GARDENS IN THE DUNES: A Novel

Average customer rating:

If I wanted a lecture....

Enchanted Gardens, Lush and Vivid botanical descriptions

IMMENSE STORY

fascinating but not up to Silko's previous books

Great storytelling and an intersting glimpse of history...

GARDENS IN THE DUNES: A Novel
Leslie Marmon Silko
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Silko, Leslie Marmon | Native American | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Psychological & Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0684863324

Amazon.com Reviews

In 1900 the West was still wild. Anglo-Americans were tearing up the countryside in the name of progress, and pity the Indians who stood in the way. To this canvas Leslie Marmon Silko, author of such well-received novels as Almanac of the Dead and Ceremony, brings her brush. Gardens in the Dunes begins and ends at a hidden garden near the Colorado River on the California-Arizona border. But Silko covers ground that includes the early stages of women's rights, emerging female sexuality, the rape of the Amazon, early quack medicine, Gnostic mysteries, Celtic magic, and flower husbandry. Her palette has many colors, but everywhere the garden is a central theme.

Grandmother Fleet, one of the few remaining Sand Lizard Indians, tends a traditional desert garden while teaching the old ways to her granddaughters Sister Salt and Indigo. At a time of crushing hopelessness, Wovoka's Ghost Dance messianic movement appears, drawing in the girls and Grandmother Fleet:

While the others danced with eyes focussed on the fire, Indigo watched the weird shadows play on the hillsides, so she was one of the first to see the Messiah and his family as they stepped out of darkness into the glow of swirling snowflakes. How their white robes shined!

Indigo is also one of the first to sense the approach of soldiers and Indian police bent on breaking up the gathering. The action then moves her from the secret garden and small family to an Indian school in Riverside. She eventually flees the school and ends up traveling through Europe with an aristocratic Victorian family, as companion to an unmarried woman. Despite her many adventures and her exposure to a life of privilege and luxury, Indigo never loses her affinity for the traditions of her own people. Silko uses this novel to explore contrasts between Native American and European customs and morals--with white culture often coming up short. On occasion this ambitious novel strays into the political proper, but there's no denying the sheer force of Silko's prose and the sweep of her story. Gardens in the Dunes offers both a vivid portrait of 19th-century Native American life and a provocative exploration of disparate cultures' relationships to the world around them --Schuyler Ingle

Book Description

A sweeping, multifaceted tale of a young Native American pulled between the cherished traditions of a heritage on the brink of extinction and an encroaching white culture, Gardens in the Dunes is the powerful story of one woman's quest to reconcile two worlds that are diametrically opposed.

At the center of this struggle is Indigo, who is ripped from her tribe, the Sand Lizard people, by white soldiers who destroy her home and family. Placed in a government school to learn the ways of a white child, Indigo is rescued by the kind-hearted Hattie and her worldly husband, Edward, who undertake to transform this complex, spirited girl into a "proper" young lady. Bit by bit, and through a wondrous journey that spans the European continent, traipses through the jungles of Brazil, and returns to the rich desert of Southwest America, Indigo bridges the gap between the two forces in her life and teaches her adoptive parents as much as, if not more than, she learns from them.

Customer Reviews:

If I wanted a lecture...........2005-09-14

This book seemed to bring me straight back to my days of trying to absorb hundreds of pages of notes in my college Botany classes. Though I am interested in the subject, I did not enjoy it forced down my throat whilst trying to enjoy a fictional story. I picked up this book because of its Native American aspect. Having lived on a reservation, the stories and folktales of the cultures have always interested me. I found this book randomly at a book outlet store and decided to pick it up for a nice read. Unfortunately, what I was hoping would be a fun, interesting, and possibly historical book, turned into a Botany lecture straight out of Room 264. LMS goes on for pages and pages describing gardens and plants, most of which have no relevance to the story line. Yes, I am sure it is metaphorically pertaining to the characters or plot lines, but it is completely unecessary for any author to carry on for so long. In the long run, I ended up skipping pages and pages of this book, only to realize that somewhere in the lines of botanical descriptions, an action sentence had occured. As a result, I had to fumble my way back through the grand descriptions to figure out just exactly how Hattie and Indigo had gotten to their current location.

