History Books

"The space program's grip on the public imagination had begun to fade even before the first moon landing," write Charles Murray and Catherine Cox in their can't-put-it-down history of the engineering side of the American manned space program.
They add, "Whether this was inevitable or an unlucky juxtaposition of Apollo with Vietnam and domestic upheaval will never be known." Or maybe the main reason was NASA's insistence on two phony images: one, squeaky clean (and boring) personalities for all hands; and, two, the no-sweat attitude to crises.
Had NASA told the stories Murray and Cox tell, the public would have been thrilled and appalled.
We have long known that the astronauts were not squeaky clean. Astro Walt Cunningham let that cat out of the bag in the mid-'70s in "The All-American Boys." In "Apollo" we learn that the engineers were humans, too. One is described as "Butch Cassidy born 100 years too late," which is probably overstating it, but you don't operate the most complicated mechanical system in history by being timid.
"Apollo" also reveals that the "no-sweat" attitude was false. There was plenty of sweating, although NASA's engineering culture required everyone to remain composed at all times.
The really terrible crises were known to the public, if poorly understood: the testing fire that killed three astronauts and the fuel system failure that nearly stranded Apollo 13 in orbit.
Other problems that were potentially just as serious were successfully covered up by NASA, a bad habit that cost it its reputation later on.
But the unraveling of the causes of these engineering dustups reads like a mystery novel, or, a closer comparison for those who have read it, the epidemiological reporting of Berton Rouche.
What, for example, would make a rocket lift two or three inches off the pad, then shut its engines off and settle back? The answer: A technician had filed a tiny bit off one prong of an electrical plug.
Anyway, the people who designed and built spaceships were emphatically not computer nerds -- once you understand what they were up to, scientists and engineers are always interesting. This is certainly the case with the launcher specialist Werner von Braun, a mass murderer.
Murray and Cox say, "no such charges were substantiated" against Hitler's rocket scientist. They are wrong.
Von Braun's V-weapons were built by 30,000 slaves at an underground factory camp called Dora. Thousands of these slaves were worked to death, starved or slaughtered. This factory was not run by Braun's team but it could not have functioned without the intimate advice of the rocket scientists. With complicity goes guilt.

This story will pull you in and make you feel part of the greatest engineering achievement of the 20th century.

This book vividly demonstrates and proves just how incredibly creative and focused AMERICANS can be when focused on a single goal of beating someone(Thank God for the Russians back then)when we didn't care about being so"POLITICALLY CORRECT". We as a nation could really use these people's dedecation and hard word as an example and work to fix this "POLITICALLY CORRECT" country now.

We used some parts of this book in our Systems Engineering lecture, at Turkish Military Academy Defense Sciences Institute (I was a student at the lecture). Later I purchased the book and read the whole book.

Of course I am not in a position to state the correctness and completeness of the contents. I rely on other people's comments on these criteria. But accepting the contents as correct and complete, the book clearly describes how a huge R&D project can be run (or can not be run), from every point of view. It is the next best thing after participation in a such project.

I believe every engineer and technical administrator has many things to learn from the book.

I highly recommend the book. I do not know whether it is also used as a lecture aid in other academies. If it is not so, another recommendation the the lecturers: The book contains one of the best case studies.

This is an excellent book covering the inner workings of the Apollo program. It does not focus on the astronauts or the missions themselves, but more about the people on the ground in Mission Control, the engineering challenges of Apollo, the management of the program, and NASA / Washington politics about space exploration at that time. Some chapters are so well done, they read like a thriller and you can't stop turning the pages. It also covers well the most important personalities of Apollo.

After reading this book, I realized how much we have lost the memories of what is probably the most incredible achievement in humankind's history. Shockingly enough, most people think about Apollo about being a thing of the past, while it is in fact our future.

Reflecting back on the sad end of the Apollo program (the plug was simply pulled in the mid-70s without any kind of follow up), it is a shame that we have lost all these years. Just imagine if we would have persevered with more missions, the eventual setup of a moon base in the 80s, moon exploration of resources, etc... Who knows where we would be now in 2007 ? Perhaps on the verge of a Mars mission, or Jupiter ? We would have impressed new generations with the same sense of awe-inspiring achievements and exploration that Apollo did 40 years ago. These emotionally inspiring achievements are the ones that elevates humankind to new heights, and this is probably the strongest feeling I felt about Apollo after reading this book.

