Biographies Books


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Biographies Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Biographies
Harrison
Published in Hardcover by Simon & Schuster (2002-05-01)
Author: Editors of Rolling Stone
List price: $29.95
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Average review score:

George Harrison's Life in Pictures
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-03
This is a beautiful and lovingly produced book of George Harrison's life in pictures with comprehensive articles and tributes written about George and heaps of great photographs and more. George's wife, Olivia Harrison wrote a moving personal Foreword that brings tears to the eye and touches chords of hearts. No George Harrison fans could miss this much sought-after item. However, whether or not you are a George Harrison or Beatles fan, this is a great book to read and a wonderful gift to give.

my favority beatle
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-09
Geroge is consider one of the quiet one in the band "i think" but not on the music, his talent surpass any
other musician and is really sad not to have him anymore . In this book you'll find a great deal of pics since
the Beginning and from his solo career , a must have book to put in your collection

Harrison
Helpful Votes: 13 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-11
I must challege Candace Scott's remark in her review :

"But it's a stretch, to put it mildly, to place Harrison in the same league as Lennon & McCartney as a songwriter. Ouch! I love George as much as anyone, but still expect truthful history to be written"

I agree, George should not be placed in the same league as Lennon & McCartney because he was totally in his own league ! What is Candace making the comparison to here ? It was George, partially inspred by Pattie, his first wife, who led the other Beatles into the rich Vedic culture of spiritual India that inspired so many of their finest musical and lyrical masterpieces.

So in that context, the "truthful history to be written", is that George was even partially responsible for some of the finest compopsitions of Lennon and McCartney.George gave great emphasis to the chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord, as in the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, as found in "My Sweet Lord", and "It Is He ( Sri Krishna )", which is the ultimate function of music, according to the ancient wise sages, gurus and spiritual masters . This Krishna mantra has helped millions of people to give up harmful drugs, animal killing, etc...How many song-writers are doing that with their music today ? George was the innovator, to turn scripture into pop songs. He was divinely empowered and had the integrity to do this, not caring if he was "fab" to the eyes of the masses, unlike anyone before him.

To minimize George's ability as a song writer in anyway only helps to disclose one's own superficiality, and lack of spiritual consciousness.

George's songs overflow with essential messages of the futility and temporality of things material, such as "All Things Must Pass", the dangers of becoming too materially attached "Beware of Darkness" , the concern for living in harmony with this planet "Save The World", etc...

In "Isn't It A Pity", George gives the essence of spirituality, by prompting us to develop equal vision and gratitude toward all beings, including animals :

"Some things take so long

But how do I explain

When not too many people

Can see we're all the same

And because of all their tears

Their eyes can't hope to see

The beauty that surrounds them

Isn't it a pity

I was very disappointed by Candace Scott's inabiity to see that "beauty that surrounds her" and lack of gratitude towards the very substantial and deep contribution George made through his music in transforming the lives of millions of people. I went on to become a Hare Krishna monk over thirty years ago because of his music, and devoted the best years of my life to feeding free vegetarian meals to tens of thousands of people, helping others off drugs, and so many other volunteer activities.

George Harrison is my first guru, and awareness of his contribution to the upliftment of the world will only increase as time goes by. Please read this book for it's deeper purpose.
gaura_acbsp@yahoo.com

Wow!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-26
For the recent Birthday of Georgie Boy, I can review this item as the best way of remembering one of the best humans that have ever walked this earth.

