History Books

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History Books sorted by Bestselling .

Understanding International Conflicts: An Introduction to Theory and History (7th Edition) (MyPoliSciKit Series)

Published in Paperback by Longman (2008-07-21)

Author: Joseph S. Nye

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Average review score:

Good Detail of Topics Relating to International Politics

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-01

I had to purchase this book as a second book for a class I had taken. This book helped cover many of the topics I had to study and this book did a better job of describing several topics relating to nationalism, imperialism history of international politics, foreign policies, international law and organization and human factors in international politics. I would recommend this book to anyone who is trying to learn the basics or even get more indepth details on certain topics of international politics.

Excellent book :)

Helpful Votes: 28 out of 38 total.
Review Date: 2003-12-08

The basis for "Understanding International Conflicts: An Introduction to Theory and History" is, as the author explains in the preface, a course on international conflicts in the modern world he taught for a long time in Harvard. Nye says that the aim of the book is "to introduce students to the complexities of international politics by giving them a good grounding in the traditional realist theory before turning to liberal and constructivist approaches that became more prominent after the Cold War". I believe he excels at doing exactly that...

I found the book very interesting, and full of examples taken from history that made the concepts easier to grasp. Moreover, it takes into account the three levels of causation: the individual, the state and the international system. It also includes suggested reading material, that allows the reader to delve deeper in those subjects she/he finds more interesting...

The book is very well organized. It was a foreword, a preface, 9 chapters and an index. Each chapter deals with a main theme, and some related topics. The themes of the chapters are:

chapter 1:"Is there an enduring logic of conflict in world politics?";
chapter 2: "Origins of the great 20th century conflicts";
chapter 3: "Balance of power and World War I";
chapter 4: "The failure of collective security and World War II";
chapter 5: "The Cold War";
chapter 6: "Intervention, institutions and regional and ethnic conflicts";
chapter 7: "Globalization and interdependence";
chapter 8: "The information revolution, transnational actors, and the diffusion of power";
chapter 9: "A new world order?".

All in all, I strongly recommend this book to those interested in international relations... I think the author was successful in doing what he set out to do: he didn't want to give all the answers, he merely tried to help the readers to look for them. In his own words: "provide our students with conceptual tools that will help them shape their own answers as the future unfolds".

On the whole, a keeper :) Enjoy it !!!

An interesting book indeed

Helpful Votes: 33 out of 44 total.
Review Date: 2003-12-22

An interesting book indeed, written by an excellent writer who took me in a journey through history beginning with the Peloponnesian war and passing through world war one and two and the cold war after that, and ending with the new world order.

The book starts with the two views of the anarchic politics ( Realism & Liberalism ) and a very wise explanation for both of them, and I liked the way the writer analyzed the two world wars and their reasons and I agree with him about the inevitability part as I believe that the war wasn't inevitable but I quote him by saying "Ironically the belief that war is inevitable played a major role in causing it", and also the part about ethics and morality is very interesting and I liked what the French diplomat said when he was asked about what's moral and his answer was "what's moral is whatever is good for France", and also the part about counterfactuals was very exciting.

I don't agree with the writer about some points concerning the Arab-Israeli conflict but the book as a whole is a very good one.

I agree with the "back to the future" theory in some points as all I see now is "the strong do what they have the power to do and the weak accepts what they have to accept".

I'll quote him again to end my review by saying "Has global society made war socially and morally unthinkable? We have to hope so, because the next hegemonic war would probably be the last".

excellent intro book to International Affairs

Helpful Votes: 37 out of 44 total.
Review Date: 1999-11-11

One of the few textbooks I truly enjoyed, Nye's Understanding International Conflicts was a clear, easy-to-read, and yet insightful book. Its focus is on the three levels of influence on a state's behavior: the interstate system, intrastate politics, and individual. It is one of the few entry-level IA books to discuss the effect of personality on the actions of a state. Even in my graduate-level seminars and papers, I found it to be useful.

Superb, Post 9-11 Update, Excellent Adult Foundation

Helpful Votes: 45 out of 60 total.
Review Date: 2003-01-11

First, it is vital for prospective buyers to understand that the existing reviews are three years out of date--this is a five-star tutorial on international relations that has been most recently updated after 9-11. If I were to recommend only two books on international relations, for any adult including nominally sophisticated world travelers, this would be the first book; the second would be Shultz, Godson, & Quester's wonderful edited work, "Security Studies for the 21st Century."