Isaac Asimov is one of my favorite writers and I particularly enjoy reading his non-fiction work - Life And Energy is one of my all-time favorites. Chronology Of The World is a good reference book and provides brief overviews of the dominant cultures throughout history.

The reason I have given it 4 stars instead of 5 is that many of the histories he provides do not have the life that Asimov is usually able to impart to a subject. This may be do to the fact that Asimov is limited to how much he can write on any one time period/culture (the book is already huge). It is more of a reference book than a book that imparts understanding, but Asimov's true gift was his ability to provide understanding of a subject. So I would rather of had book that covered the major periods of history with a bit more depth at the expense of removing some of the lesser periods.

While Asimov is most known for his science fiction classics, he was a prolific writer who wrote hundreds of books, most of them non-fiction. In this volume he presents earth history in slices of time across the whole world, not just in one region (e.g. western civilization or american history.) When you read about events happening in the middle east, for example you also read that there were events in China and Peru, showing mankind's growth an development occurred in many places and by many people. Highly recommended.

This is probably the best book available on the history and chronology of events of the world. It's truly amazing how anyone could write such a thing and when that anyone was Isaac Asimov, who was busy writing hundreds of other things, you have to wonder how could he do it. His chronology shows just what human beings are about ---WAR! War through the ages. One after the other and often ata the same time. I highly recommend this book

Amazing book. I hardly ever give a book five stars. This is a great "timeline" book, in words, of history that goes well as a tertiary source when reading other books on history. I have the hardcover which is as big as a dictionary and sturdy too. Highly recommended.

This was the 4th copy of the book that I have bought. I gave the other three away as gifts. An excellent read, and can be put down and picked up again without losing anything. I finally learned why the Armenians hate the Turks, the genesis of the Spanish Civil War, how long Rome was a republic, and so much more that I was curious about but never took the time to research. It filled in many of the holes in my knowledge of history, and also provided a time line for events. I teach, and am continually astounded by students' lack of knowledge of context in studying history. Should be required reading for all high School students.

"Autumn Lightning" by Dave Lowry appeared to me as a combination of biographical sketch mixed generously with Japanese History, and Spirituality.

The book (for me) was in itself, a "Fair Read," but not necessarily one that will become part of my spirit. Much of this could however, be due to my age. While reading this book, I was often reminded of the movie; "The Karate Kid." In that movie; "Daniel Larusso" becomes "Miyagi-fied" and is turned into a great Marshal Artist. Likewise, Dave Lowry in this book becomes "Kotaro-fied" and emerges as a great Occidental swordsman.

I own one other book by Mr. Lowry on the "Art of Kendo" complete with photographic examples, and many teaching comments that have been very helpful to me.

Mr. Lowry writes and teaches out of sheer devotion and love of the subject, and for this; I truly applaud and respect him! I believe this to be a worthy book but, probably for a younger individual looking for a mentor of desciplines that help to develope spirit and physical attributes.

Dave Lowry offers a perspective in his books not often available to the Western martial arts practitioner - a considered interpretation of modern martial arts in the context of traditional (koryu) arts.

Written in a exceptionally approachable style, Lowry tells the story of his introduction to martial arts, interspersed with anecdotes from Japanese martial history.

Lowry's books provide me with insights into my own training and have helped me grow as a martial artist. Rather than the simple discussion of technique, his essays delve into the "-do" of the arts

One of my all-time favorites, it's recommended reading for all of my students. Mr. Lowry's story is similar to my own. He tells his tale with crisp and humorous writing that has you on the edge of your seat and then lets you sit back and chuckle. A wonderful classic.
If you don't have a copy, you're really missing out.

This is a great read for anyone interested in learning about the history of the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu of swordmanship. Woven into this history are the events that lead Lowry into studying this Ryu and his dynamic interaction with his Sensei.

