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.

From Conception to Birth: A Life Unfolds

Average customer rating:

Wow! Impressive photos AND dialouge!
A Life Unfolds
Good
As incredible as being pregnant!
From Conception to Birth

From Conception to Birth: A Life Unfolds
Alexander Tsiaras
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Maternity, Perinatal & Women's Health | Nursing | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Obstetrics & Gynecology | Specialties | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Anatomy | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Accessories:

ASIN: 0385503180
Release Date: 2002-10-29

Book Description

The splendor and beauty of a child’s growth and development in the womb--seen through unforgettable images made possible by revolutionary advances in visualization technology

What’s happening with the baby now? All expectant parents ask this question throughout the exhilirating months of pregnancy. Fuzzy sonograms and doctor’s explanations can provide basic information, but through Alexander Tsiaras’ remarkable achievements in medical imaging technology, parents can see, for the first time, the awe-inspiring process of a new life unfolding, in stunning, vivid detail.

The milestones of pregnancy which before could only be described can now be witnessed: the heart’s first beats; the appearance of color in the eye; the emergence of toes and teeth; the brain and nervous system directing development; the first movement of tiny legs and arms; the first indications of gender; the wondrous symbiosis of mother and child; the symphony of the body’s systems coming into being and working in concert. The book tracks the development of a baby from the moment of conception, through the explosively complex early stages of development and the amazing stages of growth as the baby is nurtured by the mother, ending with the joy of birth.

All this is made possible by revolutions in two sciences. As biologists have decoded the molecular basis of life, computer scientists have developed non-invasive, three-dimensional techniques for visualizing the body. Alexander Tsiaras has been a pioneer in merging these explorations and discoveries. He has created a virtual camera studio that enables him to view a human body or any part of it individually, scan it, enlarge it, rotate it, adjust its transparency so that we can view inside a living being, and light it from any angle. The result is an ability to illuminate the unseen elements that make us who we are, and the miraculous images in From Conception to Birth.

Customer Reviews:

Wow! Impressive photos AND dialouge!.......2007-06-18

I hesitated to buy this book because I heard some of the negative reviews, such as "the Nielson book is better" and "the images are fake, clay". However, I found it is more MUCH more informative and interesting than "A Child Is Born". It is modern, cleverly written, and really worthwhile as a coffe table book or baby shower gift. The format of the book is mostly photograph/art, with small paragraphs of information. My husband has been reading this book about what is happening to the baby every morning at breakfast, because it is written day by day, which is different than most pregnacy guides. It is free from advice, it is only factual.

A Life Unfolds.......2007-05-25

I was very happy with the book. The photographs were amazing!

Good.......2007-01-20

The photography is definitely the highlight of this book. It also gives you a great biology review. Perhaps more than the average person would want to know. My only criticism is that it focused more on the embryonic development than on fetal development. I realize that most of the fascinating transformations occur in the first trimester but I still was hoping to see great photos of the second and third. I preferred Beginning Life by Geraldine Flanagan to this book.

As incredible as being pregnant!.......2007-01-10

This book has got all the info you need when you are expecting. The pictures are so cool, my son loved to look at them to see what his sibling looked like at each stage. Very informative and eye opening!

From Conception to Birth.......2007-01-03

Amazing pictures! Great for future parents, parents or for anyone else who have interest in learning a bit more.

Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty

Average customer rating:

Nicely researched
In the eye of the beholder
Good for pop psychology, but highly unscientific.
Not scientifically robust, but maybe a good fit for a dinner talk
Is beauty an honest advertiser?

Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty
Nancy Etcoff
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Beauty & Fashion | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Health Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Accessories:

philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer

ASIN: 0385479425
Release Date: 2000-07-11

Amazon.com

In the latter part of the 20th century, the adage "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" has evolved far beyond its original intent as an admonition against false vanity to become a cultural manifesto used to explain phenomena as diverse as the art of Andy Warhol and the rise of a multi-billion-dollar cosmetics industry. But is there something more to human reaction to beauty than a conditioned response to social cues? Yes, says Harvard Medical School psychologist Nancy Etcoff. Survival of the Prettiest argues persuasively that looking good has survival value, and that sensitivity to beauty is a biological adaptation governed by brain circuits shaped by natural selection.

