Customer Reviews:
A Book to Savor and Thoughtfully Consider.......2007-09-07
I bought this book soon after the original television program was first broadcast and it's one I re-read often -- it remains one of my favorites. Although it is a very faithful (almost word-for-word and image-for-image) presentation of the material in the series, to have the information in a book to read at one's own pace (instead of being forced to absorb information at the pace of the television production), to carefully consider what Dr. Bronowski says, and to see what (if anything) it means to the reader makes the book an almost indispensable companion to the series.
As has been pointed out in earlier reviews, the high impact of this book (and of the television series) is the passion Dr. Bronowski brings to the material, how it's clear he truly believed that it is necessary for everyone to understand how the development of society is the product of generations of people pursuing knowledge ("science"), and that this understanding is critical to the future of civilization...the scientific imagination, standing always at the edge of the unknown and unsure, versus absolutism and dogma.
Now that the television series has been attractively remastered and is now available to the general public, the book has an even greater utility. The captions on the DVDs are very poorly done, to the extent that some of the errors make significant changes in Dr. Bronowski's statements and points. It's clear that whoever prepared the captions did not refer to the shooting script OR TO THIS BOOK! In other words, the book is important to correct errors in the captions. If one needs the captions this book is a valuable resource to ensure the viewer gets the correct words and, therefore, understands what Dr. Bronowski is presenting.
Remarkable!.......2006-08-09
If you're looking for a book that will show you how man made it from day 1 to the present, while encomapssing ALL disciplines and not science alone, you've found the right book! It's is incredible how simply and interestengly Mr. Bronowski has accomplished such a feat. You won't be able to put it down!
Inspired many copiers but is still the best..........2006-06-17
Previous reviews don't do Bronowski justice. He began as a mathematician; but after being sent to Hiroshima, as part of a team studying the aftereffects of the nuclear blast, he switched to biology. He was warm and articulate. A poet himself, he was one of the few people who truly understood the English poet William Blake, although (unlike most of his writing) his essays about Blake could use some explaining themselves. He was a highly moral man and did two original things you don't see many others even attempting: He saw the "doing" of science as an act every bit as creative as composing a symphony or writing a poem -- and he explained it in that way -- and he sought a structure for rationalizing morality and ethical behavior that did not rely upon religious precepts. The Ascent of Man is a very personal work, and it says so in its subtitle. It pretty much echos word for word what Jacob Bronowski spoke extemporaneously as he was sent around the world to the places he needed to be in order to explain the ideas he needed to express as he filmed his material for public television. Ironically, I said that very badly: I meant that HE could explain very complex notions with terrific elegance and simplicity. Period. By the way, the process of making the series for TV must have taken a toll, as JB died not long after completing the necessary travels. The Ascent of Man is all excellent but has many especially moving moments. Only one example occurred when JB walked fully clothed and shod into a pond at Auschwitz in acknowledgment of family and friends and fellow countrymen whose ashes were dumped there by fascists who laid claim to a handle on absolute certainty. Read this topnotch book, then find more by him. And if you're thirsty for more, try a little Loren Eisely as well. The accomplishments of humankind as explained by thoughtful scientists can prove wonderfully exhiliarating.
Very good, but don't expect Cosmos.......2005-08-16
This is one of the first, and one of the better, history of science sorts of series. If you enjoy history and science, then its worth watching. But the program, and to a lesser extent the book, in my mind suffer from a serious flaw: namely; that the author can not seem to divorce himself from his own religious views, which intrude at a number of times in the program. How can I take someone seriously who is speaking about archeological history, while at the same time speculating about the Biblical conquest of Jericho? There is a disconnect here that leaves you wondering. One can always quibble about what major scientific advances are noteworthy, and different authors have seized upon various individuals; but we have in this series nothing out of the ordinary. Looking at "Cosmos" or "The Day the Universe Changed" is much more fulfilling, from an intellectual standpoint, but its still worth purchasing and enjoying.
Is available on DVD.......2005-01-01
This series has been available on DVD for about 2 years or so from Ambrose Video. The price is high.
