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A Letter from Brian Selznick Dear readers, When I was a kid, two of my favorite books were by an amazing man named Remy Charlip. Fortunately and Thirteen fascinated me in part because, in both books, the very act of turning the pages plays a pivotal role in telling the story. Each turn reveals something new in a way that builds on the image on the previous page. Now that I'm an illustrator myself, I've often thought about this dramatic storytelling device and all of its creative possibilities. My new book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, is a 550 page novel in words and pictures. But unlike most novels, the images in my new book don't just illustrate the story; they help tell it. I've used the lessons I learned from Remy Charlip and other masters of the picture book to create something that is not a exactly a novel, not quite a picture book, not really a graphic novel, or a flip book or a movie, but a combination of all these things. I began thinking about this book ten years ago after seeing some of the magical films of Georges Méliès, the father of science-fiction movies. But it wasn't until I read a book called Edison's Eve: The Quest for Mechanical Life by Gaby Woods that my story began to come into focus. I discovered that Méliès had a collection of mechanical, wind-up figures (called automata) that were donated to a museum, but which were later destroyed and thrown away. Instantly, I imagined a boy discovering these broken, rusty machines in the garbage, stealing one and attempting to fix it. At that moment, Hugo Cabret was born. A few years ago, I had the honor of meeting Remy Charlip, and I'm proud to say that we've become friends. Last December he was asking me what I was working on, and as I was describing this book to him, I realized that Remy looks exactly like Georges Méliès. I excitedly asked him to pose as the character in my book, and fortunately, he said yes. So every time you see Méliès in The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the person you are really looking at is my dear friend Remy Charlip, who continues to inspire everyone who has the great pleasure of knowing him or seeing his work. Paris in the 1930's, a thief, a broken machine, a strange girl, a mean old man, and the secrets that tie them all together... Welcome to The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Yours, Brian Selznick

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Amazon.com Exclusive

Brian Selznick on a "Deleted Scene" from The Invention of Hugo Cabret This is a finished drawing that I had to cut from The Invention of Hugo Cabret. I was still rewriting the book when I had to begin the final art. There was originally a scene in the story where this character, Etienne, is working in a camera shop. On one of my research trips to Paris I spent an entire day visiting old camera shops and photographing cameras from the 1930's and earlier, as well as the facades of the shops themselves. I researched original French camera posters and made sure that the counter and the shelves were accurate to the time period. I did all the drawings in the book at 1/4 scale, so they were very small and I often had to use a magnifying glass to help me see what I was drawing. After I finished this drawing I continued to rewrite, and for various reasons I realized that I needed to move this scene from the camera shop to the French Film Academy, which meant that I had to cut this picture. I tried really hard to find ANOTHER moment when I could have Etienne in a camera shop, but, as painful as it was, I knew the picture had to go. I'm glad to see it up on the Amazon website because otherwise no one would have ever seen all those tiny cameras I researched and drew so carefully! --Brian Selznick

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More from Brian Selznick

The Houdini Box

Walt Whitman: Words for America

The Boy of a Thousand Faces

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Customer Reviews:

Best Book for Parent - Child to Read Together.......2007-10-12

My 5-year old and I read this book almost every night in about a month. The perfect blend of black and white drawings with increasing details and the captivating story line totally intrigued my son. He remembered all the little details that I'd forget and kept reminding me in the evening that it was time for us to read another chapter. After we finished it last night, he asked me - is there a Book TWO of Hugo Cabret, maybe called the Magics of Hugo Cabret, he suggested, is it coming out next year?
Now it will be hard for me to find a book to match this one.

The type of book you want your kids to read!.......2007-10-08

The Invention of Hugo Cabret is about an independent, intelligent young boy who maintains the clocks in a train station. Inheriting the job from his deadbeat uncle, Hugo lives within the walls of the station and must deal with the daily struggle of taking care of himself without any money. While he isn't working he obsesses over an automaton that his father had once worked on. Throughout the novel he strives to make it work again, hoping it will connect him to his dead father. Along the way he makes a new friend and learns that it is okay to depend on others for help.

What really makes this book unique are the hundreds of illustrations that are wonderfully drawn by Selznick. They actually take the place of words, they don't just illustrate what you have read. They are not meant to be skimmed over, but analyzed and appreciated.

This novel is the type of book you want your kids to read; it is well written, teaches lessons, presents strong characters and has a unique story.

Great Book for Boys.......2007-10-07

My 11-year-old son read this book in 2 days. He absolutely loved it, both the illustrations and the writing. "I liked the way the pictures told the story," he said. He wants to read more Brian Selznick now. Great books for boys don't grow on trees; this is a real winner.

Wonderful Blend of Pictures and Words.......2007-10-05

This was just an incredible book. A wonderful mix of pictures and words, it is fifty per cent graphic novel and fifty percent prose. An intriguing mystery set in Paris, certain to be enjoyed by readers both young and old.
It flows quickly - you will get much more out of it if you take your time with the pictures particularly. The detail in some of the scenes is well worth the time.
The characters are believable - youngsters forced to be older than their years in some cases, but still children at heart.
I was amazed to read the author notes at the end, about how much was based on actual creations.
Definitely an interesting, and recommended, read.

Unexpectedly Educational.......2007-09-30

Although it doesn't come across as a historical fiction piece, that's exactly what this book is. Much like the film Amadeus, The Invention of Hugo Cabret uses real life historical people to create an exaggerated (if not downright false) interpretive biography.

