Book Description
Each card in this inspiring deck offers an idea to stretch your approach to observing and chronicling the daily events around you. You'll learn how to harness the power of words (what to write about, and what to write with), explore extreme photography techniques without having any previous photography experience, focus on the little things (like a two-inch section of a painted mural you drive by every day), and discover unusual ways to create a self-portrait (from plastic wrap and tree lights, to close-ups of your hands). Includes 50 cards and a creativity notebook to record your own art-journal explorations.
Customer Reviews:
Very Cool Concept.......2007-09-26
I love these creativity cards! The graphics on one side are unique, interesting, colorful, and eye catching. The prompts on the flipside are thought-provoking, meaningful, and different. The small journal is a great creative jumpstart in itself. I love the colors and techniques that were used to produce the backgrounds. Think I'll even attempt to create some of those myself. The box housing the creativity cards and journal is sturdy and pleasant to look at.
This is a fresh concept, and I am enjoying this package very much.
By the way, this is in no way a "how to" of any type. It is intended to make you think about doing old things in a fresh way or to help you attempt something new altogether.
Highly recommended.
Wow!.......2007-08-05
these cards are amazing. each one is a little piece of art in itself. you'll want to frame and hang them. except then you wouldn't be able to turn them over and get a shot in the arm of inspiration... yummy. i'm too afraid to work in the little workbook as yet, tho. i don't wanna mess it up. :)
if you're looking for cutesy, pretty art, tho, look somewhere else. this is real, gritty from-the-soul art. the kind that hits you "right there". and hopefully will help you make your own journal pages that do the same.
several of them are geared towards photography but lots of it is the kind that can be done with even an el cheapo camera. the author will also have you using tape, glue, spraypaint, and maybe a few things you never thought of as art supplies before. this is the kind of journaling that begs you to jump in and get messy.
if you do any kind of visual journaling, i highly recommend these cards and workbook.
So Much Fun.......2007-08-05
I got this after much thought. I figured it was just another "how to do a journal book". But, I found it to be much fun to do the exersizes and if you are an artist with a block, this will help to unblock you. It can give you ideas you never really thought of before on approaching your art work. Plus, as I said, it is a lot of fun to do the exersizes suggested on the individual cards. The kit also includes a fun little notebook/journal book to do as you please with. If you teach art, these are also fun ideas to inspire your students. I plan on doing that with my students this Fall.
This is a Gem.......2007-07-26
First of all, this will make a perfect gift for anyone crafty or involved in journaling, scrapbooking, altered books, ATCs, etc. It's a very affordable gift that keeps on giving.
The author opens your eyes to new ways to be creative in a way anyone, whether an "artist" or not, can use everyday observations to create real, unique, personal, fun, journal pages. She'll encourage you to take in all your surroundings and find a common element - she was able to find the common element while sitting in an Italian restaurant and watching war protesters: she, the waiter, the protesters were all waiting, caught up in a moment in time which was the theme she used for one one of her journal pages. She uses paint, photography and any object that she can use to express herself in her work -and makes no apologies. I LOVE this little gem. Just lovely and real. You won't be disappointed.
Great things come in little boxed sets..........2007-07-04
I noticed that there was a 1 star review of "Wide Open...". No offense, reviewer, but clearly you don't have a clue. Yes, the cards in the set are sort of vague -- if you are looking for step-by-step instructions for making something, don't waste your money on this. And, yes, you do need to own... and have some very basic knowledge of... art supplies (again, no offense, but if you've been within spitting distance of an art supply or craft store, then you'll know what gesso is).
[Ok, stepping off my soap box and done with the snarky comments.] Randi Feuerhelm-Watts is such an inspiration! I love her style and the ideas for inspiration that she presents on the cards go way beyond some of the tired, old suggestions that seem to always crop up in art/craft publications.
I read all the cards in one sitting (because I'm obsessive like that!) and I did notice that some of them related to each other. Not that they are dependent on each other or that you would be lost if you pick them at random... but I did observe some links between the individual ideas. I think this is great for continuing themes in your art work. Also, while she references photography quite a bit (she is a photographer after all), I definitely do not feel that any of the ideas are pigeonholed by the techniques. The author's basic ideas translate really well no matter what kind of visual artwork you might do.
The cards themselves each feature snippets of the author's artwork on the back. This alone is incredibly inspirational. You almost get double the bang for your buck - pull out one of the cards to interpret the visual side and then come back to it later for inspiration from the narrative side.
My only complaint would be about the Creativity Notebook... I wouldn't really call it a complaint, persay. I guess I'm just ambivalent about it's inclusion in the set. On one hand she has provided some great backgrounds to help you combat "white page syndrome" as well as some random instructions to offer a jump start to someone who is new to visual journaling. But on the other hand, I don't see myself personally using it since I already have half a dozen journals and prefer to make my own backgrounds (once you get on a roll, its half the fun).
The ideas and techniques are presented in Randi's conversational style, along with her great little stories. While I have not had the pleasure of taking a class with her or meeting her, she comes across as the kind of person you'd love to have as an art friend because she'd always be inspiring and challenging. I think that's the greatest thing about this kit... she's managed to package a ton of her personality and a lot of what I imagine she teaches in her workshops into one cool product. This set definitely gets a front row spot on my art-bookshelf.
