Book Description
Radical Islam has long desired to seize Jerusalem and cut it off to Christian and Jewish believers. In his revealing new book, The Fight for Jerusalem, bestselling author and former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Dore Gold explains why the battle for Jerusalem is intensifying today. Gold shows why only Israel can preserve its holy places for Christians, Jews, and even Muslims, and why uncovering Jerusalem's past-and the truth of biblical history-can be the key to saving its future.
Customer Reviews:
A politically charged yet thoughtfully reasoned exhortation .......2007-10-06
Former Israel ambassador to the U.N. (among his many other credentials) Dore Gold presents The Fight for Jerusalem: Radical Islam, the West, and the future of the Holy City, a serious-minded discussion of the future of Jerusalem, a city holy to Christians, Jews, and Muslims. The Fight for Jerusalem makes a convincing argument that for Jerusalem to be a free city where all faiths can be practiced, it will have to remain under Israeli sovereignty, because the United Nations cannot be relied upon to protect it and the Muslim Palestinians have become increasingly affected by a branch of radical Islam that seeks to eliminate other faiths from Jerusalem, not co-exist with them. Drawing upon meticulous scholarly research, The Fight for Jerusalem addresses how Palestinians are destroying archaeological evidence of ancient Jewish presence in Jerusalem, particularly on the Temple Mount; how Western diplomatic concessions strengthen the apocalyptic speculations of radical Muslims; how the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza brought more power to Palestinian extremists at the expense of Palestinian moderates; why negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority over the status of Jerusalem have little chance of creating an agreement; and much more. It should be noted that The Fight for Jerusalem specifically denounces the religious intolerance radical Islam, and recognizes that the majority of the Muslim world is not radical, though The Fight for Jerusalem decries the increasing power that radical Islamic factions have. A politically charged yet thoughtfully reasoned exhortation on how Jerusalem, a potential focal point of radical Islam's jihad against the West, can best be preserved for future generations.
More In This Vein Needed.......2007-07-12
Mr. Gold has had an intriguing history of exposing through historical precedents and context the most interesting institutions. This book is no exception with Jerusalem, the city in the Middle East that can perhaps be said to represent the modicum of freedom and Western values that exists there, and why it's imperative that it be held and protected against any antithetical forces surrounding it, either there or abroad.
Dore Gold does the reader and novice (or even university-educated) reader a great and grandiose service by documenting not just how long the Jews have been living in modern Israel, but showing us just how long they've been under attack, kept as slaves, as Dhimmis, whipped commodities of Europe's countries, and generally how it all started. The Bar-Kochba revolution against the just-turned Roman imperialists is a great account, told with brevity, but demonstrating what the Jews have been through just to hold on to their tiny piece of land, and how many empires have swept through it.
A previous writer said that there's blame on both sides to the conflict, and that giving away land to the anarchistic Palestinian terror groups is being open minded. I would pose the question that Dore Gold answers for us: If Jerusalem and its surrounding environs were given over eventually to Arabic, Islamic forces, there would be no tolerance of religion whatsoever for any soul in the land. Already, the last Christians are fleeing any part of Israel that is controlled by Palestinian faction groups, whose version of Islam doesn't even allow for Fatah's to promulgate.
There are previous accusations that Gold's sources are flimsy. Since when are speeches of those involved, podcasts of the same, and books irrelevant and not conducive to research? What's omitted from some critics' reviews is the presentation of vast amounts of historical and recent archeological surfacing that has vindicated those who taught us about the unified Davidic Kingdom and the tribes of Israel before his time. If you don't read more than the first 2 chapters, you're already richly rewarded by gaining a historical eye covering about 1400 years of Israelite history.
I think one of the most important misnomers that have stuck with us is that the land of ancient Canaan/Israel was only named Palestine by the Romans once they began establishing exploratory garrisons. They aptly named it after "Philistines" who had residence there still after so many quasi-empiric swaths through Israel.
Dore Gold might be a nationalist-rightist when it comes to Israel, but how do we coin the conservative label when Gold's main theme for the conflict is encouraging us to look at what happens every time Israel DOES cede land that THEY held onto by being the victor of a grossly-agressive war by the major Arabic countries. Look at Hamas in Gaza, exterminating all their Fatah "brothers," showing us that the muhajadeen applies to their own kind as well.
Gore's book is a real justice and service that lends some researched wisdom as to what's been happening in Israel, and how other Arabic nations are overwhelmingly complicit in the plight of the Palestinians. What else can we expect from a people who declare all of Palestine theirs by right, have rejected statehood 3 times, and have it in their charter (Hamas, Fatah) and educational materials (The PA) to disregard Jews as human and an unregognizing of Israel's right to live and survive? As we've seen, we can't expect much, only chaos, wasted Western money that helped almost no Palestinian when it's in their hands, and a drive to throwback tribalism that knows no bounds as to the glories of fighting Jews and infidels. This is a great history book that should be on everyone's shelves, even if you wish to "hear no evil,see no evil," which I like to call "disagreeing" with it.
Again, if there is to be any alternative to religous and secular tolerance in the Middle East, it has proven only to be in Israel, and the state's poliltical and religious flag, Jerusalem, cannot be given over or divided if it is to remain that way. Dore Gold has made that painstakingly clear, and it gives us great hope to see the victories of Israel against forces that would see it otherwise--which is most of the world.
excellent analysis of issues about Jerusalem.......2007-06-27
Dore Gold writes with typical clarity concerning the issues concerning Jerusalem, including the battles going back through the ages. If you want to get a readable, informative history, then get this book.
