History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

Should be required reading for an MBA
Why Can't You Grab Fish?
What kind of guru are you anyway?
The best summary on management theory there is
Good overview of the consultancy industry

The Witch Doctors
John Micklethwait
Manufacturer: Crown Business
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0812928334
Release Date: 1996-10-15

Amazon.com

Management theory is a worldwide growth industry these days. Terrified of falling behind, business executives flock from one management guru to another in search of a competitive edge. Catchwords such as "chaos," "excellence," and "quality" echo in corporate halls and bounce around boardrooms the world over. Which ideas and theories are sound, and which are ultimately useless fads? John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge spent two years answering this question. Their resulting book, The Witch Doctors, separates the management wheat from the chaff. In mercifully jargon-free prose, they look at the promise and problems of what's driving the current management industry explosion. Starting with Peter Drucker and Tom Peters, the authors examine the major ideas and their proponents, focusing not only on corporate implications but on social consequences as well.

Book Description

The Witch Doctors is a one-stop guide to management theories, fads, and the gurus who promote them that will spark controversy, debate, and a dialogue for change. Funny, entertaining and outspoken, this is a book no American worker can afford to miss.

Customer Reviews:

Should be required reading for an MBA.......2007-03-11

Every B-School professor should have to teach a course based on this book, and every MBA should have to read it. This debunks many of the gurus and wonderkids that have offered magic wands.

Even real, valid management principles and techniques are hard to employ (hint - that's why they call it "work"), so any kind of quick fix should be guilty until proven innocent. This book shows why.

I once ran a management mentoring program for a major corporation, and I noticed that most people don't really read management books. In some cases, that's a good thing. But some, like Drucker's books, and this one need to be read and understood - otherwise people are just playing at management.

Why Can't You Grab Fish?.......2007-01-28

Most of the Amazon reviews are fair on this book. I bought this at a used book store several years ago. Just now got around to reading it and wished I would have read it sooner. This is a meta book about the business of the management business. If you are involved with business management in some way this book is a bit of truth serum and potential dose of medicine.

Just like the fact is that you can't just grab fish (due to light refraction and quick movement of the fish), managing is equally difficult and subject to trial and error. The "bottom-line" is that it is frustrating and time-consuming. Sure, it is not impossible to get lucky but the probability of grabbing the fish is correlated to your own prior personal experience.

Business media, new management gurus and even academic research are akin to learning about the science of the fish and how it can be cooked, where to find fish, why you need them, etc...I read this as a someone with a formal education in business at the graduate and MBA-level. I've been reluctant to read management books for alot of the reasons mentioned in this book. Fads are great for selling books and driving a consulting or seminar business but of limited value when you are "in the hot seat" trying to grab the fish...with your family and many people depending on you.

Witch Doctors is admittedly a bit wordy and could have used some judicious editing. That aside the observations are spot on; the true value of the book is that it helps one see through the hype of the *business* of the modern management business from 40,000 feet. I have never come across anything that turns the microscope around on all of the familiar and sometimes well-meaning perpetraitors (managers themselves, business schools, business press, consultants, speakers) and while the perps may find it harsh at times the book from my standpoint is balanced.

What would have made this really interesting is to hae gone further. Why not involve these same perps in providing feedback when confronted with the realities. There is no accountability for these perps and this book is as close to it as I have seen. The net of the observant business person after reading this book should be, "I have been warned!"

What kind of guru are you anyway?.......2006-09-11

Hold your nose and grit your teeth as John Micklethwait, Adrian Wooldridge take you on a tour through the buzzword ridden world of the modern management guru. Like televangelists, these modern money-grabbing tellers of the future would be laughable were it not for the fact that they influence the course and direction of many of today's businesses. This book should be read anyone in the role of making managerial decisions - to serve as a reminder that bestselling books, catchy catch phrases, and any idea that starts with the word `New' is not a substitute for good old fashioned facts and reasoning.

The best summary on management theory there is.......2004-01-07

Great fun, great wit, great journalism. These guys started off as outsiders but they clearly are top-class journalists: they truly captured all the "strengths, weaknesses, opportunities & threats" that all the true, semi or fake gurus have produced since Taylor, Sloan and Drucker. A must have!

