History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

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.

Vacation Under The Volcano (Magic Tree House 13, paper)

Average customer rating:

Excellent read for my 7-year-old
Historically accurate
MY BOY LOVES READING
Vacation Under the Valcano - Magic Tree House #13
Volcanos wow!

Vacation Under The Volcano (Magic Tree House 13, paper)
Mary Pope Osborne
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679890505
Release Date: 1998-03-24

Book Description

In their first adventure as Master Librarians, Jack and Annie go to the city of Pompeii to bring back an ancient story that is in danger of being lost forever. Little do they know they are saving the myth of Hercules! But before they can find it, the town's volcano erupts in a mighty explosion. Just when things look hopeless, Jack and Annie get some unexpected help from a certain mythic hero - and the rest, as they say, is history.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent read for my 7-year-old.......2007-09-15

My daughter could not put this book down once she started reading it. She loves the MAGIC TREE HOUSE series so much!

Historically accurate.......2007-06-21

We paired this with the Discovery Kids Magazine on Pompeii and found out that this book is a great way to find out about Pompeii and what happened, not just as a tourist attraction. It really puts kids in the moment of the time period. Every detail, down to the arrangement of the city was accurate. You can actually find a map replicating Pompeii and show your child where Jack and Annie went. Wow. Talk about subject integration! You know it is a great book when you can go down the list of Bloom's Taxonomy and use the book to create activities for every level.

We are leaving today to buy every book in the series.
Perfect for homeschooling.

MY BOY LOVES READING.......2007-01-02

My 1st grader hates to put them down, he would rather read Magic Tree House books, than play video games. He even reads them to his class and explains the story for show and tell. When he was in kindergarten, the teacher would also let him read the Magic Tree House books out loud, not given her a break, but to promote reading out loud. Great books!

Vacation Under the Valcano - Magic Tree House #13.......2006-01-29

Shortly before leaving for vacation, Jack and Annie remembered that they needed to go to the magic tree house to solve a mystery. Morgan said "your aventure is going to the Roman times you need to find this book or it will be lost forever""WOW! I always wanted to go to the Roman times this will be fun Annie" said Jack.

The magic tree house takes them to the seaside town of Pompeii during Roman times, which was 2,000 years ago. Many Romans traveled to Pompeii for vacation. They built large houses called villas and planted groves of olive trees on the slopes of a nearby mountain called Mount Vesuvius.

As they walked into the town of Pompeii, they noticed there were no birds and the stream under the bridge was dried up. Once in Pompeii, a soothsayer said "go home". Jack and Annie walked by the town forum, public baths and the Temple of Jupiter while looking for the library.

When they get to the library, they start looking for the book "Vir Fortissinus in Mundo". After finding the book, Jack opened the door and noticed everything crashing down in front of them. The ground started to shake as Mount Vesuvius erupted into a deadly volcano. "That is what the soothsayer meant" said Jack.

Jack and Annie ran from the library and headed back to the tree house. As they ran, a great cloud of pumice, ash, and burning rock formed over the city. When it rained down on Pompeii,it coverd the town. They used pillows to cover their heads from the falling ash.

The tree house was in the olive grove on the side of the mountain. Jack and Annie were running towards the volcano while everyone else was running away from it. When they got to the dried-up stream, the brige. They were trapped in the pumice, when a big, strong man named Hercules saved them. He pulled them from the pumice and took them to the other side of the stream.

Jack and Annie made it to the magic tree house, which took them back home. Morgan made them Master Librarians and they went on vacation with their family.

Volcanos wow!.......2005-10-25

My son and I have been reading the Magic Tree House series for the last couple months and we love them. These are the first books that my son has taken a real interest into, checking them out and reading them on his own. Vacations under the Volcano is our favorite one so far. After checking out a bunch from the library we finally decided to buy a set, and he was so disappointed that this one wasn't part of the set that he bought it seperatly on his own. This book has sparked a whole new interest for him.
I like that this story is based on a real historical event. As opposed to some of the others, like Sunset of the Sabertooth, which is one of my least favorites. As far as the danger goes, which another reviewer mentioned, I think Mary does a great job keeping the stories exciting. They would really become dull if the kids only strolled through meadows. For another scary one try Earthquakes in the Early Morning.
On a side note, its good to read them in order, but we didn't and you definatly don't have too.

Mummies & Pyramids (Magic Tree House Research Guide, paper)

Average customer rating:

This is a "fantabulous" book
I liked it alot!
Great Book!
Researchers Don't Believe Pyramids Built By Slaves
Who built the pyramids?

