Book Description
Why can't you remember where you put your keys? Or the title of the movie you saw last week? Or the name of your favorite restaurant?
Acclaimed journalist Cathryn Jakobson Ramin takes readers on a lively journey to explain what happens to memory and attention in middle age. Along the way, she turns up fresh scientific findings, explores the dark regions of the human brain, and hears the intimate confessions of high-functioning midlife adults who—like you—want to understand exactly what's going on upstairs.
Anyone older than forty knows that forgetfulness can be unnerving, frustrating, and sometimes terrifying. With compassion and humor, Jakobson Ramin sets out to discover what midlife forgetfulness is all about—from the perspectives of physiology, psychology, and sociology. Relentless in her search for answers to questions about her own unreliable memory, she explores the factors that determine how well—or poorly—one's brain will age. She consults experts in the fields of sleep, stress, traumatic brain injury, hormones, genetics, and dementia, as well as specialists in nutrition, cognitive psychology, and the burgeoning field of drug-based cognitive enhancement. The landscape of the midlife brain is not what you might think, and to understand its strengths and weaknesses turns out to be the best way to cope.
Jakobson Ramin's reporting of the stories of a wide array of midlife men and women will resonate with readers. Her audience will glean spectacular insight into how to elicit the very best performance from a middle-aged brain. A groundbreaking work that represents the best of narrative nonfiction, this is a timely, highly readable, and much-needed book for anyone whose memory is not what it used to be.
Customer Reviews:
A Lifeline for the Hopelessly Forgetful.......2007-10-10
Author has substantially done her research. This book is extremely informative in an easy to read format. She approaches this subject with ease and humor and tackles it head on. Anyone who has reached a point in their life where they question their forgetfulness and memory will find comfort in the knowledge and insight shared by her. It is a subject not commonly addressed but is a concern to many, especially as the "boomer" generation has approached midlife, perhaps fearing dementia or Alzheimer's.
I found the answer to my health problems.......2007-09-19
I read "Carved in Sand" book looking for answers to my frequent "young-senior" moments. This book is easy to read and full of information about the different issues related to memory loss. It is so interesting that you want keep reading it until reach the end. Cathryn Jakobson Ramin did extensive research with many scientists, physicians and mental health professionals bringing to light the reasons why some people lose memory when they reach mid-life.
Thanks to this book I found the answer to my other health problems that I have suffered with since I was 39 years old and the solution to helping me feel better. It was a light bulb moment for me. I recommend this book to everybody.
Friends Lined Up.......2007-09-18
This book speaks to a fear many boomers silently suffer with--memory loss. We sort of expect the elderly to have memory problems, but its not supposed to bother the late middle-aged!!. As I told my friends about Ramin's exploration and her journey into the many experiences with and causes of faltering memory in middle age, my friends lined up for me to finish the book and loan it to them. This is a topic that is largely hidden and dealt with in silence. A welcome contribution to this field.
At least I'm not alone.......2007-09-14
Entertaining and informative. packed with medical details, yet written in an entertaining and understandable way. It answered a lot of questions and cleared up a lot of misconceptions I had about Alzheimers. I also requested for a prescrition change.
Highly recommended.......2007-09-07
The big question for all of us in the middle age bracket is this: When we draw a blank when searching for a word or a person's name--is this normal forgetfulness or are we suffering from something much scarier? In this well-researched book, Cathryn Jakobson Ramin does an excellent job of presenting possible reasons for memory lapses and ways to deal with them.
In addition to having her brain and body tested for what might be the cause of her own memory lapses, the author interviewed many people and performed extensive research on the topic. She found that how you treat your brain in middle age will make a difference later. Midlife is the time to act: to make good decisions on diet, stress management, sleeping habits, and exercise.
She writes that today's world is an especially difficult time to reach middle age as we are "smack in the middle of a technological revolution." We can be overwhelmed by the amount of information available and the endless stream of interruptions, multitasking, and over stimulation.
In very readable prose, she explains how our minds are affected by the foods we consume, our hormones, the drugs we take, the chemicals in the environment, our sleep patterns, blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and the amount of exercise that we get. Since we need to build up our cognitive reserve to keep mentally active, she gives tips on how to perform these "intellectual push-ups."
In spite of the seriousness of the subject, this book is a pleasure to read and even funny at times.
