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Shortly after Elaine Pagels' two-and-half-year-old son was diagnosed with a rare lung disease, the religion professor found herself drawn to a Christian church again for the first time in many years. In Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas Pagels, best know for her National Book Award-winning The Gnostic Gospels, wrestles with her own faith as she struggles to understand when--and why--Christianity became associated almost exclusively with the ideas codified in the fourth-century Nicene Creed and in the canonical texts of the New Testament. In her exploration, she uncovers the richness and diversity of Christian philosophy that has only become available since the discovery of the Nag Hammadi texts.
At the center of Beyond Belief is what Pagels identifies as a textual battle between The Gospel of Thomas (rediscovered in Egypt in 1945) and The Gospel of John. While these gospels have many superficial similarities, Pagels demonstrates that John, unlike Thomas, declares that Jesus is equivalent to "God the Father" as identified in the Old Testament. Thomas, in contrast, shares with other supposed secret teachings a belief that Jesus is not God but, rather, is a teacher who seeks to uncover the divine light in all human beings. Pagels then shows how the Gospel of John was used by Bishop Irenaeus of Lyon and others to define orthodoxy during the second and third centuries. The secret teachings were literally driven underground, disappearing until the Twentieth Century. As Pagels argues this process "not only impoverished the churches that remained but also impoverished those [Irenaeus] expelled."
Beyond Belief offers a profound framework with which to examine Christian history and contemporary Christian faith, and Pagels renders her scholarship in a highly readable narrative. The one deficiency in Pagels' examination of Thomas, if there is one, is that she never fully returns in the end to her own struggles with religion that so poignantly open the book. How has the mysticism of the Gnostic Gospels affected her? While she hints that she and others have found new pathways to faith through Thomas, the impact of Pagels' work on contemporary Christianity may not be understood for years to come. --Patrick O'Kelley
Book Description
Special edition including the complete text of the Gospel of Thomas
Elaine Pagels, one of the world’s most important writers and thinkers on religion and history, and winner of the National Book Award for her groundbreaking work The Gnostic Gospels, now reflects on what matters most about spiritual and religious exploration in the twenty-first century. This bold new book explores how Christianity began by tracing its earliest texts, including the secret Gospel of Thomas, rediscovered in Egypt in 1945.
When her infant son was diagnosed with fatal pulmonary hypertension, Elaine Pagels’s spiritual and intellectual quest took on a new urgency, leading her to explore historical and archeological sources and to investigate what Jesus and his teachings meant to his followers before the invention of doctrine–and before the invention of Christianity as we know it.
The astonishing discovery of the Gospel of Thomas, along with more than fifty other early Christian texts unknown since antiquity, offers startling clues. Pagels compares such sources as Thomas’s gospel (which claims to give Jesus’ secret teaching, and finds its closest affinities with kabbalah) with the canonic texts to show how Christian leaders chose to include some gospels and exclude others from the collection we have come to know as the New Testament. To stabilize the emerging Christian church in times of devastating persecution, the church fathers constructed the canon, creed, and hierarchy–and, in the process, suppressed many of its spiritual resources.
Drawing on new scholarship–her own, and that of an international group of scholars–that has come to light since the publication in 1979 of The Gnostic Gospels, Pagels shows that what matters about Christianity involves much more than any one set of beliefs. Traditions embodied in Judaism and Christianity can powerfully affect us in heart, mind, and spirit, inspire visions of a new society based on practicing justice and love, even heal and transform us.
Provocative, beautifully written, and moving, Beyond Belief, the most personal of Pagels’s books to date, shows how “the impulse to seek God overflows the narrow banks of a single tradition.” Pagels writes, “What I have come to love in the wealth and diversity of our religious traditions–and the communities that sustain them–is that they offer the testimony of innumerable people to spiritual discovery, encouraging us, in Jesus’ words, to ‘seek, and you shall find.’”
