Specific Places Books

Everyone who's interested into de North Pole should buy this book! Everything is pointed in this book but the pictures: Who loves NP and also Photography, would love this book. There's so much information in there about the history and evolution of that part of the world and also the people who had lived there from recorded time. I bought it for a friend who is a North Pole fan and I bet that he would love it: Because one picture say 1000 words, this book has millions of words because the pictures are beautiful, complete and very interesting. I am proud of my purchase.

What we really need in this and future administrations is a Secretary of History so that we can recognize what has been done right and wrong in the past and avoid the wrongs and repeats the rights in the future, exactly what we don't do.

Robert Kagan challenges the perception, that a country's foreign policy shall be based on its economic interests only. This book is a very solid effort to prove, that the US foreign policy in the 19th century was a fusion of economic interests and the reasons like morality, humanitarianism and national liberation. What Kagan basically says, is that the most of the 19th century American politicians were not used to think along the lines of "a pragmatic foreign policy" - the term, which has been so much in use these days, and particularly in Europe. Obviously, besides economic calculations, the US policymakers at that time had also their ideological calculations.

The author does not rebuff the allegations, that the desire for personal profit had played a role in every acquisition of new American territory. But he adds, that American expansionism was possible first and foremost by attraction, based on a superior political and economic system and only then by force of arms. "American global influence need not depend on the perpetual mlitary subjugation of overseas colonies. While the use of force might sometimes be necessary to gain American traiders equal access to foreign markets, America's real and lasting influence would come through the power of trade itself".

At the end of the 19th century the United States declares war on Spain, however. A signifcant reason for that, was awareness that the continuation of the Cuban Civil war included the total destruction of American property and investments. But as the author puts it, although those were important considerations, for President McKinley they were secondary to the humanitarian crisis. Robert Kagan mentions that some historians are insisting that the humanitarian concerns in this case were just a cover for selfish economic interests, while most American historians had been baffled that the United States had gone to war for abstract reasons.

Interesting enough, to read the whole book, was to find out that President Grant, in his second inaugural address, expressed his conviction that "our great Maker is preparing the world, in His own good time, to become one nation, speaking one language". The author adds to that, that most of Americans at that time believed, that all nations are treading the same path to become civilized; some faster, some slower. Today, this acknowledgement appears to have outlived glory days; it is modern to discuss cultural diversity. The question, therefore, is whether American world expansion in the 21st century is as inevitable as the expansion in the Western hemisphere during the 18th and 19th centuries? Perhaps Robert Kagan will tell us about that in his next book.

I recently purchased this book and have started reading it after hearing parts of a radio interview with the author. I have not finished reading it yet, but the portion I have finished I was not overly impressed with. I'm no liberal by any stretch of the imagination, but this book seems to be such a naked apologetic for Neo-Conservatism that it is hard to to take the author seriously.

Although he quotes Perry Miller on Page 8, his treatment of the Puritans in the rest of the chapter seems to be diametrically opposed to Miller's observations and to that his most famous student Heimert, both of whom paint them in a far more generous light.

His comments on the political and practical philosophy of the founding fathers is new to me and somewhat interesting, possibly there will be some pearls waiting for those who decide to stick it out. I'm not sure I will end up being one of their number.

In Dangerous Nation, Washington Post columnist and former U.S. state department employee Robert Kagan makes a compelling case for a new way to interpret the history of U.S. foreign relations. Most scholars contest that America's foreign policy up until the early twentieth century might best be described as "isolationist" in nature; a potential global power which only unleashed its global influence when threatened by two world wars and a fifty year Cold War. Kagan, conversely, argues that the United States pushed forth a foreign policy of expansion and global influence from its inception. As the book's title suggests, other nations recognized this incipient tendency in U.S. foreign policy, especially European absolutists. In a growing era of modernity and liberal democracy, monarchists were wary of both American global potential and the ideals for which they stood.
Kagan's interpretation of the past seems to hinge on his own experiences of the present. For example, on page 158, Kagan's contention that in the early 19th century's era of European revolutions, "the United States was unavoidably a protagonist in this Cold War-style global confrontation" reveals an interpretation of the past fixed solely in a modern mindset. This statement seems less surprising considering Kagan's former role in the U.S. State Department during the Reagan administration. Superimposing a Cold War framework onto a conflict revolving around monarchies, not to mention completely devoid of nuclear weapons, is bad enough. Realizing that Cold War frameworks, at least to many policy experts, are no longer relevant in today's terrorist-focused foreign policy, makes even Kagan's "modern" framework seem dated. In other words, basing one's interpretation of the past is one thing; basing it on a neo-con's experiences of the 1980s seems a little, well, one sided.
Kagan's nuanced summary of slavery's role in shaping early nineteenth century is more likely to win applauds from modern diplomatic historians. In his seventh chapter "The Foreign Policy of Slavery," Kagan takes the most pressing domestic issue of America's first seventy years and shows out it affected the outlook of foreign policy makers. Revolutionaries turned statesmen of no lesser stature that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were quite wary of the slave uprising in Haiti--an event wholly under-appreciated by American historians--and according to Kagan (on page 185), this even produced "an acute national vulnerability that was recognized in both the North and the South." The latter of these groups were, for obvious reasons, more concerned with black uprisings, especially those in close proximities of Spanish settlements. This threat, Kagan convincingly argues, helped to influence the aggressive foreign policy of early American statesmen.
Some theoretical background would add much to Kagan's easily accessible summary of U.S. Foreign Relations. For example, he is astute to point out that George Washington's now famous warning against engaging in European "entangling alliances" simply implied staying out of the realm of European military enterprises; Washington was more concerned with westward expansion, especially the Ohio territory. Indian removal in the west prompted a whole new realm of land-based foreign policy that sea-led European Empire did not have to deal with regularly. Kagan would have been better served by noting the classics in U.S. foreign policy to actually flesh out this observation. For example, what would Frederick Jackson Turner's (now admittedly antiquated) analysis say about this early westward myopic tendency? Or, conversely, what might a borderlands methodology contribute to Kagan's overview? These criticisms are not meant to simply point out what Dangerous Nation should have addressed for criticism's sake; instead, they show an under-appreciation of foreign relation's historiography.
Race relations played a key role domestically, and Kagan hints at its influence on determining the ideas of policymakers. For example, he points out Alexander Hamilton's flirtation with the idea of freeing Venezuela from Spanish rule--a lofty goal for the young statesman. Yet, Hamilton felt confident of success in any such endeavor, either on the western border or overseas, due to a supposed "natural order" of things. Kagan chalks this up to a liberal-enlightenment worldview, supposedly one best characterized by the influence of Adam Smith's invisible hand (an idea that permeated America's entire worldview in the late 18th and early 19th century, not just its economics). But could racism have had more influence on Hamilton's view of the Spanish instead of his seemingly natural gift for cockiness? Put another way, Hamilton, along with John Adams, supported the abolition of slavery even before the revolution. Yet, how stratified were these men's racial ideas, and to what degree did they influence foreign policy ideas? Kagan does recognize that Hamilton, the Anglophile, scoffed at the idea of serious Spanish resistance. In Hamilton's contradictions, other scholars might have looked past a Cold War paradigm to see the complexities that race might have played in nascent U.S. foreign policy.
Kagan's neglect of nuanced analysis clouds his entire investigation, and his sweeping conclusions illustrate the most glaring mistakes of this otherwise well-written book. For example, his myopic fixation on the privileged men who shaped the foreign policy of early America only hints at the social and environmental issues which might have played a greater role in American foreign policy. In other words, Kagan's single-minded expansionist paradigm backed by a basic understanding of modernity-led self-assuredness, only provide part of a much greater historical reality. Realities of geography with regard to the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as the greatest barrier of European hostility are under-appreciated; realities of private industries in influencing government decisions; realities of racism, economic peaks and crashes, social and intellectual thought, all are underrepresented in what seems to be a book intent on reviving American historical consensus. In other words, Kagan's book seems to make unforgiving arguments for the sanctity of American actions both at home and abroad, and for this reason--combined with a lack of academic nuance--it reads like a former government official endorsing his nation's actions...which, of course, it is.
The most glaring omission of this monograph: where is William Appleman William's in this analysis? Arguably the most influential historian of U.S. Foreign Relations of the past century, Williams' analyses, both in The Contours of American History and in The Tragedy of American Diplomacy beg to be included in Kagan's methodology. Admittedly, the latter of these works only skirts into an investigation of the late 19th century (opting instead to focus on the early twentieth century). That being said, Kagan's book hinges on understanding American ideology, especially through the lens of enlightenment liberalism. This lens is exactly what Williams' examined ad nauseum in his works on diplomacy he influence of a liberal economic weltanschauung, even if Kagan choses not to agree with, should not go unnoticed by any scholar of nineteenth century U.S. diplomacy. It is because of this glaring omission, Kagan risks losing his credibility both in the academy and in government diplomatic circles.

