No comments about Night: Biography & Memoir.

5 comments about My Journey: From an Iowa Farm to a Cathedral of Dreams.

1. Dr. Schuller has been such an inspiration to me over the years. His sermons and books have encouraged me on numerous occasions. He helps me feed my mind the right substance. I identify with his migration to California from the interior part of the U.S. The way he tells the story is a true inspiration each time I read it. I was in the Crystal Cathedral in 2002 and it was liked standing in my dream. I was there, observing what I had read about and seen on television. In the American mythology, California is still the land of dreams.
   Dreams which are given by God are to be pursued, according to Dr. Schuller's teaching. That's logical. His life shows how it's done.



2. If Robert Schuller hasn't inspired you yet to think positively and trust in a higher power, this simple story of his life will. If you need proof that God has a plan for each of us, if you've ever questioned your own purpose on earth, if you are stuck in the rut of modern society, read the recollection of the trials and tribulations of the life of this simple, kind man who has done so much for so many. I've been a member of this church for a long time, but reading this story from his birth to the present has given me a new view of the awesome-ness of the mission Dr. Schuller and Arvella Schuller have built. I recommend this not only for viewers or followers of the church or Dr. Schuller, but also for the sceptics. I wonder if reading this man's journey will make you, too, look upon your own purpose and path in a different light. Above all else, I believe this is the motivation Dr. Schuller had for telling his own life story... to renew our own faith in positive thinking, ourselves and our God. Enjoy.



3. I didn't know much about Robert Schuller before I read this (he is a TV preacher who believes in the power of positive thinking), but I really liked his autobiography. It's a good book. I especially liked the retelling of his growing up on a farm, and his and his wife's early days with their "drive-in" church in California.



4. I was introduced to Dr. Schuller's "Hour of Power" in 1983 when my Irish Catholic mother was dying of cancer. As her conditioned worsened, she was unable to get to Church. One Sunday she stumbled onto the "Hour of Power" and found it a source of spiritual nourishment. She quickly became a weekly viewer and told all of her great discovery.

   I have watched "The Hour of Power" off and on ever since. I have been intrigued with the simplicity of his message and the corresponding expansion of his ministry to Europe, Russia, and now, the Far East.

   While Rev. Robert Schuller is unique in modern US Religious History, he is, more importantly, unique as a great US ambassador. Each week, he shows the world the goodness of this country. And though being grounded in Christ's Word, his spiritual outreach is for all faith traditions.

   This autobiography, "My Journey," tells his story. While a bit too detailed, and too wordy (515 pages), those that have an interest in this man and his ministry should find it a good read.




5. Reading this book should be an inspiration to anyone who has a dream to accomplish. It shows how faith and positive thinking can produce unbelievable accomplishments.

5 comments about Partners in Power: The Clintons and Their America.

1. This is an excellent read! If you are unconvinced of the corruption we have had for the last eight years, then this book will cause you to reconsider. It also goes into detail as to how Bill Clinton got into this terrible condition.
   

   Anyone who dismisses this book as unsubstantiated is obviously partisan and hasn't been paying attention to the news for the last eight years nor of late. An objective and reasonable person will see the truth and the truth is what is written in this book. It is well written and well documented. Mind you this is a close friend of Bill Clinton who wrote the book! No agenda - just truth for those who can accept it.
   

   This book highlights the ongoing pattern of deceit, illegal substance use, womanizing by force and corruption. Frankly, I'd rather not be in denial but admit the obvious about this man. Hopefully the American people will never allow someone of this low caliber ever become President again.




2. I looked forward to reading about the early life of Bill Clinton and his early marriage and the Arkansas days, etc, and this book has a lot on that--quite substantial. So I was a little shocked to arrive at page 440, where Morris refers to "Clinton's extra-marital relations with literally hundreds of women" Hundreds? That would be a minimum of 200. That's really quite a lot. I had always assumed a dozen or two.

   I began to wonder how that would work. Is a governorship such an easy job (just a lot of paper signing and speechifying) that an accomplished shmoozer can fit it in between hundreds of trysts? Whatever you think of his politics, it must be admitted that it's quite an accomplishment, especially considering he wasn't really all that interested in the governorship or the trysts, but rather the presidency.

   And what of the "Partner in Power"? Could she see early on that her husband was a politician of such consumate skill that he was a shoe-in for the presidency, and so chose to overlook his turning Arkansas into his personal harem? And what of Hilary's other partner in power, Vince Foster, now dead? If Morris touches on their "semi-private kisses and furtive squeezes", an "intimate professional bond between two attorneys", then surely he ought to dig a bit deeper on the cause of Foster's death. No sign of depression prior to the suicide. No death threats. What on earth happened to Vince Foster.