Works of this particular genre contain a strange mixture of true and false elements, and are actually good tools for teaching. True, they may lead to some initial misconceptions, but adequate research after the reading can clear these misconceptions up in a hurry. I wouldn't make a big deal out of a minor conception though, if in turn you get a wondrous discovery to go along with it.

From this book I learned that intricate machines were being invented long before computers and television. Robots that could draw and write as far back as perhaps the 18th century. Amazing. Why aren't we taught things like this in school? Probably because the textbooks that are issued make people of the past look like complete dimwits when that really isn't the case.

The revelation of the existence of ancient robots alone is enough for me to give this book a high amount of praise. But the artistry in the book brings it to another level. So much work went into the dozens and dozens of beautiful pencil illustrations that you'd have to be a complete jerk to not give Selznick at least a little respect for his efforts.

Often I have to read five or six unexciting books before I get to one that really makes me say, "Wow!" This is a "Wow!" book, and makes a fitting addition to any library. The risk of constructing it in such an unusual style has greatly paid off. Books like this are the reason I read.

I know I'm not the first one to say this, but this might be the book of the future we're looking at here.

Average customer rating: Calculations are only as good as your numbers Pants on fire? Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. Very Interesting History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1) Anatoly Fomenko Manufacturer: Mithec ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Chinese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books Japanese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books Augustine, Saint | ( A ) | People, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books Doctors & Medicine | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books Lawyers & Criminals | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books Love, Sex & Marriage | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books Early Civilization | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books Historiography | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books General | World | History | Subjects | Books General | Asian American | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Asian American | Poetry | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books French | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Victorian | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Epic | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books German | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Russian | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Spanish | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Chinese | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Conspiracy Theories | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books War on Drugs | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Arabic | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Armenian | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Czech | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Greek | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Hungarian | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Japanese | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Korean | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Norwegian | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Persian & Farsi | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Polish | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Portuguese | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Romanian | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Russian | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Swedish | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Turkish | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Science | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books Online Research | Genealogy | Reference | Subjects | Books Native American | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books General | Science | Subjects | Books General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books Magic & Wizards | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books Sailor Moon | Popular Characters | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Pilates | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books History | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Look Inside Romance Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books Similar Items: History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology) History: Fiction or Science? Astronomical methods as applied to chronology. Ptolemy's Almagest. Chronology III Discovering the Mysteries of Ancient America: Lost History And Legends, Unearthed And Explored Before the Pharaohs: Egypt's Mysterious Prehistory They Cast No Shadows: A Collection of Essays on the Illuminati, Revisionist History, and Suppressed Technologies ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating: Fragmented is right Starts off slow, but is ultimately quite interesting... A facinating exploration of a fascinating subject

The Iron Whim: A Fragmented History of Typewriting Darren Wershler-Henry Manufacturer: Cornell University Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover History | Subjects | Books | Africa | Americas | Ancient | Arctic & Antarctica | Asia | Audiobooks | Australia & Oceania | Europe | Gay & Lesbian | Historical Study | Large Print | Middle East | Military | Military Science | Russia | United States | World General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books General | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books History of Books | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books General | Criticism & Theory | History & Criticism | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Typing | Business Skills | Reference | Subjects | Books History of Technology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books Patents & Inventions | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books Similar Items: The Annotated Archy and Mehitabel (Penguin Classics) Paper Machine (Cultural Memory in the Present) The Postal Age: The Emergence of Modern Communications in Nineteenth-Century America When You Catch an Adjective, Kill It: The Parts of Speech, for Better And/Or Worse Two Lives: Gertrude and Alice ASIN: 0801445868

Book Description

The Iron Whim is an intelligent, irreverent, and humorous history of writing culture and technology. It covers the early history and evolution of the typewriter as well as the various attempts over the years to change the keyboard configuration, but it is primarily about the role played by this marvel in the writer's life. Darren Wershler-Henry populates his book with figures as disparate as Bram Stoker, Mark Twain, Franz Kafka, Norman Mailer, Alger Hiss, William Burroughs, J. G. Ballard, Jack Kerouac, Hunter S. Thompson, Northrop Frye, David Cronenberg, and David Letterman; the soundtrack ranges from the industrial clatter of a newsroom full of Underwoods to the more muted tapping and hum of the Selectric. Wershler-Henry casts a bemused eye on the odd history of early writing machines, important and unusual typewritten texts, the creation of On the Road, and the exploits of a typewriting cockroach named Archy, numerous monkeys, poets, and even a couple of vampires. He gathers into his narrative typewriter-related rumors and anecdotes (Henry James became so accustomed to dictating his novels to a typist that he required the sound of a randomly operated typewriter even to begin to compose). And by broadening his focus to look at typewriting as a social system as well as the typewriter as a technological form, he examines the fascinating way that the tool has actually shaped the creative process.

With engaging subject matter that ranges over two hundred years of literature and culture in English, The Iron Whim builds on recent interest in books about familiar objects and taps into our nostalgia for a method of communication and composition that has all but vanished.

Customer Reviews:

Fragmented is right.......2007-09-19

I heard an interview with the author on NPR which was fascinating. Unfortunately that did not carry over to his writing style. I found this book to be a bit like reading a stream-of-conciousness history of typewriting. It seemed that whatever entered the author's mind was then placed on a page with no logical progression. I also felt the book covered very odd things that had very little to do with typewriting, like an entire section devoted to rambling about EBay and random typing knick knacks. Overall I was very disappointed when I had been hoping for so much more.