I've recently reread all the books I have on martial arts, Japan, Japanese culture and history. When I find a passage that really strikes me, I underline it and dog-ear the page. After finishing the handful of books I already have, I came to Amazon to find more. Dave Lowry's book seemed interesting from reading the first few pages available online. Little did I know I would be underlining and dog-earing most of the pages in the rest of the book! An excellent read for new or experienced readers in Japanese history, culture and/or martial arts. I highly recommend it!

This book was an inpiration in my spiritual journey.
-The Big Glow

This is a book which can easily change the way you see (observe) world. It is a book which requires meditation.
Krishnamurti's talks on various topic and his insight to know yourself is life changing.
While reading it, I used to go deep into thought and observed myself. During this period you realize and know a lot about yourself. One of the biggest thing which I learned was that you know the truth when you know what is not true. Making yourself aware of yourself (including anger, jealousy, prejudice) and not forcing it to go away is the the true observation. Just watch yourself as you watch the the sky and the birds without trying to do any change. This is just a small part of things which changed my life. It is not a book that will change your life but definitely one can change his own life after reading his book. At some points in the book you will be lost as there is nothing wrong or right but constant meditation on the topic will help one out.

If you are ready to challenge your believes and habits, this is a must read book.

One the MOST influential book I have ever read! It is very easy to follow, and I would recommend it to every one.

If you're interested in actually practicing Buddhism, not just reading or conceptualizing it, I feel like this book may help, because it's like having a teacher in your pocket. He guides you in a way that is productive, yet you have to truly see what he talks about for yourself in order to appreciate it. Otherwise, as JK would say, it's just more dead words.

"Some of you believe in the idea of reincarnation. You come and ask me what I believe, whether reincarnation is a fact or not, whether I remember my past lives, and so on. Now, why do you ask me? Why do you want to know what I think about it? You want a further confirmation of your own belief, which you call a fact, a law, because it gives you a hope, a purpose in life. Thus, belief becomes to you a fact, a law, and you go about seeking confirmation of your hope. Even though I may confirm it, it cannot be of vital importance to you. Whatever it may be to me, real or false, what is important for you is that you should discern for yourself these conceptions through action, through living, and not accept any assertions." - krishnamurti

I cannot recommend this book high enough. This book is one of the most comprehensive and accessible of Krishnamurti's work. It is a collection of talks given at various parts of the world. In each series of talk Krishnamurti leads the listener to look into serious topics like Operation of thought, conflict , The art of seeing, freedom, the energy needed for freedom, do we need a teacher, etc. There is a huge difference between looking into an issue and "thinking" about an issue. Thinking involves thought, and simply looking is mere observation. And krishnamurti says that if this observation, the seeing is done with total attention without the interference of thought, then the intelligence operates.

Many a times while reading this book, my mind will come to a complete stop and I would be taken to deep and spontaneous meditation. Krishnamurti is highly skillful in sparking our insights and allows us to see what he sees. He never says "This is right or this is wrong", he doesn't even want us to agree or disagree to what is being said, because he doesn't offer any theories. He just tells us to look without judment, prejudice or opinions. He asks us to listen "completely". He says that people ask questions for two reasons, one is to confirm what they already beleive in, and the other is to "really" find out the truth. The first way of asking will never lead to an answer, because we are unwilling to listen to the "truth"; We only want a confirmation for the false, and only the false needs confirmations. This book is for sincere seekers of truth who really want to know the truth. He says that when we look at the false as false, what remains is truth. Health is the absence of diseases, and so it truth the total negation of false. The ability to discern the true from the false is what intelligence is. I have observed that reading one talk per session in regular periods helps tremondously in awakening "intellingence", not "my" intelligence but just intelligence.

"As I was saying, the importance in asking a question is not to find the answer but to understand the problem because there is only the problem and not the answer. To ask a question is easy; but to go into the problem is extremely difficult because once you know what the problem is, the very seeing of the problem is the understanding of the problem. The moment I can state the problem very clearly, simply, the answer is there, I do not have to look beyond. But most of us do not know what the problem is. We are confused about the problem and so naturally we look, in our confusion, for answers; and that will only produce further confusion. " -krishnamurti

My mother read this book to me when I was young; now I'm in college and it's still one of my favorite books. It's a wonderful story with great characters. At the end, I always feel like my heart is filling up and overflowing. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

I read this book as an assignment for an extra reading group I'm in. There are definately some funny lines in the book, but I don't think the overall story was that interesting. I suggest it to kids ages 11-14. The reason I suggest it to older kids is because younger kids wouldn't understand it so much. I really did like it, though. Give it a try, you might love it!