Good overview of the consultancy industry.......2002-11-01

I quite enjoyed this book, except for one or two gripes that I will come to later, and which kept me from awarding it a (much sought-after) fourth star. It provides a good overview of the management consultancy industry, and the rise of management studies to its current status in the business world. I particularly liked the authors' even-handed approach: they give the industry credit where it is due and do not only dwell on the negatives (and I say this as someone who is quite sceptical about the industry at the best of times). By the same token, they do point out the negatives as well, especially the industry's dependency on new fads to sell to clients in order to sustain revenues. I also found the chapters dealing with management styles in the Eastern economies very interesting.

Coming to the gripes, my first one is that the book is slightly too long- I think it could have been a good 50 pages shorter, and a much better read, with more judicious editing. Also, I feel that the authors tried too hard to employ a "chatty" style of writing, and this is sometimes irritating.

Average customer rating:

Nothing Original Here

Not as good as the rest

This author has a wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor!

An extremely hilarious book!!

It makes you think about good vs. evil.

Witch Doctor (Wizard in Rhyme, Book 3)
Christopher Stasheff
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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The Secular Wizard (Wizard in Rhyme)

My Son, the Wizard: Book V of A Wizard in Rhyme

The Oathbound Wizard

The Crusading Wizard (Wizard in Rhyme, A)

The Feline Wizard (Wizard in Rhyme, A)

ASIN: 0345388518
Release Date: 1994-11-30

Book Description

Saul didn't have so many friends that he would give one up without a fight. So when Matt disappeared, Saul started a search that led through Matt's kitchen window -- straight into a world of magic and desperate danger!

Saul discovered that in this world, his love of verse made him a wizard. But his newfound magic earned him a dreadful foe: Queen Suettay, a false monarch without peer for wickedness and corruption. A fearsome sorceress herself, with armies steeped in evil ready to obey her every sinful command, she determined to break Saul's growing power -- or win his soul for Satan.

Fortunately, Saul earned some stalwart friends, as well: Gruesome the troll and young Squire Gilbert; Saul's own guardian angel, and the beautiful -- if unsubstantial -- Angelique. But he'd need the help of the mysterious Spider King to spin a web strong enough to trap this tyrant!

Customer Reviews:

Nothing Original Here.......2005-10-25

This book is just a rehashing of The Oathbound Wizard. Nearly all of the major scenes are identical. The only difference is that they are told from Saul's POV. It's not really interesting, and I'm having a hard time reading it because it feels like like reading The Oathbound Wizard all over again. I understand that Stasheff was probably getting bored with the series, but he still could have done a better job with this one.

Not as good as the rest.......2002-09-07

My main problem with this book is that it takes Saul's POV the entire time, and to be honest, his need to contradict himself all the time just annoys the heck out of me and takes up too much space. I'm surprised Saul has a guardian angel at all actually. Narlh is the best reason to keep reading. And how stupid is Saul to never realize that Matt is the Lord Wizard of Merovence despite being told that at least 5 times in 3 days??? That one fact alone nearly made me stop altogether, till I realized Matt had to show up sooner or later so I kept on.

This author has a wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor!.......1999-08-30

This book is just full of wonderfully ironic happenings. The main charachter has a delightfully sarcastic sense of humor and the author relly did a good job of letting you know what he is thinking. This whole series is full of awsomly wierd creatures and the human element is definatly there. The book has a livley plot full of humor.

An extremely hilarious book!!.......1999-02-13

The Witch Doctor is a marvelous book. Complete with humour, a great plot and likeable characters, this book is a great read. I would reccomend this book to all readers who like humerous fantasy.

It makes you think about good vs. evil........1997-07-25

This is the second book I've read in this series and I found it just as interesting as the first one. The poetry is fun, but it makes you think at the same time. I found myself looking at our own world and the endless conflicts between good and evil, both between people and within myself

FIFTY YEARS AS A LOW COUNTRY WITCH DOCTOR.

