Eastern University Books

Styles in historiography come and go. For the classical Greek historians, history was partly the clever strategies of great generals, partly the well-cadenced speeches that should have been made, some descriptions of strange cultures, some geography. For the medieval chroniclers, history was melodrama: great battles, duels between heroes, treacherous murders. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Enlightenment, history was the progressive improvement of forms of government. For a while in the 1980s, history was a counterpoint between the psychology of the Chosen Figure and a description of his social milieu. Later came the history of attitudes of women to housework and the detailed history of underwear (no, I'm not kidding).

Ideas about the forces controlling history also change. Caesar was certain that Roman military strategy and tactics brought about the conquest of Gaul. Josephus probably really believed what he repeatedly wrote, that God determines the details of history as reward and punishment for people's actions. Most readers today probably believe that history is determined by material facts, mainly economic facts. Probably this is another aspect of our Enlightenment heritage.

Garth Fowden has returned to two older ideas, that a history book should have a thesis, and that beliefs have a powerful influence on history. In Empire to Commonwealth, his main thesis is that universalist, monotheistic religions helped bring about world conquest in late antiquity, and that their opposite had the opposite effect. Who are the monotheistic universalists? For example, the Byzantine Christians and the Muslims. Who are not? The Achaemenids, the particularist Jews.

On the way, he discusses several other interesting questions in the history of ideas. The question of whether only the saintly are the chosen of God, or whether the highest levels of religion are open even to sinners by virtue of their chosen position, was an important question in early Christianity. Mr. Fowden could have pointed out that the Jews were arguing the same question at about the same time (see Berachot 28a, 34a).

Mr. Fowden has great knowledge of cultures which even people well educated in the Western tradition know little about, e. g., the ancient Iranian religions and the monophysite Christianity of medieval Ethiopia. As in all good histories, there are also diversions along the way, discussions of the moral one-upmanship among the Romans and Iranians in respecting the chastity of each other's harems, and of the amazemant caused by a royal progress of the Black Christian king of Aksum among the oppressed Christians of neighboring lands. And who but Mr. Fowden knows about the synod of monophysite Christians called in 1965 by the Emperor of Ethiopia and the Metropolitan of Aksum.

Mr. Fowden knows how to write. The history of late antiquity, especially outside of Europe and Asia Minor, is a weak spot in the education of most of us. It's also pleasant to return to the historiography of ideas sometimes. The book is also well printed and well bound, and includes high-quality photographs of both artistic and historical significance. I'm glad I read it, and hope to read it again

Styles in historiography come and go. For the classical Greek historians, history was partly the clever strategies of great generals, partly the well-cadenced speeches that should have been made, some descriptions of strange cultures, some geography. For the medieval chroniclers, history was melodrama: great battles, duels between heroes, treacherous murders. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Enlightenment, history was the progressive improvement of forms of government. For a while in the 1980s, history was a counterpoint between the psychology of the Chosen Figure and a description of his social milieu. Later came the history of attitudes of women to housework and the detailed history of underwear (no, I'm not kidding).

Ideas about the forces controlling history also change. Caesar was certain that Roman military strategy and tactics brought about the conquest of Gaul. Josephus probably really believed what he repeatedly wrote, that God determines the details of history as reward and punishment for people's actions. Most readers today probably believe that history is determined by material facts, mainly economic facts. Probably this is another aspect of our Enlightenment heritage.

Garth Fowden has returned to two older ideas, that a history book should have a thesis, and that beliefs have a powerful influence on history. In Empire to Commonwealth, his main thesis is that universalist, monotheistic religions helped bring about world conquest in late antiquity, and that their opposite had the opposite effect. Who are the monotheistic universalists? For example, the Byzantine Christians and the Muslims. Who are not? The Achaemenids, the particularist Jews.

On the way, he discusses several other interesting questions in the history of ideas. The question of whether only the saintly are the chosen of God, or whether the highest levels of religion are open even to sinners by virtue of their chosen position, was an important question in early Christianity. Mr. Fowden could have pointed out that the Jews were arguing the same question at about the same time (see Berachot 28a, 34a).

Mr. Fowden has great knowledge of cultures which even people well educated in the Western tradition know little about, e. g., the ancient Iranian religions and the monophysite Christianity of medieval Ethiopia. As in all good histories, there are also diversions along the way, discussions of the moral one-upmanship among the Romans and Iranians in respecting the chastity of each other's harems, and of the amazemant caused by a royal progress of the Black Christian king of Aksum among the oppressed Christians of neighboring lands. And who but Mr. Fowden knows about the synod of monophysite Christians called in 1965 by the Emperor of Ethiopia and the Metropolitan of Aksum.