Mummies & Pyramids (Magic Tree House Research Guide, paper)
Will And Ma Osborne
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0375802983
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Amazon.com

If the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions a mummy is a ghastly, bandaged creature staggering forth from a tomb, it's time to take a look at Mummies and Pyramids. This entertaining and enlightening research companion to Mary Pope Osborne's Mummies in the Morning is perfect for readers who developed an insatiable taste for the mysteries and science of ancient Egypt while reading about Jack and Annie's time- and space-traveling adventures at the pyramid of Queen Hutepi. Guided by siblings Jack and Annie, stars of the Magic Tree House series, the easy-to-read text offers up the secrets of pharaohs, hieroglyphic writing, the building of pyramids, how and why mummies were made, the Book of the Dead, Egyptian gods and goddesses, tomb treasures--and tomb robbers--and more. Divided into chapters covering everyday life in ancient Egypt, religion, funerals, and the most famous mummy of all, King Tutankhamen, the book also offers suggestions on how children can do their own research. Plentiful black and white illustrations and reproductions of Egyptian art make learning extra fun, as do regular appearances by Jack and Annie as they explain details of the text or offer commentary ("Not fair!" Annie says, "Only boys could go to school and become scribes!"). Stimulating and lively, this research guide is a stellar introduction to a subject guaranteed to intrigue young readers. (Ages 6 to 10) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

How were pyramids built? Why did people make mummies? What magic charms were buried with mummies? Who discovered King Tut's tomb? Unwrap the answers to these questions and more in Magic Tree House Research Guide #3: Mummies and Pyramids, Jack and Annie's very own guide to the secrets of ancient Egypt. Includes information on hieroglyphics, how mummies were made, tomb treasures and robbers, Egyptian gods and goddesses, and much more!

Customer Reviews:

This is a "fantabulous" book.......2006-12-22

This book provides a lot of information about ancient Egypt. For example, I learned how ancient Egyptians lived and what they did in their everyday life. The book has a solid chapter about ancient Egyptian art. I was surprised at how many different types of art there were. Ancient Egyptians painted, weaved and made pots, statues and jars out of clay. They also made jewelry and large pots out of gold. I also learned about their burial chambers in the pyramids. They put paintings and all of their belongings in the tombs for use in their after lives. The pyramids are made of big stone blocks. Workers would move the heavy stone blocks into the shape of a pyramid. The book describes how the ancient Egyptians also built large ships and small canoes to go down the Nile River. This book is an interesting introduction to ancient Egypt. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about ancient Egypt and the pyramids.

I liked it alot!.......2006-02-05

This book was really fun! What I learned from this book is about the tomb robbers. And that Egypt is in Africa.
Elizabeth 7 years old.

Great Book!.......2006-01-01

This was a great book. I finished it in 1 day. I thought it was the best reasearch guide you have ever written. (Steven)

Researchers Don't Believe Pyramids Built By Slaves.......2005-04-17

This is a very good book for children. It contains a lot of great information about Ancient Egypt. I read another review by a reader who was offended by the thought that the Pyramids weren't built by slaves. This was obviously a surprise to him but I had heard it elsewhere so it was no news to me. There were slaves in Egypt and I'm sure they were badly used in other jobs. They could have also been used to help build the pyramids, I doubt we will ever know exactly. This is a good book and no reader should pass it up over one shocked review. There's plenty of good information here and it is very interesting.

Who built the pyramids?.......2004-04-30

My six year old pointed out the following 'bold' statement by the authors of this book:
"Many people think the work on the pyramids was done by slaves.
This is not true." p.81.
No mention of slaves!
Revisionist thinking?
Certainly not the book I want my children learning from.

The Egyptology Handbook: A Course in the Wonders of Egypt (Ologies)

Average customer rating:

Very Nice
Fantastic Book
Good companion to Egyptology.

The Egyptology Handbook: A Course in the Wonders of Egypt (Ologies)
Emily Sands
Manufacturer: Candlewick
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0763629324
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Book Description

Inside this indispensable and beautifully illustrated workbook is everything you need to know to become an esteemed Egyptologist.

As readers of the fascinating EGYPTOLOGY are all too aware, the feisty explorer Emily Sands mysteriously vanished on an expedition up the Nile in 1927. But in a remarkable turn of fortune for Miss Sands's many fans, detectives have uncovered a second volume penned in her own hand — a course book on ancient Egyptian history and culture intended for the voyager's beloved niece and nephew. Now available to budding Egyptologists everywhere, this comprehensive volume — illustrated by the same artists who lent their talents to EGYPTOLOGY — is brimming with facts on ancient Egyptian culture and history, followed by intriguing assignments and fill-in opportunities on everything from archaeological finds to theories on how the pyramids were built.

Among the book's delightful novelty elements are:

— An envelope containing Miss Emily Sands's Top Ten Things to See in Egypt
— Flaps to lift, revealing hidden treasure in desert sands
— A four-page foldout section full of stickers featuring treasures from King Tut's tomb and other ancient Egyptian artifacts.

Customer Reviews:

Very Nice.......2007-07-04

I enjoyed this book and am sure that my grandchildren will as well. I was surprised that it was smaller and less interactive then the companion book. "Egyptology, Search for the Tomb of Osiris" which everyone in my family loves. But this one is fun and full of understandable information.