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FIFTY YEARS AS A LOW COUNTRY WITCH DOCTOR.
J. E. McTeer
Manufacturer: Jemco Publishing,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NRRYG8

Across African Sand: Journeys of a Witch-Doctor's Son-in-Law

Average customer rating:

A "true" adventure.
Highly recommended for bicycling enthuaists.
Excellent, exciting reading!
Advernture for Armchair Reader
an unread review

Across African Sand: Journeys of a Witch-Doctor's Son-in-Law
Phil Deutschle
Manufacturer: DIMI Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Dangerous Beauty - Life and Death in Africa: True Stories From a Safari Guide

ASIN: 093162536X

Book Description

The incredible story of a 3,000 mile bicycle trek across the world's largest stretch of sand--the Kalahari and Namib Deserts of Southern Africa. The author relates his fantastic experiences--stalked by lions, charged by a herd of elephants, and his encounters with poisonous snakes, to name a few. He also tells of his numerous observations and experiences in living and teaching in Botswana for three years. These include his marriage to the daughter of a local witch-doctor.

Customer Reviews:

A "true" adventure........2000-12-18

Across African Sand is a an excellent example of what true adventure books should be. I emphasize the word "true" not simply to point out that events in the book are factual but to distinguish this work from books describing stunts. (To me a stunt is a once-in-a-lifetime event, filled with harum-scarum that a more skilled traveler would have avoided and usually detailing a significant departure from the main stream of the writer's life.) By contrast, Across African Sand comes across as the logical continuation of Phil Deutschle's career as a teacher and introspective traveler. Prior to embarking on his solo bicycle ride across the Kalahari and Namib deserts, Deutschle has spent three years living and teaching in an out-of-the way village in Botswana. An accomplished linguist, he has become fluent-to-conversant with several local languages, including that of the !Kung (Bushman) people, and thus we learn more of African life and thought than we would at the mercy of a more casual traveler. Deutschle clearly enjoys the company of the various people he falls in with along the way but also relishes the solitude which is such a significant part of his journey. Part of the success of the book is its skillful interweaving of events in the course of his cycling trek with flashbacks to his life as a teacher in a traditional Botswana village. Dimi Press has done a creditable job of putting the book together and its illustrations are great. I wholeheartedly recommend this as an interesting and insightful story of travel and adventure.

Highly recommended for bicycling enthuaists........2000-06-05

Across African Sand: Journey Of A Witch Doctor's Son-In-Law is the true life adventure story of Phil Deutschle's bicycle trip across 3,000 miles of African landscape. Along the way Phil was stalked by lions, charged by a herd of enraged elephants, fell in love with (and married) the daughter of a prominent witch doctor. Across African Sand is a compelling, engaging, fascinating biographical travelogue that relates an account of Phil's five years in Botswana (southern Africa) told in the form of flashbacks while he bicycles over the harsh Kalahari and Namib deserts, negotiating difficult African terrain, including soft sand and mud, during the course of his three month cycling adventure. Across African Sand is highly recommended for bicycling enthusiasts, armchair adventurers, and anyone who has ever yearned to travel the world, meet new people, and have adventures of their own!

Excellent, exciting reading!.......2000-05-04

This portrait will also fit neatly in travel sections: itportrays a bicyclist's journey across two deserts as he bikes throughsand, dodging lions and elephants and visiting remote parts of outback Africa. The adventure and observations of life in Botswana make for an excellent and exciting read.

Advernture for Armchair Reader.......2000-04-28

I bought this book for my husband. While he was reading it he kept interrupting my reading to tell me about what was happening in his book. In self defense, I picked it up as soon as he finished and immediately found myself transported to Africa. This book is much more than the story of the author's trip across the Kalahri on a bicycle. He writes about the people he meets and tells of their culture, the politics and economy of each group. He possesses interpersonal skills that allow him to relate to all sorts of people quickly and he writes about them with affection and respect. He describes plant and animal life along the way. Through flashbacks he tells of his earlier life and recent experience as a teacher in Africa. During the lonely stretches of his trip he wonders about his need to wander the globe. My husband said when he finished the book, "I've learned more about Africa from this book than all of the other books on the subject, put together" I agree, and I learned a great deal about life in general and men in particular from it.

an unread review.......2000-03-24

I think that Phil Deutschle is a wonderful author, having to put up with all of that stress of how to fit in time to writ after or at the time of his experiences. And just being able to adapt to a community so quick ; but at the same time working.

Witch-Doctor's Apprentice: Hunting for Medicinal Plants in the Amazon (Library of the Mystic Arts)

Average customer rating:

Remarkable woman, ethnobotanical classic
Witch-Doctor's Apprentice : Hunting for Medicinal Plants in
Witch Doctor's Apprentice Review
Waste of Paper
The essence of the Amazon is "captured" in words.