I really want to stress the utility of this work to adults, including those like myself who earned a couple of graduate degrees in the last century (smile). I was surprised to find no mention of the author's stellar service as Chairman of the National Intelligence Council--not only has he had full access to everything that can be known by secret as well as non-secret means, but he has kept current, and this undergraduate and affordable paperback was a great way for me--despite the 400+ books I've read (most of them reviewed on Amazon.com) in the past four plus years--to come up to speed on the rigorous methodical scholarly understanding of both historical and current theories and practices in international relations. This book is worth anyone's time, no matter how experienced or educated.

Each chapter has a very satisfactory mix of figures, maps, chronologies, and photos--a special value is a block chart showing the causes for major wars or periods of conflict at the three levels of analysis--international system, national, and key individual personalities, and I found these quite original and helpful.

Excellent reference and orientation work. Took five hours to read, with annotation--this is not a mind-glazer, it's a mind-exerciser.

Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art: A Sourcebook of Artists' Writings (California Studies in the History of Art ; 35)

Published in Paperback by University of California Press (1996-04-18)

Author:

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Worth it

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-05

I had to buy this in college and it was torture for homework assignments. However, it is now enjoying a second life as the most useful text I have as an art teacher. (Aside from my art history books of course.)

a super place to start

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-26

briefly - this is a great basic anthology if you want artist manifestos and excerpts from period art critics. my only complaint about this anthology is that it really doesn't have many of the writings/interivews that are well known from sources like artforum (e.g. smithson's yucatan mirror article) or partisan review (rauschenberg interview). but one can't have all things in one place - that said this is a great place to start.

Packed with History

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-30

The critics always have alot to say about what the artists have created. Artists are not always as forthright. They can be indirect, weave tales or romance the past. But this book gives you a rare chance to hear it all first hand. The beauty of this book is you drop in with the artist of your choice.

Misquoting of latin-american artists raise doubts...

Helpful Votes: 16 out of 20 total.
Review Date: 2004-11-17

I've purchased this book while beeing in New York in 2003, and my first impression was that I had aquired an excellent and almost encyclopedical resourse for research. However, when looking for references on familiar contemporary artists like Brazilian Lygia Clark (one of the most important and internationally renowed creators, having teached in Sorbonne, among other things) I've found her name misquoted as "Lydia Clark" while she's reffered as "Argentinian" in the index. The fact that I've found such a mistake concerning a familiar name raises doubts on the rigor of this interesting work.

Sérgio Basbaum (teacher at Universidade Cátólica, São Paulo, Brazil)

Not much use

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 23 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-25

For a compilation that pretends to deal with contemporary art, this volume is surprisingly outdated, tending to focus on issues in art practice that are at least a decade old. Additionally, it is surprisingly uninformed on a disturbing number of issues. A case in point, two writers, including the editor, mis-read and misunderstand McLuhan, and are even unable to get the basic idea that the medium is the MASSAGE, not the medium is the MESSAGE. If you want a book that informatively and insightfully deals with current issues in art, I suggest you look elsewhere.

The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico

Published in Paperback by Beacon Press (2007-04-15)

Author: Miguel Leon-Portillo

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Average review score:

The Broken Spears

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-02

A very good introductory book to the Conquest of Latin America. Though I do have to say, use only as an introduction. It is not a very good book to cite for any research. A very good example of showing both sides of the story; Spanish vs. Native.

Re: Doomsdayer520 - Bernal Diaz's integrity

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-04

Not a review of this book.
Just to emphasized that no one who has read Bernal Diaz del Castillo's "Conquest of Mexico" would hold to any of the misconceptions noted in doomsdayer520's first paragraph. His famous memoir shows that Bernal Diaz was honest and clear-eyed, and perpetually open to the humanity of the Aztecs and the aware of, even the victim of, the venality of his countrymen.

Exceedingly Sweet action!!!

