Book Description
Conspiracy theories about Sept. 11, 2001 continue to spread. Now, in a meticulous, scientific and groundbreaking new book, Popular Mechanics puts these rumors to rest. The magazine’s editors analyze the 20 most persistent claims underlying 9/11 conspiracy theories—and conclusively disprove each one. The result is a triumph of hard fact over conspiratorial fantasy.
Customer Reviews:
The truth shines through........2007-10-17
This book wades through all the crazy ideas out there and puts the nuts to shame. If you want to know the facts and not crazy ideas this is the book for you.
hey.......2007-09-20
so i haven't read the book, i will tell you that, but i think it's funny how John McCain helped write it. That guy needs to be off the balot and in jail for sure. Not all CT's are crazy either. They are family memebers who didn't get a proper investigation from the gov't. The Gov't doesn't care about them or the investigation and they call it a horrible attack on America. Bin Laden isn't even wanted for it. He i wanted for bombing in 198 or something on an american embassy killing maybe 200.
Anyway, read "Debunking 9/11 Debunking" wesome "truther" book
Propaganda and a waste of money. .......2007-09-20
Buy a copy of Debunking 9/11 Debunking by David Ray Griffin before buying this pack of lies. You can save your time and money and learn what Popular Mechanics says and OMITS in building their case against the truth. Hearst Publishing is still in the business of propaganda. Wake Up.
Reads like propaganda.......2007-09-14
I wish just once somebody would publish an objective book or collection of writings about this topic. The afterward is particularly insulting to the millions of concerned citizens with legitimate questions. Anyone can see that this book was written with an agenda. If this book doesn't give you ammo for you hate-spewing debunking arsenal, it might actually convince you that there are suspicious circumstances to consider.
Junk Science.......2007-08-29
This analysis doesn't even rise to the level of being wrong. You don't have to be a structural engineer to know that a steel-framed building cannot "pancake" at free-fall speed. You don't have to be a metallurgist to know that jet fuel won't leave pools of molten metal weeks after the fire is out. If you cherry-pick your "facts" you can make Stalin look like a boy scout or Mother Theresa look like the devil. This book starts with the conclusion and then tries to prove it. If you want an analysis that starts with the facts and works towards a logical conclusion, try any (or all) of David Ray Griffin's books.
Book Description
"The desire of individuals and groups to puff themselves up by imposing their vision on other people is a recurring theme in the culture wars"
Thomas Sowell takes on a range of legal, social, racial, educational, and economic issues--along with "the culture wars"--in this latest collection of his controversial, never boring, always thought-provoking essays. From "gun control myths" to "mealy mouth media" to "free lunch medicine," Sowell gets to the heart of the matters we all care about with his characteristically unswerving candor.
Sowell skewers the "mealy mouth media" that calls terrorists "insurgents" and rioters "demonstrators." He reveals how "the idiocy of relevance" in learning has been particularly destructive in the education of minority students at all levels. He explains how a free market and a strict construction of the 14th Amendment would never have permitted the laws that asked Rosa Parks to give up her seat to a white man. And he clarifies the confusion between equal opportunity and equal results that resides behind many kinds of "spoiled brat politics."
With Ever Wonder Why?--drawn from the best of his popular syndicated newspaper columns--Sowell once again takes dead aim at the self-righteous and self-important forces in government, media, education, and other areas of our society, offering the thoughtful perceptions, commonsense insights, and straightforward honesty we have come to expect from one of conservatism's most articulate voices.
Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. Among his published works are Basic Economics, Late Talking Children, and Race and Culture. He has also published in both academic journals and the popular media including Newsweek, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, and 150 newspapers that carry his nationally syndicated column.
Customer Reviews:
Smug Sowell overextends himself, not a worthy read.......2007-08-29
I was really looking forward to reading this book having read some of Sowell's writing and considering myself very conservative.
I was dissapointed. Most of the ideas in the book are written about with generalizations and written in a rather smug fashion('I am an economist so I view things in a more sophisticated way' kind of feel to it). I was very interested in some of the subjects but was dissapointed to find that a lot of his writing consisted of conservative liberal rants instead of actual substance. I also found some of his reasoning just plain stupid.
For example, in an essay on the trade deficit in the U.S. Sowell tries to argue that we are only concerned about it because of Liberal propaganda and in fact its fine for the government to be in so much debt because the private sector is earning more money now than ever before. He compares it to himself and Donald Trump, saying that Trump probably has more debt than he does but he is still worth more money in the end of the day.
Basically he criticizes liberals for talking about how under the bush administration the deficit has gotten out of control saying that they are just doing that for political reasons. I dont know if he thinks deficits or being in debt is a good thing but he dodges that question entirely. All I could get is that he thinks its fine to have a $7 trillion deficit.
There are tons of poorly written essays like this in his book. If you like the way that sounds than I would reccomend reading Rush or Coulter, at least those are a little more entertaining and a little more outspoken. Sowell's writing is smug and is overextending his extensive knowledge of economics into the realm of political name calling and pointing fingures. It really isn't worth the read. If you want to read about econ however his "basic economics" is a long but solid examination of conservative economic principles.
Not recommended.......2007-08-23
I do apprecaited views from conservative authors but this is no more than a collection of "bitching" points. The chapters are short, raise some questions, but offers little in the way of answers. Lots of sweeping generalizations without specifics to back the point. If you want some substance stick to Ann Coulter and pass this one by.
Brilliant, as always........2007-03-13
You can't read Sowell and not learn something, ever. You do have to take it in small steps though. There's just too many great insights per chapter in this book by one of the greatest thinkers of our time.
It's too bad he's not only in his 40's. I'd love to see him keep writing for another 50 years!
