Book Description
From the acclaimed author of River Town comes a rare portrait, both intimate and epic, of twenty-first-century China as it opens its doors to the outside world.
A century ago, outsiders saw Chinaas a place where nothing ever changes. Today the coun-try has become one of the most dynamic regions on earth. That sense of time—the contrast between past and present, and the rhythms that emerge in a vast, ever-evolving country—is brilliantly illuminated by Peter Hessler in Oracle Bones, a book that explores the human side of China's transformation.
Hessler tells the story of modern-day China and its growing links to the Western world as seen through the lives of a handful of ordinary people. In addition to the author, an American writer living in Beijing, the narrative follows Polat, a member of a forgotten ethnic minority, who moves to the United States in searchof freedom; William Jefferson Foster, who grew up in an illiterate family and becomes a teacher; Emily,a migrant factory worker in a city without a past; and Chen Mengjia, a scholar of oracle-bone inscriptions, the earliest known writing in East Asia, and a man whosetragic story has been lost since the Cultural Revolution. All are migrants, emigrants, or wanderers who find themselves far from home, their lives dramatically changed by historical forces they are struggling to understand.
Peter Hessler excavates the past and puts a remarkable human face on the history he uncovers. In a narrative that gracefully moves between the ancient and the present, the East and the West, Hessler captures the soul of a country that is undergoing a momentous change before our eyes.
Download Description
"
From the acclaimed author of River Town comes a rare portrait, both intimate and epic, of twenty-first-century China as it opens its doors to the outside world.
A century ago, outsiders saw Chinaas a place where nothing ever changes. Today the coun-try has become one of the most dynamic regions on earth. That sense of time -- the contrast between past and present, and the rhythms that emerge in a vast, ever-evolving country -- is brilliantly illuminated by Peter Hessler in Oracle Bones, a book that explores the human side of China's transformation.
Hessler tells the story of modern-day China and its growing links to the Western world as seen through the lives of a handful of ordinary people. In addition to the author, an American writer living in Beijing, the narrative follows Polat, a member of a forgotten ethnic minority, who moves to the United States in searchof freedom; William Jefferson Foster, who grew up in an illiterate family and becomes a teacher; Emily,a migrant factory worker in a city without a past; and Chen Mengjia, a scholar of oracle-bone inscriptions, the earliest known writing in East Asia, and a man whosetragic story has been lost since the Cultural Revolution. All are migrants, emigrants, or wanderers who find themselves far from home, their lives dramatically changed by historical forces they are struggling to understand.
Peter Hessler excavates the past and puts a remarkable human face on the history he uncovers. In a narrative that gracefully moves between the ancient and the present, the East and the West, Hessler captures the soul of a country that is undergoing a momentous change before our eyes.
"
Customer Reviews:
Not Rivertown, but nontheless breathtaking.......2007-10-03
Hessler's follow-up to his enchanting 'River Town' is far more immersed in history and sociology than its younger brother. Through the witty structure that intersperses the ancient with the modern, like China itself, Hessler is able to speak on every issue from the formation of the ancient Chinese writing system to the asian-food deliveries of his comrade, Polat.
Without a doubt, Hessler's writing has improved since 'River Town'. This is a book that constantly glances over its shoulder into the past, consulting with aging scholars and the dead, and Hessler manages this with constant refrains that charm the reader as much as they remind him of the greater context of the story.
For any student who wants a healthy overview of modern China, from the macro to the micro, 'Oracle Bones' is an excellent starting choice.
Not as engaging as River Town.......2007-06-24
Peter Hessler is an excellent writer but for some reason this book didn't engage me the way River Town did. The one thing I will remember very distinctly from this book is that he writes of how happy the people of China were by the 9/11 attacks. This I will not forget.
informative.......2007-06-05
Using stories of individual people the author attempts to explain the complex history of China. The author's research and experiences in China thread through the narrative, but I felt the book could have been edited into a more coherent whole. Still, I think readers will enjoy the book and come away informed as well.
A wonderful read - highly engaging.......2007-04-23
Petter Hessler's "Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present" focused on his work as a journalist living in Beijing. After working teaching English in Fuling for two years, Hessler was well-versed with the Chinese language and culture. He befriended, Polat, a Uighur, living in Beijing as a black market currency trader. Hessler focused a big portion of his book on the Uighurs, one of the ethnic minority groups living in Xinjiang, a large area which bordered countries like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. It was interesting to read about the strained relationships between the Uighurs who were Islamics and the Communist government. Hessler also touched briefly on whole China-Taiwan issue as well as the Falun Gong's movement.