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
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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
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Before the Pharaohs: Egypt's Mysterious Prehistory
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They Cast No Shadows: A Collection of Essays on the Illuminati, Revisionist History, and Suppressed Technologies
ASIN: 2913621058 |
Book Description
Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.
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.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book!.......2007-07-07
This book was not only exciting, it was also toucning and deeply moving. It also wasn't too "Christiany". It was an honest look at one man's faith and it didn't end like you want it to, but that's how life is. This was one of the best books I've read in a while.
An Honest Story.......2007-06-11
This is a well written recounting of a great adventure, an adventure that ends in tradjedy. While the majority of the book is the story preceeding the horrific events, it is the story that portrays life, adventure, and faith that doesn't look like typical cookie-cutter Christianity. It is filled with questions and real struggles...and this is how the story concludes with the terrorist events in Cairo. A gripping story, one that will challenge and comfort all at the same time. A very worthwhile read.
Unsettled.......2007-06-06
Many "Christian" books today offer too much of a formulaic approach while addressing popular topics such as "3 keys to become a better Christian"..."creating a more effective prayer life"...or even..."7 steps to realizing God's plan for your life". I am not pointing this out to say these types of books are wrong or bad. Rather, my intention is to contrast these with "The Only Road North". I recommend this book to anyone, like me, that has an easier time relating to real life examples. Erik's story will challenge you to seek Truth, and help you grow in ways only possible by asking the hard questions associated with tragic experiences. As a reader, I am left unsettled. Unsettled and asking questions that can only lead toward a greater understanding of God's Truth.
But, if you absolutely must follow a formula to seek truth in your own life, than try this...
1)read this book
2)imagine yourself in Erik's situation
3)allow yourself to become unsettled
4)ask tough questions
Moving.......2007-05-22
This is an excellent book that causes one to respond with wonder and action.
Adventurous.......2007-05-21
Once you read the first few pages, this is a very hard book to put down! The author and his brother and their other friends have an adventurous side to them that most of us only dream (or read)about. The book was very well written, especially for a young first time author. These guys certainly have a heart for ministry and for service and for adventure. The honesty of the author's doubts and questions were very honest and forces the reader to do some thinking of their own. If you are looking for a book that is a happy, feel good book about following Christ and the wonderful things He can do in your life...read this book! It is none of those things, but it will stretch you in ways that makes you uncomfortable...and as Christians we all need to feel uncomfortable sometimes!
Book Description
One of the truly legendary figures of American history, the soldier, explorer, and colonist Captain John Smith was a vivid and prolific chronicler of the beginnings of English settlement in the New World. This volume brings together seven of his works, along with 16 additional narratives by 13 other writers, that recount firsthand the tragic, harrowing, and dramatic events of the settlement of Roanoke and Jamestown.
A founder of Jamestown in 1607, Smith's courage, determination, and leadership proved crucial to its survival. A True Relation tells of the colony's perilous first year, while The Proceedings and The Generall Historie continue the story of its struggle to survive and prosper. A Description of New England and New Englands Trials describe Smith's exploration of the northern coast and the prospects for its settlement. In The True Travels Smith recalls his adventures as a soldier in Eastern Europe and his amazing escape from Turkish slavery. Advertisements for the Unexperienced Planters, his last book, is a critical examination of the successes and failures of the English colonial enterprise. Written in a consistently lively style, Smith's works are filled with suspense, astonishment, and keen observations of American Indian cultures and New World landscapes.
The 16 additional narratives include accounts of the "Lost Colony" of Roanoke, the horrific "starving time" at Jamestown, and a shipwreck off Bermuda. Amplifying and sometimes challenging Smith's version of events, these narratives capture the fear and fascination of early encounters with the Indians; the brutality, desperation, and ingenuity of settlers facing extreme hardship; the complex interplay of feuds and rivalries, both between the English and the Powhatan Indians and within the colony itself; and the enduring story of Pocahontas, who came to occupy a unique place between two cultures. Included in the volume are 29 pages of contemporary drawings, 15 of them full-color illustrations by John White.
Customer Reviews:
A must have for all who are interested in the early settlement of Virginia and New England.......2007-04-05
Captain John Smith did an amazing amount of living in the fifty-one years he lived on Earth. His life's journey began in 1580 at Willoughy, England. He left home at 16 after his father's death to become a soldier fighting in France for Dutch Independence from Spain. In other words, he was a mercenary. He went to work in the Mediterranean Sea on a merchant ship in 1598. In 1600 he went to the Austrians to fight in Hungary against the Turks and fought so valiantly that he was promoted to Captain. Fighting in Transylvania in 1602, he was wounded, captured, and sold as a slave to a Turk. He was then given to a girl who sent him to her brother to get training for Imperial service. Being very ill treated by this Pasha, Smith killed him and escaped. He fled through Russia and then Poland, was released from service, received a large reward and spent time traveling throughout Europe. During the winter of 1604-05 he returned to England. All this before the events we know him for began in Virginia and New England!
