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An entertaining romp through 5000 years of Western Civilization
Jews, God and History is a sobering but very entertaining romp through 5000 years of Western Civilization, which as Dimont so carefully points out, is in many essential respects, the invention of Jews. Simply great
It's hard to believe this was Dimont's first book.As a fan of historical nonfiction,this is one of the best I've read. Its breadth is not limited to the Jewish people but also includes the many cultures into which their story has been incorporated throughout the past- this is one of the most engaging and easily readable works I have come across.It does indeed read more like a detective novel than a historical chronicle,yet it always maintains it's balance and factual integrity.It is about as objective as one can hope to get when it comes to so sweeping and potentially volatile a subject as Jewish history.
Good overview of Jewish history for the general reader
This is an outstanding overview of Jewish history for the general reader. It is tremendously rich in information and written with an underlying warmth and sympathy that move the reader greatly. It is a good introduction but should not be the only book the reader reads on the subject. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Other    2. Audiobooks    3. History    4. Jews    5. Judaism    6. Judaism - General    7. Judaism - History    8. Religion    9. Unabridged Audio - Inspirational/Philosophy   

Editorial Review

The life and times of Abraham Lincoln have been analyzed and dissected in countless books. Do we need another Lincoln biography? In Read more

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The Power of Patience
Lincoln has been the focus of seemingly endless analysis, yet Doris Kearns Goodwin offers a fresh and illuminating perspective.By focusing on the men around the president, Goodwin portrays Lincoln as a remarkable judge of human character, a consummate conciliator, and a man of remarkable wit.Goodwin obviously writes well, although her spotlight on so many players does confuse the reader a bit.She is a talented historian, and this is another solid piece of work.

Lincoln's strength in humility
Although at first I did not understand why writing about Lincoln's cabinet members was going to be revealing about Lincoln himself, I found myself pleasantly surprised.
WHEN THE MEN AND THE MOMENT MET
During this election cycle of 2006 I have been asking myself a question. When was the last time leftist could have unambiguously supported a Republican or Democratic Party candidate. As indicate below the clear choice is the Lincoln-Johnson ticket in 1864. By a happy coincidence Doris Kearn Goodwin's book under review here provides more than enough ammunition to confirm that opinion. Normally, my concerns as a fighter for socialism and hers as a fawning devotee of the New Deal, Fair Deal and New Frontier eras of the Democratic Party are miles apart. Here we can, at least for this moment, agree that Lincoln, as a man and politician was worthy of support by militants and those not so militant. Make no mistake Lincoln and his compatriots were big men who confronted big tasks. And did it. Underlining Goodwin's thesis is a belief that what passes for today's Republican leaders pale in contrast. Again we agree. Here's why.
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Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    2. Audio - Autobiography / Biography    3. Audiobooks    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. General    8. Historical - U.S.    9. Political    10. Presidents    11. Presidents & Heads of State    12. U.S. Political History    13. U.S. President    14. United States    15. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Editorial Review

Shelby Foote, who cut such a courtly figure in Ken Burns's PBS series Read more

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"They will attack you in the morning and they will come booming--skirmishers three-deep. You will have to fight like the devil."
Heth upon hearing a rumour that Early's men had over looked a suppy of shoes (many of his men were barefooted) when they passed though Gettysburg the week Sent his lead brigade under Johnston Pettigrew to investigate. Johnston Pettigrew returned on thr 30th of June, mindeful of Lee's warning not to bring on abattle till the whole army was at hand, prudently withdrew when he encountered Federal troopers along a creekbank west of town.
A wonderful read, and a sincere search for truth
Imagine, if you can, a book written by a modern historian that actually seeks the truth.Imagine a book written by a modern historian that is not slanted to promote his/her politics.Imagine a 20th century historian that does not even mention the sexuality (alternative or otherwise), of any historical figures in an entire book.
The Tragedy of Gettysburg
"Stars in Their Courses" is a superb narrative account of the Battle of Gettysburg, excerpted from Foote's three volume history of the Civil War.Shelby Foote, a novelist and a son of the South before becoming an historian, approaches the Gettysburg Campaign as a tragic human drama, the high tide of Confederate arms for General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and the turning point of redemption for General George Meade's Army of the Potomac.
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Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    2. Audiobooks    3. General    4. Gettysburg Campaign, 1863    5. Unabridged Audio - History    6. History / General   

