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.

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)

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Check and see
Suprise! Suprise!
Prescient St Augustine?
Something of a disappointment
Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy..

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
Anatoly T Fomenko
Manufacturer: Delamere Resources LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621066

Product Description

`History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2` is the second volume of the most explosive and astounding tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by rock solid scientific data. The book is easy and pleasant to read; it is well-illustrated, contains hundreds of charts, graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays. You will be amazed to discover: - That the chronology universally accepted today and taken for granted is simply wrong; - That ALL methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts known today are erroneous or non-exact; - That there is not a single document that could be reliably dated earlier than the XIth century; The Author refers to the Middle Ages as the Antiquity and proves mutual superimposition of the Second and the Third Roman Empire, both of which become identified as the respective kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Furthermore, he asserts that the famous reform of the Occidental Church in the XI century by Pope Gregory Hildebrand was the reflection of the XII century reforms of Byzantine emperor Andronicus who in his turn identifies with Jesus Christ. The Trojan war counted by Homer happened only as late as of the XIII century A.D. and the great poet actually lived in XIV century A.D. No stone in history of Antiquity is left unturned. Literally. This book is the beginning of a major correction to the chronology we live with.

Customer Reviews:

Check and see.......2007-06-21

I don't care what other people say of this book. Those affirmig it's fake, they hadn't ever read it. Or have some special reasons to do so. "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see..." This book won't make you feel comfortable. It'll make you feel free. It'll make you feel you're "not the only one" to feel you'd been lied to for centuries.

Suprise! Suprise!.......2007-03-22

Here is a serie of books which turns "the whole world" upside down. I learned a lot of it and I hope that a new book from A.T. Fomenko will follow very quick. A absolute must for everybody who is interested in history or even a little bit from it.

Prescient St Augustine?.......2006-02-05

We can so far divide the New Chronology into the following three parts:

a) The verifiable theory that proves consensual chronology wrong with the aid of astronomy, statistics and mathematics;

b) The new chronology hypothesis based on a new understanding of known historical facts and the most likely logical explanation of the most obvious inconsistencies inherent in the official version of history;

c) The history conjectures, that is experimental historical reconstructions based on assumptions that the authors believe to make sense in the light of their research and linguistic parallels - void of ironclad factual support to date.

Fomenko's theory complies with the most rigid scientific standards as a whole:

It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.

- It is consistent: independent lines of inquiry all lead to the same conclusion.

- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.

Fomenko goes by the following axioms:

- Chronology is the basis of history;

- Human evolution has always been linear, gradual and irreversible;

- The "cyclic" nature of human civilization is a myth, likewise all the gaps, duplicates, "dark ages" and "renaissances" that we know from consensual history;

- The accumulation of geographical knowledge as reflected in cartography is a gradual and irreversible process;

- The chronological distance between a given manuscript and the events described therein is proportional to the amount of distortions it contains;

- There is no "useless" information in authentic ancient sources.

Why the mainstream historians do not shower mathematician Academician Dr.Prof Fomenko with thanks and laurels?

The Russians:

Because Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by three centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called "Tartars and Mongols" were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a bilingual state with Arabic spoken as freely as Russian. The ancient Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities. The hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called "blood tax"). Their "invasions" were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion. Fomenko proves that Russian history as we know it today is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scientists brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs, whose ascension to the throne was the result of coup d'état, charged with the mission of making their reign look legitimate. Fomenko proves Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. They represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate rulers and the ambitious upstarts. The winner took it all! Over some 30 years of controversy, Russian historians have made a most remarkable transition - they were initially accusing the young mathematician Fomenko of anticommunist dissident activity and attempts to deface the historical legacy of Soviet Russia; nowadays the middle-aged mathematician is accused of adhering to "pro-communist Russian nationalism" and defacing the proud historical legacy of Great Russia.

The Westerners:

Because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History. Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one the Ancient Rome (the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the XIV century A. D.), the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, and the Ancient Egypt (the pyramids of Giza become dated to the XI-XV century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global "Mongolian" Empire, no less). The civilization of the Ancient Egypt is irrefutably dated to the XII-XV century A. D. with the aid of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone. He was the first one to decipher and date all such horoscopes, coming up with mediaeval dates in every case. English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. To reward the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.

The Chinese:

Because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such thing. Full point. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the XVII-XVIII century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation, this time performed on the Chinese soil by the loving Jesuit hands. The Chinese are the next in line to go berserk. Chinese history is inevitably bound to get both more ancient and more eventful, proportionally to the growing involvement of China in the world affairs. Chinese historians will keep on finding valid proof of prehistoric Chinese spaceflights until the Politburo orders them to shut up.