Reviewed by Muhammed Hassanali

Kagan's main thesis is that America has always actively participated in state affairs beyond its borders. He does this through extensive historical analysis, and in the process, debunks the view that America has largely followed an isolationist foreign policy. Kagan's intent is clearly stated in the opening pages as: "This book is an attempt to tell a different story that is more about expansion and ambition, idealistic as well as materialistic, than about isolationist exemplars and cities upon hills [6]."

Kagan presents the Massachusetts Bay Colonist as considering themselves part of England and interprets their vision as exporting their brand of religious expression back to the home country. He portrays the American revolutionaries as imperialists who took up arms to forge their own empire. Once liberated, the revolutionaries articulated ideals of individual freedoms and unfettered mercantilism that resulted in a policy that was more expansionist than those of the European powers. Kagan contends that this has been the genesis of American policy - at home and abroad.

The author continues that material pursuits are only part of the story. America was founded on the universal principles of democracy and liberty. These then defined the American character and were projected towards all with a degree of moral righteousness. After the Civil War, America's engagement in Venezuela and Samoa, along with its readiness to go to war against Spain (in 1898), further demonstrates American's imperial character. Here is where the book ends. He talks about continuing his analysis into contemporary times, but readers would have to wait for a second volume.

Kagan argues that Americas have always been aggressive, not only in their acquisition of land, but also in their quest to mold the world in their image. While this view is not widely held, he supports his thesis through internal sources shaping American attitudes and policies. As with any historical analysis, determining the relevant facts, and interpreting them is where divergent views arise.

Dangerous Nation is instructive in that it gives us an alternative view of history, thus inviting us to re-examine our past, discuss its ramifications and formulate our own historical interpretations.

Armchair Interview says: This author's thesis about America is different from conventional wisdom.

"Strong at the Broken Places" is an excellent resource for anyone with a chronic or terminal illness, as well as for their family, caretakers, and friends. It really emphasizes the strength and perserverity of these five strong individuals. I highly recommend this book. Richard Cohen does a great job of emphasizing how important it is to treat the person, not just the illness or condition.

I was drawn to this book because I admire how the author Richard continues his life as a brilliant journalist despite a chronic illness. And because last year for the first time I was in the hospital myself for several days unexpectedly. Yes, for the first time in my life it was me in the hospital bed. AND I realized how challenging it is just to be INSIDE the hospital, let alone think about dealing with a chronic illness and living a life of hope. You know sometimes it's tough to keep up hope every day. This book is like six different volumes in a way -- it tells the story of five different 'citizens of sickness' and then a collective meeting with them all. You will find it a) inspirational -- b) informational and it will live on in YOU. I keep thinking of Denise who as the author says traded an impossible challenge (of conquering ALS) with a rigorous task (going to Antartica to see the penguins) she could complete. How come we all don't make plans to see the penguins or whatever it is that symbolizes our own vision in life? Each story of each person is more poignant than the other. This is not sniveling stuff-- it's real and not all nicey nice either. But it is fascinating to see how these people including the author turn their anger into fuel to keep going. Richard talks straight to you with his writing. I often feel like I'm sitting in a coffee shop or yes, a bar having a beer with this guy...he's honest. IT'S NOT EASY...heck it's really TOUGH and other words that won't get pass the Amazon cyber censors. BUT it is inspiring to thing that we may all be strong at our own broken places. Too often those of us from challenging families or who face chronic illness, pain or other obstacles feel 'defective' because of our difference. The author shows how to channel that into strength. This is a great book for anyone going through a life transition -- divorce or a major move or graduation or starting a new venture. For it is in the challenges that we discover opportunities. ENJOY -- every parent, every therapist, every doctor, every counselor and everyone into self-improvement will want to read these real words.

