History Books

I purchased this book for my "20th Century Cinema" class in College. I liked it enough to keep it.

Very well organized but could have more information in each item.
Gives a good overview of the history of cinema and about names who had a role in it

This book has a ton of information; but I challenge you to extract that information without pulling your hair out first. It was a required text for class and I dreaded every assignment from it. It has pages that are well organized and communicate information and interest very well. But, it also has pages and pages and pages that read like a first draft or outline, complete with unexplained tangents. The author and his editors have such a thorough knowledge of the subject that they miss the numerous and illogical side trips they make in the text. Side trips would be fine if the core message were clear. To be a truly effective teaching tool or an efficient reference, this book needs to be overhauled, restructured, redesigned, and re-indexed.

This book reads like a novel rather than like a textbook. The writing is charming and the content is fascinating. To whomever criticised the daunting size of the book, I say this: Use whatever you want. Students should learn to filter what they read and separate the essential from the trivial. This is a reference volume, not a capsule.

I was amazed that one reviewer prefers a more tangible and less complex format for this book. I just pray that the reviewer meant no real disrespect. This is a history book man, not a comic book. Don't expect this book to fascinate your five-year old niece. As far as history books go, it is accurate, to the point, and interesting. Mise-en-scene and montage? This book contains, good, comprehensible definitions of mise-en-scene and montage. Perhaps you need to read the book carefully. Or recommend another volume that is better, why don't you?

I'm not quite sure why someone else reported that this book is like a novel. It is, quite in fact, the opposite. The author, David A. Cook, presents the information in a very historical fashion, giving the title to this book it's appropraite meaning. The book in no way tries to make the history of narrative film interesting. The definitions of mise-en-scene and montage, for example, were described rather poorly and hardly helped the reader understand their true meaning. One thing the author does provide is a very complete and thorough look at cinema, all most to the point where it is a struggle to remember all the names and their associations. It becomes even more of a challenge when the author uses unnecessary complex words and sentence structures in his descriptions. While I do enjoy how the book serves as an encyclopedia of sorts for providing vast information on narrative film, I would have liked to have seen the information presented in a more tangible and less complex format.

I was very pleased with this product. The delievery time was good as well, I was able to receive it when I needed it for my class.

From Slavery to Freedom provide accurate historical information regarding slavery. This book makes an excellent addition to any library.

This is an excellent history book. I used it for a class on African-American history and really learned so much from reading and studying this textbook. John Hope Franklin has touched a high point in his career with this textbook. It was easy to read and very informative. The illustrations provided a lot of valuable information. As always, the pictures conveyed more than a thousand words. It was very enlightening to see color pictures in the book also. The text started with Chapter One, entitled, "Land of Their Ancestors" in 1076 and ended with Chapter 25 entitled "Half Century of Change" in 1998. Finally, being a graduate of the University of Maryland, University College, I must also give credit to Alfred A. Moss, Jr., for his marvelous work in producing this extraordinary text. Other excellent books to read are: "Trilogy Moments for the Mind, Body and Soul" with the new Epulaeryu poetry form; "The Language of Poetry Forms" by Tree Good; and, "Everyday Miracles" by Margaret Okubo.

The book was exactly what I needed for my College History Class.
AND the price was right.

Now in its 8th edition, and now combined as two volumes in one, "From Slavery to Freedom" is an indispensable primer on African American historiography. Sweeping, even epic in its expanse, John Hope Franklin's overview of the African American experience, from African freedom to American enslavement, to American freedom, is the place to start to introduce oneself to this vital topic.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Soul Physicians: A Theology of Soul Care And Spiritual Direction, and Spiritual Friends: A Methodology of Soul Care And Spiritual Direction.

Good book, very easy to read despite its scientific background. As an autobiography, it also makes no attempt to remain neutral, which makes it much more interesting than your average textbook.

