What Life Was Like in the Lands of the Prophet: Islamic World, Ad 570-1405 (What Life Was Like)

Customer Reviews:

Easy and Fun.......2007-01-21

Doing research for a historical novel, and tiring of very long analyses with tiny print, I picked this one up at the library and immediately lost myself. It's great. Not quite detailed enough to be a serious reference, but the excellent bibliography will point you in the right direction. Tons of gorgeous pictures give the feel of the period, and a lengthy section (towards the end) paints the daily life of the famous Ibn Khaldun, whose writings are tapped as the primary source for that section. If you are looking for a good introduction to the mindset, daily life and framework of a certain period in history, I can think of no better starting point than these books.

Two decent chapters and one boring one.......2002-02-02

This one started off more interestingly than some of the past ones, focusing on the life of Mohammed himself and how he came to write the Koran and to start Islam. That was very interesting to read since I knew little about it, and it seemed like something important.

The next chapter, though, moved ahead a couple of hundred years and boiled down to who-conquered-whom, which seems to be about typical for the middle chapters of these books. So you've got some guys in Spain and some guys in West Africa fighting over the throne of Islam in the Middle East. It got tedious very quickly.

The concluding chapter (there were only three) was an improvement, dealing with the lives of doctors and tradesmen in Cairo during the prime of the Islamic Empire. That was a little more interesting, particularly dealing with the Islamic Renaissance, since the doctor followed the teachings of Galen.

Again, I doubt I'm going to accept any more of these. I only accepted this one because of the unusual subject.

Average customer rating:
What Life Was Like in the Lands of the Prophet: Islamic World, AD 570-1405

Manufacturer: Diane Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Islam | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0756752493

Book Description

When an unstoppable Borg plague breaks out upon Earth, blame quickly falls on the newly returned crew of the Starship Voyage ™. Did Kathryn Janeway and the others unknowingly carry this insidious infection back with them? Many in Starfleet think so, and Seven of Nine, in particular, falls under a cloud of suspicion.

Now, with a little help from the Starship Enterprise ™, Admiral Janeway must reunite her crew in a desperate, last-ditch attempt to discover the true source of the contagion and save Earth itself from total assimilation into a voracious new Borg Collective.

But time is running out.

Has Voyager come home only to witness humanity's end?

Customer Reviews:

Good transaction!.......2007-01-11

The book arrived in the time frame specified and was in good condition. I will buy from this seller again.

Voyager against the borg, with a federation twist. .......2006-11-22

This is book two of two (Homecoming was the first), and it closes the plots from the first book, (Borg on earth, what to do?). Though I enjoyed reading it, I felt both books were missing something, more stories of the crew coming back to federation, their interactions with their families and their futures. If you are a Voyager fan, you will like it, for all the other Star trek fans out there, you might like it too.

Marvelous.......2006-03-16

Very good. Probably one of the best Star Trek novels ever written. An intriguing story that thrills you from the first to the last page.

I liked Farther Shore, but expected more, somehow...........2006-02-10

First of all, this book is a continuation to a sequel. So now, let's say what is good about this book. The plot is wonderful and kept me reading the book despite what I did not like about the book. The storyline, itself is the saving grace to the book.

Now, what I did not like, ... much of it is written like it is a cheap romance novel. I'm sure for some, romance novels have their charms, and I'm not knocking them, but I come to Star Trek to stimulate my brain. Now don't get me wrong, and this is IMPORTANT.... this has very few romantic moments in it. I'm talking about the composition of Ms. Golden's sentence structure.... I'm talking about her descriptions of people's bodies and the "dreamy" quality of SOME of the things that she describes.... those things just changed the quality of the body of work that she produced.

I gave the book 4 stars because, afterall, we read these books hoping for a great storyline, and it does tell a great story (I do applaud Ms. Golden's imagination); however, I couldn't help but picture myself enjoying this more as a teenager sitting with a dictionary next to her. I hope in the future, that Ms. Golden comes up with the story and writes the book, then has a second author come in and help her edit it,.... make it "grow up" to what I expect from Star Trek.

