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Explaining what William McNeill called The Rise of the West has become the central problem in the study of global history. In Guns, Germs, and Steel Jared Diamond presents the biologist's answer: geography, demography, and ecological happenstance. Diamond evenhandedly reviews human history on every continent since the Ice Age at a rate that emphasizes only the broadest movements of peoples and ideas. Yet his survey is binocular: one eye has the rather distant vision of the evolutionary biologist, while the other eye--and his heart--belongs to the people of New Guinea, where he has done field work for more than 30 years.
Book Description
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize. In this "artful, informative, and delightful" (William H. McNeill, New York Review of Books) book, Jared Diamond convincingly argues that geographical and environmental factors shaped the modern world. Societies that had had a head start in food production advanced beyond the hunter-gatherer stage, and then developed religion --as well as nasty germs and potent weapons of war --and adventured on sea and land to conquer and decimate preliterate cultures. A major advance in our understanding of human societies, Guns, Germs, and Steel chronicles the way that the modern world came to be and stunningly dismantles racially based theories of human history. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, the Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science, the Rhone-Poulenc Prize, and the Commonwealth club of California's Gold Medal.
Customer Reviews:
Very insightful, a worth while read.......2007-10-06
I highly recommend reading this book. Diamond provides compelling evidence for the disparity between civilizations. Any fan of history or just anyone curious about the rise of our current state will find a great read in Guns, Germs, and Steel.
guns,germs and steel.......2007-10-05
great perspective other than what we in western cultures traditionally have in in our relations with 3rd world countries
Dimly Focused.......2007-09-25
Though erudite and crammed with information, some of it a bit arcane, "Guns, Germs, and Steel"suffers somewhat from a blunted point of view. Is the author trying to tell us that some of our assumptions concerning the rise of cultural norms are over simplified? If so, he might have done so more forcefully with fewer words, more carefully selected facts, and perhaps a more lucid writing style. Do some societies prevail because their native tongue is more efficient and expressive than those employed by other cultures? Following that theme might have made for a more intriguing book. Are there some determinisms at work in every culture which inhibit the fulfillment of its destiny? Maybe the author thinks so, but the massive brush used to paint such a scenario causes the entire work to shimmy through a mass of frequently fascinating material without conclusions. The book's excessive length detracts from its compelling points: we live, some of the time, at the mercy of gigantic forces we do not control. Do genetics control our formation, or climate, or enormous economic systems? And who can give us convincing answers? Anthropologists, sociologists, and psychologists of course come to mind. But what of poets, seers, artists, and theologians? Maybe Jared Diamond knows, but by the time he finishes inundating us with facts, some slightly pretentious, it's hard to tell for sure. I had hoped this book's scope and claim would give convincing guidance. But because it lacks definite focus, it did not.
Guns Germs and Steel review.......2007-09-24
This is an excellent book, the hypothesis is very compelling and interesting. I watched the DVD in addition to the book and I was not disappointed at all. Worth the read!
A modern, scientific "just so" story.......2007-09-23
One of the most important books of our time; it single-handedly wipes out every justification for racism, and gets to the roots of why humans groups are where they are presently. An amazing synthesis of disciplines into one very readable explanation of how it came to pass that Europeans happened to be the ones that colonized the rest of the planet instead of some other group. The most clear example I've ever seen of why archaeology, and all the social sciences are not only important but vital to modern people. The better our understanding of the past the more likely we are to be able to let go of the emotionality that keeps us at each other's throats. A modern "just so" story.
Book Description
"The SBL Handbook of Style is an astonishing book, a true 'one-stop' reference for authors preparing manuscripts in biblical studies and related fields. It covers an amazing range of topics, from what every literate scholar should know (but may not) to what only the most erudite expert in an obscure sub-field of the discipline would be likely to know. Do you need to know how to cite an internet publication? Whose job it is to prepare the index and secure permissions? How to alphabetize Abraham ibn Ezra (and why)? What the abbreviation AAeg stands for? It's all here. This volume should substantially reduce the incidence of tears and tantrums that so often beset the process of manuscript preparation. Before long biblical scholars will wonder how we ever got along without this indispensable reference work. Every graduate program should make The SBL Handbook of Style a required text."
