Book Description

One Sunday evening in the spring of his seventh year as king, as his musicians were gathering for the evening concert, a courtier brought Frederick the Great his usual list of arrivals at the town gate. As he looked down the list of names, he gave a start.

"Gentlemen," he said, "old Bach is here." Those who heard him said there was "a kind of agitation" in his voice.

So begins James R. Gaines's Evening in the Palace of Reason, setting up what seems to be the ultimate mismatch: a young, glamorously triumphant warrior-king, heralded by Voltaire as the very It Boy of the Enlightenment, pitted against a devout, bad-tempered composer of "outdated" music, a scorned genius in his last years, symbol of a bygone world. The sparks from their brief conflict illuminate a pivotal moment in history.

Behind the pomp and flash, Prussia's Frederick the Great was a tormented man. His father, Frederick William I, was most likely mad; he had been known to chase frightened subjects down the street, brandishing a cane and roaring, "Love me, scum!" Frederick adored playing his flute as much as his father despised him for it, and he was beaten mercilessly for this and other perceived flaws. After an unsuccessful attempt to escape, Frederick was forced to watch as his best friend and coconspirator was brutally executed.

Twenty years later, Frederick's personality having congealed into a love of war and a taste for manhandling the great and near-great, he worked hard and long to draw "old Bach" into his celebrity menagerie. He was aided by the composer's own son, C. P. E. Bach, chief keyboardist in the king's private chamber music group. The king had prepared a cruel practical joke for his honored guest, asking him to improvise a six-part fugue on a theme so fiendishly difficult some believe only Bach's son could have devised it. Bach left the court fuming. In a fever of composition, he used the coded, alchemical language of counterpoint to write A Musical Offering in response. A stirring declaration of everything Bach had stood for all his life, it represented "as stark a rebuke of his beliefs and worldview as an absolute monarch has ever received." It is also one of the great works of art in the history of music.

Set at the tipping point between the ancient and the modern world, the triumphant story of Bach's victory expands to take in the tumult of the eighteenth century: the legacy of the Reformation, wars and conquest, and the birth of the Enlightenment. Most important, it tells the story of that historic moment when Belief -- the quintessentially human conviction that behind mundane appearances lies something mysterious and awesome -- came face to face with the cold certainty of Reason. Brimming with originality and wit, Evening in the Palace of Reason is history of the best kind, intimate in scale and broad in its vision.

Reviews (3)

Fascinating!
This book begins and ends with the challenge issued by Frederick the Great of Prussia to Johann Sebastian Bach:a 21-note theme designed to resist having the rules of counterpoint applied to it.Bach was to improvise a three-part fugue on the theme.When he accomplished this to the astonishment of all gathered, Frederick upped the ante:make it six-part.Well, that took a little longer -- two weeks -- and became the Musical Offering, a thirteen-movement rebuke-in-music to the king.

The book probes deeply into the events leading to the challenge.Bach, to the author Gaines, represents the Age of Faith, while Frederick represents the Age of Reason.We learn all about the history behind these two ways of thinking about the world as well as each man's individual history.

Besides being a book about Bach and about Frederick, this book delves into the structure of Bach's music and what he was trying to say with it.It also explores the history of the Germanic states around the time of Frederick.Toss in the influence of the church, philosophers of the time, scientists, thinkers, and musicians (including Bach's sons), and you have a rich story that goes beyond music, or rather, one that infuses music into every aspect of the universe (indeed, one of the theories of Bach's time was that the universe resonated with a perfect harmony).

It's a book about the clash between two men who represented two different worlds, but it's so much more than that.It's easy to read, impeccably researched, and even witty, and touched on so many topics -- religious, geopolitical, philosophical, as well as musical -- that I couldn't imagine just one book covering.

I'm a musician myself (though somewhat of a hack).I've played some of Bach's pieces, but never really appreciated what he was trying to say in them.I'm looking forward to approaching them again with this new information.My personal recording collection doesn't currently contain much Bach, but with the selective discography at the back of this book, you can bet that'll be changing!

I've also visited Sanssouci (Frederick's palace in Potsdam, which is just as over-the-top as the book describes).Should I ever find myself back there, I'll certainly see it from a more "enlightened" viewpoint.

The Revenge of Genius
"Evening in the Palace of Reason" explores Bach's Musical Offering in incredible depth.What brought forth Bach's "Offering" of such unimaginable complexity?An annoyed genius--you just have to love that.For years I have read biography after biography (with one sterling exception--see my early reviews) that portray Bach as a kind of small town savant who was later and fortunately "discovered."Oh, so far from the truth...

Mr. Gaines reminds us that Bach was at the very center of his world--that Bach embodied the ideals of the Baroque.For this reason the juxtaposition of Bach and Frederick the Great is an excellent vehicle for demonstrating the ideas that were the power behind Bach's transcendent music.The reader is shown that Bach was no less a King in his own fashion than was Frederick--instead of armies to project power, Bach had an absolute mastery of musical art that despite the passage of 250 years still speaks to billions of people.What this book convincingly argues is that Bach was quite aware of his power and the supremacy of his beliefs and that he used the Offering to send a message.

In visiting Frederick's palace, Bach not only accepted the challenge he knew was coming but he so conquered the rigged game that the other side figuratively left and went home.I had no idea how messed up King Frederick really was, even if he could play a passable flute--this is the kind of "x-files" history that puts the great ideas of history in context and is fun to read.

In reviewing the aged Bach's life, Mr. Gaines leads one to consider the loneliness of a man who knew that he could speak a language of eternal beauty that few people had the patience to hear.We all know that Bach had a temper and demanded excellence from students and justice from his employers; however, in reading this book we are introduced to the mature Bach so confident in his power that he delivered a clear rebuke to a King.

Mr. Gaines makes a compelling argument that perhaps our culture could stand to return to those absolute truths that so moved Bach.That constraint and limitations can bring forth sublime creations denied to those who throw off the perceived shackles of convention.Highly recommended and a must-read for any disciple of Bach.

Wonderful, wonderful book
I have been playing Bach all my life, I have read everything about him, and I have never come across a book that brought him so vividly alive. I honestly never knew who he was before this book. I never quite understood the forces that motivated him, how and why his music could be as moving as it is, how he could have maintained such integrity in such adverse circumstances (his own sons were against him!), why he was so dismissed during his life. Now I understand that, and a great deal more. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It changed my view of Bach and in a way my view of why the world we live in is the way it is. ... Read more

Book Description

Education, like electricity, needs a conduit, a teacher, through which to transmit its power-- i.e., the discovery and continuity of information, knowledge, wisdom, experience, and culture.Through the stories and experiences of eight successful teacher-transmitters, The Dreamkeepers keeps hope alive for educating young African Americans.

--ReverAnd Jesse L. Jackson, president and founder, National Rainbow Coalition

In this beautifully written book Ladson-Billings illustrates the inspiring influence of a select group of teachers who keep the dreams alive for African American students.

?Henry M. Levin, David Jacks professor of Higher Education, Stanford University

Ladson-Billing's portraits, interwoven with personal reflections, challenge readers to envision intellectually rigorous and culturally relevant classrooms that have the power to improve the lives of not just African American students but all children.

