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.

The Ancient Near East: An Anthology of Texts and Pictures

Average customer rating:

A useful compendium of original source material
A useful compendium of original source material
A Stimulating Resource
Indispensible Guide
Just a little bit boring

The Ancient Near East: An Anthology of Texts and Pictures

Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Egypt | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Religion & Spirituality | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0691002002

Book Description

This volume makes available some of the most important discovered source material for the historian of the ancient Near East.

Customer Reviews:

A useful compendium of original source material.......2004-10-01

I obtained this volume of translations of Ancient Near Eastern texts and pictures along with its companion Volume I - An Anthology of Texts and Pictures which was first published in 1958. This volume, which was published in 1975, includes translations of more recently discovered material selected from the 1969 anthology of Supplementary Texts and Pictures Relating to the Old Testament.

This volume contains 72 texts and about 110 black and white photographs of artefacts from various and states and cities of Ancient Near East. The documents include myths, laws, treaties, inscriptions, hymns, letters, wisdom literature etc, from Egypt, and from the Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, and later periods of Mesopotamia.

The format is similar to that of Volume I with cross references to the ANET text number. Translations have been made by 13 eminent scholars, most of whom have provided some explanation of the content and meaning of the texts they have translated. In general, however, there are fewer notes than in Volume I, and no cross references to illustration number or to any biblical passages.

I found the translations to be generally quite readable, but, in the same way as for Volume I, they definitely had to be read with full care and concentration to understand them, and some, being somewhat fragmentary, are rather more difficult to follow than others. In reading the texts, I was, of course completely dependent upon the translations and the interpretations of the scholars themselves. In particular, I found the comments and notes by Professor S N Kramer on the various Sumerian Texts to be most helpful.

I am happy to have read this book and its companion, because they have given me some direct insight into the cultures of the Ancient Near East. Whether it is better to obtain the larger parent anthologies is, I think, a matter of whether you are prepared over US$250 for the latest editions of these two volumes ( ISBN 0691035032 for the texts, and ISBN 0691035024 for the pictures). But if these smaller volumes are anything to go by, then they are probably worth it.

I didn't want to spend that much on this subject at this stage of my studies. So for the moment, I have decided to be selective about next set of texts to read, and as a next step, will be studying Volume II and III of Miriam Lichtheim's translations of Egyptian texts, and William L Moran's translations of the Amarna Letters.

A useful compendium of original source material.......2004-10-01

I bought this book along with its companion: Volume II - A New Anthology of Texts and Pictures, because it was time for me to see for myself what the the original sources had to say about the Ancient Near East.

This volume, which first was published in 1958 contains over 70 ancient texts and about 280 black and white photographs of artefacts from the Ancient Near East. The ancient documents include those from Mesoptamia, Egypt, Canaan, Israel, Assyria from the period about 2500BCE to about 500BCE. The editor states that the selection of texts was made from the point of view of relevance to the biblical Old Testament, having been taken from the original larger anthologies of texts (ANET) and pictures (ANEP) which were originally published in 1955 and 1954 respectively.

The texts themselves have cross references to the original text number, the relevant illustration number, and the specific biblical passages where there seems to be some point of contact, The translations were made by 11 eminent scholars, all of whom have provided an explanation of the content and meaning of the texts which they have translated, as well as providing useful notes on aspects of the text which might require clarification

I found the translations to be generally quite readable, but they definitely had to be read with full care and concentration to understand them. Some, being somewhat fragmentary, are rather more difficult to follow than others. In reading the texts, I was, of course completely dependent upon the translations and the interpretations of the scholars themselves, but at least I am now starting to have a fuller understanding of the cultures of the Ancient Near East.

3 of the 18 Egyptian texts in the book were included in Miriam Lichtheim's Ancient Egyptian Literature Volume 1: The Old and Middle Kingdoms, and I noticed that the translations in this book had been somewhat shortened. Except for a difference in style, however, I did not notice any significant differences and found it very interesting to compare the two translations.

All in all, I am very happy to have read this book, which will probably serve me as a useful reference from now on. As so much work has been done on ancient text translations in the 35 years since the two parent volumes were published, and the price of these full anthologies was in excess of US$250, I am glad I chose to buy the shortened versions. That is not to say that I won't buy them sometime in the future, but in the meantime, I want to be selective about the next set of texts to read, and have decided, as a next step, to read Volume II and III of Miriam Lichtheim's translations of Egyptian texts, and William L Moran's translations of the Amarna Letters

A Stimulating Resource.......2002-10-19

Volume II or "The Ancient Near East" is a good companion to Volume I, containing mythic, legal, and monumental information from the Middle East Bronze and Iron Ages. It really puts you back there to read actual letters and contracts, or to see the developments in poetic, narrative and visual arts. The only real problem is the lack of consistent dating infomation, particularly for the artwork. It makes it difficult to form a conceptual picture if things are presented in what appears to be a random order.