This is the first book of LMS I have read, but I don't think it will be the last. When it comes down to it, the story was actually quite fabulous. The tale of Indigo, Hattie, and Sister Salt is heart-warming, scary, and adventurous all at the same time -- it's just the filler that weighs it down. In my opinion, this book could have easily been cut by at LEAST half, if not more. If you do decide to pick this book up, be prepared to wade your way through pages of unecessary text -- but be aware of the gem caught in the middle.

Enchanted Gardens, Lush and Vivid botanical descriptions.......2003-10-25

I loved this novel because of its vivid descriptions of plant life and gardens. I live in an urban environment and flowers, trees, colors and scents are not part of my daily life. I just couldn't get enough, and Silko creates dazzling gardens everywhere throughout her book.

The first section is about a young Native American girl named Indigo, her Sister Salt and their Grandmother Fleet. They are making a life for themselves in a small town in the American Southwest around the turn of 19th century. Their greatest wish is to return to the home of their people, the Sand Lizards, and tend their desert garden in the dunes. But they are in constant fear of being caught by the white government and forced to live in schools or on reservations.

Although the beginning of the book is wonderfully descriptive, I became very engaged with the characters about 50 pages in. Indigo escapes from the Indian school and wanders into the gardens of Hattie and Edward, a wealthy married couple. Edward's monkey, Linnaeus, charms Indigo out of hiding and as the 2 get acquainted, we learn of Hattie's life.

Hattie was a scholar devoted to studying the role of women in early Christianity. However, the all male Harvard review board rejected her thesis topic and when she returns home, she meets and marries Edward, an older man with a professional interest in botany. Edward travels the world in search of plant specimens and his trip to South America to gather rare orchids is described in detail. In Brazil he was sabotaged, causing him personal injury as well as legal and financial difficulties. His leg was hurt so badly that intimacy is painful and unlikely for him, but Hattie wished to marry him regardless of their passionless future. With the intention of curing his money problems, Edward seeks out profitable citrus cuttings guarded closely by the Italians.

Hattie becomes attached to Indigo and persuades Edward to let Indigo travel with them. Edward has planned a trip to Italy and en route they visit their families in Long Island where we get a glimpse into the frivolous lives of the wealthy and visit their cultured gardens. Indigo meets other Native Americans whose land and lifestyle has been taken from them. The story turns to Sister Salt who is now living in the Southwest with other Native American Indian girls. Sister Salt has become a laundress and works in an area where the government is building a dam to divert water to California, taking more life-sustaining farmland away from the Indians. Meanwhile, Indigo, her pet parrot Rainbow, Hattie and Edward travel to England and visit enchanting gardens in Bath, then more charming gardens in Italy where Edward pursues his illegal scheme. There is an underlying theme of the deification of snakes and the worship of the Mother figure that is explored and lends an air of mysticism to the novel.

Throughout the story Indigo and Sister Salt long to be reunited with one another and we always wonder if it will happen. The story could have been edited in several places and I was upset by the violence against Hattie in the end of the novel. Could the author have still made her point without Hattie's loss being so extreme? Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely and I loved the journey it took me on. It is laced with many issues that are thought provoking and still relevant in today's world: feminism, religion, environmental awareness, class structure, oppression and beliefs about our relationships with others, the earth and our spirituality. I loved Indigo, Sister Salt and Hattie. I loved the mesmerizing Ghost Dance, Grandma Fleet's apricot tree, the lively Linneaus, the miniature farm animals, the Rainbow parrot, the eccentric Aunt Bronwyn, the allure of long distance travel by train and by boat, the snake in the water hole and most of all the lush and enchanting gardens.

IMMENSE STORY.......2001-05-09

Silko's novel is fascinating. Its continent-leaping plot begins and ends with the simplistic lives of the "sand lizard" Indians of the southwest. The great themes of greed and ambition are visited along the way as well as the more intimate ones of loyalty and courage.

As one might expect, when the "civilized" world intrudes into that of the young Indian girls, conflict and betrayal are the result. But politically correct ideas are not played out heavyhandedly here. Deep character development and the heartbreaking story itself are the priority of this writer.