... Read more

Reviews (27)

Excellent, easy reading and cultural relevant
Ladson-Billings, wrote an extraordinary book on African American students and the struggles they face trying to receive an education equal to that of other races. She took a look into the classrooms of eight teachers who perhaps had different teaching styles, but all had one common goal to provide an education for all students. She wrote this book from an author, a student, a teacher,and a parent's prospective. She included such issues as being a cultural relevant teacher. Being a teacher who doesn't mind accomodating and adapting to the needs of her students. She also addressed the issue of teachers who were assimilators. If you have any plans or desires to teach, this is a must read book. This book was enjoyable, easy to read, and cultural relevant.

College Student
I am a college student majoring in Education and I had to read this book for my Education class. I really enjoyed the book. It provided excellent examples of how culturally relevant teaching can help African American students.I would suggest that all teachers, student teachers, and parents of African American children read this book. The book explain prospects for improving the academic performance and school experience for students.The book not only stated facts; but also gave examples of how to be successful in your teaching.This book will be a good reference book for anyone interested in educating African American children.

Dated, weak on causes and solutions of achievement gap
Gloria Ladson-Billings needs to read No Excuses, Closing the Racial Gap in Learning by Abigail and Stephan Thernstrom. Ladson-Billings' book, Dreamkeepers, is lacking profound impact to the way we think about education and the problems faced in meeting the problems of the minority population of African-Ameican students. It is missing sufficient, current research to support causes and solutions to the achievement gap between African-American students and all other students. Frank, honest dialogue is needed to change the outcomes of the black population. Her book is just more lip service to examples of good teaching that are obvious to most educators. It is neither helpful nor thought-provoking.

subtle racism
During the past 40 some years the white race in America has been blamed for societies wrongs. Even whites who have never committed an act of overt or covert racism are a part of the problem; in fact as critical race theory goes the concept of a white Race must be abolished. Feeding on the notion that minorities cant be racist she gleefully states that skin only matters when your black. Somehow black skin has made students and their black teachers into models of openess, kindness, consideration and co-peration (has she visted the D.C schools lately?)....To prove her point that women, esp black feminists, are the only true models of caring. In her so called research she describes 3 (CARING) and experienced female teachers with a young white (boo, hiss) male. Of course the white guy can't win, but not because he is inexperienced, but because he is a white male who uses objective reasoning while the women use the far superior expressive approach (ok chillrenn who can say MF 30 tmes and then divide it by 5?)...This ain't research it's social engineering with an agenda..The same feel good agenda that tells black children that their Egyptian ancestors (not) helped to build the pyramids or that they are decendants of kings and queens....the author's appproach is not differant than that of the slave masters of long ago.

Dream On
Another book of wishfull thinking and reflective racism all written under the guise of acadamia. The author begins her premise by stating that when she was in school that she could not keep up with white studens because of their competitiveness (read:bad white kids, bad bad)while she had come from an idealic afrocentric school where children learned and produced together (can anyone say Neo-Marxism)...
The majority of her book follows in typical order; Ladson claims that black children make up a unique cultural group whose very presence requirers that we all change our particular world views to fit theirs whether it may be destructive or not.
Ladson's main emphasis is on what she calls Culturally Relevant Teaching; ie., both color and culture do matter. Yet those who supposedly teach that way are just modeling a generic respectfull ethos and not a particular cultural standard as Ladson wants us to believe.
Only in the appendix of the book do we really understand the authors agenda. Guess what? all bad things lead to the white man!!!...Ladson lauds black feminists as "having developed an ethic of caring suggesting that personal emotions, expressiveness and empathy are central to knowledge (read black knowledge) and only black women have this....as for the white male he is dispassionate and objective!! nuff said!!!! ... Read more

Book Description

This is a new edition of The American Practical Navigator, "Bowditch," offered by Celestaire and Paradise Cay Publications. This new edition is the most recent update of Bowditch, the definitive work on navigation.

Nathanial Bowditch first published this encyclopedic work in 1802. During the last two centuries over 75 editions, almost 1,000,000 copies, of Bowditch have been published by the US Government. It has lived because it has combined the best technologies of each generation of navigator. This new Bicentennial Edition includes the latest advances in electronic navigation and digital charting technology. It also covers nonelectronic navigation such as celestial, plotting and dead reckoning. Bowditch contains numerous tables which have been valued for years by practicing navigators.

Bowditch is carried on the bridge of every U.S. Navy ship and should be the mainstay of any serious navigator’s library. Paradise Cay and Celestaire’s commercial edition of Bowditch is a complete copy of the latest Government edition. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Best overall nautical reference book ever written
If you could have only 2 books onboard your ship, this should be one of them. (The other, of course, would be a current Nautical Almanac.)

DO NOT PAY THIS PRICE!
This is a government press. and I believe it may even be against the law to charge more than twent percent of cost. I am a graduate from a merchant marine academy and was required to buy these books. EXECELLENT book however. There is a new volume (combined)and it is not as good as the two seperate volumes.

King of navigation
Although it appears intimidating, it's actually quite readable. It happens also to be the very pinnacle of all marine navigation guides; all others refer to it and every navigator/pilot should own a copy.

But (a) it's enormous in both physical volume and weight and (b) it does get updated. What to do? ...

A search on "nga bowditch" will provide you with the current pdf version, chapter by chapter on the web.

an essential text, but don't waste your money
unless you want the book so it'll look cool on your bookshelf, don't waste the money to buy it. it's available for free download in pdf format from NIMA, along with several other publications.

Free online version available
Great classic book! Even if you hardly read it this can be a good book for your personal nautical library. However, if you just want to get some technical knowledge from the book free on-line version in pdf format is available at http://pollux.nss.nima.mil/pubs/ ... Read more

Book Description

With nearly a million copies sold over five editions, America: A Narrative History is distinguished by its clear, colorful narrative and balanced incorporation of political history with social, cultural, and economic events. Retaining these classic strengths, the Sixth Edition introduces a new theme—the role of work in American life—and explores its social, political, and cultural dimensions. With an updated ancillary package that includes the new Norton Map Workbook in American History, America remains a superb choice for the US history survey. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Malcolm X's searing memoir belongs on the small shelf of great autobiographies. The reasons are many: the blistering honesty with which he recounts his transformation from a bitter, self-destructive petty criminal into an articulate political activist, the continued relevance of his militant analysis of white racism, and his emphasis on self-respect and self-help for African Americans. And there's the vividness with which he depicts black popular culture--try as he might to criticize those lindy hops at Boston's Roseland dance hall from the perspective of his Muslim faith, he can't help but make them sound pretty wonderful. These are but a few examples. The Autobiography of Malcolm X limns an archetypal journey from ignorance and despair to knowledge and spiritual awakening. When Malcolm tells coauthor Alex Haley, "People don't realize how a man's whole life can be changed by one book," he voices the central belief underpinning every attempt to set down a personal story as an example for others. Although many believe his ethic was directly opposed to Martin Luther King Jr.'s during the civil rights struggle of the '60s, the two were not so different. Malcolm may have displayed a most un-Christian distaste for loving his enemies, but he understood with King that love of God and love of self are the necessary first steps on the road to freedom. --Wendy Smith ... Read more

Reviews (214)

Forget all the Minuses About the Man
Growing up in a home where Martin Luther King, Jr. was considered the closest thing to a saint, I was not aware of much about Malcolm X. He was the ONE who was too radical, too opinionated, and too controversial for my parents to accept.