Some people may "understand" chronic illness like they are watching news video of a destructive Midwest twister - it's always happening to some other family. The statistics show otherwise. Richard Cohen does not take the reader on a pristine glass-bottom boat tour of devastating illnesses. "Strong at the Broken Places" tips the boat over and tosses the reader into the waters to swim - for a moment. Honesty begins with a trusted conversation. Cohen invites us to the table with five people, who each bluntly detail their brutal struggles with different chronic diseases. The respectful dialogue reveals that we may all have more in common with them than we care to admit. In the face of catastrophic events, we will all wish to have the strength that they have shown. Their lives set landmarks to guide others through their own realizations, acceptance and constructive determination.
Thank you, Denise, Buzz, Ben, Sarah, Larry and especially Richard, for sharing your strengths and fostering the humanity in all of us.

Book: Strong at the Broken Places: Voices of Illness, a Chorus of Hope by Richard M. Cohen

About: Cohen gets the stories of five people with chronic illnesses: Denise with ALS, Buzz with cancer, Ben with muscular dystrophy, Sarah with Crohn's disease and Larry with bipolar disorder.

Pros: The 5 people's stories are varied and moving.

Cons: Cohen does not let his subjects just tell their stories, which would have lead to a much better book as the five people profiled are very interesting, instead Cohen just seems to get in their way. A choice quote: "I'd rather hear this kid chew than listen to him talk about dying." While interviewing, He seems to try to get his subjects to say what he wants to hear and inserts far too much of his own struggle with MS and cancer as many statements that with "When I..." instead of focusing on the person he's supposed to be profiling. His analysis of the five adds very little and includes such groundbreaking lines as "Cancer is no fun. Neither are diseases of the bowel."

I believe this book is a must read for everyone. It touches you, it pulls you, it makes you want to scream and yell, it breaks you apart and puts you back together...but most importantly, it makes you appreciate all that is good about your life.

I have Crohns disease and I have a mental illness, two of the topics touched upon in this book. But I am a better person today for having read Strong At The Broken Places because I know that, in spite of my infirmities, I am strong and I will survive.

Thank you Richard Cohen!!!

As the father of a child with Down Syndrome I know firsthand what Gene Stallings has been through. It's both tough and rewarding. This book helps the reader get a glimpse of what being a parent to one of these wonderful people is about. If the reader has no experience being around people with Down Syndrome I hope that this story will help them fall in love with these remarkable folks. John Mark Stallings died a few weeks ago but he was a wonderful person and the love that his father expresses in this work is something to behold.

Knowing Johnny and Coach, this is a 'must read' for everyone to learn to appreciate life! A tremendous blessing!

I really enjoyed this book. A very moving story involving a father's love and football. You can't get any better than that! Great summer reading!

I live in alabama and even kind of like alabama football so when we had to read it for summer reading i thought i would like it...i absolutly hated it!!! You could so tell it wasn't written by a pro writer i mean it jumped around from different dates and although i loved how inspirational it was with johnny gene stallings seemed kind of self centered and every time the family was happy moved. i hated how there was no time line and years would pass and then he would go every minute of the next day. i thought it was good how they were so religous and i liked reading it but it is not a book i would really reccomend to anybody just because there are more inspirational books and just better books!! Luv Ya!!

There are a lot of great books out there you can read and be entertained in the process. A few of those books will even linger in your memory for awhile after you've finished them. It's more rare to read a book that really touches your heart and mind and provokes a change in your life.

ANOTHER SEASON is one of those very extraordinary books that takes hold of the reader's attention in a powerful way that transcends language. It's certainly a great read--at times, even very enjoyable, as Coach Stallings describes various triumphs on the football field. But, at times, it's also painful, and painfully honest...maybe even gut-wrenching. One admires Coach Stallings for his candor and vulnerability; one envies the deep love between he and his son, John Mark.

Through it all, we get a moving portrait of a caring, honorable, courageous family and get a glimpse into a father-son relationship that sets an example of what any father or son could hope for in terms of love, devotion, faithfulness, and friendship. John Mark Stallings is a heroic young man born with Down Syndrome. He has defied all odds, surviving and living with it, and touching millions of lives in the process. This young man has taught so many people how to live a life filled with meaning, purpose, and love, just like his famous daddy.

This story is personal to me in many ways: I have a close relative who has lived with a particular developmental challenge ever since her birth, and we love her dearly--she adds great richness to our family, despite her difficulties. It's also personal to me because I am a life-long Alabama Crimson Tide football fan, and I lived in Alabama during that glorious 1992-1993 National Championship season. I can tell you that everybody in our state, no matter what football team they followed, was and is a big fan of Mr. John Mark Stallings.

RECOMMENDATION: I cannot say enough good about this book. It will appeal to a broad range of readership; certainly, football fans will enjoy it, but also families and friends who have faced similar challenges as the Stallings family has will find much encouragement and inspiration here. John Mark, you're our hero. We love you, buddy. God bless the Stallings family, and thanks, Coach, for this deeply moving book.

It's amazing that in 7 years since this book was released, the transition of most enthusiast's and amatuers photo capture is now almost entirely digital, that this book seems "old". However the basic's of capturing the light, composition of the photo and the steps to recording the countries, cities and inhabitants don't (it just how they're recorded).Bob Krist workflows that he outlines and the tips provided in my opinion are well suited to the beginner and enthusiaist photographer. In fact, it would be a great idea to copy the simple steps down onto a card and slip in the camera bag for a checklist when travelling.This book precedes my copy of Lonely Planets Travel Photography but is simpler and more anecdotal. A good read and recommended even if your capture is digital. This book will be the one I use for reference before my next attempt of capturing the "Spirit" of the places I travel to and not just taking the pictures.

This is film photography that is fully compatible with the digital age. It is not so much on what settings he used but on the planning and preparation that matters the most. What was in his mind when the shot was taken is fabulous. While he shoots landscapes mostly at the time when we are either calling it a day or still sleeping in the early morning, there are certain tips that opens our views on not only what, but also when and how to take a shot! This is a must have book for travellers wanting to have beautiful memories of his/her travel. We will never reproduce the same scene on a given place or event but it will surely open our eyes on what to look for and how to be a more creative photogpraher. I agree with Bob that when you know what to look for then you will realize how abundant there is to shoot wherever you are!! A must have book indeed! I give it 6 stars but unfortunately 5 is the best there is to choose from!

I bought quite a few books before a recent trip to Kauai where photography was a large part of my experience. This book provided as much or more insight into how to approach a place and experience it through photography as any other I read. Part of the value of this book will be in re-reading parts of it over a few times, before any major outing, at least until you take what it's saying to heart. In the end, photography is an active thing, and reading about it will only take you so far.

Good book

I got this book in anticipation of an upcoming vacation and it was worth the money. I think it serves the target market (amateur photographers on vacation) pretty well. It makes a few references to stock photography but doesn't dwell on shooting for it, doesn't mention selling it except in passing.

