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.

Releasing the Imagination: Essays on Education, the Arts, and Social Change (Jossey-Bass Education)

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Pedagogically provoking but also repetitive
One of the most important books I've ever read

Releasing the Imagination: Essays on Education, the Arts, and Social Change (Jossey-Bass Education)
Maxine Greene
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0787952915

Book Description

Now in Paperback

"This remarkable set of essays defines the role of imagination in general education, arts education, aesthetics, literature, and the social and multicultural context.... The author argues for schools to be restructured as places where students reach out for meanings and where the previously silenced or unheard may have a voice. She invites readers to develop processes to enhance and cultivate their own visions through the application of imagination and the arts. Releasing the Imagination should be required reading for all educators, particularly those in teacher education, and for general and academic readers."

--Choice

"Maxine Greene, with her customary eloquence, makes an impassioned argument for using the arts as a tool for opening minds and for breaking down the barriers to imagining the realities of worlds other than our own familiar cultures.... There is a strong rhythm to the thoughts, the arguments, and the entire sequence of essays presented here."

--American Journal of Education

Customer Reviews:

Pedagogically provoking but also repetitive.......2007-08-23

This was a required text for a literacy studies graduate class. The context was pedagogically provoking along the threads of progressive modern education standards that are taught to budding teachers. Some repetition was present as it is a lengthy text with a primary focus and one author. My classmates and I were a bit disappointed with the lack of example and proposals for the curriculum/pedagogy changes being presented. This is a text to be read for establishing perspective not for quick tips or golden ticket ideas.

One of the most important books I've ever read.......2004-01-08

Maxine Greene defends the role of the arts as social medicine and advancement. She brilliantly argues for maintaining art in curriculum. Art often requires of us to imagine things which do not exist in reality. This excercise is vital in creating social change. In order to create a new and better world, we must first imagine it. We must encourage our children (and adults for that matter) to imagine. That's the first step and I feel society becoming less imaginative and more homogenized. PLEASE READ THIS BOOK!!! AND BUY A COPY FOR A TEACHER.

The Bodhisattva Warriors: The Origin, Inner Philosophy, History and Symbolism of the Buddhist Martial Art Within India and China

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I can't believe i payed money for this
Martial arts Buddhist past
For the serious martial arts student
A dedicated life long search for why a Martial art is Buddhist?
Bogus Budo-Buyer Beware

The Bodhisattva Warriors: The Origin, Inner Philosophy, History and Symbolism of the Buddhist Martial Art Within India and China
Terence Dukes
Manufacturer: Weiser Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0877287856

Customer Reviews:

I can't believe i payed money for this.......2006-12-16

I don't know how anyone can possibly state that this book is any good. As a historical book, it doesn't have any historical authenticity to anything that the author has written in it. I bought this book because I thought I was going to learn something new - boy was I wrong. His take on history is not related to what is written by current historians and a lot of his conclusions about the origins of martial arts are just opinions that when one thinks about it makes no logical sense. Newsflash.... all major historians believe that organized martial arts were created by the military or by people involved in military/police affairs. They were not created by pacifistic monks or religious people who believe in pacifism. That is just illogical. His other attempts such as tying the birth of martial arts to buddhism is wrong in the face of the fact that there is defined martial arts in china, korea, and japan before the creation of buddhism or even the transport of buddhism to those countries. The Shaolin temple is the only Chan/Zen temple that has a martial arts tradition in all of china. Most historians believe that it harbored retired soldiers who possessed martial arts traditions from their military days and brought it into the temple. Further, most historians believe that the martial arts in china and japan took religion into it after the creation of the martial arts to try to lend a moral character to the immoral process of learning how to hurt and kill others (so that people wouldn't do it a totally immoral fashion). He also discounts the major contributions that Taoism/Confucianism/ and Sun Tzu's theories on warfare on the martial arts. His take on this seems to revolve around the Shaolin temple and the Bodhidharma legend (which is just a legend! - Historians aren't even sure that he existed as a real individual in connection with the Shaolin temple!) It's the same with European or Middle Eastern martial arts and warfare. Most soldiers of Europe and the Middle east were greatly influenced by priests and religious men for moral or religious fortitude in the face of the study of the art of self defense. That does not mean that Christianity or Islam created european/middle eastern swordplay. His illogic is similar to the illogic of stating that the Knights Templar of Europe invented fencing and sword play because they were religious people and many soldiers and swordsmen in Europe during the middle ages were religious and attended church... A totally illogical statement. All in all a horrible book. I'm peeved because I unfortunately actually spent my hard earned money on it at full price.