I remember upon first reading The Double Helix I was delighted with the fact that Watson was a slacker and still managed to make one of the most important discoveries in biology. There was hope for me too! It is a pleasure to read a book about scientific discovery where the researchers are not mercilessly driven type-A personalities confined to their labs. A well-written account of the personalities and community behind a major scientific discovery, of the molding of disparate facts into a new theory that changed the field.

I recommend this book to anyone with a curiosity about DNA or an inside view of the world of science. It is a book about personalities, egos, and following one's dreams. There is only enough technical stuff in the book for the story to make sense. The author, himself, avoided chemistry except when it became vital to learn. Yet, he and Francis Crick beat the greatest chemist of our times (i.e., Linus Pauling) in a race to determine the structure of DNA. Personally, I found this book to be a suprisingly delightful read. Ralph Hermansen 10/30/2007

I ended up getting copies of two different paperback editions.

The Simon & Schuster Touchstone Book, with a little bit of an introduction by Sylvia Nasar, has easy-to-read print and the photographs are pleasantly large. Good for reading in the subway.

But the Norton Critical edition, edited by Gunther S. Stent, is the one to get if you can only afford one. Its typeface leaves much to be desired, and, in my copy, some of the pages are hard to read because the printer seems to have run out of ink in the middle of the job. But the edition has materials that are indispensable for an understanding of this classic work of science. I enjoyed, most of all, Stent's essay "reviewing the reviews," showing both the wisdom (by some) and the foolishness (by others) with which the Double Helix was received by the scientific community.

"The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of The Structure of DNA", James D. Watson, Simon & Shuster, NY 1968/2001. ISBN-13: 978-0-7432-1630-2, PB 226 pages, 20 B/W Photos & 11 Diagrams, plus 3 pg. Foreword by Sir L. Bragg & 4 pg. Intro. by S. Nasar. 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".

Written by Dr. James D. Watson in 1968, reprinted several times, this is one of the most intriguing, personal stories of scientific endeavors written to unravel the molecular basis of heredity and the genetic code of life itself, the DNA molecule - deservingly referenced as the Holy Grail of scientific inqiry. With an explanatory apology, Watson describes his maturation from an initial lazy undergraduate at Univ. of Chicago having primary interest in ornithology and avoiding chemistry and physics courses,to doing post-doctoral research abroad, first in Copenhagen and subsequently in Cambridge where he began serious research with Francis Crick that culminated in elucidating the molecular structure of the double helix DNA molecule with base-pairing of A-T and G-C, allowing a model construct possessing correspondence to its X-ray crystalline lattice structure. Much of the time it appeared to a 'Mission Impossible'. Success came in 1953, Watson was then 25 years old.

The author's prose and pace of relating this story reveals the passion of his quest to establish his mark in science - and he relates intimate anecdotes of his cohorts, teachers and the scientific cult of divisions enjoyed by the scholarly, erudite academicians in England and elsewhere. In the end, he shared along with his associate Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins, the Nobel Prize in 1962. The future of medicine was forever changed. The book is a compelling, refrehing read for anyone with a modicum of curiosity - a science background is not essential.

This is one of the most violent books (an autobiography!) I ever read. It illustrates horrifyingly `that crime of crimes: making man the property of his fellow man.' It shows the horrendous `playing' field of blood and blasphemy, of flogging and callous skins, of hunger and nakedness, and even premeditated murder. `It was a common saying that it was worth a half-cent to kill a n.gger, and a half-cent to bury one.'

system: mental darkness, hypocritical religion
Forcing them to live in appalling living conditions (`nothing but a coarse tow linen shirt, reaching only to my knees, sleeping on a cold, damp, clay floor.'), the aim of the white man was to keep his slaves in mental darkness: `to make a contented slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one. It is necessary to darken his moral and mental vision and to annihilate the power of reason.'
The white man's barbaric behavior was justified by unacceptable religious Phariseism: `the religion of the south is a mere covering for the most horrid crimes, a dark shelter under which the darkest, foulest, grossest, and most infernal deeds of slaveholders find the strongest protection.'
F. Douglass poses the right question: `Does a righteous God govern the universe?' `He who proclaims it a religious duty to read the Bible denies me the right to read the name of God.'

freedom
All slaves dreamed of escaping to the free north, even at the risk of their lives, in order to earn a salary for themselves, to learn writing and reading and to live in decent living conditions.