   All these deeply intriguing topics--Bill's monumental multi-tasking, Hillary's apparent acquiescence, Foster's mysterious death--are touched on but lightly. What really interests Morris is financial scandal, into which category he places, seemingly, any transaction over $10,000. The book is larded with endless, and I mean Endless, details of money for campaigns, money made in teal estate, many made in banking, in retail, in government, in law, in public and in private--all with the implication or explicit assertion that a crime was committed. And Morris doesn't stop with the Clintons. The Republicans and Reagan in particular come under his moral lash for using too much money to get elected or to celebrate having been elected. Literally hundreds of pages are devoted to venting his indignation at the expenditure of money in politics, almost as though he believes that the only ones fit to govern are indigent altar boys or investigative reporters.

   This reader would have liked less of the sort or quasi-incrimminatory fodder that fills the pages of the Village Voice and more probing into the feudatory state of Arkansas, perhaps interviewing some of the hundreds of women. There's a gripping story there, a noir classic, but I doubt it will be revealed by poring over old account ledgers.




3. The 'Prologue' of this 1996 book describes Clinton's Inauguration. The face in the White House changed, but the same people were pulling the strings (p.4). Clinton's highest margin was with voters under 30. Morris notes the decay of cities and the loss of jobs (p.6). People hoped for a change with Clinton. Clinton's past in Arkansas would soon catch up. The opening chapters tell of Clinton's middle-class life in Arkansas. Uncle Raymond was the power in the family (p.4). He went to Georgetown (p.64), then to Oxford (p.84), and avoided the draft (pp.81-82). Morris suggests Clinton was tied to the "intelligence community" (pp.102-103). Hillary was raised in Park Ridge, a bastion of right-wing extremism (p.111). She was a gifted mimic and chronic teacher's pet. In 1964 she was a "Goldwater Girl" (p.122). Hillary was elected president of the student government when she was a junior (p.128). She then went to Yale Law School. She became involved in the legal rights of children (pp.160-161). [Do children know what they really need?]
   
   Arkansas was "the most oppressed state in the union" (p.194). Their farmers were like medieval serfs. The newspapers and broadcast stations were controlled by the ruling class (p.196). [Is it different in your state?] Half the state Senators were paid off by the gas utility (p.197). Clinton had the support of the Stephens financial empire (p.199); he opposed local labor unions (p.200). Jimmy Carter's victory was a triumph of big money (p.201). Examples of Clinton's honesty are on page 211; he lied about the draft. Clinton talked liberal but acted reactionary (p.219). Hillary's financial prowess is on pages 229-230; BCCI is on page 234.
   
   The Reagan reign was a return to the past (p.253); government openly backed Big Corporations. Wealth was taken from most Americans and given to the rich (p.254). People were worse off than before. Carter's election brought more millionaires to his Cabinet than Ford, Nixon, of Eisenhower (p.264). Carter's cuts in capital gains and corporate taxes, Reagan's reduced taxes for the rich and increased them on wage-earners, both led to today's impoverished America (pp.266-267). The high cost of media advertising makes candidates depend on funds from the rich. [That is the plan!] Page 294 describes the "corporate seizure of power in Washington" and the effects on pages 295-296. Huge debt increases by Reagan and Bush are measured by devalued dollars (p.299), lost jobs, lower wages, and fewer middle-class businesses (pp.302-303). Increasing wealth at the top led to poverty everywhere else (pp.303-305). Median family income was less valuable than for earlier generations. Now America is less egalitarian than Europe. [Morris does not mention Nixon's 1971 devaluation of the dollar as leading to this.]
   
   Chapter 16 tells about the wide open town of Little Rock where money could be made fast (p.300). Was prosperity based on drug trafficking and money laundering (p.311)? Clinton's trick of "educational reform" is on page 320. Clinton's supporters for his 1984 campaign are on pages 331-332. Without Congressional oversight the special interests that donate to the President go unchallenged. The media monopolies won't tell (pp.349-350). Reporters who uncovered scandals saw their careers ruined (p.353). They avoid non-acute scandals to cover sensations. Chapter 18 covers the deregulation of S&Ls which allowed new scams with other people's money. Hillary was involved with McDougal's banking excesses (pp.324-325). The Clintons did not lose money on Whitewater (p.386). There was a multi-billion dollar drug smuggling operation in Mena that was linked to national politics (p.390); see Chapter 19. Clinton knew (p.405), and so did Bush (p.410).
   