Helpful Votes: 19 out of 23 total.
Review Date: 2004-08-17

I got this book because I find pre-columbian Mesoamerica fascinating, and I also enjoy the vivid clash of cultures which occured when the Spaniards arrived there. This book describes the conflict between the Aztecs and Spaniards superbly! This book is somewhat unique among histories because it takes the point of view of the vanquished rather than the victors. It starts from before the Spaniards arrive with eerie premonitions of eminent doom to the fall of Tenochtitlan and the suffering associated with that, then proceeds to give a short account of the plight of the native Nahuas after the conquest. Leon-Portilla uses a vast array of native sources from the Florentine Codex to the Cantares Mexicanos(which consists of Native American songs about the conquest), and combines them to create a lively and pleasant read, and its fairly short length add to its overall unburdensome style. In fact for me this book was harder not to read than to read. The tale is full of lively adventure, fascinting omens and cultural tidbits(such as the Aztec dedication to human sacrifice and their belief that the Spaniards were gods), violence, and sorrow. This book is a must for the Aztec fan, the conquistador fan, or anyone who likes an engaging story that just happens to be history.

Could have used more explanation but still very useful

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-22

Broken Spears does something very interesting in his book that no one else has ever tried to do. He approaches the invasion of Mexico from the perspective of the Aztecs. He looks at the court of Montezuma and tells us how the invasion looked from their perspective. This is a very astute look at the invasion and one of the most unique out there. It is very well written and holds the readers interest. The biggest downfall of the book is that if you are not familiar with the story you will find it lacking in information. It assumes a great deal of information about the invasion that can be gotten from other books. It also takes into account the rise and fall of Montezuma and how the kingdom was not as unified as it appeared. If you are going to study Latin American history than this is a must read.

An important work

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-17

This book is important because it is scholarly, yet written for the average person interested in history of this period. It is very important in that it is the only contemporary book I know of which specifically and consciously attempts to present the native side of the story. It is not a work of pandering, left-wing revisionism. It is a compilation of native historical sources: the Tlaxcala, and the Mexica themselves--often through Spanish priests who recorded their words, including poetry. The thing to remember is that it is the Aztec/Mexica point of view, and we usually get the Euro-centric version--there is a difference. Both are useful and needed to make a complete picture.

Touching History: The Untold Story of the Drama That Unfolded in the Skies Over America on 9/11

Published in Hardcover by Free Press (2008-06-03)

Author: Lynn Spencer

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Average review score:

Excellent insider view of aviation's challenge on 911

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-27

Riveting. Lyn Spencer writes an excellent account as seen through the eyes of those in command of our airlines during the 911 "emergency". These tragic events hit close to home for every one of us who ever piloted a passenger plant and subsequently turned our nation's attention to the War on Terror. As the author of Inspiring Leadership: Character and Ethics Matter, I devote an entire chapter to the chief pilot of American flight #77, my friend and classmate, Chic Burlingame: and as I read Spencer's book gained a greater appreciation of what he must have faced on this tragic day. Spencer hits a home run as an author and her book is a must read for not only interested Americans but also those who believe that we are not immune to this type of event ever occurring again. Lessons of history are important if we learn from them that we will never repeat our mistakes or drop our guard against those who want to end our free society.

Book is Great, Audio Book Annoying

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-16

This book is full information from a pilot who was in the skies on 911. It is a real eye-opener. It is worth reading. HOWEVER........THE AUDIO VERSION IS VERY ANNOYING. The reader should have been a man not a woman. My Daughter and I were hooked on the story but could hardly stand the intonation, inflection, and sound of the voice of the reader. We had to stop listening after the last plane crashed. I would recommend an abridged audio version.
I read the book and it was great!!!

touching history

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-10

I wanted to know more of what happened, the goings on behind the scenes right after and beyond the day of 9\11. This book was very enlightening. It answered how the planes were grounded. Why the airspace over Washington was able to be invaded. Either the terrorists were extraordinarily prepared or "lucky" upon picking that day because of the events that the military had scheduled on that day, thus causing them to be away from the areas where they were needed. It was a great book. A little hard to absorb all the agencies involved-military and civilian but I got over that.

Touching History

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-10

This is a very compelling book. Well written, and a very fast read. The subject was of great interest to me and Ms. Spencer helped me understand the huge dilemma that our country and it's dedicated soldiers and employees faced on Sept. 11, 2001.

Awesome

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-30

This book was awesome. I couldn't put it down. We should never forget what happened on 9/11/01.

The Plot Against America

Published in Paperback by Vintage (2005-09-27)

Author: Philip Roth

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plot against America

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-03

I found Roth's book, The Plot Against America, to be a look into a demented mind. A mind full of a repulsive, odious, schizophienic logic.
It is jammed with attacks on Catholics, and Christian people. Wander Roth start wandering.