Martial arts Buddhist past.......2006-07-16

I don't know what some of these reviewists talk about when they say that Shifu Nagaboshi Tomio's work is fabricated. Bodhisattva warriors has much quantifiable evidence in its 500 plus pages (I can only think that they have an ulterior motive to try suppress the writers' work).

Bodhisattva Warriors to my mind goes beneath the surface of current historical facts but the key facts are still there with many more I had not read before pointing me in directions for further reading.

With regards this subject the most popular records are those of of Bodhidharma the 28th Patriarch of Buddhism in India, and the first Patriarch in China. Bodhidharma is traditionally held to be the founder of the Chaan school of Buddhism (known in Japan and the West as Zen), and the Shaolin school of Chinese martial arts. Bodhidharma is well known for teaching the ailing monks of Shaolin the moving arts, though Shifu Nagaboshi points out that having been an Indian Prince like the Buddha, Bodhidharma had been taught the warrior arts of the Kshatrya caste in his home country of India.

There is no question about the earliest reliable evidence of Buddhist monks engaging in military action, and therefore possibly using martial arts skills, from the celebrated attack on Wang Shih-ch'ung's forces, in support of the Tang forces of Li Shill-min, in 621 CE. Memorial tablets recording this and other military exploits of Shaolin monks are still preserved today. (DEMIEVILLE 1973, pp. 275-79)

Terry Dukes' sensible observation that many martial arts movements in China, Korea and Japan are derived from Buddhist 'mudra' (signs of the hand) are clearly not just his own fanciful ideas (as some like to suggest) as these mudras can be seen all over China in surviving Buddhist paintings and statues of Buddhas. Evidence is even greater in Buddhist temple guardians who are traditionally depicted in warrior like poses performing mudras which are easily recognised as martial arts movements. Just to give a couple of examples: the well known Buddhist mudra 'abhaya mudra', the 'mudra of fearlessness' which the Buddha is recorded as using to subdue a charging elephant, can be seen in many martial arts as it is a type of inner circling knife hand. 'Bhumisparsa mudra' the mudra of calling the earth to witness is depicted in images of temple guardians as a gesture of surpressing enemies of Buddhism. However these examples are just two of many that can be uncovered by any discerning martial arts enquirer.

I have myself checked that many of these images and statues date back to the early insurgence of Buddhist culture into China through the silk Road which opened in the Second Century BC so there is absolutely no historical dispute that Indian Buddhism had a massive impact on Chinese Culture from this date onwards and Terry Dukes helps make the cross connections between martial arts and Buddhism from this time onwards.

Again there are more sustainable facts with Zhang Qian (Hsuang Tsang) a Chinese explorer and imperial envoy of the 2nd century BCE, is recorded as the first official diplomat to bring back reliable information about Central Asia to the Chinese imperial court, then under Emperor Wu of Han. Zhang Qian is also credited with the translation of many important Buddhist texts (sutras) which layed down the foundations for Buddhism which was to rival and often dominate Taoism in the Chinese imperial court.

There is no disputing that Indian Buddhism was so widespread that it managed to reach the shores of Japan, and as we know very well was whole heartedly adopted by the Japanese, dramatically influencing Japanese culture and arts from the 7th Century to the present day.

There is of course a fundemental difference between Japan and China in that Japan had no forign intervention or civil wars which resulted in the suppression of Buddhism. In China however as Terry Dukes points out in Bodhisattva Warriors that Taoism and Buddhism vied for acceptance as the imperial courts religion and so inevitably Buddhism at different periods in Chinese history was outlawed and inevitably had to be taught secretly. It is only a small step to infer that to escape detection by the authorities Buddhism was easily codified into hand movements and dances (form, kata or hsing) where it has been passed down through Buddhist martial practices to the present day.