Etcoff synthesizes a fascinating array of scientific research and cultural analysis in support of her thesis. Psychologists find that babies stare significantly longer at the faces adults find appealing, while the mothers of "attractive" babies display more intense bonding behaviors. The symmetrical face of average proportions may have become the optimal design because of evolutionary pressures operating against population extremes. Gentlemen may prefer blondes not so much for their hair color as for the fairness of their skin--which makes it easier to detect the flush of sexual excitement. And high heels accentuate a woman's breasts and buttocks, signaling fertility. Is beauty programmed into our brain circuits as a proxy for health and youth? In marked contrast to other writers like Naomi Wolf (The Beauty Myth), Etcoff argues that it is, noting, "Rather than denigrate one source of women's power, it would seem far more useful for feminists to attempt to elevate all sources of women's power." --Patrizia DiLucchio

Book Description

In this provocative, witty, and thoroughly researched inquiry into what we find beautiful and why, Nancy Etcoff skewers one of our culture's most enduring myths, that the pursuit of beauty is a learned behavior. Etcoff, a faculty member at Harvard Medical School and a practicing psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, skewers the enduring myth that the pursuit of beauty is a learned behavior.

Etcoff puts forth that beauty is neither a cultural construction, an invention of the fashion industry, nor a backlash against feminism, but instead is in our biology. It's an essential and ineradicable part of human nature that is revered and ferociously pursued in nearly every civilizatoin--and for good reason. Those features to which we are most attracted are often signals of fertility and fecundity. When seen in the context of a Darwinian struggle for survival, our sometimes extreme attempts to attain beauty--both to become beautiful ourselves and to acquire an attractive partner--become understandable. Moreover, if we come to understand how the desire for beauty is innate, then we can begin to work in our interests, and not soley for the interests of our genetic tendencies.

Customer Reviews:

Nicely researched.......2007-08-06

About: Guide to what humans find beautiful and attractive about each other

Pros: Interesting, very thorough, well researched.

Cons: Almost a bit too well researched, the multitude of facts and studies thrown about can bog the reader down. You're pretty much guaranteed to feel worse about at least one part of your appearance after reading this book.

Grade: B+

In the eye of the beholder.......2007-03-19

Many of the reviews here complains about this being not a book scientifically strong enough.
But even looking at the index you can see what the text is about from the chapters 'the nature of beauty', 'beauty as bait', 'cover me', 'feature presentation' and 'fashion runaway'... since the book is written by someone like Dr. Etcoff, everybody expects the scientific cold point of view evident in every page.

But for many other disciplines the text is perfectly able to open wide a huge perspective in the general problem of the perception of beauty, its uses, and the necessity of it.
For people into arts, the thing about beauty perception and mathematical relation deeply rooted, not in the software but instead in the hardware, is fundamental in a time were the discussion is always about art not being interested in the aestethic depiction, perception or even consideration.
Of course it can be sort of very well known facts what she is saying here about the golden proportion, simmetry and genetic health, the 7 to 10 hip proportion and fertility in women, and even the relation between the mother's perception of beauty in their offspring and neoteny -a concept that certainly you can trace back to Stephen Jay Gould or any other 'divulgative' text, even like the mentioned here 'the selfish gene', etc.

But the real problem is context.

What this book is really good at, is filling the gap between those kind of books -biology, life sciences, perception- and the kind of studies that really need to approach the subject not only as a problem, but instead as a matter.

Not precisely aesthetics, but !fashion!.

Even at the very beginning is mentioned how nowadays an entire city can be stopped because Claudia Schiffer is at a starcaise making some photographs, giving us the clue to understand how this whole book can be seen; in a total different light and with such a different use.