Book Description
The Ascent of Humanity is a radical exploration of the history and future of civilization from a unique perspective: the human sense of self. Eisenstein traces all of the converging crises of our age to a common source, which he calls Separation. It is the ideology of the discrete and separate self that has generated these crises; therefore, he argues, nothing less than a "revolution in human beingness" will be sufficient to transform our relationship to each other and the planet. And this revolution is underway already. In all realms of human endeavor, an Age of Reunion is emerging out of the birth-pangs of a planet in crisis. The range and depth of Eisenstein's thesis is breath-taking. Encompassing science, religion, spirituality, technology, economics, medicine, education, and more, he details a vast paradigm shift reflecting a more fundamental shift in the human sense of self. Even in this dark hour, he says, a more beautiful world is possible -- but not through the extension of millennia-old methods of management and control. The convergence of crises is revealing the final bankruptcy of those methods. Soon, he says, we will abandon the Babelian effort to build a tower to Heaven, as we realize that the sky is all around us already. Then, we will turn our efforts to creating a new kind of civilization, a conscious civilization designed for beauty rather than height.
Customer Reviews:
Magnificent!.......2007-04-11
An awe-inspiring new work, for which the author most certainly deserve to profit. A truthful, lucid assessment and heartening vision for the beautiful world we know is possible after the inevitable Dark Night of the Collective Soul. How refreshing and rejuvenating in a time and place that is altogether distracted and saddening! In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, "I rubbed my eyes a little, to see if this sunbeam were no illusion; but the solid sense of the book is a sober certainty. It has the best merits, namely, of fortifying and encouraging."
Beautiful and life-changing.......2007-03-27
"The Ascent of Humanity" explores the divine world that we are each a part of. Reading it, you start to look at every aspect of your life differently. The beautiful world described in this book is not only "possible"; it already exists!
Study this book and ASCEND.......2007-03-20
Eisenstein convincingly develops the thesis that humanity has succumbed to the dismal end game of the Technological and Scientific Programs. He describes the Scientific Program as the attempt to understand every phenomenon through the application of the Scientific Method -- extending reductionism, measurement, classification, and enumeration inappropriately to aspects of existence or relationships where they do not apply. The Technological Program seeks to control nature, and thereby often disrupts it through unintended consequences. The usual, and usually incorrect, response to these blunders consists of more technology; more control. He argues that cooperation between life forms may prove much more important to evolution than competition. He shows how the prevailing materialistic world view, one seeking to isolate Man from hostile nature, colours seemingly objective scientific theory.
By focusing on self organizing systems of increasing complexity, he spotlights how matter literally tends to "come alive". The Divine exists not as a remote, possibly disinterested deity, but rather in every bit of the extant World.
The time has come for Humanity's next big step. We need to recognize that only imaginary, arbitrary boundaries divide the individual from the rest of the Universe. The "out there" and the "in here" exist only as concepts, not as valid categories delimiting our physiological and mental domains. We live in a world of abundance, where cooperation, not a paranoid "me vs. the hostile other" perspective should inform our philosophy.
This book might just catalyze a paradigm shift affecting science, economics, psychology, and theology. You will find it much easier to read than this review, and a lot more fascinating.
Average customer rating:
- I Only Give 5 Stars for One Reason
- Bad title and metaphor, good book
- One More Time--Character Enhances Leadership!
- A Focus on Leadership Essentials
- Extraordinary book, great principles covered.
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The Ascent of a Leader: How Ordinary Relationships Develop Extraordinary Character and Influence
Bill Thrall ,
Bruce McNicol , and
Ken McElrath
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ASIN: 0787947660 |
Book Description
A Leadership Network Publication
Become the leader people are proud to follow by opening yourself to the influences that develop character: Anduring relationships with friAnds, family, and God. Solidly based on Christian values, this practical, visionary, and hope-filled book guides readers through a step-by-step process for developing both personal character and the network of important relationships that enable character to win out, even in the face of setbacks, adversity, and temptations to take short cuts. Leadership is about character, the authors assert, and character weaves values like integrity, honesty, and selfless service into the fabric of our lives, organizations, and cultures.
The Ascent of a Leader is written for ordinary people-mothers, husbands, bosses, secretaries, pastors, teachers, and students-who want to develop extraordinary character, find and follow God's plan for their lives, and lead others where they need to go. We all have innate leadership potential. To maximize it, we must do much more than develop performance-based skills, the authors assert. We must consciously choose who and what we allow to influence us, find and develop our humility, and build Anduring relationships with colleagues, family, friAnds, and God. They offer engaging real-life examples to show how we can grow into our true potential as leaders and inspire us to "make a difference in the 21st century-in our families, our communities, our companies, our government, and even our world."
With a foreword by Ken Blanchard.
Customer Reviews:
I Only Give 5 Stars for One Reason.......2005-04-08
I usually don't read really "junky" books and give 3 stars for "bland" books. Most of the books I like rate 4 stars . . . BUT . . . a handful of truly life changing books deserve 5 stars. My whole criteria for 5 stars is simple, "Will you come back from reading this book a changed person? And if you do, will the lessons learned last?"