His restless nature somehow got him involved with the plans to colonize the Virginia territory for profit. King James I granted the charter and the expedition set sail on December 20, 1606. While this is more than a century after Columbus, it was still a huge and costly undertaking to what was almost unknown territory. The three tiny ships were the Discovery (20 tons), Susan Constant (120 tons), and Godspeed (40 tons). They did not land in Virginia until April 1607 after a voyage of more than four months. Smith was on the list of seven council members that was designated to govern the colony. The winter was harsh, fresh water was hard to come by, sickness ravaged the colonists, and the local Indians, ruled by Powhatan (Wahunsonacock), were antagonistic to the newcomers. Smith became the leader and led the fight against the Indian raids and negotiating with them for food enough to supplement their meager stores.
In December of 1607, the famous incident of Smith being taken to Powhatan and being saved by Pocahontas occurred. Like much in Smith's writings, it is hard to separate the braggadocio from the fact. Apparently there was some kind of ceremony that involved a ritual death and renewal of life whereby Smith became some kind of subordinate chief member of the tribe. Smith may not have understood the ceremony well and indeed may well have believed that the 11 year old princess saved his life.
Life was very hard at Jamestown and dissent grew. Smith was elected President in September 1608 and has the fort reinforced and emphasizes military training among the colonists. During the winter, Powhatan refused to provide food because he believes that the colonists are not there to trade but to take Indian lands. After difficult negotiations they trade swords and guns for food. Things continue to be difficult and now the resentment focuses on Smith. He is badly burned when his powder keg caught fire. A group leading colonists deposes Smith and he sails back to England part in resentment and part for treatment of his injuries in October.
He is active in promoting colonization of the new territories and heads back in 1614, but he cannot go to Virginia. He focuses on the area north that he called New England. Smith traveled to many areas there and in 1615 founded a colony in Maine. He is captured by a French privateer and is unable to return to England until December. In 1622, Indians kill more than 300 colonists. Smith's offer to lead the military fight against the natives is rejected.
During these years in England, Smith published some works to provide him some much needed income. He finds the right stories to tell and several of his writings sold quite well. He died in 1631 at 51 years old and was buried at St. Sepulchres in the City of London.
This summary of his life is there merest outline of events. There is much much more covered in this treasure trove of a book.
The wonderful Library of America provides us with Smith's "A True Relation", "The Proceedings of the English Colony in Virginia" (parts written by a variety of folks), "A Description of New England", "New Englands Trials" [sic], "The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles", "The True Travels", and his "Advertisements for the Unexperienced Planters of New-England". The words in these titles such as "trials" and "advertisements" had a much different meaning four hundred years ago. The point was that by 1620 thousands of people were risking their lives to try to settle in Virginia and New England and they wanted information. Smith gave them good information about what they were going to face. Oh, he certainly boasted and gave himself credit for things that others did, but his descriptions of what it takes to survive there are quite good.
This volume does not contain Smith's two books on sea travel. However, it does contain an additional four hundred pages of writings by others about the settling of Virginia. One covers the settlement of Roanoke before the Jamestown voyage. Others are written independently of Smith, at least one was written in response to his "Generall Historie" that upset some who felt he took to himself their deeds. They are all fascinating.
There are also pages of black and white plates showing aspects of Smith's life and other aspects of the early settlement including etchings of Smith and even of Pocahontas (Lady Rebecca) in her English finery during her one, fatal, year in England. There is another set of plates that are in color and show Indian life at the time of the events of this book. We get many useful maps, and index, notes on the text, notes on the plates, and a chronology of Smith's life.
This is a rich text that provides important history of early American settlement that everyone interested in the founding and history of our nation will want to read and know. The early events with the Indians are fascinating as are the descriptions of the trade and battles. Even the variety of spellings are fascinating. Yes, orthography was not standardized, but it is interesting how the same words are spelled differently even within the same writing let alone between authors.
A must have for all who appreciate American history.
Book Description
High adventure and grand history from a master of the craft in a beautifully illustrated volume.
With characteristic flair, Felipe Fernández-Armesto gives us an entertaining and insightful history of world exploration. Presenting the subject for the first time on a truly global scale, Fernández-Armesto tracks the pathfinders who, over the last five millennia, lay down the routes of contact that have drawn together the farthest reaches of the world. From the maritime expeditions connecting Queen Hatshepsut's Egypt to the exotic land of Punt in the second millennium BCE, through the merchants and missionaries of the ancient Silk Roads and the great Iberian explorers of the fifteenth century, to the nineteenth-century explorations of the polar regions, interior Africa, North America, and the South Pacific, Fernández-Armesto spins a grand narrative full of character and story. Deftly embedding these explorations in the cultures, politics, and technologies of their times, he creates a history with unusual depth and breadth. Here is an intellectual adventure as rewarding as it is thrilling. 16 pages of color; 48 maps; 44 illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent!.......2007-05-10
I only write reviews for books I like, and this one I liked a lot. An excellent overview of global exploration. The author looks at pretty much every culture on the planet, and how each searched the world around it, and how humanity spread and intermingled. This is extremely readable lay history, transforming much of the dry narrative we encountered in history texts at school into engaging story. Many new insights into familiar historical scenarios. For example, L'anse aux Meadows, the famous 'Norse' ruins on Newfoundland, may in fact be the remains of a settlement of Irish monks, not vikings. They shared a similar technology. Anything found there could have been brought by St. Brendan wannabes (spindle whorls and such). Great stuff!