I have got to say this is a Book of great comedy. It has an interesting flow of characters a lively narrator and hilariously funny pictures. All who I have recommended this book to, loved it. the only problem that I have found with it is the ending. He stops making every one laugh. I thought that he was sort of like Peter Pan and would always be funny. But he turned serious. Still it is absolutely awesome, A must read.

This is a fun book, a sort of send up of fairy tales. The writing style is very loose, and the book is filled with illustrations.

I liked it because it moves quickly. It lacks focus, but at least something is always happening, and the story is strange and quirky. The characters are engaging, and the writing is enjoyably casual.

It's about a prince who makes everyone happy, a princess so beautiful she turns anyone who looks at her into stone, a clumsy giant, and a hunter who shouldn't even be in the book but stays in it despite the author's protests.

It's a quick read, very fun. Recommended for kids and adults, especially if you're looking for something different.

In the beginning Roger is a prince, but not a normal prince. Roger has a strange effect on people. If he gets too close to a person, they could die laughing. When J. Wellington Wizard tells Roger to go on a quest, Roger asks, "Isn't a quest where you have to go somewhere or find something?" J. Wellington says that he sees him entering the Forever Forest, and tells him to take a sack of magic powder, and whenever he sees someone, to dust a little on himself, so that Roger can turn into a thing, maybe even a leaf. Then, whoever he is near won't laugh. Roger sets out on his quest, gets stuck in the Forever Forest, and meets a lot of new people, such as little Lucille, Andrew, and Tom. Some are evil and some are nice. Roger hates it in the Forever Forest, but he knows it will get better and he will be the happiest man on earth.

This was a very funny book to read because the author pretended that he doesn't have control over his book, such as when, in chapter 5, Night of the Frogs, he says that he was just trying to fool Tom because chapter 5 is really called Tom. Tom is a character who is supposed to leave on page 9 but he refused. The author always talks about how Tom can walk in and out of the book, and come back at the perfect time. I thought this book was hilarious, engaging, and thoroughly entertaining.

I am what is commonly referred to as a Civil War buff, what ever that means, and I feel compelled to write you about the work of Timothy B. Smith.

My biggest frustration about a lot of books on the civil is the lack of good quality maps that allows the reader to get a sense of who was where and what was happening on the battlefield. How one could write an account of a battle with out good maps is beyond me.

The maps in Champion Hill are fantastic. Not only for their clarity but the sheer number of them is truly amazing. Needless to say I loved them.

The style of his writing actually left me with the desire to pick it up again to see how things were going on the Middle Road and the Jackson Rd., just like a good mystery book.

I give it an A+.

Keep'em coming but don't forget the maps !!

The reviews tell the story. This is a great book. Champion Hill isn't one of my areas of interest, but every time I saw this book, it ended up in my hands until my wife yelled for us to go. If I were to write a book about my favorite lesser known battle, this is the way I would hope it would come out. Exhaustive research, flowing text, sufficient photographs, and some of the best maps that I've ever seen. There are plenty of them, very detailed, and thank you Mr. Smith for breaking them down to individual regiments! He wraps it up with an Order of Battle (thank you!) and a zillion photographs of the battlefield today (thank you again!). It would be hard to top this book. Even if you aren't into Champion Hill or Vicksburg, you'll love this book for the job the author did. Incidentally, check out his "This Great Battlefield of Shiloh.." as well. I look forward to more works by this author.