Customer Reviews:
She writes convincing material, but.......2007-08-27
WOW! She really writes convincing material and writes it well! She made me scared to study Gnostic writings, I was afraid they'd be right and I'd have to rework my faith of almost 40 years. As another reviewer pointed out, she does not really explore the Gospel of Thomas in this book...instead she trashes the Gospel of John. I found this curious. If the Gnostic writings are so great, then let's study them! But I have come to understand that the modern Gnostic movement is not about believing in Gnosticism...it is about NOT believing in the books of the New Testament. For after reading her book, I went on a journey of studying Gnostic writings as well as how the New Testament Canon was formed. Some of the major themes that are ascribed to Gnosticism by Pagels and others today are simply incorrect. The Gnostics did not believe in tolerance, they were a 'holier than thou' elistest group. And they also believed that salvation was only for men (Jesus is quoted as saying that he would turn Mary into a man so she would reach her spiritual path). The Gnostics were also strongly antisemitic. But Pagels doesn't share this information. And all this was the opposite in the teachings and actions of the apostles and early church, who were open,tolerant, and believed all were equal in Christ-including women.
However, in accepting books as being holy and to be used for doctrine, the early church followed some basic rules. The book had to be written by an apostle or someone who had been with an apostle, and the book had to agree with the teachings the apostles had given. Paul's letters are the earliest documents, and the doctrines he taught are the basis of Christianity, and these doctrines agree with writings of the other apostles. These works were written while people who knew the apostles were still alive. The Gnostics writings came later and were recognized as forgeries. They completely disagreed with the earlier teachings of the apostles: they were not like a different denomination of Christianity, they were a different religion altogether. The early church was tolerant, except when it came to untruth, and therefore the early church leaders tried to expose the hoax of Gnosticism. George Washington worked to prove the letters which were supposedly from him as a spy to the English govenment were forged letters. He did not do this for power or in order to suppress some secret. He did it because the letters were forgeries. In the same way the early church denounced the writings of the Gnostics: they did so because the writings were forgeries.
But I as said at the beginning, Pagels writes very well and very convincingly. I'm glad I read the book, for it sparked an indepth study of the early church which I am still pursuing.
Well written.......2007-07-19
I found this book well written and compelling , but not over the top. A good work to introduce and explain the relevance and works discovered known as the Gospel of Thomas.
An Argument for Gnosticism.......2007-04-27
Raised within the confines of fundamentalist religion, we found that asking Biblical questions could be extremely hazardous to our religious existence. After being excommunicated for numerous such affronts to the sanctity of the written word, we are especially appreciative of Ms. Pagels and her untiring efforts to shed light on so many of the lesser known aspects of early Christianity. Some readers have expressed their disappointment, feeling the book devotes too much attention to the formation of orthodoxy, the evolution of the Gospel of John and the suppression of many books labeled Gnostic. But, as pointed out by Pagels, these events still play a role in our cultural history and untangling these, ". . .complex strands have practical consequences as well as intellectual ones." We may not be aware of the cultural wallpaper we have assimilated until it is pointed out that it is indeed wallpaper, and it may be in need of refurbishing. As noted in the book, "orthodoxy tends to distrust our capacity to make such discriminations and insists on making them for us." It would be difficult to fully appreciate the radical differences contained in the Gospel of Thomas if we did not examine the thought processes involved in suppressing it.
As Pagels develops her arguments, she demonstrates how orthodoxy created an ever widening chasm that placed God, His only-begotten son and the church fathers on one side, and the congregation of sinners on the other. The increased value bestowed on Jesus by the church, equaled the speedy demotion of a flock whose only hope lay in their unquestioning belief in him. The writer of the Gospel of Thomas had the effrontery to suggest that Jesus' real message lay in his knowledge that all men, including him, were one with God. And, "Thomas' Jesus directs each disciple to discover the light within" through gnosis, an experiential knowing gained through a connection with higher consciousness. Shockingly, this message took church fathers out of the loop by suggesting that each person had an equal opportunity to save themselves. It is not surprising then that heresy was originally defined as "the act of choice!"
