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.

In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (Harvest Book)

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The most important book on Earth
A flowing journey
An Awakening Experience
In Search of the Miraculous; Fragments of an Unknown Teaching
Fragments indeed

In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (Harvest Book)
P. D. Ouspensky
Manufacturer: Harvest/HBJ Book
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ASIN: 0156007460

Book Description

A new edition of the groundbreaking spiritual treasure, with a foreword by bestselling author Marianne Williamson .Since its original publication in 1949, In Search of the Miraculous has been hailed as the most valuable and reliable documentation of G. I. Gurdjieff's thoughts and universal view. This historic and influential work is considered by many to be a primer of mystical thought as expressed through the Work, a combination of Eastern philosophies that had for centuries been passed on orally from teacher to student. Gurdjieff's goal, to introduce the Work to the West, attracted many students, among them Ouspensky, an established mathematician, journalist, and, with the publication of In Search of the Miraculous, an eloquent and persuasive proselyte.Ouspensky describes Gurdjieff's teachings in fascinating and accessible detail, providing what has proven to be a stellar introduction to the universal view of both student and teacher. It goes without saying that In Search of the Miraculous has inspired great thinkers and writers of ensuing spiritual movements, including Marianne Williamson, the highly acclaimed author of A Return to Love and Illuminata. In a new and never-before-published foreword, Williamson shares the influence of Ouspensky's book and Gurdjieff's teachings on the New Thought movement and her own life, providing a contemporary look at an already timeless classic.

Customer Reviews:

The most important book on Earth.......2007-10-17

For those of us, who don't only like to search but also to find, this is the most important book on Earth!

A flowing journey.......2007-03-17

I have read this book twice. Once while in college, and then ten years later.
If you are searching for the meaning of your journey - this book will help serve as a guide. However, be ready to question your beliefs and habitual lifestyle. Also, be prepared to read a page, or perhaps a profound paragraph or two - and then feel compelled to set the book down as you experience a visceral shift in the way you think and live your existence. Even though this book emphasizes at various times the need for you to find a "teacher" as a guide to help with your evolution - it is my opinion that this serves as a metaphor for discovering the teacher within. This book is a slow read - and some parts may seem perplexing or confusing, especially the sacred laws of geometry and mathematics (i.e.: The law of seven) - but I recommend you continue with your reading effort; if you do so - you will be rewarded.
Since I am an environmental author and avid reader - I found this book helpful in connecting the dots relative to the lives and writings of some of the world's most profound teachers and scientists.

An Awakening Experience.......2007-02-24

People interact with each other purely in a mechanical way. Most of them prefer this way of "life", going about their business totally asleep. But there are a few who want to wake up, who want to BE. It's not easy. It never is. But if you are one who wants to truly BE, then this book will help you on your first steps to the path; but only if you are willing to "see".

This book tells "how it is", not a bunch of spellbinding fairy tales with rituals and magic spells. This is a book for the true student of Way.

In Search of the Miraculous; Fragments of an Unknown Teaching.......2007-01-24

Of all the attempts made by Gurdjieff's pupils to introduce his evolutionary system of ideas through writing, In Search of the Miraculous arguably stands formost. First published in 1949, the book continues to be a real help to the work. It may be surprising to some that Ouspensky received from Gurdjieff the material organized in this book over a period of only three years, from 1915 to 1918. After his relatively brief but apparently intensive initiation into various aspects of the teaching, Ouspensky separated himself from his teacher for personal reasons while other pupils remained with Gurdjieff to receive advanced instruction for many years until Gurdjieff's death in 1949.

People continue to seek out the Gurdjieff work today under the influence of Ouspensky's extraordinary book. It should be required reading for anyone interested in Gurdjieff. The serious student, by entering into the practical work, which extends the process of learning beyond the intellectual study of ideas, may eventually come to discover what the book's subtitle expresses. Evidently charged with the power to influence in the mind an unprecedented vision of reality, the ideas Ouspensky detailed must be seen as "fragments" of a teaching meant to inform not only the mind but also the feeling, the body and ultimately the whole of oneself.

While the truths Gurdjieff wished for people to receive cannot be assimilated through intellectual study alone, these true ideas, if heard, may strike the first note of an octave of real understanding, the further development of which will require, among other things, a long and patient self-examination conducted under special conditions. The careful study of this book can be increasingly rewarding to the student who has entered into conditions of group work under the guidance of people specially prepared within the lineage of those to whom Gurdjieff left the task of transmitting his teaching.

Fragments indeed.......2007-01-22

This book took very long to say very little. Many Gurdjieff students love it but I found it dissapointing. For every truth you get (self-remembering) you have to shake off a bunch of unnecessary rubish, (people existing to feed the moon to become a planet like earth). Take what u need and dont mistake all of it for truth just cuz some of it resonates.