The Arabs:

Too bad. Islam with all its key figures is datable to XV-XVI century A. D. Arabic historians may find consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire in the XVI-XVII century. The trouble is that this empire was initially a Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, according to Fomenko! We can only guess if the acquisition of Alexander the Great (a Macedonian and a Christian) as the founder of the Muslim World Empire will make Fomenko's theories more acceptable to the Arabic mainstream. He certainly does not spare any holy cows at all, claiming The Stone of Qa'Aba in Mecca to contain the lost Arch of the Covenant.

The Divinity:

Despite of reiterated statement that his theory is all about chronology and not Religion, Fomenko stirs up a whole condominium of wasp nests. His collection of anathemas, fatwa, and other condemnations from all parties concerned is already considerable. Little wonder, considering that the history of religions à la Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the XI century and JC), Bacchic Christianity (XI-XII century, before and after JC), JC Christianity (XII-XVI century) and its subsequent mutations into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on.

According to Fomenko we know strictly NOTHING about the events that predate the X century A. D.

St Augustin was prescient when he spoke unto us: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."

Something of a disappointment.......2005-09-09

After having read the first volume of this expected series of 7 volumes I was triggered by the thesis of these authors that ancient Greek and Roman history did in fact take place in the Middle Ages. So I started studying medieval history of the Middle East - also known as Islamic history - to find out if the opponents of the ancient Greeks and Romans - the Acheamenid Persians, Sassanids, Scythians, Egyptians, etc. - also have their duplicates in medieval history. My search was disappointing: none of the many medieval Islamic dynasties seemed to correspond to the ancient middle eastern rulers.

However, I did find a close correspondence between Herodotus' Persian kings and medieval events:

- the defeat and capture of an Anatolian king - the Lydian Croesus - by the Persian conqueror Cyrus is identical to the defeat and capture of another Anatolian king - sultan Bayezid - by the Asian/Mongol conqueror Tamerlane;
- the Persian conquest of Egypt by the cruel tyrant Cambyses reds almost exactly as the Ottoman conquest of Egypt by Selim the Grim (note the nickname!);
- Darius the Lawgiver of the Persian Empire looks very much alike to Sulayman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver in Islamic history;
- Xerxes, whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by the Greeks at the naval battle of Salamis, looks like Selim II (the Sot) whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by a Spanish-Italian alliance at the naval battle of Lepanto.

I should have expected Fomenko et al. to arrive at similar conclusions, however, they claim that the Persian kings are the alter egos of the Angevin kings of Sicily whose biographies do not contain the exploits of the Persian kings.

The similiarities I indicate lead to the conclusion that Herodotus must have written his Histories at the close of the 16th century. But this is extremely late, given that Herodotus is "the Father of History", so therefore all other "ancient" histories must have been fabricated even later. Yet, the founders of modern chronology - Scaliger and Petavius - laid their foundations also at the close of the 16th century and had the full corpus of ancient histories already at their disposal.

It seems to me that Fomenko has to address these inconsistencies, maybe in the forthcoming 5 volumes?

Another critique of their book is that the correspondencies between different rulers are often based on a superficial comparison of the biographies; upon a more thorough comparison many details appear that do not correspond at all.

Finally, the authors rely heavily on the works of Gregorovius (1821-1891!!) - his medieval histories of Rome and Athens - as the source of medieval history; these works are - at least in the West - hoplessly outdated and have been superceded by more up-to-date works (for instance, Julius Norwich's trilogy on Byzantine history is not even cited).

Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy.........2005-07-30

If you agree with Fomenko that Roman chronology is basically the foundation of the entire edifice of global chronology; you would also certainly agree that despite its numerous gaps and inconsistencies, Roman history is the best-documented field of ancient history, and thus a reference scale. But how well is the actual date of the Eternal City's foundation known?

Firstly, Rome is supposed to have been founded by the Trojans who had to flee after the fall of Troy. Some claim Rome to have been founded by Aeneas and Ulysses shortly after Troy had fallen; others are of the opinion that there was an entire dynasty that ruled for 500 years between the fall of Troy and the foundation of Rome.

Well, that's just an innocent 500 years long misunderstanding compared with what heretic Fomenko says, asserts, proves in his second volume: Second Roman Empire, Third Roman Empire, Biblical Kingdom of Israel, Biblical Kingdom of Judah, Holy Roman Empire are stories about basically same events, written from different points of view at different times. The underlying events have actually taken place during xii-xv cy. These histories have been written and perfected by multitude of highly talented humanist and clerical writers of xiii-xvi cy disguised as "ancients" with glorious names like Homer, Pluto, Thucydides etc..Chronology 2.0 beta..

Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.

Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy

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Amazing!
Applies to All Writers
The Best for Up-and-Comers
An unconventional, noteworthy reference.
Awesome overview on SF&F as well as writing

Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy
David Gerrold
Manufacturer: Writer's Digest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1582970076

Amazon.com

While both science fiction and fantasy evoke "a sense of wonder in the audience," says David Gerrold in Worlds of Wonder, science fiction "is about what's possible," while "fantasy is about what's not." Writing for both these genres is a lot like "playing with a set of Lego bricks," Gerrold says: you're creating your own world, but you have to work within a logical framework. Like other forms of storytelling, says Gerrold (best known for his "Trouble with Tribbles" Star Trek episode), science fiction and fantasy rely on mysterious first sentences, effective exits, and surprises in every sentence in between. The difference is that your characters inhabit whole worlds of your own making, worlds that may be "marvelous and surprising to the reader," but must remain ordinary to the story's characters. To carry this off, says Gerrold, "you have to write each moment"--no matter how improbable--"as if you lived it yourself."

Book Description

Worlds of Wonder showcases the range and power of the human imagination, transported across strange worlds, lost civilizations, and brave new realities. Now, with the help of David Gerrold, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author, readers will learn, step-by-step, how to turn their words into works of wonder.

Drawing on a career spanning three decades of writing and teaching, Gerrold also uses examples from numerous classic books and films to support their growth within the genre. Readers will gain insight into the craft as well as practice techniques that will immediately improve their writing as they are charmed and challenged by Gerrold's infectious passion for his craft and profession. Worlds of Wonder will ignite the engines of readers' enthusiasm in ways that will astonish them.

* Written by one of the biggest, most-recognized and most-honored names in the field!
* The science fiction and fantasy genres are currently riding a new wave of popularity

Customer Reviews:

Amazing!.......2006-07-05

The first time I read this book i hilighted the most helpful parts. I went through three hilighters. This is a must read for any writer! I myself don't really like books that teach writing but this one is amazing. It covers everything from grammer to the difference between sex scenes and love scenes. It talks about how to think through your plot logically and some helpful little tricks to making your story extra interesting. It discusses how to construct your first and last lines and it is written extremely well and on a level anybody can understand. If I could I'd give this book a hundred stars. Not only was it helpful but it was able to keep my attention, a feat very few fiction books can do.

Applies to All Writers.......2005-10-13

When my sci-fi fanatic brother handed me this book and raved about Gerrold's exemplary writing style as well as his abiity to coach on the craft itself, I was skeptical. What can a sci-fi/fantasy writer offer a writer of mainly creative nonfiction? The answer is EVERYTHING.

I haven't read any of Gerrold's works, but now I want to. His style, voice, and realism stand out even in a book about writing. I've highlighted nearly every page for either tips I want to remember far into the future - especially when revising and perfecting my own work - or for quotes on the craft or life in general that match my own philosophies. This isn't just a book covering the practical how-to of writing something others will be glued to but also a book on viewing life in general and how writing and life go hand-in-hand, if they aren't one and the same.

Gerrold's clear advice broken into palatable chunks applies to all writers and is guaranteed to introduce new elements to consider for your own work and draw you out of your comfort zone. New ways of looking at the basics, as well as more in-depth knowledge/techniques, such as memes and writing in E-prime, are covered.

Sure, Gerrold uses his own work in example, but that doesn't bother me. Why would you buy a book BY a successful writer if you weren't looking for his own take on writing and how he's developed his own ideas? I've read technique books by lesser authors who, frankly, don't even have enough successful works to quote from. Gerrold doesn't have to mention his own published titles to plug; his name on the cover of the book already does that.

The fact is that he knows what he's writing about and his own work provides perfect examples of all the thought he proves he puts into his creations to make them as near perfect as possible. That's why the book is an excellent resource for writers.

P.S. Gerrold also sites examples from several other authors. :)

The Best for Up-and-Comers.......2005-10-12

Though definately geared more toward those wanting to become science fiction writers, a fantasy writer will find heaps of useful advice in this book as well. It starts out with the authors beginning struggles to become a writer, something all young writers wish to hear, and Gerrold guides you from there to the What Ifs of the genres, the specific definitions, and many other technical aspects, but always with a light heartedness that sooths you into what is often harsh advice in other How-to books. By far the best things about this book though are the examples and exercies spread throughout, all of which I've personally found usefull. I'd recommend this book above all others in the genre.