Orthodoxy attempted to control the people through selective information and the lack of choice. We, on the other hand, can easily miss the gifts offered by the Gospel of Thomas because we are inundated with information and choke on the multitude of choices offered to us on a daily basis. If we dismiss the Gospel of Thomas as another curiosity, we will miss the invitation Thomas' Jesus extends," If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you." Books such as Pagels' "Beyond Belief" and Ehrman's "Misquoting Jesus" offer proof that there is little reason to take a literalist view of the Bible. This does not mean that Jesus' teachings are inaccessible. It does mean that we must each choose whether we will be one who accepts what is found outside us, or one who searches for the answers within. Pagels' book offers a great platform for exploration.
Lee & Steven Hager are the authors of Quantum Prodigal Son: Revisiting Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son from the Perspective of Quantum Mechanics
Orthodoxy vs. Gnosticism.......2007-03-19
My primary interest in reading this book was to better understand and appreciate the evolution of Christian thought and belief in the early church. On this score, Elaine Pagels definitely does not disappoint.
I found her choice of beginning this work with an intensely personal description of the spiritual journey she faced during her young son's fatal illness to be surprising at first, but through her book I came to understand why she introduced this work in such a way: all spiritual journeys are intensely personal. The authors of the "Secret Gospel of Thomas", the Gospel of John, and the later Church Fathers who built upon these writings, all faced challenging times. In seeking answers to the challenges they faced, they engaged in their own personal spiritual journeys, which resulted in their recording what they learned and believed in the texts that have been passed down to us.
Elaine Pagels engages us in the challenges and spiritual journeys of these early Christian writers, both known (mostly proponents of what became the roots of Christianity as we know it today); and unknown (mostly the authors of the Gnostic books found in the Nag Hammadi library, such as the Gospel of Thomas; and other works).
The Gnostic authors and their adherents found themselves marginalized if not actively persecuted as the well-organized and controlled universal Church took hold in the ancient world. Gnosticism is an intensely personal form of faith, where one seeks to find Spiritual truth for oneself instead of unquestioningly adopting an external authority's view.
Dr. Pagels referees for us the centuries-long debate between early Christian Fathers and their Gnostic counterparts - helping us see how the debate between control of doctrine vs. freedom of exploration changed and grew over time. She seeks to help us understand the complexities of the central question for us: What is truth, and what is lies? In making our spiritual journeys, how can we tell them apart? How do we find that truth for ourselves without falling into error?
The roots of that debate reach far back into Jewish history: centuries before Jesus started teaching. Therefore, Dr. Pagels knows she cannot answer the question. Instead, she seeks to help us understand the issues and the context within which we, as Christians, make our own journeys in search of spiritual truth.
The great authors of Orthodoxy - Tertullian, Athanaeus and Irenaeus, among others, all saw that allowing too much freedom of exploration often led to spiritual error and excess. On the other hand, they appreciated the importance of needing to explore one's own faith for oneself, and did not want to create a rigid and inflexible Christian faith that could not tolerate such journeys of faith. They understood that a balance between the two extremes must be found.
Ultimately, and as Dr. Pagels says in her book, it is not right, or wise, to accept spiritual authority without question, or to seek to eliminate the rich spiritual diversity found throughout the Christian world. Diversity brings strength and vitality, but too much diversity brings conflict and destruction. There is no simple answer to the question: we must each find an answer for ourselves.
Dr. Pagels' work is easy to read, well researched, well footnoted, and thought provoking. While I highly recommend this book, I would have to agree with what others here have said: that the title is misleading. This book focuses more on the evolution of orthodox Christianity than it does on the Gnostic tradition, or on the Gospel of Thomas itself. I give it a four star recommendation.