Indispensible Guide.......2002-04-08

Absolutely recommended for anyone who is interested in studying the culture and writings of the ancients in the near east. Many documents are translated and there is a gallery of photographs of items and what they are/signify. Some of the language used in translation is a tiny bit dated (the occassional thee and thou and so forth) but that doesn't diminish an excellent resource.

Just a little bit boring.......2002-01-06

I love ancient history and found the book interesting, but just a little bit stale.

Saudi Arabia Exposed: Inside a Kingdom in Crisis

Average customer rating:

Insightful Portrayal Of The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia
A little bias detected
Try Again
Tipical Orientalist
Insightful look at an understudied country

Saudi Arabia Exposed: Inside a Kingdom in Crisis
John R. Bradley
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

Saudi Arabia | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Islamic | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

History & Theory | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Deals | Blowout Books | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1403964335
Release Date: 2005-05-19

Book Description

A journalist reveals the disturbing realities of life in the Saudi kingdom. S audi Arabia: Land of oil, terrorism, Islamic fundamentalism, and a crucial American ally. As the only Western journalist to have extensively worked in the Saudi Kingdom, John R. Bradleyis uniquely able to expose the turmoil that is shaking the House of Saud to its foundations. From the heart of the secretive Islamic kingdom's urban centers to its most remote mountainous terrain, from the homes of royalty to the slums of its poorest inhabitants, he provides intimate details and reveals underlying regional, religious, and tribal rivalries. Bradley highlights tensions generated by social change, focuses on the educational system, the increasing restlessness of Saudi youth faced with limited opportunities for cultural and political expression, and the predicament of Saudi women seeking opportunities but facing constraints. What are the implications for the Sauds and the West? This book offers a startling look at the present predicament and a troubling view of the future.

Customer Reviews:

Insightful Portrayal Of The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia.......2007-06-05

Bradley is a journalist who lived and worked in Saudi Arabia for more than 2 years. This book describes what he observed, obviously from a Western perspective, while living there. Some of what he discusses has been covered in other books. For example, the strict segregation of men and women, the brutal public executions and the extreme corruption and hypocrisy of the Saudi royal family. He also mentions the poor education and professional training received by most Saudi citizens which requires the country to be dependent on foreign workers. Many of these workers are people from poor countries such as India, Pakistan and the Philippines who do the "dirty jobs" that, supposedly, Saudis don't want to do themselves. But I find this questionable since Bradley also describes the high rate of unemployment among Saudi citizens and the fact that many of them live in poverty while the Saudi royals bask in the enormous wealth generated by the oil business.

Bradley also talks about the good qualities of the typical Saudi person, such as kindness, hospitality and generosity. There are certain Western right-wingers and Christian zealots who have an anti-Muslim agenda and are clearly biased in their writings. But Bradley doesn't strike me as that sort of person. I think he is simply trying to explain his experiences in Saudi Arabia with as much honesty and truth as possible. Of course, he is seeing the country from the point of view of a non-Muslim Westerner. But that doesn't mean he is necessarily wrong in what he is saying.

However, what really takes this book to the "5 stars" level for me is that he elaborates on the regionally based political and cultural differences in the kingdom. He talks about the Hijaz area, including Jeddah, as having a long history as an international center of trade which makes it somewhat more liberal and sophisticated than the rest of the country. The southern region is called Asir and includes people who, in many ways, have more in common with the neighboring country of Yemen than with their fellow Saudis. Finally, there is the Eastern province which is largely made up of Shiite Muslims who, like the people from Hijaz and Asir, often finds themselves at odds with the Wahhabi dominated central region which includes the royal family and the Wahhabi religious establishment that controls the country politically. In other words, Saudi Arabia is a complex and diverse society with people from a variety of religious and cultural perspectives who are seeking to challenge the hold on power by the Wahhabis and the royal family. This is not the picture provided to the broader American public, who tend to recognize that the royals are corrupt but still see them as the lesser of two evils when compared to the Osama allied extremists. Obviously, the situation there is more complicated than most people think.

I actually came away feeling at least a little more optimistic about the future, or at least the potential, of the country. But, of course, Saudi Arabia still faces a tremendous amount of problems and what happens there will continue to be of vital importance to the rest of us, especially considering that the Saudis have 1/4 of the world's known supply of petroleum.

