History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

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.

Schlepping Through the Alps: My Search for Austria's Jewish Past with Its Last Wandering Shepherd

Average customer rating:

Not For Jews Only
A Tale spiced up with enough lively and sometimes humorous commentary that will unquestionably keep readers turning the pages.
Spot-on social observations from an adolescent personality
Best Jewish Novel In A Long, Long Time
A good book to schlep around

Schlepping Through the Alps: My Search for Austria's Jewish Past with Its Last Wandering Shepherd
Sam Apple
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0345477731
Release Date: 2006-03-28

Book Description

Hans Breuer, Austria’s only wandering shepherd, is also a Yiddish folksinger. He walks the Alps, shepherd’s stick in hand, singing lullabies to his 625 sheep. Sometimes he even gives concerts in historically anti-Semitic towns, showing slides of the flock as he belts out Yiddish ditties.

When New York-based writer Sam Apple hears about this one-of-a-kind eccentric, he flies overseas and signs on as a shepherd’s apprentice. For thoroughly urban, slightly neurotic Sam, stumbling along in borrowed boots and burdened with a lot more baggage than his backpack, the task is far from a walk in Central Park. Demonstrating no immediate natural talent for shepherding, he tries to earn the respect of Breuer’s sheep, while keeping a safe distance from the shepherd’s fierce herding dogs.

As this strange and hilarious adventure unfolds, the unlikely duo of Sam and Hans meander through a paradise of woods and high meadows toward awkward encounters with Austrians of many stripes. Apple is determined to find out if there are really as many anti-Semites in Austria as he fears and to understand how Hans, who grew up fighting the lingering Nazism in Vienna, became a wandering shepherd. What Apple discovers turns out to be far more fascinating than he had imagined.

With this odd and wonderful book, Sam Apple joins the august tradition of Tony Horwitz and Bill Bryson. Schlepping Through the Alps is as funny as it is moving.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Not For Jews Only.......2007-09-23

To paraphrase comic Jeff Foxworthy, if you find this engaging travelogue entirely humorless... you might be an Anti-Semite. (Reading it might be a good self-test.) Although Jewishness and Anti-Jewishness are portrayed throughout, Mr. Apple's writing is so genuine and fluid that anyone with an appreciation for English will enjoy its exceptional quality. While comparisons have been made to Woody Allen, author Sam Apple might better be described as the Hunter S. Thompson of Generation X. Perhaps "Rolling Stone" would do well to engage him to cover the upcoming Presidential election--and those uncomfortable with Jewishness (Jews and non-Jews alike)--would find it less frightening to enjoy a bright new literary light. Meanwhile, try this one: reading through it is no schlep.

A Tale spiced up with enough lively and sometimes humorous commentary that will unquestionably keep readers turning the pages........2006-10-01

Sam Apple, author of Schlepping Through The Alps: My Search For Austria's Jewish Past With Its Last Wandering Shepherd, first encounters Yiddish folk-singer Hans Breuer at a concert and slide show in New York. Breuer, as Apple points out, is not just your ordinary run-of-the mill Yiddish folk-singer, rather he is truly a wandering Jew and as he reveals in his book, "If you ever happen to be hiking the Alps and you see a man singing Yiddish songs as he watches a dog chasing a sheep in a raincoat, no need for concern."

Apple, who grew up in Houston and now makes his home in Brooklyn, was quite intrigued by this forty-five year old Austrian shepherd. The result was a one thousand word article that eventually has being turned into a witty yet insightful book, wherein much of Apple's research was accumulated while traveling in Austria as an apprentice to Breuer.

During their first encounter in New York, Breuer mentioned to Apple that he wanted to bring Yiddish to the uninitiated in the Austrian Alps. When asked if he wanted these individuals to remember their Yiddish neighbors, his reply was: "I want to make them confront for the first time in their lives this culture that their uncles and fathers destroyed." With this in mind Apple decided to voyage to Austria and find out for himself what it was like to be a shepherd in the twenty-first century and to make sense of Han's Jewish identity or as he states, what it really meant for him to sing in Yiddish. He also wanted to learn about sheep, Yiddish music and anti-Semitism.

Apple's engaging narrative is what Yiddish speaking readers would probably classify as a good "meinsa," something akin to an old wife's tale only this story is actually true. Apple beckons us to follow his meandering through the Alps following a herd of sheep, a shepherd, his mistress and young lamb herders, while picking up along the way various shepherding tips from his mentor and learning about Austria's past and present political landscape.

