Classics Books

Steve Coll's latest book, The Bin Ladens, is an excellent successor to his previous, Ghost Wars, about the wars in Afghanistan over the last 30 years. With excellent prose and well researched documentation, Coll provides rich detail on an otherwise unknown history. Specifically, that the family that bread the terrorist who committed the worst attack on US soil has also contributed a significant amount of business development in the Middle East and the United States.

Coll's thesis is that the Bin Laden family, beginning with the family patriarch Muhammad Bin Laden in the early 20th century, created a large amount of wealth and developed multiple personalities at the same time as the United States and especially Saudi Arabia.

The Bin Laden's have leaned heavily on early connections established with the royal family of Saudi Arabia. As Saudi Arabia grew with the discovery of oil, the riches of the family also grew with the accumulation of construction contracts. As their wealth grew, they also became more interested in more cosmopolitan pursuits. And as these pursuits expanded, many of the family gravitated towards the most economically vibrant country during the Cold War, the United States.

As with any large institution, different wings grew up in the family. A religiously conservative wing of course developed, and Osama was a member of this wing. However, a liberal, open minded wing also developed.

Overall, Steve Coll has put together much research that is likely unknown to many in the west. This excellent book should be on the reading lists of many who are trying to understand how this one particular family developed the way they did, and how the roots of Osama Bin Laden are also intertwined with the incredible economic development of both the West and the oil rich Middle East.

In a style reminiscent of the Pulitzer Prize winning "Ghost Wars", Steve Coll examines the history of the Bin Laden family. In order to reveal the complex forces at work on the Bin Laden family members throughout the past century, Coll utilizes a variety of different sources. The most fascinating, in my opinion, is the information he extracts personally from interviews.

Coll explores the behavior of Bin Laden family members as it should be explored; he constructs an eloquent history of the social, political, and economic forces at work in Saudi Arabia and focuses on the Bin Laden family's primary patron and guardian: the Saudi Royal Family. Coll reveals fascinating personalities of Bin Laden family members not by rambling in imprecise terms; he describes, using annotated sources, the way they reacted to a wide range of situations and then draws calculated and enlightening conclusions based on historical fact.

"The Bin Ladens" is accurate. So are the most boring of textbooks. Accuracy, in this case, does not come at the price of overly intellectual rhetoric or cluttered prose. This book reads more like story than a history textbook, essay, or newspaper article. If you were a fan of "Ghost Wars" or are simply curious to learn more about the Bin Laden family/Saudi Arabian History/Middle Eastern Construction in general, then I think this is worth your time.

Cheers.

well, not this book actually, but a related book by Coll's colleague Parag Khanna titled The Second World.

Some of the various, and numerous, factual errors that riddle the book are relatively trivial, but suggest serious sloppiness and disregard for getting facts right. For example, Yugoslavia was not part of Warsaw pact, as Khanna states. Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov was appointed to office in 1992 by Boris Yeltsin, and not by Vladimir Putin. Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia and Albania are not all smaller by population than Manhattan, and the death toll from the civil wars in former Yugoslavia was not greater than half a million. Other obviously wrong assertions seem to be made up simply to provide lurid background color to Khanna's travelogue: the former KGB headquarters in Moscow has not been turned into "a high-class disco," expensive Moscow malls do not charge entrance fees, and police road checkpoints in Uzbekistan do not stop and check all vehicles. And other gross misstatements of fact display a simple complete lack of understanding the history and culture of the countries of which he writes: the (Orthodox) Uspenky cave monastery in Crimea is not representative of Ukraine's "proud Catholic heritage," Zoran Djindjic was not the first democratically elected leader since World War II in former Yugoslavia , and in the 1980s Yugoslav republics like Bosnia and Macedonia were not richer than Spain. Many of Khanna's wildly wrong claims sound like local myths that he has taken at face value. I can easily imagine some misguided elderly Belgrade resident waxing nostalgically for the days "when every one of our republics was richer than Spain!"

Yet more of Khanna's assertions are not merely factually wrong, but far exceed the ludicrous. In the fast paced and dangerous Russian business world, "one is safe only in the sauna, where everyone is naked and no weapons are allowed." It was news to me to learn from Khanna that every winter "waves" of Russians and "thousands of Ukrainians" freeze to death in "crumbling heatless apartment blocks." And he employs gross mischaracterizations of fact to buttress his claims. For example, according to Khanna, in 2006 Greek GDP increased 25% when the government started to account for prostitution and cigarette smuggling in its figures. In fact, the government said it would include all unreported economic activity, mostly in construction and trade, but including a "small" amount for illegal activities such as smuggling. And this is merely a sampling of patently ridiculous claims.

And for a "foreign policy whiz-kid," Khanna makes numerous and serious analytical mistakes, showing a clear misunderstanding of economics, international institutions, and international relations. The unhedged statement, "Russia's diplomatic position is purely residual," will surely surprise diplomats from Brussels to Tokyo. Noting that Gazprom's market capitalization is $300 billion leads Khanna to the conclusion that Gazprom is one third of the Russian economy, confusing market capitalization with GDP. And his bald assertion that "[n]one of Central Asian legal systems have evolved beyond Kakfaaesque" is belied by the numerous successful legislative accomplishments of Kazakhstan and its quite sophisticated legal code, for example.