An unconventional, noteworthy reference........2005-07-25

Although this book doesn't qualify as a traditional how-to reference, but mainly as a collection of tips, tricks and techniques on improving your science fiction and fantasy writing, it does rank high above the majority of references available on this topic, which are usually only aimed at psyching up the reader with nothing more than fluffy, feel-good advice that's completely useless to anyone with little more than some basic schooling, some common sense, and a few hours of writing practice.
Award-winning author David Gerrold, particularly well known to Trekkies for his Star Trek Original Series' episode "The Trouble with Tribbles," presents this book in such a pleasant, entertaining and enthusiastic style that you'll be enticed not only to read it through on your first sitting, but also to keep coming back to it time and again.
The short and very easy to find sections into which the book is divided go straight to the point without overlooking anything of importance and retaining all the necessary ideas to clearly explain the points being made. The selection of basic and not-so-basic topics included range from conceptualizing your first ideas (characters, settings, plot) to editing and selling your completed manuscripts. The chosen examples, picked out of both the author's own work and classic sources of the genres, are always accurate and easy to understand. And the very practical suggestions on technique and the reminders on style sprinkled throughout the book will undoubtedly help you create and maintain healthy and fruitful writing habits if followed.
Whereas, in this volume, the ever-present anecdotic remarks of the author might be more appealing to the practiced writer who's lived through similar experiences than to the beginner, the sound information on the craft of writing itself will certainly be useful to both. This may not be the ultimate reference on science fiction and fantasy writing - for that I would turn to either "How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy" by Orson Scott Card or "Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy" by Crawford Kilian - but it is definitely a useful and enjoyable reading. Buy this book, enjoy it, and take the counsel it gives as you would that of a good friend.
--Reviewed by Maritza Volmar

Awesome overview on SF&F as well as writing.......2005-02-27

David covers such topics as what is Science fiction and what is Fantasy, but unlike other similar books (i.e., Orson Scott Card's) these sections are relatively brief, which is good because they are of limited utility. Once he gets those basics out of the way, he discusses how to construct a story, characters, building aliens, how to outline using notecards, and dozens of other useful topics. He even covers the obscure topic of e-prime. Nothing is covered in great detail, but little of it needs to be. If you need more help with plots and how to write in general, I recommend "Techniques of the Selling Writer" by Dwight V. Swain.

The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How They Were Built

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Fascinating look at ancient man's feats of engineering.
Manages to make an interesting topic boring
Fascinating Ancients
Buy A Coffee Table FOR This Title and Be Not Ashamed
Authorative review of monuments to the ancient civilizations

The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How They Were Built
Chris Scarre
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0500050961

Book Description

Abu Simbel, Angkor Wat, Petra: today we stand in awe before the great monuments of the past as we wonder who built them and for what purpose. This authoritative and profusely illustrated compendium celebrates the achievements of those ancient builders who created huge and impressive structures without the benefit of modern technology. Expanding upon the theme of the traditional Seven Wonders, The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World incorporates marvels from around the globe, spanning the centuries from the first stone monuments of the fifth millennium b.c. to the Great Temple of the Aztecs in the sixteenth century a.d. The shaping of the Great Sphinx at Giza, the raising of the stones at Stonehenge, the laying out of the Nazca Lines on the face of the Peruvian desert, or the construction of the Great Wall of China (probably the greatest building project ever attempted in ancient times) are all described and explained in light of the most up-to-date archaeological research. So too are the erection of Egyptian obelisks and Easter Island statues, and the building of Roman roads and Inca bridges. Neglected monuments such as the giant stelae of Aksum or the mountain palace at Sigiriya are set beside the great Baths of Caracalla in Rome and the palace of Persepolis. Packed with factfiles, diagrams, photographs, and newly commissioned perspective views, The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World provides a testament to the skill of the ancient engineers and architects who created lasting memorials--some for practical ends, others for prestige and propaganda--that have continued to impress successive generations through the ages.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating look at ancient man's feats of engineering........2004-08-30

This well organized, informative and concise volume offers a clearly written collection of essays on the complete history of seventy of the world's most spectacular engineering and construction achievements of the past, from the fifth millennium B. C. to the sixteenth century A. D., including the traditional list of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Each monument is carefully detailed in a short entry of two to four pages long that states the facts that have been uncovered by the most recent and updated archaeological findings. Basic facts like who built it, where, when and why are covered, and additional information is also provided like its basic statistics, the politics associated with its construction, and other fascinating data. Moreover, for quick check-ups, each wonder is accurately placed in one of the seven categories into which the book is divided: The Seven Wonders; Tombs & Cemeteries; Temples & Shrines; Palaces, Baths & Arenas; Fortifications; Harbours, Hydraulics & Roads; and Colossal Statues & Monoliths.
This reference is handsomely presented in a sturdy binding, printed in top-quality paper, and beautifully illustrated with over 300 spectacular photos, explanatory diagrams, detailed reconstructions and historical drawings.
Featured among the showcased selection are The Easter Island Statues, the cities of Mycenae and Tiryns, The Colosseum of Rome, The Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan, and The Pharos of Alexandria. The rest of the masterpieces included are equal testimony of humanity's unending skill to create impressive and beautiful structures without the benefit of modern technology.
As a bonus, the book includes a preface that explains the criteria used to pick the selected monuments, and an introduction that gives us an overview of the wonders still standing, their historical meaning, and the ancient technology involved in their construction. Also included are: a map, pinpointing the location of each structure, a comprehensive bibliography, especially useful for further research, and a thorough index for specific consultations.
This is a fact-filled compendium that readers of all ages will undoubtedly refer to again and again.
--Reviewed by Maritza Volmar