During the course of his apprentice with Breuer, Apple learns about Austria's post-war anti-Nazi legislation that led to the sentencing to death of several Nazis and the conviction and incarceration of thousands of low-ranking Nazis. However, a few years after the enactment of this legislation, a general amnesty came into effect and all but a handful of the worst offenders were free to live happily every after. In fact, the government's constant line about complaints about Austria's behavior during the Holocaust was that if you have one take it to Germany.

Quite telling of Breuer's psyche is that he associates the Austrian countryside with fascism and anti-Semitism. When he encounters people along his shepherding path, he believes that they are all staring at him with cold eyes, aware that he is not one of them. Apple notes that Breuer enjoys being a living part of a dying tradition, where Yiddish and shepherding are relics of another time- nonetheless he takes great pride in both. Moreover, he is not quite sure how much of his own romanticizing of wandering and Jewishness has drawn him to Breuer. However, what he observes about Breuer's shepherding is "the rejection of modern society in the aftermath of the Holocaust. In his Yiddish songs I inevitably listened for the millions of missing Yiddish voices that should have been singing along."

Apple does an excellent job of capturing the flavor of the Austrian Alps with its little villages and inhabitants who seem to either have collective amnesia pertaining to their past or consider themselves blameless. Although he never does find as many anti-Semites as he originally feared, Apple does provide his readers with some serious insights, spiced up with enough lively and sometimes humorous commentary that will unquestionably keep readers turning the pages all the way to the end.

Norm Goldman, Editor Bookpleasures

Spot-on social observations from an adolescent personality.......2006-04-26

"Schlepping Through the Alps" opens a fascinating window for Americans into the little-discussed world of Austria's internal politics. Unfortunately, the view is clouded by Sam Apple's insistence on foisting descriptions on the reader of his neuroses, his sexual adventures with a "hip" Austrian woman, and the banal details of the protagonist's dysfunctional family. Woody Allen worked comic wonders with the neurotic secular Jewish character, but that persona lost its freshness nearly 30 years ago. If a reader may offer advice to Mr. Apple for his next book, it would be to share more of the results of his impressive interviewing and observation skills, and to keep his private life private.

Best Jewish Novel In A Long, Long Time.......2006-03-31

I don't understand how people can fall over themselves to sing praises of Jonathan Safran Foer and his ilk when Sam Apple clearly trumps the ever-living hell out of the supposed new Jewish literary elite. Shelpping Through The Alps draws vivid pictures, raises intense emotions, explores history and modernity, is refreshingly honest and non-pretentious, and best of all, is side-splittingly funny. I generally hate novels, but I couldn't put this one down. It's an inviting read and I invite you to read it and compare to the works of every other Jewish novelist adorning Nextbook, Guilt & Pleasure, et al. Could you honestly say you'd rather see another Everything Is Illuminated than a new book from Sam Apple? I doubt it.

A good book to schlep around.......2006-01-21

Sam Apple, a young, Jewish writer from Houston, decided to spend several weeks with Hans Breuer, a Yiddish-folksong-singing, Austrian, wandering shepherd. This books tells of his visit. We learn about Hans's personal history, and how he came to his most unusual occupation. We also learn quite a bit about anti-Semitism in Austria, both historical and present-day. Both of these are fascinating topics. Whether you enjoy this book will depend on whether you also find interesting its third topic, which is Apple's own rather extensive neuroses.

This book has at least two major strengths. First, the topic itself is certainly fresh. I, for one, have never before read a book about anti-Semitism and modern shepherding. And second, it is very funny. Apple has a number of amusing adventures, and he never hesitates to use self-deprecating humor.

I enjoyed this book very much. I felt its focus was a bit too varied--I had a hard time shifting from discussions of Nazi atrocities to descriptions of Apple's sex life. Also, I finished the book without truly feeling that I understand Hans Breuer very well. Nevertheless, I do recommend it, both for its entertainment value and for its educational value.

Average customer rating:

heartbreaking tale that needed to be told
No Nonsense, Articulate and to the point, historical view of Auschwitz
Completely Haunting
Gripping tale of the Holocaust!
"It must never be allowed to happen again!"