A little bias detected.......2007-06-03

This was the fourth book that I read about Saudi Arabia and although I thought the descriptives were very good in that Bradley goes into some depth that other authors may consider too trivial (i.e. Najran and Flower Men), the author clearly takes hold of the arab militancy with a one track mind. This was the first post-911 book I read about the Kingdom and I was curious to find out what has changed, and all I found was a loud-echo of anti-Wahhabism and the outcry of abused Asian workers. I understand very well that K.S.A. has many issues in that area, but I also know many families who treat their workers well. I'm always leary of books that incite anger in me as I read, and this certainly made me angry and defensive toward the Kingdom when I have already met so many wonderful Saudis who give me an entirely different perspective. A fuel on the American bias fire, but worth reading if but for the descriptives of Shiite history in the Kingdom.

Try Again.......2007-05-23

really needs to try again here I was in the kingdom the same time as this man and have read his account, but cannot agree, one thing to put straight here is that the mention of a Keith Birmingham as an engineer is incorrect he was a welder for Saudi Arabian Airlines at the engine overhaul centre in Jeddah. Perhaps had John really spent time out and about in the rest of Saudi and met the those who you can say are not the city folk could probably had a very good book but this account is far from complete

Tipical Orientalist.......2007-05-17

I GREW UP IN A MIDDLE CLASS SAUDI FAMILY AND READ THE WHOLE BOOK.
John R. Bradley goes to Saudi Arabia for 2 ½ years, befriends upper class kids and some liberal journalists then thinks he figured out the whole country. These are some things you should know before you read the book:
-When a teenage boy has a satellite in his room he is rich even in Saudi Arabia. Same thing goes for students who hire a Briton to teach them English and for kids with fluent English.
-Average Saudis will not talk to foreigners especially not westerners.
-The book was written in June 2005 and Saudi Arabia is rapidly changing (for better or worse)
-This was before the new king came to power.
-The people he speaks of are not representative sample of the Saudi society(mostly pro-American liberal)
-Any other orientalist could not have done a better job of an inside view of Saudi Arabia through a westerner's eyes.

Insightful look at an understudied country.......2007-04-05

This is an informative book for those wishing to gain a better understanding of the political and social situation in contemporary Saudi Arabia. The author was apparently one of the few Western journalists in the country in the early 2000s and he was able to obtain a visa that allowed him to travel around the country and speak with people without facing many of the restrictions that apply to most Westerners in the country. The author discusses a number of subjects. I thought that the two most interesting chapters were the ones dealing with Saudi youth and gender relations, respectively. He also writes about the rise of crime, attacks against Western expatriates, and, of course, the royal family, among other subjects. The author traveled outside of Riyadh, the capital, to many different regions. One of the main themes of the book is that the tensions between various regions within the country, many of which are inhabited by distinct tribal and ethnic groups, pose perhaps the greatest threat to the country's unity. Perhaps the one thing that I found frustrating was that, at times, it seemed like the text was devoid of Saudi voices. While the author obviously made a great many friends and professional contacts in the country, I kind of wish that he would have presented more of their viewpoints. He often seems too eager to convey his own impressions and opinions of Saudi Arabia rather than let the country's citizens speak for themselves. Luckily, this isn't as problematic as it could have been, because his opinions are generally very insightful and well-argued. Overall, as someone with very little knowledge of Saudi Arabia (and the Middle East in general), I found this book to be a highly informative analysis of some of the major tensions and problems facing this country that has been so often discussed and misunderstood in the Western media.

From Third World to First : The Singapore Story: 1965-2000

Average customer rating:

Great account of Singapore's development
most impressive character
A Taiwanese Perspective
Illuminating what can be achieved by a superior intellect coupled with honesty.
Excellent insight!

From Third World to First : The Singapore Story: 1965-2000
Lee Kuan Yew
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Economic Conditions | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Exports & Imports | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Economic Conditions | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Singapore | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Southeast Asia | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0060197765

Amazon.com

In this memoir, the man most responsible for Singapore's astonishing transformation from colonial backwater to economic powerhouse describes how he did it over the last four decades. It's a dramatic story, and Lee Kuan Yew has much to brag about. To take a single example: Singapore had a per-capita GDP of just $400 when he became prime minister in 1959. When he left office in 1990, it was $12,200 and rising. (At the time of this book's writing, it was $22,000.) Much of this was accomplished through a unique mix of economic freedom and social control. Lee encouraged entrepreneurship, but also cracked down on liberties that most people in the West take for granted--chewing gum, for instance. It's banned in Singapore because of "the problems caused by spent chewing gum inserted into keyholes and mailboxes and on elevator buttons." If American politicians were to propose such a thing, they'd undoubtedly be run out of office. Lee, however, defends this and similar moves, such as strong antismoking laws and antispitting campaigns: "We would have been a grosser, ruder, cruder society had we not made these efforts to persuade people to change their ways.... It has made Singapore a more pleasant place to live in. If this is a 'nanny state,' I am proud to have fostered one."