Fantastic Book.......2006-07-08

My 10 year old daughter first checked this out of the library twice & still wanted to check it out again.
I logged on to Amazon & found it, bought it as a surprise & she looks at it & reads it at least weekly.

If you want a GREAT kids book on egyptology this is it!

Good companion to Egyptology. .......2006-02-28

There are more maps and flaps to explore. I thought it went very well together with "Egyptology"

Knights And Castles (Magic Tree House Research Guide, paper)

Average customer rating:

Wonderful book for kids of all ages
Terrific Reference for Middle Ages * Art * Theme!
Knights and Castles
Great for fans of the magic tree house!

Knights And Castles (Magic Tree House Research Guide, paper)
Will And Ma Osborne
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0375802975
Release Date: 2000-08-01

Book Description

What was it like to wear armor? What was the food like in castles? This book explores what life was really like in medieval times.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful book for kids of all ages.......2000-12-26

This is a wonderful book for kids of all ages. The reference works in back to museums, internet sites and other books is well done. I recommend this book for any one who has children interested in Knights and Castles!

Terrific Reference for Middle Ages * Art * Theme!.......2000-10-13

I'm an artist and art teacher, and after discovering this book, I ordered copies for my middle school ART students! While it's an easy read for students of this age (5th through 7th grade), it's packed with understandable text and pictures. It's a great reference for the various art projects that my students are doing as part of our study of the Middle Ages, and the kids have really enjoyed it....

Knights and Castles.......2000-08-14

Mary Pope Osborne does it again!

Our Family loves the Magic Tree House series. They hit us on many levels. Our youngest loves to be read to, our next just hit chapter books, our oldest is beyond this intro. level chapter books - but loves this series & reads the books over and over.

I am delighted to introduce reasearch ideas in such a non-threatening, inviting manner to my children. Learning and reading is so fun; and this concept sheds new light for a young audience. Not only will this help after reading the MTH series, it will add a new dimension when going on field trips, museums, the library, the internet, etc. I am going to share this book with our elementary school.

Ms. Osborne and her husband take the opportunity to be thorough, while simplifying for young minds - and the illustrations keep a young reader's attention.

Bravo! Keep 'em coming.

Great for fans of the magic tree house!.......2000-08-11

My 4-year-old son and I have been reading the Magic Tree House series for nearly half his life; they are among his favorite books (in fact, when given an opportunity at a book sale at day camp this summer, he opted to buy the next book in the series rather than the Pokemon cards that all his friends were buying!). When I showed him the Knights and Castles Research Guide, he was thrilled! We started reading it right away, and he found it fascinating. Especially appealing are the illustrations, much more numerous and detailed than those in the regular series. My only (very minor) disappointment is that it would have been even more wonderful if these books in this Research Guide series had been presented as if they were the actual books that Jack and Annie found in the treehouse (complete with the quotations that appear in the Tree House books), rather than ones they put together from "research" after their visits.

Average customer rating:

Etruscan Time
To Suspend Disbelief
On Etruscan Time
Exceptional!
What a Fun Read!

On Etruscan Time
Tracy Barrett
Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0805075690
Release Date: 2005-04-28

Book Description

A shadow moved in the doorway of the building. It was a boy. As he hesitated, someone must have pushes him from behind. He stumbled down the short stairway and fell heavily to his knees. He couldn't break his fall, Hector realized, because his arms were tied behind him.A mysterious talisman transports a boy back to ancient ItalyNo one ever listens to Hector. He wanted to hang out with his friends this summer, but instead he's stuck in Italy at an archaeological dig with his mom. The ancient Etruscan artifacts are interesting, but no one has time for him. Then he makes a discovery of his own-a strange, unsettling stone that looks like an eye. The stone brings nightmares about Arath, an Etruscan boy who died thousands of years ago but now begs for Hector's help. Are these just dreams, or is Arath really in danger? As Hector unearths the truth, he realizes that he can make himself heard when it counts.

Customer Reviews:

Etruscan Time.......2007-03-30

This book is about a boy named Hector. He takes a trip to Italy with his mom and meets a strange boy named Arath. Arath takes Hector back in time to the ancient Etruscans. I thought this book was cool and had historical details that were very interesting. It wasn't very exciting, but I still liked it because I learned about the ancient Etruscans. I think other people that are about 10 to 15 years old would like it, too if they like history.

To Suspend Disbelief.......2006-03-29

Time-honored advice on how to write a "great" story says that an author's text must convince a reader to suspend disbelief.

Tracy Barrett has presented her readership with another great story. While her suspenseful book ON ETRUSCAN TIME educates, entertains and delights, it also fueled my willingness to suspend disbelief. After all, is it not reasonable to dream that somewhere in time or space a "magic-eye" stone exists with which remarkable experiences are possible?