Five Chimneys: The Story of Auschwitz
Olga Lengyel
Manufacturer: Academy Chicago Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0897333764

Customer Reviews:

heartbreaking tale that needed to be told.......2007-05-28

We know it happened; many of us have read books by others on the same subject--and yet it is hard to believe what went on. People gassed and tossed into ovens (even though some weren't even completely dead...) Then you've got your so-called Dr. Mengele who performed castrations on patients (male as well as female) without anesthetics. It goes on. It's gut-churning, but needs to be read. Because if we don't read about what happened, and if we don't see films about it--not only to honor all the innocent who were murdered (six million of the Jewish faith, and another six million non-Jewish), but as a reminder to remain vigil, keep alert...because you've got wannabe little Hitler jerks all over the place who'd love to do a re-peat of what their sorry and confused, not to mention mentally imbalanced "hero" set out to accomplish back in the 1940s--and, thankfully failed.

Makes you wonder what Olga Lengyel's life was like after she survived her ordeal. How do you go on, knowing that your husband, your two kids and both of your parents were senselessly slaughtered? How was she able to endure?

I read somewhere that she died a few years back. Not much else about her on the internet.
All I can say is read the book--and pass it on to someone else.

R.I.P.

No Nonsense, Articulate and to the point, historical view of Auschwitz.......2007-03-29

An accurate reference of the history of one persons life and the atrocity of the Nazi, Auschwitz death camp. One can only hope that this book remains in the public eye so that this kind of history is never repeated. We need to pass on this kind of information to future generations.

I have read several other books in reference to the Holocaust and what is different about this book is the matter of fact way the author dealt with the issues. I am not in any way critical of this author or her method of writing.(She did a wonderful job) I am simply saying that she does stay with the issues at hand and does not offer much in regard to a personal reflection of herself or her family.(She does respect the medical aspect of confidentiality) From the standpoint of a person who obviously was educated and cared for the well being of mankind, this had to be a difficult task for this author, to write this book. Consequently from a historical and reference standpoint this book tells the story and succeeds in relating to the reader the atrocities of Auschwitz. This is a must read for anyone who values life and questions the evil capabilities of mankind. A follow-up to this book would be to read: Auschwitz by Dr. Miklos Nyiszli. These two books and the authors will pretty much sum up the difference in professionals, their conduct in difficult situations, and the story of death at Auschwitz.

Completely Haunting.......2005-10-18

I actually stumbled upon this book because it was referenced in "A Death in Vienna" by Daniel Silva (his fictional spy novels involving a character Gabriel Allon mostly had a holocaust theme). After reading Five Chimneys there was no question in my mind why Albert Einstein praised this book as such an important work. Olga Lengyel's horrific and heartwrenching tale filled me in on so much I did not know about the Nazi death camps - including the fact that many people who were neither Jews nor minorities were sent there "just because." The book was very emotionally draining (especially when Lengyel talks about what happened to pregnant women and the babies they delivered) but the book left me completely changed. The unimaginable courage and hope that Lengyel and other prisoners conveyed was a tribute to the human spirit.

In our daily quest to get more money, drive a bigger car, buy a better house - we forget the reality of how little we really need to be human beings. This book will be required reading for my children when they are older. I am completely humbled and grateful to Ms. Lengyel for her ability to replicate such painful experiences into this book.

Gripping tale of the Holocaust!.......2005-06-22

Olga Lengyel has written the most graphic, horrifying look at the holocaust I have read.
Olga was an uppermiddle class wife with a degree in the medical sciences. She was married to a doctor who was arrested by the Germans. She felt it was best to stay with her husband and was lulled by the Germans into thinking that she would be fine if she accompanied him. So she, her parents and children followed her husband only to discover that they were not to join him but were sent to a concentration camp.
At the camp an unwitting Olga made the mistake of telling the Germans her son was under 12. Though he was large and could pass for over 12, Olga thought he would be treated in a lenient manner due to his age. Little did she know older and young people were almost immediately put to death. If the loss of her parents, her children and not knowing what had happened to her husband were not enough Olga had to endure the mental and physical trials of the camp.
Those who were not put to death were put to work in the most menial tasks under the most horrible conditions.
Olga leaves nothing to the imagination. Here you will find the most graphic details of mans inhumanity to man. Naked roll calls while shivering for hours exposed to the elements, being examined everywhere when entering the camp, having all body hair clipped off, using the same bucket to eliminate in and eat from, the sex at the camp, the cruelness of the officers and of fellow campmates who were trying to save themselves, the things some women would do for a crust of bread, the smell of the camp, the beatings....Olga spares no detail.
It is not for the weak of stomach. You will feel the despair and wonder how man could ever be so cruel and pray that this never ever happens again.

