Columbia Books

Joann Roe has written a wonderful biography and book on some great History. Ranald MacDonald comes to life and the history his actions affected is explained in great detail. Joann Roe has done her homework. She not only uses original sources but she visited the places she describes. Where material from Ranald's life doesn't exist she fills in the blanks with others views and explains the surrounding history. She starts with Ranald being born in the now present day Astoria, Oregon. His father is a rising star and eventual Chief Factor in the Hudson's Bay Company and Mother is Princess Raven, a daughter of the local Chief Conconlly of the Chinook tribe. He is given a gentleman's education and his first job as a bank clerk. He is bored with this and runs away to sea. From there he joins a whaler and starts his trek around the world. He becomes one of the first Americans to set foot on Japan and teach English while held in captivity and run down the whole country before being released. Then he ends up in Australia for a while looking for gold. Then from there more ships and a couple of ship wrecks while globetrotting. Eventually he ends up back in western Canada and is greatly involved in the Gold rush around the Fraser River and exploration of Vancouver Island. His last days are spent in Eastern Washington near the site of the old Hudson's Bay Company Fort Colville on a ranch near some cousins and a niece. He led an amazing life and has an amazing story that more should know.

Jo Ann Roe has written a magnificent book, adding considerable information and insight on Ranald MacDonald. In addition to the biographical content, she added valuable scope by describing and explaining the context, for instance the Japanese forces at play at the time of MacDonald's arrival, the gold rush in Australia and British Columbia, etc. Thanks to her lively style, Ranald MacDonald becomes very present to the reader. It is a remarkable historical research.

Before the diaries and journals of Sylvia Plath, May Sarton, Katherine Mansfield, Virginia Woolf, Alice James and others - there was the genius sister (of poet William Wordsworth), Ms. Dorothy Wordsworth. In her time especially (the 18th century to early 19th century), women were not taken seriously as would-be authors, poets, scholars or little else. The diary and belle lettres were their only outlet for such gifts. Dorothy was no stranger to sex discrimination so she hunkered down to record in the most gorgeous prose-poetry you have possibly ever read - her life and times travelling about Scotland and Europe as a lady of wealth, style and panache with her brother William and a few very famous companions I can't give away here. If you can afford it, purchase this book and her other two diaries-"The Grasmere Journals" and "The Continental Journals." They are all page-turners.

Dorothy Wordsworth takes you inside Scottish homes and public houses as if you were there. The first edition was published 125 years ago. The 1997 photographs, notes and introduction by Carol Kyros Walker greatly enhance the original work for a modern reader, especially one like me who has never been to Scotland. Having only one letter from my Scottish ancestors of the period, but remembering the relatives of my childhood, I can vividly imagine their forbears' ways and lives before they left Scotland in the early 1800's. The author combines a keen eye with honesty and frankness. She has much affection for the Scots.

If the Bush Administration is seeking a real road map to peace, this should be its basis. The Palestinian/Israeli conflict is and has always been about land. Dr. Fischbach has done the world a favor by providing us the detail we need about what land was taken, and how sane and factual negotiations about its particulars provide us with a pathway out of the death and destruction of the past 50 years. Please read this book and hope our leaders do as well.

This book studies the expropriation of the property of the Palestine refugees and the compensation issues and diplomatic activity that followed. Especially interesting (to me) is the discussion of the estimates of the dollar value of these losses. It is based primarily on the records of the UN Conciliation Commission on Palestine. It should be of the highest interest to anyone with an interest in the Israel Palestine problem and how it might be resolved. I must confess that I have only started reading this book and I am not a scholar- I am a lawyer- but I highly reccomend this book.

Little's goal is to explain both the spiritual crisis of the twelfth century, and the rise of new forms of spirituality, especially the mendicants, with the great economic changes of the period. In doing so, he has created a paradigm that, although probably too reductionist, is extremely valuable in providing a foundation for thinking about this critical period in medieval history.

He divides the book into four parts. The first, "The Spiritual Crisis of Medieval Urban Culture," talks about the transition from the barbarian gift economy of Bloch's first feudal age to the profit economy of what he terms the commercial revolution of 1000-1300, or the second feudal age, and the resultant spiritual crisis as new forms of life (urban) developed, with which the old forms of spirituality (monastic) could not effectively deal. The second part discusses how some groups, namely the Benedictine monks and hermits, avoided this crisis. A new wave of hermetism developed with men such as Peter Damian and Robert of Arbrissel. Yet these "new hermits" did not entirely withdraw from the world; they were ardent reformers, writers, and preachers, who relentlessly fought against the worldliness of the traditional church, and established precedents that foreshadowed the mendicants.