   Clinton did in Washington what he did in Little Rock (p.432). It tells how Gary Hart's campaign was sabotaged (p.433-434). Did Clinton have a psychotic lack of control (p.441)? Clinton, like others, grew rich from their political success (pp.446-447). Clinton always served the special interests (p.453); he did less for the state than Orval Faubus. Arkansas was worst in the nation for health care (p.456). Clinton's first term was not a new beginning but the same old show (p.467). Morris asked if he was linked to drug money and organized crime.



4. His title sounds convincing for the evidence he sugests has already been proven to be fabricated lies, this is pure dirty political propaganda from the republican party propaganda machine.



5. This is a highly reputable book with loads of revealing information about who the Clintons are and how history will ultimately judge them. It explains how they could bring so many enormous disasters to themselves, to Al Gore's campaign later, and to Hillary's campaign after that. Even though the Clinton years were ones of overall prosperity, people are tired of their scandals and foul character as detailed in this book.
   
   Roger Morris, a reputable Democrat, served with distinction for Democrats Lyndon Johnson (president of the United States), Dean Acheson (Secretary of State), and Walter Mondale (vice president and candidate for president). He is NOT a Republican attack dog. He is reputable and this book is well researched with the facts.
   
   For his biography of Richard Nixon, Morris was a finalist for the reputable National Book Award, a very selective award of integrity. His biography of Nixon was authoritative and accurately showed Nixon to be ambitious, intelligent, willing to be ruthless, and at times paranoid. His biography of Nixon was not a Republican whitewash. It was fair, and Morris was part of the reputable PBS American Presidents documentary of Richard Nixon.
   
   Partners in Power presents the facts. It is NOT a Republican attack book.
   
   However, this book does not cover the many later scandals, such as Bill Clinton giving away numerous pardons for donation, including on the lamb, wanted by the FBI. It does not show the hundreds of millions of dollars in wealth that the clinton built with Bill Clinton working for a billionaire in California and clients in the Middle East while his wife influeneced policies in Washington D.C. They refused to release their tax returns for most of the primary, except at the end after Super Tuesday.
   
   It does not mention Hillary Clinton's race-baiting remarks in an interview in USA Today, 'I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on,' she said in an interview with USA TODAY. As evidence, Clinton cited an Associated Press article 'that found how Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me.'" Or remarks from Geraldine Ferraro, a high-level clinton campaign employee and former candidate for Vice President, that said, "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position." No mention of how half of Americans said they would not vote for her under any circumstance and the overall disgust with the Clinton scandals.

5 comments about Diary of Vaslav Nijinsky.

1. Nijinsky, hombre posesionado por el genio, hace algun tiempo visiti en el museo de orsay, en Paris, la exposicion sobre él, de lo mejor al igual que su apasionada vida



2. this book is highly through in it's full translation of Nijinsky's diary, but best part of this book are the inclusion of the never before published "fourth book" which included poems and letters written by Nijinsky as well as an introduction which helps to clarify not only the historical background but also delves into the mental state Nijinsky was in as he wrote his diary.



3. Nijinsky's unexpurgated diary is an important document both for dance history and for psychiatry. This edition has an excellent, insightful introduction and very thorough translator's notes. I found out fascinating details, such as the fact that Nijinsky began the diary the day he gave a deranged performance at a hotel, and probably meant it as proof that he was not as crazy as he seemed. (Sadly, it proved exactly the opposite.) A beautiful job has been done in presenting and contexting this difficult material. Anyone with an interest in dance and/or mental illness should read it.



4. 1. "God said to me, 'Go home and tell your wife that you are mad'."

   Even if we are not ready to accept this assertion as a proof of Nijinsky's genius (i.e. him edging on God-Consciousness on his way to full enlightenment), we should at least be able to recognise that the author obviously did not view himself as insane, but, in his own eyes, consciously pretended to be such as the only means at hand to escape the harsh chilliness and cruelty of an insensitive world, handing over all responsibilities of the non-esoteric sides of life to those who feel they know such things better.

   2. Neither the conclusion should be that the great Master of Choreography ended his life in a miserable demise, unworthy of a great genius and a potential role-model for generations to come.

   On the last pages, as if to conclude the diary, Nijinsky speaks of a wonderful vision of his three years old daughter as she smiles at him: "I see what she is trying to tell me: it is not all about sadness and miserliness - there's also joy in life". Thus reminding of Tolstoy's famous formula "if you want to be joyful and happy, then just be that!".

   The author's life has clearly been that of struggle and constant contemplations over the world's stubbornness in its reiterated refusal to accept the artist's message of love, despite its pure simplicity. And yet now on the verge of the sunset of life it all suddenly seems to have been nothing but a temporary, though little longer than usual, unpleasant dream, the remaining fogs of which are dispersed through a simple rearrangement of attention leading one to a life in a closer company with one's God. A life the fuller utilisation of the pleasures of which are not bound by the limits of life and death.