Lovely Tribute to a Lovely Man
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-26
Having been a "LLOG" (Lifetime Lover of George)I have read plenty about him. In general, his music is the best way to get to know George: it is unique, multi-textured, honest, witty, loving and spiritual. However, for reasons I certainly can't fathom, generally his post-Beatles work (with about two exceptions) got no respect!
Of course I loved the photos, but in my opinion the written tributes from his wife, Olivia, and his friends/fellow musicians are what sets this book apart. Paul Simon's is particularly descriptive: I felt as though I was visiting Friar Park (the Harrison's home in England) right along with him; walking through George's beloved gardens, sitting in front of the fire, listening to an impromptu ukelele concert, receiving a thoughtful surprise upon returning home to the U.S. "He wasn't particularly quiet, he just didn't DEMAND to be heard." Beautifully put. (Note to Paul Simon: you just might have a second career there; I would buy your first novel!)
This is also a great book for aspiring guitarists, as it gives mini-descriptions of particularly noteworthy ("Essential") Harrison performances, illustrating the subtleties and unusual but brilliant choices George made (at times even innovative or ground breaking) musically. People who previously believed that Lennon and McCartney were the ONLY geniuses in the Beatles will re-think that belief after reading this section particularly: they might even listen for certain passages in certain songs and think, "YEAH, WOW! That IS amazing!" They might give George's solo work (besides "All Things Must Pass") a listen and be pleasantly surprised. But we "LLOGs" have heard and appreciated the subtle brilliance of George Harrison all along.
This book is a must-have for any George Harrison or Beatles fan, or any guitar or rock history aficionado.



Biographies
I Dared to Call Him Father: The Miraculous Story of a Muslim Woman's Encounter with God
Published in Paperback by Chosen (2003-04-01)
Authors: Bilquis Sheikh and Richard H. Schneider
List price: $12.99
New price: $7.45
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Average review score:

Wonderful Testimony!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-22
I just finished reading this book and highly recommend it.It is an inspiring true and personal testimony of a wealthy traditional Muslim woman who came to the faith through vivid dreams from God. As she journeys from Islam to Christianity, her salvation leads to her to a wonderfully intimate relationship with Christ. She is dedicated and obedient in all details of her life, big and small , and openly shares her struggles with temporal things, a sharp tongue, and pride and how she learns to overcome her flesh and walk in a true relationship with the Lord. It is void of the shallow Christianity that is so prevalent in our society today, and I found that very refreshing . It left me desiring a deeper level of intimacy with God as well as causing me to evaluate my own obedience and faith in Him . The presence of the Lord she experiences is rare, but so is the faith and trust that she has for Him.

Her simplistic faith, untouched and tainted by modern Christianity and its rules and doctrine is a beautiful testament of how the Spirit will teach us all we need to know about Him. As He gives her dreams, leads her into the Scriptures and speaks to her she learns His word and how to obey Him. Her obedience, even as her life is threatened, is encouraging. I love a part in the book where she tells the Lord she doesn't have what it takes to be a martyr, so she asks Him to make her death quick and painless! I laugh because I have often prayed that myself.


Being a Muslim living in the middle east, coming to the faith in Christ was worthy of death. She was ostracized by her family and threatened with her life, yet she held steadfast and unwavering to the Lord in spite of it.

This book was originally written in 1978 but has been republished and includes an after word from two missionary friends who were close with her and were used to disciple Bilquis in her walk with the Lord. The author is now with the Lord, but has left behind a shining example of what a true relationship with Christ is for today.
It is an easy read and one that would make a wonderful family read aloud. I will definitely be adding it to book our pile to read to my children.

Stephanie
www.ahighandnoblecalling.blogspot.com

Amazing Book Amazing Story
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-12
I love this book. It has become a friend over the years. It is written in such a way as you are sitting down and talking with a dear friend and she is telling you about her adventure.

What a life changing book it is. Read it.....and pass one along to a friend.

I dared to call Him Father
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-06
This is one of the most amazing books of a biography that I have ever read, on the power of GOD to show his LOVE for His children.

perfect study on women in islam
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-27
I am currently taking a course on Islam and the anstructor thought that this book would be an interesting read as to how women in that society were treated from their perspective. My wife and I read the book together in ONE DAY, she read it out loud as we drove around running arrands and then as we arrived home we finished that evening. Neither of us wanted to put the book down as it had us captured from page one.
This book was obviously written by a well educated woman raised in the Muslim faith who started on the journey to Christianity through a carefully thought out spiritual process.
I would call this book a Must Read for Christians of today as we have lost this simplistic view of our faith that this woman had and our willingness to defend it to the loss of everything.
The book is yet in a very simplistic writing style that it reads much like one of Kipling's stories that the author quotes and obviously was raised on in Pakistan.