The third part discusses groups that confronted the spiritual crisis. Little talks about the growth of regular canons, about dissent movements that were (Beguines) and were not (Cathars) accepted by the papacy, and finally, the development of the mendicant orders, which built upon the traditions of the preceding in creating a new form of spirituality that was appropriate to the new world.

The final part of the book explains how the mendicant orders ushered in what Little calls "an urban spirituality." He explains the role of scholastic social thought, which gradually adjusted to the realities of urban and commercial life, and the development of preaching instead of study as the primary source of spiritual education. Finally, Little expresses his paradigm in its purest form: The monastic spirituality of the first feudal age was a reflection of the gift (or warrior) economy. The monks were the warriors of God, fighting battles (often described with military terminology) against various evils. But as the economy shifted to a commercial economy, a new form of spirituality developed that reflected urban, commercial society. The mendicants taught by preaching -- by trying verbally to convince people to "buy" their "product." This was a spirituality of the marketplace. The new holy men were not rural landlords, like traditional monasteries, but rather itinerant peddlers of Christ, living the lives of merchants in travelling from town to town and preaching. By living in the towns, the mendicants also created much greater opportunities for lay people to participate in religious life, through lay fraternities and religious guilds. Thus, just as urban life was bringing all kinds of people together into a common environment, so urban spirituality grew to bring them together in Christ.

Little does paint his paradigm in sharp yet broad strokes. He was undoubtedly limited by space restrictions, and with the space he had, he has done a remarkable job. Still, it is unsettling to see Duby's concept of a purely gift-oriented Carolingian economy accepted without question, although the chronological distance from the Carolingian period to the twelfth century softens the blow. Also, Little concentrates too heavily on the idea of apostolic poverty as the driving force for the new forms of spirituality of the twelfth century; yet certainly other concerns, such as the desire for a more personal religion, played an important role. Finally, in his linkage of economic and spiritual change, he probably overstates their confluence: undoubtedly the concurrent changes in government (both secular and ecclesiastical) also factored into the general changes of the period. Little's choice to limit his discussion to the effects of economy on spirituality create an overly simplistic paradigm.

Yet in the end, we cannot criticize him too strongly for succeeding in his objective so thoroughly: his binding of spiritual change to economic developments is so complete and, in the whole, so convincing, that within the context of his book, political change seems irrelevant. Perhaps Little's greatest failure is the extent of his success.

The past is a foreign country and Little is one of the great guides into it. With a fine sense of style and a deep scholarship, he brings together various strands of the Middle Ages which seem to be at odds -- the scope of the Church in what had been envisioned as a purely rural society, the rise of towns, and the new problem of a profit economy. Little explains the rise of the friars, specifically the Franciscans and Dominicans, as an attempt on the part of the Church to aid and better understand the rising urban landscape. The very notions of the moral underpinnings of lending and borrowing are examined ("How may one sell time, all of which belongs to God?") as well as the problem of individual poverty and collective wealth, something often debated within the body of the Church itself. This book will be an eye-opener to all those wishing to understand the place of towns in Medieval society, the place of the friars (as opposed to monks), the origins and rationale behind indulgences, and the general problem of money in what had been a gift-giving society. One of the best history books of the 20th century!

As an undergraduate student of international relations, I found this book to be incredibly insightful and convincing. Although there is some scholarship surrounding the effectiveness of economic sanctions, Nincic takes the study of renegade regimes and our reaction to them to a whole new level. He provides a thoughtful framework for understanding why regimes become renegades, how renegades respond to international condemnation, and what the best approaches have been and will be for dealing with renegades in the future.

The new outlook was refreshing, and he supported his theory with comprehensive case studies involving both post Cold War renegades (Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Libya, Afghanistan,Yugoslavia, Syria, Pakistan, and Sudan) as well as countries that had conditions to become renegades but did not (Algeria, Azerbaijan, post-Nasserite Egypt, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Yemen). In addition to a detailed explanation behind each case study, Nincic offers a statistical evaluation of the overall findings at different stages in his analysis which serve to simplify and strengthen support for his framework. His framework seems to have predictive power, and perhaps IR scholars will be looking to him more in the future with the growth of globalization. I look forward to reading the second edition of Renegade Regimes, which was just published about a month ago.

In light of current activity from rogue states, such as Iran and North Korea, Nincic's book breaks new ground in the debate between the use of force and the use of peace. In a carefully crafted argument, Nincic demonstrates the benefits of using "carrots" over the futility of using "sticks" in coercing those adversaries of the United States to comply.