-Carol A. Newsom, Professor of Old Testament, Emory University
" . . . A major service for the community of biblical scholars. This comprehensive but handy stylesheet, building on the base of the SBL guidelines, incorporates all that most authors and editors currently need to know about the technical dimensions of publishing activity, from commas and hyphens to abbreviations, from transliterations to forms of annotation. All that's left to authors is to come up with good ideas. All editors have to do is to learn what is here."
-Harold W. Attridge, Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament, Yale Divinity School
Customer Reviews:
Eccentric footnotes, but useful.......2007-06-28
Although I teach a seminary course on research and bibliography, I hesitate to fully recommend this book. The book is eccentric in placing editors, translators and other random information within the same parentheses normally reserved for publication information in footnotes.
This eccentric practice is different from all other standard systems.
I would recommend the new edition of Turabian (2007) for footnote style.
Of course if you are writing for SBL publications you will have to use the eccentric SBL style. Other parts of the book giving correct forms for abbreviation, spelling and capitalization are useful for those specializing in biblical and theological studies.
the go-to style guide for biblical scholars.......2006-09-04
As the premier North-American-based professional association of biblical scholars, the Society of Biblical Literature ('SBL') not only publishes the prestigious and tightly-edited Journal of Biblical Literature ('JBL'); its influence has a knock-on effect on other journals in this and ancillary fields.
Thus, the imperative of an authoritative 'SBL' style guide is obvious. Not so evident is how we lived without a full style guide for so many years until this superb collaborative project between SBL and Hendrickson Publishers emerged.
The editors have removed one of our last remaining excuses for sloppiness and inconsistency. I suppose we owe them our thanks ...
A Required Text!.......2005-04-23
This book must be on your shelf within easy reach if you are a graduate student of religion, a seminary student, or a scholar in the wide field of religion. Why? Because this book gives you the information you need to make your papers, articles, and books conform to the most used style in religious literature today--SBL.
In other words--student, when you see this on your recommended booklist for a religion class, buy it! It will help you make better grades! And, scholars, it will cut down editing time for submitting work for publication as well.
To put it colloquially, this book is the "Bible" of religious research!
Standard manual on style.......2004-12-03
The SBL Handbook of style is designed for those who are writing papers or dissertations in the field of ancient Near Eastern, Biblical and early Christian Studies. Most matters of style are comprehensively addressed, and where they are not, the editors refer the reader to the Chicago Manual of Style. The book is extremely useful for those who want to standardise their abbreviations and references. Several issues will have to be resolved in the next edition. First, although the book is nicely printed, the binding is poor, and fell apart only after I had used the book a few times. Second, several essential abbreviations are missing from the list of Greek and Latin works. Third, not all abbreviations are located in the same part of the book, and so one has to keep going backwards and forwards to find the appropriate reference. Fourth, the editors sometimes display a dogmatic approach to style. For example they insist that writers ought to use Miriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary for their spelling. This dictionary however is only one alongside many other excellent dictionaries such as, the American Heritage, and the Random House. These criticisms should not detract from the importance and usefulness of this volume, which I recommend wholeheartedly.
The New Standard.......2000-03-17
This easy-to-use, inexpensive volume is a must-own for all who write in the fields of biblical and ancient near eastern studies. College and seminary students, graduate students, teachers, and researchers will find this book a fine substitute for Turabian and/or the CMOS for all but the most obscure situations. The discipline-specific nature of the work also allows greater depth of coverage without making it overlong. Get it today, or be behind the standard tomorrow.
Average customer rating:
- Details not found in other books...