However, when I saw Spike Lee's masterful motion picture autobiography, I had to find out more about this man. I was led to read the life story in his own words and am I glad that I did.

Malcolm X was an individual who encompassed the rage and the determination of the black man of the 1960's. He began, as have so many struggling to survive in the inner city, as a hustler involved in the numbers game. This led to an incareration which brought him into the "light" of Islam.

His views changed and he spearheaded much of that movement designed to faciliate black economic survival and pride. He was misquoted, misunderstood, and underappreciated by the very people that he sought to uplift.

The book will bring the reader greater insight into this most complex human being. Previous biases about him should be placed aside and take him for what he was: a Black man with a mission, a mission to instill integrity and self-sufficiency in a people long denied many of America's basic principles.

Do NOT underestimate X
Knowing Malcolm X for a colored person is a prerequisite to being socially aware. Time Magazine calls this one of the top ten non-fictions ever. The reasons are clear. This is the most comprehensive, dauntingly honest, transcending account of X. No one energized the colored community with such "self respect" on a mass-level as Brother Malcolm. Malcolm X's charismatic influence as a genuinely intellectual, and intensely thought-provoking leader remains unmatched. The greatest aspect of Malcolm X was his committment to his very own thoughts and thus, speaking his mind. He didn't necessarily say what America's majority wanted to hear. That is why he was so phenomenal, so radical, so involving. His teachings on self-defense, "freedom by any means necessary", true Islam (after the Mecca trip); his urgency in creating forums for colored people, oppressed people world-wide; and his logical prioritizing of human rights before civil rights, are evidential of his deep/complex understanding of race and human nature. The latest version of the book includes a very special message by X's eldest daughter, A. Shabazz. She gives a personal insight into her father's life, goals, and philosophies. But most importantly, she clarifies the misconceptions surrounding X. "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" is top-notch. Frantz Fanon's scholarly writing, "The Wretched of the Earth" probably comes second.

This is incredible.
I have only one thing to say about this book: Wow, what an amazing life-story. Anyone who reads this book will be changed in some way. Buy it.

A story about the life a great man and his important life.
a very interesting story about a man's life. The book is written beautifully by Alex Haley as he tells about malcolm's life which is educational and inspiring. This is a recommeded read for people of all races. you will never regret spending money and time on this book.

English 230
So... did these Chicago students have to submit their book reviews to amazon.com as one of their class requirements, or what? ... Read more

Book Description

Amazon.com

The World's Religions, by Huston Smith, has been a standard introduction to its eponymous subject since its first publication in 1958. Smith writes humbly, forswearing judgment on the validity of world religions. His introduction asks, "How does it all sound from above? Like bedlam, or do the strains blend in strange, ethereal harmony? ... We cannot know. All we can do is try to listen carefully and with full attention to each voice in turn as it addresses the divine. Such listening defines the purpose of this book." His criteria for inclusion and analysis of religions in this book are "relevance to the modern mind" and "universality," and his interest in each religion is more concerned with its principles than its context. Therefore, he avoids cataloging the horrors and crimes of which religions have been accused, and he attempts to show each "at their best." Yet The World's Religions is no pollyannaish romp: "It is about religion alive," Huston writes. "It calls the soul to the highest adventure it can undertake, a proposed journey across the jungles, peaks, and deserts of the human spirit. The call is to confront reality." And by translating the voices of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Confucianism, Christianity, and Judaism, among others, Smith has amplified the divine call for generations of readers. --Michael Joseph Gross ... Read more

Reviews (64)

An Extraordinary Contribution to Our Understanding
The reviewer from Pendleton, NY, who wrote "What was He Thinking?," on April 2, 2004, simply misread the text. Admittedly, Smith's style is rather archaic at times; but it is always lucid English. Smith says in his examination of Judaism, regarding the biblical teaching on "sin" as missing the mark, "and this [missing the mark] people manage to do. Meant to be noble, they [human beings] are usually something less." Smith is not referring to a religion or ethnic community, but is supporting the biblical claim regarding the human condition. He continues, "Created more than animal, they [human beings] often sink to being nothing else." Both of the plural pronouns refer to human beings. While I appreciate the review, "Slight misquote supports biased review?," of April 15, 2004, it must be said that the problem for the earlier reviewer was not a mere "misquote," but a severe misunderstanding, and a rather silly one at that. Our debt to Huston Smith for the brilliant contribution he has made to our understanding of the world's great religious traditions is large. If you do not yet own this book, you should buy it now and read it again and again.

Philosophy of Religion
Huston Smith's _The World's Religions_ surveys the major world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and primal religions. Instead of focusing on the details of the history and rituals of those religions, he examines their underlying philosophical claims (metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical). Because Smith is so enamored of religion, the dubious and pernicious premises are laid bare, with little or no attempt at rationalization. In addition, he focuses on the ideas that unite the various sects of a religion, rather than divide them. (Thus, in Christianity, only Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism are differentiated and discussed.) The only major failing of the book, in my opinion, is Smith's bias towards monotheism, such that all religions are interpreted as monotheistic in some significant sense. Finally, I should note that the book is a bit too easy, truly written for the average reader, rather than the intelligent or well-read one.

The Best.
This book is a classic and undoubtedly the best place to start for anyone wanting to learn more about the world's great religious traditions. Huston Smith gets to the heart of each faith like no one else can. He lives his own life within the Christian tradition and Methodist Church, but his soul is universal and belongs to the wisdom of all traditions. Read this book and sit at the feet of a true master!

Excellent book
One of the best books to start exploring the main religions in our world. Well-balanced description between historic events that fostered the creation of each religion and the wisdom-rational that each one of them heralds. Ignorance is the fuel that propels fundamentalism and narrow-mindeness. This book is a great contribution to a more open and tolerant environment in our already tubulent world.

Reader from Pendleton Took Passage Out of Context
I urge the Reader from Pendleton to re-read page 281. The "they" that Smith refers to is humankind. Here's the paragraph in its entirety:

"In speaking of the realism of the Jewish view of human nature we have thus far emphasized its recognition of physical limitations: weakness, susceptibility to pain, life's brevity. We shall not have plumbed the full scope of its realism, however, until we add that they saw the basic human limitation as moral rather than physical. Human beings are not only frail; they are sinners: "I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me" (Psalm 51:5). It is totally false to claim this verse for the defense of either the doctrine of total human depravity or the notion that sex is evil. These are both imported notions that have nothing to do with Judaism. The verse does, however, contribute something of great importance to Jewish anthropology. The word sin comes from a root meaning "to miss the mark," and this people (despite their high origin) manage to continually do. Meant to be noble, they are usually something less; meant to be generous, they withhold from others. Created more than animal, they often sink to being nothing else."