Is not worth your time to read, I am glad I bought it second hand in paperback...would of been mad as hell if I paid full amount for this trash.

Wonderful Alternate History

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-20

This is a wonderful alternate history novel that puts a huge spin on the dawn of WWII. Charles Lindbergh, a notorious anti-Semite and Nazi sympathizer, is elected president and insists that America avoid becoming involved in the war. But what makes this story work is the narration from the perspective of young Philip, living in Newark with his Jewish family and in perpetual fear of the president and his conservative, isolationist administration, suspicious government programs targeting Jews, anti-Semitic pogroms, and eventual extermination inspired by Hitler. Philip's youth and innocence is refreshing even considering the tumultuous atmosphere. He idolizes his older brother and his wounded veteran cousin Alvin, who runs off to fight against Hitler in the Canadian military and returns minus one leg. Though he is just barely old enough to comprehend the gravity of the situation, Philip's fear is based on his father's interpretation of current events and the propaganda spewing from their radio. Philip also feels intense guilt for what he believes is his roll in an unpredictable chain of events. His reactions and perspective are that of an entirely human little boy faced with a difficult period in history. In the end though, he is just that; a ten-year-old boy who is selfish in his own ways due to a lack of complete understanding.

This incredible novel is so creative in its lineal history and its denunciation of fascism. Roth produces a very convincing alternate timeline and creates a compelling America under the rule of the villainous Lindbergh. The final culmination of this period of history is delivered with a rapid-fire urgency that offers an incredible conclusion.

What If It Did Happen Here?

Helpful Votes: 12 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-28

Philip Roth imagines a time in history if Charles Lindbergh had won the Presidency. Anti-Semitism grows in America, creating two separate cultures. Brilliantly evoked, Roth follows the journey of one American Jewish family as they see America changing before their eyes. Thought provoking. Frightening.

Donald Gallinger is the author of The Master Planets

Alternate history needs justification.

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-30

Every author has to suspend a reader's disbelief about what COULD happen, but when an author writes a book of alternate history, he has to do what fiction, sci-fi and fantasy writers don't--he has to justify, through his story and his characters, the revising of what DID happen. Most of the plot of this book is in the first few and the last few pages, and during some tedious sentences and entire redundant paragraphs that a good editor or author would have known to trim out. The middling mid-portion of this book is like the middle of the country itself--flat, bland, and not too sharp.

What's been described as "the twist" at the end isn't so much a twist as it is an attempt to make something of the 300 page mess preceding it. And although all of it could have happened, none of the book's characters or their lives and trials convinced me that the author Roth had a literary justification for whipping up this plot in the first place. His themes on family were fuzzy, the debate of America's role in this time in history has been explored from every angle in much more enlightening texts, and, of course, as a Orwellian-style cautionary tale (and parallel to current politics), it is trite and tiresome.

Mr Cucuzzo is a wonderful character, though. It's too bad he didn't turn up with his "you pulla the trig'" until near the end. That's America.

Waste of Time

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-17

I wanted to like this book. Alternative history stories are usually fascinating. However, this book is largely page-after-page a jewish family drama. That is fine, but I found it very boring. The "President Lindbergh" idea is not the focus. In fact, the book is slow and plodding until the last 50 pages. In these final pages, the most dramatic political intrigue occurs. Yet, there are not enough pages left to fully explore these plot turns, let alone convince the reader they are plausible. The ending of this book felt like an incomplete Cliffs Notes version of another novel. There were no shortage of positive blurbs on the back cover of my paperback, yet this book left me wondering what those critics were thinking when they praised this book.

The Best Game Ever: Giants vs. Colts, 1958, and the Birth of the Modern NFL

Published in Hardcover by Atlantic Monthly Press (2008-05-05)

Author: Mark Bowden

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Enjoyable portrait of a great moment in pigskin history

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-18

In recent times, using the adjective "best" in the title of a book about a sporting event has been used liberally. A golf match, the seventh game of the World Series and the NCAA basketball championship tilt have all received the designation as the greatest contest in the history of the sport. Mark Bowden's THE BEST GAME EVER casts its lot with the championship game celebrating its 50th anniversary this football season. The New York Giants and Baltimore Colts battled at Yankee Stadium in the first overtime game in football history. It was watched by millions of fans on their grainy black-and-white televisions, some who still recall the vision of Colts running back Alan Ameche plunging into the end zone to score the winning touchdown in sudden death overtime.

