Other The Books

This is a fun and exciting trek around the Red Planet. I absolutely love the "hike" format, and this book is probably the next best thing to actually being there on Martian soil. Tidbits like what to wear on Mars and how to tell time definitely give the book a light-hearted personality. Another great feature is the author's own "personal experiences" / Mars exploration observation sections entitled "My Martian Chronicles." Thanks to the author, a great guide, I felt so involved in my "trip" that I wanted to buy a souvenir T-shirt! LOL I love the Classic Martian Map and Topographic Map foldouts at the front of the book. I especially like the easy-to-read large font of the text. I didn't have to squint while reading the book, which is a good thing.

In this book, we see Mars treated almost as if it was a tourist region. The author has divided Mars into areas of interest. He then discussed separately each area. Just like Earth, Mars has many different regions and scenery.

Although I am keen on space, somehow this book did little for me. After awhile I found it too much and lost interest in the details of each region. What I would have preferred on Mars is fewer notes and more pictures.

The other point is the book is full of interesting pictures unfortunately to appreciate them you need a large size book then this one.

Having said that if your interested in Mars geography though you will find this author knows his information, it is current and he explains his points well.

A Traveler's Guide to Mars is well written and quite fascinating for anyone with an interest in the planetary geology of Mars.

Hartmann breaks down the history of Mars into three geologic eras (Noachian, Hesperain, and Amazonian) based on the amount of cratering on the Martian surface. From there, he explores each one of these regions in detail.

From the majestic Mons Olympus volcano and 2500 mile long Valles Marineris Canyon to the probable glacial "melting mountains" of Promethei Terra and controversial ancient ocean shorelines of Vastitas Borealis , Hartmann provides the reader with a sweeping scope of Martian history, replete with stunning aerial photography and images, that is simply quite amazing. He even discusses the "microbial fossil" Martian meteorites as well as the notorious "Face on Mars" in the Cydonia highlands.

Take a trip to Mars ... you won't be disappointed

This is a really cool book! I didn't know we had the so-called red planet (a better name is the butterscotch planet) mapped out to the extent that we do. I've always loved geography and to take a tour of the features of another world is thrilling. If you like astronomy, geography, or have an optimist's bent on human destiny being among the stars, read this great book!

Have you ever wanted to go beyond the headlines concerning discoveries about Mars and get a thorough overview so that you can put things into perspective? This book is more than a collection of pretty pictures from a far away place. It gives a good introductory account of what we think we know about the planet, and why.

William Hartmann has been involved in uncovering knowledge about objects in the Solar system since the time that mankind first developed the ability to go beyond the Earth's atmosphere for an unobstructed view. He is in an authoritative position for attaching meaning to the images, and yet the explanations he gives are very much 'down to Earth', so to speak.

Data from space probes (starting with the Mariner series) have literally redrawn the map of the surface of Mars. The time varying dark regions were found to be not seas, or canals, or vegetation, but rather wind blown sand. New names were needed in 1972 to identify actual terrain features. The contrast between old and new can be see by comparing the two foldout maps inside the front cover.

Does Mars have a global magnetic field? No. But it used to! Metal particles in rocks older than 3,000,000 years ago are polarized. Particles in younger rocks are not polarized. The core of Mars was likely molten for the first 1,500,00 years and then cooled. Lack of a magnetic field has resulted in more Solar radiation reaching the surface, and may have played a role in carrying away the atmosphere.

Is there life on Mars? Was there life on Mars? That's still an open question. It's clear that there is evidence of large quantities of liquid water on the planet in its early years. That at least opens the possibility that Mars harbored life at that time. What we are finding today is that life survives in very hostile environments here on Earth, and microbes survived on a Moon probe visited years later by an Apollo crew, so who can say at this point?

Of all the places in the Solar system besides Earth, Mars is the one which has the most resources that would support manned exploration and colonization. There is still water on Mars, although in frozen form. The atmosphere contains CO2, from which oxygen can be extracted for propellant and for breathing. The presence of an atmosphere itself if of interest for aerobraking and radiation shielding. The fact of a day/night cycle very close to 24 hours is conducive to agriculture.

Robert Zubrin and others have been advocating for years that travel to Mars is worthwhile and affordable, and NASA now has a congressionally supported presidential mandate to proceed in that direction. The concept that one day a reader of William Hartmann's Traveler's Guide will in fact make the trip is no longer so far fetched.