In addition to his friendship with Polat, Hessler also did research on oracle bones, which was the earliest known writing in East Asia - tracing the work of the one oracle bones scholar, Chen Mengjia. Chen was considere to be a rightist during the Cultural Revolution and his work even though was extremely important but did not receive the well-deserved recognition. Throughout the book, Hessler interviewed former students of Chen, his family members, and foreign scholars to learn more about Chen's life and work.
Hessler also wrote about his former students in Fuling, a few of which worked as English teachers themselves. Through his students, Hessler was able to tell another story - this new generation in the Chinese society who were not affected by Mao's policies but who seemed to be very much influenced by the Western world and their common goal is to acquire wealth. It was interesting to read about China's new economy is transforming the country and the people.
This was an excellent read for me, as Hessler was able to combine history, Chinese culture and values and contemporary issues to make this a must-read for students studying the Chinese history and culture. I was pleasantly surprised to read about the Uighurs's experiences in China and their views on the Chinese people and the Communist government. It is rare to find books (on the subject of China) that touches upon the ethnic minorities living in Xinjiang. Hessler was able to write from a non-bias, and fair perspective of the country and its people. I read Hessler's previous book, "River Town" and was quite impressed and I think "Oracle Bones" is an even better read. Highly recommended!
Understanding China through its language.......2007-02-25
Peter Hessler, The New Yorker's Beijing correspondent and the first foreign journalist to report from China since before the Communist Revolution, uses the excavation of China's earliest written language as a symbol for understanding modern-day China by unearthing and interpreting the lives of individuals - from Polat, a Uighar immigrant to the United States, to Emily, an idealistic young factory worker in the industrial town of Shenzhen, where products are cheaply manufactured for export to the capitalist West. Hessler's wit and compassion makes this a must-read for understanding the nation slated to replace the United States as the world's next superpower.
Book Description
The authors of the Eleventh Edition of Civilization Past and Present—
specialists in Islamic, African, Asian, Ancient, Russian, and East European history—weave the diverse trends of world history into a clear and accessible analysis for today's students.
Civilization Past and Present, well known in the marketplace as a highly readable survey text, delivers a strong narrative of world history and a level of detail that is manageable for students and solid for instructors. Using images and documents that enhance the text's content, the narrative traces connections across cultures and introduces intriguing avenues of historical interpretation. The text examines all aspects of world history—social, political, economic, religious, cultural, and geographic.
Customer Reviews:
History Book.......2005-09-12
I recieved the item locally from the seller, they did not offer to refund or my shipping charges that I paid even though there ws no shipping involved.. thats ok though I got a great price on the book and the shipping did not offset that.
Average customer rating:
- Too subjective to be used for objective historical study
|
Civilization Past & Present, Volume I (to 1650) (11th Edition) (MyHistoryLab Series)
Palmira J. Brummett ,
Robert R. Edgar ,
Neil J. Hackett ,
George F. Jewsbury , and
Barbara S Molony
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Early Civilization
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| History
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| History
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All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
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Similar Items:
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Civilization Past & Present, Volume II (from 1300) (11th Edition) (MyHistoryLab Series)
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Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative
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Documents in World History, Volume I: The Great Tradition: From Ancient Times to 1500 (4th Edition)
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Civilization Past & Present, Volume I (to 1650), Primary Source Edition (Book Alone) (11th Edition) (MyHistoryLab Series)
-
Taking Sides: Clashing Views in World History, Volume 1: The Ancient World to the Pre-Modern Era (Taking Sides)
ASIN: 0321236270 |
Book Description
The authors of the Eleventh Edition of Civilization Past and Present—
specialists in Islamic, African, Asian, Ancient, Russian, and East European history—weave the diverse trends of world history into a clear and accessible analysis for today's students.
Civilization Past and Present, well known in the marketplace as a highly readable survey text, delivers a strong narrative of world history and a level of detail that is manageable for students and solid for instructors. Using images and documents that enhance the text's content, the narrative traces connections across cultures and introduces intriguing avenues of historical interpretation. The text examines all aspects of world history—social, political, economic, religious, cultural, and geographic.