Bowden's title is ironic because, while it had a lasting impact on the National Football League, the championship game was more memorable for miscues than for quality. A crucial moment in the third quarter when the Giants made a goal line stand was the result of Ameche running the wrong play. But legends are built upon success, not failure. The game also marked the introduction of John Unitas and Raymond Berry to a nation of fans, unaware of their football talent. Unitas coolly led a drive in the fourth quarter to tie the game. Berry's 12 pass receptions are an NFL championship game record that stands today.

Though the game itself has been chronicled on many occasions, THE BEST GAME EVER recounts a number of details in a slightly different fashion. Using transcripts of the game's radio broadcasts, Bowden recreates some of the twists and turns that made the contest so memorable. Interspersed with the game details are biographical chapters of many of the players who dotted the rosters of the two teams. From Berry, Unitas and Sam Huff, to coaches Tom Landry, Weeb Ewbank and Vince Lombardi, the total number of participants ultimately enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame is 17.

Remembering this epic game 50 years after the fact, this reader is struck by some new details. When time expired and the teams were tied at 17, many of the players thought the game was over. Some began heading to the locker rooms only to be admonished by the officials that an overtime period would commence. Sudden death has become a staple of professional football, but the 1958 overtime struggle between the Colts and Giants was a first. Likewise, in reading Bowden's account, I learned that when television transmission was interrupted by a cable problem, the network, not wanting the 45 million viewers to miss any action, had one of their own run on the field to stop play. Both the NFL and the television networks have come a long way since December 28, 1958.

Whether it was the Colts-Giants game or another NFL contest that qualifies as the greatest ever in NFL history is not really the question. The game chronicled by Bowden changed professional football, and television captured that moment. That the images of 50 years ago remain with us today speaks volumes about the game, the players and the moment. Football fans will enjoy being reminded of all those as they read this enjoyable portrait of a great moment in pigskin history.

--- Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman

Good Stuff

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-02

There were lots of inside things in the book. I greatly enjoyed it. It also arrived very prompt.

one for the ages...

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-22

Bowden always delivers. This is a quick read of the '58 NFL Championship Game. It's like watching a documentary of the game on ESPN Classic. A little game action then switch to a little background on some of the colorful personalities of the GIANTS or COLTS. All in all it delivers and entertains. I'm too young to have seen the game but I could picture my dad(a big Colts fan) cheering on Johnny Unitas! The names of the players, owners and coaches are legendary, all in all 17 of them from this game would make the NFL Hall of Fame. I really enjoyed some of the locker room stories between the players no doubt the stories have grown in stature over the years as has this game and the NFL. Highly recommended.

Excellent insight.

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-10

Fine writing, excellent content, interesting insight by Bowden make the book a great read for all fans of football interested in the most exciting game of football ever played, but an especially great read for fans of the old Baltimore Colts.

The Best Game Ever lives up to the hype

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-10

The Best Game Ever brought back to life many of the characters I grew up watching on TV when I was a young boy, Johnny Unitas, Raymond Berry, Frank Gifford, Vince Lombardi, Tom Landry, the list goes on. The book is as compelling as I'm sure the game must have been and after reading it you come away with a better appreciation of the roots of America's new favorite pass-time. Highly recommended!

The American Pageant: A History of the Republic, 12th Edition

Published in Hardcover by Houghton Mifflin Company (2002-01-01)

Authors: David M. Kennedy, Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas A. Bailey

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Biased and narrow

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-21

I teach AP and Dual Credit classes and inherited this book when I joined the district. I flipped through out of curiosity before school started and found it to be a typical high school text book. Getting into the year, my students came into tutoring with questions about the book, specifically the text. They couldn't understand it and after I started reading it closer, I realized I had trouble reading it. The text is confusing and overly complex. It is designed for AP students in high school, but it fails in its goal.

The book does cover several points very well (founding fathers, early republic), but it is narrow in scope and unimaginably biased for our country on many other points (Slavery, treatment of Native Americans). I assigned Howard Zinn in an effort to balance the textbook. According to the book, our country has never made a mistake and blames the world for everything that has gone wrong. The book also concentrates on New England and the Eastern states at the expense of the rest of the country. The original 13 colonies are glorified ad nauseum while the rest of the states are mentioned only when necessary.