Propaganda passing for scholarly research.......2007-06-05
Dore Gold is one of the hardline political opeatives who worked for Ariel Sharon and found Sharon's moderating politics towards the end of his political careeer not to his liking. Gold's view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is quite close to the ultra-nationalist politics of Likud. For him, any compromise with the Palestinians enourages more terror. Hamas are no better than the Taliban. If Israel gives them an inch of Jerusalem they will take a mile and turn Jerusalem into the capital of the new world-wide Muslim caliphate.
Despite miles of footntoes, Gold relies for evidence on surprisingly flimsy reeds: podcasts, websites, sermons and books are the proof he uses to claim that there is a worldwide Muslim conspiracy to take over Jerusalem and the rest of the western world.
If you're a neocon or a hardline supporter of the Israeli right, you'll love this book. It will confirm all yr worst fears of Arabs. But if you try to keep an open mind about this conflict and find both fault and favor with both sides, then steer clear. This is a propaganda tract that passes itself off as a thoroughly researched scholarly tome.
The fight for Jerusalem and the clash of civilizations .......2007-05-16
This book is divided into three sections. In the first the religious dimension of Jerusalem is considered. The meaning of Jerusalem for Ancient Israel, for Christianity , and for Classical Islam are accurately and fairly outlined. In the second part of the book which considers the diplomatic struggle over Jerusalem, there is chapter devoted to the Birth of 'Modern Israel', one to 'Jerusalem, the Palestinian Arabs and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan', and one to the 'Arab- Israel Peace Process.' The third and most important section of the book is devoted to Radical Islam and Jerusalem. There is a chapter on 'Destruction of the Holy Sites', one on 'Jerusalem as Apocalyptic Trigger for Radical Islam, one 'The West and the Freedom of Jerusalem'.
In this third section of the book Gold gives a short history of the development of Radical Islam. He tells of the Islamic destruction of the religious sites of other faiths, from the largest Buddhist statues in the world in Afghanistan to sites in the heart of the Arab world. He shows how Western diplomatic concessions have not led to moderation but rather an intensification of fanaticism by radical Islamists. He tells the story of the Muslim destruction of important archaeological remains in Jerusalem. He shows how radical Islam's obsession with Jerusalem is another manifestation of the clash of civilizations between radical Islam and other religious faiths and civilizations.
The demonstrating of Islamic disrespect and destruction for the Holy Places of others is at the heart of his argument that Jerusalem must remain undivided under Israeli rule. Additional evidence for this claim is given by the Palestinian reaction to Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the Shiite Hizbollah's reaction to Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. Both of these withdrawals did not lead to moderation and peace, but rather to more violence against Israel. Gold shows how the Islamist Palestinians have when given civilian control over a city or area persecuted and led to the exile of its Christians .The most blatant example is Bethlehem which has not simply lost its Christian majority but seen the greatest share of its Christian population leave the City. Gold says that had Israel in September 2000 relinquished control over the Old City of Jerusalem to the Palestinians the result would have been the destruction of a a good share of it. Gold also considers the possibility of internationalization of the Holy City , and provides convincing evidence that the U.N. could not handle this job effectively any more than it handled the job in Rwanda or Bosnia. Gold also points to the inherent prejudice of the U.N. against Israel, and says it could never be a fair and efficient manager of the Holy Sites.
This book makes a very strong case for Israel's maintaining exclusive control of the city.
But the arguments it presents focus more on the negatives of Islamic control than the positives of Israeli control. I would have liked to see more expansive treatment of how Israel has enhanced the city since taking over the Old City in 1967.
Nonetheless this is a must read for those for whom Jerusalem, and its future, is dear.
Book Description
The noted critic and a Palestinian now teaching at Columbia University,examines the way in which the West observes the Arabs.
Customer Reviews:
Orientalism by Edward Said.......2007-10-17
Orientalism is an easy to understand book by Edward Said, a must read for anyone interested in the current conflicts between East and West. How the creation of the "Orient" is a necessity to justify the West's aggression since the Middle Age's. His analysis is of the Near East, but is applicable to all non Western cultures.
The Old Stone Thrower Is At It Again.......2007-09-20
The old stone thrower is at it again, expounding his one-sided, biased view of history. Said made a career of being a highly-visible defender of the Palestinians; was even a member of the PLO executive council. Too bad he was silent about Yasir Arafat's theft of hundreds of millions of dollars earmarked for the Palestinians. He would rather blame the Jews for the Palestinians misfortunes, which they were the SOLE author of. What hypocrisy!
Philology to Think Tanks - Then and Now.......2007-07-17
Orientalism simplistically might be classified as the application of specialized knowledge developed by Occidentals then used by Occidentals to the long term detriment or destruction of Oriental values and states. Said carries the reader from century old philological works to area studies conducted by think tank specialists in Washington. It is the story of East vs. West raging since the 7th century and may rage for centuries to come
It is not an easy journey to follow Said's details, but he offers insights to ponder regarding East-West relationships in these dangerous times. As an engineer trained in science and mathematics, I found Said's discussion of the schematic authority of written materials fascinating. It is easier to become lost in worlds founded mainly on opinions and prestige than on rigorous applications of first principles of science.
I would have preferred additional materials from the post WW11 era and less on the writers of the 19th century, but he is writing for an audience that will be hostile and he goes to pains to identify his sources and his reasoning over many pages. Very worthwhile read.