Mr. Fowden knows how to write. The history of late antiquity, especially outside of Europe and Asia Minor, is a weak spot in the education of most of us. It's also pleasant to return to the historiography of ideas sometimes. I haven't seen the paperback, but the hard-cover edition includes high-quality photographs of both artistic and historical significance. I'm glad I read the book, and hope to read it again

The first volume is in four parts:

A historical and doctrinal introduction
A translation of the General Explanation and the Section on the Mind-Only School in The Essence of Eloquence with frequent annotations in the brackets, footnotes, and backnotes
A detailed synopsis of the translation
A critical edition in Tibetan script of these sections in The Essence of Eloquence

The second volume, Reflections on Reality, will:

Place reactions to Tsongkhapa's text in historical and social context by examining the tension between allegiance and rational inquirer in monastic colleges
Expand on the religious significance of the three natures of phenomena
Present Jonangpa views on the thoroughly established nature and Gelukpa criticisms
Explain the reasonings establishing mind-only as means to overcome basic dread of reality, and
Consider how Tsongkhapa and his commentators present the provocative issue of the relationship between the two types of emptiness in the Mind-Only School and compare how the topic of two emptinesses is debated today in America, Europe, and Japan, thereby demonstrating how the two forms of scholarship refine and enhance each other.

The third volume, Absorption in No External World, will examine a plethora of fascinating points on the three natures raised in six centuries of commentary through:

Identifying the teachings in the first wheel of doctrine,
Probing the meaning of "own-character" and "established by way of its own character,"
Untangling the implications of Tsongkhapa's criticisms of Wongchuk, and treating many engaging points on the three natures and the three non-natures, including 1) how to apply these two grids to uncompounded space; 2) whether the selflessness of persons is a thoroughly established nature; 3) how to consider the emptiness of emptiness; and 4) the ways the Great Vehicle schools delineate the three natures and the three non-natures.

This critical analysis and translation of the Cittamatra portion of Dzong-ka-ba's Essence of Elloquence is an astonishing work both for its depth and the skill with which Professor Hopkins negotiates this extremely difficult material. The material, while difficult, repays the effort of engagement richly. The root text is reknown in the Ge-lug school of Tibetan Buddhism as the most important text for understanding the key doctrine of emptiness as well as being crucial to understanding the interpretation of sutra and Ge-lug presentations of tenets. Yet few can master it for its cryptic brevity and the multitude of interpretive dilemas it poses. This work includes a translation of the Cittamatra section of the Essence of Eloquence along with a commentary by Professor Hopkins, reflecting the opinions of western scholars and nearly two dozen Tibetan commentaries. Also included is an emmended edition of the translated portion of the text. The portion translated presents Dzong-ka-ba's view of the Mind-Only school, based on a careful reading of the seventh chapter of the Samdhinirmocana Sutra. Dzong-ka-ba also considers other interpretations of the same sutra, especially those of the Indian proponent of Cittamatra, Asanga, and the Tibetan founder of the Jo-nang sect, Shey-rap-gyel-tsen. Dzong-ka-ba's text thus becomes the doorway to a lively, complex, and compelling debate with voices speaking from Sutra, the Indian and Tibetan commentarial traditions, the current Tibetan scholarship, and western scholarship. Professor Hopkins begins to make sense of the complex material, which will be examined in further detail in the forthcoming two volumes of this series. For those who wish to find a technical discussion of the philosophical issues raised by this text, this translation will be of greater service than that published already by Robert Thurman in The Central Philosophy of Tibet. Due to the difficulty involved in reading this material, this is something that I certainly welcome.

Amazing book that covers the entire region, explaining through the author's personal experience and data collected over the last 40 years why jewellery in Egypt varied from one area to the other, and how the location, environmental conditions and traditions affected the design and the choice of material. Stunning images in the book as well as interesting information about jewellery in Egypt over the past century.

ENCHANTED JEWELRY OF EGYPT: THE TRADITIONAL ART AND CRAFT comes in an oversized gorgeous hardcover with slipcase and is a top pick for any college-level or in-depth specialty collection focusing on either world jewelry in general or Egyptian history, culture and the arts in particular. The author is a designer of jewelry based on traditional motifs and covers jewelry made throughout Egypt over the last hundred years, using her own collection and travels to supplement history and research. Both history and jewelry-making insights make for an outstanding survey.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

It is perhaps a mark of how far Kali has come as a goddess revered and celebrated in the West, that there is a steady increase in cautionary academic studies about "the real Kali." I'm waiting for a spate of corresponding articles about whether Indian Christians have "adopted" the "real" Jesus, or whether there is inevitable distortion, etc.

Are gods culture-bound, mere artifacts of geography, time, and social mores? If the answer to this is 'yes,' then what does that make religion? The sacred? Put another way, the question could be understood as one of what gods are; if they are not universally accessible, then in what sense are they gods?