Lee also describes one of his most controversial proposals: tax breaks and schooling incentives to encourage educated men and women to marry each other and have children. "Our best women were not reproducing themselves because men who were their educational equals did not want to marry them.... This lopsided marriage and procreation pattern could not be allowed to remain unmentioned and unchecked," writes Lee. Most of the book, however, is a chronicle of how Lee helped create so much material prosperity. Anticommunism is a strong theme throughout, and Lee comments broadly on international politics. He is cautiously friendly toward the United States, chastising it for a "dogmatic and evangelical" foreign policy that scolds other countries for human-rights violations, except when they interfere with American interests, "as in the oil-rich Arabian peninsula." Even so, he writes, "the United States is still the most benign of all the great powers.... [and] all noncommunist countries in East Asia prefer America to be the dominant weight in the power balance of the region." From Third World to First is not the most gripping book imaginable, but it is a vital document about a fascinating place in a time of profound transition. --John J. Miller

Book Description

Few gave tiny Singapore much chance of survival when it was granted independence in 1965. How is it, then, that today the former British colonial trading post is a thriving Asian metropolis with not only the world's number one airline, best airport, and busiest port of trade, but also the world's fourth–highest per capita real income?

The story of that transformation is told here by Singapore's charismatic, controversial founding father, Lee Kuan Yew. Rising from a legacy of divisive colonialism, the devastation of the Second World War, and general poverty and disorder following the withdrawal of foreign forces, Singapore now is hailed as a city of the future. This miraculous history is dramatically recounted by the man who not only lived through it all but who fearlessly forged ahead and brought about most of these changes.

Delving deep into his own meticulous notes, as well as previously unpublished government papers and official records, Lee details the extraordinary efforts it took for an island city–state in Southeast Asia to survive at that time.

Lee explains how he and his cabinet colleagues finished off the communist threat to the fledgling state's security and began the arduous process of nation building: forging basic infrastructural roads through a land that still consisted primarily of swamps, creating an army from a hitherto racially and ideologically divided population, stamping out the last vestiges of colonial–era corruption, providing mass public housing, and establishing a national airline and airport.

In this illuminating account, Lee writes frankly about his trenchant approach to political opponents and his often unorthodox views on human rights, democracy, and inherited intelligence, aiming always "to be correct, not politically correct." Nothing in Singapore escaped his watchful eye: whether choosing shrubs for the greening of the country, restoring the romance of the historic Raffles Hotel, or openly, unabashedly persuading young men to marry women as well educated as themselves. Today's safe, tidy Singapore bears Lee's unmistakable stamp, for which he is unapologetic: "If this is a nanny state, I am proud to have fostered one."

Though Lee's domestic canvas in Singapore was small, his vigor and talent assured him a larger place in world affairs. With inimitable style, he brings history to life with cogent analyses of some of the greatest strategic issues of recent times and reveals how, over the years, he navigated the shifting tides of relations among America, China, and Taiwan, acting as confidant, sounding board, and messenger for them. He also includes candid, sometimes acerbic pen portraits of his political peers, including the indomitable Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, the poetry–spouting Jiang Zemin, and ideologues George Bush and Deng Xiaoping.

Lee also lifts the veil on his family life and writes tenderly of his wife and stalwart partner, Kwa Geok Choo, and of their pride in their three children –– particularly the eldest son, Hsien Loong, who is now Singapore's deputy prime minister.

For more than three decades, Lee Kuan Yew has been praised and vilified in equal measure, and he has established himself as a force impossible to ignore in Asian and international politics. From Third World to First offers readers a compelling glimpse into this visionary's heart, soul, and mind.

Customer Reviews:

Great account of Singapore's development.......2007-08-23

This book is a detailed account of Singapore's history beginning from its independence and its development to a first world country under Lee Kuan Yew's leadership, and the second part is Lee's diplomatic relationships with different nations and his dealings and views on their leaders.

It is a very entertaining and insightful read, Lee goes deep into details in problems looming over Singapore in its infancy and in developing the nation to feed its population. How he tried to persuade the British to maintain its military base there to protect Singapore from its two dangerous neighbours and communism from China and in within, and when failed how he placed utmost importance in building a working army to defend itself.