Manages to make an interesting topic boring.......2002-02-02

One would think it would be hard to write a boring book about the greatest examples of architecture in the ancient (actually up to about 1500 AD) world, but this book comes close. You have to be a real archi-geek to get into the construction details enough to read every page of this book, though admittedly portions are interesting. I must confess a partiality to reading about the ones I'm familiar with: the Parthenon, the Pyramids, Stonehenge, the Nazca Lines, and so on. The book is successfully multicultural, providing apparently worthy examples from around the world, including American Indian burial sites, Asian Indian temples, and several examples from South America, Africa, and the Far East. Still, it seems as if it could have been done better, with more diagrams and photos (all of which are quite good) and less in the way of text. A pet peeve of mine was the "fact file" on each one, which provided capsule facts and figures on each structure but in a totally inconsistent way from each monument to the next, so that there was no way of comparing the size or magnificence of any two constructions. It would also have been nice to provide comparisons to modern monuments: how big was the Colossus of Rhodes compared with the Statue of Liberty, for example?

I think this one is mostly for those who are really into the topic, though it's worth skimming for the pictures and diagrams.

Fascinating Ancients.......2001-07-20

This book is a real grabber. Hard to put down if one has any kind of interest in many of man's most noteworthy creations of the distant and relatively near past.

The summaries of each "wonder" are very informative considering how concise they are. The descriptions do not delve deep enough to satisfy someone well versed in these structures or the civilizations which built them, however for the casual reader, those whose avocation is ancient history and those looking for an introduction, this book is a great way to do a little time travel in your mind. This makes a great gift for young or old alike with any kind of interest in ancient civilizations.

The writing, crisp and easy to follow, is suitable for children from about the 4th grade and above. Nevertheless, adults will enjoy these clear, sometimes eye-opening accounts as well. The writing works on several levels so adults should enjoy it as much as older children.

The photographs are clear and well-reproduced with easy-to- understand diagrams, drawings and reproductions clarifying points of that which no longer stands (e.g. outlines of city walls, Babylon's Ishtar Gate, Sennacharib's Palace). Top quality paper is pleasing to the touch.

As for the wonders covered, they span thousands of years from the 5th millenium b.c. to 16th Century Aztecs. The bulk of the marvels detailed are from ancient times, but not all. Egyptian wonders are well-represented (e.g. Abu Simbel, pyramids at Giza, Sphinx, Ramses Colussus, Alexandria's Pharos) but the full scope is quite wide. In addition to the tradional Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, coverage includes references to Babylon, Turkey, Greece, Rome, Persia, Western Europe monoliths, Great Wall Of China, Ethiopia's Aksum, Angkor Wat and Peru's Nazca Lines.

This is quite a collection which helps to bring the past alive. Terrific price, too. ...

Buy A Coffee Table FOR This Title and Be Not Ashamed.......2000-04-09

This is such a good book to have around. A casual reader (e.g., one who enjoys lots of pictures a la the National Geographic) upon seeing this one will literally not be able to put it down, and in at most a couple of hours will have plowed through the entire book. While the author's choices were of course arbitrary, and may have been dependent on the places he was allowed to go, many of these are little known and the thumbnail histories of each are worthwhile.

Authorative review of monuments to the ancient civilizations.......1999-10-19

This book in detail explains how ancient wonders were built. It also has educated illustrations of the monument in study. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in ancient civilizations.

Asia in the Making of Europe, Volume II: A Century of Wonder. Book 1: The Visual Arts (Asia in the Making of Europe)

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Asia in the Making of Europe, Volume II: A Century of Wonder. Book 1: The Visual Arts (Asia in the Making of Europe)
Donald F. Lach
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0226467309

Book Description

This is the second volume in a series that traces, century by century, the role of Asia in the making of Europe.

The rise to world dominance of the Western nations in modern times and the rapid industrial growth of the West, which outpaced the East in technical and military achievements, have led to a historical eclipse of the ancient and brilliant cultures of Asia.

Historican Donald F. Lach, in his influential scholarly work, Asia in the Making of Europe, points out that an eclipse is never permanent, that this one was never total, and that there was a period in early modern times when Asia and Europe were close rivals in brilliance and mutual influence.

