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
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History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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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.
Book Description
Essays bearing on the contemporary scene and on the relation of the individual to society, including papers written during the 1920s and 1930s focusing on the upheaval in Germany, and two major works of Jung's last years, The Undiscovered Self and Flying Saucers.
Customer Reviews:
The individual & society--for good or ill.......2006-06-06
While Jung is generally considered to be introverted, this volume addresses his understanding of relationships between individuals, other people, & society. It includes a plethora of profound, not intuitively obvious, observations & assessments. It added materially to my quotes collection. p. 115 "It is only the few who clearly express the spirit of the present in any age." I would say this matches the Normal Distribution if the mean is somewhat earlier than the chronological age. Perhaps the greatest problem or our age (& others) is: pp. 135-6 "The well-nigh ineradicable prejudice of simple-minded persons that everybody is exactly the same as them. Although it is true in general that psychic differences are admitted as a theoretical possibility, in practice one always forgets that the other person is different from oneself, that he thinks differently, feels differently, sees differently, and wants quite different things. Even scientific theories, as we have seen, start from the assumption that the shoe pinches everyone in the same place...This prejudice is evidently a vestige but a very potent one--of a primitive frame of mind which is based essentially on an insufficiently differentiated consciousness. Individual consciousness or ego-consciousness is a late product of man's development. It's primitive form is a mere group consciousness."
Further, Jung repeatedly notes the dangers of groups-- p. 200 "the devastating moral and psychic effects of living together in huge masses," p. 228 "Any large company composed of wholly admirable persons has the morality and intelligence of an unwieldy, stupid, and violent animal," & p. 500 "A collection of a hundred Great Brains makes one big fathead" (one of Jung's favorite expressions).
This is, I think, the context for at least this volume, & is a specific instance of the general observation that p. 153 "No one who does not know himself can know others and in each of us there is another whom we do not know. He speaks to us in dreams and tells us how differently he sees us from the way we see ourselves." Further, p. 138 "For primitive egoism, however, the standing rule is that it is never `I' who must change, but always the other fellow," p. 447 "Because most people are devoid of self-criticism, permanent self-deception is the rule," p. 181 "We always rediscover our unconscious psychic contents in other people," & p. 82 "It is, however, true that much of the evil in the world comes from the fact that man in general is hopelessly unconscious." Thus, to Jung, individuation=self-knowledge is the goal. This includes both integration of split off contents (the shadow), withdrawing unconscious projections, & attuning with the anima/animus via the transcendent function to connect with the Self. This is one of my favorite books in the Collected Works.
_Civilization in Transition_ (C.W. Vol. 10)........2004-04-03
_Civilization in Transition_ is Vol. 10 in the Collected Works of famous psychoanalyst Carl Jung. This volume consists of a series of essays and reflections by the doctor dealing with the nature of civilization, and modern man in relation to history, as well as the unique role of Jungian psychology in explaining both political and social trends within man. Jungian psychology includes notions of ego and archetype (anima and animus, and the shadow persona), as well as the unconscious and the collective unconscious (which contains ancestral memories preserved as archetypes). Much of the Jungian process can be understood as the attempt to integrate the abandoned contents of the shadow (the dark unconscious side of the personality) and achieve what is termed "individuation". Others have written linking Jungian psychology to Christian belief arguing that the process of individuation can be understood in terms of Saint Paul's putting on of the new man. Thus, Christianity plays an important part in the role of Jungian psychology and many of its most ardent adherents are indeed Christians of sorts. The book is divided into seven parts and an appendix. The first part consists of essays on "The Role of the Unconscious", "Mind and Earth" (emphasizing the cthonic nature of the Germanic mind and contrasting this to the mind of nomadic or Semitic peoples), "Archaic Man" (revealing the nature of taboo and what is naively dismissed as superstition), and "The Spiritual Problem of Modern Man". The second part deals with problems encountered within the modern world including "The Love Problem of a Student", "Woman