Glance quickly through the reviews on this book. Many accolades have been given, but notice the many writers who relate how the book impacted their lives. If you want to grow as a leader, do not neglect this book.
Bad title and metaphor, good book.......2001-02-28
This is a significant book, mainly on account of one inspiring concept - creating an environment of grace.
The main problems I had with the book stemmed from the concept of the leadership ladder or ascent, with sequential steps. The problem with that metaphor lies in traditional views of leadership. Ascent up a leadership ladder reflects the mental images we have - "rising to the top", "leading from above". It would be radical to envisage leadership from the margins - that is from a place of vulnerability, or from the center - a "lowly" position among the people.
To be a leader does not necessarily mean to be "at the top", the best, the most gifted, the most intelligent, the strongest or the fastest (see e.g. the foot of page 79 "[people] watched his rapid climb to the top with awe"). This image is inherent in the ladder metaphor.
A cyclical or circular model would be more helpful. A leader must cycle through the character and capacity dimensions of leadership development. The issues are to be re-visited continually, rather than sequentially. The cycle involves a consistent relationship with God, and awareness of and dependence on a community of grace (chapter 3, also see page 71).
The "community of grace" concept is excellent, but we have to be careful what we mean by it. It is not merely an being gracious towards each other. Currently, grace is tending to be confused with "graciousness". Of course "graciousness" should be a derivative of grace. But the context of grace must be one in which all participants live by applying the Gospel of grace in their lives, in their attitudes, actions and words.
The weakness of Chapter 7 is that "truth" is only dealt with in terms of "truth" learned from others. Where is the role of God, His Word and the Holy Spirit? See, for example, the Johari diagram on page 99 which lacks an interaction between God (and His Word), others and self.
This may be addressed by making the right hand and bottom axes refer to "Known to God" (diametrically opposite "Known to others"), with the vertical axis finishing at "Revealed to Self" (beside "Unknown to Self), and the horizontal axis pointing to "Revealed to Others" (beside "Unknown to Others).
When the authors deal with the fourth rung (ch 8), the essentiality of a submissive spirit in all areas of life is emphasized - humility, submission and obedience include paying the cost - submission to sacrifice. This must be a continuous process of character development, not merely a sequence of steps.
According to the authors, there are two starting points for regaining that perspective. They picture a "fork in the road" where one embraces and learns from failures, and thus chooses recovery, or else by default takes the path to failure. If they took the cyclical model, this would be entail re-entering the circle at the specific point of character or capacity weakness.
Theladder metaphor struck me as too static and mechanical rather than organic and dynamic, especially when dealing with the fifth rung, "destiny". This conveys an air of inevitability. The idea is of increasing "convergence" - the sharpening and focussing of best skills to an ultimate destiny in leadership. The writers did not pay enough attention to the dynamics of personal development through a growing relationship with God, in a frequently changing context under diverse influences and adverse pressures. None of us knows how long we have to live, or with what quality of life, or in what contexts, or with what unforeseen opportunities.
I accept the basic concepts for capacity and character development, but clarify grace and truth, and put them into a cyclical model, and you would have a better, more Biblically accurate book on leadership development.
One More Time--Character Enhances Leadership!.......2000-08-26
In this book, Bill, Bruce, and Ken remind us one more time of the high value we need to place on character in the personhood of our leaders. The 21st century will depend on people of genuine and authentic vision, values, and significance. The 21st century will depend on the ability of people to develop capacities and to soar with their strengths.
In the 21st century, leadership cannot be effective with people who are unbalanced either in character or capacity. In spite of our capcities, however, it is character that builds a lasting positive influence or an enduring legacy.
This book is clearly based on spiritual principles, and has many applications to congregations. Congregational leaders must have capabilites and capacities. It is just that capacities without character will be empty and dishonest. Character without capacities boost morale, but may not help congregations fulfill their mission.
Read this book because these guys have something to say and are going to be around for a long while!
A Focus on Leadership Essentials.......2000-02-26
I have rarely been forced to look at myself as carfully as I did when reading this book. It examines fundamental issues regarding why people follow leaders, and what can happen to those leaders in the process. Above all, it differentiates between leaders who rely on their natural abilities versus those who take time to examine issues of character development. This book is on target in demonstating why some leaders end up so badly as opposed to those who grasp the character issues and deal with them. It gives hope to anyone who has stumbled on the path of good leadership as it points the way to dealing with key character issues. I believe this book is "must" reading for aspiring and experienced leaders alike, and especially recommend it to anyone struggling with their failures in leadership.