What's that clunking noise?.......2004-11-20

What is it with Star Trek two-part stories? The television series always had problems with conclusions, and now the book series is following suit. Unlike the television series, though, the book series is just taking flaws in the first book and expanding on them in the conclusion, making the final installment a step down from the first. Such again is the case with Voyager's relaunch novel, The Farther Shore. After writing my review for Homecoming, I read some other reviews that mentioned that Christie Golden's writing had way too many romance novel tropes. While I don't necessarily agree with that for Homecoming (or at least I don't agree that they were prominent), it is true in spades with A Farther Shore. The writing is trite and evokes too many "bodice-ripper" images for my taste. If this is the way the relaunch is going to continue (and it evidently is completely Golden's ball, handed to her by the editors), then I hope she learns to rein them in.

There are a lot of problems with this book, so I'll start with the good stuff. Golden continues to write the regulars well, as far as characterization goes. She's obviously a fan of the Janeway/Chakotay relationship, though she avoids them falling into bed together, instead giving them a "very close friends who could almost have been lovers" feel. Hopefully, she'll keep it that way in subsequent books. The friendship between them is very well done. Seven is still a little too emotional, but she otherwise is also written well. Torres, off on her own quest for her mother, is finally coming to terms with her dual-heritage, and the scenes between Torres and her mother are very interesting. In fact, the sequences on Boreth with Torres are the best part of the book. Too bad that they didn't have anything to do with the main plot. Also, the Borg plot is interesting in its own way, though I truly hope this is the last gasp of the Borg. Thankfully, the problem ends up being a lot less predictable than "they brought the virus with them," which is nice.

Unfortunately, while the regular characters are done pretty well, the others are not. The main villain of the piece, once revealed, is *way* overdone, sounding shrill at times. The Starfleet admirals that Janeway and others have to deal with also seem way too strident in their feelings toward the Voyager crew. Also, the final resolution, as hard as it is to get there, ends up being way too simple when it finally occurs. It's almost an afterthought, which is not a good thing. The leader of the holographic rebellion is written way over the top, especially when we get the scenes in his fantasy world. I found myself shaking my head way too many times in this book. I also have to wonder at the abrupt end to the holographic rights plot. Perhaps this is going to be picked up in future books?

Which leads me to the main problem with A Farther Shore: the writing. I can live with descriptions of men and women as "muscular" and "beautiful" without thinking a lot about it. I think that's what many reviewers had a problem with in Homecoming. But A Farther Shore takes it one step further, especially with characters we care nothing about. There is a sequence where many Starfleet personnel, as well as other workers, are replaced by holograms, and the real people are placed in some holographic world where they are slaves to the holograms. This is supposedly to teach them what it's like to be oppressed. These scenes involve characters we aren't familiar with at all, and the limited scenes they have in the book before this happens just didn't make me care about them. What's even worse, though, is the way the sequence is written. It seriously is like a romance novel come to life. Lieutenant Andropov is described as being extremely muscular, and the woman who he takes under his wing is quite beautiful. He's old enough to be her father, and thankfully we are spared any romantic entanglements, but we still get prose that's ripped from the bodice of those novels. It made me cringe every time Golden went back there.

Finally, there is one major internal continuity gaffe that is so bad only because the scenes happen one right after the other. In the first scene, the Trill doctor suggests that Data go off for the rendezvous with the other Voyager crewmembers by himself while he continues to work with the holographic Doctor in sickbay. The very next scene, however, is the rendezvous, and the Trill is right there. He speaks quite a lot, and it's obvious not a communication from sickbay. He is right there. Surely this should have been caught in editing even if Golden was writing the scenes out of order and forgot this?

A Farther Shore has an interesting premise with some good characterization (but some horrible characterization too), but the writing just fails it. Romance-lite, overbearing and overdrawn, this book just seems such a let-down after Homecoming. Problems that were below the radar rear their ugly head, and don't bode well for the series. I hope Golden can do better than this.

David Roy

A Farther Shore: Ireland's Long Road to Peace

Average customer rating:

Recommended Reading
More hope;less history.
Lies,Lies. Lies
Sinn Fein's gamble on the peace process
Lies from beginning to end

A Farther Shore: Ireland's Long Road to Peace
Gerry Adams
Manufacturer: Random House Trade Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Political | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0375760121
Release Date: 2005-03-08

Book Description

He’s been imprisoned, shot at, denounced, shunned, and banned, yet Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams remains resolute in his belief that peace is the only viable option for the Irish people. Adams led the oldest revolutionary movement in Ireland on an extraordinary journey from armed insurrection to active participation in government. Now he tells the story of the tumultuous series of events that led to the historic Good Friday Agreement as only he can: with a tireless crusader’s conviction and an insider’s penetrating insight.