Serious reading for a serious time.......2007-03-27
I could not stop reading this book. It is difficult at times given that it's serious criticism and I thought I had given up criticism when I left academia behind, but for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of why the US is in Iraq, why there are so many autocratic regimes in the Middle East, why the West cannot find real solutions for the plague that is terrorism, and why there is terrorism in the first place...this books is a good place to start. Said lays the ground work of colonialism and its repercussions.
Wish it were on sparknotes.......2007-02-19
but it's not, and sometimes one has to grow up and read challenging but important criticism. A seminal book for all readers.
Book Description
Zacharias invites readers to follow him on this journey through his life and into the lives of others, and see how he has become more convinced with each year that Jesus Christ is the one who came to give us life to the fullest and to point us to the freedom and beauty of truth for everyone--easterner or westerner--all over the world.
Customer Reviews:
A Life of Exceptional Experiences Dosed w/ Humility.......2007-09-20
When this book first came out, I wasn't as interested as I was reading RZ's other more apologetic books. This was more of a biography, very anecdotal, but the more I read it, I saw how so many of what he's seen and experienced were just microcosms of so many worldviews. He himself was a huge cynic, but after his regenerative experience at the hospital, he was led to really explore who God was and His message through Jesus, as well as test the seemingly competitive other world views. And he quotes it accurately, saying the more he learned about other world views, the more beautiful Jesus became to him.
Sometimes his biography was comparable to Forrest Gump, with fortunate exceptional destiny, with the exception that Ravi had immense intellectual potential. But he has really humbly been appointedly woven into the lives of many other prominent theological giants, having also crossed paths with world leaders. It's just amazing to realize all he's been through, but only because of the grace of God...continually guiding His path, and using him, from great revivals to personal intimate testimonies.
And amidst all the glorious stories are his heartfelt intimate thoughts of his family and his closest friends, some who died of age, and some who died spreading the gospel. I'm not ashamed to say how much this book has moved me...it is probably one of the most personal books for me...
this book is definitely rich w/ great lessons, great experience, and great proof that God is really there in the shadows, slowly revealing and affirming His will in our lives at the duly appointed time.
it IS an exceptional life, a great book i sadly put down, wishing there was more to read.
Great!!!.......2007-07-05
Ravi Zacharias truly is a man sent by God to bridge the gaps between East and West. As I read his fantastic story, I was amazed at how much of his story encouraged me in my own Christian walk. He went from being a teen who didn't like to read to being one of the most read apologist in the world.
As I continued to read his story, I was amazed at how much he does and how much of his family life was sacrificed by preaching God's word. The Lord gave him an understanding wife and beautiful children who understand his calling.
When he mentioned how over the years, he had lost his sense of humor because of the serious of apologetics, I felt sad for him. Preaching the Gospel is serious business and it is just that important but I believe God has blessed him richly.
The personal accounts of his friends who have paid for their beliefs with their lives were so inspiring and made me extremely reflective on my own Christian walk? Would I be willing to face all kinds of danger for Christ? I hope I never have to find out.
The book especially gives the reader a view of Eastern mentality and life. It was so vibrant and full of some many images and sounds. For the Western Christian, it is very important to understand the Easter mindset if we are to evangelize to our Eastern brothers.
I wish I could just shake Mr. Zacharias hand and just sit in his presence for an hour. I thank God for him and hope that he continues the good work.
Interesting life. To God be the glory........2007-06-19
Oh! That more Indians would come to salvation and evanglize their country!
This book should have been a biography instead of an auto-biography because you can almost sense the reluctance for Ravi to reveal the full extent of the way God has used him. On a more negative note, if Indian Christians keep moving away from India, who is going to evanglize the country?
An Eye-Opening Pleasure of a Read.......2007-05-02
This enormously vivid and readable book will capture your interest within the first few pages and keep it until the last. Mr. Zacharias has lived life fully, from his humble beginnings on a busy Indian street in his native land to the most prestigious professional and academic arenas all over the world--and met Christ on the way. In fact, that life-changing meeting is the core of what made him successful and motivated, and does so to this day. His is a wonderful story, especially the insights and anecdotes he gives us about India and its people, and of course how God came from "the shadows" to forever change his life. Ever think that God doesn't care about you? That he's not involved in your life? Read this book and listen closely--he may be speaking to you right here!
How Refreshing.......2007-03-08
Zacharias' book will either be life-changing or life-affirming for the reader lucky enough to stumble across this amazing account of a life that saw so much pain and joy. To go along on his journey, watching him go from his desperate youth and into his successful and meaningful adult life is incredible. As someone who has been immersed in a Christian lifestyle her entire life, I find it remarkable that someone can come from such beginnings and end up the man that Ravi Zacharias has become. It really makes me think about how much of the Western experience I take for granted. Ravi is not only passionate about his faith, but he provides an intellectual basis for it as well, something that is often missing in evangelism today. The blend of Eastern and Western cultures presented in this book are extremely significant and helpful. This has caused me to take a new approach to different cultures and unbelievers. He is a living example of walking in someone else's shoes. I could say countless things to praise his life's work, but it seems to me that Zacharias would want any glory to be given to God. After reading this, that is how I want the things I do to be remembered...for the glory of God. I cannot wait to read more from this talented evangelist!