A chilling page-turner... to think of the strength that Abby had at that age, remarkable and unbeleivable!
I grew up in that area, and was 4 at the time. This unthinkable act put a fear into the community for many years. It was a topic throughout my school years, reminding of the dangers that exist, even with people that you know and sometimes trust.
Very well written... a must-read!
Abby's strength, even today to face Hay in court, is really quite inspiring!! I can't even begin to fathom what Abby was put through...

This book was a reminder of the reason why we don't feel safe to take our eyes off our children for one second.

I was three years old when this happened and lived in the neighboring city, Coquitlam. I can still remember how scared everyone was when we all started elementary school a couple of years later.

The author has done a great job of keeping the reader hooked on the book throughout Abby's horrifying ordeal.

Abby was indeed a brave and courageous child that overcame great obstacles while in confinement and after she was discovered.

The Apostle Paul's responses to doubts and erroneous teaching concerning the resurrection in his letters to believers at Corinth and his disciple Timothy illustrates that what constitutes a proper understanding of the resurrection of the dead has been debated since the earliest days of the Christian church. Caroline Walker Bynum, a National Endowment for the Humanities Jefferson Lecturer, traces that debate in meticulous detail through the patristic era and High Middle Ages. In doing so, she demonstrates that "Christians clung to a very literal notion of resurrection despite repeated attempts by theologians and philosophers to spiritualize the idea." Bynum's review of patristic and scholastic literature shows that a belief that "body is necessary for self" shaped the evolution of eschatological thought from at least the time of Tertullian to the age of Thomas Aquinas. Her exhaustive exploration of the "images, examples and analogies" of theologians, artists, "mystics, poets, hagiographers, sculptors and tellers of folktales" demonstrates that there was substantial diversity in attempts to explain the mechanics of resurrection in light of the consumption, decay, mutilation, partition and putrefaction suffered by the body before and after death. As the title indicates, Bynum's monograph focuses on the thought of the western branch of the church, not that of the orthodox east. She also limited her scope to the patristic era and High Middle Ages, omitting the intervening centuries as if she had not imposed that limitation she "would never have finished." As a medieval specialist of impeccable credentials, Bynum is particularly well qualified to explore "virtually every aspect of [the] social, religious, intellectual and political life" of the latter period considered in this work. Bynum's reconstruction of the evolution of the western view of resurrection is meticulous and thorough. Shifting through the religious, intellectual and social she paints a richly detailed picture that is as persuasive as it is difficult to fault. If I were to hazard a recommendation for improvement it would be to add an index of primary sources in addition to the index of secondary sources she does provides. Hopefully an equally qualified scholar will pick up where Bynum leaves off and trace the continued development of resurrection in western thought through the twentieth century.

I have just finished reading this book for a research paper I am preparing on the history of the doctrine of the resurrection, and I can already assure you that not only is this the most useful book I have read on the subject, but that no other writing I have yet found even comes close.
There are a few things that I would have liked to see more of (development of the idea in the early middle ages and early renaissance for example), but these would probably have added considerably to the length of the book.
I also disagree somewhat the interpretation of 1 Corinthians that Dr. Bynum regularly contrasts with medieval and patristic views -- Pauline theology is outside the scope of this study, and I rather wish she would have refrained from conclusions on if if she was not going to treat it in detail.
These however, are minor concerns. If you want to study the history of this doctrine of bodily resurrection (which was of enormous importance to early Christianity), you will need to read this book.

Whenever I feel my right hand technique is getting too sloppy, the studies in this book do wonders - even the ones in the first few pages.

For added precision try them using the Stylus Pick.

Renard Hoover's book focuses solely on Right Hand development through the use of open string exercises. If these types of exercises bore you then don't buy this book. However if you want simple exercises that will increase your right hand strength, agility, precision and speed then this is the book for you. It's too bad it has been out of print for several years as the material is just as valid and necessary today as it was 26 years ago when it was released. David

Haig-Brown is the master of writing about the sport of fly fishing. Through this work you experience the man, the sport and the land. Though written years ago, it is timeless. His love of the rivers, lakes and their surroundings is shared and felt by anyone who goes afield today with the long rod.

I read this book in 1964. Shortly after, I mislaid it (gave it on loan) and never saw it again. However, it has stuck in my mind with startling clarity because of the mastery of the author both as a writer and as a fly angler. It is a collection of lucid essays about Roderick Haig-Brown as a boy and a young man learning the art of fly fishing from wonderfully drawn tutors . This is a book that a father would give to his son or an uncle to his nephew. One of the really great angling books of all time.

