Amazon.com
Fans of Augusten Burroughs's darkly funny memoir Running with Scissors were left wondering at the end of that book what would become of young Augusten after his squalid and fascinating childhood ended. In Dry, we find that although adult Augusten is doing well professionally, earning a handsome living as an ad writer for a top New York agency, Burroughs's personal life is a disaster. His apartment is a sea of empty Dewar's bottles, he stays out all night boozing, and he dabs cologne on his tongue in an unsuccessful attempt to mask the stench of alcohol on his breath at work. When his employer insists he seek help, Burroughs ships out to Minnesota for detoxification, counseling, and amusingly told anecdotes about the use of stuffed animals in group therapy. But after a month of such treatment, he's back in Manhattan and tenuously sober. And while its one thing to lay off the sauce in rehab, Burroughs learns that it's quite another to resume your former life while avoiding the alcohol that your former life was based around. This quest to remain sober is made dramatically more difficult, and the tale more harrowing, when Burroughs begins an ill-advised romance with a crack addict. Certainly the "recovered alcoholic fighting to stay sober" tale is not new territory for a memoirist. But Burroughs's account transcends clichés: it doesn't adhere to the traditional "temptation narrowly resisted" storyline and it features, in Burroughs himself, a central character that is sympathetic even when he's neither likable nor admirable. But what ultimately makes this memoir such a terrific read is a brilliant and candid sense of humor that manages to stay dry even when recalling events where the author was anything but. --John Moe
Book Description
From the bestselling author of Running with Scissors comes Dry-the hilarious, moving, and no less bizarre account of what happened next You may not know it, but you've met Augusten Burroughs. You've seen him on the street, in bars, on the subway, at restaurants: a twenty-something guy, nice suit, works in advertising. Regular. Ordinary. But when the ordinary person had to drinks, Augusten was circling the drain by having twelve; when the ordinary person went home at midnight, Augusten never went home at all. Loud, distracting ties, automated wake-up calls, and cologne on the tongue could only hide so much for so long. At the request (well, it wasn't really a request) of his employers, Augusten landed in rehab, where his dreams of group therapy with Robert Downey, Jr., are immediately dashed by the grim reality of fluorescent lighting and paper hospital slippers. But when Augusten is forced to examine himself, something actually starts to click, and that's when he finds himself in the worst trouble of all. Because when his thirty days are up, he has to return to his same drunken Manhattan lifeand live it sober. What follows is a memoir that's as moving as it is funny, as heartbreaking as it is real. Dry is the story of love, loss, and Starbucks as a higher power.
Customer Reviews:
Non-stop Craziness and Humor--Incredible!.......2007-09-20
Wow. How to write a review of this book...Augusten Burroughs' sense of humor and ability to take his life experiences and weave them into stories that are engaging, entertaining and at times a bit disturbing is absolutely incredible.
His style of writing and revealing of clips of his life endear the reader to him. I could not put down the book and I was truly sad when I read the very last word on the very last page. I wanted more of Augusten, I was hooked. I went out the next day and bought another one of his engaging pseudo-biographical book and devoured that in a day or two as well.
Augusten Burroughs has a gift and I am so very glad he chose the medium in which he did to share it with the world.
Augusten, if you are out there, I just want to say thank you for finding the motivation and determination to publish your stories. You are truly and inspiration and your words have touched me. Thank you.
Hilarious, horrifying, can't-put-it-down reading.......2007-09-16
This is a fantastic book, marvelously written, at once funny, bittersweet, terrifying and can't-put-it-down suspenseful. A memoir with the drama and emotional clutch of a novel. And written in a clean, clear, highly readable style that simply pulls you through the pages.
If you've read his earlier acclaimed memoir RUNNING WITH SCISSORS, then you know you have to find out what happened to that brilliant, warped boy after he survived his hellish loony-bin childhood and stumbled into adulthood. If you haven't read RUNNING WITH SCISSORS, feel free to start with this one -- it stands on its own. If you read DRY first, you'll run to grab RUNNING WITH SCISSORS. I greatly prefer DRY to SCISSORS, myself, and I thought that was a fine book.
DRY is that rare book that will save lives and bring great joy and insight into the lives of many people who read it. I came away loving Burroughs, and looking into my own life and wondering what I'm failing to do right and who I'm failing to love and appreciate. And being grateful to be alive.
But, hey, don't let that stop you. This is no tract. Trust me, it's huge fun and a great read.
Dry review.......2007-08-31
After having read Running with Scissors, which was recommended to me by a close friend, I became fairly obsessed with the work of Augusten Burroughs. The moment I had finished, I ran to the nearest bookstore to scour over all the other memoirs, novels, and collections of short stories that he had written. After reviewing a somewhat extensive selection of his books, I ended up selecting Dry, the sequel to Running with Scissors, to be my next endeavor. I felt a powerful need to pick up where his previous book had left off.
This book was morbidly humorous to the point where I had to stop reading it in public because I could not contain my spontaneous bursts of laughter. Augusten Burroughs' life has been so astounding that it almost makes the reader question his validity. He begins living on his own at the age of nineteen, having had no education past the seventh grade. However with the somewhat unnatural charm he possesses, he is able to walk into an advertising agency from off the street and talk his way into being hired on the spot. He soon becomes one of the agency's most valued advertising representatives with the worst substance abuse problem.
Augusten uses alcohol, cocaine, and crack to numb himself from the pain of his past and present. After falling into a state of squalor, which involved drinking two bottles of scotch a night and urinating repetitively in his bed, his friends decide to step in. Augusten is sent to a gay-friendly rehabilitation center where he is forced to deal with the unconventional upbringing that left him so unstable as well as the fight of a loved one against aids. After rehab Augusten must struggle to redefine his life in terms of sobriety and adapt to this drastic change. He gives a great effort to find a balance between work and leisure which excludes the stresses that caused him to turn to substances, while still dealing with certain issues that he cannot escape.
This book is utterly incredible. My only disappointment was that it had to end. Augusten Burroughs wrote this memoir to expose to his readers how bad life can get. He also intended to send the hopeful message that no matter how difficult things become, life can always get better. Dry shows the reader that no matter what their current situation may be, if they have the intrinsic motivation, they can always improve upon it. This memoir leaves the reader both motivated and comfortably optimistic. It is a tragic yet satisfying tale of a young mans life.
Burroughs has a natural gift for captivating the reader entirely by completely exposing himself. He is ashamed of nothing and embraces his flaws. He spares no details of when he hit rock bottom for it shows how far he had to come and how much of an accomplishment it was. Anyone who reads this is sure to fall instantaneously in love with the author for his wit, determination, and imperfections.