Either/Or: A Fragment of Life (Penguin Classics)

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Abridged, with no warning on the front
Very Good
In the beginning there was either/or
lighter translation
ABRIDGED (abridged)

Either/Or: A Fragment of Life (Penguin Classics)
Soren Kierkegaard
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140445773

Customer Reviews:

Abridged, with no warning on the front.......2007-07-06

I mistakenly purchased this without noticing it was abridged. It seems dishonest to only mark this on the back but not the front of the text.

Very Good.......2007-03-12

I must admit that I have not completed this book yet. But, what I have read is the most wonderful work of all time. It is philosophy that reads as fiction and fiction that reads as genius.

An undergrad like me cannot do it justice in a review. So, I will let it speak for itself, but buy it. It is wondrous.

In the beginning there was either/or .......2005-02-02

This is Kierkegaard's first work, and contains already major themes which will be part of his oeuvre throughout. The choice between the aesthetic life represented in the first part and the moral life defended in the second is one such theme. So is the masking of his own identity, the division of himself into a multiplicity of names and identities behind which the true identity is a question. The story of the seduction, however ironically transmitted here is some variety of that fundamental story of Kierkegaard's life his engagement to Regina Olson which he broke because as he later said ' he lacked true faith'. And this perhaps also a cover for the ' thorn in the flesh' that limitation which is central to Kierkegaard' life of abstinence, and perhaps relates to his physical condition , or perhaps to his relation to his father. The aesthetic, the moral phases and what for Kierkegaard is beyond either/or the transcendent phase of the religious is also in this work in the question of who is the ' true Christian'. All of these themes are presented in the multipled- voice ironic humorous suggestive prose of a great imaginative writer and thinker . This is the first masterpiece of many to come, and the opening of the career of the one who would be the ' only Christian in Christendom'.
For the religious Jewish reader like myself aside from the difficulty and pleasure in trying to make something of the depth of Kierkegaard's thought there is the message of the lone creative individual more individual than other individuals in realizing himself in a kind of philosophical literature only Kafka and Neitzche and Pascal are perhaps the true equals of.

lighter translation.......2002-10-03

there is a countervailing advantage this edition offers against the princeton volumes even though its abridged... this is a lighter and smoother English translation. English is not my native language, but I believe many American readers would find the Hong translations as tough-going as I did (even if meticulous). Kierkegaard is already very wordy so this translation is a pain reducer.

ABRIDGED (abridged).......2001-04-27

K./Eremita/... is certainly an amazing and entertaining philosopher, and one should either read everything of his or nothing, I was surprised that the book is not listed as ABRIDGED. The first (and most popular) book is less badly cut, and I'm sure all of the excisions improve the book, if you're serious about K., you might find this a problem. E/O is a two volume work-- good luck finding them, though.

Philosophical Fragments/Johannes Climacus : Kierkegaard's Writings, Vol 7

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understanding faith
One of Kierkegaard's most essential works
Precursor to _Concluding Unscientific Postscript_

Philosophical Fragments/Johannes Climacus : Kierkegaard's Writings, Vol 7
Soren Kierkegaard , Edna H. Hong , and Howard V. Hong
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0691020361

Customer Reviews:

understanding faith.......2006-03-04

if you wonder about faith and will whether we can choose to believe or not, read this book. kierkegaard provides an excellent argument for the kind of freedom we have in response to the paradox. i find in general that kierkegaard speaks truthfully from his heart. this book helps me think through my faith and understand the relationship between faith and will. read the interlude - that's where kierkegaard discusses the paradox. i recommend this book highly: it's thought provoking and not too hard to read. i also recommend sickness unto death if you are at all interested in the relationship between faith and despair.

One of Kierkegaard's most essential works.......2003-11-10

If one were to read only two or three of Kierkegaard's works, this is unquestionably one of the ones to read. In this work and in its successor, Kierkegaard, employing the pseudonym of Johannes Climacus, seeks to explain the nature of Christianity in such as way as to bring out its demands on the individual, and to emphasize its incompatibility with the theology based on the work of Hegel that was becoming progressively more influential in Denmark (and in the rest of the world as well). In PHILOSOPHICAL FRAGMENTS, Kierkegaard explains through his pseudonym, he wants to present the problem of Christianity "algebraically" (i.e., logically), while in the ironically titled CONCLUDING UNSCIENTIFIC POSTSCRIPT TO THE PHILOSOPHICAL FRAGMENTS (ironic because the earlier book is quite short, while the POSTSCRIPT is four times longer) intends to "clothe the problem in historical dress." What Kierkegaard purports to do in this brief book is present the logic of Christianity.