Might buy this one as Christmas gifts for people.
Not really explaining all the reasons why things happen.......2007-03-07
Based on the reviews below, I was very much expecting a book that will explain to me why certain facts in history REALLY happened. To be true, the book offered some interesting insights to me, like it was better to sail into (against) the wind than with the wind, as the sailors have much better chance of coming home.
On the other hand, the author sometimes makes enormous statements without somehow backing them by evidence - like he claims that American civilizations (North and South) are so different that they must clearly be coming from different origins. I am actually believing this, but I would expect more analysis and not just one paragraph stating this.
However, what I lacked the most in the book is the non-attempt to explain why things happened. I mean the author tries to do it and sometimes he succeeds. But for the most interesting events, his reasoning and solutions provided are of the "scratch-the-surface" type. His long elaboration why the Americas were discovered in 1490s (and not in other time), ends with a statement that this is because the events that happened in 1480s - WHOA, but then he does not really come back to say, what made the 1480s happen in that time...making all his analysis standing naked as it could have happened any time. And there are many more of these unfinished or unfulfilling (at least to me) statements - sort-of half-solutions.
In summary, what I really liked about the book is:
1. It frames your thinking so that you can at least ask some of the very important questions... and try to find the answers to the questions. 2. It also does a really excellent job of summarizing the key facts in the history of exploration.
But if you are looking for well-reasoned answers to questions why the events happened, you will not always find the most satisfying ones.
My dad loved this!.......2007-01-04
This was a gift for my dad, who's a voracious reader and fascinated by people and history. He loved this book!
exploring who we are and who we were.......2006-12-02
I was always fascinated by the great explorers; Columbus, Magellan, Da Gama. The stories that we learned about these men in school seemed like cliche's. What were they really like? What were they really looking for?
This scholarly yet accessible book tells their stories as well as the tales of many explorers we have not heard about. Dr. Fernandez-Armesto probes deeply yet prudently. In a mere 400 pages he covers the history of exploration in chronological fashion. We travel across the sea to Brasil with Cabral. We visit the polar regions with Amundsen and Scott. Captain Cook takes us everywhere. We go into the Amazon and the heart of Africa.
This book is a marvel. Your children will be enriched. Adults will be illuminated. Beautifully written, smoothly flowing, a wonder to read. This reviewer came away stunned and delighted.
Pathfinders, a book to read and reread.......2006-09-12
I have had the opportunity of reading Professor Fernandez-Armesto`s book that describes the history of global exploration. I must confess that it has enlightened my mind up to the point of finding answers to many of the questions I have quoted since my school years. His original and provoking theories justify why Europeans seek the discovery of new then unknown lands (when boats where able to sail upwind, when the Canary Islands entered the map and when the determination of rulers and financiers made it possible) whilst other peoples with similar or even great development of sailing technology and enjoying of similar trade winds did not succeed in conquering other territories as they lacked the sense of long term view. I have it on my bedside table to refresh my memory on who did what. It has already given me the opportunity of sharing what I have learnt through its lecture with my friends and I am sure each time I review it, will be able to gather new interesting information. I strongly recommend scholars and everyone interested in history to browse its pages and glean ideas from our history to learn about our future.
Average customer rating:
- Very enjoyable
- Great book
- The Illustrated Discovery Journal
- A book for people who don't much care for words
- A spellbreaker to lead us to the beauty in the beast.
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The Illustrated Discovery Journal : Creating a Visual Autobiography of Your Authentic Self
Sarah Ban Breathnach
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
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This spiral-bound journal, conceived by Sarah Ban Breathnach, is designed to encourage writers to explore their life stories and unleash dormant creativity. Every two-page spread is exquisitely bordered by a wood print leaf pattern and includes a sage little quote to set the mood or beckon the muse (such as "People who keep journals have life twice." --Jessamyn West). The large format (11.25 by 9.75 inches) gives writers plenty of room to scrawl down their thoughts and even offers ample space for adding personal artwork or gluing in cut-out images. Several pocket folders are bound into the back for carrying clippings, postcards, or dry leaves--whatever whimsy dictates. Because it is spiral bound (with a sturdy wrap-around cover), writers can lay the book flat while at work--a major convenience.
Interspersed throughout the journal, Ban Breathnach has added suggestions for writing exercises and collages, plus discussions of themes such as "Success," "Mystery," or "Return to Self." In one spread, Natalie Goldberg is quoted as saying, "Your first job is to get your own story straight." There's no doubt that writers can do just that with this literary example of functional art. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
This spiral-bound journal, conceived by Sarah Ban Breathnach, is designed to encourage writers to explore their life stories and unleash dormant creativity. Every two-page spread is exquisitely bordered by a wood print leaf pattern and includes a sage little quote to set the mood or beckon the muse (such as "People who keep journals have life twice." --Jessamyn West). The large format (11.25 by 9.75 inches) gives writers plenty of room to scrawl down their thoughts and even offers ample space for adding personal artwork or gluing in cut-out images. Several pocket folders are bound into the back for carrying clippings, postcards, or dry leaves--whatever whimsy dictates. Because it is spiral bound (with a sturdy wrap-around cover), writers can lay the book flat while at work--a major convenience. Interspersed throughout the journal, Ban Breathnach has added suggestions for writing exercises and collages, plus discussions of themes such as "Success," "Mystery," or "Return to Self." In one spread, Natalie Goldberg is quoted as saying, "Your first job is to get your own story straight." There's no doubt that writers can do just that with this literary example of functional art. --Gail Hudson
Customer Reviews:
Very enjoyable.......2003-03-09
There isn't too much writing in this book actually. It revolves mostly around making series of collages from amgazine clippings, etc around different self discovery themes. This is a refreshing change from the usual "Write, write, write!" I found that I felt MORE creative and very relaxed. It's a fun return to the "paste and scissors" free-for-all of your early school days.