Quoting Albert Einstein's comment, "The distinction between past, present, and future is only an illusion, however persistent." is one small example of Ms. Barrett's genius feel for her subject. I highly recommend this book for all readers but particularly for those whose hearts, minds, and imaginations are without age.

On Etruscan Time.......2005-10-09

On Etruscan Time is fun, and how good Dr. Barrett is at the tiny detail that fixes in your mind a person or scene. The book is vividly written, and, instructive (about Italy and archeology); the instruction felicitously handled. And there's enough tension and painful anxiety to cause this reader to read the whole in two sittings, punctuated only by an abbreviated night's sleep.. And the story stays with you. I'm still hoping for word from a DNA-determining lab that those were dog bones.
Martha Bennett Stiles

Exceptional!.......2005-09-12

Tracy Barrett has masterfully created a story that any adventure seeker will enjoy. Whether you are male, female, young or old, you will not be able to put this book down!

What a Fun Read!.......2005-09-03

Full of adventure, surprise and suspense, this book delivers a time travel punch when reluctant Hector from the U.S. is forced to spend his summer in Italy with his archaeologist mother. He'd rather be at home with his friends, but fate gives him a new friend, Arath, who lived 2000 years ago and who needs Hector's help.

Tracy Barrett has written a fun read, full of explanations of another culture, far removed from our own and yet similar in many ways, and combined that with archaeological dig experiences that fascinate and inspire the imagination.

Average customer rating:

The strange and clever story of a strange and clever boy
Wonderful book
Great for all ages
Fantastic
JUST WHERE YOUR MIND CAN TAKE YOU!

Weslandia
Paul Fleischman
Manufacturer: Candlewick
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0763610526
Release Date: 2002-08-01

Amazon.com

What do the children you know usually do when school is out for the summer? Go crazy with boredom? Head poolside with friends? Plan a self-sufficient civilization with its own staple food crop? That is precisely how Wesley decides to spend his summer vacation. Wesley is not an ordinary boy: "He alone in his town disliked pizza and soda, alarming his mother and the school nurse. He found professional football stupid. He'd refused to shave half his head, the hairstyle worn by all the other boys, despite his father's bribe of five dollars." It all starts (the civilization, that is) when Wesley overturns a plot of ground in his yard to see what new and unknown seeds might blow into it. Curiously, just one kind of plant grows--an unusual, flowering, fruit-bearing plant that tastes of "peach, strawberry, pumpkin pie, and flavors he had no name for." Soon, Wesley is literally reaping the fruits of his labors--using the fruit rind to make a cup for the juice he squeezes, barbecuing the root tubers, and weaving the bark into a hat to keep off the sun.

In Wesley's new world, he no longer needs a watch because he uses a flower stalk as a sundial, dividing the day into 8 segments, one for each of the flower's petals. A new language (based on an 80-letter alphabet) and counting system (based on the number 8) soon follow. Ah, Weslandia. Slowly but surely his once-tormenting classmates become curious. And soon enough, Wesley allows them to help him crush seeds for oil, which "had a tangy scent and served him both as suntan lotion and mosquito repellent." He also invents sports that are less distasteful to him than football--"games rich with strategy and complex scoring systems," and watches patiently as his classmates blunder. Wesley's parents say that he looks happy for the first time in years. And when he returns to school in September? "He had no shortage of friends." Newbery Medal winner and onetime alternate-world creator Paul Fleischman shines in this deadpan-but-hilarious picture book, and illustrator Kevin Hawkes's splendid paintings will delight young readers with the explosion of colorful, comical details. Kids young and old will love the once-outcast hero Wesley and his Robinson Crusoe-style triumphs. (Ages 8 to 11, or for reading aloud to younger children) --Karin Snelson

Book Description

WESLANDIA honors the misfits—and the creators—among us.

Enter the witty, intriguing world of Weslandia! Now that school is over, Wesley needs a summer project. He’s learned that each civilization needs a staple food crop, so he decides to sow a garden and start his own - civilization, that is. He turns over a plot of earth, and plants begin to grow. They soon tower above him and bear a curious-looking fruit. As Wesley experiments, he finds that the plant will provide food, clothing, shelter, and even recreation. It isn’t long before his neighbors and classmates develop more than an idle curiosity about Wesley - and exactly how he is spending his summer vacation.

Customer Reviews:

The strange and clever story of a strange and clever boy.......2007-07-30

This is an odd book, the story of a boy who, as a summer project, creates his own civilization. He bases his civilization on the cultivation and use of a single crop, a plant of mysterious origin and almost miraculous versatility. He starts the summer as a nerdy and unpopular boy and ends it with many of his schoolmates (and former tormenters) drawn into his society. The idea is intriguing and the art is engaging.