The title is badly translated in all English editions, being a Biblical reference, to the story of the rich man Dives and Lazarus. Just as the poor man Lazarus had to be content with the crumbs from the rich man's table, so Johannes Climacus, who passionately denies that he has any contributions whatsoever to make to the grand Hegelian System, claims to be content with mere philosophical crumbs. For some reason, no publisher or translator has been willing to employ the more accurate if less palatable PHILOSOPHICAL CRUMBS.

Johannes Climacus presents the heart of the conflict between Hegel and Christianity in the first chapter. In Hegelian thought, Jesus in essence is viewed as the non-unique Son of God, and sees him as important for his teachings and the example for others for a transition to all people potentially becoming children of God. The emphasis is on the teachings, and the "truth" of Jesus can be construed as that which he taught. Kierkegaard thinks this is profoundly mistaken, and tries to get at the problem by a thought project that opens the book. Kierkegaard contrasts two kinds of teacher. One is the kind of teacher found in Socrates, where he is able to assist others in learning things because they already had the capacity to learn them. In the case of the Socratic teacher, the individual instructor is not essential to learning the truth. But Kierkegaard asks us to consider a second kind of teacher, one who not merely teaches us the truth, but provides the conditions for making such learning possible. This second kind of teacher is essential to someone learning the Truth, and it is this kind of teacher that Kierkegaard sees as representing Christ. The problem, as Kierkegaard understands it, is that we are separated from God by sin, and therefore we are in a position of needing to be restored to a relationship with God before coming to know God. Jesus is therefore not an accidental teacher of truths of a divine nature, but himself the essential foundation for anyone wanting to come to know God. In other words, for Kierkegaard, Christianity is an event and not a set of teachings: the incarnation of God in Christ as opposed to the things he wanted to teach us.

The remainder of the book explicates this essential distinction between the Christ of Christianity and the Jesus of Hegel. In particular, he deals with the question of the "disciple at second hand" versus the "contemporary disciple." This is essential to consider because while Hegel is thought to take history seriously, his Jesus becomes nonhistorical, while Kierkegaard is intent on emphasizing his historicity.

This is essential Kierkegaard, and along with the CONCLUDING UNSCIENTIFIC POSTSCRIPT and THE SICKNESS UNTO DEATH, my own favorites among his writings. One cannot understand Kierkegaard's thought without reading this book, and along with its sequel represents the heart of what he was trying to achieve in what he called his "Authorship."

Precursor to _Concluding Unscientific Postscript_.......2003-06-12

_Philosophical Fragments/Johannes Climacus_ is essential reading for anyone who wishes to read the sequel, _Concluding Unscientific Postscript_, which is arguably Kierkegaard's most important work. This first volume, even taken by itself, is still a valuble, well written, and entertaining work. But its primary purpose is to establish the personality of Kierkegaard's infamous, neurotic character "Johannes Climacus", the pseudonym under which he wrote this book as well as the monumental _Postscript_. It is very important that any Kierkegaard scholar realize the author's intentions behind the creation of the Johannes Climacus character, and the exact relationship between Kierkegaard's real views and the often-antithetical, illogical, absurd, and even farcical views of his pseudonymous alter-ego. In this book, the character of Johannes Climacus is established, and the careful reader should be able to identify the discrepency between Climacus' ideas and Kierkegaard's real ideas. This characterization process is very interesting and makes for a good read, but to get the full effect you must also read _Concluding Unscientific Postscript_, in which the reader is treated to the full effect of the neurotic ramblings of Kierkegaard's alter-ego.

Notes and Fragments (The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant in Translation)

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Notes and Fragments (The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant in Translation)
Immanuel Kant , and Paul Guyer
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0521552486

Book Description

This volume provides the first ever extensive translation of the notes and fragments that survived Kantâ€™s death in 1804. These include marginalia, lecture notes, and sketches and drafts for his published works. They are important as an indispensable resource for understanding Kantâ€™s intellectual development and published works, casting new light on Kantâ€™s conception of his own philosophical methods and his relations to his predecessors, as well as on central doctrines of his work such as the theory of space, time and categories, the refutations of skepticism and metaphysical dogmatism, the theory of the value of freedom and the possibility of free will, the conception of God, the theory of beauty, and much more.

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This volume provides the first ever extensive translation of the notes and fragments that survived Kant's death in 1804. These include marginalia, lecture notes, and sketches and drafts for his published works. They are important as an indispensable resource for understanding Kant's intellectual development and published works, casting new light on Kant's conception of his own philosophical methods and his relations to his predecessors, as well as on central doctrines of his work such as the theory of space, time and categories, the refutations of skepticism and metaphysical dogmatism, the theory of the value of freedom and the possibility of free will, the conception of God, the theory of beauty, and much more.