The only frustration I experienced was that you have to wait a while to gather up enough pictures in your theme before you can actually start putting a collage together.
The themes include: Authenic Style, Entertainment, Authenic Sucess, The House of Belonging, Return to Self, Mystery, Sacred connections, Spiritual Journey, and Someday.
I was surprised by what pops up out of your subconcious when you look at your pictures as a collection -something that isn't as likely to happen with just writing where you can tend to over-analyze.
Great book.......2000-06-15
But what is twaddle again? Guess you have to be from VA to know.....
The Illustrated Discovery Journal.......1999-11-30
As an Art student, I have discovered the power of creating through collages. It is an easy way for everyone to be artistic regardless of drawing or painting skill. Your creations can speak to you in a very powerful way and give you insight that would not otherwise be so easily accessed. I highly recommend this book for fun and discovery.
A book for people who don't much care for words.......1999-11-02
This book is twaddle for self-absorbed shortcut-seekers. For this author, words are impediments to expression. Enter at your own risk.
A spellbreaker to lead us to the beauty in the beast........1999-10-11
At first glance The Illustrated Discovery Journal may appear to be a simple book, and yet it holds a simple truth. We have forgotten as women, how profoundly beautiful we are. As we add the snippets of our lives and dreams to the waiting pages, a fairy tale unfolds before our very eyes. Sarah once again, in her brilliant simplicty is the fairy godmother who breaks the spell. She helps us find our beauty and truth beneath the beast that is reflected by the disappointments of our selves, our loved ones, our weight, our lost loves. We are all a glorious spirit waiting to be brought to life. Thank you Sarah for taking the risks to let us love ourselves for who we are, the glorious children of God.
Book Description
A harrowing, subterranean Into Thin Air, BEYOND THE DEEP is the perilous odyssey of the cavers who explored the Mt. Everest of the undergroundthe Huautla.The Huautla in Mexico is the deepest cave in the Western Hemisphere, possibly the world. Shafts reach skyscraper-depths, caverns are stadium-sized, and sudden floods can drown divers in an instant. With a two-decade obsession, William Stone and his 44-member team entered the sinkhole at Sotano de San Augustin. The first camp settled 2,328 feet below ground in a cavern where headlamps couldnt even illuminate the walls and ceiling. The second camp teeter-ed precariously above an underground canyon where two subterranean rivers collided. But beyond that lay the unknown territorya flooded corridor that had blocked all previous comers, claimed a divers life, and drove the rest of the team back. Except for William Stone and Barbara am Ende, who forged on for 18 more days, with no hope of rescue, to set the record for the deepest cave dive in the Western Hemisphere.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome story...flawed presentation.......2005-12-23
I still recommend this book highly. The story of these explorers is simply amazing. As someone who is very very claustrophobic (my worst fear is being stuck in some confined space), I have to be an "armchair" explorer, and this book makes you confront these fears. In the end it's very rewarding.
The book's only flaw is the "reconstructed" dialogue. I don't know who recommended the author(s) adopt this format, because it is really awkward in places. The narrative of, say, a Jon Krakauer book or a Simon Winchester book is much, much more effective than a lot of the bogus, even boring dialogue that comes across here. There are a lot of characters the author(s) and the readers have to deal with, so perhaps giving most of them "voices" was thought of as the best way to do it, but after a while it gets a little tiring and actually disrupts the build-up of the action.
Still, it's an awesome story of exploration and what drives us to keep pushing the limits.
The willys!.......2004-11-01
I'm a scuba diver. I have also done a lot of spelunking in my late teens and early 20's. I never really considered combining the 2. It just didn't cross my mind.
Now I never will.
There were so many times in this book that I simply got the willies. (Did I spell that right?) It became more frightening that some of the horror I've read.
It also (in my humble opinion) addresses one of the greatest downfalls of some explorers; Not taking into consideration one's mortality.
While I doubt I'll ever willingly mix traditional scuba diving with spelunking I may consider it if I had access to the re-breathers this team used.
This book is NOT for the claustrophobic.
I Really Wanted to Like This Book..........2003-10-15
I really wanted to like this book but I found myself struggling to finish it. No doubt, the experience itself was immeasurably exciting / interesting, but the book was, well, kind of boring.
It could have easily been half the length and not lost much, and as another reviewer indicated, I never really got a feel for what is so great about crawling though caves. I'm sure it IS great, at least to those who are as into it as these people are, but I didn't get why or how from the book. I also found the third-person writing style a bit contrived, somehow.