I call the book "odd" because, while it's clearly a children's book, it isn't written in a style that would obviously appeal to children. After I read through it I thought, "cute, but my kids won't care for it." I thought that the lack of dialog and the general absence of a traditional story-line would leave them cold. Wrong, big time. They love it. They're four and six, and they're just fascinated by the story and the pictures. Sometimes kids are more patiently thoughtful than I give them credit for. This book is thought-provoking for them and frequently requested. Excellent book.

Wonderful book.......2007-07-15

If you can't be a part of THEIR world, make one up for yourself and they will want to be in your world! I love the way this books teaches a sort of self reliance and a CAN do attitude. Recommend to children of all ages.

Great for all ages.......2007-06-30

When my daughter was two, she randomly chose Weslandia from the library. We took it home to read it, and I was astonished! What a great book!! The illustrations are vivacious and the story is wonderfully imaginative. I found myself wondering what my own civilization would be like.

I thought, due to the subject matter, this book would be over my toddler's head. I was very wrong. It has become one of her favorites. We checked it out from the library so often, I bought our own copy, and have since bought several as gifts for other children. The youngest kids will love the colors and illustrations, and it will grow with them...they'll discover something new every time they read it.

My absolute favorite children's book. Very highly recommended!

Fantastic.......2007-05-05

This book is SO innovative. The author is of a very rare, wonderful, unique variety. I recommend this book to anyone with children of any age, or even just get it for yourself if you enjoy spark, imagination, and creativity.

JUST WHERE YOUR MIND CAN TAKE YOU!.......2006-12-29

I love this story. I suppose I can somewhat relate as I see so much of myself in the young boy featured in this book. A young, lonely boy, who somehow just does not fit in, decides to invent his own world and simply make it the way he wants to make it. The story is quirky enough to appeal to most kids as I do feel there is something of that loneliness in all of us. The illustrations are great. The story is touching and is good and it is a great illustrations of just where our minds can take us if we let them. It tells us that it is good to be a bit different and not something we should set around and worry about. Recommend this one highly.

The Neddiad: How Neddie Took the Train, Went to Hollywood, and Saved Civilization

Average customer rating:

Great Reading, Wonderfully Imaginative
turtles all the way down
Part school story, part adventure, part fantasy and all hilarious
Best Pinkwater in Quite Some Time
Neddies all the way down?

The Neddiad: How Neddie Took the Train, Went to Hollywood, and Saved Civilization
Daniel Manus Pinkwater
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0618594442

Book Description

The old powers try to come back, and the planet is plunged into chaos, and civilization is destroyed, and it gets all violent and evilâ€¦ the old legends tell that a heroâ€¦ with the sacred turtle, always â€¦ Los Angeles, California. Neddie Wentworthstein is the guy with the turtle. Sandor Eucalyptus is the guy with the jellybean. Sholmos Bunyip wants the turtle . . . and heâ€™ll stop at nothing to get it. This is the story of how Neddie, three good friends, a shaman, a ghost, and a little maneuver known as the French substitution determine the fate of the world.

Customer Reviews:

Great Reading, Wonderfully Imaginative.......2007-08-20

I've been a fan of Pinkwater's works for over 25 years, ever since I first bought a copy of Lizard Music as a child. I was delighted when my wife brought the audio tape version of The Neddiad for our family to listen to while on a road trip to the East Coast.

"The Neddiad" is classic Pinkwater and is delightful, easily ranking among his best. Mr. Pinkwater uses his unique style to bring these characters to life, and I could clearly envision the characters as the story unfolded. Better than anyone else I know, Mr. Pinkwater is able to view the world through the eyes of an 11-year-old (is that Neddie's age?) and to express his observations from that perspective.

The story seamlessly weaves together many subplots and concepts and kept our entire vanload engaged, (frequently) surprised, and laughing. My oldest son (entering 5th grade) complained every time we turned it off, even if only for a moment to pay tolls. After having listened to Pinkwater's own telling of the story, I will be buying this book and reading it for myself. Like Lizard Music (which is obliquely referred to in this book), it's an adventure that gets better with each re-reading.

turtles all the way down.......2007-06-13

I loved this book. I think I get what it is about, not worrying about things, resting in God (or on the great turtle). It reminds me of an essay by an Episcopalian minister, Barbara Brown Taylor (The Luminous Web, The Limits of Knowledge) She recounts this in the book: p. 87

"According to one Native American creation myth , the earth rests on the back of a giant turtle. When an ethnologist who was trying to get the story down on paper asked an elder what was underneath that turtle, the elder said "Another turtle."
"And under that?" the ethnologist asked.
"Oh, it's turtles all the way down".

I took this to mean to trust more because there are some things that just can't be pinned down. How can you not love a book whose hero saves the world by singing? WOW. I mean WOW! And I live in Albuquerque where an important part of the story takes place so it gets points for that. Also, the wonderfully quirky illustrations are by Calef Brown who wrote a great childrens book "Polkabats and Octupus Slacks." (Read his poem "Funky Snowman" for an optimists view of life.)