Libs don't get it.......2007-02-19
Thomas Sowell explains things so well. It is so easy to understand economics when it is explained in context with basic human nature. I really do "Wonder Why" libs are sooo... baffled by capitalism and freedom.
Sowell's best.......2007-02-07
This book is a series of Sowell's newspaper columns, and, as usual, provokes thought, makes sense, and lays bare the many myths of our times. I have always enjoyed his books, but this one is easiest to read in short bursts because of the necessarily small size of the chapter, each of which had to fit a newspaper column in it's day.
Book Description
This fourteenth edition of TAKING SIDES: SOCIAL ISSUES presents current controversial issues in a debate-style format designed to stimulate student interest and develop critical thinking skills. Each issue is thoughtfully framed with an issue summary, an issue introduction, and a postscript. An instructor’s manual with testing material is available for each volume. USING TAKING SIDES IN THE CLASSROOM is also an excellent instructor resource with practical suggestions on incorporating this effective approach in the classroom. Each TAKING SIDES reader features an annotated listing of selected World Wide Web sites and is supported by our student website, www.dushkin.com/online.
Customer Reviews:
book review.......2007-01-20
This book was received in 3 days at Christmas time, which I thought was very good service. It was in excellent condition
Taking Sides.......2006-11-14
Great delivery service, it was in my mailbox the next day!! I was worried about not receiving it in time for my classes to start, but I didn't have to worry!
Thanks so much!!
Amazon.com
Sam Harris cranks out blunt, hard-hitting chapters to make his case for why faith itself is the most dangerous element of modern life. And if the devil's in the details, then you'll find Satan waiting at the back of the book in the very substantial notes section where Harris saves his more esoteric discussions to avoid sidetracking the urgency of his message.
Interestingly, Harris is not just focused on debunking religious faith, though he makes his compelling arguments with verve and intellectual clarity. The End of Faith is also a bit of a philosophical Swiss Army knife. Once he has presented his arguments on why, in an age of Weapons of Mass Destruction, belief is now a hazard of great proportions, he focuses on proposing alternate approaches to the mysteries of life. Harris recognizes the truth of the human condition, that we fear death, and we often crave "something more" we cannot easily define, and which is not met by accumulating more material possessions. But by attempting to provide the cure for the ills it defines, the book bites off a bit more than it can comfortably chew in its modest page count (however the rich Bibliography provides more than enough background for an intrigued reader to follow up for months on any particular strand of the author' musings.)
Harris' heart is not as much in the latter chapters, though, but in presenting his main premise. Simply stated, any belief system that speaks with assurance about the hereafter has the potential to place far less value on the here and now. And thus the corollary -- when death is simply a door translating us from one existence to another, it loses its sting and finality. Harris pointedly asks us to consider that those who do not fear death for themselves, and who also revere ancient scriptures instructing them to mete it out generously to others, may soon have these weapons in their own hands. If thoughts along the same line haunt you, this is your book.--Ed Dobeas
Book Description
An impassioned plea for reason in a world divided by faith.
This important and timely book delivers a startling analysis of the clash of faith and reason in today's world. Harris offers a vivid historical tour of mankind's willingness to suspend reason in favor of religious beliefs, even when those beliefs are used to justify harmful behavior and sometimes heinous crimes. He asserts that in the shadow of weapons of mass destruction, we can no longer tolerate views that pit one true god against another. Most controversially, he argues that we cannot afford moderate lip service to religion—an accommodation that only blinds us to the real perils of fundamentalism. While warning against the encroachment of organized religion into world politics, Harris also draws on new evidence from neuroscience and insights from philosophy to explore spirituality as a biological, brain-based need. He calls on us to invoke that need in taking a secular humanistic approach to solving the problems of this world.
Customer Reviews:
A Guru for the 21st Century.......2007-10-08
Morally speaking, are Bronze-Age myths as good as it gets?
Sam Harris doesn't think so and he argues brilliantly for a
new religious paradigm to shepherd us through the 21st Century.
Like a Spanish Inquisitor Harris ruthlessly examines the shaky philosophical justification for Abrahamic theism and finds it wanting.
But Harris doesn't just convince us that there really is no Santa Claus, he offers us a new way forward. He proves conclusively that science and reason do not necessarily have to be divorced from spiritual inquiry and revelation.
Some of his detractors have said that Harris is angry at God, but
that of course assumes a fact not in evidence (the existence of God).
After hearing him speak at Aspen Colorado,
'angry' is not quite the adjective that comes to mind.
http://svayam8.blogspot.com/2007/07/sam-harris-at-aspen-ideas-festival.html
As hard as it may be for theists to accept, many disbelievers really are being intellectually honest.
Sam Harris is one of those. He isn't angry, he's just right.
Thank you Sam for being a beacon of reason in a dangerously
darkened world.
Letter to a Christian Nation
Something that will keep us pondering for a long time.......2007-10-07
Well, this book is one of those that you come across with an argument so solid that you cannot stop pondering about its ideas. Mr. Harris has laid down a set of ideas that for a long time will haunt us, and the generations to come. Mr. Harris exposition of his thesis is simply monumental. His lurid writing style and his exquisite manners have brought forth a fundamental issue.
Mr. Harris as in the moving The Kingdom have presented us a sordid reality. Either we continue with religions and destroy humanity or we dispose of religion and avoid genocide. Muslims wants us dead and we do not want Islamic doctrines in our life. Further, more 9-11 have presented us with the issue of Abrahamic Religions and their stupidity. Because of them we lost 500 years, The Dark Ages and because of them we are losing our freedom and technological progress.