But the worst moments of Khanna's book are when he quotes conversations that seem of such dubious authenticity as to make me believe they may be fabricated, or at best the result of very selective reporting, only relating those comments that fit within his pre-existing views. "'Our pride has suffered'" explains a "Moscow intellectual over a narrow glass of [of course] ice-chilled vodka, `but this only drives our nationalism further.'" In Kiev, the locals "give lifts to strangers for a token fare." Why? "We suffered enough together, so we still trust each other." There are just too many such (anonymous) quotations that fail to ring true to trust in the author's integrity. And he also reports statements by national leaders as if they were heard in personal conversation, yet in a curiously indirect fashion that suggests otherwise.

This book covers the Bin Laden family and their rise to prominence in great detail, especially the founding father and his two succeeding sons. It is fairly sympathetic to the Bin Ladens. They got a very raw deal from their black sheep.

And Osama in all this? He's mostly off stage, because there was little in the way of written records (and probably because Mr. Coll didn't get all the access he might have wished for). Mr. Coll describes him in an fairly condescending way: he's pious and competent, but hardly an brilliant figure. For example he's described as a strictly so-so businessman. In fact, Steve Coll covered him rather better in Ghost Wars.

Is it wise to describe a successful enemy as a second rater? Not necessarily, but it is customary. Would it have been smart marketing to sing the praises of Osama's organizing skills, assuming he has any? Certainly not.

More interesting really, are the sideways glances we get of Saudi Arabia itself. Or rather, the Saud family, whom I find pretty disgusting. Their sloth, hypocrisy, decadence and the mess they have made with their wealth is appalling. Odd how they could manage to build so many palace without providing for basic necessities for their subjects. Later on, that changed to modern day bread and circus: "Don't vote, don't criticize. In return you won't have to work."

And just in case not enough citizens agree, they bribe one of the most intolerant branches of Islam to declare that the frequently terminally alcoholic Al Sauds kings are Defenders of the Faith against all the godless heathen everywhere. Bit like Jerry Falwell declaring the frat-boy era Bush the supreme guarantor of Christian morals. I would have loved to learn more about that devil's bargain and the reasons behind it.

There is one near-surrealist part in which Mr. Coll says that the royals and their Wahhabi cohorts may have paved over an archaeological dig in Medina, of Muhammad's house, in order to create a public sanitation facility.

To be honest, Abdullah, their current king seems to be of the actually temperate and serious kind and perhaps a improvement in progress.

The common people of Saudi Arabia are almost entirely ignored. Yet, you get the feeling that, ruled by a traditional 18th century royal court of lazy bums, they could hardly be expected to be happy with the world at large. In fact, I think Muslims are rather badly served by the lot, though it is not my place to judge. Bit like a period during which the Popes were pretty much all lecherous buffoons.

In short, I would have welcomed more coverage of Saudi Arabia (perhaps so dispelling my prejudices) rather than endless details about Salem Bin Laden's flying skills. As it is, this definitely a family biography.

Enough criticism though. This book remains a fascinating and highly readable account of one facet of the 9/11 events. And it certainly reads almost like a soap opera.

The pieces of the Bin Laden family puzzle have been scattered across numerous continents and decades. With a doggedness that has already won him two Pulitzers, Steve Coll attacks the challenge of bringing these pieces together to form the definitive history of this enigmatic family. From published works to countless interviews with Bin Laden family and associates to long sequestered State Department documents, Coll assiduously mines the data and develops a portrait of one of the most recognizable names in the world. This portrait is immediately recognizable to everyone: money, political power, excess, self-destruction, contradiction, hypocrisy. The lives of the fifty-four children of Mohamed Bin Laden would not be out of place in the pages of the National Enquirer, People, or Forbes. One gets a sense of humanity from this all-powerful Saudi Arabian family. Unfortunately, even with all of this research, Coll's portrait still contains holes, and is far from being the definitive word on the Bin Ladens.

While the collected evidence does flesh out many previously unknown details, it remains thin in those areas that will be of most interest to scholars and casual observers alike. Stories about the Bin Laden's love of flying and ownership of property or the latest gadgets are entertaining, but most readers are going to come to the book expecting a clear understanding of how the most famous Bin Laden fits into the dynamic. Granted, being the relative of the mastermind of the worst terrorist attack in history is bound to shut up even the most chatty individual. Throw in the added dimension of the potential loss of a family fortune through lawsuits related to said person, and the prospects for obtaining any real data becomes thin. Coll acknowledges this throughout The Bin Ladens, but it doesn't lessen the impact. By the end, the reader is left with just as many questions as when they started.