Smith's awkwardly-worded "and this people (despite their high origin) manage to continually do" may have caused the confusion. When he says "this" he is talking about "sin" as a verb. It may have been better constructed as "The word sin comes from a root meaning "to miss the mark," and sin is what people manage to continually do (despite their high origin)." He is referring to all people, not just Jews. Smith is no anti-Semite and his respect for Judaism and the Jews should be apparent to anyone who reads Chapter VII. ... Read more

Book Description

Examines all the world's civilizations, including those in the Western tradition but also those civilizations sometimes neglected in world history texts.Maintaining a focus on social history explores gender, class, economic, and intellectual issues, while examining patterns of inequality and human agency throughout world history.Instructors of World Civilization surveys that prefer a global account of history. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Decent Read
I am currently taking AP World History and this is our assigned text.I am saddedened that this book does not contain, many facts, but it is great anaylsis wise.The in-depth sections are helpful, as are the online sorces, which I have used repeatedly.I do often say that I dislike this book, but please take into account that I have to take notes on it and I am lazy.But I do recommend this if one is looking for a very analyitical read.Also, I forgot to mention the fact that Mr. Stearns is very undecided when trying to make an agrument.Which can be good, but it is bad for those trying to write an essay. Again, I recommend this book

Serious Problems
I have this book for AP World history, and I have read Michael Adas' (one of the authors of the book) essay on the "new" world history.The "new" world history emphasizes analysis and comparison between different civilizations, unlike the "old" history which emphasizes comprehensiveness and rote.This book does indeed teach along the lines of the "new" history, and I appreciate that it does not tread into the Euro-centrism or exceptionalism of America that most World History books diverge into.

However, I have some serious problems with this book.While the authors analyze many aspects of each civilization, I find them to be excessively politically correct.And while I find the political correctness irritating, that is not my biggest problem with this book.

My biggest problem is that this textbook is laden with factual errors.After reading just two chapters, I found dozens of errors, especially in the chapter on the Aztecs.Therefore, I do not know whether I can rely on this book as a source of information.

I hope Stearns et al. fix their mistakes.It is important to look at history in an analytical way, but one cannot analyze incorrect facts.

The Best In Its Field
I've been reading and comparing a few global history texts, and this one is in another class.If you're wanting a chronological narrative treading the traditional origins, greek, egyptian, indus valley . . . pattern then this text will not please you.If you're after a well written and presented text combining a good synthesis of fact with thought provoking analysis then this IS for you!I can see perhaps why lecturers might go for other more factual texts if they want to look at the global past in different terms to this one, however I think they can't go wrong with the themes Stearns and co. explore.Its got that perfect balance of fact and analysis.The boxed features and lengthy document extracts fit in well, and the lists of sources are well worthwhile.
So yes, you WILL learn a lot from this book because instead of just providing a series of events, people, terms and dates to rote learn it will get you thinking about the themes of global history, and encourage you to compare, contrast and evaluate.Its also one of the few "World History" texts that isn't a Western Civilization history with a few extra chapters thrown in.It really looks at the whole world with a fresh view, including a variety of cultures and experiences.In the Classical era you'll recieve valuable insights into nomadic peoples, providing the opportunity to understand differing means of organising society and allowing worthwhile comparisons that actually enhance understanding the more well trodden ground of Greece, Rome etc.Other fascinating coverage in this vein includes chapters about migration and the spread of peoples (Africans, Slavs and Polynesians), a whole chapter on the Mongol empire and the independence and nationhood movements of Latin America.I reiterate that these other perspectives are introduced in a way which enhances the overall understanding of world history, and are certainly not arbitary "pc" insertions.The authors do not shirk from showing the rise of the west, and the positives and negatives of imperialism.However it also allows us to see the limitations, and non-inevitability of this rise.
If you insist on reading a solely factual survey text, Traditions and Encounters by Bentley and Ziegler will do a great job, however for any student or enthusiast of World History, this book will open your eyes to new perspectives and really encourage you to engage your braincells!

The most comprehensive book regarding the entire world
While some may at first find this book to be daughting, or even uninformative, they would be surprised to learn that what the book presents is one of the most unbiased accounts of World History. As a student who was taught AP World History, I found the book to be incredible. Along with incredibly factual passages, the book also includes primary sources to aid learning. In additon, the book is completely unbiased; spending as much time if not more on African, Asian, and Western roots as it does on Rome, Egypt, or the Greeks. Also, the book spends extraordinay amounts of time discussing ALL of the civilizations of the world, not just the cut and dry topics that were explored in the years before. Despite what the other reviewer has said, this book is the most incredible source of history I have ever read, and should be standard in schools around the country.Regarding the expense, with a source as good as this, the cost is minimal. I found the book so helpful I actually purchased my own copy after I finished the cource.

If you want to learn something, get another book.
.
Some books give lots of facts and dates, others concentrate on opinion and discussion. This one does neither:little factual information, plenty of opinion, but leaning over backwards so far to avoid being controversial that you won't learn much.

Also bear in mind that this book is not designed to be read;it's a class book with "thought provoking" questions at the end of each chapter of the type "What do you think of....?". Another way for the author to stay non-committal.

Finally, it's expensive. ... Read more

Book Description

In the mid-1800s, a French political scientist named Alexis de Tocqueville came to the United States to appraise the meaning and functioning of democracy. This extraordinary book, written as a result of his visit, contains his comments and criticisms-many of which are still vital in today's world-and is a must-read for anyone interested in American politics. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Every literate American should read this
The specific edition I am reviewing is the Heffner addition which is a 300 page abridgement. I also own an unabridged edition but I have only read Heffner cover to cover. What is amazing about de Toqueville is how uncanny many of his observations are over a century and a half later. He accurately predicted in 1844 that the world's two great powers would be the United States and Russia. He aptly pointed out that Americans are a people who join associations and he is so right 156 years later. Although there are both religious extremists on both ends, ie fundamentalists and atheists, he was dead on that, as a whole, we are a religious society but that our religious views are moderate. De Toqueville shows how American characteristics evolved from democracy as opposed to the highly class structered societies of Europe. From de Tocqueville, it could have been predicted that pop culture, such as rock music etc, would develop in America because the lack of an aristocracy causes a less cultured taste in the arts. In a thousand and one different ways, I found myself marveling at how dead on de Toqueville was. Most controversially, those who argue that we have lost our liberties to a welfare state might well find support in de Toqueville. Here, 100 years before the New Deal, he forsaw that a strong central government would take away our liberties but in a manner much more benign than in a totalitarian government. There are certain liberties that Americans would willingly sacrifice for the common good. Critics of 20th century liberalism in the US might well point to this as an uncanny observation. By reading "Democracy in America," the reader understands what makes Americans tick. De Toquville was an astute observer of who we are as a people and should be read by all educated Americans.

I want to note that there are several editions of this great work and in deciding which to buy, be aware that each has a different translator. I feel Heffner's translation is slightly stilted but, he did such a wonderful job in editing this abridgement that it, nontheless, deserves 5 stars.

