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- A top tier book, without a doubt!
- Very Entertaining Space Opera...
- A Grand Tapestry
- Epic in scope, richly detailed, but some flaws
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Pandora's Star
Peter F. Hamilton
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The Reality Dysfunction Part I: Emergence
ASIN: 0345479211
Release Date: 2005-01-25 |
Book Description
Critics have compared the engrossing space operas of Peter F. Hamilton to the classic sagas of such sf giants as Isaac Asimov and Frank Herbert. But Hamilton’s bestselling fiction—powered by a fearless imagination and world-class storytelling skills—has also earned him comparison to Tolstoy and Dickens. Hugely ambitious, wildly entertaining, philosophically stimulating: the novels of Peter F. Hamilton will change the way you think about science fiction. Now, with Pandora’s Star, he begins a new multivolume adventure, one that promises to be his most mind-blowing yet.
The year is 2380. The Intersolar Commonwealth, a sphere of stars some four hundred light-years in diameter, contains more than six hundred worlds, interconnected by a web of transport “tunnels” known as wormholes. At the farthest edge of the Commonwealth, astronomer Dudley Bose observes the impossible: Over one thousand light-years away, a star . . . vanishes. It does not go supernova. It does not collapse into a black hole. It simply disappears. Since the location is too distant to reach by wormhole, a faster-than-light starship, the Second Chance, is dispatched to learn what has occurred and whether it represents a threat. In command is Wilson Kime, a five-time rejuvenated ex-NASA pilot whose glory days are centuries behind him.
Opposed to the mission are the Guardians of Selfhood, a cult that believes the human race is being manipulated by an alien entity they call the Starflyer. Bradley Johansson, leader of the Guardians, warns of sabotage, fearing the Starflyer means to use the starship’s mission for its own ends,.
Pursued by a Commonwealth special agent convinced the Guardians are crazy but dangerous, Johansson flees. But the danger is not averted. Aboard the Second Chance, Kime wonders if his crew has been infiltrated. Soon enough, he will have other worries. A thousand light-years away, something truly incredible is waiting: a deadly discovery whose unleashing will threaten to destroy the Commonwealth . . . and humanity itself.
Could it be that Johansson was right?
From the Hardcover edition.
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Critics have compared the engrossing space operas of Peter F. Hamilton to the classic sagas of such SF giants as Isaac Asimov and Frank Herbert. But Hamilton's bestselling fiction -- powered by a fearless imagination and world-class storytelling skills -- has also earned him comparison to Tolstoy and Dickens. Hugely ambitious, wildly entertaining, philosophically stimulating: the novels of Peter F. Hamilton will change the way you think about science fiction. Now, with Pandora's Star, he begins a new multivolume adventure, one that promises to be his most mind-blowing yet.
The year is 2380. The Intersolar Commonwealth, a sphere of stars some four hundred light-years in diameter, contains more than six hundred worlds, interconnected by a web of transport "tunnels" known as wormholes. At the farthest edge of the Commonwealth, astronomer Dudley Bose observes the impossible: Over one thousand light-years away, a star... vanishes. It does not go supernova. It does not collapse into a black hole. It simply disappears. Since the location is too distant to reach by wormhole, a faster-than-light starship, the Second Chance, is dispatched to learn what has occurred and whether it represents a threat. In command is Wilson Kime, a five-time rejuvenated ex-NASA pilot whose glory days are centuries behind him.
Opposed to the mission are the Guardians of Selfhood, a cult that believes the human race is being manipulated by an alien entity they call the Starflyer. Bradley Johansson, leader of the Guardians, warns of sabotage, fearing the Starflyer means to use the starship's mission for its own ends.
Pursued by a Commonwealth special agent convinced the Guardians are crazy but dangerous, Johansson flees. But the danger is not averted. Aboard the Second Chance, Kime wonders if his crew has been infiltrated. Soon enough, he will have other worries. A thousand light-years away, something truly incredible is waiting: a deadly discovery whose unleashing will threaten to destroy the Commonwealth... and humanity itself.
Could it be that Johansson was right?
"The depth and clarity of the future Hamilton envisions is as complex and involving as they come."