Editorial Review

A consummate political operative, Ed Rollins has ridden high and ridden low. The political director of Ronald Reagan's White House in 1981, he enjoyed overwhelming success. But the weirdness of the Ross Perot campaign sent him reeling, and his stint running Christine Todd Whitman's gubernatorial campaign resulted in a grand jury investigation. Through it all, Rollins picked up a wealth of juicy and humorous material, which he is willing to share--holding nothing back. He calls Perot a "paranoid lunatic on an ego trip" and Arianna Huffington "ruthless and unscrupulous." An enjoyable and educational book from an outspoken insider who reveals the viciousness of modern politics. ... Read more

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Ed Rollins sets the record straight
In Bare Knuckles and Back Rooms: My Life in American Politics, Ed Rollins details his careers as a Political Operative learning the trade from California Democratic Speaker Jess Unruh, his philosophical transformation into a conservative Republican, alignment with the Reagan revolution and his time as a Senior White House Staffer and heavyweight Political Consultant.
The Real World
Being a political operative seems like a glamorous profession.While there certainly are perks -- there are an equal number of disadvantages to this career choice.Rollins' depiction of what it's like to be a campaign manager is the truest I've read.It's not always a glamorous lifestyle.Even the best campaigns are full of fast food, headaches and heartaches (now there's a title)! Rollins does a great job of telling "the real" story of being a campaign manager...the good, the bad, and the ugly...

ROTFLMAO!!!!
Warning: There's quite a bit of foul language in this book.
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Subjects:  1. 1989-1993    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. Audiobooks    4. Biography    5. Political consultants    6. Politics and government    7. United States    8. History / General   

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The Victors
From the very beginning of the book I was enticed.I thought it was very well written and an enjoyable read.It includes stories and things I would have never expected.I thought the relationship between Marshall and Eisenhower was most interesting.I had not learned much about Marshall and Eisenhower's personalities.They were opposites yet worked very well together.Their relationship was based on trust. It is inspirational to hear of all that our soldiers went through during World War II.As someone looking back it helped me to better understand what went on and what the soldiers experienced first hand.I thought "The Victors" was a wonderful book and spanned over a good period of time.I would highly recommend it to others as a World War II informative book.

Fighting in the cold
This covers the European theater from D day to the end. Sort of a best of Stephen Ambrose
I have read most of the books by Ambrose and the material in The Victors is covered better in his other works.It isn;t bad, but the only reader who might find it interesting is someone who was looking to get into Ambrose's WWII works.Anyone else but the completists will probably not enjoy this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Abridged Audio - History    3. Abridged Audio - Misc. Nonfiction    4. Audio Adult: Other    5. Audiobooks    6. Campaigns    7. History    8. Military - United States    9. Military - World War II    10. Soldiers    11. United States    12. United States - General    13. Western Front    14. World War, 1939-1945    15. History / General   

Editorial Review

With the stock market breaking records almost daily, leaving longtime market analysts shaking their heads and revising their forecasts, a study of the concept of risk seems quite timely. Peter Bernstein has written a comprehensive history of man's efforts to understand risk and probability, beginning with early gamblers in ancient Greece, continuing through the 17th-century French mathematicians Pascal and Fermat and up to modern chaos theory. Along the way he demonstrates that understanding risk underlies everything from game theory to bridge-building to winemaking. ... Read more

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Ingenious ways to measure probability
"Against the Gods; The remarkable story of risk," is a world-class history of ingenious ways to measure probability.Author Peter L. Bernstein approaches the subject of risk/uncertainty with patience and unfolds a stirring tale of how civilization dicovered ways to improve the understanding of probability.
Enjoyable
It has interesting parts. Good for those looking for a recreational reading rather than a good manual for beginners. On this count, I recommend Barboianu's "Understanding and Calculating the Odds".