If you DID like this book, I would highly recommend 'The Last Dive' which is in a similar vein but I found very exciting and extremely well written.
DIVING INTO DISASTER.......2003-07-20
Fascinating book about the ultimate 'adventure' junkies-- who explore the world's most treacherous cave in Mexico. An amazing crew of people. What's so unusual is that these are divers-- deep see divers, not just guys and gals who go down into the cave on ropes or climb rocks. They call themselves CAVERS -- details make the true-life adventure come alive. What's disturbing though is that lives were lost on this expedition and the authors tend to gloss over those lost in their quest for the ultimate experiences. Cinematic and even outrageous tale of diving into disaster.
What Drives Divers To Descend To Unbelievable Depths?.......2003-04-21
What is it that drives cave explorers to descend to unbelievable depths, as if they were involved in an international game of subterranean chess?
Perhaps the clues are to be found within the pages of a book entitled Beyond The Deep that chronicles the breathtaking 1994 San Agustin Expedition as told from the perspective of Bill Stone and Barbara am Ende.
Much of the information was gleaned from their logbooks, diaries, and recollections, as well as from dozens of interviews conducted by their co-author Monte Paulsen.
In 1977, 1979 and 1981 cave divers were unsuccessful in exploring the San Agustin sump or the underground tunnel that was flooded entirely with water. This sump is the deepest point in a cave known as Sistema Huautla, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Many of the difficulties were the result of using traditional equipment as well as the inability to effectively transport the supplies and gear necessary to accomplish this incredible feat.
In 1994 international exploring expert Bill Stone completed the constructing of an closed cycle life support system or as he termed it a "rebreather." This piece of apparatus was called the Mk-ll.
This would permit the cavers and divers to explore the San Agustin Sump far longer than anyone was able to accomplish in the past.
It was Stone's contention that the problem was primarily a technological challenge. Once this was overcome, the rest would fall into place.
The next step entailed the meticulous organization of the various components of the team.
There was expedition leader Stone, six dive team members, 35 support team participants and 5 members of the photo team.
These individuals wanted to "place their own boot where no one hand before." According to Stone, "every member had made enormous personal sacrifices in the pursuit of this elusive grail. They'd left family behind for a third of a year; had trained relentlessly for two years just to get there; had gone deeply into debt; and were subjecting themselves daily to physical hardships."
Why do it? Perhaps Stone sums it up when he asserts, "after so many years of struggle, he'd found the route, the secret doorway to the gaping, unexplored beyond."
One of the shortcomings of the book is the extensive use of technical jargon. The authors did indicate in the introduction that they have substituted common words for technical jargon wherever possible.
However, unfortunately, far too often I had to refer to the glossary at the back of the book to understand a paragraph or sentence. No doubt this deflated some of the suspense of the saga.
Average customer rating:
- And the Spaniards also suffer
- An extraordinary man -- an extraordinary story!
- Absolutely basic to anyone living in Texas and the Southwest
- Tale by de Vaca himself of his trials in America
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Castaway: The Narrative of Alvar Núñez Cageza de Vaca
Manufacturer: University of California Press
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ASIN: 0520070631 |
Book Description
This enthralling story of survival is the first major narrative of the exploration of North America by Europeans (1528-36). The author of Castaways (Naufragios), Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, was a fortune-seeking nobleman and the treasurer of an expedition to claim for Spain a vast area that includes today's Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. A shipwreck forced him and a handful of men to make the long westward journey on foot to meet up with Hernán Cortés.
In order to survive, Cabeza de Vaca joined native peoples along the way, learning their languages and practices and serving them as a slave and later as a physician. When after eight years he finally reached the West, he was not recognized by his compatriots.
In his writing Cabeza de Vaca displays great interest in the cultures of the native peoples he encountered on his odyssey. As he forged intimate bonds with some of them, sharing their brutal living conditions and curing their sick, he found himself on a voyage of self-discovery that was to make his reunion with his fellow Spaniards less joyful than expected.
Cabeza de Vaca's gripping narrative is a trove of ethnographic information, with descriptions and interpretations of native cultures that make it a powerful precursor to modern anthropology. Frances M. López-Morillas's translation beautifully captures the sixteenth-century original. Based as it is on Enrique Pupo-Walker's definitive critical edition, it promises to become the authoritative English translation.
Customer Reviews:
And the Spaniards also suffer.......2007-04-03
I have learned to dispise the Spanish colonizers for their actions in the New World. I have read enough of their sharpening their swords and practicing on the Native Americans and slaying the men, women and children of native settlements if they didn't convert to Christianity or produce enough gold. So this is a new perspective, that of the Spanish failing and suffering through unimaginable hardship and all along the coast that is now our destination of choice for retirement.
This is a nearly fantastic book, only nearly so because it is true (unless De Vaca embelished his story). If you are intrigued with pre-settlement America and the cultures of Native Americans you will appreciate this read in addition to the survival story. This is a look at Florida and Texas in a different era. This is a story about the ambitions of Spain and the privations men could endure for their religion and their country. Even the style of the writing adds to the true insight into the time and perspective on their outlook on the new world. The chapter titles such as "Of What Befell Lope de Oviedo with Some Indians" and "How We Departed After Eating the Dogs" give you the idea of how the book is structured in addition to how they suffered.