Devices of Wonder: From the World in a Box to Images on a Screen

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Devices of Wonder: playful, engaging, instructive.
Devices of Wonder: playful, engaging, instructive.

Devices of Wonder: From the World in a Box to Images on a Screen
Barbara Maria Stafford , Frances Terpak , and Isotta Poggi
Manufacturer: Getty Trust Publications: Getty Research Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0892365900

Book Description

An inquiry into emergent media's rich lineage, Devices of Wonder explores the artful machines humans have used to augment visual perception.
The encyclopedic cabinet of curiosities serves as a model for this study of the archaic instruments lurking in state-of-the art technology. Featured in Devices of Wonder are android automata, lunar landscapes, perspective theaters, vues d'optique, microscopes, magnetic games, magic lanterns,
camera obscuras, boxes by Joseph Cornell, Lucas Samaras's Mirrored Room, Suzanne Anker's Zoosemiotics, Mark Tilden's UniBug 3.1, panoramic works by Jeff Wall and Giovanni Lusieri, paintings by Jean-Baptiste Chardin and Joseph Wright of Derby, projections by Diana Thater and James Turrell, and a
pop-up book by Kara Walker.
Barbara Stafford's introduction weaves these fascinating artifacts into a provocative narrative analyzing the complex links between old and new media. Her wide-ranging investigation is complemented by thirty-one short essays in which Frances Terpak tracks the often surprising connections among
individual items. Like the cabinet of curiosities, Devices of Wonder functions as an analogical instrument, reframing the beautiful "eye machines" that continue to mediate our encounters with the world.
This book is published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Getty Museum from November 13, 2001, through February 6, 2002.

Customer Reviews:

Devices of Wonder: playful, engaging, instructive........2001-11-22

The book, "Devices of Wonder: From the World in a Box to Images on a Screen", is the catalog for an exhibition that has just opened. The first two reviews provide perspectives and understanding that are quite different from those offered in the preceding review from Publishers Weekly.

Leah Ollman (LA Times, 11/18/01) comments that, "We want to know the world and have experiences beyond the ordinary. We want to extend our vision beyond its familiar capacity. These are timeless desires, born with the species. They thrive on wonder, ... 'Devices of Wonder' traces those impulses and the technologies designed to act on them during the past 400 years. Full of serious toys, marvelous instruments and art resonant with the theme of discovery, the show [and catalog] track a history of visual thinking, 'from the world in a box to images on a screen,'..."

...

Devices of Wonder: playful, engaging, instructive........2001-11-22

Speaking of both the exhibition and the catalog, the hard-nosed and insightful reviewer, Christopher Knight (Los Angeles Times, November 19, 2001) remarks that, "The Wunderkabinett is back, their show asserts--bigger, now nearly ubiquitous and considerably more far-reaching than any Baroque prince could ever have dreamed. Today's Wunderkabinett is sitting on your desk at home or in the office, or perhaps it's resting in your briefcase or on your lap." "Looking at wondrous things in a Wunderkabinett becomes the launch pad for the wonders of looking. Sight connects with insight. Mirrors facilitate reflection. Images are themselves ideas. ... Playful and unexpected connections get drawn. ... The show [and the catalog] is filled with these sorts of surprising delights, which can send your mind off in unexpected directions." (...)

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Good Popular History that Doesn't Cheat History

Fabulous

A Wonderful Work of Social History

Easy to read

MD/PhD Candidate

History of the Breast
Marilyn Yalom
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Breast Book: An Intimate and Curious History

A History of the Wife

Breasts: The Women's Perspective on an American Obsession

Breasts Breasts

Fresh Milk: The Secret Life of Breasts

ASIN: 0345388941
Release Date: 1998-03-31

Amazon.com

What's in a breast? That depends on who's asking, says Marilyn Yalom, author of this scholarly, illustrated treatise on the breast in Western society. "Babies see food. Men see sex. Doctors see disease. Businesspeople see dollar signs." Breasts have been denounced as wanton, or idealized as givers of power or life in images of Egyptian goddess Isis nursing pharoahs; sturdy, maternal Mother Russia; or the more eroticized, bare-breasted symbol of republican ideals in France. Psychologists, religious leaders, advertisers, and pornographers have rhapsodized over, vilified, and used breasts to sell everything from war to Cadillacs. And, finally, women have seen in them pleasure, power, sustenance, fear, or failure to measure up.

Book Description

In this provocative, pioneering, and wholly engrossing cultural history, noted scholar Marilyn Yalom explores twenty-five thousand years of ideas, images, and perceptions of the female breast--in religion, psychology, politics, society, and the arts.