Extraordinary book, great principles covered........1999-10-25
While watching the writer work on the book,as well as when reading it myself, I have witnessed the incredible truths covered by this book. A very highly stressed over book, this one IS GOOD! I rate it extremely high(five out of five stars) and congratulate the writer on his excellent work with his story telling and/or retelling and wonderful explanation of the character of leadership and the many ladders of life.
Customer Reviews:
A strongly recommended addition to community library Sports & Athletics collections........2006-11-05
The 'Tour de France' is an historic annual bicycling contest across the French countryside and through French communities that began in 1903 and in recent years (thanks in large part to Lance Armstrong) has become of great interest in America. In "Ascent: The Mountains Of The Tour De France", British cycling author and 'Tour de France' expert Richard Yates has written a history of this remarkable bicycle race with all its drama and competitive excitement in the mountain country expanses of the race course. Profusely illustrated with 150 duotone photographs and other historical illustrations, this superbly written and knowledgeably presented 160-page history is a 'must read' for all dedicated bicyclists and Tour de France enthusiasts, as well as a strongly recommended addition to community library Sports & Athletics collections.
Book Description
In July 2001, a team of nine modern-day adventurers journeyed to North Peary Land, Greenland, an area located north of the Arctic Circle that encompasses the world's largest national park. Known as The 2001 Return To The Top Of The World Expedition, the team summited several of the remaining unclimbed peaks in the northernmost mountain range in the world. They also took measurements to determine which of these is actually the northernmost mountain peak on Earth. In addition to their historic climbing adventure, the team conducted a series of scientific studies aimed at determining the effect of global pollution on this pristine Arctic environment.
For six members of the team this was their second trip to the far north. In 1996 team leaders John Jancik and Ken Zerbst, along with team members Terri Baker, Steve Gardiner, Joe Sears, and Jim Schaefer were part of an expedition to locate and verify Oodaaq Island, the current northernmost point of land on the planet. It was in the aftermath of that journey that the plan for the current trip was born.
Early on the team decided to dedicate the 2001 return expedition to the memory of legendary singer/songwriter John Denver, in honor of his commitment to the environment and protection of the wilderness. On July 18, 2001 the Expedition team successfully summited the highest unclimbed peak in the Roosevelt Range. The Expedition has named this mountain, one of the northernmost on Earth, "JOHN DENVER PEAK". Feeling that it is very fitting that this peak be named in honor of the late humanitarian and environmental activist, the Expedition has received worldwide support and congratulations. Such notables as Jean-Michel Cousteau, Annie Denver and Colorado Governor Bill Owens, as well as several of John Denver's family members, have participated in this honor of Mr. Denver.
In the true spirit of this extraordinary man, StarsEnd Creations is pleased to have been a supporter of this expedition through a corporate sponsorship. We are also excited to announce our latest publication, Under The Midnight Sun, the story of this epic journey to the Arctic. Drawn from the journals and photographs of the team, John Jancik, Steve Gardiner and Javana Richardson (author of A Tribute To John Denver), will tell the exciting story of this expedition into the unexplored reaches of our planet. With magnificent photos inside and on the cover by National Geographic photographer, the late Galen Rowell, this is an extraordinary work that anyone with an interest in our beautiful wilderness, the world's environment, or who is a fan of John Denver, will want to own.
Customer Reviews:
COMPELLING, INSPIRING AND A FITTING TRIBUTE TO JOHN DENVER.......2003-05-08
When I learned of this dramatic account of the recent expeditions to track the planet's northernmost point of land, I knew that it was a must-read. Not only is it an exciting story about adventurers who succeeded in their goal, it brings a fitting tribute to John Denver to the outdoor community. John Jancik, Javana Richardson and Steve Gardiner have offered a book here that parallels Jon Krakauer's bestselling "Into Thin Air."
UNDER THE MIDNIGHT SUN will hold you from page one and as it tells of the ascent of John Denver Peak, it also will teach you about the extreme challenges of high altitude mountaineering and the interactive human factors of survival. A bonus is the inclusion of the fine photography by the late Galen Rowell, who joined the expedition.
Most of us know John Denver through his music, his environmental legacy and his humanitarian work. UNDER THE MIDNIGHT SUN fills in many gaps left by Denver's death in that it explains the beauty and the gift of nature itself in an isolated land free of the commercial drama found on Everest. This is not a trinket named for John Denver, it is the story of men and women who wanted Mr. Denver's legacy to live forever.