In many historical accounts the Spanish are said to have believed that the New World was the dominion of the devil and all its' people,lands, forests and creatures were works of the devil. It is in accounts like this that you can start to understand their reasoning and belief.
An extraordinary man -- an extraordinary story!.......2006-09-11
Cabeza de Vaca's first hand narrative of his experiences in the New World is one of the most gripping true life adventure stories that you can find.
The story is almost five hundred years old. It begins with his selection as treasurer for a Spanish invasion force of six hundred that was intended to conquer Florida (then thought to be an island), sieze the natives' gold and add their bodies to the Spanish crown while their souls would be dedicated the the Christian God.
Everything went wrong. A hurricane hit. The expeditionary force was separated from their ships and ended up marooned on the Florida Gulf Coast, surrounded by hostile, deadly Indians. Eventually, the survivors slaughtered their horses for food, then melted down their armor to make nails and built boats in the hope of finding their way to Mexico.
Many more men were lost before they made their way to what is now known as Galveston. The survivors experienced starvation, the cowardice of their leader, slavery and even cannibalism. Out of six hundred conquistadores, only four men survived.
Those four men walked across the rest of Texas, wandering almost aimlessly in a search for the Spanish colony of Mexico. By the time they finally arrived in Mexico, after years of privation, they were no longer the same self-sure conquerors who had sailed from Spain. They had developed a following of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Indians who hailed them as "Children of the Sun". Cabeza de Vaca, who had emerged as their leader, fit the description of an Old Testament prophet. His hair had not seen a comb or scissors for several years, while his feet had not seen shoes for almost as long.
Here's an extended quote from Chapter 19:
"A few days after these four Spaniards had departed there came a time of cold and storms so severe that ... five Christians who were encamped on the beach came to such straits that they ate one another until only one was left, who survived because there was no one left to eat him.... The Indians were so indignant about this, and there was so much outrage among them, that undoubtedly if they had seen this when it began to happen they would have killed the men, and all of us would have been in dire peril: in a word, within a very short time only fifteen of the eighty men from both parties who had reached the island were left alive; and after the death of these men, a stomach ailment afflicted the Indians of the land from which half of them died, and they believed it was we who were killing them; and as they were wholly convinced of this, they agreed among themselves to kill those of us who were left."
How's that for action? It's true that the narrative style itself is archaic and stilted at times. But this translation emphasizes simple modern English and cuts through a lot of the difficulty of reading a story that's half a millenium old.
I've read the story of Cabeza de Vaca two or three times over the years. In it, I see an almost mirror image many of the other explorers like De Soto or Cortez: a man who learned to view the New World in a different way, and who became a different man by the experience. His story has action, sure: hurricanes, starvation, slavery, faith healing, a stupid, greedy leader, and a cast of thousands. But at the heart of this journey is the journey of one man's heart.
Absolutely basic to anyone living in Texas and the Southwest.......1999-07-11
To read so much live detail about the way of life of the original inhabitants of parts of Texas and the Southwest is to have one's very conceptions about these places changed. It's an amazing, short read and the editor helps with notes in critical places. I think this is basic reading for anyone even part-way interested in the history of Texas and neighboring states. Cabeza de Vaca's account covers hair-raising events which occurred in the 1530s right here on Galveston Island, so it gives a longer sense of post-Columbian history than one usually gets as a lay reader of Texas and Southwest history. I too don't know why more folks aren't talking about this book. I'm buying copies to give away.
Tale by de Vaca himself of his trials in America.......1998-12-12
Hard to follow at times, you get confused as to how many people are actually following him! It is sometimes slow reading. Yet, the informantion in the book is good.
Book Description
Chosen as one of the ten best adventure books of all time by National Geographic Adventure. Liveright is proud to reissue a facsimile of its classic 1926 edition of The Travels of Marco Polo. Beginning from the traditional lyrical Marsden translation, editor Manuel Komroff corrected it against Henry Yule's magisterial two-volume work, including a chapter missing from the Marsden. The artist Witold Gordon created thirty-two two-color woodcut illustrations for the original edition, published again here for the first time in over fifty years. The Travels of Marco Polo remains a wondrous adventure narrative. Chronicling the thirteenth-century world from Venice, his birthplace, to the far reaches of Asia, Marco Polo tells of the foreign peoples he meets as he travels by foot, horse, and boat through places including Persia, the land of the Tartars, Tibet, India, and, most important, China. There he stays at the court of Kublai Khan, venturing to the capital of Beijing and to Shangtu, made immortal in Coleridge's poem "Xanadu." This is a gripping look at a legendary place and time. Two-color illustrations.
Download Description
IN a western direction from Pi-an-fu there is a large and handsome fortress named Thai-gin, 1 which is said to have been built, at a remote period, by a king who was called Dor. 2 Within the walls of the fort stands a spacious and highly-ornamented palace, the hall of which contains paintings of all the renowned princes who, from ancient times, have reigned at this place, forming together a superb exhibition. A remarkable circumstance in the history of this king Dor shall now be related. He was a powerful prince, assumed much state, and was always waited upon by young women of extraordinary beauty, a vast number of whom he entertained at his court.