In vivid detail, Adams describes the harrowing attack on his life, and he offers new details about the peace process. We learn of previously undisclosed talks between republicans and the British government, and of conflicts and surprising alliances between key players. Adams reveals details of his discussions with the IRA leadership and tells how republicans differed, “dissidents” emerged, and the first IRA cessation of violence broke down. He recounts meetings in the Clinton White House, tells what roles Irish-Americans and South Africans played in the process, and describes the secret involvement of those within the Catholic Church. Then—triumphantly—this inspiring story climaxes with the Good Friday Agreement: what was agreed and what was promised.

Gerry Adams brings a sense of immediacy to this story of hope in what was long considered an intractable conflict. He conveys the acute tensions of the peace process and the ever-present sense of teetering on the brink of both joyous accomplishment and continued despair. With a sharp eye and sensitive ear for the more humorous foibles of political allies and enemies alike, Adams offers illuminating portraits of the leading characters through cease-fires and standoffs, discussions and confrontations. Among the featured players are John Major, Tony Blair, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Jean Kennedy Smith, and Nelson Mandela.

As the preeminent republican strategist of his generation, Gerry Adams provides the first comprehensive account of the principles and tactics underpinning modern Irish republicanism. And in a world where peace processes are needed more urgently than ever, A Farther Shore provides a template for conflict resolution.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Recommended Reading.......2007-09-06

Gerry Adams is a native of "northern Ireland" and he is a politician and head of Sinn Fein party which means in translation "ourselves". As a nationalist he has worked for many years for the cause on Irish unity. He has had many ups and downs including being shot, serving jail time and being elected an MP to Westminster, etc. The book covers the period from approximately 1970 to 1998.

I would like to quote one passage from the book that says a lot about his thinking. This was during negotiations with all the parties in London at Lancaster House, the building of prior historical negotiations. Here 150 years after the great famine he describes the setting for the negotiations..." It was here-amid the grandeur and the Lousi XIV interiors and the other fine furnishings, undoubtedly stolen from around the world or purchased with other ill gotten gains...". So his Irish nationalism and his annoyance with the colonial English rulers are abundantly clear even in the late 1990's. People that understand colonialism certainly can empathize with Mr Adams.

Gerry Adams has written approximately eight other books so he is not new to books. This is a substantial book about 400 pages long, small font, lots of details. He is not a professional writer and sometimes the writing is a bit cumbersome. Having said that this is simply an excellent read both entertaining and engrossing.

He professes to be a politician (only) and explains many of his meetings, discussions, jail time, etc. He describes his meeting with Clinton and Blair in great detail, often hour by hour, and often explains the actions of many people working with him on various negotiations. Beyond that I think you should read the book. It is his view of a complicated subject whether you agree with him or not, and it is an excellent book.

Adams's path towards a political solution, as opposed to more of the same, has been a key ingredient to peace in Northern Ireland.

Good book: 5 stars.

More hope;less history........2004-10-23

The last few years have seen the end of a campaign of violence in Ireland that claimed nearly 4000 lives. Few can claim more credit for this achievement than the author of this work. The book makes clear that he remains totally committed to the peace process as he has been ever since he decided to start calling it that, and to dealing with the challenges and difficulties which the British present. Most remarkably what comes across is the frank acceptance of past mistakes and of the hurt and pain they have caused, and of those mistakes he may regrettably have to make in the future and for which he will be no less sorry. In spite of the horrors of the past 30 years, Adams is a man ready to forgive.

Lies,Lies. Lies.......2004-03-01

How could anyone possibly read any of this and believe that it is a work a literature, its nothing but propaganda full of mind altering lies. He wants you to believe that he is revolutionary aiming for a United Ireland, free from war. Heres the truth Jerry Adams is IRA, responsible for countless needless deaths of police officers, politicians and civillians both protestant and catholic. He has other members of IRA in his so called "political" party, murderers in goverment. Terrorisim is terrorisim, be it Palistine, Al-Qaeda or the widely believed "romantic" IRA. DO NOT GET THIS BOOK BY GIVING JERRY ADAMS YOUR MONEY, unless the price of toilet paper had suddenly rose!!!!!

