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.

Average customer rating:

A welcome feast for the senses
Not for the Left-brained, Delicious for the Right-brained
ONE BIG LUSCIOUS CELEBRATION OF HUMAN FACULTIES
Beyond the book
"The Heady Succulence of Life" (p. 41)

A Natural History of the Senses
Diane Ackerman
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Accessories:

ASIN: 0679735666
Release Date: 1991-09-10

Amazon.com

"One of the real tests of writers," notes Ackerman in this liveliest of nature books, "is how well they write about smells. If they can't describe the scent of sanctity in a church, can you trust them to describe the suburbs of the heart?" Ackerman passes the test, writing with ease and fluency about the five senses. Did you know that bat guano smells like stale Wheat Thins? That Bach's music can quell anger around the world? That the leaves that shimmer so beautifully in fall have "no adaptive purpose"? Ackerman does, and she guides us through questions of sensation with an eye for the amusingly arcane reference and just the right phrase.

Book Description

Diane Ackerman's lusciously written grand tour of the realm of the senses includes conversations with an iceberg in Antarctica and a professional nose in New York, along with dissertations on kisses and tattoos, sadistic cuisine and the music played by the planet Earth. "Delightful . . . gives the reader the richest possible feeling of the worlds the senses take in."--The New York Times. (Literature--Classics & Contemporary)

Customer Reviews:

A welcome feast for the senses.......2007-08-19

{Review writte in July 2004}

I read A Natural History of the Senses back in 1991, when it first came out ...

If you're an aspiring writer, if you enjoy meditation and/or sensory deprivation (or other activities designed to heighten your sensory awareness), or even if you're just an unpracticed closet sensualist eager for new experiences, then do not walk ... RUN ... run out and by this book. Better still, click on our "Buy Books" link, locate it, and select overnight shipment. You'll thank me for it.

Yes, it really is THAT good.

Ackerman gives us a first hand tour de force overview of our 5 bodily senses, from the historical, scientific, philosophical, artistic and literary vantagepoints. With the giddy delight of someone with a rapt attention for fine details, not to mention a true gift for words, she takes us on a rich journey of the subtle and the sublime ... from the musky scent of fire-warmed leather, to the plaintive cry of a lonely loon hidden in the misty wilderness, to the rousing plushness of crushed velvet, to the crisp-tart taste of muscat grapes plucked straight from their sun-ripened vines.

No need for me to wax poetic, because that's what this work is all about ... it's a master class in understanding the senses we use to percieve the world itself.

Sure, there are people out there who think that books like this are just lightweight literary fluff ... such people reveal themselves to be the same undiscerning people who are blindly content to live on fast food slop, who never stop to relax and fully appreciate a beautiful sunset, and who mechanically motor off into the rat race without pausing for a long moment to nuzzle in the musky warmth of their lover's neck and hair, and to beam love for a long languid moment into their mate's eyes. For those cannot appreciate the subtleties such things, I feel nothing but pity. Go right ahead and wallow in your detached mediocrity ... and whatever you do, do NOT buy this book, because it'll only upset you to realize all the things you've been missing out on all these years. You've been living your life in the lowest possible resolution, and you have nobody to blame but yourself.

Anyway, this book is easily one of the most enjoyable and satisfying books I've read to date.

Not for the Left-brained, Delicious for the Right-brained.......2007-06-27

Some of the other reviewers who didn't rate this book very highly mentioned mostly that it was too "cloying" and not factual enough. In my opinion these readers misunderstood the intention of the author and were looking for a science textbook. Sure the title may leave you to expect that, but reading the synopsis or even the reviews can tell you to expect something different.

The intent of the author, again in my mind, was a social study of the senses VIA the senses - she used the language of the senses so we could have a sense-ful experience. Since one can only experience their own senses, she of course used many of her sense experiences to be able to add the most enticing language. Note that she incorporated just as many quotes from other artists/writers describing their own sense experiences. The result was successfully full of senses, which her point was that we don't notice and appreciate our senses and how they've influenced our society enough, and if that is cloying to some then they're all the more in need of using their senses.

I particularly like how she blends in philosphy and facts into the reading so you aren't aware you're picking up gems. I underlined a lot of words to meditate on. Just goes to show how much how we use our senses shapes our world.

