Switzerland Books

This book has it all. As I was flipping through pages after pages, this book really kept me from stopping. Notice this is only an atlas, not a book that explains the functions. The pictures are great, meaning you'll see striations in muscles and very realistic bone structures, unlike many other anatomy books. You'll even see some of the X-rays from real people. Other than the price, this is one of the best anatomy atlas book out there.

Vassily Smyslov is one of the greats of chess and this tournament victory is one of the greatest ever chess sporting performances. Facing a field which included such titans as Keres, Bronstein, Reshevsky and Petrosian, Smyslov shattered the oppposition and thus secured for himself the sole qualifying slot to face the great Botvinnik in a match for the world title. Combined with the companion Hardinge Simpole volume on the World Championship Candidates Tournament 1956 this book begins a record of staggering tournament expertise and determination by the immortal Smyslov.

Written by eye witness chess journalist Barry Wood, Member of the English Olympiad team, Chess Correspondent for the Daily Telegraph and for many years Editor-in-chief of Chess Magazine..

This book is an easy read for any preteen to adult. The elements of love, tragety, adventure, authenticity are very compelling. The typical confinement of having to read a book cover to cover are released through the layout, photos and place index making the book a great travelers guide and resource for culture study.
The love letters and poems pulled at my heartstrings.

Preface to the review: I have to admit that it took a lot of trolling around before I found a book to review this Wednesday. It's not that I don't have a lot of as yet un-reviewed books that I like. The problem is I read some of them a long time ago. The other problem is that while a lot of them feature very obviously awesome/strong female characters, many of them are written by men. Which is great. It's just given me pause because my initial plan was books with strong female characters written by women authors. Given my recent difficulties, though, I have decided to lift the female author rule because it's just getting too hard. That said, I apparently read this book in 2001 but only realized it after checking if it was on my goodreads account as read. To be fair, 2001 was squarely during my "book-a-day" reading phase so my forgetting it might say more about me than about the book. But in the spirit of full-disclosure I thought that you, my readers, should have the full story. And now you do. (And, in the sake of even fuller disclosure, the review was late because I wound up rereading the entire book and it took longer than I thought.)

Sharon Creech won the Newbery Medal for "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children" in 1994 for her novel Walk Two Moons. Bloomability, from 1998, is one of Creech's later novels for children.

Thirteen-year-old Domenica Santolina Doone, known to almost everyone as Dinnie, does not have what most people would consider a mundane life, let alone an average one.

"In my first life, I lived with my mother, and my older brother and sister, Crick and Stella, and with my father when he wasn't on the road."

As Dinnie's father, a Jack-of-all-trades by name and choice, moves across the country in search of new "opportunities," Dinnie and her family follow.

"By the time I was twelve, we'd followed my father from Kentucky to Virginia to North Carolina to Tennessee to Ohio to Indiana to Wisconsin to Oklahoma to Oregon to Texas to California to New Mexico. My things fit in one box."

There was also a stint in Arkansas so brief that it escaped Dinnie's recollection. As some readers might have guessed, this lifestyle did not always work out for the family. The crux of the novel begins when Dinnie makes this series of observations:

"Dad was on the road, Crick was in jail, and Stella was having a baby.

And that was the last week of my first life."

That's when Dinnie is kidnapped by two complete strangers. At least, that's how it seems to Dinnie. No one else seems to agree. But, just because she met her Aunt Sandy and Uncle Max twice before, it doesn't make them like her real family. At least, not right away.

Dinnie's aunt and uncle take her off to Switzerland for an opportunity of her own as a student the school where Max will be headmaster and Sandy a teacher. At first, Dinnie doesn't see how any of that is an opportunity. But then she gets to the school and starts to meet some of the other students. Coming from all over the world, and from many different cultures, everyone is different. For the first time in Dinnie's life, she isn't the only stranger. Miles away from her family and in a foreign country, Dinnie might finally have a chance to find herself.

Along the way, she also finds friends (and family) that she never would have encountered anywhere else. Creech does a great job here of showing different cultures. The book is a nice example of a truly international book. It also might teach readers a thing or two about the importance of tolerance. In fact, I'm sure it could be used in a variety of classes as a teaching tool even if I can't get into all of the ideas in this review. It's also written in a very authentic, humorous voice.

The title of this book, Bloomability, refers to possibilities--a recurring theme in the novel. Dinnie isn't happy about a lot of the things she has to do, but as she soon learns, every change is an opportunity and a new possibility. On a personal level, this book is actually a really relevant review for the week, and I'm sure most other readers would also find it has some valuable insight to offer during times of change.