Through the centuries, the breast has been laden with hugely powerful and contradictory meanings. There is the "good breast" of reverence and life, the breast that nourishes infants and entire communities, as depicted in ancient idols, fifteenth-century Italian Madonnas, and representations of equality in the French Revolution. Then there is the "bad breast" of Ezekiel's wanton harlots, Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth, and the torpedo-breasted dominatrix, symbolizing enticement and aggression. Yalom examines these contradictions--and illuminates the implications behind them.

A fascinating, astute, and richly allusive journey from Paleolithic goddesses to modern day feminists, A History of the Breast is full of insight and surprises. As Yalom says, "I intend to make you think about women's breasts as you never have before." In this, she succeeds brilliantly.

Customer Reviews:

Good Popular History that Doesn't Cheat History.......2007-05-18

In nine chapters Marilyn Yalom covers European and American attitudes and use of the female breast from the earliest cities of the Near East to the end of the 20th century. The book is very Western in it's focus, so not a comprehensive history. However, if you know that then you will find a good solid historical approach to an symbol and a body part that has played a huge role in art, literature, politics, religion, and even economies. Generous use of images and quotations are helpful in demonstrating how historians reason and use evidence without making the book very appealing to those looking for a sexual thrill. Overall the book is arranged both thematically and chronologically when possible. This is a book I could have undergraduates read as a feasible example of how history can be interesting and still be focused on the discipline's methods.

Fabulous.......2003-07-29

With a wonderful blend of serious history and modern humor where appropriate, the author presents a thought provoking run down on the history over 25 centuries and the photos of Annie Sprinkles Bosom Ballet on page 268 made the purchase worth every cent.

As the author wisely notes that Westerners assumptions about the breast is often wrong, and that Non western cultures have their own fetishes be it small feet in China, the nape of the neck in Japan, the buttocks in Africa and the Caribbean. That through out western history the breast has been viewed as good and bad, and by men mostly and religious men in particular.

The book is excellent in showing how the breast has been used to depict power and justice be it in war posters (Bosoms For The Nation) or the lady of justice with one breast exposed. To breasts used to sell products or alas slaves. (The commercialized Breast) How the whole idea that breasts were owned according to some by the husband, or were considered babies domain. That it wasn't until the women's movement that women demanded that what was on their bodies belonged to them to do with as they wished, be it nipple piercing, nudity, no bra etc. (The liberated Breast)

There are photos of mastectomy survivors and lord knows dozens of bare, exposed, all size breasts, which I assume the reader would expect in a serious book about the human breast.

It is a book I am so glad I bought. Also check out her excellent History Of The Wife book.

A Wonderful Work of Social History.......2001-05-10

Marilyn Yalom (her latest work, History of the Wife, is spectacular) shows her characteristic style of humor and scholarship in history of the breast. Relying on both art and personal accounts, Yalom goes era by era detailing various Western cultures' attitudes toward the female body and specifically the breast. She spends a great deal of effort detailing modern concerns like breast cancer treatment and breastfeeding controversies and with the background in the first half of the book, the reader is easily able to see how current attitudes have been shaped throughout history. An excellent book for the social historian, women's studies person, or art historian.

Easy to read.......2001-04-11

Marilyn Yalom has a fascinating way of blending history, culture and personal stories in her new book. It reminds me of what Ken Burns has done in some of his documentaries, where you learn as much about life in the times as you do about the specific topic. The book is a wonderful and easy way to learn about the wife in different times, cultures and religions, and also the possibilities of what it might mean to be a wife in the future. Excellent reading.

MD/PhD Candidate.......1999-12-10

Yalom's book meets the highest standards for careful academic work, and, as a source, will turn out to be the standard for investigation into the subject in the future. But the appeal is broad and will engage the general reader, the historian, the physician. In short it is a good history, a good cultural study, and a good read. Fine writing, intriguing illustrations dilated to include such diversity as the political breast, the surgical breast, the nursing breast, the pornographic breast. An excellent analysis.

New World of Wonders: European Images of the Americas, 1492-1700

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New World of Wonders: European Images of the Americas, 1492-1700

Manufacturer: Folger Shakespeare Lib
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0295972475

Buried Blueprints: Maps and Sketches of Lost Worlds and Mysterious Places

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THIS BOOK'S AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!
wonderful, dense images -- with a magnifying glass too!
Not Just For Children!