You will turn the pages of UNDER THE MIDNIGHT SUN again and again and hold on every word. I am pleased to recommend this book to everyone.
Dreux DeMack
Secretary, Windstar Colorado Connection
Book Description
The Ladder of Divine Ascent was the most widely used handbook of the ascetic life in the ancient Greek Church. Popular among both lay and monastics, it was translated into Latin, Syriac, Arabic, Armenian, Old Slavonic, and many modern languages. It was written while the author (who received his surname from this book) was abbot of the monastery of Catherine on Mount Sinai. As reflected in the title, the ascetical life is portrayed as a ladder which each aspirant must ascend, each step being a virtue to be acquired, or a vice to be surrendered. Its thirty steps reflect the hidden life of Christ himself. This work had a fundamental influence in the particularly the Hesychastic, Jesus Prayer, or Prayer of the Heart movement. Pierre Pourrat in his History of Christian Spirituality calls John Climacus the "most important ascetical theologian of the East, at this epoch, who enjoyed a great reputation and exercised and important influence on future centuries."
Customer Reviews:
good edition of an Orthodox classic.......2007-08-10
This is a very readable translation of the Ladder. I found both of the introductions scholarly but easy to understand. I think they do about as good a job as possible of setting the Ladder in a context that modern Christians can accept. I noted that one person did not like Kallistos Ware's introduction, but I thought it was quite good.
The translation by Holy Transfiguration Monastery is more formal, but it is a beautiful hardback -- one of the nicest I've seen at that price.
An incredible guide in the spiritual life.......2006-04-18
When I first read Saint John Climacus' work, I read this edition and was somewhat disappointed with it, though I did not know why. An orthodox monastic suggested I get the Holy Transfiguration Monastery edition. The latter translation is translated in the older style and thus seems more authentic. As I recall the version here seemed to have too much of the translator's own interpretaions in it. That was offputting to me.
This book gives guidance as to how to strip oneself of the passions of the old man and put on the new man.
I reread this work every Lent and am always amazed at the insights it gives. When I don't understand a passage I just move on and know that the insight will come at a later reading. The book gives incredible insight into the passions. If one is working on a specific passion like anger or vainglory, the book can be a remarkable help.
This book is read every evening in one monastery I know of, and monastics reread it every Lent.
After writing this review I realized that the five star rating I gave it is for the Holy Transfiguration Monastery edition. I would have to give the Paulist Press version a lower rating for the above-mentiioned reasons. Maybe three stars?
Caution.......2006-04-16
In my opinion this text is one that should be read from an Orthodox perspective. There are many items within that if you are not Orthodox could be taken out of perspective (5th step). The content of the text is excellent and is so widely acclaimed in the Orthodox world that it is commonly read in many Orthodox monasteries in addition to laity during lent. So be caution if you choose to delve into this book, and you may not want to lean on your own understanding of the content.
Scholarly paperback with a lamentably ugly cover........2005-06-17
I now have a small collection of books from the Paulist Press Classics of Western Spirituality series. All are well-edited and well-translated, and all come as standard glued paperbacks with that lamentably ugly Paulist cover 'art' (which here lost them one star).
The Paulist edition of 'John Climacus: The Ladder of Divine Ascent' is certainly scholarly and reads well enough, but I became intrigued by the comparisons other reviewers were making between it and the Holy Transfiguration Monastery translation. And so I decided to obtain a copy of the HTM edition (ISBN 0943405033) since it is once more in print at a remarkably modest price and can be ordered through their web site.
As others have pointed out, the two translations, though equally scholarly, are in very different styles. As physical products the books are very different too, and I'm overwhelmed at the superb quality of the HTM edition -- hard bound in full gilt-blocked cloth and with a durable Smyth-sewn binding that opens flat, well printed in two colors on Sebago Antique paper, illustrated throughout with icons, and with head and tail pieces and many lovely ornaments. The Editors' Foreword informs us that they "have not wished to spare labours or expense in producing an edition that is worthy of this great classic."
The keen student will no doubt want to have both the Paulist and the HTM translations, as each serves to provide what the other lacks and both help clarify their occasional respective obscurities. Bibliophiles and the Orthodox, however, will undoubtedly be more than happy to settle for the superb Holy Transfiguration Monastery edition as an elegant and tasteful vehicle for an important spiritual classic and a real book that will last.