Summary: If you're looking for a bland scientific text on the senses look elsewhere (or better yet learn to use another part of your brain with this book). Otherwise indulge yourself in it's poetry. Yummy.

ONE BIG LUSCIOUS CELEBRATION OF HUMAN FACULTIES.......2007-04-28

Taking inventory of the five senses may at first seem a simple and scientific theme perhaps better suited to a book meant for junior high, but there's nothing prosaic about this epic work of staggering proportions. Ms. Ackerman manages to smoosh in such a diverse array of beguiling facts about our sensibilities and the world within which we perceive them, and with such lyrical splendor, that reading this book is a grand sensory carnival in itself.

Because the senses are both natural and cultural--we share them with animals, but they also form the bases of human institutions--she glides smoothly from, say, the mating habits of mice to the activities of the international perfume industry. Wondrous sounds and rich imagery are made available to us on molecular, diagnostic, and even galactic levels. Why do leaves change hues in the fall? What makes crocodiles dance? What would the world sound like if we could hear all its frequencies? How do we feel pain? What do our pheromones try to tell us? How would Helen Keller 'hear' a symphony? What have scientists learned from people who are missing one or more of the senses?

This is no pedestrian treatise. Some readers may find the prose extravagant--and to them my advice would be to read the book in fits and starts, not in one weekend sitting--but like Stephen Gould or Annie Dillard or other such maestro raconteurs of science and nature, Ackerman comes across as an adventurous soul who seems to experience nature firsthand and then describe it with an eager enthusiasm that is both personal and learned. As readers, we simply savor the companionship on a sparkling journey. This remains one of my most dog-eared and gifted books of all time. Get it pronto if you don't already have one, and be prepared to be mesmerized.

Beyond the book.......2006-09-04

She's an amazing writer. Her artistic, sensual passion wins the day, though she warms up to good science, too. If you enjoy all things Ackerman, or if you are especiallly interested in the senses, then you'll love Nova's "Mystery of the Senses." This is a 5-part documentary featuring each of the major senses. It is based on this book, primarily. It is narrated by Ackerman, and you'll find her (and her glorious '80s era hair) taking mudbaths, sitting by a stream, etc. The video set, like this book, bridges the gap between sensuality and science; experience and explanation.

"The Heady Succulence of Life" (p. 41).......2006-08-30

Imagine having a witty and informed guided tour of one's own sensory apparatus! That is what Ackerman offers. By turns intensely intellectual and cybaritic, the result is an irresistable romp through the world of newly magnified familiarities.

Some gems: chocolate as "an emotional food" (p. 154). "Hands are messengers of emotion" (p. 118). "The tongue is like a kingdom divided into principalities according to sensory talent" (p. 139).

And on page 20: "Smell was the first of our senses, and it was so successful that in time the small lump of olfactory tissue atop the nerve cord grew into a brain. Our cerebral hemispheres were originally buds from the olfactory stalks. We THINK because we SMELLED."

Highly recommended. A terrific mental flight while trying to endure air travel!

How to Really Fool Yourself: Illusions for All Your Senses

Average customer rating:

Fun is no illusion with this book!

How to Really Fool Yourself: Illusions for All Your Senses
Vicki Cobb
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0471315923

Book Description

Fans of Vicki Cobb's unique blend of humor, science, and hands-on activities will have tons of fun with How to Really Fool Yourself. Kids won't be able to believe their eyes—not to mention their ears, noses, hands, and tongues! Packed with all-new illustrations and a delightful new design, this book features over 70 activities to fool all five senses. Each illusion is followed by a fascinating "Why You're Fooled" section that explains the science and history behind the "magic."

Illusions of touch, taste, hearing, smell, and sight include: the Incredible Shrinking Sugar Cube, Flavorless Coffee, Movie-Style Sound Effects, Making Circles from Straight Lines, and many more
The hardcover edition of How to Really Fool Yourself has sold 90,000 copies
A Main Selection of the Primary Teachers' Book Club

Customer Reviews:

Fun is no illusion with this book!.......2007-07-13

I bought this book to use with a summer reading program and has it been a hit! The age groups that enjoyed the activities in this book range in age from 6-15 years old. Each student was able to walk away knowing how to share at least one of the optical illusions to share with their family. We've had a blast using this book and highly recommend it to everyone who enjoys being fascinated.