This story, of which certain aspects are still very actual, reminds us of one of the darkest chapters in the history of mankind. It is told with unforgettable emotional lucidity and visualized with violent realistic scenes.
A must read.

This is more than an intellectual reading about slavery in America. It is a book that challenges the most basic assumptions we hold about justice, liberty, freedom, living out our faith, respect for human life and dignity. If the reader is honest, they will have to question their own prejudices as Douglass narrates his quest for freedom. Written well over a century ago, it is still essential reading if a white person is to be an educated American citizen. I recommend this book be read along with "Bullwhip Days: The Slaves Remember, An Oral History," by James Mellon.

PUCHASED THIS BOOK FOR CLASS BUT IT TURNED OUT TO BE A REAALY INTERESTING READ..

This book helped me to see the freedoms that I now have. It also taught me to follow my dreams with all my heart. "Give me liberty or give me death" What a true blessing to read about this great man of GOD.

I needed this book for an 11th grade summer assignment so I decided to purchase this version of the book. I loved how the price was good, and I loved the extra bits of information at the beginning of the book (like the timeline). I suggest anyone intrested in reading this book purchase this version...it definately was worth it!

Long, but an easy interesting read for anyone interested in the founding fathers and seeing our current problems of today were the same ones they strugled with.

I fond this book to be pleasantly refreshing in its scope and style. In almost every page is a new insight into the main characters life. A complete course in American History, and a must read among American History enthusiast.

I absolutely loved this book. The research and detail was amazing, and I found it to be well balanced. It's not a short book by any means and is in no way a "quick read." It took me a few weeks to finish. The biggest obstacle for me was the language used in the 18th century that is no longer used today. I am an avid reader and a college graduate, but I found many words I had not seen before (such as "hegemony" and "shibboleth"). I ended up buying a small Merriam-Webster Dictionary that I kept handy while reading this book.

I have a much greater respect and understanding of Hamilton than I did before, despite his many flaws. Also, I am much more disappointed and not overly fond of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson after reading this biography. After I read "American Sphinx" by Joseph Ellis, I wasn't that enamored of Jefferson. Now I understand why in more detail.

You'll be amazed at Hamilton's abilities and accomplishments after reading this book.

This is a terrific biography of a fascinating founding father, largely overlooked in history books. The NYC vs VA perspective of Chernow is particularly insightful and refreshing. One of the best history books I have read.

And he wasn't even born here. This is the amazing story of an incredible intellect. Arriving on the shores of this country, and immediately putting his past behind him, this wunderkind went on to do some truly remarkable things. Here are the main things that truly amazed me about Hamilton:

Our constitution was not a done deal.

The Republicans, led by Jefferson preferred that powers be vested in states: foreign policy, currency and they viewed states' economies as agrarian based.

The Federalists, led by Hamilton believed in a strong central government which subordinated states. They believed in a manufacturing base to the economy. The federal government would determine foreign policy; create a single currency etc. to wit, the Constitution. In order to explain this document to the lay person, Hamilton, Madison and Jay undertook the writing of the Federalist Papers, probably 75% of which were written by Hamilton. The Federalist Papers were published in the newspapers of the day. They worked and the Constitution was ratified. If he had stopped there, Hamilton's contributions to the cause would have been some of the greatest, and I haven't even mentioned his valiant performance at George Washington's right hand during the Revolutionary War.

