Reviews (3)

A remarkable and exceptional book
When I read Charles Gati's prize winning "Hungary and the Soviet Bloc," I then thought that he had written the last and best word on our understanding of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 during the Cold War. Then, unexpectedly, several years later the Berlin Wall came down, Hungary and the USSR's East European satellites regained independence, and heretofore closed Cold War archives began to open. From archives in Budapest and Moscow as well as from dozens of interviews with participants of '56 both East and West, Professor Gati has written a classic of Cold War history and analysis which arguably will become the definitive account of the multi-sided, tragic events of 1956 in Hungary. No stone has been left unturned -- the author has read the minutes of the Politburo meetings in the Soviet Union and Hungary, as well as the interrogation and trial transcripts from the last days before his execution of Imre Nagy, former Prime Minister of Hungary. This fluently written, masterfully organized, and exeptionally well integrated small volume deserves to sit on the Cold War history shelf along with Allison's "Essence of Decision," the study of another major event of the era, the Cuban Missile Crisis.
A HumanJourney
Take the experts' word that this study is a reliable, extensive, and insightful account of the 1956 Hungarian Revolt. What strikes me is the personal element. We go from the recollections of a young, unsophisticated journalist of 22, caught in the tide of momentous events he does not understand, to the retrospection of a highly sophisticated scholar revisiting those events and doing his very best to look behind history's curtain to resolve their meaning. It is a gripping, honest, and personal account, rendered with the binocularity of five decades of study. A century from now, this will still be the book to read, not just for the facts but also for the feel of one of the 20th century's signal struggles.

First rate history
Gati's definitive account of the Hungarian revolution and the American role in it reads like a LeCarre novel with documentation. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Eastern Europe - General    2. Europe - Austria & Hungary    3. Europe - Russia & the Former Soviet Union    4. Foreign relations    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Hungary    9. Revolution, 1956    10. Revolutionary    11. Soviet Union    12. United States    13. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -    14. Revolutions & coups    15. c 1945 to c 1960   

Reviews (12)

From Slavery to Freedom
I am a student of African-American history, and this is the most thorough book on African-American history I have read.From this book, one can gain a comprehensive view of the history of Blacks in Africa before they were brought to America as slaves.Once in America, the book expounds on every facet of Black life in every period of history from slavery to the contemporary era.
Disappointing
I ordered this book to learn more about the origins of slavery and how the system worked (I consider myself relatively ignorant on this subject).This book did give me more insight into this issue, but overall I was disappointed. This book should be on every bookshelf in America
As a graduate of Howard University, this text was used in several disciplines on the campus and I still refer to this book in my personal search of correcting some of the inaccuracies that I was fed as a child.Dr. Franklin offers complete and accurate accounts of the real story, not his-story!Read more

Subjects:  1. African Americans    2. Blacks In The U.S.    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: American    6. Native American    7. Slavery    8. United States    9. United States - General    10. American history    11. Black studies    12. Social history    13. USA   

Subjects:  1. Children: Grades 4-6    2. Juvenile Nonfiction    3. People & Places - General    4. Civilization    5. Geography   

Reviews (180)

Astounding, challenging book - these reviews prove it!
After reading this brilliant book, I see what Pinker meant when he described the intense anti-scientific rebellion that was encountered by people who conduct even the most basic research into the biological and genetic components of human nature, personality, and behavior. His book was full of fascinating insights and prudent, well-documented research. When he described the knee-jerk reaction some intellectuals have to using the words "genetic" and "personality" in the same sentance, I didn't really believe it could be that bad -- until I read all of these reviews. There are people reviewing this book with outrageous mis-statements such as "he justifies rape" (when all he does is dispute the illogical statement that "rape has nothing to do with sex" with sound arguments about the biological origin of rape, and solid research about which rape-prevention techniques actually help reduce crime vs. which only help rapists get out of jail faster by learning to say the right things!) I'm surprised the people who posted that kind of statement proved Pinker so correct, about the fact that some people are offended by any research into the biological origins of human nature, that they can't even read and understand such clear and pursuasive writing. I highly recommend this book to any people who wants to learn more about themselves.
Me and My Genes
Nature versus nurture comes down to whether you believe ones personality is built-in "genetically determined", or is determined by ones upbringing "the blank slate".Steven Pinkler points out that it is a taboo in many circles to believe in anything other than the blank slate, because of the way this has been used to justify racism, sexism and many other horrors of the 20th century.He attempts in this book to show that either position can be used to support both moral and immoral attitudes, and that current research comes down squarely in the camp of genetically determined.
Gene obsessed
I tried really hard to like this book.It's just such a problematic read.Probably good timing, in the sense, that this publication came out early 21st century.Stephen Pinker should not worry too much, because in the last 3yrs since The Blank Slate has been out; there has been a huge backlash against intellectualism, postmodernist art, philosophy, feminism, left politics.A backlash that has filtered down through governments, business, society, culture, people- if this backlash was due to our genes redirecting our culture to a more realistic view of human nature, well this remains to be seen. But Pinker, who sees theinfluence of culture a drag on the environmental condition of humanity - hence denying human nature it's true course. He should be happy at the course that has been run in society
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Subjects:  1. Human behavior    2. Nature and nurture    3. Personality    4. Psychology    5. Psychology (Specific Aspects)    6. Sociology - Social Theory    7. History / Social History   