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (STARRED REVIEW)
"The author's expansive vision of the future combines action and intrigue on a panoramic scale."
LIBRARY JOURNAL
"Astounding... Thrilling... Hamilton uses technology to excellent effect."
SCIENCE FICTION AGE
"Shows how thought-provoking yet entertaining science fiction can be. Some of the best fiction... in years."
MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
"[Hamilton is] taking on one of SF's (and maybe all of literature's) primal jobs: the creation of a world with the scale and complexity of the real one."
LOCUS
"[Hamilton is] a rare talent."
THE DENVER POST
Customer Reviews:
A top tier book, without a doubt!.......2007-08-19
Wow! What can I say? Evidently quite a bit from what you can see below. : ) This book is one of the best books I've read in a long time. I've read hundreds of sci-fi books, and this is one of the better ones.
Pandora's Star is a complex, perhaps epic, tale about the evolution of the Commonwealth (note the capital "C"), as it affects a wide variety of characters. With the invention of wormhole generators, humanity found an effective way to colonize the stars. With proper terraforming and zoning, they created designer worlds, such as a world devoted to X-games type sports, industrial worlds, etc. Naturally, as humanity expanded onto new worlds, new political factions evolved, and sentient alien lifeforms are discovered.
The central storyline revolves around a pair of stars that suddenly disappear. Of course, this happened thousands of years ago since light takes time to make it through the galaxy (points to the author for remembering this). Humans decide to launch an exploratory mission to discover what happened to the stars, and unintentionally loose a hostile and powerful lifeform bent on genocide of humans (hence the title of the book I would assume). Adding to the mix of interesting concepts is rejuvenation, allowing anyone with enough money to rejuvenate their body to whatever age they chose, and the interesting concept of Grand Families, who through rejuvenation and the miracle of compounding interest, amass so much money as to run the galaxy and be the true powers behind the government.
Add to this the concept of the Starflyer, a potentially fictional alien whose final agenda is unknown but presumed to be not in the best interest of mankind, and the Guardians of Selfhood, an underground and essentially terrorist organization who are pledged to fight the Starflyer, and it's a merry mix indeed.
For main characters the variety is impressive. There is Wilson Kime, the commander of the initial manned mission to Mars and possessed of exceptional military command presence; Paula Myro, a genetically bred single minded detective who has only had one unsolved case in 130 years (the arrest of a particularly beguiling agent of the Guardians of Selfhood); Nigel Sheldon, one of the co-inventors of the wormhole generator and the head of one of the Grand Families; Ozzie, the other co-inventor of the wormhole generator and semi-anti-authoritarian, except that because of his great wealth he effectively is "the man" when he wants to be; Dudley Bose, the astronomer who first notices the disappearance of the two stars; Melanie, an immature but ambitious gold-digger who sleeps her way to her goals, and the SI, an artificial intelligence created by man who is generally benevolent but seems to also have its own agenda. There are many others, but you get the idea.
Peter Hamilton manages to weave multiple storylines, some of which it is unclear as to how the fit into the main story arc. I'd consider him the "Tom Clancy" of science fiction in this regard. He manages to inject some science into science fiction, considering things like different gravitational forces depending on the mass of the colonized planets that other authors don't bother with. In hindsight it doesn't sound impressive, but he remembers to do this type of thing in a variety of areas, and it just lends credibility to the tale.
The main storylines include political maneuvering by the Grand Families (Nigel Sheldon), the military mission to the disappeared stars (Wilson Kime), the Indiana Jones type adventures of Ozzie, the rise of Melanie (more interesting than it sounds), the plans and raids of the Guardians of Selfhood against the Starflyer, and the investigation of Paula Myro into the Guardians of Selfhood. I may have left out one or two.
The only minor annoyance I found is that the author is British (no, that's not the annoyance) and occasionally some of the descriptions reference buildings in London (e.g., the layout of Parliament) that while I'm sure are accurate, do nothing for helping me visualize the scene.
Lastly, be forewarned that Pandora' Star is only half the story. It literally and metaphorically leaves you mid-stream in the story. You'll have to read "Judas Unchained" to get the second half.