Some rabble-rouser long ago hid truth from us. [...] God created man. [...] men create God. That is the way it is in the world - men make gods and worship their creation. It would be fitting for the gods to worship men! Gospel of Philip 71:34; 72:1-4 Nag Hammadi Texts
Fanaticism and Fundamentalism of the religious realm have ruin freedom and life itself! Both should be eliminated and replaced by logical processes, which will warrant freedom, progress, technological development, world peace and happiness to every single human being. Religious moral varies from religion to religion. Logical morality does not need to vary! 1+1=2 in USA and in China too! Morals should be in the same manner.
Mr. Harris has begun a movement that will be here long after he parts. It is a movement of personal right to live a life as one please and not as a few wants you to live. It is also a movement toward World Peace!
I do recommend this book to everyone!
Harris dares to imagine no religion.......2007-09-26
This book is so much fun to read I read it twice. Harris writes with passion, erudition, and razor-sharp wit. His book has forced so-called religious moderates to begin taking responsibility for the zealots they unintentionally shelter, and he has demonstrated that a world with powerfully destructive technologies, such as ours, can no longer afford the luxury of basing policy on tribal superstitions and on supernatural claims that cannot possibly be substantiated with evidence. Highly recommended.
About the same as fellow atheists Dawkins and Hitchens but a tad more reasonable.......2007-09-22
Sam Harris like Hitchens and Dawkins is a master at setting up religious straw-men and then knocking them down. It is more fun and sells more books than taking on the real thing. Then it becomes balanced and boring. The author looks at the great evils in the world, the cause of which many others have attributed to nationalism, capitalism, lack of "lebensraum" etc. and claims that religion was the real cause. "Knowingly or not Nazis were agents of religion."... "Stalin and Mao killed millions because "communism was little more than a political religion." Why are the millions killed by Paul Pot not mentioned was he not trying to please God like Stalin, Mao and Hitler? Looking at Webster's definition of religion it is clear that these three ruthless dictators were not great religious leaders.
The author is using words incorrectly to make false accusations. A "political religion" is not religion if it does not profess a belief in an after life and God. But the author ignores that fact, because he is out to pin as many bad things on the word "religion" as possible..
Unlike Hitchens Sam Harris is an atheist who does see bigger differences among religions. He thinks Islam, for example, is especially bad ("cult of death").
I did not know that Noam Chomsky was any kind of religious thinker but the author takes a swipe at Noam by stating that Chomsky's view of moral equivalence is a big mistake." It is not clear how that fits in with his attacks on religion, but he gets the third star for that anyway.
The End of Bad Arguments? Unfortunately Not.......2007-09-19
Sam Harris's "The End of Faith" is an assault upon religion, blind faith, and fundamentalist violence. However, clear thinking Christians have little to fear from Harris's social critique.
The majority of the book is an exposition of the evils, real or imagined, produced by religion. Harris discusses current atrocities, including September 11 and suicide bombings in Israel, as well as past atrocities, including the Inquisition and the Salem Witch Trials. This leads to the natural question- if Harris (an atheist) is so critical of religious horrors, how can he explain the atheistic regimes of Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot, which collectively were responsible for millions of deaths? Harris claims that, while they may not have been explicitly religious, these evil regimes were the result of poor thinking. He states in his afterword-
"While some of the most despicable political movements in human history have been explicitly irreligious, they were not especially rational. The public pronouncements of these regimes have been mere litanies of delusion- about race, economics, national identity, the march of history, or the moral dangers of intellectualism." [231]
Thus, we see that The End of Faith does not really support atheism or oppose religion, it simply supports reason and opposes blind faith. Otherwise, his critique of religion is completely arbitrary, as he admits in this quoted passage that the real enemy is not simply religious faith, but irrationality itself. Thus, Harris needs to demonstrate that Christianity inherently necessitates irrational faith if he wishes to demonstrate that it should be rejected. Throughout the book, Harris merely assumes that so-called "fundamentalist" Christians can only exist through blind faith, but his assumption is both unproven and incorrect. Despite railing on about the supposed irrationality of religion, Harris never once deals with any of the arguments offered by Christians either historically or in the present day. There is no critique of the Cosmological Argument, no consideration of the evidence for the empty tomb, no critique of biblical passages or doctrines. Harris simply assumes that Christianity requires blind faith, argues that blind faith is both stupid and dangerous, and declares victory. The problem is that he has never shown that Christianity requires blind faith.
The other problem with Harris's approach is a common one- he assumes that the misdeeds of religious followers invalidates the religion itself.
Thus, the majority of Harris's book is simply not relevant for intelligent Christians. Surprisingly, however, there is some value in The End of Faith. For example, he discusses morality and makes a good case for charitable giving, and discusses politics and law, and makes a good case for the legalization of (some) drugs as a matter of public policy. However, as a critique of religion in general, and Christianity in particular, "The End of Faith" fails quite miserably.
Product Description
`History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2` is the second volume of the most explosive and astounding tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by rock solid scientific data. The book is easy and pleasant to read; it is well-illustrated, contains hundreds of charts, graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays. You will be amazed to discover: - That the chronology universally accepted today and taken for granted is simply wrong; - That ALL methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts known today are erroneous or non-exact; - That there is not a single document that could be reliably dated earlier than the XIth century; The Author refers to the Middle Ages as the Antiquity and proves mutual superimposition of the Second and the Third Roman Empire, both of which become identified as the respective kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Furthermore, he asserts that the famous reform of the Occidental Church in the XI century by Pope Gregory Hildebrand was the reflection of the XII century reforms of Byzantine emperor Andronicus who in his turn identifies with Jesus Christ. The Trojan war counted by Homer happened only as late as of the XIII century A.D. and the great poet actually lived in XIV century A.D. No stone in history of Antiquity is left unturned. Literally. This book is the beginning of a major correction to the chronology we live with.
