agrarian society that had existed for 400 years was disappearing. Mr. Kittredge also tells how the tractors meant the end of wild birds and mammals that had been part of his life in Warner Valley. He writes with an ecologist's eye for the land, reminiscent of Aldo Leopold in his "Sand County Almanac," a book that introduced so many of us to ecology and the concept of saving wild places.

Readers may be inspired to visit Warner Valley for themselves, and it is a worthwhile trip for lovers of the wild. I first went there 50 years ago, when it was still 36 miles from the nearest paved road. Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge protects the high fault-block mountain looming above Mr. Kittredge's valley. Its marshy lakes harbor many species of ducks and waterbirds. My brother-in-law just returned from a visit in September 2005, and he reports: "pronghorn antelope on the hillsides all 'round, glorious views in all directions, grand sweeping vistas." That's where William Kittredge comes from.

Lost on the range.......2003-06-14

Kittredge's excellent, thoughtful, and well-written book is a memoir of growing up on a ranch in southeastern Oregon. This is arid country where spring runoff from the mountains gathers in lakes and swamps used for millennia as a stopover by migrating waterbirds. Enter the enterprising Kittredge family, and during the 20th century thousands of acres here were transformed into a vast irrigated ranch, its chief output evolving from cattle to grain to hay to feed milling and feedlots. More to the point, they built an agricultural empire and became wealthy.

The author, born into this world in the 1930s, looks back from the vantage point of 1992, long after leaving the ranch behind and settling in Montana. What he sees is the wreckage of three generations blighted by ambition, greed, arrogance, and no small amount of alcohol. Kittredge talks often about how personal stories illuminate and ground people's lives, yet he and so many of the people around him are directionless and unmoored. His book is a story in which words like "reckless," "hapless," and "heedless" are often used to describe actions.

It is a painful book because there is so much heartache in it, so much confusion, shame, isolation, and fear. There are betrayals, infidelities, friendships and marriages ended, deaths from accidents and mishaps. In all of it, from earliest memories to those of a man on the verge of middle-age, the author describes a deep uncertainty about his own worth and his purpose in life. For many years, it seems to be only the grueling hard work of the ranch, which he only half understands, that keeps him distracted from a sense that nothing is real. (Steady consumption of alcohol and extramarital sex also figure into the mix.)

The book is something of a coming-of-age story about a young man whose manhood continually seems to elude him, well into his thirties. He can go through the motions in the hardworking environment of seasoned cowboys and field hands (an episode in which he takes the place of an injured hay stacker is an example), but he remains unsure of himself, wanting the security of the family ranch, while hating himself for not pursuing the writing career he believes is his real vocation. It's a wonderfully (and frustratingly) complex picture of a young man self-destructing. And in his seeming indifference to his own children, you sense a repetition of the same indifferent parenting that has led him into this emotional cul-de-sac. Significantly, he remarks often about the lack of a guiding hand to show him the way to be a man.

As a kind of confessional, it is a compelling book, and the impact of the story is underscored by the vast Western landscape against which it plays out. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the West and ranch life, cowboys, family sagas, and coming-of-age memoirs. As a companion volume, I'd also suggest Judy Blunt's ranch memoir "Breaking Clean" for its similar themes of emotional dislocation.

The frontier we all can imagine.......2001-10-02

William Kittridge's autobiography, A HOLE IN THE SKY begins in the wilderness around the foothills of southeastern Oregon and retells, in lucid detail, the events of his childhood leading up to his time in the Air Force, to his many marriages, to his emergence as a writer who writes in a prophetic voice with a great sense of prose.
Looking back to his childhood years, Kittridge aims to return to that innocent age and allow the reader to engage in his coming of age...to the point where your feet are engulfed in the wet grass of early morning dew, and you imagine the grandeur of taking care of 8,000 acres of open territory.

In the end, he claims that: "We are a part of what is sacred. That is our main defense against craziness, our solace, the source of our best policies, and our only chance at paradise." Thus, we are open to the realities that life, growing up on the western plains, was not an American historical fairy tale, but rather a true test of ones self-worth and distinction.
A wonderful read...I highly recommend!

Dispelling the romantic myth of the American West.......2000-09-17

I read this book to gain a better understanding of my cowboy neighbors in Eastern Oregon, but I gained so much more. Anyone with a passion for southeastern Oregon will love this book. At times, Kittredge's descriptions of the land are poetic. I found myself driving through Kittredge's Oregon recently, and so much of what he wrote kept leaping to the forefront of my consciousness, stimulating my own fresh perspective of this open country and those who call it home.

Read once and then again.......2000-08-13

I'm going to read this book again. The first time was to find out what it's about and who Kittredge is and what happens. The second time will be for the pleasure of reading his writing and the enjoyment of how his mind works. The conclusions he is making about life are true and gracious, out of a chaotic and sometimes miserable past. (But he doesn't moan about that--don't worry.) I'm so glad he recognized himself as a writer.

We Are Not Afraid: Strength and Courage from the Town That Inspired the #1 Bestseller and Award-Winning Movie "October Sky"

Average customer rating:

Stories of Strength and Courage
Fear diminishes the quality of life.........Don't let it!!
Great advice for a weary world
A philosophy for life
Homer hits a home run!