Making Sense of Secondary Science: Research into Children's Ideas

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How and why kids think as they do
A must for all high school science teachers!
A must for all high school science teachers!

Making Sense of Secondary Science: Research into Children's Ideas
Drivers
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0415097657

Book Description

When children begin secondary school they already have knowledge and ideas about many aspects of the natural world from their experiences both in primary classes and outside school. These ideas, right or wrong, form the basis of all they subsequently learn: research has show that teaching is unlikely to be effective unless it takes into account the position from which the learner starts.

Making Sense of Secondary Science provides a concise, accessible summary of the international research that has been done in this area. The findings are arranged in three main sections: life and living processes, materials and their properties and physical processes. Much of this material has hitherto been difficult to access and its publication in this convenient form will be welcomed by all science teachers, both in initial training and in schools, who want to deepen their understanding of how their children think.

Customer Reviews:

How and why kids think as they do.......2007-09-15

This is a great book for science teachers (and parents of kids). The three main sections, "Children's ideas about life and living processes," "...about materials and their properties," and "...about physical processes" are well researched and documented. The book examines the models that children develop in their structuring of the world, then addresses how educators can support those pieces that are correct and work to re-structure those that are incorrect.

A must for all high school science teachers!.......1999-05-04

This book should accompany any science text book because it is a reality check for teachers. The research is clear and comprehensive - no holds barred! After reading it from cover to cover I immediately modified my teaching practice. I reassessed my assumptions about what students know and can do then and changed course. I have a greater appreciation for my students' views and misconceptions and now my job is to steer them straight - or better still, to coach them to construct their own science knowledge and skills.

A must for all high school science teachers!.......1999-05-04

It's Raining Cats And Dogs: Making Sense of Animal Phrases

Average customer rating:

Not just an Idiom
A total delight!
The Most Clever and Amusing Pet Book EVER!!!!

It's Raining Cats And Dogs: Making Sense of Animal Phrases
Jackie Franza
Manufacturer: BowTie Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1931993742

Book Description

There's no better gift book than one that combines animals and fascinating phrase facts! It's Raining Cats & Dogs: Making Sense of Animal Phrases will make you "go hog wild" when you learn the meanings and origins of animal expressions used every day. With this fun book from the publisher of Cat Fancy and Dog Fancy magazines, you can be "the cat's meow." It's Raining Cats & Dogs is the perfect resource or gift for anyone who love language or animals.

Customer Reviews:

Not just an Idiom.......2007-05-12

Idioms are everywhere, and often we do not know what they mean. This book is a great addition to any library reference section! Learn about the origin of animal idioms and sayings. See colorful pictures and interesting literal interpretations of these idioms and sayings. Great book!

A total delight!.......2006-04-06

Without a doubt this was the most intersting book I have read in years. I always wondered where those silly sayings came from - now I know. This book was well written and easy to read. I liked the illustrations as well.

The Most Clever and Amusing Pet Book EVER!!!!.......2006-04-05

I loved this book so much. It was clever and charming and I was chuckling all the way to the end of the book. It was interesting to learn how everyday sayings came into use and the meaning behind them. I can't wait to impress people with the new sayings that I learned as well. I have never enjoyed a pet book as much as I enjoyed this one.I would definitely recommend this author to everyone. I hope that she comes out with more books as fun and witty as this one.

Mountain Memories: An Appalachian Sense of Place

Average customer rating:

Les Miller thoughts - January 24, 2004
A Love Affair With Home and Nature
PHOTOGRAPHY IS MORE THAN TECNIQUE

Mountain Memories: An Appalachian Sense of Place
Jim Clark
Manufacturer: West Virginia University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Waterfalls of Virginia and West Virginia

ASIN: 0937058777

Book Description

Nationally recognized nature photographer Jim Clark invites you along as he explores his favorite wild place, West Virginia. This is a big, startlingly beautiful photography book, but it's also more. It's an introduction to the joy of observing and understanding the rhythm of nature, from creeping moss to soaring ravens. Reading Clark's loving memories will remind you of your own outdoors experiences, and send you out for more.