I'm giving this book to my nephew for his baptism. Not an obvious choice but I find this book to be deeply spiritual, as well as funny, charming, and tender.

Part school story, part adventure, part fantasy and all hilarious.......2007-06-05

Most of the world (or at least the segment that listens to public radio) knows Daniel Pinkwater primarily as that funny guy who talks about children's books on Saturday morning's "Weekend Edition" program. Pinkwater has been around for much longer than that, though, coming up with a string of consistently hilarious --- and consistently off-the-wall --- novels and picture books for as long as I can remember. From 1977's THE HOBOKEN CHICKEN EMERGENCY (about a 266-pound pet chicken) to 2005's irreverent take on school in THE EDUCATION OF ROBERT NIFKIN, Pinkwater has time and again proven himself as one of the funniest writers for young people.

Pinkwater's latest, THE NEDDIAD, is no exception. Part of Pinkwater's style is a certain playfulness, a wide-ranging imagination that relies on comic situations, one-liners and images as much as on plot. On the face of it, the concept of THE NEDDIAD might seem absurd; after all, its subtitle is "How Neddie Took the Train, Went to Hollywood, and Saved Civilization." But Pinkwater manages to make it all make sense --- or at least, to make his readers laugh too hard to care whether it does or not.

Neddie Wentworthstein lives in Chicago a few years after World War II. When Neddie idly mentions that he'd love to eat at the Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles, Neddie's enthusiastic father (who'd made a fortune selling shoelaces to the military) suggests that the whole family move to California to see the landmark for themselves. Neddie loves adventure --- and the movies --- so he's eager to have an adventure of his own. "I expected, we all expected, to do exciting things," he writes, "This is why going away on a big adventure all the way across the country seemed normal to me."

Neddie's trip probably won't seem normal to just about anyone else, though. Starting with Neddie's mysterious encounter with a Navajo shaman named Melvin, continuing with his acquisition of a highly desirable turtle figurine and his separation from his parents, and from there following Neddie all the way to Los Angeles, where he gains new friends, a new school and a whole slew of enemies, THE NEDDIAD is truly an epic journey.

Part road trip adventure, part school story, part adventure, part fantasy and all hilarious, THE NEDDIAD is outrageously unique and undeniably the work of Daniel Pinkwater's comic genius.

--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

Best Pinkwater in Quite Some Time.......2007-05-30

Let me get this out of the way: I'm a solid Pinkwater fan and have been one since I was 8 or 9, and begged my parents for $1 to buy a copy of "Wingman." Having read a big chunk of his catalogue, I'd say that "The Neddiad" is one of my top five Pinkwater books...this from a guy who's written hundreds of books. It's got that classic Pinkwater deadpan humor, a great mystery that stretches back over eons, a quest, and turtles, turtles, turtles! Also, you learn about lots of cool stuff; don't let that turn you off the book, though. Wonderful! Keep writing, Daniel, and thanks.

Neddies all the way down?.......2007-05-10

from my blog:

Two parts Holes, three parts Guy Noir, one part Pinkwater. This book makes me feel like I just walked out of an old Nickelodeon after a Saturday afternoon marathon surrounded by rowdy kids and spitballs. I slowly rise/unstick from my seat still mentally replaying the final episode of "The Neddiad", which, interestingly, is how this book was born - in installments. Daniel Pinkwater, NPR commentator and children's book reviewer extraordinaire, gave us weekly chapters of Neddie Wentworthstein and his amazing adventures on trains, planes and automobiles starting back in the summer of 2006. As I started reading this book I vaguely remembered an NPR interview back in October about a train and a boy hanging out with his movie star idol D'Artagnan (aka Dart-Onion, aka Aaron Finn). I listened in and out and couldn't help but be reminded of another NPR staple A Prairie Home Companion's Guy Noir; I could almost hear the sound effects of the rattling rails and stomping feet. This is that book.

The gumshoe, Captain Billy's Whizbang feeling settles in by chapter 17 (very short chapters, remember? weekly installments?). By this time we've met the shoelace mogul Mr. Wentworthstein (a more happy-go-lucky version of Stanley Yelnats's splooge-inventing father), Mrs. Wentworthstein, the sister Eloise (one of two stellar and highly underrated young female characters), Aaron Finn, his son and Neddie's bud Seamus Finn, the turtle-gifting Melvin/Irving/Sheldon/whoever, Billy the Phantom Bellboy (who wins my never-before-bestowed award of going from the character I thought most unbelievable to my favorite) and of course, the bad guys - Sandor Eucalyptus and Sholmos Bunyip (you can almost hear the twisting handlebar moustaches). These are our players, running around Los Angeles in the 1940s trying to save the world with a turtle.