Customer Reviews:
Golen Age of the Pharaohs: offical Book of the Exhibition .......2007-09-09
Fantastic book; saved money by purchasing it through Amazon. Shows all the exibits. Very pleased with the book. A fine edition to anyones collection.
Very good book.......2007-09-09
I bought the book before seeing the tour in Philly. The book is very well done, and very good representation of the tour. Beautiful photographs, plus good rich text around the history of the 18th dynasty.
Other reviews talk about the tour, which isn't really what the book is about. The tour was rather crowded, and I was somewhat disappointed that all the objects were small, and no Tut sarcophagus. Very little explanation of the layout, so my son was complaining about the lack of Tut objects; they included many from the 18th dynasty.
I recommend the official DVD, its great; bought it at the show.
yasangel.......2007-08-31
Beautiful book, great pictures. Great to have with you if you get to see exhibit.
Gollden Age of the Pharaohs.......2007-07-16
Purchased in anticipation of the opening of the exhibition in London in November, the book is a mine of information. Not only does Zahi Hawass describe the objects on display, but he places them in context and gives a vivid picture of life in Egypt at the time of Tutankhamun and before his accession to the throne. Not only a great read, a reference for future use and up to Dr Hawass usual enthusiastic and vivid style. A must-have book for anyone interested in Egypt.
absolutly stunning....a once in a life time chance...........2007-07-04
First and formost DO NOT miss the King Tut tour.....the artifatcs are absoutely astounding and incredibly beautiful beyond words..It it truly extremely hard to wrap your mind around that every peice is wll over 3000 yers old. As for the book itself it is nithing short of amazing...caputring the exibit almost in its entirety....but NOTHING compares to seeing the absoultly stunnig tour live...a truly once in a life time experience...after the US tour concludes it it will never leave Cairo again...The book is worth its weight in gold...the awsome photography and articles by renowned archiloghits and her HRH the Queen of Egypt her self...THis tour the book by National Geographic and the Official DVD are some of the greatest gifts ever bestowed opon the world. A gift from the heart of Egypt to the world that will never be go on tour again...A humbling experience live and most interesting reading a msater work indeed...Bravo!!!
Amazon.com
According to Bob Burford, broaching midlife doesn't have to be a crisis. In fact, in Half Time, Burford insists that it is actually an opportunity to begin the better half of life. The first half is busy with "getting and gaining, earning and learning," doing what you can to survive, while clawing your way up the ladder of success. The second half of life should be about regaining control, calling your own shots, and enjoying "God's desire ... for you to serve him just by being who you are, by using what he gave you to work with." What lies between the two is "halftime." Buford argues that whether you are a millionaire, a manager, or a teacher, you will one day have to transition from the struggle for success to the quest for significance. Halftime, then, is a quiet time of deliberate decision-making, restructuring, and passionate contemplation of your heart's deepest desires. Buford's writing is grounded in the real-life experience of success and failure, and most poignantly, the death of his son. While he has led a very successful life in the eyes of the world, Buford's personal stories reveal that his faith in Christ is his central priority. Instead of a transition to be feared, Buford makes midlife an introspective journey of abundance that will unleash God's best for you. --Jill Heatherly
Book Description
Bob Buford's Halftime shows how men can make their middle years a time of transformation toward a more satisfying -- and significant -- life.
Customer Reviews:
A book about the stages of life........2007-09-21
Bob Buford does an execellent job in presenting not only the changes in ones life but also possible courses to take!
This book hit home!.......2007-03-28
When I decided to take an early retirement from my company of 30+ years, a friend recommended that I read this book. I couldn't believe how it hit the mark with me. Granted, I am what I would consider to be a 'spiritual person', but aside from that, Buford really hit the nail on the head with many of the feelings that I had been experiencing of late.. That is, the entire notion of putting 'significance' ahead of 'success' in life. Isn't that what everyone would want to leave as his/her legacy?
I enjoyed the book, and found it to be relevant, interesting, and a fast read. I recommend it for anyone who is moving into a mid-50s 'retirement' period, sorting out the opportunities that are out there.
Outstanding.......2007-02-11
If you're looking for a life of significance after success, or even if you feel you have had very little success, this book will make you significant in serving others. A must-read. Get it now, and don't delay. It will change your life.
Half Time.......2007-01-17
An excellent resource for anyone in career transitioning...insightful and thought provoking while reassuring to the reader that much of the anxiety associated with career transitions is normal. Self reflection and devoted planning time are required to get the absolute most out of this book.