Shifu Nagaboshi's assertians of this are are easily verified by evidence of the codification of mudras (hand signs) in Buddhist practice because we can see the practices of Chen Yen monks of China, Shingon Monks of Japan and Vajryana lamas of Tibet who still ritually perform complicated hand movements to accompany verbal and meditational practices.

This is what is interesting about this book as just as in Buddhist Chuan Fa the mudra these monks use are not just simply mundane 'hand signs' but a 'phsyco-physical' gesture which (as this term suggests) involves not just the body but also the mind of the practitoner.

The practice of unifying mind and body within physical training is well established within martial arts systems and this Buddhist (yogacara) tradition as Shifu Nagaboshi (along with others)* correctly identifies is most certainly one of the roots of this practice. (See Keenan: Spontaneity in Western Martial Arts, A Yogacara Critique of Mushin [No-Mind]- a google search will find this)

Terry Dukes (who quite openly displays both his English and Budddhist name on the front cover) has obviously hit some raw nerves with people who would keep to their blinkered history of martial arts rather than engage with the facts that there are some aspects of the esoteric doctrines that just do not fit into martial arts based on commercial an egotistical gain.

As a Buddhist this book explained a lot about the art I am practicing.

For the serious martial arts student.......2006-06-06

The Bodhisattva Warriors is a highly intellectual, thought-provoking book and is not for the casual reader. Despite its length and the depth of information given, it is obvious that the book is meant as an introduction only for it deals with a vast amount of complex subject matters, most of which would take volumes to cover fully. Where applicable, the sources of photographs and illustrations are given, and the 124 pages of the notes and bibliography at the back indicate where information contained in the book came from.
For the serious student who is interested in gaining a wider knowledge and understanding of the martial arts, The Bodhisattva Warriors by Shifu Nagaboshi Tomio provides a solid base from which to carry out further research and study.
This book is highly recommended.

A dedicated life long search for why a Martial art is Buddhist?.......2006-06-03

There are two sides to every coin and some martial arts practitioners dismiss this book out of hand and they are entitled to their views however in my humble opinion and that of many others in the martial arts world this book is a milestone in Martial Arts research. Nagaboshi/Dukes has oviously taken a lot of time in these 500 or so pages to investigate questions that many martial arts students would like to have answers to.

Although certainly not an easy read it is obvious after a while that Nagaboshi/Dukes is uncovering ideas that are rarely if ever mentioned in the local Shoalin/Zen/Budo martial arts dojo. Some of these questions are really quite simple like:

Why 'clobbering' each other is Buddhist?
What could be Buddhist about kata or forms?
Why does the Japanese term for the martial arts training hall 'dojo' have the same name as the meditation hall in a Zen monastery'?
What is the spiritual connection with the Shaolin Monastry or to Buddhism in general?
What did the patron of Buddhist Martial arts 'Bodhidhama' actually say and teach?

This book is certainly not going to be to everyone's taste but if you are seriously interested in what a Buddhist Martial art is and why, then this book cannot be overlooked. There are very few if any books to my knowledge that take this subject so seriously and if those who write it off were to write any books on the subject I would be happy to read them.

Bodhisattva Warriors has had an obvious impact, sending all the Shaolin/Zen perporting martial arts teachers diving to swat up on their Buddhism so that their students can't ask them awkward questions or on the other hand taking the easiest option in just dismissing Nagaboshi/Dukes as having made it all up! Which is obviously not the case if you read the book.

I've taken the time to read this book and come to my own conclusions. This is a very important book possibly a milestone in martial arts literature. Nagaboshi/Dukes has focused on the spiritual Buddhism in the Buddhist martial art rather than just paying lipservice to it with a few quipped Zen sayings. If your teacher doesn't know much about why his martial art is Buddhist, then this is the book to get and if he dimisses it you will know why. He hasn't read it!

Bodhisattva Warriors has obviously taken years of research to compile and probably the best part of a lifetime to write. It is a must even if like me you just use it as part of your research into martial arts history. I give it five stars.