Witch-Doctor's Apprentice: Hunting for Medicinal Plants in the Amazon (Library of the Mystic Arts)
Nicole Maxwell
Manufacturer: Citadel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0806511745
Release Date: 1998-01-27

Amazon.com

This memoir of travels in the Amazon has an agreeable twist: Nicole Maxwell was hunting for medicinal plants with the triple goal of conserving the jungle, improving the lot of humanity and having a great deal of fun. Her tales span countries and decades, as we watch her mature from an enthusiastic if somewhat naive idealist to a true trouper. Despite setbacks and disillusionment, she never lost sight of her goal, and lived to see others pick up the task of cultivating important medicinal plants and knowledge, and further her cause of preserving the jungle through wiser use.

Book Description

When Nicole Maxwell first visited the Amazon more than forty years ago, she had no idea that she would make a life's work of the people, plants and lore to be found there. Decades before Americans became aware of the riches to be found in the knowledge of plant medicines which native shamans had passed down over thousands of years, Ms. Maxwell, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, was scouring the Amazon ram forest for clues to this ancient medical tradition.

Now, on the eve of the decade in which mankind will have its last chance to determine the fate of this region and its wealth of traditional knowledge, Citadel Press's Library of the Mystic Arts is proud to bring out a newly revised edition of this classic work. Long hailed as one of the major works of popular ethno-medicine, this book is both an engaging adventure story and an engrossing account of the traditions of plant medicine to be found among the tribes of Amazonia -- and its re-release could not be more timely.

Scientists now fear that one plant species per day is being made extinct by man's ravenous appetite for "progress". Of the plants which are found only in the Amazon rain forest, only a tiny percentage have been tested for their full medical possibilities. Witch-Doctor's Apprentice is an inspiring and amusing plea to modern civilization to save these plants -- and the people who know how to use them -- before they are destroyed forever.

On the occasion of this newly revised edition, Ms. Maxwell has created an appendix which catalogs all of the plants mentioned in the text, with their scientific names, the names by which they are known locally, and their medicinal uses. This edition also includes a newintroduction by the noted ethno-botanist Terence McKenna.

"A spirited and engrossing personal narrative, as much about people and places, discomforts and dangers, the beauty of the jungle and the arc-leap of wordless communication across cultural barriers, as it is about... bringing natu

Customer Reviews:

Remarkable woman, ethnobotanical classic.......2005-07-30

Nicole Maxwell was an amazing woman who devoted much of her life to collecting and studying jungle plants for medicinal purposes. I read the first edition twenty years ago before leaving for the same location she had been to in the late 1950's of the Peruvian Amazon. This third edition is also first class.
After putting up with remote jungle river travel, wading through swamps knee deep, fighting off persistent insects, confronting the hot, humid climate and accommodations of isolated tropical living, plus other dangers and hazards of the rainforest too numerous to mention, she was snubbed by major pharmaceutical companies for the plant cures she discovered from local natives.
She had found plants that cured arthritis, eye diseases, diabetes, forms of cancer and plants that enhanced healing. Along with plants used as contraceptives, she also located ones which increased fertility and some that assisted in childbirth. Plants for infections, intestinal parasites, tooth and gum disorders, etc. are a few more to mention. The list goes on.
An extraordinary woman whose sole purpose in life was to benefit the well-being of humanity but unfortunately had it fall upon deaf ears.

Witch-Doctor's Apprentice : Hunting for Medicinal Plants in.......2001-06-21

This was a great read for me back in '94 when it was presented as a gift and I have often recommended it. Nicole shares her life story when she is in her 80s. One needs to keep in mind the prevalence of ethnocentricity of our society back in the 50's and 60's. And to her credit she tells the WHOLE story, including all her fumbling bumblings of an imperfect human. As one who has ventured a little into the Bolivian and Belizian jungle her misadventures are only to be expected and provide great humor and reading. An example of her humor is while she is deep in the amazon jungle she relates that she wasn't all that concerned because what self respecting warrior would want a meazly female head for a trophy. Nicole was way ahead of her time in two areas: collecting ethnobotanical information and plants, and fighting multinational corporations in the pharmaceutical industry by bringing information directly to the people. I wonder if anyone has ever discovered what that one plant was that given one tbsp a woman was sterile until given a tbsp of another plant and she was fertile again! One may only be able to realize what an adventuresome and hardy soul she is, if you have taken steps into the amazon jungle yourself.