Starts off slow, but is ultimately quite interesting..........2007-09-05

I would have rated it higher except for the exremely poor copy editing. What percentage of Arli's errors were simple keying errors? We'll never know, because the number is missing.

Other places, sentence fragments are arbitrarily repeated.

You'd think this thing was typed on a typewriter by a monkey. Or a cow. Or a cockroach.

Overall, quite a fun book.

A facinating exploration of a fascinating subject .......2007-04-05

This work is about a fascinating subject, especially I suspect to all those who have known the transition, first from the handwriting to the typing , and then from the typing to the word- processor modes of human expression. Wershler- Henry is interested in revealing to us the way the parts of the machine work together, and as he indicates the way to do this is to look at them when they have been discombobulated, when they are taken apart and seen not as the height of progress and invention, but as mere random pieces put together. Even more importantly he tells us his goal in writing this book is " to understand how typewriting shaped and changed not only Literature, but also our culture and sense of ourselves".
He ranges over a wide variety of subjects and includes descriptions of how the typewriter influenced the writing lives of some of the great literary masters. He too surveys what the change from the relatively harder - work of typewriting to the smooth more soundless touch of computer keys means for us.
His chapters are interestingly titled for example: Typewriting and Dictation, Typewriter Nostalgia, , Typewriting and Speed, Typewriting and Discipline, Writing Blind, Poet's Stave and Bar, Typewriters at War, Typewriting After the Typewriter.
He certainly tells us more about 'typewriting' than we who for years stabbed and banged on our favorite instrument could have ever understood of its complexity and significance.
Ah for my old Smith- Corona .

Average customer rating: Excellent read! A great recommendation. Amazing Amazon information Scifi novel of ideas Some Great Ideas Poorly Executed

The Invention of Morel (New York Review Books Classics) Adolfo Bioy Casares Manufacturer: NYRB Classics ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Latin American | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Borges, Jorge Luis | ( B ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Look Inside Mystery & Thriller Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Similar Items: The Last World The Balcony Lady into Fox (Collins Library) Cards of Identity (British Literature) The Street of Crocodiles (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics) ASIN: 1590170571 Release Date: 2003-08-31

Book Description

Jorge Luis Borges declared The Invention of Morel a masterpiece of plotting, comparable to The Turn of The Screw and Journey to the Center of the Earth. Set on a mysterious island, Bioy's novella is a story of suspense and exploration, as well as a wonderfully unlikely romance, in which every detail is at once crystal clear and deeply mysterious.

Inspired by Bioy Casares's fascination with the movie star Louise Brooks, The Invention of Morel has gone on to live a secret life of its own. Greatly admired by Julio Cortázar, Gabriel García Márquez, and Octavio Paz, the novella helped to usher in Latin American fiction's now famous postwar boom. As the model for Alain Resnais and Alain Robbe-Grillet's Last Year in Marienbad, it also changed the history of film.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent read!.......2006-04-25

If you want something to think about, how do you really feel about immortality?

A great recommendation........2006-03-28

I am a big fan of the short stories by Jorge Luis Borges. As such, Amazon kept suggesting I would enjoy this book by Casares. From time to time Amazon's system can really make annoying recommendations (I like Hamlet, so for a month, I had 300 plays by Shakespeare on my recommended page).

At first glance I thought this was a simple, he-likes-Spanish-language-authors-so-lets-recommend-another recommendation. But the similarity goes deeper. If you like Borges, I believe you will find that this books shares a similar ethos. There is a haunting quality to the protagonist's lonliness and longing.

So if you like Borges, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by Adolfo Bioy Casares and THE INVENTION OF MOREL.

Amazing Amazon information.......2005-11-01

Concordances, funny phrases, surprise pages but:

The illustrator is not Levine.
The illustrator is Borges de Torre.
Levine is the author of the Introduction.

One would expect that booksellers and book reviewers can read and write... However, some reviews found in the web claim, incorrectly, that Levine is either the translator or that she revised Simms's translation. Others list the author as Casares rather than as Bioy Casares. Sure ABC is laughing while rolling in his tomb: notice his parents humour in naming him Adolf so his initials would be ABC, as known to his friends. What better for a writer?

Scifi novel of ideas.......2005-01-01

Praised by many writers, this is a novel akin to films like "The Outsiders" or "The Sixth Sense" in that it centers around a fantastic explanation for the odd happenings over the course of the story. The explanation is so verbose and unnecessarily detailed for the function of plot alone that it purposefully strays into philosophy and how we perceive the world and interact with others. Insightful aphorisms dot the narration. The major fault I find with novels of this sort (and I believe many of the European writers are kin, like Kundera and Calvino) is that they fail to tie their mechanical plot symmetries to lifelike characters. Instead their characters talk in robotlike voices, vaguely imitating real people without the unique inflections of lifelike individuals. These authors have the imagination but not the mimetic skill to make fiction come to life. So reading them is like watching a puppet play, interesting for the plot convolutions but ultimately emotionally detached.