Reviews (5)

A Warning to Those in Love with Unbridled Power and Vulnerable to Anything New
Edmund Burke (1729-1797)wrote REFLECTIONS ON THE REVOLUTION IN FRANCE in 1789 which was four years before the rise of the fanatical Jacobins and the execution (murder)of Louis XVI.This book was not only well written but very prophetic on the tragic events that were part of the French Revolution.Burke showed historical insight and warned both the British and the French what was going to happen.
A Classic of Conservative Thought
In 1789, the year of the French Revolution, Burke received a request from a good friend living in France to provide his thoughts on the Revoution. The result- one of the finest pieces of political discourse ever written. For those encountering Burke for the first time, his adament defense of the crown, and of hereditary succcesion, seem to make a hypocrite of this self-proclaimed liberal. Burke, however, was not defending an absolute monarch who ruled under the charter of divine right, but rather, pointing out the danger of a perfect democracy, whose sovereign (the national assembly) was compelled not to a moral authority such as a Church, nor to a fixed consitution. In short, liberty was safer restricted in civil socity, than left unchecked.
The finest writing ever in English prose!
This small title is actually a letter that the author wrote to a friend in France.When Edmund Burke wrote this letter about the French Revolution (where the king was overthrown and beheaded by the masses aka Jacobins), English scholars agree that the result was the finest piece of prose in the English language; only a few poets have succeeded in writing something finer.Whether you agree with Burke's interpretation or not is not the point; he penned the finest piece of literature ever in the English language.
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Subjects:  1. 1729-1797    2. 18th century    3. Burke, Edmund,    4. Correspondence    5. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    6. Europe - France    7. Foreign public opinion, British    8. France    9. Great Britain    10. History    11. History - General History    12. History: World    13. Public opinion    14. Revolution, 1789-1799    15. World - General    16. Burke, Edmund    17. Europe    18. European history: c 1750 to c 1900    19. Literary Criticism & Collections / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    20. Literature/English | British Literature | 18th C    21. Other prose: 16th to 18th centuries    22. Reflections on the Revolution in France    23. Revolutions & coups   

Subjects:  1. Discovery And Exploration (General)    2. Europe - General    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History Of Civilization And Culture (General)    6. History: World    7. Reference    8. Renaissance    9. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    10. Europe    11. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    12. History / Renaissance    13. Social history    14. The Americas    15. c 1500 to c 1600    16. c 1600 to c 1700   

Reviews (23)

A Fun, Easy & Educational Read for All Ages
What a great little book!Based on a series of History Minutes developed to air on The History Channel, every two-page spread of this little gem provides a short, easy-to-read and very interesting story-behind-the-story that most of us don't know.
Who'da thought?!
Some simply amazing stories.My ten-year old son chose this book for his "bedtime reading".Educational AND Entertaining.

Fun facts to share with others...
This is the most fun to read and 'trivia contest' your friends with! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Curiosities & Wonders    2. History    3. History - General History    4. Military    5. Military - General    6. Miscellanea    7. Reference    8. World history    9. History / Reference   

Reviews (49)