Hamilton read and studied voraciously and learned everything he could on the subjects of economics and international finance and with great foresight set about to create the American banking system and was appointed as first treasury secretary. This man, almost single-handedly, bequeathed to us the greatest financial/capitalist system the world has ever known.

These two things: defending the Constitution through the Federalist Papers, and the creation of this new financial system seem to me to be so vastly different, require such different skills, that it doesn't seem possible, and yet they come from the mind of one man. That was what blew me away.

We would not be the country we are today, if not for Hamilton.

In his telling of this tale, Chernow paints the revered Jefferson in a less than flattering light. Fearing direct confrontation Jefferson almost always acted through a proxy, most often Madison. He allowed Madison to do all his dirty work, and for years the two heaped bitter and vile criticism upon Hamilton, yet Hamilton never missed a beat. Hamilton won, and they lost, and we are all better off for it.

I won't say anymore except to say that this is one of the best, most complete books on the subject of our nation's founding, that I have read and I highly recommend it. Happy reading.

Once I got over the missing end notes and misleading fact-bending throughout, I thoroughly enjoyed this romp through Europe 500 years ago. "Tabloid History" [as one other reviewer calls it] indeed.

Christians be wary of taking offense at Manchester's many jabs. I prefer to think he is scaring us out of our demonizing tendencies. In the end, you will have a better view of the reformation than most college courses in the subject provide AND you may even wonder how the same popes that appreciated Michelangelo could get their politics and economics so badly wrong.

Read "Pillars of the Earth" for a slightly darker view and "Van Loon's Lives" for an even better take on Erasmus. However, Manchester's Luther is worth the price of the book.

I was expecting a history book. I love history books. This was more of a history story, a fireside tale of history. That's ok -- I can take that. It reminds me of Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose -- about the Lewis and Clark expedition.

While *not* a comprehensive history of the Middle Ages, this was a great read. Manchester sketched the time period so clearly. And through this portrait, he brings some of the major thinkers and ideas that quickened into the Renaissance.

The book gives you context for all else you may read about the fall of Rome, the crusaders, the Moors, the scientists, and the explorers. I thought the most memorable character highlighted was Magellan.

And throughout, I considered the book very aptly titled: a world lit only by fire. What can human imagination, human passion, human determination not accomplish?

This book is really bad. It plays on every sterotype possible.

I can see why people like it because the author is a good writer. BUT, there is so much wrong with this book its absurd. I literally wanted to rip some of the pages out of this book.

In my book, "Astronomical Symbols on Ancient and Medieval Coins", I devote a number of chapters to the astronomical symbols that were depicted on medieval coinage as signs of divine right to sovereignty. As part of my research, I read numerous books on medieval history, and I found that Manchester's book, "A World Lit Only By Fire," was of great value.

In additon to many items of interest that added to my understanding of the history of this period, I found that the book was also a great read. It was hard to put down.

I recommend this book to all who are interested in reading about medieval history.

Marshall Faintich

I read this book when it first appeared, and have since carried pleasant if rather vague memories of it. Rereading it some 16 years later, I'm horrified by how bad it is in places, and wonder what in the world I saw in it the first time around.

The opening section entitled "The Medieval Mind" is especially, embarrassingly, bad. In it, Manchester reduces an entire millennium to a quick and spotty sketch (this must account in part for the vagueness of my memories) which is full of over-generalizations (the medieval world wasn't a bona fide "civilization"), simplifications ("there was no room in the medieval mind for doubt; the possibility of skepticism simply did not exist"), and absolute howlers (medieval peasants went naked in the summer; the medieval mind had no spatial and temporal awareness or self-consciousness).