A powerful and moving testimony of God's love and grace
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-18
Bilquis' story of her search for God and the way He found her shows the depths of his love for lost sinners and the powerful way he draws men to him. As the story unfolds, you can see how God is working out everything in the background, through dreams, events, chance encounters and situations to orchestrate the salvation of her soul. This is especially revealed in the Afterword written by Synove Mitchell, the missionary that Bilquis' first consulted, the despair that was going on in her spiritual life at the time, and her fervent prayers to God to show her meaning in her ministry.

After her conversion, Bilquis learns to walk with God, to feel for his Presence and to follow his leading. This part is very humbling for me because I have not yet learned to walk as Bilquis has, perhaps because I have too much material, Bible study notes, commentaries, preaching, programs, that I have not learned to lean solely on God, and what he wants me to do. I pray that I can develop the sensitivity that Bilquis has, about moving in his will, staying in his presence and his fellowship and then obey. Even though she was shunned by her family, threatened by the villagers, and almost had her house burned down, Bilquis learned to trust only in God and his timing. She was bold in her witness, she did what God told her to do, and was used by him to bring other villagers to Christ. Bilquis also recounts times when she grieved the Spirit, when she let her old self get in the way, and her immediate sense of being further away from God.

Servants and neighbors observed the changes that God made in Bilquis' life after her salvation. Whereas before, she was imperious, prideful, and hard to please. She became gentle, gracious, and giving. After years of observing her, her Muslim servant received Jesus as Saviour because she too wanted to know God, and asked Jesus to come into her heart. They both "have tasted that the Lord is gracious" (1 Peter 2:3)

So it can be for you too, if you want to taste of the heavenly gift, then just ask God to show Himself to you. While visiting a hospital, she met a doctor who told her "there is only one way to find out why you feel this way. And that is to find out for yourself, strange as that may seem. Why don't you pray to the God you're searching for? Ask Him to show you His way. Talk to Him as if He is your friend.... Talk to Him as if He were your father."

Biographies
I Hope You Have A Good Life: A True Story of Love, Loss and Redemption
Published in Hardcover by Crown (2000-08-29)
Author: Campbell Armstrong
List price: $20.00
New price: $5.83
Used price: $0.01

Average review score:

Amazing
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-03-16
When I first picked up this book, I was a little unsure about it. I am here to tell you that this book is worth reading. It shows a family dealing not only with cancer, but living with past lapses in judgment that sometimes come back in the middle of the night to haunt them.
It made me realize how short life is, and that we should all take a little more time and enjoy the people who are in our lives. We never know when something could happen to them.

An Extraordinary Book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2002-04-03
This is simply one of the finest memoirs I've read in years; and an important book on serious topics - marriage, divorce, adoption, alcohol, and illness. Armstrong has a lot of wisdom to impart, and does so in a simple yet affecting style that will often break your heart.
Do not miss this book...it's a work of art.

A Moving Work on Many Levels
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2000-12-18
I thank the author. As we all know, there are, at times, difficult decisions to be made in life. When our choices seem both right and wrong simultaneously, the measure of our worth can possibly be revealed. This is a true story, a memoir, of deep human connections. Make a point of reading this one. Then you, too, will be thanking Campbell Armstrong, also for his wonderfully emotionally uplifting writings.

Uplifting, Moving, Thought Provoking
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2000-12-18
I want to thank the author for following his ambitions, listening to his heart and sharing his writings with us. As we all know, there are, at times, difficult decisions to be made in life. When our choices seem both right and wrong simultaneously, the measure of our worth can possibly be revealed. This is a true story, a memoir, of deep human connections. Make a point of reading this one. You will be thanking Campbell Armstrong, also.