This is my sons pursuasive essay for his advance language arts class. His assignment was to talk another classmate into reading this book. He has enjoyed this class and the other readings. I had to constantly remind him to finish this book.

"Sharon Creech is a Newberry Medal author, yet I can't recommend her book, Bloomability, to my classmates. She can't relate to American 6th grade students. It's the worst reading assignment I've had in 6th grade. I am so glad I'm done reading it.

I would have like to read about technology and science instead of about the mountains and how beautiful and white they are. The author uses many words from European languages which could be cool, but half the time, didn't explain the meaning of the words. It made it hard to concentrate on the story. I like books like the girl trilogy by Lauren Myracle. The girls talk about boys and secrets.

The Language Arts Class had more choices of novels to read than Advanced. Doing so many assignments on the same boring book got old. I feel like I said the same thing over and over. Would the curriculum committee please consider giving the advanced students more choices for their module five novel."

Bloomability by Sharon Creech is an exquisite book that makes me want to try something new. This book gets five out of five stars because there is nothing wrong with this book. This is an excellent book that leaves you thinking like the characters. Readers that like other Sharon Creech books or like Linda Urban will love Bloomability. In Bloomability Dinnie moves to Switzerland without her family and feels lost. Read Bloomability to find out if she stays in Switzerland.

Bloomability is a book about adventure and the great things that can come from them. This book is about twelve year old Domenica Santolina Doone, and what she has learned from moving from place to place. Following her father, she keeps herself from getting attached to anywhere or anyone because everything is gone before she knows it.

In this book, Dinnie is taken to Switzerland with her Aunt Sandy and her Uncle Max. Dinnie is confused and scared and doesn't know why she was taken to Switzerland with her aunt and uncle. She decides that she was "kidnapped". This book is about Dinnie and her adventures that she has with her friends Lila, Mari, Belen, Keisuke and Guthrie. Dinnie's friends teach her that life is too short to not enjoy every moment, and that its okay to let people into your "bubble". Along the way of Dinnie's adventures, she learns that sometimes life gives you forks in the road, and that either way you go it was meant to be. Throughout the book, Dinnie is trying to decide if she is falling for Guthrie, and when something happens to him she realizes how special he really is. Will Guthrie be okay and will they get together? Will Dinnie ever see her family again? Find out in Bloomability!

This is the best book I have read in a while; it is really a breath of fresh air. The characters are more complex, and the story line is more interesting, than any of her past books. Therefore I don't recommend it to novice readers. It is true beauty.

"Banner in the Sky" brings you to the summit of excitement and beyond. It is a near masterpiece from start to finish. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an itch for a good mountain climbing adventure. There are a good choice of words and keeps you hanging.

Rudi is a 16-year-old boy who has been stuck as a dishwasher at the Beau Site Hotel, a hotel that his family owns. He would rather be scaling mountains, something that he is forbidden to do because of the death of his father. After saving a great mountain climber, Captain John Winter, they become close friends. On a mountain climb with Winter, Rudi is proved to have some greatness, but still has a lot to learn. Rudi's dream is to climb the Citadel, believed to be the only unclimbable mountain in the world. One night, Rudi decides to sneak out to climb it and adventure comes.

I liked mostly everything about the book except how Rudi's conflict with his family about the mountain is resolved. Rudi's mother just decides that she will allow him to climb the Citadel when she finds out that that's what he's doing.

"Banner in the Sky" brings you to the summit of excitement and beyond. It is a masterpiece from start to finish. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an itch for a good mountain climbing adventure. There are a good choice of words and keeps you hanging.

Rudi is a 16-year-old boy in Europe in 1865 who has been stuck as a dishwasher at the Beau Site Hotel, a hotel that his family owns. He would rather be scaling mountains, something that he is forbidden to do because of the death of his father. After saving a great mountain climber, Captain John Winter, they become close friends. On a mountain climb with Winter, Rudi is proved to have some greatness, but still has a lot to learn. Rudi's dream is to climb the Citadel, believed to be the only unclimbable mountain in the world. One night, Rudi decides to sneak out to climb it and adventure comes.

I liked mostly everything about the book except how Rudi's conflict with his family about the not climbing mountains is resolved. Rudi's mother just decides that she will allow him to climb the Citadel when she finds out that that's what he's doing. I do love that Rudi conquers the mountain, though.