Publicly, the Bin Laden family repudiated and disowned Osama in the early 1990s when he was primarily making trouble in Saudi Arabia. This repudiation only intensified as Osama's terrorist actions increased. Privately, however, the picture is murky. Coll tantalizes with snippets and anecdotes that certain elements of the family may have supported Osama, either tacitly or directly via financial means, but they ultimately end up going nowhere. For instance, near the end of the narrative, he throws out the comment from one of Osama's nieces that "some of the young people at the Bin Laden compound [in Jeddah] openly celebrated the September 11 attacks," but fails to add anything more. Peppered throughout the book are countless examples such as this where the author ultimately has to state that "the record is uncertain" or "the evidence just isn't there."

Even more puzzling is the role that the governments of Saudi Arabia and even the United States played in supporting the Bin Laden family over the years. Why did Saudi Arabia issue diplomatic passports to non-governmental charities suspected of funneling cash to Al Qaeda? Did the FBI treat the issue of terrorist financing so gently because the CIA wrongly estimated its importance as being low, or was there political pressure from on high? What about Bush family friend, Jim Bath's, wild assertion that he ran supplies to Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan for the CIA during a time that the CIA has repeatedly claimed it did not have any contact with Osama? In the end, such unanswered questions leave the book feeling sparse and unfinished.

All in all, though, one does get the impression that many of the deficiencies were caused by stonewalling from those who hold the puzzle pieces as opposed to any deficiencies on Coll's part. This being the first real, in-depth look at such a broad subject as this huge, secretive Saudi Arabian family, The Bin Ladens is an excellent starting point. Researchers will no doubt return to it and use it as the foundation for future treatises on Osama and the larger topic of the Global War on Terror. For that, it most certainly must be praised.

I had been eyeballing this book for about a year, flipping through it at the bookstore on occassion. I love the Kodansha publications, and was surprised with this book as a present last month. Wow, what a great book. The photographs are crisp and detailed, and the information is laid out in a concise and easy-to-follow format. I hightly recommend to anyone interested in jujutsu or judo.

Mifune's 'The Canon of Judo' is an outstanding work and certainly joins Kano's 'Kodokan Judo' as an essential book for all Judoka. The instuction included within is exceptional and will without doubt be of the utmost benefit to any and all Judoka who may read it. Mifune was undoubtedly one of the greatest Judoka to have lived, and the quality and depth of instuction given in this book is a fitting match for the man. Few, if any books available at this time present techniques in the format offered in this book. Mifune offers not only the pure techniques but also advice, key points and cautions for their use which are often only learned the hard way.

I wish I had bought this book while I still an actively practicing Judo. It is comprehensive and impressive. I wanted to reconnect to the dicipline and history of Judo, and this did the trick. My son has become very interested in Judo as well as other cultures becuse of this book. What more can a you ask?

Each page has about six pictures showing progressions of the various techniques. Some pages have four pictures and some have eight or nine. Description headings include: Description, Practice, Important Points, Caution and Remarks. It starts with judo fundamental principles and etiquette and progresses to posture, exercises, falls and breaking of balance. The book continues to descriptions of practice and philosophy. After the first fifty pages, forty pages of throws, ten pages each of grappling and strangling are followed by another ten pages of counters and defenses. Fifteen pages of joint locks follow with seven pages of ground strategy. Then twenty four pages of defensive and counter techniques for throws with multiple counters or defenses per throw lead into a brief discussion of modification of technique and adapting to circumstances and several pages of more specialized techniques. A few pages of counter techniques for practice are finally followed by methods to revive the injured.

All in all, this is one of the very best books on martial arts I have seen. It belongs in every martial artist's head, but you have to read it and practice it to get it there.

Fantastic source of info & techniques. Definitely one of my most used resources.

This book was a genuine surprise. It covers 4 main characters from their own perspectives but each story is intertwined beautifully with all the others. The old saying "You can't go home again" does not apply here. Home is not always a place and family is not always what you expect. I'm not sure I can offer anymore than what other reviewers have said here so well but I definitely was caught up in this book and certainly looking forward to her other books.

Why did this book fall into my lap when I really needed it? For whatever reason, it did and I enjoyed it throughout a long plane ride. I'd just lost a good friend and a very special dog in the course of a couple of days and this book really lifted my spirits. I thoroughly enjoyed how the author presented the story from several characters' viewpoints. I personally believe that we're all connected on a spiritual level and liked how the author wove in mystical possibilities. Far fetched? Maybe, but fun just the same.

Very well written, wonderful characters, worth every moment.

Meet Mara, Earl, Edith and Daniel--the four narrators of Church of the Dog. This rather unusual format allows author Kaya McLaren to convey the thoughts of each of these characters, giving wonderful depth to each. Mara, the main character, is able to see energy fields around those she meets and also can use her own energy field to heal. Earl is her landlord; Edith is his wife who becomes a friend and mentor to Mara. Daniel is their grandson, emotionally handicapped by the tragic loss of his parents.

Mara is recovering from heartbreak. Her engagement ended when her former fiancé handed her a bill for the gas he used driving her to a hospital emergency room. An art teacher, the young woman believes, "I get to teach young people to look at light and life. I get to encourage them to appreciate themselves, and appreciation is a form of love."