I Hope You Have A Good Life aka All That Really Matters
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2001-05-14
I just read All That Really Matters the UK version of I Hope You Have A Good Life. What a wonderful book! I would definately give more than 5 stars if I could. The book is a true story of a woman who gave up her baby girl years ago. Well she gets married, to who else, Campbell Armstrong an aspiring writer, and has kids, 3 boys, of her own. After they move to Phoenix, they end up getting divorced and Campbell moves back to Ireland where they are originally from, while Eileen stays with the boys in Phoenix. Years later Eileen finds out she has cancer. Across the world, a woman named Barbara also finds out she has cancer. She has been looking for her real mother for a long time. When she finally finds her mother and they both discover they both have cancer, the illness doesn't matter anymore because they have found each other. This is a story of loves lost and found along with lifes ups and downs. What a magnificent story. I have also read Concert of Ghosts by Campbell Armstrong. Also a descriptive book!!!

Biographies
In Control: The Rebirth of an NFL Legend
Published in Paperback by Sports Publishing (2004-08)
Author: Thomas Henderson
List price: $24.95
New price: $3.40
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Average review score:

Straight Up
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-26
Thomas Henderson tells it straight up . If you want to know how a man can right himself after falling from grace then you need to read this book . From the top of the mountain , fame , money , prestige , all pro line backer with the Cowboys to a destitute , strung out crack head . Want to learn how this man dealt with his demons ? He takes one day at a time , just like the rest of us . But Thomas makes a pledge to take one day at a time " sober " . It's an option , you gotta suit up every day !

God bless you Thomas . Keep fighting the good fight

As good or better than an A.A. meeting
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-17
I Really enjoyed reading In Control, Years ago I read Thomas's other book Out of Control and while I enjoyed it also. This one is different -- his first one told how he got sober, but this new one tells HOW TO STAY SOBER!!! While he tells us how to stay sober he also entertains the heck out of the reader. It is a book I am going to find myself rereading every couple years or so, and there are not very many books that are like that for me.

Inspirational
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-19
This book really made me re-think about my sobriety.Thomas Henderson helped me understand better about the 12-steps.About being able to better my life while dealing with my addictions.I really recommend this book for anybody who is going through a recovery process or knows somebody who is,to help them understand what that person is going through in their head.

Straight Forward
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-03-25
This book is the straightforward, easy to read, incredible story of one mans trip to hell and back. Cowboy fans and anyone interested in reading a testimony to the human spirit will enjoy In Control. It is also an excellent heads-up to anyone thinking of dabbling in the world of alcohol and drugs. For those who can identify with Thomases plight, it is an excellent companion to the Big Book of A.A. For those who cant, let it serve as a warning to any who think addiction is a problem "other people" have to worry about.

Every thinking adult should read this book.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-14
I just spent the weekend reading this book and couldn't put it down.

Thomas Henderson has written a book about addiction and recovery, but his message is actually a universal statement of how to identify challenges, find solutions, produce results and to live a more meaningful life. I think its message has meaning to everyone.

If you (or a family member, friend, or associate) is challenged by addiction, you will learn and find inspiration.

If you are concerned about public policy issues and the burdens of our criminal justice system, you should read this book to understand more about addiction as a foundational problem that produces crime and recidivism.

If you are the leader of a company, of your household, of your kids, or of your peers, this book has important messages that can help you look at problems differently, consider new solutions, and to make better decisions.

While the narrative involves the recovery of Thomas Henderson, reading this book will help you be a more effective CEO, a better parent, or a more enlightened leader. Every thinking adult should read this book.