Book was fairly interesting.......2007-08-30
I read this book fairly fast..it must be pretty good book to read it as fast as I did..
Fantastic .......2007-08-25
Dry is a brutally honest account of a man's personal struggle to overcome demons imposed on him by life. Burroughs is a terrific writer and keeps you hooked until the end. It took me only two days to read the book because I couldn't put it down. Personal and powerful I would recommend it to anyone.
Book Description
FOR EVERYONE WHO STRUGGLES TO READ!
Clear, practical, science-based information and advice for successful results
One in five American children has trouble reading. But they are not stupid or lazy. In
Overcoming Dyslexia, Dr. Sally Shaywitz, codirector of the Yale Center for the Study of Learning and Attention and a leader in the new research into how the brain works, offers the latest information about reading problems and proven, practical techniques that, along with hard work and the right help, can enable anyone to overcome them. Here are the tools that parents and teachers need to help the dyslexic child, age by age, grade by grade, step by step.
--What dyslexia is and why some intelligent, gifted people read slowly and painfully
--How to identify dyslexia in preschoolers, schoolchildren, young adults, and adults
--How to find the best school and how to work productively with your child’s teacher
--Exercises to help children use the parts of the brain that control reading
--A 20-minute nightly home program to enhance reading
--The 150 most common problem words–a list that can give your child a head start
--Ways to raise and preserve a child’s self-esteem aqnd reveal his strengths
--Stories of successful men and women who are dyslexic
Customer Reviews:
Great resource for handling every aspect of dyslexia.......2007-10-05
This book is a wonderful way to learn what dyslexia is scientifically, the symptoms associated with it, and how to handle the disability. It is very straight forward, gives realistic suggestions and links to wonderful websites. Above all, it stresses the positive aspects of dyslexia and all a person with dyslexia CAN accomplish; which is everything! With this book I now consider myself an expert on the subject.
The book for people with Dyslexia.......2007-10-05
This is the best book for anyone that does not know about Dyslexia. Our son has been diagnosed with Dyslexia and we have given copies of this book out to all of his teachers every year. Just last year, his teacher said that after 20 years of teaching she didn't know of any children with Dyslexia in her class but after reading the book she can pick out at least 4.
Must-Have Resource.......2007-10-03
Dr. Shaywitz provides so much information that you won't want to just check this one out from the library--you'll want it for your bookshelf. It will be a well-used resource for many years!
Overcoming dyslexia requires a structured program..........2007-09-30
...because, as the author asserts, dyslexia does not remit spontaneously. That is, once you have it, it is yours, more or less, for life.
This assertion holds true only if dyslexic children do not receive a structured reading-phonics program, such as the one offered by Kumon centers across North America. (BTW, Kumon instructors never refer to "learning disability" or "dyslexia," but instead, to "struggling readers.") This program is one of daily practice for about 20 minutes, and has embedded the three components of successful anti-dyslexia programs: practice, sight vocabulary, and phonics/phonemic awareness.
Curiously, Dr. Shaywitz mentions U. of Oregon DIEBELS programs, but is not acquainted with Kumon, which has an equally broad reach across the country.
A Must Read for Parents, Educators and Rdg Teachers! .......2007-09-27
This was an amazing book. There IS hope if you or someone you know is dyslexic! This is an encouraging book that empowers you to take charge and help your child,student, yourself... become a stronger reader!
Dispells many myths about dyslexia and what it is.
Focuses on strategies and curriculum based on strong research.
Describes how the brain works when it comes to language... and how brain scans have shown "improvement" in areas of the brain (left lobes) that have been activated after effective reading strategies and programs have been implemented.
It is filled with lots and lots of specific, practical ideas, resources and information about how readers learn to read and how we can help children (and adults) who have difficulty reading. Although the title refers to dyslexia, it is a great book if you want to understand how the reading process works and what you can do as a parent/teacher/caregiver to help your child overcome dyslexia,to solidify your child's reading skills if they don't have dyslexia, or to get them off to a great start reading in the early years. There are also specific descriptions of which signs to look for EARLY ON to detect any reading difficulties or dyslexia and address them then.
I used many of the ideas in the text with my own daughter who is learning to read... and also with a few students I've worked with who struggle with reading. I was surprised to find that many of the descriptions in the book, of the kinds of errors that children with reading difficulties or dyslexia make, exactly described some of the things I was seeing with the children I worked with.
This is a book I borrowed from the library first, then knew, without a doubt, I had to buy and have for a reference again and again!
Average customer rating:
- Inspired to be authentic
- Love thyself unconditionally!
- simplemente excelente
- life saver
- western mexican traditions
|
La Maestria del Amor: Una Guia Practica para el Arte de las Relaciones
Don Miguel Ruiz , and
Don Miguel Ruiz
Manufacturer: Amber-Allen Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Interpersonal Relations
| Relationships
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Love & Romance
| Relationships
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Happiness
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Personal Transformation
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| New Age
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Self-Help
| New Age
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Spanish
| Foreign Language Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Spanish
| Foreign Language Nonfiction
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Literatura y ficción
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
| Autores, A-Z
| Cartas y Correspondencia
| Clásicos
| Cuentos Cortos
| Drama
| Ensayos
| Ficción de La Mujer
| General
| Género Ficción
| Historia y Crítica
| Libros y Lectura
| Literatura Mundial
| Poesía
Padres y familia
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
| Actividades Familiares
| Adopción
| Crianza
| Educación
| General
| Necesidades Especiales
| Referencia
| Relaciones Familiares
| Salud Familiar
Romance
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
| Antologías
| Autores, A-Z
| Contemporáneo
| Fantasía, Futuristico y Fantasmas
| General
| Histórico
| Suspenso Romántico
No-Ficción
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
| Automotriz
| Ciencias Sociales
| Crimen y Criminales
| Educación
| Estudios de la Mujer
| Feriados
| Filosofía
| Gobierno
| Hechos Verídicos
| Planeamiento Urbano y Desarrollo
| Política
| Sucesos de Actualidad
| Transportación
General
| Religión y espiritualidad
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
General
| Nueva Era
| Religión y espiritualidad
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
Auto-Ayuda
| Nueva Era
| Religión y espiritualidad
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
Salud Mental
| Salud, mente y cuerpo
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
| Abuso y Defensa Propia
| Depresión
| Desordenes Anormales del Apetito
| Desordenes del Estado de Animo
| Emociones
| General
| Sueños
Relaciones Interpersonales
| Relaciones
| Salud, mente y cuerpo
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
Amor y Romance
| Relaciones
| Salud, mente y cuerpo
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
Felicidad
| Auto-Ayuda
| Salud, mente y cuerpo
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
Transformación Personal
| Auto-Ayuda
| Salud, mente y cuerpo
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Los cuatro acuerdos: Una guia practica para la libertad personal (Four Agreements, Spanish-language edition)
-
La voz del conocimiento: The Voice of Knowledge, Spanish-Language Edition
-
Cuaderno De Trabajo De Los Cuatro Acuerdos: Utiliza Los Cuatro Acuerdos Para Gobernar El Sueno De Tu Vida (Un Libro De La Sabiduria Tolteca)
-
Oraciones / Prayers: Una Comunion Con Nuestro Creador / A Communion With Our Creator (Toltec Wisdom)
-
Las Siete Leyes Espirituales del Éxito: Una Guía Práctica Para la Realización de Tus Sueños
ASIN: 187842453X |
Book Description
In this Spanish version of The Mastery of Love, don Miguel Ruiz illuminates the fear-based beliefs and assumptions that undermine love and lead to suffering and drama in relationships. Using insightful stories to bring his message to life, Ruiz shows how to heal emotional wounds, recover the freedom and joy that are one's birthright, and restore the playfulness that is vital to loving relationships. Among the themes explored are the Toltec wisdom of the heart and the war of control.