Less bad--but still bad--are the succeeding two sections, both much longer than the opening one on the medieval period (this, despite the book's subtitle). One of the sections is on the Renaissance and Reformation, the other focuses on Magellan and the European "discovery" of the New World (which Manchester tells us was the germ from which the entire book grew). There are some interesting biographical vignettes in the Renaissance section that probably account for my pleasant memories--Savonarola, da Vinci, and Erasmus in particular--but there's no real effort on Manchester's part to wrestle with the meaning of the new humanism that fueled the Renaissance or to explore the intricacies of the Reform revolt against Rome. Instead, he falls back on tired stereotypes; his long account of Martin Luther is especially hackneyed. Manchester's concluding account of Magellan's voyage, with its brief nod to Renaissance astronomy and the science of navigation, is enthusiastic and lively, and is probably the best--or least bad--part of the book. But again, it's sketchy and breathless.

So what accounts for the remarkable popularity of this book? Its quality should've landed it on the out-of-print shelve long ago. My only guess is that Manchester's well-deserved fame for his contemporaneous histories (WWII, Winston Churchill, Douglas MacArthur) bestows a borrowed and undeserved aura of authority on this one. But authors (and their agents and editors) really ought to know when they're in over their heads, and refrain from writing bad copy just because they know they can get it published.

Aslan's book provides a wonderful historical narrative of the origins of Islam and how history has shaped it into the religion it is today. His insight into major events over the centuries and how they relate to our current climate is quite elegant. He moves from past to present quite fluently. I recommend this book to anyone with a love of history who seeks a greater understanding of Islam than is provide in the evening news.

This book was never delivered and e-mails to the seller elicited no response. DO NOT do business with this seller.

A must read by everyone, especially policy makers,it provides a clear, genuine,and wise explanation of Islam, the peaceful religion, which has been hijacked by terror, fear and hate. I highly recommend the book for every person interested in learning about the true Islam.

A scholarly book - but far from the dry prose of acadamia. I felt it read like a historical novel, however, it is an expertly researched lesson in understanding the most misunderstood world religion.

While I am familiar with the basic outlines of the history of Islam my knowledge is really confined to the effect of its expansions its impact on non Islamic countries. What I was looking for was one which focused on Islam itself, and the reviews of "No god but God" were positive enough for me to select that book as a starting point.

In the preface to this book, Reza Aslan discusses recent events perpetrated by Islamic terrorists, and argues that rather than there being a "Clash of Civilizations", what we are now experiencing is an Islamic reformation similar to that which occurred in the Christian world 500 years ago. In the prologue, he states that "Religion, it must be understood, is not faith. Religion is the story of faith. It is an institutionalized system of symbols and metaphors (read rituals and myths) that provides a common language with which a community of faith can share with each other their numinous encounter with the Divine Presence. Religion is concerned not with genuine history, but with sacred history, which does not course through time like a river .....". The purpose of his book, he states, is to recount "the story of Islam" which will support his thesis that we are indeed experiencing an Islamic Reformation, which will be every bit as terrifying as that experienced in the Christian world.

Chapter 1 "The Sanctuary in the Desert" is an informative review of religious practices in pre-Islamic Arabia which is referred to as the Jahiliyyah, "the Time of Ignorance". This chapter discusses the major elements of the main competing religions of that era - various versions of Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, which intermingled in a region dominated by a firmly henotheistic paganism. Out of this pluralistic environment there emerged an Arabic monotheistic movement called Hanifism, which clearly had an influence on the Prophet Muhammed in his youth.

Chapter 2 "Keeper of the Keys" recounts the story of the Prophet's life in Mecca, before and after he started to receive the divine revelations in year 610 CE, and up to the point where he is forced in 622 CE to flee Mecca for Yathrib. This chapter describes how the Quryash clan came to dominate the city of Mecca through their control of the Ka'ba, and why the Prophet was such a threat to their rule.

Chapter 3 "The City of the Prophet" describes the dominant clans of the oasis of Yathrib (not yet known as Medina), and the growth after his arrival there of his small community of followers to whom he was the Prophet/Lawgiver who spoke with the authority of the one God. It was in this capacity that he developed his Law of Retribution, and furthered his egalitarian ideals.