The Gospel of St John is more accurate.......2007-02-09
If you want a review of the gospel of Thomas look to the references cited in this book. The end notes are an excellent source of research in early Christian texts. This book is about the gospel of St John, how the politics of the time shaped what was written and how the work of Origen and the Emperor Constantine decided what gospels would constitute the New Testament. The writing is uneven or perhaps it needed tighter editing to have the work flow in a more even pace.
This mis-naming and awkward, read as uneven, pace seems to be characteristic of Pagels, her origin of Satan had similar problems. What she clearly possesses is the desire to ferret out the details and offer a plausible explanation.
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BEYOND BELIEF (The Secret Gospel 0f Thomas)
Manufacturer: RANDOM HOUSE
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 Pagels, Elaine
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Title: Belief and the nature of the divine.(Book Review)
Author: Tim Callahan
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Skeptic (Altadena, CA) (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 2003
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 10
Issue: 3
Page: 94(4)
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This digital document is an article from Catholic Insight, published by Thomson Gale on November 1, 2004. The length of the article is 497 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
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Title: Beyond Belief: the Secret Gospel of Thomas.(Book Review)
Author: Leonard A. Kennedy
Publication:
Catholic Insight (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2004
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 12
Issue: 10
Page: 44(1)
Article Type: Book Review
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Living the questions.(Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas)(Book review): An article from: Modern Age
Richard K. Cross
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Release Date: 2007-01-09 |
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Citation Details
Title: Living the questions.(Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas)(Book review)
Author: Richard K. Cross
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Modern Age (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 48
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Page: 366(4)
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Customer Reviews:
Pagels has a hit.......2007-08-31
Elaine Pagels is a noted writer in the area of Gnostic literature. Here she discusses the Gospel of Thomas (comparing it to the canonical Gospel of John). Her insights are helpful; I recommend this to anyone interested in the topic, even if you haven't done much study in the area. Pagels is a gifted scholar, and one of her gifts is that she writes so that laypeople can understand her.
Product Description
Published in association with Harper Collins, the Atlas of Global Development vividly illustrates the key development challenges facing our world today. Social, economic, and environmental issues that are facing the planet are presented by easy-to read, colorful world maps, tables, graphs, text and photographs. Drawing on data from the World Bank's authoritative World Development Indicators, the book brings to life country comparisons of social indicators like life expectancy, infant mortality, safe water, population, growth, poverty and energy efficiency. Issues that have been hitting the headlines such as AIDS, population living below $1 a day, freshwater, trade are presented giving an unbiased view of the state of the world we live in. This title builds on and replaces the existing World Bank Atlas which has been published by the World Bank for almost four decades.
Customer Reviews:
A useful book on global realities.......2007-06-30
This book is the successor to the World Bank's annual World Bank Atlas publication. While the World Bank is not liked by many, its data is generally regarded as very reliable. This book puts in visual terms a lot of aspects of the state of our planet. If you are interested in more books about the future of our planet, you might want to check my profile, where I have compiled some Listmania lists on this subject. Overall, I would recommend buying this book.
see above.......2007-05-13
This is a concise and well presented collection of statisitcal data sheet, without comments or text.
A useful documentation, as Word Bank similar listings in the past.
Book Description
Arthur Banks' classic map study of World War I has been out of print for some years, at a time when interest in the Great War is very much on the increase. Banks' 250 maps present both broad general surveys of political and military strategy and closely detailed treatments of individual campaigns and engagements. Introductions to each major stage and aspect of the war have been written by the distinguished military historian Alan Palmer.
Customer Reviews:
The one book about WWI you have to buy.......2001-09-18
This book, although humbly titled "military atlas" provides all the necessary information on the first WW, from the motivations and politics, to weapon types, warfare tactics, railroad systems not only in Europe, but on all the periphal campaigns as well and by the way, you get the most comprehensive maps on the preluding balkan wars as well. The maps themselves are in black&white, but perfectly presented, with clear, sharp contrasts, so that it's very easy to read them even if you're without military background.
The book succeeds in being the ideal starting point for anyone being even remotely interested in WW1.