Lee realizes the importance of a clean and competent government, whereby he believes a good paycheck would help curb corruption and an anti-corruption agency with a high degree of power was formed to further prevent it. He was able to gather a group of honest and able people to form an efficient government, which was vital in building any nation.

He created a safe and secure environment through the rule of law and honest public administration to attract foreign direct investment to build up factories in Singapore, this was essentially the main driver behind Singapore's phenomenal growth. Through this he created thousands of jobs and gave the Singaporeans adequate livings.

He knows the importance of human resources given that's the only resource Singapore has, he stresses on education and the English language to effectively connect Singapore to the world. He had to close down the Chinese-speaking Nanyang University because most graduates had a hard time finding job.

He also gave explanations on some of his rather controversial actions in suing newspapers and political opponents, which seem reasonable.

Overall, he has done a remarkable job in creating an honest and efficient government, a sound legal system with the rule of law, excellent infrastructure and he was able to provide jobs and a good living to his people. All these are the factors to Singapore's miraculous transformation. And on top of that, he retired from his prime ministerial post and passed on the baton, albeit still holding a senior minister post.

All in all, Lee has done a spectacular job in transforming Singapore to the only other first world country in Asia aside from Japan, heads off to him.

most impressive character.......2007-05-14

great book. lee is the most impressive character i've ever read in history book.

A Taiwanese Perspective.......2007-04-08

I loved this book. Lee is insightful and a great writer.

His chapter on Taiwan, however, was mad hypocrisy. He critices Taiwan for "pulling away" by teaching in schools primarily the history/geography of the island instead of China, as before. Funny this is coming from a guy known for getting rid of all Chinese-language universities in Singapore. He spoke about ensuring he brought Malays along in his trip to China, and conducting meetings in English, to ensure China recognizes Singapore's unique identity.

Also funny was Lee KY's attributing Lee Teng-hui's provocative behavior to Lee TH's Japanophilia and being "powered" by the spirit of the Bushido warrior." Yet throughout the book Lee KY talks about how British he is, e.g., his habit of drinking tea in the morning! Furthermore, he spoke of the great sentiments associated with attaining British knighthood, which according to him, was the greatest honor he had ever received. I couldn't help laugh when reading the British knight accuse the Bushido warrior of Japanophilia, when he himself is brimming with Anglophilia.

Illuminating what can be achieved by a superior intellect coupled with honesty........2006-09-26

I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Lee Kuan Yew. Besides being a genious at governing the man is a gifted writer. The book is full of information for those, like me, that were curious about how this gentleman, along with his associates, pulled out the feat of transforming an underdeveloped society into a model society. He, almost singlehandedly, achieved what other countries and societies with far more resources only dream of. Pick this book if you wish to learn and, at the same time, be entertained.

Excellent insight!.......2006-06-12

Gives Excellent insight to see how singapore found it's own way in this competitive world.

Jesus and His Times (Reader's Digest Books)

Average customer rating:

Impressive work
A Book About Jesus and His Culture
The very best
Awesome Book!

Jesus and His Times (Reader's Digest Books)
Reader's Digest Editors
Manufacturer: Readers Digest
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0895772574

Customer Reviews:

Impressive work.......2007-08-25

This beautiful volume has a short introduction titled Jesus And The Four Gospels. The first chapter, The Birth Of The Savior tells of the census that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem and the visit of the wise men from the East. The attached portfolio illustrates the events surrounding the birth of Jesus by artists like Andrea della Robbia, Federico Barocci, Jan van Scorel, Giotto and others.

A Troubled Land, chapter 2, deals with the political situation of the time and a brief overview of the ancient history of Israel, Alexander The Great, Hellenism, the Romans and Herod. This includes information on the famous historian Josephus, maps of the Holy Land including a political map of the kingdom of Herod The Great, full colour pictures of the landscape, a chronology of Israel and tables of the Hasmonean line and the Herodean family.

The next: Classes And Masses, looks at Herod in greater detail, especially his building programmes, with photographs and illustrations of amongst others the remains of Herodium, the aqueducts and roads, Masada, Sebaste, the palace at Jericho, jewellery and household utensils. There are also maps of Israel and a political map of the division of Herod's kingdom into the territories of Archelaos, Herod Philip, Herod Antipas and Salome.

Chapter 4: Village Life, discusses life in the countryside, rituals and rites dictated by the seasons, family life and family home and the festivals of Israel. The next chapters deals with Jerusalem and includes impressive photographs and maps of the city, the old city, the temple mount, the wailing wall, illustrations of King Herod's temple and other landmarks.