Empedocles: The Extant Fragments (Classic Latin & Greek Texts in Paperback)

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Empedocles: The Extant Fragments (Classic Latin & Greek Texts in Paperback)

Manufacturer: Duckworth Publishers
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ASIN: 1853994820

Book Description

Empedocles (c. 494-434 B.C.) achieved legendary status as a philosopher, scientist, healer, poet and orator. He made important contributions to the developments of European thought with his theory of the four elements, his detailed work on perception, respiration and cognition, and his understanding in the kinship in structure and form of the hierarchy of living creatures.

Now available in paperback, this is the first full-scale edition this century of the extant fragments, which are grouped into two poems -- Physics and Katharmoi. In her Introduction, Professor Wright surveys the evidence for Empedoclesâ€™ life and writings, and gives a clear account of the main lines of thought within a framework common to the poems. The fragments are presented in their contexts in a new ordering with full critical apparatus; they are followed by a translation and commentary on each, in which the linguistic, philosophical and scientific questions relevant to the text are examined. The Index cover sources, passages cited and subject matter, as well as a comprehensive concordance of Empedoclesâ€™ vocabulary. This edition has been updated with a bibliographic commentary covering the last fifteen years of Empedoclean scholarship. This text is part of the Classic Latin and Greek texts series.

The Essential Epicurus: Letters, Principal Doctrines, Vatican Sayings, and Fragments (Great Books in Philosophy)

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Epicurus, not so great...
The Greek Buddha
To Epicurus
The antidote to human stupidity and greed.
Enjoyed reading Epicurus, but the book can be improved

The Essential Epicurus: Letters, Principal Doctrines, Vatican Sayings, and Fragments (Great Books in Philosophy)
Epicurus
Manufacturer: Prometheus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0879758104

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Epicurus, not so great..........2007-05-29

A disappointment. At first, I really liked his 'No pain' theorem, but after reading this book (which wasn't so greatly organized or collaborated), I discovered that, yes, perhaps he was looked down on by other Europeans because he elaborated on rather communist ideals. Personally, I like a few of his segments, but NOT his oeuvre en total. This book, either.

The Greek Buddha.......2003-05-22

Epicurus lived in the Athens of Plato. He attracted a host of followers to his preferred teaching place, a garden. There he taught them the ultimately anti-Platonic truths: this life is the only one, it is good, and the best way to live it is by maximizing stable pleasures.

Few philosophers have been more maligned and underappreciated. The Platonists and their ilk (the later Christians) found Epicurus' teachings too much focused on this world and not enough on the other. They thought he taught unalloyed hedonism and accused the Epicureans of wild orgies. Today, an Epicurean is thought of as an effete, wine-sipping decadent. All of these conceptions are completely wrong.

Starting with the truth that everything is made from the material of atoms (after Democritus), Epicurus determined that our consciousness must necessarily die with the death of our bodies. Since this is the only life it should be the sole focus of our efforts. In this mortal life we must maximize our pleasure and minimize our pain. Pleasure is defined as the avoidance of pain and the stabilization of comfort. The most reliable comforts are certainly not sex, drugs, rock and roll-all such things are unstable pleasures that lead to greater appetites. The best pleasures are those that can be controlled without much effort such as good friendship, good cheer, and an appreciation for the simple things. By avoiding epicurean dishes (our misreading) and satisfying our appetites with the most basic, most easily attainable foods, we sate our hunger. The full belly wants neither caviar nor black bread. Taking this principle to all other pleasures, Epicurus finds them easily satisfied.

Much of our turmoil is due to immaterial concerns, the attainment of more power, money, love, and the evasion of death. Epicurus shows, point-by-point, how these concerns can be wrestled into submission. Once the basic pleasures are met and one's anxieties are minimized life becomes simple and good. Before Christianity put non-Chrisitians under the sword, Epicureanism had become immensely popular and was constantly growing. It is time it resumed its natural course.

O'Connor's translations personify the philosopher himself-they are clear and elegant. This is an insightful, exciting, and pleasant read.

To Epicurus.......2003-01-16

The first to bring grain to uneasy mortals
in times past was the famous city of Athens
which made life anew and instituted laws:
And first brought delicious consolation to life
when she gave birth to the man of genius so extraordinary
that everything came from a mouth devoted to truth
so that, even though now he is dead, his divine discoveries
spread abroad, carrying his glory to the sky.