Edith is discontent in her marriage. "I glance at my wedding ring and wonder if it's true, if I really am married...I think I'm just part of his landscape, and he simply accepts and expects my presence. A long time ago his eyes sparkled when he looked at me."

Earl's failing health has him re-evaluating his priorities. "My ranch. It's so strange to think that one day it won't be my ranch. I won't be making the calls...What if this house where I've lived my whole life just falls to the ground? What if the next person undoes everything I spent my life doing?"

Daniel still struggles with the tragic loss of his parents when he was very young. He removes himself from much human contact by working as an Alaskan fisherman, although his grandfather wants him to come home. "Come home to the land of of my losses and failures, to my inadequacies and irrational fears...There is one thing I do like about piloting the ship at night. It's the reason I chose this life. It's the sense of disappearing all over again, disappearing into a night so dark I cannot be seen, in a sea so vast I cannot be found."

Mara is able to sense what Edith, Earl and Daniel need in their lives, and to encourage them. At the same time, she grows and matures. The characters evolve; relationships develop and are explored. They even "travel" and visit one another's dreams--just one more form of communication the author uses in her entertaining story.

This delightful novel was originally released in 2000 and now, according to McLaren, is "a new incarnation." It is at once sad yet hopeful, melancholy yet encouraging. Church of the Dog is a story of redemption and healing, a gentle, mystical treatise on fully embracing life and love, and having the courage to face the future.

by Susan Ideus
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

this is a total "feel good" book - take a break from all that heavy reading and curl up with this - you will not regret it. Although I do not agree with her view on religion and Christianity I can see how some people may be misled to have such a negative view. Characters are created so we feel we know them - will read more of this author. This is my book club's pick this month.

This is a very character-driven tale, with a hint of the supernatural. It focuses on four main characters: Earl, Edith, Daniel, and Mara. Earl and Edith are an older couple, living on their cattle ranch in Oregon, and Daniel is their grandson. Earl and Edith were going to have two children, but Edith had a miscarriage, following an accident, and their son, Sam, died in a tragic accident, with his wife, as a young adult, when their son, Daniel, was eight. Earl and Edith raised Daniel. Mara is a free-spirited art teacher, who is a bit adrift in life, but lands a job in the small town near Earl and Edith's homestead. Daniel, at the beginning of the book, has semi-disappeared, working as a fisherman in Alaska, for reasons that come out later in the story. By the end of the book, almost everything, and everyone, has changed.

Events occur in the story, but action is a minor aspect of this book. What is dominant is the relationships, the interactions, and the emotions of the characters. Not all four of those main characters will still be alive by the end of the tale, and the focus of the book is handling the changes that occur, and how crises can encourage people to grow, in maturity and perspective. In what is actually a small story, told in but 221 pages, is almost every aspect of the human condition. It is resplendent with the joy of living fully, with the premise that the richness of life is to be experienced fully in its every form, even when that includes tragedy.

The level of development of the characters is a big part of what makes this book as moving and powerful as it is. I know these people! That is how realistic they are, even with Mara's quirks. Oh, I did not mention her quirks, did I? Mara sees auras around people, travels in her lucid dreams, and has some very unconventional beliefs about the nature of life, healing, death, and the hereafter. At times, it was a bit more New Age than I am used to, and I was initially concerned that Mara's aura-seeing and ideas about healing might be dominant enough in the story to cost it its credibility, but that apprehension was quickly dispelled. While Mara's unorthodox beliefs and unusual abilities, or beliefs about her abilities, do continue throughout the story, they are actually not a major factor, but do come off as just an unusual aspect of an otherwise still very credible and likeable character.

The end result of the convergence of these rich, credible characters, is a story that might be the most emotionally powerful tale I have ever read. It covers the entire spectrum of human emotion, and in a manner that simultaneously pulls no punches yet never comes off as melodramatic or meant to push your buttons just for the sake of doing so.

Several strong opinions are voiced in this book. A strong argument for vegetarianism is made, but not in a way that offended this definitely omnivorous reader-reviewer. Organized religion also takes a pretty big hit, here, but not in a condemnatory or sanctimonious or sacrilegious way. Instead, the characters state objections to certain aspects of organized religion, and hypocrisy is condemned, but spirituality and morality and living according to a belief system are lauded.

As I said above, I ended up feeling that I knew the characters, and I am glad to have met them. This book is one of those books that, once one reads it, it is unlikely to ever be forgotten. While I am not sure that it changed any of my beliefs, it definitely inspired me to remember to relish every aspect of life, no matter how painful it might be, and to always strive to move forward toward a better way of dealing with people. Can one ask for more from a reading experience?

-- Chris McCallister, author of Coming Full Circle

But why on EARTH are people selling it for 60 BUCKS when it's 24.95? LMAO

Great book, every recipe to die for. Yummy!

I love it. It's easy to read and follow, has tons of illustrations, easy receipies. I use it a lot.