Customer Reviews:

Les Miller thoughts - January 24, 2004.......2004-01-24

" Mountain Memories" gave me a deeper appreciation of the Appalachian Mountains. I thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful journey through West Virginia's mountains with Jim Clark. It was inspiring to see a person so in harmony and appreciative of nature. We would all be better off to emulate that state of being. It was also fascinating to learn about the habits of some of natural inhabitants of the mountains. Jim's vivid and moving images made me want to head to West Virginia and experience the beauty for myself.

A Love Affair With Home and Nature.......2004-01-01

If you are a nature lover, photographer or just enjoy natural history, this is one for the permanent collection on our book shelves and in our hearts. It is a fantastic combination of excellent writing and inspirational photography.

For those of us fortunate enough to have grown up in the "country" this book will bring back those childhood memories of the lessons we learned by just going out into nature and really looking, listening but most importantly, feeling the spirit. The author has captured in words and images those inspirational moments with nature that become a part of who we are.

He has captured the essence of his personal love affair with West Virginia looking beyond the highways, the telephone lines, and all the marks of modern living to the true spirit of what it means to really connect with the personality of each changing season and the feast of visual experiences. The author then takes us beyond the beauty of the images and into his heart when he writes about what has inspired him. He shares with us his intimate knowledge of where to look and when for those special treats nature offers up each season in the West Virginia mountains.

It should appeal to anyone who has an interest in seeing the beauty in nature whether a photographer looking for great locations to photograph or someone who would like to spend a few hours with an author who has the power to capture our imaginations in a Huck Finn style of story telling about his beloved West Virginia. The book is rich with facts about the natural history of the area with extensive detail.

This is his second book and both should come with a warning. Once you read either book you will be making a trip, as I have, to the places the author presents so beautifully in words and pictures.

PHOTOGRAPHY IS MORE THAN TECNIQUE.......2003-10-19

If you are looking for another f/stop, shutter speed, aperture setting book on photography, then Jim Clark's second book, "Mountain Memories, An Appalachian Sense of Place" probably isn't the book for you. Actually, "Mountain Memories" isn't even a book about photography. It's really a sharing of the Appalachian area and memories of renowned nature photographer, Jim Clark. As a photographer myself, though, I can't help but write this review slanted towards the wealth of knowledge the book makes available to my fellow photographers.

If you are looking for a book that teaches you that a successful image goes much deeper than the photograph, then click on the "add to cart" button and you will soon be transformed into the heart of Appalachia as well as the mind of one of its native sons. You will also begin a journey that will transform you from a technically correct photographer to a creator of images and memories.

Jim takes you on a beautiful journey of discovery, sharing his thoughts and memories as he travels and captures the beauty that is Appalachia. I felt like I was at his side as he goes through the beauty of the seasons, painting the scenes of the birds, trees, waters and plant life of regions of the region in eloquent prose and breathtaking images. His love for Appalachia is very evident.

Although Jim doesn't mention f/stops, composition, etc. each page of "Mountain Memories" holds a wealth of information that will make you a better photographer. I've had the honor of traveling some of these trails with Jim and I've learned from him, from his workshops, and from his book, that technical knowledge isn't the only element of a successful nature image. If you don't have a passion for your subject, a desire to learn about your subject, a desire to convey a feeling, elicit a thought, reignite a memory or tell a story, you've created nothing more than a technically perfect "snap-shot". Add all these elements and you've created another memory to put into your "Mason Jar" (don't miss Jim's explanation of the magic of memories and mason jars.)

Book Description

Now in paperback--an easy-to-read primer of environmental dangers and the best way to address them.

Customer Reviews:

Very good critique of "mainstream" environmentalism........2003-01-28

This book, out now for almost nine years, has never received the attention it deserves. Bast, Hill and Rue survey the major tendencies among radical environmentalists--"greens"--and have produced the most objective evaluation I've yet to run across that ought to be accessible to the nonspecialist. In fact, considering the scope and complexity of their subject matter, it is amazing that they have produced so brilliantly written and accessible an account of where the human race really stands vis a vis the natural environment.