It starts out with a basic overview of composition (rule of thirds, Depth of Field, directional light, patterns etc). Other books cover this in greater detail, it is only an overview after all. The author does include a few tips on how each might apply to travel photography. After photo 101 it goes on to cover specific environments/situations. Cityscapes, tropics, winter etc. This was the meat of the book, each subject was given and adequate overview with a few specific examples to illustrate. There are also chapters on underwater and Ariel photography. Good intros but if your going to be plunking out the bucks for that I'd look for more specialized instruction.

He finished the book with some travel tips that may not apply to the non-professional (especially about packing in the post 9-11 travel climate) and on gear selection.

There are plenty of example photos that more or less illustrate the point he was talking about. Most of his shots seem to come from the Caribbean or North America, a few from Europe. Preferences to the Caribbean. On the plus most of them seem to be something that a person with normal means might replicate using moderately expensive gear. He did most of his work in the 20-35mm and 80-200mm focal ranges with full 35mm film. The cameras he used were by no means top of the line. He also addresses what is realistic to expect from the traveling photographer vs the pro who has been on location dozens of times.

The biggest shortcoming of this book is that it is film-centric (35mm). It was published in 2000 which was really before the digital age really took off. Most of the tips and techniques (The real meat of the book) are universal regardless of what kind of camera you use. But he does spend some time on film selection, care and feeding (especially filters and white balance) that are very different in the digital. Of course there is no information on digital care and feeding as a consequence.

I'm interested to see how well this book holds up over time. Years ago when I was starting out with photography I got a book on composition. At the time I felt it was an "overview" and probably lacking something. Now after years of experience I see that book really had it all, all the subjects were there, what was lacking was my experience to implement them. I suspect in time I will come to see this book the same way.

Pros-
Good book on the subject written to the beginner-intermediate level
Good pictures to illustrate the subjects
Focuses on "achievable" pictures rather than the extreme works of art
Covers all the bases
Great advice on film (if your using it)

Cons-
Needs updating. Lots of good film info but nothing on digital and the new capabilities (and liabilities) that it provides.
Some may want more in depth instruction on specific areas.

Conclusion
A great resource for travel/location photography. If you already have the basics down (Fstops and exposure and whatnot) then this is a good next step. I'd recommend it for anyone looking to make their vacation photos better.

Spirit of Place provides an excellent overview of travel photography. It is well organized, written clearly and concisely, and is filled with beautiful photos to help illustrate the points made in the text. The author discusses techniques to help you deal with various difficulties from how to find the best vantage point when shooting tall buildings to dealing with people that you may want to photograph. One thing that I really appreciated was that he also gave advice on which equipment to use in various settings and situations.

For travel photographers, the topics covered are pretty comprehensive. The author walks through some basics of composition. There is a full chapter devoted to working with various light sources and using filters to enhance that light. There are sections on skylines, architecture, shooting in the tropics, wildlife, and more. Each section is fairly brief. This book is more about giving general direction and ideas then trying to offer a detailed approach to all possible shooting possibilities. I found the level of coverage just about right. No one can provide detailed direction for every possible consideration for travel photographers so the author wisely offers some general advice to start you thinking and leaves it at that.

If the book has a weakness it is that it was written back in 2000 by a photographer who obviously didn't so much as scan his slides for further editing. This is strictly centered around film photography and that definitely limits the usefulness of the material focusing on film selection if you use a digital camera. Forturnately, most of his advice is sound regardless of whether you use film or digital so I would still highly recommend the book.

Stuart gives a good, basic explanation for the collapse of the "Chaco phenomenon." (He doesn't use the word, but you could say, even, as I felt, the collapse of the "Chaco state.") He then looks how a temporary change for the better in climate and some reorganization let Mesa Verdeans make a short stab at replacing Chaco's spread befor that collapsed itself a bit more than a century later.

From there, he doesn't stop. He leads readers into the beginnings of the Pueblo IV era of the ancestral Puebloans and to the dawn of modern Pueblos, and their emergence into Western history.

Stuart is not afraid to draw parallels and point out lessens that modern American inhabitants of the Southwest fail to -- or refuse to -- learn but at their own peril. And I am in total agreement on this part of the book, too, while noting that with nearly a decade since its writing, the rich-poor gap in the U.S. has but expanded, not decreased.

That said, even if you don't agree with his modern sociopolitical analysis, you've got plenty to learn from this book.

And, having grown up in Gallup, N.M., Mr. Stuart has lit fires of nostalgia and more within me.

A friend who took Stuart's class at the University of New Mexico recommended this book to me. It has become my favorite book on the Anasazi after David Roberts's IN SEARCH OF THE OLD ONES. Stuart, with the aid of his students, provides a terrific overview of not only the Anasazi, but the paleo-Indians that preceded them and the Pueblo people who came after them. Stuart is a scholar who avoids too much factual detail (though the book is dry in places) and the tendency to romanticize and speculate too much on Anasazi culture. Especially interesting are Stuart's insights into the thousands of small Anasazi farming communities often ignored by those more interested in the Chacoan "great houses" or the spectacular cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde, why and how the Anasazi culture collapsed, and how out of it grew the more sustainable, enduring Pueblo culture. Where did the Anasazi go? Their descendents are still here, the people who live in 22 pueblos in New Mexico and on the Hopi Pueblo in Arizona. Lastly, Stuart draws lessons and warnings from the collapse of Anasazi culture for contemporary America: If we don't find a more sustainable way to live, our culture will not fare any better than the ancient Anasazi.

Impressive. The implications of Professor Stuart's analysis of the Chaco Canyon and later Pueblo cultures in Anasazi America blows one away. Certainly some of the social data from our own culture and time period, which he uses for comparison, are scary! The book has a very interesting concept, namely that we can apply what we know of modern economics to the ancient world and what we discover of economic outcomes in the ancient world to our own. While I'm none too certain this is a valid premise, it certainly made for interesting reading! I am by no means an expert in prehistoric Southwestern America, but I have done some reading on the subject, and I can't recall when I've read a volume that made so much sense of the mystery of the collapse of ancient indigenous culture

Unlike many students of ancient history and culture, this author does not stop with a simple description of the data or the sequence of events. He extrapolates principles relevant to all cultures, including our own. Most authors on the American Southwest make much of the climate changes which made life in the area nearly impossible; Stuart's analysis of this data and of the timing of the furious building activity that occurred toward the end of the phase uses economic principals and modern sociology. This technique makes the period come alive. Stuart points out that all human behavior is motivated, and motivated not just by basic biological needs but by social and cultural needs and expectations as well. Stuart uses evidence of violence, even of possible cannibalism that occurred as a climax to the period to understand the implications of decline, violence and collapse on the evolution or extinction of a society. He also applies what he discovers of human behavior in this setting to what he sees as occurring in our own culture. As middle and lower socio-economic classes feel more and more disenfranchised, modern society is facing a possible withdrawal from its principles and leadership.