A good non-mathematical introduction to economic risk
For people who are interested in the economic side of risk (mainly stock), rather than the probabilities and risks of every day things.
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Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Business/Professional    2. Audio - Business / Professional    3. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    4. Audiobooks    5. Business & Economics    6. Business Law    7. Decision-making    8. Finance    9. History    10. Insurance - Risk Assessment & Management    11. Probability & Statistics - General    12. Risk management    13. Business & Economics / Business Law    14. Business & Management   

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In search of America
I arrived in new condition.I would purchase from them again.Very good experience

Skipping Across the Country to find History.
Since this is one of those special over-size books, I was expecting just a beautiful keepsake, a coffee table item.Its glossy exterior gives that impression.And yet the in-depth stories are chock full of historical facts and modern happenings as a result of what had happened before.
Worth the time
Peter Jennings narrates this abridged series of interesting vignettes about Americans living in America and by doing so creating and recreating America. He examines the old tensions in our democracy like big or small federal government, corporatism versus individualism, and secularism versus religious fervor. In some cases he elevates historical figures too highly, like Jefferson, despite his seditious writings in the Kentucky Resolutions, and W E B Du Bois, despite his socialist rantings from early in the century. Jennings and Brewster would have done well to feature other more worthy people in their book. I enjoyed the profile of the Club for Growth using populist tactic against unresponsive Republicans, and the profile of CFG's mouldy counterpart on the left. The heart rending story of Gary, Indiana and its misinformed leaders is a cautionary tale to any group in America that expects to dwell for long periods at the federal trough, administrations and sentiments change, don't get too comfortable. I would have liked to have heard how outside threats have molded our country (aside from 9-11), because I feel that it defines a portion of thecore of our country. Start at the XYZ affair up to the communist involvement in the FDR administration and I think you have rounded out a view of America more fully. Perhaps this is in the unabridged version. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Misc. Nonfiction    2. Anthropology - Cultural    3. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    4. Audiobooks    5. Civilization    6. Customs & Traditions    7. General    8. History    9. National characteristics, American    10. Sociology - General    11. United States    12. United States - General    13. American history    14. Cultural studies    15. History / United States / General    16. USA   

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In 1984, Ron and Dan Lafferty murdered the wife and infant daughter of their younger brother Allen. The crimes were noteworthy not merely for their brutality but for the brothers' claim that they were acting on direct orders from God. In Read more

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Murder, Religion, MormonsandFundamentalists
This is sort of "The DaVinci Code" of Mormonism.The difference though, is that Krakauer, unlike Dan Brown, does much better reasearch and is not writing fiction.Krakauer also reveals his personal biases in the author's notes at the end.
Great works of fiction
I read the first 1/3 of the book, and had to quit, because it falls into my "great work of fiction" category.My major complaint with the book is with it's history of Mormonism.I have read the various official stories about how the gold plates were found, how the church was organized and other events from the LDS church.I have also read various differing accounts by detractors.
Fascinating Take on LDS Origins, Current Schisms and a Tragic Crime Spree
When I first read Jon Krakauer's INTO THIN AIR, I became fascinated with all things Everest.(All things except actually climbing the growing peak, that is.)So when this became a book club pick, my curiosity was piqued.(Glad I got my 'p' word quota out of the way this early.)
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Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    2. Christianity - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Da    3. History    4. Murder - General    5. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    6. United States - 20th Century    7. United States - 20th Century (1945 to 2000)   

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Friedman's history is great, but "Flat" has its drawbacks
Friedman's substantial, "The World Is Flat" is a summary of the dramatic changes in the economy of the world in the first few years of the 21st century.The book is full of great stories from all over the world that shows how, while the geography of our planet hasn't changed, that geography is becoming less and less an obstacle for business.The author shows, in a fairly amusing way, how certain dates in history (e.g. 11/9/89 - When the Walls Came Down and the Windows Went Up) represent major milestones in the progress to a flat world.These events, called flatteners, helped usher in the new globalization (version 3.0), which is exploding and resulting in a new world economy where India and China are on the same production and creative level as the United States.
The future is here, and it is starting to be evenly distributed
I have to admit I only read this book based on the fact it was topping all the best seller lists. I found it to be a worth while read. Even though I follow technology closely, I wasn't really aware of some of the points that the author made, so hopefully many will pick up something from this book. Many parts of the book I had difficulties relating to, but the new insights it provided were defently worth it.

How to destroy the United States 101 - What the book should be titled
It's a shame that US leaders have based a lot of its US policies on this book.It's like they want to make the US North Mexico or some Third World country. Really it's traitorous.
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Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Misc. Nonfiction    2. General    3. Globalization    4. International - General    5. Political Science    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    8. Social Science / General   

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Biased
I read Flags of Our Fathers and enjoyed it more than Flyboys.Bradley has a writing style that is difficult at times as has personal biases come through very clearly.As one other reviewer has written, I found it very odd that he often referred to MG Curtis LeMay as "Curtis."As someone writing about military history, Bradley should have more respect for the uniform and should not call a two star general by his first name like he is talking about one of his golfing buddies.This was very distracting.I also found the first couple of chapters of his history lesson very tedious and unfocused - so much so that I nearly quit reading the book.The latter chapters pick up the pace and are insightful.Bradley also devotes too much time attempting to demonize the American firebombing tactics.Thankfully Bradley's bias and negativity toward the Navy and Army is not as pronounced in Flyboys as in FOOF.This bias is especially odd considering his father was a Navy Corpsman.