This is the persistent question that emerged for me as I read through these essays. The writing itself is good, as you would expect. Most of these pieces are written in typical academic fashion, with much reference to the work of other academics, analysis of the literature, and so forth...but there is also the welcome change-of-pace instance of someone for whom Kali isn't simply an object of study and a medium of grantsmanship. One thing these authors should do--and I have seen this failing in several other texts, as well--is provide a legend that decrypts the many dots, underlines, and other markings used to indicate the pronunciation of various Indian words. What good are these symbolic notations without a key of some sort?

That aside--and given the major caveat offered at the beginning of this review--I recommend this as a useful resource to anyone desiring a better understanding of "the Kali phenomenon." As for an understanding of Kali, that is outside the province of academic quibbling and the struggle over who owns the gods.

This collection of scholarly essays is an easy and enjoyable read for scholars and laypersons alike. What's so great about it is how many perspectives it gives on, as another reviewer noted, "the Kali phenomenon." McDermott and others tear away notions Westerners have of Kali, and present a much broader picture of her mythology, worship and cultural significance. McDermott's concluding essay spearheads the Western fascination with Kali, and dispels many myths along the way - including common etymological mistakes made frequently by feminist scholars and writers on Kali.

Western devotees of Kali should especially consider reading this volume - it will give necessary depth and breadth to your understanding of this complex Goddess, and is exceptionally readable. As this book was primarily written by and for scholars who are familiar with Sanskrit, those unfamiliar with transliteration diacritics will want to refer to online sources. Devotees who have Swami Satyananda Saraswati's excellent Kali Puja book will find a transliteration pronunciation guide in the back, which would be useful in this context.

One of the few books I've read where the translation adds to the book. The style is fabulously readable and interesting - English spiced with the idiom of the subcontinent. Dr Iqbal comes across as, not just talented and purposeful, but a tremendously nice guy and it's great to see that a nice guy can succeed in so many areas by being a decent human being in the face of so much self-promoting corruption. He seems to embody the idea of the open hand, open heart, open mind. We need more statesmen of such caliber.

This book was so interesting I couldn't put it down. It describes a life fully lived, fun, engaged and delighting in people, creating and joining in culture, promoting understanding and harmony.

The writer Javid Iqbal is the son of Allama Iqbal, the great poet/Philosophy of the Indian Subcontinent.
Justice Javid Iqbal has chronicled an insightful biography wich is divided into 6 major themes.

1. Childhood
2. His Education (Doctoral Degree in Philosophy at Cambridge and Bar at Law)
3. Life as a Lawyer/Diplomat
4. Political Career in 1971.
5. Judicial Career as Justice spanning from 1971-1989.

Justice Javid born in 1924 is older than the state of Pakistan. While recounting his years, he has brilliantly managed to synthesize why the Pakistan nation has failed to understand the true ideals of Jinnah and Iqbal.

This autobiography also contains lessons for the Pakistani nation to understand the shortcoming of our political & Judicial system and to rectify these deficiences and hypocrisy of the Pakistani leaders (Bhutto and Zia) to project islam as means to consolidate their reigns.

College-level holdings strong in film history or Middle East history will both find plenty of depth, detail and description in Encyclopedia of Arab Women Filmmakers, a survey of how these women produce films in a male-dominated profession and world. The history of Arab women's filmmaking and the political and social background of Arab nations are mingled in a blend of biographical sketches, critical film reviews, and discussions that include interviews from the filmmakers themselves.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

"Encyclopedia" connotes the comprehensiveness of the material, but not the kinds or variety nor the formatting. The material which exceeds what anyone could be looking for in this subject area and is more informative for the way it is formatted is arranged country by country. Not only are the Arab women filmmakers grouped by country, but there is an introduction to each group which is an overview of the Arab country's film industry noting the particular challenges and advances for its women filmmakers. As for additional material not ordinarily associated with an "encyclopedia," there is an interview with each of the women. And in the section on each is a filmography and also separate "film reviews" of each major film. With this formatting rather than the standard alphabetical arrangement with a reference titled an encyclopedia, the distinctive talent and accomplishments of each filmmaker is presented cogently with accompanying photographs so each one stands out with nearby references to her body of films. Not a conventional type of reference despite its title, this work on this category of filmmaker of rising interest from current international affairs as well as the long-standing special interest in women's accomplishments is really more like a text for use in courses or individual study.

For centuries in China women tottered wearing tiny silk shoes. In "Every Step a Lotus," Dorothy Ko describes the obscure Chinese custom of footbinding. Every culture has different forms of unusual, sometimes unpleasant, rituals. In pre-1949 China petite feet symbolized beauty, status and honor. A woman's face and personality became secondary to tiny feet adorned with exquisite shoes.

Chinese women were revered for their textile artistry and took enormous pride in creating their own shoes, sitting together for days chatting and sewing decorative embroidery on ravishing silk. Lotus shoes told stories with intricate needlework reflecting hopes and dreams of a better life.