Customer Reviews:
Inspired to be authentic.......2007-08-31
I enjoyed all the books put out by Don Miguel Ruiz, but this one was truly awesome. I've learned a lot about myself and the love God has for each and everyone of us. I've read this book three times and probably will read it again and again. I enjoyed his wisdom and insight.
Love thyself unconditionally!.......2007-06-08
Wish I had read this book when I was 15 years old. Even now it has been a blessing in my life! It is never too late to realize how special you are and to value the differences in each one of us. This book taught me so much about self value, self love, self esteem and consequently empowered me to create my own happiness and enjoy "la pura vida". I shared this blessing with my whole family by giving them a copy of this enlightening book.
simplemente excelente.......2007-05-21
SOY UNA PERSONA CATOLICA Y ESTE LIBRO ME AYUDO A ENTENDER MAS DE LO QUE HABLAN LOS SACERDOTES , ANTES PARECIA ALGO COMPLICADO DE ENTENDERLOS AHORA GRACIAS A LA MAESTRIA DEL AMOR COMPRENDO MAS HACERCA DE DIOS Y DE LO QUE SE HABLA EN MY IGLESIA,
life saver.......2007-05-14
this book has helped me deeply. i highly recommend it. It will save your life and your relationship.
western mexican traditions.......2007-02-06
I enjoy the native Mexican traditions of this author and have read other books by him. Me disfruto las tradiciones nativas de este autor y he leido otros libros de el.
Average customer rating:
- She writes convincing material, but
- Well written
- An Argument for Gnosticism
- Orthodoxy vs. Gnosticism
- The Gospel of St John is more accurate
|
Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas
Elaine Pagels
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
New Testament
| Criticism & Interpretation
| Reference
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Reference
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Pagels, Elaine
| ( P )
| Authors, A-Z
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Apocrypha
| Bible & Other Sacred Texts
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Gnostic Gospels
-
The Nag Hammadi Library
-
The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle
-
The Origin of Satan
-
Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity
ASIN: 0375501568
Release Date: 2003-05-06 |
Amazon.com
Shortly after Elaine Pagels' two-and-half-year-old son was diagnosed with a rare lung disease, the religion professor found herself drawn to a Christian church again for the first time in many years. In Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas Pagels, best know for her National Book Award-winning The Gnostic Gospels, wrestles with her own faith as she struggles to understand when--and why--Christianity became associated almost exclusively with the ideas codified in the fourth-century Nicene Creed and in the canonical texts of the New Testament. In her exploration, she uncovers the richness and diversity of Christian philosophy that has only become available since the discovery of the Nag Hammadi texts.
At the center of Beyond Belief is what Pagels identifies as a textual battle between The Gospel of Thomas (rediscovered in Egypt in 1945) and The Gospel of John. While these gospels have many superficial similarities, Pagels demonstrates that John, unlike Thomas, declares that Jesus is equivalent to "God the Father" as identified in the Old Testament. Thomas, in contrast, shares with other supposed secret teachings a belief that Jesus is not God but, rather, is a teacher who seeks to uncover the divine light in all human beings. Pagels then shows how the Gospel of John was used by Bishop Irenaeus of Lyon and others to define orthodoxy during the second and third centuries. The secret teachings were literally driven underground, disappearing until the Twentieth Century. As Pagels argues this process "not only impoverished the churches that remained but also impoverished those [Irenaeus] expelled."
Beyond Belief offers a profound framework with which to examine Christian history and contemporary Christian faith, and Pagels renders her scholarship in a highly readable narrative. The one deficiency in Pagels' examination of Thomas, if there is one, is that she never fully returns in the end to her own struggles with religion that so poignantly open the book. How has the mysticism of the Gnostic Gospels affected her? While she hints that she and others have found new pathways to faith through Thomas, the impact of Pagels' work on contemporary Christianity may not be understood for years to come. --Patrick O'Kelley
Book Description
Special edition including the complete text of the Gospel of Thomas
Elaine Pagels, one of the world’s most important writers and thinkers on religion and history, and winner of the National Book Award for her groundbreaking work The Gnostic Gospels, now reflects on what matters most about spiritual and religious exploration in the twenty-first century. This bold new book explores how Christianity began by tracing its earliest texts, including the secret Gospel of Thomas, rediscovered in Egypt in 1945.
When her infant son was diagnosed with fatal pulmonary hypertension, Elaine Pagels’s spiritual and intellectual quest took on a new urgency, leading her to explore historical and archeological sources and to investigate what Jesus and his teachings meant to his followers before the invention of doctrine–and before the invention of Christianity as we know it.
The astonishing discovery of the Gospel of Thomas, along with more than fifty other early Christian texts unknown since antiquity, offers startling clues. Pagels compares such sources as Thomas’s gospel (which claims to give Jesus’ secret teaching, and finds its closest affinities with kabbalah) with the canonic texts to show how Christian leaders chose to include some gospels and exclude others from the collection we have come to know as the New Testament. To stabilize the emerging Christian church in times of devastating persecution, the church fathers constructed the canon, creed, and hierarchy–and, in the process, suppressed many of its spiritual resources.
Drawing on new scholarship–her own, and that of an international group of scholars–that has come to light since the publication in 1979 of The Gnostic Gospels, Pagels shows that what matters about Christianity involves much more than any one set of beliefs. Traditions embodied in Judaism and Christianity can powerfully affect us in heart, mind, and spirit, inspire visions of a new society based on practicing justice and love, even heal and transform us.