Biographies
Jeff Gordon: Portrait of a Champion
Published in Hardcover by HarperEntertainment (1998-07-01)
Author: Jeff Gordon
List price: $45.00
New price: $42.79
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Average review score:

A very interesting book, a true champion
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 1999-11-06
I enjoyed the book very much but not as much as my 18 month old grandson whould have if he could read. He is all Jeff even looks like him. This is not only my opinion but a lot of other people as well. Everything in his room is Jeff Gordan. He even has a Jeff uniform and wore it for hallowween. Took Third. If I had an address I would send a picture of my grandson Levi. He watches just about all your races with his mother as he doesn't have a male role model, just me. A race car enthusiast from Sioux Falls, SD

Great Picturers!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2000-02-14
This is a great book not only for the pictures but the text is also very great. It's just an all around great book!

awesome book
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2000-01-30
this was one of the best books that i have read on Jeff and i'm reading it over and over. I only wish it was bigger and that i was in it.

BEST BOOK EVER.
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2000-01-09
I am a big fan of Gordon i have mostly ever thing of Gordon. If you are a racing fan these sould be your first book!

Wonderful Book
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2000-03-22
I am a huge Jeff Gordon fan and I will be the first to tell you that this is a wonderful book! I have been a fan for a little over 4 years and this book goes into detail about everything that you would ever want to know! Very well written...if you are a Jeff Gordon fan this is the book for you!

Biographies
Jim Henson: The Works - The Art, the Magic, the Imagination
Published in Hardcover by Random House (1993-10-12)
Author: Christopher Finch
List price: $49.95
New price: $30.70
Used price: $28.50
Collectible price: $49.95

Average review score:

JIM HENSON 'THE WORKS'
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-04
Wow!!
This is a book for everyone and anyone that loves the muppets and its good for all ages, coffee table or for propsmakers.
Top choice as a present for muppets lovers

One word.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-08
Fabulous. So many other reviewers have expressed the feelings this book gives you so much more eloquently, so I will leave mine with just that one word. Fabulous.

The Works
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-11
This book is fabulous. I ordered it from America to come to England as the current exchange rate made it cheaper to buy this book new than to buy it second hand in England, and the wait for shipping was worth it. There are some brilliant anecdotes from people working with Henson, and beautful pictures illustrating everything that ever went on in Jim Henson's studios, right up to unpublished notes that Henson wrote for a book.

This book is beautiful, and really interesting in looking at the work of Jim Henson.

A read worthy of Henson's genius.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-03
Complete with full color pictures, as well as black and white photos of Jim's early years, this book is not only a great read. -It's fun to look at too! Even young children can sit and appreciate the magic of Jim Henson's creations through the artwork and photo-journalistic shots throughout.

This book contains a great deal of biographical information on Jim throughout his life, and includes a great deal of his earlier forrays into the world of experimental art and design.

Definitely a good buy.

Letting the lights shine warmly on Jim Henson
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-29
It's hard to believe Jim Henson has now been gone for over 16 years. Christopher Finch's book stands as a great testament to Henson's amazingly prolific work and his larger-then-life existence. Despite Henson's natural shyness and reticence and quiet manner, the thing that strikes you in the book is how many lives this guy touched. He bestowed livelihoods on literally thousands of people. Their gratitude is expressed in these pages time and again in fervent, emotional recollections. To say Jim Henson inspired devotion only begins to get at what this guy meant to his family, friends and employees.

My hat is off to Christopher Finch for this wonderful collection, which is still available here as a beautiful and hardily-constructed first-edition hardback. Mr. Finch gets an extra level of respect for the decision (of which he no doubt had a say) to keep his name off the dustcover front. He's graciously stepped aside to let the lights shine warmly on Jim Henson.