For when he saw that whatever men's needs demanded,
so far as may be, to keep their lives in safety,
was there at hand already for their use,
that men had all they could want in the way of wealth
and honor and praise, and pride in successful children;
Yet, at home each was perpetually disquieted
and the mind was enslaved by all its bitter complaints;
He understood that the trouble was in the container
and because of some flaw in it, everything would go bad
whatever excellent things were put into it:
Partly because there were holes and things flowed through them
and there was no possibility of filling it up;
And partly because what did get in was spoiled,
so to speak, by the nauseous taste there was inside.

The truth was what he used to purify hearts with
and he set a limit to fear as to desire;
He explained what it is that all of us really want
and showed us the way along a little path
which makes it possible for us to go straight there;
He showed what evils there are in human affairs
and how they were brought about by the force of nature,
popping up by change or because nature worked that way;
And he showed how best to face each of these difficulties
and proved that the human race was generally vain
in the way it ruminated in its gloomy thoughts.
For just as children are afraid of the dark
their elders are as often as not afraid in the light
of things which there is as little cause to fear
as those which children imagine to frighten themselves.
These grown-up terrors are also no more than shadows
and yet they are nothing that the sunlight can dissipate:
What is needed is the rational study of nature.

Who is skillful enough to produce an adequate poem
about the magnificent world and these discoveries about it?
Does anyone so use language that he can praise appropriately
the man who made these discoveries and left them for us?

Compare what he did with what the other gods did.

I follow you, nothing better has come out of Greece,
and now, where the print of your foot fell, I place my own,
not in jealous competition but out of love
which constrains me to imitate you. For does the swallow
set herself against swans? Or the wobbling kid
think that she should go as fast as a racehorse?
You discovered nature, father: you gave us instruction
and left the whole matter set out in your writings
where, just as bees help themselves in the meadows,
we can replenish ourselves with your golden sayings;
Golden, in that they are of permanent value.

As soon as your theory, the product of an intellect
something more than human, began to make some noise,
the fears that haunt minds disappeared, the walls of the world
gave way, and I saw through all space how everything happens...

By Lucretius
Written 50 B.C.E

The antidote to human stupidity and greed........2001-12-27

This book does not rely on a god or a saviour to lead a smart and fulfilling life. It relies soley on reason and what an effective use of it by epicurus! Most of epicurus works are either lost or destroyed, but this book contains his essential teachings. Epicurus did not deny the existance of the gods. This would make sense. If the universe is infinite as he says, then all possible things already exist in one way or another. According to epicurus one should live out his natural life, this would be prudent. This life is the only one you get. He writes that by being prudent ie; looking at both sides of an issue to find truth and getting only what you need, you can live a smart and happy life. After life is over one goes to eternal oblivion, free of all suffering forever. The ironic thing about epicurus is that he admits there are gods. If one reads what he writes carefully, one finds that one doesnt need to go to heaven or even to exist. Since it is not needed, one loses nothing. The same thing can be said for the wild goose chase, most people are engaged in for happiness. They want bigger houses, more expensive cars, more cash, etc. and instead of gaining happiness gain more misery. Why? Because the truth is you gain happiness by getting only what you need. Epicurus writes that those who are not satisfied with a little, will never be satisfied even with a lot or even infinity. The more you have above need, the more worry, headache and problems. This in no way is conducive to happiness. These writings are some of the most brilliant in the entire realm of philosophy. This book gets two thumbs up!

Enjoyed reading Epicurus, but the book can be improved.......2001-11-18

Most of the other reviers have given this book five stars, and I would too, if I thought this book was perfect! The book does encompass all of Epicurus' first hand writing in English. I did enjoy reading the book and wished we had more of his writinga especially on friendship which in my opinion surpasses Platonic and Aristotilian philosophy. However, I think a copy of the greek text with an apparatus would be highly helpful, especially in writing a good philosophy paper on Epicurus because many different English translations are rendered from the greek fragment, and one word translated obscurely may mean all the difference in philosophical thought.

Zone 3: Fragments for a History of the Human Body, Part 1

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stop the confusion

Zone 3: Fragments for a History of the Human Body, Part 1

Manufacturer: Zone Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 094229923X

Book Description

The 48 essays and photographic dossiers in these three volumes examine the history of the human body as a field where life and thought intersect. They show how different cultures at different times have entwined physical capacities and mental mechanisms in order to construct a body adapted to moral ideas or social circumstances the body of a charismatic citizen or a visionary monk a mirror image of the world or a reflection of the spirit.

Each volume emphasizes a particular perspective. Part 1 explores the human body's relationship to the divine, to the bestial, and to the machines that imitate or simulate it. Part 2 covers the junctures between the body's "outside" and "inside" by studying the manifestations - or production - of the soul and the expression of the emotions and, on another level, by examining the speculations inspired by cenesthesia, pain, and death. Part 3 brings into play the classical opposition between organ and function by showing how organs or bodily substances can be used to justify or challenge the way human societies function and, conversely, how political and social functions tend to make the bodies of the persons filling them the organs of a larger body - the social body or the universe as a whole.