This is a good read for anyone interested in Mars as a destination, or who would just like to know a bit more about that pink speck in the night sky. It also provides food for thought concerning climate change on our own planet. We didn't destroy the atmosphere on Mars, but maybe we can learn how to avoid Mars' fate here on Earth.

I'm stuck in the first few chapters of this collection. It is much darker compared to the immediately uplifiting through positive insight book, The Prophet. It is however still filled with Gibran's signature wisdom just in a slow and gloomy kind of way. It is a must have for any Gibran lover just be prepared.

My father first gave me a copy of this powerful, and yet distant writer who exposed my mental eye to a world far away; yet close to home. Kahlil Gibran inspired me beyond words, and I know as a writer that every word written inspires someone; however, this author is my prime example of how race has no matter in words that scatter ignorance. He'd addressed the heart and mind on subjects with great story telling power. My original copy of his book is so old that it is falling apart, and so I bought this collection in order to share his words with others without concern for the condition of the book. I read a few pages to a young lady in one of my classes and she went out and bought her a copy, too. I had no idea that I was missing out on so much more incredible stories and poems until I'd made this purchase. I leave it to you form your own opinion.

Everyone seems to have known about this book but me! Where have I been? The poems and stories in this book absolutely give me those wonderful goose-bumps that come when I experience something very special.

I am very pleased with this purchase. The book was shipped quickly and in excellent condition and I love the book!

"I know that the principles upon which I base my writings, are echoes of the spirit of the great majority of the people of the world..." (656)
-Kahlil Gibran in a letter to his cousin, Nakhli Gibran, in 1908.

"The Treasured Writings of Kahlil Gibran", is a compilation of three other books of Gibran's treasury of writings, that each contained several books in one volume. They were: "A Treasury of Kahlil Gibran" (1947), "A Second Treasury of Kahlil Gibran" (1957), and "A Third Treasury of Kahlil Gibran" (1965). A total of ten books in all, this volume contains earlier books by Gibran such as, "Tears And Laughter", and more mature and widely acclaimed books such as, "The Broken Wings." In addition to the beautiful prose, verse, and imaginative stories, there is also biographical information and letters written by, and to Gibran. This is perhaps the most comprehensive book of Kahlil Gibran's writings, and one of the most informative about the man himself.

Philosopher, artist, and poet; these are some of the titles that are used to describe Kahlil Gibran. In order to fully describe this remarkable man, and this book, "The Treasured writings of Kahlil Gibran", one must reach beyond a mere title and use words such as passion, purity, and even divinity. To read this book is to realize this was a mortal man who sincerely understood the difficulties of being human, and yet often looked into the tender eyes of the divine, and shares his belief that he can see this light in the eyes of others.

"The riches of the spirit beautify the face of man and give birth to sympathy and respect. The spirit, in every being is made manifest in the eyes..." (488)

To absorb the depth of Gibran is to discover your own soul's longing for light and life, for beauty and joy. It is to hear the cries of your own heart's ecstasy as a friend, companion, and lover. With his writings, Gibran seems to gently take us by the hand, and listen with us, for our own whisper of echoing spirit.

Brian Douthit
Author Of Perfectly Said: when words become art

Outside of the Bible, this is the most significant book I have read. TrueFaced has changed my understanding of how life with Christ can be free and fun,ie. it is not performance based. It explains GRACE and how it is freely given if we Trust Him with our lives.

Excellent book. Reccomended for ALL in christianity! Also, for all who have been disillusioned by those who wore the "masks" and faces of christians. Great book for healing, restoration, and cleansing of the mind. A must read!

TrueFaced is very well written. The writing is clear and easy to follow, yet deep. Real life stories help drive home the points. The book's concepts are very freeing-- like the idea that you don't have to wear a mask yet you can still be loved in a true community.

It's a great book that leaves you with a lot to challenge you to think about.

Not much to say, but having all the three men write the book, together, it gives more meaning to the Word of God than many writers, out there, like many well knowns. The book keeps it so simple, in understanding some truths of life.

This book is all about growing in the faith. It is not a self-help book that teaches you what you need to do to fix yourself. The book shows that trying to fix yourself leads to failure. The book emphasizes being honest about who you really are and relying on God's promises.

While the book is theological, it is not intellectual. Anyone can read it and understand its message. I would strongly recommend this book for those in high school and college.