This book is great. I plan on checking out several of Peter Hamilton's other books as soon as I finish this one, which won't be long given how hard it is to put down.
Very Entertaining Space Opera..........2007-07-01
Plenty of other reviews provide plot synopsis, etc. Here are aspects of this work that I didn't see as much of elsewhere:
1. Overall Believability of Setting:
Hamilton's slick style pulled me right in, and a richly detailed "movie" began playing in my mind's eye almost immediately. I have read very few authors who do this so well -- Julian May is one of the few others who comes to mind.
2. Future Tech:
This work bristles with technology; some mundane, some wicked cool, and some worthy of making you stop and ponder. Very fun.
3. Characters:
Yes, there are loads of them, and a mind-boggling number of story threads. For whatever reason, I can't stand referring to a Dramatis Personae while reading. Uncomfortable at first, I soon realized that though I may not immediately recognize a character thread chapters later, there were always enough "breadcrumbs" in the new thread for my brain to find the link back.
With so many to juggle, Hamilton has to set-up characters quickly, and make them stick. I think he does this very well, with excellent hooks: quirks, an interesting point-of-view, a feeling for a loved one, the impact of interaction with technology, etc.
4. Entertainment Value:
A Bargain Bonanza. This book, plus its sequel, Judas Unchained, are two thousand pages of amazingly great entertainment. Would make a great series on the Sci-Fi Channel.
5. Humor: Ask yourself, when was the last time you read Sci-Fi that actually made you laugh out loud? Give up? Read this :-)
A Grand Tapestry.......2007-06-13
"Pandora's Star," Peter F. Hamilton's sprawling 988-page opus (first volume of two)is a thrill. It's an episodic space opera cum techno thriller, in which the kicker is that people can be, and are, rejuvenated and can also store their memories electronically, in case something happens to them. So death is impermanent. The society the author conjures up is called "The Commonwealth," an organiztion of explored planets linked by wormholes.
The story, told in multiple povs, takes a while to get started, and along the way it delves into many familiar sci-fi themes, while managing to make every one of them fresh. It begins with a look at the first landing on Mars, segues into the tale of an astronomer who makes a starting discovery, morphs into a police procedural, follows with a "behind closed doors" glimpse into political decisionmaking, and then gives us a look at an X-Game version of hang gliding.
And that brings us all the way to page 126.
The story gains steam as an FTL starship--obsolete tech in this age of wormholes--is built (and this is where that astronomer's discovery comes in) in order to learn why the double star system known as the "Dyson Pair" has been shielded by some sort of force field. Is it meant to keep the natives of that system within, or to protect them from what lies without? As if that weren't enough, a terrorist group wants to prevent this excursion.
But even as this is going on, the author continues his journey through genres--a murder mystery is solved (yes, I know I explained that people can be rejuvenated here, but wait for it); a low-tech fantasy theme is introduced (a scene at an inn, a native boy who wants to join the explorer, and so forth) that at one point presents readers with a trek across a frozen planet (a la LeGuin), and there's even a priggish dad with an ickily cute family (complete with dog) on one of those impossibly utopian planets (think Kim Stanley Robinson with an edge). There's a helpful AI, and some alien critters, too. In fact, there are so many characters, so many concepts, that maybe you'll feel that this is the first sci-fi epic you've ever read that could have used an index. (Certainly a list of characters could have been provided.)
About 700 pages in, we finally meet the creeptastic villain(s) (eek! hive mind!), after which the tale cascades on swiftly on to the end of part I.
So pull up a chair, relax and enjoy. And be not afraid. While the 988th page is just the halfway point in the saga, part two, "Judas Unchained" is now available. (At 1008 pages and, oh wow! a list of characters.)