I just finished reading Banner in the Sky and really liked it. It was a quick read and hard to put down. Some of the things I found exciting were, without giving away the story, the setting and characters. They made the story exciting. The setting was in the Swiss Alps in 1865. Rudi Matt lived in Kurtal and wanted to climb the Citadel. In real life Kurtal is Zermatt and the Citadel is the Matterhorn. One of the main characters, John Winter, is a lot like Edward Whymper, first man to climb the Matterhorn. The way the author told the story was realistic, because he was a mountaineer himself. He climbed Mount Everest in 1965. My two favorite characters were Captain Winter and Rudi. They both wouldn't give up when they ran into problems. I recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure books and mountain climbing.

The Disney movie, Third Man on the Mountain, was based on this book, so I had to read it. Excellent read. While the movie had extra plot line, characters--the book goes into the thoughts and feelings of this young man who is going to climb the mountain that his father died on. The memorable moments for me were when he took shelter in the cave his father died in while heroically trying to keep his friend from freezing. And the prayer of course that drove away the terrors of the mountain. The local climbers believed that demons ruled that mountain.

Back in the days before all the peaks of the Alps were conquered, this is a story about a young man who will help conquer the last unclimbed peak. Son of a mountain climber who died on that last peak, Rudi is forbidden to climb. But it is in his blood and he obeys the call to brave the peak.

This is back in the days before polartec fleece, belaying equipment, or retractable hooks. Rudi and the other men climb sheer mountain cliffs in freezing weather with only a rope holding them together and special hobnailed climbing boots to give them steadier footing.

I'm sweating just remembering how terrible was the drop below them. It took real courage.

Rudi earns the respect of his village and the men with him, but not in the way you think. The ending is surprising, but very moving and very fitting.
This is a great, great book.

This book is one of my all time favorite stories! It is about a little girl who goes to stay with her "mean" grandfather high in the Swiss mountains. She thrives in the mountain air and shares a special love with her grandfather. She is later taken away to live in Frankfurt with a wealthy family as a companian for a sick little girl, but being away from her grandfather and mountain air makes Heidi so homesick she actually becomes physically ill. She finally is able to return to her mountain and is part of a miracle that takes place there. This is such an enjoyable book to read and is a beautiful picture of love and forgiveness. I have read it several times and each time it gets better.

this is my favorite book of all time. i started crying at some parts and heidi is cute, genorous, and funny...

the book that arrived was not the one i ordered. I tried to contact seller by email and got no reply. the book they did send was just the plain book heidi it was in great shape and arrived quick.

When I was a child, I was struck in the eye with a rock thrown by my brother. I was injured to a point that I was bedridden for 6 weeks, and had to take one inch steps in order to heal my eye. I was also confined to a dark room. My mother would read "Heidi" to me as I lie in misery. The doctor said that I had to lie still. He did not want me to injure my eye even more than I had.

Heidi is a book that changed my life. It gave me hope as I lie in darkness. It made me taste goats milk even though to this day I never have. I hope to take this book and read it to my 84 year old mother soon so that I may turn the tables. This book is amazing. Buy it. Read it. Share it with your loved ones. I cannot emphasize enough that this story is magic. God Bless all who read this. Jen

This book is marvelous for both adults and children! Very well illustrated, so you can read the book to the tiniest of children and use the pictures to help them along until they're old enough to understand and read the words in the book. Can start children on this book as a picture book and work their way up to reading it. I read it as an adult and found it very enjoyable. You won't regret buying this book!

A trio of college age friends--two girls, one guy--tour Europe, giving the reader glimpses of interesting places to visit in addition to addressing the challenges of morality, following God, and retaining friendships. The title implies that Christy and Todd's love will last until tomorrow--the future--their future together. Ideal read for teens and college ages. Good read for any age.

Christy Miller is thrilled that boyfriend Todd and best friend Katie are coming to visit her in Europe! UNTIL TOMORROW, the first book in Robin Jones Gunn's Christy and Todd: The College Years trilogy, picks up well after Gunn's original Christy Miller series left off.

Christy is now an independent college woman, attending a university in Switzerland. While she loves her life in Europe, she really misses her friends --- especially Todd. She is sure that the romantic background of Europe will give Todd the encouragement he needs to make some kind of commitment to their relationship. However, the trip starts off on a far-less-than-romantic note. Christy makes elaborate plans to show Todd all around Switzerland while having long talks about their future --- but when she meets him at the train station, she is immediately swept up in a whirlwind, and unplanned, trip.