The fact that every now and then Desmond Morris collides with Sandra Rhodes, Azzedine Alaia meets Darwin, opens the window and let you see the landscape is about the form, perception and construction of beauty as an adjective, as something we worn and sometimes have to endure.

So this book belongs in the shelf next to Anne Hollander, Valerie Steel or Alison Lurie. Comprehensive studies about the power of image, fashion and appeareance. And not precisely in the side of the 'scientific' bunch.
And it is an excellent entrance to think in the equation beauty, perception, process and representation that is so difficult to see, but so much necessary to really achieve: design with one eye into the biological process, art once again perceiving its duties, and science humanized through the contact with the arts, designs and fashion. Also I think everybody goes to the scientific side forgetting all the good concatenation of historical facts from corsets, wigs, make up, heels, making a very well define line between the subject -the beauty- and its uses.

As a companion I think also in the same shelf could it be 'Venus Envy' by Elizabeth Haiken, also a bridge between 'science and consumer culture'.

Good for pop psychology, but highly unscientific........2007-03-01

This is a fun read for the layman, but it is not very scientific, furthermore, it is does not stand up to even the most basic scrutiny-don't think too hard if you want to enjoy this one!

For example, the idea that women are Darwinistically selected for their beauty is a hard buy. In all species except humans, males compete for the right to mate with females, but females can ALWAYS reproduce and pass on their genes; females do not need to force males to mate with them. Can you imagine a human society where a female cannot have sex and pass on her genes because her cheekbones are not high enough? It is purely laughable, if anyone is selected, it is us males.

Also, recent scientific evidence (see human genome project) suggests that sperm competition resulted because of the high levels of promiscuity of human females. This throws into question one of the most popular theories of evolutionary psychology, which posits that men roam and spread their seed while women stay home and take care of the kids. On the surface, evolutionary psychology tries to make sense of us, but in reality, it is like thinking the earth is flat. Let's leave science to the scientists.

Not scientifically robust, but maybe a good fit for a dinner talk.......2006-08-12

"Survival of the prettiest" is a very provocative title indeed and it is also a very ambitious subject to say the least. I expected from this book an identification of a phenomenon called "survival of the prettiest" if there is indeed such a thing, and if there is, a robust account of how it can be explained scientifically, because the subtitle of this book is no less than "the science of beauty." But, as a whole, this book fails to give us any satisfactory identification or explanation of the so-called "survival of the prettiest." In fact, I find the book often drifts away to somewhat trivial episodes of some biological or sociological findings to sustain readers' interest. I don't see how such things can be put together to establish the author's ultimate claim that our biological and sociological existence is so designed that the prettiest have been assured a better chance to survive to form the current world. Chapters are not thematically connected with each other and are not well-organized to deliver what the author intends to get across. I expected somehow solid scientific backing for the author's claim, but generally said, this book is a very light read that may not be called the "science" of beauty. I have no objection, however, for the readers who just look for some interesting subjects for light talks with families and friends at the dinner table. This book may be a good fit for that purpose.

Is beauty an honest advertiser?.......2006-06-25

Etcoff does a great job showing how our response to beauty is innate and deeply connected with our urge to reproduce. But I would have wished for a bit more exploration of the way beauty also might fool us. For example, she talks about men preferring women with hourglass shapes and more feminine features, because it signals health and fertility. But then she doesn't give information about whether this is true. Are more feminine looking women more fertile in reality? Are they healthier? We don't know.