Concept vs. Applicability.......2006-08-09
This was a nice story about a guy making a journey from success to significance in the second half of his life. Unfortunately, most of us don't have the financial resources to do things the way he did them. Conceptually, what he is saying is appropriate. However, most of us don't have the millions that allow for extended time off to reflect, seek the help of consultants, conduct low cost probes, etc.
If you're looking for a nice inspirational story of one man's journey in faith, this is a good read. If you're looking for some strong Biblical insights on which to make some life change, this is not the book to use for that.
Book Description
After the long period of cultural decline known as the Dark Ages, Europe experienced a rebirth of scholarship, art, literature, philosophy, and science and began to develop a vision of Western society that remains at the heart of Western civilization today.
By placing the image of the Virgin Mary at the center of their churches and their lives, medieval people exalted womanhood to a level unknown in any previous society. For the first time, men began to treat women with dignity and women took up professions that had always been closed to them.
The communion bread, believed to be the body of Jesus, encouraged the formulation of new questions in philosophy: Could reality be so fluid that one substance could be transformed into another? Could ordinary bread become a holy reality? Could mud become gold, as the alchemists believed? These new questions pushed the minds of medieval thinkers toward what would become modern science.
Artists began to ask themselves similar questions. How can we depict human anatomy so that it looks real to the viewer? How can we depict motion in a composition that never moves? How can two dimensions appear to be three? Medieval artists (and writers, too) invented the Western tradition of realism.
On visits to the great cities of Europe—monumental Rome; the intellectually explosive Paris of Peter Abelard and Thomas Aquinas; the hotbed of scientific study that was Oxford; and the incomparable Florence of Dante and Giotto—Cahill brilliantly captures the spirit of experimentation, the colorful pageantry, and the passionate pursuit of knowledge that built the foundations for the modern world. Bursting with stunning four-color art, MYSTERIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES is the ultimate Christmas gift book.
Customer Reviews:
All Over The Map.......2007-09-16
Maybe Cahill's a frustrated stand-up comic. Imagine the author as a stand-up inviting the audience to suggest topics for improvised comedic departure. Someone shouts out, "The Middle Ages!" and Cahill thinks, "Yeah. I can go with that." So we're off on tangent after tangent about Frank Zappa or Osama Bin Laden. Spare us the "cute" writing. Please.
Better Items Available.......2007-09-03
I agree with most of the negative reviewers of this product. The author is condescending and irritating. While he has a fine grasp of the English language, many of his conjectures are not only incorrect they are idiotic. His personal views, which he feels a need to share, detract from the story he is trying to tell in an unavoidable and irritating way. Stay away from this one.
Enjoyable overview of the Middle Ages & how they formed us.......2007-08-12
This is the fourth book in Cahill's "Hinges of History" series, and it is excellent. As others have pointed out it is not in-depth, not scholarly but rather written for people who don't usually read history. He makes it completly enjoyable, ties together main points, major movements, the pivotable people in a sort of quilt of moving shapes and colors that for a moment bring it all alive again. In this book famous and less famous people each are used to illustrate points about an era, and the changes that began in that era, and in fact that person may have been the one of powerhouses of the change, like Abelard, or Eleanor of Aquitaine, or simply a recorder or interpreter of it as Giotto was. Each fingernail sketch of a life in its unique era is memorable. Hildegarde of Bingen, at age 8, was given to the Church by her noble parents, to be interred as an anchorite, a life of complete sequestration, forever. Yet as she grew to adulthood the depth and breadth of her learning, taught to her in her little walled-in cell by a monk, grew to the point that her writings and correspondence was noted throughout Europe and even the Popes knew of her. She was perhaps the best known and best educated woman in Europe in her day and the most influential in the Roman Catholic Church. Made an abbess and allowed to preach and write openly she lived on to age 81, renowned and venerated. Eleanor of Aquitaine, the richest heiress in Europe at age 15, ruler of Aquitaine and other parts of France larger than the remaining lands of France itself was married first to the French king and went on Crusade with him, the first Noble woman known to do so; divorced him to marry her lover the much younger king of England; was the mother of several sons by him including Richard the Lion Hearted, her favorite...from her, most of the royalty of Europe descends. She was a strong, powerful,and free woman for most of her long life. The story of Heloise and Abelard, the great and tragic lovers is retold really well. Dante's story,his long exile due to the great wars of his native Florence and the feuding families at the root of it all reminds one of the Romeo and Juliet story: the "two houses"...But not to miss the point that each life discussed is tied in to a specific time and concept of an age different from us but leading toward us and our time. In fact, as the author points out, the events, the gradual change in thought-- never predetermined-- were how our era as it is now was formed; our way of seeing the world, our political, relgious, cultural and scientific, views were formed from theirs, our immediate cultural forebears.
