Reviews (79)

Wonderful history book!
This is a "living book" for history at its best!Naturally it cannot contain EVERYTHING one might want in an ancient times history text, it does a WONDERFUL job of bringing history to life for children ages 6-12!I was unsure about this series at first, but once we got into the 1st book, we were hooked!We added some other resources into our study (to fill-in some gaps) and also used the activities book that is available.All-in-all, this is a nice, solid anicient history book for children and while it won't fit all families, it was exactly what we were looking for.:o)

I really, really wanted to love this book!
I really wanted to love this book.I was seeking an engaging survey of ancient history told in an accessible manner for young children.While it partially accomplished that goal, the book had a number of flaws.
Great History Curriculum
This curriculum has wonderful craft and activity ideas to go along with each chapter.The lessons are short and interesting.It is simple enough for very young children to enjoy, but plenty of material is provided for older students to dig deeper and do work on their own. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ancient - General    2. Education    3. Education / Teaching    4. Home Schooling    5. Study & Teaching    6. Teaching Methods & Materials - Social Science    7. Education / Home Schooling   

Reviews (5)

Just as much a NYC history without the oyster.
The Big Oyster is an excellent history of New York City.Unlike many of Kurlansky's books, which always kept the spotlight on the subject (like cod and salt) and its role in history, The Big Oyster often strays far from the oyster.Many of the tales of NYC, from business and prostitution to transportation and development have nothing to do with the oyster.Had this book kept the focus on oysters it would have been much shorter.
Weaves the story of oyster farming & dining into the greater history of New York to provide a lively culinary & cultural expose
For centuries New York was famous for its oysters which played a hue role in the city's economy and culinary fame. Oysters were the city's most celebrated export, a staple food, and more, and THE BIG OYSTER: HISTORY ON THE HALF SHELL celebrates this era, from food markets to the extinction of natural beds around the city as the decades passed. From cultivation techniques to recipes, THE BIG OYSTER weaves the story of oyster farming and dining into the greater history of New York to provide a lively culinary and cultural expose.
Delicious history...
BIG OYSTER is Kurlansky's latest food-themed history (following his previous COD and SALT). It differs from his previous books in several ways, but still serves up a tasty morsel.
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Subjects:  1. Commercial Fishing    2. Cookery (Oysters)    3. Cooking    4. Fish Cookery    5. Fisheries & Aquaculture    6. History    7. History - U.S.    8. New York    9. New York (State)    10. Oysters    11. Social History    12. Specific Ingredients - Seafood    13. United States - State & Local - Middle Atlantic    14. History / General   

Reviews (6)

Interesting but not insightful
A bit of a disappointment. Anecdotal and reflective, but not really informative about how the process of creativity works. A little bit scholarly and pedantic.

By an Art Student
I was reffered to this book by my mentor.He is aging but took on the challenge of teaching a young man the art of stone carving.I am not a big reader.Of the many books he had me read that year, this one was the most influential.The basis for any advancement can be found with in its covers.IT has helped me with everything from goal planning, to the importance of building off what others have left.Read it!Memorize it!

Top book. Buy it.
This book is a survey of the creative process over artists and scientists across different fields and times, including Mozart, the mathematician and philosopher of science Henri Poincare etc. The book gets to the heart ofwhat life is all about.Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. Creation (Literary, artistic, etc.)    4. Creativity    5. History - General    6. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    7. History of ideas, intellectual history    8. Literary Criticism & Collections / General    9. Literary theory    10. Theory of art   

Reviews (6)