Customer Reviews:
Check and see.......2007-06-21
I don't care what other people say of this book. Those affirmig it's fake, they hadn't ever read it. Or have some special reasons to do so. "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see..." This book won't make you feel comfortable. It'll make you feel free. It'll make you feel you're "not the only one" to feel you'd been lied to for centuries.
Suprise! Suprise!.......2007-03-22
Here is a serie of books which turns "the whole world" upside down. I learned a lot of it and I hope that a new book from A.T. Fomenko will follow very quick. A absolute must for everybody who is interested in history or even a little bit from it.
Prescient St Augustine?.......2006-02-05
We can so far divide the New Chronology into the following three parts:
a) The verifiable theory that proves consensual chronology wrong with the aid of astronomy, statistics and mathematics;
b) The new chronology hypothesis based on a new understanding of known historical facts and the most likely logical explanation of the most obvious inconsistencies inherent in the official version of history;
c) The history conjectures, that is experimental historical reconstructions based on assumptions that the authors believe to make sense in the light of their research and linguistic parallels - void of ironclad factual support to date.
Fomenko's theory complies with the most rigid scientific standards as a whole:
It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.
- It is consistent: independent lines of inquiry all lead to the same conclusion.
- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.
Fomenko goes by the following axioms:
- Chronology is the basis of history;
- Human evolution has always been linear, gradual and irreversible;
- The "cyclic" nature of human civilization is a myth, likewise all the gaps, duplicates, "dark ages" and "renaissances" that we know from consensual history;
- The accumulation of geographical knowledge as reflected in cartography is a gradual and irreversible process;
- The chronological distance between a given manuscript and the events described therein is proportional to the amount of distortions it contains;
- There is no "useless" information in authentic ancient sources.
Why the mainstream historians do not shower mathematician Academician Dr.Prof Fomenko with thanks and laurels?
The Russians:
Because Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by three centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called "Tartars and Mongols" were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a bilingual state with Arabic spoken as freely as Russian. The ancient Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities. The hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called "blood tax"). Their "invasions" were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion. Fomenko proves that Russian history as we know it today is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scientists brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs, whose ascension to the throne was the result of coup d'état, charged with the mission of making their reign look legitimate. Fomenko proves Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. They represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate rulers and the ambitious upstarts. The winner took it all! Over some 30 years of controversy, Russian historians have made a most remarkable transition - they were initially accusing the young mathematician Fomenko of anticommunist dissident activity and attempts to deface the historical legacy of Soviet Russia; nowadays the middle-aged mathematician is accused of adhering to "pro-communist Russian nationalism" and defacing the proud historical legacy of Great Russia.
The Westerners:
Because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History. Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one the Ancient Rome (the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the XIV century A. D.), the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, and the Ancient Egypt (the pyramids of Giza become dated to the XI-XV century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global "Mongolian" Empire, no less). The civilization of the Ancient Egypt is irrefutably dated to the XII-XV century A. D. with the aid of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone. He was the first one to decipher and date all such horoscopes, coming up with mediaeval dates in every case. English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. To reward the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.
The Chinese:
Because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such thing. Full point. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the XVII-XVIII century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation, this time performed on the Chinese soil by the loving Jesuit hands. The Chinese are the next in line to go berserk. Chinese history is inevitably bound to get both more ancient and more eventful, proportionally to the growing involvement of China in the world affairs. Chinese historians will keep on finding valid proof of prehistoric Chinese spaceflights until the Politburo orders them to shut up.
The Arabs:
Too bad. Islam with all its key figures is datable to XV-XVI century A. D. Arabic historians may find consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire in the XVI-XVII century. The trouble is that this empire was initially a Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, according to Fomenko! We can only guess if the acquisition of Alexander the Great (a Macedonian and a Christian) as the founder of the Muslim World Empire will make Fomenko's theories more acceptable to the Arabic mainstream. He certainly does not spare any holy cows at all, claiming The Stone of Qa'Aba in Mecca to contain the lost Arch of the Covenant.
The Divinity:
Despite of reiterated statement that his theory is all about chronology and not Religion, Fomenko stirs up a whole condominium of wasp nests. His collection of anathemas, fatwa, and other condemnations from all parties concerned is already considerable. Little wonder, considering that the history of religions à la Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the XI century and JC), Bacchic Christianity (XI-XII century, before and after JC), JC Christianity (XII-XVI century) and its subsequent mutations into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on.
According to Fomenko we know strictly NOTHING about the events that predate the X century A. D.
St Augustin was prescient when he spoke unto us: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."
Something of a disappointment.......2005-09-09
After having read the first volume of this expected series of 7 volumes I was triggered by the thesis of these authors that ancient Greek and Roman history did in fact take place in the Middle Ages. So I started studying medieval history of the Middle East - also known as Islamic history - to find out if the opponents of the ancient Greeks and Romans - the Acheamenid Persians, Sassanids, Scythians, Egyptians, etc. - also have their duplicates in medieval history. My search was disappointing: none of the many medieval Islamic dynasties seemed to correspond to the ancient middle eastern rulers.
However, I did find a close correspondence between Herodotus' Persian kings and medieval events:
- the defeat and capture of an Anatolian king - the Lydian Croesus - by the Persian conqueror Cyrus is identical to the defeat and capture of another Anatolian king - sultan Bayezid - by the Asian/Mongol conqueror Tamerlane;
- the Persian conquest of Egypt by the cruel tyrant Cambyses reds almost exactly as the Ottoman conquest of Egypt by Selim the Grim (note the nickname!);
- Darius the Lawgiver of the Persian Empire looks very much alike to Sulayman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver in Islamic history;
- Xerxes, whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by the Greeks at the naval battle of Salamis, looks like Selim II (the Sot) whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by a Spanish-Italian alliance at the naval battle of Lepanto.