An Engaging Writer but Superficial and Wrongheaded History.......2007-07-15
Though an engaging writer, Cahill is an appallingly bad historian. He compares the medieval nun Hildegard of Bingen to blues singer Bessie Smith (Hildegard's lyrics display a spiritualized eroticism) and the woman in bondage in The Story of O and refers to Desperate Housewives and Sex and the City in the same passage. ("This was one loose sister," is his characterization of Hildegard.) He compares Dante to James Joyce on the grounds that both were exiles infatuated with their mother cities. He characterizes WWI's Gallipoli as a "confrontation between ... Islam and the West," an appallingly bad summary of a complex military campaign which had little to do with religion and a great deal to do with military matters. Throughout the book, Cahill tramples history into a muddled paste of great figures and exalting moments, ignoring nuance or exception. He concludes with a five-page diatribe against sycophancy and buggery in today's Church. The footnotes don't inform much; the bibliography omits essential scholarship (e.g., R. W. Southern on medieval humanism, Roberto Lopez and Lauro Martines on Renaissance humanism). It is difficult to conceive of an audience that would benefit from reading this silly and superficial book.
Haven't finished reading it yet...too soon..........2007-07-05
but from the first page I have felt as though this is the easiest and most interesting way to experience history.
I don't believe anyone else can make reading & studying history such a pleasure. My method is to jot down notes on a small paper pad with the page number noted, so I can go back & make sure I have absorbed the links that have led to the future. There is such a stupendous wealth of detail.
I have all of Thomas Cahill's Hinges of History books so far and have never been disappointed yet.
Mary H.
Book Description
The first volume of The New Cambridge Medieval History covers the transitional period between the later Roman world and the early middle ages, c. 500 to c. 700. This was an era of developing consciousness and profound change in Europe, Byzantium and the Arab world, an era in which the foundations of medieval society were laid and to which many of our modern myths of national and religious identity can be traced. This book offers a comprehensive regional survey of the sixth and seventh centuries, from Ireland in the west to the rise of Islam in the Middle East, and from Scandinavia in the north to the Mediterranean south. It explores the key themes pinning together the history of this period, from kingship, trade and the church, to art, architecture and education. It represents both an invaluable conspectus of current scholarship and an expert introduction to the period.
Amazon.com
As greater numbers of naysayers look forward to the collapse of civilization, perhaps it's best to see what happened last time. It turns out the Dark Ages weren't so bad--in fact, after reading through The Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, you might find yourself pining for the good old days before the Renaissance. Historian Norman F. Cantor has assembled a crack team of experts to unleash their copious knowledge on our modern world; better still, Viking Press has enlisted excellent designers to present the information efficiently and even beautifully. You'll find yourself irresistibly drawn from one entry to the next (there are over 600, so leave time for browsing) as the story of the Council of Nicaea leads on to explorations of medieval Christianity and much more. Twenty longer essays on general topics provide the foundation for the rest of the Encyclopedia and make great reading on their own, but the meat of the book is in the details. Lavishly illustrated in both color and black-and-white, including artworks, maps, and timetables, this reference work looks as good on the shelf as it does on the coffee table. --Rob Lightner
Book Description
From the world's most distinguished medievalist comes a lively and vivid account of the lords and ladies, saints and scholars, kings and peasants who shaped the history and culture of one of the richest and most misunderstood periods in history. In this full-color, landmark reference, Cantor and a team of scholars and experts explore the entire medieval world--from the British Isles to the Far East, and the great figures--Dante, Chaucer, Aquinas, who defined the period. >From the Crusades to the Vikings, The Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages contains 600 individual entries and over 200 illustrations from world-famous collections, including the British Museum and the Morgan Library. Twenty major essays portraying the lives of Medieval luminaries, and original maps charting military campaigns and developing nations, make this the indispensable home reference for scholars and students.