Chapter 6: The Life Of The Mind, discusses the Torah, educational life, the synagogue, the scribes, Greek education, the arts, the Alexandria library and Hellenistic Jewish Literature, whilst the next one: Trade And Travel, deals with the vigorous flow of trade and travel around the Mediterranean, Europe and the East.

Chapter 8: Religious Conflict, addresses the political situation, religion, the priesthood, the Pharisees, synagogues, the two great teachers Hillel and Shammai, the Essenes, John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus. The next: The Mission Of The Messiah, looks at the areas of Capernaum, the Sea of Galilee, the family of Jesus, the Twelve Apostles, the travels of Jesus, the trial, crucifixion, the resurrection and the ascension. It includes beautiful works of art by Duccio, Claude Lorrain, Domenico Fiasella, Giotto, El Greco, Rembrandt, Velazquez and others.

With its many maps, chapter 10: Spread Of The Gospel, traces the growth of the gospel message from Pentecost, the conversion of Saul and the spread of the Word to Asia Minor, Greece and Italy, also dealing with the destruction of 70AD, the further growth of the church and Constantine The Great.

The reference section includes Places In Bible Times which lists place names from Alexandria to Tyre, Biblical Citations and an extensive Bibliography divided into General, Bibles & Commentaries, History & Archaeology, Biographies, Jesus: His Life & Times, Daily Life and Art. The book concludes with an index. Jesus And His Times is an absorbing and richly illustrated text and also a valuable reference work.

Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus

Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church

Yeshua: The Name of Jesus Revealed in the Old Testament

The Sacred Names

A Book About Jesus and His Culture.......2007-07-19

This is a very good book for the student of faith who seeks a more thorough understanding of what life was like during the time that Jesus lived in the flesh on earth. Rich with photographs, drawings and maps, this book is a visual treat as well as providing much insight through the text.

The book is hard-cover, very study and well-made, and is 336 pages in length. There are 10 main chapters and some appendicies. The book begins with the significance of the expectation of a Messiah and his birth in Bethlehem. Then the political intrigue of the day is presented, especially a history of Herod the Great and the Roman Empire. The daily life of a typical Jew is then presented, how a person lived, what they did, what they ate, and how they raised their families. Jerusalem has a chapter dedicated to itself, with emphasis on the Temple that King Herod built for the Jews. The middle chapters deal with education, trade, travel, and religious conflicts of the time. Finally, the last two chapters explain the mision of the Messiah and how the gospel of his teachings spread after his death and resurrection.

This is not a book that is an easy or casual "fun' read. It is written for the more serious student of faith and the Bible. The information is detailed and quite extensive. A very thorough job was done in putting this book together. The reader can use it as a text book to teach themselves the cultural and religious signficance of the time. It is a good book to read for insight into Biblical times and Biblical narratives (scriptures).

At .01 cent (used), this book is a steal.

Jim "Konedog" Koenig

The very best.......2007-05-12

This is undoubtedly the best book ever written about life in the times of Jesus. It is comprehensive yet detailed, with voluminous illustrations, maps, geneaologies, etc. There are chapters on village life, schooling, trade and travel, and internal politics. A few chapters are devoted to Jesus' life, and here the editors make a number of mistakes. For example:

- they seem unaware that the proper translation of almah is "young woman" and not "virgin" (p. 17)

- they make the common error of translating "tekton" as "carpenter" (p. 26)

- they seem unaware of the fact that the village of Nazareth didn't exist as a village at the time of Jesus (p. 91) and it was more than a century after Jesus' death that a synagogue was build there. As a consequence, they translate his name as "Jesus of Nazareth" when in fact the proper translation is "Jesus the Nazarene."

But these errors are few and relatively minor, when weighed against the plethora of interesting details that they supply.

Anyone looking for a desciption of what life was like in the times of Jesus needs to get this book. This isn't necessarily the best book about the life of Jesus, but it surely is the best book about his times.

Awesome Book!.......2007-02-28

I only rated this book at 5 stars because I couldn't go any higher. To think I got a copy of it for $.01 (a penny) plus shipping is unreal. Talk about a steal! This is one of the best books about the life and times of our Lord Jesus Christ that you'll ever find. The pictures of the Holy Land alone are worth it but there's so much more. By all means, get your copy NOW!!!!