in Europe" (which includes a description of the modern versus the medieval marriage with remarks about the anima/animus syzygy), as well as essays entitled "The Meaning of Psychology for Modern Man" and "The State of Psychotherapy Today" dealing with Jungian interpretations of modern day man. The third part deals mostly with the events of the World War. Here, essays dealing with "Contemporary Events" as well as an important essay entitled "Wotan" (which shows how the old Nordic pre-Christian deity lies behind the Germanic peoples and their battles) and two essays dealing with the catastrophe of the Third Reich entitled "After the Catastrophe" and "The Fight with the Shadow" (about German war guilt and collective guilt). The fourth section consists of the published volume _The Undiscovered Self (Present and Future)_ which deals with the plight of the individual in modern day society and the role of religion in that society in the West. The fifth section consists of an intereresting piece entitled _Flying Saucers: A Modern Myth of Things Seen in the Skies_ which deals with both the psychological myth behind these saucers (the need for integration and wholeness manifested through an apocalyptic scenario). The sixth section contains essays dealing with "A Psychological View of Conscience" (dealing with the subtle problem of conscience as the "vox Dei"), "Good and Evil in Analytical Psychology", and an introduction by Toni Wolff. The seventh section includes reviews of writings by Count Hermann Keyserling, the social philosopher and obscurantist, as well as a piece on American psychology showing the influence of both the Negro (the problem of "going black" for the European) and the Indian on the American psyche, and two pieces on the psychology of India contrasting it with the European. An Appendix is included which includes various letters and addresses of the psychotherapeutic societies as well as Jung's particular remarks on the "Jewish problem", in which he notes the distinction between Jewish (Semitic) and European psychological make-ups. This volume is particularly interesting for all those who are intent on studying the Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung and his school of thought. While Jung himself often defies proper categorization within a traditional religious perspective, many within the traditional religions have seen value in his work and writings and have incorporated what he has written into their therapeutic practices.
Also of interest: By Baron Julius Evola, _Revolt Against the Modern World_.
One of the best of Jung's collected works........2003-12-09
Even if this book is only available in hardcover, I assure you that it is worth every penny. _Civilization in Transition_ is a collection of some of Jung's most important essays, including some all-time classic works of philosophical and political psychology. I will briefly describe the more important essays:
AFTER THE CATASTROPHE: One of Jung's all-time greatest essays. Jung does an excellent job explaining the psychological and theological implications of the holocaust.
THE FIGHT WITH THE SHADOW: Continues in the same direction as _After the Catastrophe_; this is another truly profound and fascinationg essay, dealing with the evil forces lurking deep within man.
WOTAN: Part three of Jung's holy triptich on the evil of man. Examines the violent history of the German people and the mythological precursers which foreshadowed Germany's tragic fate.
CIVILIZATION IN TRANSITION also contains the famous essay, THE UNDISCOVERED SELF. This essay has been described as a study on society and politics, but it struck me as much more universal and well rounded, dealing with intense, far-reaching philosophical and theological issues. THE UNDISCOVERED SELF is a perfect example of Jung's bold adventures into the realms of philosophy, politics, and religion, rightly recognizing that these issues are inextricably intertwined with human psychology. This essay is available by itself in paperback form, but it is probably wiser to buy the full length CIVILIZATION IN TRANSITION because the afformentioned essays on evil are alone worth the price of the volume.
Although CIVILIZATION IN TRANSITION contains many other useful essays (such as "Women in Europe", which is still very relevant and insightful), the last one I will mention here is FLYING SAUCERS: A MODERN MYTH OF THINGS SEEN IN THE SKY. I was very sceptical of this essay at first, because I thought it would contain Jung's characteristic rantings and ravings regarding his pet "archetypes", but really this essay is quite good. Jung describes several of his patients' dreams involving flying saucers, and I found these dream sequences to be absolutely fascinating and even potentially revelatory. FLYING SAUCERS is much better than most of Jung's works regarding archetypal dreams and visions.
Overall, CIVILIZATION IN TRANSITION is one of the most useful of the collected works. And unlike some of the collected works, you can read this one cover to cover without skipping anything. Every last page of CIVILIZATION IN TRANSITION is Jung at his very best.