   3. As for Nijinsky's main message, as it is contained in the diary itself, I think it is found in the place where the artist speaks of his discovery of the true nature of the phenomena of art criticism: the self-appointed critics of art are nothing but egotists who have never created anything themselves. They pinpoint and nit-pick on any flaws and draw conclusions where such cannot be drawn, causing the hearts of the sincere artists to bleed.

   It implies that it is more than fair to observe that when it comes to art in general no judgements can be made whatsoever. An inspiration behind any artistic expression always comes from beyond oneself, out of a sincere desire to convey something to others. The only thing that is really alright to criticise is if the artist's motive is in question, that is if the original purpose is purely commercial and, thus, a con in its essence. Similarly judging is not the same as describing, just as to describe is not the same as to judge.

   Interestingly, few other books and films have received as much subtle thrashing (along with appraisals) as Nijinsky's diary and Paul Cox' recent poetic documentary based on it. The point is that a truly worthless piece of literature, or other, never does. There simply seems to be something very provocative about innocence and tenderness to self-important people. And maybe the book CANNOT be appreciated fully by readers with a "lesser purity of heart" and large egos.

   4. Other highlights of the wisdom in Nijinsky's diary (quoting freely from memory) are these: "I told my wife we had married for the wrong reasons and that we should re-marry, but this time in the spirit"; and: "People go to church and then drink wine because they have heard it said that it is the blood of Christ. How to explain to a fool that Christ's blood would make one sober rather than drunk?".




5. To understand this book, you must have a good background in psychology in order to be able to spot the philosophical insights made by this otherwise, very ill man. The duality between 'feeling' and 'thinking' as well as the perceptive remarks made about the nuances of various people in Nijinsky's life are highly intelligent.
   
   At most times the book is full of amusing schizophrenic rants that make the diary an awesome source for learning about the everyday inner life of paranoid schizophrenics - of whom Nijinsky is a perfect example.

5 comments about Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery.

1. I enjoyed this book completely...it really gave me a sense of the human experience of the journey, and made me appreciate just what an incredible accomplishment it was. The illustrations really add to the enjoyment of the book, as do the excerpts from the journals of several of the men. I also liked the background information on what goals were actually behind the exploration and how they worked to meet those goals. There's only one reason that I didn't give this book 5 stars, and that's because it lacks a good map to help understand where they were during some of the events described. But that can be found in other works, and this really is a good introducion to Lewis and Clark...it's a relatively easy read but full of interesting facts and adventures.



2. This book was so hard to put down! The way the author combines the facts with the actual quotes from the Lewis and Clark journals (complete with spelling errors), the original sketches and descriptions by Lewis and Clark, old pictures and paintings, and the attention to the sequencing (i.e., he walks you straight through the entire journey and makes it flow) really makes this book come alive for me. I highly recommend it!!



3. I've been looking for the audio version for a long time and found it easily on amazon. You can keep your eyes on the road and still learn something about the the most mindboggling journey in American history.
   It makes me want to follow their trail (by road of course). Fantastic set of CD's



4. The book is good and interesting (especially for someone with very little prior knowledge about the Corps), but the reading is absurd! He (I mean the narrator; the supporting cast is good) is so melodramatic as to be incredibly distracting. GOOFY. Only buy it if you are able to ignore the reader's voice and style; otherwise, order it in print form!



5. Like every American kid, I grew up knowing the names "Lewis and Clark." But (also, I suspect, like most American kids), I really knew (and cared) very little about their incredible journey, or why it was undertaken. Then, 10 years ago, I stumbled across Dayton Duncan's wonderful Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery, and I was hooked.
   
   Duncan's book is a wonderful introduction to the Corps of Discovery (even the name itself is exciting, isn't it?) in that it offers information about the expedition without overwhelming the reader new to the topic, illustrates the text with fine photographs and reproductions, all of which are instructively captioned, contains a number of sideboxes and page-long essays on specializied subjects, and includes several essays from other Lewis and Clark authorities, including Ken Burns, who produced the companion film, and Stephen Ambrose.
   
   Duncan ends the book with an essay, "We procceded on," that is as reflective a meditation on the deep meaning of the Corps of Discovery journey as I've read. It also serves as an excellent preface to another of his books, Out West, a fascinating and entertaining account of his recapitulation of the Corps of Discovery's route in a volkswagon camper.
   
   If you're new to Lewis and Clark, this is the book to read. But it's also pure pleasure for afficionados.

5 comments about The seashell on the mountaintop : a story of science, sainthood, and the humble genius who discovered a new history of the earth.