Provocative, beautifully written, and moving, Beyond Belief, the most personal of Pagels’s books to date, shows how “the impulse to seek God overflows the narrow banks of a single tradition.” Pagels writes, “What I have come to love in the wealth and diversity of our religious traditions–and the communities that sustain them–is that they offer the testimony of innumerable people to spiritual discovery, encouraging us, in Jesus’ words, to ‘seek, and you shall find.’”
Customer Reviews:
She writes convincing material, but.......2007-08-27
WOW! She really writes convincing material and writes it well! She made me scared to study Gnostic writings, I was afraid they'd be right and I'd have to rework my faith of almost 40 years. As another reviewer pointed out, she does not really explore the Gospel of Thomas in this book...instead she trashes the Gospel of John. I found this curious. If the Gnostic writings are so great, then let's study them! But I have come to understand that the modern Gnostic movement is not about believing in Gnosticism...it is about NOT believing in the books of the New Testament. For after reading her book, I went on a journey of studying Gnostic writings as well as how the New Testament Canon was formed. Some of the major themes that are ascribed to Gnosticism by Pagels and others today are simply incorrect. The Gnostics did not believe in tolerance, they were a 'holier than thou' elistest group. And they also believed that salvation was only for men (Jesus is quoted as saying that he would turn Mary into a man so she would reach her spiritual path). The Gnostics were also strongly antisemitic. But Pagels doesn't share this information. And all this was the opposite in the teachings and actions of the apostles and early church, who were open,tolerant, and believed all were equal in Christ-including women.
However, in accepting books as being holy and to be used for doctrine, the early church followed some basic rules. The book had to be written by an apostle or someone who had been with an apostle, and the book had to agree with the teachings the apostles had given. Paul's letters are the earliest documents, and the doctrines he taught are the basis of Christianity, and these doctrines agree with writings of the other apostles. These works were written while people who knew the apostles were still alive. The Gnostics writings came later and were recognized as forgeries. They completely disagreed with the earlier teachings of the apostles: they were not like a different denomination of Christianity, they were a different religion altogether. The early church was tolerant, except when it came to untruth, and therefore the early church leaders tried to expose the hoax of Gnosticism. George Washington worked to prove the letters which were supposedly from him as a spy to the English govenment were forged letters. He did not do this for power or in order to suppress some secret. He did it because the letters were forgeries. In the same way the early church denounced the writings of the Gnostics: they did so because the writings were forgeries.
But I as said at the beginning, Pagels writes very well and very convincingly. I'm glad I read the book, for it sparked an indepth study of the early church which I am still pursuing.
Well written.......2007-07-19
I found this book well written and compelling , but not over the top. A good work to introduce and explain the relevance and works discovered known as the Gospel of Thomas.
An Argument for Gnosticism.......2007-04-27
Raised within the confines of fundamentalist religion, we found that asking Biblical questions could be extremely hazardous to our religious existence. After being excommunicated for numerous such affronts to the sanctity of the written word, we are especially appreciative of Ms. Pagels and her untiring efforts to shed light on so many of the lesser known aspects of early Christianity. Some readers have expressed their disappointment, feeling the book devotes too much attention to the formation of orthodoxy, the evolution of the Gospel of John and the suppression of many books labeled Gnostic. But, as pointed out by Pagels, these events still play a role in our cultural history and untangling these, ". . .complex strands have practical consequences as well as intellectual ones." We may not be aware of the cultural wallpaper we have assimilated until it is pointed out that it is indeed wallpaper, and it may be in need of refurbishing. As noted in the book, "orthodoxy tends to distrust our capacity to make such discriminations and insists on making them for us." It would be difficult to fully appreciate the radical differences contained in the Gospel of Thomas if we did not examine the thought processes involved in suppressing it.
As Pagels develops her arguments, she demonstrates how orthodoxy created an ever widening chasm that placed God, His only-begotten son and the church fathers on one side, and the congregation of sinners on the other. The increased value bestowed on Jesus by the church, equaled the speedy demotion of a flock whose only hope lay in their unquestioning belief in him. The writer of the Gospel of Thomas had the effrontery to suggest that Jesus' real message lay in his knowledge that all men, including him, were one with God. And, "Thomas' Jesus directs each disciple to discover the light within" through gnosis, an experiential knowing gained through a connection with higher consciousness. Shockingly, this message took church fathers out of the loop by suggesting that each person had an equal opportunity to save themselves. It is not surprising then that heresy was originally defined as "the act of choice!"
Orthodoxy attempted to control the people through selective information and the lack of choice. We, on the other hand, can easily miss the gifts offered by the Gospel of Thomas because we are inundated with information and choke on the multitude of choices offered to us on a daily basis. If we dismiss the Gospel of Thomas as another curiosity, we will miss the invitation Thomas' Jesus extends," If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you." Books such as Pagels' "Beyond Belief" and Ehrman's "Misquoting Jesus" offer proof that there is little reason to take a literalist view of the Bible. This does not mean that Jesus' teachings are inaccessible. It does mean that we must each choose whether we will be one who accepts what is found outside us, or one who searches for the answers within. Pagels' book offers a great platform for exploration.
Lee & Steven Hager are the authors of Quantum Prodigal Son: Revisiting Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son from the Perspective of Quantum Mechanics
Orthodoxy vs. Gnosticism.......2007-03-19
My primary interest in reading this book was to better understand and appreciate the evolution of Christian thought and belief in the early church. On this score, Elaine Pagels definitely does not disappoint.
I found her choice of beginning this work with an intensely personal description of the spiritual journey she faced during her young son's fatal illness to be surprising at first, but through her book I came to understand why she introduced this work in such a way: all spiritual journeys are intensely personal. The authors of the "Secret Gospel of Thomas", the Gospel of John, and the later Church Fathers who built upon these writings, all faced challenging times. In seeking answers to the challenges they faced, they engaged in their own personal spiritual journeys, which resulted in their recording what they learned and believed in the texts that have been passed down to us.
Elaine Pagels engages us in the challenges and spiritual journeys of these early Christian writers, both known (mostly proponents of what became the roots of Christianity as we know it today); and unknown (mostly the authors of the Gnostic books found in the Nag Hammadi library, such as the Gospel of Thomas; and other works).
The Gnostic authors and their adherents found themselves marginalized if not actively persecuted as the well-organized and controlled universal Church took hold in the ancient world. Gnosticism is an intensely personal form of faith, where one seeks to find Spiritual truth for oneself instead of unquestioningly adopting an external authority's view.