Customer Reviews:
Too subjective to be used for objective historical study.......2007-10-04
I bought this book for my world history class this semester, and while I'm only halfway through the book, there is no way it could possibly redeem itself.
Although it does give lots of good information, it rarely includes dates with its facts and its A-sides always get off track by discussing meaningless information that has nothing to do with the readings.
To make matters worse the book is completely obsessed with every cult/religion/sect that pops up in the dates covered - not by telling you the facts (the effect on history, society, etc) but instead by spends page after quoting irrelevant religious scriptures and texts. It even spends time telling bible stories - like the story of Paul getting blinded on the road and treats it like it really happened, God and all! Then it does a flip side and tells stories of might and magic with India's Gods. Want to know about the monkey king of china? It's in here too! In fact, this is a history book and a history of never-never land, (peter pan and pals almost made it, but they saved that for the next edition)
It's also obsessed with writings that are completely meaningless to the period - it wastes several trees worth of paper with excepts from completely unknown novels written by nobodies that had no effect on history whatsoever - the only people that have read these writings to date are the writers, the archeologists who dug it up, and moron who put it in the textbook (not to mention the unfortunate students who have to read the textbooks.) And it wouldn't be that bad if it was in some historical context, like explaining how The Decameron made such an impact on history, maybe tell us what the story was generally about - that much makes sense. But publishing page after page of the book? That's just an attempt to make the book thicker! (Note - The Decameron example is not in the book that I know of, that was just an example of how this book operates.)
If you want an objective lesson in world history, look elsewhere.
If you want to know the history of religions, cults, and sects, along with a few fairy tails, (both divinely inspired and fancy storytelling), this is definitely for you.
*Also, excuse the sarcasm, but this book was a real letdown.
Book Description
A one-voume reference to the history of ideas that is a compendium of everything that humankind has thought, invented, created, considered, and perfected from the beginning of civilization into the twenty-first century. Massive in its scope, and yet totally accessible, A HISTORY OF KNOWLEDGE covers not only all the great theories and discoveries of the human race, but also explores the social conditions, political climates, and individual men and women of genius that brought ideas to fruition throughout history.
"Crystal clear and concise...Explains how humankind got to know what it knows."
Clifton Fadiman
Selected by the Book-of-the-Month Club and the History Book Club
Customer Reviews:
A Noble Attempt that Falls Flat.......2007-09-14
Though sweeping in the expanse of its subject, A History of Knowledge looses focus in its final quarter. Charles van Doren begins his history before recorded time and follows the history of ideas up to and beyond the year 1991. As he skips across the peaks of history touching on the major historical events, he keeps his reader's interest with his masterful retelling of history.
He justifies his concentration on western civilization because of the "Greek revolution" of the 4th century B.C. By their interest in the physical world and how it works, the Greeks discovered philosophy, logic, and the scientific method thereby eclipsing the civilizations of the east. He continues with the Greeks laying the foundations for liberal education.
Contrary to other reviews, there is not a Christian bias to this book. The Church inherited the Greek tradition and was a major player in the history of Europe. Truly, Charles van Doren seems impartial at best to Christianity, even scrapping all religions to the dustbin as an enemy of democracy and egalitarianism.
Charles van Doren covers the major thinkers and occurrences up until the end of the 18th century in only 300 pages--definitely reflecting his long career as a writer and editor of the Encyclopedia Britannica. From the time of the French Revolution until his predictions of the possible future, the writing becomes less informative and more editorial, betraying a fondness for egalitarianism, Marxism, and a global government.
Over and over again he lauds the French Revolution as a watershed in history. He speaks highly of that egalitarian dream of Marx; although with the good sense to condemn communism as being a perversion of Marx's ideal, but mostly because of its totalitarian and theocratic tendencies. Towards the end he even begins speaking of the ideal of a one world government based on egalitarianism, a moderate redistribution of wealth, and equality of opportunity.
Tradition is continually seen as anathema to reason and the progress of ideas. At times this is justified, at other times, however, Charles van Doren berates tradition because it is merely tradition. Rightly so he condemns Aristotle's idea of some peoples being "natural slaves," but is not nuanced enough to realize that this does not necessarily negate the idea of a "natural aristocracy" as John Adams termed those men of the young American republic who, through being educated, informed, and persuasive, improve and lead society and culture forward.