1. This was a very good book, and it's interesting in several different ways. On the one hand, it's a biography of Nicolaus Steno (which is the modern version of his scientific name, Nicolai Stenoni, which is an adaptation of his real name, Niels Steensen). It's also a history of the foundation of the science of geology, and it's a window into the early days of scientific exploration (before you object and raise the Greeks as an issue, it should be noted that despite their many studies, they never developed the scientific method, or experimental science). Many people unknowingly project our modern attitudes and opinions into the past, taking for granted the ideas of technology and knowledge. Because of that, we often forget that in the past, science and religion were not seen as diametrically opposed. Steno, who basically discovered stratigraphy and whose discoveries implied an age for the Earth older than Ussher's 6,000 years, or any other age based on a literal interpretation of the Bible, was a devout Lutheran who converted to Catholicism and spent the last few years of his life as a Catholic priest on a mission to convert protestants back to Catholicism. The main reason Steno converted was because he could not believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible, but that never altered his views about the existence of God or that God was the driving force behind the world. As a matter of fact, the men of science of Steno's time were studying science in order to find God in the world. That's why many such men were priests, and most men who weren't priests were still devoutly religious, such as Sir Isaac Newton.
   
   Steno was born the son of a goldsmith in Copenhagen, Denmark (which was Lutheran) in 1638. He was born with copious manual dexterity and practiced it when he went to school to become an anatomist. And of course you must note that he started an anatomist, but his most famous discoveries were as a geologist and he ended life as a Catholic priest. This testifies to his many talents and mental prowess. Basically though, it all ties together. He was always a religious man, and he was exploring the beauty of God's creation when he dissected humans or animals. When a shark's head was brought to him for dissection, he noticed the similarity between the shark's teeth and "glossopetrae", or tongue stones that supposedly were natural formations that emanated from the Earth. Philosophers had tried to explain the formation of rocks in the Earth for a long time, but had never successfully explained how rocks could be formed that looked like seashells and shark teeth inside other rocks.
   
   Basically this lead him to conclude that the only way it was possible was if the fossils had been there first and the rocks grew up around them. This led him to formulate the theory of sedimentation, which is that layers of rock are laid down on the bottom of a body of water. This property could be clearly observed even at their times on the small scales of buckets of dirty water or riverbeds. Steno understood the implications of those phenomena, and coupled that with his observations of the layers of rock evident in the mountains of Italy to come up with the new theory that the surface of the Earth was made by sedimentary layers. He also devised principles about these layers, called: the law of superposition, the principle of original horizontality, and the principle of lateral continuity. This is where you can see that by observing nature in order to find God, he found a natural process that works without any intervention from God. But even though that was just a few years after the Catholic church had punished Galileo, they didn't have a problem with Steno's work because their doctrine allowed that whatever was plainly observable must be true (something I wish biblical literalists would understand!)
   
   In the debate over the correctness of Steno's arguments, which took place mostly after his death, the argument was never made that Steno's theory violated Christian belief in any way. Other Christian scientists either supported it or didn't, but never on the basis of conflict with written scripture.
   
   Even if you don't read much non-fiction and aren't interested in geology, I would still say this book is interesting simply because it demonstrates some surprising things about the world and the people in it. Read it!



2. This geologist is a wonderful storyteller. Cutler lets the reader feel the doubt, grace and turmoil (of which there was much) in Steno's life. Steno's Principals (superposition, original horizontality, and lateral continuity), seem to us now to be simply common sense. However, the prevalent religious thinking at the time they were announced was in strong conflict. Superposition is not obvious if you believe the entire earth, including all the layers, was created on the same day.
   
   Steno, a Dane, started as a brilliant anatomist, wandering Europe dissecting and teaching. He proposed the idea that muscular action comes from the contraction of muscle fibers not the ballooning of the muscle mass, the accuracy of which was not recognized for a hundred years. All the while he was also studying the topography of Europe, finally ending up as a ward of the Medici in Florence. As Medieval universities were founded not to "...create new knowledge as to preserve old knowledge," it was the home he needed Ferdinando and Leopoldo de Medici were wealthy and interested in science. They founded a research institution, the "Academy of Experiments" to which Steno came as an anatomist, arriving at about the same time as the head of a great white shark. He dissected it and recognized that its teeth were identical to "tongue stones" that had been found on Malta. That, along with fossils that had been found in the Alps and the Alpines in Italy, led him to conclude that much of Europe had been covered by water and not just once simply to launch Noah, but again and again. He realized that layering represented a sequence that was assembled from the inside out. This was doubly revolutionary in that it was contrary to Descartes who had asserted that the earth had cooled from the outside in.
   