Epic in scope, richly detailed, but some flaws.......2007-05-26
To use the word "sweeping" in a description of this novel is almost to diminish what the word actually means in the context of the scale that is present in this extremeley challenging and detailed science fiction novel. Pandora's star is our future hundreds of years from now when humans have discovered how to create wormholes in space. This technology has led humankind to be spread over hundreds of worlds with the ease of stepping through a portal to the other side. Hamilton has keenly created a possible future, replete with commercial and governmental infrustructure and fully realized high technology. And this future scares the hell out of me! Humans have developed the ability to live "forever" by storing their memories in something like a computer bank vault, and then reimplanting those memories into a lab created, accelerated growth clone. Part of the brilliance of Hamilton is that he has indeed hypothesized the impact this may have on humanity in terms of values, wealth, and societal institutions such as marriage and family. This future envisions a completely secularized society (since there is no death, what is the point?) where marriages are merely a business partnership with fringe benefits of sex and childrearing. Even childbirth is usually undertaken in a laboratory. The continued exploration of space has led to a prosperous free market system, and the limitless lifespans have led to vast wealth accumulation. Thus, externally humanity is more prosperous and mobile than it has ever been. A sole astronomy professor has discovered that a couple of stars hundreds of light years away, have seemingly "winked out." This was no natural phenomena, but apparently caused by some type of alien interference. It is this backdrop of a story upon which this novel is based. Could it be that this has something to do with the alien invasion warned about by the Guardians of selfhood? The Guardians are a secretive cultish society that believes that aliens have infiltrated human society and will destroy them. Their leaders have been hunted by the government for over a hundred years, accused of sabotage and murder.
There are a vast array of characters and a huge number of subplots in this book. Towards the middle and the end of the book I expected that I had covered all of the subplots only for a new one to start. In fact, they continue on almost through to the end of the book. One drawback of this is that some of the subplots are far more interesting than others and I was dissappointed to have to leave those to start in on a less interesting one and then have to wait for a very long time to get back to the interesting ones. The alien presence imagined in this novel is most certainly menacing. I would have to say that this is the most malevolent and fully scientifically realized alien that I have ever encountered. There is some derivation ala Ender's Game, but this is so fully imagined that it is only a surface comparison.
It is this ominous alien presence that is the real strength of the novel. It is so well done that it was almost hard to read. The tremendous scope of the novel, while ambitious, does detract a bit from the overall effectiveness of the narrative. Some of it was tedious and distracting. The characters were well written and also actualized well, however some were simply not necessary. Even though the future implications of an eternal life were well described, however ultimately believable or not, I found the existence sterile and soulless, and this also affected my ultimate enjoyment of the book. A secular humanity, devoted only to the pursuit of human material gratification, no lifelong devotion and commitment to another person, and no real human metaphysical connection seemed to me to be more horrible a future calamity than any hostile alien presence.
Pandora's star is still so well crafted, and the alien threat so absolutely menacing, that despite the length issues and the numerous subplots and characters it is well worth reading. If not for its story and what that says, but for the uncomfortable ramifications of an eternal and soulless life.
Not so much.......2007-05-24
Despite the heft of this book and it's sequel, the plot is simple: a star-spanning human civilization is threatened by an implacable enemy suddenly unleashed by another mysterious force. Worlds are destroyed, battles are fought, disparate human factions try to use the conflict to their own ends, quirky aliens hang out on the sidelines, a huge cast of characters shapes and is shaped by events, a whole gaggle of subplots is resolved.
Fair enough. Too bad this is also the plot of the Night's Dawn trilogy. Been there, done that, got a hernia from lifting the darn thing.
Someone compared Hamilton to Dickens. Dickens was intentionally verbose because he was getting paid by the word.
Skip this and stick with someone a little more terse, like Vernor Vinge.
Book Description
A Romulan Bird of Prey mysteriously drifts over the neutral zone and into Federation territory. Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise investigate, only to find the ship dead in space. When Starfleet orders the derelict ship brought to Earth for examination, the Enterprise returns home with perhaps her greatest prize.
But the Bird of Prey carries a dangerous cargo, a deadly force that is soon unleashed in the heart of the Federation. Suddenly, the only hope for the Federation's survival lies buried in the tortured memory of Commander Spock's protégé, a cadet named Saavik. Together, Spock and Saavik must return to the nightmare world of Saavik's birth -- a planet called Hellguard, to discover the secret behind the Romulans' most deadly threat of all...