Among the contributors to Fragments for a History of the Human Body are Mark Elvin, Catherine Gallagher, Françoise Héritier Augé, Julia Kristeva, William R. LaFleur, Thomas W. Laqueur Jacques Le Goff, Nicole Loraux, Mario Perniola, Hillel Schwartz, Jean Starobinski, Jean Pierre Vernant, and Caroline Walker Bynum.

Customer Reviews:

stop the confusion.......2005-10-11

Amazon--you are using the same excerpts & tables of contents for all the FRAGMENT-ZONE books. It's very confusing/difficult to figure out which essays belong to which book.
Please match the cover with the correct insides.

The Art and Thought of Heraclitus: An Edition of the Fragments with Translation and Commentary

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Still the standard, with good reason.
Interesting but there are alternatives
man is the measure. . .
The foundation of all Western thought......
Inspirational for Certain Philosophers

The Art and Thought of Heraclitus: An Edition of the Fragments with Translation and Commentary
Heraclitus
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 052128645X

Book Description

Behind the superficial obscurity of what fragments we have of Heraclitusâ€™ thought, Professor Kahn claims that it is possible to detect a systematic view of human existence, a theory of language which sees ambiguity as a device for the expression of multiple meaning, and a vision of human life and death within the larger order of nature. The fragments are presented here in a readable order; translation and commentary aim to make accessible the power and originality of a systematic thinker and the first great master of artistic prose. The commentary locates Heraclitus within the tradition of early Greek thought, but stresses the importance of his ideas for contemporary theories of language, literature and philosophy.

Customer Reviews:

Still the standard, with good reason........2007-10-02

Kahn offers the fragments of Heraclitus in solid translation, with an extensive and thoughtful commentary that both takes account of a great deal of secondary literature and provides the author's own valuable insights.

Kahn's approach to the interpretation of Heraclitus is orthodox but sensitive. He appreciates Heraclitus' intentional and artful prose style, including his use of ambiguity and wordplay to create a multiplicity of meanings in many of the fragments. He also gives proper attention to the resonance between fragments, often picking up an echo of a word or image from one fragment while interpreting another.

I enjoyed and learned much from Kahn's commentary, though I would rate his overall success at drawing a systematic Heraclitean worldview from the fragments a limited success at best. In this I think he is surpassed by Roman Dilcher and perhaps M.L. West as well. However, Kahn's command of the ancient material, the secondary literature (in several languages), and the history and culture of the ancient world in general, is truly impressive. His erudition serves the reader very, very well, opening up a wealth of other sources and making connections that only someone with such a mastery of classical and archaic literature can. I would also strongly advise interested folks to hunt down the hundreds of footnotes in his already weighty commentary, as they frequently provide a gem of a comment or an important bibliographical reference.

All in all, this book is essential for any serious study of Heraclitus. Its staying power is testament to Kahn's superb work. I personally feel deeply in Professor Kahn's debt for his fine volume, and I'm sure I'm not alone in this. My one and only complaint has to do with his decision to reorder the fragments and number them with Roman numerals...it's truly and deeply annoying, but if this is the only fly in the ointment, I suppose we can forgive Charles Kahn. A wonderful book.

Interesting but there are alternatives.......2007-03-01

Rather than Charles H. Kahn's 'The Art and Thought of Heraclitus: An Edition of the Fragments with Translation and Commentary' (ISBN: 052128645X), I would suggest that those who are interested in acquiring an edition of Heraclitus which gives them the Greek text with translation and commentary look for a copy of Philip Wheelwright's possibly more interesting 'Heraclitus' (ISBN 0199240221).

I would also suggest that the more scholarly inclined turn to Thomas McEvilley's 'The Shape of Ancient Thought: Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies' (ISBN 1581152035) where, in Chapter Two, 'The Problem of the One and the Many,' they will find a fascinating treatment of Heraclitus which goes far beyond anything Kahn has to offer. On page 149 of this same book they will find a valuable footnote (92) which will provide them with a good idea of the quality (or lack of it) of Kahn's 'scholarship.'

As for the general reader who simply wants to read an English translation of Heraclitus, their needs will perhaps be better served by a book such as Guy Davenport's '7 Greeks' (ISBN: 0811212882) which gives an excellent translation of the complete fragments.

Davenport's translations really are superb and the 124 fragments he gives us, which are tragically all that remain of Heraclitus, take up a mere 12 pages of his book. As a bonus, the remainder of '7 Greeks' is devoted to equally fine translations of Archilocus, Sappho, Alkman, Anacreon, Diogenes, and Herondas.