Excellent for what it offers....though it's lacking....
I really love a book I just got, called the "Encyclopedia of Battles: From 1479 B.C. to Present"...that's a great book, not because it gives super large descriptions of battles, but because it HAS every battle and war in history. It also includes wars, and lists battles in order of these wars. I do not mind the lack of information, since I am merely using this book to look things up online in detail at wikipedia.com, so I'll be an expert on war and battles in history.
Military History: A Dispassionate View
War is both bloody and chaotic, yet if one wishes to understand it then one must not be so.In THE OXFORD COMPANION TO MILITARY HISTORY, editor Richard Holmes gathers the expertise of dozens of experts in military history to produce a massive text (more than 1,000 pages) on the entire spectrum of military history.When readers think of this topic they tend to think of battles and wars, and this text lists all the important ones and some that are known only to specialists.You want to know a one or two page summary of the battle of Stalingrad in 1942?Battles like this are discussed in detail and with clarity, often with surprisingly detailed illustrations and maps.Yet, this history includes far more than battles fought.Battles are not just set piece encounters of troop movements; they include the human element of both rank and file grunt and their respective commander.Further, battles are often won and lost solely on the basis of the technological superiority of one side over the other.Holmes' text includes all that and more.So for whom is this history intended?It it not for one who has no interest in matters of killing and strategy.It is for one who has a previous interest in a battle, a soldier, or a weapon.It is for one who has seen the film PEARL HARBOR and wishes to separate celluloid fantasy from historical fact.It is for the high school or college student who needs to know more than what is normally contained in a general history.And finally, it is for those who wish to have a handy one volume text of military arcana as the next step on a personal project or quest that involves using what Holmes' experts have to say.TOCMH is a superb gift to anyone who falls into any of the above categories.

Oxford Companion to Military History
This book is very thorough for the type of history it covers, but it has biases that detract it from receiving the highest rating.
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Subjects:  1. Dictionaries    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. History: World    5. Military - General    6. Military History (General)    7. Military history    8. Reference    9. History / Military / General    10. History of specific subjects    11. History, Other | Military History    12. Reference works    13. Theory of warfare & military science    14. War & defence operations   

Reviews (14)

GROOVY!
In this book Barry Miles captures the Hippie Age perfectly, in word and image.For a fictional dramatization of this incredible time, have a look at "Life Boiling Over" by Jon Michael Miller.Both authors were apparently there.I was, too.Miller's brilliant novel deals with a couple who go through the hippie scene together, starting in middle America and ending up in Woodstock and San Francisco.It follows the turbulent events that culminate in the campus turmoil that led to four student deaths at Kent State.Through passion, folly, joy and love, the couple struggles to understand their relationship and ultimately themselves.Their struggle comes to triumphant conclusions that will startle you.It's by far the best book I've ever read about the hippie generation.

Hippie:A Memoir
I'm an old ex-hippie from the day--in fact, I'm almost one of the originals. I hung out with Abbie Hoffman on the Lower East Side and attended both the Chicago police riots of l968 and the Woodstock Festival. Some think of the hippies as "happy go lucky", but it was a revolution--"a war, with LSD as the ammunition as Grady L. McMurtry described it. There were places where if you looked like a hippie, you would not only be beaten, but killed. You had to know who you were and what you believed, because everywhere there was harassment and threats by the self-appointed "members of the Establishment". This book is a "celebration" of all the different currents that came together to produce "hippies", which was not something you joined and got a membership card in, but something you found yourself being. I disagree with Barry Miles that feminism began with the hippies--the original hippie idea was quite sexist and backward, and feminist activism actuslly helped put nails in the hippie coffin. What is lacking in this book is the description of how the hippie movement collapsed. Rock stars died, fine, rock stars are still ODing and dying, but how did the movement fall apart and perish? That was a terrible time, and I hope I never go through such a time again, but the very sad story needs to be told. Where were you when the hippie culture collapsed? That is my question for Mr. Miles, who otherwise has produced quite a history.

Great photos, Good Quotes, "Blah" text
First of all, the 3 stars are all for the pictures in this book, which are excellent. I love the layout of the book and the design is great. The photos have great colour and context. There are a lot of great quotes from important people of the era as well. I think really what's lacking here is the actual text of it. None of the articles are really that great or in-depth and you don't come out of it feeling like you learned much, sorry. That's what disappoints me about this book, especially since i didn't get to actually LIVE in that era. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Counter culture    2. England    3. Essays    4. Hippies    5. History    6. History - U.S.    7. Minority Studies - General    8. Modern - 20th Century    9. Popular Culture - Counter Culture    10. Social History    11. Sociology    12. Subculture    13. U.S. History - 1960s    14. United States    15. United States - 20th Century/60s    16. COMPUTERS - INTERNET TRD PB    17. History / Modern / 20th Century   