The book, though good in the beginning, is overall less than satisfying. The final 100 pages of the 400 page book are unfocused and rife with subjective asides that have controversy and fantasy that distract from the work's noble objective promised by the title.
a contribution to our civilization.......2007-06-22
This is an excellent book...especially the important ideas of our modern times, including the insights of how the success of a democracy rests on the people trusting their government, and of our unfortunate addiction to violence. I am grateful to you, Charles Van Doren, for your important contribution to my understanding of our civilization.
Excellent Overview of the Western Tradition -- Some Sweeping Claims.......2007-06-06
Charles van Doren has written a very readable and thoughtful review of the western cultural tradition that both includes virtually all of the important formative elements and connects them in a sensible way. This book is ideal as a companion to other textbooks for university courses in western history and culture. It is also a worthwhile review for the general public who want to have a better understanding of our debt to the ancient Greeks and Romans, and to trace the developments that led from the Dark Ages to the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Age of Reason.
Van Doren is somewhat less helpful in dealing with the 20th century, and his speculation about the 21st century. He does, however, correctly discuss the dangers of adopting a modern theocracy. In that, he anticipates some of the foreign policy problems we have faced recently in the Middle East.
Mind the gaps?.......2007-04-10
I read this book a decade ago and it remains one of the most important books in my library.
Many reviewers have rated this book poorly on the basis it is sketchy, biased, incomplete, full of gaps. These reviewers appear to have read the book as if it were titled "THE History of Knowledge ..." Ironically, Van Doren himself, in his book How to Read a Book points out the importance of clearly understanding a book's title in order to understand its content.
The beauty of "A History of Knowledge ..." for me is that it has given me a framework, a century by century bullet point list if you like, from which to launch into those gaps.
And Van Doren's views and biases are what make the book easy to read and interesting.
A History of Knowledge.......2007-01-05
I love books or TV shows that connect the dots of the great thinkers, events, discoveries, technologies and inventions across history, much like James Burke's "Connections" programs. This book is ideal for anyone with similar interests. Events of the 20 years since publication render the author's predictions in the last chapters moot. Overall, I found it enlightening and a good value.
Average customer rating:
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Civilization Past & Present, Volume II (from 1300) (11th Edition) (MyHistoryLab Series)
Palmira J. Brummett ,
Robert R. Edgar ,
Neil J. Hackett ,
George F. Jewsbury , and
Barbara S Molony
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Early Civilization
| Ancient
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
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Similar Items:
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Documents in World History, Volume II: The Modern Centuries: From 1500 to the Present (4th Edition)
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Civilization Past & Present, Volume I (to 1650) (11th Edition) (MyHistoryLab Series)
-
Travels in Persia, 1673-1677
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Civilization Past & Present, Volume I (to 1650), Primary Source Edition (Book Alone) (11th Edition) (MyHistoryLab Series)
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The Norton Introduction to Poetry
ASIN: 0321236289 |
Book Description
The authors of the Eleventh Edition of Civilization Past and Present—
specialists in Islamic, African, Asian, Ancient, Russian, and East European history—weave the diverse trends of world history into a clear and accessible analysis for today's students.
Civilization Past and Present, well known in the marketplace as a highly readable survey text, delivers a strong narrative of world history and a level of detail that is manageable for students and solid for instructors. Using images and documents that enhance the text's content, the narrative traces connections across cultures and introduces intriguing avenues of historical interpretation. The text examines all aspects of world history—social, political, economic, religious, cultural, and geographic.
Book Description
A real-life detective story of the ancient world with overwhelming implications for the modern one.
• Explores the Native American legend of the 13 crystal skulls said to hold the keys to future earth changes and humankind's destiny.
• By independent filmmakers Chris Morton and Ceri Louise Thomas, whose A&E documentary on the crystal skulls has won high acclaim in the United States and abroad.
• Over 100,000 sold worldwide.