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Captain Kirk and the Enterprise crew bring to Earth for examination a disabled Romulan Bird of Prey. But the Bird carries a deadly cargo. The Federation's survival depends on Spock and his protege Saavik. The two must return to the planet of Saavik's birth to discover the Romulan's secret and its soluction.
Customer Reviews:
A feast for Saavik fans.......2007-01-04
A Romulan plot to destroy the Federation hinges on the curiosity of humans and Vulcans. Mysterious boxes are left for Federation ships to find, boxes that when opened wreck havoc and destruction, very like the original box that the first Pandora opened. The Federation has reason to hope that they will not be destroyed, hope in the form of Saavik and her past life before she was found by Spock.
This is a wonderful find for anyone who was intrigued by the Saavik character introduced in The Wrath of Khan. Her childhood and first meeting with Spock are revealed as well as her parentage. The description of her relationship with Spock is particularly well written.
This is a definite 'must read' for any fan of Saavik, and of interest for fans of Spock. Fans of McCoy might be less impressed however.
One of my two favorite Star Trek books.......2006-09-17
I deeply appreciated this book. The characterization was excellent, both in portraying Saavik's traumatic childhood, and her relationship with Spock. Independent of it being a Star Trek book, I found the depiction of Saavik's life a moving portrayal of the effects of an abusive childhood, and the fight to overcome early traumas. In terms of Star Trek, I enjoyed seeing one of the main characters (Spock) have a lasting and powerful relationship with someone outside the normal cast of characters, and a life beyond his starship existence.
Interesting, but with some holes.......2003-08-11
This is not a novel I felt the need to trade in, but I do think many of the criticisms pointed out by other reviewers are accurate. The backstory given to Saavik, although compelling to read, can be rather difficult to associate with her character as portrayed in the Star Trek movies. It seems more fitting to Valeris of Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country, who was also clearly a protege of Spock, and much more of a loose cannon. I could much more believe her a product of a feral childhood than Saavik.
Also, some of the characterizations other than Spock and Saavik can be thin, even annoying, especially in the case of Dr. McCoy. McCoy unfortunately is turned into an irritating screamer that I dreaded to see any time he entered the room. Rather than the intelligent sparring of wits between Spock and McCoy seen in novels by other authors, he simply seems to rant rather unintelligently. McCoy was easily the thinnest character in the entire novel.
The plot does seem cliched--for instance, the pair of novels Demons and Possession seem to deal with such "superweapons", as does the book Thin Air from the Belle Terre miniseries, and sometimes I think the other books handled it better. It's a bit far to annihilate an entire city on Earth with no precedent in the Star Trek canon. Also, the entire description of the alluring, hypnotic power of the boxes, and existence of a large cache of them seems too derivative of Demons.
If you can suspend disbelief and notice of these many flaws, however, the portrayal of the effects of feral childhood, and Spock in the mentor role is actually very compelling. I would probably have awarded this book a 2.5 due to its many flaws--however, since I did keep the book I round up to 3.
Pandora Principle - Worth Opening.......2003-06-30
I was very tempted to give this one only two stars; reading the other reviews changed my mind. The novel reads like an *almost* great novel yet ultimately doesn't rise above the average Trek book. There are two significant issues. First, Clowes has great difficulty keeping the narrative voice constant. She changes perspective without warning, to jarring effect. Perhaps she was deliberately aiming for a third-person omniscient voice rather than limited third-person, but she doesn't succeed. The other major issue is one that usually doesn't bother me: Saavik does not seem like Saavik at all. Try as I might, I could not see either Kirstie Alley or the other one in this Saavik, and it really, really grated.
There is some good, though. The "Saavik" we're presented with is interesting enough, and the story opens with a poignant conflict between Spock and Sarek. It is difficult to say why this one left me fairly cold when others were greatly moved. No Trek fan will be wasting his or her time reading it, though.
One of the best........2003-05-28
This book, set in the time period between the first and second Star Trek movies ("Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan") deals in depth with the character of Saavik, who appears in "Wrath of Khan" (and "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock") as a recent Starfleet Academy graduate. In this book (when we aren't seeing her in flashback scenes as a feral child rescued and raised by Mr. Spock) we see her as an academy cadet.