Engaging narrative
Shelley's text speeds along, especially in early chapters. He uses a very interesting style in the first two chapters whereby he explains the uniqueness of the appearance of Jesus on the scene in Roman-occupied Israel, listing the novelties of the new "Jesus movement". He curiously does not list the Resurrection in the list of facts, instead it pops up later in the narrative thread as (paraphrase) "Jesus died and then later the Nazarenes began saying in the public square that he had been raised from the dead". I know some people that would not care for this style, as being seen as too open minded, and indeed would be offended by it. On the contrary, I find it to be refreshing, with a look at "why would these people become Christians anyway?", especially with the likely chance of being martyred.
Great overview of the history of the Church
A great book for anyone looking for an accessible introduction to the history of the Church. Shelley masters over two millennia's worth of material and relates it in bite-sized chunks that even an absolute beginner to this subject will find easy to digest. The lively and yet succinct prose masks the amount of detail that the book manages to convey and the amount of research that must have gone into it.
Engaging Drama
"Fundamentalists," "evangelicals," "neo-evangelicals,"...so many labels, what's the difference, and how'd Christianity come to be so denominated?This book manages to meld the movements, events, and personalities into an effortless and fascinating read that's factual without sounding like a dry, reference book.By reading of the influences of Greek philosophy and political realities on Augustine, one understands how the Church moved from a literal interpretation to an allegorical interpretation of the Bible that affects us still today--back then it seemed that the Church was taking over kingdoms, reigning, prompting doubt over a literal, yet future reign of Christ on Earth for 1000 years.Similarly, other developments in the Church can be understood as products of history, such as the availability of the Bible in the vernacular for the common man leading to increasing rejection of traditions not supported by scripture, and in turn to the rise of democracy.Fundamentalism arose as a response to liberal theology, and so on.And through it all, there were passionate missionaries, brilliant scholars, dedicated martyrs, villains, heretics, and more adding to the drama.This book is comprehensive in breadth (even includes the Moral Majority and the Purpose-Driven Life movements), but for depth one must look elsewhere, as this is an overview. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity - History - General    2. Church History    3. Religion    4. Religion - Church History    5. Christian institutions & organizations    6. History of religion    7. Religion / Church History    8. Social history   

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Economic History    3. History    4. History: World    5. Reference    6. 20th century    7. Finance    8. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (2)

Fairly balanced depiction of the truth.
I have been fascinated by pregnancy and birth since the first moment I was taught how babies are created.I can also remember the horror I felt when my mother told me of the awful experiences she had with doctors in the U.S. forty years ago.She chose to have me ten years later with a midwife at home.
This was almost a good book
Cassidy's review of history was accomplished in the year and a half after she gave birth to her first child.She was clearly disappointed with her birth experience, and she shows significant bias toward doctors, modern medicine and shows tremendous (and unbalanced) favor toward midwives.Having worked in the Third World -as well as the US-and seen the horrible results(fistulas, stillbirths, deaths) from no prenatal care/lay midwives attending births/'natural' births....I cannot fathom how she can speak of midwives with such romantic fervor. Its almost as if she idealizes the perfect birth--and feels that it is attainable only if you have the right midwife, the right attitude, and stay away from doctors! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Childbirth    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Pregnancy & Childbirth    6. Social History    7. Women's Health - General    8. History / Social History   

Reviews (17)

Thought-provoking, irresponsible, and sometimes comically incorrect. But fun.
Powerful Times has promise as you plow through the first handful of chapters. I've done quite a bit of future `ideating' mostly for product innovation to have concepts like `clarity vs craziness' - something we called, `synthesized sense-making' at work - and `technology acceleration vs pushback' - resonate with me. His arguments make sense and they feel like they're pointing to a powerful conclusion.
Good Cliff note summary of current events
Airplane read. Book is current ... data based. Diverse news roundup with links to future implications. Can't recall any high concept take aways.
Interesting read
Powerful Times is an examination of what the author presents as seven powerful dynamic tensions that will fundamentally reshape human life.What are these seven tensions?Some we are already seeing regularly in the news as the conflicts between the secular and the sacred.Others are also obvious like the tension between clarity and craziness.Still others become fascinating in the way the author develops them; like power and vulnerability, technology acceleration and pushback, intangible and physical economics, prosperity and decline, and people and planet.This is an in-depth exploration of the challenges and changes of governance and innovation.One of the more interesting ideas presented here are what the author sees as the three different scenarios for potential world orders that might evolve as a result of these tensions.This is a bold look at the forces molding our world as we know it and how they will change that world in the near future.Powerful Times is an interesting read and recommended to business and civic leaders at all levels. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1950-    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Civilization    5. Civilization, Modern    6. Economic Conditions    7. History    8. History Of Civilization And Culture (General)    9. History: World    10. Management - General    11. Business strategy    12. History / General    13. International business    14. International economics    15. Sociology, Social Studies   

Reviews (4)

Excellent on the Basics
I received my copy from our Grand Master.I immediately read it and enjoyed it greatly.My only complaint was that some of the book repeated itself and was a bit basic.But, it is a great place to start oneself on the path further light in Masonry.

Wealth of knowledge
Complete Idiot's Guide to Freemasonry is for everyone that wants to know or even think that they know what freemasonry is about.