Dr. Pagels referees for us the centuries-long debate between early Christian Fathers and their Gnostic counterparts - helping us see how the debate between control of doctrine vs. freedom of exploration changed and grew over time. She seeks to help us understand the complexities of the central question for us: What is truth, and what is lies? In making our spiritual journeys, how can we tell them apart? How do we find that truth for ourselves without falling into error?
The roots of that debate reach far back into Jewish history: centuries before Jesus started teaching. Therefore, Dr. Pagels knows she cannot answer the question. Instead, she seeks to help us understand the issues and the context within which we, as Christians, make our own journeys in search of spiritual truth.
The great authors of Orthodoxy - Tertullian, Athanaeus and Irenaeus, among others, all saw that allowing too much freedom of exploration often led to spiritual error and excess. On the other hand, they appreciated the importance of needing to explore one's own faith for oneself, and did not want to create a rigid and inflexible Christian faith that could not tolerate such journeys of faith. They understood that a balance between the two extremes must be found.
Ultimately, and as Dr. Pagels says in her book, it is not right, or wise, to accept spiritual authority without question, or to seek to eliminate the rich spiritual diversity found throughout the Christian world. Diversity brings strength and vitality, but too much diversity brings conflict and destruction. There is no simple answer to the question: we must each find an answer for ourselves.
Dr. Pagels' work is easy to read, well researched, well footnoted, and thought provoking. While I highly recommend this book, I would have to agree with what others here have said: that the title is misleading. This book focuses more on the evolution of orthodox Christianity than it does on the Gnostic tradition, or on the Gospel of Thomas itself. I give it a four star recommendation.
The Gospel of St John is more accurate.......2007-02-09
If you want a review of the gospel of Thomas look to the references cited in this book. The end notes are an excellent source of research in early Christian texts. This book is about the gospel of St John, how the politics of the time shaped what was written and how the work of Origen and the Emperor Constantine decided what gospels would constitute the New Testament. The writing is uneven or perhaps it needed tighter editing to have the work flow in a more even pace.
This mis-naming and awkward, read as uneven, pace seems to be characteristic of Pagels, her origin of Satan had similar problems. What she clearly possesses is the desire to ferret out the details and offer a plausible explanation.
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
|
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Chinese
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Irish
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Japanese
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Women
| Specific Groups
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Augustine, Saint
| ( A )
| People, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Doctors & Medicine
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Lawyers & Criminals
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Love, Sex & Marriage
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer
| Ancient
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Early Civilization
| Ancient
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ancient
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Historiography
| Historical Study
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Asian American
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Asian American
| Poetry
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
French
| Erotica
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Victorian
| Erotica
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Epic
| Poetry
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
German
| Poetry
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Russian
| Poetry
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Spanish
| Poetry
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Chinese
| Classics
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Conspiracy Theories
| Current Events
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
War on Drugs
| Crime & Criminals
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
English (All)
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Arabic
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Armenian
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Czech
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Greek
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Hungarian
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Japanese
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Korean
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Norwegian
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Persian & Farsi
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Polish
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Portuguese
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Romanian
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Russian
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Swedish
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Turkish
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Science
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Online Research
| Genealogy
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Native American
| Earth-Based Religions
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| History & Philosophy
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
History of Science
| History & Philosophy
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Magic & Wizards
| Fantasy
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Sailor Moon
| Popular Characters
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Pilates
| Exercise & Fitness
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
History
| Fashion
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Children's Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Health Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside History Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Nonfiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Reference Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Romance Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Science Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
-
History: Fiction or Science? Astronomical methods as applied to chronology. Ptolemy's Almagest. Chronology III
-
Discovering the Mysteries of Ancient America: Lost History And Legends, Unearthed And Explored
-
Before the Pharaohs: Egypt's Mysterious Prehistory
-
They Cast No Shadows: A Collection of Essays on the Illuminati, Revisionist History, and Suppressed Technologies
ASIN: 2913621058 |
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.
Amazon.com
Do you have short fingers? Then you may make decisions quickly, acting fast, but not always thinking things through. What about your heart line--is it deeply etched or does it split and tassel? Are your fingernails oval or almond shaped? For centuries people have been looking to their hands for guidance about the future. Palm Reading never claims that this ancient art can predict how much money you'll make or how many children you'll have, but it does contend that "your hand is a miniature map of the inner you." Each brief chapter--covering the hand, the fingers, and the lines of the palm--offers keys to unlocking the secrets held within your own hand. Artful, whimsical illustrations help readers figure out whether they have whorled fingerprints or spatulate fingertips. Bound to inspire hours of amusement and interest, this little book is a must for your next party--and it's small enough to carry in the palm of your hand.
Customer Reviews:
A novelty.......2007-09-18
It is important to realize that this is not for people who want to learn palm reading. It is a novelty 1x1.5 inch book.
They werent kidding with "Little".......2007-08-23
It's a REALLY small book and covers most lines, but not all the info I was hoping for...cute to carry around as a quick guide though
I resent this book........2007-06-26
This book is so small... and useless. Its too useless to even give away. I resent it because I don't have the courage to throw it out. It was a gift. No one would buy it otherwise...unless they are taken by how small it is.
Palm Sized Book with a Decent Price.......2007-02-04
I learned during my college years that one of the quickest ways to build rapport with the opposite sex is through palm reading. The problem with this book is that it is so small that it is difficulat to read. The book's content is very limited and the publisher tried to make up for this by adding lots of pictures. Just because it is a book on palm reading doesn't mean that it has to be about the size of a palm. Considering that it is inexpensive, you may still want to buy it in order to find out if this is really a topic that you are interested in before spending money on more expensive books.
Palm sized book is too small to enjoy.......2007-01-03
This book is too small to really be "read" and instead functions more as an interesting little knick knack.
The size would have worked if the content was more pictoral or was at least presented visually in smaller "bites" of information, but instead you get chapters of dense text in a 3x3 size. Not too user friendly.
That said, his would be great as part of the *wrapping* of a present... If for example you were giving a themed gift, this could be part of the bow decoration.
Amazon.com
Francie Nolan, avid reader, penny-candy connoisseur, and adroit observer of human nature, has much to ponder in colorful, turn-of-the-century Brooklyn. She grows up with a sweet, tragic father, a severely realistic mother, and an aunt who gives her love too freely--to men, and to a brother who will always be the favored child. Francie learns early the meaning of hunger and the value of a penny. She is her father's child--romantic and hungry for beauty. But she is her mother's child, too--deeply practical and in constant need of truth. Like the Tree of Heaven that grows out of cement or through cellar gratings, resourceful Francie struggles against all odds to survive and thrive. Betty Smith's poignant, honest novel created a big stir when it was first published over 50 years ago. Her frank writing about life's squalor was alarming to some of the more genteel society, but the book's humor and pathos ensured its place in the realm of classics--and in the hearts of readers, young and old. (Ages 10 and older) --Emilie Coulter
Book Description
The American classic about a young girl's coming-of-age at the turn of the century.