Native American legend tells of 13 life-size crystal skulls said to contain crucial information about humankind's true purpose and destiny. The legend prophesied that at a time of great crisis for humanity, all of the crystal skulls would be rediscovered and brought together to reveal information vital to the very survival of the human race. The authors first heard of this legend while in the jungles of Central America and, after a real crystal skull was discovered in a Mayan city, set out on a quest to discover the truth behind this mystery.Â
The Mystery of the Crystal Skulls follows their journey from the ancient temples of the Maya to the British Museum, the Smithsonian, and to the crystal laboratories of Hewlett-Packard, where sophisticated scientific tests on the skull--made from the same quartz crystal used in today's computers--lead to the conclusion, "This skull shouldn't even exist." These scientific tests have raised many questions: Are the skulls really information storage devices that allow us to tap deep into the past and predict the future? Are they artifacts from the lost civilization of Atlantis or are they extraterrestrial in origin? Their journey also leads to Native shamans and elders who reveal the sacred knowledge and vital information that these skulls hold about coming earth changes and humanity's imminent destiny.Â
Customer Reviews:
Great Book to read even if you're not a big reader!!! .......2007-02-19
Wow!!!! Great Book! I went to Mexico last year and visited Chichenitza and heard the stories of the crystal skulls and was entriged. This book (based on facts)takes you on an adventure of how some of the skulls were found and the effects they have on people. The history and native beliefs and also how scientifically; they are an enigma. I couldn't put this book down and I'm usually one of those people who starts to read and falls asleep in the middle of a chapter.... Not this book!!! It's great!! I highly recommend!!
*Have we entered a time of quickening and separation??
*Is 2012 the end or a beginning?
Perhaps the most comprehensive book on the subject.......2006-06-20
This book often reads like a great adventure novel; however, at some points inthe story it can essentially be considered as such. This is a wonderful view into the world of the crystal skulls, and it is well worth the investment to anyone who chooses to work with these sacred tools. This is also a valuable book to any advanced stoudent of any application of crystals.
The Mystery Ends In 2012.......2005-08-31
This is an excellent book for those with a peaked interest in the interconnection of all people and our pasts. Or in laymen terms Crystal Skulls. This book takes a very broad examination of a very expansive subject. It does explore the most common beliefs/concepts about the skull, not just popular or scientific. They really combed the world to ask the right people. From Native American shaman to top level scientists working for Hewlett Packard when they conducted scientific tests on the Mitchell-Hedges Skull in 1970.
Excellent bibliography, an excellent beginning to a quality bookcase.
Everyone In The World Should Read This Book.......2005-08-28
It's a wonderful surprise when you pick up a book not knowing much about it and it turns out to be so great. That's what happened to me with this book.
Just by reading this one book you can get caught up on the entire new age movement. It touches on many of the main new age ideas.
It also offers a possible theory for the origin of our human race including the time when our dna was converted from a single strand to two strands which contain the memories of both the original earth people and the star people.
These crystal skulls, especially the original 13 that were given to humanity by beings from other planets, are exquisite and priceless works of art. But they are much more. When they have been brought back together they will become an amazing 'living library' of ancient and arcane knowledge.
These skulls can truly be called sacred objects. It is not often that a physical object can be said to possess supernatural properties.
The big question is what is going to happen on 12/21/12 when this current age ends.
Will we enter a new age of peace and wonderous knowledge ?
Or will our human race simply die out as a result of pollution, greed, and violence ? This book has been published at this time to hopefully prevent this from happening.
Only time will tell and we don't have too long to wait.
Jeff Marzano
Top Shelf.......2004-03-18
I loved this book! It is filled with fascinating stories and information concerning something very concrete. It flows beautifully and holds you with ease. The Native American angle is especially intriguing. In the end, of course, you end up wanting more to sink your teeth into. But that is the curse of a great read.