The BEST book on Freemasonry
Dr. Morris has done the world of Freemasonry a great service by writing this book and, through his erudition and scholarship, he has also advanced the cause of knowledge and learning generally, for which everyone ought to be thankful. This is by far the BEST, one volume reference book on Freemasonry published to date. It is an excellent, all purpose book. It covers all aspect of American and international Freemasonry, it discusses, history, rituals, anti-Masonry, and even includes a photo section classifying and explaining a wide assortment of Masonic symbols, emblems, and regalia. Perfect for the non-Mason who wants to know "what's really going on," perfect for the new Master Mason seeking more light, and equally perfect for longtime members of the Craft who have forgotten more than they knew, and wish to have a handy, easy to read but astonishingly thorough book on hand. Thank you, Brent Morris, for this superbly done book. Highly recommended to all! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Freemasonry    2. General    3. History - General History    4. Social Science    5. Sociology    6. Sociology Of Organizations    7. Freemasonry & secret societies    8. History / Reference    9. Social history   

Reviews (3)

Calling all educators: A MUST HAVE!
OK, the fact that he is "the" professor who changed the course of my life notwithstanding: This is a terrific book, one that opens doors for teachers who want to think about "what" they do, "how" they do it, "why" they use the materials that they do, and, ultimately, what critical pathways they have opened in their students at the end of the day. An Interview with Sam Wineburg about "Historical Thinking"
Historical Thinking: Training Ground for Democracy
[Note: This review appeared in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer on June 1, 2001. Go to online copy at the newspaper's website ..., or see the text below: Read more

Subjects:  1. Culture conflict    2. Curricula    3. Education / Teaching    4. Historiography    5. History    6. History: World    7. Philosophy    8. Study & Teaching    9. Study and teaching    10. Teaching Methods & Materials - Social Science    11. United States    12. Cognition & cognitive psychology    13. History: theory & methods    14. Teaching of a specific subject    15. USA   

Subjects:  1. Blue Cross and Blue Shield Ass    2. Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Corporate & Business History - General    5. Health Insurance    6. History    7. History Of Specific Companies    8. Insurance - Health    9. Insurance companies    10. Insurance, Health    11. Medical    12. Public Health    13. United States    14. Emergency services    15. Public health & preventive medicine    16. Social history    17. Social welfare & social services    18. USA   

Editorial Review

The leaders of the American Revolution, writes the distinguished historian Bernard Bailyn, were radicals. But their concern was not to correct inequalities of class or income, not to remake the social order, but to "purify a corrupt constitution and fight off the apparent growth of prerogative power." They wished, in other words, to mend a broken system and improve upon it. In doing so they drew on many traditions of political and social thought, ranging from English conservative philosophers to exponents of the continental Enlightenment, from backward-looking interpretations of ancient Roman civilization to forward-looking views of a new American people. Bailyn carefully examines these sources of sometimes conflicting ideas and considers how the framers of the Constitution resolved them in their inventive doctrine of federalism. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

A spark in the study of the Revolution
This is a book that all students of the American Revolution should be forced to read. Without understanding Bailyn's argument, that the "conspiracy against liberty" was the main reason why America decided to break away from the British Empire, a student will be forever lost in trying to understand the roots of the American Revolution. Almost all of the books on the outbreak of the American Revolution have had to take Bailyn's argument into consideration; so, if you're interested in the study of the American Revolution, then this book is an imperative read. Read T.H. Breen's "The Marketplace of Revolution" after this book, and you'll have a decent grasp of the roots of the American Revolution.
The Radical Whig Fountain of Libertarian Rhetoric
While the 17th century witnessed the failure of the libertarian Levellor revolution, the 18th century can be said to embody its partial victory in the form of the American Revolution.The radical libertarian nature of the Yankee revolutionaires has only recently been acknowledged by historians.Bailyn's volume broke new ground when it was published in 1967 by showing the Radical Whig foundations of the American Revolution.He says "attitudes and ideas that would constitute the Revolutionary ideology was present a half-century before there was an actual Revolution".
Groundbreaking Book
As of today, the work Bailyn did in this book is not new.But if considered in the context of the time period when he wrote it and what it did for the study of the American Revolution, this book was the beginning of the current dominate thought on the Revolution.Bailyn changed the way historians and Americans look at the Revolution by challenging the work of several scholars.Written extremely well, this book deserves every award it revceiced and is still entitled to be a mainstay in history departments around the country. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - General History    3. History - U.S.    4. History: American    5. Military    6. Military - General    7. Political Ideologies - General    8. Political science    9. Revolution, 1775-1783    10. Revolutions    11. U.S. Political History    12. United States    13. United States - General    14. United States - Revolutionary War    15. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    16. History / Military / General    17. History of ideas, intellectual history    18. Revolutions & coups    19. USA    20. c 1700 to c 1800