I rarely savor a novel as much as I did this one. In fact, while reading dozens of others concurrently, this one took nearly half a year. There's a marvelous amount of gravity working in these pages.

fascinating but not up to Silko's previous books.......2001-04-05

"Gardens in the Dunes" covers a lot of territory, most of it new--for example, one subplot concerns botanical theft (uprooting specimens of a particular orchid species from its habitat in the Amazonian rainforest, then burning the rest of the habitat to increase the value of the specimens). Silko has obviously done exhaustive research on many different plants and garden types, European and Native mythology, the Ghost Dance, and numerous other topics outside the range of most historical fiction. These details definitely make the novel worth reading.

However, unlike some of Silko's earlier work (ie. "Ceremony"), "Gardens" is written with little attention to prose style. Instead of showing the characters' emotions through their actions or dialogue, Silko is often content to describe them ("Hattie felt sad...") which has little impact for the reader.

Considering the themes it deals with (suppression of Native cultures, women's rights, ecological destruction), the book is fairly apolitical. No one ethnic group is given a monopoly on meaningful spirituality or wisdom. White people are not the villains; the general human failings of greed, dishonesty, ignorance and condescension are what cause trouble, and the people that display these faults are in every culture. The destruction of nature and the oppression of fellow humans are the ills; a respect for the ancient wisdom (of any culture) and the beauty and providence of the natural world are the remedies.

"Gardens" may seem dry to some, but it's well worth the effort to discover Silko's unique and detailed cultural vision.

Great storytelling and an intersting glimpse of history..........2001-03-27

Silko carries on her tradition of producing excellent literature in a Native American "bent" with "Gardens...". The story is a mixture of interesting historical anecdotes that perfectly contextualize her characters.

The main characters are a native girl (Indigo)and her sister (Sister Salt) who are both members of the Sand Lizard Tribe. Their tale becomes intertwined with a rather educated woman, Hattie, who has recently married a prototypical American man.

All of the female characters are well-developed and one is treated to very interesting character traits to develop Silko's story of government's sad attempts to "integrate" Native Americans into the newly-formed American culture. Silko has a real skill for maintaining a rather "objective" view while simultaneously showing the hypocritical stance of the conquering white people.

The male characters are rather weak but the various historical anecdotes (building of a dam and the methods of collecting orchids from South America being my favourites) woven through the central story make up for any deficiencies.

A very enjoyable tale that really should appeal to the mainstream.

Average customer rating:
Gardens in the Dunes: A Novel

Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HYPDQK

Book Description

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Average customer rating:

Happy Delivery
Decent, but no more
Mercedes, indeed the legendary figure
good series
Best Type of Book to Buy!

The Free Bards
Mercedes Lackey
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Adventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 067187778X

Customer Reviews:

Happy Delivery.......2007-07-24

The accuracy of description and safe delivery was quite good. I would buy a product from these people again.

Decent, but no more.......2007-02-05

If I could, I'd give this book 2 1/2 stars, but as that's not possible, I rounded down.

When I first read these books ("these books" refering to the trilogy brought together in this books), I rather enjoyed them. There were many aspects that I liked. It seemed somewhat creative, I liked the characters, and the created world was interesting (just close enough and yet different enough from our world for my tastes).

On the other hand, for someone who has read a lot of Mercedes Lackey, it has some of the stereotypes she tends to use. The one that grated at me the most was the govt. vs. religion issue. She bent over backwards to demonstrate how the government was generally being reasonable, caring for the people, and having fair, understanding laws, while the church was harsh, cruel, controlling, and generally bad news (this wouldn't bother me so much except that it seems to be a theme throughout many of her books, and eventually it wears on you). She did have a few token good church types, but it was more to make it seem like she was being fair than anything else.

There were also the male vs. female issues. This is probably a personal difference of taste, as I used to enjoy the whole "women are automatically at the bottom because of their gender but through personal merit struggle to the top" genre, but have gotten bored of it. For me that was a negative part of the books, although as I said, that might be more of a personal issue.

If you like M. Lackey's style, you will probably like this one. However, she has other books that are better (such as her earlier Valdemar books).