Book Description
The complex and coherent development of Japanese art during the course of the nineteenth century was inadvertently disrupted by a political event: the Meiji Restoration of 1868. Scholars of both the preceding Edo (1615â€"1868) and the succeeding Meiji (1868â€"1912) eras have shunned the decades bordering this arbitrary divide, thus creating an art-historical void that the former view as a period of waning technical and creative inventiveness and the latter as one threatened by Meiji reforms and indiscriminate Westernization and modernization. General texts, academic studies, biographical dictionaries, and exhibition catalogues continue to reinforce this prejudicial chronological divide. Challenging Past and Present, to the contrary, demonstrates that the period 1840â€"1890, as seen progressively rather than retrospectively, experienced a dramatic transformation in the visual arts, which in turn made possible the creative achievements of the twentieth century.An introduction briefly explores the art historical and historiographical studies of the past half century that have affected both Japanese and foreign responses to the art of the period. It contextualizes the twelve chapters by Japanese, European, and American scholars that interrogate prevailing views and illuminate inventive aspects of this artistic and cultural transformation. The first group of chapters takes as its theme the diverse cultural currents of the transitional period, particularly as they applied to art. They examine the themes of fukkô (revival) and ishin (renewal), the responses of early Meiji painters to European “history painting,†and the role of scholars and literary figures in making Western aesthetic and cultural values accessible to Japanese artists and the general public. The second section deals with the inconsistent yet determinedly pragmatic courses pursed by artists, entrepreneurs, and patrons to achieve a secure footing in the uncertain terrain of early Meiji. The chapters in this section analyze the intermingling of mediums and techniques by artists in Yokohama, which, they argue, occupied a more central position in the Meiji art world than has been previously recognized. Further chapters look at how painters and sculptors sought to absorb and integrate foreign influences and reinterpret their own stylistic mediums and the ways in which architecture and expositions served as forms of national expression and a means of projecting a national image.
Challenging Past and Present opens up new ways of understanding the processes of artistic and social change. Although it focuses on developments in the visual arts, the processes of change articulated here apply widelyâ€"to literature, theater, cultural history. This ground-breaking collection will prompt readers to reassess the general history and significance of the period and move toward a more incisive and objective consideration of its influence on the creative achievements of modern Japanese art.
Average customer rating:
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Civilization Past & Present, Volume I (to 1650), Primary Source Edition (Book Alone) (11th Edition) (MyHistoryLab Series)
Palmira Brummett ,
George Jewsbury ,
Neil J Hackett ,
Robert Edgar , and
Barbara Molony
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Early Civilization
| Ancient
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
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All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
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Similar Items:
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Civilization Past & Present, Volume I (to 1650) (11th Edition) (MyHistoryLab Series)
-
Documents in World History, Volume II: The Modern Centuries: From 1500 to the Present (4th Edition)
-
Documents in World History, Volume I: The Great Tradition: From Ancient Times to 1500 (4th Edition)
-
Civilization Past & Present, Volume II (from 1300) (11th Edition) (MyHistoryLab Series)
-
Biology: Principles and Explorations
ASIN: 0321428382 |
Book Description
The Primary Source Edition of Civilization Past and Present weaves the diverse trends of world history into a clear and accessible analysis and includes 2 to 3 primary sources with critical thinking questions per chapter. Civilization Past and Present, well known in the marketplace as a highly readable survey of world history, delivers a strong narrative of world history and a level of detail that is manageable for readers. The book examines all aspects of world history--social, political, economic, religious, cultural, and geographic.
With 22 primary source documents, the Primary Source Edition has everything students need to succeed in the course–a highly readable survey text that examines all aspects of world history plus a wealth of original documents that help make the material come alive. âDocument Analysisâ questions encourage students to delve deeper into the documents and to explore how they relate to the events of the time.
Overview of world history, from beginnings to the present day.
Readers interested in an overview of world history.
Average customer rating:
|
Civilization Past & Present, Single Volume Edition, Primary Source Edition (Book Alone) (11th Edition) (MyHistoryLab Series)
Palmira Brummett ,
George Jewsbury ,
Neil J Hackett ,
Robert Edgar , and
Barbara Molony
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Early Civilization
| Ancient
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
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Similar Items:
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Sophocles, The Oedipus Cycle: Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone
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English Simplified (11th Edition)
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Religions of the World with Sacred World CD-ROM (10th Edition)
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The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic (Penguin Classics)
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Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense
ASIN: 0321423321 |
Book Description
The Primary Source Edition of Civilization Past and Present weaves the diverse trends of world history into a clear and accessible analysis and includes 2 to 3 primary sources with critical thinking questions per chapter. Civilization Past and Present, well known in the marketplace as a highly readable survey of world history, delivers a strong narrative of world history and a level of detail that is manageable for readers. The book examines all aspects of world history--social, political, economic, religious, cultural, and geographic.
With 52 primary source documents, the Primary Source Edition has everything students need to succeed in the course–a highly readable survey text that examines all aspects of world history plus a wealth of original documents that help make the material come alive. âDocument Analysisâ questions encourage students to delve deeper into the documents and to explore how they relate to the events of the time.
Overview of world history, from beginnings to the present day.
Readers interested in an overview of world history.