Some Great Ideas Poorly Executed.......2004-07-30

As in H.G. Well's The Island of Dr. Moreau, a man finds himself on an island not as abandoned as it looks - a scientist has been at work on this island as well. A thought provoking work falling somewhere between science fiction and magic realism, The Invention of Morel tackles our image based culture and our obsessions with figures who we repeatedly see, but never know. Can something of the soul be captured on film? Can we lose our souls through devotion to an image? Does the eternal now of a captured moment bestow immortality? And how real is that captured moment anyway? All good stuff this; however, this book at times also greatly disappoints. Despite its brevity, it is prone to dragging and on occasion is too obvious to master the suspense which Bioy Casares has attempted to create. Bioy Casares' technique (original in 1940 and highly praised by Borges in the volume's prologue) has been made disappointingly obvious to a new generation of readers raised on such programs as the Twilight Zone and who are more than familiar with meta-worlds and technologically created simulacrum. The novel greatly improves when these devices are dispensed. The criminal madness and paranoia of the novel's narrator also creates the unfortunate effect of either discounting his observations and insights or, if accepted, implicating the reader as a fellow paranoid fugitive trapped in a world of empty images. Yes, we may be trapped in such a world, but we are hardly as histrionic about it.

Average customer rating: Memory exerciser Good book for children Well made, but not entirely accurate Interesting for all Ages You can't make anything if you can't make mistakes

Mistakes that Worked Charlotte Jones Manufacturer: Doubleday Books for Young Readers ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Fiction | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General & Reference | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Similar Items: The Kid Who Invented the Popsicle: And Other Surprising Stories about Inventions Accidents May Happen They All Laughed... From Light Bulbs to Lasers: The Fascinating Stories Behind the Great Inventions That Have Changed Our Lives Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women Brainstorm!: The Stories of Twenty American Kid Inventors ASIN: 0385320434 Release Date: 1994-05-01

Book Description

Piggy banks, silly putty, potato chips and frisbees are all things that were invented by mistake.

Includes a bibliography. An IRA-CBC Children's Choice.

Customer Reviews:

Memory exerciser.......2007-10-12

Another good game to play with my 84 year old dad who is losing his memory. He reads a loud a mistake to me in the morning over coffee and has a great time. He laughs out loud and just wants to read all of them at once. This is a great exercise.

Good book for children.......2006-03-09

If you have a 10-15 years old, this is a nice book for him/her. This is not a history of technology book, it's more of an easy reading.
Additionally, if you don't live in the US, the book makes little sense, since it is full of American references both historically and in terms of customs. On the other hand, if the lucky child who's going to receive it as a gift is American, this is yet another good reason to read this book.

Well made, but not entirely accurate.......2005-03-02

Make no mistake; this is a well-made piece of work. The stories flow smoothly, and the illustrations are very nice. However, the facts just haven't been checked. It claims (incorrectly) that Coca-Cola was an accident, it states (falsely) that Cinderella originally wore fur slippers instead of glass, and it actually elaborates with no real evidence on the history of the brick. For these reasons, I don't recommend it; if you really enjoy it and want to, check everything at snopes.com, where facts are checked ruthlessly.

Interesting for all Ages.......2003-03-03

This book is both a useful resource and an enjoyable way to past a rainy day. Ideal for all age groups - preteens will love learning about 'famous' mistakes - teens will get interested in thinking of ones left out of the book and adults we be amazed.
Overall fun book.

You can't make anything if you can't make mistakes.......2002-06-09

My mom always told me that you can't make anything if you can't make mistakes. This book proves the point aptly, highlighting several mistakes that turned into common and often-loved inventions (chocolate chip cookies, Coca-Cola, the Slinky). This is an enlightening book to share with kids, encouraging them to realize that taking risks, learning to improvise and experiment is often the best way to learn, even if you don't end up creating something new and wonderful.

Average customer rating: Excellent book for introducing kids to technology Great Book! we are curious From MP3 Players to Nanorobots in Amazing Color Photographs Technology and how it works

Cool Stuff and How It Works Chris Woodford , Ben Morgan , and Clint Witchalls Manufacturer: DK CHILDREN ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover How Things Work | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Similar Items: Go Figure!: A Totally Cool Book About Numbers (Bccb Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award (Awards)) How to Be the Funniest Kid in the Whole Wide World (or Just in Your Class) Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon (Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 (Awards)) Transformed: How Everyday Things Are Made MythBusters: Don't Try This at Home (MythBusters) ASIN: 0756614651

Book Description

From microchips and iPods to robots in the human bloodstream, Cool Stuff and How It Works takes the reader on an eye-opening journey through the world of modern technology. Tech-savvy kids will love learning all about today's most innovative inventions-where they came from, how they do what they do, and where they might take us in the future.a

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book for introducing kids to technology.......2007-05-09

Kids are surrounded by technology these days, but unfortunately fewer and fewer of them appear to know how their gadgets or the world around them works.

This book is a good introduction, even if it is a bit lightweight.

There's a mix of ordinary things like electric shavers and guitars, the somewhat exotic like fiber optics and things mostly on the drawing board like fuel-cell cars. In all, more than 90 objects, processes and technologies are described.

The explanations are all essentially superficial and profusely illustrated. It's enough to get a young person interested and perhaps move them along to considering learning more about technology.

Jerry

Great Book!.......2007-01-10

I bought this book for my 11 year old son. He absolutey loves it. It has a great cover. The ipod is sweet and it's a hollagram like I always say you can never have 1 too many of those hollagrams. And every thing else is a joke but who am I kidding hollagrams are sweet. This is a must have hollagram lover! baby yay i know i'm wako but still ya gotta love the hollagram baby!