Bogus Budo-Buyer Beware.......2006-03-25

As a Martial Artist and a Buddhist, I found this "book" by "Shifu" Nagaboshi (aka. Terry Dukes) to be both misleading and offensive. The information it contains regarding Buddhism and the Martial arts is completely false. The book is written in a poor, rambling and confusing style, profusely illustrated with ripped-off photos from other books. "Shifu" Nagaboshi is a well-known fraud in the Martial Arts world. His "Mushindo" is nothing more than a cult and has nothing to do either with either the real Martial Arts or Buddhism. Anyone seriously beginning studies in the path of either Budo or the Buddha would to well to steer clear of works by "Shifu" Nagaboshi-Dukes. There are dozens of wonderful books available at GREAT PRICES from Amazon.com. that will help your studies of Budo. Try reading, "Karate-do Kyohan" by Gichin Funakoshi (the title is Japanese, but the book is in english!) Or try Master Funakoshi's autobiography, "Karate-do, My Way of Life." For wonderful stories and legends about Chinese Kung Fu, nothing beats Robert Smith's classic "Chinese Boxing, Masters and Methods." Before you think of buying this "book" by Nagaboshi, consider something...in Japan you do not call your teacher "Shifu." "Sifu" is the Mandarin Chinese term for teacher. ("Shifu" is probably a Hong Kong/Cantonese corruption Dukes picked up somewhere.) In Japan, you always call your teacher "Sensei." Nagaboshi didn't even get his title right, so how can you trust his bogus book? If I can stop one serious young martial artist from getting into Nagaboshi's cult, my review will have served its purpose. In Gassho to all true students of the path.

Who Killed Homer: The Demise of Classical Education and the Recovery of Greek Wisdom

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Flipping burgers and driving taxis
Classics are Essential to Citizenship
Problematic, sees the teaching of Greek as useful for just one thing and all else is anathema
think like a Greek?
Where is education going?

Who Killed Homer: The Demise of Classical Education and the Recovery of Greek Wisdom
Victor Davis Hanson , and John Heath
Manufacturer: Encounter Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1893554260

Amazon.com

The answer to the attention-grabbing question posed by classicists Victor Davis Hanson and John Heath in the title of this passionate defense of their field (which is also a damnation of their academic colleagues) is not a pretty one. "It was," they admit sadly, "an inside job."

Why, at the end of the 20th century, should we give a hoot in the first place about a brutal, misogynist society that rose to greatness on the back of slaves? Because, they argue, it was the first place; for all the faults of ancient Greece, the seeds of what Western civilization is today were planted there. "What we mean by Greek wisdom," they explain, "is that at the very beginning of Western culture the Greeks provided a blueprint for an ordered and humane society that could transcend time and space, one whose spirit and core values could evolve, sustain, and drive political reform and social change for ages hence."

But Hanson and Heath are not content to simply make a fiery, articulate case for what's right about understanding this particular ancient civilization in a contemporary world where more and more non-Western societies openly seek to embrace the democratic spirit. They go on to launch a deliciously vituperative jeremiad on what's wrong with the priorities of those entrusted with passing on this wisdom. Classics departments, as portrayed in Who Killed Homer?, appear to be filled with politically correct, insecure footnote fawners who, steeped in minutiae, miss the Big Picture. Hanson and Heath have a plan, sure to raise the hackles of tenured professors, for reviving classical studies that emphasizes the importance of teaching, communicating, and popularizing over publishing arcane monographs in journals not even the writer's family will ever read, insisting that the alternative--the extinction of a vivid intellectual pursuit--borders on cultural suicide. --Jeff Silverman

Book Description

With straightforward advice and informative readings of the great Greek texts, the authors show how we might still save classics and the Greeks for future generations. Who Killed Homer? is must reading for anyone who agrees that knowledge of classics acquaints us with the beauty and perils of our own culture.