Ever wonder why the food in Italy is so good when it seems so simple? The secret is good technique combined with locally-fresh ingredients. I love to cook, I love French food the best and I love complicated food, but I love a simple pasta just as well. I am also very visually oriented. Thus, the illustrations of the mise en place is perfect for me. I usually only need to glance at the actual instructions for the classics, which include visuals of all your ingredients. If you appreciate Eyewitness Guides (also published by DK) you'll appreciate the visual approach to cooking. The Carbonara is my favorite - although I always add a little chicken broth to pull it all together, and take the pancetta out of the pan till the last minute then toss it in (so it does not get soggy) and the Puttanesca ROCKS! I've tried at least 3/4ths of these and they are great. The only one I've tried that isn't awesome is the zucchini & shrimp pasta. A great pasta book and a great cookbook overall. It's in the canon if cookbooks - right up there with Joy of Cooking.

I got this book while living with my sister in florence, italy. at first glance it looks like a step-by-step "idiots guide to pasta" but once you jump past the children's book exterior, it really is a great resource. The recipes make the best use of easily accessible fresh and imported canned ingredients. The sauces are straightforward and simple both in preparation and taste. I personally like the huge quantity of vegetarian or easily-adjusted-to-be-veg recipes. Having access to the florence markets made everything taste like heaven!!! Don't miss the recipe whose introduction begins something like: "If I were sentenced to death and allowed to choose a last meal, this pasta with white truffles would be it."

If you like pasta this book is a must have. I am Italian, and learned to cook because I appreciate good food, and I like to eat! Eating is essential to life, why not eat the best foods, you only live once! I learned from watching my mother and grandmother cook and I can tell you the recipes in this book are the real thing; after all my mother bought this book for me. In my opinion(and my mother's) Marcella Hazan wrote the bible of Italian cookbooks with "Essentials of Italian Cooking"(also a must have), and this book is written by her son, so it is natural that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I have used this book countless times over the years, it is my reference for any pasta dish. It is easy to understand and follow, and after a while you will realize all these dishes are easy to prepare. Great illustrations on how to make fresh pasta and excellent sauce suggestions for different types of pastas. Lots of pictures so it makes it easy to understand what the dish is meant to look like, and what the ingredients should look like...I may have had a head start being of the Italian culture, but this book should make it easy for anyone to understand. Italian cooking is not centered around spaghetti and stewed tomatoes over tons of burned garlic, Italian cooking is colorful, diverse and subtle. This book will give you some insight into true Italian pastas, and the importance of fresh ingredients. Buy it, read it and eat in good health Per Cent' Ani!

Truly a classic collection, this exemplifies an excellent selection of stories from one of the true masters of the hardboiled detective fiction genre. Wonderful reads that I am reading for a fourth and fifth time since I first discovered them in the late 1960s.

This was the perfect vol for the survey of hard-boiled detective fiction I've been doing. A nicely formatted hardcover (nothing's sexier than a hardcover book) with good info on Hammett's life and times.

Complete Novels: Red Harvest / The Dain Curse / The Maltese Falcon / The Glass Key / The Thin Man (Library of America) What a great anthology of the works of the father of the modern detective novel. All of Hammett's novels in one book. It does not get any better than this.

An intriguing plot with just the right blend of wry humor, sex and secrets.

I do like these stories, though they are so rough! It is very helpful to be able to have them all together in this one good volume, I think. But it is dangerous to read them late at night, because you either get too excited to sleep, or you dream of bad men with their car headlamps switched off in the dark!

I purchased this book intending to get an unbiased view of the Spanish exploration of the New World. That is a difficult task given the nature of 20th & 21st Century academia.

This text, an eye witness account of what happened on real explorations, more than satisfies my objective. What's more, it's as exciting as can be... kind of like Star Wars... exploring new worlds, defeating the bad guys and establishing new alliances.

Excellent work.

If I could rate this work greater than five stars, I would. Not that it's the most erudite of tales but simply because it is the truth as Bernal Diaz experienced it. Almost certainly, it isn't one hundred percent accurate for Diaz' experiences are necessarily modified by the years separating his experiences from his writing of it. Nor was he, or any other member of the Cortez' expedition, an anthropologist, ethnographesr, scientist or even a particularly accurate observer. They were simple men--brave men, brutal men, trapped men--bent on plunder.

Still the Bernal Diaz memoirs are as good as it gets regarding the Conquest of Mexico and, as such, is an invaluable account. I find his account so important that I used it as my primary source in researching my novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"--on the Conquest of Mexico. I loved it when Diaz remarks towards the end of his account that, even in his old age, he wasn't able to sleep the night through. He "had to get up and look around." It's fascinating to note that basic human nature doesn't really change. Bernal Diaz del Castillo was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder induced by the fearful events of his two year battle in Mexico. Also, I loved it when he commented--also toward the end of his tale--that "although we robbed the Indiains, Cortez robbed his soldiers even more."

Cortez, for all his brillianace, luck and perseveranace, was, at the end, nothing more than a common thief.

Ron Braithwaite

When I first read the 1800 English translation, I could not put it down. Here are the first lines--a real grabbers! "In the year 1514, I left Castile (Spain) in company with Pedro Arias de Avila, who was then appointed governor of Tierra Firma (east Panama)...but afterwards suspicious that his son-in-law had an intention of revolting, he caused him to be beheaded."