Chapter 4 "Fight in the Way of God" describes the various attacks of the Quryash to suppress his movement, and their eventual surrender and conversion to Islam in 630 CE. This is an important chapter because it describes in some detail his relationship with the Jewish clans, and the execution of the Banu Qurayza after the Battle of the Trench in 627 CE.

Chapter 5 "The Rightly Guided Ones" describes the events of the four Caliphate successors to Muhammad, the last three of whom were all assassinated. It was under the 2nd Caliph Umar, that Islam expanded so rapidly, with the defeat of the Byzantine army in southern Syria, the capture of the Damascus, the defeat of the Iranian forces at Qadsiyyah, and the conquest of Egypt, Libya, and Jerusalem. With the election of the Uthman as the third Caliph, the Quryash are established as the rulers of Islam which triggers his own assassination, and sows the seed for the civil war that occurs after the assassination of the 4th Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib.

Chapter 6 "This Religion in a Science" is a step forward in time of about 150 years which describes the final struggle between the Caliphate and the Ulama over who has the control over the development of Islamic Theology and Law. This includes a discussion of the Five Pillars of Islam which constitute the principal ritual activities of Muslim faith, as well as the major Islamic schools of theology.

Chapter 7 "In the Footsteps of Martyrs" steps back in time and describes the suppression of the Banu Hashim, the family of Muhammad and Caliph Ali, and the execution of the prophet's grandson at Karbala in 680 CE. The rest of the chapter describes the development of Shi'ism, - from the Penitents of Karbala to the advent of Ayatollah Khomeini.

Chapter 8 "Stain your Prayer Rug with Wine" - The Sufi Way - describes the development of Sufism, the term given to Islam's complex and diverse mystical tradition.

Chapter 9 "An Awakening in the East" - discusses the development of the Islamic response to Colonialism during the 19th and 20th centuries in India, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia

Chapter 10 "Slouching Toward Medina" - discusses the events of past 30 years in Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, and the author's contention that with the events of Sept 11/2001 and its aftermath, we are already experiencing the early stages of the Islamic Reformation.

The book includes a useful 6 page glossary of important words, extensive notes with many references to important works on Islam, a 6 page bibliography of works consulted, and a detailed index of places and people.

As can be seen from this overview, this not the complete history of the Islamic world. Chapters 1 - 5 are informative in explaining the establishment of Islamic faith and theology in the first 50 years of its existence. Chapters 6- 8 are helpful in describing the elements of the three major streams of Islamic thought - Sunni, Shi'ite, and Sufi, while Chapters 9 and 10 provide a useful overview of the Islamic response to European colonialism and the re-establishment of its place in the modern world. However, the details of the expansion of Islam during the Ummayad and Abbasid Dynasties from 660 to 850 CE are only briefly referred to, and there is no discussion whatsoever on any later event in the Islamic world until about 1800 CE.

The author states in the prologue that "This book is not just a critical reexamination of the origins and evolution of Islam .... it is above all else an argument for reform", and it is important to bear this in mind as one follows the events described in the book. While it only partially met my expectations, it was valuable in instructing me on how the struggles of today relate to the first 50 years of Islam, and I have a better understanding of the lives of the Prophet and his immediate successors, the establishment of Islamic law, and the basic differences between the three streams of Islamic thought. The book is well written and easy to read, and I believe it to be a balanced introduction to Islam. Because it was not quite what I was looking for, I only give it four stars, but I do recommend it as a starting point for readers who are not of the Islamic faith and who wish to obtain a general understanding of the origins and evolution of that faith.

One of the most fascinating non-fiction titles that I have ever read in my entire life and, believe me, I have read some very good ones.