This is such a great book not only in its own right but as a safe, gratifying recommendation to ANYONE. I am always appreciative of a book about which I can get excited to read and to share without adding a disclaimer (another such treat is The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick). Give The Neddiad to upper elementary- to middle-schoolers and any other student with a sense of humor.

Fun fact about Bryn: I love surprises and to be really scared (this will relate to the book eventually, I promise). I'm a sucker for Stephen King and thriller movies. Not the gore, just the rush. I like them because it's rare that I actually get surprised or scared and appreciate it moreso when it happens. So, of course one of my favorite aspects of The Neddiad is that I counted at least a handful of moments where I actually gasped out loud, not because it was scary, but because I was completely taken by surprise. So many twists and turns. Pinkwater totally got me and I enjoyed every minute of it.

I could go on and on about the cool train lingo I learned, when Chief Crazy Wig chants about "walla walla bing bang" and "no child left behind", the shout-out to Dad's Old Fashioned Root Beer (a can of which my dad is sporting in a photo taken hours before I was born!) and Eloise and Iggy (two rockin' gals, necessarily overshadowed by the male characters).

Decide for yourself if it's an overactive imagination or Neddies all the way down!

Mathematics for the Million/How to Master the Magic of Numbers

Average customer rating:

How mathematics was learned
Not as good as the back cover makes it out to be.
Mathematical kit for the technological citizen
The (not) magic of numbers
High School Math for the Educated Adult

Mathematics for the Million/How to Master the Magic of Numbers
Lancelot Hogben
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 039331071X

Customer Reviews:

How mathematics was learned.......2006-12-07

I bought a used copy of this book 3 years ago (it was published in 1944). To think that it was written for ordinary people 60 or more years ago is astonishing. One can learn all the math that 99% of people need during their lives. If todays high school students would take the time to learn what is so excellently explained in this book, they would score 650 - 800 on the math SAT exam. One example is: there is a chapter where the author walks you through all the calculations and probabilities needed to set up your own life insurance company! This beats calculating the probability of drawing 3 green balls out of an urn filled with green and red balls. Buy It.

Not as good as the back cover makes it out to be........2006-08-03

I was sold by the back cover quotes from Einstein and H.G. Wells and by the idea of the author leading me from arithmetic to calculus. It's ostensibly a book written so that everyone can understand mathematics. However, the book is not an easy read.

Like one of my students said after I explained to her why I didn't like the book: "the author is multi-tasking." He tries to explain math concepts and show us the history of math at the same time. The result is halfway explained math which the reader has to spend a lot of effort on in order to grasp. This is good mental exercise but as you get deeper and deeper into the book you realize that the author has made it unnecessarily harder by being verbose.

A good number of his sentences are wordy, for example: "It does little credit to contestants of either camp, and the outcome was highly detrimental to the progress of mathematics in the land of Newton's birth." In the land of Newton's birth? Why not just England?

Here's another one: "Laplace, the renowned French astronomer-mathematician who told Napoleon that God is an unnecessary hypothesis, recognized forty years before Babbage, an Englishman, designed the first computing machine, that the number 2 (in our Hindu-Arabic notation) has an immense advantage in terms of the number of different operations we need to perform to carry out a computation such as some our parents had to learn (e.g. finding /4235) the hard way." Not only is this sentence wordy but why did he have to add that Laplace told Napoleon that God was an unnecessary hypothesis or that Babbage was an Englishman and designed the first computing machine?

He also sprinkles his book with gratuitous thoughts and opinions like: "Before discussing this, it may protect the author from unnecessary correspondence to state the truth about one of those historical tags on all fours with the ludicrous assertion that a document called Magna Carta which a circus of half-literate Baronial gangsters forced an English monarch to sign is the Keystone of British and/or United States democracy." This becomes annoying to the reader that has already struggled enough with Mr. Bogden's math explanations to have to worry about whether what he is saying next is something relevant or just him enjoying hearing himself speak.

Mathematical kit for the technological citizen.......2006-01-26

This book, jointly with Bertrand Russell's "Story of the Western Philosophy", aim to show that Mathematics and Philosophy, the most abstract of our intellectual creations, are driven by cultural, political and historical forces, too.
Happily, both authors have succeeded with their works.
Hogben describes the historical forces behind mathematical inventions, from early antiquity to the calculus era. And in doing so, he gives to the reader the mathematical ideas and techniques necessary to the "citizenship kit" of our technological society.

The (not) magic of numbers.......2005-09-04

Mathematics is no more black and scary magic, while we go through this book, which was written long ago, but seems to fit right-oh in our life as if perscribed just yesterday.

I've read it some 30 years ago and never forgot the quantum leap it gave me to win over the threat of mathematics.

High School Math for the Educated Adult.......2004-08-07

When first written (1930s), this book was a sweeping overview of the importance of math in history. Since then, it has become a remarkable part of that history: a popular, enduring encapsulation of what an educated non-mathematician should know.