Bernal's description of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan is amazing: "To many of us it appeared doubtful whether we were asleep of awake; nor is the manner in which I express myself to be wondered at, for it must be considered, that never yet did man see, hear or dream of anything equal to the spectacle which appeared to our eyes on this day."

And how about this magnificent line: "And now, let who can, tell me, where are men in this world to be found, except ourselves, who would have hazarded such an attempt."

And here is the horrific vision the Spaniards beheld when they climbed to the top of the great Aztec temple-pyramid. Remember that nearby, and looming up like a nightmare, was the stupendous "tzompantli," or skull rack. By careful Spanish count, it contained the grinning remains of 136,000 human beings.

"In this place they had a drum of most enormous size, the head of which was made of the skins of large serpents: this instrument when struck resounded with a noise that could be heard to the distance of two leagues, and so doleful that it deserved to be named the music of the infernal regions; and with their horrible sounding horns and trumpets, their great knives for sacrifice, their human victims, and their blood besprinkled altars, I devoted them, and all their wickedness to God's vengeance, and thought that the time would never arrive, that I should escape from this scene of human butchery, horrible smells, and more detestable sights."

The Conquest takes on a different color when seen through the eyes of the Spanish. Yes, they were greedy and cruel, but the scale of human sacrifice practiced by the Aztecs was beyond imagination. It is said that some twenty thousand people were sacrificed for the dedication of the Temple of the Sun. The Aztec priests worked for hours on end cutting out human hearts. They worked until they collapsed from exhaustion.

Bernal's history is also interesting for another entirely different reason. Joseph Smith (born 1805), the Mormon prophet, came of age during the period of English translations of Spanish histories (Bernal's in 1800 in London, and 1803 in the US, and Clevigero's "History of Mexico" in 1806 in Virginia and 1817 in Philadelphia).

Therefore, the golden splendor of the Spanish conquests of Mexico and Peru was fresh on everyone's mind, especially because the Spanish colony of Florida had become an American state (1821).

Thus, any notion that Americans were unaware of the great civilizations of ancient America is without foundation in real history. Ancient civilizations in America were so on the mind of people that in 1816, Solomon Spaulding wrote a history about a white and dark race in ancient America. His novel, "Manuscript Found," had the white race of mound builders destroyed by a darker-skin race.

Read my review of Robert Silverberg's magnificent book, "The Mound Builders of Ancient America: The Archaeology of a Myth." A must-read for anyone interested in the archaeology and myths about ancient America. Click here: Mound Builders

First person historical accounts are generally the best way to read history and have it come alive in the mind of the reader. This book by Bernal Diaz is certainly no exception to that rule. Although Diaz wrote this much later in life, and doubtless his memory was not perfect, it is obvious that the experience of marching with Cortez in the conquest of the Aztec empire left innumerable vivid memories in his mind.

I am very sensitive to the fact that the conquest of the Aztec empire and other native empires in the Americas left a horrific legacy which is still felt dramatically throughout the hemisphere. Despite the fact that in many ways, the conquistadors should not be considered "heroes," I think we still can admire and be awed by their courage and fortitude in the face of unbelievable odds in facing the Aztecs and not only escaping with their lives, but eventually conquering the entire civilization. Diaz brings these events to life better than any history book I ever read, and I highly commend this book to anyone interested in the history of this period, of Mexico, or Latin America in general.

Diaz was one of the soldiers who accompanied Cortez to invade the Aztec Empire. His account is one of the best we have of the whole affair. It is not written with much bias and was written to discount historical myths after the invasion had taken place. It is very analytical at times and his analysis of what happened is given added authority since he was present at the events. If you want to understand what happened this is a great book to read.

It is difficult to praise "The Discarded Image" too highly. It can be read with profit many times. Other reviewers have told you why.

That said, I would like to say something to those who have read and enjoyed the Space Trilogy, especially "Out of the Silent Planet" and "Perelandra." In writing those excellent stories, Lewis decided that the medieval outlook on cosmology, however incorrect from the scientific standpoint, would provide a marvelous-and to most of us-unfamiliar backdrop for tales of imaginative fiction. I promise you that once you have finished "The Discarded Image," you will reread the fictional works pleasantly fascinated by how the medieval image informs the novels.

This book explained and gave amazing and insightful information about the development of the medieval worldview and mindset.

To begin with, it must be acknowledged that the subtitle of this work is apt to be misinterpreted. Lewis's last book of his own initiative, which but for some late corrections would have been published in the final months of his life, might be better understood as a 'preface' to mediaeval and Renaissance literature than as what is now most often meant by an 'introduction'. For his stated purpose is not one of identifying, summarizing, and expounding major works, but of explaining the world-view or Model of the universe which informed any educated writer or reader of the time.