This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.
Download Description
E-Book Extra: Self-Reliance: A Reading Group Guide
Named by the New York Public Library as "one of the books of the century," A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is the story of young, sensitive, and idealistic Francie Nolan -- and her erratic, eccentric family -- in the turn-of-the-century Williamsburg slums of Brooklyn. Originally published in 1943, this true American classic has sold millions of copies worldwide, and includes a foreword by Anna Quindlen.
Customer Reviews:
Lessons in Life.......2007-09-27
This is the kind of book where there is no interwoven complex plot - just life, death, marriage, sacrifice and lessons learned. It's these simple writings that sometimes touch us the most and are the most thought-provoking. A girls life from childhood into womanhood, and all the dreams and devastations in between... Excellent.
Great book.......2007-09-24
This is one of the best books I have ever read...it has a great plot and a great setting too. Once I started reading it, i couldn't stop. The characters and problems they face seem so real! I recommend this book for people 13 and up because It does have minor "things" in it. BEST BOOK EVER!
Inspiring & Touching book.......2007-09-20
I'm so glad that I decided to read this book. I'd initially purchased it because it was on sale (and I really needed something new to read). Nonetheless, this book has become one of my, if not all time, favorite novels. The characters and situations are so real, and I'm a firm believer that ANYONE (male or female, young or old) can somehow relate to Francie Nolan. In this day and age where the youth seldomly read and are exposed to terrible mediums of entertainment (reality tv--Paris Hilton??) we need books such as "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." It's so genuine and full of spirit and heart, despite the characters' dismal situations. This book has the ability to inspire readers to live their lives with integrity and to persevere--especially in seemingly hopeless situations.
A Tree Grows..........2007-09-20
Like before...I am pleased to say your product was sent in a timely fashion and in very good condition. Good job...keep it up!
The Best Book Ever.......2007-08-30
This book was required reading by a Jewish teacher in my 8th grade English class, in Brooklyn. Being a know-it-all Black girl from Brooklyn, I never wanted to read it because I thought I knew it all. Fast forward 10+ years and I finally read the book as a semi-adult. Fast forward 10+ more years and I read it AT LEAST twice a year. This is, in my opinion, the best book for any young woman to read, EVER. It made me read everything else that Betty Smith wrote. It makes me check my local library's supply to make sure they have adequate copies for other young (or older, wiser) girls to read. I have searched and found a 1st printing of the book and I hold it more dearly that my most profound treasure. I would suggest this book to anyone that can read. It will surely teach you something about love, sacrifice and the complexity of the human heart. It is full of romantic love, child-parent love, hopes, dreams, fears, innocence, everything! I recently purchased the movie and I've watched it at least 15 times already. This is a really good book. Oprah thinks so too; she lists it as one of the few books that changed her life. I wholeheartedly agree.
Average customer rating:
- Light, Fluffy, And Entirely Unmemorable
- Sloppy Firsts
- Chuckle, Chuckle, Ha Ha, Hee Hee, Tear
- Welcome Back
- Not a great read!!! (unless you're 13 or younger)
|
Sloppy Firsts: A Novel
Megan McCafferty
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| 18th Century
| 19th Century
| 20th Century
| African American
| Asian American
| Classics
| Collections & Readers
| Drama
| General
| Hispanic
| History & Criticism
| Humor
| Jewish American
| Letters & Correspondence
| Native American
| Poetry
| Short Stories
| Women Writers
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Popular Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Book Clubs
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Second Helpings: A Novel
-
Charmed Thirds
-
What My Mother Doesn't Know
-
The Truth About Forever
-
Just Listen
Accessories:
-
Conair Pro Color Accents Temporary Hair Color Kit
-
Conair MDF2R Facial Sauna With Timer
ASIN: 0609807900
Release Date: 2001-08-28 |
Book Description
“My parents suck ass. Banning me from the phone and restricting my computer privileges are the most tyrannical parental gestures I can think of. Don’t they realize that Hope’s the only one who keeps me sane? . . . I don’t see how things could get any worse.”
When her best friend, Hope Weaver, moves away from Pineville, New Jersey, hyperobservant sixteen-year-old Jessica Darling is devastated. A fish out of water at school and a stranger at home, Jessica feels more lost than ever now that the only person with whom she could really communicate has gone. How is she supposed to deal with the boy- and shopping-crazy girls at school, her dad’s obsession with her track meets, her mother salivating over big sister Bethany’s lavish wedding, and her nonexistent love life?
A fresh, funny, utterly compelling fiction debut by first-time novelist Megan McCafferty,
Sloppy Firsts is an insightful, true-to-life look at Jessica’s predicament as she embarks on another year of teenage torment--from the dark days of Hope’s departure through her months as a type-A personality turned insomniac to her completely mixed-up feelings about Marcus Flutie, the intelligent and mysterious “Dreg” who works his way into her heart. Like a John Hughes for the twenty-first century, Megan McCafferty taps into the inherent humor and drama of the teen experience. This poignant, hilarious novel is sure to appeal to readers who are still going through it, as well as those who are grateful that they don’t have to go back and grow up all over again.
Download Description
When her best friend, Hope, moves away from Pineville, New Jersey, 16-year-old Jessica Darling is devastated. Jessica is a fish out of water at school, a stranger at home, and now -- with the only person with whom she could really communicate gone -- more lost than ever. How is she supposed to deal with the boy-and-shopping-crazy girls at school, her dad's obsession with her track meets, and her nonexistent love life? Sloppy Firsts is an insightful, true-to-life look at Jessica's predicament, from the dark days following Hope's departure to her hopelessly mixed-up feelings about the intelligent and mysterious bad-boy who works his way into her life. Sloppy Firsts is right in line with some of the great teen crossover works of popular culture, like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and is sure to appeal to readers of all ages who appreciate the inherent humor of high school angst.
Customer Reviews:
Light, Fluffy, And Entirely Unmemorable.......2007-09-06
After reading all the praise this book has gotten from the legions of readers who seem to find it absorbing, humorous, and realistic, I was disappointed to find both the plot and the characters extremely clichéd and formulaic.
I'm not saying that I found the book horrible. It was very quick and light, written in a straightforward journal format, making it a fluffy, effortless read. If you're looking for a lightly humorous chick lit novel, this book will fill those requirements.