Customer Reviews:

Flipping burgers and driving taxis.......2007-04-18

Victor David Hanson's and John Heath's devastating expose of the Anglo classicist establishment, 'Who Killed Homer? - The Demise of Classical Education and the Recovery of Greek Wisdom' (San Francisco: Encounter Books, 2001. ISBN 1893554260) is a book which infuriated classicists because - and as an ex-academic myself I can vouch for this - what it tells us about them and about their utterly baleful influence on our culture happens to be true.

Classicists as a class are here accused of being idle, arrogant, greedy, irresponsible, amoral careerists. They are cads who care little if anything for Greek thought and who have nothing but the most extreme contempt, not only for the general public which pays their salaries, but even for their students since they would rather disburden themselves of the distasteful task of teaching by passing it to an underclass of slaves known as 'graduate teaching assistants' while (when not gadding about the world on an endless round of international 'conferences,' i.e. mutual back-slapping canape-munching cocktail-slurping gabfests) they themselves engage in what they fondly describe as 'research' (i.e. the scribbling of esoteric monographs on utterly trivial matters which no-one is ever going to read) since they would blanch at the thought of actually doing something useful.

The laziness, greed, and arrogance of these elitists have pretty well destroyed the classics as a subject of study and hence as a profession. Many of their former colleagues and most of their ex-students are now flipping burgers or driving taxis, and I think one may confidently predict that it won't be long before the remainder of this elite are looking for similar work since no society can be expected to indefinitely support such a useless class of parasites.

Since their collective efforts have helped to effectively undermine and destroy the foundations of Western Civilization, the demise of classical education being simply one facet of the larger ongoing demise of the West, one wonders if they will perhaps feel a twinge of remorse for what they have done when the tentacles of the New Dark Age they have helped to spawn reach out to coil about them ...?

Classics are Essential to Citizenship.......2006-09-05

Pick up any copy of the Federalist Papers, the articles addressed to the citizens of New York in 1787 on the subject of the Constitution, and you will find unmistakable references to Republican Rome. The authors of the Federalist Papers (and the framers of the Constitution), Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, each had a Classical education which shaped the core of their philosophy.

Why then, is Classical education gradually disappearing from high schools and colleges? Why do teachers and professors refer to Homer, Virgil, Ovid, Thucydides, Tacitus and others as "dead White males?" Authors Victor Davis Hanson and John Heath explore these questions in their book, Who Killed Homer.

Hanson and Heath do a good job of explaining the Greek and Roman origins of American political thought, and convincingly warn that our citizens are rapidly becoming illiterate about the ideas that gave birth to modern republican government and free market economics. The authors perform a public service, putting together reading lists of Classical authors, and discussing interpretations of key writings by Classical authors that demonstrate the undeniable Greek origins of Western civilization.

The authors also offer a explanation for the demise of Classical learning -- academic careerism, and to a lesser extent, ideology have polluted the pure teaching of the Classics. While plausible, this argument often degenerates into mud-slinging, as Hanson and Heath settle scores with scholars whom they accuse of destroying their field. Sometimes, the score-settling gets out of hand, as Hanson and Heath specifically name the scholars they are criticizing, and even accuse one scholar of literally hounding another to his grave. This gossipy material actually detracts from their argument and is not appropriate for the audience the authors are trying to reach.

This book would be more effective if the authors did not take so much time focusing on their opponents and critics and instead stuck to the principles of their argument. The Classics are an essential part of any high school and college curriculum. Our democracy cannot hope to survive on a steady diet of Oprah, the NFL and reality TV.

Problematic, sees the teaching of Greek as useful for just one thing and all else is anathema.......2006-05-05

WHO KILLED HOMER is a tract by Victor Davis Hanson and John Heath seeking to change the contemporary method of teaching and researching Classics--which is facing a decline in popularity among the average student--turning it towards the political and moral ideals the authors hold. For these two, the Greek world (Rome and Latin literature is present here only as an afterthought) is seen as a paragon of political, social, and ethical organization whose lessons undergraduate students must learn. Hanson feels that American is facing "balkanisation", so from the Greeks the youth of today should see that it is desirable for the life of the "polis" to speak a single language and shunning outside cultural traits (including, presumably, such innocent things as food, music, and clothing) just as the Greeks spoke Greek and despised the Persians. They also suggest that Greek literature contains moral insights that the writing of other eras cannot impart, and so is the only basis for a solid education.