Some of Stuart's summary of the succession of cultures in New Mexico and the Four Corner's region are arguably speculative. The assumptions he makes about why people did things-like move away from their homes and property-so long as they relate to such factors as climate, infant and maternal mortality rates, nutrition and malnutrition, etc. seem quite sound. When it comes to less quantifiable issues-like personal values, the sense of community among society's constituency, religious intent, etc,-his observations, while certainly very credible, are also not testable.

With these caveats in mind, the reader will discover through this discourse that our own lifestyle as it is currently practiced, may not be indefinitely sustainable. The US might well be facing a cultural disintegration not unlike that of the Anasazi. If the social statistics in the author's final analysis are correct, and they certainly seem reliable to me, the effects of our rather profligate style of consumerism are already producing negative outcomes for a significant portion of the US population. We may share more in common with the ancient Anasazi than we realize. We may evolve into a more sustainable society as the Pueblo people did, or we may go extinct as the Anasazi people did.

As the author points out in his introduction, the book arose as the result of a very favorably received classroom style that stressed the relationship between economics and social cohesion, using archeology as the medium of introduction. In doing so the professor made his specialty relevant to the lives of his students in a way that inspired them. It inspired me too. Unmentioned by the author is the fact that much of our culture is shared by the world, and while the third world may not be politically incorporated into the US or into the privileged portion of the world, it is definitely part of the globalized culture that has arisen as a result of more rapid communication and transportation. It is not inconceivable that the collapse that Stuart envisions for the US cultural milieu might actually extend to the world. It gives one pause to think.

This book could and probably should be included in the reading lists of courses in economics, cultural anthropology, history, sociology, and political science. It might be useful in high school classes that include any or all of these topics. FOR THOSE WRITING PAPERS: this book shows an intersting use of history, anthropology and archaeology as applied to modern day problems. One might find it profitable to: 1) contest the author's conclusions with your own ideas or with quotes from other authors, 2) agree with his conclusions and say why in your own experience you believe what he says, 3) compair his assumptions with someone more versed specifically in economics or sociology than the author is, 4) check his sources to see if you can find errors in his data or in his use of it or to suggest a different interpretation of the date or a different use of it , 5) write a paper on whether or not you believe that it is valid to use anthropological or historical data in this way.

this book reverses the traditional view of the Chaco culture. Chaco represents to alot of people as a "golden age" of Indian prehistory with the numerous kivas of Pueblo Bonito and other settlements of the canyon.However according to Stuart the Chaco Age was a period of rise and decline as the valley's economy and way of life was dominated over by Chaco's religious and ceremonial elite who scimmed off the best portions for themselves leaving smaller households with higher infant mortality rates and shorter life expectancy.Stuart supports his suppositions by good archaeological research spanning decades of study and debate.Also he cites evidence that Chaco may not have gone "peacefully into the night", but displays rearch indicating a possible to probable,violent and sudden fall that put the four corners area into chaos for about a century after.As Stuart goes through the different periods proceeding after Chaco, (the Pueblo 1,2, and 3 era)you can readily see the logical procession to a more efficient and egalitarian society for the Amerindians of this area.So if you look at the grandiose ruins of Pueblo Bonito in Chaco and see the smaller Pueblo villages of today and wonder what happened,you'll say(after reading this book),the Pueblo moved to a more efficient way of life.One that was more fair to farmers and artisans.Also Stuart explains the Basketmaker culture which I always wondered about,simply put,this culture used baskets instead of pottery for everyday use including cooking dropping hot stones in the baskets to heat. These people preceded Chaco but were also around at the time of Chaco and even today you can see some well crafted baskets in the area.Stuart also does alot of interesting explaining about water usage and rain patterns and how the Chaco civilization was not able to cope with even small droughts,periods of 1 or 2 years made a drastic difference.With all the Kivas the Chacoans built a person would think they were more religious than present day Puebloan indians,however this is certainly not true. the author points out that Puebloan religion is even more vital now than in Chacoan times with a rich ceremonial life. Bigger as were the Chacoan great houses was not always better.

30+ years ago I toured some of the Anasazi sites. At that time there remained a lot of mystery about what had happened there. This has fueled all sorts of fiction including part of the thread of "X-Files". Since then most of the general chronolgy has been worked out and in many ways is more interesting than ancient SciFi aliens. Stuart provides the best non-academic overview of the Anaszi history I'm aware of. Most definately a good read. I found particularly interesting that the spectacular cliff dwellings were really just a minor sidebar to the overall story.

Unfortunately, Stuart couldn't resist dabbling in pop-economics and attempts to draw dubious parrallels with current events. The Anaszi had neither a written language nor a monetary, market (or semi-market) driven economy. These are two very effective non-hightech tools that alllowed European contemporaries of the Anaszi to survive and bounce back from even worse calamaties.

Rocomendation: Read and enjoy the history of the Anszi but ignore the the nonsensical digressions in to current politics.

McPhee presents a history and description of the Swiss army.

For me, as with any of McPhee's books, if I'm at all interested in the topic, and in the mood to enjoy his novel-like descriptions of ancillary details, it's a darn fine read!

Long before the phenomenal success of books like "Longitude" and "Cod", John McPhee perfected the art of the 'single topic in depth' book, in many cases expanding on his trademark (long) New Yorker essays. In "La Place de la Concorde Suisse", he digs below the picture-postcard prettiness and deceptive blandness of Switzerland and its people to deliver a fascinating (and slightly sinister) portrait of the Swiss Army.

One of his most interesting books, written before he gave himself over to the fascination with geology that has inspired many of his more recent efforts.

To say that McPhee writes well is a gross understatement. He is the literary father of Malcolm Gladwell, with the same characteristic ability to take an apparently abstruse topic and write about it with extraordinary lucidity, weaving a fascinating story that draws the reader in and holds the attention right to the end.