Every map is accompanied by a short summary of what's going on, most of the times even in the maps themselves which makes the information very easy to consummate.
The real value of the book lies in the fact that it presents the actions and campaigns and politics without judging them, without being biased in any sort of way, may it be the old good vs. bad stereotype or the modern pacifistic viewpoint: It just provides information and what you do with it is up to you.
Highly recommended.
Accurate, detailed and complete graphic account of WWI.......1999-04-30
This book is an essential companion for every First World War scholar or simply interested reader. The maps accurately illustrate the developing of operations on land and sea (including some on the submarine and mine warfare). The air war is very well illustrated as far as the zeppelin operations are concerned; I would have liked also a detailed account of bombers-fighters operations on the various fronts. Maps for the african, italian, palestinian, macedonian and mesopotamian fronts are included, together with those relating to the Western and Eastern theaters. I have found the tables on the various weapons very useful and complete. As an Italian reader I have to confess that I found the maps about the Italian front rather sketchy. Even with this little (and ultimately not much important) flaws, this is a great book, providing the reader with a definitive guide on the Great War fronts and warfare. Read it together with B. Liddel Hart's or J. Keegan's books on the conflict and you will have a reasonably complete understanding of WWI from the military point of view.
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- An outline of the history of the Jews from Ur to the modern State of Israel.
- Calls Germans by Name: the Nazis
- A good place to start, but not entirely accurate
- Excellent work
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Atlas of Jewish History
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A Historical Atlas of the Jewish People: From the Time of the Patriarchs to the Present
ASIN: 0880290188 |
Book Description
This atlas traces the history, the worldwide migrations, the achievements, and the lives of the Jewish people from ancient Mesopotamia to the present day. It is the product of remarkable research and sheds a vivid light on the role of the Jews in their different national settings, their complex history, their reaction to persecution--whether by dispersal, acceptance, or defense--and their enormous contribution to human experience in many fields over almost four thousand years. The atlas illustrates the enterprise and normalities of Jewish life as well as the perpetual and irrational violence that has pursued Jews in every century and to almost every corner of the globe.
In this revised edition, The Atlas of Jewish History has been brought up to the present day. Filled with unusual facts and details, the atlas offers new appreciation and understanding of the crucial role played by a people in the making of the modern world.
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An outline of the history of the Jews from Ur to the modern State of Israel........2007-07-25
This fascinating Atlas traces the history of the Jewish people, from the early Jewish migration from Ur to Canaan, in about 2000 BC, up to developments in the modern State of Israel.
He traces the migration of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt back to the Promised Land, and the conquest of the Promised Land by the Israelites, the whereabouts of the Twelve Tribes of Ancient Israel, the kingdoms of David and Solomon 1000 to 925 BC, as well as the destruction of Jewish independence by the Assyrians and Babylonians and the subsequent deportations and dispersions of the Israelites.
The book shows us maps revealing the Hasmonean Kingdom and the Jewish revolts against Roman Rule.
Gilbert outlines the development of ancient Jewish communities in Iraq, Persia, India and China, as well as Europe, the persecutions, pogroms, expulsions and different places of settlements of the Jews throughout the world.
The book deals with some lesser known facts such as the whereabouts of the Karaite Jews, 10 000 of whom were murdered by the Nazis in Crimea, in 1943, the fact that in 1805 Napoleon formed a Jewish battalion that fought at Waterloo, while in 1799 the Jews of Jerusalem joined the Turks in preparing to defend the city, and in 1812, the Jews of Russia, supported their Russian overlords against Napoleon, as they feared that Napoleon's liberalization would be a threat to their orthodoxy.
A fascinating map shows the possible whereabouts of the ten lost Tribes of Israel, and the intriguing possibilty that their descendants could include the Ibos of Nigeria, the Masai Tribe of East Africa, the Berbers of North Africa, the Khazars, the Bneie Menashe of Eastern
India, the Karens of Burma, and the Shinadai Tribe of Japan.