Amazon.com
The war on terror has created near unanimity on many points, at least within the American press and political leadership. One essential point of agreement: al Qaeda specifically and radical Islamism in general are stirred by a hatred of modernity. Or as President George W. Bush has articulated repeatedly, they hate freedom. Nonsense, responds the nameless author of this work and 2003's Through Our Enemies' Eyes (the senior U.S. intelligence official's identity became an open secret by publication date). Indeed, he grimly and methodically discards common wisdom throughout this scathing and compelling take on counterterrorism. Imperial Hubris is not a book that will cheer Americans, regardless of their perspectives on the post-9/11 environment. We are, the author notes, losing the war on terror. Hawks will squirm as the author heaps contempt on U.S. missions in Afghanistan (too little, too late) and Iraq ("a sham causing more instability than it prevents"), but opponents of Bush administration policies may blanch at Anonymous' suggestion that what's needed is for the West to "proceed with relentless, brutal, and, yes, blood-soaked offensive military actions until we have annihilated the Islamists who threaten us." Quoting the at-all-cost likes of William Tecumseh Sherman and Curtis Lemay on one hand and contending that unrelenting military measures be accompanied by concessions to the ideology of the militants on the other are unlikely to curry widespread support from either side of the divide. And how will readers conditioned to references to Osama bin Laden as a deranged gangster or simple-minded fanatic with deep pockets digest the respect accorded "the most popular anti-American leader in the world today"? Imperial Hubris clearly wasn't written to win friends, though the author believes it's essential that his words influence people at the top. Whether it will is debatable, but that this blunt, forceful, urgently argued polemic recharges the discussion is a foregone conclusion. --Steven Stolder
Book Description
Though U.S. leaders try to convince the world of their success in fighting al Qaeda, one anonymous member of the U.S. intelligence community would like to inform the public that we are, in fact, losing the war on terror. Further, until U.S. leaders recognize the errant path they have irresponsibly chosen, he says, our enemies will only grow stronger.
According to the author, the greatest danger for Americans confronting the Islamist threat is to believe—at the urging of U.S. leaders—that Muslims attack us for what we are and what we think rather than for what we do. Blustering political rhetoric “informs†the public that the Islamists are offended by the Western world’s democratic freedoms, civil liberties, inter-mingling of genders, and separation of church and state. However, although aspects of the modern world may offend conservative Muslims, no Islamist leader has fomented jihad to destroy participatory democracy, for example, the national association of credit unions, or coed universities.
Instead, a growing segment of the Islamic world strenuously disapproves of specific U.S. policies and their attendant military, political, and economic implications. Capitalizing on growing anti-U.S. animosity, Osama bin Laden’s genius lies not simply in calling for jihad, but in articulating a consistent and convincing case that Islam is under attack by America. Al Qaeda’s public statements condemn America’s protection of corrupt Muslim regimes, unqualified support for Israel, the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, and a further litany of real-world grievances. Bin Laden’s supporters thus identify their problem and believe their solution lies in war. Anonymous contends they will go to any length, not to destroy our secular, democratic way of life, but to deter what they view as specific attacks on their lands, their communities, and their religion. Unless U.S. leaders recognize this fact and adjust their policies abroad accordingly, even moderate Muslims will join the bin Laden camp.
Download the Complete Bibliography for this book.
Customer Reviews:
Hit me baby one more time..........2007-10-10
...Or 8 more times and hit me harder, who knows. But that is in essence what we seem to be saying (among other things) to our enemies as we sit on our hands trying to fight a politically correct and "safe" war.
Mr. Scheuer has raised many points of view gleaned by 17 years of analysis in the very subjects we are fighting, or playing tit for tat with. He gets past the arguments of simpletons that say they attack us because we are free, or hate our pop-culture, clothing, etc. He breaks down the 6 main reasons why bin Laden and company attack us repeatedly. Additionally he breaks down bin Laden himself, even comparing him to - brace yourself - our very own Abe Lincoln. The comparison is in reference to how he is viewed in the Islamic culture, and how he is fighting for the cause and what's right in the Islamic religion. He lays out a very detailed profile of bin Laden, going against the grain in terms of labeling him just a terrorist, a megalomaniac, mass-killer, etc. Basically he gets deep, and honest and some of it is disconcerting to read but none-the-less informative.
Additionally, he breaks down where we (Clinton and Bush) went wrong fighting this war. Why did it take a month to get into Afghanistan after 9/11? Why didn't we use assets we had from assisting in Afghan-Soviet war? Why does it seem we are sitting on our hands? Do these people even want to be "free" and democratized? What about the propping up of puppets in government that don't have the support of their countrymen?
The book also talks of Islam in general and why and how our country and its policies are on a crash course with the insurgents fighting against us. One such example is man-made law vs. God's law. Mr. Scheuer also suggests certain policy changes that we need to make, lest we let our children continue fighting this war. I hate to use a cliché, but he calls for the "gloves to come off", really come off and you may not agree with some of his ideas (bringing back land mines to mine areas of mountain passes we cannot protect or block or basically bombing the country/is into submission, so much so that they lose all hope or at least support from the people of the country, stopping our support of Israel - which is one of the 6 reasons they attack us, and more) but other options need to be on the table because so far we aren't really winning.
The fact that bin Laden himself references this book as the reason we are losing this war, should be seen as a kick in the nuts because he knows that we do not have the stomach to do what is necessary to win. And he may be right.
Recommended by Osama bin Laden.......2007-09-08
Most infamously recommended as "further reading" by Osama bin Laden in his message of 9/7/07, this work by the former head of the CIA's bin Laden unit is a must-read for those wishing to fully educate themselves on the issues in the War vs. Terrorism.