Your's truly,
Ottomiss woodford

we are curious.......2006-11-11

I bought this book for my high school students to read in their free time. It is one of their favorite books.

From MP3 Players to Nanorobots in Amazing Color Photographs.......2006-06-09

Through the use of cutaways and exploded views pictures reveal the internal workings of objects and explain various layers and how elements are assembled. This provides fascinating explanations of objects that may otherwise remain a mystery. No need to take apart your MP3 player, you can see inside the player on page 71. There is an explanation of how MP3 compression works along with a 3-D graph.

There are six main chapters:

Connect: Microchips, cell phones, fiber optics, digital radio, voice recognition, satellite, Internet...

Play: Soccer, fabric, cameras, games, guitars, compact discs, MP3 Players, headphones, Fireworks...

Live: Light bulbs, mirrors, solar cells, microwaves, aerogel, shavers, washing machines and robots.

Move: Motorcycles, cars, wheelchairs, jet engines, navigation, space probes, elevators, wind tunnels and space shuttles.

Work: Digital pens, laptops, virtual keyboards, laser printer, smart cards, robot worker, fire suits, radio ID tag, glue and wet welding.

Survive: Laser surgery, robot surgery, MRI scan, pacemaker, cells, vaccination and antibiotics

You may enjoy reading about how fireworks explode and why they display various colors. The pet translator helps you to find out if your dogs barking indicates needy, happy or assertive behavior. Virtual keyboards make using a PDA much easier now that you can type on any flat space.

One of the most fascinating DK books in print. A must have for every library and school, not to mention home library.

~The Rebecca Review

Technology and how it works.......2006-02-25

Well written explanations of everyday phenomenon, from cell phones to surgery.

Average customer rating: Personal & Insightful look into Madeline L'Engle's world I did this, then I did that. Boring Aspects of marriage Sentiments rarely praised these days Wonderful

Two-Part Invention: The Story of a Marriage (The Crosswicks Journal, Book 4) Madeleine L'engle Manufacturer: HarperOne ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books Religious | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | African American | Asian American | Classics | Collections & Readers | Drama | General | Hispanic | History & Criticism | Humor | Jewish American | Letters & Correspondence | Native American | Poetry | Short Stories | Women Writers Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Domestic Life | Women's Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books General | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books General | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books L'Engle, Madeleine | ( L ) | Authors, A-Z | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Similar Items: The Irrational Season (The Crosswicks Journal, Book 3) The Summer of the Great-Grandmother (Crosswicks Journal, Book 2) A Circle of Quiet Glimpses of Grace: Daily Thoughts and Reflections Bright Evening Star: Mystery of the Incarnation (Wheaton Literary Series) ASIN: 0062505017

Book Description

The story of a marriage of true minds and spirits--a brilliant writer's tribute to lasting love. "A vivid and touching chronicle."--Chicago Tribune

Customer Reviews:

Personal & Insightful look into Madeline L'Engle's world.......2007-05-22

I enjoyed this book - it was an insightful look into L'Engle's life. I never knew that she had been an actress. I especially liked her stories about her theatre life. The fact that she was married to the actor that eventually played "Dr. Tyler" on All My Children was interesting too. She shares her views on things that matter to her, and tries to impart some wisdom upon the reader about living with an actor husband, doing what is best for her family, and ultimately doing what is best for her husband in his time of illness. I would recommend this book for anyone going through a difficult time with a gravely ill spouse, and anyone looking to find out more about L'Engle's life.

I did this, then I did that. Boring.......2007-05-20

I have finished Predlude, the first 70 pages. I'm done. This is a step-by-step and quote-by-quote retelling of her love-life, courtship, etc. There are too many great books out there waiting to be read for me to waste my time waiting for this to get better. I don't really care how many times some suitor proposed to her and what her response was, nor how many dog biscuits she ate after taking a bath. The sentences are boring and so is the story. Farandolae are much more interesting.

Aspects of marriage.......2006-07-02

A great read on the complexities of marriage, life and facing death. Two of my favorite quotes of all time are in this book.

Sentiments rarely praised these days.......2003-10-02

(Two Part Invention) I was touched by the way this woman thought as she entered marriage; how she considered the marriage before any other factor in life. As someone born in the last 40 years, I have honestly never heard a woman talk about her marriage in those terms. I was humbled and thought what a shame...we have lost something very special and gentle: honoring marriage. I never did, never knew anyone who did, marriage for myself and those in my circle was more of a nuisance. After two painful divorces I could finally hear Madeline's voice and everything she said made such beautiful and perfect sense. I long for that type of life and marriage and never realized all along it had to come from me. I also cried after putting the book down and a tear often comes when the book comes to mind. I always remember her thought about moving into the city - where she didn't particularly want to live - so that she could be the wife "hosting the slumber party" when they were snowed in, rather than being the wife getting the call when the husband wouldn't be coming home to the suburbs. And how she adjusted her whole sleep schedule to accomodate her husbands' late work nights. Sigh. Thank you Madeline, thank you for a voice that is not often heard.

Wonderful.......2003-03-05

Two-Part Invention was wonderful. Madeleine L'Engle talks about her 40 year marriage in retrospect - while dealing with the imminent death of her husband after a long struggle with illness. It is moving and profound and inspiring - not depressing at all, despite the sad subject matter. I appreciated that she talked about her craft - and the struggle between being a good wife and mother and being a writer. I'm far from a "writer" but I understand her plight - finding a balance between her vocation as a mother and wife and her avocation as a writer while still doing it all. I think anyone who has a passion for art or writing or any sort of creation and has struggled with that creative urge in the face of their other responsibilities will understand. Wonderful.