   Steno lived only forty-eight years, moving about much of his life. Born in a very Lutheran country, he later converted to Catholicism, ending his life as an impoverished bishop in Germany. It is not clear why. Cutler introduces us to Steno's predecessors in thought, Descartes, for example, and his "method of doubt," along with Spinoza, and Leibneiz, both of whom became friends. Steno lived in difficult times, the Thirty Years War raged and death from the plague was everywhere. And yet, although he was constantly diverted in thought, he devoted himself to the earth as he did the human body, dissecting sedimentary depositions as an anatomist. While others had found fossils in rocks, they assumed that they grew there. Steno wondered why he did not find any in the earth and if they grew in the rocks why did they not crack them? The undistorted fossil shells indicated to him that they had been entombed.
   
   This is a well written, slim introduction to the fascinating life of a scientist who deserves a complete biography. Like Steno's published writing, De Solido, it is just a summary. While his writings were eagerly awaited by the Royal Society of London for the Improving of Natural Knowledge, Steno never published his promised dissertation. It would have provided the detailed support for the conclusions and principles he set forth in De Solido. That was left to James Hutton, the inventor of modern geology to do a century later. Given the plethora of detailed biographies of marginal politicians which have been published in the recent past it is a mystery why the life of a seminal thinker has not been thoroughly examined.



3. Only a small minority of books on science or scientists manage to discuss the historical relation between science and religion with anything approaching balance and accuracy. This book is excellent in that regard. Cutler does not appear to be religious himself, yet he has a very sound grasp of the complex historic interplay between science and religion. The book is very readable, and gives a fascinating picture of how people in various ages saw the history of the earth.
   
   I cannot refrain from correcting some mistakes of Mr. Raul Goulden below. First, Steno/Stensen was never sent to the city of which he was made "titular bishop". That never happens. Mr. Goulden misunderstands what is meant by a "titular bishop". Every bishop in the Catholic Church is given, in addition to his actual diocese, a purely ceremonial title as bishop of some diocese that is no longer in existence. (There is a kind of custom that dioceses never go out of legal existence, so that dioceses that existed in ancient times, but where there is no longer a city or where the population is now Muslim, say, still exist "on the books".) Stensen was never actually sent to a place in the Muslim world, as Goulden supposes. He was given a real diocese in northern (predominantly Lutheran) Europe. There he labored in very difficult conditions for the salvation of souls and the better treatment of the poor. There was nothing tragic about the end of his life, but rather (from a Christian point of view) something quite glorious. Second, Steno/Stensen did not convert because of love of ritual, but, as Cutler makes very clear in the book, for serious theological reasons, and after a deep study of early Church history.
   
   Back to science: as a scientist who has read many books on science history and many biographies of scientists, I can attest that this is one of the very best. A gem.



4. We are privileged to live in a Golden Age of writing about the history of science. Several other reviewers have already sung the praises, aptly, of this book, so I will merely recommend a few other titles. If you enjoy this book, you'll also enjoy: The Ice Finders; The Man Who Discovered Time; Out of the Flames; The Lunar Men; World on Fire.



5. Ever wonder why there are seashells in rocks or in buildings made out of rocks? Nicholaus Steno did too, and through his inquiry and investigation, discovered the geologic concept of "deep time"- discovering the age of the earth by examining the sedimentary layers.
   
   Steno was a Danish scientist who originally went into anatomy. His brilliant lectures demolished Decartes' theories on the brain, and paved the way for new understandings of anatomy. His interest in fossils was sparked by a shark's head that he was using for one of his lectures. The "tongue stones" in the shark's mouth looked remarkably similar to the ones that he had seen in rocks. At the time, most people thought that fossils literally grew inside rocks, through "plastic forces of nature." (The scientific world had not yet outgrown Aristotle's physics.) Steno argued that the fossils could not possibly grow inside rocks, because they weren't distorted the way that objects that actually did grow inside rocks were. He eventually came to the conclusion that the seashell fossils inside the mountains were the result of the ocean once covering entire areas, and that sediments, in which fossils were trapped, layered on top of each other. Steno's discovery made Bishop Ussher's creation date of 4004 BC untenable, since it would have taken the seas far longer to recede than Noah's flood was supposed to have lasted.
   
   This book is highly recommended for anyone who is interested in the history of scientific discovery, and how someone's curiosity can change the way people think about the world.

5 comments about House to House.

1. Best read this year. I could not put the book down. It is a war memoir not a literary masterpiece.



2. This book grabs you right from the start and does not let go until the end. I litterly let go a sigh of relief, when I finished the book.
   
   These men know how to fight and had a willingness to carry the fight to the enemy. Being a disabled combat "Nam" vet, I was so proud of them.
   