Scheurer's book is a well-reasoned treatise focusing on the strengths of bin Laden's "humiliate/bleed America to death" strategy in the current Iraq campaign. Differentiating himself from the Steve Emerson's and Daniel Pipes of the world, Scheuer paints a politically incorrect picture of the Al Qaeda movement as a very sane response to Western policy rather than simply the rantings and ravings of a group of abhorrent fanatics.
Neither far left or far right, Scheurer is a refreshing centrist who opines that the Islamists rightfully have a bone to pick with the imperial hubris of the US. While we may not want to agree that we're losing the War on Terror, Schuerer makes a very solid case and offers myriad tangible solutions.
Warning: it's not always a comfortable read for those with a great deal of hope for the long-term survival of this country. Scheuer's view is that, collectively as a country, we are "whistling past the graveyard" and that merely the first shot has been fired in this long and bloody war.
"If you want to understand what's going on and if you would like to get to know some of the reasons for your losing the war against us, then read the book of Michael Scheuer." - Osama bin Laden, 9/7/07
Author Fails to Drill in on the President.......2007-08-05
Mr. Scheuer was persuasive with his argument that Americans need to be re-awakened from a wasteful diversion into Iraq and the downgrading of bin Laden as a threat. Mr. Scheuer certainly awakened me to the bin Laden menace and hopefully it will be the catalyst to reawaken an American sleeping giant (again). He puts forth the proposition that U.S. forces have fought incorrectly in Afghanistan by not pursuing an all out war against bin Laden, like the WWII battle against Hitler and Emperor Hiroshima. Civilians standing in the way were not spared in the bombing of the civilian populations in Dresden, Germany and the atomic bombing of two cities in Japan. The WWII U.S. fight was massive with total destruction to both German and Japanese forces. In contrast Mr. Scheuer says our strategy to "fight and win quickly; do not kill many of the enemy, destroy much of his property, or kill many of his civilians; and above all, lose the barest minimum of U.S. soldiers," has been a primary reason for our defeats in wars since WWII.
Mr Scheuer makes a lot out of the fact that the U.S. lost the initiative by delaying for several months attacking bin Laden and his al Qaeda forces. Here he absolutely misses the most important reasons behind the U.S. defeat in Afghanistan and failure to capture bin Laden and his al Qaeda forces. I almost think, as a conservative, he was trying not to offend the radical right; or perhaps he just did not know. Here is what he left out, information that would have made his arguments stand out and given his book more attention.
(1) Troops Moved to Iraq. Two months after 9/11, late November 2001, The Whitehouse distracted top military commanders from the hunt for Bin Laden with rushed plans for a new war in Iraq. About half of the intelligence and Special Forces assets in Afghanistan were diverted to support the war in Iraq. This shifted focus at a critical moment, when US forces thought they had corned Osama in the White Mountains (Spin Ghar). With too few troops, bin Laden was able to escape.
(2) Reinforcements Never Sent. Despite CIA leaders' direct appeals in Dec 2001 to the Whitehouse (by phone) for 1,200 marines, sitting idly in Kandahar, to be deployed to the White Mountains (Spin Ghar), they were never ordered into battle.
(3) Cease-fire Allows Most Al Qaeda Fighters to Escape. A cease-fire was declared on Dec. 12 2001 with Al Qaeda forces in hopes that some would surrender in the White Mountains (Spin Ghar). This allowed a large contengent of al Qaeda forces to slip through the valleys and over the White Mountains into Pakistan.
(4) Whitehouse - Musharraf May Have Cut Deal to Let Bin Laden Go. Pakistani president, General Pervez Musharraf said that he was sending in Pakistani Special Forces to cut off Bin Laden's escape into Pakistan in Dec 2001 during the battle of Tora Bora in the Spin Ghar mountain range. Those forces never came. His lack of action gives credibility to a 25-Aug-03 report in the UK London based paper, the Guardian, suggesting the Whitehouse and Musharraf had stuck a deal not to seize Bin Laden after the Afghan war for fear of inciting trouble in Pakistan. The Guardian asserts that after Bin Laden's escape the Pakistanis set up three elaborate security rings which stretched 120 miles in diameter around Bin Laden in order to protect him from capture.
(5) Army Misdirects Attack on bin Laden's Retreat. Al United States Central Command in Florida directed the CIA forces to Tora Bora, not Zhawar Kili, in the pursuit of Bin Laden and his Al Qaeda forces in Dec 2001. Bin Laden most likely used Zhawar Kili as his escape route which was 70 miles south of Tora Bora. Tora Bora consisted mostly of natural caves that were not interconnected. By comparison Zhawar was a nine-square-mile complex including tunnels, built with U.S. assistance during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in 1986. And then in Aug 1998, in retaliation for bombing of U.S. embassies in eastern Africa, it was bombed with cruise missiles as directed by the U.S. Central Command in Florida. Despite having bombed Zhawar Kili, and in a possible attempt to cover up Whitehouse orders to allow Bin Laden's escape, Central Command claimed ignorance about Zhawar. A spokesman for General Tommy R. Franks, the Commander in Chief, United States Central Command, stated, "Had we known in November 2001 of ...the place... we'd have paid more attention to it, I suspect."