The Tending Instinct: Women, Men, and the Biology of Relationships

Average customer rating:

extremely useful

The Tending Instinct: Women, Men, and the Biology of Relationships
Shelley E. Taylor
Manufacturer: Owl Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Interpersonal Relations | Relationships | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Social Psychology & Interactions | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Health Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0805072896

Book Description

For generations, scientists have taught us about the 'fight or flight' response to stress. But is this instinct universal? Renowned psychologist Shelley E. Taylor explains that 'fight or flight' may only be half the story. Humans-particularly females-are hardwired to respond to stress differently. As Taylor deftly points out in this eye-opening work, the 'tend and befriend' response is among the most vital ingredient of human social life. Ranging widely over biology, evolutionary psychology, physiology, and neuroscience, Taylor examines the biological imperative that drives women to seek each other's company, and to tend to the young and the infirm, bestowing great benefits to the group but often at great cost to themselves. This tending process begins virtually at the moment of conception, and literally crafts the biology of offspring through genes that rely on caregiving for their expression. In the tradition of groundbreaking books about the science of human nature such as Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence and Steven Pinker's The Language Instinct, Taylor's book will change forever the way we talk and think about ourselves.

Customer Reviews:

extremely useful.......2003-10-16

The book is an amazing compilation of basic up to the minute neuroendocrinology and social psychology.

Combined with work on gender development, e.g., "The Two Sexes: Growing Apart, Coming Together," by Stanford psychologist Eleanor Maccoby, this book provides deep background for two of the most salient issues confronting the reproduction of American culture: collaborative parenting and collaborative conflict resolution.

It is extremely unfortunate that this book is not ranked higher on the Amazon sales chart It's a must read as a nuts and bolts book about the elementary conditions necessary for true "family values."

Book Description

Biology textbooks and books on the history of science generally give a limited picture of the roles women have played in the growth and development of the biological sciences, mentioning primarily the Nobel laureates. This book provides a definitive archival collection of essays on a larger group of women, profiling both their work and their lives. The volume includes 65 representative women from different countries and eras, and from as many branches of biological investigation as possible. In addition to biographical information and an evaluation of the woman's career and significance, each entry provides a full bibliographic listing of works by and about the subject. The volume includes entries on women who have gained recognition through attainment of advanced degrees despite familial and societal pressures, innovative research results, influence exerted in teaching and guidance of students, active participation and leadership in professional societies, extensive scholarly publication, participation on journal editorial boards, extensive field experience, and influence on public and political scientific policymaking. A woman was considered eligible for inclusion if she met several of these criteria. Providing a historical perspective, the book is limited to women who were born before 1930 or are deceased.

Sex on the Brain: The Biological Differences Between Men and Women

Average customer rating:

Definitely not a tight plot
dont let this one be your first read
Journalistic not scientific
sex on whose brain?
Tedious

Sex on the Brain: The Biological Differences Between Men and Women
Deborah Blum
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Anatomy | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Physiology | Basic Science | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0140263489

Amazon.com

For centuries, links between biology and behavior have been mined for ammunition in the gender wars. Western science has often tainted the discussion by skewing the norm toward men so that the biological underpinnings of their weaknesses and strengths are applauded while those of women are denigrated. Sex on the Brain is a chatty, fairly evenhanded report on a broad range of animal and human studies intended to provide insight into hot-button issues such as aggression, nurturing behavior, infidelity, homosexuality, hormonal drives, and sexual signals. According to one researcher, "We inherit the behavior essentially of our past." Morning sickness, for example, which steers some women away from strong tastes and smells, may once have protected babes in utero from toxic items. Infidelity is a way for men to ensure genetic immortality. Interestingly, when we deliberately change sex-role behavior--say men become more nurturing or women more aggressive--our hormones and even our brains respond by changing, too.

Book Description

Go beyond the headlines and the hype to get the newest findings in the burgeoning field of gender studies. Drawing on disciplines that include evolutionary science, anthropology, animal behavior, neuroscience, psychology, and endocrinology, Deborah Blum explores matters ranging from the link between immunology and sex to male/female gossip styles. The results are intriguing, startling, and often very amusing. For instance, did you know that. . .
*Male testosterone levels drop in happy marriages; scientists speculate that women may use monogamy to control male behavior
*Young female children who are in day-care are apt to be more secure than those kept at home; young male children less so
*Anthropologists classify Western societies as "mildly polygamous" The Los Angeles Times has called Sex on the Brain "superbly crafted science writing, graced by unusual compassion, wit, and intelligence, that forms an important addition to the literature of gender studies."