However, if you're looking for a smart, unique novel that you're going to remember in years to come, I wouldn't recommend this. Most of the characters are either stereotypical or one-dimensional, with the exception of Marcus, who was quite unusual. Jessica was the traditional "smart, misunderstood runner girl". You can find her type in all sorts of teenaged novels. She irritated me. She was incredibly intelligent, a gifted runner, and great at writing, and yet her attitude toward life was generally pretty negative.
With all of her talent, you'd think Jessica would be confident, not pessimistic, which is why she struck me as fake. As for her friends, they were like characters from a soap opera. The plot was monotonous and unsurprising, with no truly exciting twists, right up to the end, which was neither final enough to provide closure nor enough of a cliffhanger to have you eagerly awaiting the sequel.
Instead of this novel, read Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen, or Just Listen, also by Sarah Dessen. I found all these novels to be much more realistic depictions of high school.
Sloppy Firsts.......2007-08-27
I read this book a few years ago when I saw it in the book store. I'm a rather picky reader and thought this might be fun to pass some time. I was attached to the character Jessica Darling by the end of this book and even more thrilled to find out that there was a second out at the time. Even more so I bought the third one just as it had been released and the same thing now with the Fourth Comings. Megan has created a character that simply comes to life in the reading. I would suggest to most who like coming of age stories to read this. Its quiet heart warming.
Chuckle, Chuckle, Ha Ha, Hee Hee, Tear.......2007-08-16
The first time I read this book, I was in 8th grade and I still love it to this day! I have read it at least 15 times and have never grown tired of it. Jessica Darling is me in a nutshell...if I were a female track star. Everything else is me...yes, I graduated salutatorian of my class and am currently going to Columbia University. I LOVE this series and you should too...especially if you are an angst-filled teenager.
Welcome Back.......2007-08-10
As Charles Dickens once very aptly obsevered: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Of course Dickens wasn't referring to high school, but the French Revolution. But today, in our current American society his words can be no closer to the truth when discussing the legally mandated ritual called high school.
Everyone has his or her story. From the glory days full of football games, after-hour parties, and social ruling to the lesser exuberant memories our being an outsider, not understanding anything going on around you, and the unfortunately bullyness. Yet despite the pangs of High School and the sometimes harsh memories that come along with it, it is a time in our lives that years removed somehow becomes glorified as "the best time of your life," wither that statement is true or not.
McCafferty has constructed an unlikely heroine who reminds us exactly why we hated high school so much... and exactly why we will probably always look back on it with fond memories of times pass. Jessica Darling is you. Jessica Darling is me. Jessica Darling is everyone. Whither you can relate to everything she says, or just a few of the experiences she goes through during these novels, there is a little bit of everything within our heroine.
Unlike the heroines of classic literature that defeat the sociality structures (Dicken's "A Tale of Two Cities"), learn the true meaning of love (a la Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"), Jessica Darling's one true clam to fame is not only surviving high school, but figuring it out before she leaves the hallowed halls. Most people figure it out sooner or later, but usually when they are removed from the experience.
What McCafferty is trying to say to the audience at large is that life matters. Everything that has happened to you, is happing to you, and will happen you have an effect that you can never dream off. The point of life isn't just sitting back and waiting for the next step. But it is embracing the here and now.
McCafferty is able to do these through a narrative that reads more like a self-aware John Hughes script, rather than 95% of book one would find in their local "young adult fiction" section. And the true genius and charm of the book doesn't from Jessica's stories of high school. But through your own memories, that while reading this book you are able to relive again vicariously through the eyes of Jessica. This book was not written for the tween set as a way to drool over what those "magical four years" will be like (a la "Dawson's Creek"), but as a way for people past that experience to look back and realize just how much their high school years truly means.
I cannot recommend this book enough, especially to fans of the budding new genre of self-aware coming-of-age stories such as "Prep," "Boy meets Boy," and the "Rules of Attraction." In all honestly I must request that everyone in their post high-school years, but still young enough to remember the impact John Hughes has on society to order a copy of this book. You will not be disappointed in the least!
Not a great read!!! (unless you're 13 or younger).......2007-08-02
This book is a confusing mess of poor grammar and teen angst. It is the story of a (VERY) cynical girl's home and school life. Her troubles are meaningless and this book clearly lacks substance.
Average customer rating:
- Flawed Cautionary Tale
- A few thoughts from a "religious" viewpoint
- Odd tale, but a classic
- Shrug
- A Christian Perspective
|
Brave New World
Aldous Huxley
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Classics
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Literary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Huxley, Aldous
| ( H )
| Authors, A-Z
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Classics
| Literature & Fiction
| Book Clubs
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
1984 (Signet Classics)
-
Fahrenheit 451
-
Animal Farm (Signet Classics)
-
Lord of the Flies (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century)
-
Slaughterhouse-Five
ASIN: 0060929871 |
Amazon.com
"Community, Identity, Stability" is the motto of Aldous Huxley's utopian World State. Here everyone consumes daily grams of soma, to fight depression, babies are born in laboratories, and the most popular form of entertainment is a "Feelie," a movie that stimulates the senses of sight, hearing, and touch. Though there is no violence and everyone is provided for, Bernard Marx feels something is missing and senses his relationship with a young women has the potential to be much more than the confines of their existence allow. Huxley foreshadowed many of the practices and gadgets we take for granted today--let's hope the sterility and absence of individuality he predicted aren't yet to come.
Book Description
A fantasy of the future that sheds a blazing critical light on the present--considered to be Aldous Huxley's most enduring masterpiece.
"Mr. Huxley is eloquent in his declaration of an artist's faith in man, and it is his eloquence, bitter in attack, noble in defense, that, when one has closed the book, one remembers."
--Saturday Review of Literature
"A Fantastic racy narrative, full of much excellent satire and literary horseplay."
--Forum
"It is as sparkling, provocative, as brilliant, in the appropriate sense, as impressive ads the day it was published. This is in part because its prophetic voice has remained surprisingly contemporary, both in its particular forecasts and in its general tone of semiserious alarm. But it is much more because the book succeeds as a work of art...This is surely Huxley's best book."
--Martin Green
Customer Reviews:
Flawed Cautionary Tale.......2007-10-03
The 'Foreword' explains why this novel was not rewritten to get rid of its faults: it could lose its merits! Aldous Huxley used the class-based society of England and projected it far into the future with modern references. Huxley imagined a sort of "scientific breeding" that seems to mock science. Dumping children to the care of lower class servants had a long history there, it is divorced from maternal care. [Does it work? Reports say this has a bad influence on children's development.] The name of Pavlov is strangely missing from this novel. Huxley says the problem for totalitarian states is to make their subjects love their servitude. Too bad he didn't live to see today's conditioning by advertising and other behavior modifications (like cell phones which let Big Government hear and locate you). Huxley claimed a diminished political and economic freedom leads to sexual freedom, but offered no proof. Orwell's "1984" handled this much better.