For anyone interested in the New Testament, this version is perhaps the purest. Tyndale enriched the English language with so many terms. 90% of the King James version is his translation, but his is smoother, less wordy and had no political agenda like the King James version

I have just learned of Mr. Tyndale's work and what he did for all of us, he translated the Bible when it was against the law to do so, even being burned at the stake for it. I have wanted to read his words. And am taking time to use them as a part of by Bible Study. Most passages are the same words as used in the King James Bible. And He received no credit. I don't think he did it for credit, but did it for all of us. I WOULD RECOMEND IT to anyone who is a Bible studend and is looking for another hero! E. Elmer

One of the things that Tyndale was noted for, ( killed for ) was his insistence on a translation that did not skew off the original, in order to keep church power players in-the-game. If this translation is his original, that supposition would seem to be false. Otherwise, this translation has also been skewed in order to keep the status-quo intact. As you can see, my interest was fairly focused. And I should have done my homework better.

If you're able to read the Bible in English, you should thank Tyndale. You should at least read his biography (which is part of this book) and his New Testament. The editor has put Tyndale's words into contemporary terms, making this book easy to read and understand.

When I read about Daniell's work and passion for Tyndale and his Bible, I decided to check it out. I was completely impressed with the work, Daniell retained the idea of Olde English, with more current English spelling, quite a fete.

Interestingly, you will also read a quick history of Tyndale's life and desire to have the common man have the scriptures in his hand. What punctuates this work is where Tyndale's work stops. At his death, he had competed much of the Old Testament.

An interesting factoid that Daniell shares it that Tyndale gave us the English word for the term we use as Passover. For the Bible student, this is interesting because Pasha is translated throughout the whole NT of Tyndale's as Easter (the modern term used for Pasha today in the Greek language.)

Many do not know that this work is really the foundation and much of the superstructure for what would become the KJV. Daniell tells us in other places that the KJV is 87% from Tyndale's work, where Tyndale left us a legacy.

To complete your Bible collection, to understand the work of a man whose life was constantly in peril until his ultimate murder, to be inspired by another set of eyes and ears on the early text types, you must get the Tyndale Old and New Testament that David Daniell has compiled. The bargain price for both is the best around. You will not be dissappointed.

It's a good book, with a lot of collections of articles from history. But it'll be nicer if it has more of the author's own opinion

Anyone interested in history, academically or otherwise, should read Zinn's work since history is written by the winners, the best fighters, the most arrogant, sonmetimes, the most patient. It would be wise
for history teachers to present "the other side". I highly recommend his work.

This account of the history of the US is taken from the "little people's" point of view. Very eye opening.

History is sometimes written with the goal of documenting the attitudes or opinions of a particular class of people, such as the intellectuals, the politicians, the scientists, or the warriors. Each of these groups has made important contributions to human accomplishment, which should not be forgotten or discarded under the guise of some egalitarian or multicultural reading of history. But when the stories of these groups are documented in history, too often other voices are deafened, and these voices represent the vast majority of historical participants. It is not enough to view history through the eyes of intellectuals, politicians, or warriors. For an historical account to be meaningful, it must offer insight into the collaborations, opinions, belief structures, and longings of those who chose not to become famous, but instead chose to indulge themselves in the unique fascinations that each historical epoch possesses.

But because most humans throughout history did not record their experiences, the historian is left wanting for accurate appraisals of these experiences. Diaries, journals, and other personal writings can assist the historian in this regard, and there have been many uses of these throughout the historical literature. It is important to remember though that because of the paucity of these personal documents, one should not be too hasty in imputing the opinions of their authors to the entire population at the time. One cannot view them as representing the "voices of the people" without establishing this with (difficult) statistical analysis.

Sometimes however these documents were written more as a catharsis, as a way of expressing, in a strong and determined way, an idea, grievance, or opposition to the status quo. The opening quotation in the book by Frederick Douglass reinforces this view, for in that quotation Douglass essentially states that power must be challenged before it can be defeated (Douglass does not want to stop with mere words though, for in the same quotation he asserts the need for physical confrontation if necessary).

It is in this light that this book should be read. It is a collection of essays and letters that reveal attitudes that are not the typical ones that one would be exposed to in United States secondary schools. Those readers familiar with the author's earlier book on United States history will appreciate this book even more, but both can be read independently of each other. This is not a book that will please the elitist historian who discounts any view of history that does not magnify the contributions of intellectuals or military leaders over and above the "common" person. It is a book for those who are genuinely interested in the moods and aspirations of the people of a given time, if only from a limited vantage point. It will certainly upset the intellectual equilibrium of anyone who holds to a view of American history that has been sanitized by the educational establishment.

I am a high school history teacher and I use this in class. It has been extremely helpful especially combined with the free teacher's guide which you can find online. Each primary source is introduced with a brief background which provides some context.