"It must never be allowed to happen again!".......2005-06-02

Olga Lengyel's story is extraordinarily heartbreaking and powerful, but I think the book would have been even more effective and much easier to read if she had told her entire story from beginning to end in order instead of jumping around so much.

That small complaint aside this book should still be mandatory reading by anybody who has at least a little bit of humanity in them. Be warned though, Olga does not sugarcoat anything. I had to stop reading on more than one occasion cause I felt sick or thought I was going to cry.

Also read "The Painted Bird" by Jerzy Kosinski.

In an Antique Land: History in the Guise of a Traveler's Tale

Average customer rating:

Man in the Middle-East
Did I read the same book?
Wonderful book and one that I had read before , but once was not enough
Enjoyed immensely-have lived in the area
It all comes together and makes an unforgettable point

In an Antique Land: History in the Guise of a Traveler's Tale
Amitav Ghosh
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679727833
Release Date: 1994-03-29

Book Description

Reprint of a classic novel that makes the reader political boundaries and cultural assumptions. Excellent on history,Egyptian and Indian culture. by the author of Shadow lines and Glass Palace.

Customer Reviews:

Man in the Middle-East.......2007-09-05

If National Geographic stories reconstructing a stone-age human from its fossilized remains dug out of the ashes of a volcano (such as in physical anthropology) fail to engage your fascination, chances are that this story will seem more academic to you than the home work assignment to watch History Channel. I am one such history-averse person and the book was too slow to start. However, I finished it with a renewed respect for social anthropology and its relevance to the world we live in. The way a story of a 12th century Egyptian trader can be relevant to the social, cultural, political and business of our times is hard to ignore and not take heed of. Besides, it is fascinating to learn how a small set of information sources with varying degrees of reliability can be connected like dots that reveal the story of a 800 year old human life in all its aspects.

Some of the revelations in the book that left me agape were: the rich history of trade between Indian and Egypt that made a lasting impact on the evolution of both countries and her peoples; the complex way in which the social temper and cultural identity of a country are entrenched in religion, thus making religion the primary tool for governing powers to achieve political and business goals in ways that are irreversibly divisive; the power of a united few with a disruptive agenda over the divided many with a peaceful one.

Apparently, this book is part of the course reading for anthropology students at UC, Santa Cruz (and possibly many other universities worldwide), as I found out from a student sitting next to me in the plane. However, Amitav Ghosh's extensive research goes beyond anthropology and throws light on relevant topics of today such as Iraq & the Middle East, the cultural divide between Jewish, Muslims, Christians and Hindus, the Indian identity, and the massive social changes that conservative rural Muslims are grappling with.

Did I read the same book?.......2007-08-31

I found this book extremely dry and slow moving. All the other reviews focus on the master-slave relationship. I kept waiting for this part of the plot to get moving, and it was 200 pages before it even happened. "The Hungry Tide" is a far better work by this author.

Wonderful book and one that I had read before , but once was not enough.......2007-01-18

I had read this book few years ago , but recently I had a conversation with a freind about it. I just thought I would like to have a copy and read it again.
A book that I will recomend .

Enjoyed immensely-have lived in the area.......2007-01-12

I enjoyed this book immensely as I have lived and researched in the Kanara Coast of India where a main character in the book spends a great deal of his life and where there have been from early times trade relations with the Middle East. Although I have not researched in the Egypt I can relate to many research experiences of the author. It was a real treat for me. Martha B. Ashton-Sikora

It all comes together and makes an unforgettable point.......2006-03-28

Although I was immediately fascinated by the historical and literary detective story of the 12th century Jewish merchant and his Indian servant, I did not fully understand Ghosh's mission in writing this book until nearly at the end. Then it became clear to me. This book is an elegy for a way of life that is forever lost. In the 12th century, Jews, Muslims, and Hindus worked in tandem as traders and merchants, with the only reprisals being angry remonstrances rather than armed violence. What we call sophisticated Western civilization has changed all of that.