A Mystical Theology Classic .......2005-06-08
John Climacus ("klimakos" is Greek for ladder) lived c. 579-649, forty of those years in solitude. Leaving solitude for communal monastic life, he was named Abbot and asked to write rules of spiritual living for his monastic order. Fourteen-hundred years later, his "Ladder of Divine Ascent" is still the classic Eastern Orthodox manual for monastic, mystical spirituality.
Written as it was for monks living a millennium-and-a-half ago, the writing is dense and the disciplines at times, for most moderns and post-moderns, is harsh. Many readers will also likely chaff at John's Neo-platonic leanings, in particular, his perspective that the body is evil and that all passions must be squelched.
However, for insight into classical mystical theology and historical monastic spirituality, this book can't be missed. It follows the two-fold traditional emphasis of mystical spirituality: 1.) the physical world and the passions are evil, and 2.) direct experiential union with God is possible this side of heaven. It also follows the three-fold pathway of the spiritual life: 1.) put off the vices (renunciation), 2.) put on the virtues (the active life), and 3.) commune with God (the contemplative life).
Apart from the historic value, "The Ladder" offers personally challenges messages, especially for believers today. Using the image of climbing Jacob's ladder toward God, John walks his readers through thirty rungs along the journey, such as anger, malice, lust, avarice, vainglory, simplicity, and humility, to name a few. With each step, he offers definitions, descriptions, and means for putting off the vice and putting on the virtue. Especially poignant are his discussions on anger, fear, pride, and humility. His insight into the human psyche is extraordinary as are his insights into the nature of the devil's temptations of the human soul.
Reviewer: Dr. Robert W. Kellemen is the author of "Spiritual Friends: A Methodology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction," "Soul Physicians: A Theology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction," and the forthcoming, "Sacred Companions: A History of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction."
Customer Reviews:
auntie.......2007-09-02
The magic bus series is very enjoyable. As swimming season started we learned about sinking and floating. I know he gets it when he tells me what we have to do to make things sink or swim in the pool.
Great Book!!!.......2007-01-22
This is a great book! My son loves all of the Magic School Bus books. The characters are fun and interesting. There is lots of good scientific information.
This book has more 'ups' than 'downs'.......2000-06-11
Since children love 'The Magic School Bus' television show, this book about sinking and floating will be sure to grab the attention of those inquisitive young minds! It serves as a great asset to a science classroom, or your own home library. Although it is kind of lengthy, I highly recommend it for insurance of complete understanding of the sinking and floating process. Happy reading!
Amazon.com
The second installment in a projected four-volume biography of LBJ that opened with The Path to Power, Means of Ascent shines a harsh light on the early political years of one of America's most paradoxical presidents. The man who would later ram civil rights legislation through a reluctant Congress, and then be brought down by Vietnam, came out of a political swamp--Caro gives a graphic picture of the Texas democratic political machine at its most corrupt. The climax of the book is LBJ's election to the Senate in 1948, an election he won by 87 dubious votes out of almost a million. That vote arguably changed history. This book won the 1990 National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography.
Book Description
Robert A. Caro's life of Lyndon Johnson, which began with the greatly acclaimed The Path to Power, also winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, continues -- one of the richest, most intensive and most revealing examinations ever undertaken of an American President. In Means of Ascent the Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer/historian, chronicler also of Robert Moses in The Power Broker, carries Johnson through his service in World War II and the foundation of his long-concealed fortune and the facts behind the myths he created about it. But the explosive heart of the book is Caro's revelation of the true story of the fiercely contested 1948 senatorial election, for forty years shrouded in rumor, which Johnson had to win or face certain political death, and which he did win -- by "the 87 votes that changed history." Caro makes us witness to a momentous turning point in American politics: the tragic last stand of the old politics versus the new -- the politics of issue versus the politics of image, mass manipulation, money and electronic dazzle.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Customer Reviews:
Journalistic History at its Best -- but Most Heartless.......2007-09-08
The second in Caro's amazingly detailed, trenchant, fascinating, truthful, insightful and heartless multi-volume portrait of Johnson. What did anyone -- even Lyndon Johnson -- ever do to deserve a biographer like this? Not that I fault Caro: His tenacious and scrupulously accurate determination that the truth be told is journalistic history at its highest level of professionalism. But under, or alongside, the chicanery, the narcissism, the shameless expediency of his subject's persona there also was a charisma, a thoroughly human drive to assert himself and make an imprint on an indifferent universe that also is breathtaking, and the sheer wonder and humanity of Johnson is not given enough due. But enough of the cavil, because this book is a supreme accomplishment, of research, writing and psychological insight. It is fascinating to see Johnson's vast inflation of his military "career," and the way he continued to lie about it to people who knew he was lying, and who he knew knew he was lying. And the account of the stealing of the 1948 Senate race is so gripping, so suspenseful even though one knows the outcome before the book is opened, that it defies the effort to put the book down. I had read the book in fits and starts until about page 210, then picked it up at about 9:30 p.m., and could not stop until I finished, at 2:15 a.m. This book will be richly rewarding for anyone interested in the 1940s, and/or in contemporary American politics.