The characterizations, plot, and writing in this book are all excellent. I recommend it highly for any Star Trek fan, and particularly so for anyone wishing more insight into the character of Saavik.
Book Description
For many years, Elizabeth Young has been one of the few critics in England to champion new writing and the avant-garde. Pandora's Handbag is a unique combination of autobiography, commentary, published journalism and writer's guide for would-be Arts journalists. A riveting read, the book contains revealing interviews with Herbert Huncke, Jayne County, Dennis Cooper, Edward Gorey and Poppy Z. Brite, amongst others.
o Flyer Mailing to American fiction departments
o Ad in The Nation
Elizabeth Young is a critic, arts journalist, and the co-author of Shopping in Space: Essays on American "Blank Generation" Fiction published by Grove Atlantic.
Customer Reviews:
This book's a work of genius.......2004-07-20
Trust me on this: if you care about books, this is one you absolutely must read. Elizabeth Young has a stupendous prose style, a sinuous & interesting taste and a way of hooking you from page 1. I only heard about this because someone I know at Serpent's Tail gave me a copy, but it's a crime this book isn't better known in the USA. I am about to buy several copies so that I can give them away & make some converts.
Average customer rating:
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Best in Children's Books (America's Glorius Past, The Star Spangeled Banner, Pet of the Met, The Tinder Box, Pandora, The Velveteen Rabbit, Simple Sewing: A Doll and Her Clothes, Let's Look at Russia, The Wonderful Teakettle, Beezus and Her Imagination, Amazing Animals of Australia)
Manufacturer: Nelson Doubleday, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000E61BBW |
Average customer rating:
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Pandora's Star (Pb)
Hamilton Peter F
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Science Fiction & Fantasy
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Star Trek: The Pandora Principle
Carolyn Clowes
Manufacturer: Pocket Books #65815-8
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Book Description
Dedicated as few men have been to the life of reason, Bertrand Russell has always been concerned with the basic questions to which religion also addresses itself -- questions about man's place in the universe and the nature of the good life, questions that involve life after death, morality, freedom, education, and sexual ethics. He brings to his treatment of these questions the same courage, scrupulous logic, and lofty wisdom for which his other work as philosopher, writer, and teacher has been famous. These qualities make the essays included in this book perhaps the most graceful and moving presentation of the freethinker's position since the days of Hume and Voltaire.
"I am as firmly convinced that religions do harm as I am that they are untrue," Russell declares in his Preface, and his reasoned opposition to any system or dogma which he feels may shackle man's mind runs through all the essays in this book, whether they were written as early as 1899 or as late as 1954.
The book has been edited, with Lord Russell's full approval and cooperation, by Professor Paul Edwards of the Philosophy Department of New York University. In an Appendix, Professor Edwards contributes a full account of the highly controversial "Bertrand Russell Case" of 1940, in which Russell was judicially declared "unfit" to teach philosophy at the College of the City of New York.
Whether the reader shares or rejects Bertrand Russell's views, he will find this book an invigorating challenge to set notions, a masterly statement of a philosophical position, and a pure joy to read.
Customer Reviews:
shocked to discover Russell is an antisemite.......2007-09-14
I was extremely shocked and pained to read Russell's essay Ideas That Have Helped Mankind (as well as his writings on China) and discover that he was a flaming antisemite, and also something of a fool.
He writes: "We know what the Nazis did to Jews at Auschwitz. In mass cruelty, the expulsions of Germans ordered by the Russians fall not very far short of the atrocities perpetuated by the Nazis." Here he is skirting close to Holocaust denial, comparing post-war suffering of East Germans to genocide of 90% of Europe's Jews!
Elsewhere he lists the contributions of Jewish ethics to Western civilization as fanaticism and intolerance, and pretends that we got our belief that all men are created equal from the Stoics and the New Testament, with quotes that are mere paraphrases from the Hebrew Bible. He ignores all the Jewish lessons on equality and sacredness of every life including, Love thy neighbor as thyself. This is pure religious bigotry. What a hypocrite!