Astute Observer of America
De Tocqueville was simply of one of the great social scientists writing about America and Democracy. From reading the book I deduced that De Tocqueville was a social scientist before Marx! He compares European culture and government with the fledgling culture and democracy he observes in America. He is very much impressed with what he sees taking place in America in the 1830's and hopes it will spread to Europe. He at first believed that America's prosperity was simply due to geography and their distance from powerful neighbors, he abandons this idea after his visit to America. He comes to realize that the West is not being peopled "by new European immigrants to America, but by Americans who he believes have no adversity to taking risks". De Tocqueville comes to see that Americans are the most broadly educated and politically advanced people in the world and one of the reasons for the success of our form of government. He also foretells America's industrial preeminence and strength through the unfettered spread of ideas and human industry.

De Tocqueville also saw the insidious damage that the institution of slavery was causing the country and predicted some 30 years before the Civil War that slavery would probable cause the states to fragment from the union. He also the emergence of stronger states rights over the power of the federal government. He held fast to his belief that the greatest danger to democracy was the trend toward the concentration of power by the federal government. He predicted wrongly that the union would probably break up into 2 or 3 countries because of regional interests and differences. This idea is the only one about America that he gets wrong. Despite some of his misgivings, De Tocqueville, saw that democracy is an "inescapable development" of the modern world. The arguments in the "Federalist Papers" were greater than most people realized. He saw a social revolution coming that continues throughout the world today.

De Tocqueville realizes at the very beginning of the "industrial revolution" how industry, centralization and democracy strengthened each other and moved forward together. I am convinced that De Tocqueville is still the preeminent observer of America but is also the father of social science. As a retired Army officer and political philosopher, I found this book to be a must read for anyone interested in American history, political philosophy or the social sciences.

One of the best novels of the 19th century
This is one of the best novels of the 19th century. Most people do not recognize the significance of this book, however its relevance to modern literature cannot be emphasized more. Ironically, this book has apparently
gained quite a following among political scientists, historians, and pediatric endocrinologists, however this is only because of a misinterpretation. Many believe De Tocqueville to have been what he claims to have been, a gentleman, statesman, diplomat, and liaision for France to the United States. De Tocqueville was none of the above, in fact he was a petty criminal from Marseille who was arrested in 1832 for stealing horseshoes from a prominent businessman's steed. While in jail he was mixed up with political prisoners from a recent revolt and sent to Martinique to serve a sentance of 5 years hard labor. Unfortunately, De Tocqueville had a hot temper and allegedly killed an Arawak Indian in a fight, and being that this was the last known Arawak Indian on the island was sentanced to life in prison. It was here that he met a young Victor Hugo, a criminal justice student studying colonial jail system and theory, who De Tocqueville befriended. Hugo taught him to write, which Alexis did to pass the time and to allay his growing madness. Upon his death, guards found thousands of pages of text stuffed under his soiled mattress, some of which we now know to be Democracy In America. It was part of a larger epic about a French diplomat named Arnaud Venilas who wrote political treatises and sold them to British merchants to feed his opium addiction.
I wholeheartedly disagree with the modern interpretation of this work and hope that eventually this mini story will be put back into the Venilas context as De Tocqueville had originally intended.

Why America is so a successfull country.
Democracy in America" , in the abridged version of the quite voluminous full work which totals something like 2.000 pages of texts, is worthy all the money the reader spent in search of a good content and which fully conveys the inteligent writting style and the penetrating innovative ideas of one of the most brilliant thinkers of all times, the superbly bright French nobleman , Alexis de Tocqueville, a household name in America's schools. I would be at a loss if I had to name the area of knowledge where the author impresses me most: as an historian?, as a sociologist? as an economist? as an anthropologist or a philosopher? In all of these fields of knowledge his approach is innovative, his style vivid, and his ideas spring from the seemingly endless source of his mental apparatus, certainly one of the best of his time. Getting in first contact with such a cornucopia of new ideas and thoughts is very estimulating, specially if one has in mind that Alexis' work is not a panegeric of his condition of nobleman(after the French Revolution). Quite to the contrary, his open mindedness is revealed in the futurity he ascertains to the United States as the new economic and social power of the world, leaving behind all the decadent fashion and way of style of ancient nobility, English or French. All this in the 1830's!!! He analyses the formative concepts of the social and economic life in the States and many of the concepts and aspects of day-to-day life of Americans are to be found even nowadays, there cemented in the social and economic life of that country. The reader , even in this abridged edition, which very adequately compacts the two voluminous full editions, will be at in a very gainfull position to get in contact with one of the most important thinkers who has given its precious mind to study what is behind the success of the United States as a nation. As a minor flip-side the book, in a very poor paperback edition, is very difficult to handle phisically and to peruse. But, as a bottom-line, the book is so good that I will order the unabridged version to read it in totum.

timeless reference
While American democracy has changed significantly over the past couple centuries since de Toqueville wrote this, his chapters on citizenship and governance are still a must-read for anyone interested in the workings of democratic government. His insight was exceptional, so like Shakespeare, much of this work is a timeless analysis of human nature. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

From the Beginnings to 1500, Chapters 1-22This groundbreaking world history text has, in its first edition, become a market leader by offering a fresh, global perspective on the past.The text is unique in approach; covering the world as a whole, examining the formations and development of the world’s major societies (“traditions”), and also systematically exploring cross-cultural interactions and exchanges that have been some of the most effective agents of change in all of world history (“encounters”). In addition, the authors have taken great care in constructing a coherent vision of the past that is not weighed down by a mass of detail, thus enabling instructors to incorporate additional readings of their choosing. Finally the text emphasizes that historical processes work themselves out through the lives and experiences of individual human beings, opening each chapter with an account of individual experiences that illuminate themes in that chapter.The second edition includes scholarship updates throughout and revisions to organization and content. ... Read more

Book Description

Amazon.com

"Racism," Charles Barkley says, "is the biggest cancer of my lifetime. And I know I can't cure the cancer, but doesn't somebody have to attack it?" Barkley's means of attack in Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man?--not surprising from one of the most outspoken athletes of our time--is to break past the taboo of race by talking about it in the open. What might be surprising is that Barkley steps aside and lets other people talk, too. While in his previous bestseller, I May Be Wrong but I Doubt It, the former NBA MVP and current TNT commentator held forth on a wide variety of subjects, for his new book he sought out a baker's dozen of leading figures in entertainment, business, and government (and yes, one athlete) and sat down with each for a frank conversation about race.

Of course race is not a simple topic, and each discussion heads in its own direction. Tiger Woods speaks both of his biracial identity and of how moving it was to see the black staff at Augusta National lined up to see him put on the green jacket as Masters champion. George Lopez talks about the pressures of creating a breakthrough Latino sitcom in an almost all-white industry. Film producer Peter Guber surprises Barkley when he says that he made The Color Purple out of economic self-interest, not idealism. Many of the discussions turn, like Guber's, not to traditional civil rights but to economics, which Rabbi Steven Leder calls the real "last taboo subject in America." It's clear that the audience Barkley most hopes to reach with this book is the young black men and women that he and many of his interview subjects are concerned about. "We're losing," activist Marian Wright Edelman tells him, "and if we don't stop this trend, we're going to be headed back to slavery." Barkley's celebrity subjects can provide some models for success for those readers, but one also hopes Barkley can continue the conversation by turning the spotlight on those struggling with the problems of race outside the sometimes protective glare of fame. --Tom Nissley

Who's Afraid of Talking to a Large Black Man?