Buried Blueprints: Maps and Sketches of Lost Worlds and Mysterious Places
Albert Lorenz , and Joy Schleh
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0810941104

Customer Reviews:

THIS BOOK'S AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!.......2003-03-12

This book is so cool! Anybody who hasn't read this needs to!!!!

wonderful, dense images -- with a magnifying glass too!.......2003-01-13

This is a wonderfully fun book for little adventurers (and their parents too)! This large book contains fourteen two-page foldouts, approx. 14 inches high by 19 inches across, and each picture is packed with informative, and often humorous, images, labels and text, surrounded by a decorative border. The fourteen "maps and sketches of lost worlds and mysterious places" are: the Garden of Eden; Atlantis; Noah's Ark; the Tower of Babel; Ancient Egypt, depicting the construction of a necropolis for Ramses II; King Solomon's Mines; Homer's Odyssey; Man Against Woman, showing a gladiatorial combat between men and women that took place in Pompeii two days before it was destroyed by Vesuvius; the Seven Cities of Gold; Sherwood Forest inhabited by Robin Hood and his merry men; King Arthur and his knights; Genghis Khan and the Great Wall of China; Dracula's castle; and Conan Doyle's Dinosaur Island.

Each pre-folded out page has several paragraphs of explanatory text that are intriguing and funny. A flat magnifier is attached to the book by a ribbon. The end pages show maps, explorer's tools and silly photographs of the author on his treks, while the book cover looks like Prof. Al Lorenz's travel-worn satchel.

This is a fun concept-book, well-executed and a pleasure for readers (of any age) who are adventurers at heart.

Not Just For Children!.......2000-11-02

The illustrations in this book are phenomenal!

I boughtthis book and I don't even have children!

The level of detail in theillustrations is staggering, and one will be drawn to the book again,as there is always something new to discover.

I applaud thecreators and hope that there will be more good things to come.

Average customer rating:

Simply marvelous!

Good book for maze enthusiasts

Amazeingly novel book!

Art, history, and wonder

A tasty mix of mazes, labyrinths, and ancient mysteries

Amazeing Art: Wonders of the Ancient World
Christopher Berg
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Creepy Crawlies and the Scientific Method: More Than 100 Hands-On Science Experiments for Children

Geography Coloring Book, Third Edition

How it works: how nature works (How It Works)

ASIN: 0060956747
Release Date: 2001-10-02

Book Description

In Amazeing Art, Christopher Berg showcases an astonishingly beautiful series of mazes depicting the wonders of the ancient world. From Stonehenge to the Colossus of Rhodes, he matches each with a capsule history that explains its background, and brilliantly evokes its mystery and significance. Fun, fascinating, and educational, Amazeing Art contains thirty-five mazes and their solutions printed on special easy-to-erase paper for the determined maze-solver.

Customer Reviews:

Simply marvelous!.......2002-04-19

I love it!
The combination of fun mazes and interesting text is unique, exciting, fun, entertaining.
My 6 year old daughter immediately tried out the mazes. (And I did too!)
Excellent for children and grown-ups!

Good book for maze enthusiasts.......2002-04-04

This book is both unusual and perfectly suited for maze enthusiasts. There's nothing quite like it! It would make a perfect present for the right person.

Amazeingly novel book!.......2001-12-08

This book is incredibly original and inspirational. The author's enthusiasm for beautiful mazes is highly contagious. Anyone who likes cool ideas and puzzles (or just want to know the difference between a labyrinth and a maze) should take a look at this book.

Art, history, and wonder.......2001-10-20

Amazeing Art combines graphic art portraits of about 30 architectural marvels of the ancient world with vivid, detailed accounts of their histories. And each masterful drawing is, unbelievably, a maze. There is a lot of text in the book, written with an infectious passion for the mysteries of the buildings and sculptures drawn beside them. It's hard not to get hooked and develop a sense of awe at the achievements of these old civilizations.

The book is properly titled "Amazeing Art," not "Artistic Mazes." The ingenuity of the drawings rivals pen-and-ink artists like M.C. Escher, so the book is not just for maze-doers. It's for parents who enjoy some intelligent, diversionary reading--and for their children old enough to tackle challenging mazes. (In many families, it's the kids who will read and the adults who will play.) It's educational for both, with pictures and histories of the Sphinx, a Phoenician ship, the Tower of Babylon, the Parthenon, the Colossus of Rhodes, and many other masterpieces from Egypt, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Greece, and Rome, including the treasures of the Hittites, the Trojans, the Ephesians, and other peoples. There's a lot to learn here, and the learning is great fun--if you can take your eyes of the drawings.

A tasty mix of mazes, labyrinths, and ancient mysteries.......2001-10-15

This book is fun and different! The mazes were beautiful and tricky, and hard to do (I couldn't solve them all). The stories that went with them were filled with all kinds of fascinating tales and little known secrets about ancient civilizations. Especially the story of the Egyptian Labyrinth, which was a long-lost architectural wonder that ancient historians said was more impressive than the Pyramids. Super interesting!

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