This book misses the mark on several occasions, especially pivotal events such as the World Wars and more importantly, the Holocaust. I understand the AP exam is biased against war, but to understand what is occurring in America, both world wars must be discussed in more detail.

America and Americans do not live in a vacuum, as much as many or us think we do.

Slightly dissapointing.

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-27

Although this textbook serves as a good introduction to US History, it is difficult to gather much actual information from the text. In an attempt to increase readability, the authors rarely mention dates or locations of important events, leading to confusion. A timeline at the end of each chapter helps to alleviate this problem, but it is nevertheless annoying. On the plus side, many small jokes are inserted throughout the chapters and help the reader to stay awake while reading about the especially boring parts of our country's history

easy to read but too much useless info

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-19

I can honestly say that reading/learning this book thoroughly helped me get a 4 on the AP exam. It was easy to read too.

However, it was pretty annoying to sift through A LOT of useless information in the book. There was one chapter where they took up a fourth of a page to describe Andrew Jackson's HAIR COLOR and physical features.

In the chapter about the salem witch trials, they actually felt it necessary to tell you that 2 dogs died in the witch hunt.
etc.

waste of time

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-27

I am using The American Pageant in my AP US History class and feel that my knowledge of history is not as good as it could be, and I am very underprepared for the AP test because of "Pageant" being my only source of the information.

The book is frustrating. It uses roundabout language instead of giving you the facts (for instance, saying "every elected occupant of the White House" instead of "every president"). It is very difficult to figure out what it is trying to tell you.

The book is very biased, and is trying to be something it cannot. I'd prefer something straightforward.

Terrible

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-26

This is one of the worst textbooks i have ever used. The book uses lame metaphors. The style of writing is also horrible. It is very hard to understand and has a lot of "fluff" information. I do not suggest any AP US history students to read this for the AP exam.

Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church Is Transforming the Faith

Published in Paperback by HarperOne (2007-10-01)

Author: Diana Butler Bass

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Christianity for the Rest of Us

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-21

This is probably well written, but I don't really believe in many of the concepte she is proposing therefore I cannot consider it a good book. For those who are searching for something it would be a good read.

Following the GPS on a new journey

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-21

Diana Butler Bass continues presenting her helpful (and hopeful) data and analysis for mainline congregations. This is an excellent book to study in clergy groups, or with parish lay leaders as part of a strategic planning process. On many counts the information is time-tested; but there are fresh insights about new directions for "God-provided-signs" (GPS)to guide us toward the Kingdom.

Reflections after a congregational study

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-04

I would like to express my appreciation for "Christianity for the Rest of Us." As the pastor of a small, struggling mainline congregation, much of what Diana Butler Bass has written here resonates. My congregation just spent almost six months with this book. We used each of the "signposts of renewal" that form the heart of the book as a theme for ten weeks. Each member read the chapter in advance and the liturgy, scriptures and hymns were all chosen and crafted to accompany the theme. Before going into the book, I didn't know what to expect. It could have been deadly dry and dull; it could have been fluffy and shallow; it could have been yet another piece about what we're doing wrong. Instead I found a very enjoyable, readable book that touched me deeply often. It reaffirmed to me that my tiny congregation that struggles along is indeed going in the right direction and is part of a larger whole of God's people who see their faith-life differently than many other congregations. It also made me realize that we need to continue our work; we are not done here and God has plenty more in store for us. How exciting! I am grateful that "Christianity for the Rest of Us" found its way into our congregational life. Though our formal study is over, as I said to the congregation last Sunday, we are not done with this book.

An excellent sociological perspective of hope

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-04

Diana Butler Bass has visited numerous mainline Protestant churches all over the continental U.S. This is her "report": mainliners are NOT on the way out; as a matter of fact, they have the best hope of re-introducing to our tired-of-secluded-suburban country a much-needed sense of true community through the neighborhood church. When glittering technology gets old, when surface religion becomes a drag, there is genuine depth (imagine that) and substance to the mainliners' faith. Diana Butler Bass describes the Church's focus on a handful of very important areas that provide that sense of community. She offers a wonderfully hopeful perspective for those people who have felt devalued by the more vociferous "evangelical" circles.