Lewis is concerned that a student may succeed in achieving a semblance of comprehension yet be wholly mistaken in his or her grasp of mediaeval literature through projecting onto it either very modern ideas or, perhaps worse, modern misconceptions of what our ancestors believed. While he does touch on authors and writings familiar from the average undergraduate survey course, he dwells far more on, and digs more deeply into, somewhat obscure examples which he feels better represent the mindset of the era. Boethius and his THE CONSOLATION OF PHILOSOPHY get particular attention and are alluded to repeatedly throughout. Lewis then proceeds to outline the mediaeval picture of the universe's structure; of the inhabitants it held; and of the psychological, philosophical, and metaphysical aspects which integrated the whole system.

All of this gradually reveals a cosmology far more sophisticated and a civilisation rather better informed than they are often credited with being. Understanding of the nature of the universe was not so erroneous as is now generally supposed; and where it was indeed wrong, it was nonetheless remarkably insightful as well as internally consistent. The mediaeval era emerges as the vital and extraordinary world it was, and as a fertile ground in which the so-called 'Renaissance' took root and flourished.

Lewis concludes with a cautionary reminder that our own notions of the universe and of 'Reality' itself remain comparatively incomplete and are certain to be superseded one day, not merely by new discoveries but by the ever-shifting philosophies and tastes which determine what questions are asked and thus what answers are found.

This is a book I genuinely hope to read again. Parts of it, I confess, were a bit beyond me, if chiefly because I had too little acquaintance with what was under discussion. Even so, Lewis's characteristic wit, conversational style, and contagious enthusiasm succeeded in making me wish to improve my familiarity with his subject. And to inspire such interest is surely a teacher's purpose even more than the mere passing on of information.

Highly recommended for students of history as well as literature. A product of C. S. Lewis's day job at Cambridge, this volume helps the reader get inside the mind of both the common man and the writers of this period. They had a different view of reality and the world than modern man. To understand, let alone appreciate their history and literatue, you need to know how they saw things.

Broader and more scholarly that Lewis' "Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Literature" (Canto, 1966), I recommend "The Discarded Image" over it.

By the way, though not intended as such, it's also a great source of trivia on the origins of names and expressions.

C.S. Lewis is just such a pleasure to read. And this book is simply a joy. I am a PhD student in medieval history and have read an awful lot of books on the medieval mind and this is by far the best. There is a slight tendency in Lewis' writing to see philosophy as the sole motor of history--but this is to be expected from his generation and it doesn't detract from the picture he paints. The best part about this book is that when I was finished reading it, I loaned it to my mother, who has absolutely no formal medieval training, and she loved it too! It's such a relief to escape the arrogant jargon of academics, that just masks their ignorance and inane analysis, and explore the world of ideas with such a master of clear and honest language.

Frog and Toad where helpachful to eatchather.There storys where creatav.I like Frog best.He teaches Toad alot of things.Frog and Toad spend all year together.

Frog and Toad All Year continues in the delightful and thoughtful tradition of Arnold Lobel's books. It has stories for each season and as always they are deceptively simple but actually full of love, truth, good values, and humour. My daughter's, 3 and 5, love them.

Frog And Toad All Year


Hi, if you are a fan of Arnold Lobel's books, and you have not read Frog And Toad All Year, then you might want to read it.

If you like ice cream, then you should read page's 30-42. It is about Frog and Toad sitting by a pond Frog wishing for something sweet like ice cream. Toad thinks that is a great idea, so he gets some but before he can make it back it melts. They both go and get more ice cream. But instead of going back, they sit under a tree by the store. I like this chapter is because of the ice cream melting.

I liked this book because of the lessons like the lesson in chapter Ice Cream and the lesson is never travel with ice cream on a hot summer day.

If you are scared of being alone, well, you might pick Frog and Toad All Year by Arnold Lobel. Find out if Toad will ever learn how to be alone.

In the beginning, Toad was so nervous to be alone in the sled. So Frog was behind him. There was a big bump and Frog fell out. Toad was still on the sled. And he went by himself all the way to the bottom. Toad learned that being alone is not that bad, and you don't have to be scared.

If you like this book you might pick others in the series. There is Frog and Toad are Friends and Days with Frog and Toad.

I was at a wedding where the minister was a very good friend of both the bride and the groom. When it came to the part of the service where the minister imparts words of wisdom, he started to read the Frog and Toad story of "The Surprise." It is all about how one October when the leaves had fallen from the trees Frog decides to go to Toad's house to surprise his friend by raking up all the leaves on his lawn and Toad decides to go to Frog's house and do the same thing. The minister read the story, showing the surprised groom the pictures, and when he finished the story he explained how it was all about thinking of somebody else before you think of yourself. All I was thinking is that I have to get my hands on this story.

"The Surprise" is the fourth of the five stories that make up "Frog and Toad All Year," a Level 2 (Reading with help) "I Can Read Book." The stories begin and end with winter, starting off with "Down the Hill" as the two friends go sledding and end with "Christmas Eve." In between Toad finds that Spring is waiting around "The Corner" and buys some "Ice Cream" cones for he and his friend to enjoy, before it is time to rake the leaves. Lobel's stories have an exquisite simplicity that should really resonant with young readers. I know that frogs and toads are both amphibians, but I had to look up the biological differences: toads have brown skin that is dry and leathery because of convergent adaptation to drier climates and environments than frogs. So there is a reason why frogs are green and toads are brown. What that means to kids is not evidence of convergent adaptation, but rather than Frog and Toad are alike and yet different. In the end what is most important is that they are friends. Whether you think of yourself as a frog or a toad, you still need a friend and friendship is what these stories are all about.