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The Lost Civilization of Petra
Udi Levy
Manufacturer: Floris Books
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Petra and the Lost Kingdom of the Nabataeans
ASIN: 0863152988 |
Customer Reviews:
Details not found in other books..........2003-03-03
Udi Levy covers a lot of ground in this book to include Nabatean sites not within Petra proper as well. The book provides information on the rise of the Nabatean peoples and the subsequent rise of their cities and villages (Petra, of course being the focus). Their religion is analyzed, their agricultural practices looked at in detail, and more. This book even looks at neighboring cultures and provides compare-and-contrast analyses so that the reader can see Nabatean lifestyle in context of the region in which they lived.
Levy definitely did his homework before writing this book, and even looks at facts such as how much weight a camel can carry, and then deducing from this the total amount (cost-wise) of goods traders' caravan could carry across southwest Asia at the time (about a million dinars). This kind of attention to detail is most appreciated, and you will find it to be intriguing reading!!
The only disappointment, albeit a minor one, was that the conclusion left much to be desired. Levy writes 220 pages of insightful, thoughtful information then concludes with a single paragraph. I feel he could have wrapped it up a bit better than that, but even still, it doesn't detract from the wealth of information his book provides nevertheless.
Book Description
A bestseller in its field, A History of Western Society examines the lives of both historical figures and ordinary people, using an engaging, lively writing style to capture students' interest. While social and economic history are areas of special emphasis, the authors pay careful attention to traditional political and cultural developments, providing a balanced, well-rounded view of Western history as a whole.
Designed to appeal to a more visual student body, the Seventh Edition devotes increased attention to cultural history. The new "Images in Society" feature focuses on the visual artifacts of history, and the text's photo and map programs have been enhanced, with a stronger relationship between the narrative and illustrations. Scholarly updates throughout the text include new information on Egyptian religion; a revised discussion of the polis and Greek democracy; new material on the origins of Christian sacraments; an expanded discussion on the Peace of God; a new exploration of the cultural consequences of the Crusades; updated scholarship on the Atlantic slave trade; and a revised discussion of nationalism. The final chapter of the book has been fully updated to include a fuller discussion of globalism and the recent terrorist attacks of September 11.
- The text features a fully revised design to showcase the enhanced visual aspect of this edition.
- The two-page "Images in Society" boxed features contain photo essays on three to five visual sources, with explanatory text describing the images and the information historians can derive from them.
Customer Reviews:
Fine Survey Text.......2007-03-10
This is a very good Western Civilization textbook. I use it in my own Western Civilization survey course, and my students have generally responded very well to it. My main objection is the high cost, but that is a problem common to all survey texts. It provides a good base narrative and plenty of detail. Is it perfect? No, but no textbook will ever be exactly what the instructor or students want. I think it and the Kishlansky text are the two best out there right now. This book is indeed not the Cliff note version of history, nor should it be. If something like Cliff notes is the key to passing the AP history exam, I would suggest that the AP history exam is a poor measure of one's mastery of European history.
not even a textbook.......2007-02-11
Most textbooks are designed to teach and instruct in a detailed and straight forward manner. This book is unable to do either. The language it is written in is very confusing, it seems that most of the book is written as an essay, using big fancy words which are totally unnecessary. The message is not easy to discern. The book does not provide good instruction. In fact, THERE IS NOT EVEN A GLOSSARY, and most of the words aren't even defined in context.
This is pathetic, I will have to buy another supplement in hopes of doing well on the AP exam, because this book will be unable to get me prepared. Instructors, please stay away from this book. Students, good luck trying to understand it.
I would give this book 6 stars.......2006-07-11
A History of Western Society by McKay, McHill, and Buckner is a really great textbook. It got me a 5 on the AP test, so that is probably why I like it so much. McKay makes it a point to look into the lives of ordinary people as well as the rulers. The book is based on the AP Test and thouroughly prepares the student for it. There are tons of pictures and the reading is meant to be straight forward.