(6) Bin Laden Capture Low Priority for Whitehouse. The President has always focused on Iraq (even before becoming President) and has stubbornly refused to consider Osama a serious threat. Weekly Standard editor Fred Barnes appeared on Fox September 14, 2006 to discuss his recent meeting with President Bush in the Oval Office. The key takeaway for Barnes was that "bin Laden doesn't fit with the administration's strategy for combating terrorism." Barnes said that Bush told him capturing bin Laden is "not a top priority use of American resources." Mr. Scheuer does say that our involvement in Iraq took the eye off the real enemy, but he never actually drills in on the President. In my opinion, a strategic mistake that takes a lot away from the book.
One Of The Best.......2007-05-13
Michael Scheuer's work is without a doubt the seminal work on how the Muslim world views bin Linden and he points out that we need to pay attention to that. He also notes that the Bush Administration failed to check the CIA "checkables" on Afghanistan and that we will pay for that error. Were I still teaching history at the secondary level, this work would be required reading for all my students. A non-fiction work that reads like a thriller, the academic community needs to make it a part of their curriculum. I intend to acquire additional works by this very polite former CIA analysist.
My Attempt to Understand Jihad.......2007-05-09
Good read. A bit dated now in 2007, but still relevant. Also read "Future Jihad" by Waleed Faras if you want to learn about where these animals are coming from and "Perfect Soldiers", also sheds light on the breeding and conditioning of subhumans who would strap bombs on their children and send them to oblivion or attach innocent civilians in the name of a "prophet" who robbed the cradle, committed puligamy, and robbed and murdered his way to fame.
Islam, the "Religion of Peace"....or is that "Follow Allah and be Blown to Pieces"?
If you aren't serious now about the problem, either you will be after reading these books or there's no hope for you.
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On Chinese Body Thinking: A Cultural Hermeneutic (Philosophy of History and Culture)
Kuang-Ming Wu
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ASIN: 9004101500 |
Book Description
This book uses Western philosophical tradition to make a case for a form of thinking properly associated with ancient China. The book's thesis is that Chinese thinking is concrete rather than formal and abstract, and this is gathered in a variety of ways under the symbol "body thinking". The root of the metaphor is that the human body has a kind of intelligence in its most basic functions. When hungry the body gets food and eats, when tired it sleeps, when amused it laughs. In free people these things happen instinctively but not automatically. The metaphor of body thinking is extended far beyond bodily functions in the ordinary sense to personal and communal life, to social functions and to cultivation of the arts of civilization. As the metaphor is extended, the way to stay concrete in thinking with subtlety becomes a kind of ironic play, a natural adeptness at saying things with silences. Play and indirection are the roads around formalism and abstraction. Western formal thinking, it is argued, can be sharpened by Chinese body thinking to exhibit spontaneity and to produce healthy human thought in a community of cultural variety.
Book Description
In this transcendent collection, Daniel Ladinsky-best known for his gifted and best-selling translations of the great Sufi poet Hafiz-brings together the timeless work of twelve of the world's finest spiritual writers, six from the East and six from the West. Once again Ladinsky reveals his talent for creating inspiring, profound, and playful versions of classic poems for a modern audience. Rumi's joyous, ecstatic love poems; St. Francis's loving observations of nature through the eyes of Catholicism; Kabir's wild, freeing humor that synthesizes Hindu, Muslim, and Christian beliefs; St. Teresa's sensual verse; and the mystical, healing words of Hafiz-these and other spiritual writers considered to be "conduits of the divine" make up this rich and luminous collection of "love poems from God."
Customer Reviews:
Ladinsky is beautiful, but deceptive.......2007-08-13
I've had this book for a couple of years and I used to enjoy it. I would recommend caution to anyone thinking of buying it, though. Daniel Ladinsky has a history of writing his own poetry and selling it as though it were translated material. Many people in the West know the name of the Iranian poet, Hafiz, through Ladinsky. Although Ladinsky has admitted at times that his writings are not translations of Hafiz but are based on his vision of Hafiz, he has continued to market his material as though it were actually authored by that poet. Many people now read Ladinsky and think that they are reading Hafiz. I think Daniel Ladinsky is a dishonest person for doing this.
That said, his work is beautiful. If what I've said doesn't bother you, then don't worry about it. This book is a pleasure to read. If you are interested in Hafiz or any of the other sacred poets whose names are meantioned in this book, then I would be very careful and not trust anything that has Daniel Ladinsky's name on the cover.
Truly Voices from God.......2007-07-16
This book of poems is an excellent collection of the voices of mystics from both east and west. Wonderful, short poems reflecting very deep and wonderful experiences of God in many different ways and from many points of view. This is a collection for meditation, for sharing with friends, for opening discussions about the divine, about meaning of life, about compassion, love, detachment, and most importantly about divine humor. These writers are so humble they don't have to have a pretentious God - their God is close at hand, humble (meaning well grounded) and not some pie in the sky idealization. Very excellent reading. Would recommend it to anyone, especially someone who is wondering where they might find God.
Inspiring, playful and filled with love........2007-05-25
Daniel Ladinsky's style of translating focuses on the simplicity or essence of the poem. These essential reflections bounce outward like a little child dancing in the rain. I found these poems from various spiritual traditions inspiring me in my own Christian faith as well as my own use of words. The writer of Proverbs warns about the danger of too many words, and maybe these poems remind us of the value in speaking less and allowing the mystery of divine love to hide behind our words.