Average customer rating: The best book ever Book of Interest Empowering and informative Loved it. Very inspirational. Inventive & Imaginative

Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women Catherine Thimmesh Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Science & Technology | Biographies | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Nonfiction | Girls & Women | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | United States | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books History of Technology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Similar Items: The Sky's the Limit: Stories of Discovery by Women and Girls Mistakes that Worked The Kid Who Invented the Popsicle: And Other Surprising Stories about Inventions Imaginative Inventions: The Who, What, Where, When, and Why of Roller Skates, Potato Chips, Marbles, and Pie (and More!) They All Laughed... From Light Bulbs to Lasers: The Fascinating Stories Behind the Great Inventions That Have Changed Our Lives ASIN: 0395937442

Book Description

In kitchens and living rooms, in garages and labs and basements, even in converted chicken coops, women and girls have invented ingenious innovations that have made our lives simpler and better. Their creations are some of the most enduring (the windshield wiper) and best loved (the chocolate chip cookie). What inspired these women, and just how did they turn their ideas into realities?

Customer Reviews:

The best book ever.......2007-08-12

This book was the best book I have read so far on my summer reading book list. It was very interesting to me. It is the best subject to write a book on. I had the best time reading it. I think that people could have more confidence to invent something after reading this book, even men.

Book of Interest.......2006-07-17

This book allowed me to share stories of inventions by women with my students. Girls often feel left out of the "science of invention", this book allows them to relate to accomplishments in a field where girls often don't relate to the material presented.

Empowering and informative.......2005-09-23

This book goes a long way towards encouraging girls (and women!) to put their creative powers to practical use. It is so gratifying to learn that many everyday items (ice cream cones; Toll House cookies) were invented by women. And the items that are not so 'everyday' (Kevlar; space shields) have such a positive impact on the world around us. The illustrations are wonderfully creative, blending the fascinating details of the text into whimsical collages. Don't forget the sidebars - lots of fun facts there as well.

Loved it. Very inspirational........2003-03-13

I first read the book with my daughter and then shared it with my Girl Scout troop. It was very inspirational and a joy to see some many innovations coming from women.

Inventive & Imaginative.......2000-05-10

A fascinating collection with just the right tone. And MelissaSweet's inventive illustrations will inspire creative thinking byfuture inventors!

Average customer rating: Very nice book! Disappointed Now & Ben Big Ben My children loved it!!!

Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin Gene Barretta Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Colonial & Revolutionary | United States | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books How Things Work | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General & Reference | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books History of Technology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Similar Items: John, Paul, George & Ben Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building Max's Words Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference! ASIN: 0805079173 Release Date: 2006-03-07

Book Description

What would you do if you lived in a community without a library, hospital, post office, or fire department? If you were Benjamin Franklin, youd set up these organizations yourself. Franklin also designed the lightning rod, suggested the idea of daylight savings time, and invented bifocalsall inspired by his common sense and intelligence. In this informative book, Gene Barretta brings Benjamin Franklins genius to life, deepening our appreciation for one of the most influential figures in American history.

Customer Reviews:

Very nice book!.......2007-07-06

This cleverly written and nicely illustrated book was enjoyed by my son, and taught me several things about Ben Franklin I didn't know! It shows how Ben's cool ideas are still in use today, without feeling like a history lesson.

Disappointed.......2007-01-09

For the price that I paid for the book I was expecting much more. The book had good information but few pages. It would be better if it were printed as a soft cover book and the price reduced considerably!

Now & Ben.......2007-01-07

This book has great illustrations. The students I teach spent time looking through all of the details. The stories are accurate and include a fun sense of humor. Students from grade 4-6 also enjoyed the book.

Big Ben.......2006-05-24

Ben Franklin's probably the #1 subject of picture book biographies that cross my desk. He's picturesque -- both visually and as a bio subject. This is the first book I've chosen to review, however, because of its clever format and quirky execution.

On one side is "Now" -- the modern amenities we take for granted, such as odometers, second hands, bifocals, lightening rods and even public libraries. The "Ben" side shows Franklin puttering, tinkering, and hunkering down over his inventions, which include all of the above, plus charting the Gulf Stream, organizing the Post Office, and all that fun with lightening and kites and stuff.

Such a clever fellow, that Ben!

And that's not even getting into his statesmanship and political thinking, which the author treats lightly to focus on the man's inventive genius.

The "Now" side of the page is perky and vibrant in bright blues, while Franklin's 18th century half is awash in faded siennas, the color of aging documents, except for Ben in his blue coat, creating a visual link between our era and his.

I know from the brief time I lived in a Philly suburb how omnipresent are the many reminders of the man's influence, from Indepedence Hall to the Franklin Museum. The city's infused with awe for the man who was arguably our nuttiest Founding Father. But aren't the oddballs the ones you most want to know?

Like Barretta, a Philly resident, you won't be able to resist getting better acquainted.

My children loved it!!!.......2006-03-25

My children (ages 6 - 10) loved the story of Ben Franklin. They enjoyed learning of Ben's inventions and it was fun to talk about how they have evolved over time. The children especially loved the last scene depicting how things will evolve as they grow older. The illustrations and colors on every page were great for the imagination and provided so much insight to every part of the story. Great Job. A+

Average customer rating: Check and see Suprise! Suprise! Prescient St Augustine? Something of a disappointment Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy..