Customer Reviews:
good work but typos?? hurt.......2004-08-03
This is a beautifully produced book with hundreds of color plates. There are many areas barely touched upon, but this is not a deep work, just one meant to acquaint people with Medieval times and possibly lure to a more in depth study. But since this is an "encyclopedia", I ask did you ever get in depth works there? They are merely the start of a journey. If you think along those lines you will have a clear view of how this books works and serves. So approach it as that and you will be pleased.
It is merely a starting point. Some inaccurate information, so beware to double check sources when using information. Not sure if the errors were done in actual research (hard to believe of a Rhodes Scholar) or just typos. Either way, in a work such as this they really hurt the credibility.
1000 years of History.......2003-06-16
'The Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages', edited by Robert Cantor (Rhodes Scholar, Fulbright Fellow, &c.) is a good reference work, an encyclopedic dictionary, covering the roughly 1000 years from the fall of Rome to the Renaissance. In addition the usual definition-explanation entries, it has three types of sidebar essays: Illuminations, which focus on sources, Life in the Middle Ages, which talks about common life details, and Legend and Lore, which explores imaginative concepts which informed medieval life.
There are maps, literally hundreds of photographs and illustrations, a layout that is inviting for study, reference, or general reading. It is 'easy on the eyes', much more so that a usual encyclopedia.
The scope of this work is also broader than most medieval reference texts. 'Despite what students of medieval history are accustomed to reading, life did exist outside of Europe in the Middle Ages.' That having been said, this is still a very euro-centric book. This book gives a great deal of attention to science, medicine, and other topics often ignored or pushed to the periphery of a more politically-oriented textual treatment.
There is an introductory essay that is well worth reading even if this is meant to be an on-the-shelf-for-reference-only sort of book. In talking about the influence on popular culture of the Middle Ages (everything from The Name of the Rose to the medieval garb, feudal structure and apprenticeship-education framework of Star Wars), Cantor says:
'In order to recognise [this Middle Ages influence] one has to have at some time known, and this has been the job of historians, who today painfully append to Santayana's famous saying (about those forgetting the past being condemned to repeat it) the observation that one cannot forget a history one did not know in the first place.'
Cantor describes twentieth century medievalists as being on a quest for 'wellsprings of a romantic and idealistic consciousness that would inspire a vibrant counterculture.' There is some of that in this book, but largely being encyclopedic rather than analytical and critical in nature, the reader/researcher can use the information contained herein for his own evaluations.
From the Abbadid and Abbasid Dynasties to Yaroslave the Wise and Yugoslavia, from Boethius to Wycliffe, this book has hidden treats and interesting articles for all.
Not a reliable sourcebook for the Middle Ages.......2002-06-27
Supposedly, this book was put together by some of the "world's most distinguished medievalists"! One hopes not! In addition to the glaring errors of taste and judgment pointed out by some of the other reviewers, the factual errors are astonishing! One of the most egregious errors occurs on p. 138: "Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife of two kings, Philip I of France and Henry I of England"!!!!! Eleanor, of course, was the wife of Louis VII of France and of Henry II of England! This kind of sloppiness is simply not acceptable in a book that purports to be by "someof the world's best medieval historians" (fronticepiece). The pictures are pretty; some of the articles are acceptable (but hardly noteworthy), but the book should be avoided at all costs by serious (or would-be) students of the Medieval Period.
Re: John XXIII (not a review).......2001-05-21
In Eric Roth's review of this book, he wonders if listing John XXIII as a pope in the 15th century is a typo. It's not. There was a schismatic pope of that time named John XXIII. (At one point there were three popes!) Since he wasn't universally recognized, he didn't count when John XXIII in the 1960s took the same name.
Beautiful, seductive, and flawed.......2001-01-31
A visually stunning, but often peculiar, work that captures the tone, texture, and ideological obsessions of that distant era.
Perfect for browsing and well-written, this collective effort details the major families, saints, and great cities of the Middle Ages. The concise, yet detailed, entries provide excellent thumbnail sketches.
Yet there are some peculiar features to this ambitious and beautiful encyclopedia. First, there are the baffling typos like listing Pope John XXIII as condemning heretics in the 13th century (p.174... didn't somebody remember the soon to be sainted 20th century Pope John XXIII? Perhaps it was supposed to be John XXII.)