Book Description
Here is a thorough examination of nations past and present, their relationship to God, and whether that nation stood or not. It's amazing that God's promises from the Bible still hold true, and those nations which have rejected Him have ultimately fallen.
Customer Reviews:
A far-reaching, timely book.......2003-06-16
This is an incredible work. Dr. Morris has provided a treasure of clear, concise explanations concerning the nations of the world while at the same time providing nothing less than a theological masterpiece.
Dr. Morris' years of study concerning biblical creation, the flood, the book of Job, and other areas has culminated in a work that produces timely instruction for a population living at the precipice of Christ's coming.
A highly readable, and enjoyable text which can be read in just a few evenings. Prepare to use a highlighter in this one: there are a lot of fascinating points.
God, the Bible and CNN.......2003-05-19
I like to spend a significant amount of my evenings reading the Bible and watching CNN. I also read many religious and secular books. Knowing Morris writings for several years, I've decided to order this from Amazon.com.
Yes, I am a product of brand of late post-modernism that tries to value at once both the reason of modernity and religion of pre-modernity, by connecting directly to the source of true knowledge and wisdom, Jesus Christ, simply through Bible reading and prayer. He is the LOGOS, the creator of space, matter/energy, time, life, mind and reason.
What does this have to do with the book "God and the Nations"? A lot, in my view. By reading the Bible, I became convinced that History has a begining and an end. What's more, there is a pattern in History, a sign of rational and moral design. So far, there is nothing new with this insight. Hegel and Marx would say the same thing. Francis Fukuyama would probably agree.
Historians have long realized that to understand History we cannot rely simply on political history, but we have also to take in to account social, economic and cultural history. I agree, although even this enlarged perspective seems to be insuficient. To understand History, we have to take in to account the presence of a divine providence in History (As someone put it, History is His Story). Other wise, we won't understand it. Even Samuel Huntington's "clash of civililations" is not able to account for what is going on in the world today.
With his characteristic lucidity and above average intelligence, Henry Morris leads us to the identification of the spiritual patterns in the emergence, decline and death of nations. My reading of the Bible has led me to pretty much the same conclusions, although I think that God cares also a lot about questions of justice and the environment that Morris somehow seems to overlook.
Anyway, it seems pretty clear from the Bible that God indeed judges the nations according to the way they deal with His Word, His mandates, His People of Israel and His Son. I agree.
As a Portuguese, I cannot help to notice that the emergence of our nation was closely linked to the defense of christianity in Iberian Peninsula, and that our times of historical glory coincided with the spread of the christian message. Of course we did lots of shameful and sinful acts in between, and we face God's discipline, as does any nation. It is interesting that a few decades after we expelled the Jews (around 1494), we lost our independence to Spain, and we lost our naval fleet, along with the Spanish, when the Spanish Armada was defeated in 1588.
Morris could have mentioned this, although he doesn't go this far. England and Holland, that were far more hospitable to the Jews and to the protestant reformation became the leading naval powers. All historians recognize that the defeat of the Spanish armada was instrumental to the progress of the christian reformation.
Another decisive point in human history, was the defeat of the Habsburg Catholic pretensions in 1648, after the Thirty Years War, and the Peace of Westphalia, whose art. 28º for the first time mentioned the right to "free exercise of religion" and paved the way to the liberal revolutions and to american constitucionalism.
The I World War was also very important to assure a western mandate over Palestine, and the II World War marked the begining of end of the jewish gentile dominium, which will only come to an end when Israel assumes control of the Temple Mount.
CNN tels the rest of the story, with the latest developments in Iraq and the war against terrorism, both instances where hatred to God, His People and His Son provide the relevant background.
I must admit that I have dificulties whith eschatology in general and the book of Revelation in particular. I've followed Morris on this topic with special caution. I didnt' clearly understand the future role of America, although I got some bad feelings about it. Morris position on the death penalty also raises some doubts. A criminal defendant has a right to a fair trial and to a proportional punishment. The death penalty is, undoubtly, proportional to a crime of homicide. No one can claim more rights to hemself than the rights he is willing to respect in others. However, it should be aplied only if the criminal system can assure a truly fair trial...
Morris' diagnostic and proposed remedies, as simple and naive as they may seem to be to much of the "sofisticated" audience of CNN or to the readers of Time Magazine or Foreign Affairs, are right on target.
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