Jung on Society.......2000-08-10
This is Volume 10 of the Collected Works of Carl Jung (1875-1961), "Civilization in Transition". Unlike some of the other volumes in the Collected Works, this is a not a single document, but rather a collection of essays spanning four decades. All of them are concerned with some aspect of societal issues at large. Jung writes about anthropology ancient ("Archaic Man", 1931) and modern ("Woman in Europe", 1927). His topic range from the profoundly sober ("After the Catastrophe", 1945) to the seemingly absurd ("Flying Saucers: A Modern Myth", 1958). He explores professional issues in "The State of Psychotherapy Today" (1934) and "The Complications of America Psychology" (1959). He explores the interfaces of psychology with the moral ("Good and Evil in Analytic Psychology", 1959) and the spiritual ("What India Can Teach Us", 1939). In my mind, the gem of the collection is "The Undiscovered Self (Present and Future)" (1957), in which Jung explores the implications of psychological development, and the lack thereof, on the broadest scale of history. In Jung's view, the configuration of the conscious and the unconscious is the most important parameter in the life of an individual, and insofar as aspects of this configuration are identical across individuals in a culture, these aspect shape and constrain the development of the culture; that, in a nutshell, is the topic of this book.
Average customer rating:
- Dry, and lacking in detail
- A good general history of the Antonines
- Typical Michael Grant Greatness!
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The Antonines: The Roman Empire in Transition
Michael Grant
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0415107547 |
Book Description
The Roman Empire was an achievement of startling proportions. In its size alone, it extended from the Atlantic to the Euphrates and from the Rhine to Danube all the way to the Sahara. In many ways, as the global question of emerging national identities persists, and attempts at multinational unity fail, Rome's vast empire becomes an extremely relevant historical lesson. In
The Antonines, the eminent historian of classical history, Michael Grant, examines the vital role played by the Antonines in the development and expansion of the Roman Empire. He surveys that period's renowned contributions to the arts, discussing at length Marcus Aurelius's Meditations, perhaps one of the greatest literary products of the classical world. He suggests that the Antonines occasioned a major transition in Roman life politics, and that the period over which they presided witnessed extraordinary changes that heralded a new epoch to many. The Antonines, he argues, were singularly responsible for ushering the Roman Empire from the ancient world to the early Medieval.
Grant examines the political dynamics that brought about these changes, analyzing such issues as the role of "adoption" (the policy of choosing Emperors who were not direct descendants of the throne). He profiles the individuals who made up the Antonines: of Antoninus Pius, an altogether understudied figure, who curiously bequeathed his position to two men particularly unfit to rule his vast and efficacious regime; Marcus Aurelius, an avid militarist who could oddly find the time to write one of the best works of Roman literature known to date; Commodus and his abandonment of imperial ambitions in what is presently Germany and the implications it had on the decline of the Empire, as well as his emphasis on monotheism within the terms of Roman religion.
Grant's historical analysis provides a thorough and, above all, high-minded look at this often neglected yet critical period in the Roman Empire--a period that not only illuminates the processes of dramatic transformation, but presents a point of comparison to the current historical circumstance as well.
Customer Reviews:
Dry, and lacking in detail.......2007-06-07
I was sadly disappointed by this book, the first (and probably last) I have read by Michael Grant.
The writing seems to deliberately remove all specific details. I suspect this is because the author wants to present an `objective' view of what the emperors did, instead of the gossip and innuendo that is, like it or not, a major source of information for Roman history. This sanitization goes to such extreme length that important information is not given. For example we are told Antoninus Pius did certain things to try to dispel the reputation he had of being stingy, but we are not told how we know he had this reputation, or whether it was deserved.
Another more blatant example comes from the start of the chapter on Marcus Aurelias. The author tries to demonstrate how Marcus Aurelias increased the strength of the upper classes. The example is a dispute between the farmers of a small town along the route that cattle took between their winter and summer pastures and the owners of these cattle (apparently the emperor). The farmers complained directly to the emperor. `The emperor passed the decision to the praetorian prefects, Marcus Bassaeus Rufus and Marcus Macrinus Avitus Catonius Vindex, and their ruling gave the [farmers] no satisfaction whatsoever.' So we learn the names of two prefects but we don't know exactly what the dispute or resolution was nor how this is an example of increasing the upper classes strength.
Although I certainly agree that authors should declare their opinions, I expect that they will give me enough information so that I can decide whether I agree with them.
I don't think I will finish this book, it irritates me so. I recommend Colin Wells `The Roman Empire'. It covers a longer period, and has almost as much detail (if not more) about both the political and social history of this era.
The Roman Empire: Second Edition
If you want a bare bones history, and are willing to accept the author's opinions without question, then this book is adequate.
A good general history of the Antonines.......2003-01-24
`The Antonines' is a necessary work on the second century A.D. by a respected Roman historian.