Witch Doctor's Apprentice Review.......2000-10-31

The book Witch Doctor's Apprentice is a personal narrative about Nicole Maxell's Journey into the Amazon. On her quest to find medicinal plants of the Amazon she is forced to overcome many obstacles. The book appealed to me as a nature enthusiast and an aspiring physician. I expected to learn about tropical plants and their uses in modern medicine. Instead it was a boring journey where she spent most of her time wandering around.

Maxell did do a good job using sensory detail. For instance, "She changes her distinction on every new fashion she follows. She changes the length of her hemline, the shape of her hate, the way she does her hair without altering her own strikingly individual personality." That description of a chic woman was used in a comparison with the town of Lima in Peru. The purpose of the book was informative, but it was nice when she did include the detail. Details helped move the story along and let us relate to the people/characters. She included a few travel troubles but instead of allowing the reader to find humor in them she made her dilemmas into catastrophies. In a similar book, Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams, he is looking for nearly extinct animals. That book was much more enjoyable because he was able to include humor. His book also included photographs. Often Maxwell would attempt to describe a complex plant and a photo would have been useful. She tried to include every detail of her trip, which made it boring. If she could have focused more on a few major events the book would have flowed better. Some chapters were extremely dull.

I liked how this non-fiction story included character evolution. Maxwell started out almost naïve about the Amazon and ended up far wiser. If she had done more research it would have cut out half of the story, which was made up of her messing around. Throughout the book Maxwell insults the indigenous people many times. At one point she states that, the Indian is the 'best looking male animal she has seen.' She is also surprised that the Indians are not savages. I hope her stereotypes can be attributed to the fact that she set out on her journey in 1958. She seems to think she is better than the people instead of treating them as equals. If she had valued the information they gave her, perhaps she would have had a more successful journey.

In my own writing I would like to use better imagery. She was able to describe things I've never seen before exceptionally well. I learned from her how difficult it could be to write a personal narrative. There are always ways to improve and she definitely had some improvements to make. The language she used made the time period clear and also showed how inexperienced the people were. This book was interesting but it was an un-enjoyable slow read.

Waste of Paper.......2000-09-04

I am a big fan of ethnobotany and Amazon stories but this is pathetic. She gets nearly no medicines on her journey, ends up chasing Indians around becuase she never meets them, and has racial slurs (published in 1961 originally) about how suprised she is that the Indians are not savages and unpolite ,etc.. She actually says that one Indian was the 'best looking male animal she has seen' Insane. Not a good book.

The essence of the Amazon is "captured" in words........2000-03-18

An excellent book on the amazing Amazon jungle written by atrue "worldly treasure," Nicole Maxwell. END

Cat's Cradle : Witch Mark (The New Doctor Who Adventures)

Average customer rating:

"Only a Pennsylvanian would do that."
The Doctor and the unicorns?

Cat's Cradle : Witch Mark (The New Doctor Who Adventures)
Andrew Hunt
Manufacturer: Virgin Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0426203682

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"Only a Pennsylvanian would do that.".......2002-02-08

CAT'S CRADLE: WITCH MARK takes place both in the mythical land of Tir na n-Og, and in a simple Welsh village. We know that the land is mythical because we see a lot of unicorns and centaurs. We know that the small village is in Wales, because characters actually refer to each other as "Boyo". The story starts off intriguingly enough. A bus crashes, and during the police investigation, it is discovered that none of the dead bodies can be identified. It's an interesting twist on the standard missing persons story, but unfortunately, the narrative isn't able to sustain its interesting beginnings.