My Favorite Spiritual Reading.......2007-04-06
This is by far my favorite spiritual book - the one I would take with me to a desert island. The brief biographies of the various authors are interesting and inspiring, but often when I really want to feel "connected" and more spiritual, I just flip to any open page and read a selection. This was my first introduction to many of the individuals and I am now following up on the individual works of my favorites. I would definitely recommend this book as there is something for everyone.
Beauty Lives Inside This Book.......2007-01-06
There's nothing I could add to Rebecca Johnson's wonderful review below. I would however like to comment on the review by M. J. Smith (Seattle, WA USA) which gave this volume one star.
His argument that Daniel Ladinsky has done a disservice to readers by tailoring the translations is flawed. A literal translation is of value to scholors and historians, but not seekers of the heart. For those who are seeking god in ernest, you can trust Mr. Ladinksy to deliver the very soul of the poet he's translating to the front door of your heart. Would Hafiz trust Rumi to translate his works, would St. Francis trust Meister Eckhart to translate his? Yes, and there are people living today who have this same authority...Daniel Ladinsky is one of those people.
Let the worriers worry about hair-splitting and direct translations...and let the lovers revel in these beautiful illumined poems.
Book Description
In EASTERN BODY, WESTERN MIND, chakra authority Anodea Judith brought a fresh approach to the yoga-based Eastern chakra system, adapting it to the Western framework of Jungian psychology, somatic therapy, childhood developmental theory, and metaphysics. This groundbreaking work in transpersonal psychology has been revised and redesigned for a more accessible presentation. Arranged schematically, the book uses the inherent structure of the chakra system as a map upon which to chart our Western understanding of individual development. Each chapter focuses on a single chakra, starting with a description of its characteristics, then exploring its particular childhood developmental patterns, traumas and abuses, and how to heal and maintain balance. Illuminated with personal anecdotes and case studies, EASTERN BODY, WESTERN MIND seamlessly merges the East and West, science and philosophy, and psychology and spirituality into a compelling interpretation of the chakra system and its relevance for Westerners today.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome book!!!.......2007-08-17
This is really helpful and gives you a load of information regarding the energy (chakras) in the body. Great for a bodyworker trained in eastern concepts. I will defintely reach for this book for years to come.
She was and is ahead of her time!.......2007-06-08
This is one of the most comprehensive books I have read on the chakras, energy vibrations, and overall developmental systems. I highly recommend it!
Eastern Body, Western Mind.......2007-02-17
The information in this book literally freed me from the bondage of childhood abuse. This should be required reading in high school. It offers real life assistance in overcoming the damage done to young people by careless, neglectful, and sometimes downright abusive parents, thoughtless teachers, and ignorant peers. Anodea, GOOD WORK!!!!
Warm blessings, Linda Quest
Fascinating insights.......2007-01-10
Gave me a new way of looking at the physical structure and presentation of myself and others.
Profound - And Needed.......2005-06-16
I have to say, this author knows her stuff.
As I've learned from reading many of her books, she has long had a history of studying the chakra system. Through personal experience, she has adapted some of the esoteric systems with her own style, which are discussed more fully within her books.
This book in particular is an important one. In our culture, we all suffer abuses of some kind or another, even abuses we probably wouldn't consider abuse. Take noise pollution for example - it's a real assault on your senses, although we drown it out and let our body deal with the consequences.
But this book deals with the heavier stuff too - relationship issues, physical or sexual abuse, eating disorders, mental imbalances, whatever it may be, it's probably covered in this book. And what I have noticed is this author really knows what she's talking about - she provides insights I have not heard come from anyone else in my entire life.
I strongly encourage this book to everyone, regardless of who you are. This is a book for humanity.
Book Description
More than 370 edible wild plants, plus 37 poisonous look-alikes, are described here, with 400 drawings and 78 color photographs showing precisely how to recognize each species. Also included are habitat descriptions, lists of plants by season, and preparation instructions for 22 different food uses.
Customer Reviews:
Up to the usual Peterson Field Guides standards.......2007-03-23
Although this book is well written and organized, I have one minor complaint...
If you are going to depend on a book to decide whether or not you can eat something without poisoning yourself, the pictures next to the plant descriptions ought to be in color rather than black and white sketches.
excellent seller and product.......2007-02-13
Item as described and received in a timely manner... an excellent buying experience!
Wonderful.......2007-01-10
This is a very comprehensive book that I am learning much from. It is exhaustive in showing edible plants, many that I didnt realize.
Not quite as good as the medicinal.......2006-08-17
The pictures aren't good enough to make identification easy. Good information if you have another book to identify the plants with.
perfect choice.......2005-09-13
As usual the Petersen Guide did not disappoint me. It's exactly what I wanted for plant identification
Book Description
In 480 B.C., Xerxes, the King of Persia, led an invasion of mainland Greece. Its success should have been a formality. For seventy years, victory—rapid, spectacular victory—had seemed the birthright of the Persian Empire. In the space of a single generation, they had swept across the Near East, shattering ancient kingdoms, storming famous cities, putting together an empire which stretched from India to the shores of the Aegean. As a result of those conquests, Xerxes ruled as the most powerful man on the planet. Yet somehow, astonishingly, against the largest expeditionary force ever assembled, the Greeks of the mainland managed to hold out. The Persians were turned back. Greece remained free. Had the Greeks been defeated in the epochal naval battle at Salamis, not only would the West have lost its first struggle for independence and survival, but it is unlikely that there would ever have been such an entity as the West at all.