Katie and Todd are accompanied by Antonio, their Italian exchange student friend, who announces that they will begin their trip camping in the Italian Alps. Camping certainly was not what Christy had in mind, and she is less than thrilled that she wasn't consulted on the idea. Though she tries to rough it, Christy soon decides that living off the land is definitely not for her. As the group makes their way down to Rome, Christy begins to have doubts about her relationship with Todd. Instead of becoming more committed to her, he actually appears to be becoming less. And while they haven't seemed to have their usual strong connection, Katie and Todd have been paying quite a bit of attention to each other.

Unable to stand the increasing tension, Christy dramatically wonders if they should break up --- and is very surprised by Todd's answer. As the group makes their way from the Blue Grotto of Capri, all the way up to the fjords of Norway, Christy, Todd and Katie ponder what it means to be a friend and what it means to be in love.

Fans of the Christy Miller series undoubtedly will be delighted to have Christy back. While those who read the Sierra Jensen titles may have been kept up to date on the general happenings of Christy's life, this new series has a very different feel. The Christy and Todd books are much longer than the novels in Gunn's previous series. They also give much more insight into the thoughts of an older Christy. While there is a different, more mature tone, many of the classic Christy Miller issues are present --- from fear of commitment to jealousy of friends. Whether or not this sort of material has gotten stale is up to the reader to decide.



--- Reviewed by Jennifer Crosby

Robin Gunn does a great job of speaking to young people through fiction.
The College Years wrap up all Christy and Todd have gone through and grown in age and spiritually, since they meet in high school.

Great Stories.

Donna

The reason for the low rating is that Christy's whiny, infantile attitude and behavior overshadows what could have otherwise been an memorable trek around Europe. As Christy's character progresses throughout the series--my view may not be popular there--it is evident that for portraying herself as a strong Christian, her immature behavior proves otherwise. She's just not a likable young woman. Her "poor me" demeanor and overly possessive attitude of Todd is enough to try your patience! I prefer truly strong Christian role models for girls like Christy's friend Katie Weldon (who has the patience of a saint to put up with Christy's nonsense all those years) and Sierra Jensen. I'd go on a trip with Katie and Sierra any day, even one minute with Christy Miller is enough to require a sedative Another thing, prominent throughout the series is Christy's constant disregard for her parents and family; not to mention taking them for granted. If she is as strong a Christian as she claims, she's forgetting one of God's most important commandments: Honor your father and your mother.

Alright people, this is a review for the entire Christy Series..... which was a serious letdown. Christy obviously has some issues. She likes some boy who after several months of no communication sends her a coconut. I'm still trying to figure that one out. If some boy did that he'd get a swift whack across the face. Also... Every time Christy seems to grow in God, all of a sudden she starts whining again. After 3 books of this you get sick of it. Every time Todd does something with another girl she freaks out big time. (Though Todd is kind of a flirt). She needs to get a life. She's a slight spaz. Every time something happens to her that is out of the box, or her routine, she has a hernia. In Europe, Wow. Camping for her was definitely a disaster. Skip these books and read some Bad Girls of the Bible, Linda Chaikin, Liz Curtis Higgs, Linda Windsor etc.

His genius lies in his blend of deep intuitive thinking and strict scientific empiricism. Jung's contributions are still slowly trickling down into the collective understanding of modern culture. One of Jung's greatest achievements has been his ability to produce a new vocabulary for modern man to deal with the processes that occur where the personal psyche meets objective reality.

Wow!

I've always admired Carl Gustav Jung, and this book, a biography of his inner life, has helped me to understand him much better. It was fascinating to read about his boyhood, his adolescence, his days as a student, his time as a doctor (most all of his adult life) and his travels. And the best part was the insights he shared about his inner life.

Perhaps the biggest surprise in reading this book was the extent to which I identified with him. As a child I had a rich imagination and sometimes thought that I was some kind of an odd-wad. And like Jung, not only did I have trouble with algebra when I was in junior high, I also, like Jung, had thought it was a plot! It was nice to find out that a highly intelligent person like Jung had experienced many just-like-it-only-different events as I had.

The biggest thing I appreciate about Carl Jung is his attitude towards the individual. I think he has one of the best treatments of individualism that I've read. The "individuating" process he outlines will make us better members of the community. Like Jung, I have always felt that the community is only as healthy as the individuals in it.

I continue to learn about his approach to dreams and to learn new insights from this book. It's very much worth reading.

As much as I would have liked to learn about Jung's life I just couldn' finish this book. Jung comes across as so incredibly self-absorbed - it's only me, I, me, I and me again. He writes hundreds of pages about his most detailed inner experiences, yet there is not a single word about his relationship to his wife, children and mistresses. If I hadn't known that he was married with five children I would have assumed he was a complete hermit. Loving relationships seem to have meant nothing to this man. I honestly wonder how he could have been a good therapist. I also wonder why so many women have followed his teachings when quite obviously he held them in such low regard. I only hope that the reality was better than this book makes him out to be.