Written by Alan Weisman, an award-winning journalist, who imagines what the world would be like if all of a sudden humans vanished from the face of the earth .... but not without a trace. He uses this hypothetical scenario to talk about the changes man has brought about to earth and how long would the human creations last without us (yes, the 'trace' I was talking about).
He takes this wonderful premise as a vehicle to discuss such diverse topics as human and animal evolution, air and water pollution, animal and plant extinction, natural disasters, Mayan history, NASA's Voyager and Pioneer spacecrafts, the fascinating history of Cyprus, the fate of 441 active nuclear reactors of the world, the history of the Panama Canal, the ecology of the uninhabited demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, the ramifications of the Chernobyl disaster, the future of human art, among other things.

The book discusses too many disciplines of science to name here.

Breathtaking in its scope and meticulous in research, this book is definitely a great intellectually stimulating read.

It's a hugely informative, highly readable, immensely entertaining read which is breath-taking in its concept and has been called 'one of the grandest thought experiments of our time.'

There have been many reviews of this book, and I agree with most of the complimentary comments. Instead of rehashing these comments, I'll focus on two shortcomings. One, like similar books covering this subject, the author focuses too intently on one major urban center: New York City. And while this provides a microcosm for other cities around the world, I feel that the book would have benefited greatly from focusing on vignettes from cities around the world, rather than devoting so much time to New York. Certainly, the author discusses other locations, but NYC dominates. Second, and perhaps less important, is the author's overuse of lists. Especially annoying in the audiobook version, the frequent lists in the book are an unwelcome and tedious distraction from the flow of the writing. Lists of animal species, tree types, etc., are unnecessary and disruptive. I found that these often took me out of the feeling of the work and caused me to skip ahead or simply to put the book down. This is not to knock the entire work as being unreadable, simply that this particular neance I found very annoying.

The book is exceptionally well written. The subject content is extemely important and broken up into easily readable but stunning segments.

Excellent book. Full of information on what we are doing to our environment and food for thought as to possible solutions. Definitely not a scare tactic treatise like many environmentalist-type books tend to be, but a honest look at where we've come from, and where we're going. Things look OK and manageable. The things we've made will take a long time to disappear. The things that we've thrown into the oceans will take a millennium to degraded. They eventually will, but how will the environment deal with them? Unlike many articles on the environment, this book doesn't preach about stopping development right away for the sake of the Earth. The term "sustained development" comes to mind. We need to keep going, but at a conscious pace. I remember a phrase from the movie "Jurassic Park" where Dr. Malcolm (the chaotician) tells the group around the lunch table that we are so consumed with the excitement of what we "can" do but we never stop to think if we "should." We need to keep building. We need to keep advancing. How we do it seems to be the problem. The book does conclude nicely though. There's a sense that all is not lost and that there is a consciousness among the offenders that things just cannot continue this way. There are many programs in the developed world to recycle waste and not treat the Earth as a dumping ground. An excellent read indeed.

When I say difficult to read, I don't mean that "The World Without Us" is unusually dense or technical. Weisman's various explorations of how the world would be if the problem of humans was removed are fascinating, informative, accessible, and at times downright alarming and scary (the section about plastics blew my mind - I had never thought about seemingly harmless plastics in such a way before). However, his vignettes are sometimes unrelated or irrelevant to one another and there is no overreaching logic or organization in the book other than the question, "What if humans disappeared today?" There are also many frustrating digressions that interrupt or distract during the vignettes. However, I still recommend it for its thought-provoking value for those who are willing to transcend its organizational chaos.

this is a smaller version of a bigger set.. these are nice sort of like excerpts from a larger text.. if you're only studying a small section of history and don't need to ever compare before or after they are ok..but you're better off getting the vol. I or II or both depending on what your needs are. most profs are going to want you to compare and contrast what came before and after ... these books have great pics..but get the larger versions.. as these are a lot of little books, and depending on your class you may need to carry 6 little books with you instead of 1 text..