Just as Portuguese and Dutch invasions of the Indian Ocean ended the medieval way of cooperation, the quiet life of the Egyptian villages in which Ghosh lived also ended -- within our lifetimes. As televisions and refrigerators came to those villages, so did anger, strife, and urbanization. There was money to be made during the Iran-Iraq war if you were a young Egyptian man, but you would never return to your village.

This book was slow-moving in places but ultimately unforgettable.

My Einstein: Essays by Twenty-four of the World's Leading Thinkers on the Man, His Work, and His Legacy

Average customer rating:

Great read to give your life some direction
Interesting and Fairly Consistent Perspectives on Einstein
Offer important insights into Einstein's lasting legacy and his life.

My Einstein: Essays by Twenty-four of the World's Leading Thinkers on the Man, His Work, and His Legacy

Manufacturer: Pantheon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Scientist as Rebel (New York Review Books Collection)

ASIN: 0375423451
Release Date: 2006-07-25

Book Description

Albert Einstein’s bold mark on our understanding of the world, which has persisted now for more than a century, shows no sign of fading. On the contrary, Einstein and his work promise to inspire, enlighten, and confound us for decades—indeed, for centuries—to come.

In this fascinating volume, today’s foremost scientists discuss their own versions and visions of Einstein: how he has influenced their worldviews, their ideas, their science, and their professional and personal lives. These twenty-four essays are a testament to the power of scientific legacy and are essential reading for scientist and layperson alike.

Contributors include:
• Roger Highfield on the Einstein myth
• John Archibald Wheeler on his meetings with Einstein
• Gino C. Segrè, Lee Smolin, and Anton Zeilinger on Einstein’s difficulties with quantum theory
• Leon M. Lederman on the special theory of relativity
• Frank J. Tipler on why Einstein should be seen as a scientific reactionary rather than a scientific revolutionary

Customer Reviews:

Great read to give your life some direction.......2007-08-14

He's no Einstein" is a crass but possibly fitting denouncement of a student who shows little academic potential. Most have at least heard of Albert Einstein, however, or are able to quote his most famous formula: E = mc2. Perhaps it is not common knowledge that Einstein's greatest accomplishments were completed in humble circumstances. When not working as a patent clerk by day, Einstein was feverishly working on experiments to reconcile quantum mechanics and electromagnetism that would forever change the face of science. Undiscovered protégés, who burn the candle at both ends, can find inspiration in Einstein's example.

Personal gems, such as the cumbersome nature of scientific discovery while employed otherwise, are sprinkled throughout My Einstein: a compilation of two dozen essays by modern scientists who were influenced by Einstein. Each scientist extols some detail about Einstein as the motivation to actually enter scientific careers themselves. Many of the writers point out that Einstein had an entirely different way of looking at nature-and they were inspired to enter theoretical physics to recapture some of his cavalier thinking style. One can not intelligently discuss the modern research of theoretical physicists without grappling with Einstein's original ideas.

The casual reader will find the depth to which the writers explain their own scientific prowess a little cumbersome-if not downright boring. Weaving a tale of their own technical competence initially, most writers return to a common idea about Einstein: his best work derived when he was young. These scientists steer the reader away from the image of Einstein as a disheveled, wild-haired, tongue-poking-out mad scientist.

Great men, such as Albert Einstein, happen upon humanity accidentally. John Brockman has edited a collection of essays that are a great read if you are seeking direction in life. Many readers will identify with a burst of inspiration, where even reading about the works of one person, can send the curious on an entirely different pathway. Within the legacy of Einstein is a simple admonition: Pursue your passion-your weekend project might very well cause you to be named the next Einstein.

Armchair Interviews says: You don't have to be an Einstein to get some value from this collection.

Interesting and Fairly Consistent Perspectives on Einstein.......2007-01-28

Science buffs will likely recognize many, if not most, of the names of the 24 contributors to this fascinating book of essays on Einstein. In a completely painless way, the reader is guided through various discussions on Einstein and parts of his life but mainly his science. As can be expected in a book such as this, there is much repetition, from one essay to the next, with regards to some of the highlights in Einstein's life: the cosmological constant (his "greatest blunder"), his favorite sayings, e.g., "God does not play dice", his passionate dissatisfaction with quantum mechanics, his "questionable" work on a unified field theory, etc. With perhaps one exception, the writing styles are very similar in that they are clear, friendly, focused, authoritative and engaging. Although the book was obviously written for a broad audience, it is likely that science buffs will relish it the most.