"Memories, Dreams, Reflections" is the most insightful autobiography of Carl G. Jung's life and his humble experiences. I have read his other works, including Man and His Symbols and Dreams, and never fully understand them until I read this last book of his to which brings it all together in terms of his scientific approach. This 400-page book is a window into his inner world, and it is such a remarkable read.

In this book, Jung revealed much wisdom and insights from his early years up to his remainder of his life. One even can learn about oneself from his life. It is very much worth reading. It is both fascinating and inspiring.

My favorite line of Jung from this book:

"As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being."

This book is sublime, a GEM. In his subjective view of the world -"with half closed eyes and somewhat closed ears, to see and hear the form and voice of being" he arrived at an inspiring insight about life: supreme meaning of being can consist only in the fact that is,not that it is not or is no longer; nature, the mystery of love, the psyche, life, human beings, a state of lively contemplation of images is divinity unfolded (the greatest of miracles)-being conscious of this can come to you not through emptiness, imagelessneess or wanting to be freed from nature or yourself.
Here's a passage of the book that reflects the quintessence of his wisdom:
No language is adequate for this paradox. Whatever one can say, no words reflect the whole; for only the whole is meaningful...love "bears all things" and "endures all things". These words say all there is to be said; nothing can be added to them. For we are in the deepest sense the victims and the instruments of cosmogonic "love"- a unified and undivided whole. Being a part man cannot grasp the whole. He is at its mercy. He may assent to it, or rebel against it; but he is always caught by it and enclosed within it. He is dependent upon it and is sustained by it. Love is his light and his darkness, whose end he cannot see. "Love ceases not"-whether he speaks with the "tongue of angels", or with scientific exactitude traces the life cell down to its uttermost source. Man can try to name love, showering upon it all the names at his command, and still he will involve himself in endless self-deceptions. If he possesses a grain of wisdom, he will lay down his arms and name the unknown by the more unknown- ignotum per ignotius-that is, by God. That is a confession of his subjection, his imperfection, and his dependence; but at the same time a testimony to his freedom to choose between truth and error.
If we understand and feel that here in this life we already have a link with the infinite, desires and attitudes change.

this book is absolute garbage. the author has no concept of history and completely disregards the archaeological and historical record. If you you want to know more about ancient history, go to the experts. heck, even Livy is better than this guy!

Looking through this book reminded me of the movie "A Beautiful Mind". A brilliant mathematician constructs a fantasy world complete in every detail. The only problem is that it doesn't exist, and that he's as mad as a hatter.

Just two examples of the many "possibilities" suggested by our schizoid author:

(1) The Biblical flood and the Trojan War were the same event because Noah was Aeneas, who fled Troy to found Rome. (Noah and Aeneas had names that sound alike. Thus it is proven.)

(2) Nine kings fled the fall of the Tower of Babel and seven kings founded Rome. Therefore, Rome was founded by the kings who fled the fall of the Tower of Babel. (In the author's words, the Biblical figure of nine is "close enough" to the Roman figure of seven.)

Need I go on?

The professional historians faint as prominent mathematician Doctor Fomenko et al research the known historical data and come to fairly controversial conclusions.

For example, the English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. As the sign of recognition of the special role of the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.

The Russian historians brand it as pseudoscience because Dr Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by over two centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called `Tartars and Mongols' were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a trilingual state and aspiring Global Empire with Arabic and Turkic spoken as freely as Russian.

The ancient proto-Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities and the hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called `blood tax'). Their `invasions' were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion.

Fomenko proves for a fact that official Russian history is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scholars brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs. Their ascension to the throne was the result of conspiracy, so they charged these German historians-imports with the noble mission of making Romanov's reign look legitimate.

Dr Fomenko et al prove Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. These rulers represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate Godounovs and the ambitious Romanov upstarts.

The European historians fume not only because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History but for asserting that all medieval European Kings and Princes were but breakaway vice-regents and vassals of the Global Empire who badly needed glorious and very `ancient' past in order to legitimize their new independence from the Empire.

Dr Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one: the Ancient Rome: the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the 14th century A. D., the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, the Ancient Egypt: the pyramids of Giza become dated to the 11th to 14th century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global Empire, no less.