We Are Not Afraid: Strength and Courage from the Town That Inspired the #1 Bestseller and Award-Winning Movie "October Sky"
Homer Hickam
Manufacturer: HCI
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Motivational | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Personal Transformation | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Self-Esteem | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Ethics & Morality | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Inspirational | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 075730012X

Book Description

Today, fear affects even the strongest of us. Sometimes it's immediate, caused by a sense of imminent danger-the kind we felt after terrorists destroyed the magnificent World Trade Center, tore a giant wound in the Pentagon and killed thousands of people. But sometimes fear becomes a normal way of life. In his best-selling memoir October Sky (aka Rocket Boys), Hickam introduced us to the rugged town of his youth, Coalwood, West Virginia, and the people who took on the hazardous and often brutal enterprise of coal mining. To survive and prosper, these people relied on an approach to living that would get them through hard times with an almost unnatural resilience. Over a lifetime, they learned to take on these attitudes: We are proud of who we are. We stand up for what we believe. We keep our families together. We trust in God but rely on ourselves. These attitudes are summed up in the Coalwood Assumption: WE ARE NOT AFRAID Through poignant memories of his youth, best selling author Homer Hickam helps lead you beyond fear to find the courage and strength to live more happily and look toward to future with optimism.

Customer Reviews:

Stories of Strength and Courage.......2002-11-23

Homer Hickam wrote a very enjoyable and informative book about his hometown of Coalwood, West Virginia, and the people who helped nurture him as a young boy. With his childhood stories, he took me on a journey through time to a place that many today would dismiss as "old-fashioned," and Hickam would argue was "the way things can and should be."

Inspired by the events of September 11, 2001, Hickam reflected on his youth and realized the values he grew up with in Coalwood were what many people needed to move on with their lives following the tragic terrorist attacks on America. Hickam expertly wove his thoughts and experiences into the four "Coalwood Attitudes of Strength and Courage" (We are proud of who we are, We stand up for what we believe, We keep our families together, and We trust in God but rely on ourselves), which led to the "Coalwood Assumption" that most Americans found themselves either wanting to say or saying repeatedly following 9/11: "We are not afraid."

In his introduction, Hickam explains the purpose of this book: "If you want to stop being afraid, or if you want to avoid the habits of fear and dread, this book can help by teaching you a philosophy of life that will fill your heart and soul with a sense of well-being and confidence. It is a philosophy that was developed by real people who led good, happy and hearty lives while managing to raise a crop of children who went on to have successful lives of their own."

Hickam is a master storyteller, and his stories contained many powerful moral and inspirational passages. Some I related to as personal memories, others as things I missed growing up or never thought about, and still others as a father wanting his young son to experience in his childhood.

This book has a lot to offer to many different people with many different needs in many different situations. I encourage everyone to read this book and let Hickam take you on a journey of discovery into your heart and soul.

Fear diminishes the quality of life.........Don't let it!!.......2002-08-09

We Are Not Afraid is a very inspiring book about strength and courage in perilous times. I think everyone who reads this will come away a stronger individual for it. If you have children, sons, daughters, nieces or nephews I think it is even more important to read this!!! The book was just such a "thinker". It is only 213 pages, it reads quickly but it lasts long after you close the cover.
While it is a collection of stories about growing up in a small coal-mining town in West Virginia it makes you stop and think hard about what really should be important in life, the values, the morals, the spirit, all the things that went into creating our great Nation. Mr. Hickam points out that yes times are perilous, but that there have been many perilous times and many hardships and challenges and being afraid is not a way to meet these. He pulls no punches when he discusses the United States of America. He dismisses those who want to focus on our failures as a Nation and fail to acknowledge our ability to correct our errors and move forward as a whole. This book is a life lesson on how not to live your life in fear, and how to overcome and surmount obstacles in your way. This is not accomplished by promising "pie-in-the-sky" but by learning from the examples of others ways to be strong and have courage and face life with your head up. This revolves around four important attitudes. #1 We are proud of who we are. #2 We stand up for what we believe. #3 We keep our families together. #4 We trust in God but rely on ourselves. These may sound simplistic to many people, but when they are broken down and explained you will know that it is possible to live a good purposeful life and not be diminished by fear and to pass this on to those around you.

Great advice for a weary world.......2002-06-18

The advice I found in this book has changed my life, too. Somebody told me I should read this when they caught be dragging around filled with worry. What can a little book do to change that I asked and they said well, just read it and see. The insights in this book have been just amazing. Homer teaches through stories that are fun to read but after you're done, you just sit back and go I really see that. I really, really do. Honestly, I've spent money on a lot of these selfhelp do better kind of books but the way Homer does it, I think I really got my money's worth this time.

A philosophy for life.......2002-04-02

I read this book. It changed my life for the better. Enough said. Hickam is very gifted. Who are his people? You'll be surprised.