Tom Holland’s brilliant new book describes the very first “clash of Empires” between East and West. As he did in the critically praised Rubicon, he has found extraordinary parallels between the ancient world and our own. There is no other popular history that takes in the entire sweep of the Persian Wars, and no other classical historian, academic or popular, who combines scholarly rigor with novelistic depth with a worldly irony in quite the fashion that Tom Holland does.
Customer Reviews:
Great reading.......2007-10-09
Work was really well done. This book would give anyone a greater understanding of the complexities and cultural events of the day.
Add this to your reading list.......2007-08-12
If you are interested in Persian and Greek history this is an excellent read. It is very well written and provides a number of good illustrations, photos and maps. The author has a very good writing voice and is entertaining.
ONE OF THE BEST HISTORY BOOK.......2007-07-23
this book is so good that if i could rate it 10 stars i would rate it 20
Questions Remain.......2007-07-12
Tom Holland does a good job of summarizing what we know about the subject. If you have read Herodotus' "Persian War" or Plutarch's "Lives" or Thucidydes' "Peloponessian War" then you have the facts already. "Persian Fire" puts it all together into an entertaining and sometimes moving story. And let's face it, it is one of the world's great stories.
I kept handy my Times Atlas of World History and my Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia as I read it. There is also a lot of stuff on the net regarding the Persian Empire which will supplement Holland.
So why does he feel the need to use profanity to tell it? "S**t" and "f**k" have no place here. Those two words cost him a star, from me.
I feel the book would have benefitted from a deeper discussion of military matters. Just what was a "hoplite"? How was a phalanx made up? What means did they employ to fend off a cavalry charge?
I picked up a copy of "Rubicon" based on my enjoyment of this.
Holland back and at his finest.......2007-07-10
Tom Holland scored some major points with Rubicon, a terrific, narrative account of the fall of the Roman Republic. His clear prose, entertaining characterization and solid research and diverse use of sources can be apppreciated by all levels of readers. Holland may not have improved between his two books, but he certainly hasn't lost a step either. In Persian Fire, he recounts the rise of the Persian Empire and the revolutionary changes in Greek life, focusing on the late Archaic age in Sparta and Athens. I'm sure the point has been made before, but I like Holland's insistence that Marathon proved to be the first real test of the democracy of Athens. Holland traces their subsequent rise in prestige and the spread of democracy to this great victory over the hegemonic superpower of Persia. Holland's narrative is sleek, the various Athenian factions are (thankfully) clarified and the representation of the Persians is quite good. He tends to over-do his comparisons to the contemporary world, but overall, Holland treats my favorite historical event with his unique touch and has written a wonderfully accessible account of a stodgy, academic conflict. Well done, Tom.
Book Description
With more than 300 photos, this new edition shows how to identify more than 500 healing plants. Descriptive text includes information on where the plants are found, as well as their known medicinal uses. An index to medical topics, symbols next to plant descriptions, and organization of plants by colors all make this an essential guide to understanding the traditional medicinal uses of the plants around us. At a time when interest in herbs and natural medicine has never been higher, the second edition of this essential guide shows how to identify more than five hundred kinds of healing plants. More than three hundred new color photos illustrate their flowers, leaves, and fruits. The updated descriptive text includes information on where the plants are found as well as their known medicinal uses. An index to medical topics is helpful for quickly locating information on specific ailments, from asthma and headaches to colds and stomachaches. Symbols next to plant descriptions give readers a quick visual alert to plants that are poisonous or may cause allergic reactions. Organized by plant color for fast identification, this guide is an indispensable tool for understanding the traditional medicinal uses of the plants and herbs around us.
Customer Reviews:
MUST HAVE in yoru library.......2007-09-23
This is another book I am constantly referencing. It is small enough to pack in your backpack or coat pocket if you want to identify plants in the wild.
Steven Foster also provides clear photographs to make it far easier to determine the plants.
The descriptions are good and have helped me several times identify plants in my region.
A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs: Of Eastern and Central North America (Peterson Field Guides (R)).......2007-05-15
Hard to follow, a good book for adviance students of herbist.
A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs: Of Eastern and Central North America (Peterson Field Guides (R)).......2007-02-08
This Is also A Book To have around no matter what, Very good book, Full of awsome information that you need . Very Reccomended for those the love the woods and nature , Good the have with you if you hike or go on nature walks
Excellent.......2007-01-10
Very helpful in identifying the plants, the pictures are wonderful and also for identifying some of the uses these plants have been used for
THE Standard, Of Course.......2006-09-24
The best of its genre, and the standard in visual identification guides for field work and species' recognition. Almost every item is illustrated with color photographs, though I wish there were more images of each item, for year-round accurate ID. If I could afford to, I'd own the entire publication list of "A Field Guide To...". :-)
I'll share a secret to successful purchasing. I borrow books & titles I'm interested in buying, from local library--this has proven the BEST method for being sure one's needs & expectations are met, especially in non-fiction reference materials.
Books:
- The Four Voyages: Being His Own Log-Book, Letters and Dispatches with Connecting Narratives.. (Penguin Classics)
- The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789 (Oxford History of the United States)
- The God Delusion
- The Intention Experiment: Using Your Thoughts to Change Your Life and the World
- The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East
- The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else
- The Philosopher's Diet: How to Lose Weight & Change the World (Nonpareil Book, 81)
- The Resurgence of Anti-Semitism: Jews, Israel, and Liberal Opinion (Philosophy and the Global Context)
- The Scotch-Irish: A Social History
- The Sustainability Revolution: Portrait Of A Paradigm Shift
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