A book of hope for today's church

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-16

First off, I must say that I loved this book. I actually checked it out of the library but half-way through I knew I needed to own it.

"Christianity for the Rest of Us" is the result of a three year study of emerging mainline churches in the United States. If you are like me, then you probably need "mainline" defined for you. Mainline churches are the "brand-name" churches you see across the country - Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Congregationalists, and Episcopalians. These churches are often more liberal and progressive than their evangelical counterparts (although they may not like these labels). These churches have also been perceived (with some reality behind the perception) to be declining while more conservative and evangelical churches have been growing. The purpose of Bass' study was to visit and explore growing and vital moderate-to-liberal mainline churches. The study included 50 participating congregations but focused on ten.

These churches are filled with people who do not fit into the new evangelical Christian majority in the United States. They are desiring to know God and follow Jesus in our world but are not interested in embracing the evangelical culture of political and religious conservatism and/or fundamentalism. On the other hand, these churches are also not interested in the largely secular religion indicative of many declining mainline churches. For the most part, these churches include a diverse group of people from all ideologies and backgrounds - including some conservatives.

In some ways, this was actually a strange book for me to read. I am not part of a mainline church (or any institutional church for that matter). I have never even attended a mainline church. I know very few people who attend mainline churches. And I grew up in very conservative evangelical churches, in which mainline churches were largely discredited. Yet it is because of all of these statements that I felt the need and desire to read this book. I wanted to see what God is doing in an area I am very unfamiliar with. And in short, I was very excited about what I read - God is certainly doing a lot.

Throughout reading this book, I was struck by how well it complements Gibbs' and Bolger's "Emerging Churches." Whereas "Emerging Churches" focuses on a new breed of churches that have largely come out of the evangelical movement, "Christianity for the Rest of Us" looks at a new type of church coming from the old mainline of Christianity. What is so interesting is that these stories overlap in so many ways! "Emerging Churches" deals with a reaction against the sometimes dead religion that results from fundamental evangelicalism and "Christianity for the Rest of Us" looks at how churches are emerging from the liberal secularism found in some mainline religion. However, both of these "emerging churches" are heading in the same direction. They are both looking to follow Jesus without the trappings of the liberal/conservative divide, apart from the modern focus on reasoned certainty or skepticism, and in a way that is relevant to a new post-Christian culture. Many of the findings of these books are very similar. They even identify some very similar traits in the churches they studied. Is this really one movement of Christians that is being observed? Just in different environments and from different backgrounds? At least in some ways, I think so.

In short, I find all of this very intriguing and encouraging. God is working in a lot of different places. This is good news. God is not confined to any particular "movement" or perspective. He is busy using people to transform others and to influence the world. All are welcome to play a part.

The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography

Published in Paperback by Anchor (2000-08-29)

Author: Simon Singh

List price: $15.95

New price: $6.80
Used price: $4.29
Collectible price: $15.95

Average review score:

Cryptography 101

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-04

As always Simon Singn takes the reader on a fantastic trip through History. Filled with entertaining stories, puzzles and heroic events, the author skillfully covers the history of secret writing. If you liked his coverage of Fermat's Enigma then you will definitely enjoy this book.

The prose is capturing, deep enough to fascinate technical readers and light enough to just entertain the casual reader. I specialized in Quantum computers while studying Mathematics and I am astonished that the author manages to explain such non-trivial subjects as quantum computers and cryptography to the degree where ordinary readers can actually understand how they work and their impact on ciphers such as RSA/DSA. In short another great read from one of the best and most entertaining technical writers who ever lived.

Excellent reading on evolution of cryptography

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-20

Simon Singh books usually hold you from the first page and till the end. "The code book" is very well written and very informative. You will see how it's started and where cryptography goes, but even more interesting part of history of cryptography - life (sometimes secret life) of people who worked and continue to work on development of cryptosystems.

Excellent

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-14

Nutshell review - This is an excellent book covering the history of cryptography up to present day and into the near future. Very well written, easy to understand and worth reading by any layperson interested in the topic.