The Bon Religion of Tibet: The Iconography of a Living Tradition

Average customer rating:

RARE AND EXCELLENT TEXT/IMAGE SOURCE BOOK

The Bon Religion of Tibet: The Iconography of a Living Tradition
Per Kvaerne
Manufacturer: Shambhala
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Religious | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Other Eastern Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1570621861
Release Date: 2001-08-21

Book Description

The Bon religion claims to be the original and authentic religion of the Tibetan people, firmly established in the Land of Snows long before Buddhism was introduced in the seventh century CE. Although its adherents were gradually reduced to a minority, Bon has nevertheless continued to flourish in many areas up to the present day in Tibet, especially in the eastern and northeastern regions, where a reconstruction renaissance is taking place, as well as within the Bon community in exile from Tibet. The iconography of the Bon religion is presented through a series of thangkas, miniatures, and bronzes from public and private collections in the West, as well as from communities within Tibet. The peaceful, tutelary, protector, and local deities, as well as the Bon siddhas, lamas, and dakinis, are identified and fully described by means of excerpts from ritual or biographical texts that are translated here.

Customer Reviews:

RARE AND EXCELLENT TEXT/IMAGE SOURCE BOOK.......1999-05-24

This is an excellent source book on a rare topic. Very useful photo coverage on objects, deity figures, and cultural milieus for a pre-Buddhist shamanistic Tibetan religion

The Euro-Asian World: A Period of Transition (Euro-Asian Studies)

Average customer rating:

The Euro-Asian World: A Period of Transition (Euro-Asian Studies)

Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Policy & Current Events | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Development & Growth | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Economic Policy & Development | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Production & Operations | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Finance | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books

Book Description

This volume establishes the concept of Euro-Asia as the means to discuss the European and Asian countries that are undergoing transformation. The authors cover crucial elements of the transitional changes: conflicts and peacekeeping, geopolitical issues, economic realities. All of these points are addressed in depth, and the authors' analysis highlights features and lessons to be learned from Euro-Asian experience.

Contending Visions of the Middle East: The History and Politics of Orientalism (The Contemporary Middle East)

Average customer rating:

Possibly a must read
A scholarly work

Contending Visions of the Middle East: The History and Politics of Orientalism (The Contemporary Middle East)
Zachary Lockman
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Islamic | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0521629373

Book Description

Zachary Lockman's book offers a broad survey of the development of Western knowledge about Islam and the Middle East. Beginning with ancient Greek and Roman conceptions of the world, Lockman goes on to discuss European ideas about Islam from its emergence in the seventh century, with particular attention to the age of European imperialism, the era of deepening American involvement in this region, and the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Along the way, he explores how scholars and others in the West have studied and depicted Islam and the Middle East, focusing on the politics and controversies that have shaped Middle East studies in the United States over the past half century, including the debates over Said's influential critique, Orientalism. His book relates many of today's critical issues, including Muslim extremism, terrorism and United States policy in the Middle East, to their broader historical and political contexts. Zachary Lockman is Professor of Middle Eastern Studies and History at New York University and a member of the American Historical Association. He has been a Guggenheim fellow and Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars fellow. His work includes Comrades and Enemies (University of California Press, 1996), Workers and Working Classes in the Middle East, ed. (SUNY Press, 1993) and Workers on the Nile (Princeton, 1987).

Customer Reviews:

Possibly a must read.......2006-08-05

Zach Lockman's "Contending Visions of the Middle East" traces the development of present "Western" attitudes towards the Middle East/Islam/Arabs (which he argues have been erroneously conglomerated) in the West and specifically in America.

His arguments, while not particularly new or unique, are well developed and provides a student of Middle East studies or the general reader not only with those arguments but also with a historiography of some of the past arguments about the Middle East. His basic premise is that the Islamic cultures have been grossly misrepresented and generalized throughout Western history. In keeping with Edward Said's "Orientalism," he argues that that Western orientalists have defined the Middle East as what they are not through a process often referred to as "othering." His last couple chapters deal with present conditions and persisting misconceptions and misrepresentations about the Middle East and the rest of the world.

Lockman argues with considerable skill that the U.S. government since the Cold War, citing examples of both Democrat and Republican involvement, has actually been one of the chief proponents of racist and ignorant images about the Middle East in order to further certain objectives. The final chapter creates an unsettling but perhaps accurate picture of the U.S. government as almost an opponent of intelligent academic research.

This book could have been 50 or so pages shorter, and probably should have been given its more student and general audience. However, Lockman does go to great lengths to include information about historical events that while widely known, are essential to an understanding of the topic and therefore must be included. Overall, it was about what I expected and definitely worth my time and money.