Subjects:  1. Aristocracy (Social class)    2. Fiction    3. Japan - History    4. Social History    5. Fujiwara, Michinaga   

Reviews (6)

An historic perspective (by a non-mason)
Prof. Stevenson, a non-mason, has stumbled upon freemasonry while specialising in the history of the Scottish covenanters. He adds academic structure and his formidable historic knowledge to the unwritten part of Scottish masonry, - an oral tradition of memorized texts and a rich variety of lodge rituals, -way before George I's (a Hanoverian who spoke no English) attempt in 1717 to create a system of control by establishing the Grand Lodge of England. Mr. Stevenson may be forgiven for not understanding masonic imagery, however he has given us a well presented insight into Scottish masonry. His impressive work sets new standards in masonic history, based on verifiable and reproducable evidence rather than on wishful thinking. A highly recommendable book.

Half the story, and well done!
This well-researched and (necessarily) somewhat-speculative work covers the sustainment of Freemasonry in Scotland in the time just before Masonry went public in 1717. The title is less accurate than the subtitle, however, for it creates more questions than it answers. For convincing speculation on the actual origins of Freemasonry (and one that fits well before this book if one will take William Schaw as patron and not creator of the Craft), read "Born in Blood" by John J. Robinson.

At Last! Some Factual Pre-1717 Masonic History!
The question of Freemasonry's origins and history prior to the establishment of the Grand Lodge of England in 1717 is such a morass of speculation, supposition, and wishful thinking that professional historians- Stevenson included - feel the need to justify their researches in thissubject lest they be tainted by its disrepute among their fellows. Againstsuch a background this book really stands out. Stevenson bases his researchon actual records of almost a hundred Scottish Masonic lodges that datefrom the 1600's, along with municipal records, other guilds' records,diaries, and royal statutes.Read more

Subjects:  1. Europe - Great Britain - General    2. Freemasonry    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Western Europe - General    7. Freemasonry & secret societies    8. Freemasonry - Scotland - History    9. History / Great Britain    10. History of ideas, intellectual history    11. Western Continental Europe    12. c 1700 to c 1800    13. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. History    2. History: World    3. Reference    4. Religion - Commentaries / Reference    5. Islam    6. Reference works    7. Sacred texts   

Editorial Review

In the 19th century, the Brooklyn Bridge was viewed as the greatest engineering feat of mankind. The Roeblings--father and son--toiled for decades, fighting competitors, corrupt politicians, and the laws of nature to fabricate a bridge which, after 100 years, still provides one of the major avenues of access to one of the world's busiest cities--as compared to many bridges built at the same time which collapsed within decades or even years. It is refreshing to read such a magnificent story of real architecture and engineering in an era where these words refer to tiny bits and bytes that inspire awe only in their abstract consequences, and not in their tangible physical magnificence. ... Read more

Reviews (52)

A Book for Grandma
I could not get through this book.After 150 pages, I granted myself a pardon and tossed this book into the "books for people with more time and less interests" pile.
A woman built the Brooklyn Bridge
While the Brooklyn Bridge is the oldest of the bridges crossing the East River, it's one of the strongest, sturdiest and will most likely outlast the Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges. John Roebling and his son, Washington, did not know how the forces of nature and bridge loads would affect their bridge. Given this gap in their knowledge they overcompensated by building a bridge capable of withstanding forces many times greater than would ever be applied to their structure.
Project Management 101
All too often we walk by things that are true wonders.Yes, we need to slow down, stop, and smell the flowers, but how many of us stop and think about how wonderful the manmade structures are that we use every day?This story of the Brooklyn Bridge shows just how marvelous is that bridge - from its conception through its actual construction and dedication.It's all here: political intrigue, official corruption, flights of inventive genius, family drama, danger, and the list could go on.As alluded to in the title I chose for this review, this book should be read by anyone contemplating project management, because there are so many lessons here for folks who want to keep a project moving in the right direction.I give this book 5 stars because it is a marvelous story about a monumental construction. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bridge Engineering    2. Brooklyn Bridge (New York, N.Y    3. Brooklyn Bridge (New York, N.Y.)    4. Engineering - Civil    5. General    6. History - General History    7. History: American    8. Technology    9. United States - State & Local - General    10. City & town planning - architectural aspects    11. History / General    12. Social history    13. USA   