Desire to moralize reaches too far
I assume that the author is attempting to show that war creates an environment in which morally degenerate acts become much more likely, if not all but inevitable, on all sides of the conflict.In doing so, however, the author very frequently stretches the blanket of history too far, as when he suggests that the Japanese would have remained forever content to be isolated on their home islands if the American fleet had not paid an uninvited visit to Tokyo Bay in 1853-54 and taught the Japanese the foreign policy advantages of a strong navy.While most historians would agree that the U.S. Navy's visit served the royal court with a wake-up call regarding the existence of a world beyond Japan, that is not the same thing as assuming that without this visit no other internal or external events over the next 70 years would have spurred the Japanese to look beyond their shores and trade an isolationist philosophy for an imperial one.
Fascinating!
I found this to be a fascinating account of the war in the Pacific, and I was impressed with the fact that the author imparts a deep appreciation for America and the sacrifices our soldiers made but can still step back and look objectively at the mistakes on both sides.Does examining our own faults release the other side from responsibility for their crimes, as some other reviewers seem to feel?I don't believe so; I think it's healthy for us to examine our history so we don't make the same mistakes again.It's too bad that some people lump any critique of our own actions into the "pop-revisionist history" category.
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Subjects:  1. Atrocities    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. Biography    4. Chichi Island    5. General    6. History    7. Japan    8. Military    9. Military - World War II    10. Military History - World War II    11. Prisoners Of War    12. Prisoners and prisons, Japanese    13. Unabridged Audio - History    14. World War, 1939-1945    15. Biography & Autobiography / Military   

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Interestingly Written History AboutThe English Civil War of 1642-9
From about 1642 to 1649 there was a terrible Civil War in England.Over 200,000 people lost their lives either from battles,civilians being harmed by soldiers foraging for food and supplies and gold, or from sickness such as the plague. EventuallyKing Charles The First was beheaded.England became a "Republic"with power of the purse strings in The House of Commons that was comprised of elected representatives of the English People. The Divine Right of kings to do as they pleased came to and end in England.Thus, this was a big step forward in giving freedom and human rights to common people.I suppose the government of The USA benefited from the example.However, the "human rights of the people"were bought at a terrible price in lost lives and human misery in England.It's too bad there couldn't have been a less bloody and painful way to accomplish the same end.The book itself is very well written.You will enjoy "the story".Recommended.
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Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    2. Europe - General    3. History   

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Evolution of the dollar...
I'm a professional currency trader, so I bought this book to learn more about the history of the US Dollar going back to its creation.This book does give a lot of the history of the dollar, but unfortunately it is rather boring.Some of the stories are enjoyable and possibly apocryphal, but the book is still a very slow read.90+% of the book is devoted to the history of the US currency prior to the 20th century, so be prepared for some deep history of colonial America.There is a lot of good information in the book, but sadly, the story is boring.

Another entertaining and instructive book by J. Goodwin
Jason Goodwin is a polarizing author, whose books are either hated or loved by his readers.As in his best-known previous book, "Lords of the Horizons", in "Greenback" he uses a lot of wonderful anecdotes to spice up his prose and keep the reader interested.As in that book, his grasp of the essence of the subject is pretty good, although one could disagree in the details. Milestones in the Evolutionof Value Storage
This is a very enjoyable work, well-written and researched, with numerous anecdotes and sidelights. I thought particularly strongthe early chapters on colonial and post-revolution America. One sees in Jefferson an early version of a common type today: the person who is adamantly opposed to debt and credit instruments because he himself is hopelessly swamped in debt. Today's debt paranoiac shuns credit cards and deferred payment schemes of all stripes in favor of cash (paper dollars and checks drawn on bank accounts). But for Jefferson those very paper dollars and banks were suspect. For him, the only "real" money was metallic: gold or silver. The only stores of value in his opinion were coins or bullion or land.