The first objection I have against WHO KILLED HOMER is that this idea of classical Greece as worthy of emulating is simply a misinterpretation of the Western heritage. It is the confluence of the ancient world and the grace of Christianity that created the society we know today; only after Christianity entered the life of the Empire do we find a meaningful guide to thought and action. If we want to form the morals of our children, we'd do better teaching them the Church Fathers and the history of Byzantium than the incomplete thought of Athens. Hanson and Heath have raised up the Greek thinkers almost as idols, seeing them not as occasionally interesting intellectual figures, but as the solution to all our problems.

Hanson and Heath feel that research has ruined the university, and that there is little value in much of recent publications. The authors want all research to be on broad, generalized topics that even non-specialists can understand, but in the end it seems that they simply don't understand the value of criticism and haven't learned its terminology, therefore it scares them. While I have seen poor theses appear in print, I've discovered that even the most obscure and specialized studies are occasionally useful to me as a student. I don't care much for ancient literature, but I do read quite a bit of 20th-century poetry and prose, and the close criticism written about my favourite authors has only helped me appreciate even more what they wrote, not led me astray into meaninglessness. My own experience as a knowledge-hungry young person leads me to see that research is valuable and instructive.

Hanson and Heath would prefer to see an end to publication, and recommend heavy teaching loads for faculty. This would be disastrous, for the traditional system of lecturing only draws faculty away from research and demotivates students. I'd rather get everything by drawing together all the many resources in the library than by having to come in and listen to a single boring lecturer every day. Similarly, I'm sure my lecturers would be happy to concentrate on research instead of wasting their own and students' time with classes. Less lecturing is the key to happy, motivated, and successful students and productive faculty, one simply needs to see how much more educated undergraduates turn out in countries were class attendence is not mandatory, but where clear study goals are given and the final exams are rigorous. There's a reason why most of our most brilliant professionals are immigrants trained abroad before coming to the U.S. for graduate education, and our productivity would tank if Hanson's plans succeeded.

Another serious fault of the authors' thesis is that they assume the only reason to read Greek is to understand the thoughts of classical writers. That may be true for Classics majors, but there are many students who take Greek as part of their training in comparative Indo-European linguistics. I could really care less about ancient literature or Plato's philosophy, but I still need a grounding in Greek grammar, ideally in a diachronic context. Were the ideals of Hanson and Heath put into effect, the entire field of Indo-European studies would disappear. Is limiting the possibilities of what one can get out of the material really an improvement for scholarship? And if I have to "think like a Greek" when I study Greek, do the authors think I should also be sacrificing to Agni and Indra in Sanskrit classes?

The writing style here is quite annoying, at times being a screed and always being too passionate and unstable. As one Classics professor has said, Hanson's texts attempt to speak persuasively instead of authoritatively. Furthermore, the authors make digressions into other complaints they have about modern life that strays from the central thesis, as when they rage against free verse and claim it is "non-poetry" written by "non-poets". All in all, I see little value in the book, since the claims of the authors that Greek civilization is the only thing truly worth of study is simply false to most people. One can sympathize with their plea that general writing and representing Classics to the public is worthy of respect, but this is wiped out by their raging against specialized research. All in all, a problematic work.

think like a Greek?.......2005-10-22

This book is refreshing and fascinating. However, I do wish that classicists of all kinds would stop drawing battle lines about the origins of western culture and the "good" and "bad" within the Greeks themselves. We might take a lesson from Herodotus, who happily wandered around the entire Mediterranean recording observations about all the civilizations he encountered and the origins of various Greek customs (many of which he derives from much-maligned Egypt). Herodotus brought to his work a warm sense of humor, an open-mindedness, and a genuine, passionate interest. Nor did he seek to be an obscure specialist. In his day he performed his histories publicly to large audiences-he investigated, and spoke to, everyone.