Mercedes, indeed the legendary figure.......2003-10-15

Now, this book struck me as interesting the moment I laid hands on it( the cover page, darn the habit ). I was quite surprised when I started reading the book that I actually got interested in such an atmosphere of fantasy where music and fear appear to be the most uninvisible kind of magic there is, and how alike it is to old England.
Then, I found out why. The lyrics of this book encourages the reader to read on, I found this book interesting because of the mere fact that it was set in our world--almost. I found a profound love of a world that is so similiar to ours, yet still contains that musically smooth writing that captures your soul like lines from music wrapping around you, grasping you, embracing you. That was no doubt a rare find. Then I knew I was in the good part of the story, the part where I can be sure to be entranced for--no less than an infinity. Astounding, yes, quite astounding. A book whose prose matches the lyrics of its songs.
This book also presents a magical variety of characteristics of its characters, such a big yet invisible mix that it's almost as if the characteristic were cards in one gigantic deck shuffled with astounding skill so that no card is the same. At that time I was sure of this author's skill. For to have a different variety of characteristics actually makes a story interesting, it opens more doors to imagination, to possibilities, and it captures the attention of the reader better. That strategy is the backbone of A.D. 999, one of my favorite fantasies.
This book was--well, my opinion is better stated at the end. Lastly, I should say that not only did this book's prose find its armour, wit, and it captured a main factor in a good story, but this book acually did not depend on length to capture a reader's attention, a small trilogy this may be, this book still contains the lyrics and prose of any worthy book, which is amazing, counting that it is hard to write a book with a lot of pages, let alone the Wheel of Time. I'm not sure if this book is as good as A.D. 999, but it definitely captures its quality. Finally, what I've been thinking about all this time, this book is classic romantic dark midieval fantasy movie material.
Now, despite all my comments on how good this book is, there are several flaws. If you put everything down( and by everything, I mean the story ), you'd discover that this story came to its plot quickly, which is good, but the Lark and the Wren had 30% suspense, and ended in like one chapter. If this was only a short story that would've been real obvious. Plus, this book's praises music as if its the center of the universe. Now, this is only my opinion, and I know many of you will disagree with me, but just hear me out, okay? Okay. I believe if the author put down music as only one of the many quality time/magic in her world, I believe that would make her world a little bit more interesting, more wide. That would multiply the space of her world by 10 times. Those are some of the big ones, I can live with the other ones.
So all in all, I believe that this book definitely had many praiseworthy scenes, a lot of admirable plots, and many qualities which makes this book great, a real treasure to read, and something we normies can in a way relate to. However, I did list some of its flaws, after reading the book, and really--is there really a book without flaws? Not even A.D. 999 was truly flawless. But then again, this isn't A.D. 999, so believe me, I am just a little over indifferent of its plots. So on a scale of 1 through 100, or hell on paper through phenomenoe, I'd give it an eighty-nine, and an a little better than great. Congratulations, you'be got a B+. If this book was the only book of an author, it would've gotten an 100%, and if the author only wrote a few books, or the author only writes at this level, I'd give it at least a 93%, but when it's coming from Mercedes Lackey, well, you get the idea.
So I hope this had been helpful--Steven Cong.

good series.......2001-03-28

I have read all the Bardic Voices books, individually, and they are all excellent. A word of advice if you are going to read them in their collected form, though: Mercedes Lackey wrote a book, called A Cast of Corbies, that goes with the series. It covers what happens between The Robin and the Kestrel and The Eagle and the Nightingales. It isn't absolutely necessary, but Eagle makes more sense if you read Cast first.

Best Type of Book to Buy!.......1999-07-09

A big fan of Lackey's Bardic Tales and Valdemar series, I first read the former. The Free Bards has all three of her first books in one volume. This is the best way to read the book if you are purchasing it! It saves money and it does not lose anything from being compiled.

If anything, being able to read them together gives one a good read for many days!

Excellent book!!!!!!

Average customer rating:

Five Stars

Amazing

Wonderful glance at economic theory
The Illusion of Choice: How the Market Economy Shapes Our Destiny (Suny Series in Environmental Public Policy)
Andrew Bard Schmookler
Manufacturer: State University of New York Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Policy & Current Events | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Free Enterprise | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Customer Reviews:

Five Stars.......2006-07-13

I read this a long time ago so I won't have any detail to give other than to say that I liked the book and I think it is worthy of five stars.