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology) Anatoly T Fomenko Manufacturer: Delamere Resources LLC ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books Historiography | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books General | World | History | Subjects | Books Medieval | World | History | Subjects | Books Medieval | Movements & Periods | History & Criticism | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books German | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Russian | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Spanish | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Chinese | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Mythology & Folklore | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books Controversial Knowledge | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books History | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books Gnosticism | Church History | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books Historical Jesus | Jesus | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books Celtic | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books Magic & Wizards | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books Today's Heroes | Series | Christianity | Religions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books History | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Similar Items: History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1) History: Fiction or Science? Astronomical methods as applied to chronology. Ptolemy's Almagest. Chronology III They Cast No Shadows: A Collection of Essays on the Illuminati, Revisionist History, and Suppressed Technologies The Medieval Empire of the Israelites Discovering the Mysteries of Ancient America: Lost History And Legends, Unearthed And Explored ASIN: 2913621066

Product Description

`History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2` is the second volume of the most explosive and astounding tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by rock solid scientific data. The book is easy and pleasant to read; it is well-illustrated, contains hundreds of charts, graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays. You will be amazed to discover: - That the chronology universally accepted today and taken for granted is simply wrong; - That ALL methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts known today are erroneous or non-exact; - That there is not a single document that could be reliably dated earlier than the XIth century; The Author refers to the Middle Ages as the “Antiquity” and proves mutual superimposition of the Second and the Third Roman Empire, both of which become identified as the respective kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Furthermore, he asserts that the famous reform of the Occidental Church in the XI century by “Pope Gregory Hildebrand” was the reflection of the XII century reforms of Byzantine emperor Andronicus who in his turn identifies with Jesus Christ. The Trojan war counted by Homer happened only as late as of the XIII century A.D. and the great poet actually lived in XIV century A.D. No stone in history of Antiquity is left unturned. Literally. This book is the beginning of a major correction to the chronology we live with.

Customer Reviews:

Check and see.......2007-06-21

I don't care what other people say of this book. Those affirmig it's fake, they hadn't ever read it. Or have some special reasons to do so. "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see..." This book won't make you feel comfortable. It'll make you feel free. It'll make you feel you're "not the only one" to feel you'd been lied to for centuries.

Suprise! Suprise!.......2007-03-22

Here is a serie of books which turns "the whole world" upside down. I learned a lot of it and I hope that a new book from A.T. Fomenko will follow very quick. A absolute must for everybody who is interested in history or even a little bit from it.

Prescient St Augustine?.......2006-02-05

We can so far divide the New Chronology into the following three parts:

a) The verifiable theory that proves consensual chronology wrong with the aid of astronomy, statistics and mathematics;

b) The new chronology hypothesis based on a new understanding of known historical facts and the most likely logical explanation of the most obvious inconsistencies inherent in the official version of history;

c) The history conjectures, that is experimental historical reconstructions based on assumptions that the authors believe to make sense in the light of their research and linguistic parallels - void of ironclad factual support to date.

Fomenko's theory complies with the most rigid scientific standards as a whole:

It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.

- It is consistent: independent lines of inquiry all lead to the same conclusion.

- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.

Fomenko goes by the following axioms:

- Chronology is the basis of history;

- Human evolution has always been linear, gradual and irreversible;

- The "cyclic" nature of human civilization is a myth, likewise all the gaps, duplicates, "dark ages" and "renaissances" that we know from consensual history;

- The accumulation of geographical knowledge as reflected in cartography is a gradual and irreversible process;

- The chronological distance between a given manuscript and the events described therein is proportional to the amount of distortions it contains;

- There is no "useless" information in authentic ancient sources.

Why the mainstream historians do not shower mathematician Academician Dr.Prof Fomenko with thanks and laurels?

The Russians:

Because Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by three centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called "Tartars and Mongols" were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a bilingual state with Arabic spoken as freely as Russian. The ancient Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities. The hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called "blood tax"). Their "invasions" were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion. Fomenko proves that Russian history as we know it today is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scientists brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs, whose ascension to the throne was the result of coup d'état, charged with the mission of making their reign look legitimate. Fomenko proves Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. They represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate rulers and the ambitious upstarts. The winner took it all! Over some 30 years of controversy, Russian historians have made a most remarkable transition - they were initially accusing the young mathematician Fomenko of anticommunist dissident activity and attempts to deface the historical legacy of Soviet Russia; nowadays the middle-aged mathematician is accused of adhering to "pro-communist Russian nationalism" and defacing the proud historical legacy of Great Russia.

The Westerners:

Because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History. Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one the Ancient Rome (the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the XIV century A. D.), the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, and the Ancient Egypt (the pyramids of Giza become dated to the XI-XV century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global "Mongolian" Empire, no less). The civilization of the Ancient Egypt is irrefutably dated to the XII-XV century A. D. with the aid of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone. He was the first one to decipher and date all such horoscopes, coming up with mediaeval dates in every case. English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. To reward the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.

The Chinese:

Because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such thing. Full point. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the XVII-XVIII century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation, this time performed on the Chinese soil by the loving Jesuit hands. The Chinese are the next in line to go berserk. Chinese history is inevitably bound to get both more ancient and more eventful, proportionally to the growing involvement of China in the world affairs. Chinese historians will keep on finding valid proof of prehistoric Chinese spaceflights until the Politburo orders them to shut up.