If you haven't read any of McPhee's work, this would a good book to start with. Other favorites of mine include "The Crofter and the Laird", "The Headmaster", or either of the collections "Giving Good Weight" and "The John McPhee Reader"

In German, La Place de la Concorde Suisse is rendered Concordiaplatz, and it is visible from the Jungfraujoch, which means "virgin saddle," and which is reached via funicular railway from Interlaken. Depending upon the season, one can either hike or ski from the Jungfraujoch down the Aletsch glacier to Concordiaplatz and view the redoubt containing the sunken armory described in McPhee's book. There may even be a visible contingent of soldiers guarding and maintaining it, just as their brethren maintain the explosives stashed in the outerworks of all key bridges in the country, or inspect the radar installations on key peaks such as the Weissflühgipfel above Davos. As one who lived and worked in Switzerland for eight years, and whose published memoir, Living Among The Swiss, is listed on this website, I can attest to the accuracy of McPhee's account. Most of my business colleagues were required to take annual two- or three-week military leaves, and one sees soldiers everywhere: on trains, in ski resorts, along low and vulnerable mountain passes such as those north of Sargans, and, increasingly, at airports. Their efficiency of organization has been admired not only by the Israelis, who imitated it, but also by the Russian defense minister, and McPhee accurately captures their esprit de corps - in the process expanding, as usual, the reader's vocabulary.

La Place de la Concorde Suisse is about the Swiss army, but, as they say, when you talk about Switzerland, you talk about their defense. Because everyone in Switzerland is in the army, you are talking about their country. An incredibly rich country, and thus, an incredibly paranoid country. Although many people are now looking at the Swiss, and especially their banks, with new eyes following the revelations of Nazi war booty being hid within their anonymous, numbered accounts, McPhee put them in the spotlight a decade earlier here. While his light is not as bright as some of those today, he did discover some interesting bits which had been hid by shadows before, like their placement of explosives (or identification of where to place such) under each bridge into the country, a discussion of the surreptitious bombing they suffered under Allied planes in the war, and the old boys network that links the army and the industry. At the end, you don't necessarily emerge with a message, but rather a portrait of the country.

In German, La Place de la Concorde Suisse is rendered Concordiaplatz, and it is visible from the Jungfraujoch, which means "virgin saddle," and which is reached via funicular railway from Interlaken. Depending upon the season, one can either hike or ski from the Jungfraujoch down the Aletsch glacier to Concordiaplatz and view the redoubt containing the sunken armory described in McPhee's book. There may even be a visible contingent of soldiers guarding and maintaining it, just as their brethren maintain the explosives stashed in the outerworks of all key bridges in the country, or inspect the radar installations on key peaks such as the Weissflühgipfel above Davos. As one who lived and worked in Switzerland for eight years, and whose published memoir, Living Among The Swiss, is listed on this website, I can attest to the accuracy of McPhee's account. Most of my business colleagues were required to take annual two- or three-week military leaves, and one sees soldiers everywhere: on trains, in ski resorts, along low and vulnerable mountain passes such as those north of Sargans, and, increasingly, at airports. Their efficiency of organization has been admired not only by the Israelis, who imitated it, but also by the Russian defense minister, and McPhee accurately captures their esprit de corps - in the process expanding, as usual, the reader's vocabulary.

These books bring back my childhood. It's always good to be able to do that from time to time.

I found the book interesting but my 8 and 6 year old daughters - huge fans of the Laura years and most of the Rose years -- found it to be boring. Parents should be prepared to discuss some of the historical aspects of this books, such as, women's suffrage, discrimination, turn of the century working conditions, and socialism which are all reoccurring topics in the book. I was a little surprised that the case for socialism was presented without any counter arguments, especially in light of the adult Rose being so opposed to socialism. (I highly recommend Rose's The Discovery of Freedom" if you are interested in learning about her libertarian views.) I can't imagine Roger Lea MacBride (who died while this book was in rough draft) would not have offered up a character to counter the pro-socialist message. If your daughter reads this book, I suggest you also make available Rose's 1936 Saturday Evening Post article "Give Me Liberty" where she makes the case for liberty and individualism. It is an autobiographical account of how she almost became a card-carrying member of the Communist Party, but because of her experiences as an international reporter became convinced that socialism leads down the road to serfdom (See F. A. Hayek's Road to Serfdom.).

This book was rather boring and so is the next one. I think it is because roger lea macbride didn't totally write this himself. He passed away before he finished these two books.

This is definitely one of my fave books(i'm 14). I think I first read this book when I was 9 or 10, but I wasn't mature enough to really get all of it yet. Rose is definitly growing up, separating from her mother, making good and bad friends, falling in love, taking big risks and thinking about her future. Frankly she is dying to ditch her boring, ordinary life in her small Ozarks town, but she also has to decide what she is going to do about Paul, her first love, who is gone most of the time. Basically it is a coming-of-age story set in small-town turn-of-the-century America. I liked it especially for the historical value, and would recommend it to anyone who liked the Laura books, or likes historical fiction for young adults. ...

ON THE BANKS OF THE BAYOU is a delight. It is the best of all the Rose books. Rose goes to a Louisiana academy, taking up her aunt's offer. She stays with her aunt, and slowly realizies that she is for womens' rights. She crusades with her aunt to help boost voting for women, and along the way she learns Latin and learns about Lousiana with a new Cajun friend, Odette, and her huge family. It is fun and inspirational, but Rose also learns the horrible truth of slavery and segregation in full. When she eats at an ice-cream parlor under cooling fans, she watches a black girl pay at a special window and sit on a dingy chair in the blazing sun. Rose learns more than Latin, Algebra, and geography. She learns what it is to live in the world.

VISIONSEEKER is the last book of a fabulous Shamanic trilogy by anthropologist and Hawaiian shaman, Dr. Hank Wesselman. The first two books are SPIRITWALKER, MEDICINEMAKER and the above is the third in this fascinating trilogy of one man's walk into the unknown world of spirits. I highly recommend them. These books will be sure to stretch your mind to unlimited heights. Can't put them down. EXTRAORDINARY!!!!!
PN

Visionseeker is the final of three books. The first two being "Spiritwalker," then "Medicinmaker."

In Visionseeker, Hank Wesselman continues to beautifully illustrate his extraordinary visionary experiences with using a writing style which is easy to follow and often peppered with humor. The concepts presented in the book -- such as out-of-body consciousness and shamanism's healing methods, etc. -- are thoroughly investigated and explained to the best of the author's ability, with the Western, scientifically-oriented perspective in mind. Hank's "inner scientist," stemming from his previous education in the Anthropological field, compels him to come up with rational and logical reasons as to how and why these extraordinary experiences are taking place. Using scientific reasoning and traditional Hawai'ian beliefs, he is able to explain (was able to explain to me, at least) what would normally be unexplainable.