Customer Reviews:

Definitely not a tight plot.......2005-06-26

Deborah Blum was "raised in one of those university-based, liberal-elite families" and as such, was raised to believe that there were no differences between men and women. It wasn't until she had her own career, a husband, and two boys that she actually realized there were basic biological differences between male and female behaviour. Her son was playing dinosaur and "I looked down at him one day as he was snarling around my feet and doing his toddler best to gnaw off my right leg, and I thought, This is not a girl thing-- this goes deeper than culture."

So begins her book. Much of the evidence that is presented is done as studies of sex in other animals (the birds and the monkeys- yes, literally) and her lines of reasoning as to "how this happened" are based along lines of possible biological evolutional forces- things that she admits are really little more than educated guesses dressed up as theories.

The chapter on the differences between male and female brains was interesting in that she spent about 90% of the time either denying the validity of the studies or minimizing the verified physical results. (Sure, that spot is bigger, but we don't know that it does anything.)

Occasionally, you come across a gem of the absurd. This one is a good example:

"One leading French scientist of the nineteenth century sought to prove the existence and potency of this magical male stuff [testosterone] by injecting himself with pureed dog testes. He insisted that the extract boosted his energy and sex drive and enabled him to pee in a higher arc, a major issue for men, obviously, in contrast to women." (pg. 158, beginning of chapter six)

She is quite open and forthright about her own left of center feminist viewpoint on the whole subject, and freely gives her opinion on what she WANTS to be true (and making it clear that it IS her opinion).

One basic concept to follow underneath it all is that if evolution has made us "this way" (biologically), there is no reason to conclude that it has stopped now... and since we have the ability to change our culture, we may tap into evolutionary pressures to change the biology of our race in regards to the basic makeup of our sexes. At the end of the book, she admits she has no idea if this is really possible, but it's obvious that she feels it certainly ought to be. Given her basic premises, it is a logical conclusion. If you look at the past as having created this current biology from something else, why should the process stop now?

But to sum it up, I have to agree with the comments about tediousness, in particular towards the end. The last third or so of the book was read simply so I could be satisfied that I had read it, not because it still had my riveted and interested attention. It would have benefited either from a better organization of the material into a coherent overall development (aka a plot, if this were fiction) or of simply dropping the last third of the book.

dont let this one be your first read.......2005-06-04

Having read six books on this exact subject in the past week, I feel information is poorly presented in this one. Sometimes misleading, and sometimes even contradictory.

I highly suggest that you read other books and/or papers on the subject before braving this one. Even then, take this read with a grain of agenda-salt.

Journalistic not scientific.......2005-03-11

Blum's style is horrendous. She traipses from one anecdote about her son to the findings of scientists she has interviewed without the blink of an eye. She does not so much advance arguments or conclusions as much as merely advance dumbed-down versions of scientific studies. Matters such as which questions underlie the research and what the research reveals are interspersed with bad puns and Blum's own opinion as to whether something is insulting or disgusting. Her attempts to lighten the fare are patronizing and distracting.

She wrote way too much about non-humans. This or that primate species is simply not the human species. The differences between them are so great that their relevance for the human species does not seem to be established.

Most of the research she chose was physiological, behavioral, and anthropological. Evolutionary biology (a.k.a. sociobiology) gets only occasional treatment, despite its recent progress in explaining male and female differences.

Note also that the book was published in 1997. I write in 2005, so the book is eight years old. Try to find something more up to date on the subject.

Overall, the book's faults can most easily be attributed to the fact that the author is a journalist and not a scientist. She sarificed too much to appealing to the general readership and is not well-schooled in the science of human sex differences herself.

sex on whose brain?.......2005-02-07

I gave this one one star, but it might rate two. If you're looking for a chatty, rambling, disorganized treatise on gender and biology, and think that you can really learn something valuable about humans from the animal kingdom, then this book is for you. I bought this book because I thought it was going to be about the brain. It's more about gender behavior. You're left to draw you own concllusions about what's going on in the brain. There's gotta be a better book than this.