We might also take a lesson from Thucydides, whose methods were different from Herodotus' but who recorded the events of the Peloponnesian war for much the same reason that Herodotus wrote about the Persian war: "in the belief that it was going to be a great war and more worth writing about than any of those which had taken place in the past." Thucydides was not a propagandist but a clear-eyed observer of the complex workings of power and war. The moral questions he confronted-about the uses of empire, the value of peace, the meaning of justice, the nobility or inhumanity of war, the abuse of power-are ones Greek culture had been addressing since the conflict of Achilles and Agamemnon in the Iliad and ones we should still be considering today. The moral dilemmas of the Roman empire-the exchange of direct political participation and freedom for peace and material prosperity, the accumulation of wealth, the value or danger of mass entertainment, the fantasy of the simple life, the place of a mercenary army (just to name a few)-are also timely. I have a problem with certain professors of today not because they criticize the Greeks and Romans (the ancients criticized themselves extensively already), but because they wrap themselves in jargon and excuse inaction by talking of subjectivity. They do not confront, as the Greeks and Romans did, what I still consider the most essential, troubling, frightening, important questions of human existence: the burden of power, the meaning of responsibility, how much power and responsibility the individual citizen should have, and what, truly, is the best kind of life.

Where is education going?.......2005-10-11

It has long been lamented that the Classics are declining. Where is education headed, if the university system is failing?--the pump has no water. Ask next, how this is connected to the failing public school system. It isn't just a matter of losing the classics, it's about losing the integrity of higher education itself. If the university is compromised, then so are the people who are educated there, who then in turn try to educate the lower levels in K-12--look where we are. We need to ask not just who killed Homer, but why we keep stabbing him over and over again.

Variations on a Blue Guitar: The Lincoln Center Institute Lectures on Aesthetic Education

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Variations on a Blue Guitar: The Lincoln Center Institute Lectures on Aesthetic Education
Maxine Greene
Manufacturer: Teachers College Press
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ASIN: 0807741353

Lenses on Reading: An Introduction to Theories and Models

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Lenses on Reading: An Introduction to Theories and Models
Diane H. Tracey , and Lesley Mandel Morrow
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ASIN: 1593852967

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This accessible text provides an extensive survey of the major theories and models that influence reading instruction and research. Readers learn why theory matters in designing and implementing high-quality instruction; how to critically evaluate the assumptions and beliefs that guide their own work with students; and the benefits of approaching everyday teaching situations from multiple theoretical perspectives. Every chapter features classroom application activities and illuminating teaching vignettes. Of particular utility to graduate students, the book also addresses research applications, including descriptions of exemplary studies informed by each theoretical model.

The Art of Problem Solving: A Resource for the Mathematics Teacher

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The Art of Problem Solving: A Resource for the Mathematics Teacher

Manufacturer: Corwin Press
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ASIN: 0803963629

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As a mathematics teacher, you know how hard it can be for your students to understand and solve math problems. The old ways of problem solving don't always work. Even the most innovative teachers need some fresh ideas to make mathematics something students comprehend and enjoy. Problem solving is the main theme of this new, idea-filled handbook. The chapter authors look at the subject in a completely new light, and the result is an enticing, entertaining, and useful resource. The editors of this guidebook present a host of interesting ideas that range from practical to theoretical, from common to glitzy, that you can adapt for use in your classroom. With margin notes identifying subject matter and strategy type, this book is as easy to read as it is valuable. Full of important ideas on: * Interest grabbers * The pigeonhole approach * Combinatorics, or counting without really counting * Symmetry * Graph theory * Using game strategies Mathematics professionals from all over the world bring you their personal favorite strategies for problem solving. The chapters are independent of each other, and the editors encourage you to use the chapters in whatever order suits your needs. If you have ever despaired of making mathematics into a favorite subject for yourself and your class, this is the book you need. These passionate professionals give you new insight into the art of problem solving.

Education and the Rise of the Global Economy (Sociocultural, Political, and Historical Studies in Education)

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Education and the Rise of the Global Economy (Sociocultural, Political, and Historical Studies in Education)
Joel Spring
Manufacturer: Lawrence Erlbaum
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ASIN: 0805830138

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Joel Spring investigates the role of educational policy in the evolving global economy, and the consequences of school systems around the world adapting to meet the needs of international corporations. The new global model for education addresses problems of technological change, the quick exchange of capital, and free markets; policies to resolve these problems include "lifelong learning," "learning societies," international and national accreditation of work skills; international and national standards and tests; school choice; multiculturalism; and economic nationalism.