Davenport's Heraclitus is pithy, pungent, and very much to the point:

16. "Awake, we see a dying world; asleep, dreams."

82. "Defend the law as you would a city wall."

97. "Life is bitter and final, yet men cherish it and beget children to suffer the same fate."

107. "Having cut, burned, and poisoned the sick, the doctor then submits his bill."

Another of Davenport's 7 Greeks, Diogenes, was for me a wonderful find and I'm still chuckling over this one:

Diogenes 109. "I've seen Plato's cups and table, but not his cupness and tableness."

The affluent student who simply must own every edition of Heraclitus should by all means acquire Kahn (and also McEvilley who translates and comments on many of the fragments). Others may find Davenport's translations adequate to their needs, somewhat more memorable than Kahn's, and his book better value for money.

man is the measure. . ........2005-11-26

This text is not for the beginning student in philosophy or philology. As someone interested in the history of philosophy, works like this compilation/commentary by Kahn are always valuable. The aim of this text is to provide a method for organizing the fragments of Heraclitus' philosophy in a manner that differs from the original Diels-Kranz method. Kahn's translations are markedly different from the now standard translations of Kirk and Raven; the differences are intertwined with the method of organizing the order of the fragments. In assessing any particular fragment in this work, one should always consult the Kirk-Raven text on the Presocratic Philosophers, have at least a passing knowledge of Greek, have read some Heidegger, and know a good bit about the controversy surrounding the arranging of the fragments. The arrangement of Heraclitus' fragments is a project that is just as perilous as attempting to ascertain the order in which Plato wrote his dialogues. I don't particularly find this sort of lexicography to be very fruitful in terms of having definitive answers, but Kahn's arrangement here is very good at placing itself within the context of what has come before in the way of scholarship. Referring back to any particular fragment in Diels-Kranz or Kirk and Raven is easy because Kahn cross-references each of his numbered translations with their numbering systems. It is hard to challenge the authority of this work, but it is by no means the final word on Heraclitus.

The foundation of all Western thought.............2001-01-28

Devoid of all "Slave Morality" influences from Semitic thinking, Heraclitus is pure European thought at its finest. It's usually proclaimed, that all Western philosophies are but a footnote to Plato. I disagree. Even Plato is subjected to Heraclitus. These fragments shine through, and Charles Kahn does an excellent job of giving his opinions about each fragment without forcing them down your throat and proclaiming his opinions as 100% the ONLY way they can be understood (but, in my opinion, he makes a good case for this reasons). After reading these 123 fragments, you'll see that philosophers such as Plato through Hitler among others owe much of their thinking to this one man. An Excellent Read.

Inspirational for Certain Philosophers.......2000-07-18

One of the things that is most interesting to me about this book is the way it illustrates how we can know so much about someone whose main book is not available to us. By writing about nature in a way that emphasized the power of fire, war, and strife, Heraclitus produced a book that was so well known to ancient writers that many of them lifted ideas for their own purposes. This combination of the knowledge that we have from many sources produces a picture of the permutations that basic philosophy is prone to fall prey to in a history which never finds any particular idea useful for long. I find the application of such ideas most interesting in the field of deep politics, where the idea of "killing the killers," mentioned in connection with the riddle which Homer couldn't guess at the time of his death according to the tradition explained in this book, could be related to some modern despicabilities.

Atomic Fragments: A Daughter's Questions

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Moving example of fine qualitative research
Atomic Fragments, A Daughter's Questions
Another Look Back

Atomic Fragments: A Daughter's Questions
Mary Palevsky
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0520220552

Book Description

More than most of us, Mary Palevsky needed to come to terms with the moral complexities of the atomic bomb: Her parents worked on its development during World War II and were profoundly changed by that experience. After they died, unanswered questions sent their daughter on a search for understanding. This compelling, sometimes heart-wrenching chronicle is the story of that quest. It takes her, and us, on a journey into the minds, memories, and emotions of the bomb builders.
Scientists Hans Bethe, Edward Teller, Joseph Rotblat, Herbert York, Philip Morrison, and Robert Wilson, and philosopher David Hawkins responded to Palevsky's personal approach in a way that dramatically expands their previously published statements. Her skill and passion as an interlocutor prompt these men to recall their lives vividly and to reexamine their own decisions, debating within themselves the complex issues raised by the bomb.
The author herself, seeking to comprehend the widely differing ways in which individual scientists made choices about the bomb and made sense of their work, deeply reconsiders those questions of commitment and conscience her parents faced. In personal vignettes that complement the interviews, she captures other remembrances of the bomb through commemorative events and chance encounters with people who were "there." Her concluding chapter reframes the crucial moral questions in terms that show the questions themselves to be the abiding legacy we all share. This beautifully written book bridges generations to make its readers participants in the ongoing dialogue about science and philosophy, war and peace.