I should have expected Fomenko et al. to arrive at similar conclusions, however, they claim that the Persian kings are the alter egos of the Angevin kings of Sicily whose biographies do not contain the exploits of the Persian kings.
The similiarities I indicate lead to the conclusion that Herodotus must have written his Histories at the close of the 16th century. But this is extremely late, given that Herodotus is "the Father of History", so therefore all other "ancient" histories must have been fabricated even later. Yet, the founders of modern chronology - Scaliger and Petavius - laid their foundations also at the close of the 16th century and had the full corpus of ancient histories already at their disposal.
It seems to me that Fomenko has to address these inconsistencies, maybe in the forthcoming 5 volumes?
Another critique of their book is that the correspondencies between different rulers are often based on a superficial comparison of the biographies; upon a more thorough comparison many details appear that do not correspond at all.
Finally, the authors rely heavily on the works of Gregorovius (1821-1891!!) - his medieval histories of Rome and Athens - as the source of medieval history; these works are - at least in the West - hoplessly outdated and have been superceded by more up-to-date works (for instance, Julius Norwich's trilogy on Byzantine history is not even cited).
Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy.........2005-07-30
If you agree with Fomenko that Roman chronology is basically the foundation of the entire edifice of global chronology; you would also certainly agree that despite its numerous gaps and inconsistencies, Roman history is the best-documented field of ancient history, and thus a reference scale. But how well is the actual date of the Eternal City's foundation known?
Firstly, Rome is supposed to have been founded by the Trojans who had to flee after the fall of Troy. Some claim Rome to have been founded by Aeneas and Ulysses shortly after Troy had fallen; others are of the opinion that there was an entire dynasty that ruled for 500 years between the fall of Troy and the foundation of Rome.
Well, that's just an innocent 500 years long misunderstanding compared with what heretic Fomenko says, asserts, proves in his second volume: Second Roman Empire, Third Roman Empire, Biblical Kingdom of Israel, Biblical Kingdom of Judah, Holy Roman Empire are stories about basically same events, written from different points of view at different times. The underlying events have actually taken place during xii-xv cy. These histories have been written and perfected by multitude of highly talented humanist and clerical writers of xiii-xvi cy disguised as "ancients" with glorious names like Homer, Pluto, Thucydides etc..Chronology 2.0 beta..
Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.
Book Description
Understand the nature of your mind and exactly how it interacts with matter at the quantum level to produce manifestations, magick and miracles.
Learn the nature of the universe in which we live and the exact process by which you can change your destiny by mere faith and imagination.
Understand how modern physics demonstrates the absolute immortality of your consciousness, your mind, your spirit.
The Universe and Multiple Reality presents a viewpoint dramatically different from the currently fashionable scientific interpretation of modern physics, an interpretation that denies the most important part of recent scientific discoveries: the mind and its effect on reality.
The Universe and Multiple Reality explains the exact physical processes by which paranormal events operate, including how miracles, magick and manifesting occur.
This book is a must for any person curious about the place their mind occupies in the cosmic scheme of things.
The Universe and Multiple Reality breaks new ground. There are a great many books on "parallel universes," on quantum physics and multiple reality--but none that proffers an understandable theory on how the human mind interacts with multiple realities at the quantum level to produce palpable physical effects.
Customer Reviews:
The Universe and Multiple Reality, by M R Franks.......2007-09-04
It deseves one star, at the most, compared to other books published on the same subject.
I Question Some of the Concepts.......2005-05-31
I had a very mixed reaction of this book, which served as the catalyst for my recent paper on parallel universes and found it to be a very interesting read. What I most appreciated however was that when I asked M.R. Franks about some details in his book he sent me three articles within about two hours. What disappointed me however was the shortness of the book and the focas on cited works from other authors and I don't really buy the andriod therory persented at the end of this book.
Very Interesting..But..........2004-08-03
Let me first say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book..but I have a few questions.
The basic idea behind the theory is that any two contiguous frames differs by ONE quantum state. There are infinite number of such frames through which consciousness traverses contiguously.
Then Mr.Franks writes that the case is so becoz nature doesn't like voids and hence creates all permutations and combinations of frames possible.
So my question is that if nature doesn't like voids then why accept quantum states as constant. In other words why can't nature create and fit in another infinite set of frames between the two quantum states by which any two contiguous frames differ as postulated by this theory? Isn't the gap between the two quantum states a "void"?
Galileo or Einstein.......2004-04-21
"Postulates with no explanation" is also what critics said of Galileo and Einstein. Such criticism usually comes from those heavily invested in the current orthodoxy, from those unable or unwilling to see beyond the box.
Genius, it is said, instantly recognizes genius, while mediocrity knows nothing better than itself.
This book is BRILLIANT!
Recall Occam's Razor: The simplest explanation is probably the correct one. Einstein's General Theory of Relativity didn't drone on for hundreds and hundreds of pages. Those who fault brevity should spend their money on longer, more expensive, but far less insightful works.
This book, however, can change your view of the universe and even of life itself. It's a must for those with the courage to view things differently but far more clearly.
I couldn't agree more..........2004-04-05
I agree completely with the previous reviewer - postulates with no explanations - is what you will find in this short book, filled mainly with quotes from other authors & experts. I was also inclined to read the book since it received such a positive online rating. However, further inspection of the reader reviews show they are redundant, lacking real substance, and biased. Why else would a reader seek to criticize all other similar titles (ex. The Elegant Universe, The Theory of Everything and even Deutsch's great writing) with the same useless lingo of 'bunny fluff', 'puffery', etc. only to recommend this book in each? I am sorry, the only thing PUFFED up, are some of the reviews.