Offer important insights into Einstein's lasting legacy and his life........2006-10-15

MY EINSTEIN: ESSAYS BY TWENTY-FOUR OF THE WORLD'S LEADING THINKERS ON THE MAN, HIS WORK, AND HIS LEGACY could've been reviewed in our science section but is reviewed here for its detailed surveys by leading scientists, historians and contemporaries. These essays comment and reflect on the man, his contributions and how he influenced their worldviews and methods: even more than a legacy to Einstein's genius, they offer important insights into Einstein's lasting legacy and his life.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Searching for Anne Frank: Letters From Amsterdam to Iowa

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The Real Anne & Her Penpals.
Offers unique insight into Anne Frank's famous Diary
This Is An Amazing Book

Searching for Anne Frank: Letters From Amsterdam to Iowa
Susan Goldman Rubin
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

Anne Frank: A Hidden Life
Anne Frank: Life in Hiding
Memories of Anne Frank: Reflections of a Childhood Friend
Anne Frank: Beyond the Diary - A Photographic Remembrance
Anne Frank's Tales from the Secret Annex

ASIN: 0810945142

Book Description

New insight into the girl whose diary changed the world

Few people know that Anne Frank and her sister, Margot, had pen pals in the United States: Juanita and Betty Wagner, of Danville, Iowa. Although the girls corresponded only briefly, their letters capture a poignant moment in Anne's life, before the Nazis arrived.

Through interviews with people who knew Anne, Margot, Juanita, Betty, and their friends, author Susan Goldman Rubin skillfully contrasts the realities of life in rural America and urban Holland through the duration of World War II. Packed with firsthand reports, photographs (many never before published), and intriguing new information, Searching for Anne Frank provides a vivid look at lives torn apart by war-a subject that has great relevance for today's readers.

Customer Reviews:

The Real Anne & Her Penpals........2005-06-16

This would make a perfect addition to every middle school library as the history in letters and pictures is simply spectacular. It is a lovely book about three girls and their families during a devastating time of war abroad and the Haloucast. One girl is famous because of the diary, given to her on her thirteenth birthday, a red plaid, on June 12, 1942, which survived long after she died in a concentration camp.

I became interested in Annelies Marie Frank in 1956 when a call went out all over the United States for a look-alike to portray her in the movie. They wanted an unknown, so (foolish me) sent in my picture full lenght with shorts and barefoot. Though I looked something like her in the face, I guess they didn't want a 'Southern' accent on a Dutch girl. Millie Perkins, a model, won out over all of us commoners, though I did receive a letter from Twentieth Century Fox -- don't remember who signed it. I got rid of all my movie memorbilia twenty years ago. Lots of movie posters given to me by an usher at the Tennessee Theater and autographed glossy 8X10s ended up in the garbage can!

The 1959 movie won three Oscars. By then, I was a married woman. I did have a penpal in Sabadell, Spain outside of Barcelona, though he was an older factory worker, not a young girl.

Two Iowa sisters, Betty and Juanita, in Danville were given Anne's address in Amsterdam by a teacher. My picture was in Your Hit Parade magazine and Carlos' borther saw it and wrote to me first, to Kingsville, Texas, but it found its way back to Knoxville, Tennessee! Amazing. Now you can't get a Priority Mail to a few miles, from one post office in town to someone who works in downtown.

Anne attended a Montessori school in 1941 and led a privileged life. We in America did not live so well. Her diary was published in Dutch as THE ANNEX in 1947, and in English, THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK in 1952.

This book in textbook binding was published in association with the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, California. It is a keepsake for any girl (or woman who lived through those times).

Offers unique insight into Anne Frank's famous Diary.......2004-02-07

Published in association with the Simon Wiesenthal Center-Museum of Tolerance Library and Archives, Searching For Anne Frank: Letters From Amsterdam To Iowa by Susan Goldman Rubin surveys the correspondence between Anne Frank and ten-year-old Juanita Wagner of Danville, Iowa. Juanita chose Anne's name off of a list provided by her teacher for a pen-pal experience; each girl was to see a very different view of the horrific events unfolding in World War II. This poignant look at the brief correspondence between two young girls, filled with black-and-white and color photographs, offers unique insight into Anne Frank's famous Diary, and is a highly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library 20th Century Biography collections and Holocaust Studies reading lists.