The plot turns out to be slightly poorer than it really should be. To make a long story short, this is the tale of a quest across a strange and magical land, filled with centaurs, unicorns, trolls and other unworldly creatures. Unfortunately, that's all the story is. The Doctor and Ace begin their trek fairly early in the book, but by the three-quarters mark, they are still pretty much in the same state that they were in the beginning, the plot not having budged an inch. Don't get me wrong now, I don't mind a story that's padded, as long as the padding consists of interesting material, sparking prose and enough entertaining substance to maintain the reader's attention. This is not what we got here. And on top of that, after one has struggled through pages and pages that don't amount to anything, the resolution is shockingly quick and far too simple. I do not have a problem with the Doctor talking his way through a solution; in fact, I think some of the best stories have been enhanced by featuring a clever and witty Doctor who is able to mentally run rings around his opponent. Unfortunately, the level of argument has to be of a higher quality than what we ended up with here. Having the Doctor more or less saying, "Don't do this evil thing" and giving the villain no greater of a response than, "Gee, okay" does not make for an exciting resolution.

Even more appalling than the lackluster outcome to the villain's evil scheme is the fact that there are numerous plot threads that are just left dangling. Character motivations that one expected to be explained by the end of the book simply aren't addressed. There are many sequences that only work if you don't think about them too much and forget them before you reach the ending. If one happens to go back and start picking things apart, one will find a host of actions and scenes that were simply left unresolved. It really leaves a bad taste in one's mouth.

WITCH MARK features two of the worst portrayed Americans that the series has ever seen. In their introduction, the author is so intent on making sure they're recognizably American, that he moves them way beyond Cliché American and Stereotypical American and blasts them somewhere into the realm of Ludicrously American and Overwhelmingly Fake American. Make no mistake, if this was a televised story, then they'd both end up sounding exactly like the oh-so-American guy in TOMB OF THE CYBERMEN who went around spouting off macho nonsensical dialog such as, "Hey, some character's gone an' bahlled up tha loh-t!", "C'mon, let's get back to tha rah-ket!", and "Hey, Vic!" Not exactly the soft, realistic character study that one should be aiming for.

The other characters aren't much better. The Doctor and Ace aren't acting like their usual selves. The Seventh Doctor seems at times to be behaving like any incarnation other than the current one. Ace is back to being a silly teenager who appears to have completely bypassed the events of REVELATION and WARHEAD. Secondary characters are similarly poor, with special mention going to the idiot, lisping priest. Future authors should take note: speech impediments aren't really all that funny, and there's nothing more annoying than reading dialog that incorporates a heavy lisp. I was begging for the character to give a quick wink to the audience, shout "Thufferin' thuccotath!", and then take a flying leap towards the nearest window.

The book does have a few things working for it. The mixture of science fiction and fantasy is actually quite interesting. There was the potential here for everything to be rationalized away in an extremely boring "here's the way magic and science really work" speech, yet it rose above these would-be pitfalls. The relationship between Tir na n-Og and "real" Earth somehow managed to come across without feeling cheap. The story was straightforward enough and could be fairly enjoyable in a leave-your-brain-at-the-door type of way. It just isn't at all satisfying.

In the end, sloppy writing and elemental mistakes really hurt this book. What should have been a mind-blowing ending to the Cat's Cradle series turns out to be a fairly standard run-around in fantasy-land. The story itself is hurt by a lack of coherence and a dearth of uninteresting characters. Definitely not one of the better written NAs.

The Doctor and the unicorns?.......2001-04-21

The TARDIS' ongoing problems worsen, and an emergency landing brings the Doctor and Ace to a small Welsh village. Strange creature from legend have been spotted, and a stone circle contains the gateway to another world...

The concluding book in the Cat's Cradle trilogy, this one is plainly the work of a first-time author. While every author must write a first book, that is not necessarily ever published. Mr. Hunt shows that he needed more experience to make this book work. I could give a list of faults, but basically they all come down to that he doesn't understand how a book works. This is not to say that he has no potential!

Book Description

The gang from Mystery, Inc. is in Hawaii, and all Shaggy and Scooby-Doo can think about is going to a luau. But they're soon distracted by a scientist and his secret project - turning volcano soil into valuable gems! But when a spooky witch doctor starts haunting the volcano, Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Daphne, Velma, and Fred are playing with fire. Can they save the gems? Or will the witch doctor get the gang first?

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White Witch Doctor

Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000CEQK8K

Product Description

True life adventures of a nurse in the Congo

The Village Witch Doctor and Other Stories

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The Village Witch Doctor and Other Stories
Amos Tutuola
Manufacturer: Faber & Faber
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 057114215X

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