This is an illuminating book about unheralded Army Civil Affairs teams in Iraq and Afghanistan and their heroic endeavors to improve life for the townspeople. Their everyday efforts are the personification of commitment and grit. I was saddened to read in another review about the death of Staff Sgt. Robert Paul in Kabul, whose portrayal in the book is so memorable. The book contains some distracting editing and proofreading lapses, but they aren't enough to diminish its value. Kudos to Rob Schultheis for bringing these outstanding soldiers to our attention.

As a Civil Affairs (CA) operator from the 1st rotation (2003-2005), I have been disheartened by the media's portrayal of the war in Iraq, the US soldiers and overall "fair and honest" reporting. I heard about this book at a drill weekend in late 2005 as it made quite a buzz around the drill hall of a CA unit (not the book's unit). I thought the author was fair and honest. I had a few "ouch that hurt for us" moments, but overall I thought he portrayed what CA does well and the actions of this CAT-A could represent many of our experiences as well. I purchased the book for my civilian boss, as a way to answer his question: "what is it that you do in the Army."

As I prepare for my 2nd deployment to Iraq, I'm often asked about my military job and I always respond with "you have to read Waging Peace. It will give you a great prespective about what CA does."

A must read for anyone interested in:
* knowing more about CA.
* hearing about what the US Army is trying to do (NO we don't just kick in doors!)
* understanding the frustrations, elations, depression and joy of being a US Army Civil Affairs Soldier in a combat zone.

Our invasion of Iraq was part of an effort to bring stability and democracy to the region, to build an area where terrorists could not train or get support, where people solved their problems through talking it out. This is going to require good governments and strong economies -- and to have those Iraq will need an infrastructure.

Waging Peace relates the story of a small team of Army soldiers who carry a big burden in their operating area: restore water, sewer, schools, electricity and trash pick-up. Plus, build better relations with the government, the mosques, and the police. Oh, yeah, and the gun slingers are not going to give you much security, if any.

Especially right after the invasion, most of our effort in rebuilding Iraq came from Army Civil Affairs -- before the State Department and International Agencies really got started on the big projects. These Civil Affairs teams were critical to the impression that the Iraqis had of us.

Rob Schultheis does a great job of telling the story of one small team. Thing is, he could write two or three more books on the same subject and they would be different -- because each team and each neighborhood is so different. This team was a great one and their story is interesting. Major Clark and Sergeant Paul are true heroes to Iraqis and Americans.

This book came out before people generally understood the nation building aspect of the U.S. mission in Iraq so I think it's gotten missed. I think people should see this in the newstands and book stores again like it was a new release because where people weren't ready for this information in 2005, I think they are now in 2007 as the Bush admin talks more now about nation building and moves away from talk about conquest.

Excellent book, excellent illustration of the issues we are FINALLY seeing in the main stream news about Iraq.

Okay, so i am in the book, but I can still remain objective. Most military books I have read deal with specific combat operations or tactics as that seems to be what people expect when they think of the military. Like going to go and blow up a bridge or something.

There are a lot of people in the military and most of those that serve have jobs other than combat operations. It is interesting to read about a military job that specifically does not use combat operations in a hostile military environment to acheive military goals. Like going to go and repair a bridge or something.

Tom Clancy once observed that a war of agression is armed robbery writ large--"they've got it, we want it, let's go get it." That's a simplistic if accurate observation, but it only describes war in only one incarnation. This book was written during the last few years of the Cold War, when very few "experts" on the issue could be described as objective. Back then, only two camps were being heard from. One was the "gung ho" school of thought that admitted that war might not be very desirable, but when your country got a slap in the face from someone "over yonder", those responsible had to be taught a lesson. That of course is the product of nationalism having been confused with patriotism--the terms are not identical. The other was the pacifist school of thought, which maintained that any enemy can be reasoned with and should be at all costs, and that anyone in uniform is by definition a bloodthirsty human predator. The first is the product of a bottomless naiivete about human nature and ignorance of how societies other than one's own think--the second forgets that it's the criminal, not the soldier, who's a predator in human vesture. Out of curiosity, I viewed the PBS series based on this book. I found myself intrigued by Dyer's observation that the way to make a fighting man out of a young man raised to believe that killing people is wrong is to strongly imply the enemy aren't really people. When you get right down to it, that is borne out by the historical wartime habit of referring to the enemy by demonizing the enemy and referring to him in subhuman terms. Another of Dyer's comments that interested me was the observation that a nation that piles up stockpiles of weapons in preparation for war will sooner or later get that war. Dyer of course isn't the only writer who's been able to look at war in such terms--Herman Wouk postscripted "War and Remembrance" with the comment that either war is finished or we are. The sad irony of our age is that some of us may be able to view war with this level of objectivity, but most of us still haven't outgrown nationalism--a phenomenon which Dyer correctly identifies as the root cause of war.