As an intelligent reader and theorist who has studied parallel universes and quantum physics, I prefer a text that answers what it claims to, not a brief with quotes from authors, whom have ironically been bashed. I was left more confused than satisfied and asked myself "what IS the purpose of this book"?
Although a bit disappointing, it remains a good read but is much better as an extensive editorial. I gave the author an extra star for creativity, intellect and excellence in writing but would have really preferred to read about his own perspectives/theories to offer an explanation to the postulates put forth in the book.
Book Description
Martin Gardner is best known for his many popular books about science and mathematics, but in this collection he demonstrates that his interests encompass nearly everything else as well. No one will agree with all of Gardner's views, but it is hard to imagine a reader who will not find them exciting, provocative, and a pleasure to read.
Customer Reviews:
Good Gardner.......2002-09-06
Martin Gardner has written a number of great books over the years. This, while not his best, still shows off his strengths.
Unlike some of his recent books that are dedicated primarily to debunking various paranormal events, this book is mostly a collection of reviews of various books and authors. There is also some amusing diversions such as a chapter filled with word play.
For an introduction to Gardner, this may not be the best book since it doesn't focus on either debunking or mathematical recreations, which is where he does his best work. For Gardner fans, however, this should not be a disappointment.
Lively treastise on math and science down through the ages........2000-03-04
Martin Gardner's best essays on math and science puzzles are compiled in Whys & Wherefores, a title which includes articles on the literary puzzles of other writers. His survey of other writers' science fiction concepts and other ideas of scientific change and wonders through the ages makes for a lively treatise.
Book Description
In this explosive and compelling book, author Brian Desborough explores the activities of the thirteen interconnected family bloodlines that collectively comprise the secret group known as the Illuminati. His years spent aiding survivors of Satanic ritual abuse and mind control has provided the author with an in-depth knowledge of Illuminati history and their future plans for the human race.
The culmination of three decades of intensive research, this provocative book is designed to take readers out of their comfort zone and examine the historical and archaeological data, which reveal that:
¡¤
Israel was created not by illiterate pastoralists, as is claimed by biblical scholars, but by skilled Kenite copper smelters.
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The Dead Sea Scrolls were not written at Khirbat Qumran.
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The Temple Mount is not the site of the Temples of Solomon and Herod.
Applying a synthesis of history, politics, science and covert intelligence sourcethe author explores such diverse subjects as mind control, advanced energy systems, terrestrially constructed flying saucers, extraterrestrials, and the planned double-cross of the western Illuminati factions by China and Russia.
Oriented toward both the scholar and layperson, this revealing book is a "must read" for those interested in history, politics or high technology.
Customer Reviews:
Very convincing.......2007-07-30
I was really disturbed while coming to the realisation how much lies have we taken for the truth. This book will open your eyes, definitely recommended.
great read, all over the place, fun reading.......2006-07-01
this has the feel of someone who is in a prison, not knowing when his life will be cut short. so in the meantime everything he's learned up to this point, and everything he believes to be true, is shared to you, dear reader.
the scope of the book is large, there were many things i read here that was new to me, which is great, because in this realm of reading, it's easy to read the same thing said differently by many authors.
most of this will be news to you, or things you haven't thought of in a certain angle.
while it's only partially sourced, we have to take his word of his credentials. and when the things you read go on a limb (like alot of the great david icke's works), you just have to go with him and judge on your own.
very informative book, needed in every revisionist's collection (conspiracy theory is a silly term, too much stuff is true)
Quite Revealing.......2005-09-11
Ties together many diverse aspects of history, religion, and events into a logical and related common thread. Makes sense of seemingly unrelated happenings that are plausible based on his theories. Good book.
Beautifully designed book.......2004-12-22
Like so many things in life, such as cars, buildings or even computers, books can become a piece of art when they're beautifully designed. And this is one of the best looking books I've ever seen.
The feel of it (it's a softcover), the look of it, the typeface. It's almost perfect. I really love holding this book in my hand and feel the weight of it. And the colors and the typeface are rich and inviting. Once you see the book in front of you and hold it, you cannot NOT be interested in knowing more about it. It really attracts one's attention. That's why I give it 5 big stars. Whoever designed this book deserves an award.
As for the content of the book, the less said the better.
Desborough is brilliant and thorough............2004-06-07
This book is probably one of the best you can find if you want to know the TRUTH behind the history of the world, religion, true knowledge, media, extraterrestrials, mind-control, and who really controls the world. DO NOT read this book if you are not an open minded reader and/or someone seeking big picture possibilities that are not normally given through mainstream media or mainstream education (public schools, colleges, etc.). This is one of my favorite books and I highly recommend it. I also HIGHLY RECOMMEND anyone interested in this book to check out any books written by David Icke and/or check out infowars.com which is 100% documented research by activist Alex Jones. Also check out Behold A Pale Horse by William Cooper who is now dead (murdered by our government). Check out information on the web about the Bohemian Grove, Skulls and Bones, the Illuminati, the New World Order..... The list goes on and on. Take what you want, make what you want, and believe what you want, but by all means please do the research for yourself and whithout a doubt, you will see the universe completely differently. Also, if you haven't a clue as to what I'm babbling about, this stuff is probably not for you, but don't take my word for it, just check it out. Soon this knowledge might be your only chance at physical, mental and spiritual freedom. HELP RELEASE THE BLANKET THAT HAS COVERED THE EYES SOCIETY FOR CENTURIES.
Amazon.com
Best known as Detective John Munch on the hit TV series Homicide, Richard Belzer is also an accomplished standup comedian with a knack for political commentary in the tradition of Mort Sahl and Dick Gregory. In UFOs, JFK, and Elvis, he applies his analytic powers to two of the most controversial topics of the late 20th century: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 and the alleged U.S. government cover-up of the existence of alien life. (The reference in the title is the book's only substantial Elvis sighting.)