Customer Reviews:

Moving example of fine qualitative research.......2000-11-23

Born just after the war ended, I always wondered how "we" could have dropped those awful bombs on Japan. Later, as a social scientist myself, with a particular interest in moral quandaries, the whole issue of the rightness or wrongness of the decision has fascinated me. Now, for the first time, Palevsky's ATOMIC FRAGMENTS takes on this issue in a human, compelling, heartfelt manner.

After the death of her much-loved father, who was involved in the science of that era and who spent much effort later on to ensure such horrors would never again need to be unleashed, Palevsky was drawn to interview many of the physicists, now aging, who were directly responsible for those bombs. She magnificently intersperses her questions, their responses, and her impressions -- allowing readers to feel as though we were there too.

I especially appreciate the lack of easy conclusions. In the best tradition of qualitative research, Palevsky asks, reports, wonders, considers -- and leaves the unanswerable unanswered.

Atomic Fragments, A Daughter's Questions.......2000-09-22

Atomic Fragments, A Daughter's Questions, is a stunning book, beautifully written, dealing with the tough moral questions that arose after the atomic bomb was built and dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Mary Palevsky, daughter of two scientists who worked at Los Alamos, knows first-hand how profoundly their lives were changed by their roles as "bomb builders". Her father, appalled by the use of the bomb, never again worked on any type of weapons research or development. Her mother gave up her science career.

Mr. Palevsky worked for more than thirty years as an experimental nuclear physicist at the Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island, retiring in 1981, after a series of strokes. Throughout his life he had deep misgivings about the use of the bomb and his participation in its creation. In his waning days, he spent long hours talking with Mary about his life and work and philosophical conflicts.

After his death, Mary took on the task of addressing these moral complexities through a series of interviews with seven of the key figures in atomic history: Hans Bethe, Edward Teller, Joseph Rotblat, Philip Morrison, Robert Wilson, Herbert York and the philosopher, David Hawkins. Atomic Fragments is a record of those interviews, her quest to understand her late parents and the forces that shaped their lives...and hers. Her interviewing style is penetrating, yet not intrusive, giving each man an opportunity to rethink his own views on these monumental issues. The author's accompanying text and personal vignettes weave a thoughtful story of the remarkable circumstances surrounding one of the watershed events of the twentieth century.

Mary Palevsky has written a brilliant book which forces the reader to confront some of the major ethical issues of our time: scientific research, nuclear weapon decision-making, and public policy formation. It is a "must read" for thoughtful people of all generations.

Another Look Back.......2000-09-19

In 1994, Mary Palevsky embarked on a personal quest, and with the publication of ATOMIC FRAGMENTS: A DAUGHTER'S QUESTIONS, we have all become the recipients of its outcome. What she sought was to understand the people and the times that had created the first atomic bomb and ushered in the nuclear age.

Palevsky's parents worked in Los Alamos on the Manhattan Project during the last years of World War II. Their efforts in the development of the atomic bomb helped to bring the war to an end, yet in later years they expressed regrets at having contributed to the creation of such a terrible weapon. Her father especially struggled at the end of his life to "reconcile the moral complexities of the bomb." After the deaths of her parents, their questions became a large part of Palevsky's legacy. She wondered if the other Manhattan Project scientists had misgivings, so she contacted and interviewed team members still living, among them Hans Bethe, Edward Teller, Philip Morrison, Joseph Rotblat, David Hawkins, Robert Wilson, and Herbert York. What she learned surprised her. Almost all of them still believed that they did the right thing. ATOMIC FRAGMENTS: A DAUGHTER'S QUESTIONS is the result of Palevsky's verbal journeys with these men, and it is a book that answers questions for us all. The scientists openly shared memories of their work at Los Alamos and their thoughts on its result. They reflected on the secrecy, the atmosphere of the times, the contributions of Project Director Robert Oppenheimer, and their views on the decision to drop the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They also spoke of the controversial postwar development of the hydrogen bomb as well as their endeavors to control the threat of a nuclear arms race.

This book offers a beautifully written history lesson in very human terms as Palevsky skillfully weaves dialogue with personal observations and her own impeccable research. Having grown up in Los Alamos myself, I, too, have pondered questions concerning the development and use of the bomb and the cold war that ensued. This book has clarified my thinking more than any other I have read on the subject. It also confirms my opinion that the scientists interviewed were not only great scientists but also great men. I envy Mary Palevsky's time with them, and I thank her for writing a book that allows its readers such an inner view of their thoughts.

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