Throughout his career, Charles Barkley has always been willing--quite willing--to call it as he sees it, making him one of the most quotable athletes of his era and, many have suggested, a future political candidate. He's as happy talking issues as talking hoops, and for his new book, Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man? he sat down for conversations across the country about the troublesome topic of race in America. We had our own conversation on the subject with Sir Charles: Read it to find why he wrote the book, what he tells his own biracial daughter about race, and why he thinks sports can be a model for race relations. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

This is not worth your time or $
I became interested in this book because I was watching David Letterman with Charles Barkley (CB) on it.CB said that the book was about getting kids off of the street, make them stop thinking about professional sports and rapping or acting and get them into college.

This book is not about that at all!I was trying to use this book for a class and paper, I hope my paper won't suck b/c I have to BS my whole paper since this book is worthless.I spent too much money on a piece of crap.

It has no point what so ever and it is all over the wall.There is no order.When CB is talking to someone...all he cares about is his opinion, not what they have to say.It is not in depth like CB proclaims it will be in the introduction.

If you want to read it, read it at Barnes & Noble or the library.Don't buy it.

A collection of interviews and random thoughts
I have always been a bit of a fan of Charles Barkley, both as a basketball player and a TV commentator for the NBA.The primary reason for that was that Charles always had something to say.He had some of the best interviews, and made controversial statements that added some much needed variety to the standard "we played hard" quotes most NBA players slogged through.

However, there is a big difference between "always having something to say" and "saying something". This book is a collection of interviews I presume to be on the subject of race.However, the questions and "conversations" between Charles and other celebrities like Tiger Woods, Ice Cube, Morgan Freeman and others are a bit too free flowing, and as a result if there is a greater point Charles is making with this book, after quickly reading it I have no idea what it is.

While the subject of race is an important one, you will not find much deep introspection or tackling of issues here.For a deep look on the subject of race in America check out books by Larry Elder for example.What you will find here is some interesting dialog between Charles and others.I'm not sure if that is worth buying a book for, but it is easy to read and interesting, in a "People" magazine kind of way.Morgan Freeman comes off as the star of this book, and if you want to see the views of someone who seems to be quite grounded in reality, and a genuinely solid guy, check out his interview.As for Charles, let's just say he always has something to say, and leave it at that.

A good book to just read!
OK, I understand that some look at this as some celebrity interview book, but I see it as more. Sir Charles is always himself and his opinions are well stated. I happen to agree with a lot of what this book has to say. It has a pop culture edge but that is ok. Does everything have to be academic? It is enjoyable and has a good heart.

Teach Children About Real Life Not About Celebrity Lives!
Don't waste your time in reading this book. There is no information in there that can help anyone that is struggling but a bunch of people talking about life as if they know what real life is all about. I have nothing against Mr. Charles Barkley, a very controversial person, but America has got to wake up and realize that `so call celebrities' often end in up in Mr. Barkley's position when their incomes seem to be disappearing. When Charles was making much more money than he is now, he had no interest in helping vulnerable children as he indicated in his interview with Tim Russett, aired on CNBC 2005. If he was so interested in writing this book for his daughter as he indicated, he would not be selling it to the public at large. In my opinion, which I am entitled to, this book is purely for profit and has nothing to do with helping poor children of America. This is a tactic used to get people to buy things that they are selling. Common sense cannot be bought nor can we learn it in school. Selling books to poor people is not going to stop poverty or segregation. Life skills will help people to make better decisions and create goals and in turn they will live different lives. Rich folks do not have the time to sit and read books about a set of people that many consider as being `nothing' or `losers'

Many poor people have contributed in helping rich folks achieve the success and the high horse that they are on. Without poor people buying their dumb books, seeing their stupid movies, and other inadequate products and entertainment they would not be anywhere. Poor people have the buying power but yet poor people continue to let a set of people that have money say bad and evil things about people and use them when they want more money. Many poor folks work hard but have no one to help them to the next level. The working poor go to work with the hopes of doing better each day. Young people go to school and when they get out they have no where to turn because they are not paid what they are worth. Listening to all the social problems that these celebrities create; sometimes I wonder who has ghetto mentality. Rich people are no better than anyone despite our income levels or education. Many rich folks do not have formal education. If we had any common sense we would know that money cannot buy happiness. When it comes right down to real life applications, celebrities should be the last that we should run to for help. Many of them can't seem to get their lives together regardless of the money that they have.

Let us take a look at Oprah for example: she has all the money in the world that she needs, not one kid to share it with, and a boyfriend at her age that she has supposedly broken up with her. How pathetic? Do we think that she is really happy? Honestly, no matter how many business transaction she is a part of, when it comes down to real life I truly believe that she is lonely inside.

It is other people's money, especially poor people that is the greater part of rich people's money since poor families are in great numbers than rich ones. Yet these are also the type of people that would purchase products from celebrities to feel that they are doing their part. In truth and reality, celebrities don't want anything to do with us, they see us as wallets and suckers. In the above mentioned interview, Charles rudely degraded people from Alabama in saying that they would want to borrow money from him. He is not the richest man in the world. Perhaps a few people have asked him for money in the past but that does not mean that everyone in that neck of the woods wants his money. He is not very articulate; he speaks off the top of his head and makes very rude comments about people. Is this the Big Black Man, a role model; that you are going to listen to. Take a step backward and evaluate things that this man has said and examine his beliefs.

Like many others, he is using celebrities to tell us what they think about life. Living a lifestyle with a lot of money is truly not authentic because just about 1% of the population is wealthy; the other 99% is the working poor. If Charles had taken the initiative to talk with real people that are struggling and get a better understand about real life then I feel that his book would be worth it.

He talked about feeling bad about being Black. Of course he does, he is right in the ring with those that choose to marry out of their race to the weaker race that hates his own people. He should be the last to talk about racism when he prefers to choose to marry into a race that cannot come to grips with Black America or what they call minorities. It is quite okay to shack-up with beautiful Black women but when it comes right down to having a family - many Big Black Men choose to let White America dictate their lives and how they spend their money. It is sickening to hear Charles talk about this book that was probably written by a ghost writer because his object is not to help anyone but his finance.

Charles, we have lived in this world for a long time and we know phonies when we see them. We are tired of letting `so called celebrities' try this number on us again and again. Be satisfied with the money that you make now Mr. Barkley. You cannot give a man a fish to make his life better, teach him how to fish. If anyone wants to learn more about life I suggest that they learn it from someone that has been through many different experiences, not the rich and the famous that create problems for themselves and are living off other people's money. Get your knowledge from someone who has been there and done that. Some celebrities will want you to believe that they have been through a lot (and some have) but now that they feel that they are making it they think that they are the superior race. Truthfully, if they had it rough when they were younger that was their parent's life and when you are younger you do not really know that you are poor - children don't think about their parent's situation because their brain is not developed to process that type of information. It is their parent's who indicate to them that they are poor.