A scholarly work.......2005-03-26

This book is as good as advertised. It talks about Western views of the Islamic world. And it is thorough. It does spend quite a while discussing the views of Ed Said. And it even mentions many of Said's critics and quotes them fairly.

Unfortunately, when Said writes nonsense, the author basically lets it pass, taking him to task only for some of his more extreme language. When others criticize some of Said's brayings, the critics are often condemned in no uncertain terms. Given how awful Said was, I find this inexcusably dishonest.

Nevertheless, I liked the book so much that I'm actually giving it two stars! Some of the criticisms of the Zionists are very thoughtful. It is true that we don't always predict the future accurately. And it is true that consistent failures of the antizionists to predict the future would not in itself prove that antizionism is somehow Wrong. In addition, there are plenty of facts in this book. It isn't completely worthless!

Understanding Contemporary China (Understanding : Introductions to the States and Regions of the Contemporary World)

Average customer rating:

China as an economic monolith
Enhanced with maps, tables, statistics, and photography

Understanding Contemporary China (Understanding : Introductions to the States and Regions of the Contemporary World)

Manufacturer: Lynne Rienner Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1588260453

Customer Reviews:

China as an economic monolith.......2007-09-17

The editor takes a very biased view of China as an ecomonic entity as its main contribution to the world and China's identity. The other writers give a much more well-rounded view of China and Chinese people, and the overview chapter on China's history is excellent. My only complaint about the textbook as a whole is that while explaining that the use of 'Yangtze' (a tributary) instead of Chiang Jiang for the entire river is incorrect, it uses 'Yangtze' anyway and alternates between talking about the river and the tributary and Yangtze valley. This becomes very confusing.

Enhanced with maps, tables, statistics, and photography.......2003-01-04

Compiled and edited by Robert E. Gamer (Professor of Political Science, University of Missouri-Kansas City) Understanding Contemporary China offers an impressive and diverse body of contemporary scholarship focused upon economic, political, social, cultural, geographic, literary, environmental, and historical aspects of China. Enhanced with maps, tables, statistics, and photography, Understanding Contemporary China ranges from Stanley W. Toops' "China: A Geographic Preface"; to John Wong's "China's Economy"; to Ma Rong's "Population Growth and Urbanization"; to Laurel Bossen's "Women and Development"; to Chan Hoiman and Ambrose Y. C. King's "Religion"; and more. Understanding Contemporary China is a seminal body of work and a very strongly recommended addition to China Studies academic reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Average customer rating:

Always Compelling
All Whom I Have Loved: A Novel
There is no other author like Aharon Appelfeld

All Whom I Have Loved: A Novel
Aharon Appelfeld
Manufacturer: Schocken
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0805241779
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Book Description

The haunting story of a Jewish family in Eastern Europe in the 1930s that prefigures the fate of the Jews during World War II.

At the center is nine-year-old Paul Rosenfeld, the beloved only child of divorced parents, through whose eyes we view a dissolving, increasingly chaotic world. Initially, Paul lives with his mother–a secular, assimilated schoolteacher, who he adores until she “betrays” him by marrying the gentile André. He is then sent to live with his father–once an admired avant-garde artist, but now reviled by the critics as a “decadent Jew,” who drowns his anger, pain, and humiliation in drink. Paul searches in vain for stability and meaning in a world that is collapsing around him, but his love for the earthy peasant girl who briefly takes care of him, the strange pull he feels towards the Jews praying in the synagogue near his home, and the fascination with which he observes Eastern Orthodox church rituals merely give him tantalizing glimpses into worlds of which he can never be a part.

The fates that Paul’s parents will meet with Paul as terrified witness–his mother, deserted by her new husband and dying of typhus; his father, gunned down while trying to stop the robbery of a Jewish-owned shop–and his own fate as an orphaned Jewish child alone in Europe in 1938 are rendered with extraordinary subtlety and power, as they foreshadow, in the heart-wrenching story of three individuals, the cataclysm that is about to engulf all of European Jewry.

Customer Reviews:

Always Compelling.......2007-06-08

I have only read four books by Appelfeld incuding his Memoir.

They are always very engaging and compelling and very moving.

I decided after reading this latest, which I liked a lot and could not put down, because it was very readable and intriguing, that I would get all of the rest of his novels that I have not read and read them this summer.

All Whom I Have Loved: A Novel.......2007-05-30

A metaphorical novel that resonates of the past and the present.

There is no other author like Aharon Appelfeld.......2007-04-01

I have read, and own, all of Mr. Apelfeld's books in English. The prose is literate, his words are almost poetic, and all of his stories build up from serenity to crescendo. A must read for anyone who loves fine literature.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books