Ko's well-researched exposé and graceful prose details a custom that was the outcome of living in a male dominated Confucian culture. Ko includes over one hundred illustrations of exquisite antique lotus shoes from different regions during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Most of the spectacular shoes, from the collection of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, have never been exhibited before. Readers also get to see rare black and white photographs of women with bound feet.

Ko writes "As a historian who has studied footbinding and women's cultures for years, I do not claim to be neutral. I feel strongly that we should understand footbinding not as a senseless act of destruction but as a meaningful practice in the eyes of the women themselves." The author is a professor of history at Barnard College, Columbia University.

Ko's mission is refreshing and admirable. Passing judgment is hypocritical as every culture has idiosyncrasies. Footbinding is no different than plastic surgery, facelifts and silicon breast implants--modern examples of what people will endure for beauty and status. Let's not overlook Victorian era corsets that were dangerously tight, which reduced breathing capacity and jammed internal organs into hazardous positions.

Readers of "Every Step A Lotus" will gain appreciation for this unusual bygone Chinese custom. Why does footbinding continue to intrigue history enthusiasts and many others? Perhaps the answer lies in the author's words "Most of the bodies are gone; only the shoes remain."

By looking at these little silk treasures a world vastly different from ours is unveiled...we are given a glance of old China from 5,000 miles away.

Thank you Dorothy Ko for your expertise and writing this outstanding book. --M. Morrison, ...

This is another visually lovely book. I really enjoyed the breakdown and historical information presented. Very good resource for pics and data.

Allcock traces the present of the "former Yugoslavia" back to its distant roots - and does a great job. Organised around issues (eg. "economic modernisation", "the movement of population", "violence"), his genre of historical sociology offers remarkable insights.

Oxford historian Richard Crampton praised this book as "making many Balkan backstairs intrigues, including those of the last few years, more comprehensible" (New York Review of Books, January 11, 2001, p.18). Rightly so.

Out of the now almost countless array of books published over the last decade and meant to `explain' what happened in Yugoslavia, John Allcock's "Explaining Yugoslavia" is among the best. In fact, readers need go no farther if they're looking for a one-volume analysis of the former Yugoslavia and some of the underlying reasons for the country's violent and bloody collapse. Allcock, a sociologist, analyzes historical, cultural, political, social/societal, economic and other factors and skillfully ties them together to provide a comprehensive picture of the peoples of the former Yugoslavia and reasonable answers to the question of why their common state fell apart. Allcock essentially sees the root cause for the failure of Yugoslavia in the country's economy, but this is hardly economic reductionism - he stresses the importance of the interplay of numerous other factors. If this book is not the definitive `explanation of Yugoslavia' (something that will likely never be achieved), it is a large and important step in that direction.

I visited the Future Hope organisation in Calcutta India back in 1997. Tim Grandage is fantastic. He is really doing a marvellous job rehabilitating street children of Calcutta. Chris Bale knows how to capture the children then and now very well. Read the whole book in one go. Simply fabulous!

The book tells stories of people in Asia which Mr. Bale (the author) knows some times ago. He decided to see what happened to them after all these years. As I took a journey along with Mr. Bale both in his book and personally when he was writing it (I have helped him as an interpreter while he was in Thailand writing one chapter of this book), I found it to be a wonderful voyage. The stories are inspiring and full of hope as the name of the book itself implied.

I've been frustrated for a while now in trying to find a good tree identification guide. I'm a birder, I do know how to use field guides! --but all the tree guides I've tried had one photograph, or one line drawing, which might have been my leaf or it might not have been... and after staring at a few of these in confusion I'd just give up and decide to enjoy my walk.

This guide is different. First of all, there are both drawn leaf outlines and color photographs (lots of them, quite beautiful) as well as verbal descriptions. And the photographs almost all include MANY leaves of that tree, so you can see how much the leaves actually vary from each other. I thought this was a brilliant idea. Best of all, all of these trees were photographed in the fall, so the color really helps you out too!

This guide only covers some 150 species, but it does that very well. I might have preferred it to be about 1" narrower side to side, but with a bit of care it did fit into my coat pocket. Because of how colorful and easy to use it is, I imagine this guide would be an especially satisfying one to take along on walks with the kids.

Fall Color and Woodland Harvests by Drs. C.R Bell and Anne Lindsey is a comprehensive reference book for the serious naturalist. Stunning color photographs by some of the regions leading nature photographers adds incredible richness and detail to the book. Bell and Lindsey are particulary adept at presenting technical information in an easy to read and very understandable narrative form. The authors have spent years exploring the eastern forests and giving seminars and talks on its flora. Dr. Bell is the Director Emeritus of the North Carolina Botanical Garden. Your autumn leaf watching trip will be more enjoyable and more rewarding when you take along this excellent book.