Yet, like some other reader-critics, I found the discussion of Jews to be, well, peculiar. The descriptions sound more medieval than modern. Persecutions are de-emphasized, explained, and almost justified. Consider the following paragraph, under Jews, on p.260: "It is also significant that in the first generation of Dominican inquisitors there were a number of Jewish converts. So the attack of the papal inquisition on the Jews in the 13th century France in part represented a split among the intellectuals of the Jewish community. The same internal culture conflict occurred in the days of the Spanish Inquisition around 1500." Is the author blaming the converted Jews for the torturing and burning of thousands of devout Jews? Is he implying that the inquisition might have been, well, unchristian, and that's because of the converted Jews? What is this nonsense?
Likewise, the four page entry on Jews, single spaced without illustrations, concludes on p.261 with same highly unorthodox assertions about the size and dimensions of the Spanish Inquisition. Mainstream historians estimate the number of murdered Jews between 50,000 -100,000 and forced exile of several hundred thousand. The encyclopedia - without giving sources - says, "the impact has been ridiculously exaggerated. In the whole history of Catholic inquisitions from early 13th century France to early 17th century Spain and Portugal, not more than 5,000 Jewish families suffered capital and less severe punish at the hands of the Church courts." Perhaps the author wants to count families, instead of people, to reduce the number of innocent victims. Or perhaps the author means to shift blame to crazed mobs that burned entire neighborhoods with the blessing of Church authorities... and outside court procedures. Yet murder is murder.
I'm grateful that I bought and read several sections of this important work. It reveals, to me, the danger of excessive romantic imagination and entering the very narrow, often-fanatic mindset of medieval religious authorities.
On the other hand, it's a bit disturbing that intellectuals can be so casual in justifying and explaining brutal intolerance in the early 21st.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent condition.......2007-08-31
This book was in excellent condition. I would shop here rather than buy new and save the money!
Being An Alpha ain't That Great.......2007-08-17
As Alicia stages her take over to become an alpha, her and her BFF, Massie drift apart and the two find themselves in a raging, war of who has the better hold on their Clique. This book tells an amazing story of what a clique can do to crush you if you get in their way. After this book I was definitely hooked to the Clique series.
Best Friends for Never .......2007-05-23
Best Friends for Never is the best book I have ever read! The clique in this book consists of four girls, Massie, the clique leader, Alicia, who trys to be independent, Dylan, the weight watcher, and Kristen, who competes for guys. Then there is Claire. She wants to be in, but she is still out of the clique, at least for now. The school has a uniform competition to decide what the uniform will lood like. Will Kristen betray her best friends just to win the competition? Will she break away from the clique? Find out when you read Best Friends for Never
Best Friends For Never
<3.......2007-05-23
This book is the sequel to the Clique. In this book, Massie finds out that a girl from school is hosting the FIRST "girl-boy party". Massie wants to be the girl that people remember, so Massie hosts the first "girl-boy party" before the other girl does. At the party things didn't go too well with the 4 best friends. Alicia started hanging out with a girl named Olivia. Kirsten and Dylan were fighting over a boy who didn't like either of them. Then Massie was just stuck in the middle of it. After the party Alicia didn't hang out with the other three girls anymore, and the girls started to hate her. I thought this was a good book because it kept you interested the whole time, and I can always relate to all of the girls!
Book review.......2007-03-30
Massie Block is the most popular seventh grader at OCD and to prove it she throws the first boy/girl Halloween party even if it was somebody else's idea. However, her parents are making her throw the party with the wannabe new girl, Claire, from Orlando that is staying in her guesthouse. Also, they are making her invite the entire seventh grade! The story starts off with Claire and Massie making a bet, Massie can't go shopping and Clair can't were the same outfit twice. After Massie and her three popular best friends Dylan, Kristen, and Alicia find their costumes, Massie wears the Dirty Devil Halloween costume to school on Halloween, and brings Dylan's, Alicia's and Kristen's for them to change into but purposely forgets Claries. After everyone saw there costumes they wanted to be just like them, so also cut there shirts and wore short skirts. However, the principal was furious and decided the school needed uniforms. Massie suggests to the fashion teacher that the school holds a design contest and who ever has the best idea will be the uniform designer. Dylan decides to ditch the clique and work on the project with her new friend Olivia. After the contest is held, both there groups end up being the final two. The results are announced and Dylan's team wins. Massie noticed that the nametags had been switched and really they had won. She decides to do nothing about it and wait for the right moment to get back at her. "Best Friends for Never" by Lisi Harrison is an excellent book I would definitely recommend!