Biographies
Journey to the Ants: A Story of Scientific Exploration
Published in Hardcover by Belknap Press (1994-08-05)
Authors: Bert Hölldobler and Edward O. Wilson
List price: $27.50
New price: $15.00
Used price: $4.17
Collectible price: $27.50

Average review score:

Journey of the Ants
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-14
I have to admit I did not expect to find this book as interesting as it turned out to be. I was only interested in identifying some species within my yard and discovered quite a bit about ants. This book won't make you an expert, but it has made me see ants from a whole new perspective, so much so that I have come to like them instead of disliking them. I can also see why it is possible to kill a colony so easily. Never knew that once the queen is gone, there is no colony. I think if ants had atom bombs they would have destroyed the earth by now - killing each other. I had no idea they were so aggressive towards one another. Anyway, great book to read.

Start point book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-18
Apart from being a great book for all kind of reader, it was, for me (eight years ago!), a start point and it was probably the cause I focus my career nowadays in these small insects. It's quite nice for a child (then better with adult, not to read alone) or young people interested in natural sciences.

Wonderful!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-08
I loved this book. After reading it I spent the next night telling my wife all I'd managed to remember.

Truly a fascinating adventure to another world
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-18
Journey to the Ants is a shorter version of the authors' monumental The Ants (1990), a 732-page tome aimed at professional biologists with a lot of technical language and a clear encyclopedic intent. This book, as Holldobler and Wilson explain in the Preface, is of "a more manageable length, with less technical language and with an admitted and unavoidable bias toward those topics and species on which we have personally worked."

It is a terrific book, lavishly illustrated with many color plates, line drawings, black and white drawings, photos, etc. Especially wonderful are the color prints of paintings by John D. Dawson showing ants in various activities. His style reminds me a bit of M.C. Esher. Also notable are the many photos taken by Holldobler and Wilson during their many travels and studies. They are both renowned experts on ants around the world.

The text is both informative and entertaining. Wilson in particular is a world class science writer as well as a great scientist, and his clarity of expression and enthusiasm show through. The chapters examine and illustrate how ants live in their colonies, how they hunt prey, tend aphid "cattle," cultivate fungi, raid other ant colonies; how they fight and how they reproduce. Other chapters focus on particular species, like army ants or leaf cutter ants, or "strange" ants. Still other chapters show how ants communicate especially through pheromones and touch. There is some theory on ant origins (about 100-120 million years ago) and their evolution and present distribution. I was particularly interested in and appalled by both the way some ants are parasites and how they themselves are exploited by parasites. Our esteemed authors show how ants, for all their power and evolutionary success, can be the most naive victims of beetles, flies, butterfly larva, etc. simply because they can be fooled by smells that mimic those of the colony and/or because they can be given irresistible concoctions of food or what might be called "drugs" that make them passive and acceptive of insects that will eat their eggs and larva. They are also tricked into feeding strangers on the trail and alien larva in the colony nest!

I purposely first read a couple of other books on ants (The World of Ants: A Science-Fiction Universe (1970) by Remy Chauvin, and Ants (1977) by M.V. Brian), written by myrmecologists of an earlier generation so as to be able to better appreciate this famous work. But you need not do that. Journey to the Ants is eminently accessible to just about any literate person.

While reading I had some thoughts (as Wilson famously has had) on the differences and similarities between ant societies and human ones. Ants are not governed as we are (and as was once thought) in any way by a central authority. (They are influenced by the queen's pheromones and her behavior.) Instead ants are examples of "swarm intelligence," that is purposeful and coordinated behavior that arises from each individual doing what comes naturally to that individual. This sort of intelligence was just beginning to be appreciated when Holldobler and Wilson wrote this book. The phrase "swarm intelligence" does not appear anywhere in the book, and yet it is clear that our present understanding of how this intelligence works was gleaned in part from the work of biologists and ethologists like Holldobler and Wilson.

Ants are famous for doing human-like things that no other animals or few can do, such as gardening, tending herds, making war, and constructing elaborate living spaces. It is usually said that ants do it from pure instinct whereas we use our intelligence and the experience. Humans and ants cannot be defined independently of their respective cultures. What I wonder is, is it an artificiality to say that their intelligence, spread out as it is among the individuals and their genetic endowments, is fundamentally different from our own? Clearly ants are limited in what they can construct, what they can understand, and what tools they can make and use. I read somewhere that ants never developed fire because no ant could get close enough to a sustainable fire to tend it.