When a tourist lodge opened about twenty years ago in Kenya, the alpha males of a nearby baboon troop helped themselves to the easy pickings at the garbage dump. In the time honored tradition of baboon despotism where status obsessed males strictly enforce the prevailing hierarchy, the top ranking males claimed the spoils for themselves, and drove away their lower ranking brother baboons. The alpha males then perished en masse when they become infected with bovine tuberculosis from the rotten meat they ate at the dump. Once the alpha males died and their terroristic bullying tactics with them, the survivors were suddenly able to relax and began treating each other more decently. A new more peaceful baboon society was born.

Gwynne Dyer recounts this incident in the last chapter of "WAR: The Lethal Custom" to summarize and exemplify one of his main arguments in this thought-provoking work -- that our species' penchant for violence, although it does have roots in our evolutionary past, does not mean it is inevitable. He argues that as sentient beings we do have and have shown the capacity for making peace, too. In what is a hopeful but realistic retelling of the founding of the League of Nations after WWI and the United Nations after WWII, Dyer suggests that through it these organizations human beings are attempting to deal with the very real possiblity of species annihilation. He argues that the reversal of despoliation of the world must begin in earnest now so as to prevent the international anarchy that will undoubtedly follow if nations choose not to cooperate and instead chase after and fight over diminishing resources.

Tracing the rise of war from our early ancestors to the present day, Dyer relates a convincing story of increasing technological efficiency in the art and machinery of death, where the technology of war comes to outstrip the capacity of most human societies to contain and direct it. Early on when our species lived in egalitarian societies of roughly thirty individuals to a band, killing one's neighbors was a rare occurrence. In a sparsely peopled world with few competitors for game or territory, it was rare that roving bands would skirmish or fight each other. War appeared as more constant and sustained human enterprise with the rise of agriculturalism with its settled communities ripe for plunder by marauding bands whose economic lives and assumptions about tactics were based on their experience as shepherds of livestock. Highly mobile, schooled in techniques of herding, these bands employed the same principles when facing armies of settlers, e.g., using speed, terror, bluff and deception to terrorize settled communities into giving up their treasures.

War figures heavily in explaining the rise and fall of civilizations and peoples throughout history. The Roman phalanx, for instance, an early "machine" of war which used men as its moving parts, remained effective for hundreds of years, until guns eventually rendered it passe. Walled cities and medieval castles too, were marvels of defensive engineering, until they met a similar fate. Then with the end of professional and mercenary armies with the levee en masse in the wake of the French Revolution, came the era of total war when civilian populations, the manufacturers of the materiel of war, became defined as combatants, too, ushering in totalitarian states, weapons of mass destruction and the possiblity of annihilation.

Dyer also does a particularly fine job on guerilla warfare, which acquired that name during the resistance to Napoleon's invasion and annexation of Spain. He questions the notion of a "War on Terror" as espoused by the current American regime as emblematic of its naivete. The idea of war implies an end, a truce, an armistice. Dyer suggests that the U.S., by declaring a "war" on terror fell into the trap laid by Osama Bid Laden. For it is not a war that can be won through warfare. "Police Action Against Terrorists," while not as compelling from a rhetorical or strategic standpoint, has been shown to be the more effective strategy over time.

A history of the humankind told through the changing techniques of warfare and the key confrontations marking these shifts, written with verve, psychological and anthropological acuity, WAR is a valuable exploration of this most uncivil custom. Dyer sees evidence of and movement toward the restoration on an international level of the cooperation of early egalitarian societies. He suggests the spread of cross-cultural communication, which is opening a field for international debate (as evidenced in the massive worldwide anti-war protests against the invasion of Iraq), is restoring the possiblity of dialogue and a democracy of the multitude.

In the mid-80's, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) presented a documentary on the nature of war. Hosted by Gwynne Dyer, my recollection (I was barely a teen at the time) is that it was an interesting and in-depth analysis on the nature of war. Dyer then proceeded to write a companion book, which has been out of print for some years. Now, there is this brand-new, updated version. Dyer has woven the events of the last 20 years into the fabric of the narrative, instead of tacking on an extra chapter at the end - thus it reads like a new book, not a money-grabbing enhancement of an old one. It has been out in Canada for a few months, and will make it's U.S. (re)debut in the spring.