Guess what? We're not killing the planet!

Bast, Hill and Rue survey air and water quality, forests, global warming, ozone depletion, solid wastes and acid rain among other environmental topics. Bast, Hill and Rue succeed in showing that few if any of the hysterics coming from environmentalist circles are really warranted. The best scientific evidence we have tells us, for example, that our air and water supplies are getting cleaner, not dirtier. Total air pollution emissions in the U.S. today are much lower than they were in 1940, and lower than they were in the 1960s and 1970s. Water quality has shown equivalent improvements. Likewise, there are more acres of forest in the U.S. today than anytime since the 1950s. Regarding global warming, the evidence of a phenomenon that can be traced to human industrial activity is nowhere near as decisive as both the "greens" and the major media would have us believe. Average temperatures fluctuate across the globe for a variety of reasons, some of them too complex to determine exact causes, and we simply have not been keeping records for long enough to map out a direct cause-and-effect connection between warming temperatures and human industrial action. Certainly the science is not decisive enough for the massive changes in the whole economic order being demanded by many "green" activists (many of whom--let's just say it--are socialists who want a "new world order" they can control).

The authors present similar evidence regarding other environmentalist "issues." Consider ozone-layer depletion. Bast et al draw our attention to the fact that global ozone levels have *increased*, not decreased, since 1986. The "hole in the ozone layer" about which "greens" have obsessed was observed back in 1956, long before the man-made chlorofluorocarbons blamed for the phenomenon could have had this kind of effect. Again, real science does not support extravagent "green" claims.

In short, there is no "environmental crisis" in any large-scale sense. The planet is not dying. Nor are we overpopulating ourselves toward extinction. If anything, we are getting healthier because of increased levels of prosperity over the past half-century. Prosperity--created by market-driven and not-command-driven economic systems--leads to a healthier environment because it leads people to adopt more environmentally sound patterns of action. Worries over the depletion of nonrenewable natural resources are exaggerated, because the available reserves dwarf actual consumption. There would be more reserves available, moreover (e.g., in northeastern Alaska), if only the "greens" would let us drill for them. We have the technology to do so in ways that accommodate legitimate calls for environmental protection.

These revelations, important as they are, are not the major strength of this book. Its major strength is to offer a set of principles for *sound reasoning* about environmental issues. These principles do not simply brush the subject off. Obviously we don't want to foul our own nest. There have been environmental problems in the past, but the point is, the situation is under control. Improved technology, the product of human ingenuity that can never be predicted in advance, has consistently provided *solutions* whereas radical environmentalists have provided only prophesies of doom. The real issue, therefore, is "green" hysterics--especially since these hysterics are so often repeated mechanically, like mantras, in the major media.

ECO-SANITY thus offers 36 "rules for eco-sanity" that ought to lead us to a more informed view of how to protect the environment in ways that do not undermine necessary economic liberty. Here is a sampling:

-Correlation is not causation. In eco-systems, cause-and-effect is very complex, and we should never jump to conclusions (e.g., "industrial pollution" is a direct cause of "global warming"), particularly if these conclusions could impact on public policies in ways that could prove to be economically disastrous over the long run.
-We can never avoid risk completely.
-Risks, however, can be measured and ranked.
-It is impossible to prove that something does not exist. (This is that old adage about the logical impossibility of proving a negative.)
-Science is not immune to politics. (Note that the views of climatologists who object to the above global warming thesis are never reported by the major media, much of which is sold on the "green" agenda.)
-Ownership leads to better stewardship. (If land is owned as property, in other words, and protected by private property rights, it is likely to be better taken care of.
-Some environmental groups profit from false alarms.
-Don't react out of fear.

This, as I observed, is only a sampling. For the rest, I recommend getting the book. The point is, we should stop reacting to hysterical claims about a global environmental crisis for which "American capitalism" is almost invariably blamed. And though Bast, Hill and Rue don't dwell on it as much as I would have, we need to question the motives of the "green" movement, especially since this movement now operates at an international level, very well organized, and bankrolled by people with very deep pockets (think of the Rockefellers, for example). There is pretty good evidence that this movement is motivated more by a desire for global power than a sincere belief in protecting the environment. Part of this effort consists of the above-mentioned media blackout on the views of scientists who question the global warming thesis, for example, as well as more recent efforts to destroy the reputations of dissident scientists such as Bjorn Lomborg (author of THE SKEPTICAL ENVIRONMENTALIST) who have presented direct scientific evidence of the flimsiness of the science behind the "green" movement. When efforts are made to ruin dissidents instead of answer them with responsible arguments, watch out! You're dealing with people more interested in an agenda than the truth.