"Frog and Toad All Year" was originally published in 1976, the fourth of Lobel's collections of stories about these characters. It follows "[[Frog and Toad Are Friends" (1970), "Frog and Toad Together" (1971), and comes before "Days with Frog and Toad." Each has five stories and if I think this one is the best it may just be because it was the first one I happened to read. If you have the soundtrack to "A Year with Frog and Toad," the musical adapted from Lobel's charming stories, you will find that three of these stories end up in Act II. "The Surprise" becomes "He'll Never Know," "Down the Hill" retains its title, and "Christmas Eve" becomes "Merry Almost Christmas." I mention all this because once your young reader reads one of these books they are going to want to read the rest, and when they find out that there are only four books you might need something else to keep them happy and the musical is out there to be enjoyed as well.

A.A. literature and independent research make clear the relevance of this little book to the A.A., 12-Step, Recovery picture. See Dr. Bob's Library, 3rd ed.[[ASIN:1885803257 ; DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers ; The Books Early AAs Read for Spiritual Growth [[ASIN:1885803265 ]; The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous[[ASIN:1885803176 ; and Turning Point: A History of Early A.A.'s Spiritual Roots and Successes.[[ASIN:1885803079. A.A.'s co-founder Dr. Bob said hundreds of time that 1 Corinthians 13 was an absolutely essential part of the early A.A. program. He thought so much of this Drummond study that he circulated The Greatest Thing in the World widely among the A.A. pioneers. It was part of his library. It was part of his expression of the meaning of love. For that's what the Corinthians chapter and the Drummond book are about.

I heard Larry Burkett highly praise this book years ago so I got one. I agree, this is an awesome book. read just a few pages and it will change your heart to love others more, no matter how grouchy you are at the time. I prefer the older editions of this book, they fit in my purse better

My brother sent me a copy. He liked it so much he brought fifty copies to share with friends. I in turn have purchased copies to give away. It is the Sermon on the Mount, The Gospel of John, and First John all in one by way of expounding upon Paul's great love expose. Gary Trawick.

This book by Henry Drummond is a much-neglected meditation on I Corinthians 13. With kindness and gentle encouragement, Drummond walks the reader through the characteristics of love we all fail so miserably to exhibit in our own lives. Well-written and short, this book should be on the shelf of anyone who is trying to live Scripture.

Hadn't read Henry Drummond's book in years, but I recently picked it up again and re-read it and found it had lost none of its power for me. This book can be read in twenty minutes, but it's a twenty minutes that can change your perception of life and love.

Drummond, who was an inspiring liberal-thinking Christian of the 1800's, divides Paul's chapter on love in First Corinthians into three parts: "love contrasted," "love analyzed," and "love defended." He shows us what love isn't, shows us what it is, and defends it as the "greatest thing in the world." He helps us understand that it is not a burden to love - it's the easiest thing in the world!

This book is one of the most inspiring pieces of Christian literature I've ever read.

Great book to help you understand why you are the way you are.
Really helped me a lot.

I have read this book twice and given it to many friends and the responses are always the same. We need to understand the priciples is this book and apply them in our lives. None of us are exempt at some time or other in our lives from the issues discussed.

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It pointed out to me that I've been looking at myself through different mirrors, and I haven't been seeing myself the way God sees me. Instead of placing more guilt on ourselves, David Seamand identifies the lies and misperceptions that we've been taught over the years and encourages us to break free from the bondage of those misperceptions. This is a book that every Christian should read.

This book has been a tremendous help to me and I have given several copies to friends. easy to read and identify with.

As a pastor and spiritual director, I've been using this book as a regular give-away to believers when it becomes obvious that they are stuck - some old wound is yet hindering them from normal spiritual growth in Christ. Having ministered among Native People for several years, as well as those dealing with addictions (even as Christians), I found the truths and principles Dr. Seamands expounds on very beneficial in truly helping people heal from their past emotional wounds, and the memories of them, and then be able to progress in spiritual development. I believe our churches have many folks sitting in the pews, Sunday after Sunday, with serious pain from their past adversely affecting their present ability to relate freely to Christ, or to others in relationships. Until we understand this, and how Christ can work through us as "ministers" by his healing grace to nullify the effects of debilitating memories, we will continue to see believers spiritually 'stuck', stagnated in their growth.
Dr. Seamand's book HEALING OF MEMORIES (now titled, REDEEMING THE PAST: RECOVERING FROM MEMORIES THAT CAUSE OUR PAIN), builds on HEALING DAMAGED EMOTIONS by going, in detail, into the process of ministering healing to those with painful, debilitating memories. Every pastor who counsels should understand how to help believers in this way!