What this book won't do? It won't teach you how to do math that you didn't already know. As an instructional textbook, it's a bit of a flop (hence, only 4 stars for a book I consider a must-have). It doesn't introduce ideas in a step-by-step manner, and exercises in logarithms are over-represented for a post-modern audience (we now use pocket calculators instead of log tables).

But for someone who has been through the sometimes painful, but ultimately enlightening, process of learning high-school math, Mathematics for the Million is a gem of a work, that makes it all clear in a broad historical context.

To wit, a competent high-schooler who has completed a solid program in geometry and trigonometry has at her disposal as much mathematical knowledge as the most learned Ancient Greek philosopher. She can measure the circumference of the earth, and calculate the position and trajectory of the stars. She can prove the Pythagorean theorem, and apply it to basic problems in architecture, engineering, and construction.

From the discovery of zero and negative numbers, to geometry, to calculus, math continues to define how things are done, and how we understand the universe. The author helps us to appreciate just how much the geometry we teach schoolchildren really did change the world. Not bad for an inexpensive little 70-year-old math book!

Average customer rating:

Tomorrow's Sphinx
Tomorrow's sphinx
Cats and Time Travel Just Seem to Go Together!
Excellent scifi and animal book
Tomorrow's Sphinx

Tomorrows Sphinx
Clare Bell
Manufacturer: Margaret K. McElderry
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0689504020

Customer Reviews:

Tomorrow's Sphinx.......2007-03-22

Tomorrow's Sphinx is an extremely imaginative and thought provoking read. With wonderful characters and beautiful descriptions, Clare Bell has created an exquisite world like no other.
Kichebo, a cheetah who's lucky to have survived past year one, is not like the rest of her kin. She is unique in the sense that she is black with gold tear lines, gold ear tips, and a gold tail tip, and that she is mentally different from her brethren. Shunned because of her differences, Kichebo is destined to find out that she is different in a way that she could never have fathomed. Through the guidance of Asu-Kheknemt, a long dead cheetah who protected and befriended Tutankhamen, a wise, grayed cheetah named Gray Cape, and the affectionate human child, Menk, Kichebo will soon discover what her place in the world is, and find herself.
I would highly reccomend this book to anyone who wants a fresh original fantasy read, you will not be dissapointed!!

Tomorrow's sphinx.......2005-03-24

I love this book! I found it in my school library a few months ago, and since then have read it at least four times. The story involes a type of cats and Egypt, both things I like. Now if only I could get my friend to read it.....But really, anyone who loves books in different times and/or cats will(or should) like this book!

Cats and Time Travel Just Seem to Go Together!.......2004-01-17

Kichebo is a black cheetah, born in a far-flung future. Unlike the gold-coated, black spotted cheetahs around her, her coat is sable with gold markings. Everywhere she goes, she is hunted by strange creatures in sky vehicles that try to capture her. Unable to find acceptance or safety among her kind, she makes contact with another--amazingly like herself. Kehknemt lived thousands of years ago, the companion of an Egyptian Prince. Through these shared memories across time, and the strange friendship Kichebo strikes up with small two-legged creature, the black cheetah hopes to find the answers to the questions of why she is so different, and what her future might hold.

Clare Bell has a real love of the big cats, and provides an insightful look into the lives of these large hunters. Her depiction of the cheetah society does not try to over-anthropomorphize the cats into human beings. Although they communicate in a sentient manner and are provided with personality and purpose, their behaviors and lifestyles remain those of powerful semi-solitary predators. It makes for an interesting glimpse into how an intelligent society of cats might develop. Beyond this, Kichebo's story is one coming of age and discovery of self. The questions Kichebo most seeks an answer to are: "Why am I so different?" and "What is the meaning of my life?" Questions that are universal and easy to understand, if not easy to answer. Kichebo is destined to take her people in a new direction, one she never imagined. The time travel aspect of this book gives us a fascinating look into what might have been in the days of King Tutankhamen, and the reasons behind the young King's early death.

This book is written with young readers in mind, much of Kichebo's search for self and struggle to become who she is will echo with adolescents who are going through the same struggle. I read this book in my teens and have reread it several times since. I think adult readers will find the story lacks the kind of mature sophistication they might be used to in adult science fiction, but it fits the intended readership well. For those who enjoy this book, see if you can find Ratha's Creature, also by Clare Bell.

Happy Reading! Shanshad ^_^

Excellent scifi and animal book.......2002-05-18

This is my favorite book. I could read it over and over again and never get tired of it. It has an excellent point of view from the animal and great scifi entertainment. If you love wild cats especially cheetahs and you like Egypt and it's history and you're into scifi I suggest you read Tomorrow's Sphinx.

Tomorrow's Sphinx.......2000-01-10

I really enjoyed this book. The auther's wrighting style grabbs you in the first few pages so you can't put it down until the amazing conclusion. This is a totally worth-wile read.

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