One of the reasons I would recommend this novel is because it deals with real life situations that typical middle school kids face everyday such as friend ship, popularity, and crushes. For example Clair is having a hard time fitting in after just moving also the characters faces difficult events like when Kirsten and Dylan like the same guy and Massie and Clair make a bet.
Another reason enjoyed this book was because it taught the reader to keep your friends close. At the party, Dylan made a new friend Olivia and hung with her ever since. The pretty committee, as several people at school called them, always had a sleepover every Friday. One Friday Dylan said she needed to hang out with Olivia so they could finish their uniform designs. Nobody had missed the sleepover in over a year, and the Clique has very angered that she ditched them. Clair also almost became part of the group and decided to ditch her first real and true friend she had met and OCD, Layne Abelby.
Another reason I liked this book was because it was hilarious! One of the funniest parts was when Todd, Clair's little brother who is only ten, started to have a crush on Massie. He always talked about how she was his baby and the most beautiful girl in the world. It was also funny how Todd was the one who stole Massie's first kiss when she was hoping it would be Cam Fisher who secretly liked Clair. The Girls also do mean and funny things to humiliate one another all the time. Massie always has rude but unique comebacks to say to people especially Clair.
Best Friends for Never is an excellent well written novel that I would highly recommend. They will want to keep reading to see what dramatic event happens next to Massie and the rest of her friends! If you want a book about sneaky plans and how some girls will do anything to become popular I would defiantly recommend this novel.
~C.Cirillo
Book Description
Middle school is all about change. In the opening section, girls take a quiz to determine how they respond to change, then receive tips on how to cope with the big changes that they're getting ready to face as they start middle school- switching classes, getting up earlier, and having their own lockers, all while learning to manage a new school, new teachers, new friends, and LOTS more homework and activities! The secret to feeling more confident as she starts middle school is having a little insight into what to expect. This book provides that information as well as "Smart Girl's tips" from girls who have already made the grade in the big school.
Customer Reviews:
Not that great... :(.......2007-10-03
I got this book from the library, because even though I'm homeschooled, I was hoping it might give me tips on studying for tests doing homework, and other such things. The only thing in there I didn't really know before was how to place things in your backpack to make it not so heavy. And their schedule for getting ready in the morning was not bad either. Also, the "After School" section, gave you pretty good advice on tryouts and how much is too much activities. But being as to how that's just about two thirds of the book I'd say it's not worth your money. Also they make middle school sound scarier than I think it really is. For example, they said "Picture yourself having a good time in middle school." They make it sound like you're going to a different country! So overall, you might get it at the library, but I wouldn't buy it.
Smart Giirls Guide.......2007-10-03
My daughter started middle school this year and has read this book from cover to cover at least 5 times. She has always liked American Girl books and I don't have to worry about her reading inappropriate material. Highly recommend for any girl starting middle school.
Another American Girl Success.......2007-01-12
My daughter will be entering middle school next year. As far as books go, this one will help her more than any other I've seen. Every book in this series has been a hit and this one is no exception.
Not that helpful.......2007-01-02
My eleven year old daughter and i read it. It was not that helpful. Everything in there she already knew. I recomend it if you were homeschooled but otherwise it's not that great.
This Book Was So Great!!!!!!!!.......2006-08-27
This book was so great!!!! When I first got this book I didn't know squat, but ever since I got this book middle school doesn't seem that much scary to me anymore. So if your starting middle school then you should buy this book,also if you in 7th, 8th, and even beyond use this book for help throughout your school years!
Amazon.com
One of the most controversial women of history is brought to brilliant life in Donn Woolfolk Cross's tale of Pope Joan, a girl whose origins should have kept her in squalid domesticity. Instead, through her intelligence, indomitability and courage, she ascended to the throne of Rome as Pope John Anglicus.
The time is 814, the place is Ingelheim, a Frankland village. It is the harshest winter in living memory when Joan is born to an English father and a Saxon mother. Her father is a canon, filled with holy zeal and capable of unconscionable cruelty. His piety does not extend to his family members, especially the females. His wife, Gudrun, is a young beauty to whom he was attracted beyond his will--and he hates her for showing him his weakness. Gudrun teaches Joan about her gods, and is repeatedly punished for it by the canon. Joan grows to young womanhood with the combined knowledge of the warlike Saxon gods and the teachings of the Church as her heritage. Both realities inform her life forever.