Taught me to loathe Lyndon, love Lady Bird, and admire Coke.......2007-07-11
I recently read the second volume of Robert A. Caro's magisterial biography of LBJ, entitled MEANS OF ASCENT, and from that book I learned to loathe one man, Lyndon Johnson, whose signal accomplishments in civil rights and social justice are difficult to reconcile with his profound character flaws; to admire another, Coke Stephenson, who, for all the baggage of racism and reactionary ideology that came along with his frontier conservatism was, by all accounts, an outstanding, even heroic human being; and to hold in the very warmest regard one woman, Lady Bird Johnson, who, in spite of her paralyzing shyness and the outrageous abuse heaped upon her by her husband, was not only steadfast in her love and loyalty, but also took infinite pains to remake herself, agonizingly, into a successful businesswoman, canny politician, eloquent speaker, pioneering conservationist, important philanthropist, and accomplished public figure of the very first rank.
Amazing look at politics in Texas.......2007-05-12
This book begins where Path to Power left off. It does give a quick recap so you can pick up here if you did not want to read the first one (although I recommend reading it as it is spectacular). The lies of Johnson's military service are almost too much to believe. His desire to retain elected office and achieve his goals remain unmatched as ever before. This book yet again shows how Johnson would lie and cheat his way to power. The Texas politics are truly among the most disturbing that you can see anywhere. The corruption is rampant and with an election where Johnson wins by only 87 votes the corruption was rampant. The race for the senate seat against governor Coke Stevenson who was one of the more principled Texas politicians is famous in Texas history. This book is wonderful at recounting that event as well as giving further insight into Johnson. Caro's writing is superb and the desire to find out what happens next is unmatched in other biographies. This is a must read for anyone interested in political history, biographies, or politics.
Reveals LBJ the scoundrel.......2007-05-04
This biography of LBJ, the second in a series written by Caro, covers briefly the humiliating early years in Johnson's life when his father was reduced to poverty, his college years, his time as a young congressman, and spotlights the infamous 1948 Senate race. The book also contrasts the life of Johnson's opponent in the 1948 Senate race, the venerated former Governor of Texas, Coke Stevenson.
Caro tries to show Johnson's naked political ambition throughout the book. Johnson could not stand just being one of a crowd, he had to lead the crowd and dominate his followers. He also shows how, once LBJ obtained power in the Congress, Johnson used it to his own benefit and the benefit of his supporters. Principal among these was the powerful Texas lawyer Ed Clark and the Texas construction and oil pipeline company, now a subsidiary of Halliburton, Brown & Root. Johnson did not use the office to benefit the people of Texas or for reasons one might commonly associate with Congressmen; in nearly twelve years as in the Congress, he introduced seven bills total. Two were passed and these affected his district only. In his first eleven years he delivered a mere ten speeches to the House of Representatives.
When it became clear to Johnson he was going to lose a political race, he resorted to other than honest means to win. Caro tells how the 1948 Senate race was not an anomaly, rather Johnson had been stuffing ballot boxes his entire political life. It did not matter how small the race or how paltry the office. Johnson stuffed ballots even to win Student Council elections at college and the "Little Congress" elections, a social club of political aides. What was important was winning at any cost and furthering his political ambition.
Also included in the biography is how Johnson came to own KTBC, a radio station in Austin, how the station was used by businessman and others to buy favors Johnson after they bought advertising slots on the station, and how awfully he treated the employees of the station. When confronted in public about these matters, Johnson would always claim that the station was owned by his wife and that he had no part in the ownership and operation of it. Caro shows that like most other things that Johnson claimed, this was a lie.
I highly enjoyed reading this book. The lust for power Caro describes gives credit to allegations (by other authors) that Johnson was involved in the death of JFK.
The Case Of The Missing Ballot Box.......2007-02-05
While the first volume of Robert A. Caro's biography on Lyndon Johnson read like epic fiction, his follow-up second volume, 1990's "Means Of Ascent," reminds me more of a crime novel, a closed-door mystery where a single missing ballot box presents us with a Maguffin for the proceedings.