Most of the book shows Huxley's skill at an imagined future, a parody of the world of the 1920s (whose faults created the Great Depression). "Tracking" of students has been around for decades (their future is decided in kindergarten). Advertising sells everything from ordinary objects to candidates and political beliefs. Advertising creates "peer pressure", people who believe and think as they are told. Many people are no longer skeptical of corporate advertising; this might be the result of their schooling. Whoever controls the media influences the thinking of most people.
There are many echoes of real history in this clever story. Such as the surprise played on that Director by a long-lost relative (echoes of 19th century novels?). The office politics reflect unchanging human nature. But the ending chapters don't ring true to me. Certainly notoriety affects people's lives. The gawking of the ignorant and uninformed is always a problem for anyone in the news. Even if they are only show business performers! Huxley was correct in having an opiate that tranquilized people but damaged their health. Who will heed this warning? The use of chemical food was another subtle satire; they knew then of those dangers. One thing missing is the Secret Police to force people into desired behavior patterns by constant surveillance. Orwell was more realistic about England and the world of 1948.
A few thoughts from a "religious" viewpoint.......2007-09-04
This remarkable book was written around 1931. As far as I know, it is the earliest of the modern utopia novels ("1984" and "Fahrenheit 451" for example). You may not want to read my review if you haven't yet read the book,or don't want to be exposed to a summary of it:
It is a story, centered in London, of a world where life is lived out in controlled, contented bliss. Genetic engineering contributes to a smoothly functioning caste system. Sexual promiscuity is the norm, even instilled in children. Birth control is the norm. Behavior altering drug use is the norm. Physical attractiveness is at a premium and youth is artificially preserved throughout lifespan. Materialistic consumption is prized. Entertainment occupies non-work hours but does NOT include reading. Independent thinking is unacceptable. "God" has been replaced by "Ford", literally (science and industry!, not superstition).
A couple of characters are introduced, who behave counter to the culture. They eventually are banished. We get a glimpse into the true thoughts of a World Controller, who has a safe containing BOOKS. A central character (The Savage) is introduced, having been imported from the undeveloped American Southwest. Although a primitive, he was self-educated through study of an ancient volume of Shakespeare. He is rather pan-theistic, worshipping an assortment of gods that he has became aware of, including the Christian God. (He seems to be doing the best he can with the information he has). His love relationship with a beautiful but totally indoctrinated London girl destroys him (he is chaste - she is a cookie cutter product of the society and he is appalled by her ready sexual promiscuity).
In the end, The Savage cannot function in this society and takes his own life. The reader may assume that the society absorbs the entertainment available from this event and moves on blissfully.
Who wins, who is happy, who is right? My conclusion: If there is no God, the pleasure seeking utopians were right on track. The Savage was a superstitious primitive who squandered his life and a multitude of opportunities for fun and happiness. Conversely, if a Creator Deity does exist (whom The Savage clearly sought with a whole heart), then it would appear that The Savage moved on to a superior state, and indeed had lived out his whole life in a superior fashion of obedience. The utopians live out their reward in the present state, squandering eternity.
The Bible (mentioned in the novel, a copy hidden in the Controller's safe) asserts that The Creator is self evident through his creation, and all who reject him are without excuse. Correspondingly, there are multiple allusions in the novel to fascination with nature, such as the night sky. Such interest is supressed by the utopian society or course. I think that is the bottom line of Huxley's Brave New World. Living for this world (serving self), or living for the greater, unseen one (serving God). A great matter of faith, and the essence of all decision making.
Odd tale, but a classic.......2007-08-07
One of the first views of dystopian society, in response to Orwell's 1984. An intelligently devised future showing how a utopian society might form in the future from mass produced births, sexual liberation, legalized drug dependence, and social class conditioning.
Shrug.......2007-07-26
While going through my stack of unread books this summer I noticed that I still had a copy of this book from High School, at the moment I am two semesters from graduating from college. So, I figured I should read it as I am an English major and most English majors have read this book.
Why I bothered I do not know.
The plot to this book was poorly executed, the characters were weak and I just didn't really care.
Instead I suggest "1984" by Orwell or "We" by Zamyatin, if you are interested in this topic. Especially "We" as it was written before either or these two books and is my personal favorite, but is tragically ignored.
A Christian Perspective.......2007-07-21
First of all, a disclaimer: though this review is intended to display some of the ways I think Christianity illuminates this book, I certainly do not claim to be speaking for all Christians. These are just my thoughts...
That being said, I think the most important feature of "Brave New World" is that it illustrates what happens to humanity when it, en masse, begins to depart from the classical Christian worldview. By classical Christian worldview I mean that which was best described by St. Augustine in City of God (Penguin Classics). Without going into too much detail, the basic notion Augustine suggests is that salvation (in terms of deliverance from a fallen world) comes only in transcendent reality, and therefore people should stop expecting that a transcendently perfect reality can exist in this world.
I bring up Augustine because he was relied on to a large extent by Eric Voegelin. Voegelin's writing concerning modernity and gnosticism provides a philosophical framework for understanding how the central tenants of "Brave New World" are also the central tenants of our modern world (see especially Modernity Without Restraint: The Political Religions, The New Science of Politics, and Science, Politics, and Gnosticism (Collected Works of Eric Voegelin, Volume 5)) The connection between Augustine, Voegelin, and "Brave New World" seem to me to be this: when humanity rejects the lessons of classical Christianity and begins attempting to "fix" this world by way of various projects, disaster inevitable follows. Of course, Huxley is not espousing a Christian critique of the world. Nevertheless, I think "Brave New World" is an important book for Christians because the book illustrates the realities of humanity and the sad results that stem from those realities.
Christianity aside, I think this book presents an adult version of another great book, The Giver, by Lois Lowry. If you read "The Giver" and loved it then I think you will really enjoy "Brave New World". The central tenants of the books are roughly the same. Perhaps the most significant difference is that "Brave New World" is written in a voice that is inherently sarcastic and pessimistic concerning the principle characters whereas "The Giver" does not seem to pass as much judgment on the masses as much as it is concerned with society's leaders.
I've attempted to bring a couple of fresh perspectives to "Brave New World" that I haven't seen in the other 687 reviews out there. This is a great book that is an important read for our times. I would recommend this book especially for high school and college students because it is th
Running with Scissors: A Memoir
Magical Thinking : True Stories
Sellevision: A Novel
Possible Side Effects
Naked