Solve any Enigma

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-23

If you want to know about codes, secrets, cryptography and cryptanalysis then this is the book. Simon Singh presents the history of codes in a clear and simple way. Without the mathematics to disturb the flow of the story, you enjoy plots, conspiracies, secrets and algorithms. Excellent for general knowledge and for an introductory text in cryptanalysis. Buy it!

excellent

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-11

great book regarding the history of cryptography. The only way to truly understand anything is c the history of it's introduction

Stocks for the Long Run, 4th Edition

Published in Hardcover by McGraw-Hill (2007-11-27)

Author: Jeremy J. Siegel

List price: $34.95

New price: $15.98
Used price: $14.00

Average review score:

A New Gloss on Stocks for the Long Run

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-27

In the previous editions of Stocks for the Long Run, Wharton Finance professor Jeremy Siegel offered a thoroughly bullish take on the merits of equity investing that has proved highly influential and largely correct through the end of the post-Millennial Bull Market in mid-2007. In the latest edition of this classic, released in a much more difficult period of substantial market declines, Siegel has added important and more nuanced insights derived from his previous and somewhat overlooked book "The Future for Investors," which came out in 2006. In addition to emphasizing the importance of the contribution of stock dividends to equity portfolio performance, this material from the Future for Investors, which has been updated somewhat for this book, also grapples with a perplexing challenge to Siegel's original stocks for the long run mantra, the much vexed question of what will happen if and when the populous Baby Boom generation attempts to cash in its stock and bond retirement portfolios by selling them to the smaller demographic of Gen X and Gen Y. An entire school of catastrophe futurologists, most notably Harry Dent, but also more mainstream voices like Peter G. Peterson (The Grey Wave) have warned that this so-called Age Wave is about to wreak havoc with stock market investments. In this book, Siegel does not dismiss this issue, but deals with it in a logical and generally less alarmist point of view. At the risk of oversimplifying a complex analysis, Siegel's bottom line is that while it is true that there are not enough younger generation Americans to absorb the Boomers stock and bond assets at current prices, investors in emerging countries, like China and India, will more than make up for that and will end up buying the Baby Boomer's paper assets as the Boomers sell them off to fund their retirements. The upshot is that foreigners will end up owning a lot of our companies by the year 2050. A potential snag, says Siegel, is whether America will be willing to let this happen, or will pass laws or adopt polices to discourage the transfer of US assets to foreign countries. This remains to be seen, but he is optimistic. On the other hand, the implications for the typical Baby Boomer's most important asset, his or her house, is rather dire, because homes can't be sold as readily to foreigners, for obvious reasons. Siegel doesn't provide an answer for the housing market, which is outside the scope of a book on stock investing in any event. Overall, this remains one of the best written and most sensible investment books available today, now offering a more nuanced and even more helpful sets of advice than the previous editions. With new information and analysis, this is well worth owning, even if you have a previous edition.

Investment fo Wide Audience

Helpful Votes: 14 out of 20 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-19

Jeremy Siegel is the Russell E. Palmer Professor of Finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He appears regularly on networks like CNN, CNBC and NPR, and is a frequent contributor to financial periodicals.

"Stocks for the Long Run" is the best known book by Siegel, and widely cited. There are more than 100 books that cite "Stocks for the Long Run".

Most of the book takes a long-term view of the financial markets. Siegel takes an empirical perspective to answer some major investing questions. Even though the book has been termed "the buy and hold Bible", the author occasionally concedes that there can be some market inefficiencies that can be exploited. The book is very easy to comprehend and is targeted to wide audience.

If you like the idea of scrutinizing major investing questions, popular beliefs and conventional wisdoms, I would recommend "The Only Three Questions That Count" by Kenneth L. Fisher, which is much deeper than "Stocks for the Long Run".

Outstanding Overview of Stock Investing

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-24

Dr. Siegel, one of the top academics in finance, has provided a comprehensive, up-to-date overview of investing in stocks. His book is based on data going back 200 years and is fact based, rather than just opinions or theories. I have been involved in investing for over 30 years and found much new, useful information. This book is a great read for anyone interested in stock investing, whether a rookie or a veteran.

Professor Siegel gets an A+

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-22

Siegel's masterpiece is a must buy for anyone who wants to stop wasting money on mutual fund fees and start accumulating wealth. I give this book and Professor Siegel an A+.

Andrew Nissenbaum

The environment map to help you move in ANY stock market

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-16

Recently published (end of 2007) very helpful to give an overall view of the world stock markets, with enphasis on the american market of course. In my opinion it gives a helicopter view of the economy and the stock market movements and in doing so it provides you with a map of the "territory" you are moving in (as it were). Great statistic amount of information.