In terms of timeline, this is the most comprehensive book on the roots of, and motivations for, war. Dyer uses archaeological evidence and combines it with analyses on the behaviours of our primate cousins (chimps, baboons, etc.) to build a description of the origin of organised society and the roots of warfare. He then proceeds through the ages, from Babylon and Egypt to the Cold War and the two U.S.-Iraq wars. In this way, he builds a complex but ultimately useful and compelling description of warfare as a human activity. He makes many of the same conclusions as John Keegan and others, but the sheer depth of the analysis is more complex than anything else out there, to my knowledge.

Granted, much of the material in this book has been covered before. For example, is war a natural condition of human societies? Is it inevitable that man will fight his peers? With his trademark wit and seemingly contradictory combination of optimism and sarcasm, Dyer convincingly builds his thesis. The prose is entertaining to read, and the liberal sprinkling of photographic illustrations makes this book eminently readable.

First, the pessimistic side: Humans (and most apes, for that matter) really DO mean to kill each other. However, the average person's chance to die by a violent death has remained mainly steady over the millenia. Certainly, the chances of dying in this century's World Wars was high, but those wars only took up 10% of the century's time. Thus, as battles increased in size and lethality, societies fought less and less frequently, so it all balanced out.

However, he is quite optimistic that humans really are moving in a pacifistic direction. With the advent of nuclear weapons, the next big war will be the last one. His chapters describing the Cold War might be controversial (especially to the U.S. Right) as he maintains Reagan's defense policy was basically invented by Jimmy Carter, and the Soviet Union was already done before Reagan came to power. Whatever your political leanings, though, he lucidly describes the training and mindset of the professionals tasked with maintaining and, if necessary, launching the ICBMs that WWIII would have been fought with.

That's not to say that Dyer is a pacifist per se. He has great respect for people in uniform, and those that follow his syndicated column will know he was in favour of Gulf War I and the destruction of the Taliban by the U.S.-led coalition. He does maintain, however, that modern warfare has turned into an all-or-nothing game where the loser is wiped out (at least the government, and often entire ethnic groups). This is not a sustainable situation in the nuclear era, and so we are in great danger. However, he points out that natural human tendency is to equal rights and democracy. As modern communications and universal literacy make it feasible, nations will naturally move towards more equitable solutions. Thus, in the final analysis, war may eventually become obsolete after all. As he says in the book, it will be good riddance.

The best reflection about war I have read so far. Less detailed than Keegan's "history of warfare", but more pertinent. A clear, lucid perspective on organized human violence. Dyer is parcimonious with words and daring with concepts.
The hardcover edition is also a beautiful looking book.

Dyer has done an excellent job of revising his earlier text, although I must confess to missing a couple of particularly trenchant comments that he has left out in an effort to rise above the suspicions of today's readers, steeped as they are in a silly, false political dichotomy. Dyer's book is both a source of illumination onto how humans got here and a clear explication of how war threatens the future of the human race. He is not overly optimistic about our chances, but neither is he a doomsayer. If we have the guts and intelligence to confront the urges, instincts, and social pathologies that drive us towards violent conflict, we've got a chance. It's up to us.

This book is an excellent resource to supplement Bible study or teaching. The "Visual" edition is very attractive; however, I prefer the larger print in the original!

This is a great book that has created a hunger for me to want to read the Bible and not be afraid of not understanding it. Its great to have your Bible next to you to reference scripture. I love it!

The book is excellent. The only problem is that there was a malfunction in the ordering process. I wanted instant click and apparently instead of turning that on, the book was ordered by regular process AND a shipping charge placed on it. Thinking that the order process had failed I went back to the site and once again tried the instant click. That time it worked but then shortly afterwards I was advised that two books were ordered. I contacted Amazon and was told it was too late to cancel either order - that they were two seperate shipments but they would deduct the shipping charge. The books arrived in about a week - sealed and packed TOGETHER in the same parcel. Now I have to find someone else to gift the book to as opposed to trying to figure out a no-cost way to return it to Amazon.

Easy to read, well organized, and interesting book that explains each book of the bible. Provides information that if read before reading the book in the bible makes the book so much more understandable. Also, is a good review if the bible book has not been read for awhile. Mary jo

This book is a classic - I've owned copies for 30 years and read it through several times already.

This is GREAT! Well, done! Brava!!!