The content of the entire trilogy generally includes: 1) his first encounters and reactions to his initial out-of-the-ordinary experiences, 2) his understanding and explanation of these experiences through a scientific and traditional Hawai'ian Kahuna's perspective, 3) an extraordinary account of his repeated "journeys" to a possible future Earth, seeing it through another man's eyes, and 4) several undeniably relevant and important proposals which connect his experiences to our present time and global situation.

I appreciated Hank's openmindedness and sincerity when he approached his difficult-to-explain/understand experiences. Both his experiences and perspective inspired me to look at my life and future in a new way. The Spiritwalker trilogy has made a significant difference in my life. I highly recommend all three books.

Hank has been there, done that. He allows you to join his ecstacy as he receives vital information for humankind's growth and survival. Don't miss it.

"Visionseeker" is the third book in a series concerning the author's amazing, beautiful, and insightful connection with his future ancestor (Nainoa), as well as his awesome journeys into various transcendent experiences. In this book he continues to share a great amount of "ancient wisdom" that is helpful for us to learn/remember today.

Hank Wesselman's writing style is such that he is able to pull the reader into his experiences - so much so that there were times when I could actually see/feel/hear/sense that which he was describing. In this way, Mr. Wesselman takes the reader on a journey as well - an awesome & powerful journey to be sure!

Overall, I would highly recommend "Visionseeker" to anyone interested in spirituality in general, &/or shaminism in particular. This book has much to offer!

All other considerations aside, Visionseeker--like Spiritwalker and Medicinemaker--is a good story. By the way, if you haven't read any yet--READ THEM IN ORDER! It's interesting to consider what a possible future might look like. I like to hear about Wesselman's shamanic/visionary encounters and lessons with Nainoa. Unlike some other reviewers, I didn't read this with a particular agenda and specific questions I needed to have answered. If a pressing question came up, I think I'd just write to Dr. Wesselman and ask. I read on to book three because I enjoyed the other two and find the "characters" to be multi-dimensional, aware and very human. Their consciousness is expanding with each visit. Some of their epiphanies help to clarify my own thinking--things I've been turning over in my own mind. The author has a gift for articulating hard-to-define concepts, particularly regarding the nature of the soul. I have a stake now in knowing what happens to these characters, and how they continue to learn and make sense of their uncommon relationship.

Wesselman is not painting of picture of 21st century life, culture and morality when he visits Nainoa. It's a foreign point of view in most respects. Nor do I think the author is omniscient when it comes to life in that time and place. He is learning as he goes and gathering information and understanding. Readers have to be aware of these things. Personally, I read the books with a curiosity about the possibility of a spiritual connection across time. If you believe in the possibility of reincarnation, his narrative is intriguing. What if he and Nainoa share a portion of an enduring soul? I don't think he is asking us to believe what he is saying beyond a shadow of a doubt; we didn't experience what he did, so how can we? But I respect his experience/his beliefs about them--and I think they contain something of value for us.

One of the things I liked best about this particular text was that he goes into specifics about his shamanic practices. As he begins to develop some control over his visionary states, he is also able to share the knowledge he's gained more clearly. He discusses the energy/levels of soul and seems to be honing in on what connects him and his ancestor in these visionary states. I haven't had a conscious experience quite like his, but I've had enough powerful visions in dreaming and other moments to give me an open mind about it.

With regard to the sexuality that a few have taken issue with...if it's part of the overall experience and story, why should it be filtered out? Some might think it's overdone--I hear similar complaints about Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear series--but sexuality and intimate partnerships are part of life. I found them to be tastefully and lovingly captured, though a few could make you blush.... For some who follow a more mystical path, I have heard that you CAN launch some journeying via sexual buildup and release. I can't confirm or deny it myself, though I have spoken to people who claim it happens and I've read about it more than once. You might think it's new age mumbo jumbo--that's your prerogative, but as far as I'm concerned Mr. Wesselman is the author and he gets to choose what goes in and what he feels is important or worthwhile to share. Seems rather courageous to me to lay bare the details of one's life so openly. It's also inspiring to read about couples who love and respect each other with passion and tenderness, though it might not always be comfortable to read coming from our cultural framework.

At any rate, author/mythologist Joseph Campbell cautions that when the hero comes back after his transformational journey with gifts for his/her community, a lot of times those gifts turn to ashes in his hands, because the the community is often not ready/able to understand and receive those gifts--yet.

Keep the stories coming, Dr. Wesselman! We'll embrace whatever gifts we are ready for.

Wow. Spellbinding, magnificent, beautiful. Let this pilgrim take you on a journey you'll never forget. There are places in this book I didn't even know existed. Now I feel like I've been there. Martin Gray is not only an impeccable photographer, he is a brilliant and gifted writer. I highly recommend it. I've also given it as a gift and several friends have commented on how they treasure it.

I have used his web site for our travels around the world for years now, I have purchased 5 of these books last year for Christmas for pressys and for us too, it is so beautifully presented and full of Sacred Sites all over our wonderful globe. The pictures are stunning.

Clearly this is not another coffee table book. Even so, it could grace any coffee table, or bookshelf anywhere in the world. National Geographic photographer, Martin Gray, displays his lifework in this treatise, as he portrays his ongoing love affair with the earth in exquisite and stunningly expressive photography.

The motivating factor behind these photographs has been threefold. The first was to "gather evidence showing that many pre-industrial cultures, recognized the earth as a sacred being, worthy of deep respect". The second was, to document, on film "the world's sacred architecture, the most sublime example of human artistic expression, before it is lost to the ravages of modernization". The third reason was "to study the miraculous phenomena reported at sacred sites around the world".

To this effect, this volume contains pictures of many of the well-known sacred and religious shrines of the world. The first section deals with pictures of sites in Europe, taken by the author during a year's bicycle tour. Starting with Stonehenge and other megalithic monuments and other similarly mystical sites in the British Isles and Western Europe, he goes on to present photographs of holy shrines associated with the early era of Christianity. Some of these are major pilgrimage centers such as the Cathedral of Compostela, the Church of La Magdalena, and Avila in Spain, Mont St. Michel, Notre Dame, Our Lady of Lourdes in France and our lady of Fatima in Portugal. Thereafter, lesser known monuments in Continental Europe appear. The emphasis goes on to Grecian influences, there is a fine picture of Mount Olympus and the Parthenon among others.