I wasn't expecting to recieve a new book but I am glad I did and didn't go to the expensive bookstore across the street

I highly recommend this series of six books. When I was in college, I bought one of the books because it looked so interesting even though I wasn't taking the course. In the past year, I've ordered the other books in the series. The books are very interesting and informative, with many color pictures of the art and architecture discussed. The books also discuss literature, philosophy, and the history of science. The graphic layout of the books is excellent and there are many reading selections of literature and philosophy. Even though the series concentrates on western humanities, there are also excellent sections on Asian, African, Islamic, and Native American arts.

After using this book (as well as books 2 and 3) as texts for a class, I must say that I found all of them to be overrated and a poor choice of reference. The volumes contain nice photographs but are ineffective as textbooks. For example, as material is introduced a sudden segue to a new subject leaves the reader cold. I would not recommend any of this series to those who need detail. These books support a teaching methodology that relies upon mundane memorization of incidental information rather than comprehensive study.

"The wisdom of the Egyptians was a proverb with the Greeks, who felt themselves children beside this ancient race." Plato, Timaeus, 22B, (Quoted from Will Durant, the Story of civilization:I)



Early Civilizations:
As summarized by Will Durant, the development of agriculture helped people to settle in villages and create communities, where the early civilizations gradually developed. Ancient people developed their specialized trades, arts, and crafts, establishing an economy based on trade, which led to the first civilizations. Since there were but few written records, as in the case of ancient Egypt, archaeologists have patiently recreated the history of the first civilizations by putting together artifacts and studying ruins which have been discovered over time. A cardinal characteristic of civilizations was that each had a leader, ruler, priests, and civil administrators. It has been discovered also that early civilizations were tinted by a class system of rich and poor people. First great civilizations were built around rivers, which were crucial to their development, and became a catalyst for the growth of agricultural civilization.

The Humanistic Tradition:
This colorful work is a thoughtful, methodical topical approach to the first classical civilizations that helps not only humanity students but all seekers of common global experience understand humanity's creative traditions as a continuum in space and time, rather than isolated events by human races or nations. This compelling acclaimed survey offers a global perspective, through a gifted editor of many vivid illustrations, integrating an amazing ocean of literary sources. It explores the sociopolitical, economic, and artistic contexts of human culture, providing an analytical perspective of the global multicultural quest which humanity pursued. Gloria Fiero's popular work offers the reader an opportunity to be introduced to 'The Humanistic Tradition' clearly demonstrating the close relationship between the culture of the past and sophisticated life and rich culture of the present. The book explores the arts and thought of the West in relation to ideas of other world cultures, from the ancient mid-East to the modern far East.

Ancient World's Light:
The above being said, I would like to caution the reader that the colorful author, and creative editor adopts a rather questionably biased theory, lately in great doubt (Ps. see: Barnel's Black Athena,) that Greek philosophy is the foundation of the Humanistic tradition, at least/ even in the West. Late Medieval Alexandria, Egypt was no doubt, the "Mind of Western Tradition". Eugene Holley Jr. expressed it beautifully, "Historians of philosophy have been wont to begin their story with the Greeks. It may be that we are all mistaken; for among the most ancient fragments left to us by the Egyptians are writings that belong under the rubric of moral philosophy. The Egyptians were the light of the ancient world. They produced many early medical instruments, designed the world's first step pyramid, and laid the empirical groundwork for scientific reasoning. Akhenaton, the rebel pharaoh, is cited as "the Father of Monotheism." Asante stresses throughout the book that these developments came from a confluence of African cultures, and not from other parts of the world. "The practice of the African philosophers along the Nile was a practice of maintaining Maat [the principle of truth, order, and justice] in every aspect of life," he writes. "If we could only learn from them the value of harmony, balance, and righteousness, we would be on our way toward a revival of the spirit of human victory."

Sonia's fine Review:
"The Humanistic Tradition is quite simply the finest book of its type. Fiero manages to integrate the political, cultural, and social history of the world into one coherent and fascinating whole. It is a masterpiece of scholarship... balanced, interesting, easy to read, and consummately beautiful." -- Sonia Sorrell, Pepperdine University