A striking conclusion is that perhaps the real difference between us comes from our ability to grow a million times bigger in size which allows us not only to tend fires, but to develop brains large enough to handle abstract thought such as in language, which further allows us to develop and share ideas, concepts, practices, and all the other aspects of our culture in a way that is impossible for ants, whose brain size is limited by their anatomy.

So, although ants were here long before we arrived, and although they probably will be here long after we are gone, it is impossible to say which life form is the more successful. We do have at present the capability, which ants do not, of enhancing our ability to survive through genetic engineering and the development of biologically friendly machines, and even the ability to migrate away from this earth so that our genes and ourselves are not in one basket, so to speak. Should a planet-sterilizing event hit the earth, we could be on Mars and still survive.

But then there is this insidious thought: perhaps the ants, like our resident microbes, will find a way to come with us!

Don't miss this book. You are in for a treat.

amazing
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-03
There is few to say that has not been said. It is very well written and the information is mind-boggling.

Biographies
Legionnaire: An Englishman in the French Foreign Legion
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Pan Books (2003-02)
Author: Simon Murray
List price: $14.95
New price: $10.57
Used price: $19.58

Average review score:

The classic
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-08
No need to add any reviews, just the best british legion book. Plays
in the same league like "Par le sang verse'" (Through the blood wich was
shed) by Paul Bonnecarrere.

Could not put it down!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-28
For men who have served in a similar capacity (airborne infantry), great read. Easy to say now that I'm no longer eligible, but I wish I'd joined 20 years ago. It's the kind of adventure I was looking for then. Some of my personal experiences parallel Mr. Murray's, but not in intensity and duration. Deepest respect.

A classic story of the Legion
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-14
I greatly enjoyed Legionnaire, though it does bog down in places, it is a great telling of life in the Legion. The author is a very intelligent and educated man and it shows in his writing. The entire book is a collection from his extensive diaries during his time in the Legion.

The story is a classic Foreign Legion story of a young educated British boy seeking adventure and excitement. What he finds is that the Legion is not what he expected from reading Beau Geste and he is thrust into one of the most brutal and psychologically exhausting experience of his life. But you can see the transformation from the boy who entered the Legion to the hardened and weathered man who left it five years later.

Though the story might seem somewhat cliche the art is in the telling and the author does a magnificent job, a great read and well worth the time spent.

A Great Book!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-05-25
I had the old version of the book and at first the pace is slow and the diary format wasn't exciting. Later on, the action picks up and I came to like Murray as he is a very good lad and makes me sympathize with him. It is a wonderful account of 5 years in such a tough environment, although I would never join the Legion unless I really messed myself up somewhere in life...the reasons not to join are plentiful and I'm not sure Murray had any good reason to join the Legion other than for adventure, at a time when youths could take time off and worry less about the rat-race as it is today.

Classic Must Read Book of the Genre
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2005-02-27
I've read this book at least four times over the past twenty years (yes, I bought it when it first came out) and lent it out to at least that many friends. If you are interested in the Legion, the military, history or just feeling adventurous - this is the book for you.

Biographies
The Lightworker's Way: Awakening Your Spiritual Power to Know and Heal
Published in Paperback by Hay House (1997-08)
Author: Doreen Virtue
List price: $14.95
New price: $7.62
Used price: $3.00
Collectible price: $14.95

Average review score:

The Lightworkers Way
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-25
I received the book well before the date promised. Am happy to add another Doreen Virtue book to my book collection.