The second section takes up the Middle East and North Africa. Here the author proceeds eastwards, starting from remnants of Grecian and Christian ruins from Turkey to a beautiful cityscape of Jerusalem and other Jewish shrines. This is followed by rare pictures of the Kaaba in Mecca and Medina. The towering peaks of Mount Olympus as seen from Armenia are followed by remnants of Sufi shrines in Iran, after which appear the Pyramids, the Sphinx and other structures of Ancient Egypt. Other sacred Christian and Islamic sites from Ethiopia, Tunisia, Mali and Morocco are depicted. The pictures are accompanied by fascinating glimpses into the history and mythology of the people living in that region. One example of these nuggets of text, is about the Dogon tribes of Mali, who are believed to be of ancient Egyptian descent, and who surprised anthropologists by telling them secret Dogon myths about the star Sirius, having a companion star. This star, now called Sirius was photographed by modern astronomers only after 1970!

The next section begins with the well known Hindu sacred sites of the Indian subcontinent, starting with Pushkar in the West, the stone carved caves of Ajanta and Ellora, and Dwarka in Gujarat, to the Golden Temple of Amritsar, the Jain temple at Shatrunjaya, the banks of the river Ganga at Hardwar, Allahabad, and Varanasi, among others. A number of temple sites in Southern India also find mention, Tirupati, Rameshwaram and Arunachala are those that are most visited. The Buddhist shrines come next with Bodh Gaya in Gaya, Adam's Peak and Mihintala from Sri Lanka.These are followed by pictures of the Bagan Temple Complex, the Yangon and the Mahamani Temples in Myanmar. The landscape moves on to Buddhist shrines in Thailand, followed with a picture of Angkor Wat at sunrise after which there appear other imposing temple complexes in the jungles of Cambodia. Sacred monuments and sites of Bali come next, before proceeding to the mountain temple shrines of Wu Tai Shan and Putro Shan in Mainland China. Next in line are the mountain and temple sites of Nantai San and Fuji San in Japan. There is a last coverage in the section on continental Asia, of Tibet and Nepal; there are pictures of Mount Kailash, Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple from Lhasa and the Swayambhunath Temple in Kathmandu.

From Australia, there are only pictures of the Ayres Rock from different angles.

The section on South America starts with pictures of Moai shrines in Easter Island, Chile, moves on to Lake Titicaca, sundry temple complexes in Bolivia, Machu Pichu, Peru, the Basilica of El Cisne, Ecuador and San Augustin, Colombia.

The last section in this book deals with North America. After the mountain complexes of Mount Popocatepetl and Mount Iztacchuatl in Mexico, the reader is led on to a beautiful picture of the Sun Pyramid, followed by Mount Alban, the Mitla Sanctuary and several other temple complexes associated with the Aztec and Mayan cultures. The Basilica of Nuestra, Mexico City and other churches follow before the entry to New Mexico in the United States, where the first picture is an aerial view of the Pueblo Bonito ruins, which are the ruins of the Anasazi community. This is followed by Shiprock Mountain and the White Sands in the same state. Thereafter, Devil's Town in Wyoming, the Red Rocks of Sedona make their appearance. Finally, the scene shifts to Mauna Kia in Hawaii and the Haleakula crater in Maui.

Most of the above sites are very well known, but a few are not.Some of the pictures contain mysterious stone heads representing enigmatic mythological figures. There are also megalithic monument clusters and statues of various gods and goddesses. All major religions of the world are represented in this volume. Some sites have no overt religious connections, apart from being ostensible power points, where Nature is at her wildest best. The book is clearly a feast for the eye, and generates a deep respect and regard for our heritage as custodians of the earth. However, there is more to this book than just a travelogue of pictures taken over a lifetime.

One of the major reasons why people travel is pilgrimage. Sacred sites, especially those containing relics of bygone saints are especially often visited by believers in search of miracles and healing. According to Martin Gray, and contrary to accepted beliefs, it is the topography of these sacred sites that carries an energy field, a 'field of influence extending in space and continuing in time', which characterizes their timeless vitality, rendering them as power points. The field could be produced by the earth's influences, the influence of celestial bodies, human intent, miracle working icons, ancient monasteries, places of Marian apparitions, whatever. It is the effect of this field that Martin Gray has attempted to capture on film through his photography. Therefore the medley of photographs have been taken from all possible angles at all possible hours of the day.When I see his pictures, it is as if history comes alive, as the monuments, stone structures and walls recount their tales of love, of lust, of power and passion to those who would stand by and listen.

Complementing each picture is an accompanying text that provides fascinating glimpses of the history of the site and the myths associated with its' rise to prominence'. Interspersed with these nuggets of wisdom, the author recounts his own personal moments of epiphany while absorbed in this work. It is clear that the author has gone 'out on a limb' to procure the outstanding photographs in this exquisite collection.

This compilation is truly a labour of love. It bears witness to Martin Gray's passion for Mother Earth and serves as a repository of Her memory of the collective history of the human race.

I can't recommend it strongly enough.

While some people might find this book "inspiring", it insults the intelligence of actual archaeologists, theologians, and anthropologists by suggesting that they are simply too closed-minded or backward, even stupid, to believe that the naturally supreme ancients did not map out a worldwide grid of sacred energy zones, Eastern and Western hemispheres retained close cultural contacts with each other, and that sites were built to magically retain and use energy put off by the earth, via special stones or other mystical sources, for use in healing and other feats.

Also, the author has a clear bias against Christianity. It seems the only thing which makes Christian holy sites holy is because they used to be used by previous pagan cultures; then the Christian religion was ruthlessly "imposed" and "forced" the "eradication" of pagan religious beliefs while at the same time making them their own. While as an anthropologist I cannot say that the Christian church was a model of tolerance, it seems the author denies that any good, positive spiritual force can come from Christianity, and that only previous use of a site by superior ancient cultures can render it "sacred". Of course, other heavily missionizing religions, such as Islam, are presented as pinnacles of spiritual achievement.

The author's prejudices and suspicion of genuine historical fact and the people who actually study culture and history, makes this book a prime example of something I will return to the store very shortly.

I have a whole shelf of books on Sacred Places, but pride of place goes to Martin Gray's magnificent contribution to the appreciation of sacred sites. Martin's evocative photography inspires you and seems to evoke the subtle essence of the sites he has visited.
Sacred Earth is a book to be savoured slowly. It teaches us how to love and cherish this planet. It really is an outstanding contribution to the study of sacred sites and the mysteries they hold for us all.