This Is An Amazing Book.......2004-01-22

I would rate this book higher than 5 Stars if I could! This is an amazing book. Every young person and every person for that matter should see these photographs and read the text together with the "Diary of Anne Frank". This is a definitely must see. Congratulations to the author on such an important work. The drums of war were sounding in the background as these young pen pals began their correspondence. Who could have imagined the horrors yet to come? That Anne Frank had a pen pal in the United States and that the letters and photos were preserved is just astounding. Through this book, readers can feel Anne Frank's world and return for just a moment to the days just prior to the Nazi Hell to feel more strongly what was lost. I recommend this book to all and especially for young people learning about the Holocaust in a synagogue or church setting.

An Unlikely Heroine: Esther Cailingold's Fight for Jerusalem

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An Unlikely Heroine: Esther Cailingold's Fight for Jerusalem
Asher Cailingold
Manufacturer: Mitchell Vallentine & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0853034087

The Dreyfus Affair: "J`Accuse" and Other Writings

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COMPLETE COLLECTION OF ZOLA'S LETTERS DURING DREYFUS AFFAIR
HISTORY

The Dreyfus Affair: "J`Accuse" and Other Writings
Emile Zola
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Affair: The Case of Alfred Dreyfus
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ASIN: 0300073674

Book Description

When French authorities accused Jewish Army captain Alfred Dreyfus of espionage in 1894, the resulting anti-Semitic controversy bitterly divided France and its intellectual world. This book is the first complete edition in English of the pivotal contribution of French novelist Emile Zola to the Dreyfus affair. His impassioned writings represent a classic defense of human rights and a searing denunciation of fanaticism and prejudice, as significant today as when they were written.

Customer Reviews:

COMPLETE COLLECTION OF ZOLA'S LETTERS DURING DREYFUS AFFAIR.......2005-03-28

Emile Zola is today the most well known "fighter" in the war to clear Alfred Dreyfus' name in what became known as the Dreyfus Affair in 1890s France. This book compiles Zola's letters (public and not) during this period, with the most famous being J'Accuse, one that earned him a conviction along with stiff fines that eroded his fortune.

Zola is very passionate in Dreyfus' defense, though his passion never leaves behind a devastating logic that made it so difficult to ignore. This is an amazing defense of religious freedom and justice, against prejudice and hatred. Zola manages to weaken, in time, two of the most powerful institution in France at the time: the military and the church. Ten years later the military would no longer play as significant a role in French life, and by 1905 France would pass the law separating Church and State.

After reading the letters, one is filled with Zola's enthusiasm and idealism. Makes one want to go fight injustice and make this a better world. There are very few books about which this can be said.

HISTORY.......2002-09-01

This is an excellent presentation of historical events by a contemporary.

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A Life in Letters, 1914-1982
Gershom Scholem , and Anthony David Skinner
Manufacturer: Harvard University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0674006429

Book Description

Perhaps the greatest scholar of Jewish mysticism in the twentieth century, Gershom Scholem (1897-1982) once said of himself, "I have no biography, only a bibliography." Yet, in thousands of letters written over his lifetime, his biography does unfold, inscribing a life that epitomized the intellectual ferment and political drama of an era. This selection of the best and most representative letters--drawn from the 3000 page German edition--gives readers an intimate view of this remarkable man, from his troubled family life in Germany to his emergence as one of the leading lights of Israel during its founding and formative years.

In the letters, we witness the travails and vicissitudes of the Scholem family, a drama in which Gershom is banished by his father for his anti-kaiser Zionist sentiments; his antiwar, socialist brother is hounded and murdered; and his mother and remaining brothers are forced to emigrate. We see Scholem's friendships with some of the most intriguing intellectuals of the twentieth century--such as Hannah Arendt, Walter Benjamin, and Theodor Adorno--blossom and, on occasion, wither. And we learn firsthand about his Zionist commitment and his scholarly career, from his move to Palestine in the 1920s to his work as Professor of Jewish Mysticism at the Hebrew University. Over the course of seven decades that comprised the most significant events of the twentieth century, these letters reveal how Scholem's scholarship is informed by the experiences he so eloquently described.

On the Human Race: Essays and Commentary

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On the Human Race: Essays and Commentary
Robert Antelme
Manufacturer: Marlboro Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0810160641

Book Description

Also available: Antelme's The Human Race

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