Very Thought Provoking Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-15
The Lightworker's Way: Awakening Your Spiritual Power to Know and Heal

I really appreciate the author writing this book. She truly details all of the little life defining moments and the events in her life that led up to where she is now and how she slowly accepted her healing and intuitive gifts. I appreciate her honesty; this book has been extremely inspiring to me. I will suggest this book to any open minded person who wants to write their own book or for anyone who is very intuitive but do not have anyone they feel safe enough to share it with. Thank you, Doreen Virtue, for doing your life's work of healing and encouraging others to love and heal as well.

Living in the Light!!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-20
A powerful book that I just would not put down. I had many "aha" moments.
Higly recommend for those "living in the light". Worth a read. :-)

I enjoyed this book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-26
As the author of The Second Virgin Birth, I enjoyed The Lightworkers Way. I found it different and interesting.

Great spiritual teacher
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-03
I ordered this book again, after I read it years ago and gave it away. It was great the first and second time. Doreen is a profound spiritual teacher, clairvoyant and life educator. If the word Lightworker rings true to you, you MUST read this book. Doreen is a PHD psychologist AND a healer, intutive, so you get an overall way to heal that is loving light and soulful and practical knowledge. She talks about her history of having gifts and struggling against them and then embracing them. I have seen her numerous times and met her in Los angeles and she is the REAL DEAL. She beams an angelic quality and knowledge. I can't say enough how much her books have helped me on my path. I am a spirtual healer and psychotherapist, so I resonate with her being bold enough to speak her truth.

Biographies
My Hitch in Hell: The Bataan Death March
Published in Kindle Edition by Potomac Books Inc. (2000-09-01)
Author: Lester I. Tenney
List price: $8.95
New price: $7.16

Average review score:

A Hero's Experience in World War II
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-01
This readable memoir of one of the darkest parts of World War II in the Pacific theater brings Lester Tenney's experiences as a young man, recruit, soldier, prisoner of war and repatriated civilian to life. Mr. Tenney's journey through the hell he describes leads us through pain, despair, hope, bitterness and ultimately to the forgiveness he found. We learn about one man's faith in family and loved ones that led to his determination to survive. Anyone interested in World War II will find this a valuable resource. My book group (women in our fifties and sixties) was moved by this book. Several bought more copies to give to friends and family.

Pages flew by
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-06
This is a story about a terrible event in history. This is not a fun story to read but it is one that needs to be read to help us appreciate how good our life really is. There are many memorable parts to this book, I am amazed anyone could survive this.

true story
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-24
I remember this situation when I was 10 years old during WW2. This is a fascinating read and so well written that I could not put it down. It tells it like it was..

Tenney does justice to an event all too often forgetten....
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-09
I just finished this book, and I must say I am inspired. Lester Tenney deserves an enormous amount of respect and admiration for what he endured and acomplished during his time as an american POW.

While this is not exactly a full account of the Death March and the surrounding events filled with statistics and data, it is Tenney's first hand account that makes this horrendous event so palpable that the reader feels as though they are enduring the very same hardships.

Do not expect this to be a simple or comfortable read. While the book has some wonderful and very happy moments, namely Tenney's own postive attitude and inner strength, these moments are doubled by nearly unbearable situations that will make you cringe, as any story about one of the most horrifying events of the war should. Tenney describes in extreme detail the atrocities of the Japanese military. While this story is anything but rosy, it is indescribably important, as it tells a story which seems to be forgetten in our society. What these men suffered through was every bit as terrifying as those on the battlefield, and those who suffered during the Holocaust. Tenney does their story justice, and shows us that these harrowing men deserve every bit of respect and admiration as any other serving in an American uniform.

Unbelievable and Infuriating
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-13
The story of the Bataan survivors is at the same time unbelievable and infuriating. It blows my mind the cruelty these heros were subjected to on an hourly basis and at the same time I'm ashamed to say that part of me feels like Japan got off easy with two nukes dropped on them. That anybody lived at all is in itself no small feat.

The book itself is a great read. It was obviously written by a survivor, so consequently it has that 1st person feel that I like.


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