The distinctive contribution Spring makes is to offer an original interpretive framework for examining and understanding the interconnections among education, imperialism and colonialism, and the rise of the global economy. He offers a unique comparison of the educational policies of the World Bank, the United Nations, the European Union, and the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation.

Additionally, he provides and weaves together important historical and current information on education in the context of the expansion of international capitalism; much of this information, gathered from many diverse sources, is otherwise not easily available to readers of this book. In the concluding chapters of the volume, Spring presents a thoughtful analysis and a powerful argument emphasizing the importance of human rights education in a global economy.

This volume is a sequel to Spring's earlier book, Education and the Rise of the Corporate State (1972), continuing the work he has been engaged in since the 1970s to describe and analyze the relationship between political, economic, and historical forces and educational policy.

Irrigating Deserts: C.s. Lewis on Education

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Growth in the Desert
A Lesson in Education
Welcome Filler of Void On Lewis

Irrigating Deserts: C.s. Lewis on Education
Joel D. Heck
Manufacturer: Concordia Publishing House
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ASIN: 0758600445

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Growth in the Desert.......2007-01-12

An interesting read provided by CPH Publishing, St. Louis, MO. I have already given this title as a gift and I am very selective in the titles I give as gifts.

A Lesson in Education.......2006-03-13

In Irrigating Deserts, Joel D. Heck of Concordia University at Austin has produced a wonderful book on the educational philosophy of the noted educator and writer C. S. Lewis. The title of the book is derived from the following quote by Lewis, where he writes in The Abolition of Man: "The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts." This is an excellent book that provides a focused view on an important aspect of Lewis's life. Dr. Heck has made a significant contribution to Lewis scholarship.

Welcome Filler of Void On Lewis.......2006-02-10

As education was so vital to this giant of an intellect, it is amazing that there has been silence as to C.S. Lewis on Education. But here we have this void filled superbly by Heck.

One can describe his approach as thorough and chronological, and well documented. Likely this is not for average interested soul in Lewis, but rather more dedicated follower or educator that would be interested in staying with the documentation of Lewis' educational journey. Presentation of history and facts are more academic style, rather than these taken into prose form with stories and illustrations driving the read, rather than just documentation. And documentation abounds: glossary, index of faculty collegaues, appendixes on Lewis' books read, etc. Thus, limited audience.

This is way typifies Lewis on education: for those who want to learn, not those who think they should receive only what they want. Easily Heck's concluding chapter was highlight of this reveiwer's read. Here Heck saliently and masterfully pulls all of it together about benefit of inquiry into Lewis on education e.g. "education is far more positive experience than a negative one, a matter of irrigating deserts rather than cutting down jungles. Students can and must learn to think outside the box, to think creatively, to explore, to analyze and synthesize, and teachers must so teach." "truth is objective rather than subjective. The waterfall is not sublime because I have sublime feelings; it is sublime in and of itself." "The educator can learn that education focuses on learning (the pursuit of knowledge) rather than training (the learning of skills)."

Much too be gleaned from Heck's penetrating investigation into Lewis' educational stance and background for both the Lewis devotee and Christian and educator. For above all, Lewis was an educator.

Call to Purpose: Mission-Centered Change at Three Liberal Arts Colleges (Studies in Higher Education, Dissertation Series)

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Call to Purpose: Mission-Centered Change at Three Liberal Arts Colleges (Studies in Higher Education, Dissertation Series)
Harley
Manufacturer: Routledge
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0415935660

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A decade ago, many liberal arts colleges drifted from their traditional missions and began offering programs whose sole purpose was to appeal to prospective students. The result on many campuses was a fragmenting of purpose and a diminishing of institutional life. The three institutions in this study - LeMoyne-Owen, Olivet, and Tusculum Colleges responded by forging a renewed sense of purpose. The research presented in this book provides a window into this complex process.

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