Timothy B. Smith's "Champion Hill Decisive Battle for Vicksburg" is a must read. A little known battle but one of great magnitude. Many historians have often over look the battles that led to the doom of Vicksburg. Leading up to to Champion Hill were the battles of Port Gibson, Raymond and Jackson. Timothy B. Smith keeps the story flowing and leads you breathless to the climax at Champion Hill. Such research is much needed and is so well written I could not put the book down. This book is a instant "Classic". The book has lot's of maps to help the reader understand the battle geologically. The timeline is easy to keep up with, which is often very hard to do in a Civil War battle. Also included is a very nice selection of photo's to illustrate the participants as Timothy weave's you though the thick Minnie's. One minute you are charging forward with victory and the next minute you are running for your life!

CHAMPION HILL is, unequivocally, the best non-fiction narrative of a Civil War engagement that I've ever read - and that includes works by Shelby Foote and James McPherson.It generally concerns U.S. Major General Ulysses Grant's capture of Vicksburg, but is more specifically about the crucial Battle of Champion Hill on May 16, 1863, which essentially sealed Vicksburg's fate by forcing its defenders back into the city, around which Grant ultimately established siege lines.

The volume's initial fifteen pages briefly summarize Grant's various abortive attempts to take Vicksburg from the north before he was able to cross his Army of the Tennessee to the Mississippi's east bank south of the city on April 30. The next ninety describe the preliminary battles at Port Gibson, Raymond, and Jackson. The bulk of the book, 280 pages, concerns itself with the Champion Hill collision between Grant's forces and Lieutenant General John Pemberton's Army of Vicksburg. There's a penultimate 12-page chapter on the battle's aftermath that includes Vicksburg's capitulation on July 4, and a concluding 11-page postscript chapter on the post-battle and post-Civil War careers of the numerous commanders that are named (and pictured) in the text. Finally, there's a 10-page Appendix with the Order of Battle for both armies, thirty pages of Notes, sixteen pages of contemporary battlefield photos keyed to a reference map, and a 12-page Bibliography. I suggest that author Timothy Smith has penned a battle narrative as satisfyingly complete as any you'll ever come across.

Champion Hill was a seesawing, day-long, complex affair, the account of which will likely spellbind the reader to the point of emotional exhaustion. What I found most impressive was the extreme lucidity of Smith's description of the various military units' maneuvers across the landscape mostly described at brigade and regimental levels. The evolution of the Champion Hill clash is traced by forty - count 'em, 40! - marvelously illustrative maps rendered in black, white and gray that coincide at all times with the textual narrative. Smith even goes so far as to depict the field positioning of units during and after disintegration and, in some cases, their subsequent reformation and re-entry into the fray. At no time was I in the least confused about the tide of battle and the organizational identity of the combatants. These battlefield maps demonstrate how such should be constructed, but which so often are not in otherwise faultless works.

For Grant, who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat at Fort Donelson and Shiloh, Champion Hill was another close run thing - more so than it should have been. Generally speaking, each side suffered from committing its forces piecemeal - Grant because of overcautious orders to his chief subordinate on-site, commander of the XIII Corps Major General John McClernand, and Pemberton because of inadequate intelligence as to Federal troop dispositions combined with a rancorous relationship with division commander Major General William Loring. Particularly speaking, the Confederates perhaps lost Champion Hill because of a wayward ordnance train that handicapped beleaguered rebels in the face of fresh, but the last, Union reserves at a critical point of confrontation.

CHAMPION HILL is an obligatory read for any student, casual or serious, of the Civil War. I was sorry to come to the end of the story, a reaction usually reserved for fiction.

Being a novice to the study of the civil war, I found this book to be helpful in my pursuit of knowledge about the Battle of Champion Hill. It was well written and easy to read. Not being one who necessarily understands military tactics or maneuvers, Timothy Smith's book allowed me to follow the battle with a clear understanding of troop movements and placements and was enhanced by the excellent maps. Having read the book prior to a trip to the Vicksburg area, the battle came to life for me because of the knowledge gleaned. I especially enjoyed the personal accounts, pictures and bios of the officers and soldiers.

I think this battle is best summed up by a quote from the book about a young Iowan, Sam Byers, that said, "But, on May 16, 1863, he was just a frightened young man standing with hundreds of other frightened young men looking up the slopes of Champion Hill in an effort to stare down random death.." This is definitely a book that every serious student of the civil war will want in his or her library.

Most books about collecting have lovely photos and dull text. This is an exception! Friedman's text is fun and helpful, with photos used as examples.