The civilization of the `ancient'' Egypt is irrefutably dated to the 11th to 15th century A. D. following the breakthrough in decoding of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone and painted on the temple walls.

Arabic historians may find some consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire as a part of the Global empire in the 15th - 17th century. The trouble is that this Empire was initially a proto-Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, but built in 1550-1557 A.D. by Sultan Suleiman according to Fomenko and Islam with all its key figures is datable to 15th 16th century A. D.!

The Chinese historians are also an unhappy lot because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such history. Period. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the 17th 18th century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation.

The Divinity excommunicates Dr Fomenko because the history of religions according to Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the 11th century and Jesus Christ ), Bacchic Christianity (11th to 12th century, before and after Jesus Christ), Jesus Christ Christianity (12th to 14th century) and its subsequent mutations (15th to 17th cy) into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on..; and The Old Testament written after the New Testament in xiv-xvi cy A.D., if you please! Everybody served? Saint Augustine was quite prescient when he said: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RAZQNMXM4M9CL Has history been tampered with? Yes, it has! Did events and eras such as the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Roman Empire , the Dark Ages, and the Renaissance, actually occur within a very different chronology from what we've been told? Yes, they certainly did!

The history of humankind is both drastically shorter and dramatically different than generally presumed.

Why is it so? On one hand, it was usual custom to justify the claims to title and land by age and ancestry, and on the other the court historians knew only too well how to please their masters. The so called universal classic world history is a pack of intricate lies for all events prior to the 16th century. World history as we learn it today was entirely fabricated in the 16th-18th centuries. It's likely that nobody told you before, but

there is not a single piece of firm written evidence or artefact that is reliably and independently dated prior to the 11th century.

Naturally, after what you've learned in school and university, you will not easily believe that the classical history of ancient Rome, Greece, Asia, Egypt, China, Japan, India, etc., is manifestly false.

You will point accusing finger to the pyramids in Egypt, to the Coliseum in Rome and Great Wall of China etc., and claim, aren't they really ancient, thousands of years ancient? Well, there is no valid scientific proof that they are older than 1000 years!

The oldest original written document that can be reliably dated belongs to the 11th century!

New research asserts that Homo sapiens invented writing (including hieroglyphics) only 1000 years ago. Once invented, writing skills were immediately and irreversibly put to the use of ruling powers and science.

The consensual chronology we live with was essentially crafted in the 16th century by the Jesuits.

The world history was compiled from contradictory mix of innumerable copies of ancient Latin and Greek manuscripts and other irrefutable proofs delivered by late mediaeval astronomers that were cemented by the authority of writings of the Church Fathers.

Early in life, we learn about ancient history. Children love the magical lessons of history - they are like fairy tales. Teachers recite breathtaking stories; very soon We learn by heart the names and deeds of brave warriors, wise philosophers, fabulous pharaohs, cunning high priests and greedy scribes.

We learn of gigantic pyramids and sinister castles, kings and queens, dukes and barons, powerful heroes and beautiful ladies, emaciated saints and low-life traitors.

Ancient history is based documents, manuscripts, printed books, paintings, monuments and artefacts - called primary sources.

The problem is that neither these ancient documents, nor events described therein can be irrefutably dated, moreover they contradict each other for the most part.

When a school textbook tells us that Genghis Khan in year X or Alexander in year Y, have each conquered half of the world, it means only that it is so said in some of the written sources.

There are no answers to simple questions:

When were these primary sources written?

Where and by whom were these sources found?

It is wrongly presumed that ancient and medieval chronicles, written by Genghis Khan's or Alexander the Great contemporaries and eyewitnesses, are readily available. Actually, only sources written hundreds or even thousands of years after the events are there, compiled mostly in the 16th 18th centuries, or even later.

As a rule, these sources suffered considerable multiple manipulations, falsifications and distortions by editing. At the same time,

innumerable originals of ancient documents under various pretexts were destroyed in Europe under various pretexts.

The names of persons and geographical sites often changed meaning and location during the course of the centuries.

Geographical locations became clearly defined on maps only with the advent of printing.

This made possible the circulation of identical copies of the same map for purposes of the military, navigation, education and governance tasks.

Historians from Oxford say: "hey, everybody knows that Julius Caesar lived in the first century B.C.

`Julius Caesar' statement is only a point of view as

there is simply no irrefutable documentary proof that Julius Caesar or any other great name of antiquity ever existed.

Better than that - extremely rare sources that can be reliably dated back to the 10th-14th centuries A D, do not show the polished picture of classical history.

They show a picture both contradictory and confusing.

All methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts are erroneous:

Radio-carbon C14 method produces dating with exactitude of plus minus 1500 years, therefore it is too crude for dating of events in historical timeframe!

The Almagest tractate, which lies as corner stone contemporary chronology, compiled in the 2nd century A D by Ptolemy, the founding father of astronomy, contains astronomical data of 9th to 16th century!

The Bronze Age,that has supposedly began 5000 years ago. Bronze is made of 90% copper and 10% tin, but the technology for tin extraction dates back to 14th century A D!.

All eclipses contained in manuscripts, like Thucydides one, relating 'ancient' events have exclusively medieval dating. All horoscopes cut in stone or painted in Egyptian temples, like Dendera have exclusively early medieval dating solutions.

Not quite what you have learned in school? Open your eyes, and, you will find sufficient proof to reach step by step the inevitable conclusion that the classical chronology is false and therefore, that the history of ancient and medieval world universally accepted today, is also false. Have a fresh outlook on everything said or printed about "ancient" and "enigmatic" Roman, Greek and Egyptian, medieval as well as all other "lost and found" civilizations.

Antiquity and Dark Ages are phantoms invented in the 16th 18th and polished in 19th 20thcenturies. Human civilization is in fact barely 1000 years old!

This book will change your perception of History forever!
What if Ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt were invented during Renaissance?
What if The Old Testament was a rendition of events of the Middle Ages?
What if Jesus Christ was born in 1053 and crucified in 1086 AD?
Sounds Unbelievable?
Not after you've read "History: Fiction or Science?" by Anatoly Fomenko, the genius mathematician.
Armed with astronomy and computers Anatoly Fomenko turns History into a rocket science.

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun (ie. closer), different tilt on its axis (ie. less than 23.5 degrees), different orbit (ie. more circular), different rotation (ie. in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different relative positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently from how we would today? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history or geography is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

This is an outstanding book for the novice or experienced collector. It's packed with facts, photos and fantastic details.

Each model is adequately covered and prices are cited as well. Especially, since this volume often is available in good or excellent condition from the used market, it gives those with small pocket books a classic entrance into the fascination with Rolex watches.

Rolex, with one of the first effective waterproofing movements, rose from a small operation to a name now recognized worldwide on a level with Coke, Levis, and other such products.

To collectors, Rolex is a good watch, but certainly not a great watch, compared to rare and exotic models especially made for the carriage trade.

Patek-Philippe, the standard to which many collectors measure as the "holy grail" of great watches, for example, produces far fewer pieces than do Rolex and Omega, and, of course, at supremely higher prices.

Rolex, on the other hand, is one of the more respected brands produced on an assembly line. Their sales remain high because Rolex approaches change cautiously. The line does NOT proliferate with new models and designs each year. Its quality control is fantastic for a production line watch, but none has super complications, either.

Rolexes are certified chronometers, meaning for mechanical watches, their accuracy is usually acceptable: + or -5 seconds daily for those formerly used to absolutely exact quartz, radio-receiving WWV watches, that sell in Wal-Mart for less than $100, keep perfect time, but look like they cost that, too.

Rolex recently gained the title of "manufacture" (not, manufacturer, although that's what it means) A "manufacture" is "watchspeak" that refers to a watch production house that builds its own movements. Rolex finally ditched the last of its outside movements with the popluar Cosmograph Daytona when it switched from Zenith movements to those made in-house by Rolex itself. That's a move that improves acceptance of Rolex by watchmakers and collectors. Rolex and Omega, both, stay at the top of the charts for high respect and strong popularity among myriad other mass-producers of upper-middle priced watches, some that market at more than Rolexes. Rolexes that grow in price toward 6-figures, usually either feature lots of diamonds, or they're old, rare examples, of collector pieces in superb condition.

Hand-produced watches that become 6 or even 7-figure watches as soon as they hit the market in tiny qualities are sought by very wealthy, world-class collectors, while Rolex on the other hand, has a name far more recognizable as a "good" watch than any one of more than 50 manufactures that sell for much higher prices. Those watches are far more exotic, and usually are mind-blogingly complex pieces, often with multi-axis tourbillon-assisted movements. (Tourbillon also is spelled correctly; NOT tourbillion, but a hard-to-make piece to fight gravity for accuracy.)

Exotics for the world-class Rolls-Royce and Ferrari crowds, simply are not available in the more practical application catalogs of GM, Chrysler or Ford autos, or those of Omega and Rolex watches.