Sinn Fein's gamble on the peace process.......2003-12-15

This book begins with the hunger strikes of 1980-1981 and ends with the Good Friday Agreement of 1992, as seen by Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams. It also goes over events during that period - the beginnings of secret negotiations with the British, the Anglo-Irish Agreement, the Gibraltar executions, the initial ceasefire, support for the peace process from the USA as well as a country that had just had a peaceful settlement after years of fighting, South Africa, bad faith from the British, and finally the Good Friday Agreement.

Aside from going over the history, he details the negotation back-and-forth minutiae - sometimes going into too much detail about tactical political maneuvering by the various parties. He also includes humorous anecdotes like how during the Good Friday agreement negotiations, the Sinn Fein representatives went out of their way to be extra nice to the unionist representatives, who wouldn't speak to them, always holding open doors, smiling, saying hello in such a "lovefest" of niceness that the unionists eventually complained.

What I found particularly interesting was his discussion of the RTE and BBC censorship of Sinn Fein, and the effect that this had on people in England and the 26 counties perception. He discusses the gap between republicans and loyalists throughout, his earlier work has some insightful reflections on this as well. Gone is the young idealistic man of "Before the Dawn", in this book he is an older man, a tactically sharp politician who was smart enough to get rid of some of the harmful archaic dogmatic blockades of republicanism (like not running candidates in the 26 counties), and who is at the vanguard of a new republican strategic gamble - success via peaceful politics.

Lies from beginning to end.......2003-12-15

A compendium of lies. A wholly mendacious and self-serving account of recent Irish history. Adams's leadership position in the terrorist IRA is not admitted, nor are the many bombings and murders he ordered, nor the beatings, nor the torture, nor the IRA's formal commitment to socialism. Atrociously written too, with a cliché in every paragraph. A disgusting work of propaganda from the smiler with the knife.

A Farther Shore: How Near-Death and Other Extraordinary Experiences Can Change Ordinary Lives

Average customer rating:

The Kundalini Book.
Among the best Kundalini books.
Valuable about kundalini processes
Good basic reference on Kundalini awakening.

A Farther Shore: How Near-Death and Other Extraordinary Experiences Can Change Ordinary Lives
Yvonne, Md Kason , and Teri Degler
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Canada
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Parapsychology | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0006380530

Customer Reviews:

The Kundalini Book........2006-04-01

For those of you with a passing interest or a passion for Kundalini this is the book to read. It covers every aspect of Kundalini and is written by a Western author so it is quite easy reading.

Also anyone having any kind of Spiritual Awakening should read this book.

Even though the books title doesn't show it, this is the best book I have read on Kundalini so far.

Among the best Kundalini books........2002-07-17

The wide scope of this book makes it a good synthesis of evolution phenomenons. Clear and open minded, a clear deep solid work.

Valuable about kundalini processes.......1999-02-17

This book is easy to miss as a kundalini guide because its title does not indicate this aspect of its content. The author, an MD, has assisted large numbers of people in kundalini processes and has a wealth of information to offer that is very valuable to anyone wanting/needing to learn about a kundalini experience. She is a medial doctor with a vast knowledge of spiritual phenomena. In my experience, people with spontaneous arisings are helped a great deal by this perspective which integrates Eastern and Western understandings.

Good basic reference on Kundalini awakening........1998-08-21

A Father Shore is an engaging personal, clinical, and scholarly report on Kundalini phenomena.

Though both Dr. Yvonne Kason and Teri Degler have nominal Christian backgrounds, as of this writing they appear to be influenced more by New Age and Hindu philosophy than by Scriptural Christianity in their treatment of spiritual awakening and personal transformation experiences. I recommend their book as a basic, practical introduction to the physiological, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and social factors associated with Kundalini. But the authors appear to have lost their moorings in the Biblical doctrines of creation, sin, redemption, and restoration. The book is adrift with doctrines of evolution and reincarnation.