When her brother John, not a scholarly type, is sent away to school, Joan, who was supposed to be the one sent to school, runs away and joins him in Dorstadt, at Villaris, the home of Gerold, who is central to Joan's story. She falls in love with Gerold and their lives interesect repeatedly even through her Papacy. She is looked upon by all who know that she is a woman as a "lusus naturae," a freak of nature. "She was... male in intellect, female in body, she fit in nowhere; it was as if she belonged to a third amorphous sex." Cross makes the case over and over again that the status of women in the Dark Ages was little better than cattle. They were judged inferior in every way, and necessary evils in the bargain.
After John is killed in a Viking attack, Joan sees her opportunity to escape the fate of all her gender. She cuts her hair, dons her dead brother's clothes and goes into the world as a young boy. Gerold is away from Villaris at the time of the attack and comes home to find his home in ruins, his family killed and Joan among the missing. After the attack, Joan goes to a Benedictine monastery, is accepted as a young man of great learning, and eventually makes her way to Rome.
The author is at pains to tell the reader in an Epilogue that she has written the story as fiction because it is impossible to document Joan's accesion to the Papacy. The Catholic Church has done everything possible to deny this embarrassment. Whether or not one believes in Joan as Pope, this is a compelling story, filled with all kinds of lore: the brutishness of the Dark Ages, Vatican intrigue, politics and favoritism and most of all, the place of women in the Church and in the world. --Valerie Ryan
Book Description
"Engaging . . . Pope Joan has all the elements: love, sex, violence, duplicity, and long-buried secrets."
--Los Angeles Times Book Review
For a thousand years men have denied her existence--Pope Joan, the woman who disguised herself as a man and rose to rule Christianity for two years. Now this compelling novel animates the legend with a portrait of an unforgettable woman who struggles against restrictions her soul cannot accept.
When her older brother dies in a Viking attack, the brilliant young Joan assumes his identity and enters a Benedictine monastery where, as Brother John Anglicus, she distinguishes herself as a scholar and healer. Eventually drawn to Rome, she soon becomes enmeshed in a dangerous mix of powerful passion and explosive politics that threatens her life even as it elevates her to the highest throne in the Western world.
"Brings the savage ninth century vividly to life in all its alien richness. An enthralling, scholarly historical novel."
--Rebecca Fraser, Author of The Brontës
Customer Reviews:
interesting history.......2007-10-06
Interesting bit of history told in a compelling fashion. Although it took sometime to get into the book I enjoyed it once I finished. I would recommend for someone who likes historical fiction.
Interesting take on the legend, but has some flaws.......2007-10-05
I think I'm going to be another one in the minority here. I found the idea of a woman disguised as a man seated on the papal throne to be an interesting legend and the author did a decent job with it. I appreciated the research the author took on the period and customs of the times, which is not an easy task as so much is unknown about the dark ages.
The problem I had is the incredible coincidences throughout the book where Joan is just saved in the nick of time in true soap opera fashion (think Days of Our Lives -- no better yet the Perils of Pauline) from disaster upon disaster to chance upon chance of being discovered as a woman, to the near escape from the Viking raid and more ad infinitum. It never stopped until the very end, there were so many times where you just want to roll your eyes and say give me a break!
All in all a light pleasant read, but not one I'm apt to write home to friends and family about nor one I will want to pick up and read again. I'd recommend getting it from the library first, and then buy it if you love it. JMHO.
Not What I Was Looking For.......2007-09-26
If you're looking for a book about the real Pope Joan, this isn't it. Though fairly well written, this is a novel and it reads like a standard romance novel. Lots of rules being bent or broken to accommodate the characters and plenty of drama.
The author clearly did a great deal of research on life in the middle ages and incorporated as much reality as possible into the story, but if you're looking for information on the real Pope Joan or how a woman could have become Pope in that era, this won't be what you're looking for.
Great writer.......2007-09-12
The author writes a very believable story. Her description of the times and the impact on women at that time is extraordinary. An excellent read.
Riveting! .......2007-08-31
I just finished this book and cant wait to pass it on. It is definitely one of my top 10. If you liked "Girl w/a Pearl Earring", "Birth of Venus", you will love this story. It is beautifully written, I couldnt put it down. Pope Joan has a strength and wisdom to be admired. This is a story of oppression, a heartbreaking love affair and another scandal in the catholic church. I will be the first in line when the movie comes out!!!
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
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History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
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ASIN: 2913621058 |
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.
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