This book does show some of the more valued, old watches, with some discussion, but its main focus is on the prospective wearer of Rolexes, also with tips and illustations that should help draw attention to the proliferation of counterfeits out there. A friend, who is a watchmaker in a city, says that he sees several fakes weekly that many sad buyers have paid dear money for on Internet auctions. There are, however, many honorable used Rolex sellers, and often on Ebay. Spot them by their high scores and the tremenduous volume of 99+percent approval rates.

If you see a Rolex that is just too cheap, or is "new," it most likely is either a fake, or it requires extensive, expensive repairs, or it's possibly stolen. Rolex has no authorized outlets allowed to sell new watches on Ebay, I'm told. This book helps you recognize each genuine Rolex model so that your next purchase will be a positive, pleasurable expierience.

There is NO Rolex owner or collector who would be anything other than very proud to own this book. Right now, it's THE standard out there! If you can afford only one Rolex book, this is it.

My ownly gripe is its weight. Because of that, it's hard to read in bed, for instance, and is best read seated upright at a table. If you're serious, you'll want to do that anyway so you can take notes on a pad beside it.

It has been said, but this really is the king of all Rolex books. The pictures are outstanding, every little detail is here in the text. If you want a book on Rolex watches, this is the book for you.
Its a great coffee table book, but full of everything Rolex.
It has the dates, year by year of all the different models and gives movement numbers and case numbers.
It also covers the Tudor watch, also made by the Rolex company.
The book is a very useful reference book if you are a Rolex owner, or want to buy Rolex. It has numerous sections & include several discussions including: tips on differentiating the real from the fakes, history of the different models, bracelets, purchasing Rolex via ebay, vintage Rolex, etc.
I must 100% recommend it.

This is a fantastic Rolex reference which is rich is history, background information, and abundant full-color photos. This is a must-have reference for the serious Rolex collector.

Similar to Rolex watches on which this book focuses, it's heavy, quite large, and overpriced. Again similar to Rolex watches, it does the job fairly well. Generally good to excellent photography traces the evolution of Wilsdorf's watches from "unknown," to a famous name. Furthermore, Wilsdorf understood the value of publc relations and advertising campaigns to boost his product to what's probably the most recognized brand of Swiss mechanical watches. While the book is lavish in its photographic presentations, there are too few words. Especially with watches, I want to know original and current selling prices, too. I yearned for a newer edition. Of course there can't be one every year, but this volume is better suited to the collector of older watches. I'd love one highlighting post-2005 Rolexes. But, you sure can't slight the research accomplished. Tops in that regard, few cover older Rolexes as completely. As a photographer who owns six Rolex watches, I appreciate the photography, and respect the teeth-pulling exercises the authors no doubt went through to locate the pictures. I prefer smaller books that are more conveniently sized for reading and storage. My library leans like the famous tower due to myriad so-called "table- or coffeetable-top" books that are oversized. Sometimes, as is this publication, that's the only way I find the material I seek: books about cars and watches. A slick, perhaps thicker, paperback edition possible to read lying down beats hell out of these large, cloth bound, impractical volumes. This book, at its price, is a product only a "watch buff" or a Rolex fan will likely cough up $125.00 to own. I'm both, plus I got it for $75: a "bargain," I suppose, maybe much in the same way Rolexes are when compared with several finer Swiss timepieces, such as Patek Philippe, a brand against which all watches are weighed,watchmakers often say. Rolexes are no Patek Philippes, of course, but they don't sell new for $100,000, $200,000, $300,000 or more, either, and sans diamonds as well! As a "gearhead" and watch hound for more than 50 years, I say a Rolex is similar to a Dodge pickup loaded with leather, GPS, Sirius and all the toys. They're tough, rough, practical. As mechanical devices go, they're reliable as granite. Each has a strong, masculine, but very attractive presence, and either one that's serviced religiously will work a century more. This isn't the best watch book I own, nor is it even the best Rolex book I have, but those of us dedicated to horology and Rolexes may say, as did I: "To hell with its dimensions, ungainly weight and price: I gotta' have it!" Unless Auntie Maude is the bearded weight lifter at the circus, don't send her after it. Plan to sit at a table to flip through it comfortably. (Be sure to order the 3rd edition, circa 2006!)

The best Rolex book available. Known among collectors as the Rolex bible it is easy to see why.
The quality of pictures nearly all color is beyond any other watch book published. The history sections flow from page to page and makes light reading.
As a guide and reference book on Rolex watches. It is simply the best.
I don't know much about the authors but they show their love for the watches in section after section. The price is fair; this is a very large well put together book.
I would like to give it 10 stars. The work involved producing it certainly merits it.