Charles talks so much about education but once he made a statement in saying that he doesn't need to get a degree because he hires people that has degrees. If he valued education as much as he wants us to believe he would not make statements like that. People need to wake up and motivate themselves and stop looking at celebrities or anyone to be their role models. Everyone says that we can be anything that we want to be but who is willing to help - no one. Instead of helping, they prefer to get our monies to help themselves. People that claim that they truly want to help has special interest in writing books, etc. - for the money. In America it is known that in God we trust but the money first. We are tired of being cheated with our permission by those that have household names. If you truly want to help yourself, log unto this website:www.lifeskillsdoctor.com and purchase these life skills literature that is worth its money in knowledge.

Charles and many other celebrities don't have anything to offer to anyone. Interviewing a bunch of other people like himself is not going to help curtail the problems that America in general and not just Black America is experiencing. We often feel that people with household names have our backs but attempt to write to them and ask them to interview you for a job. You would never hear from them because they are always hiding from us. As Mr. Barkley said, he is afraid that people are going to ask him for money. We do not want another mockery in politics like Arnold Schwarzenegger. So I hope that when Mr. Barkley chooses to run for Governor, people will really think this true and vote for someone that can make a difference. We need real people with real life applications to get this world going in one direction. Education does not guarantee anything but with life skills including common sense we can help vulnerable children.

Would Charles Barkley be willing to use his own money to help children as he expressed? If he wanted to do so he would have done so a long time ago. Where is his money? He is now attempting to sell books to help fund his new project of helping children because he is not about to use his own. WAKE UP AMERICA AND SHOW THESE RICH FOLKS WHO REALLY HAVE POWER.Poor people have the say in who becomes rich. Let these people find real jobs and then they will truly see what real life is all about.

Get the information that you need at your fingertip about real life at www.lifeskillsdoctor.com.
Be true to yourself and don't let others take your money out of your pocket with your permission. Don't let celebrities use television to cry for help and use the money for different reasons. We have seen the situation with Martha Stewart - being greedy for money when she has more than she can handle. Charles Barkley talks about television contributing negative statements about Blacks when he in turn is using television to create self-income. Is that truly positive or is the glass half-empty or half-full. DON'T DO IT, don't let these people continue to work numbers on us. Help yourself by spending your money and supporting people that can truly him you!

Good luck America because it is not just about Black America. We once believed that a fool and his money will soon be parted but because of the way one set of people are making money it seems that the working poor are parting with their money even faster because of the way the world is with the division of the rich and the poor.

Fascinating Interviews: Little to do with Charles Barkley
In this book you really do not hear from Charles Barkley so much. When he writes it is very simple and to the point, with very little humor (which is what he is known for). It is fascinating to read opinions and personal stories from Bill Clinton, Tiger Woods, Obama, and many other famous peronalities on their ideas about race and other issues in America. This book has very little to do with Charles Barkley, and if I were to read it blindly I would have never guessed that he wrote it. This book has a great compilation of contributors and it is worth reading just to learn more about them alone. ... Read more

Book Description

PERSONALITIES AND PROBLEMS is intended as a brief and inexpensive supplementary text for the first half of the World civilizations course. This text is a collection of original essays profiling men and women who have had a significant impact on their own society and the world at large. The "personalities" range from Hammurabi to Chi Minh. Rather than being mere biographical sketches, the essays take a truly cross-cultural, interdisciplinary approach: each chapter discusses the lives of two historical figures (near contemporaries) whose careers illustrate different solutions to a common problem or issues. This comparative approach will find favor among World civilization professors who typically prefer to teach the course in this manner but who are restricted to using the available main texts which discuss different nations individually, in a piecemeal and unrelated fashion. This book, unlike other texts, ties the material together for students in a lively and accessible way. Beginning of the chapter questions help students identify the key problems or issues. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Well worth the price
I first read this magnificent tome on Russian history and culture in 1997. As it was part of a history class in college, the first read was a bit of a drag...page after page of description concerning the minutia of Russian life: clothes, churches, meals, religious & superstitious rituals, architecture, commerce, political strife, and so on. Really, with the whirl of the Social Circus of that college year, trudging through all this obscure information brought me no end of grief and silent lamentation! To think of all that time I could have been out with friends looking to score whatever cheap release was on hand or burning inside...spent instead sludging through *detailed history*!

Cut to four years later...

I'm going to Russia. In two weeks. Like so many other unplanned affairs that seem to formulate out of nowhere and take one by the lapels, shoving one screaming into the storm of life, this reviewer took it in stride and decided to find some quick-but-informative text on the destination in mind--especially one with such contradictory reports as Mother Russia. Thus, I dug this out of my library and began anew, stifling a faint unpleasant feeling no doubt inspired by those long sleepless college nights. There had to be some merit here, yes?

Oh yes.

'Land of the Firebird' is a WONDERFUL and ENGAGING in-depth look of Russian history from 987-1917, spanning the ascension of Vlad and the Orthodox Church to right before the Revolution. With colorful prose Suzanne Massie details the variety of Russian existence--tsars and serfs and merchant-princes and babushkas--no stone is left uncovered as she cross-references nearly a thousands years, writing with equal consideration of art, poetry, country-life, court-life, politics and its myriad games, myths and legends, influence "outside the sphere." It would be impossible to truly set down the full range of Russia experience for this time in the 450 pages allotted the reader, but the author does an admirable job in covering the major shakers and movers and events while sparing a considerable amount of print for the minor peoples and patterns that set the foundation of this ancient, troubled country. It certainly put an interesting light on what I saw come the spring of '01.

Indispensable for the casual student of Russia.

Priceless
I bought this book in the early 80's and absolutely loved it. I recommended it to friends who were going to spend a year in Russia. They took it with them and shared it with their Russian friends, who copied whole chapters by hand -- all the while bemoaning the loss of so much of their rich, pre-revolutionary culture.

AN ABSOLUTE TREASURE
Having read many books on Russian history, architecture, notable personalties and points of interest, I found this book to be invaluable. It is a must have if you're interested in Russian history, planning to travel there, or simply want to try to understand how a Russian thinks. Also has wonderful illustrations and photographs.

A "must" for all interested in Russian history & art.
For an interesing, riveting compilation of history combined with art, this book is unmatched in its ability to inform the reader without getting bogged down in excessive analysis and/or description of historical events. Ms. Massie also treats history and art as appendages of each other, and in a style as narratively friendly as her most popular book, Nicholas and Alexandra. It is a "must" in advance of a Russian tour, and a good one to have in one's personal reference library.