I wish I had read this book earlier, for many reasons! One, because it will make a fabulous gift for my friends, mom, aunts, etc. And also because it has some really practical advice for dilemmas I have found myself in! I definitely recommend this book, for yourself or as a gift for the women in your life!

This is such a fun book. The author basically tells us how to do stuff without being boring and its one how to book that I'm planning on keeping. This is a great book for anyone. I highly recommend it.

This book is a perfect college graduation gift, or for a friend just moving into her first apartment or house, and/or your mom. It's one of those books that should be left out for frequent browsing. The writing is fun, the topics are useful. Ladies who've read this book will seem to be more clever than their friends, which is always fun.

This book is a must, especially for women! The information is practical and the writers have a witty style that keeps your attention and makes you want more! I learned so much about the things most people my age are afraid to ask or are too embarrassed to say they don't know by now. Hats off to you, Elizabeth and Elizabeth!

This book is a must, especially for women! The information is practical and the writers have a witty style that keeps your attention and makes you want more! I learned so much about the things most people my age are afraid to ask or are too embarrassed to say they don't know by now. Hats off to you, Elizabeth and Elizabeth!

A marvelous book. The author is to be commended for his ability to recall these events from the vantage of so young an age at the time of occurrence. This story is little known, sometimes actively forgotten, almost always disregarded in the record of 20th century crimes against humanity. I had the privilege recently of speaking, literally for only a few minutes, at the funeral of an older man (born 1922) from Rowne--only a few miles from Adamczyk's hometown, Luck. A decade older, he tried to get to Hungary in October, 1939, failed, and was therefore a criminal for having made the attempt. His story, then, was of direct prisons rather than of being dumped by the side of the tracks. Each situation had its advantages and disadvantages. The man from Rowne was "amnestied" from Norilsk, above the Arctic Circle, in late 1941, and his story paralleled that of Adamczyk until arrival in Persia, emaciated--at 86 pounds at age 20 and suffering recurring malaria. There are a million of these stories; more should be published.

I am sitting here struggling to find the words to begin to express my love for this book. I have just spent the past twenty-six hours not putting this book down. Now, I don't know if it is the fact that my family had delt with these similar circumstances and moved to the same area of Chicago, but i have never felt so connected/transported to individuals in a book as I did with this one.

The ugliness of reality balanced with hope, faith, and love render this reader, at least, speechless. I can only thank Mr. Adamczyk for a glimpse of what my family had found to difficult, with good reason, to talk about. This book has left me with a greater understanding of World War II, the atrocities of a Communist rule, and a deeper appreciation of my Polish faith and heritage.

This book reflects the resilience of the human spirit even in the most devistating of circumstances and stands as an inspiration to reflect on the freedom we too often take for granted.

...Wow!

Simply stated, this book reiterates everything my grandpa told me about the Russians' way of life and their mentality brought on by the deceitful communist system full of oppression and anti-western propaganda. Read and you will begin to fathom the injustice inflicted upon the peoples, both Polish and Russian. It will take generations to undo the damage.

Anyone with half a brain might wonder why the Nazis are still minced to pieces in all media 60 years after the war's end, while the Soviets, with 70 years of blood on their hands, have passed quietly out of their Communist terrorism without any great international trials or severe criticisms by the Western media. Is it because the leftists still believe that "true Communism" has yet to be attempted? Well, perhaps, there are such fringe lunatics still around (in the Frisco and NYC areas).

No, the real answer lies in the deadly dealings of the Allies in WWII, in cooperating with Stalin in the Lend-lease supply of materiel, and in not condemning the murders, exile, and starvation of the Poles before Germany attacked Russia. In our all-out effort to defeat the Nazis, the USA and England cooperated in suppressing the knowledge of the 5,000 Polish officers and Polish civilians shot and buried by the Soviets in 1939, when they invaded and took over Eastern Poland. This famous massacre in the Katyn Forest was for years blamed on Hitler, when the Germans had not yet been in that side of Poland. Only when Gorbachev came to power was the murder order signed by Stalin made public - but Roosevelt knew, as did Churchill.

This remarkable book takes us into the frightening world Wiesiu Adamczck, a seven-year-old boy when his father, then 47, was taken away and killed in Katyn Forest, unbeknownst to his family - Wiesiu's mother, older sister and brother. They are all packed up on trains and sent to Kazakistan, as members of a bourgeois oppresser class, they must be punished according to Soviet logic.