Tedious.......2004-05-18

It as only recently I was aware that Deborah Blum had written a book called the Monkey Wars, about the animal rights/ vivisectionist's debate. I was not aware of that previous book whist I was reading this one. But it comes to no surprise, that her obvious slant or justification would be on the vivisectionist side. Again I read Sex on The Brain without any prior knowledge of her other writings. The first three chapters relating to hormonal, and testosterone and oestrogen studies, and female male brain size - involved nearly every page describing how cats, monkeys, and rodents had been sliced up, been castrated, cells extracted, brought up in cruel studies (ie cat forced to never see daylight). To access a possible link to human equivalent mind and hormonal changes, ie brain size observation, and testosterone and hormonal levels changes. But as any advocate of valid and proper testing would argue, that animal testing is unnecessary and cruel and non conclusive. Within the first two chapters from pages 18 to 63, she trys to convince the reader that there is some validity in accessing mood changes and brain changes from animal testing (and applying to human brains) - but fails to but conclude the chapter with, and I quote " The contrast (human brains) are too tiny and still far too mysterious". Point one for anti vivisectionist's argument

Sex on the Brain is a tedious book, with an arduous writing style. There are however some interesting points raised in the book, regarding male aggression, risk taking and cognitive skills of both men and women. Unfortunately they end up contradiction each other. Yes men are aggressive due to high levels of testosterone, but female chimpanzees are just as aggressive. Deborah Blum doesn't really explain in detail the correlation to human aggression, and why men and women share similarities.
I found segments in the book that talked about risk taking and why men and women are different in that sense, but it came across in somewhat of sexist overtone. That men take unnecessary risks and women sit and ponder a collective solution - which is? Never explained in any biological sense. The questions would be asked, why do huge portions of women smoke cigarettes, and take unnecessary risks to their own health. How does it differ from male posturing in regards to male personal risk, ie drinking, excess etc. Or biologically does it assume that we take the risk to show some social adequacy?

Also other confusing segments in the book regarding male female attraction, eg women choose men on immune systems similar to them, through possible similarities in appearance. Yet early stages in the book describe how it would be wise for a evolving specie (humans) to mix up their genes, to create stronger offspring. Indifference, not a similarity. So what is it?
Sex on Brain also doesn't go into enough detail research on cultural influence and evolution, in which cultural influence has far out weighed evolution biology, consider the declining western birth rates, women are now having children into their 30's, increasing the risk of down syndrome.

Book Description

Shelley and Vitality reassesses Percy Shelley's engagement with early nineteenth-century science and medicine, specifically his knowledge and use of theories on the nature of life presented in the debate between surgeons John Abernethy and William Lawrence. Sharon Ruston offers new biographical information to link Shelley to a medical circle, and major canonical works are reconsidered to address Shelley's politicized understanding of contemporary scientific discourse.

A Woman's Book of Life: The Biology, Psychology, and Spirituality of the Feminine Life Cycle

Average customer rating:

Maybe Freud was right
wonderful complement for Human Development course
A Woman's Book of Life: The Biology, Psychology and Spirituality of the Feminine Life Cycle
A Great Find!
Individuating

A Woman's Book of Life: The Biology, Psychology, and Spirituality of the Feminine Life Cycle
Joan Borysenko
Manufacturer: Riverhead Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Borysenko, Joan | Authors, A-Z | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Health Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Accessories:

ASIN: 1573226513

Amazon.com

Women have always known that we are cyclical creatures, strongly influenced by our daily, monthly, and yearly rhythms. Finally, we have a book that examines these natural cycles as gifts rather than weaknesses or curses. Dividing the female life span by the mystical number of seven years, Joan Borysenko reveals the biological forces that drive our physical, emotional, and spiritual development. This is a pragmatic book filled with groundbreaking medical research; it is also a book that dares to explore the link between female biology and female mystery.