RYOKAN : Zen Monk-Poet of Japan. Translated by Burton Watson. 121 pages. New York : Columbia University Press, 1977 and Reprinted.

Burton Watson has always struck me as an eminently civilized scholar and as a fine translator. Unlike certain others, he wears his scholarship lightly, and doesn't overburden the text with extraneous matter. His many translations from Chinese and Japanese Literature are of uniformly high quality, and are well worth having as they are books one often wants to returns to.

Watson tells us that Ryokan (1758-1831) left about 450 Chinese poems and 1400 Japanese poems. The present book, besides giving us a brief, interesting, and informative 13-page Introduction, contains translations of 43 of the Chinese and 83 of the Japanese poems, along with two very short prose pieces - 'Admonitory Words' and 'Statement on Begging for Food.'

Whereas we have been given only the bare translations of the Chinese poems, Watson has thoughtfully provided "the originals of the Japanese poems ... in romanized form, since poetry in classical Japanese is quite intelligible in such form" (page 12). Finding numbers have been included for all of the poems, and bibliographical details of the sources used by Watson will be found on pages 12-13 of his Introduction.

Ryokan (1758-1831) is one of Japan's best-loved poets, and was born in the "snow country" of Echigo Province on the west coast of Japan. His family was fairly prosperous, the atmosphere in his home was literary and religious, and at the age of about nineteen, possibly as the result of some inner spiritual crisis, he decided to become a Buddhist monk and entered the local Zen temple, Kosho-ji.

It was at this time that he took the name 'Ryokan' - 'ryo' signifying good; 'kan' signifying generosity and largeheartedness. It would be difficult to think of a more appropriate name than 'Good Heart' for the kind of person that Ryokan was, and it goes a great way towards explaining the great love the Japanese have for him.

In him we find the heart of the mother - one who doesn't judge, one who understands, one who accepts and loves us as we are and for what we are - but in Ryokan's case one whose love extended to the whole universe and its myriad beings, whether human, animal, or plant, even the inanimate.

After twelve years of Zen training, Ryokan left Kosho-ji and began a series of pilgrimages that lasted five years. He then returned to his native village, found an abandoned hermitage nearby, and was to spend most of the rest of his life there, meditating, writing, and interacting with the world around him.

The poems he wrote are largely concerned with events in his daily life, and can be read with enjoyment by anyone. In them we find him observing nature, sitting alone through long cold nights and suffering other hardships, exhibiting great compassion for non-human creatures, remembering the past, struggling with loneliness, drinking sake with the local farmers, and playing with the village children. Seemingly simple, these poems can conceal real depths, depths that will be apparent to those familiar with Zen and with Buddhist ideas such as 'no-mind' and 'impermanence,' and with certain Buddhist symbols.

But, as I've indicated, a knowledge of these is not really necessary to appreciate the poems, since Ryokan's main appeal is to our humanity, something we all share. Here is an example of one of the shorter Chinese poems, with my slash marks added to indicate line breaks:

"Blue sky, cold wild-geese crying; / empty hills, tree leaves whirling. / Sunset, road through a hazy village: / going home alone, carrying an empty bowl" (page 78).

Here is one of the Japanese poems:

"Children! / shall we be going now / to the hill / of Iyahiko / to see how the violets are blooming?" (page 27).

Sometimes it seems to me that much of modern literature is a literature of confusion, but that what Ryokan has to offer is a literature of clarity. Ryokan was fully human. He had established contact with reality. His love and compassion were infinite. In this he becomes a model for us all.

The present book, as I've indicated, gives only a small selection from Ryokan. Those whose appetite has been whetted, and who would like more, might take a look at John Stevens 'ONE ROBE, ONE BOWL : The Zen Poetry of Ryokan,' another book of selections which I'm sure they will also enjoy. On the whole, I think Stevens succeeds slightly better in some ways, but though Stevens is good, Watson is good too, and there are few who could do as good a job as either.

This is one of three competent translations of Ryokan's poetry. As each of them is only a sliver of his total poetry output, don't consider them competetors, get them all. But start here.

This collection sets itself apart by including a poetic version of a jataka tale (Rabbit in the Moon), an abridged "Admonitory words" written for himself, and a prose piece on begging - this in addition to a well-chosen selection of translations of poem written in Chinese and Japanese. This book also has a few comments attached to some poems to place them in the life of Ryokan. The net result is a translation that makes it more apparent Ryokan's religious content than the other excellent translations. Watson's familarity with the Chinese poets admired by Ryokan also shows through in the notes and translations. This is a great place to start reading Ryokan's excellent poetry.