   The story was factual all the way. The insight into how combat really is, was of great importance to me. No john Wayne heroics, just in your face, guts and glory, with the attitude of getting it done. It was not about officiers, but the real reason a war is won. The man behind the weapon, ready, experienced and willing to use it. I would give this book six (6) stars if I could.
   
   The men in the story are tough, focused, dedicated, and a rare breed of soldiers. Their human side comes through in so many different ways that you fell as if you know them somehow.
   
   The best book I have read in years.
   
   TDAnderson



3. This memoir is a graphic reminder of just how personal modern warfare can still be in an urban environment. The book does a good job at portraying the battle for Fallujah from the combatant's perspective, not from a journalist or a historian's perspective. His thoughts, struggles and personal issues are all wrapped up into this narrative of combat like no other book I've read on the subject. Although the author is a bit "too eloquent" at times with his portrayals, this book is still definately a must read for anyone interested in combat in general or the modern War on Terror.



4. Good read. What war is like from the grunt point of view. I respect our troops more than ever after reading things like this book. Hoooh.



5. This was written just like a movie. It really showed the mind set of these brave soldiers. I hate it when people write that this was one of those cant put it down books. But this was a cant put it down book. This book is non political. Its the type of book that you can read and hope to understand what goes on in the minds of those who fight. Great read.

2 comments about A Child's Christmas in Brooklyn.

1. Frank Crocitto's A Child's Christmas In Brooklyn is a wonderful memoir of growing up in Brooklyn in the 1940s. What is particularly striking is not just the wonderful anecdotal stories but the way they are physically and visually laid out for the reader in a line-on-the-page format that is almost lyrically poetic in its presentation. A Child's Christmas In Brooklyn is marvelous reading for any Christmas season and a delight for anytime of the year -- especially for that "window in time" feeling taking us back on a nostalgic tour of Brooklyn through a child's eyes.



2. Reading this beautifully packaged book will give you a Proustian experience. Regardless of your age, you will be transported back to the world of your childhood, when the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas was the longest of the year. You will lose that adult reality that the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas doesn't even seem as long as a three day weekend.
   
   In my experience, only Calvin and Hobbes comic strips or Jean Sheperd's memoirs rival Frank Crocitto for being able to bottle the mind of a child from an adult perspective. Everyone who owns this book will probably reread it, possibly every Christmas season.

5 comments about I Never Had It Made (Wild Bears!).

1. They say to whom much is given, much is expected. In Jackie's case he didn't ask to take on this feat- but nonetheless he accepted the mission and gave it his all- and succeeded- perhaps at the expense of his own personal life and serenity. This man had a huge task and he never shirked when it seemed to be insurmountable...the crux of the challenge was that jackie was told that he would be up against jeering crowds, small minds, hostile people that would do their best to get his goat- and that it was imperative that jackie did not resist and defend- and he upheld his end of the bargain.Jackie shows us all the high road.I am no sports fan but I did love this book- because it is about focus, strength and grace in the face of opposition, and a trailblazer personality that lit the way for many many people.



2. The autobiography of Jackie Robinsons Life "I never had it made" was an inspiring book to not stop trying. I enjoyed this book as a learner of the old ages and as a young fan of baseball. Jackie inspired millions of African Americans to do what they always have dreamed of doing. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars was because I thought they talked too much about his life after he retired from baseball. The book talks about the hardships Jackie went through and the journey he made to become such a phenomenal athlete and role model. Some of the people that Jackie worked with were greats known as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. After retirement Jackie opens up his own charities and organizations to help the not so fortunate African Americans of today's society. I recommend this book to anyone that has trouble with their self-confidence because this book makes you appreciate your life more. Unfortunately Jackie will be remembered just because of his baseball accomplishments and not what he did off the field.



3. This was just dynamite. Jackie holds nothing back. I've read a lot of baseball books, and I've read a lot of autobiographies. This was hands-down the best, period! If you only want to read about his baseball accomplishments, go elsewhere. He covers his entire life, and there was a lot more than just baseball. The incidents from other episodes of his life serve to quantify what an advocate he was, and how difficult it was to take the abuse heaped upon him in his first two seasons with the Dodgers without responding. Bravo to a well-lived life, Jackie!



4. I read this book when I did a research paper on Jackie Robinson in 11th grade English class back in 2003. It was a great autobiography and I couldn't put the book down. Not only tells the story of the man as a baseball player, but it tells how he struggled being a "black man in a white world." If you are interested in baseball, civil rights, or even just want to read a good book and learn more about the time, I highly recommend this book.



5. A very positive role model for our youth (and adults!) Jackie Robinson was courageous man. I learned about the barriers and obstacles he faced as well as all African-Americans faced during this era. And still face today.

5 comments about Dragon Hunter: Roy Chapman Andrews and the Central Asiatic Expeditions.