Homer hits a home run!.......2002-03-29

I'm a strong person,an Idaho farm boy, but, I too, was weakened by the events of September 11. I needed salve for my soul, softening of my hardening heart,a mental map to see my way out of this mess. I found it in Homer Hickam's incredible new book, WE ARE NOT AFRAID. Homer writes with a wit and warmth that envelopes you like a comforter and touches the full range of your emotions. From your funny bone to the childhood memories you have tucked away in your mind's attic, WE ARE NOT AFRAID hits the brass notes and the softest keys. The world needs more Homer!...

Sky Is Home: The Story of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 1926-1986

Average customer rating:

A Must READ for engineers
Awesome book about the schools start

Sky Is Home: The Story of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 1926-1986
John McCollister , and Diann Ramsden
Manufacturer: Jonathan David Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

A Must READ for engineers.......2004-01-11

This is an awesome book about Embry-Riddle, the world's best university for aviation and aerospace engineering. Full of interesting and eye-opening aviator and educator stories that you really enjoy to the very last page.

Awesome book about the schools start.......2003-06-12

an awesome book on how the best aviation school in the world started and whats its like today

Coming Home: A Companion Book to Silver Sky Studio's "Wolf"

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Coming Home: A Companion Book to Silver Sky Studio's "Wolf"
Rebecca "Uzuri" Mazur
Manufacturer: BookSurge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1419661310
Release Date: 2007-02-13

Book Description

Orphaned at a young age, raised by a goddess, and living in a land where any predator is unwelcome, Janus wants nothing more than to live as a normal wolf. In his struggle to survive, he must contend with both man and nature-as well as enemies of his own kind.

Rough Cuts: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating High Impact Hair Cuts at Home

Average customer rating:

It's got to be the worst

Rough Cuts: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating High Impact Hair Cuts at Home
Roseward Sky
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Beauty & Fashion | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0517886154
Release Date: 1996-10-29

Book Description

Straight from top salons in New York City, Rough Cuts includes 15 of the latest looks going. From the funky Fade to the hip Caesar to brand-new asymetrical and layers styles for both men and women, Rough Cuts shows you how to achieve today's wildest cuts. Step-by-step photos and simple instructions make it easy for even a beginner to complete each cut in less than an hour.

Customer Reviews:

It's got to be the worst.......2007-01-06

This book is absolutly HORRIBLE, it does NOT give you anything close to step by step Guide, it is EXTREMELY Vague. I highly suggest NOT to even bother with this book.

You Can Make the Best Hot Tub Ever: Relax! Warm Your Bones! Get to Know the Sky

Average customer rating:

Gift for the Spirit, the body and wallet!
Mud around an old bathtub?
You can Make the Best Hot Tub Ever
Definitely not the best hot tub book

You Can Make the Best Hot Tub Ever: Relax! Warm Your Bones! Get to Know the Sky
Becky Bee
Manufacturer: Groundworks Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Outdoor & Recreational Areas | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Do-It-Yourself | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0965908216

Customer Reviews:

Gift for the Spirit, the body and wallet!.......2006-11-26

Ok I don't know who wrote the scathing review above but don't be discouraged by it. Becky Bee is a revolutionary builder and visionary and this book is a true gift to the world. My friends (only 3 of us) had our tub up and running the same day. But I could have done it myself in a few days. Over the next few weekends I put the finishing touches and it looks great! I endeavored to keep the whole project under $200 which we did and could have done for under $100. I have found soaking in a hot tub, that I built to be extremely rewarding. Its hard work but I'm not an especially fit person, so if I can do it anyone can, just remind yourself to go slow and enjoy the process - its not a race. All of my friends that looked at this book thought it was a great book and became interested in building a tub at their house. Buy this book (by the way I've never met the author) but I have her other book and having built my own cob (a earth/straw/sand mix) tub using only this book I think I can speak with some authority. I would say that I added paper pulp to my mix with great success.

Mud around an old bathtub?.......2002-07-10

I was VERY disappointed with this book. I should have heeded the other 'one star' review I'd read, but thought that perhaps it was an exaggeration: but it was not! I had hoped to receive a book about building a quality hot tub, perhaps from wood or some other quality material, but this book really is about taking an old bathtub, sticking it on top of some rocks, and then routing heat from a fire underneath it. I was shocked and VERY disappointed. If you want to make use of an old bathtub, perhaps this is the book for you. If you want something of quality, keep looking...

You can Make the Best Hot Tub Ever.......2002-06-25

What a GREAT little book !!! My friends and I were able to build and use a hot tub in one week-end. The book was full of helpful hints and tips that made the process painless. The materials suggested were inexpensive and easily found. We had as much fun making it as we did having a luxurious soak in the evening moonlight. The book inspired us and enabled us to create an inexpensive way to have our own hot tub. We built our tub small so we could change the water frequently and use no chemicals. Since it took suprisingly little fuel to heat the water it proved to be very inexpensive. I highly recommend this book. We also found the Cob Builders Handbook full of invaluable tips about building anything with Cob. I can't wait to build something else using Cob.

Definitely not the best hot tub book.......2002-02-04

The author's idea of a hot tub is an old bath tub out in the back yard, propped over a wood fire for heat. No thermostatically controlled heaters and pumps, no sculpted reclining seats, no insulation.

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