The Arabs:

Too bad. Islam with all its key figures is datable to XV-XVI century A. D. Arabic historians may find consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire in the XVI-XVII century. The trouble is that this empire was initially a Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, according to Fomenko! We can only guess if the acquisition of Alexander the Great (a Macedonian and a Christian) as the founder of the Muslim World Empire will make Fomenko's theories more acceptable to the Arabic mainstream. He certainly does not spare any holy cows at all, claiming The Stone of Qa'Aba in Mecca to contain the lost Arch of the Covenant.

The Divinity:

Despite of reiterated statement that his theory is all about chronology and not Religion, Fomenko stirs up a whole condominium of wasp nests. His collection of anathemas, fatwa, and other condemnations from all parties concerned is already considerable. Little wonder, considering that the history of religions à la Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the XI century and JC), Bacchic Christianity (XI-XII century, before and after JC), JC Christianity (XII-XVI century) and its subsequent mutations into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on.

According to Fomenko we know strictly NOTHING about the events that predate the X century A. D.

St Augustin was prescient when he spoke unto us: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."

Something of a disappointment.......2005-09-09

After having read the first volume of this expected series of 7 volumes I was triggered by the thesis of these authors that ancient Greek and Roman history did in fact take place in the Middle Ages. So I started studying medieval history of the Middle East - also known as Islamic history - to find out if the opponents of the ancient Greeks and Romans - the Acheamenid Persians, Sassanids, Scythians, Egyptians, etc. - also have their duplicates in medieval history. My search was disappointing: none of the many medieval Islamic dynasties seemed to correspond to the ancient middle eastern rulers.

However, I did find a close correspondence between Herodotus' Persian kings and medieval events:

- the defeat and capture of an Anatolian king - the Lydian Croesus - by the Persian conqueror Cyrus is identical to the defeat and capture of another Anatolian king - sultan Bayezid - by the Asian/Mongol conqueror Tamerlane;
- the Persian conquest of Egypt by the cruel tyrant Cambyses reds almost exactly as the Ottoman conquest of Egypt by Selim the Grim (note the nickname!);
- Darius the Lawgiver of the Persian Empire looks very much alike to Sulayman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver in Islamic history;
- Xerxes, whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by the Greeks at the naval battle of Salamis, looks like Selim II (the Sot) whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by a Spanish-Italian alliance at the naval battle of Lepanto.

I should have expected Fomenko et al. to arrive at similar conclusions, however, they claim that the Persian kings are the alter egos of the Angevin kings of Sicily whose biographies do not contain the exploits of the Persian kings.

The similiarities I indicate lead to the conclusion that Herodotus must have written his Histories at the close of the 16th century. But this is extremely late, given that Herodotus is "the Father of History", so therefore all other "ancient" histories must have been fabricated even later. Yet, the founders of modern chronology - Scaliger and Petavius - laid their foundations also at the close of the 16th century and had the full corpus of ancient histories already at their disposal.

It seems to me that Fomenko has to address these inconsistencies, maybe in the forthcoming 5 volumes?

Another critique of their book is that the correspondencies between different rulers are often based on a superficial comparison of the biographies; upon a more thorough comparison many details appear that do not correspond at all.

Finally, the authors rely heavily on the works of Gregorovius (1821-1891!!) - his medieval histories of Rome and Athens - as the source of medieval history; these works are - at least in the West - hoplessly outdated and have been superceded by more up-to-date works (for instance, Julius Norwich's trilogy on Byzantine history is not even cited).

Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy.........2005-07-30

If you agree with Fomenko that Roman chronology is basically the foundation of the entire edifice of global chronology; you would also certainly agree that despite its numerous gaps and inconsistencies, Roman history is the best-documented field of ancient history, and thus a reference scale. But how well is the actual date of the Eternal City's foundation known?

Firstly, Rome is supposed to have been founded by the Trojans who had to flee after the fall of Troy. Some claim Rome to have been founded by Aeneas and Ulysses shortly after Troy had fallen; others are of the opinion that there was an entire dynasty that ruled for 500 years between the fall of Troy and the foundation of Rome.

Well, that's just an innocent 500 years long misunderstanding compared with what heretic Fomenko says, asserts, proves in his second volume: Second Roman Empire, Third Roman Empire, Biblical Kingdom of Israel, Biblical Kingdom of Judah, Holy Roman Empire are stories about basically same events, written from different points of view at different times. The underlying events have actually taken place during xii-xv cy. These histories have been written and perfected by multitude of highly talented humanist and clerical writers of xiii-xvi cy disguised as "ancients" with glorious names like Homer, Pluto, Thucydides etc..Chronology 2.0 beta..

Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.

Books:

1. The Lost Word (Alice 19th Vol. 7)
2. The Marvel Encyclopedia
3. The Pacific and Other Stories
4. The Restoration of Paintings
5. The Shadow Roads: Book Three of the Swans' War (Swans War)
6. The Skeptic's Dictionary: A Collection of Strange Beliefs, Amusing Deceptions, and Dangerous Delusions
7. The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron
8. The Ultimates, Vol. 1
9. There's a Nightmare in My Closet (Pied Piper Book)
10. Too Big for Diapers (Too Big Board Books)

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