Belzer sensibly avoids pretending to have the answers, opting instead to focus on the questions themselves. Why does the Zapruder film fail to synchronize with other footage of the Kennedy shooting? What's the real background on Lee Harvey Oswald--and who really posed for that famous backyard photo? Did NASA regularly suppress UFO sightings by Apollo and Gemini astronauts? And how about that giant face on the surface of Mars? While Belzer's sarcastic, antiauthoritarian tone may not convince you that aliens walk among us, it's rather difficult by book's end to fully dismiss his belief that "history is just a collection of accepted lies" told to keep the masses in line. --Ron Hogan
Book Description
"I'm not asking you to believe every conspiracy theory you'll find in this book. . . . I didn't write this book to give you all the answers. The Warren Commission did that, and the answers were all wrong. I wrote this book to inspire you to do what the powers that be wish you wouldn't: to question authority . . . and to keep an eye out for Elvis."
--RICHARD BELZER
In UFOs, JFK, and Elvis, the distinguished statesman of stand-up comedy tackles some of the biggest conspiracies and cover-ups this side of Roswell. Just what is it that they don't want you to know about the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Area 51, and what the American astronauts really found on the moon? The unexplained crash at Roswell and the mysterious "face" on Mars? The link between the Nazis and the U.S. space program? Evidence of extraterrestrial experimentation?
Finally, one lone "nut" exposes the conspiracy to keep conspiracies a dirty little secret, standing up to the shadowy forces that would have us believe that Oswald acted alone, those lights in the sky are weather balloons, and fluoridated water is good for you (yeah, right). "Some of the smartest people I know . . . find it easier--and certainly more comforting--to believe that America is the only country on earth with no conspiracies at all." Just remember: do not ask on whom The Belz has told--he's told on them.
Customer Reviews:
Read it to enjoy Belzer, get your info elsewhere.......2007-09-29
I don't give a care about whether or not Elvis abducted JFK, this was just a fun book to read. Belzer is actually more enjoyable as an author than he is as a stand-up, which is odd considering that you're picturing his delivery the whole time you're reading it.
It's a quick read. Environmentalist might be upset that there's a lot of blank space (for your own notes I'm sure). Also, he has tangent boxes throughout even though each chapter is only about 3 pages long. Those who feel that tangent boxes are designed to make it feel like you're taking a break might instead feel like they're trying to read two books at the same time.
Belzer's UFOs.......2007-03-13
It's hard to believe that this book is meant to be taken seriously even though the author might be a conspiracy buff. The conspiracies range from the ridicilous to the completely absurd. Some conpiracies are even contradictory, USA faked all Moon missions or Neil Armstrong encountered a moon full of aliens and their structures. The book offers a lot of opinions and wild stories presented as fact without any proof. Belzer's fellow "conspiracy researcher" Jim Marrses theories presented in the book are the most absurd. The Moon is a spaceship built by aliens because it couldn't have formed any other way and its gravity is too weak to hold it together. Sounds really good, if you don't know what a Physics book looks like. Belzer also mentions many times that ancient texts are full of referances to aliens. The only proof being that, when you forget about the ancient culture's gods, rulers, complex mythology and take the texts and images completely out of context and forget about what real historians say, the images and text might talk about aliens. Belzer also says that aliens don't land on the White House lawn for all to see because they don't want to and sane credible people see aliens all the time but don't want to tell anyone. This kind of circular logic also proofs that pink flying elephants are real.
Funny stuff!.......2007-01-10
A great read, very funny. I doubt it would make good reference material for academics. I Loved reading it, it makes me think that I would really love to sit down and have beer or coffee with the Belz.
An unexpected level of research and depth of thought.......2006-11-19
When I first saw this title I thought that Richard Belzer had written a funny book filled with witty musings about little green men and movies in which Kevin Costner has a bad haircut." Belzer has made a turn toward the dramatic with his portrayal of detective John Munch in "Homicide" and "Law & Order SVU", a role he has had since 1993. However, this is still the same guy that was in the 1988 classic "The Wrong Guys". I was in no way prepared for what I was about to read.
Within the first few pages I was reading details about claims of heinous atrocities and government conspiracies. This was not the lighthearted work that I expected. From the very beginning, Belzer makes his goal clear. He urges the reader to "seek out suppressed evidence ... interpret independently everything you hear, read, and even what you see ... question authority."
Even if you are not a conspiracy theory enthusiast, it is hard not to get caught up in the unexpected depth of Belzer's research and his insights on the JFK assassination and alien visitors. I wasn't exactly "transformed from a cheerful trusting soul with unflagging faith in the powers that be into a suspicious, angry skeptic and cynic that can't sit through a 30-second news teaser," as Belzer promised, but reading the book has made me think and look at the situations in question in a new light.
For those who are not big on conspiracy, the information is presented in a way that would make even Lee Harvey Oswald chuckle. The book is both informative and entertaining, with sections with names such as "The Fluke of Earl" and "Just a Simple Nightclub Owner with a Dream". This book had me laughing one moment and somewhat scared the next. If you are not familiar with Belzer's comedy routine or acting, you might not appreciate this book as much as if you were. It makes it easier to tell when Belzer is joking around and when he is serious.
Belzer at his best!.......2005-12-16
This book is a fast paced read, and told to us in a way that you can almost imagine the Belz is actually there reading it to you. He reveals a great many things about the assassination of JFK that I had and had not heard over the years. Most notable are the similarities between Lincoln and Kennedy.