Other maps show the development of Jewish life in the Americas, Jewish millitary activity from from 1794 to 1967, the return of the Jews to the Land of Israel, the numbers of Jews in Europe at the outbreak of World War II, and those that perished in the Holocaust, the numbers of Jews who fled Europe for Palestine, during the Holocaust, Jewish resistance against Nazis persecution in Europe, and against Arab pogroms in Palestine, and Israel's War of Independence in 1948, the Suez War of 1956 and the Six Day war of 1967, describing the balance on the eve of that war of Arab and Israeli forces:
The total Arab strength was 547 000 troops, 2 504 tanks and 957 combat aircrafts, while Israel's strength consisted of 264 000 troops, 800 tanks and 300 Combat aircrafts.
While the author is correct about persecution in Europe, of the Jews, by Christians, he underestimates and does not fully describe the many massacres and pogroms against Jews in Moslem-ruled lands, as well as the severe dhimmni status under which they lived.
Nevertheless Gilbert succeeds, in illustrating the vast panorama of the Jewish people, through the ages.
He makes obscure periods in Jewish history better known, if only in outline, leaving the reader the task of embarking on deeper research.
Finally the book leaves the reader amazed at the endurability of a people who survived thousands of years of hostility and attempts to destroy it, and were gathered together once again in their ancient homeland, having to dfefend their homeland against 100 million Arabs, and a very large chunk of hostile world opinion.
Calls Germans by Name: the Nazis.......2005-09-20
Surprise: The Nazis were Germans and Austrians. In recent years, there has been a curious tendency to euphemistically substitute the political party of the Germans for their nationality, all the while retaining the ethnicities of other peoples. (Thus, "Nazi killers of Poles and Jews" makes as much sense as "German killers of Pilsudskyites and Bundists"). Gilbert's atlas unabashedly calls the Nazis for who they were: the Germans. (Of course there were exceptions, but they were just that--exceptions). For example, Gilbert refers to German concentration camps, not Nazi concentration camps. And, although this atlas is about Jews, Gilbert does not avoid mention of the fact that the Germans also murdered several millions of non-Jews. (This, of course, does not include the additional millions killed directly or indirectly by German military action).
Gilbert's atlas is concise enough to fit on an ordinary bookshelf, yet is packed with much useful information. Maps depict many Biblical and post-Biblical events. The travels of the Apostle Paul are included. So are many "alternative Zions", where Jews were to find a new home. The history of Jews in the USA is also featured. Only one obvious error stands out: When Gilbert depicts the Bogdan Khmelnitsky (Bogdan Chmielnicki) revolt, he incorrectly states that the killers of Jews (and also Ukrainian and Polish nobility) were Polish peasants. In the main, the killers were actually Ukrainian peasants.
Gilbert's atlas includes the experience of Jews outside of Europe and the Americas. Although certain Muslim lands offered the Jews more tolerance than Christian ones, there were also many Muslim lands in which the Jews suffered extreme persecution. This alone should refute the common claim that anti-Semitism is a product of traditional Christian teachings about Jews. In fact, from Gilbert's atlas, it is obvious that the Jews suffered from pagans long before Christianity.
A good place to start, but not entirely accurate.......2003-04-16
I enjoy the way that Gilbert chronicles Jewish history through maps. I found at least one error in his maps, however -- and one of the more recent maps at that -- which makes me question the accuracy of the entire work. The 1947 Partition Plan Map of Palestine, partitioning Palestine into 2 separate countries -- a Jewish state (Israel) and an Arab state (Palestine) -- is blatantly incorrect. While Beersheva is part of present-day Israel, it is improperly reported to be part of the Jewish partition in this book. In fact, all of the area surrounding Beersheva was part of the Arab partition in the UN Resolution. Similarly, the Arabs were also given a larger chunk in Gaza than what is depicted here. Martin seems to take the outcome of the Arab war -- what Jordan and Egypt were able to wrest and occupy (and incidentally, not give to the Palestinians) -- essentially though not exactly the Green Line map of 1949 -- and represent that land as what was suggested in the UN Partition Plan. In my view, this is a serious shortcoming, especially in light of the events surrounding the present peace process and the history leading up to it.