The writer, now a man in his 70's, is an excellent wordsmith, who doesn't stint in telling what Russian and Polish expressions mean. He dwells on his own family, his own people and the terrible consequences of the Communist regime for the people of the USSR, for the Poles, and for all nations which fell to its avarice and terror after WWII. His incredible adventures, if you want to call them that, in surviving such a deportation through the Eastern republics of the chaotic war years, into Persia and finally to England, then the USA, is a ten-year journey of incredible hardship, hunger, cold and homelessness. His mother dies, and the truth about the father is known at the end of years of hoping against hope.

What Hollywood or the BBC could do with this material! The story of the Soviet empire and all its disgusting inhumanity should be aired out thoroughly, even more so than the Nazis' philosophy. If it should take root again, woe betide the planet and the millions to be starved in the future.

This book should be mandatory reading in the US high schools, as many students will never know that non-Jewish-descended EUropeans also suffered dreadful consequences during the war.

A skewered history is often a false one, and that is slowly happening throughout the US media, in omitting the Communist side of the horrendous torture and killing from 1917-onwards.

Well, this book will make it clear: FDR knew it, as he knew that Pearl Harbor was to be bombed.

The teaching of history is often distorted by selective presentation of past events. Virtually everyone has heard of the 5-6 million Jews killed by the Germans. Few outside Polish circles have a clue about the fact that 2-3 million gentile Poles were also murdered by the Germans, and a few hundred thousand by the Soviets--first as Poland's sworn enemy and then as an "ally". While Churchill and Roosevelt were dilly-dallying with "Uncle Joe" Stalin, he was still murdering Poles and executing his plans to deprive "liberated" Poland from her rightful independence, freedom, and sovereignity. The western powers shamelessly disregarded the Atlantic Charter and betrayed the Poles--who all along had been fighting on their side on just about every front, and who had played a significant, if not decisive, role in preventing the Luftwaffe from achieving air supremacy over the English skies as a prelude to the planned German invasion (Operation Sea Lion).

This work provides an absorbing personal account of the deportation of hundreds of thousands of Poles by the Soviet Union following the German-Soviet conquest of Poland in 1939. Wes Adamczyk, then a boy of 7, was to lose his father in the infamous Katyn Massacre, and his entire family was uprooted and sent to a living death in Kazakhstan. He was one of the lucky few to be released and to eventually find his way to a new life in the United States. Decades later, he fulfilled his wish to visit the site of his father's murder near Smolensk, Russia.

The reader is exposed to the brutality of the Soviet police as they ransack the Adamczyk home, destroy objects related to Polish patriotism, and herd the family ("enemies of the people") into overcrowded trains for the fateful trip east. Every day becomes a battle for survival. They are near starvation. However, individual Kazakhs and Russians show friendship towards the Poles. The young Adamczyk befriends Mr. Petrovitch on a fishing boat. The moving account tells how the elderly Russian teaches the boy the truth about Communism. It is lies on top of lies on top of lies. In fact, the continued spying by the Soviet police on the captive Poles does not stem from the fact that they suspect that the Poles may escape or revolt. The spying comes from the fear that the locals may learn the truth about the outside world from the Poles--that the non-
Communist world is not rotten, and that the Soviet Union is no workers' paradise.

Nazi Germany turns against its erstwhile Soviet ally, creating a chance for the Poles, consigned to eventual death from starvation, overwork, and disease, to escape the Gulag. Negotiations "succeed" in securing the release of captive Poles. But the Soviets drag their feet, and only a fraction of still-living captive Poles end up being released. The Adamczyk family has to stage a near-escape adventure to reach Iran. The squalor of the just-freed Poles is indescribable. Thousands die right there, including Wes Adamczyk's mother--ironically just a short time after having finally left the clutches of the Soviet hell.

Tens of thousands of previously-captured Polish officers are found to be conspicuously and unexpectedly missing, and the Soviets say, "They all escaped to Manchuria". As time drags on, the Adamczyks realize the fate of their father and the remainder of the POWs. The Soviets don't admit responsibility for the Katyn Massacre until 1990. The long cover-up by western governments is little better than the decades-long Soviet one. The west needed a second coverup to cover its first coverup of the conspiracy of silence about this heinous Soviet crime.

The Adamczyks, like all surviving Poles, get a cruel blow when they learn that Roosevelt and Churchill have betrayed their faithful ally Poland by giving away eastern Poland to the Russians, and allowed a Communist puppet state to be forced on the rest of "liberated" Poland. In a sense, all of the Polish sufferings and sacrifices turn out to have been in vain. The Adamczyks, and millions of other Poles, have no home to return to. The only "happy ending" is a new life in America.