He delves into everything possible from the Warren commission, to there being as many as 60 men posing as Oswald in the months leading up to the assassination. Plus listing other conspiracy's as to who might have had a hand in Kennedy's death. The way he lays the info out there will make you wonder....is he right?
Go read it and decide for yourself....as for me I'm a believer! (But does that make me another lone nut? Read it and you really may just join the rest of us nuts.)
Customer Reviews:
Great, eye-opening, interesting, revelatory.......2006-12-30
I read these essays online and thought them excellent and eye-opening. Many reviewers complain of their age. But the reason for that is that the kind of secular, post-Enlightenment critique to which the Christian and Jewish traditions have been subject for over 200 years now, and was begun on the Islamic in the 19th and early 20th centuries, has had to be suspended, largely for political reasons.
Whereas now, in Christian and Jewish, or post-Christian and post-Jewish academic circles, this kind of secular critique is normative, it has yet to make any headway in the wider Islamic academic world, including Western or European Islamic studies departments, where such an approach has largely halted in favour of consideration of devout Muslim academic or student sensibilities.
Perhaps that is a good thing.
But it means those, especially non-specialists such as myself, interested in, say, the roots and origins of Islamic material, or Qur'anic sources -whence certain Arabic terms derive from Christian, Jewish or Zoroastrian Greek, Aramaic, Hebrew or Farsi terms, for instance, or whence the Qur'an derives its stories- have little alternative but to turn to older scholarship.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I have little to compare it with. I cannot give it less than 4 stars.
Speculative at Best.......2006-09-30
I find the author to be a skillful collector of ideas and thoughts. He obviously handpicked essays which would provide the most proof but if you read the rest of the works of say Charles C. Torrey as an example, there is fanciful conjecture as to the unnamed teachers of Muhammad and you find these scholars refuting each other's ideas. It is safe to say there is no unanimous agreement as to how Islam was taught to and adopted by Muhammad, but merely a hypothesis that it was taught to him, a hypothesis with evidence that can only be considered extremely weak at this point. Although it is an interesting read, I find it to be no more than a collection of works that support the author's convictions, while the sources and authors of those essays are in major disagreements with themselves on everything except for the Hypothesis that the Quran had to be taught to Muhammad. Its cheaper to do a search on google and you will probably find material that will better help to understand the authors and the arguments than buying this book. Leaving a religion does not automatically make someone a scholar in the religion. People like Ibn Warraq and Wafah Sultan have a lot of work to do with respect to true Orientalist Scholarship
great eye-opener.......2006-02-24
Some of the reviews of this book from muslims are quite laughable. The reason you dont know much about Ibn Warraq is that it is not his real name - if he reveiled his true identity he would more than likely be killed by some nutcase muslim in the name of Islam. Look at what Salman Rushdie went through after he published the book "The Satanic Verses". Well this book totally shows up Islam as a fraud, it highlights the deludedness of the followers of Islam, and their refusal to look at the facts. It's a great read, dont let the muslims put you off, you owe it to yourself to read this. (I'm an atheist by the way, I'm certainly not a Christian or a Jew out to score points, but Christianity and Judism have been revieled as false by many books, Islam is a more difficult one because of the way muslims react when their religion is critisised).
An Honest Review.......2005-03-16
In his book, Ibn Warraq may portray someone that has done thorough research on the Quran's history. I am a well educated Muslim Revert that has done thorough research on the "islamic way of life" and the History of the Quran.
Warraq may be a scholar of the English Literature and so his work is well written, but coming from a Muslim's perspective, I can 100% say that Warraq is not an Islamic scholar, nor has he done any real Historical research of the Quran.
Although Warraq claims to have "once upon a time" been a muslim, his knowledge of it is very limited, and it explains his indignance towards the religion. His so called critique is not based on any real historical evidence and so it cannot really be called a critique. In many ways it is very manipulative as he uses lots of phrases from the qur'an out of context. He has strong views and personal opinions and by all means he has the right to express himself.
By this book Warraq tries to convince himself and re-asure himself through the eyes of others. It is only those that share his views to begin with, that enjoy this book. As it adds fuel to any of their existing fire.
The Origins of the Qu'ran from a rationalist.......2004-09-15
In this effrontery book, Ibn Warraq, the mysterious author of the disquieting-yet intellectually old- fashioned-- book "Why I am Not a Muslim"-continues his indefatigable quest to deliver the ideological sledge hammer against the religion known as Islam. The Book, `The Origins of the Koran'-uses western textual critical scholarship and analysis to investigate-nay dethrone-the divinity of the Qu'ran (For theoretical reasons I prefer Qu'ran over Koran). The author sets his rough and ready audience off on an introduction to Western studies on the Qu'ran. Notwithstanding the self-serving and polarizing tone of the introduction, Ibn Warraq screams for a more balanced and scientific investigation of the Qu'ran that has been lacking in western studies on Islam but prevalent in western studies on, say, Judaism and Christianity-or so assumed by our author Ibn Warraq. Poor editing and sloppy handling of the Arabic materials hinder the auspiciousness of the introduction.
The rest of the book consists of essays from western Orientalists. Those essays consist of the bequeathing work of Theodor Noldeke, Leone Caetani, Alphonse Mingana (two works in all), Arthur Jeffery (four works in all), David Margoliouth, Abraham Geiger, W. St. Clair-Tisdall, Charles C. Torrey, and from the modern era, Andrew Rippin. All of whom, unlike the author, posses(ed) full mastery of the relevant languages, especially Arabic.
Other than providing a glimpse into the antiquarian resources on western Qu'ranic studies, I see no value in referring this book to anyone with an avid interest. The author displays a dilettante and blatant tone through and through (e.g., pp. 11, 14, 19, and 34). I would not suggest this to anyone with amateurish knowledge on Islam.
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