I would recommend this book to any AP European History student.
very helpful.......2006-02-17
One must simply remember that this book is actually the study guide to the textbook, not the textbook itself. I admit it; the textbook itself is quite lacking and dull. So much so that at times i simply cannot push myself to do the actual reading. That is where this books comes in hand. It provides a simple, easy to understand outline of each chapter. It also includes 25 sample multiple choice questions for each chapter with the correct answers and an expalantion on why each answer is correct or incorrect. I would recommend this study guide to anyone who has to go through the drone of actually using the textbook.
Yuck!.......2005-10-18
I am in an AP European history class right now, and this book is the textbook some genius has chosen for us to use. I have found that the entire thing is written in an extremely convoluted and confusing manner, to the point where after reading any given chapter I have had to either consult The Cliff's Euro History book or the online study guide to actually get the point. While reading the Cliffs book it also become evident to me that they have left out a fair number of important events and characters. All in all, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking to learn a straightforward history of Europe.
Customer Reviews:
From what I've read... full of inaccuracies..........2005-05-12
I've just glanced at this book thanks to Amazon's feature "look inside" and as an Italian, I feel like dropping some lines about what I've read.
I have had the chance to read only few pages but I've encountered some inaccuracies that make me think the author has done a good research about Italy.
First... There is a "di interessa" all over the book probably intended to highlight interesting points inside the chapters. The correct form is "di interesse". "Di interessa" is a pure mistake.
Second thing... The author says that a typical Italian saying is "Una faccia una razza", namely "one face one race" but this is isn't a typical Italian saying at all. It is Greek and wants to state that Italians and Greeks share the same background.
I didn't want to read further but what I've read is enough to me to say that this isn't the suitable book for those people who want to know more about my country. I assume that as I've found two serious mistakes in two pages, I might find many more in the rest of the book.
Great for travelers and buffs, not snobs.......2003-02-25
Euvino, et al, have done a marvelous job with what is essentially an impossible task--giving non-Italians introductory access to one of the most rich and textured cultures in the world. Their choices in topic and detail will enliven any visit (from the "boot" to the top of the country), and add a dash of knowledge (more than a pinch, less than a cup) to people contemplating such a journey. As a companion book to her guide to "Learning Italian", this book is a must buy.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Italian History and Culture.......2003-02-25
Gabrielle Euvino's guides to Italian language and history provide clear, consise information imbued with intelligence, warmth and humor. She has an inherent love of the culture and strong sensitivity for the neophyte student who seeks information. A desire to learn is all that's required of anyone looking to Euvino's books for understanding Italian and Italy. Expect to be charmed and entertained by the unexpected, as well as provided an education.
I would have been lost without you!!.......2003-02-20
I just returned from a fabulous trip to Italy, and I found this book to be an invaluable aid. It truly helped me get a richer and more insightful appreciation of Italian culture and history. Congrats to the authors for a superlative job. Their work was instructive, detailed and entertaining.
Don't underestimate yourself--you're not this stupid.......2002-02-14
If you have a real interest in the country, language & culture you deserve better than this hackneyed effort. Too general, too superficial: do not pass go, do not collect . Keep looking, there are many good lists by people here about Italy
Customer Reviews:
Good Book.......2000-03-30
I find this book fairly understandable, easy to follow and a bit of interesting with good pictures!
Book Description
Discusses Mesopotamian civilization, Egyptian civilization, Hebrew civilization, Greek civilization, Alexander and the Hellenistic Age, the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, and Christianity in the ancient world.
Book Description
Prepared by James T. Baker of Western Kentucky University, the Study Guide includes chapter outlines and summaries, a glossary of key terms for each chapter, analysis of primary source documents, and questions that include matching, multiple choice, fill-in-the blank, chronology, critical thought, and map exercise questions.
Customer Reviews:
Western Civilization.......2006-03-03
not what I expected, or useful for the purpose that I needed. But would work well along side the text.
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