Book Description

Biologist and psychologist Joan Borysenko helped chart new territory in mind/body medicine at Harvard Medical School-and created a new map of that territory in one of the first bestsellers in the field. Now the author of Minding the Body, Mending the Mind reveals the interconnected loop of mind, body, and spirit in women. This pioneering book will teach women how to maximize their health and well-being as well as discover the extraordinary power that comes with each stage of the feminine life cycle.

Customer Reviews:

Maybe Freud was right.......2007-07-13

This book begins as more of a rant of Borysenko's aethiest, evolutionist, and (thinly veiled) man-hating beliefs. I never agreed with much of what Freud had to say about anything, but apparently he knew there were a few Borys in the world when he explained "Penis Envy". Amazing. If I believed all women hated men like this author does, I would never open another door. Fortunately most all women in my experience are of far better character.

That aside, Bory's basic science runs hot and cold. She quotes and annotates various studies (by other people) accurately, but then she cluelessly tries to show how Einstein and quantum mechanics support some of her beliefs (pg 48). What a joke! She thinks the ancients were insensitive by referring to older women as 'crones', but then she herself refers to them as having 'dowager humps'!

There is just not enough valid science in this book to justify its price, and way too much vile opinion in it to justify its existance. It is said that psychologists often earn their doctorate degrees while in pursuit of a cure for their own problems. Apparently she got the degree, but no cure!

wonderful complement for Human Development course.......2007-05-09

I bought this book to read for extra credit while taking Human Development, a required course for the nursing program. It was a wonderful complement to the boredom of the class text. It offered deeper understanding to the traditional child psychologists, and further insights into other philopsophies. The author went to great pains to explore expert opinions on the stages of a Woman's life cycle.

A Woman's Book of Life: The Biology, Psychology and Spirituality of the Feminine Life Cycle.......2007-01-12

I love this book. I have bought numerous copies to give to my women friends. It has so much information and is a good source.
Joan Borysenko has done us all a tremendous service by writing this book.

A Great Find!.......2006-05-07

If a book makes me look forward to mid-life - I am all over it! This book was actually required reading for my course study in human development - what a find! Here, Harvard researcher and bestselling author, Joan Borysenko, takes the cycles of a woman's life and divides them into 7 year increments. Along the journey, she also makes a great case for debunking old myths about women and aging.?That's a Big 10-4, Ms. Borysenko! I find myself constantly at odds with the "beauty" images that the media gives us. I mean, come on, why 'o why are we more often rewarding people for how they look and less for what they contribute to society?

Perhaps it's escapism - I tell myself (in effort to sleep at night). Yet, after reading Borsyenko's, book I'm reminded that, yes, it's good to follow intellectual pursuits. And, yes, there's differences between women and men. According to Borysenko, women are most often motivated by what they can contribute to society, family, and how to make a difference in the world. Men tend to define themselves by their work. Most telling! Anyhow, I won't give away the store here - but in my opinion, if you are of the female persuasion, you will not want to miss this read.

Individuating.......2006-03-13

Anyone wishing to understand the biology and psychology of the young woman will find this book invaluable. I especially found the concept of individuation at around 12-14 years old a very enlightening concept- shedding some much needed light on the teen years. A graceful and empowering book!

The G Spot: And Other Discoveries About Human Sexuality

Average customer rating:

Groundbreaking Work
No useful information
THIS BOOK IS NOW 0UT-DATED
Wonderful
This book is very informative on how to gget it.