What is truly distressing is that his antisemitic comments from the book on China have been picked up and repeated by Chinese web sites today, so Russell's evil deeds are poisoning the present.
The Hobo Philosopher.......2007-09-09
Well, clearly if you are a Christian you will indubitably not relish this work nor would I see any reason why you would want to buy it. This book is for those who do not find Christianity appealing. Russell has many arguments that are logical and rational. This book is not difficult. It is not harsh. It is not mean spirited. I have read many others that are much more denigrating. Russell stays well above the shallow and vicious. He backs his arguments with history, science and logic. He is simple and to the point. This book is old. I bought my first copy back in the late 50's. But for those non-Christians and semi-Christians who are newly starting on the road to dubiousness and other possibilities, this book is as relevant as it ever was. Common sense doesn't really change all that much.
Why I am not a Christian is only one of several essays in this book. There is another great one on the Fate of Tom Paine and there is also a concise explanation of Russell personal beliefs. I've read this book several times and I will read it again, I'm sure.
The Fount Of Much Modern Criticism of Christianity.......2007-05-23
If you have read any of Richard Dawkins' or Sam Harris' works, you will recognize immediately, as did I, that essentially they have not progressed very far in the main from what Russell was saying at the turn of the 20th century.
Russell writes clearly and with wonderful wit. This book is easy to read, accessible at all levels and straight forward in its conclusions. I disagree with Russell on just about everything, but there is no denying the consistency of his thought nor his willingness to live consistently what that which he espouses.
His multiple marriages and numerous liaisons are absolutely convergent with his disapproval of any societal strictures against sexual freedom. He adamantly insists that all moral formulations only reflect the inherent desires of those who espouse them. This leads him to conclude that there is no absolute difference between the poet and the murderer and that it is illogical to build a statue to one and to consign the other to the realm of shame. To Russell, all human actions result from the combined causality of genetics and social conditioning and that we should no more look down upon one who is doing criminal things than we should look down upon a person who has the measles.
Like most radical liberals of his day Russell understood education as the realm of the Messiah. Education, under the guidance of enlightened thinkers such as himself, would radically alter and improve the human specie so that we could hope to live lives of love and freedom. Utopia beckons, we have only to embrace it rationally and pursue it energetically.
In all his brilliance Russell never comes to grips in these essays with his primary problem. He was totally lacking in grounds on which to criticize the rising stars of Hitler and Mussolini other than the fact that their methods and their conclusions differed from his own. He had no standard other than appeal to like sympathies in others to say that perhaps the manner and nature of those regimes was worse or better than his own. He cannot discover in the world of science why "what is" is either "what ought" or "what ought not" to be.
Read the book and discover the ultimate vacuity of a world view without external referrent.
A Must. Do read it, please........2007-04-24
Russell teaches to be atheist, a concept none can develop if left, unarmed since a boy, under the havy bombings of christian ideas.
THINK ABOUT IT.......2007-03-14
Isn't it interesting that Mr. Russell claims that all religions are shackles to the mind, but yet why is it that only Christians are attacked, even the title of this book is WHY I AM NOT A CHIRSTIAN, well if it's true that Mr., Russell believes this of all religions why is only Christianity attacked? Why is it that out of all the religious leaders in history of all the religions only Christ is made fun of, only Christ is repeatedly sought out to be disproved...Because HE IS THE TRUTH. The world and things of this world will never understand that. But lies will always attack the truth. Granted there are fanatics to every religion, but if you want to know the truth find a REAL Christian. They are rare to be found but there are still a few.
Product Description
Dedicated as few men have been to the life of reason, Bertrand Russell has always been concerned with the basic questions to which religion also addresses itself -- questions about man's place in the universe and the nature of the good life, questions that involve life after death, morality, freedom, education, and secual ethics. He brings to his treatment of these questions the same courage, srupulous logic, and lofty wisdom fo0r which his other work as philosopher, writer, and teacher has been famous. These qualities make the essays included in this book perhaps the most graceful and moving presentation of the freethinker's position since the days of Hume and Voltaire.
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