Reviews (21)

Omni-important
This is a tremendous book. Frankly, I am only writing this review to criticize those who didn't like it. (didn't get it more likely) First, one must understand that Bucky was a very unique thinker. As far "slapping on"a word like "omni" in order to sound more intelligent... well that just shows how ignorant the reviewer is. First off, Bucky used his own vocabulary ( that is explained in the book). There was another person who did that once.... Oh yeah I remember SHAKESPEARE!! The word "lonely" didn't exist before Shakes. Pass over this book if you a mediocre person with low intellect.

Good thoughts, poorly written
This book was a struggle to read and enjoy. The author, though he has decent ideas (albeit very outdated), takes so many tangents, his point is never clearly made. It's like listening to Grandpa rant on about everything and nothing. I consider myself a very logical "scientifically minded" person. Much of Fuller's ideas of history of humanity are logically thought out based on his understanding and experience although it is not all necessarily based on sufficient scientific/ archeological evidence. So it's difficult to differentiate between which is credible mainstream theory and personal philosophical thoughts. I think the book has some wonderful ideas that apply especially to today's society. It's just a shame that the book was written so poorly and the train of thought was poorly organized. By the way, the Dymaxiom house is a horrible, unsustainable invention. That's why only a couple were built.

"bucky" buckmaster IS "the man"
The book---CRITICAL PATH by the late Dr.R. Buckmaster Fuller,
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Subjects:  1. Civilization    2. Civilization, Modern, 1950-    3. History    4. History - General History    5. Philosophy    6. Reference    7. World - General    8. Philosophy / General    9. Sociology, Social Studies    10. Western philosophy, from c 1900 -   

Editorial Review

Did you ever wonder about the historical accuracy of those "traditional family values" touted in the heated arguments that insist our cultural ills can be remedied by their return? Of course, myth is rooted in fact, and certain phenomena of the 1950s generated the Read more

Reviews (28)

What you think you know may bewrong
This book provides exhaustively documented evidence that our cultural myths, such as the idealized nuclear family of the 50's, were not typical of American history after all, and that some of today's problems are not new. It's slow going for most readers (unless you majored in sociology). It made me look again at my own memories of earlier times of my life. The end notes would be helpful to scholars in American history, sociology or even social work.

Suberb and important work- Gets a grip on the reality of the American Family
Coonz dissects piece by piece the ideal of the "normal" family and lifestyle that neoconservatives frequently point to,as a solution to society'sills. Coonz's research is meticulous, and thisbook is a potentantidote to the fallacy that too often guides policy making in Washington and statehouses across the nation. i.e.that only the reestablishment of the "normal" traditional nuclear family is the path to our salvation. A+

Some interesting tidbits, but not worth the time to read fully
The first thing I did when I got this book was to look up what the author had to say about the Moynihan Report (thinking that based on the subject of the book the author would have many interesting criticisms).Alas, all that existed was a few sentence dismissal.After that I couldn't take the book very seriously and just jumped around to various things that I found interesting.Some things were interesting, others were foolish. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Family    3. Family life    4. History    5. Nostalgia    6. Self-Help    7. Social Science    8. Social conditions    9. Sociology    10. Sociology - General    11. Sociology - Marriage & Family    12. United States    13. Family & relationships    14. Social history    15. USA    16. c 1700 to c 1800    17. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (8)

What a dilemma......!

An absolute must read on terrorism
This is the best terrorism book on the market.It covers the basics from beginning to end.I would recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.Simply outstanding!