You know about "The 39 Steps." Well, here's "The 87 Votes."
That was the final margin of LBJ's victory over Coke Stevenson in Texas's 1948 Senate Democratic primary, which as described by Caro here was one of the shadiest non-expressions of democratic will in the history of America's wildest, woolliest state. By buying off critical precincts, Johnson's handpicked goons, many of them armed, reported absurdly slanted returns, in some areas giving Johnson more than 100 votes for every one for Stevenson's.
Caro writes: "The unwritten laws, the ethics, the morals of Texas politics were so loose and elastic that it was difficult to break them. But Lyndon Johnson had broken them."
Caro backs this up with impressive research, including interviews with key Johnson aides and a former pistolero named Salas proud of how he helped push Johnson over the top by casting 200 votes for him on behalf of absent, sometimes dead voters. As the story develops, Stevenson figures out what has been done to him and sets about to make things right, whereupon the fight of Johnson's career shifts to a courtroom, where a row of mysterious locked barrels are lined up before the court, each possibly containing the missing ballot box with its provably fraudulent votes. Can the box be found before the whole proceeding is rendered moot by a court order from Washington?
All this is very readable stuff, if a half-step below the impossibly high standard set with "Path To Power." It's not so much the narrower focus of "Means Of Ascent" (just the years 1941-48, fallow ones for LBJ except for this election), but the reduced scope from PTP one is aware of, especially at the start when Caro recounts much of the first book in a pedantic "what-we-have-learned-so-far" way. Caro's beef with Johnson is clear and valid, but it becomes more overbearing in this volume, especially as he keeps going to Coke Stevenson as an contrasting exemplar of political virtue. Others point to Coke being a segregationist as making this approach suspect; I just found him dull, and perhaps too proud for public office. A point Caro doesn't make but could is that for all his faults, LBJ wanted the job more.
I also think there is some wiggle room to account for Johnson's behavior Caro refuses to grant. Simply put, Caro uses a lot of second-hand testimony from foggy thinkers to make his darkest points, like quoting Salas at length. He didn't seem to stretch such testimony as far in "Path To Power," and as Robert A. Divine notes in his own Johnson bio, the end result seems to make Caro "a prisoner of people's memory" more than it ought.
But "Means To Ascent" is well-sourced, richly-detailed, and contains one of the most dazzling narratives this side of Hitchcock. It's no doubt not Caro's best LBJ book, but a singular and worthy piece of the larger puzzle Caro is still putting together.
Average customer rating:
- This author really knows her stuff and presents it well.
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The Paradoxical Ascent to God: The Kabbalistic Theosophy of Habad Hasidism (S U N Y Series in Judaica)
Rachel Elior
Manufacturer: State University of New York Press
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This author really knows her stuff and presents it well........1998-03-03
Elior has studied Jewish mysticism in general, and Habad mysticism in particular, for the last several decades. Her teacher and mentor was the great Gershom Sholem, pioneer in the field. She presents the material logically, clearly, and, most of all, entertainingly and in a way the general public can understand. Read it!
Books:
- The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
- The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel
- The Complete Anne of Green Gables Boxed Set (Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne's House of Dreams, ... Rainbow Valley, Rilla of Ingleside)
- The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (Calvin & Hobbes)
- The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (Calvin & Hobbes)
- The Complete Visual Dictionary of Star Wars: The Ultimate Guide to Characters and Creatures from the Entire Star Wars Saga
- The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story Of Life For All Ages
- The Good Guy
- The Knot Guide to Wedding Vows and Traditions: Readings, Rituals, Music, Dances, and Toasts
- The Long Goodbye
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Surveyor Reference Manual, Fourth Edition
- Kundalini Tantra
- Ideal Boy, An: Charts from India
- Group Solutions, Too: More Cooperative Logic Activities for Grades K-4
- Happy New Year! / Kung-Hsi Fa-Ts'ai!
- Horizons: Exploring the Universe
- Hoot
- Oona Living in the Shadows: A Biography of Oona O'Neill Chaplin
- International Co-Operation in Tax Matters: Guidelines for International Co-Operation Against the Eva
- The awkward warrior: Frank Cousins, his life and times
The Origins of Knowledge and Imagination (The Silliman Memorial Lectures Series)
The Ascent of Man (5 volume set)
Science and Human Values
The Identity of Man (Great Minds Series)
The Common Sense of Science (Harvard Paperbacks)