Customer Reviews:
The Size of the World.......2007-09-12
It has been a pleasure to revisit the travels of Marco Polo. I was transfixed by these stories of travel and adventure when I was a child, and never questioned the veracity of the narrative. I know today that the narrative has been corrupted over the centuries, that "The Travels" can scarcely be used as an historical reference, and that a more tantalizing and complete manuscript has probably been lost to the ages. Still, there are glimpses and insights within the narrative that could only have come from first-hand experience, and these describe an enormous, exotic world that titillates even today, while readers in the 13th and 14th centuries must have been enthralled.
I was most keen this time around to Polo's descriptions of the cultures and wildlife he encountered, of the whales and lions and leopards and bears--he even describes a white bear, and the people who hunted it were surely of the group often called Eskimos. He describes dog-sledding in the far north and the cannibalistic practices of the people of Java far to the south, both of which are extant in our current era. There are also the fascinating observations of the Mongol Empire, of that group of nomadic people who somehow rose up, like an event in an Isaac Asimov novel, to conquer much of the known world.
Somewhat depressingly, though, are Polo's observations of the tensions that existed between the Islamic and Christian worlds, tensions rooted in the competition for hegemony over trade in the Far East. Seven hundred years later, these tensions are still acting themselves out.
This translation by Ronald Latham from 1958 includes an introduction that puts Marco Polo's life in context with events and includes footnotes to help the reader make sense of the myriad manuscripts that make up the travels of Marco Polo. This is a somewhat dry read; even Latham comments on the paucity of skill employed by Polo's chronicler. Once I put my mind in context with the narrative, however, I was able to roll with the repetition and sycophancy and enjoy the text.
Dry, but interesting.......2007-07-27
Imagine a very boring person went through something fascinating. This person came up to you, started to talk about this incredible journey of theirs, but talking in this monotonous voice without changing pitch or showing excitement at any moment.
That's essentially what "Travels of Marco Polo" is. It's an INCREDIBLY interesting book and a fascinating tale, but can it possible be said in a more dry and flat way? There is no energetic spark that makes this adventure jump off the page. Perhaps this is due to the times, but I suspect the translation is a bit literal and bland as well. The writing never changes tone, even in parts that are clearly exciting and amazing. All the facts are there, but the reader is forced to put too much energy just to make it interesting.
Marco Polo had a most fascinating journey. Any history buff should snatch this book off the shelves (unless they decide to read the even longer, more annoying records that I'm sure can be found floating around), and anyone interesting in Marco Polo should as well. It may be dull at times, but it's still incredible, fascinating, and a riveting tale.
Recommended to heavier, more able readers.
straight & plain narration .......2007-07-26
This is just a straight & plain narration on what Marco Polo came across. At times it's quite boring. But I mean no disrespect for Polo as he would still be a remarkable explorer & adventurer even today, not to say in the 13th century where transportation was in primitive modes. Contrasting Polo's map & the modern one is interesting though, as well as guessing the modern places corresponding to Polo's description.
We are all Marco Polos now.......2007-01-15
In the late 13th century, three Venetian merchants, two brothers and the son of one of them, visited China, which was then ruled by the Mongols. The Mongols distrusted the native Chinese and hired foreigners such as the young man as minor officials. The Venetian merchant-turned-official traveled extensively through North and South China, South-East Asia and India. After he returned to Venice, he took part in a war between Venice and Genoa, was taken prisoner, and in prison met a professional writer who wrote a book based on his memoirs and embellished it with the stock devices of late medieval romances. Among various Asiatic curiosities Messer Polo describes asbestos, coal, tigers, musk deer, sago and coconuts. He tells the story of the Buddha, describes the Mongol postal system (I was surprised that yamb, which is obviously the root of the Russian word yamshchik, a postal courier, is a Mongol word), Chinese paper money and the life of Indian yogis. For him, the Shinto "idols" of Japan are offensive for a Christian to read about, but the virginity test administered to prospective daughters-in-law in South China isn't. Marco Polo is no Jonathan Spence; he is not trying to get the reader inside the heads of people belonging to an alien culture; he is a merchant, and cares much more about the crops that grow in a certain kingdom or a region, and the crafts its inhabitants practice. Anyway, it is an enjoyable read if you liked Herodotus or the Russian Primary Chronicle. When I read it on the bus, the white man in the seat to the left of me was reading a textbook of Mandarin, and the white man to the right was practicing his Kanji - we are all Marco Polos now.
Rediscover the wonder.......2006-12-12
There is so little a reviewer could say about a classic that has not already been said. But, whether your interest is in travel literature, ancient history, military history, or anthropology, this book will excite and inspire you. The writing is conversational, witty, and addicting. Though the author repeats some stories, each telling seems to bring out nuances and connections that would have been missed otherwise and each telling takes you deeper into the Asian frontiers and its people. A fascinating traveller's story that never grows old. Must have for any serious student of history especially with regard to the Asian steppes and the empire of the great Khan. Rediscover the wonder of the travels for yourself, not second-hand but from the traveller himself.
Customer Reviews:
Discovery of Being Review.......2007-09-06
The book was delivere
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