Best compilation of Russian History ever!
I love this book ... Read more

Book Description

This third volume in The Cambridge History of Japan is devoted to the three and a half centuries spanning the final decades of the twelfth century when the Kamakura bakufu was founded, to the mid-sixteenth century when civil wars raged following the effective demise of the Muromachi bakufu. Volume 3 contains thirteen specially commissioned essays written by leading Japanese and American scholars that survey the historical events and developments in medieval Japan's polity, economy, society, and culture, as well as its relations with its Asian neighbors.The essays reflect the most recent scholarly research on the history of this period.The volume creates a rich tapestry of the events that took place during these colorful centuries, when the warrior class ruled Japan, institutions underwent fundamental transformations, the economy grew steadily, and Japanese culture and society evolved with surprising vitality to leave legacies that still characterize and affect contemporary Japan. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Comprehensive and Scholarly Review of Medieval Japan
This is an outstanding work and provides both the lay reader and the scholar with a comprehensive discussion of Medieval Japan with all its complexities, richness, and fascinating detail. Understanding Japanese history is a challenge and this work provides an excellent and detailed background of the feudal period. ... Read more

Book Description

This provocative narrative history dramatically departs from the standard "rise of the West" storyline that has driven world historiography for a century. A stellar group of historians paint a decidedly different modern world history, one in which the rise of the West was not predetermined and where global integration has manifested itself in fits and starts rather than as a smooth process over the last seven centuries. This fresh interpretation, driven by powerful ideas and colorful stories, promises to engage readers for decades to come. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Try Harder
Not only does this provocative narrative dramatically depart from the admittedly tired "rise of the West" storyline - it departs from the purpose of an educational text altogether.The writing in this book is, in a word, pathetic; the authors don't even appear to have a grasp of how to construct a paragraph.The powerful ideas and the context-hungry hodge-podge of stories in this interpretation of the history of civilization since 1300 are skewed by the authors' blatant preoccupation with the cultural dis-integration of contemporary Globalism - to the point of affecting the architecture of the book itself.Readers who flee from the possibility of understanding anything will certainly be engaged by the colorful pictures in this book.The rest of you would do well to keep shopping. ... Read more

Book Description

Leap of Faith is the dramatic and inspiring story of an American woman's remarkable journey into the heart of a man and his nation.

Born into a distinguished Arab-American family and raised amid privilege, Lisa Halaby joined the first freshman class at Princeton to accept women, graduating in 1974 with a degree in architecture and urban planning. Two years later, while visiting her father in Jordan, she was casually introduced on the airport runway to King Hussein. Widely admired in the Arab world as a voice of moderation, and for his direct lineage to the prophet Muhammad, Hussein would soon become the world's most eligible bachelor after the tragic death of his wife. The next time they met, Hussein would fall headlong in love with the athletic, outspoken daughter of his longtime friend. After a whirlwind, secret courtship Lisa Halaby became Noor Al Hussein, Queen of Jordan.

With eloquence and candor, Queen Noor speaks of the obstacles she faced as a naive young bride in the royal court, of rebelling against the smothering embrace of security guards and palace life, and of her own successful struggle to create a working role as a humanitarian activist In a court that simply expected Noor to keep her husband happy. As she gradually took on the mantle of a queen, Noor's joys and challenges grew. After a heartbreaking miscarriage, she gave birth to four children. Meshing the demands of motherhood with the commitments of her position often proved difficult, but she tried to keep her young children by her side, even while flying the world with her husband in his relentless quest for peace. This mission would reap satisfying rewards, including greater Arab unity and a peace treaty with Israel, and suffer such terrible setbacks as the Gulf War and the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin.

Leap of Faith is a remarkable document. It is the story of a young American woman who became wife and partner to an Arab monarch. It provides a compelling portrait of the late King Hussein and his lifelong effort to bring peace to his wartorn region, and an insider's view of the growing gulf between the United States and the Arab nations. It is also the refreshingly candid story of a mother coming to terms with the demands the king's role as a world statesman placed on her family's private life. But most of all it is a love story—the intimate account of a woman who lost her heart to a king, and to his people. ... Read more

Reviews (196)

An Intriguing Glimpse into the Arab World
I thoroughly enjoyed this book!It was fascinating to read about the Middle East conflict from an American woman turned Arab's perspective. It is intriguing how an independent, well-educated, well-connected American woman can move to an Arab country, covert to Islam and live in a society where women are second-class citizens. Having said that, I am very impressed at the role Noor ultimately created, e.g., the programs she developed to help the women in Jordan earn a living through their traditional handicrafts and her speaking engagements in the United States to help raise awareness of the Arab culture.Her background in Urban Planning and architecture also allowed her to play an important role in managing the growth in Jordan effectively.She is an intelligent, articulate and graceful woman who served the King and Jordan admirably.

The majority of the book is really a tribute to King Hussein and it goes into great detail about his politics and peace negotiations, which was very educational and compelling.Clearly, Noor loved and respected her husband deeply. However, I would have liked to have learned more about Queen Noor, her years as a young woman and her own work which she glosses over quite a bit.

Keep in mind this is a personal memoir and as such the politics presented are from the Queen's perspective, which I found to be self-serving, or, rather, King serving at times.Not that this is such a bad thing as it is important to try to learn and understandworld politics from other points of view in order to balance out the propaganda that our own government and media feed us.Read this book with an open mind and your view of the Arab world will never be quite the same.

OK if you ignore the politics
It's a good book about her life, but it gets into indepth details about the politics and the religion of that area of the world. It can get very tedious, and I basically just skimmed most of the book. If you understand politics and all the goings-on of that area of the world, then this book is for you. It's sort of the other side of history as we in the U.S. know it, and it's very biased against the US and Israel. The pictures are great though, and I did cry at the end when the King died.

Ghost-written pap
The story of Queen Noor's life reads like a romance novel- well, not the usual romance novel, because in this one, the ordinary girl marries the King of a nation created by Western powers in the wake of WWII who manages to survive amidst countries run by murdurous dictators by willingly bowing to the demands of whomever has the largest army at his door. A King whose country subsumed "Arab Palestine" and yet who can pretend to be a defender of the Palestinians.

Of course that's really of no interest to the readers of this book, who see Queen Noor with the same unjaundiced eye they cast towards the late Princess Diana, another fairy-tale princess- at least in the legend created by her hoarde of press agents and promoters.

But if a fairy tale is what you're looking for- you'll certainly find it here.

I Loved This Book
I loved this book.I knew next to nothing about Jordan, Lisa Halaby, King Hussein, and the Middle East when I first read this book.I learned so much.I read it several times.

I particularly appreciated the perspective of an American woman, about my age, who adapted a ready-made family, a culture, a religion, and a country when she married her beloved husband.I think Queen Noor's perspective gives a balanced view of the Middle East and explains much about the differences and similarities in the world we all share.

I highly recommend this book both as a real life love story and as a mind-opening glimpse into a world very different than our own.

an example to emulate
Queen Noor writes eloquently as she shares from the heart the solutions to unite humanity through peace, rather than weapons and war.
I found her courage and heartfelt intentions throughout the book to help raise awareness of the culture she married into, in order to bridge the gap between cultures in the Arab world, that is obviously wide and in dire need of peaceful resolution.

She is humble and gracious, highly educated and carries her mission to unite with her heart, rather than an ego gain for might and domineering power.
She is an example to emulate. Her book is an outstanding read.
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