Author lacks credibility.
This authorlacks credibility as he cites the Gun Owners of America ... as a terrorist group - right next to Hamas (page 285, in the appendix)...such an allegation, without more to back it up borderlines on defamation. This test is used by Blue Ridge Community College (Weyers Cave, Virginia) in a counter-terrorism course. The instructor advised me that he's giving up the text in future classes because of this one erroneous allegation in the book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    2. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    3. Political Science    4. Politics / Current Events    5. Politics/International Relations    6. Law / Criminal Procedure    7. Revolutions & coups   

Reviews (45)

get this book if you plan to spend more than 2 days in Mumbai
I've been living in Mumbai for about three weeks now (on a 6 month stay) and I began reading this book once I arrived in India.I just finished a coupleof nights ago.Thanks to this book, I can read the local section of my daily newspaper from politics to crime to Bollywood, and the intersection of all three, and actually understand a bit more about what is going on (sadly, justice is so slow here that the people being tried for the 1993 bombings are only just now being sentenced).I can see a slum or pavement dwellers and have a better sense of the stories of the people.I can comiserate with everyone else stuck in traffic, and soon, once the monsoon ends, with everyone else breathing the dirty air.
couldn't put this one down
Read it in a single stretch on a transatlantic flight, and did not once lose interest. A must read for every Bombayite and highly recommended for everyone else. Fearlessly investigated and meticulously researched, while at the same time capturing the heart and soul of the city.

If you're on a Hindustani tip...
...the Suketu Mehta's MAXIMUM CITY -- a book about Bombay and its colourful characters -- is definitely for you!
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Subjects:  1. Asia - India    2. Bombay    3. Bombay (India)    4. Description And Travel    5. Essays & Travelogues    6. India    7. Mehta, Suketu    8. Social History    9. Social Science    10. Sociology    11. Sociology - General    12. Travel    13. Travel - General    14. Social Science / Sociology / General   

Subjects:  1. Bibliography    2. Caribbean & West Indies - General    3. Caribbean Area - History    4. Dictionaries    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Reference    9. Trinidad and Tobago    10. American history    11. Reference works    12. Social Science / Reference    13. Trinidad & Tobago   

Subjects:  1. Civilization    2. General    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History Of Civilization And Culture (General)    6. History: World    7. Western Europe - General    8. Western Europe - History    9. History / General   

Subjects:  1. Civilization    2. General    3. History - General History    4. Social Science    5. Sociology    6. World - General    7. History / General    8. Sociology, Social Studies   

Editorial Review

Legendary scholar-activist W.E.B. Du Bois labored to complete an "Encyclopedia Africana" before his death in 1963. Just over 35 years later, two Harvard educators, Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Ghanaian-born Kwame Anthony Appiah, have brought Du Bois' intellectual dream to life in

Reviews (25)

No comprehensive Index again!
As a university professor in African American Studies, I looked forward to the first edition and bought it. But I was disappointed by the woefully lacking index which is also the case with the 2nd edition.
Great Coffee Table Book...
This encyclopedia has plenty of useful information and gives the reader easy access to black history that is not easily researched (especially considering this Eurocentric world we live in). Great to have on your coffee table, exposed, so that guests can have a quick and random look at some black facts and history. This encyclopedia has entries that I would suggest be used to wet your appetite for knowledge and spark your desire to learn more, but not to be used as the sole source of info on any given topic.

Bernadette Pruitt, Ph.D.
Thank you for your promptness.The recipient truly loved the gift.Thank you once again.Bernadette ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa - General    2. African Americans    3. African diaspora    4. Blacks    5. Encyclopedias    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History: World    9. Reference    10. Africa    11. African history    12. Encyclopaedias & Reference Works    13. History / Reference    14. History, American | African American    15. Social history   

Reviews (1)

great book
The book was easy to follow and helped me put more exercise in my life. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Consumer Health    2. Exercise    3. Health & Fitness    4. Health/Fitness    5. Physical fitness    6. Cardiovascular medicine    7. Exercise & workout books    8. Health & Fitness / General    9. Popular medicine    10. Social history    11. USA   

Reviews (30)