Part One of this work by Michael Grant gives a brief presentation of the salient imperial powers of the time, Antonius Pius (138-161), Marcus Aurelius (161-180), Lucius Verus (161-169) and Commodus (180-192) in a concise manner. However, it is as it reads - a nicely presented synopsis of Roman imperial history from 138 to 192 A.D.
Part One's opening chapter provides the reader with details of Antonius Pius' actions, a diagnostic on his character to explain those actions - leaning heavily on the potential explanations for the Pius appellation - Aurelius' conservatism, Veres ineffectiveness and Commodus dramatic impact on the empire to a degree not seen since Nero. Moving swiftly onto Marcus Aurelius, Grant summarizes his reign as coping "with appalling problems with a conscientiousness that raised him to the top class of rulers." Touching on Aurelius' time spent on the Rhine frontier, his famous Meditations, conflict with Avidius Cassius, his wife Faustina and his state of health, Grant portrays Marcus Aurelius as a ruler who engendered a great deal of respect, a respect that swiftly disappears with the biography of Commodus.
After a brief note on the eternal critcism of Aurelius for having his son succeed him, (there is an insistence by the author on the idea of hereditary dynastic succession in Imperial Rome which doesn't bear much proof particularly as two pages later he states that "the senate, though conscious that the selection of the `best man' had ceased to have any reality..." thus implying there was no concept) Grant sweeps into his biography of Commodus. Grant's commentary on Commodus highlights him as a ruler who provided a strong and favourable impression in the first few years of his reign, but later biographies depict him as a drunkard, debauched from the earliest years, and focus on his unseemly gladiatorial enthusiasm all of which leads to serious administrative disaster for the empire. Eventually, as Grant states: his `wild self-indulgence and quasi-mystical autocratic religiosity' led to his murder.
Part Two deals with two themes of the Antonine Age: literature and art.
The first is split into three sections: Latin, Greek and Christian writings and is no more than a brief biography and synopis of the extant works of each. Moving from first rate (as the author terms it) authors such as Fronto, Lucian, Aurelius, Pausanias Justin to other authors including the Second Sophists, the Apologists, Gnostic writers Grant gives what is fundamentally a brief history, notable works and precis of the major writings of each in each section.
The second focuses on the art and architecture of the Antonine period, from busts and statues to theatres, expanded by many pictures and Grant concludes with a chapter on the Antonine Age.
The work comes through as a neat biographical history of the Antonine Emperors and the leading literay and artistic names of the period. As such this is an excellent starter book for anyone interested in the period and a useful reference book to students more familiar with the period.
Typical Michael Grant Greatness!.......2000-02-27
This is a book about Rome's "Golden Age." It covers the period from Antoninus Pius to Commodus (138-192 A.D.). Antoninus Pius & Marcus Aurelius (as well as Trajan & Hadrian, who came shortly before) are among the greatest of the Roman emperors. Sadly, Commodus (Aurelius' son) was one of the worst leaders of all time. As a matter of fact, Commodus was SO bad that many Romans accused his mother of infidelity as they could not believe how such an egregious fellow could have possibly sprung from the loins of one so noble as Aurelius.
Grants' book gives a detailed look at this epoch, as well as a glimpse at the art & literature of the time. The book contains helpful illustrations & photographs of Roman architecture & coinages of the time.
This book gives a detailed picture of one of the most pivotal moments in Roman history. Some would say that Roman history went downhill from the reign of Commodus onward. While I think that this is a slight exaggeration, there is nonetheless evidence that this was (until Commodus) the closest that Rome ever came to achieving their utopian "Camelot." A great work by an astute scholar.
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Reflections on Europe in Transition
Manufacturer: Peter Lang Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0820481939 |
Book Description
Reflections on Europe in Transition consists of a selection of articles presented at the "The New Europe at the Crossroads" conference held in Poznan, Poland (2005). The diverse contributions from scholars in the fields of political science, modern languages, philosophy, economics, and sociology examine a variety of issues: the myth of a united Europe, the impact of globalization on national identity, the fate of immigrant populations, integration, as well as the state of Germany fifteen years after unification. The contributions also raise the issue of terrorism and some of the European response to it.
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Ancient China in Transition (Civilization of East Asia Study)
Cho-Yun Hsu
Manufacturer: Stanford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0804702233 |
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