Excellent work.......2000-06-15
The author of this book chronicles and displays the Jewish history beautifully in this atlas.
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- The Atlas offers a pragmatic snapshot of the world
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World Bank Atlas 2003 (World Bank Atlas)
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Introduction: Global Studies and Methodological Adjustments
ASIN: 0821354256 |
Book Description
The World Bank Atlas 2003 provides easy-to-read, colorful world maps, tables, and graphs highlighting key social, economic, and environmental data for 206 countries.
Drawing on data from World Development Indicators, the World Bank's respected annual compilation of development data, the Atlas brings to life cross-country comparisons of social indicators like life expectancy, infant mortality, safe water, population below the poverty line, girls in school, energy efficiency, and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as basic economic indicators like income growth, income per person, private capital and aid flows.
Sample maps in this year's expanded edition include:
The World's Growing Population
Rich and Poor
Demands on the world's environment are increasing
Challenge for the 21st Century: The Millennium Development Goals
Gender and development
Global Killers: HIV/AIDS and other diseases
Education: Opening Doors
Changing patterns of growth
Decreasing barriers to trade
Partnership for development
Ideal for use in the classroom or as a reference, The World Bank Atlas is a vivid illustration of the key development challenges in the world today.
Customer Reviews:
The Atlas offers a pragmatic snapshot of the world.......2005-12-01
Traveling through the world as I do ( I work with a humanitarian medical organization) I am always on the lookout for information that can provide me with a better understanding of our shrinking world. The World Bank Atlas does just that. The data used is from 2003/2004 sources and vividly parses the world socially (including health), economically, and environmentally. All of the fifty, 11x8.5" pages have excellent color maps and graphics.
If anything, the Atlas packs in too much, in too few pages. Thus, there are concepts that beg a fuller explanation. The Atlas would be greatly improved if it included website references that corresponded with the maps, tables and graphs. For example, "A Thirsty Planet Gets Thirstier", and its maps on world water use, could be used as a launching point to gather more information via the web if the Atlas offered a few, select website addresses; maybe in the next edition.
The Atlas offers a pragmatic snapshot of the growing imbalances in the world. To think that in a span of fifteen years, 2000-2015, humanity will have added another billion people to our globe (7 billion) is more than provocative. Sadly, in our world, the 80/20 rule still applies: 80% of the population struggle to live on 20% of the world's GDP. This atlas is a "must have" for anyone that is seriously engaged in understanding and working towards the well being of our growing planet. Strongly recommended.. 4 stars.
Book Description
This full-color atlas provides easy-to-read world maps, tables, and graphs highlighting key social, economic, and environmental data for 210 economies. This year's atlas has been updated and improved with new material taken from World Development Indicators. Text, maps, and references appear in English, French, and Spanish.
Download Description
The World Bank Atlas is changing its publication cycle. Beginning in 2004, the World Bank Atlas will publish in September each year. The World Bank Atlas (36th edition) is the edition following the World Bank Atlas 2003. The World Bank Atlas (36th edition) vividly illustrates the key development challenges in the world today. It provides easy-to read, colorful world maps, tables, and graphs highlighting key social, economic, and environmental data for 208 countries. Drawing on data from World Development Indicators, the Atlas brings to life cross-country comparisons of social indicators like life expectancy, infant mortality, safe water, population below the poverty line and energy efficiency, as well as basic economic indicators like income growth, income per person, private capital and aid flows.
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Landsat Index Atlas (World Bank)
World Bank
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Policy & Current Events
| Popular Economics
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Development & Growth
| Economics
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Economic Policy & Development
| Economics
| Business & Investing
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ASIN: 0801819237 |
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