Wow- that's entertainment. Who knew blankets could be so fun and interesting? Now I do! A unique era in American history is crystalized in this book. If Barry writes it- I'll read it. Laughed out loud- often.

Superb- buy it and will it to your favorite child.

"Chasing Rainbows" is beautiful, profoundly informative and more fun to read than any collecting book you've ever owned...period!

I received this book as an early Christmas gift and now I'm buying a dozen copies to give to friends and family. This is the most beautiful and interesting collecting book I've ever read. The author is remarkably funny while delivering all the information on the subject anyone could possibly absorb. Just a fantastic effort.

I own a massive library of books on every imaginable collecting subject and none has given me more joy than "Chasing Rainbows". Barry Friedman has intertwined his vast knowledge of Indian blankets, American history, the antiques business and garnished the result with a unique sense of humor and breathtaking photos to create a book that is an absolute gem. This is a great book from a very gifted man.

If you want to make chains this book teaches you all you need to know. Step by step instructions are clear and easy to follow. The binding is really tight so it is hard to turn pages without the fear of tearing a page.

Chainmaking is one of the most basic and most advanced techniques in jewelry fabrication: basic in its modest demands for tools, materials, and technique; advanced in its demand for utter mastery of technique. That's not a contradiction. Each step is simple enough, within the range of someone who know which end of the torch to hold. Doing that step a hundred times in a row, identically each time, that's where mastery comes in. In paticular, there's that fusing (welding) step that starts every project. I learned to hard-solder a fair joint, way back when, but never mastered fusing, even when dissimilar metals wanted desperately to form a eutectic.

I'll try again. Results, when they work, are just too seductive. This book gives clear and specific directions - maybe too specific some times. Perhaps I really do need 108 links for some project. Not 110 or 106. But perhaps my materials didn't meet the under-1% precision requirement. Well, if you already know the techniques that the authors assume, you'll read past the over-fussy bits.

I'm just carping, though. This book really stands out. Directions are utterly clear, and nicely illustrated. Admittedly, a bare beginner might struggle, but this book never meant to address that reader. Given hard covers, the spiral binding lies flat easily, or stands open where you opened it. Illustrations really illustrate the techniques - even without pliers in hand, you might feel yourself following along. Projects range across a wide span of skill levels, but this gives no indication which are which. That's OK. These authors address a readership that understands what the words mean and that can rank themselves honestly against the demand each project places on the reader.

I can't wait to get started.

-- wiredweird

This lady has spent years researching ancient techniques and it is to her credit that granulation and woven chain has finally come to America.

These chains are not soldered; they are fused and woven. I recommend you have at least a semester of college level jewelry or several years of soldering under your belt before jumping in with this one. But it worthwhile if you want to make chains that are worthy of royalty, or have a chain for a piece of art jewelry that will do it justice.

This is a workbook, progressing from the simplest and easiest to progressively more complex chains. After the first couple hundred fused links you become pretty adept. After fusing the links, you will learn to weave links into patterns. These are not your ordinary chains. They are strong, beautiful and flexible.

Jean is obsessively precise in her work, so this book is very precise. She goes over what gauges work for which patterns, as well as all the little tips that make a chain look superb. It's a lovely book, very well-written and one to be included in a goldsmith's library.

To get a better idea of the creativity and precision of this lady's work, go to Randy Smith's website: http://www.rocksmyth.com/ and look for Jean Stark's work. Prepare to be amazed at all the lovelies and realize that pictures do not do her work justice, as good as the pictures are. Many of the chains are made with 30 ga. wire, which is not much thicker than sewing thread. Her chains feel like silk.

If you're serious about making fine quality chains, then you need this book. Jean Stark is the guru.

This was just what I was looking for. Clear instructions with photos. A great find!

This is great information with very east to read instructions. Not for the lazy or faint of heart.Great ancient traditions brought back to life.

Each time I teach Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy in my Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy course, I'm struck by what a wonderful text it is. There are at least three reasons for this.

First, it's as good an introduction to the worldview of the late antiquity/early medieval periods as one's likely to find. That worldview is likely to strike contemporary ears as foreign--Boethius' conflation, for example, of the good, happiness, and God in Book III--but it's well worth attending to.