Amazing.......2006-02-14

Schmookler can write. And much of it rings in like poetry. Along with his major book, The Parable of the Tribes, this is one of my favorites.

Wonderful glance at economic theory.......1999-03-01

Mr. Schmookler does an excellent job critiquing conventional economic theory of all stripes in this book. He shows the virtues and flaws of markets in good detail. The finest part of this work, though, in my opinion, was its fine rejection of libertarian economic ideas, especially since it utilizes the words of the libertarians themselves in doing so. Mr. Schmookler has obviously studied the views of numerous conventional and alternative economists and he does a fine job of explaining their views and problems with them. Just an excellent work - easily the finest text I've seen on economics yet. Highly recommended.

Fool's Gold - The Fate of Values in a World of Goods (The Free Marketplace and Christianity)

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Fool's Gold - The Fate of Values in a World of Goods (The Free Marketplace and Christianity)
Andrew Bard Schmookler
Manufacturer: Harper San Francisco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Product Description

In this trenchant, concise analysis, Schmookler attacks what many consider to be the great shibboleth of our culture - the "free marketplace." Fool's Gold reveals how a system that regards nothing as sacred, everything as mere commodity, creates illusions and devalues everything from art to the planet's resources. The market, Schmookler argues, leads people onto false paths, paths that traditional religions have called "sin" and "idolatry. What religions have taught people to avoid - excessive attachment to possessions, enslavement to our whims and desires - the market teaches us to pursue, while it surrounds us with a sterile world. From early in this century, Schmookler points out, advertisers have used imagery to make their commodities seem more like holy icons than the mere products of consumerism that they are. A system that turns everything into a commodity erodes the ability of human beings to hold onto what is sacred within and among themselves. Nature is displaced by a superficial culture and we become alienated from the source of our being; the phony displaces the real. This results in a distancing of human consciousness from the wellspring of meaning, of vision, of contact with the sacred. In Schmookler's vision, we are now faced with the task of reclaiming the sacred, a reclamation that will require both systematic and spiritual transformations. We need to remember that we are creatures, not the Creator, and rid ourselves of the illusion that what we can control and regiment, within ourselves as well as in the world, is sufficient for our sustenance. There are visions available to us of a reality that transcends us. The ways to that reality lie within us, in one another, in other cultures, and in the living systems of the Earth.

Lavish fantasy with nod to the Bard.(Books): An article from: Winnipeg Free Press

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Lavish fantasy with nod to the Bard.(Books): An article from: Winnipeg Free Press
Gale Reference Team
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000NY1BV0
Release Date: 2007-03-05

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Winnipeg Free Press, published by Thomson Gale on March 4, 2007. The length of the article is 704 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Lavish fantasy with nod to the Bard.(Books)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Winnipeg Free Press (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 4, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: d0

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Struggling with Shakespeare; Playing the villain in the Bard's notoriously anti-Semitic play is tough for local actor to tackle.(Arts - Articles): An article from: Winnipeg Free Press

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Struggling with Shakespeare; Playing the villain in the Bard's notoriously anti-Semitic play is tough for local actor to tackle.(Arts - Articles): An article from: Winnipeg Free Press
Gale Reference Team
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RZACTW
Release Date: 2007-06-13

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Winnipeg Free Press, published by Thomson Gale on June 12, 2007. The length of the article is 1082 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Struggling with Shakespeare; Playing the villain in the Bard's notoriously anti-Semitic play is tough for local actor to tackle.(Arts - Articles)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Winnipeg Free Press (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 12, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: d1

Distributed by Thomson Gale

The bard of Avon lodge of United ancient free and accepted Masons of England

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The bard of Avon lodge of United ancient free and accepted Masons of England
J. C Parkinson
Manufacturer: For private circulation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00089BHK0

[Book Talk by Greg Gibson on his book] "Gone boy : a walkabout" at the Sawyer Free Library, Gloucester, MA, February 2, 2000

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[Book Talk by Greg Gibson on his book] "Gone boy : a walkabout" at the Sawyer Free Library, Gloucester, MA, February 2, 2000
Gregory Gibson
Manufacturer: Sawyer Free Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0006S6762

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