The G Spot: And Other Discoveries About Human Sexuality
Beverly Whipple , John D. Perry , and Alice Khan Ladas
Manufacturer: Owl Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Love & Romance | Relationships | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Sex | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Reproduction | Reproductive & Sexual | Medicine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0805077596
Release Date: 2004-12-09

Book Description

The groundbreaking New York Times bestseller now available for the first time in trade paperback, with a new Introduction When it was originally published in 1982, The G Spot was the first book to prove the existence and define the location of the Grauml;fenberg spot, a patch of erectile tissue that can be felt through the front wall of the vagina, directly behind the pubic bone. In print continuously for twenty-two years, it has sold more than 1,000,000 copies to date internationall. This first-ever trade paperback edition includes a new introduction by Dr. Hilda Hutcherson, author of What Your Mother Never Told Your about S-E-X, which brings the research in the book up-to-date and explains its continued relevance. Now a new generation of men and women can take advantage of the insights and practical suggestions of this classic work.

Customer Reviews:

Groundbreaking Work.......2001-11-29

This book is only outdated BECAUSE it was among the first in its class to explore the concept that a woman is allowed and supposed to gain pleasure from sex and deliver that idea to the public. In that regard it is an amazing piece of sexual education literature. The revised edition was released in the early 80s, but I believe it was written much earlier than that. It was written during a time when women (and men) were much less informed about the female anatomy, and there are numerous accounts in this book of women being embarassed by their orgasms because they were misunderstood. I believe that this book is helpful not only to the women of the time it was written but to women today. I read this book knowing full well what a G Spot was and what it did but I still found the history of it to be quite fascinating. In reading this book I not only came to more fully understand my own body and how it works but also what I can do to help it work more efficently and to my best sexual advantage. This book changed my sex life in an amazing way and for that I will always be grateful.

No useful information.......2000-02-07

This book was a boring weak monograph on a subject that needs new coverage. Instead of covering Fokorg's or Hammil's new theories and suggestions on stimulating the G-spot and explosive orgasm, this book brought me back to the 60s asking does a G-spot exist? and gave the reader endless detail to prove that it does. As a Gynecologist, I have been taught and I have taught that a G-spot exists for nearly 30 years. As a woman I was bored endlessly by a book that offered little to no new information on the G-spot and no information on stimulating the G-spot. Do not buy.

Regardless, I praise Amazon.com for advocating freedom of expression even if it may involve bad reviews of books they sell.

THIS BOOK IS NOW 0UT-DATED.......1999-06-17

The belief that the G-spot does not exist is just as dogmatic as the insistance that it does! I suppose if the book gets people to talk and explore, it is almost worth the money, but every woman needs to find out about her own body, by herself and with her partner, and not try to live up the to expectations portrayed in this book - like the myth that G-spot stimulation will inevitably lead to a female ejaculation. Forget the super-sex pressures of sex books like this and just explore.

Wonderful.......1999-02-15

This is the best book I have read on this topic so far, and it is a pity that I haven't read it before. I truly believe that my sex life would have been different, and probably more fulfilling. This book is a must for all those women who do not find their G-Spot by accident, and especially for those who still do not believe that the G-Spot does exist. This book should contain enough scientific proof and information to convince everyone.

This book is very informative on how to gget it........1998-11-29

I'd like know where the person gets their medical information from? As a licenced med (paramedic), going to med school, I have to say that most, though not all, doctors do recognize the existance of the G-spot. After all the G stands for the doctor who, supossedly, dicovered it. And as for orgasms, any informed doctor will tell you that there are more than one kind, and way to get them. This book does a complete job of covering this one ;)

Rachel Carson: Pioneer of Ecology (Women of Our Time)

Average customer rating:

A great book which should be read by everyone!

Rachel Carson: Pioneer of Ecology (Women of Our Time)
Kathleen V. Kudlinski
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Biology | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Biographies | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Children's Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0140322426

Customer Reviews:

A great book which should be read by everyone!.......2000-06-14

I think that this book is very informative on what we are doing to our environment. This book tells about Rachel Carson's life, family, career, and more. It tells about how she fought to keep our environment clean and safe for everyone. She warned people in her book, Silent Spring, which can also be found here on Amazon.com. Well, I cannot spoil this book! What I can tell you is that this is a great book which you should read.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books