Second, reading Boethius is an education in good argumentation. One can disagree with the premises upon which his arguments rest while still admiring and profiting from the rigor of the arguments themselves. Boethius himself tells us that his method is to "unfold" conclusions "without the help of any external aid"--tradition or authority--"but [instead] with one internal proof grafted upon another so that each [draws] its credibility from that which preceded" (p. 82). And he lives up to his word.

Finally, the existential questions Boethius explores in the Consolation are astoundingly vital today. Here's a guy who was once one of the most powerful men in the Roman empire fallen from grace and facing a very messy death. In writing the Consolation, he tries to come to terms with the fickleness of fortune, the problem of evil (why do bad things happen to good people), the secret of happiness, the issue of free will, and the meaning of human existence. Boethius finally concludes that he, like most humans, had been suffering from what might be called philosophical amnesia. He'd allowed his fast-paced lifestyle to induce forgetfulness of who he was and the way he should live his life. In those final months of his life, living in a solitary jail cell and pondering his own mortality, Boethius begins to remember. Reading his wonderful little book can help us, fifteen hundred years later, to awaken from our own amnesias.

Of all the translations of the Consolation I've read, Victor Watts' is my favorite. But be forewarned: his Introduction to the book will tell you almost nothing about the contents and issues of Boethius' book.

"Consolation of Philosophy" was on the syllabus for a "History of Philosophy" class I took my senior year in college. To say that I loved it would be an understatement. I still have the copy I read back then (academic year 1980/1981) and I have re-read it several times over the years. I treasure this book like none other.

I looked through my copy to type out a passage that I find particularly inspiring, but found that I couldn't because there are so many. I've recommended it to literally dozens of people, and every one to took me up on my suggestion thanked me for it.

Boethius, in his "Consolation" written in prison shortly before his death, turns to the pre-Christian philosophers and the tradition of Rome and Greece for aid and comfort. The work is one of the most historically important works ever written: it is through Boethius that we had knowledge of Aristotle during the middle ages.

The work takes the form of a Platonic dialogue, mixing prose and poetry as the author slowly convalesces with the aid of Philosophy, his "nurse." This literary style has been imitated many times since.

The work ought to be read not only for its historical and literary appeal, but for its arguments, which are as cogent as they were nearly two thousand years ago.

I don't read a lot of philosophy texts, but I read this one after my father died and was surprised to find it very meaningful and truly consoling.

The Consolation is a philosophical treatise written by Boethius (c. 480-524 A.D.) while awaiting his execution after being imprisoned by the Gothic emperor Theodoric. The first time I heard of Boethius and his most famous composition was, as so often is the case, when I was reading another work. The work in question is A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy O'Toole. The main character of O'Toole's novel, one Ignatius J. Reilly, had based his entire life and worldview around the philosophy of Boethius and his assessment of Fortune. A great work in its own right, A Confederacy of Dunces left a lasting impression in my mind and, when by chance I came across a copy of the Consolation in the used bookstore I jumped at the opportunity to see for myself what Boethius had to say.



The work is composed of five books beginning with Boethius struggling to make sense of his imprisonment and pending execution. Confronted with a fate that is seemingly at odds with the virtue and faith with which he has conducted his life, Boethius is about to succumb to the sorrow that is filling his thoughts. Just then he notices the presence of a woman in his cell, the awe-inspiring Philosophy. She bemoans that Boethius, once such an avid student of hers, is now about to abandon all that he had previously gained. Thus begins a journey of reason and contemplation between the two until Boethius in the end finds the consolation that he had almost given up upon. Interspersed between the dialogues of Boethius and Philosophy are a number of poems that range in subject matter and content. More numerous at the beginning of the work, the poems often times serve as transitions between arguments or help to put difficult concepts into a clearer light. Thus a remarkable harmony is reached between prose and poetry that can be appreciated even in an English translation, a rare feat indeed.