The reader must decide whether the human body was created by God to be a temple of God or whether it is a product of cosmic evolution now acquiring god-like powers. If evolution, then self-realization is the ultimate goal. Never mind that the Second Law of Thermodynamics dictates devolution and death for everything in this physical universe, unless information and energy are added from a higher-dimensional source. If creation, then as Jesus said we must be born again from above in order to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Dr. Kason's adult near death experience and Ms. Degler's adolescent spiritual awakening have much in common with what the Bible calls being "baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:5). In that Kundalini is known as "serpent power," it is unfortunate that the leaders of the Church of Canada had not taught the authors how to distinguish more clearly between the Word of God and the lies of the devil. Jesus teaches about kundalini as "streams of living water" (John 7:39). We have to decide whether to employ this God-given human potential in the service of Christ or Antichrist, God or the devil.

Book Description

Is it possible to be spiritual without being religious? Can spirituality be separated from "the complications of religious institutions"? Convert and theologian Reid Blackmer Locklin thinks not. Combining personal experience with insights from Hindu and Christian traditions, Locklin offers a guide to institutional commitment in a world characterized by religious pluralism. Locklin demonstrates, through his "spirituality of institutional commitment," that a religious institution is simply a meeting point of spiritual seekers and teachers, which is both natural and indispensable when seeking holiness. Both an invitation and response, Locklin's guide is informed by ancient sources as well as contemporary experience. Spiritual but Not Religious? offers a fresh and personally engaging view of the Christian Church as a raft—not an obstacle—on the journey to the farther spiritual shore.

Chapters are: "Introduction—Raising the Question," "Chapter 1—On Seekers," "Chapter 2—On Teachers," "Chapter 3—On a Shared Communion," "Chapter 4—On the Mystery of Others," and "Conclusion—Filling in the Gaps." Also includes an index.

Customer Reviews:

A profound contemplation and mediation of differing specifics in pursuit of a general goal .......2005-08-14

Written by a theologist who teaches in the Christianity and Culture Program at Saint Michael's College, University of Toronto, Spiritual But Not Religious? An Oar Stroke Closer to the Farther Shore, is an exploration of diversely plural religious beliefs. Inviting the contemplative individual to consider institutions such as the Christian church and other religious institutions not as obstacles to knowing faith, but as rafts that gradually bring one an oar stroke closer to the farthest shore. A profound contemplation and mediation of differing specifics in pursuit of a general goal - reverence and love for the Divine.

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The Farther Shore: Poems
Paul Kane
Manufacturer: george braziller
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

The Farther Shore
Robert M. Coates
Manufacturer: Harcourt, Brace & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B0006AU8MO

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The misery of war

The Farther Shore
Matthew Eck
Manufacturer: Milkweed Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

War | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Loving Frank: A Novel

ASIN: 1571310576

Book Description

In coastal Africa, a small unit of U.S. Army soldiers is separated from its command and left for dead. Josh and his battle buddies are forced to keep moving to escape the marauding gangs that rule the area, and after a series of terrifying, violent encounters, only a few of them survive. In this haunting, adrenaline-filled war novel, both natives and invaders are almost inhuman, reflecting the horror and strangeness of postmodern military engagements.

Customer Reviews:

The misery of war.......2007-10-08

Eck's book could stand as a parable for America's war in Iraq or any of our imperial wars that are fought faraway by a few men whose agonies civilians can never understand. A small group of soldiers cut off from their unit find that everything turns sour fast. Without malice and following standard operating procedures, they kill children who set off alarms by walking into their night position. More horrors follow. The men Eck depicts are neither good or bad: they do terrible things and terrible things are done to them because that is what happens in war.

In the area of operations Eck depicts, even nature is postindustrial, polluted, and hostile: "the ocean is out of tune." In this dismal setting that mirrors the soldiers' lives, Eck excels at depicting the fog of war where soldiers are lost, sick, and confused. Their actions are often dictated by chance in the midst of terrible situations. some die, others are mutilated, no one escapes intact.

The novel shows men at war without the Hollywood soundtrack or the happy ending of the movie version of Black Hawk Down, where the survivors walk into safety looking dewy fresh as if from a good night's sleep and having missed no good meals at the studio's buffet.

Even more than the novel's obvious applicability to America's hopeless mission in Iraq, this book stands on its own as a story of the misery of war. And these words apply to the experiences of Americans in many wars: ""We made a mess of this whole thing. And I'm sick with it."

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The Farther Shore
Jack Couffer
Manufacturer: Panther
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PD6SGM

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A Farther Shore
Ruth Patterson
Manufacturer: Veritas Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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