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Stunningly beautiful

Breathtaking.

A Sense of the Morning: Field Notes of a Born Observer (World As Home, The)
David Brendan Hopes
Manufacturer: Milkweed Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1571312331

Amazon.com

David Brendan Hopes, a literary scholar and painter based in North Carolina, does not value the natural world for its beauty, beautiful though it surely is. He prizes it instead, he writes in this engaging book of essays, "because it bears witness," because understanding its operating principles affords us humans something approaching wisdom.

Hopes writes of having learned a few hard lessons on his travels into the wild. One alternately humorous and sobering essay, for instance, describes his encounter on a mountain trail with a grumpy mother bear, who left him with an eight-inch-long laceration as a souvenir. ("She had meant nothing by it," Hopes writes, forgivingly. "She used my leg to steady herself as she would have the limb of a tree, and with the same consequence.") He also ponders the play of improbability and self-discovery that nature seems to delight in, writing of an encounter along the Gulf of Mexico with the exceedingly rare, possibly extinct Eskimo curlew, a bird that wasn't supposed to be there at that time of year. His sighting may have been mistaken, Hopes suggests. But, he writes, he may also have seen a ghost, a creature that had "pulled a vanishing act so complete and so subtle we cannot yet process the reality of it."

Quiet and humane, Hopes's essays speak to the pleasures and occasional pains of a life spent in nature, bearing witness along with the world. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

In this book, David Brendan Hopes fuses the spiritual and the mystical with the natural, invoking the possibility of grace. Writing about hiking, camping, and particularly about birds, he invites readers to mark the moment when flower, bird, and mountain announce themselves to the soul, bristling and wondrous.

Customer Reviews:

Stunningly beautiful.......2000-12-09

David Hopes, in this sensitive and breathtaking book, reaches the highest goal of any good writing--to touch the spirit and raise it up. These essays are about nature, yes, and about its beauty--but more than that: they are about the interfaces between the human world and the natural world. Or, more even than that, they are about how the human and natural world are one, fabric of the same universe. The nature that is our nature. And, it is this knowledge that has the power to save us. I urge you to read this book and treasure it-- for its beauty and its spiritual searching and its wisdom.

Breathtaking........1999-09-29

There are no words to express the magnificence of Mr. Hopes' prose. I came upon a copy accidently and have read and enjoyed it more than any other book in my vast library. This is a book that truly should be re-issued. David Brendan Hopes is a literary gift to be treasured.

The Anatomy of the Senses: Natural Symbols in Medieval and Early Modern Italy

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The Anatomy of the Senses: Natural Symbols in Medieval and Early Modern Italy
Piero Camporesi
Manufacturer: Polity Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0745605060

Book Description

Piero Camporesi is one of the foremost historians of folklore and popular beliefs in Europe today. This book is a brilliant account of medieval and early modern attitudes to the cosmos in general and the human body in particular. Drawing on a large body of literature, Camporesi builds up a remarkable picture of the everyday beliefs and practices of medieval and early modern Italy. He examines the symbolism relating to food and the overtones of vampirism which have haunted the Christian sacraments. He discusses the eating habits of monks and hermits which were held up as a religious model for the community. He offers a striking analysis of medieval views of the body, and of humanity situated at the centre of the symbolic universe. Moving from the anatomical table to the kitchen table, he shows the similarities between the anatomist and the cook, both of whom worked with dead flesh, with corpses which had to be cut up, greased, severed, skinned, diced and gutted.

Cape Cod at three miles an hour: A sense of place that can only be learned on foot

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Cape Cod at three miles an hour: A sense of place that can only be learned on foot
Lee W Baldwin
Manufacturer: Harwich Conservation Trust
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Natural History | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0972040609

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