It is perhaps significant to understand the time in which Boethius lived a bit better to gain a more accurate reading of his work. Living long after Constantine's conversion to Christianity in the 4th century A.D., it is widely accepted that Boethius was a Christian and believer of the tenants of the Catholic Church (at a time when the Gothic emperor Theodoric, also a Christian but belonging like all Goths to the heretical Arian sect that believed that the father and son were not of one substance). One must find it a bit peculiar than that at no point in Boethius' text is Christianity mentioned in any overt context. To find a believer in his last days before death turning not to theology for comfort, as one might expect, but rather to philosophy has raised many questions about the nature of Boethius' belief. But one only has to look to the title of the work to see that Boethius is choosing philosophy for the subject of his work and could very well indeed have thought theology a better consolation, although one that would be and should be treated in an altogether separate treatise. With this in mind, Boethius draws on the works of the great philosophers and thinkers of antiquity; Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Seneca, St. Augustine, the Stoics, and the Neo-Platonists. This feat being all the more remarkable because Boethius apparently relied on his own memory to produce the arguments and passages seeing as he had no access to any literary sources while imprisoned.



Boethius has rightly been called the last classical man. Indeed his thoughts and works can be seen as forming a bridge etween the classical world and the Middle Ages. The Consolation influenced countless numbers of theologians throughout the Middle Ages and direct references are to be found in the works of masters such as Dante and Chaucer. His lonely contemplation of good and evil, fate and free will, fortune and the nature of happiness certainly still have an allure to inquisitive minds to this day.

I like all the phantom stallion books.
They don't have lot's of romance stuff like some
other horse series and they're a little longer than
most horse series, but they don't drag out. which I like.
they're extremely well written.

Dark Sunshine is my FAVORITE of all the books. It's action packed to say the least. Sam goes riding and see horse rustlers trying to trap wild horses to sell for dog food. They use a judas horse (Dark Sunshine) to lead the horses into a trap. The Phantom manges to save most of his herd but when the rustlers leave to take the three horses they caught to the auction or wherever, they leave Dark Sunshine! Sam takes Dark Sunshine, who's terrfied of humans back to River Bend. You also meet the first HARP girl, Mikki in this book. It's defintely my favorite!

If I said there really was a phantom stallion would you believe me? Well I read a book by Terri Farley, Phantom Stallion 3: Dark Sunshine. The phantom stallion has a wonderful wild herd. Sam once owned the phantom however after a fatal accident the beautiful stallion became wild. I say the phantom is not much in the third book because a buckskin is in trouble, because there are humans catching wild horses with the buckskin horse as bait. How can Sam save the buckskin, the phantom and his herd?
Anyone can tell that Sam lived on a ranch because she used to own the phantom, but now she owns a different horse named Ace. The ranch she lives on is called River Bend Ranch. After Sam came back from San Francisco so she could heal from her fatal fall she pronounced, "It is good to be home." In the, Phantom Stallion 3: Dark Sunshine, Sam reminds me of the three girls in, Avalon. Just like Sam helped catch a member of the humans using the buckskin to catch the wild horses. After Sam caught one member of the rustlers things got a little better around the ranch.
This is a great book and I would recommend it to girls ten and up. They also should be horse crazy, because this book is the third in a series of twenty-five books so far. This Series was recommended to me by a friend, because she knew that I am horse crazy. This whole series is fiction. Phantom Stallion 3: Dark Sunshine is 232 pages long. I am sure if you read this book you will love it, along with the phantom.

Dark Sunshine is my favorite horse! Everything about her intriges(sp?) me! This book will leave you wanting for more after every chapter. Never has there been a more exciting series for all ages. I recommend this series for all the horse loving people out there. This has changed me life by revealing the cruelty towards horses and making me want to help the mustanges live in the wild with out the fear of humans.

This book was really amazing in the way that it kept you on the edge of your seat and had several other stories going on besides the one that's written on the back, although the plots come to gether at the end. The main idea in this Phantom Stallion book is that Samantha finds a horse that has been mistreated by horse rustlers and she must rehabilitate it. It was so nice seeing a horse working its way through recovery. It was really nice. Another problem is that Brynna has Started working on the HARP program with a really bratty girl named Mikki. Brynna also acts strange with Sam's dad. This book was great! If you like adventure and a little bit of mystery this book is for you!