1. Gallenkamp did a good job in bibliographic research, but please be careful when you read this book. Don't believe everything therein is true. I have noticed that there is a tremendous amount of inaccurate information included in text especially in accounts of Andrews' whaling trip to Japan (I am a native Japanese, so I know more about Japanese geography than him!) although most of the errors do not affect significantly the whole story of Andrews' life with a full of adventure.



2. This book tells the tale of Roy Chapman Andrews. He was an outdoors man, who talked his way into the American Museum of Natural History, and eventually becomes the director there. Andrews has the strong belief that the human race originated in Asia instead of the more common belief of Africa. Andrews is able to find backing to fund trips of Asia and Mongolia to find proof to back up his belief.
   
   Even though the writing is a little dry, I found the subject to be very interesting. The details of the expeditions, how they were funded, supplied and got to the sites were fascinating. Dealing with the different governments in Asia, at a time of revolution, was also of interest.
   
   I would have enjoyed more information into the science of the expeditions, but that may be a subject for a different book. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the age of exploration. It is not a light read, but worth the time.



3. Gallenkamp does a fine job of detailing Andrews explorations of Mongolia in search of the fossil record of a "missing link" in human evolution. Though failing to find this "missing link" the palentological discoveries he did make are still being poured over and examined today. The book serves and an excellent history of the Central Asiatic Expeditions but not as solid a job of being Andrew's biography...his personal life, feelings, ideas, and interactions are sidenotes as are his early and later years...Overall if you are interested in the discoveries he made and details of his expeditions then the book will fulfill its purpose, if you are looking for a more in depth study of Andrews this will leave you wanting...



4. I sincerly confess not having known anything about Roy Chapman Andrews before reading Gallenkamp's fascinating biography. However, this book not only condenses practically all the facts of this 1920 explorer and naturalist's life, but also presents an enlightening panorama of the mentality, the political and economical situation and the cultural drives that allowed the Central Asiatic Expeditions.
   Roy Chapman Andrews left quiet a few writings on all his feats, and the impression is that Gallenkamp has based his biography mostly on these, without examining thouroughly secondary fonts, such as coworkers, friends and relatives.
   As I have understood reading the book RCA was a controversial figure even in his times. He incarnated the typical brash, conceited, aggressive and self assured, and might we say "racist" (?) "Americano all'estero" (American abroad) that was widely accepted and admired in his country, but lay a little indigested on the stomach of the Nations that had to put up with him. However, he had a will of iron and harboured together with his mentor Osborn "a great dream", backed up by sound American dollars and the technology that consented the ground breaking Central Asiatic Expeditions. Looking for the "Missing Link" between the apes and man in Mongolia, he actually found many species of then unknown dinosaurs and primitive mammals and assured the Museum of Natural History the greatest collection in the world of these specimens.
   
   One of the strong points of this biography is the explanation of the technical characteristics of these expeditions. The revolutionary importance of the use of automobiles to explore the desert and how these had to be refurnished by caravans. Another very interesting aspect is the description of attitude of the American society of the 1920 toward scientific exploration and how it evolved during the Depression and after, together with the evolution of the situation in China and Mongolia.
   If one has the curiosity to read some of Owen Lattimore's books, written just ten years after (The Desert Road to Turkestan, High Tartary, etc) the political situation becomes increasingly clear.
   As has been justly underlined eventhough the book contains many beautiful photographs and drawings of dinosaurs, we do not learn much about zoology or the purely scientific aspects of Andrews discoveries.
   As a period piece and biography this book is truely excellent, but it does leave a few questions unanswered stimulating the reader's curiosity to look for more information.



5. The first book that I ever owned as a child growing up in Mississippi was Roy Chapman Andrews in the "Days of the Dinosaurs" a book about the terrible lizards for small children(looking at the copy today it is hopelessly out of date with Bakker's warm blooded "Jurrasic Park" creatures we know of now). I dreamed growing up of becoming a Laura Croft type adventurer traveling the vast sands of the Gobi to find the next new discovery. That Andrews may have been the model for Indiana Jones came as no surprise.
   
   This book takes an unflattering look at Chapman's life and paints him somewhat as a racist and a boor. That is really unfair as that is the culture of that time between the world wars when the world was safe for the Western male. Chapman's adventures in the service of the Museaum of Natural History do hold your interest and paint a picture of a remarkable PR man and entertainer on a par with someone like PT Barnum.
   
   His expedition to the Gobi did make many significant discoveries that advanced scientific knowledge of the age of reptiles the most important being the Protoceratops nest with Mother and Eggs.
   
   I found it to be a well written biography and I am again taken back to my childhood dreams of becoming a dinosaur discoverer.